#like thers the all at once hearts then silence that lulls them into a ''oh okay that was it.''

[micamone]

i *have* to put things in a queue. for ur own good.

[mggpleasedontlookhere]

no matter what it takes

summary: y/n is kidnapped, and for once reid can’t think of a solution

inspired by this request: Hiiiii! I absolutely love your writing it’s so amazing! I was wondering could there be a storyline where your all working a case (the reader is dating Spencer) and have a lead and you go to the suspect’s house and while there you get kidnapped when back at the BAU the team is trying to work out how to get you back and they get a ransom vid of you getting beaten (dark I know) so they all have to work faster and they find you but while you're taken can we see it from like Spencer’s POV and his thought process on your being gone. Anyways they find you and you’re like drugged majorly injured you wake up in hospital Spencer’s there and it’s fluffy at the end.I know that’s rough but I really love your writing and hope this is ok x

word count: 2,331                                                                                               reading time aprox: 8 mins

a/n: to whoever requested it, i kinda didn’t follow your format or ending. i’m really sorry to disappoint you, but i was writing the plot one way, then suddenly it took a turn. i hope you still enjoy it!

masterlist

Spencer’s POV

My eyes scanned the words in front of me, Charles Dickens displayed in between my hands. I hoped my thoughts would wander more as I explored the novel, taking my mind off of the case I worked previously.

Out of the blue, two soft hands appeared on my knotted hair, massaging the scalp tenderly. “Are you settling okay, my love? How was the case?”

I exhaled deeply, setting the book down beside me as I guided my best girl to my lap. I cushioned her to my side, nuzzling my nose into her shoulder.

“That bad, huh?” Y/N sympathized, trailing her fingers at the cut of my chin. I nodded into her, taking in her calming scent. She smelled of fresh daisies in the summer and the first layer of snow in the winter.

I lifted my head from hers, bringing my arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to me. I sighed in relief as a wave of calm brushed over me. “We were too late...we couldn’t get to one of the last hostages before the unsub.” I shook my head, taking her hand in mine. I examined the daintiness of her fingers, chuckling softly as I placed kisses upon each of them.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she whispered, nuzzling into me as we enjoyed each other’s presence. “Did you catch the unsub?”

“No...he got away last minute,” I sighed, running my hand over my face. “This unsub likes to make things personal. He only killed the last victim to mess with us.”

Silence infiltrated the conversation before it dived into the dark details of the case. The combined sounds of our breathing created a tranquil environment, lulling us to sleep with every second passed.

“I promise you Y/N...”

-

The shade of grey that covered the walls of the BAU prevented agents’ minds from meandering from their tasks. This proved quite effective in intended circumstances, although the caveat was the consequence of a disconcerted mind.

The film cast over my eyes exacerbated the existing burn from staring into space for too long. Although the sensation was unmatched for the void that consumed me from the inside. My limp fingers twitched beside me in a rhythmic pace, reminding me that this was real. My feet felt heavy against the granite tiles of the office, barely able to hold up the rest of my stature. I felt my muscles sag underneath my weight as the feeling of emptiness flooded from my torso to the knuckles of my hands.

“You be careful, Y/N!” I teased, watching as my lover’s silhouette disappeared into the elevator.

“Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone!”

I shook my head, amused at the incessant Marvel-themed references that had been thrown my way since our last movie night. “How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.”

I hissed as I felt my nails dig into my palms. I hadn’t realized how hard I’d been clenching my fists until I looked down to see blood trailing around my nail bed. Shaking my head, I cleaned off the evidence against my slacks, watching it seep through the material.

“Guys?”

My head shot up to find Penelope typing away at her computer. Her brows were crossed with worry and her eyes would flicker frantically between her four monitors. The rest of the team seemed to follow me to her station, gazing with anticipation at what she discovered.

“What do you have Garcia?”

“I-um. I’m picking up a satellite feed somewhere in Danbury, Connecticut,” she spilled out, her fingers shaking over her keys. “Ther-there’s a livestream that just went active two minutes ago, an-and it’s...there’s-oh my god.” Penelope pushed herself away from her screens, tearing her eyes away as her face grew hot.

“Reid. Out.” Hotch demanded, not taking his eyes off the feed in front of him. JJ moved beside him, further blocking my view of the monitor. Her face contorted in shock and disgust, similar to the expression Garcia beheld moments ago.

“What...why?” I questioned, taking steps forward to investigate, but was ultimately stopped by Morgan. A coil wrapped around my insides, getting tighter with every breath that I took. The sides of my forehead began to warm up with a disorienting blaze, traveling down my eyelids. The fire followed down to the pit of my stomach, sending an uneasy chill down my spine.

“Kid…” he whispered, shaking his head in caution.

“What…” I breathed, feeling my cheeks swell up. Morgan couldn’t meet my eyes--none of them could. “God, it’s my girlfriend. I deserve to know where the hell she is,” I huffed, pushing past Morgan. Although the words were launched back into my esophagus, turning into bile that burned away at my pride.

A high-pitched ringing echoed and bounced around my head. My ears thumped with a resonating drum, overwhelming my senses. Every sharp intake of air felt like ice shooting up my nostrils, and every exhale felt like fire to my lungs.

Y/N was hunched over in a chair with braces around her wrists and ankles. Her beautiful hair was matted with dirt and blood, sticking to the sides of her face. Her skin was painted with a mixture of sweat and grime, hiding the usual radiant glow of her skin. Fortunately, the blurry pixels of the video saved me from witnessing the large gashes that ran along her flesh.

A man stood next to her with a Cheshire grin, his pervasive eyes scanning every inch of his work before breaking the fourth wall. He stared at the camera with a joyful gleam, tilting his head as he inspected the lenses.

“Spencer.” I imagined her call out. A phantom chant met my ears, remembering the softness in her voice and the soothing gravity she carried within her words.

“Spencer, stop it!” Y/N giggled, burying herself deeper into our duvet.

“Why baby?” I murmured into the crease of her neck. “We should just stay like this all day. Maybe if we stay long enough we can morph into a chrysalis.”

“Spencer,” she giggled. “Spence…”

“Spence?” JJ empathized, searching my eyes. She placed a hand on the outside of my arm, lingering there for a comforting moment. Although when she realized her attempts were futile, she retracted her arm with a tight frown on her lips. “I know that-”

“The feed is displaying audio now,” Garcia announced with a wavering tone. I slid past JJ, standing my ground next to Hotch as we listened to the livestream. Whimpers echoed throughout the concrete compound she was trapped in. Her body flinched as the man inched closer to her with an object out of view from the camera. The fear in her eyes left a sharp pang in my chest as a burning resentment ignited my bloodstream.

“Stop…” she whispered, pulling away from the man. “Stop...please,” she sobbed. Her face was contorted in anticipation, glancing down at the item creeping towards her. It was only then a glint of a metal object bounced off of the camera, a foreign substance leaking from its tip.

“Stop! Please!” Y/N’s voice amplified in volume as the inevitable came. “NO!” she screamed, thrashing in her seat as the needle penetrated the soft layer of her skin. “SPENCER! HELP!” she cried out, desperation seeping through her weeps.

A suffocating poison ran its course throughout my body, entrapping me in the limited reality of my abilities. I felt my inner conscious thrash against the walls of my mind, begging for an answer, a solution. I tore my eyes away from the screen, my hand unconsciously clawing at the base of my neck. Staggered breaths blocked my airway, and the room shrank under my feet.

I needed to get out.

I let my feet sweep me away from the office, as far as it takes. My back hit the cold wall of the eerie hallway, feeling the chill penetrate through my blazer. I closed my eyes as I banged on my forehead, hoping that the gears would start working, but nothing seemed to bring me assurance.

Nothing could assure that she’ll be okay. I failed her. I failed to assure her that I was going to keep her safe. I failed at keeping her safe. I failed her.

My heart was pulled against my spine, attached tethers tearing it apart in opposite directions. Contractions of adrenaline seeped into my nervous system as her anguished screams left the room silent behind me. It was like gravity had ceased to exist, leaving me floating in a mind-numbing state of desolation.

I failed her.  

“I’m always going to love you,” I reassured, tucking in a hair behind her ear as she swung her legs back and forth atop of the counter.

“Really Spence?” she giggled, bringing the spoonful of 3:00 am ice cream out of her mouth, dangling the utensil from the bottom of her plump lips.  “Prove it?”

“Darling, isn’t there a tub of ice cream--that I bought--in your hands?” I teased, tapping at my watch. “And last time I checked it’s the middle of the night.”

“Whatever,” she giggled, nudging at my shoulder. My hands traveled to the sides of her hips, pulling myself closer as I inspected the beautiful glow of the moonlight reflecting off of her visage. “I thought you were going to say something cute.”

“That wasn’t cute?”

“Not even close, Spencer Reid,” she mumbled, tapping on the end of my nose before taking my face into the softness in her hands. She playfully scoffed as we inspected each other’s eyes for what seemed like hours. My arms found their way around her waist, melting into her, as I lessened the gap between us.

“What is it?” I whispered, my eyes flickering from her eyes to the pigment on her lips. Closing in proximity, I nudged her into me. But before our lips could meet, a chuckle filled the air and a hand was placed above my chest.

“I...am out of ice cream.” With that, she scurried away to the fridge with a bounce in her step. I shook my head in amusement, whispering to myself.

“That girl’s damn lucky that I love her.”

Frenzied feet inside the office took me out of my daze, but it was the sound of soft steps approaching me that made my shoulders stiffen in anticipation. I collected my composure the best as I can, maintaining a brave face for whoever would walk into the doorframe.

I didn’t even bother to look up to see who it was. The figure’s footsteps halted beside the door frame, leather shoes in my peripheral. Without a moment of quiet, the figure stooped down with its back pressed lightly against the wall. Although despite the thick tension, the figure remained silent.

“You know I don’t always need company…” I murmured defensively.

“I know kid...I know,” Morgan huffed, bringing his hands to his head. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any.” He knocked his knee into mine, slinging an arm around my shoulders. “She’s going to be okay Spencer.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know that she’s strong,” Morgan countered. “You just gotta believe in tha-”

“Don’t- Don’t give me hope like I’m one of the victims we interview. I’m- I’m not a victim.” I nudged his large hand off of me, feeling confined in the big desolate hallway.

“I wasn’t saying you were-”

“But you implied it!” I combed through my hair, my lungs still sore from staggered breaths. “I’m...I’m sorry,” I sighed.

“I said I’m sorry!” I yelled, feeling my throat dry up from the venom dripping from my words.

“This is the third time, Spence. The THIRD time you came home late,” Y/N seethed.

“Who are you? My mother?”

“All I want is to know that you’re safe, Spencer! God! I wait here all day for you, knowing that you’re out there on the field, and something could happen. How does that make me feel?”

“This is ridiculous,” I shook my head, dismissing her ignorance. I headed towards my jacket that I strung up on the coat hanger a few minutes ago, not bothering to take my keys with me.

“Where...where are you going?” Y/N whispered.

I made the mistake of looking back and seeing the hurt present on her face. The apples of her cheeks were stained with tears, and her eyes were glistening with fresh ones. Her lips were parted ever so slightly, still looking plump and soft even in her distressed state.

“To work,” I monotonously replied, turning away from her. I shuffled out of the apartment with anger dominating every part of me, blinding me to the point where I guess I forgot to lock the door.

“I did this.”

Morgan’s head shot up at the utterance of my words. “What do you mean, kid?”

“I left her by herself...alone,” I scoffed. “We were fighting, and I just left her there. God, I didn’t even lock the door.” I rammed the back of my head against the plaster wall, squeezing my eyes tightly. “How can I be so stupid? Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

“Hey, stop that!” Morgan intervened, pulling my shoulders off of the wall. “You didn’t know that this was going to happen…”

“Yes, but I should’ve known, Morgan! Don’t you get it!”

“Spenc-”

“I had one job…” I sighed, the inner walls of my chest collapsing into themselves. “God I...I should’ve known.”

My head fell back into the curves of my palms, my tears shamelessly peeking out of the corners of my eyes. My chest heaved reluctantly, as my heart lurched forward. Heat crawled up my cheeks, combining with the coldness of the tears running down my face.

Morgan’s supporting hand felt like a phantom’s upon the skin of my back, knowing that nothing compared to the innocent touch of my Y/N.

-

“What is it, Spence?”

“I promise you that....that I’m always going to keep you safe, no matter what it takes.”

-

taglist: @rexorangecouny​ @howdycharlie @honeymilk-4​ @linthebinbag​ @andreasworlsboring101​ @ssareidbby​ @kyleetheeditor​ @tclaerh​ @jimilogy​ @lulwaxim @jhillio​ @m3ssytrash​ @haylaansmi​ @meowiemari​ @ashwarren32​ @spencerwaltergubler​

[moonbeambucky]

Saturday

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader Word Count: 2054 Warnings: fluff

Summary: Request details A drunken night reveals a secret, you’ve been single your whole life. Bucky happens to overhear this and can't believe it. Perhaps now is the time he will reveal his own secret.

A/N: This was my first request! Thank you so much anon! I changed it slightly but I still hope you like it! ^u^ gif not mine (x) 

Friday was always your favorite day of the week. Sure, Saturday was the day you could sleep in and spend all day in your pajamas if you really wanted to, but Friday had more significance. Friday meant the start of the weekend. When the clock struck 5 you were out of the office, headed out to meet up with friends.

It had become a weekly tradition, getting together to catch up and unwind. Sometimes you would get your nails done and go for dinner, other times it was just drinks. The actual plans never mattered, you were just happy to kick off your weekend with good company, never once imagining your new job would have an impact on your tradition.

Working for SHIELD was incredible, you were surrounded by vast new technology that would surely keep you busy. There was a lot of work but you thrived, accustomed to throwing yourself deep into an endless pit of work during the week. Friday’s were your break to decompress from all of that but the more Hydra cells the Avengers raided the greater your workload was.

It was gradual at first, missing your Friday get-togethers, until you weren’t able to make them at all. You missed it a lot but found your time occupied working on site with the Avengers, some missions requiring immediate insight on the tech they recovered. Though there was always danger involved you felt safe with the Avengers, especially after getting to know each member of the team.

It was natural that you would develop friendships with everyone especially considering the amount of time you devoted to your work. Even better was the fact that you, Natasha and Wanda decided to recreate your former Friday gatherings. If you weren’t neck deep in work and they weren’t on missions you would settle yourselves in one of their rooms at the Tower for a girl’s night. Take out, movies, drinks, again it didn’t matter; you were with friends and you were able to unwind a little.

On this particular Friday you asked Natasha to make you an extra strong drink. It probably wasn’t your brightest idea considering you skipped lunch and dinner thanks to a debriefing meeting in which you had to explain a lot of science to people who barely understood the subject. It was taxing and you were simply exhausted.

By the time you drank your third Long Island Iced Tea you were very drunk, not able to hear the slurring in your voice, or see the glossy look in your eyes. You were entranced in a comfortable stare at the patterns on the carpet when you heard Wanda ask for another drink.

“Ha! Sex on the beach, that… that s-sounds messy,” you slurred, laughing uncontrollably afterwards. “You make do,” Natasha said, winking with a smirk as she casually sipped her Vodka.

Your drunken interjection opened the door to a conversation you hadn’t wanted to speak about, but your inhibitions were lowered and so here you were, admitting a secret you felt ashamed about to your friends.

“It’s true I’ve never had a boyfriend,” you interrupted yourself with a hiccup. “Or a girlfriend. I dunno I think there’s something wrong with me or something.”

Deep down you knew there wasn’t, some people date a lot, some a little and some not at all. Despite the facts your brain reminded you of your heart ached, longing for something that was absent in your life.

“There’s nothing wrong with you Y/N,” Wanda quickly spoke up, throwing her arms around you for comfort when your expression dropped.

Natasha took another swig of her drink; the clanking of the glass on the table startling you. “I’ll tell you what the problem is, you’re dating your work.”

Your face scrunched together as you shook your head back and forth. Natasha nodded her head up and down as she told you what you already knew. It was true, you loved what you did and you never quite knew how to balance a personal life. Well, that’s if you had one.

Growing up you always preferred studying or going to science expos over actual dates, partially wondering if you kept yourself so involved in school work to avoid rejection. But if you didn’t give anyone the opportunity to reject you then clearly you would be fine, right? Well, you tried for many years thinking you were okay with how things were but you weren’t, and now you were too embarrassed to change that.

You had become so engrossed in your work you wouldn’t know the first thing about dating. You don’t have the confidence to ask anyone out and clearly no one has asked you so you’re resigned yourself to the fact that you would be single. Single Y/N, forever alone, married to work. Ugh.

You stood up on unsteady legs, bringing your empty glass up to your lips, tipping your head back all the way to get the last drop of the delicious inebriant. Wanda quickly got up to catch you before you fell, gently laying you on the floor, your legs were crossed and tangled as you laughed, unaware of your near fall.

“Hey!” Natasha called out towards the hallway, hearing the footsteps of a passerby. Bucky cautiously peeked his head in the room and Natasha asked if he could help and bring you to the guest room.

You were vaguely aware of Bucky scooping you up into his arms. Had you been sober your cheeks would be flushed for a different reason. Though you had spilled the beans to the girls about being single you thankfully kept the details about your crush on Bucky to yourself.

As Bucky carried you to the guest room in the Tower he gazed down and thought about the conversation he overheard. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, he was passing by but Natasha’s door was open, combined with his enhanced his senses there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

He was shocked learning that you’ve always been single. When you first introduced yourself he was captivated. He remembered his less than suave demeanor, his mouth hung open as he stared at you, enamored by your beauty. It wasn’t until Sam nudged him in the ribs that he reminded to introduce himself as well.

Over the last few months Bucky was able to conduct himself normally around you but it never stopped his growing infatuation. Little things began to stand out to him, like the way you would bite your lip when you were thinking, or when a stray hair would fall out of place and you casually tucked it behind your ear letting your hand linger on your cheek for a moment. He loved the way you spoke about your work, a wide grin would spread across your face as your eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

The gently rocking of Bucky’s steps lulled you into sleep, unaware of the tender way he placed you on the mattress, draping the soft comforter over body. He gazed upon your sleeping form, whispering goodnight before leaving.

Waking up the next morning was the worst thing you could have possibly done. You sat up in bed, still slightly dizzy with your head pounding to the rhythm of a sound you couldn’t hear. A terrible taste settled in your parched mouth and it pained your eyes to keep them open. The sting of sunlight crept in the room and you were all set on throwing the covers over your head again and passing out again if you didn’t need to use the restroom so badly.

Before getting up you noticed glass of water and bottle of aspirin on the night stand. You swallowed two pills and gulped down the rest of the water quickly. Heading to the bathroom you splashed generous amounts of cold water on your face, and doing your best to look presentable before seeing the rest of the team.

You stopped by Natasha’s room, seeing her awake and in workout gear; ready to hit the gym like last night had no effect on her.

“How’re you feelin’ Y/N?” she asked, lacing up her sneakers. You chuckled at the thought of your worn out body, “Like shit Nat,” you stated. She laughed, throwing an arm around you as you both walked out of her room.

“I’m gonna grab some coffee, I’ll see you later,” you said, as you were walking in a separate direction. Natasha was headed downstairs towards the gym before you cried out, “Oh Nat wait!”  She stopped and turned back towards you. 

“Thanks for the aspirin.” “What aspirin? I’ll see you later Y/N,” she said, quickly jogging down the steps.

You shrugged, believing Wanda placed them there instead. Walking into the kitchen you saw Bucky cooking breakfast at the stove.

“Hey Y/N. How’s your head?” he asked, turning over his slices of bacon. You answered him while absent mindedly pouring yourself a cup of coffee. It wasn’t until you finished your first sip his question hit you, “Wait… Bucky did you leave the water and aspirin?”

“Yeah doll. Who do you think carried you to bed?” he said, his blue eyes crinkled with laughter.

“I… um…” you really didn’t know what to say, wanting to kick yourself for being in Bucky’s arms and not remembering a single moment of it! After stuttering you remembered to thank him.

Bucky offered you to make you breakfast but your stomach was more than satisfied with toast. You tried not embarrass yourself in front of Bucky as you quietly picked at your food. It wasn’t until he finished eating when he broke the silence.

“So, uh, Y/N I didn’t mean to but I, um…” Bucky started, clearing his throat before he was able to get the rest of his sentence out, “is it true you’ve never dated anybody?”

Throughout your life you’ve always dreamt of what it would be like to be someone else. In this moment you wanted to be an ostrich, burying your head in the sand so you wouldn’t have to face the utter mortification from Bucky’s question.

“No!” you quickly snapped. “Well I’ve been out to dinner with colleagues before and, um, well I guess that was part of a work conference…” you rattled on, trying desperately to bend the truth.

“Uhhhhh, oh oh in college, there was someone!” you excitedly remembered. “Yeah in college, my lab partner and I would go out all the time, yeah like every day… for Starbucks,” you said, your enthusiastic tone dropped as you realized the truth. You hadn’t dated anyone, ever.

With a deep sigh you looked at Bucky, humiliation worn shamefully on your face. “It’s true, I haven’t dated anyone but please don’t say anything Bucky. I feel weird enough about this as it is,” you said sorrowfully.

“There’s nothing wrong with that Y/N but uh, if you wanted to… we could… um…” he began.

The nervous stutter in Bucky’s voice made you wary. “Bucky stop. I don’t know what you’re about to say but I’d rather you not okay. I don’t want to be asked out out of pity, I’m embarrassed enough as it is,” you interrupted.

“No, Y/N please listen to me,” he asked softly. Bucky ran his hands through his hair, a nervous habit of his you picked up on. “I…” he swallowed anxiously, “I like you, I’ve liked you for a while now and I...”

You were half convinced, still cautious about facing the harsh sting of rejection. “Why now? Why didn’t you say anything before?” you questioned.

“I don’t really know,” he said, knowing full well his own embarrassing truth. “I’m not the man I was, lost my confidence I guess,” he said as his lips curved up into a sad half smile. “Truth is I’m crazy about you and if you wanted I’d love to go out with you.”

It was surprising that you kept calm, you were screaming internally but managed to reply yes with cool composure. It seemed unreal that Bucky Barnes, the man you have been dreaming about since you began working with the Avengers was legitimately asking you out.

“Great! How about Friday?” Bucky asked, exposing a bright white smile. “No,” you replied, wiping the confidence off his face. Friday was the day with your girls. 

“How about Saturday?” you winked.

[leland-chapman-the-bounty-hunter]

Cookies and Cocoa

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Charlie and Neville

Word Count: 2,098

Summary: Neville and Charlie discuss everything from dragons to family to Charlie's own aromanticism.

“I baked Christmas cookies!” Molly squeezed inbetween Charlie and Bill. A wide smile on her face as she set the cookies on the table. “Dig in!” 

Ten sets of hands reached towards the platter of cookies. In a matter of seconds, half of the platter was gone and the once loud chatter of the Weasley family had stopped. Charlie dipped his cookies in some milk. His eyes wide with a childlike sense of wonder. Bill kept his eyes on the remaining cookies and the people who dared grab at the last few remaining on the platter as if they were going to be snatched away from him at any moment. 

“I grabbed it first.” Fred glared at Percy from across the table. His freckled skin turning as red as the jumper he wore. 

“No you didn’t, my hands were on it first.” Percy snapped back.

Molly reached in between the two of them and grabbed the cookie. She snapped the poor snowman straight down the middle before handing each child a half, “Now you can share him.” 

Percy sat back in his seat. His eyes filled with a fire to which Neville had never seen before from him. Fred settled back into his seat as well. He munched on the half of the cookie he had gotten. The redness of his anger fading away as fast as it had appeared on his face. George kept silent next to his twin while Ron whispered something into Hermione’s ear. She flushed a deep red. Her curly hair flicking into Ron’s face as she shook her head. Charlie placed a hand on Neville’s thigh. Neville jumped up at the new warmth on his thigh and turned his attention towards Charlie.

“Do you like it here?” Charlie whispered. “Yes, I’m glad I’m here.”

“Good. I was thinking that the chaos was going to scare you off.” Charlie reached out and took one of the last remaining chocolate chip cookies off of the platter. 

“Why would the chaos scare me off?” 

“Well, it’s not like you’ve been around that big of a family for much of your life. I thought all of the commotion would cause you to leave.” 

“I need the commotion. I’ve got to get used to it if I’m to teach at Hogwarts next year.” 

Charlie perked up, “You’re going to teach there? That’s amazing news. Have you told anyone else?” 

“No,” Neville shook his head. “Just you so far.”

“This is cause for celebration.” Before Neville could protest, Charlie stood at his seat and clanged his spoon against his glass of milk. The room fell silent once more as they turned their attention to Charlie. “Neville here would like to make an announcement.” 

Neville sat frozen in his seat. His blood ran cold and his face filled with heat. “I-it’s not th-ha-that much of an ann-ann-announcement at all.” 

“Come on,” Charlie egged on. “Just tell them what you told me.” 

“I-well I…I got a position to teach under Professor Sprout at Hogwarts next year. After the school’s rebuilt.” Neville dropped his gaze to his lap with a soft smile. 

The room erupted into a cacophony of cheers. Charlie wrapped his arms around Neville and rocked him back and forth. Bill pat his shoulder with as much enthusiasm as he seemed he could muster. Fred almost broke the table leaping over it to give Neville a hug. Molly broke through three of her own children to hug Neville. Arthur offered a kind hearted pat on the back. Neville couldn’t tell where the rest of the congratulations came from but it took a few minutes for everyone to settle down and go back to their cookies.

The crowd had now thinned out at the table to only a few people. Molly cleaned up the rest of the dishes left on the table and left them to clean in the sink with the enchanted scrubber and some hot water. The smile still hadn’t faded from her face. Neville brought himself into the kitchen with his hands folded in front of him. Molly nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned and faced Neville. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you Mrs. Weasley.” Molly held a hand to her chest and caught her breath. “I just wanted to know if Charlie and I could have some hot chocolate.”

“Of course, dear.” Molly placed the last dish in the sink. “Just give me a few moments.” 

“We’ll be up in his room.” Neville turned on his heel and started to walk away. He stopped and turned back to face Molly. “Thank you.” 

“No problem dear.” 

Neville walked up the stairs to Charlie’s room. His feet careful not to trip on any of the random books and trinkets that littered the stairs. Charlie was right where Neville had left him. He was perched right near the windowsill with a quill in his hands and a piece of parchment secured on the windowsill with some tape. His hand absentmindedly traced the constellations that he saw in the night sky. Neville tapped on the doorframe. Charlie’s head snapped up to meet the noise.

“Your mom is going to bring up some hot chocolate in a bit.” Neville slid into the room and took his place next to Charlie. 

“Thank you.” Charlie’s eyes scanned the sky once more. He dipped his quill into the inkwell and moved his pen against the paper once more. 

“Why are you looking at the sky?” Neville wrapped an arm around Charlie’s shoulder. He didn’t even flinch at the motion but rather leaned into it. 

“They say some of the first dragons came from the meteors that fell down in the prehistoric age. We’ve been looking to the stars lately to try and trace them back to space. There could still be dragons hiding out in meteors to this day.” Charlie smiled at the sky. “There’s supposed to be a meteor ready to crash down in Scotland in a few weeks so we’ll see if there’s a dragon in there.” 

Neville curled into Charlie’s shoulder. His head bounced every few seconds with Charlie’s movements. Neville’s eyes closed as Charlie unintentionally lulled him into a sense of security. Neville’s arm still rested on Charlie’s shoulder as Charlie continued to trace the stars on the parchment paper. 

“Do you think a dragon is going to be in there?” Neville mumbled into Charlie’s shoulder. 

“In where?”

“The meteor. Do you think there is going to be a dragon in the meteor?” 

“Oh, I believe so. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that this meteor has a dragon inside of it. Muggles have done some scans on it and have found some odd heat signatures in the meteor which suggest that something is living inside of there.” 

Neville leaned into Charlie’s body once more. Both men rested there for a few moments. A soft knock from the doorway alerted Charlie and Neville to Molly’s presence. She carried a tray with two steaming cups of hot cocoa and a bowl fill of extra marshmallows. Neville stood up from his spot. The warmth of Charlie escaping him as he crossed the room towards Molly. 

“I didn’t mean to interrupt you two.” She handed the tray off to Neville. Her shoulders relaxing a bit. 

“You didn’t interrupt anything. We were just relaxing a bit.” Neville looked over his shoulder towards Charlie who was still slumped over the parchment. “Well, I’m relaxing. He’s drawing the stars.” 

“He really loves you, he normally never lets anyone into his room when he’s working.” A warm smile crossed Molly’s face as she folded her hands in front of her stomach. 

A blush creeped to Neville’s cheeks. He turned and set the tray down on Charlie’s messy desk, “We’re just really good friends, Mrs. Weasley.” 

“Friends don’t go on dates together like you do. Nor do they cuddle as close as you two.” Molly let our a deep breath. “Whatever you two are, it has been really good for Charlie. You’ve really brought him back to his family.” 

“Dragons are his family too.”

“His human family.” Molly’s eyes filled with tears. “This is one of the first times he’s actually participated in Christmas since he was a child. I knew he always loved us but he never said a thing. He always had his nose up in the stars in some book. I was always worried about him. I thought he would never find someone who cared for him as much as I did. Not like everyone needs a soulmate or anything but, he’s my first baby, you know? All I wanted for him was someone nice and I think he found that someone special in you.” 

Molly wiped the fallen tears away from Neville’s cheeks. “Anyways, I should leave the two of you alone to just relax.” 

“Thank you for the kind words and the hot chocolate, Mrs. Weasley.” 

“Please, call me Molly. You’re family now.” Molly pulled away from Neville and shooed him back into the room. “Go back to your boyfriend.” 

“I prefer datemate,” Charlie called to his mom. “As does Neville.” 

“Ah, that’s such a nice term, datemate.” Molly smiled and wiped her own tears. “Well then, go back to Charlie then. Before your hot chocolate get’s too cold.”

  Neville picked up the tray and carried it to the windowsill. The two mugs of hot chocolate still steamed. He set the tray between the two of them. Charlie set aside his drawings with a smile. He took a mug and wrapped his arm around Neville, pulling him close to him once more. The warmth of the mug heated up Neville’s chest and the love from Charlie warmed his heart. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable tonight in front of the o

thers.” Charlie said after moments of silence. Neville turned his eyes up to meet Charlie as he took a sip of his hot chocolate then popped an extra marshmallow into his mouth. “I just wanted to celebrate my datemate’s accomplishments.”

“It was just unexpected that’s all. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to even ask me here. It’s only been-”

“Two years since we met. One and a half since we became friends and one since we began seeing each other as a step above friends.”

“Lovers.” A hint of a smile touched Charlie’s cheeks as did Neville. 

“Lovers implies we have sex. We don’t have sex.” Charlie pointed out. 

“Well of course, but I think lovers should also imply that we’re romantically involved. At least, more romantically involved that normal friends.”

“Because friends can love each other too.” 

Charlie smiled and took another sip of his hot chocolate. Neville lifted the mug up to his lips. The hot chocolate warm but not hot enough to burn his lips. The two fell into a comfortable silence once more. Neville picked up one of the drawings that Charlie had made of a Hungarian Horntail and traced over the lines. Neville had always admired how confidently he had drawn the dragon. Almost as if the dragon had been right in front of him and that he hadn’t drawn the dragon from memory. 

“Do you love me as much as the dragons?” Neville’s eyes lifted up to meet Charlie’s eyes. Charlie set down his mug and wiped the marshmallow dust off of his hands. His eyes drifted out to the stars though he didn’t seem to keen on answering the question. “Do you love me as much as the dragons?” 

“No…” Charlie’s answer was shaky as if he were unsure of his own answer. “I don’t know. I think? I’ve honestly never been able to answer that question as well as you think.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I can’t really differentiate between my passion for caring for dragons and my love for you and my family.” 

Neville tilted his head to the side, “How long have you been feeling this way, sunshine?” 

Charlie smiled at the nickname. “I think for awhile now. I didn’t want to tell anyone because I didn’t want anyone to feel unappreciated but it’s the same way I’m not sexually attracted to you, I don’t love you like mum loves dad. I do still love you though. Just not as…intensely. If that makes sense at all.” 

“That makes perfect sense. Do you think you might be aromantic as well as asexual?” 

“Yes,” Charlie said with the same shaky voice as he had when he answered no only a few moments earlier. “I’d like to keep exploring it though…” 

“And I will be by your side through it all.”

[mahimahyra]

WangXian AU where

wangxian AU where wwx and lwj keep running into each other at a club EXCEPT: wwx is a criminal and is there to get something for a heist ;)

(brought to you by: Break My Heart by Dua Lipa!)

so! wwx shows up at club (flashing lights, vibes, etc) with WN and WQ (the members of his crew) it's the night before their heist of Carp Tower (bc we all know there's shady stuff going on in there) they need to get an access key thing off of Jin Zixun (who is always at the club getting drunk) and its mostly up to WQ bc she is pretty lady. WN and WWX are there as back up and to keep an eye out plus, NHS warned the three of them that there would be some undercover agents at the club to try and catch them--so they had to be Extra Careful. WWX is split up from WN and WQ to cover more ground. He can see WQ and a few other women around Jin Zixun (gross). He's casually sipping alcohol (enough to blend in, not nearly enough to get drunk) when he suddenly locks eyes with The Most Beautiful Human he has EVER seen. Literally Ever. They share some heated eye contact from across the club, and WWX is so shook by this lovely man. Eventually the moment breaks (a group of ppl walk in between them, which is very rude--didn't they know he was exchanging looks with the love of his life???) At this point, WWX is internally cursing his horrible luck. On any other normal night, he would go and shamelessly flirt with this beautiful man. ALAS! he is here on business today. So instead of chasing the guy down, WWX lets himself lose track of the man in the crowd. Sigh. He turns his focus back to WQ and sees that one of the other girls is trying to pull Jin Zixun away (why anyone would want that is beyond WWX). WQ hadn't gotten the access key yet, so he has to do something. WWX casually works his way towards them, and as he passes by, he seamlessly knocks a drink onto the girl's clothes. He doesn't stop, he just keeps walking, but he can hear a little shout from the girl and figures he was successful. Except. He's distracted as he's walking away. Not exactly paying full attention to where he's walking. So he runs full on into someone. And not just anyone. Of course it would the his beautiful man from before. and OH BOY is he even more stunning and beautiful and perfect up close. It's not fair. The universe sent this man the ONE night WWX couldn't do anything about it. So he will leave. BUT! He's only human. So he can't resist tossing the man a grin and a wink before getting his hands off his chest and returning back to the crowd. It's truly a tragedy that he can't just ask Mr. Sexy to dance and just spend the rest of the night (and his life) with him. He goes back to waling around the perimeter, checking things out. But somehow his eyes KEEP running into the beautiful eyes of this man. It's agony for WWX to tear his gaze away each time. He's a professional, he keeps telling himself. It's for the greater good! Plus WQ would kill him for screwing things up bc of a pretty face (even if it is THE prettiest face). After a little while of this, WN asks WWX to check out the roof, just in case. So WWX goes to the roof. But when he gets there, he sees none other than his beautiful, perfect, mysterious man. And once again, WWX is a weak man. If the universe keeps sending this man his way, who is he to deny fate? So he approaches. "Hi." "Hello." Of course, he has a perfect voice, too. Unfair. "I'm Wei Ying." As soon as he says it, he realizes he should have used an alias. But he just couldn't lie to that face. "Lan Zhan." WWX grins. "It's nice to meet you, Lan Zhan." So WWX spends the rest of the evening "keeping an eye on the roof." It turns out he and LWJ have a lot in common, and the conversation is so easy. WWX flirts, and he's pretty sure LWJ flirts back. He is also pretty sure this man is the love of his life. At one point the conversation lulls for a little, and in the comfortable silence, he can hear LWJ humming a pretty tune under his breath. "What song is that?" "Nothing yet." A very mysterious answer. But somehow, WWX finds himself content with leaving it mysterious for now. Eventually WQ texts and says she's got what they need. Which means it's time to go. And it seems like LWJ has to go too. "I'll see you around Lan Zhan?" LWJ nods. And then they part ways. (Neither of them thinks of exchanging numbers because they're stupid and caught up in the moment.) WWX decides not to mention meeting his future husband to anyone until after they succeed with their mission. For one, it would be a distraction. For another thing, if they don't succeed... well he would never see LWJ again anyway. So. they spend the rest of the day prepping for the heist well actually wwx is thinking about lwj, pining away. wn and wq can tell that wwx is preoccupied, but they let him deal with it on his own for now cut to the actual heist. it's going FLAWLESSY! wq and wn are in the get-away car, wwx is just re-setting the security system so that no one ever knows they were ther he's whistling a random tune to himself and fiddling with wire when he hears a gasp--and the clicking of a gun he turns around slowly and its LAN ZHAN?? holding a gun and aiming it at his head. "Lan Zhan?" he can't help himself from saying "Wei Ying." lwj says with a quiet, but steady voice. "put your hands in the air" wwx puts his hands on his face mask--its still there? how did lan zhan recognize him? "Lan Zhan... this isn't how I wanted to see you again." lwj gestures with his gun for wwx to put his hands up. wwx complies "... nor I, Wei Ying. Maybe if you were not committing crimes." wwx scoffs "me?? the people here are the real criminals. im an agent of justice." "Yes. because 'agents of justice' wear all black and sneak in at night." "Well it's better than robbing people of their money. People who really need it. You don't even know who you're protecting right now, do you?" wwx can see lwj hesitat. then they hear voices. it's the other officers. if wwx stays any longer, he'll be caught. he needs to tell wq and wn to get out of there and leave him before they get caught too. but then, without warning. lwj puts his gun down "go." "what?" "just leave. before I change my mind" wwx is NOT about to look a gift horse in the mouth, but the moment is still a little bittersweet. "I'll see you around, Lan Zhan?" "... I hope so." so wwx runs to the hidden getaway car and they peel out of there. wn and wq: we did it!!! wwx: the loml and i are star crossed lovers.... wn: concerned wq: i'm not paid enough for this for the next few months, it's a little game of cat and mouse (definitely on purpose for both of them) and it's the only way that they see each other until one day they meet a coffee shop they exchange numbers and pretend that this is exactly their Second Meeting. nothing suspicious at all. eventually, lwj realizes just how crooked the ppl wwx is robbing from is (he had his suspicions to begin with) he helps wwx and works as a double agent, and together they all take down the conspiracy of corruption <3 (all they know is be gay do crimes) THE END

[jeichanhaka]

If Any Would Avenge: 31

Chapter 31: Nemesis

Storybrooke: Gold's Cabin

"I...have a proposition for you." George spoke, annoying Gold even though he knew the ex-king wasn't the one truly speaking. "A deal, if you like."

"And what makes you think I want anything you have to offer?" He scoffed, wrapping his hand once more around the ex-king's throat but refraining from squeezing it. "This bastard doesn't need his heart in his chest to be killed. I can just as easily crush his throat...or tear out his intestines."

"Go ahead. I despise George just the same as you. More actually. And I have his heart." The person spoke coldly through the ex-king, while Gold cocked an eyebrow. "We can have a race to see who can kill him first. Preferably after you and I have a little tête-à-tête."

"...hm." Gold waited a moment before replying, his imp self hissing at him to forget whoever was speaking through George and instead focus on bringing Sadie to Nemesis. Getting his dagger back took priority over whatever deal or whatnot this new interloper wanted. "Tell me who you are first, dearie. Or better yet, show yourself and let's have our little talk face-to-face."

"You don't trust me?"

"Well, those who refuse to make deals with me in person tend to be cowards or hoping to get away with not fulfilling their end." He replied, about to say more when Sadie started crying and drew his attention away. In that moment, while his eyes were focused on the five day old, George took out a knife and lunged at the Dark One. Gold was quicker, flinging George across the cabin with a single wave of his hand and glowering when the knife clattered to the floor. "See? Coward." He growled and squeezed the ex-king's throat, holding the wizened man firmly against the cabin wall. His angry eyes shifting towards the knife that had clattered to the floor.

It was an ordinary enough pocket knife, except for the dark substance coating its tip. He bristled upon recognizing it as dreamshade though mixed together with another substance. Likely one that made it deadlier, he mused as he picked it up, being careful not to touch anywhere near the poison.

"Nice try, dearie, but you'll have to do better than that if you want to kill me."

"Oh, but I don't. " George spoke, while another, more lulling voice also spoke the same words. Its owner standing behind Gold, who tensed in shock at the familiar voice. "On the contrary, I came back to stop that happening."

Dream World:

"Actually…." A voice echoed through the cottage, which suddenly felt colder as the hearth fire died out and left them standing in complete darkness. As dark as a tomb. "...it can."

"What? Who's there?" Belle tensed and grabbed Gideon protectively, realizing only then that the baby she'd been holding had vanished. Her eyes widened, searching the darkness around her frantically for any sign of the baby or clue to where it had gone. "Where's…."

"Mom, it's alright. Just calm down." Gideon grabbed hold of his mother, pulling her back towards him when she tried rushing into the darkness searching for the baby. "Stay here."

"But...my baby...your brother..." Belle trembled and pulled away from her firstborn, her eyes and senses locked on the darkness surrounding them. Peering into the lightless void, a snippet of her dream at the hospital flashed through her thoughts: that of the page with the words 'find me' written over and over. "I have to find him. I…."

"Mother, please. It's too..." Gideon beseeched, reaching out for Belle only for her to hurry forward blindly, searching for her lost child. He bit his lip, unable to bring himself to finish his sentence. How could he possibly tell his mother the truth about the child she sought? That the child - his Unwritten brother - was the mastermind behind his murder?

"No, no. This won't do." The voice from earlier muttered, its owner standing behind Gideon. There was a snap of fingers and their surroundings were once more lit, this time by an orb of pure magic floating just below the ceiling. It illuminated the whole cottage, allowing Gideon to see Belle on the far end, searching for an exit. He hurried towards her.

"Mother…."

Belle frowned, now that the cottage interior was once again illuminated she saw there was no door along the wall. Yet just before the hearth fire died, she swore the door had been along this wall. That's why she ran towards it. Her chin scrunched up as she thought, her eyes shifting towards the other walls just in case.

"...search all you like, there's no door." Nemesis muttered and sat down in a wooden chair by the hearth. Sighing, he started picking his nails, his youthful face reflecting only ennui.

"But ther…." Belle faltered mid-reply, having turned around enough to see both Gideon and the youth. Her cerulean eyes widened, lingering on Nemesis, drinking in his eye shape, skin tone, and cheek bones; the way he glowered at his fingers focused on what he was doing, his brow knitted in concentration. It reminded her of…. On the whole, she wasn't sure, but the scowl reminded her of her husband, while the rest reminded her of a portrait hung on the wall of her family's armory back in the Enchanted Forest. Placed above a suit of silver and steel armor, the painting was one depicting the knight Isobelle, her family's oldest known ancestor. And whom her parents had often mentioned she took after growing up.

Nemesis glanced up, the quiet baffling him. He'd been expecting his would-be mother to make a fuss or question his certainty about the door. Or simply question his presence. What he hadn't expected was this prolonged silence. "Hm?"

"Oh!" Belle gasped the moment the youth glanced at her, recognizing the deep-brown, speckled with a lighter brown, irises. It all clicked in her head, and without hesitance she hurried forwards. "You're my son….my….the one Isaac wrote…." She muttered and reached out to hug Nemesis, overwhelmed by happiness and relief. "You…."

Nemesis scowled and knocked away the chestnut haired woman's arms, but didn't deny his identity. Nor did he react to the stricken look on Belle's face at the rebuff, instead opting to frown cooly at her. "What of it?"

Belle blinked back her tears, brought forth first by happiness then by anguish at her unwritten son's reply. The indifference in his voice, the way he stared at her like she meant nothing...it cut her deeply, like a sharpened iron poker thrust into her heart. "I…. You're my boy…my..."

"Please." Nemesis scoffed, sitting rigidly beside the hearth, and eyeing Belle contemptuously. "You only want me because you lost him." He gestured towards Gideon, who hung back unsure of what to do.

Belle blanched and flinched at the accusation, before quickly shaking her head. "No. That's not…."

Nemesis snarled and rose to his feet, standing just an inch or so taller than the chestnut haired librarian. "Don't lie." He spat, the light orbs illuminating the cottage sparking and a cold chill rushing through the air. The air felt heavy. "Don't!" Nemesis hissed when Belle tried once more to refute the accusation. "You would not even have thought of me if he hadn't died. I've seen that future. Observed every minute of it. You never once considered me in it."

"I…." Belle shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. She approached Nemesis, only to be rebuffed a second time, this time more violently. A gasp escaped her when Nemesis back-slapped her hand away, and glared down at her. Her chin quivered as she returned the stare, gazing into her unwritten son's cold brown eyes. "...I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Nemesis scoffed, dismissing the woman as much for spite as from genuine anger. "You think that's enough? Really?" His brown irises darkened, and he pulled away when Belle reached out for him a third time. "I was Unwritten. Do you have any inkling what that entailed? One moment I was alive in a bright and warm world, safe and loved. Then it all was abruptly wiped away, and I was left in an immense void, with nothing but brief memories of my 'life,' and no idea what had happened or why." He growled and turned back to his chair by the hearth, only instead of sitting down he disintegrated it with a wave of his hand. Its remains just dust piling on the floor.

Belle swallowed listening to her unwritten son recount his time in the void, which was at the heart of the Realm of the Unwritten. She shivered, silent tears running down her cheeks as Nemesis described it and how it nearly fully erased him. "I'm sorry. I…." Belle's voice broke, her arms shaking with the urge to embrace her unwritten son, but refrained from fear of being yet again rebuffed.

"Mother." Gideon hurried to his mother's side, and wrapped his arms around her to soothe her. Unlike his brother he noticed their mother's distress and sought to comfort her, whereas Nemesis simply turned away. "It's all right. It's…."

"No." Nemesis growled, still turned away. His gaze focused on a glass orb on the mantel above the darkened hearth. Through its reflective surface he watched his mother and brother, scrutinizing them secretively. "It's not. And an apology, no matter how heartfelt, isn't enough. An 'I'm sorry' won't give me what I seek. It won't..." He peered at Belle's reflection in the orb and listened to her sniffle, his thin lips twitching. His brown irises gleamed coldly. "...help bring me back."

Listening to her unwritten son, as well as Gideon who tried reassuring her against Nemesis barbed words, Belle sniffled, and glanced up. Dabbing at her eyes to clear away her tears, her cheeks glossy from crying, she mulled over Nemesis' shift in tone: his last few words were less angry, not by much, but enough. Latching onto the shift, her heart quickening in hope, Belle gandered at her unwritten son's back, going over the last part of his sentence. "Help...bring you back? You mean…."

Standing beside their mother, Gideon tensed as she stepped towards Nemesis, her face lighting up. The maternal longing in Belle's eyes was clear as was her hope, and he was loathed to shatter either. At the same time he distrusted his would-be brother. "Mother, don't…."

"Yes." Nemesis cut off Gideon, and turned his gaze to Belle. "I can be returned to the story."

Belle inhaled sharply, her cerulean eyes brimming with tears, but these ones of hope not despair. She reached out tentatively towards her unwritten son. "You mean...I can...I can be your mother...I can have you, my baby, again…."

"I can be your flesh and blood son again, yes." Nemesis replied, allowing Belle to grab hold of his arms, her eyes searching his. "It...it'll require a few things. But I can be brought back into existence."

"Mother, don't listen to him." Gideon grabbed hold of Belle's wrist, caught between his conscience, which implored him to warn his mother about Nemesis' cutthroat nature, and his heart which cautioned him against telling her Nemesis was Nemesis. If their mother learned her unwritten child had orchestrated his murder and that of her unborn child...Gideon feared she would break. "There's bound to be a great and terrible price to do what he says."

"Gideon…." Belle glanced at her deceased son, her chin scrunching up.

"Please, mother, don't listen to him. Look to the future, not the past." Gideon implored, Nemesis smirking quietly when his brother mentioned the future, as though laughing at a private joke. Gideon ignored him and squeezed Belle's hand, before embracing her in a full hug. "You can still have a happy future. And a future child, once the curse or whatnot Fortunato placed on you is dealt with."

"Ah, actually…." Nemesis interjected, earning a scowl from Gideon and a wide-eyed gaze from Belle. "It wasn't a curse Fortunato used when he stabbed you. Rather it was a potion. He only called it that before you sealed him away to act as a safeguard."

"Safeguard?" Belle muttered, searching her unwritten son's face, curious. Gideon wore a similar expression.

"Yes. Fortunato…." Nemesis paused, drawing out the other's name and reaching towards his mother's cheek. "Is powerful. I couldn't even stop him." He muttered, his lips twitching when he sensed Gideon bristling beside Belle, his brother worried about him revealing too much. Without even needing to ask or glance at his brother, he understood Gideon's fear about their mother finding out he was the leader of the Nemesis assassin group. "You did, though." He glanced down at their mother's hands, the faintest glow emanating from them in shape of a gilded-scarab marking. Belle shivered and followed his gaze to her hands, a mix of emotions filling her. "Now, the magic you used to trap Fortunato is powered by these markings...the symbol Nemesis adopted as...its...own."

"Mother?" Gideon swallowed and grabbed hold of her hand, reluctant to believe his eyes as he discerned the traces of dark magic exuded from those faint markings. Up until that moment, as he had missed many of the developments in the living world, Gideon had assumed Belle had used some sort of light magic to seal the assassin. "You didn't…."

"I…." Belle raised her hand up, glancing over both sides of it, and studying the marking, which tingled on her skin. Even now part of her regretted giving into the magic, but she knew she wouldn't have done anything different - she had sealed the bastard away and got revenge without killing.

"She did. She used the marks' power to get revenge." Nemesis answered Gideon, while their mother flexed her hands and knitted her brow at the persistent soft glow of the markings on her hands. "Setting aside the price of her choice and what that will mean, the markings themselves are a curse."

"Then...that means they can be dispelled by true love's kiss…." Gideon's face brightened, his eyes searching his mother's face as he grabbed her by her upper arms and drew her towards him. His exuberance mellowed slightly when she didn't look at him, but rather continued to silently gaze at her hands, lost in thought. "Mother?"