#layla el faouly one shots

[layla4567]

I'm just a librarian ✿ pt3

Steven Grant/Marc Spector x fem!reader

Summary: It seemed like a normal day like so many others, but soon you will realize that something went terribly wrong and the nightmare has just begun.

Warnings: attempted home invasion, a bit of anxiety/worry, course words (just "fuck") and Marc being rude

A/N: Finally Marc appears..

Part 1

Part 2

Part 4

I got up early as always, I got out of bed dressing awkwardly even with my eyes closed. I wasn't going to have time to eat breakfast so on the way I bought a coffee and a croissant that I put in my mouth while jogging to work. I walked through the door greeting my usual friend who was looking at me with a tired face.

" 'Ello Selfmah, howfh youh dgoin?"-I said with my croissant in my mouth and waving with my free hand

"Did you know that talking with your mouth open is rude?"-she looked me accusingly like a teacher

I pouted taking the croissant out of my mouth and she looked at me rolling her eyes. Even though I bothered her, she loved me. As usual, I sat at my desk, accommodating some books that I had next to. As I touched the lid of one, a brown-eyed face flooded my mind. "History of Egypt". Steven… he's supposed to return the other books about Khonsu today. I was looking forward to seeing him, wait, looking forward to seeing him? Why was I so anxious to see him again? To see his dreamy eyes, to hear his tender laugh again. I shook my head to banish those thoughts, I couldn't fall in love, not now.

The minutes passed and several people entered the library but none of them was Steven. I had already finished my meager breakfast except for the coffee, which was a little less than half full. I was getting anxious so I got up and started walking around the room trying to find something to keep me distracted. I started sorting books that didn't need to be sorted, I even started sweeping a corner that had a bit of dust. I even started to annoy Selma by interrupting her to help her with something that clearly she could do on her own. Irritated, she spoke to me as courteously as she could.

"Y/n please calm down! I'm sure your Steven will come, be patient for god's sake"

I noticed that she accented the word "your" but I was too worried to get mad about it.

"Bu-but, what if something bad happened to him?"

Selma rubbed my arm with the intention of calming me down, something new for her since she doesn't like physical contact very much.

"Listen, Steven is a little distracted right? Maybe he forgot to bring you the books again and that doesn't mean something bad happened to him. Don't always think the worst."-she gave me a lopsided smile

I didn't feel so convinced but it was obvious that Selma made an effort to calm me down so I gave her the pleasure. I stopped looking for things to order and sat in my chair finishing my coffee. But the hours passed and no news from the British boy. It is true that he was forgetful but he did not usually take so long. The afternoon was falling and I was desperate, I was about to call the police or whatever when I saw him. He came in with his usual backpack and a white shirt with gray pants, but something was wrong, I realized as soon as I saw his face. He didn't look the same, he was frowning, he looked more serious than normal as if he didn't know how to smile. Even his always messy and curly hair now looked more combed and pulled back. He walked over to me and placed the books on my desk.

"Promised is debt, thank you"

That was it, not even a "hello" or a "how are you". Steven was very strange that day, I could even say that his voice sounded different, not only was it deeper but he even seemed to force his British accent as if he didn't know how to do it naturally.

"Hi Steven, are you ok? I was worried about you I thought you would not come"

I was surprised to hear those words from my mouth. If I wanted to hide the fact that I'm possibly starting to like Steven, I was doing it very badly.

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry"

His words were meant to be warm and kind but the way he said it came off abrupt as if he wanted to keep me out of his business. That disappointed me. And what confirmed to me that something strange was happening with him that day was his look. And I wasn't just referring to the fact that he seemed angry, but that his eyes didn't have that playful, innocent glint they always did, they seemed…dull. That man was definitely not Steven.

"Well, you know you can count on me for whatever you want, do you need another book or-"

"I'm fine thanks, have a good day"

He left without saying anything else. Steven had interrupted me and left me speechless. I swallowed uncomfortable and intimidated. Why was he so rude today? Had something bothered him so much that he behaved like this? The worst thing was that he tried to be "nice" but failed pathetically. His courtesy words were forced and he said them just for that, out of courtesy. I was more worried than before

My friend approached me with a mocking smile.

"Well, he finally arrived. See? I told you that you had to be patient. Seems like he can't live without you"

She walked away bursting into exaggerated laughter but I was distracted and worried, with a frown I began to drum on the desk. I didn't understand what was going on but I wanted to find out. During the rest of the day I was very distracted and could not concentrate on my work. More than once I made a mistake with the book that my client requested and every time they spoke to me I seemed to be very far from there. At the end of the day the boss approached me seriously, that was a bad omen.

"Y/n can I talk to you for a second?"

With my heart in my hand, I answered yes.

"Today I notice you are very distracted, I don't know what it is or if you have a problem with your daily life but I have made a decision"

My palms were sweating as my heart rate increased, I prayed to all the gods I knew that he wouldn't fire me.

"Why don't you take a little vacation? Just a few days, what do you think? And then you could go back to work more quietly. You are honestly the best employee I have-Selma behind the boss opened her mouth as a sign of offense- and I would like your job performance not to drop".

The soul returned to my body and I breathed relieved. Thank you. To be honest I didn't expect that at all.

"Thanks for the suggestion, I think I'll follow your advice. Maybe I need a vacation after all"

The boss gave me a warm, fatherly smile and left. Selma who was behind him approached me suspicious

"I can't believe the boss said that you are the best employee"

We laughed to release the tension, we both knew she didn't mean it.

"Anyway, if you invite me to your vacations I don't get mad, huh?"

I shook my head laughing as I headed home. I left her talking to herself.

"Oh you know where I always wanted to go? Rome. Can you imagine visiting the coliseum or eating the pizza you want?-she stopped seeing the ceiling to see me walk away- Hey where are you going!? That is a no?"

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was already getting dark and I returned to my apartment along the same path as always, through those cobbled streets that resounded with each step I took. But this time she wasn't as relaxed as the time before. I still couldn't stop thinking about what was happening to Steven. I continued walking deep in my thoughts and suddenly I remembered that strange figure that I had seen the night before. I looked distractedly towards the roofs of the houses but this time I didn't see anyone.

I went home exhausted and closed the door behind me. I took off my shoes, I had blisters from so much walking. I took off my clothes and put on my emerald green nightgown. I combed my hair that was now cascading past my shoulders. I didn't want to think about everything that happened so I decided to have dinner. The food was already prepared, I just had to heat it up. I sat down and ate without much desire, Steven's issue was bothering me, maybe after all a few days off would do me good. I was already yawning so I put the empty plate in the sink and decided to lie down to read a bit until I fell asleep. Reading was too exciting but little by little I felt like my eyelids were heavy and closed on their own.

Suddenly a noise woke me up, I didn't know that it was perhaps my book that fell to the ground with a clicking noise. But I heard it again, someone had knocked on my door. I woke up with a start, who could it be at that hour? I walked barefoot towards my door and when I opened it my surprise was even greater.

"Steven!!"

I opened the door a little more trying to articulate a word but he quickly entered without giving me time to protest and closed the door carefully, fearing that someone would follow him.

"Can you explain to me what the hell is goi-!?"

I couldn't say anything else because Steven covered my mouth with his big hand and pinned me against the wall. His body and his face were too close for my liking.

"Listen, some men are chasing me. I can't tell you why, I just need you to tell them I'm not here if they come knocking on the door. Now I will remove my hand from your mouth, but don't yell, understand?"

His whisper was threatening but his breath on my face tickled me. But instead his gaze was hard and cold as ice. He slowly freed myself from his grip and didn't yell but went along with it, speaking softly.

"But what the fuck?? Do you think you can enter my house just like that?! Tell me what is happening right now!"

He silenced me with a finger in his mouth.

"Calm down okay? I can't explain anything to you, yet"

I was about to retort furiously when a knock sounded on my door. It was them. He quickly hid in my closet without saying anything and I nervously opened my door to see who was calling. Two tall men with tanned complexions were looking at me with unfriendly faces. I feared for my life

"Excuse me for the interruption, miss, but haven't you seen a man a little shorter than us, middle-aged, dark brown hair around here?"

Their faces were still serious and I didn't like the way they addressed me with that attempt at kindness.

"N-no, why?"

I wanted to sound confident but the words came out weakly in a stutter.

"It's nothing serious, don't panic. Let's just say that the man owes us a little money, he has debts to pay you know?"-he said with a forced smile

"Well he didn't come here, if I have news I'll let you know"

I was about to close the door when his hand firmly gripped the edge of the door. My body trembled

"Are you sure he wasn't here? Could we come by to confirm please?"

The strength of that man was intimidating, he was struggling to open the door while I was struggling to close it. He had advanced a foot about to enter my apartment. Scared and as I could grab the door with both hands and exclaimed

"I already told you that he is not here, good night!!"

I slammed the door shut and leaned my back against the wood recovering my breath. Steven came out of my closet slowly. I put an eye in the door lock to check that the men had left. They stood for a second trying to listen behind the door and then left.

"Thanks for not saying anything, I owe you one"

Oh now he thanks me. I was fed up, fed up and furious. Steven refused to tell me the truth and to top it off some thugs wanted to enter my house

"Stop it. I need you to tell me the truth, does it seem normal to you that two men who look like serial killers have knocked on my door? I'm tired of all this Steven.."

He looked at me with a tired look and sighed.

"I'm not Steven"

"What?.."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Sorry for leaving you on hold, I was going to keep writing but I got tired lol

tag:@corpsebridenightamare

[castlecult]

𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 : 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

pairing : layla el-faouly x fem!reader

warnings : +18, face sitting, oral sex ( r receiving ), not proofread

event : kinktober 2022

“what if you sit on my face?” you almost choke on your cereals. “w-what?” you turned to layla, she was casually staring at the tv avoiding your gaze, but not because she was shy. quite the opposite.

“you heard me,” she smirked. you gulped loudly, turning your gaze to the bowl. “jeez, it’s barely 9 am,” you muttered, trying to resume eating in peace. “yeah, so?” layla turned towards you, smiling. “stop it,” you groaned.

“stop clenching your thighs then,” she pointed at them and you felt your cheeks heat up, noticing that you were in fact clenching your thighs. you tried to relax and took a deep breath.

“baby, i’m hungry,” layla spoke after a while. you finished your cereals not long ago and you two were watching some cartoons. “told ya to eat some cereals,” you chuckled. “mh, no. that’s not what i meant,” she laid down and pulled you with her, you found yourself laying on her body.

your breasts pressed together, your lips close to each others, you froze for a second. “you’re savage,” you whispered, making her chuckle. “yeah, sometimes,” she said while pulling down your shorts with your underwear. “layla, are you–” she shut you up with a kiss.

layla took her time, caressing your cheeks before grabbing your hips, moving her leg between yours and guided you on her thigh. you moaned into her mouth at the friction, her clothed thigh brushing your clit, adding more pleasure.

she stopped and let you sit up, you let her guide you and you found your thighs positioned on each side of her head. she smirked at you before pushing you down towards her and she moved her lips to your sex.

layla was devouring you, holding you down with her arms. you grabbed her hair, pulling and moaning out loud. “fuuck,” you arched your back and started grinding on her face, seeking the pleasure provided by her lips and her tongue. you saw stars while coming directly into her mouth, trembling and breathing heavily.

an : this… sucks. i’m not sure about layla behaviour and i don’t like the way this is written idk 🫥 but yeah, anyway. have a good day !! <3

kinktober tag list : @alexxavicry @romanoffswebs-blog @therealnekomari @withakindheartx

[little-cereal-draws]

Do you think Layla knows about Marc's suicide attempt? Obviously he told her about Khonshu but he didn't tell her about her father so clearly he... omitted things that happened that day. How would it finally get brought up and how would she react?

[cutelittleluckysoul]

Hiii! Can you please write an Layla el faouly x reader which one night the reader shows up at their Layla's house beaten up badly (the reader is a vigilant) which Layla starts badly freaking out when she sees them. Layla manages to calm down herself a bit as she starts patching up the reader. As Layla patches them up, she angrily tells them how worried she was and that she thought she was dead and what the hell is she supposed to do without them. The reader sees that Layla was starting to tear up, so they quickly brought her into a passionate kiss. Things get a bit smutty but it quickly ends as the reader let's a groan from pain. And so Layla decides it's not the time so she gets in bed with the reader and the reader tells them that they'll promise to be more careful from now on.

(Im really sorry that my request is so long and the reader can be any gender you like 😊😅

I LOVE THIS REQUEST! It is nice to write for someone different than Kingo and Druig because I feel like I repeat myself all the time (I love writing for them obviously but this change-up is very nice) Thank you for your request. ALSO THERE IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH LAYLA FICS!!!

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI No full on smut things just get a little heated. Mentions of blood and injuries, talk about death, strong language but also fluff

I can't lose you! (Layla El Faouly x Reader)

You groaned as you made your way across the street, holding your side. You were sure you left a trail of little blood patches on your way. It was probably a bad idea to take on 7 guys on your own. But it is what it is now. After all this is your job. A little blood is part of it. Only this time it wasn't just a little.

Finally, you could see your girlfriend's apartment complex. You probably shouldn't bother her with this. But she knew how to patch you up and your apartment was too far at the moment.

Finally inside and in front of her door, you knocked and waited. Leaning on the wall across the door. Taking your hand off of the side of your body you saw how bloody your hand was. Wincing in pain you looked up as you heard the door unlocking and opening.

You gave Layla a weak smile as you heard her take a sharp intake of breath. You probably looked worse than you thought. You limped over to her to give her a small kiss as a greeting but she pulled her head back. Yep you were in deep shit now. This is worse than what the guys you just killed did to you.

She stepped aside to let you in which you did. Without a word, she closed the door and got the first aid kid. You slumped onto a chair groaning a little. Finally taking a look at your stab wound you also let out a gasp. It was deeper than you thought.

Layla came back and sat down across from you. You gave her a weak smile, which she didn't return. She got everything out and you carefully took off your shirt so she could take care of this wound first. Her frown deepened as she saw the many bruises littering your body. She begins cleaning the wound, as carefully as she could, but it still hurts like a bitch.

When she was done she moved to the wounds on your face. Your lip was split open and you had a cut above your left eyebrow and you were pretty sure there was a giant bruise forming on the right side of your face up to your eye as well. As she was cleaning up the cut you tried to lighten the mood a little "You should see the other guys." A weak smile accompanied your sentence. She gave you a stern look. "You think this is funny?" Her voice as sharp as ever. When you didn't answer her she continued. "You think it is fun to patch you up in the middle of the night because you have been stupidly reckless again? Because you need to prove that you are a hero or some shit? Have you ever thought about how I feel about this? How worried I am every time you come here with new wounds all over your body? What if one day you just overestimate yourself and get yourself killed huh? Bleeding out in some dark alley! Have you ever thought about that?!" She gave you an angry look and you had to look away while you shook your head no. She scoffed. "Of course, you haven't. Fuck you drive me so mad!"

She continued cleaning your wounds and you could feel her calming down a little. But you could also see the tears that she desperately tried to blink away, forming in her eyes. You carefully brought a hand up to her face, cupping her cheek. She looked at you with sad brown eyes and you felt even worse. In a weak attempt, you kissed her, hoping that she could feel how sorry you are. You ignored the stinging of your lips. She could probably still taste the blood on them. You pressed her close to you and she finally gave in returning your kiss. You gave a soft sigh of relief and started to softly nipple at her lips. You were determined to make it up to Layla. And by how she was reacting you knew she was ok with that. As you two slowly stood up, you made your way over to the bedroom. Never breaking the kiss for more than a few seconds. At some point, Layla also discarded her Shirt and your hands were roaming her body. Her skin is ever so soft making you long for her even more.

Finally reaching the bedroom she softly pushed you onto it, which wasn't a good idea and it made you groan in pain. Clearly, you two have forgotten that you probably had some bruised ribs as well. The look in her eyes changed immediately and you gave her a sheepish smile. "I think my apology has to wait for a little." She just nodded. You scooted a little higher on the bed, taking off your pants, with Layla's help thankfully. She put on her sleeping shirt again and crawled into bed beside you. Carefully she pulled you into her side. You took in her smell that never seems to cease to calm you down. "You really need to be more careful..." "I know... And I promise you I will. I don't want you to worry about me." "I always worry about you silly. I mean you are a force to be reckoned with, I know that, but seeing you all beaten up I -... It just doesn't sit right with me. I don't wanna lose you like I lost my father you know?" "I understand. I am really sorry I made you worried like that. You know that is never my intention. I just... I wanna help people. And these idiots deserved the beating that they've got from me." "Just promise me to be more careful next time ok?" "I promise." And you really meant it. You looked up at her and you saw that she was already looking at you. You leaned up and gave her a soft kiss. "I love you." She gave you one of her perfect smiles, that melted your heart every time. "I love you too. Now you need some sleep. Doctors order." You giggled at that. "You know you are not that kind of doctor right?" "Did I patch you up or not?" "Alright alright, Dr. Layla. But I think I need another kiss don't you think? To make me feel better?" She rolled her eyes at that grinning softly. She placed another soft kiss on your lips. The fact that your lip stung every time her lips met yours was definitely worth it. "Now off to sleep with you." She nudged your nose gently with hers. "Yes Ma'am" you hummed and gave her another soft peck. "Careful little mouse, don't start what you can't finish." You grinned a little. "Who says I can't finish?" But she gently and carefully brushed over the bruise on your ribs making you wince, and she just raised an eyebrow in triumph and a little worry in her eyes. You sigh in defeat still smiling softly. "I will make it up to you. But not today." A yawn left your mouth and you snuggled close to her, your head in the crook of her neck, her head now atop yours. Finally, the exhaustion took over and you fell into a deep sleep, knowing you were safe with Layla next to you.

[sincka]

||Who are you ?||

Summary : Jake Lockley walks into Steven's apartment after a long day of "work" and is surprised by someone visiting him.

Characters : Jake Lockley ; Marc Spector (Steven makes a small 🤏 appearance) ; Layla El-Faouly ; Khonshu

Note : {Spanish and English aren't my native language so I apologize for my mistakes}

Warnings : violence, blood, angst, swearing

Word count : 3.9K ≃

𖤍⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷❍⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶𖤍

Night falls slowly.

A full moon forms in the darkening sky, but the stars are not as plentiful as they were 5,000 years ago. Or maybe the light pollution prevents them from shining.

And while the Londoners went about their business, silence reigned in the flat of Steven Grant and his host, Marc Spector. Only the aquarium brought a glow between these walls. Everything is peaceful, as the two goldfish quietly swam in paths that suited them, living their lives without the slightest worry.

Until the lock engages.

The door opened, light from the building's hallway streaming inside the entrance. A hand then placed the keys to the apartment on the nearest piece of furniture. The man entered without hurrying, before closing the door behind him, the light briefly illuminating the bloodied knuckles of the latter. Then he took off his jacket. And finally, he took off his gavroche and put it all on a desk chair.

He quietly took a few steps into the flat, the moon and the lampposts outside being part of the only sources of light that allowed him to see quite clearly.

After a few seconds, he found himself in the bathroom. Hands in the sink, the water was gradually washing away the blood that had marred his skin. He turned off the faucet, as the dark red liquid drained into the pipes, then ,on either side of the sink, he slowly placed his hands. Despite the previous facts, they do not shake at all.

Suddenly, a curious noise caught his attention. He turned his head to focus on the sounds around him. While his reflect in the mirror perfectly imitates his movements, he ends up making himself independent, turning his gaze to rest on this version of him that seems foreign to him before frowning and widening his eyes slightly. But it was short-lived as the man left the bathroom to bravely venture into the flat.

He searched the room, without fear and without haste. In front of the entrance, he stood straight, patiently waiting for a new alarming sign.

And when he was no longer waiting, a force suddenly pushed him. His back hit the wall and he groaned, feeling an arm pressed against his throat. Once stabilized, he looked down at his attacker. But he met a woman's gaze, and he guessed the outline of her face in the dark. In a second, he also noticed the firmness in her expression, as well as her determination.

There she is, he thought.

Slowly, his muscles relax, undisturbed by the arm holding him hostage, though he recognizes the force with which she's pinning him down. But she kept staring him straight in the eye.

"...Are you going to let me go..?" He finally asked calmly.

Silent, Layla remains on her position, determined to get answers.

"What are you doing ?" He asks her again, as if nothing had happened.

"And you ?" Layla retorts, just as calm as him, nevertheless keeping a hint of menace in her voice.

He frowned, looking confused.

"What are you talking about ?"

She frowned as well, hearing the incomprehension in the tone of his voice.

"You know it very well." She confirms despite her hesitation.

"I assure you I have no idea." He answers in a sincere tone.

Discountenanced, Layla searched his gaze for a sign of lie. Did she make a mistake ? And while she doubted, he could see a faint beam of light illuminating part of her face. He watches her for a moment, before gently placing his hand on hers.

"Layla... I don't know what's got you like this. But you should let me go so we can talk about it... Okay ? What do you think about that, baby ?" He offers nicely.

Although she listens to him until the end, her doubts dissipate more and more. She doesn't know if it's the way he looks at her, the way he talks to her, or the way he distorts the sweetness of that nickname he often uses, but she's sure of something. She was right about him.

More determined, she redoubled her efforts by pressing on his throat, with the certainty that he was lying.

"That's enough." She said between her teeth, her eyes screaming in search of truth. "I want answers and you gon' give them to me."

"I don't understand." He tries to say.

"Stop, stop. I know you're lying !" Layla gets irritated, having no patience for his little game.

Nothing was going to stop her. No one was going to convince her, not even him. And he understood that.

He pulled his hand away from hers, his eyelids lowers slightly, as a grin came to nestle at the corner of his lips. Obviously, the young woman noticed his change, still unaccustomed to seeing such behavior in the man she thought she knew in every detail.

"Who are you ?" She finally asks.

"I'm offering you a deal. You leave this apartment without looking back and without asking questions. You just live your life in peace without worrying about mine. And everything will be for the best in the best of all possible worlds." He replies without stuttering, a new accent reaching Layla's ears.

"Oh, you think so ?" She said back, defiant and mistrustful.

"I promise you it's easier than it looks."

"You're wrong." She contradicts, determined.

"There's nothing left for you here."

"I'm worried about Marc."

"Hipócrita." He chuckled softly.

Furious, she withdrew her arm from his throat to hold him by the collar of his shirt.

"I wont leave him." She warns him menacingly.

"Then why did you get divorced ?"

Every cell in her brain was trying to remind her that this body was also her ex-husband's and Steven's. She just clenched the fabric between her fingers, the veins in her hands becoming prominent as she gritted her teeth.

"Who are you ?" she asks once more.

"Enough procrastination, Jake." A deep and imposing voice echoed in the fragmented mind of the multifaceted man. But this voice in no way belongs to one of his identities. "Make sure she doesn't cause us any more trouble."

"Who I am is none of your business." He then decides to answer Layla impassively.

"What's your goal ?" She insists, quickly annoyed by his lack of cooperation.

No response, only a smirk.

"You think you're smarter than everyone." She notes easily. He then seemed interested and intrigued. "You think you're untouchable, as if no one could stop you, whether it's Marc or Steven... You think you have the upper hand over them. But in reality, you're terrified." She smiled slowly.

Not a sound came from the mouth of this new stranger.

"You're afraid they'll get in your way, since you're hiding. Why ?" She continues with interest.

"...You should consider my offer." He insists.

"Answer my questions first." She said recklessly.

"No, answer mine." The man she's holding retorts playfully, completely ignoring her. "You find my name, you discover my purpose... Then I guess you'll be thrilled to share them with our dear Marc whom you seem to love so much. So here's my question, querida." Now it's his turn to intimidate her. He has to find a way to make her run away, a fight to the death is probably not necessary in this case, for once. "Who tells you that he isn't aware of my presence ?"

Puzzled, Layla frowned at his question.

"Of course he isn't." She replies angrily.

"Really ?" He sows doubt in her mind. "Do you really have a guarantee that he won't lie to you again ?"

"I know everything there's to know about him. He has no reason to lie to me."

"Or else he's shutting you out."

Exasperated, Layla raised her fist. So, Jake waits for her to do her deed, not moving an inch. Considering the possibility that Marc was lying to her again isn't something that pleases her, but she'd never let herself be fooled by these slanders. She trusts Marc completely, but nothing forces her to believe one of his new fellows who proves to be threatening and dangerous. Slowly, she lowered her fist, remaining defensive but choosing to be the wiser of the two.

"I'm starting to lose patience..." Khonshu's voice echoed in Jake's mind again.

And while the latter continued to stare insistently at his host's ex-wife, still seeking to intimidate her, she spoke again with conviction.

"Are you still serving Khonshu ?" She finally asked, thinking she already knew the answer. It would explain so much things. The more time she took to talk to him, the clearer the situation became.

A deafening silence suddenly invaded the room.

"...Answer me." Layla insists for the umpteenth time.

Jake's jaw clenched.

"You are ? Right..?" She asks him slowly.

However, a faint smile finally curled the limo driver's lips.

"And you, are you still the avatar of this dear Taweret ?" He asks back.

"Do you really want to know ?" She replies, turning up the heat.

"Stop wasting time. I am counting on you to eliminate her from our lives, by any means necessary. If she continues to impose herself, she risks compromising our plans. We cannot afford to stop now..." Khonshu said, impatient and manipulative. "Tick tock, Jake Lockley." He concludes, inflexible.

One moment, one look, one decision.

Then Jake pulled out a silenced pistol taped to the cabinet he was standing next to while Layla drew a sharp, golden saber to point it at her enemy as she made several steps back.

With agility and speed, the two people were now at each other's guns.

Thereupon, Jake smiled a little more.

"Mírate... Escarabajo Escarlata." He said, almost impressed.

Constantly pointing her saber at him, she ignores his comment and focuses on her own next action. In no way does she wish to fight him. But if they have to get to this point so that she can get answers, if they have to confront each other so that she can protect Marc, then so be it.

"What do we do now ? Fight ?" She asks, confident.

"Or you put down your saber and leave the building."

He fires aiming at her hand to get rid of that saber but the bullet hit the left wing which Layla deployed to protect herself. The bullets keep on coming while they walked towards each other as she kept her wing close to her face. Quickly, they come face to face, then Scarlet Scarab disarms him by striking him with this same wing and in the process, Jake grabs her wrist to turn her skillfully before pressing her against his chest in order to keep her in place. As determined as she is, he holds her wrists tightly in his hands.

"You can't kill me." He asserts close to her ear, the warrior's curly locks flying at the touch of his breath.

"You don't know me." Layla retorts, breathing heavily.

"I already know enough."

"I won't leave without being sure that Marc is safe." She gets impatient.

"He will be. Once away from you." Jake murmurs defiantly.

That's enough.

Layla rotates her palms forward and bent down to get rid of his grip before turning around, extending her right wing. And the edge of the wing cut her opponents cheekbone.

When she realized what she did, she slowly caught her breath, watching the blood dripping down Jake's cheek, but also Steven's, and especially Marc's. This is not what she wanted, but she doesn't weaken.

Jake turned slowly, his gaze dark, displaying an expression she knew only too little. He walks towards her and without thinking, she took out a second saber from her suit, ready to fight back despite her fears of hurting him again. But he didn't give her the opportunity to reconsider her decision. He grabbed her saber and suddenly planted it in his own abdomen, leaving the warrior speechless, her eyes wide.

As the blade sank deep into his flesh, Jake gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw. Slowly, Layla let go of her saber, unsettled by the scene unfolding before her as she took two steps back.

"That's... what you should have done..." He speaks with difficulty.

The daughter of the archaeologist stared at the man she has in front of her, the man she loved and still loves despite all the hardships they went through and the lies that broke her heart. And now she's also looking at a totally different man, someone even more unwell than he already is. Even more so than that night when Scarlet Scarab caught him murdering all these men in a brutal and bloody manner.

Lost in the complexity of the situation, Layla began to back away slowly. However, it is with great composure that Jake put one foot after the other, taking care not to break the eye contact between him and her. The saber still planted in the abdomen, he continues to walk, his eyes wide open, his muscles contracting because of the pain caused by his injury. But, under the gaze of his opponent, something happens. A mighty power surrounds him. Strip by strip, Jake dons the ceremonial armor from Khonshu's temple. With each step towards her, the bandages envelop him, starting from his feet to stop at his torso. His long cape added, falling majestically down his back, while the golden crescent moon adorned his chest.

Stunned, Layla carefully observes the one who walks towards her, noticing the black parts of this suit that seems different and at the same time so familiar just like the man who wears it. He then took the handle of the weapon, before gently pulling the blade out of his abdomen. His face uncovered, Jake Lockley began to stretch a smile bordering on psychotism, seeming confident and unstoppable. The suit's power completely regenerates him as he holds the saber along his body. Finally, Scarlet Scarab looked down at the blood Jake had left on the golden metal.

"Know that you're the one who caused all this." He accused her.

"But you're the one betraying Marc." Layla replies as she brings her attention to him, eyebrows furrowed in sadness and anger. "By remaining Khonshu's avatar, you're putting him in danger. You will end up hurting him."

"Really ?" He begins, looking at the blade in turn. "Yet... It's his blood that I see on your saber." He concluded by slowly looking up at her.

He doesn't waste another second. His hand closed around Layla's throat, barely letting her breathe as he dragged her to the window behind her. He slammed her against the glass, which cracked under the pressure. Layla grabbed Jake's arm in an attempt to free herself while nudging his face with her second hand.

Jake grimaced bitterly, not being distracted by the hand that kept pushing him away. Driven by the same relentlessness as her, he tightened his grip on her and moved closer to her face, bringing the blade already covered in his own blood against the top of her throat, near her jaw.

Scarlet Scarab growled in hatred, glaring at him, as Moonknight was about to kill her. Both were breathing heavily, staring intently at each other. Only one will have to come out of this fight alive. And it had to be him.

"I don't like it either." Khonshu says calmly during this duel of gaze, this avalanche of emotions and hesitation, of thoughts which converge and yet contradict each other just as much. "But we both know that she will never stop, she is the only obstacle to our mission. If I had to choose between one or the other, you would already know my answer..." He continues, while Jake keeps the sharp blade against the thin, fragile skin of her neck, staring at his target with wide eyes filled with resolution and coldness. "Do what you think is best. I give you my blessing."

At his words, the moon god follower contracted his fingers around the hilt of the golden saber, until his hand trembled and turned white.

As for Layla, her anger is slowly dissipating, not looking anywhere but in his eyes. Eyes she knows by heart, but which contained no love. She could fight. She could free herself from his grip. After all, survivor to survivor, avatar to avatar, the fight would be fair. Of course she'd have a chance to win this battle just like him. Nevertheless, something, or rather someone gave her a reason to choose the best solution to this difficult dilemma. No, she's not weak. And it's because she's strong that she chooses not to fight anymore. It is because she's strong that she chooses to walk into the lion's den.

Indeed, Layla chooses to trust him no matter what.

"You don't have to do this." Layla explains, using the little oxygen she has left to reason with this new identity. "You don't have to listen to him." She adds, easily guessing that Khonshu encourages him in his violence.

"And you didn't have to stay." He said back, uncompromising.

"Of course I did..." She struggles to speak, her voice not having as much volume as she would like.

He didn't know if it was out of pity, but Jake was waiting for her to say her last words.

"I had to stay for them. For him." Layla continues, breathless, allowing her opponent to finish her off bit by bit, like an animal. "For Marc."

Suddenly the unexpected happened. He began to doubt. Against all odds, he was unsettled.

But... why now ? For words he had already heard from her mouth a few minutes before ? However, this time, she had chosen them to define the end of her life. This was how she had chosen to die. Was she trying to coax him ? Nevertheless, she was not defending herself. She wasn't screaming. She wasn't begging him to spare her, or insulting him, or being hostile. She had just given up any effort to survive.

Here's the name that her lips had chosen to utter before emitting her last breath : Marc.

Since the beginning of his existence, Jake Lockley had learned that Layla El-Faouly would be brake on his plans. A detour to his destination. An obstacle in his mission. And above all, he saw a woman who would never understand their situation. Marc's situation. She would never be tolerant of him, she would never learn to love him as he is, she would never forgive him for bringing a murderer to her father. She would never want him, and it is for these same reasons that she abandoned him when she signed the divorce papers. It was for these same reasons that he had to kill her.

His jaw twitched as he frowned in annoyance.

There, he decided to put on the mask and the hood which immediately grew to hide his face. No sign of weakness should appear. Weakness ? Jake wondered mentally.

Then, Layla closed her eyes, thus demonstrating composure and calm, facing the death he had in store for her.

But despite the mask, suit, and power, the man with murderous tendencies still seemed disoriented. If Layla had bothered to look at him one last time at this precise moment, she would see it in his eyes. Tinted with pure luminescence, he frowned, filled with uncertainty, even fear, and a semblance of sadness at the submission of this fighter. He, who never felt remorse in front of his victims, because each of them fully deserved it. There is always a good reason that allows him to act without regret and without compassion. However, his motivation was dulled as he decided to listen to her. Now he can't help but wonder. Does she really care about Marc ?

He held that blade to her throat, his hand shaking more and more.

It's not just a moment of weakness, it's the first time Jake loses himself...

It's now or never.

His eyes slowly widened as he lost control of his thoughts and mind, his strength quickly leaving him.

Then he suddenly swung to the other side.

Finally, it's Marc who opens his eyes, unarmored, wearing the clothes of a person who doesn't look like him, well, not from the inside at least. He first tried to understand what was happening to him, then noticed his hand that wrapped around the neck of the one he loved, and his second hand that threatened to slit her throat.

He's immediately frightened. He dropped the saber and released Layla's throat before moving away from her. She coughed several times as she leaned forward. But luckily for them, she quickly recovered from this incident. It was then that she opened her eyes, straightening up, observing the behavior of her ex-husband.

"Marc ?" She asks.

Shocked and terrified by his own actions, Marc just turned his head from side to side, refusing to accept what he was about to do to her.

"It's you ?" She asks again as she takes a step towards him.

"Stay away !" He exclaims, frowning.

But she doesn't obey him.

"Stay away from me-"

"I'm fine, it's over, let me talk !" She tries to reassure him in vain.

"No, get out of here !"

"Marc-"

"Please, Layla !" He insists as she approaches.

"Marc, listen to me ! Marc !" She takes him by the shoulders, staring him straight in the eye, forcing him to shut up and pay attention. "Khonshu lied to you !" She announces suddenly.

Distraught, Marc remains speechless, staring blankly at his ex-wife. Did he understand or was it still one of those nightmares ?

"He never freed you...." She said more calmly.

Too many things were going on. Everything is going too fast.

"...What..?" Marc asks, in a half-whisper.

This has to be a nightmare. It can't be real.

"The other guy, the one you're trying to discover. He's his avatar." She answers softly, aware of all he has to take. "It's you, Marc..."

Slowly but surely, he manages to understand, to make the links between so many incomplete things, so many blackouts to be filled.

Finally, he see clearly what had been happening to him for several weeks. It wasn't just about that second identity, and yet he would have preferred.

He was being fooled by the most treacherous and manipulative of the Egyptian gods with whom he had the misfortune to cross the road, and the person who helped him in this disgusting maneuver was none other than himself. The second to take lives in his madness which was initially beneficial.

The real parasite.

Slowly, his face contorted in deep anger. Then his eyelids droop for a moment, feeling stupid, naive and betrayed. A massive idiot on this fucking planet that makes no sense.

He turned and Layla's hands left his shoulders as she watched him in his torment, pained to see that his ordeals were far from over.

And he swept everything on his desk in a fit of anger, knocking all the books and papers to the ground.

Then, exhausted, he put his hands on his desk, lowering his head as Layla stood behind him, still processing everything that happened tonight.

Looking down, Marc sees his reflection in the glass of a frame broken by him.

"What are we gonna do, Marc..?" A british accent come to his ears.

At the end of this equally violent and nightmarish mishap, Marc had only one thought.

I hope we wake up...

[marcskywalker]

marclayla modern au

Journalism student Layla el Faouly meets physics major Marc by accident, really.

"Well, actually, I'm double majoring in physics and literature. And I'm pretty sure you were stalking me."

"Don't lie, Spector. You were stalking me cause-"

"No I wasn't!"

"You couldn't resist my beauty and-"

"I knew I never should've complimented you."

"My charm and my seductive gaze-"

"Seductive gaze?! You're on crack. You're actually on cra-"

"And the rhythm of my voice-"

"I beg of you, baby, please stop."

[ft. mechanic Jake and literature student Steven]

He's lonely in college. Which isn't a surprise because he's lonely everywhere except in his own head.

He sees her for the first time, by chance, while leaving Steven's class in foundations of language. "Who is she?", he's taking longer than necessary to gather up the books Steven brought to class he'll never understand why he doesn't just go digital "Who is who?" Marc takes a look at her again as answer. She is literally glowing by the window if he wasn't so dumbstruck by her beauty he'd remember it's probably the sunlight refracting "Oh her." Steven's smugness is so obvious, but for what, Marc doesn't know, "Layla. I told you about her. The cute one." "Irrelevant, Steven. You find everyone cute."

Once he sees her, he sees her everywhere. She's at the café he goes to, she's at the library. On his way to his classes. Everywhere. He watches her take out books from the library, he watches her buy pastries, he watches her tie her hair up when it gets too hot, he watches her-

He watches her a lot.

He wants to talk to her, he really does. It's just that every time he stands to talk, he gets too flustered and anxious, and sits back down.

"Marc, this is just ridiculous." Steven can moan and whine as much as he wants but there is no way Marc is going to embarrass himself. Marc knows his own value "you really don't. That is literally 50% of your therapy." and he knows there is no way he is on the same as Layla.

So he resigns to just watching her.

And maybe going the same café everyday.

And maybe the literature section of the library more often.

And maybe the garden-

........

Steven's right. This is getting ridiculous.

[blog-of-a-multitude-of-fandoms]

Ankle- Layla El-Faouly

Pairing: Layla El-Faouly x Reader

Characters: Layla El-Faouly

Warnings: N/A

Request: N/A

Word count: 432

Author: Aaron

Layla ducked under your arm as you threw your fist out in a wide arc, your clenched fist connected abruptly with the cheek of one of Harrows followers as Layla planted her foot in between the ribs of another. 

“I’m glad we’re… we’ll I guess in tune with each other would be the best way to put it or that could have gone very badly.” You muttered to Layla as you stood back to back. 

“It definitely helps.” Laylas wings surrounded her as a storm of bullets clashed against her. You peered out from her cover and fired two shots into the chest of the henchman. “I’m even more glad Tarrawet decided to give me this sweet suit, it definitely has come In handy more than once. Ready… Go!” On Laylas call you both dashed out of the alley in which you had tried to hide and desperately searched for  cover. “Shit.” Layla proclaimed as a horde of followers emerged from the shadows, each armed more than adequately to disrupt the two of you.

“Fire!” A bellowing command unleashed an orchestra of armaments, Laylas wings wrapped around the two of you, you’re ears began ringing with the clanging of bullets being deflected from the hard metal. The dust slowly began to settle around you but Layla kept her shroud of protection over you, however suddenly a sickening pain struck your ankle. 

“I’ve been hit.” You whispered to her, doing your best to keep focused. “I’ve been hit in the ankle, I’m dead weight. Leave me as bait and make a run for it, I’ll try and buy you some time to get away or at least reposition. You reached down and tightly tucked your pistol into your chest.

“Don’t be stupid, I just need a minute to think.

“You have nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.” The same voice that gave the first command bellowed out with a cocky tone. “Surrender yourself and make this easier for everyone. Let there be no more mindless bloodshed, allow yourself to be judged fairly and your fate will be decided.”

“Follow my lead.” Before you could react Layla retracted her wings and took your arm over her shoulder. “We surrender.” The small army of followers stepped forward, encircling the two of you. 

“ I am glad you have finally come to your senses.” The leader smiled.

“Yeah…” Layla spread her wings once again and spun in a deep circle, a harsh wave of air knocked the followers to the floor and left them dazed. 

“Now what?!”

“I don’t know, I thought I would think of something!”

[dennona]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Moon Knight (TV 2022) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Steven Grant & Marc Spector, Layla El-Faouly/Steven Grant, Layla El-Faouly/Marc Spector Characters: Layla El-Faouly, Steven Grant (Marvel), Marc Spector Additional Tags: Summer, beating the summer heat, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, british people cant handle warm weather and I was born to make fun of them for it, Steven-centric, also a bit layla centric, author uses canon-typical language for DID, uses canon-typical depictions of DID, aka i included the mirror communication, Dissociative Identity Disorder, One Shot, no beta we die like the MK system apparently, jake lockley is NOT in the picture yet - mostly for flimsy plot reasons, On a mission to write steven as violently british as I can manage - not there yet but give it time, Wow these tags are a mess, Moving In Together

Summary:

The window was swung as wide open as possible, allowing a warm breeze and the sound of London’s metropolitan hustle and bustle to filter through steadily. Steven sat sprawled on the sofa, a fan softly whirring in front of him but doing nothing in his efforts to cool down or dry his sweat-soaked t-shirt. Something played faintly on the old television too, but any attention they once gave it was long lost. Layla favoured a book as she perched cooly on a sofa chair, seemingly unbothered by the sweltering atmosphere. Steven, on the other hand, withered miserably into the cushions, London’s unprecedented heatwave proving to be more than he could handle.

[anonymousewrites]

Burden of Truth (Book 1) Chapter Twelve

Father Figure! Marc Spector x Teen! Reader

Father Figure! Steven Grant x Teen! Reader

Mother Figure! Layla El-Faouly x Teen! Reader

Chapter Twelve: During the Ritual

Summary: (Y/N) has to handle losing Marc and Steven, but their troubles aren't over. Harrow wants to release Ammit.

            (Y/N) sobbed as Harrow’s guards pulled Marc’s body from the water, checking to make he was dead. They knew he was. He was gone. That was the truth.

            Harrow knelt next to the body and glanced at his men. They shook their heads. The ushabti wasn’t on him. Wordlessly, Harrow turned back to the bag abandoned behind Marc. (Y/N) was too exhausted to even be disappointed as he pulled the ushabti out of the backpack.

            “I’m sorry it had to be this way, Marc Spector…Steven Grant…whoever else might be in there.” Harrow had the audacity to place the scarab on Marc’s chest as a gift. He rose. “Sometimes we need the cold light of death before we can see reality.”

            Harrow turned away and raised the ushabti above his head. His men gazed reverently at it. They knelt and bowed, in awe of the mere presence of the statue holding Ammit.

            Harrow smiled. “Who wants to heal the world?”

            In his other hand, he lifted his cane. Sensing the proximity of Ammit, it glowed purple. One of the heads opened its maw and flipped over. Now it was a staff, not a cane, taller than Harrow, with a single menacing crocodile head. The power of Ammit was growing.

            Harrow walked towards the passage out, and his men followed. Helplessly, (Y/N) was dragged away after him.

            Numb, (Y/N) just let themself be pulled through the tunnels and be thrown into a jeep. They lay lifelessly as Harrow and his men drove towards Cairo and the pyramids and all the lives to be judged.

            (Y/N) stared out the window blankly. They knew it stopped periodically, and screams echoed into their mind. Squeezing their eyes shut, they tried to block out the world. They couldn’t fight. (Y/N) had no strength of their own. They were useless, hopeless, purposeless.

l

            Marc and Steven stumbled out of their memories and back onto Taweret’s ship.

            “Taweret, what’s going on?” asked Steven.

            “Fear is spreading in the upper world,” said Taweret. Streaks of purple light fell through the air, landing in the sand around the ship. “Unbalanced souls are being judged and condemned to the sands before their time. Oh, this is bad. This is evil.”

            “This is Harrow,” said Steven, eyes widening. “Oh, god, he’s using Ammit to condemn souls.”

            “(Y/N). Layla.” Marc’s jaw clenched. “They’re in danger.”

            “You see why we have to go back?” said Steven, looking desperately at Taweret.

            “Even if I could send you back up there, you’d just be returning to a body with a bullet in it,” said Taweret ruefully. “You wouldn’t be able to heal.”

            Steven swallowed and looked down. “Harrow’s going to make (Y/N) read the rites to free gods from ushabti to free Ammit. Could it do the same for Khonshu or Ma’at’s ushabtis?”

            Taweret paused. “Well, yes, if the magic was in the same area. But are you sure you want to be with Khonshu again? Seems like you really want to get away from him.”

            Steven looked back at Marc.

            “I did,” admitted Marc. “But this is our only shot to stop Ammit. To save Layla. To protect (Y/N). It’s the way it’s gotta be.”

            Taweret smiled. “You both seem to care about them. Layla and (Y/N).”

            Steven and Marc exchanged a look.

            “Layla’s my wife,” said Marc.

            “Layla’s special,” said Steven. “And (Y/N)…”

            “They deserve so much more than what they had,” said Marc. “I don’t—We don’t want them to suffer any more.”

            “We want to give them the care they deserve,” said Steven, smiling.

            It was true. Throughout their time together, Steven and Marc had both come to care for (Y/N). In different ways they were alike.

            Steven and (Y/N) were both awkward with others, underestimated and made to feel small. Steven wanted to make sure they saw they were worth more. He wanted them to feel like they were more.

            Marc saw a reflection of his younger self in (Y/N)’s desperation for direction. He had been hurt growing up, lost himself, and gone down a dark path. He didn’t want that to happen to (Y/N).

            Steven and Marc saw their own pain in (Y/N), in the teenager fighting to survive, so alone. They refused to let history repeat itself. They would make sure (Y/N) was protected and supported. They wouldn’t leave them to feel alone and lost.

l

            Layla sat in the back of the jeep with Harrow’s men. Keeping her face covered, she looked around herself warily. She’d gotten a message from Taweret that Marc could try (somehow) to return to life, but she wasn’t sure what to believe when it came to the gods. It seemed so far-fetched.

            But what Taweret had said about breaking Khonshu and/or Ma’at’s ushabtis if the ritual rites were read seemed true. Then Marc could fight with his suit, and he had a chance against Harrow like that. (Y/N) had a chance of being safe with their suit, too, and that’s what counted to Layla.

            She squared her shoulders. She’d do what was necessary to defeat Harrow and Ammit. Her eyes flicked to the jeep (Y/N) was in. She also needed to save them. She couldn’t leave them with Harrow.

            Don’t worry, (Y/N). We’re coming.

l

            Dragging (Y/N) up the stones that made up the great pyramids, Harrow’s disciples dutifully followed him and Ammit’s growing power. They stopped only when he did, and they bowed as he raised Ammit’s staff. Slamming it on the ground, the pyramid opened up to the goddess’s power to allow her and her people entry. The pathway to the other gods and their Avatars was clear.

            (Y/N) was pulled inside no matter how much they tried to pull against the guards. Seeing the familiar face of Yatzil and the other Avatars, they tried to fight again, but their strength was too little.

            “Come. You won’t believe what the gods have hidden from mankind,” said Harrow to his followers.

            “Run!” shouted (Y/N) to the other Avatars.

            Their eyes went to the teenager, and the shock was clear. Everything they and Marc and Khonshu and Ma’at had said was true. Harrow was there to release Ammit. And these gods and Avatars had done nothing to prevent it.

            Harrow lifted a hand, and the guard holding (Y/N) clamped a hand over their mouth to stifle their shouts. He looked evenly at the Avatars. “You’re judges, not warriors. This doesn’t need to happen.”

            Selim summoned Osiris’s power, and the other Avatars collected their power to assist him. Harrow held up Ammit’s staff. Purple light exploded towards the Avatars. Letting out a pained cry, (Y/N) watched as they fell to the attack.

            Behind Harrow’s men, Layla slipped away from the group. She had to find Khonshu’s ushabti for when the ritual rites were read. She paused as she found it. In the space beside it stood Ma’at’s ushabti. Layla was torn. Yes, breaking it would free Ma’at, who had fought to keep Ammit from returning, and (Y/N) would be given a suit by Ma’at that would protect them. But it could also tie (Y/N) to a god again, a clearly painful experience that had interrupted their life. Layla touched the ushabti. She needed to make the right choice, but for who? The world or (Y/N)?

            “This was all so avoidable,” sighed Harrow as he looked at the bodies of the fallen Avatars. Then, he turned away and faced (Y/N). “It is time.”

            (Y/N) shook their head furiously, but they were roughly pushed forward to their knees. Fitzgerald handed Harrow Ammit’s ushabti, and he held it in front of himself, over (Y/N)’s head.

            “Read the rites,” said Harrow.

            (Y/N) shook their head. “I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to.” They wished they could say “can’t.” But they remembered the ritual. They knew it. The words were swirling in their mind, ready to be spoken, but (Y/N) didn’t want to let that magic into the air for Harrow to use.

            “You’ll be safe after,” said Harrow, as terribly benevolent as ever. “Your life will be full of peace.”

            “You’re going to hurt people,” said (Y/N), eyes blazing as they looked at him. “You’re going to hurt more people.”

            Harrow sighed and shook his head in disappointment. “I really hate to do it this way. Truly, I do.” He raised the staff, and it glowed purple.

            The scales tattoo on (Y/N)’s arm burned. They screamed, grabbing it tightly. Flames seemed to light inside their skin, punishing them for going against Harrow and Ammit’s wishes.

            “I don’t want to continue this,” said Harrow sorrowfully, watching (Y/N) curl in on themself and cry out. “Just read the rites.”

            (Y/N) sobbed and tried to squeeze their eyes shut and block out the pain. Behind the columns, Layla watched in horror with her hand over her mouth. Harrow truly was a monster.

            “Read the rites, child,” said Harrow.

            What else could (Y/N) do? As fire burned them from within, the words fell from them unbidden. The Coptic chant mixed with the natural magic of the temple of the gods, and the buzz of energy filled the air, making every mortal’s hair stand on end. (Y/N) sobbed, cried out, and the final words fell from their mind.

            The burning pain left them, and (Y/N) caught themself on their hands. Pushing themself up, they tried to stand and do something, but it was too late.

            Raising the ushabti above his head, Harrow smashed it into the ground. With a rumble equal to that of a thousand thunderstorms, billowing smoke flashing with purple magic exploded from the ushabti, rising to the ceiling of the chamber.

            Harrow watched in awe, and his followers in not a little fear, as Ammit returned to the world. She stood tall and intimidating, towering over the mortals below. Her crocodile scales shone in the pale torchlight, glinting off the golden jewelry across her neck and in the beads of her black hair. Her long snout and maw instantly pulled back in a satisfied sneer, and her tail lashed in the open air.

            Harrow and his disciples fell to their knees, reverent of their goddess. (Y/N) alone remained standing, staring up at Ammit with wide eyes.

            Ammit gazed down at the gathered group, and her golden eyes landed on (Y/N). “To whom do I owe my gratitude? You, young one?”

            (Y/N) blinked and stepped back, pulling the sleeves of their hoodie. Panic gripped them, and words refused to form in their throat.

            “Yes, the language of magic rests heavy around you,” said Ammit, nodding approvingly. She continued her appraising look, and (Y/N) wanted to disappear. “As does truth. It is carved into your very heart. I look for such souls to guide, for who else can speak for my ways but those with truth?”

            (Y/N)’s eyes widened. Did Ammit want them as an Avatar because the truth was strong around them? Is that why Ma’at had chosen them? “I—” (Y/N)’s voice failed them, still constricted.

            “My goddess,” said Harrow, raising his head. “The child was Ma’at’s Avatar. They fought against freeing you. They are not a suitable choice for you, despite their heart. I brought them merely to read the ritual rites.”

            Ammit tsked. “Ah, Ma’at. We worked together once. A pity she could not see we both wish for the same thing—justice. Truth.” Her eyes landed on Harrow. “But if you brought the child here, then you are to whom I owe gratitude.”

            Harrow shook his head. “I am but a humble disciple to whom you owe nothing.”

            “Your scales lack balance,” noted Ammit appraisingly.

            “I understand,” said Harrow, bowing his head. “I had hoped my penance might correct my imbalance, but I see now that’s impossible. I accept the scales regardless of the outcome.”

            (Y/N) felt a fury build inside them. Harrow had given himself a second chance but refused it to anyone else. Once again, his teachings and Ammit’s work were nothing more than inconsistent fallacies that hurt so much more than they could ever possibly help.

            “They lack balance because of what lies ahead of you,” said Ammit.

            “Then we must spare the world the pain I will cause,” said Harrow. “I willingly submit.”

            Harrow disgusted (Y/N). Only now that Ammit spoke was he willing to say he had done wrong? That he had hurt people?

            “What lies ahead of you is your service to me,” said Ammit.

            “How may I serve you in death?” said Harrow.

            “Your death is delayed,” said Ammit. “I once relayed on a servant whose scales balanced perfectly. In exchange, I was bound to stone for two thousand years.” She cast a look to (Y/N), who had backed up to the stone wall in an attempt to disappear. “Perhaps the same would happen if I chose another balanced heart, even if the truth is so natural to them.”

            “But I have disciples all over the world whose scales balance perfectly, awaiting your command,” said Harrow, still the ever-reverent, humble man. “They are worthy, my goddess.”

            “But you worked to set me free. That is the loyalty I need of an Avatar,” said Ammit. “You are the Avatar that I need. Serve me, and you will find peace.” She put her hand on Harrow’s head. “Do not let the past control you.”

            But you will judge others on their past, thought (Y/N).

            “As you wish.” Harrow’s eyes glowed purple as he accepted the Avatarhood.

            In the smaller corridors, Layla took a deep breath and stomped on Khonshu’s ushabti. In a swirl of sand and white smoke, Khonshu appeared, and Layla gasped. She had never actually seen one of the gods.

            “I do not sense Marc Spector in this world,” said Khonshu, looking about. “He died fighting, no doubt.”

            “Fighting your war,” said Layla angrily.

            “And it’s far from over,” said Khonshu. “If Marc is truly gone, then I am in need of an Avatar. Would you, Layla El-Faouly, protect the travelers of the night—”

            “Are you joking?” Layla cut him off. “You turned Marc’s life into a waking nightmare. Why would I ever sign up for that?”

            “Because you won’t win against Ammit and Harrow alone,” said Khonshu.

            “I’ll take my chances,” said Layla, narrowing her eyes.

            “Nor can you protect (Y/N) against them,” said Khonshu.

            “I said I’ll take my chances,” repeated Layla.

            “You need a plan, little bug. What I offer—”

            “I don’t care what you offer,” said Layla. “(Y/N) warned me about being an Avatar. Marc didn’t trust you. I don’t trust you. We’ll work together without my enslaving myself.”

            “To rebind Ammit, we’ll need Ma’at’s knowledge of rituals,” said Khonshu, bitter but going along with Layla (he needed Ammit gone. That was his first priority).

            Layla turned and picked up the ushabti. Silently apologizing to (Y/N) since she couldn’t be sure how (Y/N) felt about Ma’at returning, Layla smashed it. Blue smoked and sand condensed into Ma’at’s form.

            “Ammit has returned,” said Ma’at, instantly strategizing. “I know the binding ritual. (Y/N) can read it. It will work if they become my Avatar again.”

            “Good, they can repay releasing her,” said Khonshu.

            “That wasn’t their fault,” snapped Layla.

            Khonshu didn’t have the grace to respond and disappeared into sand.

            “Remain watchful, Layla El-Faouly,” said Ma’at. “There is still a battle to come.” She disappeared.

Taglist:

@jaytheaceenby

@severussimp

@dmitrytherat

@slytherinroyalty16

@grippleback-galaxy

@alexpangender

@thewittyfanficreader

@aew-kun-age-regression

@oscarissac2099

@amberforest08

@kyalov

@yyourmotherr

@im-making-an-effort

@the-toskaverse

@wra-1-th

[winniethewife]

It's undeniably real (Layla El-Faouly x The Moonknight system x Reader)

Chapter 12: I have to believe

Last Chapter ~ Next Chapter

Words: 790

“He was there? He was the one who trained you?” Marc was still slightly argumentative about the whole Buck situation by the time dinner was over. Several hours after Jake and I returned to the hotel.  He didn’t trust him, understandably.

“Yes, but he was brainwashed, he wasn’t really himself. Like I said before.” I sighed. We had already been over this many times. As I stood from the hotel bed again to walk over to the window, looking out at the city. I walk past Layla who eyes me with concern. She didn’t have to say a thing for me to know what she was thinking.

How can I be sure we can trust him? I was frustrated with both of them at this point. I knew they were trying to protect me, but at this point I just wanted things to go back to normal. I just wanted to go back home, just go back to date nights and grocery store shopping. I run my hand along the back of my neck trying desperately to calm myself. The room had gone quiet as I stared out the window, Marc brooding behind me and Layla sitting quietly thinking. “I know, it seems risky, but this is my best shot at finding out what happened, to figure out why I went through all this. To find closure on the subject. That’s all I want okay? I just want to close this chapter on my life and…move on.”

“Of course habibti We know that, its just, we don’t know this guy or what intentions he has.” Layla comes up behind me and puts a hand on my shoulder. I flinch, the touch is not unwanted, but I felt so on edge. I feel her hand draw back. I reach over and hold it in place.

“I know. I’m sorry, this is a lot. For all of us.” I whisper. Marc walks up behind me and Layla. He reaches for me grabbing my waist, wrapping his arm around my middle, pulling Layla in for a side hug at the same time

“It’s not your fault, I know it’s hard to remember that, trust me I’ve been there but…It’s not your fault.” Marc said with understanding in his voice. As we stood in the window, I willed myself to possibly cry about this, to show feeling, to just release some of the tension. But there was no release.

~

“You sure this is the right place?” Layla looked around the Parking garage with confusion.

“Yep, this is where he’s gonna meet us.” I said squeezing her hand gently. Jake stands on my other side, he’s tense as hell. I let my fingers graze over his, and he turns to look at me, his face softens. He smirks slightly and laughs.

“Steven wants me to make sure you’re alright, something about ‘the next few minutes could change your life for all eternity’ or whatever” Jake mimics Stevens accent perfectly as he quotes Steven making me giggle.

“I’m fine, I don’t mind if my whole life changes as long as I’m with you guys, you are the most important thing in my life, changed or unchanged.” I say taking his hand in mine and squeezing it tight. Just then we spot Bucky leaning on a car. He give Nod and a smile of greeting. I felt a knot in my somach as I saw the roll of paper in his hand. “My file?” I ask apprehensively. Bucky nods and hands it to me.

“I had a friend track this down, wasn’t easy but its all here.” Bucky said as I look thought it. My name, my parents’ names, all of my stats from my time in the academy, notes from my teachers over the years, I skim through it all but land on a note written on the last page. “Code Name: Anubis, Assignment: HYDRA” I say softly as I stare blankly at the page.

“Wait, Anubis? The God of the dead?”  Layla looks at the paper confused.

“She had a 98 percent kill rate, more deadly than any other student. She was given the code name only a year into her training.” Bucky explains, a slight grimace on his face. “You excelled at everything that was put in front of you, like you were meant for it.” That phrase echoed in my mind.

Like you were meant for it.

Was I really made to kill? Was that my true calling? I shake my head trying to get the thought out of my head. I look down at the papers again. Anubis. The Jackal. I think about the cult, and suddenly I realize.

“Cult of the Jackal…they weren’t trying to kill me…they want me alive.”

~

A/N: Hey So I'm gonna start putting these out at a slower pace, maybe every other week or so, no promises. because Inspiration is slow and I have a lot of other stuff I wanna write.

Masterlist

Taglist: @redeyerhaenyra @summonthesoups

[little-worm-grant]

Jake's pov: 'Not a Date' Date

Jake Lockley & Layla El-Faouly

590 words / Masterlist.

If you like what you see, leave a like or reblog and follow me ♥

Summary: Snippet from Jake's night of taking Layla out to get to know him. Jake doesn't know how to behave around Marc's wife. No smut, just fluff & mild gunplay. Lowkey all the love to @lunaselena for all the nonsense they write with me.

His cap was firmly pressed back onto his head by her. Dark curls of his hair not quite making it back into place. Jake just smiled. Thin as it was, wanted her to see his appreciation for returning his cap. Or maybe for the lingering touch surrounding it.

Everything about the arcade was bright and flashy, designed to snag attention, though Jake’s was firmly on Layla.

“No…” He admitted after she asked him if he wanted to go home yet. Feeling out his reluctance to leave right away. Not after that chaste little first kiss they’d shared in the photo booth. He needed more time to sit with that. This was Marc’s wife. He shouldn’t be wanting more of that.

He reached up to properly get the cap comfortably on his head. One hand lifted it while the other combed back his hair. Contemplating an arm around her shoulders to pull her over to the shooter while holding her. Instead, he stepped back and gestured for her to get moving with a tip of his head in the direction of a game he spotted with plastic guns.

Walking over there Jake pulled the gun off the console to check it over. Not overly realistic, but for the game they were about to play, it’d do.

“Here.” He pointed at a space in front of him for her to stand. Treating it like it was a real gun. Arms around her he got her to hold the gun. One hand on her wrist. Shifting her fingers away from the trigger.

“Only hold the trigger if you intend to shoot. Otherwise, it goes here.”

His other hand reached for her second hand to bring it up and clasp over her first hand.

“Better grip for recoil and steadier aim.”

He muttered, not that it’d matter for an arcade game. Leaning back he looked down at her. His foot came between hers to kick them apart a little wider. His hand going to her hip to steady her posture.

“Tch. Look real dangerous now, Chica.”

Jake chuckled as he stepped back to appreciate her stance with a gun. He reached for the second one. And tapped the console to start.

Zombies charged towards the screen. Head shots took them down but a few rounds in the body also seemed to do the trick. Jake shot with precision. Making every bullet count.

“Coming in from the left.” He warned. Helping Layla to clear out the oncoming crowd. “Right. Right.”

The levels rolled by and soon there were too many to hold off. Zombies overwhelmed them, gnawing at the screen.

“Ack. They got you. We don’t keep any infected under this roof.”

He laughed, Hand reaching up her back to wrap around the back of her neck and tug her into him. Affectionate and playful. Nothing rough about it. Bringing the gun up to press under her chin. Pressing just enough to tilt her head up to look at him.

“Pew.” He said quietly. A smirk. He brought the gun down.

Finding any excuse to untangle and move away from her, he put the controller back in its holder. They’d spent a good portion of the night together. Going through drive-thru’s and watching the stars. Late-night arcades and doing every game they could. Even managing to hit the leaderboard on one of them. J +L imprinted on the screen. Jake truly didn’t want the night to end. He knew if they stayed any longer he’d be finding other reasons to kiss her.

“Ready to go?”

[layla4567]

Help me with something i'm writing

[messrmoonyy]

Hiya! Can I request either a one shot of Layla and a shy reader? Reader invites her out on a date but doesn’t specifically say it’s a date because they are so timid. So Layla only realizes that it’s a date halfway through. OR hcs about what Layla is like when she realizes she’s in love with you. Whichever interests you more :3

A date. Of sorts

Layla El-Faouly x afab reader

A/N- Hello my sweet anon! I absolutely did both because my love for Layla El-Faouly knows no bounds. Sorry this took way. Way. longer than expected I accidentally deleted it when I finshed it and had to re write it all 😩 the hcs are over on my masterlist and were posted forvever ago. This is my first full layla os but I hope you enjoy <3

Word count: 5.3k

Warnings: none. It’s fluff. Tooth rotting.

Masterlist- requests are open! <3

Comments and reblogs are always appreciated!

You were woken up by the sound of your phone ringing. At first you didn’t fully acknowledge it, rolling over to the other side of the bed and guessing it was more than likely just in your dream. But then it started up again and you realised it was in fact your phone, you rolled back and picked it up just before it finished ringing.

“ hello? “ you mumbled as you held it to to your ear, not even looking at who it was that was calling, your eyes still half closed.

“ well hello to you sleepy head “ your eyes opened fully at the sound of her voice, butterflies erupting in your stomach the way that they always did whenever you spoke to her.

“ lay- Layla. Hi? “ she chuckled over the phone as you tried to shake the sleep away from your head. What time was it?

“ where are you it’s 10am? “

“ what? We’re closed today “ you mumbled and let your head drop back down into your pillow, your eyes falling closed again, still holding the phone to your ear.

“ you know what day it is? “ you frowned at the odd question. Of course you did. That’s why you hadn’t moved from bed yet and had no stress about going to bed early the previous night. In fact you’d been up until almost 4.

“ what? “

“ my gods. Y/N. It’s stock count day! The whole reason we are closed. You said you’d help “ you could practically hear her pouting at you through the phone. You groaned and rubbed at your forehead, a headache starting to make itself apparent behind your eyes “ please? “

“ give me half an hour? 45 minutes tops?“

“ life saver! See you soon “ you tossed your phone to the end your bed with a groan. Rubbing at your eyes to wipe away the sleep. It’s not like you had any real plans for today, you had agreed to help her out. And you could think of worst ways to spend the day.

You’d had a crush on Layla ever since she’d started working at the antiques store with you. The day she’d come in searching for a job you’d simply froze in her presence.

“ hey! I was wondering if there were any jobs available here I have a lot of experience “ you’d been like a deer in headlights. No one really ever came in and when they did it was older people, or the odd hipster trying to seem quirky and different by shopping for antiques. Never someone like her. You’d not even managed a word, simply squeaked and scurried off into the back for your manager.

You hadn’t actually managed a conversation with her until 2 weeks of her being there. Even now you struggled sometimes. When you couldn’t see her it wasn’t so bad, you would have long conversations on the phone often. Even if you were mostly listening. But in person? She was far too overwhelming.

How did anyone have the ability to stand in her presence and simply just… be okay? She was like one of the Egyptian goddesses she seemed so interested in, beauty beyond anything of a mere mortal.

Though maybe you were over exaggerating. But then again. Maybe not.

You rolled out of bed and shuffled over to your bathroom to wake yourself up with a shower, trying to be as fast as possible to not keep Layla waiting. The entire process passing by in a half asleep daze.

Your body still seemed reluctant to be up and moving though, so much so that it took you three attempts just to find the correct arm hole in your t shirt. And then you swore you tried every single key on your door before you found the right one.

So before you even attempted to navigate the tube, you headed for Starbucks. Knocking back your coffee before you even reached the platform, burning your mouth in the process. But at least it made you feel a little more awake.

Thankfully the world seemed to be on your side, the tube ride smooth as could be with not as many tourists popping themselves in awkward places like normal. You didn’t know how many times you’d accidentally walked into someone trying to decipher a tube map, parking themselves right in the way of everyone.

Your little lie in actually was quite the lifesaver though, meaning you’d missed the vast majority of the rush hour crowd. Of course it was busy, you didn’t think you’d ever actually seen London… quiet. But you weren’t sandwiched up against a bunch of strangers at least. You actually had a space mostly to yourself. There was even an empty seat but you thought you’d probably just drop off again if you sat down.

So you stayed standing, it wasn’t a long journey anyway. And it provided more people watching opportunities. You’d always kept yourself to yourself, always on the quieter and more timid side your entire life. So you’d grown pretty good at reading people.

And the tube was full of… interesting people to look at.

There was always at least one person reading. Usually a dog of some kind tucked in someone’s arms too. Sometimes both. Business men in suits, someone talking too loud on their phone, couples giving far too much pda, a whole array of languages and accents. Maybe a tiny part of you actually enjoyed the tube.

You did feel slightly envious of people sometimes. When you’d see people so clearly more confident and comfortable in their skin than you. Happy to take up space and be heard. The couples too, so unapologetically in love with each other that they didn’t care about where they were or who saw them. It did make you feel a little lonely sometimes.

When you stepped off in Shoreditch you felt far more awake.

You always felt a little out of place in Shoreditch, not even remotely cool enough to be walking around there never mind working. But then again, the antique store you worked in didn’t particularly fit in either. So it was quite the match when you thought about it.

You popped into Costa before heading to the store, grabbing yourself something a little less caffeine based. You were nervous enough around Layla as it was never mind adding coffee shakes to the mix. And grabbed something for Layla too. Before finally heading to work a little later than planned.

You pushed open the stiff door of the shop, balancing the drinks as you did. The door itself was practically antique you were certain it had never been changed and that one day it would just stick completely, locking you in or out.

She was no where in sight as you closed the door, the tiny brass bell above it tinkling to signal someone had come inside. The little portable radio was on quietly behind the counter, slightly staticky because it was almost impossible to get a decent signal. It seemed to be half way between two stations. Take that overlapping with stormzy in some odd mash up.

“ there she is! Better late than never sleeping beauty “ Layla appeared from the back room, clearly hearing the bell as you’d entered the shop. She looked as beautiful as ever, her beaming smile made you weak in the knees. You were silently thankful you’d not opted for another coffee after all.

“ sorry I’m late “ she waved a hand as if to dismiss the apology and walked around the counter “ I got you a drink “

“ ooo thank you “ She pulled you in for a quick squeeze of a hug. She enveloped you in a mist of her perfume and shampoo, vanilla and coconut clouding your senses like a drug. Her soft curls tickling your cheek, her hands pressed firmly to your back. You were a total goner. Completely.

“ no problem “ you said quietly as she picked up the cup and drank almost half of it in one go “ thirsty? “

“ I’ve been here since 7! “ she said with a small laugh and stifled a yawn as if to prove the point “ someone was still snoozing at that point “ she teased, pulling a little notepad from the back pocket of her jeans “ I’ve done most of the backstock. We just need to take note of everything on the shop floor. Shouldn’t take us too long “

“ I’m sorry. It just completely slipped my mind “ she gave a small smile and squeezed your arm softly.

“ don’t. It’s fine. I think I’m more productive alone actually. No distractions “ she caught your eye for the briefest second before letting go.

You took half the shop each, taking note of every item the shop had to offer. You wished the system was more efficient. But your boss seemed to want to keep not only the stock antique, but the stocking systems too. You kept glancing over at her as you took note of everything in the silvers cabinet, half hiding behind the cabinet and a silver jug as not to be caught.

But she never seemed to notice you looking. Always oblivious to what you thought was your obvious staring and lovestruck gazes, your stutters and inability to form sentences around her most of the time. Maybe she just put it down to your nervous nature. Which you guessed half of it was in a way.

She reached up to count the pieces of a hand painted dinnerware set, her jumper riding up slightly and exposing a sliver of her skin. You had to look away, your cheeks flushing pink. Pathetic.

When you reached the artwork section your brain started wondering again, looking at one particular piece depicting two girls on a picnic in beautiful flowing dresses. You wondered if they were friends or something more. Old art had a habit of showing women so clearly in love but marking them as friends. Women in intimate and close encounters but descriptions stating that was simply how intimacy worked in that era.

It made you look over at her again.

You knew she liked girls, she’d mentioned it in passing once or twice. Small mentions of an ex girlfriend or a failed date. But you also knew she’d been married to a man. Part of you wondered if she was just one of those girls who only said they liked girls, thinking it was some way to make herself seem more appealing and quirky.

She was too kind, too gentle, too… perfect to be like that though. Wasn’t she? You turned back to the artwork, imagining some perfect date like the one in the paint like that with her. If anything it would be a perfect choice simply because it was relatively stress free. Picnics were relaxing. Calm. Not an anxiety attack trigger in sight.

And it might not even totally come across as a date… in fact she wouldn’t even have to know. You could simply…. Test the waters as it were. Just two friends. Having a picnic. Just like the piece of art.

But having the courage to actually ask her? That was going to take some working up to.

“ almost done over there? “ you startled as Layla called you from the other side of the shop, looking over at you with a smile and leaning back to see you from behind a cabinet.

“ I- yeah. Yeah nearly done “ you made haste and finished taking note of everything on your side of the shop, making sure every piece of an old chess set was there when Layla joined you again.

“ boo “ her voiced was soft, right by your ear and fingers poking at your sides. You startled more at her closeness than her actually making you jump, her warm breath against your skin sending a trail of goosebumps across your arms. Heat rose up your neck and blossomed across your cheeks. You wanted her fingers to dance across those goosebumps, read your skin like brail and understand your feeling without even having to say it.

If only.

“ hey “ you said quietly, softly clearing you throat in hopes she hadn’t noticed your nerves at her closeness.

“ hungry? I’m starved “ she draped an arm over your shoulder the other on her hip and moved next to you, looking down at your notebook. If anyone looked through the windows now they might think you were a couple. You kinda liked that “ just one shelf left to do? “

“ yes “

“ right. I’m gonna go get us some lunch then…. Jolenes? I think we deserve some pastries, don’t you? “ you chanced a look up at her, very much gazing like some lovestruck teenager. She gave you a warm smile, eyes crinkling at the edges and nose scrunching slightly

“ yeah. Sounds good. Pastries “ her smile grew and she gave you a squeeze before letting you go, heading behind the counter and grabbing her bag.

“ right. You get that final shelf done. I’ll go get us some treats. I’ll be like 10 minutes okay? “ you nodded and watched as she fished around her bag for her purse before heading for the door “ get working, you! You’ve got the time it takes me to go get food and get back. If you’re not done I’ll eat yours “ she disappeared out the door with a wink.

You finished the last shelf with a goofy smile on your face, practically floating on air, the same way you always did whenever she paid you any kind of attention that might prove more than just being friendly.

In fact something seemed to click in your brain and all of a sudden you had decided. You would ask her on that picnic. You would. She didn’t have to know it was a date, didn’t have to know your feelings. Your intentions. All she had to know was two people who were friends, having a friendly picnic dinner. That was all.

You would do it. You would do it. It would be easy. Easier than you thought.

‘ hi layla. Want to go on a picnic with me? ‘

‘ layla did you wanna come to the park with me tomorrow? Picnic and the outdoor cinema? ‘

‘ layla. Let’s go to the outdoor cinema with a picnic tomorrow! ‘

You internally groaned at how stupid you sounded, and you hadn’t even said them out loud. You sighed and took note of the remaining items on the shelf.

“ Layla. I was wondering if you wanted to go to the park tomorrow- no…. Layla! Fancy a picnic tomorrow? “ you placed your notebook down with a frustrated sigh “ Layla. Do you like the movie Grease?- everyone fucking likes Grease come on “ you would’ve sounded like a mad woman if anyone entered the shop now “ Layla. The outdoor cinema is running tomorrow. Shall we go? Let’s take a picnic?… not bad not bad “ You made your way back to the counter, now that your side of the shop had been accounted for “ Layla… “

“ yes? “ you dropped your pen as she returned, paper bag in one hand and cup holder of drinks in the other, pushing the door open with her hip and elbow.

“ oh! N-nothing. Talking to myself “ you hurried over to pull the door further open for her.

“ first sign of madness “ she said with a cheeky smile and headed for the counter “ hot chocolate. Almond croissant, lemon muffin “ she said as she opened the paper bag, handing over smaller paper bags to you. You smiled and took the paper cup from her too.

“ thank you “ she rummaged around the bag for her own food, taking a bite into a pain au chocolat with a sigh.

“ gods I’m so hungry “ she practically moaned, taking another big bite. You smiled into your cup, taking a sip of the hot chocolate and feeling your stomach grumble in response.

You were both quiet as you ate your treats, Layla double checking over her notebook and occasionally swiping away pastry crumbs.

You thought about your plans to ask her out. Feeling more relaxed in that moment than you had been all day, a calm atmosphere between you. Comfortable. Barely any butterflies fluttering around in your chest.

“ Layla “ you said softly spurring through it before you could lose the tiny bit of courage you’d found, fiddling slightly with the paper bag your muffin had come in.

“ hmm? “ she glanced up at you, big brown eyes full of kindness and care the same way they always were. You were speechless again, words refusing to form in your mouth now that you were looking her right in the eyes “ y/n?”

‘ I think I’m in love with you would you go on a date with me? Please? ‘

You wished you could say it. Wished you had the balls to just tell her. Instead your mouth just opened and closed a couple of times. You probably looked like an idiot.

“ are you okay? “ she asked with some concern filtering into her words, her hand gently falling on your wrist.

“ I- would you maybe. I mean only if you want- like. I mean- fuck “ your cheeks burned as you failed to even form the sentence you’d been practicing. You felt completely useless.

“ you’re being weird “ Layla said with a raised eyebrow.

“ m’ always weird “ you tried with a slight smile. It made a smile blossom on Laylas face too, the kind that made the corners of her eyes crinkle, the kind that made you want to melt into a puddle on the ground. She playfully nudged your arm and propped her elbow on the counter, chin in the palm of her hand.

“ come on what’s wrong, why are you getting flustered. It’s just me. Remember what I told you, deep breath in your nose, out slowly through your mouth. Gather your thoughts. And try again. You got this “ she was always so kind. So gentle.

You closed your eyes for a brief moment, taking her advice and taking a breath.

“ there’s. There’s this picnic in the park thing happening tomorrow. They’re doing this projector movie and you take a blanket and food and. I was just. Well- do you want to… would you maybe like to go? “ you waited for the frown or the excuse as to why she couldn’t make it. But Instead she smiled and nodded enthusiastically, her curls bouncing around her head.

“ that sounds amazing! Yeah I’ll go with you “ she flipped her notebook closed and picked it up “ come on then let’s get this all finished. don’t wanna be here all day do we “ you watched slightly dumbstruck as she linked her arms with yours and you stumbled slightly as she lead you into the back room for the final checks. She was acting as if it was a totally normal thing to have been asked and you still couldn’t quite believe she had said yes.

But maybe the idea that she may think it was simply just a friends thing was working? Either way. You had a date with Layla and that was both exciting and terrifying as all hell.

You’d never been more nervous in your life as you tried to find a decent outfit for your date. It was silly because Layla didnt even think it was a date, you shouldn’t be treating it as one even if that had been the intention all along.

You looked at the piles of clothes scattering your bed, all the choices you’d decided against before sighing and closing your eyes. You took a deep breath in some attempt to relax before looking back at yourself in the mirror. You looked nice. Not too smart. Not too casual.

You’d been preparing all day, up since 6 with too much nervous energy to sleep any longer. You’d nipped out to get a whole array of snacks and nibbles for your picnic, stopping at a flower seller on the corner on the way home too. Whether or not you’d actually give her the flowers was a whole new story. But you’d brought them all the same.

You wondered what she’d be wearing. If you were too over dressed. Or under dressed. It was silly. This was Layla. She wasn’t going to judge you for something as ficcle as clothes. You were being silly. Over thinking. Getting in your head.

There was a knock on the door and your heart started hammering in your chest. The outfit you had on would have to do.

“ one second! “ you called and headed into the kitchenette to grab the tote bag full of snacks for your picnic, hesitating before carefully putting in the small bunch of flowers too. Hidden so that if you didn’t get brave enough to give them to her she’d never have to know they’d even existed.

You were over thinking things far too much. You shook your head and headed for the front door, taking a deep breath before opening it.

“ Hey! Oh you look nice “ she greeted, beaming smile on her face. You froze, unable to say anything to her “ I brought a blanket and some drinks, like we said. You got the snacks? “ you nodded, still unable to talk as you very blatantly stared at her. She was so. Beautiful. How on earth were you even going to make it through the evening with her looking like that?

It wasn’t like she was even in anything fancy, she just…. Looked nice “ you okay? Y/n? “ she placed a hand on your shoulder, a warm smile on her face. She was going to be the death of you.

“ yeah. Yeah I’m okay. Tired “ she gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze as you said it, sympathy in her eyes

“ fresh air will wake you up. Come on let’s go we don’t wanna miss the start of the movie “ you locked the door to your flat and followed her to the stairs. The lift in your flats hadn’t worked for months now.

A part of you wondered if she knew your secret intentions, knew your fear to ask her outright on a date. You hoped not. She probably just thought it was exactly what it seemed, two friends going out together.

“ did you… did you have a nice day? “ you asked, in some attempt to calm your nerves with some normal conversation.

“ yeah it was fine. Nothing too exciting. You? “ I spent the whole day panicking about our date that you don’t know is a date and did literally nothing productive. It was great!

“ nothing really “ she smiled and you both fell quiet for a few moments. You were stood so close together her hand was brushing against yours as you walked and it was making your cheeks flush.

You wanted to hold her hand. You wondered if it was soft and smooth or rough with the years she had spent at dig sites in Egypt. If it would fit nicely in your own.

“ oh careful! “ in your daydreaming you hadn’t been paying attention to your surroundings, almost walking right into a lamppost. She grabbed onto your hand and tugged you around it with a laugh and a shake of her head “ you’re away with the fairies today! “ she laughed and squeezed your hand lightly. It was as if she’d read your mind.

“ sorry “ you practically choked on your embarrassment but she just squeezed your hand again and beamed at you.

“ come on let’s get to this movie before you get yourself into mischief “ you noticed as you walked she didn’t drop your hand. Kept it firmly in her own as she walked down the street in her usual confident strides. Maybe she knew you wanted to hold her hand. Maybe you’d been staring. Either way you didn’t really mind.

You made it to the park just as the movie was starting. She found a empty spot in the grass and laid down the blanket, both of you spreading out the drinks and snacks you’d brought with you.

You looked at the flowers in the bag and debated for a moment before taking them out and clearing your throat.

“ erm… Layla “

“ hmm? “ she asked, half looking away from the movie.

“ for you? “ it came out as more of a question than a statement. But you’d gained the confidence to even take them out of the bag. That was something. She turned fully to look at you, a questioning look blossoming into a smile as she saw the small bunch of flowers in your hands.

“ really? “ she asked gently, taking them from your hands “ they’re lovely, y/n “ she pulled you in for a hug, careful not squish the flowers between you. Her perfume flooded your nose and it somehow eased your nerves again.

You got that fluttering feeling in your chest again. As if a million butterflies had erupted out of your heart, filling your lungs so that it took your breath away. She took your breath away.

You barely watched the movie. You watched her. Completely and utterly enamoured by her as you always were, looking away any time she glanced over at you and hoping she hadn’t caught you. Looking particularly interested in the hummus and carrots and hoping your cheeks werent too bright. It seemed to work for the most part.

She sang along to the songs, nodding her head along to the beat, curls bouncing around her face in a way that was mesmerising. You felt as though you should be trying to make some kind of conversation with her, ask her about her dating life? isn’t that what happened on dates?

“ would. Would you ever date anyone like Danny? “ you asked and laughed a little, planning to play it off as a joke if she found it weird.

“ no way. He’s awful to her most of the time! “ you nodded and pushed a mini sausage roll around on your paper plate

“ who would you then? Date I mean? “ she shrugged, still watching the screen intently

“ someone kind. That’s boring isn’t it? But it’s what I want. I’ve done the whole moody, brooding, tough guy type. Maybe I need a little change. Someone a little softer “ she glanced over at you and it flushed your cheeks red for the millionth time, causing you to focus back on your plate again.

“ your husband? He was like that? Moody? “

“ so moody “ she said with a sigh, still watching the screen “ and secretive “ you watched her face carefully, trying to decipher her exact thoughts. Trying to decide if it was longing or sadness you were hearing in her voice. Longing to have the man back or sadness that it was over, but at peace “ you can’t have a relationship that’s built on secrecy you know? It doesn’t work “

“ what secrets did he have? “ you didnt know why you were asking, you didn’t want to know about him really. The man that had managed to be able to call Layla his own. And had hurt her so badly

“ you wouldn’t believe me if I told you “ she said with a laugh and shrugged “ I have my own secrets too. But I like to think I’ll get to the point some day to tell someone, if I loved them. I thought I loved Marc and I thought he loved me but… so many secrets “ you cautiously reached over and squeezed her hand lightly and she smiled “ don’t worry I’m fine. Over it. Besides got my eye on someone new “

Your heart sank. It felt as though it were made of lead, plummeting from your chest and weighing heavily in your stomach. You dropped her hand and reached for your drink, some attempt to hide your burning disappointment. Of course she liked someone. And no doubt they liked her back too. Of course

Layla didn’t seem to pick up on your upset, grinning at the screen as Sandy appeared after her make over “ she looks totally amazing but it’s sad she has to change for him isn’t it? “ you nodded “ she looks hot. But I think I liked her better before “

“ why? “ she shrugged again

“ quite. Kind. Caring… sweet. Not trying to prove anything to anyone. I like that “

“ I always thought that. When I was younger I loved Sandy I always felt a lot like her “ you tried your best to appear as normal as could be, ignoring your disappointment and heartbreak that Layla would soon be in work talking about someone that wasn’t you.

“ do me a favour? Never go get some hot biker make over then “ she said with a grin and nudged you with her arm. Humming along with the song “ I quite like you how you are, the ‘Sandra D’ type huh? “ you gave her a small smile and nodded

“ no pleather jumpssuits. Got it “

The movie ended and she offered to walk back with you, proudly carrying the flowers you felt stupid about bringing now.

You expected her to say goodbye at the door to your building but she insisted she walk you right to your door. Part of you just wanted her to leave, you wanted to cry into a pint of ice cream for the rest of the night about how stupid you were. But she was too kind. Too polite. Of course she wanted to ensure you got home safe.

As you reached your door you placed the food bag down and rummaged in your handbag for your keys.

“ thank you for co- “ as you looked back up to her, before you could even finish your sentence, she was pressing a soft kiss to your lips, so sudden it took you by surprise. You froze. Not even kissing her back right away, too In shock to even process what was going on.

Your eyes fluttered closed and she smiled against your lips, clearly feeling you relax slightly, a hand sliding to press against your lower bag and pull you in closer.

“ Layla- I… what? “ she giggled at your shock, nudging the backs of her fingers against your burning cheek as she pulled away. She simply shrugged.

“ most people end a date with a kiss. Why should we be any different? And you didn’t seem to be getting my hints “

“ date? What date I.. no this wasn’t- maybe it was but- when? “ she laughed again as you failed to string together a sentence for the second time in a row, brain foggy with the memory of her soft plump lips brushing against your own. You felt like melting into the floor below you. But she was more than used to it by now.

“ you had me at first I won’t lie to you. But the flowers? Very cute attempts at flirting? Is that why you were so nervous when you asked me? Cause it’s a date? Hm? “ it did feel like a weight off your shoulders honestly, you gave a small sigh as your shoulders physically relaxed under the metaphorical weight leaving.

“ yes “ you prepared yourself for the let down, for her to say it was sweet and all. But she didn’t like you like that. But instead she simply smiled and leant back in, lips brushing over yours, noses bumping slightly. And then she kissed you again.

You were thankful she seemed to know what she was doing far more than you, holding your face so gently in her hands whilst yours hung useless and slightly awkward in between you. It was how you’d always imagined it, her lips as soft as you’d thought, the slight taste of her coconut lip balm hovering in your mouth. When she pulled away the second time she placed another soft kiss to your nose before stepping back.

“ how about- “ Layla spoke again, brushing your hair away from your face gently “ I take you on a date next hmm? There’s this amazing restaurant in Hammersmith that does traditional Egyptian cuisine, it’s awesome. I can take you there? The Basbousa there will rot your teeth in the best way I promise “

you couldn’t quite find the words still, shock still rendering your voice useless as you realised Layla wanted to take you on date. You. Your feelings weren’t one sided. She did like you back. She did want to go on a date with you.

“ that’d be amazing “

[lazlolullaby]

Where is the Moon Knight AU where Marc and Layla's patron Gods are swapped? and now my brain can't work because it extended into a full roleswap AU?

Layla's father came back from a successful dig with a trove of information and a lovely little ushabti of Khonshu. However, Abdullah is acting strange, talking to thin air, going out at night, researching further into obscure things. The lights are also flickering no matter how much she checks the generator and the wind keeps blowing despite the doors being shut.

Abdullah El-Faouly is the Eye of Khonshu: being banished for so long from the world, the God needs some time to adjust before going forward with his plan of punishing evildoers. (this was Khonshu trying so hard to be like the Ennead, but he could not abandon his nature to protect.) Abdullah ends up breaking the contract and Khonshu leaves the ushabti behind as a token of protection.

(then there is Arthur Harrow, the Talons of Khonshu. While his willingness to perform violence is a boon, sometimes he is too eager.)

Everything is fine for a while, then mercenaries break in to find the artifact. Bushman threatens them. Layla fights and takes down most of them, but her father is still hurt. One of the remaining mercenaries turns on Bushman. (He starts the mission as Marc - but since he can't handle another innocent death on his hands, backs out and swaps with Jake.)

During the struggle, Layla gets shot. Jake gets things done and then scatters. (he believes that he killed her. this has. repercussions on the system.)

Khonshu at first just wanted to revive Abdullah, but at his insistence he gives up being an Avatar so Layla can be revived. "she is going to be angry. You won't be there to see it." "she would have gone after them anyway."

(Khonshu abandons Harrow for this, not sure if it was worth it.)

Abdullah is right. Layla does go on a hunt, now as the Wings of Khonshu. Moon Scarab, to the underworld and the rumor mill.

She's mad about everything. Mad that her father presumed she needed saving, mad that she has to listen to an angry bird. (Rage, though it burns hot, always burns out. It's better than the cold certainty of Harrow's punish before wrongdoing. It is worth it.)

(Layla isn't unhinged, she's just gripping very tight to the hinges, thank you for asking.)

Weeks pass and she finds the last person of the mercenary group. A man cuffed to a wheelchair in a psych ward, sedated.

"His mind is fractured. Broken." Khonshu says. "It could be a fitting punishment, to keep him here. His body rotting while his mind spins in fruitless cycles."

"or he could be very good at hiding. One way to find out."

Layla is an excellent forger - a release for the merc, a small flat and money to keep him in town while he recovers from treatment. She feeds him a lie about being a family friend. There's a flicker of distrust.

"I've got a condition - blacking out, memory issues, insomnia - I'll be up reading all night." He says his name is Steven, but she knows better. "Are you sure you want to be flatmates?"

"I have places to be at night." Khonshu flickers the lights.

"Oh. Fine. Night owl, that's...fine."

"Don't worry about the lights, the landlord never answers the calls." don't mind that she's the landlord.

Her coming home with bruises and cuts. Steven flinches, insisting they go out to get bandages because they don't have a proper first aid kit. The awkward stare off with a hurt lady and a nervous guy VS the night shift cashier that's Seen it All. "bar fight. I won." Layla grins, blood on her teeth.

(The little moment where they're close as he's putting a bandage on her nose and being. so. tender. to someone who's never been more than 'distractedly polite' to him. His face changing to something new, something strange and lovely.)

When she finds him hitting himself, it's not that hard for him to explain. "I don't - I don't know if this is real. Jake is very sure you're dead!"

It turns out after the night of the attack, Jake got them far away as possible. He resolved to become a night driver and Steven to keep house in the day. Marc woke up and realized an alter was trying to build a life and just...let them. Better than mercenary work.

Steven gets worried about his missing time and gets therapy...and the therapist realizes, tells them and pushes them too hard to "come together as one whole"...Jake snaps and he's forced into a psych ward.

They cribbed together some form of communication on the psych ward thanks to a different therapist and the other patients. Marc's immense guilt wanted them to stay. But Jake and Steven wanted the body out. If they spent more time in the ward, they might reveal some crimes and the system doubts that they'll be allowed this level of help in a prison.

When Layla arrived to take them, it was an opportunity they didn't want to refuse.

"We don't want to be one person. We want to be ourselves." Steven fully introduces them after that. "We are the Hippo system! Like the Hippocampus of the brain that works with memory - that's Marc - and navigation - that's Jake!" He spells it out, "He Isn't a People Person Otherwise!"

"Who's he?"

Steven shrugs. "I dunno. I'm just here for general life, Jake is here for protection and gossip and Marc...he's well. Not as social as he'd like to be. I'm not supposed to know about it, that's not my "function", as the doc would say but...whatever happened that made us us was too much for one person to bear. It happened before we met you, so it's not your fault."

Layla shrugs. "What can you tell me about that night?"

"I can't tell you. That's part of the point, us being separate and all."

She eventually gets an answer out of them. Layla also lies and says she wasn't as badly hurt as they saw and shows off her Moon Scarab suit with the healing. (Jake accepts that answer at face value. Steven is a little concerned but willing to let it slide. Marc is suspicious.)

Now with their first round of secrets gone, they feel more at home. The Hippo System settles in as a decent partner in her artifact retrieval - he can put his mercenary skills to a good cause and she doesn't have to hide that burning rage as much. (the rage dims, is soothed and that's not good for vengeance.)

Khonshu starts to intrude, making noises about using the Hippo System as his next Avatar. Layla pulls away, tries to keep them apart because she Knows any more pressure on that mind is going to break them apart.

Wendy Spector dies and the Hippo system is thrown out of balance.

(The rage ignites. She's always held it together - her family after her mother died, her composure when people talked over her and her knowledge of Egypt, her home, now the Hippo system. It's always been up to her and she's resigned and vicious and not holding back.)

Layla makes a judgement call and goes after Harrow alone.

The system recovers. Steven now knows why he exists. He does not flinch from Layla's rage, does not fall for Harrow's twisted philosophy, not like Marc or Jake would. He rallies the system to action, to save the world.

Harrow was able to get dirt on Marc's past and tries to kill him with Judgement, but it doesn't work. He reveals about Khonshu, that his partner is lying to him and it does strain the relationship.

Things follow canon. Khonshu gets sealed into stone. Layla dies and Marc blends in as a follower.

Tawaret tries to ask him to be her Avatar, but he refuses. "Do you know what I did as a child to my brother? What my mother did to me over and over for it? Why would you even want me to defend women and children?"

And he releases Khonshu. "Ah. Big pigeon! No wonder Layla was so bloody ready to be rid of you! Get back to her then! Go on!"

And Tawaret comes back. "Temporary Avatar. I don't want any more voices in my head than I started with."

And he becomes Hippo Knight, because why not?

And they win against Harrow and the cult of Ammit. The system helps Layla stop giving into her rage to kill Harrow. Everyone should be able to choose good or evil.

(Steven kept in contact with the patients and nurses in the psych ward. Harrow is preaching violence again and well. He made his choice. Jake drives Layla over to meet with him. Marc holds her tight.)

[sailorkamino]

navigation 𖡡

marvel : requests closed ✘

🫧 bucky barnes, layla el-faouly, moon knight system (steven grant/marc spector/jake lockley), natasha romanoff, steve rogers, wanda maximoff

~still working on updating links so some won't work

star wars : requests open ✔︎

🫧 cody, crosshair, echo, fives, fox, gregor, hunter, howzer, rex, tech, wolffe, wrecker + delta squad (boss, fixer, scorch, sev)

the witcher : requests open ✔︎

🫧 geralt, jaskier

~no masterlist yet

cod modern warfare : requests open ✔︎

🫧 john "soap" mactavish, simon "ghost" riley

~no masterlist yet

🫧 this blog is for fix it fics so all characters are alive and happy in my canon (no thanos, no order 66, etc.)

🫧 i will write smut (gn or afab reader) but these kinks are hard no's: blood, dub/non con, weapons

🫧 other things i won't write about: cheating, dark fics, eating disorders, main character death, sad endings, self harm

🫧 if you send me a request i'll write you a blurb/headcannons, not a full fic

🫧 my ongoing fics are a set of one shots rather than a linear story

🫧 i have adhd so don't expect a consistent upload schedule :)

[castlecult]

𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 !!

this isn’t my first kinktober, but i wrote very little the past year so i hope to write more.

following are a few rules and info :

ⵌ you must be 17 and older to interact with this post ( and the one shots linked )

ⵌ check tags before reading anything*

ⵌ i decided to write mostly for fem!readers ( except for gn!readers in some cases ) bc i feel more comfortable that way

ⵌ most of these are gonna be short fics, but it depends also on the theme for each day ( idk if that makes sense )

ⵌ if you wanna get tagged, here’s the form !!

*i don’t plan to write anything too dark or stuff like that, but please check all the tags <3

𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 :

DAY 1. floor sex with billy russo

DAY 2. gun play with natasha romanoff

DAY 3. cockwarming with eddie brock

DAY 4. sex toys with jessica jones

DAY 5. spanking with billy russo

DAY 6. drunk sex with eddie brock

DAY 7. angry sex with marc spector

DAY 8. face sitting with layla el-faouly

DAY 9. dry humping with karen page

DAY 10. overstimulation with matt murdock

DAY 11. shower sex with layla el-faouly

DAY 12. mirror sex with jessica jones

DAY 13. masturbation with karen page

DAY 14. phone sex with frank castle

DAY 15. orgasm denial with peter parker ( tasm )

DAY 16. strap-ons with natasha romanoff

DAY 17. table sex with steven grant

DAY 18. threesome with peter parker + matt murdock

DAY 19. daddy kink with frank castle

DAY 20. size difference with wrecker

DAY 21. praise kink with anakin skywalker

DAY 22. handjobs with din djarin

DAY 23. break-up sex with padmé amidala

DAY 24. keeping quiet with joel miller

DAY 25. public sex with darth maul

DAY 26. somnophilia with steve harrington

DAY 27. squirting with rey

DAY 28. sixty-nine with ellie williams

DAY 29. uniforms with frank castle

DAY 30. hair-pulling with robin buckley

DAY 31. monster fucking with venom