#me showing up late to the function with blood on my hands after writing this like

[rosenbergamot]

if you could understand me (CH.1)

Grian's voice is soft and inquisitive when he speaks. “Now, what’s this about? What’s wrong all of a sudden?” He likes when his voice gets like this, when he talks to Scar like he’s a human despite not knowing he can understand every word he says, when he treats their one-sided conversations as actual conversations, even if the language isn't there. ‘My best friend left me’, he says. ‘He’s trying to find our family. Or get rich. I don’t know, whichever comes first, I guess. And you and Mumbo are my only friends. But I can't talk to you! And I did it to myself! It's all just so...' He forgets the word for ‘annoying’ in dolphin, so he trails off. ‘Annoying’ isn’t even the right word. It hurts. It's killing him. There’s no language that can convey that. or: Scar is a mermaid. Scar has been left behind by all of his friends. Scar is lonely. That is, until he meets two humans on the beach, and decides that playing a little joke on them would be fun. So, Scar pretends he doesn't know their language. As a bit. A little prank. But Scar doesn't expect to like them so much, and once he realizes it, he's too far in to go back.

Here's the first chapter for the day 1 prompt for Mumscarian week (pranks). I'm so excited to share this with yall! First chapter is under the read more, and there is a link attached so you can read it on ao3 as well <3 MWAH

Read the first chapter on ao3 HERE !! Or read the first chapter below the cut!! OR BOTH ^^

The humans don’t know he speaks their language. 

Scar doesn’t blame them, because, well... he isn’t exactly advertising it. The moment they come onto his beach with all their silly instruments and metal things and glass tubes, scooping out water and picking up fish and inspecting clams, writing it all down on some strange flimsy pads, that's when Scar knows he has to mess with them. They're just too easy, what with their silly little faces and their "aha's" and "oho's"! 

Life’s been boring (re: depressing) ever since Cub moved south. In the brief few words they exchanged before he left Scar all alone, he said it would be easier to start an industry where there were more mermaids and less humans. He said it would be better for them, for both of them, if they were to just pack up and leave, go somewhere where it's not just the two of them, where Cub can use his brain and Scar can use his charisma, and the two of them can flourish. But Scar doesn’t want an industry! He really just wants to spend his time sinking ships, breaking pieces off of said sunken ships, and creating statues. Gem used to help him with that, finding sport in crashing ships and ripping them apart with her claws. Pearl would help him get the humans to shore. Cub would sigh at them, but help them lug the materials back to their cave. 

(Cub had also mentioned Gem and Pearl, as hushed as it was-- as if he was afraid to say their names after all this time, after they left with no trace. He had a theory that they went somewhere warmer, somewhere more familiar, somewhere that was easier. Scar didn’t know what to say to that. So he didn’t say anything.) 

That was a long time ago, though…

The first time he meets the humans it’s windy on the surface. 

He lays and watches the water. The way it’s ruffled by the wind reminds him of when he and Cub would wait for boats to pass (boats , a word he learned when he was younger and more daring, peeking his head up by the docks to listen to fisherman as they talked deep into the night) so that they could chase the waves they created; man-made waves, different from the way the water breathes on its own. 

It’s times like these when he wishes that Cub had stuck around. The sea snakes are only so interesting gliding across the sand until he gets bored and starts to fling them out of the water for amusement-- which apparently they don’t enjoy! And, jeez, apparently everyone’s a critic nowadays, can't handle being tossed up out of the water… 

He combs through his hair, ratty and unkempt, strands coming loose as he does. Pearl used to help him maintain it. Now it’s all… annoying and long. Braiding it would help him a bunch-- would also remind him of Pearl, which could either be good or bad for his mental health right now, but he's willing to take the risk. So, yeah, he’ll braid it! Might as well do something with his time. 

He starts to slowly swim through the water, searching for just the right strand of kelp to help him out. Usually the best pieces are near the shore, right where humans sometimes like to come and swim. Cub, Gem, and Pearl used to scare them away by biting chunks off their bodies, made it a competition to see who could get the most in their mouth before the humans ran away. He never participated, not as fast or as bloodthirsty as any of them, content to watch and laugh and jeer and judge. Nowadays he just nips at their toes if they're too deep in the water, sends jellyfish their way if he's feeling extra spiteful. But humans don't come around much anymore. He's not sure if that's a blessing or a curse. 

If he’s lucky maybe he’ll find a piece of fishing line that some careless human left behind. It lasts much longer than kelp. Last time he had to scour the seafloor for a sharp enough rock to cut the braid because his teeth were not doing the job. Some pretty impressive stuff! 

If Cub were here, he’d tell Scar to stop going so close to the shore, because one day a human is going to see him and not be intimidated by sharp teeth and claws, and they’re going to lure him in, and then they’re going to hook him and flay him open on the beach like they do with the fish. 

Which is ridiculous. If they hooked him, he’d just kill them! Easy as that! And then he’d eat them! Simple plan! 

(Thinking of eating a human makes his gills flare out. What do they taste like…? None of his friends would ever tell him, but they also never complained.)

In spite of the Cub in his head he moves closer to the shore, keeping his eyes sharp for a long thread of fishing line. 

Humans don’t usually like wind. They yell about how it screws up their ‘casts’, how it makes sand fly into their eyes, how it blows away their stuff. Which means he’s good to go as close as he needs to! What stupid human would be out right now? 

(Apparently two stupid ‘researchers’ is the answer to that.) 

As soon as he bursts out of the forest of kelp, right near the dock but not close enough to be obscured by it, he realizes that there are two humans standing right where the shore meets the water. Their pants are rolled up, feet bare (prime for nibbling, might he add), and they’re talking loudly about something that Scar can’t really make out. He hadn’t been able to see them until he got closer. And now that he’s closer, it seems they saw him before he saw them.

Aw, man. Rule number one of hunting: see your prey before they see you. He’s already failed.

They yell something. A commotion. He turns to retreat, but then something splashes above his head. His immediate thought is a net. His next thought is I'm going to die.

For a second, he is frozen. For a second, he sees himself caught and hooked, cut open, hung from poles and left to die and dry in the sun. He imagines Cub coming back just to find nothing in his wake. He imagines the pain he may feel at that, the regret, and maybe that gives him satisfaction for a moment, no matter how grim and disgusting it feels inside of him. He imagines giving himself up to these humans, letting them cut him open, saying Cub and Gem and Pearl with his last breaths, imagining they can hear it from wherever they went. He shakes his head, the images disappearing.

And nothing happens. He looks up and sees... a fish. A dead fish. That's weird. 

A peace offering? An apology for treading where they shouldn’t? 

Bait? Says the Cub in the back of his mind. 

The fish is different from what he’s used to. Not from around here. That’s interesting. 

That’s dangerous, dude, sneers Cub, flicking him on his imagined forehead. 

I mean, yeah… but isn’t it also interesting? 

He eyes the humans. They’ve moved back, but they’re still in his water. There’s a less conscious part of him that wants to scare them off right now, prove that this is his land, that they can’t just put their gosh darn feet wherever they so please! He shoves it aside, sighing. 

It’s been… pretty lonely around here without the others. 

Just come meet me, man! Argues the Cub in his mind-- which is ridiculous! He knew when he left that Scar wouldn’t be able to follow. He’s not made for long distance travel; Cub is. Maybe that's why he didn't even try to convince him. Maybe that's why he was gone in the morning. Maybe he knew that Scar would say no, would stay in his home, would wait for Pearl and Gem to come back no matter how long it took. 

And so that's why he left. And so that's why Scar is alone. And so that’s why Scar isn’t leaving. 

(And Scar is also curious as to who these people are. They’re not coming closer, not throwing weapons at him, and they walk around with their flesh exposed just waiting for him to take a bite out of them. Do they not know? Do they think this water is safe? Do they think they can set themselves up here, as if Scar hasn't been here his entire life? The most important question, however, is: what do they taste like…?) 

He moves himself out of the shadows, reaches up a hand to grab the fish. His claw digs into it, warmed by the sun, and then he yanks it down. 

One of the humans screams. The other one screams immediately after, an involuntary reaction. 

There’s a flailing, and then one of them loses their balance and falls face first into the water. The splash disturbs a school of fish nearby, sending them careening in Scar’s direction. He swipes his nail downwards, manages to spear one on his claws, and shoves it into his mouth. 

As he chews, he sighs. Those things barely put up a fight. How boring. Wouldn't it be more fun if they tried to bite back? Maybe hit him with their little fins? 

He looks at the human again and finds their eyes wide open. Looking directly at him. His stare sends a jolt down his spine, makes him straighten himself up, suddenly aware of things he hasn't been aware of in forever-- like the way his hair floats around him, how shiny his tail is, how his scars look underneath the water. So as not to startle him, Scar waves as gently as he possibly can. The human starts to scream, bubbles erupting out of his mouth. Just as quickly as he fell, he scrambles out of the water. 

His hand falls. He notices, then, that there is more blood on his claws than he thought there was. There must be blood around his mouth, too. Oh, dangit. Just when he's trying to be friendly and not scary, too! They even gave him this gift! Some weird new fish, all different colours than he's used to. He turns it over in his hands, claws gently scraping a deep wound in the neck. A clean wound. It was killed swiftly, not with teeth and not with claws. And, jeez, humans are so dang strange! Where’s the fun in just killing it easily? Where’s the hunt? 

The humans are out of the water now. He cautiously swims to the surface, peeking his eyes out and blinking as the sun hits his head. On the beach he sees two people screaming at each other. The one who fell in the water has a ridiculous moustache on his face, his hair short and spiked from running his hand through it. The other has curly hair, some weird circular things on his face, and a whole thing of oysters at his feet. 

They gesture wildly at each other, their backs to him. On his beach. Near his water. Oh, boy, didn��t anyone ever tell them not to turn their backs on a predator? Jeez, it’s like they’re asking for him to mess with them!

“Mumbo, I thought I told you to keep your nose out of the redstone supply! It’s not for snorting, it's for powering our equipment!” The smaller one yells.

“For goodness… Grian, you know I haven’t done that stuff since college. I-I’m not on drugs, mate, I’m just… I just… I saw something.” The bigger one scratches at his head, his hands shaking. 

He slowly slithers up closer, making sure his tail stays below the water, his belly to the sand. He drags himself up by his claws, keeping an eye on the two of them. They don’t seem to notice anything, too involved in their little argument to even question if what they saw had good intentions or not. 

And he has good intentions! Of course he does-- of course! He just wants to scare them a little bit. Maybe take a chomp out of their legs. Maybe taste their flesh. Maybe fill his mouth up with their blood. 

If it were Cub or Gem or Pearl sneaking up on them like this, they’d be dead within seconds. But Scar just wants some entertainment that’s different from staring at fish all day… actually, mostly he just wants to taste them. Like, he really wants to taste them. He’s a nice guy! Just a little bit… peckish. 

And he’s getting closer. And closer. And closer.

“People don’t come to this beach for a reason, Grian! They-- the locals said that there are,” his voice gets real quiet, "spirits in the water.” 

“Why on earth would spirits be in the water and not on land?” 

“I don’t know, man, I’m not-- not some kind of… spirit expert! Why on earth would spirits be stuck on the land, though? How does that make sense, mate? We shouldn’t apply our own logic to spirits. Honestly, check yourself.”

The small one puts his head in his hands but says nothing. Just as Scar pulls himself out of the water, eyes trained on the heel of the bigger one, the small one’s eyes flick down to him. They’re a deep brown, almost black, magnified a bit by whatever ridiculous thing he’s got on his face. 

“Mumbo.” He says. Quietly. Carefully. “Don’t look now, but there’s… something there.”

Bigger one freezes up. “Y-Y-You… Grian, this isn’t very funny. I’m not a fan of your pranks! You know this!” 

Small one is still looking at him. Challenging him.  

Instincts tell him that he failed this hunt and he is vastly outnumbered, but curiosity gets the better of him. He could probably still… take a bite. 

A pause. Then, using all his hunting instincts, he rockets himself towards the leg, feeling his fangs dripping with saliva as he does. The small one is faster on the land, though, and tackles the big one out of his reach, his jaw snapping closed onto nothing but air. 

The humans fall to the sand, and Scar slithers back into the water as quickly as possible, relief pulsing through his body. Not his best move, he’ll be honest. 

“Mumbo, you absolute spoon! ” Shouts small one. 

He sticks his eyes out of the water. They’re both staring at him. They go white as he blinks at them.

“Do you… heh, um… do you see that, mate?” 

“That’s what just tried to take a bite out of your leg, buddy.”

“Oh. Oh, goodness.” The big one’s voice trickles off into nothing. His eyes flutter, then he collapses into the sand. 

Holy shit I killed him. 

A series of clicks and trills come out of his mouth before he can stop them. Mostly curses. He learned it from the dolphins around here, way back when he was younger, when Cub said that he should probably spend less time listening to humans speak and spend more time listening to ocean creatures speak. He’s pretty fluent now. What good does that do for him, though? 

‘I just wanted a taste?’ He says to him in dolphin. The small one doesn’t seem to care, immediately dragging his companion’s body away from the water. 

Maybe I can convince him to throw the whole body into the water? Get a full meal out of it? And some cool bones! Ohhh, I’m a genius! 

And then maybe small one will stick around and he’ll have tackled two of his issues! He’ll have a new friend and a taste of human! What a perfect compromise. 

Just as he’s planning the best way to convince small one to hand over the corpse of big one, suddenly he starts to stir. Scar tries not to look too disappointed. The small one is whispering to him, brushing back his hair and bringing him things that he eats and drinks, slow and unsure. The whole time Scar is there watching them. The whole time they both watch him right back, conversing in quiet voices.

But he wants to hear them! How selfish!

He swims a little bit closer. 

“Stay back!” The small one barks.

He stops. A beat passes. 

“Do… do you think it understands us?” The big one asks, just loud enough for him to hear. 

Small one regards him with a shocking amount of unfriendliness. His fins droop at the stare. 

“Uh… I’m not quite sure, Mumbo. It’s not really a human. But it’s not really a fish either. Say, what are the odds that English of all languages made its way down to the bottom of the ocean in a country colonized by England rather early? Probably quite low, yeah? Just generally speaking."

Big one appears to be thinking. “Right. Point taken. Um. Do you… do you think maybe it’s just hungry?”

“Well, I gave it a fish, Mumbo! For goodness sake, it shouldn’t be greedy.”

“It’s bigger than a normal fish, Grian! Look! It’s like the size of a whole human!” Big one gestures wildly at him, his voice going all high pitched. “D-Do you absolutely believe in your heart of hearts that just one little fish is enough to satiate something that big?”

“So you want me to give it more fish.” Deadpans the smaller one. "You want me to reward it for attacking you? For trying to take a big ol' bite out of your leg?"

“Well, if it stops the thing from attacking me again, I’d be right chuffed about that.” 

A dramatic sigh, and the small one pulls himself up, walking barefoot across the shore until Scar can barely see him anymore. 

Amateur move. He could just kill the big one right now and be done with it, drag his body so far down the short one won’t even know what happened. His eyes must turn hungry, because the big one starts to giggle nervously.

“Y-You… right, you’re looking at me like I’m a delicious meal right now. And I see where you’re coming from! Really, I do-- I mean, I’m not a meat eater, but if I was then I’d imagine that a human would taste pretty interesting. Maybe even good? Probably dependent on their diet. Not… not that I would eat humans if I did eat meat. Because that’s cannibalism. And that’s generally frowned upon. Illegal and unethical, one may say. And they do. Say that, that is. It’s, like, a thing written into the law.” 

Alright, now Scar’s confused.

He’s wringing his hands, still talking. “Say, do you even eat humans? Because every story I’ve heard says people only really leave with a few bits of their flesh missing. Much better than being eaten whole, might I say, because at least you’re still alive, even if you are missin’ a few veins and maybe even some muscles. Pretty important, but not as important as the whole body. Or the organs.” He hums, looking like he’s genuinely intrigued himself. “Goodness, but imagine if you could just get straight to the organs. Your claws look rather sharp, you could just,” he kind of swipes his hand across his own chest, “do that. You know? Wouldn’t that be a scary thing? Gosh, am I glad you can’t understand me, because I am both speaking nonsense and giving you very good ideas.”

He is! It’s very entertaining. Scar has started to drift closer, completely forgetting about his previous goals of dragging him down and feasting on his corpse-- because if he did that, then he wouldn’t get to hear him talk! And that would be a shame! He’s got a weird accent-- both of the humans do, actually, and it’s a little hypnotic to listen to. It reminds him a bit of Pearl, but different in so many ways. And his face lights up when he talks! Even if he looks increasingly more scared the closer Scar gets. 

“A-Ah, buddy, you are… you are getting quite close, aren’t you?” He scoots backwards in the sand, so Scar stops. A click. A trill. Telling him not to leave. He bows his head in submission, hopes it makes him look pathetic enough that the human will forgive his former plan to eat him and keep talking. “You… huh, that’s very interesting. That must be your language. You have a language. And you are-- you are speaking it to me right now, currently, as I speak to you, almost as if you are responding.” 

Inwardly, he giggles. Outwardly, he clicks once again: ‘I’m a respondy sort of guy!’ 

It makes his eyes go all shiny. Cute! “Wow! You are absolutely responding to me! H-Hold on, let me get my notepad--” he trips as he stands up, sand scattering, and grabs a little slab of something and a shiny tube. He starts to move his wrist, watching him all the while. “We came here to study the water and the wildlife, environmental conservation and all that good stuff, but we really did not expect to find… whatever you are! Gosh, you’re very cool!” 

‘You really think so?’ He slaps his tail against the surface of the water, puffing up his chest. The human gets a glimpse of his tail and nearly drops his stuff, mouth falling open. He smiles, hoping his teeth aren’t still all bloody and off putting. 

As the human moves his wrist, he speaks aloud, “multicoloured scales on tail… bared teeth at me, unsure if sign of aggression? ” 

The small one is coming back now. He’s way too fast! Scar is enjoying this big one and the funny ways he speaks and how his eyes look when he’s excited and the way he admires his tail! He does not like the way the smaller one glares at him as if he’s done something wrong. He didn’t do anything! 

He only tried to do something. Very different, right? 

“Mumbo, what the heck are you doing?” He cries. He’s carrying three more fish. “The thing is right there!”

“Yeah, mate, but it’s been docile! It’s just watchin’ me! Listen, Grian, it-- it made these sounds,” he tries to imitate what Scar said, failing so miserably that he has to submerge himself to roll around on the seafloor, his laughter attracting some curious fish that he can’t even eat because he’s so busy giggling . When he comes back, the guy is still talking. “...and honestly I’m not quite sure if the previous display of submission was because it felt bad or was trying to be peaceful or-- Grian, I’m not certain how aware it is, honestly? It seems like it knows what’s happening. And… it’s got a human face.” 

“I see that, Mumbo.” Small one studies him. He studies him right back. Small one is less curious, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still curious. He just hides it well. “I… look, I’m honestly not sure what to do with it. Like, obviously let it go, yeah, but it doesn’t seem to want to leave. Animals don’t tend to stick around like this.”

“It’s not an animal!” 

‘Exactly! I’m just like you! Except only kind of. I'm missin' the whole legs part.’ He clicks and trills at them. 

“See?!” Big one is happy again. His chest flutters. “It’s-- they’re listening to us! They may not be able to understand us, but they’re still capable of speech.”

The small one comes closer to the water. He watches as he bends down, placing the fish at the shore, waggling a finger at him. “Don’t you dare attack me when I’m here to give you food, or I’ll be quite pissed off.”

Ohhh, it would be so funny if he attacked him. But he won’t! He’s a man of many talents, and one of those talents includes restraint. 

(But it would be really funny if he did it, still.) 

He swims up slowly, so as not to startle them. The small one takes a step back. He picks up a fish and stares at it. It looks equally as shocked as he is to see it, eyes frozen over in a permanent state of disbelief. Still, he’s hungry, so he shoves it into his gullet and devours it, licking blood and viscera off of his lips as he stares up at them.

“I’m gonna be sick,” the big one says. 

“Huh.” The smaller one is smiling, now, his suspicions softening. “Y’know, Mumbo… they’re rather cute, wouldn’t you say?”

His ears pin back to his head. He’s what? Cute?! 

“You-- what the heck , Grian? They just devoured a fish in front of you and you think that's cute? Your priorities are... man, I don't even know what to say."

“N-Not in that way! God, I’ve just gone and embarrassed myself, haven’t I?”

“That’s practically a human! You can’t flirt with the person we just met out of the ocean, Grian, have some tact!” 

“But they’re not practically a human! They’ve got a whole… whole fish half, Mumbo!” He devours another fish. They’re both looking a bit apprehensive now. “Um. Yeah, this is a whole mermaid situation, for sure.” 

“And mermaids are basically human!” 

“Well, we don’t know that? We didn’t know they were real until about,” he checks something on his wrist, “oh, I don’t know, thirty minutes ago?! And I wasn’t flirting, you strange man! It’s just… they looked happy to have some food.” 

He’s not wrong about that. Scar’s happy to eat! Happy to be in the sun! Happy to be talking to a few humans even if they seem to think he can’t understand them! Happy to be playing a little trick on them the most! 

“Huh.” Big one seems to relax. He looks at Scar, his head tilting. “Yeah, I guess they did. Say, do you think they’re struggling for food out here?”

“Maybe?” Small one steps closer, as if to get a better look at him, and yet it still frightens something deep inside of him. He snatches his fish and dives under the surface. He can hear him apologizing. He comes back up, a better distance away, and tries to soothe the nerves that jitter around in him.

Smaller one struggles for words for a second. “I’m sorry, mate, I-- shit… Mumbo, I think we’ve found something else interesting to observe.”

“Oh, what could be more interesting than…” he looks down at the stuff around his feet. “Measuring water contents and looking to see if the oysters have any genetic mutations? What could we possibly observe that would be more fun than that?” 

They both grin at each other, and whatever little nuanced message they communicate via their eyes goes completely over Scar’s head, but still... he’s got a feeling he just made two new friends today.

[ssa-atlas-alvez]

atlas do you think you could write a platonic BAU reader piece with hotch on fathers day? reader is he/him and disowned by parents and just doesn’t want to think about his old man that day but then he realises that hotch is his sort of surrogate dad at work? and they just have a nice day together while jack and Haley are in witsec and it just really heals both hotch and reader to be able to do something nice that day. I love your writing but no pressure. 🤍

This was such a cute idea! Thank you for sending it to me!!! I hope you like what I did :)

Warnings: mentions bad dads, Jack and Haley being in witsec

It doesn't hit you until just before your lunchbreak that you have a dad. Well, a sort of dad. One that didn't disown you or make you feel less than the shit on his shoe. It was one that gently guided you in the right direction, one that gave you small smiles of encouragement despite his usual stern demeanor. It was one who would always buy you a muffin and a coffee in the morning because he knows you wake up late and always miss breakfast and he knows you won't be able to function without a coffee. It was one who made sure you knew he cared about you through extending report deadlines, making you take mental health days, driving you home after work because he wanted to make sure you got home safe.

It didn't matter if Hotch wasn't your dad by blood, because he was in every other way. You take an earlier break, making sure that it's okay with Hotch before you rush off to the store. You browse the cards, trying to find the perfect one - you didn't want to overdo it, he already had a son anyway. You just wanted to show him that you cared.

You fill it out before you even start eating your food - you wanted to get it done. So you write down your thoughts, how despite being your boss, he was also like your father.

When the card was finished, you ate. Now that the main task was over, you could relax and enjoy your food and not worry about his reaction to the card until you had finished eating (although, based on your shaking leg and nervously looking around, the rule didn't really stop your body from getting anxious).

When you had finished eating, you made your way back to the BAU. You gave everyone a small nod of acknowledgement but headed straight to Hotch's office, giving the door a small knock.

"Come in," You take a deep breath before entering the room, giving Hotch a small smile as you walked in, holding the card behind your back.

"Hi," You gave a small nod.

"Is everything okay?" He asked gently.

"O-oh, er yeah," You nodded, brushing your hand over the back of your head, "I just- I wanted to give you something and I really hope it's not weird but-"

Hotch gave you a small smile, "You're okay, (Y/N), everything's fine, what was it you wanted to give me?"

You hand over the envelope silently - hoping that Hotch doesn't notice how your hands are gently trembling (he does but doesn't comment on it).

"What's this?" He asks quietly, turning the envelope over with gentle hands as he opens it, starting to pull out the envelope.

"A Father's day card." You said, cheeks beginning to tint pink. "I, er, I know you have Jack and I'm not actually your son, but you're my work dad, so it felt fitting,"

Hotch looked at you, a smile ghosting over his lips. "Thank you," His voice was genuine as he spoke, "This means a lot to me."

"You mean... you're not totally freaked out by it?" When Hotch shook his head, you relaxed, "Oh thank God... I had gotten it into my head that you were gonna completely freak or something - no offence,"

Hotch gave a short laugh, "None taken." There was a small pause, "You should probably get back to work, (Y/N), but... thank you for this, really." He gave you a smile (which you returned).

"Yeah, okay," You gave a nod, exiting the room.

When you had left the office, Hotch gave a small smile to the card, before he placed it on his desk, next to a photo of Jack and Haley.

'To Hotch, I know you're not my dad (by blood at least) and I hope I'm not overstepping here, but you're the closest to a dad I've had. Ever. I just thought that maybe it would be a good thing to let you know. I know you're having a hard time with Jack and Haley being gone for a little while, but we'll get them back. I know we will. Until then, we've got to keep our chins up because we will get them back. I know it. I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me (and the team). So: Happy Father's Day. (Y/N) - your (favourite) agent P.s. can we keep this from Morgan and Prentiss? They'd probably tease me for life if they ever found out about this.'

[glitterypinkconverse]

1610 miles seeing desi reader in traditonal clothing

૭ my desi girl — ꒰ miles morales x fem!desi!reader ꒱ !

summary miles sees you wearing desi clothes!

request by anonymous

a/n as a desi.. had to write this 🤗🤗 this idea was too cute not to write about. i know this is gna flop but wtv 🤒🤒

warnings none

“Miles, can you help me tie this?” You shouted from the bathroom. Miles quickly came to your aid, his breath hitching as he saw you.

“Love.. you look absolutely stunning.” He said with a smile on his face. You smiled at him from the mirror as he walked over to you and wrapped his arms around your waist. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

You giggled and put your hands on top of his. “Thank you, Miles. Now c’mon, help me tie this!”

He didn’t say anything and didn’t move for a minute, before he finally sighed and unwrapped his arms. “Just a lil bow?” He asked. You nodded and watched as he tied the back of your top up with a little bow. You turned around and did a little pose for him.

He felt like he was even more in love with you, smiling at you. Then an idea popped up in his mind. “Hold on. Stay there.” He rushed over to his backpack. You raised an eyebrow at him, before seeing him pull out his notebook.

“Miles, I don’t have a lot of time for this. I’m gonna be late for the function and my parents are gonna yell at me.” You complained, though you didn’t care much if you were late. It was your in blood to be late, desis were never on time to anything. You walked over to where he sat on your bed and stood in front of him.

“It’ll be a quick sketch, I promise.” Miles assured you. You smiled and nodded your head as you let him draw you.

After he was done, he showed you. You smiled at his sketch of you in your lengha, bending down to kiss his lips. “You did amazing.”

Miles smiled at you before he stood up and kissed you again. “C’mon, we don’t want you to be late, do we?” He teased. You rolled your eyes and walked out of your room, Miles still admiring you as you walked in your lengha.

He wasn’t getting over it, and he never will.

[asukamood]

Hello everyone! How are you doing?

Today is one of my friends’ birthday and since it’s a huge fan of Drueswap and Blue angst, I have decided to write that enormous 3291 words long of that (to give you a reference, most of the fics I posted here are between 2k and 2,3k long). The main idea of the plot doesn’t actually belong to me, for context, that same friend had told me about a Drue fic where Blue had barged into Dream’s office looking like a mess because he had just encountered somebody he did not want to see again and told me about how much it regret not being able to find it again.

Since it loved it so much, I’ve decided to write it the thing in my own style to compensate for its loss.

Enjoy the absolute chaos below those three stars.

(PS: There’s a kissing scene in this and I literally looked like a tomato while writing it, I am so weak :’)

PSS: I have checked the Drueswap tag every single day and not one new post appeared, am I the only existing Drue supply on Tumblr or are the others just not appearing for some reasons??)

Warnings: Physical abuse/violence, murder attempt without remorse, blood, several mental breakdowns, implied eating disorder (it’s really light) and heavy Blue angst.

***

It was late in the afternoon, probably around 2 PM. Although it was hard to tell because of the gloomy weather outside, plus, Dream was too focused on his paperwork to take a look at the watch on his wrist.

Water droplets crashed onto the windows behind him, regularly hitting the glass shield that silently screamed at each impact, the pain only manifested by the faint sound of bumping. In the chorus of the rain came the main vocals, the storm.

Blinding light flashed from time to time, illuminating briefly the cold room that was Dream’s office and casting shadows after being deviated by the imposing figure that was his body and desk. The light was only the face, the quiet partner that ran away in silence at an impressive speed.

The thunder roared after it, its voice reaching the ground and shaking it because of its sheer force. It was trying in vain to catch up to it, it was too slow and the lightning too fast.

That whole show had been going on for hours now and by the looks of it, the thunderstorm’s rage wasn’t going to lessen any time soon, in fact, it only seemed to grow bigger. Its irritated and icy cold breath blew at the trees outside which swayed in fear of being the Lightning’s next target as the light and thunder ran more frequently, screaming after one another in a deafening duet.

With that melancholic climate, most people would tremble with the trees. Some quite liked the sight of the Heavens’ tears racing against one another on their windows, others didn’t give it much thought and only found the noises mildly annoying when extended for too long.

Dream Von Licht just so happened to belong to that part of the population.

However, the continuation of the rain’s drum wasn’t what had him have his eyebrows furrowed or his left-hand tapping nervously on the wooden platform.

At one point, he finally gave in to the temptation and stopped his endless scribbling to glance at the time displayed on his watch.

It was 2 PM, or in other words, an hour after Blue’s usual appearance. Yet, the clock may continue to click its tongue, the man in blue has still yet to show up. To say that Dream was awaiting his arrival would be the truth a lie, while he didn’t mind his company, he didn’t need Blue to be here with him every week to function correctly.

The reason why he hasn’t shown up yet may be because of that pretty heavy rain outside. With weather like that, no one would want to drag themselves in the rain just to flirt with somebody, it made sense that he would rather spend the day at home doing something else like watching a TV show with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate upon his lips.

That reasoning was completely logical.

So why did he still feel like something was amiss here?

A frustrated groan escaped him. He picked his pen back up before he started writing swiftly on the paper again, trying to get his mind to focus on the task at hand instead of fretting over Blue’s whereabouts.

Just as his stiff shoulders finally began to relax, he heard on his side the sizzling of a glitchy portal opening. The bad feeling that has been haunting him for the past hour decided to explode at that moment, soul pounding with warnings.

Blue never used a portal to get here.

The portal appeared fast and dissipated just as quickly. Between the two instances, a humanoid creature had the time to throw itself at the winged man, who had the air knocked out of him because of how fast it jumped on him.

That creature was soon identified as Blue but instead of his usual flirty greeting, he only heard heavy breathing as the other held onto him as if his entire existence depended on him.

He was soaked from head to toe, his hair sticking onto his forehead like glue had been used to do that. Dream hesitantly brushed his nape, his skin felt as cold as ice yet his freezing temperature didn’t seem to be the reason why he was shaking like a leaf in the wind or why he was breathing so intensely.

“… Blue?” The politician had said that in a whisper but it still seemed to have broken something inside of the other who let out a heartbreaking sob once the name left his mouth.

As a result, the yoga teacher squeezed him even tighter, burying his face even deeper into his chest as he started to wail like an amputated animal. He couldn’t see much from this angle but on his now wet shirt and jacket, he had suddenly taken note of the presence of crimson stains on them. That was blood.

Moreover, some parts of his hoodie were missing and from the looks of it, they had been torn off by a sharp object, if the thin lines of blood flowing out of cuts were any indication of that.

Dream had no clue what he was supposed to do, it was the first time he had seen the other acting so… vulnerable and he has never been one for emotions, as ironic as it may seem.

After a few seconds, he decided to wrap his arms around him and let his hand rub comforting circles on his back, careful not to brush any of the open wounds on the sensitive skin. He whispered sweet nothings to him as well to try and calm him down.

With his current state, it was needed for Blue to be taken to the medical wing but this idea seemed like wishful thinking at the moment since the other was squeezing him so tightly he felt as if all blood circulation inside of his torso had stopped. He didn’t seem like he was going to let go of him any time soon either.

The rain got even more intense, the furious pattering of the rain shaking even the triple-glazed windows. This whole situation almost felt surreal, who knew Dream would one day have to struggle with comforting someone as unpredictable as Blue?

This whole ordeal had him wanting to chew on his nails to pass the time, he had no clue what he was supposed to do and was only observing himself say things like a lost child.

He was expecting Blue to feel even worse if he were to be truly honest, yet against his beliefs, he had managed to calm him down for his sobs to turn into quiet whimpers and sniffs. Or perhaps it could be because he had no more tears left to shed, this could be a possibility too.

One of Dream’s hands came up to pet the other’s hair, who leaned onto his touch while trying not to look at the blood he had put all over Dream’s clothes. He was already completely messed up both mentally and physically, there was no need for him to start throwing up what little he had eaten that day too.

“I’m going to take you to the medical wing. Is that okay?” Blue let out a tired hum, nodding. He slouched against Dream and then stopped moving, eyes gazing at the horizon. One of them was suspiciously glitching but Dream didn’t think much of it.

Blue was still hugging him but he could move around now, that was something at least. Dream then proceeded to hold him in a bridal style in order to make transportation easier, it’s not like he was going to walk all the way down to the medical wing but he still deemed that necessary. After all, you never know when he’ll have to run away because of something.

In a flick of wrist, they were both sitting on one of the medical wing’s beds. It was unusually silent here, there wasn’t any sound of hushed whispers coming from the doctors nor was there any sound of wincing and whining from patients. It was completely silent, save from Blue’s shaky breath.

Dream frowned, he had completely forgotten about most of the JR staff staying at home today because of the rather disadvantageous weather. The majority of people were unable to use teleportation so it made sense as to why they would want to take the day off in those conditions.

It still didn’t make him want to bang his head against the wall any less though.

Well, he didn’t have much of a choice now did he? He was going to have to take care of those himself. Thankfully though, none of his injuries looked to require any intensive medical treatment like operations or so, most of his cuts looked to be pretty superficial from the looks of it.

He got Blue off of his lap and managed to make him stop clinging onto him for a few with minimal complaint, but that changed when he tried to get up. The shaking man had grabbed Dream’s hand, a worried and anxious look on his face.

“Where are you going?” He asked, voice weak. Dream definitely did not like him feeling that way, he would rather go through a century of the latter making fun of him than seeing him look so frightened.

He turned in his direction, tracing a finger over the back of the other’s hand in hopes it would distract him from whatever demons were haunting him. “I’m just going to get the stuff needed to heal you, I’ll be back soon okay?” Blue’s eyebrows furrowed and his hand squeezed Dream’s even tighter. He didn’t seem to like the idea of staying alone there, even though the other would only be standing a few feet away.

A small sigh escaped him. “Blue, look at me.” Dream’s other hand found its way on Blue’s chin and his pointer lifted it to force the shorter man to look at him. The latter’s azure eyes went up to stare at the other’s golden eyes, unblinking.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, Dream looking like he was debating on his next action. That’s when his fingers left the other’s chin to cup his cheek instead, his face gradually inching closer to the latter’s.

Blue took three solid seconds to realize what was happening and by the time he processed the information, Dream’s lips were already on his. He yelped in surprise, the sound muffled by the kiss.

Dream traced a small circle on his cheek with his thumb, visibly about to stop there. Blue wasn’t having it though so he pulled him down by the collar, put his free hand on the other’s shoulder to keep him there and squeezed his eyes shut, continuing the kiss.

The taller one made a small noise of his own before he kissed back, only pulling away a few seconds later. Blue felt his face heat up, processing what they just did. It’s not like it was the first time they kissed, that event had occurred a couple of times already but somehow that one in particular felt… special.

The winged man turned away, his face having turned red himself. “I’m not going to leave, if that’s what you assumed.” He stated, trying not to let his flustered state influence the way he was talking. He was sure that if his voice wavered just a tiny bit, Blue would never let him live it down. “It won’t take long.”

With that, Dream turned on his heels and walked away, leaving a flustered Blue on the pristine white bed. At least the kiss had the intended effect, whatever had Blue so frightened was now off of his mind and would be for a few.

***

The thunder was still raging on but the couple didn’t seem to notice the rain furiously banging at the windows, way too preoccupied by what they were currently doing. The chestnut-haired one had claimed his place on the other’s lap the second he had come back and had refused to move ever since.

Both his soaked hoodie and shirt laid neatly folded on the nearest chair as his scarf stayed in his hands, Dream having failed to have him let go of it. He knew how important his scarf was to him so he didn’t try to insist any further, him accepting to take it off already being a miracle.

The blonde also had his jacket shed off in order to get the blood away from Blue, who was actively struggling to look away from his own wounds by focusing on the other. He let out a wince though when the tissue immersed in alcohol had touched a cut on his chest, he knew that disinfecting the wound was essential but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

“Sorry.” Dream apologized quietly, eyes still narrowed in concentration on the task at hand. Treating a wound wasn’t hard per say but when you were this close to the patient, it did become kinda hard. He had done a good job so far though, most of Blue’s wounds have effectively been covered and healed, his face even patched up too.

There were now only some minor ones left, injuries that could be dealt with in a few seconds from now.

Once the final cut was treated, Dream let out a sigh, fixing his posture once more. “There we go, all fixed.” Blue waited until Dream had put down all the bandages and stuff before wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him down so their faces were barely inches apart.

“Angel,” He whined, looking up at Dream with sad puppy eyes. “I’ve been dying the entire duration of that!” He slumped against Dream with a pout before smiling up at him with an innocent face. “Can I get a kiss reward for not making too much noise?”

Dream hummed, feigning thinking about it. “Maybe after a nice shower will that be possible.”

“Together?” He dead panned at him, pretending like his face wasn’t turning pink.

"No. Obviously separately.” He unwrapped the arms around him before standing up, dragging Blue with him and opening a portal. “You can go first, I’ll take what we left there back.”

The other nodded, soon disappearing into the warm golden rift.

***

Blue definitely felt way better now that he took a shower and was basking in the warmth of Dream’s clothes because yes, he let him borrow his clothes this one time. He buried his nose into the fabric, enjoying how the scent of vanilla immediately filled his nozzle.

He let out a pleased breath, before his mood suddenly took a whole 180°C remembering what happened for him to be in that position right now. Before he could dwell any further into it, he heard the lock of the bathroom door click before it swung open, revealing a Dream in a way more comfortable outfit than what he was usually seen wearing.

Blue forced a smile on his face, extending his hands into his direction.

Dream smiled back, walking towards him as requested before he was pulled down into a cuddle. As a response, he only wrapped his arms around him, petting his hair softly. Blue let himself relax into his embrace, repeating in his head that he was with Dream, that he was safe now in hopes he’ll finally believe it.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, silence only broken by the sounds of Blue’s soft breathing and the occasional friction of tissues when one of them would move a leg or something like that.

“Blue?” Dream suddenly called out to him, looking down at him briefly. “Can I ask you something?”

The latter blinked, shifting so their eyes met. He nuzzled into the other’s neck, already having a feeling on what he was going to ask. “Sure, go ahead.” He managed to let out in a casual voice, even though his mind was a complete mess on its own.

“What happened before you went through your portal?” There it was. Blue took a sharp breath, clinging onto Dream’s shirt tightly.

“… It’s a long story.” He eventually said, face still pressed against Dream’s neck. “Before I reply, may I ask some favors out of you?” Dream nodded, now his other hand intertwined with the other’s.

“First, I would like you not to tell anyone else about what I’m going to tell you.” As he spoke, Blue briefly wondered if it was actually a good idea to talk about it to Dream. But then again, it was now obvious that he wasn’t safe almost anywhere and talking about it might help him not only feel better about it but also get rid of the problem in the future.

Dream nodded at that, showing he agreed to the first condition.

“And then…” He paused. “I would like to move in with you, at least for the time being.” Dream froze, his petting halting for a moment.

“You don’t have to decide now.” Blue continued speaking, avoiding looking at his partner. “I’ll let you make up your mind after I tell you what I have to tell.”

That’s when he began counting his story, telling Dream about his childhood and how the man called his brother had made his life completely hell as the latter rubbed comforting patterns on his hand, on his arm, on his leg and pretty much anywhere he could reach while at the same time squeezing his hand in support. Those little touches definitely helped him feel more comfortable telling his story and confirmed that he was, in fact, down bad for the man since any time he changed his rubbing spot, he would blush, interrupting what he was saying with a little stutter.

If Dream had noticed, he didn’t show it. He has simply been patiently waiting for the other to finish his story, visibly holding back a string of curses at several points in the story.

Then he debuted the part of the universe collapsing, and how he pushed his brother off the cliff.

“I was convinced that I killed him.” He confessed, snuggling even closer to Dream. “I saw him disappear into the void and for me, that was the end of it all. I didn’t feel any regret when I did it whether it be during or after the act.”

One would think Dream would have said something about that confession but he believed in justified murder and that one ticked all the boxes for him, if he were the one who caught him, he would have been executed anyway. Parasites like him had no place to keep in that multiverse.

“But then…” Blue swallowed, already feeling the tears gathering in his eyes. He felt one of Dream’s golden wings wrap itself around his waist, tickling his legs and he let out a sigh. It was so soft.

“But then,” He retried with a shaky voice. “I found him waiting for me at my house. As to what happened next… well I think you can guess.”

The second those words left his mouth, he broke into sobs again. As an answer, the blond man hugged him tightly, peppering his face with kisses.

“It was very brave of you to talk about it with me, thank you for that.” Blue let out a hiccup, burying his face into his shoulder. “As for him, I’ll do my best so he never hurts you again.” His eyes narrowed, the light inside of them fizzling out for a brief moment.

“But for now, let’s go to sleep. How does that sound?” With that, they both fell asleep, cuddling so much they looked like a mess of limbs from an outside perspective.

[beakeoghan]

run right back

Pairing: Diego Hargreeves x fem!reader

Summary: It's your birthday and Diego finally cleans himself up to meet you.

Word count: 1.4k words

Warnings: Mentions of blood and bruises. Fluff and sweet, maybe Diego is out of character but I tried.

Author’s note: I joined Tumblr just a while ago - maybe a little more than a month. I had the pleasure to meet some amazing people here, and I came across the beautiful and sweet @aphrogeneias who took me in and didn't mind that I was this annoying piece of a person. Today is her birthday and I just wanted to write her something to tell her how special she is! Lu, it has been 27 days since we followed each other, and 25 years since the world was blessed with your presence. Feliz aniversário, baby 🤍 (And to follow up with the tradition, the story was based on Run Right Back by The Black Keys)

You had no recollection of him ever being on time.

On your first date, you suggested you would both go to a café nearby, and sure enough, he was late with his face patched up a bit and dried bloodstains on his sleeves. It was a red flag - your friends agreed that it was a huge one - but you gave him the benefit of the doubt.

“You know, I just can’t let innocent people suffer in the hands of bad guys.” He snorted while eating the pastry he had ordered for himself. Too rough to notice the crumbs accumulating near his clothes.

At least he seemed genuinely concerned and asked you a bunch of questions about yourself — to which he listened carefully. Maybe it was too soon to know if he was paying attention because he wanted to or because he was collecting facts about you. Either way, the way he seemed to understand you was enough to keep this friendship blossoming.

On your second date, he was supposed to come over. You would cook together, clean up together, maybe you were even thinking about something a little more spice for that day. But no. You ended up ordering greasy pizza from the store downstairs from your place, the only opened restaurant at that hour. And it frankly wasn’t the best date idea you had in your mind.

The following dates were mainly spontaneous ones. He would text you or show up at your house. In odd hours, sometimes with purple bruises on his stomach and cuts on his face that would need to be taken care of — something you had to get used to, after all, you knew that your new boyfriend had this hero complex.

“Diego, I can’t believe you’re doing this on my birthday…” You murmured to yourself, picking up your phone to call him for the third time. He was almost an hour late, for god sake, couldn’t he just not play the vigilante on this particular date?

It was a mystery to know why you still stuck around him, even after you knew about his family history. But truthfully, it was because you needed each other. He cared so much for you, and you cared so much about him, it was like you had ten different lovers in just one — the hero, the dorky himbo, the protective best friend, the mindblowing lover. The list could go on. Mostly, as hard as it was to admit, you would do anything for each other. A type of love like this was quite rare to find nowadays.

“Screw this.” You said under your breath. Your friends were at the carnival fair happening near the docks. You said you probably wouldn’t be able to go since you were spending time with Diego, but well. Change of plans.

Upon arriving, you received a text message from your friend. She said they were close to one of the stands with balloons you had to strike to win the prizes. The carnival wasn't nearly as crowded as it used to be. It was dark and you could hardly see the main attractions. It was fairly easy to find them since it seemed to be the only place with lights on and fully functioning.

You looked around for a bit before seeing the familiar faces greeting you with a warm smile and sloppy hugs. They were playing this game where you had to throw knives at the targets, the main prize seemed to be this huge teddy bear you weren't even sure why they wanted.

"Birthday girl, could you maybe use your special day luck and try to strike that last balloon right there?" One of your friends gave you the second to last knife, winking at you.

The irony was that on your special day, your obsessed-with-knives boyfriend was nowhere to be found. But you wouldn't let this take away the fact that it still was your day.

"Alright, I'll teach you!" You said with a chuckle, handling the knife carefully, aiming at the target with one eye squinted to get a better grip.

Suddenly a familiar raspy voice approached your ear, you could feel that he was smiling. His left hand is on your waist, wrapping your body against him. "Honey, I've shown you a thousand times. That's not how you hold it."

You crooked your head to the side, his chin was now resting on your shoulder. "Diego?" As you said it, you turned around to look at him.

He was dressed differently. The all-black uniform that he wore most days was now switched to a deep navy green shirt and a pair of dark jeans. His gadgets were not in his waist anymore, his beard and hair were trimmed. Your face lit up with the brightest smile and you chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. I look hot." He smiled revealing the rose bouquet hidden behind his back. "Happy birthday, my darling girl." He offered you the flowers, approaching you and placing a gentle kiss on your forehead.

As if planned - and thinking about it, it probably was - the lights around the carousel, the Ferris wheel, and all the other attractions that seemed lifeless seconds ago, began to function. The whole place was shining bright again, songs from your favorite playlist could be heard from miles.

"How did you do that?" You inhaled deeply into his chest, taking your time before looking up to him again.

"Well, I'm always late and away most days, so I thought I'd disappoint you again to win you over, again." He laughed, wrapping you with his arms, careful not to smash the flowers you were holding. "And since you are not particularly a fan of crowded places, I closed down the park and invited your closest friends."

Before you could say something, a couple more of your friends started showing up, yelling happy birthday and clapping their hands with joyful laughter filling up the celebration. You smiled, embarrassed about the spot he had put you into. You still couldn't believe it, but your eyes sparkled, grateful for your amazing boyfriend. "You didn't have to."

"I know I didn't have to." He slowly reached for your yearning lips, softly filling you up with butterflies on your stomach. “But I wanted to."

"And may I know why you took so long? I thought you had run away from me."

"I had to get dressed up. I bet this was the biggest surprise of the night." He laughed, his eyes tenderly looking into yours. His hand brushed off a little strain of hair lock falling on your face. "Besides, I would never run away from you. Every day when I'm out doing my thing, all I can think about is to run right back to you."

You wanted to ask him how he managed to do this, or even why he would go through all this trouble. Close down the whole fair just for you was a little beyond what you expected, especially knowing Diego’s careless way to show his feelings. On second thought, though, it made sense. He isn’t a guy who says too much, he rather prefers to show you. Instead of pretty words and epic poems, he would always come over with your favorite food at 2 am, escort you to work on early mornings, pick you up on the days when you would get out late from there.

He would also lay in bed until the sun comes up, softly caressing your cheeks and then laugh at you when you woke up, reminding you that you promised to stay awake this time.

Despite all of the rough moments of your relationship, mostly involving the fact you hated seeing him hurt, you knew that he would always be there for you. Because after all, even though he was late sometimes, he always showed up. Beaten up stomach, bloody knives, purple bruises, and tired eyes, but he was running back to you. And you always ran back to him.

[istorkyou]

When We Were Wild (Modern!Ivar AU)

A Modern!Ivar x F Reader.

Warning - Mentions of violence. Language.

Synopsis - Best friends until….

Note - Everything in italics is a flashback.

Word count - 3263

As always, massive love to @punkrocknpearls​​​​ for talking me through this, the amazing beta (pretty sure she got the characters better than I did!) and for the fabulous moodboard above. You da BEST!

Tag List - As always, let me know if you want on or off

@smears-and-spots @punkrocknpearls @youbloodymadgenius @momowhoo @zuxiezendler @not-another-viking-fanfic-blog @ivar-s-my-brat-tamer @pieces-by-me @heavenly1927 @berryonasummerevening @synnersaint @out-of-the-box-and-into-alchemy @petite-hime @serasvictoria @mimiiinspace @itsmysticalmystery @lonewolf471 @mylifeisactuallyamess @grimeundglow @draculasbride-blog @love-all-things-writing @southernbe @redhead7799 @kaybee87 @ivarlover @ivarhoegh @freydis-tyrsdottir @idgafiamallthefandoms @darkphoenix5037 @profoundtyrantharmony @snarling-through-our-smiles @crazyunsexycool @xceafh​ @bragisrunes​

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

Chapter 7 - Final Chapter

You and Ivar have been together for five blissful months before the family business once again intrudes into your life together.

You are in a restaurant waiting for Ivar and he is late, not unlike him but it’s getting past an acceptable delay for you. You message him.

Where are you? I’m sitting here on my own like a shitting lemon.

“May I sit here?” The voice is deep and certainly does not belong to your Ivar. You look up into the face of a very tall, intimidating looking man, dark hair, dark beard. 

“No, my boyfriend will be coming soon.” You go back to your phone and see the message isn’t delivered. 

“Ah yes, Ivar will be here soon. In fact, he is just sitting outside in that car.” He points to an SUV with blacked out windows and sits down. “My name is Oleg, and you are?” 

You close your eyes and draw in a deep breath. So this is how it starts, how it's going to be forever? Until when? Until he turns up dead one day, or just disappears and you never know what’s happened to him? Until the fear takes over and you let your addict genes kick in and become an alcoholic to cope? Is this your life now? 

You’ve felt so settled recently. The anxious feeling that usually ticks along in your background has gone, the feeling of impending sadness has left you. You’ve been feeling nothing but a secure happiness, a contentment that you have never previously known. Now this asshole sitting in front of you has wiped all that positivity away and has replaced it with fear, dread, terror and a growing anger. On the plus side, at least you know how to function with those in your blood.

You open your eyes and look straight into his, no apprehension at all. “I’m none of your fucking business that’s who.” You look back to the car. “Show me him.” 

“You have no need to worry, he is perfectly fine,” he drawls slowly.

“Show me him or I will shove the steak knife into your neck without a second thought and deal with whatever consequences come after with a genuine fucking smile on my face.” A calm fear has settled over you. You are scared but you won’t show this man. The fear has made you hyper aware of everything and you notice two other men at another table who are clearly watching this all play out. 

Oleg studies your face closely, and raises one eyebrow at you. “This is not how I like to be spoken to by a lady.” 

“Well you are shit out of luck because I don’t care what you like, and I am not a lady. Show me him.” You move your hand slightly towards the knife. Oleg motions his hand and the window of the SUV is lowered and you can see Ivar’s face; he has a busted lip. His expression is one of terror; you know it’s for you and not for himself.

“Alright.” You turn back to Oleg. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Oh, I don’t want anything from you, although I did not know you would be this feisty and calm. I am simply showing your boyfriend and the rest of his family how easy it is to get to the ones the Lothbroks love. Do you work with the family? Your attitude would suit this work well.” 

You look back to the car but the window is up again and you can’t see Ivar now. 

Oleg leans forward and reaches out to your face but you slap his hand away without thinking. The two men you noticed stand up abruptly but Oleg motions for them to sit back down. 

“I like you.”

“Lucky me, give me back Ivar now. You’ve made your point.” 

“Yes, Ragnar should understand our reach now. I don’t think you should be mixed up with this family. Even Ivar stays on the periphery. He was a very easy target though…..”

You interrupt him, the fear for Ivar is building to a level inside that you are worried your calm exterior is going to slip soon. “Yeah, yeah, all very interesting. Give me back my guy now. He’s my guy, not Ragnar’s, he’s barely involved in the shit, whatever it is you all do. Pick someone else next time.” 

“I don’t think you are in any position to dictate to me.” 

“And yet I am. Hey, you” –you shout to Oleg’s men across the restaurant --“get him out the car.”

They look totally perplexed and look to Oleg for instruction. He is watching your face with an approving smile. You just raise your eyebrows at him in question then look back at the car. He motions again. 

“You are a fascinating creature. What are you doing with Ivar?”

You don’t even look at Oleg, your eyes are on the car. “Living my best fucking life.” Your body lets out a shuddering breath as you watch Ivar get out of the car. He is okay apart from the lip. You grab your coat and bag as you get up from the table. Oleg’s hand finds yours softly. Your eyes swing to his hand.

“I would very much like to get to know you better.”

You twist your hand out of his and run out of the restaurant to Ivar. You don’t hug him, you just grab his hand and lead him away, the need to get as much space between you and these people is what’s moving your feet. 

You hail down a cab and tell the driver to just drive and you direct him, you don't give him an address, you don’t want to risk going to your place or Ivar’s and being followed so you start directing him towards Ragnar's home. You finally look at Ivar whose face is covered in silent tears as he stares at you. 

“I’m so sorry…” he sobs out suddenly. You slide across the seat and wrap your arms around him, pulling his head to your chest. 

“Shhh shhh. Don’t say anything here.” You look at the taxi driver. You don’t trust anyone. 

When you get near the house you get the driver to pull over a few blocks away, pay him and walk in silence to the house. It seems empty so you take Ivar to his old bedroom and shut the door.

“My love, I’m so sorry, I am so sorry. I didn’t tell them where we were meeting. I promise you, I thought they were going to take you, or... Oh God, I’m going to be sick.” You run and get the bin for him to puke in. When he is finished you take the bin and clean it out. You still haven’t said anything to him. 

“What did he say to you? Are you okay?” He grabs at you and pulls you into him. “Love, say something!”

“I need to leave.”

He pulls away from you and stares into your eyes, you can’t make out the expressions that are racing over his face. 

“I’m leaving, Ivar. You are either coming with me or you aren’t.” You shrug at him. “You don’t know that I picked your mum up from rehab earlier this year do you?” He shakes his head and you and furrows his brow. 

“You we’re all in some talks about something so Ubbe asked me to. Anyway, she doesn’t want this life for you. The family business. She petrified you will lose yourself in the violence of it all. We all know you enjoy it, but you’ve held back, for me she says.”

He looks at you through the side of his eye. “I’ve always been scared you will be dragged into it and you were today. I would die if something happened to you.”

“Your mum said something to me that scared me. She said she can’t leave Ragnar because she needs his protection. I don’t want that to be us, Ivar. I won’t be used again in my life. I won’t be threatened, I won’t feel scared for the rest of my life just because of what you do. It took me years to feel secure and what’s happened today has just set me back months, years even. I basically saw my life flash before me if I stay here, the constant fear of not knowing if you are going to come home every evening, the anxiety every time I answer the phone or someone knocks at the door. I know how I would end up coping with that level of stress. I would do what my parents did, what your mum did. I would become my parents. So I am leaving. Are you coming with me?” You are emotionless. A barrier has gone up within you. 

He reads you like a book. “Don’t do that. Don’t cut me out, I can see the coldness in your eyes. Please don’t look at me like that, not me, love. I’m so sorry…” He pulls you for a kiss, cupping your face gently. “Don’t cut me out, of course I’m coming with you. Let’s go. Go now. I’ve got cash, our passports are at my place from the holiday. We can buy anything else we need. It’s us, love, forever. I’m so sorry.” 

The whimper that leaves you reflects how you feel: pure relief. You don’t know what you would have done if he said he wasn’t coming with you. Your legs turn to jelly and you sink to the floor in front of him, barriers down, all your hardness gone in an instant. 

He sits on the bed and you put your head in his lap and start to cry. “Oh, thank fuck!” you whimper between sobs.

“Silly little Shitball! As if I would allow you to leave without me. There is not one thing in this whole world I would pick over you, love” he says softly and he smooths your hair. 

“Ivar?” Aslaugs voice comes from behind the door then walks into the room. “I’ve got money. We talked about this didn't we, dear?” She nods at you. “Sorry for eavesdropping. I don’t know what happened today, but you two should leave. Soon. Here,” –she hands Ivar an envelope stuffed full of money --“You two have something too special to waste in this life.”

“Come with us, Aslaug.” You grab her hand. “You can get away.”

She gives you such a regretful smile that your tears automatically fall. “You are so kind, dear. I cannot. I will visit a lot when everything is safe. I will explain to Ragnar. You’ve managed to keep out of the business enough that it shouldn’t be a problem, you will get the clean break you need. I’m very excited for the pair of you. Do not get married without me, I am warning you both!” She pulls you both into her for a cuddle. 

“I said it from the minute I met you, Dear. You were always each other’s destinies. Now go, call me when you settle on where you are going. I love you both.”

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The year you have been travelling with Ivar has been the most fun of your lives. You have been to sixteen countries and have had adventures you didn’t think you ever would. You've experienced cultures so interesting it’s made you both not want to leave, but you need to go home now. 

You’ve decided to settle two hours away from where you both grew up: far enough that he won’t get dragged back into the bullshit but close enough that his family and your friends can still be part of your lives. 

Ivar has spoken to Ragnar who assured him that the two of you will be safe. That all potential issues were ironed out months back and that the man from the restaurant is no longer in operation. Whatever that means; you don’t want to know. 

When the plane lands, you look at each other and he gives you a soft kiss. “Onto the next adventure, Shitball.” 

When you walk through the arrivals doors you hear a cheer from your right and then total silence. Aslaug, Ubbe, Hvitserk and some of your friends are waiting to greet you. All their faces are in total shock, as they look you up and down. All except Aslaug, she just looks ecstatic.

“Surprise!” Ivar jokes as he gives your swollen stomach a rub. “She ate too much in the Philippines.”

“Ugh, he’s all about the dad jokes since he knocked me up.” You roll your eyes. 

Aslaug walks towards you and embraces you tightly. “Didn’t I always say you would give me grand babies?”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Shitball, we need to get going, come on, love,” –he slaps you on your ass –“get up or we will miss the boat.” 

“Ivar, I don’t want to go, I don’t feel great, I was sick in the night. I think it was the fish, do you feel okay?” 

“You were sick? Why didn’t you wake me? I feel okay, we had the same, right?” He leans over and feels your forehead. “You don’t feel hot.”

“You go, I will sleep it off.” 

“No way, I’m not leaving you if you are ill.”

“No, you are definitely going. You missed out snorkelling in Bali because of the storm, I don’t want you missing out again, you’ve been so excited. I will be okay, I will probably feel better later anyway.”

“Are you sure? I’ll keep my phone on and I will be back if you need anything.”

“Take the waterproof camera, get great shots, okay?” 

He peppers you with kisses, shouting out he loves you as he leaves your room. 

You go back to sleep but wake up exhausted and are still feeling so sick. You are staying in a hut over the water, well, it’s not really a hut, it’s a villa, very posh, and upmarket with an outside area looking out over the ocean. You’ve been staying in hostels and crappy hotels for the last few months and Ivar needs better conditions for a while. His legs haven’t been playing up too badly but he hasn’t been resting them anywhere near enough because he doesn’t want to miss out on anything. You decided to use some of his Mother's money to have a luxury three week break in Fiji.

Mid afternoon you call for room service; the nausea is still with you but so is a ravenous hunger. When the food is delivered you let the woman from the resort into your room but you have to leave her to vomit again. 

“Miss, are you okay?” You come out of the bathroom and sit on the edge of the bed trying to breathe away the sickness. 

“Sorry. Don’t feel good today.” You smile as she pours your fizzy water. 

“Ginger will help, Miss.” She gestures toward your stomach. “It is good to settle the baby sickness.” 

You take a sip of your water and then register what she has said and laugh. “Oh it’s not that. It’s something I’ve eaten.”

“Oh, sorry, Miss. I just assumed…” 

She uncovers your lunch and you tip her nicely for having to listen to you being sick. 

As you eat your fruit you try to remember your last period. Where were you? What country? New Zealand? No. Fuck! Was it the Philippines? You get up and grab your phone. The Philippines was 9 weeks ago. 

Fuck. 

You’d run out of your contraceptive pill months ago, you didn’t have the time to refill it before you and Ivar took off but you’ve been using condoms. Mostly. 

Fuck. 

You puke again. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Shitball! It was fucking amazing! I’ve booked us to go again in a few days, it was incredible. Shitball, where are you? How are you feeling?” 

“Outside.”

He drops onto the loungers next to yours. You are sitting with your legs drawn to your chest and you are still crying. 

You turn to Ivar and watch as his face drops. “What’s wrong? Oh fuck what’s happened?” He is next to you in a heartbeat, pulling your legs down so he can hug you closely. He pulls back and cups your face. 

“Tell me what’s happened. We don’t lie to each other.”

You can’t look at him, you just gesture towards something on the side table. He leans over and picks it up. You can’t look at him. 

“I’m sorry,” you sniff.

“What is this? Is this a pregnancy test?” His face is blank but his eyes are wide open. 

“I’m sorry, Ivar.”

He just stares at the test, then at you, then back to the test. 

“You’re pregnant?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry.” 

His head drops into his hands. “I can’t believe it.”

“I’m sorry,” you start to sob as you watch him process what you’ve just dropped on him. 

“Hey! HEY! Why are you crying? Why are you apologising to me? This is the best news of my whole life, love!” 

“You’re happy?” 

“Of course I am! Aren’t you? We are going to have a baby,” he says quietly. “WE ARE HAVING A BABY!” he shouts out into the ocean, then turns back to you with elation in his face. His excitement fades when he looks at your dejection. He pulls you to him and smooths your hair down soothingly. 

“I can hear your thoughts,” he whispers. “You won’t be like them, you won’t be anything like them. You will be an excellent mother, the best mother in the whole world, love. You know that’s right?!”

“What if I am like them? What if I freak out and can’t handle it? What if it’s too much? What if you leave us?” 

He lets out a gentle laugh. “My love. You are nothing like them now, why would having a baby change that, hey? I know you know I’m never leaving you, so I won’t answer that, you are just freaking out, we will be together even when we are ghosts, love. How many months are you?”

“I think maybe a little over two? No period since the first week in the Philippines.” You grab the bin you’ve taken from the bathroom and puke into it, unsure if it’s the pregnancy hormones or nerves that are making you sick now. Ivar shifts on the seat and rubs your back. 

“What are we going to do? Go home? Carry on travelling? Shit, we need to get you a checkup by a doctor. No more sushi, no more alcohol, no more… I don’t know what else pregnant women can’t have!”

At the mention of sushi you throw up again. He leans down to talk to your stomach. “Stop giving Mama such a hard time, little one.” He sits bolt upright like it’s just hit him. Using the word Mama made it hit him. “Oh my God, we are going to have a baby. Oh my God!” He stands up then sits back down, then stands up, then sits back down, hands laced behind his head, face pale.

You can’t help but laugh at him. “Ivar, are you okay?Just breath, love.” 

“Oh my God, we are going to have a baby!” And with that he bursts into tears. Happy tears. 

“Oh Ivar, my love. Get a shitting grip,” you exclaim in exasperation. “No God is going to help you now. You’re basically fucked, especially if this baby grows into a teenager who is as wild as we were…”

He turns to you with dread on his face and you both start laughing. 

FIN

Thanks so much for reading :) 

[thefallenbibliophilequote]

The Asgardian Way

Loki x Reader

Summary: you get your period on the most unfortunate time- on date night with Loki. Embarrassed as you are of the topic from past experiences with boyfriends, Loki shows you that unlike mortal men- Asgardians view this time of the month for women in a much better way.

Word count: 1,849

Warnings: period talk, fluff, shade on Christianity, some shade on human men, Loki being the ideal boyfriend we all deserve.

A/N: this was requested by @the-departed-potato and while I do not take requests I just really had to do this one because this was like just perfect for me specifically to do. Sorry it took so long! Sorry if this sucks!😅 I also truly had to hold myself back from giving even more shade on Christians of old times because damn I could write a whole essay about those people and how they spread misinformation that changed real history to fake mainly bc of witchcraft. This is not beta read so all mistakes are by yours truly!

No one is allowed to repost my writing or steal or copy my work! Reblog on tumblr is fine.

Masterlist

--

It's been going on for months now, the shameless flirting, the gentleman behaviour, and the devious looks he sent your way that completely contradicted his actions and left you a blushing mess even when he only opened the door for you- then he would wink at you.

It wasn't until one night that you gathered up courage to ask him out.

You were staying late at the Avengers Tower, you wanted to finish working on the new gadget you had built with Tony at the lab so he sent you to bring the two of you some coffee- he knew it was useless to tell you to go home and sleep- last time he tried to do it you called him a hypocrite and conditioned one of his suits to blast him if he gets close to you. You found it hilarious. He made sure to update the security of his code.

You went to the kitchen when you happened to overhear a conversation of two gods.

"Why have you not taken her on a date yet, brother?"

"I wish to court her properly, she deserves to be treated like a lady." You heard Loki respond to his brother. You leaned on the wall, trying not to get hopeful and to get the butterflies to calm down.

"Y/N is a fine lady, however, I heard from Stark that midgardian women might mistake courting like ours as mere jest." You smiled a bit at the scoff they both let out.

"Mortals continue to baffle me." Came Loki's comment, before Thor continued- not letting the subject go.

"Ask her on a date, I'm sure she will appreciate it." He encouraged his brother who wasn't as sure.

"I think, brother, that she is different- she will appreciate the old delicate arts of courting." He was not wrong- you were always old fashioned. But now at his admission, you stepped out of the shadows and into their view.

"While I do appreciate the courting, I'd love it if you would ask me out." Loki turned around at the sound of your voice.

"How long have you been standing there, darling?" he fidgeted with his hair.

"Long enough," you stepped down the stairs to stand in front of him. "What do you say about this Friday night at six? There is an art exhibit at the museum, I think you'll like calling out all the inaccuracies."

"Yeah, I'd like that." He gave you a small shy smile, and you completely forgot about Thor who stood on the side, watching it all unfold.

"This is great," he said. "You two are finally going on that date, see brother I told you-"

Thor stopped when he looked at Loki who sent him daggers at ruining the moment. You only chuckled.

"I have to go get Tony and I some drinks, so I guess I will see you then." You were about to turn around to head towards the kitchen when Loki took your hand in his, making you turn around, then he kissed the back of your hand lightly, bowing with a small smile at the blush on your cheeks.

"I look forward to it."

It took you a couple of second to function after he did that, mumbling a quiet goodbye you turned around and refused to look back at the smirking god.

•

You have gone with the god for a couple of dates now and then, sometimes you didn't see him for a whole week because of meetings in Asgard and while you were sad that you didn't get to see him-you were glad he was gone on that exact week every time.

You have been seeing him for about 2-3 months now and it was great- up until your period decided to come early. Right on your scheduled date.

You were nervously pacing your apartment thinking how to tell Loki that you can't go out with him tonight. You didn't want him to see you like this- he is a god, and you- you are a mortal woman who was having trouble getting out of bed because your body decided to punish you for not being pregnant this month.

Your body was so sexist.

Suddenly, a knock on the door.

Groaning, you got out of bed and headed for the door, checking who was there you were puzzled when you saw Loki there, dressed to the nines. Surely you didn't waste so much time, he must be early.

"Dear, are you okay there?" he called you.

"Yes, I'm fine- just a moment!" you tried to make yourself look presentable in a rush just so you could open the door to the dashing prince who was awaiting you.

You opened the door with a smile, which he returned.

You were used to acting like you were okay while your cramps were killing you from the inside but it seems like the god of lies could not be so easily fooled.

"Hi Loki, I was not expecting you this early." You laughed courtly, "And I was actually meaning to call- I'm not feeling so well today, I'm afraid I have to postpone our date tonight."

Loki walked into your apartment, kissing you on the cheek before pulling back to study you.

"I wanted to see you sooner, so here I am. But now that I am here- well tell me what is wrong, dearest?" he frowned when he saw you slightly clench your fists.

"Oh, I'm just not feeling well, I won't be good company and I won't be able to enjoy a lovely night with you I'm afraid."

"I'm a healer my love; you always seem to forget my magic," he smirked slightly causing you to laugh- which was not good right now for you.

"I remember your magic powers very well when you prank me." You countered. "But no, this is not something you need to worry about."

He reached out and took your hand with a small laugh. The door locked itself with a wave of his hand as he took you to the couch.

"I'm afraid you will have to do better than that to fool the god of lies." He took both of your hands in his and you were sure he could see your embarrassment with the way he was gazing into your eyes, "Now tell me, what is wrong?"

"You really don't need to- it's kind of embarrassing-" you started to mumble, lowering your head.

"I'm still here, aren't I? What kind of man will I be if I am not taking care of those I care about?"

You pulled your hands away from him, embarrassed as you mumbled something he couldn't quite put together.

"What was that?"

"I'm on my period." You closed your eyes- not wanting to see his disgusted look. "See, so you don't need to be here, I can take care of it myself and we can reschedule our date to a week from now."

It was not a problem to you- you knew the drill- but having to explain it to a clueless god felt humiliating to say the least.

"Is that all? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" You opened your eyes to a puzzled god.

"Because it would make you uncomfortable," you replied, suspicious of his reaction.

"Why on Odin's beard would it make me uncomfortable?" He frowned at you and looked you over. He started peppering kisses on your hands.

"Because it is my period?" You knew he is a god, but maybe asgardians women didn't get that. "Here on earth, men tend to be disgusted by it, they don't like to get involved in it or talk about it."

He huffed out in surprised anger- that you did not expect. The god in front of you did not know how human males could be so awful.

"Well that is preposterous! Women are to be worshipped at those times!" you stared at him-he had always treated you differently, unlike anything you have seen on earth before. You knew Asgardian ways of manners were much old fashioned and yet so different all the same.

"Then tell me, how do asgardians see it?" you leaned on the back of the couch, facing Loki and pulling a blanket over you. You liked how safe he made you feel, but this still felt weird to you- you were not sure how to react- to what extent it goes. So, curiosity got the better of you, "because if I'm being honest, this is kind of embarrassing."

Loki sent you a smile with a twinkle in his eye.

"Darling there is nothing to be embarrassed of! You are naturally as powerful as a thunder storm, a tornado- lightning cowards before you and your power!" he was going to make sure you understand it, he had never been so baffled by humans before. "You hold the ability of life- eternal life- in every drop of blood that falls from you- from the most powerful being in all the realms. For a couple of days each month- you are being shown your true power even through your suffering- and in that time you, my dear, are more powerful than a god. You should be nothing but worshipped. That is what the gods of Asgard know it to be true."

"Do they really all think that?" you felt a sharp pain suddenly and Loki came closer to you, put his usually cold hand on your stomach and you felt comforting warmness ease your ache.

"They know it. The people of midgard knew it too at some point, but then some people who thought themselves gods- I think they called themselves Christians- decided that the bleeding was a show of witchcraft and called it a sin and spread many lies about it, which now I see are still believed to this day. You see, they were quite stupid." You laughed at the disgusted look he gave you, which in turn made him smile. "You know, I probably shouldn't tell you this but…"

"You never obey such rules." You laughed and put your hand over his one that was comforting you on your stomach.

"In one of Thor's travels he bathed in a river filled with the menstrual blood of the powerful Giantesses. That was to give him enlightenment and eternal life."

"Ew, did he actually do it?" you scrunched your nose and Loki kissed it.

"That is not disgusting- that was powerful and very well respected. When he came back, he was the smartest I have ever seen him."

"I hope he took a good bath after it…" you chuckled and smiled at him, "Thank you for this, the Asgardian way of thinking is way better than that of earth."

"Now, dear, while I do have a preferred way to help take away the pain-" you blushed under his gaze. "Tell me, what is it that you desire? Tell me, so I can worship you as I should."

You kissed him then and you knew right then when he kissed you back that the Asgardian men are way better.

•

Taglist: : @callmeluna @sstanbarnes @buckys-other-punk @drabblewithfrannybarnes @easygoingtheatre @that-one-person @justab-eautifulmess @onceupona-happilyeverafter @wipplogg @supraveng @samwilsons-pillowpecs @ayybtch @kitkatd7 @chrissquares @make-me-imagine @jessalyn-jpeg

[cipheress-to-k-pop]

Hi, I absolutely adore your writing and it’s quite inspiring and making my imagination go WEEWOO!

Could I request something for YJ With Dick? So like a headcanon or one shot (which ever you prefer queen) where the reader is quite reserved, snarky and can get angry real fast. They have feelings for Rob and they are especially snarky to him to hide their feelings, but they eventually start to open up more and during the events of episode 24 (you know, the one at haly’s circus), they open up to him and they confess? And he does the same?

Flower Language

Pairing: Dick Grayson as Robin x Reader

Warnings: Blood and injuries and plant death.

Word Count: 3.8k words

A/N: This is kind of my take on the Hanahaki disease, kind of. This was so much fun to write honestly, I didn't realize I like all this floral stuff so much. It also reminded me of another 'True Love's Kiss' trope I wrote for Dick Grayson as well. Also I changed the episode this was based on because I’ve already done something based on the episode with Haly’s circus @hanbedumbaf I really really really hope you enjoy it! Sorry it was so late, I finished it a month back but it was in my queue.

Adrenaline was a common feeling to you. A little too familiar. The life of a superhero puts you in peril more times than you would like but it was the only life you had known. You knew the familiar feeling of sweat forming on your skin and your heart pounding so loudly that you could hear it in every step you took.

However, when you heard the pounding, it was because there was a supervillain, usually hairy, chasing after you and determined to get your head on a stake.

Although, feeling your heart jump to your throat was becoming more familiar whenever you were around a certain someone. Robin annoyed you to no end, whenever he was around you couldn't help your face from growing warm and your lips from tingling to form a permanent smile on your face.

Having a crush was irritating, you couldn't think or even function without thinking of him. It was frankly humiliating, you were always so gung-ho about being bold and to the point and yet whenever you were around Boy Wonder, you couldn't help but bend your personality to something you felt like would appeal to him more.

Sometimes, you couldn't even stand yourself.

And so, as a pathetic act of rebellion, and maybe as a clear-cut sign that you had no idea how to handle emotions or anything similar to it, every time your heart got just a little soft, your tongue got a whole lot sharper. Probably not the best way to win a boy’s heart. But you weren't here for a romance story.

It was also a true sign that you had no idea how to flirt, thinking that borderline insulting witty banter was the way to go. Or perhaps it was a way of controlling your emotions, since being bitter and snarky was the thing that came easiest to you.

You seriously needed better tactics.

It was also your oblivious mistake thinking that Robin only saw what you wanted him to see. He was raised to be a detective, of course he was more observant than that. Papa (or let's be real, Alfred) didn't raise no fool.

You made the mistake of thinking Robin saw you as strong and independent and bold, just as the rest of them did. But he saw much more than that.

Robin was distressed by the number of crying faces around him, the kids were inconsolable which was understandable because of just how many things went wrong in the past couple of hours. To be quite frank, Robin was a couple seconds away from having a fit himself.

"Shh, little one," He heard distantly and his neck practically snapped. You were crouching in front of the few who were crying, with a small nurturing smile. It was the first time he had seen you out of uniform, usually referring to you as Antheia, named after the goddess of flowers, but this wasn't she.

"I know you're scared, my flowers, but I promise, we will find your parents." You soothed, gently wiping away their tears. They still looked up at you apprehensively and with uncertainty.

"I'll show you a magic trick." You began, grinning as the kids began to smile back at you. You pulled a seed out of your pocket and held it between closed hands, using a bit of your powers and felt it grow in your palms. When you revealed what you were holding, they collectively gasped.

A bud of a flower now rested in your hand. You smiled at their innocent eyes and held it to them, "Now I'm going to need your help for the next part. Everyone has to blow on the flower."

They nodded eagerly, crawling around you and on the count of three, everyone followed your instructions. And low and behold, the bud bloomed into a beautiful blossom right between your fingers.

One of the girls clamoured into your lap to hold the flower herself and you chuckled, wrapping your arms tightly around her, "You know what this flower means?"

They shook their heads, "It means faith, and hope. If you have faith and hope in us, then you'll get something beautiful in return."

For once, they look contemplatively and you chuckled, feeling pride at the fact that you managed to sow some wisdom in their minds. The girl that had been sitting in your lap turned in your grasp, with the flower in her hand and then reached up to tuck it behind your ear.

"For me?" She nodded happily and you smiled widely, kissing her cheek, "Thank you, petal."

Satisfied that you were able to calm them down, you gently placed the girl back on the floor before moving away from the group. Just as you were about to join the others, you ran into Robin. You didn't know he had just seen the whole thing.

Pulling the flower from behind your ear, you handed it to him, "You know in some cultures, this flower means to pick up the slack and stop looking like a confused chicken." You snapped.

Business as usual.

Robin looked back to the flower you had slipped into his hands, you had said it meant faith and hope, and you had given it to him. He looked back up to see you shuffling away from him quickly, a blush on your face. He smiled.

You were more nurturing and kinder than you let on, it was like it was programmed into your personality and yet you never showed it when you knew they were watching. That wasn't the only part of yourself that you were hesitant to show them.

And the more Robin observed you, the more he realized that you used flower language to depict a lot of your emotions. It was a silent way of letting them out, without having to tell other people what's really in your heart.

You thought you were sly about it, but nothing went under Robin's radar.

Everyone was watching a movie on the flat screen in the rec room. You hadn't realized you were so tired, the movie was boring, something that M'Gann had picked and you hadn't slept the night before, busy patrolling your city.

Your eyelids began to droop before you could even understand what was going on, your head lolling as you drifted in and out of consciousness.

Robin hadn't realized that he was napping through the movie until he felt a weight on his shoulder. He nearly jumped awake and glanced to his side to see you sound asleep, breathing gently. He nearly chuckled, was this what you looked like when you weren't scowling at everybody?

His heart skipped a beat, god, were you beautiful. The smell of flowers vaguely hit his nose and he noticed the red gardenia plant growing steadily in the corner of the room.

'Red Gardenias means a secret love,' Robin recalled from a book he had read, 'It's a secret way for someone to say I love you.'

He glanced back at you still sleeping peacefully, face completely relaxed and briefly wondered if your powers were taking the lead on your emotions and making gardenias grow around the cave. Or were you dreaming about something?

Something in his heart grew, here you were sleeping against his shoulder, making symbols of a secret love grow around the room. This had to be a sign of something, right?

Before he could contemplate it any further, you squirmed and then began to stir. Your eyes fluttered open, hazily taking in your surroundings before they landed on the boy beside you and widened in size, skin darkening with a blush.

"Why the fuck didn't you wake me up?" You snapped and turned on your heel to stomp out of the room without even waiting for a response from him. The others who noticed the way he was just staring at the place you were in surprise. You always do such a 180 when you're around him and conscious.

"Wow, sunshine's crabby in the morning." Wally commented from beside him. When he didn't get any response, he looked over to see Robin with a silly smile on his face.

Dick couldn't stop himself from grinning. The gardenias were still blooming.

***

"Antheia, do you think you will be able to stop the plants from growing any further?" Batman turned to face you, only to find you staring at him with a hazy, blank expression.

"Antheia?" Robin called but you didn't even flinch, your eyes were locked onto the holo-computer, seeing the thick vines that were twisting and turning. Their call was overwhelming, you could feel them grow even beneath your feet. It was like a siren was blearing through your head.

You couldn't tell what they were trying to say, it was like they were muffled. It was confused and lost, following Ivy and it was happy listening to her. And yet, it was feeling pain, the Justice League was busy pruning her as we speak. It was scared, crying out for someone to help them and you felt obligated to help. Your mind was getting heavy, throbbing with an oncoming migraine.

"(Y/N)!" Your eyes snapped open and focused onto the boy in front of you. Everyone was staring at you in concern and you blinked, suddenly not able to remember what the hell was going on. You were just trying to focus on something other than the screams and cries of the plant.

"......What?" You asked a little dumbly, noticing the concern on Robin's face. The plants were still crying. You couldn't get the painful sound of their screams out of your mind. You felt like curling up into a ball and crying.

"Batman asked if you would be able to stop the plants?"

"Oh, um, no." You answered in a distracted way that made his face pinch with worry. His hands were still grasping your shoulders tightly, keeping his face in close proximity to yours. You didn't even realize, too out of it to even notice.

Robin on the other hand felt his cheeks get uncomfortably hot the more you stared at him with those innocent, beautiful eyes of yours. If Batman hadn't been breathing down his neck, he was sure he would've kissed you in the moment.

Unfortunately for him, his dad always knew how to ruin the moment. And he would continue to for the rest of his life. Until death do them part. Even after the two of you grow up and live together, the Batman would find some way to interrupt your fun.

"Robin?"

"Huh?"

"The mission."

Oh. Right.

***

"Robin!" You screamed when one of Ivy's plants wrapped around his neck and slammed him against the trees. They didn't let up curling tighter around his throat. Fear struck you as he began choking from breath and you knew you had to do something.

Suddenly murderous intent took over you and you glared at Ivy who returned it with a smug smirk of her own. Oh, how you'd rip that smirk off her face.

"Okay Ivy, you wanna play? Let's play." You ground out, slamming your hands against the vine around Robin's neck and it began disintegrating beneath your fingers. He fell to the ground, gasping for breath and you tuned out the sound of the plant crying as it died beside him.

Ivy heard it just as loudly as you had, she screamed and more plants lunged towards the both of you.

"Go help the others! I'm about to snap this twig." You spat at Robin, using your powers to kill the roots as it reached you. It was working slowly, your powers weak to the pain of the plants around you. Even as every cell of your body told you not to, you clenched your fingers into fists and watched as the creeper feel to the marsh, dead.

You engaged in battle with Ivy. Plants were screaming for mercy all around you but you couldn't stop for even a second. Life around you was trembling but you had to keep fighting the villain in front of you because if you hesitated for even a second, many more would die.

Thorns scratched your skin, drawing blood and curled around Ivy, sinking barbs into her skin.

"Face it girlie! You're never going to overpower me!"

"Oh, I'm not trying to overpower you, just distract you long enough for Robin to get rid of the control system." You replied, just as smug as she had been at the start of the fight. Now you got to see her face melt into one of panic just as Robin jumped over her head and to your side with a grin identical to yours.

"Cover your ears!" He sang, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and ducking, covering your body with his own. You were grateful for it; you weren't sure you could even keep your body upright at the moment.

Then you heard the explosion and your heart stopped. Every single fibre of your body burned red hot fire as you heard screams and cries around you. Bile was crawling up your throat and your breathing got thin. They were sobbing a heart-broken wail and your eyes misted at the mere sound.

Without realizing it, you were gripping onto Robin's hand, brows furrowed together. The sound of the explosion cleared, the Injustice League was captured and he pulled you up to stand with the others.

It was silent for a moment. You had won.

And then the consequences of your actions hit you.

Everyone's necks snapped towards you when you let out a heart-wrenching sob. Robin, who was standing right next to you caught you just in time before your body hit the ground. Pain exploded in your chest as you began wailing against him.

"(Y/N)? (Y/N)! What's wrong?!" He panicked but you didn't respond, crying into his chest as you gripped his cape in an iron fist. Everything hurt and all you could feel was sorrow and guilt.

The other heroes crowded around you but your eyes were screwed shut, tears making your eyes sting. Robin held onto you tightly, pulling your body against his as you continued to cry.

"What's happening?" Artemis murmured, looking around to see the environment change before her eyes. Everyone else followed her lead to see how leaves began rotting, then the trees. The smell was pungent. Thorns and weeds were crawling up the dying trees, pulling them into the swamp.

"(Y/N) please, what's wrong?" Robin whispered in your ear but you couldn't hear him. The sounds of plants screaming and wailing was echoing through your mind. How they begged you to save them. How they begged you to stop.

And then it got hard to breathe, your chest constricted and you were wheezing. Robin had to watch in horror when petals and blood poured from your mouth. You were choking, throwing up and sobbing in his arms, and he was unable to do anything to help you.

"Flash get her to the Batcave." Batman said gruffly, he was shocked and worried for you but didn't say anything, not wanting to scare his son more, "Sending you the coordinates now."

"Alfred prepare the med-bay."

Dick watched with a sinking heart as he handed you into Flash's arms. It took him a few seconds for his mind to stop whirring, he was still kneeling in the swampy marsh when the team huddled around him.

"It's gonna be okay." Wally murmured, wrapping an arm around his shaking body.

"We just have to hope for the best."

***

When the others had gotten back to the Cave, you had just been moved there, after being looked over by Alfred. He joined you in the med-bay, wanting to keep an eye on you. But as of yet, you still had to wake up.

Dick wasn't supposed to be listening to the adult’s conversation, but he couldn't help himself, he had to know if you were going to be okay.

"The situation is undeterminable, sir. But as of now, the flowers that are clogging her respiratory system keep growing. If we don't find a cure for this, it's inevitable that she will suffocate and pass."

His heart stopped. Die? You couldn't die, not when he still had so many things to tell you. For so long, he hadn't told you of his feelings, wanting to keep the relationship between the two of you professional. But now more than anything, he wished he had said something.

There were so many things he didn't get to do with you yet. You had yet to give him a bouquet on your first date. He wanted to lay in bed with you, smelling fresh flowers as you told him what different plants symbolized. He had yet to see moments where you can't control your powers and make plants grow around the cave.

He hadn't even given you a flower yet.

"Rob listen, I did some research on this 'disease'." Wally said, falling into step with him, "It's called the Hanahaki disease."

"That's fiction Wal—"

"But that's the best we've got right now." Came his curt reply and Dick's heart clenched.

"Hanahaki disease is a fictional sickness that only occurs when someone is suffering from unrequited love. The victim will cough up flower petals that symbolize their love. This disease is only cured when the victim's feelings are romantically returned." Wally read off his phone before turning to Dick with a smile.

He raised a brow, "What?"

"You have to kiss (Y/N)!"

"What!?"

"Yep! You have to return her unrequired love!"

"Wally that's ridiculous, kissing someone doesn't cute anything."

"Well, it's the only thing we have. And for (Y/N), we need to try anything." He said, pushing him towards the med-bay. His voice was tight and tense, like he was holding onto his as his last hope and Dick prayed that it would work when the door of your room came into his sight.

You were asleep and if he hadn't known any better, he would've thought you were healthy. Wally closed the door behind him, leaving Dick alone with you. The only sound in was the beeping from your heart monitor and your light wheezing. It was getting harder to breathe.

Dick inched his way closer to you, watching as your eyelashes fluttered gently in your sleep. Leaning over the bed you were lying in; he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead before moving his head in line with yours.

"God, please let this work." He whispered and your bottom lip was caught between his. It was feather-light but yet, electricity was buzzing through his veins and fireworks went off in his mind.

For a minute, nothing happened and his heart clenched in his chest before he kissed you a little harder. This had to work because they didn't have any other lead. Dick felt you exhale feebly against him and he almost gave up hope.

But then you took a deep breath, stealing the breath from his lungs and he pulled away quickly to see your eyelids fluttering open. The colour was returning to your cheeks and your eyes were sparkling up at him. You smiled gently and he blinked away tears of relief. Thank goodness.

'His eyes are blue' You thought, staring deeply into them. They were beautiful, alluring. You didn't know why but just looking into his eyes was addicting. Was this what it felt like to be so deep in love? That even his eyes were enough to captivate you?

"I'm so glad you're awake." He muttered, cupping your cheeks firmly and planting another kiss on your lips. You giggled lightly, heart overjoyed to find the boy you had been in love with for so long had returned your feelings and you responded to the kiss eagerly, placing your palms over his hands and leaning into him.

With your regaining strength, you felt a flower materialize in your hands. The stem between your fingers brought you comfort just as the scent of the flower brought you back life.

When Dick pulled away, you delicately slipped it into his hands and he turned his attention to it, blue eyes softening when he recognized this particular flower in his hands.

"It's an Aster." You whispered quietly, lips brushing against his and he chuckled. It was the only flower you thought of when he came to your mind, "Get it?"

Dick turned his eyes away from the blossom and looked at you again. Your heart jumped, noticing just how much love he held in them. Eyes you could swim in, overflowing with love for you. Suddenly you were overwhelmed, feeling adoration and attraction. You needed to be closer to him, even though he was pressed against you.

Your fingers curled into his collar and pulled him closer to you, slanting your lips over his in an open-mouthed kiss. Dick gasped against your lips, startled for no longer than a second before sinking against you and wrapping an arm around your waist to pull you closer.

Your lips moved gently against his, the blushing flower trapped between both your bodies. The smell of fresh flowers clouded Dick's mind with everything that was you. Your hair, your smile, your lips. If you kept kissing him like that, he was certain he'd forget his own name.

And then you pulled away and Dick noted that you were as beautiful as a fresh flower. Your skin was glowing with life and your tired eyes were twinkling. You smiled sleepily at him, eyes closing shut and he lowered you back to the bed. Immediately, you slipped back into slumber, exhausted from the day's events.

He watched for a couple seconds, making sure you were able to breathe without any problems before realizing he should tell the others that you were okay.

He slipped out of the room quietly, stealing a final glance of you sleeping peacefully in the bed and a huge smile grew on his face, "She's awake."

It was only then he noticed just how colourful the room had gotten in the few minutes he was with you.

The walls were covered with vines and roses of different colours, camelias and carnations of different shades. It littered the room, not leaving a single inch of the wall untouched and scattered petals all over the floor like confetti.

Different creepers hung from the ceiling, dusting all the superheroes with sparkling pollen and colourful petals. Not to mention there were stems crawling up the Justice League members, flowers hugging their ankles lovingly.

Batman looked a lot less intimidating with petals in his cape and a rose stuck behind his ear. Robin blushed at the sight of everyone giving him knowing smiles.

"We noticed."

Aster: This flower became a symbol of love when in Greek mythology it was placed on the altars for the gods. So now, when you send a bouquet featuring this vibrant bloom, the message of "Take Care Of Yourself For Me" is implied. It conveys deep emotional love and affection for someone.

Forever Taglist:

@simonsbluee

DC Taglist:

@emmacata

@p--e--a--c--h--e--s

@sometimeseverythingsucks

@sokkas-honour

@unstable1902

@lostgirlheart

@missdisapear

@tadpole-san

[spiltscribbles]

Prompt: Pro Athlete Sirius because that my and Remus' kink

~Notes: OMFG VICTOrIA!!!! I FUCKING SCREECHED!!!! lkadfjlaksdgjoiaejfalskdgjioeugisfkldshg Yes tis my kink as well!!! And then I saw this from Nonny and worlds collided and BOOM! I hope you like this my love<3<3 You incredibly talented sugarplum!!! TBH I want to write a thousand more things in this AU XD

.-

FROM THIS LIST  |  Send Me A Prompt!💜 | A REBLOG MEANS THE GALAXY!!💜

.-

When Remus was young— surrounded by the light breeze of the Welsh coast and the harmony of birds chirping in the distance— he would follow his mother to their small garden behind their cottage  at the cusp of twilight as his father cooked their supper, and he’d watch as she laid flat all sorts of newspapers written in French and Arabic and English, watch as she brought her red pen against the ink and marked the articles with underlines and shorthand he wouldn’t understand for years still.

He asked her once, when he was barely eight years old, why she bothered to keep up with so many different publications, why she read the same story penned by countless perspectives when all the facts stayed the same at the end of the day. And he remembers how she had let out a quick, shrill of a laugh, tossing back her golden head while sucking in a puff from the bubbling hookah she had set up besides her— a habit she acquired from her Algerian, refugee parents, and one that became synonymous to those late nights in Remus’s eyes.

“Facts can be wielded to someone’s personal vendettas, Remus John,” she had crooned in that adoring way of hers whenever she spoke to him— honey eyes that were the same color and shape to Remus’s own flashing alight and their matching smiles going crooked in her stunningly beautiful face. 

“Oh.” Remus had replied, still confused as all get out but was perfectly fine with just holding his small vigil, watching her beneath moonlight and the soft glow of their outdoors lamps, as he listened to the shuffling of papers while she commenced this odd quirk. 

It’s a decade and a half later—  as his editor for the Phoenix, a small, but bustling online editorial that plans on dethroning the likes of Politico and Vox in only a matter of years, scans his latest findings on the corrupt boosters linked to MP Avery from Leeds— when Remus thinks he suddenly understands what his mother, with her keen eyes and pixelated air, had meant by facts in how they can be colored differently simply by the words surrounding them. And he wonders if one day soon, one of his bylines will join her little stack of stories, if she’ll be proud of him even if she says as much even now, when he’s a lost twenty-something stumbling through life in the capitol and barely making it as is, between his actual job and the gig he has at the coffee shop nearest his dingy flat he shares with three other blokes.

“Mmm, this is good, Lupin,” Dorcas declares after what feels like an eon, dropping her long, dark legs from where they were lounging leisurely on her desk and scuffs out her cigarette in a pretty, glass ashtray. “Send it over to Flores to look into deeper, maybe it’ll corroborate the info she’s already gotten from her sources.”

Remus feels himself bristle, hopes that it doesn’t show, that his face stays passive as he contends, “I think I should at least help her write the expose, I’m the one who got this bombshell.”

“That’s not how it works, sweets,” Dorcas toots, tossing back her dark head of curls as she rises, perching on the corner of her desk delicately and looking down, straight into his gaze. “I know it’s frustrating, but you’re fresh blood. barely six months here, but Alice has been with us for years. This is her baby, and we’re just here to nurture it.”

“So I’ll have to wait another ten months, at least,  to get the same treatment?” He argues in an admittedly petulant way, making Dorcas laugh endearingly, and Remus is suddenly,  searingly reminded of his age, and how he’s the youngest staffer that this London based news outlet has on hand. 

“C’mon, love, it won’t be that long for someone as sharp as you, just be patient, and don’t try to pull a Zoe Barnes on us, yeah? You’re far too pretty to clean up on the rails of  the tube.” Dorcas tousles a hand into his dark tawny curls, and Remus holds back the roll to his eyes that he feels willing up inside of him as he stands fully.

“Thanks Cas.”

She smiles beatifically, and throws him a wink. “You’re joining Emmy for the report tomorrow on those United footballers and their fundraiser for the hospital, yeah?”

“Bright and early,” Remus replies, still feels a bit miffed that he was chosen to write up the charity function, considering he doesn’t know a lick about football and doesn’t really get on with anyone who does. But Caradoc— their typical sports reporter— is out sick with the flew, so it’s on him. “I’ll have it on your desk early enough so it’ll be published by tea time.”

“Good man,” Dorcas says in thanks, picking up her crowing cellphone before waving him off.

Remus isn’t all that surprised when he strides out of the office only to find Benjy Fenwick sitting against the opposite wall, knees pressed to his chest and quickly scrambling up when he catches sight of Remus. Sometimes it’s impossible to believe that the bespectacled man in front of him is one of the top editors for the Phoenix, that he’s a regular corespondent for places like the BBC or CNN— that his rebukes against the piss poor inquiries waged during PMQs have become more anticipated than the sessions themselves. Remus tends to forget all of that when he sees him like this, messy haired and wearing a graphic T-shirt with some marvel superhero embossed on the front. “Wotcher Remus.”

“Hiya Remus says, smiling softly and rocking back on his heels. “You wanted to talk to the sergeant then?”

“Huh? Oh, no, no. I didn’t want to talk to Dorcas, I just— Erm, I know you were showing her that stuff you got from that intern, Pettigrew, and i know you were chafed about not getting any opportunity here so—“ He trails off, scratching the back of his head and studying a point over Remus’s shoulder, and it’s all too endearing, and Remus is so beyond thankful he’s made such a good friend here.

“No cigar,” he says in answer to the unspoken question, shrugging noncommittally even if he feels like shit over it.

Benjy nods, face contrite in a way that tells Remus he never thought it would’ve went otherwise. “I’m sorry, that’s bollocks.”

“’S whatever,” Remus shrugs off the apology, begins walking down the hall and straightening his report to hand over to Alice. 

“Ah,, erm. We can get a drink, yeah? In commiseration,” Benjy offers, and Remus stilts only for a beat before continuing the twisting trail to where Alice is set up with the more senior members on staff. And he feels only sorta bad about wanting to refuse. He knows that if he says yes, it’ll mean something different to Benjy than it does him, that he’ll probably take it as Remus finally giving into his pestering and deciding to actually go out with him, even if he’s refuted the other four times he’s asked as much. Remus’s simply just too busy trying to get a footing in this city, and trying to figure out where he’s suppose to go from here, and what he’s suppose to do. And yes, Benjy is cute— a complete Seth Cohen archetype. And he’s sweet and smart and funny enough. But Remus is really not in the mood for doing the whole flowers and wine and candle lit dinners shtick, had gotten enough of that while still with his university boyfriend. And yeah, he’s only just turned 24, but he already feels too old and too jaded for that sort of puppy love— even if Benjy’s got a good decade and some change on him.

Probably sensing his hesitation, Benjy is quick to rectify the offer. “I’ll ask Mary, and Fabian too, and a few others. We can make a night of it, just some drinks on a Friday after work.”

Stalling by the last turn to Alice’s desk, Remus looks at him from over his shoulder, and sort of hates himself for being such a soft hearted fuck sometimes. “Yeah Benj, sounds nice. Just let me know on the group chat, yeah?”

Benjy grins, much more genuine than his awkward quirk of the lips from earlier. “Yeah, good call, I’ll let the others know pronto.”

“Aces,” Remus says, tosses him a obligatory thumbs-up before finding an expectant looking Alice who’s tapping her foot impatiently.

Yeah, today is so bloody shit.

.-

Surprisingly, the round of drinks turns to another and then a third and fourth and Remus is currently nursing his fifth mango margarita on Benjy’s tab, and he actually feels lighter than he has since taking the job at Phoenix, feels bright and bubbling and like absolutely nothing could be wrong as long as he’s got this drink in his grasp and he’s sitting with the handful of reporters and photographers from the office that don’t all have sticks up their asses. It’s fun, it’s good. So obviously it couldn’t have lasted.

Mary is currently cackling about her Uber driver from last night who asked her all sorts of well meaning, but incredibly dense questions about her hijab— a freshly poured glass of coke in one hand, while the other is tangled into her girlfriend Emmy’s. And From his left Remus can hear Fabian ribbing Frank on his crush on Alice, while Benjy scoots intermittently closer as they watch Kingsley and Marlene sparring over something to do with a Kardashian or TikTok trend or whatever the fuck else— The guy has resilience, Remus has to give Benjy that.

“Right, who’s buying next?” Marlene asks, abrasive as ever while scrolling through her phone, ostensively finding something to prove her point against the managing editor.

“Reckon it’s my turn,” Benjy crows, standing up smoothly and glancing down at Remus with a nervous sort of half grin.

“Just a water for me, ta. I need to sober up,” Remus tells him, feels proud that he didn’t even slur slightly. Benjy bobs his head understandingly, and Remus turns to ask Marlene about her latest tinder hookup which always is a good laugh, but then he catches on it. On the sound of the pub’s doors flinging open, followed by a raucous crowd of athletic looking guys probably only a bit older than he is, clambering indoors. 

They’re all so very sixth-form, broad grins and slapping each other’s shoulders with jeers, topped off with loud, bark like laughter that makes it obvious to Remus that these wankers think that they’re some sort of group of gods amongst men, roaming around like everyone should fall to their feet and offer everything they have. It makes Remus roll his eyes so far back that it feels like he might’ve sprained them. They just give off this exhausting aura that reminds him of a past boyfriend in tenth year who was on the footie team and who’s favorite activity was either making Remus feel lucky enough to go out with someone so popular, or dragging him around like some sort of bloody trophy.

To put it nicely, Remus sorta hates them on sight. So when he sees one of the tossers— regrettably the brightest of the lot who’s all pearly teeth, and glittering eyes and incredibly impressive shoulders that tape off to a narrow waste in an objectively infuriating matter— swivels up to the barkeep and jostles Benjy on his way, well Remus doesn’t hesitate to dart forwards to tell him off.

“Oi, watch where you’re going, yeah?”

Benjy and the bloke who looks like he might moonlight as a model for Calvin briefs for when he’s not lounging in a yacht off the Tuscany coast, both turn to him at the same time. Benjy looking abashed, and the aforementioned tosser preening like the cat who’s just caught a canary.

“Sorry, love. Didn’t see you there,” he says in a delightfully deep tenner, giving Remus an appreciative once over, and Remus absolutely despises how the action makes him feel both thrilled and irritated. “Trust and believe, I wouldn’t have looked away if I saw you.”

“Not me, arse.” Remus spits back, refuses to pay any credence to how his cheeks have begun to flush. “You bumped into my mate right there, the one with the tray of loggers.”

The tosser darts his almost molten gray eyes over to Benjy for a sparing second before he laser focusses back onto Remus, the most phony expression of contrition all over his face. “Sorry to your friend,” he says the descriptor like a joke that no one else is in on. “Let me buy you a drink in sorry for the one I made slim here spill.”

Remus is officially unimpressed, hopes that his flat tone gets it across. “You’re an arse.”

“You’re mouthy,” he retorts, looks like it’s something he greatly appreciates— delights over even. 

“Ah, ’s fine Remus, really. I’ll just bring these back and get us a new glass.”

“Listen to slim, Remus, he’s got the right idea.” The tosser hurriedly interjects, strutting close enough to him that he makes it so Remus has to tip his head back just slightly so not to drop his gaze. “I’m Black, Sirius Black, just to get the pleasantries out of the way.” His leer tells Remus that the name should probably evoke some response of aw into Remus, but all it does is make him sound so egregiously pretentious that Remus wants to smack his own bloody head against a dry wall and stay in the hole until this ruddy Sirius bloke leaves him the hell alone.

“Good for you,” he says instead of all of that, and spots Sirius’s friends from behind Sirius chuckling and elbowing one another. Evidently this is a line the tosser uses frequently, and Remus is pleased that he might be one of the first who aren’t at all impressed by the grandiose way he introduced himself.

“Hah, you know I’m use to the pretty ones playing hard to get, but I’m really feeling here that you’re not exactly liking my company, love.”

Remus sucks in a frustrated breath through his nose, shouldering past Sirius and taking the tray of drinks from Benjy before storming back to their table where the others have begun openly gawping at the scene— Marlene outright squawking with Fabian just as Remus takes his seat.

“Don’t,” Remus warns them all as he silently says fuck off to the water and instead gargles down one of the loggers. And if he has to steadfastly not turn around for the rest of the night towards where he can feel Sirius’s gaze burning into his back— well then so be it.

.-

The next morning, Remus has to puke twice into the toilet, and gulps down three aspirins just to stave off his bloody hangover from the night before where he decided that getting properly sloshed would prove as a good technique to not end up making out with Sirius in some dark corner— or regrettably the backseat of his car. And if he does still remember flashes of ranting to him about how insufferable preppy, rich boys actually are while Sirius gazed at him endeared— well Remus just decides to purge it out along with the stomach acid. It’s not like he’ll ever see the douche again.

.-

He meets Arthur— one of the accountants who also helps out by taking photos for more low key news stories— outside the hospital where the conference will be taking place with the Manchester United team. There was a scrimmage that they all played with some of the kids in the cancer ward that occurred at around eight in the ruddy morning, but thankfully Remus didn’t have to show up until an hour later when the team presented their big shiny check, to the big, shiny hospital. 

However, Arthur has been here for hours, so he’s beyond chirpy and looks like he’s downed three cups of espresso as he chatters on about his son Percy starting secondary school, and his eldest, Bill, getting an award for his reading prowess, and all the strange craving his wife has been having throughout her pregnancy with the twins they’re expecting any week now. And Remus loves Arthur, he does— one of the sweetest folks he’s ever met— but God, his head is still thrumming from those misguided tequila shots and he really just wants to get his three quotes, and write up the story so he can find refuge back in his sheets.

While Arthur has moved to talking about his wife, Molly’s, plans to open up a daycare in their refurnished garage, Remus scans his eyes over the familiar face of reporters from other outlets who look just as bored as him, and then to the stage where a woman in a sharply pressed suit is ushering for the group of football stars to join her, so that the conference can finally fucking begin. 

And Remus thinks that their faces are sorta familiar, probably from all the publicity they get on the telly— but then he freezes as he stops at one of them with dark brown skin, and thick rimmed spectacles— and he suddenly can hear him chatting about his redheaded girlfriend and drunkenly declaring that she’ll be the mother of his children some day soon. So he completely expects it when his stomach drops as he moves his glance just a bit to the right, being struck by pearly teeth, and glittering eyes and incredibly impressive shoulders that tape off to a narrow waste, made all the more infuriating by the tight kit he’s got on and the blazing number twelve splayed against his chest.

And fuck.

Remus runs through about a dozen scenarios in which he can make a discrete, or not so discrete exit before he notices him, but in tandem to his spiraling thoughts, the wanker actually looks forwards, and like a creepy metal detector, his quick silver gaze pinpoints onto Remus.

They stare at one another for a beat before his smirk goes wolfish, and he runs a hand through his artfully tousled hair in a way that practically screams, fancy meeting you here. And holy fuck he looks so mouth watteringly attractive with that faint film of sweat running down his neck, and how his smile pulls slightly more to the left, and how he’s looking at Remus like he’s his birthday and Christmas presents all rolled into one.

Remus suddenly hates everything— but most of all hates Sirius, and how bloody fit he is.

“Oh, you’re a fan then?” 

Starting, Remus shifts around slightly so that he’s facing Arthur completely. “Pardon?”

“Sirius Black I mean, you’re a fan?” Arthur asks in that abrasively congenial and intensely scrutinizing way that he treats everything. “I mean he’s a great player, but I know you don’t really watch. So I bet it’s all that charity work he does, yeah?”

“Charity work?” Remus echos, feeling like a floundering fish.

“Truly some amazing stuff.” Arthur pontificates, rubbing a hand against his jaw as he tips his head back. “I mean obviously I’m partial to the fundraising for Reporters Without Borders, but of course the things he does with the more impoverished kids is great. And I know Molly likes his very outspoken posts about being anti war and his annual live streams to earn money for refugees in those war torn nations, like the last one he did for Syria?”

“Oh—“ Remus says, feeling like his head is being overrun by a fountain of new information.

“Yes well, you don’t usually see athletes get into the thick of it with political issues, but I reckon he never really minded. I mean the fact he’s the first football star from United to have come out without any fanfare really proved that. Oh, I think they’re starting, I should probably get some photos before Dorcas gives me a tongue lashing.”

And as quick as the flash of his camera’s lends, Arthur is using his considerable height to get to a more advantageous spot towards the front, and leaves Remus in the dust, as if he hasn’t just obliterated his every assumption of Sirius from after that initial meeting.

And unbidden, the words his mother had told him so many years ago, about facts and how they can color a situation just simply based off the person who’s speaking them— flood to the forefront of his mind.

“Fucking hell,” Remus mutters lowly, gets jostled by Greengrass, a hawkish reporter from a rivaling publication who always has on the most wickedly sharp acrylic nails, and perfectly quaffed curls— as she waves around her certification to speak her inquiry.

“My question is for Potter,” she announces when the woman leading the event, McGonagall, points her way. “And I was wondering how early you boys have to rise for training during the season? And how intense the sessions are that Coach Hooch puts you guys through?”

Potter, the one with the redheaded girlfriend that Remus heard so much about last night between his ranting at Sirius, parts his lips, but it’s not his voice that ends up reverberating through the outdoors space. Instead, it’s Sirius, who’s shouldering him with a goading air, obviously expecting his comment to have only ended up in Potter’s ear and not caught by the mike.

“I wonder if Lupin will let me wake up with’m so he can let me get some real training done before practices, eh?”

And just as soon as his words pitter off, the entire crowd drops to a hush— quiet enough so that they could probably hear it if a pen dropped. 

Sirius’s handsome face— strong jawline, and broad but sharp cheekbones, and a long, narrow nose— goes suddenly ashen, and he flashes over to Remus as if he’s terrified that he’ll bite his face off.

God, what an idiot.

With a long suffering sigh, Remus plucks out the microphone from a slack faced Greengrass’s hand. “We can discuss the regimen afterwards, Black. Just meet me by the front doors and let your mate answer the bloody question.”

Everyone around them falls into laughter that’s caught between uncomfortable chuckles and amazingly amused cackling, but the only person Remus is paying any mind is Sirius, and how he seems to have gone absolutely incandescent, nodding electrically before miming the zip of his lips and gesturing for Potter to carry on.

Jesus help him, Remus has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.

.-

~My Wolfstar FIC Masterlist

~Buy Me A Coffee 

[thestarsoutofyourwindow]

To Survive this Pain, Part 1 - 11th Doctor x Reader

A/n: I'm not dead, I promise! I've just been struggling to finish off fics. If this seems slightly rushed it's because I just needed to finish something. It's exam season (it's extra-long now due to a certain virus), but they're over in a few weeks. I've been trying to stretch into writing for different Doctors, and in my new formats, but good old Eleven is easiest to write. Inbox is still open :)

Word Count: 2596

Summary: After the "death" of Amy and Rory, the Doctor is devastated. After deciding to isolate himself on a cloud, he leaves you with the Paternoster Gang till Strax informs you the Doctor wants to see you.

Warnings: Angst, Cold Doctor, Doctor is slightly ooc due to guilt, mild self-inflicted Injury, Bouts of Rage.

I should try to post part two as soon as possible.

This is my first ever Full Story (GIF isn't mine).

Your shoes splashed through puddles on the cobblestone road, on your way down to the park of which you knew he would be.

You hadn't heard from him in a short while now, but Jenny and Vastra frequently advising you to pay him a visit had been getting to you. That's why, when Strax brought you the news that the Doctor wanted to see you, you leapt at the opportunity.

You were worried, you'll admit. It was clear as day that losing Amy and Rory had him tearing himself to pieces. It was only a matter of time before he sent you off, too. Before he abandoned you.

Weaving around the quiet Victorian streets, the sun still yet to grace the sky, you had arrived at the park. Looking around the odd trees that decorated the perimeter, you picked out the tree that you knew had the elusive ladder directly above it. You stepped over the beds of wilting flowers that lined the pathways into the overgrown grass.

After completing the feat of reaching the ladders, consisting of either jumping or using your umbrella handle, you had successfully pulled the ladder down far enough to climb onto.

Making your way up the ice-cold rungs, you take a moment to consider why the Doctor called for you in the first place.

It made little sense to you. After all, the Doctor had been avoiding you for the better part of two months now; what had changed?

The Doctor planning on taking you home became all the more likely in your mind as you began to climb the spiral staircase, shivering as the late-autumn air nipped at your skin. Winter was slowly breaking through the remaining life.

If you weren't so hung up on adjusting to the less-than-ideal state of Victorian England, you would've had more time to worry about the Doctor. However, he was so hung up with his own issues, and you with yours, that he only crossed your mind when you were settling down for the night.

Of course, it hurt that you too. Never seeing Amy and Rory again. You did your best to hold onto the fact that they lived a happy life together.

A life that you knew could never have. You wish you could say goodbye to them, but you chose to carry the loss with you.

You were exhausted, it was safe to say. Spending your days helping out the Paternoster Gang with new cases that come in was certainly frustrating, especially when you had to avoid so much. Milk, green dyes, dodgy stairs, aliens and gas leaks. Nothing was safe in Victorian times.

Not that you didn't enjoy the company, mind you. Jenny always provided conversation, and paired with Vastra, there were plenty of investigations to be had. You just missed them all, sometimes.

The Doctor had become such a vital figure in your life that it didn't seem right for him to not be there. When you had both lost Donna, you were there for each other, and even then, he was a wreck. You had spent those first two months together, and you had never felt closer to someone before. At first, you couldn't admit it to yourself, but after six years, you knew that was when you started falling for him.

There was so much you didn't understand about him, yet so much he had begun to explain. You had seen and done so much together, places that surprised and scared the both of you. In distant worlds and ancient times, there lay so many memories that you had forgotten. Just another thing consumed by time.

A simple flip through your diaries would confirm that through all that, you admired him: mattering not which of his faces. You had accepted from the start that he was an unobtainable desire, no matter how you looked at it.

He was old, alien and a danger-magnet. Many considered the Doctor to be a God.

It upset you to know that the Doctor could never love you, not in the way you love him. Not in the way that he had shown you what love could be, what it should be. But that was what you had to expect from the Doctor.

You assumed that consistently losing those he loved must hurt immensely. You also imagine losing someone he could spend the rest of his lives with would leave another unfixable hole in his heart.

So it made sense to you that the Doctor would never willingly fall for a human. Your short life-spans and weak bodies meant that so much as a single bullet could rob you of your life.

The thought of what a state he must've been in at that very moment was disturbing, to say the least. You had seen the Doctor angry before, and it was not an easy sight.

His heart held so much pain, so much guilt.

After what felt like a good three minutes, you stepped off the staircase. Your shoes now emerged in a cloud, which could somehow keep you from plummeting into the streets below. You felt surprisingly light, almost like you were standing in a pit of feathers, yet some odd force kept you from losing your balance. Plucking your key out of your pocket, you press your hand against the door of the TARDIS. You unlock the door, pulling the key from the lock and stepping into the Console room.

You called out for him. After listening for a moment, you concluded that the Doctor must've been elsewhere.

The TARDIS was a glum sight. Most of the orange lights were dimmed: if functioning at all. A few even had fist-holes in them. There were what looked like hundreds of books cluttering the console, all of varying topics: The Time War, Time Lord Psychology, the History of the Universe, Earth History, Greatest War Losses. Some had bookmarks; others he had clearly tabbed.

Paper littered the glass flooring, each scribbled in several handwritings. They all clearly varied in ages and sizes, some a muddy brown, others a vivid white. Quite a lot were in small clusters of pages, as though they were ripped from a book. You picked up one of the sheets to inspect closer, and your heart nearly broke.

Each page had a sort of date in the corner, which you quickly realised must've been an approximation of the Doctor's age at the time. They were diary entries, ripped out and thrown in what you assumed to be a fit of rage.

The Doctors' tweed jacket had slipped off the console and onto the floor. The contents of his pockets spilt out onto the floor.

You leant to pick it up, grimacing at just how much he was carrying around. Throwing the jacket over the railing, you avoided stepping on any more pieces of paper.

"Tidy some of this, will you?" You addressed the TARDIS, a hand on the edge of the controls, "I'll go talk to him, where is he?" The TARDIS clicked and hummed in response, showing you a blueprint on the monitor, "The Library? Okay then."

Darting out of the Console Room, you attempt to discover the library as soon as possible. You vaguely remembered the three places the library is most likely to crop up. You went from there. Fortunately for you, you didn't have to go far before the library appeared.

You had always felt as though the library was too empty. Four stories of shelves filled with books, all visible from the ground floor, the rows of shelves created a sort of maze of titles and colours. The Doctor must've owned every single book in the galaxy, judging by the sheer size. Not to mention the several dozen or so empty seats. The library could easily hold thousands of people at once, yet there is rarely ever so much as a whisper.

You had a fair clue as to why the Doctor would be hiding away in there.

There the Doctor was, turned away from the door, in an intricately decorated armchair. You could just about make out the top of his head. You loomed behind him awkwardly, unsure or not if he was aware of your presence.

"Doctor?" You faltered. His head perked up slightly, and the Doctor strained out a hum. He stood up, his arms tiredly hanging at his sides after he stretched. It checked out with your fit of rage theory. The Doctor walked up to you, and you only then noticed how fraught he was.

His expression was tired, eyes sunken and lips pressed into a thin line. His shirt was unkempt: the sleeves were torn slightly. It also appeared burnt or covered in dust. His hands were covered in dust too.

However, you noticed that his right hand had quite a few cuts and gashes, which all seeped out orange-tinted blood.

His greenish-brown eyes search yours for a moment as a tear rolls down his cheek. He inhales deeply, nodding to himself.

"Look, I..." The Doctor paused, again glancing over into your eyes, "I'm sorry- I can't, I can't do this," He took in a trembling gasp for air, "I don't want to, but I can't keep doing this. I'm sick of it. I can't keep losing people. I'm so sick of saving the universe." Unsure of what to you, you reach a hand out to the Doctors. He puts a hand on top of yours, keeping the other, bloodier fist at his side. You brush your thumb over his knuckles, his hand hot against yours. The Doctor continues, "Everyone, everyone who travels with me leaves, or dies, and I'm always alone again. Alone and in pain. I can't keep doing this..."

Smiling sadly, you nod, "I understand," You looked back up at the Doctor, "If you called me here to convince me to go home-"

"Take you home?" The Doctor's voice cracked, "I could never. That'd be just as bad as losing you. I need you."

Oh, the Doctor have his way of making you feel important at the worst moments. Your insides bubbled giddily, but you refused to show it. Instead, you ignored it to the best of your ability; what he was saying was important.

Your attention had fallen back down to his hand, and it looked considerably worse than you initially thought. Pieces of glass dug into his knuckles, the skin seeming gnarled by the force of the oncoming storm, "Doctor, your hand,"

"It's fine." The Doctor seethed, staring numbly at you, "I'm not human, it's not going to kill me."

You wanted to protest. However, given the Doctor's already fragile temperament, you weren't going to push it. Instead, after an instant of silence, you asked a simple question, "How have you been, then?"

The Doctor blinked, giving an answer careful thought. He had an earnest grimace as he finally spoke, "Furious."

"I can see, that" You hum, putting equal thought into how you should approach your response, "What do you think you're going to do, now?"

"Stay here. I'm not getting involved anymore." The Doctor spat, pulling his hand away from yours, turning to sit down, "I don't want to care."

"That's fair enough." You reassure. You didn't like the sound of the Doctor retiring too much, but you respected his choice. If he didn't want to save the world, he doesn't have to. You hoped that, in his chosen conditions, he would heal.

You vowed to yourself at that moment that you'd do everything you could to help him. Starting with his physical injuries.

You heard the armchair squeak softly as the Doctor flopped back against it, picking up a book from the coffee table and beginning to read. You headed back over to the door and grabbed the small medkit from the bracket on the wall. You paced back to the Doctor, pulling a pouffe from a few feet away to sit on. The Doctor glared daggers at you, exhaling sharply and holding his arm out in your general direction. You thanked him meekly, beginning to remove the sharp, reinforced glass shards from his knuckles.

If you were new to travelling with the Doctor, you thought that seeing this might hurt you more. However, six years of travelling was more than enough for the two of you to be used to this sort of treatment. He never seemed to care much about his physical health, more about yours. That often ended up in you worrying about the Doctor, not that you minded. You supposed it worked out, as you both fussed over each other. If the Doctor's previous face saw how he was acting, you were sure he'd have a fit. Not that he mattered, as he was still a part of the man in front of you.

You could tell by the downtrodden way he pretended to read his book, staring a hole through it, that something was bothering him.

"Are you scared of me?" The Doctor halted, voice brittle. He had taken note of how delicate you were and had drawn it up to a fear that the Doctor would lash out at you.

"No," You shushed, focusing on removing the glass from his hands.

"You don't sound sure,"

"I am." You reassured bluntly, "I'm just being careful. I don't want to hurt you more."

"I'm not hurt! You don't need to fuss over me,"

You lifted your eyebrows slightly, "There's nothing wrong with feeling, Doctor. As you said yourself, feelings enhance life." The Doctor exhaled petulantly, eyes back on his book. "But not even you can be in pain forever."

"What is my alternative?" The Doctor strangled out, "I forget? I do something selfish?"

You grimace as you remove the last small shard from his pinky. You take out a clean cloth and some water, dampening the rag as you speak, "You're forced to survive this pain, this guilt, but you will grow from it. You make mistakes so that you learn from them."

You gently clear the blood from his hands and start to apply mild pressure to the deeper wounds. The two of you continued in silence, the Doctor only occasionally removing his hand to turn the page.

He was such a different person to the goofball front you were used to. He was melancholic. However, you would see a small amount of your Doctor bubbling to the surface. He would occasionally chuckle at the book he was reading or draw circles on your palm as you held his hand still. It provided you with enough comfort to know that you weren't wasting your time.

You finished up your last-minute medical care with a bandage around his hand. You closed the medkit.

"Alright, I'm just going to go restock this, then I'll go tidy up the paper in the console room,"

"Oh- right that... Must've been a mess. I'm sorry,"

"It's okay." You smiled pleasantly, "Come find me if you need me, okay? I won't be far,"

The Doctor caught your hand in his, just as you were about to leave, he tugged at your arm. You leant down, and the Doctor pressed a short kiss to your cheek. You countered with a kiss of your own on the middle of his forehead. Just like you used to, back with his previous incarnation.

As you wandered off, you were oblivious as to what that gesture meant. Was it a thank you? Another apology? Was it even platonic?

From behind you, you swore that he said something you thought you'd never hear the Doctor say.

[hikarimiyanaga]

Request : Hi, I love and enjoy reading what you write thus I want to pose a request that the Dimitrescu Family with a powerful blood magic S/O who can control people's blood (u know, similar to Skarlet from MK)

Blood Magic, it's one of the powers that I want to experiment with, in terms of writing.

Also, the knowledge/information I have about this is because of Avatar (I haven't played Mortal Kombat in a long time, forgive my broke self.)

I also accidentally deleted the request so it's like this.

I'm really sorry. I hope you enjoy it!

Alcina Dimitrescu / Lady Dimitrescu

As a magician, you were pretty powerful, as a Mage of Blood Magik, though, you were undefeatable.

When you came into the village, the weird parasites in almost everyone's body bothered the fuck outta you. Because why the fuck??

It was just sitting there and eating there soul?? You knew the consequences on messing around with Parasites like those so you wanted to leave immediately but you stopped when you saw Alcina.

This very tall lady who towers over you just stopped the world but then you just realized that you were actually the only one who stopped moving. You quickly turned away but felt it. You turn to her again and see the parasite. It was so deep within her.

"Fuck." You cursed under your breath but then you feel it. Not connected to blood but the energy and mana itself.

"Fucking hell." You use your magic to peek into the Megamycete and grimace.

"Fucking shit." As if third time's the charm, Alcina hears your cursing and looks at you. You clenched your fist and was just glaring on the ground?? What a weirdo.

"Mother, is something wrong?" Bela asks, as she was the one who accompanied Alcina for her little stroll around the village.

"No. Just that woman." You feel eyes on you so you look up to see Alcina staring at you. You huff then turn away.

Being a magician, you aren't actually a people person, you've always hated it when people knew what you were.

Your foes were the only ones who ever actually knew that you practiced Blood Magik... not that they lived to actually tell anyone else.

You try to leave, you really did but all those people. That giant woman, all of it just-

"Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, nothing else." You turn back, trying to excuse your good nature.

You spend days trying different scrying spells, revelation spells and cure spells to see if any would work on the Megamycete and who the fuck is actually using it.

"That fucking bitch." Not only have you seen Alcina's, the villager's and the other lord's memories but Mother Miranda herself. "She wants a daughter? All this for a fucking hell-spawn?" You never did like children yourself, they were too innocent, too goddamn corruptible and too gullible.

You sigh and make your decision. She wants a daughter? You'll give her a daughter. You put on your mask and get your potions.

You'll cure this village of those fucking parasites and diseases or you'll die trying. Most probably cure them.

It took literally a whole day just to get the goddamn parasites of the villagers and Karl, who was the only one of the four lords who volunteered when he heard what you were doing.

The next was Donna, who cried when you actually gave Angie a body. Then Salvatore was next, when you promised to be his friend.

Alcina was the hardest. She thought that if she accepted then her daughters would die and disappear. But you assured her and even showed her that you wouldn't let that happen. She was amazed by the other lords. Donna isn't sporting her scar and Angie is actually alive and in a real body. Karl doesn't have his powers anymore but his intellect is still intact and Salvatore was just beaming.

"How did you-?" You chuckle.

"Blood Magik. It's something that only some practice and even fewer get the hang of. And me?" You ask as the air suddenly gets heavier and everything quiets down as you let out your mana. "I'm the Master of it." Everyone looks at you when just as fast as it came, the tension was gone. You hold out your hand to Alcina. "So would you trust me?" She accepts and cries in relief when she hugs Bela, Cassandra and Daniela in their normal bodies.

Meanwhile, you grimace in silence as your organs will take some time recovering their usual functions... what? Blood Magik needs sacrifices and you would rather do it yourself than exploit other people.

And then lastly, Mother Miranda. You were actually afraid that she would try to fight you and you, with your organs all fucked up and your only weapons are basically your potions, were nervous. But she accepted and as you hand over Eva safely to Mother Miranda, you pass out and everyone panics.

Karl was absolutely fucking scared shitless and befuddled by your physical condition?? How in hell are you even alive?

You wake up three days later and Karl just gave up on trying.

You laugh at him and wheeze.

"I"m basically kind of an immortal too." He just sighs.

The next few weeks were spent inside the Dimitrescu Castle because that was the most comfortable house. The Beneviento House would be good too but Karl just felt that you would like it more in the Dimitrescu Castle. You agree.

As you spend more time with Alcina, you both just slowly but surely fall for each other.

Bela Dimitrescu

Hunting made easier. Brought to her by you and your Blood Magik.

With just one goddamn snap of your fingers and bam, a barrel is full.

This makes spending time with each other, a lot easier and longer.

She would listen to you tell your stories and you love it when she gets excited about books and such.

One day, you finally learn how to create a human body. There was a lot of things to do and spells to practice but you were determined.

And you finally achieved it. It took long enough but then you sensed it.

Mother Miranda stole a baby from a caravan??

"What in hell is happening?" You mumble as you gaze at the village. Then there it was, and it hurt the fuck out of your mana when the people turned into monsters.

"What the fuck!? Shit!" You curse as you feel the megamycete mutate. "Oh hell no!" You shout and use your magik to locate the shit.

"Die, asswipe!" You completely destroy it without batting an eye and you can hear Mother Miranda's shouts of agony.

You pant as you can finally feel the mana in the air be lighter. You go to the castle and as expected, everyone is in a bad shape.

It took months but you got them all back to normal, even most of the villagers.

Bela kept crying as you hug her, finally together with her.

Cassandra Dimitrescu

You met Cassandra while you were surrounded by Karl's werewolves. Dead werewolves. You were slightly out of breath and then your eyes met.

Ethan was about to chase her but you stopped him because she was the same as them.

"Why'd you stop me then?" You shrug at your brother who glares at you.

"We should just get Rose back and not kill anyone anymore." Ethan raises an eyebrow at you.

"What? You literally just killed like a hundred of these werewolves." You use your magik to get the blood off yourself.

"They attacked. I only countered." Ethan sighs as you just walk away. He follows you and as you get to the castle. You can instantly feel their energy.

"What the fuck? They're made of it?" You mumble to yourself. And just as Bela was about to push you and Ethan down, you counter her and made sure to not let her flies disperse.

'Shit. This is hard.' You think to yourself as you dodge both Cassandra and Daniela attacking you.

"Y/N?"

"Rose is in that direction. Just wait for me there." Ethan nods and quickly goes the way you pointed. You use your magik and they all freeze. "You guys are so troublesome." You sigh. "But then again, I suppose all good things are." You use your magik again and locate Alcina.

You made a deal with the Dimitrescu Head. In exchange for normal bodies, she'll have to let you, Ethan and Rose's part go. Ethan's outburst when he realized what they did to his daughter didn't help but you used that.

"You know I'm powerful, right? Trust me, you don't want to test my brother."

You leave the Castle with Ethan, unharmed but with a deal made.

It was the same with the other three houses and before you knew it, your niece was restored and you had to make eight people back to normal... It was hard but when you wake up, feeling groggy and disoriented with all of those people and your family, you think to yourself that it was all worth it.

You rebuild the village with all of them and actually get closer with Cassandra. She admires your magik and you admire her art.

Before you even knew it, you had fallen for her and even though she hasn't realized it yet, she has fallen for you too.

Daniela Dimitrescu

Being a powerful magician meant most of the world are after you.

That was how you found the village. It was isolated and so it was perfect for you.

As you were strolling along the village, late into the night, when everyone is asleep, you feel a somewhat murderous intent and you smile to yourself. Either you were too careless or someone was really good at hiding their intent.

When something was about to hit you, you quickly activated your magik but flinched when it didn't affect them, so you quickly turned and jumped back.

The person who attacked you was surprised as well that you could react like that.

"What? You dodged??" You sigh.

"I dodged because you were trying to kill me! Who are you?" Daniela smiles at you.

"Daniela Dimitrescu, I live in that castle. And you?" Why did this woman?? can you even call her that suddenly- You sigh.

"I'm Y/N... and something is really wrong with this village of yours."

"What?"

Before you and Daniela even knew it, you were both knee-deep in everything, you even saw the Megamycete together.

And call Daniela, good-natured because by then, she wanted to stop Mother Miranda and help everyone. So help you did.

You just couldn't say no to her, could you?

By the time, everything was over, you were already half-dead and Daniela finally realized she was in love with you.

It was a good thing that you have potions.

A/N:

I'm sorry that I have been gone for weeks now. College started then something happened that made me not want to write at all.

But I'm back, although I may be a bit slow.

I'm so sorry. I also closed off my requests since I'll be focusing on college and completing the Loving You sequel which is 70% done by now.

Comments and thoughts are always welcome!

Thank you for reading!

If you can, please buy me a coffee.

[sweetestlamb]

Temptation

Summary: Vincenzo is feeling parched.

Author's note: These two have been living in my mind rent free lately, I'm just shallow and they look so damn good together and when you add the chemistry, well I'm a goner. Just a little drabble based on today's episode, I'm taking a break from BMTL this weekend because it's going to be another 10k probably and it's the first weekend I'm off with my bf so I promised not to ignore him to write all day lol. Update soon though!

Bon appetit!

Wispy dark lashes flutter just above her high cheekbones as she awaits the blow, her pretty face scrunched up in anticipation as a minor twitch in her lip distracts him.

That's been happening far too often lately, more than he'd care to admit. It was easier when she was blindly following Babel and refused to see the insidious truth about the morally bankrupt company, it was easier to pacify his attraction when she was the bad guy. Not that he was the right candidate to judge, he'd done notifiable heinous things in his life. Her father had been the first person to look at him like he was worth something, like the evil that lurked under his skin could be used for something good.

But her eyes had been opened, in the end she had chosen her father. If only he'd been here to see it.

That decision unhinges the small grapple he has on his control, he finds himself looking at her all the time cataloging the many emotions that distort that expressive face. She's like a living caricature and instead of finding that off-putting he's intrigued and mesmerized. Constantly battling with his lips that won't stop rising in her presence, he's not someone who smiles lightly. Has never had much of a reason to.

Until now.

"What are you waiting for? Just do it." She whines impatiently, squirming side to side and pursing her full lips.

That small move captures all his attention, eyes locked on the rosy pink skin. Instinctively he steps forward until he can feel her body heat, her face is even more captivating up close. She was beautiful, that wasn't hard to admit he was a man after all and his eyes were functional. It was.... everything else that he couldn't admit, not even to himself.

Just do it.

If only she knew what those words did to him, he felt as if he was lit in flames by his own lighter; burning up just from his prolonged vicinity to the loud lawyer. She was being her usual brazen self but she had no idea, not the slightest inkling of what exactly he wanted to do to her. It usually ended in passionate screams in his dreams. Her wild abandon was a thing of beauty, he didn't even mind the mess on his silk sheets because his mind supplied such vivid imaginings.

Staring down at her he wonders how she would taste, perhaps like the spicy noodles she was so fond of or maybe something sweeter and forbidden, once you peeled back the many layers you would discover something so delicious it was addicting. She would be his ambrosia.

"Come on, you're killing me! What's taking so long?" She grumbles now pouting, plush bottom lip jutting out enticingly and his finger hovers in front of her forehead but he can't move, can't bring himself to hurt her no matter how insignificant the hit. Somehow this woman has weaved a web around him, he feels like a fly caught in a spider's deadly but beautiful trap.

What's wrong with me?

There must be indeed something wrong with him because he feels his hand unfurling and lowering until he's nearly cupping her jaw, the delicate point barely above his hand. He's so tempted. Taking another step forward he lifts his second hand, curling around the dip of her lower back. She's so petite despite her loud bark, her entire body could fit easily in his hand.

He wants to lower his hand, grab her face and her waist and.... And what? What is he thinking? This is not why he came to Korea. He wasn't supposed to get involved more than he needed to and he knows no good can come of this, there's only one outcome for men who are lured by seductive sirens. He has to ignore her song no matter how much his body aches when he's with her. Woman have never been elusive in his line of work, gorgeous Italian women who opened up for him easily, surrendering under his capable hands. They were nothing but a good time, a perfunctory scratching of an itch. But, Cha-young he wants to wreck her, take her apart piece by piece until she's putty in his hands.

"What are you doing?" She says sounding amused and he lifts his eyes to find her twinkling ones already on his face. She looks at the twin hands hovering above her body with a raised brow, face now turned into the hand adjacent to her cheek.

"Do you want to change the specifics of our deal?" She teases darkly and he gulps, finally lowering his hands but twisting them around his back to prevent himself from making a huge mistake.

"No." He lies, trying to douse the fire that is blazing in his blood.

"Aishhh. You're such a bad liar." She huffs, nose crinkled up in disbelief and he hates the way his heart smarts his lips twitching to form a smile. He feels so warm and he doesn't know what any of it means.

"Come here." She doesn't give him an opportunity to disobey before reaching out to grab his tie, her hands wrapped around the luxurious material and with a sharp tug he's pulled into her, their bodies colliding and everything feels right.

"Stop." He whispers throat feeling raw, his voice comes out rougher than he intended. His eyes widen at the red flush that it yields, he's not the only one affected it seems.

"You don't want to flick me," she states with certainty, eyes searching his face as she tightens her hold on his tie his neck strains under the slight pressure, leaning down to lessen the tension. Too late he releases how much closer that brings their faces, she's barely an inch away from him now her soft puffs of breath landing directly on his face. "What do you want to do to me instead, Mr. Cassano?" She boldly finishes her statement, dark eyes ping ponging between his lips and his eyes.

Mentally berating himself for his weakness he suddenly grabs her waist, his arm circumvents the entire circumference with room to spare. She gasps in surprise but doesn't look scared, rather she looks curious, biting her bottom lip as she earnestly watches him.

"Do you really want to know?" He bites out, bringing his hand to her jaw and then sliding lower curling it around her neck, fingers tickling the soft nape of head.

She smirks, unflinching in the eye of his storm. She stands on the tips of her toes, bringing them that much closer, "Oh you don't know how much I want to know, Vincenzo." His name is exotic on her tongue, the letters not quite settling correctly but it sounds delectable to his ears, he wants to hear her scream it loudly too.

"I'll show you then." He's done with words, it's clear that they're both cognizant of what's happening between them, the air is so charged it's nearly crackling. She isn't backing down and despite his better judgement he doesn't want to lose, he can't be the way to pull away now. Simultaneously they yank each other closer, him by her neck and her by his tie. He sees the passion in her eyes, finally bursting to the surface and that's all the consent he needs, if she wants him too then she can have him.

Twisting his head he surges forward, eager to capture her lips and devour her moans of pleasure, his hand is now curled possessively around the small swell of her tight posterior, her suit pants always putting it beautifully on display. He had been hungry to touch it, grab it and feel the plumpness in his hands. It's every bit as amazing as he's imagined, her lips fall open as he squeezes at the flesh and he leans forward prepared to eat her alive.

She wraps her free arm around his neck, dragging him down to meet her and he easily lifts her off the ground, grinning boyishly when she squeaks releasing his tie to wrap both arms around his neck, their faces are now level. His hand remains on her ass.

Silently they move towards each other, intent crystal clear.

He can feel the heat from her lip, just as he grazes the smooth skin he hears a loud crash from behind them and they both jump, foreheads knocking accidentally as they react to the sudden sound.

He unceremoniously drops her, but her arms still latched around his shoulder force him forward making his forehead now collide with her chin. She lets out a loud scream of pain, shoving him away and shouting obscenities. He rubs at the pained skin, wincing in discomfort before turning towards the loud interruption with a murderous glare.

Who the fuck was it?

Nam Joo-Sung stands quivering in apparent fear looking like he's seconds away from urinating himself, his knees knocking together viciously.

A deer in the headlights, his eyes are as huge and terrified as one.

"I--um well you see.... I forgot to water the plants....you both look angry. Scary. You don't want an explanation. I'm going. Gone. I'll just. Go." He stutters out nonsensical, suddenly grabbing the plants and he watches as the frightened man awkwardly lifts the pots, cursing when the soil falls out dirting his clothes and the wooden floors, then he falls to his knees scooping it back into the pots, crawling backwards until he's out the door.

They both stare at the door.

Awkward silence remaining even with the man's departure.

And then a vibration fills the air, she jumps as if broken from her stupor reaching into her tiny bag and retrieving her phone. He can barely hear her over the beating of his own heart but he catches the disappointed look she sends his way, they can't continue this.

"Yes. I understand, we'll be right there."

Grabbing his briefcase he takes a moment with his back turned to her to catch his breath, collect himself. He's Vincenzo Cassano, not some prepubescent teenager. He can control himself, control is his middle name.

Then he turns back around and loses all his hard worked composure.

She's right in his space, rubbing absently at her neck as she looks at him.

"We'll finish this later. Don't think I'm going to let you off easy, I always finish what I start." She promises, pointedly looking his lips before grinning then boldly she lightly smacks him twice on his cheeks, "Pick your jaw off the ground, we have to go."

Her long hair bounces over her shoulder as she skips away, his eyes locked on the hypnotic sway of her hips. Her hands are cutely by her side, her signature walk that he had found ridiculous before. He doesn't view it the same way now.

Next time, there will be no interruptions he will make sure of it. Even if he has to kill someone.

[bump1nthen1ght]

Thicker than Water (Demon x Reader) Chapter 1

Pairing: Female Reader x Gender Fluid! Demon

Genre: High Fantasy

Warnings: Arm Injuries, Several mentions of blood

Word Count: 1870 Words

Summary: A summoning gone awry ends up in your favor

Chapter 2

A/N: Alright, I know I literally just posted a demon story but this post showed up on my dash and my god if I have never been more inspired to write a fic. I legit wrote this in 2 hours in a frenzy. Also I plan this story to be multi-chap, but still rather short, so maybe 3 parts in total

Before that night, you had never known what nearly-passing out felt like.

Your mother had done it, once or twice, usually after a particularly stressful day at the shop. If you didn’t check on her between your studies she may forget to eat entirely, your father as well. But you had been lucky; Someone had always been there to catch her, to cradle her head and spoon-feed her strength back.

On the forest floor, surrounded by the smell of your own blood, you have no such luxury.

The black spots flickering in your vision blend into the desne canopy above you and your tears only muddle your sight. The iron and copper of the summoning circle drawn around you drown out the scent of fresh pine and grass, while your ears can only focus on your own heartbeat and the bickering of the four boys.

Oh, that’s right, they’re still here.

It seems you had lost more fluid than you realized, probably because of your incessant crying. You had tried to stop the flow, but your brain was losing coherent function with every second. The boys conversation sounds far away and hollow, bouncing off your eardrums and confusing your sense of direction

“You idiot, I told you not to go for the arm!”

“We needed a lot of blood!”

“But she needs to read the ritual dumbass! She can’t if she dies!”

Ah yes, the ritual, it all is flooding back to you now.

Having received a private education from your father at your family’s apothecary, you were already prone to isolation as a child. It didn’t help having no siblings, nor a lacking natural talent for friend-making. Although you had lived in the city all your life, the young people your age knew very little about you, and you them.

You knew they had rumors about you, The daughter the apothecary hides away; That your gaze can turn people to stone, that you can curse and poison people with a couple words and the right ingredients.

The truth was you weren’t so glamorous. You knew your way around a medicine cabinet, sure, but nothing about poisons or magic spells. You didn’t have any special abilities to compensate or explain your reluctance for socialization. Just some overprotective parents and a shy disposition.

So when the handsome postmasters-son began to pay you special visits, you let your guard down. You let him walk you to and from the market, memorizing your weekend route. You let him in for a bit of tea late at night, especially when it seemed so cold, and told him where the spare key was kept. And yes, you even told him about your favorite secluded spot in the forest, where the sounds of civilization were far away, where you could be alone.

And here, in these last moments of your life, you can’t help but feel so naive.

“Hey, hey!”

A boot taps your cheek, shaking you out of your revelry. Your glassy eyes look over to your right.

It’s one of the local merchant’s boys, you think his name is Nicholas? It doesn’t really matter. All you knew about him was that he was a bit rough around the edges; always nicking things from pockets, looking up ladies skirts, and skipping his lessons. That’s what your dad complained about anyway.

A page is shoveled in front of you, dangling over your face. Your eyes take a while, but focus on the words. Nicholas’ boot heel digs into your neck.

“Read it out loud, or we’ll kill you.”

Clearly I’m going to die anyway dumbass, why should I help you?

You might’ve retorted, if you were in such a physical condition to do so. But instead, you do as you're told, and start speaking.

To your left, the postmaster’s son, Richard, sucks in a breath with anticipation. Any false composure he had while luring you here is gone, his feet tapping with excitement as he holds your left arm and lef bound spread eagle.

Holding your right leg is Markus, another merchant boy. He picks at his teeth.

“What are you guys going to wish for?” He whispers. It goes in your ear and out the other, too focused on forming coherent sentences.

“A full-harem of babes, obviously.” Simpers Hunter, the son of a landlord. He isn’t ugly, only a bit plain, and has enough money to boot. Compared to the other bachelors in town however, he has had little luck in procuring a courtship.

“A million coins could get you that and more, idiot. That’s what I’m wishing for.” Whispers Richard.

“What are you going to wish for Nic?” Asks Markus

“Oh my gods, will you guys shut the fuck up?”

Nic snarls, unconsciously digging his heel back into your throat. You choke and stutter, but keep going. The runes around you, written in your own blood, begin to glow.

All of the boy’s eyes widen and they step back from you. Your limbs sink like dead weight as the words begin to flow out your mouth with no thought. The paper with the chant drops to the ground, out of your sight, but it's like your brain has been reprogrammed; You know the rest, know it in your bones.

The grass begins to simmer and burn under the summoning circle, smoke swirling into formation above you. When the final word whispers out of you, you feel your body go lax. You don’t even remember tensing up

I guess this is it. Sorry Mom, Sorry Dad.

You clench your eyes, just hoping the demon will be quick. That it will at least leave a recognizable corpse.

“Holy shit.” You hear muttered, unsure by whom.

Your eyes are closed, body teetering on the brink of unconsciousness, but your senses are still intact. A hot wave of breath washes over your face and the ground below you trembles with heavy footsteps. The boys are quiet but you can hear their hearts pounding. They thrum with life, while yours slowly fades.

“Why have you summoned me, mortal?”

Even half-dead, your muscles tense in fear. The demon's voice is deep and resonates like a crowd talking all at once. It reeks of inhuman power and cracks like thunder.

A brief silence passes, before Nicholas finds his courage.

“We have come to ask for a wish.”

Later, when recounting the story, you will mention that the demon looked over to Nicolas, unamused, despite never seeing it yourself. The demon huffs, the heat of it blowing over you once more.

“I don’t believe I asked you.” The demon mutters. The cacophony of voices blend together into one, bland and emotionless. Even in your state however, you are able to decipher a couple of louder tones which overpower the others. They seem...angry.

“But...you…”

“I asked….”

Your eyes snap open as a wet droplet lands on your cheek. Lingering above you, drool seeping from their unnaturally sharp teeth, is the creature. It’s face resembles that of a goat, but sharp fangs stick out from their lower lips. Their eyes are golden and shine in the night, piercing right into yours. Despite the part of your body screaming out in terror, another part feels oddly….comforted. It’s why you don't startle when they brush a hand against your cheek, their thumb wiping away your tears. Their palm is warm, not like a blistering flame, but like a thick quilt. Like hot chocolate on a rainy day.

“......What do you need of me, little one?”

Their hand, padded and calloused, slides down your arm, closing up the large gash on your inner bicep. In another movement, they do the same to the other. Power and vitality seems to sink back into your body, drip by drip.

Words escape you, but not Nicolas.

“Excuse me, demon, but we're the ones who summoned you.” The sarcastic tone of his does little to hide the quivers of his fear, especially when the demon's neck turns toward him at an unnatural speed. Still, he persists. “Not her. And we want-”

“Do you take me for a blind fool?” The voice bellows, sending all the boys to their knees. Markus clutches his ears while Hunter whimpers on the ground. Nicolas falls back to the ground, eyes widen.  The demon stands to their full height, several feet above all of you. “Do you think I was born without smell, without sense?” The step away from your body, swiping at the ground with their fingers, taking a small bit of your blood with it.

The demon sticks their thumb and forefinger in front of Nicolas’s face, causing him to yelp and fall onto his back. “Is this your blood which forged the connection? Was it your words that spoke me into existence? Was it your body which came to the brink, wrenched open the door and pulled us both through?”

Nicolas, trembling like a leaf, shakes his head no. The demon’s eyes jerk up to the others. “And was it any of these young men?”  

Richard furiously shakes his head, while Hunter stays collapsed on the ground. Markus pushes himself away, hands still clamped around his ears. The demon sneers, before turning and walking back to you.

The demon kneels before propping your upper body up with a gentle touch. A comforting claw rubs your lower back while another paw rubs the tension out of your shoulders.

“Now, mistress, what may you ask of me?”

Your muscles may no longer tire from blood loss, but your mind truly feels like it’s on the brink of breaking. The demon, with fearsome fangs and a soft look, looks to you for an answer.

“I-I…” You mutter as the demon continues to massage your back. They hum.

“Take your time, it is alright. Rituals are difficult, I can only imagine the toll your body feels.” The mass of voices have synchronized, fading from a hundred to a single, harmonious tune. It is cavernously deep, but pleasant. It reminds you of the portly older man who used to read stories aloud every holiday.

You feel your body unconsciously turn towards your captors. Nicholas stays stuck to the ground, the whites of his eyes almost glowing in the darkness. The others have slowly moved to their knees, all terrified with shaky limbs, and look like they might make a run for it. Markus is slowly inching towards Nicholas’ shoulders, trying to lift him up to his senses.

For the first time in your life, a deep, boiling hatred burns your skin.

Cowards. You sneer, with all the malice stored in your reserves.

“I want-I want…” You stumble as the anger bubbles out of your belly. “I want them to hurt. To feel humiliated.” Nails bite into the palm of your hand, letting out blood as you clench knuckles. “I want everyone to know what they’ve done, who they are, every fault they’ve ever been guilty of. I want them alive, but I want them to burn.”

The demon smiles, pulling you in for a hug. You collapse into their embrace, keeping your eyes locked onto the boys, those rats. The demon hums a contented tune as they rub your back.

“As you wish, my master.”

[goddessofmadnessheiress]

Barry Allen x Reader - Sleeping beauty's nightmare

Fandom: Flash

Request: @kurtbastianlover said: 

Summary: You and Barry are best friends, but he gets up on a fight with a metahuman that put him in a deep sleep. Apparently, you are the only one that can save him. But how? You are only his best friends...

Warnings: Mention of smut 

Words: 2607 (Sorry that it is shorter than most my fics) 

Notes: Sorry for the late reply, I have this written for one year already. But last year was a hell for me... I only start writting fics at the end of the year. That was the only request I could post.  Thanks for requesting and I hope this will one of the many fic I write for you as a thank you for all you done for me my friend. 

(y/h/c): your hair color; (y/e/c):your eyes color

Sorry any grammar mistake, english isn’t my first language and I wrote that at the hospital when my aunt got hurt, so maybe the story is rushed... 

You do not know which or how the metahuman done that. All you know is that Barry is unconscious and nothing that the team done were successful to wake him up.

When Cisco called you while you were on work you knew something bad had happened. You enter running on the Star Labs, not paying attention at all on your friends.

You almost knocked down your childhood friend Iris to the ground trying to reach the man you loved so much. But he did not know that and do not need to know.

Barry already have so many things to worry about and protecting his childhood friend as a romantic partner should not be on his list.

The thing that you do not know is that he feels the same way with you. He just did not find the right time to tell you and maybe now after the encounter with his metahuman he will never be able to talk to you about this.

Barry is lying down on the medical laboratory with Caitlyn checking his vital from minute to minute. His body have so many wires attached to him that you do not the function of more than a half of them.

Caitlyn smiles sadly to you. She figured it out how you two felt for each other a while ago. She is trying to get you two to start dating but without giving each other feeling, she thinks you need to say each to each other and not get another person pointing them out for you.

You sit across from her monitor and by Barry's side. You automatically put your hand over his. He looks like he is just sleeping.

And that relaxes you. He does not look like dead or physically injured. Cisco said something about him being in an eternal coma or something.

The thing that makes you worry more is the inconstant movements Barry's body is doing. It is not conscious and looks like he is having a nightmare.

And you could not be closer to truth than that. Barry is trapped in a nightmare. An eternal nightmare where his worst fear keeps repeating does not matter what he does.

It always begins different but the end it the same independent of what he does in the middle of it. And that is crushing him. Having to rewatch that over and over again.

This time it begins something heartwarming. The sun light bathing him and the constant light on his eyes makes him wake up even if he does not want that.

And he does not, if he stays sleeping maybe he did not need to watch the disaster all over again.

He turns into the bed and a moaning of his name from a warn body that is close to his makes a laugh escape his lips.

There you are. Hugging him, your form is small close to his. You are naked under the covers just like him.

He does not remember last night, because it did not actually happen but even this way, he feels his checks getting warmer with just the idea of finally making love to you just the way he wished since his teen years.

He cannot help but moan out load too when he feels your chest over his bare skin. A silent promise that you are his.

He does not want to wake you up. But the need to ask with you liked last night even though he knew dawn well that this is not real overtook him.

He kisses your libs repeatedly till your (e/c) eyes open and met his green ones. His hearts skip a beat seeing the lust missed with sleep clouding your shining eyes.

-Hi there. -His voice sounds so smooth that even him do not recognizes it.

-Hey baby. -You answer trying to be sexy, but the sleepiness is all over your tone. Even like this Barry thinks you are the prettiest thing he ever saw. -We need to be up so early?

-No. We do not. -Barry answers smiling. -But I want to be with you for a little longer.

In a blink of an eyes Barry's lips is on yours. Distracted by his kiss you do not feel when his arms snake your waist and pull you to him.

Your naked form over his is heaven. You feel how much he is liking all the make out. His smile when you part is the brightest it ever was.

-Round 2? -You ask malicious already looking for a condom on the nightstand. Knowing dawn hell, the answer is yes.

Because as Nickelback said, ‘Sex is never a question because the answer is always yes.’ You kiss the speedster again, savoring the moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You feel Barry pulling your body against his while you are trying to do the breakfast. By the minute it passed he was closer to you.

Because every second he wasted he knew what would happen. And he wanted to save you, but he never could.

He lost the count of how many times he was into this loop. This cursed dream put him into heaven when he is with you as he always wished and then crash him into hell taking you again from him in the darkest ways.

He never knows when it will appear, but every loop was a different enemy. The first was Reverse Flash, then Zoom, Savitar, Cicada and a lot more.

Maybe the loop will begin all over again. His arms snakes harder around your waist when he hears the front door opening.

His heartbeat slows down when he sees Caitlyn getting closer. He smiles at her, not caring that you and he are still naked.

He was expecting a murderer. Seeing a friend is a blessing. Maybe this was real after all, maybe he was pulled out of this nightmare.

But his heart tightens when she does not answer his smile. Her expression is sadness and a white strain in her hair makes Barry holds his breath.

-I am so sorry. -She says before losing her conscious and that silver eyes shine with madness.

-Killer Frost please no! -Barry begs trying to put himself in front of you. But she is faster.

An ice dagger hits you on your heart. Blood all over the place and your numb body hits the floor.

Killer Frost disappears with a smile on her lips. Her translucid figure says before completely disappearing:

-It is all your fault. It always is.

Barry is over your screaming to you do not close your eyes. But it is already too late. You are cold. Rigid.

Dead.

His eyes are clouded with tears. In the next moment he is in front of your grave.

Buried with his parents. Cisco is by his side. But he is so serious that I do not look like him at all.

-I am sorry Barry. But I do not want to be the next one. -And then his best friend disappears leaving him all by himself.

No one by his side. Iris and Joe had not given up on him when they discovered you had died.

The trial tried to blame him. He almost went to jail. His father's story being repeat all over again.

Barry closes his eyes. And when he opens it again, he is in Joe's living room. Two kids came running and jumps on him.

-Daddy is back. -Barry look at the twins. The girl has your features and his eyes while the boy has his features and your (e/c) eyes.

-Oh, he is back? -You enter in the living room leaving the kitchen behind. Barry's heart almost leaves his chest when he is in your belly.

You are pregnant again. Oh no, please say that you will not die this time. Not with his child inside of your beautiful bellybutton.

Outside of the dreamland you feel his hands tanning around yours. You feel your heart thinning, you do not know what it is happening on his head.

But you know that must be something bad. And yours suspicious only are confirmed and he starts saying:

-No please. NO. Not her. -His body starts moving around and by instinct you left his hand. -(Y/n) please stay with me...

You have the impression of hearing your name coming out of his mouth, but you cannot confirm that because his body starts shaking.

He is convulsing on the bed and you feel your heart broking. Is he dying? You start crying and want to scream but your thongs are locked.

-(Y/n) leave! -Caitlyn starts screaming at you. -I need to save him.

You want to scream no. You want to say you also wants to save him. You want to hug him still everything passes.

But you cannot talk. You cannot move. You are frozen. Are you going to watch your love dying in front of you?

You feel Cisco pulling you out of the room. And you do not fight it. You let him pull you out of there.

Outside the room you instinctively hug him and buries your face on his chest. His smell helps you calm down.

The genius boy has an idea of entering Barry's nightmare to see what is happening so they could save him the right way.

Cisco passes your shaking body who is still crying but not as much as before to Iris. She hugs you properly.

You two leave the cortex and go to a more comfort place in Star Labs. Joe enters the room where you are in despair. He stops when seeing your puffy and red eyes.

He saw you growing up between his kids. He knew how you felt about Barry, him being your confident.

He also knew what Barry feels for you, after all is his son. Joe is Barry's confident too. So, his hearts tights at the vision of you crying.

You jump from the couch where you were siting by the side of Iris, who knows what is passing on the head of her father.

You two hug strongly and you start crying again. This is the same scene and situation of when Barry was hit by the lightning.

Cisco enters animatedly on the room. His smile is almost contagious. In his most serious tone, he announces:

-It is working. -He shows in his tablet a map of mind and a pair of googles that shined on the lights. -Let's save Barry!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You do not know exactly how this equipment works or how Cisco got this idea. And worst you were not sure if it will work.

The only thing that you know is that you need to need to lay in a bed side by side with Barry while using the googles and then you are into his mind.

With shaking hands, you put the glasses over your eyes and lays down. You cannot see anything because the equipment is not a see through.

A flashlight almost blinds you. And then you are in a church. You look around a like taken aback.

You see Joe and Iris on the Isle smiling. Cisco and Caitlin on the other side of it. Barry on the middle in a beautiful tux.

You run still him. And he is taken aback a little. Before you can register anything, you see yourself entering the church in a beautiful white outfit.

You walk at your own hands and you realize you are a little invisible. Barry is looking that you of his nightmare and the ghostly you are floating by his side.

This does not look like a nightmare. So, his nightmare is marrying you? But then yourself are on the island.

And a shadow emerges on the church's doors. A blade as fast as lighting hits the back of you and the blood stains the white material.

Barry falls to his knees and starts crying. So, his worst nightmare is losing you? You are a little taken aback by this.

You put a ghostly hand on his shoulder. He looks up at you and smiles. The dream restarts.

You two are alone in Star Labs. He explains to you the loop he is trapped in. How many times he saw you dying. How many different ways you died on his arms.

How everyone blames him in all the versions, and they leave him alone. He says that he is losing the love of his life and his family over and over and over again.

He said that the metahuman that put him into this hell recites something similar to a curse before he fainted into darkness and Barry fainting.

"You will fall into a sleep like death! But the speedster can be woken from his death sleep by only one true love's kiss."

Is that a Sleeping Beauty's reference?

But your brain is plain.

And you have frozen. The dream before the nightmare. The peace before chaos. The calm before the storm...

They all were a hint to whom should wake him up.

And it is you. You are the answer. You are Barry's true love.

You feel yourself disappearing. Your ghostly form plants a simple kiss on his lips. But before Barry could kiss you properly you have disappeared completely.

Your body wakes in a shock and you jump out of the bed. You feel Cisco's hand helping you gain your equilibrium back.

-I have the answer. -You announce removing the googles and smiling at them.

You briefly explain what happened when you were on Barry's mind. The dreams, the nightmare, everything.

-So, the metahuman shipped you two? -Cisco asks laughing at the idea.

-I more worried that the used Maleficent's lines. -Caitlyn says out loud and everyone looks at her in shock. -What? I used to like Disney...

-Which was your favorite movie then? -Iris asks playfully.

-Sky High. I always thought that Layla reminded of myself.

You shock your head in a negative gesture.

-Guys. Focus. We need to save Barry. -You say and Joe agrees with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The gang left you after you finished your story. They have hopes that you are right. And they internally are happy that you two would finally be together.

You are looking at Barry numb body recalling his dream. You smile at the idea of marrying him someday.

And then the conversation comes back to your head. It is now or never it is as simples as:

A kiss.

A kiss would wake him up.

You laugh at the irony but with a fast heartbeat you plant your lips over his firmly.

He does not respond the act and you part from him. His green eyes shout open and they met with your (y/c) orbs.

You smile at him and he does the same.

-Hey there my sleeping beauty. -You say laughing at all this situation now that he is safe.

He kisses you again. Deeper, with so much passion and need. You two part needing air. You try to breath normal again.

-You are my warrior in shining armor, aren't you? -Barry says going for another kiss but you two get interrupted when the door busts open.

Cisco enters cheering and screaming. Happy that you two finally are together and that is best friend is safe.

You shake your head at his childish behavior but you happy seeing Barry fine and liking you just like you like him.

The Latino boy jumps over your now boyfriend and hugs him almost to death. But their laughs warm your heart.

This is the dream after the nightmare. The calm after the storm. And you are genuinely happy.

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket’s Treatment of Abusers:

Fruits Basket is a story that focuses on the abused children more than their abusers. The abusers are only used to explain the trauma & tragic character of those children as a means of writing their growth. It has a message to the viewers of victory against the painful past & living again. While the message of moving on from one’s harsh past is hopeful, it will fall flat if no attention is giving towards the falling status of abusers. You can’t just cleanse yourself of the past without looking at who caused the scars. This post will explore furuba’s treatment of the abusers:

1. Yuki’s mom: (the abuser who was allowed to function in tiny doses~)

Yuki;s mom is a woman of beauty & lust for status & money. She abused her son by neglecting him & turning a blind eye towards his abuse. Without her agreement, yuki wouldn’t have been abused by akito at all. Yuki stood up to her & gently but firmly refused her control over him. Hence, yuki became free. Furuba treated this abuser by giving her a slight room of co-existence in yuki’s life. She was shown shocked at his growth, silent & deciding not to stop him, she was allowed to perform shallow motherly activities. Giving permission on certain things & saying: take care. She isn't completely involved in yuki’s future life but she doesn't need to. She thinks raised a successful boy, even if his success isnt how she pictured, but none the less, his success is part of her as it satisfied her lust for status. Yuki allowed her to co-exist in peace.

2. Akito: ( the abuser with atonement)~

Akito is the abuser that will be allowed to atone & get redemption. Why? cuz akito is not a parent, but a child abused herself. The author uses akito to say, hey~ even if you were a bully, or a bad person, you can still change. Powerful message that does not alienate those who were once in the wrong side of the road. You can stop abusing ppl & ask for forgiveness. ( I have issues with how akito’s change was done but that’s for my eps review, it doesn't contradict that I’m here for the it is not too late to stop wronging ppl & change for the netter message. I love that).

3. Isuzu’s parents: ( the abusers who got away~ )

Physically & emotionally abused their daughter. However, since they weren’t given faces or names, they wont be part of Isuzu’s journey after she’s taken by Kagura’s mom. Isuzu’s next abuse is done by akito. The writer only used them to write isuzu’s initial story & ditched them. Also, since there’re two of them, it cancels writing any confrontation possibility from a writing perspective. They out-number isuzu. Moreover, isuzu’s own role in furuba is a combination of her romantic love with haru & her friendship with tohru. So, Isuzu can have the past behind her if she focused on these two alone. She was shown healing in kazuma’s house with her two fave ppl visiting her: haru & tohru.

4. Akito’s mom: ( the abuser who was mentally unstable~)

Kureno introduced her as a woman who’s mentally unstable, she was easily manipulated by shigure, she held a knife & was allowed to stay in the sohma estate. She abused akito by not loving her & constantly challenging her. She is portrayed as this pathetic mentally & emotionally ill person. A grown woman attached to an empty box is no normal woman. Her demeanor & the way she walks & dressed invites pity just like shigure said. She’s allowed to be as she is, cuz she’s ill in the head. Perhaps punishing her in anyway, might invited unwanted attention of treating mentally ill ppl. So, I dont think anything bad or good will happen to her.

5. Kyo’s biological dad: ( the abuser who MUST be stopped).

Kyo’s bio dad is furuba’s poster picture for abuse. Kyo can be the cat zodiac or have a true form , it wouldn't have destroyed him if his dad didn't actively accuse him of murder. Kyo’s mom is shown as this broken woman who tried & tried to love her son & do her best, but was scared, tried & alone. Ultimately her decision to kill herself in front of her son ruined him, but if the father took another stance than accusing a 4 year old, things would have been different with kyo. I firmly believe that kazuma’s character was created so kyo wont go kill yuki & kill himself as he said he would in his mom’s funeral after his dad’s accusation. Kazuma’s love is powerful but couldn't erase the scars that this dad engraved in his son. Kyo’s dad is the only furuba’s character that is drawn with so much ugliness & hate all the time. Despicable attitude, wide eyes, small pupils, freaky grin, explosive emotions. He is the only parent that is shown with strength & power in all his scenes. Even in front of kazuma, he stood & shouted unafraid of him, uncaring of what he might think, I want “ it” locked till death. Refusing to even humanizing a child. The most despicable man! In kyo’s flashback, kyo’s mom was broken in tears, kyo’s dad wasnt shown fully, but his fists were clenched & he was standing up instead of bending & hugging her. Heck, momiji’s dad loved his son & wife & sought out to preserve both as much as he can. Erase the mom’s memory & exist in his son’s life from time to time, not the best solution but he tried! he really tried! kyo’s dad just wanted DEATH.

I’m an anime only, I duno what will happen next. but I’ve never hated a character as much as this guy. He represents all the disgusting abuser parents! those who drink & hit, those who suck the life out of their kids, those breath hate! I want furuba to win for all those children with such parents & stop this man! you can’t just brush him off. I dont want kyo to hit him, no more blood in kyo’s hands. I want him to be so small/weak & powerless in front of kyo. To watch as kyo becomes free from his toxic grasp on his life! To listen as kyo tell him off! 

All furuba’s lovely messages & powerful stories will crumble down if not a single filthy abuser is stopped & cancelled. The story calls for. No, it demands it. Make kyo’s dad the abuser who is stopped! Show me the face of abuse defeated & helpless. I’ll ask for nothing more.

[starlightrows]

The Lady’s Guards

Pairing: Boba Fett x reader

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: Mild blood and injury, some hurt/comfort, lots of domestic bliss and fluff, I really just like writing Boba with a feisty little wifey

Summary: Din brings Grogu to visit you and Boba on Tatooine, but you run into some trouble when you try to take him out for a day of shopping

AN: Lots of people really seemed to like my OC’s Tems and Rhys, so I wanted to write a little more with them! This can be read as a stand alone or a part 2 to The Lady of the House

You return to bed but find that you’re no longer tired enough to fall back to sleep. Instead you just enjoy the warmth of Boba’s skin and the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathes. When you can’t stand to lay still any longer you shift carefully out of his embrace and slip out of bed.

It’s not often you’re awake before him so you take advantage of this rarity. You put your robe back on, and sneak out of your chambers heading down to the kitchens. The maids are scurrying about preparing breakfast, and prepping for the larger more substantial meals later in the day.

“Good morning,” you call out softly from the top of the stairs. Everyone stops what they’re doing and turns quickly to address you. A small chorus of “my lady” and “good morning”’s greet you as you descend the stairs.

“I was hoping to help make breakfast and serve it to my husband in our chambers this morning if that’s alright,” you smile. You’re welcomed into the kitchens and allowed to help as one of the maids makes the batter for hot cakes. When the cakes have finished baking, you garnish the tray with fresh fruit, and fresh brewed caf.

Fearing for your ability to carry all of this food, you recruit one of the maids just to help you carry everything up to your chambers, and thank her for her excellent help before dismissing her and pushing through the doors.

Much to your delight Boba is still asleep when you come in. So you have time to set the table with the hot cakes and caf before climbing back onto the bed to kiss him awake. When he’s roused enough, he returns your kisses and mumbles out a good morning.

“Made you breakfast,” you nip at his cheek “and hot caf”

“Hmm, you made it?” He asks, sitting up a bit to glance over your shoulder at the table, laid out with breakfast as promised.

“Mhm, woke up a bit early, decided I wanted to spoil you my love,” you tug at his arm, pulling him with you to get out of bed. He indulges you, sitting at the table and accepting the plate full of hot cakes and more importantly the steaming up of caf.

Over breakfast you recount the events of last night, about the guards alerting you to the intrusion, the alarm on his ship, and Din hailing over the coms.

“Hmm, did he hail twice?” Boba asks draining his mug of caf

“No, just the one as far as I know” you reply, using your finger to collect a drop of sweet syrup from the hot cakes and licking it off.

“Then it’s not an emergency. Would you mind returning the com after we’re finished here? I’ll see to the intruder,” he places his plate back on the tray and reaches for the bowl of fruit. You’ve just about finished your breakfast and stack your plate as well.

“Of course darling,” you answer, kissing his head as you pass behind him to pick out something to wear for the day.

“Which guards should I see about the intruder?” He asks abandoning the fruit bowl in favor of following you to get himself ready as well.

“Oh, sorry my love, I’ve been sworn to secrecy on that matter,” you throw him a teasing look as you hold up one of your more comfortable day dresses, while he begins putting on his own robes for the day. You glance in the full length mirror, deciding that this was indeed what you wanted to wear today.

This pulls him up short, and he gives you a quizzical look. There are no secrets between the two of you, at least, not like this.

“Keeping secrets from the King of Tatootine my lady? That’s a dangerous game to play,” he’s only half dressed himself but he stops to watch you undress, and struggle with the front fastenings on your day dress.

“I’m well aware, my love but nevertheless, I gave them my word. Just go down to the dungeon and ask the guards on duty to see the one and only prisoner we currently have,” you walk towards him, and throw up your hands begging for his help to secure the ties. He didn’t expect you to hold firm on your secret, he honestly thought you’d been joking the first time.

He takes the ties and knots them properly with his surprisingly nimble fingers “Cyare, why can’t you tell me?”

“They asked me very specifically not to tell you,” you shrug. His hands still over your hips when he’s finished, holding you in place.

“Why?”

You laugh placing your hands over his and removing them gently, so he can get ready too “My darling, even your staff are intimidated by you. The pair of them were absolutely terrified you’d tear their limbs off and feed them to the rankor if you found out they entered our chambers,”

“I pay them to alert me to security breaches!” He grumbles pulling on his tunic, and beginning to secure his armor in place with your assistance.

“That’s what I told them. Promised them you wouldn’t be angry. They wouldn’t hear it, practically begged me on their knees to keep quiet about it,” you shake your head, securing his vambrace on.

“Better to be feared than loved,” he gripes, you lean up on your tiptoes and kiss his cheek.

“Hmmm... lucky you are both feared and loved,” you smile sweetly. He grins, catching your chin between his fingers and tilting your head to kiss your lips. Tasting the remains of the sweet syrup you’d spread over your hot cakes.

Later while Boba is seeing people on business, you take the time to sit down and hail Din over the coms. He answers after a minute or so of waiting and switches on the hologram function. A massive black eye comes into the viewfinder.

“Too close ad’ika,” Din pulls Grogu away from the camera, and places him in his lap as he sits down. Grogu waves, seeing your face on his end of the screen.

You wave back and smile brightly, “Hello my little green bean!” You coo

“Sorry about last night,” Din says sheepishly “Forgot about the daylight difference between Tatooine and Mandalore. I hope I didn’t wake you guys up or anything,”

You wave him off good naturedly. “Oh don’t worry about that. I was just worried something was wrong,” you say, lightly prompting him to explain the reason for his late night call.

“Nothing is wrong, really. I just have a couple things I need to talk to Fett about. And I was hoping to bring Grogu for a visit in a couple rotations,” he admits

“Absolutely! I’ll have to check with the big man, but I’m quite sure none of his appointments for the next couple days are urgent enough to take president over a visit from the Mand’alor,” you joke

“Well let me know if he says otherwise, but we’ll be there in two days time,” Din tells you, taking Grogu’s little hand and manually waving it at you.

“Will do. Bye baby! I’ll see you soon,” you give Grogu a little wave before shutting off the com.

Boba has no objection to Din and Grogu coming for a visit, and he delights in your enthusiasm to spend time (and spoil) your nephew. And in two days' time, they arrive on Tatooine as promised.

Immediately you confiscate Grogu from Din, and whisk him away to play and explore the palace, leaving Boba and Din to talk business and catch up.

The second day of their visit you ask Din if he would mind if you took Grogu out of the palace and down into the city for a day of shopping and fresh air. Din doesn’t seem to mind, trusting you wholeheartedly. But Boba insists you take guards for your safety as well as Grogu’s. It’s a small measure to ask and not an unfounded request given the type of people that still hang around Mos Eisley, so you accept his request.

“Why did it have to be us?” Tems moans as Rhys starts up the land speeder.

“You’re not even a little excited? The Lady chose us herself! That means she likes us!” Rhys says “Plus we get to drive the boss’s speeder. Tell me you aren’t at least a little excited about that,”

Tems actually is kind of excited, it’s a really nice speeder. But it does not outshine how nervous he is at the thought of being responsible for the safety of not only Boba Fett’s feisty, headstrong little queen, but also the son of The Mand’alor.

“We just have to be careful Rhys. The safety of the Lady and the child is way more important than a cool speeder,” Tems says sliding into the passenger seat. Rhys brings the speeder around to the front to the palace.

“I know that,” Rhys snips at him, coming to a stop at the palace door where you wait with Boba. Tems gets out of the speeder and holds the door open for you. You quickly press your forehead against Boba’s helmet and slide into the speeder, holding Grogu close in a wrapped silk scarf against your chest.

Tems gets back in the passenger seat, and the speeder pulls away from the palace. The trip down into the city doesn’t take very long, and thank goodness for that because Rhys is having a hard time holding his tongue. He wants to ask you a thousand questions. Instead he places all of his focus on driving carefully, listening to you softly speak to the child.

Upon arriving, Tems gets out and opens the door for you again. Tems and Rhys follow behind you at a respectful distance as you Grogu to various stalls and booths at the open air market. Making pleasant conversation with the merchants, buying Grogu snacks and little gifts he shows interest in, splurging on a few items for yourself as well.

As the afternoon goes on, Tems notices more eyes than usual trained on you as you walk from stall to stall. Eyes with ill intent. Something feels wrong, and it’s not just his anxiety. He nudges Rhys and gives him a look. He senses it too, all semblance of the distractible and energetic man he’s used to attempting to corral is gone. Replaced by a headset face, and a firm hand on his blaster.

“My lady,” Rhys addresses you directly. You’re in the middle chatting with a merchant over a purchase, you turn and smile at your guard.

“Yes?”

“My lady, we need to-” he doesn’t have a chance to finish his statement. A shrill cry of a man jumping out from behind a booth wall brandishing a vibroblade towards you cuts him off. Rhys pushes you down, shielding your body with his. While Tems tackles the man to the ground.

You don’t see the exchange, Rhys makes sure of that. He drags you off the floor behind the counter with the shopkeeper, who is cowering in fear. Grogu is whimpering and clinging to the front of your tunic, you hold him securely and try to murmur comforting words to him. You take great care to cover his massive ears, the sounds of your assailant and bodyguard fighting one another fill the tiny stall.

Onlookers in the market either flee screaming, or crowd in to watch. Rhys placed himself between you and fighting. Finally the sounds of the fighting stop, there is nothing besides Grogu’s sobs and the heavy breathing of the victor of the fight.

Rhys gives your shoulder a gentle shake. You look up at him and find his face comforting but stern. “I’m sorry my lady, but we must get you back to the palace,” he takes your arm and pulls you off the ground “now”

Rhys draws his blaster keeping it ready in case it’s needed. You look to see Tems standing at the entrance to the merchant stall, splattered in blood and shouting for the crowd to get back.

“Watch your step, my lady,” Rhys says, tugging you away from the body of your would-be attacker. You draw Grogu in a little closer, and make a point to step around the body.

The pair of them hustle you out of the market, shouting for people to get out of the way and making a show aiming their blasters at anyone that dared get too close.

The speeder trip back to the palace does not take long, Tems looks back on you and asks if you’re injured. You shake your head, and continue trying to comfort Grogu, who’s no longer crying but whimpering pitifully and unwilling to be detached from you in any way.

When the speeder pulls up to the palace both guards disembark and escort you down into the throne room, regardless of whatever business is transpiring down there. The guards on duty seem to realize you will not be kept from the throne room when they see you dirtied and disheveled, escorted by equally disheveled and bloodied guards; they let you pass without question.

The throne room has more than a few guests discussing trade and wage with Boba and Din, with Fennec providing on site security. At the sound of your foot steps descending the stairs, Boba looks up and takes in your frightful appearance.

“Get out, all of you,” Boba’s voice is sharp and clear. The other occupants of the room seem to hesitate, also caught up in the shock of seeing the queen looking so battered.

“That wasn’t a suggestion, leave” Fennec bashes the hilt of her blaster into the duracreet, making a resounding noise that jolts Boba’s guests out of their stupor. They all scramble to disperse, exiting the throne room as quickly as possible.

You quickly move deeper into the throne room, and extend Grogu to Din who’s approaching you anxiously with Boba at his heels. Grogu goes to his fathers arms without complaint and seems to settle almost immediately once he’s placed against Din’s shoulder.

“Take care of your son,” Boba says as carefully as he can manage. Din only nods and disappears down another hallway leading to guest rooms. Boba’s hand jute out, grabbing your chin and tilting your face from side to side checking you for wounds physical or otherwise. Your hand closes over his wrist, and you give him a squeeze and a nod. “Come cyare,” he whispers to you, leading you away from the throne room.

Tems and Rhys have been standing at attention the entire duration of this exchange. When you and Boba leave, they relax slightly. Rhys is ready to bolt, Tems is ready to wretch. But Fennec keeps them rooted on the spot.

“He will be back,” she says “and he’s going to want answers that are clear and to the point. Do you understand?”

They nod.

In your chambers Boba rips off his helmet and frantically checks you again for injuries. Needing to see with his own eyes. You assure him up and down that you’re perfectly fine thanks to your guards.

“What happened cyare?” He asks, holding you close despite your dusty clothes tainting his clean ones. You recount the story to the best of your ability, but you admit he would probably get more useful information from your guards.

“They saved my life,” you say honestly “and Grogu’s too. They’re good men, and they deserve our gratitude,”

Boba draws you in closer still and rests his head on top of yours. He’s reluctant to even let you out of his embrace, but you pull away.

“Go speak to them my love. I’m safe in these walls. I promise you, I won’t leave our chambers until you come back,” you tell him, cradling his handsome face in your hands. It bothers him how unphased you seem to be, though he knows you rather well, and can recognize that this will be something you process and need help with later on.

Eventually Boba does leave you so you can run a bath and get yourself cleaned up, and he can go get the full story from your guards. Fennec has perched herself on a high stool that sits behind Boba’s throne. A vantage point for her to survey the room. Meanwhile Tems and Rhys have been wringing their hands and coming down from their adrenaline highs.

“We saved the lady,” Rhys mumbled under his breath, excited once more but teeming with nerves. This is worse than the other night, when your eyes pierced his soul and scared the daylight out of him.

“We almost got Lady and the Mand’alor’s son killed in one afternoon” Tems couldn’t help his pacing back and forth across the sandy floor. His clothes were hot and sticky covered in the blood of the man he had killed. And he would gladly do it again for the good queen.

Boba’s presence reappearing in the throne room reignited both Tems and Rhys anxiety and adrenaline responses. But they stood at attention and awaited their fate with knocking knees and chattering teeth.

Boba surveyed the two men. Both strong capable young men, though one had definitely worked here longer. Something seemed familiar about these two, something Boba couldn’t place, though he had a suspicion there was a reason his wife had chosen these two particular guards to escort her down to the market.

Boba sits heavily on his throne, clears his throat and beckons them forward.

“You’ve defended my palace, protected my beloved wife and nephew, and served me well. You both have my gratitude and my respect. Any reward you desire, name it and it’s yours” Boba says “All I ask of you now it the truth. Tell me what happened today,”

At first neither man speaks. Tems finally breaks the silence, but can not find it himself to look Boba in the eye.

“In the market today. I noticed a man following us. He went into a secluded market stall carrying wares the lady seemed interested in. He tried to attack the lady with a vibroblade. I killed this man,” Tems says “It’s been a long time since Tatooine was ruled by a fair and just hand, my Lord. I have lived here since the Hutts ruled the Dune Sea and promoted the slave trade. I am honored to serve you and your worthy cause my lord. I ask for no other reward”

Boba nods, and casts his gaze over to the younger man.

“If I may sir. I took your wife and nephew to safety while my partner dispatched the attacker. I would have willingly given my life to save theirs,” Rhys bows his head in respect, but looks up again to ask his favor “If you are willing to offer a reward for what happened today, I only have one request. I have a younger sister, Talece. She’s smart and responsible, but struggles to find work due to her inability to speak. I humbly ask for her to have a place in your palace. She can cook, clean, serve in whatever way you ask of her, my lord”

Tems shifts his eyes over to his friend. He didn’t know Rhys had a mute sister, or a sister at all. He’d have to ask about it later.

“I’m sure my wife can find use for another maid, bring her tomorrow. If the lady of the house has a need for her, then she is welcome to stay,” Boba nods. He looks back to Tems but addresses them both “Your service and dedication today will not be forgotten. But for now, you are both dismissed and relieved of your duties for the rest of today,”

Tems and Rhys bow low and thank Boba Fett for his generosity, before scurrying away to get clean and unwind from this whole ordeal.

Boba dismisses Fennec as well and tells her to cancel all of his remaining appointments for the rest of the day. He goes back to you in your chambers to find you clean, wrapped in a dressing gown and drying your hair while sitting on the bed.

He removes his armor at record breaking speed, and climbs onto the bed pulling you down with him regardless of your wet hair.

“I suspect I’ve discovered which of the guards came into our room the other night,” he says, stroking your arm. You nod, there’s no point in lying to him about it if he’s already figured it out.

“I like them,” you say “They’re good guards, and good men,”

“The younger one. He’s got a sister, asked me to give her a job,” he tells you

“And?”

“And you’ve got a new handmaiden if you’d like. If not she can join the kitchen staff,” he continues stroking your arm. At this you pull away from him a bit and prop yourself up on his chest to stare down at him. Meeting his deliciously dark eyes.

“For all the fear you strike in the hearts of others, you do seem to have a tender heart underneath your glare and beskar,” you tease him, dropping your head down to kiss his lips