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blackbat05 · 2 years

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Blue Skies

Bucky x Reader (500 Challenge)

A/N: Congrats @tom-whore-dleston for 500 followers once again! Thanks for letting me write this, hopefully it’s as good as I think it should be? I also think I did it correctly? As always, feedback is appreciated!

Genre: PG13, Angst

Notes: Own characters, usage of Y/N

Warnings: Language, injuries, blood, death, trauma. This story is one of my longer stories.

***

3am. You were pacing back and forth in the house that you shared with Bucky.

You really should be going to sleep. As a medic, you had a long day tomorrow, covering for a colleague as a favor. But the radio silence from your boyfriend was making you more anxious by the second.

Just as you considered pouring yourself the fourth of tea, the door unlocks, Bucky looking worse for wear stumbling in with a grey duffel bag. Tossing the bag to who knows where, he flops down onto the couch, groaning in pain.

‘Hey doll, you still awake.’ Bucky sees you coming with the kit. ‘You didn’t have to.’

‘It’s ok Buck, I couldn’t sleep anyway.’ You set the kit on the coffee table, getting to work. It seems that Bucky got off lucky this time - a couple of bruises and grazing here and there.

Maybe you spoke to soon.

As you worked your way up to his right arm, Bucky winces, jolting back. He tries to move away from you, but you were quicker. Removing the bandage that must have been applied by Sam, you were horrified to see that his stitch had burst open, causing the bandage to be slowly dipped in red.

‘Buck! Your stitch, it’s-’

‘It’s alright doll, nothing serious.’ He attempts to move again before being hit with the soreness of an open wound.

‘Just let me look at it. I’ll be quick-’

‘IT’S FINE.’ Bucky finds himself raising his voice, almost instantly regretting that as he sees your facial expression do a three-sixty. The temperature of the room had dropped, silence filling the air.

You decided to leave the kit, dumping the supplies on the table. You felt like a fool, waiting for him into the wee hours of the night, only for this to happen.

‘Wait, I didn’t mean to… please just-’ Bucky gets up from the couch as quickly as he could, trailing behind you before stopping when you spun around, tears evident in your eyes.

‘Not a single call, or a text at least to tell me that you’re fine James,’ you used his name to tell him that you meant business. ‘I was so worried that Sam would knock on our door telling me that one of your harebrained plans would have gotten you killed.’

Bucky holds back, knowing that he shouldn’t have lashed out at you. You were right. You could have yelled at him the moment he got back home but you chose not to.

You huffed, not knowing how things had gotten so out of hand. Being the pacifist that you were, you left to the spare room that was used occasionally whenever Sam came over. You had no intention to speak to face him for the rest of the night.

***

Bucky wakes up to the heat that was creeping into the bedroom. Right hand automatically reaching out to the cold sheets, he remembers what happened last night.

He really wanted to stay in bed today.

Going about his usual routine, he sees a plate of toast and a mug of coffee prepared at the counter. A pink post-it was taped to the side of the plate.

I’m sorry for yesterday. Left some breakfast for you. We’ll talk about this tonight. Seriously.

Bucky folds the tiny piece of paper carefully, slipping it into his pocket. He did not deserve this. Especially not how after he treated you. He had to make it up to you somehow.

He really hated what he was about to do next, but he was desperate man.

‘Wassup metal brain!’ Sam picks up exactly on the third ring.

Yeah, he hated this.

***

‘Y/N! Did you hear anything that I just said?’ Your co-worker Carrie waves a hand in front of your face.

‘Huh? Oh sorry. What did you say?’

‘I said, we’re having dinner tonight if there’s no last minute calls. You down?’

You think about the note that you left for Bucky this morning before leaving for work. ‘Sorry Carrie, not today.’ Usually, you wouldn’t have passed on dinner with your closest friend, not when you both had a rare opportunity to leave work on time as a medic, but a promise was a promise.

‘Boyfriend troubles?’ Carrie asked. Nothing could slip by that girl. All you could do was nod numbly.

She sympathetically pats you on the shoulder. ‘Chin up soldier. If Bucky gives you any more crap, I don’t care if he’s an Avenger, I’ll castrate him myself.’ You wanted to laugh, but something was weighing the side of your lips down.

Placing the last of the medical supplies in the storage room, the two of you made your exit, ready to face another day.

***

‘You really screwed up this time huh Buck?’

‘Would you stop saying that? I don’t need anymore reminders Sam.’ Bucky snarls, regretting his decision the moment he instantly stepped into the house.

‘Noted.’ The former pararescueman raises his hands up, although Bucky wasn’t sure if he was serious on keeping that promise. ‘Well, it’s simple. You just need to be honest with her. Tell her that you were being a douchebag,’ Sam narrowly avoids the tissue box that flew a few inches from his face, ‘and not be such a closed up dick. She needs to know that she’s appreciated man. Then again, may be a challenge for you.’

Sam’s phone rang. ‘Hold on a second lover boy,’ Sam grabs his phone. ‘I’ll be right back after this call.’

Bucky ponders on his partner’s advice. Sam had a point. All this while, you had accommodated to him, to his needs. You never forced him to share any of his missions if he felt uncomfortable, you left him alone when needed, and most importantly...

You always waited for him.

‘Buck!’ Sam calls him out from his thoughts. ‘Emergency. A collapsed building. Local department needs extra hands.’

As much as Bucky bickered with Sam nearly 24/7, he knew what was going on in his mind too. And by the look of distress on the Captain’s face, something was very wrong.

‘Sam? Spit it out.’ Bucky’s demand had made him regret asking immediately.

‘It’s Y/N. She’s trapped inside.’

***

Two hours earlier,

‘Well there goes our dinner!’ Carrie changes into her gear swiftly. ‘You told Bucky?’

‘He’s probably on Avenger business. Besides, not like this is our first rodeo.’ You grabbed your own gear, changing in record speed, running to the vehicle where the rest of your team was waiting with your partner.

‘It’s a broadcasting studio. A group of students from a nearby university are the only known survivors so far. Estimated number unknown. Our main priority is to get them out. The team on site has assessed that the building is safe to enter, but we only have limited time before the structure goes unstable.’ Your team leader briefs the group as the vehicle speeds to its destination.

You had experience as a medic, seen it all. But that didn’t make it any easier.

The red building that once stood proud on the busy streets of the business district was now in shambles. You weren’t even sure if it was remotely possible for people to be underneath the rubble.

No. You had to be optimistic.

A uniformed soldier greets the team, going straight into business. ‘We need a minimum of three medics. They’ll follow each of us in to do a quick assessment.’

You didn’t think. And evidently Carrie had the same thoughts as the seniors on the team. ‘Not letting you have all the glory can I?’ She smiles, giving me a fist bump as good luck before being led away by the soldier that she would be tagging along with.

You meet your own ‘buddy’, a soldier with salt and pepper hair who introduced himself as Hal.

‘We’ll be going in from the front,’ he briefs you as the two of you briskly walked past the tape that was keeping out nosy pedestrians and distressed relatives. ‘We’ve detected at least two of them in there. One’s looking pretty banged up from their heat signature though.’

Switching on his flashlight on his helmet, Hal takes the lead, crawling into the tight space. ‘This can take our weight. But don’t touch anything at the sides.’

Following his instructions, you found yourself crawling for a while before seeing a flash of light that came from a phone. Two girls were waiting for us, dust covering every inch of their skin.

‘We’re here to get you out. Follow whatever we tell you to do okay?’ You moved to the figure lying on the floor, her leg twisted into an odd position. Hal attends to the other girl, asking simple questions to assess her state.

‘She’s fine.’ Hal tells you. ‘I’ll get her out of her first and come back for you.’ He gives you an extra walkie-talkie for good measure. ‘Stay away from the sides.’ Hal reminds you again, leaving you with the remaining girl who was drifting in and out of consciousness.

‘Hey honey…’ you tapped her face gently. ‘Stay with me okay? We’re going to get you out of here.’

She gives you a dazed look. ‘I’m scared… I’m scared.’

‘It’s okay. I’m here with you.’ You held her hand, praying that Hal would make his way back for the girl soon.

You knew you weren’t in here for more than three hours, but the heat was starting to close in on the two of you. Moving yourself into a more comfortable position, the building starts to to shake again. You pressed the button on the walkie-talkie, attempting to reach Hal.

‘Hal! What the hell’s going on?’

‘Structure’s unstable! Get o- to- Ca- you- hear-’ The buzz became louder before the connection to the outside world was cut off. You had to think fast. Sitting here like an open duck with an injured civilian was not an option.

With your strength, you lifted the girl, placing her underneath the table before dragging your supplies along with you.

And thank god for you quick thinking as a huge debris came crashing down onto where the both of you were seconds earlier. Great, now your only way of exit was blocked.

Although you were fortunate not to have any part of you flatten like a pancake, you were unaware that several stray metal pieces had found it’s way to your sides amongst the confusion.

Turning your attention back to the girl, your current focus was to get her out alive.

***

‘Let us through!’ Sam raises his voice as the two men walk past the tapes.

‘Captain!’ Hal rushes to greet him. ‘Thank you for coming down on such short notice.’

‘What’s the situation?’

‘We’ve managed to get 9 out of 10 civilians. The remaining civilian is stuck on the basement with the medic. The building’s currently too unstable to move in at the moment.’

‘Can’t anything else be done?’ Bucky finds himself speaking for the very first time since Sam broke the news to him at home.

‘I’m sorry Sergeant. We try to move one debris, the whole structure may just collapse.’

A girl on the stretcher passes by. She reaches out to grasp at Hal’s wrist. ‘My friend… please, you have to save her.’ She begs weakly before being taken away.

Bucky was confused at the sudden intrusion in their conversation, finally putting the dots together. He abruptly grabs the soldier by the collar, going dangerously close to his face.

‘You dragged her down there and left her alone! YOU LEFT HER DOWN THERE!’ Bucky’s unexpected aggression left the two men speechless.

‘Buck let him go!’ Sam cuts in, forcing him to release his death grip on Hal. ‘It’s not his fault, Y/N was just doing her job!’

But Bucky had already blocked out the rest of the conversation. Sam apologizes to the slightly shaken soldier before turning back to focus on his distracted partner.

‘Buck! I need you to focus. It’s no good if you’re emotional. That’s not going to help Y/N.’ Sam firmly grips both of Bucky’s shoulders, planting him back to reality.

Then, as Sam attempts to bring his partner back to earth, a crackle could be heard from the walkie talkie that Hal had given Sam before leaving to tend to the injured.

‘Hel-lo? Anyo-ne?’ Your distorted voice seemed to have did the trick, bringing back Bucky’s focus.

‘Y/N! It’s Sam! Can you hear me?’ Sam speaks slowly, hoping that his voice could capture on the other end.

‘Sam! Yes I-’ The short lived joy was cut off again as the static returned.

***

‘Shit!’ You mumbled, placing the walkie-talkie aside.

‘Miss?’ The girl reaches her hand out in the air. You sit by her side, trying not to flinch at how cold her hand was despite the unforgiving heat.

‘Call me Y/N. And don’t worry honey, we’re going to get you out. I need you to hang in there for me okay?’

She nods. ‘What’s your name?’ You ask her, trying to make her stay awake.

‘Tara,’ she seems to understand your intentions, licking her lips before continuing. ‘I’m a student. Was here on a field trip.’

Grateful for her resilience, you encouraged her further. ‘How about you tell me more about what you do? I always wanted to be a journalist.’

***

‘Captain, you’re only going to have thirty minutes until the structure goes unstable.’ The commander passes him a thick black control. ‘We’ve managed to track their heat signatures.’

Sam nods, keeping an eye on Bucky. ‘Thank you Commander Louis, we’ll take it from here.’

He puts a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, hoping that it would calm down the man who looked like he was about to burst his way into the rubble any moment.

‘Buck. We do this on my orders. I need you to agree to this.’ Sam finds himself staring at cold blue eyes, tinged with desperation.

And regret?

Bucky marches forward, not bothering to spare Sam a glance.

‘Knew he would do that.’

***

‘What about you Y/N?’ Tara asks. ‘Why did you want to become a medic?’

You paused, seriously considering her question. At the same time, you worked on focusing on your breathing that had became increasingly labored over the past few hours. Pushing the feeling to the back of your mind, you answered the young girl.

‘I wanted to help people to see the blue skies once more.’ You smiled at her. ‘I know, it sounds real poetic and cheesy.’

‘I think it’s beautiful.’

Just then, you could hear movement from the rubble that was blocking the exit. Was help finally here? Waiting with bated breath, you could finally breathe easily when a familiar head poked out from the empty space.

‘Good to see you Y/N!’

‘Sam! Are you a sight for sore eyes. You think you could spare a hand here?’

Squeezing through the confined space, you see Bucky trail after him. Now’s not the time.

Sam opens a stretcher, placing Tara onto it. ‘We gotta move. Me and Buck will pull. Stay close.’ He takes the lead, lifting the stretcher in head first. Switching on the light on his helmet, he braves ahead.

‘Y/N…’

‘Bucky, whatever it is, we can talk about it later, ok?’ Perhaps it came out harsher then intended as Bucky’s lips pursed into a thin line, conversation going dead.

You lost track of time as you crawled through the small space. You should have been relieved, knowing that the claustrophobic feeling that you were experiencing for the past few hours would go away.

How you hated your ability to sense danger.

Structure around you moving violently, you were able to get a glimpse beyond Bucky’s shoulder that the four of you were nearly out of this hell hole. Hal was waiting at the end of the ‘tunnel’, words forming on his mouth.

‘Get out of there now! The structure’s going to collapse!’

The two men grit their teeth, pulling the stretcher as quick as they can, with you keeping up with their pace. You were almost there, when you felt the dull pain that had been bugging at your sides increased.

Slowing down, your hand comes into contact with warm, sticky blood.

Get out of here first Y/N.

However, your body had other plans.

As the trio exited the rubble with the help of the rescue team, Bucky turns back, expecting to see you right behind them.

‘Y/N!’ He sees you sprawled on the ground, a few meters away from safety. The building continues to shake violently.

‘Sir it’s not safe-’

‘FUCK OFF!’ Bucky had no time to be nice. He shakes the hand off him, running back to you. Lifting you by the armpits, he manages to get you out with a millisecond to spare.

‘Oh thank god,’ he brushes the stray hair from your face. ‘Are you-’ Bucky freezes as he sees your unusually pale figure.

‘Y/N. Doll. Talk to me!’ He gently taps you on the cheek. Blinking slowly, you stare blankly at him before looking at the skies.

‘I’m sorry Buck,’ you lift the sides of your shirt, revealing multiple metal pieces that was badly rusted.

Bucky shook his head, in denial. ‘No… please… SAM! SAM WE NEED HELP!’

You gripped his hand, bringing it to your face. ‘It’s okay Buck. I just want to be with you.’ You breathed out each word with difficulty.

He tries to hold on to the last piece of hope that was slowly slipping away from his grasp.

‘I’m sorry doll… I’m sorry I shouldn’t have lost my temper at you.’ Tears roll down his face that was covered in dust. He knows that he’s loosing you, so he wipes his eyes, in order to see you for the last time. ‘Please just hang in there. Please…’

Sam runs over, stopping in his track. A former army personnel, he had a fair share of medical knowledge. And right now, the only thing he could do was to give the two of you space.

‘It’s okay Buck. I know you didn’t mean it.’ Using your remaining energy, you squeezed his hand. ‘Could you just stay with me? I want to see the skies.’

He gently places your head on his lap, for you to feel the sun on your face.

As your breathing becomes weaker, Bucky knows that he had to let go. He bends down, kissing you tenderly.

He knew, that a kiss was always done with one’s eyes closed.

Body going limp, Bucky releases a guttural scream that eventually turned into choked sobs. How did it go so wrong? If only he knew… He had so many things to say to you, so many things that he had to fix right.

But what good did it do to have any regrets?

That’s why he made sure that the last thing you saw was his baby blues.

The color of the skies that you had always loved so much.

A/N: Well, I’m sorry that it was longer than I expected! Just kept writing and I think this probably had the best flow?😅 Really hope it’s okay and thanks for reading!

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fic #jordans500followersbingochallenge #jordansauandtropebingochallenge

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jaskierswolf · 3 years

Note

Hi lovely Wolfie!

Lambden Lambden Lambden!

That’s it, that’s the prompt.

💖💖💖

Love u!

I went for Christmassy Lambden! It’s just over 1.3k

Warnings: Swearing, and mentions of sex?

______________________________

Aiden was in the middle of a routine on the dance mat when the power cut out and they were plunged into darkness. The TV crackled as it snapped off and he felt his heart sink. He’d been working on that routine all fucking day and he was sure that time had been a top score.

“Mother fucker!” He cursed and fumbled for his phone.

“What the fuck did you do?” Lambert yelled from his bedroom and the living room lit up in the bright glow of his torch on Aiden’s phone.

Aiden rolled his eyes at his housemate. He was utterly gorgeous and brilliant but at time he could be such a moron. He sighed as he flopped down onto the sofa. “I’m brilliant at many things, sweetheart, but I cannot control the weather. The snow must have cut the power. It hasn’t stopped all day.”

Lambert stalked into the room holding up his own phone as a torch. The light cast eery shadows around the flat and made Lambert look like some kind of Ghost of Christmas. “Does that mean the heating is out as well?”

Aiden nodded with a smirk. “That’s how it works.”

Lambert ruffled his hair roughly and Aiden whined. Lambert, being the little shit that is was, sat on Aiden’s feet with huff. “It’s fucking freezing outside.”

“Oh really?” Aiden drawled. “I hadn’t noticed, what with the snow.”

“Shut it, kitten.”

Aiden sighed and let his head roll back onto the sofa arm. Lambert was right, for once. The temperature would soon drop and fast. They would need to get layers on and blankets to preserve heat, and maybe light a few candles. The torches on their phones wouldn’t last very long without needing to charge them. Aiden dug his feet into Lambert’s thighs.

“Oi!”

“Get up, wolf. We need to get blankets.”

“You could’ve asked nicely,�� Lambert grumbled but stood up and pulled Aiden to his feet.

Aiden gripped Lambert’s forearm and, not for the first time, delighting in the feel of Lambert’s muscles under his fingers. Aiden wasn’t weak, quite the contrary, he was just as lethal in a fight as Lambert was when he needed to me but Lambert was built like a house, whereas Aiden preferred to dance around his opponent and strike them when they least expect it. Not that he got into that many fights, but he had a quick temper and the criminal record to prove it.

Aiden pulled himself into Lambert’s space and brushed his lips against his ear. “We need to get blankets, please,” he purred and then cackled as Lambert shoved him hard in the chest and he fell back onto the sofa.

He couldn’t see in the dark but he knew Lambert was blushing. It was so easy to wind his friend up. He was pretty sure Lambert fancied him but his friend was also allergic to feelings so Aiden was doing his best to be patient. It was hard when Lambert looked like a fucking god, and Aiden was not used to waiting. Lambert was worth the effort though. He would always be worth the effort, the fucking bastard. Aiden smirked as he remembered how awkwardly Lambert had been when he’d first moved in. Lambert had kept to his room for the first week, but slowly and surely they’d become best friends.

Aiden just knew they could be the best lovers too. He just had to wait, but with the power out, maybe tonight was the time to make his move.

Together they gathered up all the blankets in the two bedroom house and rifled through the cupboards for some old candles. One had been left behind from Aiden’s last housemate and smelled like apple and cinnamon, like Christmas. Aiden had switched off his phone for now, they had Lambert’s until it ran out of battery, but he was sure he was going to die of boredom. They had no tv, no playstation, no internet. He couldn’t even read properly by candle light and it wasn’t as if they could spend the entire evening making out or fucking each other senseless… not yet at least. It was already starting to get cold even with the pile of blankets so Aiden curled up closer to his friend.

“Get off.”

“It’s cold and you’re practically a radiator. Share your warmth with me, darling.”

Lambert growled but draped his arm over Aiden’s shoulders. Aiden grinned in the darkness; point to him. Once he was sure Lambert had gotten used to the snuggling he sighed dramatically as he ran a finger down Lambert’s chest.

“Sing for me, wolf.”

“What? No!”

“Oh go on, I know you have that guitar hidden in your room. The walls aren’t that thick,” Aiden pouted at his friend in the darkness, barely refraining from commenting on what else he could hear through those thin walls. He needed to play his cards right and mistimed innuendos were not the way to go.

“Will you let me up to get it?” Lambert sighed wearily.

Aiden considered this, continuing to trace pretty pictures on Lambert’s chest seeing as he wasn’t stopping him. “No, come on, wolf. Sing me a Christmas song! It’s only two days away.”

“Which one?”

Aiden grinned and began to sing. “I really can’t stay,”

There was a pause and Aiden jabbed his friend under the ribs and repeated his line, Lambert snarled but there was a begrudging. “But baby, it’s cold outside.”

Aiden giggled. “I’ve got to go away.”

“But baby, it’s cold outside,” Lambert sang more clearly this time and Aiden basked in the warm baritone of his voice.

“This evening has been…”

“Been hoping that you’ll drop by.”

“So very nice,”

“Ok that’s enough,” Lambert grumbled.

Aiden rolled his eyes and swapped roles. “I’ll hold your hands they’re just like ice,” He cooed and he took Lambert’s hand in his and then pressed a kiss to his palm.

“Aiden?” Lambert stammered.

“Yes, sweetheart?” He whispered with his lips still brushing Lambert’s wrist.

“What? Why?” Lambert cut himself off with a growl.

Aiden gazed up at his friend. His gorgeous red curls shone in the flickering candle light and he looked utterly divine. Really no one could blame Aiden for trying. He was completely smitten. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to decipher what Lambert was trying to say. He hadn’t pulled away or shoved Aiden to the floor yet which was better than he’d been hoping for, but he was struggling. Aiden dropped Lambert’s hand reluctantly and reached up to catch one of Lambert’s curls in his fingers. “May I?”

Lambert hummed.

“Wolf?”

“Yes.”

Aiden nodded and slowly ran his fingers through Lambert’s hair. He shifted in his seat and swung his legs round so he was sitting in Lambert’s lap, straddling his waist. He gently brushed the curls away from Lambert’s face. His friend hummed and closed eyes, gradually relaxing under Aiden’s touch.

“Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?” He purred as he cupped Lambert’s cheek.

“Fuck off,” Lambert growled and buried his face in Aiden’s neck.

Aiden sighed and carried on stroking his hands through Lambert’s hair. “Please tell me I’ve not completely misread the situation, Lambert?”

Lambert groaned. “No.”

Aiden closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. He smiled softly to himself in the darkness and pressed a kiss to Lambert’s hair before singing softly. “Gosh, your lips look delicious.”

“It’s dark. You can’t see shit.”

“Humour me, darling,” He purred as he gently tugged at Lambert’s hair, pulling his head up so he could see him again.

“Hmm.”

“Can I kiss you?” Lambert nodded but stayed very still so Aiden slowly moved in and placed a kiss on Lambert’s nose. “Again?” Another nod so Aiden kissed Lambert’s cheek. “Again?”

“Oh for fucks sake,” Lambert’s hands gripped the collar of Aiden’s jumper and pulled him into a fierce kiss. Aiden laughed into the kissed but wrapped his arms around Lambert’s neck. Maybe they could spend the power cut making out after all.

________________

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#the witcher #lambden #laiden #lambert x aiden #christmas prompts #winter prompts #wolfie's witcher writing #stinastar

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wrenhyperfixates · 4 years

Text

Full Disclosure

Pairing: Loki x reader Summary: Thor has always been supportive of his brother’s love life, but Loki won’t tell him that he’s dating you. When Thor won’t stop setting him up on dates, Loki has to move past his fears and confess. Warnings: just a fluff-bomb A/N: Thank you for requesting, my lovely nonny! This is longer than a typical imagine might be because I had so much fun with it (in fact it’s really more of a oneshot, oops). If you wanted something a little shorter, I already had a similar incorrect quote in my drafts that I’ll be posting for you later in the week :)

Disclaimer: Gif not mine

Sometimes it was hard to have a brother so dense. There were plenty of times during their youth when Loki would try to discuss lessons or ladies with Thor, but never seemed to make any sort of breakthrough. It was only when Loki started dating you that he was glad for it, as it made hiding the blooming relationship much easier. That is, until Thor kept trying to set him up on dates.

“I believe I might shove my brother off a cliff, darling,” Loki whined one afternoon, dramatically flopping on your bed.

“Aww. What did he do now?” you inquired after giving him a small peck on the lips.

“He arranged another date for me, and I was left with the arduous task of cancelling. It is a wonder how he has not noticed how absolutely smitten I am with you, my love.”

He nuzzled into your neck as you cuddled him, breathing in your comforting scent. You bent your head down to place a kiss on the adorable little crinkle between his brows. He relaxed a bit, but you could tell he was still stressed.

“Well, we could always tell him about us,” you suggested as Loki’s frown reappeared. “I mean, almost everyone else on the team figured it out. So I don’t really see why we shouldn’t tell Thor.”

Loki pondered this for a moment. True, the other Avengers were aware of your relationship, save for Steve and Bucky, who were too oblivious to even realize their own feelings for each other. Still, it was different with Thor, his brother, his only family left. He knew how fond of you Thor was, but if he were to oppose to the two of you dating, he had no idea what he’d do.

“My brother can be overbearing. I am not certain that telling him is the best option at present.”

“Ok. If you’re sure that’s all, then we’ll wait.”

He whispered a thank you into your hair as you shifted positions so that now he was spooning you. The whole reason you’d decided to keep the fact you were dating a secret in the first place was to be able to enjoy quiet moments like this. Loki has been worried that his teammates would disapprove and try to split you up. Surprisingly, they were supportive, even if they did engage in some subtle teasing. Though, their knowledge of your relationship made what happened at dinner the next night all the more embarrassing.

You and Loki kept secretly holding hands under the table, earning you some smirks from your teammates who happened to notice. Feeling self-conscious, you broke apart but left your legs touching ever so slightly, just enough to feel the warmth radiating off each other. You must have laughed a little too loudly at something Loki said because, suddenly, Thor got what he thought to be a novel idea.

“You know,” he said, pointing at you and Loki, “I believe you two would make a really cute couple.” As if that weren’t bad enough, he continued in a stage whisper, “You should really ask them out, Loki.”

The God of Mischief turned bright red as you started fidgeting in your seat. Everyone else made eye contact with each other before giving in to a bout of laughter. Thor demanded to know what was so funny, but no one could get any words out. When Tony laughed so hard he fell out of his seat, Loki decided that he’d had enough.

“Brother,” he shouted over the din. “I-well, we have something to tell you.”

“What is it?” he shouted back, still not catching on.

“Maybe we should do this somewhere quieter,” you suggested after a small sigh.

The three of you made your way out of the noisy dining room, and Loki started wringing his hands as both his lover and brother looked at him expectantly. This was his moment to finally get the truth out there. Unfortunately, his hands seemed to have a mind of their own and lashed out with a dagger, striking Thor.

“Surprise attack!”

“Loki!” you bellowed, upset with your boyfriend.

“Do not worry, my friend. This is a normal occurrence,” Thor assured you as Loki grabbed your hand and whisked you away.

Once behind closed doors, you fixed him with a withering glare. He knew that he was being ridiculous, especially now that Thor has shown he would be fine with you two dating. But Loki realized something else was stopping from sharing his joy with his brother. If he told Thor, it would be like bridging his old life and his new one. Granted, you already knew of his past misdeeds, but what if there was something else he hasn’t told you? Something long forgotten in his memory that Thor lets slip? In the end, his reluctance all boiled down to a fear of losing you.

“I know, I know. That was not the best route to choose. I just didn’t think it was the right time to say anything,” he lied.

“Why can’t you just be honest with me, Loki?” you pleaded as tears formed in your eyes. “It’s obvious that you’re embarrassed of me or something. The least you could do is tell the truth about it.”

“Oh, my darling,” he cooed, wiping a plump drop that had fallen and made a glistening track halfway down your cheek. “Please understand that my inability to tell my brother of us has nothing to do with you. You are the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me.”

“Then what is it?”

“I fear that you may come to resent me if you hear any more of my past.”

“Loki,” you said, voice heavy with emotion. “Look at me. I know that you’ve done some... questionable things before. But I know you now, and that’s what I care about. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, but you work harder than anyone I know to make up for it. It’s one of the many reasons that I love you.”

He looked at you with eyes full of gratitude before hugging you close. “I love you too, dearest. Never doubt that.”

The air relaxed around Loki and his beloved as a quiet contemplation settled in. He slowly rocked the two of you back and forth, trying to plan his next move. If there was one thing he didn’t like, it was not knowing what to do next. But he was sure that, with you beside him, he could figure it out.

“Ok,” you said after sucking in a long breath. “We’ll wait then. As long as you need.”

“No,” Loki interjected, coming to a conclusion as you spoke. “I want to tell him now. Well, maybe not right at this moment. But tomorrow for certain.”

After checking that he was sure of this decision, you agreed to have lunch with Thor where you would tell him the news. Loki’s nerves were at an all-time high by noon the next day. He helped you set the table to try to calm them, but nothing seemed to cull his worries. You came up behind him and wrapped your arms around his waist, pressing kisses to the tense spots between his shoulder blades.

“Hey, it’s going to be alright. I promise,” you reassured him, hoping to relieve some of the pressure he was feeling.

He relaxed in your embrace for a second before you broke away upon hearing Thor’s heavy footsteps approaching. Loki tweaked the utensils once more, and you pressed a quick kiss to his knuckles in a final act of comfort. It also helped some that Thor seemed to be in an even more jovial mood than usual. Which, of course, was saying something as the god was relentlessly optimistic.

Sitting down, he greeted you both by name and told you everything smelled delicious. The God of Thunder bit his lip to hold back a smile, but you and Loki could see it tugging its way onto his face. The two of you shared a look, attempting to figure out what exactly was the cause of such joy for the older Odinson boy.

“Um, Thor?” you said. “Is there something you wanted to share with us?”

“No. Is there something you want to share with me?”

Another look passed between you and Loki. Suddenly, Loki realized that his brother must know the news you were about to share. It figures that after all this time, he worked it out moments before he was about to come clean.

“You have figured it out,” Loki sighed, “haven’t you?”

Thor nodded eagerly and came around the table to hug his brother and friend, overjoyed that they were dating. He loosened his grip around you upon hearing your gasping voice telling him he was hugging too tight, a terrible habit of his.

“But when did you figure it out?” you questioned, puzzling over the timeline of events.

“I have known for months, of course.” He tried to stick to this story, but the skeptical looks from both you and his brother made him abandon his position. “I saw you two being all cuddly just before I came in,” he conceded with slumped shoulders.

All three of you began to laugh, and Loki was surprised by how relieved he felt at not having to actually confess. The rest of the lunch went swimmingly, and the God of Mischief relaxed further, happy to have both his brother and beloved in such high spirits. Unfortunately, his own sunk when Thor offered to tell a story about him. It seemed like his worst fears were about to come true.

“One time when we were children,” Thor began with a wistful look in his eye, “Loki tried to use some of his magic and accidentally turned himself into a cat. He came to my room and pestered me until I brought him to mother. Remember that, brother?”

“Indeed, I do,” Loki said with a nostalgic laugh, feeling relieved that was all Thor shared. “It was one of the first spells I ever tried. I am afraid that I sorely botched it. I was coughing hair balls for weeks.”

“So that’s why you won’t let me get a kitten!” you added with a laugh of your own.

The brothers went back and forth telling embarrassing stories about the other. You refused to share any of your awkward childhood moments, and your companions vowed to get some out of you one day. All in all, Loki had a great time. He squeezed your hand in thanks under the table. With shining eyes he observed you and Thor laughing. He realized that, for the first time in his life, he had nothing to worry about. After all, he’d been wrong when he’d thought Thor was the only family he had left. Now you were his family, too. And nothing could possibly take away you or the love you shared.

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captainjanegay · 4 years

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Summary:

Bucky is a single dad coming back from a work trip with a very bored, very whiney 7-year-old girl. A mysterious stranger with a kind heart and a notebook full of doodles comes to the rescue.

A/N: This fic was supposed to be just a short one-shot for the Stucky Bingo but somehow, it's at 11k at this point and it's nowhere near done. I have two more chapters all done and ready and a vague outline for the rest of the story. It's my first time posting a fic chapter by chapter so it's both exciting and kinda scary. I hope you'll like the story enough to stick with me for a while.

My sixth fill for the @stuckybingo2020 ♥

At some point in his life Bucky didn't mind spending hours at airports and he found traveling —even work-related —quite enjoyable. But that was when he was young, stupid and alone. Now he's older, just as stupid and has a wonderful girl in his life.

The girl in question is now standing next to him, little arms crossed and a sullen expression on her face. She's repeatedly kicking at the leg of the chair he's sitting on. There's no real force to it —she's only 7 after all —and she's not doing it to do any real damage to anyone or anything. It's just little taps, really and she's doing it out of boredom. But dear lord, Bucky's about to explode.

"Alex, sweetheart," Bucky says, slowly breathing out through his nose. "Could you please stop with that kicking? It's a bit annoying."

"But papa," she whines, drawling out the word. "I'm bored!"

"I know, love and I'm really sorry but papa’s gotta do something important for work," he sighs, trying to run a hand through her hair. She ducks and flops onto the chair next to him, an angry little pout on her face. "I have to finish it before we go on the plane. I'll do it as quickly as possible and then I'll be all yours, ok?"

It's not really surprising when he doesn't get an answer. With another sigh, he leans to the side and presses a kiss to the top of his daughter's head and then turns back to his laptop.

From the very moment she woke up today, Bucky knew it's gonna be a long day. She was cranky and teary all morning, not wanting to say goodbye to Natasha and it took a good hour to calm her down. Then Bucky had to basically beg her to eat something before they left for the airport. It wasn't a great day. And Bucky knew she didn't do it just to make him miserable, she was just as frustrated and tired as he was. On top of that, he has to edit and upload a report from the conference and the airport Wi-Fi is so bad Bucky is close to tears himself.

The work would probably take less time if he wasn't getting distracted every minute or so and glancing to the side, making sure that Alex is fine. Or relatively fine, the bad mood excluded. At the moment she is slouching on the plastic chair, still pouting. Felicia—a pink stuffed Triceratops —is placed on her lap so at least Alex has something to occupy her for a moment.

Bucky tries his best to get through the documents quickly but he doesn't want to miss any errors either. He gets lost in the work for the entirety of about five minutes when he hears something truly surprising.

Alex laughs. It’s so unexpected after what seems like hours of complaining, crying and whining that Bucky’s head snaps up from his laptop and he looks at his daughter.

She is still sitting by his side, Felicia pressed closely to her chest and there is a smile on her face. It’s definitely not aimed at Bucky, though. So Bucky follows her line of sight and… oh.

It’s not like he didn’t notice the guy sitting across from them before. Because he did. It would be rather impossible not to notice this guy. He is tall and well-built and could look intimidating if it wasn’t for his bright blue eyes or tousled golden hair or the gentle smile or the fact that he’s wearing the softest beige sweater Bucky has ever seen. He is both ridiculously handsome and cute at the same time. So of course, Bucky noticed him before. But now he tries to figure out what about him made Alex laugh. It doesn’t take long, because the man is holding up his notebook, showing the page to Alex.

On the page are three little, cartoon-like doodles. The first one at the top looks unmistakably like Alex—her brows are furrowed, arms crossed and a little storm cloud is hovering above her. Underneath there’s his daughter again but this time she’s laughing, her eyes only small slits and a little sun peeks from behind the cloud. The last drawing, just next to the smiling Alex, is of Bucky. His head is partly hidden behind a laptop screen and there’s a look of utter concentration on his face. Above his cartoon persona floats a swarm of little gears, question marks and lightbulbs. Bucky snorts. It’s probably quite accurate.

Noticing that Bucky is staring at the drawing, the stranger startles and his cheeks turn red.

“I’m not some creep, I promise!” he starts explaining himself, before Bucky even opens his mouth. “I just—she seemed so upset and I’ve heard you said you have something important to do so I just wanted—Man, it’s weird, isn’t it? I’m sorry I promise I just wanted to help, not bug your kid without permission.”

“It’s not—,” Bucky starts, slightly taken aback. “It’s very sweet of you, actually. Thank you. Really, that’s just—I don’t mind. And Alex here seems to enjoy your drawings.” Bucky smiles down at his daughter and then at the stranger. His smile falters a bit and he sighs. “I’d really love to chat some more but I really need to get this shit done and the airport Wi-Fi is truly horrible.”

“Oh! Bad word!” Alex gasps, covering Bucky’s mouth with her little hand. “You said a bad word! No sweets for you!”

The stranger laughs at that and Bucky probably shouldn’t be as charmed as he feels right now. He just kisses Alex's hand and leans away from it.

“OK, sweetheart. Promise not to eat any when we get home,” he says solemnly. “But papa really needs to work a little longer, OK? Ten more minutes, I promise. Try not to bother the nice man too much until then, yeah?”

She lets a long-suffering sigh but she agrees.

“I’m Steve, by the way,” the man says, smiling at Bucky.

Before he gets the chance to answer, Alex chimes in, “I’m Alexandra. And papa’s name is James but only mama and people at work call him that. Everyone calls him Bucky.”

The man — Steve — lets out a small laugh. “It’s nice to meet you both. Alexandra, do you want me to draw you something specific, while we let your papa work?”

“Oh, can you draw Felicia? She’s a...,” Alex furrows her brows in concentration, “tri-ce-ra-tops! That’s a dinosaur!”

Steve leans forward from his chair and smiles at her. “She’s so cool! But weren’t dinosaurs kinda dangerous?”

“Some of them, yeah. They ate other dinosaurs. But the ones like Felicia only ate plants, so she’s cool.”

Steve lets out an attentive hum but something in his expression tells Bucky that it’s not new information for him and he’s just indulging Alex and letting her share what she knows. It makes Bucky feel a wave of sympathy towards this Steve guy.

Soon enough, a new page of Steve’s notebook gets covered with doodles of various dinosaurs, based on Alex’s jurassic knowledge—it’s a bit flawed, but Bucky is proud of her nonetheless.

It takes Bucky a few moments to stop sending glances towards the two. It’s partly because Steve—no matter how sweet he seems to be—is still a stranger. Steve might be bigger than him, but Bucky would end him if he tried to do anything to his little girl. But there are no red lights when it comes to Steve—and Bucky always prided himself on his ability to read people.

The other thing making it hard to go back to work is the fact that the scene he’s looking at is quite an adorable one. Both Alex and Steve are sitting at the edges of their seats, leaning over the passage between the two rows of chairs and their eyes are fixed on the notebook propped on Steve’s knee. They’re chatting, exchanging random facts about dinosaurs but since their knowledge is limited, they switch to talking about modern animals soon enough. Steve listens intently to whatever Alex has to say without patronising her. And sadly, Bucky has met a fair share of adults for whom it was impossible to take Alex seriously just because she was a kid. It calms Bucky enough to actually focus on his work for a little longer.

Some peace of mind does wonders for his concentration and the ten minutes he promised Alex are actually enough for him to finish editing the reports. The WiFi is still a bitch, though. However, after staring at the loading circle for what feels like an eternity, he is able to send the documents. With a triumphant little cheer, he turns off the laptop and slides it back into his bag.

Steve looks up at him and smiles. Alex completely ignores him, though, still too focused on whatever Steve was drawing. Bucky feels a bit betrayed. When she looks up, she glances at Steve first, probably to ask why the drawing has stopped and turns to Bucky when she notices Steve looking his way.

“Oh, you’ve finished the work, daddy?” she asks and when he nods, she smiles and reaches to wrap her arms around his neck. “It took you some time. But I’m proud of you.”

Bucky laughs at that, shaking his head slightly, “Thank you, sunshine. I see you were having fun with Steve while I was busy?”

“Yeah! Steve drawings are so pretty! He drew you riding a dinosaur!” Alex giggles, pointing at one of the little drawings.

Raising his brows, Bucky sends Steve a questioning look but the other man just shrugs and rubs at his neck. “It was her idea,” he says with a sheepish smile.

The doodle Alex is pointing at is indeed of him sitting on a dinosaur's back. It’s the one with the long, giraffe-like neck, Brachiosaurus if he remembers correctly. The cartoon Bucky’s arms are wrapped around the base of the reptile’s neck, his hair fluttering behind him and his mouth is open in either a big smile or a scream, he’s not sure. Either way, it’s a very cute drawing.

“Well,” Bucky says. “I’m not a fan of horses but I’d totally ride a dinosaur if I had a chance. Shouldn’t he have a saddle, though?”

It’s not even that funny but Steve still laughs and Bucky smiles at that. His daughter is less impressed or at least tries to appear so. She rolls her eyes but there’s a grin on her face.

“You’re so silly, daddy. They didn’t have saddles back then! And besides you’d need a very, very big one for a dinosaur!”

Bucky hums in agreement and looks up at the departure display. Noticing that their flight’s gate is open, he nudges Alex lightly.

“We gotta go, sweetheart,” he says. She perks up a bit but then glances at Steve with a small pout. “Sadly, we have to say goodbye to Steve. On the bright side, we’re gonna be home soon, yeah?”

Alex nods and slides off her chair. Steve looks up at the display and straightens up.

“Oh, my flight’s boarding, too. But you know what?” Steve asks and then rips the page with all the dinosaur doodles and holds it out to Alex. “You should keep this, if you want.”

Hearing this, Alex’s whole face lights up and she takes the drawings with gentle hands, as if afraid to mess it up. “Thank you, Steve! Those are so cool I’m gonna keep them forever!”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Steve smiles. He looks up at Bucky. “It was nice to meet you, guys.”

“Likewise. Thank you again for the help. It was very nice of you,” Bucky says sincerely.

“It was my pleasure. My knowledge about dinosaurs is so much better now,” Steve’s smile grows even bigger and Bucky chuckles.

Bucky leans to help Alex put on her little backpack, since she refuses to put down the drawing and then reaches for his bag. He rests his hand on his daughter’s back and turns to Steve one last time. He’s still sitting at the edge of his seat and is watching them. A smile is still plastered to his face and at this point Bucky is sure that it’s his default setting.

“Bye, Steve. Have a safe flight,” Bucky says.

“Bye, Steve. Thank you for the dinosaurs,” Alex adds, making Steve laugh.

“You are very welcome, Alexandra,” he says. “Have a nice day, guys.”

Bucky gently steers Alex towards their gate. Before they disappear behind the corner, he turns away to look at Steve one more time. The man is already looking back and he waves at them when he notices Bucky staring. Alex waves back enthusiastically and Bucky just ducks his head, feeling flustered all of sudden. He used to be more collected around nice, attractive people. And Steve definitely qualifies as both.

***

Some time later they finally make it to the plane. Alex flops down onto the middle seat and eventually — after a long discussion and promises that he won’t ruin it — she lets Bucky put the drawings she got from Steve into the folder he keeps his documents in. When the treasure is safely put away Bucky straightens to put his bag in the overhead compartment.

“Oh,” he hears a voice behind his back and a low chuckle quickly follows. “Fancy bumping into you here.”

Bucky looks over his shoulder and the surprise makes him try to close the compartment while his other hand is still holding the bag. He yelps in pain, making Alex look up.

“Steve!” she says with a smile, completely ignoring her father’s distress.

“Hello again, Alexandra,” Steve shoots her a quick smile and looks at Bucky, concerned. “You’re OK? I didn’t want to spook you.”

Man, he really got bad at keeping his cool around attractive people. Feeling a blush creep up his neck, Bucky nods. “No, no, you didn’t. I’m just a clutz, this happens a lot, ignore me.”

Steve raises an eyebrow at him but he doesn’t say anything more. For a moment they just stand in the narrow aisle, looking at each other. Finally, Bucky’s ability to think kicks back in and he moves to the side.

“Sorry, you probably want to get through to your seat.”

“Actually,” Steve says and glances down at the boarding pass in his hand. After checking it, he points to the seat by the window, on Alex’s other side. “That one’s mine.”

“Oh,” Bucky looks at the seat and then at Steve. His cheeks still feel warm for some reason but he hopes he's not blushing too visibly. "That's great. I'm just gonna—"

Bucky shifts to the other side and takes a step back, making room for Steve.

"You're flying with us back home?" Alex asks with a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Will you draw something more for me?"

"Alex, come on. Don't abuse Steve niceness like that," Bucky scolds her gently but before he can even finish the sentence, Steve starts shaking his head.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. I often doodle when I get bored anyway so I'd be honoured to draw for you again, Alexandra," Steve grins at her.

She actually lets out a little happy squeal when she hears that and Bucky's heart skips a beat. He's absolutely charmed by the way Steve treats his daughter. He really seems like entertaining some random little girl is the best thing he could be doing and while Bucky - absolutely objectively - thinks that Alex is the most wonderful little girl in the world, it still seems unusual. And he positively melts every time that Steve uses her full name, just because that was the way she introduced herself the first time. Most adults Bucky knows don't do that with other adults, not to mention kids. And Steve is just so… kind and genuine, it takes Bucky off guard but it's a really nice surprise.

"Ok, fine," Bucky says with a smile. "You have no idea what you've brought on yourself. Is it possible to strain your hand from drawing too much? The flight's almost two hours, right?"

"Does your dad always complain this much?" Steve asks Alex and she giggles in response. He sends Bucky a glance over her head and he has a smirk on his face. Ignoring Bucky again, he says to Alex, "Hey, have you ever watched Sesame Street? There was this one grouchy green guy."

Bucky just sends him his most unimpressed look. Steve doesn't seem affected. Alex is delighted. And in truth, Bucky has to bite the inside of his cheek to contain a smile.

It turns out that on top of being nice and lovely, Steve is also a little shit, because he draws a Bucky-version of Oscar the Grouch - with a grumpy expression and wild hair, sitting in a garbage can. It's actually amazing. Bucky doesn't say that out loud, but he snorts when he sees it, so that might betray him a little.

This time — prompted by the mention of Sesame Street — the conversation resolves mostly around animated movies. To Bucky’s surprise, it turns out that Steve is a huge Disney fan. He doesn’t even try to hide it. Not to brag but Bucky knows his way around animated movies — partly because he has a 7-year-old daughter and partly because who doesn’t like animated movies? But compared to Steve and Alex? He knows nothing. They use names he doesn’t even recognise - who or what even is Flit? Judging by Steve’s drawing it’s some kind of a bird, apparently. When Bucky can’t remember — he knows it, of course, it just slipped his mind — the name of the redheaded princess from Brave, he is given the most disdainful look he’s ever seen. Both by his daughter and by Steve. Bucky still tries to participate in the conversation, at least for as much as they let him. He never expected his own daughter to team up with some stranger against him. It hurts.

The pain is all forgotten when Steve and Alex start quietly singing Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid together. Bucky can’t help a laugh that bubbles from his chest at the sight. How is Steve even real, Bucky has no idea. He is over six feet of muscle, his bicep is bigger than Alex's head and he could probably bench press Bucky and here he is, sitting next to Bucky’s little girl, drawing a picture of Megara, because she’s his favourite Disney princess and singing a song from The Little Mermaid.

This guy can’t be real.

About half an hour into the flight it turns out that Bucky was wrong — Alex does leave Steve alone but it’s only because the tiredness catches up to her and she falls asleep. And she’s sleeping with her head resting on Steve’s arm. It’s a really nice arm, Bucky has to admit, a nap on such an arm would be good and comfortable even for him, probably. But that doesn’t change the fact that he feels left out.

“Sorry,” Bucky says quietly. “You probably want your arm back, I can just—”

He offers to move Alex’s sleeping body but Steve just shrugs with his free arm, careful not to jostle the girl.

“Don't want to wake her and I really don't mind," Steve says, smiling at Bucky.

"You sure?" Bucky asks and after getting a nod in confirmation, he chuckles and shakes his head. “I keep trying to figure out where the catch is but I’ve got nothing. You’re just naturally this kind, aren’t you?”

Steve barks out a laugh and then slaps his hand over his mouth to quiet the noise. He looks down to make sure he didn’t wake Alex.

“Oh there’s plenty wrong with me,” Steve says with a chuckle. “For one I’m usually really awkward around kids. Alexandra’s such a great girl, though. But I do like to help and try to be nice whenever I can.”

Bucky narrows his eyes at Steve. “You think you’d side-track me by complimenting my daughter? You’re totally right, but that doesn’t mean I’m not curious.”

With an exaggerated eye roll, Steve makes the ‘bring it’ gesture and grins. “Come on. Hit me with your best guesses.”

“OK. OK, fine,” Bucky says and shifts in his seat so he can look at Steve more directly. Crossing his arms, he asks, “Do I have a limited number of guesses?”

“It’s not that long of a flight,” Steve shrugs with one shoulder, grin still in place.

In a theatrically thoughtful gesture Bucky strokes his chin gauging Steve with his eyes.

“You… secretly work as a hitman” Bucky says slowly, “or like, an underwear model. Which is not a bad thing to do.”

A blush creeps up Steve’s cheeks as he laughs again. “Those are… pretty far off. Why those two?”

“Well, you’re built appropriately for both from what I can see,” Bucky explains, enjoying the way Steve cheeks go darker. Maybe he’s not so helpless at talking to attractive people as he thought. It feels a whole lot like flirting.

That terrifies him for a moment. He didn't do flirting in what feels like ages. He doesn't have time for this. Should he even do this? He has a daughter, he shouldn’t just—

Bucky takes a deep breath and smacks himself mentally across the head. He’s not doing anything bad. He’s just talking and having fun with an attractive stranger. Maybe even flirting a bit. And that’s OK, this is allowed, he doesn’t have to go anywhere else with that. It’s not like he’s ever going to see the guy again, anyway. Natasha would punch him for denying himself that. So he will make sure not to mention it the next time they talk.

“Well…,” Steve rubs the back of his neck. “I am not. Hitman or— I’m neither of those. I’m actually an illustrator. Mostly freelance stuff. I paint sometimes, too. But that’s mostly for fun.”

“OK, fine. Somehow I can believe that. You seem like an artsy type,” Bucky agrees.

“No hitman vibes anymore?”

“Who says a hitman can’t enjoy painting in his free time?”

Steve laughs, throwing his head back. Somehow he manages to keep the left side of his body completely still, mindful of Alex sleeping on him.

“I don’t know if there’s a point in trying to convince you, but I’m really not.”

“Sure. Probably what a hitman would say,” Bucky waves a hand at him but smiles. “That’s cool though. Being able to get paid for doing what you love.”

“It is. Sometimes you get frustrated enough to hate it but it’s still pretty cool,” Steve agrees. “You don’t like your job?”

Bucky scrunches his nose, making a non-committal sound as he tries to find the best way to explain. “It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s fun. Interesting, exciting, sometimes frustrating as hell, too. And the responsibility can be incredibly stressful. It’s just… I never took time to think about what I really like doing in life. And since the job was good enough, I just stuck with it.”

Steve hums, nodding along to Bucky's words. "It's never too late to figure it out, you know?" he says. "I mean, I don't wanna impose and tell you how to live your life or anything. I'd never. I just— I think it's an important thing to know."

"You might be right," Bucky agrees. He glances down at Alex. "I don't think it's a good time for me to experiment, you know? Besides — if there's one thing I know for sure that I like it's having this little rascal around."

The smile on Steve's face turns soft. But only for a moment, before it turns back into that smirk he had earlier. "Any guesses left? About my dark side?"

"A few," Bucky grins.

It's a bit of a lie because he really struggles to see Steve as anything but perfect but he can try. It's just a game they're playing to kill time after all.

"You are that kind of guy who can eat garbage food and not move a finger and still look like you've just walked straight out of a gym. I hate those people. It's so unfair."

"Are all of your guesses based on how I look? I kind of see a pattern here so far."

Bucky opens his mouth to protest but there's something in the way Steve looks at him, with a raised eyebrow and one corner of his mouth quirked up that makes him close his mouth without a word. He might be blushing. Maybe he's being too forward. It's probably not appropriate to talk about a stranger's body this much.

Before he gets the chance to apologize, Steve answers, "And you're wrong, again. I like working out. Takes my mind off things, helps me clear my head when I need that. Besides I used to be small and sickly my whole childhood. Couldn't even play with other kids for too long without getting an asthma attack. So I'm kinda compensating for that," he jokes.

"Really?"

"Yeah. All pointy elbows and bony knees."

"Huh," Bucky says. "Bet you looked way cuter than me when I had my bowl cut. We all had our dark moments."

Steve laughs again and Bucky really enjoys the sound of that. He really enjoys Steve's company in general, which is weird considering they've just met. It usually takes him much more time to get comfortable around people. Maybe it's the fact that they'll go their separate ways as soon as the plane lands makes it all easier.

"I'm kinda disappointed, you know?" Steve starts after a moment. "I thought you'd guess at least once. Or at least would be more creative with those."

"Who says I'm done? It was all on purpose, I was just assessing, gathering intel. I'm a scientist, I don't know if I've mentioned that before," Bucky points a finger at Steve. "You've got to be methodical about stuff."

Raising his hands in surrender, Steve tries to keep a straight face. He fails miserably.

"I wanted to say that you secretly hate dogs or cats but that would be just too harsh," Bucky says. "I don't think you're a monster."

"I love dogs," Steve confirms. "Always wanted to get one but my flat's too small and I doubt that'd be good for a dog. I don't have anything against cats but I feel like they don't… like me that much."

Bucky chuckles. "I feel like there's a story there."

"Just— My friend Sam has a cat and she absolutely hates me. I can't leave my phone on the table cause she pushes it off, but she doesn't touch Sam's. Every time I'm there she follows me around and hisses at me for no reason. She peed in my shoe more than once," Steve says and tries to look hurt when Bucky starts laughing. "It's not funny! I haven't done anything to deserve this. I tried to bribe her with food, I tried to pet her but I only got scratched for my efforts. And she doesn't do that with anyone but me."

"So that's your dark secret? That your nemesis is a cat?" Bucky asks with a grin.

"It's… definitely true."

“Can’t say I’ve seen that one coming,” Bucky laughs.

Steve shrugs with one arm. “I’m full of surprises.”

Clearly, Bucky thinks, shaking his head at the other man.

Title: Wrap me up (in your love) Creator(s): niallhoranbitches Card number: 065 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27745402/chapters/67911988 Square filled: B2 - Airport Rating: Teen and Up Archive warnings: None Major tags: Meet-Cute, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Kid Fic, No powers AU Summary: Bucky is a single dad coming back from a work trip with a very bored, very whiney 7-year-old girl. A mysterious stranger with a kind heart and a notebook full of doodles comes to the rescue. Word count: 4591

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sasstrash · 4 years

Text

It’s done. I’ve finished it. I’m so sorry it took so long I kept getting distracted while writing. I’ll try to get the next one out faster.

Quick note before we begin anything that’s highlighted like ‘this’ is someone speaking in sign and if it’s like ^this^ then it’s like what the first one usually means. Enjoy!

The Silent Queen 4; The Subjects Converse

In all parts of the school students were buzzing about the latest arrival. Turns out Blondie Locks got close enough to snap a pic to post on the school’s Mirror Blog about Raven. It wasn’t a long post but it certainly blew up.

In their dorm room Raven and Maddie were silently unpacking Raven two bags. After awhile Raven broke the silence with a question ‘So who was that girl, the one with the blonde hair?’

‘Oh that’s Apple White, you know the girl your meant to poison.’ Maddie casually answered. She immediately noticed the way Raven shrunk a bit after being reminded of her destiny. ‘Hey what’s wrong? You ok?’ She asked walk closer to her friend, she heard one of the narrators start to say something but a quick glare shut them up.

Raven let a small sound out, it was almost a sigh ‘Maddie I - I don’t want to be the next Evil Queen, I don’t want to end up in a mirror prison with my mother. I do love her but I can’t be with her alone forever. I’d rather find my own happily ever after!’ It was something that chewed at her, she hated the tale. She worried she would get one similar to her great-great-great grandmother Morrigan. She had the traditional tale, dying from dancing in burning iron shoes. She barely wore footwear after hearing the tale when she was nine. Maddie held her close as silent tears fell down her face. She then stood back with a warm smile on her face.

‘Hey,’ Maddie began ‘it’s okay you can find a way to fix it I’m sure of it! After all your story can change, it’s happened before! Remember that Princess and the Pauper story from a few generations back with the singer who got to spend time performing for all other? If it can happen then it can happen now!’ She comforted her friend, noticing how Raven smiled.

In a spare room across the school the Charming siblings were together talking a bit.

“So she’s deaf huh?” Dexter asked looking up from the burrito he was eating. Daring nodded before clearing his throat.

“It might complicate a few things for the school, but otherwise it’s fine.” Daring spoke calmly. After a moment of silence another voice came.

“How’s Apple doing” Darling asked noticing the way Daring flinched. The silence could have killed an ogre.

“She’s fine ... I think, she turned red once the crowd left and Briar pulled her away. I don’t know if she knows that I know sign language.” The blonde Charming states looking at his siblings concerned for his supposed future queen and wife.

“I told you it was a good idea to take that online class during summer break was a good idea!” Exclaimed Darling looking at her brothers. A year ago when Darling had mentioned the idea her brothers hadn’t been so keen, but after she explained it would help them be ^better rulers^ they jumped on the idea.

“Yeah you did Darl, and it’s probably a good thing too. I mean it’s not like everyone in the school knows sign, we could be a big help.” Dexter responded a bright glint in his eyes, ok so maybe he thought Raven was cute, but he had barely seen her so it wasn’t like had a crush, just a respect fo beauty.

“You said it bro!” Darling cheered before returning to her salad. This was going to be an interesting year.

Faybelle flopped on her bed and groaned, the second Duchess closed the door. “Of course the Daughter of the Evil Queen is deaf! That certainly changes things for ever after!”

Duchess look over at her roommate confused “How exactly does it change things?” She squawked while gliding over to her closet.

“Well it’s not like she can ask ^who’s the fairest of them all^ know can she. I mean I don’t think magic mirrors speak sign language.” Faybelle explained spinning her hair around her finger. It certainly changed things in her opinion. Duchess rolled her eyes as she sat down besides her bffa.

“Stories change, I mean Apple is blonde so there’s already one change.” Duchess pulled out a nail fail and began to use it on her left nails. Faybelle just nodded as she used her magic to bring a magazine to her pillow opening up to a random page.

“Wait, wait wait.” Raven came this year? And you guys didn’t tell me?!” Cedar exclaimed looking over at roommate.

“We wanted it to be a surprise, and you know the whole ^tell the truth only^ might have ruined it for some.” Cerise responded quite red in the face. She knew she should have told Cedar who had also known Raven quite well since her father was close with the Good King. “Sorry.”

Cedar sighed “It’s fine I just wish I had been at the front hall. It would have been great to talk with her.”

“We have the rest of the year Cedar.” Cerise pointed out.

“Yeah, we do have all year.”

Lizzie was currently sitting silently in Kitty’s dorm looking at the picture Blondie had uploaded. “She has a wonderful bone structure in her face. And her hair is quite lovely too. Don’t you think?” She asked waiting for the next Cheshire Cat to answer.

“Oh yeah she’s quite nice looking, honestly she looks more like a White then Apple ever has.” Kitty smirked before sighing “I just wish I wasn’t roomies with the girl this year. She’s fine but it is legacy year and she’s really into her destiny.” Lizzie walked over to her friend and put comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry you can always come to my dorm to sleep if you want to.” She comforted before continuing “by the way, it doesn’t look like Apple’s been in here yet.” She put a hand on her chin thoughtfully.

“She’s probably at one of her friends dorms right now.” Kitty responded before the two girls began talking about what many people would call random but to the Wonderlandians it was normal.

In Briar and Ashlynn’s room the two girls were trying not to groan as their friend Apple ranted to them. The rant began the second the three had entered the room, and hadn’t stopped once because neither of the two other girls had tried to interrupted the angry princess.

“I can’t believe her mother would do that! Snow White is the most important story and it won’t work now! We have to get Ravens voice back!” Apple finished look extremely peeved. She stared at her friends who had wide eyes “What?”

“Apple I’m pretty sure Raven was born that way.” Briar said “Not everything is something to fix. I’m sure that it will be fine, stories always change. I mean, look at you!” She motioned towards her bffa who now looked shocked.

“The Snow White story never changes!” The blonde exclaimed stamping her foot. “Oh I now! I can ask Headmaster Grimm if I can switch rooms and live with her! Then I can get her hearing back! I’ll go right now!” Apple was smiling almost as wide as the Cheshire Cat’s before zipping around to skip out of the room to the Headmasters office, determined to ^fix^ her story.

Ashlynn looked over at Briar “Does she know how to speak sign language?” Was all that came out of the strawberry

blondes mouth.

“No, she doesn’t, I offered to teach her before but she refused. Something about ^never needing to know^ and ^having someone else do it^ at least we learnt it.” Briar smiled, she knew that she’d have to sleep for a hundred years so she intended to do as many things as possible, and one of those was sign language. Ashlynn had learned sign when her grandmother had gone deaf at age seven.

Meanwhile underneath the school a man with bushy gray hair sighed, this would be long Legacy Year.

Tag list for the Silent Queen

@virgil-is-a-cutie @justafanwarrior @bee-a-garbage-shipper @spicybelladonna @starrry-nites @tired-butterfly @insomniac-nerd-posts-things @themagicmistic

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the-keeper-crew · 3 years

Text

Mia’s Sophiana fic

Whoever answers Mia’s new asks, please add the newest installment to this post, I can’t always do it. -Misty

story is under the cut because it got super long -dmitri

Knock knock. Sophie answered her bedroom door, to see Biana standing there. “Uhh hi Biana.” Sophie said awkwardly. “Come on in.”Biana sat down and smiled at her, making Sophie hug her tightly. “I just came to check in on you, with all the hectic stuff happening.”“I’m fine. Thanks for coming though.” Sophie said, “I don’t mean that rudely, sorry I’m really bad at speaking.” Sophie said. “I’ll stop now.”Biana laughed,“Will you go out with me?” Sophie asked, before she could stop herself.

“Wait… you want to go out with me?” Biana looked at Sophie, her perfect face blushing a little. Sophie nodded, the butterflies in her stomach doing loop the loops. “Yeah.” Sophie said, a little shakily.“R-really?” Biana asked, looking up at Sophie. Her teal eyes seemed nervous, but happy at the same time. “Weren’t you like… dating Fitz?”

“We kind of broke up.” Sophie said looking at her feet. “It wasn’t a bad thing.” She added quickly. “We just didn’t like each other like that.”Biana didn’t respond, awkwardly twisting her hair.“It’s fine fine if you don’t like me like that, I don’t really care phht why would I? I mean-” Sophie said quickly, as red as a tomato.“I like you too.” Biana cut her off.“Wait… really?” Sophie asked, looking up at annoyingly perfect Biana.“Y-yeah.”

After Biana had left, Sophie screamed into her pillow. She had just asked Biana fricking Vacker out. Now was officially time to panic. After the pillow screaming fest, she immediately hailed Dex. “Judging from the amount of happiness you are radiating, you asked Biana out?”“Yeeeessss!” Sophie nearly squealed.

“What happened?” Dex asked. “Give me all the details.”“Was I this pushy when you asked fitz out?” Now it was Dex’s turn to blush.“I specifically remember you telling me that if I hadn’t just gotten a boyfriend, you would strangle me for the details.” Dex said laughing“That’s different.” Sophie said, grinning “I still can’t believe you asked Biana out. How did you manage to do it without hiding under your blankets for the rest of your life?”

Sophie waited outside Aldens door, when she stopped in her tracks. “Dad, I don’t want to register for Match lists!” Biana said angrily.“Biana Amberly Vacker. I am simply asking for you to register.”“I don’t want to!” Biana said.“There isn’t one boy that you hope is on your list?” Alden asked.“No.”“No boys, not even one? What about Keefe or Dex?” Alden said“Ugghhhh dad!” Biana groaned.“Don’t you want to see what boys are on your list?”“What if I don’t want to date a boy?“ the room went silent.

“Biana...” Alden said warningly. “Seriously. What if I want to date a girl?” Biana asked defiantly. “I know you’re a rebellious teenager...” “no seriously.” Biana said. “Well then I guess you’d have to reconsider your place in this family.” Alden said quietly. “Alden...” Della said quietly. “Get out of here. Both of you.” Alden said and Sophie scrambled away.

Sophie sat on her bed, worrying. She knew the elves might not be as accepting, but the way Alden had talked to Biana earlier made her stomach twist. She stood up and paced the room. Why was this so hard? Couldn’t people just love who they wanted to love? She sighed. Knock knock. “Come in!” Sophie called. Edaline stepped inside, and looked at Sophie. “Are you ok? You’ve been acting upset.”

“Oh I’m fine.” Sophie lied.“You sure?” Edaline said, sitting next to Sophie.“I really am.” Sophie said, trying to convince herself.Edaline wrapped her arms around Sophie, and Sophie breathed in her scent of lilac. “You can tell me anything, you know that?” Edaline asked softly.“I know…” Sophie said. Could she really though. “ I love you mom.”“I love you too sweetheart.”

Sophie watched Edaline leave, her head swirling. Would Edaline and Grady even care? They’d always been so supportive of Sophie, would this change anything, but aldens angry words came back to haunt her. “Well then I guess you’d have to reconsider your place in this family.” She hugged her blanket around her. Why was this so hard? She closed her eyes trying to think about good things. Like how she was dating the most beautiful girl in the world, and that beautiful girl was strong and... zzzzz

The sun rose over the fields of havenfield, slipping under Sophie’s curtains. She woke up, and flopped back onto her pillows. It’s too early to be up… suddenly someone knocked on her door. “Sophie?” Biana called. Sophie nearly jumped out of bed and straightened the wrinkled tunic she had slept in. “Yes?” She asked, trying to force down the butterflies in her stomach. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah sure.” Sophie smiled at her, trying to forget that her hair looked like Verdi had licked it. Biana sat on her bed, smiling at her. “Did I wake you up?” Biana asked, concerned. “It’s fine, I should have been up anyway. What are you doing up so early?” Sophie asked. “I wanted to get out of the house. Dinner last night was awkward to say the least.” “I’m sorry…” Sophie said. “It’s fine. Dad’ll come around.” Sophie nodded, but still was worried.

“You ok? How did fitz react?” Sophie asked. “Oh, he brought me some mallowmelt, and told me that what I did was brave.” “And you didn’t save any mallowmelt for me?” Sophie asked, pretending to be indignant. Biana laughed. “You really think I would do something as vile as to not bring my beautiful girlfriend mallowmelt?” Biana laughed.

Later that day, Alden hailed Sophie to talk with her in his office. Biana told her to go, she’d stay right here and would most definitely not look through her old photo albums. “What did you want to talk about?” Sophie asked. “Nothing important. Amy haile to tell you happy birthday.” It took Sophie a minute to process that. “Oh!Yeah. Thanks.” Sophie says. “Was that all?”Alden shook his head. “Have you seen Biana? She’s going through a bit of a rebellious phase.” Sophie wanted to punch Alden. “No“

Alden narrowed his eyes but didn’t prod any further. “Well, if you do see her then tell her to come home.” “I will” Sophie said, lying through gritted teeth. She light leaped back to everglen, running into Edaline. “Oh!” Edaline smiled at her. “Biana just left, said something about going to Atlantis? She seemed flustered.” Edaline said. “Oh, it was probably nothing.” Sophie said.

“Oh, guess what? It’s my human birthday!” Sophie said trying to change the subject. “I know elves don’t really do birthdays but…” edaline smiled. “Do you want to have a dinner with a special friend or two? Just something small? I’ll ask the gnomes to make something special?” “That would be awesome!” Sophie hugged Edaline, breathing in the scent of lilacs, which is rare especially in a place where there’s more animal poop a day than animals.

Sophie looked over her friends. “It’s my birthday guys, so I swear to all the gods if I even hear the word gulon at the dinner table, I will promise you will never want to cross me again.” “Jeez who you tryin to impress foster?” Keefe asked. “Probably her new girlfriend Biana.” Dex said. Sophie glared at him as Keefe dramatically opened his eyes wide.

Keefe automatically broke into a grin. “You must tell me everything.” Sophie rolled her eyes. “Not now!” Keefe laughed. “Ok, note to self, remind Sophie to spill the tea about her dating the next Vacker sibling.” Tam snickers a little at that. They walk into the dining room, all still teasing each other. “Sorry I’m late.” Biana rushes in, and Keefe raises his eyebrows. Biana sits down next to Sophie, out of breath. “What’d I miss?” Keefe smirks. “Oh nothing”

They shared a dinner of traditional human food, vegetarian of course, which Sophie didn’t know how Edaline got her hands on. Grady even showed them a cool human card trick, which Keefe then had to try. Biana kept shooting her these adorable looks that made Sophie want to melt inside. Edaline raised her eyebrows at Sophie, but she just blushed and kept talking with her friends.

After Sophie tried to teach her friends how to sing happy birthday, and it just ended up horribly out of tune, she and her friends retreated up to her room to hang out. She sat on the bed, while the rest of them sat on bean bags on the floor. They had been one short, so Keefe “took one for the team” by sitting next to Tam on his beanbag. Link of course found this hilarious, and Tam just looked vaguely disgruntled but pleased with himself.

Slowly, her friends started to head home until it was just the Vacker siblings. “Hey fitz...” Biana said, standing up. “Could you head home and tell dad I’m having a sleepover with Sophie tonight?” “Biana, he’s not gonna like that…” fitz started to say. “It’s fine.” Fitz obliged, and soon the two girls were alone. “I’m sorry, but your dad can be a real jerk face sometimes.” Biana laughed. “Definitely. Oh!” She pulled out a hastily wrapped package. “Happy Birthday Sophie.”

Sophie took the gift, blushing a little. It was wrapped in a silvery paper with purple swirls, tied up with a lopsided bow. She opened the present carefully, trying not to rip the packaging. Biana looked a little nervous, but Sophie gasped when she saw the gift. It was a beautiful snowglobe of foxfire, with little mini people, so small you could barely see them milling around the campus. “It’s awesome Biana! I love it!” Biana blushed a little, making sophie blush more.

Sophie put it on her shelf carefully, and sat back down, stealing glances at Biana. The Vacker girl looked a little lost in thought, staring out the window. “Do you want to go for a walk?” Sophie asked “Verdi should be asleep so we don’t have to worry about a green feathered chaperone.” Biana giggled. “Sure.” They snuck outside, the light from the windows of the house half illuminating their features.

The moonlight made everything shine with a sort of silvery glow, making it feel almost dream-like. They started strolling side-by-side, along the fences of the enclosures. The animals were mostly quiet, which was good. Sophie wasn’t exactly sure how it happened, but after a few minutes, they were holding hands. They didn’t talk, but just enjoyed each other’s company, content with the silence.

It could have been 2 minutes, it could have been an hour, Sophie didn’t know, she liked Biana’s company too much. They made their way up to the Panakes tree, and sat there, watching the moonlight filtering through the delicate flowers. “Sophie?” Biana asked, softly. “Yes?” Sophie whispered. “Can I kiss you?” Sophie’s breath stopped for a moment.

Sophie didn’t bother responding, she just kissed Biana. In the back of her mind, she wondered how much Keefe would tease her, but that wasn’t important now. “So. That happened.” Sophie finally said. “It did.” Biana said, her cheeks flushed. They grinned at each other like idiots, unaware of the blue eyes watching from the window.

Sophie went to bed floating on a cloud that night, Biana sleeping on a pile of bean bags. She had a wonderful dream, about dancing and balls, and Biana in the most gorgeous dress. She woke up the next morning, adrenaline still there, making her feel giddy. She snuck past a sleeping Biana, and downstairs. Grady and Edaline were talking quietly over tea. “Good morning guys!” She said, and they abruptly stopped.

“Morning Sophie.” Grady said, nodding at her. “How are-“ he was cut off by a knock at the door. Edaline got up to answer. It was Alden, who looked like he hadn’t slept. “Is my daughter here? Fitz said she was sleeping over, I’d like to pick her up.” Edaline nodded. “It’s really fine, we don’t mind having her over.” Alden shook his head. “Morning Sophie, where’s Biana?”

“Umm… she’s still sleeping.” “Go wake her up for me, will you?” Sophie nodded and ran upstairs. She shook Biana awake. “It’s your dad.” Biana groaned and stood up. Sophie knew she shouldn’t think about how absolutely adorable Biana looked with bed head, but really, who was going to stop her. They headed downstairs to Alden sipping a cup of tea. “Morning Biana.”

Biana awkwardly waved at him. “Well, we better be going now.” Alden said starting to turn. “Would Biana be able to stay for breakfast? I’m having the gnomes make something special.” Edaline said. “No, I don’t need her infringing on your family any more.” And with that, the two Vackers were gone.

Sophie sat down with Edaline and Grady. An awkward silence settled over them as they ate delicious breakfast pastries. Sophie finished hers first, and sat back. “I had fun last night. Thanks guys.” Edaline looked like she wanted to say something, but held it back. “I’m glad you had fun.”

Sophie headed up to her room, telling her parents she was gonna get ready for foxfire tommorow. She opened the door to iggy poking his head up from a pile of blankets. “Hey iggy.” She said, picking him up. “You’re adorable, aren’t you?” He didn’t respond, simply farting in her face.

“Life is easy for you, isn’t it? You don’t have a girlfriend who’s dad is just… and live in a world where there’s no chance you can ever be normal?” Iggy grinned at her and curled up in her hair. Sophie sighed. “And now I’m talking to an imp. Great.”

After an hour of moping, or as Sophie liked to call it, hiding under your blankets and looking through your photographic memory, Edaline knocked on the door. “Come in” Sophie called, sitting up. “Ok, so with foxfire starting tomorrow, I wondered if you wanted to go shopping in Atlantis?”

“Sure.” Sophie said, standing up. “You should get dressed and ready.” Sophie nodded. Edaline left gracefully, and Sophie quickly changed into a grey tunic and whatever else she needed. She headed downstairs. “Ready.”She said “Ok, do you want to bring your girlfriend?”

Sophie nearly choked. “I- what?” Edaline finished putting on her cloak. “Biana? Do you want to bring her?” Sophie blinked. “What? How? Huh?” How could Edaline know? They weren’t that obvious were they? What did she think? Why was this so hard?

“How do you know?” Sophie finally managed to spit out. Edaline sat down next to her. “You weren’t super subtle last night at dinner, and then I accidentally saw you by the Panakes. Sophie blushed, looking down. “Are you ok?” Edaline asked. “Yeah… I’m fine.” Sophie hugged her knees, not meeting Edalines warm gaze. “Hey… I’m here if you need me.” Edaline said, hugging Sophie.

The first day of foxfire came quicker than Sophie would have liked. But there she was, adjusting that stupid half cape in the mirror. She hadn’t seen Biana since that morning, but told herself it was because of school prep. She waved goodbye to Edaline and Grady, and headed to the Leap master.

When she arrived at foxfire, she immediately looked around for Biana. She didn’t even realize Dex walk up beside her. “Hey Soph. You excited for classes?” Dex asked. She didn’t respond for a sec. “oh it’s you. yeah.” Dex faked indignation. “Oh, It’s you? That’s what your best friend gets? I’m offended.” Sophie snickered. “Sorry Dex…”

They walked together to her locker when she finally saw Biana. She was looking at Fitz, as if they were having a serious conversation. It took all of Sophie’s willpower to not go and interrupt. “Earth to Sophie!” Dex said. “Are you even listening? The gang is getting together after school to have epic snowball fights at my house.” Sophie laughed again. “Do you ever get sick of snow?” She asked. “Nope!”

“Sophie?” Sophie nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard Biana behind her. “Oh, hi! I didn’t see you there.” Biana smiled at her. “Sorry for being so distant-“ she started. “It’s fine it really is, I’m sorry I interrupted you. I’m sorry.” Sophie said, stumbling over her words. Biana giggled. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s fine.” Sophie grinned.

“So how are you lovebirds doing?” Keefe walked up, grinning. “We are not lovebirds,” Sophie said. Biana raised her perfect little eyebrows. “I beg to differ” Dex jumped in. “Ok, then how are things going with Fitz Dex, and Keefe, what’s up with Tam?” Biana said. Both boys blushed, and Sophie laughed. “What classes do y’all have first?”

Their conversation was cut off by Magnate Leto’s voice coming from the large screen thing. “Happy first day of school my prodigies! I hope you are all doing well, and are excited for a new year of learning!” Keefe snickered. “And Keefe sencen I would like to ask you how you found it appropriate to stick a muskog in my desk drawer and since it technically happened before school started you will not get detention, but I do recommend staying out of your locker” “It wasn’t even me” Keefe said.

“My first class is… elementalism.” Sophie made a face. Biana looked at her. “I have Alchemy… I’ll see y’all at lunch!” Biana walked away, her floofy brown hair bouncing. Sophie was pretty sure her heart just melted. She walked to class, nearly floating.

Lunch time couldn’t have come fast enough. Sophie tried not to run down the hall, but she was going to see Biana at lunch and honestly that seemed like a good excuse to run. She sat at a table, Fitz and Linh were already there, talking about something. “What are you talking about?” Sophie asked.

Fitz looked at her. “Not much, mostly just first day of school stuff.” He said. Sophie raised her eyebrows. “You seriously havent heard?” Fitz asked. Linh nodded. “I thought they told teachers to give the announcement.” Sophie shrugged. “Well my elementalism professor is a bit swiss cheesed brain, so what is it?” “Well…”

Suddenly Keefe burst up behind the table. “There’s a dance guys!” Sophie blinked. “Huh?” Fitz laughed as the rest of their friends sat down. “It’s called the first annual welcome ball!” Linh explained. “Both parents and students will show up!” “When is it?” Sophie asked. “This Friday!” Sophie blinked. That was not a lot of time.

Biana showed up late to the lunch table, so Keefe excitedly explained to her the dance. Though Sophie suspected he just saw it as a way to annoy his father. Biana looked excited, and grinned at Sophie making her heart skip a beat. Why does she have to be so cute?

After lunch, Sophie managed to catch Biana in the hall. “Ummm soo I hope your dad wasn’t too bad…” Sophie said. “No, I just got a talk about the Vacker legacy, even though I’m only part of it when he wants me to be.” Biana said grumpily. “I’m sorry…” Biana rolled her eyes. “The one thing that made it better was Mom mouthing the words to it in the background, Im fairly sure she has it memorized by now.” Both of the girls laughed a little at that.

Sophie grinned. “So… the dance…” Biana said, tucking a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. “The dance…” Sophie repeated. “Are you going?” Biana asked. “I think so?” Sophie said. “Is that a question?” Biana teased. “I mean yeah, probably.” Biana grinned. “You know what this means?” “What?” Sophie asked. “We get to go outfit shopping.” Biana said excitedly.

The first week of school was officially over, and Sophie was exhausted. She flopped on the couch of Rimeshire, surrounded by her friends. They had all agreed to stop invading Dex’s house, but he had made a surround sound 4K movie watching set up for his mom, and no one else had anything as good. They all settled in, and bickered about the movie. Dex wanted The Hunger games, Sophie Harry Potter.

On Saturday morning, Sophie woke up to iggy asking for attention. After giving him a few papers to rip up, she headed downstairs for breakfast. The dance was tomorrow, and today was when Biana would drag her dress shopping. Sophie ate a muffin, excited for the day. Generally she didn’t like clothes shopping that much, but if Biana was going to be there that made it better.

Atlantis was buzzing with activity, Sophie recognized at least four families from school, and tried her best to avoid their gaze. The twisting spires of Atlantis glinted in the light provided by the balefire. Voices echoed across the empty streets as the crowds bustled along. Sophie felt a little overwhelmed by it all, and stood close to Edaline.

Suddenly someone tapped Sophie’s shoulder, and she nearly jumped out of Atlantis. “Oh. It’s you Biana.” She sighed with relief. Biana was standing there, perfect as ever, with Della standing there. “Hi Della.” Della smiled at her. “Hi Sophie.” The two moms started walking behind the girls, talking about whatever Elf Moms™ talk about. Biana and Sophie walked side by side, watching each other out of the corner of their eye.

The four elves headed into The Atlantis Boutique, and Sophie thought Biana was in heaven. Her stunning teal eyes widened, as they looked at all the dresses. Before Sophie could process the ginormous size this shop was, Biana grabbed her arm, and dragged her down aisles of long dresses. Edaline laughed as she watched the two of them disappear behind the rows of sparkling dresses. Della ducked out of the shop, saying she was meeting a friend, and Edaline stood at the front watching the two girls.

Biana worked with a scary efficiency, picking up dresses, holding them up to her and Sophie, and putting them back or carrying them with her. Sophie followed in awe as Biana quickly broke down each dress based on what fabrics it was made of, additional materials, effectiveness to strangle someone with, and ability to kick someone. Sophie swore that if Biana weaponized her knowledge, they’d all be dead.

Finally they had narrowed the outfits down to two outfits. A red suit thing or a shining red dress for Sophie, and a long silvery dress for Biana or a purple dress with silver sparkles making it shimmer in the light of balefire. Sophie went into the changing room, and tried on the two outfits. They both looked stunning according to Biana, which was a whole other level of stress to choose the right one.

Finally, Sophie decided on the suit, and the lady running the store put it in a box. Biana also chose a dress but wouldn’t show Sophie which one. Della re-entered the shop, a little out of breath. “Do you girls want to go to a bakery in Mysterium?” Della asked. “Sure.” Biana said, and Sophie nodded. 10 minutes later, the four of them found themselves on the cobbled streets of Mysterium.

The four of them sat at a table, and a server brought them a plate of assorted elvin pastries, including rippleruffs, mallowmelt, and a whole assortment of things that were delicious and could most likely start wars. “Mmmm this is good.” Sophie said, chewing a butterblast. Biana nodded in agreement, and the two of them helped finish the pastries. Sophie stretched. “That was really good.” Edaline smiled. “I’m glad you liked it.”

The night of the dance came too quickly. Edaline told her everything would be perfect, and rumor had it the council themselves would be attending. That didn’t stop Sophie from worrying though. She’d never really been to a dance, what would she act like? She straightened her suit for the 43rd time, fidgeting with the buttons. She exhaled, and walked with Grady and Edaline to the Leap master.

Foxfire was decorated beautifully, though a lot of the decorations were fungi, and honestly Sophie was really annoyed at this point. Mold was not good decor. They headed into the gymnasium, which was beautifully decorated, and this time there was no fungus. Hip hip hooray! Sophie looked around, wandering through groups of students and parents.

“Sophie!” Biana called from the corner of the room. Sophie excitedly walked over to her friends. “Hi guys!” She smiled at her friends. “You look awesome!” Sophie said to Biana. Biana twirled in her purple and teal dress. “You do too” Sophie awkwardly straightened her suit. She caught Keefe shooting her a look and she glared at him. Their little group of eight laughed and poked at each other while more people filed into the gym.

The dance floor went silent as the 12 councilors appeared. They appeared regal as always, all wearing different colors, that shimmered in the lighting of the gym. After the initial shock of their arrival, things went back to normal, now with the councilors mingling with the students and parents. Sophie was pretty sure one kid peed himself when bronte started talking to them. Slowly, their little group dissolved. Dex and Fitz went off into the crowd, and the. Keefe nearly dragged tam to the staff cafeteria “while it was unguarded” That left the four girls. Marella said something about checking in on her mom, and Linh vaguely followed her. Sophie looked awkwardly at Biana. “Umm…” Biana grinned. “I have something I want to show you.” Biana dragged Sophie out of the gym and down the hall way.

Biana opened a side door, and they walked through the grass. They could still hear the faint sound of music and chatter from the gym, and light flowed from the windows, half illuminating the world. Biana led her to a small clearing, filled with long weeping willow trees, and little flowers that glowed in the moonlight. “This place is beautiful.”

“Shall we dance?” Biana reached out her hand, and Sophie blushed, thankful for the darkness. Sophie took a deep breath, and took Bianas hand. The two girls started dancing, to the melody of the forest, the crickets song, and the moonlight symphony. Sophie couldn’t remember a time she’d been happier

The two girls danced, almost in their own little world. Time was irrelevant. They danced around the little clearing, twirling to their own tune. Finally, they slowed to a stop. Sophie had completely given up any hope of hiding her blush. Then, there under the moon, the two girls shared a kiss together, all worries forgotten.

Suddenly a boom echoed through the campus. The two girls stumbled back, shocked. Their eyes met, full of fear. They ran toward the campus, Sophie wondering if bianas extensive knowledge of how to fight in a dress would have to be used. They emerged from the forest, to see the gymnasium erupting in flames. It looked like most of the people were out of the gym, but Sophie could see black cloaked figures, even from the distance.

Magnate Leto ran up to them, followed by their friends. “You kids need to get out of here.” “But-“ Sophie protests. “Now.” Magnate Leto gives her a hard glare. Suddenly Linh pipes up. “Where’s marella?” Marella wasn’t with them. “I see her!” Tam says, pointing to their braided friend. She’s stuck in a crowd, surrounded by people. (i dont think this is the neverseen being antigay, just generic evil stuff. Decisionssss)

Before Tam could stop her, Linh was dashing through the crowd, shooting water at the flames. “Marella!” Linh calls, and marella looks up. “Linh?” Marella blasts another wave of fire at a neverseen member. Suddenly a wall of fire surrounds the crowd, and Tam’s breath catches.

Sophie feels herself start falling, even though she’s on solid ground. Linh… marella… they can’t be gone! She can’t lose more friends. She feels Biana wrap her arms around her, as she starts shaking. Nononono! Suddenly a figure starts emerging from the blaze.

Marella is there, seemingly unharmed except for singed hair. In her arms, is an unconscious figure, Linh. Tam immediately rushes to Linh’s side. “Ahem.” Magnate Leto says, “you all need to go. Take this.” He hands them a leaping crystal and dissapears into the crowd. Sophie holds the crystal to the light, and they step into the beam.

They stumble onto someone’s front lawn. Physic, or Livvy stepped out the front door and ushered them inside. They set Linh on the couch, and sat around a dining table. “What just happened?” Sophie asked. “How did no one know the neverseen were there?” Tam shrugged. “It happened out of the blue. Everything was fine, and the there was fintan trying to burn down the gym.”

Sophie knew that they shouldn’t be able to say things like that so casually, but they had been through so much, the unhinged pyrokinetic really had to try to surprise them. Livvy walked into the dining room, wiping her forehead. “Your sister is in a stable condition.” She tells tam, and sits down. “How much do you guys know?”

“Nothing.” Sophie said. “What in the world is going on?” She asked. Livvy sighed and shook her head. “The neverseen came for you a few days ago, Grady found shreds of a black cloak in the pastures. Verdi got to the member before they got anywhere, but we were on high alert.” Sophie narrowed her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me this?” Livvy sighed. “We wanted your life to be as normal as possible.”

“Well what happens now?” Sophie asked, a little annoyed. She wasn’t a kid anymore, she wanted to know what was happening in her life. “You’re going to pretend to be humans.” Livvy says matter of factly. The table burst into chaos. Sophie’s eyes widened, and the rest of them shouted various protests. Livvy quieted them. “For a while. You’re going to be visiting me, Aunt Olivias house. That’s what you’re telling everyone anyway.“

“What?” Sophie asked. “The eight of us don’t look remotely related.” Livvy sighed. “I told the fork man that, he said to figure it out.” Sophie giggled. “We’ll just go by a don’t ask don’t tell thing. Are we like actually going places and stuff?” Livvy nodded. “You will be normal teenagers, even going to school and doing homework.” The whole table groaned.

Three days later, and after almost dying because of Livvy’s driving, the eight of them headed into the front office to register for school. They all looked normal in tshirts and jeans, except for linhs arm in a cast. They got registered, and headed to their lockers. Sophie had to show them how to open them without licking them, and they headed to their individual homerooms, ready for the day.

By lunch rumor had spread of the mysterious eight new students who refused to talk to anyone outside of the eight. They all sat at a table in the corner of the cafeteria, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Linh hated not being able to talk to the humans, but tam told her it was for their safety. They sat down, to talk about the first day.

Before they could settle in, a group of people came over. “Hi, we noticed you lot are new here, do you want to come sit with us?” Sophie looked at Biana and the rest of them, and they shrugged. The eight of them headed over to a larger table. “My name’s beau,” the first person said. “Mine is felony.” The person with lime green hair said, grinning. They all sat down awkwardly. “What’s y’all’s names?” Felony asked grinning. “I’m Sophia, this is Bianca, Dexter, Marin, Aylin, Tommy, Keegan, and Fred

Her friends hated the names Livvy insisted on calling them while humans, but played along. “Cool.” Another person at the table said. “This is Lia, Jojo, Lynn, and the rest.” “Oh wow I’m glad we mean so much to you that you’ll tell the newbies our name. I’m tater, call me tater.” Sophie blinked. “Great.” These humans were nice? Of course there were nice humans, but she had never felt welcomed by people outside her family

“So tommy…” Keefe said, scooting closer to Tam. “How did you like your first classes.” “Shut up Keegan” tam said glaring at Keefe. Sophie laughed. “Sorry about my friends.” Beau smiled. “Where’d y’all come from?” Sophie shrugged “San Francisco, we’re visiting a friend of all our families, we’re close.” “Yep” Biana agreed. Sophie though it sounded suspicious at best, but Lia and Lynn were nodding. “Cool.”

“I feel like I know you guy...” felony said, narrowing their eyes “How could you know us?” Sophie said. “We’ve been on the west coast forever!” Sophie was panicking a little. Felony shrugged. “I have some family out there, might have seen you around. “Oh, ok…” Sophie sighed in relief. Sophie took a bite of the veggie roll Livvy had packed. She had made their lunches because vegetarian.

Brrrrriiinng! The cafeteria got noisy as people clamored to leave. “See y’all tommorow?” Beau called as they joined the crowd. Sophie nodded. She turned to her friends. “That wasn’t so bad.” “It really wasn’t.” Marella said in agreement. They all headed to classes, a little more confident.

The group got home, exhausted. They all flopped in the living room, sighing. “You kids tired?” Livvy asked “you had to give me the name Fred?” Fitz asked, sitting up. “It sounds so weird!” “It sounds normal.” Livvy corrected. Tam grumbled something about the name tommy, and Keefe laughed at him. “School was good. We even made a few friends.” Livvy smiled. “Friends are good. Now to celebrate the first day of school, do y’all want to get takeout?”

After a dinner of delicious pizza, which her friends devoured, Livvy came in. “I have a surprise for you guys!” Tam looked at her. “Is this surprise better than you making my name Tommy to the humans.” Linh giggled. “Yes, it is.” Livvy said. “I got everyone phones.” Everyone blinked, confused except for Sophie.

“What is a phone?” Keefe asked. “Don’t ask me Keegan.” Tam said grumpily. Dex took it. “Oh gosh! It’s like an imparter, but like…” he trailed off, and started pushing buttons. Marella took hers as well, but immediately got confused. Sophie wanted to die laughing, this was hilarious. Keefe took to poking his phone cautiously, watch what happens, and repeat. Linh simply stared at it like telepathically telling it what to do.

A few weeks passed, and things seem to grow normal. The only reminder of the lost cities was when they hailed their parents/friends to check in each Friday. Repairs were made to foxfire, and the eight stayed underground. Finally, one Wednesday, at lunch with the kids from school, they had grown closer over the weeks, and Sophie realized felony was right. It did feel like they knew each other. Finally, Lia tapped on her shoulder one day in class.

“Hey Sophia, it’s my birthday party this weekend, I was wondering if y’all wanted to come.” Sophie shrugged. “I’ll ask the others, but can’t think of a reason to not go.” Lia smiled. Sophie was right, the others did in fact want to go. The day before the party was a mess of gift shopping, and Biana insisting they have perfect outfits. Livvy was also worried, they all were, the threat of the neverseen was still there, and they didn’t want their human friends in the crossfire.

Ding dong! They eight of them waited by the front door, the sun setting. “Hi guys!“Felony opened the door, and ushered them inside. They dropped their gifts off, and headed downstairs where chaos was already beginning.

Lynn and some others were aggressively… could you aggressively talk? Well, they were talking about some vacation to Amsterdam that Sophie was unsure whether it happened or not. Keefe automatically went to join them, and Sophie went off to find someone to talk to. She’d never really been to a human birthday party other than her sisters and her own. What was she supposed to do?

Suddenly Beau ran down the stairs. “Guys! Me and Tater got the fire pit going for s’mores! Come on!” Lynn looked incredulous, like she was saying “you trusted them with fire?” But Lia just shrugged and they all ran upstairs.

They all settled around the fire pit, Biana and sophie shared a chair next to the fire, with a blanket pulled over them. Biana snuggled up next to her, which the others didn’t seem to kind as they violently stabbed marshmallows, and then set them on fire. Keefe, to no ones surprise found this process quite amusing.

Well… Keefe found it amusing until he decided to try and feed tam the marshmallow sandwich. Long story short, it ended with a marshmallow covered Tam and a hysterically laughing Keefe. Biana giggled and made her s’more, which was somehow perfectly cooked. The humans didn’t even seem that bothered, getting up to their own marshmallow related shenanigans.

The scene slowly devolved until it was a full on marshmallow war. Marella was secretly making her marshmallows meltier to throw at people, and Keefe was pelting everyone with half melted marshmallows. Fitz was trying to stop this of course, saying things like “guys, we don’t want to waste the marshmallows,” that was until Dex smushed and open s’more in his face, it just got more chaotic from there.

Finally, it winded down and people started floating to the back porch where there were traditional party games like pin the tail on the donkey. The elves found it hilarious, and Sophie giggled as Linh tried to stop felony from hitting the donkey. Biana looked up at her. “This is nice isn’t it?” She asked, the fire reflecting in her teal eyes. “It really is.” (No it’s fine, it’s your suggestions and feedback is why this is steadily growing, and not just ending.)

“Kiss kiss kiss kiss.” Sophie turned around to see Beau badly hiding behind a bush. She blushed and Beau laughed. Biana giggled. “We have to please the people, right?” Sophie blushed even harder as Biana kissed her. Beau laughed harder. “I knew it. JOJO! YOU OWE ME 15 DOLLARS!” Beau yelled. “Oh and lovebirds, cakes out.” Biana stood up and followed Beau. “You coming?

“Yeah one sec.” Sophie said, sitting up and stretching. Biana walked towards the porch, and Sophie looked into the bushes. She could have sworn she saw something moving. She looked over her shoulder. Everyone was too busy talking to notice her. She walked towards the bushes and looked down. There was a small scrap of parchment… she picked it up, expecting a black swan note. She opened it, and her heart stopped. It was the neverseen eye, staring up at her.

Sophie hasn’t slept since Lia’s party. She had rushed home as soon as the party finished, and told Livvy, who told forkle. Shockingly, he didn’t demand they relocate, they instead had some members on standby to defend the house, and they couldn’t go anywhere alone. Sophie stared out the window. The moon was rising and she knew she should be in bed, but the human world had coffee, so it was fine, right?

She scribbled in her notebook, running over that night in her head. Had anything been out of the ordinary? Her head hurt, and she groaned. She really should sleep… but if she slept she’d have nightmares and honestly no sleep was better. She paced her room, filtering through her thoughts. She froze as someone knocked on her door

She opened the door to see Biana holding two mugs of hot chocolate. “Fitz made these for you. Said he got the recipe from Beau, so it has to be good.” Sophie took a mug and sat down at her desk, Biana sitting on her bed. “How did they did they find us Bi?” Sophie asked, for the 345th time this week. “I don’t know Soph, but obsessing over it won’t help. When’s the last time you slept?” Sophie thought. “I think… a few days ago for an hour or two?” She sipped her cocoa.

Biana shook her head. “You need to sleep Sophie.” Sophie looked at her floor. “I’m fine Bi” Biana raised her eyebrows. “You’re not. Even the humans are noticing somethings up. If you won’t sleep for you, will you sleep to help protect us? Will you sleep for me?” Sophie hugged her knees. Biana wrapped her arms around Sophie, hugging her. “Please sleep…”

Sophie woke up the next morning, to Biana still there, arms wrapped around her. Biana looked peaceful when she slept. Everything was peaceful. That was until she heard Keefe’s muffled screaming downstairs. She shot up and ran down the stairs. “What is it?! Neverseen? The council? Gluons?” Keefe laughed. “No, it’s snowing!” Sophie peered out the window.

Biana was still asleep when Sophie walked in. “Biana?” She asked. “I don’t want bananas. They taste yucky.” Biana said, still half asleep. Sophie giggled and shook her shoulder gently. “Wake up, it’s snowing outside.” Biana sat up, still bleary eyed. “Really?” Sophie nodded.

Bianas eyes lit up. “I have a plan then.” She said, grinning evilly. Sophie laughed. “Should I be worried?” Biana smirked. “No, but fitz should be, I still haven’t been able to get revenge on him for dumping that flour on me back at…” she trailed off. The air was thick. Both of them knew they couldn’t be normal. “Hey…” Sophie said as Biana looked down. “What was your plan?”

Biana shook her head evilly. “You’ll see.” The morning went by quickly, when fitz got a call from Beau. “Hey guys, there’s gonna be a snow war at the park, you wanna join?” A shared glance from their friends, and they were in.

It took longer than expected to get ready for the snow, none of the elf’s were good at Velcro, and Sophie was too busy laughing to help them. Finally, they piled in Livvys car, and they headed to the park. Luckily, it wasn’t full on war yet. Felony and Lia waved at them, inviting them to sit at the snowy picnic tables.

Tam muttered something about being cold, but sat down with the rest of them. Felony started talking about how epic the war was going to be. Then, a wave a cold snow hits Sophie. She turns around to see Beau and Tater laughing, her and a couple others now covered in snow. “Oh it’s on!

#sophiana #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #sophie foster #biana vacker

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badwithten · 4 years

Photo

quatervois | (n.) a crossroads; a critical decision or turning point in one’s life

lucas x reader part 10

gang au

this story will contain, major character death, depression (?), violence, drug use, swearing, angst and possibly suggestive scenes

a/n - sorry that this being the last part is so disappointing lmao, i really just didn't know what else to write baha. i hope the outro is a bit more fulfilling when it comes out ad the after that i’ll make a proper post giving updates about the series :) thank you for the support

masterlist | prev | outro

The warehouse looked different in the daylight, you thought it was this almighty thing, something that needed to be protected at all cost, that's the impression Taeyong gave off when he wouldn't allow you in any further than the fire escape. But now that you can see it clearly, it's disappointing. You were scared of it for the wrong reason. It looked like it was straight out a horror movie, somewhere a psycho would take his victims to dismember them. A mostly empty area at the bottom, a concrete floor with cracks breaking up and decorating the area, rusty chains and hooks hanging off of the high ceiling. The windows that wrapped around the top were dirty and broken, this place clearly wasn't important or else it would have been cared for. Maybe it really was Taeyongs killing ground, is that what he was doing when you ran into him for the first time? The air is dirty, you feel wrong for being there, the smell of death suddenly fills your nose and for a moment you forget how to breathe altogether.

But how could you? When Lucas was about to die. This was your last chance to do anything. Make a move. Save him. But your body was stiff. Your mind was fuzzy. And you felt numb. All you could do is pray that things would be ok. Deep down you know that they won't. That only happened in movies. Although this was set out like a movie scene, almost too perfect. The light shining through the glass up above, the light breeze coming through the exposed doors, with Taeyong and Lucas in the middle of it all. If this was a movie, it would be the closing scene, the beautifully cinematic one that stuck in the mind of those who watched it. But it wasn't, this was real life.

Kun is in the same position as you. He's watching his friend, no, his family, about to lose his life. He's frozen. But Kun is stronger than you. He's known Lucas for longer. He saved him, raised him, and made him into who he is. Maybe he was harsh on him, but he cared about him. He hoped Lucas knew that. Before it was too late. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if Lucas died thinking Kun didn't care. Kun only had one option. To make a move. He willed his body to run forward.

“Yukhei!”

Yukhei? Yukhei! Lucas is Yukhei? You were even more stunned than before, at what Kun just said. You thought Yukhei had died, but if Lucas is still here what had he meant? All the pain Yukhei went through, all the struggles, the dying. It was all Lucas. You knew there was more to him. You knew he didn't just get involved with Wayv for no reason. He was broken. He is broken. He lost Yukhei but gained Lucas. Kun saved him from himself. And now Kun is saving him again.

Things suddenly fall into place as Kun runs towards Lucas and Taeyong screaming out his name. He only moves a few metres before Taeyong takes action. But a few metres wasn't enough, or maybe it was too much. Either way, a few metres was his difference between life and death. You're not sure what his plan is, but it worked. Maybe not in the way he intended. The gun moves towards Kun. Taeyong pulls the trigger. And in a few seconds, it's all over. The force that was keeping you in place leaves, as if everything got taken off of pause.

A sound leaves your mouth, you're sure it's loud, you're certain it's a scream. But you can't hear it, you can't hear anything apart from ringing. Kun falls to the ground, hand attached to his side. You still feel frozen but this time it's different, it's as if you're watching yourself from an outside perspective. You're feeling yourself move, but you're not the one making it go. Some outside force is in control and you're simply here to watch. You're glad because you know you're not strong enough to do so on your own. Everything stops happening in a haze and suddenly you're crouching by Kun. Your knees burning from sliding on the ground. You press down onto where the bullet hit him. The atmosphere of the building got heavier once it stopped looking so pretty. The light no longer made everything seem like you are in a holy place, instead, it burned your eyes, the wind only disrupted the dirt on the floor, with Taeyong and Lucas no longer being the main attraction. At least the red added a splash of colour to your world that was currently falling to bits.

“Oh my god,” It becomes so much real when you feel the warmth of his blood seeping out between your fingers. The smell of iron is thick and it makes you gag, but throwing up is the least of your worries right now. “Kun, I'm so sorry.”

Sobs escape your mouth as you try your best to stop the bleeding, to help him through the pain. Tears flowing down your face with a mixture of snot, you can no longer see him clearly anymore, despite the fact he's lying beneath you. His eyes are glossy and cold, there is no longer life left in them, his skin becomes paler by the second and soon enough you feel his arm flop away from where it sat by his wound. Leaving just your hand trying to stop the bleeding. But it wasn't enough. It would have never been enough. But you can't help but think... what if? What if you ran forward instead of him? What if it was you who was shot? What if it was Lucas?

It's Lucas’ scream that brings you out of your trance. Lucas is a fighter. He takes the chance when the attention is off of him to bring Taeyong to the ground. At first, it's just to get him down but once he notices what's happened it turns violent. Screams leave his throat as he throws punches down into his face, no mercy as he continuously pounds his fists.

“Lucas, stop it!” You scream at him as you pull his body away from Taeyong. You fall onto your back with Lucas on top of you. It's a wrestle of power, with you trying to secure him into your arms. And he's winning, pulling himself away from you anyway he can, even if it meant hurting you. The force of his punch in your stomach is enough for you to drop him. He scrambles back towards Taeyong but Hendery is there to try to stop him. He has more of a fighting chance against Lucas and is able to stop him until the anger fades and it's just loss that he’s feeling. The boys must have heard the commotion as they burst through the door. Most of them are heading towards Kuns body. You can't bear to focus on that. The pain in your stomach rings through your ears. But you have to get up. You move towards Lucas and pull him into your arms. His tears soaking your shirt, as well as the blood of Taeyong and Kun mixing in your arms. Funny how they both end up in the same place. You try your best to comfort him, rubbing circles onto his back to get him to stop shaking. You're on the verge of breaking yourself. But right now you need to stay strong. Because it isn't Lucas anymore. Yukhei is back.

“Y/N.” You look up to see Yangyang standing over you, his eyes empty, shirt covered in blood. “What happened?”

Soft steam from the rain meant you were sweaty and uncomfortable throughout the whole service, even more, uncomfortable than you would have been. When planning the funeral you tried to talk about the boys about what Kun wanted but it dawned on you no one really knew Kun. It's not that they didn't care, but he shut himself off. He wanted to serve and provide from them but not let the boys repay the favour. It came over you the dynamic they had and why Lucas was so scared of him. No one here knew who he was, what he wanted or what he was doing hanging out with a bunch of misfits. He died being alone, empty without a purpose. That realization hurt you more than his actual death. Maybe you shouldn't have gone over to him after he had been shot. It should have been one of the boys, not you. But it was too late now, because either way, he would have died in the arms of a stranger.

The funeral was small, Kun knew a lot of people, and had a lot of people in his life. But out of those who were in his life through it all. There were only six. You felt out of place there, but the boys insisted that you were now a part of them. You weren't sure if that was a good thing or not. On one hand, it was a found family with a stronger bond than you could ever imagine. But on the other hand, they were a gang and you were a city girl who had no business being with them. You were mainly there to be a pillar of support. Your own mourning would have to wait, as right now, you needed to be there for Yukhei.

Things wrapped up for Taeyong, getting arrested and treated for his wounds thanks to Lucas. His trial wouldn't be for a long time, and by then you would be gone. It was no longer your stress. And for the first time in a long time, you felt like you could breathe. His weight was off of your back, you could no longer feel the metal against your head, holding you hostage. Maybe that's what scared you so much. His pressure was gone so why were you still here? Well for Yukhei. He was still distraught about the whole thing weeks later, for him it wasn't right to return as if everything was normal. Although he understood why the others could. Kuns death wasn't on their shoulders. It was on him. If he had just listened to you none of this would have happened. The guilt ate him alive each day he had to stay around everyone, seeing the pain of losing Kun in their eyes and thick on their tongues. He thought he was going insane with all that was happening in his mind. The sleepless nights and his empty stomach all distractions from the pain in his heart. He just wanted the aching feeling that was eating him up from the inside out to go away. But it wouldn't. No matter how much he cried or smoked or ran or fought. Nothing would work. Nothing was enough of a distraction to get rid of this horrible feeling. He was left to rot away in bed with you begging at his side.

Despite all of this, all of his pain. NCT was still around. And now that Kun is gone. it means the stress on Wayv would be even higher. Yet they would still continue on as six, with Ten as leader. Out of all of them, he was the one. Everyone knew he was the right one. Apart from Yukhei who was still in his state.

“How can they continue as normal?” You and he sat outside the house, he had only gotten out of bed for a smoke but you were just glad to see him up. The fresh air would do him good. As the moon reflected onto his skin you were able to see the effects this was taking on him. His cheeks sunken, pale skin, eyes heavy with despair, and worst of all. His smile was gone. The one that was contagious, the one that would light up whatever room he was in and bring you joy, the one you never saw fade. It was no longer there. That was the last straw, you knew you had to get him out of here

“I don't know” You sigh and move into his side. He lifts his arm and brings you in close, scared he might lose you as well. “But you don't have to, you know? Go back to being normal I mean”

“What?” You sigh, you're not sure if it was the fog in his head or he truly just didn't hear you but you had no other choice. He needed saving.

“Come back home with me, Yukhei.”

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swaps55 · 4 years

Text

Toccata

Pairing: mShenko

Word Count: 3,226

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Post-War, Injury & Recovery, They Got Their Happy Ending. This story exists because I wanted to put Shepard on a horse.

Ao3 link if you prefer

Even the darkness has arms But they ain't got you Baby, I have it And I have you, too

Shepard doesn’t see the deer spring up from the brush on the side of the trail, but the horse does. Maybe if he’d been sitting on Bravo, who rides more like the Mako drives, it would have gone better. But it’s Echo he’d been sitting on when he’d galloped towards the fence line and sailed her right over it.

Echo’s good for getting away from things. That’s why they make such a good team. Sometimes, even after all this time, Shepard just needs to get away.

But she’s better at it.

She shies sideways. For half a second he thinks he might stay with her this time, but his foot is already out of the stirrup and there’s no saving it. Mrs. Alenko is right. The hothead mare is quicker than he’ll ever be.

He manages one loud “Fuck!” before sailing into a tree. There’s a crunch that can’t be a good thing, and when he comes to rest and rolls over on his back there’s no breath in his lungs. He can’t coax any back in.

There was a time when Shepard would have scoffed at the idea that an abrupt arboreal halt could slow him down, but that was back when his bones were made of something more akin to rubber bands and he’d had the benefit of combat armor to soften a blow.

He lays still for a moment, fingers clawing the weeds as he tries in vain to gulp in some air. Eventually he manages a wheeze. Better than nothing. Close by, nervous hooves prance about in the grass. At least she hasn’t gone far.

Shepard pushes himself up on an elbow. A sharp, burning pain explodes out from his collar bone as he discovers a new, immediate problem. Apparently, the crunch he’d heard was indeed not a good thing.

“Fuck,” he wheezes, which only wastes what little air he’s managed to draw in. He flops back down and clutches his collar bone. Blackness threatens the edge of his vision, but eventually retreats so long as he stays still.

This is not good.

He shouldn’t even be out here. Wouldn’t be, if he hadn’t gone and done exactly what Kaidan had asked him not to do.

(It’s ok to disappear for a little while, Shepard, if that’s what you need. Just try not to ride out a bad day on a horse that’s got less sense than you.)

Should have stayed in the field down by the barn. Should have listened. He’s never been good at listening.

Ok. Triage. That’s what Kaidan would tell him. First thing’s first. Breathe. Breathe, soldier.

He gulps down some air. Even once it starts coming a little better he’s still not getting enough, but at least he’s not about to pass out.

Right. First problem patched. Next on the list.

He’s interrupted by a velvet nose whuffling his forehead. He reaches up a hand to give Echo a pat, groping for the reins in the process. They’re bunched up by her ears, but by some kind of luck she hasn’t stepped through them. That’s another problem sorted – the horse isn’t in immediate danger of hanging herself.

“Please. Do not pull,” he begs her. In response, she lips at his ear. It’s about a close to an apology as he’s going to get.

Ok. Two problems patched. Now onto the next one. He doesn’t have a comm. While he likes to think that Kaidan has a sixth sense for Shepard’s idiocy, it’s a little unfair to assume he’ll divine what’s happened and come find him.

He’s done it before. Almost a decade ago now. In the ruins of London.

(I’m here. I’ve got you. I’m never letting go again.)

Shepard wheezes. The late afternoon sun is taking on a golden sheen. No groves in sight. He’s beyond the orchard property lines, but probably only a few kilometers from the barn. A busted collar bone is going to make it feel more like a few lightyears.

Two options, marine. Walk it or ride it.

Nope. Before he can tackle either he needs to get up off the ground. Something else that might be easier said than done.

He looks up at the horse, who’s taken to picking the grass while she waits for her human to figure things out. Her shoulder quivers as she shakes off a fly.

“I’m going to need your help,” he croaks. “And you better not be a shithead about it.”

She swishes her tail.

He tugs gently on the reins until her nose returns to his head. “Ok. I’m going to haul myself up on that fucking tree that just tried to kill me. Your job is to not do anything stupid until I’m on my feet. And preferably not after, either. Can you handle that Cadet?”

She blinks at him. He takes in another shallow breath and reaches out with his free hand until he finds the bark of the offending tree. It’s broad, but he can at least hook his arm around it enough to get some leverage. “Ok. Here goes nothing.”

With a sharp cry he hauls himself up into a sitting position. Tears spring to his eyes, the shortness of breath in his chest more acute. Echo dances nervously, but the reins stay slack in his other hand.

“Ok,” Shepard chokes out. “Ok. Halfway there. I can do this. Right?”

Echo snorts.

Shepard braces against the tree, takes as deep a breath as he can manage and staggers to his feet. The pain from his collar bone hits like a white-hot lance that brings back memories of the pressure injury on Sharjila. He cries out. Echo throws up her head and crabsteps to the left, but doesn’t bolt.

“Easy,” Shepard whispers hoarsely. “Easy.”

Not sure about you sometimes, Mrs. Alenko had said to him once. You take an awful lot of chances for someone with nothing left to fight and everything to lose.

Echo settles again, and he manages to reel her back in without having to move. He wavers on his feet until she’s close enough for him to lean against. He wraps fingers in her long, black mane and rests his head against her neck, the red hairs of her coat soft against his cheek.

“There. No so bad, right? Which is good, because now comes the hard part.”

Now he has to figure out how to get back on. If it’s not bad enough to be out here with a high-strung mare, he’s got an English saddle on her. Better for jumping, which is how the afternoon had started. Not so great for hauling yourself up from the ground. The idea of contorting enough to even get a foot in the stirrup is enough to bring on a wave of nausea, and there’s nothing around to give him a boost. Echo isn’t exactly known for her willingness to stand still, either.

No wonder you like her so much, Kaidan had said. She’s you, in a horse’s body. As Mrs. Alenko put it, he had a preference for the headcases who went too fast.

He rubs a palm over her forehead, tracing white hairs that form the shape of a pinwheel.

“Ok. Remember that part where I said you need to not be a shithead? That’s still in play.”

He flips the reins up over her head, accidentally flicking her ear in the process. She jerks her head in irritation, hind end swinging in a half circle. When she comes to a stop Shepard eyes the stirrup. With a wince he tugs at the leather strap until the buckle slides into view, then lengthens it to the last hole to make the stirrup as long as possible. That’ll help a little, at least.

“Here goes nothing,” Shepard mutters. With a tight fist of mane in one hand and the cantle of his saddle in the other he sticks a foot in the stirrup. Tears come back to his eyes and his vision blackens once more. He yanks the foot out and lets it come to rest on the ground again. Echo swings her hindquarters once more, dragging him a half step with her. He swears, grips the mane even harder, resting his forehead against the saddle until his vision clears. What he wouldn’t give for a combat suit with a good mexo and a shuttle evac right about now.

“You can do this, N7,” he whispers. “You promised him you would always come home.”

(You sure I’m not one of things you’re trying to get away from?)

(Kaidan…you’re what I always come back to.)

He tries again. This time Echo spins in a full circle, eliciting a string of expletives that’s worth losing some of his hard-fought air.

“Ok. Let’s try this.”

He manages to line her up beside the tree, so if she wants to swing her butt around there’s nowhere to go except into the tree or into him.

Maybe not his wisest idea. She’s proven more than willing to steamroll him before. “Remember our deal,” he says.

The third time he makes it into the saddle. Agony shoots out from the burning knot of his collar bone in waves that make it impossible to think about anything else. His balance wavers but he manages to keep it. For several minutes, staying on the horse and continuing to breathe is all he can manage.

Echo shifts uneasily beneath him. Full of kinetic energy just looking for a release valve.

(Just like you.)

He can see Kaidan’s smile. Feel it.

He still can’t take a deep breath. The dizziness isn’t going away. I’m in trouble here.

“Ok kiddo,” he manages. “We have to get home.”

He nudges her with his heels, hoping she doesn’t throw one of her fits and take off. Echo has two modes. Bat out of hell and standing still. Neither are very helpful to him at the moment.

(It’s almost like she makes it really hard to predict what she’s going to do next. Sound like anyone else we know?)

The mare takes a few quick steps forward, but settles quickly into an even gait. “There’s extra hay in this for you if you can autopilot,” Shepard grunts.

He bridges the reins in one hand and grabs hold of the long hairs of her mane. The other clutches his shoulder.

The sun’s dipped below the horizon by the time they find their way into the lane leading down to the barn, the sky deepening into a deeper, twilight blue. Apple trees run away to his left. The redcurrant bushes on his right. Echo breaks into a trot. The extra bounce brings fresh agony to his collar bone, but breathing is becoming more difficult some actual panic is setting in.

Kaidan, please be there.

Funny how a little time and distance from the routine of danger makes it feel more acute when it manages to find him.

(I can’t lose you again.)

Maybe that’s where the fear comes from. The war is over, but the stakes are so much higher now.

Every light in the barn is on when he crests the last hill. A lone figure paces anxiously along the paddock fence.

“Kaidan,” Shepard murmurs.

Echo picks up a lope as she cruises down the hill. All Shepard can do is hold onto the reins and hope he stays upright, but at this point even if he falls it won’t matter. Kaidan is here.

“Shepard!”

Echo barrels up to the barn, Shepard helpless to stop her. Kaidan’s eyes widen and he ducks out of the way, but as she whips past he reaches out to snatch one of the reins. For someone who’d rather wrestle a varren than get on a horse, he’s surprisingly adept with them. Growing up as the son of Lora Alenko doesn’t leave him much choice.

Echo comes to a halt, Shepard already sliding out of the saddle. Kaidan manages to get an arm around him before he hits the ground.

“It’s ok, you’re ok, I’ve got you.” There’s alarm in his eyes, but his voice is steady, reassuring. He calls over his shoulder for his mother to come get Echo. She runs out of the barn, eyes wide when she sees Shepard’s sorry state.

“Goodness, what happened?”

“I’ve got it. Can you take care of the horse?”

She nods and takes the reins, leading Echo away into the barn. Kaidan shifts until Shepard’s more comfortably nestled into his lap, omnitool already out, medical scanner running. Shepard reaches his arm up and presses his fingers against Kaidan’s neck.

“I can’t breathe.”

A soft smile curves Kaidan’s lips. “That’s because you collapsed your lung. Somehow. What the hell did you do?”

“Unexpected encounter with a tree.”

Shepard’s hand slides to Kaidan’s chest, where he feels the rumble of his laugh under his palm.

“Snapped your collar bone, too. How the hell did you get back on?”

“Only way to get to you.”

Kaidan pauses his scans long enough to trap Shepard’s hand under his. “I’d have found you, you know. We have the technology.”

Shepard closes his eyes, resting his cheek against Kaidan’s chest. “I know. Didn’t want to put you through that again.”

Kaidan’s arm tightens around him. He leans down and presses a kiss to Shepard’s forehead. “Let’s get you to a clinic. Ok? Need you to be able to breathe. I’d rather be the only one who takes your breath away.”

Shepard smiles. “I love you. You know that?”

Kaidan brushes a thumb across his cheek. “I do.”

Shepard’s not sure what’s worse. The pain of the broken collar bone, or the unrelenting, unassuageable itch of the bone knitter that will linger for days afterwards. Dr. Chakwas had always called it a temporary, minor discomfort. Not the first difference of opinion they’d had over the years.

It’s almost 0200 by the time they get back home. Kaidan’s mother has left a light on for them. Thankfully Kaidan had convinced her to go on to bed without waiting up. Kaidan loops Shepard’s arm around his shoulder and escorts him to their bedroom. It’s not strictly necessary – he can walk just fine – but he doesn’t argue with a little overprotectiveness.

Turns out Shepard doesn’t mind being taken care of, sometimes. Just took finding the right person to do it.

“Thank you, he murmurs when they both crawl in bed. The window’s still open on the opposite side of the room, a cool breeze wafting through backed by the pale gleam of the moon. His collar bone still aches, but it’s fading.

Kaidan pulls Shepard’s back into his chest and wraps his arms around him, surrounding him with warmth. No matter how much time passes, Shepard still marvels at how easily, how perfectly they fit together.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Kaidan murmurs in his ear.

Shepard finds Kaidan’s fingers and laces them in his. “You mean how I’m getting slower in my old age?”

“No.” Shepard can feel Kaidan’s smile against his neck. “About why you jumped the fence and took off in the first place.”

Shepard exhales. “Was afraid you were going to ask about that.”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” He kisses softly up and down Shepard’s neck, between his shoulder blades. Shepard sighs, soft sound of pleasure rumbling in his throat.

“No. It’s fine.”

Kaidan presses his nose against Shepard’s neck. “Something trigger you?”

“No. Not this time.”

Kaidan waits, ever so patient, trailing his lips against Shepard’s skin. Shepard inhales, a full, deep breath this time into lungs that work.

“Sometimes,” Shepard murmurs, tilting his head back to give Kaidan better access, “sometimes…it’s like I don’t know who I am unless the odds are against me. I have everything I want right here with you…but I guess I still can’t shake the feeling I have to keep fighting for it.”

“So you jumped the fence with a green horse and took off into the woods.”

Shepard chuckles, then itches at his collar bone. “You asked why I did it. Didn’t say it made sense.”

Kaidan strokes the side of Shepard’s face. “No. I think I get it.”

“Really? Can you explain it to me, then?”

“Mmm.” Kaidan moves his hand into Shepard’s hair. He still shaves his head more often than not – it’s just easier – but he knows Kaidan likes it when he lets it go too long.

“Your entire life has been about taking risks,” Kaidan says. “Taking on the impossible to save the galaxy. Fighting against all odds to hold on to the people you love. Being on a horse isn’t exactly taking down a cannibal, but it sure is an adrenaline hit.” He chuckles. “At least it is for me. You scared the hell out of me. Echo came flying down that hill I knew something was wrong.”

Shepard grabs Kaidan’s hand and draws it to his chest. “I know,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry.” He almost says he won’t do it again, but it would be a lie and they both know it.

They lay silent for a while. Kaidan’s breathing deepens, the steady rise and fall of his chest still like a miracle even after nearly a decade of feeling it. They’d fought so hard for this, for time, but he’d never stopped to figure out what to do once they got it.

Forging an identity that didn’t revolve around a pair of dog tags was harder than he’d thought it would be. That’s where the horses had come in. It started as physical therapy. But Kaidan’s right – the thrill of being on the back of something with only an illusion of control triggers an adrenaline rush that feels familiar, in some small way giving him back something he’d lost when the war ended.

(You take an awful lot of chances for someone with nothing left to fight and everything to lose.)

Shepard just never learned how to do it any other way. Probably never will. Some part of Kaidan will always have to worry, always have to wonder in the back of his mind if they really will grow old together.

“You deserve better than me, you know,” Shepard whispers into the dark.

Kaidan stirs, pulling him even closer, his voice a drowsy rumble against Shepard’s ear. “What does better have to do with anything? I want you. Whether I deserve you or not.”

When Shepard doesn’t answer Kaidan rolls him over until he’s lying on his back and runs light fingers across the ridge of his collar bone. “Every day you’ll have me makes me the luckiest man alive.”

Shepard cups his cheek, stroking it with a thumb.

“That reckless side is part of you,” Kaidan says with a soft smile. “All I can do is love you through it. Always have. Always will.”

Shepard’s eyes sting. He loops his arm around Kaidan’s neck and draws him in, kissing him deep, long, and utterly slow, in place of all the things he wants to say and might one day figure out how.

“Just promise you’ll keep coming back to me,” Kaidan murmurs against his mouth.

“Always,” Shepard whispers back, before losing himself in Kaidan’s arms.

Author’s note:

I started this on a whim, because I missed riding and wanted to put Shepard on a horse. Halfway through writing it, I lost my equine best friend of almost 30 years to colic. She was a spunky little red mare with a white spot on a her forehead in the shape of a pinwheel. While Echo is not my little mare, there is certainly a lot of my little mare in Echo.

I have no idea if the "plot" makes sense. That wasn't the important part to me. Normally I would have worked harder to make sure all the pieces fit together even in something this short, but I didn't this time. I will for the next one. This one will just have to be more for "me" than usual. Call it my own equine therapy. Hope you enjoyed it anyway. :)

#mass effect #mshenko #kaidan alenko #my fic

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yami-yomiel · 3 years

Text

We’re about to die, but at least we can say goodbye

[I’ve never posted fanfiction before, but hopefully people will like it...and yes this is an OC i inserted in ghost trick.]

[potential triggers: Guns, death/blood, chapter 15 spoilers, and me saying ‘man in red’ a lot (all expect for the last one in minimal detail however.)]

“CABS, IS EVERYTHING OK? I HEARD SOMETHING EXPLODE.” the blonde said, swinging the office door open as fast as she could. The inspector was limp in the chair, blood staining his precious white coat, with a mysterious blonde figure in red on the phone next to him, her heart and mind began racing.

Really what do you do in a situation like this, do you run and punch(in in this case shoot) the guy, or do you bend down and kiss his shoes hoping he’ll spare your life? What Brooke did would be considered brave, irrationally brave.

She stood in front of Cabanela, banging her fist on the table and interrogating the man in red,

“Look pal, i don’t know who you are or what your business is, but you’re committing assault, you know.” Great job Brooke, you just stated the obvious, you’ll definitely get a raise on your next paycheck..

“Oh really, i thought i was having a lovely chat with the inspector.” he replied, there was a tone in his voice that really irked her, he continued as he placed the phone back on the handle-

“Listen sweetheart, these are private matters, if you don’t stop interfering then i might have to make you.” his voice was smooth but that sweetheart bit really pushed her over the edge. she pulled her revolver out of her jacket pocket, aiming right for his temple.

“Go ahead, I dare you.” he edged her on, it didn’t sound like a tease- it was a demand.

BANG!

The man didn’t bleed, but he did flop over backwards, landing on the polished floor.

Brooke (foolishly) dropped her gun and went to check on Cabanela, thankfully he’s just unconscious, she suspected that he was wounded during the explosion; perhaps just a few broken bones or two.

She planted a kiss on his forehead whispering “Hang in there bud, I’ll get you out of here.”

Click

“It’s funny really..” a sinister voice started, the hairs on her back started standing. “This is giving me a sense of deja-vu, makes sense since Cabanela did the same, now look at him.” Brooke didn’t have the courage to turn around fully, but she can tell the man in red came back, now wielding her weapon.

She started to shake, her fingers firmly gripping the seat’s arms, digging her aquamarine and green nails into the leather. She tried to focus on a way to escape, but no matter how hard she tried- her legs wouldn’t move. “Well..do you have any last words?” he asked, pushing the gun closer to head, she could feel the cold metal against her scalp, it was no different from the chills going up and down her spine.

“Who on god’s green earth are you?” she replied;remaining firm but you could hear the terror in her voice, tears started rolling down and started staining that precious pale coat even more..

The man in red just shrugged “Well, I go by many names, but if you must know, it’s Yomiel.”

Yomiel..just hearing that name sounded evil (ironic, since it’s the name of an angel). A second bang was heard, this time causing Brooke to crash into the chair with enough force to knock them both over.

Blood was pooling around her head, her fingers intertwined with Cabanela’s, and tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry Cabs, I did all I could” she wanted to say, but her vision and voice was already fading. If he was still here, would he be proud, maybe he would reprimand her for her reckless situation skills, but he would be proud nonetheless.

At least that’s What Brooke thought.

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[and the sequel!!]

Come on girl

[yes the title is a yung bae song,,thank my friend :)]

“Nice Try, Inspector Cabanela.”

“But you could never stop me!”

“See ya sucker.”

Just as the man in red went to open the door, he turned and muttered “Oh! i guess the lady gets a send off too, see you..Never.” It was most definitely a backhand comment, you could almost feel the snarkiness ooze from his voice.

Yomiel lightly tapped Brooke’s body with his white shoe, moving her body ever so slightly, and making sure not to step on the fresh blood. And just like that, he was gone, not in a rush or hurry- just like this was an everyday task for him.

……..

Silence.

Is this what it felt like to die?

So many Questions left unanswered-and even more to ask.

It was oddly peaceful here-wherever here is. If she could she would rather stay like this; it was better than whatever she just went through anyway, those last 4 minutes of her life obviously weren’t the best.

Suddenly, Brooke heard voices,she couldn’t see anything-or anyone, just the void staring back at her.

“Hey, do you think you could wake up for me?” one voice asked. it had a very apparent new york accent, with no hint of familiarity. “Come onnn~, dear, we ain’t got all dayyy~!” another called. This one definitely struck a chord, the slight country accent, the elongating of vowels, and dripping bisexuality-er flamboyancy.

The blue flame in front of Sissel and Cabanela started to glow a bit brighter, contrasting the intense reds of the ghost world,a swirly void that seems to both go nowhere and forever. Cabanela smirked, turning to Sissel “You think she recognized me?” he chuckled.

“Think so, do you know her by chance?” he replied, tilting his head a bit.

At this point Brooke was elated by hearing her friend's voice, she wanted to reply, but it felt like her mouth was stuffed with cotton, and her “movements” were sluggish and minimal.

“OF COURSE HE KNOWS ME!!” a mature yet chirpy voice shouted, the blue flame in front of the two shook and transformed, taking the form of a tall plump woman. Her blonde hair was styled in a bob, a streak of brown in her bang, a dark aviator jacket and tan sweater, but most importantly, her eyes (one being blue and the other green) were filled with hope, hope from the very existence of seeing Cabanela.

Even though she wasn’t that far, she started to run towards him, embracing him in a big ol hug that spun him around, with both of them now sharing a hearty laugh or two.

“Now’s not the time to be goofing around hun,Buuuuut~ it’s nice to see you haven’t lost your spark.” he said, a bit of professionalism in his voice. Brooke nodded her head, placing her equally tall friend back on his feet “And I see you haven’t lost your…” her voice trailed off as she got a good look at Cabs’ new friend, his blonde hair was styled in a spiky updo (very banana-eske), his suit was a royal red and under it a dark grey shirt, and his shoes a bright white. Her eyes began to widen as she took a step back, her heart once again beating in her ears- was this all an illusion, was she in hell this entire time? Was the man she embraced real?.

Sissel reached out to comfort the woman,but she slapped it away, Her fear boiling over into steaming rage. Brooke’s hands started moving slowly on their own towards his spindly neck, shaking within every 'second'; she wanted revenge.

He wasn't going to stand around for an inevitable strangling, so he clasped her hands,as an attempt at calming the storm.

"Listen, I don't know who you are. But I know I'm not the man you're after." Sissel stated, "I just share his face, I suppose." Brooke could see her reflection in those dark sunglasses, she just knew they were hiding something. “How do I know you’re not trying to kill me..again” she questioned.

“Well, for starters, you’re already dead. So the chance of dying ‘again’ here is highly unlikely.”

“Sigh..alright, but how do i know you’re not..you know?” she felt like she understood a bit more, that this man wasn’t a threat, but she kept a close eye on him. Cabanela put a hand on her shoulder, nodding “Just trust the man babyyy~!, you have nooothing to fear!”, it was the most he could do in a situation like this anyway, since all 3 of them are dead and all. Sissel then lets go of one of her hands, the other loosely gripping her own.

“Well,now that that’s settled, shall i go back 4 minutes, before your death?” it was a rhetorical question, since regardless he was going to bring these two back- since it was his main goal to find out who he was and why he was killed.

Brooke felt like she didn’t understand whatever was going on, but if it meant for her and her lovely friend to come back to life, it’d be better to go along with it now and ask questions later. She then took Cabanela’s hand and nodded at him reassuringly, a smile forming on her lips.

“Sure, it’s better than staying here in this realm anyway!” she chuckled.

#oc fanfiction #fanfiction #storytime #Brooke(OC)#ghost trick phantom detective #Ghost Trick #Inspector Cabanela(Ghost trick)#cherryflavoredart #Yomiel(Ghost trick)#long post

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turning-dreams-into-chaos · 4 years

Note

For the Valentine's prompt can you do 6, 7, and 22? Maybe at a Stark Valentine's Day party? (Cheesy i knoooowww) and either very angsty or very cute and fluffy. Up to you! Thanks for putting in the time and doing these!

(2/2) Oh god i just realized i dont think i asked for a character. Bucky, please. Sweet jebus my bad

6. “Do you want to dance?”

7. “I don’t do love.”

22. “What are you doing.” “It’s called hugging.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Lots of people loved Valentine’s Day. Getting to dress up and get swept off your feet by the people you loved. But not you.

“I just don’t get why I have to go to this dumb Valentine’s party!” You fell backwards onto your bed as you complained to Natasha. She just chuckled at you, leaning against the wall in a strapless black and green slit dress.

“Tony’s making us all go Y/N, none of us have a choice.” She reminded you as you grunted, covering your eyes with your hands. “Just put the dress on or I’ll put you in it myself.” You sat up onto your elbows, glaring at the ex-assassin who no doubt would’ve followed through on her “threat”.

“Fine.” You mumbled as she smirked at you, tossing the dress you bought earlier that week. It hit you in the face as you tried to catch it and a few seconds later you were walking out of the bathroom in an right red halter dress falling just above your knee in the front to your calves in the back.

“Damn Girl, you look hot.” She said, giving you a once over and tossing you your shoes. You grimaced at the thought of wearing the pumps all night as you stood in front of mirror.

“I look like a show pig.” You deadpanned as Nat looked over your shoulder.

“A very hot show pig.” You couldn’t help but laugh at her statement as Natasha out her hands up in surrender, moving to sit on the chest by your bed. “I’m just saying, I know a certain man who might not be able to keep his eyes off you.” Your brow peaked as you looked at her through the mirror, just to see her roll her eyes at your incompetence. “Come on Y/N, you know I’m talking about Bucky.”

“Bucky and I are just friends Nat. Best friends, you know that.”

“Yeah yeah, I know how you feel about admitting your feelings. Not after-“ you cut her off with a glare.

“Don’t say his name Nat.” You mumbled as she stopped talking, clearing her throat rather abruptly. “Besides, Bucky doesn’t feel that way about me.”

Nat was going to speak again before FRIDAY interrupted your conversation, telling you both that the party was almost over and Tony wanted you down. You took one last look in the mirror before following Nat out the door.

There had to have been a hundred guests there, more or less, and taking one look you made your way over to the bar. “Martini, please.” The bartender gave you your drink with a smile before moving on, letting you enjoy the peace and quiet.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress.” You were about to tell whoever it was to move along, not at all wanting to deal with creeps hitting on you before you recognized the voice, turning around to see Bucky staring you up and down.

“Yeah? Well don’t get used to it. Nat made me wear it.” Bucky made a mental note to thank Natasha before sitting next to you, ordering his own drink.

He leaned in closer to you, letting you hear him without talking louder. “You know you look nice, right? The dress suits you doll.” You blushed at his words but thanked him, taking a large sip of your drink.

“How long do we have to stay here?” You whispered to Bucky, looking at the sea of people you didn’t know and had no desire to meet. Bucky just laughed at you, spotting Steve in the corner of the room, silently encouraging him as he cleared his throat.

“Maybe we could find something to pass the time.” He offered. You considered your options before turning to him with a smirk.

“What do you have in mind?”

He took the drink from your hand, putting yours and his own on the counter before holding a hand out to you. You looked between it and the smile on his face, not used to seeing one so filled with nerves before. “Do you want to dance?”

“Dance? You wanna dance?” You crossed your arms over your chest as Bucky shrugged.

“Humor me, doll.” He didn’t let you get another word in before he was pulling you out to the dance floor, his one hand going to your waist and and holding the other out to the side. You gently put your hand on his shoulder, mindful of his metal arm that he only let you and Steve touch.

You were not that great at dancing but after a few laughs and stepping on Bucky’s feet, you both found a steady rhythm. Bucky couldn’t tear his eyes of you. You looked beautiful. You were silently counting out the steps to your dancing, your lips moving slightly as Bucky stared at them, licking his own.

You caught Bucky in his daze, his movements becoming more and more distracted until you finally stopped him. “Bucky, what’s going on?”

“Y/N, I need to tell you something.” In his head Bucky was hyping himself up, telling him that he could tell you how he felt and that you’d feel the same. At least that was what Steve had convinced him.

You tilted your head and narrowed your eyes, not used to this side of Bucky. “Ok? What’s going on Buck?”

He was going to do it. “I think... I’m in love with yo-“

“Stop.” You dropped your hands, taking a few steps away from you.

Bucky was shocked. Of all the ways he’s envisioned this going, you interrupting him like this was never one of them. “What?”

You just shook your head, looking anywhere but at Bucky. “I have to go.” You left him standing in the middle of the dance floor, watching the girl he was in love with run away without so much of an explanation.

The moment you reached your room you took of your dress changing into sweats and tank top. You held the dress in your hand, pressing your back into the wall.

Bucky couldn’t be in love with you. There was no way Bucky was in love with you...

Your door slammed opened, making you jump until you saw Natasha scanning the room for you. “What the hell is the matter with you?”

“Go away Nat.” You said as you sunk to the floor, bringing your knees up to your chest.

“No. See, I get it.” She sat down on the floor next to you. “Your ex was a jerk who hurt you but you need to move on. More importantly you need to move on with Bucky.”

You let out a pathetic laugh, running a hand threw your hair. “Why are you pushing this? Why can’t you just let me live a life as an old maid?”

Nat looked at you in the dark of your room, her temper falling when she rested her head against the wall. “Fine Y/N, but just know, Bucky’s not your ex. And what happened with him? That wasn’t your fault. It was never your fault. Now, Bucky loves you. And I know you love him.” You didn’t look at her, keeping your eyes on the dress. Nat sighed before standing up, taking one glance look down at you before leaving you alone. You weren’t sure how long you sat there, arguing with yourself in your head.

You knew Bucky didn’t deserve you running out like that, he deserved the world. Nat was right, Bucky wasn’t your ex.

“Friday?” You whispered into the room, hearing the A.I. respond fast. “Is the party over?”

“The party ended a few minutes ago, Ms. Y/L/N.” She told you as you nodded, closing your eyes.

“Friday?”

“Yes Ms. Y/L/N?”

“Where’s Bucky?”

Friday told you where Bucky was as you left your room, staying in your sweats, tank, and an old pair of flip flops. The party was mainly cleaned up when you enter the room, workers everywhere taking down banners and fake hearts on the wall as you looked around the room, spotting a certain soldier sitting at the bar.

Bucky was finishing up his third drink, tapping his fingers on the glass when you cleared your throat behind him. He barely gave you a glance before downing the rest of his whiskey.

“Party’s over Y/N.” He told you rather bitterly, making your heart stop at the drop in his use of the name doll.

You took the seat next to him, bitting your lip until Bucky groaned, turning to face you. Looking into his blue eyes, you took a faltering breath.

“I don’t do love.” You began before seeing Bucky start to drop the conversation. You grabbed a hold of his arm, making him look into your eyes. “Every time I open myself up to something like that, I get hurt or I hurt someone else. I don’t want that to happen with you, Bucky.” You interlocked your fingers with his, staring down at the ground. “I dated my ex boyfriend for 5 years. I sat there listening to a man I loved tell me he loved me but then went ahead and screwed his assistant for the better half of our relationship.” Bucky didn’t know that about you, no one besides Nat did and she only knew because she caught you crying over him a few weeks ago when it happened.

“The truth is that I know that’s not you Bucky, but I think part of me thought it was my fault. I didn’t want to fuck the friendship I had with you, but I did anyways.” You felt Bucky squeeze your hand as you looked up, seeing that smile he always saved for you. “I love you too Bucky. I’m done fighting it.”

Bucky was floating on his feelings as he listened to you, not at all believing this was happening. One thing was going through his mind, you, the one in sweats and a messy bun is the Y/N he fell in love with, not the one who ran out on him.

He took your hand, pulling you against his chest a you chuckled. “What are you doing.”

“It’s called hugging.” You felt him shrug as if it was the easiest question but you just snorted, hiding your grin against his shirt.

“No I mean, this is usually the part of story where the guy kisses the girl.” You whispered, leaning against him as Bucky smiled down to you. His hand fell onto your cheek, pulling your head up for him to kiss your lips. You knew you were beaming when you pulled away, wrapping your arms around his center. Bucky pressed his cheek against the top of your head, locking his arms around you in another hug.

A/N: Hey look I posted another! I feel like these are going to take me a while to get through (I’ve started at least 7 of them so bear with me). Anyways, of course please tell me what you think! Thanks for your request love!

~Master List~

Also if anyone’s interested, you can find the prompts here!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! ♥️ ♥️

*Not my Gif*

Post Date: 2-14-20

Permanent: @literal-fand0m-trash @just4muggles @saturn-aka-six @nathaliabakes @whyamihere-bro @colored-confetti @wiseeggspickleslime @btsiguess-kpop @galacticstxrdust @independentgirl @wellhellotherelovey @hollymac79 @delicately-important-trash @emcchi @rauwz @herondalescecilys

Marvel: @hahaboop @laic2299

#bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #winter soldier imagine #winter soldier x reader #winter soldier #valentines day #valentines day request #happy valentines day

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orangeoctopi7 · 4 years

Text

Back in My Day

I’ve been very busy the last half of the month, between my grandpa’s funeral and getting sick, so the idea I originally had for @Stanuary week 4 sadly hasn’t gotten off the ground. (It was just gonna be a very silly crossover with Atop the Fourth Wall’s Contest of Champions, and I may come back to it when I don’t feel like I swallowed a gallon of mucus) Instead, I’m posting the first chapter of a WIP I’ve been sitting on for a while that will have Stan in a fight later on. So it sorta fits.

***

After the flash of brilliant blue light, Ford realized he was no longer standing in the living room of the Mystery Shack. Instead, he was standing in a much smaller living room, with painfully bright yellow and orange 70’s style wallpaper. The same kind they used to have in their home in Glass Shard Beach. In fact, it was the same wallpaper.

“Hey, are ya gonna stand there gawkin’ like a pigeon all day, or are ya gonna move out from in front of the TV?” A harsh voice asked from behind him.

Ford whipped around to see his father sitting in his old favorite green-and-red plaid chair. The scientist looked down at his hands and saw that they were young and soft, rather than worn and calloused from years of work and travel. But in his left hand he still clutched the Time Tape, the one Shermie had claimed was broken.

“Whatcha got there, slick?” Filbrick asked, spotting the Time Tape.

“Uhhh... tape... measurer?” Ford said slowly. He’d certainly gotten better at lying over the years, but he wasn’t prepared for this. “For…” he looked around and tried to guess the year he’d come back to, “...for my science fair project?”

“That’s not one of mine.” Filbrick observed, “Where’d you get it?”

Stanford was saved from having to come up with a convincing lie when they heard Stanley thunder down the stairs and burst into the room. In the split-second the twins’ eyes met, Ford knew Stan was going through the exact same thing he was.

“Borrowed it from school!” Stan explained, too loudly.

Even though they couldn’t see their father’s eyes behind the old man’s shades, it was clear he was rolling them. “Just as long as you didn’t waste any money buying a new one when we got perfectly good tools at home. Now get outta the way before the commercials end.”

Stan and Ford dashed back up the stairs to their room and slammed the door tightly behind them

“What the heck is going on!?” Stan exclaimed as soon as they were alone. “How are we back here and pimply teenagers?”

“Well, obviously,” Ford’s voice cracked, and he cleared his voice before continuing, “Obviously the Time Tape brought us back here.”

“But Shermie said that thing’s been broken for years!” Stan’s voice cracked right back. “You didn’t fix it, did you?”

“Well, I was just testing it to try and see what was wrong with it. I didn’t think it would actually take us back in time!” Ford pulled their calendar off the wall. It read January 15th, 1969. 44 years before the present they had left… and four months before that fateful day at the Science Fair.

Stan’s expression brightened as he looked at the calendar. “Wait, Ford, we could fix things! Stop your science fair project from breaking, stop Dad from kicking me out!”

Ford’s face fell, and he glanced at his desk. The perpetual motion machine was still in its early building stages, just a few parts of the frame lying still next to the blueprints, and a half-finished methods paper.

“Stan, I know it’s tempting, but it’s an incredibly bad idea! Changing that event would alter a lot of things in our timeline. If we don’t part at the end of our Senior year, we might never defeat Bill!”

“Yeah, and you might never meet him in the first place! Let that jerk be someone else’s problem!”

“And Dipper and Mabel might never be born! At the very least they would be very different people when we returned.”

Stan's eyes widened. “I-I hadn’t thought of that…. I don’t want that….”

“And that’s even assuming we could change the timeline in the first place!” Ford continued to ramble on, despite the fact that his point had been made. “From what I understand, changing the greater flow of time is absurdly difficult. Dipper had to go through over thirty different permutations just to win a carnival game! Then there’s the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron to worry about--”

“OK,OK, I get it!” Stan held his hands up placatingly, “Let’s just get back to 2013 then!”

Ford pulled the tape out 44 years and pressed the forward button. Nothing happened.

“Ah, so that’s how it’s broken.” He commented, deceptively calm.

“What!? Don’t tell me we’re stuck here!”

“No, no, I’m sure I can fix it…”

“And how long is that gonna take?”

Ford pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well, if I had my lab and my tools back in Gravity Falls, it would just be a matter of hours, but here… a few days? A week? Maybe more?”

Stan groaned loudly and flopped back onto his bottom bunk.. “So basically, you have no clue. How am I supposed to resist the urge to change the timeline in the meantime?”

“I know it’s not going to be easy, but we really don’t have any other options. We just need to try and stick to the original timeline as much as possible.”

“Crap, Ford, I barely remember what happened throughout this entire year, let alone some random day!”

“I know, I know!” Ford sighed and sat down with a thump at his desk. “I don’t remember much in the way of specifics either. We’ll just have to stick to whatever seems like a normal routine.”

Chapter 2: Stupid Teen Emotions

#Gravity Falls #Stanuary 2020 #Stanley Pines #Stanford Pines #Fanfiction #My Writing

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kryptsune · 5 years

Photo

🌼Good afternoon! So I wanted to post this yesterday but classes really wore me out so here it is today. I know that out of all my AU that Wonderfell is one that is probably the most popular. I have a reason for not writing it till now. I wanted to wait for WTU to conclude before writing this because they are tied together. I recommend that if you have not read through Welcome to the Underworld that you do. It is not a necessity but because of their ties, it will be easier to understand and find easter eggs that way. You can read that story below.

Welcome to the Underworld

This story will progress as long as it can up to a point. As I stated WTU does need to reach its conclusion before the majority of this story can continue. That said I wanted to give you all a taste of it! So many ask about Chesh and Hatter so this is my way to give you a little sneak peek. I will announce when I will be taking that Wonderfell pause. Hope you all enjoy!

DO NOT REPOST MY WORK WITHOUT MY PERMISSION IT IS NOT FOR YOUR USE. IF YOU LIKE MY WORK PLEASE REBLOG INSTEAD! It helps me so much! It makes such a difference.💙If you want more of these just let me know! It’s the only way I can gauge interest!

Wonderfell CH. {1}: A Cat, A Rabbit, and A Cake

Kidnap me

From my reality

And crushed pieces

In my soul,

Color me

Outside the lines

Until my shattered

Heart is whole.

~Perry Poetry~

The soft breeze of a warm Spring day lifted the branches of the trees gently, shaking some of their sunset-colored leaves from their home in the canopy. They drifted lazily to the ground where she had taken a rest. The mahogany bark almost black in color was cool to the touch, twisted from years of age. It shaded her from the rays that began to beat down on all underneath it this time of year. It was a place that one could go to collect their thoughts. This was the most ideal spot in all the garden. At least it was for her.

Here an aroma of sweet grasses tickled the nose. Somewhere the bees were busy at work helping the flowers bloom amongst their lush hedges. It was a beautiful bouquet of blues and pinks and yellows speckled here and there. The brook that rested at her feet bubbled quietly as little fish struggled to swim upstream. One could call it a slice of paradise but these little slices all set under a bright blue sky were not what she wanted. Against this setting of pastel and emerald the tree she so loved stood out from the setting of the spectacular spring garden. It was something one would find more fitting of the Fall season yet it continued to remain. An anomaly among the rest but beautiful nonetheless.

Her mother had tried to remove it calling at an offense to her eyesight. It had seen so much, heard so much, felt so much. A quiet observer. She begged her mother to leave it be and after so much quarreling on the subject finally, she conceded. The season would pass and the tree would continue to remain. It felt so important to her. Perhaps it was as a symbol of something far more important. For now, it watched over her as her reading companion.

These were all just passing thoughts for the girl that now turned her eyes toward the sky with a soft sigh slipping past red lips. Long strands of auburn hair tumbled down on either side of her face, bangs just brushing her forehead. The back of her hair was cut at an angled bob where a bright white bow sat between the locks. Mother had always called her style unconventional. Not that she cared for any convention at all.

It was a compromise that she was subjected to wear the bustling fashion of the era like her sister did. Charoline was always mother's favorite but then again she did as she was told. Always wearing and doing all that was proper. She much preferred the more simplistic styles just like the dress she was wearing now. It was white, almost purely so, with red accents here and there. A garment one would never wear in the garden for fear of mess or stain.

The only pop of color was within its details, ruby red ribbon laced through the top of her bodice, and made up her corset strings. It had an almost ethereal quality to it. ‘As white and pure as snow’, her mother would reply just as her rebellious daughter snatched a small tart from the silver tray that always accompanied tea time. It was no fun at all. Was it so wrong to want more color in life? Surely not?

Glittering sapphire eyes fluttered closed letting the sun just rest on her skin with its warm kiss. Yes, everything here was so perfect. In that perfection, however, she found unhappiness. Her love for her mother and sister never prevented her from longing for something else. It was a hole that she feared would never be filled. One that grew by the day.

Her train of thought was derailed when something soft brushed past her hand only to feel a weight in her lap. Of course. She cracked an eye open to see the little fluffy face that was staring up at her with blue eyes. He had always been such a handsome cat. His bright white fur nearly disappeared among the dress she was wearing. All she could make out was that pink button nose and those wild blue eyes.

A soft paw fell on her cheek as the fluffy Manx tried to garner her attention. He mewed in protest as she set her fluffy friend on the ground next to her, “Good morning you silly kitten. How many times do I have to tell you that coming here is dangerous? Do you have any idea what my sister or mother would do to you if they caught you?” The fluffy cat just hopped up on her lap once more meowing for attention not seemingly caring about her distress.

She sighed as she hoisted him up into her arms, “Alright just for a little bit.” It was nice to have a friend when you only felt alone all the time. He was so soft against her face as that gentle rumble came from his chest. His habits always leaned toward the needy as his muzzle came up to rub at her cheek, “You are so affectionate today you silly cat. I still have not named you yet but that’s ok. I enjoy your company whenever you appear.”

Her mother and sister hated cats which is why she was so worried the poor thing would be found by them. Who could hate something that gave you so much love? It made no sense to her. The garden was really the only place she felt safe with him near her. He had to be protected and the fluffy stray meant so much to her very quickly. Her only friend.

A wet nose landed on her own as he sat down staring up at her as if expecting something. All she could do was smile, “Yes? Is there something you would like?” He poofed up on her lap when a shout came from the opposite side of the garden forcing her attention toward it. It was her mother, “It is time to come inside!” She sounded more cross than usual. Her tone grew more insistent as the seconds went by. Mother’s voice boomed in frustration, “THIS INSTANT YOUNG LADY!”

Her fluffy companion jumped off her lap and began to paw at her leg only to pause mid paw. His head was turned toward the back of the garden, ears pinned back, staring straight ahead as if he were a statue. That was strange considering that there was nothing behind her. The tree marked the edge of the garden. So what was he staring at?

She brushed herself off turning to follow his line of sight only for her eyes to fall on a fluffy white rabbit staring at them both with bright green eyes. His one ear had flopped over. What a cutie! She had never seen a rabbit in this garden before. Nor did she see the giant arch that framed a series of hedges beyond? That had not always been there before? Right?

A dainty hand came up to scratch at her head gently. There was nothing beyond this garden that much she was certain. She was only pulled from her confusion when her fluffy friend began to bound after the rabbit that had stayed perfectly still. It skittered off toward the archway disappearing behind the hedges as a white cat tail followed suit, “No wait… come back kitty! Leave that poor rabbit alone!”

Even her mother's shouts to return to the house faded away as she followed the chase of the two passing the boundary of the garden. If she did not keep up then she would lose the two and something told her that she didn’t want that to happen.

The area beyond was a series of giant hedge mazes, far too tall for her to see over the top but at the very least she was keeping up with the two. Slowly the emerald leaves began to lose their color bleeding into purples and reds. Turn after turn only brought more hedges where white roses rested. Their thorns encroached where she was running through, snagging on her dress and tearing at her pale skin, adding more ruby accents to the white fabric.

She huffed softly still chasing the two only to find crimson markings appearing on that fluffy white cat. He was hurt, bleeding. It was probably from the thorns but he kept going determined to catch that rabbit. As was she, biting through that soft sting from the thorns, “Kitty please!” She nearly grabbed a hold him before he turned the corner putting an end to the maze.

Where she stood was the same tree in the garden surrounded by stunning golden flowers. They nearly glittered in the sunlight, glowing softly from the lack of sun. There was nowhere else to go as the tree stood before her shading the garden. A small hole rested within the bark, hidden from view behind the shade the tree provided. The same spot that her little floppy-eared troublemaker disappeared into. All she wanted to do was to grab her kitty companion and return home but as she spun around the maze from which she had exited had vanished.

All around her rose tall hedges boxing her in. The sky began to darken as the sun hid behind the clouds and she could feel a chill nipping at her exposed arms. Only when the once lush grasses began to frost did she look upward as snowflakes fell from the clouds overhead. It was snowing? In SPRING?! That clearly made no sense.

A soft meow ripped her attention from the odd weather pattern only to land on her fluffy white cat. He was no longer determined to chase after the rabbit it would seem as his tail curled back and forth, “Why are you looking at me like that? We need to get inside. It is far too cold out here.”

He just pawed his way over to her, weaving his body around her ankles. She picked him up examining those crimson marks that she had seen before as she tiredly ran after him. They were gone and thank goodness, “I thought you were hurt. Never do that to me again.” Her head was starting to throb gently as she took a step forward only to realize that the tree was once again in front of her. How did that happen?

Her boot failed to land on solid ground as the hole that had once been confined to the trunk expanded to nearly engulf the entire garden. There was no escape as she clutched her stray to her chest. She was falling into a deep black pit. Why? Her feeling of weightlessness had her in a panic, shutting her eyes tightly, clutching to the only thing she could. Who digs a hole in the middle of a garden anyway?

A distressed mew caused her to open her eyes. She was holding him too tight, “I...I’m so sorry.” The sky grew smaller and smaller as she fell. It wasn’t long before it disappeared altogether. All she had was him as the light receded leaving them in the darkness.

How deep exactly was this hole? It felt like an eternity as she just felt herself falling. The fear had disappeared only leaving her confused. She felt the cat in her arms squirm before he broke free of her grip presumably floating in the darkness like she was. A pair of glowing red eyes stared back at her. Red? What had red eyes? They disappeared when the light suddenly began to return forcing her to realize that it was not just an ordinary fall.

There were things taking shape that were falling along with her. It was completely random. Even the walls around her had transformed into a black and white checkered tile. What on earth? She grabbed for a floating teacup and cookie when she was able. Her stomach would thank her for it later as she bit into the shortbread causing the crumbs to slowly drift upward.

Falling

Down

She lost her hold on the teacup when a whole bunch of golden petals swirled from below to meet her falling form. A giant soft bed cushioned her fall as a fluffy body landed on top of her. Well, at least she still had him for company. Her hand rested on his head gently rubbing his ears feeling that soft purr once more. His face met hers only to receive a kitty lick of a kiss on her lips. What a little rascal.

He was a comfort to her and she didn’t want to be without him especially in this strange place. His fluffy tail brushed over her chin as he hopped off the bed and padded his way down the only direction available, forward, “H ...hey where are going you, crazy cat? You are the one that got me into this mess! Come back here. Don’t leave… please.” Her shouts were clearly lost on him as he continued his journey.

Alright, fine. Rising from the bed scattered with golden flower petals was easier said than done. It nearly swallowed her being 3 times larger than any bed she had ever seen. It was like trying to climb a mountain of goose down pillows and comforters. Everything was so blinding white that a pair of rabbit ears nearly caused her to scream in shock.

It was the rabbit from before whose emerald eyes nearly matched her own blue ones in vibrancy. The fluffy creature jumped to the floor only to scamper off once more and just as before, so did her rambunctious cat companion. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she nearly fell off the bed following after the two.

The hallway was strange, to say the least. Its floors were covered in that same checkered black and white tile from before. A series of doors in various colors lined the walls. Some were more ornate than others while some were plain. She noticed that pieces of heart patterned wallpaper were torn to shreds. The further she made her way down the hall the more in disarray it seemed to become. The scratch marks on the door were notably an unnerving detail.

The center of the room where other hallways appeared to branch off, had a marble-topped table which sat her fluffy companion. As she came closer she noticed his eyes were no longer a deep blue but rather a ruby-colored red. She swore she saw a glimmer of something shiny in his mouth too as his tail swayed back and forth. It was curious. Her mind must be playing tricks on her.

Her eyes scanned the room ignoring the impossible swinging crystal chandeliers and odd M.C. Escher madness that was going on above her. It was like a maze with thousands of doors and hallways. Just the thought caused her head to spin as a paw batted at the key sitting on the marble table, causing it to hit the floor with a soft ring.

Ok, so he wanted her to use the key. It must open a door around here? Right? That was her first task but as she tried every door in her line of sight none of them worked. A soft snicker came from the table as she turned to see the same rabbit from earlier disappear down one of the hallways and through a heart-shaped door.

Once at the end of the hallway, the door was up to her ankle. How in stars was she supposed to get through there? Alright. Back to square one as she returned to the center of the room. Now along with the key sat a crystal bottle. A tag was wrapped around its ruby heart-shaped stopper. The writing was in a scrawling font with a little cat paw mark that looked as though it had been dipped in some kind of metallic gold ink. She read the writing out loud on the one side, “Been waitin for ya kitten~.” It sounded flirty in tone which only lent to her confusion as one can't hear text. She read the second part aloud like the first only to flip the tag over, “Drink me.”

Drink me? Did it mean to drink the contents from the bottle? Who logically does that? It could be poison or some kind of intoxicant. She re-read the writing over and over before setting the bottle down. That flighty feline was nowhere to be seen. Great now she was all alone. Don’t give up.

She did not really have any choice in the matter as she pocketed the mysterious key and pulled the stopper with a soft pop. It is always a good idea to try and discern the taste of strange glowing red liquids by smelling the contents first. The flavor that wafted from the bottle was sweet like melted down pure hard candy. Well, at least it didn’t smell strange. A bonus?

Her lips rested on the rim of the bottle before downing the contents. The taste of cherries, hit her tongue as she set the bottle back on the table. She only heard the clack of her heels as she looked around. Nothing? Ok, well what was she expecting? Her headache only grew forcing her hands to grip on to the table in front of her before she collapsed to the ground.

Everything around her was in a haze as she stared dazedly upward trying to keep her eyes from falling closed. The effort was in vain as the room began to stretch and warp leaving her there on the ground for a while. When the splitting headache eased she looked around. To her surprise, she was now the size of a small mouse staring up at the skyscraper of a table.

She could attempt to climb up the golden metal work that made up the legs but that was a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, she headed for that heart-shaped door. The key slid into the lock easily with a soft click. It rose higher and higher until it grew to a size she could never reach. Why? With a huff of frustration, she returned to the center of the room only to spy a box resting next to one of the chair legs.

It was a glass box decorated with golden filigree flowers and vines. They twisted to frame the lid as a golden symbol stood out above the rest. She traced it with a gentle finger over and over. The wings of an angel. A rune of great power and of great tragedy.

Her fingers reached for the latch undoing it gently and flipping the box lid open. Inside, resting upon a plush ruby silk fabric was a cake. It was square in shape with little scallops along the edges. The frosting was white in color with little metallic detailing. In the same scrawling, font script was Eat me. Another treat for her to have? Some would have found it uncomfortable but that lettering was a comfort for some reason? Familiar.

She stared at the little cake before picking it daintily up and slipping a portion of it past her lips. Her carmine red lipstick made a mark on the white frosting. When she pulled away, she noticed it was a little layer cake. It was red velvet with a bright white cream cheese icing in between. The craftsmanship was impeccable but not as inspiring as the flavor. She nearly ate the entire thing not even realizing that the once-massive room grew smaller in size until she was back to her normal height from before.

What a strange series of events. Regardless of a wave of sudden dizziness she was forced to grip the table. The crystal bottle from before slipped from the marble and fell to the floor only to smash into a million pieces. What she remembered was a bright red crystalline stopper now morphed into a deep cobalt blue. The same hue that was now emitting from her chest in the outline of a heart.

Color began to leech away from the space she was in leaving everything in values of black, white, and grey. The only color that remained was the heart outline. What was happening to her? The pain that followed caused her to double over, knocking over the table, and collapsing to the floor. It felt like someone had plunged a dagger into her chest and was letting her bleed out. Her shortness of breath eventually subsided as did the pain, unscrewing her eyes shut from it all.

That blue glow remained as the color of the world flooded back into being. Now, just resting above her collarbone was a heart. A white heart to be exact. She barely even realized the wardrobe change either. Her once white dress was now sky blue. A white lace collar brushed against her cheek as she continued to look at the new threads. It now had puff sleeves where the hem displayed a row of card suits and from that, thinner white sleeves tapered to her wrists.

Her corset now didn’t feel so constricting, bodice lined with the same oddly specific heart lace detailing. An apron rested just over the top of her skirt now poofed up from layers of crinoline. On the hem of her dress more lace and card imagery wrapped around her. Her stockings where pure white with black striping and her boots tied the whole dress together as a combination of blue, black, white, and red.

A large bow rested in her hair, the same color as her gem-like eyes. It even sparkled and shimmered with the same brilliance. Strands of little decorative hearts in white and red swayed back and forth when she moved to examine the piece. The only thing that seemed to remain the same was her hair.

It was so strange as she continued to lift up the dress gently and watch it sway as she did a little twirl. Weren’t there more pressing issues at hand right now? Sure there must be. Ah right, the door. The key. The sudden transformation had caught her off guard not even questioning how she had returned to her natural height. She could only assume that the cake had something to do with it, “Liquid that makes you small and cake that makes you grow. Huh… that sounds... familiar.”

Now thoroughly impressed with her new wardrobe change she made her way to the heart-shaped door from before, swinging it open, and stepping inside. Or would that be outside? As she did she found herself overseeing a stunning view of a garden down below. She just watched as the waterfall cascaded down off the edge of the world into a bright azure sky.

What she was standing on were sets of playing cards. All of them were lined up in a row leading her down toward the scene below. They acted as a kind of staircase as she made her way closer to the ground. Her heels sunk into the lush grass at her feet once she made her way down.

The flowers around her glowed vibrantly in shades of gold and blue, swaying in the wind as if they were dancing to some kind of unspoken tune. Various objects lay embedded within the rocky surface nearest the falls. The alabaster columns of some ancient city lay at her feet as she continued forward trying to take in every sight, sound, and smell. This place was stunning in its own whimsical way.

Closer to the rocky path leading upward and deeper into this strange landscape she found a creature sitting amongst a bed of golden flowers. He seemed to be preoccupied with the timepiece grasped in his white paws. A claw tapped at the glass as if he was entranced by the time. It was odd considering he had another pocket watch around his neck.

She wanted to get a closer look at him before she tried to get his attention. His appearance was not entirely one animal or the other. He had a facial structure of that of a goat and the muzzle of a lion. Charcoal horns twisted on top of his head and a set of floppy ears framed his face. At the top of his forehead, his fur stuck up in places as if he had combed it back. The rest of his body was anthropomorphic with more human-like paws and rabbit-like feet.

His left ear had two golden hoop earrings and he wore a cute little vest. On the sides, it had a distinct black and white checker pattern while the rest of it was a deep crimson. A white undershirt tapered at the cuffs to his wrists and his shorts were being held up by a set of suspenders. On his feet rested a pair of spats. The kind that a stereotypical mobster would wear. All the color stood out against his pure white fur.

He had the most vibrant green eyes she had ever witnessed before as she slowly approached him, “H...hello. I was wondering if you could tell me how to get home?” Her voice sounded small since it had hardly been in use lately. Either way, he looked up from his timepiece only for those emerald eyes to widen in a sea of white.

The creature skittered to his feet still gripping the piece in his hand and causing a shower of golden petals to fall from his clothing, “Oh dear…. No no no you can’t be here! She will be so cross… very cross!” He tapped his foot on the ground as if he was ready to bolt away, ears flopping back and forth with a gentle sway.

She immediately put her hands up defensively, “What… oh. Why ever not? It is a curious place but it is a fine one. Could I trouble you for some directions or even your name? I am terribly lost.” Half of her was focused on the task at hand and the other half wanted to explore this strange world, “Who will be-” His sudden panicked rambling had her question cut short.

He patted at his vest gently before placing the broken pocket watch into the fabric, “You are very lost I can tell but the only way to find a solution is to get lost! Don’t you know? I must tell her of your arrival and I am horribly late as is. Oh, I did wish you wouldn’t follow me. Please… you must get lost soon for all our sakes. Broken… broken… everything is broken. You can fix it! You must fix it…” He bounded off up the cliff and into the forest beyond.

A few moments passed until she realized he was completely gone. She could just make out some of his rambling before he was engulfed by a series of oddly colored trees, “Broken?” What kind of madness was he going on about? She couldn’t deny that he clearly had some recollection of her. He hopped off so quickly she wasn’t even able to get his name.

Her encounter with the goat monster had her even more confused than before. He clearly was more worried about telling someone about her than anything else and what did he mean by she could fix it for all their sakes? What and who was he referring to? All she could do now was turned her sights in the direction he had run off. The forest, “To find the solution one must get lost?”

One stone after the other she made her way up the same path her strange monster had run off to. His eyes reminded her of the little rabbit that she tried to prevent her kitty from catching. Was that rabbit him? From what she was witnessing it would not be a stretch. Where did that blasted cat go anyway? He just left her alone.

The journey into the woods felt as though it stretched for hours. It must have been the trees that flanked her on either side, purple and black bark twisting up into a canopy of red heart-shaped leaves. She noticed that veins within the bark glowed a bright ruby almost as if it had been carved into the bark. The more she glanced to either side of her the darker it appeared, stretching on into an abyss she dare not tread.

Eventually, her eyes fell closed walking along the path only to begin to feel her teeth chattering softly. The temperature was decreasing and only when her eyes fluttered open did she understand why. The deeper she journeyed into this forest the more snow littered the ground. It was not long before the entire path was engulfed by it.

Long branches frosted over being decorated by icicles. Some had even encased around some of the leaves leaving ghostly impressions in the ice. It was beautiful in a strange pallet of purple, black, red, and white. Her outfit, however, was not conducive for this kind of weather. That icy bite left her rubbing her hands together in an effort to stay warm.

Of course, this did not prevent her from getting this nagging feeling of deja vu especially when she felt like she was being watched. Out of the corner of her eye, something glowing appeared and disappeared behind the trees. It was too fast to catch with the naked eye.

Her stride stopped as she closed her eyes trying to muster up the courage to turn around behind her. She had this feeling that someone or something would be there. She spun on her heel facing the direction she had come but no one was there. Was her mind truly playing tricks on her? Even the path she had used to get this far had vanished.

She turned slowly to face forward where there was once a snow-dusted path was a giant tree. It resembled the rest that surrounded his strange forest but this one had specific heart patterns scrawled along the trunk. It had to be an elder tree of some kind. That did, however, leave her in quite the predicament. She was now completely... and utterly... lost.

A shadow moved in the tree line out of the corner of her eye until she felt a presence right behind her. It was so close in fact that she could feel it’s warm breath tickled her ear. Her legs tried to force themselves to turn but the weight of a pair of hands stopped her. She was frozen solid and not from the cold. A soft chuckle rested right at her ear.

This caused fear to spike within her. A stranger coming up behind her, sneaking around dark wintry forests. She did not know why but it twisted her stomach. Another shock of deja vu hit her just as she was about to say something, it spoke in her stead.

“Looks like ya got all ma love notes. Didn’ ya kitten?~”

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apprenticenerd · 4 years

Note

"Anyone can send me an ask with one of the titles and I’ll post a snippet or talk about that WIP!" The Acropolis, Tacet, Checklist, A Tiny Galaxy, Hearsay, Going Back, Ella Disenchanted, Making Peace, The Slashed Circle, Wake Up, Tenno, Midnight, Heliotropism, Arrhythmia, the one about Among Us, the one about Library of Ruina, the one that’s a D&D world concept. Yes, all of them. I know you wanna talk about all of them. So go, go forth and do it!

Hoooo boy, this is gonna be a long post. Lots and lots of writing snippets under the cut to avoid dash stretch!

The Acropolis - original - length uncertain - 1.4k and counting

im not ready for this im not i thought it would be yrs i thought id at least get an english degree first

omg sal whats goin on

fuckin hell whyd it have to be now i have a chem lab tomorrow

sally-tate macpherson. u never swear. ever. wtf is goin on.

ok. jess. i need u to listen really really carefully. understand?

answer the goddamn question ur scarin me

shut up and listen and this will go a lot better

fine but u need to tell me wtf is happnenig

ok. im going to tell you a bunch of stuff. not giving u advice, thats not allowed, but im gonna tell u stuff it seems like itd be impossible for me to know.

?????????????

i said shut up this is really important dont question how i know it. just go with it and figure out what to do. and dont die. bc no matter how crazy stuff seems, if u die, ur dead. here and everywhere. ok?

This is an original story coming straight from a @/writing-prompt-s prompt about a crack in a kid’s hardwood floor that they fantasized was a portal actually being one. I originally intended to write the entire thing like this, as a conversation over text, but that may not be feasible given a certain world-building detail at the other end of the portal (and the limits of my creativity lmao).

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Tacet - The Blackout Club - one-shot - 3.2k and counting

She closed her eyes again, and there it was. Hallucination? Some new science trick with electromagnetic radiation off the visible spectrum? Evidence that she was actually going insane? Whatever it was, it burned behind her eyelids in bright, incontrovertible red - and was completely invisible when she opened her eyes again. There was just the usual mess of club posters and one big one about someone’s exceedingly dumb-looking lost cat.

Eyes open, there was only Sargent Snuggles. Eyes closed, there was the normal darkness and then three lines of text where the poster had been, wavering like scarlet fire:

JOIN TBC JOIN TBC JOIN TBC

TBC? What the fuck was that? She’d never heard of any group with that acronym before. Hardly aware of the flurry of weird looks from half the other people in the hallway, she crossed the hall to examine the lost cat poster more closely. It felt like perfectly normal paper when she touched it, and there wasn’t even a hint of red with her eyes open, unless you counted the cat’s tacky pink sweater. How the hell was this even possible?

“You’re finally cracking, Bri,” she groaned under her breath, then headed for her locker. She did have to get home. Add another big fat entry to the weird shit list.

A backstory one-shot for my Blackout Club OC Briar, telling the story of how she got into the club in the first place. I’ve been stuck in the same spot for a while now, after Briar’s friend Dani explains the club to her, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the scene’s over as is. Of course, writing the next one is the tough part.

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Checklist - The Blackout Club - one-shot - 1.7k and counting

8. You still have a headache. Shouldn’t you go back to sleep and try to do this in the morning?

9. (wake up)

10. Nah, you’ve always been a night owl, and school starts criminally early, too early to get much done beforehand. It’s quiet, except for Dad snoring. Your parents are asleep already. You can stay up until this is done, and they’ll be none the wiser.

11. Your head hurts worse. It’s getting harder to think. At only 9 pm? 9:30? Whatever. You should sleep.

12. (wake UP)

13. What are you thinking? You have to read at least a little of this chapter, or there’s no way you’ll be able to bullshit your way through class tomorrow. Besides, all of a sudden, the silence feels...strange. Heavier? You can’t describe it.

14. You need to sleep. You need a drink of water or something. You need to finish this damn homework. You need to sleep. You need to sleep.

15. Stare at The Great Gatsby. It doesn’t make sense. Nothing makes sense.

16. Realize what’s up with the silence. Dad’s not snoring anymore. You aren’t feeling like yourself. You need to sleep.

17. Something’s weird.

18. (WAKE UP)

19. ...No. Something’s wrong.

Another Blackout Club story and another Interface Screw, as it were, this time in the form of a (very long) checklist. None of the characters have names (yet). It describes another way a kid could find themself running around at night with the Blackout Club, this time by fighting off the Song just enough to run into a club member who could wake them up the rest of the way. As with Tacet, I still need to write the suspenseful part.

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A Tiny Galaxy - Warframe - 4 chapters planned, 1 complete, 1 in progress - 7.8k and counting

Try it if you don’t believe me, the kid in the vent had said.

It was impossible. It was physically impossible. All of this was impossible. Had the Void...? Could the Void...?

The ship was at a standstill. Her mother had tried to kill her, and something had happened. She’d made something happen. There had been no holoprojector in that kid’s hand. Nothing was impossible anymore.

Jhia took a deep breath. How the heck was she supposed to do this? Was she supposed to feel something, some internal guide? Blue Hair hadn’t said. Feeling incredibly stupid, she did a quick mental checkup on herself. Nothing felt wrong, or different - but now that she thought about it…

Afterward, she would try many times to explain it, and fail every time. The best she could come up with was that once she found the Void, calling on it was as easy and as natural as breathing. She opened her hands in front of her, concentrated on that force like an extension of herself, reopened her eyes, and there it was: a riotous little ball of energy, wisps and motes of light and not-quite-light like a tiny galaxy, the Tau system in the palm of her hand, raging.

More OC backstory time! This one’s for my Tenno, a nerdy fourteen-year-old (at the time of this story, anyway) by the name of Jhia, going through the hell that is the Zariman Ten-Zero and what happened on it. This is possibly the first part of the story I actually wrote: the roll-credits moment when Jhia realizes the Void’s changed her more already than she thought.

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Hearsay - Lobotomy Corporation/Library of Ruina - one-shot - 1k and counting

"Oh? Did they investigate further?"

"They tried. Found a few fingerprints, but they didn't match anyone in the database."

"What's the update, then?"

"Reports from elsewhere in the district of someone not in uniform carrying a Zwei sword. They're slippery, good at avoiding us, which would suggest Syndicate operative to me and HQ. Except that in every one of the descriptions we managed to get, our sword thief is a child."

"What? How?!"

"You tell me, Iona. You're the one who went to the crime scene."

"Right... Jeez, if it's a kid, I guess that'd explain why Petrov thought they weren't a threat..."

"My thoughts exactly. HQ has a fair amount of hearsay to go on, but nobody can quite agree on how old the child is, or whether or not she's with a Syndicate. Most agree that she appears to be a girl, tall for a child, auburn hair, clothes and demeanor typical of a Backstreets native."

"We got a name?"

"They've heard Yeri, Kali, Redbird, Suma, Aelfin... No one knows which is her real one, or if it's even any of them at all."

"Damn. ...Say, are you going to drink that entire pot of coffee?"

"Help yourself."

This is one of those stories that turned into an accidental AU when more of canon came out. The idea behind it is that it’s Kali’s backstory told entirely in conversations in which she did not participate, showcasing the fact that a Fixer’s fame is their livelihood and Kali was about as famous as they come, before the whole L Corp thing happened. Of course, the vast majority of the headcanons here got invalidated with a certain Ruina update, so my motivation’s kinda down on this one.

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Going Back has already been talked about here!

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Ella Disenchanted - The Blackout Club - one-shot (maybe two-shot??) - 1.4k and counting

She woke. Her stomach went through a series of panicked flip-flops as she thought something strange had done it, Dad or a little-kid-nightmares shadow beast had made noise, but no - why had she fallen asleep in the first place? Her butt and shoulder were sore where they’d been leaning on the bottom and side of the windowsill, presumably all night, since the sun was full up over the trees on Old Growth Hill.

All night. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t fall asleep, but she did anyway. God dammit.

As she unfolded herself from her cramped ball, though, she froze. Under the comforter she’d pulled around her shoulders for warmth, she was wearing her gray jacket, a T-shirt, jeans, sneakers getting dried mud all over the carpet.

Last she remembered, she’d been in her pajamas.

In which a Blackout Club kid’s little sister wonders where he’s gone when he runs away to the boxcar, and tries to get to the bottom of the mystery herself. Usually she’d be too young for the club to recruit, but her investigations and an incident involving SAO are more than enough extenuating circumstance. Unlike most of my other WIPs, there’s a whole outline at the end of my doc for this one.

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Making Peace - Warframe - multi-chapter - 1.5k and counting

“I…” Iksoh finally said. “Sorna, I hope you realize. I’m not into this. I never - I’m not doing this. Whatever you’re doing, I can’t.”

“I know,” Sorna said softly. The decision tore at her heart again and she almost backed out of the vent, but no. She had to go. She wouldn’t see another innocent crumple in her rifle sights. “I hope you realize. I’m not coming back.”

Behind her, Iksoh let out a long, shaky breath. “It’s taking all I’ve got not to report you right now. Sorna… the Queens’ll have my head for this. Please, please, let it be worth it. Go. Don’t let them take yours.”

“I won’t,” Sorna promised, and meant it.

Later, after her last fight for her freedom was done, on the Steel Meridian ship headed for Kronia Relay, Sorna looked out at the planet retreating behind her and thought of Iksoh. She’d just learned a new word from a Meridian soldier: vaykor tal, the defector’s spirit. Iksoh had let her go, at risk of their own life. They’d had a bit of the vaykor tal themself, even if they hadn’t known it, even if they’d thought it was just some weakness that was bound to get them killed.

“Ranre treri, duf krun,” she whispered into space, a Grineer well-wishing passed down from sergeant to tube-fresh lancer since time immemorial. May your hands be steady, and may life be kind.

This is an AU born of me and some friends wondering why in the heck Perrin and the Meridian hate each other so much in game. It’s about a group of Kavor - Grineer defectors distinguished from other Meridian members by their pacifism - who get to a Relay and start wondering the same thing. Besides Sorna (and, later in the story, Iksoh as well), there would have been Chakh, Beket, and Sydon, plus at least four of the syndicate leaders and a bunch of side-character OCs, all caught up somehow in what turns out to be a surprisingly far-reaching web of intrigue.

The Slashed Circle - Warframe - one-shot, probably - 429 and counting

In addition to their written and spoken language, the Grineer have a full language of hand signs. It has its quirks, as all languages do - be careful of confusing it with the Corpus sign language, in which the sign for “to pay” roughly approximates the Grineer sign for...a certain portion of the male anatomy. Among these is the common Grineer sentiment against those who defect from their ranks, baked into the sign just as much as their spoken words.

The sign of the slashed circle, the sedashkur - a finger drawn in a circle on the chest, followed by a diagonal line - is the highest of taboos to any loyal Grineer. It shows support for such scum as the Kavor and Steel Meridian, enough so that it forms the basis for the Meridian’s battle standard. To sign the sedashkur is to betray your siblings, commit a grave insult to your superiors, paint a near-indelible target on your back. It is an object of hatred and fear throughout the ranks.

She fears it, yes, but she does not hate it, for all her life and into her death as well. It shouldn’t trouble her now, though. It is easy to hide a language, and she burned her journals before she was called to the fortress.

This is a fic about Jhia and her one (1) converted Kuva Lich, namely about the process of said Lich’s defeat and defection, that kinda never got off the ground. Contrary to this snippet, I think most of it would have been written in what are essentially space emails back and forth between Lich and Tenno? I definitely got as far as Jhia sending an audio recording of a bass-boosted dog fart, anyhow.

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Wake Up, Tenno - Warframe - one-shot - 950 and counting

“Wake up, Tenno.”

She wakes. She is - she is Tenno, right? She is a Tenno? Her mind is confused, so full of fog and dead ends - how long was she asleep?

The voice that woke her seems familiar. She might have loved the speaker, in her scrambled past life, the woman in the purple helmet, the one called Lotus in her HUD vision. Her surroundings are a ruin of some sort. Her body is—

...what?

She can move just fine. Her fingers and arms and legs respond with suspicious ease, given how long she must have slept to be this scattered upon waking up, and yet there’s some fundamental disconnect. This is her Warframe, her body, but it’s not her body somehow.

...wait, where did the term “Warframe” come from?

A Tenno, unnamed but intended to be Jhia on my end, wakes up on Earth at the very beginning of the in-game storyline. Since the tutorial has gotten an overhaul in recent months, I may have to modify even what little I have on this a lot.

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Midnight - Iconoclasts - poem - 280 and counting

been anything smaller than been anything

never been anything smaller than

“good morning, how’s miss grump doing today? i heard about that last mission...if you didn’t sleep well i can call you in sick, it’s alright-” “oh, shut up, grey”

there has never been anything

“oh, shut up, grey” “love you too”

smaller

“love you too”

than

A very fragmented, stream-of-consciousness-y poem meant to represent Agent Black’s failing sanity near the end of the game. The words of her famous one-liner (“there has never been anything smaller than me”) are interspersed, out of order until the end, with poetic descriptions of other characters and bits and pieces of a flashback involving Agent Grey.

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Heliotropism - Iconoclasts - one-shot - 1.1k and counting

Lily, though she’s superstitious, will have none of these self-important truths, none of these semblances of certainty when really all it is is wishing on Ivory and hoping for the best. She calls for Miss Andress instead.

A stout but severe woman with ten grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way, Miss Andress is perhaps the quintessential matriarch: nurturing, selfless, brutally honest. She is the one the people of 17 trust when they feel they can trust no one else. Lily needs the kind of reassurance only she can give, with the authority of ninety-one years and the wisdom of two sons, one daughter, and some five dogs raised under her care.

When Miss Andress visits House 4, she asks Polro and Lily to each bring an object they cherish the most. For Polro it’s his largest wrench, pitted with use but still polished to a brassy shine; Lily surprises everyone by pulling out a tiny, unloaded stun-gun, and surprises them more by not explaining it at all. Miss Andress doesn’t question it. She just turns the two tools over and over in her hands, head bowed, squinting at them as if trying to read the secrets of the universe in the scratches carved into them by time.

Finally she straightens up and sighs, pushing a strand of silver hair behind her ear. Her forehead is slick with sweat, though the night is cool outside. “I don’t know what she’ll do,” the wise woman says, heavily, as if delivering bad news. “I just know she’ll change the world.”

Can you tell I like backstory fic? This one is for Robin, with one short anecdote for each year of her life, up to age 17 and the events of the game. It’s also an excuse to world-build a bunch, lol.

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Arrhythmia - Crypt of the NecroDancer - one-shot(?) - 4k and counting

The creature didn’t say anything, just beckoned to the shadows. Before I could move, two other creatures came for me, sending the other humans - former humans? - scrambling away in panic. One landed a hard blow on the back of my head that sent me to my hands and knees, seeing sparks; the other said “Freeze!” and I could only watch as ice sprouted from the leaf litter, cementing me to the ground.

The one who’d hit me produced a dagger from the inside of its cloak. I tried to pull myself up, to do anything at all to keep myself from getting shanked, but it was no good. There must have been a secondary effect on that spell; my limbs wouldn’t respond. I felt the dagger tear cloth in the region of my back, and prepared for the pain.

It didn’t come. The creature cut a slit in the back of my tunic, then another. Neither one touched the skin at all. I can’t really describe what happened next - my brain was having trouble computing how my arms were in front of me, visible, unable to move, but it felt like the creature was pulling them through the gashes in my tunic, but that was wrong, they didn’t feel like arms at all.

“Holy fuck,” I heard someone say.

The ice holding me down melted into nothing as the spell wore off. I jumped back up, head spinning a little, ready for another fight, only to spot two flicks of scarlet in my peripheral vision. I spun around, but they moved with me.

I think I already knew what they were. I just couldn’t admit it to myself.

You’ve already seen this one, Nick, though I’m pretty sure it was well over two years ago. It’s a pile of old headcanons, some of them now outdated I’m pretty sure, about how Nocturna ended up a vampire in the first place and a little bit about how vampire society works. According to Google Docs, I’ve been stuck on this one since March 2018. Whoops.

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untitled (working title “adult citra meets an impostor bc what is self-control”) - Among Us - one-shot - 572 and counting

“I know. You’re stuck, aren’t you?” Having well and truly gotten their full attention, Citra continues, “God, I can barely imagine. Having to take a weird-ass host whose biology might even be toxic to you, I don’t know. Needing to get to a whole other galaxy, feeling like the only way to do that is by deception and death.” “How…?”

She sighs. “I told you, this isn’t my first rodeo. One of your kind saved my life when I was a kid. Since he’d killed Mom and Dad had been out of the picture long before, he stayed here and helped raise me afterward. It’s how I learned to pronounce...a few of your words, at least.”

“You missed the ‘H’ sound.”

“Isn’t that the one that’s literally impossible to do right with Terran anatomy?”

“Maybe. You think I know Terran anatomy all that well?”

Citra chuckles. “Fair point. You let us find your buddy and fix the ship, I’ll raise Xai when we get comms back and he can try and help you get home. Deal?”

I found an Among Us comic on Tumblr, absolutely ran into left field with it to make a couple of OCs, and then made AUs of those OCs because of course I did. This one is from a future scenario in which Citra (typically orange) meets someone rather familiar on a mission with the crew of the Skeld.

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untitled (working title “library of ruina but they adopt half the guests”) - Library of Ruina - length uncertain - 1k and counting

“And what happened to not caring about others because it’s a waste of time and heartache?”

Now it’s Roland’s turn to sigh. “I don’t care about him. I just don’t want the guilt of killing - look at him, he can’t be older than eighteen or nineteen!”

Raised eyebrow. “Finn will be twenty years old in fifteen days’ time. He is a legal adult. I fail to see why this should matter to either of us.”

“He’s fresh off his first Fixer license! I have years of experience! He had no idea what he was getting into when he signed that invitation and you know it!”

Angela fixes him with a glare that turns his stomach, his freshly remade body reacting to the memory of its sudden, and extremely painful, dismemberment. “I could quite literally hold your soul in my hands if I wanted,” she reminds him in an undertone of steel. “I must do the same for him, following the invitation’s guidance, or my entire plan will be lost, my coworkers’ sacrifices all for naught. Do not disappoint me or ask any more impertinent questions. You know what to do, and what will happen if you do not.”

Look, some of the people you fight in this game deserved so much better, okay? I came up with an AU concept where if a guest willingly concedes the fight and agrees to stick around, you can get their book without killing them. Finn doesn’t die; neither do Tomerry or Shi Association; all the former employees realize exactly what’s going on with Philip after the Wedge Office fight and manage to calm him down, avoiding the whole Crying Children situation. (And then Gebura makes him collect his jaw off the floor by revealing herself as the Red Mist.)

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The one that’s a D&D world concept doesn’t have anything concrete written for it yet. (Don’t read this bit if you might want to play in my campaign at some point!) Instead of your typical Forgotten Realms planar setup, the world at large would be called the Seven Spheres, each of them different in terms of climate, geography, native species and magic, etc. The First Sphere would be the most “generic” one (to our way of thinking) and the main setting of the campaign; it would also be the smallest of the Seven, its primary continent home to a former empire of dragons that spanned most of the Sphere until its mysterious fall a thousand years ago.

Now, since the empire fell, the dragons and their children have slowly been dying out. Best estimates are that there’s only a thousand or two left in the entire First Sphere, with fewer eggs hatched every decade. The player characters enter a world with pretty typical low-level quests to start with, but every so often, especially if they engage with optional story stuff (this would be a more roleplay-focused than combat-focused campaign), they get wind of changes in the air - a failed harvest here, an unusually hot and stormy summer there, a trade war once they start hitting mid-levels.

It mimics real-world climate change in all but cause. As coastal cities struggle to contend with rising seas and, more alarmingly, wizards all over the Sphere start to notice their magic falter and wane, the PCs’ goal becomes getting to the bottom of this. And what’s at the bottom is...your typical Nerd fusion of science with fantasy settings.

The Seven Spheres are not planes of existence in the normal D&D sense, but seven planets in the same solar system, each with its own ancient god far more powerful than any god in any mortal pantheon; the First Sphere is so named because it’s closest to the sun. These planetary gods are incredibly large and incredibly alien, thinking in geologic time and concepts far too broad and slow for most sapient beings to comprehend. A thousand years ago, the fall of the dragon empire was caused by an ill-advised ritual meddling with the god of the First Sphere’s natural process of rebirth, causing said god to die without a replacement.

It’s taken this long for the First Sphere to feel the effects because, again, geologic time - a thousand years is a blink of an eye in this kind of time scale. But now the ancient earth-magic that had kept the Sphere’s climate temperate and its magicians in business is failing. The dragons, as beings of magic intrinsically, have been failing all along. And now it’s up to the PCs, up at level 17-20 if not higher by that point, to figure out how to fix the situation and find a new planetary god for the First Sphere before the whole Sphere burns to death.

#bulletnick #wow this got long #you're right i did want to talk about all of them though

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