#ignoring all the people calling them siblings on there please shut up forever

[atthebell]

can we all agree not to call cellbit and baghera fucking smartduo or whatever the fuck duo name just say their names out or say cellbaghs literally no one is shipping them it's fine

[peachy-wolfhard]

He's an asshole but he's MY asshole (III)

A/N: oh emm gee :0 the amount of people that like this series is so cool!!! hope everyone likes this part its the sad one :,). dialogue directly from the episode as usual. Reader is NOT one of the siblings, brother and sister is used in an in-laws kind of way. 

Taglist at the bottom, feel free to ask to be tagged in upcoming parts!

Warnings: character deaths, Ben is an ass to the reader, manipulation? kinda?, animal cruelty (i think? Ben squeezes one of Fei’s ravens), religious talk, Grace being her season 3 weird self, reader thinks the kugelblitz is punk, gore, violence, angst

Word Count: 3.2k

Part 1  Part 2  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7

     “Oh my god, you are NEVER going to believe what just happened!” Sloane excitedly states, rushing into your room and slamming the door. “So lemme guess.” you say smirking “Luther came over and you…danced on the ceiling,” you say trying desperately not to burst into laughter. Her face goes white and a shocked look is slapped across her face, “H-how did you know?” she asks finally being quiet about her rendezvous. “Well I mean it’s not like you two were exceptionally quiet…and I was walking by your door,” you smirk. “So how was it and please spare details I don't need all that information,” and with that, it becomes impossible to shut up, telling you too many details and too much about Luther.

     Sitting with Ben in Fei’s room while she feeds her birds was not your ideal night in but hey, it's better than having to fight the umbrellas. Your thoughts are interrupted by Fei speaking. “Were getting tons of missing person complaints in a three-block radius. I was thinking hysteria,” Fei says before going back to chopping meat. “What are they up to?” Ben questions. “Who?” Fei asks curiously before Ben replies, The Umbrella Academy. “Still can't believe they're umbrellas and not some living thing,” you say trying to lighten the mood but failing. “Use your heads number two and number seven,” Ben says while standing up. “First Marcus, now they’re grabbing civilians off the streets?” Ignoring his question you began to think when the last time Ben called you by your number, sure in arguments about him not being the leader anymore he would bring up your rank but he wouldn't call you number eight.

     “Number two and number seven? I suppose that means you’re number one now?” Fei says confused by the shift in numbers. Ben justified that by stating that Marcus is missing, so he's taking the reigns. Fei chuckles at him. Oh fuck. This starts an argument in which Ben sarcastically asks if Fei thinks they should be the new leader. “You had your chance once. Didn't turn out too well, now, did it?” she throws in his face. Just then Ben grabs one of Fei’s precious birds, the birds that are directly linked to her, and squeezes it. “Say that again,” he says threateningly, with a sick smirk on his face.

    Fei starts to call her ravens, just as Grace walks and asks to clean up, immediately Ben releases the raven and tells her to do it quickly. Almost immediately they start arguing again “You know I respect Marcus,” “of course” “I would do anything to protect him,” “Sure,” Fei hisses out knowing the power struggle that has been between them for years since Ben’s demotion. “We’ve been numbers two, three, and eight for far too long, Fei. With Marcus gone, it's moving day,” Ben reasons finally getting Fei to crack. Ben then prattles on about how it’ll be them, center stage taking things to a new level. 

     “So what’s in it for me?” you ask intrigued. “Love, you have been number eight since forever, I mean come on even in another place you were at the bottom of the totem pole. Don't you want a promotion?” Ben’s offer does sound nice, however, him saying you're at the bottom of the totem pole hits a nerve. “Bottom of the totem pole? What the fuck is wrong with you? Maybe I like being number eight,” you argue. “But I know you don't; you want the recognition; you want to be seen as more of a person and not a blood-thirsty killing machine, right?” Ben says condescendingly while squatting to be face to face with you; holding your hands. Ripping your hands away, you stand to leave, heading for your bedroom. Normally you would've stood up for yourself and ripped whoever insulted you a new asshole, however, this was Ben. 

     Lying on your bed staring at the ceiling, tears streaming down your face. Why the fuck did he say that? The heat of the moment? Stress? How he truly feels about you? Hoping it was anything but the latter. Sitting up you grab some tissues wipe your eyes and use all your effort to go to the door. Grabbing the handle and turning it you poke your head out of the door, making sure no one will see you. Just as you were walking out you see Ben walking down the hall, heading towards your bedroom; he looks distressed and upset, Fei probably gave him a verbal ass whopping on your behalf. You could always count on Fei to stand up for you on the once-in-a-blue-moon occasion that you couldn't. “Hey hon,” Ben says…sadly? What the fuck does he have to be sad for? He's the one that called you low tier, not the other way around! “Hi?” you say annoyance laced in your voice. “Can we go to our room? Please I just need to talk to you,” Ben all but pleads with you. Nodding, you two walk back to your room; as soon as you get into your room Ben falls apart, sobbing uncontrollably. 

     “B-b-babe I'm so fucking sorry. I didn't mean anything I said. I've just been thinking about what they keep saying, h-h-how we were dead and-and,” he says at the speed of light, crumpled on the floor, hands covering his face, sniffling and coughing. Even with you, he hated people seeing him cry, hated anyone seeing that his macho badass facade was just that, a facade. “Hey your gonna be okay, c’mon let's sit down,” you say in as gentle of a tone you could muster. You were still pissed and upset, yes he is hurting but that doesn't make him insulting you any better. “Listen, I know you’re hurting and I am too; I mean we were just told that we were dead and that we didn't even die together like a cooler Romeo and Juliet kind of way,” you joke trying to calm him down as he lays in your arms, head resting on your lap. “However if you ever say some shit like that again, I will rip you apart. Take that literally or figuratively I don't care,” you say threateningly.

     “Yeah yeah I get it,” he chuckles then coughs. He leans up and moves his pillows so that he can lay down. “So I take it you’ve been thinking about umbrella Ben?” you say semi-jokingly. “Yeah I’ve been kind of thinking about that but there's something else I want to talk about,” he says suddenly getting serious. “Marcus wasn't taken by the umbrellas, he was taken by ‘God.’ That’s what Grace calls it,” he explains. “It’s in the basement, after you left we continued talking about the umbrellas taking him when Grace said that God is in the basement and that Marcus was ‘called home’ whatever that means,” he stated confused. “Personally I think Grace needs a check-up or that for some reason she's protecting the umbrellas,” You sat for a moment wide-eyed; so God is in the basement and Grace has gone robot insane? Okay, time to go to bed. I think I've seen and heard enough. As you were getting ready to lay down and take a nap, Ben starts to speak again. “We’re also going to meet with some of them to arrange a deal to get Marcus, you don't have to go if you don't want to,” Ben says before getting up and putting his jacket on.

     Walking out to the garden you can spot only two of the six you had previously faced off. “Well at least if anything goes south we can take em’” you joke to Fei causing her to giggle. Meeting in the middle Ben starts the sarcasm “You’re one short,” he joked. “Where’s the rest of your pathetic family?” Fei questions quickly being shut down by Allison’s “Aww. Is that the best you can do?” Great and here I was thinking it could be an over-and-done thing; we meet and arrange a time and place and Marcus comes home. The arguing continues as you tune most of it only coming to when Allison calls Fei a flock of ‘She-gulls’ to giggle while Ben cackles, making Fei death glare both of you. 

     “Where the fuck is Marcus?” Ben questions the two menacingly. Viktor stutters before Allison finishes his sentence, saying that Marcus is safe. Bullshit, why did it take so long for him to respond? Maybe he’s just intimidated. “For now. But that’ll change real quick if you don't do exactly as we say,” Allison threatens. “See? I told you they have him,” Fei tells Ben making him sigh out of relief. “I warned Marcus, but no. He said we had to hear what you had to say,” Ben replies directing it more towards the umbrellas than Fei. “Look he wasn't wrong, okay? We want to make things right with you--” Viktor says before you cut him off. “By kidnapping our brother?” you boom becoming increasingly annoyed by the pair.

    “No that’s--” “Yes,” Great now they can't even agree if they meant to kidnap him. Viktor goes on to explain that the world is in danger and they caused a paradox that is swallowing people. “Lots of cows, and a dog, few lobsters, but also people,” “Why the fuck didn't you start with people,” you interrupt, your annoyance becoming apparent. Ben and Fei exchange smirks at the comment. Allison then asks for the briefcase they left in exchange for Marcus. “Deal. The briefcase for our brother,” Ben says before you or Fei could tell them you don't have a briefcase. “Great, Hotel Obsidian, four o’clock sharp,” Allison says while putting her sunglasses on and walking away, Viktor in tow.

    Making your way inside to start looking for the briefcase. After checking all of the upstairs the three of you go downstairs. “You don’t think its weird that they forgot something here? What if its a trap? What if it explodes?” Fei says the latter making you giggle. “Please. They aren’t that smart,” Ben says in front of you. “Who knows though maybe one of them rubbed their two collective braincells together and made a bomb,” you laugh. “Yeah, right like any of them would competently make a bomb; they struggle pouring water out of a boot with the instructions on the heel,” Fei continues before you three see it. 

     “Sweet Jesus.” Well I’ll be damned, not what i imagined God would look like but hey i can roll with it. Got a nice punk vibe. Grace explains that Jesus is one interpretation along with other deities. “Who knows who the waking god will choose next,” Grace says completely infatuated with what ever it is.”Grace, is this what took Marcus?” Fei asks, concern growing for their missing brother. “He went right and touched it. Brazen man,” Grace answers. “Grace, when did god get here?” you ask hoping to pry more information out of her. “Two days ago, with our new visitors,” she says with a dazed look in her robotic eyes. The three of you share a look of confusion at this newfound information.

     While preparing to go meet the umbrellas you decide to relax by watching the news. The news anchor states that the number of missing people are steadily climbing and that there currently are no suspects. “Heh yeah cause our basement keeps doing that,” you say under your breath not noticing Jayme behind you. “What? Our basement is kidnapping people?” she says loudly. Quickly you try to think of something, “No our basement isn’t kidnapping people,” you try and miserably fail to convince her. “You’re lucky i don’t care,” she says before walking away. Fuck man you have GOT to be more careful where you say shit like that!

     Arriving earlier than planned was always your strong suit; better to be early than late. “Oh my god we’re so early they’re gonna think we don’t know how to tell time,” Alphonso complains. “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late,” you say with a shit eating grin. “God stop quoting Shakespeare; its weird when Ben does it and it’s weird when you do it,” he cringes. “Will you all be quiet we need to make a cool entrance,” Sloane jokes. 

     Walking in you hear the room go quiet. The umbrellas meet you in the middle of the foyer of the hotel. Walking side by side with Jayme on your left and Sloane on your right; you come face to face with Sloane’s boyfriend (as you’ve taken to jokingly calling him) bandage covering the scratches you left him with previously. Cameras flash and suddenly you are snapped from the high intensity stare down. “Well, thanks for coming,” Viktor starts. “Oh, yeah, super glad to be here,” Jayme sarcastically responds, causing everyone to suddenly start going back and forth again. 

     “Where’s the briefcase?” Allison asks before Ben quickly responds “Wheres our brother?” “Maybe we should try this again before I lose my temper,” Allison continues, amazing you in the process; for years you have been the only one to successfully put Ben in his place and seeing someone else do it astounded you. Looking to your right you can hear Sloane whisper for Luther and presumably the others to run before Ben tells Allison that the deals off.

     “Molotov this, bitches!” a…small child yells? Before dropping it and lighting a column on fire causing the fire alarm to go off, making all the hotel goers evacuate. Ben tells you all to get ready to fight and you prepare to kick some umbrella ass and drink some umbrella blood. Chris shoots out a piercing feedback that paralyzes the umbrellas to the floor, clutching their heads. Ben then commands to “Kill them” to which all of you start walking towards them, intent on completing this mission.

     Jayme and Alphonso take the lead getting ready to kill Viktor. Out of no where an old man approaches doing the same thing that Viktor did back at the academy. The blast knocks you down to your knees, covering your head. After the blast was over you hear Fei scream Jayme’s name. Looking to your left you see the bodies of Alphonso and Jayme; badly burned and dead. Ben yells for you to pull back. Still on your knees with your arms around your head to look to your right to see Sloane unconscious presumably dead. Feeling sick you stand up just before one of the umbrellas, Diego, sees you. Too hyped up on adrenaline to think you run as fast as you can throughout the hotel not stopping until you found a vacant room.

     Opening the door as quickly as possible and slamming it, you retreat to the bathroom. Sitting in the bathtub you finally settle down and try to gather your thoughts. Unable to, you crumble, breaking down into hysterical sobs, surely giving your hiding spot away. Two pieces of your family just died, in front of you. Their faces burned to a crisp. Grabbing some toilet paper you blow your nose. I didnt feel real and it doesnt feel real. Jayme and Alphonso were gone; you dreaded going home. Being around their things, in their rooms, smelling Alphonso’s ridiculously overpriced cologne that he always insisted on buying and Jayme’s floral shampoo that she claimed she hated but secretly loved.

     Sliding down to where youre completely laying down in the bathtub, you put your hands over your face. Turning on your side, you press your ear up to the tub; hearing loud foot steps growing closer. Deciding that if he does find you, you should probably defend yourself; you get up and prepare to fight in a hotel room with someone who just killed your brother and sister. As soon as you stand up and prepare for a fight; the foot steps are no longer heard. Brushing it off as you hearing things; you look through the peep hole; checking if the coast is clear and leave the room. 

     Wandering around the hallways and staircases, you find yourself in a bathroom once again. Fuck it i can cry in a shower. Going into one of the showers and closing the doors, you slink to the floor, undoubtedly being seen based on the door not being full length. Hearing footsteps you get up ready to fight only to see Sloane looking petrified at you. Hearing more foot steps, you accept your fate and leave the shower stall, only wanting to comfort your sister; given that the others had abandoned you and her here. Luther runs in, looking for Sloane but instead see you. He gives you a look of pity maybe as a way to say “Its going to be okay don’t worry,” or maybe as a “I’m so sorry for how hard im gonna kick your ass.” Glaring you see Sloane behind him, lifting him up and choking him. “Did you set me- us up?” she asks the hurt and grief noticeable in her voice.

     “I would. Drop him,” Diego says while putting a knife to your sisters neck. “And you, you pointy teeth freak stay right there,” he says towards you while pointing the knife that was on Sloane’s neck towards you. “Get them and let’s go,” he says to Luther causing him to look over at you. Luther tries to tell Diego that everything is good and that he cant let Sloane go but Diego reminds him that she and you are the enemy. “She’s hurt,” he reminds Diego. Luther then threatens to bury Diego if he hurts her. “You gonna bury me too, Luther?” Allison asks mockingly. “Just let me talk to her,” Luther says almost begging. “Oh trust me shes gonna talk, both of them,” she says turning and staring at you.

     Here you were about to be interrogated by 3 out of the 6 umbrellas, in a bathroom/spa, while up against a wall. Watching Diego flip his haphazardly made wooden stake before pointing it at you, Allison says, “I heard a rumor you’re gonna tell me the truth,” towards Sloane. Looking towards her you see her eyes turn milky white while she starts to shake. Allison asks where the briefcase is as everyone focuses in on Sloane. Grabbing her hand you hold it before Allison turns her attention to you, saying the same thing. Holding your breath as your thoughts are taken over by what she said, you too start to shake not wanting to give up anything to them. Sloane breaks before you screaming that she doesn't know. Allison and Diego then turn towards you, watching your nose bleed and eyes return to their normal color.

     After a couple moments you break, “I put it in the basement after the fight but it wasn't in there!” you scream wanting the thoughts to stop. Allison visibly upset walks away, Diego asks what side Luther is on with him protecting Sloane. Luther tells Diego to get out before Allison yells that everyone should leave and that you and Sloane shouldn't leave his sight. Leaving the spa you can only wonder what Ben, Fei and Chris are feeling, probably not knowing that you and Sloane are alive.

Taglist: @0x1lovesonq @bryannabarradas @ac-book-nerd-13 @4okkotsu @kraken-00-22 @fivehargreevessuit @isaefire @xhiiyuv @fridatessacm @gloriousstudentoperamug @j-panic @salted-fis @siriusly-rem-writes @gamingdevil101 @sanguinelabyrinth @muzanslander12 @mihhggvggh 

[enchantestuff]

miscommunication - charles leclerc

in which your Pierres little sister and reap the consequences after an eventful night in Monaco with his best friend

I think I'm going to make this into a series, like 3 more parts maybe??

part two

GIF NOT MINE!!!

warnings: smut, my failed attempt at angst (I tried), language, em yeah

3k words (I have no idea how that happened) 

You had known Charles for years, which wasn't particularly surprising considering you were Pierres little sister.

When you were little you envied their friendship, constantly trying to insert yourself in their games and conversations. You had lost count of the amount of times they slammed a door in your face, demanding you to leave them alone. You hadn’t realised how annoying you were being as you followed them around everywhere, even if Pierre had scolded you for it each day.

When you were a teenager, Pierre purposely kept Charles away from you, telling him that if he even looked in your direction he wouldn't hesitate to end their friendship. You, of course, had no idea of the threat not that it mattered as you didn't paid any attention to the infamous duo during those few years, living in your own little world full of clothes , friends and different boys.

Now, however, you were an adult and all you wanted to do was support your brother throughout his career. In recent years you had gone to as many races as you physically could, but of course you had your own job and unfortunately didn’t have the time to attend any race this season.

Pierre was disappointed, he loved having you there to support him, but he understood that you had your own life and never placed any blame on you. After years of the two of you constantly ignoring each other and bickering, you had finally begun to act like siblings and all he wanted to do was make up for lost time.

You had thankfully gotten three weeks off work - well they weren’t necessarily weeks off as you still had to do your job, but your boss insisted that there was no need for you to trek to the office everyday when you were perfectly capable of doing the work at home on your laptop. The timing couldn't have been better with the triple header just around the corner, it almost seemed like a miracle and you were gonna enjoy every minute of it.

You grinned as you texted your brother.

Any spare tickets to the race :)

He replied almost immediately.

You're kidding, which one?

All of them?

Your texting was cut off by Pierres contact photo appearing on your phone. You answered instantly only to hear Pierre screaming through your speakers, he also slipped in a few delighted curse words before finally letting you talk.

“My boss gave me the next three weeks off so I’m going to go support my favourite brother” you grinned.

“Your only brother” he remarked and you could practically hear him rolling his eyes.

You spent the next few hours catching up and retelling pointless stories. You had gone to sleep with a lazy smile on your face and  woke up the next morning to a text from Pierre, telling you that he had organized your passes for the three weekends as well as the flights, all you had to do was find a hotel. He slipped in the name of the hotel that he was staying at, and to your luck there was still room available. Now all that was left to do was wait.

You grinned giddy as you stepped off the plane and walked toward the baggage collection area, excited to finally get back to watching races in person. You rubbed your eyes in surprise when you spotted your brother waiting for you. “Pierre?” you screamed delightly, running up to him and pushing his body into a bone crushing hug. It felt like you hadn’t seen him in forever even if it was only a few months.

“Bonjour,” he laughed as he hugged you back.

“I thought you were busy all day today” you exclaimed once you pulled away from him.

He sheepishly shrugged at you with a lazy grin on his face. “I may have lied, are you ready to go?”

You nodded your head at him and for the first time in a long time your mind drifted towards your brother's best friend, Charles, who you hadn’t spoken to since an eventful night in Monaco a few months ago.

You cursed yourself as you thought back to that very moment.

Charles was having a party at his lovely home, you can't remember now what you were celebrating but everyone was ecstatic. You could hear the music from across the street and you knew before you even entered the house that it was going to be a night to remember.

The moment you stepped foot inside you were surrounded by multiple drunk people, all with large grins and hooded eyes plastered on them and you laughed as almost everyone stumbled around the house.

You spotted your brother in the middle of the room dancing with a pretty blonde, he had a goofy smile on his face and you knew from that sight of him alone that he was wasted. You were the only sober person there, at least that's what you thought until Charles had made his way to you with two cups in his hand, alcohol for you and water for him.

“I thought you were celebrating,” you mused as you took a sip of the dark liquor.

“Someone needs to keep these drunk idiots in check,” he joked.

“Well in that case” you said as you handed your drink to a stranger and took a sip of his water instead. You laughed at the bewildered look he threw your way before continuing, “I'm not going to let you tackle this party alone.” The smile that formed on Charles was genuine and your breath hitched in your throat at the sight.

You surprisingly enjoyed yourself the whole night, maybe that was because you knew everyone there, but most likely it was because you spent the whole night with Charles.

A few hours into the party he turned to you asking to dance, you didn't even hesitate to say yes, nerves surrounded you immediately and they only got worse when his hands dipped dangerously low on your hips. Your eyes automatically searched for Pierre and you left out a sigh of relief when you couldn't find him anywhere.

The thought of getting caught fueled both you and Charles, so when he spun you around to face him neither of you hesitated to connect your lips. You considered yourself lucky that everyone around you was too drunk to notice your heated make out and used it to your advantage. You pulled him even closer to you, moaning in his ear when he grabbed your bum and giggling at the whimper he let out.

You felt dizzy. The fact that you were both sober made your first kiss even more real.

You were anxious when he asked you if you wanted to go somewhere more private but agreed nevertheless, hoping that maybe he had wanted you for as long as you had wanted him.

He had tenderly kissed you again once he closed the door behind him.

“God, you have no idea how long i've waited to do this,” he moaned in your ear and although you knew that was just something people said in the heat of the moment, you let yourself believe it. You let yourself believe every single word that left his lips and got even more attached to the moment.

You revealed a piece of yourself to him that night, not only a physical part, but a part of your heart as you admitted your deepest secrets to him. “Fuck, Charles, I’ve always wanted you,” you moaned when he gently placed you on the bed.

You attached yourself to the kisses he placed all over your body, you paid attention to every bit of affection that he showed you, never once wanting him to stop. When he positioned himself next to you and asked if you were sure you told him there was nothing you've ever been more sure about.

You had both simultaneously moaned when he entered you, laughing at each other afterwards, which made your heart flutter. He was Charles, your brothers best friend and yet sex with him felt so natural.

He placed a tender kiss to your chest before he started moving and you couldn't help but hold him close to you, he didn't seem to mind however as he nested his head in the crook of your neck, letting you hear all the soft gasps and grunts that left his mouth.

You arched your back in pleasure when he reached the deepest parts inside you, your toes curled and your eyes rolled back and all you could think was God why didn't we do this sooner?

“Don't stop, please Charles, don't stop” you moaned in his ear, and if you weren't in a completely different world you would have noticed the shiver than ran down his entire body at your words.

“Trust me, mon amour, i never want to stop”

You weren't even aware of the moans the left your lips until Charles had grabbed your chin and looked at you with desperation written all over his face, “Merde, Y/N, i want more than anything to make this moment last but If you keep making those pretty little sounds you're gonna make me cum”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words “Shut me up then”

And he did, he grunted as he reconnected your lips, swallowing your moans and letting out his own in the process. From the kissing, to Charles’ moans and the rolling of his hips it didn't take you long to release the knot in your stomach.

You regretted it now, thinking back on it, it had completely ruined your friendship with Charles. Your daily silly texts to each other had ceased to exist, your weekly facetime calls had died and a piece of you had broken.

You didn’t expect any less, he was your brother's best friend and even though you always found him insanely attractive, you knew deep down he would have found your little crush on him weird. You always had the suspicion that he saw you as a little sister, and the way he completely ignored you after your hookup had proven them to be true.

You couldn't hate him, or even place the blame of your failed friendship on him as you also went out of your way to ignore him, something that you really regretted but couldn’t change.

“You alright?” Pierre asked as he grabbed your suitcase in his hand.

“Yeah sorry i - i don't know what happened to me there,” you choked out, walking alongside Pierre to his car.

“It's free practice tomorrow, you coming?” he asked once you were both sitting comfortably in his car.

“Yeah, of course” you nodded as you watched the tall buildings pass by in the window.

“Everyones misses you, you know?” he quickly glanced over at you while he drove, wondering what the hell you were thinking so hard about.

“Yep” you sighed, “Me too,” but all you could think about was the Ferrari driver and how awkward it would be to see him again

You had shut yourself in your hotel room for the rest of the night, the flight and overly long check in had taken all the remaining energy out of you and all you wanted to do was curl into the hotel bed and sleep for as long as you possibly could. So that's what you did, until Pierre rang your phone, telling you that he was leaving for free practice in half an hour, wondering if you needed lift, which of course you did you had mumbled to him while scrabbling out of the bed and running to your bathroom to take the quickest shower of your life.

You had somehow gotten ready in time and before you knew it you were walking around the paddock with Pierre next to you, basking in the glorious sun.

Pierre whistled in excitement when he spotted Charles walking out of the Ferrari motorhome. The brunette quickly turned at the sound, a smile forming on his face when he spotted Pierre, his eyebrows raising soon after as he finally noticed you next to him. Your heart beat loudly in your chest as he got closer and closer to you.

You stood firmly in your spot, uncertain if a hug would be too big of an action after months of silence between you both, quite frankly you didn’t even want to touch him, the pain that he had caused you cutting too deep. Unfortunately, he beamed at you and grabbed your hips, pulling you into his chest and rocking you both side to side.

“Hi,” you laughed, unwilling to cause a scene in front of your brother, you moved your arms to wrap around his neck.

“It's great to see you” he admitted when he pulled away and you felt your throat close up at his words. “I’ve missed you”

“I missed you too,” you smiled and although it wasn’t a lie, the words felt dirty leaving your lips. You shouldnt have missed him, not when he left you lying alone in his bed after you both had sex.

“God, you're acting like you haven't spoken to each other in months,” Pierre laughed, and you and Charles shared an awkward look with each other. The silence that followed was unbearable.

You cleared your throat as you looked around the paddock. “I'm going to get some water” you quickly spilled out and abruptly turned in the other direction, ignoring the confused look that Pierre shot in your direction. You had only taken a few steps when Charles grabbed your arm and pulled you behind a random building.

“Shh it's me” he flinched as you pushed yourself away from him, “it's me” he repeated looking at the bewildered expression on your face.

“You couldn’t have just talked to me like a normal human being?” you argued, “Did you really have to drag me behind a building?”

“I couldn't talk about you know what around you know who” he threw back and you rolled your eyes at him.

“Oh! You dont want to talk about us having sex infronf of Pierre” you snapped and he covered your mouth with his hand. You bit his hand and he gasped in response.

“You bit me!” he half shouted.

“You didn’t seem to mind last time” you commented , relishing in how flustered Charles had gotten.

“We need to talk about that” he choked out, looking absolutely anywhere except your eyes.

“Oh so now you want to talk about it?” you asked with an accusing tone to your voice, surpringing not only Charles but also yourself.

“I know it was a dick move, I just” he sighed “I didn’t know how to bring it up”

“How about maybe not leaving straight away? How about sending me a text explaining how you felt instead of leaving me in the dark for months? If you thought it was a mistake you could have just-”

“I didn't think it was a mistake”

You couldn't help the effect those words had on your heart, but suddenly you were even more furious, he was unintentionally playing with your heart and you didn't know how much more of it you could take.

“Then why didn't you tell me!”

You were frustrated and he wasn’t helping one bit. He had left it too late, the damage was done, you had spent months regretting your decision to climb into bed with him and a few words lazily strung together to form a sentence wasn't going to erase the emotional damage he caused you. It didn't matter anymore whether it was intentional or not

“I didn't want to ruin our friendship”

“That is the dumbest excuse I've ever heard!”

You could feel tears pricking your eyes and all you wanted to do was sob your heart out, but you refused to cry in front of him, you didn't want him to know the effect he had on you. “Look your late and i - i need to breathe”

You didn't give him a chance to reply as you ran away, unable to face the boy who broke your heart: the boy who had given you everything you could possibly want, only to snatch it out of your grasp.

You cursed yourself for getting attached to that moment because now, every time you closed your eyes, all you see was him panting on top of you and all you could feel was his lips on your skin. It was a memory that used to delight you but now all it brought was sadness and pain.

You knew your attachment issues would bring you pain one day, but only now as you crouched down next to some random building, did you realise it would be physical pain. You clawed at your neck in desperation. You couldn't breathe. Your tears were practically suffocating you and you couldn't help but think Charles' hands ripping your heart from your chest was the cause.

Unknowingly to you, Charles watched your retreating figure with tears forming behind his eyes. It had finally hit him how much he fucked things up. He thought he was doing the right thing, he thought maybe you needed space, maybe you would have regretted it.

He wore his heart on his sleeve that day, everything that he told you was true, he was just so scared. So scared that he would be left heartbroken, that his feelings were unrequited, that maybe, just maybe, you would be disgusted with yourself for what you two did.

He left early the next morning to hype himself up, to finally tell you about his feelings for you that had been bubbling around in his stomach for years, but when he returned to his bedroom you were gone.

He didn't realise how much waking up to an empty bed would affect you, just as much as you didnt realise how much leaving would affect him.

He was never good at communication, but it was so easy with you, so why didn't he pick up the phone? He had no excuse except that he was scared.

It was his fear that hurt him the most. It was his fear that broke your heart and that had hurt him so much more than he thought was possible.

[lostinthewiind]

I don’t know if you write for them as well, but could I request a poly fic for Reki, Langa and the reader and maybe them explaining them explaining their relationship to Langas and/or Rekis mom after being caught cuddling together? Thank you in advance and sorry, if you don’t write for them.

Polyamorous Relationship w/ Reki & Langa: Three's a Crowd

A/N: my first request for Reki and Langa! I'm so excited because I love those boys with my whole heart; they deserve the world! So excited to write this!

Rating: PG13

Warnings: use of the term "slut", complex teenage relationships/sexuality discussed

Flopping over onto your back on the bed, you stretched your arms and legs out and let out a loud yawn. You, Reki, and Langa had been working on homework ever since the three of you had arrived at Langa's house after school and you were starting to get mentally exhausted. 

"I'm done!" you exclaimed, shutting your eyes and exhaling.

Peeking at you from where he was lying on the floor, Reki cocked a brow at you. "You finished all of it?"

"No." You shook your head. "I'm just done. My brain hurts. If I do any more I think I might die."

"Good enough for me!" Reki closed his textbook as well and stopped doing his homework too.

Sighing from his spot at his desk, Langa turned in his desk chair to face the two of you. "We have to have this done for tomorrow. You do know that, right?"

"Yes, obviously." You rolled your eyes. "I'm going to do the rest later. I just need a break."

"Exactly. Break time!" Reki stood up from the floor and promptly fell down on top of you on Langa's bed, crushing you and pushing the air out of your lungs in the process. "I'll finish later too."

Langa scoffed. "Y/N I believe . . . but Reki, we all know you'll forget about it tonight and end up scrambling to finish as the teacher goes around collecting it tomorrow morning."

"He does have a point," you wheezed out, trying your hardest to push Reki off of your stomach.

Reki frowned and stuck his bottom lip out dramatically. "You guys are so mean to me." He adjusted himself on top of you so his face was hovering right above yours. "I expected this from Langa, but you, Y/N? I thought you loved me."

You forced out a laugh as you cupped his face with your hands. "I do love you, but that doesn't mean you don't have faults, Reki. I love you despite your faults, and one of your faults is procrastination."

He furrowed his brows, his face scrunching up in thought. "I can't tell if that was a compliment or not."

"The gist was that you're loved," Langa muttered as he continued working away at the homework one question at a time, trying his best to ignore the two of you.

Reki's eyes lit up at that. "Well, good!" He smiled as he cupped your face with his hands in return and pressed a soft kiss to your lips.

Immediately, your cheeks turned red and you averted his gaze. Things between the three of you were still relatively new and you were still working out how a relationship with three people worked, exactly. The fact that neither one of you had ever really had a serious relationship before only made things more complicated.

Noticing your reaction, Reki brushed the pads of his thumbs over your cheeks. "Sorry," he apologized. "I should have asked before I kissed you."

"No, it's okay," you assured him, a soft smile on your face as you did so. "I'm just not used to it yet, especially since our relationship isn't exactly . . . normal."

"I know." Reki hugged you tight and buried his face in your neck, pressing a soft kiss to the skin there. "Did you tell your parents yet?"

You shook your head as your heart began to pound nervously. "No. Did you?"

"Not yet," he mumbled into your neck. "Every time I try to, one of my siblings is around and I abort mission."

Craning your neck, you looked over at Langa. "Did you tell your mom yet, Langa?"

Only half-listening to the conversation, Langa perked at his name but tilted his head quizzically at the inquiry. "Did I tell my mom what?"

"About us," Reki clarified. "The three of us being together."

"Oh." He seemed to grow nervous about the topic as well. "Not yet. Soon."

Finally rolling off of you, Reki laid on his back and pulled you into his side, his arm wrapped around you and your head resting on his chest. "If only we were adults and didn't have to worry about the approval of our parents."

"Yeah," Langa agreed, thoroughly distracted from his homework now, his mind running a mile a minute while he thought about the current predicament. The three of you had to be careful when you went over to each others' houses, trying your best to convince everyone that you were just close friends and nothing more.

Cuddling and kissing were usually reserved for late nights when the sun went down, the lights were turned off, and the three of you hid behind the excuse of watching a movie together. Funnily enough, watching a movie together and cuddling had been how the three of you had discovered your feelings for one another.

"Speaking of that, you two should be careful." Langa gestured to the way you and Reki were holding each other on his bed. "What if my mom walks in?"

"Yeah, you're right," Reki sighed. "I just feel like we never get to be together how we want . . . we're worried about what our parents will think at home and worried about what everyone else will think at school. Nevermind the fact that Langa and I are gay, or, bisexual I guess . . . but polyamory? We'd never hear the end of it."

You exhaled slowly, cuddling closer to Reki. "They'd probably call me a slut for having two boyfriends."

Standing from his chair, Langa walked over to the bed and laid down with you and Reki, forgetting about all of his usual paranoid worries for the time being. "You're not a slut," he told you, wrapping his arms around you as well. "And who cares what anyone else thinks anyway, right? As long as we're happy and we're not hurting anyone else, that's all that matters."

Relishing in the feeling of having your two favourite people on either side of you, you started feeling the stress fade away and your body relax from its usual tense state. "I wish we could stay like this forever."

Before either Reki or Langa had the chance to respond, the bedroom door suddenly swung open and Langa's mom poked her head into the room. "Langa, are you friends staying for dinner or-" She stopped talking as soon as she saw the three of you tangled up in one another on the bed.

Immediately, the three of you jumped away from each other, the stress that had just left filling your body once more. Completely caught off guard since Langa's mom usually knocked first before opening the door, neither one of you knew how to explain away what she had just seen.

"M-mom!" Langa was standing on the opposite side of the room now while you and Reki stood on either side of the bed. "Why didn't you knock?"

Langa's mom eyed the three of you, quickly noticing the flushed faces and obvious nerves radiating off of you. Even if she hadn't thought anything of what she had seen at first, she definitely suspected something now with how the three of you were acting.

"I apologize," she said, pushing the door open all the way and standing in the doorway. "Langa, dear, do you have something you want to tell me?"

Fiddling nervously with his fingers, Langa turned to look at you and Reki, trying to gauge your reactions and decide whether he should tell the truth or try to pull off some sort of lie; but both you and Reki were completely useless as you stared down at the floor and shifted anxiously.

"Langa?" His mom prompted once more.

Finally meeting his mother's gaze, Langa drew in a deep breath. "Can you promise not to be mad?"

Langa's mother quirked a brow quizzically. "You're starting to worry me, honey. Just tell me what's got you so flustered."

"Well . . . u-um," Langa stumbled over his words, completely unsure how he was supposed to just come out and say it. "Well, Mom . . . Reki, Y/N, and I aren't . . . aren't just friends."

Langa's mother folded her arms over her chest and took a minute to process what she had just heard. "I'm sorry, I don't think I understand what you're trying to tell me."

Deciding to rescue Langa from having to ride solo on this, you stepped over to him and took his hand in yours. "Mrs. Hasegawa, Langa and I are dating," you told her.

"Oh, I see." Langa's mom's face flashed with understanding, but then she looked over at Reki, no doubt wondering how he fit into all of this.

"And I'm dating Y/N." Reki stood on the other side of you.

Langa nodded. "And I'm also dating Reki."

The understanding that had once been visible on Langa's mom's face had completely vanished after the three of you had elaborated. "S-so . . ." She paused as she tried to fit all the pieces together in her head. "So the three of you are all dating each other? Is that right?"

"Y-yes," Langa confirmed. "We know people will think it's weird but it's just what makes us happy and I just . . . just please don't be mad."

"Mad?" Langa's mother seemed offended at the insinuation that she could ever be mad at her son for, for lack of a better term, coming out to her more or less. "Oh, dear, I could never be mad at you for who you love."

Before either of you had the chance to process how well that conversation had just gone, Langa's mother was striding over to the three of you and pulling you all into a hug. "All that matters is that you're happy and healthy," she told Langa before looking to you and Reki. "And the same goes for the two of you. I don't know what your parents have said about this, but just remember that being happy and healthy is all that matters."

"Y-you're really okay with this?" Happy tears began to well in Langa's eyes. It was clear that he was overjoyed and shocked that his mother had been so accepting so easily.

Placing her hands on her son's face, Langa's mother smiled at him. "Of course, I am. Is it a little confusing for me? Sure. Do I know much about being in a polyamorous relationship? No. But if the three of you have discovered that this is what makes you happy, as I'm sure you have since you're all old enough to make your own decisions and know what's best for you, then I'm happy as well."

"Thank you!" Langa hugged his mom tightly, silent sobs escaping him as all the worry he had been carrying around for weeks dissipated and he was flooded with relief.

"I'll always love you, no matter what," Langa's mom told him as she glanced at you and Reki, who were starting to tear up as well. "Do your parents know as well?"

You and Reki shook your heads. "No, not yet," you said in unison.

"Well, I hope they are understanding," she told you. "And just know that the three of you are always welcome here."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hasegawa." Reki wrapped his arms around you and held you tight as you cried as well. "Really, thank you so much. We were all scared that everyone would think we were weird or gross."

"People are often scared of things that they think are different," Langa's mom explained to the three of you. "But that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with being different. I won't lie and say that everyone will be understanding, but the world is changing . . . don't assume the worst from people just yet; they might surprise you."

With that, Langa let go of his mother and engulfed you and Reki in a hug. Finally, the three of you had safe space where you could be together and not worry about judgmental people looking in on your relationship. 

Overjoyed and unable to control his excitement, Reki planted kisses on both you and Langa—marking the first time either of you had dared show affection in front of someone outside of the relationship.

Hopefully, the first of many. 

[galactic-magick]

As Long As I’m With You: Agnes/Agatha Harkness x Reader

Request: Hi, can you please do where Agnes (a villain) saves fem reader's life because she has feelings for her? In the end they end up together // also took some ideas from this request

Summary: You’re accused of witchcraft in your village, and a mysterious beautiful witch comes to your aid.

Words: 2200+

Warnings: fem reader, Agatha is low key evil so she hurts some people, a swear word, reader has an angsty past

Author’s Notes: This can be read as either a standalone fic or as a prequel to my other fic “Spell Practice.” I took quite a lot of creative liberty with this, hopefully that’s alright. Also disclaimer I am in no way a history expert so even though this is set in like the 1500s-1600s it’s probably very inaccurate, but it’s fanfic so anything goes right?

Taglist: @nyx-aira​ @midnight-lestrange​ @thestrangeundoing​ @thegayances @sleep-deprived-athlete @dr-robotnik-said-hella​ @fallingfor-fics @p-nymph​ @thelanawinterrs @sunproud​ (if your tag didn’t work it might be bc your blog isn’t searchable so make sure that’s on so you’re notified of future fics!)

-

-

-

You had no idea how much your life would change when you left your house that day.

It started out with a simple run to the market and the garden to get what you needed for supper that night, a job that almost always falls to you. You don’t necessarily mind getting away from your family and talking to some people in town, but it’s clear that your family doesn’t want you in the house as much as possible either.

It’s gotten to the point where they’re just looking for a reason to get rid of you. You’re a disappointment, after all. You refuse to marry in order to help your family’s status, even though you’ve gotten a couple offers. You counter your parent’s rules and ideas every chance you get, no matter how much they tell you you’re crazy. They belittle you constantly, saying your dreams are worth nothing and you’ll have to be dependent on them forever if you never submit to the role in society you’re supposed to.

Obviously bullying you out of their lives wasn’t working, so they’ve moved on to spreading rumors about you and setting you up for crimes. None have worked yet, of course, but every day you fear they’ll get too close.

Until you get burned at the stake, though, they’ve given you basically every responsibility of the house. You do all the shopping, cooking, and farming, as well as taking care of your younger siblings. You wonder what they’d do without you, despite how much they seem to want you gone.

As you’re buying a few crops and eggs from your neighbors, you swear you see something move. You turn around and see a little boy floating in the air, screaming.

You drop everything in your arms and reach up to him, trying to grab him and help him down, but he keeps flailing, and his screams start to feel directed at you.

“Hey! It’s okay! Let me help you!” you hold your hand up, speaking as calmly as you can. “I’m not going to hurt you,”

“WITCH!” a man yells as he sees you. “SHE’S A WITCH!”

Everyone around turns and watches you.

“No! No! I’m not the one doing this! I’m trying to help!”

“Let him down and maybe we’ll wait to kill you til tomorrow!” someone else demands.

A couple people march towards you to grab you, and all you can think to do is start running.

You race out of the center of town into the trees, and about five men chase after you. You keep going until it feels like your legs are going to give out and you can barely breathe, but they keep coming.

“Please! Please stop! It wasn’t me I swear!” you cry. “I don’t know what was happening!”

“Shut up, girl,” one grunts. “Your father always said there was something wrong with you, makes sense that you’re a witch!”

“What’s so wrong about witches?” a female voice calls.

You and the men spin around, trying to figure out where it came from.

Before you can blink there’s purple smoke surrounding you, and the men are thrown against the trees. They’re knocked unconscious instantly, but you remain standing and untouched.

“Who are you?” you ask, your voice quivering.

“Don’t be afraid, my dear,” the smoke starts to fade and you can make out her silhouette, then eventually her face. “I’m here to help you,”

She’s beautiful. You’ve never seen someone that immediately feels so friendly, so different in all the best ways.

“It’s alright to stare, I know I’m quite a sight,” she laughs. “I’m Agatha,”

“I’m Y/N,”

“Ah, yes, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard of you,” she smiles. “Everyone in the village can barely stand you,”

“Thanks…?” you’re not sure how to respond, especially after all that just happened. “Wait, if you live in my village, why have I never seen you? And how come you’ve never gotten caught using magic?”

“Memory spells, of course,” she shrugs. “Now, let’s get you somewhere safe, alright?”

You nod, and she wraps an arm around you. She takes you deep into the forest until you reach a small house, the glimmer of the fire peering through the windows.

You settle down on a chair while she makes some tea and food. She offers you a blanket and hands you the cup and plate, sitting down across from you.

“So how long have you been practicing magic?” she asks.

“Oh…I…well actually I don’t know how to use any magic,”

“Really? Why were the witch hunters after you then?”

“I was set up, I think,” you say. “There was a little boy floating in the air, and since I was near him they thought it was me. But I wasn’t doing anything,”

“Well,” Agatha sips her tea. “Sometimes magic can manifest itself subconsciously. Maybe you were doing it but didn’t realize it. It’s quite common,”

“But…how would I have magical powers? I’ve never learned it from anywhere,”

“Some people are just born with the gift,” she grins.

You exhale, thinking over what she said. Could it be true? You’ve been a witch all your life without even knowing it?

 -

 That night, Agatha conjures another bed for you to sleep in. But even though she made it as comfortable as she possibly could, you can’t get a wink of sleep.

You lift off the blanket and wrap it tightly around you, getting up slowly and quietly. You walk outside and sit against a tree, looking up at the stars.

You’re sure your family has heard the news by now. Their disappointment of a daughter is finally gone, accused of witchcraft. It seems that the foreseeable future will be spent with Agatha, the only safe person you have.

You wonder just how much she already knows about you. She mentioned she’s heard people gossiping about you all the time in town, yet she still saved you after hearing all those negative things.

Why is that?

“Can’t sleep?”

You jump at her voice, and she chuckles a bit at your reaction.

“Sorry,” you sigh. “I just have a lot to think about from today, I guess,”

“No worries,” she sits down beside you. “So do I,”

“Agatha,” you say. “Why did you save me?”

“Us witches have to stick together. I saw you were in trouble, so I saved you,”

“But you knew, didn’t you? You’ve known I was a witch long before this, didn’t you?”

“I had my suspicions,” she agrees. “Whenever I heard people talk about you, I figured you weren’t like everyone else. But I didn’t know for sure until today,”

“I wish you had taken me before,” you huff, a few tears falling down your cheeks. “It’s been so bad, Agatha, feeling worthless just because you’re different, everyone hates you…”

She pulls you into her shoulder, letting you cry into it, “I know, dear, I know,”

 -

 It takes you a while to come to terms with your potential powers, but as soon as you’re ready Agatha begins to teach you how to use them. You spend your days studying her spell books and practicing simple spells, most of which you fail at.

She encourages you as much as possible, explaining to you that magic is not something you can learn overnight, sometimes not even over years. She tells you that she’s actually thousands of years old (a surprise to you due to her stunning looks) and she’s been practicing for much of that time, and there’s still some spells she hasn’t mastered.

Your impatience still gets the better of you most days, though. You can’t imagine waiting several centuries to get something to work, if you get it to work at all.

One day you’re sitting at the table, trying out a simple transfiguration spell. You wave your hand repeatedly at a potato, hoping to turn it into an apple. It doesn’t even wobble, not even a single spark, but you’ve been sitting here for hours and don’t want to give up just yet.

You nearly fall asleep from exhaustion when all of a sudden it happens. It works.

There’s an apple in front of you. Not a potato, an apple.

“Holy shit!” you scream. “Agatha! I did it!”

You run over to her and point at your small accomplishment.

“Look at you go, darling!” she smiles, hugging you. “At this rate you’ll be changing rocks into cats before you’re 200!”

You laugh, “Oh come on, this is literally just one of the beginner spells,”

“So what? That’s where everybody starts,”

You break out in giddy excitement again, jumping up and down a bit and looking back and forth just to make sure your creation is still there.

Without thinking, you kiss Agatha quickly on the lips.

She stares at you, mouth open.

Before you can apologize, she grabs your face and kisses you hard. She’s everything you’d imagined and more, soft and warm but with a spark you can’t ignore.

When you finally break apart, her hands linger, brushing across your features and in your hair, “I’ve been waiting to do that,”

 -

 Things change after that, but in only the best ways.

Agatha isn’t just your mentor anymore, the only friend who came to your aid.

She’s your everything now, a soulmate, your home.

You tell her all about your life, and she tells you all about hers. As she has significantly more stories to tell, you’ll fall asleep many nights to her whispering all the legends she lived through that no one else knows are true.

She makes you laugh every day, and makes sure you always know how much she cares about you. There’s only so much you can do in your hidden home in the woods, but with magic the possibilities are endless and she’s never short of romantic ideas.

Tonight you find yourself lying your head in her lap while she plays with your hair, close to the fire so you can watch the little shows she creates with the flames.

“What about love?” you ask.

“What about it?”

“Out of all the stories you’ve told me, you’ve never mentioned being in love before,”

“Well,” she sighs. “That’s because I haven’t been,”

“Why not?”

“It’s just never appealed to me,” she says. “Until I met you,”

“Oh,” you grin, looking up at her.

She leans down to kiss you, but you’re broken apart by a loud noise outside.

You shoot up, looking at Agatha in pure panic. Your heart races as the noise gets louder and louder, eventually leading to shouting and knocks at the door.

“WE FOUND YOU!” a booming voice yells.

“Aggie?” you whisper. Everything crumbles around you. Your perfect, happy life, now about to be stolen from you. You have no idea how they found you, if you are about to be dead, if you’ll be able to defend yourself at all.

She kisses you and stands up, “Stay here. I’ll take care of it,”

With a fling of her fingers the door flies open, and the torches the townspeople are holding are burnt out. She smirks, purple smoke covering the area as she goes through them one by one, some just throwing to the side and others suffering a painful death.

She turns their own weapons against them, their own people against them, and makes them regret everything they’ve ever done.

When she returns to you, you’re still in so much shock and panic you couldn’t tell exactly what she was doing.

“Did you…kill all of them?”

“They got what they deserved for threatening us,” she says nonchalantly. “But we’re not safe here anymore. It’s time to find somewhere new,”

“Okay,” you nod as she pulls you against her. “As long as I’m with you,”

“I’ll always protect you, even when you learn enough to protect yourself,” she kisses your forehead. “Always and forever,”

 APPROXIMATELY FOUR CENTURIES LATER

 “I’m back, darling!” Agatha calls, shutting the door behind her.

“How’d it go?” you run to her, grabbing her hands.

“Splendid, that poor Wanda already loves her new neighbor!”

“Wow,” you giggle. “You know I must say, this whole living in a sitcom thing isn’t that bad, you look gorgeous in that 50s dress,”

“Oh darling, somehow after all this time you still flatter me,” she pretends to fan herself. “I have to go back over real quick, alright? Gotta give her this spicy magazine,” she holds her hand up in the air and magically forms one in her grasp.

“Ah! Be sure to get some ideas to use on me when you get back,” she laugh.

“Oh I will honey,” she winks, kissing you before going out the door.

You settle on the couch, looking around at your home. Out of all the places you’ve moved to together, this was by far the weirdest. There’s no color, and everyone besides you and Agatha and Wanda are under some kind of mind control.

You never imagined that day all those years ago would bring you here, spending your life with a beautiful witch and being her partner in all things, even sinister ones. But you wouldn’t have it any other way, and you know this strange town will only bring you more opportunities to practice your magic and help Agatha with her plans.

[jadoue1999]

Maximoff triplets - one shot

Summary: a look into the lives of the Maximoff had they been born as triplets instead of twins. 

*This is a merging of the Avengers events with the X-Men events, but it takes place within the Avengers timeline*

Words: 12 239

Warning: Angst, major character death

In most universe, the Maximoff came as a pair, sometimes joined with a younger or older sibling. But this, was not most universe. In this one, the Maximoff came to be as triplets.

Magda definitely wasn’t ready to take care of three newborn, especially alone. But looking at their three little faces, peacefully sleeping after all the screaming they had done when they came into the world, it didn’t matter. She’d do what she’d always done, figure it out.

The triplets grew up to be quite the trouble markers. Most people assumed that Peter and Pietro were the tricksters and while that definitely was a part of the truth, Wanda was just as mischievous. Though, you’d never guessed what she was about to do, her face innocent as she would approach her victim, unlike the boys who couldn’t keep their giggling to themselves. When they started high school, their mom had warned them about pranks, though her little smile couldn’t be ignored. “I think it freaks people out that there's not one, but three Maximoffs roaming your school, so... please, try not to cause any more trouble, alright?”

They had all nodded and promised to be on their best behavior. The first day had been going well, they all had been able to keep themselves fairly out of trouble. Of course, there was a little teasing of classmates when Peter got bored halfway through math class, but a glare from both Pietro and Wanda kept him in line. He did pull his tongue at them, though, before he drummed his fingers on his desk for the rest of the period. Finally, they were back home and spent their night playing games and unfortunately doing homework. Still, all things considered, they had each other and together, they could get through anything.

...

A few weeks after their fourteen birthdays, Wanda had knocked on the bathroom door, urging Peter to hurry since they were going to be late. No answer came, so she knocked again, this time a little harder.

“Peter Maximoff, I swear, if you don’t let me take a shower, I will drag you out of there and dip your toothbrush in the toilet!”

“What’s going on?” asked Pietro, who had just woken up a couple minutes ago.

“Peter’s not sharing,” said Wanda as she rolled her eyes.

A sob made them freeze and forget all the anger they had. They called out his name, asking him if everything was alright. Another sob was heard, and Pietro got up, a worried look on his face.

“I’m getting in,” he said to Wanda before turning to the door. “Peter, open up please, I don’t want to break down the door, but I will if I have to. You know I would, I did it before when you took an hour-long shower and used all the hot water.”

A little laugh echoed behind the door and movement was finally heard. The lock clicked and the doorknob twisted, revealing a very puffy eyed Peter. It was obvious he had been crying, his eyes were still watery.

“Frate, what’s wrong?” Questioned Wanda as she looked at her sibling with worry about his state and guilt about screaming at him.

The teenager didn’t speak, he sniffled before lifting his messy head of brown curls to reveal the roots.

Pietro frowned in confusion, “what- why are your hair turning silver?”

Peter shut his eyes and let out a quiet sob, bringing his hands to his face. “I don’t know,” he cried, “I just woke up and I have an inch root of grey hair.”

Pietro and Wanda shared a look, silently agreeing to do whatever it took to cheer up their brother. The shower forgotten, Wanda proceeded to make waffles, Peter’s favorite. Pietro didn’t complain about the amount of sugar his brother put on his breakfast. The ridiculous amount of sirup mixed with sprinkles and chocolate sauce definitely wasn’t healthy, but it was obvious he needed to find comfort, both in food and in the company of others. They all agreed to keep quiet about this, it was only an inch. Maybe it was due to stress, maybe it would go away on its own. It was probably nothing.

...

The one-inch-long root was now fully set in, the brown curls had turned silver in less than a week. It didn’t really make sense; it was like the hair itself was losing pigment. There was no way that it could be explained logically. The hair change wasn’t the only thing that manifested, for three entire days, Peter had had trouble moving. His muscles were sore even though he hadn’t been exercising any more than usual.

“Am I turning into an old man at fourteen!?” He complained sometimes between two naps.

That remark had greatly amused his siblings, who suggested that they should get him a cane or a walker. Their mother had seemed worried. Though, she insisted that taking him to the hospital wasn’t necessary. The triplets had wondered many times what she was hiding, she obviously knew what was going on, but didn’t want to believe it. They finally got their answers when she sat them down on the old couch in the living room.

“Dragă,” she started, instantly catching the trios’ attention. Romani wasn’t often used in the household, not since she had insisted, they all learned English. Their native language meant business; they all knew it. “I haven’t been honest with you, all of you. I think I know what’s going on, but I did not want to believe it.” She sighed and turned her gaze to Peter. “I think that the sudden changes in you is your mutation manifesting.”

The triplets looked at each other with wide eyes. They had wondered the same thing but had dismissed it since their mother wasn’t a mutant. Though the recent developments could only mean one thing.

“Your father was a mutant,” confessed Magda. “We were married and had another child before you three. Her name was Anya.” Their mother’s eyes were quickly filling up with tears, something they hadn’t seen often in the strong-willed woman. “She died when a bomb struck our house. Your father tried to get her out, but it was already too late. He went on a rampage to make him pay.”

“Him?” Questioned Pietro.

“Tony Stark, the bomb was manufactured by Stark Industry. Your father left on his quest for revenge, and I discovered I was pregnant. He didn’t come back, and I didn’t go look for him. You know the rest.”

They had been silent for a few minutes, trying to take in all this information. The three had, of course, wondered about their father, who wouldn’t? But their mother had never really said anything other than the fact that he left one day and never came back. Any further questions had been shoved away with a serious glare that meant that it was a sensitive subject. Neither of them had pushed further. But now, the teenagers were finally able to question further, and they used it to their full advantage. They learned that their father was called Erik Lehnsherr, they had met when they were both living in the streets and trying to survive. They were only sixteen years old. They stuck close together afterwards, him being great help since he could control metal. Locks and gates were easy. They had stuck together for five years before getting married, Anya being born a year after. The little girl had died at only six years old. That left a 28-year-old Magda Lehnsherr alone and soon to be an expecting mother. She had gone back to her maiden name, Maximoff, deciding to erase Erik from her life and spare the pain to her children. She informed them that she had heard of their father being somewhere in America still on his manhunt and hadn’t bothered to learn anymore since.

After the long talk, Magda left her children alone, knowing that they needed to talk together to better make sense of the situation. It’s what they’d been doing ever since they learned how to talk. The triplets shared a look of amazement. They finally knew who their father was, and even though they didn’t have a face to associate him with, it didn’t matter. Erik Lehnsherr, a mutant who could control metal, was their father.

...

Just a week after the revelation, Peter’s mutation manifested. On the contrary to the trio’s belief, it wasn’t metallokinesis, but speed. It was the strangest thing to ever have happened, one moment they were instructed to sprint by the PE teacher and the next Peter was running while everything around him stopped. He slowed down to try to understand what was happening. Upon closer examination, he could see excruciatingly slow movements from birds and a few of his peers. He observed his siblings’ faces, they were determined and a little red from the sport the teacher had made them do. He pulled on Wanda’s hair to try to make her react, but nothing happened so he poked Pietro on the cheek. There was a ripple on his skin but nothing else changed. Peter sat on the ground, his breath caught in his throat and his heart beating fast. He began to wonder if he was stuck like this, forever stuck in the moment. He buried his face in his knees and tried to get his breathing back under control.

Sounds made him look up, just in time to see Wanda falling to the ground and Pietro being flung to the side, both landing painfully. The pair seemed a little pissed as they looked up, trying to find the culprit. When their eyes landed on the form of their brother, all anger was forgotten, and they rushed to his side.

“Freak!” A student said, passing in front of them.

The teacher shooed the teenager away as he approached the triplets. “Mr. Maximoff, what just happened?”

“I- I don’t know, one minute I was running like everyone and then everything slowed down, and I was still going, and no one was moving, and it was super quiet. I tried to get someone’s attention, but no one reacted, and I couldn’t do anything.”

“It’s alright,” interrupted Mr. Smith. “I can see you are quite shaken, and you two are hurt. Perhaps it would be best if you all went home for the day.”

The trio agreed and after a quick visit to the principal office to explain the situation, Magda was on her way to pick them up. They explained the best they could as Peter felt exhausted. Pietro suggested that it might have been due to the amount of energy he had used. No matter the explanation, the silver haired teen was asleep by the time they arrived home and had stumbled back into the house and in his bed as soon as they had arrived.

...

The next few weeks, Peter struggled even more at school. The hour-long classes were too slow for him. He had sneaked our quite a few times, he was too quick to be caught anyway.

When they weren’t at school, the triplets were experimenting with his mutation. The many holes in the walls from the occasion where Peter couldn’t turn the corner in time. They also figured that he had to support someone’s head if he were to move them in superspeed; Wanda’s head crick was the proof of it. Peter was glad he hadn’t been going full speed, he’d rather not think about what could have happened.

While the three found his mutation amazing, the students didn’t feel the same. They picked on the group, calling them ‘freaks’ and ‘mutant scum’. Peter tried to defend his siblings, telling people they were normal, but it didn’t really help. The Maximoff name slowly grew to be one you’d whisper about and judge the mutant child and his weird silver hair.

Peter barely left the basement; he didn’t see the point since he’d be looked at every time, he’d even take one step outside. He did find a liking to stealing stuff he wanted. That way, no one was seeing him, and he was staying entertained. Magda kept telling him to stop, but they were both aware he couldn’t be stopped. The police showed up at their doorstep a few times to try to arrest him, but they never had a proof of their accusation, so the speedster always walked free.

Peter didn’t go to school much anymore, to Magda’s dismay. He just didn’t really see the point of sitting on a chair for hours to then graduate and go to college to learn a job when he could just steal what he needed. Plus, he kept being teased by everyone. His hair didn’t exactly make it easy to hide his mutation. Wanda and Pietro always defended him, but it only made them victims too. After a while, it was settled between Magda and the school that it would be best if the teenage mutant were homeschooled. They claimed it was for his safety, but Wanda was quick to point out that mutants weren’t the best to put in a brochure.

At that, the triplets looked at each other. At least there was only one freak in the family.

***

Two years later, the trio having freshly turned sixteen, Peter was still the only one with a mutation. Wanda and Pietro were pretty bummed about it since they were so used to be doing everything together. Nevertheless, they still went out and did stuff together, Peter wearing a hat or a hood to cover his hair. The stealing had become a daily thing for the mutant, he couldn’t help himself. Their mom had sighed one day after he had stolen an entire tv, promptly diagnosing him with kleptomania.

Looking back, it was most definitely the reason why he accepted the offer from three strange men to go break out someone from the Pentagon. Pietro and Wanda had been in school when a knock at the door sounded through the house. It was Magda’s day off, so she was the one to go answer the door. That gave Peter enough time to check out their car and registration. When they came to him, he was playing ping pong by himself. How they managed to have heard of him, he didn’t know, but their mission was a serious one.

“Why should I help you?” He smugly asked.

“Because you, you kleptomaniac gets to break into the Pentagon,” tiredly said the hippie. Though thinking back, he might have been high.

He accepted the job; it was way too good of an opportunity to pass up. They piled up in the small rental car and were on their way. The men explained the plan quickly and thoroughly. They’d get in, disable the cameras, which left Peter time to infiltrate the kitchen elevator where a guard would be on his way to bring the food to their friend. The speedster would only have to switch places, break the man out and meet them in the kitchen where they’d make a quick exit. It was planned out enough to be a potentially good plan, so the teenager had faith. Plus, he’d be quick enough to save their asses if they encountered trouble.

After the deed had been done and Peter was at the airport with the now four men, the hippie guy thanked him. They had, in the end, needed his skills to save them from the guards.

“Now Peter, do me a favor and go bring back the car,” he told him, throwing him the keys. He was about to walk away when he turned to him. “And take it slow.”

The teenager laughed, “sure man.” The long-haired guy started walking away, but Peter cleared his throat. “The man I saved, he said he was in there because he killed people.”

“Yes, I’m afraid he did.”

“Yeah, sure, that’s fine. But like, I don’t even know who I saved, could I get a name at least?” The similarities were there, the man could control metal and the people he had murdered were probably rich people, which explained his imprisonment. He had to know.

The guy removed his sunglasses to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Erik Lehnsherr.”

That took Peter by surprise and gave the men enough time to gear up and leave. The teenager was frozen in place as he watched the jet make its way across the sky. His father leaving for somewhere in Paris. Probably another sixteen years before he would see him again.

When he came home Wanda and Pietro, were all over him asking questions.

“I- I met our tată,” he answered to the surprise of both his siblings.

They spent the rest of the day talking to each other and asking every detail the silver haired teen could remember. He told them about the way he broke the glass and sped his way through the kitchen to save them from bullets. Because apparently, he was faster than bullets now. Peter then explained how he learned his father’s name and how he totally hadn’t crashed the car on his way back because come on, who actually goes that slow in the streets?

They re-enacted from Peter’s memory the even of that day, him being both himself and the hippie that just punched his friend out of nowhere.

“Lovers, definitely,” declared Pietro with a pensive nod.

“You don’t know that! You weren’t even there,” replied Wanda.

“It’s all about the tension, a kiss or a punch is all the same. Haven’t you watched movies before?”

They continued talking until the stars were bright in the sky. They talked about the Pentagon, about Erik and how much Peter’s powers had grown in the last two years. Magda watched them from the kitchen, them being in the living room. She had a worried look on her face at the mention of her ex-husband. Bad things always happened around him, she hoped that habit hadn’t rubbed off onto her children.

***

The very next day, on a Saturday, the news showed a brand-new discovery. One that couldn’t be covered up anymore: mutants. There were, of course, enhanced people. The Avengers were proof of that. But the government had been very secretive about people born with mutation. Though with Erik, or Magneto as he called himself, interrupting an official ceremony and literally showing the world the power of mutants, there was no denying it anymore. The triplets watched worryingly as he declared war on mankind. He took care of the Avengers easily, though it was to be expected with people that called themselves Iron Man, War Machine and Captain America. Their outfit were basically metal. Thankfully, Black Widow had stopped him before he could do any more damages to the mutant world. Peter shared a look of horror with his family.

“I- I didn’t know. I never would have done it if I did.”

Magda put a comforting hand on his shoulder before pulling him in a hug. The teenager started letting out small sobs about the possibility of what had just happened and the consequences following his actions. Mutants would definitely take the blame for everything now. His siblings very soon joined them; their game of cards abandoned ever since the emergency news had turned on. They held each other for a few moments before letting go. Magda took in each of her children, they all looked worried. She gave them a small smile.

“Now, we still have each other. Your father just did a horrible thing, yes, but you have to stick together. Thing might be rough for awhile, but they will get better eventually.”

At that moment, their mother’s speech calmed them down. Though, they would soon look back at this moment and wonder how they could have been so wrong.

Only a week after the Magneto incident, another knock echoed through the house. Magda ordered the triplets to go in the basement and stay there until the coast was clear. She opened the door to reveal four official looking men in suits and sunglasses. They were all different shades of skin and hair, but each of their posture were imposing and meant business.

“Mrs. Maximoff?” One of them said with a serious voice.

“Yes,” she nodded, “how can I help you?”

He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the woman.

“We are members of SHIELD, and we have permission here to talk to your son, Peter Maximoff. Is he currently in the house?”

“Uh, yes, but I don’t see-“

“Your son is a mutant, is he not?” Interrupted the man, clearly trying to hurry things along. Magda nodded, he continued. “From our record, I believe he has the ability to go faster than any recorded human?”

Magda didn’t deny anything. She knew they were confirming information they were already aware were right. There was no point in denying. They all knew why they were there and what was going to happen.

The men demanded to see the teenager, who promptly appeared next to his mom with a worried look on his face. It was obvious he was trying to look strong, but anxiety was eating him from the inside.

“What’s going on?”

“Could you please tell us where you were a week ago, on Friday?” The teen stared at the group with a blank look, the agent continued. “We have reasons to believe you were involved with the breakout of Erik Lehnsherr. While the cameras were disabled, we have an eyewitness account telling a very accurate description of you.”

Peter’s body seized up with fear as his eyes widened. They hadn’t even thought about the guard that witnessed the whole event. They had foolishly assumed he wouldn’t talk. The man repeated his accusations, already knowing he was right. There weren’t many teenagers with silver hair.

“Can I at least say goodbye?” Whispered the teen, resigned to his situation.

“Actually, Mr. Maximoff, our orders are to bring all the Maximoff children.”

Magda gasped, “you can’t do this! These are my children; I will not let you take them away!”

The man took out the paper once again, “you’ll see that we can. Since, one of your children carry an active mutant gene, it is only logical that they do too.”

The woman took the document and carefully read it. Her eyes grew as it confirmed them the right to take her family away for what they deemed to be national security. She handed back the paper and negotiated that she would go get them. It would be better if they talked to their mother. As she walked down the basement stairs, she heard Wanda’s voice.

“Mama, what’s going on?” Her daughter’s eyes were wide with fear, as well as Pietro’s.

She gave them a small smile. “I’m sorry. The men upstairs are people from the government, they suspect Peter of being involved with what happened in Paris.”

“But they can’t just make him disappear!” Cried out Pietro, already partly clued in on the situation.

Magda shut her eyes, “not just him.”

They both protested when they realized what their mother meant. But in the end, there was no real choice. They all walked up the stairs to see the men cuffing the speedster’s feet together. His hands were already behind his back.

“Is this really necessary?” Spat Magda.

“Afraid so, ma’am. We know what your son is capable of and will not take a chance of losing him.”

His voice carried no fear, no anger, and no judgement. It was said just as if it was a usual thing for him. To them, Peter was just another mild threat to deal with. The man let the family say their goodbyes before bringing the triplets to a black car with tinted windows. They thankfully didn’t restrain Wanda and Pietro. They noticed a few neighbors looking through their curtains with a suspicious look on their faces. As the doors shut, Magda watched powerlessly as her world was taken from her.

***

They drove for what seemed hours, then switched to another car that brought them to an isolated airport. From there, they were moved to a private plane and Peter’s cuffs were removed once they were in the air. Each of their questions fell on deaf ears.

The triplets realized halfway through their twelve-hour flight, according to the screen in the pilot’s cabin, that there truly was no going back home. Wanda and Pietro looked at their sibling with increasing worry. He seemed catatonic. Peter had barely moved since they had boarded the plane; it was worrisome behavior since he’d never been able to stay still for long, even before his mutation. They huddled together on one of the small couches and held each other in fear that they would be separated as well.

“I’m sorry,” whispered Peter, “I never should have gone, maybe if I hadn’t, we’d still be with mama.”

They dozed out a few times, they were all exhausted from the amount of stress they experienced in the past 24 hours. When they finally caught a glimpse of the land, they realized that they were in Romania, their birthplace. It was an ironic twist of fate, really. Magda had always wanted to take them there and show them where she had grown up and where she would have brought them had they been raised there. That realization only strengthened the heartbreak they all felt at the possibility of never seeing their mother again. When they landed, the triplets were surrounded by a group of armed men, they dispersed themselves when a tall man with glasses approached. Though, glasses weren’t really the right term. It looked more like a monocle. He had a serious look on his face as he greeted them.

“Welcome, I am Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. I will be in charge of you three.”

They were then led to another car that brought them to a big building surrounded by guarding towers. The sight of it sent chills down Wanda’s back. The hallways of the institutions were dark and cold, the grey cement kept the suffocating air inside. They seemed to be going on forever with their twists and turn. The triplets were each given a grey hospital gown and ordered to leave their clothes in the room. The thin fabric helped very little against the persistent chill in the air.

Strucker soon entered the room and took in his new acquisitions with a grin. “As I am sure you are aware, mutant kind was revealed to the world just a week ago, thanks to the maniac you boy helped release,” he said, eyeing Peter. “We were aware of its existence since the early forties, the first super soldier serum was actually derived from the DNA of a mutant.”

“Why are you telling us all this?” questioned Pietro. Had the man really expected them to even care about the past when the government just took away their future?

“Because,” uttered Strucker, turning to him with a dark gaze. “The mutant gene is usually carried in the family. While it is possible for siblings of different ages to only have one developing abilities, we have yet to see twins follow this rule.” The man paused to observe the Maximoffs siblings. “Do imagine our delight when we discovered you. Triplets, all carrying an active mutant gene.”

“But we don’t, it never developed”

That remark from Wanda made the man curl his lips in an ugly smile. “Oh, but you do miss Maximoff. Usually, we wouldn’t bother because the process of activating a gene carries a high risk of mortality since we’re not sure what exactly causes it to develop. But using the DNA of your brother is relatively safe and guaranteed to work.”

The triplets shared a look of panic and horror as the true reason they were taken was revealed to them. They wouldn’t be prisoners, like they had expected, but a much more worrisome position: lab rats. The man briefly stepped outside only to re-enter the room with soldiers that made sure they would follow the scientist. They were led to another plain room with a few doctors in white coats carefully eyeing their arrival. The trio barely had time to register what was happening before they were each approached by a doctor.

The teenagers were given no choice as they were each brought to a separate room where a basic medical examination took place. Pietro was the first to go back in the cell they called the common room. They hadn’t given him food in the last eight hours and his body hadn’t taken the blood sampling well because of it. He felt sore as he sat on the small bench, the exhaustion was pulling at his eyelids, but he wanted to be there when his siblings would arrive. After what seemed like an eternity due to the lack of clocks, Wanda appeared.

“You look awful,” remarked the brunette.

Pietro pulled his tongue at her, “you don’t look all that amazing either, soră mai mică.”

She smacked his shoulder as she sat down next to him. “I’m not your little sister, we’re literally the same age.”

“Still twelve minutes older than you.”

***

It hadn’t taken long for the scientists to get on with their experimentation. They used any method that held the slightest potential, from radiation, to blood transfer, to electroshock therapy. Pietro and Wanda, who didn’t have increased metabolism showed the effect of the isolation and rationing of food way quicker. Their eyes had sunken in and dark bags circled them. Tiredness was a constant state for the triplets since a goodnight’s sleep was a rare thing in a facility eager to run tests whenever they wanted.

It was obvious that the doctors were getting worried about the lack of progress. The closest they had been to succeeding was when they nearly killed Peter by taking too much of his blood and giving it to Wanda and Pietro. From what the teenagers understood, their DNA had slightly altered, but not enough to unlock any mutation. The scientists had gotten slightly carried away and taken even more blood, nearly two third of the speedster’s blood. He went into shock and whispers among the facilities suggested that his heightened metabolism was the only thing that saved him.

They gave Peter, and by extension his siblings, a few days to recover. The silver haired teen spent the first two days sleeping and complaining about being hungry. Surprisingly, the guards complied and gave as much food as they could provide. They were probably worried about losing the only hope at having new mutants. Still, the few days of peace were definitely appreciated, and needed. Those rare moment of quiet were spent playing dice and cards provided by the facility. They also used their time to talk about home and their mother.

“What do you think mama did after we were gone?” asked Pietro during one of their card games.

“Nu știu,” sighed Peter, “but mama was always a strong woman, I’m sure she managed.”

“And I’m certain she didn’t mind the fact that she didn’t have any more random holes in her walls. You made what, half a dozen holes in less than a year? Not to mention our poor rug and floor,” joked Wanda, trying to ease the depressing feeling in the air.

The speedster pulled his tongue at her and put down a 2 of spades. “Draw four cards.”

“No, I should only draw two!” protested the brunette.

“Afraid not, soră. This is the spades, that means you have to draw double.”

Wanda grumbled under her breath as her brothers chuckled, before picking the cards. She groaned as her deck was filled with four useless cards that only made her victory further away. After a few turns, it was Pietro who won. They hadn’t even seen it coming, he had kept quiet and played his game skillfully and swooped his triumph.

After the eighth day, the doctors deemed Peter back to his full health. Which surprised the scientists since a normal human would need nearly a month to recover. They wanted to try a new method: bone marrow transplant. Why they hadn’t thought of that in the entirety of the two months they had been there, the triplets couldn’t figure it out. Maybe the promises of new mutants they could control had blinded them to the obvious way. Peter groaned when he realized he’d need more days to recover. Though, he did find comfort in knowing that, based on his increased metabolism, he’d only need a day or two; compared to the month and a half Wanda and Pietro would require.

They wasted no time and brought him in the surgery room. Peter was worried about sedation; he was very well aware that anaesthetic didn’t work on him. At least not with a normal dosage. And he didn’t exactly want to feel the doctor digging into his hipbone. The nurse assured him that they had acquired the patent of the sedation necessary to knock out Captain America himself. It had been developed years ago in case he’d ever need surgery of any kind, though Peter doubted that it was the only reason. They informed him that the procedure would take about twenty minutes, but he would be out for approximately an hour in case anything was to delay the operation. They made him lay on the operating table and put an IV in his left arm. The teen watched as the solution slowly entered his arm and for the first time in two years, he felt the sedation take over and he was out like a light.

Wanda and Pietro were anxiously waiting in their room ever since Peter had left. They were well aware that the doctors would do everything to not lose their test subject, but the last slipup had proved that everything was possible. Nearly forty-five minutes later, the doctors brought them to two separate operation room and showed them the small container containing the bone marrow of their brother. They were both put to sleep and the operation began.

When they woke up, they were both feeling like one of the first time Peter had used his superspeed without any support. Wanda felt nauseous and her head felt heavy. Pietro was sore, sorer than he had ever been before in his life. They looked up as a crunching sound was heard in the room. Peter was munching on whatever the facility had given him as he watched disinterestedly the flickering in the neon lights.

“You awake, slow pokes?” he said between two bites. “I’ve been here for like hours. Thought you might not have been able to handle my awesome DNA, so your body gave up.”

“Taci,” replied Pietro. He groaned as he slowly sat up, dizziness was making the whole world turn around him. He felt his brother’s hand on his back, steadying him. “Thanks.”

Peter pulled an offended face. “Oh, so now I get a thank you, but just a minute ago you told me to shut up!”

“And I’ll say it again if you continue,” he chuckled.

The three of them laughed before the silver haired teenager gave each of them a hug. He sat on Wanda’s bed before smiling at them. “I’m glad you two are okay. You are not leaving me alone in this place where the food isn’t even good. Can’t wait to see what your mutations are!”

***

A few weeks later, both Wanda and Pietro were back to their full health. The scientists had followed the development of their cells and were satisfied to see their mutant gene activating. Pietro was the first one to show signs of change. His hair slowly went from a dark brown to a pale blond and his brown eyes changed to a light shade of blue. After a few days of sore muscles, he predicably developed superspeed.

“So, I get that copying is the greatest form of flattery,” whined Peter, “but why do you get blue eyes? That doesn’t even make sense!”

Wanda herself had taken an additional week and a half to show her mutation. The first manifestation of her powers was when she sneezed and red energy accidentally knocked her brothers out of their chairs. Their faces went from surprise to excitement as they quickly got up and demanded that she do it again. Strucker soon entered the room, probably having been alerted by one of the guards.

“What happened?”

“I uh, I sneezed and knocked them out of their chair,” answered Wanda with hesitation. She looked at the man and was attacked by emotions.

Satisfaction.

Ambition.

Greed.

Strucker raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. “Telekinesis, good. Very useful.” He glanced at the triplets, his eyes gleaming with aspiration. “ Two speedsters and a telekinetic, you will become very valuable assets to us. But you require training, all of you.”

The very next day, they were given proper clothes and brought in a large room they hadn’t been in before. The ceilings were high, and the light were reinforced, there were a few mannequins adorned with a target in one of the corners. Strucker instructed Peter to show Pietro the basics before turning to Wanda.

“Now, I want you to move one of those mannequins, it doesn’t have to be big, but I want to see a shift.”

The brunette nodded as she brought her hands in front of her in concentration. Her brow creased in focus as she tried to manifest the red energy once again. Trouble was, she didn’t even know how she managed to do it in the first place. The man urged her to try harder and she had to bite her tongue so she wouldn’t talk back. Couldn’t he see that she was doing her best? A satisfied chuckle from Strucker made her look at her targets. There strewn across the floor like bowling pins. Her hands were still glowing red, so he demanded that she made the mannequins float. She focused on the middle one, red mist coiling around it like a snake. The figure slowly rose in the air, inch by inch. After it was about 10 inches off the ground, Wanda began to struggle. She strained as the prop began to tremble out of her control, the brunette could feel herself losing control. Strucker told her to continue, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to do it for much longer, she could feel the energy dangerously building up.

“I can’t!” She screamed, “I can’t hold it!”

True to her words, the mannequin suddenly blew up, rendered into ashes by her loss of control. She stared at the falling ashes with wide eyes as she fell to her knees, out of breath. Peter was at her side first, soon joined by Pietro.

“Te simți bine?” Asked the silver haired teen as Pietro helped her get to her feet.

She nodded her head, “yes, I’m alright. Just lost control for a second.”

Strucker looked at the trio with narrowed eyes, annoyed at the sudden interruption. It was certain that the girl held great powers and if they could harness the destruction into something she could control, she would definitely be their most valuable asset.

***

A month later, there still wasn’t much progress made concerning Wanda’s powers. The boys had been a good team, learning and improving together. The guards had eventually admitted that it would be best if they trained outside since the flat terrain of the training room definitely wasn’t a realistic fighting location. Though, the running conditions were mainly an excuse they found to finally get some fresh air. After nearly a year stuck in a cold facility an ocean away from home, feeling the wet earth and refreshing wind on their faces was the greatest thing in the world.

While Strucker refused at first, they were able to negotiate two outings a week with tracking bracelets so they wouldn’t try to escape. Though Pietro found the precaution unnecessary; they had nowhere to go, and they made sure to remind them that Wanda was still in the base. They occasionally let her join them, but they were always accompanied by guards with special weapons to stun them if they tried anything. It was during one of those exterior training with Wanda, where Strucker insisted that she practice on various targets such as trees and small animals that the doctor had suggested a new training. He had called the triplets to him before revealing his newest idea.

“We will train all you three in both offense and defense. I want you boys to try to dodge and stop your sister as she tries to catch you with her powers.”

The triplets stood in place hesitantly for a few moments. They looked at each other with wide eyes, wondering if the man really had just asked that out of them. Strucker clenched his jaw and glared at them before repeating himself. Wanda raised her hands in front of her and nodded to the speedsters who started running. Red energy tore down trees and made holes in the ground, but the girl had difficulty even getting close to the blue and silver blur of her brothers. Her lack of precision greatly frustrated Strucker, his angry tone echoed through the valley.

“Focus!”

“Don’t hold back!”

“Dammit, girl, if you can’t hit your targets, you won’t last long in battle!”

Wanda’s heart was pounding in her chest, her blood deafening in her ears. The man’s yelling kept breaking her concentration. She manifested a shield on her right, just in time to stop one of her brothers from attacking. The brunette could feel herself losing control, like the time with the mannequin. The red mist around her hands grew into a big angry cloud that nearly surrounded her completely. Wanda screamed as the energy released, knocking Pietro and Peter to the ground, sending them rolling into trees and some bushes. She stared around her with horror as she realized what she had done. She was still for a few seconds, save from her hitched breathing before collapsing to the ground.

Strucker barked at the guards, ordering them to bring the teenagers back into the facility. They were all unconscious and even paler than usual. They didn’t react at all when they were picked up, which only worried the man even more. He couldn’t afford losing all three of his best weapons, not with the Avengers so close to uncovering the truth behind SHIELD. Once they were back inside, the triplets were laid on stretchers as the doctors quickly took their vitals. Even though there were no apparent injuries, they didn’t seem to stabilize. Strucker met with a few other scientists and observed through a glass window as the doctors did their best to try to save the young mutants.

“It was foolish to think we could create such abominations,” said one of the scientists, an anxious hand fiddling with his wristwatch.

“On the contrary, doctor Thredson, our experimentations were successful. And will continue to thrive if we can find a way to save them.”

The black-haired doctor sighed as he looked at the teenagers. “What about the sceptre?”

Strucker swiftly turned his head towards the man, surprised by his sudden change of opinion. Nevertheless, the man was most definitely right. He ordered the teenagers to be moved in an isolated room, along with the sceptre. They watched anxiously through the glass panel as the staff was carefully placed between Wanda and Pietro. Nothing happened for a few seconds and he was about to admit defeat when the room was bathed in a bright blue glow. It lasted for about fifteen second, slowly morphing from a blue glow to a bright golden glow and suddenly disappeared.

The team observed the teenagers uncertainly, they had regained a bit of colors in their faces, but they still weren’t moving. Dr Thredson walked a little closer to the window.

“Did it work?”

***

As it turned out, it did work. The triplets had recovered in record time and were back into action. Their powers had become even more powerful, which required them to relearn the basics since what previously worked now didn’t work. Peter was especially annoyed at finding himself crashing into walls again after spending two years without doing so. Another surprising discovery was the unlocking of a secondary mutation: metallokinesis. It had come as a completely unexpected thing; they were running, and he had gotten frustrated and had accidentally crushed Strucker’s glasses right on his face. The trio had also developed a sort of telepathic bond thanks to Wanda’s telepathic powers. The only downside of this ability was the fact that they felt sympathy pain whenever one of them was injured.

Some time later, Strucker had done some digging and made one of the most promising discovery ever since they had found the triplets in the first place.

“I did some research about you three,” he told them, one day after training. “I was aware of your mother, but never found much about your father. Until I found a marriage certificate. You children never told me that Magneto himself was your father.”

They hadn’t had much time to explore whatever Strucker had in mind when alarm blared through the facility. After checking some screens and yelling at guards, he turned to the trio with malice.

“We have intruders. Defend the base, that’s what you were trained for.”

They had indeed defended the base and defended it well. Though they did not expect the intruders to be the Avengers themselves. The only thing was that they had lost the sceptre that had saved their lives a few months before. According to Wanda, it had been the right thing to do, and the boys didn’t question it; they trusted their sister. After they used the attack as an opportunity to leave, the triplets weren’t sure where to go. Pietro felt drawn to the West, like something was calling to him. Though, his siblings weren’t completely sold on the idea of following a weird voice in a country they’d never been in outside of Strucker’s experiments.

The lack of options eventually made them give in to his instinct. The speedsters had run for a whole hour without pause, Peter holding Wanda, who wasn’t much affected by the superspeed anymore, and Pietro was guiding them. When they finally stopped, they found themselves at the foot of Wundagore Mountain. The landscape radiated a feeling of warmth that they hadn’t felt since they had last seen Magda. They had set up camp and had been staying in the mountain for nearly a few days when a strange looking robot approached them.

“I do not come to bring you trouble, but an opportunity,” started the robot with his strange electronic voice. “I am Ultron. I know who you are, the Maximoff triplets. Taken from their home and mother after a foolish mistake and experimented on and used as weapons by cruel men.”

“How did you find us?” asked Wanda, her eyes glowing red as a warning.

“My drones have been scouring the world, your fire and the stealing was easy to assume your position, especially considering the proximity of this place to the base.” Ultron electronic eyes scanned the teenagers, noting how their body language still showed distrust. “I understand your reluctance to trust me. But I assure you, I am here to help. While returning to your mother might not be possible at the moment, I might be able to reunite you with your father, Erik Lehnsherr.”

That caught Peter’s attention. “You know where he is?”

The robot nodded his head as he turned to the young man. “Yes, ever since Paris, he has been held in a secure cell in the Avengers tower. Though, why they did not take him to the raft, I cannot understand.”

The trio didn’t care much about what this ‘raft’ was and demanded more information. Ultron assured them that they would be updated in due time, but they first had to go in South Africa to get vibranium. They hesitantly agreed, still unsure of the robot’s plan, but eventually followed. Once they arrived, they were cornered by the Avengers.

“You distract them,” said Wanda to her brothers as she manifested her magic. “I’ll take them out one by one.”

The two turned into a blur and were off, Pietro knocked into Thor, sending him tumbling a few steps back. He continued running, dodging plasma blasts from Iron Man before landing a good punch on Captain America’s jaw. He continued running as Peter slowed down next to him with a mischievous grin.

“I bet you can’t steal Thor’s hammer!”

The blonde man took up the challenge and looked smugly at his brother as his hand closed around the weapon’s handle. Instead of complying, the tool sent him flying down into a pile of crates. Peter was quickly at his side, mocking his mistake.

“You should have seen yourself! I totally spotted the moment you realized you made a grave mistake’” he laughed, mimicking his previous expression.

“Shut up,” Pietro told him, trying to get the world back into focus. “At least, I hit both Thor and Captain America, you didn’t do anything.”

“Hey,” Peter said, rising his hands in front of him, “I got a punch on Black Widow. You know, the one that stopped, dad? I count that as a win.”

Pietro slowly sat up and stared at his brother’s hand as he extended it toward him. He was about to pull him up when a presence appeared beside him. A strong hit on Peter’s lower back cut his breath and sent him crashing on the ground. Captain America then pushed the already dizzy speedster on the ground and glared at them.

“Stay down,” he ordered.

The boys watched him walk away, both in various degree of pain.

“That guy’s got problems,” breathed out Peter.

“No kidding,” answered Pietro, rolling his eyes. “Not a word of this to Wanda.”

The silver haired teen snorted, “no promises.” He touched his hip and hissed as he felt the sore spot where he’d been hit. “Seriously, that shield is gonna kill somebody eventually, he’s not even considering the damages it can do.”

They watched  from afar as Wanda subdued the Asgardian god. Seeing as Captain America was the closest, Pietro took the opportunity. That man wouldn’t even get a chance to lay a finger on his sister. He knocked the super soldier off balance and sent him crashing into the metal stairs. He watched satisfyingly as the brunette sent him into his personal hell.

Wanda quickly ran up the stairs and hid in the shadows. Natasha Romanoff was still, she didn’t seem to realize that she wasn’t alone, but the mutant knew not to trust appearances with that woman.

“How can I help?” Echoed Peter’s voice through their telepathic bond.

“Distract her.”

The speedster nodded to his sister and casually walked up into the light at normal speed, instantly catching the woman’s attention. She raised a curious eyebrow as he leaned on the wall with a smug smile.

“Coming for more?” Asked the redhead.

“Actually, I got the hit, if I remember well,” nonchalantly answered Peter. He examined his hand before looking at the woman. “But I’m not here to hurt you, she is.”

Before the spy had time to react, Wanda put her under her spell. The teen smirked as the woman’s eyes became filled with red and slowly unfocused.

“I love your red wiggly woos, have I ever told you that?”

Wanda cracked a smile as she rolled her eyes. She told him to go join Pietro as she would take care of Hawkeye. Peter joined his brother, who was at Ultron’s side. A sudden shot of migraine made both speedsters wince and hold their forehead.

“Wanda’s in trouble,” realized the silver haired teen. He turned to the taller man, “go get her.”

Pietro disappeared and left the young mutant alone with the robot revolutionary. Ultron had stopped moving, his eyes examining the teenager with curiosity.

“You three have a very efficient relationship. You work surprisingly well, for humans.”

Peter raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Forgive me if it sounds pejorative, but such a level of understanding and cooperation without conflict is rare. Especially with powerful people.”

“We’ve always worked together when we pranked people, nothing has changed since.”

The conversation was cut short by Wanda and Pietro appearing next to them. The brunette seemed nauseous and disoriented as the man lowered her to the ground. After making sure she was fine, Ultron declared they’d be going to Seoul to go get an actual flesh body.

“After this, we’ll go get your father.”

***

Well, that definitely hadn’t gone according to plan.

Wanda had read the robot’s mind and discovered that he never wanted to save the world, but rather wanted to end it. The triplets had never signed up for genocide, so they decided to join the Avengers. While the superhero team didn’t exactly align with their point of view, at least they had no desire to end the world.

Also, Ultron’s body, the Vision as the scientists called him, was now alive, though activated might have been the more accurate term. The android had lifted Thor’s hammer without any problem, something that made the Avengers trust him. Which was a little stupid if that was really the only test. The team were getting ready to leave, but the trio interrupted their packing by requesting to see their father.

“You want to see the terrorist that wanted to start a war between humans and mutant?” Tiredly asked Tony Stark.

“Yes,” answered Wanda with one of her signature intimidating look.

The man had eventually agreed to their request and led them down a long corridor that gradually became devoid of metal as they approached the prison cell. The trio held their breath as they spotted their father sitting on the floor, reading a book. He looked up as he sensed the visitors approaching. He watched the newcomers with narrowed eyes until he spotted Peter.

“It’s you,” Erik said, slowly getting up. “The mutant who broke me out of the Pentagon.”

The teenagers didn’t miss the billionaire’s unimpressed stare, but they were all to focused on the metal wielder to care about it. Tony sighed loudly as he started walking away.

“You children have fun with your old man, cameras are all around so don’t try anything,” he casually said the man before closing the door.

The triplets froze as they realized what the billionaire had said. They hadn’t planned on telling Erik of their relation until they had at least known the man a little. But it was too late now, the metal wielder stared at them with wide eyes and a thousand questions running through his head.

“What he said,” started Erik, now looking at the ground in disbelief, “is it true?” He snapped his head up, his eyes teary. “Are you my children?”

Peter didn’t say anything, he did want to tell the man, but he couldn’t find the courage to confirm it. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for Pietro.

“Yes, we are.”

Erik looked at each other them with an unreadable expression on his face.

“He wasn’t ready,” echoed Wanda’s voice through their bond.

“Give him some time, soră,” answered Pietro. “It’s not every day you discover you’re a father to seventeen years old triplets.”

“Not only that, he’s also got to deal with the fact that he’s already met me.”

Their personal conversation was interrupted by Captain America entering the room. The triplets turned to him with narrowed eyes, the super soldier raised his hands in a way to show he didn’t mean any harm.

“Tony wanted me to let you know that we were leaving soon.”

“Take me with you.”

They all turned to Erik, stunned about his suggestion. Steve took a few step forwards, observing the man for a few seconds. The men stared at each other before the veteran cleared his throat.

“Why should we trust you? You tried to kill us barely a year ago.”

Erik glanced at Pietro, Wanda, and Peter. “I didn’t have much to live for back then. I do now.”

The super soldier followed his gaze to the teenagers, picking up on the man’s insinuation. He sighed before shaking his head. “Fine, I’ll see what I can do.”

Soon after the Captain had left to talk to the team, Erik and the triplets continued their conversation. The older man had asked about their mother and their life before Peter had been recruited to break him out. He barely talked as each teenager answered his questions, taking in the fact that he could have had a family with Magda had he never gone on his quest of revenge in the first place. He then asked about their mutations, to which the triplets shared a hesitant look, wondering if they should tell him of the circumstances of their origins. They told him of their powers, and tried to leave it at that, but the man saw right through their coverup.

“What are you not telling me?”

The siblings wondered for a moment who would tell him, and ultimately decided that Peter should be the one to tell the man. The silver haired teen took a breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say.

“Freeing you… Didn’t come without consequences. Government officials came to our house, we were told they were from SHIELD, but they’re definitely more Hydra. They took us to Romania, in a private facility and… experimented on us.” Erik clenched his hands in anger at the mention of the experiments. “Wanda and Pietro didn’t develop any mutation, that’s what Strucker, the guy in charge of us, wanted to do. Have three trained weapons he could use whenever he needed them. We were there for about a year and a half, according to today’s date.”

Erik nodded understandingly, “anything else?”

“Tell him about your metallokinesis,” Wanda’s voice echoed through his head.

“I can’t even control it. I’ve hardly ever used it before.”

“He could show you,” replied Pietro.

“Why don’t you trust him? He’s our father.”

“Last time I trusted someone, we got taken away and experimented on.”

His siblings didn’t argue, so Peter turned back to Erik. “No, that’s it.”

***

The Avengers tracked Ultron to a small town in Romania and didn’t lose time before embarking the private plane. The team watched warily when Erik was brought on board and kept a suspicious eye on him the whole time. The air was tense, probably due to Black Widow’s disappearance. Steve was biting his lips as the miles slowly passed.

“So…” said Peter, speeding to the pilot’s seat, “is there a plan?”

Tony rolled his eyes, already done with the teenager. “Look goggles, we’ll assess the situation when we get there. Go back in your seat, we’re not babysitters.”

“Geez man, you can just say no and leave it be,” replied the teenager, a little offended by the man’s tone.

The billionaire sighed loudly, fully intent on ignoring the boy, but a flick on the back of his head made him turn in anger. “Who did that?”

“Wasn’t me,” shrugged Peter as his siblings giggled and shared a high five.

After awhile, everyone was in their seats, no sound around them save for the fidgeting of the two speedsters that drummed their fingers and bounced their legs. Wanda’s focus was sometimes on the android, something her siblings caught on quickly.

“Wanda don’t tell me you’re crushing on him,” thought Peter with a judging tone.

“No, I’m not!” replied the brunette.

“Oh my god, you totally do,” realized Pietro. “Come on sis, he’s literally nothing more than a glorified toaster.”

When they finally arrived, Tony had been the victim of the triplet’s teasing twelve times, Steve eight times and Clint six times (he had threatened them with his arrow, but the speedsters had laughed at his ‘pointy sticks’). They tasked the teenagers with evacuating the city while the heroes intercepted Ultron. Erik was in the fire of the battle, crushing dozens of robots at once. Never in a million years he would have guessed that he’d help the very people that imprisoned him, but here he was, fighting at their side.

The triplets were separated, Peter and Pietro were zooming through the city and saving people from certain deaths. Wanda was with Clint and they were working together in taking out Ultron’s robots. The woman could feel her powers building up inside of her. She did her best to keep it under control, but she was constantly overwhelmed by the time she had nearly killed her and her brothers. Wanda was very well aware that her powers reflected her state of mind, and right now it was chaotic.

“How could we let this happen?” she cried out, looking around. “We joined Ultron, we had no idea, we caused this.”

Clint brought her into a small house and grabbed her shoulder. “Hey, fine it’s your fault, it’s Ultron’s fault, it’s Tony’s fault. Hell, it’s everybody’s fault, alright? But right now, that’s not what’s important. The city’s flying and will rip apart the planet if we don’t stop it, that’s what’s important. This is our fight, but you’re still a kid, and your powers are unstable. If you go out there, you fight, and you fight to kill. But you can also choose to stay here, and I’ll send one of your brothers to come get you, no hard feelings.” Clint paused in case the girl wanted to say something. She didn’t talk, so he continued. “But if you get out of that door, you’re an Avenger, and we can really use all the help we can get.”

Wanda didn’t answer, so the archer got up and resumed the fight, a little disappointed that his speech hadn’t done much. An explosion behind Clint made him turn around. He smiled as he spotted the teen joining the fight. Thanks to her powers, the robots around them were quickly taken care of.

“Alright, we’re all clear here,” he said in his earpiece. He turned to Wanda, “thank you, you did good work.”

The brunette gave him a nod just as Pietro appeared and picked up his sister. “Try to keep up, old man!” he mocked as the pair disappeared in a blue blur.

The archer raised his bow on the general direction of the speedster. ���Nobody would know. Nobody.” He started jogging towards the action. "The last I saw him, when Ultron was sitting on him. Uh...yeah, he'll be missed, that quick little bastard. I miss him already."

Pietro and Wanda joined Peter and the rest of the Avengers, who were defending the vibranium core. They settled into a defensive circle, covering all sides as the robots attacked them. They each used their abilities in unison with Peter and Pietro making sure to grab the few robots that tried to sneak in by the air and the sides.

“Why do they have to crawl?!” Exclaimed Peter.

“Dramatic effect,” replied Pietro, punching one of the robots and sending it crumbling into pieces. He pulled a disgusted face as he looked at the slowed down form of the Hulk. “Is he… is he biting off one of the robot’s head?”

The silver haired teen shrugged his shoulders. “At this point, whatever works, am I right?”

The battle suddenly took a turn for the better when the Vision blasted a laser beam at Ultron and sent him tumbling away. Though, the beam didn’t do much else, that is, until Erik stepped out into the light and concentrated onto Ultron. He flexed his hands and made a ripping motion with them. Ultron’s vibranium body slowly creaked and ripped apart, giving Vision enough space to damage the robot, along with the help of Iron Man and Thor.

Hulk punched away Ultron, sending him flying in the air. A group of robots scattered away in fear because, apparently, robots could fear stuff. Tony warned the team that they couldn’t let a single one reach the outskirts of the city.

“We gotta move out. Even I can tell the air is getting thin,” said Steve. “You guys get to the boats, I'll sweep for stragglers, be right behind you.”

“What about the core?” Questioned Clint.

“I’ll protect it,” declared Wanda. She watched the Avengers leave before turning to Pietro, “get the people on the boat. Peter will stay around and keep an eye out.”

The blonde man scoffed, “I’m not leaving you here.”

“What’s the matter, frate, you don’t trust me?” teased Peter.

The three looked at each other, all a little out of breath from the fighting. Finally, Pietro rolled his eyes, “fine, but I’m coming back as soon as I’m done.”

Wanda smirked at him. “Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything else.” She nodded her head, “go.”

The blonde man was about to leave but stopped after his sister’s order and seeing his brother biting his lips in an effort to suppress his laughing. “You know, I’m older than both of you.”

The triplets shared a laugh and Pietro left, leaving Peter and Wanda to defend the core that was holding the city together.

***

The citizens kept coming, all panicking as the city rose higher in the air. Pietro had been going back and forth for more time than he could count, but there was always more. Still, he continued, there was no other option, he had a job to do. When one of the last groups finally got onto the air carrier, the speedster let himself take a breath.

Pietro spotted Clint with a child, and the upcoming trail of bullets that were headed towards them. He quickly calculated the distance and pressed his lips in hesitation as he realized there was no way he could be there on time. Peter was nowhere close, and the danger was imminent. He quickly made up his mind and pushed Clint and the child out of the way, gasping as he felt the bullets tear holes through his torso. The archer watched with a dumbfounded face as Pietro struggled to breathe.

“You didn’t see that coming?” He teased the man with a pained smile on his lips.

The speedster used his last strength to focus on their telepathic bond and project his thoughts to wherever his siblings were. “Frate, soră, forgive me.”

There was so much more he wanted to say, to let them know, but the ground collided with his body and his vision faded to black as he let out his last breath.

Far away on the battlefield, Wanda was fighting off more than she thought possible. But no matter how many robots she destroyed, four more would take its place. A shockwave behind her revealed Peter, who had just knocked down one she hadn’t noticed. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and she saw the silver haired teen grab at his chest. They shared a look and understood what was happening.

Pietro was in trouble.

An even greater wave of pain coursed through both of them, and something was seemingly ripped from their very soul. Wanda let out a gut-wrenching scream and her powers flared out, dismantling every robot around them. Peter collapsed on the ground and she ran to his side, trying to feel his pulse. She panicked as she found none. She didn’t want to be alone; she couldn’t be alone.

Thankfully, his pulse came back soon enough, but that didn’t fix the emptiness inside her. There was still a gaping hole in her chest. Peter and Wanda were momentarily relived when they heard their brother through their bond.

“Frate, soră, forgive me.”

They shared a horrified look as they realized what had happened. They didn’t want to believe it. It couldn’t be happening. There was no danger at the moment since the Ultron robots had been destroyed by Wanda’s wave of destructive magic, the coast was clear. Peter took Wanda and sped them over to where the bond led them to. The brunette screamed once again and fell to her knees before grasping Pietro’s head and running her hand through his hair. Peter, too, fell to his knees, crying at the sight of his brother’s lifeless eyes. They were interrupted in their crying by Clint and Erik who tried to get them on their feet.

“No! No, please! I can’t leave him!” cried out Wanda.

The adults tried to reason with the pair, telling them how the city would fall at any moment and there would be no chance of survival.

“Good, leave us here,” sobbed Peter. “We’ve always been together; we can’t continue without him.”

The men didn’t say anything, but Erik cradled Pietro in his arms despite Wanda and Peter’s protest about moving him. Nevertheless, the metal wielder continued his walk towards the air carrier and gently laid the speedster’s body onto the ground. Erik brushed a hand on Pietro’s face as he mourned his child that he would never get to know properly. The teenagers soon sat on each side of their father, staring in disbelief at their sibling.

“I could have saved him,” choked out Peter.

“Don’t blame yourself,” reasoned Erik. “The distance was too big, even for you.”

The speedster shook his head. “I have metallokinesis, I could have stopped those bullets! But I wasn’t there, and now he’s dead! Because I was too late.”

Erik pushed away his shock at knowing his son shared his mutation and instead wrapped an arm around him, his other arm finding Wanda. “Peter, have you got full control of your mutation? Have you ever practiced?”

The speedster shook his head again, his eyes not leaving his brother’s form. “No, but I could have done something! I could have taken his place.”

Erik tried to think of something that might help. “When you’ll be ready, I could teach you.”

“No,” refused Peter. “I’ll never use it. I don’t deserve to.”

***

After the dust had settled, the Avengers offered them a place amongst their team. Perhaps out of guilt, pity or because they saw an opportunity. No matter the reason, they were done being somebody’s weapon. Erik also offered to be a permanent addition to their lives, though Wanda and Peter doubted that the Avengers would accept having the ex-terrorist around. Though, the first thing they did was visit their mother. Magda was holding back tears when she saw them approaching the front door. They both looked sick with their red rimmed eyes full of sorrow. They all burst into tears and held each other for a long time. It felt strange being home after everything that had happened. Especially, now that they were missing a piece of themselves. Magda asked them how it happened, and cried again, knowing her son’s protective nature was the thing that got him in the end.

Wanda and Peter wanted to stay at their house, they truly did. But staying in their childhood home where each room held memories of Pietro quickly became too much. After a long discussion with their mother, they packed two suitcases before heading off to the airport. Neither of them felt like using their powers at the moment, not with a part of them missing.

After a long flight, they finally arrived. Peter had surprised them both by his lack of crankiness despite the long hours of stillness. Though, being immobile for such an extended period of time made him very fidgety. They agreed that running to their destination would be the better option. They skillfully arranged their luggage so it wouldn’t get blown away when Peter broke the sound barrier. Wanda’s magic helped a little.

The duo arrived at dawn and they sucked in a painful breath as Wundagore Mountain stood tall and ancient before them. They rented a room in a nearby hotel, but they climbed up the mountain just as the sun gave its last glow. Peter gathered some wood to start a fire. The teenagers sat in silence as the flames danced in front of their eyes, Pietro’s presence mockingly hanging in the air.

“You can feel him too, right?” questioned Wanda. Her voice showed no emotion, but they both knew it was only a façade.

“Yeah,” whispered Peter.

Later, they would go back to their hotel room. Later, they would call their mother, and their father, they had to tell them where they were. Later, they would accept the Avengers offer. Later, they would bury the small lock of Pietro’s hair, along with his fingerless gloves he loved so much. Later they would return to the real world.

But right now, Peter and Wanda sat huddled together in a warm wool blanket, staring at the fire burning in front of them. The stars shone brightly in the sky, sometimes adorned by a shooting star. The world would never be the same after what had happened, but for this moment at least, Wanda and Peter pretended that it could be.

In most universe, the Maximoff came as a pair, sometimes joined with a younger or older sibling. While this rule was sometimes ignored, there was always one constant. One Maximoff always died. This universe was no different.

_________

Romani translation: 

Frate= brother

Dragă= Darling

Tată= father

Soră mai mică= little sister

Nu știu= I don’t know

Taci= Shut up

Te simți bine= Are you okay?

Soră= Sister

[cryptidax]

Fallen Aliases

-DISCLAIMER: This is my first attempt in angst so please remember that as you read!!

-Word Count: around 1,605 words

-The reader here is, once again, NOT the traveler. They are a high-ranking member of the Liyue Qixing and have a personality based on Xingqiu and Rosaria but share the same hunger for battle as Tartaglia. They also use a polearm as a weapon and have a vision. :)

NAMES, such a common thing, yet it holds such significance to even the immortals. Cursing one's name might result in you breathing your last; Praising someone else's title might flatter them; Falling for another's alias might result in your end. The people of Teyvat hold names in such high regard, yet. Why, why did you love someone when you didn't even know their name?

Ah yes. The truth is as clear as day now. It was because you were blind. As the elders would call it, You were a fool in love. Despite that, why do you hold all the memories with him in such a fond manner? The day when you met can still be remembered as clear as the water in the ponds of Qingce Village.

The feeling of your polearm in your hand and your vision hanging from your belt is something that exhilarated you. Especially now, with several new foes for you to beat in front of you.

"This is much more interesting than doing boring paperwork, don't you think?"

From an outsider's perspective, seeing a Qixing member speaking to some Ruin machinations in the middle of the night would make them think they are going crazy. After all, all the Qixing members are dignified and elegant people who have enough ambition and power to uphold the will of Rex Lapis despite being mortal. People who are as clear and transparent of their ways just like Morax. (Y/N) is the hidden spear of the Qixing, a weapon with dangerous potential yet remains covered to the public. One minute they could be speaking in front of the Milileth about their new plans for defense; next, they could be slicing down several Ruin hunters by the coast of Liyue and laughing as if they are playing with toys while doing so.

"It's a shame such ancient machinations must be shut down.. oh well, Night Night little robots.~"

Using their elemental burst to enhance their weapon, (Y/N) swings it in a clockwise motion to finish the ruin hunters and watch as they fall only to disintegrate into blue dust. Hearing the ruffling of the bushes beside them, they ready their weapon once again and turn around to meet a new foe.

"Whoever you are, come out now, and I might be merciful tonight."

Anticipating a new fight, the Qixing member was let down as they see an orange mop of hair instead of a beast or machination to face.

"Well, you are disappointing." (Y/N) bluntly said as they stared down the newcomer. The (h/c)-haired person observed the hydro vision hanging framed in a Sneznayan designed border from the blue-eyed stranger and readied their vision for combat once again.

"I never knew the Liyue Qixing were so hospitable to others." the newcomer stated in a playfully sarcastic manner. "Anyways, You can call me Childe, (Y/-"

Cutting him off as he was about to say their name, (Y/N) hostility asked many questions towards Childe, Each question containing less friendliness as the last. The Sneznayan answered all these questions without fail, yet (Y/N) never let down their guard.

"Master Childe!!"

The duo turns to the noise to see a female fatui member loudly calling out for superior while forcefully making her way through several large faunas.

"Well, that's my call to go Mx. Bigshot. See you next time!"

Childe childishly says as he quickly goes towards the fatui member. You could hear him loudly playfully shouting back at her by repeating her name. Shaking their head in a joking manner, the (h/c)-nette heads their way back to the office, dreading the paperwork they have to write as a report of what they had done for the night.

This schedule goes on every night for several weeks. (Y/N) goes to clear out monsters, Childe appears out of nowhere and helps out with destroying them, talks a bit, says goodbyes, and repeats the next night. (Y/N) has tried to stop him, but he keeps insisting to the point where he would keep his arms around them unless they allow him to stay.

A blind man could see how in love they were, from the way they looked at each other when they slay monsters in the night, to the way each would hold each other's gaze for more than one would consider professional.

They were in love.

The elders called it beautiful. Singles held jealous looks to their relationship yet congratulated them nonetheless. Children fawned to their parents on how they wanted to grow up to have what they had. The two held hope that despite who they are, what they do for a living. They hoped that they at least can have this one thing that can share.

But oh, What fools were they to believe that two mortals can forever ignore reality.

The day started so pure as if the archons all agreed to give humanity one good day, A pair of lovers waking up to gaze at each other lovingly as they murmured random and insignificant news to each other sweetly. To others, this may be unimportant considering how much influence these two people have over their respective nations, but these two moments like these mean the world to them. Sadly, they must head up and attend to their duties. Giving a goodbye kiss to each other, both get ready for their work before going out to each work locations. If (Y/N) bothered to look back to awhile longer when they gave each other a goodbye, they would see underlying melancholy in the eyes of their lover. Maybe that would have been the key to keeping their relationship.

It truly is sad how relationships take so long to build up. Yet be shattered in just the snap of one's fingers.

Hearing the closing of the front door, (Y/N) looks up to see the tired and beaten form of their lover bandaged up. It honestly broke their heart to go and comfort him, But what needs to be done is more important. Not only for them but for their co-workers who care for them, and for the citizens of Liyue who were affected by the awakening of the ancient sea god.

"Childe."

His name. A name that flowed out of their mouth with a tone sweet as honey. Now felt like they were eating sandpaper as they said it.

Looking up to see the blank yet hurt look from his lover, Childe, the eleventh fatui harbinger, felt something that he has not gotten for several years from someone that does not share his blood. Guilt.

"(Y/N) I can explai-"

"Save it."

Giving a sad smile to the fatui in front of them, they blankly say how they know how he caused the disaster. Each word seems to be like another arrow being shot towards the Sneznayan as his lover said it in such a way that it was impossible not to question his actions. Maybe this would've been more bearable if his lover was angry and was rapidly throwing insults, but they said it in an accepting way. Like they anticipated that this would happen, and that. That somehow made him feel more hurt than if the latter happened.

"Childe, or should I call you Tartaglia,"

People say that second chances are the cultivators of a better relationship,

"I believed we could've made this work in a way that we can pretend we are not two opposing people."

They say that hardships like these would blossom into a memory that they could recount with a nostalgic smile.

"I promised that we would get through this together,"

But love is a battlefield and in the relationship of (Y/N), the sword of the qixing, and Childe, a warrior of Sneznaya. That statement quite too literal.

"Ha... I apologize, but that promise is one I cannot keep, not after that disaster you have summoned..."

There are no second chances in battle,

"I loved you, but now... I see that I do not even know who you are."

For once you swing your weapon,

"Goodbye Childe, For our sake, I hope we never see each other again."

You have no chance to take it back.

Hiding their tears as they walk out of their old abode, never looking back in fear that they will not stand firm in their decision. (Y/N)'s heart cracks each step they take, mind plagued by scenarios of what else they could've done. Walking turns to jogging and jogging to running, the Qixing member rushes to their new residence, an apartment in Liyue Harbor, and opens then shuts the door quickly. They slump down on the floor, wanting to cry. Time seems to stop as (Y/N) reaches up to touch their face.

"Why can't I cry?"

It seems like the archons won't even give them the comfort of tears.

Seeing the fading silhouette of his ex-lover as they walk away, Childe solemnly walks to their, now only his, room and opens his drawer to get out a small velvet box. With a sad look and teary eyes, he opens the box to reveal a beautiful Varunada Lazurite ring. A ring that he hoped would've been placed on the finger of who he loves. The young lord holds the item close to his chest and quietly whispers through choked sobs,

"But I love you (Y/N).."

After so many years, the eleventh harbinger, an instrument of war, the big brother of several siblings, the annoying co-worker of the harbingers. Childe, Tartaglia, Ajax... Cries. At this moment, all the sides of one man weep.

Fate must be satisfied. They just punished a catalyst of death, A being who gets excitement from a battle, a person that should be victim to the full wrath of the archons. No matter how good a person acts, blood will forever stain their hands. By this law, Childe, Tartaglia, Ajax is a wicked being. He is an evil man... right?

[sokkascroptop]

traitor (sokka x f!reader) pt 18

part 1 | part 17 | part 19

A/N: ah, so the long awaited “The Puppetmaster” episode. This has always been one of my favorites ❤️ Take Y/N’s commentary at the beginning how you want. Either Hama got the idea from an old Fire Nation scary story... or she’s been at this a lot longer than we originally though 🤭

Y/N looked up fondly at Sokka as he recounted what he called, “the scariest story he knew”. It was not scary in the slightest and from the other disinterested looks Y/N got from Katara and Aang and the way that Toph lolled her head back in boredom, none of the others thought so either. Every now and then Sokka would glance down at Y/N and she would give him an amused smirk and however he took it spurred him on through the story. When he was finished, he waited with a sly smile like he thought the four of them were about to start screaming.  

“I don’t know, I liked the story about ‘the man with the sword for a hand’ better.” Aang shrugged. 

Sokka pouted and sat back down next to Y/N. “You thought it was scary, right?”

Y/N raised her eyebrows and nodded. “Terrifying.” She linked an arm through his and they both leaned back on the fallen tree behind them.

Y/N watched Toph wrinkle her nose. “Water tribe slumber parties must suck.”

“I have one. And it’s a true Southern Water Tribe story.” Y/N’s ears perked up at the sound of Katara’s voice. She hadn’t spoken all night and she was the only one who hadn’t recounted a scary story. Her knees were pulled up and she had her arms wrapped around them, and the light from their fire danced across her face. 

Sokka seemed unperturbed. “Is this one of those ‘a friend of my cousin knew this one guy’ stories?”

“No.” Katara’s voice was sharp. “It happened to Mom.”

Y/N didn’t know what about Katara’s story scared her the most. Maybe it was her voice, or the way she told the story. Or maybe it was the way Sokka tensed underneath her arm that led Y/N to believe that there was more truth to this story than she originally thought. 

But the thing that freaked her out the most and had her jumping from Sokka’s side immediately to Katara’s was Toph’s gasp. 

Toph jumped to her feet, her milky eyes widening. “Wait. Guys did you hear that?!” 

Sokka bumped into Y/N’s side, pressing her against Katara even more. Y/N wrapped an arm around Katara and grabbed onto Aang shoulder, pulling them all into an impossibly smaller ball. 

“I hear people under the mountain! And they’re screaming!”

Chills worked their way down Y/N’s spine and she shivered between the two Water Tribe siblings. She recalled a story she heard at school, something about full moons and missing people… but it was just a story that little kids told to one another. Albeit, one that Toph shouldn’t have known.

“No, no… you’re lying. You don’t hear anything.” Y/N’s voice was shaking. 

Sokka scoffed. “Nice try, Toph.” He started peeling himself away from Y/N’s side and moved back to their seat. 

But the look on Toph’s face didn’t look like she was joking. “I’m serious! I hear something.”

Y/N tugged on Sokka’s arm and pulled him back, closer to her. “Uh, I really don’t think she’s kidding, Sokka.” 

“Wait, you believe this?” Katara asked, her eyes wide with fear.

“Kids at school used to tell these scary stories about a witch or evil spirits who would take people and hide them in a space between the spirit world and our world. They’re everywhere around us but we just can’t see them.” Her voice trailed off as the wind picked up and began howling through the trees, almost as if it was in response to what she said. “But it’s a Fire Nation story, Toph wouldn’t know it,” Y/N said quietly. 

Aang looked up to the tops of the trees above them. “Spirits aren’t evil,” he ventured, his voice small. 

“Hello, children.” A voice said behind them.

---

Y/N didn’t think that she could scream as loud as she did. Aang, Katara, Y/N and Sokka, who had been huddled together on one side of the fire, holding one another as close as possible, suddenly shoved each other away, each of them trying to get as far away from whoever had just walked up behind them. Y/N in her haste, leapt over the fire nearly knocking Toph over in the process. Her heart was pounding as she stared at the woman. Y/N just kept telling herself, this is not the same as before, this is not the same as before. That, and she wasn’t alone this time. Aang could airbend the woman away or Toph could knock her off her feet before Y/N could even reach her sword. Nobody had to die. 

“I’m sorry for scaring you. My name is Hama. You children shouldn’t be out in the woods by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby, why don’t we go there for some spiced tea and warm beds?” The old woman had white hair and her shoulders were hunched but Y/N could see her bright blue eyes even from how far away she was. She seemed sincere. Y/N couldn’t find a reason not to take her offer. Normally she was suspicious of everyone, but this old woman wasn’t going to do them any harm. 

“Yes, please.” Y/N said gratefully. 

---

A couple of torches and the almost full moon lit their way back to Hama’s inn. Sokka was holding Y/N’s hand and she appreciated the contact. The trail, the cool night air, the darkness was eerily similar to that night that wasn’t so long ago. Every now and then she felt like she was transported back there; that she and Sokka were running through the woods back to Appa, stumbling over uneven ground, trying to get back to Katara so Y/N didn’t die. Then, a stiff breeze or a snap of a stick under their feet would bring her back to the present. 

Sokka leaned over to whisper in her ear. “So we just trust anyone we meet in the woods now?!”

“I know it’s kind of weird, but she doesn’t seem that bad to me. Besides being in these woods is really starting to freak me out,” she admitted. “I think if she turns out to be some criminal mastermind, the five of us can take her.” 

Sokka’s face softened. “Sorry. I didn’t even realize…” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Y/N squeezed his hand, grateful for the comfort of her friends around. This time was different, that was for sure. 

---

Y/N hadn’t slept in a real bed since she was in the Fire Nation palace. Sure, in Ba Sing Se, she and the girls had been given nice beds, but Y/N hadn’t done more than sit up against the headboard and worry all night before she left Azula. 

Just as she was pulling back the covers she heard a light knock at the door. Y/N brushed it off as just the old house settling but then she heard it again, this time a little more forcefully.

Sokka was standing on the other side of her door when she opened it, clutching his pillow. She looked at his bare chest and his hair that was down and framing his face. 

“Um. Whatcha doin’, buddy?” Y/N greeted, trying to keep her voice light despite her being a little breathless that Sokka was shirtless, in the middle of the night, standing in the doorway to her room. 

“I’m freaking out.” Sokka didn’t wait for an invitation, just pushed the door open further and walked inside. Y/N shut the door behind him, only to open it once again to scratching on the wood. Momo ran around Y/N’s legs and jumped onto her bed, making a spot for himself on one of the pillows. 

“This house is creepy. Can I sleep in here?” Sokka asked, looking at her hopefully.

“Yeah,” Y/N sighed. “But on the floor. I haven’t slept in a real bed in forever and I’m not about to give half of it up because you’re a scaredy cat-snake.” She tossed one of the spare blankets at the end of the bed at him and crawled under the covers. 

Sokka settled on the floor next to the bed and Y/N moved to the edge so she could look down at him. She rolled onto her stomach and dangled one of her hands down next to him. “Night, Sokka.” 

He grabbed it and intertwined their fingers. “Night, Y/N,” He yawned and snuggled his head into his pillow. 

Y/N waited until she could hear soft snores coming from him before she let her eyes fall heavy and drifted off to sleep.

---

“So, Hama seems suspicious to everyone else, right?” Sokka leaned on the counter in Hama’s kitchen while they unpacked the food she’d bought at the market. 

Katara exchanged a glance with Y/N who just smiled and shrugged. 

“She reminds me of Gran-Gran,” Katara said. 

“Didn’t you hear that comment that she made about us being ‘mysterious children’ before she left us to go run more errands?” 

Y/N burst out laughing. “Sokka, she found five kids camping in the woods last night. That’s strange, don’t you think?”

“If we’re so strange and mysterious, why did she let us come back to her house without her?” Sokka pressed.

Y/N looked to Katara for help. “I guess that is kind of weird…”

“Yeah! So let’s go have a look around!” 

The four of them followed Sokka as he picked his way upstairs peeking into every unlocked room along the way. 

“Sokka! What are you doing?” Katara exclaimed. 

“You shouldn’t go snooping around someone’s house!” Y/N echoed. She looked wildly to the front door, expecting Hama to be walking in on them wandering through her house at that moment. 

Sokka slid open another door and stepped inside. “It’s fine, you guys.”

“She could be home any minute,” Aang warned. Sokka ignored all of their protests and went deeper into the house. He came across a cabinet built into the wall. He began pulling on the handles but it wasn’t budging. Y/N against all better judgement nudged one of his hands away and began pulling on one of the doors to help him. 

Suddenly, the doors gave way and both of them stumbled backwards, Y/N falling to the floor. Katara was able to catch the dolls before they tumbled out. She quickly shoved them back into the cabinet and shut the doors but Y/N got a good look at what was in there. Puppets. And scary ones. 

“Okay, that’s pretty creepy,” Aang admitted as he helped Y/N back to her feet. 

“She has a hobby, what’s wrong with–Sokka, stop!” Katara jogged after her brother who was now climbing the steps to the attic. Toph, Y/N and Aang followed them and watched as Sokka yanked on the door handle. 

“If she’s so ordinary, why does she have a locked door?” Sokka demanded.

“Probably to keep people from snooping in her stuff!!” Katara was getting increasingly louder each time Sokka said something new, so if Hama didn’t know they were skulking around her house yet, she would now. 

“Guys, we still have time to go back downstairs and act like we weren’t looking through her stuff.” Y/N was trying to placate the siblings. She really didn’t want to get kicked out of the inn because Sokka’s curiosity got the best of them. That meant more sleeping in the woods. “Let’s just go and finish putting the groceries away–”

“Yes! I got it open!” Y/N watched Sokka sheath his sword that he had just used to pick the lock and she wondered why she even tried to be the voice of reason. 

Sokka picked up the box that was sitting in the middle of the empty room. “What do you think is in it?” He asked the group.

“Treasure!” 

“Toph, don’t encourage him,” Katara chastised. 

“It’s locked,” Sokka said with disappointment. “There’s got to be a key around here.”

“Here.” Toph took the meteorite bracelet off her arm and melded it into a key shape. Sokka handed her the box and she began wiggling the key inside the keyhole. 

Aang, who initially followed Sokka into the room, started inching back towards the door. “Guys, I don’t know about this…”

Katara joined him. “This is crazy. I’m leaving.” 

Y/N was caught somewhere in the middle of them. Both siblings stared her down, trying to work out who she was going to ultimately side with. On one hand she wanted to see what was in the mysterious locked box that sat in this locked room. Hama was weird and Y/N was naturally curious. Who knows what she would keep hidden away? On the other hand they were invading this woman’s privacy. Even if she was strange she had taken them in in an effort to protect them from the angry spirits kidnapping people, and if they betrayed the trust she’d given them they would be back to sleeping on the ground outside. 

Luckily, the choice was made for her. Y/N heard the pins click. 

“Got it,” Toph smirked and gave them a thumbs up. All five of them rushed around her, trying to get the first look at what was in the box, when once again, they were startled by a voice from behind. 

“I’ll tell you what’s in the box,” Hama stated. 

Y/N bit her lip and looked down, not willing to meet the woman’s eyes. Sokka held the box out guiltily in front of him. Hama opened the top and pulled out a comb. 

“This is my greatest treasure. The last thing I own from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe.”

---

“I’m excited for you to try Southern Water Tribe food.”

 Y/N looked up from where she was setting the table for dinner. Sokka was fiddling with a spoon, messing up what she had just set out. 

She giggled. “Excited? Why?” She slid the rest of the silverware towards him to finish and began working on setting out the plates. 

Sokka spun a fork in his hand before setting it down. He moved it around until it was more than perfectly straight, ignoring her question. The tips of his ears were turning red. Finally when he spoke, his voice was sheepish. “Maybe you can come visit me. You know, if you like it.” He didn’t meet her eyes. 

Y/N smiled. It was sweet that he was thinking of her, but he knew that just liking the food wouldn’t warrant a trip all the way to the South Pole, he wanted to know what was going to happen after the war. Y/N leaned across the table. “Even if I didn’t I’d still come visit you.”

---

Hama being a waterbender wasn’t surprising in the least to Y/N. The part that surprised Y/N–no, it was wrong to say that–the part that scared her the most, was that Hama then told them that the reason Katara had never met another waterbender from their tribe was because the Fire Nation had wiped them all out; stolen the waterbenders from their home.

Hearing the story Hama told about how she was the last waterbender to be captured, how she was led away in chains and taken to an awful prison, here in the Fire Nation, made Y/N want to cry. She wanted to cover her ears and leave the dining room so she didn’t have to know what her people had done to Hama. 

And Katara and Sokka. Y/N reminded herself. 

It was evil, what they had done. It was vile and Y/N felt sick about it. Oddly enough, as mad as those things made her–as awful as it felt to hear them–she welcomed the uncomfortable feeling it gave her. It reaffirmed that she was different. She had changed and that she was moving in the right direction. 

Something that also soothed her was that while Hama was speaking, Sokka noticed the bouncing of her knee under the table.

 Y/N always did it when she was nervous and what could make her more nervous than a woman sitting in front of her telling her story to all of Y/N’s friends about the viciousness of Y/N’s people. 

Sokka reached under the table and tapped her knee with one finger. She slowed her knee to a stop and looked down at her bowl filled with soup, not able to meet his eyes, or the eyes of anyone at the table. Sokka didn’t care, he grabbed her hand from her lap and rubbed comforting circles on the back of her knuckles. On one hand she was thankful for it, but that little voice in the back of her mind told her that she should be comforting them. They were the ones that had been wronged. She should be begging for their forgiveness. The back and forth of it all was beginning to become exhausting. 

---

Y/N caught Katara in the hallway before she retreated to her room. “Hey,” Y/N’s voice was quiet, even though it was just the two of them. It was the first private conversation they’d had since their fight a week ago. Y/N didn’t realize it would be so awkward. Especially, since before their friendship had been so effortless. 

“What’s up?”

Y/N was at a loss for words, she had been since dinner. She knew she wanted to say something to Katara, but now in the moment she couldn’t even remember what she had been thinking about. Y/N dug her big toe into the wood floor. “I guess I just wanted to say that I’m happy for you. Finding Hama was a blessing but then, you know, she turns out to be from your tribe and it’s just really amazing–sorry I’m rambling–” Y/N pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to get back on track. “I guess what I’m trying to say is you should learn everything she has to offer to you. You told me the other day that you wanted more, more than healing, more than the fighting you knew. This is an opportunity to connect with someone who is special to you in more than one way. I’m excited to hear what you get to learn.” Y/N ended with a small, noncommittal shrug and an embarrassed smile. 

Katara, however, was not embarrassed by Y/N’s awkwardness at all. She pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you, Y/N. It means so much to hear you say that.”

“I’ve missed talking to you,” Y/N mumbled into the other girl’s shoulder. 

“Me too.”

---

“I think you might be lying to me,” Sokka stated as Y/N walked ahead of him.

She jumped up to pull down a dangling leaf and turned back around to see his skeptical face looking back at her. “I swear! As we were walking to Hama’s the other night, I thought I smelled firelilies! If I can just find the trail we took maybe I could find the patch!” Y/N had been itching to do something all day. Being cooped up in Hama’s inn after weeks of traveling and doing anything they wanted was wearing thin on her patience. Evidently Sokka’s too. All Y/N had to do was ask for him to come with her and he’d jumped at the chance. 

“What’s so important about some flowers anyways?” He asked, catching up with her. 

“Nothing really I guess. I just haven’t seen any in forever and they only bloom in this really short window so if I miss them I’ll have to wait a whole year before I can see them again.” Of all the problems they’d come across as a group, this was by far the silliest, but firelilies were so pretty. “Ooh, wait! I think I can smell them.” Y/N stuck her nose in the air and inhaled deeply. There was just the hint of a sweet aroma that reminded her of home. 

Sokka sniffed next to her. “I don’t smell anything.”

“Come on!” Y/N took off running, every now and then sniffing the air like Momo did when they would cook dinner. And then there it was. And it was much bigger than just a patch, it was a whole field of firelilies. “I told you!” She socked Sokka in the arm and ran off into the field. 

---

Sokka found her sitting in the middle, surrounding herself with the flowers. She reached for one and picked it, holding it up for Sokka. “Aren’t they pretty?” 

“You’re prettier.” 

Y/N rolled her eyes and smiled. She tucked the stem of the one flower she had picked behind her ear and patted the ground next to her. “Come sit.”

“Since I called you pretty, does that mean I get a kiss?” Sokka sat and smiled cheekily. 

Y/N hummed in thought. “Can I braid your hair?” 

Sokka furrowed his eyebrows. “If I say yes do I get to kiss you then?” 

“Maybe!” Y/N said brightly. She moved to kneel behind him and pulled out his wolf tail. She raked her fingers through his hair before starting to braid close to his hairline. “I really appreciate you guys,” She said quietly. 

“What do you–” Sokka moved his head to turn and look at Y/N but she grabbed the sides of it and forced it to stay forward. 

Her deft hands moved halfway through the braid before she spoke again. “After everything you’ve heard about what we’ve done to you. None of you think of me differently. You look at me the same–well, I guess Toph doesn’t.” Y/N laughed quietly. 

“You say ‘we’ like you’re still part of the Fire Nation. Y/N, you don’t still think that you’re like them, do you?”

Her hands lingered on the last bit of Sokka’s hair. “I am Fire Nation. I was just like them, Sokka. For a long time. It’s hard to separate who I was before and who I am now, because they’re almost the same person.” She tied off his wolf tail. 

Y/N rested her hands on his shoulders and stared out into the sea of red. “After hearing Hama’s story, hearing what my people did to your people, I’m just surprised you can look at me; let alone come out here and sit in a field of firelilies or let me braid your hair,”– Y/N ran a finger down the center of the braid–”or say you want to kiss me.” 

When she finally sat back down she noticed Sokka’s face was crestfallen. “I don’t care that you’re from the Fire Nation,” He stressed. “You didn’t do any of those things.”

Y/N let her head fall back. She closed her eyes and felt the sun warm her face. “I know. I do. I’m just so ashamed of it.”

Soft lips pressing against hers made Y/N crack open her eyes. “One of these days you’re gonna understand how we can’t hate you for things you haven’t done.” Sokka shook his head in disbelief. 

What about the things I have done? Y/N wanted to ask. Instead, she stayed silent and licked her lips, the taste of Sokka’s still lingering long after he was gone. 

---

“I want everyone to know–” Y/N panted “–that I do not like this plan.”

“We know!” Toph yelled from in front of her. Y/N wished she had seismic senses, Toph ran gracefully over the dark forest floor while the other three of them tripped over roots every other step. 

Y/N sword thudded heavily between her shoulder blades, that and the darkness of the night flashed terrifying images behind her eyes. All she could do to keep herself from having a full on breakdown was focus on the ties of Aang’s headband flying in front of her. 

She could tell they were getting higher into the mountain; the ground was getting steeper and the trees were thinning out, the moon lighting their way. They ran until they came to the mouth of a cave. 

Y/N squinted into it. “I can’t see anything.”

“That’s why you have me.” Toph grabbed Y/N’s hand in her much smaller one. Y/N reached for Sokka’s and then they were running again, except this time she was relying on the girl next to her to tell her when to jump or dodge a rock in her path, because otherwise it was pitch black. 

They spent so long running through the dark that when they saw light again, it burned Y/N’s eyes. In front of them was a reinforced metal door. Toph made quick work of it, folding it into a ball as easily as one could a piece of paper. Down a short, rocky corridor was a cavern with high ceilings. Y/N stopped cold when she saw them; inside the cavern were ten, maybe twenty people chained up to the rocks. The worry on their faces was quickly replaced with relief when they saw the four of them enter. 

“We’re saved!” One of the men shouted.

“I didn’t know spirits made prisons like this,” Aang muttered to no one in particular. 

“It was no spirit who brought us here, it was a witch,” Another man said. 

“It’s a old woman!” A woman spoke up. Toph began unlocking her chains with her makeshift key. “She looks harmless but…”

Y/N’s heart stopped. Hama. That’s why she was out in the woods and that why–

“Hama!” Sokka growled next to her. “I knew there was something off about her.”

“You guys, Katara is with her!” Y/N yelped.

A look of fear passed through Aang’s eyes. “We have to stop her!”

--- 

The guilt was crushing Y/N’s chest as she ran with Sokka and Aang to find Katara in the woods. Toph had stayed behind to free all of the people Hama had captured but she would be on their tails soon. Y/N felt so bad. Sokka had known something was up and she had totally disregarded what he had said, even encouraged Katara to go out with Hama! Y/N should have known. If people were going missing from the woods, why was Hama out there alone two nights ago! 

Just off in the distance, Y/N could see Hama and Katara squaring off. Katara knocked the old woman to her knees and she was just rising as the three of them ran up.

“Give up! You’re outnumbered, Hama.” Aang shouted. 

“No,” she said sinisterly. “You’ve outnumbered yourselves.” 

Y/N’s whole body tensed as her legs went numb. She slowly marched forward even though she was desperately trying to stop. By the looks of Aang and Sokka next to her, whatever was happening to her, was happening to them too. 

Y/N gasped as her arm reached back and pulled out her sword. “No! What’s happening?!” She swung at Katara but was pushed away by a blob of water before she could even get close. Y/N’s movements were stiff and she teetered over like a falling tree but whatever was controlling her muscles had her standing back up in an instant. 

Over her shoulder, Y/N could hear Katara dealing with Aang, but Y/N was more concerned with what was in front of her. Y/N’s arm straightened, pointing her sword right at Sokka’s undefended chest; his own sword dangling from the tip of his fingers.

His eyes widened just a fraction. “Y/N…”

“I–I can’t stop it!” She sobbed. Y/N fought against her own body so forcefully that she thought she was going to break her arm. It was futile, her arm drew back in what would be a deadly blow, and Y/N had no say whatsoever in it. Y/N was going to kill Sokka. Her nightmares were coming true right in front of her. She did the only thing that she could think of; called out for the only person she knew could come to her aid. 

“Katara, help!” Y/N screamed. She squeezed her eyes shut. If this was going to happen she couldn’t watch it. She’d die before watching herself kill someone she loved. Just as her arm swung down, Y/N regained control. Y/N twisted her wrist and stabbed her sword straight into the dirt. She fell onto her hands and knees, her legs no longer able to hold her up. 

Y/N looked up in horror to see that Hama’s body was contorting just as hers had been seconds earlier. Hama fought it, but much like Y/N, it was useless. She glared at someone behind Y/N. A shudder rolled through Y/N’s body when she turned to see Katara’s determined face as she used her bending on Hama. 

Y/N didn’t move from her spot. She watched from her knees as Hama was led away in chains by her previous captives, sputtering drivel about how Katara had betrayed her culture by saving the little Fire Nation girl. Y/N was enraged. Most of her anger was directed at herself. She’d become complacent, she’d allowed even welcomed Hama into their lives and hurt Katara by doing it, judging by the crying she could hear behind her. Y/N had encouraged Katara to learn from her without even knowing this woman. The way Hama had used Katara, well, Y/N thought this might have been one time she wouldn’t have been afraid to use her sword on someone. 

Over and over Y/N had proven to herself that she was the worst judge of character. When would she learn that trust was earned and not given freely to every person who asked for it? 

---

A/N: because I always feel like I have to give a reason of why I do what I do, I know Sokka and Y/N hold hands in like every single scene together but I feel like they’re both young enough that 1) they feel like they have to show each other affection in some type of way and 2) it’s also really grounding for them? Sokka’s love language is touch (fight me if you think otherwise) and Y/N likes that he likes it/while also using it as a tool to calm herself in frightening or upsetting moments :)

Taglist: @myexgirlfriendisthemoon @reclusive-chicken-nugget @astroninaaa @aangsupremacy @beifongsss @crownofcryptids @welovediaaxx @littlefluu @lozzybowe @thebluelcdy @ohjustlookalive @sugarmoongey​ @fanficdepot​ @teenbiology​ @13-09-01​ @riespage​ @davnwillcome​ @naanlianid​ @creation-magician​ @lunariasilver​ @vintagerose1014516 @bcifcng​ @rockinearthbending-marauders​ @francesciak​ @thia-aep​ @aphrcditeee​ @milk-n-cheese​ @solarsuki​ @sendnuwudes @humbleseame​ @my--shitty--art​ @lovingcupcake51002​ @loganrwebb​ @celia-not-cecilia​ @treestarrrrrrrr​ @p--e--a--c--h--e--s​@velveteencurls @izzieserra​ @oddment-nitwit-blubber-tweak @salsasadd​ @nataliahaslosthershit​ @awkwardnesshabitat​ @lanie103​ @emogril​ @im-the-galactic-starfish​ @charlotteisabella @alienmotel​ @smarshere​ @crxsshatcht @starxtt @sugamonster22​ @natsbelova​ @mellisophilia​ @calumsfringe​ @whatsuphoesandbros​ @samsmultifandomblogs​ @ask-kfc-siblings @i-love-superhero​ @justasukisimp​ @grouchiest-hufflepuff​ @zukostan221​ @feverish-dove​ @catchingrhythm​ @zuko-and-sokkas-simp​ @euphoricmads​ @ivetoldamillionlies​ @fanficsformyperusal​ @mikxyu​ @someonekeepstakingmyusernames​ @earthtokace​ @bison-whistle​ @justamessandahalf​ 

[mickylikesstuff]

Status Online: Chapter 4: Blood Sky

Previous

Next

Masterlist

----------------------------------------

FLOOR1

AINCRAD

----------------------------------------

The Last bell rang throughout the floor and clouds are pushed by the strong wind at dusk.

Gamers in Sword Art Online are all gathered in the plaza in the <<Town of Beginnings>>. Confusion and panic fill the hearts of the gamers within the area as they cannot exit the Plaza. Akuma no Midori just finished taking down a hidden starter’s quest that was the << Herald of the Wolves>>, much of his surprise he was unexpectedly teleported to the <<Town Plaza>>. At first, He was expecting an intervention for taking down a hidden quest early, but why is the whole gaming population of SAO here? Akuma Damian somehow unconsciously holds his weapon under the black cloak he acquired

Red Valkyrie on the other hand has a sense of uncomfortable nostalgia. Max’s Akuma was like this. Yet she did not sense magic or a strong malice intent, Hawkmoth received his punishment that ended the terror of Paris 3 years ago. Valkyrie snaps out of her thoughts and begins to look for Pico and Lavender. Her head clear and breathe steadied, Ladybug Valkyrie begins to look for the siblings among the thick crowd, clutching the sword at hand.

Suddenly their world turns blood red. The once orange sky filled with red hexagons that have the stamped {WARNING} sigils in them. These shapes surrounded the plaza like a dome and then merge into a singularity, but what terrifies the gamers most is the gigantic looming thing that is above all of them. From the Red sigils came a red creature that somehow got into the dome and transformed into a singularity. From the blood slimy creature turned into a grim reaper. The titanic humanoid figure that is robed in red, and face unseen hovered the thousands of people

A booming deep voice sounded the place.

< Attention, Players. Welcome to my world. >

Red Valkyrie turned pale as she had an idea of what is happening. She can’t move in fear and shock, she can only be frozen stiff of what the looming figure says next.

< My name is Kayaba Akihiko. >

< As this moment, I am the only person who can control this world. >

Akuma gazes up to the creator of this world, Damian did not meet Kayaba Akihiko before. Yet his greeting seems something off…

Gamers are whispering to each other as the man Kayaba sends his greetings.

< I’m sure you’ve already noticed that the log out button is missing from your main menu screen >

< I assure you, It is not a defect >

“~We’re trapped here, no it can’t be…~” Akuma quickly turned to the woman who spoke French. That voice… she … wait her words hit him as he remembered Dick’s warning earlier. He watches the tears fell from the other gamer beside him as her face froze in fear. But if what she concludes is true then… This is bad.

Anxiety attack, she is having an attack. What kind of trauma can this event trigger her? ‘I have to calm her down before she does something stupid’

< I repeat. There is no bug >

< This is the feature of Sword Art Online >

“~Please no. Not again~” Akuma can’t stop himself from holding the weaponed arm of the gamer beside him in a steady firm grip. “Miss, you need to calm down and wake up. Please”. He goes to block her sight of Kayaba and starts rubbing her arms, hoping that will snap her out of it.

< You cannot log out of SAO yourselves >

“Miss… Red Valkyrie Wake up!”

Marinette untangled herself from her headspace and looked at the man in front of her. It is his green cool eyes that made her realize a hooded man is holding her steady. Mar Red Valkyrie lets go of the sword she is holding and collapses to the man. Her legs bucked down like they lost their strength and she tried to calm down by taking steady breaths.

< And no one on the outside can shut down your nerve gear >

< Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the nerve gear will act as a powerful microwave, >

< Destroying the brain, ending your life >

.

“HAHA, dude you know April fools is over right”

“What a terrible prank”

“Fix the bug already!”

.

The people are in denial trying to counter that that is a prank and waving off Kayaba’s words. Some try to leave the plaza, but its exits are blocked. Klein tried to deny such a claim, but Kirito only confirmed that the existence of the Internal Battery of the Nerve gear can fry them to their death.

< Unfortunately, several players’ friends and families have already ignored this warning  >

< And attempted to remove the Nerve Gear. >

< As a result, a whole 213 players are forever gone >

< From Aincrad and the Real World >

.

News reports floated around the plaza for everyone to see:

.

<[Beaking News: Killer game]>

<[Where is Kayaba Akihiko]>

<[Game to Death Battles!]>

<[2 Players killed by Death game]>

<[200/10,000 Death and Rising from Sword art Online]>

.

“Tch. Bastard!” The Green-eyed man holding Red Valkyrie exclaimed as he seems to sink in into the situation. Eyes filled with condemnation and his body is shaking in rage, He holds Valkyrie tight. When she looked at Kayaba, news reports that are published about the deaths because of the nerve gear. 'Father, please be safe...'

“Calm Down” She tried to help him. She looked at his ID. ‘Ironic, an Akuma is trying to help me this time’ “Midori no Akuma-san, CALM DOWN.” She commanded him. That in turn made Dami Akuma looked at her, and closed his eyes to compose himself.

.

< As you can see, News organizations from across the world are picking up on this, and are reporting the death totals >

< Thus, It’s safe to assume that the danger of your nerve gear being removed is quite small >

< I do hope you’ll relax and attempt to finish the game. >

.

When Akuma calmed down, He let go of Valkyrie. Steps away from her a little once he is sure that she is all right. He was ashamed that in turn, he needed her back then. The woman then slowly grabs his hand and interwinds their fingers. She looks at him straight in the eye, no longer held with fear but a gaze of a warrior replaced with experience as she analyzes the reports floating around the plaza. He wishes that he was surprised at her actions but he must have been tired to take his hand back. All he can do is to follow her gaze.

.

< Its important that you remember this clearly >

< There is no longer a method to revive someone within the game. >

< If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be lost forever. And spontaneously, >

< The Nerve Gear will destroy your brain. >

.

“It’s a Death game now” “A bastardized survival of the fittest” Akuma and Valkyrie spoke together. They knew as hero/vigilante that their line of work is by far a death sentence, but in these elements, they cannot control anything. Damian has no contact with his family and team. Marinette took off her miraculous. With their chances that Cass and Kagami can call their families and friend to help them out.

“Even pro gamers die in the games. The chances of everyone’s survival are slim to none” Valkyrie said the situation is now heavier. “This is our life now? Are we just dolls for this monster!?” Akuma now wants this man to suffer after what he pulled.

.

< There is only one means of escape. >

< COMPLETE THE GAME >

.

The whole plaza fell silent and listens to Kayaba’s words. ‘Complete what now?!’

.

< You are now presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1 >

< If you make your way through each dungeon and defeat its floor boss, you can advance to the next level. >

< Beat the final Boss on the 100th floor, and you will have cleared the last hurdle. >

.

“Clear a hundred Floors? That’s impossible. The Beta-testers never made it anywhere close to that!” a Red head man spoke among the crowd. Akuma now notices Kirito behind them. He pushes to the crowd, approaching the other Beta-tester. When He reaches to his student, “Kirirto!” Akuma called. Kirito in turn in relief to hear her mentor’s voice.

“Sen- eh…Akuma-san” Kirito and the Red-head now see two gamers approaching them. Did Akuma-san bring a friend? The woman seems to be confused. “Are you alright?” Kirito asked.

“No” Akuma answers. Yup this is sensei.

Red Valkyrie is drag by the man among the crowd to what it seems like his friends. “Will you please, Let my arm go” She spoke up. Akuma blinked at the woman then he noticed his hand holding hers and deliberately lets her go. “Where are the others?” Akuma questioned Kirito. “I haven’t seen them from the start” Kirito answered is in a grim expression.

.

< Finally, I’ve added a present to your item storage, from me. Please see for yourselves. >

.

All the Gamers are now opening their [Inbox storage] and what they saw is a... "A mirror?” Kirito questioned. Voicing the thoughts of all the players. Akuma is skeptical, he handles the mirror and looks that the woman. She is just as curious as he is.

Then suddenly the redhead glowed blue and shines in a blinding light.

“KLEIN!”

“GET BACK! KIRITO!”

Akuma instinctively grabs Valkyrie and Kirito and uses his cloak to protect the three of them, despite their protest. But it turns out that all of them are glowing and somehow changing? All of them closed their eyes until the light is gone.

“What’s happening!”

“Your Glowing, I’m GLOWING!”

“WAAAHHHH!!!”

All the gamers glowed until the light died out. Revealing people in different avatars or more likely their real appearances.

“Are you alright, Kirito?” Klien approached the Big man that took Kirito and that lovely lady. Under the man-Midori no Akuma’s cloak is Kirito and Red Valkyrie well… based on their IDs who are both adjusting their eyes. They looked at Klein but is not really Klein. His previously long red hair is now short and he has a goatee.

“Y-Yeah…Who are you?” Kirito is sure that he heard Klein’s voice but who is this? And why is his voice turned higher? Didn’t he change the settings?

“And who are you?” the not Klein asked too. Kirito then looks at the Mirror. His face… His IRL Face, not the custom avatar is showing. He became smaller and lanky, his hair is shorter and his eyes are wider than the olive-shaped eyes he had.

“And you guys are?” Kirito looked where Klein is looking at. “That’s Akuma’s ID…” Kirito now sees the changes. Well, subtle changes. Akuma-san is exotic, to say the least… Now lean muscled, and big about 6ft. His green eyes became more vibrant, is it even possible to have sharper eyes? His skin is dark and his hair chopped short. He does not have his scar on his face anymore.

His Friend, on the other hand, has changed a lot, Klein has to gaze at her ID twice “Red Valkyrie-san?” as he checked on her. She lost her pink hair and now she has long black hair that flows to her back. She looks Eurasian, Big blue eyes, slender yet muscled too, she lost a couple of inches.

The two adults looked at their mirrors, they are now at their changed avatars. The gamers are now scared and confused about what happened. Surprise and resignation wash her as Valkyrie takes a deep breath. Akuma doesn’t really care about his appearance. But under his clothes, he is worried about another thing. ‘Can they scan my scar?’

“Which means…”

“You’re Kirito?”  "You’re Klein?”

Both the boys now realize what happened. “But, How?” Yet Klein is now really confused.

“That scan… The NerveGear covers your entire head with a high-density signal device, So it can see what you look like.” Kirito started to explain. “But our body shape…”

Klein continues “When we first used the NerveGear, we have to calibrate it, right? You have to touch your whole body all over."

“O-oh right, that must be where it got the data.”

“But... But… Why? What the hell’s the point of all this?” Klein tries to concentrate and come up with an answer but with all the changes and revelations, he wants to keep up.

“I’m sure he’ll tell us.” Kirito points the grim

Akuma and Valkyrie gaze at Kayaba in such hatred. ‘I won’t back down to a Hawkmoth wanna be!’ ‘I’ll get you for this!’

.

< Right now, you’re probably wondering why I’ve done this. >

< “Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online go such lengths?” >

< My goal has already been achieved.>

< I created Sword Art Online for one reason...To create a world and play with it.>

.

“Kayaba” Kirito grounded himself. In his anger, he gripped his fist tight.

.

< And Now, it is complete. >

< This is ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch >

< I wish you all the best of luck. >

.

And at the end of the message, Kayaba disappeared in red smoke through the gaps of the sigils above. After that, the sigils disappeared. The dusk shines on the plaza once more.

Time stands still to the frozen crowd. Their mind is racing in thoughts of their family, friends, love-ones, their priorities, and their jobs. All players are equal on this floor that starts at 250HP, If they have carelessly done stupid and make the wrong decisions they will… DIE!

.

.

.

This isn’t a game anymore...

This is real, this is reality…

A simple strike will kill me.

A poison will end me.

When I Die Here, I Die for real!

.

.

.

After they realize what they have done... Panic and chaos ensued

They started wailing, cursing, begging they have done it all.

And nothing changes.

.

“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

“LET ME OUT!!”

“I HAVE A FAMILY! Let me go!”

“I have a meeting after this!’

“NO NO NO NO NO !!!!”

.

In the crowd, Akuma, Valkyrie, Klein, and Kirito acted fast. When the barrier is broken down, The beta-testers took their partners and ran towards the exit. Away from the mob and panicking people.

“Come with us, Now!” Akuma places his hand on Valkyrie’s shoulder and gestures to follow him. There is something about the Red Valkyrie that made him pay attention to her. At least let him try little to guide her.

“Alright.” Valkyrie follows him as the four of them sprinted out the Plaza. She might be in trouble taking a stranger’s hand. Yet it felt right and somehow made her safe and sweeps her off beyond the disorder.

-------------------------------

Running out of the marketplace and she cannot help herself to leap from stall to stall, use railings and streetlights to launch herself, and uses the roofs to gain more ground. Jumping, rolling, sliding, grappling and other actions help her think. When she concentrates on her actions her thoughts follow that makes no room to be distracted by fear and distress. Parkour, is somehow an effective therapy that made Marinette Dupain-Cheng less a target from Hawkmoth’s influence.

‘That was interesting. So, Kayaba did successfully make a VR world into reality. After he created the Cardinal System, he used the beta-testers to report for configurations, glitches, and repairs in the system. Does the if the system…’ She thought as leaped to another roof. ‘The system must also be self-updating, thus the progress of each gamers’ account is not easily erased’. ‘If survival is what we need then we have to be stronger, Wait ... we?’. Red Valkyrie pauses on a street where the man- Akuma also stopped in front of her.

In this quiet intersection, she is alone with a man, ' a handsome man... Bad Marinette! SNAP OUT OF IT '  She's not sure if she can blush in the game but she would be completely flustered at the closeness of this giant that is looking down on her.

Akuma is looking at her with indifferent eyes, yet his voice dripped in curiosity. “That was an interesting run. ~ Mademoiselle  ~” The man said. His brow was raised as he fully looked at her once again.

Previous Next Masterlist

[mavda]

Beast Tamers

Ch.1 |  Ch.2 | Ch.3 | Ch.4(1) | Ch.4(2) | Ch.5(1) | Ch.5(2) | Ch.5(3) | Ch.5(4) | Ch.6(1) | Ch.6(2) | Ch.6(3) | Ch.7(1) | Ch.7(2) | Ch.7(3) | Ch.7(4) | Ch.7(5) |

Ch.8: Without you (1)

Hinata keeps her head pressed to Naruto, and after a while everyone starts to leave. Whispers and hushed voices are all Hinata hears before a hand comes to her shoulder.

    “Lady Hinata,” calls Lord Minato, and she knows what comes.

    “I am s-staying with my h-husband.”

    She doesn’t need to look at his face to know that there is sympathy in his eyes. And she knows she doesn’t want to see it for herself. It will make this all feel… real.

    “We need to clean his body,” he starts again. His voice measured and soft, as if he was trying to make her understand.

    And Hinata does understand. They want to keep her away from what they seem to think of as a burden, but the thought of leaving Naruto now just fills her with dread. She rises, but keeps her hands on Naruto’s body.

    “I will c-clean him u-up.”

    “My lady.”

    “W-will you leave him h-here… or will you b-bring him to our r-room?”

    She finally looks at Lord Minato, and wishes immediately after that she didn’t. Sakura looked bad, but somehow Lord Minato looks worse. His burnt marks are bigger and less healed than Sakura’s, but it’s the way his body sags, the way his eyes seem to be filled with something Hinata has never seen before. Something Hinata didn’t think she would see so soon. 

    Resignation. 

    She can’t bring herself to ask anything, she can’t bring herself to say anything either. And Lord Minato seems to catch onto that, as he closes his eyes with a sigh and gives her a smile Hinata hates. 

    He looks at his son. “We will move him to your room, my lady, I will leave him in your care, thank you very much.” He gives her a bow, steals a glance at Naruto and attempts to leave.

    Hinata grabs the sleeve of his kimono before she realizes she did it. “Wha-what happened?”

    Lord Minato has to control his expression, and Hinata knows that is not a good sign, but she has to know. Needs to know. He looks around the room, to find no one else around aside from Sai and although a little, his mask breaks. 

    And Hinata is terrified.

    “I…” his voice trembles and he can’t seem to know where to lay his eyes. “I just shut him down.” 

    Hinata can’t understand what he seems to imply, so she presses. “L-lord Gaara…”

    The name seems to strike a chord in Lord Minato, who brings his fist to his closed eyes. “I sealed him. Correctly. I had the time and his seal is comparatively easier to handle… Naruto…” he struggles with his words, drags his fist down, “we lost too much time, we tried going back to where we left you and by the time we were there we caught Naruto losing control down at the arena and the fifth tail was forming so we had to… I had to shut everything down.”

    Hinata lets her hand fall. It’s not only the words he’s saying, it’s the way his voice is tinged with a desperation she has never heard before that makes her unable to talk. 

    “He-” Minato keeps on talking, egged on by Hinata’s attitude. If he can only give her some sort of peace of mind… mend somewhat what he has done. “He will wake up,” he assures, “it’s just…” 

    Minato closes his mouth immediately, trying to control the tremble that threatens to take over him. He knows… he has known since forever that his son lives on borrowed time, that it’s a fact that he will have to bury him first -going against every natural law-, he has been adamant into searching and trying whatever he stumbles upon that can give Naruto one second more, just one second...

    He has deluded himself, too. 10 years, 12 years, 8 years. Numbers, only numbers he has seen and repeated and tried to turn up and around in search of lengthening them, make them disappear. 10 years, 8 years. Numbers he somehow took for granted. At least that amount of time. At least not next year, or the year after, or the next. Some time. 

    This was not supposed to go like this.

    He is crying, so he brings his sleeve to his face, tries his best to hide this. But it’s useless, he knows. 

She knows.

    “I have sent message to my master, Naruto’s godfather,” his voice trembles slightly and breaks more than he wishes, but he continues, because he needs some time alone. “He has been travelling around looking and searching for ways to help Naruto. I’m hoping… I’m hoping he will bring something useful this time.”

    Minato worries Hinata will keep her head down. He wants for her to keep her head down and spare him the guilt. 

    She doesn’t look at him, but stares at the floor in front of her. No tears.

    “I... understand.”

⁂⁂⁂

Hinata does not move from Naruto’s side. So it’s only through the people who visit that she knows that Lord Gaara has awoken and is fine. 

    Lord Minato has taken a look at his seal, Sakura has taken a look at his body. Aside from the obvious stress of his seal being forced open, he’s fine. He’s fine and is currently attending a meeting with Lord Minato and Shikamaru behind closed doors. 

    Temari and Kankuro find their way to her room and stand behind her as she sits there, unmoving and with Naruto’s hand clasped between hers. 

    She knows how she must look to others. Can guess what is going on through their heads, as they let silence fall all around them. If they were any other people, maybe Hinata would have let them stay there and not say anything, kept to herself. 

    But these are Lord Gaara’s siblings. So she closes her eyes, gathers her strength.

    “I am glad… Lord Gaara is all r-right.”

    Her words break a spell she didn’t know was there. The siblings move closer and sit near Naruto’s feet. They remain composed and polite and Temari brings down her head first, followed by Kankuro.

    “We have already given our thanks to Lord Minato and to Sakura. If it could make anything better we would bow our heads to every single member of the clan, but Lord Shikamaru has told us to keep things under wraps as much as possible.” Hinata can’t look at them, so she keeps her eyes glued to the floor in front of Temari’s knees. “The Sand will not forget this debt, Lady Hinata.” Temari’s voice is laced with such appreciation that Hinata can’t ignore the obvious care they share for their brother. Which is why she feels worse for even entertaining the idea of what could have happened if Lord Minato had stayed with them in Naruto's booth. 

    It didn’t happen. 

    She shouldn’t feel bad for a thought. But she can’t help the shame that fills her and she is only capable of whispering an answer. “I… understand.” 

    Her reply is soft and weak and obviously not all that honest, so Temari brings her head even lower, “We will find ourselves useful, Lady Hinata, I swear.”

    Hinata doesn’t know if it’s the way she delivered her speech with such passion or if it’s the fact that Hinata just can’t let go of the envy instilled in her heart, but she feels unworthy of these words. “T-thank you, T-temari.”

    Temari looks apologetic still, and Hinata fears she will talk again. Show her resolve in some other way Hinata can’t truly accept at this moment. But they say their thanks again, softer this time and leave after a couple of minutes of being silent. 

    Hinata is left with Naruto. His body is fine, it’s his seal again that’s causing problems. He will wake up, it is not a wish nor a dream, it’s a fact. 

    What worries them is that they just don’t know how he will feel or react after he’s woken. Lord Minato worries the seal will weaken and that they will need to tamper with it again, after being reinforced so soon. 

He also thinks the only reason the seal was able to endure this whole ordeal is because it had been reinforced just before being put to the test. 

Sai sits next to her after what seems like mere minutes, but he offers her food and beverages with an attitude that pleads for her to accept, so it must be way past dinner. 

It feels like no time has passed at all. Hinata has to force the food down. It feels like cotton being shoved inside her mouth, unsavory and with a weird texture, but she knows she must eat. She wants to be healthy. She wants for Naruto to wake up and see her and not worry about her. 

She eats every little thing on her plate, drinks every drop of liquid on her glass, and then brings her hand to Naruto’s body once again. 

Lady Mito arrives in the room with a rush of wind that Hinata ignores. It’s only when she comes closer and sits that Hinata steals a glance at the new guest. She bows to Lady Mito, straightens and follows as she moves to Naruto's other side. 

She doesn't really know how to comfort a sad grandmother. But she tries, "Lord Minato s-said he w-will wake up."

Lady Mito sits on the floor, brings her hand to brush away Naruto's bangs with a care that's impossible to ignore. 

"He w-will wake u-up."

Lady Mito looks at her with sad eyes, and Hinata realizes that her reassurance could be understood as her own wishes. Her own way of coping. 

She realizes she's been repeating those words like a mantra inside her head.

She brings her eyes to Naruto's face. Clean now, but full of burnt marks Sakura has done her best to heal but can't make disappear only with her techniques. The wounds brought by the Beast will have to heal with a mixture of old fashioned nursing and healing chakra.

Lady Mito cups her grandson's cheek and Hinata fears she may want some alone time. "D-do you need to b-be alone with h-him?"

Lady Mito raises her eyes to Hinata and then gives her a tight smile. "No, don't worry, please." She doesn't miss the way Hinata's hand tightens around Naruto's or the way her shoulders relax at her words. 

Lady Mito feels horrible. And seeing her grandson's wife so affected does nothing to alleviate her guilt. 

There is little she could have done. There is little she can do right now. But it's not the things she can do now that plague her mind, it's what could have been. 

"I'm always late when bad things happen," she whispers. 

It's an afterthought. Something she never meant to say out loud. But somehow Hinata looks at her without understanding anything and Mito feels compelled to talk. To share her story in hopes of someone finally acknowledging the wrong she has done to her own family. 

"When my daughter died I was, much like today, far away in a meeting," Sai stands from his spot near the door and walks out. Hinata doesn't notice. "I came back to a dead daughter and the Beast sealed inside my grandson."

She brings her lips together and realizes they're trembling. There will never be a time when the pain doesn't reach her when talking about the past. "I… we couldn't do much in fear of the seal breaking and hurting Naruto… killing Naruto, so we waited." 

And waited, and waited. Year after year of her asking Minato if now they could, and if not now then maybe next year. And then the next. And then...

"Naruto was 11 when the seal settled enough for it to be tampered with." Still a child who craved hugs, still a sweet boy who had trouble with the red chakra that sometimes seeped out of him. "I wanted the Beast to be sealed within me then, got Minato's approval. I told Naruto, thinking that he would agree immediately…" maybe she should have forced it to happen. "He just looked me in the eye and said ‘but it hurts, Grandma Mito, why would you want that?’"

She takes a few seconds to herself. She will not cry. This is not about her. "I just… I tried to explain to him that I could take the pain away, but he has always been quick to pick on things, and his training as Beast Tamer had already started… we thought he had to be ready… for anything. So a few days later he came to me, took my hands between his and asked me if I would die if we went through with it. I told him the truth, the fool. I should have lied. I should have…" 

Lady Mito wipes away the stray tears that have fallen and despises them. Abhors them. "’The Beast is mine’, he said, ‘and I will not pass it to anyone ever.’" 

Naruto lies there, hurt and unconscious and she sits there beside him doing nothing. Able to do nothing. Like always. 

"I begged, kneeled and prostrated myself before him, but he didn't budge. If anything, he became more stubborn… if only I could do something for him…”

Lady Mito’s voice breaks and Hinata can feel the tears falling down her face. What wouldn't she give for Naruto to be freed from this. And now, right now, when she is burdened by his absence and the pain the situation inflicts on her, with the laments of his own grandmother right in front of her, Hinata can feel frustration rising inside. 

 "You are his g-grandmother," she whispers. It’s an accusation and a justification both at once, and Hinata inhales sharply the moment she finishes what she said, realizing she’s letting her emotions get the better of her. 

It seems at first that her words weren’t heard, thank heavens, and they sit in silence. But then Lady Mito sits straighter, serious, "It's because I am his grandmother,” she whispers. And Hinata has to bite down her lower lip to keep herself from losing her composure.

Hinata remembers Naruto's hand on her face, his breath washing over her as he just told her, matter of fact, 'she's my grandma. I love her.'

So simple, and so unfair. 

He will never give the Beast to his grandmother. Hinata squeezes his hand and hopes for him to wake up soon.

She misses him.

[imaginationofacrazyfangirl]

{Metanoia}

Pairing: Jungkook x female reader, Older brother! Jimin x Reader, Hoseok x reader

*8k- ongoing

Genre: Enemies to lovers, childhood friends, major misunderstandings

Warnings: Thigh riding, Fingering, Oral (male receiving) 

Summary: The first time you meet Jungkook, he pushes you off the slide. Second time he calls you ugly. After that things continue spiraling downwards: he cuts your dolls’ heads off, tells everyone you’re a freak at school, spreads malicious rumors; Jungkook’s sole purpose in life is tormenting you. So why five years later is he insisting you two belong together?

Based on a prompt request  by @bangtaened-army​ turned fic. Sorry bangtaened-army for the wait, and the fact that I still haven’t touched the original requested prompt..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  "I can't believe you would do this to me, Jiminie. After everything I have ever done for you. " you hiss into the phone. Your low voice does little not to garner the nosy looks of other people awaiting their luggage. Despite it being two am at an airport people never tired of drama, and you plotting the murder of your older brother could feed a whole TV show. See Jimin was supposed to pick you at the baggage claim. Keywords supposed to. However, instead of being greeted by your annoying yet lovable sibling you were greeted by someone just plain annoying. 

    "You're being dramatic, (Y/N). I sent Jungkook to pick you up, not Ted Bundy." Jimin replies dryly. Even through the phone you can tell he is rolling his eyes at you. He never understood your hatred towards Jungkook. To him, the dark haired boy is a sweet innocent boy who could do no wrong but you know better. The devil lives inside Jungkook. 

   "I would've preferred the serial killer. At least he'd be less of an ass-" Jungkook grabs the phone from your hand purposely shifting away so you can't take it back. Not that it makes much difference. Even if he was facing you, you would have to jump to reach him.  "Hey man, it's me. Yeah, I know she's a pain but I'll bring her home. No don't worry about it I'm used to it by now. "

    You roll your eyes at this. "Used to it by now," once again everyone sees you as the problem, not Jungkook. Forget the fact he tortured you all throughout childhood. Or that he's the reason everyone bullied you throughout high school.  "Here, you going to behave now or throw another tantrum?" Jungkook asks, hanging back your phone. 

    Immediately you snatch it from his hands clutching it close to your chest. "Never take my phone out of my hand again. You hear me, Jeon?!"

   "Then stop acting like a child and we won't have a problem." Jungkook snarks, arms folded over his chest as he looked down upon you as a parent would. 

    "Fuck you, Jeon! I'll find my own way home." You snap spinning around on your heels. 

     However before you can even take a step, caveman Jungkook throws you over his shoulders. He smacks your ass undoubtedly grinning as he does so. "Alright princess, enough playing. I promised your family to drive you home safely and I'm going to do just that. "

     "You heathen! Let me down!" You pound against his back to no avail. He merely hits your butt again continuing to walk through the airport without a care. Seriously where did airport security go? Aren't they supposed to be on alert for kidnappers or something?

    Apparently not because Jungkook strolls straight past a guard twiddling his thumbs. "Seriously?! Way to keep Korea safe man. I'm being kidnapped before your eyes here, dumbass."

    The guard shoots Jungkook and you a questioning look, clearly unamused by you calling him ‘dumbass.’ Jungkook lets out a nervous laugh, bowing apologetically towards the guard. His grip on you not slipping for even a second. "Sorry she's drunk. Please ignore her." 

    The guard nods. "Best get her out of here or  I'll have to detain her for drunken disorder."

     "Will do. Thanks." 

    "I am not drunk-" you start only Jungkook to hit you yet again hard. You yelp face turning red as the guard laughs. "I swear to God I will murder you. "

    "Do you want security to detain you? Because I'm pretty sure you'll be flagged as a flight hazard and stuck in Korea forever. " 

  Just the mere thought sends shivers down your spine. "No, thank you. "

"Didn't think so. " Jungkook replies. He carries you all the way to his car parked in the visitors' center. Not even letting you go as he climbed the three flights of stairs to get there. Undoubtedly he guessed-and correctly so- you'd run the second he let his guard down. Even when he sets you down to open his car door one hand remains firmly wrapped around your wrist.

     You sigh loudly. "Isn't this a little overkill? We're at your car now."

  "Sit." He merely says, pointing at the seat.

Tossing him a glare you do as told. Despite your previous bravado you know full well Jungkook is right, he is your only way home. Taxis are too expensive, and the rideshare apps went nowhere near your home. As much as you don’t want to admit it, Jungkook’s won this round. Still that doesn’t warrant the victorious grin on Jungkook’s face or the added salt of him reaching over to buckle your belt. "Overkill. Utter overkill. "

   "Got to keep the princess safe don't I?" he says sweetly.

    You cringe. "Enough with the princess stuff. You know I hate that. "

“You didn’t hate it when you were riding my dick last time you came home.” Jungkook mentions, sliding into the driver’s seat beside you. Heat rises to your cheeks at the memory of your last visit: Jungkook’s large hands gripping your waist as you fucked him in the backseat of his car.  His hot breath against your ear whispering dirty things that would make a porn star blush. That feeling of your toes curling as he hits the right spot-

    You shake the memory away. Fucking Jungkook was a mistake. It should’ve never happened. “That was a one time thing, Jeon. I was vulnerable last time. I just got out of a three year relationship-”

   “And you just happened to fall on my dick several times.” Jungkook snorts. His tone stays calm but you can see how his knuckles whitened gripping the steering wheel. “Look you can make all the excuses you want, but it doesn’t change what happened between us. We had sex. Good sex if I might add.”

   “Great sex.” You admit. “But that’s all.”

     As great as Jungkook and you were together, you couldn’t let yourself fall into his trap again. The dark haired boy bullied you for years. He made you cry countless times. Great sex didn’t change anything. Not when you know Jungkook would hurt you in the end.  Neither of you speak as Jungkook pulls out of the parking lot. Whatever conversation you have ends like it always does in harsh words. So for the next hour and a half you stare out the window contemplating your life until your eyes close shut.

   It’s not until a door slams that you open them again. Half awake you can barely make out the familiar street lights of your neighborhood hanging above, or the equally memorable 

houses of it surrounding you. Your car door opens to reveal a haggard Jungkook. He leans over unbuckling you without a word. His soft lush hair tickles your skin as he struggles to get you free.  You reach out to comb your fingers through it. 

   “Are we here?” you mumble, entranced by the silky feel of his hair. “Do we need to get out?”

      Jungkook nods. “Yeah, we’re here. Go back to sleep princess. I got it.”

     You yawn barely comprehending as an arm slides underneath your knees. “Okay, but only if you’re sure.”

     Closing your eyes again you miss Jungkook’s soft whisper of, ‘I’m sure.’

-----

Sunlight hits your face chasing away your dreamless sleep. Your eyes open slowly, greeted by the harshness of lavender colored walls filled with high school photos and cringey boy band posters from way back in the day. Nothing about your bedroom has changed moving out all those years ago.  Everything stayed exactly the same from when you were a teenager. Dreadfully so unfortunately. 

    Groaning you stretch trying to remember how you got into bed. Last thing you remember is asking Jungkook if you were home as he unclipped your seatbelt, so you had to have gotten up.  You must’ve been so tired nothing really processed. A thirteen hour flight would do that to you after all.  “Look what the cat dragged in. I see you survived the car ride with Jungkook alright.” Jimin grins, standing in the doorway of your room. 

   You toss a pillow at him only to miss. “Barely. Seriously what were you thinking having him pick me up? You know how I feel about him.”

     Jimin rolls his eyes. “I was thinking I have work the next day, and that Jungkook is the only guy I trust to pick up my little sister. Because not only would he keep her safe, but he’s the type of guy to carry her inside when she’s passed out.”

    Your mouth dried. “What?”

“I said Jungkook carried your ungrateful ass inside.” 

    Suddenly the memory of Jungkook carrying you in comes to mind. His strong arms wrapped around you as your fingers buried themselves into his shirt. You were only half awake, but you remember everything from the way his cologne smelt to the soft beat of his heart lulling you back to sleep. ‘Sweet dreams princess.’

    “No way. He hates me-besides I’m wearing pajamas!” You protest.

Jimin sighs. “Yeah. That I may have punched him for doing, but (Y/N), Kook doesn’t hate you. Trust me, that boy couldn’t hate you if he tried.”

    “I don’t believe you.” How could you? The first day you ever met Jungkook he kicked you off the slide causing you to scrape your knees. Second time you two met he called you ugly before running off to play with Jimin. After that things got worse, from destroying your barbies, putting kick me signs on you, spreading rumors about you in high school, to telling your crush you were a slut. If those weren’t the actions of a boy who hates you, then you don’t know what is.

    Jimin murmurs something about  ‘misunderstandings’ under his breath, but doesn’t clarify. Instead he simply says. “Look, think what you want, but Jungkook spent the night yesterday since he was too tired to drive home. So be nice okay?”

   “Whatever.” you reply, not mentioning the fact he lives down the road. Just this once you’d behave. After all, he did carry you home.

   Jimin smiles, tossing the pillow back. Naturally it hits you right square in the face.  "Good girl. Now get dressed. The last thing I need to see is my best friend eyeing up my little sister. "

  You let out a silent curse, but do as told. Honestly it really didn't matter. When you lived at home you walked around in yoga pants while braless all the time, Jungkook be damned. This was your house and you refused to give up comfort because your brother's friend came over. It drove Jimin insane. To the point he'd throw random items until you either changed or returned to your room. However that was ages ago before Jungkook ever saw you naked or bent you over the counter of his kitchen.

   “Stop it.” You slap yourself. “Thinking about it will do you no good.”

    Unfortunately the pep talk does little to stop the wanting ache between your legs. Jungkook is the last person you slept with since breaking up with your ex. After you returned to America the last time you simply threw yourself into work, barely sparing a glance at the opposite gender. “Fuck. You need to get laid, (Y/N). Preferably not by Jeon this time.” you whispers.

----- 

   Breakfast is an interesting affair. Like always your parents and brother treat Jungkook as if he's part of the family, your mother piles food onto his plate while your father and Jimin discuss the latest sports and news trends with him. Occasionally one of your parents will praise Jungkook on something he did, mentioning how proud they are of him to which Jungkook eats up like a starving man at a feast. 

     Meanwhile you play around with your rice ignoring the sour feeling of getting ignored by your own family. After all, it's not like you lived out of the country and only came home once in a blue moon. So what did it matter if your childhood enemy ate up all your attention? "Thank you again, Jungkook, for bringing (Y/N) home. I know how much of a pain she can be to you. " your mother says. 

   Jungkook grins, the sun practically illuminating him from behind as he tactfully shrugs off the gratitude with a, 'It's no problem, Mom.' His butter wouldn't melt in my mouth routine sickens you to the point you want to vomit. 

     "I would've been perfectly fine finding my own ride home. " You mumble indignantly. 

   The comment earns you a sharp whack on the head by your mother's slipper. "The words are, 'thank you, Jungkook. ' I swear I don't know how I raised such an ungrateful daughter. "

     You roll your eyes, swallowing the comment about her shitty parenting skills. "I mean how are you ever going to find a husband with that bad attitude of yours?" She laments, projecting into her usual rant of marriage and grandchildren. 

    Like always you ignore it taking the few blows to the head she gave whenever ranting about your marital future. Besides you, Jimin snickers enjoying your torment, having been born a boy he's safe from your mother's wrath since 'no girl is good enough for my precious Jimmie.' Thankfully your father has an ounce of sympathy left for you. "She's doing fine, hunny. (Y/N) has a good home and a steady job-"

    "You're too soft on her! That's why she's like this. " your mother dismisses. "I mean what man would fall for a woman with such an ugly personality?"

   Your heart gives a painful squeeze at her words, while such speech is common with your mother that doesn't make it hurt any less.  "Actually I know someone who'd be interested in going out with (Y/N)." Jungkook pipes up, a big grin stretching across his face. 

   You shoot him a warning glare to which he shrugs off. A surprise gasp- that is way too exaggerated in your opinion- escapes your mom, she looks at Jungkook as if he hung the moon. "Oh Jungkook, that would be wonderful. But we ask you to risk your friendship like that."

    "I promise you're not. This guy has loved- liked (Y/N) for a long time. He knows what she's like. " Jungkook waves off. 

   "Really? Who?" your dad asks, causing you to frown. Why does everyone think you are so unlovable? Seriously you are starting to get insulted, although you also question Jungkook and his 'friend. '

  Jimin snorts, giving Jungkook a weird look. "Yes Jungkook, who is this mysterious guy madly in love with my sister?"

   The tips of Jungkook's ears turn red and he ducks his head sheepishly, probably not expecting Jimin to call him out on his bluff.  "What does it matter? A man is interested in our (Y/N)! All my prayers are answered!" Your mom cries, saving Jungkook from whatever bullshit he is about to spout. "Oh Jungkook, you're so wonderful. Any mother would be lucky to have you."

    "Hey!" Jimin protests, earning a string of reassurances and praises from your mother. For a man who prided himself on his cool nature,  Jimin was a mama's boy.

   "I'm going to get started on the dishes. " you sigh, collecting the empty plates. As much as you love your family there's only so much one can take of them, hence moving to America. 

  "I'll help." Jungkook says, quickly gathering the dishes from your hand. Without another word he disappears into the kitchen like a little boy eager to impress his mom or in this case your mom; it  adds to your rising irritation. You don't know what his game is, but if Jungkook thinks he can pull a fast one on you, he'll be sorely surprised.

    You enter the kitchen to find Jungkook already washing the dishes, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up displaying his smooth muscular arms. Your eyes roam over them taking in the tattoos littered on his tan skin; he had gotten more since you last saw him, practically a full sleeve now. They look good on him not that you would ever admit it. "Hey, I wash, you dry?" Jungkook offers, throwing a towel your way. 

    You frown. "I got it. Go back to the table."

    Jungkook scoffs. "Seriously? You would rather do dishes- which you hate doing- then spend five minutes with me?"

   "Oh don't try to guilt trip me,  Jeon. That whole 'I know someone who likes (Y/N),' what utter bullshit. " you snap. "Tell me, were you going to laugh when I arrived at some restaurant only and no one comes?"

    Jungkook rolls his eyes. “You really need to see someone about this paranoia issue of yours, because this is beginning to get ridiculous.”

    “Excuse me? Paranoid? You bullied me all my life-"

  "I pushed down the slide when we were four. Get over it."

   "You cut off my barbies' head! Repeatedly called me ugly. Spread rumors about me in high school, and to top the cherry off you told Hoseok,  I was a slut. So no I won't get over it." You stomp your foot. 

   Jungkook clenches his jaw, the cup in his hand practically cracking under his grip. He says nothing, dropping the cup and sponge into the sink, before storming out like a madman.From the living room your parents call out Jungkook's name only for him to ignore them. The front door slams shut shaking the house so hard that the dishes tremble in their drying rack.

 "What happened to being nice to Jungkook?" Jimin's voice surprises you from behind. Disappointment is written all over his face, and the way his body positions itself (arms crossed, legs parted) tells you, you're in for a lecture. 

   You turn away not in the mood to be parented by someone two years your senior. Especially not when he allots Jungkook to bully you without a single reprimand. "He started it. Telling mom he'd set me up with some imaginary guy only to laugh when I get 'stood up."

     Jimin groans, pinching the bridge of his nose.  "You two are killing me. Look I can't spell it out for you, that is Jungkook's business, so I am just going to say this...I destroyed your barbies not Jungkook. "

   You froze. "What?"

 "I cut off Minnie's, Hana's and Lany's heads. You pissed me off by eating my snack. I wanted revenge." Jimin shrugged. 

   "B-but I caught Jungkook red handed! I saw him with Minnie's head!" 

   A sheepish look grew on his face. He tucks a piece of hair behind his ear, a habit he did whenever nervous. "Yeah, he was trying to fix her. "

   The dish in your hands drops shattering against the kitchen floor. Your mouth opens but no words come out; funny seeing how thousands of thoughts run through your head. "You asshole!" 

     Jimin winces. "Sorry. It was a dick move- but my point is you thought Jungkook did it and he didn't. So isn't it possible you are wrong about everything else?”

------

       You spend the next few days wandering around town bored. While you feel grateful to be home and see everyone you love, the list of things to do in your town is actually quite small compared to home ( perks of living in a small town). Outside of grocery shopping with your mom, reading on the veranda with your father, and bugging Jimin whenever possible, there’s not much to do. Things are especially boring since Jungkook disappeared after that morning. The bunny looking boy normally makes it his personal mission to bother you as much as possible. Disregarding the few hours he has to work, Jungkook always was there first thing in the morning to laugh at your ridiculous bed head. Yet for the last few days he’s been nowhere in sight.  When asked about it Jimin merely shrugged saying he was busy, before smirking and stating unnecessarily, “If you miss him that much, why don’t you call him yourself?” 

       It isn’t that you miss Jungkook, despite what Jimin said about your Barbie dolls, you still believe deep down he hates you. After all just because you were wrong about one thing didn’t mean you were wrong about everything else.  No, you asked Jimin, because it’s unusual given that the boy practically lived at your home. It’s not like you actually miss his stupid face over something. Perhaps if you had more friends this boredom wouldn’t be an issue. Sadly you weren’t much of a social butterfly back in high school; unlike Jimin who was part of the “popular” crowd, you were an outcast. As much as you tried, the only people who would hangout with you were Jimin’s friends.

     At first you thought it was something you did, but later you found out Jungkook told everyone you were a ‘freak of nature,’ and it was only because he and the others felt bad that they hung around you. Hearing what he said devastated you. It was the first time you realized how much Jungkook hated you. Moreover his words stopped you from ever really trusting anyone who wanted to be friends.

 “Isn’t it possible you are wrong about everything else?”  

Pushing the thought back you try to ignore the nagging feeling growing inside birthed by your brother’s words.  You fucking doubt it. How could something like that be so easily explained away? “I think this is your fifth lap around town.” a familiar voice calls out, snapping you back to reality. “People are beginning to think you’re a weirdo.”

       You don’t even have to look up to tell who it is. On this planet only one person owns a voice so annoying it instantaneously grates on your nerves. “Get lost, Jeon. I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

He snorts, continuing to follow you in his car. “You know it’s supposed to storm today right? You should head home before it pours.”

“Like I said: No One Asked You, Jeon.” you reply, promptly turning on your heels to head in the opposite direction.  He’s the last person you want to see given your current thoughts. Whatever longing you might’ve previously had for him disappeared the moment you remembered why Jungkook was your enemy. Thankfully he doesn’t follow most likely finding something more interesting to waste his time on.

You continue walking onwards too infuriated by the past to notice the dark clouds starting to form above. It’s not until something wet hits your skin that you take notice of the sudden drop in temperature and gathering winds. “Fuck.” you hiss feeling another raindrop.

Of course Jungkook would be right. The universe just fucking loved him like everyone else did. You get stuck with the short end though: running in the rain searching for shelter, only for you to naturally find yourself in the part of town  empty of all businesses. “Perhaps I can stand under a tree until it calms down.” 

 Lightning flashes across the sky followed by a loud BOOM of thunder making you jump. A small sob escapes your lips as you subconsciously curl yourself into a ball. Thunder always scares you no matter how old you get. “I’m not here. I’m not here.” you whisper, rocking on balls of your feet.

 However the deafening sounds of thunder destroys any hopes of pretending to be elsewhere. So you curl tighter into a ball praying for it all to stop. Overwhelmed with fear you don’t process the feel of someone’s jacket draping over you or the angry voice of Jungkook saying, “I told you to go home.”

It’s not until he yet again scoops you into his arms that you snap from your trance. You watch shocked as he carries you to the car. Through the rain and lightning he looks nothing like the boy you remember. Instead...he looks like a man you could very well fall in love with. 

  “Jung...Jungkook” You mumble, gripping his shirt as he sets you down into the passenger seat. He looks up at you in a mixture of curiosity and surprise. Neither of you can remember the last time you called him by his first name. It’s always been Jeon never Jungkook. “Thank you....”

“Don’t worry about it.” Jungkook replies, shutting the car door. He walks over to the driver’s side sliding easily into it.

 Now clear from the rain you can make out how drench he really is: hair soaked, clothes sticking to his skin, it makes you all too aware of the jacket covering you. Reluctantly you shrug it from your shoulders missing the comforting weight of it almost immediately. “Here. This is yours. You should wear it.”

Jungkook glares. “Keep it.

“No. It’s yours. You must be freezing without it-” 

   “I said keep it! God damn it, (Y/N). Why can’t you listen for once?” he snaps, hitting the steering wheel. You recoil taken back by his outburst. Never have you seen Jungkook so angry. At most Jungkook stormed off or glared whenever mad at you, never did he raise his voice at you. "I told you to go home. I told you it was going to storm but you didn’t listen."

    "I'm sorry…" 

     "You don't get it. You could've gotten sick if I didn't find you in time. Or worse you could have gotten hurt…"

   "Oh."  You reply, unsure what to say. Worrying about you wasn't something you expected from Jungkook, but it strikes a painful chord within you. Your heart should be warmed by the thought instead a painful sinking feeling fills it. Suddenly you want nothing more than to burst into tears. “You were worried?”

   Jungkook lets out a long tired sigh. "Of course I was worried. You’ve been terrified of thunder storms since we were five, why wouldn’t I worry about you being out in one?”

       ‘Trust me, that boy couldn’t hate you if he tried.’ Jimin’s words ring in your ears. ‘My point is you thought Jungkook did it and he didn't. So isn't it possible you are wrong about everything else?’

   Could Jimin be right? Is everything you thought  one big misunderstanding? You were so sure of Jungkook’s guilt previously, but now...you couldn’t picture him as the sinister bully you’ve known all your life.  “I’m sorry. I should’ve listened and turned around.” you admit, “I’m so used to chalkin everything you say off as meaningless teasing, I didn’t consider you actually meant well.”

    “You never do.” Jungkook huffs. For a second you swear you can see pain fill his dark bambi eyes as he looks at you. It is an expression you’ve never seen on his face before, a look of hurt and dejection. Again your heart twists painfully in your chest. “You always assume I’m out to get you, when really I’m just trying to be nice. I mean sure I tease and joke around with you, but (Y/N), I would never purposefully hurt you. I know you don’t believe me-”

   “Okay. I believe you.” 

Jungkook’s foot slips hitting the break. The car lurches forward causing you both to nearly hit your heads on the dashboard. His head snaps in your direction so fast it practically gives you whiplash. “What? What did you say?”

 Around you, cars honk aggravated by the standstill in the middle of traffic; you don’t care though. All you care about right now is the look of disbelief, shock, and hope marring Jungkook’s beautiful face. In that moment you realize how little you care about the truth. It’s unexplainable the sudden urge to move on from your prior hate, but you want to...you want to believe Jungkook is a good guy. “I believe you, Jungkook.” you swallow hard. “And I’m sorry for being such a bitch to you. So please forgive me.”

   You don’t know what you expected Jungkook’s reaction to be, however it certainly wasn’t this. “I’ll think about it.”

  If not for the sudden smirk pulling at his lips, you would’ve felt horrible. Instead you feel infuriated. “You asshole. I take it back. I’m not sorry. You hear me?! Not sorry!”

  Jungkook merely laughs, shaking his head. “No backsies remember, (Y/N)? You can’t take it back.”

  You glower remembering the childish rule Jimin, Jungkook and you made up in elementary school. It was to keep each other from ducking out of any dares or promises made, and apparently apologies now. “I hate you.”

         Jungkook laughs harder. “I’m sure you do. Let’s go home, huh? I’ll make you hot chocolate if you behave.”

“I always behave.” You mutter, rolling your eyes. A second passes. “There better be whipped cream and marshmallows with that.”

     “Anything you want princess. Anything you want.” 

----------------------------------------------

You wonder if it’s creepy to find Jungkook so attractive while wearing your brother’s clothings. On Jimin, this grey sweatpants and hoodie combo makes him look like a homeless man, but on Jungkook, it has your mouth practically watering. The normally baggy material conforms perfectly to his body hiding nothing to the imagination. You see every curve, groove, muscle and bone (especially a certain large one in the middle of his sweats) in this boy’s body, and then to make things even worse you catch a sliver of tan skin anytime Jungkook raises his arms. Beautiful tan skin whose tantalizing taste and feel plagues your mind. 

    Suddenly you regret not putting up a fight about Jungkook coming over. Sure he was soaking wet from giving you his jacket, however Jungkook also lived down the street from you-he didn’t have to change into Jimin’s clothes. “Do you know if the dryer’s free?” Jungkook asks, lifting up said bundle of drenched clothes.

    “Ummm, yeah I believe so. You want me to put them up for you?” you offer, trying not to stare. Although things are technically supposed to be cool between you guys now, they’re not. Years of mistrust and hatred don’t simply vanish after an apology or sudden decision to forgive, instead the emotions built between you two need to be sorted through and really only time could do that. Which is why you try super hard not to let lust takeover and destroy the fragile truce recently made.

  Jungkook shakes his head. “Thanks, but I can manage."

You nod not knowing what else to say. Again his lips twist in that disgusting smirk you so despise, this time paired with a wink. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon enough for your ogling pleasure.”

 Quickly you look away, “Who’s ogling who, Jeon? Cause it’s certainly not me.”

   “Oh really?” Jungkook says, cocking an eyebrow. He steps forward caging you against the wall. Something dangerous gleams within those large eyes of his as Jungkook stares down at you with a ravenous look.  Shivers run down your spine sending a delicious shock through your body. “That’s too bad, because I was definitely ogling you, princess. Seeing you wear this oversized shirt gives me sooo many ideas.”

    You swallow hard, licking your suddenly dry lips. “Stop joking around. You and I know there’s nothing sexy about this shirt.”

    “I disagree. Believe it or not, I find girls sexiest when they’re comfortable with themselves. All that lace and lingerie is nice, but nothing is hotter than a girl wearing my shirt and nothing else.” Jungkook admits. “It brings out the territorial side in me.”

  Your brows crease. “That makes sense I guess, but this isn’t your shirt. It’s Jimin’s-”

     “Mine. I left it here one night after sleeping over Junior year. “ he explains. “You stole it from Jimin’s drawer thinking it was his.”

    “Oh….sorry. I’ll give it back.” Despair fills you at the thought. This is your favorite shirt regardless of it being a plain white t-shirt, it always makes you feel safe and comfy when wearing it as odd as it sounds. However you can’t afford to disrupt the newfound civialty between Jungkook and you.

      Jungkook snorts. “Keep it. Not like it will fit me anymore. Besides like I said, nothing turns me on more than a woman in my shirt. Why do you think I never asked for it back, princess?”

 He reaches out to toy with the hem of the shirt, his fingers drawing soft circles against your hip bone.   "Although I think I'd prefer you without it on, or rather anything on at all."

    "Jungkook…" you barely managed to get out as he lifts the material upwards. Cold air hits instantly pebbling your nipples despite the rush of warmth growing below. Instinctively you move to cover yourself only for Jungkook to grab your wrist. 

  "Please (Y/N). I've been dying to touch you since day one of your return." He begs, bringing your hand down. 

     "Okay." You whisper. 

"Okay. " he smiles, pressing his lips to yours. Those large hands clutch your shoulders as he presses further against you. All those curves and muscles you admired previously push up against your bare skin. Through the sweatpants you can feel how hard he is.

     A gasp escapes you as Jungkook's hands move towards your breasts caressing the underbelly of them. His fingers circle the outer edges of your nipples tracing them,  before finally moving to touch them.  He treats you like glass, a vast difference from your previous encounters and it's starting to annoy you . "I'm not made of glass you know?" You remind, stopping his hands. "You can be rough with me. "

      "Trust me, I know.  If memory serves correct you prefer it when I do something like this-" Jungkook snorts, grinding into you. The friction of his length against your clothed heat is exactly what you need. Moaning loudly you grip onto his arms trying to steady yourself. 

"That's it. Such a slut for friction. You honestly thought I'd forget how you made yourself cum on my thigh that night?" Jungkook smirks, fingers grazing along the edges of exposed skin. Goosebumps rise along wherever he touches and you squirm like underneath him. His smirk widens as he plays along the hem of your booty shorts. "I had to wash my jeans afterwards, they were so drenched from you. "

    "I didn't hear you complaining." You shoot back, pressing your hips against him in efforts to regain that delicious friction. "If I remember correctly you had fun flexing your leg underneath me."

     "Never said I didn't.  In fact I would very much like a repeat of that night." Jungkook grins, shifting so his thigh is between your legs.  The muscle in his leg flexes teasing your core; in a commanding tone he whispers, "Go crazy, princess. Ride me. Right here, right now, I promise I'll take care of ya. "

    That's all you need to hear to descend into madness. Almost instinctively you latch onto Jungkook digging your nails into his firm shoulders as you wantonly thrust against his leg. Moans escape your lips in wild abandon as his muscles rub against your clit at the perfect angle. Jungkook is right you are a whore for thigh riding. 

    Just when you think it can't get any better Jungkook's hand slips under your panties, fingers immediately finding that hard pearl between your legs. He brushes it softly causing you to hiss as your knees close in unwillingly to give up such feeling. Now this is more like it. 

    "You like that?"  He teases, forefinger circling your clit slowly.

    "Mmhmm…" you nodd, grinding harder in an attempt to pick up his pace. 

   "Words princess. Tell me exactly what you want. "

       "More. " you cry out. "Kook. More please. I need you. "

   Oddly the nickname spurs him on if the harsh whisper of, 'fuck' says anything. If not then certainly the desperate opened mouth pressed to your lips does. Silently you make a mental note to use the nickname again but it's momentarily lost as his fingers pick up speed.  This time it's you uttering curses as Jungkook brings you right to the edge of cumming.

    "Please, please, I'm so close."  You want him so badly it's ridiculous. The smirk widens on his face, Junkook decides to reward you by slipping two of his fingers into your core. "Fuck Kook!"

   "That's it, princess. Come for me. Show me how good you feel." Jungkook pumps his fingers into you. All words leave you as a haze of ecstacy falls over you, all you can is moan rocking deliberately against his hand.  With every thrust his fingers somehow hit that special spot inside you. 

     Jungkook's an expert at knowing all your spots and kinks, almost as if he memorized everything about you, last time he and you were together. Either way impressed doesn't even begin to describe how you feel about his abilities. You moan his name, holding onto to him tightly as you orgasm onto his thigh. It lasts longer than expected small waves of pleasure still coming despite the relaxed posture of your body resting on his. 

        Gently Jungkook strokes your hair in a  manner similar to what lovers do after such an event. Alarm bells ring out at the action, but you make no move to stop him. "Was that a good enough reenactment for you?" You mention, half teasing. 

    Jungkook grins. "Better than good. You got me so hard, princess, I don't know how I can last."

   This time it's you who smirks. Sliding off of his thigh, you get on your knees anxious for the next act. "Well then, I better make what little time you do have as great as possible. "

    Before Jungkook can say a word you reach under the waistband of his sweats gripping his length tenderly in your hand. The groan uttered from Jungkook's lips at the slightest touch of your hand ignites another fire within you. Smirk widening you pull out your prize, taking a second to admire the gorgeous cock. Despite having seen it before you can never quite get its length or the beautiful curve of it. 

     Running a finger along the thick veins you see a bit of pre-cum at its tip. "You weren't joking when you said that last act turned you on." You tease, swiping over his head with your thumb.

     Staring into his eyes, you put your thumb into your mouth sucking off the cum.  The salty taste makes your mouth water, with an exaggerated pop take your thumb out. "Fuck, (Y/N). Don't tease, I'll go insane if you do." Jungkook pleads.

    "So needy." You say, taking him into your mouth. Thankfully your last boyfriend was somewhat of a blow job junkie, and while Jungkook is twice as large as he was, you have no problem taking his length into your mouth. The tip touches the back of your throat, instinctively you hollow your cheeks sucking in a slow teasing manner. 

   You  swirl your tongue about his base enjoying the beautiful noises Jungkook made under your tongue. Soon a hand buries itself into your hair, gripping tightly in an attempt to control the pace. Normally you wouldn't allow such behavior preferring your lover to suffer under you, however there's something about Jungkook's desperation to get off using your mouth that sends heat pooling to your core. It doesn't take long until he's spilling into your mouth, hands pulling on your hair he thrusts his hips forward pushing himself further into your mouth.  

  “Shit, princess. That was great. Almost as good as cumming inside you." Jungkook sighs running a hand through his messy hair. 

    You smile wiping the corners of your mouth clean. "Unfortunately you're going to have to miss out. Jimin will be home soon."

  Again his hands make their way to your hips, already you can tell he's angling for another kiss. "We'll have to be quick then. "

       Jungkook leans forward, but this time you pull away. "The last thing Jimin needs is to walk in on us….besides we need to wash these sweats before he gets home. "

     His lips curl into a smile practically relishing in your embarrassment, "Fair enough princess, but don't think we are done yet. I plan on making your toes curl as much as possible until the plane ride home. "

  You cock an eyebrow. “Those are big words coming from a man who just begged me to cum. What makes you think I’m going to let you?”

      “Easy, because you like it as much as I do.” Jungkook replies, grinding himself once more against you. A sharp hiss escapes you; almost uncontrollably you push back desperate for that sweet friction, however Jungkook moves away denying any sensation. “ Nuh uh, Jimin’s going to be home soon. Wouldn’t want him catching us, now would we (Y/N)? You’ll  have to wait until next.”

    “You, son of a bitch!” You snap, glaring daggers at his retreating form. As much as you hate to admit it, something tells you this newfound friendship with Jungkook is going to be more than you bargained for.

    --------

Despite what your parents may think, your summer vacation home isn’t an excuse to be lazy. While it is true that Korea’s summer vacations are shorter than American's, as a teacher you still have plenty of work left to do during the student’s time off. One such thing happens to be reading over the posts written by your honor’s literature course throughout the break. Normally you graded them at night when everyone was asleep, but as your class delves deeper into the context of Frankenstein, you find yourself unable to keep your nightly routine with the density of the topic. Hence why you now sit in a cafe  hunched over your laptop rereading Joni’s obviously copyrighted post. 

    “You look lost in thought.” A cheery voice teases.

   For a second your brain tricks into thinking it’s Jungkook talking, after all he’s been bothering you extra since the two of you made the transition from enemies to fuck buddies. So it wouldn’t be unusual if the dark haired boy stalked you to the cafe to annoy you. However when you look up it’s not tattooed arms or a dopey bunny looking face you see, instead a pair of smiling almond shaped eyes stare down at you, their owner a very familiar reddish brunette. 

    “Hoseok!” you cry, leaping up only to hit your knee on the table. It throbs causing a sharp expletive to escape your lips. Embarrass you try to shake it off as if it never happened. Last thing you need is to make a fool of yourself in front of him. “Hi, I didn’t see you there.”

   “I can tell.” he laughs gesturing towards your knee. “I didn’t mean to startle you, (Y/N). It’s just been ages since I last saw you.”

   Your heart skips a beat. Nervously you tuck a strand of hair behind your ears in attempts to play cool. Logically you know you have no reason to get nervous, especially not when Hoseok ditched you at a restaurant after getting told you were a slut by Jungkook. Yet, for whatever reason that small high school girl who idolized him still remains inside you.

    “Almost six years. “ You smile. “Time has sure flown by hasn’t it?”

“Maybe but you haven’t changed much.” Hoseok winks, causing your brows to furrow. Haven’t changed much? What was he talking about? Did he not see your clear evolution from loner geek into potential adult? “You’re still as pretty as you were back in high school.”

   This time you are pretty sure your heart stops. It takes everything in your power not to gap like a wide-mouth fish out of water. Time seems to slow down in the small coffee shop as you work to come up with a response. Suddenly all the previous noises of chatter, whistling kettles and clanking plates become overwhelming rather than peaceful. Unfortunately even after being in a committed relationship for two years, your flirtation skills are still rusty. “You obviously need glasses then, because I looked like a hobo back then.”

      You can slap yourself. Literally-actually slap yourself for that stupid ass comment. Thankfully Hoseok doesn’t seem to mind only laughing even harder than before. “Nah, you were the prettiest girl on campus. Everyone was just afraid of you, because Jimin and Jungkook always hung around you-speaking of which, I want to apologize for how I acted back then. I shouldn’t have ditched you over such a stupid thing like that.”

    “Oh, it’s fine. Water under the bridge trust me.” you lie, ignoring the pang in your chest. Just remembering that day brings a new fire of hostility towards Jungkook. No matter how many years pass you still remember the day clearly. You were waiting for Hoseok at a local dinner, anxiously checking your phone for any messages or calls. A full hour passed with you insisting multiple times to the kind waitress that your date was arriving soon, however Hoseok never showed up. 

     You tried contacting him, worried that something terrible happened only to never get a response. Once home, you even bug Jimin who was friends with Hoseok then about the cheery boy, only to be brushed off. It’s not until you went to school the next day and confronted Hoseok in the hallway that you found out the truth. Jungkook let it loose that you were a slut and Hoseok being the knight in shining armor he was, fought him. They were equally matched with both of them garnering bruises and bumps because of it, but ultimately they were tied. 

“Look (Y/N), you seem like a nice girl, ” Hoseok said, brushing you off. “And what Jungkook said about you being a slut probably isn’t true, but I really can’t handle all this drama between you two.”

  That day your heart broke in two as dramatic as it sounds. Moreover from that moment you vowed to hate Jeon Jungkook for the rest of your life. “No, it’s really not and I might be overstepping my boundaries, but I would like another chance to get to know you.” Hoseok asks, rubbing the back of his neck.

   "Okay. " the word slips through your lips before you even have a chance to think it over. 

     His face lights up and any doubt you once had shatters completely. People change, Jungkook did so maybe Hoseok matured too. Either way it wouldn't hurt to try again. "Great. It'll be fun, I promise. "

     "I'm going to hold you to that Hoseok. " you tease. Inside you the giddiness grows, it feels as if you walked into some sort of dream or something. Didn't every girl dream of her high school crush finally realizing what a catch she is?

   "You won't regret it."  Hoseok swears. "Anyway I should let you get back to work, but first can I get your number?"

   You rattle it off to him, doing your best to appear stoic, unfortunately the aching in your smiling cheeks suggests utter failure.  Afterwards your students' work feels like less frustrating or maybe you're feeling a little generous seeing how Trisha totally bullshited her review yet you still gave a ⅘ on it. Whatever the reason you finish up faster than expected, leaving the cafe with an extra hour of free time.  "Well if it isn't a princess set free from her tower!" Someone whistles. 

  Unlike earlier you have no issue distinguishing the playful voice of Jungkook. Turning towards the noise, you unsurprisingly find him propped up against his car in a cool uncaring fashion. His work clothes only help amplify the appearance; the black suit jacket paired perfectly with his white dress shirt and pants ensemble make him look like a Chaebol rather than plain Jungkook. All in all he looks absolutely mouth watering, but you'd die before ever admitting it. "If it isn't the ogre coming out of his swamp to play. " you tease, pinching his arm. 

  He chuckles, opening the passenger's door of his black Lexus. "I think you forget the ogre got his princess in the end. "

   You wrinkle your nose in faux disgust. "Good luck, finding one. I don't know how many people can put up with your ugly mug. "

  "Don't need to. I already captured you. " Jungkook replies, closing the car door. 

    You blink registering what he said.  "That's the cheesiest line I've ever heard."

 He shrugs slipping on a pair of faux Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses. Paired with the rest of his outfit, the glasses shattered the image of the rich Chaebol man. Their paint chipped arms and scratched off logo scream 'fake' and you wonder why Jungkook kept such hideous knock offs. "You should get rid of those. They make you look cheap. "

    Jungkook scrunches his nose. "No way, they were a gift. "

   "A gift purposefully bought from some shady street vendor, because my mother insisted I buy you a college graduation gift." You say, reaching out to grab them.

     Naturally Jungkook only needs to lean away to thwart your efforts. "So? I like them. "

    "You look like one of those wannabe entrepreneurs on Instagram. "

   "How dare you! I have over five hundred followers, I'm legendary!"

     "Did Jimin make five hundred accounts? Because he's the only who would follow your ass!"  You say, attempting one more shot at retrieving those vile glasses. 

     Once more Jungkook merely tilts his head blocking your stubby little arms from reaching. "Whatever you say princess, we both know you're the one following my ass around here. "

  "I'm following you? How laughable. I didn't know you were a comedian, Jungkook…" the two of you continue bantering the rest of the car ride home.

--------------

Author’s note: Special thanks to @dreamsfromthesandman​ for editing and putting up with my craziness even if she’s not army.

[giftofwonder]

The Tomb (Dabi x f!Reader) - Part Two

A/N: Thank you guys so much for all of the love and support! If you’d like to be added to the tag list, just let me know!

WARNINGS: Slightly NSFW, Contains mentions of nudity, abuse, and brief foreplay.

TAGLIST: @mikasackrmann @missalicebaskerville @liitlesushi @bonemarroww @jamaisvusbitch @winchescumberholland @mira-mirach

You both left and walked through the city toward the large bath house. You stopped by small stands to grab fruit and fish for breakfast, and then continued on your way. The stares you had gotten yesterday were gone, but they still lingered on Dabi.

You took in the shift in structures. Where Dabi lived, the houses were smaller and plain. Many of them suffered from a bit of damage, the mud bricks crumbling over time. Now you had entered a much different part of the city. The buildings were large, the bricks of the houses were in much better condition and stained white. The homes had wooden doors instead of just hanging reed mats. You knew if you went inside, you would find beautiful pictures painted along the walls and ceiling in a wide array of colors.

Finally, you reached the bathhouse and entered, and it was absolutely beautiful. High ceilings painted in vibrant colors that put you in mind of a stained glass window, tall limestone pillars, and everything was lined with golden trim. When you imagined paradise, this was what came to mind. It came as no surprise that many people were inside to enjoy the bath.

You knew a lot from this era, the history, but it was still a bit of a culture shock to experience it for yourself first hand. Especially, in this specific case. Men and women were considered equals here, which you loved. Nudity was common and sex was not really a taboo. Really, the only prominent known things were they believed in consent and valued loyalty above all else. Beyond that, there wasn’t much information. Many researchers had offered that because the ancients views were so open, they just never thought it important enough to document. The restrictive world you came from was so different. Sure, some people and places had more open views, but overall there were usually unspoken rules of how to conduct yourself. What is deemed “inappropriate” is a long list.

It really was exciting to be in this time, to see the past and be able to live within it, but your mind was a constant reminder that you were not from here. That this was not your home.

You both undressed, and you tried to hide the shaking of your hands as you did, but Dabi noticed your trembling. He took your hand gently and led you toward the bath. He didn’t look at you, and that made you feel a bit more at ease.

The water felt nice, and you relaxed into it immediately. You smiled, wetting your hair.

Dabi handed you soaps to use, which you graciously accepted. You had regretted not being able to bathe last night, wishing you could have rinsed the sand and dirt from your skin before going to bed. You knew bathing was especially important during this time, the ancients believed the cleaner you were, the closer you were to the Gods.

You kept your body low in the water as you washed your hair and skin, humming in joy at the feeling of being clean once more. You felt warm hands on you and looked over your shoulder. Dabi stood behind you, his eyes trailing across the plains of your back. His hands massaging as they rubbed the lathered soap onto you, his fingers working out knots and kinks from around your shoulders. You figured his actions were meant to give you peace of mind in a situation you were obviously uncomfortable in, but for a brief moment, his touch had you more worried about the downfalls of falling in love with a spirit.

This was something that you could definitely get used to. You were sure that you could sit there forever and not be bothered in the slightest. Your eyes fell shut as you relaxed in his hold, all of your previous tension and discomfort now gone. His hands moved from your shoulders to your neck and down your spine. He kneeled as his hands caressed along your ribs and slid under the water to your stomach. Then they slid further, grabbing along your thighs, and pulling back just enough to grip your hips. He tugged you backwards against him, your back flush to his chest.

Your eyes opened at the feeling. The bathhouse had emptied quite a bit since Dabi had entered, no doubt his presence and their evident discomfort from him being the reason, but there were still people bathing here and there.

“Stop, someone could see!” You hissed out while trying to pull forward to put some distance between you, but his hands kept you in place.

He leaned forward, dipping his mouth to your ear.

“Who cares, let them look.” And then his lips latched just below your ear, and his hand moved between your thighs. The breathy moan you let out at the sudden contact only spurred him on.

Your head leaned to the side and your hand braced on his wrist, ready to pull him away at any moment, but you didn’t.

You had dedicated your life to your work, and in doing so, you had missed out on a lot of the romantic opportunities that many of your friends had gotten to experience. You had boyfriends back in school, sure, but relationships were a sore spot for you as you had made your career your top priority.

You traveled often, you were gone for long stretches of time. Anything more than a quick fling was pretty much off of the table. Being held, being touched like this, it was new. It was nice. You couldn’t find it in yourself to turn him away, because truly you were craving the intimacy that he was offering.

Your breathing was ragged and more moans fell from your lips. Dabi’s teeth and lips brushed across your neck, leaving a trail of heat on your flushed skin behind them.

“Touch me.” He whispered against your skin, and slowly your hand reached behind you to grasp him. He let out a low groan against you as your hand moved on its own accord. Your mind was too lost to pleasure to stop yourself.

Dabi pulled your hand away and removed his fingers from you. He lifted you slightly to guide you over him, but you quickly twisted around and put your hand on his chest to stop him, the action of him shifting you had snapped you back into reality.

“Dabi, wait. Please. I can’t.” You begged softly. Your heart was pounding in your chest. Stopping him was incredibly hard for you as you wanted nothing more than to collapse into his hold. You were lonely and touch starved, and it felt so nice to be wanted, but you knew that if you were to give in to him now, your heart would get involved and it was a risk you weren’t sure you should take.

His hand quit pulling and he gave a slight frown, but reluctantly let go of you. You gave him a small smile and cupped his cheek with your hand, trying to convey your thoughts and feelings in a simple gesture. You weren’t trying to reject him, you knew this was much more common in his time, but for you it was too fast, too unfamiliar. You felt yourself let go so easily with him, and that scared you.

His blue eyes held yours, unwavering, before he suddenly turned his head to run his tongue along your palm. You squeaked and pulled your hand away quickly, smacking the water and splashing you both. You turned your back to him and sank back down into the water, trying to hide your blush as you called him a pervert under your breath. He snorted, obviously satisfied by your reaction. You were thankful for the change in atmosphere.

Dabi seemed like someone who took what he wanted regardless of what stood in his way. His tomb had definitely painted that picture. You were glad he didn’t push you or hold a grudge toward you, and that he had reverted back to playful and teasing. You couldn’t stop the small smile that stretched across your face as you thought of him. He was a mystery that you couldn’t wait to solve.

Not much later, you both finished bathing and left the baths together.

———————————————————————

As you walked through the city, he kept his hand on your lower back to guide you beside him. You carried your worn dress in your arms and wore one of the others that Dabi had brought for you.

You saw children running and playing up ahead and smiled. You leaned into Dabi, head resting against his shoulder. He glanced at you as his hand slid further to rest on your waist and keep you beside him.

“What was your childhood like?” You asked without thinking, eyes still focused on the kids playing. Dabi’s brown furrowed and you felt him tense beside you. You opened your mouth to tell him that he didn’t have to talk about it, but he had already started speaking.

“I was born from an arranged marriage. My father was a powerful man, he worked in the palace and was regarded the same as royalty. He was strong, and feared, but well respected. My mother was kind and quiet. She was chosen to balance him, to keep him grounded, and to help give him a strong heir.

I was the first born, the oldest son. I was expected to follow in his footsteps. To take his position in the palace and be just as strong, if not more.” He shifted uncomfortably before continuing.

“He started training me from a young age, but I was never good enough. Always falling short. His obsession with power and greed pushed him harder. My next two younger siblings were born and they were ignored by him, forgotten. All of the pressure was on me. And when I failed I was punished. But I always failed, my body wasn’t able to handle it as well as he felt it should.”

Your hand reached behind him to brush your fingers against his back, trying to provide what little comfort you could offer.

“Finally my youngest brother, Shouto, was born. At a young age, he took to the training well, though he hated it, and I was cast aside.

Over time, mother resented Shouto, he looked too much like father, and so she threw boiling water on him, burning his face. She was taken, kept somewhere in secret.

Father took Shouto to the palace with him to recover and continue training. He was locked away from the rest of us, and we were left to fend for ourselves in a small and empty home.” Dabi’s eyes narrowed at the memory, and he refused to meet your gaze.

“One day, when father visited, we fought. I was taken by palace guards, who had escorted him, and dragged to the dungeon of the palace to be taught my place. There I was locked up, tortured and burned. Eventually, I escaped, but the damage was done, and I looked...like this.” He finished, his tone dark as he stared down at his scarred arms.

Your heart was heavy, and you felt so much pain for him. Life had been so unfair, and you recalled in the tomb, how it spoke of great sadness and anger. Of him being alone. Hurt.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that. You didn’t deserve any of it.” You whispered, reaching up to turn his head to face you as his eyes locked with yours.

“It was just what the gods chose for me. My fate. At first I thought they betrayed me, that I was set to fail from the start.” He said nonchalant, his eyes breaking away from yours to stare ahead once more.

“What did you do when you escaped?” You questioned, looking forward again as he lead you further down the road.

“I ran, for a while, I lived in the desert, and would come back to the city and commit petty crimes for food and money. It was like that for a couple of years, just getting scraps. But then I met a group of people, we shared similar views. Similar goals. We wanted the society to crumble and rebuild it.” He said, a glint in his eye that you couldn’t quite place.

“In the time I had spent in the desert, I had prayed for a while. Then I had revolted and rejected the Gods. Blamed and hated them. But one appeared in a dream, and offered me power. They gave me a new fate, and it started with the League.”

[kaitycole]

chapter 3: what are friends for?

Summary: Two little friends have always desired one thing: to end up as siblings. So when the chance presented itself after a finalized divorce, who were they to decline such an opportunity to finally bring their parents together?

Pairings: Bokuto Kōtarō x f!Reader

Word Count: 3344

Warnings: Angst. Fluff. Mentions of divorce, cheating, cussing

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters portrayed in this series. Part of the @babythotshq​​​ Dearest Daddy Collab

Tags: open (send me an ask to be added!)

April 2025

Bokuto is bouncing around as he waits in the lobby at the airport. For the twentieth time in three minutes, he pulls out his phone to check the time. Of course, he had gotten to the airport earlier than he needed to, but these last two months were the longest in his life. No amount of phone calls, video chats, or text messages could compare to having Seiko there with him. It was like his life felt empty without her, an emptiness that he hadn’t felt since the day he found out he was going to be a dad.

*                      * July 2019

She jumped on Bo’s back, laughter ringing in his ears as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her back to his apartment after spending the afternoon down at Osaka Bay; visiting the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and ending the day at the Tempozan Ferris Wheel. The day was spent with fingers interlocked, heads resting on other’s shoulders and enough laughter to brighten anyone’s day. Jess made them take pictures at every booth, saying they both needed copies to remember the day; they were stuffed in the back pocket of her jeans.

Moving to Japan was the first big decision Jess had ever made without backing out. Her parents tried to dissuade her from moving so far, telling her that just changing cities would suffice; she knew it wouldn’t. Mark seemed to find his way to wherever she was, but she knew she was safe at her current distance. Plus she had Bo now and she couldn’t imagine not having him in her life.

He tapped the sides of her thighs telling her to jump off his back so he could grab his keys. She hopped off, leaning against the wall by his door. It was still a shock to her that the two of you had become so close in just nine months. It had taken her longer than that to get close to Mark, but then again there were totally different reasons with that.

Jess followed him into his one-bedroom apartment, slipping off her shoes before sitting on the couch. He excused himself to his room to quickly change; he opted to wear jeans while went out but he hates jeans. He threw on some sweatpants and a MSBY t-shirt. He smiled when he saw Jess, slightly curled up on the couch with the blanket she bought him draped across her.

Bo loved how comfortable Jess was at his place and he at hers. She looked like a natural being by his side and maybe if things had been different, if he had somehow gotten closure with you, maybe he could’ve tried with Jess. Given her a fighting chance if anything more than platonic ever arose between them. Bokuto’s own hesitation came from not waiting to even try to compete with Mark and he could almost guarantee that Jess felt the same about you.

The thought left him with a sinking feeling in his stomach, how many great individuals would end up right in front of him for him to turn away because of you? You, the love of his life. The married love of his life. Sometimes it hurt to see those around him in great relationships, having families of their own while he still held on to imaginary hope that you might be his one day.

He talked to Akaashi about it, who asked him if being just your friend was worse than potentially losing you and of course Bo frantically told him he’d stay friends forever if it meant having you in his life. He knew the former setter was sincere, after all he had been around for most of Bo’s one-sided relationship and had even been the one to encourage him to at least try back in high school.

“Wh—no!” Jess let out a sound that mixed together a gasp and a sob. He watched her pull her knees up under her chin and her body start to shake. Bo practically ran over to her, banging his knee against the coffee table in the process.

“Jess! Jess!” He sat next to her wanting to pull her into him, but something about the way she looked told him not to. He watched her chest begin to rise and fall rapidly as she choked out sobs while trying to catch her breath.

Bokuto kneeled down in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders to try to stop her trembling. He felt helpless, what could he do? How could he help? Something was hurting her, someone he cared about more than himself and he was at a loss. What felt like forever passed and Jess finally looked up to him.

“Mar…married!” She let out another sob, turning her phone so Bo could see it; it was a picture of a tall blonde man in a suite with a woman who looked very similar to Jess next to him in a white dress.

He knew the feeling that Jess felt right now; that soul crushing agony. The massive weight being dropped on you, making you feel even more inadequate than you had been. At least you married someone who looked opposite of Bo, Mark practically married Jess’s twin. He remembered feeling empty when he got your wedding invitation; crashing at Akaashi’s because his empty apartment felt like it would swallow him whole if he was there alone.

“I’m so so sorry, Jess.” He climbed up on the couch beside her, pulled her into arms and after a few moments of resisting, she let herself relax in his arms. His thumb rubbed circles on her back and he gently rocked her back and forth. He wasn’t even sure this was helping, but he didn’t know what else to do.

A few minutes passed in silence before she looked up at him, her green eyes lined with tears and her face red and blotchy. Her expression was completely broken, like a porcelain doll that had been dropped and cracked from the impact. Bokuto used to think the day he watched you get married had truly broken his heart, the day that he knew he’d never have a chance to confess his feelings, but in this moment seeing someone as lovely and pure as Jess this way; today was the day his heart actually broke.

“He wasn’t ready for a relationship but he was ready to get married. Heh.” Jess let out a humorless laugh as she wiped the tears off her cheeks.

“You’re too good for him, Jess.” Bo placed his hands on her cheeks, looking into her eyes. “I mean it, that woman couldn’t hold a candle to you in any way.”

Jess felt her cheeks heating up underneath Bo’s touch and she offered him a small smile. Part of her wondered if he had felt this destroyed and fragile when you got engaged, got married and he had to watch. How selfish could people be? Jess wanted to believe that you were ignorant to Bo’s feelings, but she found that hard to believe with how straightforward he could be. Her eyesight was still blurry from her tears and her head was throbbing, but she wasn’t completely unaware of what her next move was.

In a blur, Jess’s lips crashed into Bo’s unsuspected lips. He was stunned at first, it wasn’t like he’d never kissed anyone before but certainly not Jess. When she pulled away, Bo thought his heart had stopped, she was looking at him, biting her bottom lip.

“Jess, you’re upset.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t want…I’d hate for you to do something you’d regret or that would hurt you.”

“Bo.” She looked at him, her eyes pleading with him; begging him for a closeness only he could give her in this moment. Fresh tears filled her eyes, “Please.”

It took three heartbeats for him to react to her words. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her onto his lap, his lips pressing into hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his tongue slipped between her lips causing her to deepen the kiss.

The smell of sandalwood washed over her as peonies and vanilla filled Bo’s senses. He pulled away just long enough to place his lips on her jaw before kissing along her jawline, traveling down her neck. She stopped breathing, shuddering against his chest as a knot tightened in her lower stomach. She unwrapped her arms from his neck, intertwining her fingers in his hair and pulling it slightly.

He let out a hiss between his teeth, his breath danced across her shoulder. She trailed a hand down his chest, her fingers slipped under the bottom of his t-shirt. His skin heated up as her fingers ran across his firm abs, he pulled back from her. His eyes met hers and after she nodded, Bokuto swiftly stood up with her legs wrapped around him before carrying her down the hall; he kicked the bedroom door shut with his heel.

*                      * October 2019

Jess found herself having trouble lifting her hand to knock on the door. It’d been a year since she met Bokuto and he had become her best friend; maybe that’s why this was so hard. There’s an uneasy feeling in her stomach, a lump in her throat as she let out another deep breath. She could do this, she was an adult and adults face their problems head on. Suddenly though, Jess doesn’t want to be an adult and part of her wants to go back to being five years old when her biggest problem was which crayon to use.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Before the door opened, Jess chickened out and started walking back towards the staircase. She couldn’t do this, she’d come back and tell him another day.

“Jess?”

She squeezed her eyes shut breathing harshly out of her nose. When she turned around, she saw a confused Bo; her heart sank. How could she do this? She couldn’t and of course the one time she hoped he wouldn’t be home, he was.

She heard him call out for her again before she turned around. She walked slowly over to him then headed into his apartment. He immediately picked up on her demeanor, offering her various snacks and drinks; trying to make her comfortable.

She mumbled something causing Bo to kneel in front of her, asking her to repeat herself. Her green eyes met his golden ones and she knew this was it. That once she said it out loud, once he learned of her secret, everything would permanently change.

“I’m pregnant.” She bit her bottom lip, a wave of nausea hitting her and it wasn’t from the baby.

Bokuto, over time, had become slightly predictable to Jess. He was loud and tended to invade one’s personal space without warning and that’s the Bo Jess knew well. But this Bo, the one who was silent, who had scooted back from her and had a blank expression on his face was new to Jess.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” The huge smile that appeared on his face threw her for a loop. “This is the greatest news anyone’s ever told me.”

“You aren’t mad?”

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” He jumped to his feet, fingers running through his hair, with the same huge smile plastered on his face. “I’m gonna be a dad!”

Jess felt herself laugh, the anxiety, fear, dread all disappeared and left her wondering why she was even worried to begin with. This was Bo after all and if she could do this with anyone it would be Bo.

“You’re gonna be a dad, Bo.”

“And you, a mom.”

She gasped as Bo scooped her off the couch, spinning her around. He quickly sat her feet to the ground before she saw him drop to one knee. “Jess, marry me.”

“I’m sorry, what?” She grabbed his hands. “Stand up.”

“I mean it Jess.  Marry me.” He shook his head, “I know this isn’t proper, but I love you and want to do what’s right for you and the baby.”

She smiled at her favorite person, squatting down to be eye level with him. “Bo, I love you and love that you’d offer, but we don’t love each other in that way.”

“But we could try.” A pout covered his face, hair slightly deflated.

She shook her head, “You know it doesn’t work that way. I don’t love you in the way I love Mark and you don’t love me like you love Y/N. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

He pulled her into his chest, “I just don’t want to mess anything up, I don’t want to lose you either.”

“Lose me? Sir you are stuck with me forever now.” She felt him laugh against her shoulder. “We’ll figure things out as we go, I promise.”

“I’m gonna be a dad.” Tears fell down his face, a new type of happiness washed over him. “I have to call Akaashi.”

*                      * April 2025

The loud sound of the airport intercom brings Bokuto back to the present, looking up and his eyes land on Jess. He smiles when his eyes land on the little brunette who is proudly pulling her suitcase behind her. Bo squats down when the pair of them get closer to him, his face twists into confusion when Seiko stops walking.

She passes her suitcase handle to Jess before throwing her arms opening, “HEY! HEY! HEY!”

Bo’s face lights up as she rushes into his arms; he wraps his arms around her, picking her up, and spinning her around. He kisses her forehead, squeezing her tightly until she burst into a fit of giggles, trying to make up for the last two months. Jess smiles at the display, watching the two of them together was Jess’s favorite sight.

“Was that your idea?” Bo says to Jess, readjusting Seiko to rest on his left hip as his right-hand grabs Jess’ suitcase.

Jess just smirks as they walk out of the airport. Seiko’s arms wrapped tightly around his neck, unwilling to let go of her dad. Seiko loves her mom, she enjoyed spending time with her and her grandparents in California, but Seiko is a daddy’s girl.

** Seiko has all of her gifts on the coffee table, Bo looks at Jess who just holds her hands up in defense. Seiko is extremely hard to say no to, at least for Jess, Bo on the other hand claims to have invented the pouty look so he’s immune to Seiko’s antics.

“These are for Haruki! I got him a book about California, this tie-dye shirt and these gross jelly beans!”

“Gross jelly beans?” Bo looks directly at Jess who is laughing.

“They are odd flavored; booger, dog food, and others.”

“Anyways!” Seiko shouts, “I got Uncle ‘Kaashi this fancy pen and Misaki a matching tie-dye shirt to mine!”

“I’m sure they will love them!” Bo says excitedly, he leans back in his chair, welcoming the noise that fills his apartment; he’s missed it.

Seiko grabs a wrapped box she’s been hiding, handing it to Bo. “This is for you Daddy.”

Bo eagerly takes the box and unwraps it, Seiko is bouncing up and down as he starts to open it.

“Do you like your shirt, Daddy?” She beams at him, her eyes wide like a kid on Christmas morning.

Bo raises an eyebrow and Seiko immediately slaps her hand over her mouth. He smiles at her before removing the tissue paper and pulling out the shirt Seiko just told him about. He holds up a light blue shirt that has an owl with the words ‘papa owl’ underneath it.

“I love it!” He watches Seiko hold up her finger before running to her room.

“She’s really excited about this.” Jess says to him, sipping her tea.

Seiko comes rushing back into the living room, having changed her shirt to a matching one to Bo’s with the words ‘baby Owl’ on hers. “They match Daddy!”

“They sure do!”

“And this is yours too!” She hands him a small gift bag, but this time she acts shy about it. Bo pulls her into his lap and opens it. It’s a keychain with a picture of her on it, she holds up one of that has a picture of Jess on one side and him on the other. “For when you have a game away from home. So you don’t forget me.”

He wraps her into a hug, “I couldn’t forget about you even if I tried.”

*                      * October 2025

“Coming! Coming!” Bo shouts at the frantic knocking on his door, he looks at the clock on the wall: 10:15PM.

“I know it’s late. I should’ve called.” You start talking a mile a minute as soon as the door opens, your son leaning against your leg half asleep. “Can you watch Ruki?”

He blinks a few times, trying to wake up himself. “Yeah, sure, come in.”

You and Haruki enter into his apartment; Seiko comes around the corner, the noise having woke her up; tightly clinging to her favorite blanket. Seiko drags her feet towards Haruki, she takes his hand and they both walk over the couch. He rests his head on the arm of the couch as Seiko drapes her blanket over him.

“What’s going on?” Bo asks, still looking at you in confusion, reaching out to put a comforting hand on your arm.

You look around before stepping closer to Bo, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “Youta came home late, drunk, and yelling. I’d just rather Haruki not be around for that.”

Bo’s jaw clenches, in all honesty he’s never thought Youta was good enough for you. Not because he has feelings for you, but if you had to be with someone else he’d at least want it to be someone who deserved you.

“Of course, he can stay here. Maybe you should stay too.” He shrugs, “at least until tomorrow.”

You shake your head, biting your bottom lip. “I think it’s best if I handle this now. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way back.”

“He can stay the night. I’m sure Seiko would love it.”

The two of you glance over at the couch, Seiko and Haruki huddled together, barely covered by Seiko’s baby blanket. It had been a gift from Akaashi, a simple blanket with owls on it and even as she gets older, the blanket follows her; Bo has to take it and wash it while she sleeps.

You look at him, nervously looking at the clock. “Are you sure? I’ll come back first thing in the morning so he doesn’t mess up any plans.”

He puts a hand on your shoulder. “Take your time. He’s fine here. I promise.”

“Thank you.” You wrap your arms around him, giving him a hug before placing a quick kiss on his cheek. Smiling up at him, you feel thankful for him, for everything that he’s been doing for you since the locker mix up; he truly is your best friend.

“No worries. That’s what family does, right?”

You nod at him as you quickly rush over, placing a kiss on Haruki’s forehead before leaving. Bo lets out a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair before heading down the hall. He grabs the extra futon from the hall closet, setting it up in Seiko’s room. Going back to the living room, he scoops up Seiko first, tucking her into her bed, but when he heads back into the living room, Haruki is sitting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.’

“Uncle Bo?”

“Yeah buddy?” He stretches his arms out for Haruki to climb into them so he could carry him. He rests his head on Bo’s shoulder, his voice lagging from the sleep setting back in.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything, what’s up?” Haruki climbs onto the futon, Bo pulling the blanket up.

“What’s a divorce?”

Previous/ Masterlist /Next

[pretend-writer]

Kids Of The Future (Chapter 4)

Mini-Series

Summary: After time traveling from the apocalypse in 2019, a surprise waits for Diego and Y/N as they arrive at Dallas, Texas circa 1960.

Pairing: Hargreeves x sibling!reader, Diego Hargreeves x reader

Word Count: 2k words

Warning: mention of violence

✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤

Licking my lips, I stared at The Handler with curious eyes. It scared me that this woman that I only knew through Five knew my name, and wanted to make some kind of deal with me.

Five told us stories about how shady this woman can be and knowing how smart our genius brother was, I trusted everything that he said.

Being very hesitant of hearing her out, I became cautious. ‘What do you want from me?’

‘Nothing really, well nothing that is yours.’ The Handler inhaled the smoke from the cigar, smirking at me as if she was plotting something against me. The look in her eyes already made me not trust her.

It probably had been about two minutes that we just looked into each other eyes; The Handler was watching me think, seemed as if she was trying to play mind games with me.

As she exhaled the smoke back out, she chuckled lightly. ‘What are you thinking something so deeply for? I’ll give you something in exchange of course.’

‘You should’ve led with that, honestly.’ I sighed, the stress somewhat was relieved from hearing that. ‘What are you giving me?’

‘The briefcase. I know you and your family are trying to go back to your timeline.’

I shook my head and started laughing, ‘You’re kidding me right? Surely someone evil like you wouldn’t pass me something that is as important as the briefcase. You’re bluffing.’

‘Evil? Is that what Five says about me? I’m a little hurt.’ The Handler rolled her eyes, ‘Trust me. What I want from you is as valuable as the stupid briefcase.’

‘If it’s stupid why don’t you just let us go back to our own time? You out of all people know we don’t belong here.’

‘Don’t you want to earn the briefcase?’

‘No. I prefer to have it for free especially because I don’t know what the hell you want from me.’

The Handler smiled at me, ‘I want her.’

‘Who? Allison and Vanya is coming home with us, are you crazy?’

‘I don’t want your siblings. Five was a pain in the ass, I can’t imagine having you guys at the commission. I want that kid of yours.’

My heart dropped immediately, I didn’t know whether to cry or get angry. ‘W-what do you want with Bel?’

‘You give her to me, I’ll give you the briefcase. I think it’s a win-win situation for you if you ask me. You don’t have to babysit someone’s kid anymore.’

‘What makes you think I’ll hand her to you so easily for a fucking briefcase?’

‘You have Five as a brother, I know you will. And like you said, you all don’t belong to this timeline.’

I loved Bel as if she was my daughter, we’ve spent time together for nearly three years. Diego and I basically raised her, she even called us mom and dad. Why was it that all of the sudden this woman wanted her? No one tried to take her back three years ago, she was my daughter and I would never let her go.

‘What do you want with her?!’ I screamed out loud, tears slowly falling down my eyes. I didn’t mean to yell at The Handler but I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t trust this woman one single bit and knowing that she was after Bel scared me.

The door to the salon opened, revealing Diego that had a worried look on his face. ‘Everything okay here?’

I turned the other way, hiding my face from Diego. The last thing I wanted was for him to see me cry and worry about this. ‘I’m fine, Diego.’

‘Who are you?’ Diego asked The Handler.

She replied with just a hum, ignoring his question. ‘Y/N, think about it.’

‘Fuck you.’

‘Whatever you say, Hargreeves. I’ll see you very soon.’ The Handler walked away into the darkness. Frankly, I never wanted to see her again.

‘Y/N, who is she?’ Diego asked me this time, placing his hand on my shoulder.

Quickly swiping it away, I turned the other way to the other side of the road. I needed time to think, time to understand why this woman that Five thought so disgustingly about would ever want anything to do with my baby.

Diego pov;

Y/N walked away from me, I could tell she was crying when I saw her cheeks were wet before she turned away from me.

I still didn't know who that woman was and it terrified me that she did or said something that made Y/N so upset.

'Can you talk to me please?' I tried a different approach, hoping that she would answer my question.

'It doesn't matter.' Her voice was shaky, staring at nothing into the dark alley.

'Something is upsetting you though, it matters to me.'

She turned around to face me, avoiding eye contact not that it mattered because the streetlight was so dim I barely saw anything.

'Come on baby, we're a team. Tell me what's wrong.' Y/N was an emotional drunk and this day determined that. She was never the type of person to express her feelings as much as she did tonight.

It made me imagine how much of it all she kept it inside; our brutal childhood with Reginald, the times when we called each other and told me she was fine. I always knew Y/N was strong but seeing how helpless she was, I wanted to save her.

Y/N rushed inside back to the salon, disappeared right in front of me in a blink of an eye. Following her, I saw the others questioning Y/N what she was doing. She didn’t respond to any of them, it was as if she couldn’t hear anything they were saying. Next thing I knew, she bolted right out the door and started to run.

All of us rushed outside and followed her, Luther calling out her name to get her attention. She continued to ignore us, continued to run away far from us.

'Diego, what did you say to her?' Allison asked as we all walked back into the salon.

'I didn't do shit! She was talking to some lady outside an-'

'What lady?!' Five jumped up his seats and screamed.

'Five, when did you get he-'

He got closer, screamed at a louder voice as he got into my face. 'I said, what lady was talking to her?'

'White hair, overly dressed with a hat on her head-'

'Was she smoking?'

I rolled my eyes.' Dude if you would have let me finish talking, you coul-'

'Diego, shut up and just answer the damn question!' I knew Five was an ass but him screaming in my face did not make me want to help him at all.

'Yes! She was, damn.'

'What did The Handler tell her?'

The Handler? She was the crazy lady Five told us about when he came back from the future, said that he had worked for her. ‘I-I don’t know. By the time I walked outside, they were done talking.’

Five groaned, rolling his eyes and crossed his arms. 'Great, now it's going to take us forever to find Y/N before we make a plan on how to get the damn briefcase.'

'Surely, she's coming back right?' Klaus said, 'Or we can think of where she might of went to.'

'You sure you don’t know where she’s off to? It seemed like she was rushing somewhere.' Luther turned to me.

'Nope. All I know is that that woman talked her and she got upset. I asked her what's wrong but she didn't tell me anything.'

'Or you made her upset when she stormed out the alley in the first place.' Allison crossed her arms.

I looked over at her, shaking my head. 'Why would you think I made her upset?'

Vanya bit her lip, 'You know we can hear your conversation right? You two were sitting right there.'

'Okay, fine. I said something so stupid, you guys happy now?'

'You're probably the dumbest person ever. You had the girl for three years and yet you two are still basically roommates.' Klaus laughed.

I stared at my brother as he chuckled to himself, not to mention others were lightly laughing as well. It wasn't my fault that I was scared to try to act on my feelings.

'Can we just try to find her, please? I'm actually worried.'

'We should probably split up and look for her.' Luther suggested.

'No, I think I know where she is. Maybe.' There was a place she would go whenever she was upset, I noticed at night sometimes she would sneak out. Y/N probably thought I didn't know but occasionally I'd follow her to make sure she was alright.

If she wasn’t looking for anything that The Handler told her, surely she’d be at her favorite spot. At least I hope she was.

'Well, I'll go. Tell me where it is.' Allison hopped in.

Five stood next to Allison, 'Same here. If The Handler talked to Y/N, I need to know what she told her.'

'Oh, how nice of you to worry about her.' Klaus commented.

'No, I'm going to go look for her. You can come with but-'

'Diego, no offense but we don't know exactly why she's upset. It'll be better if you didn't come.' Allison bit her lip, I knew she meant well but not being able to help Y/N made me upset.

y/n pov;

Angrily I threw rocks into the river, watching it go straight down into the water without skipping.

'Mama, you're terrible at skipping rocks.'

Looking over at Bel, I laughed. 'Yeah I know. I was never good at it.'

Bel took some of the rocks on the ground, trying to mimic me. Just a thought of losing her made my stomach turn, nothing will make me ever lose her.

'I'm sorry you're up this late at night, I really missed you and wanted to pick you up from Sarah's.'

'It's okay, I'm not tired!' Bel smiled, still trying to skip rocks.

'Y/N!' Allison called my name from behind, walking towards me in a fast pace. ‘Diego said you’d be here. Are you okay?’

My sister sat next to me, hugging me from the side. ‘You had us worried, you know? Something about The Handler?’

‘Yeah, Five wouldn’t shut up about it. Told him not to come with because I know he’d be drowning you with questions.’ Klaus joined in, having a seat next to Bel as he mumbled and played with her.

‘I’m sorry, I was just really angry and I had to leave.’

‘Was it Diego? He always have some shit to say.’ Klaus joked.

‘Uncle Klaus, that’s a bad word!’ Belinda gasped, covering her mouth.

His eyebrows rose, ‘Don’t tell your dad. He would kill me if he found out I swore in front of you.’

Allison and I giggled in unison, watching how great Klaus was with my daughter. ‘So where’s Diego?’

‘We didn’t know if you were upset about the lady or the stupid thing Diego said to you. So we told him not to come with.’

‘Yeah he was pis-’ Klaus looked at Bel as he paused. ‘I mean, he was really really angry.’

‘Good, that’s what he gets.’ I huffed, still upset about what he said earlier.

Allison nudged me, trying to get my attention as she muttered lightly. ‘So which one is it?’

I whispered back to her, hoping Bel doesn’t hear me. ‘She wants my baby, Allison.’

Her expression fell, immediately grabbing onto my hand. I knew that Allison felt sympathy for me as she had a daughter of her own. ‘Why? What does she want with her?’

‘I don’t know but no one is taking her away from me.’ It had hurt me to hear what The Handler had said to me but saying it out loud made me feel worse. The fact that I had to even say such thing made me sad and angry.

‘You have us, you and Diego aren’t alone anymore.’ Allison smiled, ‘We’re going to protect her and do whatever it takes. I promise you, Y/N.’

[hellisheuphoria]

Chapter 3: Melancholy

The MC has their first heartbreak after weeks of freezing out their friends, and drama ensues.

[This chapter contains scenes depicting mental health issues such as anxiety and anxiety attacks, so read at your own risk. And don’t hesitate to write constructive criticism or point out any mistakes, thank you <3]

“MC!” You gasped, sitting yourself up. Mammon loomed over you, with a hand outstretched to shake you. You stared at him, not knowing what to do.

You just woke up, having fallen asleep on the couch the minute you got home from school. Absolutely exhausted, you had lay down on the couch and used your bag as a pillow, snoozing soundly.

You tried your hardest to shift yourself away from everyone. That meant walking away when they tried to initiate a conversation with you, ignoring messages, calls or whatever and eating somewhere else during lunch- a whole list. They were really invested in you, and you were exhausted.

Struggling to see due to the intense light, you rubbed your eyes. Mammon was already dressed in his usual clothes with his signature tan jacket. It was pretty, and made him look even more like a model.

You pulled into your collar a bit, feeling awkward to be caught like this. You grabbed your bag and muttered out “Sorry.”, before getting up and turning away, trying to keep your distance.

You felt bad for ignoring him, as Mammon never hurt you once. He held you in his arms as you died. But you were still afraid of him. You were afraid of his kind, having been murdered by one yourself- his brother, too!

You were afraid of his reaction if he figured it out. You didn’t want to hurt him, yourself, or even Belphegor. He had calmed down in the recent weeks, but you could never forget the way you’d died by his hand.

Mammon, not having any of your attitude, pulled you by your arm and brought you back to him.

”Hey, MC! Where do ya think you’re going!?” He talk-yelled, clearly agitated at your cold attitude. He twisted you to face him, not noticing your anxious expression.

”I thought we were friends? I thought I was your first man! Why would you- why would you ignore me like this..!” His voice cracked, almost as if he was going to shatter.

You panicked, not knowing what to say. You didn’t know what to expect from him, but you couldn’t expect anything less than this. He was hurt, and you could tell it from miles away.

Mammon was a kind, sweet individual despite how idiotic he could be. But you didn’t know the extent of his power, with him being the second oldest sibling. You had witnessed Lucifer and Belphegor using their powers, and didn’t want to think about how powerful Mammon would be. It must take a lot for him to snap, seeing how patient he was with the insults he would get from his brothers.

You felt bad for him, but didn’t want to let your guard down. You didn’t want to be betrayed or hurt again. You didn’t want to feel anything at all for the rest of the year until you got to go home.

“MC! Say something, please-! I can’t help you if you won’t tell me. I don’t want you to ignore me anymore, MC, please!” His eyes became glossy and small droplets of tears escaped his eyes.

You felt like crying yourself, too. You didn’t want it go this far. It hurt to see the way his cheeks went red and his eyes swell up with tears.

He was beautiful, nonetheless. Crying, or not crying. But you remembered how deceiving his younger brother was, trying to convince you into believing he was a human. You knew he wasn’t telling the truth, but you still trusted him. You helped him escape. But in the end, he betrayed you anyways.

He murdered you, and left you to die, alone and scared. Even if you made a pact, you didn’t want to use it as way of controlling them. They’re not puppets, they have feelings too, and pacts go way deeper than just a form of control. You didn’t want to disrespect them in that way.

And that’s why you just shut down. You ran away from your friends, you ran away from yourself, you ran away from everything. You had changed too much. The other you felt like a lie. You were ashamed of yourself, and would forever be reminded of that.

You pulled him off you and walked away, ignoring his plea for you to not go. It hurt you, but it was better this way, wasn’t it? A human lifespan can not even compare to that of a demon. Better you distance yourself now then later.

He still begged you to stay, yet you continued to ignore him, sealing yourself away.

———————————————————————

The afternoon was, to say the least, silent. No one spoke a word, and even Asmo who would usually be chattering was quiet, unspeaking. The atmosphere was cold and tense, you could feel it radiating from them, including yourself.

Nothing could be heard except the clattering of cutlery and Beel practically inhaling his food. It was funny, seeing him like that. Oblivious to the awkwardness of today’s dinner.

Mammon sat in his seat, gloomy and depressed. He wouldn’t eat his food, he would just play with it and take small, practically nonexistent bites. You could feel his gaze on you when you weren’t looking.

You remembered the shock and surprise of everyone when they witnessed the “argument” you and Mammon had. They tried to stop you from leaving, with Beel grabbing your hand and Lucifer practically bombarding Mammon with questions.

They tried to get an answer out of you, but you ignored them, looking the other way.

Finally, they left you alone, unsure of which side to take if there was any. They were worried for you after weeks of your coldness, but they didn’t have it in them to trace it back to Belphegor. They thought you would get over it, seeing that you were alive now, anyway.

It was all too overwhelming that you lost yourself for a bit, and forgot how to feel. You were gone, numb. Any gossip, questions or whatever just bounced off you. It was all so dull.

You excused yourself early and allowed Beel to eat your leftovers, not feeling quite hungry yourself. Their gazes fell on you as you left, and then they went back to their own business.

You sat in your room, feeling quite sad and tired with everything. Nothing felt right anymore, and it made you nervous. But your room cheered you up a bit. It was beautiful and colourful, the complete opposite of you. The plants growing on your walls and the tree made you feel nostalgic, reminding you of the human world.

A knock on your door shook you out of your thoughts and you turned your head toward it. “Come in.” You said, wearily and confused.

Lucifer came in, looking more worried than stern. You stared at him, confused as to what to do. He wouldn’t usually come into your room like this, or at all, really. He was always busy with the work he was assigned, usually disappearing into his room.

”MC, I have something I wish to speak to you about, regarding the last few weeks.” He oddly spoke, observing you.

”Oh.” You muttered out, unsure as to what to say. He sat next to you on your bed, about to continue.

”I understand something may be bothering you to have made you act as how you are now. And I would like it for you to explain it to me.” His gaze fell on you, and his voice unusually soft.

He placed a hand on your shoulder, his gloved hand soothing your bare skin. “MC, has any of the lower demons been bothering you? Or Mammon, like today? What is going on, MC?”

You looked at your clenched hands on your lap, scared to talk. No matter how nice was trying to be, you still felt on edge, and attacked.

”It’s nothing. I’ll be fine, and tell Mammon I’m sorry.” You murmured quietly, too conflicted and scared to talk anymore.

”MC, you managed to make Mammon cry today, and that alone is not entirely what’s been worrying me. I want to help you, we all do. You do not have to confide in just me if you do not wish to.” He held out a hand to hold yours, but you wouldn’t let him.

”I.. Lucifer-“ You whispered, your eyes darting everywhere and panic rising in your chest.

You threw him off of you and thrashed around hysterically, feeling stressed and frustrated. “Please! Leave me alone, damn it!”

Lucifer got up immediately to calm you down, but you wouldn’t let him, running out of your room and heading towards the front door.

Everyone had apparently heard the commotion in your room and collectively got together to see what was going on. But they didn’t have the reflexes to catch you as you hastened outside.

”MC!” Lucifer yelled, shocked at your sudden outburst.

Bur you didn’t listen, you didn’t even wait to put on your shoes before you ran out of the House of Lamentation. You ran, and ran until you were a good few miles away from there. Your feet hurt, but you were glad that you wore socks. At least they wouldn’t be dirty.

The wind blew and you shivered, regretting not at least grabbing a jacket. You heard telling dad bwhind, and hurriedly speed walked yourself further, trying to get yourself lost.

It was evening and dark, so not many people were outside. You wandered around, alone and cold. It was better than being put on the spot like that.

The wind blew and goosebumps appeared on your skin, the cold intensifying.

It was entirely deserted and you were glad for that. You would be by yourself, just the way you liked it.

You sat down on a bench, pulling out your phone. You had multiple missed calls from everyone and a whole bunch of texts. Especially from Levi- he was still spamming your phone with his texts.

You shut it off and placed it back in your pocket, leaning forward with your arms on your knees to stare at the place around you.

It was darker than it usually was in the Devildom, with everything being barely visible. It was scarily quieter than usual, not even the Devildom birds were chirping.

The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the water from the ponds, looking eerily shiny. Then you noticed a darkened figure creeping up behind your own reflection.

You felt something, or someone, behind you. The hair on the back of your neck stood up, and you froze, worried you were caught.

Then you felt a hand on your shoulder.

”Hello, MC.”

[one-abuse-survivor]

Hi, it's me again. Anon 🥞

Thank you a lot for your words of support.

I'm currently stuck with my aunt and uncle because I agree to go on a vacation with them before everything went down.

I got in an argument with my aunt, because of my comportement during Christmas Eve. She told me I should not get angry like that, that is it going to push people away from me. That nobody will ever like me. I did tell her I did not want to be associated with assh*les and she said it is awful to talk about my uncle's family like that. She said I should not care so much about others and just accept their good sides and ignore the bads ones. I should suppress my personality and accept what people give me. I told her I was tired of doing this, of supressing who i was and what I wanted to please people, that I did it l'on enough to please my parents. She said it's life. She told me I ruin Christmas for everyone, that my uncle was furious at me and everyone was uncomfortable with me after that. I told her that Christmas was more difficult for me, she told me it's not true. That I was selfish. That I could have been all alone and I should be thankful I was not, but I ruin it. She said she's afraid of making me meet her friends or other people now.

My mother used to tell me this. That nobody would ever like me. That she was afraid of making me meet people because of my character. That I'm selfish. That life is hard, and if I think I went to the worst of it, I'm wrong.

A part of me is happy I didn't shut up, I just wish I knew how to better express myself (I struggles with words a lot). But also, a part of me is asking myself if my mother was right about me, even a little bit, and I'm going to be alone forever because I'm like that.

Hi, it's Anon 🥞 again. I'm sorry if I come to rant here too much, I just have nobody else to talk to (I couldn't see my psychologist because of the holidays) I did send an ask a week ago, I wasn't at a place with good wifi so it's possible it was never send, or I'm just impatient and, if it's the case, you can delete this one.

Anyway, my aunt and I got into an argument about the Xmas' dinner. She told me I embarrassed them and make my uncle's family's stay awkward, that she was afraid of making me meet their friends in case I had another reaction. She also told me that nobody would never like me if I was like that. I was quite angry, 1 because she treated me like a child (during all my stay at her place) who know nothing about the world when I'm 21 (I was abused and I have difficulty being social) and 2 because that's exactly what my mother would often tell me, so I told her "I didn't want to be like by assho*les". She then told me I was awful for calling my uncle's family like that (privileged bigots). I went to my room because I wanted to be alone. She came back 5 min later because my uncle call us crazy and she wanted him to stop. So she apologized, but I know it was empty because she talked to me for thirty min about how nobody would like me, and I should hide my personality or I would be alone...

I'm back at my place now. Things are awkward, she sends me a message everyday, when she would call before. I don't want her to call me, but I feel like my mother was right and I'm unlikable. The people who "cares" about me (my parents, my sibling, my aunt) only do because we're blood related. I had learned, growing up, that when my parents said they loved me, it was the idea of having a daughter that they loved and not me for who am I. (My interest were mocked or my mother would dismiss me or yelled at me if I gave my opinion, even on a subject I was passionate about, nobody would know what I like and what to buy for my birthday...)

Also, everyone (aunt, uncle, brother, doctor) asked me if I had New Year's wishes from my parents. The answer is no, they're blocked. And then, they asked me to send my parents New Year's wishes??!! That's the first thing my uncle said to me after midnight, my aunt even asked me to make it my new year resolution... But there's no way I'm talking to them again.

Hi again, nonnie, you’re welcome for the support, glad I could help ❤

I'm sorry you had to hear that from your aunt. I know I've already said this, but she's wrong, and the things she's saying to you are dangerously wrong. Telling a person they need to "accept the good side of others and ignore the bad side" is abuse apologism. You do NOT have to ignore people's bad side when that side is actively hurting you. You're allowed boundaries. You're allowed to choose who you want in your life. If someone in your family is an abusive asshole, then you have every right to call them an asshole. "Life" isn't putting up with abuse, and if she thinks that way, that's her problem, not yours. You don't have to conform to her idea of what life is like.

The fact she told you no one will ever like you is bullshit: maybe people like her and this side of your family won't like you, but people who aren't okay with abuse and who believe that boundaries belong in families will. The people who think it's okay to get angry when you're being disrespected (which it is) will like you. The people who don't want to see you victimised and abused will like you.

You don't have to be thankful that you didn't spend Christmas alone, nonnie. Just because they let you in their house it doesn't give them the right to treat you the way they did. That would be like giving someone food and then saying "why are you complaining it was poisonous? You should be grateful I fed you at all. You could've just swallowed the bile and been thankful for the food, but you had to go and throw up and ruin our entire evening." It's victim-blaming. It's emotional abuse. It's not okay, and you didn't deserve to go through that. I'm sorry it felt like being around your mother all over again. I hope you know they were both abusive and wrong about you, even if sometimes it's still hard to believe. You're not going to end up alone if you stand up for yourself and you don't turn into the quiet, submissive and easily manipulated person they want you to be. You're going to end up surrounded by people who think like you and who respect and love you. I'm glad you dind't shut up, nonnie, and I hope you're proud of yourself for that.

Regarding your second ask, don't worry at all, that's what this blog is here for! It's always okay to send another ask even if I haven't answered your previous one yet :) I'll just reply to them together like this (unless you ask me not to, of course!). I know this one is a re-telling of the previous one, but you added some details I wanted to reply to as well, so here goes:

The fact she framed all of this emotional abuse and victim-blaming as an apology is disgusting, and I'm so glad you were able to get back to your place soon after that. I'm sorry your aunt kept texting you, though :( I hope she's stopped or at least does it less frequently now.

Ugh, it's disgusting that they keep trying to make you think well of your parents and care about them. They never cared about you. You don't owe your parents anything, and that includes positive thoughts about them. I'm so glad you stood your ground. I'm really proud of you, nonnie.

I hope you've been able to distance yourself enough from this mindset that it's easier to see that you're not unlikeable, and I also hope you've been able to see your therapist in the last couple of months! Please know I'm here if you need to reach out again and I believe in you. What your extended family put you through during the Christmas holidays and New Years' Eve was abusive, and you do not owe any one of them a single text or another minute of your life.

Sending a huge virtual hug your way ❤