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absurdthirst · 1 month

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Online Love {Javier Peña x F!Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 18.3k

Warnings: Online dating, feelings of inadequacy, anger, upset, mentions of past bullying, Javi having restraint, oral sex (male and female receiving), tiny bit of body worship, unprotected sex, vaginal sex

Comments: Coming home after Cali, Javi finds that his dad has moved into modern times. There's a computer in the house. Unsatisfied with his reputation proceeding him, he decides to go online to find out if he can be the man he wants to be. Except the one he connects with, you, has a very complicated past together.

Co-written with @storiesofthefandomlovers

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|| MasterList || Javier Peña MasterList ||

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says 'creator chooses not to use warnings'. You also agree that you're the right age to be consuming anything here.

The last thing that Javi expected to find at the Peña ranch upon his return, was a computer. He wasn’t even sure that his father had known what one was, let alone how to turn one on. But there it was. A great hulking machine that is set up in the dining room, taking up half the damn table. He had frowned at his pop, hands on his hips as he asked him what the hell he did with the damn thing. “Talk to people.” Chucho laughs at his son’s confused ire and slaps him on the back. “I got that dial up package added to the phone line. Even my accountant told me I needed one.”

Javier avoids the computer for weeks, eying it like it's going to turn on and take over the world. At least, that's what every Sci-Fi movie is about lately. He watches his pa try to cook scrambled eggs and snorts at the curses coming from his father's mouth while he flips through the paper. ‘Free Online Dating Membership. Join Match.com today!’ The ad in the corner catches his eye and he snorts again, wondering who the hell goes on the internet to find a date. He can go to any bar and pick up a woman. Well, he can get a one night stand. Every woman within fifty miles knows about the infamous Javier Peña and his reputation precedes him. The doorbell rings and Javier huffs, folding the paper to get the door. "I got it, pa." He tells his father who is still cursing the now burnt scrambled eggs.

"Oh, uh, hi. Javier." You clear your throat and Javier's eyes widen. He says your name and you are surprised he remembers you. "I have papers for Chucho." You hold up the folder and Javier steps aside. You walk into the kitchen to find Chucho rinsing out a frying pan, the smell of burnt eggs in the air, and you smile at the older Peña. "Just dropping off the quarterly report." You set the folder down.

“You’re his accountant?” Javi asks, following you into the kitchen and he can’t help that his eyes have fallen down to your ass as you walk in front of him. It is a habit when he is around a beautiful woman and you have become that. No longer the awkward and gangly girl he had remembered before he had left for Columbia, you have matured into a graceful woman. It isn’t quite fair because you weren’t too much younger than him.

“Yes.” You turn and give him a confused smile and tilt your head in curiosity at what he was meaning. You had always been good at math, enjoying numbers more than socializing.

“So that-” he points to the computer in the dining room, “is your fault?”

You chuckle a little, "don't you want to join us in the 20th century, Javier? It's nearly the 21st. A computer is the future." You take a step closer to Javier, lowering your voice, "besides, your dad can join forums. Speak to other ranchers. Other widows. There's a whole world out there and that computer brings it to him." You had noticed how lonely Chucho was and he is far too proud to say anything so you suggested the computer.

“What’s wrong with the annual rancher’s association meetings?” Javi snorts, rolling his eyes at the idea of his father courting widows through a computer. His mother was the love of his life, and he had honestly never even suggested moving on. He was still wearing his wedding ring that his mother placed on his finger nearly fifty years ago. “Going to town to the tack and feed store? Meeting people in person?”

You shake your head, "your dad is a proud man. He's loyal to your mother, even after all these years. You can't be honest about how you feel with people you've known for years. On the computer, you can be anonymous, you can tell someone how you truly feel without seeing the judgment on their face. You can be who you really are when you're behind a screen." You confess, knowing you have your own experience with that anonymity. "You wouldn't understand it. You've never had a problem with saying what you think."

That’s not true, and Javi opens his mouth to tell you that, but he stops. You said that one could be the person they wanted to be. Who they really are. Javi glances back at the computer again, contemplating that in a different light. Everyone knew Javier Peña, by his reputation, by the stories that had been written while he was in Colombia. They judged him, or treated him how they expected him to act. Every woman he had met recently just wanted to ‘see if the rumors were true’. He hadn’t taken many of them home. Looking back at you, he shrugs slightly, as if it’s not anything to him. “They are a pain in the ass when they act up.” He grunts.

You chuckle, pointing to the big book on the dining room table next to the computer. "Good thing you have the instruction manual." You quip and walk back over to Chucho who thanks you for bringing the report. "We need to work on the W2's next month." You tell Chucho who nods, "thanks, chiquita." He winks at you and grabs the egg carton. "Any chance you can cook scrambled eggs?" He asks and you giggle, "I would show you but I have to go meet Maria to explain why her new RV is not a tax write off." You chuckle and Chucho winks at you, "luego." You turn to look at Javier, "see you around, Peña." You show yourself out, exhaling deeply as you recognize that you couldn't avoid Javier forever.

Over the next few days, Javi eyes the computer. Debating with himself as he smokes out on the front porch. His dad still won’t allow smoking in the house even though his mother’s oxygen tanks were long gone. Looking at the outline of the large monitor through the screen door and contemplating your comment. He could be someone other than Javier Peña, manwhore or DEA disgrace. He wouldn’t be grumpy or sarcastic, not unless he wanted to appear that way. The person he could be online wouldn’t be burdened with the sorrows and mistakes that seemingly weigh him down. He blows out a breath and crushes out the butt before he yanks the door open and steps back into the house. His father is out for a few hours and he can at least turn it on to see what all the fuss is about.

You bite your lip as you log onto the website. You never imagined you'd join an online dating website. You had seen the video tapes from dating agencies and you never allowed yourself to get so lonely that you resorted to that but the internet brought a new option. You like that there's no photos. Only an initial and a location. It's anonymous and you chat, then decide if you like each other. Sure, you've had some bad matches in person. Some not at all like they described themselves, some total assholes. You keep trying though. You want to find your person.

“Goddamnit.” Javi scowls at the computer and bangs the enter button several times. “Why won’t you do it?” He hisses, seeing the little arrow over the area he wants to go, but it’s not doing anything. “Fuck.” He rolls his eyes at himself and grabs the stupid thing called a mouse. Why it was a mouse, he will never know, but he clicks buttons until the page starts to load, leaning back with an annoyed sigh while he waits.

You have a sip of wine as you wait for the website to load. You sigh, watching the screen flicker as the website is displayed pixel by pixel. When it's loaded, you type in your email address and password. Grabbing the mouse, you click the 'log in' button and lean back, waiting again for the website to load.

It’s been nothing but a pain in the ass to set up this page. Debating on what to put, he had gotten annoyed at himself several times and almost walked away. Now he’s ready to browse available women, but knowing his luck, there won’t be anyone for hundreds of miles.

You set your wine glass down, surprised to see there's a new person online. "J" is the name and his tagline says "here to be myself." That intrigues you. You bite your lip, contemplating clicking on the profile until you select it and wait for it to load. "Name is J. Looking to be myself, find someone to talk to who wants to get to know who I truly am. Texas born and raised. Work in law enforcement so not a creep." You chuckle at the bio and decide to click on the 'chat now' button. You take another gulp of wine and select his profile, typing out a simple "hi".

A box pops up with a loud ding, making Javi sit up. Someone is messaging him already. He tries to suppress the surge of pleasure in his stomach as he remembers to click the line so he can peck at the keyboard. “Hi.” He hits enter and then frowns slightly because it seems so impersonal. “How are you?” He notices the initial and adds that before sending the next message. Frowning as he waits for a response.

You are surprised he responded so fast and your stomach clenches with nerves as you type out “I’m good. Just having a glass of wine. How are you?” You type, glad for those hours you spent on typewriters back when you were a teenager trying to write a novel. It sucked but your typing skills are excellent.

“Well shit.” Javier huffs, slightly amazed at the speed of the reply. He’s used a computer, he had to in those final years with the DEA. Hated it, preferred the typewriter, but he had never really talked to someone online like this before. “What do I say now?” He asks himself, wishing he could light up a cigarette. Hunching over the keyboard, he begins a two finger pecked response. “Wine sounds good right about now, although a glass of whiskey and a cigarette is more my speed.”

You have another sip of wine, waiting for his response. It takes a while and you wonder if he’s walked away from the computer but it soon pings through the speakers and you read his reply. A chuckle escapes your lips, “typical man.” You snort to yourself and reply quickly, hitting enter to send the message. “I don’t smoke. Never have. I don’t care if someone does smoke. So what brings you to this website?” You chew on the skin of your thumb as you wait for his response. It’s nice to talk to someone different. Someone you haven’t known your whole life growing up in Laredo.

Javi feels slightly guilty about smoking as he reads your reply. He will have to air the house out before his pa gets home. Wondering why he’s actually here. “Want someone to get to know me and not what they think they know about me.” Javi types out slowly. “Like I’m trying to quit smoking again, and everyone tells me that I shouldn’t try.”

Your heart clenches at his honest reply. You glance over at the photo of you and your parents when you were younger, remembering how you’d get made fun of for being too geeky. For liking numbers instead of boys. “If you want to quit smoking, you should try. Do it for you. Not anyone else.” You hit send, and then type out “everyone tells me I need to get laid but I don’t want meaningless sex. I want a real relationship. Someone I can talk to and be real myself with.” You hit send before you can think too hard about your reply.

Javi snorts to himself. “Meaningless sex doesn’t help.” He types out. “Not in the long run. I know. Sometimes it just makes you feel worse.” He’s had plenty of time for self reflection and regret. “So who is the real you?”

You sigh and type out “I guess that’s what I’m wanting to figure out. I have been so sensible my entire life. I want to let loose a little. Enjoy life. I struggle to trust anyone and it’s led to me to isolating. Hence why I’m on here.” You hit send and take another gulp of wine, feeling vulnerable.

Javi understands that. “People always call me an asshole, not understanding that I’ve seen shit that would make grown men cry. They wouldn’t believe me if I told them I’ve cried.” He tells you and continues the message. “Letting loose sounds like something I need to do too.”

“Were you in the armed forces?” You type out and he replies, “something like that.” You hum, typing again, “well at least you know yourself. You should be able to cry. Doesn’t make you any less of a man because you cry. As for letting loose, maybe we could help each other out with that.” You hit send and take another sip of wine, glancing over at the clock. It’s getting late.

“We could do that.” Javi hums to himself as he starts to type out his response. “What’s your idea of fun?” He asks. “Or the theory of fun.” His idea of fun is so far removed he doesn’t remember anymore. “I like watching movies.”

“Watching movies is good. I love bowling. I haven’t been since I was a kid.” You confess when you type, “or just a day out in the sun. I work so much. It’s hard to relax. I want to succeed. Stand on my own two feet.” You hit send and exhale, realizing how long you’ve been holding this inside of you.

“Do you like the beach?” Javi asks in return, smirking to himself about going to the bowling alley a few towns over. “Or more of a swimming pool kind of girl? You are a girl, right?”

You giggle, imagining J furrowing his brow. “I’m a girl. It says so in the bio.” You hit enter and continue typing, “you’re a boy?” You ask him to confirm and he responds, “yes.” It said so in his bio but you can’t trust anything on the internet. “I love the beach. And the swimming pool. Pool is better for sex. The beach…sand gets in places you don’t want to imagine.” You shudder, remembering when you went to the beach with your first boyfriend and got sand in too many crevices.

Javi’s brows shoot up when you admit that. He chuckles to himself and decides to be completely honest. “Never had sex in a pool or at the beach.” He types. “Fucked in a swimming hole, does that count?” He asks, remembering the time him and Lorraine went down to the local swimming hangout.

You giggle, typing back, “it kinda does. So, what is the true J? A man of mystery. Perhaps you’re a spy and that’s why you haven’t let anyone close to you.” You smirk as you hit send.

Javi chuckles as he reads that and shakes his head like he is in the room with the other person. “Hardly. No one could ever accuse me of being Bond. I don’t have the patience for it.” He pauses, considering your question. “I’m secretly a romantic. Wishing that I had someone to share a future with. I want to love someone, have them love me. I want laughter and fun, quiet nights reading books, early morning cups of coffee with someone.”

You smile softly at the way he says he wants romance. You want the same thing. You want someone to be happy with, to make happy. You quickly type back “that’s exactly what I want. A partner. I want someone to laugh with, to share my day with.” You hit send before you can think too hard about it.

Smiling as he reads the message, he feels like someone is listening to him for the first time. Really listening to him. He licks his lips and feels like he’s crazy for feeling connected through a computer screen. “Until you find that partner, maybe we can share our days?” He offers, biting his lip and wishing he could unsend it just as soon as it’s posted.

“Absolutely.” You type back and hit send before you think twice. You have a good feel for J and you want to get to know him more, be that person he can talk to. It’s nice to have someone want to talk to you that doesn’t even know what you look like. You yawn, the wine and the long day getting to you, and you type out “I’m exhausted. Long day today. Chat tomorrow?”

Javi looks at the clock and is surprised by how long he’s spent online. Soon, his father will be back. “Sounds good. Sweet dreams.” He types out, sending it and wondering if whoever the other person is will sleep soundly or toss and turn like he normally does. He hopes that it’s the former.

You log off, getting ready for bed and you fall asleep to dreams of a partner who loves you and makes you happy and you make them happy.

****

The entire day you spend thinking about logging back onto the website. You try to concentrate on the numbers in front of you but it’s almost impossible to calculate when you think about what J might look like. His bio said brown eyes and brown hair. You wonder if he’s tall or short. You don’t care, you like talking to him. When you arrive home, you eat dinner and disconnect your phone so you can connect to the internet. The shrill tone of the dial up is a familiar sound to you but still makes you wince until you can log back on the website, tapping your fingers as you wait for any sign that J is online.

“Pa! Don’t pick up the phone, I’m going to be online!” Javi calls out from the dining room to the living room where his dad is laid back in the recliner in front of a soccer game. “I thought it was stupid?” The rough laugh of the older man feels like teasing but Javi rolls his eyes and huffs slightly. His reading glasses perched on the end of his nose as he had a headache from staring at the screen last night. “Just don’t pick up the phone!” He demands again and starts to connect the computer so he can see how his online friend is doing this evening.

You smile when the speakers chirp with a new message alert. “Hi. How was your day?” He asks and you type out a quick response. “Long. Boring. But it’s looking up right now. How was your day?” You respond, wondering if he had a good day or if he found it as laborious as you did.

Javi has been looking forward to this all day, if he’s honest with himself. It was what had gotten him through another day of repairing fences and trying to fix everything on the ranch that his pop hadn’t been able to get to. “Seemed like it would never end.” He grins to himself when he thinks that you might have been looking forward to talking to him. “But I’m settled down with a beer, how about you? Got a glass of wine?”

You smile at his response, quickly typing “of course. Cheers, J.” You hit send and type another message. “I was thinking about you today. Wondered what kind of movies you like. What kind of music you like.” You know these questions are juvenile but you like chatting to him and getting to know him without any pressure.

Javi hums to himself. Intrigued that his mystery friend was thinking of him. He taps his chin, wishing for a cigarette, but he had put on a patch this morning, and starts to list them out. “Grew up watching westerns, but I think I like dramas.” He types out. “Action is alright, but they always depict shit wrong. Shooing a car’s gas tanks isn’t going to make it blow up.” He goes on. “Music, I’m still an easy listening, 70’s kind of guy. What about you? What’s your taste in movies and music?”

You snort at his answer about action not being accurate. You type back, “I love dramas. And romance. Westerns…my dad used to watch them so I’ve seen almost every western out there. John Wayne was a big hit in my house growing up. As for music, 70s, 80s. I’m not sure about the 90s. Music is changing. I miss the ballads and classic rock.” You hit send and take a sip of wine, the dial up crackling in the background.

Javi snorts and shrugs slightly, like he’s talking to someone in person. “80s music is a little too peppy for me.” He admits with a grin as he types it out. “Power ballads are amazing.”

You nod as if he’s in the damn room with you and you fluster as you catch yourself. “I can’t imagine you as a Huey Lewis listener.” You type out and he types back, “how do you imagine me?” You bite your lip, “well, your bio says you have brown eyes and brown hair. So I’m guessing your eyes are a little jaded from shit you’ve gone through but also soulful, like the key to your emotions is in your eyes. Most men are guarded but their eyes tell their story.” You hit send, hoping he doesn’t think you’ve overstepped.

Suddenly, he feels like this person is in the room with him and has stripped him naked. Not of his clothes, but of his armor. “I rarely look in the mirror. Except when I’m shaving.” He admits. “But my momma used to say she could tell everything I was feeling through my eyes.”

Your heart aches for the man, clearly he’s been beaten up by life and you want to hold him, tell him it’s all okay. You type back, “wise woman your momma. I understand how you feel. I’m not haunted by demons but I was bullied as a kid until I left school. Too nerdy, not pretty enough. Not thin enough. It still affects me to this day.” You hit send and take a large gulp of wine.

Javi frowns when he sees your words and hates how that could be possible when you are a sweet person. “Size doesn’t matter. Every body type is beautiful in some way.” He types out. “I love women of all shapes and sizes. Pretty only lasts as long as age. It’s the soul that makes a person beautiful.”

His words melt your heart, a man who doesn't just want the pretty Playboy bunny girl to fuck. He seems genuine, unlike most men you meet. "Exactly. That's how I feel. You are attracted to their aura, their personality...looks are a bonus." You hit send and smile into your wine glass, wondering if you should suggest meeting up. His bio shows that he is within 20 miles of you.

“Exactly.” Javi types back immediately. “I want someone who will build a future with me, but also be willing to jump into the truck with a cooler of sodas, a full tank of gas, a map and no destination in mind.” He had imagined taking a road trip once, with Lorraine and she had immediately vetoed it. It might be one of the things that caused him to start rethinking their upcoming marriage so many years ago.

Your stomach twists at how perfect he seems, how he seems to completely understand you. "Well, if you ever need a road trip buddy. I'm your gal.” You type back, a grin on your face and you know you look ridiculous. His chat goes offline after that and you frown, confused and wondering if you did something to upset him.

"Pa! Get off the phone!" Javi yells at his father who picked up the landline, forgetting that Javi is online. "Sorry mijo. I forgot." He admits, slamming the phone down.

“Damnit.” Javi hisses, hoping that you weren’t insulted by his internet dropping out. He listens to the modem dialing and it seems like it’s taking forever. “Hurry up, hurry up!” He growls, his stomach flipping unpleasantly at the idea of you thinking that he’s just done with the conversation. It takes forever in his mind, even if it’s just a few minutes and he’s relieved when the chat reconnects. “Fuck, I’m sorry. My dad picked up the phone.” He types out quickly.

You’re surprised that he lives with his dad but you can’t judge, you lived with your parents until you finished university. His bio says he’s over 40. “It’s fine! Shit happens.” You hit send and giggle slightly, wondering if he was frustrated that the connection dropped. “Thought you didn’t want a road trip buddy.” You tease, watching the message go through for a few seconds until it says delivered.

“Get me out of here!” Javi types back quickly, chuckling to himself. “I never thought living with my dad again would be so frustrating.” He admits. “I moved back to help him and it doesn’t make sense to live somewhere else. He’s stubborn and doesn’t want to admit he’s getting older.”

You like that he is living with his dad to help him. You like that he seems to be a family man. “One day you’ll miss him when he’s gone.” You type, hitting send. “Do you want kids? Marriage?” You ask, curious if he’s interested in that.

Javi frowns as he contemplates that question. It had been one that Lorraine had sort of asked him, in a way, when she asked him if he had imagined their life together. He had. He would have never had kids while he was DEA, but he’s done with that part of his life now. He could have that if he wanted, so does he? He flexes his fingers and starts to type. “Never really thought it was going to happen for me.” He replies. “But I could see it. Now. Had a dangerous job for a long time and I wouldn’t have ever thought about it then. But yeah, I would want that. You?”

You ponder his answer, appreciating his honesty and you aren’t rushing him down the aisle but you like to know if you’re on the same page because you like him. You type back “I want kids someday. If it happens. I’m a big believer that things that are meant to be, happen.”

Javi leans back, running a hand through his hair as he thinks about that. There’s been plenty of times he probably should have become a father, by accident, but it had never happened. He had made sure not to leave any kids behind for the mothers to take care of while he had moved on. He notices that your profile says you are in your 30s. So there’s still time. “One? Two?” He types out. “Boy? Girl? Both?”

You are surprised he’s not running a mile at this conversation. Most men would. “Two. One of each ideally but I’d take healthy babies any day.” You hover to hit send before you add, “what about you? Any ideas on kids?” You hit send and rub your cheek, hating how much you like this guy. Someone whose name you don’t even know. You have no photo, no additional information.

Javi never really thought about it before, not sure if it would matter. He shrugs slightly. “Happy, healthy, safe.” He replies. “Not sure if you really have any options. You’re gonna get what you get. Least that’s how I look at it.”

You chuckle, replying back, “very true. Healthy. Happy. Safe. That’s what everyone wants.” You like that he didn’t say “boy” like every other man would. You chat for another hour, turning the conversation to the best movies of all time until you look at the clock. “I could spend all night talking but I have to get up earlier to get to work. Goodnight J.” You hit send, deciding to wait for his response before you log off.

****

Javi is happy that he installed a second line to the house for the internet. Now he doesn’t have to worry about his pa picking up the phone and kicking him offline. He’s been talking to the woman online for weeks, deciding to call her ‘sweetheart’ instead of just by her initial. It’s funny, because he’s received messages from other women, but he isn’t even interested in responding. Despite his playboy ways before, he had no desire in getting to know anyone else. Grinning as your chat pops up, his typing improves, he quickly greets you. “Hey sweetheart, how was your day? That client’s son still being an asshole?”

You scoff to yourself as you type, “hey handsome. Yeah, he is. God, he thinks he knows better and he’s always been that way. He was best friends with my brother when we were growing up and he was a dick back then.” You hit send, glad you can vent about Javier Peña. He questioned the amount of write offs his dad was submitting with his quarterly filing.

“Just ignore him, he’s probably unhappy.” Lord knows he’s fully aware some people are just unhappy with being questioned. He had tangled with his dad’s accountant again today, frustrated because he knew that the assholes he used to work with wouldn’t stoop to hit his dad to get back at him. Of course, Miss Priss had looked like she was sucking a lemon talking to him about everything. Like he was just trying to make her job harder. He didn’t want his dad to get audited. “Wine or something stronger tonight?” He asks.

“Stronger. Whiskey.” You confess, “he really annoyed me. He thinks he knows best and I wish you could go head to head with him. I think you’d come out on top.” You hit send and take a sip of whiskey. You sigh, rubbing your eyes as you look down at your nails, you really need to get a manicure soon.

Javi chuckles to himself, grinning at the screen and feeling oddly proud to have the confidence of his sweetheart. “I’ll talk to him, see if I can’t get him to back off.” He volunteers. “Can’t let someone upset my sweetheart.”

Your heart flutters in your chest at the way he calls you his sweetheart. You have talked every night for weeks. You know that he struggles with the things he’s seen. “You’re too sweet, handsome. He wouldn’t know how to handle you.” You giggle as you hit send and take another sip of whiskey, feeling brave. “I know we have been talking for a few weeks. Would you like to meet up?” You hit the backspace, changing your wording, “would you like to meet me sometime?” You hit send and exhale shakily, nervous of his response.

Swallowing harshly, Javi’s eyes must run over your worse half a dozen times before he can grasp that you want to meet him. He types “Yes” before he thinks about it and changes it to “Yes, absolutely.” He doesn’t know when you want to meet but as soon as he sends it, he’s immediately typing again. “You said you haven’t been bowling in forever. Why don’t we do that?”

You are shocked that he remembered what you said from one of your first conversations together online. You immediately type back, “yes, absolutely! I would love that. Are you free on Friday? 7 pm?” You hit send before you think twice about it and you feel giddy at the thought of finally meeting the mystery man you’ve been talking to for weeks on the computer. Hope that you can meet his expectations of you and that he is some kind of creep. Normally you would never meet someone off of the Internet without knowing their full name but you do like the aspect of mystery of him and also you trust him. As insane as that sounds, you trust your mystery man.

Javi hasn’t grinned so widely since he was a teenager, feeling his stomach flutter and twist in pleasure. He types out the name of the bowling alley that is in the next town over, he’s heard that one is better. “Is that one close enough for you? I’ve heard there aren’t as many bowling leagues there, taking up all the lanes. We can bowl and have a few drinks, nothing too fancy.” He sends that and then chuckles. “I’ll even get some nachos and hamburgers.”

Your face hurts from grinning and you type back, “you are spoiling me, handsome. That works for me. I’ll see you there on Friday at 7pm. I’ll wear red lipstick so you know it’s me.” You hit send, reaching up to touch your lips. J had said he loves when a woman wears red lipstick.

Javi can’t even stop nodding at the computer screen. It’s a dumb habit, but he always feels like he is talking to his sweetheart face to face instead of through a screen. “I’ll get there early to make sure we’ve got a lane.” He promises. “I’ll be in a red shirt to match your lips.”

****

Friday comes around and you are nervous all day. Exhaling shakily, you check your red lipstick in the mirror of your car before you lock it up and head into the bowling alley. You’re here to meet J and you are nervous as shit. What if he doesn’t like how you look? What if you don’t live up to expectations? You enter the bowling alley and glance around, not seeing a red shirt so you make your way over to the front desk, hovering as you wait for your mystery man.

He’s got the lane and for some damn reason, Javi had decided to have too much coffee. Now paying for it with having to piss right as he sat down to wait. Trying to hurry as he washes his hands and rushes out of the bathroom. Scanning the people eagerly for the sight of red lips. His sweetheart will be early, he can tell from getting to know her over the past few weeks.

You glance around and see the one and only Javier Peña come out of the bathroom. You huff, "fancy seeing you here, Peña. Did not take you as the type for bowling." Your eyes drift down to his red shirt and your eyes widen, "J?" You choke, realizing he's the only person wearing a red shirt. This has to be a joke. Surely your online companion isn't here yet.

Javi’s eyes widen and he glances down at your lips. “Sweetheart?” He frowns slightly and wonders if this is some kind of sick joke. You hate him, think that you’re better than him because you deal with numbers all day. He could tell you things about numbers that would have your stomach churning. “What are you-“ he can’t even finish the question.

Your eyes widen at the nickname until you shake your head and let out a sarcastic laugh, "is this some kind of joke? Someone hiding with a camera? Did you - did you set up an account to mess with me? Manwhore Peña making out like he wanted something real? Please, you gotta be dreaming. I - oh God. You did this to mess with me. Well, fuck you handsome." You spit the nickname that once held affection for you and you spin on your heel, making your way out of the bowling alley, cheeks burning with mortification and tears stinging in your eyes.

Embarrassed at the people who are staring, Javi rushes out of the bowling alley, abandoning the lane he had already paid for. Spotting you as you hurry to your car, he admires the dress you are wearing even as he calls your name, breaking out into a jog to catch you. “Will you stop, goddamnit?”

You spin as you fumble to unlock your car. Your hands shake as you try to get the key in the lock. "What?" You hiss, knowing that you'll be a funny story he tells his friends tomorrow. The way it's always been. Javier used to make fun of you when you were in high school, your brother his best friend. Hell, your brother was supposed to be his best man until the wedding never happened.

He’s breathing harder as he comes to a stop in front of you, not panting but almost there. “Don’t- don’t leave.” He tells you, not reaching out but the anger on your face cuts deep. You loathe him, but there had to have been something you liked when you were talking to him online. “Look, if you’re - you go in and bowl.” He offers, holding out the slip to claim the shoes from the counter. “I paid for two games, there’s a pitcher of beer and nachos that should already be waiting.” He explains. “I’ll leave, okay?” His eyes slide away from yours, unable to continue staring at you when you despise him so much.

You shake your head, your heart clenching. You really thought you had something special with J. You don’t take the slip from his hand, your eyes stinging with unused tears. “I’ll go. You go bowl, enjoy the beer.” You spit and growl as you try to open your door, managing to yank it open after a while. “I don’t want to be the butt of your jokes ever again.” You hiss as you get into your car and slam the door, turning on the engine.

Javi frowns as you throw your car into gear and pull out of the parking spot, swallowing harshly. His jokes? Yeah, he teased you when you were both younger, but you still take that to heart? He steps back and shoves the claim ticket into his pocket, turning to walk to his truck. The date is ruined and he feels like shit even though he doesn’t know why.

You make it home and when you enter your apartment, you start to sob. Embarrassed that your entire online relationship has been a big joke. You know Javier is probably laughing about leading you on. You collapse on the sofa, burying your face in your hands, and you spend the first night in a long time not on the computer.

Javi comes into a dark house, his pop already in bed and he sits down in front of the computer. Staring at the dark screen and wishing he had never agreed to meet. Now that he knows that it’s you, he doesn’t regret that he created the profile, but he hates the image of your distraught face. Sighing, he turns the computer on, deciding to send you one last message.

You sniff as you log onto your computer after dialing up, wanting to send an email to your mom to vent about what happened when your email pops up with “message from ‘J’ waiting.” You huff and log into the website. You open the message and rub your cheek, hating that the mascara you so excitedly put on is now smudged all over your face.

“Sweetheart….I want to apologize for ruining your night, and your life it seems. I’m sorry that the night was ruined and I wasn’t the man you had been looking for. Your dress was very pretty. I want you to know that I’ve enjoyed getting to know you over the past few weeks and you are wonderful. I hope that you don’t give up looking for that special person that you can explore and share with. Javier.” The message is simple and straightforward, but Javi worries that he might have overstepped by contacting you again at all.

You read his message a few times. Your heart pounding in your chest and you bite your lip as you ponder what to say to him. You thought about what happened during your drive home. You try to reconcile the Javier you know in the daylight to the man you’ve been speaking to for weeks. You clear your throat and type your response, “Javier. I didn’t know it was you when I was messaging you. I guess I was shocked because you used to make fun of me when we were teenagers. You joining my brother to make fun of his geeky sister. I thought you weren’t interested in anything but sex - I heard the rumors about you in Colombia. I can’t figure out how the man who fucked his way through Texas is the same man who told me he wanted romance. All I can think is that this is a big joke at my expense.” You sniff, hating that your eyes sting again. “I really like J and if you are that man, not the man who rolls his eyes when I point out some issues with his dad’s receipts, then I would like to try again. Talk in person.” You hit send before you can regret it.

Javi reads your message and it hurts. The magic of talking to you is now gone and he feels a heavy weight of guilt settling back down on his shoulders and he wishes he had a fucking cigarette. He sighs and starts to type. “Yeah, I made fun of you with your brother when we were teenagers. I was an asshole and it was wrong. I’m sorry.” He doesn’t address the manwhore comments, and decides to address the issue with his father. “I will stay out of your business.” He continues on. “I used to work with men who would dig and have others dig until they had leverage on you. I was just trying to make sure my pop didn’t suffer from me pissing them off.” He sighs and rolls his head around before continuing on. “For what it’s worth, I really was looking forward to that bowling date.”

You read his message, leaning back against your chair, and you swallow down the guilt that swirls in your stomach. Maybe you jumped to judging Javier. He was an asshole, but the guy who has been messaging you for three weeks has made your heart flutter. You bite your lip and type back, “I was really looking forward to it too. I’m sorry I'm defensive. I guess I have a complex from high school. Never being the girl that got asked to the dance and it’s given me some issues. I would never let your dad be dragged into something. I want to make sure he’s protected and doing things above board. Maybe we could try again? I really like J. I’m sure I’d like Javier if I gave him an actual chance.” You hit send and sigh, knowing that you have to accept what he says when he responds.

Javi sighs softly, aware this could be some kind of payback, but he doesn’t think so. “I guess it’s too late tonight.” He would go out, but you might not be able to do it tonight. “How about this? I’m free tomorrow night. If you want to do something, we absolutely can.”

You smile softly, typing out your reply. “Miguel’s? Tomorrow at 8?” You hit send and you know that this could be a massive mistake but you want to try. The man you’ve gotten to know has to be inside of the asshole you grew up with.

The bar in town is much more his speed and Javi quickly types out an agreement. “That sounds good. I’ll see you then.” He bites his lip. “Have a glass of wine and soak in a bath, sweetheart, you deserve it.”

You reread his words a few times, loving and hating the smile on your face. You log off the computer and follow his advice, soaking in the bath with a glass of wine.

****

You glance up at the shitty sign that Miguel’s has had since your papa used to come here and drink after work sometimes. You brush down your dress, walking into the bar and classic rock is playing as you look around for Javi. He’s sitting at the bar, glass of whiskey in front of him, and his eyes widen when he sees you. You walk over to him, a little unsure. “Hi. I guess we should reintroduce ourselves after yesterday.” You tell him, wanting him to know that this is you trying again.

Javi smirks slightly and nods, noticing that you are wearing that red lipstick again. “Red lips.” He hums, wanting to reach out and see if they are as soft as they look. “Guess that makes you sweetheart?” He asks, standing up and pulling out the barstool beside him for you to sit down. “Javier.”

You sit down on the stool beside him, “handsome.” You murmur, taking in the sight of him in a red shirt and you like how he’s trimmed his mustache. He offers you a smile and the bartender comes over. You order a glass of wine and you turn your gaze back to Javier. “I’m sorry I ran off yesterday. I was - it was a shock to see you standing there.” You confess, thanking the bartender when he sets your drink down.

“I could tell.” He doesn’t smile or make light of it, nodding to the bartender himself. “I was surprised that it was you standing there.” Javier admits as well. “Although I guess I should have recognized the asshole son you had to deal with.” He snorts, having gone back through the archived conversations now that he knows it’s you and it’s almost silly that he didn’t figure it out before.

You fluster slightly, knowing you said some mean things about him. “Yeah, sorry about that. I was venting. It’s not easy dealing with numbers all day and then you come along and argue it all.” You raise your eyebrows, “I understand that you’re trying to protect your dad but you really are a pain in my ass.” You nudge him and he chuckles, shrugging a shoulder, “I won’t apologize for being protective.” You nod and pick up your drink to have a sip. “Cheers, J.” You reach out to clink your glass against his.

He chuckles again, nodding at sentiment and taking a sip as you do. “We could have used you in Colombia.” Javi compliments you. “Being so good with numbers, you could have spotted things that took us months to figure out with Escobar.” He snorts. “When he was in “jail”-“ Javi uses air quotes. “That asshole would truck in live lobsters. I would have paid money to see you go through his money trail.”

You set your drink down, “I highly doubt that his accountant was tracking his hard earned cash.” You snort and shake your head, “the things you’ve seen down there…I couldn’t even imagine it.” You confess, knowing that he went through a lot during his time in Colombia. “Thank you for the compliment though.” You offer him a smile, “could’ve used your interrogation skills when old man Garcia refused to pay for his filing.”

Javi snorts, imagining putting the screws to that old coot. “That’s when you threaten to tell Mrs. Garcia about his drinking.” He tells you with a wink. Old man Garcia’s wife is heavily religious and has a strict no alcohol rule in her house. You laugh and he taps the bar self consciously. “I wasn’t lying. Online.” He adds. “You know what people think of me. Hell, what you think of me.” He looks at you softly. “Our conversations have been the best parts of my day.”

You soften at the sincerity in his eyes, “me too. I loved talking to you.” You sigh and shake your head, “I think I have misjudged you. I just remembered you when we were younger and then the rumors I heard about Colombia. And leaving Lorraine at the altar. Didn’t exactly paint a pretty picture but I shouldn’t have judged you like that. I think J is the real you, right? If it is, then I want to start again because I like you, Javier. I liked J a lot so if you are the same man, I want to see where this goes.”

Javi smirks at you slightly and leans in. “I thought this was starting again, sweetheart?” He teases playfully. “I don’t mind you misjudging me.” Not exactly the truth, but there’s nothing he can do about it. “Not as long as you give me a fair chance now.” He leans back. “Are you hungry? You always complain about waiting too long to eat. I don’t want you to do that tonight.”

You soften even more at the way he remembers how bad you are at eating and you nod a little too fast. “I’m starving.” You admit, “are you hungry? I wouldn’t mind getting some food after this drink.” You gesture to the bar top and you let your eyes take him in now that you aren’t fighting. His eyes are crinkled when he smiles and his dark hair has grays scattered throughout but he’s as gorgeous as ever. No wonder he fucked around so much. He could have any woman he wants.

“That sounds good.” He admits. “If you don’t want bar food, we could go somewhere else?” He knows you prefer casual over formal, which he really appreciates, but sometimes bar food isn’t what someone wants.

You shake your head, “I like the food here. They have amazing burgers.” You say and he nods, “the fucking best.” You relax a little more, taking another sip of your drink, and you let your eyes wander a little more, taking in the golden skin beneath his shirt, peeking through from the buttons he’s left undone. He notices your appraising eyes and smirks. You fluster and set your glass down, “you know how women see you.” You scoff softly, trying to cover your embarrassment at being caught.

Javi chuckles softly. “Like a notch in their bedpost.” He admits, shrugging slightly. “Last woman that hit on me told me she wanted to see if the rumors were true.” It’s not been a bad thing, but it’s not what he wants now.

His words make you frown and you feel a little guilty for eying him. "For the record, I don't think you could fuck all night long. At least that's what I heard in the grocery store a few weeks ago." You nudge him to show you're joking, "you are more than that. More than what people see." You add with a murmur, recalling the things he said to you. "You're handsome but you're smart, loyal, and funny." You say about the man you know online.

He’s grateful you don’t buy into the rumors and you are willing to judge him on what you’ve talked about. “I’m not eighteen anymore.” He huffs. “Three good rounds is about all I’ve got in me these days.” He admits, smirking slightly. “Four if you’re counting the next morning.”

Your throat goes a little dry and you pick up your wine to take a gulp. “Three is…more than I’ve had.” You confess, “one…sometimes half.” You snort and Javier chuckles, “one and a half.” You shake your head, “no. Half. He came before I did and he didn’t -” You sigh and chuckle softly.

Javi grimaces and shakes his head. “Fuck.” He snorts. “Every man has had a time where he’s too excited or worked up. But you have to make sure your girl squeals in pleasure.” He sends you a small sigh. “Sounds like you slept with some real assholes.”

You snort and nod, “absolutely. Some real assholes.” You echo his words and sigh, “I just want someone who wants me and I want them. To make them happy.” You echo your typed words, knowing he feels the same way.

Javi nods, listening rather than jumping in and offering to make you feel good. He wants to take this slow and show you - and himself - that things can be different. The bartender comes over and he asks for two menus before giving you his attention again. “When was your last relationship?” He asks. “I find it hard to believe that it’s been long. You’re too pretty to be single.”

You thought that Javier would have offered to take you to bed but the fact that he didn’t is refreshing. “Uh, you remember Frankie from the auto shop? I went out with him about two years ago. I’ve been trying to build my business and I haven’t really had time to date. I’m not a one night stand kind of girl.”

He cannot say the same, but he nods, understanding what you mean. “You have to have an emotional connect, right?” He asks, wanting to know more about you. He's still reconciling the woman online with his ex-best friend’s little sister.

You glance down at the menu, his dark eyes burning into you, but you love how his attention is solely on you. “Emotional and primal. I think that the chemistry has to be there from the beginning otherwise you’re possibly waiting for something that could never happen. I thought you were a dick for so many years but I’ve always been attracted to you. Our chemistry was bickering but it was still there from the beginning.”

Javi smirks proudly, his eyes heating up at your confession and he lifts a brow. “I won’t lie and say I’ve always wanted you.” He tells you honestly. “There was a time when you were too young for me. But now…..” he winks. “I can tell you that it’s not just innocent thoughts.”

You bite your lip at his own confession and you lean a little closer to him, “glad we are on the same page now.” You reach out to touch his hand just as the bartender comes over to ask you what you want to order. You lean back from Javier as he gestures for you to go first and you order the burger and fries. Javier orders the same and you hand the menus over. “Best fucking burgers.” He says when he takes a bite into the burger after it arrives. “Damn right.” You groan in agreement after you swallow your bite.

“So.” Javi wipes his mustache with a bar napkin and looks over at you. “If there’s one thing that you’ve never done but always wanted to, what would it be?” He asks, grinning when you lift your brows in surprise at his question.

You hum, tapping your chin after you push your empty plate away. “I want to ride a mechanical bull.” You admit, giggling at the way his brows immediately shoot up. “Seriously?” He asks and you nod, a smirk on your face. “I’ve never had the guts to get up and do it. Always figured I’d look like an idiot and fall within seconds.”

“Everyone looks like an idiot and falls within seconds.” Javi snorts. “You’ll look like everyone else.” You huff and pout slightly, making him tap his chin. “There’s a bull a town over. Hole in the wall place. We could drive over and give it a whirl.”

You grin, “let’s go, Peña.” You reach for your purse and he tuts, “my momma would whoop me for letting a lady pay. It’s our first date.” He reminds you and pulls out his wallet, throwing enough cash down to cover the bill. You thank him, unused to such gentlemanly behavior from him and his gender. You take the hand he extends you and he guides you out of the bar to his truck. “You wanna follow me or I can bring you back here?” He asks and you are hyper focused on the feel of his calloused hand in yours. “Let’s ride together.” You decide and he nods, escorting you around the truck to open the passenger door for you, helping you up.

Javi rounds the front of the truck and climbs in beside you. “It’s only about a twenty minute drive.” He promises as he turns the engine over. “We have another drink, check something off that bucket list of yours and maybe even dance a time or two.”

His truck rumbles as he pulls out of the parking lot and the radio plays a country song. You admire the way his arms flex as he navigates the road, knowing that he realizes he’s attractive but maybe not aware of how much.

“Did you always want to be an accountant?” Javi asks, glancing over at you before looking back at the road. You’re so damn pretty sitting in his passenger seat and he wonders if you will bristle at the question. “I know you’re a math whiz, but was it a goal? Or something you fell into?”

“Kinda?” You answer, “went to college for math and I wanted to work for NASA. Then - then my mom got sick after I graduated and I couldn’t go to Houston. I had an internship there and I turned it down to stay at home. Became an accountant to stay local. She’s better now, thank God, but I always wonder what could’ve been.”

“Holy shit.” He’s impressed. NASA would have been an incredible career and he wonders what kind of life you would have had if you had been able to go for that. “I understand.” He nods, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “Mom having cancer while I was in college really changed things for me. Honestly? I don’t know if I would have joined the DEA or not married Lorraine if she hadn’t passed.” He still misses her everyday, not regretting taking care of her one bit, but he had wondered what would have happened if she had lived. Or even lived longer than she did.

You were there the day he left Lorraine at the altar. The whole town was there. “I’m sorry. I remember your mom. She always made me feel so warm. She was kind and always made the best empanadas. I know you were a sheriff. What made you want to join the DEA?” You ask, curious what made him sign up, “was it to get away from Lorraine? From town?”

“Partly.” Javi snorts, remembering how the family he had once been almost welcomed into, had smeared his name through the streets. “She - or her family - told everyone I was fucking her best friend. Never even looked twice at her. But there were a lot of drugs running through town when I was a sheriff's deputy. Wanted to cut it off before it got here.”

You remember the rumor and you weren’t sure if you believed it. Javier was not a womanizer when he was with Lorraine. He seemed to only have eyes for her. “Yeah. It’s still bad. Those assholes will always win. You get rid of Escobar, someone else will take his place.” You sigh, “Lorraine did railroad you down the aisle.”

Javi shrugs slightly. "I loved her, but not enough." He admits. "I had some growing up to do and I don't regret it. Not really. She wouldn't have been happy in Colombia, and I wouldn't have let her stay."

You nod in understanding, “then she dated my brother. He was her rebound and I guess he didn’t really care about his best friend being her ex.” You scoff, remembering how your brother moved in on Lorraine as soon as Javier left town. “I’m sorry he was such an asshole and didn’t respect you.”

He huffs slightly and glances back over at you with an amused look before turning his attention back to the road. "Not a great look." He tells you. "Always wondered if they were fucking around before I left." He admits, revealing something that had been rolling around in his mind for a long time, but never voiced. "Doesn't matter anymore, though. We are all different people than we were back then."

“My brother is an asshole. He lives in Dallas now with his pretty wife and two kids. I haven’t seen him for a while. When Mom was sick, he stayed away. Didn’t even come to see her.” You shake your head and lean back in your seat, “he’s always been an asshole. Used to say I was a nerd who would never have a boyfriend.” You chuckle, “guess he was kind of right.” You look up as Javier pulls into the parking lot of the bar.

“I was an asshole too.” At the time, Javi had thought it was pretty funny. He took part in the teasing thinking that it was all in good sibling fun between you and his best friend. He had been an only child and had been too immature at the time to realize the hurt that it caused you. “I’m sorry.” He murmurs as he shifts the truck into Park and looks over at you. “For everything I did back then. For the hurt I caused. I’m sorry I didn’t stop him.”

You appreciate his apology and you know it’s ridiculous to be hung up on the teasing you got as a teenager but words hurt and they have always stuck with you. You reach out to squeeze his hand, “I appreciate you saying that, Javi. Now…let’s go ride a mechanical bull.” You grin, letting go of his hand so you can unbuckle your seatbelt.

He chuckles as he follows your lead. Sensing that you want to move past that, he climbs out of the truck and comes to your door to help you out. His perusal in your outfit is both to admire you and make sure you will be safe on the bull. “Good thing you wore jeans instead of a dress this time.” He hums.

You snort, “yeah. Don’t want to be flashing my ass to everyone in the bar.” You chuckle and Javier takes your hand to escort you inside the bar after locking his truck. The bar is busy but not slammed and you walk up to the bar to take a seat. Javier gestures for you to say what you want when the bartender comes over and you order a glass of wine while he orders a whiskey. “Liquid courage.” He declares and you giggle, “maybe wine isn’t strong enough.” You hum but don’t change your order.

He smirks slightly and turns to watch the bull in the corner of the room. The floor is covered in mats around it and he leans in, his elbows braced back on the bar. “There she is.” He talks into your ear since it’s loud with conversation and music. “You nervous?”

You shiver at the way his breath fans over you and you turn your head, bringing your face closer to his, “I’m ready. Nervous, but ready.” You promise, knowing that you could look like a fool but you desperately want to try this. It has always looked fun.

“Squeeze your knees tight.” He advises you, his voice dropping slightly on instinct. “Move your hips like you’re riding a man. You’ll do just fine, sweetheart.” The bartender brings your drinks over and he leans back to grab your wine and hand it to you before he takes his whiskey.

You take a gulp of wine, stomach twisting at the way he advises you, his voice lowering. You set your glass down, “you ready Peña?” You ask and he nods, calling the bartender over to say you want to ride the bull. “Sure man. We can get it revved up.” The bartender nods, calling his coworker over to get the bull up and running.

“Now, when you fall, just tuck your body into a ball.” Javi tells you. “People hurt themselves when they try to catch themselves.”

You nod, walking over to the bull. You’re nervous and a little scared but you are excited to try this. You eye the bull, taking Javier’s hand as he helps you up onto the bull. You grip the handles, preparing yourself and you squeeze your thighs like Javier suggested. The machine whirls to life and you squeal, eyes widening as it starts to move.

The bull starts slowly, turning as the front of the machine dips down before it bucks up. Javi watches as your hand flies up, like you’ve seen Bull riders do. Your thighs clench tight around it and you make the first full turn on it. You are damn good, his brow shoots up and his cock twitches in his pants. Making him wonder if you would ride his cock like you are riding the bull, your hips swerving and rolling with the movement of the ride.

You grin, giggling as you ride the bull. It flings around but you remain on top, you rock with the motion, squealing when it swings you around again, and you rock back, feeling invincible as you conquer something on your bucket list.

The speed of the bull increases and Javi can tell you are starting to lose your seat. Knowing you are about to lose your grip on the bull’s sides, he’s still impressed. Putting two fingers in his mouth, he whistles proudly.

Loving his enthusiasm, you try to hold on for as long as you can but eventually, you fall off. You curl in on yourself like Javier recommended and you hit the mat and the bull stops. “Shit.” You hiss, stumbling a little as you stand up.

“Holy shit.” Javi rushes over and takes hold of your waist, grinning proudly. “That was great!” He tells you. “You’re lying. You have to have ridden a bull before.” He doesn’t think you actually lied, but he loves the breathless exhilaration on your face.

You shake your head, letting him guide you out of the ring. “Never. I - holy shit. I can’t believe I just did that.” You grin and your heart pounds in your chest as you lean against him. “I just did that.” You exhale breathlessly and he nods, a grin on his face. You can’t help it, you cup his cheeks and surge forward to press your lips to his.

Javi is shocked you are kissing him, but he doesn’t push you away. Letting you wrap your arm around him while your tongue slides into his mouth boldly. Groaning, he squeezes your waist and reminds himself that it’s just the adrenaline. Enjoying the fact that you are pressed up against him before you break away.

You pull back and grin at him, still riding your high, and you grab his hand, “let’s go get our drinks. I’m thirsty after that.” You guide him over to the bar again and pick up your glass of wine to have a sip. “You gonna have a ride?” You ask him, wondering if he will attempt to ride the bull.

Javi chuckles as he takes a drink of his whiskey. “Why the hell not?” He asks, pushing the empty glass towards the bartender. “It’s only been at least ten years since I’ve been on a mechanical bull.” He shrugs. “Like riding a bike, right?”

He strides over to the bull and your mouth goes dry as he swings his leg over it to straddle it. You bite your lip as you watch him adjust himself and the bull starts to move.

Javi grew up on the back of a horse and when he was younger, him and his cousins all rodeoed a little. Plus the hell raising younger years where he would come here simply to see how long he could hang on. He's older and isn’t used to it anymore, but he still hangs on and throws you a wink while the bull twists him around for the first rotation.

Your stomach twists with arousal as you watch him swivel his hips and stay on the bull. You lean against the soft barrier and take in the sight of Javier Peña riding the bull. He is sexy and you can feel yourself getting wet from the display he’s putting on.

The operator turns up the speed faster than he did with you and soon enough, Javi is flying off the bull and tucking his body like he had advised you to do. Grunting as he climbs to his feet, he smirks when you rush up to him again. “You lasted longer.” He teases. “Just like a woman.”

You snort, reaching up to brush his hair back that had fallen into his face. “You were amazing. Very sexy to watch.” You confess and he smirks, “yeah?” You nod, “amazing.” You haven’t felt this good in so long, carefree and happy.

“Do you want to try it again later on?” Javi asks, watching you grin at him. “You were really sexy riding it too.” He had a semi from watching you, even though he had no intentions of taking you to bed tonight. This was going to be different.

You love that he thought you looked sexy and you nod, “yes. I’d love that. For now, another drink?” You suggest and he smiles, taking your hand to guide you over to the bar again. You enjoy your drinks, squeal over another round on the bull, and now, your arms are wrapped around his neck as you dance to the music playing. “I really didn’t expect you’d be a dancer.” You confess, enjoying the way his fingers grip your waist.

“Too much of an asshole?” He grins at you, making fun of the unrealistic views you each had of each other. “I like dancing. It’s a good way to be close without being naked.” He hums playfully. “There were a lot of times that it was a good cover for watching sicarios. I would get a trusted asset to come with me. It wouldn’t be fair to make her sit there and just look pretty all night.”

You hum, rocking to the beat. You know about Javier's adventures in Colombia but you know he did that to find Escobar. You dance for a while longer until last orders are called. "One more or shall we head out?" He asks and you are reluctant to go home but you can't have another drink. "Let's go. I need to run errands tomorrow and I don't want to sleep in too late." He nods and pays the bill before escorting you to his truck once again. "I had a really good time tonight." You confess when he is driving back to where your car is parked.

“I did too.” Javi admits easily, probably the most relaxed he has been in a long time. You are easy to talk to now that you aren’t butting heads and Javi doesn’t just look at you like his old friend’s little sister. “Maybe we can do it again soon?” He doesn’t want to assume, you said you were extremely busy with your business at times.

“Absolutely. I’d love to do this again. I’m free on Tuesday if you want to do something?” You ask, knowing it’s crazy to like him this much already but you’ve been getting to know him online for weeks.

“I think I can make that work.” He thinks about the work he has scheduled with his dad and nods. “I’m sure we’ll talk online?” He asks. “If something comes up, I’ll let you know.”

“Sounds like a plan, Peña.” You hum, looking out of the window at the passing streetlights until you turn your head to look at him, admiring his profile highlighted by the dashboard and the dim light outside. When you arrive back at your car, he opens the door for you and you reach into your purse for your keys, unlocking your door and before you can open it, Javier cups your cheek, bringing your face to his. His kiss is sweet, tilting your head so he can deepen it a little and you moan softly into his mouth. He’s a good kisser. He pulls back before he goes further and you smile, “goodnight Javier. See you soon.” You slide into the car and buckle your seatbelt then turn the engine, offering him a wave before you put your car in drive and make your way home. Javier stands there for a few moments, watching your car disappear in the distance and he sighs, “holy shit.” He shakes his head and gets into his truck, heading home to his bed. Alone.

****

“You missed!” Javi pumps his fist as he crows playfully, watching you spin around and stick your tongue out at him. He wants to show you what you can do with that tongue, but he just smirks as he gets to his feet after marking out your last set. It’s the third game you’ve played tonight and both of you are almost equally bad at bowling. Making it fun as you joke and play around on the lane. “Watch a professional.” He jokes, blowing on his fingers before he picks up the red and blue swirled ball he had picked out.

You roll your eyes, “sure thing, babe.” You watch him as he makes a show of positioning his feet, rolling his shoulders, before he throws the ball down the lane. It rolls into the gutter and you smother your giggle with your hand until you mark the sheet. “Professional, huh?” You tease, walking over to grab your ball. “How about a bet?” You suggest and he nods, “sure. What’s the bet?” You smirk, “first person to get a strike…gets a kiss.” You proposition and Javier smirks, “you’re on.”

You make a show of positioning yourself to throw the ball, concentrating on the middle line, and you bowl it, holding your breath as you watch it go straight down the middle, all the pins flying as you get a strike. “Hey, that’s cheating!” Javier accuses halfheartedly and you grin, dusting off your hands as you walk over to him. “Now…my prize, Peña?”

Javi leans back in the hard plastic chairs and reaches for your waist, dragging you down into his lap. It’s been a long goddamn time since he’s felt this lighthearted and it’s all because of you. You giggle and throw your arm around his neck as he pulls you closer. “Your prize,” he teases, brushing his nose against yours. “You cheater.” Before you can protest, he lunges forward and presses his lips to yours.

You melt into the kiss, reaching up to run your fingers through his hair. His tongue slides against your lower lip and you allow him access, moaning softly into the kiss. His hands slide along your back and you feel giddy, heart pounding as he kisses you. You pull back after several moments, pecking his lips. “What a prize.” You murmur, your lips burning from his kiss. “And for the record, I didn’t cheat. It was luck.”

He chuckles, knowing you haven’t pretended to suck at bowling for three games to suddenly become good. “I know.” He pecks your lips again and pats your hip. “Lucky ass strike. I’m not complaining at all. I reaped the benefits of it too.”

****

You watch Javier shove a handful of popcorn into his mouth and giggle, “slow down. We can get a refill, baby.” You nudge him then take a sip of the large soda. “I heard this is a good movie. I always liked Russell Crowe.” You say as the trailers start.

“It’s Gladiators, hermosa. It’s gonna be epic.” Javier says, channeling the teenage boy who would’ve loved this movie. He used to watch Westerns and Sci-Fi with his dad. They had to go to the movies to watch Star Wars at the midnight showing when it came out. You settle in beside him, leaning closer as the movie starts.

Javi throws his arm around your shoulders and watches you while he watches the movie. Wanting to make sure that you aren’t bored with the movie, but it’s soon apparent that you are just as thrilled with the action as he is. “They used to sleep together.” Javi predicts, talking about the Emperor’s sister.

Javier rubs your arm when you shiver but it’s not from the AC, it’s from him being so close. “I feel like he’s going to die.” You whisper, having a feeling that Maximus isn’t going to make it. You lean over to grab the soda, having a sip, and Javier leans in so you tilt the straw towards him so he can take a sip.

He feels like you are right, sucking down some of the soda and looking over at you and his eyes slide down to your lips. He leans in hums, "I think so too." He admits and leans back, reaching over and taking your hand when you put the soda down.

You feel like a teenager when he squeezes your hand and you watch the rest of the movie. When it’s over, Javier drives you home. His hand in yours as the radio plays and the wind is in your hair from the open windows. When he pulls up outside of your place, he cuts the engine and walks around the truck to open your door. He takes your hand and escorts you to your door. When you get there, you smile at him, “next time, I pick the movie.” You tease and he chuckles, reaching for your waist to pull you closer.

“Rom com.” Javier guesses and you chuckle, reaching up to grip his shirt, dragging him closer.

“You love them really.” You joke and he presses his lips to yours. His tongue slides against yours and he backs you up against the door. You whimper into his mouth and he kisses you thoroughly. He pulls back and your lips tingle when you say “do you want to come in?” You ask and he sighs, “not tonight. I gotta get up early to help Pa with the cows.”

You nod, stomach twisting as you wonder why he hasn’t wanted to sleep with you. “Sure. I’ll see you soon.” You offer him a smile even though it’s a little tight. “Bye, cariño.” He murmurs and you turn to open your door. He stands there until you close it, waving at him until the door is shut. You sigh when you drop your purse down, confused as to why Javier hasn’t slept with you yet. You’ve been dating for 2 months, talking for 3 and you don’t understand why he hasn’t touched you when his reputation displays his willingness to fall into bed. You ponder it all night long until you come up with a plan. You’re going to invite Javier over for dinner and seduce him.

****

Another cold shower. Javi hisses as he shivers under the icy spray of water, closing his eyes and willing his erection to go down. Every day he is hard, especially when he is around you. He’s tried very hard to make sure he doesn’t rush this, he doesn’t rush you into bed. Wanting there to be a solid foundation of trust and respect between you both. He just has to wait until the time is right to move things forward. “Fuck.” He twitches despite the cold temperature and reaches down to wrap his hand around his cock. You are so fucking sexy and he is more attracted to you as the days pass. He’ll have to jerk off, he closes his eyes and thinks about you, reaching out with his other hand to turn the hot water on.

****

You check the chicken is cooked and cover it with foil just as the doorbell rings and you walk over to the door to open it after adjusting your dress. It’s tight and black and you hope he likes it. “Hey baby.” You greet him with a smile, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"Hey." His eyes widen slightly and he wonders if he had misread the situation and undressed. He's glad he stopped to get flowers and a bottle of that wine you like. "You look nice. Very nice."

“Thanks, baby.” You wink and take the flowers from his hand. “These are gorgeous. Thank you.” You carry them into the kitchen and grab a vase to put them in. “Would you mind opening the wine? Dinner is nearly ready.” You tell him and fill the vase to put the flowers in.

“Sure.” You’ve got the wine glasses out as well as a bottle opener, so Javi brings the bottle over to the table to pour out some drinks. “It smells great!” He calls out to the kitchen, listening to you hustle around. “You didn’t have to do this, you know. We could have gone out to dinner.”

You look at him over your shoulder after you put the vase down on the side. You smile at him, “I wanted to treat you. I know you and your Pa don’t cook a lot so I figured you’d enjoy a homemade meal. Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, asparagus and red wine jus.” You tell him about tonight’s menu as he pours the wine out.

His brows lift in surprise at how elaborate the dinner is and he is impressed. “Are we celebrating something that I wasn’t aware of?” He asks with a slight smile, watching as you give him another one in return. It makes his heart flutter and he can’t help but think how beautiful you are. “Just a nice night together.” Your answer makes Javi hums in approval.

You work fast to put dinner together, setting it down in front of him, and you sit down in the seat beside him at your small kitchen table. “Enjoy.” You tell him and you pick up your knife and fork so you can dig in.

“It looks delicious.” Javi compliments as he looks down at the meal you’ve put in front of him. “Thank you, sweetheart.” You smile at him and again that fluttering in his heart makes him feel young and he wonders if this is that complete love his pa would always claim would one day find him and knock him on his ass.

You talk about your days while you eat. You still message online on nights you can’t see each other, complemented by phone calls, and after you finish eating, you clear the plates and grab the dessert you bought. “Still like pie?” You ask, placing a piece of apple pie and ice cream in front of him.

“You’re spoiling me.” Javi groans, watching the steam from the still hot pie rise and the ice cream start to melt over it. “I will have to plan something special for our next date.” He picks up his spoon and cuts into the pie for a large bite.

You like that he likes the dinner, making you feel special that you can look after him like this. You sit down and watch him devour the dessert. You eat your own plate and after the plates are cleared away, you find yourself on the sofa with your glasses of wine. Your radio plays in the background and you sit beside Javier, your legs tucked beneath you. “You’re so damn handsome.” You reach up to caress his cheek, “and smart. And funny. And I am so happy that we met online.”

“And you are blind.” He chuckles, leaning into your touch. “You are the one who is beautiful, kind and hilarious, you should be running from the disaster that I am. But for some reason you like spending time with me and I’m happy you do.”

“Me too. You’re not a disaster. You’re incredible.” You murmur, leaning in to press your lips to his. He tilts his head and you deepen the kiss, tangling your tongue with his. You kiss for a few moments until you break the kiss, kissing along his neck, and you shift to straddle him, your dress riding up your thighs.

Javi groans, his hands sliding up and down your thighs and he wonders what you are doing. He’s been good at not letting things go too far. “Sweetheart….” He pants, closing his eyes as he can’t believe he’s about to push you away. “Sweetheart, stop.” He murmurs.

You lean back and frown at him, “what’s wrong?” You ask, confused about why he’s pushing you away. “I don’t - not tonight.” He says and you shift off of him, “I don’t know - I’m confused. Am I - are you not attracted to me?” You question him, confused and hurt at him pushing you away.

“What?” He frowns at the question, looking at you like you are crazy. “No- no of course not. I am attracted to you.” He promises, but you shake your head, not believing him. “I am, sweetheart, I just- I’m trying to behave.” He tells you, shoving his hand through his hair and wishing you don’t look like he’s just broken up with you.

You shift to stand up, your stomach twisting, and you stare at him, “you’re trying to behave? I don’t want you to behave.” You look down at him, “I want you to fuck me. It’s been 2 months of dating. I never imagined you would go bowling, go to the movies like a teenager. I love that, don’t get me wrong, I loved all of our dates but God, Peña, I just want you to fuck me.” You exclaim, chest heaving.

Javi swallows harshly, watching you stand in front of him, practically begging him to fuck you. His mouth is dry and he rubs his hands on his thighs before he stands up. “Show me your bedroom, hermosa.” He demands. “You want me to fuck you, that’s where I’ll do it.”

His dark eyes are almost black and you see something in them that makes your stomach twist with arousal. “Baby, I want you.” You take his hand and guide him towards your bedroom, opening the door and you are nervous. Javier has had a lot of lovers. What if you don’t match up?

He’s groaning when he sees your bed and imagines spreading you out on it. You’ll look so pretty thoroughly fucked and exhausted. “I had a physical when I got back home.” Javi murmurs quietly. “And I haven’t slept with anyone, but I don’t have a condom.”

“I’m on birth control and I haven’t slept with anyone for a while.” You tell him and you reach for the tie of your wrap dress. You slowly untie it and let your dress fall open to expose the lingerie you picked out in hopes that Javier would touch you tonight.

“Fuck.” He exhales roughly, cock twitching in his pants as he takes in your curves, showcased in lace. “So fucking sexy.” He starts to unbutton his shirt as he strides closer, feeling cocky and yet also nervous because you are so important to him. “What were you thinking about when you got dressed? Me fucking you? I think about that a lot.”

“I was thinking about you. Fucking me. Touching me. I think about that a lot too.” You tell him and reach out to run your hands down his chest. “You’re so gorgeous, Javi.” You murmur, caressing his skin and you slide your hands up to push the shirt from his shoulders.

Javi hums, not used to really accepting compliments. Women would flatter him, in Colombia to earn a bit more, or to get him to fuck them. You, you have nothing but honesty and desire in your eyes and it’s thrilling. “Thought about it a lot too.” He admits with a smirk. “Too many cold showers lately.”

You giggle, “no more cold showers.” You promise and slide your hands lower to unbuckle his belt. You pull it from the loops and let it drop to the floor. You unbutton his jeans, reaching in to squeeze his hard cock and you are shocked to find he doesn’t wear underwear. “Oh God.” You gasp at the girth of him and you pull him out of his underwear.

Javi groans as your fingers wrap around him, twitching in your palm and glancing down at your hand engulfing him. “Fuck.” He hisses, eyes closing when you give him an experimental pump. “You seem surprised, hermosa.” He pants. “Rarely wear underwear. Too hot.”

“I didn’t know.” You admit, “God, didn’t know you had such a gorgeous cock. No wonder every woman from Texas to Colombia wanted you.” You pump him again, shifting down into your knees as you admire his girth and you lean in to wrap your lips around him.

“Shiiiiit.” He hisses, jaw clenching as he looks down at you on your knees in front of him. He’s imagined it, but this looks ever sexier than what he had thought. “Fuck baby, you thought about sucking my cock?” He asks, cupping your cheek. “You like doing it? I want to tongue fuck you. See how you like being licked.”

You moan around his cock at his filthy words, loving the way he talks dirty and it has you soaking your panties. You take him deeper, keeping your eyes on his, and you wrap your fingers around the back of his cock, starting to pump him.

“You’re good at this. Tell me you don’t love sucking cock, you could be a pro.” He grunts, caressing the hinge of your jaw and pushing slightly deeper. “Gonna be thinking about this when I’m working. My cock down your throat while you bat your eyes at me.”

You relax your jaw, letting him push deeper, and his words have you moaning around his cock. Fuck, he’s so gorgeous standing above you. His stomach is slightly soft but you love that. You are proud that he’s enjoying this when he’s had so much experience. You choke around him as you try to take him deeper. You exhale through your nose and try again, taking him deeper into your throat.

“Fuck, don’t hurt yourself, hermosa.” Javi groans, pulling you off of him slightly as he pulls his hips back. “Are you wet? Dripping from having my cock in your mouth? Why don’t you sit on my face while you do it? Let me eat your cunt.”

You nod, dripping wet from him and the idea of him eating you out while you suck him off. Pushing his jeans down, he kicks them off and is bare before you. You stand up on shaky legs and he steadies you. You lean in to kiss him, your tongue tangling with his and he pushes your dress from your shoulders.

He has a lot of experience with undressing a woman. His hands are skilled in stripping someone down and he does it with an eagerness that is more than just hungry for sex. He wants a connection, a bond that cannot be broken even when he pulls away.

You let him reach behind you to unclasp your bra, dragging the straps down your arms until it drops to the floor and your tits are exposed to his hungry gaze. "Javi!" You gasp when he grabs your back, pulling you close so he can duck down and take your nipple into his mouth.

He’s always been a greedy man. Sex is addictive. It's honestly just as addictive as the cocaine he had chased down and tried to prevent people from snorting up their noses. The feeling of losing himself, pleasure both given and received lets him forget about the problems or guilt that weighed him down. Now he gets to just feel you, learn what makes you cry in pleasure.

You moan as his hands slide down to squeeze your ass while he bites and sucks on your nipple until he switches to the other. His fingers hook into your panties and he pushes them down as he kisses along the swell of your breast. “Fuck, need more.” You whine, lightly pushing him away so you can kick your panties aside, patting the bed. “Lay down, baby.”

He chuckles at how eager you are. Following your orders and laying down, giving himself plenty of room away from the headboard. Watching as you peruse his body, your own eyes just as hungry as he knows his are.

You shift to kneel on the bed, shuffling up the bed until you face away from him and straddle his chest. His hands immediately go to your hips to drag you backwards to hover over his face and you bend down to take his cock into your hand.

Javi groans as he takes in the sight of your soaked folds. They are perfect and puffy, soaking wet because of your want of him. His fingers dig into your hips and he pulls you back more so he can flatten his tongue against your folds.

You cry out when he slides his tongue through your folds, making you grind back onto him. “Fuck baby. That’s good.” You whimper and lean down so you can take his cock into your mouth with a moan, wanting him to feel just as good.

Javi groans happily, enjoying the tang of your juices on his tongue. Licking into your cunt eagerly and making it messy. Groaning again when your mouth wraps around his cock again.

You love how he moans into your flesh and you grip his cock, sloppily sucking his cock as you want him to enjoy this as much as you are. You love how enthusiastic he is, sucking your clit into his mouth and you moan around his cock again.

He continues to lick into you, rocking your hips back and burying his tongue deep inside your soaked walls. Twitching in your mouth and groaning when a dribble of precum is spurted into your mouth as you suck.

You moan, hollowing your cheeks around his cock as you take him deeper, rocking back on his face as he sucks on your clit a little harder. It’s so good. You moan and pull off of his cock, continuing to pump him in your hand.

Javi moans into your folds, pulling back slightly. “I don’t want to cum yet.” He grunts before he is diving back in to make you cum.

You huff but loosen your grip on his cock, not taking him back into your mouth but he ducks harder on your clit. You rest your cheek on his thigh as he slides his tongue inside of you. You pant, “God baby. You’re gonna make me cum.” You moan, so close to your orgasm as he pushes his tongue deeper.

That’s the point. He doesn’t stop, speeding up his tongue as it flicks through your walls and pulls you back more firmly on his face. Willing you to cum for him, wanting to hear you and taste you.

You rock back onto his face, unashamed of your need and lust for him, and you moan his name when you fall over the edge. Your thighs gripping his face as he works you through it. “Javi. Oh shit. Baby, I - oh God.” You ramble against his thigh.

Javi loves it. The slick of your release covering his mouth and jaw as he works you through it. Keeping ahold of your hips and your cunt firm to his mouth until you are whimpering his name as a little protest.

He pushes you over the edge and keeps pushing, making you hiss as you get overstimulated. "Javi." You whine his name again, needing him to pull back and he relents, leaning away from your cunt with a groan. You sigh, closing your eyes, "God, so good." You murmur, taking a moment to ride your high.

Javi pants, licking his lips as he strokes your ass. He knows that feeling, riding the wave. He would need a cigarette if he hadn’t been using the patches and he still hasn’t even cum. Shoving his arm under his head, he watches you shift off of him a few minutes later. His cock is throbbing but he doesn’t mind.

You shift to lay beside him, leaning in to kiss him, and he turns his head so you can slide your tongue against his. You moan into the kiss, uncaring about your tangy cum on his lips, and you slide your hand down to grip his cock, squeezing him before you pump him slowly. "You're too good, Javi. How do you want me?" You ask, wanting him to enjoy this in case you don't cum again. You've already gotten more than you would have from other lovers.

Javi groans into your mouth. “I like to kiss and be close.” He admits. “But sometimes I change positions.” He rolls onto you and slides his hand down to bring your thigh up to his hip. “Start this way and end up however we do?”

You nod, sliding your hands along his back, loving the way his muscles flex under your touch. "Sounds perfect." You murmur and he reaches between you to position his cock at your entrance. You close your eyes as he pushes inside of you, your head tilting back while you silently moan at the stretch.

He watches you closely, loving how expressive you are. How you don’t care about how you look. You care about how you feel, how he is making you feel. It looks like you are feeling good and he wants to make you always feel this way. “So pretty.” He moans quietly. “So goddamn pretty and all mine. My pretty girl.”

You slide your hands up into his hair, "yours. All yours." You promise, lifting your legs so you can wrap them around his hips. He sinks deeper inside of you and you whimper, "God, you feel so good inside of me. Move, please." You beg, "don't care if you cum too fast. You already made me cum."

Javi snorts and shakes his head. “Fuck no.” He grunts, pulling his hips back to surge forward again. “Not going to do that to you.” He hisses out, eyes rolling back when you clench down around him. His lips find your skin and he starts to kiss, everywhere he can reach as he starts to move.

His lips on your skin have you on fire, rocking your hips up to meet his thrusts, and you caress his back, loving the way he feels covering your body. You tilt your head back so he can kiss down your neck until you grab his cheeks, bringing his mouth back to yours and you moan into his mouth, tangling your tongue with his as he rocks into you.

Every thrust of his hip makes both of you pant in pleasure, breath exchanged and mingled together as the two of you move. Javi slides his arms around your body and pulls you up close, sinking deeper as he pushes into you again and again.

He drops his hips and he grinds against your clit, making you gasp in pleasure, and he smirks, focusing on that spot again. “Good girl.” He murmurs and the praise makes you push your heels into his ass to press him deeper inside of you. “Shit. Feels so good. I - never felt like this before.” You admit breathlessly, getting closer and closer.

“Good.” It’s not good that you’ve never been fucked properly, but he’s glad you are making sure that you get the attention you deserve. “You feel so good. Tight little pussy squeezing my cock.” He praises roughly. “Could spend all night right here.”

His words make you gush around him and he caresses your thigh as he rocks into you, making you moan when he hits something just right. “Yes. Yes. Javier. Fuck, right there. That - oh God!” You squeal as you clamp down on his cock, soaking him, and his name echoes on your bedroom walls as you cum around him for the first time.

“Fuuuuuck.” He growls, slowly thrusting into you as you fall apart on his cock. Loving how tight you get, how wet. Bracing his knees on the bed, he pulls you up until you are in his lap.

You gasp, feeling him sink deeper and press against your cervix in this position. Your hands grip his waist and you scramble to brace your feet on the bed. “God, Javi.” You cry out when he starts to rock his hips again. “Yes. Love - love this.” You choke out, tilting your head back.

He groans as he rolls his hips up, using his thighs as he works in and out of you. “Fuck, you’re-“ he chokes out, gasping your name when you squeeze him inside your walls again. “Fuck, hermosa.” He hisses, lunging forward and biting down on your jaw as the thrusts become sharper, snapping his hips up.

You love the way he bites as he nips and kisses down your neck until he’s taking your nipple into his mouth. You tangle one hand in his hair, tugging on it to bring his mouth back to yours. Your tongues slide against each other while he thrusts into you and you use your feet to grind down onto him. “Shit. You got me worked up. Might cum again.” You pant against his chin.

“Do it.” He huffs, his hands sliding up and down your back, gripping your ass as he grinds into you. “Cum all over me again. Wanna feel it. So good.” He babbles slightly, hoping you are enjoying this as much as you seem to be. It’s been awhile since he’s had sex but he’s holding out. Jerking off before the date had been a good idea.

You pant, rocking down onto him and it doesn’t take long but it does take you by surprise when you cum again, clamping down on his cock and soaking him for the second him. Your chest heaves as you tilt your head back, moaning his name as you experience bliss once more.

Javi takes that opportunity to kiss along your throat, licking and biting your skin as he rocks up into you, fucking you through your orgasm. Starting to move a little faster as he chases his own pleasure, while the grunts and groans get louder.

You try to rock down onto him, wanting him to cum, and you tangle your fingers in his hair, tugging his face to yours. "Cum for me, Javi." You plead, leaning in to kiss him while he grunts into your mouth.

It doesn’t take many more thrusts, stiffening and moaning your name into your mouth, his cock pulsing deep inside you. Flooding your cunt with ropes of his sticky seed while he pants in pleasure. “Fuck.”

You smile against his chin as he relaxes beneath you, shifting you to lay you down on your pillows. You feel like you're floating as he leans in to gently nip your chin. "So fucking good." You murmur, "rumors were not wrong."

He chuckles quietly. “Glad I could live up to the hype.” He teases. “Fuck- I wish I had a cigarette.” He groans. “Nothing better than a cigarette after amazing sex.”

You sigh, caressing his cheek, "I don't have any cigarettes, baby." You murmur, "sorry." You lean in to kiss his cheek and he nods, "it's okay. I'm trying to quit." You shift to lay down and he pulls out of you, shuffling off the bed to head into your bathroom for a rag so he can clean you up.

Javi cleans up quickly and brings the rag back, damp and soapy to make sure you are wiped clean before he tosses it back into the sink. Not sure if you want him to lay with you, he stands in the doorway and looks at you laying in your bed like a warm puddle, boneless and content. It makes him smile, watching you almost glow in the aftereffects.

“Come here.” You pat the bed and he nods, slipping back into the bed with you after he pulls the comforter from under you. You curl into his chest, swinging your leg over his hip, “are you going to stay the night? I’ve been told I make great pancakes.”

“If you want me to.” Javi settles back against the pillows and holds you close, his fingers tracing the lines of your back as you cuddle close. The fan spins lazily above you and he feels completely relaxed. “I’ll do whatever you want me to.” He chuckles. “Had no other plans, except maybe logging online and talking to this girl I’ve been seeing.”

You grin against his peck, “is she nice?” You ask and Javier smirks and shrugs one shoulder, “she’s alright.” You playfully slap his chest but he grabs your hand and brings it to his lips to kiss the back of it. “I want you to stay.” You murmur, turning your head to kiss his chest.

Javi hums happily and agrees. “Then I’ll stay.” He promises. “But your pancakes better be worth it.” He teases, happy that he had found someone that it was so natural to be with, in and out of bed.

You snort, “just you wait, Peña.” You promise and snuggle into his side again, enjoying the closeness between you.

****

Javier groans as he walks into the kitchen, his jeans on and unbuttoned after he cleaned up in the bathroom. He rubs his eyes and you turn around to look at him, dressed in his shirt. “Pancakes are ready.” You declare, setting a plate down on the table for him but you grab the can of whipped cream to squirt a smiley face on the top cake for him.

He huffs in amusement as he looks down at the smiley face on his pancakes. “Did I do that good fucking you last night?” He teases as he reaches around and pats your ass. “I get the special pancakes?” The last time he had seen this was on a kids menu in some pancake diner. It’s cute and he pulls you down for a kiss.

You giggle against his lips, pecking them a few times, "you did real good, baby. Wanted to show you my appreciation. You said you've been hungrier since you quit smoking so I figured you'd want a big breakfast. Bacon and eggs are nearly done."

“I could have helped you.” He had slept longer than he meant to, intending to wake up with you this morning. However, when he opened his eyes, he was all alone in the bed. “Thank you, you didn’t have to do this. I could have taken you out.”

You shake your head, “I woke up early and didn’t want to wake you up. You looked peaceful. I know you’ve been up early with your dad so you needed the sleep. I like cooking, I like taking care of you.” You confess, biting your lip as you plate up the eggs and bacon and set the plate on the table.

Javi softens and smiles at you. “I’m not complaining at all, sweetheart.” He promises. “I really appreciate it.” He gets up to grab the two mugs of coffee you have poured. “Let’s eat while your hard work is hot.” He tells you, pulling out your chair for you to sit.

You sit down, picking up your knife and fork to dig in to eat and your eyes meet Javier’s as he groans when he takes a bite of your pancakes. “Good?” You ask and he hums, swallowing his bite. “So fucking good.” You grin, proud that he likes them. You watch him eat, enjoying the product of your labor and you notice him staring at you. “Do I have something on my face?” You ask, reaching for the napkin.

“No.” Javi shakes his head and forks up another bite of eggs. “Just admiring how pretty you are without makeup on.” He admits. “You are pretty with it, but I think you’re even more beautiful without it.”

You fluster, cheeks warming at his compliment. Something soft that you never really expected from Javier Peña, especially the one you knew from childhood. “Thank you. I like the five o clock shadow on you.” You gesture to his unshaved face.

“Yeah.” He rubs his face with his hand, feeling the raspiness of the hair growing in. “Can’t grow a beard for shit though.” He snorts. “Comes in all patchy.”

You lean closer, resting your elbow on the table, “sexy no matter what.” You promise and he offers you a bashful smile, making your heart flutter.

****

You wrap your arms around his neck, swaying to the music. Javier decided to take you to the fair that’s happening a town over and you are currently on the makeshift dance floor, swaying to the music played by the teenage band.

“Are you having a good time?” Javi asks, pulling you a little closer and leaning his cheek against yours as the band plays. Tonight has been wonderful, but he can’t remember a time that he’s not had a good time around you. You’ve played some games and ridden some rides, had plenty of fair food, and now he gets to hold you close.

"Always with you, baby." You promise, breathing him in. He's become your home, your person to vent to, to cry with, to laugh with. You've never experienced anything like this.

He leans back to look at you and you lean forward to nudge your nose against him. "I love you." He blurts out and you pull back in surprise. Neither of you have mentioned your feelings yet but you are shocked that he was the first one to say anything. He looks surprised with himself then he gets nervous and you cup his cheek, "I love you too." You declare, leaning forward to brush your lips with his.

Javi smiles against your lips, his fingers digging into your waist as he deepens the kiss. He is home, in mind, body and spirit. Healing every day while sharing himself with you. Your accounts are both canceled, no need to chat online, now that you have each other.

#pedro pascal #javier peña #javier peña x reader #javier peña x you #javier peña x f!reader #javier peña smut #javier peña fanfiction #javier peña imagine #javier peña narcos

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thiniceofeternalyouth · 5 days

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MISLEADIN' ME SERIES: CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

KILLERS FROM THE NORTH

⊳ Gojo Satoru x f!reader

series masterlist

Genre: angst, fluff, sci-fi, cosmology.

Words count: ~27.2k

⊲ previous

Outside the window, the town was still quiet and serene. There was no restlessness in it, no bustle either - people strolled lazily along the streets, the wind whipping unobtrusively at their chests. They shivered and wrapped themselves in light jackets, someone guessed to hide in a modest bar. The closer autumn came, the sooner the street lamps came on, their light caressing the human hearts that in their ignorance did not beat like mad, dangerously trying to burst out of the chests.

Hopetown was calm, but Frank could not take his eyes off the window. The man strolled nervously through the kitchen, waiting for the meat to roast, and kept his gaze fixed on the streets beyond the window. It seemed to him that a messenger was about to arrive, bringing bad news and spreading it around, waking the peacefully slumbering town to an earthquake of human anxiety.

The man opened the window unable to bear it, so that he could hear every possible laugh or unintentional phrase. A cool wind blew in, and though it was still an expected guest, it was still unwelcome. "Where the hell are ya," the man muttered, sighing frantically and looking hopefully at every person who passed under the streetlight.

Frank had started cooking dinner two hours ago. He was deliberately stretching out the time, slowly chopping vegetables to drown out the thoughts and fears of all the possible consequences of what you'd done. The man hadn't realized before how much the heart could weaken with age, but now, waiting for Nathaniel, he could barely keep still. Frank didn't care about the supposed fight with you if you found out he'd let Nathaniel into town - it was more important to avert suspicion now, no matter what the cost.

Would Frank's word be your airtight alibi? Will the hunters believe you've been in his house all this time? Or will a blind and ferocious lynch mob catch up with you without listening to your arguments and explanations? Will you even want to justify yourself?

Noticing the soft, smooth march in the streetlight, Frank put his hands to his sides. The man glared at the guest, inwardly complaining that grace almost always entailed slowness. Frank was ready to use his ability of obey, but he restrained himself and continued to watch impatiently and obediently the silhouette that had already disappeared around the corner.

Two minutes later there was a knock at the house. Frank opened the door without hesitation, almost preemptively. "Hello," greeted Nathaniel politely to a panting Frank for no reason. "May I come in?"

"Sure," Frank hurried him, opening the door wider and gesturing to the dining table. "Ya want tea, coffee?" he asked fussily, approaching the kitchen cupboard.

"Coffee," Nael said courteously, and sat down at the table crossing his legs. He watched Frank grind the coffee beans with a furtive glance - Frank did it so fervently that it looked as if he would not even leave a pile of dust. The utensils rattled too loudly, the pot hissed and foamed, and Nael could hear the gray-haired man breathing heavily. "Y/N called me last night. Asked where Yoichi live," Nathaniel began softly, placing his hands on the table. "As soon as I told her the address, she immediately hung up on me," the higher-up ran his long fingers over the table, watching as Frank paused for a second then started stirring the coffee in the pot again as if nothing had happened. "Sensing something was off, I visited Yoichi at night. But instead of coworkers, all I found were two corpses with their hearts ripped out."

"I realized what ya were getting at already when ya called this morning," Frank said in a cold tone, pouring freshly brewed coffee from the pot into a mug. "My daughter had nothing to do with it."

"I didn't come here to heap accusations on anyone," Nathaniel gently shook his head, taking the cup from the man's hands. "On the contrary, I want to help."

Frank sat down across from Nael and stared him dead in the eye. The higher-up blinked lazily, endured the hard stare, and sipped his coffee. "Why should I believe ya?" muttered Frank.

"Are there other options?" asked Nathaniel ironically. "The hunters won't care what you say, they won't expect a trial and will only want reprisals. What a fool you'll look like when they come for your daughter."

No matter how much Frank tried to tell himself that he could still do a lot of things, it all crumbled with the sight of wrinkled hands, the shortness of breath after any little effort, and every time he looked at himself in the mirror, the gray hair reminded him of God's schedule. Strength was slowly but relentlessly leaving his body - the pain in his knees made it impossible at times for the man to tend to his favorite garden. "What do ya suggest?" asked Frank, giving up.

"I'll get the council," Nathaniel said. "Or what's left of it," he sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair as Frank immediately felt the weight of the responsibility that fell on the superior's shoulders. "I'll let the hunters know it was all the work of demons. I'll channel their anger. Oh, there's the whole election thing coming up...," Nael clucked his tongue tiredly, but even that sound came out of his mouth in a quiet melody. "Is there someone line up?"

"Dunno," Frank shrugged confusedly. "Camila's sister has a son growing up, and he's manifesting connecting abilities... Except the kid isn't even ten years old yet," Nathaniel's visage darkened the room, and a shadow caught the right time and fell over the man's golden hair, extinguishing its luster. "Come on, Nael," Frank tried to cheer the man up. "Maybe we can find someone older. You didn't learn that ability until you were a mature adult, either. And that's considering you were barely pulled out of the void, by the way. How old were ya then? Thirty-six?"

"Thirty-nine," Nathaniel corrected him, trying to quiet the willful arrogance in his voice.

Frank had a feeling of a catch - it seemed to be lingering on his doorstep, before it could enter the house with the superior. Frank was torn, feeling the unnecessary gullibility rasping inside and scratching his skin unpleasantly.

His ego too was not asleep too and did not let his master rest. Earlier Frank had felt in his gut that he was capable of fending off thousands of enemies, but when danger came knocking at the door, it was only weakness instead of a blade. There was no courage without strength, no surviving for strength without youth, and the man was ashamed of the thought - the hunter should pass in right time, leaving behind only memories of superiority. But Frank still had reasons to live. "Why would ya help us?" he asked quietly, looking away and rubbing the back of his head.

"Because I'm a good person, no doubt," Nathaniel said primly, setting the mug aside - when he set it on the table, it didn't even make a sound like it had been placed on soft absorbent cotton. "I wish I could say that," he sighed wearily, and the looming evening shadows removed his mask of arrogance, revealing a trembling regret. "But what happened was my fault, too."

Catch didn't wait embarrassedly - it kicked the door open with a swing. "Explain yourself," Frank muttered, pitching forward.

Nathaniel watched as dark lines began to spread across the man's fingers - no one here seemed to be giving him a choice. "Christian...," he began in a hoarse voice. Nathaniel coughed quietly, covering his mouth with the palm. "Y/N ended up in Yoichi's house most likely on my tip. Only it seems I was the one who miscalculated. I began to suspect Christian for he started acting differently - rarely showed up for work, and now he's disappeared altogether... I voiced my doubts to her, and I think she really did find something. I can't know because Y/N never told me. She didn't tell you anything?"

"She killed Yoichi for raping Danielle," Frank spat out, but immediately leaned back in his chair and thought about it. "I gathered that from Gojo, not from her, so I can't know for sure."

"Can I talk to her?" asked Nathaniel tactfully.

"No," Frank blurted out sharply, but after taking a couple of deep breaths, he calmed down. "There's no need to worry her now, it won't end well."

The higher-up faltered, pressing his lips together irritably. "Anyway, don't you think it's weird?" the man tried to get through to Frank. "Y/N's not the kind of person to lose her temper that easily-"

The phrase was cut off by a deafening bang on the door, which was threatening to fly off its hinges. "What the hell?" shouted Frank angrily, rising from his chair and going to the door; as he opened it, his eyes caught a silvery glint, his cheek burned, and there was a quiet thud behind him like someone had struck a small axe against wood.

Frank, turning around, immediately noticed the blade stuck in the wall. The throw had been so strong that the weapon still wobbled visibly as if resenting its broken purpose. Leaning his hand against his cheek, he squinted, feeling the moisture on his fingertips - glancing at them and seeing blood, he turned around and faced dozens of angry eyes. "What the fuck ya think ya doing?" growled Frank gutturally, glaring back at the hunters.

"Where is she?" asked Camila coldly, standing directly in front of the man.

"Be more precise, dearie," Frank hissed, towering over her - she involuntarily flinched, though she didn't break eye contact.

"Y/N," she said, warningly placing her hand on the second blade that was still in its sheath. "Not only did she ignore my demand for my sons back, but there are some rumors going around-"

"I don't give a damn what your gang is whispering about," the man bellowed. "Get the hell out of here before I make ya eat your own shit."

Camila giggled hysterically. It was like the man before her was blind, for such threats before quantity became empty. Barely had she touched the scabbard as the eager blade was nearly bare, but the woman's triumphant anger was immediately replaced by shock. "Superior," she whispered, bowing her head and directing her open eyes to the floor.

Nathaniel, tucking his hands into his wide sleeves, raised an eyebrow haughtily. "There is punishment for such willfulness," he looked around at everyone present, humbling them. No one dared to speak, no one had the courage to look their superior in the eye. " Camila, tell the others that I expect everyone to the council at nine in the evening. Anyone who fails to show up will be suspended from their duties," he lifted his chin with a barely visible jerk of his chin, stepping forward - everyone immediately parted, making way for him. "Think about what I told you," he whispered quietly to Frank for the last time. "If I ever see something like that again or hear about it from a third party," he hissed as he walked past a trembling Camila. "I will choose an appropriate punishment," the woman's neck suddenly ached as did the rest of the hunters - the pain was as instantaneous as it was piercing like their heads had cut off their shoulders.

Walking on the wet asphalt, you felt a strange sense of nostalgia - it was so far away that you wouldn't have had a lifetime to reach it. It was like you were a teenager who had run away from home without your parents' permission or to be more precise - you had been shamelessly stolen. You looked back frantically, eyes wide open, trying to see your parents' pursuit, not noticing the beauty beneath your feet - the small, frequent puddles reflected the pink sunset, which was cut by the lines of wires, and if it weren't for the asphalt, which seeped through the bright colors with its gray dullness, you might have had the impression that you were walking straight through the sky.

The narrow streets of the apartment complexes changed to industrial areas, and the farther you walked, the stronger the smell of paint became. Gojo led you by the hand, silent, his face lacking a shred of guile. He seemed to be trying hard not to open his mouth like a secret was about to come out. Your lips tightened in confusion as you looked away from the sorcerer and tried to look around. There was no room for vegetation among the mesh fences, concrete blocks, and pallets - those trees that could hide you with their branches were far behind you. There were no lanterns to reassure you and make your presence welcome. Only the overhanging, bulky clouds that condescended to let the departing sun let its last rays pass through them remained unchanged wherever you went.

When Gojo stopped you just before the steel doors opened, the faint smell of clay hit your nose. The room looked cluttered, the painted bollards littered with smeared spatulas, scalpels, and strings, and the floor was covered with paint marks of many feet. Nevertheless, the ceiling was decorated with hanging triangular flags of all sorts of colors. At the end of the room was a rack, and on the rack were tiny sculptures. "Phew," Gojo breathed, bending over and putting his hands on his legs. "I had no idea it can be so difficult to be silent."

You chuckled softly. "For a moment there, I thought ya were gonna burst. So where are we?" he glanced at you, and then his tongue became tied again. The mystery had to remain a mystery until the very end. Raising your eyebrows at his silent countenance, you stepped closer to the rack. It wasn't sculptures at all; it was items that were molded from clay. Gold-painted plates, blue-framed molded cups, rose-kissed teapots.

"You know," Gojo began quietly, right above your ear. "When I brought the flowers, it turned out you only had one vase in the house," he joined you in looking at the saucer you were holding - it had tiny silver petals on it. "And I thought it would be nice to make at least one more."

"Make?" you asked, laughing and clutching the saucer to your chest. "I mean, we could have just bought it."

"Do you even have a drop of the creator in you?" the sorcerer took offense, pouting his lips. " Material girl, that's what you are!"

"Welcome to our pottery studio," a ringing female voice greeted cordially. "You may call me Kaori."

You turned around and looked at the hostess, who looked cheerful as if she had been doing what she loved all her life. She was grimy from head to toe - her white apron was stained with clay just like her hands. Her black hair was in a high, sloppy bun, with dark strands sticking out of it in all directions. Glancing worriedly at the saucer you were still holding, you fidgeted to put it back on the rack. "I apologize."

"That's all right!" the woman declared cheerfully, clapping her hands. "On the contrary, it's a pleasure to have you interested. Everything you see here is the work of our previous guests," the hostess was still smiling radiantly, and glints of pride slipped through her mood. "You're the one with the date, aren't you?" she asked.

"Uh...," you drawled uncertainly, frowning. A slap sounded next to you, and you glanced furtively at Gojo, seeing his face hidden in the palm of his hand. "Yeah, well," you grinned softly, shrugging your shoulders. "It turns out we are."

Kaori, a little confused and embarrassed by your contradictory actions, hesitated for a moment, but not wanting to lose face in front of her new guests, pushed all unnecessary thoughts aside. "Then please follow me," the hostess invited you into the workshop with a slight movement of her hand.

The same chaos reigned here as at the entrance, but it was more orderly and there was not a bit of repulsion in it. Workbenches that for years had been awkwardly covered with glaze and paint by clumsy hands, colorful jars on racks looked exactly like potions, there was no exquisite chandelier here - bare lamps connected by wire dangled from the workshop ceiling. "Here, please put these on," the woman handed you beige aprons.

"I hope ya happy," you giggled, tying the straps on your back.

"You have no idea how much," he teased joyfully, echoing your movements.

"Sorry, I haven't had time at all," the woman fussed, kicking a stool away from one of the workbenches. "I didn't quite have time to prepare," Kaori still continued to make excuses, but with enviable ardor and fire. She set up a small but wide bench instead of a stool. "Rarely do people choose places like this for dates," she winked at you, then glanced at Gojo, and you looked away in embarrassment.

After a brief instruction, Kaori politely offered to help, and she did so gently and casually like she was afraid to break the thin thread that connected the two people. "If you need anything, you can find me in the workshop next door," she said quietly, and with one last smile, she disappeared out the door.

You glanced around the lonely bench. "And what would that mean?" you asked sarcastically under your breath.

You thought your question was quiet, spoken only to you, but Gojo caught it. "You'll find out," he grinned slyly, putting his hands on your shoulders and forcing you down.

You exhaled frantically before the unknown. You saw a potter's wheel and a large lump of clay already on it. On the sides were large bowls of water, a few scalpels, and there was even a string. You had been tried many times to instill a love of art, and perhaps you would have really loved it if it weren't for the conditions in which it was happening. Somehow now, looking at it all, you felt no disgust, just a slowly growing unease. What were you going to do about all this?

"Oop!" Gojo slumped behind you, your back pressed against his chest. "Well, you think you can make a vase with your mind alone?" he said, putting his arms around your shoulders.

"I just...," you began uncertainly, keeping your eyes on the lump of clay. "What am I supposed to do?" you whispered in panic, turning to him.

He was used to being a teacher. Gojo was not known for his careful and unhurried methods of teaching; rather, he was ready to throw a person who could not swim into the river. "Look under the table," he said. "See the pedal? Push it."

There was indeed a small pedal with a wire under the table. "Is that for a potter's wheel or..."

"Push on!" taking advantage of your confusion, the sorcerer prodded you impatiently.

"Okay!" you exclaimed fearfully, and then you pressed the pedal and the potter's wheel began to turn. After watching the clay make a couple of leisurely turns, you took your foot off the pedal.

"There you go," Gojo smiled satisfied, resting his chin on your shoulder. "That's taken care of. Now wet your hands," you hesitated a moment and dipped your hands into the bowl of water, a pleasant, almost tingling coolness immediately spreading through your body. "Well, we can work with this," he took your wet palms and applied them to the lump of clay. You watched, waiting for a miracle as his hands covered yours. But the miracle didn't happen. "Are we going to sit here all day?" he grinned. "Step on the pedal."

"Oh!" you cheered and started up the potter's wheel - it began to spin slowly, but even after a few dozen revolutions, the dry, raw material still wouldn't budge.

"Not enough water...," muttered the sorcerer, diluting the clay with a new portion of water - it became a little more manageable, but still stubbornly kept the same shape.

The thin line could rarely be found without a lot of effort, whether in communication, in thought or in creation. You couldn't walk on thin ice forever, brazenly expecting it to withstand everything and never crack. The waterfall you unleashed on the unfortunate lump of clay caused it to spill over into a puddle.

When you asked Kaori for new material, you were a little more painstaking. Sometimes you had the impression that you were not doing anything at all - your hands, soaked in clay, were just guiding. It felt strange to be guided, and the loss of control would have been alarming if it hadn't been for the vase gradually appearing in front of your eyes. Maybe you should have set aside your prejudices, erased the boundaries of submission and hammered a new word on your soul. Together. "Mochi," Gojo whispered, gently guiding your thumbs under the neck of the vase to outline the rim. "I've noticed that hunters always have the right to choose," he immediately wanted to apologize to you for prying unceremoniously into your head again, but the sorcerer restrained the impulse - only his muffled voice gave him away. "We just never had a tendency to do that, and you can decide for yourself if you wanna step on that road."

You wondered. You'd grown up in an environment where a person's choices came before their abilities, whether they were outstanding or ordinary. "Ya really can't decide for yourself?" you asked quietly, and there was an embarrassed slip of sympathy in your voice.

"It's hard to say," Gojo grinned wistfully, squeezing your soiled hands a little. "They just start inoculating us to this world from childhood, training us, getting it into our heads that it's best not to have any dealings with civilians. For their own good," his hands soon became as grimy as yours. Small drops of clay flew from side to side at times, staining your aprons, clothes, and faces. "And when we grow up, we realize there's no turning back. You just don't know how to live any other way. So I was wondering... Why did you choose this road?"

"Well...," you mumbled. You could have blamed it on your origins and closed the subject for good, but something was bursting out of you, and you couldn't hold it back. You wanted to tell him, to share everything that troubled and fascinated you, and in his arms. you felt that you could really do it without hesitation or fear of being ridiculed or misunderstood. "I'd be lying, sure, if I said I was interested in the fate of every person passing by," you smirked embarrassedly. "It's just... Um, I guess I just wanna protect humanity as a phenomenon itself."

"Phenomenon?" asked the sorcerer in surprise. "I've never thought of humans in that way before."

You turned around and gave him a squinted look. "What do ya think it takes to make humans appear?"

"Well... The first thing that immediately came to mind is that it needs the planet to be in the habitable¹ zone of its star, and to have a fairly circular orbit," Gojo shrugged uncertainly, and you only squinted your eyes more. "But judging by your sly face, that's not all."

"Nope," you shook your head and tried to calm yourself, for your excitement made your hands tense and the soft walls of the vase immediately went dangerously wobbly. If it weren't for Gojo guiding you the whole time, your creation would probably have crumpled back into an ugly lump of clay. "Not only are we in the habitable zone of our star, but our entire solar system is lucky enough to be in the habitable zone of an entire galaxy."

"That's... not the most obvious idea," he frowned, glancing around the room as the walls seemed to collapse, and the sorcerer realized for a moment how vast the space was. "You know, as a teenager, I used to put tacks on the chair for nerds," he purred cheerfully, jokingly warning you. "You should get to worry about your a-"

"If that ever happens," you ruffled his hair with your over-soiled hand and got what you wanted - his heart almost stopped. "I'll find something weightier to put ya on. Or in ya."

"Did Rachel teach you words like that?" muttered Gojo suspiciously, momentarily forgetting about his hair - if it made you happy, he was happy, too.

"Maybe," you chirped cheerfully. "Anyway, it takes about 235-million years for our solar system to make one complete revolution around the center of the galaxy. Since the oceans appeared on Earth, it's made about seventeen such revolutions. Ya just imagine the scale," you laughed nervously.

"Not the most relaxing flight," he drawled thoughtfully, imagining what hidden horrors the tiny planet might have encountered along the way, but surprisingly never faced.

"Yeah, it's cool," you shoved him back lightly as your emotions swept over you. It was like you were telling someone a mystery, and once you dropped the secret words for the first time, you couldn't stop. "The closer it gets to the center of the galaxy, the more black holes and neutron stars there are - they produce horrible annihilating X-rays and gamma rays, and also the more frequent the supernova outbreaks that occur nearby. Another encouraging thing, capable of destroying entire worlds many light years away. In general, too close to the center is bad, but too far away is also bad. Moving away from the center, the metallicity of stars decreases, and metals are essential for the formation of planets of the Earth group. It turns out that only about ten percent of the stars in the Milky Way are within the habitable zone of the galaxy, maybe even less."

In Gojo's hands was something fragile, completely in his power. He could mold whatever he wanted, and if he wanted to, he could just crumple the lump of clay and ask for a new one or abandon the idea altogether and walk away. But the process of creation fascinated him. How could something so unsightly and yielding only under certain conditions be made into something beautiful? The vase would remain fragile for the rest of his days, and the sorcerer would never know if something he had created would be overtaken by an all-destroying, mysterious force that would have no arms, no legs, no motive, it would only accidentally destroy something he held dear as it passed by. "We are lucky enough to be in the goldilocks² zone of our solar system, which in turn is lucky enough to be in the goldilocks zone of our galaxy. Both have a near-perfect circular orbit and are never too far from the center or too close to it. Also, the Milky Way represents a very rare case. Does the number 10 billion years mean anything to ya?"

"If I say no, you're not gonna send me for a retake, are you?" Gojo chuckled confusedly.

You were just glad for the fact that you were being listened to, and even if Gojo was only pretending, it still warmed your heart. "It's been about that long since our galaxy has collided with any other galaxy, which is why it's considered abnormally quiet. Well, not just because of that, sure, but still. Anyway, the whole trick is that most of the unthinkable coincidences are not out there, but almost right under our noses, in the solar system itself. If we look at all those glittering dots in the sky, as we get closer, we expect to see the same picture - just a huge glowing ball of gas, but more than half of the star systems in our galaxy are at least... Double. For example, our polar star isn't one star at all, it's a triple star system. Believe me, it does look impressive, but they're probably not habitable. The stability of planetary orbits in such systems is still questionable," you jerked, realizing that you'd pressed too hard on the soft wall of the vase - it was dented.

Sighing and gathering your thoughts, you began to more carefully observe what your hands were doing. "More than half of the stars kinda get canceled out at once. But even if there's only one star, that's no guarantee of stability. At the same time, our sun... Many people only talk about the sun being an ordinary star of which there are countless, but to date notwin stars with the same size, luminosity, temperature, age, and metallicity have been found. I wouldn't call the sun an absolute, but we can't just take a red giant and say that because it's bigger, it has a wider habitable zone. In fact, it's true, but the bigger the star, the more powerful its level of ultraviolet radiation, and it burns its fuel so quickly that life near it simply doesn't have time to be born. As for our lesser brothers... Red dwarfs do exist for an incredibly long time, just an unimaginable amount of time, but they are very cold and dim, and a planet with the potential to develop life needs to be incredibly close to such a star, and what would ya think? The planet would just get caught in a tidal trap, forever turning only one side to the star, well, like the Moon does to the Earth. So it would always be monstrously hot on one side of the planet and monstrously cold on the other, with a stellar wind on top of that," you turned around to see if Gojo was asleep.

Regardless, his eyes were open and he looked focused, whether he was listening to you or trying to get the right curves on the vase. "What about the arrangement of planets in our system? Is it even damn normal that we have four small rocky planets first followed by gas giants? Where did that spread come from? In most systems of the universe planets aren't very different from each other, and here we have a small Mercury, and, damn it, Saturn and Jupiter, and such gas giants are quite rare, and these few very rarely have stable, almost circular orbits so far from their star, and we have two of them! Who conjured up this configuration in the first place? It is this distribution of planets that gives us the advantage of a shield, for Jupiter very often draws away all the nasty cosmic debris that would probably sterilize our planet. If Jupiter, this huge giant with the strongest gravity, had… let's say, not round enough orbit, the solar system would look very different. And probably without us."

Curses and cursed energy had been on the sorcerer's mind since childhood, and though he was able to defeat them, they still confused him, pulled him by the arms and led him astray, and at one point Gojo stopped realizing that the world was filled with more than just them. Curses were a threat to humanity, but how many dangers did people go through without realizing it? It was like a starting point - the notions of sorcerers and non-sorcerers, ranks, advantages, techniques and abilities blurred in his mind, and a single being with a unique destiny appeared before Gojo's eyes as a fleeting shadow.

"And the earth's huge core?" you continued restlessly. "The earth has a larger one than expected for some reason. Perhaps it has something to do with our satellite. Look at the satellites of other planets - some have none at all, others are just gravity-captured asteroids. And our moon...," you sighed, charmed, thinking of the beauty that was far away from you. "The formation of such a satellite is a mystery itself, and the lunar rock samples are too much like Earth's crust in composition. There is a legend among intelligent people... Oh, sorry, a theory," you were babbling so fast that Gojo didn't have time to ask, clarify, correct, admire, or doubt. "Theory about Theia. Theia is a supposed planet the size of Mars that once collided with our Earth, and on impact Theia's core and mantle mixed with Earth's ones, and the debris from the impact formed our Moon – beside controlling the tides, it contributes to Earth's strong magnetic field that protects us from cosmic radiation. Some evidence suggests that Theia may have formed in the outer solar system³ and most of Earth's water originated there. We may have two planets under our feet, and the oceans we are looking at may not have originated there. Also, the impact has given the Earth a particular axial tilt and a fast rate of rotation... Oh yeah, remember to count all those factors in your head because if you exclude even one, it's unlikely we'd be doing this right now."

You grimaced, trying not to laugh at the sight of your vase - it looked more like a child's handiwork than the efforts of two grown persons. "This rate of rotation reduces daily temperature fluctuations and makes photosynthesis viable, and the axial tilt shouldn't be too large - a planet with such a tilt will experience extreme seasonal climate fluctuations, and if the planet has too small axial tilt, the planet will have no seasons, which... uh, this is gonna sound ridiculous, but it will lead to a lack of stimulus for evolution. So if we find a planet somewhere in the universe with paradisiacal conditions, we probably won't find life on it. It's just not needed there. On such a planet, there are no difficult survival tasks to be solved. Contrasts are needed everywhere, but the negative conditions shouldn't be too negative, for life is a fragile thing after all. No one knows what the ratio is, though," you scrunched your nose in thought, lost in your own chatter, forgetting that you were up to your elbows in clay. The vase was almost done, and though it had visible imperfections and small dents, and the neck was a little tilted sideways, you didn't care a bit - you were fascinated and mesmerized by the process itself. "Let's say we did find a twin planet somewhere out there in space with the right atmosphere and a large satellite, within the habitable zone of a star and galaxy, there are gas giant defenders. What's next?" you sounded so indignant to Gojo like something that had already happened several billion years ago had never happened at all, which was why you were puffing so irritably now. "I don't know how to justify or explain this case, but the first brick of life that started all further evolutionary processes is called a replicator," you answered your own question. "But the first replicator must have appeared here by chance. Think about it - a system that can replicate itself must have appeared here by chance. Even if we don't go into further details, which are unbelievable... Not just unlikely, but exactly unbelievable, like, for example, an archaea cell that consumed a bacterium and for some reason didn't digest it, and thus created the first mitochondrion, and then at once the energy problem was solved and the possibility for unimpeded complication of life appeared. Anyway... How did the mind get here? We have some known criteria for a habitable planet, we have some known factors for the origin of life on Earth, but no one yet knows the reasons why the mind should have emerging. There are so many living beings on our planet, some are irretrievably gone, some are still living, and even if ya take the same dolphins, whose brains are similar in shape and size to ours... As some very smart guy said, 'dolphins have had about 20 million years to build a radio telescope-'"

"And have not done so," Gojo finished embarrassedly for you.

"How do ya...?" you exhaled in amazement, turning to him again.

Even when the vase was created, Gojo never removed his hands. On the contrary, squeezing your palms, he gently pressed your intertwined fingers against your apron. "Heard it somewhere, I think," Gojo said evasively, remembering flipping through all the books that had been left lying on your desk after your disappearance. He'd run his eyes over the lines without much thought or analysis, and he'd never go back to the lines he'd never understood.

"I've only told ya some of the facts that are on the surface, but how much more remains hidden from our eyes? I know that all of this can be argued one way or another, but it is important to remember that this is not a recipe for creating life. It's a recipe for creating people. On the one hand, I realize," you whispered guiltily, snuggling into his neck. "That I'm just speculating based on what I've seen through the keyhole, but on the other...," the warmth of his body drowned into your own, melting away all courage and making you speak even more quietly. "Ya know, it may be a miracle to everyone else that ya came into this world as a strongest sorcerer with the techniques of six eyes and infinity, but to me, the miracle is that ya came into this world as a human."

The words he'd heard from a thousand curses rang in Gojo's head. 'We are better. We are stronger. We are more intelligent. We are superior to humans in all things.' - but where would these devils of hell end up if humans had never had the chance to live?

In the midst of this eternal flight of a small planet through an empty, unfriendly and boundless something, floating through time that didn't exist and horrors unknown to anyone, a random life suddenly appeared - the sorcerer realized that you started stepping towards each other billions years ago, and even though you came from a different side, still you were here, ready to accept his every ridiculous scheme.

Humans had created what Gojo had fought against all his life. Now, thinking about it, his mind emphasized not fighting and running, not blood and loss, but something else. The sorcerer saw himself from the distance - his movements, his breathing, and the way his eyes flooded into the vast blue sky. He could no longer distinguish his motives - Gojo was completely oblivious to them, and they were immediately replaced by yours. Who did he have to thank for being on the same endless stretch of time with you? Or had no one had a hand in it, and even chance had its own probability? If so, it couldn't be justified by mere coincidence or even magic, which had long been commonplace for him. You ended up being right. It was a miracle.

Gojo gently placed his clay-stained hand on your cheek. You shuddered, either from the chill or from surprise, and looked up at Gojo, and the world around you froze with you. You were staring at him with open eyes, his clay fingerprints were on your face - or rather on the visible part of it - and there was no better proof that he had touched you once.

The magic of the halted moment was dispelled by your wry smile. "Payback!" you exclaimed, squeezing Gojo's cheeks with your grimy hands. You were a little concerned when he didn't resist you - on the contrary, he sat obediently and quietly, letting you do whatever you wanted with him. "Ya okay?"

"Well, kinda...," Gojo sighed quietly, looking away - he was afraid that in his shameless eyes you'd see the pictures he'd drawn. Those marks he'd just left on you weren't just on your cheeks. What would they look like on your neck? On your collarbones? And how would his handprints look under your breasts? No matter how soon the wet clay dried on your body, Gojo would keep kissing you relentlessly, panting, even on the verge of passing out. He was still thinking slowly and confusedly, his eyes blurring to the point where the floor and the ceiling were swapped. Remembering that you were sitting close to him, Gojo slowly rose from the bench. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcibly erasing the images of tenderness intertwined - what if you had already sensed his desire? Nobara had been right after all. He really was the complete pervert. "There's been a bit of a revaluation of values," he buried his face in his hands, rubbing his burning skin. "I'm gonna go see Kaori. I'll tell her we're done and she'll put the vase in the oven. Be right back."

"Eh?" you bluntly blurted out, turning around and only catching a glimpse of the snow-white curls. Dazed, you frowned your eyebrows harder in bewilderment. What did his words mean? What were those values anyway? You were only more nervous as you wondered what had made Gojo jump up and run away from you. It didn't seem unusual, but it was the first time he looked so lost and wished he could get out of your sight sooner. Or was it the other way around, that he just didn't want to see you? Against your will, the recent events began to spontaneously replay before your eyes. Maybe the sorcerer was tired of your chatter? 'Don't get too worked up,' you thought, rolling your eyes at your own thoughts, but the wonderful time you'd had with him replaced by his almost fleeing silhouette, jabbed you again, unpleasantly close to your heart. Maybe you did say something wrong? 'He was just asking about motivation, and ya just starting up again,' you pouted, resentful of yourself.

You waited obediently for a minute. You humbly waited two more. You didn't move even when ten minutes had passed. You realized that if you sat like that for a moment longer, you would turn into a lump of clay, and your thoughts would mold you into something disturbing and then laughingly crush you. Gojo was standing there in the hallway, talking quietly on the phone. You couldn't tell which of you had the more distraught face.

Noticing you, the sorcerer paused half-heartedly and said a careless goodbye to the caller, ruffling his hair with an irritated motion of his hand. "What's wrong?" you asked, stepping closer to him.

"The date will have to end there," he said guiltily, rubbing the back of his head. "Work calls."

"What?" you muttered frustratedly. "What about the vase? We haven't even painted it yet-"

"Oh, how lovely!" the sorcerer cooed, wrapping you in a tight embrace. "Are you really that upset?" masking his own resentment at the unfair world, he continued to smile slyly. "Don't worry, I'll arrange a thousand more."

"That's what stresses me out-"

"You know, I really liked it," Gojo whispered, ignoring your joking quip. "And don't worry about the vase... I warned Kaori that we'll pick it up in a couple days," you pulled away from him, but you were already standing on the doorstep of Frank's house instead of the workshop. "Also, next time I'll be more romantic and walk you home humanely," noticing your dazed look, Gojo continued tease, flirting. It frightened you that you couldn't tell the fine line between his frivolous flirtations anymore. He'd be better off if there was no truth to them. Time didn't exist when you were with Gojo, and events came one after another, erasing cause and effect, and though you'd been taught to run, you were sometimes unable to catch up with him. You came to your senses when you felt an unobtrusive, instant pain in the bridge of your nose. You glanced warily at the sorcerer. He had just shamelessly bitten your nose. "Bun tasting!" he laughed, satisfied that he had brought you out of your state of confusion. Nothing dared distract you from him. "I'll go, Mochi," there was no longing in his voice, but it slipped into his playful kiss on your hand.

"Are ya gonna go just like that?" you shouted back. Gojo remained grimy, wearing a dirty apron and with your handprints on his face. "What will the others think?"

"Honey, if I cared what other people thought of me, I'd have drowned myself in the river a long time ago!" he shouted back, moving farther and farther away from you.

"If anything, it's nearby!" you prodded him, but got no response - you couldn't even see his smile from here anymore.

You kept looking at him, and that nickname warmed you despite the fading sun. How long had it been since anyone had called you that? How long had it been since you'd heard that word? And why had it come to Gojo's mind? You paused at the beginning of the path up the hill, coming down from the porch, wanting to capture his image even though his back was to you. He came down slowly and unconcernedly, deliberately helping you burn out and fringe his outline to stay in your mind forever.

Gojo would have teleported. He wouldn't have wasted his precious time, and he would have been in the right place in the world, but he could feel you staring at him. A feeling that was frightening in its intrusiveness, and one he was ready to cling to if it ever thought of leaving. Your images drifted inexorably away from each other, but memories, like a reliable companion, connected you again, wherever you were. When Gojo turned around at the foot of the hill, he saw only your silhouette standing against the sunlight. Strangely, he couldn't make out your eyes, your face, your hair color, or your clothes, but even in another lifetime he would have unmistakably known it was you. Your image waved at him, and Gojo waved back embarrassedly. "See ya," he whispered to your shadow in farewell.

You took off your shoes nervously in the hallway, trying to do it as quietly as possible, all the while thinking that it would have been more practical and safer to crawl into your room through the window. There was no rustling or fussing in the kitchen, but you could smell the subtle smell of roasting meat. Frank had been here recently, cooking dinner, but had he come into your room? Had he noticed you were missing? You quickly pulled your phone out of your pocket, and after making sure there were no messages from the man, you exhaled frantically. The lack of obvious signs of his awareness didn't mean Frank didn't suspect anything. You, carefully making your way through the kitchen like a minefield, glanced out the window. There was no sign of anyone in the garden, which gave you a new wave of burning anxiety. Sensing something wrong, you bit your lip. You walked around the dining table unable to find an appetite even though your stomach was rumbling. You had to get rid of all the evidence.

You quickly went up to your room and threw your clothes off as quickly as possible, kicking them under the bed. You put on your pajamas and jumped up to the mirror. The very thought of having to wash Gojo's handprints off your face had your soul on a hook, and the more you looked at them, the more the inevitable tugged at the fishing line. Gently running your fingers over the cracked clay, you felt the warmth of the sorcerer despite his cold absence. His unexpected behavior in the workshop had confused you, but afterward he'd acted as he usually did - was that a reason to worry?

Shaking your head and shrugging away the image of him that suddenly jumped up, you headed for the bathroom to wash away the evidence of how willful and frivolous daughter you'd been. The clay flowed reluctantly and almost painfully down the walls of the sink, and you rinsed off one mask and immediately put on another. Obedience and reasonableness.

Your stomach whined again, and you clutched at it, whimpering unhappily. In the future, you'd still be willing to sign up for any of Gojo's ventures, but only if he fed you. Frank had always taught you that appetite comes with the eating, and you went back to the kitchen.

There was a freshly cooked dinner in the oven, and the fridge was bursting with food. There were berries, fruits, vegetables, cheeses and bacon, even fish - smoked or fresh. Lazily examining the contents of the refrigerator, your hand involuntarily reached for the yogurt. The front door slammed, and thinking Frank had come in, you shut your eyes, ready for a likely lecture if you failed or even a heated argument. You felt the guest stop next to the dining table, but the figure, though tall, was still not the same as Frank's. Opening a squeezed eye and glancing in that direction, you swallowed your own heart that someone had kindly removed from your chest. Closing the refrigerator door quietly and nodding uncertainly in greeting, you clumsily made your way to the stairs.

"Adoptee, wait," Rachel stopped you, and you were taken aback. "I...," she continued confusedly, expecting you to turn to her. "I brought chocolate milk," she got what she wanted - you were now facing your sister, but you still hadn't made a move to meet her. "It's not even poisoned," the girl smiled weakly. Her words came together fragilely, and the blade of clear tears was ready to shatter them.

"Uh… Can ya braid me?" you asked timidly, not moving.

"Yeah," she whimpered, pressing her hand to her mouth, tears streaming down her fingers as they poured down her cheeks in a relentless, graceful river. "Yeah, I can."

While you were looking for rubber bands all over the house, the kitchen suddenly smelled like caramel popcorn. You were ready to punch your own stomach for it like it were a separate entity, began to resent you in such a way that it seemed to be heard in the next house. When you came downstairs, the coffee table was already littered with soda cans, chips, marmalade wrappers, and candy bars of every taste and color. As you stared at it all, your stomach quieted abruptly as if it wanted you to forget about its hunger.

Rachel wasn't here, though the TV was playing. Sighing, you sat down on the floor by the coffee table and put down the hard-to-find rubber bands. Just as you opened a candy bar and popped it in your mouth, the door swung open, hitting the wall. "Here I am!" exclaimed Rachel, holding a huge bucket of spicy chicken wings. "Still hot," she told you, wrinkling her nose in delight and placing the bucket in front of you.

When she plopped down on the couch, you moved closer to your sister, sitting right between her legs. She began to brush your hair, deliberately touching the back of your head with the tines of her hairbrush - you shivered, feeling tingles all over your body. Rachel suppressed a chuckle, thinking of how you looked like a puppy with its belly scratched each time.

Rachel gently tousled your strands and weaved them with skill - she'd been doing it like a pro since she was a little girl, ever since she'd had a hairbrush in her hand. You'd never once squeaked in your entire life simply because you'd never felt a tugging or burning sensation on your scalp - your hair felt like it was being pulled by the wind, not human fingers. "How did that happen?" your sister asked quietly, suddenly.

"What do ya mean?" you asked drowsily.

"How did ya kill that bastard?" she asked louder. There was no demand in her voice, only a desire to satisfy her anger. "Did he suffer?"

You sighed tiredly and opened the can of soda, which immediately hissed at you. "I wouldn't say his death was so slow and painful," you said, wrinkling your face in annoyance. "But I told him I'd kill his daughter, and afterward I made him choose between dick or heart."

"Let me guess," she laughed ringingly. "Did that asshole pick a dick?"

"Uh-huh," you chuckled quietly, sipping from the can.

She sighed heavily - you didn't laugh with her. "Come on, adoptee," the girl tried to cheer you up. "The bastard deserved it."

"What about Ravona?" you asked confusedly, making Rachel feel the slumbering guilt again, the one that had reminded Rachel that she had a hand in your madness too. Without thinking about the consequences of the disaster, she'd faced them head-on, and only now had the sense to drop the rope she'd always used to tug at you.

"Do ya remember how she kept looking at us?" she snorted quietly. "I'd rip that bitch's hair out myself."

"Well... Ripping out the hair and ripping out the heart aren't the same thing," you muttered sarcastically.

Rachel, because of her own desires, which had no ends or logical completions, almost left you both alone. Her intentions were deaf and blind, and if she'd drowned them in alcohol before, making them flutter and sink, now her sober head was generating new desires and drawing clear paths to them - albeit paths that led to the unknown, but now she knew for sure: you were a family despite your unusual differences. You'd started this together, and if there was an end to it, you had to stay together until it.

"Rach...," you drawled, weighing the significance of your own words. "Have ya ever wondered why Dany was there?"

"Dunno," Rachel shrugged, continuing to braid your hair. "Those assholes wanted to assign her a mission?"

Doubt, sprinkled on top of worry, tried to overpower you in an unfair fight - you felt the sting of conscience at every thought that Rachel might snap again if you voiced your assumptions, and though you backed down every so often, you rarely lost. "Yoichi said she was the one who leaked all the information about us to him. Right down to the fact that Kyle went on the raid that day instead of me. At the time, I was a little... Um, I was a little nonplussed at his words, but now I'm sitting here remembering how Dany blamed herself before. I thought she was blaming herself for the rape, but I'm kinda uneasy."

Her hands froze in your hair, and you tightened your lips in anticipation. "Those fucking scums," she hissed, but despite her righteous anger, it didn't affect you as she continued to gently braid your hair. You raised your eyebrows in surprise, and your confusion was left to your own judgment, for you had expected her to be angry with Danielle. "Taking advantage of a little girl just to mess us up big time."

"And they almost succeeded," you muttered, remembering what you'd been through. It seemed to you that the death of a loved one and the hatred of other was staring enviously at you, baring its teeth and preparing to attack you again. "I just can't get why she did that."

"Hunters have never shied away from resorting to dirty methods to achieve their own ends," she sighed, taking the soda from you with one hand and sipping from your it.

"But we're voidrunners," you said thoughtfully, trying to scratch the back of your head, for which you received a slap on the arm.

"We are," Rach agreed. "Dany still isn't. Stupid, of course, but maybe that's why she decided to get back at us."

"That's not like her," you countered, wrinkling your nose in frustration. "I'm starting to feel she was just intimidated... Only how, and if that's really the case, why didn't she tell us anything?"

"Look, no offense," she brushed it off. "But she's had the 'I'll do it all myself' example in front of her eyes for most of her conscious life. So why do ya think she didn't say anything?" you buried your face in your hands and collapsed your head right at your sister's feet. "Hey! I'm not done yet!"

"Ya...," you hesitantly began, swallowing. "Ya're not mad at her?"

"And ya?" she asked defiantly, hurt that you were inadvertently making her look unstable with your question. "Look, it's her fault for leaking the info, it's my fault for getting drunk and calling ya with complaints, it's your fault for going for me, and it's Kyle's fault... It's his fault for being born a good-hearted and ever-helpful fool and offering to go that day instead of ya. So if it's everyone's fault... It turns out it's no one's fault."

"Maybe ya're right," you said quietly, sighing. "Dany can't stay with us," you said, reluctantly raising your head. "It's not even a matter of trust here, it's her mental health. When she comes to her senses, she'll decide whether she wants to continue or not," biting your lip, you reflected - Danielle really has been through a lot, but she still hasn't been able to stand up for herself. "Ya know, though... I don't think she's gonna be a voidrunner with that kinda personality."

"That's true, adoptee," she muttered, concentrating on securing the braids with rubber bands. "But it's not for us to decide for her."

"I feel like I need to talk to her," you admitted embarrassedly. "After all, she did see another side of me that day," Rachel looked at you sympathetically, pressing her lips together in frustration - it wasn't long ago that she herself wanted you to let go and lose control of your emotions. "But I dunno how to face her yet."

"Ya won't be able to avoid each other forever," your sister tried to assure you. "So it's gonna happen sooner or later, whether ya want it to or not."

"Thanks!" you hissed, slapping her thigh. "Calmed me the hell down."

You both flinched when something rustled on the stairs to the second floor. When you looked up, you saw Frank sitting at the top of the stairs, sighing in fascination as he watched you. You both shrank and, blushing embarrassedly, pretended you were just watching the show. Rachel nonchalantly brushed away your braids that she had just finished weaving. Coughing, she grabbed a can of soda and opened it and flopped down on the back of the couch.

It didn't help; the steps creaked dangerously, heralding the approaching loving typhoon. "My girls!" hiccupped the man, almost sobbing, raking the two of you in his arms. You, with dazed eyes, miraculously ended up on the couch.

"Dad," Rachel squeezed out, feeling her eyes almost fall out of her orbits.

"Frank," you wheezed, feeling like your ribs were about to break.

"Oh, thank goodness!" he exclaimed heartily, kissing the top of your heads. "At last ya are together again," his parental heart would never heal from the loss of one child, but at least it had stopped bleeding now that his daughters were reunited. "Let's go to the table, it's not a food," he said, wincing and nodding toward your snacks. Before you could even squeak, his hands were literally dragging you over to the table. You and Rachel looked at each other awkwardly, and when Rachel wheezed, holding back laughter, you pressed your lips together and poked her in the side to shut her up.

Banging the pots around, the man placed plates of recently prepared dinner in front of you. "Food will solve all problems," he stated firmly, taking a seat across from you. "So what were ya two talking about?"

"About Dany," you said, stuffing your cheeks with meat, popping tomato slices into your mouth.

"Oh," Frank shook his head sullenly. "I may sound like an asshole now, but ya did the right thing. Though ya didn't hold back at some points," he gave you a reproachful look.

"Dad," Rachel hissed, pushing the mushrooms back to the edge of her plate. "When did ya get so soft? They deserve it and that's that. There's nothing to discuss morality or the condition of the adoptee. They brought it on themselves."

"Young lady, watch your tongue," Frank clucked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am still the head of the family."

"Bitch please," Rachel grumbled, waving his words away. "Ya're just an old man who falls asleep after every weeded bed. Get over it," you glared at your sister fearfully and began chewing your food with great effort. Rach looked dazedly at her hand that had placed the fork on the table and then slapped Rachel herself on the forehead. "Dad!" she blurted out indignantly.

"Say that again," Frank asked unkindly, tapping his finger defiantly on his forearm.

"I get it," whimpered the girl, rubbing her forehead.

"That's right," the man hummed contentedly. "And ya," when he turned to you, you almost choked. "Anything ya wanna say?"

All the sins you'd committed flashed before your eyes, and you even remembered how you'd cut his hair as a child one sweltering summer because the man had complained about the unbearable heat. You tried not to move; you thought that if you lifted a finger, sweat would immediately pour off you. Had he found out that you had run out of the house today? Did he really know you well enough to read your face? Slowly finishing your meal, you were caught swallowing your food loudly. "Did ya really only lose your temper over Dany, or is there something else?" asked Frank forehead.

"Uh...," you drawled dumbly, slamming your eyes shut. "Okay, take it any way ya want," you sighed, splaying your hands. "Yoichi cooperated with the wrong creatures," at your father's surprised look, you only nodded affirmatively. "Exactly with the creatures. One of the demons is pretty well ensconced in Christian's body," you said evasively, keeping quiet and not saying his name. It wouldn't do them any good anyway. "Yoichi supplied him with people through his club, and I also think that demon had something to do with Kyle's death, maybe he ordered Yoichi to pressure Dany and tell her to make sure anyone but me went on the raid that day with Megumi," you suggested. "Anyway, that demon paid off our deceased friend pretty well."

"How long has that thing been pretending to be one of us?" muttered Frank, rubbing his chin.

"I have no idea," you said, hiding your anxiety. Closing your eyes, you tried to catch your breath. If only you knew. "Anyway, the demon escaped," you spat out, remembering how Rei had merged with the air and left you alone without a fight.

Now Frank could no longer look at you with judgment and reproach; he felt a satisfaction that, by its wrongness, clouded his common sense. "Serves him right," Frank summed up in one word. "Oh, it's gonna be hard on Nathaniel and Ellie now..."

"Come on, that old hag already got dementia," Rachel said indignantly. "So Nael's the only one left to deal with all this."

You finished your dinner in silence, and Frank, blaming it on his bad back, went back to his bedroom, leaving you alone with the dirty dishes. Rachel scrubbed the baking tray of grease with a coarse washcloth while you scrubbed the oven from the inside. An unobtrusive song played softly from your sister's phone - it gave you morale and made you occasionally rub the walls in time with the music.

When the two of you muffled in unison on the chorus, you grinned at the same time. With a soft kick in the butt, you climbed out of the oven, stood up, and started to help your sister with the dishes. She glanced uncertainly in your direction as you scrubbed the plate to a shine, hoping you were thinking the same thing. Now it was your turn. "Adoptee."

"Yeah?"

"It's time for us to get back to work."

"Rach, there's only three of us," you shook your head, biting your lip disappointedly. "Remember how we worked back then. Our bodies didn't even have time to recover between raids."

"There's actually four of us," she reminded you, raising an eyebrow.

"I will not send Megumi alone into the void," you stated firmly, setting your plate on the shelf with a clink.

"If we don't make him a voidrunner, then consider Kyle dead for nothing," as soon as you opened your mouth to protest, she stomped her foot and immediately began gibbering excitedly. "Think about it! We're not gonna enter the void alone anymore, it'll be four of us! So what if it's gonna be different every time we go in there? What the hell difference does it make if we run thousands of miles in search of a settlement or if we just change everything with our entry-exit? Sooner or later our luck will smile on us and we'll be right where we need to be. Everything else we'll do according to the standard - four of us go in, run for three days, four of us go back in, and that's it. And that's it until we find what we're looking for."

In another life, you would have sat down and talked to everyone involved in your case. You would have listened to all the theories, suggestions and assumptions and made a decision that suited everyone. But now you were all getting too caught up in the moment - it was uncharacteristic of people that all their conscious lives had been used to running. It was time to replace indecision with action, to unleash claws and teeth and dark energy - and even though it was all rash, it was better than continuing to stand still. "Deal."

[October 21, 2020, 11:52pm, hunters' hq, training field]

Each of you had to choose your own guiding star when you set foot on this path. Thirst for blood, thirst for revenge, thirst for adventure - each of you ran along your own way, and though it was different, you always moved forward hand in hand. The farther you went, the brighter your guides shone in the sky of life - big and small, they illuminated the way in life, in dreams and in other worlds. Wherever you went, wherever you looked, everything was illuminated by the light of motives and hopes, and that radiance, spilling over the vast expanses, reached your hearts, making them tremble and beat fast.

Preparations for the next raid were almost complete - the four of you were standing in the field, checking your belts and gear. It had been agreed that since you were no longer traveling alone, one of you could carry a backpack with water and a small amount of food - a fate that fell on Megumi's shoulders as the most inexperienced. More than once there had been nagging arguments about hazing on his part, but in the end he was only too glad when he had the opportunity to take at least one sip of water in the void - it was always icy cold and piercing to the bone, but it was far better than dying of dehydration.

Rachel smoked nonchalantly while you and Issu shoved high-calorie bars, water bottles, and a few self-heating packs into the backpack on Megumi's back. With each new raid, you were getting more and more back in shape, and Megumi was just gaining it - the boy was getting better at tolerating the eerie cold of the void. "Did ya bring cigarettes?" asked Rachel, shamelessly rummaging through the backpack.

"Yeah," you said, shoving her aside.

"Uh-oh," she grinned meaningfully behind your backs, rubbing her palms together. "Here comes your wifey to see ya off."

Before you knew it, you and Megumi were in a tight, almost bone-breaking embrace. "Every time is like seeing you off to war!" lamented Gojo, sobbing dramatically. "You," he glared sternly at you. "Keep an eye on Megumi," his sternness fell on the boy after those words. "And you keep an eye on her. Is that clear?" something rattled under your ear, and you squinted - did he really bring the same things this time too?

"At least you'd change the tune," Megumi muttered, grudgingly grimacing his face and breaking out of his embrace.

"So how else do you suggest I express my love if he acts like this no matter what I say or do?" the sorcerer asked you, pouting his lips.

"Ya're aware that love is supposed to be selfless, right?" you laughed. Gojo only snorted. Having lived side by side with you since only a short time, he was well aware of that. "Don't tell me ya brought it... again," you began hesitantly, trying to see what he was holding in his hand.

"Sure I did!" exploded Gojo and grabbed Megumi by the scruff of the neck. The boy glared angrily at the teacher over his shoulder, but the sorcerer, ignoring Fushiguro, opened his backpack and shoved a dozen wristwatches into it. "I've synchronized and checked everything, so don't thank me!" he zipped up the backpack in one motion and nudged Megumi in the back with his hands.

"Is this really necessary?" you asked confusedly.

"Definitely," he patted you on the shoulder, grinning through his teeth. "Thanks to someone, I'm now psychologically traumatized," the smile disappeared from his face like on cue - Gojo immediately took on a serious look. "Mochi, I might be joking every time I see you off," he put his arms around you again, resting his forehead against yours - he had to bend down every time. "But every time, I remember how you...," the sorcerer swallowed, trying to banish the wistful expression on his face - it was like he was back in the day you never came home. "Take care of yourself. And keep an eye on my little brat, 'kay?"

"Okay," you nodded, taking his arms, letting him know you had to go. Unwillingly letting you go, the sorcerer staggered backward, not looking away from you.

"Hey, have ya two had enough of talking?" asked Rach sarcastically, coming up to you and shoving you with her shoulder. "Ya're making me sick to my stomach!"

"Jealous?" you ask, grinning.

"Maybe," she teased, showing her tongue.

In or out of battle, Gojo saw many exciting things. Colors that were beyond the reach of ordinary person, shimmering and sparkling, sweeping his enemies into dust and then into ashes. He saw the graceful movements with which his students or colleagues overpowered their foes, how deftly and quickly the blades pierced their guts. The crimson sunsets and golden dawns of each imminent day, which Gojo had seen long ago with his impressionable childish eyes, paled before the four silhouettes.

The four shadows were nameless in the twilight, made human only by the evening breeze that played with their dark hair - they had no colors, no graceful movements, their faces refused to be illuminated by the early sunset. Suddenly, the evening sky was shrouded in dark clouds, the shadows faded, and Gojo involuntarily hugged himself, shivering from the cold of the north wind.

Thinking about what it would be like to find himself not in front of these shadows, but among them, Gojo covered his eyes with his hand, shielding them from the purple flash.

"Relocate."

You immediately looked at Megumi - he was no longer clutching his chest, feeling a burning sensation in his lungs. He was standing straight, chin raised like defying the purple horizon. You raised an eyebrow in bewilderment as a smoldering cigarette butt fell near your feet. Rachel, only now putting on her respirator, winked at you defiantly. "So?" she asked slyly, stretching. "Which way this time?"

Looking around, you didn't notice anything remarkable - there was just the usual vast expanse of dark sands. "Hell knows. Any ideas?"

Rach, sighing, jerked one of her arms down. "Issu, turn your thing on!"

"Observation."

Hundreds of images flashed before your eyes - you saw through the eyes of the loners that roamed the area where the ability was spreading. It was the same emptiness without signs of life, and there was no hint of habitation anywhere. No footprints, no corpses. "Fine," Rachel kicked the sand in frustration. "Let's go, then."

As soon as you nodded, it was like you were let off the leash and rushed forward. Rachel was always trying to get ahead, her silhouette flashing in the light of the horizon, then fading. You kept glancing at Issu and Megumi. While the former endured the stress without difficulty, the latter would occasionally stumble in the sand whether from fatigue or habit, and you would grab Fushiguro's elbow to pull him back into line.

How many have this place taken, how many buried corpses have you run over? The emptiness did not spare the weak, and it mocked the brave and strong even more, not giving them the honor of bowing their heads - it simply chopped them down mercilessly. You stomped the sand relentlessly as if death itself were stepping on your heels - you looked back with excitement, giggling uncontrollably to yourself.

When Megumi stopped, so did you - giving Issu the go-ahead to run to Rachel, you took off Fushiguro's backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. He took off his respirator, took a quick sip and put his mask back on - the boy didn't even realize how cold that water was at first, only coughing a few seconds later. Patting him on the back, you waited for him to straighten up again. Wrapping your hands around his face, you sighed uneasily - Megumi was colder than a corpse in the morgue. Embarrassed, he nodded, letting you know he was ready to continue.

You slowed down, letting the boy exhale a little. Your eyes began to glaze over with an endless purple glow, which only made you more annoyed - your soul wanted to speed up, but you obediently kept your pace, letting Megumi run ahead of you. You'd spent quite a bit of your conscious life in this place, and Megumi had only recently started, but was already running on par with you all. Humming contentedly to yourself under your breath, you leveled up with him. When he looked at you questioningly, you winked, not noticing how his cold cheeks were flushed - it was unusual for a person who had been on his own since childhood to be silently concerned.

Megumi, not wanting to give in to any of you, sped up his run, bringing up swirls of black sand behind him. Surprisingly, this place gave not only heavy thoughts of the enslaved and killed - the faster the boy ran, the more he felt freedom, that cold air picked up his fatigue and carried it away. He involuntarily felt like a master in a foreign boundless expanse, and if anyone disagreed with him, let them catch him first.

At first, the image of Issu still running ahead appeared, but after a moment, the light of the horizon revealed Rachel, who stood motionless, her palm over her eyes, looking at something. You and Megumi looked at each other in bewilderment.

Stopping beside your sister, Megumi, feeling the cold air release him and return his fatigue, crouched down and tried to catch his breath. Issu silently unzipped the backpack and pulled out a bottle of water and a self-heating pack. You, on the other hand, started to gaze in the same direction as your sister - gradually a corpse appeared before your eyes that was almost buried under the sand. "Can ya feel it too?" she asked. It wasn't until you stopped and caught your breath that you felt your skin begin to tingle. It warmed. "I told ya we'd get lucky today!" she exclaimed contentedly.

"Ya lying," you grudgingly gritted out. "Ya didn't say anything like that!"

You immediately received a slap on the forehead. "Shut up," she muttered through a happy smile.

Rubbing the sore spot and pouting resentfully, you stepped away from your sister, trying to see something in that boundless veil - it was still a hostage to the unchanging color, afraid to show you anything but empty land. The two of you nodded wordlessly in agreement, and, taking your companions under your arms, you headed in opposite directions.

You glanced back and watched as Rachel and Issu moved away from you, then turned around again. Megumi was walking beside you, he kept turning his head from side to side like a bloodhound, which made you grin. Sooner or later, he'd learn to rely on his inner senses, not just his surroundings.

The farther you went, the colder it got. You felt another slap, and with a frustrated sigh, you took Megumi's arm and steered you away from your intended course. Despite the icy air, it was only getting stuffier - you could hear the boy next to you breathing heavily and glancing at you, probably to make sure he wasn't the only one who felt out of place. You both knew that as soon as you stopped, the hands of those places would only clench tighter around your necks. "Hold on for a little longer," you muttered, your gaze trying to find Rachel and Issu. "We'll find it soon."

As you went down the small hill and found yourself in a low place, you were shaken by an unpleasant feeling - it seemed that there were some unfriendly faces about to appear from above. A little way forward on a gentle rise, you found yourself once more in the midst of a plain. This place was always intended to make the wanderer feel that he was walking in circles.

"Found it!" with a sudden shout, Rachel threw herself at you, knocking you both to the ground. You almost rolled down the slope, but you were stopped by Issu - he rolled his eyes and silently grabbed both of you by the scruff of your neck. "Let's go quickly!" she yanked your arm hard, forcing you to run after her - your shoulder miraculously didn't crunch.

As the first barracks appeared on the horizon, your heart whimpered involuntarily. You remembered the blurred images of the once good friends who had brightened your imprisonment and whom you had promised to lead out of this place and into their old world, but that shaky vow had been shattered by the death of a stalwart person, leaving those people behind forever. Biting your lip, you kept running after your sister toward new hearts, dedicating yours to those black sands - even if that dedication would soon turn into a funeral, you had no time to feel sorry for yourself or those forever left behind.

As you ran up to the barracks, Rachel caught sight of the overseer standing on the roof and giggled quietly - at that moment you realized that she was about to let go of your hand. And so it happened: in the blink of an eye, the girl, being on the roof, immediately tore his flesh in the area of the another heart with her hand - with her strength and control over energy did not even require a weapon. Rachel, without dropping his body from her hand, tried to laugh as quietly as possible, and, only when she brought the demon's body to the edge, she finally ripped her hand from his rib cage - ashes that never reached your heads sprinkled on you. "High!" she sighed happily, jumping off the roof.

"Couldn't you be more careful?" that voice almost made you both faint with surprise, only Megumi remained calm. "There could have been more than one," Issu grumbled unhappily, eyeing Rachel - she was speechless from surprise.

"Ya can talk?" you asked in an amazed whisper, afraid to scare off his talkativeness.

You didn't know that his sociability was not fearful at all; it was rather lazy, and the boy didn't think it necessary to stir it up in any way. Issu, pretending that nothing had happened, looked into the barracks and counted the people. "Twenty-three in this one," he summarized, heading back outside.

"Okay," you mumbled dazedly, still looking at him with round eyes.

"I'll count the others for now," he said, and without waiting for another shocked response, he set off to count the people.

Rachel came to her senses when you shoved her shoulder. "Oh my god," she drawled, giving Issu a look. "Another day, another breakthrough," she whispered, shaking her head slowly. "Alrighty," Rach perked up, peering into the nearest barracks as well. "What do we have here?"

The girl wondered - how was Issu able to accurately count people in such darkness and filth? What was lying there in the corner - rags or a few people? How did he realize they were all alive? Some of them seemed to have died long ago - they were lying there, curling their skinny bodies into rolls and not moving. Only one gaffer, who seemed to be smaller than a child, looked fearfully at Rachel with sunken eyes. "Hey, man!" hissed Rach, turning to him. "Gather five... Nah, better six people. We'll get ya out of here soon."

Rachel snorted irritably when the old man, without taking his glassy eyes off her, gave no sign of life. Poking her head out of the doorway, she walked over to Megumi, and in one motion she turned him around and started rummaging through his backpack. Finding something, she walked back to the barracks. "And for the cigarettes?" the girl said slyly, waving a pack of cigarettes.

The gaffer's gaze changed - it was like a fortune were being held in front of him. He crawled hesitantly toward Rachel - the girl felt as if she were taming a wild animal - and held out his hand. He remained frozen in that position, hesitant to take the cigarette packet and shutting his eyes, clearly expecting a whiplash or worse. Rach, sighing, shoved the cigarettes into his hand and clasped his fingers. The old man opened his eyes and stared in disbelief, first at her and then at the jewel that had fallen to his share. Tears streamed down his wrinkled cheeks and he sat down on his knees and began to bow restlessly, nearly hitting the floor. "Hey, hey!" she stammered, trying to stop him - the gaffer shuddered and immediately crawled back to his corner.

Rachel, standing up in front of you, scratched her forehead a little confused. "I'm still not used to this kinda thing," she admitted on an exhale.

"Ya looked like a maniac trying to lure a child with candy," you tsked at your sister. "Sure he was scared."

"Got any better options?" she asked defiantly, spreading her arms out to the sides.

"Let's find an empty barracks for starters," you suggested, looking around. "And then we'll think about it... It's not a bad idea to bring supplies here first. It looks like we're gonna be here a while."

"Uh-huh," she nodded reluctantly, ready to move forward.

You wandered cautiously through the nooks and crannies, peering into each barracks like stray cats. There were squeaks and cries here and there, and Rachel was the only one who kept going away for a little while, coming back more and more satisfied - after each of her brief disappearance, the sobbing stopped. When you glared at your sister, she only tipped her chin defiantly, demanding proof of her misdeeds.

When you finally found an empty barrack and went inside, you waited for Issu and began to settle in - according to your colleague, there were about three hundred people here. When everyone but Megumi had taken off their masks, the boy stared at you perplexed. "You should take it off too," Issu muttered, pulling some water out of the backpack. "It might be uncomfortable at first, but you'll get used to it," he warned honestly, taking a little sip from the bottle.

Megumi sat down next to his partner and pressed his fingers where Kyle had taught him, and the mask gave a distinctive click as it pulled away from his face. As soon as he took a breath, Fushiguro felt a choking sensation, but it was nothing like what he'd felt when he'd first arrived here. His lungs weren't scorched by icy flames, his insides weren't covered in frost, and his hot blood wasn't frozen. "What are you doing?" exasperated Issu, glaring at Megumi, who was breathing shallowly and frequently. "Breathe slower, you idiot."

"I have enough teachers in my life without you, asshole," Fushiguro spat out, but despite the altercation, he took the advice. His body relaxed visibly, though he continued to wrinkle with each breath.

Rachel, walking slowly over to you, was also staring at the boys. "Hey," she turned to you in a conspiratorial whisper, shoving you lightly with her shoulder. "Are your eyes double-visioned too?"

You scratched your temple in confusion. There were two sullen, grumpy copies sitting in front of you, even the strands of black hair falling equally over their eyes. Except, Issu's hair was longer. "Looks like it," you clicked your tongue quietly. "By the way, who's going for supplies?"

"I'm ready," Megumi offered like a perpetual volunteer.

"More options?" you ask, looking at Rachel and raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Why I can't?" Megumi jumped to his feet, staring at you glumly.

"Because I said so," you waved away his indignation.

"God," snorted Issu quietly, stuffing the water bottle into the backpack. Getting up, he headed for the exit. "I'll go if you can't decide."

"I'm with you!" exclaimed Rachel joyfully, bursting up and catching up with the boy.

"I don't need a pain in the ass," Issu muttered quietly, but his scolding was heard by everyone present.

"Hey!" appealed Rach to him resentfully. She wrapped her arms around the boy's neck and bent him over, then began to rub the top of his head with her fist. "Ya just learned to talk, and ya're already snapping at your elders?"

"Get off!" you couldn't see what was happening because Rachel had dragged the boy away, all you could see of him was a small patch of black hair on the doorstep. "I said get your hands off me!" you heard muffled swearing and quieter girlish laughter, but after a few moments, there was silence. Only Fushiguro's angry hissing could be heard.

You looked out of the barracks and checked to see if everything was all right. Sensing that the boy's discontent still hadn't subsided, you gave up. "Well... What's wrong now?"

"Am I just gonna be an errand boy forever?" he mumbled, nearly spitting in your direction. "All you need me to do is carry a backpack."

"Yeah, thanks," you said, almost rolling your eyes. "How did we survive out here without food and water before?" you asked sarcastically, trying to make him think.

"You know, maybe Gojo could never boast of rational and safe training methods," he began, trying to prick your ego - Megumi was pissed off at how you indifferently started rummaging through some rags without paying any attention to the boy. "But even that was better than what you were doing. He never made a hothouse plant out of me-"

"The void only hurts our bodies when we're here for a long time," you interrupted his indignant grumbling. "Ya can't just race in and out of the void with impunity. Listen," you perked up, throwing one of the rags at him - Megumi caught it involuntarily, grimaced in disgust, and tossed it aside. "We haven't yet had any precedent for training anyone as we go along. We used to have far more students, we even had lectures and briefings, and only then consolidated with practice. We don't have that luxury now," you said, slipping the tattered shawl you'd found over your shoulders. "Why did ya throw the sweatshirt away?" you asked, looking at the dirty piece of clothing that was lying next to Fushiguro. "Put it on and take off your boots. Let's go for a walk," and without waiting for another round of reproaches, you went outside to wait for the boy.

With a few questions and some squeamishness, Megumi put on the sweatshirt, which felt like it was covered in some hard crust. The benefits of civilization that remained on the other side came to mind. How long before he could get home and wash off all this dirt?

Pulling off his boots, he stared at his own feet, wrapped in elastic bandages. Was it worth taking them off, too? Glimpsing into the doorway where he could see you, he realized that you were standing completely barefoot. Hastily untying the bandages, Megumi jumped out into the street.

You walked in silence through the backyards, back to the beginning of the street - now that you were on a straight road, Megumi could finally see the devastation that was going on here. He looked sympathetically, almost fearfully, at the people who were hastily rummaging through the piles of trash, looking around. When you passed a curled clump of hair and dirt, it suddenly came to life and grabbed Fushiguro's ankle, but the grip was so weak that the boy stepped forward without even noticing it. Megumi wanted to turn to you, to ask for help, but as he looked around, he realized with horror that absolutely everyone here was like that - infirm, incapable and weak. There were saints and sinners, stars and homeless, criminals and moral authorities, some of them probably had titles that had ceased to exist in past centuries, but before the violet horizon everyone was equal.

A stinking smell hit his nose - there was a cluster of corpses in one of the dark alleys nearby. The sweet, putrid odor wafted around the area, infecting people with vomit. Megumi squirmed, not daring to admit to you that nausea was coming up to his throat as well. As you passed the cluster of dead, Fushiguro remembered only someone's festering, frozen eyes before he turned away, and someone's cries lingered in his ears as a funeral song.

Megumi almost jumped when you pulled the hood over his head in one motion. He glanced at you absently, and noticed that you had pulled the gray shawl over your head as well. He shrank back as a figure that was tough and brutal forward, a thud and a wet wheezing sound behind you.

Even though there was an old woman peering out from every corner, shaking her scythe, there were still people here, and Megumi breathed a sigh of relief at the realization. As you moved steadily closer to the dark high-rises, the violet color growing brighter and brighter, the boy's eyes glazed over. As soon as you were at the very first barracks, at the very foot of the demon houses, you immediately plopped down on the ground by the fence. Megumi stepped from foot to foot, pursed his lips, and hesitantly sat down beside you. "As you can see, the void is quite favorable to the weak," you said quietly as you both watched the girl waddle past you - her legs were warped, seeming to have once been broken in several places. "But it can't stand brave fools who've stopped being afraid of her," you shifted your gaze to the alleyway where the mountain of corpses lay.

"I got it," Megumi replied on an exhale, wrapping himself more tightly in a wide, dirty sweatshirt.

"So... How's the lighting thing going?" you ask in between.

"Not bad," Megumi shrugged. "I can strongly illuminate a space in a small radius and set some objects on fire, but even that takes a lot of energy."

You, discerning chips in the sand in front of you, nodded and pointed at them with your head. "Light one."

"What?" he asked dazedly. "One?"

"Uh-huh," you nodded.

Fushiguro concentrated, expecting it to catch on fire. Dark energy flowed through his veins instead of blood, but something weightless was harder to control - the energy began to surge over the edges, wanting to break free, to escape and return to its home. Megumi could feel the pain spreading through his fingers, but the boy didn't relent - he only tensed up more, feeling how hard his temples were pounding. Without waiting for the inner voice's approval, he pulled the triangle.

Just as you felt your ankle begin to tingle, your entire shin flared up. Megumi started to cover your leg with sand with you, and if you were doing it calmly, his hands were trembling. What a loser - he couldn't even set fire to a measly chip. "You're not... You're not hurt?" he asked anxiously, looking around.

"Nope," you grinned, rubbing the top of his head through his hood.

He exhaled disappointedly, flopped back and literally fell backwards onto the mesh fence, the hedge rattling dangerously. "I guess I'm not such an outstanding voidrunner."

"What if I told ya that it's harder to set a chip on fire than a log?" you asked, smiling slyly - when he stared at you incredulously, you laughed softly. "Which do ya think is easier: shooting a bear or shooting a mosquito?"

Megumi, humming, thought about it for a moment. He had always thought that the smaller the object in the crosshairs of a cursed energy, the easier it was to destroy. The realization that he would have to retrain again, and then adjust to each of the energies altogether made him sigh brokenly. "Ya, when you do this," you created a triangle out of your index fingers and thumbs and turned it edge down. "Think of it as creating a shape for the energy so that it's easier to work with and understand when ya activate it. But dark energy already has a shape, and only the hell knows what it is. We don't know its size. It can be smaller than a dot or bigger than an ocean, but the fact is that the more ya save energy for the embodiment of the ability, the more it fills its form and becomes less stable, and ya need to save it - the more energy, the more powerful the properties of your ability. With unstable outburst ya will hit anywhere but the target, so ya, as a conductor, need to learn to control it. Soon ya won't even need those triangles."

"I'd still attend a couple of lectures," Megumi mumbled, looking down at his own arms and pulling up the sleeves of his sweatshirt along with his uniform - the black lines reached almost to his elbow. Grimacing, he pulled back the sleeve and tightened the straps on his hood - only his face remained visible. It wasn't for him to complain - he'd pushed his own way in, almost begging you to let him come with you, and if he didn't justify being here, he'd let everyone down, including himself, and in particular - Kyle. Would he be disappointed in Megumi if he found out that the unspoken receiver of his ability was letting him down?

"Relax," you clapped him on the shoulder. "One way or another, ya'll learn everything. And unstable energy to control, and abilities to manage, maybe even get another one in your arsenal, and strengthen your body to contain and strike, and if it's interesting, we'll get a taste of dark matter too. We all started somewhere."

"Dark matter?" he asked in amazement. "Like we can create territories or something?"

"Nope," you shook your head, pursing your lips. "In fact, none of the hunters have ever found a use for it. We can only make a hole in space for a while, but if something falls into it, it just pushes it out after a while and closes. There's no time, so ya can use it in some cases, but it's mostly useless. You might be a trailblazer, though. We don't have any generic techniques, everyone just relies on fantasy within the conventional framework of physics. And as for territories... Some of the demons know how to create them," you said, remembering the maze of concrete walls. "But unlike yours, no one's abilities are enhanced there - on the contrary, they simply disappear from both sides. The demons benefit from this, for we are tired, sleepy, and hungry, and they are not."

"Got it," Megumi nodded briefly. "Y/N," he turned to you, faltering slightly. "Why doesn't anyone but ya create weapons?" the boy asked, and another question, more dangerous and risky, was twirling on his tongue. Megumi tried to hold it back, but the reins slipped from his hands, cutting his palms - he felt an unpleasant pain followed by regret. "Does it have something to do with the fact that you're... uh, that you're not really human?"

You smirked, almost laughing - it made the boy look embarrassed, but it was too late to grab the reins. It was foolish of you to expect Danielle to keep her mouth shut. At least with Megumi. Whether he'd asked the question because he wanted to learn as well or had cleverly led him to a topic that really interested him, you wanted to praise him for his cleverness, but other words escaped your lips. "Ya know and ya're not afraid to sit next to me?" there was living or not-so-living proof of what demons were capable of, and he was sitting next to you, his shoulder pressed against yours, and he didn't seem to be thinking about moving away.

"Why should I be afraid of you?" asked the boy earnestly. "You've done nothing wrong to me."

You opened your mouth to object, but, unable to find the right or convincing words, closed it back up. "That's right," you agreed, shrugging. "Ya... Dany told ya about it, didn't she?"

"Yeah," Megumi said simply, and you sighed, taking his answer for granted. The name you uttered has reawakened the emotions he'd once fled from, hiding them behind a sullen mask. His young heart began to quietly tear itself apart, and the words his teacher had once spoken about selfishness rang in his head - perhaps Megumi should have given up and stayed with Danielle. At least until she felt better. Now, however, he had no idea at all what her condition was, what she was doing, how often she cried. Fushiguro was not even comforted by the thought that he would leave this place and return to her again.

What will their reunion be like? Would she slap him, run away, or throw herself at him? Regardless of the answer to those questions, he knew for sure: no matter what she did, he would put her in a tight embrace, drown out any possible cries for him to let her go, and tell Danielle a thousand times a day that he would never leave her. "Y/N."

"Yeah?"

"I wanna ask for your blessing."

You choked on your own saliva. You coughed so hard that your lungs felt like they were going to burst. You crouched down, gulping for air, while Megumi frantically slapped your back with the palm of his hand. Well, at least you really did look a lot like the locals now. "Oh, gosh...," you drawled hoarsely, almost suffocating. "Look, I have nothing against your relationship," you mumbled, straightening up abruptly - Megumi, taken aback, recoiled and stared at you with round eyes. "But are ya sure this is the right time?"

Fushiguro was well aware of what had happened to Dany recently, and the only regret that burned in him was that he hadn't given her the watch sooner. "Does it even exist?" he asked seriously. "If I sit around and wait, it'll turn out there's no time left at all."

"Ya're just a kid," you shook your head slowly in disbelief, but Megumi remained adamant. "Ya should still be flighty... Ya know, if that's what ya want, then go for it," you laughed softly, and the huskiness in your voice suddenly warmed him. "If she says no, don't come crying to me, though" you patted his shoulder sympathetically, and he thought about how he should have slapped you on the back harder. There was no telling when he'd get another opportunity like this with impunity. "I wish I could be that brave," you sighed dreamily.

"Are ya kidding?" squinted the boy, scanning you for truthfulness.

"Nope," you chuckled, shaking your head. "Ya're willing to take such a big step, and I still haven't talked to her. I can't even look her in the eye."

"I've never been one to confine people, but if you don't make peace with her, I'm gonna take you off the guest list. You know the fuss Gojo's gonna make. So... You'd better make up your mind already."

Whether it was a joke or a threat, it made you smile. Did Megumi realize that he had made you his secret keeper? Or did he not intend to keep it a secret at all? You bit your lip - it seems like you'll have to do that every time you go back to Gojo. How long could you go on without opening your mouth? You, trying to find answers, glimpsed at Fushiguro. He looked funny in that hooded sweatshirt, with only a serious face sticking out of the round hole, and dark blue eyes that shimmered in the purple light and pointed upward.

Following the direction of his gaze, you realized what he was studying so carefully. The stones that in their cluster hovered and circled above the dark high-rises. Through their cracks a pulsing bright light was bursting outward, giving the impression that the thing was ready to either burst like a soap bubble or explode altogether. "What are ya thinking about?" you asked, shoving him quietly with your shoulder.

"I thought you said they had some kinda sun-like core here," he said quietly, watching as a small pebble that had broken off from the high-rise soared upward and joined the others. "What if it's not a single core at all? What if there's more than one?"

"And ya think it might be one of them?" you asked slyly, admiring the boy's mesmerized look. As repulsive and cold as this place was, some people who tended to see beauty in everything found charm here. Megumi nodded slowly. It seems beauty really was in the eye of the beholder. "We thought about it too, but we never tried to destroy them."

"Why?"

"Because our job was to get all the people out of here and then clean the place up," you sighed, wrapping yourself tighter in your shawl. "I don't know how much power it would take to destroy this thing. No matter how strong the voidrunner is, it's still limited in its conductivity. Ya know what happens when the lines from your arm get to your heart, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Megumi said worriedly, quietly. "It wouldn't do us any good to destroy that thing either, would it? Somehow I think it's the reason it's getting warmer, and there's plenty of cold places around here already."

"We could try it when we get all the people out," you suggested cheekily, and he stared at you in amazement. "Why?" you asked, spreading your hands. "Since it's time for a change, why not give it a try?"

"You literally just directly hinted that you could die by pulling something like that!" alarmed the boy, grabbing your shoulder.

"I've died a couple times before," you chuckled, grabbing his hand. "It was okay."

"Don't joke like that," Megumi whispered, frowning and glaring at you with dark blue eyes. Snapping out of your musings, you rubbed the top of his head and decided for yourself. It was better to die trying and searching.

You looked at the supposed core again with challenge. Even a meticulous creature in its own territory could let its guard down, and what if started destroying that territory altogether? How would Rei react then? Would he continue to sit in the corner, waiting for the right, vulnerable moment for you, or would he come out and defend his once newfound land? You didn't have any options left to sit and waltz through them, spitting out the ones you didn't like or were life-threatening. Left in an open field with only one choice, you were ready to step up.

"Hey!" you jumped up, hearing an angered exclamation right above your ear. When you turned around, you saw a furious Rach on the other side of the fence. She was leaning against the metal mesh and gripping it with her hands, her eyes shifting angrily from you to Megumi. "What are ya fools doing here? Taking a walk? Are ya out of your mind? What if someone notices?" she raged, almost sputtering. "Get back to the barracks!"

[November 10, 2020, 9:05pm, hunters' hq]

Inadvertently borrowing Megumi's courage, you stood in front of the door to Danielle's room. You hadn't eaten, or showered, or even changed your uniform, just taken the people from the void to the infirmary, and without waiting for the doc to throw you into one of the hospital beds, you made your way to the second floor. You'd already grabbed the doorknob several times, but something kept you from pulling the door open. Maybe it was your shaky hands, or maybe it was your finished supply of boldness. Were you really that afraid of the girl who grew up in this house?

Sighing, you leaned your forehead against the door, trying to listen - there was a low murmur on the other side. It sounded like Danielle was watching a movie - she might even have fallen asleep to it, so should you have disturbed her? You, angry at yourself for making up excuses, opened the door.

Dany was really watching a movie, wrapped in plaid - the dim light of the screen accentuated her puffy eyes and reddened eyelids. When she looked at you tiredly, it was like she'd been confronted with her once-coveted reflection in the mirror. You may have been covered in dust and sand that stuck even in your hair, but Danielle couldn't get rid of the thought of how that uniform would look on her. What powers would she have learned? Would she follow in your footsteps, or would she discover something new in finding her own way? It seemed as unattainable now as bird flight - it turned out she had no wings, and the distant sky could not be reached, touched, or conquered by hand. Dany thought she had no more tears left in her until she saw you.

When you saw the girl's tears, you froze. What would her fate have been if her father had been here? Unlike you, he would have been able to guide, reassure and protect her. "Dany," you turned to her quietly, hesitant to come closer. "Ya need to go back to Hopetown."

"Didn't ya beg me to come back to this house?" an ironic note crept into the weak voice. "And now ya demand that I go back?"

"It's for your own good," you said, looking down in embarrassment. This house was often empty and cold, everyone was either on missions or in the void, and Hopetown had an extra pair of eyes that could keep an eye on the girl.

"Just say ya don't wanna see me anymore," despite the bright glistening tears, her voice was hollow and discolored, you could hardly recognize the familiar tinkle of little bells in it. "I didn't do it on purpose, really," she began to swallow back tears of recognition, almost choking. "Yoichi said that day that death was inevitable, and if I didn't figure out a way to send someone other than ya there, they'd kill Megumi," you wanted to wipe away her tears, but the premonition that she'd bounce off you made you stand still. "I really... I really never thought of ya like that. I couldn't, I never-" you, unable to bear it, went up to her and took her hand, thus severing the fishing line of regret that was choking her, and interrupting her wistful mumbling. Alas, you couldn't rip one heart out twice - now you were depressed that you had let her abuser get away so easily.

You wanted to laugh bitterly at your own hypocrisy. You'd killed Rachel's husband in a similar situation, but you were weak in front of the girl, your hand over her face just to pet her.

You've been estranged from each other for far too long because of creatures that were only too happy about it. "Bun," you began softly, cuddling the crying lump into your arms. "I'm sorry I didn't come to ya sooner," you stroked her, not realizing if she could feel your touch through the plaid and if it was helping her. "Even before... Even before they did that to ya, I should have come to you. I just felt like next to Megumi ya were really recovering from everything that happened and I could ruin it. I'm sorry," Danielle used to think of herself as a burnt-out theater actress, but after realizing the effect her words of hate had on you, she went soft in your arms like to say that you could do anything to her now. "Dany, I know ya still hate to talk about this... But how long have they been threatening ya?" feeling her flinch, you decided to drop the subject, but Danielle was a little stronger than you thought.

"Not long before ya disappeared into the void," she admitted weakly. "The watch and the charger... That was me, too. I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to..."

Rei planned this all too long ago to find any trace of it. Only now did you realize that even if you'd checked everyone immediately after you returned from the void and made sure that Christian wasn't Christian anymore, it would only give you more uncontrollable rage. The truth was the day Gojo accidentally dropped his promise to kill you, and time was not a free path for curious travelers, you could never go back and see what happened. For a long and happy life in which there would finally be room for the forbidden feeling, you would have to kill your teacher, thus breaking Gojo's unfulfilled promise. Or, if the abstract coin falls the wrong way, die by Rei's hand, never having touched the feeling your mother told you about. "Should I pack?" asked Dany weakly, tugging on your sleeve and stopping your gloomy walk through the future. "Ya... ya don't trust me now, do ya?"

You licked your lips nervously as you felt your eyes water, the one hiding the secret couldn't judge the deception of another. "Yeah. Yeah, get ready," you said in a shaky voice, grinning. "Maybe without a monster close by, ya'll at least get a good night's sleep."

You were both too wounded to comfort each other. You, as the more mature one, should have pulled yourself together, but you pulled only the girl's clothes from the shelves and began to organize them into bags. If an emotion couldn't be curbed, it had to be suppressed - your own personal safety protocol. You were just glad the girl didn't get over herself and start reassuring you that everything was fine, you knew it would take time for her to accept the other part of you, or to reject both. The creature inside didn't care, it just watched meekly and haughtily as you folded Danielle's things that you had once bought for her. Maybe one day you'd go shopping again, and you'd let her drag you to another diner for one meal, or maybe now she'd do it with someone who would never undermine her trust. You catch a glimpse of the girl's wrist - there was still no watch on it.

How good it was for you to be back in the void by now, for someone else's secret that you had been entrusted with was trying to get out.

"Sir," you whispered, backing away slowly. Your feet sank into the sand, and an invisible grip tightened around your throat. Your eyes began to blur from lack of oxygen, and you could barely make out the dark top of the head that was sticking out of hiding - Megumi, lurking on the roof of the barracks, was trying his best to subdue the wayward energy. "Sir, please don't kill me," you quietly pleaded, stopping - the sand completely engulfed your feet, depriving you of the ability to walk. The demon stepped forward, gazing at you like a curiosity. His eyes glided over your unusually healthy body - the creature, as the sculptor of these places, knew that such exhibits had no place here. "Megumi, it's time!" you shouted hoarsely. You shifted your gaze haphazardly from black-haired head to black eyes. Nothing happened, only the squeeze pressed harder on your throat. "Fushiguro!" you squeaked panickedly before your voice disappeared.

It was saved by a sudden spark that came out of nowhere - the demon's hair flared. The invisible grip on your neck loosened, and then it was gone. You couldn't decide whether to panic more or laugh because you saw Rachel behind the demon and her bloody hand piercing the creature's flesh.

"Ew," she stuck out her tongue in a squeamish manner and shook her dirty hand. Blood splattered in all directions, sharing the disgust with everyone. "How many times I've done this, it still disgusts me sometimes," the girl glanced up at the roof of the barracks - Megumi's droopy face was visible from there. Unable to contain herself, Rachel laughed, remembering what he'd done. "Fucking barber, who aims like that? The heart is lower down!" she wheezed, clutching her stomach. Fushiguro climbed down from the roof, almost clinging to the sharp corners of the bent metal plates, and sat down against the wall, hiding his face in the palms of his hands. "That's right!" taunted Rachel mockingly. "Be ashamed, blame yourself, and under no circumstances try any further! After all, if ya continue, there's a chance that one day ya'll save someone's hide, and that can't be allowed to happen."

"Overkill," you stopped her, frowning your eyebrows disapprovingly.

"Ya think?" she asked in a whisper, pressing her lips and realizing she'd stepped over the line.

"Get the fuck out," you snarled, shoving her in the back. Surprisingly, your sister obediently went into the barracks, but you knew it was a trap; sooner or later, you'd get punched in the forehead for it.

"So what are ya hiding for?" you asked, plopping down in front of the shrink figure. You had no leadership skills, no motivational speeches, only annoyance, pestering and unyielding. You crawled closer and poked the boy in the side - he flinched, and you took advantage of his confusion by grabbing his arms and pulling them apart. Megumi, realizing he was without his protective cocoon, turned his head to the side and stared into the void. "Don't beat yourself up like that because of one time."

"Because of one time?" he grinned sullenly. "We've been trying for two months."

"Two months!" you laughed light-heartedly. "Megumi, I've been mastering shading for years, Rach has been studying tranquility for even longer, Issu is still struggling with observation," trying to convince the boy and make eye contact with him, you cupped his cheek and made him look at you. "Name me a person who gets it right the first time," when he opened his mouth, you extended your hand forward, stopping him. "Except Gojo," he closed his mouth in thought, shrugging incredulously.

Behind his scowl, something else was creeping in. You knew that feeling - it pretended to be friendly, promising to give you freedom forever, but not telling you that it would take everything else in return. Unlike you, who had parents, loved ones, a sister and brother with whom you trained side by side, constantly pushing and supporting each other, he was walking this road alone. "Two months is just dust in which even Kyle couldn't light a torch, and ya're already setting demons' hair on fire. It would be nice if ya realized that instead of bemoaning yourself," Fushiguro was drowning in your words like in a bottomless lake, but whether or not he learned to breathe underwater was up to him. "Ya know, a person definitely needs someone to believe in him even if they can't do it themselves. I hope ya won't mind if it'll be me."

He nodded shyly and relaxed his posture, stretching out his legs and leaning his back against the wall, but his brief calmness came to an end at the sight of red hair. "Hey, ya still moping here?" asked Rachel, peering out of the barracks. "Better go warm up some food for us," she clapped him on the shoulder, bringing him back to a state of permanent gloom.

"Just be honest," the boy sighed, turning to you. "Did you tell me to study the lighting just so you could use me as a portable fire?"

"Uh, well...," you mumbled, scratching the back of your head. "Ya picked it out yourself, actually," the boy snorted, still not admitting his own mistake. "Come on," clapping him on the shoulder, you stood up and headed for the barracks. You were hungry, too - your rumbling stomach kept reminding you of your responsibilities to it.

From the inside, the barracks already resembled a well-appointed hut. All the dirty rags had been thrown away, the floors had been washed, the shelves had been put back against the wall, the tables had been moved, the clothes had been put in their places, and the corners were filled with almost empty sports bags - all the food supplies and medicines had been given to the people. Only protruding nails and rotted boards stood out of the furnishings, but it was impossible to make major repairs without making a fuss, and there was no point. You had long ago gotten used to being content with what you had anyway.

While Issu peeled potatoes and carrots and Rach unpacked sausages, Megumi already knew what he was going to do. Putting his palms under the tin pot, he lay down and made himself comfortable. The process was long and tedious, his arms cramped at times, and the smell of the food he was cooking made his stomach twist so tight he was ready to howl.

The empty soup with few vegetables seemed like a joke to him at first, but you all gobbled it up with such appetite that Fushiguro had nothing to object. All the good food went to the sick people.

This 'evening' as he cooked and sat down to dinner among the voidrunners, he realized that his hands were no longer whimpering to remind him to rest, and Megumi was amazed to note that it took less effort to do it now, the dark lines barely spreading over his fingertips, though in past times they had rubbed down to his elbows when he'd heated the pot in this way. He looked at all of you suspiciously, but no one had a look on your faces that said you were making him do it on purpose.

Rach set her empty plate aside and pulled the backpack to her side - digging around a bit, she pulled out a folded, tattered sheet of paper. Fushiguro straightened up and perked his ears. "Okay," the girl said, spreading out a makeshift, pencil-drawn map of the place in front of you. "We've completely cleared these areas," she poked her fingers at the schematically drawn barracks - the ones farthest away from the high-rises - and circled those places in pencil. "Now we need to quietly and discreetly pull the rest of the people here, while mopping up the rest of the overseers. Has anyone counted how many of them are left?"

"About a hundred," Issu said, picking up the empty plates. "Maybe more."

You sighed worriedly, staring at the map. "Is there something wrong with it?" asked Rachel grudgingly.

"When we acted one at a time, it wasn't so noticeable," you grimaced. "And now we're getting cocky," if you hadn't been spotted so far, that said nothing about your skill - it might have been an unlooked-for stroke of luck, the reserves of which remained unknown.

"Do ya have better options? Then suggest them. Or ya can only criticize?" she snorted irritably, jerking the map away.

"What are ya nagging about? I can't even voice my concerns anymore-"

"Shut up, both of you," Issu quietly barked. Rachel looked at him dumbfounded and silently mocked his manner of speech, making faces, but obediently remained quiet, only glaring angrily at you. "You're taking people out tomorrow, I hope you haven't forgotten that?" he asked sarcastically, looking at you and Fushiguro. "You go to bed now. And you go on duty," he ordered your sister.

Megumi, encouraged, was the first to crawl back to his sleeping bag. You, hesitating a moment, crawled into yours. The thin material didn't save you from the cold or the hard floor - every time you went to sleep, your aching back reminded you of itself. You glanced at Fushiguro with slight envy - the boy was still young and full of vigor; the changes of age still had no power over him. Sniffing in frustration, you turned away from the others.

The clattering of dishes soon died down as Issu, having finished washing the plates, went to his corner. The irritated puffs were soon replaced by quiet snores and deep sighs, rustling and fidgeting. Every sound cut into your hearing, and the recent enemy you'd seemingly gotten rid of showed its face again. Damn insomnia had taken hold of you again, and it was Gojo's absence that was to blame. You could still feel the weight of his leg on you, pressing you to the bed, and how greedy you were, lacking the usual memories just to fall asleep.

In the bitter half-slumber, you heard someone whispering from the street, and it was a delayed burst of fire in your chest. When you jumped up and saw Megumi and Rachel in the doorway, your heart calmed a little, but your mind tensed as you shook off the last vestiges of the dream you hadn't gotten to. You lay back down as Rachel entered the barracks and tiredly plopped down on her sleeping bag. Megumi, on the other hand, remained seated outside.

After waiting a moment, you heard a familiar sniffle. Rachel, fast asleep, was snoring softly. You unzipped the sleeping bag as quietly as you could, keeping your eyes on Issu, his head resting comfortably on his arm. He didn't make a sound, just breathed peacefully and measuredly.

You stood up and tiptoed to the exit. You wanted to call out to Megumi, to ask what was wrong, but you stopped abruptly. At first you thought he was hunched over, staring at the sand with his eyes, but when you looked closer, you saw that the wood chips in front of him were in a row, too neatly arranged to be an accident.

You didn't realize how much Megumi had been affected by Rachel's joking taunt - she'd dropped those words about death carelessly, without thinking, and the boy was back in the day where he'd been helpless, useless, and most of all, guilty. If he hadn't rushed forward, maybe Kyle would still be alive. Your sister's words simmered in his head along with yours: there was no place for a brave and ignorant fool here - only doom awaited him, but ironically, it wasn't the fool who would die. "Can you give me some space?" he asked tiredly.

"Ya're still practicing?" you chirped softly, taking a seat next to him. You were clearly testing his patience - he gave you a cold look when you accidentally hit one of the chips and knocked it out of alignment. "Commendable."

"I kept thinking how lucky that asshole is," he muttered grimly after a short pause, unraveling the triangle from his fingers and slowly running his palm over the chips. You raised your eyebrows in surprise - if this was some kind of ritual, it seemed a little odd. And funny, too. "To be born as a descendant of one of the three vengeful spirits," Megumi pulled the triangle together again and pulled it off, but this time not even your foot caught fire. "And after that, Gojo takes luck for strength," Megumi thought it strange that you didn't start defending the sorcerer. You remained silent, only watching his unsuccessful attempts to set the wood chip on fire, making the boy squirm in his seat. "Nothing to say?"

"What's there to say?" you shrugged.

"What's the point of sitting here then?" he snorted.

"Ya just look hilarious when ya're nervous," you chuckled, but your laughter only encouraged him to try harder. "Ya know, ya shouldn't take his strength for luck," you sighed. "All those tales of vengeful spirits are certainly good - humans love tales and unsolved mysteries - but we shouldn't forget that we and our abilities arose through normal evolution," Fushiguro looked at you like you were crazy. Mixing magic with science was a bit of a stretch. "Why are ya looking at me like that, kid?" you laughed. "By the way, this," you pinched his nose. "And this, and this, and this," you poked him in the sides, grabbed his arms and legs, and he tried to swing away from you, but you were faster and more agile. "All of this only came about because one of the many fish being thrown ashore by the tide had a useful mutation."

"What does that have to do with magic anyway?" exploded the boy, but even his flash of anger didn't help ignite the chip.

"I mean, all your techniques could be just mutations," Megumi grumbled skeptically, turning away from you. "Listen, look at people," you drawled dreamily. "All we do our whole lives is adapting. And all these techniques of yours... They're kinda generic, aren't they?"

"Well... Yeah, for the most part that's true."

"Ya do realize that they'd only be generic in the case of full incest, right?" talking about such things discouraged all sleep and appetite, but you talked about it so casually that it amazed him. "It's like talking about heterochromia or six-toed. All that unites creatures with such rare mutations is a common ancestor, but ya can't call them purely generic," you threw your hands behind your head and leaned back against the wall, making yourself comfortable while Megumi puffed as hard as he could to curb his energy. "Why are ya sulking at Gojo about this, anyway? Ya're the one who has that... I forget what it's called, the one with the shadows."

"The Ten Shadows technique," he reminded, rolling his eyes. "I'm still learning that one, too."

"There ya go!" you slammed him on the forearm. "And ya think Gojo hasn't mastered his techniques or something?"

"That was too quick," frowned Fushiguro.

"And that's a credit to him," your reminder hit his youthful ego, but instead of giving up, Megumi was burning with the dream of harnessing two energies at once. "Anyway, what I wanted to say is...," you scratched your forehead thoughtfully. "Evolution has never once let a person go extinct yet, ya see. It solves any problem it creates. So after the cursed energy appeared on Earth, it was only a matter of time before a human with the right mutation appeared."

"Wonderful," the boy retorted sarcastically. "I've suddenly gone from sorcerer to mutant," you laughed quietly at his ability to exaggerate. "What about all of you? You too?"

"I guess so," you replied nonchalantly, getting up and stretching. "I wouldn't be surprised if we're all just mutants, too," you mocked him, which made him look away in embarrassment.

"And you don't have any myths to tell?" he asked. "Sorry, I meant tales," he teased back, regardless of the embarrassment.

You hummed quietly to yourself. "I've only heard that the first hunter appeared in the north," you said, shrugging your shoulders. "Uh... Nothing else," you answered honestly, not really wondering how it was that after thousands of years even the hunters themselves hadn't come up with at least one myth. "Alright, keep practicing," you stood up and rubbed the top of his head, and Megumi grudgingly grimaced at the thought that at this rate he would have a bald spot. "And I'm gonna go try to get some sleep."

"Y/N," he stopped you abruptly. "Have you ever thought that... that this hunter could have been just like you?"

Hiding your amazement behind a smile, you only spread your hands. "One more time this topic comes up in conversation, and I'll make ya warm our pillows at night before we go to bed," you said cheerfully, snapping your fingers.

Pouting, Megumi turned away from you. There was something strange about the mention of the north, and Megumi immediately thought of cold, ice-covered places. A completely uninhabitable land, lifeless, shrouded in winds and snow didn't seem empty to him at all - on the contrary, the touch of icy air and the songs of cracking ice reminded him of the home he never had. What was more unusual was that the boy, feeling secure in the embrace of the dark gray sky, sensed an uncharted longing. Fushiguro slowly folded his fingers into a triangle, exhaled convulsively, and immediately pulled it off - hope lit up in his eyes as bright and red as one of the chips that lay before him. "Did you see it?" the boy asked cheerfully, turning around, but his enthusiastic tone faded and he blinked confusedly.

You're already gone.

Megumi scrutinized his hand - there were only the former pale streaks on it what was left of the heating of the tin pot. He had seen many displays of strength, both physical and mental, but he had never thought that the manifestation of his own potential would consist of just one small chip.

The more you brought people out, the lighter you felt. Putting aside fatigue, each of you looked forward to the day of the roundup. After judgment day, Rachel would return to her son, Megumi would be reunited with Danielle, and you, now washing dishes, envisioned home, thinking not at all of the stone and wood structure. When Issu silently handed you another mug, you rinsed it off and wondered if the desire that bound you all together lurked beneath the grim shadow of his perpetually indifferent face. "When we're done with this place, we'll take a little vacation," you chirped cheerfully. "What are ya planning to do? Go to Hopetown to see your parents?"

"I don't have parents," he replied simply, wiping the mug dry with a towel. "Just a little brother."

"Oh," you said quietly, dimming your gaze. "Sorry."

"No," he answered firmly, and your heart sank. So used to people responding differently in cases like this, you were caught off guard by such a response, making you feel ashamed. "Mind your own business," you bit your tongue in embarrassment and gave up trying to get to know the boy better. Issu had spoken to you on his own, after all - maybe someday there would come a time when he'd want to talk about himself. "I was just kidding," the boy said, sensing the growing awkwardness in your hanging silence.

"If ya can't change your intonation, ya could at least show it with your facial expressions...," you muttered, handing him the plate.

He was really serious - was it the absence of his parents and taking care of his younger brother? You grinned. If only you could borrow a little responsibility from him, you'd probably do a better job.

Issu looked up as the barracks shook again, staring glumly at the wall as he snorted and threw the plate into the basin with a clatter. "Ya have a hard time getting along with people, don't ya?" you asked, ignoring the buffoonery.

"No," the boy replied detachedly. "There's just no reason to."

"And ya spoke to us because...?" you began, hoping he would continue.

"Because we've started working all together," you exhaled happily when he finished speaking for you. "It doesn't bother me, but it doesn't make me happy."

"I see," you drawled uncertainly, and small splinters and debris fell from the shaking roof again. Issu started rubbing the plate with the towel with such force that it creaked - realizing that the boy was on edge, you left the household chores behind and ran outside.

You were met in the alley by a rambunctious Rachel and Megumi. They were laughing quietly, whether out of excitement or madness, your sister patting the boy on the shoulder approvingly, and whispering something to him, pointing to another barracks. "What are ya doing?" you sighed tiredly as you came closer - they stood at attention and looked at each other fearfully. "We're gonna get spotted like this."

"We're just having fun," Rachel whimpered. Her pouty lips turned up into a mad grin as she felt invisible claws behind her back, ready to dig into her spine. Not letting your sister give the place another jolt, you relocated behind the demon's back and neatly stabbed it through the heart - Rachel almost stomped her foot in resentment, but watched helplessly as the enemy crumbled to dust. "Ya see!" she wailed. "It's not us, they come on their own, we don't even have to do anything for it!"

Your heart thudded restlessly, alerting you to the danger. "What?" you barked, taking a step away from them. You gasped for breath like you hadn't breathed after the longest raid - your sister, seeing this, also rounded her eyes at the sudden realization. Grabbing Megumi by the shoulder like she was in a dark forest, she began to listen. You, on the other hand, turned around and ran back into the barrack. Issu realized from the look in your eyes that your hearts were now all beating to the same.

"Observation."

A vision of alien creatures appeared before your eyes - all the images were blurry and ugly, moving through the alleys and streets so fast you couldn't tell how many there were. They merged together to form a solid shadow - even from here you could feel its hunger and rawness. You saw the terrified faces of the maimed humans, the barracks collapsing in the shadowy path, the black smoke billowing, but every glance led to the only place – to you.

As soon as Issu loosened the grip of his ability, you blinked and rushed to one of the bags. You took out the masks and tossed them to Rachel and Megumi, who were already standing in the aisle. Your sister quickly pulled herself together, but Fushiguro seemed frightened - not so much by the sudden attack and the anticipation of what was about to happen, but by the unknown and uncertainty of his abilities. Everything was happening too fast and not according to plan, but he put on his mask without wasting a second.

As you looked around at all the voidrunners, who were confused but still ready, you nodded, and they nodded back. There was no time for confusion, and you ran out into the street, each of you staring in a different direction, waiting for the others to strike and watching your backs.

It was too quiet for the amount of shadows and destruction they carried with them on their way to you. There were no mothers crying without their children, no sick people wheezing or coughing, no doors creaking because of the people always hanging around. Looking up at the roofs of the barracks or straight ahead of you, you stepped from foot to foot, turning slowly and looking around - the others did the same like following a methodology.

The adrenaline in your blood made your heartbeat thud straight to your temples. Did the demons feel the same way when you took them by surprise? Were they glad now that you were in their shoes? Maybe that was why they were delaying the moment of attack - they were just gorging on the anticipation that had suddenly fallen right into their laps.

Each of you had to admit that you had become conceited. Feeling like the masters of this place, you let your guard down, and your insolence knew no bounds - you slaughtered overseers in droves and took more people right under the noses of the remaining demons.

Trying to put aside thoughts of the fate that would befall you in a second, a minute, or an hour, Megumi worried, concerned to the point where he felt weightless, akin to having his spirit leave his body. Looking around at everyone else, he realized that he wasn't the only one who had felt something amiss. "What the fuck...," Rachel managed to mutter before flying off.

All the air was knocked out of your lungs by the heavy hand of flight - glancing up to where the dark sky should have been, you saw only a settlement that inevitably drifted away from you, shrinking further and further into a point. You weren't flying - you were falling into the abyss of the top of the void.

Turning your head, you were relieved to see Megumi beside you - you didn't know if he was even conscious, but you immediately grabbed his hand, and almost laughed when he gave it a weak squeeze. "Adoptee!" yelled Rach from somewhere below. "Are ya okay?"

"Yes!" you tried to shout over the whoosh of the air being split by your bodies. "Where's Issu?"

"He's with me!" shouted Rach. "Relocating?"

"Are there any other options?" you asked, trying not to look where you were falling - the endless darkness carried with it not only a threat to your bodies, but to your sanity as well. "Megumi, try to grab onto something!" you yelled and yanked his arm - the boy looked at you but still couldn't open his mouth, he only squeezed your palm once more, letting you know he understood.

"Relocate."

When you hit the ground, you were immediately pulled back, your solar plexus hitting something hard and cold, but you didn't let go of Fushiguro's hand. Gasping, you slid your hand across the uneven surfaces of the barracks, your body tugging relentlessly downward. As you clung to the metal eaves of the roof and hit the corner of the open door with your temple on the way down, you felt your shoulder ache. Glancing down, you saw Megumi dangling in the air, still holding onto your arm. "Crawl," you quietly ordered Megumi in a panting voice. "Crawl right over me and grab onto the ledge because I won't be able to hold ya like this for long."

He hesitated and put his arm around your waist, and with a startled sigh, he let go of your hand and grabbed your shoulder - you used the moment to seize the eave with your other hand. It was easier, but not enough to hang there all day. You could feel Fushiguro shivering, but he was still hanging on the ledge next to you, and you could feel his body physically shaking.

The metal crackled capriciously and warningly as Rachel and Issu moved over to you. "Ow, shit," she hissed, sucking her finger and hanging onto one arm. "I hurt my finger," you rolled your eyes - making a drama out of nothing, she was hardly thinking about the fact that she was still getting off easy.

"What's going on?" asked Megumi - he tried not to give the appearance of being dizzy. He was willing to look weak for the rest of his life, but not now.

"Well look," you said, lowering your head and looking down. While you were all hanging out on the ledge, the unfriendly, endless sky spread out beneath your feet. "A fish was put in a bottle, corked and given to an octopus. The octopus spun it around, opened the bottle and ate the fish," you felt the eave sagging more and more under the weight of your bodies. "We look like fish," you whined, looking down at your dangling legs.

"Shut up, ya," Rachel hissed, kicking you in the shin.

"So what do you propose to do?" asked Issu irritably.

"How about a prayer, friend?" asked Rach playfully.

"The ace up our sleeve used to be surprise, and now it's being used against us," you sighed, pursing your lips. "And whose idea was that?" you snapped at your sister.

"If it weren't me, ya'd be at home right now, grieving!" she retorted, trying to hit you again, but this time you dodged. Megumi stared at you dumbfounded, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth hanging open - this wasn't how he imagined fighting.

"Shut your mouths already!" hissed Issu.

The demons still hadn't come out of their hiding places. Perhaps they were just waiting, rubbing their hands together, for those who had poisoned their lives in their own lands to surrender and die ignominiously and unworthily - what would it be like for you when you fell, not in battle, but because your arms were tired and your body was no longer able to conduct dark energy?

There was a low, wet clang as Megumi's sweaty hand nearly slipped off the ledge. You glanced up, noticing the doorway where you'd hit the shutters earlier. "Can ya climb up?" you asked Fushiguro, nodding upward.

Without waiting for an answer, you grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him up, ready to support him or relocate him if he stumbled. The boy grabbed the notch in the wall between the wood and the metal plate, and pulled himself up - he was now kneeling on the eave, his body pressed against the wall. Carefully moving his knees, Megumi crawled to the side of the opening and literally dove into it. Feeling the relative safety of the boy, you exhaled in relief. "So what are we gonna do?" asked Rachel.

"I wanna try and destroy that thing," you said, nodding toward the cluster of rocks levitating above the buildings.

"Has your blood drained from your brain yet?" grumbled Rach uncertainly. "Why the fuck do we need this for?"

"Hey!" exclaimed Megumi, peering out of the doorway. His interference made your intentions remain just that - you just wanted to fish Rei out, wherever he was. "There's people sitting here as usual!" the living who happened to be there did look dumbfounded at the boy like he were a monkey running across the ceiling.

You looked over to your sister in amazement - it meant only one thing. "That bitch is seeing us right now," and more - whoever it was saw you all the time, for all the chaos caused by the demonic ability that only you were undergoing, it needed eye contact. "Issu, turn it on!"

There were no pictures for you and Megumi this time - only Rachel's pupils flickered haphazardly as if she were looking through hundreds of lives. As she searched, her smile grew wider and more obsessive, effortlessly sifting out the unnecessary and didn't stop even when her nose bled. "Gotcha," she growled frantically, turning around and looking towards the demon houses. "Do what ya want," she told you, flashing her eyes. "And I'll deal with the bastard."

You didn't have time to raise your voice or nod - your sister disappeared from your sight. "Issu," you turned to the boy, and the silence in your voice broadcast the seriousness of your intentions. "Keep an eye on him, will ya?"

"Okay," he replied, crawling over you. Grabbing onto Megumi's outstretched arm toward him, Issu climbed into the barracks.

You closed your eyes for a second, one less problem to worry about. Your soul demanded action, murmuring unintelligibly and making you forget about your tired, sweaty palms. You turned around a little to see the high-rises again - they, mockingly inverted, but still graceful, increasingly chipped stones of different sizes from their walls - the core attracted them immediately. You squinted your eyes - did the light really know it was in danger?

"Relocate."

As you flew down, clawing at the wall with your hands and forehead, you managed to cling to the ledge, your shoulders aching from the strain. There was only one good thing about it - If you all survived, you'd be home sooner. Yes, with extra bruises, bumps and wounds that would take months to heal, but you'd be warm and cozy again - that was what made you scramble from window to window. Moving down was much easier than climbing up - finding yourself literally a span away from the roof, you only now began to think about how to stay standing on your own two feet, finding yourself in an upside-down world.

You rolled your eyes, realizing that your actions were useless - you were still hanging, but you had changed location. It seemed ridiculous to even try to destroy the core from that position as the sweat on your body and the skin on your arms reminded you. Now making Gojo a hunter didn't seem like such a bad idea; his ability to float carelessly in the air would save you a lot of trouble.

It was a good thing you had your hands full - the thought of it made you want to slap yourself in the face to put your brain in place. Using a person to make your job easier - when did you get to such selfish thoughts?

When you bent your head, trying to look around the roof rim for something to grab onto, your eyes blurred, you felt dizzy, your hands tense. "No, no, no, no," you mumbled worriedly, trying to climb through the window, but due to the tremendous exertion and the rapid change in space, you only had time to grab onto the window you were turning. Your body was pulling in different directions, it didn't even realize which way to fall.

"I got ya!" shouted Rachel, grabbing your arm and pulling you inside. Gasping, you slumped to the floor, which was now really the floor. "I told ya I'd take care of it," Rachel smirked smugly, lifting you to your feet.

You both leaned against the wall. "Let's stand like this for a couple minutes so one of them doesn't turn things around for us again," you said, wiping your forehead.

Rachel wanted to make a joke about your panting, but closed her mouth in time not to break the fragile silence. Standing in complete stillness in an unfamiliar random shelter, there was no room for fear or anxiety - you'd get out of here even without arms or legs because the strength was given by the fact that you were together. "Ya know," Rach began, chuckling at how hard you were breathing. " My hip joint almost fucking flew off while I was chasing that asshole," your tired breathing now hitched with laughter.

It was time to square your shoulders and walk with confidence - something crackled and rattled at the foot of the high-rises, filling the unusually quiet place with menacing sounds. You bent down involuntarily, covering the back of your head as something exploded - a deafening wave roared through the place, bringing more destruction. The people you left behind immediately came to mind, and more importantly Megumi and Issu, who were in the midst of this chaos. No longer worried about your own safety, you looked out the window - the dark sands were covered in a crust of fluttering purple flames, and though its tongues were small, even from this height you could feel the heat it gave off. You could see the dark silhouettes that were slowly approaching the high-rises - everyone knew you were here.

Rachel, walking over to the window, pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Well," she said, clucking her tongue, trying to fumble for a lighter. "Oh shit," she got frustrated, haphazardly touching her pockets, and not finding one, glanced at you resentfully. You, raising your eyebrows in confusion, shrugged. You hadn't stolen anything this time.

Chewing frustratedly on the filter of an unlit cigarette, Rachel stared at the shadows walking across the purple fire - from here they looked so tiny she could crush them with her finger. Behind them, splinters of barracks were flying apart, but what was surprising was that the wave of invisible impact was sweeping away the demons themselves. "What the...," Rach muttered with a cigarette in her teeth, and, resting her hands on the windowsill, she leaned out harder and peered at the creatures, trying to see the cause of the invisible mayhem. Only when she squinted did she see the hearts of some of them flare up and then go out, the demons melting like candles to ashes and sinking into the sand. Slowly, she looked around the space with a wandering and disobedient gaze, and saw a black top of the head - Megumi was standing on one of the distant barracks, endlessly turning a triangle and dodging the shadows that tried to reach him with their claws. Suddenly, the tip of her cigarette lit itself. "Holy shit," she mumbled, almost dropping the cigarette. "Thanks!" yelled Rachel at the top of her voice, laughing. "Ya saw that, huh?" she asked cheerfully, rubbing your shoulder.

"He's gonna kill himself like that," you alarmed, looking at the number of demons disappearing.

"The boy is just crazy," Rachel giggled. "I like him!" she clapped her hands together and was immediately alerted - a blow from someone else, raising a new wave, blew the demons apart. "And what's that? We didn't teach him something like this," she said, squinting suspiciously. "Could it be that... What's his technique there? Origami?"

"Shikigami," you corrected her.

"Didn't he have some kinda... What the hell is it," she scratched the top of her head, absently trying to remember something about the Ten Shadows technique. "Haromaga? Monorada?"

"Mahoraga," you intervened again, for which you received a ringing slap on the forehead. "Stop hitting me!"

"Okay," Rachel perked up, fixing the strands sticking out - the girl straightened her back, smoothing hair out with her palms. You grinned - your sister was the only person who fancied herself before a fight. "I won't tolerate some underage kid fighting alone," she snorted. "And better than us, too, it seems," she added more quietly, pouting her lips. "We'll hold them off," she winked at you, sitting down on the windowsill and flipping her legs over. "And ya do what ya have to do," as soon as you nodded, your sister flew down - leaning your arms and looking over to where the girl had jumped off, you couldn't see her anymore. Rachel was probably already among the deadly shadows, where the main threat was herself.

You didn't want to lose a moment that hadn't come yet. When you climbed to the roof, you caught your breath - it wasn't like the waterfalls of the Amazon or the meteor craters scattered across the Earth - it was truly something out of your mind. The violet glow of the core slipped through the cracks of the rocks, spreading over them with a liquid sheen. Here, in the immediate vicinity, there was a low humming sound that gave the core life - it didn't look like inanimate matter from this distance, and, to confirm your guess, it shrank slightly like it were mimicking a beat on purpose.

You stood staring, mouth open, forgetting why you'd come here in the first place. It was like a hypocritical plea - it was trying hard to keep you in place, mesmerizing you, reminding you that it was the sun for you, too. If you stared long and shamelessly at a star from such a distance, you could easily go blind, burning - you had forgotten all about it in your self-imposed oblivion. You sighed briefly in surprise when you could no longer see anything - you lifted your hands gently and tried to listen.

Your eye contact with the world was broken, but you could hear your guest's frequent breathing, feel the heat of his body. You put your hands out in front of you and slowly backed toward the edge of the roof, turning your head slowly, trying to catch the sound of their footsteps. You stopped, barely feeling your heels hang in the air - you had no choice but to lure the creature, to force it to switch places with you. Breathing often, you, spreading your arms, took the last step back – it became easy in your head, the flight cleared your head and took away all thoughts, and you, already breathing steadily, closed your blinded eyes.

The demon, disbelieving, walked as carefully as he could to the edge where you had just fallen off - only his parts and the people who were killing them fiercely were down there. His black eyes darkened with rage as another of the pieces connected to him shattered into dust, and he didn't notice the edge of a dark dagger sticking out of his own heart.

As soon as it merged with the eternal road of life's path, you immediately saw the light. You slammed your eyes shut and wiped your tear-stained eyelids, and stared at the core again, this time cruel and unrelenting. Ignoring his pleas, you stepped to the edge, into the light of its seeping rays.

"Offset."

The quiet hum became a long rumble. The core was shouting, warning you and the others of the danger. You struck it harder, and a stone broke off, and you thought it went straight to your heart - a sharp pain pierced your body, and you fell to your knees and almost flew down. A sickening lump came to your throat that you couldn't swallow or spit out. You looked down at your hand, suspecting the worst, and your fingers were already covered in dark lines.

As you rose on shaky legs, you almost fell again. Breathing heavily, you continued to chip away at the core's reverently constructed defenses as the stones flew down one by one, but the purple light resisted, trying to pull them back up.

"Offset."

Forgetting the danger, you pressed at the core even harder, and the blood vessels in your eyes began to burst. It shuddered, twitching, resisting, and you felt something run down your face. Sweat or blood, it was washing over all your failed attempts, forcing you to keep going. The core could defend itself all it wanted, build a barrier of stones, but a shield without a sword was of no use.

The floor beneath your feet vibrated, making your weakened legs buckle as you fell to your knees, your bloodshot eyes fixed on your unwilling enemy. It didn't fight, it didn't cast spells or abilities, it didn't make you run after it, but it was the only thing that saw you in that helpless pose. Or rather, there was another creature.

Thinking of Rei gave you a second wind, a second anger to be exact. If you wanted to catch a ghostly hope of his appearance, you needed to destroy a lot more than one of those things. Gathering your strength and stabilizing the energy that was spilling over the edge, you hurled it straight into the heart of this place, the last rocks that had been holding their ground collapsed.

The light that illuminated the place made it so quiet that you couldn't even hear yourself breathe. It was so peaceful that you gave in to it and wondered if the places where part of you had come from were as peaceful. Should you have resisted and fought when you could have just surrendered to those who wanted you dead and gone to those distant lands?

When the light faded, you opened your eyes sharply, marveling at your own stupidity. It couldn't have been your thoughts - you shook yourself off sharply, saying it was from the dirt, but you were only chasing away whoever had unceremoniously made a mess of your head.

Under the darkness, the place began to grow cold. You took a step backward, shivering, intending to join the others, but something buzzed again, and you turned around - hadn't you destroyed the core?

Your fears were in vain - there was only darkness where the heart of the place had just been, but the ground was still falling away from under your feet. You watched as the high-rises folded into houses of cards one by one, raising huge, impenetrable clouds of sand and smoke. You realized with horrified realization and rushed to the other side of the still unharmed high-rise - the barracks, built entirely by human hands, remained standing. The creature inside had dulled your sanity by yelling and drawing your attention to itself, and you didn't feel the roof shattering beneath you.

***

Coughing up the dust, the others did their jobs as they should and with fire in their eyes as the voidrunners ran and relocated, not letting anyone touch them. Rachel stopped anyone who dared to approach her - she did so incompletely, deliberately taunting, leaving the demon to see and feel what was being done to it. Megumi, on the other hand, caught her excitement and set the heart of anyone who dared look in his direction on fire. Issu, sitting far away on the roof, only watched as the raven - creature that had gotten close to him was broken limbs and thrown to his distraught colleagues.

The demons, deprived of their source of life, were furious - some of them breathing heavily, clutching at their hearts, but many still continued to advance, driving the hunters in and around them. Rachel, without turning her back to the enemies, tried to discern each of them - who had what intentions? What were they going to do? For her, everything was happening in slow motion; she saw every glint of dark, hungry eyes, heard every heavy sigh.

When Fushiguro and Rachel were surrounded with only the barracks wall behind them, something twitched the girl's train of thought - she grabbed Megumi by the scruff of the neck and threw him to the ground. The boy didn't have time to react in any way, there was no time for a perplexed glance - there was a quiet creaking sound behind them, and as soon as it was cut short, there was a rumble of metal and wood. Turning around, Megumi saw the bottom of the barracks remained standing, but the top had been cut off in a neat line, and Fushiguro gulped, realizing that it was just at the level of his head. He looked around fearfully at your sister, but there was nothing but a couple scratches on her forehead. Some of the demons had a knack for cutting space, but none of the dark eyes screamed that it was them. "Where's Y/N?" he asked anxiously, dodging a shadow that skipped within an inch of him. "Is she dea-"

"No," she waved it away, ripping out the heart of yet another demon who dared to fling itself recklessly at her. "But if the lines have reached her heart, I'm afraid we've made a worse enemy than the rest of this lot."

The demons were becoming too many, and the reflex inside each of the voidrunners screamed, a reflex developed over the years - run. Run as far as they could, stay in one piece, get to the rift and find themselves back home, so they could come back stronger, take out more people and punish those who had forced the retreat. "We have to get out of here," Rachel warned, clasping her bloody side with the palm of her hand - the signal to retreat was that she hadn't even seen who had done it.

"Where do ya think ya're going?" you shouted, stepping out of the smoke and waving away the pesky dust. You were dirty from head to toe, covered in sand, and your eyes were bloodshot - Rachel noticed this and squeaked squeamishly, shivering. "We're not done yet."

Relieved that you weren't her enemy today, she squared her shoulders. What pushed Rachel even more was that she didn't want to look like a cowardly wuss in her little sister's eyes. "That's better," she clucked her tongue. "Chilling the fuck out while we've been working our asses off." You, shifting, found yourself in the circle of hunters. "So, same old-fashioned way?" grinned Rachel, looking down at you with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yeah," you chirped, picking up on her boldness. "Ya ready?" you asked Megumi, who was looking at you fearfully - the boy didn't understand at all what you were talking about.

"What are you talking about?" he managed to ask dazedly before you grabbed his arm and relocated him outside the range of your sister's ability.

"Tranquility."

Everything around Rachel was frozen, the shadows no longer rustling and fussing, no more silhouettes flickering in front of your eyes, no more trying to cut your flesh or squeeze it, no more changing the space around you, the purple flames long gone, submissive and obedient, no longer burning your skin. In your hand was a dagger that exulted with you, begging to go free, to do as it pleased. "Kill as many as ya can," you turned to the boy, looking into his eyes. "We don't have much time," Megumi realized only now that Rachel was frozen in space along with the enemies surrounding her, dark patterns slowly but surely forming on her hands.

"She-"

"I'll have time to pull her out, don't ya worry," you assured him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Now do your job."

Demons whose hearts were pierced and burned mixed with sand and dissolved - their fate did not even allow them a last word or breath. Leaving the worry of his own condition behind, Fushiguro aimed his gaze at every unwanted person and satisfied himself with his power. The boy couldn't even see your outline, you just disappeared, but he knew you were doing the same - the random demons were crumbled into powder, and he thought he heard a low, guttural laugh - the madness that had awakened in him wanted to laugh too. All Megumi knew was that he came from the Zenin clan - beyond that, the story was obscure, and to his sudden shame, he realized that he had never been interested in the story of his origins. You were all united by a single unknown ancestor, but now Megumi felt a bond with you that could not be cut with scissors, axe, or fate - dishonored by the deeds of your ancestors and having adopted their disgraceful reputation as thugs and thieves, you all were not much different from them, but the past variables could not stand for a second - there was only one constant: the more demonic hearts were destroyed, the brighter they burned in the killers from the north.

The region around the star where the average temperature of the planet allows water to exist in the liquid phase

habitable zone in other words

The area beyond Mars

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