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#not like it wouldn't make sense if it was also the explanation for why he's pretty much set forever / his value never Really questioned
kqluckity · 3 months
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if my brain worked properly I'd be able to say this better, but since I'm an idiot idk how to explain why, but i think genuinely that the only two enchanted blades that were forged using a human (or human adjacent) soul are enten and magatsumi
#the kyonagi theory is that. a theory. they think he used their bodies but he clearly didn't need them considering he made enten after the#after the war. and chihiro was with him he would've noticed if he had a human chained to the forge#while the soul and essence of a being/human is a bit more metaphorical and also for enten i bet he used his own soul#and maybe that of their fishes too? maybe he used them as sort of catalysts and that's why he could hear them talk#but idk#i have no explanation for magatsumi tho i have no idea what soul he would use for that... if the enemies weren't humans#maybe he could've used the soul of one of them#and that's why it's the strongest and can be used remotely too#but again. it's just speculation and I don't really remember if he's said what the other blades do#and also enten can be used remotely considering chihiro could see the inside of the storehouse through kuro's eyes which seems#seems similar to what happened with magatsumi last chapter#so it would make sense for them to have been made in a different way than the others#anyway while i do think that after the war kunishige felt guilty for making the blades I don't think he'd experiment on people#like that. maybe I'll be proven wrong shortly but for now alle the (admittedly biased) info we have on him suggests that he wouldn't#at least. he wouldn't do it KNOWINGLY#especially because he does say that the blame of how the blades are used also falls on the maker doesn't he? time to reread i guess#in the end i rambled in the tags instead of the post lmao whatever#kagurabachi#spoilers#and my own theory idk
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box-dwelling · 1 year
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I know that how much Phoenix suspected Kristoph is very vague and I like the idea he had very little clue but honestly the thing that makes me think he did is Trucy. Because I think there is absolutely no way Kristoph didn't want her dead. He tried to kill vera, child murder isn't above him. And Trucy was a far far bigger weak chain in his scheme than she was but she escapes him basically unscathed other than minus one parent, who lets be real was canonically a POS who tried to kill a woman over a poker game. She saw him give her the diary page. She has psychic lie defecting abilities and he is constantly lying. She's absolutely the biggest direct threat to his scheme.
I feel like if Phoenix genuinely trusted Kristoph he would have absolutely had the opportunity to kill her and tie up that loose end. Trucy's savvy and able to protect herself but she's also a child. It is a miracle she's still alive by AA4 and I think that has to be because Phoenix was protecting her because he knew he couldn't trust Kristoph around her.
#ace attorney#phoenix wright#kristoph gavin#trucy wright#aa4#Apollo Justice ace attorney#7yg#also i do just kind of prefer the idea of that this was a battle Phoenix knew he was fighting every day and knew he would probably lose#thats a more enjoyable angst for me#and it kind of makes a bit more sense for why he cut everyone off and isolated himself#like he knew that he was in the lions den and didn't want anyone else in there with him woth the exception of trucy who was inndanger anyway#and he knew he was the only one who understood this battle enough to protect her#but alternative explanations can include a krisnix one where kristoph genuinely didn't want to hurt Phoenix's daughter#but honestly my krisnix take is that he would because that man is possessive as fuck and wouldn't want Phoenix giving his attention to her#or it could be that Phoenix is clueless and trucy isnt and shes the one actually fighting the battle and protecting him#but thats also very very sad and i don't want to do that to her#maybe theyre both protecting the other but refusing to tell each other because they dont want to put the other in danger#that would be in character as fuck for the wrights#trucy fully in a ya adventure we cant tell our parents about the unspeakable horrors because then they'll get hurt#while Phoenix is trying desperately to just keep them both alive but doesn't want to put that burden on a literal child#idk i do genuinely just think its way way sadder if Kristoph is a known threat through most of the 7yg#but they know they cants pull away from him even as he poses a direct threat to them because that makes him even more dangerous#beanix
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shidoukanae · 3 months
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also now realizing there's a heavy possibility that the unknown event Daniel references where he asks Lyla "how are you going to find your happiness?" is the same event Helene references when she tells Lyla that Lyla "betrayed" her.
Coincidentally, that's probably the same event that allowed Helene to be manipulated by the Empress into turning against Lyla and might have been the cause of Daniel leaving Lyla (probably to find out how to awaken as a dragon so he could gain the power to take her away from her family faster? maybe even going so far as to try and compete w/ Paris for the throne if it means protecting Lyla?)
There's also a suspicious gap of time from when Helene was poisoned to when she told Lyla to get away from her that has been omitted. And considering baby Lyla cries about Helene not wanting to be with her anymore...and that same baby Lyla is seen hugging Daniel in the unexplored scene...Lyla what the fuck did you do to Helene to embitter her like this?
#the mighty extra#the mighty extra: one girl changes the world#me a week ago: gee im not sure if the Helene saying Lyla betrayed her scene makes sense re: Lyla's death#me now: ohhhhhhhh we haven't gotten to the reason why Helene felt betrayed yet gooootcha that's why something feels amiss#something happened in the gap of time between when Helene got poisoned and when she turned her back on Lyla gooootcha#and here i thought it was a smooth transition but now i see i have yet again been tricked by my own bad expectations LMAO#im so used to just accepting half-baked explanations that are construed to try and explain canon events i didn't even think to doubt myself#this story really is the gift that keeps on giving#also the idea of Daniel competing with Paris for the sake of ensuring Lyla gets to live a happy life is really fucking cute#he gives off a lot of big brother vibes and honestly for a “unpredictable crazy dragon” he's such a sweetheart#my current guess is that Arne somehow tricked Helene to turn against Lyla? or tricked Lyla into hurting Helene somehow (emotionally)?#because these sisters ADORED each other very clearly and Helene being poisoned by Sienna wouldn't have broken their bond so easily#whatever happened was bad enough that Daniel said it was better off if she forgot all about it#which#she did#but not in the way he expects alas#and here i was thinking Helene was just an asshole because she felt severely hurt by Lyla's dangerous actions#nope! she's got a reason indeed and the fact that she felt betrayed by Something TM and yet still tries to save Lyla anyways is just#Interesting!#there's still more depth to dig out of these sisters and their relationship together pre-“Lyla” and im living for it!!!#also im still so confused about Daniel#so he was the sea witch's apprentice which means he knew Sienna but also he ran away from the sea witch at some point#and has been on the run from his own empire joined some pirates is now living with Ellie and is going to Lyla's side post the finale#i still dont get why he didn't take Lyla with him or come back for her. was he waiting to do so? for what? he was already awakened as a-#as a dragon by the time he found Lyla again. and he definitely didn't forget about her so like#*tilts head*#i can understand him being like “oh Lyla left guess she didn't wait for me” but i don't think he's ever implied that???#considering Daniel's side of Lyla's past still has holes in it I think there's going to be answers coming soon to this question but man#i love trying to do a conspiracy board in my head of the events that went down in the bg re: Lyla bc it's so fascinating to piece together#everything is explained but also nothing is explained and the writing for this story is really admirable as fuck
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phantomantz · 2 months
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finished s4 today and here are some questions I still have
-WHAT HAPPENED TO SLOANE???
-why on earth did raymond "I would take my year with you over a lifetime with someone else" chestnut just leave allison?? like I get if the actor couldn't/didn't want to be in the season but they could have at least come up with an explanation
-why did luther get his ape body back, its not connected to his powers at all. they just did it to make two bad jokes didn't they
-why did some of them get different/upgraded powers but luther and diego didn't?
-when klaus was shot and allison gave him the marigold why didn't he just stay dead? s3 established he has a choice in whether he comes back to life
-what is durango even supposed to be? reginald says that jennifer is more powerful than all of them put together but thats only if she comes into contact with them right?
-HOW DID SHE GET IN THE SQUID
-how did five start the commission
-there was a total of 43 marigold children and yet we only ever meet like 16 of them. who are the others?? Also wouldn't their marigold also have to be absorbed to reset the timeline? Unless it did all get absorbed off screen somehow
-if jennifer was so dangerous why didn't reginald just kill her instead of building an entire town to keep her trapped... i know he wouldn't have had a problem with it.
-also this is more reginald just being stupid but why on earth would he send his kids with MARIGOLD on a mission where he knew a girl with DURANGO would be when he knows if they just made contact it would end the world. ALSO ALSO reginald was literally there so why didn't he just blow her up himself!!?? this shit gets dumber the more i think about it
-five says that the day they were born the timeline shattered or whatever but isn't that just his fault? he's the one with the time travel powers so without him there would be no way to create other timelines. wouldn't it have made more sense for just five to sacrifice himself then...? I guess Viktor would have still ended the world but the commission literally wanted the world to end in that timeline so what's the deal
-how could claire and diegolilas kids still be alive when their parents never existed. that would've created another grandfather paradox according to this shows logic but nope!
-oh yeah and what was the deal with the ben on the train at the end of s3 ... Literally had nothing to do with anything
thats all i can think of rn... I'm sure theres more but... my head hurty. if anyone has an explanation to any of these lmk
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bimbosandbubbles · 3 months
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All Consuming
Starring Yandere Siren Gojo and Geto
Synopsis- Two months ago you became a sole survivor to a supposed animal attack on a lake trip and because of that you’ve become alienated from everyone else in your much too rural community. However,you’re finally not so alone when two mysterious men are way too interested in you…But something’s a little off about them..
Fic for my Summertime Slashers event!
Warnings-mates,Geto and Gojo kinda have a feeding kink in this(they like seeing you eat bcs they only eat human flesh and obviously you don’t 😭), stalking,cum marking(you’ll find out), voyeurism,mirror kink,mutual masturbation,biting,oviposition,icky flirting(they’re very confused on the fact that humans don’t just mate like sirens do), dubcon,borderline noncon,multiple sex scenes,leg worshipping?,manipulation(you’re very vulnerable in this and they take advantage of that),abuse of super natural power(not clearly stated but implied),panty sniffing,lots of breeding kink,and ofc and always CHUBBY READER!
An explanation on sirens and how I tweaked them from traditional folklore! Just so you can have more understanding on why things happen in this fic! So Sirens typically are beings that lure men in with their beautiful voice and then capture them with their magical touch! This is kinda like that but not really! Geto and Gojo are male sirens so they usually target the opposite sex! Their siren voice isn’t necessarily singing it’s just something they can activate in this fic! Also they can go on and off land if they’re well fed! In this fic I imply heavily that sirens take mates like many other sea life!
WC-6.9K/6,925
"Can you give a description of him?"
"Them." Is all you can answer. Seething hot acid pulls at the back of your throat,begging to come out on the steel table. Your quaking hands grip the very edge of the table for some kind of support—a sense of grounding in this situation.
"Right,them. My apologies. The descriptions though,(Reader)?" You gulp,"Well one was taller than the other had these piercing blue eyes,almost like light itself. The other had these soulless black ones...emotionless and empty kinda."
In front of you there's this quiet man presumingly sketching away the description. "Anything else?" You bite your lip and glance down at your scarred fingers but you quickly look away because the memory of just why those injuries remain are there is much too fresh. "I don't know...everything was a blur. I can't remember a thing other than seeing them..."You swallow a thick wad of spit before you utter another word,"tear into my friends."
The officer in front of you stares into your glassy eyes that you bet are red and bulging to the point it looks like you've been choked instead of crying. He sighs,"Look,(Reader) you seem to be a nice enough girl but these details are just not enough to drive this case. This is the third time we've invited you down to the station and you've said nothing to make us believe two men did this to your friends."
"Please! I saw them! I really,really did! I swear! I wouldn't lie about seeing those—those monsters!" The officer sighs and ounces the bridge of his nose,"Let's be real,when the attacked happened you were intoxicated,right? You were out having fun with your girlfriends and probably doing other substances. Or maybe the shock of seeing your friends mauled by an animal got to you. Whatever the case may be I know it's not two human men who ate your friends in front of you."
You clench your fists in pure disgust at the audacity this person has in front of you. He's not the one who had to see it,he's not the one who had to watch your friends cry and beg for help and couldn't do anything about it, and he's certainly not the one who had to live through their constant cries of pain. You finally raise your voice an octave,"I know what I saw and I won't suffer through some accusations pushed onto me because this story isn't believable enough for you!"
The officer doesn't take lightly to your shouting and doesn't remain so calm with his doubt. "I'm tired of listening to your bullshit anyways! There is no man eating monster with glowing blue eyes! And there definitely isn't another soulless black eyed creep!" He takes a deep breath and stands from the metal chair. You sit there in silence fighting back tears and you have no clue why the liquid is fleeing your eye ducts.
It's probably anger or sadness,or both whatever the reason might be you curl up into yourself and sob in front of the two cops. "(Reader), I apologize...but I can't take this case serious. I know you're hurting,losing your friends in an animal caused massacre but you're wasting resources and precious time for cases that actually need to be solved. So just go home and get some therapy,yeah?"
Through teary eyes you gaze at the officer in his harsh eyes and you're left wondering why does no one believe you? It's been two months since the attack and you're doing all the right things;therapy,self groups,going back to normal life,yet you're treated like some crazy person. You've never been the type to lie. Never been the type to abuse someone's trust,so why?
Why are you so unbelievable? Are your tears not mournful enough? Is your slowly deteriorating appearance not evidence enough? Is the scars on your body just too artificial looking for people not to believe the truth?
With your head hung low you whisper,"Sorry officer,I'll go home."
▂▂▂▂
"Oh my god is that her?" The whisper flows through the dining hall. Another answers,"I think she's totally crazy."  Then another,"Oh be nice,her friends got mauled by some kind of wolf in front of her." "I heard it was a bear actually."
You chew on your mediocre sandwich trying to ignore the constant voices mumbling about you. It's the first week you've been back at uni since the attack and it's not going so well for you. People only pity you or look down at you for not just dying with your friends. Some people think that you're even responsible for their deaths. But it won't be much longer until you're free of the university gossip due to the fact that summer break is nearly two weeks away. And even with that time frame people are already leaving the dorms entirely.
And what makes it so unfortunate is that no one's in your corner anymore. Your parents have turned their backs on you because it's like a sin to have a child struggling with their mental health in this godforsaken small town. And your friends well...gone because of that very event. And you can't even dream about making any new ones because now you're looked at like some disease instead of a victim of a horrifying crime.
But it's okay,that's what you tell yourself. And that's the mantra that keeps flowing through your brain as you take bite after bite into your too cold food. You people watch from the wooden eating area—turning green with envy as you glance from after people enjoying each other's company.
That was once you, eating and laughing among your beloved closest companions. You don't wish to be bitter for others happiness but it's hard not to when you're actively being shunned by your whole town basically.
You glance down at your depressing looking tray of food and decide it doesn't even look edible to you anymore. You debate whether or not you should throw it away or just eat it. Simply because you haven't been eating much since the incident. You nimble on your lip and decide you shouldn't force yourself to eat food you don't even like.
You arise from your seat and wish you didn't because now all eyes are on you as if they weren't before. You sigh and walk all the way to trash trying to power through all the chatter and seething stares. They all look at you like some parasite slowly infecting them with your presence alone. 
Sure,you've been stared at before being that you're a bigger girl in a hick town but this is something different. Something crueler...and more hurtful. It's so hurtful that you're just probably going to skip all your lectures and run away into the comfort of your home.
However your mind sets that aside once you see two strangers sitting at your once empty table. Your brows raises as you walk confusedly back to the table to retrieve your book bag.
Once you come closer you're shocked to be met with eyes black as the night...eyes that are so eerily familiar. "Oh I'm sorry we didn't know anyone was sitting here!" His voice is calm and gentle,gentle to the point that you'd melt into the his arms right now because the longing for comfort roughly tugs at you. Pathetic,anyone would agree to that,however you're just so entirely vulnerable for any type of interaction and touch at the moment. Then you take a look at his face and you're shocked to see how handsome he is.
His long raven locks go past his broad shoulders that is covered with a loose breathable crew neck. Not only are his eyes pretty in color but the shape as well;his kind monolids gazing at you right now practically has you flustered. "It's alright..I was leaving anyhow." You mumble with a nervous smile. 
"Nooo! Stay! This table has so much room!" A chipper,more energetic voice adds in. Your attention is turned to the voice and this time you're even more shocked at how good looking this man is too. He has snow white hair that frames his pretty face along with eyes so blue they're almost hypnotizing. But again something in your belly finds those eyes too familiar almost like you've met the men before.
"Oh no you wouldn't wanna sit with me...people will start talking about you too." The black haired man smiles,"Let them talk," he extends his long arm on the back of the seat next to Gojo,"sit." Gojo moves from that seat to make sure you're the one in the middle of the two men. You shyly nod,"Thank you."
You sit down and feel a sudden presence of something....something intense between the three of you despite just making their acquaintance. "My name is Suguru Geto,"he points to the other man beside you,"This is Satoru Gojo." He smiles and waves,"What's your name cutie?" The white haired man peers at you as he awaits the answer to his question. "(Reader Full Name),nice to meet you guys." 
The both say it's nice to meet you also and you guys chatter about each others day,major etc. "Have you eaten yet?" Suguru asks. "Umm kinda,the food I got wasn't very good so I just threw it away."  Gojo say,"Oh no,eat with us! Me and Guru always eat good food so you'll like it for sure."
"No no it's okay! I wouldn't wanna have you guys pay for anything from the food bar." You used the word pay because all the good food you have to pay for instead of meal swipes. And because you're suddenly shunned from this town you're naturally unable to keep a job anymore,therefore making you broker than a joke. "I'll pay." Gojo says.
"It's o—" Gojo interrupts,his big hand managing to fully wrap around your plump upper arm,"I'll pay." He affirms. You just nod silently and watch as he walks up to the food bar to buy the items. Geto looks at you and smile,"So what's a pretty girl like you sitting all by herself for?"
You look down and feel your tummy doing backflips for two reasons;the compliment and the question. You're nervous to explain just why you're being ignored and you're nervous you'll mess up the chance of making new friends. However,you go for being honest and not lying,just to see if they'll actually be someone you'll want to have as companions.
"Well two months ago an incident happened at the lake with my friends. They were attacked by two monsters and I was the only one to make it out alive. But the weird thing is...I wasn't attacked at all...they just ignored me and only went for my friends. But after they were done they looked at me in this way—this way that was so,"you pause,trying to find your bearings,"haunting. Not like they wanted to eat me but something else entirely..." Your rub your pudgy fingers as you explain and Geto does something surprising.
He grips your hands to stop the constant movement. His smooth fingers rub soothing circles on your now healed skin. And it feels so good to be touched with affection, so good that you almost forgot to finish your story. "I went to the police as soon as it happened and I was told it was probably an animal attack but I know what I saw...I know wholeheartedly. And that's why I was sitting alone,everyone thinks I'm some crazy person making stuff up." Your bottom lip begins to tremble as you feel tears begin to pool in your eyes.
"And you probably think I'm crazy now too..." Your voice breaks and your brain is working overtime. How humiliating that you're breaking down to a total stranger in public too! God,why are you so pathetic? So vulnerable to the point you easily melt into the arms of an unknown person. Has your sense of self truly scrambled that far away from you? 
Geto extends his arm to wrap around your supple body,he's warm and smells like ocean breeze mixed with sandalwood. "I don't, I believe you." It's a whisper yet the impact is like a loud shout. "You do?" He gets closer,his soft pink lips muttering so close to the shell of your ear,"I do." You shiver involuntarily,your body unable to contain the way his coo affected you physically.
"Thank you." It's a mumble but still Geto acknowledges it with a soft squeeze on your body.
"I brought the food!" A happy voice interjects. Gojo sets down loads of plates of delectable looking food. And suddenly your tummy rumbles just looking at the many options of food.
Gojo hears it,"You hungry now?" You nod shyly and can't help but look down at the very good options. After weeks of eating too cold food and mess hall trash seeing the hot bar meals would make anyone hungry. White hair bobs as the tall man takes his seat next to you.
"Go on,eat." He smiles a toothy grin. His hand extends to your lips with a forkful of pasta that smells so good you literally inhale it. You instinctively open your mouth only to quickly close it. Because oh my God were you about to let this stranger feed you? Has hardly any human interaction made you so compliant?
Gojo pouts,"What's wrong?" You quickly try to reassure him,"It's nothing...but I can feed myself,y'know.." You almost forgot Geto is still holding you,the only cause for remembering is strictly based on the firm squeeze he gives your upper body. "Eat." He asks,more like demands.
Despite how demanding he sounded it was still gentle? Almost like a calming song in an odd way. You open your mouth and Gojo happily stuffs the fork in your mouth. You chew and melt into the flavors of the yummy dish but you can't fully enough it because the men you're sitting next to are quietly observing you.
Another bite is feed to you and another,then another until the pasta is all gone. Every single time you took a bite Geto and Gojo all watched in admiration. Geto,who still has you in a half embrace would caress the supple skin of your bare arms that are free from sleeves in your cotton cami. The texture of the pads of his fingers would rub you as you ate.
And Gojo would clean up your chubby face if he missed your mouth just a little bit. He'd use his thumb to wipe away the evidence of the mess with his oddly sharp and long tongue. His other hand also stayed close and near to the pudge that hangs low on your abdomen,practically cupping the fat that adorns the area.
And all while eating you didn't realize how intimate this interaction really is. Two men watching you as your spoon fed by one and both touching you so...personally;this is not a normal interaction between strangers. You know that,yet it feels too good to tell them to stop. You haven't been touched with affection in so long so why fight it when two handsome men are practically draped all over you?
"Would you like some dessert?" Geto asks. Gojo chimes in,"You should absolutely have some dessert. I got these cute cakes for you to try." You look down in embarrassment,"I don't know if I should...I just ate the pasta." Gojo quirks his brow up in confusion,"So? You can't have dessert too?"
You smile,"I guess I can." Gojo grins brightly,"Atta girl,open wide." Already with spoon in hand and a sweet treat in it, he moves it to your mouth. Of course you accept and chew happily on the sweet treat until a thought interrupts this indulgent interaction. Why haven't they eaten? You've been here,being fed and talked to by these for at least an hour or more,but they haven't eaten? Why come to the lunch hall then?
You quickly swallow the treat,"Aren't you guys hungry?" Geto answers,"Oh me and Gojo were earlier but watching you eat has satisfied our appetite." His response is followed with an enthusiastic nod by his blue eyed friend,"Mhm! You eat so cute it's hard not to get full."
You make a face full of doubt,"Umm,I dunno if you guys are trying to be overly nice to me but I don't believe that for one second." You push away Geto's hold on you and Gojo's slight grip on you to scoot away from the pair. Suddenly,you've fully realized that this whole thing is really weird even though you truly are enjoying the attention from the very good looking men.
But that enjoyment isn't enough to just ignore how fast and dangerous this all could possibly be. You don't know how you just dazed off and forgotten all about that. You stand up and urgently say,"Look,you guys have been really nice to me and I totally appreciate it but this is just all really weird for me so I'm just gonna—"
Geto stands up with such a quickness it's almost supernatural,"Shhh...you don't mean that sweet girl. Just come and sit with me and Saturo,yeah? We'll make all that confusion will go away,okay?" His words are so sweet,so soft and gentle;inviting to the point you almost relax back to the seat but you don't.
"No—can't. This is so personal and you guys don't even know me...plus everyone can see you behaving this way with me." You go to grab your bag but Gojo stops your exit this time. "C'mon cutie,it's okay. It's just me and Sugu,we wouldn't wanna do anything to hurt our lil pretty new friend. If it's the people watching...we can take you up to our dorm and continue this there."
Geto adds,"That's a good idea, all these people shouldn't be watching you anyways." You look at them in confusion and seriously debate if going back to their dorm is actually a good idea at all. "Don't treat your new friends like this;we're not gonna hurt you." Friends? Are they really calling themselves friends?
You bite your lip and glare down at your beat up sneakers,"I don't know.." Gojo pulls you close to him by gripping your soft hand,"It's okay,cutie. It's just me and Geto,we won't do anything."
You bite your lip,stumped with providing them with an answer,it's useless though because an arm links with yours and already starts ushering you along to exit the mess hall. "W-Wait!" You try to pull yourself away from the limb but it's like forged iron. Geto utters,"It's okay. Just come with us. It's just us."
You were panicked,worried,anxious to the point of feeling like throwing up. The feeling washes away as Geto soothes you with his words;odd considering the fact that he's not explicitly saying anything too calming. He's just talking,yet his syllables feel like warm chamomile tea that just eases your mind and heart.
It feels magical...too artificial of a feeling it's almost like being on a high. The feeling only increases when Gojo joins his friend in talking to you;literally and metaphorically syncing with him as he also links his arm with yours.
The longer they talk the more woozy you begin to feel. Your walls of distrust and logic melt away like rapid candle wax,so much so that you begin teeter into their touch.
Your mind is confused and vulnerable to the point you don't realize you're in front of their dorm room until Gojo pulls you into the room. They both free you of their hold and suddenly you feel more conscious.
"Why'd you take me here? I didn't even get a say.." Geto rubs the apparent flesh on the back of your arms,"It's alright...you'll enjoy being with us." Your brows scrunch and you want to spew something aggressive but his touch and his voice are just too...distracting.
"G-Geto.." you whimper. You don't know why you say his name,it's just the only thing your mouth will allow you to say. "Yes, tell me what do you want?" You snuggle closer into his touch,breathless and confused,"I don't know..." Gojo then walks closer to you,taking up the front portion of your body. His hands cling to your wide waist;digits dig into the dough like flesh.
"Would you like for us to give you an option?" The long haired man whispers in your ear,his lips practically pecking the shell of the cartilage. You're weak and feel all too needy. Needy for what is the real question though.
"Please,yes.." you lowly whimper. With that the two men place you onto a soft bouncy mattress,leaving you without the their touch for a few minutes but that doesn't last for long. Gojo already has his hands on your tummy,practically massaging the flesh with his hands. He leans forwards and starts suckling on the skin of your nape.
He starts thumbing the beginning of your loose fitting shorts,"I think these should come off." You gulp and grip onto him,"I-I haven't shaved just so you know." Gojo starts pulling down the waistband to the point he could see your bellybutton,"I didn't ask if you shaved,I said these should come off."  You gasp as you feel a new pair of hands on your thighs—pulling down the bottom half of the outfit.
Geto looks up at you from the position of him being on his knees;slotted perfectly in between your big thighs. "I agree with Saturo,everything should just come off you." Gojo starts pulling off the hem of your panties and once they're low enough Geto grabs the material and carefully slides them off your legs. He does something unusual,by bringing the damp material to his face and taking a deep inhale. He groans into the panties,eyes closed in bliss and a deep harbored groan flees his lips.
Gojo looks down in jealousy and whines for his other half to hand him the undies. You watch as Geto begrudgingly passes him the undergarment. Gojo brings them to his face and his bright blues eyes almost glow with light as he huffs in the smell of your pussy. "Mate smells so good. Fuck..."  You brows furrow in confusion,what did he mean by mate? It's such a primitive and almost animal like to refer to you as that. You don't have much time to think of it though as demand takes all your attention.
"Spread,so we can see that pretty pussy..." The ravenette orders you. You're about to do it but insecurity nags at you,the condition of your unshaven and wild looking pussy drains away at your confidence. What's the point of spreading anyway? The fat of your lips and hair will block the view of anything worth looking at.
"Spread." Gojo repeats. You shake your head no;embarrassment and now common sense are starting to grow back into your brain. Both of the men huff,annoyed with the fact they can't just view the pussy they can smell from miles away,even in water.
For two months since they last fed,they've been so stuck on finding this woman with an unearth like aroma. The being smelt of brown sugar and sweet honey. They've been so determined to find the owner of the scent they've enrolled in this stupid college and kept tabs on you for so long.
Now they have you,almost bare,snagged in their hypnotic touch,yet you won't even let them see what rightfully belongs to them? No. That just won't do.
"Gojo,bring the mirror over here." Immediately the man sitting next to you stands up and retrieves a long floor length mirror to right in front of the bed. You observe yourself in the mirror,tired eyes that look bothered, your flustered face and your slightly messy hair,all the way to your bare lower body.
Why bring the mirror though? Your question is answered when Geto suddenly arises from the floor,taking the space the former was sitting on the bed. His strong hand grips the fatty flesh of your thigh,placing it on his lap. Gojo,now sitting on the opposite side does the same action. You fluster,"What're you doing?" Gojo hums with a happy expression,"Spreading."
They both extend your legs further til your pussy is completely exposed to them in the view of the mirror. "Perfect." Geto says lowly into the cusp of your neck and shoulder. "So pretty,I just wanna lick it." You tensed at the admiration for such a private area,a private area that four pair of eyes are constantly eyeing hungrily.
"So many things we could make you do..." The white haired man suggests. "Mhm,but right now I wanna see her play with it." Geto answers. "P-Play with it?" You try to close your legs back but their grips are too strong on your legs. You couldn't do that—not in front of them. It's embarrassing;being open and exposing yourself raw like that.
Gojo whines,"You're so mean. Trying to close what's rightfully ours. Just play with it...you wanna make yourself feel good,right?" His words and his touch feel like the law,like you have to obey. He didn't say anything overly convincing,yet your body can't help but comply.
Your pudgy digits reach down in between the plump lips—traveling way down to the pulsing hole. The fingers circle the entrance,barely touching the wet flesh. You huff at the light touch,already feeling needy. "It's alright,you can put one in." Geto urges.
You gaze into the mirror,observing the sight of your finger so easily sliding into the welcoming hole. A gasp flees your lips as the appendage starts moving in and out of you. "There you go...keep going."
You obey,moving the lone finger faster and harder than the first few movements. "Fuckkkk,that looks so good. Mate looks so good playing with her pussy." Gojo howls out. Playing with your pussy is not the only view you're able to see in mirror. Gojo and Geto's are in the displaying glass as well;their hard cocks out in the open as they go up and down at the same pace as you.
You bite your lip,immensely turned on by the view of the two men bringing themselves sweet undeniable pleasure. Their hands wander up and down your legs,holding tight the excess flesh you have on the limbs. Geto groans,"Your legs are so pretty,just like the rest of you. So plump and soft. Perfect for giving you so many pups." You moan at his words,adding another digit for the adding bliss.
Blue eyes close in joy,"Oh? You like that? Wanna get pregnant with me and Sugu's babies? Wanna be full of pups?" His hips stutter up into his o shaped hand,"F-Fuck,say yes! Tell us how badly you want that." A whine falls from your babbling mouth,"Want! Need it so bad." Geto groans as he reaches over you to bite into the soft skin of your neck;sinking his teeth in so deep you can feel the light liquid of blood dribble down. Your back arches at the strange sensation that hurts,yet feels oddly so good.
Gojo also goes for a bite,lower though,he finds the spot of your plump shoulder to be perfect. "Mm,you're gonna take it so well when me and Gojo fuck you." The ravenette mumbles into your flesh. His hand travels down to the pouch of your fat that rest slightly above your uterus,he gives it a harsh grasp;fingers digging into the moldable skin. "Perfect,so perfect for giving babies."
Your digits curl into the wet cavern and your body almost folds itself just trying to reach that special spot that resides so deeply in you. You whimper in frustration,your average sized fingers not being just enough to reach that oh so very special spot.
Gojo laughs,"Can't reach? It's okay cutie,me and Sugu will be touching you there all the damn time. Just continue making yourself feel good,yeah? Want you to cum all over your little fingers so I can lick it off." With that bit of encouragement,you thrust deeper;curling the digits so far they're like hooks going into your sloppy cunt.
"Mmmm,look at your cute face. Making such adorable faces in the mirror for us.." Geto hums in your neck,lapping up with rouge from his bite with his slender tongue. Gojo grips your chubby face in his palm,"Right,look at those pudgy cheeks,just wanna bite em." He releases his hold and goes for a gentle nibble on the fat,almost suckling on it like a baby.
With a loud moan,your hand darts out to get a hold on Geto's hair;an action he revels in,loving the harsh pull on the silky strands. "Feels so good." You stammer. "Yeah? That feels good?" Geto purrs. You nod furiously,too caught up in your own pleasure to chatter anymore.
Geto and Gojo experience the same feeling—their eyes are shut in pure anticipation,their pretty swollen tips throbbing to let out the milky substance. You moan louder at the reflection in the mirror;the glass showing you the two men who are so close to falling off the brink of pleasure. The men who just look so desperate to spill all over your spread form.
Faster,harder,deeper is all the thought your mind allows you to even think. Your fingers are working overtime,trying to get over that brink of sweet ecstasy. With one hard thrust,your essence splays all over the mirror,distorting the clear reflection of the glass.
Geto cums soon after,then Gojo. As they do,they make it obvious the cum is all over your body. It mostly splatters on your thighs and your tummy.
You breathe heavily and look at them in astonishment,"Oh my God..."
You couldn't believe it,couldn't believe cumming in front of people you just met,couldn't believe letting them cum all over you,couldn't believe hearing them call you mate and say things like mate—isn't that really weird? You sit up away from the duo and look at them suspiciously. And again you feel more conscious without their touch on you.  More like you can clearly think and think logically.
"Why'd you wanna do this with me?" It's accusing,the question,it practically spews suspicion if it wasn't obvious enough. Geto reaches to touch your thigh,but you move away. "Don't touch me. I dunno what's going on with you two...but it's weird."
Gojo chuckles,"Aww,cutie are you feeling nervous? It's okay—" You cut him off with a desperate shout,"Answer my question! Please! Why?"
They look at each other for a few long seconds,thinking about what to say. You know they’re probably thinking about some elaborate lie that won’t even begin to fool you. How could you be so stupid? So easily wooed to do something so very intimate with these strangers? God,could you be anymore stupid?
They don’t give you any answers—no,the much bigger men tackle you onto the bed. Their hands grab all and any appendage that could fight back.
There it is again…that strange drossy feeling. It returns with a revenge time,it no longer feels like a light enjoyable feeling. Now it’s overtaking all your senses,stealing away your conscious mind.
“Sleep. You want to sleep. Sleep. You want to sleep.” Both of the voices chant to you,repeating the phrase over and over again. No! You don’t want to sleep,yet the more the repeat,the more they tell you what you want,the more your eyes begin to sag and you no longer see anything more.
Black.
▂▂▂▂▂
“No,Su’ you’re not covering her enough!” The annoyed voice of blue eyed man shouts. Geto huffs,”That’s all we have left in us. We could rub it in to scent her further. Calm down.”
Lips pout out in a childlike manner,”I’m just sayin so we can be careful. So many will probably want out mate,she’s so perfect for pups after all.” A chuckle follows,”You’re so possessive sometimes. No one will want her since we’ve marked her.”
“Oh,I’m possessive? You’re the one who said we should eat everyone just because that little guy friend of her touched her while making an escape. I—“Gojo points to his chest proudly,”just wanted to eat two or three but you got all murdery after he touched her.”
Geto rolls his black irises so far they disappear into the white of his socket,”Whatever. You would’ve ate them all anyways because you’re so damn jealous of others having her attention.” Gojo gasps,offending greatly,”Am not! I don’t get jealous like you!”
Geto laughs amused,knowing exactly how his life long friend works,”Alright,you win.” The white haired man hums triumphantly. Physically saying,”I know that’s right!”
“But are you sure we shouldn’t cum a little more on her?” Gojo cranes his head to look next to him,”No,we have to save some when we cum in her so we fertilize the eggs.” He nods,accepting the answer.
▂▂▂▂▂
When you wake up you’re greeted with the sight of loitering heads hanging above you.
You attempt to yelp only to have a hand roughly clap against your mouth. “Shhh,the yell will only echo in the cave.” A high voice says. Cave? Last time you checked you weren’t in a cave;the last location being a college dorm rooms.
The now known voice of Gojo exclaims,”I’m so happy you’re up though! Me and Geto were getting worried that we’d have to give you pups while you were asleep. Which is no fun cause we can’t hear your pretty little moans like that.” You cringe at his explanation—the thought of being used unconsciously giving you the creeps.
You get more creeped out though,the view of your surroundings not seeming so promising. There’s visible peeled human flesh in the cave,scattered around the stone. And the smell of old iron and rotten flesh takes over your nostrils. Oh God…you fingerfucked yourself in front of a bunch of monsters. And they probably want to eat you next too,just like your friends! Once they’re tired of you, you’re definitely on the menu.
Tears start streaming down your chubby face and your body begins to shake. “Just eat me already! Please don’t play with me and just eat me!” Your pathetic cries are met with laughter. This pauses your sobbing because why are they laughing at you?
“Oh my God! You’re so cute! Eat you? Noo!” Gojo folds over clutching his bare abdomen. Geto joins the laughter,”You’re so silly,we don’t want to eat you! You’re our mate! Imagine that,Gojo? Eating all our future pups like that!” Mate? Pups? These words sound familiar,like the ones they were saying the last time…intimacy happened.
Now that you look them in their true form you see why they chose the verbiage. They have scales matching their hair colors coating all four of their limbs,paired with gills on the neck’s and sides. As they laugh they also show their three rows of flesh piercing teeth. They were definitely some kind of animal like creature. But what?
“So you’re not gonna eat me?” You ask tentatively. Geto nods,”No,we want to make you our mate. That’s why we went through all that trouble of getting you.” Gojo urges in agreement,”Mhm! We just wanna fill you with pups and live with ya forever. And actually,”he lowers his hand down to his bare crotch gripping his already hard cock,”We’ve been meaning to do it soon as we brought you here. But you’re such a sleepyhead we had to wait til you woke up.”
You watch as he gives it a good stroke,looking you up and down as does so. And that’s when you realize you’re completely bare too;with some white milky substance coating your whole body. Another voice joins in,”Mhm,we’ve been dying to get inside you. And I don’t intend on waiting any longer.”
“W-Wait!” You try to protest but it’s no avail,Gojo is already on top of your naked body. Grips and gropes are felt all over from the monster,your chest,your plentiful body,your wide supple hips that sting as his hold won’t get any looser. He licks and bites every fiber in skin in front of him,everything being marked by his rough movements.
Geto comes in front of your laying position,stroking up and down as he watches his companion go feral with his urges. “Warm her up,Satoru. Make her feel good first.” He doesn’t respond verbally,his actions speaking loud enough for him;his mouth moves to suckle on the hard bud on top your breast aching for some type of stimulation.
You moan at the sensation only to be silenced by a passionate kiss from the long haired man. His tongue intertwines with yours creating a languid dance with the pink muscles. Gojo pops off your breast,sounding breathless and needy.
“I don’t wanna wait no more..Wanna be inside.” He whines,already lining up his cock with your soaked entrance. Geto sighs,”Maybe I should fuck her first…I’m more patient.” It’s a loud protest,”NO! Me! Please I want to first.”
You interrupt,swollen mouth readily to spew exactly what you want at this moment,”Just do it. Fuck me.” You don’t know what came over you to say that. Maybe it was their hypnotizing touch? They’re intimidatingly now known power over you? Or perhaps after months of being so harshly ignored you just needed this. Needed to be molded and groomed just to be something again…Whatever it is leads to the man on top of you finally giving into his desires.
With a shaky groan he impales you with his cock. He doesn’t halt nor wait for you to adjust—his urges of breeding being too strong. As he bucks into you he reshapes your legs to his satisfaction,bending them all the way against the fat of your stomach;indulging in the way the soft flesh jiggles with each rough piston of his hips.
“Good! Feel so good!” He howls into the echoing cave. “Look at you,taking it like such a good mate.” Geto purrs,rubbing his now scale textured palm on your soft face. “You see all the faces she makes when you’re fucking her,Saturo?”
“Y-Yeah! So cute!” He thrusts harder into your welcoming cunt,contorting himself to almost nuzzle your face every time he goes in and out of you. You whine and grip onto him,feeling an orgasm coming soon. You face twists into one of awaiting pleasure;the orgasm just teetering away from you.
“She’s about to cum! Go faster!” Geto encourages. Gojo,obliges,each of his harsh thrust definitely leaving bruising marks on the back of thighs and asscheeks.
Every movement is like a symphony—coordinating your final path to pleasure. The instruments? The clapping noises of Gojo prodding your hole roughly and passionately. The applause? The sweet noises you’d let fly past your tongue. And finally with one last shove into you,the orchestrater of your orgasm allowed you to sing his high praises.
You see white,yet Gojo doesn’t stop his hips—No he goes faster until he oozes into you hot white sticky semen. He stiffens for a second then reels back into the cavern,to the point his tip kisses your cervix. He stays in you until an odd sensation travels through your walls.
Orbs or something resembling a sphere fight against the strict wall of your womb. It starts with one,then the second,the the third,and the fourth is when you start to feel the invasion of whatever is being deposited in you.
“W-What’s going on?” Geto leans down and kisses your plump cheek,”Gojo’s giving you his pups. Don’t worry it’ll only hurt when they try to get into your womb,but you’re such a good mate you’ll take all of them.”
“A-All of them?” The reparation doesn’t help with understanding the idea. “All of them! And then you’re gonna take Sugu’s too! Isn’t that great?” Gojo joyfully informs you.
Your brain and body hurts so you simply just nod,pretending like you know what they mean. You’re tired. So tired that you lean into Geto’s gentle cupping of your face,closing your eyes;letting the two beings do whatever they want at this point.
Allowing yourself to be totally and wholly consumed by them.
REBLOGS AND COMMENTS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED 🫶🏽🫶🏽 tysm for reading
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appocalipse · 8 months
Text
MAKE IT EASY : ̗̀➛ STEVE HARRINGTON
・❥・part 1・part 2 ❥・3.8k words
Summary: steve asks you to pretend to be his girlfriend for a family dinner. the problem is: after all is said and done, he gives you the cold shoulder. have you done something wrong?
requested by my beloved @stevebabey 🥺
a/n: this was supposed to be a drabble, and now, oh well...I had to split it into two parts. here we go.
・❥・
It was the epitome of a terrible idea.
And it had started that day. 
The very moment Steve walked into the diner your family owned, you knew something was wrong. Not that it was uncommon for Steve to visit you at work — not at all. In fact, it was almost a weekly occurrence, the highlight of it, in fact, for you; the odd part was that Steve never showed up alone, without at least a few of the kids. On that Wednesday night, he was not only alone but also strangely nervous.
You rarely saw Steve get nervous. His confidence was as much a part of him as his signature perfect hair. But tonight, his hands fidgeted with the edge of his jacket, eyes darting around the diner as if searching for an escape route. He looked like he was trying to convince himself to leave.
Weird.
"Steve," you greeted him with a warm smile, hoping to ease his obvious tension a little bit as he approached the counter. "You look like you've seen a Demogorgon."
It was supposed to be a joke. You only felt comfortable saying that now because — luckily — things had been quiet at Hawkins. It had been a long time since you and your friends had to deal with one. But something about Steve's demeanor really made you wonder if there was more to this visit than just a friendly catch-up.
He tried for a convincing chuckle, but it came out tinged with a hint of sadness instead. "I wish," he said, and then quickly shook his head, "Actually no, of course not. I kinda…There's something I wanted to-"
You furrowed your brows, concern knitting your features together. At this point, Steve's tension seemed to be rubbing off on you.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine, just…can we talk?"
"Of course."
He glanced around the diner, gaze briefly flitting over the empty tables and the neon glow of the jukebox. "Not here," he murmured, voice barely audible above the din of conversation and clinking dishes. It was a busy night, despite being Wednesday. "Can you, like, take a break?"
For Steve, of course you could.
Curiosity mingled with concern, and you followed his lead, stepping out into the cool night air. The streets were bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, casting elongated shadows that danced upon the pavement. You leaned against the side of the building, your eyes fixed on Steve, awaiting an explanation for his beyond unusual behavior.
He raked his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit that seemed magnified in this moment. "Look," he began, his voice tinged with a vulnerability you hadn't heard before, "I need a favor- a big one."
Oh, Jesus. "Steve," you placed a hand over your chest, breathing a sigh of relief. "For a moment there I thought you were going to say something terrible. A favor? C'mon, sure. What do you want me to do?"
Steve's eyes met yours, his gaze earnest and…vulnerable?
"I... I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend... Just for one night!" he quickly added, like he was afraid you might misinterpret his request, say no even before he could finish… but no, of course you wouldn't. Far from it. 
Who wouldn't want to date Steve Harrington?
"But why would you-"
"My parents," Steve interjected, tone deeply tinged with unease, "they're in town."
"Oh." Steve rarely ever spoke about his parents, and their mere presence seemed to have stirred a sense of apprehension within him. "Are they still... difficult?" 
You knew you were touching scars, deep scars. You made sure to be gentle.
Steve sighed, gaze fixed on the ground. 
"Yeah, you could say that," a hint of frustration colored his voice, as if he were carrying on his shoulders the weight of every little judgemental glare they had ever sent his way. "Nothing I do is ever enough for them. They've always been focused on money and success. To them, that's the measure of worth. And because I don't fit their mold of the perfect, ambitious son, they treat me like…well, you know how they treat me."
Indeed, you knew.
Steve looked like he didn't know you were unable to say no to him.
And that's how you put yourself into one hell of a mess.
+
It's Saturday night and you're standing in front of the mirror, desperately trying to zip up your stupid dress. Why anyone would put a zipper in the back of a dress, in the most difficult possible place for a person to reach on their own, is something you are unable to fathom.
But then again, maybe you're the stupid one in this story, you think bitterly, since it was you who chose the dress with the zipper in the back in the first place.   
Why are you trying so hard, though?
"I'm not," you tell yourself out loud, stubbornly.
There is a big pile of discarded clothes on your bed that says otherwise.  
With a feeling akin to fear bubbling in your stomach, you glance at the clock. It's almost seven. For fuck's sake. 
You're late. 
Steve will arrive soon, and you are apparently unable to close the damn zipper of your own dress, no matter in which awkward positions you try twisting yourself into…you just can't reach it.
The doorbell rings.
The world is truly a dark place, isn't it?      
You freeze. It can only be Steve. Shit, shit, shit! For a moment, you consider the idea of simply not opening the door, turning off the lights and pretending you never agreed to take part in this madness that is dining with the Harringtons.
HA! As if you'd really be able to turn your back on Steve. 
You take a deep breath, accepting the battle you just lost, and decide that your only and best option is to simply open the door and ask Steve for help — mortified or not. With no choice but to leave the dress with the zipper still open and your back somewhat exposed, you quickly walk to the door to open it.
"Sorry, I'm late," you say, a little out of breath. "I had a little problem with the dress and I... flowers?"   
Flowers, for sure. Steve holds a beautiful bouquet of red roses. He looks at you for a moment, then his eyes run over the partly open dress and your exposed skin for a couple of seconds too long to be accidental. You swallow thickly.
"Yeah I..." he shakes his head, a little uncomfortable standing there, and then his eyes meet yours. "The flowers are for you. Do you want me to...?" he mimics the motion of closing a zipper.
You feel your cheeks burn with embarrassment, but there is no choice but to accept. You look at him, a mix of gratitude and nervousness in your eyes.  
"Yeah, that would be great," you reply, stumbling over the words. 
If he notices, he doesn't say anything.  
Steve comes closer and hands you the bouquet, your fingers briefly touching his. You catch a whiff of his cologne — citrusy fruit and wood notes — as you turn around, brushing your hair away from your neck.    
For a moment, Steve does nothing, and you wonder if he is just figuring out the best way to close the zipper…or something else entirely. 
His touch ghosts down your bare back before his hand finally, finally finds the zipper. Slowly, he pulls it up, inch by inch, and you hold your breath for a moment, lost in a feeling your best friend is definitely not supposed to evoke in you. You feel the dress tighten, fabric adjusting to your body, his fingers inevitably brushing your skin and sending unexpected tingles up your spine. You try to ignore the trail of electricity left by the tip of his fingers as you turn to face him, eyes finding his.
"There you go", he murmurs, taking his hands off you and taking a small step back. "You look very... girlfriend."  
You laugh.   
"Thank you", you say softly, your heart beating faster. "You also look very boyfriend."
A small smile plays on Steve's lips, a flush creeping up his cheeks. Or maybe it's just the cold night breeze coming through the open door...   
Steve's gaze drifts to your lips and lingers there for way too long to be accidental. He is so close that he starts crushing the bouquet between the two of you…
Something clicks inside of you. Common sense, perhaps.
"Thank you... for the flowers."
The spell breaks; he moves away so fast that you almost drop the flowers on the floor.   
"Yeah, uh, no problem," he says quickly, regaining his composure. "Ready to go?"
Disappointment stabs at you, but you try to hide it. Maybe you imagined too much, read signs where there were none.  
"Sure. I'll just put the flowers in a vase."
It's an excuse to catch your breath. You walk to the kitchen, put water in the first clean container you find and put the flowers in it. Deep breaths, deep breaths.
Your heart is racing and yet nothing has happened. It's just dinner, you tell yourself, I've had dinner with Steve and the others before. It's just dinner.   
So why did you try so hard to look beautiful? insists the other voice in your mind. You decide it's best not to answer.
"You okay?"  
Steve is at the kitchen door, all concern and soft brown eyes.  You must have taken too long.
"Yes, I'm fine," you reply, forcing a smile to calm your own anxiety. "I was just taking care of the flowers. Ready to go?"
Steve nods. A gentleman, he opens the car door for you to get in. It's a short drive to the Harrington house, and you take the opportunity to try to calm your nerves. Looking out the window, you watch the city lights blinking as you approach your destination.
You look at him. You have the impression that Steve is driving slightly slower than necessary.
"Can I ask you something?" you say, unsure.
Steve briefly glances at you before returning his attention to the road, looking so stiff you're under the impression he might break his back at any moment.
"Sure, what's up?"
"Why did you ask me to pretend to be your girlfriend? I mean, I understand the part about your parents…but why didn't you bring someone you're actually dating or something?"
There's a brief moment of silence before Steve responds, his voice a bit softer.
"Actually, I'm not really dating anyone at the moment," he admits. "And when my parents mentioned the dinner, I kind of panicked. I didn't want to show up alone and face more questions about my life, you know?"
"I know," you respond, understandingly. "And why did you choose me specifically?"
He looks away for a moment before answering.
"Because you're perfect," he says, finally looking back at you. Then quickly, as if he only just realized the words slipped out on their own, he adds, nervously staring back at the road, "I mean, my parents, they... you're perfect for them. They're going to love you."
You feel a mix of surprise, satisfaction, and confusion with Steve's response. You try not to read any deeper meaning behind the words, telling yourself not to notice how he quickly tries to disguise them.
"I see," you reply, although you don't really understand anything. Steve seems to say one thing when he means another. "Well, I hope I can do well. I mean, I'm not very convincing when I lie."
Steve smiles briefly and nods.
"I'm sure you'll be great. Just... be yourself."
You appreciate Steve's vote of confidence and focus on staying calm as the car approaches the Harringtons' house. Although there's still a lingering questioning in your mind about Steve's earlier response, you decide to set it aside for now and focus on the immediate task.
Steve parks the car, and you both step out together. Nervousness returns as you approach the front door. You exchange a quick glance with Steve, seeking mutual encouragement.
As you walk toward the house's entrance, Steve's hand finds yours. He gently squeezes it, and you're not sure if he's trying to convey or seek comfort himself. You don't mind anyway.
The door opens, revealing Steve's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harrington. As you prepare to enter their house, they cast evaluative glances your way, as you had expected. Mrs. Harrington's smile seems a bit forced, while Mr. Harrington maintains a serious expression you can't even begin to try to read.
It's not like you expected anything different.
"Mom," says Steve in lieu of a greeting. "Dad."
"Steve, you finally made it," says Mrs. Harrington, her tone somehow a mix of relief and disapproval. "And this must be your... girlfriend."
Steve maintains his composure as he introduces you, although you can sense a slight tension in his shoulders. It's only when he says your last name that Steve's parents' gazes turn into something completely different, almost a scientific interest.
Hawkins is a small place. Your parents' business is respected enough in town.
All eyes turn to you, and you try not to show the insecurity you feel inside. Mr. Harrington studies you for a moment, his penetrating gaze seeming to assess your suitability for his son.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Mr. Harrington," he finally says, extending an unusually large hand for a formal greeting.
You shake his hand firmly, trying to convey a confidence you're not quite sure you feel. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Harrington. Thank you for the invitation."
Mrs. Harrington still seems a bit unsettled but composes herself as she invites you inside. You're making your way toward the dining room when you feel Steve's hand intertwine with yours again, and when your gaze meets his, he's smiling.
Thank you, he mouths.
You smile back.
During dinner, you make an effort to be as pleasant and interesting as you can possibly be in the eyes of Steve's parents, responding politely and trying to find points of common interest. In turn, Steve makes an effort to showcase his worth, defending his accomplishments, however small and sharing his plans for the future, painting an image of maturity that, you can tell by the look in his parents' eyes, they were not expecting.
Throughout the evening, you realize that although Steve's parents are demanding and neglectful in many aspects, they also seem to have their own insecurities and concerns. They want the best for Steve, even if their way of expressing it is at least…unusual.
As the night progresses, you find yourself navigating this strange family dynamic better and better, to the point where Steve's parents' attention is fully on you, and it doesn't even feel that uncomfortable anymore. You even laugh at one point.
By the end of the dinner, as you two prepare to leave, you notice a very similar expression of relief on the faces of Steve's parents. They seem to have found some kind of approval in the way you both behaved together during the evening.
As you say goodbye, Mr. Harrington extends his hand again, but this time, his handshake is warmer, less formal, and Mrs. Harrington's smile almost seems genuine. Almost.
"It was a pleasure having you here," she says. "You should bring her more often, Steve."
You and Steve exchange a look of surprise. Had you somehow managed to create a connection with his parents?
As you walk away from the Harringtons' house, Steve's hand finds yours for the third time that night, and an optimistic part of you registers the fact that there's no one else here to see. He gently squeezes it, his brown eyes filled with gratitude when they meet yours.
"You were amazing," he says, genuinely smiling.
In the car, during the ride back, you both talk animatedly about the night and his parents' reactions. The tension from dinner seems to have diminished, leaving you both more relaxed and confident.
When you arrive in front of your house, Steve turns off the car and gets out to accompany you to the front door, even after you— out of politeness, mind you — said it's really not necessary. 
"You know, I didn't expect everything to go so well tonight," says Steve, with a playful smile. "I can't believe I'm saying this about a dinner with my parents, but thanks to you, it was even fun."
You laugh. "I kinda had fun too. I think we did better than we thought possible."
"You're amazing," he says again, and this time his voice carries a softer, more intimate tone. His eyes meet yours, shining, and you see admiration there…maybe, you dare to think, something even deeper.
The silence grows tense. Your heart races. There's something special happening between you, you know there is; this goes beyond mere friendship or pretending to be a couple for one night…doesn't it?
Are you imagining this?
"Steve..."
You can't finish before he's leaning in slowly, and you're almost certain his eyes are fixed on your lips. For a feverish moment, you think Steve is going to kiss you.
He tilts his head last second. You feel the softness of his lips brushing against your cheek a moment later, a light and brief kiss, mouth almost uncertain against your warm skin….and then it's over.
Steve pulls back slowly. 
"Goodnight," he says, eyes soft, smile softer. "Thank you…for today."
"You're welcome."
It's only when you enter the house that the dress dilemma comes to mind. 
Well…shit.
The zipper at the back is still unreachable for you, and you can't undo it yourself unless you use scissors — which, considering the price you paid for it, you really don't want to do.
With few options and too much embarrassment, you decide to call Steve back while you still can.
"Steve?" you practically shout, your embarrassment immediately doubling. He's about to open the door of his trusted BMW when he turns to you, confused and unfairly handsome under the street light.
Suddenly using the scissors on the dress doesn't seem like such a bad idea anymore.
Well, too late.
"Could you, you know... " you ask, gesturing to the back of your dress, "help me with the zipper?"
His initial surprise quickly gives way to a nervous smile.
"Sure. What kind of fake boyfriend would I be if I didn't help?"
"I'm sure that's one of the many job duties."
"Definitely. And I strive to be a top-notch fake boyfriend."
He steps in. With the door closed behind the two of you, the atmosphere takes on a sense of intimacy and anticipation.
"I really can't reach the zipper," you feel the need to explain, even more flustered by his silence.
"No problem," Steve says with that gentle tone that makes your heart do funny things inside your chest. "Turn around."
You turn so that he can reach the dress' zipper, and now you're facing the large oval mirror in the hallway, with Steve standing right behind you.
He reaches out gently, his fingers lightly brushing the back of your dress.
Breathe in. 
The temperature around you seems to rise a few degrees.
Breath out. 
You feel the gentle pressure of his fingers as he starts to slide the zipper down. He touches your skin and you tell yourself that this is inevitable, that he didn't mean to…but he lingers. Lingers just enough for you to tense up and let out a breathless sigh you certainly didn't intend to.
"Are you okay?" Steve asks, his voice soft, filled with concern. You know he's looking at you through the mirror and that's precisely why you keep your gaze on the floor. "Are my fingers cold?"
"No, your fingers..." your voice sounds hoarse. You clear your throat. "...it's fine, I'm okay."
I'm great. I'm more than okay. Nothing out of the ordinary happening here.
However, when the zipper seems to momentarily get stuck — because of course  it had to — the two of you exchange equally panicked looks through the mirror, though perhaps for different reasons. An uncomfortable silence fills the air as Steve tries to fix the issue.
"I'm... it's just... sorry, it seems to be stuck."
There's a moment of awkward silence as he tries to figure out a way to open the zipper. You can feel the tension in the air as he struggles to handle the situation.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" you joke, desperately trying to ease the tension.
Steve lets out a low laugh, his warm breath gently caressing your neck.
"Absolutely," he replies, his voice slightly husky. Then, probably without so much as noticing, he adds, "I've taken off many dresses before."
Oh.
"Steve-"
Steve doesn't give up. With skilled fingers, he adjusts the position of the zipper and makes another attempt. It moves.
"We're almost there," he murmurs softly, his voice close to your ear.
Finally, with a smooth motion, the zipper gives way, sliding all the way down. A sigh of relief escapes your lips, and you turn around to face Steve, finding his eyes filled with excitement.
"I did it!"
His enthusiastic smile soon gives way to something else as he realizes how close — and technically partly undressed — you are.
And close you are, so very close. Close enough that you and Steve are somehow breathing the same air now.
Close enough, you realize, that a slight tilt of the head and...you'd be kissing.
Kissing.
Did he notice that too?
You hold your dress up over your chest to make sure it doesn't fall because, well…no matter how distracted you are, it's not enough that you'd risk a wardrobe malfunction that'll leave you standing there naked in front of Steve Harrington.
"...thanks," you manage a whisper, lips a hair's breadth away from his. You do know that Steve has no reason not to go now that dinner is over and everything went (surprisingly) well, but a part of you wonders if maybe…
Steve's hands hover around your waist as if unsure of what to do next. 
So close...
You hold still.
In that breathless silence, you're under the impression that Steve leans closer, even if just the slightest bit, maybe without even noticing. 
"Steve…" you slowly tilt your head to the side.
Steve's heart is pounding in his chest as he feels the warmth of your breath against his lips. Stop, he thinks. His eyes flutter closed, and Steve can't help but lean in just a little bit more. 
He raises his arm as if to touch you, wanting to touch you, to hold your face, to bring you closer…but he stops with one of his hands hovering near your cheek.
He pulls away with a gasp, his hands flying up to his face in shock. "I should-" he stammers. "I need to go."
Bam.
Door closed.
And just like that, he's out of the house before you can even open your eyes properly.
He just…pulled away. 
What the hell was that?
3K notes · View notes
aniesvision · 19 days
Text
𝑾𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕?
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𐂃 𝚋𝚏𝚏! 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝 𝚡 𝚏! 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛
𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 ☘︎, 𝒔𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒇𝒇!𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕, 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒎𝒖𝒕, 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕?
𝚊/𝚗: 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐 𝒊 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒅𝒌 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒚𝒆. 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 ☕︎
𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒎... 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒅.
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-Please tell me you didn't eat the chocolate bar that was on my desk.
I look at Matt, searching for the bar everywhere. He shrugs, keeping his attention on his phone.
-Matt, I'm serious. -I speak again, taking quick steps to the side of the bed he was sitting on.
He giggles, putting his phone down and raising his arms in defense.
-Wow, calm down. I can buy you another one later, geez.
I rub my temples with my fingers, trying to find a way to tell him, but deciding to just say it without waiting too much.
-That was a fucking edible, Matt. You basically ate a whole bar of weed chocolate.
I look at him, not even knowing how to react. His eyes widen and jaw drop in shock.
-WHAT?
I sigh, making a beeline to sit next to him on the other side of the bed.
-I mean, it did taste awkward, so I didn't eat the whole thing, but why the fuck would you let this on top of your fucking desk?
I furrow my eyebrows at him, finding the rest of the bar next to him. I roll my eyes, grabbing it and taking a bite.
-You're the wrong one here, you're in my place eating my food without asking first, dude.
I also shrug, turning on the tv to try and find something interesting to watch. Maybe with a show passing on the tv he wouldn't freak out so much whenever it hits him.
-We always eat each other's food, that's not my fault.
He huffs, rubbing his face in annoyance.
-Just chill, alright? You're gonna be fine.
I say, eating the rest of the bar and throwing the plastic on my nightstand. I get us a blanket and sit down on my spot again, noticing his nervousness and gently grabbing one of his hands.
-You might even like it, who knows, but for now let's just breathe. I'm right here with you, there's no need to panic.
He nods, looking at me and trying to stabilize his breathing. I give him a smile, squeezing his hand in reassurance. I know he never used anything, so it might hit him hard, and I also know he's extremely nervous right now, so I decided to put on his favorite show. Gravity Falls starts to play and I immediately feel him relaxing a little.
It doesn't take long for the effects to show up. It starts slowly, with us laughing a little bit more. I was used to it, so I knew exactly when it started to hit me, and by the way his eyes were red and he was babbling nonsense I could tell he was feeling it too.
We were debating theories, nothing was making sense, although it was so clear to both of us that we were going somewhere with our words and explanations.
-But, like, hear me out. -Matt starts to say, making me laugh.
-I’m hearing you out. -I reply, for some reason making both of us burst out laughing.
-Where did you buy this blanket? -He asks out of nowhere and I look down to the blanket.
-I have no idea. -I say.
-We should buy more. -He picks up his phone.
I shake my head, taking the phone out of his hand and setting it next to mine on the nightstand.
-Rule number one: do not use your phone. -I giggle and he looks at me with disappointment.
-This seems a little toxic. -He shrugs.
-I’m saving your ass, you’ll thank me later. -I turn my attention back to the tv, not able to stop smiling.
-My ass does not need saving. -He lies down, chuckling.
-Oh, man, I love ass. -I say, without even thinking, tilting my head to the side with a confused expression. -No, I don’t, that was a lie.
Matt laughs, covering his eyes and rubbing them a bit.
-I do.
I roll my eyes, lying down next to him and turning sideways to face him.
-Ass or tits? -I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
He hums, thinking about my question and looking at the ceiling, letting his hands fall to his chest, tapping it lightly.
-Tits are nice. -He drags the words a bit, making me laugh. -You know what’s not fair, though?
-What? -I ask, resting my head on my palm.
-You have both of them. -He turns his head to look at me.
-Well, you kind of have both of them too, everyone does. -I joke, making him roll his eyes.
-Yeah, but no one looks as good as you. -He shrugs, turning sideways to face me as well.
I narrow my eyes at him with a smirk, pointing my finger at him with a know-it-all tone to my voice.
-You're flirting with me.
He chuckles, shaking his head a bit.
-It's not like I've never flirted with you before. -He reaches the remote to change the show and put on some music instead.
-That's true. -I say, shrugging.
Softcore by The Neighborhood starts playing and I smile, immediately enjoying the beat. Me and Matt stay silent as the music plays, a reminder that even high we were comfortable with just our presence. I close my eyes, bobbing my head mindlessly to the song, when once again the lack of words between us is replaced by Matt's question.
-You know what would be funny? -He asks, his voice slightly muffled since he was burying his face onto the pillow and his tone sounding like a little boy excited to talk about his interests.
-What? -I ask back, turning my head to look at him, slightly suspicious.
-If we kissed. -He says, giggling like a teenager, making me laugh at his behavior.
It didn't exactly surprise me to hear him making a move, we flirted jokingly before and of course being alone and high could potentially be the cause of his sudden boldness, although he can be pretty bold when he wants sober as well.
I narrow my eyes at him, noticing him lifting his head and his eyes dropping to my lips.
-You're high, Matt. -I remind him, not taking it too serious.
Flirting as a joke is one thing, doing something about it is way different. I don't want to let him do something he might not really want sober.
-Yeah, and? -He raises an eyebrow, propping himself up on his elbow.
-And you probably wouldn't do this sober. -I say, like it was obvious, also raising an eyebrow at him.
He smirks, wrapping one hand around my waist, his expression changing visibly.
-I totally would, I just don't have the courage to ask sober.
I furrow my eyebrows, not really expecting him to say that. Of course he notices the way he caught me by surprise and takes this as a green sign to keep going. Matt leans closer, pulling me by the waist so our legs are touching, making me look down, my brain taking a longer time to process things.
-If I do it, are you going to push me away or kiss me back?
I bite the inside of my cheek, thinking about it and lifting my eyes to his. I never really thought about kissing Matt before. Well, not exactly. Of course some things passed through my mind whenever we flirted, but I knew we were just joking around so I never took it seriously enough to let myself waste any time wondering how it would be. Now it seemed quite serious, but I did not have enough time to think before he was pressing his lips against mine.
At first, I was too shocked to do anything, so I froze. My thoughts were slow and I felt myself shivering at the unfamiliar taste of Matt's lips. But then all that I could think of was "why not?". I don't have any reasons not to kiss him back, friends can kiss and stay friends, it's not that much of a deal and we're just high.
I finally raise one hand to his hair, tilting my head to deepen the kiss, his grip on my waist tightening as he pulls me even closer. Matt's a good kisser, and I couldn't help but let myself get into it, his tongue brushing against mine and the song playing in the background disappearing in my head.
We pull away just when we feel the urge to breathe. It was just natural for us to laugh, the middle of the song Sweater Weather being recognized by me. I looked at him, not knowing what to say now that we just somehow kissed, but it looked like he knew exactly what he wanted to say next.
-Looks like you're just as high as I am.
I roll my eyes, letting my hand fall to the middle of us, giving me the impulse to turn my body and lay on my back.
-Oh, shut up. -I say, unfortunately not being able to hide the smile on my face.
I hear Matt chuckle and feel him shifting in the bed, getting closer to me, his hot breath hitting the skin of my neck, making me instantly close my eyes.
-Can I kiss you again or you're gonna pretend you didn't like it? -He asks, his tone low and sarcastic, this time for sure taking me by surprise.
I bite my lips with a smile, giggling softly as I feel his hand sliding down my hips, his lips leaving small gentle kisses up my jaw. It was probably the weed, but every single touch of his felt electric, in the most amazing way possible.
-I never said I didn't like it. -I reply, with a playful tone, feeling the vibration of his hum against my neck.
-I'll take that as a yes. -He whispers, raising his hand to my cheek and turning my head in his direction, kissing me again.
This time it wasn't the same. The pace, the pressure, the desperation, it wasn't the "friends kissing randomly" kiss, it was an "I need to kiss you now" type of kiss. The intentions behind the kiss were no longer hidden, the way Matt slowly moved so he was on top of me, his knee between my legs spreading them open and his hand lifting my thigh so I would wrap my leg around his waist didn't go imperceptible.
We let it happen for too long, both our minds going blank and our bodies automatically moving together. Our clothes were thrown on the floor, the headboard was hitting the wall, the songs playing probably didn't muffle much of my moans and at some point Matt's phone camera captured everything our memories didn't.
Waking up the next day with a headache wasn't a surprise, but noticing I was naked and Matt was by my side was. My eyes widened immediately and I looked around, our clothes were all around the floor and the plastic that used to be around a bar of chocolate was on the nightstand. I checked my phone to see the time, realizing it was almost 1pm.
I sit upright, covering myself with the blanket and poking Matt.
-Matt, wake up.
He shifts in the bed, humming, but not opening his eyes. I sigh, doing the same thing again, raising my voice. He rubs his eyes and opens them, confused.
-What? -He asks, sleepy, slowly noticing he was shirtless. And a second later realizing he wasn't only shirtless, and by the way my back was uncovered I wasn't wearing clothes either.
-Wow, what the fuck. -He also sits upright, going to check his phone.
His eyes widened at the time, and he unfortunately unlocked his phone, the sounds of me moaning making me turn my head to look at the screen. Both of us are shocked to see ourselves in the video. Matt's cheeks turning red as a tomato and his eyes widen, my mouth open in shock.
-Matt. -I whisper, scared we ruined everything, my heart about to rip my chest due to how fast it was beating.
-No way. -He locks his phone, throwing it on the bed and covering his face with his hands.
I was so nervous, I never felt so embarrassed in my life. A few flashes of memories from last night popped into my head, and all I wanted to do was to hide, to run away, to jump off the window. I didn't even know what to say, what to think, what to feel. I clear my throat, holding my tears as I look away from him.
-Are you mad? -I ask, after a few seconds of silence, my tone so low it was almost a whisper.
He looks at me, shaking his head and making me look at him, his eyes offering assurance even though they also showed he was scared.
-No, of course not.
I nod, taking a few deep breaths. He looks at his phone again, a bit unsure of what to do.
-You should probably delete that. -I say, embarrassed, looking at my clothes on the floor, feeling not just naked but seen.
-Yeah, I... -He sighs, running a hand through his hair. -I'm not deleting that. I mean, I will if you want, but I don't really want to.
My eyes widened a bit as I looked at him again, studying his expressions to understand what was going on in his mind. He seemed as vulnerable as I was, but also with a look that reminded me something else from last night, the intensity of his promise that he'd want to kiss me sober if he had the courage to ask. Deleting that video was like deleting what happened, deleting what gave us the memory that we shared an intimate moment. Him saying he didn't want to delete it was his way of telling me he didn't want to forget.
-So don't. -I say, giving him a small timid smile.
It was like something inside us snapped, making us feel high again, laughing about something that should be so awkward, mostly because we were both so nervous it was impossible not to let the weird moment go without a good laugh.
-Does this mean we can do it again? -He asks, after our laughter dies, making me throw a pillow at him and bend down to grab my clothes on the floor.
-Shut up, Matt. -I say, wearing my panties and shirt back on and standing to go to the bathroom.
When I was about to close the door, I heard Matt's voice from the bed.
-Oh, and by the way, we kind of sent a photo of us* to the group chat too.
My jaw falls with his words, immediately making me turn around.
-We did what?
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*group chat with nick, chris, matt and reader
matt:
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𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒔 ✍︎
➪ @riowritesitall @mattsfavbigtitties @sturniolosarethebest @hyacinthst @flower-sturns @sturncakez @watercolorskyy @delooshunalhoe @sarosfilms @blahbel668 @sturniyolo69 @sturniolosl0t @sturnsxbitvh @colbsposts00 @fallingforfalll2 @stvrnmc @starnoirr @katie-tibo @sturnioloblues @monroesturnns @mattnchrisworld @shaquilles-0atmeal @fratbrochrisgf @dayzeandhaze @sharkcat1928 @phimstarz @h3arts4harry @s1ut4chris
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dear-tortured-adam · 2 months
Text
" an accidental lover's bruise " | DRABBLE
╰┈➤ all that just to cover up an accident | WC : ≈ 1.0K
warning.s : mentions of hickies, no dialogue
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"nothing actually happened, it's all one big misunderstanding."
pairing.s: demon brothers x GN!MC
PS: this is completely unserious LOL.
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There are a multitude of reasons why it isn't best to assume the worst case scenario… Though you didn't expect that this would be one of them.
Picture this: you were walking along the wicked halls of the House of Lamentation, all to look for a specific demon. Perhaps you were cussing out yourself for that stupid accident, or simply hissing in annoyance. Nonetheless, you needed a color corrector to cover up an awful bruise behind your neck.
Strolling through the halls, you've wondered: had this house grew larger? Or are you just. .
. . . lost?
Before you can make a proper judgment, Mammon spots you. He clings onto you like a magnetic force, skin so close to merging with yours. Leaving the GREAT Mammon's sight was unacceptable! Something bad would've happened if you aren't under his watch. What's got ya looking so distraught? Of course his presence could be intimidating, but- Hey! Don't look too scared!!
You wonder if he secretly wants something or is hiding from Lucifer. Other than that, you told him of your unique 'endeavors'. Asmodeus' room? Why do ya gotta be there?
As you were about to explain that embarrassing accident, you were then interrupted by Lucifer. The once composed Avatar looked furious, his eyes glowing brighter than the candlelight. Mammon flinched at the sight. 'So it was the latter.'
It's the usual banter, there's not much to add. You carefully walk away from the sign, back turned against them. Finally! Asmo's room—
Eh!?
You felt Lucifer grab you by the arm, turning you around as he inspected your body. In the glimpse of an eyes and- Aha! There it is.
A purplish blue patch at the back of your neck. Reddish hues surround the patch, not to mention how glaringly dark it was. It made it visible, for even a misplaced strand is easily noticeable — at least, in Lucifer's eyes. You begin to wail out protests as you were dragged across the hallway.
Lucifer needed an explanation, but since Mammon was also there to witness the albeit improper reveal, the eldest chose to take you to the living room instead of his office. To be fair, they all required an explanation. How dare you frolic with another? It hurts his pride seeing the remains of your infidel. The mere thought of you laying your precious body for a lower demon left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Mammon was shocked. Eyes wide, jaw drop as he saw that pesky bruise. Did you...? Oh. How could you. He looked closer, tracing a finger along the back of your neck. Ever the greedy demon that he is, Mammon saw red. Whoever dared place their lips on your skin shall be gifted the modest offer of torture.
Alright, so now you were in the living room. Hair and coverings pushed aside to display that bruise to everyone. Everyone.
Leviathan nearly dropped his console, watching someone else's mark on your skin. In a rather intimate area of all places. Oh sure, he understands... You wouldn't want it to be him to leave the marks, did you? Snake fangs weren't the most pleasurable, but he didn't think you'd let others do that to you... Ugh. Normies. It makes sense that you would. The Otaku could only stand up, walking away. Don't follow him, he needs some time.
Satan was... fine. Oh he was fine. He congratulates you for your rendezvous. He sees that you're looking for remedies to soothe the ailment? Not to worry, you can oh so kindly ask him. Different demons exhibit different mannerisms in marking their mates, but this would be as simple as a healing spell. Hm? Oh kitten he isn't mad. Don't mind the pen's ink splattered on the couch, or the visible dent on the book he's holding.
Human, you better guard yourself. Beelzebub is currently holding his brother, Belphegor, in a tight grip. The younger of the two was enrages, ready to pounce on that filthy, pathetic, son of a b—
Beel was beyond disappointed, but his eyes held a glint of worry. Not just for you, but for everyone. He wasn't given too much time to react, as his immediate instinct was to be sure his twin didn't come after anyone's blood at that instant.
Nevertheless, the room was a mess. Everyone has their own ways of coping with this tragedy. Their poor lamb, tainted! Pristine skin claimed by a lowly soul!! UNACCEPTABLE!!
Asmodeus gasped; he was beyond baffled. Worried for you, he goes to inspect the mark closer. He needs names. He needs answers, he needs an address. He needs to get his nails at —
wait ! !
When Asmodeus inspects it closer, brownish-orange eyes squinting to get a better look. . . hey. That wasn't a hickey. Far from it, looked more like a tennis ball was poorly aimed and shot directly at the back of your neck at 30mph.
You could only sigh, your hand sliding from your eyes down to your chin. Duh. Asmodeus pities you, pulling you into a tight hug as he dramatically cries out in your expense. Sure, he was glad to know that you were certainly not being taken advantage of by someone no-good, and that you're all safe from the hands and mouths of others. But at the same time... Darling, were you alright?
He couldn't help but worry. Humans were such fragile creatures; earning nearing permanent markings from unexpected accidents. It won't take long before he's whining how you should take care of yourself, pulling you into his room while rummaging through his many containers for the perfect shade match. And undertone. And foundation. Oh! Don't forget the human-safe setting spray!
You came out of your room expecting to only be needing to find the shade-matching concealer. You didn't expect to have to prepare a 100 slide PowerPoint presentation to explain yourself.
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A/N: Hey, Eden here! Yes, this was an unserious prompt as an attempt to loosen up a bit. I eliminated Dialogue for both comedic effect as well as to try and incorporate character-driven elements without lines and stuff.
Is it good? Eh it's enough. Did I have fun writing this? Absolutely!! That is all for now, haha. Expect edits once I wake up- or not :"DD
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divider/s by @/cafekitsune
684 notes · View notes
lovifie · 7 months
Text
The First Morning ☀️
Masterlist — OG Drabble
Boyfriend!Ghost x Chubby!Reader, but they wake up in each other's body.
A.K.A. How Simon would react to waking up in his dear lovie body.
There isn't any freaky accident, no car crash pushing one against the other, no lightning hitting them and melting them together, not a bullet flying hitting the one jumping in front or the other but still going through the both of them. Any of that. 
Simon just got back from deployment, left the guns at the base, told Price he would be back in the morning and went home to you. Took off his boots, took a shower, got into the bed with you, made sweet sweet love to you while cuddling (you being the little spoon) and then fell asleep with you in his arms. 
So there is no reason as to why he can see himself staring back at him from the bathroom door. At first, he thinks he's dead, he got distracted and was unable to outrun the inevitable. But then he realizes he's alive, and he sits up pulling away the covers. He never expected that seeing your naked body would cause him an even remotely negative sensation, but seeing it in first person point of view without further explanation has him jumping off the bed as if that would push him back into his original body. 
“Simon?” A deep voice emerges from his body on the other side of the room, his own voice sounding strange not coming from within himself. He asks your name, weirded out by the higher pitch voice that he manages to get out. 
“I am not dreaming, right? You are seeing your body too, right?” You ask, a bit of shake on your voice so uncharacteristic of the body it is coming out of. 
“No, love. I can also see us in each other body.” He says, leaving a sigh exhale. “C’mere, let's sit down for a second.”
He sits down at the feet of the bed, patting the mattress next to him. He looks at you, and he doesn't have time to say anything before you hit your forehead on the door frame of the bathroom causing you to crouch down grabbing your head. He wonders for a second how you didn't hit it on your way in. 
You whine rubbing your head, and Simon can't help but cringe at the sound leaving his body. “Don't do that…” He says, trying to peel your hands away to check the damage and you whip your head to look at him, brows furrowed offended by his words. “Well, I'm sorry for cracking my head open, Simon.”
He sighs, rubbing his face. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just fucking weird to see myself like that.” He says, and when he takes his hands away from his face he sees you looking at his chest, well, your original body chest. “It's that how much my boobs move when I talk?” You ask, frankly surprised by the amount of movement.
“Love, I know your boobs are hypnotic, but let's focus.” He says, covering his chest with his hands. You quickly nod, coming back to your senses and stand up, once at your full size you look down at Simon, who is still crouching down staring between your legs. He looks up, a little terrified expression on his face when he makes eye contact with you. He stands up without saying anything, but you have just earned yourself another kind of respect from Simon, because if he had to affront somebody his size while being yours, he would be terrified. 
He looks at the time on his phone and says: “I need to leave in 40 minutes to make it on time at the base.”
“I'll send a message to the office that I need to work from home for a couple of days, it'll be okay.” You answer, picking up your own phone to send said message. 
“Perfect, we both going to the base then. We'll explain everything to the Captain, I don't think he'll be able to help but there is no point in hiding it, it wouldn't work.” He says, opening your closet to find clothes 
“Wait… I'm going to meet your team?” You ask, surprised because Simon has always told you that he didn't want to expose you either to the military or his own team, justifying as it being too risky for your own safety. He sighs turning to look at you and nods. “Yeah, it's not ideal and I would have very much rather introduce you to them with you on your own body but I guess this is how we are doing it now. Get dressed, doll.”
Each of you begins to walk to your closet, only to stop once you reach it and turn around to walk to the other one. Picking up the clothes for Simon is easy, his uniform is always ready just as you open the door. You pick up a pair of knickers from his drawer, and frown when you see there is a hole in it. You pick up another one, only to find the same hole. “Simon.” You call him, getting a hum as a response that he is listening. “Why is all your underwear ripped?”
“What?” He asks, turning around to figure out what you are talking about. When he sees it on your hand, he chuckles before explaining. “That's not ripped, is on purpose, to get your dick out to pee without taking them off.”
There is a beat of silence before you ask. “I beg you pardon?” Simon laughs at your reaction and says. “Put them on, then try what I told you.”
You hold a hand up, letting Simon know to wait and you put the underwear on. You peek through the hole in the underwear and realise it is at the perfect height to get your new dick out. And it is then that you realise: “Wait… I can pee standing up!” You exclaim looking at him like you just discovered a new continent. Simon nods at you smiling softly when he sees you walk to the bathroom. “Watch your head.” You managed to avoid the hit in the last second thanks to him, and raise the toilet lid. 
Simon walks behind you, crossing his arms when he sees you crouching down on the toilet. “What are you doing? Stand up!” He says confused.
“I don't want to pee out!” You say back, still in an awkward position. You hear him chuckle again and then you feel a stinging slap on your ass cheek causing you to move your hips forward away from his hand. “Simon!” 
His hands find their way to your hips and move your hands to his dick to pee inside the toilet. “See? Not so hard right?” He says walking back to wash his hands and face, and then looks back at you when he sees a weird movement on the corner of his eyes. “What are you doing?” 
“Nothing.” You say a bit too quickly and turn around, an obvious half-boner on your crotch. Simon sighs, half laughing at the way you act as if there is nothing wrong.
“Lovie.” He says walking up to him, holding your hands. “I'm gonna need you to keep your mind clear, all right? Nothing nasty is that little head of yours, all right?”
“Simon.” You say, holding back his hands. “I'll try my best… but I can't promise anything.” 
You kiss his forehead, before walking back to the room, barely hitting your head again and walk to your closet. Pulling clothes out for Simon, pitying his own style of clothing and choosing some of your more tame clothes. A pair of straight black jeans, a white undershirt and a grey jersey; Simon shows his gratitude towards your choice with a quick nod before getting dressed. Before he puts the shirt over his head you are quick to throw your bra at him: “Put it on, Simon. I'm not meeting your boss with my nipples saying hi before me.” He groans, as if it was a daily occurrence and you quickly put on the rest of the clothes. 
You turn around when you are ready and chuckle when you hear Simon complain under his breath about the bra stabbing him. He puts the rest of the clothes on and turns to you, checking for your approval and you nod at him smiling. You walk into the bathroom to pick up the brush and come back, sitting on the bed and asking him to step between your legs to brush your hair. 
You do a braid on your hair, keeping the hair from his face and smile at him when he looks at you. He sighs and picks up his mask from his nightstand. “Try it on, alright? If it suffocates you or something, take it off; but if you don't mind I would like it a lot if you keep it on.”
You nod, and help him put it on without twisting an ear. You readjust it and take a couple of deep breaths to test it, you look at him and shroud your shoulder. “Fine for now, I'll tell if I start to feel like I'm dying.” 
You stay looking at each other for a second broken by your voice “We should be a lot more panicked than we are, right?”
“Yeah, probably.” He says resting his hand on your shoulder as yours finds his way to the back of his knees. “But it's still us, so. It's just us, like always.”
Once the both of you are dressed and ready for the day, the both of you walk out to his car. You enter the copilot seat, hitting your head on the way in but starting to get used at this point. Simon enters the driver seat, looking confused when he can’t reach either the pedals or the wheels. He moves the seat to the front, and looks at you: “This is how close you need to move the seat to drive? If you ever get in a crash you are out before you see the other car, love.”
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You Call It Madness But I Call It Love
Chapter 18: First Impressions Are Often Correct
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Pairing: Soldier Boy x f!reader, Reader POV
Summary: When the reader left Payback 40 years ago after a falling out with her childhood best friend she never looked back, but when two men show up to her apartment and start asking her questions about the past, the reader begins to think those things can’t stay hidden and starts to question what’s real and what’s fantasy.  This is a re-telling of The Boys Season 3, where the reader is a supe who's known Soldier Boy since 1927. The chapters will fluctuate between past and present. This is chapter eighteen of my "You Call It Madness But I Call It Love" series. (I'm so bad at summaries please forgive me!)
Word Count: 11.6K
Warnings: I'm going to rate this one 18+ just to be on the safe side. :) References to sex, Cursing, Angst, Mentions of Death, Blood, Gore, Possessive Soldier Boy, Protective Soldier Boy, Soft Soldier Boy, Soldier Boy might be, is, really, absolutely, completely a little OOC. Soldier Boy is really all you need as a warning.
Note: This is told from the Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is minimal use of y/n. I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. Reader is described as "curvy" occasionally. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite!
Internal Monologue is in first person and is in italics
Series Masterlist
Masterlist
A/N: I'm so sorry, I know this has been a long time coming. I work hard, but writer's block works harder tbh.
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It had to be herogasm. You think to yourself with an audible groan looking up at the mid-century house from your position in the tree-line while watching the couples on the back porch writhe against one another.
The three hour drive from your apartment to Vermont had been uneventful and quiet. Every once in a while Ben would whisper something to you and you would half answer, but only because your mind was somewhere else or rather on someone else.
It was on Rosemary. She had stopped trying to text you or call you, and the silence was worse. You had no idea what she was going to do or what she was thinking. It was a miracle that she hadn’t shown up to your apartment and kicked down the front door before you left. You knew she was angry about the whole situation. And the sooner you dealt with the twins the sooner you could go see her.
Of course you still had no idea how you were going to bring up the conversation with Ben and you knew that there was no way he would let you just leave with no explanation to go talk to her.
This is why I hate texting. I should have just gone to see her, I shouldn’t have told her that Ben was back in a text, if anything that's a three drink minimum. Hell, she's probably half way through a second bottle of wine by now. Something that you also had considered several times today. Guess sobriety is going out the window. Shocker.
Ben kept asking you what was wrong, sensing your discomfort on the drive and held your hand tightly between the two of you, but you only shook your head whenever he asked. He thought that you were having second thoughts of going after the twins, but that was the one thing you were sure of. They deserved to pay for what they did, all of your team did. Anger rises beneath your skin like a roaring crowd when you think of all the years Ben spent alone in Russia being tortured and experimented on. Years that you could have stopped if only you'd known, years that he could never get back, memories that wouldn't fade in the next decade or two, and memories that you hoped you could replace by making him feel loved, by holding him close, and allowing yourself to forget the memories that still plagued you when you thought about the past.
But you still didn't know how the hell you were going to tell him about Rosemary. Every moment it felt like the words were going to vomit out of your mouth, but you clamped your jaw shut. You didn’t want to talk about Rosemary in front of Butcher and Hughie, didn’t want to tell Ben like that. What you needed to say about Rosemary and Lou didn’t deserve to be shouted at him or said in haste, you wanted to sit Ben down and tell him, give him time to adjust to the idea. Because you had no idea how he was going to react to the news that he was a dad and a grandfather.
Would he pull away again? Would he run? Would he leave me? Those thoughts kept swirling around your mind like a mixtape. You were scared that by telling him about her would make him go cold like he did the moment you told him you loved him. You remembered the distant look that replaced his smile as soon as you had uttered those three little words.
Little but not simple. Three little words that launched ships and started a hundred wars. Three little words with the power to create and the power to destroy. Three words that Ben had said to you more times than you could count since he came back to you, and three words you wished you never stopped hearing him say, the three words you always wanted him to say to you.
If Ben pushed you away now, you knew that you wouldn't survive it this time, knew that there was no going back. Which made you more fearful about Rosemary's reaction to Ben coming back into your life.
You were afraid that Rosemary would give you an ultimatum and make you choose between her and Lou or Ben. You really hoped that it didn’t come to that. You had just gotten Ben back and you didn’t want to have to pick between him and your family.
Because Ben is family too. You knew that deep down in your bones, even after everything that happened, Ben was your family. He was the only person who knew you inside and out, the only man you’d ever loved and the only person who understood you. You couldn’t turn your back on him and you didn’t want to shut him out. Not when you loved him more than life itself.
Your frown deepens as you continue to watch the people on the back porch while your supe hearing picks up the moans and sounds of the couples inside and the subtle thump of music, new pop songs that you didn't understand and didn't try. You were up with the times, but it didn't mean you had to like what was happening or the new music being produced no matter how hard Rosemary tried to get you to listen to it.
You sigh again, trying to drown out the sounds by focusing on the wind moving through the trees and the birds flitting through the branches overhead, but it wasn’t working. The beautiful day was already ruined by the loud and messy sounds from the inside of the house. 
“Always wanted to bring you to one of these Sweetheart.” Ben glances over at you with a cheeky grin, lowering the binoculars from his eyes, but then he notes your frown. “Then again-“ His hand comes around your waist to pull you into him. “That means I would have had to share you with someone else, and I’d much rather have you all to myself.”
 You can feel his smirk against your ear, but it does little ease your anxiety about Rosemary and the looming conversation you were going to have with Ben when this was over.
Hughie had disappeared a few moments ago to scout out the inside and to find the twins, while Butcher was doing a walk of the perimeter, leaving you and Ben to wait for the all clear. A welcome break, because every few minutes Hughie would play with a Geiger counter and the high pitched creak-like squeak was giving you a headache. Not to mention annoying you. You'd only been able to have a few sips of your coffee this morning after Butcher and Hughie burst into you apartment, but at least your anxiety was picking up the slack.
Because of course it was.
The house in front of you looked innocent enough on the outside, big windows light wood,  but now that you were here, you really didn’t want to go inside. Despite wanting to face the twins, you didn’t want to go inside and be reminded of the one reason why you stayed away from Herogasm.
At least today we aren’t attending it as much as crashing it.
“Why do you think I hated going to Herogasm?” You murmur, frown deepening at you continue to stare at the house.  The memories of the past had an ugly way of crashing down on you and despite not wanting to make Ben feel guilty, keeping them to yourself made you feel worse. Plus you figured he knew when you were lying, because Ben was basically a human lie detector when it came to you.
Ben sighs, his warm breath washing over the side of your face as his arm tightens around your waist to secure you to him. “Sweetheart please look at me.” His voice is comforting, filled with emotion, but you still don't look at him.
“What?” You whisper, mind still a million miles away.
His fingertips come under your chin to turn your face to his. Ben’s green eyes lock with yours, soft and apologetic, familiar in the best way and weird given the fact that he was wearing his uniform. You’d never seen him look so sorry when he was dressed up as Soldier Boy.
“I would have killed any man who tried to touch you, especially after the night we shared together. When Vogelbaum danced with you I wanted to rip his arms off.”  His eyes darken.
You remembered the way he watched Vogelbaum and you dance together at the premiere with the cameras flashing in your eyes, but then the image of Countess plastered to his hip arises. The way she ran her hands up his chest, the way he turned his gaze away from you to stare at her.
“Yes, but see I never killed any woman that touched you-“
Double standard much?
“Well-“
“Countess doesn’t count.” You snap.
Ben’s thumb strokes along your jaw, before his expression softens again. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve apologized-“ You sigh, suddenly guilty. You hadn't meant to snap at him like that, you were on edge because of Rosemary, not because of what Ben did in the past. You were already starting to forgive him for what he did.
“Not for this.” He takes in a deep breath before he pulls you closer to him. “I’m sorry that I made you think I didn’t want you. Because I do. I don't want anyone else, haven't ever wanted anyone else like I want you. I was so stupid. I fucked those other women because I couldn’t handle how I felt about you and I didn’t think that you would ever want me even a fraction of how much I want you-“
“More.” You whisper before you can stop yourself, laying your hand against the front of his suit.
“That is impossible.” Ben smiles faintly.
You toy with the material, plucking it between your fingers. “It’s okay. I understand why you did it. But it was hard to watch you with them.” You try to fight the image of him and Countess again, that is quickly followed by the memories of the many women over the years you’d see Ben with in public and of course the memory of the first and only Herogasm you ever went to, the one you left early because you couldn’t bear to see Ben with anyone else. The same one that you swore you saw Ben watching you just as closely when Noir tried to reach out for you and you walked away.
It’s different now. You think to yourself. Ben said that he’s wanted me this whole time and I believe him. I don’t think he would lie about something like that, not to mention he’s been more open about what he’s feeling.
“I know.” Ben continues to stroke along your jaw. “But I promise it won’t happen ever again.”
“I believe you.” You lock your arms around the back of his neck to hold him closer to you, loving the way his body felt wrapped around you, like he was molded just for you.
“Good.” He leans his forehead against yours for a moment. "Can I kiss you yet?" Ben's words are quiet, barely above a whisper, so low that you know if you didn't have super hearing you'd have missed them.
"You've never been a patient man. In all the years I've known you." You breathe with a smile.
"Maybe I've just never met someone worth waiting for." Ben's nose nudges into the space between you faces, waiting for you to tell him it's okay and you want to. "But you are Sweetheart."
"You've waited forty years."
"You waited longer."
His words make a ball of emotion lodge in the back of your throat, because it meant Ben listened. He heard everything you said to him and he wasn't going to forget, he was going to make this up to you.
It was hard to say no to him, not when he was smiling at you and gazing at you the way you'd always wished him to.
"We both know I'm a bit more patient than you."
"Maybe."
"You know, maybe we should be focusing on something else right now." You smirk, still keeping your lips just as hairsbreadth away from his.
“It's hard to focus on anything else, not when you’re wearing something like that.” Ben purrs, thumbs brushing against you hips in a way that makes your chest tight.
Your smirk deepens “Oh this old thing?”
At the last minute you had chosen to wear the outfit you had picked when you thought you were going to be going to Russia to get Ben, rather than your old supe suit. You didn’t want to be connected with the person you were then, and despite Ben’s want to hold on to Soldier Boy, you were more than happy to let Indigo go.
The outfit was working better than you thought. The tight black tactical pants, combat boots, black leather jacket, and long sleeved leather corseted blouse that was sinched at your waist all perfectly accentuated the curves that your mother tried to hide. When you had walked out of your closet wearing it, Ben’s entire body had gone rigid.
“What?” You’d asked him with an innocent smile standing just a few steps outside your closet, while watching the tension in his shoulders.
“Damn it sweetheart you’re making this hard.” He had responded, clenching his hands into fists at his sides to hold himself back from crossing your bedroom to touch you. It made you smile wider to understand that he was trying to respect the boundaries you made between the two of you.
“What is it that I’m making hard Benjamin?”
“Fuck. Don’t tease me. Nobody likes a tease.”
You’d smirked at him. “Sorry babe you walked right into that one.”
“It’s not fair-“ Ben had growled.
“What’s not fair?”
“You wearing that, biting your fucking lip like that-“
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He’d stalked towards you, eyes dark, causing you to back up until your back hit your pale bedroom wall. His hand had landed next to your head, the other wound around your hip so you could feel the heat of his skin through your clothes.
“You know, two can play at that game Sweetheart.” Ben had murmured, easing his face so close to yours that you could feel his breath against your lips.
“And what game is that?” You’d said it trying to keep your composure, but the dark look in his eyes and the smell of his shampoo was everywhere. Your heart beat had given you away, thudding violently in your chest as if it wanted to break free. It was hard to ignore how much you still wanted him after all these years.
"You know exactly what game." Ben had held your gaze, raising an eyebrow as a confident smirk pulled at his lips. He could hear your heartbeat too, probably could smell how much you wanted him. “But you’re so fucking beautiful I'll let it slide.”
“Huh?” It had been the last thing you thought he was going to say. If anything you’d thought he was going to tease you.
The hand that had been previously on the wall near your head dropped onto your face to gently trace the arch of your brow and the dip of your bottom lip.
“You always have been. I thought I remembered wrong but-" His expression shifted from the seductive smirk into something softer. "Fuck I missed you." Ben had leaned his forehead against yours. "So tease me all you want. I'll wait, because you're worth every second."
Remembering what he said earlier still filled you with an incredible amount of love and made you want to kiss him all the more now. Knowing that he was willing to wait for you to be okay with whatever came next made you fall harder for him. But now you knew that you needed to focus on what you were about to do. And standing here in front of the house, listening to what was going on inside made you sober up, just a little bit…. But not completely.
"Then again I thought those overalls were pretty sexy too." Ben states, staring down at you with a wide smile as the mid-afternoon sun turned his hair into a light brown and found the flecks of gold in his eyes. He looked every bit as handsome as you were accustomed to, so much in fact that it made your heart ache.
"Sure." You roll your eyes. "I think you're the first person in history to say that." Your fingers lightly curl into the strands at the back of his head.
"Maybe. Or maybe you're just the sexiest woman in history."
"Shut up."
Ben's gaze darkens. "Make me, Sweetheart."
Every viable thought except the thought of crashing your lips to his vanishes.
I wonder if they're as soft as I remember. If he still makes that sound when I-
"You two ready?" Butcher interrupts appearing just over Ben's shoulder, but smirking when he sees how close the two of you are. "Or do you love birds need a little alone  time?"
You roll your eyes and let go of Ben's hair, as he loosens his grip on your hips. Stepping back away from him was like having a bucket of cold water drop over you, you missed him and yet he was standing a full sixteen inches away from you.
This is really not good.
"You have the worst fucking timing." Ben moves to pick up his shield, but the playful smirk he'd had a few seconds ago has been replaced with a frown.
You wondered if he was as disappointed as you were.
The wind shifts and you can smell the Temp V in Butcher's veins, hear the steady beat of his heart as it pumps blood through his body, strengthening him, making him feel indestructible. When Butcher and Hughie had injected it at the back of Butcher's car, you couldn't help but be reminded of the day you took V. You had been afraid and when they injected it, you remember the pain, the unspeakable pain that made you scream so loud that Ben heard you from the room he was being kept in, and he broke through the wall to get to you. It was how the scientists learned that Ben had super strength, because he had smashed through solid rock to make sure you were okay.
Butcher shrugs and begins to walk through the trees towards the side door of the house, leaving you and Ben alone.
"You didn't answer my question." He hefts his shield up with a smirk.
He didn't have to explain, you knew he was asking about the kiss. "I'll take a raincheck."
"Hmm." Ben takes a few steps towards the house, before he stops to look back at you. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Huh?"
"In the car, even now. You're kinda quiet." He shrugs.
"I-" You were going to say that you were fine, but you knew that he would clock the lie. "We need to talk about something, but it can wait. This is important too."
Ben's frown deepens, but then he finally sighs. "Alright. Come on you’re lagging behind doll."
"Guess you changed your mind about wanting me here." You snort as you catch up to him.
Ben puts his hand on your wrist, turning you to look at him. "I always want you with me." His hand trails up your arm to finally rest under your chin. Ben smiles, leaning down towards you, but before you can arch up into him, he presses a kiss to your forehead. "I love you." He murmurs into the top of your head.
"I love you too."
And with that, you both follow Butcher into the house hosting the worst event in all of history.
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I should have brought ear plugs. You cringe as you follow behind Ben and Butcher, weaving through the lower levels of the house. Maybe someone will let me borrow their blindfold. Hopefully there are nose plugs somewhere… well there have been other kinds of plugs but those are a bit big for my nose.
You walk down the staircase after Ben and Butcher who pulled ahead a few moments ago and as you do the sharp sour smell of a chemical wafts in your face, different than the other odors in the house.
What is that?
You round the corner and see Ben up ahead, shrouded in smoke, staring down an attractive muscular black man who for some reason has decided to raise his fists to challenge Ben. Your eyes trace the man's face, recognition pulling at your heart. You knew who he was. The first time you'd seen him he'd only been a boy, made eye contact with you at a funeral you couldn't help but go to, after Ben made a mistake. You'd offered the boy an encouraging smile and left the boy's family an envelope of cash in their mailbox because you couldn't think of anything else to do for them. You knew it couldn't replace who they lost, but you didn't know what else to do. Ben had been upset with himself after, he always was when he lost control. He showed up on your doorstep like he always did, drunk, high, smelling like stale perfume, and fell asleep in your bed after you reassured him the same way you always did.
Now that little boy was grown up and standing in front of you. You see recognition flash in his eyes as he sees you. Of course it does. You didn't look any different and you hadn't worn your supe suit when you went to the funeral.
"Not him." Butcher says to Ben, but Ben doesn't look away from the man.
"Ben." You whisper, reaching out to touch his arm gently.
Ben's eyes flick to yours. The look in Ben's eyes is familiar, predatory, unwilling to back down from a fight. Soldier Boy. You'd seen it countless times before, talked him out of killing people in the past. You hated how quickly you had to slip into your old job, the one that made you feel like a babysitter, but you shake it off.
"He doesn't know what he's doing. Come on. The Twins are upstairs, I can hear them arguing." It was true, you could, but you didn't want this to turn ugly so quickly. Not when the real reason why you were here were currently arguing about toilet cameras. 
His jaw tightens, eyes sliding to the man standing at the other end of the room, before he nods once and motions for you to go ahead of him.
As you continue to move through the house, you fight the shudder that threatens to travel down your spine when you think of how Ben looked moments ago. It was the first time you had seen Soldier Boy since Ben showed up again, and it was the same way you remembered it. You just hoped deep down that Ben really did want to change and that he was adopting the façade of Soldier Boy to get through what came next. You knew that you were going to have to adopt one as well.
"Here." You stop just before the two of you round the corner where the Twins were in the other room. "Let me go first. They might not try to run if I go in before you."
Ben frowns. "I don't want you to-"
"I know, but it'll be better this way."
"Fine."
You walk around the wall and towards the circular room where the Twins are fighting, ignoring the couples on the outskirts that are grinding against one another.
Like Countess, the Twins didn't look good, both were considerably older, rounder, grayer, and more wrinkly than the last time you'd seen them, but they were still the same. Still arguing and still just as annoying as they had been forty years ago.
"I never want to see you again!" Tommy spits at his sister, adjusting the golden robe slung over his shoulders that flaps around him like a cape.
"Oh sure!" Tessa sniffs while puffing on a joint. "Our Westfield mall appearance is next week and nobody is going to come see you without me!"
That must suck to have your powers depend on someone else.
"Wow, mall appearances? Aren't we all getting a bit old for that?" You flash a winning smile as you step down into the room, locking eyes with Tessa.
Both of the twins visibly pale, their hearts speeding up to work overtime, as the stench of adrenaline begins to waft through the air between you. It's almost comical how identical their reactions are to Countess' at seeing you for the first time in forty years. Then again you hoped that you looked better than they did.
Why didn't I try to find out more after Ben "died?" If our entire team had this reaction to seeing me then I would have known the truth and Ben wouldn't have been in a fucking Russian Lab all these years!
Their plan to ensure you not being in Nicaragua had paid off, because not only were you not there, you didn't want anything to do with any of them. And you wished that you had confronted them all those years ago. You knew that you'd live with that guilt for a long time, but now you allowed your anger at what they all did to Ben, overpower it.
"Y/n-" Tessa stutters.
It was weird to see her at a loss for words. You and all of Payback had listened to her nag Tommy since the moment they joined the team. Judging by what you had walked into, you figured that she hadn't changed at all.
"Hey long time no see!" Tommy fakes enthusiasm while licking his lips nervously, eyes darting to the open doors behind you. You could practically see the escape plan forming in his mind.
"You know, when I found out you guys were living in Vermont I was surprised. I would have thought that you moved down South. They’re probably more accepting of your relationship.” You make air quotes around the word relationship, before shifting your smile into an worried frown. “Oh sorry, are the two of you still pretending that you’re not fucking?”
Tessa’s gaze turns stone cold. “What the fuck do you want?”
“I was in the neighborhood, thought I’d check in.” You look around the room. “You guys have a nice house. Must have budgeted better than Countess did. Her tailer, now that was a shit hole. Must not have done as many mall appearances.”
Tommy’s heart skips a beat at the mention of Countess’s name. “Look y/n-“
“Please. We didn’t have anything against you. We didn’t come after you. Even after all these years we left you alone.” Fear seeps into Tessa’s voice with her plea, eyes wide with worry.
They had reason to be worried, you’d all but admitted to killing Countess.
“Oh sweetie.” You with false sweetness in your tone. “It’s cute that you think you can beg for mercy. That you're deserving of it.” The room begins to shake with the force of your anger as your eyes shift to bright purple. Cracks like thin spiderwebs stretch through the wide windows behind them and through the thick drywall as you lose control, the composure you always held on to drowning in the flood of emotion you feel when you look at the two of them. “Ben told me exactly what happened that day-“
“He lied to you!” Tommy exclaims. “He went crazy! You know how he gets, how he loses control!”
“He lost control and we had to protect ourselves y/n-“ Tessa adds, another lie.
Ben steps into the room beside you, his eyes are focused on the Twins, and if you thought they looked afraid when you showed up, they look near dead when Ben appears.
"You were saying?" You raise an eyebrow.
"Ben! Hey Buddy!." Tommy forces another smile but pales when he realizes Ben just heard him and Tessa try to lie to you. "How are you? Long time. We were just talking to y/n about-“
Ben's eyes narrow, stopping whatever Tommy was going to say about you.
"Nicaragua wasn't our fault!" Tommy says to recover. "Neither was the premiere." His eyes dart to yours, cowering under the purple light that pulses from your irises.
Wow. Just. Wow.
"We swear." Tessa adds.
"Why should we believe you?" You spit.
"Please-"
"Then whose fault was it?" Ben's frown deepens, hand tightening on the shield.
None of the other couples have stopped what they are doing, too enthralled in one another to notice what was going to unfold between the four of you.
"It was Noir!" Tommy shouts desperately, his eyes flitting from Ben to you as if trying to see which one of you will believe him. "He gave Ben to the Russians."
It's almost pathetic watching his mad scramble to protect himself. Apart of you hates that you don't feel guilty for any of this, at least with Countess at the beginning you felt some guilt for hurting her, but with them there was nothing. Not even the prick of remorse, there was only anger.
Ben chuckles under his breath. "We all know that Noir didn't even take a shit without Vought's say so."
"Not to mention his head was so far up Stan's ass it's a wonder that he could breathe." You narrow your eyes at the two of them waiting for them to make a move. They might be cowards, but if you knew the Twins well enough, you knew that they weren't above throwing a bolt of lighting in your direction. And you knew for a fact that electrocution wasn't fun.
"It's the truth!" Tessa shouts above the moans and wet squelch of the people around you. “Please y/n we have children.”
“You're really the worst liar hon. Always have been." You snap, listening to her heartbeat jolt in her chest as she attempts to save herself.
"Please talk Ben out of this, just like you did for Noir-“ Tommy's plea falls on deaf ears, but you knew what he was talking about. The day that you saved Noir's life because he started a fight with Ben over a stupid role in a movie. But this was different, no part of you wanted to save them from this, to save them from what they deserved.
“Noir will get what’s coming to him.” You don't recognize your own voice. "You brought this on yourselves."
But then something shifts in the air, call it a feeling, or an energy current, but something feels wrong.
The music coming from the radio has changed to a Russian pop song, why it's playing you have no idea, all you know is that it does something to Ben.
The sound of his shield hitting the ground rings in your ears and you turn to look at him. His entire body is tensed beneath his suit, sweat dotting along his hairline, red beginning to creep into his cheeks. His eyes are squeezed shut and he shakes his head as if he's trying to clear it.
"Ben? Are you okay?" Your hold on the room vanishes, eyes fading back to their normal color as your worry turns to Ben.
His fists are clenched tightly together as he brings them up to the sides of his head, chest beginning to glow with his new power, the one you'd never seen before, the one that Ben said practically vaporized whatever was in it's path.
Shit.
"Ben. Stay with me, listen to my voice." You touch the sides of his face, begging him to listen to your plea. As much as you wanted the Twins to pay, Ben wasn't just losing control of his powers, this was different. It was almost like he was being dragged somewhere else, somewhere you couldn't follow.
"Everything's okay. I'm here, I'm right here." You soothe, but he continues to glow brighter and brighter and you're directly in the line of fire.
Shit.
Ben's eyes flash open, no longer bright green but an orange-gold that makes fear snag in your ribs like a fishing hook. His hand makes contact with your chest shoving you to the side, out of the way of the beam, but unfortunately through the solid rock wall.
You don't really know what happens next. The world goes black for a few minutes, not like when you die, but just black as everything burns around you when Ben explodes. You're not sure how long you're under, could be minutes, could be hours, all you know is that when you wake up everything hurts.
It's how you know that you didn't officially die. Whenever you woke up after death, it was different, you felt powerful, reborn, but right now you felt like a train ran over you. A headache throbs at your temples as you begin to come to, blinking your eyes against the darkness that doesn't go away. Your ears are ringing, filled with the screams of those who survived and the smell of burned flesh and blood surrounds you like a cloud.
A mountain of rubble and roofing covers you, leaving you in the darkness to get your bearings, but nothing feels broken.
At least the brick fireplace broke my fall. You think to yourself with a groan as you begin to push off the planks of wood and pieces of the roof that cover your body, so you can sit up. As soon as you do, your head spins and you fight the unpleasant urge to throw up.
Great. Might have a concussion.
You might be as strong as Ben, but your ability to die meant that you were just a little bit less equipped to handle a hit like that.
Ben. Worry and fear war in your heart as you look around the broken room that lays in tatters around you.
The house isn’t recognizable anymore. Singed carpet floats in tufts with ash around your face like a swarm of flies while fires burn in clumps all over the ruined room. Chunks of drywall and planks of blackened wood litter the floor and the back half of the house is gone, burned to a crisp in the blast from Ben.
What the fuck did they put in his chest? Ben had tried to describe it to you, tried to explain it, but standing here in the rubble you understood just how bad it was. The ruins in Mid-town you had seen the coverage of on the news, but it was a completely different thing to experience it in person.
People are going to think that he did this on purpose. That he's a bad person, that he's some kind of terrorist. The thought is immediately followed by the fear that Vought and the government would come to take him away. Your jaw tightens. I'd like to see them try.
The bodies of Tommy and Tessa are burned beyond recognition, still holding hands, but now are just blacked lumps of flesh and bone that lay where they tried to make their final stand. But you feel no remorse.
It’s what we came here to do, to make them pay. You bite the inside of your cheek listening to the screams of those who survived. I just didn't think that so many others would get hurt.
You continue to look around the room, worry rising in your chest as you think of Ben and remember the look on his face. He had been scared of what was about to happen even if he didn’t want to admit it. He lost control. In the past when he lost control the worst thing he could do was rip someone in half or smash their face into a pulp, but now if Ben ever lost control he'd level a building.
I see a lot of yoga in his future. Or maybe anger management classes.
Although the thought makes you smile, as soon as you see Ben everything else fades from your mind. Ben is on his knees in the center of the room, head slumped forward on his chest, hands laying limply by his sides, as he takes in shaky breaths. You could hear the frantic pound of his heart, beating hard against his rib cage as if begging to be released. Seeing him like that almost sends you into overdrive. You’d never seen him look so defeated, so small, so tired, so… lost.
“Ben?” You fall to your knees next to him, reaching out to touch his face, to bring his attention to you.
His body tenses as you do so, eyes narrowing when he meets yours like he doesn’t know you. His eyes miles away.
But where?
“Hey, it’s me.” You say gently, cupping his face with your hands to rub your thumbs across his cheeks while fear grips your heart as you try to bring him back to you. “It’s me, I’m here. It’s okay.”
Ben inhales sharply as if suddenly remembering, the look in his eyes clearing for a moment, rising through the fog. "Y/n?" He whispers.
"Yeah. I'm here." You repeat, smiling at him even though the urge to cry builds in the back of your throat. It broke your heart to see him like this. You push his hair back from his face, brushing the ash from the mahogany strands.
 “Are you okay? Did I-“ Worry etches itself across his handsome face.
“I’m fine. Shhh.” You soothe, pulling him against you so your can rub his back softly and lock him in your embrace. But the truth was you were afraid. You didn’t understand what happened and couldn’t explain the look in his eyes when he went under, when he started to lose himself in his newfound powers. Ben crumbles into you, leaning his head against your shoulder as if needing it to strengthen him.
“It’s okay. Everything’s okay.” You weren’t sure the effects the blast had on him, just that he seemed unsure as to how the hell he did it.
 Where did he go in those moments?
“The twins?” Ben mumbles.
“They’re dead.” You could hear the approaching ambulances and police cars, hear the anxious chatter of the survivors outside.
We’ve got to get out of here.
“Come on. Let’s go.” You say softly rising to your feet and helping him up. Ben stumbles a step, shaking his head like he can’t catch his bearings and the worry comes roaring back. You catch him and tilt his body so he can lean on you. “Ben are you okay?” Your fingers dance against the sides of his face trying to bring his focus back to you, because you were afraid he might lose himself to whatever the hell happened before.
“I will be in a minute.” Ben takes in a shaky breath, leaning on your shoulder. "I don't know what happened."
"It's okay." His shield rises telekinetically from the rubble and into your outstretched hand that glows a brilliant purple in the dusty light. Smoke billows up from the room around you obscuring the sunlight that filters through the ruined front of the house, but you can still see the front drive already becoming swarmed with people and news crews.
Because that's exactly what Rosemary needs to see, me and Ben on the 5'oclock news. Fuck.
"Come on." You lead him back the way you can, toting his shield in your free hand, down the stairs.
When you spot Butcher, Ben straightens finally catching his bearings and takes the shield from you. Butcher looks from Ben to you, eyebrows raised.
"Sorted?"
"Yeah." Ben frowns.
You could tell that he was still a little shaky, but you knew he wasn't going to admit that to anyone, especially not to Butcher. Your gaze falls on the man from before laying on the ground, the man that Butcher had told Ben to leave.
Why did he want Ben to spare his life if Butcher was only going to beat him down?
But just as you take a step towards the man to check him for injuries, a long shadow falls on the floor at your feet.
Your eyes jolt upwards and focus on Homelander. The smell of hairspray, hair dye, and cheap cologne waft through the air at Homelander's appearance.  He's shorter than you expected him to be, not overtly muscular, but he didn't need to be. Supes with superstrength didn't need to look like body builders, and you suspected that the only reason why Homelander even had any kind of muscle was for his image as America's Hero. Then again, you never complained about Ben's muscular physique.
I don’t think anybody should complain about that and- Nope. Nope. Not thinking about that right now.
But as you stare at him there's something wrong, something that you can't place, something that tugs at the back of your mind when you look at him, almost as if you've forgotten something important.
Seeing him in person is surreal. You'd only ever seen him on the news or on billboards or on those stupid energy drinks that were sold at the bodega on the corner where you get coffee filters sometimes, but the look in his eyes is the same. It's cold, unfeeling, and reminds you of those ridiculous shark documentaries that Rosemary is obsessed with. The only time she could watch shark week was after Lou went to bed. She said that watching it made her feel better about her job and you didn't complain.
Homelander looks around the room forcing a smile, a predatory glare in his eyes.
"William Butcher and Soldier Boy. Of course you are behind this. It really is all about me." Homelander's smile widens.
Narcissistic much? This guy's like a walking red flag.
He takes a step closer to the three of you, and Ben steps in front of you to shield you from Homelander's view. Homelander clocks the movement, but then tsks his finger at Butcher.
"William we made a deal to fight to the death, you and me." Homelander's eyes begin to glow. "You cheated, deals off."
The red flash of the laser-vision illuminates Ben's face in sharp contrast as the beam hits Butcher full in the chest propelling him back into the wall. His body falls to the ground and lies still.
Well. That's not good.
Honestly you didn't like Butcher all that much, but you couldn't help but feel a little bit bad.
You glance up from Butcher's body to gaze at Homelander again. Fighting him hadn't been on the agenda today, but it was starting to look that way. You knew what his powers were, knew that Vought probably told him his entire life that he was a god and that no one could compare to him. And you knew that the man standing next to you hadn't changed enough to walk away from the fight, no matter how bad his odds were.
And deep down you knew that you weren't going to let Ben take that beating, which of course meant that you were going to fight Homelander. Not that you were afraid of him. One look at him might have sent everyone else heading for the hills, but he didn't intimidate you.
"I watched all your movies, hundreds of times. You were the only one that was nearly as strong as me." The look on Homelander's face is one of respect almost wonder.
And you can imagine a smaller version of Homelander being fed all the same propaganda that Ben and you were fed all those years ago, imagine Homelander growing up hearing that he was stronger, greater, faster than Soldier Boy, and imagine Vogelbaum working hard to make sure to mold Homelander into the hero that America wanted. Not to mention all the shit he probably heard when he was with Stormfront. You were very happy that you didn't have to see her again, though now you had a fun story to tell Ben about one of his exes.
“Buddy you’re wearing a cape, do you think you look strong?” Ben frowns at Homelander.
“It is pretty stupid.” You agree examining Homelander’s supe suit. “Honestly I thought you had it bad with that dorky looking helmet-“ You glance at Ben out of the corner of your eye.
“Really? You’re gonna do this now?” Ben glowers turning his attention to you.
“I’m just being honest it was pretty bad and I’m glad you decided not to wear it today. But his cape is definitely worse.”
“Do you want me to bring up that ridiculous hood you had?”
“You can, but I won’t believe you, because that hood was fabulous and I looked fantastic in it.”
Homelander clears his throat to catch your attention. “Um hello?”
“Hi.” You force a smile. “Oh sorry did we interrupt your little monologue?”
Homelander's gaze turns icy as you continue. “Because we can take this from the top. What was the line again? Something about power or watching his films? I was only half listening. Did you want me to record it for you so you can post it on your socials?”
“What the f-“ Homelander begins to say, but you interrupt him.
“I mean. That is why you practiced it in the mirror for so long right? And why you did your hair and makeup?" You scrunch up your nose. "I'd skip that last mist of hairspray if I were you. You want it to look smooth, not look like you stuck your finger in an electrical socket.”
You could tell that Ben was trying to maintain his composure, but his mouth was twitching in a smile. “Oh wait does your suit have a body cam? I guess that makes things easier, because it probably doesn't have pockets. Not to mention if you dropped your phone while you were flying around-"
"Who the fuck are you?" Homelander spits interrupting you.
"No one important."
“Is he really what passes for a hero these days?” Ben cocks an eyebrow. “He’s just a cheap fucking knock off of me.”
“No.” Homelander snarls, eyes beginning to glow bright red. “I’m the upgrade.”
The laser cuts through the air in slow motion, but you’re already moving.
"Ben!" His name rips from your throat as you lunge forward and shove him as hard as you can out of the way of the beam. You feel the laser tear through your body, the force throwing you backward through one of the wood paneled walls and then the darkness swallows you whole.
If someone were to ask you what it was like to die, you wouldn’t know how to answer. To exist in those thirteen seconds sometimes feels like a dream, like you're floating, but it's always silent. And the silence scares you. How quickly it comes to drag you under and how it seems to replace everything you know or remember about the real world until you come back to life. You understood why Ben didn't like being alone, because you didn't either. It reminded you too much of those moments you were gone, wishing for it to stop. There was never a bright light, there was only the darkness and the silence that fell when your heart stopped beating.
When you take your first breath in thirteen seconds it's full of dust and ash, swirling into your mouth as you inhale sharply to jumpstart your lungs. But at the same time everything is different. The colors in the room are brighter, the sounds more acute, the smells just a fraction stronger, and you feel different. Power floods through your limbs, swirling through flesh and bone, pouring through your veins, electrifying through each nerve ending and setting you on fire, more than any other power ever has. You'd never felt power like this before. Even with Countess and the others that had killed you, no other power you'd ever gotten had felt this strong.
You stand up from the rubble you landed in, covered in a layer of dust and blood. The hole in your new outfit where the laser struck is just under your left breast, the mark left behind already a pink scar. And you knew that Ben would probably kill you for it later, for taking the laser for him, but you didn't care.
Homelander is floating in the center of the room, holding Ben by the throat, smiling cruelly at him.
"Hey asshole." You snarl, spitting out a glob of blood onto the ruined carpet. "We're not done."
Homelander turns his head towards you amused, while Ben grabs at the front of his suit, trying to get his attention, but Homelander is focused on you.
"So that's it? That's your big trick? Laser vision? Forgive me for not cowering in fear." Your hands clench into fists at your sides.
He eyes you for a moment. "You're Indigo aren't you?"
"I used to be. Now I'm just disappointed. I expected more from Vought's big hero, but now I see that you're just another asshole who thinks he's a god." Your eyes drift to Ben for a moment, worry clawing at your heart when you meet his gaze. "So drop him. Before I drop you."
"You’re very confident for someone who was dead a few seconds ago. I don't really see how that ability is going to help you-"
"Before I didn’t want to kill you."
"And you think you can?" He laughs.
"No." You smirk. "I know I can."
"Who do you think you’re talking to?"
"I’m not talking to much." Your eyes narrow. "But I'll be nice, and I'll give you a chance to leave. To tuck your tail between your fucking legs and fly away. We didn't come here for you and you and I don't have to do this."
"And if I don't leave?"
"Then I'll kill you."
"I'd like to see you try." Homelander throws Ben as hard as he can through the brick fireplace, causing rock and mortar to rain down on top of him, but Homelander's eyes don't leave yours. “Well why don’t you give me your best sho-“
He doesn’t have time to finish his sentence, your body ploughs into his tackling him through the solid outer wall and onto the back lawn.
Truthfully you hadn’t meant to go through the wall, you’d only meant to pin him to it, but flying was proving just a little more difficult than you expected. Your hand closes on Homelander’s wrist bringing him down against the ground so hard that the earth quakes, before you throw him as far away from you as you can.
His body spins awkwardly in the air, before he ploughs into one of the thick oak trees head on, at the edge of the backyard. The loud snap of the tree compensating for Homelander’s body fills the air.
He stumbles to his feet, eyes narrowed in pure hatred, lip curled back in a snarl, and his blonde hair flopping forward into his face.
“You chose wrong.” You spit, rolling your shoulders, preparing for what came next.
Homelander lets out a roar and flies towards you, arms outstretched for you, but you’re ready for him.
You catch his fist before it lands against your face and tighten your other hand around his throat. Your bodies are floating two feet off the ground, but it doesn’t faze you.
When Homelander’s gaze meets yours you see just a flicker of fear, a spark, quickly masked by his shock. He struggles to pull away to push you away with his free hand, but all you do is tighten your grip.
 "You've never felt real pain before have you?" You force your face into a sympathetic frown, before your eyes harden. "Allow me to enlighten you."  You throw him to the ground again, watching his body spin and screech against the grass and dirt.
 Given the screams and smell of blood in the air, any witnesses from the massacre inside were at the front of the house waiting for the police, leaving you and Homelander on the backside of the house alone.
Worry for Ben rose in your chest like the peak of a wave, you hadn't seen him since Homelander threw him through the fireplace, but you funnel that worry into all encompassing rage.
"They told you that you were a god right? That you were the most powerful supe that ever lived. They were wrong. There's only one supe more powerful than you, and you just fucking pissed her off." You shout beginning to float towards him.
Homelander growls rising to his feet, eyes glowing bright red as he fires a laser at you, but you’re ready.
Your own beam catches his mid air between you, the high pitched sizzle and smell of ozone floats across your face, but you don't back down. If anything, it just makes you more angry.
And then something slams into you from the side, breaking the connection between your beam and Homelander's.
"What-" You shout, looking up at the body above yours, preparing to blast them off, but you realize it's Ben. "Ben what-"
"Stay here." He growls, eyes black. Ben looks pissed, whether it’s because you pushed Ben out of the way before or if it’s because he’s annoyed that Homelander punched him you’re not sure.
"What?" You look beyond him, to see Hughie and Butcher tackle Homelander to the ground.
They're going to try to turn him human.
"I can hold him down-" You say. “Let me help.”
"No." Ben snarls as he stalks towards Homelander, his chest beginning to glow.
“Ben-“
“Stay the fuck there.” Ben shouts still looking at Homelander.
Your eyes flit to the leader of the Seven. Watching him struggle against Hughie and Butcher, who yell at one another, but you don’t hear them. You wait for the remorse to crash over you, the guilt, but it never comes.
I gave him a choice. He could have run. He didn’t. He chose this.
And just when you think it’s all over, Homelander breaks away from them, surging up into the air to freedom. You feel your feet leave the ground to follow him, someone’s hand tightens on your ankle and drags you back down to earth.
“No.” Ben’s voice is more of a growl than anything else.
He’s angry, that much you can tell from the look on his face and from the way his eyes have hardened into two solid chunks of emerald as he locks eyes with you.
But why? Angry because Homelander got away or angry because I pushed him out of the way?
“Ben I can get him. Let me go.” You kick your ankle but Ben holds on.
“No.” Ben snarls. “You’re not about to go after that sick fuck by yourself.”
“Ben-“
“No. If I have to chain you to the ground I will.” Ben pulls you down further and releases your ankle to  fasten his hand around you waist to hold you tighter against the ground. “You’re not going after him.”
“Fine.” You snap pulling yourself from his grasp, your own temper flaring.
You hated when Ben did that, when he acted like you weren’t just as capable as him of doing this. It reminded you of your childhood, when you were treated like you were made of glass, a pretty doll that was made to be looked at but never touched.
And you knew it came from Ben’s want to protect you, knew that it came from his fear of losing you, but that didn’t make it any less annoying.
You didn’t pout when Ben went out to face someone, didn’t try to act like he couldn’t do it.
“I know that maybe I’m a little behind but… WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?” Hughie shouts. “You have laser vision and you can fly and you can move things with your mind!?” He looks frantically from you to Ben.
You don’t answer, your eyes are still on Ben who looks ready to throw Butcher’s car into space. You could practically see the waves of anger rolling off of him like a comic strip.
“You didn’t before, did you?” Butcher’s eyes trace your body as things begin to click into place. “You didn’t before he killed you.”
“Hold on.” Hughie holds up his hand. “Are you telling me that you die and you come back to life WITH THE POWERS OF THE SUPE THAT KILLED YOU?”
“It wasn’t in the files.” Butcher’s eyes still haven’t left you. “Vought didn’t know did they?”
You don’t like the way he’s looking at you, don’t like the glimmer in his eyes as if you’d just solved all his problems. It was the exact look that was in the eyes of the scientists the day you took the serum for the first time. To them that’s all Ben and you were, lab rats, people who were stupid enough to listen to the wild ideas of glory and a better world they spouted.
“We should go.” You murmur, listening to the sounds of the ambulances and the police coming up the driveway. “It’s about to be a circus here and I'd rather not make my big social media debut covered in rubble and blood."
Ben’s mouth is clamped together, green eyes blazing at your mention of blood. You knew that he was focused on the bloody hole left behind in the corset where Homelander's laser had ripped through your body.
Another scar, another fun story to tell my daughter when I see her… great.
*****************************************
The car ride to Legend’s is dead silent. Ben doesn’t look at you, doesn’t try to hold your hand, and doesn’t try to touch you in any way. Instead his hands are curled into fists, sitting on the tops of his thighs while his anger heats the inside of the car like a furnace. You knew it was only a matter until he exploded, but now you had bigger things on your mind.
You had just exposed yourself to Homelander, showed your face to him, not to mention you admitted to being Indigo. It would be easy for him to find your real name in the Vought archives find your file and the same name that linked you to Rosemary. She’d gone back to her maiden name when her husband died, which meant the two of you had the same last name and it wouldn’t be difficult for Homelander to find her.
Which meant you needed to get to her first.
You had tried to text her, tried to tell her to have a bag ready and that you were going to pick her up, but she was refusing to do so and you didn’t exactly want to text “Homelander is a fucking psychopath and he’s going to come after you” to her phone. Plus you couldn’t exactly call her, not in this cramped car.
Legend is waiting on the front porch of his country home when Butcher pulls his car into the end of the long driveway, somewhere that you’d been to many times in the past. He's smoking a joint and scrolling through his phone, wearing the same outfit you had seen him in a few days ago.
"Kitten!" He smiles wide at you when he sees you and pulls you into a hug. “I was worried when I heard about that mess with Countess. You never called.” Legend frowns at you, blowing out a lungful of smoke. "Guess you guys had a talk."
"Something like that." You frown. "It got complicated really fast."
“I told you so.” His eyes shift to where Ben is glowering a foot behind you. "I see he found you. I didn't tell him-"
"I know you didn't. Thank you for keeping your promise." You smile tightly, squeezing Legend's hand. He really was a good friend. One of the oldest ones you had besides Ben.
"Figured if I did, you'd keep him from ripping my head off."
“Haven’t decided if I’m not going to yet.” Ben snarls and Legend's eyes widen in fear.
But you knew that he was just redirecting his anger. Ben was angry because you put yourself in harms way to protect him and the sooner you had it out, the sooner you could go get Rosemary and Lou.
"Ben we both know that you're not mad at Legend, you're mad at me. So you might as well spit it out, because we've got bigger problems than your hissy fit-" You begin to say. You were sick of him pouting, refusing to look at you, refusing to touch you.
"What the FUCK were you thinking?!" Ben roars towering over you, eyes flashing. "Getting between me and him like that!"
Legend backs away, afraid that he's going to get caught in the cross-fire.
"Calm down." You sigh, gritting your teeth together. You were trying your best not to lose it either, because the last thing this situation needed was you losing control.
"DON’T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN." Ben's hands are clenched tightly into fists, his suit beginning to glow bright.
"You're going to have to calm down or you're going to blast me to kingdom come!" You snap back.
Ben grits his teeth together and closes his eyes tightly while his chest begins to fade back to normal and when it does, he opens his eyes to glare at you. "Why did you do that? I had him handled-"
"You didn't."
"Yes I did. You didn't give me a chance to-"
"No what I did was I didn't give that psychopath a chance to punch a hole through your chest with his fucking laser vision." You poke him in the chest. "Of the two of us, I have a greater chance of surviving that!”
By then Butcher and Hughie had moved to give the two of you a wide berth, standing where Legend was watching the two of you looking bored. They were probably hoping that you didn’t cut one of them in half with your new powers.
"Are they always like this?" You hear Butcher ask Legend from where they stand a safe distance away.
"Pretty much." Legend answers, blowing out a puff of the fowl smelling smoke.
"Do you ever get used to it?" Hughie mutters.
"Nope."
“Is there an off button?” Butcher sighs.
“Nope.” Legend puffs his joint.
"You don't know that!" Ben spits back at you. "I could have!"
"I wasn't willing to take that chance damnit!"
How can I make him understand this? How can he finally understand what it would be like for me to lose him all over again, just when I got him back?
"Do you really think that I'm willing to play Russian Roulette with your life?" Ben snarls, grabbing you by the shoulders so tightly you're sure they'll be bruises but all you can do is look into his quickly darkening eyes. "Do you have any idea what it did to me to see you die AGAIN? To see him TOUCH YOU? To know that he HURT you?"
"We've already had this conversation Ben-"
"And we're going to fucking have it again!" His grip tightens. "I told you to stay behind me!"
The last time he'd touched you like this was the night of the premiere, when he told you that he didn't care about you, that he could never love you. The memory of that night lodges itself in the back of your throat, but you keep it down.
"And I told you that I wasn't going to do that!"
"Damn it y/n you can't-"
You pull yourself away from him. "No Ben. You can't tell me what to do. You don't get to control me. People have tried to control me all my damn life and when I first came with you I thought I was giving that up. But no, I just moved on and Vought took over. When I decided to live my own life, to stop being a supe, I was free! Finally! After forty years of bullshit I was finally free!"
Ben’s jaw is so tightly locked together you think you hear the grinding of his teeth. “So what are you saying? Are you saying that when you’re with me you feel trapped? Like I’m holding you fucking hostage?!”
“No.” You exhale heavily. "I understand that you love me. I understand that you want to protect me. But you need to understand that I love you too. That just as you're willing to lay down your life for me, I am willing to lay down my life for you. And if you want this to work between us, you need to understand that you don't control me. You're not my dad or my owner, you're the man I love. And until you realize that I am just as capable of protecting you as you are protecting me-"
"I know that." Ben seethes.
"What?"
"Do you really think that I don't see how strong you are?” You watch something flash in his eyes that isn't anger, the vulnerable look is back for a fleeting moment and it rocks you to your core. "I don’t want to control you! I’m not trying to. Have you thought that maybe after all this time I just wanted you to need me like I need you?"
His confession makes your heart stop. Does he really think that I don’t need him? That after all these years there’s no one else that I’ve needed more in my entire life?
“Ben.” You sigh while stretching out your hand to lay against his arm, but he flinches away. “ I do need you. You have no idea how much I need you, no idea what it did to me when I lost you even after everything that happened. I just don’t want you to treat me like I’m made of glass.”
“I don’t treat you like you’re-“ He begins to say.
“Yes. You do. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to protect me, but you have to understand that I want to protect you too.”
He huffs out a breath, shoulders tensed, arms crossed over his muscular chest. “I do understand that. I just hate it when you do that, that you push me out of the way. I hate when you get hurt.”
“And I hate when you get hurt." You bite the inside of your cheek. "You say that you were angry that Homelander hurt me, but did you stop to consider what it did to me to see him try to hurt you? Do you know what it did to me to see him touch you?”
Ben stands there for a minute glaring down at you, before his gaze begins to soften. “No.” He grumbles.
“Exactly.”
You both stand there for a minute eyeing one another, daring the other to break the silence.
This is ridiculous.
Finally Ben, sighs out a breath and jerks you forward against his chest. The hug would be bone crushing for anyone else, but not to you.
“You’re so fucking annoying.” He mutters into the top of your head, while his body curves around yours.
“I love you too asshole.” You huff, hugging him back just as tight.
“See they always work it out.” Legend shrugs at Butcher. “Takes them a while to get there. They made my job so much harder in the 70’s. Though I will say it’s a relief that they’re finally admitting they love each other. Way too much sexual tension before, gave me anxiety.”
Ben pulls back to look at your face with another loud sigh. He still looks a little angry, but not angry enough to start shouting again. His thumb strokes against your cheek. “Are you okay?”
You nod once leaning into his touch. “Are you?” You brush back some of his dark hair out of his face, looking for bruises but you don’t see any.
“Yeah.” He nods.
“If the two of you are done, we have bigger things to worry about-“ Butcher begins to say.
“We are and we do.” You interrupt looking away from Ben to stare at Butcher. “I need to borrow your car.”
“Why?”
“I need to go back to the city.”
“What?” Ben sputters releasing you from his grasp.
“And I think it would be better if I went alone-“ You continue slowly.
Honestly you did think that it would be better if you went alone, but you didn’t want to. You wanted Ben to come with you, the problem was Rosemary.
“Like hell I’m letting you go alone with that son of a  bitch flying around!” Ben shouts, temper flaring again.
“Which is why I have to go.” You try to say it diplomatically, try to have him understand without having to explain it. But there’s really no way around it, around any of this.
“No.”
“Ben please c-"
“Don’t tell me to calm down again! I’m not being crazy. You’re not going after him!” His eyes blaze a brilliant green, as he crosses his hands over his chest.
“Ben-“
“Why can’t you listen to me for once?”
“BEN!” You shout, grabbing his face and holding his cheeks between your palms to catch his attention.
“What?” Ben’s eyes lock with yours.
“I’m not going to the city to go after Homelander.”
He pauses confused. “Then why are you-“
And you just can’t take it anymore. You can’t hold it in any longer, can’t think of a way to tell him without just ripping the bandaid off. Your eyes meet his, apologetic, determined, and just a little bit fearful.
“I’m going back into the city to get our daughter.”
*****************************************************
A/N: I know I know, it's been a while and honestly I didn't mean to get hit by writer's block this bad 😂😭
But it kinda works out, because what better way to celebrate Father's Day than to tell Soldier Boy that he's a dad?
As always thank you so much for reading! There are big things coming! And thank so much for the love and support! If you'd like to be added to the taglist please let me know :)
Taglist: @roseblue373 @anundyingfidelity @cheynovak @cassiecasluciluce @muhahaha303 @deans-spinster-witch @kayleighmeister @demodemo909 @fruitfacess @bobbobbobinogs @bughill126 @simplyfixated @sleepjam @tiredstrangerr @freefallthoughts @onlyangel-444 @lov3vivian @mxltifxnd0m @mayafatimakhan @marvel-mistress @my-obsession-spn @lifeonawhim @soldirboy @liuope @brynanna @carpenterswife @xxannyxx @babyinatrench-coat1 @the-gentle-spirit @valryomen @cassieriddle713 @shaggzthatsnottheworm @lil-soup @ej13928 @topstory21 @boywivlove @mrsjenniferwinchester @vivre-dans-la-nuit @megara0224 @daisy-the-quake @thesilmarillionblog @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @libby99hb @peachhiz @tinydancer40
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bellaxgiornata · 2 months
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A Favor from the Devil |Chapter Three|
Pairing: Matt Murdock x fem!Mom!Reader Word Count: 4.9k [Series Masterlist]
Warnings/tags: 18+; Domestic abuse, depictions/mentions of sexual assault, struggles with past trauma, canon-typical violence, angst with a happy ending, friends to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut (possibly more warnings to come)
a/n: This chapter may contain triggering content, so please heed the series warnings! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!
Tag list: @kee-0-kee @dethspllz @a-half-empty-g1rl @senjoritanana @kezibear @sleepysleepymom @danzer8705 @scriptedmoon @flowher @wanda-maxamommy @guccicloudz @loves0phelia @withasideofmeg @mattmurdock-wife24 @sarraa-26 @mylastarrival @mdanon027 @kmc1989
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Matt's mind was elsewhere this morning. 
Ever since he'd woken to the sound of his piercing alarm and dragged his tired body out of bed, his mind had not been on the information he'd uncovered last night or on Mr. Williams’ case. It had returned to you and your daughter. 
He'd tried not to eavesdrop on the pair of you while he’d gotten ready for work this morning, but that had proven more difficult than he would have thought. After last night on your fire escape, Matt had come away with far more questions about the pair of you than he'd anticipated.
One thing he couldn’t shake from his mind was the fact that there wasn’t any furniture in your apartment–not even beds. You didn't even have basic kitchen appliances like a toaster or a coffee machine. The more he’d thought about it, the more Matt had come to think that it had nothing to do with you not having fully moved in yet to the apartment, and more to do with you just not owning any of those things. Most likely because it seemed like you were a single mother. It seemed more reasonable to assume that you didn't have those things in your apartment because you just couldn’t afford them.
That realization had admittedly bothered Matt. Because what else were you struggling with as a single mother trying to raise your daughter in the city–food? He didn't like the thought of you both next door to him going hungry.
He also couldn't stop wondering why you’d been crying in front of your daughter’s bedroom in the middle of the night. What had upset you? Who were you afraid of? And why did you feel the need to guard your daughter’s bedroom instead of sleeping in the other room? Matt had gotten the feeling that the answer to all of those questions was somehow tied to the explanation as to why you’d had such an intense reaction to seeing him in the hallway last night. Someone must’ve done something to you to make you react like that to him. To make you so full of fear. And every time he came to that conclusion, Matt’s hands curled into fists.
Leaning forward, Matt rested his elbows along the conference table. One hand absently ran back and forth across his mouth as he remained lost in thought about you. You both were a confusing mystery, one Matt wanted to solve if Daredevil was ever going to successfully keep you both safe. But making sense of what was going on either meant he’d need to invade your privacy further–something he knew he shouldn’t continue to do and that certainly wouldn't land him in your good graces–or he’d need to find a way to befriend you. But considering the reaction you'd had to him just unlocking his door in the hallway last night, he had a feeling getting you to even speak to him might prove difficult.
As Matt sat there continuing to tune out Karen and Foggy, he remembered how he’d overhead the pair of you in the hallway this morning and a small smile pulled at his lips. He'd considered it fair game to listen to the pair of you when you both weren't in the private space of your apartment, but truthfully when he'd heard your animated voice–a vast difference to the woman he'd heard crying last night–he just couldn't resist. 
You'd been making up a ridiculous, silly song about going to school–probably because of your daughter’s nerves. And while you weren't the best singer he'd ever heard, your enthusiasm when Matt had caught the faint giggle from your daughter had more than made up for that fact. You were a good mom. The way your body had reacted to that small giggle had told him everything he needed to know about that. You clearly loved your daughter. 
The small smile on Matt's mouth grew a little wider as he thought about you and Evie. He knew from experience that having a loving parent in your life was worth far more than having furniture and television sets and nice apartments. Your daughter was lucky to have you, whatever situation you both were in. And somehow that only made him want to help you even more, not just as Daredevil but as Matt Murdock, too.
A hand sharply slapping down atop the conference table directly in front of Matt broke through his distracted thoughts. The smile quickly fell from off his face as he raised his head, his attention shifting to Foggy who'd leaned over the table beside him.
“Hey buddy, care to share what's got you so focused on something else?” he asked. “Because if it's something more important than this case we’ve been struggling with that has you smiling like that, I think Karen and I both would relish a break where you clued us in on it.”
Matt cleared his throat, straightening in his chair as his arms lowered to the table. “It's nothing,” he said. “Sorry, what were you both saying?”
“No, no,” Karen replied, swiveling her chair towards Matt as a grin spread over her mouth. “Fog's right, we could use a break from this mess. I'd much rather hear what's on your mind that has you smiling for once instead of in your usual sour and broody mood.”
Matt's expression fell. “I am not sour and broody.”
“Actually she's right,” Foggy countered. “You're doing it right now. You've got the frowning and moody thing going on again.”
Matt sat back in his chair as he shook his head. “I do not. Now can we focus on–”
“So is it a girl?” Foggy pushed, disregarding what Matt had been about to say. “Because it's generally always a girl.”
Matt pulled a face at the implication. “What? No,” he replied. “Whatever you’re thinking is absolutely not what's going on.”
“I don't know,” Karen mused, crossing her legs as her attention fully turned to Matt. “You seem flustered or frustrated. Pretty sure Foggy is on to something.”
“It's always a beautiful woman with you,” Foggy stated in a tone of finality. “So did you sleep with her and forget to get her number? Or did Daredevil save her and now Matt Murdock wants her number to sleep with her? Or have you somehow confused her with another woman?”
“You should really start remembering their names,” Karen teased.
Matt's head swung back and forth between the two, noticing the way they both seemed to be staring at him. “Is that what you both think of me?” he asked in disbelief. “That I'm some sort of–of–”
“The word you’re looking for starts with a ‘W’, Matt,” Foggy joked.
Matt's eyes narrowed behind his lenses, not remotely in the mood for jokes this morning. “That's not what this is. I have this new neighbor that just moved in and–”
“ Matthew !” Foggy abruptly scolded him. “You cannot sleep with your neighbor! You should know better than that!”
His brows drew together behind his glasses, his mouth falling open in shock. Could he not talk about a woman without it having something to do with sex? He really wasn't sleeping around that much.
“I'm not trying to sleep with her!” he shot back. “I'm worried about her! Her and her daughter.”
A silence filled the room after his outburst. Matt heard the movement in the air as Foggy and Karen exchanged a look with each other. Clearly they hadn't been expecting that. Seconds later he felt both their moods shift to something a little more serious.
“So do you think she needs legal help?” Foggy asked, his attention returning to Matt. “Is that why you're thinking about her? I mean it doesn't explain the far off look on your face and that smile you had, but that aside, are you thinking she might need some legal representation?”
“I don't know,” Matt said with a shrug, intentionally ignoring the other part of his comment. “Possibly? I honestly hadn't thought about that.”
“Then what has you so worried about them?” Karen asked curiously. “Was it something she said?”
“Well, no,” Matt awkwardly admitted, his focus shifting down towards the table. “I haven't actually spoken to her yet.”
There was another pause in the room when Karen and Foggy shared another look. Matt sighed, his shoulders dropping as he realized he’d have to share his activities from last night with the pair of them if he wanted Karen and Foggy to remotely understand what was on his mind. Besides, there had been something he’d been considering bringing up to them.
“She had a very strange reaction to me when she saw me in the hallway last night,” Matt explained, “and it caught my attention.”
Foggy chuckled lightly as he returned to his seat. “Buddy, not everyone's heart is going to race at the sight of you, okay? It’s not strange if hers didn’t.”
Matt rolled his eyes behind his lenses. “I'm being serious here, Fog. She was completely terrified of me when she stepped out of the elevator and saw me. And I wasn’t doing anything remotely threatening, I was just unlocking my door. But the intensity of her fear was…” Matt trailed off, remembering the strong, bitter taste of it on his tongue as it slammed into him all the way from across the hall. “I've never experienced someone reacting to me like that before. Daredevil, yes. But not Matt Murdock.” 
“So do you think she’s in some sort of trouble?” Karen asked. “Is that what you’re saying?”
Matt shrugged again, once more leaning over the conference table. One of his hands reached up and readjusted the glasses along the bridge of his nose as the soft sounds of your crying replayed through his mind. Something certainly didn’t seem quite right, but he wasn’t entirely sure what.
“Possibly,” Matt murmured, still deep in thought. “It definitely seems that way. I went back later that night as Daredevil and was trying to see if I could learn anything else about them.”
Foggy let out a loud groan, tossing his head back over his shoulders. The sound snapped Matt out of his thoughts, his head turning in his friend’s direction.
“Dude,” Foggy said, dragging the word out. “You can’t just go spying on people in their apartments! That’s a massive invasion of privacy! And it’s creepy!”
“I didn’t initially plan to,” Matt shot back. “I was heading back to my place and I heard crying. It was quite early in the morning and it caught my attention. I was concerned so I went to check things out. But then some other things about them just…stood out.”
“Like what?” Karen asked.
“They have nothing in their apartment,” Matt answered, switching his attention to her. “And I mean nothing. I couldn’t detect any furniture. There were no electronics. Not a toaster, a television, or anything else. Nothing. And,” Matt continued, “it sounded like her daughter was in a sleeping bag while the mother was just sleeping on the floor. In front of her bedroom. Like she was standing guard over her or something.”
“Okay,” Foggy said slowly, nodding his head. “Okay, yeah, that definitely sounds weird. But I don’t think that warrants spying on your neighbors, Matt. And if she didn’t come to you for help, I don’t know what you think you’re going to do. It sounds like she needs a job that treats her like a human and pays her like one–like most people in this damn city. Hell, we work for a lot of people like that!”
Karen spun her chair back towards the conference table, releasing a quiet sigh that Matt was sure his ears had been the only one to catch. She began fidgeting with the stack of papers in front of herself and that was all it took for Matt to know that Karen was just as bothered by your situation as he was. A slow smile spread across his lips. He knew Karen would be a good ally for you to have in your corner, too. Even if you didn’t know she was. Because at the very least, she also wasn’t one to sit by and let a mystery go unsolved. But Matt had slowly gotten an idea as he’d been sitting here ignoring his actual work for the past forty minutes. And he had a feeling Karen wouldn’t take much convincing to agree with him on it.
“Sounds like she escaped an abusive past,” Karen said. “But Fog is right, Matt. It sounds like her current issue is money, and there’s nothing we can do to help her with that. So unless she wants to build a case against her abuser–assuming that’s what’s really going on–I don’t see how we can help.”
“Well,” Matt began slowly, “there actually is something we could do to help her. At least a little bit.”
“Here we go,” Foggy muttered under his breath. “What’s that, Matt?”
“We could offer her a job,” he suggested. 
Foggy’s hand flew up in frustration, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Matt could hear the way he was shaking his head incredulously. It was the exact reaction he’d expected from him when he’d first come up with the idea.
“Matt, we’re just finally beginning to make somewhat of a profit here,” Foggy began, lowering his hand back to the table. “We can in no way afford to hire someone full time. It’s not realistic. We’d be back to struggling to keep the damn lights on again, and then we’d be helping nobody .”
“Hold on there, Fog,” Matt said, the smile still on his face. “I didn’t say anything about hiring her full time. We need some help keeping on top of organization and scheduling around here, right? That used to be Karen’s job until she became a partner in the firm herself. Now we’re all struggling to take on that load, and I think it’s safe to say that it’s not going well. Right?”
“Yeah,” Karen answered slowly, perking up in her chair. “We have been losing files and getting appointment times mixed up repeatedly. And there’s a backup of emails that I can’t sort through on my own.”
“Exactly,” Matt said, nodding enthusiastically. “So what if we offered her a part time position whenever she’s finished with her other job? Just a few evenings a week? She could bring her daughter to the office while she was here, I don’t think any of us would mind. We could get some much needed help around here and she could make some extra money without having to worry about needing childcare while she worked.”
“That’s…actually not a bad idea,” Karen replied. 
“Except you’re forgetting a few key issues there,” Foggy pointed out. He held up a hand, raising a finger. “One–you’ve never said a word to this woman before. How the hell do you expect to offer her a job? Two,” he continued, holding up a second finger. “If she’s as afraid of you as you say, talking to her is probably not going to be that easy. And three–” he held up a third finger, “–how do you go about explaining why you’re offering her a job to make extra money in the first place? Are you going to tell her you used your super senses and realized she’s financially struggling because her place is unfurnished?”
Matt’s smile wavered at all of Foggy’s perfectly valid points. All points he’d already thought of himself when he’d first had the idea. But he wasn’t going to let any of those deter him.
“I’ll figure all of that out,” he assured him. “What I want to know is if you’re on board with the idea of offering her a part time job should she be willing to accept it?”
Foggy ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “I don’t know how you’re going to find a way to work that into a conversation with her, but sure man. You have a point, we do need some help around the office. And if she’s competent and willing, I wouldn’t mind helping her out if she’s interested in the offer.”
“Great,” Matt said, sitting straighter in his chair. “I think the arrangement will be beneficial to everyone.”
“Fantastic,” Foggy replied. “Now can we get back on track, Saint Matthew? Because Mr. Williams is also a citizen of Hell’s Kitchen who just so happens to be our client. And he’s actually paying us to help him.”
“Right, of course,” Matt replied, once more readjusting his glasses along his nose. “You’ve got my full attention now. I promise.”
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Scrubbing the spaghetti sauce from the sides of the pot, you focused on cleaning up the dishes after dinner as you listened to the muted sounds of the Lion King coming from the living room. You’d been hunched over the kitchen sink for awhile now, grateful that the house had been fairly quiet ever since Daniel had returned from work. He’d seemed to be in a good mood this evening, too. At least, that's how he’d appeared while the three of you had been enjoying dinner a bit ago, which was something else you'd also been grateful for.
But then you caught the scent of cigarette smoke in your nose when you turned on the kitchen faucet. Rinsing the soap bubbles from the pot in your hands, you immediately tensed at the smell. If he’d been out back having a smoke, you knew something was wrong. Cigarettes were always a bad sign because they always meant he’d been drinking. 
With your back to the entrance of the kitchen, you could feel Daniel standing just a few feet behind you. The hair on the back of your neck prickled under his stare, but you kept your attention on the dishes in the sink. Things usually went better if you just kept your head down and remained as quiet as you could.
“Where’d you go today?”
Turning off the faucet, your eyelids slowly lowered. He must’ve noticed the gas gauge on the car because you’d had to use it today. You hoped he wouldn’t have checked it since you hadn’t had any extra cash this time to refill the tank to hide that you'd run out. You couldn't use a card to pay for gas, either, because he’d be able to see the purchase if you did. This was a new problem you'd unfortunately had to learn to deal with whenever you needed the car during the week.
“I told you that Evelyn had a dentist appointment today,” you answered, trying to keep your hands busy in the soapy water as you washed a bowl. “I couldn’t keep rescheduling it. I needed the car to take her.”
“Did you?” he asked. “Is that what you did today?”
You winced at the edge in his voice. Of course he wasn’t going to believe you. He never did anymore.
“Or were you shirking your responsibilities as a mother today?” he continued, the sound of his boots on the tile floor loud with each of his steps as he approached you from behind. “Were you off parading around like a tramp while I was at work? Making me look like a damn fool ‘cause you’re so goddamn ungrateful for everything I do for you?”
You could feel the anger rising in him as he spoke, your own levels of rising fear beginning to match. It used to be that he’d just yell on occasion when he had drunk too much, but recently he’d gotten meaner and scarier when there was alcohol involved. Now it wasn’t just the yelling anymore, and his sober apologies had long since meant shit.
“I promise you, I was just taking Evie to the dentist today,” you replied in the calmest tone you could muster. “If you want, I can call tomorrow and–”
Your words caught in your throat the moment he was behind you, the weight of him pushing you forward into the counter so hard with his own body that the edge of the countertop was pressing sharply into your skin through your damp shirt. Swallowing the groan of pain that threatened to sneak out of you, you tried to stay quiet. You never knew what he’d do next and you were terrified of making things worse if you even just breathed wrong.
“You know, you’ve got some nerve, honey,” he said, lowering his mouth beside your ear. “You think any other man out there is going to want you like that? Think any other man is going to love you? You’re nothing more than just a warm cunt to them. And not even a good one after having a kid.”
The smell of cheap beer and cigarettes lingered in your nose, causing your stomach to churn as his hot breath burned your skin. You wanted to push him off of you. You wanted to cry or scream. You wanted to vomit. 
But you did nothing.
Before you could even close your eyes, bracing yourself for whatever would happen next, Daniel’s hand dove straight into the soapy water in the sink. His fingers wrapped around your wrist in a bruisingly tight grip before he yanked your left hand out of the water and shoved it right in front of your own face. You winced as he crushed your wrist in his grip, but still you remained silent, watching as the soapy water ran down your forearm.
“You see that, honey?” Daniel snapped, shoving your hand further into your face. “You’re lucky I put a damn ring on that hand. No other man would want a disloyal bitch and her brat hanging around. You should be thanking me for not kicking you out when you got pregnant.” 
He roughly threw your hand back into the water, droplets splattering out of the sink and dampening your shirt. Pressing your lips firmly together, you tried to fight back the tremble growing in your right hand as the sound of the Lion King coming from the other room filled the brief silence. Daniel’s hand landed roughly on your ass next and you grit your teeth. The thought you repeated over and over in your head in these moments ran through it once more.
As long as it’s me and not her.
“Finish cleaning your mess,” Daniel ordered. “Put the kid to sleep, and then come find me.”
Your eyes snapped shut when he landed another sharp smack to your ass.
Startling awake from your place on the floor, you could feel a cold sheen of sweat covering your body. The tank top you’d worn to sleep in was now clinging uncomfortably to your damp skin. As you attempted to shove the horrible memory of your ex far away from your mind, you realized you’d been crying in your sleep.
Blinking repeatedly as you tried to slow the tears, you pushed yourself upright on the hard floor and wiped the back of your hand across your cheeks, trying to wipe away the tears. Except more continued to stream down in their stead no matter how many times you’d tried to dry them. 
“No other man would want a disloyal bitch and her brat hanging around.”
The memory of Daniel’s voice had your heart fiercely hammering in your chest, slamming furiously against your ribcage. It had been so loud and clear, as if he’d been sitting beside you and spoken them to you aloud. Irrationally your eyes swept the room in search of him, though you knew he wasn't here.
Trying to take a deep breath in, your right hand trembling violently at your side, you tried to calm down. What you needed right now was to step outside and breathe some fresh air before you spiraled into a panic attack.
Kicking the blanket off of yourself, you rose to your feet from your makeshift bed in front of Evie's room as your breath continued to come in sharp and fast. With your left hand clutching at your chest, you carefully opened the bedroom door with your trembling right hand. In the dim light of the room, you found her curled up inside the purple sleeping bag clutching Barnabas to her chest and looking deeply asleep.
Satisfied that Evie was safe, you quietly shut the door to her room before making your way soundlessly through your living room and over towards the apartment door. Quickly undoing the locks, you tried to take deep, full breaths. Though that was becoming even more difficult to accomplish with the burning pain you felt in your lungs with each inhale. 
Stepping out into the hallway, you gently shut your apartment door behind yourself. With one hand still clutching your chest, you hurried your way towards the staircase in the hall labeled ‘roof access’ that you’d noticed a few nights ago when you’d first moved in. Desperate to reach the roof for some air, you climbed the stairs in a rush. When you reached the top of the staircase, you flung the door wide open.
The sound of the city was much louder on the building’s roof than it had been inside of your apartment. As you stood there trying to focus on your breathing, the humidity of the evening clung to you, making your skin feel even damper than when you’d first woken. Closing your eyes, you attempted to focus on the present and ground yourself in it. You listened to the muffled sound of car horns down below mixing with distant sirens and the hum of a helicopter farther away. The smell of car exhaust and gasoline rose up from the streets below and filled your nose.
“You know, you’ve got some nerve, honey.”
Your stomach gave a sharp twist at his voice, a soft cry escaping your mouth. Knees buckling beneath you and threatening to give out, you dug the nails of your left hand further into your chest. But that didn't stop you from finally losing it, the tears once more pouring back down your cheeks.
You hadn’t had much time to process everything that had happened to you ever since you’d grabbed Evie and ran a few short months ago. So on some nights, like tonight, your mind decided to be cruel, replaying horrible memories as nightmares when you tried to sleep. As if, even now, you still couldn’t get away from your ex-fiance. 
A strangled sob snuck its way out of your mouth despite how hard you’d been fighting to keep it down. Trying to stay quiet, just as you’d always done, your quivering right hand curled into a fist as you raised it to your mouth. Biting down hard on your knuckles, you attempted to muffle the sound of your cries.
“Excuse me? Is someone up here?”
Inhaling a sharp, surprised breath, your head spun over your shoulder at the unexpected voice. You startled at the sight of a man–the blind man who lived across the hall from you–standing in front of another door. He was wearing a plain dark tee–shirt and sweatpants this time, and those dark glasses were once more covering his eyes as he sightlessly scanned the rooftop clearly in search of you.
Biting down on your tongue as your arms now wrapped around your chest, you tried to stop the flow of tears. Taking a step back towards the door you’d just come through, you desperately wanted to get away from this man who you’d suddenly found yourself alone with.
“I’m sorry,” he called out, taking a step out onto the roof while he kept one hand still holding the door behind him open. “I just thought I heard someone up here. Whoever you are, you sounded upset. I didn’t mean to intrude. I just–if someone’s there, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Taking another nervous step backwards, you sniffled softly. Half of you wanted to dart through the door behind you without a word, but the other half of you almost wasn’t sure if you’d caught genuine sincerity in his tone. Though you were still quite aware of how strong and intimidating he looked; the tee-shirt he was in tonight didn’t leave much to the imagination where his muscles were concerned.
“I’m fine,” you answered softly.
The man’s head immediately turned in your direction, his sightless gaze focusing on you. Your arms hugged yourself tighter, feeling uncomfortable with him noticing you. 
“I thought I heard crying,” he continued gently, his expression softening. 
You were thankful when he didn’t move any closer to you, but the urge to bolt was still growing in you. Your fear and that dream were still wholly present in your mind.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” you repeated, this time a little more forcefully despite the faint tremor in your voice. “You should go back inside.”
His head tilted to the side, his brows creasing a little above his glasses. “But you don’t–”
“I’m fine. Goodnight,” you said firmly.
Turning, you took the two steps back to the door you’d initially come through and wrenched it back open. Without a backwards glance at the man, you raced down the stairs two at a time, your heart pounding in your ears as you made your way back to the safety of your apartment where Evie was still soundly sleeping inside.
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dyns33 · 8 months
Text
For a smile
Dream of the Endless x female reader, sweet fools as ever
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Following the formalization of their relationship, Morpheus had been very clear with Y/N on two points.
He wasn't dancing, and he wasn't laughing.
Regarding the first point, he never gave a real explanation, simply refusing to move as Y/N spun around him to the music, frozen like a statue and calmly repeating that he didn't dance, ever.
Concerning his laughter, she had managed to make him laugh several times, and it quickly became apparent that he was simply ashamed, because this laughter was quite peculiar, to use simple and neutral terms, since the dreams master was easily hurt. It was likely that he was also simply ashamed of the way he danced.
Y/N had made the decision not to force him to do things he didn't like or that made him uncomfortable. It seemed normal in a relationship after all, even if Morpheus had some difficulty with the concept at first.
Fortunately they had talked about it, and he had come to accept his mortal lover's requests, even if he didn't understand them all.
“Why do you want me to knock on your door to enter your home ?”
"Because maybe I'm busy or with someone."
"… Do you have things to hide from me, agápi mou ?"
"No, but it's just being polite. I know I enter your kingdom every night without really asking you, but you sense that I'm coming. For my part, I almost have a heart attack every time you appear behind me without making a sound."
"I can send Matthew to let you know I'm coming so you won't be surprised."
"Dream. The door."
“Very well, agápi mou.”
"… I'm really not hiding anything from you, you know ?"
“I know, I was just saying that to tease you.”
It was sometimes difficult to know what Morpheus was thinking.
Not always, because the Dreaming reflected his mood without him being able to do anything about it, and he had difficulty with certain feelings, like sadness or anger.
But joy. Dream of the Endless had difficulty expressing joy.
It wasn't just the laughter that was the problem. He rarely smiled. So rarely that Y/N almost jumped the first time she saw this wonder appear on his face, and he had no excuse to hide this sweetness from her. His skin hadn't cracked, his features hadn't distorted, he was even more handsome than usual.
Y/N dreamed of seeing him smile more often, if not always. But his lips remained frozen in a flat, imperturbable line most of the time.
The few times the smile appeared, it was sudden, so vivid that you only had to click your eyes at the wrong time to miss it, and each time it was as if Y/N was seeing it for the first time.
A pure marvel.
In order not to scare Morpheus, who tended to act like a wild cat, Y/N tried not to stare too much or show interest. As discreetly as possible, she nevertheless did everything to make him offer her this spectacle.
Most of the time it worked, but Dream also smiled without her needing to do anything, simply because she said or did something he found charming.
“Are you still trying to hear my laugh ?”
"Not at all ! I swore I wouldn't do it again. Why ?"
“You’ve been terribly distracted and affectionate lately, agápi mou.”
"I'm just happy to be with you." She said, resting her head on his shoulder, her arms around him. "You're very distracting, and huggable."
"It is rather you who deserves such adjectives. I have a lot of difficulty concentrating on my task. Your presence in my domain monopolizes all my attention, and I only think of you when you are awake, waiting for your returning or fighting the urge to visit you in the Waking."
"Flatterer."
Her response made him smile again and Y/N felt butterflies in her stomach.
When Morpheus talked about needing to see her, Y/N could understand the feeling. She felt the same way about him, but also about his smile.
She asked the inhabitants of the Dreaming for advice. Lucienne thought poems might help. Abel had time to respond that talking about old stories would give him pleasure, before Cain planted an axe in his head, saying that she could confide secrets to the nightmares master. Mervyn made some rather indecent comments about strawberries and a bed. Matthew simply begged her to keep the Dreaming from raining again.
“It’s adorable that you try to make him smile, but you know him, I know him, if he misunderstands something, it will be a disaster.”
“Why would he take it badly that I wanted to make him smile ?”
"He might think you're mocking him. He's very sensitive, this guy."
"I don't know what he went through before we were together, but I would never make fun of him. I just want him to be happy."
"I know, kid. But does he know that ?"
She should have listened, and remembered once again that Dream was a big, timid cat, unaccustomed to receiving signs of affection. He didn't hate that she surrounded him with love, but he seemed lost that it was so common.
Such an outburst of passion could only be linked to madness, and he knew that Y/N was not in his younger sister's domain. Maybe she wanted to get something in return.
After some time, Y/N then got the exact opposite of what she was looking for. Each of her romantic or generous actions received an almost frightened look from Morpheus, his entire face resembling that of a marble statue, devoid of a smile.
She might have been afraid if she hadn't known he would never hurt her. Following the many mistakes he had made in the past with his lovers, Dream had ended up learning certain things, like keeping calm, and trying to communicate.
The key word being 'trying'.
"Ilie mou, you offer me so much affection, what can I give you in return ? Is your sleep disturbed ? Are you lacking inspiration ? Do you have a particular need ?"
"No. Everything is fine." Y/N replied, not understanding that his questions were full of confusion and fear.
"… I see. Is it honey then ? A little sweetness before having to announce something bitter ?"
"If it's a poem, it's quite strange. I don't have any honey, Morpheus. Would you like some tea ?"
He ended up believing that she wanted to leave him, but without knowing how to tell him, too kind or worried that he would react violently like with the others before her.
The thought crossed his mind that the process was far too cruel for Y/N. It seemed absurd to shower him with love in order to protect his feelings, only to tell him right after that she didn't love him anymore.
But it happened that some beings were thinking with their hearts, not listening to reason, and it was always possible that his beloved had not seen that far.
"I knew it… It's raining."
"Why do you say that like I'm responsible ? He might be saddened by something else, Matthew."
"He would have talked to you about it. Or he would have talked to me about it. He would have talked to someone about it. He loves to complain when it concerns his family or his work. Everyone needs to know that he is the poor wretch who has done nothing wrong and is trying to save the world. But for private matters ? He hides in a corner."
"… But he has no reason to be sad. It's true that he seems worried lately, but everything is fine between us."
It was a conversation as surreal as it was depressing, having to explain to the dreams lord that all the attention he had received for several weeks had no hidden meaning, no tragic end, but only the desire to make him happy and to see him smile, without expecting anything else in return.
That, he could understand. Morpheus loved seeing Y/N smile. It was just the fact that someone might care about him that was new to him. Absurd. Not deserved.
"Besides, agápi mou, I am happy in every moment spent with you. I tell you as soon as you ask me. Why so much fuss about my mouth ?"
“Don’t say that sentence again in that voice, I might faint.”
"So it's a question of aesthetics ? Don't you like my 'sulky goth teenager look' ?"
“I never said such a thing.”
“No, Matthew said so.”
"Hmm. I won't deny that you look beautiful when you smile and that's a plus. But I love you, even when you pout."
“I’m not pouting.”
"Of course not."
“I love you too, Ilie mou.” he said, kissing her.
Y/N’s response was to stare at him with wide eyes. Dream stared back, raising an eyebrow. She raised both, as a challenge, continuing to look at him, before she couldn't suppress her smile.
He rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop his lips from curling. The message was clear, even though they knew they were happy together, it was still nice to see their loved ones' faces lit up like that.
As with many things, it wasn't usual for the Endless, but smiling came naturally in Y/N's presence, so it shouldn't be too difficult to please her. Maybe one day they will even dance.
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cynthiav06 · 3 months
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I can Almost imagine how Impressive you have to be To Pull THE percy Jackson. Like pulling any Demi-God is great but PERCY?!? The son of posiden?!? THE SAVIOR of Olympus?!?
I headcanon that Percy is really just out of Anyone's League And You gotta be Pretty damn Special to be able to Pull him
Like imagine Fumbling him or breaking his heart
THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
Like come on Rick you are telling me Percy the greatest demigod of all time Jackson has to be paired up with someone who has nothing in common with him, frequently condescends him, literally forces her own views on him, hates his father, has a mother who tried to kill Percy, is controlling and toxically possessive of him and most importantly someone who has completely different life goals than him?? It doesn't even make sense when you look at it rationally.
I think Rick himself was trying to put Percy down in post Son of Neptune books by making his personality all about Annabeth.
We are talking about the Savior of Olympus, the bearer of Achilles Curse, the strongest demigod, the man who denied immortality from the King of Gods, Poseidon's favorite son, the only demigod to have been approached by other Pantheons first and well respected among their demigod equivalents, the only male demigod to have respect of Artemis, only one to be favored by so many Gods on the Olympian Council and that's only pre-Heroes of Olympus.
The Survivor of Tartarus, the demigod whose blood even Gaia wanted to wake to due to his power, the first and only Greek to be made a Praetor and now two times savior of Olympus. This is all without mentioning his singular and unique feats, and he has many.
AND THIS IS WHAT RICK DOES WITH HIS CHARACTER ARC????
Had Rick not been so obsessed with shoving Percabeth down our throats, he could have totally made Seafam Arc, and all our fics would have not been fics. We wouldn't even have needed headcanons for seafam cause Amphitrite and Triton and all of Atlantis would have absolutely loved him cause come on, it's Percy. It's impossible not to love him. So let's assume that's exactly what happened.
So the whole of Atlantis, Seafam, and most of the Olympian Gods love Percy and not to mention Sally and Paul, who are also very protective of Percy.
The new Lord of the Wild is his best friend, The Lieutenant of Artemis is his other best friend and cousin, both the children of Hades/Pluto are his best friends/cousins, the only other demigod to be blessed by Poseidon with a rare gift is also his very close friend not to mention other members of the Seven also respect him greatly and owe him quite a bit.
Hestia, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, Artemis,Hades, Hepheastus, and even Dionysus and River gods either openly favor him or have much respect for him. (Poseidon and the Seafam are implied, Bob and Damasen as well).
This isn't even taking into account all the pegasi and nymphs and sea creatures who love him and that he has a literal hell hound.
Percy not only has friends in high places and the favor of literal gods on top of being Poseidon's favorite son as told by Poseidon himself, all the people with special abilities are all close friends with him.
In Riordanverse, Percy is like the only person you don't want to cross like ever.
So you know logically if anyone needs an explanation as to why Annabeth isn't a good match for him and someone like Rachel would have fit much better. A mortal blessed with sight much like his Mother later turned Oracle of Delphi, the girl who saved his life in literally the very first two encounters they have, a girl under protection of Olympians and blessed by Apollo?
Apollo could have definitely waived the celibacy rule as there have been mentions of married women later becoming oracles in Greek mythology( May Castellan too if you count the books) and that the rule is only to prove devotion to the God nothing more. And if Apollo can't, then Delphi, who is a spirit older than Gods themselves, could just change allegiances. She once belonged to Poseidons' domain, so there's that.
But since I am biased in favor of Rachel, literally any other ship but Percabeth would have been logical and fitting and better off compatibility wise.
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skelliko · 7 months
Text
Baji Keisuke |°- he broke up with you, but it was a mistake -- small, tiny bits of angst.
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he didn't know what he was doing at all, he thought he understood but turns out he didn't. he thought he could go on with his day without having that giddy, warm feeling whenever you're mentioned or when Baji gets a vibration from his phone and without even looking to see who it's from he just knows it's you which causes a smile to creep up.
now, whenever he gets a text notification he jumps right into it thinking its you wanting him back but no, it's not you. it's some spam message or a text from one of his buds sending him homework answers that he forgot about. day instantly ruined.
he knows he's the one that ended it but why didn't you chase after him? it's a shit way to think and it doesn't make any sense at all because then what's the point in breaking up if he secretly wanted you to convince him to stay?
he regrets his decision, but also doesn't have the courage to face you again with this humiliation that only Baji, himself, has gained and caused. he didn't see the tears fall over your cheeks but he saw how you brought your hand up to your face when your back was turned. he knows you mourn in silence but looking back in that moment, he wished you to of slapped him for making that stupid statement and told him to take you back.
is that selfish of him? yes. because the only reason he broke up with you is because he was confused on what the feeling of love is supposed to feel like. in the beginning it seemed like a regular teenage romance, but as months went by he started to feel stronger emotions for you and that scared the hell out of him.
Keisuke being scared of love. he's not afraid of 50 men charging at him for a fight and it's him alone, he's not afraid of 100 either. he's not afraid of a knife battle, he's not afraid to speak up what's on his mind nor lead a large group within a gang, he's also not afraid to die for his friends. but he's afraid of love.
what is he supposed to say to get you back? 'hey I change my mind, can we get back together and cuddle? I miss your warmth' fuck no, you deserve an explanation and he's been pondering over it so much to the point where hes started to question if his heart can even beat anymore due to the distance between you both.
but is saving himself from humiliation better than losing you? no of course not. if it means to tell you how scared he was of a sappy emotion and you laugh at him then so be it if it means that he gets to see your smile, and if you don't laugh then he sure hopes you understand and don't stay consistent on being apart. cause this loneliness is becoming unbearable.
he ended up mentioning the situation to draken, why him out of everyone? cause draken has more experience with the feeling of love than anyone else. aside from takemichi but there's no way that hed be of help for Baji. and chifuyu gets all his relationship advice from his shows and books which all showcase high standards. and pah-chin is still in the middle of discovering his own feels for a certain someone.
"what the fuck Baji" are the first words that came out of Draken's mouth. it wasn't disappointed nor anger but rather a small push to get Baji actually thinking things over and becomes aware of not only his own emotions but yours as well. If Baji truly loved you then he wouldn't have waited this long, if he did then he wouldn't have even considered splitting up in the first place even if he was afraid. he could have talked his feelings out with you first but noooo he chose to go the hard way.
what the fuck indeed. he ended up being too focused on the humiliation on his side rather than the hurt on your side. now he feels like a complete douche.
sooner or later Keisuke finally managed to collect his mental strength In contacting you, he may have physical strength but his mentality is constantly going from one place to another, though with a bit of encouragement from draken he finally got over the fear. he was relieved that you hadn't blocked his number otherwise he would have to go up to you in person first and if so then he would have pondered longer.
it was a simple message but half the time simple and straightforward is enough to get the message across "hey, can we meet up? i want to explain a few things" "please" he double texted making sure that you get his notification, also wishing behind the screen that you reply soon.
he was starting to worry that you didn't want to talk things out and you were purposely ignoring him. he paced around his room, tried to listen to music to relax but then songs that you both would listen to came up and that just made him feel a lot worse, so he scraped that and started to tidy up his room. the nervous anticipation for your message kept increasing and decreasing with every little activity that he'd do to distract himself from you, it'd either make him calm for a few moments or make him remember.
but once you finally replied he couldn't have been more relaxed once you agreed, it was like a bubble popping. sure it took a few hours but baji convinced himself that you were just busy or maybe you were thinking though certain scenarios, which is what he'd do if roles were reversed. thought him thinking about it now makes him realise that he'd probably be pissed off if he was you, and the both of you were together for a reason meaning he was gonna have to face you while you're irritated.
he brought this all on himself, but he can handle you in that state, or in any state to be precise. he just wants to finally see you again and hopefully make things right.
a large mix of anxiety and excitement filled him up knowing that you both were gonna see each other face to face and talk without any more lies, he said he lost interest in you but that was far from the truth considering that he's actually gained more, and baji is almost dying to apologise to you and hopefully make things right. who knew he'd go this mad over someone.
even his mom realised the difference in Baji when you came into his life, and to now when you're out of it. she knows what happened and what Baji did since he ended up telling her after he told draken but that was mainly cause he asked about you, though that mainly just caused more confirmation of how much of a big mistake he did and sure enough after his mother's words it clicked that he needs you back more than anything. even his mom misses having you around and that's when you know it's serious.
when the time and day came he chose to walk to the meet up spot so that he can collect himself carefully and prepare his words. however on his way there he realised that he can't come empty handed with no tools to fix your heart. it'd almost make it seem like his job would be done half-assed if he went to fix something but only brought one tool. and his only tool in this scenario would be words that could be either taken lightly or with weight.
he wanted to bring you something, anything to physically show how sincere he is but he couldn't turn back to go to a flower shop and be late, that could just cause you to overthink that he doesn't actually care, plus baji wanted to be a little early to prove to you that he really does mean in wanting to explain everything.
so instead he quickly crossed the road to the opposite pathway and reached over someone's fenced, front garden that had some rose bushes and carefully snapped off the prettiest one he could find, one that he could be sure that you'd be obsessed over by how perfect the petals are. for the rest of the walk his finger tips had small, bleeding punctures from snapping off the thorns to make it safe for you to hold... that's if you accept it.
one is an odd number of roses but it's cutely appreciated either way holding one flower in your hand, two is an odd-even number of roses to have and holding just two flowers next to each other in one hand feels off, three and four are an okay amount to have but baji already spent a few dedicated minutes in trying to eye out the perfect rose. the people that own that bush should really try and take care of the roses more.
and there you are, walking right towards him, he could tell that you seem a little stiff and he doesn't blame you considering how you both last seen each other. though despite the whole reason for being here it feels almost nostalgic, because this spot is the place where you both first met where you apologised for mistaking him as someone else and here he is apologising to you in the same place for mistaking his feelings.
 ♡----
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navybrat817 · 1 year
Text
Sign the Dotted Line
Pairing: Sugar Daddy!Andy Barber x Female Reader Summary: You discuss the terms with Estelle and wait the week before seeing Andy again. Word Count: Over 3.5k Warnings: Slow burn, reader is broke (is that a warning?), sugar daddy offer, tension, slight insecurities, inner monologue, Andy Barber (he's a warning, okay?) Graphic talent and thanks: Banner - @sgt-seabass, Divider - @firefly-graphics , Header - yours truly A/N: Welcome back to my Terms and Conditions AU! Beta read by the lovely @whisperlullaby (thanks!), but any and all mistakes are my own. ❤️ Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!
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You had a hard time relaxing after your meeting with Andy. You couldn’t put your finger on why you were wound up. The discussion went well, even better than you expected. Andy wasn’t pushy considering the power he wielded, but also wasn’t a pushover when you questioned him or offered alternatives. He conducted himself the way you needed him to, both professionally and personally. If he hadn’t, you’d have a much harder time going along with his contact.
So why am I so restless?
Estelle, once again reminding you why she was one of the best friends a girl could have, stopped by your place with wine and pizza. “You were not about to tell me over the phone what happened. Once I get this passed out, dish.”
Your friend was unusually quiet as you gave her the rundown of the meeting and terms you agreed to. It meant a lot that she listened, but you expected her to chime in once or twice with her opinion as she refilled your glasses of wine. Was she thinking carefully about what to say or did she not have anything to add?
“I have three questions for you,” she said, drumming her manicured nails along her glass. “First, why didn’t you accept his higher offer for more money each month?”
There it is.
“Because it was an excessive amount of money considering he’s going to pay my bills and rent, along with getting me a new wardrobe AND a personal driver. Unless I’m going out with you or our friends, it doesn’t sound like I’m going to pay for anything.”
Saying it out loud made you shift uncomfortably in your chair. Everything you had was because you worked for it. Soon, you wouldn't even work at the diner. To think the next nine months you wouldn’t work? It didn't sound real.
It didn't sound like you.
“All I'm saying is you could’ve used that extra money for savings,” she pointed out with a raise of her glass. “Or to stock up on wine.”
You snorted a bit, taking a sip of your drink. “I’m still going to put money aside for savings, but the amount he’s going to spend taking care of me? It’s a lot.”
“Doesn’t sound like it’s much to him if he agreed so easily.”
“It’s a lot to me,” you said under your breath.
And I’m not about to take advantage of him.
Andy was going to take care of you like he promised. You had no doubt about that. The world he lived in, maybe it wouldn’t make much of a difference in his bank account to take on your debt for the next nine months. You weren’t going to push for more money when he was giving you the world and then some.
Estelle smiled into her glass. “I haven’t met the guy yet, but I think he likes you because you’re a good person. I mean, he wants you to have dinners with him so he can talk to you and to get to know you even more,” she said, leaning forward when you tried to look away. “Which brings me to my second question. How do you feel about the ‘no sex’ in the contract?”
Your stomach sank a bit, making you wonder if that was why you felt restless when you should’ve been happy. “Is it bad if I say it hurts my ego a little?”
It was irrational to have a bit of a bruised ego. Andy gave you an explanation as to why he didn’t add that clause and it made perfect sense. The fantasy that he wanted you still played out in your mind though. But what would wanting him lead you to? What did you have to offer him besides companionship?
“A little? Mine would’ve hurt a lot,” she joked, causing your face to fall more as your thoughts crushed you. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that. Just because he doesn't have it in the contract doesn't mean he isn't attracted to you. Didn’t you say he complimented the dress, which we knew you looked hot in? And your smile?”
"He did,” you answered, heat creeping up your neck that had nothing to do with the wine. “But Andy is like a full course meal. What the hell am I?"
Estelle wadded up her napkin and threw it at your head, which you dodged. "So are you. If you don't believe me, at least consider yourself to be dessert or a fine wine," she said. You wouldn’t, but you weren’t about to tell her that. "And you know what? I respect the man a hell of a lot more for not adding anything sexual to the contract.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. You said if something happened, he wanted it to be natural or organic. He doesn’t want to take advantage of you. He wants to seduce you the old fashioned way. And I say let him. You can start by taking some of that money he gave you and buy some fancy lingerie.”
You finished your glasses, wondering what Andy liked. Did he like something simple and classic? What colors would get his attention? "I was going to pay you back for the dress and the shoes," you told her.
With a wrinkle of her nose, she snatched the bottle from the table "Those were a gift and I won't accept any money back," she said, pouring the rest of the wine into her glass. You figured that was what she'd say. "And because you offended me, no more wine for you."
"You’re the one who brought that bottle, so your rules," you reminded her as she shot you a look. "Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have offered to pay you back for my present."
Estelle nodded after a moment. "Good. That's good practice for when Andy buys you something just because and you try to pay him back."
You refrained from rolling your eyes, but she had a point. You would probably try to pack him back whether he wanted it or not. "Is it really paying him back if it's with his own money?"
She pretended to think it over before laughing. "Probably not," she said as you stood up to take your glass to the sink. "Hey, I didn't ask my third question."
"Fire when ready."
"Do you really want to give it a week when you have your mind made up?"
Estelle knew you all too well. Even if you hadn't told her from the start that you planned to sign the contract, she would've figured it out. "The time frame was his call."
While it did give you time to think it through, surely he had to get things in order, too. Like your new place. God, you couldn't believe you were going to move into his building.
"You could ask him to move up the date? Worst thing he could say is 'no'."
Maybe.
"Yeah," you said, going to sit back down with a huff. "Are you sure you don't mind being in the know of this? And having to keep it under wraps?"
"Are you kidding? It's an honor you asked me," she said, holding her head high with such confidence you had to smile. "I got your back."
"Thanks, Estelle," you said.
She waved her hand dismissively, but had a smile on her face. "Don't mention it."
"Okay. Now enough about me," you smiled. "Tell me about your day."
"Well," she smirked, tilting her head as she paused dramatically. "I may have found a guy for Wendy."
Your eyes lit up, happy you asked. Wendy was another friend of yours who hadn’t dated in awhile. "Tell me everything."
You managed to keep your focus on Estelle as she told you about the gorgeous guy she met in a coffee shop who was just Wendy’s type. You wondered how different things would've been had you and Andy met that way. Would it change your story? Would you be where you were now?
Staring at your phone when Estelle went to use the bathroom, you debated whether or not to text Andy. You just saw him earlier today and he had a business dinner. How desperate would you look asking him to move the contract date up?
"Fuck it," you muttered, snatching the device and quickly typing out a message. Communication was key. Like honesty.
"I don't want to wait a week, but I understand if we have to. I hope your dinner went well."
“BOO!” You nearly dropped your phone when Estelle smacked the couch behind you. "You messaged him, didn't you?"
"Yeah," you giggled, holding your chest to calm your pounding heart. "Told him I didn't want to wait a week, but understood if we had to."
"Hopefully he listens. Well, he will if he wants to get in your pants."
"Stop," you giggled as your phone went off, holding your breath as you read the message.
"I'd rather have dinner with you. And I understand you don’t want to wait, but what was it you said about anticipation?"
Using anticipation against me.
"Fine, Daddy."
The three dots popped up immediately as he typed. "You're teasing me, honey."
"Maybe. I'll see you in a week."
“Looking forward to it, but one more thing I forgot to mention. I’d like a witness for the contract signing.”
"Are you two sexting?" Estelle asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
"No," you smiled.
Just called him 'Daddy'.
"But he's sticking it out for the week," you said, only a little disappointed. He did have to draw up a contract. “And we need a witness for the signing. I’d like it to be you.”
"Ooh. He's making you wait for it," she said, giving you a small smile. "Give me the time and date and I’ll be there."
“Thanks,” you smiled, sending Andy back a message. “Estelle volunteered.”
“Perfect.”
“One more week and he’s yours,” Estelle smiled.
"One more week."
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It really was the longest week of your life to wait to see Andy again, but today was the day.
Your heart beat fast as you and Estelle went into the building and went through the motions with the security guard. You half expected Irene to tell you Andy didn’t have an appointment with you as you made your way to the office. It was silly to think he’d back out, but your nerves were getting the better of you. And why?
Because you hadn’t heard from Andy. Not once. You kept looking at the door expectantly during your shifts at the diner, only to be met with disappointment when he didn’t show. You also didn’t want to admit how many times you checked your phone to see if he reached out. The man had more important things to do than visit or text you.
“Cheer up,” Estelle told you in the elevator. You felt bad. You were sulking and you didn’t try to hide it. Part of that scared you because why did it matter that he had gone radio silent?
“You don’t think he changed his mind, do you?”
“No. He’s just a busy man. Get out of your head.”
“I’m trying,” you sighed.
You led Estelle to the office, expecting to see Irene. All you saw was an empty desk. The light above her chair was off, too. The double doors were shut. Maybe it was a sign. This was too good to be true.
Andy was too good to be true.
“There you are,” you heard as the double doors opened.
“Holy shit,” Estelle breathed, almost making you elbow her.
“Andy,” you said, not quite smiling when you caught sight of him. He didn’t have a blazer on and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up. “I was just-”
“Irene wasn’t feeling well, so I sent her home for the day. Come on in.”
“Can you give us a minute?” You asked your friend, who raised an eyebrow in response.
“Yeah. I’ll be here,” she said, taking a seat. Once Andy's back was turned, she mouthed, "Hot!"
Yeah, he is.
You clutched your bag a little tighter as you walked in, reminding yourself to breathe as Andy shut the door. “We’re still doing this?” You asked, your voice shaky.
“Of course, we are,” he said, pulling out the chair that you sat in a week before. “Why? Are you having second thoughts?”
“No. Truthfully, I thought you changed your mind.”
Andy paused before he took his seat. “I have no reason to back out. I offered and want this. I said I’d take care of you and I’m a man of my word. I’m happy to prove that to you if you don’t believe me,” he said, carefully looking you over as blood rushed to your cheeks. “What made you think I’d change my mind?”
You shook your head. “It’s silly.”
“It isn’t silly to me,” he said, sweeping his gaze over you once again. “You’re stiff, honey, and you’re barely looking me in the eye. What’s going on? What do I need to do to put you at ease?”
You swallowed a little. “It was a long week to think it over and I hadn’t heard from you. Because of that, I wasn’t sure if you maybe decided to change your mind,” you explained, lifting your eyes to meet his. You were met with concern and care. “Silly, right?”
“No, it isn’t,” he assured you, sliding a small packet across the table to give you a chance to look at the top page. It was the contact. He really put it together. “May I explain?”
“Of course,” you whispered.
He surprised you by moving his chair around the table so he was beside you instead of across from you. “First, I’m sorry my silence caused any doubt. That wasn’t my intention. I only wanted to give you time to think things through,” he said, his tone gentle as he tapped the contract with his finger. “Would I have this here if I wanted to change my mind?”
“No, I don’t think,” you said, feeling a bit small.
“Second,” he said, a small smile on his face as he took out his phone. “I was the last one to message you. Maybe I didn’t want to bombard you between work.”
You stared at his phone and realized he was right. The last thing he sent was “Perfect.” regarding Estelle was your witness. You never said anything else. God, you were an idiot.
“So you were waiting to hear back from me?” You tried to tease as his smile widened. It was a handsome look. “Okay. So. I may have let my nerves get the better of me. I’m sorry. I just really want this to work.”
It took a lot for you to say that, but there was no judgment from him as he placed his hand over yours.
“So do I, honey,” he said in a low voice. “For the record, you can message me whenever you want. It won’t bother me.”
“Ditto,” you said before you cringed.
Ditto? Really? So eloquent.
He chuckled as he handed you a pen, leaning in a bit closer and giving you a chance to catch that cologne of his you loved. You’d never be able to smell it again without thinking of him. “As long as you’re okay and ready, would you like to start?”
“Yes, I would,” you smiled, sparing him another glance. “Thank you, Andy.”
He didn’t have to put you at ease. He could’ve easily laughed you off as sounding clingy or desperate, but he soothed your nerves. You shouldn’t have expected anything less from an ex-lawyer and, what you believed to be, a good man.
“Of course,” he said, going to the door to get Estelle. “Come in. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” she said, smiling as she shook Andy’s hand. “Heard a lot about you.”
A pange of jealousy settled in your chest when Andy chuckled, making you look away. Estelle was the kind of woman Andy should be with. She belonged in his world. But she wouldn’t do anything. She was a good friend and knew you were at the very least attached to Andy.
I need to get a grip.
You had no idea why the voice in your head was being so cruel to you. First the assumption about Andy backing out and now this. It needed to stop.
“I appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to be here. I realize there are some stigmas when it comes to contracts, so I want you to know I have her best interest at heart.”
“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Estelle asked, winking at you as she sat down and squashing those nerves once more.
“I also have an NDA for you to sign,” Andy added as he took a seat again beside you and leveled your friend with a look. “I don’t really care what people say about me if word gets out. It won't make a difference. I won’t, however, have them slander her. So I’m trusting you to protect her.”
Estelle’s eyebrows shot up as did yours. Andy’s reputation meant a lot more than yours, yet it was you he was worried about. “You are so authoritative and bossy. No wonder you're in charge,” she said, grabbing a pen for herself. "I'll sign whatever you put in front of me."
“Okay then,” Andy smiled, tilting the paper so both of you could look together. “Let’s get started.”
Andy carefully read over each section, giving both you and Estelle a chance to object or stop him. Everything discussed was accounted for. The length of the contract, job, living arrangements, expenses, travel, he had it all. No red flags jumped out. Nothing of concern. You saw no reason to object when he stated everything as agreed.
“Any questions?” He asked, like he had after every portion.
“Back to the living arrangements,” Estelle said, pointing her pen at him. “I want to be there when she moves in.”
“You do?” You questioned with a look. “You hate moving.”
“Oh, I don’t plan on doing any of the heavy lifting,” she teased. She usually paid people for that. “But I insist on seeing your building and where she’s going to live. I may ask to see your place, too.”
His place? Why?
Andy appeared surprised by the request as well. “My place? Is that necessary?”
“If you plan on having her there, yes. I want to make sure it’s safe. I get that she’s your sugar baby once she signs the dotted line, but she’s my best friend. She was before she met you and she will be once this contract ends. You want to protect her? So do I.”
Andy hummed thoughtfully. “What do you think?” he asked you.
You would feel more comfortable with someone you trusted there. Not that you didn't trust Andy, but the situation wasn't normal and you understood Estelle’s insistence. Still, seeing his place? Was she being a bit nosy? Was she curious about the man?
She's looking out for me.
“I think that’s fine, all things considered,” you replied.
“Okay. You’ll be there when she moves in and you’re welcome to see my place,” Andy agreed.
“With me there,” you added. She had no reason to see Andy’s place all by herself.
“Duh,” Estelle smiled with a wave of her hand. “Proceed.”
Minutes later, Andy finished and signed the document when you didn't raise any concerns. He slid the last page in your direction and your hand trembled a bit as you went to sign. You caught a look of worry on Estelle’s face when you hesitated. You were so close.
“Honey?” Andy asked so softly you almost missed it.
“I said I’d take care of you and I’m a man of my word.”
With an exhale, you signed your name. This was it. For the next nine months, you’d belong to Andy. Well, in some ways.
Andy’s smile warmed your heart as he passed the sheet to Estelle. Her smile was bright enough to light up the room as she signed. She was thrilled for you.
And you allowed yourself to feel happy, too.
“You’re officially a sugar baby!” Estelle said, quickly signing the NDA as you and Andy exchanged a look. You wished you knew what he was thinking. “We need to celebrate.”
Andy cleared his throat. “Actually, I was kind of hoping I could steal her away for a bit after I make her a copy of this.”
“You were?” You and Estelle asked in unison.
“Yeah,” he smiled as he got to his feet. He practically towered over you where you sat. “I want to take you to the diner myself so you can turn in your notice. What do you say?”
You smiled as Estelle clapped her hands together. “Let’s go.”
After that, you could celebrate the next chapter in your life.
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It's official! Here we go! Love and thanks for reading! ❤️
Masterlist ⚓ Andy Barber Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi
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nelkcats · 1 year
Text
Dad War
Danny Fenton became a father and he's not panicking at all (this is a lie)
Danny should have known that asking for an uneventful week was an exaggeration. He tempted fate by saying that "nothing bad could happen now that ghosts and humans lived in peace with each other"
Of course, it was right after saying that sentence that his daughter cousin appeared in front of him with her arm melted. Having gotten used to that particular scenario he steered her into his ecto-dejecto reserves, both of them panicked when this didn't solve anything.
With no more options, Danny took her to Far Frozen, surely the Yeti would have a better idea of what was happening to the girl.
Frostbite examined Ellie just like the first time but instead of scowling like Danny had expected he looked extremely pleased, almost satisfied.
"The time has finally come" Frostbite told him happily "you must let it happen, Great One"
"Do I have to let Ellie melt down!?" Danny yelled in concern, he never thought the Yeti had a sadistic streak in him. Ellie looked just as shaken by the information.
"Not like you're thinking" The Yeti noticed his mistake and decided to explain himself "she's not melting, she's stabilizing"
"If I'm stabilizing, why is my arm goo?" Ellie groaned, the sensation of melting never failed to be strange.
"That explanation is much simpler" Frostbite smiled "how old are you, little Phantom?"
"Uh" Ellie tried to assign herself an age, she aged much slower than the other halfas "16?"
"You didn't understand the question, I didn't mean how you look" Frostbite denied affectionately "how old do you consider yourself?"
“…5” Ellie muttered in embarrassment, even if her age was a bit older than that number, she felt much younger, like a child. She didn't count her early years, between Vlad and traveling the world she hadn't begun to think about it.
Even with all the knowledge stored in her head, she wanted to experience a childhood like other children, to make friends. Something that her adolescent appearance did not allow. As much as Ellie loved talking to Val, she was one of her only friends and unlike her, Val had a whole life to live.
"There is your explanation" The yeti pointed out "ghosts take the appearance of how they see themselves, your core takes into account your wishes and therefore you are reforming into a child"
Danny remembered when he first shifted into his ghost form and Frostbite explanation made sense, but his head reminded him of a very important detail.
"Wouldn't that be troublesome? A lot of people in Amity know you as my cousin” Danny pointed out worriedly. The secret of the halfas was still closely guarded.
"Well, there is a way to leave her appearance the same as it currently is, but that's up to her" Frostbite looked at the girl waiting for an answer.
"No" Ellie denied "I want it to happen, I also...I also want to have a childhood, like the others"
Ellie had always felt bitter about being the only halfa exploring the concept of death more than life; unlike Vlad and Danny who had lived fairly normal lives before their respective accidents, she had been robbed of the possibility.
She wanted to live too.
"It's settled then," Frostbite nodded "Now, this is just getting started and someone has to look after your core while you reform. Do you have any candidates in mind?"
"Danny, can you?" Ellie asked, taking the sleeve of his suit, she wouldn't have considered asking anyone else. Even if she didn't admit it, Ellie always saw him as her father.
"You don't even have to ask, I'll be here when you get back" Danny ruffled her hair with a smile.
"Thank you, dad" Ellie closed her eyes as she let herself be carried away by the sensation of her core. It was a little strange that what she thought would kill her was fulfilling her dreams.
Before the halfa could reply to the comment, Ellie melted, and the ectoplasm was quickly absorbed into her core.
Danny looked at the green stone in his hands with concern.
"How long do you think it will take her?" he asked the Yeti.
"A couple of hours" Frostbite sat down next to him "it's hard being a new parent isn't it? I still remember when my children were born"
Danny avoided mentioning that he had no idea about his children. He wondered if he had them in life or death.
"I- Ellie is my cousin," Danny tried to tell him, but his argument sounded weak.
"She doesn't seem to see you as such" The Yeti shrugged as he handed the boy a cup of tea, but the halfa refused to take it as long as he held the stone in his hands.
Frostbite snorted while setting the mug aside, a new parent, in fact.
"Uh, looks like it's time for me to leave my parents house, don't you think?" Danny tried to joke, even Jazz had her own house in another place.
He had temporarily tried it when he was balancing his college life with his spooky duties, living with Sam and Tucker was fun but in the end he came home.
"It seems so" The Yeti shrugged "congratulations, it's a girl"
Danny laughed as he held the stone closer to his chest. He had really become a father, hadn't he?
His core purred at the thought, while an invisible thread connected the two half-ghosts.
Being a parent didn't sound bad. Maybe it wasn't even as hard as people made it out to be.
───────────────
Danny regrets that last thought, he regrets it so much.
He just had to think that, didn't he?
As usual, he called Jazz to inform her of the day's events as he held the stone to his chest (Frostbite had told him it was safe to do so).
Jazz didn't seem too surprised by the news, on the contrary, she started recommending him books on parenting, so many books.
Danny tried to tell her that Ellie probably wouldn't be a difficult child, he got a 30-minute lecture on how she'd probably regress to the mental age of 5 or 6, and therefore he had to be prepared for it.
Deciding to listen to his older sister, Danny googled for advice.
Checking on wikihow how to take care of a child didn't work, Danny could attest to that.
The halfa sighed as he looked at the "I'll bring you some books tomorrow" message that Jazz had send him. Did he really have to read?
It couldn't be that hard, right? His parents took care of Jazz and she ended well!
Danny was ignoring Sam's voice in his head saying that "Jazz is the spiders georg of children and should not be counted"
Of course, Danny was also avoiding to look at the fact that his parents also took care of him and he kinda died. Ellie was already half dead so he couldn't fucked up that part.
He put his phone aside as he stared at the stone on his chest. It had been hours, was Ellie okay? Perhaps something had gone wrong?
He frowned wondering if he should call Frostbite when he noticed the glowing core. Before he knew it he had a 5-year-old girl crushing his stomach.
"Ouch," Danny groaned in pain "fatherhood hurts"
"Daddy! Daddy!" Ellie jumped on his stomach, she didn't seem to notice the change in title "Look! Look! Do you like my new look?"
Realizing that Jazz was right, Danny pretended to think for a few minutes, Ellie looked bummed out at his lack of response.
"Of course I love it!" Danny scooped her up into his arms as she giggled "you look perfect!"
Ellie chuckled as she ran off to Danny's room where she had kept his phone before the whole mess.
"I'll be back soon! I have to tell Val!" The girl ran off, probably forgetting that she could go through the ceiling and get to the room faster.
Danny gave her a thumbs up, as soon as Ellie disappeared down the stairs he lay back on the couch rubbing his stomach. His daughter had strength.
"We're definitely moving" he muttered, closing his eyes. Not in a million years would a girl with that much energy go unnoticed.
Danny checked his phone again and saw messages from Sam and Tucker. The halfa pouted, Jazz was a gossip.
───────────────
"Are you sure you have everything?" Tucker asked, checking a list on his PDA. No matter how many years passed, he still loved his technology and refused to throw it away.
"Definitely sure" Danny yawned as he loaded the boxes onto the GAV. Ellie was asleep in the passenger seat.
"Papers?" Tucker checked the list.
"Legal and illegal" Danny held up a folder "Thanks for that, by the way"
"You're welcome man" Tucker shrugged. He had created Ellie's papers a while back, but they had never been needed. Adapting the age was a surprise.
"Food? Money? Clothes?" Tucker recited the list, to Danny's nod he continued, "materials to put together the new portal?"
"Ready" Danny pointed to the box that said "danger", there were also the ectoplasm samples.
"I still think that's a stupid idea" Sam rolled her eyes "that thing killed you"
"Yes, but we need ectoplasm on a regular basis and well, building one was the easiest way to get it" the halfa shrugged. It still made him shudder to think about the accident but the portal was necessary "Besides, portals don't measure distance in the Realms, I can build one that's only a few feet from home"
Also, having Far Frozen close to them was always an advantage and the ghosts had promised not to invade the new town without his permission. He still couldn't believe he was moving to New Jersey.
"That's the only reason I'm letting you get away with it," Jazz snorted as she bent down to kiss her brother's forehead "Remember, we're just a phone call away"
"I know, I know, you don't need to move out as well" Danny shook his head amused, he felt that if he didn't stop them they would really try to " I never thought I would have to move"
"It's been so long since the accident" Sam remembered as she placed a hand on her hip "even though it seems like yesterday"
"It feels like it happened yesterday" Danny admitted while touching the scar on his hand. The memories of the electrocution were still fresh in his mind.
"By the way dude, are you sure to leave Vlad as her biological father?" Tucker winced at the document, he could see the reason but he didn't like it.
"Of course, that idiot must pay me child support" Danny smiled "eat the rich and all that"
Having an excuse to spend Vlad's money was always fun. And if his stupid biological sex could help that, he would use it. Danny was honestly relieved that his legal documents had been changed. He wondered if Vlad knew the real reason why he was never able to create a male clone.
"You could just ask us for money" Sam patted his shoulder "Tucker and I could support your poor ass"
Both had been very successful in their respective fields. Sam had graduated in law and was getting another degree as an Environment Protection Technician, she had changed a lot in a short time. On the other side, Tucker had created his own Technology & Security company, he was currently negotiating a deal with Wayne Enterprises.
Danny had a feeling that his friend wanted to use him to close a deal and had suggested the city as an option for that reason. Bludhaven wasn't far from Gotham after all.
"Just because I'm unemployed doesn't mean I'm poor" Danny pouted "I'll get a job in the new town before you know it"
"I hope so, your savings aren't going to stretch that long" Jazz sighed. Her brother's lack of planning never ceased to be worrisome "Oh, and don't forget to take off your blinder, you need to breathe"
Danny frowned at the comment but nodded. His ghost form was more comfortable because it suited his chosen gender, he wondered if he could change the human as well.
"Okay, I guess that's it" Tucker put the PDA away  "remember not to drive like either of your parents, we don't want you to get a ticket so quickly"
"Nor that the weather news announces when you're going out" Sam smirked, she remembered when Lance Thunder started announcing when Jazz and Danny were learning to drive.
"That's impossible, you know I'm an excellent driver and therefore I'm not going to get a ticker" Danny stuck out his tongue at his best friend.
"Whatever you say Danny" Sam snorted "call us when you get there, and have a safe trip!"
His friends and sister said goodbye to him as he got on the GAV. He started driving away from home. It wasn't long before he passed the "Welcome to Amity Park" sign. The little ghost drawings around it made him smile.
Still, Danny was offended by the skepticism of his friends, he was sure that he was not going to get a ticket anytime soon.
───────────────
An officer was giving him a ticket.
Danny banged his head against the steering wheel of the vehicle as the police officer asked him the routine questions.
"Does this vehicle have a license?" The officer raised an eyebrow. Danny sighed as he handed over the GAV papers, he had licensed all of his parents' inventions long ago "Okay- wait, is this a SUV?"
"No, it's a GAV" Danny growled without further explanation, he was still annoyed by the situation. Clockwork was laughing at him from his damned tower, he was sure "Do you need anything else, officer...Grayson?"
Officer Grayson looked at the vehicle with doubt, the damn thing had more modifications than the Batmobile, he really hoped the boy wasn't some future villain.
He had so many questions to ask.
Before Dick could question him further or Danny risked murder on his first day in town, Ellie woke up from her nap.
"Daddy?" Ellie yawned looking at the driver's seat curiously "Are we there yet?"
All the halfa's anger melted away and his attitude took a complete turn.
"No honey, we got pulled over for speeding but we're in town now" Danny leaned down to brush her hair out of her face "you can go back to sleep"
"You're a bad driver" his daughter smirked, she wondered if driving skills were hereditary.
"Are you new in town?" Dick leaned in curiously, the girl reminded him of his own daughter.
Danny was about to tell him it was none of his business but Ellie answered first.
"¡Yes! We're moving" Ellie smiled "That's why we brought all the boxes, I'm going to enroll in a new school and dad is going to get a job"
"That sounds wonderful" Dick smiled softly as he handed Danny the ticket along with the GAV's papers "You should be more careful on the streets, I don't think there is anywhere that accepts 120 km/hr as a normal speed"
The halfa frowned, didn't the officer have a heart!? At least he could forgive a new neighbor for a silly mistake!
"Yeah, yeah, thanks" he murmured as he put the ticket in the glove compartment.
"Well, all seems to be in order" Dick straightened up "you can follow your way, enjoy Bludhaven!"
Danny hoped that he would never see him again.
When he arrived at his new house, the halfa carried Ellie to the couch and let her sleep, after which he began to unload the things from the GAV.
He wondered if he should start unpacking everything or just sleep. He felt tired at the thought of opening all those boxes and fell asleep on the couch with his daughter.
When he woke up it was night, Danny peeked out of the window as he heard a motorcycle park next door. Perhaps he could see his neighbors?
He gaped at the sight of fucking Officer Grayson reaching down to grab a little girl and carry her into his arms.
Wasn't it enough to be physically perfect and heartless, but he also had to be a good father? Damn everything!
It had to be a fucking joke
X
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