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thatssokatsuki · 5 years ago

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Boys Will Be Bugs || Katsuki Bakugo x Reader

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugo Song: Cavetown - Boys Will Be Bugs Summary: You have a crush on a particularly ...fiery... ash blonde boy, and little do you know that under all that agression lies a big softie, Warnings: Fluff, cliffhanger (because i can) Word Count: 3,009 A/N: If you’re on mobile, I’m so so so sorry, not all of the formatting is crossing over ㅠㅠ

I'm a dumb teen boy I eat sticks and rocks and mud I don't care about the government And I really need a hug

Its your first day at UA and you can’t believe that you’ve actually made it! Its what you’ve always wanted to be part of the hero course ever since you were little, so it meant so much that you’re actually here. You were even more surprised to find that you were put into class 1-A, and be a student under Eraser Head. Little did everyone know, he was actually you’re favorite Pro-Hero. You had always thought his quirk was the coolest and that he didn’t need to be in the limelight, and rather that he just wanted to help people. He was what most would call a true hero, rather than one that just went into the business for the publicity or the money. He was never the #1 hero in terms of the public eye, but he was the #1 hero to you, which is why you were so excited for your first day! What you didn’t expect however, was how strict of a teacher he would be, nor that you’re class would have a very... headstrong student amongst them, and you were only really using that term to be nice. If you were to describe him honestly, you thought he was a major asshole. You’ve come to find during the first assessment test, that happened on the first day no less, that his name was Katsuki Bakugo, and it seemed like he had an ego sky high and a hatred for almost everyone. He hadn’t even properly met everyone in the class and he was already talking down to them and calling them extras. You were, however, immediately drawn to Midoriya and Ururaka. They were both more your speed, being more on the quiet and friendly side. Later on in the day you became friend with a slightly older boy named Iida, who you found interesting because of how much of a stickler he was, but you also admired his tenacity and intelligence and found him to overall be a really nice guy. In fact everyone in the class was nice! The ones called Kirishima and Kaminari were a bit on the dense side, but they were really funny and seemed like they wanted to befriend everyone. Mina and Hagakure were a bit to hyper for you, but they seemed like major fun, and everyone else just seemed super sweet, even if the Todoroki boy seemed a bit on the colder side and Mineta being an obvious pervert. All this being said, Bakugo (or bakubastard as you would come to call him in the presence of only yourself and your thoughts) stuck out like a sore thumb. He had quite the temper and the quirk to match, and you couldn’t wrap your head around how someone could both have such an inflated ego and be such a dick. Needless to say, you didn’t like him one bit, and couldn’t understand quite why a certain handful would try so hard to befriend him when he wouldn’t even bat an eye at anything other than his own training.

I feel stupid, Ugly Pretend it doesn't bother me I'm not very strong but I'll fuck you up if you're mean to bugs

Eventually, as time went on, you began to understand. You saw the fire in his eyes and his drive to be his best, even if he wasn’t the best at social interactions. In a way, you began to admire him, albeit from a far,, and you’ve come to realize that there may be more there than you had originally assumed, and you kind of beat yourself up over not realizing that hes more complex than just anger personified. You know you shouldn’t have, but you began to speculate why he was the way he was. Did he have a traumatic backstory? Did he start of being bullied? Was it social standards turning him into such a.. well, to put it plainly, a dick. You also began to wonder what was up between him and Midoriya. He got it the hardest from Bakugo, and it would seem that he doesn’t quite know why either. You never thought you would say this, but you actually want to get closer to the fiery boy.

It's getting cold down here underneath the weather I skipped class to sit with you I really like your spotty sweater,

Principle Nezu has finally implemented dorms, and you’re both really nervous and really excited! On the bright side, you get to see your friends everyday, but it would also lead to you realizing your crush on Bakugo, which was honestly the last thing you expected. The way you even found out how much you were actually starting to like him, was through a study session that Kirishima invited you to. You were pretty sure Bakugo knew you were coming, but the look of shock on his face said otherwise. “Whats this extra doing here, Shitty Hair?” He asked Kirishima, and if you didn’t know either of them you would swear Bakugo hated him. Kiri responded with a simple shrug and an “I invited them, thought you wouldn’t mind”, which earned a mischievous glance and smirk from Mina that only Kiri seemed to notice. Bakugo huffed and rolled his eyes so hard you thought they would roll right out of his head. “Okay, asshat, what do you need help with?” He asked, almost glaring at you which earned him a look of confusion from you. You simply stated that you didn’t really need help, and that you didn’t know this was gonna be more of a tutoring session. Another eye roll from bakugo lead to a few hours of silence outside of when either he or you answered questions the others had. Everyone ‘went’ back to their dorms, leaving you and Bakugo on the opposite couches in the common area. About half an hour into more silence and small glances you would take at eachother without the other notice finally had Bakugo speaking up almost without thinking. “Hey, asshat, that sweater doesn’t look as shitty as the other one you wear.” You continue staring at your book, eyes wide and hoping that the position you’re in would hide the blush creeping up onto your face and managed to squeak out a “thanks, its new”

if ladybugs are girls How do you make kids together? What's it like in a female world I bet it's just so much better

Mina happened to catch what happened and immediately ran to her room after hearing you close your books and say that it was time for you to get some sleep. Once she reached her room she giggled to herself thinking that her little plan was working. She could tell early on that there was something between you both, and figured that neither of you had caught on to your own feelings. She managed to wrap Kirishima into her plan as well, and considered tonight a step in the right direction. The next day she caught up to you and invited you to a girls night later that evening, hatching phase to of her plan which would be to at least get you to admit your crush on Bakugo even if it wasn’t to him. The hours pass and the girls night is finally here, and thus the boys are left to either go to their rooms or go somewhere else because the common area belonged to the girls for that night, and once it was cleared of boys, the talking began. First it was small pro-hero gossip, talking about studies, just trying to ease into a game of truth or dare. You all went round robin until it was Mina’s turn to ask you the fated question, truth? or dare? You wanting to seem brave answered dare, and were immediately met with a “I dare you... to confess to your crush!” You immediately get flustered and counter her with a retraction of dare and an answer of truth, but you should’ve expected her response to ask you who in which you liked. The girls’ ears all perked up as they looked at you expectantly. You begin to try and explain that you don’t like anyone, but your blush and the way you talk with your hands told them otherwise. You were met with various versions of “C’mon! You can trust us!” So you took a look around to make sure none of the boys could hear, leaned in, took a deep breath and closed your eyes tight. “...Bakugo” you had barely whispered, only loud enough for the girls to hear, and open one eye to see some had gasped and others had their jaws dropped. Mina had giggled to herself, proud that she got you to at least acknowledge that you liked him.

I just turned fourteen And I think this year I'm gonna be mean Don't mess with me, I'm a big boy now and I'm very scary I punch my walls, stay out at night, and I do karate

The days after went on as normal, you sneaking glances at bakugo, and him unknowingly doing the same to you, everyone but the girls and Kirishima being oblivious to at least half of the situation. Mina and Kirishima were still trying to set up phase three, but with everything happening they hardly had time, as the days went by fast with hardcore training, and the risks of another villain attack on the school, and with the upcoming provisional hero license test, all of 1-A was so hyperfocused on making sure they can pass. Bakugo was still an ass as per usual, but that was normal, he just seemed a bit more.. different with you. Yes there were more huffs and annoyed side glances, but he was just subtlely more chill with you regarding his words, although the only ones that would notice that are his close friends.

Don't message me 'cause I won't reply, I wanna make you cry Ain't that how its s'posed to be? Though it isn't me Boys will be bugs right?

Another side effect of how hard everyone was training, was that Bakugo was training so hard, even in his room, that he usually left everyone that texted him on read, but you were none-the-wiser as to why. You were honestly scared that he had found out about your crush and started avoiding you, not knowing that he was doing that to pretty much everyone. At this point, its important to mention that you were considered part of the Bakusquad which is why you even had his number in the first place. With that being said, Bakugo didn’t even notice most of his texts, or that they were even from you. He had so much going on that all he wanted was to just get stronger and pass the upcoming exams, and he had a lot on his mind with his recent abduction by the League of Villains. He wasn’t considering joining them or anything, but rather he blamed himself for that happening, thinking he wasn’t strong enough. So all his time went into training and only training,, justifying his recent lack of communication with his friends and you to “I’m going to be #1 so I don’t need anyone else.” “I don’t have friends.” “All that matters is my training.” etc. thinking no one would really care about his absence as long as he was in class.

I'm a dumb teen boy All I wanna do is quit My mum told me that she's worried And I couldn't give a shit I have friends who understand me Their names are spider, beetle, bee They don't say much but They have always listened to me

With time, Kirishima, Mina, and Kaminari managed to work their ways back into Bakugos life, Kirishima being the one he allowed the closest. He didn’t talk about his feelings at all, but they managed to get a better read on him and understand him more, if that was even possible with how little he let them know about his personal life. All they would know are little bits and pieces like “my mom and I argued over the phone today.” “The league is getting more popular and I need to beat them” “Those damn assholes trying to make everyone hate heroes.” They can see hes getting tired though, because of how hard hes been pushing himself. Mina and Kirishima specifically want to tell him to get over his ego and start spending more time with you, but they know its not the time yet, but they hope that this doesn’t last.

The other boys at school Think it's cool to hate your parents But they're lying all the time The bugs advised that I should let 'em And if you wanna cry Make sure that they never see it Or even better yet Block it out and never feel it

On your side, although Mina and the girls promised he doesn’t know, you’re still scared and started trying less and less to even start a conversation, and it was apparent to Mina and Kiri that both you and Bakugo were suffering for it. You weren’t as cheery and he was a lot more... grumpy than usual, almost sad. The quiet between you both becoming more and more apparent as each day passed, both of you blaming yourself, thinking you had screwed up somehow. You thought your crush was too obvious, and he thought that he may have been to harsh on you. So he tried pushing forward on his own path even more, just as you did.

I just turned fourteen And I think I know everything Don't mess with me, I'm a big boy now and I'm very scary I punch my walls, stay out at night, and I do karate Don't message me 'cause I won't reply, I wanna make you cry Ain't that how it's s'posed to be? Though it isn't me

At this point, it would take a miracle for that rift to repair itself. Luckily that miracle had a name. Two in fact, but if anyone was paying attention, they would know what those two names are. Mina and Kirishima finally managed to put together phase three, although its.. going to be a lot of work. First they have to get you both to believe that you still had a chance, and then get you guys in the same room and to actually talk to eachother for more than five seconds at a time which will be.. much harder than it sounds. Mina took the task of talking to you and Kirishima talkling to Bakugo. Both of your reactions practically mimicked eachothers except Bakugo insisted there would be no way you wanted to talk to him because of how harsh he is, and you insisted because of how awkward you considered yourself. They both ended up saying that it doesn’t matter and to just have you guys meet them in the common area later that night, not knowing the other would be there. Mina asked you to the kitchen because thats where all the food was, and Kirishima invited Bakugo to the couches for another study session. Once you both were down there, neither could leave because that would go to show that you didn’t want to be even in eyesight of eachother which was the last thing either of you wanted the other to think. Eventually with enough quiet pushing from the other parties, you both decided to walk up to eachother and talk, but he got up before you finally agreed to go talk to him, and when you turned he was a lot closer than you expected (thinking he was still on the other side of the room) causing you to bump into him.

Boys will be bugs...right?

“Hey..” you both said, after he had helped steady you, and you put a small amount of distance between eachother. “look, I’m sorry.. I thought-” you both stated at the same time yet again. “No you-”, awkward chuckling commences before a brief pause. Mina takes this moment to leave without you noticing and joins Kirishima on the side lines, wanting to see what happens next. You squeezed your eyes shut, a habit you had whenever you had to be bold, and spoke up first. “I’m so sorry, I thought you caught word that I liked you and just didn’t wanna be around me anymore..” His eyes went wide, as did yours. Did he hear you correctly? Did you actually just say that? Suprise, it would seem, jumped you both with the words you had just said. You take another deep breath, gently bouncing your wrist off of the counter a few times before stating that you should probably go, and apologized for making him uncomfortable. As you go to pass him all you hear is one word. “Dont.” He stated, not looking away from where you were. You paused for a second, waiting to hear what he had to say next. “Dont..go. Please?” You looked up at him, and walked back to where you were, looking up at him unsure of what was happening. “I--...” He grimaced a bit, leaving a huff, but you could tell it wasn’t aimed at you, but rather at himself. “You’re an idiot, you know that?” He said, this time looking at you, causing you to furrow your eyebrows, looking confused. He looked back to the side and said three simple words that would change your life exponentially, although you admittedly didn’t catch it the first time. “ilikeyoutoodumbass” He mumbled, a little to quickly if youre honest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that..?” “What are you, deaf? I said I like you too” this time, a bit louder and quite a bit more aggressively. “So.. will you be my girlfriend?” He asked, a lot softer than the previous statement, hesitantly looking into your eyes.

#bnha x reader #mha x reader #katsuki bakugo x reader #katsuki bakugo #bakugo katsuki #bakugo fluff #bnha fic #bnha fluff #bnha fanfiction #mha fic #mha fluff #mha fanfiction #bnha imagines #mha imagines

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hoodie-lover · 5 years ago

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My Multiverse Part 40

Ink was infuriated, Nightmare, Fresh and Cross were gone. That was manageable, a punishment for disobeying him and they’d be happy. But with Dream gone, and his location up in the air, Ink was actually scared. The anti-void was blocked, off he bet Dream was there but he had no way to know for sure, and with more than enough people to overwhelm him in the same AU, Ink was stumped.

Only Dream and Error could make portals, aside from himself, and both of them were on the opposite side! They could go to the Pale AU, find him and kill him. Or the DoodleSphere, that would be even worse! His homebase would be lost forever! Ink, in a fit of anxiety, remembered his mind control powers. He had millions of AUs at his command. And, it didn’t matter what he did, no one would remember since, if the creators were right, the world would reset and the original’s memories would be erased.

Ink was told that the Dark Sanses, or rather the Traitors as Ink called them, would be taking a detour and that it would cost them time. Maybe a few hours at most but that time was invaluable in regards to his army. Ink knew he would need to not pull any punches, but maybe using most of them as shields. If the Traitors want to preserve the multiverse as it is, they would be hesitant to kill, everyone else will probably hold the Dark Sanses back.

Fell universes would be the main hitters and tankers, the Sanses working as bodyguards and the last line of defense. The Undynes, Asgores, and Mettaton’s were good for heavy hitters and along with the guard and other monsters. And he could even try to incorporate non-murdery AUs to throw them off their balance. Defintally Underswap, poor little Blue will be unable to kill or even hurt his poor brother, if he can resist Ink’s control.

That would be fun, taking control of Blue and poor baby Error while they try to fight for their lives. It would be delicious.

“Now to gather my army!” Ink declared to himself and went off to Underfell, the home of Baby-Blue’s boyfriend.

Ink was confident as the monster’s went stiff when he passed. He wanted to get to Red and see his face while Ink took over his mind, he wondered what his last words would be.

“INK?! What’re you doing here?” Red asked and began to tremble.

“Gathering assistance. It seems that Blue, Geno, and Sci are traitors. They joined the Dark Sanses and have Classic.” Ink said, watching as Red shook more and more, his breathing began to shake.

“W-what…?” Red said, eyelights getting hazy.

“They brainwashed Blue while he was weak mentally, after the anti-void. Sci and Geno were traitors the whole time.” Ink lied, petting Red as if he were a pet.

“B-Blue...” Red huffed as he went stiff and looked at Ink with blank and lifeless sockets.

“Good~. Let’s go.” Ink said as he was followed to the Doodlesphere by the residents of Underfell.

He got the Sans next to him and called the rest of the AUs in. Their Sanses his own personal servants and bodyguards while his army stood at the ready to attack whenever he pleased. This was what Ink loved, and what he did for a short while. But that grew boring, so he made a threat or two to spice things up. But when Nightmare got some alternate timelines involved and actually made a threat.

But it was fine, Ink kept his power and status while the Dark Sanses played around. Error was no problem, he was doing his own thing and actually helping Ink. Ink never needed to control him, Error did what was convenient and he never went too far. That was until Error discovered the Pale AU and messed everything up.

But now everything would be ok. Ink would once again rule the multiverse, unrivaled in his power.

“Now to see how the Berry-Blue will fare. But I will wait until nightfall, that way I can lure him in, maybe even Error.” Ink mused, giggling to himself.

He opened a viewing portal to the Traitors’ hideout. He never really felt the need to spy, why even bother if they couldn’t defend against him? But he did see them sprawled about Alphys' lab in sleeping bags and ontop of eachother. A small stream of drool escaped Ink’s mouth as he looked at Blue’s sleeping form. He was so small, so cute, the same goes for every Sans but Blue was special. He was nice and naive, sure Ink pushed it and often babied him, but Blue was a special innocent creature.

Ink didn’t like people, not in the way Blue liked Red, but he did love how they could live like him. They were so interesting and complex, almost like him, or Ink was almost like them.

When he was sure everyone was asleep, he whispered in Blue’s ear, mimicking Swap!Papyrus' voice.

“Blue. Come here.” And the blue skeleton was awake.

“Papy…?” He asked, getting up and leaving the lab, following Ink’s voice to where the Riverman usually waited for people.

“Hi~.” Ink whispered, breathing on Blue’s neck, watching Blue hold his skull and fall to his knees.

“Get...out...Ink...” Blue demanded, realizing the charade.

“Silly Blue~. I. Control. You. I. Own. You. You. Are. Mine.” Ink said and Blue, as his body glitched in a frenzy, broke his leg. Ink was silent.

“Ow.” Blue hissed as he picked himself up and walked teleported back to the lab, slipping back into his sleeping bag, scared for his own safety.

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#undertale #fanfic #underswap sans #ink sans #underfell sans #my multiverse

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yawninginf · 6 years ago

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(Ch.1:) Instinct

Okay..This is my first fic ever written and it hasn't been edited properly so it may have grammar/vocabulary mistakes or even wrong game/world facts. If you spot any mistakes please correct me.

World belongs to the extremely talented artist @jojo56830 /@linkeduniverse. Additionally, I want to thank @jinmukangwrites for inspiring me to actually start writing, with their great stories.

Forgive me for not having experience and writing trash

Summary: Are you always aware of your actions?

The night had been rough. Slow raindrops that seemed they would never stop falling from the dark, cloudy sky, would wet the panicked faces of the sleeping heroes and blend with cold sweat. They were having nightmares. It was something they had grown used to, except that they would feel helpless every time. Helpless, with the most haunting memories of their journeys reawakening, the most painfull wounds reopening.

The last watch had been kept by Time, who had felt more than relieved when Warriors woke him up. He had stood guard over the rest of the heroes until dusk, however, it wasn't necessary. Everyone had lost sleep by then; even Sky was wide awake.

Wild gave them some jerky he had saved in his bag, for breakfast. Few ate, even fewer finished their short meal. The lack of appetite was a cause for various leftovers. They eventually ended up in the stomach of a bear who invaded the camp. The pyromaniac aimed at it with an arrow ready, yet Twilight didn't let him release the bowstring.

◇•◇•◇•◇•◇

-"What were you thinking Twilight?! It's a wild animal it could have harmed us!"

-"Still, it didn't! If you hurt it, it would try to defend itself by attacking us. We both know a single arrow would not take it down!"

-"--Now we have no food resources!"

-"Is food all you really care about?"

-"Well if you end up starving don't run to me saying I was right."

The hero of Twilight rolled his eyes and continued the arguement "That's not the--"

"Guys, please stop it! The bear is gone now, okay?" mixed emotions were showing on Sky's face, hesitation, anger, sadness, tiredness"We all had a hard time last night and there's absolutely no point in fighting over such non-essential things!" His voice was a stage away from cracking.

"Fine." they said with one voice and rolled away their eyes, arms crossed. The spark of anger feeding the fight inside them couldn't stay lit. Exaustion was all they could feel, every other feeling slowly fading away. They ought to put an end on the, slightly aggressive, disagreement before it evolved in sword fight. They had been acting instictively since last night, they weren't thinking clear. Anyhow, they let it roll. For now.

◇•◇•◇•◇•◇

Wind was slightly afraid. Twilight and Wild hadn't been at eachother's throats for a really long time. He couldn't even remember the last time they had fought over something other than Wild recklessly taking irresponsible risks. He expressed his thoughts to Hyrule, who agreed with him but found it wise to keep this contemplation to themselves.

Legend considered all this being too much. The nightmares, the lost food, the argument between two of the people he was least expecting to see crossing words...He would bet his sword and shield that things were just about to get worse, had he wanted to jinx it.

Sky was...elsewhere. Dreaming of an entirely different world, one he had lost but wholeheartedly desired to return to. He just wanted to go home and pretend none of this ever happened. Go home and ride his loftwing beside Zelda, have a small talk, hear her crystal laugh and watch her eyes joyfully looking around. He missed her. Her gentle smile, her golden hair, her sweet voice and kind personallity. Sky stopped thinking about Zelda and his far away from reality home. His eyes were cloudy and his vision blury from the memories coming back to his mind and he could barely force back several, bitter tears.

Twilight was sitting on a rock, not very close to his protègè, looking carried away while watching an ant carry a tiny leaf. Time gave him a pup are you ok, cause you don't look ok look that went unnoticed. The thought of talking to him was unreasonably rejected by his brain. He needed some time alone to try and put all of the memories his nightmare had awoken back where they belonged; the past. He supposed pup needed some time too. It wasn't in him to react like that. No, his protègè was always reasonable and the type of person that thinks before je acts. Time sent a worried look directed at him, then walked away.

◇•◇•◇•◇•◇

The heroes packed their stuff and set forth again, eyes red and legs shore from exaustion. Nobody spoke while they were travelling, which was extremely odd for Warriors and Wind; the most talkative of the group. Considering the circumstances, Four realised it wasn't at all weird. He attempted to break the silence; "So..uh..where are we headed for? I don't remember having an update this morning.."

Wild looked away in unexpected annoyance, his hair following the direction of his head. Sky rubbed the back of his head. Warriors restyled his scarf with akward and rather goofy movements. Hyrule and Wind directed a soft, curious glare first at Four, then at Time. He got the message and answered after adding a small pause, without being more expressive than stone.

"Wherever the road takes us"

The truth was that he himself wasn't sure if he knew the answer and, if he had actually learnt something about Wild, the hero whose Hyrule they were in did not know either.

The shortest hero did not bother trying again. The veil of absolute hush fell once again on the adventurers. He couldn't bear watching his companions be so troubled and...lost, but he also couldn't force them to act as if they were fine. He himself was being tormented by his own demons and after the events that had previously occured, he could wholeheartedly relate to them.

◇•◇•◇•◇•◇

They had been walking for quite a while now. Wind stopped to rub his feet and sent a complaining look at Time. Sky felt his eyelids heavily falling onto his eyes. Legend saw him struggling to continue and offered him his asc of water.

Wild's eyes fell on his Shiekah slate. They were at the Great Plateu. It was the same as the rest of the hundred times he had been there. It should be. Notwithstanding there was a, rather strange sign, coming from the Shiekah technology. It was the first time he had taken sight of that. Following it leaded northeast and Wild did not hesitate to change his direction. No hero realised the adjustment of his plans, for some of them were closed up in their own thoughts and Wild had improved his ability to hide his change of emotions.

Suddenly, he stopped to get something from his pouch. It was a paraglider. Dark red, with nice paterns on it, it seemed royal. At least it would if it didn't have all those patches every there and there. Wind sweared he had seen it before, though he couldn't recall the time. His friend took it and started gliding down the Plateu.

"Wild! Where are you going?!" Warriors shouted at him when he realised they couldn't follow wherever he was going--gliding to. The questioned hero gave a serious look at the hero of Warriors and rudely turned his head away without bothering to give an answer.

Time asked him to explain himself while Legend and Twilight were giving each other looks that gave out how tired and sick of this they were. Wind grimaced, making a face that Four was sure no human being could possibly make. Sky's thoughts were travelling at the fact that they hadn't encountered any monsters yet. He found that intimidiating and his deep frown was passing similar feelings to Legend as well as Hyrule. The last was silent as always: he prefered to watch everything around him without taking part.

The group of heroes could now spot Wild landing near the ruins of what used to be a military outpost many years ago. The paraglider became a small dot and they completely lost sight of it when its owner put it away to continue travelling on foot. Despite their fear of supposably being left behind they felt the need to observe the place. It was...stunning. If that was meant in a good or bad way, they couldn't decide. The whole view was..nice, though the feeling of abandonment and loneliness framing their location made them feel a weight on their chest. There was only one question spinning in their minds with every other query developing from it.

Where was Wild going?

◇•◇•◇•◇•◇

Outpost ruins. That's what the place is referred to in his map. Ruins. Just like the majority of his hyrule's once glorious (or not) monuments and buildings, they're just ruins. Reflections of a painfull past. A past without a hero to save it. Wild used to put the blame on himself. He still does in fact. Ruins, a reminder of his inability to protect this land, his land, one hundred years ago. His failure.

Anyway it didn't matter at that moment. Wild just wanted to find that "treasure" marked on his shiekah slate and head back to the others before they got mad at him, well, before they got completely mad at him.

There was just a journal. Misko's journal. He wasn't aware of that name. He quickly flicked through the pages and spotted an instructional guide, map to an ancient relic. He moved his hand to put it in his pouch but stopped half way. He inspected the journal from all corners and a thought flashed in his mind. No second thoughts. No hesitation. Something told him he had to go get it. It was his duty. He didn't know why. He took the map in his hands and slowly vanished in blue lights.

◇•◇•◇•◇•◇

"We can't wait any longer" Legend was losing his temper, tapping his foot to the ground "what if monsters find us? We have been here for almost half an hour now and Wild is yet to be seen."

"Is he not coming back?" Wind's secret fear was no longer secret. Twilight tried to comfort the youngest hero, in an attempt to convince him that Wild was about to return any moment now. To convince himself that cub would return, he ought to. Twilight believed he was mad at his protègè. Yes, he was mad, and the pyromaniac would have to face a really-angry-mom-Twi when he decided to show his face again.

He spontaneously directed his look at Time. His mentor's eyes were meating the morning sky. The others didnot seem to notice this habit the oldest hero had, but Twilight did. His mentor seemed as he was silently praying for mercy, with an expression that showed he never believed his prayers would be heard. A sadness faintly carved in his face even when he was smiling. He wouldn't let it show. Still Twilight could not let that go. He couldn't accept his mentor's "need" to stay alone, to remain silent. Not if he could help. He would try, although something inside him screamed he couldn't. He hated that, but deep inside he thought he knew that he wasn't the one to bring the light in Time's eyes again. And it ate him inside.

Legend felt abandoned, though he tried to convince himself that Wild is real and that he won't leave them like that. He felt as Wild had tricked them all by pretending he was one of them. He always feared something alike would happen. That he would be fooled in attaching to someone and then not being able to let go when they left him. He was sick of that and ,though he had promised himself not to let his feelings overcome him again, he couldn't do it. He was angry at Wild, angry at himself and an emotional reck. He had always been like that and he used his snarky behaviour to cover his weeknesses. Yet, he had failed, once more.

They were all gesturing with slow movements, not knowing how to react. Their confused looks would match at eachother's, troubling their thoughts a bit more than necessary. Wind felt restless, putting his weight on one foot and then on the other. Warriors put a tuff of hair back where it should have been on the first place and Twilight was frowning although he didnot seem to notice. Sky bit his lower lip and Hyrule's palms were starting to become sweaty. His hands reached his tunic in an attempt to dry. Four frowned and glared at Time. Legend tried to say something but Four interrupted him by shushing him and pointed at Time; "Look. The old man's senses have caught something" he whispered with a slight tense perceived in his low toned voice.

Indeed, Time had heard a weird sound and was trying to understand which direction it came from. With a nod, he let the rest of them know they needed to keep their mouths shut and quietly prepare themselves for battle. Twilight nodded his head, as if he was unknowingly accepting the place of the leader. Warriors would have made a snarky comment on that, Legend would have smirked and Twilight would have hated them for it, but it was no joking time. The sound could belong to a wild animal, if they had been lucky enough. However, by the looks of it, it was probably because of monsters approaching.

Another weird, unexplained sound. They couldn't describe it. They couldn't see where it came from despite the fact that the place was at most open. Hyrule's face became white out of a sudden, fear hugging his whole body, a shiver running down his spine. "Wild has told us about these...things. They shouldn't be here-it-it isn't natural for them." Still, was anything natural since they were all there, together?

Curse you Wild.

A lazer ready to fire.

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ravenclawshavemorefun · 5 years ago

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Monstre Aux Yeux Verts 《a miraculous ladybug fanfiction》 chapter 4

Adrian trudges to his locker feeling defeated, but still determined. Everyone around him is whispering back and forth excitedly. Adrian payed them no mind until he heard Marinette's name. "What are you guys talking about?" Adrian asks the two girls nearby.

"Marinette." One of them answered immediately, as if gossiping is what she lives for. "She just left with an older boy. His name is Luka and he's in a band. My older sister is in his class and she says he's really quiet and mysterious but everyone seems to like him. Luka has been walking her home from school all week so i bet they're dating." The girl didn't even seem to breathe as she whispered this.

"They aren't dating." Adrian told her definitively.

"How do you know?" The other girl asks.

"Because i- i'm- Marinette's friend." Adrian finishes lamely.

"Oh really?!" The first girl prances with the excitement of fresh gossip. "What does she say?"

What did he get himself into? "Well... nothing really. Luka's just been... helping her with... stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" The second girl asks.

"Well studying and... band...stuff... i gotta go." Adrian walks away as fast as he can. He sees Nino and Alya and changes course. "Hey, guys, what's going on? Everyone is talking about Marinette and Luka."

"Haters." Alya scoffs. "Luka offered to help Marinette with putting together her presentation for Jagged Stone."

"Oh. Right, their meeting is tomorrow." Adrian got an idea. "We should see if she needs a few more hands. We could bring snacks... hang out..."

"It HAS been a long time since we all hung out..." Alya thought out loud, "i could ask her if we can come by... but you have to tell me something first."

Adrian has a mini panic attack and he hopes Alya doesn't see right through him. "What?" He asks.

"What is with you lately?"

"What do you mean?" Adrian asks confused.

"You've been acting strange lately, quiet, spacey, you've been finding any reason to not go home..." Adrian feels relieved she didn't know about his spying on Marinette and sighs. Alya mistakes his sigh for something else, "is that it? Is something going on at home?"

Adrian isn't sure what to say, and yet again, Nino swoops in to save the day. "Alya, maybe he doesn't want to talk about it."

"Okay, but you can if you want, we're your friends and we're here for you. No matter what."

Adrian remembers when the only friend he had was Chloe and is touched by the fierce friendship he now has with Alya and Nino, "thanks, Alya." Adrian puts an arm around each of his friends' shoulders, "you guys are the best friends anyone could ever ask for."

Marinette and Luka are at her parent's kitchen table pouring over her designs. "I think it would be most professional to put them all in a portfolio so he can flip through them all and see how much work you put into the job. I hope he's not taking advantage of your age and is paying you decently."

Marinette smiled, "That's a great idea, and don't worry, my parents went over the contract. He's paying me well enough, but i don't do it for the money."

Luka smiled back at her, admiration in his eyes, "i know you don't, i just hate the thought of someone treating you unfairly."

Marinette blushes and her phone rings suddenly, she answers, "hey, Alya. What's up?"

"Hey, Marinette. Is it okay if the guys and i come over? I can't really go into detail, but something is going on with Adrian and he just doesn't want to go home."

"Oh my gosh! Is everything okay?" Luka looked at her with concern.

"I don't know," Alya says quietly, "he won't talk about it. I think it would be nice if we can just all hang out and get his mind off whatever is going on."

"Of course! I'm sure my parents won't mind under the circumstances."

"Great! We'll be there in a little bit, he and Nino are just in the store getting some snacks to bring over."

"Okay, see you in a little bit." Marinette ended the call and Luka waits for her to explain with a worried look on his face. "It was Alya, she said something is going on with Adrian and he doesn't want to go home."

"Oh. Do you want me to leave?" Luka asks gathering his things.

"No, you should stay. I think it's important for us to show him he has all of us here for him." Marinette is worried and hopes he's okay.

"That's a great idea, Mari. See? You're a great friend!"

Marinette blushes, "i should let my parents know what's going on, I'll be right back." Marinette hurries down to the bakery where her parents are cleaning up before the lunch rush. "Mom, dad, is it okay if a few of my friends come by for the afternoon?"

"What do you mean by 'a few'?" Her father asks sweeping the floor with broad strokes.

"Alya, Nino, and Adrian."

"I don't know, dear, that's a lot of people, and we can't really supervise with the lunch rush coming..." her mother checks the ovens and goes to the sink to do the dishes.

"I know, mom, but the thing is Adrian is having some problems at home and we thought we could show him he has friends he can go to and maybe get his mind off whatever is bothering him. And you guys trust me right?"

Marinette's parents give eachother a long look, communicating without speaking, "of course, honey, that's very thoughtful of you." Her mom says hand over her heart.

"I have cookies you can all munch on. Oh! You can try the new macaroon recipe I've been working on!"

"You guys are the best!" Marinette leaves her parents discussing what treats they could prepare.

Marinette rejoins Luka in the kitchen. He is flipping through a binder. "I hope you don't mind, i put your designs in this binder i had. I figured with all your friends coming over you'd feel better knowing this was all ready for tomorrow."

"Wow! That looks great, Luka! Thank you so much!" Marinette flipped though the pages, "this looks like a professional portfolio!"

"I just put them in a binder, the credit is all yours." Luka says modestly. "Are you sure you want me to stay? I don't want to intrude on your time with your friends."

"They're OUR friends, silly. We'd all love for you to stay... if you want to, that is." She adds suddenly realizing he may have things he'd rather do than hang out with kids his little sister's age.

Luka takes Marinette's hand. "I've had the best time hanging out with you, Mari. There's nothing I'd rather do then spend more time with you." He says as if reading her mind.

Marinette looks at him eyes wide and blushing, "really?" She is at a loss of words.

Luka chuckles, "of course! I've really fallen for you." Now it was his turn to blush.

Marinette isn't sure what to say. She had always liked Adrian, and liking another boy felt like cheating on him. "But that's ridiculous!" She thinks to herself, they aren't dating and Adrian was very clear today that they were just friends. Adrian would never see her as more than that, but here's this amazing, dreamy, and thoughtful boy in front of her confessing his affection for her. Although she would always care for Adrian, she didn't think he would want her to wait for something that would most likely never happen between them. He would want her to be happy, wouldn't he? "He's not dead!" She thinks to herself, "just the relationship you thought you'd have with him is." Should she mourn for a relationship that never happened? She feels conflicted, to say the least. "I think you're really great too, Luka." She blushs, "that was really lame." She accidentally says out loud.

Luka laughs, "i didn't think it was lame." Luka gently pulls her closer, placing the hand he was holding over his own heart and wrapping his other arm around her waist. Marinette's eyes are open wide, at first she was thinking too much, now she couldn't think at all. Her mind was blissfully blank just taking in the moment: the feel of his shirt beneath her fingers, the strong but also gentle support of his arm around her waist, the thump her heart made trying to brake through her ribs and the subtle thump of his matching her heart's rhythm. Although she knew her heart was racing, it felt like there was a lifetime between beats. Time had stopped. The embrace was like a really great song; it ended far too soon and left her wanting more.

The door from the bakery opened suddenly and they jumped apart. If time had stopped before, now it seemed to be going in fast forward. Alya pauses in the doorway "hey, guys!" She says cheerily, she pretended she didn't see anything. "Your parents sent us up with all these sweets!" She puts the platter of cookies and macaroons of several different flavors on the table. Nino and Adrian follow her into the kitchen.

Marinette tries very hard to not look guilty and takes one of the cookies. "Hey, guys!"

"Oh! Are these the designs for Jagged Stone? Mind if we take a look?"

"Go ahead." Marinette takes a bite of her cookie and watches the 3 of them look through the binder.

"This one's my favorite." Luka says pointing to the last page, "there's something about it that just seems... timeless." He winks at Marinette, did he feel time stop too?

She couldn't stop the blush from rising on her cheeks. "Thanks!" Uncomfortably, she realizes all 4 of them have their eyes on her and she decides to change the subject. "Who wants to be beaten first in the new video game we just got?"

They all make their way into the living room. Alya turns on some music and Nino takes up the first controller. Marinette sits on the couch and picks up the remote in front of her to set up the game. Leaning back she discovers Luka and Adrian are seated on either side of her. Well, this was going to be a relaxing afternoon!

The afternoon actually passes fairly quickly. Everyone seems to have a lot of fun. It was hours of playing video games, discussing music and eating treats Marinette's parents brought up. Her father had some wild new recipes and most of them were really good, however the wasabi flavored macaroon had everyone fighting over a gallon of milk. Mr. Dupain said it was his best prank yet... well, between fits of laughter. Adrian seemed to forget about whatever was going on at home. Mostly, he did sometimes get very quiet. Whenever that happened Marinette would let go of Luka's hand and challenge Adrian to another match. She was pretty proud that she was always able to snap him out of it.

"I can't believe your old man is letting you stay out this long." Nino says checking his phone. Alya gives him the evil eye and shakes her head.

Adrian takes out his phone and checks it. He's surprised to not see any missed calls or messages. "You're right... that's weird." Adrian admits.

Alya jumps up while Adrian is wondering how he wasn't being dragged home. "Well, Nino and i better go. We're taking our siblings to the park when they get out of school." Alya drags Nino to the door. "Thanks for having us over, Marinette! We had a great time!"

"Bye, guys!" Nino shouts just before the door slams shut.

"Ooookaaaay... that was a little weird." Adrian laughs.

Marinette and Luka laugh too. "You know Alya... always with the dramatic exits." Marinette giggles. Adrian decides that her giggle is his favorite sound he's ever heard.

The door opens and Marinette's mom walks in, "it's too bad Alya and Nino had to leave, we were going to ask you all if you wanted to stay for supper."

"I'd love to, thank you!" Luka says at the same time Adrian says, "that sounds amazing!"

Mrs. Dupain-Chang smiles, "please call your parents to be sure it's okay."

They agree and Adrian walks to the kitchen to make his call.

"Poor Adrian!" Marinette whispers.

"What do you mean? He seems fine to me." Luka whispers back confused.

"His father usually has him on a really tight leash, they must have had a really big fight for him to pretty much ignore his son!"

"Maybe you should just ask him." Luka suggests.

"What would I even say?" Marinette asks.

"Sometimes it's easier for a guy to talk to a close female friend about this kind of stuff because girls always know what to say."

"I'm not sure I'm like a typical girl..." Marinette says uncertainly.

Luka laughs, "well, you're right about that... you're exceptional. You'll know what to say. Trust me." Luka put his hand on hers. "Trust yourself. You can do it. I'll wait in the kitchen for a little bit after i make my call. Take your time."

Adrian walks back into the livingroom and stops suddenly looking at the two of them. Luka gave Marinette one last pat before standing and walking to the kitchen to make his call. Adrian sat at the end of the couch and quietly played with his phone.

"Hey... Adrian. Is uh everything okay... with you?" Marinette starts nervously.

"What do you mean?" Adrian asks confused, and then he realizes he let Alya believe something was wrong and she must've told Marinette.

Marinette scoots closer to him on the couch, "i just want you to know you're welcome here any time and if you ever want to talk I'm there for you." She took his hand.

Adrien wasn't sure what to say. "I've just realized I'm in love with you so I've been doing everything i can to keep you and Luka from being alone together because I'm terrified you'll fall in love with him instead!" Yeah that doesn't sound stalkerish at all! He definitely can't say that! Maybe he can just shut it down gently? "Th-thank you, Marinette. I really appreciate that." He realizes she's still waiting for him to confide in her. Nothing's going on, why didn't he just tell Alya the truth? This is too close to lying. Then he gets an idea; while nothing out of the ordinary is going on by his definition, his home life is still pretty depressing compared to what his friends are used to. "Well, you see, since my mom... disappeared... my dad... i don't know, he just seems to hate me. The only time he spends with me is during meals, and sometimes not even that." That felt pretty good to get off his chest, with that little bit of digging he found more he wanted to share. "Sometimes it feels like I'm just supposed to be this perfect son and when I'm not out making him look good he thinks i should just be locked up in my room. Remember when Sandboy made everyone live their worst nightmare? Mine was being locked up and the cage just kept getting smaller and smaller. That's what my life feels like every day! The pressure is just too much sometimes and i just want a normal life." Adrian turns away, embarrassed that he got so emotional.

"Oh, Adrian, I'm so sorry! I had no idea you were dealing with so much!" She put her other hand on his knee.

"It's not your fault, besides, I'm just complaining. There's a lot of people worse off than i am."

"Well that's true," Adrian looks in her eyes, that's not what he was expecting to hear, "there may be people who have it worse off, but that doesn't make your pain any less. You should tell your dad how you feel-" Adrian scoffs and Marinette smiles before she continues, "even if he doesn't listen, at least you aren't bottling all that up."

"You're right, maybe I'll try that." Adrian hesitates for only a second then pulls her into a hug, "thank you, Marinette."

The embrace is warm and comforting like curling up in a thick fuzzy blanket on a cold night. Adrian wants so badly to kiss her, but he doesn't have the time, Luka walks back into the room and clears his throat. Marinette gives Adrian one last pat on the back and breaks away, "i better help my parents with supper." She goes to the kitchen.

"So... you good?" Luka asks.

"Yeah." Adrian says carefully, "you?"

"Yep." Luka sits in the chair beside the couch. There's an awkward silence. Adrian isn't sure what to think about Luka, he can't hate the guy for falling for Marinette, after all, he did the same thing. But they are rivals and he was ready to do anything to win Marinette's heart.

#lukanette #adrianette #love triangle #miraculous fanfic

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fightevilandthengetblownup · 5 years ago

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FIC: Watching Over You

—

“Will someone fucking help me?!”

He found himself snarling into his headset, jaw clenched and hands tight around the controller as he struggled to extract his character from the line of fire he was currently pinned under. Playing healer was the absolute worst thing; Grey was one death away from suggesting they switch to deathmatch so he could murder each and every one of his team mates.

“Jesus, Grey, don’t get your panties in a twist.” The quip came through in that almost sleep-roughed Brooklyn voice that he’d come to learn belonged to the tallest of the old Ghostfacers crew. Kenny Spruce, only ever going by Spruce and the one time he’d called him Kenny had resulted in a ten minute rant from the man himself and then a very offpitch version of Dangerzone from the other two Ghostfacer alumni on the channel, gave a laugh as he responded, but Grey knew he was kidding when he saw the Genji appear up the side of the building he’d been trapped on with his cyber-agility before unleashing his typical shuriken attack on the three enemies that had been surrounding the party-healer left alone without support. “What you even doing up here, man? Didn’t we say you’d stay with payload this round?”

“Yeah, but that was a stupid fucking tactic.” Grey hissed back, his anger dipping slightly as all three enemies are taken out and his character’s passive regen can start up again. “Plus they just blasted the shit out of me to start with, had to get out of the way for a bit.”

“Fair enough. I got him sorted, guys.” Spruce sounded amused still, and Grey could almost feel him nodding as if they were all in the same room and not spread across the entire country.

***

Getting a regular team together had been Harry’s idea. Something about getting his friends to all be friends, and then it turned into some kind of propoganda plan to help out Grey’s reputation with some of the more open-minded hunters.

It has started with Grey and Harry just playing in random match up together shortly after the game came out when Harry’d decided to bring the game and his extra screen over with him. Usually Grey wasn’t huge on FPS’ but this was bright and colourful, and he really began getting suckered into the art style and the backstories of the characters the more Harry walked him through it. He’d started out using Tracer due to it being Harry’s second so he could talk Grey through the best ways to play and use the character, but after a few random match up games, he’d learned pretty quickly no one liked playing healer and someone had to suck it up and roll that way, and who better than him?

About a month later, Harry had called him up and asked if he was free to join him and two of his old Ghostfacer friends that they were just starting to get back in touch with for a few games. Jo had shaken her head from where she’d sat with a few case files and books open around her when he’d asked if the noise would bother her or not, and Grey’d signed in and joined up with them pretty quickly. That his introduction to two of Harry’s best friends before the bar was running about Caduceus Staffing the pair as if he’d worked with them for as many years as his friend had put him off to a good footing. Ed, their Reaper or Reinhart depending on the rest of the team combination, was more than happy after a few rounds to question if Grey’d be available to join them more often in future. He had barely kept the smile off his face, and heard a lot of puking noises from the other guys through his headset when Jo’d leaned over and kissed him after the next round rather noisly.

The four of them continued to play, several nights a week every week, for the next three months and Grey had begun to think of the other two men as some of his closest friends as well.

—

Hey Grey, the boys are actually free and coming up to visit next weekend, you good to come round to the bar for a few drinks and a BBQ?

Harry’s text had made him feel almost giddy the moment he’d seen it, that he was being invited along to an event with ‘the boys’ felt unusual but also so normal all at once. There was a flash of concern about the bar and the safety measures that had once again been put in place cutting him off from being able to agree, until his phone buzzed again three times in quick succession.

Sorry man, forgot about the Iron Jo said we can do BBQ at yours We’ll be round Saturday

That giddy feeling was back immediately upon seeing it. Not only was Harry willing to change his plans to fit Grey in along with the rest of his friends, which somehow made him feel both upset for making those plans have to change but also so good that his friend cared enough to change them for him, but Jo had already okayed the idea of four guys hanging out, drinking beers and taking over the backyard and/or kitchen without a moments hesitation from the sound of it. Facilitating his making new friends, and helping him without it feeling stifling.

His nervous energy had lasted all the way through to the weekend, and Jo had given up even rolling her eyes at him as he’d cleaned up and tidied the living room, kitchen and backyard for the fourth time that morning. She was more focussed on simply getting the minute steaks defrosted and potato salad she claimed her mom used to make prepped for the afternoon.

It felt strange in a way to put a face to a voice and name as the three men had arrived. It felt stranger still for him of all people to find that concept strange, he’d practically invented putting a name and face to a disembodied voice after all. However, the odd mix seemed even stranger when he realised he’d been added to the equation.

Spruce was not what he had expected - almost 6″3 and a patchy beard growing alongside the full black ensemble and glasses. It matched the quiet yet rumbly voice Grey was used to, and he definitely seemed friendly enough from the immediate fist bump greeting as he’d headed through the house to the backyard as Grey’s waved instruction.

Ed matched exactly to what Harry had told Grey of before, and even recognised vaguely from some old video he’d been shown by either Harry or Jo once upon a time. However he’d stopped dyeing both his hair and shaving his facial hair if the dark hair and fully developed beard was anything to go by. Ed even pulled him into a one armed, chest bump-back hit move as his own greeting, and Grey had to bite down a smile of his own realising he wasn’t dwarfed at all by this friend of Harry’s like the other one.

The afternoon had been as if all of them had known eachother for years, talking easily and sharing ciders or beer or soft drink depending on who it was throughout the afternoon until Jo’d called out that lunch had been ready. Spruce had made a joke originally about women in the kitchen and how it’s supposed to be the man’s job to cook a BBQ, but it had been the one and only awkward moment of the afternoon - especially as he’d quivered under Jo’s death glare and Harry had whispered something loudly about not wanting to piss her off ever.

Excepting that moment, all four men had had a great afternoon which had bled into evening and ended up with all four crowded in the front lounge with a second PSN from the bar brought along and playing a few drunken deathmatches.

Jo had brought in the ordered pizza around the end of the first hour of rounds, and Grey had even felt comfortable enough around the other’s to drag her into his lap and try to show her the ropes of the game.

“Yeah, lets teach the little lady how to play, should be fun as.” Spruce’s comment sounded a little too on the edge of asking for trouble, but from what Grey could remember he was about eight beers in and given he’d lost the last four rounds despite sticking to his main Genji, there was clearly a disconnect somewhere in his head. “Pretty little thing like you Jojo probably don’t know nothing about games, aye?”

“Bet she only plays those girly simulation games.” Ed added on, a drunken smirk on his face as he looked over at the pair of them cuddled up on one of the arm chairs from his spot beside Harry on the main couch. Harry for his part looked like he was too bemused by his mates comments and the fact he knew Jo could destroy the pair of them in her sleep to correct them as Jo had snarled in response.

“Fuckin’ bring it on, dickwads.” Her words were fighting words, and Grey didn’t even think about it impacting his points as Jo’d taken his controller off of him and switched characters at the loading screen for their next round. Somehow it seemed to fit when she chose Soldier 76; and he didn’t miss the way Jo looked over at Harry for an imperceptable nod from the researcher before she fully selected it. “Get ready to die, bitches.”

“After you, girlie.”

It barely surprised Grey when it turned into a bloodbath immediately, nor that the moment the game started Jo’s Soldier had Spruce’s Genji trapped and dead within thirty seconds. It also didn’t surprise him as he noticed Harry’s Winston avoided her character and as such her wrath like the plague. Ed’s Reinhart was the next dead, and for the next three minutes as their death tallies continued to be counted up and ranked against the other four unknown players in the round that Grey’s username was sitting up at the very, very top with a healthy ten-kill margin above the next highest.

Throwing the controller into his lap a little too harshly as the round finished, Jo’s play clearly trumping anyone else as well as the screen showing through a 10 kill spree of all headshots as Play Of The Game she’d enacted about halfway through the match time, the blonde had given the two newcomers a sneer before gesturing for their pup to get up from where she was seated and heading upstairs with a “I’ll leave you boys to it” over her shoulder. Grey couldn’t help the tiny smirk that started up at the flabergasted look on both other men’s faces before they started up the next round.

It was another two beers and almost ten comments about “Damn, that play though” before Harry decided to let the other’s in on that they’d just gotten schooled by a real shooter and none of them had started another round until the bitching about “unfair advantages” had died down some twenty minutes later. Another three beers and Harry was summoning an Uber, Ed was wrapping Grey up in the tighest hug he’d experienced from an inebriated man with a lot of tears and “where were you when we needed another Facer?”, and Spruce had then dog piled in on it with a call about how “damn cool Harry’s new mate” was and “you sure your girlfriend isn’t single” before Harry chased the pair of visiting friends into the waiting Uber and shared a bemused look with Grey as they all parted ways for the night.

After that, Grey knew he now have two more good friends, even if they were a bit weird in their own way.

—

It was another month before the fifth member of their little group joined them for the first time.

Harry had organised the usual gaming session about an hour later than usual with the simple message that got another friend whos free to play, and the idea of adding a fifth member to their usual roster suited them all pretty well. If they managed to find one more, they could actually play with friends and friends only rather than having a few odd swing ins for matches against other groups.

When Jo had swung past and heard him up later than usual on her way up to bed from one of her late night baking sprees, he’d handed her a spare pair of headphones to listen in on the group and found out that their new guy was a hunter like her. Grey had played attrociously that round, barely managing to heal anyone on the team as his fingers have shook and fumbled too much to fire straight or connect right on the others.

Jo had said it seemed ‘fitting’ that the other hunter was trading between McCree and Ashe every other game, as if trying on which style of player he wanted to be, before kissing him good night and retiring to bed with Nana. He knew he could wake her up when he got upstairs if he was still stressed, but that felt like a bit of a defeat to him of how far he’d come, of how far he’d pushed past being impacted by interacting with hunters who didn’t know who or what he was. Instead, he’d simply curled up around her, arms around the waist and face buried in that vanilla scented hair like he wasn’t still being impacted by a surprise hunter involvement.

It had taken another three weeks before Grey had found out which hunter it was, other than going by the screenname MrFizzles2000.

—

“Hey so is it okay if Garth stops by this afternoon?”

“Who?”

“Garth. He’s a hunter, but he’s chill. Like you already like him.” Jo had raised an eyebrow up at him from where she was currently in the middle of some intricate looking chocolate and dough bread…thing. “He got a bit banged up on a job nearby and asked if he could swing by for a patch up.”

“I don’t know any hunters called Garth.” He frowned at her, resting a hip against the countertop as he watched her working. The frown didn’t last too long, though his brows still creased, when she had swiped a bit of the chocolate mix onto a finger and offered it out to him with that entirely too innocent look on her face that let him know she knew exactly what she was doing.

Jo shook her head at his words, an eyeroll clearly being fought from showing, before she licked the chocolate off her own finger at his look. “Sure you do, MrFizzles? He’s cool, he’s chill, and he already knows all about you, hun, and he’s the absolute last hunter who would ever be predjudice against you for that.”

That had sounded too good to be true, and he had pressed further for more information just as soon as he’d finished tasting the chocolate from her lips.

“He got bit, werewolf hunt gone bad last Spring. I’ve been workin’ with him on ways to stay in the game and also stay on top of the situation.” Jo had smiled up at him so sweetly at that as she watched him carefully, that he had trouble keeping his look blank at the revellation that the hunter he played video games alongside was both a hunter and a monster too. That there had been no real reason for him to be so concerned and nervous, but at the same time, the whole idea of a monster as a hunter seemed far fetched even with progressives like Jo, Sam and Harry running about. Her smile had dropped a little as she saw his impassive look, and added quietly, “You hadn’t noticed I duck off near full moon each month? I’ve been keeping my hunts set so I can get to his home and help keep an eye on ‘im during the transformation times now it’s all gone back to mostly normal. He’s a sweet guy, he doesn’t deserve what’s happened but damn if he’s not workin’ hard not to let it stop him doin’ the job.”

“I hadn’t actually noticed-”

“Didn’t think so. But yeah, Harry, Garth and I have been workin’ on the hunter portal cause they’re both big geeks and I guess Garth and Harry realised you guys all play the same games so there you go.”

Grey rolled the thought over in his mind for a moment as Jo had spun in his arms to resume her complicated plaiting of her chocolate bread dough, the chocolate was rippled through it in veins and he was sure it was going to be amazing from what he’d already tasted; before tucking his chin over her shoulder. “Fine, he can stop by. Given I doubt he’s going to try to… gank me?”

There had been a laugh at that, and Grey had found himself almost pacing in the front lounge for the next hour awaiting the arrival of the man who was somehow an unknown hunter, a fellow monster and his mystery team-member all at once.

The first Grey had seen of him was a tall but bean-stalk like guy wrapping Jo up into a tight hug that managed to lift her feet up from the floor and spun her around when just looking at him such a feat should have snapped him in two. There was such a friendly look to him despite the extremely gross mess that was one half of his face, that somehow the clearly openhearted and friendly demeanour broke through even the worst of injuries. “Joey, hey, thanks so much for letting me stop by. Just got on the wrong end of a chupacabra.”

“Yeah I can bloody see that!” Jo had laughed as the man had let her back to her feet, and she’d raised a hand to look at the other’s mangled face - pieces of skin sliced and torn all over one side of his face, and Grey could see a bit of blood smeared on Jo’s hair from where it had touched the area during their hug. “Well not to worry, I’ll get you all patched up soon enough. You know Grey?”

“Grey! Hey man, so good to finally meet’cha!” The next thing Grey knew, he too had been pulled up into a tight hug without a moment to prepare for it, while the hunter wrapped his scrawny arms around his shoulders and rocked back and forth for a second. Garth was still talking, that exceptionally friendly tone bleeding through even Grey’s panic at the unexpected move, “I’ve heard so much about you from Joey and Harry. Been so lookin’ forward to meetin’ you finally. Sorry it couldn’t be better circumstances, man.”

He’d been released after a full thirty-Mississippi’s, and Grey had forced himself not to smoke away out of fear or jerk back more than a polite step as the hunter let him go and continued through to the kitchen at Jo’s gesturing. She had stopped and reached out for his hand, squeezing tightly as she gave him an understanding look as he let out a shaky breath. It took him another few minutes to work down the panic, splash his face with water and then head into the kitchen to see if there was any additional assistance needed once he had calmed down.

It hadn’t taken long for Grey to warm up to Garth once there was no unexpected if very nice hugs, especially as all three had sat down at the kitchen table together while Jo whined about “even though you’ve got higher regeneration than the rest of us, it doesn’t mean you won’t get an infection”, the hunter had simply looked across at him and shared an exasperated eyeroll. That the next thing out of the hunter’s mouth was to congratulate Grey himself on a beautiful house and kind girlfriend settled the matter for him, this was another hunter he would happily spend time with. Maybe with just a bit more distance, or at least warning next time.

—

The sixth and final member had actually come about through Dean.

The hunting brothers had been visiting as they had been doing on and off ever since the Gordon Situation had been handled. Grey had found it exceptionally uncomfortable to begin with, especially the heated, distrusting looks he would get constantly from the eldest brother whenever they did stop by, but Jo had almost burst into tears when the brothers had called and asked if they could drop by the first time about a month after they'd last been around that he couldn't very well say no. Not when she'd flung herself at him right after the agreement either. And so it had become a thing, where if the brothers were within two hours of the city they would pop by after their hunt to say hi. So long as Jo was home, of course.

It was on one of those nights that they were over and talking with Jo in the kitchen while Grey and his group were just kicking off their usual two or so hours of game play that the eldest Winchester had made the comment.

"Is that that weird anime shooter game? Overlord or something? We've got a friend who plays that and she's been looking for a new crew. I'll give her a call and see if she's free if you guys need another tonight." And that was how the sixth member joined them.

---

Supposedly Harry and Garth both already knew and liked the woman, and she was involved with the online hunting development with them and Jo. According to Dean she was a genius, according to Jo she was 'a lacklustre copy of Ash with a vagina' when Grey'd asked her for more that night, according to Harry she fell somewhere in between and Jo only disliked her due to being hit on the first time the women had met.

Charlie Bradbury had been a welcome edition though that first night, and the group had quickly agreed to add her into their little ragtag team.

She tended to roll D.va as her default which meshed well with everyone else, but sometimes she'd play Zarya instead when the mood stuck her which also worked well. Grey figured she was compensating for something always playing the tank role, but knew better than to question it.

That first night though, Grey had been surprised to hear the chirpy female voice through the headset as they finally all got online and in the one escort mission together. They were in charge of the escorting that time, fighting off the other party with a fair few hiccups.

Sometimes Charlie would charge forward further than she should, a level of cockiness in her taunting over the channel directed at the other team than rarely matched the level she was playing at. Sometimes, Spruce would end up accidentally completely forgetting it was a team game amidst the jeering and begin to seek out personal glory rather than working within the team. Sometimes, Grey would drop too far behind trying to regenerate his own health and by the time his character would catch back up, the party would be close to death. And sometimes Ed and Harry would have ended up pissing off one another over something or other, and refused to work together properly until screamed at by the rest of the party or one of them would conceed and apologise.

Overall though, it had been thoroughly amusing, they had finally worked out some of the kinks by their last round as it hit midnight and Jo had appeard in the doorway making a coughing noise in just her sleepwear and Grey had quickly called it a night on the group to a chorus of teasing from the rest. Overall, the computer whiz had fit in well with them all once they got a hold of their egos, and Grey knew that they’d be adding a final person to their regular line up.

***

The escort mission was going somewhat well so far, they’d made it through the second checkpoint and Grey had only have the one close encounter so far that Spruce had fixed up. They had almost reached and surpassed their opposition’s marker in the competition play they were undertaking, and as he directed his character back into the frey towards pushing, Grey could hear Charlie going off again.

“Fucking cocksucking assholes, we’re going to beat these sonofabitches back for sure.”

“Not very ladylike language there, Charls.” Ed’s voice crackled through the headset, clearly teasing as his Reinhardt pushed at the back of the payload alongside the firey redhead’s D.va and Grey’s own Mercy while Spruce’s Genji, Garth’s McCree and Harry’s Tracer zipped about them dealing out damage as they passed.

Grey could tell from the way the D.va suddenly stopped moving that the woman had taken offence. It was something that happened often enough each of the other player’s had noticed it and knew just how damaging one of her stubborn flares could be to their overall performance.

“Ed...” Spruce’s voice rumbled through the quiet, before being cut off by Garth’s friendly attempt at distraction, “Hey Charlie, we’re almost there - watch out for the Reaper comin’ up.”

The silence from their solo female player continued as did her character’s stubborn freezing on the spot as the payload’s speed slowed down having lost the third player’s additional momentum.

“Ed...” Spruce tried again, only to receive a loud feminine hiss and a whiney groan in response.

Grey found himself sighing quietly as he moved his Mercy about the screen to start healing a team member here and there, to boost the attack as Garth completed a flashbang to distract and disorientate their oppponents while they waited for Charlie to get her panties untwisted. While the girl was a very good gamer, and from what Grey had heard from Jo and Harry over the last month, he knew she was equally good at setting up secret portals for sharing the information hunters needed quickly and efficiently between themselves without needing to get too involved in understanding any of the information shred herself, she definitely had a bit of an ego and tended to snap quickly and unexpectedly if she thought she was being insulted.

The time was ticking down for them and they only had two minutes left to compelete the challenge, or at least get past their opponents marker. It was so damn close.

“Ed!” This time it was Harry’s voice, sharp and harsh as his Tracer skipped about from one side of the payload to the other, drawing fire and avoiding equally easily. “Just do it man, you know you were being a shit.”

There was a pained sounding groan as the group managed to move the payload further along and from where Grey was positioned, turning his camera he could see their D.va still just standing still left behind them in Charlie’s tantrum while the enemy players appeared to be trying to decide if they kill out the lone character or focussed on the payload objective.

The groan came again and they were slowly leaving the other behind when Grey realised what he had to do as two of the enemy players began wailing on the frozen and non-reactive D.va. He had seen Charlie let her character die and then remain at the spawn spot before, she had seen her be prepared to lose the match out of spite from one too many kitchen jokes from Spruce or a snarky comment from Ed or Harry. One time she did it after Garth had made some joke about her identifying a monster wrong and sending a hunter out with the wrong information if it ‘hadn’t been for his quick thinking’ to fix it. Grey had yet to aggrivate the woman enough before, but he was a lot more wary of upsetting someone close to the Winchester’s than the rest of them.

He had one strategy left that would allow her to survive, Ed to apologise and possibly give enough of a boost to the team they could pass their competition’s mark with or without the other’s help.

“Mother, fuck the lot of you.” Grey hissed into the headset as he set off his ultimate ability and jerked into the air above the rest of the play. He could see Charlie’s character start gaining health as he moved slightly back towards her to split the difference to the rest of the team, while their offensive characters began dealing enough damage to the surrounding enemies to push them back while Ed’s remaining pushing character continued with their objective. It took about ten seconds into the duration of his power for the hits to start coming from the opposite team, watching his own health deplete. “Harry, go for the Genji, Spruce target the Soldier, Garth the Pharah is almost dead one more shot should do it. And for fucks sake, Ed, apologise this instant!”

There was a quick movement of characters about the screen from what he could see as the three he’d pointed out began the assaults on the assigned enemies and as his powers ability came to an end of time and he dropped his character back down to help with the payload; he saw all three enemy units get taken out. His own was needing a lot of regeneration shortly, but that could wait. If they could just get Charlie back on board...

“Fine, fine.” Ed’s voice crackled, sounding tight and a little sour, before he added into the silent chat. “Look Charlie, I’m sorry. I know we’ve been ragging you a bit today so I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” The words sounded clipped and a little too formal, but next second the D.va was up against Ed’s Reinhardt and pushing along beside them as they crossed past the enemies original marker.

The end point was in sight as they entered the final phase of the match, but Grey could tell they wouldn’t make it without a bit more sacrifce, and sighed as he stayed in place providing the third party to push the load as much as possible even as he’d reached under 15hp left. His screen showed them getting to within 5m of the end point before he was back at the spawning point at the start and found himself sighing resigned not to see if they’d won outright or not as the time counted down.

Such was the curse of being the healer when there wasn’t enough time left for healing to matter. He never got to see if they won or not.

---

It hadn’t been intentional when he’d introduced his sister to the game. It was one of those weekend visits by her when Jo was out of town and not due back until early the next morning but it just happened to coincide with one of his game nights and Shada had looked so bored just ‘hanging out’ that Grey had told the guys he wasn’t available and grabbed the spare remote to play a few rounds showing her the game.

She hadn’t been like Jo had, taking time to pick up how the game worked, how the controller worked, how to actually target and shoot and achieve the tasks. But she’d been more excited than Jo had - tongue poking toughtlessly out one side of her lips as she focussed hard and got drawn into the game as much as he knew he did too. Jo had just looked bored and a little vindictive but not like she had been having fun; where as he could tell straight away his sister was enjoying herself getting to do something he enjoyed with him.

It had become a bit of a tradition between the two of them that they’d play a few different random games with others whenever Shada stopped by.

Grey had not been surprised when she’d gravitated to playing Sombra straight away, and had barely pressed her to try more than two others given how frequently she’d zip straight back to her main character choice each time. It wasn’t like he could judge - he rarely changed off of Mercy now unless they were doing a deathmatch, and even then he did not do well in that game type given how little time he spent playing attack characters - but it was amusing to see how excited his sister got every time he suggested they play a few rounds. He knew it was less to do with the game itself, but the reason for her excitement didn’t really matter so much as he got to get that happy grin out of her.

One time Jo had switched out for him playing alongside his sister when she’d been home for one of Shada’s spontaneous visits, and he’d almost bled from biting his lip so hard to stop the dopey grin from watching the two girls get along and laughing together.

---

Hey guys, cant make tonights session - anyone know an extra sixth to take my spot?

The message from Harry had started this nightmare. It had been about an hour before their usual time, and Grey had felt the slight deflate at the idea he would have to either play with some random or the group wouldn’t get together for the night when the doorbell had rung. Only one person rang the doorbell rather than knocking - a habit that seemingly Jo hadn’t trained the few friends and family of her’s that visited out of after they had installed the doorbell - and Grey suddenly realised maybe his night wouldn’t have to stall out.

My sisters just stopped in She plays Sombra That work for you guys?

He shot off the texts in quick succession into the Discord chat they used as he got up to answer the door. Shada looked as happy as ever, flinging herself at him for a tight hug before brushing past into the house without waiting for an invitation.

“God, why are boys so shit? I mean seriously, even the cute ones are horrible!” Shada whined, flouncing into the living room and throwing herself onto one of the arm chairs, draping her legs across one arm and her head and arms over the other. Her entrance barely registered with the other woman in the room, Jo was engrossed in her laptop in her lap and the thick leather journal on her own armrest. “I mean, I get this guy to buy me a Berkin and then he like... wants things for it? Ugh!”

“Well, that..that’s an expensive bag isn’t it?” Grey asked softly, following in and shutting the door behind him to keep the warm air of the rest of the house out and the cold airconditioned air in. Sitting on the couch, he held up his hands apologetically at the angry look he got from his sister instead. “But no you are completely right, men are gross and shit and horrible. Absolutely not worth your time.” That comment got a snort from the other chair, but flicking a look over it didn’t look like Jo had moved at all or was even listening even if she clearly was. “Hey, I know what’ll cheer you up-”

“What?” Shada’s voice perked up, the arm that had been thrown dramatically over her eyes moving so she could peer at him curiously from under it.

“I’ve got my Overwatch game with my friends tonight, but Harry wasn’t available and we’re looking for a sixth player...”

He had barely gotten to finish the words before there was the high pitched squeal of excitement and he was tackled due to her inhuman speed in the body she inhabited, arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. “Oh can I? Can I?! I haven’t gotten to play with anyone else before!” Shada was grinning from ear to ear as she squeezed his shoulder even more tightly, bouncing the couch cushions from where she was practically jumping with glee. “Can I play Sombra? Please, please, pretty please!”

Grey flicked a hand out to check his phone, seeing the several notifications agreeing to her joining - excluding Spruce’s begging if he could get his girlfriend to play instead - and nodded at her. He was lucky there was another hour before they were due to play for Shada to calm down somewhat before she was unleashed upon his friends.

They’d all played well, though it had mean Ed had been relegated to his tank character rather than playing his preferred Reaper for the escort and assault/escort missions which he had grumbled at until they’d all agreed to spend the last half of their time doing deathmatches instead. Shada had fit into the space left by Harry’s Tracer with her Sombra pretty easily, and the team had changed some of their usual strategies to accommodate the newer player without complaint.

Grey had cringed at several times throughout the night though, as Shada had hummed occasionally singing some parody song she’d heard and when he’d looked away from the screen he’d spotted Jo giggling from her own seat while Spruce and Ed both growled their dislike of “that goddamn Spears pop shit”; or as Charlie had asked thoughtfully if his sister was single at one point; or when Shada had accidentally said some offhand comment asking if Whispering the opposition would be counted as cheating or not that Grey had found himself breaking into a loud song to cover the actual question from being heard properly.

But regardless, the team had fit well - moving smoothly through objectives and challenges together, and while Charlie had had one of her little tantrums when Shada’d made a joke about her ‘butch’ choices of character and asking if it had matched the computer-geek in person or not, they had mostly worked well and won more than two-thirds of their games.

As the clock hit 1am, they had all finally called it quits, and even though Shada had annoyed some of them, all of his friends had bid her goodnight and also said she was welcome to be a swing player in the team in future should anyone ever not be available. Grey’s thought that Shada couldn’t smile any wider was proven wrong as they’d powered off the machine and he’d seen her out the front door after a drink and bit of a chat with Jo now that they’d finished their games and she had packed away her computer.

“I think I see why you keep human friends.” Shada had said softly as she stepped out into the muggy hot night time, looking up at him with a small, thoughtful smile. “They’re...so different to our brothers and sisters.”

“That they are.”

“I think I like your friends, brother.”

“I think they like you too.” Grey had replied, pulling her into a tight hug before she skipped down the stairs to head towards the empty school to disappear from in the dark of the oval, before he’d turned around to find Jo standing on the stairs smiling at him with an almost equally soft look as his sister had given him before they headed upstairs to fight Nana out of the centre of the bed.

---

Things continued like that for a while - sometimes the six of them would play, sometimes one of the others would be unavailable either due to work, hunting or personal reasons and Grey would call his sister in to join them. Sometimes they even decided to just do deathmatch free for alls so all seven of them would play at once. It had been a pretty well established routine, and Grey couldn’t help but realise as he’d get texts, calls or Discords from each of his other team members about anything and everything and not always to do with the game itself that this was what having a tight group of friends was all about.

Not only did they catch up in-game, but each of the others had stopped by the house regularly enough that Grey no longer jerked hearing the sounds of a knock or doorbell the way he had used to. It felt sort of surreal the times Garth would pop by that there was a second hunter Grey felt comfortable in his own skin around.

It was even more surreal when Charlie had flown over for Harry’s birthday held in the backyard as the summer had come to a close, and watching Jo try to be polite and friendly to the woman that commanded a bit too much attention from Jo’s almost-brother’s. The day had been going well, all of those that played with them over, as were the Winchester’s simply out of having been in the area and having buried the hatchet with Harry at least as he’d shown himself invaluable to the research side of things. Even Bobby and Jody had come up, though Grey had thought that was more out of taking the opportunity to see both brother’s and Jo in the one place, and possibly to talk over some files or books with Harry the day after too.

That day had been going so well, with the groups all blending well and even Shada had been invited along and had behaved herself for the most part of the afternoon while Jo and Garth had worked beside eachother flipping burgers, steaks and sausages for everyone laughing the whole time about something or other. Sam and Grey had both worked together to put together a few different salads, especially appreciated by Jody, Charlie and Shada, as they’d all sat down to eat stretched out along a long bench table brought out of the shed into the back garden.

Nana had ran about amongst the legs as everyone had stood and talked beforehand, and was now curled up at Bobby’s feet at the head of the table whining and barking happily every time the older hunter had dropped some food for her. The hunter himself was in a deep conversation with Spruce about the use of technology in ghost hunting and about how static noise in imaging could be used and focussed upon to find that which distorted the image.

Beside them was Harry and Ed, talking animatedly to one another, even though the bulkier of the pair - supposedly according to Harry the other had gotten really into the gym after the Ghostfacers had broken up and was now some survivalist prepper trainer or something - was splitting his time between talking to his friend and flirting with the darkhaired shadow sat next to him. Shada had made a crack about, “maybe I should be even more annoying” when she’d first been introduced in person to the other, and had given barely a cursory look at the other four members of their little gaming group she hadn’t met in passing before focussing almost all her attention on the ex-Ghostfacer so far that day.

Sam had actually sat down next to the shadow without any kind of reaction, as Jody had taken the other headplace and Garth across from Sam, from what Grey could tell in his space beside Jo across from Shada, he could tell they were talking about some job or other that Garth had finished off the night before. He was somewhat more focussed on giving his sister disapproving shakes of the head whenever he managed to catch her eye, but figured that there was no harm in it. Jo was on his other side, right in the centre of the table where she could get up and down easily to keep running about to fetch drinks or more food for everyone as the serving plates emptied.

Beside her was Dean and then Charlie between him and Bobby’s position, and Grey could tell there was something going on from the way Jo was spending more and more time getting up and down for things for everyone else than eating the food that he could tell was the same that had been put on her plate when they’d all first sat down. Looking down at the plate as Jo got up for the third time in five minutes, he found himself frowning as he realised she’d not even touched any of it, completely against normal for her.

Tilting his head and shifting slightly into her vacated seat, Grey had found himself glaring daggers for the first time ever at the elder of the hunting brother’s when he overheard him dubbing the redhead woman beside him “the sister he never had” a little too loudly from a few too many beers as Jo had rounded the table behind him. Out of his peripheral, he could see the way she bit her lip and leant between Dean and Charlie to set down another beer for the Winchester brother who gave her an uninterested “thanks Jo” before continuing to joke to the smiling, unaware woman beside him.

Clenching his fists as he watched Jo spin on her heel and hurry back up the back steps into the kitchen, he didn’t even notice the way Sam seemed to pause in his own conversation looking between the slammed kitchen door, his brother and then his own stony look before getting up and following the blonde into the house. He didn’t notice his sister suddenly looking at him curiously, head tilted as she tried to work something out before returning a half hearted comment to Ed beside her who was talking about some survivial training camp he was running next month, eyes focussed on him as he moved. Grey did notice however his own movement getting to his feet and shoving his seat back harshly before he stepped over to place a firm, little more pressure than his body should be able to produce, hand onto Dean’s shoulder.

“Hey, what’sup Grey?” Dean looked up at him, his attention finally jerked from the conversation about the Hobbit movie adaptations he’d been having with Charlie since they’d sat down for lunch, a slight frown at the extra pressure before it got deeper at the look Grey was sure was on his face. His next words were a bit sharper, voice dropped an octave into a more threatening tone even as those around didn’t quite understand what was going on. “What do you need?”

“We need to talk. Come on.” Grey gritted the words out, fingers digging into the other’s shirt and jerking him to his feet as the hunter stumbled up after him with a shake of the arm and a snarl. So much for a nice afternoon, but he refused to have this conversation in front of the crowd or to ruin Harry’s day with this issue. Jerking his head towards the side of the house, the shadow moved without looking behind him around the end of the table not looking to see the approving look he was getting from the wisened old hunter at the end, completely focussed upon keeping from snapping that Dean had to leave immediately and causing a scene.

He could hear Dean behind him, and taking five faster steps before he spun to confront the other, he had himself mostly under control until he saw the way Dean’s hand was twitching towards his back. “You aren’t going to need that knife, Dean. We just need to have a chat without causing a scene.” Grey snarled the words out, arms crossing across his chest as he stared down the taller man.

“Oh you mean like the scene you started out there?” Dean’s voice was sarcastic as he made no move to return his hands to his side, but also made no move to remove the knife itself as he seemed to be seizing Grey up in return.

“Trust me, if I wanted to cause a scene out there, I would have.” He snapped back in return, grinding one heel into the gravel from the utility space they were stood in. It was as good a place as any. Grey would have taken the hunter inside for the conversation, but Jo was in there and he trusted that Sam would be able to handle that half of the issue. His eyes flashed as he saw the hunter shift as if about to head back to the group and ignore the shadow; growling out the words he had heard from the other, dripping the words with acidic intent. “The sister you never had...”

Dean paused at that, eyes widening a little at hearing the words he’d just let out without a thought, before looking back at Grey. Grey could tell his mind was whirling over what that meant or what the point that the shadow was trying to make to him; and from the blank, unknowing look that covered the hunter’s face he figured the other had not worked out the significance yet.

“You told Charlie she was the sister you never had.”

“So?”

“You told Charlie that she was the sister you never had in front of Jo, you complete asshole.” Grey almost bit his tongue as he snarled the words out, hands clenched into tight fists where he had them against his ribcage as he stared down the hunter. Daring him to deny what he’d said, or deny that it would have meant anything.

Dean appeared to finally get it, eyes widening such that the bright green was fully visible as he appeared to look between the shadow and then the edge of the house back to the yard trying to make up his mind. “Oh shit, fuck, I didn’t..”

“Oh but you did. You fucking well did, Dean. And I won’t stand for you being rude and insensitive to Jo like that.”

“I wasn’t- I wasn’t saying anything about Jo-”

“You fucking know what you said, and how Jo, of all people, would take that comment.” Grey growled back at the hunter’s stammered and awkward denouncing, ripping his arms apart and sticking his fists into his pockets to refrain from throwing the hunter up against the wall and showing him just how much he wouldn’t approve of Dean hurting his Jo yet again. “I get that you might not have thought before you said it, but you’ve barely said six words to Jo all afternoon. You’ve barely even looked at her, and I know you are still not comfortable with me and her, but I won’t allow you to take that out on her any more.”

“That’s not true!” Dean spluttered in response, his hand withdrawing from going for his back but each hand clenched into corresponding fists as he glared across at Grey in return. “I have not been ignoring her-”

“Don’t try to deny it. I’ve seen it all day. I know she’s been smiling and happy, and her and Garth get along like a house on fire and Jody has been taking up a lot of her time; but you, Dean Winchester, have not even looked at her once. You didn’t even hug her hello.”

The brash bluff in the other appeared to deflate at that as the taller man seemed to realise there was some truth to what Grey was accusing him of, fists relaxing and running a hand across his hair as he looked back towards the corner of the building. “I..”

“Didn’t mean to, I’m aware. I’m sure even Jo is aware, but you have been disrespecting her all day and I will not stand for it.” Grey moved closer as he spoke until he was right up in the other’s space, glaring harshly up at him and trying to keep himself from getting even angrier as he thought it over. It was the first time he’d reacted like this around the other, and there was a small flare of pleasure when the hunter stumbled a step back and appeared to shrink a little under his stare. That was enough for now, enough of a recognition of understanding and conceeding to his point. “Now, you and I are going to go back to the table and continue like nothing happened here. And when your brother and Jo come outside again, you are going to apologise to her. Properly apologise. And I’ll let you know if I think it is acceptable, okay?”

He didn’t wait for the hunter to respond, just pushed past the other unnecessarially to go back to his seat and ask Garth about the hunt he and Sam had been talking about as if nothing had happened. Grey had noticed the curious looks from the three Ghostfacers, as well as the slight frown from Charlie when Dean rounded the corner but moved to stand on the small landing outside the back kitchen door rather than rejoining them at the table. If he hadn’t known better, Grey would have thought he was getting an approving look from the older hunters on either end of the table, but that was sure to just be wishful thinking on his end.

When Sam and Jo had emerged with two bowls of potato and pasta salad from inside, her face looking a little pinker than usual as if she’d been scrubbing at her eyes and cheeks, Dean laywaid them and piled both bowls on his brother before grabbing Jo’s arm and turning her back around to go back inside.

Sam slid into his spot beside Shada as he plopped both bowls down onto the table and wrapped a friendly arm around the shadow-girl’s shoulder as he leaned towards Grey across from her. “Hey, did you get your side sorted?”

“Yeah, all taken care of. Yours?”

“Should be okay when they get back out.” Sam’s tone was soft and gentle, and Grey definitely knew that he had a friend in the giant as they shared a knowing smile before starting their own meals again.

Grey wouldn’t be sure would be all okay until Jo returned and actually ate something, but it felt nice to have yet another friend to support him in the form of the youngest Winchester.

---

Three months later, something strange was happening.

They had all logged on as usual, and the chatter over the headsets was much as usual when they were missing Spruce for a round. That is to say, Shada was trying to flirt with Ed, Ed and Harry were babbling about their trip to Comic Con later in the year, and Charlie was trying to organise to meet up with them if their work schedules all happened to match up. The only unusual thing was that Garth had not spoken one word, nor had he done his typical greeting to the group as a whole even once - Grey was kind of missing the friendly twang when the hunter would sign of with a “Hey guys, ready to get these suckers Garthed”. Instead, he’d signed in and was silent.

“Hey so we’re doing assault/escort right?” Grey asked quietly at a lull in the conversation, fingers twitching on his controller as he considered whether to have a drink and wait it out or press the issue as he heard his sister’s giggle through both the headset and from her spot on the couch beside him. Looking out the side of his eye, he could see her twisting a section of her hair - one of those bright purple strands she’d started getting done - around a finger than made him groan. “Please, please guys can we get on with playing. We all good?”

There was a ding and in the corner of the screen, he saw Garth’s first message to the group pop up from the Discord channel - Ready when you are - which seemed so un-Garth.

What seemed even less Garth was as the group finally agreed and started the screen to select their roles that MrFizzles2000 selected Solider 76 immediately without any discussion before any of the other’s could pick their own characters.

“Garth, what the fuck man?” Ed’s voice sounded tinny in the headphones, but definitely reflected what everyone else must have been thinking at that choice. Not once had the hunter picked anyone but McCree or Ashe, not even once. “Since when you play Solider?”

Just shut up and lets play.

That was somehow even less Garth than the rest of it, and the group as a whole continued to fire questions out as they picked their characters. At least he’d chosen another offense heavy damage character so Harry could take the lead-tank role alongside Charlie rather than Ed for the first round as the coin flip had determined. Ed had shouted happily at that, selecting Reaper which would match up well alongside Harry’s Winston, Charlie’s Zarya, Shada’s Sombra and Garth’s inexplicable Soldier 76. Grey was, as always unless he was trying out Moira, Mercy and was actually secretly pleased for another healing person on the team for once.

The first round had somehow been a cake walk for them. Garth was insanely good at the new choice of character, and Grey had found himself suddenly getting a heal boost without having to run out of combat without even asking when Garth’s character would swing past. Charlie and Harry had worked in unison well to take the damage for the rest as they rushed their way to the payload, and even Shada’s almost constant singling couldn’t stop the jovial feeling that was spreading between the group as they wiped the floor with their opponents.

“Jesus, Garth, you need to play that one more often!” Harry cried out happily as they completed the mission quicker than they had before; and there was a sharp whistle of appreciation through the call as they all watched the five-head shot kills Play of The Game from the hunter that had decimated their opponents at just the right time. “Good going man!”

Thanks guys

It was such a small message and did ring true of the hunter’s modesty, so didn’t seem too out of place. But Grey couldn’t shake the feeling something was going on while he drank a sip of his water and chewed on a mouthful of M&Ms while they waited for the next round to load.

As they’d moved across Junkertown for the next assault, and Grey spotted the waning moon in the animated sky, he suddenly realised what it was. Letting out a laugh through the chat out of no where and getting a strange look from Shada as she had her character zipping about, humming that infuriating Britney Spears song under her breath while taking out three enemies at once with one of her EMP blasts, Grey shook his head at her.

He waited for just the right moment to do it, when he knew he’d get an automatic response from the hunter as his character was getting pinned by three enemies to avoid him getting to resurrect Charlie’s D.va as the fought to push back the opposing team from pushing their payload any further. “Ah shit, I need help up here.”

“On my way, hun.” The voice came over the call immediately before the Soldier appeared and drew the fire from the opponents for Grey to extract himself back to their teammate.

“Who the fuck is that?!” Ed and Harry both shouted in unison as they double teamed taking out the three tanks their opposition had chosen to use for the payload push, while Grey used resurrect on the D.va. “Who was that?”

“I thought you guys always wanted me to play.” The voice came again, honeyed sweet and Grey could imagine the smirk on her face as clear as day from where she was. He had only just remembered it was a full moon that night, and Jo always went to help Garth during those times, keeping him under lock, key and a watchfulish eye. It was the first one, full moon that was, that they’d all been around enough to play for; and clearly Garth hadn’t wanted them to cancel with two players out.

The choice in character made so much sense, and as he saw his health boosting again as Jo directed her character past him, Grey found himself smiling fondly as he realised just how lucky he was to have the life he had now as he moved into place to support his friends again.

---

#CA #greypov #cc

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shadowlight501-2 · 2 years ago

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Morning everyone, just woke up half asleep.

I got a question:

Does anyone else do this; when your dream is about to turn into a nightmare you panic and suddenly your flirting or have done something to make the questionable/disgusting monster or even void creatchure of evil and darkness your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner...?

Cause I have just realized or noticed I always have done this to avoid nightmares when my dreams where starting to become one, even if it started off as a nightmare.

I just almost had a nightmare and I made the freak with a disgusting and terrifying body (like "last of us" clicker mixed with wet skin and mutated genes of heads stacked directly on top of eachother but sideways stacked at the ears and part of the check being where they connect, and everytime it detached a head two more would grow in place, it looked worse than I'm describing trust me) turn into some water monster (starfish octopus Human-ish thing that had some stingray with spikes that was fused with it I think so it could breath on land idk it ended up re-fusing with it.) that "I"(the character in the dream) used to have a relationship with and something weird happened and he got cursed somehow and I ended with this weird guy as my lover. All this ended up happening because the kid wouldn't use the shot gun I had gave him, so I could hold the door shut, I needed all my strangth and I didn't think he could, nor did I want him too close to the creatchure, to shoot the monster when I begged him to because we'd both probably die if I let him in. Of course he ended up getting in and the entire weird dream defense mechanism kicked in.

My dream defense mechanism appears to be to make the monster or just bad guy deal with me flirting with them or turning them into my S'O (rather that be in the present or past) and it works. The freaky part is that it always works. Idk why this is my way of fixing the dreams but it works so I'ma take it.

Ignoring all the weird stuff, my dream was actually a super beautiful post apocalyptic kinda dream. Food and trust was scarce and for some reason I didn't really need food to survive I had like one granola bar in me that somone threw into water at some point Wich resulted in me running away with my wet granola bar in my mouth like a freak animal. I saved a bunch of kids, made a little group of misfits and traveled on my own alot like a dumb dumb but I always came across these beautiful looking environments.

At one point in the dream I got so distracted by the beauty of being in an almost celestial looking plains. The grass was beautiful light bright green grass and there was these enormous dark colored tall trees that where scattered about, but dispite being scattered about they looked so gorgeous, like they where delicately placed to be in each spot for optimal brilliance. The sky was high and not a single cloud was in site allowing me to just get engulfed by the beauty of all the things on my level. I'm not going to forget the most breathtaking part of this place, the shallow waters that everywhere you looked existed from small little patches to large shallow lakes and it just was clear, clear natural blue water that felt cooling to be in. I almost didn't realize that I was in an area alot of people where in until of on the guys started attacking me, it seemed to only be him that was bothered by me so I luckily didn't get chased around by a mob. The people had these tarps under the water that seemed to collect these leaf looking seaweed like things and I think that's what these piticular groups used to eat. One of them told me to watch out and not step on them and it felt like the way one would say it if it where food or something along those lines.

Another places was a giant meadow of yellow green tall grass that went about up to half the calf. So about a fourth of your leg's hight. There where these pretty multicolored flowers everywhere and these pretty looking dark wood houses on the other side. The houses where ware I was headed and it was starting to get late so I didn't bask in this scenery as much. I had a goal to get there and I think to help some kids so.

Another was a giant jungle like place of blues and greens it was just fun to walk in and relaxing. Not much to describe since it looked like a normal jungle only with blue hues and darker wood, their was also little fireflies that where out 24/7 to it I recall.

Everything was so pretty.

I started rambling off topic, oops.

So have you ever flirted with your dream's nightmare demon before? And did it work?

#random Rambles #Dream i had #Dream #question #i have no idea what to put as tags #Nightmares #beautiful lands #landscape #dreamscape #idk what im doing im so tired #i need food #ima go eat now.

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tonydadisbestdad · 7 years ago

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Master Summary List

A/N: The numbers are the order these stories were written in. Just to help me keep things in order.

MASTERLIST WITH LINKS * NOT Dad!Tony ~ Smut

Peter

111. Forgotten Request by: Anonymous: Prompt: “And slowly... I was forgotten.” Tony Stark’s daughter is dead and she was dating Peter Parker and she dies like through being kidnapped or something and the story is from her point of view where everyone mourns her at first but then she thinks she is forgotten?? 108. * Healed Heartbreak Prompt: We’re texting for the first time in forever and I told you about some stupid thing I did and sent a sarcastic ‘you must really miss me, huh?’ And you just replied ‘yes’ and I my heart just broke. 107. Pretend To Be My Date For hollandroos Drabble Challenge! I’ve never done one before so I thought it might be time. Sophs I admire your work and I hope you enjoy this! 106. Dear Peter Parker Dear Evan Hansen AU 105. * Brother Sister Secrets (sister reader) Request from chloe-geoghegan1: would you be able to write a peter parker x sister reader please? Your writing is amazing! 103. It’s Never The Answer Request from anon: attempted suicide 102. Comfy Cute fluffy story for galaxyoffangirls 99. * Long Lost Love You were little when you had your first kiss with the love of your life and best friend, but then he was pulled from your life. What happens years later when you meet again and don’t realize just who you’re making out with. 98. Relief Request by anon: Could you do a stark!reader, where tony finds drugs in her room. Maybe even some peter parker x reader please 97. Told You So Request from anon (I think I can’t remember and forgot to write it down): Hey! I love all your dad tony fics, I was wondering if it would be okay for me to request a story? Like, what if Tony was trying to set TR and Peter up but they 'hate' one another and then when tony finally gives up Peter actually admits he likes her and fluff?? it's okay if you skip this, but i thought it was worth the ask x 95. * Crazy Inventions Request by anon: Can you write a story with the quote “last time I did that I got tased on my neck”. You can take it however you want to… it’s like a challenge. 93. A Knight’s Love Request from anon: Can I request a medieval au with Dad!Tony being the King and Peter being a Knight to help protect the the reader, but Peter really likes her and is scared because of Tony being the King? 92. * Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Watson Request by @dancing4girls: Could I request a headcanon about Peter choosing between Gwen Stacy and MJ? 91. Senior Prom Stark Style Request by anon: How about Peter being nervous telling Dad!Tony about his huge crush on reader and trying to ask her to Homecoming so Tony, being the extra af dad he is, plans this whole thing to help Peter out and get his girl ^-^ -🌙 90. * That Dress I Like Summary: You’ve got a date tonight and you asked for advice on what to wear but I’m so in love with you and damn you look good in the outfit I picked out for you. 89. Stress Overload Request by Anon: Peter Parker x Stark!reader, reader is very closed off from the avengers and is just shy in general. She feels she can’t talk to them about her problems but along comes Peter and they instantly click. Tony isn’t too happy with them getting close but accepts it in the end 87. * Divine Intervention Request by: @dapartnerincrime99 Person c: “you know how I’m basically a god?” Person A: “yeah?” C: “then consider this as divine intervention.” C: *shouts out person a’s crush on person b.* 86. A Good Ending Request by Anon: Shy and Timid Reader x Peter where he catches her in the rain after she’s been ignored the whole day? Like everyone just passed by her without really talking to her and if she had spoken she was ignored, so he takes her to the tower, the rest is up to you! Is that too specific?? Sorry!! I hope this isn’t a bother!! 84. Would You Rather Request from anon: Imagine being Riri Williams (ironheart) and having to use your suit to save peter. Tony freaks out because 1 he hasn’t safely checked your suit (dad!tony vibes) and 2 because he doesn’t want you and peter in danger. I really don’t mind, whatever floats your boat. I feel like wringing a character like riri would be easier though……… 81. ~* I Can’t Believe You Broke Your Bed (DAD!TONYXPETER) Request by Anon: can I have 144 and 145 Peter x reader, where tony is Peter’s dad and in the morning they have to tell him why Peter needs a new bed? 80. * Meeting the Family (DAD!TONYXPETER) Request by anon: Could you do something with tony being peters dad and peter wants you to meet his family. Valentine’s 76-79 79. Steve’s Valentine’s Mission Request by @iams3bstan: I was wondering for a valentines idea where the reader is like Steve’s little sister and peter likes her so he send her anonymous roses but of course- stevie gets protective:,) thank you 78. Dadentines Day Request from anon: you being upset that you don’t have a valentine, so dad!Tony decides to spend the day with you. 77. Secret Admirer Request from Anon: Dad!Tony freaking out that his not so little girl having a secret admirer. 76. Not So Lonely Valentine’s Request from anon: Dad!Tony valentines one or even the avenger team? Reader is really lonely and wants to spend time with friends but everyone is busy, including Tony. But she pretends she has plans? Cause she’s very shy and nervous, she locks herself in her room. 75. Flirting for Jealousy Steve offers Peter some helpful advice when it comes to being jealous. 74. * Too Young ‘18’ by 5SOS in Peter’s POV about being sick of waiting to turn 21- from anon 72. Hero Mentality Fake boyfriend trope. Your boyfriend of a few years breaks up with you. So, you need someone to pretend to be him for a weekend to go home and meet your family. 71. * Wild and Free Song fic for ‘Wild and Free’ by Lena Meyer-Landrut 67. No One’s Fault You and your dad need to learn how to come together to cope. 65. Dad to the Rescue Not only did Tony tell Peter to stay out of things, he winds up having to save you and Peter. Jess’s Spooky Shorts 60-64 64. * Cute Costume You really aren’t all about the sexy costumes, but that doesn’t make you feel much better about yours. 63. Flying Popcorn You’re not a big fan of scary movies, too bad your boyfriend misunderstands when you tell him you want to watch some classic Halloween movies. 62. * Bobbing for Apples Someone doesn’t like bobbing for apples. 61. * Sweet Treats You get stuck babysitting on Halloween and it turns out sweeter than you thought it’d be. 60. Decorating Scares You’re decorating the tower when weird things start happening. 59. The Power of the Shower Peter needed to use your shower, and he certainly wasn’t expecting this to happen. 58. One Punch, Two Punch, Out the Door You regret going to a party, because a certain guy won’t leave you alone. 57. Surprise You have a surprise for Peter. 56. Midtown Catastrophe Midtown is under attack and it’s you and Peter to the rescue. 54. * Teleportation Hero You and Peter both have secret crushes on eachother, but also on other people. What happens when Tony want you on the team? 53. * “Slow Hands” Song fic based off the song by Niall Horan, I don’t think it needs more of a description. 52. * Secret Identity Blown Peter’s big secret finally gets out, so what happens when it does? 51. * The Ex Your first kiss with Peter doesn’t go the way you had imagined it might happen. 50. * Surprising Hotness Peter’s changing quite a lot and you finally decide to ask why. 49. It’s All About Personality Based off episode 7 of ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’. Tony and May set you kids up on a blind date right after Tony releases you to the world. 48. More than an Idol You’re dating Peter and he talks you up to Tony and he wants to meet you and then you find out something you never thought was possible. 47. * Overflow Sometimes life just doesn’t go the way you wanted it to. 46. * Snow Storm You get to go on a mission to somewhere really cold, and get stuck in a cabin with the person you spend most of your time trying to avoid. 45. * On the Edge You find a sleepy spider asleep on your balcony one morning. 44. ~ “I had a wet dream about you.” You have a sex dream about Peter and that definitely put a wrench in things. 42. * Insignia Soulmate au, you really can’t figure out why you have a strange looking spider on you. 43. * Y/N and Peter’s First Date! You and Peter finally get together, but your date really doesn’t go as planned. 40. * Shadow You weren’t exactly a cat burglar, you only ever took one thing from the places you went, and you always took something in significant, just as a souvenir. That was until you ran into Spider-Man 39. * I can’t do this without you. You’re hurt on a mission and Peter is very upset. 37. Bodyguard Babe Your dad has a different job for Peter and that’s to be your undercover bodyguard. But what happens when undercover actually means pretend boyfriend? 36. Accidental Discovery Your journal is your life, so what happens when someone else get ahold of all your secrets? 35. * Sticky Situation Peter is having a horrible date until you come to his rescue. 34. What is this Feeling You were stuck in an abusive relationship, but everything starts to get better when a certain someone is there to help you recover. 33. Unsteady Song fic. Sometimes all you really need is someone to hold you while you cry. 32. It’s too early to get out of bed Staying in bed for once isn’t ideal, but it sure sounds lovely. 31. I’m Done Peter’s having a rough time keeping you safe and loving you. 29. You’re Hot, I’m Not Part II After all the times of Peter catching you looking not cute, you finally have an opportunity to show off and he ruins it. 28. You’re Hot, I’m Not Part I Every time you’ve had an interaction with Peter, you somehow manage to look absolutely terrible, little do you know he always thinks you look beautiful. 27. Growing Up Your dad finds out your secret and he doesn’t handle it at all like you thought he would. 26. * It was probably a trap You had a mission, and of course it went wrong, but lucky for you the greatest guy you know is on his way to rescue you. 25. * I Need You All you want is to be curled up with Peter after you have an awful nightmare, so that’s exactly what you plan on doing. 24. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re Spider-Man?” Some big secrets come out when you accidently bump into each other in a place you never thought you would. 23. Meddling Iron Dad Your dad decides that it’s time for him to stop minding his business. 22. * Bedbug You think someone is trying to break in but really it’s a spider trying to find his own home to get some rest. 20. * Undercover You were supposed to be in and out. It’s not your fault Peter got a little distracted along the way. 18. All Wet Time for vacation, your only problem is that you hate pools, and apparently Peter loves’em. 17. * Sleepless Nights It’s very early when Peter finally makes it in from his nightly patrol. 16. Secret Love Song Song fic. It hurts that your and Peter’s love has to be kept secret. 14. We’re Even You save Peter, Peter saves you. Some secrets are shared. 13. Sleep Deprivation and Wrong Beds After a long mission you lose your way in the compound and end up in a certain web slingers bed. 12. Personal Space Everybody has their thing. Yours was you didn’t like to be touched. It took Peter only a bit of time to figure that out, but once he did he’d do anything to make sure no one would ever touch you. 10. * Lies, Lies, Lies Peter struggles to keep his lives sorted out. 9. The saddest days can be the best days Peter can’t leave you alone when he knows you’re not okay. 8. ~ Untouchable Peter knew you were off limits, but he also can’t say no to you. 7. ~ It wasn’t hard to figure out You definitely didn’t need the entire Avengers team to find out what they did that morning. 6. Will you be my date You’re having a little trouble getting a guy off your tail, so you elicit Peter to help you get your point across. 5. Secrets are irrelevant when they can't be kept No one actually knows the truth of who you are. Then you meet Peter and your life of secrets takes an unexpected turn. 4. Loving you is easy, saying the words not so much You always knew how much you loved, you were just too afraid to say them, and not for the reasons one might typically think. 3. ~ Phone sex You think you’re in the clear to act up a little. 2. *~ I didn’t know you had a tattoo You may have forgotten to tell your boyfriend you have a tattoo for your favorite hero. 1. Gym Misunderstandings You were just sparring, however your dad seemed to think otherwise.

Tom

114. * More Than Good Enough Request from anon: Would you be willing to write a Tom Holland x Reader fic where the reader is dating tom and is also an actress and she’s been facing a lot of rejection (like not getting parts) recently and she gets really depressed and thinks she’s not good enough and he comforts her and makes her feel better? 113. * Marriage Before Love Prompt: I think I got married on impulse last night… and after looking a second time, I don’t think I’ve made any mistakes. 112. * A New Life She Has Found You and Tom hate each other. You’re neighbors and he’s always trying to antagonize you. So what happens when you find yourself in an abusive relationship and he’s the only one you can turn to? 110. * Tinder Date You find Tom Holland on Tinder and start talking to him, the catch? This can’t possibly be Tom Holland. 96. * Happier Song fic “Happier” by Ed Sheeran 38. *~ “New Man” Song fic sort of. You and Tom breakup and neither of you are over the other even if you are with someone else. 30. *~ Watch out for those quiet ones What happens when a game of truth or dare gets a little out of hand? 21. ~ You’re hot, I’m horny, let’s fuck You and Tom definitely can’t hide your interest from each other. 19. Winning and Losing You’re devastated when you don’t make it to Tom winning the Rising Star Award. You’re even more so when you see headlines the next morning.

Bucky

15. Love and Loss and Love Again Love isn’t always easy. Especially when not all parties are aware of it.

Focus is Dad!Tony/RDJ some xPeter tho

109. Teasing Cast Mates Request from anon: reader plays tony stark’s daughter in the avengers movies and she’s like a new character. them on a show (either an interview or something like jimmy fallon) and her and rdj have a really cute relationship and it shows and all the other cast members kinda tease them 104. Awful News Request from anon: I love your writing! Can you please write something about Tony telling the reader Peter is dead after infinity war? I know it’s been done before but ?? 100. New School Year Request by @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars: Hey there, I was just wondering—this is something I literally JUST thought of hahah— could you maybe do a Dad!RDJ Au where his (reader) daughter is like on her way to school and gets ambushed my reporter so overprotective Mama Bear Robert has to save the day and kick some ass?? Thank you so much and good luck with college!😊 94. Hand To Hand Combat Request by anon: Could you please write about: Tony being really mad that Captain America beat him in hand to hand combat (end of civil war) and complaining to his kid. And the kid suggesting tony train with Natasha because he forces them to train even though the kid has an iron suit. Then The three of them are training and tony is constantly complaining. You can take it however, I’m more suggesting the concept 88. Roasted SO When I asked for requests I got two that could work together. I hope you guys don’t mind me combining them. They were both from anon’s: The reader being Tony’s kid, and all the avengers thinking they are super sweet, until one day they sass/roast the avengers. And tony is like I told you guys… AND… Would you write an image about Tony’s kid hardcore interrogating all the avengers. Peter does that stuff really come out of you. Captain are you really old. Wanda why are you crushing on an android. You can take it how ever you want to. I’m sorry I kinda changed the second one I realized after writing… if you want a rewrite alone I can do that. 83. Apple Cider Can Fix Anything Request by Anon: Y/N trying to get Tony to stop stress drinking pouring out all his alcohol and replacing it with apple cider. The two of them turn it into a ritual, every night drinking cider and talking it out. 82. My Dear Summary: Mainly based off the song ‘My Dear’ by: Matty Mullins, but the song is kinda religious so obviously I changed that aspect. Reader has to sit and watch a video from her dad that he left in his will. 73. Follow The Rules And You Won’t Get Hurt Request: Peter and Tony are at the tower and Peter gets in a fight with Tony for whatever reason (probably Peter being stupid and risking his life again) and Tony’s yelling at him and Peter gets shot through the window. I want him to get like, ‘if it weren’t for his super healing, he’d be dead’ kind of injured and just him. 69. The Stark Anxiety Anxiety runs in the family, and you just can’t help the panic attack that happens at an event you’re at with your dad. 68. Skepticism At It’s Best Tony really can’t believe his eyes when he sees you and Peter flirting with each other. 66. Superboy and the Invisible Girl Song fic based on the song from Next to Normal. In your eyes, your own father would rather be a better parent to someone else rather than his own daughter. 55. Yours If You Want It Masterlist Song fic based from Rascal Flatts. Tony would give you anything in your life. No matter what, no matter how hard it might be for him. 41. Happy Birthday, Dad! You’re planning a surprise party, so you make Peter keep your dad occupied fro the day. 11. I’m your daughter Part 1: All your life you never would have guess who your dad was, turns out he was just as surprised as you were. Part 2: Request by @missrowle: I’m your daughter more parts. Teams reaction if or when they meet her.

Steve

70. Long Ride The reader is stuck in the elevator with Tony and Steve and the guys are arguing about something stupid. She’s getting so sick of listening to them bicker so she decides to put her hands over her ears and let out a series of horrifying screams. The guys stop arguing to help but she suddenly stops and they get out of the elevator. They ask her what was wrong and she’s just “got you to stop arguing didn’t I?”

NOT xReader

85. Find the Cure Request by Anon: How about Tony and Peter are living in a Zombie Apocalypse for some time now. And now one of them is bitten - for you to choose - and the only way to stop the transformation is to take out the heart before he turns. I expect lots of father and son fluff and how they will not be able to live without the other anymore. Have fun ;) 101. Science Fair Request by pishposhpink: For you requests, uhm, tony helping peter on a school project??? like a science fair? (Child!Peter would be preferable, but it’s up to you. ^^)

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purr-ince-blog · 7 years ago

Note

“I don’t understand why you’re trying to scare me off.”

X [OPEN]

Adrien turned away, feeling bile burn it’s way to the back of his throat. He gripped his left elbow so tightly he could feel the bite of his nails through the fabric of his shirt. Marinette had no way of knowing what he hid from her - what he was still hiding for months now. And it ate at him every time he was around her. Why couldn’t he tell her? How could he? He was being ripped apart from the inside.

“I’m not trying to scare you off, Mari,” he said, still not meeting her eyes, “I’m trying to warn you.”

“Warn me?” Marinette asked, a hitch in her voice that made Adrian’s own chest clench, “Trying to get me fired from your father’s company is you warning me?”

“You don’t understand,” Adrien fumbled over his own words, strugging to find a way to tell her without actually telling her , “My family, we’re…we have a history of hurting the people we love the most. You should get out while you still can.” There was a long stretch of silence after that, and it lengthened until Adrien almost glanced up to see if Mari was still there.

“Adrien, that’s crap and you know it,” Marinette said, “What is this really about?”

Adrien wanted to scream. To demand that the universe tell him where he’d fucked up so royally that he deserved this. He was trapped in a cage of his own making. The longer he waited to tell Mari, the worse it would be. But every time he considered it - let himself imagine telling her that Gabriel Agreste, his own father, was their most hated enemy, every brave bone in his body dissolved into a puddle of abject terror. He would rather face a thousand akuma before he faced this. But he’d asked her here for a reason.

“Adrien,” Mari’s voice had softened, and he shuddered at the feel of her fingers on his cheek. She gently pulled his face back toward her and he let her, eyes falling shut.

“Do you remember what we promised each other that first night? Back when we were forced to reveal our identities?”

How could he forget? "'No more secrets.’” he whispered, self loathing making his stomach churn.

“Right,” she said, and to his surprise, she laughed a little, “That was part of it. But I was thinking about the other part. You know, the whole being there for eachother no matter what thing?”

Adrien swallowed hard. “I remember.” He said, barely audible. It was getting hard to breath.

“What I’m trying to say is that, whatever it is you’re going through. Whatever’s bothering you, I’m here for you. You can talk to me.” Adrien leaned into her hand, savoring the soothing feel of her words and touch. He didn’t know how much longer either would last.

“Marinette, please, stop. I don’t deserve your sympathy,” He said finally, and slowly pulled her hand from his face. It stung like a band-aid removed too slowly.

“Adri, how can you say something like that?” Marinette started, sounding more angry than she had when she’d called him out for working to get her fired from her dream job. Adrien shook his head, clenching his fists at his side.

“Mari, if you knew, you would-you’d-” His voice choked and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. You’d leave. He finished silently. And that’s what it all boiled down to in the end, didn’t it? Instead of doing the right thing, what a deserving Miraculous holder would do, he’d lied to Mari’s face. All to protect himself. He really wasn’t any different than his father, was he?

“Adrien Agreste, will you please look at me?” Mari asked, and the desperation in her voice finally gave him the courage that his conscience couldn’t. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to meet her gaze, his resolve wavering when he saw the way her eyebrows creased with worry and hurt, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Her eyes searched his, and what she saw only seemed to paint the lines of worry deeper on her face. “I promised I’d be with you no matter what,” she said, “If nothing else, you can believe in that. Nothing you could do or say could ever make me break that promise. The only reason I’m still standing here to keep it is because you’ve always been by my side. Let me return the favor,” she said, “Please Adrien, let me help you. I can see that you’re hurting. Tell me what’s going on.”

Adrien swallowed against a heavy onslaught of guilt and gratitude, jaw aching. How could he refuse a plea like that? And from Mari of all people?

Taking a bolstering breath, he spoke before his fear could steal his voice again, “What if I told you…” he started haltingly, “That…I might know something that could end it all? That I have known for months now? And I haven’t told you?”

Mari’s eyes clouded with confusion, “‘End it all?’”

“You know? The key to defeating Hawkmoth once and for all and saving everyone: His secret identity.”

Mari’s eyes widened, but she didn’t step away, “You know who he is? Adrien that’s…that’s amazing.” Her eyes glittered with more than just tears now, and he wished he didn’t have to crush the glimmer of hope he saw there. He knew what she must be thinking. Their lives would be so much easier if Hawkmoth was gone. They could actually have a life outside the Miraculous. They wouldn’t be spending every spare moment desperately working to keep the people of Paris safe. Their loved ones would be spared the fear and pain of his constant attacks.

“No, it’s not,” Adrien said acidly, “It’s the opposite of amazing. There’s a reason I haven’t told you…” He went back to gripping his elbow and took a shuddering breath. This was the part he’d been dreading.

Mari reached up to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly, and Adrien smiled bitterly. “I’ve known who he is for months, you know? And I didn’t tell you. Because I was scared.” He let out of disgusted huff of air at his own cowardice. Mari didn’t curl her own lip in disgust, instead she just waited, no judgement in her gaze. Just patience and worry for her trusted friend. Of course she did, because she was Mari, and she was a better person than he was.

“I was afraid of what you’d do if you found out. Of what we’d have to do…So I broke your trust,” Adrien tried to make her understand, to see just how awful he’d been, to push past her blind faith in him, “Don’t you get it? You offered me your deepest secret, and I took that trust and…and I destroyed it, Mari.”

Mari shook her head, stubbornly refusing to give him the punishment he deserved, “Adrien, I lied to you for years. It’s not like I can judge you. Plus, I know you well enough by now to know that you’d never do anything to hurt me. Whatever reason you have for lying, I know it was a good one.”

“This would be a lot easier if you weren’t so…Mari about this,” Adrien said, feeling sapped of strength by her compassion, “But I promised you I wouldn’t lie anymore, and yet here I am…”

“Telling me the truth,” she finished, “I still lie to my parents every day. You do it. And we do it for the same reason.” she said, eyes pleading with him to listen to her, “We do it to protect…them…” Mari’s voice trailed off, then her eyes widened at a sudden realization, and her mouth fell open, all traces of color leaving her face. “Adrien,” her voice was wooden, and his own blood turned to ice in his veins, “Who is Hawkmoth?”

He looked away again. He wasn’t strong enough to see her face when he finally told her. “It’s…my father,” he whispered, the words twisting like snakes from his mouth, “Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth.” He turned his whole body away from her, gripping both his elbows now, shoulders rising to his ears with tension. It was all he could do to keep his eyes on the ground and his body still.

“Oh, Adrien,” Mari breathed behind him, and he shuddered, eyes stinging with tears he refused to shed. This was only what he deserved, he reminded himself. Not even Mari could forgive him for what he’d done, and he couldn’t blame her.

He stiffened when Mari’s arms wrapped around him from behind, her face sending waves of warmth through him from where it rested against his back. “Oh Adrien,” she said again, and he didn’t dare move, “I’m so sorry.”

Adrien didn’t trust himself to speak, he just shook his head, swallowing desperately against a sob that threatened to escape. Mari’s embrace tightened.

“Oh God, it must’ve been awful,” she said, voice rough with her own tears, “This whole time. And I never even noticed how bad you were hurting. I’m so, so sorry. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone.” She reached to grab one of his limp hands and pull it to his chest, thumb rubbing soothing circles in his palm. Adrien couldn’t stop his limbs from trembling, months of pent up guilt squeezing at his throat, finally working its way through in a broken whimper he was instantly ashamed of. Mari pressed herself against his back in answer to his distress.

“No, Mari, I don’t deser-” his voice was barely recognizable through the humiliating heaves wracking his entire frame.

“I swear to god,” Mari said, “If you try to tell me you don’t deserve my sympathy I’ll ask Tiki to summon some duct tape just to shut you up.” Adrien felt Mari’s whole body shudder against his back. She squeezed his hand before resuming her circular motion with her thumb, and Adrien was dimly aware of the back of his shirt dampening with her tears.

He no longer had the strength to protest, and lost himself in her comforting embrace and his own sorrow, hardly understanding what he was crying for. He was only aware of an overwhelming sense of loss he hadn’t dared acknowledge since he’d learned his father’s secret. It was a deep seated grief that had slithered under his skin and sunk its wickedly sharp claws claws deeper and deeper the longer he ignored it, and pulling it free revealed long festering wounds that left him aching and sick inside.

Underneath that, though, he felt heartening warmth spreading from everywhere Mari touched. He’d finally confessed his darkest secret to her, and she hadn’t left. She’d stayed with him, just like she’d promised. If in no one else, he could have faith in her.

#klutzinette #adrien agreste #drabble #ml #fanfic #sadrien #angst #hurt/comfort #older verse #((here you go you poor unsuspecting soul))#((this is what you asked for))#((you made your bed))

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dressthesage · 5 years ago

Text

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774231

Really excited to post the first chapter of my first real attempt at writing a long-term fan fic. Of course it’s Edeleth, but I put a spin on Byleth’s upbringing, specifically the “raised by mercenaries” piece that I think will be fun to watch play out. Please enjoy!

Byleth propped herself up on a long, strange sword in the middle of the throne room across a plush red rug from a short, silver haired woman. The woman was clutching an axe that was the stuff of nightmares, its head seemingly made from misshapen bone. The red fabric of the drapes and lavish rugs did little to hide the blood covering the room. The bodies of dozens of armored soldiers covered the ground, their polished silver armor dulled by the dried viscera caked over it. They we’re not alone however. Scattered around the room was nearly a dozen or so other people, their clothing all distinct and varied, almost none of it seeming fit to be on an actual battlefield. A man with bright green hair lay dead on the ground next to a large wyvern, the color of his robes warped by the blood soaking them. Two women lay a few feet away from him, one atop the other as if trying to protect them. Though it had made little difference as both were filled with long silver arrows. One of them was wearing strangely cut clothes that looked to be made from leather and covered in beads, while the woman laid over her wore a long red gown. Another 7 bodies were splayed across the floor, one with long orange hair, another with it short and choppy. A blue haired man in armor and a young man in long green robes both lay dead on the ground, hands inches away from eachother as if reaching for help that would never come.

“It seems as though your path ends here, my teacher…” The silver haired woman said as she slowly walked towards Byleth. There was no joy in her voice, nor malice. The woman held no hatred in her eyes, just a grim, exhausted determination. “Please know I feel no joy in claiming this victory, but I must strike you down here, and now.” Her heavy footsteps stopped, ending right in front of Byleth, who turned her gaze up to stare at the horned woman, too exhausted to fear what was to come. “Right now, across the whole nation people are killing each other, Byleth. It has to end. If it doesn’t end here, then it will go on forever. Fódlan's future lies across your grave, and if that is the path I must walk than so be it.” Byleth felt a cold, calloused finger hook underneath her chin and lift her head up so she was staring into the woman’s tired lilac eyes. “I had wanted...so badly to walk with you, my love,” the woman paused as tears began building in the corner of her eyes before roughly pushing Byleth away.

Byleth lay there, looking up as she heard a voice that was hers and yet at the same time not whisper. “El….Please….” But the axe tore into the side of her throat all the same.

Byleth’s eyes shot open as she sat upright, turning to her side as quickly as she could before violently expelling the contents of her stomach onto the smooth stone beneath her. Never before had a nightmare had such an intense effect on her. She stood up slowly, knees weak. The area around her however was just as unfamiliar as her dream had been. A large, seemingly endless stone-floored room, with a staircase leading up to a large throne, on top of which was draped a rather tired looking young girl, who’s hair was a similar shade of green to the man Byleth had seen next to the wyvern…..maybe? Things were starting to get muddled in her mind as she slowly regained her footing. Details seemed to blur a bit here and there, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on that. The young girl stared at her with a curious look in her eyes.

“How did you ever manage to end up here again?...” Byleth looked at her, confused. “Well, no matter. It’s rather rude of you to interrupt my well-earned rest, very rude indeed. Now come to me, I wish to have a look at you. Something’s different this time….” As Byleth walked towards the strange girl a bit more light shone down on her. Looking down Byleth felt some relief to see her clothes were unchanged from the night before, as opposed to the fading memory of the unwieldy garb she’d worn in that dream. Her hair was still the same short choppy blue mess that ended just above her jaw and her armor was simple. Her black, knee length tunic and black pants were untouched by the dirt and moisture that filled this room. Her midsection, shoulders and arms were covered in a lighter plate armor than the heavy steel of her boots, and both had clearly seen their fair share of battles. Her cloak was seemingly nowhere to be found, but otherwise, she was clothed.

“Hmmmmm, I’ve not seen you like this before,” the child paused before asking ”tell me, who are you?”.

“I…..I am Byleth.” She said. This child seemed kind enough, but it felt much like looking at the water in a canal, the surface was calm, but there was a feeling of something underneath that should terrify her.

“Huh, I had never thought I’d be accustomed to human names, but it seems a small mercy that you hold onto the one I know best. How strange! Hmm. It all feels so familiar, yet at the same time so very very…different. I think it may be time for yet another nap...something seems to have drained me, and I find my mind getting foggier by the moment. Now, get on your way. ”

“Hey, kid, It’s time to wake up.” Byleth’s eyes dragged open and she sat up from her small bedroll, trying to make heads or tails of anything from her dream...either of them. The first had faded so quickly from her mind it was a mess of colors and emotions more than any coherent image.

“Were you having that dream again?” Jeralt asked, kneeling down so his face was closer to level with Byleth’s, resting his hand on her shoulder. She nodded, shaking her head slightly to try and clear it of what remained of the fog of sleep.

“I...dreamt about a woman. She was short, and her eyes were...what were they?” She wondered aloud. She’d remembered the exhaustion in the woman’s eyes, but she’d lost the color of them to the fog.

“You’ve described her to me before. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like that, green hair and all.” Jeralt said as he stood and patted Byleth’s shoulder.

“No, it wasn’t her...well it was but before…” Jeralt cut her off, though byleth was more whispering to herself than anything so it seemed just as likely he hadn’t heard her in the first place.

“In any case, just put that out of your mind for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts. Risking your life is part of the job for mercenaries like us. Letting your mind wander is a sure way to get yourself killed.” Byleth nodded and stood up, taking Jeralt’s offered hand to help her up.“OK, soon it’s going to be time to get moving towards our next job in Farghus. It’s far from here, so we’ll need to be ready to leave at dawn.”

"Of course, Sir." Byleth replied as she and Jeralt turned to hear the sounds of armored boots clanking down the road cobblestone paths could be heard.

“Good grief, it seems the entire camp is up and waiting for us out there. Let’s go see what…” The door behind Jeralt swung open and a hastily armored mercenary ran into the room.

“Jeralt! Sir, I’m sorry to barge in like this, but you’re needed immediately.”

“Vladimir, what happened?” The young mercenary opened his mouth to reply when suddenly three clamoring masses forced their way through the door. Three people stood, panting desperately, between Jeralt and Vladimir. One of them, a blonde young man with a blue half-cape draped over him was the first to speak.

“Please forgive us for such a rude entrance sir, we wouldn’t bother you were the situation not absolutely dire.” His voice, between his rapid panting breaths, was deeper than would be expected from someone his age.

“What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?” Jeralt’s voice held no animosity toward the three of them, but Byleth could see in the way his shoulders were set, he expected a fight.

“We’re being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend your support.” The blonde boy replied. Jeralt had been right.

“Bandits? Here?”

“It’s true. They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp.” This time the person to reply to Jeralt was the young woman to the left of the blonde they’d just been speaking with. Her attire was rather strange. While the other two were wearing somewhat sensable pants and ornate shirts, with armor scattered around in various places, she wore a pair of black shorts and red tights, along with a pair of black heeled shoes.

“We’ve been separated from our companions and we’re outnumbered. They’re after our lives…not to mention our gold.” the last member of the trio, a young man with a yellow cape draped over his left shoulder, explained.

“I’m impressed by how calm you all seem considering the situation. But, I have to ask, your uniforms…”

“Sir! A large group of bandits have been spotted, just outside the village!” A mercenary screamed out, before he and Vladimir ran out the door, presumably to assemble whatever forces they could.

“I guess they followed you all this way, then. We won’t abandon you to a bandit’s blade, but ensure you do not get in the way.” Jeralt said as he looked over his shoulder at Byleth. Byleth nodded, face blank of anything betraying an emotion, and grabbed a pair of iron brawling gauntlets off of the floor. Jeralt began walking towards the door. “Come on, let’s move. I hope you’re ready for this, all of you.”

The five of them ran out of the building. Jeralt was the first to speak.

“Kid, take the three students and meet me in the northern forest. I’ll get my mount and meet you there with as many men as I can rally.” Byleth gave another nod and turned to the three kids, students but of what she had no idea, and finished sliding her gauntlets into place.

“Follow closely.” They all three nodded, not a moment of hesitation among them. The four of them ran towards the large forest to the north of the mercenary camp. Byleth was preparing to find a clearing to wait for Jeralt and his men, when the yellow-caped student called out.

“Bandits, to the left!” And he was correct. Out of the trees roughly 100 yards away, several large bandits were emerging. The largest of them, a bearded man, had clearly already had seen the four of them, as the bandits began rapidly moving towards them. The girl to Byleth’s right took hold of the blunted Iron axe that had been slung across her back, While the boy in yellow and the boy in blue pulled out a bow and lance respectively.

“Keep close. Red, I want you to my right. Blue, to my left, and Yellow stay behind us. Make sure as few of them get to us as possible and we’ll make sure none of them make it to you.”

“We do have names you know.” The girl in red muttered, clearly none too pleased.

“Make it out of this alive and I’ll learn them. I know enough dead men’s names to last a lifetime, I don’t need any more.” Byleth’s reply, paired with the blank expression she wore, set all three students on edge. “If I tell you to do something and you don’t, your death is on your own head. Understood?”

“Understood... I must wonder if all mercenaries are as strange as you. Well fine, let’s see what you’ve got.” Edelgard said, shifting into a lower combat stance and readying her axe.

“Understood. Thank you for lending us your strength. A death here wouldn’t do, so let us fight together!” The one in blue said to Byleth, his lance poised for blood.

“Understood. Keep me alive, and you will have my eternal thanks.” The young man in yellow said, almost jovially as he readied an arrow.

Byleth nodded and with a “Charge!” the quartet sprang forward. Three bandits ran at them from the left. The lancer charged towards the one leading the pack, smacking the side of his spear into the man’s head, while the archer launched a shot into his head, the blunted training arrow knocking him onto his back unconscious. . The girl in red charged forward and slammed her axe into the shoulder of one of the bandits, a second later Byleth brought her iron-clad fist into the side of the man’s head, bone cracking loudly as he fell dead.

The last conscious member of the initial bandit charge ran forward and swung at the girl in red, leaving a long gash along her right arm. One bandit who seemed to come from the woods to their right charged towards the boy in yellow, but the lancer in blue stood in his path, taking a blow to his side before swatting the bandit back. The lancer took the opportunity and lashed out and swung for the man’s head, catching the side of his jaw and sending the man to the ground, out cold. The archer ran forward and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Dimitri, are you ok?!”

“It’s nothing to worry about, Claude. A flesh wound at worst. Don’t lose focus.” The one in blue, Dimitri, replied as he clutched at his side, leaning on his lance. “Go help Edelgard and that woman, I’ll watch your back and catch up in a moment.” The boy in yellow, Claude, smiled and nodded at him.

“Ok. Just don’t take too long looking at my ass and not cover your own.” Dimitri chuckled as Claude ran towards Byleth and Edelgard, who stood over the unconscious form of a large axe wielding bandit. Once Dimitri was finally caught up the final four bandits were upon them, including the man with the beard. Two charged forward towards Edelgard and Byleth, and were felled quickly by the duo. Claude and Dimitri tore away from the two women and charged at the bandit that was trying to come up from behind.

Finally, it was time to fight the bearded bandit leader. All four ran towards him, Byleth going forward, with Edelgard running at him from the left and Dimitri from the right. All the while Claude shot at him from behind the trio. The bandit fell to the ground with barely a sound except a dull thud. Even Byleth was left a bit winded by the battle, with the three students all gasping for air desperately. Byleth sat down, leaning against a tree as she began to regain her breath. After a moment or two, the girl in red stood up, having been leaned forward with her hands braced on her knees, and looked at the mercenary.

“Edelgard….my name is Edelgard Von Hresvelg.” She said between pants.

“Good for you.” Byleth mumbled, her tone was as blank emotionally as it ever was. She held her hand out, which Edelgard took in her own in a firm handshake. “Byleth, my name is Byleth Eisner.”

Edelgard...it was quite a pretty name but strangely familiar, as if she had heard it before. Perhaps it was one of her father’s old stories, or some noble she'd heard gossip about. But that wasn’t of much importance. Byleth stood, preparing to begin walking as she heard the sounds of hooves drawing near. Presumably belonging to her father’s mount.

“Come, we need to regroup with the rest of the encampment and see if there are any more bandits around.” The three nodded simultaneously. Dimitri and Claude went to pick up their weapons, while Edelgard continued forward, past Byleth.

Suddenly the quiet was pierced by a loud battle cry. “Die! You noble brat!” Rang throughout the woods as Byleth turned to see the bearded man running at Edelgard with his axe in hand. Edelgard was fumbling with her axe but she wouldn’t make it in time. Byleth launched forward, shoving the girl aside before turning in hopes of presenting some kind of fight, but the axe was inches from her throat when it stopped suddenly. Byleth looked down, and saw everything, even the grass which had been billowing in the wind a moment ago had stopped. When she looked up she saw not the bandit leader, but that strange green haired girl on the throne.

“It seems some things never change with you. I don’t know whether to be happy you seem to be your same foolhardy self or even more angry! Honestly, what were you ever hoping to achieve with that little “noble sacrifice” stunt?” The young girl yelled down from her seat. Byleth could only shrug and look up at her.

“I….she needed help.” Byleth said, looking up as if that was all that needed to be said. The room was silent for a long moment, as the strange girl looked at her with eyes that struck Byleth as almost mournful. After another long moment she sighed and leaned back, slumping against the backrest of the throne.

“Well… I am at the very least glad to see you’re still yourself, with all the hopeless shortcomings that entails. But I can’t expect you to protect your life if you don’t remember the value of it. I am Sothis, the goddess that watches over this land and it’s people, and I guess It’s up to me to guide you from now on. Here is the hope that from this moment on things can make a bit more sense.”

“Sothis? The goddess? You speak of me as if you know me, yet I’ve never met a child so odd as you to claim to be the goddess herself.”

“You think me a child, still? Yet again it shows that all your differences aside you’re as bullheaded as ever. I just saved your life! It’s not the first time I’ve done so either! With how you seem to act I highly doubt it will be the last as well. What does that make you?” Sothis was standing now, her arms crossed in front of her as she looked down on Byleth.

“I am indebted to a child.” This seemed to take Sothis by surprise.

“I suppose you are. Now, I believe we have a more pressing matter at hand. You threw yourself before an axe to save just one girl, and were it not for my quick intervention you’d have died.” Byleth looked at her confused, or at least Sothis believed it to be confusion. On Byleth’s stoic face that meant little more than a slight crease in the corners of her eyes. Of all the things that could’ve changed between their first meeting and whatever had gotten them here, Sothis wished Byleth could have kept a bit more of the emotional spectrum she remembered the young mercenary having. Although she was starting to have trouble remembering what exactly Byleth had been like before. “It is just your lucky day that, whatever has changed, I still seem to be able to rewind time as well as pause it. Only so far, it seems. I feel so very drained and yet I can’t seem to figure a reason why. But I can do it all the same! Now, this time around, please try a bit harder to actually protect yourself, lest you condemn us both to a painful, if very very dramatic, end.” With that, her hands raised into the air, light arranging itself into intricate patterns in front of her as Byleth felt her stomach lurch, and suddenly she was back in the forest, Edelgard standing with her back to Byleth as the bearded bandits shout rang across the trees. Byleth didn’t hesitate for a second, swiftly moving between the two of them and raised her arms in front of her. The Bandits axe lodged in the iron of her gauntlet, and while he struggled to pull it loose, Byleth brought her unburdened fist up under his jaw. His head flew back, and he fell over onto his hands and knees, panickedly crawling away until he was finally stable enough to get up and run. Byleth turned to Edelgard as Dimitri and Claude both reached them, weapons at the ready.

“Edelgard, are you injured?” Dimitri asked watching the bandit disappear into the trees.

“No, Dimitri, I am fine. She was fast enough to stop him before he even got close.” She replied, gesturing to Byleth, who was now busy trying to dislodge the axe currently stuck in her gauntlet. By the time she had succeeded her father and several mercenaries had arrived to the clearing. Jeralt dismounted from his horse.

“Byleth, did you just….” Suddenly a man wearing a suit of armor with a frankly ridiculous shoulder spike, along with several other well armored men came out from the forest where they had just seen the bandit disappear.

“The Knights of Seiros are here! Fear not good students, for we shall cut down all who terrorize…...wait, where are they?” He turned to the men behind him. “Go hunt them down!”. The men nodded and ran back into the forest, while the man came closer to Byleth and Jeralt, calling out as he walked.

“Thank you so much for protecting the young students my kind man! May I ask your… wait…Captain Jeralt!? Is it really you? Haha! It’s been nearly 20 years! Do you recognize me? Of course you do! How could you ever forget your old right-hand man, Alois? I knew you couldn’t be dead!”

“Alois, I see you haven’t changed much in all these years, least of all your volume. But I’m not your captain anymore, I’m a mercenary, so quit with the formalities. If you need me, I’ll be packing up the camp with the rest of my men, we have work in the Alliance.” Exhaustion was clear in her father’s voice.

“Wait! You can’t just walk off, this is fantastic! I insist that you return to the monastery. Lady Rhea will surely want to thank you for protecting her students.

“Garreg Mach….I suppose this was inevitable.” Jeralt’s tone said plenty. He was less than ecstatic, even by his usual standards.

“And what about you, kid? Are you the captain's child?” Alois asked, seemingly sizing her up. Byleth’s response was a quick and simple nod, followed by a rather uncomfortable silence that was finally broken by Alois coughing awkwardly. “Well it does seem while not much was inherited regarding appearance, you certainly learned his way with words. Haha..but still! It’ll be wonderful to show you the monastery as well! I assume you’re coming along?” Byleth gave another quick nod and Jeralt began walking away, giving orders to the men around the camp and preparing for travel.

“Now captain! Don’t go running off again!” Alois called towards Jeralt.

“Even I’m not that daring, Alois.”

Byleth wandered back to the cabin she’d occupied the night before and packed her few personal belongings. She left out a small bottle of healers brew, a strong alcohol used to clean wounds, and a bundle of cloth that had once been a shirt she used for bandaging. She sat on top of her travel pack and now-rolled-up bedroll, slowly undoing the various buckles that held her armor in place and sliding the armour and tunic over top of her head. She finally was able to start examining the damage from the morning. There was a long but rather surface lever gash in her forearm, an arrow wound in her left thigh, and a few bruises where her armor had protected her from a blade but not the force behind it. She made quick work of cleaning out the wounds and wrapping most of them in bandaging before taking time to stitch the arrow wound. She’d always healed faster than most of the brigade so she tended not to want to bother the few mages with healing magic they had, lest they need that magic to save another man later.

It was right about when Byleth had slid her roughspun cotton under-shirt back on that she heard a knock from the front door. She sighed, stood, and turned on her heel toward the door, throwing it open without even a second thought. She’d lived with the company as long as she could remember, and living among nomadic sell-swords meant there were vastly lower bars for personal boundaries than in other groups. However, when the door opened on a slightly nervous looking Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude, two of whom proceeded to go wide eyed and beat red, all the while Claude remained completely unphased, Byleth began to realise just how stark that difference in standards might be.

“Can I help you?” Byleth asked, leaning against the door frame as she crossed her arms in front of her.

“I...I wanted to thank you. Your help was greatly appreciated, and your skill is beyond question. You’re clearly an experienced mercenary. N..not that that’s at all surprising given your father was a former Knight Captain, Jeralt the Blade Breaker.”

“Hmmmm, I never knew he was a captain. He’s been a mercenary as long as I’ve been able to remember.” Edelgard looked up from what must have been a rather fascinating patch of grass at her feet, if how intensely she had been staring at it was any indication. Making her the first of the awkward duo to be able to look Byleth in the eye. She had a strange look in her eyes, the lilac color notwithstanding. It was something like a vague hope.

“Curious….I’m sure the reasoning for that must be a fascinating story.”

“I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to hear the story. You’re coming with us to the monastery, correct? I’d love to bend your ear during the trek back to the officers academy. It’s at least a day and a half’s walk from here.” Claude smiled at Byleth as he asked.

“What’s the matter, Claude, trying to ensure this nice woman is there in case there are any more bandit’s you need to run away from?” Edelgard asked, smirking at the archer.

“Now Edelgard, leave him alone.” Dimitri said, a small grin crossing his cheeks. “I’m sure he was only acting in our best interest by leaving us behind to fight those bandits alone.” Claude laughed and soon the conversation devolved into a bickering match filled with accusations of paranoia, cowardice, gullibility and all other sorts of weak-at-best insults until Byleth snapped her fingers, getting the three student’s attention.

“May I ask which part of this pertains to me?”

Dimitri spoke up first.

“Please, forgive our digression. I was hoping to bend your ear for a moment. I’m the heir to the throne of the Holy Kingdom of Fargus, and what I saw of your skill today made me certain that our ranks would be strengthened immensely by having someone of your caliber at the helm.” Dimitri was in the middle of a breath when Edelgard spoke up.

“Your skill on the battlefield truly was beyond impressive, and I’d like to ask you to consider lending that skill to the Adrestian Empire. I’m the next in line for the Imperial throne and I…” Edelgard had taken a step closer as she spoke, but Dimitri put his hand on her shoulder as he tried to continue his point.

“Edelgard, please, allow me to finish my own offer before stepping in with your own. The Holy Kingdom of Fargus would be greatly appreciative of a tactician such as you. If you’d like, I would be honored to extend an invitation to return to the kingdom with me.”

“Whoa there you two,” Claude chimed in, hand rested on his hip. “A little lesson in subtlety would do you both well. Trying to recruit someone you’ve only just met? I’d expect this kinda thing from you Edelgard, but you as well Dimitri?” Claude ‘tisked’ audibly, shaking his head before chuckling a bit.

“These three, I swear, they really never held much in terms of tact even at the best of times. It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. So, where shall we start this time?” Sothis asked, her voice ringing through Byleth’s mind like a bell. She looked between the three of them. All three looked her in the eyes this time.

Claude's eyes felt cold and empty when examined with any scrutiny, like staring at the eyes of a painting, any emotion you see is placed there specifically to be seen rather then being genuinely felt. On to Dimitri; his eyes held a genuine hope, which Byleth found reassuring, but something behind it felt off, like looking at a fox and not being sure if it intended to befriend you or go for your throat. Finally, Edelgards eyes held a strange mixture of determination and distrust within them, but something was bubbling up underneath...Fear, it was fear, of what Byleth had no idea but this girl was terrified of something. She felt something heavy and, in a way, distant in her chest. It was as if she’d been hit with a stone a split second before and was feeling an echo of the pain. It was such a strange sensation, but Byleth took it as a sign, and stepped down the few wooden steps out of the front door and held her hand out towards the red-clad heiress. Edelgard’s lips stretched into a polite smile before she took the hand and shook.

“A wise choice. While the Empire is not as glorious as it once was, we’re not a nation to be easily broken, and that will not change once I’ve taken the throne.”

“I look forward to working with you. Now, if it would be of no inconvenience, your highness, may I go put the rest of my clothes on?” Byleth asked, her tone and face so blank Edelgard couldn’t tell if the request was sarcastic or genuine. Her face went red and she dropped the mercenaries hand, nodding quickly.

“Y...yes of course, apologies for the inconvenience.” Edelgard said, blushing. Byleth didn’t reply, simply turning and returning to the cabin.

“Always such a hurry with those three. She is certainly refined, but she’s none too subtle about the way she evaluates everyone around her. What could strike such fear in the heart of a future empress?” Sothis wondered as Byleth donned her armor.The door opened a minute or two later, with Byleth standing in her tunic and coat as Alois walked up alongside a very tired looking Jeralt.

“That’s enough catching up! It’s time to head back.” Alois exclaimed, clapping his hand on Jeralt’s shoulder. The students and Byleth nodded, moving to join the departing mercenary company. The sun was just cresting over top of the treeline,it was a beautiful site, but the light stung Byleth’s eyes.

#lesbian #fire emblem three houses #edeleth #edelgard fire emblem #edelgard deserved better #byleth eisner #fan fiction

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