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notchesandbullets · 4 years

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Saving Her (Ojiro Mashirao x Wolf!Reader)

A/N: dedicated to the anon who wanted me to write a oneshot about ojiro giving the reader a gift, this fanfic is for you 💖💖 this is incredibly self-indulgent and ive been working on it for over a month now. its almost done but i’ll post what i have so far, i hope you like it!!

Contains reluctant Aizawa to soft Dadzawa, annoying brother Shinsou, pure Eri-chan, bakugou's notorious cursing, sweet and innocent fluff between reader-chan and Ojiro. First friend Ojiro to best friend and then lover. Featuring the rest of Class 1-A and them acting like hooligans.

Part 1: Crashing into Ojiro, Room Competition, meeting Class 1-A and Aizawa, who has some bad news for you when you’re discovered.

Word Count: 7k

The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the busy city of Musutafu.

Ojiro had planned on taking Tokoyami with him, but his friend was still in the middle of unpacking as he was leaving.

He was on the way back to the dorms from the grocery store with a bag of ingredients and sweets as per Sato's request. It was a bit longer of a walking distance since he was so used to coming from his house and would take some getting used to, now that Heights Alliance was his home.

The streets weren't any busier than usual, but when he saw something flicker out of the corner of his eyes off to the side, he couldn't help but feel as though something was wrong.

Maybe it was his hero blood or something stronger but he didn't waste any time diving into action.

As he rounded the corner, his eyes widened as someone crashed into him, nearly toppling him over. He caught his balance just in time, steadying the person that had collided into his chest but not before he saw it.

Blood matting down your hair had his heart dropping in horror. You were trembling in his arms, positively terrified and it didn't take long to figure out what the cause of your stress was when two more figures slinked out of the shadows.

Ojiro acted quickly, using his tail to whisk the two of you higher until you were out of sight. He curled his arms tightly but carefully around your waist, making sure that you wouldn't fall.

Thanks to Ectoplasm's guidance, he had refined his skills and learned how to be unpredictable.

It wasn't until you two were safely on top of the nearest roof did he loosen his grip. Leaning over the edge cautiously, he watched the strangers bolt off in opposite directions, presumably to look for you. He was pretty sure they didn't see him take you away but he wasn't completely certain. Pulling back, he released you from his hold. But he didn't take any offense to the way you practically flew from his touch.

He could see it in your eyes. Fear as deep as yours shouldn't ever be allowed to get that far, for anyone.

You hugged your trembling body with your arms, desperately willing the anxiety to die down so that you could think straight. All you could think about was running. Far, far away where no one could get to you.

"Ah... sorry to take you away so suddenly like that, but it looked like you seemed to be in trouble." Ojiro apologized.

His sheepish tone made you finally break out of your thoughts and for a moment, the two of you didn't say anything, both of you enamored with the other as you got a proper look.

He didn't think he had ever seen anyone as beautiful as you before. Round orbs blinking up at him curiously, your fuzzy ears perched on top of your head perked up as you met his gaze, bushy tail twitching behind you.

As for you, your mouth dried at the sight of your savior. His golden hair and kind smile made your heart skip a beat for reasons unknown to you. You couldn't stop your tail from thumping excitedly against the rooftop when you saw his tail.

It was much bigger and looked much stronger than yours was and you couldn't stop from bounding over to it eagerly, stretching out a tentative hand to touch it.

But you halted at the last second and recoiled, expecting to be punished for your behavior.

Ojiro frowned, taking notice of your trepidation and offered you an encouraging smile. "It's okay, you can touch it if you'd like."

He lifted his tail slightly, inviting your curiosity forth and a bit nervously, you reached out your hand once again. A wide smile split your features as you felt the soft, short fur underneath, your other hand going up to pet your ears, as if to compare the softness.

Ojiro couldn't help but match your smile at that, finding it adorable. Tucking his legs underneath him so that you could still play with his tail, he breached the topic sensitively.

"What's your name?" He asked quietly. "Who were those guys that were after you?"

At first, you seized up and for a minute there, he was worried he went about asking you the wrong way. But a deep sigh left your lungs and testing the waters, you timidly introduced yourself and began to explain in a concise way, your current situation.

You honestly weren't entirely sure how you got there.

But one bad thing after another landed you in a pretty rough neighborhood notorious for Quirk Traffickers. They looked for people with unique abilities that would sell well on the black market. People paid a lot of money to own those they deemed exotic, particularly kids and teens with quirks that had an effect on their physical appearance.

You were no exception, having been cursed with an extremely rare wolf quirk. All it ever brought you was trouble.

You had heard that quirks were hereditary but yours definitely wasn't. You don't know which ancestor it came from when it appeared out of the blue.

Tiny fangs, fluffy ears and a tail emerged one day. But your excitement of discovering it was short-lived when you were abandoned by your parents the very next day. They had found it disgusting.

Young and innocent, you wandered the streets, not sure what you were supposed to do. That's when they caught you.

You bounced from one owner to another, never staying in one place for very long. You had been brought back to their base of operations in Japan, your last master less than satisfied with you since all you did was hide out of fear of everyone, lashing out when he tried to approach you.

You may or may not have bitten a guest when they tried to touch your ears.

Back in your homeland, that's when you saw your opening.

You didn't know what propelled your legs to start running from the men but pretty soon you were out of breath and out of options. Alone in the alleyway, but not for long, you frantically scanned for an escape route.

And that's when you crashed into him.

A shadow fell over Ojiro's face as he heard you explain your past, hands balling into fists at his sides. He wouldn't stand behind while someone was tormenting you. No hero would allow something like this to continue.

Coming to his decision instantly, he stood up, extending a hand out to you.

"Y/N, will you come with me?" He asked, gaze unwavering. "I think I know where you'll be safe, at least for now."

You paused, skeptical. "I-I... I don't know."

He squatted down beside you, patting your head gently. If there was more time, he would've been more patient but he couldn't help but feel uneasy the longer you guys stayed out in the open. Even if you were out of sight, a rooftop wasn't a permanent place for you to hide out in.

Your eyes went wide but you didn't shrink away. You didn't know why. Anytime someone reached for your head, they always had this glint in their eyes, but this time, he looked desperate.

Desperate for you to believe him.

"You must have a hard time trusting people after all you've been through." Ojiro empathized before urgency seeped into his tone. "I really don't want to leave you alone. My sensei might be able to help you but only if you come with me."

You still didn't look entirely convinced but he didn't blame you.

"If you don't like what he says, then you don't have to listen." Ojiro reassured you easily. "No one's going to force you to do anything. You can make your own choice but let me at least give you more options."

That was what finally made you drop your guard, still wary but choosing to trust him for now. After all, he did save you earlier.

You put your hand in his, cheeks warming as he squeezed it slightly.

"Okay."

The two of you traveled to Heights Alliance, the dormitory for Class 1-A of UA High School. He immediately found his teacher, Aizawa, and told him of your circumstances. The man's rough and rugged appearance caused fear to flash through you but only for an instant.

He concealed it well but he seemed kind. Not outwardly like Ojiro, but it was enough to reassure you for now.

All throughout Ojiro's explanation, you hid behind his broad back, shivering at the way his tail curled around your waist to keep you close to him.

It was weird. It didn't feel restricting like you expected it to, it almost felt protective. You kind of liked it. You giggled as the furry tip of his tail tickled your nose playfully and you batted at it, eyes shining as you momentarily forgot where you were.

Aizawa was silent as his student finished explaining why he had a wolf girl attached to his side, scratching the back of his neck as he racked his brain to come up with a solution that wouldn't land you back in that same place again but also without compromising the safety of his students.

Since you were an orphan and a minor, the police would most likely take you to an orphanage, in which case the people looking for you would certainly find you. Aizawa called Principal Nezu and got permission from him to house you at the dorms until the threat hanging over your head was dealt with by the authorities.

You blinked when he asked you if you wanted to stay with them for the time being while they ironed out all the details and see what could be done for a more permanent residence but accepted his offer with a shy and grateful smile.

Then was the matter of actually carrying it out.

The two wanted to settle you in a room of your own but your ears flattened against your head in distress at the suggestion so they quickly dropped that idea.

Aizawa ran a hand tiredly through his hair, unsure of how to resolve this when you clearly were in danger but didn't want to be left alone. The less people that knew of your whereabouts the better and even though he knew Yaoyorozu would probably do a good job looking after you, you clung to Ojiro's side like glue.

You seemed the most comfortable with him and he figured they could use that for now.

Needless to say, Ojiro was surprised when Aizawa suggested he take care of you until the man could figure out a way to accommodate you without you having an anxiety attack but he readily agreed with a slight blush on his face.

He just wanted you to be safe and happy and he was stunned that his sensei trusted him enough to be responsible for you.

Aizawa promptly handed him a small first-aid kit to take care of the blood smeared on your forehead after ensuring that it wasn't anything serious. It was just a slight nick, shallow enough not to need any stitches since it would heal relatively quickly. He told him to clean it before it got infected and his student nodded seriously.

"You can count on me, Aizawa-sensei!!" Ojiro said, bowing respectfully to thank him for all he had done before leaving.

With Ojiro guiding the way, the two of you snuck through the back door and up into his room for you to get settled in. The other students in his class were bustling around the common floor, moving all their things into their respective rooms, hoping to get it done before dark.

It was loud and chaotic, or maybe that was just your sensitive ears picking up on it more. Curiosity peaked, you peeked around the corner after you ensured you were out of their sight, gaze falling on the activity going on below from the second floor.

Ojiro softly pointed each one of them out, telling you their names as they talked over each other.

"I can't believe we get to live together!!" Ashido exclaimed happily, doing a little dance in front of Hagakure and Uraraka. "This is so exciting!!"

"I can't believe my parents agreed to it!!" The invisible girl commented, undoubtedly puffing out her cheeks.

The red-haired and yellow-haired boys who were wrestling in the corner paused for a second to join in on the girls' conversation.

"Did you have a hard time convincing them?" Kirishima asked, only to be smacked upside the head by Kaminari. "Ow, what the heck man?!"

"Why are you asking such a dumb question?" The electric boy retorted, kicking up his feet and smirking. "She could've always just snuck out of the house if they said no. You know, invisibility quirk and all."

He leaped up with a yelp as something shocked him from behind, whirling around to glare at Jirou, who was twirling her earphone jack around a finger nonchalantly.

She sighed, retracting the other one from where she had send an electric pulse through him. "What an idiot."

Kaminari gripped his hair, nearly tearing it out in frustration. "That's what I'm saying!!"

Sero, who was passing by with a box full of his things, stopped and raised an eyebrow. "You know she's talking about you, right?"

"That's not true!!" Kaminari shouted incredulously.

"It's true." Jirou retorted flatly.

The others in the vicinity burst into laughter and you couldn't help but giggle a bit along with them, muffling the sound behind your hand in fear that they would catch you spying on them.

Ojiro's tail twined around your waist gently, steering you towards the elevators. "C'mon, this way."

That contraption alone was the most nerve-wracking thing you've experienced so far. Luckily, the ride wasn't long but that was the only upside. Your tail swished nervously behind you and you didn't relax until the door to his room on the third floor softly clicked closed behind you.

Ojiro breathed a sigh of relief, glancing up at you. You had made it without being spotted by anyone. Thankfully.

He didn't have many things, so moving in wasn't a problem for him and it didn't take too long. He was one of the first ones to finish, along with Shoji, and helped Sato unpack his things until his friend noticed he needed some more ingredients for the cake he wanted to make later on.

The plastic bag crinkled as he took out the snacks he had found while he was getting Sato more flour and sugar. Your nose twitched cutely and he had to refrain from poking your cheek, lest he scare you off.

Your tail was less frazzled now and he took it as a sign that you were getting accustomed to your surroundings.

His eyes softened as you took in his room, pawing at the neat collection of books on his desk before your attention flitted up to the high shelving above your head.

This time, Ojiro couldn't contain his fond smile as he reached over you to grab what you were longingly looking at.

Your eyes went wide as his chest pressed against your back, he easily reached it since he was taller than you. A small giraffe plushie landed in your hands not long after.

He tilted his head, eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiled at you. "Cute, right?"

His little sister, Holly, gave it to him as a going-away present when he moved into the dorms. He missed her so much already but the presence of this little stuffed giraffe soothed his heart.

You held it so gently, as if you were scared you would destroy it.

"Yeah..." You trailed off quietly and he beamed.

It was his first time hearing your voice so unrestrained and free from the fear that gripped you earlier but nothing could have prepared him for how pure and precious it was. He ruffled your hair gently, being mindful of your fluffy ears and looking out for any signs you were uncomfortable with the affectionate gesture.

But his heart skipped a beat when you closed your eyes at his touch, clearly enjoying it and even going so far as to butt your head against his hand in a silent plea for more pets.

You flushed when he chuckled, obliging you for a minute longer until you were like putty in his hands.

The both of you jumped when a loud crash came from downstairs, accompanied by a flurry of enraged shouting and colorful insults even through the many floors. Ojiro casted a worried glance at you but all his concern melted away when a little giggle left your lips.

Relieved that you didn't seem to be too shaken by the noise, he offered the snacks he bought earlier, taking the package and ripping it open for you when you fumbled with it.

Thanking him quietly, you nibbled on the food gratefully. The flavors exploded in your mouth and you positively beamed, radiating the same pure energy you emitted earlier when you had spoken to him.

Ojiro maneuvered around you, finding what he was looking for pretty quickly.

You looked up curiously when he came back, shifting your weight on your knees, unsure of why he was holding a water bottle in your field of vision.

"I need to treat your cut, is that okay?" He asked, unscrewing the cap and pouring a little bit on the cloth he got from the first-aid kit. He didn't want to startle you, so he narrated what he was doing.

You nodded, setting down your half-eaten cookie carefully and brushed back your tangled hair as much as you could so that it wasn't in the way.

Your breath caught in your throat when he moved closer to you. He angled your chin up, gazing into your eyes as he wiped the blood away first to assess the damage done.

"It's going to sting a little bit." He murmured, preparing the antibiotic.

Squeezing your eyes shut, you gripped onto the lapels of his blazer, practically ripping it as your claws came out when he dabbed the cut. You whimpered in pain, tears leaking out of the corner of your eyes at how much it hurt.

Ojiro faltered, your whimper sending a spike straight through his heart and he hastened, not wanting you to be in pain any longer. But he was thorough, well aware that if he didn't do a good job now, there was a chance you would have to endure it again. As soon as he disinfected it, he applied a couple butterfly closures to aid the healing process.

It wasn't bleeding anymore and he sighed in relief.

You panted heavily when he was finally done. Rubbing your eyes furiously, you blinked through your blurry vision, frantically scanning the room as his warmth suddenly disappeared.

"Y/N-chan?"

The voice was close by but not close enough. Your breathing started to pick up, hands clammy and tail fluffed out. An obvious sign you were stressed.

"Y/N-chan!!"

This time, it was a lot closer and you sank back, relieved beyond belief as the familiar sensation of his tail encircling your waist returned.

You stammered out his name, blindly reaching for him.

"Where did you go?" Your whispered, fingers trembling uncontrollably as he pulled you into his chest.

"Just had to put away the bandages." He reassured you, concerned with how quickly you were to losing it. "Are you okay?"

Your ears flopped back and forth at how vigorously you nodded, as if you needed to convince him like your life depended on it and his mouth twisted into a small frown.

"You don't have to do that." He said, going to pet you once more, smiling in relief as your tail finally stopped lashing behind you.

"... 'm sorry." You mumbled sadly, clutching onto the front of his jacket.

"It's okay." Ojiro replied, stroking your hair to calm you down. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Just how much pain had you endured?

This time when he stood up, you were okay. Somehow comforted that he wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon, you polished off your snack as he got something else from the closet.

"Here."

You perked up at the sight of the blue hoodie in his outstretched hand.

Ojiro laughed at your expression of awe as you accepted it and ran your fingers over the material. "You seemed cold so how about you hang onto this for now?"

It was one of his lounging hoodies that he didn't wear too often but it was rather warm and would hopefully stop you from shivering. That tattered dress you were wearing looked like it was about to go any second. He didn't want to know how weak your immune system was to be freezing cold in the middle of August.

You beamed happily, bowing repeatedly. "Thank you, Ojiro-san!!"

It had gotten stuck over your head when you tried to pull it down though and with a muffled squeak that gained his attention, he tugged down the hem, smiling when your ears and flushed face popped through.

Just when I thought she couldn't get any cuter... He thought to himself as you began to run around the room, climbing on anything and everything once he told you that he didn't mind.

His clothes swallowed your smaller frame and he found it incredibly endearing with the way you would flap your arms around, claiming you had sweater paws. It fell just above your knees, keeping it modest.

He steered you away from the balcony for now, wanting you to stay where he could keep an eye on you.

After a few more hours of you getting adjusted, you had tuckered yourself out and curled up into a ball on the floor at the foot of his bed.

Ojiro frowned once he noticed you taking a nap on the hard surface, abandoning his studying at his desk to take you in his arms and placing you in his bed.

You stirred, heavy eyelids struggling to open as you croaked out, "W-What? Ojiro-san, what's going on??"

"You can't sleep on the floor, Y/N-chan." He chided lightly. "It's not good for your back."

Sleepy haze diminishing, you bolted upright, nearly smacking him in the face when you realized where he had put you.

"I can't sleep in your bed!!" You burst out incredulously.

Ojiro hushed you, worriedly glancing at the door as if his friends would come barging in without any warning but luckily they didn't. He didn't put it past them but this was one time where he didn't want them to do that.

He tried to ease you back down but you wouldn't obey.

"Don't worry, the sheets are new." He reassured.

His eyebrow furrowed when you shook your head violently from side to side, wondering what you were so worked up about. You tried to climb out and he let you but didn't let you go too far.

"What's wrong?" He asked quickly, the possibility that he had offended you coming to light. "I didn't mean to—"

"I'm not allowed to!!" You suddenly blurted out.

He did a double take and you looked over his shoulder, your eyes darting everywhere else besides him.

Crouching down to your level, he soothed you gently. "Hey, it's okay. What do you mean you're not allowed to?"

You absentmindedly picked at the wound closures on your forehead, swallowing thickly when he took your hand in his to prevent you from messing with the bandages.

"Y/N-chan?" He prompted.

Your mutter was so quiet he had to strain himself to hear you right and when he did, he asked you to repeat it because by All Might was his blood boiling if he heard you correctly.

You gulped, intimidated by the brazen anger in his eyes, fiddling with the hem of his hoodie.

"They said we're animals and called us dirty. We're not supposed to sleep where humans do." With each word, you got quieter until his face was right in front of yours. "They were right... weren't they?"

Squeaking as you got engulfed in a hug, you tensed up and he broke it, apologizing profusely.

"I'm sorry, I just," He ran a hand through his hair, conflicted. "They couldn't be more wrong."

He didn't touch you but he didn't need to for you to feel his warm presence extending out towards you and covering you in the most love you've experienced since your parents left.

"You might have an animal quirk but you're human just like the rest of us and don't deserve to be treated any less than that by anyone." He emphasized, then pounded a fist to his chest. "From now on, I'll look out for you and show you what it's like to be treated like an equal, as a friend, if you'll let me."

Ojiro held out his hand. "Deal?"

You sniffled, unbelievably moved by his kindness after only knowing you for less than a day. "Deal."

You sealed it with a handshake and he gestured to the rumpled bed behind him.

Waving his hand grandly, he proclaimed, "Your napping space awaits."

He internally winced at how corny that sounded but hearing your laughter ring in the air more than made up for it. As he helped you settle beneath the covers, he reassured you constantly but patiently that you really were allowed to sleep in a bed and no, you weren't bothering him or being a burden.

After that, you couldn't fall asleep right away and he really didn't want to study anymore so the two of you talked.

He told you about his family, how he got into UA, stuttering nervously a couple of times only to shoot you a grateful smile when you didn't judge or make fun of him. He told you about his little sister, a cute, precious little girl who was growing up faster than he liked to admit. Retelling and entertaining you with stories of his classmates and their adventures, his tail flicked up excitedly when you started to chime in with experiences of your own.

Things you could remember from your past. Foods you liked, hobbies you had, friends you liked to play with, and he listened attentively through it all. When you started to drift off, you sleepily mumbled offhandedly how you liked it when he patted your head or rubbed your ears.

And you especially liked it when he would hug you with his tail.

Ojiro just smiled softly, tucking the blanket around you before brushing the hair away from your face. You looked so peaceful. He got to his feet and stretched his arms over his head, jaw dropping in surprise when his gaze landed on the bag discarded on the floor. He had completely forgotten about that.

Shaking your shoulder to rouse you from your tranquil state, he whispered apologies when you finally opened your eyes.

"I'm so sorry I woke you up but I have to go to Sato-kun's room really quick to give him the flour and sugar I bought earlier, okay?" He rushed out, tripping over his words to get it out faster so that you could go back to sleep.

"Can't I go with you?" You mumbled, still half asleep.

Ojiro shook his head, remembering what Aizawa said about exposure. Sure, he trusted his classmates but there was a big difference between what he wanted and what was logical. Your chances were better off with the less that people knew you of your whereabouts so he refused, even though it nearly broke his heart when you trained your wide orbs on him.

Pushing out your bottom lip slightly, tears collected at the corner of your eyes. "You don't want me there?"

He was quick to kneel down by your side, unable to stop himself from pressing his forehead to your temple in a desperate attempt to make the sadness in your voice fade away.

"No, no, princess, it's not that at all." The pet name slipped out faster than he could stop it but he didn't even stop. "You're safer here for right now. And I'll only be gone for a minute."

He rubbed the back of your hand with his thumb. "Okay?"

You mustered up a wobbly smile for him. "Okay..."

He wanted to text Sato to come to his room to pick it up so that he wouldn't have to leave you but that would stir up questions, especially since he wouldn't allow his friend inside and that would undoubtedly create a mayhem within his peers at what he was hiding. For aspiring heroes, they were still teenagers after all. And they loved to bug each other like it, too.

Ojiro sighed as he forced himself to detach from you, tucking the blanket securely around you before he stepped quietly out the door.

For once in his life, he kind of wished he wasn't living with his classmates.

After he left, you tried to quell the anxiety and insecurities. Twisting and turning, your mind raced, spiraling out of control. He didn't abandon you, he was just returning something to his friend. He would be back soon. He promised you.

But as the minutes ticked by, it felt like hours and you couldn't wait any longer. Throwing off the covers, your legs shook as you stepped towards the door. However, you froze in place and your ears twitched, picking up the sounds faster than the average human which normally would've given you an advantage but you couldn't move in time.

The door flew open with a bang, slamming into the wall and making you jump nearly five feet into the air. On the other side stood the girl with pink hair and skin that you had seen earlier, along with the electric boy and a few others you didn't recognize.

You shrunk back as the group exploded into chaos, directing questions towards you faster than you could process or fend off on your own. Your panic rose as they flooded in, clutching your hands tightly to your chest at the overwhelming amount of people in the cramped space.

Then, your eyes widened as someone shouted frantically for them to move, shouldering his way through until he came to you. You willed your feet to move but they wouldn't obey no matter how hard you tried, your body still frozen in fear. It didn't matter though because he reached you within seconds.

"Guys, seriously, back off!!" Ojiro shouted above the clamor, his tail pulling you close and tucked you under his arm. "You're scaring her!!"

At the strain in his usually light tone, his friends started to quiet down one by one and he turned his full attention on you.

"You okay?" He murmured, cradling your jaw and inspecting your face for any hint that you might've been hurt.

You didn't say anything, just threw your arms around him and brushed your nose against the crook of his neck, scenting him. His warm scent eased you and brought you back down bit by bit until your feet were planted firmly on the ground.

Even though he had no clue what you were doing, it was making the tension wound in your body disappear fast so he didn't have any issues with it. But his breath hitched as a soft rumble emitted from the back of your throat in contentment, squeezing you once before letting you go. He didn't detach his tail from you though, using it as a wall to keep his overeager friends from coming too close.

Ojiro let you do what you needed in that moment and in the minutes that followed, his friends began peppering you with questions. He let you keep your face nuzzled into his chest as you shyly answered them but he answered for you whenever you hesitated so that you wouldn't be put in an uncomfortable position of refusing them.

He had already seen what you were like when something that was normal for them went against what was ingrained into you and his arms curled around you tighter in an effort to protect you.

You were thankful for him taking most of the pressure off of you, timidly straying from his side when he encouraged you to talk to the girls a little bit more. You warmed up to them much faster than the rest, your eyes brightening up excitedly when they told you there was a girl among their friend group who had a frog quirk.

He sighed as Yaoyorozu and Ashido led you away from the boys with the rest of the girls in tow to go to a space where the environment would be better for you. Feeling bad that the secret had gotten out already, he winced as he thought of the penalty he would face once he told Aizawa.

Kaminari smirked, leaning against the doorframe after you exited. "Man, where have you been hiding her?"

Ojiro shot him a look that told him to keep quiet, not in the mood for playing around. "That's not funny."

"C'mon man, we're just teasing." Kirishima added on, not picking up on the tense energy of the room. "You could've at least told us you had a girlfriend, she's really cute."

"If not a little shy." Sero grinned, elbowing him in the ribs teasingly. "Don't worry, it's not like we're going to steal her away or anything."

"You should not have a girl in your room, Ojiro!!" Iida declared, chopping his hands in the air to emphasize his point despite the inconsiderate snickering occurring on the other side of the room by the three of them. "It is not appropriate!!"

Shoji, Sato and Koda all elected to remain silent, studying their friend's shadowed expression as their other classmates relentlessly teased him.

Forehead creasing in annoyance at the continuous jabs, Ojiro blurted out, "Guys, stop!! It's not something to joke about!!"

He sank to the floor, head in his hands and for the first time since they burst in, the guys finally took notice of the way his shoulders shook and how anxiety seemed to roll off of him in waves.

"She's in real danger." Ojiro told them quietly. "There are bad people looking for her so you guys can't talk about her, alright?"

"Please." He begged, not caring how desperate he sounded.

All he wanted was for you to be safe. All he wanted was for you to live the life you had been robbed of without having to look over your shoulder to see if someone was following you or not.

Shoji uncrossed his duplicate arms, stance broadening. "We won't."

"Yeah," Kirishima inserted, rubbing the back of his neck, ashamed of his behavior earlier. "Sorry man, had no idea."

Scattered apologies followed his and reluctantly, Ojiro raised his head, mouth set in a determined line. He didn't answer too many questions about your situation, wanting to keep as much of it as he could private until he knew how you felt about telling them and stood up. Now that damage control had been dealt with, all that was left was to tell Aizawa.

Piece of cake.

Back with the girls, you were dragged back to the elevators to get to the girls' side. Since Jirou's was the closest, you guys went there. Your expression filled with awe at the many instruments that hung on the walls, wanting to touch them but you didn't want to get in trouble so you kept your hands stiffly by your sides.

Ashido enthusiastically led you to the plushiest spot on the floor and for a second, you were reminded of the little stuffed giraffe Ojiro let you play with when he caught you looking at it. A smile tugged at the corner of your lips and you jumped when the girls squealed.

"Who are you thinking about?" Ashido pried, eyes glimmering with mischief. "It's Ojiro-kun, isn't it?!"

Your mouth opened and closed, unable to form a response to that. You covered your ears when she shrieked excitedly, taking your silence as your answer and dancing around the room.

"Mina-chan, calm down, you're a little too loud." Yaoyorozu told her gently before reaching over to pat your shoulder. "Where did you come from?"

Mouth parting in shock at how blatant she was being, you twiddled with the strings of Ojiro's hoodie. "Um, well, they told me that my breed is mixed so I don't sell as well as a purebred but I'm fast and—"

"Oh goodness no!!" Ashido interrupted, eyes widened in horror and if you looked around you would've seen all the other girls wearing that exact same expression. "That's not what she meant!!"

Tilting your head to the side clueless, you frowned. "It's not?"

"No!!" Yaoyorozu exclaimed, horrified by what you had to have been through to respond like that on instinct. "I meant how did you get in the dormitory, in Ojiro-san's room nonetheless!!"

"Ah, well... that, um... I—" You cut off your stammering with a frustrated sigh. "I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to tell you."

"That's okay." Uraraka reassured you easily.

Her energy reminded you of Ojiro.

"Is it true that you're in danger?" Jirou spoke up for the first time since the gang of girls invaded her room.

Your jaw dropped in shock but your expression cleared when she waved her earjacks around pointedly. That must've been how she could hear and judging by the timing of her question, you concluded that Ojiro must have been the one talking about your circumstances. And since you didn't feel like he would knowingly put you into danger, you told them what you told him.

Their expressions crumbled before you, losing all semblance of their happy-go-lucky personalities as disbelief took over.

Yaoyorozu's eyes filled with tears. "You had to endure all of that alone?"

"That's horrible!!" Ashido cried out.

"I'm so sorry!!" Uraraka and Hagakure shouted simultaneously.

"I can't imagine what that must've been like." Jirou said, her eyes sad. "You're here now though, so Aizawa-sensei must've given you permission."

You nodded, knees tucked under you as you gripped the hem of the blue sweatshirt. "Yes, but it was only supposed to be a temporary solution and no one else was supposed to find out."

Hesitating, you gulped. "If... If this gets out, I—"

"Don't worry, Y/N-chan!!" Ashido exclaimed, shooting to her feet and pumping her fist in the air. "We'll definitely protect you."

Jirou nodded, fueled by her friend. "Yeah!!"

"You can count on us!!" Hagakure jumped up beside her.

"They won't be able to touch you anymore now that you've got us!!" Yaoyorozu declared determinedly.

"Let's go!!" Uraraka cheered. "Plus Ultra!!"

You burst into sobs at their overwhelming support despite only having just met them and the girls crowded around you in the best group hug you've ever received.

After that emotional roller coaster, they were going to bring you back to Ojiro's room since that's where you wanted to stay for the night but they heard your stomach growling and collectively decided to feed you with whatever they could find in the kitchen.

Yaoyorozu was pretty sure there was some leftover pizza that the guys had bought earlier that day.

Your protests fell on deaf ears as Ashido and Uraraka dragged you all the way there, Jirou trailing behind as Yaoyorozu and Hagakure ran ahead.

"You don't want your own room?" Jirou questioned when they finally released you.

You shook your head. "I... I don't really like being alone and Ojiro-san is my first friend I've had in a long time, so I... I trust him."

She nodded understandingly. "I get it."

"That is soooo cute!!" Hagakure swooned, balancing several boxes of various packaged Japanese snacks in her arms.

You blushed beet red, flushing further when the girls cooed at how cute you were. Pulling the collar of the hoodie up to hide your smile, you pleaded for them to stop embarrassing you. Tea kettle whistling on the stove as Yaoyorozu prepared some jasmine tea, Uraraka brought out the pizza box she had just found from the industrial-sized fridge, handing it to you after heating it up.

"Isn't this someone's food?" You questioned, not touching it. You didn't want to eat it if it belonged to someone.

Jirou pushed it towards you encouragingly with her earphone jack, smirking. "Trust me, Kaminari won't miss it."

You decided to take her word for it.

You had barely finished half a slice when the front door opened and the chilly night air blew inside. Turning around, you hopped off of the stool you were perched on and ran to Ojiro, who had an extremely exhausted Aizawa in tow.

Ojiro caught you easily, wrapping his tail around you out of instinct. It was getting to be a habit by now.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he checked you over.

You giggled, prying his hands away from their dutiful inspection. "I'm okay."

He breathed a sigh of relief but the two of you stiffened when Aizawa cleared his throat from behind him.

"As much as I don't want to interrupt whatever that is," He droned monotonously. "This has gotten a lot more serious."

You shared a worried look with Ojiro and gasped when his tail tightened around your waist ever so slightly.

"You can't stay here." Aizawa told you, fixating his eyes on the students who moved to object, more flooding in as their sensei's voice carried clearly. "You need to come with me, I'll find you a place to stay for the night."

Taglist: @katsukis-sad-angel

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curiousconch · 4 years

Text

Escape

Chapter 8 of Ricochet (An Open Heart AU)

Catch up here: Series Masterlist

Chapter Synopsis: Heather attempts to escape her captors. But will she succeed?

Pairing: Rafael Aveiro x MC (Dr. Heather Song) | Bryce Lahela x MC (Dr. Heather Song)

Words: 1.5k+ | Genre: Crime, Suspense/Thriller, Romance

Rating/Warnings: Mature (16+) / violence, language

Author's Notes: This chapter took me too long to complete, since I hit a creative block. Grateful for @eleanorbloom for giving me tips to overcome it (thank you! 🥰🥰🥰)

Thank you so much for taking time to read/comment/reblog this series. Please let me know if you want me to include/remove you in the tags list. Also, disclaimer: Majority of the characters are owned by Pixelberry, except the main character Heather Song and an OC Jordan Anderson.

Heather held her tears at bay. Frankly, all she wanted was to let herself go.

But she can't. She didn't want to give her captors the satisfaction of seeing her break. When Declan Nash removed her blindfold, he thought it was enough to pulverize her will. Heather was determined to prove him wrong.

"I'll pick up the second dose. Start on getting rid of the pretty doctor first," she heard Nash say to the other man, right before he left.

She watched closely as another man approached her, his features slowly revealed by the dim light surrounding them. The hair at the back of her neck stood up when she recognized the face of her kidnapper.

Jordan Peter Anderson, the Edenbrook janitor. Pete, as he was mainly known.

Suddenly, it all made sense. That's how he had access to her things, how he can easily know her home address, her schedule, all details of her life without suspicion. He was just another face in the sea of people that came in and out of the hospital. A fairly common and trusted face, at that.

She just wondered how Declan was connected to him. She wanted so much to find out. But now, she had to focus on preventing herself from whimpering as Pete violently dragged her to sit on a chair. He tugged her wrists free before slamming them on a metal table. She instantly winced with the impact.

That was when she saw the back of her hand, where an IV cannula was attached to an exposed vein.

What the hell was he planning?

She found the answer sooner than she thought.

She followed his movement with her eyes as he picked up a syringe from a nearby table. It was filled with a clear liquid.

"I take it you're familiar with potassium chloride, Dr. Song?" The janitor sneered as she gazed in terror at what he was holding.

She knew. Potassium chloride overdose can cause cardiac arrest when administered via IV, and in overdose, was fatal. Her mind raced with comprehension.

He's out to kill. He's not going to spare me. This isn't just a game. Her mouth went dry, refusing to accept the possibility that she may not live another day.

Her hazel eyes can only stare at the man who was about to murder her. For a moment, she was filled with helplessness, the tiny semblance of hope in her quickly dwindling out.

No! I'll overcome this. This won't be the end of me. She willed herself to think. Heather Song is one hell of a woman and she won't come down without a fight.

When he was just a single step away from her, inspiration struck.

As he reached for her, she leaned her head back, waiting for the perfect timing. Once he was near enough, she braced for impact and gave him a headbutt. He fell down to the ground, howling in pain. Heather took the opportunity to flee, liberating herself from the chair.

As she tried to take off, a struggle ensued. She was instantly dragged backwards, the force nearly knocking her out. She felt a sharp prick on her neck before she turned and kicked the man on the groin.

He wailed. Heather didn't wait for him to recover and ran for her life, fear and desperation egging her on. Her bare feet heavily hit upon the concrete floor, as she removed the gag from her mouth.

"HELP! Someone, please help me!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, sprinting. Her bruised arms pushed back against the plastic tarps and navigated the narrow corridor blindly.

Soon, she saw an open threshold nearby. She decided to aim for it. When she was almost there, someone grabbed her from behind, making her scream. She strained to break free from the hold, only to be pulled back again.

"Heather," a voice urged. "Heather, it's me!"

She recognized the speaker, making her stop in her tracks. She turned around and looked back into the dark brown eyes of the man in front of her.

Rafael.

At the sight of him, an overwhelming sense of relief flooded her being. She leaned onto him, feeling his strong presence encapsulate her in a tight embrace.

As the panicked adrenaline to fight for her life slowly dissipated, a rush of tears stained Heather's cheeks like an overflowing dam. So she clung to him, convincing herself that she wasn't imagining him and that her whole ordeal has ended.

"It's okay, love. I'm here, you're safe." Raf whispered, his lips kissing the crown of her head.

But she wasn't.

She felt her knees begin to buckle, her whole body shook. There was a sharp pain in her chest, while her vision of Rafael slowly blurred.

The last thing she could remember was the gentleness of his touch, before her world whirled and faded into darkness.

***

He can only watch the helicopter that airlifted Heather to Edenbrook Hospital. When she was found, a syringe was stuck on her neck, and the paramedics suspected a type of poisoning. Her sudden collapse and the unknown nature of what caused made the situation urgent, so the response team decided it was best course to fly.

Even though he yearned to accompany her as she fought for her life, he was hastily denied that right. Rafael seized that away from him, taking it upon himself to stay with her instead.

He wanted to be the first person she sees when she wakes up, to hold her hand, to assure her that she will never have to face horrors like this anymore. But fate wasn't on his side this time. It never was.

So Bryce chose action. He first called in ahead to give Dr. Ramsey the few details they have on hand. He couldn't bring himself to follow her to the hospital. His mind dictated that he wasn't useful there. Instead, he made himself useful somewhere else.

And there he was, standing in the middle of the crime scene as he hang up his phone.

Here is where I can help Heather, he thought. I have to find what was in that syringe. It might be her only hope.

His tired eyes scanned the floor, trying to pick up any detail that may be valuable. He walked around looking down, flashlight in hand, determined to find just about any kind of clue.

He winced when he saw blood. Heather's. His chest tightened, anger rising within him. That fucking sicko, I swear I'm gonna give him hell.

Bryce continued prodding around until he heard a soft jingling noise, making him stop. It felt like he just kicked something. He knelt down and found a torn plastic case and a clear glass bottle. He put on his rubber gloves and picked it up, reading the label. Realizing what it was, he quickly dialed Sienna's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Bryce?" he heard a familiar voice on the line, but it wasn't Dr. Trinh.

"Jackie?" he felt an immediate pang of worry, hearing the frantic exchange of voices in the background. But he quickly shook the feeling away. He had to focus.

"I found something that might help Heather. There's a bottle of potassium chloride where she was taken, it's empty. I think that's what the suspect injected Heather with."

"Gimme a second," Jackie said. Bryce waited as he listened to Dr. Varma ask for Heather's blood workup from a nurse. "Her potassium levels are elevated, and she's in cardiac arrest. This makes sense, Lahela."

"She's in cardiac arrest?" A lump in his throat formed, his grip almost slipping from the bottle he was holding.

"Yes. But we're trying to get her out of it. Your intel's gonna help us figure the rest out," Jackie said, and he sensed her hesitation before he heard her next words. "She'll pull through. So quit yapping and get your ass over here."

The line went dead.

It took him five minutes to scale down the building, get into his car and hit the road.

***

The environment in the ER was charged by the frantic beeping of the machine, signalling Heather's ongoing cardiac arrest.

"We've got suspected hyperkalemia," Jackie sprinted to the doctors surrounding Heather's limp body as she got off the phone.

"Of course," Dr. Ramsey nodded, as he referred to the latest lab results. "A potassium chloride overdose would've caused her coronary infarction. It may have also caused her temporal paralysis, making her lose consciousness. Do we have her weight?"

"Yes, Dr. Ramsey," Sienna dictated Heather's latest weight to the senior attending, allowing for him to compute for the correct dosage for the prescription.

"Calcium bicarbonate for the IV, Kaley please," the male doctor handed a piece of paper where he scribbled the dosage needed.

"Don't we need to do haemodialysis?" Jackie stood beside him, as she prepared a tourniquet and tried to find a vein where the saline solution can be injected.

"No, we aren't too late, the potassium haven't bound to the cells yet. Watch out for other symptoms though," Like a well-oiled machine, Heather's mentor gave instructions rapidly, taking the lead role in her treatment.

The nurse went back with the prescription and Jackie setup the insertion. As the liquid began to flow, they waited and watched the heart rate monitor overhead.

It took a few seconds before the beeping slowed down into a steady rhythm. There was a collective sigh of relief.

Heather Song just narrowly escaped death.

Tags: @eleanorbloom @ramsey-lahela @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

#open heart #open heart fanfiction #rafael aveiro #rafael aveiro x mc #bryce lahela #bryce lahela x mc #choices fic writers creations #fics of the week #choices fanfiction #open heart au #choices #pixelberry

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astromechs · 4 years

Text

slipped away into a moment in time ('cause it was never mine)

taylor swift made me do it. expect more, because the entire folklore album was basically angst fodder.

also on ao3!

All things considered, Gamora has been through worse. Fought through worse.

There’s a lot of blood, but the gash across her thigh, courtesy of one of Annihilus’s minions, isn’t terribly deep — no exposed bone, nothing that would suggest any long-term damage. Still, though, when the Front has made its retreat to the makeshift camp and the wounded are being ushered into a medical shelter, when the skies clear over this rocky planet she’s already forgotten the name of, when the surroundings are quiet and there’s no longer a fight to focus on, a spasm of pain seizes her entire leg when it bears weight, and for a second, just one split-second, she winces.

You know what happens when you show weakness, Gamora. The voice of Thanos in her head, right on cue. That voice is right, of course; she knows what happens next, knows that it’s a mistake that’ll cost her.

Instantly, her hand reaches for the hilt of her sword, hanging on her hip; if someone’s coming to take advantage of that weakness, she’ll be ready for them. She’ll be ready for anything.

“Hey. You okay?”

Except, maybe, for this.

It’s not that she hadn’t heard Richard Rider, Nova Prime, Commander of the United Front, coming; that man doesn’t have a subtle bone in his body, and his steps would’ve likely been noticeable from several clicks away. He could never sneak up on her, but — something about him always seems to throw her off balance. Something about the perpetual kindness in his eyes, even through the worst of this war. Something about the gentle tone of his voice, a stark contrast to the power he holds in his hands.

No one like him has ever existed in her reality, and even now, months after joining a war effort that seems more destined to lose by the day, she still doesn’t know what to make of… any of it.

Her hand drops back down by her side, and she’s the picture of perfectly cool, even, with the requisite: “It’s nothing.”

She doesn’t quite see it under his helmet, but it’s obvious from the expression on his face that he’s raising a skeptical eyebrow. He’s a lot smarter than she’d initially given him credit for; maybe strategy isn’t his strength, no, but he knows those working under him, every single one — by name, by capability, by his own keen intuition that alerts him to anything that might be amiss.

There’s no getting past him. She knows in the instant before he says, “Doesn’t seem like nothing. You should go to medical.”

His voice isn’t chiding — just genuinely concerned. Again, she feels the ground shift under her feet; again, she feels so unsteady she could topple over. Instead, though, she swallows down a strange lump forming in her throat, hating the way her own voice sounds more strained than it should when she insists, “I’ll be fine.”

The conversation should end there; she owes him nothing more. But something tugs in her, prompts her to offer one useful piece of wisdom, perhaps in some attempt at equivalent exchange:

“Kindness will get you killed one day, Richard Rider.”

Then, she turns on her heel and leaves without another word, head held high, doing her best to ignore the limp in her steps.

ii.

He’s been staring aimlessly out the flagship’s viewport for hours.

She hasn’t been keeping track, not really; she’s purely exhausted her need for sleep on this particular night cycle, and in all the times she’s wandered by, he hasn’t moved, not even the arms folded across his chest. Nothing’s coming for them in this stretch of space, so any effort to keep vigil is pointless at best.

But she knows this isn’t that. Even if in this war, they’ve been handed nothing but defeat, Richard takes every single one of them hard, personally shoulders the weight of every life lost under his command. It’s a risky quality to have in a leader, and she’s still certain in what she’d told him before. Still certain that, one day, kindness will kill him. Break him.

She doesn’t want to see it happen.

Instead of moving on, she stops. Watches him for a moment longer, eyes lingering, before crossing the floor to stand next to him. If he’s heard her approach, he doesn’t acknowledge it, and so, for a time, she lets the silence hang in the air between them. Until —

“People die. This is war.” Her voice isn’t cold when she says it, nor is it any semblance of gentle or comforting, because she’d never been built for that; it simply is, another piece of factual wisdom that she’s trying to impart.

He exhales a long breath, and when he turns to look at her finally, expression haggard, he looks much older than anyone as young as him has a right to. “I know.”

Perhaps it’s that, above all, that tugs at something deep in her core, past years of hard-learned truths and carefully constructed armor; it aches in her chest, this sudden thought that maybe, in some ways, they’re not so different.

A hand reaches for one of his, winding their fingers together.

After a beat, he squeezes back.

iii.

Gamora gives him whatever small pieces of inconsequentials that she’s capable of giving. She gives him her nights, saves a spot for him in her bed. Gives him release from the pressure he threatens to crack under some days, gives him just one place where he doesn’t have to make all the calls.

Sometimes, she gives him an extra hour of the sleep that’s so difficult for him to find.

Already, she’s declined four pings on his comm this morning, but sooner or later, someone will come looking for him. He’s important, after all. And he would be angry at himself over missed duties.

“Richard-Human.” Her hand reaches for his forehead, gently brushes the hair from his forehead.

At that, one bleary eye opens to peer at her, followed by another. His hair is sticking up in all directions on the pillow, and he looks completely ridiculous. “Hey,” he says, raspy but soft.

His smile, though, lopsided as it cracks his face — his smile is bright enough to light up a star.

She thinks she could burn under the force of it, because for someone who’s spent most of her life in the dark, it’s almost too much to bear. The eye contact certainly is in this moment; her gaze drops, fixating on the tangled sheets that still cover them both. Time’s ticking on these moments she’s stolen, she knows — this thing they have, whatever it is, can only live in a warzone, and if they both make it out of this alive, he’ll go on to a life that certainly doesn’t include her. That’s what he deserves. What….

Fingers brush the lines of her jaw, graze over the skin of her face, and pull her out of her thoughts. Bring her eyes back up to meet his. She drifts closer, ever closer, until their lips meet and everything else fades away.

She lets herself have this.

For now.

iv.

The Kree prisoners fall under her sword. Their deaths are quick under barely more than a single stroke; their blood rains down, soaks the ground below.

If you find nothing useful, her teachings would tell her, wipe them out.

By them, she had done well.

She wipes the blade and sheaths it, steps delicately over a body that’s still warm. And —

Meets a pair of eyes that she’d never wanted to disappoint, their cold stare cutting through her like daggers.

It’d only been a matter of time. She’s so skilled in exploiting limits that it’s practically reflex to her; sooner or later, she’d have found the limits of his affection, his naive faith in her, too.

She’ll never see those eyes again. She’s sure of it.

The first thing she thinks is that she feels — empty. Cold.

It’s a feeling she’s far from a stranger to. For years, it’s been her constant companion as she’s drifted, from one planet to the next, one galaxy to the next, between wars fought for causes and jobs taken for nothing at all, looking for something that’s long eluded her: purpose. Richard had been imbued with it every single day like it’d been effortless, conviction burning brighter than the force of a star that had propelled him — and she’d wanted that, more than anything, wanted to experience even just a fraction of what that could feel like.

Eventually, she had found it, buzzing through her veins with every directive from the Phalanx. Purpose. As part of a whole, part of something beyond herself, she could keep moving forward on a clear path with a set destination; weeds like guilt and regret had withered, making everything… blissfully uncomplicated.

And now it’s gone. It’s gone, and all she feels is cold.

They’re cured, Richard says, with his particular brand of bright-eyed earnestness, like all the universe’s problems are fixed, just like that, but it isn’t a solution at all. It puts her right back where she flarking started, and she’s — she’s tired, down to her cybernetic bones. Tomorrow, she’ll have to start drifting again.

But today, with his steady hands there to pick up the pieces, she allows herself to break.

It’s as ugly as she is inside, full of ragged breaths and stumbling words, full of the kind of weakness that would get someone killed. She hates it, she hates this entire situation — and she hates herself most of all.

But in spite of everything, in spite of the fact that not an hour ago, she’d been ready to kill him, blade pointed at his throat, he doesn’t waiver. She doesn’t deserve anything that this man doesn’t hesitate or question giving — not his comfort, not his acceptance. Doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near the presence of someone so unfailingly kind and good.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he says into her hair, both arms wrapped tightly around her as he pulls her close to his chest.

Foolishly, she doesn’t fight it. But what’s most foolish of all is that in the warmth of his embrace, she almost lets herself believe him.

coda.

She hasn’t cried in decades; Thanos had firmly seen to that. Tears had been considered a weakness, and like every other she’d once carried, they’d been removed under the cut of a knife, her back strapped to a table, screams so long-buried that they hadn’t even attempted to rise to her throat. Several times since, in the private silence of cold nights, she’s waited, head bowed, for some kind of reminder that she can still feel, that she lives and breathes beyond being someone’s object.

But even if she could cry, could let tears cloud her vision and allow for some kind of release for the heaviness in her chest, she doesn’t think she would now.

There’s no point in crying over what she’s long known to be inevitable.

When her passport activates and the Cancerverse fades from view, when the familiar sights and sounds of Knowhere fill her senses once again, she doesn’t even get angry. There’s no point in that, either, she thinks.

Hope is fleeting, a flower that can sometimes manage to grow even in the hardest and driest of dirt — but it will always get crushed out of existence. Light can never overtake the dark; this is the way of things.

Richard Rider’s days have always been numbered; a light that brilliant could’ve never stayed.

The universe returns to balance.

#gamora #richard rider #richmora #* fic #my stuff #please go to the tags #IT WENT TO THE TAGS YAY

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minyoongleschimjoongles · 5 years

Text

Preordained: Introductions IV

When Zara Met Namjoon

Pairing(s):Poly!BTSxOC, Sub!BTSxOC,

Warnings: Implied sexual situations, Mentions of sexual situations, implications of Dom/sub relationships

Intro: Taehyung, Jungkook, Yoongi

It became blatantly obvious that the more of the Seven Zara found, the more the need for some personal space arose. Their Bonds were strengthening with each passing day, and almost without them realizing it, their moods began to feed off of each other. If one of the boys was irritable, than they were all irritable, and Zara, in turn, would get irritable, causing the boys to get even more irritated. And so on, and so forth.

Tonight was one of those nights. Taehyung’s roommate was out for the night, so they’d all decided to meet there that night. It was Yoongi that had arrived with a scowl on his face, twisting the stupid cap he had to wear at the campus coffee shop. His manager, he said, had yelled at him for some stupid shit. Some out-of-Yoongi’s-control shit.

As Zara consoled him with gentle kisses and fleeting touches, Taehyung started huffing and sucking at his teeth. Each time Tae made noise, Yoongi’s jaw gained a little more tension.

It was Jungkook that spoke up.

“Come on, Tae, Suga-hyung needs Noona right now.”

“Shut up, Kookie! I didn’t say shit!”

Yoongi pulled away from Zara with a snarl, glaring at Taehyung. “Don’t talk to Kookie like that, asshole!”

Jungkook flushed indignantly, “I can defend myself!”

The bickering began, and Zara felt the anger beginning to rise in her throat. Before she said something she’d end up regretting, Zara grabbed her laptop and Tae’s roommate’s comforter, extricating herself from the situation. They’d discovered the negative emotions tended to die out if she wasn’t there to help conduct them.

She exited the room, then the suite altogether, making her way to the large communal lounge shared by this side of the building. The room was essentially a meeting room filled with tables, comfy chairs, and a few couches. It was on one of these couches that Zara curled herself, opening her laptop and starting up an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

The mind numbing humor was Zara’s go-to way of cheering herself up. It brought up memories of America, curling up beside her parents to watch hours-long marathons after dinner.

Several episodes passed, before Zara noticed a man leaning with his hands on the back of the couch, eyes focused on her screen, a small smile on his lips. When he saw that she’d caught him, his smile turned sheepish.

“Sorry, do you mind if I watch?”

The English that came out of his mouth was near perfect, and his accent didn’t impede Zara’s understanding in the slightest. She sat up and made room for him on the couch. He grinned and threw himself over the back of it, landing next to Zara with a grin.

“Thanks.”

Another episode passed before the guy decided to strike up a conversation.

“So, why are you sitting all alone in the student lounge of the wrong dorm? Pretty girls like you shouldn’t be sad-watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. alone in the dark.”

“I’ve got kind of a complicated love life,” Zara replied in Korean. The man nodded, not seeming at all surprised at the change of language.

“Soulmate troubles?”

“You don’t know the half of it, dude.”

“Kim Namjoon,” he introduced. “You’re Taehyung’s Soulmate, Underhill Zara right? He talks about you a lot.”

Zara let out a frustrated sigh at the mention of Tae. “I’m sure he does.”

Namjoon’s eyes widened slightly. “Didn’t mean to strike a nerve, Pretty Girl.”

Zara sighed again, this time in defeat. “You didn’t,” she promised, “you didn’t.”

He reached out and paused the episode, pulling his legs up onto the couch and turning to face Zara and giving her his full attention.

“So, tell me about it.”

And she did. She told him about her Seven Soulmates, the three she’d managed to find, and about the various frustrations that were cropping up; Yoongi’s struggles with submission, Tae’s struggles with sharing, Jungkook’s insecurities about his lack of experience. Namjoon listened intently, and at the end of it, he was nodding.

“You’re right, that’s really complicated. Have you talked to them about it?”

“Yes, of course, but we’re human, its only natural we become frustrated. And the Bond just exacerbates the situation. Sometimes I wonder if we’d be better off without it.”

Namjoon was shaking his head before she even finished the statement.

“It’s a part of you, it’s what makes them a part of you. You can live without it until you have it.”

Zara pulled her own legs up and tugged Tae’s roommate’s comforter tighter around her shoulders.

“I know,” she said quietly.

“Talk to them about it again,” Namjoon suggested, pulling a notebook out of his forgotten backpack. He wrote his phone number out for her, smiling at her. “Text me if you ever need to sad-watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S again.”

The smile that lit Zara’s face was almost worth her sadness.

xXx

It wasn’t long until she was texting Namjoon every day, if not to watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S., than just to talk. Namjoon was one of the best listeners Zara had met, and after he was done listening, he’d always offer up a solution to whatever problem Zara was having, though usually just venting her frustrations helped. Most importantly, he continued to binge F.R.I.E.N.D.S. with her late at night.

Usually she watched it with him in his dorm, a bowl of popcorn between them and her sketchbook on her lap. Kim Namjoon’s bedroom became a bit of a refuge for Zara when life became too much to handle.

The bickering began to take a toll on Zara’s grades, the stress of it making her less apt to complete her assignments or study. Namjoon picked up on this, and so, on a day that he knew Zara had a test and wouldn’t be around, he tracked down her Soulmates to have a chat.

“What’s the problem?” he asked, crossing his arms. Taehyung, Yoongi and Jungkook all avoided his eyes, looking instead at random things in the campus coffee shop. “Well? You guys have issues with each other?”

The protestations were immediate;

“No!”

“That’s not it...”

“We’re friends!”

After a few moments of silence, Jungkook sighed and looked up at Namjoon, who was staring at them expectantly.

“We just don’t know which one of us is the best for her.”

“She’s only one person, we understand she doesn’t have time for all of us at once.”

“We can never figure out who she needs, and when.”

Namjoon put great effort in not rolling his eyes.

“You guys are idiots.”

Yoongi’s shoulders squared, clearly offended.

“What’s idiotic about that?”

“It’s not up to you which one of you is best for Zara. It’s not about best at all. You’re her Soulmates first, her boyfriends second. Fate decided that Seven of you are what’s best for her. Things aren’t actually going to get better until she finds all Seven, but the least you could do is try and make it easier for her until she does.”

“How do we do that, Hyung?” Jungkook asked.

“I know it’s hard sometimes, but stop fighting. Zara knows which one of you needs the attention, when, so let her pick and don’t get upset over it.” Yoongi opened his mouth, and Namjoon held up his hand to stop him. “It hurts her when you guys argue.”

Yoongi’s mouth snapped shut, and all three boys looked away.

After a few moments of self-reflection, Taehyung spoke up, “Okay, Hyung.”

Namjoon nodded, just as the door to the coffee shop opened and Zara shuffled in, sighing deeply.

“Hey, guys,” she said, seeing her Soulmates crowded around her friend. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Noona!” Jungkook chimed, leaning over to kiss Zara’s cheek. “How was your test?”

“Ugh it was awful!” She huffed and dropped heavily into a seat, laying her head on Yoongi’s shoulder.

Seeing all three of her Soulmates were hanging on Zara’s every word, Namjoon smiled and quietly made his way out of the coffee shop.

xXx

“Noona,” Taehyung’s lips pressed behind Zara’s ear, “Maybe Namjoon-hyung is one of the Seven.”

For a week, ever since Zara had caught Namjoon with the boys in the coffee shop, they’d been pushing for her to see if he was one of them. Zara didn’t blame them. Namjoon was smart, and he was kind, and there was something about him that set her heart aflutter whenever she saw him. She could only imagine what had gone down between the boys at the coffee shop.

Zara gave a breathy laugh, leaning back against Tae as she doodled in the margins of the notes she was attempting to study.

“Why do you guys want me to hook up with Namjoon so bad, Baby Boy?”

Tae pulled back, leaning against Zara’s desk so that he was looking at her. “He helped us realize some things the other day, and we know he helps you relax all the time. You’ve got a connection with him, so we figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

But it would. Zara didn’t want to get her hopes up, thinking Namjoon was one of the Seven, and then have it turn out that he wasn’t. In the end that could end up hurting. On the other hand, if he was one of the Seven, than she’d have found another piece of her Soul.

Zara let out a soft whine that made Taehyung chuckle.

“Noona,” Tae said, “you said to me once, ‘You never know until you try it,’ so this is me saying the same thing. Next time you go watch that stupid sit-com of yours, give Namjoon-hyung a big smooch and see what happens.”

“Tae...”

“Just don’t forget how good I am if it goes farther than a kiss.”

“Oh, Tae,” Zara smirked, throwing her pen down onto her desk and grabbing Taehyung by the collar of his shirt to pull him closer. As he tilted his head to accept the kiss she was offering, she breathed, “I could never forget how good you are.”

Tae grinned, letting her drag him to her bed.

xXx

It was quiet as Zara and Namjoon watched their way through season 4 of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. They both sensed the electricity in the room; Namjoon’s knee was bouncing, Zara had her hands clasped tightly in her lap, wondering if she should take Tae’s advice or not.

Finally, after Ross said, “I Ross, take thee, Rachel,” Namjoon turned to Zara.

“I thought the boys weren’t really fighting anymore?”

“Oh, they’re not!”

“Well, then-” He gestured to the laptop in front of them, looking for an explanation. When he turned back to Zara, she had finally made up her mind. She threw herself into Namjoon’s lap, pushing his hands down beside his head as her body weight forced him to lay back on his bed. As Zara sealed her lips over his, they both felt the satisfying snap that was the Bond forming.

Namjoon let out a soft moan, going pliant beneath Zara’s body, his heart thumping in his chest as she pressed down on him. After a few moments of Zara dominating Namjoon’s mouth she pulled back, just enough for them to be able to speak.

“I just kind of wanted to see you.”

“Oh,” Namjoon breathed. “Well. Good. Come back here, please.”

Zara chuckled quietly, leaning down and kissing him again.

@babyboytae1, @snowythellama

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padfootagain · 5 years

Text

The King And You (IV)

Part 4 : Pizza

Here I come with a brand new chapter for this Caspian fic!! I hope you all like it!!

I shamelessly stole a couple of ideas from the movie Kate & Leopold that I love so much. If you know the movie, I'm sure you'll recognize the references.

Caspian is still very confused and he needs a hug, the poor thing...

Word Count : 3345

He was back in your flat, and it was a rather strange feeling. For one thing, because it was where you had knocked him out and he had been arrested. For another, it was the perfect reminder that he had no way to go back to Narnia right now.

He had decided that he would deal with the issue the next day. For the moment he was famished and exhausted. He still had a little bit of food in his bag, and he would welcome even your floor to lie down and sleep for a few hours. The next day, he would try to find the Pevensies.

The sky was as dark as ink, filled with glimmering constellations Caspian didn't recognize. Lampposts shone through the streets, along with the headlights of the cars crossing the streets, their strange mechanic roars deafening to him. Despite the late hour, the city was still full of energy. It was not that surprising for New York, obviously.

He awkwardly stood in the middle of your living room, not knowing what to do next. He couldn't recognize several objects set against your wall, one of them looking like a large black mirror of some kind. Books covered shelves on the left wall of the room next to the window, and he felt grateful for the familiar sight, although he didn't recognize the style of the books and the material used for many of the covers. For sure though, they were not made out of leather…

"Sit down if you'd like. I'll get the pizza order… is there one you prefer?"

Caspian had no idea what a pizza was, so he preferred to not contradict you. He assumed it was food, but he was far from certain.

"No, I do not. Just choose what you would like best."

You gave him a confused and yet half-amused smile.

"You're talking funny. Why's that?"

"I… I don't know."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not. I would never dare."

You opened your mouth to question his sincerity, but opted for a shrug instead. Nothing in this day was making any sense, and at this point you had given up on trying to understand the whole situation.

You called for a pizza, while Caspian was still trying to take in his surroundings, and failing for the most part. He patiently waited for you to finish whatever you were doing, and didn't dare to imagine the reason why you were talking out loud in a tiny box… you even seemed to be in conversation with that box…

For a moment the thought crossed his mind that maybe you were mad. It was easier, if just for an instant, to consider the entire world had gone crazy instead of admitting that he was the one crumbling. But the thought vanished like specks of dust scattered by the wind.

He found himself on the verge of tears again, and had to look away from you to hide his wet eyes. He was more terrified and lost and confused than ever before. But worst than anything, he couldn't see any solution. He couldn't merely call for an adviser this time. He couldn't walk through the castle in search for Reepicheep to get his point of view. No, instead, he was on his own…

He clenched his jaw to hold back the salty droplets that threatened to escape and wet his cheeks. Instead, he tried to clear his head. Fear was a tidal wave now, and he had to try and keep his head above the water, no matter how many times he would come close to drowning. He thought about his people, his kingdom. Narnians and Telmarines alike needed him. He had worked so hard to create a better world there, he couldn't give up now. He could never give up. All these innocent souls were his responsibility, and he wouldn't let them down, not for as long as he would draw breath.

He told himself one more time that he merely had to find the Pevensies, and the thought didn't fail to slow down his pounding heart. He wouldn't be alone then. He didn't think that they would know how to send him back, but they would help him, guide him, and make sure that everything would be alright. He would have help again. He wouldn’t have to worry about where to sleep and how to find food… they would help him with this world full of foreign objects and magic devices.

He took a deep breath. He simply had to find the Pevensies, and it would all be alright. How would he do such a thing? He didn't know for now, but he reckoned that he was too exhausted and too much on the edge of total breakdown to consider the question for tonight. It would have to wait for the dawn. For now, he just wanted to eat something and rest. He didn't have to worry about finding a place to stay in this strange land thanks to you, and he reckoned that it was enough planning for one night.

"Okay, we should get dinner in about 15 minutes," you chimed as you put your phone down on the coffee table before him and sat down on the sofa, joining the King. "While we wait, why don't you tell me who you are exactly and what you were doing in my bedroom. And I would very much like to hear the real story, this time."

He didn't flee your stare but his gaze was far from confident nonetheless, wondering what to answer. He couldn't simply tell you the truth, you would never believe him. How could you? He didn't even believe in it himself. His brain was still unsure if he was simply having the worst of nightmares, or if he really was in another world. He didn't even know if you were real yet.

"I told you, I was looking for my friends and…"

"Then you don't need me, and can just get in the right apartment," you interrupted him, crossing your arms before your chest.

He could read in your piercing stare that you weren't buying it. Not any of it. You were too clever to be fooled by his lies, and he knew it.

What to do then?

"I…"

He looked for the right words, but were there really even any right words to be spoken under such circumstances? Was there a way to express what couldn't possibly be imagined?

He could hardly blunt out of the blue that he was the king of a realm in another world, could he? And yet he couldn't lie either.

"I… I'm lost," he spoke softly, slowly, his voice hesitant, but not because he was looking for a strange story this time, simply because he didn't know how to articulate his ideas into a logical explanation. "I'm… I don't know how I've arrived in this town, and I am trying to find my friends. Maybe they can help me go home."

You frowned. He didn't seem to be lying, but then, you weren't exactly a lie-detector on two legs, were you?

"What do you mean by that? That you don't remember how you came here?"

"I… I don't know how I've arrived in your city. But now I cannot find the way to leave it and go home either. Which is why I need to find some people to help me get there again."

"Can't you just take a train? Or a plane? And how can you not remember how you came? Did someone give you LSD or something?"

Caspian had no idea what you were talking about whatsoever, and by the way his stare went all blank, you couldn't fail to notice it.

"I… I don't know," he carefully answered.

"Where do you come from?"

"Very far away."

"And where is that?"

"Just… you don't know the place."

"I've always been pretty good in geography."

He shook his head, but could read on your face, by the way your jaw clenched ever so slightly and your eyes narrowed a little, that you were losing your patience. So, he eventually answered. It couldn't be too bad… you would simply not recognize the name.

"Narnia."

And indeed, you frowned hard, but couldn’t find where this country could be.

"Where is it?"

Caspian's brain raced again as fast as it could.

"It's… an independent kingdom. Very little. Very far from here. It is quite hard to get in. We like to live by ourselves."

"Are you making all this up?"

"No, I am not."

Well, after all, he wasn't completely lying, was he?

"Why can't you go home?" you asked, choosing to move the subject to another direction.

But Caspian here again didn't have any answers to give you. Or are least, none that you would accept. So he chose to terminate the conversation.

"It doesn't matter, not to you. Tomorrow, I'll go and look for my friends again, and I'll be fine, and you can forget all that happened."

"Try not to go through the wrong door again, huh?" you teased, and he couldn't refrain a little smile.

"I am so terribly ashamed and sorry for what happened."

"Let's not mention that again. I've hit you on the head, so I guess we can say we're even."

You both chuckled.

"Actually, have they done something for your head?" you went on, studying his forehead and noticing in the blink of an eye the traces that remained staining his skin of dry blood. "I've hit you quite hard."

"They give me what I needed to clean up the blood, I am quite fine, thank you."

"I should take a look… I have some disinfectant, hold on."

You stood up and disappeared for only a few seconds before coming back with everything you would need to clean the cut you were sure to find under his hair, along a few sticking plasters just in case.

"May I?" you asked, nodding to his hair, and he held his long locks up for you to see his forehead completely.

Indeed, above his temple, right at the base of his hairline, there was a little cut, barely more than a scratch. Nothing serious, you reckoned, but you cleaned it up anyway, making him wince as you pressed the disinfectant against the wound.

"Sorry, I know… these things always hurt."

"I am quite alright. Thank you."

You couldn't help but notice how dark his eyes were now that you had the occasion to look at them from up close. You noticed the single freckle under one of them. You noticed how smooth his hair seemed to be…

You shook yourself. You were NOT finding this stranger that gave you the fright of your life attractive. NO! Y/N, get yourself together!

Gosh… these dark brown eyes, though… You could have lost your soul in them…

"So… hmm… Caspian," you stuttered a little, tripping on your words because of how deep and intense his stare was. "How are you going to find your friends?"

"I… I am not sure," he admitted, and fear and sorrow seemed to drown his gaze again, much to your displeasure. "I will try something tomorrow. I don't know for you, Lady Y/N, but my day was full of enough adventures for one journey of the sun."

You giggled.

"Lady Y/N? Are you serious? Gosh, you almost sound like the character from a book or something… Jane Austen's type of Regency extreme politeness."

"Is it a bad thing, my Lady?"

You could feel the heat spreading through your face, and he did notice that you seemed a little uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"There's no use to call me Lady… no one calls people like this nowadays… they haven't for a while. What are you doing that for?"

"I… I am sorry, I did not mean to offend you."

"Offend me? Well, here's another weird thing I haven't heard in a while."

You were interrupted by someone knocking on your front door, and guessed that the pizza was already there. While you disappeared again, Caspian tried to compose himself for what was to come. What kind of magic could a pizza be? Maybe it was an ancient spell. Maybe it was a weapon… What could he do to defend himself then? For sure, his sword was still by his side, hidden under his long cloak, but what good would his blade be against your foreign weaponry? He had seen the police weapons, and didn't dare to guess what their powers were. They seemed to be long-distance weapons, considering the way the officers had pointed them at him. Maybe some kind of advanced bows and arrows. Well then, he would struggle with a sword to say the list. Was that the name of these mysterious weapons? Pizza?

You were back in no time, carrying a large but thin box in your hands that you put down on the table between the two of you. And when you opened the top, Caspian couldn't stop himself from raising a surprised eyebrow.

It looked like… food?

You took a slice and then a bite, nodding in approbation as you chewed on the pepperoni pizza. Caspian couldn't refrain a relieved sigh. You had bought food for both yourself and him, and he felt guilty for the ill thoughts that had darkened his mind just a moment before. He had doubted your good intentions, but now he could see that you didn't intend any harm. In this strange world, how hard it would be for him to lay down his trust for anyone. But maybe… just maybe… you had earned a little of it tonight.

You noticed that he wasn't eating though, when you were already almost done with your first slice.

"You don't like pepperoni? You told me to choose…"

"I'm sure I will like it," he politely smiled.

"Well… dig in then."

He thanked you with a nod and picked up some food, using his fingers just like you had done. An amused smile crept up through your lips. This man was definitely the strangest guy you had ever met.

Caspian first took one careful, tiny bite. He recognized some ingredients without difficulty, and altogether, he quite liked the taste of it. The second bite was more confident, and the ghost of a smile curved up his lips ever so slightly.

"Are you going to tell me that you had never had pizza before?" you asked in an astonished tone.

"Indeed, it is the first time I taste this food, but it is quite good."

You let out a nervous laugh.

"Wow… you…" you let out a sigh, deciding to change the subject of the conversation. "What do you do for a living, then?"

What could he answer to that… he could hardly say he was king, could he?

"I… work for… the government of my… realm."

"Realm?"

"Realm. Yes."

"Narnia, right?"

"Yes."

"And what do you do for your government? Or is it a little secret?"

"Yes, yes!" Caspian seized the perfect excuse to not answer the question. "It is quite… sensitive. I can hardly say much about it."

"Why are you dressed like that though?"

"What's wrong with my clothes?"

But the second the question passed his lips, he found it rather stupid. He merely had to look at you, dressed in a pair of jeans and t-shirt, that for him seemed all but familiar. Of course, his own clothes were quite out of fashion here.

"I…"

But you suspiciously narrowed your eyes at him, and he fell silent, waiting for you to speak first.

"Are you an artist or something? Like… are these clothes for a play?"

That was as plausible as any other explanation he could have given you, so Caspian decided to unashamedly roll with it.

"Indeed."

"And you play a diplomat? Like a… renaissance period drama?"

"Indeed!"

"Why didn't you just say so!" you asked with a loud wave of laughter leaving your throat that sounded quite relieved. "It's less scary than what I had imagined you could be! You're just… a weird actor staying in character 24/7, not a serial killer! Why didn't you just say so?"

He shrugged.

"Well… my profession is not always regarded with kindness, so I preferred to leave you in the dark on that part."

"Really? Even now? Gosh, I thought the world had evolved enough away from that. I mean, just look at the movie industry and all that…"

"You would be surprised," he mumbled, hoping that his words fitted in the conversation, but you nodded in a silent understanding, and he guessed that it meant that he had spoken well.

"Why are you always in character though?"

"I… just need to do so."

"Where are you playing? And then… hang on a minute… that all story about you being lost and Narnia and all, it's in your play?"

Caspian wondered what by Aslan's name had happened in his brain to make him think that pretending to be an artist was a good idea. He didn't even like plays that much, he much preferred songs. But that was not the point, and he forced his mind to work at full speed in an attempt to find another explanation… any explanation… something!

"I am truly lost," he answered with wary and carefully chosen words. "And I do need to find my friends to find my way back home. The rest… yes, it is in the play."

"Right…"

He was strange. The weirder person you had ever met. You reckoned that this was for now his predominant characteristic, far above his good-looks and good-manners… and his very sexy British accent as well. Was he faking this as well, or was he really from the other side of the ocean?

You reckoned you wouldn't really learn anything about him, and you knew that you should have been afraid of someone like him. And yet… yet for some reason – and I promise that it has nothing to do with me, your favourite narrator, it all comes from your heart – you couldn't find a way to feel threatened by him. He seemed so fragile…

There was a short silence, and Caspian decided to take the conversation into his own hands. It would help him avoid more questions, after all.

"Do you live here on your own? Or… maybe your husband will be back soon?"

You snorted.

"No husband, thank you very much," you shook your head, swallowing another mouthful of pizza. "I'm single. And living here alone."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Sorry? Why?"

"I… I don't know."

He bit his tongue. Maybe for this world, a woman living on her own was normal.

"Do you work then? If you live alone."

"Of course, I work," you suspiciously narrowed your eyes at him again. "Why… are you one of these sexist guys?"

He raised a hand in a soothing gesture.

"That was not what I meant. What do you do for a living then?"

"I'm a painter."

"Oh, how impressive! You must be very talented! I was never even able to draw as much as a tree."

You chuckled.

"Well… I'm good enough to pay my rent, I can hardly ask for more."

Without the two of you noticing, the pizza had slowly disappeared from its cardboard box, and it seemed that your meal was over.

"I'll give you enough money to pay for a taxi tomorrow, so you can go wherever you need to go," you smiled, standing up and picking up the pizza box. "I'll get you a pillow and blanket so you can sleep on the couch."

"Thank you again for your kindness and hospitality."

An amused smile appeared on your lips.

"Why do you stay in character talking like that?"

But you disappeared with a giggle, and he reckoned he had done good enough for tonight.

Tomorrow would be another day, and he could only hope it wouldn't be worse than this one. But then, how could it be worse?

**************************

Taglist : @ponycake27 @horsesreign @xinyourdreamsx @jbluevelvet @notkeppeki @daynigt-dreamer-stuff @fudgeflyss @stuckupstucky @snek-shit @suchatinyinfinity @i-padfootblack-things @buckybsarmy @heyohheyitsgabi @presstocontinue @ilmiopiccolounivers0 @madamrogers @drinix @sad-orange-thoughts @mxrihollxd @geeksareunique @giggleberts @sad-orange-thoughts @aylinnmaslow @benbarnes-world @ladyblablabla @drinix @joelynnp @wearetalkingtoyou @mxrihollxnd @rockintensse @cutie-bug @purplocity @rockintensse @newtstarmander @shinebrightlikeafanbase @millionsleeplessnights @goldenor5 @raquelbc2003 @marvelcapsicle @carolinesbookworld @roses-in-your-country-house

#caspian #caspian x #caspian x reader #caspian fanfic #caspian imagine #narnia #narnia fanfiction #narnia imagine #imagine #fanfic #writing

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levi-inthesun · 5 years

Text

The Cycle of Life and Death, Chapter 5

Summary: Mia came to Tony Stark with a problem- everything she touches decays and dies, everything. She consents to being put in a cryo-sleep so that Tony can study Mia’s problem and try to find some solution that allows her to exist, well, period.

Now, she’s awake.

A/N: WELP WE’VE MADE IT TO THE END! I would love to know what people think about the series! I might be able to be convinced to write more... but maybe not :)

Pairing- (Eventual) Bucky x Mia (OC)

(gif is not mine)

“Well, it seems you unlocked some of the potency of your powers through your anger last night. While I am excited to see what this means, it is also very dangerous. You need to stay in control. Now,” Tony said walking off to his office, coming back with a potted flower in hand, “This was supposed to be a sort of birthday present, but obviously there wasn’t time for that. Bucky said this grew from the spot of ground you kissed in central park. We decided it would be better if I looked into to make sure it wasn’t dangerous or harmful, that sort of thing. So I did. And it seems that this flower grew from your powers as you began to accept yourself and your past.”

You felt your eyes getting watery as you looked over the flower. “I made that,” you said in awe, taking in the deep blues of the small flower.

Tony nodded, “And now we’ve learned that giving in to your anger only strengthens your powers, who knows if it works for life as well as death.”

Thanks to Loki, Tony was able to upgrade your gloves with a material from Asgard so that you didn’t destroy everything you touched.

“You’ll have to be careful until I can up your clothing as well,” he told you before you left.

“I understand,” you said, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door was shut, you began running down the stairs to the gym. There had to be a way you could learn to control your powers.

You spent all day in the gym. You pushed yourself running, but that didn’t help. You tried meditating, but that didn’t either. Same with yoga, kickboxing, anything you could think of. Your favorite ABBA album began to play through the speakers you had playing loudly, and you started dancing and singing along. Before you knew it, you began to feel the feelings you were holding onto being released. The anger, the disappointment, the pain, the sadness. All of it was released from your body as you danced around the gym. You found yourself belting the first words of the song, Mamma Mia, when he came in.

“I was cheated by you! I think you know when!”

“I know when too,” his voice carried over the music, straight to your ears. You turned to face him, asking FRIDAY to turn off the music, silence suddenly filling the now empty air. “I was being honest when I said I was being an idiot last night, um, the yelling before that, that was bullshit.”

You crossed your arms, “You really hurt me, James.”

“Yeah, I did that, and I feel completely awful about it. As soon as the words were coming out of my mouth I regretted it. Then you called me Bucky and I just… I don’t know, I don’t want to give you excuses as to why I acted the way I did, I just hope you understand how disappointed in myself and sorry I am.” He took a step towards you, and when you didn’t move, he took another.

“It seemed like you and Loki were really hitting it off, and rather than just asking you about it, I assumed you didn’t care for me the way I was hoping you did. And then I saw you touch him and I couldn’t take it.” He took another few steps until you were only a foot or so apart. “Can you forgive me?”

Your face broke down, “Yes, of course, I can. Will you forgive me for reacting the way I did? I knew it was mean, and that it would alter my powers, but I let my hurt get the best of me.”

James broke out in a smile, “Please, any sane person would have reacted similarly, but yes, I do forgive you.”

“Good,” you said as you took a small step closer to him. You were about to lean in and close the gap between you two when Steve burst through the doors.

“MIA DON’T TOUCH HIM!” He called out, “WAIT!”

You both turned to him, confused, but obliging by stepping apart and showing him your hands. You were both rushed back up to the lab where you had left Tony not even two hours ago.

“Oh good,” Tony said, letting out a breath he seemed to be holding. He sat you down on the table as he began looking you over. “Loki came by again a few minutes ago. When you had touched him, he had gotten a sense of your powers, and then again as it shifted after your fight with Bucky. He said you may be feeling lighter, maybe that you were able to let go of some of your anger, but it was just the darkness ebbing to come back harder and take over. If that happens, we are doomed.”

“Shit. I knew this felt too good to be true,” you rubbed your hands over your face as you absorbed the new information. Then, you took off your gloves, much to everyone’s disapproval, to see your veins turning black. You pulled up your sleeve to see it going up your arms, an without thinking threw off your shirt to see it beginning to reach your heart.

“It’s almost too late,” Tony said before running around, sending demands to Steve and Bucky who did as he said.

“Mia, my darling Mia, you are going to have to go to sleep now. If we don’t slow your heart, you may be taken over completely.” You nodded your head and laid down. He attached an IV to a vein that hadn’t been taken over yet, which was, unfortunately in your neck. “Do you trust me?” he asked quickly.

“Yes. Do it. Bring me back to J-” the cool liquid spread through your veins, taking you over quickly.

You woke up to blackness, at least you thought you were awake. You began walking around, the wet ground sloshed as your bare feet moved forward.

“Hello?” you called, only hearing your echo answer you. “Hello?”, you stopped mid-step when you felt rumbling beneath you. You took a few steps back only to be met by something solid and slick.

“Hello,” it said. You turned around only to be met with yourself, except your eyes were void of all color and what seemed to look like black tattoos covered your hands and circled up your arms.

“Who are you?” you asked.

“You know who I am,” it replied.

You shook your head, a sick feeling taking over.

“SAY IT!” it demanded.

“You are what lives inside me,” you responded.

You were met by a sickening laugh, “You think I am simply what lives inside you? HA! Wrong. I am you. You are a shell of me. We bring destruction in our wake. The worlds bow to us, pleading to be speared. We are Death. We are Decay. We are infecting everyone around us, no matter how immune you may feel they are. Look at your friends now, dying from your touch.”

Suddenly you could see Bucky and Loki, Wanda and Nat, Tony, Steve, everyone gasping for air as the infection spread throughout their bodies.

“No.” you stated. “I don’t believe you. Why should I?” You demanded.

“Getting fire-y on us now, I see? It isn’t going to help. Because soon everyone you thought you loved will be dead and we will reign supreme, together, whether you choose to or not. But trust me when I say, in the end, you will choose to.”

The blackness began to crawl up your legs, around your torso, your arms, only leaving your head and neck free from its grasp. Raising you up from the ground, you began to see the things you never allowed yourself to see.

Children crying out in pain as death and decay overcame them. Leaders bowing at your feet, worshiping you. Decay spreading, taking over every living thing that came into its reach. And then you saw yourself, beautiful and powerful.

“NO!” You screamed, “STOP!”

Bucky was given the task of observing you for any changes in breathing, heart rate, temperature, and pulse. Nothing had changed, until now, 12 hours since you were put to sleep. Your temperature was dropping quickly and you began seizing.

“TONY!” he yelled, “GET OVER HERE!”

Right before they were about to cover your already restrained body in warm blankets, Wanda stopped you.

“No.” she demanded, eyes blank, focused only on you. “She is fighting. No matter what happens, do not alter her state.” Wanda took the seat Bucky had been seated in and began to explain what was happening within you. “It calls itself Death and Decay,” she began, eyes in a trance, unmoving from your frame. “Death and Decay has declared that it is Mia and that Mia is a shell of Death and Decay. It offers her power and control. She is convincing Mia that all of us are gone because of her. That her wrath of our death would be better used to its advantage. It is very close to winning.” Wanda stopped, eyes coming back to her surroundings, gasping for air.

“Wanda! Are you okay?” Steve asked, rushing to her side.

“It… it wanted me to tell you that,” she said, rubbing her temples, “But it lied. The cold is feeding it.”

They covered you in thick, warm blankets, and screams erupted from your body as it thrashed about. Steve had to hold Bucky back as your eyes shot open, blackness replacing your blue, almost lavender irises he loved so much.

Your body continued to thrash about until you had broken the restraints holding you down as Death began speaking. “You will never have her back!” she roared, “She belongs to me now. BOW BEFORE DEATH AND DECAY!”

When no one moved to obey your command, you looked at them, one by one. “Tony Stark. You have avoided me for far too long, it’s about time you are rolling in your grave.” It turned to Steve next, “Steven Rogers, ah, America’s Hero. You were born a sickly child and was meant to die a sickly child, how about I bring you back so you can fully feel the power I inflict? And James Barnes,” you said, twisting your lips into a menacing grin, “The one who was silly enough to love her. I might spare you. You are the asset of hydra. You helped bring death to many. That will be rewarded if you bow to me.”

A chill fell over the room. As it did, everyone toppled to the ground crying out in anguish.

“YES!” You called, “Feed me with your screams!”

“Stop.” Your voice rang out over Death and Decay. “You are not welcome here.” Death turned to face you, anger and confusion fell over its face. “How dare you defy me! You will pay for this!”

“No, I won’t,” you stated, “You will.”

You then plunged a knife you had found through its body, where its heart should be. Its cries echoed loudly, reverberating through your own body as it seemed to disappear.

Then, you woke up.

Your eyes slowly blinked open, the sunlight practically blinding you.

“Well, good morning Amelia, how are you feeling?” A man asked.

“Uh, confused. What is going on?” You looked around you to see a lab that looked incredibly familiar. The man did as well, but you couldn’t place how you knew him.

“That makes sense, you have been in cryostasis for the last few years. Your memories will begin to return to you slowly, so be sure to be patient with yourself. My name is Tony Stark, you came to me five years ago after you had been captured and experimented on by some radical group. This is Shuri, sh-”

“She can speak for herself,” a young woman with a thick African accent approached you. “I am the reason you are still alive, no thanks to the colonizer.” She said rolling her eyes. “Before Tony can interrupt me, let me begin to explain what has been going on for the last five years, both with my discoveries, and what you have missed.”

Shuri suggested you slowly reorient yourself to pop culture and take it easy with making friends. “You’ve been alone with your mind for a long while, don’t need to scare yourself,” she had said chuckling.

You spent a few weeks with Shuri, Tony, Dr. Banner, and a young man named Peter Parker. Peter and Shuri seemed to have some secret language because no one knew what they were talking about.

You were taught different techniques to control your powers. Shuri had been able to tap into your brain and literally rewire it, giving you the upper hand on your abilities. “One of the few reasons you came to me-”

“You mean one of the reasons she came to me,” Tony corrected.

“No, you do not get that credit. You made more problems for me to fix.” She then turned back to you, “one of the reasons was because you had no control over both your powers and your mind. Memories and the ways the group had used to brainwash you would overpower everything, causing you to act erratically. We have successfully erased the coding they used to control you. Now, the real work begins as you learn to stop giving your memories the power to control you.”

You took in a deep breath, “This is going to be painful, isn’t it?”

Shuri only smiled at you.

Your lessons were going well, and you were beginning to stop getting in your own way and you began to see the vast abilities you held within you. Not only could you destroy with just a touch, but you could bring to life something from nothing. You spent most of your days practicing meditation to stay disciplined or tending to a garden on the roof.

You were wearing a tank top and high waisted cotton pants, your favorite outfit that allowed you to feel the breeze, despite how thick and humid it was. The sun beating down on you as you hummed, clearing out the weeds in the bed of strawberry plants when you heard the door open behind you.

You took off your gardening gloves, and stood up, wiping any dirt from your pants. “Hello,” you said cheerfully.

“Hi, Amelia, right?” the man asked as he approached and you nodded. “I’m Bucky. Shuri has asked that I help you settle in. I have gone through readjusting after cryostasis.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bucky. Glad someone understands,” you said, chuckling softly.

Bucky extended his hand to you, and as you took it, your eyes shot up to his.

“You sure we haven’t met before?” You asked carefully.

Except, Bucky wasn’t looking at you, he was looking curiously at the little dark blue flower in the middle of the bed of strawberries.

“N-no, I don’t believe we have.”

#Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes x mia #bucky barnes x ofc #Avengers #avengers fanfiction #avengers fanfic #OC x avengers #marvel #Marvel Universe #marvel fanfiction #marvel fanfic

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boarix · 6 years

Text

Wraith in the Ruins: Meanwhile, Back in Goodneighbor IV

Mac and John

Takes place just before Wraith wakes up.

Trigger warnings: canon violence/ language/drug, alcohol and gun use

GAME SPOILERS!

Please enjoy!

“Grrrroooonnnnppp pop pop pop!” MacCready’s stomach was on empty and he was positive it had begun digesting itself. His overhead was too high and he’d been skimping on food. In an effort to live off the land, he had set some snares near a mole rat colony, but had returned to find someone had helped themselves to his catch as well as his equipment.

Daisy was in the back looking for his special order and so her shop essentially unguarded… and those Fancy Lads snack cakes looked awfully tempting…

MacCready would normally have no compunctions about swiping something he might need, or want, but Daisy trusted him and he genuinely liked her…

“NNNNNnneeeerrrroooooo poooooop!” His stomach made his decision for him and he deftly swiped the pink package off the shelf and stuck it in his coat.

As he was removing his hand a vise-like grip closed around his wrist. Twisting his arm back behind his back, someone strait-armed him into the wall. He felt the smooth coolness of a very large knife laid against his cheek even as the smell of mint was harbinger to a voice like honey poured over gravel, “Well now, what exactly were you thinking there boyo? I’m pretty sure those cakes weren’t yours for the taken’. And I don’t take too kindly to folks stealing from my people, you feel me? Might be you need to lose a digit or two, learn you a hard lesson.”

MacCready tried to push himself off the wall, but the ghoul was like iron. Frantically trying to come up with excuses he was relieved to hear Daisy’s voice, “No! Wait Hancock!” She was waving her arms over her head as if the mayor was across town, “Don’t go slicing him up just yet; this is that sniper kid I was telling y’all about.”

Hancock gave one extra little push to emphasize his ire then released him, “They say ‘first impressions are important’. I’ve gotta say, I’m not impressed.”

Daisy wasn’t exactly sure why Hancock was angry until MacCready rather sullenly slapped the cake box on her counter. She took one look at his gaunt frame and decided to give him a break, “Oh honestly John, the cakes were part of his order! You shouldn’t jump to conclusions Mr. Mayor.”

Hancock’s eyes narrowed, unconvinced. MacCready was rubbing his wrist and arm with a mutinous expression and he flinched when Hancock suddenly spread his arms out wide, “Welcome to Goodneighbor. Now I guess I need to consider my own first impression. Heh!”

“Oh you made one alright.” MacCready was practically chewing his tongue in half to avoid saying anything to make the volatile mayor gut him. He had never met Hancock, but he had heard things… things that made sure everyone knew that this was not a ghoul to fuck with.

“Finish up your business then come up to my office.” Tipping his hat to Daisy he sauntered away.

MacCready watched Hancock’s smooth swagger for a second before turning to face the ghoulette. Looking at her from the top of his eyes, he did his best to look winsome and forlorn, “I’m sorry Daisy.”

“You’re sorry cause you’re caught you mean!” She had her arms folded and was clearly pissed, “I recommended you to Hancock based on Carol and Greta’s word. ‘He’s a good kid, even if he’s rough around the edges’ they said. Ha!” Unfolding her arms, she stabbed MacCready in the chest with a finger, “That ghoul there,” She pointed the other hand after Hancock, “has a heart of gold. But don’t y’all think for two seconds he won’t end you if he thinks you’re hurting anyone of us.” She tapped him on the chest, “And don’t y’all think you could take him in a fight when I don’t think even KL-E-O can take him!”

“I’ll take him to paradise, baby!”

MacCready laughed, “I’m sure you would KL-E-O.”

Hancock was seated on his favorite couch, arms across the back to either side, looking all the world like a king on his throne. MacCready knew that the striking redhead standing just behind him was Fahrenheit and that she was reputed to be almost as dangerous as the mayor. All in all, MacCready’s self-preservation alarms were going off like gangbusters in his head.

Stay cool. Just, don’t say anything dumb. Be cool.

“Stray cat indeed...” Fahrenheit gave him an obviously unimpressed toe-to-crown look, as she stepped from behind the couch and moved to the door.

“And you are even more beautiful than they say!” MacCready tried his best blue-eyed smolder out on her as she passed.

“And you have frosting in your goatee.”

“You wanna to lick it off?”

She gave him the finger as she passed through the doorway.

“That’s not a ‘no’.” As MacCready turned back to Hancock he found the ghoul to be almost on top of him, his face less than an inch from his own. Back-peddling awkwardly he couldn’t help the small yelp that escaped him.

Oh! Not cool! You idiot! NOT COOL!

Hancock stood motionless for several seconds before taking an impressively long drag from his cigarette and then blowing a few equally impressively large smoke rings, growling softly all the while. Then to his surprise he saw MacCready’s face light-up at the display. The young man watched the smoke rings as they made their way to the celling with a large smile on his face. Something more or less clicked in Hancock’s brain and he took another, more calculating look, at the merc: he was young, he was way too skinny, even for his slight frame and he had a slight tremor in his hands. He needed help, just like Daisy said he did. Stray cat indeed…

“Follow me.” Hancock turned and walked through the back of his office to the roof access. Once outside he moved to the edge and pulling a gold colored telescope from one of his many pockets, he set it to his eye.

MacCready couldn’t contain his giggle, “Hehe! Are you kidding? You know you look like a pirate, right?”

The set of balls on this kid!

Spreading his arms out wide, Hancock paced elegantly toward him. Executing a full turn that would make any model on the catwalk green with envy, he stopped inches from the merc, “Sexy pirate was always going to be my fallback if ‘sexy mayor’ didn’t pan out.” MacCready gulped as Hancock once again invaded his personal space. Locking eyes the mayor’s voice dropped to a purring growl, “I brought you up here to see how good you are,” Hancock pointed across the rooftops of Goodneighbor to the ruins beyond, “now, take a gander through that scope of yours and tell me what you see.”

Hancock made note that as soon as MacCready raised his rifle and his focus shifted to “work”, the tremor in his hands vanished.

Interesting.

“Super mutants. A few of em. They’re… just kinda… milling around.”

“Yeah, they do that. So here’s the game: I call the shots, you make the shots and I am impressed. You want me impressed, you feel me?” He had his telescope to his eye and was already picking his targets, “I used to come up here all the time, back when my eyes were better. Heh; damn brutes never could figure out where all the death was coming from.”

“And yet they still hang out on the same roof…”

“Greenskins ain’t exactly known for their quick wit.”

“Oh, I’ve known of one or two who could keep a conversation going… but yeah, like maybe two.”

Then with no preamble Hancock called his first shot, “Twelve o’clock helmet.”

Not missing a beat, MacCready took aim and shot with impressive speed, hitting the target with apparent ease.

“Mr. Laughing and Pointing; get his finger.” MacCready made the shot, cleanly severing just the mutant’s digit. “Now end his confusion.”

Shot after shot, MacCready’s aim was true. It didn’t matter how quickly Hancock called them out or how unique his descriptions of the super mutants were.

“Ammo out! Reloading!”

“No, that won’t be necessary.” Hancock stood, tapping his telescope against his shoulder, staring hard at the younger man. His eyes contained a look of such open covetousness that it bordered on lust. “Color me impressed. Pick up your brass and meet me back inside.”

The first thing MacCready noticed when he walked back into the office was the two items Hancock had left on the coffee table for him: a tumbler of whiskey and an addictol inhaler. Hancock had his back to him and was preparing himself a drink.

Is this another test? The hell? Were my hands shaking that bad?! Fuck it!

MacCready picked up the whiskey and proceeded to gulp the entire glass in one breath. Setting the tumbler back down gently, he appeared nonchalant as he then picked up the inhaler and breathed in the addictol.

Hancock’s laugh rang out through the State House, making several members of the Watch jump, “HA! You are fulla piss ain’t cha? You know that whiskey is actually pretty good. I’ll pour you another if you’d actually like to taste it this time.” Laughing again at MacCready’s confused look, Hancock explained, “Who am I to judge the vices of another man? I offered two different solutions to your problem with not a string attached to either. That wasn’t a test Little Brother, but I’ll give you an ‘A’ all the same. Shit! You get a goddamn gold star for that one!”

“Okay… then yes I would like another… please.”

As MacCready sipped his second glass Hancock presented him with a contract. “This is my standard mercenary contract, with a few addendums. What this simply states is that my jobs get priority and while you may accept any bodyguard, caravan guard, pest removal and escort services that you are offered, assassinations must be ran past Fahrenheit or me first. No sense picking fruit before it’s ripe, you feel me?”

“I actually don’t plan on taking… head hunting jobs anymore.” MacCready’s eyes held a hard look and his jaw was set. “Shooting armed super mutants is one thing…”

“That so? Hmmm, too bad cause I have a very lucrative job of just that nature, couple of bad apples past due for pickn’.”

MacCready’s resolve softened at the mention of a higher pay-out, “Who are they? What did they do?”

“Leftovers from Vic; guy used to run Goodneighbor. He was a thunderous asshole and these three were some of his worst thugs. All the nasty shit you could think of, that was their MO. I have files on all three but I can’t act directly against ‘em. They know all my people and that Railroad ass-hat sez he’s not for ‘cleaning up my garbage’. HA! How’s that for gratitude?”

MacCready wasn’t sure who the “ass-hat” in question was but the rest was pretty clear, “Because they won’t know me I can personally verify their location and then take them out.” At war with himself, MacCready really wanted, no, needed the money but felt he had to stay true to his convictions. Standing up, he prepared to leave before he weakened further, “I’m sorry but I’ve made some promises and I can’t accept…”

“The contract wasn’t contingent on you accepting the assassination job,” Hancock waved him back onto the couch, “if you can’t accept this one job it doesn’t blow the whole thing. Let’s go over the rest of the contract and job list, and see what you can do for me.”

MacCready was genuinely confused, “You would change it for me?”

“I think you’re worth it, yes. Now, let’s have Charlie send us up some grub and break this down!”

Over the next several weeks MacCready began to see a dent in his money problems. Although Goodneighbor could be rough, he found that the more jobs he did for Hancock, the less he was hassled by anyone. MacCready was often employed and he found that he truly liked the mayor and enjoyed being a “favorite”. And yet he still felt the pressure of his son’s illness; he need more money and faster. Tightening his belt would only get him so far…

“Well, look who it is! What’s in the sack?”

“It’s Christmas come early,” Setting the duffle bag on Hancock’s desk, MacCready backed away, “and since you’ve been a good little mayor, I got you your favorite.”

There were three heads in the duffle bag.

Clasping his hands and placing them along the side of his face, Hancock adopted a falsetto, “Oh Robert! You really shouldn’t have!”

Hancock’s broad smile and use of his first name caused a slight flutter in his stomach and he felt an uncharacteristic blush overtake him. Clearly flustered, he coughed into his hand before he suddenly remembered why he had done the job, “It was nothing really. You had mentioned a… I think you said, ‘a very lucrative’ pay-out.”

“So I did. I also think we should revise your contract: increase your general payout, increase your drink budget at the Rail… Oh yeah, speaking of which; there is a room available just off of the VIP lounge. It’s on the small side but I figure you could set-up shop there and save yourself some caps on rent.”

MacCready could hardly believe it, “Why? Why do this for me? For the assho… idiot who you caught red-handed, stealing, the first time you met him…”

“Ah, so the truth finally comes out!” Hancock’s eyes danced merrily.

“No, I’m serious! What… else…”

“Nothing you’re not comfortable with.” Hancock was suddenly serious, “Don’t ever feel like you ‘have to’ do anything for me Little Brother…” He placed his hands on MacCready’s shoulders, “save for one thing: promise me you’ll never steal from me or my people ever again!”

“I promise.”

Thank you so much for reading! Like what you read? Looking for more? Please see my Wraith in the Ruins master-link in my bio. =^..^=

#wraith in the ruins #fallout #fallout 4 #fallout 4 fanfic #hancock #fallout hancock #john hancock #john hancock fanfic #maccready #rj maccready #maccready fanfic #fahrenheit #fallout daisy #goodneighbor

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magicalsalamander · 7 years

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Aurelius Part 1

Pairing: BTS Namjoon ⇆ Reader

Genre: Werewolf | Fluff | Angst | Smut [later] |

Summary: When the daughter of the secretary for the Minister for Wolf and Canine relations is the last living member of her clan, she must find a way to avenge her family. She must find a way to put an end to the hunters whose sole purpose is to cleanse the world of werewolves. The golden one hasn’t forgotten. Will she be able to get the revenge she needs?

Words: 8.7 K

Warnings: Rated Mature; Explicit themes, action/ violence, blood shed, torture, death of characters (minor), and graphic depiction. This is not true though series, only this part for context.

A/N: Orig post: 01|15| 2018; Updated intro 12|12|19. Part of the KLF Universe.

⇽ Prev | Masterlist | Next ⇾

The sound of his footsteps was thrumming against the dirt like the drums of war. As if the bass was bowing deeper in lower frequency with each lunge, drawing out in a hum left to ring in your ears in a faint whisper. Stronger and thundering with each step matching the intensity of the crimson obscurity in his eyes. Increasing, increasing, and never breaking the pace. He was making his way forward almost silently against the mulchy floor with a blurring pace. He takes a glimpse down to see the color leaving her with each pressing second. Fear blooms over his being, a blistering red accompanied by anger at the savages who decided to hurt her, his mate.

The darkness of the forest was broken when the familiar large estate welcomed him. He sat her down for a split second amongst a small bed of mulch to rummage through the wooden box that was designed to hide amongst the rocks. It was important no one found their clothing, not that many knew they lived out here anyways. They couldn’t afford any more mistakes. Practically speaking, it was more of a way to prevent bugs from crawling up their back when they put their shirts on. He tossed a black, over sized shirt behind him and slipped on his denim straight jeans before he turned around. There wasn’t time for complete modesty the shirt was slipped over her bare chest. His beast purred when she wore a piece of him. Regaining pace, he picked her back up and ran up the back stairs connecting the acres of forest and the welcoming warmth. He banged on the glass sliding door with his foot growling viciously for anyone to open up. A second later one of his cousin’s mate slid the door open, but she wasn’t given a chance to question the noise noticing the dying woman in his arms. “Grandmother! Please, Help me! Help me! She’s dying!” For an older woman she was fast; she came around the entrance of the kitchen not bothering to look at him already directing his actions. She’s sensed him about a mile away, the urgency in his pace. “Take her up to the room,” she pointed upstairs towards Namjoon,” you, child, go get me the atropine.” She was directing everyone within the vicinity to participate in the carrying. “Atropine?” He gurgled out sensing the life diming in his mate it was stressing now carrying weight up the grand main staircase. “The wound has wolfsbane, quiet a lot too.” Namjoon looked down at you worriedly, in high concentrations it could be lethal. Death was inevitable.

She opened the infirmary room. It was created when enough of the pack members came back injured from runs. He set you down on a table moving to the right side grabbing your wrist, your pulse was soft now. His eyes widened, “Grandmother, please!” The young woman brought in the Atropine vile kept in a safe in the basement. The older woman pushed Namjoon aside finally taking in the bullet wound on your thigh. Tsking to herself older woman asked for Namjoon to step outside the room. He went to open his mouth to refuse, but she insisted, “don’t make me repeat myself.” He had no choice, he didn’t want to watch you in pain, but he didn’t want you without him either. You weren’t alone anymore.

The other woman was already setting up an IV bag with a saline drip on your arm. She went to grab the medical tongs, iodine, gauze with saline solution setting it neatly on a side table that draped over the table. All mates in the pack were taught basic medical procedures by his grandmother when the were accepted into the family. She pulled out the wooden hair stick tucked in her neat bun and within a ceramic bowl she poured the Atropine and began mixing it with the end of her pin. The wooden pin was blessed by the moon goddess and it was passed down the Lunas’ of the Kim family for generations. The wound was washed out with the saline solution and cleaned around the exterior with iodine. She didn’t even look up at the other woman but with an outstretched hand asked for the tongs. The cold metal was passed and with a deep breath she pressed the forks into the tongs into the wound fishing for the bullet.

The digging was a violent wake up call. My nails extended clawing at the bed with guttural growling. I wasn’t physically awake, but it was the beast within still acting on instinct to fight for my life. Namjoon knocked on the door, but was told, “Stay out!” His grandmother turned the tongs one last time dislodging the bullet dropping it onto the side tray. She was sweating, but it wasn’t over. She went back looking for fragments, but it came out clean. She poured the blessed Atropine in the wound mumbling chants of, “please protect one of your servants, guide this unfortunate beast. Do not ask for her to return just yet, she has much work to do Moon spirit.” I let a visceral scream at the burn of the antidote. Again, the beast was taking over and it was her screaming fighting against the burn. Namjoon’s beast was roaring internally, the pain you were going through was tearing him from the inside out. The pull he felt towards you caused him to feel a degree of your pain.

Eventually she stopped pouring the antidote and the screaming quieted. They cleaned everything up as much as possible and his grandmother let the other woman do the dressing. His grandmother finally opened the door to a pacing, agitated Namjoon. She just smiled at him, “she’s going to be alright. I think the moon goddess really looks after this one.” The visual upset in his eyes didn’t curve, he needed to see you for himself. His grandmother put a hand on his chest as he made steps to the room, “ I know that look in any wolves eyes. She may be your destiny, but treat her kindly now. She still is fighting for her life in her mind. Give her space and time. Take her up to one of the guest rooms, she can’t remain in the infirmary all night.” He nodded understanding that his grandmother wanted the best and was the most logical at the moment. He mustn’t act on instincts.

He came in to the room to see that color has returned to you slowly, but you were still covered by mud and other forest accessories. The amount of blood on the table made his beast whined, he wanted to take away the pain. He wanted to hold you in his arms until the end of time. He was able to satisfy that to a certain extent when the mate finished wrapping your leg and stepped away. He picked you up gently this time around. The warmth from his chest brought me yearning closer to him unconsciously. He was going to go crazy. Exiting the room and making his way up the third floor he passed his room stopping at the one across from his. It was a small guest room, but it was just enough for you to stay in. He didn’t want you being far away from him as possible, not anymore. He resituated you to be supported by one arm and pulled back the edge of the covers and laid you down on the full-size bed. You whined being placed down, missing the warmth. He smiled to himself knowing that your beast must’ve felt it too. The pull. He sat next to your bed for a moment taking you in. He was the last one in his pack to find his mate; his father was becoming worried he wouldn’t find her before he turned thirty. He was to take over his father’s position as the main Alpha and the Minister. He burdens sat heavily on his shoulders, but it felt like nothing now sitting next to you. The orange light coming from the stained-glass lamp finally illuminated you enough to see him properly. He reached out to grab your hand and studied it tracing over the scars following an especially long one up your forearm. His beast was rumbling again but he closed his eyes resting his arms on his knees bringing your hand to his forehead. Of all ways to meet someone, this was cinematic.

Days passed and some mates along with Namjoon took shifts taking care of you. He would always take the night shift sitting next to you and reading one of his many novels. He was beginning to worry you weren’t going to wake up, but your slow breathing and steady heart rate said otherwise. What you must’ve gone through really shook your whole system. He could tell you were young, early twenties at most. He sat there not reading his book anymore pondering over the many possibilities of what you could be like? Would you be a sweet woman with an innocent heart? Would you be a sassy woman with endless comebacks? Just exactly who were you. It was the fourth day of your unconsciousness when Namjoon came to sit by your bed. He opened the blinds to let sunshine in to bathe your skin in warmth. He pulled the padded, wooden chair closer to the end of the bed and traced his finger over the book mark of his last reading. He sat in the silence, but your heartbeat was like soft jazz playing in the background. It calmed him matching his own rate.

The rate changed though, it became fast pace beating erratically against your ribs. He looked over the edge of his book to you noticing you shaking your head to side with tears streaming down your face. He set his book down coming over to you. He grabbed your shoulders calling to you, “Hello, are you awake?” Your eyes shined back at his, the brilliant rose gold spoke a thousand words at him. His breath was robbed from his lungs. The beauty staring back at him was unlike anything he’s ever seen. This, this beautiful creatures was his.

I saw them, I saw them come towards the back of the house in a row of fifteen men. They had cloaks covering their shoulders in wolf pelts. Before I could even rise from the table, the man in the middle raised his hand carrying a large sword with a leather-bound handle and arched his arm behind him. The moonlight glimmered off the gun metal iron’s edge, while the royal purple syrup dripped from tip. I knew that liquid, it’s wolfsbane. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t do anything. I looked at my family sitting around the table and watched them all fade into black. I was screaming at them, “come back! No!” They kept dissipating, only black ashes filtering through my fingers as I soon disappeared too.

I woke up to a face looking right at me, their eyes were a bright red with blown out pupils. Even though the eyes staring back were owned by a stranger the weight they carried felt familiar. Under his overbearing gaze, I scrambled over to the opposite edge of the bed not knowing where I was going, but I had to get away. Namjoon caught the tipping IV pole steadying it back in place. I growled at the man dragging my useless leg along with me. With a groggy voice, “Why am I here? What do you want from me?” My chest was rising and falling rapidly slightly shaking. He wasn’t surprised by my stand-off approach instead just raising his hands in surrender. He stepped back until the back of his knees hit the padded chair he sat calmly into his chair. The space between us allowed me to relax a bit, but I was eyeing the window already. He began, “I’m Kim Namjoon. You were running in my pack’s territory. We saved you. If we didn’t take out the bullet, you would’ve been dead.” I pulled the plush, but dirty covers back and noticed right next to the H engraving was covered by gauze wrapped around my thigh. “How long was I out?” I asked cautiously. “Four days.” I was out for four days? In another packs home? I didn’t want to be here any longer, I had to find a way out. Namjoon could see the struggle behind those rose-gold eyes. He felt the need to comfort and coddle but that wasn’t going to help with this defensive wolf putting up tall walls.

“Your name is?” I whipped my head back up and took in the figure sitting before me. He was an unfairly handsome man. The dimples showed when he smiled could melt any glacier. It was hard to not smile back. I wanted to caress his cheeks feeling the dimples with my fingers. I craved his touch. I don’t give into wants, only what I need, and right now I need to get away. I knew I couldn’t give them my real name, but I could give them the name I was now known as, “Aure.” He smiled, “that’s a pretty name, Aure. I will get my grandmother to come check on your injury and check your IV.” I didn’t nod or respond, but he got up regardless and closed the door behind him. When I felt his presence dip farther away, I went into action. I grabbed the IV tube attached at my inner elbow and ripped it out. The impact of the injury sent blood and the saline solution to pour out onto the sheets. I shuffled out of the comforter slowly maneuvering my legs over the beds edge one leg at a time. The dull pain in the right leg intensified once my heel flattened against the dark wood floor. I whimpered caving forward clutching the sheets as if my life depended on it. I was able to stand but I tumbled forward with my first step clutching the wall. I was able to limp and drag that leg to the window pane. It was next to chair where Namjoon was sitting minutes ago. You knocked over a picture frame on the side table with a thud, luckily no glass broke, but the sound was audible enough. My vision blurred, and black dots scattered across my sight because of my fast movements. Laying down for four days and suddenly getting up wasn’t the best of ideas. I held my breath and remained still. When no sounds of oncoming footsteps approached, I crept over the frame with no choice to use my bad leg now. The pain was causing a ringing in my ear, but I needed to open the window. I grabbed the edge of the latch and pulled it out of the lock. The window gave after a few tugs and pulled up. You looked down noticing you were on the third floor and the only landing was on some bare bushes. The closest roof was to your left, but it wasn’t close enough to jump on.

The door to the room opened and Namjoon saw me standing at the windowsill. His instincts kicked in, he couldn’t hold back especially if I was going to hurt yourself. He ran up behind me grabbing around my waist picking me up off the floor. Namjoon was taller than me so feet hovered above the floor. I struggle in his hold, but when I lifted my knee up on my bad leg the usage sent me into a whining mess. “Calm down, Aure! You’re going to hurt yourself!” It was futile shaking any further, it was just too much. He froze feeling my tears drip onto his forearm. In the calmest voice he could produce,” Who did this to you?” I wasn’t a part of his pack why did he care? I was in his territory as a rouge, I shouldn’t even be treated this nicely. It’s normal in our culture that we get thrown into a dungeon and executed without much trial. They even pulled the bullet out, this situation was too weird. Rogues are only bad news. “Make it easier on yourself and let me go! You don’t have to deal with me. Let me enter another’s territory and die peacefully.” Namjoon was getting upset with your words, especially mentions of you ending your life. You even winced at your own words. You didn’t want to die. He was growling showing his dominance, he will make you submit. You yelped out when his claws dug in to you a bit. It was intentional to calm you down and displace your anger.

We both stopped moving when a calm, but powerful voice spoke from the doorway, “Stop you two.” Namjoon turns around to face the voice of authority with you dangling in his arms. The once intimidating wolf turned into a puppy at his grandmother’s command. She walked forward approach, “Dear, don’t hurt yourself any further. The wound on your leg is only going to get worse with movements. Before Joonie sets you down you need to promise me you won’t run again.” I looked down in shame, this woman brought out my inner puppy as well. Her calming voice just felt like hot chocolate on a cold day. I nodded silently and Namjoon placed me back on the bed. His grandmother approached the edge and Namjoon went back to sit in the chair guarding the window. Her hand reached for the wound and out of instincts I growled but she smacked my arm in punishment. I squeaked out and Namjoon got up from his seat to come to me, but his grandmother raised her hand, “sit, and you behave!” She pointed her aged finger between my eyes. I went cross eyed trying to focus on the digit, “I’m sorry.” She smiled a dimply smile at my submission. She trailed her hand around the edge of the wound checking for swelling. Each touch was delicate but held purpose, as she trialed her fingers over the etched “H”. That was when I pulled back wordlessly, I was ashamed of my body and all the deformed marks. “Honey, the marks on your body is nothing to be ashamed of. For the sake of our pack taking you in would you tell me how you got them?” You looked up, “I… I don’t want to be taken in. I’m don’t belong—,” but again a smack was left on your arm. “Don’t you dare say you don’t belong anywhere. You are more than welcomed. It’s protocol to know where you’re from and who you are. I need to know if you are a danger to us, but from the look in your eyes I can tell you’ve seen things and you know things most don’t. That doesn’t make you bad or invaluable. You are welcome and worthy to be a part of us.” I couldn’t help it the tears were flowing in streams down your eyes. It’s been so long since I’ve felt comfortable and safe. Even living with the couple, I was always on edge and never felt safe. The years of pain and hurt came out.

Namjoon let his instincts take control again and sat next to me pulling me into his lap wrapping his arms tightly around my figure. The comforting warmth slowed my tears, but I tensed up when he began rubbing my back. He felt the uneven nature of my skin and pulled away worried, “is your back injured too? Is there something we missed Aure?” I shook my head in a no. He exchanged looks with his grandmother knowing that the scars didn’t end at the appendages. He kept comforting me until the tears stopped and his grandmother passed him the antidote to apply the daily regime to the wound. He accepted it and she walked out the room give you two time alone. I was falling asleep in his embrace, but he shook your shoulders, “Aure, I need to apply the medicine. Can I do that?” I tightened my grip on his shirt but nodded burying my head in his chest. He reluctantly pulled me away from him and set me on the bed. He pulled the bandage away making me grumble at the pain, “who did this to you?” The words didn’t leave me quickly, but I observed his face as he studied the wounds. The soften gaze in his eyes were assuring. They truly didn’t want you to leave. They truly meant well.

I didn’t want to open myself to them yet, what if they end up just like the couple? A half-truth would work for now. I was already in too deep with this family now, “I was staying with someone who…didn’t know what I was. They—they found out and disowned me. The older man shot me I had to run away. I wanted to live, I couldn’t break the promise.” He was holding back his anger but displaced it by cupping my hand in his rubbing his thumb over mine. He didn’t speak but just moved to put the medicine over the wound, “this is going to hurt, hold my hand and squeeze when you need to.” I nodded and watched as he raised the vial and poured the thick solution on the scabbed wound. The bite was immediately, and I hunched over squeezing his hand. I rested my head on his shoulder grunting with clenched teeth at the pain. He stopped when it was lathered well enough to let it solidify over the wound. It needed to air dry before they wrapped it up again. He rubbed my arm and laid me back down. Somewhere along the line the pain became too much, and I passed out again. He smoothed away the hair covering her face willing away the worn-out expression even her sleeping form took. The rose-gold of her eyes was completely new to him. He’s never meet a wolf with that kind of eyes, not even in one of the thousands of books he’s came across. He had so many questions to ask, but that would have to wait.

“Alpha,” a deep voice rang at the door. Namjoon turned to his father standing at the door who asked for permission to enter. Namjoon stood up and signaled over to the chairs at the corner of the room. “I see you’ve already grown attached to the rouge.” Namjoon looked over to me, “Alpha…she’s my mate.” His father raised his brows at him, “You always had unique taste, son.” They shared a laugh, but it turned serious when his father raised the question, “she may be your mate, but is she a danger to us? Can we trust her? We can’t let another mistake happen again.” While staring at her figure he spoke, “She was betrayed by the people closest to her, she was shot because she was a wolf. Her scars tell a story I don’t know yet, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out.” His father stands up, “I trust you son. The packs future lies in your hands.”

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septic-dr-schneep · 6 years

Note

How's the next chapter coming? :D

Heh.

JSE Fanfiction - In Time Of Need (Part 7: Discord #4)

Summary: Schneep is reluctantly pulled away from Jackieboy’s side to answer an urgent summons; it leads to him making an unexpected discovery.

Schneep had never been one to sleep on his side. Flopping face first intothe pillow and sleeping on his stomach had always been the fastest route to therest he so desperately needed. When he slept on his side, his glasses werealways bent crooked and the nerves in his arm never got enough blood because itwas trapped underneath him, but it was amazing how willingly he could acceptthe position after surviving on three hours of sleep every night for the lastweek.

Somehow he even managed to stay comfortable enough to dream; he hadeverything he could ask for, after all: a sturdy bed, a blanket and thecomforting presence of a friend—a friend who was safe, who could make sure that he was safe.

He dreamt of that safety, that warmth and love. His boys, his steelyDeidrick and his curious Liam, were little again, laughing and chasing eachother, ducking around his legs as they played. Maire’s dark, sleek hair slideasily through his hands as he guided her in to kiss him. In the corner of hiseye, Chase made a face at them just as his own wife was reaching for him.

The scene changed—there was music, chatter, dancing. Chase performed hisfirst flawless backflip, Jameson and Marvin showed off their hat tricks, and Schneepgot up the courage to sing just a few verses of “Footloose” with Jackie as hisbackup. Jack was smiling so widely that his cheeks were turning pink and Signewas in her pretty black dress, leaning on his arm. They were inside a vastbuilding with a soft and rosy glow, but somehow they were surrounded withfireflies.

Reality crashed back in with an uncomfortably loud buzz and a touch tohis shoulder. He jumped, untangling himself from Jackieboy’s arm and sitting upstraight with his glasses dangling precariously on one ear. Even with hisvision blurry he registered the small, pasty white hospital room, as well asthe startled nurse, Rena, who stood before him.

“I’m…sorry to disturb you, sir. I just wanted to check up on thepatient,” she explained hesitantly, to which he scowled but jerked a short nodof approval, adjusting his glasses as he slid deftly off the hospital bed.Jackie didn’t stir at the movement. No doubt he would be sleeping off themorphine for a while; at least he would get to keep his sweet dreams, Schneep mused ruefully as he moved out of Rena’sway, rifling through his coat pockets for the source of the vibration.

It hadn’t been his pager, he realized, brows furrowing in concern as he checkedit and didn’t find any messages. His cell had been placed on silent for thesurgery and he hadn’t turned it back on, so it couldn’t be that…

The insistent buzz sounded a second time, then a third, and Rena lookedup from Jackieboy’s IV, questioning, “Are you going to get that, Doctor?”

“I’m trying,” he assured her in a huff, half-turning away for someprivacy and then stopping up short as he was faced with Jackieboy’s personal effectson the tray nearby—among them, two phones. Dread trickled icily down Schneep’sspine as he saw which screen had brightened, but he had no opportunity to pickit up before the one in his pocket took its turn, rattling against his hip.Trying to keep his breathing even, he shifted his reach from his recreationalcell to the other phone.

“I’ve got aperfectly good phone,” Chase had protested, waving said device so its screenpleasantly reflected the light. “Got the best data package, got all of you onspeed-dial…what’s the deal with this new one? It’s only got dialing andtexting!”

“Yes, what isthis meant for, Jackie?” Schneep questioned, peering closely at the gadget Jackieboyhad shoved into his hands. It didn’t look like a normal smartphone; it was larger,sturdier, encased in black and bronze metal.

“Familyemergencies,” the hero muttered as he slapped one in Marvin’s outstretched palm.“Silver Shepherd helped me with ’em; he’s giving one to Roxanne too. It’s a CCC—CriticalCondition Communicator. It’s only meant for when you fear for your life, okay? Ifyou’ve got time to send a message with text, it’s got prompts for the kind ofemergency. If not, well, you don’t even have to speed-dial, Chase; thisis instant-dial. Hit any of these numbers and it contacts me, Marv, Jackand Signe. Speaking of you, Marv, I’ll need you to enchant them so they canhave unlimited range in the city.”

“Seriously?”Leaning his elbows on his knees, Marvin blinked up at the older Ego in utter bewilderment.“What’s brought all of this on?”

“It’s beencoming for a while,” Jackieboy assured him grimly. “Figured it’s about time Itry getting to all of you in time, instead of finding you in a puddle of yourown blood. Anti is Prompt #1, by the way.”

Schneep was already starting to sweat when he snatched up Jackie’s comm. andread the #3 – Marvin scrolling across it. When he pulled his own fromhis pocket and found #5 – Chase on the screen, he spun hurriedly on hisheel.

“Take care of my friend! You take care of him, you make sure he’s safe!”he commanded the nurse, barely taking a moment to watch her nod before speed-walkingdown the hallway. As soon as he got past the hospital’s front doors, he brokeinto a run, only spurred on by the essential bricks weighing down his pockets.

His comm. vibrated one more time while he was fidgeting, drumming hisfingers and yelling at the driver in the back of the taxi. He was afraid tolook and it turned out that gut feeling was entirely valid.

#8 – Jack.

“Faster, I’m begging you! Doyou know meaning of emergency?! Isthe definition in your brain?!” he cried desperately at the taxi driver yetagain, who exasperatedly shook his head and waited for the light to change. Bythe time Egos Incorporated came into view, Schneep was a mere lunge away fromtaking the steering wheel himself. Instead he opted for the door, charging upthe front path at a full run.

“Schneep, finally!” Chase came to meet him just inside the door, clampingonto his arm and steering him in the direction of the lab, frenzied wordspouring out of him faster than Schneep could latch onto them. He caught themost important parts—“Jack,” “some kind of fit,” “fighting his own body”, and—

“He what?” Schneep gasped.

Rubbing his arms as if to ward off the cold, Chase gulped. “He spoke. Screamed. All he said was ‘Out,’ and I—Ihave no idea what he meant. Doc, he opened his eyes! He was awake and then he wasn’tand I couldn’t do a thing! I had to call you!”

“You did right, you did right,” Schneep concurred with a fleeting wave toMarvin as he snatched up a handful of tools and bent over his creator, pryinghis eyes open. For a second or two, he was startled to see just how blue Jack’seyes were this close. Even glassy and red-rimmed, they were electric. Shakingit off, he shone his penlight into them, muttering, “The eyes respond like normal,but they’re inflamed…He has not been awaketo be inflamed! How did this happen to you, my friend? What were you dreamingof? You dream of the sun, look at it too close? You should know—”

“What is it?” Chase demanded anxiously at the doctor’s abrupt silence.

“Go to the ABOP, Chase,” Schneep ordered lowly. “Marvin, you open thatgateway for him.”

“What is it, Schneep?” Marvinrepeated Chase’s question even as he grit his teeth and began focusing a spell,the air before him bending into a portal to the Augmented Biogenic Ocular Plant,where Septic Sam resided.

“Jack’s right eye…has been burned. Go make sure our little Sam isalright.”

With a breathless half-sob, Chase nodded so vigorously that his hatalmost flew off his head, fairly diving into the portal as soon as he could seethe makings of the pocket dimension on the other side. Marvin’s hands shook ashe eased the portal closed behind the vlogger and then staggered back,clutching at his head and very narrowly catching himself against the counterbehind him.

Schneep looked up at the clatter, eyes narrowing in concern. “Marvin?”

“It’s nothing, it’s fine,” the magician assured him faintly, his knuckleswhitening where he gripped the counter’s edge. “Just…stretched myself a littlethin today…Haven’t had a chance to lie down since Chase dragged me here by thearm.”

“He gave me the same treatment.”

Silence settled in after these words as Schneep began looking over Jack’smonitors. It looked as if none of his vitals had changed, but Chase would neverbe so cruel to lie to them about this and the redness in his eyes was amystery. Momentarily Schneep berated himself for not being here to witness itand then he thought again. Perhaps it was better that he hadn’t; he neverwanted to see Jack in such pain as Chase had described.

After changing some of the solutions in Jack’s IV, he turned hisattention to Marvin, who was still slumped against the counter with his headdown, breathing shallowly. Schneep’s heart sank uncomfortably at the sight. He hadn’tbeen alone with Marvin for almost two weeks; in fact, he’d hardly been in thesame room with him for twice that long.

“You don’t look fine,” he ventured softly. Marvin’s shoulders shook witha silent laugh, little more than an outbreath, and the doctor shifted towardhim, fiddling with his hands. “Tell me.”

“…I was there, Schneep. I was inthere.”

“In where?”

“Jack’s head.” Agitated, Marvin tugged at the hem of his shirt. “I was inthere—or at least I was trying to be.I was looking for him, trying to find some…trace of him. He had his seizure while I was in there and I…thinkit might’ve saved my life.”

“Tell me everything.”

“Hkh—hh—hel—”

“D̶oņ’t…b͜o͟th̡er…t̵ryi͠ng,”Anti hissed again, his teeth glinting in eerie colors against the light of themedical monitors as he smiled, bearing his weight down against the struggle. “Noone̶'̢s li͢s͟t͝eni̴ng. Y̡our̨ f͡a͘it̛h̢ful͢ little͝ n͟urse ͜might hav͝e͡ no͠t̶ic̶e̕dbut, well…s͜óme pupp̛e͡ts ̡get t̢hei̡r ͠str͟i̸ńgs ͠c̕ut t͘oo s͟o̴o̢n̡!”

Jackieboy could only manage a sick, agonized gurgle in response, hisfingernails tearing frantically into Anti’s wrists to dislodge his grip fromhis throat.

“W͝e̢ ͝b̀o͢ţh k̢n̢ew y̴ou͘r ̵do̢ctor͜ ̕woul̢d sav͞e ͝y͘ou̕,” Antigrunted, bringing one knee down hard into the hero’s stitched side and drawinga strangled whine from him as he bucked and thrashed against it. “I̶ c̴oun̸t̨ed on i͝t̨, cos͠ ̨n̕o̵w͜ ͜w̧hat̢ I g̴èt to do—H́o͘ļd͞s̸̢ţ̧̕i̧ļ͢l͘!—is wa͠tch ͜him͝ g͟o ̨mad̴ to keep you a̸liv̨e͘. I o̢n͝ly goţ ̛t͟o see͝ ìt ͢oncè, w̶hen̴hé wa̕s ope̡r̡at͠i͞ng ̨on yóu͜r poor҉ ͠J͡a͢ck. He had Ja̢ck̷'͡s̸ bl̴ood̷ all̨ơv̛er his fr͡o͠n̢t, he was d͘rȩnc҉hedin it! Y͝ou ́şhoul̵d’ve ͟seen ̛how͞ hę c̵ried͡. You wou͢l͝d͘’vę̶thóug̕h͞t he wás̕ th̡e ͞on̛e dying…And he cri͝e̶s the ͘sa̵me̴ ̨w̡ay̶ ̡for you.”

He laughed then, leaning in close, blood from his throat dripping androlling down Jackie’s face alongside his sweat and tears from struggling. Inone swift motion he tore one of his hands away from the hero’s throat and clampedit over his mouth and nose.

“S̵ee, t̴h̀i͠s͠ ͟is ͡be͟tt͘e͢r͘ ̶th̸an ki̷ll͜i̢ng̴ ̀you,” he explainedgleefully, static gathering around him like the darkest clouds just before athunderstorm. “Be̶c̀au̵se Schnee̛p̷l̨estei͢n…and Cha̸se͜… and̨͡Ma̡rv͟ìn…s͠eeing you in̛ ͜th̀e same con͢d̸ìti̛o͟n a̵s̨ J̷ac̵k ͞is̵͜go̷i͟n̡g t͝o̡ ̕b̵e enou͘gh to̡ kiļl th̷em!So ̧g͠o on, h́ér͞ǫ…��

Jackieboy’s skin numbed where Anti was touching him and what little wasleft of his cries began to die out. His peripheral vision flickered with gray,tunneling, and the world around him faded to white noise. With the lastvestiges of consciousness, he flung an arm out toward his belongings, fingersscraping helplessly against the tray for the communicator that wasn’t there. Itwas far, far away, at the bottom of a lab coat pocket.

“Tòo̸ ͜ląte for that, p̛upp͘ét.” Anti’s smug words sounded just as distantas his last chance for help. “J̡u͢st ̛rel̨a͞x…I͡’m͜s͢ure ͟y̧ou’ll ̕be͞ ̀a̷ble t̀o sl̷e҉e͟p t͜hi̷s off.”

#youtube #jacksepticeye #fanfiction #youtube fanfiction #dr schneeplestein #marvin the magnificent #chase brody #jackieboy man #antisepticeye #septic eye sam #angst #hurt comfort #whump #answered ask #Anonymous

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disunothegreat · 6 years

Text

A not-really-a-fic part 2

So this is kind of a what happens to McCree after Part 1 and then some-ish

Jesse…

Jesse cried a lot that day and night and is still there hours after Hanzo’s body has been taken away.

Jesse gets told to see a therapist but he ignores it saying that he’s fine. That he just needs some time.

Eventually he goes back to overwatch and tell Winston to put them on the roster.

The gorilla of course denied it. Thinking it was too soon for him to just be flown into missions like that. But the cowboy insisted until Winston caved.

Obviously Winston could see that he wasn’t in his right mind so he say that he’ll put him on the roster. He also warns McCree that the minute he thinks that he could be a liability to the mission that he’s to be taken off immediately. McCree agrees to his condition and goes to the training area.

It was long before he was found drowning himself in alcohol. So maybe sending him on a mission wouldn’t be so bad if it stopped him from drinking so much.

But then… then he notices that Jesse’s not sleeping. Like at all.

Hell he hasn’t even seen them eat like at all since he got back.

Winston even saw the way his teammates tried for him to eat or to take his mind off the liquor but nothing worked. They all could see how he was slowly losing muscle definition. How their eyes were sinking, their cheeks hollowing, their bones becoming visible a mile away. Angela has already found them passed out and had to take them to the medbay and put an IV in them.

It got to a point where the Gorilla had to give him an ultimatum. Either he get better or he’s off the missions completely…

Months pass, Jesse being good enough to eat at least once a day if a bit forcibly. But it was enough for Winston to keep him on the roster.

Besides he was starting to have better days. Genji and he start hanging out more.

It was when he had bad days when they’d worry. On those days he would isolate himself in his room, not coming out once. The only reassurance they had is that it never lasted more than three days.

So when the day came that Jesse hadn’t been seen for more than his normal. Genji began to worry, the ninja started looking for him everywhere just to make sure but found nothing. So he went to the cowboy’s room and knocked.

No answer.

Seconds passed and seeing that Jesse wasn’t going to respond Genji asks Athena if said person was in there at all? She answers an affirmative, she also urged him to get to him quickly as she unlocked the door for the cyborg.

He looks everywhere but it wasn’t until he goes to Jesse’s bedroom bathroom that Genji’s horrified with what he finds. Laying on the ground possibly passed out, Jesse had a whiskey bottle loosely cradled in his mechanical hand while the other… the other was cut open at the wrist. He could see that it was deep enough to be losing blood at a fast. He couldn’t see what he used to cut himself with but but it as a second priority. Genji didn’t think twice and bent down to grab the other man and haul him to his feet so he could get himself as fast as he could. Once outside the the cowboy’s room Genji began to yell for help.

McCree may have lost a lot of weight but he was still bigger than the cyber ninja which made it harder for him to maneuver. Finally he spotted one of his colleges and yelled for their aid. Luckily for Genji it was Reinhardt. The older man jumps onto action carrying Jesse fireman style towards Dr. Zeigler’s office.

Jesse wakes in increments, feeling like the worst hangover he’s felt in ever. ‘Still here huh…’ he think to himself. He goes to rub his head but finds the he can’t. He opened his eyes carefully. Flinching still by the bright lights of the room he was in. He take a deep breath and takes notice of all of his body’s aches and pains.

His wrist was killing him. He tried once more to move either of his arm but it proved useless. Looking down McCree could see that he was restrained to the bed he was laying on.

Panic started to rise on his chest so he quickly looked around to take notice on where he was. It, of course, was the Watchpoint medbay. So that relaxed him somewhat but was still confused on why he was handcuffed to the bed.

It wasn’t long before he got his answer since Dr. Zeigler herself walk in to his room looking at his chart.

“A-Ang?” he called, his voice raspy and dry.

Dr. Ziegler looks up from the chart and hurried towards his bedside. She puts the chart down on the nightstand and puts a cup of water to his dry lips.

Once he was done he tried to speak again but the doctor beat him to it.

“Jesse— are you out of your minzid mind!?” She would have yelled but her years of experience kept her from it.

“Look, Ang—”

“Vhat? Do you not care for us anymore!? Don’t care how we will feel. Do you think you’d be easily forgotten as if you’re a pile of trash!? Is that it!?” It was obvious that she was furious with him. Even as she hides it well Jesse still felt cut with every word she said to him.

“Angela I—” Jesse tried again but she cut him off once more.

“I may not have had a more-than-coworkers relationship with Mr. Shimada but that did not mean that I didn’t mourn for him! We all did. And I get that it was hard for you… believe me I do. It may not have been by the same circumstances but I still lost a dear friend. But mein Gott, killing yourself is not a solution Jesse.”

The silence that was brought after she finished was the loudest he’s ever heard before.

After a few seconds he caves and says “I know Ang. I know, it just… seem like the best thing at the time.” Jesse closes his eyes and sighs. He rests his head deeper on the pillow before adding “logically I know that offing myself ain’t gonna do shit to bring him back. I know that, that ain’t how things work. But then it was all my brain was telling me to do. That it was the best thing to do. I felt numb in that moment, like nothing else mattered…” he pauses. Trying to compose himself. He opens his eyes and stares at her. He notices Genji standing outside of the bedroom. He huffs a small chuckle and says “ain't cho mama ever teach you not to eavesdrop on people? It ain’t nice. Now come in here so yah can hear the rest.”

Genji did, albeit looking somewhat sorry for eavesdropping but Jesse knew he doesn’t regret doing it. Angela stood silent as Genji stood beside her waiting for Jesse to continue.

A few seconds later he did.

“I’m sorry that I put you both in this kind of situation. Believe me it wasn’t my intention to do so. I would take it back if I could.” he apologizes to both.

It took a few seconds but both doctor and cyborg to react but in the end they both did accept his apology.

“That being said, you’ll still be on suicide watch, you will have someone with you at all times. The only exception being the bathroom but even then we’ll be having Athena check your vitals and lastly I’ve already informed Winston about it, so do not fight me on it.” Angela informs him.

Obviously Jesse wasn’t exactly thrilled with these accommodations but he understood the why they needed to do so.

“Alright. One question though… did--did you tell the others too?” Jesse asks, not certeing he was ready to hear the answer.

“Nein, I did not. The only ones that know of what happened are Winston, Genji, Reinhardt and Myself. It is not my place to tell the others. I’ll leave that to you.” she says with a sad smile.

Jesse chuckles and says that he’s fine with that.

Later that day the old crusader dropped by to see of Jesse’s well being. They talked for a while, sometimes reliving old times. When it was time for Reinhardt to go he go up and went to the door but before he could open it Jesse called to him and thanked him.

“Wozu?” the old soldier asked, confusion clear in his voice. Jesse wasn’t great with German but he’d been around the older man enough to recognized some of the phrases he said from time to time.

“Well you know… for carrying me here. Genji told me that you were the one to do so.” he paused for a bit before continuing “I also want to say i’m sorry. I’m sorry that you had to go through that. That I put you in that kind of situation.”

Reinhardt sighed and went back and sat on the bedside chair once more and told Jesse about his experiences with this kind of situation from when he was younger and even today he can sometimes see it. Told not to worry too much but to please never do that again. That he liked the cowboy and it’d be a shame for him to be gone. With that he got up to leave again “I’m one of the oldest ones here. I know this is not a realistic view but the old are not meant to outlive the young don’t you think?” Reinhardt winks and slips out the room leaving Jesse to his thoughts.

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jamest-kirk · 7 years

Note

How about McKirk in the last tv show you watched? With maybe roughly the plot of the last episode you've seen?

Ive been binging Lucifer, so… Lucifer AU:

Jim’s fingers play idly over the piano keys, and he hums quietly and contently along with the music. His club is packed, despite it not being a club night. They come to see him perform, and perhaps these few moments his mind clear from the troubling feeling in his gut that he isn’t supposed to be here. Isn’t allowed to walk among these people. "Excuse me,“ a guy says, interrupting Jim playing, and Jim looks both amused and annoyed at the one bold enough to do so, “I’m looking for the owner of this place.” “Well, handsome, you got ‘em,” Jim replies, fingers still playing some mindless tunes, and he glances the other up and down in a way that’s less than subtle. “I need to ask you a couple questions,” the man says, and Jim huffs. “Take me on a date and you can ask me anything.” “Funny,” the other replies, and then he pulls out a police badge from his jacket. “Oh, a police officer-” “A detective,” the officer, Leonard McCoy according to his badge, tells him, “I want to ask you a couple questions about the shooting that took place outside your club last night.”

In Jim’s office, the sounds coming from either the stage or the DJ booth are drowned out, and Jim turns to Leonard in their privacy. “Anyone ever call you ‘Officer Handsome’? Because they should.” “No,” Leonard replies, “this club is registered under the name ‘Lucifer’. That’s your stage name, right?” “No,” Jim laughs, “that’s my real name. Jim Kirk is my stage name, if you want to call it that. You can call me anything, by the way.” “Okay, Jim,” Leonard starts, “care to explain to me why you were involved in the shooting outside your club, littered with bullets, and yet you stand in front of me with not a scratch on you?” “What can I say,” Jim says, “I’m the devil.” “I’m serious,” Leonard says. “So am I,” Jim replies, “c'mon, detective. I got shot. A girl is dead. Have you found the shooter yet?” “Shooter, so there’s only one?” Leonard asks, “can you describe them to me?” “You haven’t even found them yet?” “That’s why I’m here, Jim,” Leonard says, “I’d much rather be anywhere than a shady club.” “Shady? LUX is a good establishment, thank you very much. And seeing as you’re so incompetent in doing your job, I’m just gonna have to tag along with you.”

Leonard doesn’t allow Jim to tag along, but with a bit of snooping around on his own, Jim actually finds one of the suspects before Leonard does. Before he can get some info out of him, or send him straight to Hell, though, Leonard does enter the scene, and he looks both surprised and pissed off to see Jim there. “Jim? By God-” “No, he’s got nothing to do with it,” Jim promises, “you took too long, so I went on my own. Believe this is the shooter.” “How do you know?” Leonard asks. “Oh, I’m very persuasive,” Jim replies, and then he turns to the suspect, “because you’d shoot an innocent girl, wouldn’t you?” “Yes,” the man replies. “Why?” Jim presses, and the suspect gives him everything. Talked into it by an ambitious and jealous girlfriend, an act of love for a woman he was sure was already cheating on him anyways. Leonard listens, flabbergasted at all the details, and then quickly makes the arrest.

“How did you do that?” Leonard asks Jim later that evening. They’re back in Jim’s club, quietly at the bar, and Leonard’s enjoying a good whiskey. “I’m the Devil,” Jim says, “making people speak up about their desires and misbehaviour is what I do best.” “All this devil crap,” Leonard huffs. “No, I’ll prove it to you,” Jim says, and he sits up straight. He makes Leonard face him, and looks deeply into the other’s eyes. “Tell me, detective, what is it your heart desires most?” “Well,” Leonard sighs, “I guess what I really want is a… a long, warm bath, so I can drown myself and get away from your bullshit.” Jim is visibly taken aback by that at first, and Leonard laughs, sipping his whiskey victoriously. This has always worked, without fail. How come this man is immune to him? Jim glances at him suspiciously, and then smiles. “Fascinating,” he says, and with that, decides he’s gonna stay close to figure this man out.

So Jim joins him; does his own version of crime fighting, showing up and pestering this detective into solving crimes until he’s hired as a Civilian Consultant. He’s not really in it for the fighting of crime, but he’s a punisher, and punishing he does. All behind Leonard’s back, though he’s not exactly subtle about being the Devil. He shows up at Leonard’s crime scenes, somehow stumbles into finding the solutions to these murders before the police does, and he helps Leonard solving them. Purely for selfish reasons, of course. Leonard is good looking, he’s pleasant to be around, and there’s a certain rush he’s not familiar with when he does semi-good deeds. Well, that is, if those good deeds are geared towards Leonard.

“What are you doing here?” Leonard asks when Jim shows up at his house at night. It’s a warm California evening, and Leonard looks so good in a simple t-shirt and comfort shorts. “Detective, I’m here to have sex with you,” Jim explains simply. Leonard laughs, genuinely laughs, and then: “No.” “But Leonard, there’s something about you.. I think we ought to bang it out, and maybe then you stop malfunctioning and start reacting like humans should.” “You wanna know how I resist you?” Leonard asks, leaning casually against the doorpost. “Oh, desperately,” Jim replies. “It’s impossible to fall for your charms when you don’t have any,” Leonard says simply, and then he turns around and closes the door in Jim’s face. “See you at work, Jim!” Jim hears the other call through the wooden door.

But then things go wrong - as they not often do in Jim’s life. He gets what he wants from the people he wants it from, he’s a successful club owner in downtown Los Angeles, he works together with a guy he finds absolutely fascinating. Partially, because around Leonard, he finds out the hard way, Jim can be hurt. Literally, he’s mortal. He bleeds when he gets shot in the leg and is treated in the hospital, but when Leonard leaves him at night to go home to his daughter, the wound is gone.

That’s not all. Someone has targeted Leonard; actively trying to sabotage him and taking his life. Jim has watched Leonard’s car being blown up with the two of them nearby, though non-fatal, Leonard has a few mean burn wounds to show for. And Jim can’t have that. Because for all of him being the Devil, the dark lord, Satan, and whatever else you want to call him, Jim only wants to see the bad people suffer. And Leonard is grumpy, permanently tired, always calling Jim out, and refuses to sleep with him, but Leonard is also just inherently very good, and Jim can’t see him hurt. Even just a few burn wounds. No sir.

So he finds Leonard’s assailant in an abandoned warehouse. And the gun in the man’s hand doesn’t scare him, because when Leonard isn’t around, Jim is his immortal self. “What are you gonna do, shoot me?” Jim asks the bad guy with a smug smile, “you’ll find I’m pretty hard to kill. And I promise you, I’ll drag you down to Hell myself for a torture session that’ll last til the end of next century-” he’s silenced by the gunshot, loud and ringing in his ears. And initially he laughs, because what’s this idiot thinking? But then there’s a deep pain in his abdomen, warm blood seeping out of the wound, and Jim looks down in surprise. “How?” He asks, but he finds that question answered quickly. “Jim!” Leonard calls out, rushing towards Jim as the other steadily gets weak in the knees, “Jesus Christ, what were you thinking?!” Jim glances in Leonard’s direction, smiling lightly as the other holds him tight. The pain is leaving his body along with the blood, and he feels almost pleasantly numb. “I need to punish those who deserve it. If anyone deserves it, it’s whoever dares laying a finger on you,” Jim replies, aware there’s tears in Leonard’s eyes. “Yours a fucking idiot,” Leonard says, and Jim grins weakly. “Yeah,” he says, “you’ve told me that before.”

A bullet narrowly missing the two of them sends Leonard away from Jim’s side. Out to get the killer. Jim promises he can hold out til then, but he knows he’s dying quickly. “God… dad,” he croaks out quietly, “I know I don’t deserve it for abandoning my throne and my duties, but I’m asking you for one favor. One tiny… Tiny thing. Spare Leonard. Let him go home to his daughter tonight. And I’ll do anything.” And like that, he’s dead.

Hell still looks pretty much the same. No big deal. Jim thinks he better go back to take his position on the throne, then. Rule the underworld for another millennia or two before another escape attempt will arise. But when he walks towards his throne, he realizes it’s eerily quiet out here. No screaming, no crying, no souls begging for forgiveness. And what’s worse, he notices, the Gates are wide open. That means a lot of bad souls have touched Earth again. But more importantly, that means Jim, too, can walk back out. He hesitates, for maybe a second or two. Then, he walks out, closing the Gates behind him.

He gasps for air like he’s been holding his breath for minutes, coughing and trying to move, but he’s restrained. In Leonard’s arms. In pure shock, Leonard lets go. “My, detective, I didn’t know you cared so much,” Jim says, sitting up straight now that Leonard released him. He lifts up his shirt curiously, and sees the bullet wound gone. Good. “How?!” Leonard asks. “I’m the devil,” Jim replies casually, “I’ve been telling you that since day one.” “No,” Leonard says, “I saw you die. You were dead. I held your dead body-” “I much rather you held me alive,” Jim says, and he smiles lightly, “did you catch the bad guy, or what?” He opens his mouth to speak more, after all, Jim talks a lot. But instead, Leonard silences him by pressing their lips together. Jim readily accepts this forced silence. “I thought you were dead,” Leonard says again, and Jim feels his hands over his cheeks, his jawline, and down to his neck to feel his pulse. “Well, some of us don’t have time to stay dead forever,” Jim says. His chest feels tight, the look in Leonard’s eyes is something he’s seen in movies, but he’s never been at the receiving end of it. It’s weird. Exhilarating. He wants more of that. But he’s got work to do. “Do you have any plans tonight?” He asks, and Leonard shakes his head. “No. Why, do you want to ‘bang it out’ again?” He asks, and Jim laughs. “No. We’re gonna go monster hunting,” he says, getting up on his feet, and he pulls Leonard up, too. “That still sounds like one of your weird euphemisms for sex,“ Leonard says. Jim smiles fondly, patting Leonard’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry, detective. Plenty of time to do that after.”

#anonymous #mckirk #headcanons #mckirkmodern #modern au #jim kirk #leonard mccoy #bones #wow i wrote something?????#call the press #it's been literally months #and you can tell im rusty #but here you go #also #go watch lucifer

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happy-meo · 7 years

Text

Masquerade 3.2: Arranged

Will love overcome the fate of being arranged? Or will love arrange its own fate?

SPOILER ALERT!! If you haven’t, please read the main stories of this series: MASQUERADE& Masquerade II & Masquerade III !! As well as the connected story: Silver Spoon. (FYI: This also contains important information leading into Masquerade IV.)

Summary: With your upbringings being significantly different, the time has come where it becomes an obstacle in your relationship. Jungkook’s parents are forcing him to participate in arranged meetings to stabilize his future, and the future of their family’s company. Where will your relationship lie at the end of it all?

Jungkook x Reader (ft. Jimin, Hoseok, Jin, Yoongi and their lovely female leads) Cop!Kook/ Police!Kook, Host au Fluff, Rom-Com, Slight smut

A/N: As said above, I’m setting up the stage for incoming Masquerade IV mwehehe, and I figured it was time for a little reunion of my lovely characters ^_^ Enjoy ~

"Ugh." Jungkook grunted as he threw himself on top of you as you lay flat on your stomach on your bed.

"Well hello to you too." You hummed as you continued typing away on your laptop. "Rough night at work?"

Jungkook sighed, "That I can handle."

You nudged him off of you so you could talk face-to-face, putting your laptop away. "Parents again?"

Jungkook frowned, showing you that you had hit the nail on the head.

"What did they say?" You whispered.

Jungkook averted his eyes timidly.

"Hey." You grabbed Jungkook's hand. "You promised to tell me the truth."

"But they're being stupid." Jungkook scrunched his face.

It had been a few months since you and Jungkook became "official". He hadn't exactly told his parents about you, but they seemed to be intensely invested in pairing him off with someone of status and wealth. Long gone were their hopes of Jungkook taking over the family business, but now they seemed to have settled on an alternate plan, which included marrying Jungkook off to a rich heiress. He had attempted to mention many times that he had a girlfriend, but quite aware of their son's very limited ability to interact romantically with females, they just brushed it off as him trying to get out of it.

Obviously, you weren't a rich heiress nor did you have a name for yourself, having just recently been promoted to a full-time employee. So Jungkook always seemed to sugarcoat his stories about his parents around you, conscious of how it would make you feel. But you weren't a fool though. You had read enough books, seen enough movies, experienced enough of society to know that something like this might eventually become an obstacle while dating Jungkook. But you hadn't expected Jungkook to react like this. You had expected the chic, confident man who had defended his passion to be a police officer adamantly.

You smiled as you outstretched your arms, and he fell into your torso with another big sigh. Running your fingers through his chestnut brown hair, you spoke.

"You're torn."

Jungkook remained silent, but you knew that meant you were right. Not that you doubted his feelings for you, but you had come to realize that Jungkook truly cared about his parents' opinions and approval about this matter more so than his career choice. So he was stuck.

And you knew he did nothing because he was praying his parents would eventually stop. But with each passing day, they only became more aggressive about the arranged meetings while Jungkook's excuses became more ridiculous. Soon enough, a war was once again waged between him and his parents, but it left both parties miserable.

"Jungkook..." You felt him melt into you.

"No. Don't give me a lecture." he groaned as he embraced you tighter. "I don't want to make amends or beg for them to stop. That's just childish."

"I was just going to say that maybe...you should give it a try."

You felt him still and look up at you, surprised. "What? You're kidding me."

You chuckled and shifted. "Okay so hear me out first."

He sat up, pouting slightly. "I can't believe you're telling me to date after wanting to keep me all to yourself. Take responsibility woman!"

"You're so cute when you're pouting, my little coconut." You squeezed his cheeks.

"Let me hear your solution, nerd." He flicked your forehead.

"Okay." You grinned and crossed your legs, smacking your knees firmly.

Jungkook chuckled, knowing it was the pose you usually took when your gears were turning. He found it incredibly endearing, but he knew you got annoyed whenever he interrupted, so he simply grabbed your hands attentively.

"So remember how you just messed up all the internships with companies they sent you to?"

He snorted. "Yeah, that was fun."

"Then eventually your parents got tired and gave you an ultimatum. One last company and if it doesn't work out, then they'll accept it, remember?"

"Yeah, of course I remember." Jungkook leaned forward and kissed you lightly.

"Thennn..." you smirked as you tickled his chin playfully. "you met a beautiful, captivating co-intern that changed your life forever ~"

Jungkook scoffed, "I changed my life. She just happened to be there when it was all happening."

You squinted at him, displeased. "Fine. I'll give you the company issue, but I helped with your relationship status."

He laughed and nodded. "I can't argue with that."

"Okay so back to my suggestion --"

Jungkook captured your lips deeply, stopping you mid-sentence. He knew you hated it, but he loved pushing your buttons.

"Jungkook! Let me fini--"

He didn't let you once again, so you stuck your hands under his arms and tickled him. He cackled and wiggled, easily holding your hands down to stop your attack.

"Truce. Truce." he grinned happily.

You smiled playfully.

"So you're telling me to go on all these dates and be a completely horrible, un-charming person until my parents give me an ultimatum?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Well...yes." you shrugged.

"You do know that it took me years and a whole lot of companies to get to that point." He looked at you intently. "I don't want to go through that, and I don't want to put you through that."

Your lips turned up warmly at his genuine affection. "Then how about you give them the ultimatum?"

"What do you mean?" he tilted his head.

"You put your foot forward first. Tell them you refuse to go through with this matchmaking, but if they continue to insist, you're willing to go to one. Just one. Tell your parents to go through their lists and files, do the interviews or whatever rich people do to pick a match. Pick their best candidate to put forth. Someone they're confident will suit you. Make them promise that they'll drop the subject if that doesn't work out."

"Will they even buy that?" Jungkook questioned.

"Look, Kooks." You caressed his cheek. "I know your parents love you so, so much. If they didn't, they wouldn't be forcing this in the first place. They want you to do what you love without having to worry about financial restraints. That's why they want you to marry into more wealth. But of course the last thing they want is to lose you. They'll take the bait."

"How can you be so fearless?" Jungkook chuckled as he covered your hand with his. "I've never met someone who would tell their boyfriends to try to date someone they might have to marry."

You leaned forward to whisper, "Well we all know I'm the only one who can handle your ass."

Jungkook bit his lip and pressed his body forward until he had you on your back. "And we all know I'm the only one who can eat your ass until you're screaming bloody murder."

"Hm?" You smirked, unbuttoning his uniform. "I don't think you've reached that level quite yet, Mr. Jeon."

"Well I've been holding back. Can't have anyone calling the cops." he teased.

"Well the joke would be on them." You grinned as Jungkook pressed his lips hungrily onto yours.

"I'll do it." He breathed. "For us."

You nodded with a gentle smile. "I'll be here waiting."

And so the day came for his firm stand.

"I can't believe you brought in gear from your police department for this." Your voice drawled into his ear.

You knew he was extremely nervous and so in his desperation, he shoved police undercover gear at you, begging you to help him with his confrontation. Obviously, you couldn't abandon him when he asked so earnestly. So here you were, speaking into a microphone while watching from a camera pin he had put on so you could monitor his movements, whilst in your pajamas.

"You know I could get used to this. I could keep a list of all the girls that hit on you during the day."

"Not the time." he hissed.

You remained silent; your attempt at lightening the mood failing.

Jungkook sat with his hands clasped together in deep, serious thought. He was running through the scenario in his mind, garnering his complete concentration to pull this off without a hitch. His parents tiptoed into their dining room cautiously, unsure of what to expect from their son.

"So it seems you've finally come to your senses and agreed?" His mom questioned.

"No." Jungkook opened his eyes to look at them firmly, taking them by surprising.

"No?"

"Just one." Jungkook stood up and dramatically slammed his hand onto the table.

"Okay, take the dramatics down Mister."

His face faltered, and he hurriedly pulled his hand off the table. He cleared his throat to regain his composure.

"I will only agree to one of these arranged meetings. I'm not a kid anymore so I'm not going to waste my time trying to rebel secretly until you give in like last time. I don't like fighting like this so I'm putting my foot down on this situation." He straightened up confidently. "So it's one date. If it doesn't work out, then you need to leave my love life alone. Got it?"

"No don't ask! Answer yourself and walk away."

Jungkook nodded and awkwardly clapped his hands together, "Got it. That's all I wanted to say."

He spun around to walk away nervously, never having stood his ground so boldly and openly in front of his parents. They also seemed to be in a state of shock and awe because he was met with silence and flabbergasted expressions. Before he reached the front door, he heard his mother answer.

"Fine. Just one! But you really need to make an effort! None of your antics!" she yelled out, her voice laced with worry and hesitation.

Jungkook smiled and simply walked out the door. Well, that was easy.

"See? What'd I tell you? I knew they'd agree to it."

He chuckled and looked up to the sky. "Your genius really creeps me out, you know?"

"And that is why you love me."

He nodded, his lips curling up fondly. "True."

"Oh my gosh. I can't believe I'm actually going through with this. Oh my goodness. Why did I listen to you?" Jungkook paced your living room as you tried to finish up some stuff to send to Jimin and Hoseok.

"You listened to me because this is the best solution to stop your moping and your fighting with your parents." You stated, quite over his constant complaints.

It had already been a week and half since his parents agreed to his ultimatum. Jungkook had been fine during that interval, having pushed the issue in the back of his mind. Until he received details of his meeting from his mother, which caused him to breakdown. Every night he would argue with you and himself, trying to plot ways to get out of it, but you would always straighten him back up.

"But a GIRL, Y/N. A GIRL! I HAVE TO MEET A GIRL!" he bellowed incredulously.

You hit send on your file and shut your laptop, raising an eyebrow at him. "And what am I? Not a girl?"

He exhaled, "You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. Mind clarifying what exactly you take me for?" You pursed your lips. "You took me on a couple of perfectly fine dates."

"But that's cause it was a teaching opportunity." He lunged into you, knocking you down onto the couch with his sheer weight on top of you. "Plus you were easy to get along with."

You peered at him. "I recall you running away with 2 large jugs of milk when we ran into each other at the supermarket."

"Okay, maybe not right away." he frowned.

You sighed and cupped his cheek as he hovered over you. "Jungkook, this girl is a person like you and like me. Who knows if she's being forced into this too? Get to know them. You're not actually going on a date...unless your plan is to leave me for some rich heiress."

Jungkook chuckled. "I mean, we'd be set for life if I married rich. Obviously, I'd let her know you were my mistress. We come in a set."

You shook your head and patted his cheek. "There's my little Gold Mask."

He inhaled sharply at the mention. "Oh my gosh! That's it!"

"What?"

"The big corporation party I'm supposed to meet her in is a MASQUERADE PARTY!" he jumped off the couch.

"Yes? You knew that."

"But it's not so scary anymore if I'm behind my Gold Mask." he grinned giddily. "I'll just do it like I used to."

You glared at him briefly then relaxed your features, shrugging. "Do it however you want then."

He pouted, "Yah! How could you be so relaxed?"

You pulled off your glasses and yawned. "Cause of how you were about to pee your pants at the thought of having to meet a girl a few minutes ago."

Jungkook grumbled. "I'll show you. I can seduce this girl."

You rolled your eyes. "Sure, sure."

"I can too!" He huffed and went to grab a jacket.

"Where are you going?" You tilted your head.

"The gym!" He snapped as he made his way out of your apartment.

Your lips curled up as he shut the door behind him angrily. "My boyfriend is so simple."

You knew making it into a competition would make him less nervous. You would rather see him fired up than sluggish any day. And if it was one thing you were good at, it was psychological warfare.

"Now," You stood up and stretched. "I should change out of these sweats and tease him when he gets back as retaliation."

Jungkook froze as he stepped into the apartment and found you lying down on your side, reading on the couch. Usually that would not be such an odd occurrence, but you were currently wearing a satin nightgown that didn't hide any of your assets. He dropped his gym bag and made his way to you, ripping the book out of your grasp.

"Hey! Jung--" Your complaints were cut off by his lips hungrily on yours.

"You're teasing me." he growled.

"Am I?" you smirked. "I didn't think the Golden Host was capable of being so easily seduced."

"You know I love that on you." He bit his lip, and easily lifted you up from the couch, flipping you around so that you were straddling his lap.

"And you know," You rubbed his arms, freshly hardened from his intense workout. You traced the veins down his forearms. "I love when you come from the gym."

He pulled your waist forward so that you two could make out again. You grinded into his hardness, making him moan breathily. Then you quickly retracted and latched yourself off his lap, leaving him stunned.

"What in the world?" he breathed.

You smirked, teasingly.

"Go take a shower. You gave in too easily. What kind of Gold Mask are you?"

He snorted as he rushed towards you, easily throwing you over his shoulder as you squealed.

"I've been going easy on you nowadays, huh?" he smacked your ass. "I'll show you why you couldn't get enough of me before."

You grinned, happy to see him confident once again.

He gently lay you down on the bed and pulled off his t-shirt in one swift motion. Your eyes roamed his chiseled torso, causing you to lick your lips. He noticed your gaze and he smirked.

"That's all it took, huh?"

"I mean I guess you're pleasing to the eye." You shrugged nonchalantly. "But can you deliver?"

Jungkook chucked his sweatpants and boxers to the side, freeing his strained cock.

"I'll show you how I deliver, babygirl." His eyes darkened. "Open those legs for me."

You smiled as you happily accepted him climbing between your legs. He crawled to place a chaste kiss on your lips before anything, and you took the opportunity to hold his face gently.

"There's my man." you whispered.

He grinned as he captured your lips deeply; all the while he pulled off the thin fabric that separated his bare body from yours.

"You won't be whispering much longer, love." he hissed. "I'll have you screaming my name."

"Make me, Jeon Jungkook." You bit his lip then went to press kisses down his neck.

"God, I love you." He chuckled as he dipped two fingers into you immediately, causing you to groan loudly.

"You what?!" Jungkook stared at you in horror a few days later.

"I told you the other day. I can't make it to the corporation Masquerade party 'cause I have plans with my family." You were washing the dishes.

"But ...no! You can't not be there when I have this arranged date!" he bellowed.

"So you could use me as way to get out of it?" You chuckled. "Your parents will be there Jungkook. I hardly think it'd be appropriate to introduce me like that. Plus part of the ultimatum was that you'd look like you actually were trying on this date."

"Can't you hang out with your family another time?" He pouted as he embraced you, nuzzling his head into the crook of your neck. "I need you there. I promise I won't use you. I just want you there to keep me sane. Seeing you from afar would be enough. Plus you know I feel so stuffy with anything company-related."

"I know. I'm sorry." You spun around and dried your hands on his shirt, which caused him to scrunch his face. But he didn't let go of you. You patted his chest warmly and gazed at him intently. "But Kooks, you're a big boy. Show your parents you can handle this situation properly and maturely. Then they'll stop treating you like a child who needs them to keep looking out for your future."

He exhaled and rested his chin on top of your head. "I hate that you're always right."

You grinned and embraced him tightly. "I know you can do it."

"I can't believe you'd abandon your boyfriend in his time of need." He playfully made sobbing noises.

You smacked his butt, laughing. "You're such a big baby. I can't with you."

He chuckled and tightened his arms around you. "It's for us, isn't it?"

"Hm?"

"I have to get them off my back so I can finally introduce them to you, and they'll take me... and us seriously." he hummed. "That no matter your background, I'm going to choose you so they have to deal with it."

You smiled.

"You'll pick out my suit for me at least, right?" Jungkook separated your bodies slightly so he could take a good look at your face.

"Of course." you brushed his shoulders. "I have to make sure you give Park Jimin a run for his money."

Jungkook grinned widely.

"Okay, Jungkook. You can do this." He hummed as he looked at himself in front of the mirror.

On your suggestion, he had pulled his bangs up with some gel, exposing his forehead and his sharp eyebrows. Then with renewed confidence, he once again placed his Gold Mask over his eyes.

"It's been awhile, Nochu." He grinned at his reflection. "And hopefully the last time we meet again."

With that, he stepped out of the bathroom and into the lobby of the Grand Hotel the corporation ball was being held in.

"Ohohoho. I'd know that mask anywhere." Jimin cackled as he threw an arm around Jungkook.

"I see you still kept your ancient relic." Jungkook teased as he tapped on Jimin's infamous red mask.

"It is not ancient!" Jimin gasped, offended.

"There, there. Don't start a war with the muscular child." Receptionist handed Jimin a drink.

"A red mask too. Nice." Jungkook grabbed his own drink from a passing waiter and toasted glasses with the Receptionist.

"If there was a female Masquerade Club, she'd definitely be my equivalent." Jimin whispered proudly.

"Wouldn't doubt it." Jungkook chuckled. "She surely has a lot of male customers at Burlesque."

"Jungkook! Long time no see!" Hoseok beamed as he and Silver walked to them hand-in-hand.

"Oh my gosh. Nostalgia." Silver sighed as she looked at Black Mask and Red Mask endearingly.

"Remembering all the good times we had, hm?" Jimin wiggled his eyebrows.

Hoseok clicked his tongue and glared at his best friend.

"Well, well, well....look who decided to show up." Jimin beamed suddenly and shoved his drink to his confused girlfriend before sprinting towards the person currently entering the lobby area.

The others watched as he lunged onto the unsuspecting person with obnoxious blonde hair and a mint green and silver mask.

"MINNNN YOONGGIII!" he bellowed excitedly.

"Oh my gosh, Park Jimin. Get off of me." Yoongi huffed, embarrassed.

"Where is she? Where is she? Where is she?" Jimin bounced excitedly.

"Jimin!" A female wearing a matching mask called out soon after.

"My Farm Girl!" Jimin raced to her and spun her around enthusiastically. "It's been ages."

"I know. I'm so proud of you for staying in a relationship this long." She squeezed his hand, dramatically clutching her chest.

"But I mean look at you, all engaged and stuff." Jimin teased as Farm Girl showed off her ring.

Yoongi smiled subtly, trying not to show how happy he was she was flaunting her engagement ring.

"Well you know, he practically threw it at me and ran out of the bedroom." She teased.

"Hey! That's not how it happened!" Yoongi bellowed.

"You have to say hi to the others. They're all over there." Jimin gestured for the others to come join him, and they all exchanged greetings.

"My little Kookie ~ look how you've grown up." Farm Girl smiled fondly as she patted his cheek. "It seemed like yesterday you were giving me a headache at my company."

Jungkook giggled. "And that's why you and Yoongi-hyung sent me to Seoul."

"We figured you'd do well under another headache of ours." She winked as she glanced at Jimin.

"Well, I'm proud of you two for actually coming out and showing yourselves." Jimin grinned.

"Well, we had ulterior motives." Farm Girl confessed.

Yoongi grumbled under his breath.

"Oh holy hell." Jungkook groaned as he noticed the appearance of a very familiar tall, lean man wearing a purple mask donned with musical notes.

"Hey there fellow Chairman candidates." Namjoon walked over and ruffled Farm Girl's hair fondly. Then he and Yoongi proceeded to stare at each other intensely for a few seconds. Afterwards, he finally noticed Jungkook beside him. "Jungkook. Fancy seeing you here."

"I am still one of the company's biggest investors." Jungkook crossed his arms defensively. "And my family still is a large part of the corporation. So why wouldn't I be here?"

"Whoa, put the claws away boys." Receptionist stepped in. "We can head into the Main Banquet Hall now."

"Wanna escort me too?" Farm Girl smiled as she offered her other arm to Jungkook.

Yoongi chuckled and nodded as Jungkook glanced at him for permission.

"Wow, look at all my arm candies." she giggled.

"How about I take one for my own?" Namjoon swooped in and threw an arm around Yoongi. "Can't go in solo."

"No! Don't touch me!" Yoongi snapped and flailed his arms, but Namjoon was already dragging him chummily ahead.

Jungkook and Farm Girl laughed at the humorous situation of Yoongi one-sidedly bickering with Namjoon, who easily towered over him.

"Who came up with your mask designs?" Jungkook questioned. "It's a very unique color."

Farm Girl chuckled. "Yoongi wanted to re-dye his hair mint again, but I was against it. Especially since the Chairman, all the sponsors, investors, and the big shots will be here tonight. So I appeased him by saying we could wear mint masks instead."

"It looks nice. It's different." Jungkook complimented.

"Thanks." She patted his arm. "You've definitely grown up."

"I'm trying." His lips curled up.

"For yourself? Or for someone else?" she eyed him curiously.

"A little of both." he blushed.

"Ohh ~" she nudged him.

"Well, you should probably get back to Yoongi." Jungkook pointed as the man was squaring up in front of Namjoon.

"Oh lord. Leo!" Farm Girl called out.

Jungkook flinched as a stoic faced man appeared beside Farm Girl in a flash. "Yes?"

"What in the world?" he gasped.

"Take care of that will you?" She sighed.

Leo nodded curtly before striding towards Yoongi and pulling him away from the self-created fray.

She rubbed her temples. "Anyway, I'll see you around. Enjoy yourself, okay?"

Jungkook smiled and waved as she hurried off to scold her fiancée. The music began amidst the chatter. As always with these gatherings, food was scarce and it was all about communicating and networking. Luckily, he had stuffed himself with a hefty meal to make sure he was able to make it through most of the night. A few people made their way towards the dance floor with their partners though, and began gently dancing to the slow classical music. He glanced around, wondering which of these disguised faces was the woman his parents chose for him.

As if on cue, someone tugged at his suit.

"Um...uh Mr. Jeon?"

He blinked at the familiar voice. "Yes?"

"It's me." She pulled down her mask shyly.

"Miss Puppy!" Jungkook called out.

She blushed and nodded. "I'm happy you remember me."

"Of course. My friend, Tae, mentions you here and there." Jungkook smiled.

"Oh does he?" her lips curled up.

Then Jungkook froze. "Wait. Did my parents talk to you?"

"Oh." She looked around. "Yeah, they did."

"Oh."

Well, this wasn't bad. It'd be easy to explain why things wouldn't work out for them. He kind of knew her already, so things might not be so awkward. He could make a convincing attempt to try to enjoy their time together this evening so his parents could see.

"Um..." Jungkook scratched his head. "Would you like to dance then?"

She was visibly flustered and stammered. "M-m-me? D-d-dance? Oh no...I'm not very--"

Jungkook smiled warmly, slightly reminded of his old self, and grabbed her hand. "I'll lead. Don't worry."

He could feel her shaking a little out of nervousness, but after a few seconds of swaying, she felt more at ease.

"Do you come to these often?"

"Not so much. I get a little nervous and shy. But I've been trying to get out there."

"Same here." Jungkook separated slightly so he could take a good look at her then gasped slightly.

"What? Mr. Jeon? Is there something on my face?" she flustered.

He shook his head frantically then pulled her into his chest, in panic. He knew that mask. He had seen this exact mask at the Club. His eyes closed, trying to recollect when and with whom. Then all of a sudden, he felt something hit the back of his head.

"Hm?" He glanced down and found a small piece of bread on the ground.

He followed the line of vision, just in time to catch a glimpse of pink tiptoe-ing away.

And that's when it hit him.

Immediately, he let go and stepped back.

Miss Puppy was Jin's longest running customer. The one who had always come in crying and upset about her latest terrible date and/or break-up. The one he had a soft spot for.

"Mr. Jeon?" She looked at him, puzzled.

"Oh my gosh." He hurriedly covered his face, afraid she would recognize his mask. "I-I'm so sorry. I don't think this'll work out."

"Wait, what? We were just dancing?" she blinked.

"I- uh- I know my parents arranged you to meet with me, but um yeah, I --" Jungkook bowed. "I have to check something real quick."

"What? Your parents?" she tilted her head. "They never arranged for us to meet. All they said was hi to me earlier...." She responded meekly as he sprinted off behind the column.

"You!" Jungkook pounced.

"Ahhhh!" The man hiding behind the pillar spazzed out and screamed loudly.

"It IS you! Hyung!" Jungkook beamed at the familiar figure in front of him. "What're you doing here?"

"I don't know who you're talking about." Jin averted his eyes and attempted to walk away.

"Oh please. You threw a piece of bread at me." Jungkook snorted.

"I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"I'm not doing this right now, Jeon Jungkook!"

"Ha! It IS you, Jin!"

"Shhh!" Jin covered his mouth. "I'm working right now."

"A hotel waiter. Hott." Jungkook smirked. "You didn't use your Club mask."

"Well, this is my other place of work." Jin looked around. "We had to wear the standard white masks."

"But you still added a hint of pink on yours." Jungkook tapped on the small pink sticker on the side of his mask.

Jin frowned.

"You know your client is here." He smirked.

"I do. I don't appreciate you googly eye-ing her when you have a girlfriend." Jin hissed.

"Somebody's jealous." Jungkook teased and started poking his hyung.

"No! Stop! I'm ticklish, remember?" Jin began wiggling his body and fighting back laughter. He strongly grabbed onto Jungkook's hands, trying to stop him.

"Jungkook?"

Jin and Jungkook froze.

"Hi, mom." Jungkook grinned weakly as he slowly let go of Jin's hands.

His mom eyed the two of them worriedly. Jin coughed and bowed, making his escape swiftly.

"I didn't know you were close to the waiting staff." she blinked.

"Oh. He's an old friend is all." Jungkook waved it off. "I met your arranged date, but I don't think it's going to work out. We danced already and--"

"What? But she's not even here yet." His mom cut him off.

"Wait. What? She's not?" Jungkook looked at her in shock.

"Yeah, she should be coming soon. She just called to say she was pulling in at the valet. So come." She grabbed her son's hands warmly. "I think you'll really like this girl, Jungkook. I really want you to try to get to know her."

Jungkook sighed sullenly.

"She is absolutely astounding. She got recommendations and high regards from FIVE of the CEOs. They're all heads of the biggest branches too. 3 of them are the Chairman candidates and..."

Jungkook tuned his mother out, mentally preparing himself for this dreaded meeting. He preoccupied himself with the thought of coming home to you after all this was done. Throwing on his favorite warm hoodie and playing video games with you as you sat in his embrace. His lips curled up.

"Jungkook." His mother sternly called, probably long since aware he was not paying attention to what she was saying.

"Yes!" he straightened up obediently.

"Oh for goodness sake. I was telling you a little about her to give you the upper hand, but you weren't paying attention." She frowned as she fixed his suit up. "Now she's going to come in soon. Your dad is escorting her. Please stay still and be nice."

"I'm always nice." he grinned.

His mother gave him a knowing look. "Now I know it'd be awkward if we introduced you two so we asked two other people to do the introductions so it's more natural."

"Who?" Jungkook raised an eyebrow.

"Sadly, us." Yoongi appeared with Farm Girl beside him.

Jungkook spotted the tall, lanky man that had pulled Yoongi away earlier, nodding his head to the beat of the music behind them. His face still not changing expression, but for some reason he seemed very into the song.

"CEO Min." Jungkook's mother bowed. "And almost CEO Min."

Farm Girl smiled warmly as she returned the gesture. "Mrs. Jeon."

"Please take care of my son." She smiled before scurrying away.

"What's the meaning of this?" Jungkook furrowed his brow.

"Shh..." Farm Girl put her index finger over his mouth. "Jungkook, let me introduce to you, your arranged date."

"I don't--"

"Just shut up and turn around!" Yoongi spun Jungkook around swiftly, in time for the banquet halls to open up.

The creak was so loud that other guests stopped what they were doing to see who was entering the party so late.

Jungkook's eyes widened, and he felt his entire body freeze on the spot.

The woman entered gracefully, wearing a beautiful, black off-shoulder floor-length silk dress and a familiar mask with wings. Stunned, his feet moved him forward unknowingly, praying he wasn't hallucinating.

His father bowed beside you and knowingly disappeared. Your lips curled up at the sheer shock painted on your boyfriend's face at your entrance.

Farm Girl patted Jungkook's shoulder triumphantly. "Jeon Jungkook meet my sister... Y/N." Then she leaned over to whisper. "Though you two seem to already be quite acquainted."

"You've got to be shitting me." Jungkook cursed.

"Jeon Jungkook, your language!" His mother scolded from afar.

You grinned as you outstretched your hand, "Y/N."

"Jungkook." He pressed your hand, still not quite believing he was seeing you in front of him. "But how--?"

"Well, you should ask me to dance first, don't you think?" she smirked.

"Ohh ~" Jimin obnoxiously reacted, earning looks from people around him. "What? I'm trying to make it interesting."

"Well then Y/N." Jungkook bowed and offered his hand. "Would you care to dance?"

"I'd be honored." You curtsied and soon found his arm wrapped around your waist, where it belonged. He pulled you close to his body and clasped your hands together. "A little close for our first encounter. Don't you think, Mr. Jeon?"

"I can't believe you." he breathed.

"Well I did tell you I had plans with my family." You cheekily grinned, then glanced over at Yoongi and Farm Girl. "Thanks Sis. Thanks Bro-in-Law."

"I swear Jungkook. If you hurt her, I'll...I'll..." Yoongi fumbled for a threat.

Jungkook waited patiently, quite amused.

"I'll take away your investments! All of them!" he bellowed.

"Alright, you've said your threat, honey." Farm Girl patted Yoongi's chest. "I'm sure Jungkook felt your intimidation."

Farm Girl glanced at Jungkook pleadingly, and Jungkook firmly nodded. "Yes, I take my investments seriously, Mr. Min."

Yoongi peered at the two of you. "I know you two are shitting me. Don't pull that crap."

Jungkook and Farm Girl giggled.

"Let's leave them. Come on." Farm Girl tugged at Yoongi's hand gently. "Your past rugged ways were already a bad influence on the child. Now your cursing has infected him."

"I'm pretty sure that's Jimin's influence." Yoongi mumbled.

Jungkook smiled fondly at you once they disappeared.

"What?" You chuckled.

"Why didn't you ever tell me you were related to them? I didn't think we kept secrets from each other."

"Well," you hummed. "At first, it was kept secret because I didn't want people feeling like they needed to give me special treatment at the office. I'm sure you could relate."

Jungkook nodded.

"Then it just never came up." You shrugged. "To me, they're just my older sister and my clumsy, weak but over-protective, adorable brother-in-law."

"Did you have this planned from the beginning?" Jungkook pulled you closer so his cheek was leaning against your temple, no longer caring that his parents were watching the two of you in awe.

"No." You admitted. "But then I guess the thought of you running off with a rich heiress started bothering me. Then I started wondering...what if your parents would compare me to whoever they chose? Will I ever be truly accepted? So, I decided to just go all in and beat the competition so I wouldn't be compared to anyone."

Jungkook laughed.

"I needed to grow up a little." You smiled. "I didn't want you to fight for us alone."

"I love you." Jungkook whispered as he pressed your foreheads together.

"I love you too."

Jungkook twirled you around and kissed your forehead, "You and your beautiful brain."

"Guess you're still stuck with me, huh?" You grinned cheekily as you tilted your head up.

Jungkook leaned down, moving his lips closer to yours.

"Yah, yah, yah. Too close!" Yoongi bellowed.

"Shut up Yoongi!" Your sister smacked him.

Leo, on the other hand, was watching in anticipation, giving you an encouraging nod supportively.

"Oh maybe we should properly introduce me to your parents first." You shied away.

"Oh, who cares?" Jungkook grinned as he tugged you forward to close the gap and kissed you square in the mouth.

"WOOOOO!" Jimin's obnoxious yelling was heard above the others, causing you two to break the kiss and laugh.

Jungkook glanced over, not surprised to find the flabbergasted expressions of his parents at the sudden turn of events.

"Guess they weren't expecting things to go this well." You grinned.

"No, definitely not." he chuckled.

"So...Red Mask was Jimin, huh? And Black Mask was Hoseok?" You questioned.

Jungkook choked on his own spit at your sudden revelation. "What?"

"Well I was waiting for your dad to come get me when Jimin ran across the lobby yelling 'RED MASK IS BACK BITCHES!' before Receptionist smacked him upside the head and dragged him back inside." You giggled. "Then it all kind of just fell into place."

"Yeah..." Jungkook blushed then he gawked at her, having his own realization. "So wait...you're Tae's cousin..."

"Yes?"

"And Farm Girl's sister."

"Um yes..."

"And I know someone who told me HIS sister was Min Yoongi's fiancee...and if you are her sister then that makes him your BROTHER and --"

"Oh, you know Jin?" You perked up.

Jungkook started coughing violently.

You worriedly patted his back. "Are you okay?"

"Does your erm...your brother know about us? About me? Specifically?" He worried.

"Yeah, why?"

"Uhh...hmmm..." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well I guess it's a funny story."

"I know he works in this hotel during weekends." You smiled, looking around briefly. "He's working today actually."

Jungkook laughed half-heartedly as he was horrified at the thought that his fellow mask knew this whole time he was having sex with his sister. He recalled the few months when Jin had challenged him consistently and randomly hit him or gave him the cold shoulder. He had thought it was just the elder's way to play around with him.

He groaned. "It all makes sense now."

"What does?" You blinked.

"I am so sorry, Jin." he exhaled. "Can we treat your brother out one of these days? Something expensive?"

You chuckled. "Jin loves to eat so I'm sure he'll have a few restaurants in mind."

"Most expensive Korean BBQ place in Seoul, and Leo's coming too."

The two of you jumped as Leo appeared out of nowhere and put forth the suggestion.

"Said Jin." he finished.

"Who IS this guy?" Jungkook blinked.

"Oh, he's Yoongi's bodyguard, but he's become the family's dearest friend too." You smiled at the lengthy man warmly.

Leo's lips curled up, pleased.

"Was he listening in?" Jungkook continued to study Leo skeptically.

"I think Jin asked him to." You chuckled.

"What shall I reply with?" Leo questioned.

Jungkook glanced at you and you nodded encouragingly.

"It's a deal." Jungkook responded.

"Master Jin says if you agreed that I should give you a warm embrace and a hit to your head." Leo outstretched his arms and marched robotically towards Jungkook.

"What?" Jungkook stumbled back. "I don't even know you!"

"I must give you a warm embrace." Leo drawled and continued to follow Jungkook as he tried to escape frantically.

"I'd just give in! He takes his job seriously!" You called out happily.

"What a wimp." Jin appeared beside you, snorting.

You grabbed a drink from the tray he was holding. "Says the one who used Leo to do his dirty deed?"

"You know as well as I do that Jungkook is too strong." Jin frowned. "I just evened the playing field."

"So you in Club Masquerade, hm?" You smirked.

Jin looked around, his eyes threatening to pop out of its sockets. "What?! Who? Me? Noooo!"

You glanced at him amused. "My dear brother. You forget that I'm the genius in our family."

Jin averted his eyes, hoping that would make him less guilty.

"Jungkook said he knew you from somewhere, and seeing as I, his girlfriend know usually where he frequents his time, and I, your little sister, know that you aren't a police officer or someone who worked at our company, narrowed it down to you working at Club Masquerade." You snatched another drink and handed it to Jin, who chugged it blankly. "And your reaction confirmed it."

Jin turned red.

"I won't tell if you don't." You whispered.

Jin sighed and held out his pinky. "If I go down, I'm taking you with me."

"Of course." You smirked and locked your pinkies together to seal the pact. "But wow, I'm so proud of you. I thought you were wasting your age and beauty, but here you are getting a lot more action than I thought."

"Ahhh!" Jin covered his ears and walked away, yelling intermittently to drown out any further comments from you, which earned him odd looks from the people he passed.

"Who in the world is that?" Farm Girl turned to look at the origin of the yelling. "Sounds a little like Jin, don't you think?"

Yoongi glanced over and realized that it was in fact, Jin. He hurriedly started dancing wildly to distract his fiancée.

"Woo! This is my jam!" He bellowed, prancing around and wiggling his torso.

"Yoongi... it's a waltz song." She looked at him, amused.

He coughed. "Well, who says we can't party to a waltz?"

"Maybe you should lay off on the drinks." She worried.

Yoongi exhaled as Jin successfully disappeared.

"Parties are so exhausting." he slumped.

"You were just literally wildin' out a few seconds ago." She shook her head.

"Who came up with this mask idea anyway?" Yoongi tapped on his. "It's a bit stuffy, like someone I know."

Coincidentally, Namjoon bumped into Yoongi after his comment, knocking the latter over easily. Luckily, Farm Girl caught him with a chuckle.

"Oh sorry." Namjoon fixed his suit with a smirk.

"You did that on purpose." Yoongi hissed.

"If you weren't so short, I would've gotten out of the way." Namjoon retaliated.

"Whoa there." You interjected. "Play nice, my elders."

Jungkook snorted as you two finally joined the crowd.

"Hi Y/N." Namjoon smiled warmly.

"Hi Joon." You returned his greeting.

"Hi Jungkook!" Jungkook intervened and high-fived himself.

"How did you end up passing the interview, Y/N?" Namjoon leaned around Jungkook to speak to you.

"Ah...that." You grinned.

"The interview? What interview?" Jungkook tilted his head.

"The interview to be your arranged date." You smiled. "I acquired some help from my good friends."

Jungkook then recalled what his mother was saying to him before your entrance. "She got recommendations and high regards from FIVE of the CEO's. They're all heads of the biggest branches too. 3 of them are the Chairman candidates."

"Hoseok, Jimin, Farm Girl, Yoongi..." he counted as he glanced up at Namjoon. "You helped her too?"

Namjoon shrugged. "Why not?"

He squinted skeptically. "Why?"

"I like and respect Y/N. I want her to be happy." Namjoon answered. "And I think you two are good together."

Jungkook peered at him still. "I don't believe you..."

"Jungkook." You chuckled and hit his shoulder.

Namjoon snorted then leaned down to whisper. "But I'm still keeping an eye on you, Nochu."

With that, Namjoon saluted the group and disappeared suavely.

"He's still so cool." You watched dreamily.

Jungkook rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, how did you get my parents to choose you?" He questioned.

"Mmm...I was just my charming self." You grinned and shrugged.

You nervously drummed your fingers on the folder you held with your resume, certificates, and letters of recommendation. You had experienced a few interviews for jobs, but none of that prepared you for an interview in order to be chosen as someone's possible bride-to-be. As nervous as you were because failure here meant they wouldn't accept you as Jungkook's girlfriend in the future, you also knew it could mean easing the burden Jungkook put on himself if you were able to get their approval.

"Ms. Y/N?"

A voice called out, signaling your turn.

"Yes!" You stood up and nervously entered their large office.

The sheer grandeur of the Jeon household was amazing. Being with down-to-earth Jungkook, it never truly struck you that he had come from a rich upbringing. But then again, his company did create a lot of the products you used every day. All you could do was gawk at the large library behind who you assumed to be his parents.

"H-hello." You sat down obediently as you handed them your folder.

"What brings you here today Ms. Y/N? What family are you from?" Jungkook's mother started.

"Um...actually..." you cleared your throat. "My family isn't quite known in the business world. Well, my sister and my brother-in-law are."

"Oh my goodness." Jungkook's mother gasped as she pulled out your recommendation letters. "Do you know all these people well?"

You leaned forward to check that she had the right documents. "Oh yes. I work under CEO Park and CEO Jung. I'm a personal friend of CEO Kim. And my sister and brother-in-law are the two others."

"Chairman Min's grandson is your brother-in-law?" His soft spoken father questioned.

You blushed and nodded. "I know it's not enough to just be bound by titles, but I have similar ambitions of following my sister and my brother-in-law."

They perked up. "You want to become a CEO."

"I hope to be so. I also would like to start my own franchise like the other Chairman candidates as well."

"You came at the top of your class from Seoul University too. Wow." His mother read through your resume. "Well you surely blew everyone out of the water by recommendations alone. It seems you're intelligent and ambitious too."

You bowed gratefully.

"But of course, we're parents first and foremost. On paper, you have wonderful potential and we both think you would be a positive influence and supporter to our son." She glanced at her husband. "But if your family didn't force you here to share in the wealth of our brand name, why would you be interested in our son?"

You smiled, "I actually had the luxury of getting to know Jungkook personally as we were both interns under CEO Park and CEO Jung."

"Oh? And what do you think of our son?"

"He's warm." You glanced at them fondly. "Down-to-Earth. He has a strong sense of justice, and at first, he may seem shy and reserved, nervous even, but when you get to know him, when you truly step back and try to know him, he takes care of people subtly. He's conscious of people's emotions. He's caring. And he always tries his best in something he really wants to do." You chuckled. "He's really funny. He can probably make me laugh even when I'm in the worst of moods. And don't get me started when he gets competitive, he's like a different person."

You realized you were rambling about their son so you averted your eyes, embarrassed.

They were both smiling at you warmly from where they were seated.

You blushed.

"I think we've definitely heard enough." his mother stood up. "Y/N."

"Y-yes...?" You stammered.

She walked over and hugged you, taking you by surprise.

"We'd love to have you date our son." She fixed your hair. "You're beautiful, smart, observant, ambitious, and it seems like you care a lot about him already. We couldn't ask for a better candidate." Then she whispered. "And it'd be great if you could inherit the family name and help raise the company back to independence."

You laughed loudly while Jungkook's father looked puzzled at your secret exchange with his wife. Her eyes twinkled as she studied you warmly.

"Now he might try to run away from you and make excuses, but please stick to him." she pleaded.

"Mrs. Jeon, I'm afraid I'm already quite stuck to him." You grinned.

You smiled as Jungkook held you against while the two of you danced. Resting your head onto his shoulder, you shut your eyes and let yourself relax in his lead.

"Sleepy?" he questioned.

"Why? Will you take me home?" You grinned.

"Don't tempt me." He chuckled.

"I just like being here with you." You hummed.

"Me too." He kissed your temple sweetly. "And Y/N?"

"Hm?" You lifted your head up curiously at his serious tone.

His eyes bore into yours intently, filling you with butterflies all over again. Leaning forward, he captured your lips deeply, leaving you breathless from its passion and intensity.

"I'm glad it was you."

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seven-oomen · 7 years

Text

Jericho: Chapter 2

A/N: I have a feeling you guys might hate me, but this needs to happen. It deviates from the prompt a bit, there is cryosleep. But there are four more chapters to go and a lot can happen in four chapters.

May 30, 2002

Programming not found. Programming not found. Restarting memory system. Memory core restarted. Warning. Data missing. Data missing. Missing command.

Present day

The soft beeping of the heart monitor slowly woke him from his slumber. He sat up slowly, flexing his hand as he looked at the remaining metal stump of his left arm. He faintly registered some doctors slowly approaching him and he froze in a reflex. They weren’t going to hurt him, were they?

“Mister Barnes?” The doctor was dark skinned and his voice had a heavy accent to it, African maybe? Although he wasn’t sure about it. He didn’t really want to ask and be wrong about it either.

“Yes?”

“My name’s Otieno, I’m your physician during your stay in Wakanda. I’ll be monitoring your health from here on. Would you be willing to answer some questions?” The doctor stared intently at him for a few minutes, as if he was observing him. It unnerved him slightly, but the man didn’t seem to be threatening him.

He nodded. “Sure.”

“Alright then. Can you tell me your full name, your date of birth and your current location?”

“James Buchanan Barnes,” He paused on his date of birth, he was fairly sure he remembered it but he couldn’t access it for some reason. “I think it’s March ten, I’m not sure what year.”

“That’s alright, Mister Barnes,” The doctor took some notes, “Can you tell me your current location?”

“Wakanda?” He looked around, “In a hospital?”

The doctor scribbled down some more on his chart. The double doors, which seemed to be the only exit for the ward, opened. “Buck?”

He recognized the blond mop of hair anywhere. “Steve… what happened?”

Steve fidgeted with his own hands, looking down at them for a minute before meeting his gaze. “What do you remember?”

He shrugged, “Not much, I think we were in a fight with someone… your friend. Tony. I think we hurt him and then left him in the cold. Did we? Steve?”

Steve was looking away, off into the distance before he slowly nodded. A heavy weight settled in his stomach.

“We did… but-”

“What?!” He couldn’t believe it, yes something terrible had happened and he lost an arm, but they shouldn’t have- “Is he okay?”

“I- I don’t-”

“You didn’t check?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Of course I did.” Steve sighed. “They wouldn’t tell me anything. War Machine was hospitalized but that’s all Natasha knows.”

“The Black Widow…” He faintly remembered her from somewhere, he just couldn’t recall it. “I think I-”

“If you don’t mind, Captain. I should really go back to examining my patient.” Otieno interrupted him.

“Do you mind if he stays?” Jim looked up at the physician, taking a quick peek at his best friend for support.

“I suppose it can’t hurt. The king has asked me to determine how well you’re handling the old programming.”

He fidgeted, looking up at Steve and then down to his own hands. “I suppose…”

“It’s alright, Buck. It’s just a few questions.”

Otieno shook his head. “Not exactly. I’d like to attach some sensors to your temples in order to assess the level of brain activity that your programming is taking up.”

“I-” He wasn’t sure if that was such a smart idea. What if the Winter Soldier released itself? “I don’t know.”

“It’s not going to hurt or stimulate your brain, Mister Barnes. It’s merely going to read it.”

“Relax, Mister Barnes. I promise you, Otieno is a professional. He knows what he’s doing.” Another dark-skinned man entered the ward, he carried himself with great confidence and poise. A young woman walked next to him, she seemed to resemble the man quite a bit. His sister maybe? She carried herself with a similar look of confidence and poise.

“Your majesty, your royal highness.” Steve and Otieno bowed their heads in acknowledgment of the man and the woman, the king and a princess?

“I’ve promised Shuri I would let her have a look at your patient, Otieno.” The king turned to Steve. “She’s our finest engineer and may be able to help with Mister Barnes’ memory loss.”

“No offense, your majesty. But I’m right here.” King or not, not addressing Jim directly while talking about him was rude in his eyes.

“He’s right brother, where are your manners?” The woman, Shuri, gave him an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry, Otieno will not hurt you and neither will I.”

“Forgive me, Mister Barnes.” The king apologized.

He still wasn’t too sure about this, especially not with all these people around. But Steve smiled at him in encouragement which made him nod in agreement. He could do this.

Otieno walked over to a storage closet on the other side of the ward and fetched a strange looking machine which seemed to consist of a board full of little switches, one of those really flat computer screens and a lot of sensory wires.

He looked down at his own chest where his heart monitor sensors where still attached to his body, along with an IV line which was hooked up to a bag of clear solution. Saline, probably.

Otieno wheeled the machine up to the side of his bed and plugged it into a wall socket nearby. The machine came on with a soft beep. Otieno put a weird looking gel onto the cups of the sensors and gently placed them onto his temples, his forehead and down in his neck. It felt weird like someone put blobs of a liquidly pomade on his head. But it didn’t hurt, so he let it slide. The asset inside of him stirred but didn’t surface. So far, he could handle this.

Otieno’s hand moved towards a switch, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up at the sight. He couldn’t do this, he couldn’t, the pain-

A hand rested itself on his right shoulder, warm, comforting, Steve. He released the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and looked up at his friend with a soft smile, nodding at him in thanks.

A soft click indicated the switch had been flipped and the machine started beeping away. Strangely enough, there was no pain, no strange feelings running through him. Quite anti-climatic if he said so himself.

“Do you see that?” Otieno was staring at the screen in disbelief.

“There are two distinct lines…” Shuri added.

“As if there are two conscious brains inside one. It’s remarkable.” The king, he still hadn’t caught his name, spoke up.

“Put it in a three dimensional reading with peak indicators.” Shuri walked over to Otieno and flipped a few switches on the board.

The screen burst into two diagrams with a magnitude of different colors running through it. It didn’t mean anything to him, but he kinda wanted to know what they meant. It looked interesting, to say the least. Otieno and Shuri seemed to think it was interesting.

“What does that mean?”

Otieno, the king, and Shuri shared a look before focusing their attention back to him.

“It means that there are two subconscious beings in your brain, or that’s what we think.”

“This programming they did, it’s like they created completely new pathways in your brain in order to create a secondary subconscious that can overwrite your own brain waves by electric stimulation. It’s both horrifying and extraordinary.” Shuri had leaned towards the screen, staring at it wide-eyed.

She then leaned back, a hand resting under her chin as she studied the screen. “But not something that cannot be undone. But we’ll have to bring you under for the procedure.”

“You mean freeze him cryogenically.” Steve stiffened.

“It’s to ensure the Winter Soldier doesn’t come out to defend you, Mister Barnes.” The king said.

“If that’s what has to be done, then do it.” He sighed softly, knowing that he could potentially trigger another episode by doing this. But if he ever wanted to have a chance to apologize to Tony Stark, he had to do this. He’d-, no the soldier, the soldier had taken so much from Tony. He owed it to the Alpha to find out why his mate had been targeted.

Otieno slowly took the brain sensors off his body, leaving the heart monitor sensors and IV drip alone for now. Shuri tapped away on a holographic screen in her hands in the meantime, seemingly lost in thought.

“If you would follow me Mister Barnes, the sooner we can start, the sooner we can get this over with,” Otieno led him to a new room and pointed to a bed next to a cryogenic chamber. “Please have a seat.”

Steve walked in after him, his hands in his pockets as he studied the chamber. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“They’re saying they can cure me, Steve. I can finally be free of this nightmare.” He sounded hopeful, even to his own ears. And he had hope, for the first time in many, many years. He had faith that Shuri could cure him.

“If you’re sure.”

“I am. I’m doing this for Tony, I’m doing this for me.” He sighed softly, running his hand through his long, messy locks, “I need to know why all of this happened, I need to know I can make things right.”

Steve slowly nodded in response. His friend was unusually quiet but he seemed accepting of Jim’s choice. He hoped it would stay that way. He needed to do this, for his own sake, for Tony Stark’s sake, and for the sake of his own sanity. The blanks in his mind needed to be filled. He needed to undo the wrongs he created in this world. As much as he could. He hoped Steve would understand that.

Shuri and the king came in after a few minutes, the princess took a seat behind a monitor that seemed to control the cryogenic chamber and tapped away on the controls.

“You don’t have to do this against your will, Mister Barnes.”

He looked up at the king. “I never did catch your name, your majesty.”

“Forgive me,” The other man nodded, “T’Challa.”

“T’Challa. Thank you for your concern. But this is something I have to do. I can’t trust my own mind until this is done. And nobody else should either.” He looked down at his remaining hand and bit his lip. “I need to do this.”

“Then it shall be done.” T’Challa took a step back and nodded at Otieno. “Otieno will remove your IV drip and switch your monitor sensors to more sophisticated ones. We’ll be able to monitor you in the chamber during the procedure.”

He nodded in acknowledgment, looking to Steve for support as Otieno approached him. He felt the fellow Omega stand behind him, a hand on his metal shoulder for support and to distract him from the doctor’s movements.

“So what’s going to happen to me?”

“Once you are in suspended animation we will start running digital construction test of your brain. This will all be done in a digital environment so there will be no damage to your physical brain. The scan we made and the scans we will continue to make will aid us in this process.” Shuri said, looking up from the controls for a minute as she explained the procedure.

“It may take a few weeks but eventually we hope to find out how we can disable the programming HYDRA created for the Winter Soldier, and how we can disable him without corrupting the rest of your memory. We want to keep you intact while taking him out of the equation.”

He nodded solemnly, sighing softly. “Well… whatever you need to do.”

The cryogenic chamber was slowly lowered into a flat position and Bucky willingly laid down on the bedding. T’Challa and Otieno gently strapped him in under the careful supervision of Steve.

The cryogenic chamber was carefully erected once again, the glass casing closed and the temperature inside gradually fell.

“See you soon, Buck.”

“With you till the end of the line,” Jim answered, closing his eyes as the cold settled in around him and his brain activity slowed down.

Two months and three weeks passed in which Shuri ran many, many tests and created an algorithm that Steve couldn’t hope to understand. But that didn’t matter. Shuri had cracked the code, or so she said. According to her, they were going to reboot Bucky’s brain, giving new meaning to the codewords installed. Leaving them there with the memories intact, but making sure that they wouldn’t ever bring out the Winter Soldier again. She integrated both minds into one.

Sam, Wanda, Clint, and Scott had gathered for the big day, the day Bucky would wake from his slumber. Their team was back together. But for how long?

May 30, 2002

He was walking towards a flipped car in the middle of traffic, the hood of the car was completely destroyed and one of the parts was protruding through the cabin itself. He knew why he was there, he had orders. Orders to assassinate.

“Something hit the car, it flipped. There’s something piercing my abdomen, Junior’s not moving. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.”

He stopped at the words coming from the target's mouth, his advanced hearing picking up the conversation easily. A part of his brain screamed at him to stop. But the asset didn’t care. He had orders. Program override.

“I can smell gas, it’s leaking. I’m so scared.” Barnes closed the distance between him and the car, “There’s something or someone moving outside… Tony, if I don’t make it, I love you.”

He looked down at his hands, at the storm lighter located there. One little chuck towards the car and everything would be done. Yet he hesitated for a second. This was wrong…

But he had orders.

He lit the lighter and chucked it towards the vehicle before taking off in the opposite direction.

Several days earlier:

“Do you understand your orders, soldat?”

The asset looked at his handler, his eyes cold and calculating. “Terminate the rogue agent.”

Tag list:

@bvcktn @larissaloki @creationfail @queendophne @cwar1864

#jericho #winteriron #aboverse #omega bucky #omega steve #alpha tony #fetal death #character death #t'challa #shuri #oc #medical talk #marvel fanfiction

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egopocalypse · 7 years

Text

Egotober Day 8: Bad News

Hey guys, Egopocalypse here (finally) with Day 8 of Egotober. I know, I'm ten days behind. It's bad. But I have a really long one-shot to hopefully make up for it, and I've already started the next two- yes, two- days, so those should be finished soon. Day 9 is going to be really short because I had no ideas for it, which is coincidentally what I've said for the past two installments but that backfired, but hopefully, it won't this time. Depending on whether or not I end up thinking of ways to continue it, Day 9 should be coming out tonight, so be on the lookout for that. Anyways, I won't bore you with the introduction for too much longer, so I hope you enjoy it, and I'll see you guys later. Bye!!

~Egopocalypse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Chase Brody??”

The father glanced up to see the nurse who called him, his blotchy face stained with tear tracks. He ran a hand through his messy hair, looking all the worse for wear.

“Yeah,” He answered, sniffling. “That’s me.”

The nurse’s stoic face softened as she gave him a look of pity.

“Come with me.”

She waited for him to gather all his belongings before she turned around and walked out of the waiting room, directing Chase through an endless series of hallways and doors. The man didn’t pay attention to where he was going as his head was filled with worst-case scenarios. He still couldn’t believe this had happened. He should’ve done something, he should’ve paid more attention to his surroundings, it was his fault-

“Mr. Brody??” The nurse called, snapping him out of his thoughts. She looked concerned as if she had tried to get his attention several times before he actually heard her. “We’re here.”

He nodded to show he understood, trying to remain calm. The door itself was plain, only showcasing the room number and the names of the patient and the doctor taking care of them, but Chase couldn’t help the fact that he felt anxious about seeing what was beyond it.

“Visiting hours end at 8. If you need some assistance getting back to the waiting room, just press the call button and I’ll be with you shortly.”

“Thank you.” His voice was tight, and he fought to swallow the thick lump in his throat as his shaky hand gripped the doorknob tight, his knuckles turning white as he tried to summon the courage to open the door. He knew he must look pitiful to the nurse, but he didn’t care.

Finally, he took a deep breath and twisted the knob, opening it in one smooth motion as he shut his eyes, afraid to see what was behind it. He heard the beeping of the heart monitor, steady and strong, and that was enough to get him to slowly open his eyes.

Greyson was laying on the hospital bed, motionless and pale except for the subtle rise and fall of his chest. There was an IV in his upper arm that was hooked up to a saline solution and a blood bag, working to get some color back into his cheeks.

Chase couldn’t bear to look at his neck, knowing the worst of the damage was there. He stood frozen for ages, unwilling to even breathe in his son’s direction in fear that it would cause his condition to worsen. But he couldn’t look away, worried that if he did, Greyson wouldn’t be breathing the next time he saw him.

“Chase??” A familiar voice called out, breaking him from his stupor. He turned to face the newcomer and was surprised to see Dr. Schneeplestein in the room with a clipboard in his hand.

“Hey, Henrik,” He greeted, although he was morose and his voice held no inflection.

The doctor’s eyes held a glint of worry as he glanced at Chase. “How are you feeling, my friend??”

“I’m fine,” Chase dismissed, waving away the question. “How is he??”

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. His lungs were too damaged from the smoke. If he doesn’t get a transplant soon, he vill die.”

“How long does he have??” Chase asked, fearing the worst.

Schneeplestein sighed, not wanting to give this information to his friend.

“How long, Henrik??” Chase demanded, his voice harsh.

“... Three days, at ze most.”

“Three days?! Surely you can find a donor by then, doc!!”

“Zhere iz not enough time. Even if ve found a donor, chances are zhere’s anozer on ze list zat is viable for zat organ. Most people stay on ze list for years, you know.”

“Then let me be his donor. I’ll test for it and everything!! Please, I can’t just sit around and do nothing!!” Chase pleaded, trying to find a viable option to fix this.

“I’m sorry Chase, but nine times out of ten, family members are not compatible donors,” Schneeplestein announced solemnly. “Zhere’s nothing ve can do. Your best bet iz to let him go and say your goodbyes before it iz too late.”

Tears pricked Chase’s eyes as despair threatened to overwhelm him again. He shook his head fervently, refusing to take no for an answer.

“No, I’m not going to take this. I’m going to save my son, you hear me!!” He exclaimed, storming out of the room.

Schneeplestein’s eyes widened in surprise at his friend’s bold declaration, and he chased Chase out to the hallway to try to stop him.

“Chase, don’t make any rash decisions. Please, think about what you’re doing!!”

Chase’s face hardened as he turned to face his friend, prodding him with his finger as he spoke. “I’m going to save my son!! That’s more than you’re doing right now, Henrik!!”

Schneeplestein flinched as Chase’s words cut into him. Chase realized he was being harsh, but he was at the end of his rope. If this didn’t work, he would never forgive himself.

Schneeplestein tried one last time to reach his friend. “Please, Chase. I know vhat you’re going to do, and it’ll only make things worse. Don’t do zis.”

Chase’s face fell, and his words echoed around the hallway as he spoke.

“I have to. He’s all I have left.”

Finally, Henrik sighed, knowing his friend was dead-set on this. “I can only hope you know vhat you are doing.”

“I do too,” Chase smiled weakly. “Goodbye, Henrik.”

“Goodbye, Chase.”

The father took one last glance at his friend before he turned around, knowing he would never see him again.

(More under the cut, this just got too long and there’s a scene break, so I felt like it was a good idea to put it here.)

Chase stepped back as he checked his handiwork, making sure everything was in the right place. It had taken longer than expected, but he finally had everything he needed to summon the demon.

He knew what the cost would be if the demon accepted his offer, and he was okay with it as soon as his son was alive and well when the morning came. He took a deep breath and checked the book once again to make sure the pronunciation was correct before he picked up the knife and cut his palm, squeezing his hand to call forth the blood faster as it dripped into the bowl.

“Et ad congregandum, Eos coram me.” Chase incanted slowly and clearly, the words thick and unfamiliar in his mouth. Without banishing his hand, he grabbed a matchstick and lit it, the matchbox slippery in his bloody grasp.

He stared at the small flame and prayed that this would work, knowing he had no other options if it failed, before he violently threw the match into the bowl, stepping back as the fire grew instantly to devour the herbs inside. He shut his eyes to protect them from the harsh heat, the wave of energy singeing his eyebrows before the flames extinguished themselves as quickly as they spread.

The only sound in the room was Chase’s breath as he panted heavily, straining his ears to pick up any other sounds. When nothing happened, he sighed in despair and slouched his shoulders, his failure draining everything from his body.

“W͜͠e̕͘͜l̨l̛͘,͏ ̴t̡h̡is҉ ̷̛i̛̛s̵ ̨̛i̴n͜͟t̶́é̶r̢ȩ̴s͏́t̶́i̷̵n̛̛g҉̛͡.”

Chase jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice. He spun towards the direction it came from in a flash, only to come face to face with… himself??

Or at least, a version of himself with deep black eyes and a bloody wound stretching across his neck.

“Who-who are you??” He asked, surprised by the newcomer’s appearance. The doppelganger rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“Oh great, another í͜͡m҉̢̀b̧͘ęci҉͠l͞e҉̶̛. And here I thought some would finally do their research before summoning me.” The other scoffed, turning his back to Chase as if to go.

Chase recovered from his shock quickly and reached his hand out to stop the other. “No, wait!! Don’t go!! I did my research, I know what you are!!”

The other stopped and pivoted to face him once again. “Then tell me, w̸̴̶͜͠h͘a̡͟͞͝t̷͜ ̀͘͢a̸̵̕͡͡m̛͝ ̶̨͡I̷̢͟??”

“...You’re a demon.” Chase stated with finality, watching as the other cocked his head.

“Hmm, close enough I suppose. Alright, tell me what you want. I can tell you didn’t summon me just to c̛͏͢h͜͠ą̷̵́͜t̶͟.”

“It’s my son.... He’s dying,” Chase explained, desperation lacing his tone. “I need you to fix him, he doesn’t deserve to die. And I’m prepared to give you anything you want to ensure he lives.”

“A̛͘͠͏͡ņ̕ý҉t̷̨́͡h̢͟i̛͘n̶g̷̡͘͜, you say??” The demon asked, perking up in interest despite himself.

Chase almost second-guessed him he saw the intrigue on the demon’s eerie face, but he realized he was already screwed and nodded his head in response. In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess.

“Yeah,” He choked out, swallowing a lump of fear from his throat. “Anything.”

The demon considered it for a long moment, a grin tugging at his lips as he watched the other man squirm.

“Alright, I a̴̕͝c̀͘͝c̸͡e̢p͘͡t̴͝ your offer.” He finally said, the smirk finally appearing on his face as he observed Chase breathe out a sigh of relief.

“But I have ǫ̴͏n̸̨͜e҉͏ condition.”

“What??” Chase blurted out, absolutely flabbergasted by the demon’s last statement. This wasn’t supposed to happen, the demon was just supposed to grant his wish, seal the deal, and he’d be six feet under in exactly ten years. None of his research had suggested the demon would want to negotiate.

“Do your ears not work or something?? I̷҉.̷̨ H̕a͝v͜e̴̸͟.͏ ̴Ą.̕ ͢͠͠C͞ǫ̶̷n̨d҉̢ì̛t̨i̴ǫ͘n҉.” The demon stated slowly, over-enunciating to mock him. Chase bristled in response.

“I’m not deaf, you asshole!! I just want details.” He exclaimed, his jaw clenched in annoyance.

Suddenly, the demon grabbed him and slammed him against the wall, knocking his head back on the hard surface. Chase opened his mouth to yelp in surprise when the cold steel of a knife immediately pressed against his throat, silencing him.

“L̴̀̕͟͡i̵̷̧̧s̸̛͞t̨͘e̸͏͢ņ̢̕ ̵̧̀t͠o̡҉ ͢͜m̴̨͟e̶͠,” The demon hissed, black eyes filled with fury. “I could’ve killed you the moment I arrived and left your precious son to die alone in a̴̕g̡͝óǹ̶y̧̨̢͞, but I’m here and I’m willing to make a deal. So you’re going to s̴̸̡̕h͏̷͝u̢͜͟͞t̶̕͟ ͘҉͠u̧͞ṕ and let me speak, got it??”

Chase swallowed nervously, feeling the pressure of the blade increase as the demon’s grip refused to budge, cutting a thin slice into his throat. He nodded silently to show his obedience, his eyes blown wide with fear as he realized just how close he came to dying.

The demon released Chase, causing the man to stumble and clutch his neck, massaging it to erase the feeling of the knife pushing against his windpipe and to check for any bleeding.

“A̶̵r͠e y҉ǫ̸͟u ͢͢li͠s͘ten҉i͜͜͡nģ͜ n͜o͘͟w̡??” The demon asked, causing Chase to nod once more, too terrified to speak.

“G̸̕o̴̢o̧͜d͜.҉ Now here’s my offer. I’ll save your son’s life like you wanted, but I want something o͢͏t̵́͜h̵͞é͘͞r̸ than the usual price.”

“What-” Chase paused, coughing violently as the words got caught in his throat. “What do you want??”

The demon smirked, his eyes hiding his wicked intentions. “I want you to agree to be my v҉́͠e͡s̨͠҉sel̵̷.”

Chase spluttered, unable to comprehend what the demon was asking of him. “Excuse me??”

“You heard me. This m̛é͘͝a̶̵t̷̕s̴͠u̵i̵̸͝ţ́,” The demon said with disgust, gesturing to his current body. “Is deteriorating quicker than I expected, and you’re providing me with the perfect opportunity to replace it.”

“B-but I thought demons didn’t need permission to possess people,” Chase stated hoarsely, confusion evident in his voice.

“Normally, you’re right. But my case is… d̢͡i̧f͡f͜e̴͏̶rę̶͘n͢t̡҉.” The demon vaguely stated, skirting around the question. “S͝o̴̡,̴ ̛do ͜y̶͝o͜u̷ a̸c̴̛ce͏̡ṕt̢̢͘??”

The demon held out his hand, inviting Chase to take it. Chase stared at it hesitantly, realizing this was his last chance to back out of the deal. The demon noticed and sighed.

“Ļ̶̶ơ̢o͟҉k̷̴,” He began. “This is the best chance you have of saving your son. Your soul probably won’t even go to Hell!! All you have to do is let me take c̡͟o̕͢n̷̨t̛͝͠͠ŕ̡́͢͡ǫ̛l̸̸͟͏͝.”

Finally, Chase agreed, knowing the demon was right. He silently prayed this would work out as he slowly stretched out his hand, shutting his eyes tight so he wouldn’t back out.

Chase’s eyes immediately shot open as the demon grabbed his hand and jerked him forward, connecting their lips in a rough kiss that demanded him to submit as the demon sunk his teeth into Chase’s bottom lip. His mouth fell open as a shout of surprise left his lips, the sound getting swallowed by the demon as he wasted no time in shoving his tongue into Chase’s mouth, keeping it open as he prepared himself to jump from one vessel to the next.

Chase fought the urge to throw up as smoke billowed into him, burning his esophagus as he was assaulted by the smell of ozone and sulfur as the demon barraged his senses.

Suddenly, Chase felt a sharp yank as he was thrown backward, falling into an inky black void while he was disoriented. He squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared to hit the ground with a splat, but he slowly opened them after a while, wondering why he wasn’t dead already.

Chase noticed he was floating in midair, and that there was no light or anything around him to help him identify his surroundings. In fact, he couldn’t sense anything at all, as if he had suddenly been disconnected from the world around him, and he grew absolutely terrified at the prospect of being cut off from everything for eternity.

“W-what is this??” He asked, his question echoing getting swallowed by the empty space around him.

A low chuckle reverberated around the abyss, sending a shiver down Chase’s spine as he was taken by surprise, his eyes darting around the space to try to identify where it was coming from.

“Don’t you know?? You agreed to this, after all.” The demon stated wickedly. “You’re trapped inside your body. I̸͘’͝m̛̛͢͢͞ ҉̸̕͟͏i͏̶n̴͝ ̷̷̵͜c̨̢̕o͟͝n͏̢̀t̵̶̨̢̧r̶ǫ̶͞͠l̢͘͜ ̵̕͡n̴͘͝o̧͞w̨҉͢.”

“What about my son?? You have to hold up your side of the bargain as well!!” Chase argued, trying to summon what little courage he had left.

“H̸̛̕e’̵̢s͏̵̵ ̸̕f̛i̶̷ņ͘͞e. He’ll wake up in the morning with his lungs completely fixed and no memory of the fire so he won’t have any nightmares either.”

Chase sighed in relief, feeling like a heavy burden had been lifted off his chest. Greyson was safe, and that’s all that mattered to him.

“I wiped all his memories of y̶̧͘͢ó̵̷̕u̸, too.”

“W-what do you mean??” Chase asked, his voice wavering.

“I’ve got a lot of business to take care of, so you’re going to be stuck with me for a long time. I can’t be bothered to take care of some b҉̨͝r̛͞a҉̴̧̨̀t̶̵̕͡s҉̡, so I wiped all your family’s memories of you. It keeps us off the radar for a while and stops me from having to kill your family.”

“We had a deal!!” Chase exclaimed.

“And I held up my end of the bargain, so now we’re playing by m҉y͟҉ ̵̸͘r̡͢u҉̶̵l͏͢e̷s͜.” The demon stated onimously.

A sense of dread invaded Chase as he realized what he’d done. He started to struggle, hoping to regain control of his body. This wasn’t what he wanted, he had to fight, he had to get out-

An invisible force slammed into him, knocking the wind out of him and ending his struggles. The force latched onto him and pulled, threatening to drag him deeper into the abyss.

“You’re w̕e͡a҉k͜.” The demon growled as Chase struggled to escape. “You can’t get rid of me, I am e̢͘҉̕t̀͟͝e̢͞r̢͜͢͠n̴̨̕à̷̸̛l͜͏̕͘!!”

“Oh yeah?? Then who are you??” Chase regretted the words as soon as they left his lips. He could feel himself slipping as he flailed about, trying to find something to grip onto to slow his fall.

The force stilled, allowing Chase to catch his breath for a moment. He wondered if something was wrong when the demon suddenly giggled.

“I̛t҉̷’̶̨͢s̨͘ ͏̧f̶̶ú̶̵n͏n̨̢y͞,” The demon stated, his voice distorted and glitchy. “None of my vessels have ever asked me that before. You’re c̶̡͢eŗ̶t҉a҉͟i̛̛͘n͞ly̶̡ an interesting one, I must say.

“C̵a̕l̨͡l͘͏͝ ̸͟m҉e̸̛ A̸̢n̵̨͢ti̡.”

The force was back now, taking Chase by surprise and shoving him down further into the darkness. He tried to resist, but the force smothered him, choking him as he was pulled into the depths. He felt himself slipping away from consciousness, and Anti’s voice drifted away from him before he finally succumbed to the force.

“Sweet dreams, Chase. You won’t be waking up for a l̸̵͡o͘͟n̢̕͟g̶̀ ́ti̷̶m̀e͜͝.”

Chase stopped struggling as he plunged into the darkness, never to wake up again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys, Egopocalypse here!! I hope you enjoyed that story because I loved writing it, even though the ending gave me a lot of grief. I think the reason I love Anti so much is because he doesn't have one solid canon origin story so I can adapt him however I need to fit the story. At first, I had gone into the summoning scene imagining him as a Crossroads Demon, but then I decided I wanted him to be more complicated than that, so his dialogue and actions reflected that change. Needless to say, he's one of- if not my favorite- character to write, especially for this fandom. Anyways, that's my little spiel, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you guys later. Bye!!

~Egopocalypse

#egotober #jacksepticeye #antisepticeye #dr. schneeplestein #chase brody

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theroseofthorns · 7 years

Text

Rose Hips | A TAMB/MTnY fic for Tumblr

Part IV of IV: She Flies Ever Homeward

(Part I, Part II, Part III)

We arrive home on a drizzly Monday, stepping from Alice's side into the rain. Chise offers her a cuppa, but Elias is already in the doorway and Alice declines. She's carving her alchemists' sigils into the ground on which she stands, crystal gifts from Chise serving as fuel in her palm, by the time Chise has made it three steps. She's well and gone by the time Elias reaches us, sweeping into the mist to draw his robe around Chise’s shoulders, and her body into the shelter of his.

I run on ahead. Silky will want to bathe the smell of sea salt off me as it is, but should I come in with the added “reek” of wet fur, she'll have it in her head she needs to blow dry me immediately. Infernal invention. I shake off what I can in the open doorway before making a dive for the fireplace rug.

Chise and Elias drift into the doorway soon after.

They pause in it, Chise halting to wrestle off her shoes with Elias’ arm still about her shoulders, as if the rain might reach out and drag her back into its reach at any moment. With the grey world behind them, midmorning sun diluted to a light without brightness, the door frame rising up around them in dark silhouette, they look posed for a photograph.

Chise, released from her shoes, looks up at him from beneath the shelter if his arm and robe with the glimmer if the rain reflected in the green of her eyes--bright against the backdrop of him and the grey world beyond. Her hair is barely damp, droplets running from the crown of her head like a bleeding halo. Elias is eerily dry, being of shadow that he is, as much corporeal as not.

They look at each other for a long moment. Chise speaks first.

“How are you?”

“Better, now that you're back. I worried.”

“I did, too . . . I don’t like making you lonely. Did anything interesting at least happen when I was gone?”

Elias looks up for a moment as if genuinely trying to recall something he may have forgotten before uneventfully declaring that he'd decided the borage was read to cut. Chise smiles.

“We'll have to get some flowers for Silky while we're working, she can put them in the ice cubes again.”

“She does love such decorative detail.”

A beat of silence ensues. The rain outside is loud compared to them. It's a chilly rain, the late summer sort come early and the salamander looks like a cat got into the cream, curled in the fireplace, puffed up with his own usefulness. I've half a mind to chase him around a bit.

“Did you enjoy your trip?” Elias finally asks. I prick an ear, searching for any indication of whether he cares about the answer, or is asking to be polite.

“It was great,” Chise says, “it was so relaxing, it was almost boring, when we weren't in the water.”

“I’d have thought the water would get repetitive.”

“That’s the first time I've been to the ocean.”

A fact which showed when the first moderate swell knocked her clean over while Alice snorted her oft-tempered laugh.

“I'm glad you liked it. Perhaps we can go back, sometime.”

Maybe for the honeymoon.

Chise flushes.

Shut up, Ruth!

“That would be nice,” the chagrin she shows me in her mind carefully contained and thus undetectable in her words. “We found a restaurant I think you'd like. . . Oh, by the way, I brought you something.”

Elias cocks his head.

“A souvenir?”

“. . . I suppose you could call it that, if you want to. Here, just give me a moment. . .”

She turns to the slightly dampened suitcase she's dragged in, only half on its wheels as it tumbled along the path, and wrestles for a moment with the outermost zipper before withdrawing the little gift she’d found him the third day. When she'd insisted on walking the cold dawn beach alone. She's wrapped it in, of all things, her swim cover up.

“Here,” she says, attempting to pass it into Elias’ gloved palm. He falters before taking it and after a moment’s pause, shrugs off his robe to pass over her shoulders while he inspects her gift, requiring both hands to unwrap it.

He must have jumped up quickly when we arrived, or slept late again: He's once more in his shirtsleeves, dressed beyond that only in the tie she once gifted him, and his vest.

He accepts her gift with his now free hands, and studies it for a moment before slowly picking the fabric free from its surface. Once revealed, he holds it up, high over her head, to view it in the muted sunlight. Chise hugs his robe closer around her shoulders, though I know she isn't cold.

“This is impressive,” Elias says of the gift, “it's rare to see a stone so glassy on these shores. It looks volcanic excepting the color. Where did you find it?”

He lowers the stone, dished as though the sea had chosen to fashion them a little bowl, a green so dark as to rival pine, between them again.

“I was wading out by the end if the beach. I saw it up on the sand still holding some water, and it made me think that, even though it's small, it could be used for scrying. . . So Ruth helped me link it to this.”

She touches the pendent hanging from her own neck.

“I'd appreciate privacy, of course, but . . . Well, I thought, when we're apart, you could use it to see where I am, if you're ever worried.”

“Chise . . . That is . . . “

He pauses, instead of finding words, speaking in the sudden gesture of pulling the hand not cradling the stone to his body and pressing a flat palm and clutching, digging fingers over his breastbone while his jaw hangs open, wordless. Stricken by more emotion that he knows what to do with.

“Elias?”

“I,” he struggles to articulate, “feel like something is clenching up my chest. My heart . . . It hurts.”

Chise reaches up and takes his hand, curling her fingers around the edge of his palm, at the base of his little finger, so that he's clutching her fingers to his chest as much as his own hand. He stares at her, still speechless, holding her hand to his heart.

“It's an excellent gift,” he manages to say, and Chise leans in to throw her free arm around his waist. It's a firm embrace, her cheek against his vest—a smooth texture, and cool, his hand rather warmer—and one he does not return so much as collapse into. Elias put his arm around her middle back, clutching the stone in his hand, and falls across her shoulder like a liquid, muzzle tucked into her hair, torso curled around her so that he's stooped almost low enough to lean on her shoulder.

I can feel the swelling in Chise’s chest as they hold each other, and I elect to look away until Elias straightens up again. Chise doesn’t let go of his hand.

A year has brought so few real solutions, however many false starts. So often, it seems comforting each other is still the best they can do, and I know she doubts as well as I do how effective that comfort can be, given what they face.

. . . Perhaps I do understand Silky’s rush to fast their hands: Elias is only just beginning to fathom his own emotions, and barely so, but grief, surely, he will come to know all too well someday, however distant or near that day may be. Perhaps she’s seeking to maximize what time they have, that the agony of bereavement might be worthwhile.

Elias breaks their eye contact to glance through the open door.

“Let's get you away from the cold,” he says, and ushers her further into the room with an arm around her shoulders, her gift still clasped in his hand.

Someday, you stubborn fools, you will realize how much you love each other.

***

“Tell me about your trip,” Elias says, as Chise drops in a heap onto the couch beside him. The silver one bustles over to place a cup of tea in front of her on the table, they exchange smiles before she retreats again, returning to her sorting of Chise’s luggage and laundry.

“What do you want to know?” Chise asks, rolling her head along the back of the couch without lifting it as she turns to him.

“What did you do, aside from wading down the beach your own?”

Chise feels flush for a moment without it appearing on her cheeks. Her surprise at his too-knowing jabs is milder than it used to be.

“You weren't watching me the whole time were you!? We talked about this.”

“I didn't have anyone or anything follow you,” he assures her, “as I promised.” However reluctantly. “But I do know you too well to believe you would be reasonably cautious for three unsupervised days. Ruth, did she even bring you?”

“I have no comment.”

“As I thought. But that wasn't my question, anyway, was it?”

He wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her against his side, waiting for her story. I feel something fuzzy in my chest which says the tune of my thoughts are in sync with hers as he really does want to know floats through my head.

“Well,” Chise begins, “we spent almost all of the first day at the beach. When we got to the hotel, our room wasn’t ready, so we had to leave our bags. We thought we might just go for a walk, but we were talking about swimming, I mentioned that I'd never been to an ocean before, even growing up in japan, and she wanted me to try it as soon as possible after that.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Um… I mean, yes, it just took some getting used to.”

Elias leans down and around, bringing him eye to eye with her.

“How so?”

Chise, to her credit, rarely looks truly sheepish, and so looks terribly endearing when she does.

“Well, I didn’t really realize how…uneven the seafloor is off the beach. It's so smooth on land. I suppose it's silly, looking back on it, but I tripped into a dip in the sand from the waves because I wasn’t expecting it.”

Elias’ impassive skull cracks open at the jaw, teeth parting to allow some expression of concern that even I can predict, if only through the change in intensity in that void sensation of his form.

“It was fine!” Chise hurries to assure him, and his teeth lace shut again. “only I was on my knees still when the next swell came, and so I got a face full of water. Ruth had to rescue my hat.”

Given that all is well that ends well, Elias finds this enormously funny.

In the slow moments between tasks and duties and teaching and musings that make up much of their days together, provided his mood hasn't been consumed by worry or thought in that way which is not quite brooding, but distant to the point of appearing aloof, he can be rather quick to laughter—provided it’s his kind of joke. Little misfortunes amuse him greatly, as does a certain degree of posturing some people consider to be wit, as does irony, the obvious, the disconcerting of others (though that much Chise’s own sharp and oft bitter wit has greatly tempered) . . . The list is a stunningly long one.

Chise smiles, too.

“I got a mouthful of saltwater. It was disgusting.”

He sniggers rather louder. Elias has an odd laugh, at best. Hissing, almost, when it escapes up his throat and out his mouth. When it rumbles in his chest, however, a pang that isn't pain and a swelling that isn't hurtful sometimes resonates so soundly in Chise that I feel one of us must have some wound to lick. Or, at least, an itch.

That is not, however, how she feels just now. The swelling of her quiet, still often-cautious joy stops short, and instead becomes a dull and gut-deep tightening that somehow, incongruously relates to a different tension in her face—some reflexive feeling in her mouth that makes her press her lips together when they would rather press out, a memory tingling across them of an awkwardly executed moment in the snow.

Should she find out about this, the Silver One is going to lose her senses.

If I’m tempted to say anything to either stop or encourage her in the face of this momentous possibility, I don’t allow it to seduce me completely. I look at them out one eye, just barely cracked, not so much feigning sleep as allowing genuine tiredness to show. It seems a subtle enough approach, as neither of them, even Chise, glances my way to measure my reaction to the electric tension they both must surely feel as she sweeps her eyes across the curves and dips and jutting edges of his skull, perhaps asking herself once again where precisely is most appropriate to kiss someone without lips. I can feel the memory of her last attempt at this burning on her lips, the texture of him smooth and neutral as stone, if inconceivably warmer, rather than the sometimes slick, sometimes splintered feeling of long-exposed bone one might expect. She has her eyes set on a smooth space above the jagged line of his teeth and below his left eye orbital.

Elias’ laughter quiets less steadily than it came. He doesn’t raise his head, or pull further away.

“Chise?” he asks, and she releases a breath she’s been holding in a fevered huff, blinking rapidly, her wandering focus broken. You poor, idiot pup.

“Yes?”

“What is that look on your face? It’s new.”

New to you. She doesn’t usually look at him that way when he’s looking back. She probably doesn’t know that she does it at all--ignorance, however, does not undo the fact that it happens more frequently with every passing month.

“Oh? I don’t know, I think for a moment I wasn’t really thinking.”

“About anything?”

“Not really.”

Elias’ pilot lights burn at her from inside their sockets. She shifts a little. Evidently, this reminds him that his arm is still around her shoulders, as he lifts it awkwardly away by a millimeter or so, still touching her in several places.

Chise clears her throat.

“I guess, I might have been thinking that I . . . like it, when you laugh,” she confesses. A warmth floods her cheeks that she can feel acutely, but which is not quite visible.

Elias stares at her wordlessly, except to hum to himself. But his arm resettles around her shoulders. Chise swallows unspeakable, confounding words she can’t quite parse within her mind, and looks away.

In the beat of silence that follows, she leans in against his side.

You two, I chastise her, fulling expecting confusion as her response. I receive no such thing.

Maybe next time, she replies within the confines of her mind.

Despite her moments of shyness, I believe she’s growing bold. What advice can I give to her, knowing this?

I settle on: Don’t wait on him any longer than you want to.

Shadow is ageless. Surely, he’s been around long enough that he’ll be able to figure it out.

Her head resting against his rib cage, she promises me that she won’t.

#TAMB #the ancient magus bride #MTnY #the ancient magus' bride #chiselias #chise #elias #ruth #A/N: I am obviously not English and fucked up their vacation location in previous chapters #Like an ass #So for those of you who read this and went 'what beach in Bath?'#you are right and I was wrong just pretend with me while I edit the previous chapters #XP #anyway IT'S FINALLY DONE NO THANKS TO THAT NEEDY GHOST #I'm serious about the ghost thing #fic

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