#like a knife? the only thing she uses it for is eyeliner

[zmorowanie]

drew girlboss gaslight gatekeep

[ashwhowrites]

Eddie's girl

Plot- the party agreed on 1 thing only, do not let the new girl meet Eddie Munson (fluff)

Master-list

Steve and Robin were talking at the counter about his latest date. Well, Steve was, and Robin was mocking him.

 “I'm telling you, she was insane. She poured half the container of salt on her noodles. Who goes to an Indian restaurant and gets buttered noodles? " Steve complained.

Robin rolled her eyes and said, "Jeez, Dingus, you have such real problems in the world." As she checked in, all the tapes were returned.

 The pair's eyes rose when a shadow casted over the countertop. There stood the most gorgeous girl they had ever seen. She had her hair styled nicely, a smokey eye look, eyeliner sharp as a knife, and cherry red lips. Her arms were warmed by a leather jacket; a band tee lay underneath, and they guessed jeans would be covering her legs if they could see. Maybe a pair of sneakers to go with the look. She had her fingers decorated with chunky rings and black nails.

Steve felt drool hit the bottom of his chin. This girl looked like someone who knew how to ruin your life, and he wasn't mad about it.

Robin felt a blush creep on her cheeks. This girl looked like she'd ruined Robin's innocence with one touch, and she wasn't mad about it.

Then she spoke, and it sounded like heaven on earth. "Can you tell me where I can find the horror section?" Her voice was soft, in contrast to how she looked. She stood tall and confident.

The pair of them rushed to go around the counter. Robin stomped on Steve's toe to get ahead. She smiled proudly as Steve clenched his foot with a gasp.

"Follow me," Robin stated as she led the gorgeous girl to the section where horror movies were placed.

As Steve was checking her out, well, the movie as well. He spoke up, "So what's your name?" Robin leaned in close to hear the answer.

"Oh, it's Y/N." She answered with a smile. She could sense the pair were in awe of her, so she threw a wink on the way out the door.

 "She so wants me." Steve melted into the floor.

"Please, the wink was for me," Robin scoffed.

Steve rolled his eyes, "geez Robin I must have missed the part when she said she was a lesbian. " Robin punched his arm and went on with their work day. Both are thinking about her.

~~~

Dustin was biking to the grocery store to pick up food for the cat. His mom was in some mood about being scared to leave the house, so a trip after school was on his radar. 

Eddie offered to take him, but he felt like it would be an inconvenience to make him drive him to the store and then back to the school to get his bike, but he appreciated his offer.

Dustin was walking down aisle 3 when he collided with a body that was coming around the corner. The person dropped everything in their hands.

"I'm so sorry," he quickly apologized as he picked up the bags of popcorn and candy off the floor. He went to give him to the person when he looked up and saw the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, including his ex-girlfriend Suzie. 

With a sweet smile, she answered, "No worries, cutie." Dustin smiled, braced teeth and all. He could feel his cheeks turning red and butterflies in his stomach. She looked older and more mature, and he loved it.

He didn't realize he'd been staring until she waved her manicured hand in his face. He snapped out of it. "Oh yeah, sorry again. I'm Dustin. Are you new around here? " He asked. It's a small town, and he felt like he'd seen everyone.

That damn smile came across her face again. With a smirk, she held out her hand, "The name is Y/N and I'm in town for my spring break. I used to live here but moved for college. " He was in awe of how her voice comforted him like a hug. He could smell her sweet perfume as he shook her hand. It was soft and the cold metal of her rings made him shiver. He's a freshman and she's in college. It'd definitely never happen, but you can't blame a guy for having a crush.

 ~~~~

Lucas was practicing his shooting at the park when he saw a girl walking a dog. He was dribbling the ball with Jason when he caught her eyes. The ball was stolen by Jason, as he was distracted. 

"Lucas bro, I stole that way too easily. You got to pay attention. " His words went on deaf ears. Jason looked at him, puzzled, and followed his gaze. And he understood now.

 A girl wearing a small tank top, her belly button pierced. Tattoos covered her arms and bracelets lingered on her wrists. She was gorgeous. She was walking closer to them as her dog quickly moved ahead of her.

 She got close enough that the pair could see she was generally beautiful. No makeup covered her skin. She was naturally breathtaking. Jason quickly threw the ball near her feet. He pretended it rolled there on its own. He jogged up with an apologetic expression, "Sorry, lost sight of the ball."

The girl looked up at me with a smile and said, "Oh, it's all good. Are you boys on a team or something?" She pointed to their basketball shirts with the team logo on them. Lucas ran over to join the conversation. "Yes, we are. Practicing for the championship game."

Jason quickly grabbed the ball and introduced himself, as well as Lucas. They both learned the girl's name was Y/N and she used to attend their high school when she lived here. Jason technically wasn't single anymore and Lucas had a complicated thing going on with Max, but you couldn't blame a guy for staring.

~~~

It's been two days since everyone was smitten by the girl in their heads. The group was meeting at the video store to wait for Steve and Robin to finish their shift before they headed to Steve's house for movie night.

When Dustin arrived, Robin and Steve seemed to be arguing.

" Steve I'm telling you, she's not interested in you. She was looking at me. " Robin huffed, to which Steve answered with an eye roll.

 "Once again, Robin, nothing about her screamed lesbian."

"People don't always look like lesbians, you dingus."

Dustin cut in—"what are you two fighting about today?" He asked as he placed his hat on the counter.

Steve stood tall, "Well, this hot babe was totally checking me out and Robin had the nerve to think she was checking her out. Which she so was not. "

Dustin's eyes lit up as he remembered the beautiful stranger he ran into. “Speaking of hot babes, I ran into this gorgeous girl at the grocery store. She smelled like a flower. " He gushed.

Steve cringed, "Dude, that's weird." Dustin rolled his eyes and huffed.

"What's weird?" Lucas asked as he walked up.

"Dustin, smelling cute girls at the grocery store." Robin answered as she flipped through a magazine .

Lucas laughed and agreed. " I saw this hot chick covered in tattoos walking her dog the other day." 

Robin began to wonder how randomly everyone was smitten by a girl. "Wait, all of us met a mysterious girl at the same time?" She asked out loud.

Everyone seemed confused about what she was asking. She rolled her eyes. "Guys, was her name Y/N?" To which everyone answered "yes" at once.

They all looked at one another.” Oh come on. Do you all like her? " Steve pouted.

"Like you had a chance, dude. I hear she's in college, too smart for you, " Dustin teased," to which Steve answered, "and too old for you." Dustin pouted at the truth in it. Lucas laughed, but it was cut off when Robin cut in,

 "And you have a girlfriend, so no for you. Which leaves me left”. Lucas rolled his eyes.

 All the guys said at the same time, "She's not a lesbian!" Robin held her arms up in surrender. " We don't know for sure." She tried to explain.

Then it all clicked in Steve's head. "Shit." He cussed. The group looked at him confused.

" She can't meet Eddie." He added to their confused stares. Dustin frowned, "Eddie's not a bad guy. Get over it."

Steve shook his head. " That's not what I meant. She is totally his type. The confidence, the tattoos, rings, leather jackets, and band tees. He'd go after her in a second. And with his looks, good hair, and dumb band, he'd so win. " Steve pouted harder as he crossed his arms.

 " Agreed. Let's plan to keep her away from Eddie Munson. "

Speak of the devil, and he will appear."Keep who away from me?" He asked as he walked up to the group.

The group went dead silent. Eddie started to get confused as everyone refused to make eye contact with him. He almost felt like he hadn't said anything out loud when Steve spoke up. "Dustin's mom. She'd freak if she met you and wouldn't let you hang with Dustin anymore."

The group quickly agreed with nodding heads. Eddie frowned, "Why, what's wrong with me?" Well, that backfired. Now Steve felt like an ass and Dustin quickly tried to save him.

 "Nothing at all. She's a very old-fashioned woman who thinks guys with long hair are no good. " Eddie nodded along, eyes questioning the group silently. He didn't believe a word that was said, but Lucas quickly turned the topic to basketball. And the weird interaction was not brought up again.

 Until the same thing happened that night as the group watched their movies. When Eddie excused himself to go to the bathroom, the group was talking in quiet whispers. Laughing, giggling, and slight arguing. He couldn't make out a word they were saying, and by the time he was close enough, they all went silent. He watched them closely. Everyone was pretending not to notice his stare and acting like the movie was the most entertaining thing they'd seen. " What's going on?" Again, silence. "Guys, seriously?" No one spoke up. Eddie was starting to feel very unwelcome in a group he thought were his friends. He was quiet the rest of the night, just as they all had been.

 The next day wasn't any better. Eddie was returning a horror film and was hoping to talk to Steve or Robin about what was going on. He spotted Robin, and she smiled at his entrance. He smiled back and handed over the movie .

Robin's smile was slapped off her face when she saw the title. It was the same exact movie Y/N rented a few days ago. She rolled her eyes. Another thing they'd have in common to talk about/

Eddie's big brown eyes didn't miss the smile vanish and eye roll. He felt his heart sting a bit in his chest. What has he done wrong? "Did I do something?" He quickly asked. Robin's head shot up with a quick smile. "Oh no nothing. I just hate this movie." and typed in the return. Her eyes were confused to see that it came up under Y/N's name. She eyed Eddie but kept quiet. The computer must have been glitching. She has not, nor has anyone seen them together. There's no way he'd met her and already had a date.

Eddie didn't quite believe Robin at all, but he let it go. As he headed to the shelves for a new film, he spotted Steve. "Hey Munson, how have you been?" Steve waved with a big smile.

Eddie eyed him suspiciously and said, " I'm fine. But what's up with you? And everyone else? You are all being weird with me."

 Steve shot the idea down and said he was just imagining things. But Eddie knew for a fact he didn't imagine Steve looking over Eddie's shoulder, a big grin lighting up his face, then back to Eddie with fear. Eddie went to question him again when Steve grabbed Eddie's hand and dragged him to another aisle.

Steve couldn't let Y/N see he was talking with Eddie. She'd come over to say hi and fall in love with the curly head next to him. So he dragged him into another aisle. "I think these movies are a better fit." He wished he had looked at the aisle first, because they were smack in the middle of the little girls' section. The racks are filled with pink princesses and unicorns. Eddie coughed awkwardly.

 "Yeah, little girl movies aren't quite my thing, Harrington." Steve laughed along, a blush on his cheeks. "You're right. Sorry about that. I thought you'd want to try something new. " And once he saw Y/N walk out the door, Steve quickly left the aisle without saying anything. Eddie felt his shoulders slump. There it was again. Leaving him in the dust without saying why.

~~~

 Eddie went to the one person who he knew couldn't lie to him, Dustin. He cornered him in the hallway, by his locker. "Alright Dustin, tell me what's up with everyone before I shove your hat up your ass." He threatened

Dustin knew it was an empty threat, but he still shook in fear. A loud fake laugh left his throat, "Eddie, nothing is going on. You're just being silly. " Dustin was sweating underneath his hat. His palms were wet and his heart raced with anxiety. He wasn't good at lying to Eddie. It was like Eddie had these eyes that could see right through you. With another look, Dustin cracked.

 “Okay, there's a new girl and she's totally hot. And everyone has a crush on her, and none of us can go after her, except Steve, which sucks. But we didn't want to tell you because you'd so be her type and we didn't want you to start dating her. Because then I'd have this crush on your girlfriend and later it would be weird when you got married and had ki-" Eddie cut off the kids' rambling with a hand to his mouth.

"Slow down. I have no idea who you are talking about, so I definitely won't be getting married next week. and seriously? You guys were so afraid of competition that you all iced me out. That's so stupid. "

Dustin nodded, "It does sound stupid when you say it out loud." Eddie let out a laugh. “I'm sorry. And I know they are too. "

 Eddie winked at the apology and said, "I'm so going to use this against Harrington."

~~~

 As Steve walked into work the next day, he was racked with anxiety. Robin could sense her friend was under great stress as he paced and stared down the door. 

"What's wrong with you now?" She asked as she picked at her nails.

"I'm going to ask her out." Her head snapped up at that. She had a huge disagreement on her tongue when Y/N walked up. A huge smile was sent to the both of them.

 Before she could say anything, Steve blurted out, "Would you go on a date with me?" 

All three of them went silent. Y/N was caught off guard by the sudden question. Robin was shocked Steve got the words out, and Steve was amazed that it came out in a real sentence.

 Before Y/N could speak up, a teasing voice came from behind her. laced with humor and mockery.

"Harrington, what are you doing asking out my girlfriend?" Eddie wrapped his arm around her shoulder with a smirk.

 Robin and Steve's jaw dropped. Their heads were filled with questions. Before they could ask, Dustin was running in, "Steve I'm sorry I spilled. I couldn't hold it an-Eddie? Y/N? " He looked at them puzzled, then his eyes grew large as he saw them cuddled close.

"EDDIE ? Y/N? " He screamed. Eddie covered his ears and Y/N laughed. She was very confused about what was going on.

"Um, what's going on?" She spoke up, from underneath her boyfriend's arm.

"Steve was asking you out on a date, honey, and you didn't answer him yet." Eddie knew he sounded like an ass, but this was just too good. Everyone was smitten with his girlfriend, and he didn't blame them. He was hooked on her the second he met her in high school.

 "I think we've got the answer, Eddie," Steve said, blushing. He spoke with a sharp tone.

"Wait, so you two are together? Since when? How do you know each other? " Robin asked, she thought Y/N was decently new to town.

"Oh Eddie, we go way back. We met in Hellfire during our sophomore year. We were best friends, then started dating in our junior year. We've been together since. " She smiled at the group. She loved talking about Eddie; it was one of her favorite things to do.

"You made a good impression, babe. You have gotten all my friends to crush on you within seconds of meeting you. " Edie smirked proudly. He finally had something in his life that everyone admired. And he was going to soak it all in.

Y/N blushed. She knew she was a pretty face, but she had no idea that everyone was so infatuated with her. "Wait baby, are these the friends that were making you upset?" She asked as she looked up into his eyes. She noticed his cheeks turning red. She embarrassed him. "Shit, sorry." She mumbled something into his neck as she shoved herself into his chest. 

He cuddled her closer, "It's fine and yes, they are. They probably didn't want us to meet because you'd fall for my good looks and guitar skills. And Stevie here didn't want the competition. " Eddie smirked towards Steve, who sent a death glare to Dustin in return.

 Y/N giggled at the explanation, "Well, for starters, Steve, you are a very handsome guy." Eddie cut her off with a pout, "Excuse me." She put her finger to his lips in return. 

“And I am flattered, but Eddie is it for me and that won't change. And for the rest of you, Eddie adores you, and I wish you hadn't singled him out because of me. I was always scared of leaving him in this town because the people are shitty. But when he'd call me and talk about his favorite kid, Dustin, some chick named Buckley, and his new hellfire boys, I was so happy he had people to take care of him. So please continue to take care of him when I'm gone. "

 The group felt even worse for leaving Eddie in the dark. Now knowing how much they meant to him, they all quickly apologized.

"Baby, that is even more embarrassing. We are leaving. " Eddie pouted as he grabbed her arm and led her to the door. She rolled her eyes and pecked his lips, which had turned into a frown. Feeling her lipstick mark on his lips caused him to smile. Eddie was never one for a quick kiss; he dove his tongue straight into her mouth without missing a beat. He heard gags from around him as he dove his hand into the back pocket of her tight jeans.

He pulled away and placed her ahead with his hand on her back as he was going to open the door. The door opened before them, and there stood Billy Hargrove. He checked Y/N up and down, and a smirk landed on his face.

Before he could even get a word out, the group and Eddie, all together, yelled "NO."

[nataliasquote]

I Know What You Are | n romanoff

Summary: The bane of Natasha’s existence had finally slipped up but when sent to eliminate her, feeling get in the way far too easily.

Warnings: blood, weapons, character death (oops), angst with no happy ending :)

wc: 5.9k (I got really carried away!)

note: this is part 2 of the ideas that were given to me by @katyaromanoffpetrova so thank you love ❤️ this was fun

-⧗-

“I’ve got your six,” a familiar voice crackled through the redhead’s earpiece. She rolled her shoulders back and adjusted her grip on her gun, eyes darting across the smoke covered landscape that loomed before her. They’d picked a good vantage point but it was far too exposed for the assassin’s liking.

Natasha turned away from the edge and nodded to Clint, who’s arrow was already strung in his bow, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Her flash of red hair was the last thing he saw before she disappeared down the dark stairwell and back out onto the street.

“How long are we going to be circling like this, Nat?” Clint asked, a little out of breath as he finally caught up to his partner. Her eyes were distant, darting between the loosened bricks of the wall they were currently hiding behind. “Are you sure she’s here?”

“She is, I can feel it.” The echoes of gunfire and explosions rattled through their skulls, although the assassins were quite deaf to it now. Clint more than Nat. They clearly weren’t the only ones disturbed by the actions of one woman and her organisation.

A particularly loud bang went off nearby and Clint winced, his hand flying up to the hearing aid in his right ear. Natasha would have sent her best friend a sympathetic look if something hadn’t caught her eye across the desolate square.

A flash of silver, glinting in the orange sunlight as golden hour descended across the war zone.

“Got her.” Natasha scrambled up from her place and raced after the dark figure, her movements as silent and deadly as the night. Frustration spurred her onwards. This woman had been the source of Shield’s stress for months, but that was all about to end.

Her target’s preferred methods rather intrigued Natasha, who was all about efficiency when it came to killing. Guns were always in her arsenal, widow bites too. Her thighs often felt empty without a full holster. But the mystery woman never touched a gun. She was a master with a blade, stabbing and slashing her enemies with a brutal grace, silently dancing across the battlefield leaving disaster in her wake.

She was a free spirit, which drove Natasha mad. No one should be allowed this amount of freedom with her track history and there was no way Natasha was going to return to Shield empty handed. Not today.

The cacophony of noise ceased suddenly and Natasha felt Clint’s presence on the rooftop to her right. The hazy air was still so Natasha stuck to the shadows, the rough brick pressing through the fabric on her suit as she skulked around a corner.

But a sharp pain struck the back of her knee and she collapsed to the ground, a grunt of pain escaping her chapped lips.

A five inch blade thrown with horrifying accuracy had lodged itself in her upper calf ,only inches away from her knee. The pain was nauseating, but Natasha barely had a chance to properly process it before two dust covered boots stepped into her eyeline. With another grunt, she looked up at the figure before her, determined not to show pain on her face.

Her icy glare was met with a mask-covered face, one she knew well. The black mask was made of hard plastic and resembled two hands that covered the wearer’s mouth and nose - basically a muzzle. But playfully glinting eyes peaked over it and it was obvious they were paired with a smirk. Gloved hands twirled a knife, almost daring Natasha to step up and attack. But the redhead had been knocked off her game by those very eyes that taunted her.

She knew them…

Too well.

She used to love them. And as those gloved hands moved to slowly lift the mask from her face, Natasha felt her heart fall into the pit of her stomach.

“Y/n?” She dared to ask, voice barely above a whisper. She got no reply, but the subtle tensing of her opponent’s muscles told her all she needed to know. Fate was laughing at her. The woman she thought had been ripped away from her when they were teenagers was now towering above her, forcing suppressed memories of the Red Room to come crashing down onto both women, leaving them breathless.

This moment of hesitation was all Clint needed to fire, but Y/n was one step ahead. She’d seen him on the roof and knew what he was waiting for, so by the time his arrow had implanted itself into the wall, she had disappeared into the smoke, leaving Natasha alone. The knife in her leg and the rubble indenting her skin did nothing to shake her from her mind, still staring into the empty space where the woman had just been.

Clint came rushing over and dropped to his knee to inspect Natasha’s wounds. He didn’t dare address how much his best friend looked like she’d seen a ghost, pale face and wide eyes and not just from blood loss.

“Cmon, we have to get out here.” He hooked his arms under hers and tried to get her to stand, but Natasha was far too spaced out too even notice what he was trying to do. But Clint’s main concern was the knife. He couldn’t pull it out lest she bled out before they made the jet, but Natasha couldn’t exactly walk far either.

He propped her up against the wall and lightly tapped her face a few times, her green eyes shooting back to his.

“Where did she go?” She asked, suddenly breathless.

“I really don’t know. But you need to get to medical, Nat. We have to let her go.”

“I knew her. Oh my god, I knew her, Clint. Why is she here?” Clint didn’t know how to answer. Part of him thought she was just rambling nonsense from the bloodloss, but a small part of him knew she was making sense. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out where they knew each other from.

“We’ll figure it out when we’re back.” His eyes widened as Natasha’s hand gravitated to the knife lodged in her calf. He reached for her hands, holding them up and away from her injury.

“Clint,” she warned, trying to pull her hands away. “Let me pull it out and we can go after her.”

Clint had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Natasha’s stubbornness was infuriating sometimes. “That’s not gonna happen. She’s gone, Nat, and you need medical attention. Fury wouldn’t be impressed if you bled out from a knife wound.”

Natasha glared at him but stopped struggling and allowed him to help her limp back to the jet. They’d parked on the rooftop of an abandoned warehouse, so the stairs were a killer. Natasha’s lip bled from how hard she was biting it to muffle her cries of pain.

But the moment she sank down into her seat, memories flooded her mind, both positive and negative, but all involving Y/n. She wasn’t fifteen years old anymore with eyes full of hope, but the same spark was still there, one Natasha had fallen in love with.

What had happened to her?

~~~

The low clunk of a heavy metal door echoed through the chamber, three pairs of footsteps following suit. A female assassin, flanked by two guards, made her way to the centre of the room, her mask resting loosely between her fingers as her eyes remained fixed on the cracks in the concrete floor. The lighting was harsh, yellow bulbs buzzing, making her eye twitch.

Hushed voices became silent as she was presented before them and Y/n knew what was about to happen. She’d lived this day a thousand times.

“Agent,” one of the men called out, his voice gruff. “Mission report.”

“There was an ambush. I could not complete the mission, Sir.” Her eyes remained at her feet but she felt the air in the room shift and the guards beside her tense up. No one failed a mission in Hydra.

A pair of boots approached her and stopped only inches away. A calloused hand firmly gripped her chin and tilted her head up to the light, fingers bruising the skin on her jaw. “We taught you not to fail,” he spat, jerking his hand to emphasise his words. Y/n didn’t flinch. “All of your training, everything we’ve done for you and this is how you repay us?”

“There was a complication.”

He jerked her jaw again, forcing her to look him in the eye. “What complication?”

“The Avengers were there. I couldn’t-”

The sound of a fist slamming on a metal table made her jump and her mask clattered to the ground. The Avengers were a sore spot, and judging by the amount of Russian curse words intermingled with the Avengers’ name in only a few sentences, that hadn’t changed in the three days she’d been gone.

The agent in front of her returned to the group and Y/n finally took a breath, readjusting her jaw after its rough treatment. Although she worked willingly for Hydra, Y/n wasn’t that bothered with keeping track of exactly who they hated each week. She just did as she was told and breathed through the punishments that followed after. Work was work, unfortunately for her, and Hydra provided food and a roof over her head. Luxuries, as far as she was concerned.

A door opened to her right and she watched from the corner of her eye as a figure slipped through, sticking to the shadowed walls on instinct. The glint of a metal arm gave her a weird sense of peace and she turned to meet his eyes, his gaze softening as he looked at her.

“Soldat,” Pierce called, finally rising from his chair after staying silent for so long. He smiled slyly at Y/n who only ignored him. “Take our prized possession to the training room and make sure she never fails again. Use whatever measures you have to.” He directed his orders at Bucky who clenched his metal fist and grabbed Y/n/s forearm, dragging her out of the room.

Neither spoke a word until they reached the training room, just as dark and cold as the rest of the facility. You’d think an organisation like Hydra would have the funds to buy some decent light bulbs. All this yellow light was on Y/n’s last nerve.

Bucky threw her down onto the mats and stood with his arms behind his back as he watched the woman try to get her breath back. He didn’t intend to wind her, but the cameras in every corner were monitored so he couldn’t go easy on her.

“Sorry,” he muttered, his hair swinging beside his face and hiding his lips from view. Y/n waved him off and climbed to her feet, bringing her fists up to her face and setting her feet in a fighting stance. The cameras had no audio, so as long as they fought and he got a good few punches in, no one would suspect anything different.

“Don’t. Just hit me.” They circled each a few times, blocking a couple of punches but nothing major until Bucky grabbed Y/n’s arm and trapped her in a headlock, squeezing just tight enough that her airways were constricted. She tapped out and regained her position before they fought again, this time with her sending a few hits to his stomach.

“I need to ask you about something,” Y/n said through gritted teeth, deflecting a series of punches. Bucky grunted, which was his way of saying ‘go ahead’. “You know when you saw Steve for the first time since… you know, how did you handle it?”

Something shifted behind his eyes at the mention of his old best friend and he sent a strong left hook towards Y/n’s jaw, metal colliding with the bone with a crack. Her head whipped to the side and she let out a cry of pain, palm coming up to cradle her cheek. Bucky just watched for a moment before pulling her in front of him and forcing her to fight. They both hated this, but Y/n’s punishment would be ten times worse if he didn’t get enough good hits in. And Y/n preferred to be bruised by him than some old guard with unbridled rage and unchecked anger issues. Not a good mix.

“Was that not the right thing to ask?” How she could joke with a cracked cheekbone and bruised ribs was beyond Bucky, but humour seemed to be her preferred coping mechanism so he let her at it.

“It’s fine.” His words were more of a grumble than anything, but Y/n was used to that. He wanted to help, but you had to read deep between the lines. “I smashed several helicopters and almost killed him.” Wasn’t quite the response Y/n was expecting, or needed, really. “But they did brainwash me so I don’t suppose that helps.”

“Well, kind of?” Bucky narrowed his eyes and ducked, avoiding a punch before sending a kick to the back of Y/n’s knees. She wobbled but stayed upright, kicking him in the ribs to buy herself a couple of seconds of breathing time.

“Why do you ask? Did you see him?” It wasn’t hope that interjected his words, but Y/n noticed a flicker of something she couldn’t place a finger on.

“No, but I saw someone who reminded me of the same thing. Someone I thought I’d lost.” Natasha’s eyes, full of recognition and aspiration filled her mind and for a moment she faltered, lost in the dizzying memory, encapsulated by a flaming halo of hair. The scar in her eyebrow, her full lips, the ash that had settled on her black tactical suit; all flooding back and hitting Y/n like a truck.

She barely realised she was on the ground until she felt Bucky pin her arms above her head. She just stared into his eyes, a crease between her brows, unable to shake Natasha from her mind. Bucky watched her for a second before slapping her across the face.

“I’m sorry. Again.” He helped her to her feet. “But if they find out you know someone on the other side, they’ll do it to you too.” She’d watched many of his brainwashing sessions and even supervised when he’d come out of cryofreeze and none of it looked the slightest bit appealing. “I don’t want that for you.” She was the only good thing about this place and for his own sanity, he couldn’t lose her too.

“They couldn’t do that to me,” she said with a cocky smirk, her eyebrows quirking upwards. “I’m too valuable. Besides, Natalia won’t forget me again and would probably go on a killing spree if that happened.” Bucky shot her a look. “You’re right. That’s more my style.”

Bucky rolled his eyes slightly, unable to smile at her words. He was supposed to be an emotionless killer - they couldn’t know he had a soft spot for her.

“Luckily for you, you won’t see her again,” he said, swiping her legs from underneath her and sending her crashing to the floor. She scowled and scrambled up, jumping to wrap her thighs around his head in an attempt to bring him down. “It’s better that way.”

“Who says I won’t?” Y/n used her momentum to swing herself around, feeling his hands grip her thighs. “I want- I have to see her again. So I will.”

Successfully flooring him with an ‘a-ha’, Y/n straddled his waist and held her forearm to his throat. But she didn’t expect him to suddenly flip them both and mirror her actions, pushing her down into the thin mats and letting the cold seep through her suit as he held her there.

“So what, you’re going to kidnap her?”

Unbothered by her compromised position, Y/n just smirked, relaxing her body as she accepted defeat. “Who said anything about kidnapping?”

~~~

“Natasha, it’s a trap.” Clint was trying to talk some sense into his best friend, who was clearly having none of it.

“You think I don’t know that?” She gave him a look and returned to fixing her belt. “I’m prepared for this, so please stop stressing.”

“Oh, well forgive me for being sceptical seeing as the last time you encountered her she threw a knife into your knee,” Clint remarked with his arms folded over his chest. Natasha just rolled her eyes and stood up, adjusting her collar.

“I’m going to be ok,” she reassured, although her words fell on deaf ears. “I know who I’m dealing with.”

Clint looked into her eyes for a moment, trying to find a hint of doubt behind her bright green irises. But he found nothing but confidence, as usual. “But, do you?”

Whether it was part of her plan, no one knew, but Natasha walked straight into the trap with her head held high. It was easy, too easy. Natasha knew it, Y/n knew it. Yet that changed nothing. The blindfold was tugged from her eyes and she blinked, trying to adjust the dim light above her. The bulb only cast a small pool of light that spread not far from her chair, plunging the rest of the room into an eerie darkness. There was no sound, no gunfire or wind howling, and no windows as far as she could see. But her assessment of her surroundings was cut short when a figure stepped into view.

A small woman, slim, but muscular and toned enough to make it known that she could take down anyone of any size. Her posture was impeccable and she balanced a small blade between her fingers as if it were a feather and not a deadly weapon. Her lips curled into a smile, but it wasn’t all that inviting or warm. The yellowy light cast shadows across her face as she observed her hostage for a few seconds.

“I thought interrogations were supposed to be your thing, Natalia.” The way her old name dripped off her tongue was like sweet honey and Natasha clenched her jaw, eyes fixed on the woman prowling in front of her. Sure, she could get out of the ties around her wrists, but something kept her there. A desire to learn more about her. “You gave up pretty easily.”

“You know damn well I didn’t give up,” she spat, glaring up at the woman who was now standing so close their legs brushed. “I came willingly.”

“Oh I know,” the woman said with a smile, tracing the sharpness of the redhead’s jaw with her knife. “You can’t resist me.” Her Russian accent was thick and had Natasha completely transfixed. The tip of the knife trailed down to her collarbones so gently. “I didn’t think it would take years though.”

“I knew where you were.” Not exactly a lie - she’d been tracking Y/n’s work for years. She just didn’t know it was Y/n behind the killing sprees and assassinations.

“You break my heart.” There was a mischievous sparkle behind her eyes and it frustrated Natasha to no end. “Guess you thought you were too good for me now, huh? All caught up in your Avengers business and no time left for me.” She pouted like a child.

Natasha looked up at the dim light above her head before answering. It was cliche really, tied to a chair in the middle of a damp room with only a single string bulb as a light source. But the woman before her was far more calculated than she ever let on, so Natasha knew it was part of some much bigger plan.

“Well I can’t exactly have a coffee with the enemy,” she said sarcastically. “The Avengers would take you in if you stopped murdering people for no reason.”

“Ha!” She spat out, turning back around to face Natasha, her knife spinning casually between her fingers. “Avengers. What a pathetic excuse for an organisation. You think they mean well, and that’s just adorable really.”

“They’re not pathetic.” If there was one thing Natasha was protective about, it was her family. “Take a look at who you work for, you’ll find some pretty pathetic business going on there.”

Y/n’s eyes darkened. “Hydra is not stupid. At least our scientists actually do something useful instead of pottering about building metal suits.” A jab at Tony Stark. Classy.

“Yeah sure, if you call illegal human experimentation ‘useful’.”

Y/n let out a soft laugh. “Don’t get all big and bossy with me,” she replied, watching as Natasha’s stony expression cracked slightly. “The twins signed themselves up, I did nothing.”

“You lured them in.”

“What can I say, I’m irresistible.” She winked at Natasha and disappeared into the shadows, leaving a very disgruntled redhead alone.

To say she was the most annoying person Natasha had ever met was a severe understatement. That woman got under her skin and just festered there, and no amount of focus would ever make her go away.

Whether she was knocked out or drugged, Natasha didn’t know, but when she next woke the room was a lot brighter and her hands were no longer tied behind her back. Y/n sat opposite her, the same blade laying flat in her palm.

“Took you long enough.” This wasn’t the same place as before and Natasha reached for her belt, wanting to feel protected. “Don’t. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“That’s reassuring, considering you kidnapped me.”

Y/n finally looked up and scoffed, pushing her chair back so it scraped harshly across the wooden floorboards. “I did not kidnap you. We went over this Natalia. You came willingly.”

“And then you tied me up.” Natasha gestured to her wrists, now free of course.

“What can I say, I’m into that kind of thing.”

Natasha sighed. This was her chance. She wasn’t restrained, Y/n seemed relaxed and no one else was around. She could save a lot of lives, and her own ass by killing Y/n now. But somehow she couldn’t shake the memory of all the stolen kisses and touches they’d shared within the icy confines of the Red Room. How that young girl had been through so much and yet still felt so familiar sitting in the chair opposite.

“Y/n,” she started, switching her approach completely. “What happened to you?” The woman looked up, eyes dark, scanning across every inch of the redhead’s face.

“Why would you care anyway?” Her witty sarcasm was gone, replaced by a steel wall behind her eyes that fully blocked Natasha out. The redhead plagued her mind and tugged at the knot in her stomach, but she refused to let it win.

“You were there, and then you left. And I never knew why.”

“No. I didn��t leave. You did, Natalia.” Her tone was accusatory as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “You left me alone in that place and you let them take me.”

“I didn’t leave you. They told me you got out, escaped, so I asked to go on more missions. I couldn’t bear it there without you.” Natasha’s voice dropped on the last few words, almost scared to admit her feelings out loud. How could she? The woman she swore to love for the rest of her life had broken her heart to the point where she had never loved anyone since.

“And you believed what they told you?” Natasha said nothing. “Somehow you manage to escape and you don’t come looking for me. We had a promise, Natalia. No matter what, we’d find each other. What happened to that?” Y/n was no longer a deadly Hydra agent gripping the handle of her knife like she was ready to send it flying into a target. No. She was a little girl again, holding onto promises as the last sign of hope in her life. Holding onto Natasha’s pinky finger with her own like their lives depended on it.

Noticing that Natasha didn’t want to break the silence, she continued. “Do you know how hard it is to find work with our skill set? For the ‘good guys’, I mean. You got lucky.” There was a hint of resentment in her words and it hit Natasha in the stomach. “When you tell people you’re an assassin for hire, they usually want to throw you into a penitentiary or shoot you dead right there and then. I had no choice.”

“If you knew where I was, then why didn’t you come and find me?”

Y/n hesitated for a moment. “You didn’t need me ruining what you’ve already got here.” This amount of vulnerability made Y/n’s skin crawl, but all her usual standards seemed to fly out of the window when Natasha was around. It had done ever since they were barely teenagers, soft lips pressed against each other in the gentlest of kisses. The fear of getting caught was worthless when compared to the comfort they had found within each other. “Besides, if I went after an Avenger, we’d both be dead.”

“They gave me a second chance, they would give you one too. You just have to prove it.” Natasha rose from her seat and joined the other woman who had moved to look out of the water-damaged window. “I can see how much you hate it, Y/n.”

“Hate what?”

“Working for Hydra. I can see it.”

Her grip tightened around her knife and Natasha took a step back. “No, they gave me everything.” But her words weren’t as convincing as she intended them to be, her lack of will to live and keep fighting catching up with her. “I owe them everything.”

“But Shield can give you more. You deserve to have something good.” Natasha squared her shoulders and reached out to place a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “No more pain, no more manipulation. You get to call the shots, make your own decisions.” Y/n wasn’t convinced. “We’d get a second chance too.” Her nose scrunched slightly, unable to gauge how Y/n would respond to her last words.

Y/n looked down at her hands, avoiding Natasha’s gaze and trying not to focus on how comforting her touch felt. She stared at the blood that had dried under her fingernails. It never seemed to fade, no matter how hard she scrubbed. She wanted so desperately to run, leave her problems behind like she’d always done. But part of her clung onto the prospect of a second chance with Natalia - she’d craved her warmth for over a decade.

Natasha saw the conflict flicker behind the woman’s eyes, a stark contrast to the sarcastic and confident front she’d put on only hours before. She was exhausted, anyone could see that and Natasha knew all too well what it was like to want to stop running. To stop fighting for other people and start fighting for yourself.

“Why are you doing this? I thought you came here to kill me?” Y/n’s eyes turned icy and she pulled her body away from Natasha, distancing herself once again. But the emotion in her voice couldn’t be masked, and it made Natasha’s expression soften.

“I made a different call.”

Y/n bit her lip, the knife between her fingers spinning rapidly but controlled. “I don’t deserve this second chance, Natalia. Just do what you came to do, earn yourself some more brownie points for the boss.” Her jaw clenched and Natasha pulled her gun from the holster. But instead of firing it, she simply slid it along the dusty floorboards, along with her belt full of weapons. Y/n scoffed at her actions, holding her knife as firmly as she could, but the tremble in her fingers gave her away. She didn’t mean this. Any of it.

“Well that was stupid.”

But her movements were suddenly halted. The door to Natasha’s left crashed down and three figures burst in, firing shots at Y/n before Natasha had a chance to protest. They’d seen the knife and reacted, ignoring the way Natasha yelled at them. The women threw themselves down onto the ground, Natasha shielding Y/n’s body with her own.

“Stand down!” She yelled, holding Y/n against the floor whilst turning over her shoulder. Steve, Clint and Sam stood in the doorway, weapons aimed and pointing at the assassins on the floor. “I didn’t signal anything!”

“You’d been gone for hours Nat, we had no choice. Fury gave the order.” Natasha ignored Clint’s words as Y/n groaned beneath her. Their weapons were still aimed at the Hydra agent despite Natasha’s glare.

The redhead slowly removed her hands and went to help Y/n sit up, but then she noticed the blood. It was visible even through her dark suit and Y/n gingerly pressed her hand to her stomach before pulling it away with a frown.

“I don’t know if we’ll get that second chance, Natalia,” she whispered, looking up at terrified green eyes. “You’ll have to do it on your own.”

“No, don’t say that.” Natasha replaced Y/n’s hands and began to press down on the wound, muttering her apologies as Y/n whined in pain. “You’re going to be ok.”

‘I want to be good, Natalia. I really wanted to be good.” Her words were strained as blood continued to pour from her wounds, coating Natasha’s hands instantly.

“I know, Y/n, I know. You will be, just stay with me please.” She pressed down harder, tears blurring her vision as she felt blood pooling beneath her palms. No one was listening to her cries for help- why weren’t they listening?

Y/n weakly grabbed Natasha’s wrist and pulled her hands off her wound, shaking her head at Natasha’s protests. She could taste metal on her tongue and the redhead’s face faded in and out of focus as she tried to shakily cup her cheek.

“Natalia-”

“No!” Natasha’s lip trembled and she shook her head frantically, pulling her hand away from Y/n/s grip. “You’re not leaving me now, I swear to god. You can be good, I know you can.” Y/n smiled weakly, barely conscious now as blood trickled from her lips. “Please, I just got you back! I can’t lose you again.”

“You won’t lose me, I’ll always be here.” Her nose scrunched up at how cheesy it sounded as she reached her hand up to point to Natasha’s chest. “Right here.”

“No, no, no. Don’t talk like that! You’re not giving up on me, Y/n. Pain only makes you stronger, come on!” She was just spewing words now, her sentences all jumbled and barely making sense as she pressed down on the wound. Y/n smiled up at her and tried to squeeze her thigh where her hand rested. But the energy in her body was fading fast and she could do nothing but look Natasha in the eyes in her final moments, wanting to memorise that specific colour one last time.

When her hand slipped to the floor with a thud, Natasha’s heart stopped. An eerie silence fell across the room, the feeling of death weighted like a blanket. The redhead didn’t make a sound, her sobs silent despite the tears trickling down her flushed cheeks. A stark contrast to her pale skin.

“No,” she shakily whispered, pushing Y/n’s hair back out of her face with a bloodied hand. “I’m sorry.” She cupped her bruised cheek and brushed her thumb over it, finally feeling her skin under her hand for the first time in years. It wasn’t as soft as she remembered, years worth of scars destroying the surface, but it was still perfect to her all the same.

Tears mixed with the blood and created a watery mixture that dripped down off Y/n’s chin and into the collar of her suit. Natasha dropped her head to rest on the other woman’s chest, hands moving to grip her shoulders tightly as though she might disappear. The redhead kept muttering apologies, wanting to make up for all the time they’d lost, even if it was fruitless.

The three men in the doorway shifted uncomfortably, the scene before them an unexpected one. “Natasha-“ Clint began, taking a step towards the redhead.

“What did you do?” Her voice was dangerously low and she slowly turned around, Y/n’s hand now clasped in hers. “Look what you did!”

Sam and Steve hung their heads, not wanting to see anymore of the dead woman across the room. Clint was just focused on his distraught best friend, who’s hands now matched the colour of her hair.

“Nat, we need to go-“

“Then go,” she spat. “I’m not leaving her.”

Clint let out a sigh and slung his bow over his shoulder. He gestured to Steve to help, who looked rather uncomfortable but followed anyway. “Well bring her with us-“

“What, so you can parade her in front of Fury and show off? Yes, well done, target eliminated! You don’t touch her!” Natasha was clawing and kicking as Steve pulled her to her feet. She held onto Y/n’s hand for as long as possible before Clint gently tugged it free, triggering an outburst from Natasha.

She was a mess of limbs, uncharacteristically uncoordinated as she struggled against Steve’s body as he guided her out of the room, practically carrying her as she refused to walk. The whole time she screamed out for Y/n, her voice growing more hoarse by the second. She took no interest in her surroundings, the dimly lit stairwell not even registering in her mind. All her spy training had completely vanished.

She was placed onto one of the benches in the jet and she watched, a shaking mess, as Clint placed Y/n’s limp body on the floor opposite, blood no longer pouring from her stomach. Natasha stayed frozen in her seat, knees pulled up to her chest as a defence mechanism. She didn’t care that there was blood on her hands, nor that it transferred onto her cheek when she wiped her nose. No, she didn’t care about anything except the woman lying in front of her.

The lifeless woman.

She wanted to scream but it was as if all the emotions had drained out of her body like a flood. She was numb, just staring with empty eyes, the light behind them barely flickering now. Clint shot worried glances in her direction once the jet was in the sky, and Steve and Sam stayed well away, not wanting to fall under the wrath of an extremely angry and emotional Natasha.

Not that she cared what the others did. She just wanted the one thing she couldn’t have. Fate had shown her time and time again that it was not on her side, but this truly was her final straw. There was no fixing this.

They had found and lost each other within the space of a months. But this time there were no second chances. It was set in stone, just like Y/n’s name would be for the rest of time.

Maybe, in another lifetime, they would finally meet again.

Maybe, in another universe, Natasha Romanoff could truly be happy.

[somber-sapphic]

No Rest For The Foolhardy

You manage to hide your sickness for days, but of course it's hard to hide how you feel from a Sokovian Witch. (wanda x reader)

Word Count: 2114

DAY 1- It Begins

“Y/n, we’re going to be late!” Wanda called, poking her head into the bathroom where you were painstakingly trying to apply your makeup without getting eyeliner all over your face. It was hard to do with violently shaking hands in blurred vision. 

You looked over at the brunette, a smile forming on your badly chapped lips. Even when you were feeling like absolute crap, it was impossible to deny just how beautiful she was. You fell more and more in love with her every day. 

“You okay? You look a little rough there babe.” She frowned, taking a slow step into the bathroom. A spike of fear ran through your body and you slammed the eyeliner down, making your smile even bigger.

“I’m fine, I just didn’t sleep very well.” You reassured, walking over to press a little kiss against her forehead. She looked like she’d been expecting a kiss on the lips, but you didn’t dare risk that. You didn’t want her to get whatever nasty virus had crawled into your body and taken up residence in your respiratory system. 

“Are you sure? Your cheeks are flushed, are you getting a bug?” Wanda pressed, her eyes boring into your soul as she tried to tell if you were lying. If she really wanted to she could’ve used her powers, but before the two of you even started dating she’d promised that she would never do that. 

“Don’t worry about me love, we’ve got a meeting to get to.”

DAY 2- A Losing Battle

Why couldn't the city be attacked at a normal hour? 3 am was far too early to be getting out of your nice cozy bed to put on an uncomfortable uniform and race out of the tower to fight some sort of goop throwing alien. It didn’t speak any English, or any language that any of them knew so there wasn’t any reasoning. Just fighting. 

Your body was sluggish as you threw your poison coated knives, only about half connecting with their target. Missing so much was embarrassing, especially when you were aiming for something so big. Wanda kept giving you looks but you were too busy focusing on not passing out to respond over the comms. 

“Y/n, what the hell are you doing? You’re trying to hit it, not me!” Natasha’s voice crackled over the comms, sounding equally frustrated and worried. They were all worried about you, it wasn’t just your girlfriend who had noticed your odd behavior. 

You didn’t respond, just unleashed another knife, this time hitting the thing square in the eye. Impressive for a person with a fever and a cough that rattled your lungs every few seconds and made you gag with the force. 

The battle only lasted about three hours, but when you all went back for debriefing your legs felt like jello and you were pretty sure that you could fall asleep standing up. You collapsed into a chair and put your head on your fist, blinking over at Tony as he yelled about something you had done wrong. It was obvious that you didn’t do very well today, but the thing was dead and no one had gotten hurt. 

“Tony, give me a break. It’s over.” You grumbled. Your head was pounding and his frustrated yelling and stomping around the room was only making it worse. Wanda reached over and rubbed your knee, assuming that you just had a migraine. You’d taken enough medicine to deal with the fever and congestion for a few more hours, so really it just looked like a bad headache. 

“You nearly killed Romanoff!” He snapped back, glaring at you with piercing eyes. 

“Almost being the key word. Lay off Y/n Stark, she looks exhausted.” Natasha replied, coming to your defense. You raised your eyebrows, slightly surprised. It wasn’t that you and Natasha didn’t get along, she was Wanda’s best friend after all, but there had been issues between you from the start. You two often butted heads. 

“Really? Whatever, I’m going to the lab. You’re all dismissed. Take a nap Y/n, you clearly need it.” That last backhanded insult nearly made you cry. You were angry with yourself for being so awful during the fight and you just didn’t feel well. 

Natasha leaned across the table and took one of your hands in her calloused one, squeezing it gently. 

“Don’t pay attention to him kiddo. He’s cranky because he didn’t kill the thing.” That nickname had sparked one of your first fights. You were only a year younger than Wanda who had been called ‘little witch’ since her arrival but that didn’t bother her considering that she was only a teenager when she’d joined the Avengers. 

“Thanks Tasha…” You mumbled, a little embarrassed by her attention. Wanda chuckled softly, inwardly pleased by the bond growing between you two. Her best friend and her girlfriend, finally getting along. 

“Come on my dear, I know you’ve been wanting to watch that new horror movie.” Wanda smiled, pulling you up out of your seat. A wave of stars danced in your vision but you brushed it off, blinking rapidly to clear them from your vision. A horror movie might actually make you feel better.

DAY 3- Game Night

Game night with movies. A simple, fun night for team bonding and a chance to relax with friends. They all enjoyed it, happy that they could forget about their dangerous jobs and act like normal people. 

“Y/n! Twos, do you have any twos!?” Clint demanded, leaning forward as if to interrogate you. Right, Go-Fish. You were supposed to be playing Go-Fish. Of course, it wasn’t normal Go-Fish. There was alcohol involved. Whenever someone was sent fishing they had to take a shot. You were pretty sure if you drank any you’d lose all of the weak control you had over your illness. 

You silently handed over the two that you had been cradling against your chest, clutched close to your aching lungs. The bird man let out a whoop and slapped his final four cards onto the floor, all twos.

“It’s Go-Fish dude, you didn’t win the olympics.” Rhody grumbled, pouting slightly. You cracked a little smile while Natasha smirked and Wanda chuckled. They all got so worked up over these stupid games, it was typically wildly entertaining for everyone. 

You leaned back against the couch, nestling your head against Wanda’s shoulder. Cuddled close against her you were having even more trouble staying awake, but everything changed when a harsh coughing fit wracked your admittedly weak body. 

“Are you okay sweetheart?” The brunette asked gently, sitting you up in her lap to ease your coughing. She rubbed your back as the fit subsided, her expression contorted in pure concern. Her beautiful caramel eyes were full of love, the laugh lines evident even through her worry. 

“I’m fine. Inhaled a bug I think.” You grimaced, sticking out your tongue in mock disgust. Her face pulled into one of disbelief and then she laughed, leaning over to kiss you. You cut the kiss short, turning your head to the side so her lips brushed your cheek. 

“That's some shit luck Y/n. Who wants to play Monopoly? I’m going to destroy you.” Natasha challenged, a wicked grin spreading across her face. 

True to her word, the assassin beat them all in a half hour, much to everyone's joy. She was the only one who actually liked the damn game and she only enjoyed it because she always won. She was a brutal opponent. 

“I’m done playing. Watching you guys lose is more fun than playing.” You smiled, cuddling back against your girlfriend. She wrapped her in your arms and kissed your hair, cradling you close while you drifted to sleep. 

DAY 4- And So It Ends

Baking. Why did she want to make cookies? You weren’t sure, but you obliged her. She had woken you up all excited about the new recipe she found, nearly bouncing up and down in utter joy. You didn’t have the heart to tell her that your body was on fire and your bones ached. You didn’t have the heart to admit to the cotton stuffed in your head as your illness took full effect. You were miserable. But she was happy. That's all that mattered.

“Baby, I need the sprinkles. Can you grab them?” She asked, stirring the dough with a quizzical eye. She was an excellent baker, always taking extra time to make sure that everything was done correctly. 

“Sprinkles? In the cookies?” You asked skeptically, frowning at her. It seemed to you that the colors would just bleed into the dough, leaving the two of you wish brownish, gross tasting cookies. The brunette looked back at you, her eyes glittering with amusement. 

“Yes dear, sprinkles. Do you dare question the wisdom of the recipe?” She joked, smiling at you. You shrugged, and stared at the cabinet, far too high above you to reach without climbing on something. 

You sighed and managed to drag a chair over, your whole body ready to give in to utter exhaustion. You knew you’d made a mistake when you took your first step onto the chair. With a shaky breath, you hoisted yourself up, wishing that Wanda had given you a lecture of the danger of climbing on chairs. 

Blood rushed to your head and you grabbed onto the cabinet doors, hoping to stabilize yourself. If you could just regain your balance it would all be fine. You would be fine. 

You repeated that mantra as your vision blurred and you felt yourself falling backwards, stars taking over your vision. As you tumbled to the floor you could hear Wanda yelling your name and felt the warm tingle of her magic envelope you. Sure that you couldn’t crack your head open on the floor, you let yourself succumb to the darkness. 

DAY 4- Part 2

When you came to you were laying in your large, soft bed, something cool and damp resting on your forehead. You whined softly and tried to sit up, a wave of panic racing through you. You were supposed to be baking cookies with Wanda, not sleeping. 

Arms wrapped around you and you found yourself pinned against the woman’s chest, listening to her rapid heartbeat. Wanda kissed your hair and rubbed your back, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. The two of you stayed like that for what felt like forever, you confused, but comfortable in your girlfriend's arms. 

“You scared the shit out of me!” She finally said, cupping your cheeks in incredibly soft hands. Her hair which had been so expertly done was sticking out of its intricate braid in pieces. She was wearing PJ’s now and her face had been wiped clean of makeup. Nevertheless, she was still beautiful.

“Why didn't you tell me you were sick?” She demanded, pulling back to cross her arms over her chest. The look on her face was angry. She was angry with you. You’d done everything you possibly could to make her happy, but you failed her. 

Tears filled your eyes and you felt your lower lip begin to tremble as you began to cry, unable to stop the cascade of your emotions. With the stress of hiding your sickness for the last few days and just how horrible you felt, you couldn’t handle her being mad at you. 

“Oh Y/n, sweetie, it’s alright. I’m sorry, you just scared me, that's all. You passed out and your fever was 105, Bruce had you on IV fluids for an hour. Honey, you can't do that, you need to take care of yourself, I need you to take care of yourself.” She soothed, wiping the tears off of your cheeks. 

You tried to stop crying, but you just couldn’t. The dam had broken and there wouldn’t be any fixing it. 

“My sweetheart, it’s all going to be okay.” Wanda murmured, crawling into bed with you. She wrapped her arms around your waist and you tucked your head against her chest, sobbing quietly into her shirt. 

“It’s all going to be okay. Just close your eyes baby, I’m not mad. It’s okay.” She promised, holding you close as you cried out all of your misery. Your throat hurt from all of the tears and you were sure that you’d gotten snot on her shirt, but she didn’t care. She didn’t pull away, just held you and ran her fingers through your hair while your sobs turned to ragged breaths, which in turn changed to soft, even, sleepy snores. 

“Sleep well my love. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

[necroromantics]

🌙 — The Moon; Tali Marks

the girl who died every night and awoke the next morning. always dying, never escaping.

- tali marks was born in the belly of the beast. her dark evergreen eyes were smokey with the ash of all the bridges she burnt. lips red with blood from biting her tongue.

- looking at her was like looking at an open wound, or an 6ft hole in the ground. half girl, half killer.

- she drank rye whiskey and always had a cigarette perched in between her fingers, knuckles bruised, dirt under her nails from digging her own grave.

- two-faced, like a crescent moon. the dark, the light. the saint, the sinner. the madonna, the whore.

- the bitch, the daughter, the ticking time bomb.

- tali wasn't easy on the eyes. her disarrayed hair, choppy and tangled. her smudged eyeliner, unwashed from the night before. her freckled shoulders always tense.

- the girl wasn't just rough around the edges, she cut like a kitchen knife, the serated kind that tore apart bread and flesh alike.

- she used to be kinder, easier. but it didn't last long. she learned quickly that there was predator, and there was prey. she learned quickly that being consumable only meant she'd be eaten whole.

- there wasn't a thing in the world tali trusted enough to lean into, nothing she trusted more than herself. the girl lived her life on her feet. running away, always fighting to run away. she was always on her own. and she liked it that way.

- people have tried to love her. they tried to ignore her morbidity, selfishness, rude sarcasm. her bluntness and brutal honesty. but the boys at her school thought she was weird, inconvenient, and the girls hated her. they called her a whore, trailer trash, a freak.

- and if she wasn't fighting girls behind the school for looking at her wrong, she was sitting under the bleachers with earbuds in, smoke in her lungs.

- a grotesque girl. dead, with nothing to lose. reckless, with nothing to hold her down.

- like the moon, that girl was stuck going through the same cycle again and again, surrounded by darkness. untouchable, alone. divine torment.

^ art and oc made by my girlfriend ( @clockeyedtoy ). i just do the writing.

[minniepetals]

cry me a river | the broken

— summary: once someone's been taught to stay quiet their whole life, how do they learn to scream and shout for help?

— pairing: bts x reader

— genre: angst, mafia!au

— word count: 11.1k

— warnings: implied sexual harassment/abuse, implied forceful age-gap relationship, mentions of predatory acts/character, mentions of memory suppression, resurfacing of suppressed memories, implied forced submission, gaslighting, manipulation, mentions of breaking, mentions of toxic family relations, toxic power dynamics, suppressed emotions, brief mention of miscarriage, violence, slight gore

— PART 13 / previous post / masterpost

“Will you help me with the zipper?”

The light-colored champagne dress you wear fits you beautifully, just as everything does, yet tonight you seem to look a bit more elegant and dignified, the lighter color creating a more pure and soft look as compared to the darker dresses he’s gotten used to seeing you wear. This is part of the play. After all, in order to seem innocent before Hwang Leehyun, you have to look the part.

As he helps you with the zipper, Taehyung doesn’t know how to feel about you dressing up for a man like Leehyun.

You give him a small thanks before turning to the vanity mirror and taking a seat in order to fix your hair and makeup. The first thing you do is brush through your hair while Taehyung stands on the sideline, watching you. You bring a fancy hairpin along your hair, holding it up into a low bun, then turn towards the makeup kit to begin patting your face down.

The beauty comes along and when you reach a certain step, you frown slightly at the eyeliner in your hand.

You’ve always had Dasom handle your makeup and playing with eyeliner is something you have yet to get used to. But she did always mention using a sharp-lined corner as a guideline to help you through in case she wouldn’t be around to help you.

You look around before putting a leg up against the vanity, rolling your dress up to take the knife you had hidden against your thigh, and Taehyung watches with slight confusion as you line the edge of the knife along your eye.

He meets your eyes in the reflection of the mirror when you use the knife as a guide to create your wings, your gaze intense with a fire he has yet to get used to.

He’s first to rip away from the contact, feeling rather flustered at how..hot that was.

Respectfully.

“Shall we get going?” When you stand up and hold your hand out for him a few minutes later, Taehyung has to take a moment to take your appearance in. No matter how much time has passed, your beauty will always shine bright, but in the past months he’s met you again after a couple of passing years, you only seem to shine even brighter.

“Don’t get too carried away now,” you say and he realizes he got caught staring.

Taehyung clears his throat as he takes your hand and leads you to the door, not entirely fond of the fact that this is all for the sake of a sick bastard.

.

.

.

“As expected you are…” the second Leehyun sees you, he can’t help but fall into a slight daze, “..beautiful.” He speaks with a sighing breath as if he can’t believe what he’s seeing before him, and Taehyung’s stance straightens at those words, his eyes hardening at Leehyun.

Perhaps this is why you didn’t allow your Reapers in on this mission. Would they be able to hold themselves back for their boss? Even he’s having a hard time restraining himself.

Leehyun reaches out to lightly brush a strand of hair to the side and when he leans into you, you can feel Taehyung’s hold of your hand tightening. “I can’t wait to become a family,” he whispers, and perhaps to others, he truly adores his future daughter-in-law in an innocent way but to you and Taehyung, those words only bring chills down your spines.

“Father, Y/N.” Hyunjin steps in to the rescue, allowing his father to back away at the call of your names. “The guests have all arrived, we should get going.”

“Right.” He seems a bit disappointed at the moment ripped away from him but the three of you do not care for it as you turn to stand by Hyunjin’s side.

Taehyung takes a second to look at Hyunjin, who gives him silent words of reassurance, before he takes his leave from the potential newly made family. He walks away to join the room full of guests, blending into the crowd with cautious eyes staring at his surrounding.

“I don’t think you would have been able to hold yourself back if you were in my position,” he says the instant Jimin pulls up to his side, offering him a glass of champagne.

“Well,” Jimin hums, “it was bad enough just listening in on the conversations, I can only imagine.”

“He’ll die soon enough,” Yoongi speaks up with eyes staring straight towards the fancy door that hides the three of you from the eyes of the guests.

Soon enough they open with the sight of Hwang Leehyun with a proud grin on his face, the one that hides his sinister self, hidden from the public to see. And hidden from the eyes of Leehyun and his men are the men of Bangtan blended in with the crowd, watching with steady eyes as he opens his mouth with a prepared speech at hand.

“I thank you for coming here on short notice..” he begins and his voice trails off for Hoseok as he walks about discreetly, watching the room to see if anything is amiss.

There are two guards by the entrance door, three men upstairs keeping an eye on the room, and a few more in the room, dressed in black suits with earpieces connecting them to one another for communication purposes.

If anything happens, you’re the last person they’ll think to harm, especially with Hyunjin and Leehyun by your side so he doesn’t need to worry about your safety for the beginning portion of all of this.

You’ll be alright…for now.

“I ask that you protect her well,” Mingyu’s voice echoes in his head. “Whatever you do, do not stop her, however…save her…if it so gets to that point.”

In the beginning, he couldn’t understand what those words meant. They lied heavy with great responsibility and although Hoseok knew he would have obliged them without Mingyu having to say it, now that he understands the context of things, it only makes him sick to the stomach.

The things you went through when you left them can only be left to their imaginations and for your sake, Hoseok hopes you can keep strong.

He saw how much you’ve changed, the strength in you different from how it was during the three years he got to know and love you. You have a sort of strength that seems almost impossible to break, your thoughts and mind plagued with only the desire to seek revenge for those that have wronged you.

But even the strongest villains in the world can break down and fall apart.

What if something goes wrong down this line? What would happen then?

“Please welcome my future daughter-in-law,” he hears Leehyun say, and you come into sight, a dignified beauty beyond compare.

You’re beautiful, glowing brightly under the chandelier lights, and he knows that everyone else in the room is thinking the very same thoughts. When you grace them with a smile, you only shine brighter, and before they can approach you with congratulations and introduce themselves, they have to take a moment of breath to take your beauty in.

You’re beautiful.

Hoseok looks around the room to find Namjoon who stands from afar, his stare blank. To anyone, he looks as if he holds no emotions on his face, but Hoseok knows better than that.

He’s mesmerized yet at the same time, worried.

They all share the same thought, he realizes, when he finds the rest of them.

Leehyun will die tonight but what price would you have to pay in order to reach that goal?

Will you be alright?

“How long until the wedding? Will you hold a formal party or will there only be a private signing of papers?” When the question is asked, you take a glance at Hyunjin, who chuckles lightly in response.

“Our Y/N here is shyer than she seems so for her sake, we’ll keep the process private and quick.”

“And besides, the quicker the process, the faster we get to be family.” You don’t know why Leehyun agrees to Hyunjin so quickly but when he lands a hand on your shoulder, you can only think about how uncomfortable you’re feeling.

The guest at hand laughs with ignorance. “You’re lucky such a beauty will become a member of your family.”

“Yes, indeed I am.”

You discreetly glance over at Hyunjin when his father squeezes your shoulder as he continues speaking to the guest as if you were the one he was presenting as his potential wife.

It’s irritating.

Disgusting.

Hyunjin reaches over to take you back when someone calls for his attention.

“May I have a moment with you?” They ask, and Hyunjin hesitates with a glance your way, enticing a chuckle out of the guest. “Come on now, Hyunjin, I know you’re eager to marry such a beauty but you’ll get her the rest of your life so let me steal you for a moment, yeah?”

You give Hyunjin a small nod to let him know that it was alright to leave your side, and although he continues his debate in his head, he’s eventually dragged off away and out of sight from you, leaving you to converse with more guests with Leehyun by your side.

“Are you tired?” After a few more minutes, he asks you the question which causes you to look up with a small huh. Leehyun grins your way, an innocent smile, but you know better than that. “You don’t do too well with crowds, do you? I think you should take a break. Here, let me get you out of here.”

He takes your hand without hesitating another beat and your heart quickens slightly as he begins dragging you off.

You feel eyes on you, alerted, but you signal Taehyung with a shake of your head, letting him know that he shouldn’t follow you.

If you’re going to do this properly, you can’t expose your weakness just yet.

He can’t stop you. None of them can.

And so you’re led to a door with a guard just outside, opening it for you, and Taehyung watches as the door closes with you and Leehyun on the other side, left alone together.

He bites his inner lip, anxious.

.

.

.

“Water?” Leehyun offers but you shake your head politely, remaining stood by the door as he walks further in to take a seat on one of the fancy comfortable chairs in the room. “Is it draining?” He asks after taking a sip of his drink. “I know you aren’t someone who likes staying in the presence of a crowd much, especially when you’re at the center of attention.”

Why is he speaking to you so casually? As if nothing about him is wrong?

No, this is how it’s always been, hasn’t it?

“I can endure it,” you answer him and he chuckles lowly in response.

“That’s right. You’ve always been so good at enduring things.” Your finger twitches at those words so you keep them hidden behind you, keeping the beat of your heart steady. “When this is all over, we’ll finally be a family, just the way I hoped many years ago.”

Many years ago.

Those years…you never want to remember anything from it.

“You can’t leave me now, Y/N,” he says and you keep silent. “Hyunjin seems to have taken a liking to you and he’s a bit more observant than he was then but he doesn’t have to know. Everything can still be kept a secret between the two of us.”

Secret.

You never did try to conceal anything. Back then you didn’t care whether you were hurt or not. All you knew was surviving and if that meant letting others hurt you, you did what you had to do. Hyunjin was the one who found out on his own and in turn, as a sincere apology for his ignorance, he left the country and took his father along with him.

He was and has always been a sincere man, unlike his father. Even though you knew he cared for you in some ways, he never did anything to force you to do things for him. He could have done anything and everything with you if he so wanted but he didn’t because unlike everyone else around you, he was human.

He had morals he abided by and always treated the people around him with respect.

If you had spoken up about your struggles then, perhaps you would have gotten hurt less.

“Have you taken a liking to Hyunjin as well?” Leehyun tsks lightly as he stands from his seat, walking slowly over to you with a small shake of his head as if liking your soon-to-be fiancé isn’t ideal. “That’s kind of a shame. You’ve always been a good little girl, haven’t you? You’ll listen to me still, won’t you, pretty girl?”

You stare at the ground, hating every bit of this, every little nickname he gives you, that glint in his eyes, everything.

“Eyes on me when I’m talking to you,” Leehyun commands in a tone that threatens to resurface your buried memories. He holds your chin up to force your eyes to meet his. “You’re not thinking about telling Hyunjin everything, are you?”

Your brows furrow.

“He’d never believe you, you know. Why would he? I could just tell him you came onto me.”

“What?”

“Hyunjin’s my son. Why would he believe you over me?” 

He doesn't understand anything, does he? Years ago he threatened you like this as well, though years ago it didn’t matter much because you didn’t care to tell anyone about anything. You were already far gone, not able to trust strangers.

Hyunjin could have saved you sooner than he did but you kept quiet.

Once someone’s been taught to stay quiet their whole life, how do they learn to scream and shout for help?

Hyunjin came to earn your trust when he proved his good heart by leaving the country for you, but even then you remember being in a state in which nothing mattered. Whether you were hurt or not, you couldn’t care about anything but pleasing your father and becoming stronger than you were then.

You endured through everything with a blank heart, mind falling into a state you aren’t be able to recall memories from. You remained quiet for the longest time.

Still, his tone threatens to shake your core. You can feel something building up inside of you, something not so good. It’s as if all the weights you thought had disappeared are all coming back up at the same time.

Father’s face reappears in your mind, his threatening gaze so dark and cold whenever he looks your way. All you ever were to him was a puppet in the making. He wanted you to grow up loyal and obedient only to him, to become strong and powerful, and if gaining strength meant enduring through all the things others did to you, he didn’t care to bat an eye your way, even as you were thrown to the wolves.

No.

He threw you to the wolves.

So of course he never cared what the wolves did to you in return. All he cared about was you returning to his side, whether that meant alive or not. He didn’t care for your survival, for your life or death.

If you came back with strength, that just meant feeding you to more wolves until you grew strong enough on your own.

Until you returned to bite the hand that fed you.

It’s a wonder he never saw your betrayal coming.

“We should return,” you say against the silence that befalls the room, making up an excuse. “If we stay here for any longer, the guests will wonder where we’ve gone.”

You turn to put a hand on the doorknob when Leehyun’s hand takes over yours. You restrain yourself well to not flinch at his touch, only retracing your hand back silently. He watches you while your eyes remain still before you, and when he opens the door, Leehyun holds your shoulder once again.

You hate every bit of this.

“Mr. Hwang.” Not even two strides out the door and someone approaches him.

You recognize the voice and when you look up, it’s indeed Namjoon who had decided to walk up to the two of you with Jungkook by his side, acting as a bodyguard more than an important figure.

Leehyun grows surprised at the sight, not expecting a man like Namjoon to have come to London, not to mention his son’s engagement party. He speaks up, bringing him into a conversation as you stay there, silent.

You can feel Jungkook’s piercing gaze on you, a silent question on the tip of his tongue as if wondering if you were alright and if Leehyun had done anything to you.

You weren’t alright, not alright at all. He didn’t do anything but it sure feels as if he did. You hate the touch of his hand on your bare shoulders, his skin burning against you like touching the spike of a porcupine but being forced to not flinch away.

Every part of your body screams to push him away as it prickles with disgust, a tremor waiting to reveal itself but you know how to handle it, you know when not to show your weaknesses before others. You’ve been taught your whole life to conceal all that you feel after all.

What more is a few minutes?

When father was around, he instilled the practice well into your head, engraving it as if a burning metal pressed hotly against your skin, the mark there to stay forever. 

That’s what Leehyun’s touch feels like; a hot iron burn that will remain forever even if he does manage to leave you alone.

Hyunjin, where’s Hyunjin?

Hyunjin isn’t anywhere in sight so despite the fact that there are two people here who are on your side, you know they can’t do anything to rip Leehyun’s touch off you.

The voices spoken between him and Namjoon fade in and out as your eyes shake, looking around for something, anything, when you catch the sight of a hand held out to you, grabbing your attention back forcefully from your moment of frantic.

You look up to find Namjoon right before you, his hand held out expectedly as one would when meeting someone for the first time. “It’s nice to meet you, miss Y/N,” the words slip easily from his lips.

Right.

Despite the fact that the two of you were wed once upon a time, no one knows of your relationship. You were kept a secret for the longest time. Mother’s pregnancy was announced the moment the two red lines appeared on the stick, her eyes bright with delight and hope, you remember the maids saying. But her happiness and joy were forcefully ripped away from her when the doctor congratulated her on the news of carrying a baby girl.

It wasn’t what mother wanted. It wasn’t what father wanted. It wasn’t what anyone wanted.

The congratulation that left the doctor’s mouth was the very reason his tongue was cut off and later killed by the order of your mother.

She wanted to get rid of you the instant she knew of your gender but she kept you. A part of her probably hoped you’d grow up competent, prove her wrong, prove the world — father wrong, that you’d be her pride and joy and she wouldn’t have to care about your gender.

Meanwhile, father was already letting the world know that her pregnancy was a fail, that she had a miscarriage. You were deemed a mistake before he even saw you, but he allowed the only thing mother had left to keep to herself with promising words of not wanting to have anything to do with you.

The birth was risky and mother grew severely depressed, affecting even more of her health, until eventually her blooms wilted away and the last thing you saw of her was her disgusted eyes filled with hatred towards you.

You ruined her. Your very own mother.

Father was heartless but he turned you into his little puppet to hold and manipulate the strings of. You followed his every word whether willingly or not. After all, a puppet has no control over its own strings. They only do and say what the puppetmaster wants them to. You were no exception.

He kept you a secret until the end, only sharing you with the people close to him but even then, he never cared to pay you any attention unless it was to use you as a pawn.

That’s why you grew to shy away from the crowd, hating every bit of attention on you. Yoongi told you that it could never be, that no matter where you go, eyes will always follow you, it’s only inevitable. Your beauty is like the bright light for the moth, he said, meant to attract attention no matter what you do.

You held onto his words dearly and keep them still because he’s right. You will never be able to truly blend into the crowd as you wish and you let that fall to your advantage once you learned to manipulate others in the same way father had.

Like father, like daughter.

You may hate your father but no matter what anyone says, the two of you share blood and a part of him will always be instilled in your veins.

You hate every part of the truth.

“..It’s nice to meet you,” you finally say after a heartbeat, holding your hand out to shake Namjoon’s hand.

You linger a little longer, grip tighter than it should for a casual handshake, hoping, praying, in your silent cry, for him to hold onto you just as tight and yank you out of Leehyun’s grip. It’s a silent plea you don’t realize you’re doing when your ex-husband watches you attentively. Anyone would think nothing of it but you see the slight furrow between his brows, the way his mouth protrudes in just the slightest unnoticeable way.

You want him to take you away, to save you.

But before anything can happen, it’s you who forces your hand away from his first as if waking from your moment of daze, remembering what you’re doing and why you’re here.

You can’t forget your revenge for a moment of peace. Peace has to come after the storm, not before, otherwise the fight and the war will be for naught. You can’t get caught up with a small glimpse of hope. You’re already here in this room, held against Leehyun, you can’t back down now.

Revenge revenge revenge.

This is all for the revenge.

Namjoon can sense something is wrong, wondering whether you can still keep yourself upright for the sake of the mission, but when you retract from his hold, he squeezes his hand that’s held in mid-air after you left him, returning it back to his side.

“I didn’t know you were the daughter of the Grim Reaper,” he says, keeping up the font of your father still alive and striving well and not six feet under or burned into crispy ashes. He isn’t sure what you’ve done to your father’s body and he doesn’t really want to know.

Something about the relationship gives him a bit of suspicion but he can only base that on what he’s seen. What he’s heard tells him a different story. You’ve never smeared your father’s name before him, even in death, in fact, you tell him he’s treated you well throughout your life but what if all of that is a lie, just as a lot of things about you? You feign your smile before others, picking up an arrogant aura, fake the way you welcome each and every attention that falls your way when you walk into a room.

What if what you’ve told them about your father has also been a lie?

“Father has always been overprotective about my identity,” you tell him, something that sounds so believable yet so false at the same time.

What if you got rid of him not because you were “bored” but because you were forced to? Because that was the only way to freedom you’d ever earn? Because there was no other choice? What if everything about you in those three years they spent with you were all nothing but lies?

No. You’ve always been truthful and honest.

He can still remember looking into your eyes and always seeing the sincerity in them, how nothing in this world felt real except the sincere eyes that you always gave him. He didn’t believe in anything but your eyes were the only thing he knew that could never lie to him. Anything else, anyone else would but you…you never lied to him.

Yet as he stands here now, he thinks that perhaps he had been naive all along. There was always a part of you that you’d hide from them after all, no matter how much they tried to edge you on, reminding you that they loved and cared for every part of you so that you would be willing to open up. They shared their secrets, their deepest insecurities with you. But before he could ever cut open your heart and see what was inside, he broke the ties between you and the rest, divorcing you all too soon.

“That reminds me,” you look at him with a small smile, as if you were that shy little girl who always hid behind him whenever strangers were to try a spark a conversation with you, “I hope you can still keep this a secret. The people here don’t truly know of my identity but because you’re from Korea, it’s a whole different story. So for the sake of my father’s wrath and to conceal his kind heart, I ask that you not mention any part of meeting me and announce it to the world.”

What if the reason your father kept your identity a secret is not because he loves you so dearly but because he hates everything about you?

He wants to doubt the sincerity you held for him in those three years he cared for you. Still, Namjoon says, “Of course. You have my word.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kim.” When you give him a small bow of a nod as a way to thank him, you don’t allow your head to look back up so he’s left with only seeing your hair which conceals any emotions on your face.

You suddenly feel so small, as if the acting is beginning to take a toll on you and you’re starting to believe in this fantasy. As if Namjoon indeed doesn’t know you, as if you’re still that hopeless, pure little girl who’s been shut out from the world, as if you will indeed marry into the Hwangs and be trapped in a cage with the keys lost to the sea.

You wish Mingyu was here so that his presence can calm your racing heartbeat. You wish you could hear him with an intercom connecting his voice to your ears. You wish he could remind you to breathe, that you needn’t worry because he’s watching every step you make, that if anyone were to put you in harm’s way, Dasom’s bullet will pierce right into the skull of their heads.

You want to feel Dasom’s sniper watching you, you wish Yuna’s lingering gaze never left, and plunge yourself into drinking all of Yeonjun’s tea to end all the nerves that are screaming at you to break away from Leehyun’s hold.

To breathe.

To run away and find your safe place; in your Reaper’s safehold.

But you can’t because you’ve shut them out, told them to not interfere with your plans, to not stop you no matter what happens.

You don’t realize the Reapers are still watching you through Bangtan’s gaze, still ignorant to the fact that Mingyu had walked into their headquarters and dropped his head before Namjoon, asking them to protect you until the end, to save you if necessary. You don’t realize their protectiveness has been asked of to be replaced by Bangtan.

You don’t see Jungkook’s watchful gaze on you while Namjoon has Leehyun distracted in a conversation that falls deaf to his ears, careful in making sure Leehyun doesn’t mistake his watchful gaze on you and hide you away in response.

You don’t see the way the corner of Jungkook’s lip twitches, or the way he tries not to fiddle with his fingers in anxious thought of how this night will end but fails miserably. You don’t realize Jimin’s anger when he sees you held against Leehyun, standing by and watching with Yoongi as they recall the voices of conversations exchanged between you and Leehyun through Taehyung’s hidden mic.

You don’t see the way Taehyung rushes into the crowd, eyes scanning for a familiar figure to force him to return to your side otherwise he may snap and ruin the plan you so forced your Reapers away for.

But something goes wrong when he catches sight of the said man he placed his trust in to keep you safe. Hyunjin stands with a lower subordinate by his side, who whispers unheard words into his ear. Something’s wrong when he feels Taehyung’s gaze on him and looks up, his eyes hardening with a warning on the tip of his tongue.

Taehyung feels his mouth drying and when he snaps his head back at where you should be standing with Leehyun, Namjoon and Jungkook, but all that’s left are Namjoon and Jungkook without the other two figures in sight.

His eyes scan around the area, flashing with alarm as the words of Mingyu repeat in his head; “Don’t ever leave her side, no matter what. Don’t ever leave her alone with Leehyun.”

He knows you more than Taehyung does, probably knows every little secret you hold dearly within the thick walls you’ve built around yourself. He’s witnessed what you’ve been through, understands your responses and how to react to them, knows how to deal with every situation he’s faced with.

Taehyung doesn’t know anything. He has a clue but clues are useless and right now you’re missing, out of sight, and he feels as if the storm is coming sooner than it should. At a fast pace at that.

“Where’s Y/N?” He quickly asks the two boys who were last seen with her. The big boss gestures to two doors that lead away from the room where the party is held and grows irritated because he remembers all the doors in this house during his time here and that door does not lead to a private room. That room leads to a hallway into the unknown. “Why would you leave her out of your sight? I look away for one second to find Hyunjin and—”

“She asked us to let her go,” Jungkook cuts him off, his brows furrowed as he nips at his lower lip, a habit he does often when he’s anxious. “When Leehyun began to lead her away, she shook her head when we tried to stop him.”

They’re not supposed to stop you, they’re not supposed to do anything when you don’t give an order to. This is your revenge after all, your mission, so anything you say takes top priority but for once Taehyung wishes they hadn’t listened to your stupid demands and stopped you right then and there.

He understands Mingyu’s dilemma to a certain extent now. He might not know everything but he knows enough to understand that your underboss had every right to worry.

But right now he doesn’t have time to worry, to snap at the boys for letting you go. Right now he needs to find you and fix the situation before anything gets out of control.

“They’re filing in,” Hoseok’s voice walks into the intercom. Taehyung looks around to find him somewhere beside Seokjin, his voice discreet as if he were conversing in a friendly conversation with Seokjin rather than all of them. He doesn’t approach them for suspicions of their activity. “There are more of them now than there were minutes ago.”

The only guards, besides a few of them to avoid suspicion, should be Hyunjin’s people. He guesses this was what was exchanged between Hyunjin and the person beside him then.

Something’s definitely out of place.

Taehyung looks across the room to find Hyunjin making his way towards in, eyes meeting his as he speaks. “They’ve caught onto us.”

Four words simple enough to bring a shuddering rain crawling against their skin.

Namjoon keeps calm like the leader he is, knowing how to deal with situations like this due to experience. He can feel their gazes on him once the dreaded words leave Hyunjin’s lips, looking towards their alpha leader to give them direction and lead them to do what he thinks would save them from the situation. 

He turns to Taehyung and speaks. “Find another way in that leads through those doors and take Yoongi with you.”

.

.

.

“Do you know what I hate the most in this world?” Leehyun speaks calmly under the flickering light of the cold basement where he led you to after following a maze you probably won’t be able to remember the way of. The men he walked past stand just outside the door, leaving you alone with him once again. 

But this time there’s no one you can run to if something goes wrong, there’s no safety in knowing just outside the doors, you can cry for help and the crowd will look towards your call, glaring confused stares at Leehyun’s way.

It reminds you of a place you haven’t been to in a long, long time; the White Room.

Where you were held against your will, crying and begging for someone to help but the only people who stood outside were the guards who fell deaf to your cries. Even if the doors didn’t keep your screams in, you know they wouldn’t have helped you either.

It’s a bit different though, in lots of ways. This room is darker, lit up only by a flickering lightbulb held up by a string just above your head. You aren’t alone either, the perpetrator is here with you, keeping his watchful gaze on you, and you’re held bound by itchy ropes that are so bulky any movement against them forces prickling needles into your skin, sat on a lone wooden chair.

It’s cold though, in the same way the White Room had always been.

“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? You’re a smart girl, go on and repeat those words to me,” Leehyun prompts you and to anyone, it sounds as if he were speaking to someone precious, a gentle nudge towards a child who needs to be reminded of the rules she just broke while remaining stern. You hate how he treats you.

Still, you chant out the words as if under a spell. You can’t ignore him for some reason, as if remembering how you were with him years ago, unable to disobey anything that he says or does. Your body remembers even if your mind tries to forget.

“When people touch the things that belong to you.” It tastes bitter against your mouth but you give him nothing to read on your expressionless face.

Just as they always were years ago.

“That’s right,” Leehyun nods. He crosses his arms against his chest. “So what happened?”

“I held Mr. Kim’s hand.”

“And?”

“I let him steal my attention.”

“And?”

“...” You hesitate for a moment, just a split moment because you know Leehyun hates it when people don’t answer him right away. “I allowed you to fall into my foolish traps. Made you believe in my lies and hid behind the protection of your very own son.”

“My very own son.” You aren’t sure the exact moment when he realized it but perhaps in the process of thinking you held him wrapped around your finger, he was the one who had control of everything. You were foolish to think you could easily execute your plans without any mishaps. “Did you come to London in the hopes of taking your revenge on me?” He asks. “Are you here to kill me?”

The anxiety is felt clearly along your body. You aren’t sure why you’re like this when you thought you’ve trained yourself well enough to face your opponents but you guess trauma will always return to you and remind you of how you dealt with things no matter how much time has passed. You’ve returned to the doll that you were before father died.

At this moment right here, you’re the same person you were when you were with Leehyun years ago; obedient, robotic, dull, and blank.

Habits are scary.

“..Would it upset you if I said yes?” But unlike those times, the emotions are clear and you’re unable to repress them in the way your body did then. You can feel the heavy weight sitting on your chest, something constricting your airway in order to make it harder to breathe, and the slight little trembles against your body which you’ve always done so well to hide.

He laughs and you remain still. “What happened to your father? Did you get rid of him?” He asks rather than answering your question. He knows your answer and you know his. “You hold your head up high now, flirt easily, acting arrogant and mighty.”

“I killed him,” you answer fluently.

He laughs again, this time with a bit of a surprise, as if he can’t believe the girl he knew then would have been capable of killing her own father. You always followed your father’s words as if they were law, never going against him no matter what he asks of you, like a trained puppet. When did you escape from those strings? When did you gather the courage to leave?

Or perhaps you were the one playing with his strings all along, pretending to be a good little doll for the sake of catching him off guard and killing him when he least expects it.

“I see,” Leehyun nods, his laugh fading away as he thinks about it. If you’re capable of killing your father, a ruthless and merciless man, then you’re capable of killing him. Still, Leehyun wants to see your skills and wants to witness just how powerful you’ve become.

He takes three long steps back, arms uncrossing to be held behind him, eyes watchful as he calls for his men to come in. Ten muscular men walk in ready at the command of their boss while you remain sitting on the chair in the middle of the room, limps bound by strong ropes that cut through your skin whenever you make even the slightest movement.

“Why don’t you show me your skills then, sweetheart? I want to see how this little girl could have possibly taken down the Grim Reaper.”

It isn’t a request, it’s an order.

And when the men draw in on you, you have no other choice but to comply with Leehyun and give him a show.

You force your body back to push the chair onto the hard floor, causing it to collide and break into pieces, allowing your body to no longer be bound by the chair.

Someone swings a weapon your way but you duck right on time, headbutting him the second you’re given the chance. Someone else reaches for your arm and forces you to jump, you manipulate your body to fall against another man as you kick your feet forward at the man who wanted to take your arm.

Your hairpin falls from your hair, forcing the sight of your clear vision to fall a bit hazy, distracted by strands of hair, but you pay it no mind as you snatch the hairpin from the floor with your teeth, getting a bit of your hair in between. Leehyun marvels at how it turns into a sharp weapon of some sort.

Your body moves fluidly like the leaves against the wind, like the tide meets the beach, crashing against the enemies, manipulating every movement while using his men at your disposal. 

He grows irritated at how weak they are against a smaller figure, a girl, who still has her hands and legs tied.

You use the sharpness of your hairpin to take the binds off your ankles when you get the chance, allowing your feet to then kick freely at whoever tries to come at you. They don’t stand a chance, and Leehyun realizes the person your father tried so hard to train is now laughing back at him.

He called you useless, weak, incompetent, but the person he sees now is anything but.

How had your father thrown such a sparkling gem away without knowing your potential? In those years he knew of you, you held some skills your father forced you to take but now he realizes a lot of things you’ve been hiding in those years. Even back then when you were less skilled than you are now, you did everything your father asked of you perfectly. Whatever mission he asked of you, you finished it and came back in one piece. Whatever person he asked you to take down, you returned just as well.

Your father created a monster.

A beautiful, powerful monster.

Did he ever realize your strength before he died by your hands?

When his men lay dead on the floor, your chest heaves hard as you stand in the middle, a cut on your face, a long gash along your leg, and although you should be falling down exhausted, you remain standing as you stare down at him with eyes that could very well belong to a beast.

You still have your hands tied behind your back, hairpin held against your teeth.

Perhaps this is your way of showing him your strength has yet to reach its maximum level.

For a moment, he’s genuinely afraid of the one before him. And when you force yourself to hurl at him, he doesn’t have time to think before the sharp hairpin stabs him right against his side, allowing a cry of pain to leave his lips.

You don’t keep the hairpin in, forcing it out because you know pressure against a wound helps to keep the blood in. You want it out.

When you see Leehyun’s legs giving out, you take that opportunity to kick the doorknob off the door with a harsh and forceful kick, opening it with a loud bang, and without a moment of hesitation, you run and run, trying to remember the path Leehyun took when he brought you in here.

Along the run, you take a big leap, jumping to allow your hands to rope from underneath your legs in order to be held before you rather than behind. You take the knife that had been hidden under your now torn dress, cutting the stingy rope and returning the hairpin to hold your hair back in place.

Your dash is mad while your eyes frantically look around, trying to calculate every movement, recalling the memories of what you saw when you followed Leehyun down here. You can hear the thunder of Leehyun’s feet just behind you and know that getting lost will risk you your life.

You can’t die now, not yet. You still have people to kill and although you told Hoseok dying is trivial and you don’t care how or by who, you don’t wish to die at the hands of a predator. Not here, not in the maze of his basement. 

So you allow your brain to work, eyes snapping at every new corner that has a fork in the road, taking the turn you think you remember until eventually, you hear a call. Two calls.

“Y/N!”

“Y/N, where are you?!”

It’s Taehyung and Yoongi.

You never thought you’d ever say that you would be relieved to hear the voices of your ex-lovers again but here you are, body almost giving in at just the sound of their voices. But you know better than that. You know you aren’t safe just yet.

Luckily your brain hadn’t failed you and luckily you find the familiar silhouettes of your ex-lovers as you run and run, unable to slow down at any given moment. For now, they are your safety net, for now, you aren’t alone.

You run towards the warmth of their presence, letting out a breath of relief, when a hand snatches your hair and pulls you clean off your feet.

You let out your first yelp of pain as you go down and before Taehyung and Yoongi can take another step forward, you feel the head of a gun to your temple and watch as they visibly freeze on the spot.

The sight of you is alarming; the tight straps of your dress fallen over your shoulder, one of them snapped into two, a cut on your cheek, disheveled hair, the skirt of your dress torn to reveal your legs where one of them has a gash along your skin. You ran without shoes, heels long forgotten somewhere along the line, the soles of your feet shattered in cuts and swollen red.

You wince at Leehyun’s forceful fistful of your hair, teeth clenching tightly, and the two before you almost wince along with you.

“Should I just end it here?” Leehyun says, his lips so close to your ear it brings a chill down your body. You hate how cold it is here. “You came to kill me, didn’t you? So why don’t I bring you along to hell with me? We belong together after all. You’re mine.”

You scoff at those words, shaking your head in order to keep his lips away from your ear but he forces you back in an instant. “You’re sick,” you spit his way. “I was and will never be yours.”

“Darling, what did I say about talking back?” He grits his teeth as he says so, suppressing a fit of anger that takes in the form of his ripping your hair. You let out a strangled noise that causes the two the urge to do anything to take you away but they know one slight movement can potentially have the trigger pulled and they can’t risk that.

“You were always a good little girl,” Leehyun says, still trying to keep this relationship sane. “What happened to that, huh? You were mine to hold and do anything to. Why can’t you obey me in the way you had then?” He turns his attention to Taehyung as if recalling something, eyes flashing with anger and resentment towards the younger lad. “If it hadn’t been for your little bodyguard and Hyunjin, I would’ve had my way with you long ago.”

“That’s precisely why I never left her alone,” Taehyung grits out, eyes hardening as he levels his glare down at him.

“She’s mine to own, not yours.”

“She’s not a possession for you to make claims to.” A voice reaches them from the back and you can physically feel Leehyun freeze up against your back when a click is heard. Hoseok holds his gun right at the back of his head, no amount of hesitation in his eyes were Leehyun to do anything to you. “Get your hands off her,” he demands in a threatening growl and it almost triggers some lost memory your past self had once held so dearly to her heart but you do well to repress it back.

Someone else appears from the shadows; Hyunjin. He takes a step from behind Taehyung and Yoongi, a gun leveling his father’s way while the rest of them follow along, completely trapping Leehyun.

“Ah..” He realizes his defeat and lets the grip on your hair go, causing the tightness to finally release from his hold.

Hoseok watches as you scramble to your feet, a little limp in your legs taking hold when you stand either from the weakness or the gash, or both. Yoongi helps you stand tall and he hates the sight he sees before him. You look terrible.

It’s fortunate they got here in time otherwise Hoseok would never forgive himself. He remembered the second Taehyung realized the change in the air, Hoseok’s heartbeat accelerated hard against his chest, breath shortening, and before Seokjin can realize the change in him, he remembered to remain calm and not let the situation take the best of him.

He was angry at the things he heard through the device Taehyung held hidden against his clothes while with you in person, hated every moment Hoseok had to sit there, listening to the vile things Leehyun said and your voice whispered in turn, feigning interest. If he were in Taehyung’s place, he knows he would have never been able to hold restrain.

Perhaps it was best letting Taehyung go after all. For a moment he had been afraid, they all were, because they know how Taehyung is with people. He doesn’t like the crowd, avoids parties, and prefers his own personal space. As a hacker, he had no reason to leave his lab but it was because his face was less known to the public that forced him to take up the mission of being by your side.

The rest of them were more at risk of being found out, their faces more known whereas Taehyung was a secret.

He did a better job than Hoseok expected. Even through the intercom, he could feel Taehyung’s frustration and anger building up the longer he stayed by your side having to witness everything firsthand. He restrained himself even though Hoseok could tell he wanted to punch Leehyun many times, and during moments when the two of you were left alone in the guest room, Taehyung held himself together as he saw you. 

You were the victim but you held onto yourself well, projecting a font that doesn’t slip as easily as his anger does.

At night it’s a bit easier to see your more vulnerable side but even then you hold yourself together. In your mindless state, you silently yearn for a familiar hold only your Reapers can provide.

Hoseok wonders why you never cry for help, why you never scream or shout. Even in the years he was with you, you cried silently as if afraid a peep of sound will have punishment forced upon you. He hates your silence.

Hyunjin offers his gun to you but you shake your head, taking ahold of your knife instead.

Hoseok wants to give Leehyun a good, solid punch in the face for all the things he’s done to you but he knows he can’t do that. This is your fight after all, your battle, and it’s up to you whether you want to kill Leehyun with your own hands or if you want to ask Hyunjin to do the honors instead.

He’s in no place to kill him himself. So Hoseok keeps his gun pointed at the man, eyes watchful as they give you space.

You’re in control.

When you look at Leehyun, the old man’s eyes are silently begging for help, for your mercy, but you can only laugh at those words echoing into your ears.

“It will do well for you to apologize now,” you say into the silence, offering him a false chance. “Why don’t you apologize, Mr. Hwang?”

His eyes tell you he’d rather fall off a bridge and into a hot active volcano than level himself below you and ask for your forgiveness. He gets off power after all, and if that’s taken away from him, he’ll grow angry and throw a tantrum like a child would if they couldn’t get what they wanted.

He knows you won’t give him your forgiveness and he knows he will die anyway. That’s how this world works. Once you have bullets on the verge of piercing through your skull, you have no chance left to run no matter how much you beg.

But he falls shameless either way, in hysteria, because fear of death takes priority over the shameful feeling of apologizing to someone younger than you. He falls to the floor, crawling on his knees, begging for mercy with a chant that repeats again and again in your ears like a mantra.

You stare down at him as he worships the ground you stand on, head bowed forward in a shameless position, pleading and begging for you to spare his life. He has no shame, throwing away all his dignity to bow to you like a god in front of his son and Bangtan.

“Please Y/N. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Please, I…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Why is that flashing in your thoughts right now? The sight of you leaning your head down in a shameless manner, the night you tore the ring off your finger?

Namjoon falls into your line of sight. He watches the scene unfold silently and you wonder what he’s thinking about. This is the first time you’ve had someone bowing and pleading before you and you feel absolutely no sympathy for him. But even you understand the difference this situation is from yours.

You had no idea what you were apologizing for because you had nothing to apologize for. Nothing was your fault yet you felt like everything was your fault. But for Leehyun? He has no idea what he’s apologizing for because he has everything to apologize for.

Everything is his fault yet you know he feels as if nothing is his fault.

It irritates you.

You hate the sound of his begging, the annoying voice, those annoying words that repeat over and over again without any source of sincerity behind them.

“You…you don’t even know what you’re apologizing for, do you?” You ask the pitiful man before you, anger and ire building up. You feel like a ticking bomb that will explode at any second. “You’ve never shown me any mercy so why should I show you mercy?”

“Th-that’s because..” Leehyun looks up, frantically searching for an answer when something pops into his head, and the begging stops as his eyes twist into something sinister. You’ve seen that before, an expression you’ve met and encountered with so many people throughout your years of surviving in this world. “That’s because you never stopped me,” he says and you blink at him, brows knitting.

“..What?”

He sits up as if a realization had hit him, his eyes sick and dark while the boys keep their eyes on him to make sure he doesn’t do anything rash, guns still readily pointed at him.

“That’s right, you..you never stopped me so why is any of this my fault? Did you ever beg me to stop? Did you ever scream for help? Now that I think about it, you must’ve liked it, didn’t you? You enjoyed it just as much as I did. You never went to your father for help, you never told anyone anything about the situation. If you really hated it, you would have done something but you didn’t.”

Ah, he’s really doing this. Trying to twist the situation, trying to gaslight you, even though he knows he only chose you as a victim because you wouldn’t do anything to go against him.

A silent little doll who only listened to the words of her father. If your father tells you to fight back, you’d do it. And if your father tells you to endure it, you’d let others hurt you. Leehyun was just a coward who wanted someone who would listen to his words without fighting back and you were the victim he preyed on.

A silent doll whose voice box was broken, unable to scream for help. He used that to his disposal.

“No one would believe you,” you hear his voice echo repeatedly in your head, the same words coming in and out in every situation he placed you in. If you had emotions, if you wanted to scream for help, he’d remind you over and over again that he could just manipulate the situation into letting others believe you came onto him instead, that you were a dirty little slut who would go for anyone.

You never called for help.

You didn’t care to call for help because you didn’t know how to call for help.

In the moment when you’re with him, your body felt nothing, lifeless, a corpse of some sort, the socket of your eyes void of light as if you weren’t human at all. But even then you understood to some extent that Hyunjin would believe you. He was the only one who would believe you, were you to open your mouth and let the words ring out.

You didn’t know him and he didn’t know you, but you shared a connection with how powerless the both of you were against your fathers, both forced into a position that almost required you to fall bound into an engagement. 

Hyunjin always treated you kindly no matter what. He never forced you to do anything, never stopped looking out for you. Your suspicion of his kindness was confirmed when he moved away with his father, leaving the country for you.

If you knew how to speak then, you would have told him “thank you” and you would have accepted the kindness and warmth he always wanted to provide you with.

“When you decide to let your thorns be known to the world, I hope you can come after my father and kill him yourself. I will wait for you until then.”

He was kind to the end, prepared at any moment to kill his father for your sake, for his sake, for both your sakes.

As if understanding just how sick and manipulative his father is, Hyunjin steps up with fierce anger flashing in his eyes, ready to tear his father down. But you stop with a look, shaking your head, telling him in your silent manner that he doesn’t have to fight his father for your sake.

“Come on, Y/N,” Leehyun takes a step forward, approaching you as the others fit into a defending stance in an instant, watching him closely without doing anything unless you signaled otherwise.

This is your fight, you’ve told them, and they aren’t allowed to meddle unless you say so.

Leehyun holds a hand out to your face, his finger gently grazing against the skin of your cheek while you stand there, not doing anything.

“Be a good girl, won’t you? Tell your people to leave. We’re fine, aren’t we? If you’re unsatisfied with something, all you have to do is tell me and I’ll fix it. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you. You’re my obedient little girl, aren’t you…princess?”

Princess.

As if on cue just by that small little nickname, your pupils dilate and something flashes before your eyes, the buried memories slowly but surely resurfacing back into your mind.

“Hello there. You’re very pretty, aren’t you?” An older gentleman who looks the same age as your father watches you with eyes that confuse you a bit. You don’t like it but who are you to act up?

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hwang sir,” you bow your head before him in a respectful manner, polite and quiet.

“Yes…it is indeed.” He touches your hand in a gentle manner and brings it up to his lips, pressing a kiss on the back with eyes never leaving your face.

It’s weird. You feel strange.

Not the good kind of strange. Not at all.

“..Sir?”

“Keep calling me that,” he grins as he pats the top of your head with his other hand. “I quite like you calling me sir.”

“Sir,” you take a step back, retreating your hand, “your son and I–”

“No one has to know,” he says as he grabs your hand again with a little more force this time. The smile he gives you causes you to stare in slight horror, his words echoing in your head.

No one has to know.

No one has to know.

Who are you to refute that? Not when you’re taking a glance at your father and he does nothing to approach you from where he stands. You know he can see Leehyun and you know he knows what’s going on. 

He does nothing to move and tell you to get away from the man. Instead, he only looks away as if he doesn’t care.

He doesn’t care one bit.

‘Endure it,’ you hear the words without it needing to be said aloud, so you turn back to Leehyun with obedient eyes, no longer trying to force your hand away, and letting him in.

If father doesn’t care, why should you?

“What a good girl you are. You’ll never do anything to go against me, will you?”

“Such a good little princess.”

“You’re so pretty.”

“If you tell anyone about this, no one will believe you, you know that?” Whether Hyunjin cares or not does not matter. Nothing matters.

Just endure it.

Endure it.

“Does your father even love you? That’s alright, I can share my love with you instead.”

“Do you let Hyunjin hold you like this too?”

“Hyunjin doesn’t hold me like this.” Hyunjin doesn’t dare to do anything to hurt you. Even then you aren’t sure how to trust him. He shows you goodness by not doing anything to you but how do you trust when trusting only leads to your break?

“Of course he doesn’t. If he does, you’ll let me know, right?”

“...Yes sir.”

Endure it. Obey his words. Keep quiet. Keep quiet.

Quietquietquiet.

“What a good girl.”

“Sir-”

“It’s alright, just a little longer.”

Stop.

Stop it.

Stop it all.

Something shakes your core, your stability, your foundation, and your emotions. And all of a sudden, you feel something you’ve never felt before. All the emotions spiraling into one single wave, rushing down your body, building up so strongly and forcibly you tremble on sight, knife stabbing into his skin without warning.

Leehyun shouts in pain at the sudden intrusive pierce and when his hand reaches out to force you away, you pin him down by the legs, ignoring the pain shooting up on one side as if possessed by some sort of demon.

The boys all watch in horror when you carve your knife into Leehyun’s skin like a force working on its own, eyes staring widely with sealed lips like a silent killer who holds no emotion for her victims as the knife goes in and out. In and out. In and out. 

And it isn’t you anymore.

It isn’t you.

Die die die die die! Your thoughts repeat over and over and over. You hear his scream loud and clear as your arms work the tool into his body, the blood oozing out and painting your cheeks, your dress, your thighs, everywhere. It’s like a scene straight out of a horror movie as the rest of them watch on, eyes widened in shock at the sight of your merciless self stabbing the man even as he no longer cries and lays on the floor, clearly already dead.

The guns point down, arms releasing tension on them but they can’t take their eyes off you.

You thought you’d kill him slowly and painfully, so he can feel every little pain with his eyes wide open. You thought you’d give him a slow death, one where he’d suffer the most in the same way he had hurt you and made you suffer and endure.

But your body acts impulsively as the memories resurface and all you can do is continue on the action until someone has to rip your arm away, forcing your body off the man with the knife thrown far away from your grasp.

“Y/N, stop.”

You push Hoseok’s hands away, head spinning, eyes falling into a blur and it seems as if everyone in this room is against you and is out to harm you. Your mind falls clouded as the world falls all at once, emotions becoming unstable and suddenly you know you’re panicking.

Tremblingtremblingtrembling.

Where’s Mingyu?

Yuna?

Where are the Reapers? Why aren’t they here?

It’s hard to breathe. Can you breathe? Ah, how do you breathe again?

The memories horrify you as they fall back vividly and suddenly you remember all the times when you were left tortured as a kid, screaming, looking around for help but no one makes a move. No one helps no matter how hard you cried and begged.

No one’s on your side.

No one’s on your side.

Endure it, they tell you. You have to endure it all and everything will be okay. You just have to…you just have to endure it.

“Y/N!” Someone grabs ahold of both your shoulders forcefully.

“Y/N!” Seokjin shouted, ripping you from your state of panic.

Seokjin, it’s Seokjin.

You’re safe with Seokjin.

“I’m here, I’m here,” he repeats in a soft, soft whisper. Enough for you to hear. “It’s alright, Y/N, you’re safe now. No one’s going to harm you, I’m right here. Breathe, just focus on breathing, don’t focus on anything else right now.”

Seokjin.

As your vision narrows in on him, his face clearer with each blink you make, you remember the familiar face of your eldest lover.

Seokjin’s safe…right? He loved you once.

He loved you once.

Ah, but he left you too, just like everyone else in your life. But you don’t really have a choice, do you? He’s the only one in your sight, the only one safe for now.

With trembling hands, you grab onto his white dress shirt, the blood on your hands dirtying it with red as you look up at him with pleading eyes, and two soft, barely audible words escape your lips.

“..Save me.”

Your eyes turn blank, dull, a void walking right in, and the shaking disappears as you stare at nothing before you, as if your soul has just been snatched away from your body, the light in your eyes no longer in sight.

“Y/N?” Seokjin calls your name cautiously but you don’t hear him. You can’t hear anyone, not even yourself as your body falls into a state of void.

You feel nothing, like a lifeless corpse living in the body of a human.

[cactikiki]

oooooooh you wanna talk about ur headcanons sooo bad

(srsly tho i'd love to see :3)

rubs my evil little hands together

Thank you kindly for the ask. I finally have an excuse to infodump about headcanons hehehehehe

You didn't specify who for, soooo I'm gonna go for 3 star fam + Cassie for this

Gregory Bowman

14 (at the time of RUIN, 12 during GGY)

Venezuelan

The most GNC kid you've ever seen, but people confuse him for a girl sometimes. He isn't super happy about that (he's ftm). Also, he's bi

Autistic

He gets overwhelmed with crowds, bright lights and strong smells (especially as patient 46. The Mimic made his autism stronger /hj)

He also gets migraines when the Mimic/Dr. Rabbit is messing with his mind.

He has a special interest in coding! He wanted to make video games when he was a little younger

Doesn't like to let his emotions get to him. He tries to push forward through them no matter what.

He tries to act tough to spite his small stature, and got into fights in school often because of it

Vanessa does his hair now. He likes it the way it is, so doesn't ask her to change it. He has let Cassie style it for fun before

His hair was hacked at with a pocket knife to keep it short while he was Dr. Rabbit. It looked far worse in GGY era than SB era.

Since hanging out with Cassie, he's been putting makeup on regularly. It's only black eyeliner and nail polish, though

He's always drawing or doodling. He finds it relieves stress if he doesn't overthink it (which, like all artists, he sometimes does)

Gets a lot of graphic nightmares about what the Mimic did while in his mind. Before recovering his memory, he thought they were just that– nightmares. 

He's seriously scared of the dark, to the point he hallucinates things moving in it

Used to own every piece of Freddy merch there was, until he ran away from home

He came from a fairly rich family. Not super rich, but rich enough to own a big house. It was mainly his relatives and his dad that had the money, while his mom was simply an indie writer

His parents threw money at him sometimes, and once he'd met Tony it'd gone straight to him a number of times

Was homeless for a few months, living on the streets and spending many nights at Cassie's. Eventually he started staying at the Pizzaplex. His memories of where and when are muddled.

Sees Vanessa as an older sister figure, Cassie a younger sister, and Freddy as parental (but don't tell any of them that) 

One of his front teeth is missing because it was knocked it out while someone fought him back as Dr. Rabbit. 

He's part of the 1% that actually likes sodaroni.

Vanessa A. 

23

Lesbian

Loved cooking, reading and gaming before the Glitchtrap stuff happened. She's slowly gotten back into it after taking Gregory in, but doesn't play games very often anymore unless it's with him. 

She's really awkward with people she doesn't know very well. And, despite trying her best, she often ends up freaking people out with some insanely obscure dark fact she knows, usually about Fazbear Entertainment's past.

Remembers everything from when she was Vanny, but it is slightly fuzzy

She pushed away all her friends and family when she was Vanny, and has yet to reconnect out of worry of something going wrong and them ending up hurt. She has considered sending Gregory to be with them in the past. 

Her grandmother passed not long before she was Vanny, and the two were particularly close. She'd taken the house and had not been able to live in it until she was freed. 

She used to be louder, but now she tends to be quiet and reserved. Some of her old personality shines through when she's with Gregory, when she teases him like an older sibling would

She's paranoid and overthinks things. She's scared Fazbear Entertainment will come knocking for Freddy, or that the Mimic will find out where they are through the internet, or a variety of irrational fears

Has a large scar on her waist from stray machinery in the sinkhole

Hasn't told Gregory about what the Mimic truly is, nor what it did to him, hoping to protect him.

Since Gregory can't remember much of his life from before, Vanessa promises she'll help him remember-- but she's grateful for some of the things he doesn't.

Freddy Fazbear

He charges overnight in the basement with a contraption Gregory came up with using an old car battery. The battery lasts 12 hours before needing a recharge. 

He has been accidentally left in a room alone by Gregory and Vanessa before, who forget sometimes that he's just a head now

On occasion the trio go on picnics to quiet places where they can be alone, and on these occasions Freddy gets to see the world– he's very excited about seeing new things outside of the plex! 

He can now connect to the internet, and was able to download all of the Pizzaplex's blueprints this way. He can also now be used as a projector. 

Since his Faz-wrench port was on his body, Gregory fitted a USB port to Freddy's head; it's janky, but it works long enough to transfer a few files. 

Gregory has asked about Bonnie, although Freddy doesn't talk about him much. He mostly fondly recalls memories before getting upset and not wanting to speak more. 

He's often the one to stop the sibling-ish arguments between Vanessa and Gregory 

He doesn't know it, but Gregory's been researching how to build small animatronics for a few months so he can build Freddy a new body as a surprise. He… Hasn't gotten very far, yet

He still sings on occasion, but finds it brings him memories of his friends, which (similarly to Bonnie) he doesn't like to think about too much. 

He feels incredibly guilty for what happened to all of his friends. He doesn't blame Gregory in the slightest, but does wish he'd taken a different approach. 

Cassie Reyes

14 (at the time of RUIN, her birthday was that very day) 

Dominican 

AuDHD

Trans + bi, like Gregory! But is mtf

Loves video games and would play them with Gregory all the time. She tended to prefer cosier games, while he liked RPGs– they played Minecraft together often, which kept them both satisfied. 

Super emotional, considers herself a crybaby. She tries to hide it behind a sassy, sometimes bossy exterior 

She imagines alternate situations a lot and pretends things are different than they really are. She can't cope with change or loss very easily. 

When she wants to do something, she will do anything to achieve her goal + won't rest until she does. She overworks herself and thinks too much about things she shouldn't 

Her mom died when she was 6. It's been just her and her dad since then

Her dad recently (as of RUIN) left for some reason, he didn't say– only leaving money and a note. She might drive herself crazy looking for him in future. 

She's the weird kid in class. She doesn't have any real friends and gets bullied for being into 'childish things'.

The wolf kid. The very reason she prefers Roxy over the others.

Her second favorite character is Chica! Although she likes all the characters a lot. She also remembers liking Bonnie before he disappeared-- even her dad couldn't tell her what happened.

She watches cartoons and writes essays or fics about them in her spare time 

While Gregory was homeless and visiting her, on the colder days, she'd let him in for movies and hot cocoa and they'd make a blanket fort. Sometimes Gregory would spend these nights falling asleep on Cassie, watching her play animal crossing or stardew valley

She won both the Roxy and Freddy talky for her and Gregory at the Pizzaplex during her birthday. Gregory would sometimes come within range while she was at home just to walkie something incredibly stupid or annoying, before getting out of range too fast for Cassie's complaints to be heard 

She hates sodaroni and feels nauseous every time Gregory drinks it right in front of her like it's nothing. 

[theotherdeerinhell]

The Doe in the Alleyway

I'm making a fanfiction about Rabo, because of course I am. Anyways, here's the first chapter in full. It's at 1.5k words, but since the last paragraph leads to a small timeskip, it's just a good place to end the first chapter. Get hyped up for this fun little thing!

Chapters will be posted to Tumblr as made. It will be posted to Wattpad, AO3, and Toyhouse on a weekly basis once it's complete.

Warning: The chapter consists of misgendering, a female getting a top torn off, mutilation, stabbing, and mentions of blood.

There is a reason why Fiona is a deer, and it's not because she licked salt or grazed on grass. No, it's because she ended up in Hell through the same situation she is finding her way in right now. Her hooves hit the floor with every swift stride, and her breaths prove to be challenges on their own. Fiona has been running for so long, she feels like she could collapse at any moment. But no. She will not let her pursuers get to her. Not this time. She knows that letting them win would be a death sentence.

Fiona stumbles when she finds a wall in her path. Its eyes glare back at her. Fiona takes a couple steps back. She turns around to keep running, but the demons are already blocking the only way out. Their sickly and perverted grins reveal the golden tooth they all share. It is a reminder that they are all there because their master did not acquire what he so desperately wanted. Fiona crosses her arms to cover her big breasts pushing against the fabric of her black goth dress. She clasps her shoulders with her hands and slouches. Just the way they stare down her curves makes Fiona uncomfortable in her skin in a deep way.

"It looks like the little doe finally met her dead end." A vulture-like demon stalks up to her. A ginger cat and a sinner with a mosquito-like nose follow behind him. They take their time in their approach. They know there is nothing Fiona can do about them. These goons may be weaklings themselves, but she is even weaker. Any power she has is just late in manifestation. Fiona backs herself up against the wall as they draw closer. Fiona bares her vampire fangs and growls.

"You could've had this be easy, toots. All you had to do was let Valentino have his way." The vulture grabs Fiona with his friends. They all hold her still. Fiona squirms and cries out with all her might. The goons don't even stop her. They know that nobody will come save her. This is Hell, after all. People only mind their own business. Anyone who meddles are usually dead within a matter of days. It's cruel, but that is the status quo. The cat takes a hammer out of her pocket and kneels down.

"Such pretty hooves," She purrs, "Polished black and shimmering in the streetlight. Perhaps I'll take a shard as a souvenir." The feline grabs a hoof and holds it down. She raises her hammer and strikes it with all her might. The hoof shatters into pieces. It brings about a pain that is more intense than anything Fiona has ever felt. She cries out while her other hoof meets the same shattered fate. The goons drop Fiona.

Standing is much too painful. It shoots a sense of agony up her legs and to her brain. Fiona collapses. Her black eyeliner runs from the tears. This is it. She can't escape. She is about to die again. It can't end this way, not this soon. But that is not Fiona's choice to make. It never is.

"How about we see what's hiding underneath that pretty dress?" The vulture snickers. He grabs Fiona's dress and pulls it right off, exposing everything that creeps like these three would want to see. Fiona can feel their eyes staring at her harder. She tries to cover herself, but the vulture grabs her wrists tightly. "There is no point in you trying to protect yourself now~ You have no hope. No friends, no feet...just us, and my friend's blessed knife." Fiona looks behind the vulture to see what he's talking about. Indeed, the mosquito is holding a knife that shines white. Fiona cries out again. Her desperation grows stronger, but there is nothing she can do as the knife pierces her flesh. Red blood spills out as soon as the knife is pulled out.

Fiona screams again when the knife makes another puncture. The torture is endless, even if it's just for a minute. All of her vital organs are missed, but Fiona can tell that that is the point. Nobody in this group want to give her a quick death. Perhaps such a thing wouldn't be entertaining enough for them. The pain stops coming after some point. The goons drop her and snicker at the state they have put Fiona in.

"The bitch's already dead," The vulture tells his comrades, "Let's get going and tell the boss. She got exactly what she deserved." The other two nod their heads and leave the alleyway.

Fiona sits alone in the dark. She has no choice but to feel the agony and let exhaustion wash over her. Would she even be able to heal from angelic steel-induced wounds if she survived by some miracle? Staying awake is becoming increasingly difficult, but a sound makes her ears perk up. Three screams that sound so much like her killers. Fiona loos up. A shadow tendril waves half of a body in the air. Green electricity crackles through the thick wriggling shape of darkness. Could it be...?

Fiona slumps down. What is the point in guessing? She'll be dead by the time her savior finds her. She may as well give in now. Yet, that small sparkle of hope keeps her awake. So when the handsome buck clad in vintage red comes walking in, Fiona is in awe at the sight. For not only is the demon the same species as her, but he is the very manifestation of her dream self. He brushes some dust off his tattered coat, and the yellow sharp-toothed grin plastered on his face grows.

"I must apologize for being late, my dear." His voice oozes with charisma as he speaks, it's almost familiar to Fiona's dying ears, "But I was in the middle of lunch. Though, those lackeys did make for a fine dinner."

The male kneels down to take a closer look at Fiona. He tilts his head when he finds that the demons didn't even give her the decency of a full outfit. And the state of her hooves - her feet are practically stumps with how damaged they are. This doe is a beautiful one, he can tell. Perhaps if she wasn't so young, she'd be the one he's interested in. Letting her die would be a waste. So he snaps his fingers and lets a blanket appear around her. The demon wraps it around the fragile body gingerly in an effort to return some sense of dignity to her.

Fiona opens her eyes when she feels a blanket tightly wrapped around her and a pair of arms lifting hr up. She takes a good look at the one who is taking her to somewhere unknown. It's still that handsome buck. But is he here to save her? Even with her own uncertainty, Fiona has no choice but to find out. 

The male approaches the staircase of the recently rebuilt Hazbin Hotel. It is grander than it ever was, and the building is no longer on the brink of collapse. There are still not many residents looking for redemption. Most of the sinners the man walks past in the lobby were either already there, or they are people who came in seeking sanctuary. While being a refuge was not the owner's intention with the hotel, it is a consequence of it being neutral ground. Nobody has to worry about regular squabbles during their stay, so the injured and the weak live there. The only condition upheld is that they do have to go through the rehabilitation program. And as prideful as all sinners can be, most of them would rather be redeemed than dead. He comes up to the front desk, where Charlie herself is sorting through the room keys. She looks up to the sight of her "friend."

"Oh! Alastor!" Charlie pipes up, "I see you're back from your errands." She looks down at the female deer in his arms. The poor thing is leaving blood everywhere, and she's barely clinging on to life. "A-and I see that your friend there needs medical intervention."

"Don't you worry." Static crackles and pops when Alastor speaks, "From the way she is fighting death, I can tell this one is strong. Her damage is nothing I can't mend, but if you don't mind, the time window I have to ensure her survival is increasingly short. I will require the emergency kit at the back there." 

Charlie hurriedly turns and gathers the kit, "Right! Right! This is no time to chat. That person is dying." Charlie turns back around and hands the kit to Alastor.

"Thank you dearly." With that, Alastor navigates his way to the elevators. Charlie is absolutely grinning behind his back. Could this be it? Is the hotel finally making Alastor crack? No, it can't be. He has plans for that poor demon. Favors like what he's currently doing always have strings attached to them. But what would those strings be? A soul contract? A favor in return for what he has done? Charlie will find out soon, though she is not looking forward to what horror awaits that innocent soul.

[gwenene]

Last Legacy headcanons 💫

Fun hcs I felt like making because I miss last legacy and desperately want them to come back

Felix’s favorite board game is scrabble (and he always wins. Sage will no longer play with him)

Anisa tests all of Tulsi’s prototype weapons for her. Her favorite is the swordchucks

Speaking of swordchucks, Sage is banned from touching them. Tulsi won’t let him anywhere near her prototypes after he nearly sheared his tail off

Tulsi grills fish and kabobs every Friday for the Starsworn (and her raccoons)

Felix randomly hums songs as he works

Rime is the only good cook in the Starsworn. Sage is second best. Anisa and Felix are banned from the kitchen.

Elowen likes to collect shiny objects. Sometimes she’ll find random things while walking and scoop them up like a crow

When he’s tired, Rime will occasionally use illusion magic to make it look like he got dressed and ready in the morning. He didn’t.

Felix and Anisa like to share snacks with each other

Sage hates birds. He won’t explain why (kitty man)

Sage and Anisa once binged on a bunch of sweets from the market together. When they got back to Fathom, they promptly threw up and Rime made them lay down under his care for the rest of the day

Felix despises pumpkin spice coffee. Rime gets it to piss him off

Anisa has a scarf collection. She’ll lend anyone a scarf if needed

Saaros likes to recommend everyone skincare products. They are absolutely appalled by Anisa’s use of hand soap-

Felix loves dark chocolate. He keeps his stash in a false compartment so nobody (including Stella) takes it

Elowen will occasionally do Felix’s eyeliner for him. She can make it look SHARP

Rime and Sage have mini knife-throwing contests. Felix and Anisa had to intervene after a knife thrown just barely missed their faces.

Anisa likes frappes. She’ll always ask for extra drizzles of caramel

Elowen and Stella have an unspoken alliance with each other. They slow blink.

After Felix is done snacking on olives, Sage will drink the olive juice

Sage likes to nap under sunny windowsills. Someone tell Rime to put the marker away-

Tulsi can make sun catchers well. She’s given Felix one. Stella tries to catch the light that shines off it

[talesfromtherollingmountain]

Name: Eleni Anne-Louise Santiana

Nicknames: Captain, El, 'Leni (friends only) Anne (Alias)

Age: 25

Birthday: Oct 30

Sexuality: Pansexual

Description: Eleni is a tall, strong, goth pirate Captain. Standing at 6'0 even, she is a very strong, toned woman, body trained from years of tending the ship and doing heavy lifting. Her arms are very strong and she has a fairly toned six-pack. On her upper abdomen, she has a jagged scar from an incident when she was stabbed in her older teen years. Eleni has purple eyes, and her hair is black, though that is only evident by her eyebrows, because she has a fully shaved head in a buzzcut. She used to have a purple Mohawk, but cut it off after losing a close friend. There is a scar on the right side of her lip that leads up to her cheek. Her nose is tall with a high arch, only accentuated by several breaks that made it crooked. More often than not, she wears heavy, dark makeup including eyeliner down her face and black lipstick, as well as many piercings in her ears.

Personality: Eleni is an aggressive and confident Captain on the surface. Having been on the sea since she was a young child, she adopted the personality traits of her crewmates growing up, sometimes not always for the best. While she learned how to hold her own in a knife fight since adolescence, she also was never taught very much about her own emotions and how to handle them, so she is quick-tempered and angers easily. She is very sarcastic and has a quick-witted remark for almost everything. She feels no shame in flirting with others or sleeping around just for the sake of finding a brief emotional connection with somebody. Despite her brash personality and cold, uncaring demeanor, it is obvious she cares very deeply about things, usually adopting a leadership role because she feels like she can handle things easier. In those moments where she lets her walls down, she is actually gentle and attentive to loved ones, and fiercely protective of her crew and adoptive family.

Likes: Basket weaving (She'd have been a basket weaver if she was not a pirate) Creative makeup, the colors black and purple, solitude, the open sea, a good beer, honey mead, a well-kept blade, blacksmithing

Dislikes/Fears: Drowning, Failure, Harming Loved Ones, Being buried alive, Feeling trapped, Fear of being Forgotten or Not Needed

Faceclaim: Rhea Ripley

[zeldaelmo]

Believe, chapter 3 (chapter 1, chapter 2)

Leaves whirled through the air in tornadoes, orbs of light — magic — shot around in wild frenzy, blue and green and sickeningly orange, bolts of lightning split the stone pedestal in two where it hit the floor, and in the middle of it all was Hylia, glowing in strings of gold and clashing her sword with a demon. Or whatever that guy was exactly, but he sported crystal earrings, a wild flying cape, and eyeliner — he fought like a cheerleader danced but with a sword — there was no way this drama queen wasn’t high up in the ranks of the bad guys.

Hylia moved much less dramatically. Her sword was the epitome of efficiency, swift and precise, but the hits she landed didn't seem to do the damage Link would have expected. Their weapons clashed once more and quivered against each other in a stalemate. Sharp eyes painted purple looked over Hylia’s shoulder, a vicious grin spreading on white lips. “Oh, look, your lapdog is back.”

“I told you he would come,” Hylia hissed without bothering to turn, all warmth that her voice had held for Link earlier gone. “You’ll never understand the true power of courage and devotion.”

“You doubt my devotion, White Goddess? Oh, you foolish thing. No one is dedicated to Demise like the Demon Lord Ghirahim!”

Link nearly snorted. Bingo, demon. He didn't snort, of course, especially not with the demon now abandoning Hylia and stepping up to him. A shield of buzzing red magic popped up around them that Hylia's sword seemed useless to. Link shivered. The demon had been toying with her all along. 

Great news, really. If this was a dream, now was the time to wake up. 

"Ah, look at that." The demon's voice was a knife in a jar of honey. "He has the sword. Now, that's unexpected." He took the time to flip his bangs out of his sight and addressed Hylia. "Only took you a few centuries, huh?"

Hylia's brows were drawn together, her mouth slightly agape — did she plead for something? Link couldn't figure out what. 

"He's here," she spoke when it became obvious Link wouldn’t answer, voice hard. "That's all that matters."

Uh, yes, he was here, but… that didn't mean…

"I see he's a skilled swordsman, congrats." The demon cackled, throwing his head back, and Link kept his gaze on the demon’s fancy cape and did not look at the sword casually resting on his own shoulder like a baseball bat.

"Why don't you give your shiny new sword to me, hm? You don't know what to do with it anyway." He came closer, stepping a half-circle around Link and pretending to draw his finger over the blade and licking it clean. Good God, what was wrong with his tongue?! That thing was disgustingly long!

"Link, no!" Hylia ran toward him, but the barrier pushed her back. "Link, this is the only weapon that can best Demise, it's—"

"Your only hope in a lost war." The demon laughed again, high and loud, then he bowed down to Link. "Now what a misfortune it would be if you lost it, right?"

"Link, please, whatever he does, stay strong, we'll sort this out! Just don't give it to him!" Frantically, Hylia shot magic at the barrier, jabbed her sword at it, and in the end, she even threw pebbles, but to no avail. It didn’t budge.

"Link's the name, yes?" 

Link nodded, pulse drumming against his skull worse than any hangover. He was inside the barrier. With the demon. Hylia could not help him. He had a sword. The demon had a sword and magic. He didn't know how to use the sword other than, yeah, what? Wave it around? Great plan. Totally foolproof.

"So, Link. Do you see my absolute beauty of a sword here? What about I…" He drew a heart into the air with the tip that pulsated red with magic. "...sink it into your heart oh so full of courage?"

"Link! Fight him! Just… I don't know, try!"

Great advice. As if he had a chance against a blade wielded by someone a hundred times more skilled than him. Thousand times, probably.

The hilt of the sword in a vice-like grip he rasped out, "Or?" 

"Oh? How fun, White Goddess, your Hero is a gambler!"

Link feigned ignorance against Hylia's cries and focused on the spot between the demon’s eyes so he didn’t have to see her despair outside the barrier. "I said, or?"

"Or you give me your sword."

"Okay." Link made an effort to shrug casually and pushed the tip of the blade to the ground where it screeched on the stone. "I don't want it anyway."

"Noooooo!" Hylia slammed her fists against the barrier, but it stood steadfast against her golden light. "Link, no! Think of all the people! There’s a refugee camp in walking distance full of children, please! They will slaughter every single soul in this land!"

The demon came slowly back from his fit of laughter. "Really? You just give it to me? Just like that?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was on my way home before I came back and I have no use for a sword where I come from. So… just take it, then I'm rid of it." He pulled the pommel an inch back. "But only if you promise not to kill me."

"Oh, I'll promise you everything, Hero, everything." His eyes were wide but his pupils small, spittle threatening to drip from his mouth. “Just give it to me! The sword, oh, I’ll have the sword, Demise will reward me so well!”

Hylia's cries echoed through the shield, but Link spread his fingers and slid them further down the blade, making room. "Help yourself. This nonsense has wasted enough of my time already."

One last, scrutinizing look, and the Demon snatched the sword, greedy fingers wrapping around the hilt.

Hylia broke down, her forehead hitting the grass in her loud weeping.

Link, however, released the sword entirely. "Have fun with the Blade of Evil's Bane, you fool."

Hylia's eyes, red from storming and crying, snapped to Link's and he cracked a grin, just at the moment as an earth-shaking cry spewed from the demon's mouth. Beginning from the fingers that clutched the sacred sword, particles began to dematerialize from him, rhombus-shaped pieces flying through the air and crashing into the crumbling barrier. Ruby red smoke swirled around Link, grabbing at his limbs with hot, sooty hands, but the sword shone and shone in a proud blue, forcing the dark magic back. Hylia scrambled to her feet, finally pushing through what was left of the barrier and running up to him. Left and right her golden magic shot, enveloping and absorbing the red rhombuses, but she had only eyes for him. “Link! Did he hurt you?”

The air on the clearing finally lightened again and Link released a shuddering breath, his shoulders sagging. He picked up the sword, now free from any corruption. “No, I’m good.”

A delicate, quivering hand leaned on his shoulder and Link had never seen anyone so shaken. Her knees buckled, so he wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her close, inhaled all the courage that still lingered in the air and pressed a featherlight kiss on her hair. Oh, he was going to hell for this blasphemy, but she needed support and who was he to forsake her? She melted into him, whispering nothing but, “Link.” He swallowed, his throat bobbing against her cheek — he might like his name in her voice a little bit too much for his own good.

Her fingers came up to play with his newly grown bangs and her frame strengthened again. “Please tell me, you knew that the sword would do that.”

“Well…” Link circled the sword in his hand, scrutinizing the spotless, blue-winged hilt. “Knowledge is a strong word.”

A light shake of her head let her hair tickle his skin. It prompted her to take a step back, raising her eyes to his, and he hurried to say, “I mean, you said it was the Blade of Evil’s Bane and that only someone worthy can touch it. I still don’t get why that should be me, but obviously it wasn’t him.”

She smiled, eyes crinkling and skin glowing gold. Oh, he had missed that sun on him. “Devotion and Courage have many faces.”

Link pulled a sigh from the very back corner of his soul. “He will come back, right? You’ll need to show me how to use this thing.” He swung the blade, promptly underestimated the weight, and had to lunge to catch himself from falling. Bashfully, he cleared his throat. “They won’t fall for the same trick twice.”

“He will come back, yes. And now they know that we have found our Hero and that you’re ill-prepared.”

“Hero,” Link echoed. The odd feeling of pieces clicking together arose inside him once again. He didn’t like it, exactly, neither that feeling nor the word, but something about it, about her felt like coming home and he was tired of the world leaving him out.

“My people will praise you as Hero, but I’ll continue to call you Link if you like that better.” She winked and curled her gentle hand around his arm, squeezing lightly. Link blinked away the very real image of him sinking his fingers into her blonde hair and pressing his lips to the lazily fluttering spot on her neck just to hear her breathe into his ear, to coax his name falling from her lips. Sacrilege, sacrilege, the voices in his head whispered, but he grinned to himself, basking in the soft look she gave him through her lashes. No, not sacrilege, worship, and that he decided, had a very different ring to it.

His stomach growled and the moment vanished. "Come." She laughed, released him, and whistled with both fingers. 

A gigantic… bird for the lack of a better word, drew a majestic circle over their heads and landed in front of them. A few red feathers flitted through the air, but the bird didn't seem to mind. Hylia patted its neck and it leaned into her touch like a pet. "He's a loftwing. He can carry us both."

"You found him."

Link startled, the sword nearly clattering from his grip. The bi—loftwing could speak. Of course, the loftwing could speak, and after everything he had just lived through, he drew the line at speaking animals?

"Yes, I found him,” she answered. “And we've gotten along splendidly, I couldn't be happier." 

Eh, well. He had admitted in the first five minutes that he was fresh out of jail and then he had pulled the sword out of spite, had run off and came back only to realize he had no idea how to use the damned thing. Splendidly, really.

“He looks a bit skimpy if you ask me.”

Hello? The loftwing could at least pretend that he was aware that Link could hear them. Pfft… “I’ve been a tiny bit underfed since I'm out of—, anyway, give me access to proper food and I’ll be in top shape in no time at all.” 

The loftwing tilted his beak, gave him a 'was-I-talking-to-you-or-what' look, and pushed his head back into Hylia's hand. “Where did you find him?”

“Long story… but he just let Ghirahim go up in smoke with nothing but his wits, so that’s a good start.” She sighed contently and climbed on the loftwing's back. “Bring us home.”

Link shouldered the sword and followed her outstretched hand without looking back.

[thehoundwrites]

what about sevika having a goth girlfriend ? I mean Zaun actually has a punk/goth style so..

Okay, no bc listen I also dress in alt styles so yesss

MDNI as always 18+ only

TW: arcane and blog typical nsfw

Proofread? Yes/No

Sevika thought she had patience, until she had to wait for you to get your wings perfect, for you to get dressed in your layers of clothes, and chains and buckles. Until you just had to perfect your hair, and smooth everything down and and and.

Of course yes she'll do her wings with you, but it only usually takes her a few minutes to get her black lipstick on, her brown eyeshadow and two lines of thick liner and boom. She always waits for you now. She thinks it's a cute little thing when the two of you do your makeup together.

She loves different alt styles as she should. They're gorgeous.

Just uhh... Don't wear fishnets around her if you don't want them to be ripped off. She'll absolutely rip them off, or she'll just shamelessly stare at your ass the entire time. Like you don't notice the way shes staring at you like a peace of meat.

Loves goth makeup, she'll tease you about it 100% but absolutely loves the way it looks when your sweating or crying so much it's dripping down your face.

If you have any extra crop tops, she's taking them even if she has to force it over her shoulders. Her backs super large thought it'll probably rip. She'll by you a new one don't worry.

She'll always by you a new one. Because she can't help herself you just look so cute. Like a little snack.

Most of her closer crew, Dustin, ran, lock, her even all have a different sense of alt styles but she'll comment on "how much better" it looks on you.

Imagine the song by corpse "e-girls are ruining my life"

She knows you're a bad bitch, you know you're a bad bitch, everyone knows. So to counteract that Sevika leave pretty hickeys and finger marks in your skin Incase anyone gets the wrong idea about who you belong to.

I have a headcanon she can do makeup, so let her do it. She could probably do those really cool eyeliner designs. But also it's an excuse to use a knife to "line it". But she also just likes the way her knives look against your skin.

If you do her makeup get ready to be eaten out, I mean eaten out I mean eaten out. Absolutely no way out of it.

Will love it if one morning the two of you are getting ready and you straddle her lap and do her makeup you'll both be late and there'll be black lipstick all over your shoulders. Dark makeup colors smeared all over your bodies and possibly the couch.

Loves goth bitches 10/10 (who doesn't)

[ladylovesalatte]

I was thinking of the sk8 x bsd thing (again) earlier, imagine kouyou and Chuuya coming to visit cherry, and everyone besides joe is like “who are these people??” And it’s like, this gorgeous badass women with a sword and a demon and her son(brother?) who can manipulate fucking gravity. How would they even react to that?

oh I am SO glad you asked bc I have Thoughts - I'm assuming this is going to take place circa episode 5 once the Sk8 fam has kinda consolidated:

Shadow: First things first, he sees Kouyou's red eyeliner and immediately decides he wants it for his own. He thinks he should be an honorary member of the family because he has orange hair and he owns up to his aesthetic to Kouyou and Chuuya levels. At first he's terrified of Golden Demon (GD) to the point that he faints but once he revives they bond over flowers. GD joins the Shadow defense squad bc she thinks he's a dumb himbo but he would take good care of and adore Kyouka when he eventually meets her.

Miya: Is originally afraid of Kouyou and on first sight thinks Chuuya is thee coolest person ever. Highkey hid behind Joe when Golden Demon appeared (which wasn't the best choice because GD has it out for her brother-in-law). The closer GD got, Miya's survival instincts kicked in and he went into Miyao (Meow) mode (shown below). GD, Kouyou, and Chuuya took one look at him and the adoption papers were signed within 0.1 sec. He follows Chuuya around like a baby duck and they talk, and that's when Chuuya finds out about Adam. In fact, everyone finds out bc Chuuya gets so angry a crater is blown into poor Joe's restaurant's floor. He immediately flies out the door, only to return about 20 minutes later with some suspicious red stains on his gloves and a simple "oh I was taking out the trash". Kouyou pats them both on the head and resolves to pay her own visit later on.

Reki: Our resident disaster bi is overwhelmed and intimidated by Kouyou's ethereal presence to the point that he freezes. However, this is overriden by geek-mode the moment he catches sight of Kouyou's sword. Eyes shining, he looks up to her and interrogates her for 3 whole hours about various sharp objects and absolutely monopolizes her time. Kouyou is reminded of a younger-Chuuya who once did the same thing. GD hovers around them watchfully, occasionally taking out her own sword to show Reki. Chuuya shows him his knife-juggling with gravity manipulation trick and he's delighted. Another set of adoption papers are signed.

Langa: Once you experience Adam's presence, it's a little hard to be shocked by things. As such, Langa doesn't react too strongly to Kouyou's and Chuuya's presence. His single braincell does take a moment to question why Chuuya can control gravity and where GD is coming from, but the thought eventually passes, he shrugs, and moves on. He sticks next to Reki at first, listening to the conversations around and laughing at GD chasing Joe in the background. This no-thoughts-head-empty state disappears when he hears Chuuya talking to Miya about how he knows French. The Canadian part of him emerges, excited to speak in another familiar language with someone who can understand him. One "bonjour" later, another set of adoption papers is signed.

Later on...

Chuuya buys the trio chokers so they can match him: Reki gets a set of colorful thick ones, Miya gets a cat shaped one, and Langa gets one black and one white one.

Kouyou teaches Reki about tea ceremonies. She finds the boy has remarkably steady and dependable hands, and he makes very good tea.

Chuuya takes the trio out for sk8 "practice" which often consists of him using gravity manipulation to help them learn tricks or get more air. Kouyou and Cherry accompany them, but they simply watch elegantly from beneath a red umbrella.

Kouyou becomes a regular patron of Shadow's flower shop. GD comes out when the manager isn't looking. The demon has wonderful taste in blossoms.

The Port Mafia is given strict instructions to protect the trio from Adam. If he deigns to get within 500 meters of any of them, he would be made to disappear. Kouyou delivers the news to him herself, along with a haircut courtesy of GD.

Chuuya thinks skating feels similar to flying-by-gravity-manipulation, so he takes up the sport seriously too (without help from his ability ofc). Dazai tries to get his S-name to be Slug, but it doesn't catch on.

Chuuya can bake and he and Joe have similar taste in wines so they actually get along well (except for when Cherry is in the room and all bets are off bc Chuuya is a loyal brother/son). He learns how to make many healthy desserts to assuage Miya's sweet tooth.

I have so many more thoughts but this is already long, so I'll add more to another post later!! Thanks for the ask bff <3