#let the witches have glowy deaths too!

[wxywardsun]

My thing is..why weren’t the witches allowed to have a flashy glowy eyed death too? Angels get it,reapers get it,demons get it too! But witches,especially natural born witches get nothing..? I always found it odd. They have magic in their bones! I don’t know..if the angels can get glowy eyes and beams of light coming from Injuries when they die (and demons can get crackly orange/yellow bones) how come the witches can’t get beamy glowy purple eyes when they die? Missed opportunity I think!

[lovemesomeharry]

SPELLS AND CURSES

That’s my piece for @hsogolden’s 5k writing challenge. I hope you guys like it as I tried to do something I would’ve never thought of! Thanks to @hsogolden for making such a fun challenge and letting my lame ass participate in it. 💕

And last but not least, I really don’t know my way around witchcraft, so I apologise in advance if something doesn’t make any sense. I’ve tried my best with the research but I really don’t know if anything’s accurate. So, please read it with caution. And I hope it’s still somewhat enjoyable :)

Used AU’s

Witch!Harry

Villain!Harry

Used prompts

“You don’t seem so excited.”

“Oh, for fucks sake!”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

Warnings: Smut, Curse Words, Witch stuff (obviously), death

Words: 36.4k (it’s a long one)

Summary: Harry and Y/N never thought of seeing each other again but Harry needs help and Y/N is more clueless to his true intentions than she thought.

It was a quiet night, maybe even too quiet for what the Brit was usually used to. The chilly wind was hitting him in the face while he was walking towards the source of noise, drowning out the laughter and talks of the few people on the streets. The club, where he was headed, was awfully full, compared to the rest of the city and if it was up to him, he wouldn’t even be there. Why would he want to anyway? Something about crowded places with only sweaty, smelly, and intoxicated people never sounded extremely comfortable to him. Especially if the music was blasting in his ears, almost making them bleed, with the same obnoxious songs on repeat the whole night. After witnessing the greatest times of music, he was convinced that nowadays artists had no idea what they were doing and most of the time, their music wasn’t as good as they made it out to be. That’s why he preferred much more to get drunk in a small group of friends and sometimes even small parties or gatherings but not large clubs, as he wasn’t able to switch the music whenever he pleased, or was constantly sorrohnded by strangers who knew no personal space.

But to have fun was not the purpose of him being there and he needed to focus if he wanted to get the job done. So, he couldn’t distract himself by buying endless drinks of hoping he’d get a bit intoxicated, even if it meant to only be tipsy. His head had to be fully in the moment.

When he tried to walk through the door, the tall and bulky bouncer was already grabbing him by his arm, yanking him backward with no effort. Harry didn’t expect of him to just let him sneak inside. He very much hoped that he wouldn’t, as a playful smirk crept on his face. He knew he was going to love what was about to happen.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked in a monotone voice, trying his best to come off as strong and scary while Harry tried his best to stiffen his laughter. Humans were so pathetic sometimes but it wasn’t really their fault that they didn’t know that Harry would get inside, one way or another, and them fighting him would solely be a waste of time.

“Look man, I’m not trying to pick a fight, so, just let me get in.” His tone was calm and slow but yet vibrant, making sure his words would echo in his head. Harry tried his best to imitate him with the way he talked, as he was not tall, nor muscular enough to do so. It’s not that Harry wasn’t tall or musuclar, because he was tall and could pull more weights with his upper chest than most people with their whole bodies but he just couldn’t compare to the bouncer. 

But that didn’t seem to help. “No.” The man was shaking his head again while Harry took one step closer.

“I just–”

“–I said no.” Immediately the bouncer grabbed Harry by his shirt, pulling him away from the entrance. “You’re not invited.” He explained harshly with gritted teeth, his eyes staring directly into Harry’s green ones. He just smiled fondly, while keeping the bouncer’s gaze.

Slowly Harry leaned to him, whispering right before his furious face. “Quod dico facies.” His minty breath got stuck in the bouncer’s nose, while his words burned into his brain. His grip immediately loosened around Harry’s shirt and his gaze was not as strong as it was before. Even the anger had left him within seconds. Just like Harry wanted. With his hands, he seemed to straighten his clothes, before he turned to him again. “I’ll go inside, you won’t say anything about it and forget ever meeting me, got it?” As if it was music to the bouncer's ears, he nodded with his head in a complete trance. “Attaboy.” Harry chuckled, patting the bald man's head, as he would do to a dog, before he walked inside the stuffy, crowded, and dark room. Quickly he put his blazer back in place, dust the imaginary dirt off him, while he was still amused of how easy it was for him to get his way. He was so smug about being a witch and never would he give up his powers to be a lousy mortal. Ever.

As he walked further into the building more sweaty bodies collided with him, annoying him but he tried to play it off as he moved with the rhythm, searching for the person, he was in there for. Urgently, his emerald orbs were searching through the crowds, trying desperately to find the girl, who was a headache to locate. She really didn’t let him find her easily, as she was strong enough to be invisible to his magic. She was strong enough to channel his powers away from her but Harry wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t absolutely sure that she’d be here. He wouldn’t be in the messy club, in the first place, if she wasn’t such a powerful witch. After all she can be as invisible as she wanted to be to his magic but people will always talk.

Slightly, he was shoving people away from him when he finally found her, his prey. Her dark skin was shining in golden tones underneath the dim lights, almost exposing her as a witch, as she looked so eternal in her glowy, orange dress and her long nails, gripping the dark glass of her drink. Her wild curls were framing perfectly, while she flaunted her long legs on the barstool and for a moment Harry admired her beauty before he felt ready to go talk to her, swallowing a lump that was forming in his throat. Mentally he wanted to slap himself for the way his hands started to sweat nervously and his heartbeat rapidly against his ribcage. Of course, she was going to be absolutely breathtaking. The energy she radiated was enough to knock the air out of his lungs and he wondered how long it had taken her to master the craft the way she did. Not many witches were able to do black and white magic but she was, and that made her so incredibly powerful. Maybe sixty years ago, others would have treated like royalty because of it but now, no one really cared. Magiy wasn’t the way it used to, as most witches weren’t so reckless anymore. That’s why he feared that he would find someone like her, someone with her abilities. And that’s exactly what Harry wanted. He wanted –no, needed– her magic source to be his and he wasn’t going to stop until he finally has it.

“Hello.” He introduced himself with a deep, raspy voice and a charming smile tilting at his rosy lips, while his right hand went through his chestnut curls, knowing well that he was showing off his best features.

Her head turned around just for a second, scoffing when she caught a glimpse of him, before shifting her gaze to the barkeeper again. “You again, English man.” She dryly let out, not impressed of seeing him again.

“The one and only.” Sheepishly, Harry let out a humorous chuckle, as he remembered back to when he had met her for the first time. She didn’t really let him talk to her and was more busy at the witches market, pretending that he wasn’t even there. For a second his confidence wavered when he wondered whether or not she had seen, or remembered him. But she did. At least that was a start. He was glad that he had overheard her talking about her magic, since he was already on a hunt for someone like her and even if he hadn’t expect to find her while he was busy buying animal bones, crystals or some insects. 

“I won’t get rid of you that easily, won’t I?” She hissed and finally looked back at the man who tried his best not to frown. He wasn’t going to give up. Of course not. But he knew he had a long night ahead of him if she was going to stay this cold. “How did you find me anyway?”

“It’s not hard to find someone as gorgeous as you. Everybody notices and remembers.” He batted his eyelashes, leaning on the dark table next to her while looking deeply into her dark eyes. A glimpse of amusement sparkled in them. Of course, complimenting her would help him get to her. He was well aware of his charms, and the seductive fragrance he had used, helped him magically, in addition. And he knew how witches worked and what they liked. Every single one of them was stubburn and loved compliments, as their egos were no match to humans, or so it seemed.

A small smirk was playing at the corners of her full lips. “So you were asking around for me?” He was putting on his best act, even tried to act nervous, as if he was a naive, amateur witch, struck by her beauty and power. In a way, he was struck by her but he wasn’t as nervous. When he started chewing on his bottom lip, fidgeting with his fingers, and even managing to blush, she was forced to let out a girly giggle, fully believing his act. “Don’t get nervous now, rookie, and sit down.” He nodded delicately, before grabbing the stool’s soft leather and pushing it back, so he was able to sit down on it. Once Harry sat down, she continued fidgeting at her bracelet, to get it in the right position, where it wasn’t distracting her. “Why are you looking for me? What do you need?”

“Nothing.” Immediately Harry bit on his tongue, as the word bubbled out of his mouth, a little too fast for his liking. He couldn’t risk making her suspicious.

She narrowed her eyes, clearly not convinced by his fast and short answer. “I don’t believe you, loverboy.”

“Well, do I need to have a reason to admire you?” His grin was never fading and his voice remained strong. After all, he had done this before but he couldn’t deny that it was always nerve wrecking.

She laughed. “You really try to be charming, don’t you?” Her elbow was placed next to her drink, while she smiled widely at him before gripping his bicep with her hand and giving him a soft squeeze. Hot chills were running through Harry’s body, like electricity.

Knowingly, he leaned closer to her ear, whispering into it in his most seductive voice, as he knew he had her ego was strocked enough. “I’m not trying.” He didn’t attempt to grow some distance between their bodies, to make sure she'd smell what he was wearing, knowing exactly, that it would make her brain release more oxytocin. That’s exactly what he wanted, as he knew, it was going to increase her trust, make him seem more attractive than he already was, and– most importantly– it was going to increase her sex drive.

“I’m impressed. Most witches don’t have the guts to talk to me.”

“You’re already impressed? I can do so much more.”

She pursed her lips and it didn’t take Harry many more words before both of them ended up in his place, or at least the place he was staying at. It was a nice and expensive hotel that had a preference for marble floors and huge chandeliers. Harry enjoyed the finer things in life and he didn’t feel bad about it and seeing how her face lit up, he assumed, she didn’t either.

As his lips were trailing down her jaw and her chest, she made sure to push his hair out of his handsome face, to tug on them harshly. Delicately he hissed at her action, before he hid her face into her neck again, while the sweet scent of oranges filled his nostrils, almost hypnotizing him into inhaling it deeper. His plum lips left a trail down her chest, his hands roaming all over her body and his tongue began to explore her sweet skin. Even if making themselves both feel good wasn’t really his priority, it didn’t stop him from enjoying the moment. She felt so intoxicatingly good and all he felt in that moment was how his forehead began to sweat, his pants growing tighter. Slowly he pushed her against the wall, trailing his hands up and down her spine, causing goosebumps to cover her chocolate skin, and he didn’t hesitate before he slipped her dress off.

A smug smile adorned her flawless features. “Doesn’t seem too fair that you’re still so awfully clothed.” She noted, almost ripping his blazer and shirt off him, while he was busy slipping his pants off, leaving him only in his underwear. “Better.” Her hands gripped his neck, pulling him deeper into her, as her teeth began to carve into his heated skin, leaving small marks behind. Fiercely, he unclasped her bra, running his hands over her, already hardening, nipples before twisting them in between his fingers. He heard her moan, making him grip her harder before he started to kiss her bare chest, his tongue licking down her body before he was on his knees and his hands sliding down to her hips. The witch gripped the curly boy's head, pushing him between her legs. “Why don’t you put your mouth to good use?”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “Gladly.” Painfully slow, his teeth gripped at the fabric of her panties, tugging them down, while her dark eyes watched him impatiently. Once the fabric was out of the way, he made sure to leave many trails of kisses on the insides of her thighs, as his thumbs rubbed small circles on her hips.

Annoyed, she rolled her eyes. “Stop being a fucking tease.” The hand gripping his curls, tugged harder at them, sending a painful shiver down his spine. She pushed his face right between her legs, keeping him steady, as he had no other choice but to taste her and find out if she tasted as good as she smelled. Sinful sounds left both of their mouths, while he drove his tongue deeper and harder into her, covering himself in her juices, while he felt his cock painfully throbbing inside his pants. “Fuck. Just like that.” She let out with a shaky breath, making Harry laugh against her lips. Trembling vibrations were sent through her body, making the pleasure even more craving. Her words spurred him on even more before he dipped his fingers slowly into her wet core. Juices were instantly covering his ring cladded fingers, while he felt her legs trembling softly, as they were fighting to be open.

Even though he was making sure for her to feel good, his mind was tracing to his plan. He had to make sure that she was distracted enough, so she wouldn’t be able to stop him. That’s why he sucked harder, and his fingers went in and out of her faster and deeper. He felt her walls clenching around his fingers, while her moans began to get louder. It didn’t take him much more till her legs were properly shaking, her hands loosening their grip on his hair and a loud orgasm was given to her by him. Her juices still running down her inner thighs, he slowly lifted himself up from the floor. She was still trying to catch her breath, and he took his sweet time, prepping, even more, kisses on her neck, feeling her fast beating heartbeat.

“You taste so sweet.” He lulled into her ear, her completely oblivious to his hand reaching into his back pocket, revealing a sharp dagger. “Almost as sweet as you smell.” His tongue licked along her pulsating vein, knowing that it’ll stop soon enough. For a final time, he nuzzled his nose into her, letting her scent linger on him for a short time. “So sad, that it’ll all go to waste.”

“What?”

“I’m so sorry.” He said while he gripped her chin between his fingers, looking into her eyes. For a minute it seemed that he was admiring her eyes, but that facade was quickly destroyed, as his dagger cut through that beautiful skin of hers. A heavy whimper left her lips, as blood rushed down her body. An evil smirk evident on him when he watched the life slowly fading from her face.

“Y– Yo– You… asshole.” She stuttered, gripping her neck with her shaky hands while her mouth was open wide.

A deep laugh escaped his mouth, shaking his head. “Not my fault that you’re fooled so easily, my darling.” A wave of guilt overcame him when he saw the dark liquid running down her body, as she tried so desperately to make it stop, and maybe he would’ve tried to help her if he didn’t know what was at stake. No matter how hard he wanted to feel sorry for her, he forbade himself to. Her life was long enough, and her death wasn’t going to be a tragedy, but rather serve a bigger purpose. That’s why all the guilt escaped his body, his eyes turning a stone-cold color before he dipped his fingers into the dark liquid. “Thanks for everything, by the way.” Coordinated, he drew symbols on the walls. “You were much easier than other witches, but no one got me hard as fast as you did. I’ll give you that.” Effortlessly he drew every lines of the rune, he needed, before pressing his palm into the middle of the circle. “I’ll always be grateful.” Thick, sticky blood dripped down his hands when he exhaled deeply through his nostrils. “Nomine Omnes damnatos septem maria lunam, vires me confero.” A burning feeling overcame his body, as fire seemed to run through his veins. A sensation that was painful, yet powering at the same time and he would be lying if he said that he wasn’t addicted to it. 

He was addicted to feeling powerful. 

He was addicted to being powerful.

Too consumed in his ecstatic state, he completely forgot to keep his eyes on the dying witch. She wasn’t feeling better, in fact, she knew she was taking her last breaths, as she was sliding down the wall, leaving a dark red tail on the white wallpaper with flower patterns. Her shaky fingers drew one rune on her own, trying her best not to mess it up. “Virt– Virtus... omnia laterent... vafer om– omni ma– malo.” She whispered with the last strength inside of her, before pressing her palm on her drawing.

Immediately Harry’s eyes shot towards her, panic rising inside of him at the unknown spell she just cast. “What was this?” But she didn’t respond. Her limbs too weak to move, her eyes rolling back in her head as Harry strutted towards her with heavy steps. “You fucking bitch. What the fuck did you do?” Rapidly he shook her body, but she stayed still, as he felt all his previous power escape her body, leaving him with an empty feeling.

Scared, he looked down at his blood-smeared hands, trying his hardest to do something, anything.

“Lux a flamma usque.” Nothing.

“Ne flux aqua.” Nothing.

“Stone, parva et ipsum.” Nothing again.

Harry furiously shook his head, as he tried to find an explanation for his absence of magic. He didn’t know how to explain it, or how she had done it and most importantly, how to reverse it.

But he knew one thing, he knew he messed up.

With slow but steady steps Y/N walked down the foggy path, playing with the book in her hands while she whistled to an innocent tune as the birds seemed to join her on her walk through the dark forest. Grey clouds were above her, almost threatening to pour rain if she dared to stay outside any longer but that wasn’t one of her concerns. Stubbornly her head was still deeply buried inside her book that she wanted to read since she couldn’t find the time to lately.

It wasn’t necessarily that she hadn’t had time to read, because she did. Her daily routine didn’t take too much of her time and way too often she found herself being bored out of her mind. That’s why she had an impressive collection of books laying around at her cozy place and no matter how fond, or proud, she was of her house, she couldn’t read there. Maybe it was the silence that seemed to haunt her or the fact that she felt extremely lonely as she had no one near her. No neighbors, no family, and not even any human friends. And despite the fact that she didn’t socialite with anyone in that cafe, she felt a little less lonely when she saw the world around her with so many different people, as they went by, not realizing how interesting they were to her. Every single person had their own way of talking, moving, and even radiated different energy but yet, they all lived together in harmony. Or at least as harmonized as possible.

Y/N wanted to be a part of it sometimes, but she knew she would never fit in. There were too many differences between them and her, at least that’s what she told herself whenever she got scared of opening up. She really didn’t know how to. That’s why she always played with the thought of never going back to the cafe but she couldn’t stop when she remembered how her place feels like when she got a minute to herself and was able to drown in her thoughts.

Too often she visited the little space, where the world seemed to come to a halt and nobody dared to speak up or question her antics as she visited that place frequently, even though it wasn’t exactly near her home, or was easy for her to reach. She didn’t even remember when or how she found the cafe but she was convinced that there was no better place for her, if she wanted to feel included, once in her life. No one really talked to her, or at least not more than just a “hello” or “is the seat taken?” but it was enough for her to be a part of the moving crowd.

Her legs were carrying her dreadfully through the path covered with yellow, orange, red, and brown leaves. The world would have seemed so colorful with the birds singing and her footsteps echoing through the ending forest if it weren’t for the fog clouding her vision. But what else could anyone expect from an ordinary autumn day? Y/N was aware of the weather, so she was never surprised by it.

When the crowded trees came to an end and car sounds were getting louder, Y/N lifted her head up from the path, trying her best to spot the cafe that was located not too far away from the main road. Her hair was blown away by the cold breeze, painting her cheeks in a soft color and her hands gripped the hardcover of her romantic novel, as her steps became more eager, knowing well that she was almost at her destination.

It had been too many days since she had the time to visit the never heavily crowded place. Curiosity ate her up from the inside as she thought about her book, yet excitement spread through her body at the same time. She waited so long to finish it and originally it was her plan to have started a new one by now but her cat, Jupiter, got sick and she couldn’t bear to leave him alone. Also, Y/N knew that something had to be up if he got sick and she didn’t know what could’ve thrown the universe out of balance. Her familiar hardly ever got sick, unless something bad was going to happen, or if Y/N was sick herself. They’re true, loyal and helpful companions to a witch and Y/N considered herself lucky to have found hers, as he helped her out more often than she wanted him to be, and she felt save with him.Of course, she still had to be walking on tiptoes, and be aware of her surroundings but at the same time, she couldn’t imagine anything bad coming towards her, as she lived so isolated from everyone else. How could anyone find her anyway?

A strong smell of coffee already filled her lungs when she stood in front of the dimly lit shop, with the big windows greeting her to come inside and the little sign dangling in front of her eyes on the door with the word ‘open’ written over it, made her push the door open. A tiny bell rang out when she stepped foot onto the dark, hardwood floor but no eyes turned to her, as everyone seemed so engrossed in their own world. Disappointment made itself clear when she walked to the barista, while she wondered how it’d feel to be greeted by anyone.

She hadn’t had any real human contact in over a decade, and slowly she started to feel an absence of intimacy, even if it was just a warm smile towards her or a quick ‘hello’, followed by her name. But she couldn’t really blame anyone but herself, as it was her decision to live the way she lives. Or maybe she could blame the universe for making her someone she didn’t want to be, in the first place. Then she’d have never been in this situation and probably left her golden years already behind, while slowly waiting for her turn to leave this earth. She wouldn’t have been a threat but an average human being with friends, pets, and maybe even with children, probably even grandchildren, of her own by now. Often Y/N found herself daydreaming about another world, where she was chosen to be a normal one, and wondered if she’d cause less pain to others. She shouldn’t think that, as many mortals wanted to be in her place, but she wished she was not a witch.

As her brain was showing her an alternative reality where she got everything she ever dreamed of, a painful smile appeared on her face. Isn’t it funny how someone can do anything beyond their imagination and yet feel like she wasn’t capable of doing anything? Y/N really wanted to blame the person out there, who cursed her to be where she was right now. She felt angry thinking about it, and if she were inexperienced she could leash out and do things she was going to regret but she knew herself better and was convinced that a cup of hot chocolate with tiny, pink and white marshmallows in it, would make her anger disappear. Sometimes life really can be that easy.

“What can I get you?” The blonde barista asked behind the counter, while she made sure to give Y/N a warm smile. By the familiar sound of a human voice, Y/N’s ears perked up, just like how Jupiters would. The little gesture was unintentional and she couldn’t stop, because after living with just a cat, her way around people drastically changed. The high voice echoed in her head on replay, as if she was listening to a song she’s heard before, leaving a nostalgic taste on her tongue.

For a moment too long Y/N stared into the barista's eyes before she snapped out of her head and back into reality; a place she wanted to be in so badly. “A chocolate, please. Hot chocolate, I mean.” Quickly, those words rolled off her tongue, as she made sure those were in the right order. Mentally cursing at herself for stuttering and already messing up. She didn’t forget how to speak over the years, but her constant fear of standing out in the crowd gave her anxiety. She just wanted to belong to the normal people, that’s why she repeated that sentence mentally a dozen times before she found the courage to say them out loud, hoping her volume was alright. She didn’t want to be the odd one, something people had always called her and it didn’t matter who said it, because everyone did. From human to witches, everyone. The barista nodded her head, while she turned around to prepare her drink. With studying eyes Y/N observed her every move. They seemed so coordinated and smooth, as if it wouldn’t make her any energy to make a drink and if she didn’t have to think twice about what she was doing. Y/N wanted to be like this; effortless. But that seemed impossible as she remembered how she had forgotten a part of her order, even though it’s always the same and she had practiced that sentence before. With an overly dramatic gasp, Y/N made the blue-eyed barista stop her movements. “And with marshmallows, please.” Slightly Y/N cringed when she heard her soft, whispery and highpitched voice, wondering if she tried too hard to be polite, as she always seemed to plea. Did everyone try to be polite, or was it just her? And by the look the barista gave her, Y/N knew she behaved differently from most people. Was it bad to be polite nowadays? 

“Sure.” She only responded as she poured two spoonfuls of tiny marshmallows for her before offering Y/N her drink. She gave the barista a small hint of a smile, paid the drink, and found herself a cozy place to sit in one of the darker corners. Maybe it was best if she didn’t talk, or at least that’s what her anxiety advised her to. 

Y/N placed her blue cup on the round table before she opened up her book. She decided diving into the world of her novel would be better than studying people as there weren’t so many in the shop to keep her entertained for a longer period of time. The little cafe was almost empty, besides for the two people working behind the counter, three teenage girls giggling together while staring at their phones, and an old man reading his paper. But Y/N had assumed that, as soon as she saw the dark clouds. Mortals seemed to hate the rain while Y/N didn’t mind getting wet if it meant she could drink her hot chocolate. So, apparently, Y/N valued different things in life.

Before she began reading, she glanced over at her drink, still seeing the hot steam coming from it. She guessed she still had to wait unless she wanted to burn her tongue but she wasn’t so keen on not being able to taste anything for a week. With her fingers, she brushed over the soft page, as she dived in a world, where she could be completely normal without having to fear messing anything up. Maybe that’s why she liked books so much, as the pages were already written and the fate set in stone, nothing she’d do would change the outcome and that gave her a sense of security that life couldn’t give her. Y/N knew every tiny little detail could change everything and that was terrifying if she dwelled too much on it. Carefully she read the words, selected by the author, when the world around her became even quieter as her focus shifted fully into her book but the tiny noises were still hearable, keeping her from drifting away too far from the actual world.

Her eyes were eagerly reading the scene where the hero confessed his feelings for the clueless girl. A scene she had been waiting for since she started reading it. Goosebumps erupted on her skin, even though she never reacted that way. But Y/N was too much into the book to care, else wise she’d be on the lookout for what caused such a reaction out of her. Mortals wouldn’t understand what a blessing and a curse her exaggerated senses were but most of the time Y/N was glad that hers were always on point, as they had saved her from countless situations that could’ve been harmful to her, or Jupiter. And those senses helped her prevent running into her kind.

At least, usually, they do.

When another round of chills ran down her back, she finally let go of her book and let her eyes wander through the small shop, as her initial flee instincts kicked in. But she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Carefully her hand closed the book shut, before her right hand went in to grab the mug, hoping the beverage would calm nerves. When the warm taste of melted chocolate spread on her tongue, the consistency reminded her of softly whipped cream. Usually, this would make her moan quietly in satisfaction, and immediately her tense body would lump into one of the dark, velvet cushions.

But this time her body didn’t relax and the odd feeling didn’t leave the pit of her stomach. What was going on?

In a very quick motion, she put the mug back on the table, before she grabbed her book harshly, as she got ready to get up. Y/N didn’t want to abandon her drink but she knew better to trust her gut than her roaring stomach. With coordinated moves, she quickly approached the door, didn’t even look around the store as the burning sensation became stronger, almost making her feel like being suffocated. Her head was low, and when she felt the material of the door, a sigh escaped her mouth. She really needed to get away from there. When she stepped outside a cold wind whipped her harshly across the face and before she could comprehend what was happening, she bumped into someone.

“I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” The other person let out in a deep, raspy voice, signaling her that it was a man in front of her.

Quickly she nodded her head, at the same time readjusting her book in her hands. “Yes, I’m al–” Her breath got stuck in her throat when she looked into a pair of piercing green eyes. Electricity shot through her veins, although her blood ran cold. Her intuition was never wrong but could it be truly right, right now? 

But the energy the man radiated couldn’t be contained and denied. He had to be. And he seemed to have the same thoughts about her, as a wide grin decorated his pink lips. “Hello, comrade.” Her heart sank deeper as her brain was already looking for ways to escape this situation and roaming through the various spells she could cast right now without hesitation. How could she not take the signs seriously? She should’ve known when Jupiter got sick, that something was coming her way but she thought she knew better. How could she? The universe knows everything better, she doesn’t. The color on her face immediately left and her eyes shot wide open, frantically blinking to make sure the situation was actually real, and not a hallucination. “You don’t seem so excited. Did someone take your tongue?” His large hand tried to touch her arm but she flinched away, not amused by his choice of words. Of course, he was a witch. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have said that, knowing well that some spells, indeed, require an actual tongue and it was a saying for witches. Y/N knew all about them, as she used to cast those types of spells as well and had to take someone’s tongue, literally had to cut it out of someone’s mouth. Not her proudest moments, she had to admit, but she had done worse if she was being completely honest.

She shook her head. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” Y/N hissed, unintentionally mimicking Jupiter again, as he would do with someone he wasn’t fond of.

As she stared with disbelief into the stranger's eyes, recognition didn’t flicker once. He was unknown to her and she truly wondered how he made his way to such a small town, as most witches didn’t come across her tiny home. Y/N couldn’t even remember when another one of her kind actually visited that place, as most of them decided to live in the city due to the always growing population. And Y/N fully understood why they did it. It was a much nicer and easier way of living, besides it wasn’t the 18th century anymore. Witches don’t have to fly on brooms and they most certainly don’t wear pointy hats. Most would even find it offending, as no witch ever wore a pointy hat, solitary for being one. Why would anyone do that anyway? They looked ridiculous, in her opinion and made witches have no fashion sense, which wasn’t right, as some of them were the biggest designers in this world and a lot more were dressed by them. 

“Is that a way to talk to an old friend?” Slowly he tugged at the hem of his black coat and wrapped himself tighter in it, as if he could feel Y/N’s cold stare on his skin, freezing him undeniably. Maybe it was wrong of her to have such a closed-off attitude but she wasn’t well with mortals, and even worse with witches. If it were up to her, she’d give up her powers, as she doomed for them to bring no joy but only misery into the already cruel world. Why make it worse, right?

Confused, she furrowed her eyebrows together. “We’re not friends. I don’t even know you.” Her tongue wet her lips when she clenched her eyes shut at his bright, knowing smile. Confused, Y/N took a few steps back, as she tried her hardest to understand him but she didn’t seem to be good at it. She had met many of her kind, even used to live in a town filled with them in her childhood. In her early adult life, she still kept in touch with them but that was a lifetime ago, at last, that’s what it felt like to her. Even if she knew him, was she supposed to remember every witch she had ever crossed paths with? He couldn’t expect her to, could he?

A laugh escaped his rosy lips. “I guess the potion really worked.” He shook his head as he lowered his gaze towards his shoes before he looked up again and put his balled fists into the pockets of his jacket. “I’m Harry. Harry Styles.” Even though he finally revealed his name she couldn’t find any memories of him. He almost wanted to stretch his hand out to her, for her to shake it but decided against it and let it continue to rest inside the warmth fabric. He figured that she wouldn't be too fond of the gesture, amusing him even more. She’s still just how he had remembered her.

“What potion?” She urged with a raised eyebrow. What was he talking about?

“What potion?” He repeated her question dramatically as if she was supposed to know what he was talking about. “You should know that! This is stuff from junior year, Barky.”

Barky? Y/N furrowed her eyebrow together and closed her eyes shut, trying her hardest to concentrate and find out where she’s heard that nickname before. A nagging feeling crept upon her as if she had heard someone call her that before as if she was supposed to know where, when and who used to call her that. A frown overcame her shy features while she was trying her hardest to remember. With a lot of concentration, memories floated back from her college years and instantly her mouth turned sour, her facial expression bitter and lips sealed together in a tight line. Y/N was certain that she could never get that memory out of her head, as it left a burning mark on her. It was her most embarrassing story from college and if it wasn’t bad enough, it had to be her first real date too. She went out to get some lunch with Dylan, a senior with the softest golden locks she’s ever seen and the perfect smile with the tiny gap between his front teeth, undeniably making him even more charming. She was excited, beyond excited even that he had asked her out. A giddy feeling was consistent in her belly since the minute she woke up on that day, proofing how much she had looked forward to for this date. Y/N couldn’t even tell you when she started crushing on him because to her it felt like all her life she was into him, even though she didn’t know of his existence, as if a part of her knew she was going to meet him. That’s why she was so ecstatic when he had asked her out, even considered it a projection of someone upon her, as many witches were cruel enough to do so. But to her luck, it wasn’t. No one tried to mess with her, or at least not yet. She had gotten ready, even put on her most expensive cologne and her favorite, floral, puff sleeve dress. He had picked her up and everything went well, they were talking, laughing, and even their hands were touching, when Y/N started to bark out of nowhere. It was a sound that only a real dog could ever let out, and it sounded so foreign when she made that noise. Instantly her hand cupped her face, her nails digging into the soft flesh of her warm cheeks. No matter how hard she tried, words wouldn’t leave her mouth, just animalistic sounds, and whenever she tried to be quiet her lips wouldn’t seal. Now thinking back, she realized that someone was missing from that story, making her guess who put her in that situation. It felt like a foggy memory as if she had drunk too much alcohol and blacked out. But she knew she didn’t drink anything. She only remembered being called “Barky” for the rest of her college years, she just couldn’t remember who gave her that nickname.

“Did you–”

“–still don’t know? Let me remind you.” The stranger laughed loudly, almost as if he was mocking her. With those words, he took her hand and placed a purple stone inside. A mild pain increased slowly in her veins when her eyes closed shut. It almost felt like a cramp, everyone tends to get when they’ve been writing for too long, and Y/N knew why. He was feeding her information, memories that he once had erased, appeared before her very own eyes. With every second that passed, more and more she came to a conclusion who the green-eyed boy in front of her was but it didn’t leave her with a smile on her face. No, quite the opposite, as a foul expression decorated her features.

It was him.

When her brain finally registered him, she slapped his hands away immediately, her face scrunching up in disgust. How dare he visit her? How did he even find her? And why? He was the last person she would’ve ever thought of seeing in her life again, but here she was, looking at his amused face with those deep dimples.

“You.” She flared, pointing his finger at his chest. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Her tone was aggressive and feisty, almost as if she had tried to spit fire, like a dragon, and the stranger knew that she could, making him back away slightly. Her demeanor chaged so quickly, that she wasn’t even sure how quiet she usually was.

Defensively, he put his hands up. “Calm down! I was just passing by.”

“Bullshit. You never do anything if it doesn’t benefit you, Styles.”

For a second Harry’s grin disappeared, before he sighed when the intensity of her gaze didn’t diminish. He felt defeated. “Alright.” Slowly he put his hands away. “I’m here for a reason. I need your help–”

“–and you think I would help you?” She shook her head harshly. “You wasted your time coming here. I don’t even know what you were thinking.” Y/N was fully admitting the truth, as she really didn’t understand how she could help him and for him to think that she would, was even more ridiculous. She tried her hardest not to sound bitter but failed miserably as her anger got the best of her. Not only was she furious at him for erasing her memory but also because of everything else he had done to destroy her college experience. For once in her life, she wanted to experience a normal life, and going to college, she thought, would help her to have one. She wasn’t really planning on walking into another witch but when she did run into Harry, she had always been nice to him. He just wasn’t decent enough to be respectful back. In front of mortals, he’d make sure to poke fun at her for the way she looked, acted, and even for her good grades. And when he was alone with her he’d make rats follow her around, let her be invisible, or make her bark on a first date with a mortal. She never understood why he did it, as she was always nice to him. But now, almost forty years later, she came to the conclusion that he was just an asshole, who loved to demolish someone's confidence. And the worst part was, that he was amazing at it. So, yeah, she doesn’t understand why he is standing in front of her with a pleading look.

“Y/N, I’m sorry for everything b–”

“I won’t help you.” She just let out dryly before she looked back at the little cafe. Y/N couldn’t believe how he had to ruin her perfect day and be the reason to waste an amazing cup of hot chocolate. Shaking her head at the universe for making her day so much worse, she started to walk away, hoping that Harry would leave her alone but of course, he didn’t. How could she expect anything else from him?

“Y/N!” He called out her name when he started to follow her around the narrow streets and the dark clouds above them, seconds away from pouring cold rain at them. “Please, you’re the only one who can break curses.”

She laughed loudly. “A curse? Why doesn’t it surprise me that someone would curse Harry Styles?” Her steps slowed down when a thunder erupted from above her but she never stopped walking away. “What have you done to piss someone off like that?”

“It was… a bad date.” He hesitated but Y/N didn’t seem to notice, as she continued to strut away from him, or at least she tried, as Harry seemed to be determined. He wasn‘t going to let her go that easily, much to her dismay.

“Funny how you don't need someone to ruin your date. You can do that all by yourself.” She said, clearly referring to the date he had ruined for her.

“I deserved that but I really need your help. My magic– I can’t use it anymore.” He was begging, something Harry usually never did and never thought of doing ever again. The last time he had begged, was years ago, when he was still a little boy, begging his mother to let him go play outside with the other mortal children when she strictly prohibited it. His lips were quivering, his eyes filled with tears, as he clasped his hands together, while he whined out a series of pleads that were never heard. As a child, he never understood why his mother wouldn’t let him go out, but as he got older, he understood why he wasn’t allowed to. Harry knew his mother never allowed him to, because she didn’t want people to be suspicious if something went wrong and she didn’t want anybody to get hurt, especially those fragile mortals. Meanwhile, Harry was glad, he never made human friends, as it would never go anywhere. They were aging, hurting, and even dying, while Harry aged much slower, was able to heal himself and even death wasn’t lasting. He saw them as baggage, nothing more and why would he purposefully carry something like that around, right?

“Not my problem, if you’re stupid enough to piss off a witch.” Y/N shook her head at him, as she couldn’t believe how dumb a person could be. He must have known that the witch was a powerful one, yet he dared to get close to her, knowing damn well that he wasn’t likable. Hell, Y/N couldn’t understand how so many girls were always walking after him in college. What did they see in a pretentious, stubborn, unfunny, and arrogant narcissist? She guessed it must have been solely his looks, that threw girls to him as mosquitoes did. whenever they saw a brightly shining lamp in the midst of the darkness. “You know not everyone can block off your source, or unbreak the curse.” That was indeed true, as most witches had their areas they were good at. Some liked to make potions, cast spells or break curses.

“That’s why I’m here. I need you.”

Her steps came to an almost immediate halt, before she turned to him on her heel, while her hair strands flew into her face, due to her fast movement. She eyed him up and down irritated before she raised her eyebrow in suspicion. “Your magic seems fine to me. I mean how else did you find me?” Her hands gestured towards his hands as if she was able to see him producing fire or any other magical thing. Y/N was convinced he wasn’t here for that and him losing his magic was just an act. And she wasn’t going to fall for it. She wasn’t going to fall for his childish tricks again.

Awkward about what he could answer her, he scratched his neck and turned his gaze to the floor for a brief moment before regaining his courage. “I searched for your location before this mess.” He said the truth, he did look for her location in beforehand and he knew he could’ve come up with a lie but if she still were the same person from their college days, she’d see through him. A laugh wanted to escape his throat as he thought back to those days when he was convinced of her putting a spell on him. How else was she supposed to know every time he lied? It was impossible for her not to use her magic because no one ever was as good at detecting his lies. And he remembered the day when he had confronted her about it. Another lie was told by him, resulting only in her furrowing her eyebrows, shaking her head, and firmly stating a simple “no”. It made his blood boil, and thinking back he was impressed by her, but he’d never admit it. Harry used to be angry at her. She couldn’t be serious, could she? She had to be right about him, every fucking time. That’s when he snapped, pushed her towards the nearest wall, and asked her through gritted teeth how she knew that. And what followed, shocked him. Not only did she not back down, or get intimidated by him but revealed how he acted whenever he lied. She confessed how she noticed him running his thumb over his mermaid tattoo whenever he lied, and how he wasn’t able to look into her eyes. She was so certain, and Harry would’ve loved to deny it, but he didn’t know better himself. Did he do that? Really? And even now he catches himself, doing exactly what she knew so many years ago. It was awfully confusing to him, how a stuck up, goody-two-shoes saw that, and nobody else did, even when they knew him longer and better.

“What? Why?” Curiosity was reflected in her eyes when she pulled her eyebrows together.

“I–”

“–you’re such a stalker, you know that? We haven’t seen each other in– like what– almost forty years and you still look for me?” She interrupted him before he even got the chance to lie and for a split second, he was relieved about that. She didn’t trust her gut feeling, because it always seemed to be so painfully correct. Wildly, she gestured with her arms, making Harry wonder what she was trying to say when to her it seemed so clear. She was gesturing towards her hometown, pointing at her surroundings, that she was familiar with, and not he. Why would he be interested in looking for her anyway? They never talked to each other, unless they were forced to and back then they weren’t friends. What reason could he possibly have to know her location? And if he said that he wanted to visit her due to him missing her, she’d laugh in his face, only stopping when she was close to suffocating. Never would he miss her, she’d rather believe the devil visiting her for a cup of tea.

“Forty years means nothing to us. We’re not human.” He sighed, dodging her question, as she was busy overthinking what just happened when she only wanted to visit her favorite cafe for a hot chocolate. Did the devil really hate her so much to put her in such misery? Wasn’t she allowed to forget about this arrogant witch, whose good looks all went to waste due to his obnoxious and unpleasant character? If she were powerful enough she’d block his magic source herself and he fully understood whoever did this to him. Harry probably deserved to lose whatever made him a witch, something he was so proud of being. He always bragged about his magic, bragged about how he was so much more powerful than those human beings, and used various spells to entertain a party crowd, to gain popularity. It gave him strength, knowing that he was above them, while Y/N hated it. Because whenever a witch came along, the story always ended with blood and tears and she was sick of being the cause of someone’s tears, let alone death. She wanted to be a mortal and would like to experience her magic source getting blocked. She’d feel like a mortal, just like he did no– wait, he was like a mortal right now, right?

“You’re like one right now, aren’t you?” An evil smirk plastered across her face, finally processing and understanding how helpless Harry was. But she didn’t feel pity, she was rather amused at his situation. It was even kind of poetic, considering how much he loved to be a witch. And now she could do anything to him, and he would fully be defeated by her with no chance of seeking revenge or defending himself. “I mean I could do anything to you and you wouldn’t be able to defend yourself, right?”

“Y/N.” He warned her, his voice stern and a frown overshadowing his charming features.

“Maybe you’d like to live like a mouse, or are you interested in losing your voice?” She turned around and began to walk away while thinking about what she might do to him. Excitement taking over her, making her voice rise a few octaves, her eyes sparkling and her fingers gripping her book harder. A part of her knew that she was just messing around with him but it didn’t stop her from imagining how great it would be, seeing him as a mouse or never having to hear his obnoxious voice again, that sounded too attractive for his asshole persona.

“Y/N, plea–”

“–no wait! How do you feel about being blind? I think that could be an amazing experience for you. Then you could focus more on your other sen–”

“–oh, for fucks sake! Don’t even think about it, unless you want to lose your familiar.” His voice sounded warning, almost daring her to continue with her schemes. When he saw her shocked expression, he slowly gained his usual cockiness again, knowing well that even without his powers, he still had the upper hand. Thank god, he never did anything without a plan.

A cold shiver ran down her spine and nervously her mouth popped open, as she tried to breathe steadily. “What did you just say?” She asked, not believing how quiet her voice had gotten and not understanding how he’d dare to do something like this to Jupiter, her cat, her familiar, for crying out loud. He knew what it meant if a familiar dies, yet he was willing to do that to her. How dare he?

“Is this how fast I can get you speechless, love?” He strapped his tongue, before grinning widely at her shocked expression.

“What the fuck did you do? What have you done to Jupiter?” She hissed when he pointed his finger towards her, to signal her to be quiet.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing that can’t be fixed. It’s just a little bit of poison. I even have the antidote and I’m nice enough to give it to you. Only if you help me, that is.”

“You son of a bi–”

“–choose your next words wisely unless you want your cat to die.” She stayed quiet, biting on her lip harshly to let him finish talking. “That’s what I thought. So, are you interested in helping me out?”

“Fuck you.” Y/N insulted him, as she looked away, furiously crossing her arms over her chest. For a moment Harry only stared at her, waiting for an actual answer. But she didn’t find the right words to say, not even saying a “yes”, neither a “no”. He really got her trapped, didn’t he? Jupiter will die without an antidote and she was sure she could make one on her own, but she didn’t know what poison he had used on her. It would take her forever to cure her cat, might even take her too long.

He laughed at her silence as she was defeated and happily whistled in her face. “I’ll come around tomorrow evening. Be prepared.” With that he walked away elegantly, right before the heavy rain started pouring from the clouds, drenching Y/N as she watched him walk back into the cafe. Anger, annoyance, and worries clouded her mind, making it impossible for her to think straight. How was he able to put her in such a situation? What had he done to Jupiter? Will she be able to break his spell? Many questions ran through her head but no answers could be found. Even though she wasn’t able to form a proper sentence, she was determined to get the antidote, and then she was going to curse Harry into the pits of hell. Literally.

Y/N hated it, she hated it so much. Since she came back home yesterday, her clothes soaking wet from the rain, a headache haunting her ability to think properly, and with a wave of undeniable anger, she felt like vomiting, crying, and even punching the walls till she had splitters in her knuckles. How did this happen to her?

She barely had any contact with anyone, whether it was mortals or anyone of her kind.

She was always alone, isolated herself from the danger, and kept others safe by not walking around recklessly.

Y/N only used magic when it was absolutely necessary and even her familiar, Jupiter, started to get bored by her lack of action in life. She wasn’t necessarily happy with the way she lived, as she slowly fell into disrepair but she’d rather go nuts in her own home than risk people’s lives or having a witch, or a hunter, trying to kill her. Why was it so hard for the universe to understand that she only wanted a peaceful life? Wasn’t her world balanced enough? Did she really need this kind of drama? And from all the witches that could have come to her, it really had to be him? Harry fucking Styles, who used to be her personal bully for no goddamn reason in her younger, more naive years. It felt like a sick joke to her and an unfunny one at that. If it were up to her, she would’ve never seen his ass ever again after graduating from college, and she was good at hiding, considering how small the world is if you’ve such a long life. You never know who you might run into, and she was good at dodging unwanted guests for 40 years. No one ever visited her, she couldn’t even remember when someone actually came over and she liked that, as she loved to not have her private space invaded.

But here she is now, sitting next to an arrogant son of a bitch, who had a huge grin on his face while staring directly into her eyes. He truly loved holidng her gaze and she didn’t know what to think of it.

But one thing she knew for certaon; fuck the universe. It never brought her any good anyway.

“Nice place you’ve got.” He examined her living room thoroughly, as he was sitting on her yellow fabric couch. “A little… obsolete maybe.” His eyes wandered from her wooden ceiling to her dark, big windows to her gigantic bookshelf that took up an entire wall. He was fascinated seeing that she still reads so much. Harry remembered how he would sometimes see her in the library, nose deep buried in a book but he would’ve never guessed what an impressive collection she has at home. There were not only books for witches but also books for mortals that only served the purpose of entertainment. Harry used to read those too, especially Charles Bukowski, but lately, he found himself less interested in them. Maybe it was because he had other plans these days or that he learned a long time ago that those stories don’t even exist for mortals. So how could he ever live in such a fantasy?

His hand touched one of the many green plants in her house when she slapped his hands away before answering him. “It’s cozy, not obsolete!” She put the plant back to its place, patting the leave that he was just touching, making him chuckle. She was ridiculous to him. It was just a plant and not an animal or child he had offended and now needed some consulting. “Besides, don't touch anything.” Silently, she rolled her eyes at him, slowly rubbing her feet on the colorful rug underneath her, warming them as the white socks didn’t seem to do much. No matter what someone said about her place, she loved it. It was small, cozy and she had a big garden with various vegetables, fruits, and flowers and a small pond, where ducks would find their way in, so Y/N could feed them with her daily, freshly baked bread. She truly loved the way she lived, but she also had to admit that it got cold very quickly once the temperatures start dropping, and if she were completely honest, it could get lonely, as well.

“How many books do you have?” He asked, nodding towards the shelf with his head. “Must be a million.” Harry exaggerated, as he opened up his arms widely with a goofy smile, knowing it would annoy her. His dazzling green eyes were watching her intensely, as he tried to point out differences from when he had met her for the first time. She still looked the same, given to their slow aging, but even the way she walked, talked, or presented herself seemed to be so awfully similar. But she seemed closed off, as if she built up thick walls around her, not letting anyone peek inside. He remembered how back then, she was a bubbly, lively, and friendly girl, who seemed so excited to learn anything about the world, whether it was the supernatural or the human one. She never kept anything to herself, as she was always talking about her day or plans and sometimes it really annoyed him. He just didn’t understand how someone can be so happy to be alive and have this much energy inside of them? While he was still unsure about how she managed to be so overjoyed, he was more concerned about what had happened to her, which made her change so drastically. Who could change someone so much? And as bad he tried to suppress thoughts, he wondered if it was his influence, or has she changed much later after meeting him?

“No wonder why you failed math twice. That’s not even near a million.” She rolled her eyes at him, at his overly annoying attitude that he always made sure to show. Something about him made her so angry, that she had to bite the inside of her cheeks to keep the degrading names to herself. She needed the antidote and when she saw Jupiter, his frustrating face suddenly wasn’t enough to make her mad anymore, or at least till he opened his mouth again.

“I was joking, darling.”

“I wasn’t.” She dryly replied and dared to stare at him longer than she had intended. Y/N couldn’t believe how he still was the same person after 4p years. He should’ve matured a bit or learned how to read the room and know his place but he never did, apparently. Or she has never changed and he still knew exactly how to make her erupt like a volcano.

Awkwardly, he touched his neck, blowing the hot air inside his lungs out, while he nervously looked around her house, when he felt the intensity of her glare on him. Back then, she would’ve walked away and ignored him without giving him a dirty look. She truly wasn’t how she used to be and he wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. “Alright, maybe we should start working?” It surprised him seeing her be so rude back when she used to talk with professors after class and never interrupt them, even if she really had to be somewhere else. Y/N would patiently listen, as she hated to make people feel uncomfortable. That’s why Harry raised his eyebrows up his forehead, forming lines on his forehead. She was clearly not in the mood to catch up, neither did she like his jokes, so he might as well do what he needed her for. He needed her to break the curse, for now, even if she wasn’t too thrilled to see him

“Sure. The sooner we’re done, the faster you can leave.” Her voice had grown so cold, not the way how she used to hum every single one of her words, as if she was a bird singing in the early morning hours while basking in the golden sun rays. But it didn’t stop him from trying to amuse her. Who knows how many hours they’d be forced to spend together, so they might as well try to somewhat get along, right? Maybe even give it a shot to reminisce about their old, shared days.

“Leave? I thought about sticking around for a while. It’s quite a nice town, with very interesting people.” When the word “interesting” had left his mouth, he winked at her, making her blood boil stronger and roll her eyes back harder, wishing they’d get stuck, so she wasn’t forced to look into his enormous grin, knowing that’s all it takes for him to piss her off. “Maybe I could get a house next to yours? Just a little bit more modern, to throw parties and stuff.” Even though Harry didn’t like parties too much, or at least not as much as he used to, he knew that she hated them. Even back in college she hardly ever went to one, just once, for unknown reasons to him, she decided to turn up for a frat party one of his friends had hosted on a warm summer night. He remembered it clearly, even remembered the way she looked, what she wore and if he concentrated hard enough he was able to smell her hypnotizingly sweet scent that she was wearing that day. His heart painfully started beating faster in his ribcage while he thought about everything that had happened that night and wondered how everything turned so sour afterward. It was a shame.

Y/N snorted. “Do that and I’ll shove a frog down your throat.” She was being completely serious, considering the harsh tone of her voice and the cold stare she gave him. How was he so good at getting under her skin? And it was worse knowing that she wanted so badly to brush the perfect curl away from his handsome face, so she could have a better look at him. No matter how he had treated her in the past, she had to admit that his looks could charm anyone. Well, almost. She wasn’t going to get fooled by him again and the way his smile and those sparkly eyes seemed to weaken her knees. But she guessed that her reaction was expected. After all, she was just a witch with feelings and desires and he was a handsome man, who would’ve been perfect to live out a fantasy of hers if he could keep his mouth shut for once.

“I’d like to see you try, Barky.” He laughed.

“Stop calling me that!”

“Or what?” Harry said that in the most playful way he could, intensifying his stare as his smile turned into a shitfaced and lopsided grin. But Y/N had not seen this as playful.

Y/N folded her arms in front of her chest and snorted loudly with her tongue. “Are you threatening me? Because if so, you can kiss your magic goodbye.” A burning sensation brewed inside her when he was still grinning, not even an ounce of remorse flickering in his green orbs.

Harry bitched with his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal, because he knew exactly that he had the upper hand. “And you can kiss your Julius– Juniper, or something– goodbye.” While he was trying to remember the name of her precious cat, she frowned deeper, forming multiple wrinkle lines on her forehead. What was going to happen to her precious familiar if Y/N wouldn’t help him? She’d have to watch Jupiter suffer and eventually die because she wouldn’t find an antidote in time. Only Harry could provide her with that and no matter how naive and dense Y/N looked, she wasn’t and she understood the situation well.

“Jupiter, you asshole. His name’s Jupiter.” She spits as if venom was dancing on her tongue and for a minute she wished it was to be something poisonous. Maybe she was being a little bit dramatic, knowing that she could easily drink one of her toxicants, whenever she wanted the death to knock on her door, so she could leave Harry startled and shocked. But would Harry be surprised when he knew that every witch tended to be dramatic and stubborn? “Why would you do that? What have you done to him? He’s been sick for days now!”

“Not telling yet.”

“Why not? You’re already here and I’m trying to help you!” Furiously she pointed at the many books laying in front of them, that were kept wide open. “What else would you need?”

He laughed a humorless laugh and shook her head as if she was a small child who did not understand the most understandable things in the world. “Because once I give you the antidote, I won’t have the upper hand and I don’t really trust you.” He explained in a monotone voice.

She sighed. “The feeling’s mutual.” Y/N bit her tongue and rolled her eyes. She truly didn’t trust him, for a good reason, as her distrust and dislike were established during their shared college years.

“Well, I–“

“–can we just get started, please? I wasn’t keeping in touch with you for a reason and this here” She pointed her finger between the two. “is something I never wanted to happen and I was glad it didn’t in the past 40 years.” Surprised, Y/N flinched at her own words, as she realized how harsh she sounded. Even though she was being sincere, she wondered if she was taking it too far? Was she being petty? After all, he never physically hurt her, he just loved to poke fun at her when they were a little bit younger and still does, as it amused him seeing her so furious.

But the longer he watched her move around her, the more he understood how far she dislikes actually went and if he didn’t know her better, he’d say that she hated him. Harry couldn’t deny it but he actually felt offended and tried hard not to scoff. What has he ever done to her for her to hate him like that? Maybe he was being mean sometimes or liked to poke fun at her but was he really that bad?

Hesitantly he simply nodded his head when he tried to remember their college years. His heartbeat quickened when he thought back to that one night however he fast to lock his thoughts away. She wasn’t thinking of the incident 40 years ago and it probably still doesn’t have any effect on her now. It still didn’t change the fact that she had hurt him, not for her lack of response, but how she led him on.

“Here are my books, read your way through and let me know if you find anything interesting.” She tossed a couple of more books towards him, purposefully hitting the couch next to him before she turned her back towards him and started to make herself comfortable on her rug.

“You can sit on the couch. I’ll go sit on the floor.” Harry felt stupid saying that, because there was clearly enough space for her to sit, yet she chose to take a seat on the cold and uncomfortable-looking floor that was decorated with the ugliest rug Harry had ever seen. He didn’t like the plattern, nor the obnoxious colors, as they didn’t seem to mash well together. 

He wouldn’t mind her sitting next to him but if she did, he wasn’t going to force her, that’s why he chose to watch her be so cramped on her colorful carpet.

She didn’t look up but shook her head before fully burying her face into one of her books and shielding her face completely from Harry.

He sighed, rubbed at his temples, and tried to read the many pages of the book that was laying on his lap but he couldn’t concentrate with the thick tension lingering in the air. He swears he could cut it with a knife, or at least that’s how it felt to him and if he had to guess; she probably didn’t feel better.

Harry stared at her while she was engulfed in her book, wondering if he could ease the situation. Y/N looked so peaceful, not the rude person she has become but her younger and innocent self. Somehow it eased her knowing that she had lowered the book again. “Do you remember college?” The words already bubbled out of his mouth with no time for him to react.

She rolled her eyes but never let go of her book. “Is our history going to help your dilem–“

“–no. But do you remember? Because I do.” He urged, putting the book on the small coffee table.

Y/N wanted to ignore him but somehow she was intrigued to know what he was going to say. “No, do you?”

For a second, insecurity flickered its way through his brain. Did she actually not remember or was she messing with him? His intuition always knew best that’s why he guessed she knew, even if his brain tried to tell him otherwise. She had to, or at least that’s what he told himself because he didn’t want to be the only still thinking about them. “Yeah, I do. At least most of it.”

“Really? Like what?” She raised her eyebrow and mirrored his movements by putting her book away as well and crossed her legs like a pretzel to be more comfortable.

“I remembered you spilling your coffee on my journal.” He remembered the day so clearly. They were at the nearest coffee shop, the hot spot for the caffeine-addicted young adults with a lack of sleep, when space was crowded and loud and nobody seemed to spend any more than a few minutes, except for them. Most people didn’t use the shop to study, at least not during the rush hours but somehow the two witches did and ended up having to share the booth, where the WiFi connection was the best. Harry was writing his notes into his little journal while Y/N furiously tapped with her pen against her computer, trying her hardest to find the answer to one of her math problems. She was stressed and Harry could see that clearly by the crease between her brows, the way she pursed her lips, and bounced her left leg up and down quickly. Whenever she’d look up he’d try to look away and it seemed she didn’t catch him staring at her. He had to admit, he always found her quite beautiful, it was hard not to. She had pretty hair, that he wanted to comb through with his hand, a unique nose that fitted her face perfectly, and those mesmerizing eyes that he could get lost in. Something about her seemed so magical and now thinking back, he had to laugh. It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it? He slowly put himself back into reality, catching her embarrassed face in front of her and when she tried to defend herself, he put his hand up to silence her. “I didn’t mind it.” And he really didn’t. Harry guessed that she was already having a really bad day and excitedly knocked her drink on his journal when she just wanted to put her pen back into her purple pencil case. When Harry saw that she wanted to leave, disappointment overcame him as he hadn’t found the guts to talk to her, after the hour or so they’d spent sitting silently next to each other. So in a way, he was glad she was that clumsy because it gave them a reason to talk to each other. And they did, much longer than both of them would’ve expected since they were strangers.

“Or I remember how you bought me something for my birthday.” This had happened a couple of weeks later when he was having a bad day. His alarm didn’t set off, making him oversleep and miss his first period when he needed the attendance so badly to pass the class. He still tried to get ready but found the guy from last night, still sleeping in his bed. He didn’t mind them staying over but he just wasn’t used to that, as most of them would rush out the room while he was still resting, and to his nonexistent luck, he woke up when Harry was trying to brush his teeth with the tiny amount that was left in his tube. He had to go grocery shopping again. Harry remembered that day so clearly, as big snowflakes fell from the sky, blinding him, the minute he stepped out of his place. Frustrated he had kicked a bin outside when he saw Y/N approach. From the corner of his eye, he fought a glimpse of her red scarf, that practically was covering her face, as the flushed cheeks indicated that she was freezing.

She shrugged her shoulders, trying to play coy. “Everybody would’ve done that.”

“My friends didn’t.” Harry rolled his eyes when he thought of the jerks he used to be friends with and slightly wondered what they were doing now, as they had gotten close to their retirement now. He wondered if they already had grandchildren and if they still had the same childish attitude as they used to forty years ago. They were the reason why Y/N left Harry’s place upset that day. After giving him a ring that she had found in the thrift store, thinking that Harry would like it and fire a minute she could’ve sworn he liked it but the second his friends approached, he had put the ring in his pocket and shushed her away.

Y/N laughed bitterly when she looked at her lap, where both of her hands were placed. “You didn’t like my present anyways.” Her thumbs were quietly battling each other when Harry swallowed a big clump down his throat. He knew what Y/N was referring to and he felt so guilty about it.

Harry shook his head. “No! No, I did it’s just–”

“–I wasn’t popular enough.” She looked him in the eye again, hoping she’d find a tiny piece of him looking at her as if she was crazy, and that it wasn’t his reason to never wear the ring in public. But he didn’t. He looked more guilty than ever and it didn’t make Y/N feel better. When he tried to speak, Y/N cut him off quickly, as she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Enough was said and done anyway. “Don’t worry I get. How could we ever be friends, right? I’m just boring old Y/N, nothing special or someone to remember.”

He shook his head harshly. “But I do.” Slightly Harry hesitated before he continued talking, as he wasn’t sure how she’d react. “I remember our night together, as well. Actually, that must be my favorite memory of ours.” He confessed, biting his lip from talking too much about it. It was embarrassing for him to admit it, but he remembered it so clearly that it could’ve happened just a few hours ago. How he wished it had happened just a few hours ago, giving him the time to make it right this time around.

But he couldn’t, so all he was able to do was reminisce the memory.

It was an average night, another frat party hosted by one of his friends. People getting drunk. Some making out and others dancing the night away, when he had seen her. His mouth flew open, not because of the way she looked but because she was at a party, which he had never seen her before. That’s why he didn’t think twice before he tasted up to her, to make sure she was alright and wasn’t just lost. When she reassured him that she was alright, a tingly feeling didn’t leave his body and he wondered if she was there because of him. And what happened afterward made him think that she was, as kisses were shared and their hands were busy with exploring each other’s bodies, finding the sweet spots that would make each other weak. He never knew lips could taste so sweet, making him so addicted to her taste and even after they were done, he later in bed next to her, holding her close to his chest and admiring her beauty. She felt so unreal and he couldn’t believe what had just happened, as she always seemed like the shy girl who would never make a move but Harry was glad she did because he felt too insecure to do it also.

But now he wondered if the night was truly a good idea when he saw her shocked expression. How did they end up here?

“Of course you do! You only have a one-track mind! But I do not and I remember you ruining my first date, I remember you making me trip over my own feet and falling onto my face in front of everyone and I also remember you being an asshole and making fun of me for everything I’ve done with your friends! You made me an outcast, more than I already felt that I was.” Her voice was a lot louder than before and a vein popped up on her neck, indicating the anger inside of her. Furiously she waved her arms around, as he watched her in shock. Why did he mention that? It was already embarrassing enough for her to know that she only went there for him. “You know what? Leave. I’ll find something on my own and I’ll let you know once I do.”

“Y/N–“

“–leave, before I make you.” Her voice was stern, and she coldly watched him leave with an apologetic look in his eyes but she didn’t care. How dare he bring that night up when he was the one denying ever sleeping with her in front of everyone and made her feel as if she was being used? Whatever, or however, it led to them clinging to each other’s bodies breathlessly, Y/N knew it wasn’t going to happen again.

Guilt. That’s all Y/N felt in that moment, as guilt seemed to eat her up from the inside while she was caressing a sick Jupiter. His head was laid on her couch, while his shortness of breath took even more of his energy away. He hardly made any noises or moved around the house or the garden, worrying Y/N more.

That’s why she, partly, felt guilty. Maybe she shouldn’t have let her anger take the upper hand and just worked this out with Harry. Maybe then Jupiter would be better now.

The other part wondered why she had been so rude to him. After all, she was used to him poking fun at her but she didn’t think he’d bring up that night. It was a one-time thing, even Harry said so the day after and Y/N learned to accept it along the way. If it never was anything eventful to him, then how dare he say that he remembered the night the best?

“How are you doing, baby?” Y/N shushed when he buried his face deeper into the soft surface, while her fingers massaged small circles into the back of his head. Usually, he would have responded to her by melting into her touch or perking his ears by, solely because of her voice. But right now he didn’t even move, only letting the pressure of her hand soothe him. “Not great?” She asked, hoping for a clear answer to an obvious question. When he didn’t reply either, her heart sank deeper into the pits of her stomach.

She can’t lose him. Not only was he her little helper, but also the only companion she had.

That’s why Harry appeared a little while later at her front doorstep, with his usual grin but if she didn’t know any better she’d say she found guilt in his eyes. Even if it was just the tiniest bit.

“Couldn’t stay away from me, could you?” He asked, trying to mask his urge to apologize away. The way she seemed so stressed, made him feel guilty. Because after all, it was his fault. It was his doing. If it wasn’t for him, she would’ve lived her life the way she’d before with no disturbance and she wouldn’t constantly form those worry wrinkles on her forehead.

She scoffed. “I did it for forty years before you showed up on my doorsteps.” Dangerously she pointed her finger at his chest and then at herself, before sliding the door wider open, so he could walk in. With big footsteps, he strutted his way back inside her cozy living room, which seemed to be a lot warmer than it had been the last time, as the fireplace seemed to be lit and the fresh smell of cinnamon lingered in the air.

“That’s true.” He hesitantly agreed with her as he watched her walk into her little kitchen, where the door was wide open, revealing a tea kettle on the stove. Harry guessed that’s where the cinnamon scent came from. His eyes lingered on her, as he watched her carefully filling up two cups. With her hands, she pushed her silky hair behind her ears, as the ponytail couldn’t keep every strand from her face. He wondered why she called him again when the past days he has been doubting ever hearing from her again. But the answer was as clear as day, when he saw the sick cat laying on the couch, crouched into a ball, with no intention of moving. Now he felt guilty when he saw the innocent animal suffering from his consequences. His cold rings made a sound when they came in contact, as he formed a fist, to keep his emotions at bay. He has become cruel, hasn’t he? But he already knew that when he didn’t flinch when it came to killing other witches. It’s almost scary to think how easy it was to take someone’s life and that he had taken multiple. Would she ever believe him, if he’d confess that to her or would Y/N think that he was bluffing? Either way, Harry knew that he had done those cruel crimes and a part of him will never forgive himself, even though he didn’t do it because of an unsaturated bloodlust but because he needed their powers to complete a spell. A spell, that would bring justice to people who didn’t deserve to die yet. A bit hypocritical, isn’t it? He wanted to bring people back while he killed others. How could he ever judge whose life is more worth than the other? Yet, he did it.

To soothe his throbbing headache, that always formed whenever he overthinks too much, he tried to rub the kitty's ears, hoping to get a reaction from him. But he didn’t do anything, besides breathing, and he was shocked when he didn’t even fight him back. He was that powerless and Harry had to swallow a big lump down his throat. Jupiter needed the antidote. Fast.

No wonder why Y/N hated him. If she’d done something like this to his familiar, Millie, a beautiful bat, he would’ve gone crazy. She was his companion, the one that occasionally saved his ass from getting hurt. So maybe he deserved to feel guilty for putting Y/N and her cat through that, but Y/N wasn’t even aware of his feelings when he was so good at masking them away. Especially now when she saw Harry touching Jupiter, while she brought both of them a cup of tea. Instantly she tensed up, alarmed if he tried to do something worse to him because at this point she couldn’t read his intentions. Or ever, if Y/N was being honest.

She was ready to throw the burning hot tea at Harry if she had to and she wasn’t going to hesitate. He wouldn’t get away with worsening Jupiter’s state, as Y/N constantly feared how much longer he had till his breathing would stop.

But to his luck, he didn’t harm the cat, instead, he softly caressed the white fur and slowly rubbed smooth circles onto his skin.

Usually, Y/N would be in awe, staring at such an adorable interaction but her mouth turned sour when she saw his satisfied face. It bothered her how he looked so careless while doing so. Doesn’t he feel any empathy for the sick cat? Does he think that that'll make everything better?

“Don’t touch him.” Y/N only let him know, catching him off guard as he didn’t hear her approaching him. He pulled his hand away from him, dividing his attention to her, as she put the white cup on the coffee table. A tiny drop fell from the porcelain and landed right on her black jeans but she didn’t seem to notice when she took a seat opposite of Harry, creating some distance. Not as much as she did previously but enough for bystanders to see her obvious dislike towards him. “He’s feeling bad enough.”

“I wasn’t try–”

“–wasn’t trying to what? Kill him this time around?” She scoffed, as she rolled her eyes at him. There was no excuse for why he did what he did because if Jupiter would die, it would leave Y/N completely alone, with no little helper or her magical companion. Of course, there had been witches who had lost their familiars, and most of them came out just fine but it’ll take time to get over such a heavy loss and it’ll take a while to fix the toll that it took on their magic. Besides, Y/N would be completely alone. She wasn’t surrounded by family or friends, she was already lonely but without him, she’d simply run wild. To talk to no one seemed like such a bad nightmare and she couldn’t imagine being left alone with her thoughts all the time.

Harry sighed, when he rubbed his sweaty hands on his brown, baggy pants, trying so hard to find the right words and he immediately came up with good excuses, threats and even lies but when he looked into her eyes, they had gone down the drain. Something about her made his heartbeat pick up on speed, and somehow he felt nervous. Something he hadn’t felt in a very long time and it scared it but he wasn’t really shocked. He had feared when he came to her that she’d still have the same effect on him as she did back in their college years and he hated it.

It had been 40 years, and he still couldn’t deny the warmth that grasped him when he caught a glimpse of her. What was wrong with him? After all, no one ever left behind such a lasting image but somehow, the once shy girl he had gotten to know for three years, did.

“I know this may not mean a lot to you but I promise” He stopped to grasp her hand. His movements were too fast for Y/N to see them coming, catching her clearly off guard which contributed to him clutching her hand tightly, just for a second. “I promise, I won’t let him die.” For a moment she considered looking away from him, ignoring him or even making her disappear but the earnestness in his voice changed her mind and she forced herself to look into his green eyes. The usual harshness or playfulness was nowhere to be seen, he looked rather soft, rather vulnerable, she may even dare to say so.

Slowly she nodded, steadying her breath as her mind was trying to catch up on everything that had happened. After 40 years the guy, whom she was madly in love with in college, comes back. But he had also rejected her and poisoned her familiar on purpose to get her help him.

This sounded like a cheap, Halloween episode of a telenovela and somehow her head started hurting when she thought of it like that. Her life was truly crazy and she couldn’t stop herself from blaming him for bringing her all the crazy.

Harry still held her hands tightly, their legs were touching each other, due to his scooting closer to her and when he saw her open her mouth, he hoped he’d forgive her, as foolish as it may sound. “Over there.” Was all she said breathlessly, even a little bit irritated.

He furrowed his eyebrows confused. “What?”

“The books are over there.” She let go of his hand, awkwardly coughing to mask her embarrassment away and point towards her bookshelf.

Of course she wasn’t going to forgive him, but he couldn’t blame her. He wasn’t sure if he was going to forgive himself, after everything but why would it matter? His souls belonged in hell from the start. He’d burn nevertheless when his time comes. “I know.” He laughed. “I can see them.” His intense stare made her feel exposed and the smell of his cologne gave her a dejavu, so she stood up quickly to run towards her shelf. He still smelled the same, she noticed and she wondered if he still used the same cologne or if it was just the way he usually smelled. Either way it felt too intimate for her own liking.

“No, I’d been searching on my own and I think we can narrow your problem down to those books. They’re our best shot at finding a way to lift the curse. I think.” She really hoped she was right, not only for Jupiter’s sake but also because of her own. She pointed her fingers towards a section of books and when Harry stepped closer his eyes widened.

“Don’t you think I need more enhanced books?” He scoffed, crossing his arms in front of her chest. Was she being serious when she picked those? Most witches used those for practice, for jokes to mess with others, not to lift curses. It couldn’t be so easy, could it?

She shrugged her shoulders, when she picked one up and walked towards her couch again. “I don’t think so. You said, she used a rune, right?” Reluctantly he nodded. “Then it wasn’t a strong spell, rather something quick that can be broken easier than cursing rituals. If she meant for you to never use magic again, then she would’ve done something else.” Y/N argued, while he did not try to get the last word by correcting her. She most likely wanted to harm him, she just didn’t have the time. After all, she was dying but Y/N didn’t need to know that. “Besides how stubborn does she have to be over a bad date, right?”

A small laugh escaped Harry’s plush lips at her statement. “We witches are very stubborn. It’s in our nature, I suppose.” Y/N truly had no idea what Harry was capable of and that relieved him because he’d rather be a bully than a murderer, even if he had his reasons. She wouldn’t understand him and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t understand himself either if he could think rationally.

“I guess so.” Y/N murmured when she felt attacked, even though he didn’t talk in a teasing manner, nor was he looking judgmentally at her. Yet she wondered if he was referring to their incidents and how she still held a grudge over him. Was she taking it too far? She lowered her gaze, when Harry’s grin dropped.

“Di–”

“–we should get started!” And with those words she opened the one in her hand quickly before she started reading, or at least she was good at pretending to read.

Harry sighed, when she didn’t look up anymore and confusion rushed over his body. He only saw her tensing up and her eyes opening widely, signaling that she was uncomfortable. Did he say something wrong? He really wanted to find out what just happened and what he had missed but he knew he wouldn’t find any answers, knowing how confusing she was. He didn’t even get answers from over 40 years ago and he wasn’t going to get any now. That’s why he dropped the topic, grabbed a book and made himself comfortable, in hopes to find the solution to his dilemma.

As he was trying to read, he heard the cat breathing harshly that somehow matched Y/N’s and for some time, she enjoyed his company, just the way she enjoyed the company of strangers in a cafe, whenever she was there to read.d It made the words roll off her tongue so much easier. For a moment too long he let his gaze linger, softening whenever a crease would form between her eyebrows, as she started to overthink, since she didn’t know why he was looking at her. Did he think she was weird, or even odd? In college everyone used to refer to her as the weird misfit. But little did she know, that Harry never saw her in that way and many others didn’t either. 

Though she knew what he was here for and what else he still had to get, something inside of him started twisting, letting his tummy do backflips. Somehow he remembered their old days together and he wondered if she still liked her fruit to be cut in little squares and if she still thought that Charles Dickens books were all too dense and dry, or if she had changed her mind. There was so much he didn’t know bout her that once came to him so naturally and even though he never tried to reach out to her, he felt guilt for everything that went wrong. Sometimes he wondered if anything would be different now if he had spoken up and never listened to his friends. He wished he had enough time to find a way to turn back time and make everything right and he could only hope that Y/N would do the same, if she had the chance to. But he figured it wasn’t of any importance as he had something else planned for her future already.

“Why are you staring at me?” She suddenly asked, breaking the silence. “I can’t read like that.” Her voice was calm with a tiny bit of annoyance. After all, she was helping him and he can be decent enough to try to participate.

Harry nodded his head. “Yes. Of course. Sorry.” And bit on his tongue to not let any more words come out. If she wanted to say something, she would, right?

While Y/N’s fingers were going from page to page, the only thing motivating her to keep going was Jupiter. She had to find a solution and she felt a tingly sensation inside of her, whenever she came closer.

Both witches worked in silence, while Y/N occasionally sipped on her tea and Harry just left it on the coffee table, completely forgetting about it, once he concentrated on the letters in front of him. The two were stubborn enough to keep going and quickly the sun was ready to disappear, when a loud thud chimed through her living room. Frightened, Y/N held her hand to her chest as she felt her heart racing and Harry looked around, to locate where the sound came from. But he quickly realised that it must have come from the front door, when Y/N’s eyes fixated on it. “Should I look?” He asked, unsure if she wanted him to do anything and usually he wouldn’t ask but just do it, as it was usually in his nature to protect those around him. A trait his mother always valued for her children to have, as she never wanted them to use their powers to harm. If Harry was honest, he wasn’t sure if he should still call himself that when lately he had only done harm to others.

Y/N shook her head. “I can do it.” She declined his offer because she was always the first one to say that she doesn’t need a man. Especially because she was a witch, a good one at that. Besides, she was the only one with working magic. If anyone could protect them, then it was her. With steady steps, she walked towards the front door until she could grab the cold doorknob. Slowly she steadied her breath and prepared herself to fight, just in case if she had to before twisting the metal.

It could’ve been adventurous people who liked to explore the woods, or maybe even her neighbours. She hadn’t seen them in a very long time, neither do they live close to her but it was a possibility, or maybe another witch felt her presence and wanted to drop by. She wouldn’t think that it was possible but if Harry had found her, then she really had to work on her protection spell and make the barrier harder.

But what she came face to wasn’t something he had expected. At first she stared into the dark woods, no one around until she looked down. For a moment she was scared, ready to slam the door shut but when her brain started processing, realisation hit her.

“Millie?” Harry asked from behind her, gently pushing Y/N away from the door to get a better look at the bruised bat. “Are you alright, love?” He crouched down, softly nudging his familiar with his nail polished fingers before taking her into his big hand.

“Millie.” She repeated shallowy, not trying to catch Harry’s attention as more and more memories came to her. “Millie.” She said again but this time with more strength behind her voice and more confidence. “She… she’s your familiar, right?”

Harry nodded, still looking at the tiny bat. “Yeah.” Carefully he rubbed her head, while he looked for any injuries on her wings, her most fragile body part. “How would you know?” He asked, still not looking up.

Y/N hesitated. How did she know his familiar? She had to stiffen her laughter when she remembered Millie always waiting in front of the school building when Harry had classes. Millie would never leave his side, even when he wasn’t sure of her presence. Back then Y/N still hadn’t found her Jupiter, and all she longed for was such a strong, loyal and beautiful companion and at times she’d catch herself feeling jealous when she saw Harry interacting with the bat. “She always waited for you outside the buildings.” Y/N finally answered when Harry was done inspecting the animal and grazed over to her.

“She did?”

Y/N nodded quickly. “Every time. She likes grasshoppers, right?” If Harry wasn’t confused before, he most definitely was confused right now. She knew what Millie liked? His eyes were following the smaller witch rum through her cabinets, until she found what she was looking for. A big jar filled with –Harry suspected them to be grasshoppers– came into his sight. “Would she like some?” She asked Harry, who still stood there perplexed, but Millie wasn’t and started flying around the jar and Y/N. For a brief moment he saw Y/N smiling, and immediately a comfortable warmth captured him. Even if he didn’t want to admit that, he had missed seeing her smile and her eyes crinkle when she did that. “Alright, girl. Take as many as you want.” With that she opened the jar, putting it on the coffee table for Millie to reach easily whenever she wanted.

“When did you meet her?” Harry asked, when he kept his gaze towards his feeding familiar. Even if Harry trusted Y/N, he wasn’t sure if she’d poison Millie. After all, he couldn’t and wouldn’t blame her if she did, after everything her little cat has to go through because of his selfish reasons.

She shrugged her shoulder, with tilted lips while she was watching Millie as well. “I think I met her on the day when I made the bird poop on y–”

“–I knew that was you!”

Y/N laughed, nodding her head. “Pretty sure she was following me around because of the grasshoppers in my bag.”

“I should’ve known.” Harry shook his head, when an almost invisible smile grazed his lips. He should’ve known that something was up, when the bird seemed to follow him around the whole day and embarrassed him at the most inconvenient moments. Of course, he has suspected Y/N but she was so damn good at lying, or he believed her too quickly.

“I don’t know how you didn’t. It was a pretty basic spell.” She shrugged, giving him an almost judging look.

He rolled his eyes. “Not as basic as you having a white cat. Were black cats out of stock?” A mocking tone in his voice made Y/N glare at him.

“Funny.” She laughed sarcastically, when she grabbed the book again, signaling Harry that she was done with the conversation. “And what are you? Wannabe-Batman?” Even though Y/N scoffed rudely, Harry bit into his bottom lip to keep his smile hidden. It was just so damn easy to piss her off.

“Batman doesn’t even have a bat as a pet. He’s scared of them.”

“Whatever smartass, just grab a book.” She rolled her eyes behind the book while she started reading the paragraph where she had stopped. Slowly, but surely Y/N was getting closer to an answer. She only needed to find a spell, a rune or maybe just a potion to make to break the rune and free his magic channel. Since Harry and her were natural witches, born with the powers of a witch, it was harder to detect where their magic came from. So she guessed it would be easier to look for a way to break the spell, instead of reopening his source. If he were a borrower, they would have hat to detect the demon who gave him the magic in exchange for his soul, which might have been a tricky way as demons loved to twist and turn everything they say to their liking and after not being in contact with one of those black eyed spirits, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to detect their shenanigans. Slowly she peeked over her book to see Harry deeply focused on his own and Jupiter still laying in the same position. The only difference was that Millie was gone and the sun seemed to be completely swallowed by the darkness. With one swift snap she turned every light on, catching Harry off guard. She guessed, he wasn’t expecting that.

“Have you found something?” He asked, when she got up, to look through her drawers again, not giving him an answer. So he tried again. “Do you know what to do?”

She only hummed, frustrating Harry. Why did she have to be so dramatic? Couldn’t she just tell him?

“Shit.” She cursed underneath her breath when she closed the drawer, folding her arms in front of her chest. Quickly Harry stood up but before he could get closer to her, to have a look at her drawers himself, she put her hand up. “I think I know what we need to do but I don’t have every ingredient.”

“What is missing?” He asked slowly.

She sighed. “We need a female frog’s eye, some mouse bones and some witches blood.”

“That shouldn’t be too ba–”

“–a witch who can use black and white magic.” She interrupted before Harry gulped. Should Harry confess that he had the right blood? He wasn’t sure if it was enough, but he must have enough on his clothes but how would he explain that to her? He couldn’t just confess what he had done, elsewise he would never get what else he needed from her and she was sure she’d kill him on the spot, while he couldn’t even defend himself. “We’ll never get that!”

He scratched the back of his head, felt the curls sticking onto him as sweat drops dripped down his back. “I might have some.”

Immediately her head shot towards her with a raised eyebrow and slightly shocked expression. “You do?” He nodded slowly. He hoped she wouldn’t ask him any further questions. “How?” But he wasn’t lucky. 

Harry tried his best to laugh it off as his brain screamed through various explanations. “A friend once gave me some.” And of course he had to come up with the most unbelievable one! Sceptically Y/N looked at him up and down, as she notices his thumb running over his tattoos. She was familiar with him doing that, as it was his habit whenever he lied. 

“A friend?” She could smell the bullshit from miles away, as no witch would give their blood, not even to a friend. They need what damage and harm it could bring if someone had would take possession of it. Their blood can be used for the most powerful spells, such as casting hell fire on earth. There was no way Harry just got it from a friend. When Y/N was thinking more and more about it, she came to the conclusion that the person wasn’t a friend but rather his victim and Harry could sense that, as her breath hitched in the back of her throat. Would he do that? 

Would she figure out his secret?

His heart was beating fast in his ribcage and he could practically hear it in his ear. “I… I know ho– how that sounds, alright? But she owned me a favour.” He lied through gritted teeth, hoping she’d ignore his trembling voice. Had she put something inside his tea or why was it so hard for him to lie to her? 

“I–” Y/N started but stopped herself to take a quick breather. Did it really care how he got it? Was she really going to question his morals when she used to torture innocent people as well to get what she wanted? Not too long ago, she’d rip people's fingernails off or break their teeth, just so she could cast a spell for her own selfish purposes and nobody was there to judge her. It was practically in their nature to harm and if Harry had done it, she shouldn’t be surprised, right? Even if she couldn’t see the dork from forty years ago harm anyone, she had to admit that he might not be the same person anymore and truly didn’t know what he was capable of and she had no time to figure it out when Jupiter was still suffering. “–ok.” She exhaled sharply. “It doesn’t matter. You have it. We need it. That’s all I need to know.” A heavy weight fell off of Harry’s broad shoulders, when he sighed in relief. He wasn’t sure if he’d continue lying to her if she’d ask more questions.

Thankfully Harry gave her a small smile and opened his mouth to say something when Millie came flying through the open kitchen window, interrupting their intense stare, as both of them focused on the flying bat above them.Harry couldn’t have been more thankful to his familiar because she didn’t know what he wanted to say, if he was honest. Worry was still visible on Y/N’s face as lines formed between her eyebrows but she didn’t say anything. She needed him to get out of her life and give Jupiter the antidote. At least that’s what she thought when she watched Millie fly closely to her familiar, before she dropped something next to his head. Before Y/N could react, Jupiter lifted his head to see a dead mouse laying next to him and Y/N realised what was happening. “I think Millie is trying to cheer him up.” Harry explained in a surprised voice. He hadn’t seen his familiar so awfully nice to strangers, especially cats as they seemed to love hurting bats. Just one little scratch on her wings, and it would leave her scarred forever, maybe even take her ability to fly, if it was serious. 

Y/N nodded, as she didn’t need his explanation. “I think they’re friends.” She said when she was taken back by Jupiter using his tiny bit of energy to look up at what Milli had brought him. He wouldn’t even look when Y/N was scratching his back or when Harry gave her attention and for a moment a sad smile adorned her face. “Maybe we could be too… one day.” She let her thoughts run wild, not caring what he was thinking about her statement, if he would even want that but Y/N was able to see a blooming friendship between them forty years ago and maybe they hadn’t lost their chance yet.  They’d have to unpack many things before that but that possibility wasn’t completely out the picture, as Harry didn’t seem to have any bad intentions in mind and he hadn’t done anything else to her white cat. So maybe he wasn’t all bad?  Harry smiled ruefully at her statement, as he knew that it was never going to happen. But yet he just gave her a tiny wink to an unknown Y/N. She was naive because, no matter how hard it felt for Harry to admit it, she didn’t suspect that her blood was going to be on his clothes next.

“You haven’t been to the witches market?” She shook her head, as he waited for her to get out of her house. Hesitantly she glimpsed inside her living room where Jupiter was laying on the rug, tiredly watching what Millie was doing, as she seemed to be eating one of the treats Y/N had prepared for her. “Where do you get your stuff from then?” He asked and waited for her to catch up with his pace.

She mumbled. “I don’t really do that kinda magic anymore. I’ve got everything I need right here.” Y/N tapped her foot against her own land, looking proudly at the small house with the much bigger garden. She hardly ever needed to buy anything, due to the many vegetables and fruits she had planted and she never needed anything for her witchcraft, because if she used her magic it was for the most simple things that didn’t require any books or ingredients, that were difficult to find, at all.

“You have a pond right in front of your house. Don’t think you could find a frog or a mouse here?” He pointed at the small water that was just a few feet’s away. “Pretty sure we wouldn’t have to buy those.”

Disgusted, she screwed up her face and put her arms on her hips, staring at him with an irritated look, as if he was talking utter nonsense. “I won’t harm an innocent animal!” She spoke obviously, almost as if he should have expected her answer.

“No?” She shook her head before rolling her eyes, giving him an answer to his phrased question. A part of her understood and knew where he came from. Most witches preferred to use animals, insects or plants straight from nature and they didn't shy away from taking them out of their natural habitat. Y/N used to be like that too. It’s hard not to, when every witch she had looked up to did that but the more years passed, the more she decided for herself that she wasn’t going to do that. Harming, hurting or killing animals wasn’t her preferred method, or at least she didn’t want to do that herself. “You’ve changed then. Because we even used to read from The Book Of The Damned in between classes for fun.” Harry continued, when he tightened his scarf around his neck, so he wouldn’t have to freeze in the cold winter.

Y/N shook her head, not trying to say no but to stop him from talking about that book. “We were being stupid. I shouldn’t have this book in the first place, or brought it with me.” It had been in her family for many, many centuries and if it were up to Y/N, she’d say for way too many. Even though it was their family’s pride and Y/N didn’t want to know how her great-great-grandmother had gotten a hold of those handwritten pages but to her, it had only brought pain and suffering for everyone. Nothing good came from it, as witches always fought about who it should belong to and even the spells required worse than sacrificing your loved ones. According to her, no one should have so much power and if she would’ve been wiser 40 years ago, she would’ve never taken and messed with it. But she was so naive and stupid.

“So, you still have it?” He asked carefully but when she nodded her head, he breathed the warm air out that he wasn’t even aware of holding in. He was relieved but the way she started frowning after hearing the book's title, he guessed she wasn’t as adventurous as she once used to be. Has something happened to her, or did she just grow up?

His eyes were still fixated on her and she sensed how he wanted to ask more questions about it, much to her dislike. That's why she picked up her pace and walked in front of him, directly towards her little pond. “So, should we walk or steal a car?” She asked instead and smiled to show him that she was just joking but he couldn’t see her and immediately he widened his eyes. It was impossible for them to walk and taking a car would take them days, something Jupiter clearly would not survive. Has it really been so long that she didn’t remember where it was?

“What? We aren’t going to steal a car, when we could take mine. But it would take too long. I don’t thi–”

“–calm down. I was kidding.” She stopped his mumbling by interrupting him and holding her hand up in the air while staring at the beautiful scenery in front of her. Thick, tall and dark trees were reflected in the dark water, while butterflies and dragonflies surrounded the green grass. Many leaves were covering the floor, as the weather got colder but Y/N didn’t mind. She likes the colours, as if they were painting the world in a brand new tone. It was a perfect place, many would probably say that it looked scary but what could scare Y/N if she was the one people should fear? That’s why she felt at ease whenever she looked out her window and that’s why she preferred to use it as a mirror, to teleport herself to different places, if they were too far away to reach by foot and not some boring, old mirror, how everybody else does. “Wouldn’t want you getting comfortable here.” She half heartedly joked. She definitely didn’t want him around her but she also couldn’t deny the fact that she was getting used to his company, even if it more often seemed to annoy her than bring her joy. “And I knew you couldn’t walk a mile in those” She eyed his shoes suspiciously. “carnival boots.”

Embarrassed, his mouth popped open and he glanced at his shoes as he was trying to hide them somehow. He didn’t think that his shoes looked bad, quite the opposite actually. He remembered when he saw them for the first time. It had been just a few years ago, when he walked by a fancy small Italian shoe company in the middle of Milan and they had immediately caught his eye. Long story short he fell in love and bought them without trying them on. For years he had worn them occasionally, whenever he wanted to spice up his outfit and he never felt bad about them. Well, until now. Now, he’s wondering if they looked like cheap boots mortals wore when they liked to play dress up.

While he was debating silently in his head if the expensive purchase was worth it, Y/N could read his expressions like an open book. It wasn’t hard when he hit the inside of his cheeks and rubbed at his slight stubble with two of his fingers. “I’m kidding. Again.” She added when she felt the guilt kicking her in her guts. Of course, she never meant it in a harmful way but rather as an attempt of teasing him, just how he always teased her. But she guessed he was more insecure. She didn’t know that and if she were honest, he made those ridiculous looking shoes look expensive, and somehow he could pull them off. “They look good on you.” Once his eyes dared to look back into hers, she gave him a small reassuring smile and walked a few steps towards him, until she could squeeze his biceps. “I was just trying to tease you, curly.”

“Curly?” He cocked his left eyebrow upwards. “Haven’t been called that since... college.”

She let her hand linger on his arm, without noticing. “Well, I gave you that nickname.” And he remembered the day when she had done so. It had been one of their usual study sessions, where they’d be lounging around in the library intending to get work done but most of the time they’d share their favorite tapes and Harry would try to convince her that he could do all the dances from footloose. Now thinking back, he definitely could not dance as good and he was happy that he’d never shown her. He would’ve embarrassed himself. But when they were concentrated on their work, she recognized how just one strand of hair would always fall on his forehead, dangle right between his eyes and annoy him by doing so. He always tried to slick that hair back but no matter how much product he used, that curl was stubborn. And that’s where she had gotten the nickname from. She always loved the wild strands of curly hair and she’d always complain if he used too much product, as she liked his natural way more, or at least that’s what she had said back then.

Immediately his heart picked up on speed, while she allowed herself to drift off to a distant memory for a short time till she got drawn back into reality by birds chirping around her. “We should get going.” She only said, when her stomach started spinning and she wondered if his curls still smelled the same. She wondered if they still smelled like cinnamon and apples and if they felt as soft as they looked in between her fingers. “We can use the water as a portal.” He silently agreed and watched her walk towards the water, when she finally reached the small pond, she mumbled a quick spell. “Aperi mihi quid cogito portal, quae praestat eam. Ibi me accipere.” Within seconds a reflection was seen in the water and he immediately recognized those streets like the ones that lead to the very famous witches market. A few witches were already walking down those old lanes that were made out of red clay many, many years ago. “Let’s go before it closes.” She informed him and stuck her arm into the water, immediately getting sucked into the other side of the mirror without getting wet. Almost as if she had never touched the wet surface. Harry quickly followed her and all he felt was a harsh wind brush through his hair and he stood next to her, in the middle of the street while the bright sun was shining at them while he dusted off his clothes and she combed through her hair with her fingers. No one even cared to see what had happened, as they were used to such a simple spell.

“Do you know where to get them?”

“No.” She shook her head and pressed her lips to a thin line. Anxiety was making itself presentable in her body when she nervously looked around. Somehow she felt out of place and scared that she wouldn’t find it, after all these years of not visiting this place and she was shocked to see that it still looked the same. Just the air felt too thick to breathe and she wasn’t as comfortable as she once used to be, when she imagined everybody staring and pointing their fingers at her, while, in reality, no one was paying her any attention. Harry didn’t seem to notice her anxious behavior when he curiously looked around the market, carefully eyeing every item, as he didn’t want to miss what they were here for.

Y/N truly tried to calm herself down, telling herself that she had been in this situation before. Numerous times, actually, and her earliest memories were from her early childhood, as her mother would always make her tag her along. Back then, she wasn’t so anxious, and would run around the place and touch everything that came to her sight but who would expect anything less from an energetic child?

But now everything was different. She was older now and knew what she should do and what she shouldn’t do and that’s what scared her. She didn’t want to do anything that she wasn’t supposed to and somehow it frightened her so much that she’d rather crawl into her little house and never come out again. A trait she wished she could let go of but it was easier said than done.

Her mother used to advise her to take some substances that mortals used as well to calm themselves down and she had tried them all before. And even if they helped her for a little while, it wasn’t long enough to satisfy her health.

That’s why she’s left alone in her headspace, creating all those scenarios that could –but wouldn’t– happen, without any help to calm herself down.

“Y/N, are you coming?” Harry asked when he saw her frozen on the same spot, while he had spent the past couple of minutes roaming around. Worriedly he frowned, staring at her shocked state. She looked as if she’d seen a ghost. Her eyes were shot wide open, mouth trembling and sweat starting to form on her hairline. Softly he touched her hand, only to realize that her whole body was stiff and that she was so cooped up in her world that she didn’t even notice him standing right in front of her. “Y/N?” He asked again but he didn’t receive an answer yet, just her absent eyes looking past him. “Y/N?” He spoke with Mir certainty and volume this time, somewhat catching her attention, as her eyes darted to him but she didn’t talk yet. Gently, he grabbed her arm, dragging her to one of the less crowded sidewalks. When the sun wasn’t shining directly at them anymore, her hands started to shake, resulting in Harry gripping her tighter than before, scared that she might faint.

For a while, no one said anything, as distraught Y/N tried to control her thoughts and a stressed Harry searched for a solution.

“I–” Y/N started and stopped herself but when she opened her mouth again, no words came out. She looked like a fish out of the water and somehow she felt like one as well. “–I ca–” She tried, she tried to finish her sentence but her dry mouth, her fast-thinking brain, and those trembling lips, made it almost impossible to do so and luckily Harry caught onto it and didn’t make her finish. Instead, he pulled her closer to his chest, holding her steady while her eyes were tearing up.

Gently Harry brushed through her hair, as he looked down at her. “It’s ok. Everything’s going to be just fine.” He shushed when he felt her hands gripping his clothes and her unsteady breathing rhythm messing with his own. “I got you. I’m right here.” After those words, a silence overcame them and the only thing Harry was focused on was her breathing and making sure that she didn’t start bawling her eyes out. Not that he wouldn’t hold her if she’d wet his clothes but he would be worried about what to do next if she decided to cry. Something was getting to her and he wanted to know what it was so he could make her situation better. He had never seen her like this and that somehow scared him. It scared him because he didn’t know what to do and he hated feeling clueless. While other people were passing them, shooting them annoyed or sometimes worried glances, he just ignored them all and gave her his whole attention, even if she wasn’t saying anything. But it calmed him down knowing that when he rubbed her back, she didn’t feel as tense anymore and that her grip loosened around his coat. “How are you feeling?” He asked once he was sure that her breathing was back to normal.

For a second too long Y/N buried her face in his chest, taking his scent in, and allowing it to calm her down before she felt ready to talk. “I– 'm alright.” A scoff left Harry’s lips and Y/N didn’t have to look up to know that he was shaking his head.  She had expected him to say something like “bullshit” or accuse her of lying but he didn’t. Instead, he still held her and he was still rubbing her back with his backhands.

“It’s ok if you don’t want to tell me but…” He stops himself before he lets too much slip.  Should he say what he was about to say? Or will it be too much for her? “I’m here and I’ll listen.” Whatever selfish part inside of him believed that at that moment it was just the two of them, and no one else around them mattered, he let himself believe that. He let himself believe that he wasn’t by her side for more selfish reasons, instead of facing the truth. All he wanted was to pretend that he could be someone she could trust. And when her arms swung around him tightly, it was so easy for him to pretend.

For a short time, a silence overcame them and all she did was try to get her breathing under control. “Sometimes I get… anxious.” She admitted, which she had never done before. To be fair, there was no one in her life that she could say those words too but saying those words to Harry and holding so tightly onto him, as if her life depended on it, was never something she saw coming. Yet, he made her feel safe when the world was so scary and it immediately brought her back to their college years, when he used to be the one, making her feel comfortable. Even if it just was throughout their freshman year. She felt his hands rubbing her back, coaxing the anxiety to be drained from her body and making her feel relaxed enough to continue. “It doesn’t happen often an– and only when it’s cro– crowded.” Her voice sounded so hoarse and the way it cracked at the end, made a pain shot through him. With soft eyes he looked down at her, brushing her hair to one side, to get a better angle at her face.

“Can I hold your hand?”

“What?”

“You can squeeze it if you’re feeling uncomfortable, so I can know. My hand, I mean. You can squeeze my hand if it’s alright with you unless it won’t help you then you do–”

”–ok.” She interrupted his stuttering with a faint ghost of a smile and took his big hand into her own. Immediately he intertwined their fingers together as if he had been holding her hand all these years when he only got briefly the chance to. And when her skin touched him, both swore that those forty years had never happened, as electricity shot through their bodies, pulling them closer together.

For the rest of the day, she let him hold her hand, as they were searching for everything they needed and even though Y/N started to feel overwhelmed at times, Harry’s presence calmed her down. Enough at least so she was able to function. It felt odd to her that she hated his guts for so long when he didn’t seem as bad right now, especially since he hadn’t been an asshole to her and even sounded worried about her mental state.

She never thought she’d say this but she had to admit that she was wrong for being so stubborn. She was wrong for hating his guts so much because he might not be all bad. Of course, it doesn’t change what he had done to her but now she felt ready to at least listen to what he has to say.

And Harry felt that something was lingering in her mind when her mind would wander off and leave her zooming out on him, once they were back at her place. Her mouth was kept shut and she forbade herself from opening up, even when the silence had become so unbearable. She just wanted to know what he’d happened between them and why she didn’t hate him, even though she tried so hard.

But most importantly, she wondered if just a tiny fragment of him felt the same, so she’d get some closure.

The uncomfortable space captured them both immediately and once he sat down on her ugly rug, and Y/N made herself comfortable on her couch,  he had to admit that her floor was oddly comfortable and he finally understood how Y/N was able to sit on it.

Maybe this terrible looking thing was not so useless after all.

“Do you regret it?” She asked, breaking the silence that seemed to suffocate her. Apart of her wanted to stay quiet but she couldn’t anymore, not after everything they had talked about today and what he had confessed earlier. Could his words be true?

Harry looked at her in anticipation, while folding his hands in his lap. “Regret what?” He asked, wanting to make sure what she was referring to even though he knew exactly what she meant but yet she didn’t answer. She chose to stay quiet and that made Harry urge an answer out of her. Was she thinking the same thing? “Regret what, Y/N?”

For a long time, she stayed quiet, because what was he supposed to regret? Ever meeting her? Befriending her? Or was he supposed to regret that she thought there was more going on without realizing it? “The night at the party.” She mumbled when she tried to pin the time when everything went sour and she concluded that it had to be after the party, after their one night that could’ve to lead to something but didn’t.

Immediately he knew what she meant by that and he shook his head harshly. “No.” He spoke firmly and with strength in his voice because he wasn’t lying. He didn’t regret anything that had to do with her and he knew it was impossible for him to feel that way. But how did she not see that? How did she not know that? “Why would you think that? You left the next morning without an explanation. I thought you regretted it.” Slowly anger was burning in the pits of his stomach when he thought back to that day. He hadn’t done anything wrong, as he remembered him falling asleep with his head in his neck, thinking that they can finally kick off a relationship that was always ready to be built. Even though Harry couldn’t see his face, he swore he slept with a smile grazing his pink lips because he knew he was going to wake up next to her. But that never happened. She had left without saying a word and acted as if nothing ever happened. So, shouldn’t he be asking her that question?

“No, I di–”

“–Why did you leave?” Those words left his mouth quicker than he could think about them but he was glad that he had said them. He wanted, no needed, his closure. Did she just play with his heart? She shrugged her shoulders but it wasn’t a good enough answer for him, not after he had waited forty years to finally get an explanation. “Tell me, why did you leave?”

His eyes burned holes into her head until she stopped chewing her bottom lip and finally got her to crack open and let him know what was going through her head. “I… I was scared, ok? I didn’t know what to think.” She mumbled, almost impossible to hear but luckily Harry understood her but it didn’t give him any clarification.

“Really? That’s it? You didn’t know what to think?” He scoffed. That was it? She didn’t know what to think? That’s why she’d been ignoring him for such a goddamn long time? “You could’ve just talked to me!” It wasn’t his intention to sound so rude but he couldn’t help himself and spit his words out as if he was trying to get the poison out of his mouth.

Now it wasn’t Y/N’s turn to feel irritated and even a little bit angry. “Don’t you think I tried?” Annoyed, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, waiting for an answer that never came. He shrugged. How was he supposed to know when he felt like that he was the only one constantly trying. “You were always with your friends and… and I heard what you said to them.” Her eyes were searching for an answer in his green ones but got only met with more questions. He looked confused, as he didn’t know what he could’ve said to them that hurt Y/N so badly. She sighed defeatedly, as he seemed to want an answer from her. “You said you could never be interested in me.” She felt uneasy, confessing what she had heard when she only wanted to use the toilet and his friends were all sitting on the couch downstairs, completely drunk, and practically shouting.

It was right after Harry had fallen asleep next to her, with his head buried in her neck, and his hair tickling her face. Sweat was still covering their bodies and the mess they had made, could even make a blind person see what they had done not too long ago. But she didn’t mind. The only thing that she could hear was her fast-beating heart in her ears and the blood rushing to her cheeks whenever she saw Harry’s hair sticking to his sweaty forehead and the small scratches she had left in his arms. There were probably some on his back as well but she couldn’t see them.

Gently, she pushed Harry’s body away from her, so she could escape his hold and go to the bathroom. While her mind was still replaying what had just happened, a faint shouting pulled her back to reality. All she could remember was one of his friends asking how Harry could stand to be with her in the same room while another replied with how he only used Y/N for an easy fuck and that’s what Harry had said to them as well. That made her feel so extremely dirty, hard, and sad. Was she just an easy one night stand to him? A part of her didn’t want to believe those words but she couldn’t help and let them get to her head. Somehow the butterflies she had felt previously were gone and tears were evident in her eyes. His friends would always give her dirty looks whenever they’d see Harry and her together and Y/N had seen how much prettier girls than her, gave Harry hungry eyes. He flirted with all of them, so she couldn’t be anyone special, right?

Regret washed over him. He did? “Y/N, I–” When he saw the pain evident on her face, he gulped. He apparently did and he didn’t even know.

”–I figured it would be best to just forget about what had happened between us and you seemed to hate me anyways. So, it wasn’t too hard.” She felt her heart skip a beat painfully when she remembered how she had felt in that moment and she wondered if being stabbed by a knife would’ve been easier to go through.

A pain shot through his heart. Hate her? Never. “I never hated you.” He explained calmly, trying to see her eyes b she dodged his gaze because she didn’t want him to see her watery ones. She didn’t want to cry but this conversation frustrated her and brought her back all those feelings she never wanted to feel again. Heartbreaks suck, especially if you’re a stubborn witch who can’t let go of the past.

“Yes, you did! And you basically bullied me through the next years.” Her voice had gotten louder and the tears became more threatening, as they dared to roll down her cheeks at any time now. But she wondered if it was just her anger getting too much and making her so undeniably emotional.

“It wasn’t bu–”

“–don’t deny it! It makes it so much worse, Harry!” Her shoulders sank up and down heavily, as she tried to control her quick breathing but the tension was getting thicker and she didn’t know how much longer she could take it. “Ever since I went out on that date, you made my life a living hell. Why did you do that?” He was silent, trying to understand her. Did she really think he was bullying her? That was never his intention and he didn’t know how to tell her. “See! You can’t explain it yourself.”

She faced herself away from him, ready to get up and leave her living room when Harry let out a small whisper. “I was jealous.” And it took him a lot of courage to own up to his mistakes and explain why he did what he did. He always wanted closure from her and she should get the same.

Her mouth formed an ‘o’ shape and curiously furrowed her eyebrows. Jealousy? Now that she didn’t see coming. “What? Why?” She hissed when she heard how fragile her voice sounded but she didn’t care for long when she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. This situation was loaded with tension, frustration, anger and even some relief because both of them had waited forty years to talk about what had happened that caused everything else to turn so sour.

He took long breaths before he confessed what had scratched his fragile ego to cause him to be an asshole to her. And when he thought about it he felt like an absolute idiot but he couldn’t back out now. “Because you were able to ignore me, after everything and go out with that douche?” He scrunched up his face in disgust. “It didn’t even take you long to replace me.”

“No one could replace you.” She confessed, looking directly into Harry’s eyes. Electricity ran through her veins and suddenly the room felt so tiny, making it so much harder for her to breathe. She thinks she’ll never catch a break. For a moment both took their times to process what had happened, while looking at each other closely. They hadn’t even realised how close they had gotten to each other and only knew she noticed tiny freckles in his cheeks and nose, a tiny scar in his chin and how long his eyelashes were.

And he finally registered her beautiful features and even the smaller details that made her skin so unique and all he wanted to do was to touch her cheeks and caress each and every spot. Only now he realised how his chest was so close to her legs and his hands slowly grabbed her knees, pushing her legs apart. He never stopped looking at her, to make sure she wanted him to touch her. For a short moment she let Harry’s hands wander and closed her eyes to just feel him, as the stare had gotten too intense for her liking. All she wanted to feel was Harry’s soft hands making her feel appreciated and somehow even managed to comfort her and make the tension disappear step by step.

Carefully his hands rubbed against her thighs, while he was watching her from between her legs. Her breath hitched when her gaze met with his hungry eyes and an undeniable flame erupted within her, asking for more fuel to grow bigger. She could feel his cold rings through her black jeans but it wasn’t uncomfortable as he rubbed his skin in hers thoroughly, warming her up. Y/N was able to see what Harry wanted to do and he made sure that she understood him.

His plump lips rubbed over the fabric she was wearing but even that small contact sent shivers down Y/N’s spine and how he was looking at her, as if she was the only one that mattered, made her feel more excited and nervous at the same time. She rubbed her sweaty palms against her rug, so Harry wouldn’t notice but he did and with a low, raspy voice he started asking. “Can I kiss you?” Slowly she nodded while biting her bottom lip. A one sided grin appeared in his face, when he kneeled between her legs and grabbed her face to pull her closer to him. He felt her hot breath on his nose when he caressed her heated cheek and wondered how her skin was able to be so soft. Deeply, he started into her eyes, counting the different specks of Color in them, when he thought back to all the restless nights he had dreamed of being that close to her again. And even if he was next to her because of the worst reasons, he had no choice but forget all about them, as she finally closed the gap between them and put her lips hard in his. Her hands immediately gripped the base of his neck, while he rested on her hips, drawing small circles on them. He felt her sigh against his mouth when he grabbed the flesh harder, giving him an opportunity to slide his tongue inside, which she gladly accepted.

His warm scent made her feel dizzy and the unsatisfied hunger kept her mouth going, keeping their lips dancing together rhythmically. She didn’t know for how long they kept going until she felt Harry’s hands trailing upwards, clearly playing with the hem of her shirt, almost as if he was waiting for her permission. With one last tug in his soft curls, she let go of him and mumbled a quiet “yes” against his lips to which he replied with a smile.

With a lot of anticipation she waited till Harry slid the shirt off of her, exposing her bra padded chest. She wasn’t wearing anything fancy, just a simple black bra but Harry made her feel so extremely beautiful when he stared at her with those hungry eyes, as if he was ready to swallow her whole.

The soft skin that looked like porcelain kept Harry in a trance and within seconds his mouth connected to her chest, kissing softly her neck and down to between her chest. God, she was stunning and Harry would’ve been drooling if he couldn’t control himself. She was prettier than any other girl he’s ever met and he was going to make sure that she knew. After all, how could anybody ever regret having her? It was impossible.

“May I?” Y/N asked when she gripped Harry’s shirt, pleading with her eyes to take off his clothes but much to her dislike he shook his head.

“It’s not about me tonight, darling.” With that he slid between her legs again, his head right in front of her middle. “Let me make you feel good. Let me make you scream my name. Please.” And the last word with the six letters, made her squirm. He was pleading, he was begging to pleasure her and Y/N couldn’t put it into words how wet he had gotten her with one, simple word. She couldn’t help but nod in anticipation. “Use words, baby. Tell me what you want.” His hands gave her thighs a tight squeeze, demanding a verbal answer. With every word Harry’s words got deeper and his eyes grew darker the longer it took for Y/N to answer him.

“Make me feel good, Harry.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I… I don–”

“–no lying, darling or I won’t give you anything.” “Now, let’s try again.” He leaned close to her ear. “Tell me. What–” He kissed her soft spot behind her ear. “–do–” His teeth picked at her delicate skin, making her hiss. “–you–” She knew he was leaving a mark, and she couldn’t care less when his tongue caressed the spot he had just bitten. “–want.” He finished his sentence with one last suck on that spot, still gripping her hips harshly and pulling away from her slightly so he could look into her excited eyes.

“I want you to take off my pants.”

He nodded. “As you wish.” Quickly his fingers grazed over the buttons, giving her one last look and when she gave him a hard nod, he grinned from ear to ear, while he undressed her. Once her bare legs were in his sight, his hands immediately found their place on them again and his mouth made sure to kiss every, newly exposed skin. For a second she stopped breathing when Harry came close to her aching core and she was sure that he could see a wet spot on her panties and all she wanted him to do, was to give her the attention where she wanted it the most.

“No.” She shook her head.

“What? You don’t want me kissing your thighs?” She shook her head. “Where then?” Her hands grabbed his head, pulling him towards her desired place. He grinned. “Do you want me to taste you?” She nodded, only resulting in Harry slapping her thigh. “No, no, no. What did I say? Use your words, love.”

“P– please. Finger me.”

“Everything you want princess.” His teeth grabbed the hem off her panties, slowly pulling them down while he still maintained eye contact with her. He could see the juices flowing out, making him want to completely ravish her, as she was so ready for him and he couldn’t grasp it. She was ready for him. He never thought that this day would come ever again. But before his mouth met her lips, his cold fingers started exploring her folds, rubbing slow circles on each spot, besides her pulsating clit, resulting in Y/N to whine. Harry knew what she wanted and, most importantly, where she wanted him but after forty years he was going to enjoy every second of it and not rush into anything, as they were able to take their sweet time, even if her patience runs very thin.

Excitement ran through the pit of her stomach, while she watched Harry caressing every inch of her body, just not exactly where she wanted him to and it frustrated her. Tired of his games, she dove her hand into his curls, pulling tightly onto the many strands of hair. “Stop teasing me.” She only choked out when his fingers ghosted over her clit and even though it was hardly any friction, it felt really good.

“I’m not teasing, just savouring you.” And with those mumbled words, his thumb rubbed small circles over her swollen clit, making sure to put enough pressure to make her squirm. A satisfied grin spread across his face when she bucked her hips harder against his hand and a small hiss left her mouth, followed by a small moan. Y/N bit her bottom lip, when he rubbed harder and faster against her, to keep herself from being too loud. But when a satisfied grasp escaped her silky lips, Harry’s grin widened and he immediately began to slowly run his fingers along her opening, teasing her by dipping his tips into her wetness. He had to fight his urge to give his all to her, as he just wanted to hear her scream his name over and over again. Not only would it stroke his ego but satisfy him, knowing he was able to make her feel good, like he once was able to. But he just didn’t want to give it to her, he wanted her to remember every second of it, just like how he would remember all the spots that drive her wild. His lips trailed up and down her inner thighs, slightly scratching her, till he hadn’t found time to shave his growing stubble and his hands were still massaging her, feeling how wet she had become. A chuckle escaped his throat when Y/N buckled her hips forward to feel more of his hands on her. He smiled against her soft skin and finally gave in, and pushed his finger inside her warm, soft and wet core.

“Harry.” She managed to moan when his finger started moving and instinctively she spread her legs wider apart, to allow him more access. Blissfully, he sunk another finger in, spreading her perfectly, while he found the perfect rhythm to make her feel good. Seeing her mouth agape, eyes shut and back slightly arching away from the couch, his trousers began to painfully tighten around him. “Right there.” Her toes were curling, while her fingers tugged harshly on his curls, making him groan, when he hit her sweetest spot, erupting a pleasant fire in her abdomen.

“You’re so tight, baby. Can’t believe I fit in there.” A breathy chuckle she felt on her heated skin, when he saw her eyes widening by his words. She was still so innocent and he loved it. “God, you’re so wet. My fingers are covered.” Y/N moaned, as a warning to not continue with his dirty talk, even though hearing his deep, raspy and bassy voice sent additional chills down her spine and turned her on even more. She was clenching around his fingers, motivating him to go deeper and faster, as she was so close to reaching her high. She couldn’t even remember when someone actually made her feel so ecstatic and whenever she did it on her own, it never felt so good. “Are you getting close, baby? Do you wanna come all over my fingers?” Harry asked, still pumping his fingers, with one hand,  in and out of her and with the other hand rubbing his thumb over her pulsating clit. He felt her getting tighter around him, making him imagine how it’d feel to be inside her warm, wet and soft pussy or he wondered how sweet she’d taste and what noises he could coax out of her. He wanted to know everything and he wanted to be the only one knowing every spot of hers that kept her whining and moaning around him.

When she only gave him a nod, as an answer, his fast movements came to an immediate halt.

She almost choked on her tongue, when she felt the sudden lack of action. “Wha–”

“–use your words.” He emphasised the small breaks between every word while staring at her with darker eyes and a dominating tone in his voice, making her swallow her pride. “Beg for me to let you come.”

“Harry.” She sighed, moving her hips in circles but he held her hips in place and for a split second she wanted to shake her head and tell him to fuck off but the way his lips were swollen from kissing her, his cheeks flushed red and his curly hair messily laying on his head, her knees started to feel wobbly. She practically felt how her body was already begging for a release, so she guessed she could actually start begging as well. “Please.”

“Please what?”

“Please let me come.” Harry grinned, as he felt satisfaction run through his veins and it didn’t take him long to pick up his speed again. His fingers moved in and out of her harder and faster than before and if he bucked her hips upwards he hit that one spot that made her see stars.

“Come all over my fingers, angel.” He moaned himself, when she started clenching his fingers again and tightly she grabbed onto the soft material of her couch, when her back was arching and her legs started shaking softly.

When she felt his stubble against her inner thighs again and his fingers curling inside of her, an intense pleasure washed over her and with a loud moan, she let her juices flow all over him. “Fuck. Harry!” She moaned, moving away from his hand, as he rode her down her orgasm. With shaky hands she gave his curls one last tug, telling him to let go of her and even though he wanted to continue, wanted to test her limits and how far he could push them, he let go of her with a smirk in his face. But before Y/N could see his smug smile, he put his fingers in his mouth, tasting what was left of her sweetness, savouring her flavour.

“The next time you’ll have to let me taste you.” He lulled, grabbed her face into his hands and pressed his forehead against hers. He felt her shaky breath in his upper lip, before her hand grasped his wrist, keeping him close to her. Her heart was undeniably beating fast and all she wanted to do was pull him closer to her.

She cleared her throat. “Can I–” Stopping herself, she went to touch his belt, wanting so badly to make him feel as good as he had made her feel but he pushed her hand away, while shaking his head.

“No, not today.” In his green eyes, she saw that he wasn’t eager anymore and that the hunger was gone, even after seeing his hardening length in his pants. She was sceptical and wondered why he didn’t want anything from her but before she could sink deeper into her spiral of negative thoughts, he kissed her forehead sincerely and stared at her with an adorning gaze, making her feel like the only person on this planet.

It didn’t take much more convincing for her and she only nodded her head tiredly. “Do you wanna stay?” She asked hopefully with drooping eyes and before they fell completely shut, she saw him nodding his head and wrapping her inside his strong arms and pulling her close to his warm chest, where she could smell his lulling scent. She was seconds away from falling asleep when one last question popped in her head. “Why did you erase my memory?”

Softly Harry breathed in her hair, holding her tightly. “I didn’t want you to remember me like that.” Even if Harry believed that he never bullied her, he wasn’t going to lie about how horribly he had treated her. He had tried so often to make it up to her but somehow he was never able to and when they graduated, he couldn’t let her go with such a bad opinion about him. He thought it would be better for her never knowing him, than actually hating him. 

“You’re not all bad.” Shemumbled before she fell asleep right inside his arms, something she has never experienced before and she could swear, she had never slept more peacefully. When her eyes fell shut, Harry sighed regrettingly but he shook his thoughts away. She is finally asleep and he needed to look for what he truly came here for. His heavy footsteps walked him through the house, searching carefully for the item he was so desperately looking for. It was the last key for him to finally get what he wanted for so long and he wasn’t going to give it all up, just because he just wanted to spoon her in the couch and fall asleep with his head buried in her hair and his arms pulling her close to his chest. And if he really thought about it, he felt stupid for wanting those things because he didn’t only want them but he missed them. And now that didn’t make sense to him. They were never so close to each other, so what did he miss if he didn’t even know what it’d feel like. He was stubborn, that for sure, because deep down he knew what he was missing while he was going through her drawers.

He was missing the opportunity to be with her, when once he swore that’s all he ever wanted and what she said made his heart beat faster and he wished he could agree with her but he knew what he had done and she didn’t and no matter how much he enjoyed being this close to her, it wasn’t all that was in his mind.

But, again, times had changed and he didn’t only long for her to be in his life.

When he peeked over his shoulders to watch a sleeping Y/N cuddled on the couch, with his coat draped over her shoulders, as he couldn’t find a blanket to put on her, he decided that she wouldn’t have the same fate, as his other victims faced, he stole from. He couldn’t lose her again, or at least he wouldn’t want to lose the chance of running into her, in another forty years, if she would run away from him again. But knowing that she was somewhere in this world, living her life, he’d find her. And if seeing a glimpse of her was all he’ll get, then it’ll still be more than knowing that her heart wasn’t beating anymore.

He can’t kill her.

He won’t kill her.

But he had to think fast, if he wanted to prevent her from dying by his own hands.

Harry was sitting next to the white cat on her familiar couch, touching his head softly. Harry felt how Jupiter melted into his touch and with exhausted eyes he looked at the dead mouse that Millie had brought him. It was odd for Harry to see how a cat and a bat had gotten so fond of each other but yet what was odd to a witch, right?

“Harry? Are you ready?” Y/N asked, as we walked inside the living room with every ingredient that they needed. With her pointy finger, she pushed her table away, creating more space, as she crouched to the floor, drawing a pentagram on the wooden floor with white chalk.

“In a second.” She looked up at him, furrowing her eyebrows and with urging eyes, telling him silently to keep going, and asking him silently what was wrong. “Before we start, this is for Jupiter.” He pulled something out of his black trousers and held a small bottle with a purple liquid inside, up in the air for her to see. “It’s the antidote.”

“Already? We haven’t gotten your powers back yet.”

“It doesn’t matter.” He shook his head, while clearing his throat. It truly didn’t matter to him anymore, as he couldn’t take to see her familiar fighting for his life. He figured that the cat had suffered enough and even if Y/N didn’t find the right way to break the spell, she would one day. “I trust you.”

A million thoughts were running through her mind but none of them were bad ones and the more she thought about it, the more butterflies erupted inside her belly. “Thank you.” She shyly thanked him, avoiding his gaze as her cheeks turned red. It was no wonder that she trusted Harry, given what had happened yesterday but to hear Harry trusting, gave her all the clarification she needed.

“He’ll be sleeping for a while but when he wakes up, he should feel better.” He let her know before he helped the cat drink the antidote. He let out a small whimper and it didn’t take much longer till he fell asleep. Harry could only hope that it wouldn’t take him too long to get better. Those antidotes were unpredictable as there was no way to tell how long they’d take to work.

“Everything looks good. Now you just need to take off your shirt.” Harry looked over to Y/N, forbidding him to drift back to his thoughts. Y/N was done, drawing on the floor and she had placed a chair in the middle of it. Usually, this sight would activate his fight-or-flight-mode because she could do so many things to him if she wanted to. She could hold him imprisoned, make a demon possess him or so many other things that would take him too long if he tried to list them all. And maybe he’d be sceptical and wouldn’t want to trust her if they were still so hateful towards each other. But a lot has changed and if there was one person he trusted, then it was her, the sweet woman in front of him that still made his heart go crazy.

“I don’t think it’s the right time to flirt with me, darling.” He said, obviously joking and yet Y/N felt the urge to defend herself when he pulled his shirt over his head. For a second she lost her train of thoughts and the only thing she could think of was him. The way his chest looked so much more muscular than she remembered and how his shoulders have gotten broader over the years. He looked so much more like a man and it suited him well. She wondered what else he had expanded.

She swallowed her thoughts away while shaking her head, as if she was admonishing herself. “Don’t flatter yourself! It’s solely for the ritual.” Maybe not just for the ritual, she thought when she let her eyes wander and saw the multiple tattoos covering his upper body and the many new ones she wanted to trace with her fingers and memorize every line. He had gotten better looking over time and she couldn’t deny that the ink helped him to age like fine wine.

“Do you think this will really help?” He asked, oblivious to what was going on inside her head.

She shrugged her shoulders, trying her hardest not to let these thoughts get to her. “It should but you never know.”

He sighed. “There’s only one way to find out.” With those words he sat down on the chair and closed his eyes briefly, to prepare himself for what was about to happen. Nervously he fidgeted with the baggy material of his pants, as a manoeuvre to calm him down. He wasn’t exactly sure why he was nervous but he guessed it was new for him to trust someone, as he hadn’t done that in a long time. It almost sounded foreign to him, like a word he had never heard in an unknown language. Maybe that’s why he was so nervous, or he was nervous about the other things he still had to do and he didn’t want to mess everything up. If he did, he’d lose the one person he could trust and, as odd as it sounded to him, that scared him. He opened his eyes again, carefully observing what Y/N was doing, as she threw the bones into a black, metallic bowl and crushed them to a white pulver before she put the juicy-looking eyeballs inside. Carefully, she used every ingredient they needed till it was time to cast a fire. With delicate fingers she created a hot flame and within seconds, after hitting the bowl, it turned a deep, violent blue. “That worked.” She let him now, as she sighed in relief, visually relaxing just a tiny bit. Carefully, she took the bowl in her hands and walked over to Harry, placing it on his lap. “Don’t move, alright?” He only nodded, leaving all the talking to her. Y/N was holding a blood red stone, gripping it harshly inside her hand, as she began to walk in a circle outside of the pentagram. “Tamquam ex virtute quam ego ego quaeritur te.”Her voice strong and the usual trembling gone. Her eyes were closed and with a deathly grip on the stone she walked and walked. “Da mihi virtutem complere.” With a swift motion she grabbed the tiny container of blood, Harry had brought her, and placed herself directly in front of him. “Virium ei laetus.” Her finger dipped inside the red liquid and she drew a rune on his toned chest, concentrating to not mess it up. When she was done, she pressed her hand palm against his chest with a strong force, catching him off guard till a burning pain erupted inside him, making him curse underneath his breath and clutch his eyes shut tightly. “You’re almost done.” She whispered to him, hoping it would ease his pain. Impatiently she waited till the flame went out, showing her that it worked.

“Is it done?” He asked, slowly opening his eyes in anticipation, waiting for Y/N to say something positive.

“Yes.” Was all she said and he needed to hear that, to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close, as his excitement took over him. He was finally being himself again. He was finally a witch again and not like a lousy mortal with no powers.

“Thank you.” He laughed in her hair, as he was still holding her close, deeply inhaling her sweet aroma. “Producat in rosa.” He snapped with his fingers, feeling the electricity run through his fingers, as a steady warmth captured his whole body. Oh, how he missed this feeling. He missed the way he felt so powerful and strong.

“What are you doing?” Y/N asked, creating some distance between them by pushing against his chest. “This is the first spell you use after regaining your magic? Really?”

Even though her tone was judging and she truly didn’t understand what was going through his head, she had to smile as his was contagious enough that she felt forced to do as well, feeling the happiness radiate off him so evidently. “This is for you, as a thank you.” He handed her a simple, red rose, that he was able to conjure, since his powers were back and handed it to her. He had to admit that it wasn’t his most charming move but he felt too happy to think straight and find more creative ways to woo her.

“You’re a dork.” She only said, taking the rose in her hand and placing it on the dining table, next to her, while she still stayed next to him, not wanting to move further away. Her heart was racing, undeniably fast and it felt as if a giant dose of joy had hit her brain, making her feel struck by his gentle gesture. She felt it was unfair of him to be able to make her annoyed and happy.

Her warm fingers still lingered on his chest, when they finally realised how close they were to each other. Her breath got stuck in her throat while she felt his hit her face. His green eyes were watching her closely, like a hungry wolf, and Y/N swore she felt electricity run through both of them. The house was quiet, even the world was quiet, as there was no match to their beating hearts. Nothing was louder.

She felt herself being hypnotised by his green eyes and the way his skins felt so soft on her skin. Her lips were trembling slightly, as she still remembered what had happened yesterday. Simply the memory of him between her legs, made her feel so incredibly excited and she felt herself getting wet. So, she bit onto her bottom lip to keep the quavering hidden from his sight. But he saw it and a devilish grin spread across his angelic features. Instantly he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him, flushing her chest against his, so she would have no choice but to sit on his lap.

Her mouth opened in shock but before she even realised that she was looking like a fish out of water, he pressed his pillowy and plump lips against her soft ones and wrapped her tighter in his arms. It took her a few seconds till she kissed him back and when she did a fire arose in the bit of her stomach. Hungrily she traced her tongue against his lip, asking for permission to get inside. But Harry didn’t, so she tried again. When he didn’t open his mouth again, Y/N tugged in the curls at the vape of his neck, knowing exactly that he’d groan and when he did, she didn’t waste no time, as she tried to taste every inch of his addictive flavour.

His left hand held her steadily by the hips but his right hand wandered up and down her back, creating goosebumps to cover her skin. A cold shiver ran down her back, when she felt his hands rubbing all the tension away. While his lips were still on hers, she sighted pleasantly. Both of them don’t even know how long they had been making out when he finally broke off the kiss to get some air into his lungs. Only then, both of them noticed, how bad they needed to catch a breath, as all they wanted was each other. Her lips traveled from his cheeks to his neck, where she started to leave wet kisses along his veins, feeling them pulsating on her lips and slowly nibbling at his satiny skin. He let out a small whimper when she bit on a spot that she knew would make him vocal, if her memory wasn’t playing any tricks with her.

“Y/N.” He moaned when she sucked on the fresh bite mark, making sure that she was leaving a hickey. Usually Harry wasn’t the biggest fan when people would mark him up but if Y/N did it, he wasn’t going to complain. How dare he complain if she gave him something so sweet? With one last kiss, she let go of his neck and let her hands slide against his chest and run her thumbs over his hard nipples. Patiently Harry waited for her to do more than to just admire him. It did boost his ego knowing she was looking at him with those wanting, hungry and passionate eyes but he wanted more. He had waited forty years, had lived with the unknown and with the knowledge that she didn’t even remember him, when all he wanted to do was barge into her home, to get here. His pants have gotten so tight and he was sure she felt him poking her at the right angle, as she was pressing herself onto him but she didn’t dare to move yet. That’s why he pushed her body further into his, as he began to move her around in his arms. Immediately pleasure shot through both of them at the new wave of sensation. With parted lips, heavy breathing and a need to feel more, she rubbed herself against him, clutched at his shoulders tightly and let him kiss her neck. “You’re so perfect.” He breathed on her, when she felt his tongue gliding over her, followed by his teeth. “I wanted you for so long.” Her heartbeat quickened even more when she heard him say those nice things, leading her to want to rip off their clothes right this second.

To her luck, Harry was thinking the same thing and let his hands wander underneath her shirt, before he pulled it over their head. For a split second she felt insecure about her bra choice, as a simple, white bra wasn’t the sexiest underwear she had ever worn and she wondered what he thought of that. Was he disappointed? Did he expect more? But judging by the way his eyes widened and his tongue drove over his lips, it was certain that he didn’t mind at all. Or maybe he did mind, because he just wanted her to be naked already. He wanted both of them to be naked already. But he didn’t mind what she was wearing. There was nothing that could make her look less desirable in his eyes as he hungrily took her beautiful body in. One of his hands slid to her belly, smoothly rubbing against her soft skin, and when he felt her tensing up, lines formed between his eyebrows and worriedly he looked at her. “Is everything alright?”

Y/N bit on her bottom lip, slowly nodding her head, as she was trying to get rid of the demons telling her, she wasn’t good enough, her underwear wasn’t seductive enough and that she just wasn’t enough. All she wanted was the man in front of her, who made her feel comfortable, and not those insecurities ruining the moment. “I’m sorry.” She murmured, shaking her head. She was ruining the moment, wasn’t she? “Just… just don’t touch me there.” She put his hand away from her belly and placed it back at her hip. A few deep breaths, she had to take,  before she had enough courage to look at him again and all she saw was the softest look, anyone has ever given her. He didn’t look judging, blaming or even mad and that made her feel a lot better already.

“I won’t, if you don’t want me to... but why?” He asked slowly, as if he was walking on eggshells because he was scared of her reaction and he didn’t want to push her.

She sighed. “I– I don’t like it.” Those were the only words that had left her mouth and by that phrase it could’ve meant anything but the way her eyes drifted over her body and her pointing at herself, made Harry gulp. How on earth was such a stunning woman insecure? If anybody should feel insecure, he was convinced it had to be him.

“Don’t.” He only warned her, when his hands cupped her face. “Don’t say that. You’re so fucking perfect.” He connected their mouths together by pressing a small but firm kiss on her lips. His thumb was caressing her cheeks and when she finally sighed and stopped being so tense, Harry was able to relax as well. “You’re beautiful, Y/N, absolutely, madly stunning.” The way his eyes stayed on hers and never even blinked, proved that he wasn’t lying, or at least Y/N started to believe his words, as he sounded so sincere. How could a person find the right words at the right time and wrong ones all the time? “Truly, you’re so b–” She didn’t even let him finish and just captured his lips in another hungry kiss. Her hands immediately got tangled in his curls again and this time she kissed him more eagerly and let her hands slide to his pants, as she was opening them up. She wanted him. She wanted all of him and she was willing to push those insecurities away because they didn't seem to be flaws in Harry’s eyes and that turned her on even more, that made her want him even more. That’s why she let him touch her skin, even the spots she didn’t like, and when he finally opened her bra, she took it off quickly, hoping he wasn’t going to change his mind. But he didn’t even give her any more time to be insecure about her body, as his mouth traveled down her neck, till he came face to face with her chest, that looked so kissable. His lips left kisses all around them and when he came close to her nipple, he only dared to ghost over them, as he wanted to see her reaction first.

When her breath hitched in her throat and she, encouragingly, pushed his head closer to her, he smirked on her skin before he sucked her, already hard, nipple in his mouth. With soft strokes of his tongue, he flicked over it continually, his hand giving her other breast the much wanted and needed attention by massaging it and pinching her nipple.

She hissed at the pain at first before it turned into please, leaving her craving for more. All she felt was his lips on her and that made the aching between her legs so much more evident. He left a few more kisses on her chest before he switched sides, as he wanted to taste both of them. When his tongue swirled around her nipple this time, she wasn’t able to keep her mouth shuts anymore and started to moan his name in a breathy voice. “Harry.” She looked at him, working so hard to make her feel good, and when he looked back, keeping a steady eye contact, she felt her heart picking up on speed. Instinctively, she pushed herself harder against him, making him groan onto her skin, as her warm fingers massaged circles on his scalp. “I need more.” Fast, she tugged at his curls, pulling him away from her, before she stood up. Her hands pushed him back into his chair when he tried to get up but she only shook her head. “No. Stay.” She crouched down, taking a hold of his pants and signaling him to buckle his hips up. When he did, she swiftly pulled them and his underwear down, causing his hard cock to spring against his abdomen. Y/N eyes widened by his size, as she wondered how she was able to take him in. But she didn’t let it face her, when her hand grabbed him and she begged with her eyes to continue.

He nodded. “Spit on it.” His voice sounded suddenly so deep and demanding, causing Y/N to immediately nod her head and do what she was said. Her hand started off slowly pumping up and down, as he grabbed the chair, enjoying her touch. With a longing look he watched exactly what she was doing, while he hoped he would remember everything later but he wasn’t worried that he wouldn’t. “Faster, baby.” Harry demanded and Y/N did. It had been a while since she had any interactions with a person like that but she was also certain no one would make her heart race and her pussy ache as much as Harry. Her hand picked up on speed and her other hand took the opportunity to squeeze his balls. “Fuck, Y/N.” He breathed out, as he didn’t expect her to do that. A fire simmered inside him and all he felt was her hands on him. His breathing picked up on speed, while her hands did the magic.

“Can I taste you?” She asked, looking at him with big, deer eyes. Seeing her like that, between his legs, crouched in the ground and willing to take him, made him want to bust right then and there. How was she able to be so innocent, yet so willing at the same time? It made his head spin. “Please.”

“I won’t last if you do.” And he wasn’t lying, he already felt as if he had to hold himself back. He wasn’t sure how she was able to get him this weak but it excited him knowing that she did.

“I don’t care.” She simply stated, as she picked up on more speed, jerking him off faster.

“Fuck, baby.” He moaned, closing his eyes at her unexpected action. His hand grabbed her hand, guiding it to go slower. “We got the whole night. No need to rush.” With that he let go of her hand and cupped her cheeks again, as he bent down to kiss her again. Desperately, he pulled at her lips with his teeth. “Take your panties off, angel.” He mumbled against her mouth, before placing one last kiss on her mouth.

Slowly she stood up again, swinging her hips while doing so before she pulled her panties down, making sure Harry was seeing her every movement carefully and tossing the item carelessly to the ground. He pulled her in closer again, as they’d lips reconnected again and his hands started to wander till they found what they wanted. With slow motions he rubbed circles on her clit, making sure she got even wetter than she already was. His lips went to her neck, leaving more marks behind.

“Harry, I want you now.”

“Then take me.” She didn’t have to be told twice before she sat on his lap, quickly rubbing herself against him, before guiding him inside. She had to hiss at how much he stretched her out carefully she took little bits of him at a time. His hand was rubbing her cheek, encouragingly while looking at her face. “You’re so amazing, taking me in.” Pleasure was evident for both of them as Harry wondered how she fit so perfectly around, squeezing him the right way while she couldn’t get enough at how he made her feel so full. It had taken her a few seconds before she was able to get used to his size, even though she was convinced that she’d never get used to him.

Slowly, she moved her hips, working on both of their pleasure. Moans were bouncing off of the walls, as her pace picked up on speed. An immense pleasure was shooting through her core, when all she felt was him, deeply buried inside of her. His head fell back, while she pressed her face into his exposed neck, slightly nibbling on his heated skin to suppress her moans. Her hips were keeping a steady pace, as the pleasure washed over them. “Faster. Please.” He begged in such a needy voice that made Y/N go crazy. No matter how much she liked to be taken care of, she enjoyed it, even more, to be the one in control, especially when it came to Harry who always had the upper hand. That’s why she had to drag it out as long as she could.

“What was that?” She asked teasingly, tracing the veins on his neck with her tickly finger. “I didn’t understand you.” Her voice was teasing him, showing off that she was in control, as her hips rocked back and forth in a torturing slow pace. “I’m afraid you have to say it again but louder.” The glare he gave her would have almost been lethal but she didn’t care. Instead, she stopped her movements all together, looking at him expectedly. “You have to say it or I won’t do anything.”

Her grin was bright and big, causing Harry to chuckle deeply. “It’s cute how you think you’re in charge.” Before she had a chance to register his words, he had stood up, still holding her close to him, when she wrapped her legs around him. Surprised she let out a small shriek, as her eyes widened and hands clutched on his shoulders harshly. He carried her, as if she didn’t weigh anything and easily looked into her eyes amused. He looked around, deciding where he wanted her and for a second he wanted to settle for the couch when he saw her rug and an idea popped into his head. His face came so close to hers, his breath hovering over her lips. “Let’s ruin that ugly rug.” He only said, and placed her gently on the ground, having to slide out of her, much to her dislike.

She felt empty immediately and whined. “Harry, get ba–” But he had cut her off when he pushed himself fully into her. “Fuck.” Her hands gripped his arms, which were outstretched on each side of her head and he began to thrust into her, harsher and faster than she had rode him. With each thrust the floor made a small noise but neither of them cared as they were being much louder.

“You like that?” He asked, when she closed her eyes shut by the overwhelming pleasure. She couldn’t answer and was just nodding her head, which caused Harry to smile and plant a small kiss on her forehead. “Good.” His thrusts were in a perfect rhythm and he was hitting all the nice places and she hugged his cock just the right way, as if they had been made for each other.

His thrust became stronger and faster with every thrust, making her moan his name till it echoed inside her house. “Harry.” She pushed her back forward, letting her chest collide with his. “That’s perfect.” She said, as he was hitting a brand new spot inside of her and automatically her hips started to move and meet his thrusts halfway.

“You feel amazing, baby.” He was going in and out of her so quickly, while he felt her hard nipples rubbing against him. Quickly, he sneezed his hand between her legs, as he felt him getting closer and he wanted both of them to finish tonight. In harsh circles he rubbed clit, but he never let go of his fast pace, as he was free trying closer and by the way she clenched around him, he guessed she was about to finish as well.

“Don’t stop, Harry. Don’t stop.” She cried out loud, as he was hitting the right spots inside her, making her see stars, whenever their skin met and made a loud sound. “Please, don’t stop. Please.” Seeing her beg, made his thrust get more forceful, his hand rubbing faster and giving him the strength to finish. After a few more thrust both of them felt the fire burning hot inside them, aching to be released.

“I’m about to come.”

“Come on my belly.”

“What?” He wanted to make sure he had heard her right, as he was seconds away, just like the way she was.

“Just do it, Harry!” She practically screamed when she felt her orgasm overcoming her and a wave after a wave of pleasure hitting her repeatedly, as her legs were trembling and her hands gripped onto his muscles. Seeing her cuming in his cock, gave Harry the last push and quickly he pulled himself out of her, just in time, to shoot his semen on her abdomen while he said her name. White, thick streaks were decorating her beautiful skin, like a canvas that has been painted, as both of them tried to catch their breaths. Harry let himself fall next to her, the moonlight shining on their sweaty bodies and the world quiet around them.

“God, you’re perfect.” He moaned one last time before closing his eyes. She was tracing his arm, that he had put around her, with her hand, drawing the outlines of his tattoos. It didn’t take him much longer till he fell asleep and she laid there awake.

She was tired but not tired enough to sleep yet, as she was busy admiring his sleepy state. She adorned the way his long eyelashes were resting on his cheeks and his curls fell on his forehead so perfectly. Y/N didn’t even know for how long she had been laying on the ground but once her bladder started to act up, she had gotten up by removing his arm carefully, to not wake him. The cold air was hitting her skin, when she went to the bathroom to clean herself up. It didn’t take her too long till she was back in her kitchen, dressed in new clothes while got herself something to drink, after putting a blanket over Harry’s body. As she was about to take a sip of her drink, Millie flew inside through the open window

“Hey, Millie.” Y/N greeted her. “Do you want some grasshoppers?” With soundless steps she opened ome of her cabinets, revealing a jar filled with insects. Usually, she used to for spells and always had some laying around. She opened the jar and held it towards the bat but she didn’t dive in, as she usually would, confusing Y/N. “What is it, Millie?” She asked, walking closer to her, while she was carelessly flying around. She fled around in small circles,, as if she wanted to tell Y/N something. “Do you want me to–” she didn’t finish her question as the bat clapped her wings approvingly. “–alright.” She cleared her throat. “Me intellegere et vespertilio.” This one always used to be one of her most favourite spells, as it allowed her to understand animals. Any animal she wanted even and it had opened her eyes and changed her worldview drastically, besides talking to animals was better sometimes than talking to people.

The high pitched voice rang out in her ear but she didn’t say anything Y/N had expected. “Harry, will kill you. He has killed so many more. He is a liar.” Her blood ran cold, as she stared at Millie denyingly. He wouldn’t kill her. Why would he kill her? She had helped him and they had even gotten closer to each other. It wouldn’t make sense, even if they hadn’t put their differences aside, was he that petty enough to end her life? She just couldn’t imagine him doing that.

“What?” Y/N asked but Millie didn’t answer anymore and took the cue to leave, while Y/N stood there not knowing what to think anymore. What was Millie saying?

A trembling headache started to form, her hands started shaking and even if she didn’t want to believe his familiar, her eyes started to tear up and she felt incredibly dirty. Had he used her? Would he really kill her? Her knees felt weak and somehow her throat was burning, as if she hadn’t drunk anything in a while. She was clueless on what to do. Should she just ask him? Would he even say the truth? Call her crazy? Kill her, right then and there? Should she make sure that he wasn’t going to hurt her first?  

With shaky hands, she opened her cupboards, as an idea popped in her head to coax the truth out of him.

All she needed to do was to make some tea, just the way her mother used to make, whenever she suspected that someone wasn’t telling the truth. It didn’t take much, as she only needed some chamomile flowers and some hair from a white horse.

She didn’t want to do this, she didn’t want to break his trust but she had to know if everything was a lie and Y/N was sure, she wasn’t ready for his answer, as it was obvious what it would be. Familiars didn’t lie, so there was only one outcome.

Quickly she prepared the tea, while she tried to calm herself down and not look too shaken up. Harry would see through her mask, and she couldn’t risk it. She took a few breaths in and slowly breathed the air out before she walked into the living room, seeing Harry putting on his clothes in a sleepy state. “How long have you been awak?” He asked, rubbing his eyes with his fists, while a tender smile grazed his lips. He looked so innocent, so peaceful and she couldn’t imagine him doing anything harmful to her. Was she doing the right thing? She wasn’t sure but she had to find out if Millie was saying the truth. There was no way Millie was lying, as it wouldn’t help her in any way and because familiars couldn’t lie. They were always loyal, faithful and honest. It wasn't in tgeir nature to make up lies for no reason.

“I made you some tea.” Y/N said, trying not to sound too monotone, as she tries to bite back her doubts and worries.

“Thank you, baby.” He took the hot beverage in his hands, blew some air on it before carefully taking a sip. At first it tasted like camomile but the aftertaste confused him. It tasted familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. “I can’t make out what tea it is. Wha–”

“–where did you get the blood from?”

For a second he looked at her with furrowed eyes and started at her confusedly with a startled look. Why was she asking him again? “I told you” he started, trying to remember exactly what he had said yesterday to her, so she wouldn’t be suspicious and he wouldn’t be caught in a web of lies. But his planned words never came out. “I killed her and the blood was on my clothes.” He immediately dropped the cup of tea and cupped his mouth shut. What was he saying? He tried his hardest not to tell her but it was impossible for him not to say the truth, as if an invisible power coaxes the truth out of him. And that’s when it hit him. Magic. “What did you put in my tea?”

Y/N didn’t feel like answering his questions, as she questioned everything that had happened. “How many people have you killed?”

“Four.”

“Did you want to kill me.”

“Yes.” She felt her heart break, and she swore she felt it split in half. He had used her all along and suddenly the puzzle pieces fell into place. That’s why he knew where she was living, even though he didn’t have any powers; he had looked her up to master his plans. He had everything ready and she walked right into his trap.

“Why?” She dared to ask with a shallow voice.

“For a ritual to get my family back.”

“What do you mean?”

“My mother and sister died and I want to resurrect them.” He finally confessed, as he leaned back tiredly. Now, all his secrets were out, just when he thought he hadn’t had to harm her.

“How did they die?”

“Fire.” He breathed slowly, picking up the tiny pieces of broken glass, to play with them carefully. “From everything that could’ve killed them, it had to be a fucking houseburn. It had to be a fucking mortal death! They could’ve done something about it but it was all too fast.” His voice rose in anger and all he saw was how his family burned in front of his eyes, while he couldn’t save them. He wasn’t there when it happened but he felt responsible because he should’ve been there. He should’ve saved them but he failed to. He had failed them.

“Harr–” Y/N tried to talk to him but he pushed her away with an invisible force, causing her back to collide with her bookshelf, knocking multiple books down. A painful yelp escaped her lips, as she tried to get up.

“They died so pathetically because someone thought it was right to still burn witches.” His eyes were cold and the warm tone in his voice was long gone. “Mortals should be happy that I don’t make every single one of them burn.” His heavy footsteps got closer to hear, causing her to crawl away scaredly.

“You didn’t have to kill them.” She tried to say, as she slowly got up, staring at the man in front of her, who had changed so drastically. What was happening? Even the Harry she swore to hate, wouldn’t have done this. He wouldn’t have been this cold and no matter how sorry she was for his loss, she couldn’t and wouldn’t tolerate his behaviour. Everybody loses someone at some point in their lives, but it doesn’t give them any right to hurt others for selfish reasons because magic shouldn’t be used to bring more pain than it already does.

He chuckled deeply, shaking his head as if she had said something funny. “They’re worse than me. They’ve killed more people, than we know, over the past centuries.” Slowly he got closer to her, while she continued to back up till her back hit the wall. “They deserved it. My family didn’t.” And right before he was able to touch her, she ducked away from his grasp.

“Obrigescunt anathema.” She shouted, watching him not be able to move his body anymore. With tears in her eyes, a shaky voice and an hurt expression, she just blatantly stared at the stranger that she didn’t seem to know at all.

“Harry, stop it!” She was already on the floor, clutching her hand on the door frame as the tall man however over her. The taste of iron lingered in her mouth and only then she had realised that her lip was cut and tiny droplets of blood were coming out of it. But that wasn’t really one of her concerns as she felt him clutching her throat with his powers. The coward couldn’t even do it himself. He couldn’t even choke her on his own.

Her eyes were red and her face turned to a sick looking color. Just the sight of him, broke his heart and he wanted to hate her because she made him do those things to her but deep down he knew it was all his doing and he should hate anyone, then it must be him. “I never wanted to kill you. Fuck! You were the only person I tolerated and you had to be so stubborn, when I could’ve given you what you always wanted; a normal life.” His right hand was still controlling his magic while his left one went through his wild curls in frustration. Why did it have to end like this? Why her? Harry felt so stupid because when he made his plan, he thought he’d hate her. He thought he was over their short lived romance but all it took was one look at her and he turned to the stupid boy he once used to be.

“Harry, please.” She choked out, clutching her throat, as if she could peel his magic off of her, as if it were a hand. Her eyes were begging and if she had the power herself, she’d be begging more.

“Why did you have to fight me? I fucking loved you! You hear that? I love you! I don’t want to do this but you gave me no choice.” Harry rambled and when his brain processed what he had just confessed, his eyes shot wide open. He loved her. He loved her as if they were forty years younger and as if the misunderstanding never happened. Would his younger self do all this to her? Immediately, he knew the answer to that; no. So, why was he doing this now?

“I lo–”

“–no! Shut up! You don’t get to say that!” For a brief moment, he softened and he lowered the pressure on her when he understood what she tried to say. She couldn’t say those words because he knew he’d break down. “My family loved me and looked where it had gotten them. They’re dead.” Why did everyone he loved had to suffer? His mother and sister died horribly, while Y/N was about to die because of him. A humourless laugh he let out when he thought how this was an actual curse. How life was the actual curse.

“I love you.” She managed to say when he was buried in his head, and her words pulled him out of there way too fast. His heart was breaking when he heard her confess something that she shouldn’t be feeling in the first place. He was a monster and yet she still said those words. Either she tried to butter him up or she was actually crazy but either way he didn’t deserve her.

“Shut up!” His hold got stronger in her neck, as his voice sounded even more threatening than before but it didn’t last for long. “It’s already fucking hard to do this. Don’t make it harder on me.” His voice was breaking towards the end and tears escaped his lifeless eyes. For a moment they just stared at each other and Y/N was preparing herself, when her vision started to darken.

“What would your family think?” She asked with a whispery voice, and for a moment she was afraid that he hadn’t heard her but when he almost let go of her, she knew he did.  “Would your mother be happy? Or your sister?” She gasped for air, finally feeling it inside her lungs, easing the burning sensation inside them but it wasn’t enough to make her feel better and use her powers on him.

“You don’t know them.”

“But you do. So, would she?” Would his mother be proud of him if she could see him right now? Would his sister be proud if he knew what he had done to get them

Back? Would they? His hands started shaking, when he pictured their disappointed faces in front of him and when he could swear he could hear his mother’s voice, saying how much she disapproved of him, he finally broke down crying. Loud sobs escaped his mouth and Harry wasn’t sure if that was the first time he let himself feel all those emotions but he thinks that was the first time he had cried over the loss of his only family and he cried for knowing what he had done in the past few months. Who had he become?

“It’s so fucking unfair! Why did I have to lose them?” He sobbed in his hands, when his body came in contact with the cold floor.

“I’m so sorry, Harry. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you but it doesn’t change what you’ve done.” Even though her hand was aching to touch him, she didn’t. Instead she hoped her emphasisng her look was good enough to comfort him, even if he didn’t deserve it.“You need to leave, Harry.” He wanted to protest, grab her weak body and beg to her to not let her go. But when he saw those dark red wounds around her neck and the busted lip, he wondered how many more bruises she had gotten because of him. He closed his mouth and pressed his lips to a thin like while his tears had started to fall harder again. Why did he do this to her? Why was he so desperate to get his family back if they would hate him in the end? All he wanted was to have people in his life that loved him and the one person that did, he tried to kill her. “Maybe one day we‘ll meet again. When you’re better.” She said in a promising voice and her soft eyes bore into his, while she tried to remember the exact shade of green they were and hoping it wouldn’t be the last time, she’d get to see them. Instantly, Harry nodded his head, because that was his only goal; to get better. And, of course, to get the chance to be in her life again. “Oh, and if I hear you killing again, I‘ll kill you myself. Understood?” She was bluffing because she could never kill him but still, she tried to look as tough as possible, to look the most convincing she’s ever looked in her whole life.

Silently he stared at her with tired looking eyes and with fresh tears still streaming down his face. He knew she was doing the right thing and he didn’t deserve her but it didn’t stop his heart from aching. He wanted to hug her tightly, kiss her one last time but he couldn’t and that hurt him more than the bruises on his body did. That’s why he was determined to become the person she deserves to be with.

“Jupiter, don’t eat the tomato leaves!” Y/N shouted when she saw her cat nibbling on the white flower and the tiny leaves. With wild gestures she shushed her cat away and kneeled down on the ground to make sure that the plant was alright. It didn’t have any tomatoes yet but she knew in the late summer she could get a taste of them and she was looking forward to making fresh soup or pasta sauce, as they tasted better than the processed ones. She never understood why people loved to eat food out of cans, if they had time to use fresh ingredients and cook dishes themselves. It tasted better if it was made from scratch and, at least, she knew what she was actually eating.

Her fingers grazed one last time over the leave and she shot Jupiter a warning look, so he wouldn’t think about doing it again, when she headed back to her little pond. Her garden was finally looking good, after she finally replaced her dead plants, as spring was already in its early stages.

The sunbeams were beaming down on her, whenever they found a spot to shine through between the trees and the small noises from the animals around her, reminded her how much she had missed for everything to be this alive. Y/N loved spring because everything began to bloom, rise and overall the world just looked happier.

And she looked happier as well, now that the sun was out more often and she finally was trying to get over what had happened in late autumn last year.

Goosebumps still covered her skin and her heart stopped beating for a second when she let her mind be worried about Harry.

She wasn’t thinking of him as often now but he still occasionally haunted her thoughts, making it so hard for her to not just cave in. Y/N knew how easy it was to see what he was doing, thanks to her powers, and she knew that she shouldn’t do it. It didn’t help her get over him and she was violating his privacy.

But yet she still liked to see what he was doing.

In the beginning he looked miserable, as he had hardly gotten any sleep and didn’t think of taking care of himself properly. Those days had really made her heart break, because all she had to do was to use her pond as a mirror and she’d be with him. It was so easy for her to touch him again, to reassure him and be there for him, as he healed but she didn’t cave. Instead she watched him every once in a while and when she finally saw him improving his state, she couldn’t help herself but to feel proud. With each passing day he took a small step forward to a better life and it did not only bring her joy but also hope. She became hopeful and counted the days till he’d show up at her doorsteps to be with her, to finally face them the chance they should’ve taken when they had first met.

“Aperi oculos Ostende mihi futurum.” A small smile graced her lips when she saw his reflection in her pond again. But this time she didn’t see what he was doing right at that moment. No, she wanted to know more than how he was doing. She wanted to know how he’ll be and she had to know what the future had in store for him, for them.

An overly excited Harry was smiling from one ear to the other, exposing his dimples and bunny teeth when he was saying something that she couldn’t hear properly due to his mumbling. His hair looked longer and somehow even curlier and a beard was evident on his face. He looked older but not in a bad way at all and to see him like that made her happy. For a minute longer she watched him run up the stairs of a familiar looking house and she was about to let the reflexion float away when she saw someone.

And that someone was her.

Y/N swung her arms around Harry’s neck, pulling him into a small kiss before letting go of him, which caused Harry to pout. But she didn’t seem to be faced by his reaction as she strutted away, sitting on a small chair that was placed in the corner of the bedroom. Everything looked so awfully familiar but yet so different. But not in a bad way, as htheer house looked more like home. 

For a moment Y/N wondered whose bedroom that might be but when she saw a picture of Harry and her, framed on the nightstand, her breath hitched. Would they live together in the future?

“Harry, you smell like mud.” She Heard- her future self complain, as she scrunched up her nose and pinched her nose bridge. He had obviously working on the garden, as Y/N couldn’t do that anymore. She couldn’t even go down the stairs without being breathless and she was so glad that he helped her out so much but it didn’t give her a reason to not poke fun at him. “Go, take a shower!”

“I don’t smell like mud.” He only puffed offendedly and crossed his arms in front of his chest but Y/N could tell that he wasn’t truly upset. “It’s just the baby.” His long finger pointed to her belly.

Shocked, Y/N splashed the water away, causing the reflexion to disappear. Will she be pregnant one day? Her hand grasped her belly, that still only contained her breakfast and her organs. Could it truly be real? Her eyes wandered to her stomach, as she imagined it growing and somehow that was hard for her to do so. Not because she didn’t want any children but because her and Harry were still miles apart from being a couple, let alone being parents.

But no matter how surprised she was and how hard her heart was hammering in her ribcage and how sweaty her palms had become, she tried to hide a growing smile.

So, Harry will fight for their shared future and she’d let him back into her life. Of course she was worried about him but she knew he’d get better one day and no matter how long it’ll take him, she’ll be here, waiting for him. Everything will be alright, and that’s all she could’ve ever hoped for.

With weak knees she stood up from the ground, still clutching her stomach when a voice, that she had missed so dearly, was ringing in her ear. “Hello, comrade.”

[mevekagvain]

Chapter 452 - I just feel like Mirai and Urne's bracelets are detrimental in fights. Like their whole outfits are but that's more obvious.

Chapter 453 - RK's here ^^

- ... And so is Juraki.

Chapter 454 - Regasus is bigger than Regis I'm pretty sure,,, child. Baby.

- M-21 did the ww wolf attack. Good for him. Rip Urne though.

- There's just something hilarious about Seira spinning Death Scythe to block attacks. Makes me envision kids spinning pencils and pens.

Chapter 455 - Glowy eyes!

- ...I have so many questions about Mirai being severed in half. Like what body part has to be intact for regeneration to occur? Which gland or organ is sending out the necessary signals? That's just the basics because I've got a lot more. Also funnily enough, despite all the severing and regrowing, Noblesse isn't particularly gory. No pools of blood or viscera. Everything just disintegrates lmao.

Chapter 456 - On a deeper level I don't think Lunark and M-21 will ever be compatible until Lunark gets over thinking of humans as inferior but I think they'd make a cute couple. I like them helping each other. Also very cute imagining her training him.

Chapter 457 - Ye Ran has a teacher with a mohawk sjjsskks

- 2/3 female teachers out of 12 though. Very unrealistic considering over 50% of secondary school teachers are female in South Korea, be it in 2010 or now.

- Takeo trying to stop Tao from digging their hole deeper jajaksk. Like yeah do not tell Frankenstein all the details of what you did bro.

- Lunark hitting M-21 with a rock ajksksoso. Mood. Don't tease her.

- Mirai is completely naked 😶 But also wow. Wws can grow hair even on their palms and the soles of their feet? Very interesting.

- Nooooo not the clan leaders + Raskreia and Raizel posing. Screaming crying laughing rn.

Chapter 458 - I like how even Raskreia gets a flyer to be part of the RK 😆 See her cape billowing magnificently as she reads it.

- Kentas, Lunark 🤝 Raizel, Raskreia

Looking like they're related

- Okay this time she's genuinely blushing because she's embarrassed they haven't found Rozaria yet imo.

- Meanwhile poor Rozaria is completely lost as she seeks out Raskreia. They're dating <3 Also hc that Blood Witch is just chattering endlessly (not with actual words since soul weapon) by doing the equivalent of "a squirrel! Omg it ran up a tree! Ooo is that a xxx tree? Can I touch it please touch it how does it feel" etc.

Chapter 459 - Will forever take this to mean Garda's the strongest ww when she's sane and in control. She's just not dumb enough to want to be lord.

- Also Maduke... this is 100% your fault, not Muzaka's. You orchestrated wars, Ashleen's death, and even attempted Muzaka's to become lord instead of doing it the correct way which is winning in a one-on-one duel against him. If you're too weak to win then you can't be lord, end of story. You have no proper claim over the position, so Garda has every right to be hostile to you and to refuse to listen to your orders.

- It is interesting that Muzaka refers to Garda's peers as 'kids your age' like how old are you 😶 Ig he's probably a generation above her since he seems to be in the same gen as Maduke who looks like he's about to keel over at any second?

- ...I wonder if Muzaka ever asked Dorant when he's gonna get a partner since I'm pretty sure he and Garda are the same gen or just one apart and he asked her that. I like to think yes. Man is just invested in their love lives. Or more accurately, their lack of love lives. Also interesting how Erin and Garda have the same hair colour because I feel as if that could have let the two plot to raise Ashleen among wws by passing her off as theirs.

Chapter 460 - Ah yes Sadako Muzaka time.

- It is very interesting to see a fight between two ppl who're both put of their minds and not in control of themselves.

Chapter 461 - Garda meeting Frankenstein flashbacks and going to Lukedonia flashbacks. Garda debating whether she should say hi to Raizel because he's Muzaka's friend 🥺 That's so cute I love her.

- No none of this is your fault Raizel :/ Yeah you were a very shitty friend to the traitors and that's on you but that's not an excuse for them to plot with Maduke and set up a death match between you and Muzaka. Literally 0 fault lies with you. Let Raskreia deal with this.

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Ohh maybe 1, 2, 3, and 28? 👀

*takes a sip from my can of soda* Ahhh~! Caffeine for the soul~ >:3

But you know what's better for the soul? Questions! Curiosity! RAMBLING ABOUT CHILDREN! >:D Let's GOOOO!

1. What would your Warden generally think of your Hawke and your inquisitor?

Rylen: 

Now, I kind of see Elise eventually meeting or at least, reaching out to Rylen after the events in Kirkwall. After all, she’s an Amell, and so is Hawke. They’re literally the only family each other has (that’s not ‘found’ family, that is.). So, I think Elise would reach out through a letter or somehow manage a visit to her cousin and...connect. She would see him as inspiring; Rylen always manages a smile and a quip. However, if they were to spend more and more time interacting with each other, Elise would see that Hawke isn’t very well put together, especially after the Chantry explosion. She would question why Rylen chose the templars, why he executed Anders who was a like a brother to her, but eventually she would come to understand the whys. Elise would see it as no different as when she decided to spare Loghain at the Landsmeet; they did what they believed to be right and what would be best in that very moment. Both Rylen and Elise sacrificed their own happiness for the benefit of others, and were still blamed for future complications and there’s something comforting in a finding another who can relate. :3

Fane:

So, I actually have some later fic ideas for a confrontation between Elise and Fane (after Trespasser, kind of Pre-DA4 shenanas~), and suffice it to say, these two have similar ways of thinking, but their methods are entirely different. Fane is rash, prone to barreling head first into conflict without thinking about those around him. Elise is analytical, always assessing and placing the pieces in her head to make sure everyone comes out alive. This isn’t to say Fane doesn’t care about his comrades; he does. There’s countless, countless times he takes a blow for someone else without batting an eye or thinking that he could die. He just doesn’t plan; he acts. Fane can get lost in the moment of battle, in the heady scent of chaos and blood. Elise, at first meeting him, would see him as any typical warrior; eager for battle and a garden of death. But if they were to sit down and talk...I think she might find him endearing and fascinating. More or less she would think, ‘He’s so mature for someone so young. I mean, he’s twenty-four, but...he speaks as if he’s older. His speech is manicured, measured as if decided upon carefully. And his eyes...there’s pain, a deep, deep pain. Like some of the older Wardens, those just hearing the Calling. But also...hope? Conviction? Who are you, Inquisitor? What has the world done to you?’

2. What would your Hawke generally think of your warden and your Inquisitor?

Elise:

Rylen would probably have the same opinion of Elise as she does with him. They’re family, split apart due the misconceptions and fear, and my Hawke cherishes family. He lost everyone else he could rightly consider family. Fenris, Varric, Sebastian, Isabela, and Merrill are the only people he can call family now. (Anders and Aveline are complicated. I won’t go into that can of worms. For now~ >:3) He would definitely feel a level of guilt for what he had to do in Kirkwall with Anders, with the mages, with...everything, but Rylen just tries to make it through another day. If he and Elise started to interact I think it would be extremely beneficial to Rylen. Elise is patient, sometimes stern, and not afraid to lay all the facts out. Rylen would admire that since he’s had to go through life wearing a mask, a smile, a facade just to placate someone else. He would see Elise as another sister and his opinion of her would probably be along the lines of, ‘I won’t let another member of my family be torn from me. Father, Bethany, Carver...Mother.. I failed them. I won’t fail her. I won’t fail her. She’s bright and she keeps her head held high. Heh, now I see how she killed an Archdemon and lived to tell the tale. ...Bet the lightning has something to do with that, too.’

Fane: 

Rylen and Fane, in my head, actually hit it off from the get go. They’ve both had to take mantles of power, even though they never, never wanted to. Though, for different reasons, of course. But Rylen would find Fane inspiring and wholly capable of doing what must be done. He’d be kind of put off that most of his well thought out jokes and pokes would fall flat on Fane, but eventually, Rylen would see why that is. (Draconic nature withstanding.) Also, once my Hawke found out Fane is dragon?  OHHHH, BUDDY. There would be yelling and screeching and cries of, ‘WHY DO I KEEP MEETING DRAGONS, FENRIS?! FIRST THE WITCH, NOW THE INQUISITOR?! ..I’m done. I’m putting my daggers down and stealing away into the mountains. Varric, you wanna come with? I know you’re fed up with this shit, too! Don’t lie! DON’T. LIE.’

3. What would your Inquisitor generally think of your warden and your Hawke?

Elise:

Fane would probably think of Elise as...interesting. Not in a bad way. Just...interesting. Fane isn’t comfortable with Wardens after Adamant. He learns that he can hear the corruption inside of them and that terrifies him. And confuses him. And makes him go, ‘What the fuck am I? I don’t even know anymore. Why do I try?’ But, if he were to get over that and, like I said with Elise, talk? He would have another perspective of the men and women that had let fear take them by the throat. It wouldn’t change his feelings regarding the Wardens entirely, but one level mind, one open mind, is enough to make Fane tap into his nature and consider other sides of a very, very large cube.

‘She’s more...quiet than the others. Maybe because it’s just her? No...Loghain was still loud as fuck when it was just him, so why? Ugh, I’m so sick of these puzzles. At least she’s more stable, but I can see the pain in her eyes; green like mine, but missing the gold. Maybe the Taint is stronger than she thinks? Perhaps, but still she fights, still she claws her way towards something that may be impossible. ...Hmph. How typical. A similarity. This world continues to confound.’

Rylen:

Fane respects Rylen after spending some time to feel him out, know his cues, and piece together which is his actual face. Once that happens, Fane can move into respect with my Hawke. These two have a fairly similar moral compass; pragmatism regarding most decisions. Again, they both have been thrust into a position without asking for it, so that would be a stepping stone upon the bonding path. All in all, Fane’s general opinion of Rylen would be, ‘He’s worn that mask of smiles and bright, grey eyes for too long. It’s cracking at the edges, wearing down to mere mortar. Then again, I have my own mask. I’m in no position to judge and condemn, but...it’s worrying. Even the strongest wings can be torn and all that greets is the earth below. I hope your wings don’t falter, Champion. It would be disappointing for the world to lose someone who cares when those who should are content to point the finger towards anyone but themselves.’

28. What is their favourite location within their own game and what would be their favourite in each others?

Fane: The Emprise du Lion! Snowwwww! Coooold! Ice dragooooon! >:3 ...minus the red lyrium. *snorts* 

Origins: Hmm, I think Fane would like the Brecilian Forest. He enjoys forests as much as he enjoys the cold, the ice, and the snow. He likes the animals, even though he tries not to interfere with them, and he likes the quiet. No chattering, no demands. Only trees, leaves, and the occasional whistle of wind. Also, Fane likes to investigate ancient ruins. He’s not interested in the history, really. He just wants to see if he can find any remnants about his kin that the elves may have left behind. :3

DA2: Probably Sundermount since again, wilderness. Fane doesn’t do too well in crowded areas and Kirkwall would make his heart rate sky rocket. Not just because of the people, but because of the size. Those cramped streets of Lowtown would just make him...eugh. *shivers*

Elise: She adores Orzammar! Especially the Shaperate! The dwarves fascinate Elise since not many tomes in the Circle went into depth about them! :D And if we want to with Awakening areas, I would saaaay...Amaranthine. She’s always like towns and cities due to not being able to experience them until the Blight! :3

Inquisition: Elise would adore the Frostback Basin. Like, really enjoy it! All that flora and Avaar culture and wilderness? MMMM!

DA2: Definitely the Wounded Coast. Hands down. My daughter enjoys the sea so much. The salt in the air, the feel of sand, and the pretty, pretty shells and rolling waves? Every Circle mages’ wet dream. *waggles eyebrows*

Rylen: So, if we’re not talking like open world areas in the game, I would definitely say Rylen’s favorite place is the Hanged Man. The man needs a drink to deal with Kirkwall. Just saying. It’s also where he can just...be himself with the people who know him. 

Inquisition: Hinterlands. He’s a FERELDAN. He wants his MABARI to RUN in native land! He wants to...go home. ;3;

Origins: I like to think the Hawke family went all over Ferelden before settling in Lothering. I mean, they kind of do, but maybe for more than a few months at a time? So, Rylen would enjoy Denerim. He likes to go where people are, where life is. He likes crowds because he can blend into them and not be tracked down until he wants to be tracked down. ...My Hawke just wants to live in peace with his glowy elf husband and run a mabari ranch. Is that too much to ask, Bioware?! Let Hawke REST!

Woo! That was FUN! It really got me thinking, too! X3 Thank you so much, friend! <3

[daemour]

神奇 (Shénqí)

Title: 神奇 (Shénqí)

Summary: Lost in a magical forest is not what you expected. Neither was being stuck in a fairy village for the unforeseeable future. But you didn't mind it too much, especially when there was a sweet fairy willing to help you out.

Genre: Fantasy, romance, fairy au, strangers 2 friends 2 enemies 2 lovers

Pairing: Jungkook x gender neutral!reader

Word Count: 1747

Warnings: None, some sus activity from Seokjin, but nothing implying non-con because there is none lol reader loves junglebook (there’s no smut or implied smut don’t worry

Written for the @goldenclosetnetwork Jungkook’s Birthday Project!

AND thank you to @ditttiii for beta’ing@

You had never imagined that your great-great-great-grandfather would be a witch. You had always been one of the only humans able to live in a predominantly witch city. And yet there you were, in a fairy village. You didn't mean to be there. But you somehow were. Sharing a meal with a small group of fairies too. There were only seven in total, as they had left their old village to start anew.

Honest to God, you were surprised at their willingness to let you stay there. Since the forest wouldn't let you leave for a month, they graciously allowed you to live among them. You had heard from your grandfather stories about fairies that would kidnap and kill you, but maybe he was wrong. Plus, by the time he told you about the fairies, he was old, and you didn't believe in them. He must have had many bad experiences because these fairies were kind.

Namjoon was the leader of the fairies, being the only one able to speak your language fluently. The others did know some but at varying levels. Seokjin was the oldest, and the best cook. Yoongi...you actually didn't know much about him, except that he slept a lot. Hoseok was friendly and basically the sun. Jimin was sweet and kept making everyone flower crowns. Taehyung loved to sing for you. And Jungkook...

He was the youngest of the fairies, clocking in at forty years old. It seemed old to you, but that's in fairy years. In human years, he was around your age, albeit a year younger. He was sweet and naïve, always asking you questions about humans that you struggled to answer. You didn't know why you had thirty-two teeth, goddammit. But he was kind and pretty and loved to talk to you.

Even after a week of being there, the other fairies still hadn’t warmed up to you, so they didn't talk to you much. Other than Jungkook, Namjoon was the only one who had done the talking. Hoseok, bless him, tried, but he still scuttled away after a few minutes. And you don't think Yoongi had even looked your way. 

"(Y/N)! Why do you wear shoes?" Ah, another endearing question.

"To protect my feet, Kookie. I don't want to cut them or hurt while I walk." Jungkook looked satisfied, but you knew another question would be coming shortly.

"What is a soda?" There it was.

"It's like a sweet drink with bubbles in it. It's not very good for you, but it's tasty."

"Can I have one?" You laughed at him this time.

"Sorry, Jungkook. I don't carry soda around with me. Maybe once I leave, I'll come visit and bring a soda." You missed the looks the others shot you and Jungkook, but Jungkook certainly didn’t and went quiet after. The rest of the dinner was finished in silence, and you head back to your tent, which the fairies set up for you.

Like with each of their huts, the inside is larger than the outside. They gave you a bed and some kind of weird light source consisting of white glowy petals in a jar. It's simple, but you quite like the homey-ness of it. You'll miss it when you leave.

You don't understand why the forest wants to keep you here for thirty days. Even the fairies were confused, so it mustn't be something the forest usually does. You sincerely hope that the forest will be kind to you, as you've heard tales from other travelers. "(Y/N)?" A fairy is calling out for you again, and you turn to see who it is. Hoseok.

"Hey, Hoseok. What's up?" You offer a smile, and he returns it.

"Jungkook likes you. You're funny, he thinks. Since he talks, you teach him your words? Namjoon tired from translation, and I feel bad." Hoseok still doesn't enter the tent fully, but you appreciate his coming to talk to you instead of making Namjoon come too. Though, you guess, he already explained why he didn't bring the younger fairy.

"Yeah, I can do that. Thanks, Seok." You don't even know why you're thanking him, but Hoseok seems to know, giving you a small smile and exiting. You sit down on the bed and cover the bottle of light with a small cloth. You wonder how teaching Jungkook language will go.

Not good. Not to say that Jungkook isn't a good student. He is. He just asks so many questions you don't know where to start. Like why the grass is green. He's a fairy. Doesn't he know this? The first lesson was not very productive, just you answering his questions. The second lesson was much of the same, and so was the third. Jungkook learned only a little grammar. They all were just Jungkook asking questions and you answering them until the eighth lesson and second week.

"(Y/N)? What's a...marriage?" Jungkook tries out the foreign word, stuttering a little over the last syllable. What. Your surprise must have shown on your face because Jungkook immediately became even more curious. "(Y/N)?"

"Marriage is a bond between people romantically," you try to answer him as simple as possible, but Jungkook is not satisfied.

"What do you mean?" Oh shit.

"Well, um. Let's say you like someone very much, and not like your sister or brother. You want to spend eternity with them. So you marry them. You are together in death or in life."

"But why do you have to marry them?"

"What brought this up?" Jungkook shrugs.

"I heard Namjoon reading his book of words. Anyway, why do you have to marry them?"

"His encyclopedia, Jungkook. And marriage is optional, but people like the feeling, I guess. I don't really know, Jungkook."

"Can I marry you?"

"No." You answered too fast, and Jungkoook's face falls. "No, not like I don't like you, Kook. I just don't know you well enough. Plus, you're cool, beautiful, and a fairy, and I'm kinda...ugly," you try for a deprecating joke to ease the tension, but Jungkook is having none of it. His eyes narrow.

"You're always beautiful to me, you know that?" You choke, but he still stares at you.

"Thanks." You don't know how else to respond to that. "Shall we continue with the lesson?

After that eventful day, Jungkook had acted differently. He paid attention and stopped asking so many questions. He also started clinging onto you, and you were genuinely confused. Even Namjoon and the others were confused. You had everyone else come up to you when Jungkook wasn't paying attention and ask you if Jungkook was dating you. You wouldn’t mind that, but with how Jungkook is acting, you just want to know what he’s doing first instead of pursuing something romantic.

Alas, you weren't. Jungkook was just being weird. Which lead you here, asking Taehyung what was up with Jungkook.

"Hmm? Jungkook? He is being the Haekurl Gauren."

"The what?" Taehyung just shrugs. He doesn't know how to say it in your language.

"All right. Thank you, Tae. I'll ask Namjoon." You continue on your wild goose chase, until you get an answer from, not Namjoon, surprisingly. The man immediately avoided you as soon as he saw you. You got your answer from Seokjin.

"Haekurl Gauren? That's the action we make to love someone."

"What?" You stare at the unbothered fairy. "Like marriage?"

Seokjin shakes his head. "No, not human. Fairy's blood bonds. We love someone with all love, our blood is theirs. They stay with us forever. Why do you know Haekurl Gauren?"

You stare at him for a straight minute, too surprised to speak. "It's- Taehyung told me- Jungkook?" Seokjin laughs, squeaky and high-pitched.

"I know. Jungkook talks us about you."

"I can't? Jungkook is a fairy, I am a human?" You don't understand. Seokjin smiles gently, putting a hand on your shoulder.

“Jungkook is a good one. He is okay. But he won’t make you do what you won’t .” His hand tightens on your shoulder. “But he will be upset, and we don’t like him upset.”

You try to shake him off, but Seokjin is unwavering. “Yes, I understand.” Seokjin is pleased, and lets you go. You quickly walk away, trying to calm your beating heart. And...here comes Jungkook, beaming like he just won the fairy lottery.

“(Y/N)!” He calls out for you, and feeling Seokjin’s eyes boring into your back, you offer him a wide smile and ruffle his hair. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“I found a fairy marriage! I asked Namjoon, he says Haekurl Gauren is the marriage!” Oh, God. You try your best to get out of this.

“But you barely know me!” Jungkook is unphased.

“No, we spent lessons together! I know you! You like strawberries, you can’t sleep without having something to hug, and you sneeze like a monster!”

“But that’s not nearly enough! Jungkook, are you serious?” Jungkook’s face starts to fall, and you can hear Seokjin start to get up.

“You don’t like me? I should’ve known.”

You start to panic, but still try to hide it. “Jungkook, I just need a little more time. It’s not a no.” He’s still unhappy, and Seokjin is getting closer. “Jungkook, please. I love you, but I need some time.”

Jungkook looks at you with watery eyes. He sniffles, and your heart breaks into pieces. You want to marry him, God, you do, but it’s just too soon. You don’t think you would be able to love him fully if you are suddenly bonded to him. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Kook, I promise. I just am unused to this sudden confession. Please, believe me. I truly do love you, but I just need a little more time to adjust.” Jungkook starts to perk back up, tears still sparkling in his eyes. You suddenly don’t regret your vague promise to marry him. If he looks like this every day, you wouldn’t mind it.

“Will the next solstice be enough time for you?” Jungkook grasps your hands in his, kissing the tips of your fingers.

Next solstice...it is currently the middle of fall, and you think you can love him within that time frame. “Yes, Kook.”

Jungkook beams up at you, and you are so caught up in his smile that you don’t notice Seokjin returning to his seat with a small nod at Namjoon. It is completely understandable, now that you have a wedding to plan.

[peterquillss]

The Misadventures of Star-Lord & the Earth Girl #17

Summary: When Malia Reyes wakes in the dead of  night, she finds an alien ship crashed atop her apartment building! And  the “alien,’ abroad is no other then Star-Lord, retired Guardian fallen back on his more criminal lifestyle. Now with fate having thrown a man from the stars and a girl from earth together, they’ll have to survive whatever the black void of space and the marvel universe has to throw at  them.

Rated: PG-13

Pairings: Peter Quill x OC

 CHAPTER MASTERLIST

 Maybe she should've stayed on the Cruise Ship after all. Without Peter. And his damn endless supply of seventies hits. But, it was too late for that now — days having passed from the week-long event and the Milano being far off from its territory. She just had to deal with him and his rather musical mood today; regardless of their previous , "we have no money," conversation earlier on. What on earth possessed her to stay after that clear sign was beyond her. She loved him too much. Narrowing her brown eyes in his direction with resentment as the song Magic by Pilot played, Malia folded her arms over her chest and groaned loud enough to catch Peter's attention —  which he ignored giving her, too immersed in his personal song and dance. Why did she fall in love with this man again?

Peter moved in sync with the music, even while limited by the confines of his seat. Malia's displeasure with his music choices wasn't something he turned out, just something that he'd grown accustomed to. She never really got too upset about it, just a weary look and a comment about his 'hippie music' here and there. Maybe it was because she knew what the music meant to him. Maybe, but Peter had other suspicions. Once in a while he'd catch her getting into a song, swaying and mouthing the words presumably so he wouldn't hear her. She'd immediately stop if she so much as suspected he was looking. He kinda wished she would just cut loose. 

He'd seen her worry and get lost in thought so much in the past that seeing her just be happy in the moment and let the music be all that was on her mind made him happy for her. Not to mention it was one of those things she did that made him think he couldn't love her any more then he already did. 

The song faded out, leaving Peter with a combination of satisfaction and excitement for the next track. He glanced at Malia who rolled her eyes and looked out the window at the stars. Peter chuckled, glancing at the controls. "Hey, don't worry about the money thing. We're making a stop that'll have some chances for cash. I got this." She gave him a smirk that faded after a few moments before giving a small nod. 

 The next track started to play and a smile crossed Peter's face. 'Stumblin' by Suzi Quatro', a favorite of his and a song he knew for a fact Malia enjoyed. He looked at Malia, putting on a look of shock. "Oh shit, Mal! It's a duet. Come on, don't leave me hanging."

"Someone has to worry," Malia huffed in response as the familiar song she would never admit she loved to him started to fill her ears. She knew that he knew some of his tracks had pierced through her modern heart, but — she pretended more often than not, like they didn't; for fun. And for the adorable face he made whenever she did. It had grown into a habit of hers. Pursing her lips into a forced line amidst the head bopping beat, she turned her face away from him before he could catch her change in expression and chewed the inside of her cheek. Maybe she did want to sing along, just a little, since it was her favorite song. 

"Wherever you go, whatever you do...," As Peter directed the lyrics he sang, rather loudly, in her direction with a smile that reflected off the windshield mirror for her to see, Malia felt the corners of her mouth lift into a genuine grin of her own as he continued to belt out the rest of his part and playfully reach out for her. "You know these reckless thoughts of mine are following you." 

She softly slapped his hand away, in between a giggle and allowed herself to move to the rhythm of the beat. "I've fallen for you, whatever you do," She harmonized in her part. "Cause, baby, you've shown me so many things that I never knew!"

Malia swayed to the music, extended out her hand to Peter and continued to carol her parts of the duet in glee, putting her worries behind her for the remainder of the song. She felt pleased seeing him like this with her, happy, when before it was a rare occurence to come by, knowing the undisclosed pain she knew he held. Of course, he shared sweet moments she forever would remember, the smiles and laughs he allowed himself to have. But, they were different. This was different. So, she'd cherish the moment and make it last longer.

"Our love is alive, and so we begin!" In unison, she sang along with Peter the chorus,  dancing in the co-pilot seat beside him and looked in his direction to catch his loving gaze. She admired the heavenly feeling he gave her as she continued to harmonize the track, squeezing his hand. "Foolishly laying our hearts on the table, stumblin in." Malia smiled, never taking her attention from him and swayed blissfully. If singing to his music made him this happy, she'd sing with him all the time. To have her heart swell, explode in millions of butterflies that tickled her inside. What could she say? She loved him.

Peter let Malia's hand go and shook his head as the closing notes of the song began to play. It was still so weird to think that this woman who had grown to be so important to him had just wandered into his ship at random one night. He looked at her, catching the beaming smile she was giving as she watched him, unable to help smiling back. "What?"

 Malia shook her head, the smile never leaving her face. "Nothing." The song ended and a few seconds later the opening notes to Queen's rendition of ' The Great Pretender' began to play. "So, where are we  stopping this time?"

 Peter adjusted the controls before returning his full attention to Malia. "Sakarr. Never been there myself, but it's supposed to be filled with all kinds of chances to make a little deniro."

Malia nodded, even though she had that adorable clueless look on her face. "How long?"

Peter shrugged. "Not long with these private trading routes at our disposal."

 Malia shifted in her seat, pulling one of her knees up to her chest. "They are helpful. This 'Sakarr', what's it supposed to be like?"

 Peter made a slight adjustment in the ship's course before answering. "Kinda tough from what I've heard, but don't worry. You've got superpowers after all."

"Yeah, I'll go in there blazing while you hide behind me and scream like a girl." Malia lifted her hands in an exaggerated gesture and laughed as the hysterical image of Peter freaking out while she kicked some random alien's butt filled her mind. It made her a bit excited over the possibility of her using her, 'gifts,' to fight and discover more about them. He being so accepting of her weird, glowy hands, had given her the confidence boost she needed over them. Her powers were no longer a pending secret she shared; it’s burden having become weightless.

Drifting her attention toward the colorful constellation in front of her, she remained silent for a few minutes, listening to Freddie Mercury’s ballad before speaking again. “If only there was a death star that needed blowing up,” She flatly chimed, remembering the fondness Peter had for the sci-fi classic. Unlike Captain America, she was certain he caught her not-so vague reference to a galaxy far, far away. After all, she was the Leia to his Han Solo. Their paired figurines on the dash of the Milano proved half of that claim, along with everything else.

“I forgot I glued those there,” Malia pointed to the small statuettes with a blissful expression painted over her face and smiled as she tried to reach out for them briefly and then relax herself back into her seat when the awkward attempt failed. Instead, she flicked her fingers, like a witch would amidst chanting a spell, and created a circular veil over the stilled dolls. “I will be Space’s Mightiest…,” She paused to think of a catchy enough alias to go with the known saying and bit her bottom lip. “Hero?” She said in the form of a question, glancing over at Peter for any suggestions. 

She stared at him as another track began to play, then followed his gaze toward the shields she had placed over their figurines. “I can make them go away,” Waving her hand effortlessly in a dismissive motion, the blueish bubbles vanishing from the plastic toys. Maybe, she should’ve warned him a bit first? Malia stifled in a laugh at his lack of response, bewildered into rare silence again and leaned toward his chair. “Peter, sweetie?” She placed a hand on his arm, feeling light butterflies tickle her stomach over her first usage of a pet name and smiled playfully as she made her index and middle fingers into legs to walk along his arm. “I know where your candy is,” She whispered with an added gasp, hoping that would snap him out of his dazed state.

Peter quickly snapped his gaze from the figurines to Malia, noting the mischievous grin on her face. "Hold the phone. You mean I didn't lose it?" Malia let her hand brush his arm as she returned to her seat. "Mal? You better tell me where my candy is." Peter furrowed his brow as Malia mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key. "Oh, that's how it's gonna be then?" Malia shrugged her shoulders, a pleased smile on her face. Peter nodded, a smile of his own creeping across his face. "One of these days, when you're looking out at space, don't be surprised if you see a certain bunch of wizard related movies floating by."

 That got her. Malia sat up straight, her eyes widening a bit. "You wouldn't."

 Peter gave a small shrug. "A man does crazy things when he doesn't get candy, Mal. I may not be able to stop myself."

 Malia sat back in her seat with a huff. "Your precious candy is under the cushion of the bench."

 Peter smirked. "Alright. Crisis averted."

 Malia glanced at him and smiled. "You're booze on the other hand..."

 Peter threw up his brow. "Oh, that's even worse. Not sure what'll happen if I get sober all at once."

Malia slapped both of her hands over the sides of her face in a dramatized expression of shock and turned her attention toward Peter. "I don't know. Maybe, you'll clean your room?" She suggested with widened brown eyes for emphasis. Over their six month course on the Milano she'd cleaned his room about twice, opting the third time to leave his pigpen alone for him to roll over in. It wasn’t dirty in terms of trash laying around, but rather an accumulation of scattered clothes, unmentionables, and candy wrappers. She was lucky he at least showered.

“By the way, I found something the other day.” While she was on the subject of cleaning, she remembered the disc she found in one of the guest bedrooms. “I know I shouldn’t really go into those rooms…,” She admitted as she unbuckled the safety-straps from her torso and carefully walked toward the back of the flight deck. “But, I was looking for some tape and found it in one of the bins, tucked away.” Malia rummaged through the knapsack she usually left hanging near the ship’s blasters and retrieved the circular-like chip Tochi told her was actually a video. 

Unhooking one of the pads from the armrest of an empty chair, she inserted the micro disk into its side and made her way back to her seat, trying to contain her excitement over the footage she had already seen of him and his team the night before. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him over it. Like where had they all gone? It was clear as day to her they were no longer together or in contact, but why? She paused in her train of thought, hoping what she was about to show him didn’t count as crossing the line with her overzealous curiosity.

“It’s some old footage,” Malia looked up at Peter once the video loaded on the pocket sized computer in her hand and smiled sheepishly as his blue eyes wandered onto the pad itself. She studied his muddled expression, her hand blocking him from seeing the screen and gave him an affectionate gaze, before hitting the play button. “It’s you and the Guardians…,” She mumbled, the sounds of the captured battle he at the time led, shouting out orders being displayed. He was nothing like the man she knew. “Look at you!” She beamed, smiling from ear to ear. 

She averted her eyes from his face to look down at the moving images on the pad she held up for him, pointed at his figure on the screen and took in the footage with him. Besides the clip of The Guardians of the Galaxy, there were more mashed up tidbits recorded that she loved. “The cameraman is awful at his job,” Giggling  over the shaky shots and the very angry Raccoon who scolded someone named, “Groot,” Malia returned her attention back to Peter. Her gleeful smile slowly wavered from her lips when she caught sight of his somber expression. “Peter?”

Peter had heard Malia say something, but it hadn't registered. Nothing she'd said after the footage started had his full attention on that. Everything else around him felt like it'd been drained of its warmth and color as the old footage pulled him deeper in. Thoughts and feelings he'd tried for so long to keep buried bubbled to the surface. There was a reason he'd cleared the ship of almost every trace of his old teammates, and this was it. Because thinking of them meant thinking of when they left, and thinking of that meant thinking of why. 

He was far into thinking that as the footage switched to a more candid moment of the team together. Peter felt sick as he recognized the location and knew it was just hours before his greatest failure. Just hours before and he'd had everything. His team, his family. He'd finally grown into more of the leader he tried so hard to be. He'd been happy. A few hours later he'd destroyed it all. Everything he'd done and gone through that day was still so fresh in his mind that sometimes it still felt like he was living it. He was living it now as the feeling of utter devastation he'd felt ever since came to the forefront. 

He furrowed his brow, anger mixing in with the sadness, all of it directed at himself. He and his team continued to laugh as they made their way around the streets, oblivious to the coming event that would tear them apart. Peter was stuck in that event as he sat frozen in place, all of it written on his face plain as day as he stared at the screen.The fear, confusion, sadness, hatred, hopelessness, all of it felt like it was pushing to burst out of him. He tried to at least hold it together on the outside, having never much cared for feeling vulnerable. It was a battle he was quickly losing. 

The camera turned and Peter saw himself at the front of the group, closely followed by a kid who'd taken a liking to him and the others. Her face and voice was forever scorched into Peter's mind as they both embodied everything that's happened that day. She was the last thing he could handle seeing. Peter broke his eyes away from the screen and set them forward on the stars. "Turn it off.

“Okay.” Malia lowered the pad from his line of view and turned off the electronic device without saying another word. She deeply regretted her decision over the footage and remained silent, knowing their lighthearted mood had drastically shifted into something she wanted to avoid. Something she expected yet, wished would’ve gone a different way. The subject over his team was indeed the puzzle piece she connected to the undisclosed pain she knew he felt. It was apparent by the waves of emotions she witnessed his face have in the span of the video.

Biting her lower lip, she squeezed the sides of the tablet gently, at a loss as the crippling silence started to take hold over her. ‘Should she excuse herself and leave?’ She thought to herself, unsure of the proper action to take. She wanted him to face whatever it was he desperately was trying to run away from. “Peter?” Malia turned her attention toward him, having kept her eyes trained on the dashboard for the long minutes that passed, and exhaled a deep breath in response to his stillness. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself…,” She flatly stated. “I won’t let you.”

She carefully moved the pad off her lap to twist her body into a more comfortable position and leaned as much as her seat restraints could allow her over to him, reaching out for his arm. “I know I’ve told you plenty of times you don’t have to tell me anything, but,” She paused to flick on the autopilot option of the Milano and continued in a stern tone. “It’s okay to talk about things and let them out.” That’s all she wanted, hating seeing him like this. She unbuckled her seatbelt with a desolate smile and stood beside his chair, hoping some of her words broke through. “And please don’t tell me you're okay cause I know you're not.”

Peter took a deep breath, letting her words sink in while the contents of the footage still swirled in his mind. He wasn't surprised that Mal had taken note of all of this. She was perceptive, it was one of the things he admired in her. A part of him really did want to tell her, let it out, but a bigger part was scared of how she'd take it. His hand wandered over his pocket, the picture he'd kept with him since that day coming to mind. Telling her would mean facing all that again. "Nothing gets by you, huh?"

 He let the statement lighten the mood for the brief moment it did before the heaviness returned. He wasn't sure he could talk about it, but he owed Mal something more than silence. Peter took another deep breath, trying to keep the emotions out of his voice. "My team." The words hung in the air for a few moments before he continued. "We broke up about a year before I met you." His mind again wandered to the 'why', but he tried to ignore it. "It was bad, really bad." He slid a hand into his pocket, touching the picture housed there. It hurt him just knowing it was there despite his avoidance to look at it, but he couldn't bring himself to get rid of it. Maybe he should just tell her. It couldn't feel worse than this, right? He gingerly grasped the polaroid, keeping his eyes trained on the stars ahead. "It was my fault, all of it."

Malia let out a heavy sigh as his unexpected words sunk into her head and laid there. Particularly, the — 'all my fault,' part of his somber statement. She was unsure of how to take it. She could never imagine Peter doing anything spiteful on purpose to anyone or his team. He didn't have it in him. "I'm sure you tried your best." Gingerly touching the back of his metal chair, she leaned herself a little closer to him and hovered over his form with a soft expression. "Even if it was all your fault," She added cautiously. "Some bad things happen so we can learn from them sometimes." Malia ran her hand over his hair, before sitting herself on his lap. He had told her what he was willing to disclose, which was a lot to her, even if it was another puzzle piece to fit in. 

"And, you can't learn from Peter if you're still stuck in that place." Lifting her brown eyes up to him, she gave him a heartfelt smile and grabbed the sides of his face playfully. "I told you I was going to need a reward for putting up with you," She chuckled, trying to lighten the heavy mood she felt was enough for the start of their day. There wasn't anything, but one part she hadn't already assumed over the absence of his team. The rest, the full story without any carefully placed words she would have to chisel slowly away for and wait or hope all the words she said helped him find his way. Pecking him on the lips, she wrapped one of his arms around her waist and laid her head on his shoulder. "Let's stay like this for a while, okay?" She mumbled, wanting to give him comfort.

Peter let go of the photograph in his pocket, taking the arm and wrapping it around Malia. He held her as tightly as he could without causing her discomfort. A deep sigh escaped him as the weight of the topic began to dissipate. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan."

 He'd let the topic go as best he could for now, but it was never fully gone. There was more that he felt needed said, but he wasn't sure he was ready. He knew Mal would try and understand and help, but he wasn't sure if it was something that could be helped. If she were to know and look at him differently for it, he knew it'd kill him. But, she deserved to know, and so he'd try and tell her. He didn't know when, but he'd try. He'd just have to deal with whatever came of it. 

There was one thing she'd said that he disagreed with though. He had learned from the whole mess. He'd learned that he had never been the hero he thought he was, and that he likely never would be at all. 

The cargo bay door lowered and Peter was immediately hit with the stench of garbage. They'd touched down in a landing bay on the outskirts of a city once they reached Sakarr Beings dressed like vagabonds hustled about, none really noting Peter and Mal's arrival. Malia joined him at his side, having changed into the usual garb of her space suit and his jacket. She'd claimed his only spare jacket as hers after his had been shredded during a tangle with that symbiote. This left Peter with just his trench coat for trips away from the Milano. 

Malia wrinkled her nose as she took in the trashy landscape. "It's no Contraxia."

 Peter drew his attention up from her outfit when she spoke. "No it is not."

 Malia glanced at him, no doubt noticing the very conscious effort he was making to not constantly gawk at her in her outfit. "Every time I wear it, huh?"

 Peter smiled, looking back out at the planet. "I'm not apologizing." He wasn't completely sure where to start, having only heard scattered facts about the planet. There was an arena, he knew that . Maybe they could get some units and bet on some matches. Their best bet would probably be to hit a bar and ask around. Someplace not too good looking, so that it would have more locals than travellers. Peter instinctively held out his arm for Malia to take, it having become a habit. "Let's go."

“Yeah.” Malia shifted her attention from the junkyard scenery around her and looped her small arms around Peter’s forearm for their stroll along the cluttered outskirts of Sakaar. For a planet built on assorted scraps of metal, 'it sure was colorful,’ she noted as she continued to take in the new environment and keep an eye out for possible job opportunities. With their need for money, or units as space currency was called, any doable task was up for grabs in her mind. If only she knew how to read the alien calligraphy written on some signs to help narrow them down.

Peter could with the implanted translators in his neck, but she avoided asking him once a daunting thought hit her. What if they weren’t ‘help wanted,’ signs after all? Drifting her brown eyes along the plethora of merchants up ahead, Malia unhooked one of her arms to point at one masked seller and their stand. “Are those cookies?” She wondered out loud, pulling Peter toward the vendor without hesitation. There weren’t many space cuisines she enjoyed eating, let alone snacks like he had, so part of her wanted to find something she liked.

“Can we taste them? Like, have a sample.” She looked over the selection of baked goods that were wrapped in vibrant plastic bags and sheepishly smiled up at the merchant, unable to see their facial expression hidden behind the steampunk visor they wore. “Um…,” She pulled Peter softly by the sleeve of his coat, feeling a bit self conscious and took a step back away from the stand — deciding on which bag of mixed pastries she would take. In the case the merchant said no to her sampling, she’d go on a wim and pick one that looked good enough. 

“That one kinda looks like it’s fudge, right?” Pointing cautiously at one of the rosy colored bags near the far end of the table, Malia lifted her gaze up to Peter who seemed to be pondering a choice of his own and snorted. “Oh no!” She playfully wagged a finger in front of his face. “You're not getting any cookies. These are for me. Not you.” She chuckled. As if his candy diet wasn’t bad enough, he now wanted to add more sweets to its mix. “Do you want your baby muscles to turn into chubby ones?” She asked with an amused grin. “We’re going to have to get you an ab-roller then.”

Peter scoffed at the comment, taking a step back from Mal. "I'll have you know that the side of me that isn't you makes sure that this," He gestured towards his torso in a sweeping motion. "isn't going anywhere." Peter gave a flirtatious smile, throwing up his brow. "Lucky you."

 Malia shook her head, her eyes wandering around the market. "Oh, I'm a lucky girl. Picking up candy wrappers all over the place."

 Peter reached into his pocket, feeling around for some units. They were low, but food Mal liked was a rarity. Besides, they were going to make some more soon, hopefully. He pointed out a bag of pastries and handed over the units. "Nobody asked you to clean up."

 Mal watched the bag as Peter took it. "Somebody has to, Star-Lard."

 Peter paused, his mouth dropping open slightly at the jab. "You know what? These were for you, and now they're not. Think about that next time you wanna be hurtful." 

 Malia watched as the bag disappeared into his satchel. "Oh, come on. Don't be a baby."

 Peter shook his head, looking at Mal. "Nope. Not gonna..." He caught her eyes as she innocently looked at him, and immediately averted the gaze by looking just above them. "Not happening."

"Please?” Malia drew herself closer to Peter and pushed her lips forward into a persuasive pout as she placed both her hands over his chest and batted her eyelashes at him. "I'll give you one of my cookies and a kiss?" She offered, inching her face closer to his to tease the intimate action he loved to engage in with her. It was his sort of kryptonite, or maybe she was? His sort of ultimate weakness. She smiled at the comic book thought and continued her childish pleas for her kidnapped goods. “You know you want to give me my cookies back so, give em.”

Peter kept his eyes straight ahead, debating his commitment to withholding the cookies. "What kind of kiss are we talking about?"

 Malia shrugged. "Why? Do you have a preference?"

 Peter threw up his brow, thinking back over the few times they'd shared a kiss in the past... two days? They'd only been together two days? Still felt so weird, but completely normal too. He paused on a thought, giving Malia a small smile. "One like that time on Kalara's rig. When we were in the hall."

 Malia laughed, dropping her head a bit, but keeping her eyes on his. "You liked that one, huh?"

 Peter gave an enthusiastic nod. "I did."

 Malia straightened up, holding out her hand to Peter. "Alright. It's a deal."

 Peter nodded, shaking the outstretched hand and holding out the bag in the other. "Alright."

 Malia took the bag, giving Peter a wink before walking off. "You should've specified 'when'."

 Peter watched her move ahead of him, a bit dumbstruck by the con she'd just pulled. After a few seconds a chuckle escaped him. " My God, I love you."

He started after her, remembering she didn't know anymore where they were going then he did. His eyes scanned the outside of the market, looking for a bar or something like it. He finally caught sight of a dingy looking entrance way with no windows. The sign above was mostly destroyed from what looked like an explosion, judging by the scorch marks. Really the only indication that the place was a bar came from the vagabond passed out on the ground in front of it surrounded by bottles. He tapped Mal on the shoulder and gestured towards the place. "Come on. We'll see about finding a lead there."

Malia nodded her head in response and followed Peter into the unkempt tavern, opening her vibrant bag of cookies in anticipation. "Do you want one?" She asked in a hushed tone as the disreputable environment of the bar settled itself around them and caused her to rethink her premature offer. "Nevermind...," She placed the plastic bag inside his satchel, not wanting to draw any attention and pulled on the flaps of her oversized jacket. ‘What kind of lead were they looking for exactly?’ She wondered. The place seemed to be crawling with so many questionable options already. None which she was too enthusiastic to comb over.

“Why can't we get jobs like normal people?” Malia drifted her brown eyes over the bustling crowd of colorful Sakaarans, going about their business, drinking and briefly touched Peter’s arm once one of the patrons suspiciously eyed them from across the room. That was enough motivation for her to move herself along and avoid ever going in that particular direction. She didn’t want to be mysteriously taken and auctioned off somewhere. Space was a dangerous place ,she learned, the public establishments only adding to it’s laundry list of things to be mindful of. They were like minefields to her, filled with countless booby-traps.

Looking over at Peter, who had shuffled his way toward the bar counter, Malia squeezed herself beside him and the very large individual sitting beside him. “You better be asking the bartender for a lead and not a drink,” She folded her arms as best she could over her chest and glared in his direction. “I don’t care what you say about your genes keeping this,” She moved one of her hands in a circular motion over his figure. “—together. Alcohol makes your human side get fat.” She expressed, not really knowing if her statement held any merit at all. Peter was indeed half-human, right? So, that meant something, she assumed.

“We’re going to get you that ab-roller and , oh, start doing yoga! It’ll be fun.” Malia lifted both of her hands excitedly at the idea of helping him get back into shape, or rather toned up a bit and started to list off the various activities he’d have to do and foods he’d have to cut, like the alcohol and his candy, forgetting about their task at hand. “Oh my god, we’ll even wear matching workout clothes. I’m sure we can find those somewhere. Aren’t you excited?” She gave him a gentle push, accidentally bumping into the customer behind her and quickly apologized, before bringing a smile to her face. “I’ll be like Jane Fonda.”

Peter had had a comeback in mind, but Malia's last statement had sent his mind wandering to Jane Fonda's wardrobe in Barbarella. This inevitably led to him imagining Malia in a spacey bikini of her own, an image he knew wasn't going away anytime soon. Malia shoved his arm, snapping him back to the situation at hand. "Hey? I said, ``What kind of lead?"

 Peter shrugged as he turned around to face the room. "You know, odd jobs. Anything that would net us some cash. We just have to ask around." He scanned the room, not knowing where to start. "Just gotta ask around."

 Malia grabbed his hand and pointed across the room. "What about them?"

Peter let his eyes roam over the group Malia had pointed out, shaking his head. "Not quite shady enough. We need at least kinda shady, but not completely shady."

 Malia gave him a light pat on the arm. "So, you? "

 Peter considered the words for a moment before nodding. "Pretty much." His eyes continued to wander around the room, stopping when he thought he saw a familiar face. He focused on the dark corner of the bar, hoping he'd been mistaken. The woman moved slightly, enough for the light to hit her blue face and reflect off the cybernetic eye. Peter tightened his grip on Malia's hand, immediately turning towards the door. "Time to go."

"But, what about the leads?" Malia looked over her shoulder in the direction Peter had stared off to and caught sight of the scowling woman she assumed caused his sudden panic and change in tune. “Who…,” She blinked at the cybernetic individual, receiving a glared response in return as she did and turned her head away, the crowded streets of Sakaar coming back into view. "Frenemy?" She asked once the tavern was far from their line of sight, surprisingly not considering the blue colored woman an ex of his. She just didn’t look like one. 

Her cybernetic death glare made her believe she was a friend or frenemy like she mentioned. There was a look of familiarity there, not filled with too much animosity she might add. “You know, a person who's sorta a friend, but also kinda an enemy too?” She felt inclined to explain, digging into the back of Peter Satchel for her cookies while they followed a sea of residents down the street. “She looked like an assassin.” Malia took a small pause after her statement to bite into the cookie she held in her hand and smiled, savoring it’s taste.

“It is chocolate!” She beamed. “Or something like it?” She added, pleased to have found a snack she could finally ask for at the market. She ran her finger across the plastic’s label, curious of its name and hummed at the alien writing, slightly annoyed she was met with the usual language barrier. “I feel like a handicap person,” She groaned, before handing the bag over to Peter. She didn’t want creepy implanted translators. “Read this, please.” She asked, catching sight of a growing line not too far from them. ‘That seemed shady enough,’ she thought to herself.

Peter glanced at the bag for a moment and sighed. "You know the translator only works with talking, right?"

 Malia furrowed her brow as he handed the cookies back to her. "What?"

 Peter nodded, eyeing the gathering crowd. "Yeah. I use my helmet for reading alien stuff, but the translator makes me able to understand and communicate in any language."

 Malia continued to stare at him, wearing the adorably perplexed look she often had when encountering new things. "How?"

 Peter shrugged, having long since accepted it as normal. "Not sure. Brainwaves and such. I might not even know English anymore, but with the implant it's what you hear from me."

 Malia glanced down, absorbing all the new information. "Space is weird."

 Peter chuckled. "Yeah, it can be. Maybe you should get one? An implant, I mean. Just in case you run across an alien who doesn't if I'm not around."

 Malia shook her head, covering her neck with her hand. "No way."

 Peter looked over his shoulder, just to be sure Nebula hadn't followed him. 'Frenemy ' was what Mal had described her as, and Peter kind of agreed. Nebula always seemed to dislike him, but not outright hate him. There'd been a time or two where they'd even had a friendly enough conversation. Like that time he'd tried to get her and Gamora to make up. Peter sighed as he thought of his old teammate and looked back at Malia. "Looked like an assassin, huh?"

 Malia shrugged. "She did."

 Peter started towards the gathering crowd, deciding to see what all the fuss was about. Maybe there'd be a lead in there somewhere. He glanced back at Malia, feeling like he'd dropped the Nebula thing a bit too abruptly. "She's not a very good assassin if you picked her out that quickly."

 Malia gave a small laugh. "All those mystery shows came in handy."

 Peter held out his arm for her to take as they entered the crowd. "Seriously though. That's exactly what she is and she's grumpy, so I don't recommend saying 'hi'."

"Well, if she pops up and tries to kill you, I'll be sure to remember that." Malia let out a slight laugh with her response and wrapped her arms around his forearm again, drifting her attention toward the bustling crowd up ahead. "You know what this kinda reminds me of?" She asked as she took in the various Sakaarians in line ahead of them and smiled at the recent memory that filled her head. "When we waited for the lift in the garden," She clarified, looking up at him with a brief sentimental look of nostalgia. It was strange, how two whole days felt ancient.

Not too long ago, they were aboard a cruise ship, before then trying to figure out what their feelings meant for them going forward. And now? They just were, everything prior to that seeming like a year had gone and went, when merely days had passed. She squeezed Peter’s arm softly as she drew her thoughts back to the present and held up a finger when she recalled their deal. “I almost forgot,” She admitted, unhooking one of her arms from his to retrieve a cookie from her coat pocket. “Since you’ll be going on a diet, here you go.” 

Handing him one of her baked goods, Malia playfully stuck out her tongue as he took a bite of his cookie, grumbling something incoherent she couldn’t quite make out between chews. She figured it was about her diet comment and wrinkled her nose with a funny expression, then moved along the line, before turning to Peter confused. “Why are we in line? And for what exactly? What if this is leading us to be sold for parts?” She started to think of a dozen possibilities for the growing line they were in and tried to peer over the sea of heads with the help of her own feet.

She stood on her toes, using Peter for balance and craned her neck out in hopes of spotting any clues as to what the line was actually for. “There's a ticket booth…,” She announced, seeing the customers near an entrance of sorts, stop at the worn out structure near it. A crooked sign hung up above it with a drawing of an object she couldn’t put into detail. From their distance it looked like a misshapen vehicle. “I think this line is for a race?” Moaning a bit over her sprained toes, Malia snaked her arms around Peter’s neck and giggled as she let her feet lay normally on the ground again.  

‘She should make him carry her,’ She thought to herself, leaning her head on his shoulders and maneuvering her hands back around his forearm. She closed her brown eyes for a minute or two amidst the alien chatter about her and spoke once the line started to move forward again. “Before, when we were in Karla's closet, why did you ask when we were going to kiss again?” She wondered. “You do know, and I know you know, that you can just kiss me whenever, right?” She added, curious to know his answer. Sometimes she felt a little self conscious putting the moves on the Legendary Star Lord.

Peter had to think to recall his flirtatious question from that night, and then think even harder to give a suitable answer to Malia's question. That whole night was really just a jumbled mess of happy memories in his head, so focusing on one thing he barely remembered saying was a task, let alone why he'd said it. He couldn't help but chuckle at the expectant look Mal was giving him over her out of the blue inquiry. "Geez, Mal. Way to put me on the spot." Peter cocked his head, piecing his reply together. "I guess I was just still adjusting to the fact that we were a thing. I'd wanted that for so long that when it happened I could barely wrap my head around it."

 Peter moved forward as the line progressed, making sure Mal stayed with him so as not to lose her in the crowd. "There was so much I felt like I needed to and wanted to say to make up for all that time I hadn't said anything. But, I couldn't get any of those thoughts straight, so I just asked you that." Peter caught her eyes and gave her a small smile. "Still feels like there's a lot I should tell you." He racked his brain, trying to grab one of those restless thoughts he'd mentioned. Of course, the first to come up was embarrassing, but he figured he'd share it anyway. "Way back when I was taking you back to earth and thought you were staying there, I used to get drunk and listen to crappy love songs while thinking about you. This one time I actually made-'' Peter cut himself off, remembering the long lost and forgotten mixtape he'd made her during one such drunken stupor. He shook his head, deciding to save that embarrassing story for another time. "Nevermind."

Malia lifted her head up to Peter and raised the corners of her mouth into a smile with a look of realization settling across her face. She remembered the said tape, tucked away in her underwear drawer. 'So, that's what it was,' She quietly confirmed to herself as the line advanced forward, causing her to take a momentary pause. He was thinking of her even way back then? Like she was. Holding her gaze forward while she savored the heartwarming thought, she continued to grin, feeling the light flutter of her stomach. "You, Peter Quill," She gushed amidst the unexpected chatter of the crowd, "are a certified dork." 

Turning her attention once more toward him with an expression of glee, Malia tapped the side of his face with her lips and stared at him. She found it strange how much she wanted to say, 'I love you,' with each passing conversation and cover his face with kisses whenever she could. To make up for lost time, for the many occasions she in the past wanted to show him her genuine affection. "My Space man, or better yet, my Star-Lord?" She suggested, taking in his adorable expression of bewilderment with the smile that never left her. She liked the sound of that. Her Star-Lord. As she opened her mouth to speak, an abrupt bang shifted her attention over to the line.

"I said, fifty units, each." Marked with an irritated scowl plastered across his tainted yellow skin, sat the ticket master in his booth, awaiting his pay. He lowered the metal pipe he held from the barred window and leaned forward in his chair. "Or are you two just here to give us a show?" He grudgingly asked, maneuvering his red eyes over them to his customers behind, who seemed just as agitated when Malia glanced in their direction. ‘Since when had they gotten to the front of the line?’ She wondered in a daze as she sheepishly bowed her head toward the crowd and approached the window alongside Peter. “Sorry,” She mumbled. 

“Fifty units, each, people,” The ticketer repeated, ignoring her apology. He pointed a finger at the both of them, pretending to be a clock and locked eyes with Peter as he dug around his pocket for the payment and practically slammed the coins against the booth’s small window desk once found. “Thank you! NEXT.” Dispensing two casino styled tokens from a hatch that opened beneath the barred glass, Malia quickly scooped up the metal and shuffled herself forward. “What a douche,” She blurted out, moving the ripped curtains out of the way as she walked down the entrance. And she thought New York was riddled with mannerless pricks. She hadn’t met not one nice alien yet.

Peter nodded in agreement with Malia's assessment of the alien running the ticket booth. His mind soon wandered to the miniscule amount of units he had left. What was on him was all they had. He glanced at the chip in his hand, turning it over. A race, huh? Maybe he could place a bet or two. He looked up as the crowd dispersed to makeshift stands built from what looked to be scrap metal. Ahead of them some floating wrecks of vehicles hovered above the cracked stone of the ground. "I think we found that shadiness we needed. "

Malia nodded as she leaned closer to him to allow a large alien to lumber past. "This looks like Mad Max... or that Death Race movie. You know, with..." Her voice trailed off as she continued to take in their decrepit surroundings. "You know, I kinda forget just how not normal my life is most of the time. But then at times like these it really just hits me," She looked up at Peter, an amused smile across her face. "I'm not in Kansas anymore."

 Peter threw up his brow, actually recognizing one of her references for a change. "No, you're a far cry from your kind of normal. You miss it?"

 Malia wrinkled her nose. "Not for a second." She once again turned her attention to the area around them. " So, what's the plan? "

Peter furrowed his brow as he scanned the crowd. "Look for leads on work, place a careful bet or two. We only need enough units to restock on food for now... unless we see something fun to buy, obviously. " He glanced at Malia, a thought crossing his mind. All the times he'd called her his partner without ever really showing her he believed in her. That'd been a shift between them he was still adjusting to, having been more or less her protector for so long. She'd asked him a few times to trust her more to help, and this seemed like a good time to show her he did. Peter reached into his pocket, pulling out half of their remaining units and holding them out to Malia. "Here. We'll find something quicker if we split up. You have a communicator, right?"

“Yes,” Malia dug inside her pocket to retrieve the earpiece Peter mentioned and gingerly placed it behind her ear with a firm nod as the crescent shaped metal beeped in confirmation. She trickled half of the units he held out for her in its place and patted the leather area to hear the coins. “Um,” She paused to look up at him in thought over what to say and pointed to her communicator when only the obvious was left. “If anything goes wrong, let me know.” She advised, remembering the time when she saved him from the Nova Cell.

“Or don’t,” She added with a playful chuckle, “So, I have enough time to run away.”

She leaned herself into him for a bit, placing her hands above his chest and kissed his cheek for personal good luck. Giving him a soft push forward afterward, Malia turned on her heels and randomly picked a direction while she stood next him. “I’m going to go that way,” She pointed to the left section of the stadium-esque arena and started to tread in the decided direction with exaggerated confidence. Midway, she glanced over her shoulder and winked at Peter, before blending in with the passing crowd, a smile forming on her lips.

‘Place a bet, make a killing, not literally — and earn some money.’ That was their goal, one she hoped was smoothly accomplished. But, judging by the brow-raising citizens of Saakar around the race track, that could prove to be a bit difficult. So, she had to…? Test the murky alien waters. Drifting her brown eyes over the various groups of sellers, gamblers and vagabonds that roamed the metal assorted stadium, Malia pulled her hair into a high ponytail, catching the unexpected attention of a man wearing a bandana.

He stared at her from the herd of individuals he was part of, a white furred woman and cybernetic looking man, with a suggestive smirk placed across his moustached lips. It alone sent a shiver down her spine as the strip of hair above his mouth reminded her of Peter’s short-lived stache-lord persona. 'What was with this Tom Selleck facial hair infatuation?’ She wondered, not fully understanding the craze. She furrowed her brows once she noticed the stranger’s continued gaze and cautiously slipped her hands inside her pockets.

As he approached her, going in the opposite direction, she gripped the handle of her engraved barbecue fork, grateful she brought it along. She never did leave the Milano without it, the gift sort of becoming an odd weapon of choice of hers. She knew a two pointed piece of cutlery couldn’t lethally harm anyone, but it'd injure them at least. Shifting herself closer to one side as his figure drew closer to pass, Malia looked directly into his eyes and pursed her lips into a tight line. She furrowed her brows downward then narrowed her own eyes. 

There was just something about this guy she didn’t quite like. His whole aura gave off too many shady vibes. And not the kind her and Peter were looking for. More of the ones you stay away from. Once he came to pass, his smirk changed to a small smile at the suspicious expression she held for him to catch, turning his head forward with an amused laugh. ‘What's so funny?’ She threw him a daggered glare as he slowly blended himself within a mixed crowd, making her come to a stop. He was heading in Peter’s direction.

Touching the back of her ear to activate her communicator, Malia continued her stalled walk and puffed up her cheeks for a minute, before releasing the air in them. Whoever that stranger was irked her. It was like he knew what she was up to by the way he looked at her. “Peter?” She called out, careful not to draw too much attention to herself. “There’s a real shady guy heading your way. Has a bandana on.” She expressed, hoping he heard her amidst the roaring noise of the ongoing race and attendees around her. She at least had to warn him. Especially with the gut wrenching feeling she felt.

Peter put a finger in one ear and cupped a hand over the other. "I didn't quite catch that, babe. What did you say?" He shot an annoyed look at the noisy crowd and even noisier race before making his way to an isolated corner. "Hey, can you hear me?" Peter tapped his communicator a few times for good measure, somewhat regretting his choice to show Mal his confidence in her. His eyes scanned the crowd in the direction she'd walked off in, trying to at least catch a glimpse of her. Hopefully the communicators were in working order and it was just the noise. Maybe she'd gotten distracted? That wasn't unusual for her. Peter tried to think of something that would get her attention if that was the case. "Hey, Mal. You remember that time when you were in that vent and I touched your butt by accident? Not an accident. "

 There was a few seconds of silence before Mal's voice answered. "What? I could barely hear you."

 Peter breathed a sigh of relief before letting out a chuckle. "Nothing important. I'll tell you later."

 Malia grunted on the other end before letting out a soft curse. "Okay, but did you catch what I said about the shady looking guy headed your way? Something didn't feel right about him, Peter."

 Peter glanced around momentarily, not really sure what he was looking for. "Gonna need some more details then 'shady looking', babe. Everyone here fits that bill." 

 "Do my eyes deceive me, or is that the legendary Star-Lord?"

 Peter paused as the unfamiliar voice behind him practically sang the question. He turned around to look at the man before him. The man's shoulder length black hair was tied up in a ratty looking blue bandana. He wore a red jumpsuit with various pouches and other such items strapped about here and there. On one hip he had a blaster, and in the other was, bafflingly, a cutlass. "Mal, I'll talk to you in a minute." Peter lowered his finger from his ear, keeping his eyes on the man's own and not his enviable mustache. "Depends on who's asking."

 The man raised his brow, a smirk crossing his face. "I'm Corsair."

 Peter threw up his brow as he recognized the name. "Corsair? The pirate?"

 Corsair nodded, obviously pleased with the recognition. "The very same. What brings an outlaw such as yourself to Sakarr, Star-Lord?"

 Peter didn't want to give this guy much information. He was, after all, a pirate. Peter knew better than to trust anyone that shared a line of work similar to his own. Corsair studied Peter with a close eye that made Peter uncomfortable. It felt like he was being sized up. Peter gave a nonchalant shrug. "Just a quick stop. No real reason."

 Corsair nodded, looking around at the crowd. "Well, you picked a pretty dangerous place to stop considering your wanted status." The privateer locked eyes with Peter on that last word, narrowing him just a bit. "Somebody might just wanna grab that reward."

Peter's hand instinctively moved to hover above his blaster. While he was willing to do it, he didn't want to kill this guy and throw the place into chaos with Malia still in the crowd somewhere. She could handle herself, but finding her and getting away may prove difficult after. "Listen, Cap'n, I'd rather not do this."

 Corsair held his arms open. "Go ahead. It'll make things more fun. But, don't forget that unlike you..." Some motion behind Peter drew his attention for just a moment. It was only long enough to note the two armed individuals that stood behind Peter on either side of him. Peter returned his attention to Corsair, his heart rate quickening in the familiar way it did before a fight. "I still have a team."

[19-bellwether]

A Tale of Two Kidnappings

It's long been speculated that Ruby or Oscar or both will be kidnapped by Salem, but I'd be surprised if it ended up being that simple. Here are two ways I think it could go.

1. Trade-Off

After the RTX trailer dropped, I posted that Ruby could be the kidnapee and that Oscar is a red herring. It seemed strange that they'd reveal him being hunted and possibly captured in a trailer, especially if it happens early in the Volume. However what if both of them are taken, but at separate times?

Oscar is kidnapped in the first half of the volume and taken to Salem since his scent is on the Lamp. The confrontation goes more or less like this:

Salem: Tell me how to use the lamp, child.

Ozpin: No.

Salem: Wait, you're Oz.

Oscar: Whoops.

Salem: Well I'm not getting info out of him. Let's see who else I can ask... Ruby. I want her alive anyways.

Oscar: Oh no.

Salem: And you'll be bait.

Oscar: Oh no.

When the news reaches the rest of the team, they make plans to rescue him and strike at Salem at the same time to repel her from Atlas. The plan goes surprisingly well... until Salem herself gets involved in the fight. While some of the heroes free Oscar, another team lead by Ruby try to fight back. In a climactic finale, all of RWBYJNOR+ reunite just in time to watch Salem overwhelm Ruby and take her away. They saved Oscar and scored a victory, but at the price of losing Ruby.

For Ruby this would mean finally having a face to face confrontation with Salem and likely lead into learning what happened to Summer. Being on her own against Salem would be a test unlike any other she's taken. For Oscar, it'd be a call to action. I wouldn't be surprised if he partly blames himself, and this could even serve as way to unlock his semblance. And for anyone else who'd be involved when Ruby's kidnapped (Penny and Jaune come to mind), it'd undoubtedly be a way to progress their own story arcs too.

And as an aside, Jaune's VA mentioned recording lines with Salem's VA. If he means that they weren't just in the recording studio together and instead actually shared a scene, it adds weight to the idea that the heroes will strike back against Salem. Jaune especially would want to keep Oscar safe after losing him in V7.

2. Three's Company

Second idea isn't quite as evidence based and more built on themes. In the original Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's kidnapping wasn't alone. She was accompanied by two other party members, the scarecrow and the tin man. Those allusions belong to Qrow and Ironwood, but I don't think they'd be the ones to accompany Ruby if she were taken by the Wicked Witch. Characters taking the roles of others isn't unheard of in RWBY.

Oscar is an easy pick for the second victim, so what of the third? Well there happens to be a third divinely-powered, magical teenager in the group: Penny. Arguably she's just as high on Salem's wanted list as Ruby and Oscar, if not more so in the immediate present. Only she can retrieve Atlas's relic (something Salem needs) by using her fresh new maiden powers (another thing Salem needs).

I wouldn't be surprised if all three members of the glowy-eye squad are kidnapped by Salem at the end of the volume. Even though Penny doesn't have as strong of a connection to Salem as the other two, her death was in part because of Salem and becoming the winter maiden adds a second layer. In many ways, she's Atlas's Ruby. In her own words, she was built to save the world. It could still make sense within the narrative.

One more thing: if Salem kidnaps someone, where is she going to take them? She can't leave Atlas and take them back to her castle right away. The only stronghold she has is the whale. You know, the one everyone is expecting Penny to be swallowed by. I doubt it'd mind adding two extra kids to its diet.

TL;DR Oscar could serve as bait to kidnap Ruby, trading them. Or Oscar, Penny, and Ruby all are kidnapped. Or the simpler outcome happens and one or both are taken without the extra complexity. There are many ways it could go.

[ancientmagusbride23]

Dark Nights ch.1

by ancientmagusbride23

Summary: (Explicit sexual warning)

When Chise sold herself she didn't care who bought her or why. She didn't care what they did to her. Then the creature known as Elias Ainsworth bought her and said he would use her fluids whenever he wanted, even sell some on the black market. It's a sound investment and he plans to teach her about carnal pleasures to help her juices flow. What if Elias is a part-fae magus who's also a sex addict?

Notes:

I don't actually know how this story began. Too much time in my head, and dealing with some dark themes that I'm working through. Being stuck inside too much can mess with your head. I also wondered what if Elias was like a raging horny beast? No one would be safe from him? Why not buy a girl at a black market that you can train to be your own personal sex toy? Yep, pretty dark. I know. But it could've happened. We didn't know why he wanted a girl the first time we read the manga or watched the anime. Tell me I'm wrong.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter Management

Edit Chapter

Chapter 1

: First NightNotes:

Chise has Stockholm syndrome, that is the only real explanation.

Chapter Text

She didn’t care what happened to her, so she sold herself. Chise Hatori was soon amazed by the creature that stood above her that had paid a large sum and bought her at the auction. Dressed all in a black suit with bolo tie, and black shoes and tall, large, and intimidating, yet she wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t afraid of what might happen to her or body. Nothing mattered to her anymore. He, she was pretty sure it was male, had large powerful looking wolf -jaws covered by a red veil and long spiraling horns jutting out from the top of his head, perhaps he would eat her and then her miserable existence would end. She hadn’t expected to be brought to a cute country cottage, nor like the lady in pink who greeted her at the door and seemed very kind. After the kind lady in pink bathed her and put new clean clothes on her, Chise was taken to the living room to sit with the man who purchased her.

“You are very valuable,” he began to say sitting in a tall chair in long black robe, legs crossed, with the red veil still covering his large skull-face and wearing white gloves. He sat so straight in his chair it made Chise think of an English gentleman, and even his voice and way of speaking were very proper. “You are a slay vegga. That is to say a human that is also a magical battery. Like all your kind, you'll most likely burn out soon, but until then I will keep others from hurting you or trying to eat you or use your power for themselves. I, of course, will partake of that power whenever it pleases me. Your juices are especially potent and delicious to my kind.” She could only stare at the large head as she got the impression, he truly did want to devour her, she swallowed nervously as the Lady in Pink gave her some tiny triangle sandwiches and hot cup of tea.

He waited seeming to want all of that to sink in. “I-is that why they always tried to eat me?” Chise asked quietly.

“Of course, even just your smell must have driven them quite made with hunger, but rest assured I will not eat you. I will only partake of your body’s fluids from time to time. You will live in relative comfort and safety the rest of your life as part of my household. All other creatures are intimidated by my power. I have barriers and wards to keep the unsavory riffraff out. I also plan to harvest some of your fluids, and hair to sell on the black market. People of the magical realm will pay handsomely for any part of you, witches, alchemists, and mages, such as myself. We can use your parts to aid our magic. As I said, you are very valuable, and I paid a great deal for you. There are not many of your kind that live to be your age and are still whole and relatively intact. I will make back 10 times what I invested in you this way. Do you understand all of this?”

She looked down at her lap and nodded. Although, not taking it all in really. Besides, she’d already accepted any fate, even death, torture, or dismemberment as her end. “I..I understand.”

“Come,” he told her and motioned for her to come to sit on his lap. She did so, reluctantly. “Hmm, you are too thin and frail. You will need many weeks of treatment before I can begin collecting samples. And I have a long waiting list of customers already. Well, they will simply have to wait,” he ran his large hands down her legs and back up to her stomach and breasts and squeezed as she squirmed. He laughed as she struggled. “Chise Hatori? Have you ever had experience of the carnal variety?” he asked.

Chise blushed feeling uncomfortable for a different reason, knowing what he meant. She looked at his massive chest as she shook her head. “N-no, sir.” He laughed again his large bony snout coming close to her neck and sniffing making her cringe with recent memories of things biting, and, trying to get to her and eat her.

“I like that! How enjoyable! To be the first to break you in. My name is Elias Ainsworth. You may call me that or master, whatever you prefer,” his hands never stopped caressing Chise, but his grip was too strong for her to break away from him as she tried a few times.

“Yes, Ainsworth-san...?” she replied, wondering if that was appropriate.

“Hmm,” he made a deep rumbling noise inside his chest. “Yes, that will do, nicely,” he said quietly as his jaw opened and a long tongue crept out to lick Chise’s cheek startling her. Then his tongue roved down her neck causing her to gasp and try to pull away again. “I’m only teasing you, Chise Hatori.” The tip of his tongue crept under her shirt and into her bra as it moved across her nipple causing her to cringe.

As she cried out, she struggled not liking this sensation at all. No matter how she tried Chise could not break his grip, he was so strong, but suddenly the Pink Lady appeared beside her and stared at the man holding her. Ainsworth, her master, sighed and released her. The Pink Lady pulled Chise into a tight hug. It was the first true affection Chise had felt since her mother killed herself and left her all alone in the world. “Arigato, um I mean thank you,” Chise told the lady. The Lady in a puffy pink old-fashioned dress had blonde hair, a pink bonnet, and white gloves. She only smiled at Chsie, but did not reply. “Can you talk?” Chise asked wondering, since she had helped her bathe and change earlier but never responded.

The Pink Lady only tilted her head with a smile and patted Chise’s cheek with her gloved hand. “She refuses or is unable to speak. She understands you, though. I call her the Silver Lady, she is a brownie or a creature that is bound to a location, like this house. She is more of a landlady, as it were, and keeps the house neat and clean. Thank you for reminding me, Silver Lady. Please show Chise how to prep for bed and then show her to her room.” The Silver Lady nodded and pulled Chise along with her up the stairs.

Chise was shown where all the soaps and hygiene products were in the bathroom along with a toothbrush. Afterward, Chise was taken to a room down the hall. It was large and clean with a good sized bed by the window. “Is all this space mine?” She asked the Silver Lady. She only responded by smiling and nodding. Then she showed her a set of drawers with some clothing in it. Chise let her help get herself undressed and put on a white pajama dress. “Are you sure I can wear any of these clothes?” Chise asked the Silver Lady who only nodded again.

The Silver Lady turned down the bed for her and even tucked her in and closed the window. She wagged a finger in front of her back and forth. “What? Don't open the window?” She nodded. “Oh, okay,” Chise yawned as she settled into the soft bed. “This is so nice and soft. I always had to share space with other kids and usually slept on the floor. Thank you, Silver Lady.”

Then Chise was alone and fell asleep quickly as she'd been through a strange and long day. Sometime during the night Chise's disturbing dreams were interrupted by a tapping sound. She woke to look around the room afraid something was coming for her. It took her a few moments to remember where she was and why. Then she heard the tapping again. She looked around to see creatures at the window with glowy eyes and wings. Pixies or Fairies is what she thought immediately. “Sweet Robin, let us in! Or come play with us in the forest. All your dreams will come true. Come away with us to play before the Thorn spears the Robin! Come!”

Chise was intrigued as she sat up on her knees and looked through the glass at the creature. “I've never seen anything like you before. Sounds like a familiar promise the yokai would give to the unwary in ancient Japan.”

A deep chuckled reverberated from behind her as she looked backed, “Very wise of you, Chise, they would lead you into the forest and play with you until you died or let other creatures devour you. It is all fun and games to them.”

The little green fairy growled, “Grr, Thorn Mage, you ruin our fun! And hogging our precious Robin all to yourself. Wait till the Queen of the Fae hears about this!”

“Begone!” Elias Ainsworth commanded. And Thorny vines covered the window from the outside. Chise stared at him for a moment seeing he's veil was gone and only dimly could she see the white skull-face and two red glowing eyes.

“I-I have never seen those types of creatures before. We have a lot of kinds in Japan, but not those,” Chise said, very aware of Elias's towering presence in her room as she covered herself with her blanket.

“They are called arials, and exist all over the world. Be assured they, nor any other fae creatures may enter my domain,” he sat down heavily on the bed. “Come,” he opened his arms for her to sit on his lap again. She hesitated a moments, but slipped easily from her covers to his lap and looked up to stare at him in the moonlight. “You have many scars from past encounters with lesser creatures?”

“Yes. They always come. Especially at night,” she said quietly.

His gloved hand gently picked up her arm and pushed pack the sleeve to see a fairly fresh wound that had scabbed over. The large skull leaned down and sniffed several times and he hummed as his tongue slipped out and he lapped at her wound. Chise's instinct was to pull away, this was strange and scary. He would not let go so easily. Then the scab was pulled off and she flinched from the pain. Fresh blood pooled there quickly. He lapped it up slowly with his tongue. His bone white jaw open wide. His glowing eyes seeming to be even brighter and fiercer in the darkness. Elias Ainsworth pulled her closer and held her tighter as he made noises. Chise wondered if they were from pleasure. “Oh, Chise! You are delicious! I will have a hard time stopping myself. It is like...a drug. You are quite intoxicating.”

As the slow lapping continued, Chise squirmed and gasped but knew it was no use to try to get away. And anyway, what did it really matter if he devoured her.?Soon his tongue had moved from the wound and began inching it's way toward her neck. One of his gloved hands tugged her night gown down off her shoulders to reveal her pale skin and small breasts. His tongue found it's way there and wrapped itself around her nipples. Beneath her lap she could feel something poke through his pants making a tight tent.

Chise began to make noises. At first, in protest because the sensation was so weird and intense and she didn't like it. Soon she found the continual licking of her breasts made her feel something new. Something she'd never felt before. She felt a warmth start to spread in her body. She grabbed at his robe and held on with tight her fists. His tongue moved back up her neck slowly and then got to her mouth. “Open your mouth, Chise,” he said quietly. She did so and was shocked when he inserted his tongue into her mouth as his large jaw moved closer to her face. She tried to pull back but his gloved hand came up to hold her head still. His tongue sought hers.

At first she was disgusted, but as his tongue massaged hers gently she began to relax. It wasn't completely unpleasant. She let her tongue timidly reach for his making him gasp. He made deep moaning sounds as his hands caressed her back and bottom, and then slowly, almost reluctantly, he withdrew.

Elias Ainsworth closed his jaw and looked down at his plaything. Her face was wet with his saliva and her nightgown was disheveled. He chuckled at her. “Your face is red, and your pulse has quickened. I think you will be a fast learner. Have you ever touched your privates to bring youself pleasure?” She looked away embarrassed by the question, and shook her head. He replaced her nightgown to its rightful place. And moved her back to the bed as he began to straighten his clothing. “Well, goodnight, Chise,” he said, walking to the door and opened it.

Standing there was the Silver Lady. She was looking very concerned as she looked past Elias over at Chise. “She has not been harmed, nor deflowered, yet. I assure you, Silky.” The Silver Lady looked at him and nodded as they both backed out her Chise's room. She heard footsteps heading away from her door. Chise relaxed then feeling her ordeal was over for tonight. Her body still hummed with the sensations that man or creature had brought on her body. She felt her breasts tingle. She reached out to touch them and they still felt very sensitive to the touch. She felt between her legs and felt more moisture than usual. She'd never felt this way before.

Chise had expected to have strange experiences in her new life after auction, but nothing like this. It was not what she'd expected. And her owner was not what she'd expected. Was this her new life? She wasn't getting attacked and bitten by random creatures she mused. However, this man, Ainsworth-san, might be the one to bite and molest her from now on. Not that it mattered to Chise really, nothing mattered, she reminded herself.

Chise lay back down and covered herself to get some sleep. As she was drifting off to sleep she heard strange sounds. Someone was moaning. It sounded like Ainsworth-san. They were the sounds similar to the ones he'd made when he was licking her and clearly enjoying himself. Another voice joined his in their moans, a female voice. Chise also heard rhythmic thumping. Chise wondered what that was. She listened carefully for awhile to see if it would go away. It was clearly not coming from outside, but from inside the house. Chise got up from her bed and walked to her door. She opened it just a crack, but saw nothing in the darkened hallway. Across from her was another door and underneath she saw light and shadows moving to the rhythm of the thumping.

A moment more and a loud groan echoed from the room into the hall, and the thumping stopped. Chise heard the door handle turn. “Thank you, Silver Lady,” said Ainsworth-san as the Silver Lady stepped out of his room. She was fixing her bonnet and pushing down her dress. She nodded to him as she quickly made her way down the hall and down the stairs. Chise didn't know what to think. What had just happened? “Goodnight, Chise, please get some rest,” he told her as he moved back into his room and closed his door. Chise went back to bed with many unanswered questions floating in her head.

[gionamim]

BRIANNE TJU,  CISFEMALE, SHE/HER.  —  looks  like GIONA MIM is  attending   AURORIA UNIVERSITY  in  auradon.  they’re  the  NINETEEN  year  old  child  of MADAM MIM,  which  means  they’re  from  THE ISLE OF THE LOST.  heard  they’re  SOCIABLE  &  LOYAL,  but  can  also  be  RECKLESS  &  FORLORN  ;  we all have our bad days.  people  normally  associate  them  with  LETTING MUSIC LEAD YOUR BODY , MUSHING A PIE ONTO SOMEONE’S FACE , STOMPING AROUND IN BOOTS TOO BIG TO FEEL POWERFUL ,  CLOSING THE DOOR SO NO ONE SEES YOU WISHING ON A STAR —  

hello hello !!! it took me way too long to plan this child but now that she’s here im so excited for her !! pls if u like cabaret, magic, baking, and bitching, then step right up !!!

[ PROFILE ]

NAME: giona giulietta mim

NICKNAMES: gg

AGE: 19 

HEIGHT: 5′1″ (smol)

BDAY: november 2 ( scorpio! )

BIRTHPLACE: camelot

DEATHPLACE: .....camelot

FEATURES TO NOTE:

vk colours: pink and green and black

tattoos of constellations dotted and lined on her left calf: the lyra, and scorpio

dotted by herself

she has no pulse, no heartbeat

she doesn’t bleed

body temperature is cold

her skin heals quicker than average, if damaged

DOESN’T LOOK ‘DEAD’ (no dead skin, no disconnecting limbs)

she actually looks pretty perfect lol thats the star in her heart ayyy

when she’s truly happy*, she glows (like a halo around her head)

*truly happy = well ..... it’s a case-by-case basis

ON THE ISLE: it wouldn’t have been a full halo ... just more like a sparkle in her eye 

[ BACKGROUND/ SUMMARY AT THE END OF THIS SECTION  ]

madam mim has always been an average witch, but the way she gains excessive power momentarily is by eating the hearts of other witches, wizards, and magical creatures. this was how she fought merlin, way back when. and when she was defeated, she was furious, distraught, ashamed, embarrassed, but mainly furious

she spent years trying to find the perfect heart to consume, the one that would give her the ultimate power to defeat merlin once and for all (petty bitch)

she REALLLYYYY just hated losing and its SO PETTY BUT SHE LETS IT DRIVE THE REST OF HER DAMN LIFE

and it took her years and years. TOO LONG, in fact. because by the time she found one, the creation of the isle of the lost had been found, and she was running out of time.

she figured out that the way to beat merlin was to use his own tools against him: LOVE, BELIEF, GOODNESS. and she was losing power, so there were no pure hearts to be found easily (though snow white had plenty of children, they were too heavily guarded), so she sought other means. 

she studied the lore of stars. she charted, planned, and waited for the next fallen star. it is said that if you were to consume the essence of a star, you would be filled with the purest magic of all, an everlasting, and sustaining magic. 

a week before she’s meant to be thrown into the isle, she finds a star. 

but it’s not all she thought it would be. the essence of the star was so pure, it was fading in her evil hands. in its raw form, it refused to be consumed, let alone touched, by her. so she wrapped it up in a cloth (its light already fading slowly), and scurried away, seeking another way to keep the star and ultimately eat it. 

bear in mind this is all just to defeat merlin 

she experiments quickly, using millifractions of the star and testing it on different creatures: she finds out that if she chooses the little woodland creatures and let them eat the heart -- and she eats their hearts...she’s awashed with the intense magic. 

but how to find a large enough heart that will stay alive all these years in the isle? she decides to find her child. the child she abandoned decades ago, the one where she can’t even remember where she left it. 1 year old, wandering the woods, died in the cold of winter. but she knows where it would have gone -- to the land of the dead.

and there, she finds a wizened old skeleton (elder gutknecht) telling her that she simply cannot take the dead out as she pleases -- but madam mim uses the last of her magic to find a way and now she finally has a capsule in which to keep the essence of the star

she keeps it in her daughter’s heart. and as soon as it is in there, the girl comes back to life -- well, an almost-life. she has no blood rushing through her veins, no heartbeat. she doesn’t feel pain or exhaustion as a living girl does. 

on the isle, mim begins a MIM’S MUSICALE -- a cabaret show and dinner theatre. giona is the cleaner and the waitress, as soon as she was old enough to carry a tray of food and a mop&bucket. it helps when your child’s half-dead and somehow seems more energetic at night. 

this is where mim’s ego truly thrives bc even tho she’s lost her shapeshifting powers, its still like 7 nights a week, ppl going to HER place to watch HER perform (like they have a choice lmao)

probably gives herself awards

fast forward to 12 yrs old: mim is settling into isle life but still impatient for when she and the other villains can break out. she hears giona singing while washing the dishes from the night before. the girl can sing. and, yes she was losing patrons bc mim’s performances are just too abstract for ppl to like (clearly). so she forces giona to become the new act. makes her perform, sing, dance, every night. 

mim almost forgets that there’s a star in this girl’s heart. she almost forgets, until she sees those small moments when giona’s in the kitchen, when she thinks mim can’t see her; baking a small cupcake from whatever ingredients she could find, and though there’s no magic allowed on the isle ... there is still something unnaturally bright about that girl. and she hates her for it. 

this ‘goodness’ and ‘purity’ thing is very merlin-y and she HAAAAATES THAT

HATES SUNLIGHT, HATES BRIGHTNESS, HATE, HATE, HATE!!!

BLACK SORCERY IS IN !!! MERLIN IS OUT !!!!!

so she works giona to death (sort of). and tells her she’s ugly. and bullies her into low self-esteem. 

16 years old: mim is getting more restless about being trapped in the isle. she decides to take action again. she begins to teach giona the mim magic, which is hexes and jinxes and shapeshifting, and ofc, a hatred for merlin. 

but by this time, giona’s made up her own mind about her life. and she won’t let her mother live it. 

SUMMARY: giona was dead and brought back to life with star-essence that mim put inside her heart, so she will eat the heart when giona breaks her out of the isle and then she’ll use that star magic to destroy merlin and be considered the greatest sorceror once and for all mwahahahaha. also the star thing is a complete secret, mim hasn’t told ANYONE and giona has no clue about the glowy thing.

WHAT CLOSE FRIENDS OF GIONA WOULD KNOW:

she has no heartbeat, her body is sort of cold, doesn’t bleed, doesn’t need as much sleep

probably if they’re the kind of friends that like ... are genuinely good for each other lmao, they probably saw a bit of giona’s ‘glow’ when she’s truly happy

[ PERSONALITY ]

100 bad bitches can’t tell me nothin’

still a sort of mini-mim because giona also has a very short temper and is prone to just .... never letting things go lmao 

hates her mother: found out at a young age that actually, she’s not ugly, and she’s not stupid and she starts to drown out mim’s nagging and bullying

but still, in the middle of the night (bc for some reason she feels more active at night and cant sleep), she hears her mother’s voice in her head and cries herself to sleep

loves music & shows & plays & acting & performing:  but hates being forced by her mother to do everything. she hates being forced to sing by someone, she hates being told what to do

hate hate hate !!!!

loves to bake: little cupcakes and muffins and baked goods, and cookies ofc, and bread, she loves to make all kinds of bread and pastries. at least, that’s the dream. on the isle, she’d be lucky if she could find clean flour. so far, she’s only made cookies and tiny cupcakes.

these foods are only reserved for her friends, and they are all SWORN to secrecy that they will never tell her mother

loyal to a fault: once she feels she can trust you, she will never let u go. it’s ride or die. growing up with a mother hell-bent on hating her, she began to appreciate the few friends she made on the isle, and will do absolutely anything for them

still tho she’s like ..... she’s a bitch first and a friend later 

loud as hell and speaks her mind and would probably get a tattoo that says NO RAGRETS.

loves magic: CAN’T WAIT TO USE HER POWERS AND TURN INTO ??? A BIRD ???

doesn’t know anything about her heart: all she knows is that her mother tells her to keep herself safe, otherwise all that “business of trying to bring you back to life will be for nothing”. 

so yeah, she knows she was dead. but she just believes her mother used necromancy to bring her back, and it clearly didn’t work the whole way because she’s not fully alive

but you wouldn’t even know it unless you tried to find a heartbeat

[ how they feel about heroes/villains ]

giona only hates one thing for sure that is her mother lmao

merlin ???? will be fun to see but like otherwise doesnt give two shits, will probably praise him and send him a cupcake to thank him for defeating her mum

operates on a “if you mess with me, i will mess with you back” basis

doesn’t want to join any squads that plan to ‘ruin auradon’ because to her its just hakuna matata bro let it go why can’t you just be happy we’re actually here ?? lets fuckin run away !!!

[ CONNECTYONS ]

from the isle:

VKs who regularly came to MIM’S MUSICALE and saw her perform! she will hate the reminder ty 

MIM probably also hired a few weekly performers, ppl who performed once a night so if ur muse was a performer on the isle pls hmu !!!! 

VK friends that giona met and has them try her tiny baked goods 

they must love the cupcakes and cookies OR ELSE >:(

now in auradon:

those who know magic, who would investigate/recognise why she glows when she’s ‘truly happy’ and tell her that she’s a STAR and that her mother is probably planning to EAT HER

DEAD PEOPLE TO BOND WITH OVER BEING DEAD 

women/nb to squad up with and go shopping with and basically pls give her a girl squad she will fight anyone for you and you can do each other’s nails and just MAKE HER TRULY HAPPY W REAL FRIENDS AAHHH

someone to show her the kitchens :0 and take her grocery shopping :0

MAGIC PPL TO TEST-DRIVE MAGIC WITH. i’m talking fun duels, and pranking people pls.

musicals ?? to join ??? where she can finally play the roles she wants to play, and sing the songs she wants to sing ??? amazin

[ MAD MIM MAGIC ]

shapeshifts into any animal !

shapeshifts their size ! can be teeny-tiny or gigantic

shapeshifts their features to look a little different ??? like can look hideous, or more beautiful, or taller, or with bigger ears -- but can’t change into a whole other person

potions and hexes and jinxes take more concentration, but she can do it

[ NOTES / STAR THINGS ]

oKAY SO !!!!

the star part is greatly inspired by Stardust, the movie, especially the part about her glowing when she’s truly happy

mim is essentially growing her child to one day be able to eat her heart, gain the infinite powers, and defeat merlin

but since giona is the star (over the years, the star became a part of her heart), rather than someone who consumed it, the magic works differently for her. so she glows, and she heals easily, and she is awake more at night. with giona, the star ecomes a way of being rather than a power-source.

if her heart were to be taken out, she would go back to being dead, with no hope of a second life as an undead or zombie, because the star is the only life giona actually has. once it is gone, she is nothing.

giona can still do all of madam mim’s typical magic ! shapeshifting is the big one, and her thing is pink-green coloured animals. 

[musikat18]

Light of Valhalla, Fire of Hel: Chapter Six (Skurge x Reader)

(Listen y’all I’m giving you a nice gif right here because this shit is gonna get painful but we’re gonna get through this together)

Pairing: Skurge/Reader

Summary: You’re the best friend of Thor and Sif, a high-born Asgardian lady with a penchant for running off into battle, enchanted halberd blazing. The battle of Vanaheim brings your secret close to being discovered, but when the goddess of death arrives in Asgard, you must examine how far you are willing to go to preserve both of your lives when her new assistant happens to be the one man outside the Royal Family who knows the truth about how you spend your time.

Warnings: Descriptions of torture (near-suffocation), depiction of a public execution, language, combat, betrayal, descriptions of wounds, brief description of blade-cutting-flesh, blood, head trauma, emotional trauma

A/N: So...um...happy post-Valentine’s Day? Listen once we get through this and Schism Chapter Three I’ll do something happy, just bear with me, fam. 

Light of Valhalla, Fire of Hel

<Previous Next>

Chapter Six: Burned

Your groan of pain as Hela stormed to your cell and magically forced you against the wall was not as fake as you would have liked it to be.

“What do you make of this?!” she snarled, waving a hand. The words burned in the air just as they had on the observatory wall: Day will Break your hold on Asgard.

‘Oh, Heimdall,’ you thought, amused in spite of your current peril. ‘I’m touched that you’ve developed my flair for the dramatic...although, Sif is just as likely to have done the deed.’

“I don’t know,” you kept your cool in spite of the invisible pressure on your chest. Her interference with the Eternal Flame had already told the death goddess too much about you; you wouldn’t dare share anything with her about your alter ego. “I have no idea what that could possibly mean.”

“Don’t pretend, silly child. Daybreaker is your family’s weapon. Did dear Kustaa try to hide another child from me?”

You couldn’t force the words to come out of your throat-- even if you did have a clever lie at hand, the force of her power kept crushing in harder on your bones. Air pushed out from your lungs in a strangled gasp, and she scoffed in frustration as she dropped you to the ground. You clutched at your clavicle, trying to regain your breath.

“I’ve seen Daybreaker fight,” Skurge said, and you weren’t sure if he was going to rat you out or just bloviate to placate the angry usurper queen. “I’ve seen him...at his most vicious.”

He was quiet as he spoke, and you knew, considering the memory that had pained you for so long, it was a quiet well-earned.

“Tell me about him,” Hela demanded. “Tell me everything.”

“He’s fast...stronger than his frame suggests. Packs a mean punch,” he looked at you, trying to be discrete. “I could never imagine a better fighter. Not even Thor.”

“Name him, Skurge. Tell me who to seek.”

He kept his eyes locked on you as he said, “Havardr. His name is Havardr Kustaason.”

In any other moment, you may have been flattered by the compliment. Highest guardian.

He trusted you. Even in this tense time of pain and anger, where you had done nothing but shut him out and lash against him and argue and give him nothing but cold dismissal...he trusted you far more than you deserved.

Hela strode from the room with a purpose, leaving you recovering with Skurge standing still beyond the barrier of energy. It took you a moment to respond to him.

“You’ve covered for now, but it’s not going to last,” your pendant buzzed at your words. “She’s going to find out. You can’t defend me forever.”

He set his shoulders hard, “No. But I can try.”

“It’s never going to fool her.”

“It did now.”

“Because she’s angry, Skurge. You’ve seen what people do when they’re angry. Nothing can stop them. When her head’s on a little straighter, it’s going to be a lot harder to hide this.”

“Then we hold it out as long as we can,” he said firmly. “I’m not going to let her touch you.”

“Like you let Amora?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but fell silent. You were right, and he knew it.

“Just trust me for once.”

Skurge turned to leave you, but he knew his words were going to fall on deaf ears. After all that had happened, he was lucky you were speaking to him at all.

-

“You saw her with the Tesseract?!” your eyes were wide as you questioned Skurge. He’d come to you, Heimdall, and the Warriors as soon as he could, corralling the group of you into his father’s home. Halvar had been more than kind, offering you all warm drinks and space to convene. It was, after the information Skurge appeared to reveal, something that was likely needed.

“Well...I saw what looked like the Tesseract,” he said. “She had something blue and glowy behind her back, and that’s the only glowy blue thing in Asgard. As far as I know.”

“What did she say?” you pressed.

“Not much,” he weighed his words carefully. “She was...eager to run off. She said she was going to the palace.”

“King Odin is likely her next target,” Heimdall mused. “The real question is why.”

None of you could fathom an answer. Amora was slick and adaptable, but she was Asgardian, like any of you. To think that she had anything but Asgard’s best in mind...it shook your core. She was quarrelsome and petty, but she was no traitor. Looking at the people among you, none of them struck you as an usurper or a traitor or an enemy of the state...where she had gotten this supposed idea of uprising, you had no idea.

“Who did she say she was studying under?” Sif suddenly jolted her head towards you. Your brow furrowed as you thought back to the earliest of letters that you had exchanged with your cousin.

“Karnilla the Nornkeep,” you realized with a sigh. Of course. Of course your cousin had trained under the Mad Sorceress. No doubt she had picked up on the witch’s ways and likely saw this as some twisted way to gain Thor’s approval.

“She must be stopped before she can reach King Odin,” Heimdall said seriously. “The Tesseract is bad enough...if she gains access to the other artifacts in that treasure room through Odin…. Asgard may be lost before Prince Thor ever gets the chance to return home.”

“She’ll have all sorts of charms on the guards once she enters, and no doubt she’s done that, already,” Sif frowned. “How do you suggest we get past her new friends?”

The five of you Heimdall invited looked between each other, clamoring for a solution.

Skurge kept his gaze on his knees, working up the courage to speak. He’d never been in a danger room like this before; he was more than out of his element. He needed to either speak up, or lose everything.

“I can sneak you in,” he said, keeping his voice low.

You hushed the growing commotion around you to bring his statement to the forefront, “You can what?”

“She...tells me things,” he said. “I know one door she doesn’t think matters. I can take you in there.”

“Brilliant,” you grinned with determination. “We’ll head in that way, stop Amora, and get my father and the Tesseract back.”

Skurge dipped his head dutifully, keeping his eyes down as he led Volstagg and Fandral ahead to scout the entrance. You wanted to follow, but Heimdall held your arm.

“Y/N...do not allow your judgement to be clouded.”

“I’m not jumping into things just because my father is in danger,” you insisted. “You know me. I’m better at detaching than that.”

“He means your lover,” Sif added, and you felt your stomach knot shyly at the words.

“Skurge is not my lover,” you said. “We’re friends.”

“But you want more, and that’s dangerous.”

“Who told you?!”

Heimdall quirked his eyebrows, and you gasped in betrayal.

“Heimdall!”

“Normally, I go to you on difficult matters,” he said honestly. “That’s hard when they involve you.”

“Skurge is a trusted sparring partner and friend,” you said with finality. “I’m not going to be distracted because he has pretty eyes!”

Sif laughed under her breath, and she only gave you a mirthful look in response to your glare.

“You said it, not me.”

You huffed and expanded your pendant into Daybreaker, a gentle hum running along the haft of the pole.

“Are you ready?” Heimdall  gave you a serious look. You pulled your hood over your head and nodded as your dress turned to armor and your eyes were masked in shadow.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

-

You had no idea why Hela would ask you to look upon what remained of your people, now. Your heart ached as you walked behind her into the square; there was not a face without anguish, no set of eyes without pain, no brow unmarred by fear. On your chest, you felt your pendant buzz, burning your family sigil into your chest as much as the pain of your people gripped your insides.

“People of Asgard,” Hela announced, “my loyal subjects. I’m told there’s a man called Daybreaker among you. One who would dare to question my rule. There is reason for me to believe he has hidden the key to the Bifrost from me. Turn him in now, and you will be spared.”

Your heart caught in your throat as a whisper rose among the masses before you. If you didn’t step forward...anyone Heimdall and Sif had worked so hard to save could be lost. No, you knew. All of it. If you spoke a word of the truth, all you had worked to support would be gone. The Nine Realms would be lost...but the loss of a single Asgardian would be far worse.

You chewed on your lip, eyes scanning the crowd. No sight of familiar orange eyes or a flash of dark hair. All the better to keep your only allies left alive, you figured, but no one would be able to keep the people safe. No one. No one but you.

Hela sighed as the Asgardian crowd before her stayed silent.

“Fine,” she waved a hand, and Skurge stepped forward, face twisting in anguish. “I’m sure you’re all aware of who this is.”

The executioner grew confused as one of Hela’s Helspawn soldiers nudged you forward. You didn’t budge your head to look at any specific citizen, just keeping your eyes cast on the horizon; no expectations in your eyes, only defiance and silent protest. You let out a cry of surprise as the creature knocked your knees in, forcing you to kneel on the ground. Hela handed Skurge the ornate ax she had made for him.

“Skurge, kill her.”

The bald soldier’s blood froze at the words. The ax was in his hands. He knew he had to swing and end your life, or not do her bidding and risk the death of you both. Skurge heaved the weapon over his shoulder, and he held his position as you looked up at him, (y/e/c) meeting hazel and sharing a silent message for the first time in a long time.

He saw your mouth move before he could even think.

“Do it,” you mouthed quietly, the words processing in his head through your resigned gaze, even over the murmurs of the crowd behind him. “Do it. It’s time, Skurge. Swing the ax. Just swing it.”

“What are you waiting for?” Hela glowered. “Must I do my executioner’s job for him?!”

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“The mountains!” One brave Asgardian yelled breathlessly and hopelessly from the crowd. “There...there are people taking Asgardians into the mountains.”

The breath left your lungs as if for the last time.

“Clever Heimdall,” Hela smirked. “But not clever enough. Take the girl back to her cell, Skurge, then meet me at the throne room. We’re taking the war to the rebellion.”

You were vaguely aware of Skurge’s hands on your shoulders, helping you stand and guiding you back inside the palace. Numbness became you, and you didn’t have the voice to scold him until you had your cold bench to sit on.

“You should have killed me,” your voice was hard and unforgiving. “You...dammit, Skurge, I told you to kill me!”

“I wasn’t about to kill you, Y/N!” he barked back. “What is hope for Asgard without you?”

“Hope for Asgard stood a chance without me,” you said seriously. “The whereabouts of Heimdall and the others could have died with me.”

“But I can’t do it without you!” his voice was a defensive boom, but you didn’t look at him. “I could never hurt you! Not...I can’t...I cannot fail you again.”

You were silent at his words.

“Y/N, please,” Skurge softened, leaning on the invisible wall between you both. “Give me something...give me a sign that...that you trust me to do whatever I can for you.”

Your voice was quivering, haunting as you spoke barely above a whisper, “Is that what you were thinking when you betrayed me?”

-

Skurge quirked his eyebrows at the collapsing guard’s body, revealing you, Sif, and Heimdall behind it.

“You three do quick work,” he remarked. You smirked, pulling your hood back as you rested Daybreaker on your shoulder.

“It’s a gift,” you said proudly. “Where do you suggest we go from here?”

“The Warriors are on the perimeter,” Skurge explained. “I say Heimdall and Sif stay here and watch the door while you and I storm Amora’s stronghold in the throne room.”

Heimdall nodded, “Call for me if you need eyes on any other part of the city.”

“We will,” you led the way through the door, keeping your halberd at the ready, and Skurge stayed close behind. The halls were bereft of security, but you weren’t surprised; Amora was a prideful woman. Her underestimation of you would surely be her downfall.

“This will not be easy,” you warned Skurge. “I know my cousin. She’ll have all kinds of traps for us in the throne room.”

“I’d expect nothing less from her,” he mused. The doors to the throne room were closed, but not locked. You kicked them open, holding your halberd in a challenging stance.

“Amora, cease and desist,” you demanded. “Return my father and the Tesseract, and King Odin.”

Your cousin was lounging on the throne, like she’d already won the battle. Her slender legs swung leisurely over the arm of the chair, and the laugh she gave you was mirthful, but dark and condescending.

“Oh, cousin,” she shook her head, “and sweet Skurge? I expected more from the both of you. You seemed like the types to recognize a future queen when you saw one. I suppose I was wrong. No matter.” With a wave of her hand, several columns in the throne room became stone golems.

You leapt into action with Skurge at your side, and you smiled at his more refined attacks. He was a slow learner, that was certain, but when he had picked up your more precise strikes, he appeared to have mastered them fully. You used your size to your advantage against the golems, sticking Daybreaker into their bodies and swinging kicks and strikes to cut them down to size.

“This is nearly like Vanaheim, don’t you agree?” you quipped, running up an arch and bringing a heated Daybreaker down through a golem. Skurge ducked as you blasted the arm off another one.

“You and I remember Vanaheim very differently!”

“Because I recall saving you, rather dramatically?” you laughed. Even if you weren’t sparring, and you were on the same side, it felt no different from those days in the hidden alcove. You could have fought beside him forever, you mused as you blasted another golem back.

“Skurge, on my mark!” you called, running towards him. He knelt to catch your foot and vaulted you into the air, giving you height enough to perform a rather impressive blade of light that cut through the last of the three golems at once. You landed by one of the windows, sweating and wiping your brow as you recharged your tiredness with the filtered sunlight.

“You were saying, cousin?”

You barely had time to finish your sentence, turning towards a cloud of gravel from one of the fallen golem. You gripped Daybreaker tight in your one hand as you scrambled to wipe the grit from your eyes; one moment of weakness against Amora, and your fight would be lost.

You were surprised upon clearing your vision to see Skurge poised to attack as Amora smirked next to him.

“Skurge...wait!”

You barely even noticed his apologetic mumble as he swung the ax hard, and the blade’s swipe combined with the force of his attack sent you flying through the stained glass.

You didn’t know if you screamed or not. Everything was numb and everything was moving in slow motion, a ringing in your ears robbing you of your hearing. You knew, of course, that there was something searing across your abdomen; your hands and battle garb were slicked with red. There was an infinite sensation of sharp pricking that ran all the way from your spine to the back of your head. Your face felt wet, but you didn’t know if it was blood or tears anymore. A thin, golden light shone in your veins as your body fought to remain conscious, but even though your head and body slammed into the stone of the street far below the palace, you still felt yourself falling, falling, falling into a black and lonely abyss.

The last thing you remembered seeing was Amora tracing along Skurge’s chest, the man’s face stony and unreadable.

When Fandral approached Heimdall some time later, the guardian of the Bifrost was standing by one of the doors in your home, looking contemplative and melancholy.

“How is she?”

“She wakes now,” Heimdall said. “Sif took it upon herself to be there to inform her.”

“How much do you think she’ll remember?” Fandral frowned behind him.

“If I had my way, none of it.”

“But-”

“You know her, Fandral,” Heimdall gave the younger warrior a knowing look. “Y/N never forgets anything, certainly not a slight against her.”

Fandral’s chuckle was tainted with the cynicism of the whole situation. Heimdall was right, of course.

“Did you know, at all? That he might-”

“I knew he was getting close with the Enchantress,” the guardian sighed, seeming regretful, “but I did not know enough. He flew under all of our suspicions. None of us were wise enough to think ill of him.”

“This wound...it isn’t just skin-deep, I assume.”

Heimdall felt his heart grow heavy as he heard murmurs behind the door, “It was never fated to be just a surface wound.”

Fandral heaved his shoulders and turned back down the hall to speak to the others, and Heimdall leaned against the wall. It would be wrong to intrude on you, now...not before Sif confirmed to you that what had happened was true.

He withered away from the door as a larger burst of flame than he’d even seen billowed from under the door, accompanied by a pained cry in the saddest, angriest, emptiest sound he’d ever heard you make, accompanied by a deep sob.

“TRAITOR!!!!!!”

Tagging:  @bkwrm523 @goingknowherewastaken @lauuerodz @space-helen @aubinkey @atomicdna @annathewitch @gladheonreads @waterbabybel @goodnightwife @dirajunara @skosmo @boldlywritingtrek @snow-leopardfetishist @battlebunnyteardropsinthesun @antiscocialfanwarrior @maydayfigment @curiositywillbethedeathofme @earinafae @star-trekkin-across-theuniverse @eyeofdionysus @feelmyroarrrr @janora00 @courtneyann @mad-girl-without-a-box@chook007 @bucky4cap45 @taylorjacksonandtheolympians

Tags for this fic are open!

[destiny-islanders]

FFXV x Hocus Pocus AU Ideas Part 4

Yes! Here it is... The conclusion of the Hocus Pocus AU...

So the broomstick ride to the school is one filled with Terror and Regret

Gladio: *Has Ignis sitting on his lap* “Would it be weird if I complimented Ignis’s cologne right now?”

Gladio: “It would probably be weird.”

Gladio: “He’s so soft I can’t”

Noctis sneezes and almost falls off of the broom. Prompto lunges to catch him and nearly sends them all hurtling to their deaths.

Noctis: “Dude, it’s not like I can die. You’re flying so damned slow. I could take another 300 years to get to the school and I’d still beat you there”

Like I said. Terror. Regret. IRRITABILITY. 

They thankfully make it to the school without dying.

They set up a trap-- lure the Sanderson Brothers into the kiln

Prompto: “Look! I made this clay pot to hold my wolfsbane potion!”

Prompto: “Once I make it”

Prompto: “I’ll get it right this time”

Noctis: “You are literally the worst witch I’ve ever seen:

They use Prompto as the bait-- it’s easy for the witches to sense his presence, and he has the best chance of defending himself. He stands inside the kiln (his clay pot safely stowed in his pocket)

The Brothers arrive and corner Prompto in the kiln-- and Prom strikes! He casts Stop

Time magic is not his strong suit

But all he needs is the few seconds it takes for him to run

He rushes out of the kiln, Gladio slams the door shut, and Ignis turns up the heat

Gladio: “Iris, don’t look!”

Iris: *FUCKING LOOKS*

It works! The Sanderson Brothers are toast!

Gladio: “Somebody order charbroiled witch?”

Prompto:

Gladio: 

Gladio’s Tattoo: *SQUAWK*

With the Sanderson brothers out of the way, the group heads to Gladio’s house.

Prompto and Noctis have a Pretty Serious Talk about what happens next

It’s all Prompto making promises about what good care he’s going to take of Noctis, and how they’re going to be so happy together

Gladio: “Didn’t peg you for a fuckin’ furry”

Prompto:

Noctis: “What’s a furry”

Iris: “Prompto’s not really that furry, is he? The only hair I see is on his head”

Prompto, Noctis, and Iris end up falling asleep in Gladio’s room. Gladio takes a photo of them. Partly because it’s cute. Mostly because it’s blackmail for Prompto, who has Noctis curled up on his chest

Cue Gladio’s chance to sneak downstairs with Ignis

Ignis: “Well, you managed to make one of the most spectacular blunders in the history of Salem, but I suppose it all worked out in the end”

Gladio: “Thanks to you. I never would have thought of using the kiln”

Ignis: “I do have my moments”

Gladio:

Ignis:

*AWKWARD SILENCE*

Gladio: “I LIKE HOW YOU SMELL”

Ignis:

Gladio: “Your”

Gladio: “Your cologne”

Gladio: “smells nice”

Gladio: *Oh my fucking God I wish the Sanderson Brothers were still around so that they could fucking end my life”

Ignis: “Thank you, Gladio. You smell rather pleasant, yourself”

Gladio’s Tattoo: *SQUAWK*

Ignis: “Okay, if we’re going to date, we need to do something about that tattoo of yours”

Gladio: “Yeah I know it’s really--”

Gladio: “Wait what”

Gladio and Ignis go upstairs to retrieve the spellbook, then head to the study so that they don’t disturb the others

They have two (2) objectives

1. To find a way to reverse Noctis’s kitty curse

2. To figure out how the hell to get rid of Gladio’s screeching tattoo

Little do they know that halfway across town, the Sanderson Brothers are rising from the ashes in the kiln. And the book is calling to them while it’s open in Gladio’s house

Noctis must also sense the book’s power, because he scampers into the study and lunges onto it, forcing Gladio to shut it

They’re too late-- someone’s screaming upstairs

Continued under the cut!

Ignis and Gladio run upstairs with Noctis and find the Sanderson Brothers in the bedroom

Loqi has Iris-- he’s singing softly into her ear, putting her into a trance so she can’t fight back

Ardyn has Prompto pinned to the wall, using magic to hold him up by the throat

If anyone’s curious, Iedolas is kind of off to the corner not really doing anything. I think he’s forgotten what they’re supposed to be doing

Ardyn: “Well, well. Fancy that you’d drop by.”

Gladio: “This is my fucking house”

Gladio’s Tattoo: *SQUAWK*

Ardyn proposes a trade: Innocent life for the spellbook

Gladio really hates it, but he has no choice. He can’t let anything happen to his little sister.

He hands over the book

Ardyn: “Thank you.”

Gladio: “Now keep your end of the bargain. Let them go.”

Ardyn: “Them? Oh, you misunderstood me, dear boy. I said ‘innocent LIFE. Not LIVES.”

Ardyn: “Leave the girl. There will be plenty more children where she came from.”

He drags Prompto, kicking and screaming, towards the window.

The others try to help him, but Loqi and Iedolas cast magic spells that send them flying across the room.

Gladio gets knocked out when he smashes into his drum set

Gladio’s woken up by Noctis scratching him mercilessly across the face

Noctis: “Come on! Wake up!! We gotta help Prompto!!!!”

Gladio: “Iris, you should stay here.”

Iris: “No way! I’m going with you! Prompto’s my friend, too!”

Ignis: “If the Brothers have their way, there won’t be a safe place for children like Iris to go, no matter where she is”

Gladio: “Ugh okay fine”

Gladio: “But first we’re getting something from my dad’s room”

Meanwhile, in the Sanderson House, the brothers have used the spellbook to create the potion they’ll need to suck the life out from young people

They’ve got Prompto tied to a chair. He’s going to be their first victim

He’s like 17... that’s still pretty young

Ardyn: “Shame that we must do this to one of our own...”

Prompto: “Uh. No one’s stopping you from NOT doing this, y’know.”

Prompto: “Anyway, why don’t you spend the next twenty minutes telling me your life story and explaining the motives behind every single one of your actions”

He’s stalling for time okay

He knows Gladio and the others are on their way-- they just need time to show up

Iedolas and Loqi are content with blabbing away with Prompto, but Ardyn’s not an idiot. He orders his brothers around, getting Loqi to help pry Prompto’s jaws apart so that he can pour the potion into his mouth.

They manage to force him to drink it!! Oh no!!!!

But before the Brothers can start to sap away Prompto’s youth to claim for themselves, Gladio KICKS DOWN THE DOOR AND SHOOTS THEM DOWN WITH A SHOTGUN

Prompto: “JESUS FUCKING CHRIST”

Iris: “Prompto! You’re okay!”

Iris: “Why is your body all glowy???”

Noctis: “They made him drink the potion. We have to get him out of here-- quickly! Before the witches revive!”

The group runs back to the cemetery. Prompto’s broom is at Gladio’s house-- meaning that Gladio has to give him a piggyback ride when they set foot on hallowed ground.

They’re about to reach the heart of the cemetery when Ravus lunges out at them from behind an oak tree

He reaches for the combat knife Gladio stole borrowed from his dad’s closet

He manages to grab it

But

IGNIS SMACKS HIM SO HARD WITH THE SHOTGUN THAT HIS HEAD FLIES OFF

Ravus’s body stumbles over to his head and uses the knife to slice the stitches sewing his mouth shut

Ravus: “Help! Help you!”

Gladio: “You expect me to believe that???”

Noctis: “I can vouch for Ravus. We rarely saw eye to eye. But he hates the Sanderson Brothers as much as any of us”

The group has two (2) objectives now

1. Protect Prompto and stop the Sanderson Brothers from draining his life force

2. Hold out until the sunrise-- then it will all be over

To free up everyone’s hands, Gladio helps Prompto climb the oak tree. He’s high up off the ground and difficult to get to, thanks to all the branches. Win-win.

They don’t have much time to prepare. The Sanderson Brothers are here!

Gladio declares open season on witches with his dad’s shotgun

He fires off one shot (and misses) before Ardyn sends the gun flying across the graveyard with a flick of his wrist

FUCK

Iedolas and Loqi work to distract the party while Ardyn goes for Prompto.

It’s not hard. The kid’s glowing like a Lite-Brite in a basement

Prompto fires off a couple of spells. One of them nearly knocks Ardyn off of his broom.

But Ardyn takes advantage of Prompto’s soaring confidence-- he rights himself on his broomstick while Prom’s in mid-celebration and smashes right through the branches of the tree. Prompto’s snatched up with a shriek

Noctis sees Ardyn holding Prompto by the throat and sucking out his soul and leaps into action. He climbs the oak tree and launches himself at Ardyn.

Prompto lands on the slab of an overturned tombstone. Drives the air right out of his lungs

Ardyn lands in the dirt

Noctis lands on his side on top of a tombstone. His bones crunch upon impact

Ardyn stalks towards Prompto, his hair a dishevelled mess, his eyes alight with uncharacteristic and unbridled rage. He reaches a hand towards him, ready to draw the life right out of him-- but then he realizes that he can’t move. His feet are rooted to the spot.

He’s standing on hallowed ground

Though Prompto has the bruises to show for it and he’s pretty sure his shoulder is dislocated, he landed on the tombstone. He’s technically not touching the ground

He watches in horror as Ardyn’s body begins to turn to stone.

As all this is happening, the sun peeks out through the trees. Iedolas and Loqi explode into dust upon contact with the sunlight

Ardyn is only able to watch as the light of the sun travels along the grass... closer and closer... until it touches him. And then he is no more.

Gladio, Ignis, and Iris cheer. They did it!!!!

Their celebration is cut short by Prompto

Prompto: “S-Someone please-- please go check on Noct! Is he okay? Please tell me he’s okay!!!”

He can’t reach Noctis from where he is. He’s trapped on the tombstone.

The group rushes over to Noct... and...

Gladio: “P-Prom... I’m...”

Prompto: “No. No. He’s not dead. He can’t die! He can’t die!”

Gladio doesn’t have a wisecrack about where to put the body this time. The cemetery is completely silent except for Prompto’s sobs

Noctis: “Jeez, Prompto, get a hold of yourself”

His soul-- in human form-- is sitting on top of Ravus’s tombstone. He gives a nod of acknowledgement when Ravus shuffles past him and settles back into his grave to rest once more so his soul can travel back to a place of peace

Noctis: “It’s better this way. There are people on the other side who’ve been waiting for me for a really long time.”

Sure enough-- that’s Luna’s voice calling Noct’s name. She’s a beautiful shade-- pure white light standing beside a tree

Noctis: “I’d better get going. Thank you, guys. Especially you, Prompto.”

Prompto just smiles and nods. As much as he wants Noctis to stay, he knows he can’t. Noctis’s soul deserves to rest in peace after centuries of suffering alone

Noctis: “Maybe I’ll see you around, Prom.” *Kisses Prompto on the cheek*

Tbh he’s a ghost so he actually probably kisses the inside of Prompto’s head but at least he’s cool enough to not point that out and ruin the moment

Noctis: “In my day, that’s basically third base”

Prompto: “DUDE WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU SAY THAT”

At least the smile that lingers on Prompto’s face as Noctis takes Luna’s hand and ventures forth into the sunrise is genuine

...Bonus...

A week later, Prompto is in his study, finally putting that wolfsbane inside the clay pot he’d made in art class.

He feels something rub against his leg and SCREAMS

He drops the pot

HIS NICE CLAY POT

IT HAD BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH

He glances down at his feet... and there goes the ladle he’d been holding in his other hand

The wispy silhouette of a not-quite-there black cat doesn’t bother to dodge the spoon that passes right through its body

The cat smiles as much as a cat can at the sight of Prompto’s overjoyed face

For the curious: Prompto is able to mute Gladio’s tattoo... but he has no idea how to remove it. He’s working on it!!!

[scribbles-by-kate]

Spinning to Remember

One shot based on a thought I had about what Rumple did for Alice. After he makes his sacrifice, Alice has a dream and meets someone in the dream realm. Features a guest appearance by my favourite bookworm. RumBelle, with a teensy bit of Curious Archer, and some Alice/Rumple friendship.

Read it on Fanfiction.net Read it on AO3

Spinning to Remember

Alice looked around. She was in a strange place, all...glowy, with something falling like flakes, floating around.

She noticed a woman up ahead, coming towards her. She was a tiny thing, dressed in a blue dress, with long brown hair, and, close to, she could see her bright blue eyes. The woman smiled. She was very beautiful.

'Hello, Alice,' she greeted. Her voice was musical.

'Who are you? How do you know my name? Where's Robin?'

'Oh, she's safe, don't worry,' the woman said, smiling.

'No, I want to see her!' Having almost lost her love, Alice was on high alert almost every moment. The thought of being away from her, of not being able to see her, made her panic.

'Of course. There.' The woman pointed, and Alice saw her love sleeping peacefully in their camp, herself sleeping beside her. She was looking at the sleeping figures as if through a veil or a mist, but she could see they were safe, Robin was safe.

'You're in the dream realm,' the woman explained softly. 'You're quite safe. You'll wake up back by her side, I promise.'

Alice looked at the tiny woman, and saw sincerity in her eyes. She felt she could believe her.

The woman smiled at the sleeping figures. 'She's all grown up,' she said softly, looking at Robin.

'You know her?' Alice asked.

'A long time ago,' the stranger said. 'I looked after her a couple of times, when she was a baby.'

'You don't seem old enough,' Alice replied.

The brunette smiled. 'Trust me, I am.'

'Why am I here?' Alice asked. 'And, wait, where's Rumplestiltskin?' she asked, panicked again. She couldn't leave him, not after what had happened. He couldn't be alone.

'He's there,' the woman said softly, and Alice could see him now too, as if through a mist again. He was sitting at his spinning wheel in their camp, babbling away to himself. Spinning seemed to keep him somewhat calm.

Alice looked away. She couldn't bear it. He'd sacrificed his sanity, his mind, for her happiness, for Robin's life. Magic came with a price, he said, and he'd lost everything.

The woman was playing with a ring on her finger. The gesture drew Alice's attention and she looked up at her. She was staring at Rumplestiltskin, a sweet, sad little smile on her face. And Alice realised who she was.

'You're her, aren't you?' she asked, choking up. 'You're his wife. You're Belle.'

Belle looked at her, a tear rolling down her cheek, and nodded.

'I'm so sorry!' Alice cried, rushing over and falling on her knees. 'I'm so, so sorry. I was supposed to help him, I was meant to be the Guardian, but this witch said I had to be willing to sacrifice, to sacrifice Robin. I-I've lost so much, had so much taken from me, my father, my freedom... I couldn't lose her! Rumplestiltskin saved her for me, but in doing that, he lost his mind. And now I can't help him get back to you because what he did means I'm not the Guardian after all. And...and I'm so sorry, but he...he doesn't remember that he has a wife, or anything about the Guardian. I've tried to get him to remember, but it's not working. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.'

Alice sobbed. Belle crouched down, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

'Alice, it will be alright,' she soothed.

'How?' Alice demanded. 'How can he find his way back to you when he doesn't remember anything?'

'Because True Love always finds a way,' Belle said, and smiled. 'He and I, we've had so many setbacks, and still, we've always found our way back to each other. This is just another setback.'

'But he doesn't remember,' Alice said. 'He's forgotten everything!'

'I don't believe that,' Belle insisted. 'Our love outlasts death: it can outlast this too, I know it can.'

'He said you never gave up,' Alice said, smiling through her tears.

Belle smiled. 'And I never will. I want to thank you, Alice,' she said, clasping her hand.

'Thank me? Why?'

'For being with him. He needs a friend right now, and what he did for you, that's even more proof that he's a good man, with a pure heart. He will find his way back to me: what he did for you makes me even more certain of that, so thank you.'

'But I need to get him to remember,' Alice said determinedly, 'and then we need to find another Guardian. That witch, she said other people have the potential to be the Guardian: when one doesn't work out, there's someone else waiting. I'll help him find the right person. I will!'

Belle smiled. 'You're very brave.'

Alice ducked her head. 'That means a lot coming from you.' She smiled. 'He told me all about you, you know. Said you were the bravest, kindest person he ever knew, a true hero.'

'Did he now?' Belle asked, sending a fond look towards the man at the spinning wheel.

The whirring of the wheel stopped suddenly. Rumplestiltskin turned his head toward them, as if listening for something.

He smiled. 'Sometimes the best book has the dustiest jacket,' he sing-songed, 'and sometimes, the best teacup is chipped.'

Belle caught her breath. Alice clasped her hand tighter, watching her.

'He does remember,' Belle breathed. 'Look.'

Alice looked. Rumplestiltskin was holding a little white teacup. It had a chip in it, and blue branches painted on it. She'd seen that cup before.

'Our cup,' Belle whispered. 'Rumple, you do remember.'

'Yes,' he said softly, and he seemed to be looking right at her.

'He can see you!' Alice said excitedly.

'Rumple, I love you,' Belle said quickly. 'I never stopped loving you, and I'll never leave you. You'll find me again: you will, I promise.'

'Belle,' he said tenderly, smiling a little.

Then it faded, he waved his hand, and the cup was gone. He turned back to his spinning wheel, and started babbling again.

'No,' Alice breathed, the hope leaving her. 'He's forgotten again.'

'But not completely,' Belle said gently, content. 'He's locked part of himself away, to protect his memories, so he won't forget me. He remembers all of it, including his quest for the Guardian. See? True Love always finds a way.' And Belle smiled.

'I'll make sure he doesn't forget,' Alice promised. 'I'll stay with him. I was going to anyway, but... I won't let him forget, Belle, I owe everything to him.'

'You're very kind,' Belle said softly, 'thank you.'

'He's kind,' Alice said, 'and so are you. I'll help him find the Guardian, Belle: you two should be together, like me and Robin.'

'One day, we will be,' Belle said confidently. 'Take care, Alice: be happy with your Robin, and remember, True Love always finds a way.'

Alice blinked, and woke up with a gasp. She turned as Robin cuddled closer, and smiled.

0Alice remembered her dream. A few days after it, Rumplestiltskin was sitting at his spinning wheel, holding the cup, not spinning. She smiled. He was thinking of Belle: she knew it. He had shown the cup to her before, when he was completely lucid, and told her all about his beloved wife. Now, she pretended like he hadn't shown it to her, wanting to see if she could get him to talk, wanting to see how much he remembered. If she could get him to talk about Belle as much as possible, she might be able to rescue his mind, keep him lucid for longer, maybe bring him back completely, or at least keep him from succumbing fully to madness.

'That's pretty,' she said.

Startled, he pulled the cup to himself, glaring at her, protecting it.

She cursed herself. She needed to remember to go carefully with him.

'Sorry,' she said, holding her hands up. 'It's ok, I'm not going to take it from you, don't worry.' She smiled. 'It's pretty, though.'

'Yes,' he agreed, drawing the little cup out again and showing it to her.

'Where'd you get it?' she wondered, moving closer slowly. There was a stool near his spinning wheel. He'd placed it there himself earlier. She wasn't sure why, but now she moved towards it.

'It was part of a set,' he said. 'This is the only one I kept.'

'Why keep a chipped cup?' she asked.

'Because she chipped it.' He was looking reverently at the cup, ignoring Alice.

'Who chipped it?'

'Belle. She dropped it when she came to work for me.'

'Belle, huh? Was she pretty?'

'Beautiful, but not your type.' He looked at her now, and smiled a bit. He was all there, for the moment, at least. He was talking like himself again, or more like himself than he had been. What a relief to know it hadn't just been a one-time thing.

'There you are,' she said, smiling.

'Hello, Alice,' he greeted.

'Is it the spinning? Does it help you focus?'

He nodded. 'Helps me remember.'

'Can I sit here?' she asked, gesturing to the stool.

'Please,' he invited. 'Think I must have put it there for you.'

She smiled. 'Tell me about Belle,' she requested, making herself comfortable.

'You already know our story, Alice,' he said.

She shrugged. 'It's a good one: tell me again.' And she clasped her hands, and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, waiting for him to begin.

He looked at her. 'I won't be able to stay long,' he said.

'Stay as long as you can,' she entreated. 'Maybe the times you're fully you will get longer.'

He nodded. 'Thank you Alice.'

'What for?'

'For keeping me company. It helps: it really does.'

She smiled. 'I'm not going anywhere,' she declared. 'I promised I'd make sure you never forgot.'

'Thank you,' he said again.

'You're welcome. Now, tell me about Belle.'

There you go. Thanks for reading :)

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #162: The Bride of Ultron!

August, 1977

So. Uh. Cool cover?

...

Lets not beat around the bush.

Last time: The Grim Reaper attacked and Wonder Man had to punch the shit out of him. And then Hank Pym got weird amnesia and attacked the Avengers as Ant-Man. They were weirdly unprepared to fight ants and a tiny man. And then Ultron apparently killed most of the Avengers and kidnapped Janet van Wasp and Ant-Man.

This time: A wedding I guess??

We start with Thor arriving at Avengers Mansion to find several of the team being carted away by ambulances.

Check out that tactless dude saying the one he’ll miss is Cap. Tragedy strikes us all differently but maybe don’t say that when you’re within spitting distance of all the other dead people. Maybe its meta, since Cap is the only one to have his own book?

Anyway, Thor heads inside and meets up with the survivors.

Black Panther was knocked out by Ultron’s splode so didn’t get shot with the encephalo-beam. Iron Man had his armor drained but Black Panther was able to help him once he recovered from splode.

And Wonder Man... probably something regarding the process he’s undergoing what with the glowy eyes. His physiology is just different now. Same reason Grim Reaper’s manacles didn’t affect him, remember?

Black Panther recaps the last issue for Thor.

He does a good enough job, I guess.

I personally think I do a little better. Although, he managed to get his synopsis down to two panels. And I just words words words.

Anyway, Thor swears vengeance because its the done thing. I like to think he swears five oaths of ‘Till my death... or his!’ before breakfast. The cooks in Asgard are getting a bit unnerved.

Elsewhere, Ultron. Also, Ant-Man. And they’re not currently trying to kill each other.

I know Hank has amnesia but what’s Ultron’s excuse?

Well, he has some weird scheme.

He claims that he, Ultron, rescued Hank, Ant-Man, from his enemies. That the ‘imposter’ Avengers turned on Wasp and near fatally injured her. But Ultron rescued her because he’s so brave and handsome.

But get this: medically speaking, medically speaking the only way to save Jan is to transfer her life-force into a robot body that Ultron just so happened to have prepared ahead of time. And then they can fix the meat. Swearsies.

I’m also sure it was medically necessary to strip Jan naked, you big creep, Ultron.

Don’t think you’re off the hook either, Shooter and/or Perez.

Okay, creeper robots slash comic producers aside, Ultron has set up the process so that once Jan’s life force has been transferred it can’t be transferred back.

Then by Hank’s own hand, Jan will have been killed to give life to a woman for Ultron.

This is why he gave Hank amnesia.

Because its Ultron. Of course he’s going to go full Oedipal.

Also, apparently this technology and process fit under what a bio-physicist does?

I don’t think Hank knows what his own field is, honestly.

And then we get another full page of Hawkeye and Two-Gun at the Cheery-O’s Dude Ranch because? This has to be going somewhere. If this doesn’t have a really good payoff, I’mma be pissed.

As it is, it establishes why Hawkeye doesn’t respond to this Ultron-related emergency.

Hawkeye leaves Two-Gun to watch the phone for any calls while he goes to feed the horses.

Two-Gun gets engrossed in Marvel comics about his cowboy friends, as drawn by Jack Kirby, and gets annoyed at the ringing contraption.

So he shoots it.

It was interrupting comic time.

And he doesn’t know what a phone is.

Womp womp.

I mean, yeah, ha ha, future technology confuses and infuriates him. But were you raised in a fucking barn, Two-Gun? This is your place of employment. Don’t go shooting things just because they annoy you! You are a guest here!

Time travelers. Geez.

Back at Avengers Mansion, Thor is freshly frustrated that he still can’t reach Hawkeye.

Wonder Man wonders (hah!) aloud if Hawkeye is even worth this grief but Thor chastises him because for all his many and varied personal failings, Hawkeye has put his time in and proven himself a thousandfold to the Avengers.

And Mr. Wonderful Punched A Few Dudes thinks he can judge Hawkeye.

Elsewhere, Iron Man tries to SCIENCE a way to find where Ultron went. But Ultron left no trace or it has faded by this point.

And he has to ponder... why kidnap Jan? Well, except the obvious... But neither Iron Man or Black Panther (who is elsewhere but having a very similar train of thought) want to really delve too deeply into that thought.

I mean, come on, surely not even Ultron is that much of a creeper?

Elsewhere, Ultron is dancing his happy Oedipal dance.

Because he’s gonna have a wife! Made out of his dad’s wife’s soul! The irony is so delicious that Ultron briefly forgets that he’s supposed to be roleplaying as a polite and helpful friend to Hank Pym who doesn’t want to murder all fleshies.

Oh and the robot girlfriend (and can we seriously just take a moment to slow down and consider that Ultron built himself a robot girlfriend?) starts to move so I guess this is also the “it’s alive.... IT’S ALIIIVE” moment.

No but seriously. Ultron built himself a robot girlfriend with robot hair.

By this point, the process of having her soul sucked out and put into a robot has managed to revive the Wasp. Of course she’s blindfolded by the soul-removing blindfold and also chained to a slab. She’s not going anywhere.

But she calls for Hank, crying out in alarm that she can feel her soul slipping away. And as she does, the love doll also begins to hold up half of her conversation, finishing Jan’s sentences but also saying stuff about a magnificent superior cybernetic body.

So. Yeah. Potentially terrifying.

For some people. Losing their humanity and such. Other people go ‘wait superior cybernetic body? I would like to subscribe to your pamphlet.’

Not that Hank hears any of this. Apparently the machines that power this process are just really loud. But he’s glad he can’t hear her. I mean, he knows that he’s totally saving her life but he has this weird feeling like maybe he’s killing her? Oh well, best to barrel on regardless.

You know what makes this really dumb? There is literally nothing wrong with Jan. She was drugged unconscious but that’s wearing off now. I can only conclude that Hank Pym didn’t even check Jan’s condition and instead just blindly believed the scary murder robot that told him these things.

Ultron thinks its hilarious though. Because once Hank has finished turning his wife into a robot, Ultron is going to kill him slowly.

Because Ultron!

Meanwhile, the few surviving Avengers are still farting around aimlessly. Ultron could literally be anywhere because they have no clues.

Wonder Man is so fed up with waiting that he smashes a console and proclaims that he was created to defeat all the Avengers, single-handedly!

Thor halts his tantrum and offers some good Thor advice.

Thor: “Thou shalt crave far greater strength if the battle thou desirest comes! Do not waste the might that is thine! Mark my words, mortal! Thy first true test is yet to come!”

And then a bunch of ants show up.

Luckily for the Avengers and their lack of ant-preparedness, these are not swarming attack ants.

This is an antogram! 

Like a telegram but with ants.

They form into the shape of letters on the ground, spelling out: STARKLI.

WHICH CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING!

Someone call Iron Man and have him tell us the only one thing it can mean.

Okay, so Iron Man here. Obviously the letters signify the abandoned aerospace research center of Stark industries on Long Island. And the ants signify that Ant-Man is sending a super stealthy message to the Avengers.

And really, they have no other leads to follow so yeah fuck it lets go to Long Island.

AND OFF THEY FLY, having heroic dialogue because that’s what comics is all about. Having dramatic, heroic dialogue while you’re flying off to your death.

Wait, death?

Wonder Man suddenly realizes that he might die tonight. Ultron has already killed four Avengers who will never, ever be back and even Thor is talking like he expects to die in this fight.

And Wonder Man died once and didn’t much care for it.

Later, at the abandoned aerospace research center in Long Island of all places, the point of no return is approaching. Robot wife mumbled so.

When suddenly, Black Panther spouting a pretty cool line.

Black Panther: “Turn, Ultron! Face me!”

Ultron: “Who --”

Black Panther: “The harbinger of a storm of vengeance, evil one!”

Yup. Black Panther snuck past Ultron’s sentinel devices because Black Panther almost always rolls nat 20s on stealth, except when he announces his presence to say a cool thing.

In fairness. It was a pretty cool thing. And I’m pretty sure that he gets bonuses if he says the cool things.

Then Mjolnir smashes through a wall. Thor is here too.

And Iron Man repulsors through a wall because its his building so he can break it if he wants.

Just as Ultron is sticking his foot in his mouth to announce that the three of them can’t possibly stop him, Wonder Man bursts through the ceiling.

I would laugh if every time Ultron reacted to what he thought was the new number of Avengers, another person showed up. Give me a whole issue of “And me!”

Ultron calls shenanigans on Wonder Man’s presence. He should be in a coma! He was struck by the encephalo-beam like the rest.

Wait, a coma? asks Iron Man.

Yeah, the ‘dead’ Avengers aren’t dead. Like Marvel would kill off Captain America. Can you imagine?

Prometheus aside, out of the ‘dead’ Avengers, Captain America is the only one I wouldn’t have bought them killing off in the previous issue.

Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Beast all are exclusive to Avengers at this point. Cap has his own book.

We’re all cynical today but the previous issue ended with the Avengers lying in a hero heap and this issue started with several Avengers being treated as really dead for serious. Not badly wounded. Dead.

Granted, this nonsense was pulled before with Grim Reaper’s first appearance but that was done-in-one and the whole team so obviously it wouldn’t stick. This? If you were a kid reading this back in the day, I buy that you could buy that the ‘dead’ Avengers were dead for realsies.

Ultron’s admission here is the first indication to the otherwise.

And even so, everyone shot by the encephalo-beam will die within hours if the coma-effect isn’t reversed.

The encephalo-beam is cool like that. Its like Grim Reaper’s coma-ray except better. Because Ultron built it. Both of them really but he built his toy to be cooler.

Why not keep all the best stuff for yourself, really? Its what Tony does. I learned it from watching you, dad’s friend! Slash, alternate reality dad.

Anyway, Ultron tries to encephalo-beam Thor but Iron Man blocks it.

With his head.

Way to take the encephalo, Iron Man. I’m not sure it was even necessary since Wonder Man’s weird physiology protected him from the beam somewhat and surely Asgardians have weirder physiology. Up to the point where sometimes Thor claims that radiation just doesn’t affect him and also he can breath in space.

But if the attack would have taken Thor out even for a temporary period of time, it was better for Iron Man to take it.

Because: pro-tip: his armor protected him.

And then he repulsors Ultron into an equipment bank.

Which is... pointless, really. Ultron’s chassis is built of indestructible adamantium and he has auto-repair systems which makes physically fighting him an exercise in futility.

And yet the Avengers never seem to realize that before they try punching him in the face. You’d think Iron Man would have prepared something. He’s the tech wiz and their best hope after Scarlet Witch and Hank Pym aren’t available.

But I guess he just planned to blast him through walls all day and hope that catharsis is a tangible force that can defeat robots.

Thor and Wonder Man charge to follow up on Iron Man’s attack. Even Ultron is baffled that they’re trying to stop him via punches.

But Wonder Man is dwelling on what Thor said about dying and he’s having... I don’t know. Something. He feels like he’s watching this whole thing from outside, disassociated from the whole process.

Anyway, while punches are not so effective on Adamantium/Fighting types, they’re super effective against Thor and Wonder Man and Ultron just WHAK-rRAKs them. 

That’s the sound of a superstrong robot belting two super tough dudes. Its probably like thunder with a bit of the thump of hitting flesh mixed in.

Meanwhile, Black Panther is smart enough to realize that his punches won’t do much against Ultron so he goes to see to Hank Pym.

But to his surprise, Ant-Man isn’t just putting on a pretense to lull Ultron into a false sense of security so that he can summon the Avengers to aid him. He really does think that Ultron is his partner and that the Avengers are imposters.

Also, he just finished the process so that it will complete automatically. Now he’s free to help Ultron-

WHAK!

Hah, no. Best way to stop Ant-Man from shrinking around and kicking your ass? Kick him in the head while he’s still talking.

Wonder Man is still grappling with his fear of death while trying to punch Ultron in the face. While multitasking is laudable, this time it gets him blasted by the robit. Because its slowing him down and distracting him.

Meanwhile, Iron Man has recovered (I guess from the encephalo-beam?) and has gone to help Black Panther with the robotization machine. So its up to Thor and Wonder Man.

But the controls of the device are locked and protected by a code and they’ll never figure it out in time.

Unless... they can make Ultron tell them.

Meanwhile, on the fight side of the room, Ultron has sensed Wonder Man’s hesitation and decided that he’ll be the easier victim.

Thor interprets this as a brilliant ploy by Wonder Man to get Ultron to grapple with him.

And then he just jumps right on that grapple pile, hooking Mjolnir around Ultron’s neck because? I mean, probably to harness his movements and not to strangle him. Because robot.

Even if they can’t hurt him, Thor has decided that between the two of them, they can hold him in place. I guess that’s something like strategy if you don’t ask ‘ok but now what?’

Also, Thor’s holding strategy includes one of Ultron’s hands around Wonder Man’s neck so from his perspective its perhaps not ideal.

But Iron Man has a different plan and calls over to get Ultron’s attention.

Which is: give me the release code or I melt your girlfriend.

Ultron protests that robot wife and Wasp are the same and to destroy one would destroy the other so this is totally a bluff, Iron Man wouldn’t sacrifice a comrade to thwart Ultron.

NO WAIT SECOND THOUGHT DON’T HURT MY ROBOT WIFE

So time skip to after he gives them to code and Ultron flies off in a huff, swearing vengeance.

Wonder Man tries to confess his hesitance in battle but Thor just tells him that they’ll talk later.

I really want to see that conversation and I’m mad that we probably never get to.

Black Panther reproaches Iron Man that there’s little honor in a victory won by taking a robot girl hostage but Iron Man tells him it worked so who cares.

But in his cloud like thought bubbles, he wonders what he would have done if Ultron had remained intransigent. Would he, could he have killed her and possibly the Wasp?

That’s just a question that Iron Tony will have to live with.

And now an EPILOGUE

So. Hank is still an angry amnesiac. He insists that Ultron will be back for him because they’re such bffsies and then they’ll crush the Avengers together! And also Wasp! Because obviously she has turned on him!

But Iron Man believes studying Ultron’s equipment may give them the means to restore Ant-Man’s memories.

But what if it didn’t? Spoiler: Hank later turns up with his memories back and it really could have been dwelt on more. But what if it didn’t work? What if Hank’s memories were gone forever and he believed that Ultron was his friend and he continued to hate the Avengers and Wasp? What if Ultron did come back to spring him and they teamed up again? Ultron in his head thinking the whole time that he’d likely kill Hank in the morning but the opportunity just never came up?

It would have been an interesting place for the character to go. And roughly parallel to his actual fall from grace in future issues.

As we saw last issue, Hank could be a startlingly dangerous antagonist for the Avengers. Teamed up with Ultron, they could be the ultimate dad-son villain team. Where one is constantly fantasizing about killing the other.

But in this reality, there is a lingering question. I mean, beyond whether Iron Man would murder a robot wife. Hank didn’t summon the ants that gave the Avengers the clue where to look. And Wasp denies doing it either, since Ultron took away her cybernetic collar when he was undressing her like a creeper.

Could it have been... “someone... sympathetic to Jan’s plight. Someone with sophisticated cybernetic circuitry at hand, capable of projecting a thought-impulse to nearby insects!”

Could it be that despite Iron Man’s dismissal of Robot Wife as just a thing that wasn’t really Jan, that in her brief half-life when Jan’s soul was being transferred into her, that she was more human and more like Jan than even Ultron suspected?

These are the mysteries. And I get the feeling we haven’t seen the last of Robot Wife, who will eventually get one of the more embarrassing names in comics.

By feeling, I really mean ‘I know who this character is and have seen her in other comics from many years later.’

So. A pretty good two-parter. First part let us see what Ant-Man is like when he lets get dangerouses. And the second part shows us why the Avengers need to make Ultron plans before they head out to punch Ultron.

I’m ambivalent to Ultron generally because this is how Ultron stories usually go. The Avengers try to punch the indestructible robot to death, get surprised when it doesn’t work. And also, the encephalo-beam is used as a win-button far too frequently.

But the part of Ultron stories that I do like: how do you defeat an indestructible robot? And that tends to be unique and creative every time.

Although its still frustrating that the Avengers only hit on the idea after they’ve been bloodying their knuckles on Ultron’s face for a while. They never plan! At this point, they know for sure Ultron is out there and vengeful so if they don’t have some contingencies in place next time he shows up, I’m going to be hecka nettled! It doesn’t even matter if the contingencies fail, I just want to see that the Avengers have been trying to do their homework!

Also, this starts off or at least reinforces a pretty consistent character trend: what Ultron wants most of all is companionship. He is a lonely murder robot and he doesn’t know how to make friends so he keeps trying to make friends. Making companions is even slightly more important to him than world conquest.

I also have noticed this kind of trend. What with all the guest stars that hang around and never leave, the Avengers roster is pretty bloated. Thor is on inactive membership but he’s around so often it doesn’t really matter. So you have: Captain America, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, the Wasp, Vision, Wonder Man, Black Panther, Beast.

Eight people.

And its hard to manage a team that big and give space for everyone. And I’ve noticed a tendency for the team to be split up in some way. Like here where four of the team were ‘killed’, another two hostage or brainwashed ally of the villain, leaving a manageable four left to be the Avengers this time.

I’ll have to keep an eye out to see if sidelining continues to be a thing going forward to manage this book’s large cast.

Next time: a filler cross-over to give some breathing room before the next big thing that pushes the Avengers to their limits.

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #121: Houses Divided Cannot Stand!

March, 1974

Hey, Vision. Word of advice. Don’t try to go through the glowy energy field when there’s a perfectly good floor to float through.

Also, ‘Cannot Stand‘ should be in italics but I guess I can’t italicize a title.

Anyway. Last time: the Avengers encountered a partially new group of Zodiac. They got their collective asses kicked in a single page and then turned around and kicked Zodiac’s collective asses a little while later. They thwarted a mad scheme to kill off every Gemini in Manhattan with a Jumbo Star-Blazer. But because Mantis is so emphatic, she got star-blazed unconscious and teetering on the edge of the roof. If the Avengers don’t let Zodiac go, they’ll star-blaze her again - to her death.

This time: Vision says ‘eh go ahead then.’ She’s not an Avenger, she’s merely a hanger-on. Her life isn’t worth letting Zodiac escape.

Taurus claims that she’s a lot more than Vision says but it was all a ruse.

On Vision’s part, I mean.

While he was distracting Zodiac by being callous, Scarlet Witch was moving out of Zodiac’s line of sight so she could prepare one of her hexes.

And she destroys the Star-Bl- *ahem* Star-Slayer, apparently, with a FOOM!

Without the Star-Blazer-Slayer nothing is holding the Avengers at bay and they leap forward to fisticuffs some more.

It isn’t really worth it to go into specifics. The Avengers are stronger individually than Zodiac, who have vague powers, but the handheld Star-Blazer is strong enough to give even Thor pause. Oh and Virgo sneaks up on Scarlet Witch and WAM!s her in the head with a piece of scrap.

I guess Zodiac had the Avengers at a disadvantage but then Cap shows up to CLANG! them with his shield. He’s pretty dependable in that way.

Even if Cap’s accused of crime, he’ll always show up at the nick of time.

Anyway, with Cap here, the odds are much better

But then Aries decides to take matters into his own hands. And by matters I mean Mantis and by own hands I mean he throws her off the roof.

Without hesitation, Vision jumps off the roof after her and manages to reach her only twenty floors above imminent splat. Since he can’t fly while carrying a full grown person (his flight is based on reducing his density to be lighter than air) and since catching her after landing would have destroyed her skeleton bones (she doesn’t have Hawkeye’s amazing skeleton after all), he has to get creative.

And very much collateral damagey.

He jams his hand into the side of the building and lets the drag from that slow their fall.

And they still hit hard.

But also, the damage threatens to have the whole building fall down. Which is slightly awkward when you remember its the World Trade Center.

There’s no choice but for the Avengers to abandon the battle and save the building. Zodiac, of course, takes the opportunity to skedaddle, although its clear there’s some discontent against Taurus for his plan failing.

So Thor holds up the building while Iron Man uses heat blasts to... weld? Can you weld concrete? Well anyway, he patches up the cracks.

Once again, the Avengers have saved New York from the damage that they inflicted to New York.

Scarlet Witch has been checking on Mantis. She seems okay, if shaken, but Mantis claims she has slight injuries to her internal organs from the shock of the landing but she will rest and recover.

And then she just puts herself in a healing trance. She may be a Jedi. Or perhaps a Kryptonian.

The Avengers decide to take her back to the mansion to have her examined. And Cap runs off to go clear his name. The Avengers can’t help him, not unless they want to end up sharing a cell with him so they haven’t seen him -wink-.

Back at the mansion, Swordsman is alarmed that Mantis has been hurt.

Iron Man tells him not to worry. Heck, Swordsman is in worse shape, with his infected wound. They even had the Avengers’ personal physician, Donald ‘Not Thor’ Blake check her and all she needs is rest.

But then Blake and Iron Man take a little walk and have a secret conversation. Because they are the two Avengers who know each others’ secret IDs, giving them a special, unique bond that lasts probably until Tony made a clone of Thor, which is a big friendship-ending no-no.

But basically, Donald Blake has never seen anything like Mantis. She’s already improved from how she was right after the battle. It’s like she’s curing herself.

Its a mystery. And they have some downtime so why not investigate a little? Iron Man asks Swordsman if there’s anything he can share about Mantis’ backstory.

But the simple truth is Swordsman knows little more than the Avengers. He met her when he was working in the South Vietnamese black market for a man called Monsieur Khruul.

As has been established, by this point, Swordsman had hit real rock bottom. This was sleazy work. And to cope, he had started drinking.

He met Mantis in a waterfront dive and she took an interest in him. Tried to talk him into rehabilitating himself. But Monsieur Khruul sent him on ‘one last job’ to raid a rival’s warehouses.

It didn’t go as planned.

Mantis found him hours later, lying smeared with mud and blood and lice. And hey he had managed to mine a tunnel through rock bottom to find a new bottom.

She took him to her apartment and nursed him back to health for days, even going without food so that he could eat.

And that whole time he was so wrapped up in his own wasted life that he never asked her about herself. Which, in hindsight, he regrets and wants to make it up to her. He wants to go after Zodiac with the rest of the Avengers.

But Black Panther pops in and tells Swordsman that he’s in no shape to travel.

Yup, he’s temporarily back from Wakanda. He was making a special set of wings for Falcon and decided to stop in. So he’ll be joining in on this mission.

Before they go, Vision has a weird conversation with Swordsman apparently fraught with sub-text.

Vision: This is quite a woman, Swordsman. Even in pain, her control of mind and body approach perfection.

Swordsman: Why... yes, Vision. I know.

Vision: I am aware that you do. Goodbye.

Swordsman: What -- did he mean by that? Could he -- No!

I don’t really get it.

Anyway, Zodiac! There’s some unrest in the house of Zodiacs. With Taurus’ plan a bust, Aries yells that he should lead Zodiac.

And then like goats, they decide to headbutt for dominance. These comics... Couldn’t make it up if I tried.

Aries comes off the worst and calls for a time-out but Taurus butts him again. And yells that the house of Taurus rules this Zodiac.

Aries seems to concede but thirty minutes later, he has gathered a bunch of the Zodiac to talk coup.

Gemini, Virgo, and Capricorn were not invited to the sedition. Gemini because he owes Taurus for busting him out of jail and Virgo and Capricorn are Earth signs like Taurus is so they’ll probably side with him.

BECAUSE.

Geez, Zodiac takes their theme so seriously, they even import in some cliques.

These guys are a bunch of crimelords that have formed one giant cartel that they patterned after Zodiac because they’ll rule humanity just like the stars do, or something. But then they got super into their roleplaying and formed cliques based on the signs. Not to mention, this is a team comprised of a bunch of top dogs. No wonder they never play well with each other.

Anyway, the water signs Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio throw their lot in with Aries. As does Sagittarius, Leo, and Aquarius. But the air signs are divided right down the middle. Gemini will probably side with Taurus, Aquarius is siding with Aries, and Libra?

Libra represents balance so he’ll be sitting this one out. The other houses kind of expect this kind of neutrality from him by this point so they don’t even mind. But Cancer does warn him to maintain his neutrality and not swing his weight to Taurus’ side.

Now there’s just one more aspect to Aries’ revolution.

And a phone rings in the secret headquarters of...

Cornelius Van Lunt?? The asshole who bankrupted the Avengers to force them to act as his muscle and then was trying to force Red Wolf’s Cheyenne tribe off their land. And then he seemingly died when the dam he built ruptured.

But I guess he survived because here he is. But he’s been hiding out because the Avengers exposed his criminal activities.

Anyway, Aries wants to meet with him. Van Lunt arranges a meeting for the following dawn at one of his New Jersey warehouses.

Just before that dawn, Thor happens to spot the Zodiac Star-Craft on their way to that meeting while searching over Manhattan. After they land, Thor uses a signal device in his belt to contact the Avengers.

Dang. It looked like an Asgardian belt but the buckle flips open and there’s science inside. Guess it makes sense when Tony Stark is Best Mortal Friend Forever.

The Avengers arrive and just... peep in the window. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, everyone.

Inside the revolting Zodiac try to rope Van Lunt in on their schemes. See, Van Lunt is apparently the financier of Zodiac so they need his money to obtain a deadlier arsenal to combat Taurus’ Star-Slay-Blazers.

But from their peeping spot, the Avengers see that Zodiac is completely preoccupied talking and instead of trying to gather information, the Avengers just OH YEAH! right through the window and start lariating people.

This is why the Avengers need Black Widow. She knows how to spell subtlety.

While the Avengers are punching Zodiacs in the face, Van Lunt sneaks out the back.

Nobody misses him. They’re too busy fighting.

Like Leo tries to wang Vision in the head with a wrench but it just breaks off his diamond hard cranium and makes him very unhappy.

But all of a sudden, steel plates slam shut over the windows and doors.

Iron Man demands to know what the deal is but Aries doesn’t know.

And he doesn’t. Because as Van Lunt broadcasts in on a screen to tell them - this trap was set up by him to deal with the rebelling houses of Zodiac. The fact that the Avengers got caught up in it was a nice bonus.

Aries wants to know what Taurus offered to make Van Lunt double-cross them but Aries just doesn’t get it. Zodiac thinks that Van Lunt is a backup player because he’s just a money man and doesn’t wear a costume.

WELL GUESS WHAT, SOMETIMES HE DOES.

And no, its probably not a sex thing. Because he pulls out Taurus’ mask from off-camera and puts it on. Revealing that Van Lunt has been Taurus all along.

He feels pretty okay with revealing that bombshell plot twist though. Because neither the renegade Zodiacs nor the Avengers will be able to profit from the revelation. Because he’s going to launch them into space.

See, the warehouse was secretly a rooooooocket shiiiiiiiiiiiip

and it blasts off with a BAROOM!

Van Lunt stole my idea for how to get rid of people! That jerk!

Hey, why not follow @essential-avengers? I’m cleaning up the old Essential Avengers posts, adding some more images, and reblogging them there.