#to focus for most of the day and my relatives arrive tomorrow so I can’t spend tomorrow writing but I am so exhausted

[tarantula-hawk-wasp]

Not sure even the jcs soundtrack can save me tonight

[closetedbumblebee]

White Wedding (Addison Montgomery x Female Reader)

Weddings are supposed to be full of love, happiness and gratitude. A wonderful celebration of two souls coming together as one. Today was one of those days. Callie and Arizona were finally and officially tying the knot.

It was supposed to be a happy celebration all round; all the happy couples loved up, attending the wedding together. Meredith and Derek, Christina and Teddy, Owen and Amelia, Richard and Catherine, among others showed their support for the sweetest couple who were currently reciting their vows.

You sat alone in the third row from the front, extremely proud of your friends. You were smiling from ear to ear as they each walked down the aisle. You knew their story like the back of your hand, and couldn’t contain the happiness you felt when Callie and Arizona finally came through for the other, especially after the accident. They had come so far.

You felt a pang of sadness, taking a look around the room at all the couples. You wished your girlfriend, Addison was here with you, but she had to fly back to LA after Sofia’s delivery. You barely spent enough time together as it is, both of you living in separate cities, leading separate lives. You did, however have a relatively strong and healthy relationship, taking the time to have long phone calls, FaceTime, and send as many text messages as you could. You tried to sneak weekends away  to LA, also. 

But, things felt strained for the last few months, and you both felt the need to remedy that. 

The last time you and Addison saw each other was during her stay, which was 4 days long. You hadn’t seen each other for five weeks, and you could tell the strain was getting to you. But, you both pushed those feelings down to focus on your friends. After all, you were both doctors.

When you did catch up, you and Addison had a slight argument the night before she was set to jet out of Seattle. You sort of made up, but you hadn’t really spoken since, just the odd text and call here and there.

You reminisced… 

“Honey, I really want to stay longer, but I can’t. I’ve got patients to get back to and-“, Addison said sadly.

“We’ve barely seen each other for weeks on end, and when we do, you suddenly have to rush off again. I get that you have a new life now and I respect that. Of course I do, but where the fuck do we fit in?! When you took the job in LA, we promised we’d make each other a priority regardless of whatever happened. You only fly back to Seattle when Richard needs you. I’m busting my butt every other week, rearranging schedules, going out of my way to see you. Because guess what, Addison? I love you! Clearly you don’t love me enough, otherwise you’d be making some sacrifices” you snapped.

Addison was taken aback. You had never seen her look so sad and upset. You just missed her so much, and wanted to be with her. You instantly felt guilty for snapping because you didn’t mean to go that far and before she could say anything, you jumped in again.

“Shit. Baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I just miss you so much. You know that. I’m so so sorry”, you said, equally sad as you reached for her hand.

“We’ll, I’m not going to say that didn’t hurt, because it did. But I understand. I guess it was deserved. I’m sorry too, sweetheart. I’m gonna do better, I promise”, she said.

You held each other tight, “I love you”, you said in unison.

Addison was about to say something else when - 

Her watch beeped, reminding of her flight and you drove her back to the airport where you shared one last kiss.

It wasn’t the way you wanted to make up, but it was a start.

Upon arriving back in LA, she texted immediately.

‘I’m back. I won’t say back home, because it isn’t home. Never has, never will be. My home is with you. FaceTime with me tomorrow? I love you baby xxxxx’, she texted

“Me too, my love. I most certainly will. I’m so sorry again. I love you too xxxx”, you replied.

Things improved between the two of you over the next four weeks, before she told you she couldn’t attend the wedding…

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I really wanted to be there, but I just can’t get away”, she said, evidentially disappointed.

“Oh…okay. It’s fine. I can try and film it for you. It’s not going to be the same without you. I love you”. You were sad, but you didn’t want to push her.

……………..

Drawing you from your thoughts, you noticed the last of the guests arriving before the brides made their voyage down the aisle.

“Excuse me, beautiful, is this seat taken?”, you heard a voice say.

You thought you were dreaming. It couldn’t be. You looked up, to see a familiar, beautiful face smiling sweetly at you.

“Addison?!”, you shrieked

You both started crying as she pulled you up into her arms, holding you tightly.

“Surprise”, she whispered huskily into your ear.

“What are you doing here?! I thought you couldn’t come”, you cried.

“I couldn’t bear being away from you anymore”, she said, smiling through tears.

You kissed her with everything you had, before she pulled back.

“I mean it. I’m miserable in LA. I can’t stand it there. So, I’m coming home - for good”, she said.

You didn’t exactly comprehend what she said at first, but then gasped in delight, wrapping her up in your arms. Looking around, your friends were watching you both, all clearly happy for you.

You and Addison still had a lot to talk about, but right now, you put it to the side when Callie and Arizona appeared….

Everyone cried during the vow exchange, and you and Addison shared sweet, knowing looks, never letting go of each other’s hands.

…………..

At the reception, everyone gathered around Arizona and Callie as they had their first dance as a married couple.

Addison wrapped her arms around you from behind and rested her chin on your shoulder as you watched the happy couple. You hugged her arms, and she reached around to peck you on the lips. You two couldn’t get enough of each other.

When it came time for other couples to join the dance floor, you and Addison wasted no time walking hand in hand to the floor. At this point, everyone was in their own worlds, all content and happy, buzzing from the day’s events, while you and Addison were completely wrapped up in your own little bubble.

“So….”, she said, arms wrapped around your waist, holding you close as you swayed to Shania Twain’s ‘You’ve Got a Way’.

“So…”, you repeated.

She jumped right into it. 

“I’ve missed you, my love. I really have. You are everything to me. I’m so sorry for making you feel otherwise. I shouldn’t have been neglecting us”, she said softly, her eyes not leaving yours.

“Addie, hey… No, please. I’m sorry - I had no right to go off at you. I should’ve been more understanding. You uprooted your life and that’s a huge deal; because you’re a big deal, babe. I thought about what I said to you that night, and it was completely unfair, way out of line, in fact.. I was just projecting my feelings onto you. I was so scared that by you moving would have jeopardised our relationship without thinking about anything else. It was me, I was selfish”, you said, sheepishly.

“In other words, you thought I’d cheat on you. That’s it, isn’t it?”, she asked.

You felt tears in your eyes. Blinking them back, you smiled sadly and nodded.

“Come on now, you know I would never, ever, do that to you”, she said.

“I know. I…know. I just should've been more supportive of you. I know what this opportunity meant to you”, you said, your tone apologetic.

“It’s not all on you, okay. I realised I was working longer hours, and I turned my back on us because I was so overwhelmed with all of it, and avoided you, because I think deep down, I was scared too. I was afraid of hurting you, and was terrified the long distance wouldn't work at first. So, I can see how you must’ve felt that way”, Addison said, gently touching your face.

You looked into her eyes, to see the tears shimmering like white diamonds.

“Baby…”, you said.

“Being away from you, not being able to see you, or hold you, or kiss you, made me realise that you, that what we have, is worth more to me than any job. So I told Naomi I quit, called Richard, and he offered me a new job”, Addison smiled.

“Oh, Addie, that’s great!”, you said gleefully.

“Yes, yes it is. But, the best part is that I am now Grey Sloan’s Chief of Neo-Natal Surgery. I’m officially the boss now, baby. You know what that means. This is going to be so good for us!”, Addie said.

You were crying softly and gently touched her face. You knew what this meant; Addison being in charge of her own specialty, back on home soil meant everything to her. She was determined to fight for her relationship with you, so being the boss meant she could make her own rules and schedule. But, not only that, she deserved that title; worked hard for it her whole life; and you were determined to fight to the ends of the earth for her. 

It hit you then that she was really back.

“You’re home?!”, you asked, almost in shock.

“Mm-hmm. I’m home, baby”, she beamed.

“No more messing around, no more arguments. This is it - you and me. No more turning back. I want to fight for us”, she continued.

“I want to fight for us too”, you said back.

You smiled brightly at each other, feeling more connected and more in love than ever.

She was just about to kiss you when you heard the clinking of champagne glasses, as Callie’s father, Mr Torres called for a toast.

“Thank you everyone for coming to celebrate my beautiful daughter, Calliope and her wonderful new wife, Arizona on their special day today. These two have gone through hell and back to be together. I have never felt prouder of my little girl, than I do today. I look around the room, and see it filled with such love. It’s a really beautiful thing. Real, true love is a once in a lifetime feeling, so if you’ve found it, hold onto it with both hands and never let it go, because it’s one crazy ride. Ladies, I congratulate you both on overcoming your obstacles and finding your way to each other. I love you both so much, my dear daughters. To Callie and Arizona!”, Mr Torres exclaimed, full of pride.

“To Callie and Arizona!”, everyone said.

The newlyweds kissed, before turning their attention to the wedding cake.

You and Addison watched the whole exchange, extremely proud of your friends, grateful to be a part of their special, historic day; however, deep down, you both pictured this day of your own, in your not so distant future.

Addison and you shared a look, and you both just knew. This was the path you wanted to take.

“Forever and always, Addie”, you said, winking at her.

“Forever and always, Y/N”, she repeated, clutching your hand, bringing it to her lips.

[strawberrywritingfiction]

Golf Outing

Tom Holland x Reader

Word Count: 1.5k 

Synopsis: Invited by he and his family, you go golfing with Tom

^^^

       You were sat at the dinner table among the Holland family members. Having met the twins, Harry and Sam through friends, and having had brief interactions with Tom, the eldest- You were invited as more or less a family friend. At least, the boys’ parents were interested in you, and in the exchanges you’d had with the boys through work and mutual connections. Plus, you thought you were a relatively pleasing house guest. Nothing abnormal about it, you thought.

“You play any golf Y/n?” Harry asked you, amidst the dinner conversations.

The rest of the boys’ heads snapped up at the question posed by Harry, most of the bunch being avid golfers and all.

“Well, sort of. But I’m nowhere up to the boys’ level.” You said with a laugh.

“You should join us for a round Y/n, we’re having a go at the nearby course tomorrow,” Tom said with a smile.

“Yeah, just a casual one, for extra practice.” Sam chimed in.

“I really couldn’t. Can’t even remember the last time I held a club - I’d have to practice in advance to get remotely close to being able to play you all.”

“Nonsense,” said Dom, “We’d love to have you join- and you wouldn’t even have to play if you’re not up for it. You can just have a few hits at the range down there, If you’d like.”

Finding it difficult to say no, and feeling Tom’s gaze held on you, you impulsively agreed to join.

This brought you to where you were now- driving mid afternoon on a Sunday, having just been to a sports store trying to pick up an appropriate looking golf outfit that fit the course’s, ‘formal attire requirement.’ Along with purchasing various balls and tees. Thankfully though, you hand a spare set of clubs at home.

Upon arriving, you met the boys in cheerful spirits, clad in their golf attire. Prepped and ready for play. So, you and the Holland clan got out on the green quickly. First hole, and your driver shot was unmistakably crap. You were glad the boys hadn’t winced at the horrible shot. You tried to play off the embarrassment with conversation between hits when being driven in the cart. The boys had 2 carts out. You sat alongside Harry and Sam in one. Tom in the other with their dad.

1st shot on the second hole though, and it was equally as bad as your previous. But luckily, the boys were distracted and missed the poorly executed swing. Finally after arriving at the beginning of the third hole, however, you stepped up to the tee, and hesitated.

“Listen guys, I think I’ll step out on this one- maybe head back, or tag along for the rest, but I think I’m out on playing. Don’t want to hold you guys back,” you said with a light chuckle. You definitely had the highest score of the bunch, and you were aware that the boys were just being polite, waiting for you to hit your past chipping shots and putts, as you were moving at a slower speed than the rest of them. Then again, they could practically be pros.

“You’re not holding us back, this is all good fun, so there’s no worries if you do continue. Otherwise, one of the boys can step out of the game and join you up in the cart, to go back to the front.” Dom said, looking to his sons. The twins made no effort to offer, which was fair, as they were in front with the lowest scores. But, to your surprise, Tom offered.

“I’d be happy to, I’ve been playing a shit game anyway,” Tom said with a laugh, placing his club back in his bag and hoisting it on his shoulder, “Only, I’d be willing to play with you on the rest of the holes for practice, If you’d be up for it. I’d... I’d Like to help improve your game.”

“My game?”

“Yeah, I think with some slight improvements to that swing of yours, you could be looking decent.”

You scoffed, “You sure? I don’t think you’ve noticed, but if you continue on with just me, you’ll be here for another few hours.”

“Time well spent.” Tom said with a smile.

The rest of the boys wished you well as they drove off to continue playing, leaving you and Tom with the remaining cart.

“Right well, you have a go first.”

“Alright,” you said, fishing through your bag for a wood club.

Interrupting as you removed one from it’s bag, Tom said, “Er- hold on, let me check.”

He too dug through your clubs before picking another one- “I reckon this one here’s a good fit,” he said, handing it to you.

“Ok then, I trust you,” You said, stepping up to the tee, “you got any other tips Holland?”

“Maybe. Give me a practice swing and we’ll take it from there,” he said, stepping back from your side.

You did as you were told, and Tom kindly gave you his input.

“Right well- this arm,” he said motioning to his own, “you’ve gotta keep that straight even on impact, no getting flimsy elbows before making contact with the ball there.”

You were trying to correct yourself, copying his directions, but upon your confusion, Tom walked up behind you to help demonstrate. “Okay so this arm,” he started, his hands gripping both of your own from behind, “You’ve gotta keep it like this through your back swing,” he said, drawing your arms back behind your shoulder. You couldn’t help but loose brief focus as he gave his directions soft spoken from behind.

He stepped back to examine your practice swing, “right that looks better, but uh- may I.”

“Go for it,” You said.

“Right, so-“ he placed his hands on either side of your hips “-you wanna kind of turn your body this direction, and move the opposite knee forward as you do.” You did just as you were told.

After the few tips, and Tom was satisfied with your practice technique and form, you took the swing, proving to have a much better result.

“See? That’s so much better! Your swing will be looking like Tiger Woods’ in no time, I bet it,”

You laughed, “All thanks to you Coach.”

Next, Tom stepped up to take his own swing. You watched, and to no surprise his form was practically perfect, landing him a nice spot on the green. You complimented his swing as the two of you hopped in the cart to head over to the next ball.

You drove the cart, and the cart rides throughout the day gave the two of you an opportunity to talk. Also, on each hole Tom continued to give you tips. You admired that he was so patient, and never got frustrated with you, or exasperated if you didn’t happen to pick up his directions quickly. He claimed you significantly improved by the end of the day. Surely enough though, by the time you got out of the course, the rest of the Holland’s had left, and it was practically dark.

The two of you carried your clubs to the car park, utterly exhausted. What was meant to be casual, fun and quick, felt as if it were never-ending.

“You got a ride Tom? You asked.

“Shit, well- no, really. Harry and Sam must have taken my car back to our shared apartment,”

“I’m happy to drop you off- least I can do. You practically gave me lessons for free today, forfeited your game too.”

“Nah, It was good fun, and I’d prefer to have forfeited than to have lost another game to those twats this month,” he chuckled.

The two of you continued to chat, and on the car ride home you both stopped for some takeout at a drive-through, seeing as now it was dark and neither of you had had anything for dinner.

You thanked Tom again once whilst dropping him off, “I’d love to do this again, actually,” he said, fumbling with the strap of his bag of clubs slung over his shoulder.

“I don’t think I’m up to anymore golf for a while,” You said, with an awkward laugh.

“Well, we won’t do golf again then,” he smiled, “maybe just a dinner.”

“Sounds good,” you agreed. Saying good night, you left to head home and upon arriving, you immediately began to receive messages from the rest of the boys.

* Sam H - Already, he won’t shut up about you 😐 9:37 pm.

* Harry H - 10 bucks said he’d be too much of a wuss to ask you out before the end of tonight and I lost 🙄 9:41 pm.

^^^

[aminiatureworld]

Disappearance III

Character: Childe, gn!reader

Word Count: 2,581

Warnings: None

Premise: In which there is an argument and the reader disappears.

Author’s Note: Childe my favorite character, how I love to torture you.

But genuinely I really like how this one came out.

Childe

Childe craned his neck to stare at the clock on the wall behind him. Sighing at the lateness of the afternoon he turned back towards the papers in his lap, trying desperately to focus, to not let his thoughts drift off to the argument that had taken place in the morning.

It had started out simple enough. Childe had informed you that he might be gone for some time, as the Tsaritsa had requested a high-level reconnaissance mission, and Childe was to be the one to lead it. He thought that you react much the way that you always had, assurances of his success, light-hearted reminders to stay safe, and a goodbye kiss as you two settled back into a normal routine before the day of departure. Instead however, your lips had slanted into a frown, and you stopped making your breakfast to turn and face your partner.

“Childe, I wish you wouldn’t always take things on yourself.”

“What do you mean darling?” Childe felt a wave of surprise wash over him. After all, what else was he supposed to do?

“I mean that you’re being entirely too reckless Childe. You know that you have too high a profile to be doing stuff like this. I… I would like you to sit this one out. Just this one.”

Childe couldn’t help but laugh, whether out of irritation or genuine amusement he wasn’t sure of. “As much as I appreciate the concern, I can’t do that. No leader worth their salt would send their underlings off alone, even if they are some of the weakest underlings in the world. No one’s been able to pull the wool over me yet darling, it’ll be perfectly alright.”

“You’re not listening to me,” your voice picked up in intensity. “Childe I really try, I try to remind myself that you’re a Harbinger and able to take care of yourself; but sometimes it’s just too much. This is too much.”

“You’re being silly,” Childe said, trying to keep his tone light. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I can’t disobey the Tsaritsa. She wishes me to do this so I will. It’s as simple as that.”

“The Tsaritsa is far away, she has hundreds, thousands under her command. She won’t bat an eye at your safety.”

“Like you said, I can take care of myself.”

“But what if one day you can’t? What if, what if one day you don’t come back. Please, just this once; just this once don’t go.”

“I know that the length of time is upsetting, but you can’t react like this every time I have to go away for a while. I promise that you’ll have me all to yourself afterwards.”

“It’s not about that Childe! Please, please listen to me. I’m worried about your safety. I’m worried one of these days you’re going to end up in a fight too big even for you. What will you do then? What will your underlings do? What will I do? Please, tell the Tsaritsa you have to stay and make sure the Bank stays out of trouble, or that nothing happens in Liyue. Please, don’t go this time.”

“You’re being irrational.” By now Childe was definitely irritated.

“No, I’m being realistic. You don’t take care of yourself enough.”

“You’re just underestimating me. Besides, I’m a better fighter than you’ll ever be. It’s not like you can protect me even if I stayed here.”

“What?”

“It’s not like staying in Liyue would be any safer, better to face things head on. For the Tsaritsa, for Snezhnaya, that is the most important thing. If you can’t see that, you’re just being stupid.”

Although Childe regretted the words almost immediately after they left his mouth he could see that saying that would’ve had no effect. So instead he watched silently as your face clouded over and you stormed out the door, not bothering to grab your food as you slung your pack around you back and walked out. A part of him wanted to call after you, but he knew that even if he did you probably wouldn’t listen. Even if you did, what could he say? After all, he had simply spoken the truth; even if you couldn’t accept it as such.

Now Childe sat on the couch, eyes glazing voer as he stared at all the paperwork that needed to be done before his mission. He had already spent a hectic, uneasy day at the bank. Though he knew that none of his underlings would be foolish enough to try to pull something while he was gone, Andrei would make sure of that and Childe would make sure of Andrei, it was still tedious, boring work. This was in no way helped by the lingering ill will from his fight with you earlier. Though Childe ultimately forgot fights relatively quickly the time right after was always an uneasy one, filled with sudden flashes of irritation replaced suddenly by the wish for it all to have never happened.

He had hoped that you might be home by the time he arrived, but your absence wasn’t truly much of a surprise. Besides the fact that you were still probably angry with him, something Childe couldn’t really fault, you had recently been involved with some project near the Chasm, and it was hardly surprising that something that big caused you late hours. Still he couldn’t deny the fact that he was somewhat disappointed, or maybe disheartened was a better way to put it. He hated fighting with you, especially fights that lasted. Even if he was irritated with you, even if he thought that you had demanded something impossible, he still regretted snapping at you. He just wanted you to come home now, that way he could apologize and explain the situation better. That way he wouldn’t leave with any ill will behind him.

The clock was excruciatingly slow, but the insult of that wasn’t registered until Childe dozed off. Waking up in the middle of the night he was surprised at your continued absence. Though he had expected that sleeping on the couch might’ve happened, your total disappearance was certainly something that threw him for a loop. Making his way to the bedroom and flopping down on the bed Childe closed his eyes, pushing away the anxiety that clustered at the edge of his thoughts.

Perhaps you’d ended up staying with Hu Tao, or maybe you’d gone back home to your family. He had been awfully mean after all, and you were never the kind of person to take his insults sitting down. Still, if that were true why hadn’t you packed more, or come back to collect your things? It didn’t make any sense. Questions and half baked reasonings floated through Childe head as he tried to delay the inevitable pull of sleep. The last conscious thought he could remember was the knowledge that at least you would be back tomorrow.

You were not, in fact, home tomorrow. The Harbinger’s time spent at the Northland Bank was almost completely useless, the meeting with the people he’d be going on his mission with even more so. Though Childe wasn’t necessarily the most attentive listener, often letting his mind wander when his fellow Fatui members fell into arguing about the most insipid things, he knew that paying attention to a plan as a whole was critical to its success. Even so he couldn’t bring his mind to focus on the maps and profiles that sat in front of him. Where were you? It seemed like such a silly question, but the longer it floated in Childe’s head the colder he felt.

Finally the meetings and the menial tasks ended and Childe could go home. Sprinting down the winding streets of Liyue, not bothering to hide the fact he was in a hurry, Childe burst into the apartment. His heart sank as he was met with the same image he’d seen when he’d left that morning.

Afterwards Childe wandered around the docks of Liyue, trying to keep the quickly fragmenting pieces of his mind together. He knew that he was probably overreacting, knew that you were simply staying away because of what he said, knew that it wouldn’t be forever – you would have definitely told him if that were the case. Still he couldn’t help but feel dread crawling over him, saturating the cracks of his brain as he wondered how he’d managed to fuck everything up so much. He had underestimate how much his words must have affected you, and that only made him feel worse. Finally exhausting his walk along the pier Childe set off towards the edges of the city and into the vast wilderness of Liyue. He needed to find something to fight.

The nightmare continued on into the next day, then into the day after that. Childe could barely remember what he did during those days, walking around as if possessed, unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few moments before his thoughts inevitably found their way back to you. Mostly Childe ended up sleeping, dozing off at his desk or on the couch, papers fluttering from his hands onto the floor. Mostly Childe dreamed of you.

They weren’t dreams of any particular note, their contents incredibly mundane. Not that it matter to Childe; within those dreams he felt nothing but happy domesticity, a calm that washed over him as he walked with you to the market or lay next to you under the stars. Always you would appear in his dreams suddenly, and always he would throw his arms around you, clinging to you as if even an embrace wasn’t enough. Always he woke up with a sense of desolation so vast it threatened to consume him.

Finally on the fifth day Childe couldn’t take it anymore. Waking up at almost the crack of dawn the Harbinger rushed to the Bank. He wouldn’t stay long, only enough to inform Andrei that he’d be out for the day. Then he’d go to the Guild and check and make sure everything was okay. Then, well he’d figure out what to do then. It seemed pathetic to chase after you, not to mention gross. He wouldn’t become a stalker, wouldn’t let himself fall into such pathetic behavior. Still, he had to make sure you were at least okay. As long as he did that, well, the rest could come later.

Striding into the Bank Childe was met with a surprising sight. Normally Ekaterina stayed firmly tucked inside her receptionist cubby, even more antisocial than the likes of the Balladeer or the Fatui that guarded Dragonspine. Now however she stood at the front of the booth, wringing her hands this way and that as she stared at a piece of paper in front of her. Feeling a sudden sense of dread Childe walked up to her.

“Ekaterina?”

“Oh!” Ekaterina whirled around, look on her face one of utter anxiety. “My lord, I was horrified to hear of the news, tell me, do you know if they’re almost free?”

“What are you talking about?” Childe narrowed his eyes.

“Why, your partner. I only heard today from Nadia; no wonder you’ve been so distant recently, if it’s not too much for me to say so. I only hope that they’ll soon be rescued, I’m sure you know about the situation better than I do though.”

“Ekaterina, what in the Tsaritsa’s name are you talking about?”

A shadow passed over Ekaterina’s face, a look of utter dread. Swallowing slightly she stared at a spot in the wall right to the side of Childe. “You partner, my lord, I’ve been informed that they have become trapped in one of the caverns of the Chasm. I thought that you knew about it, it’s been five days after a–”

Childe didn’t hear the rest of what Ekaterina had to say. Whirling around the Harbinger slammed his way out of the bank, aiming towards the nearest waypoint. Cold dread washed over him and with it desperate determination. He’d rescue you. If he had to tear apart the entire Chasm and raze all the mountains in Liyue to the ground so be it.

  Approaching the Chasm Childe felt a rush of adrenaline wash over him. He was terrified. By the Seven, he was utterly terrified. Images of you flashed in his mind, images of you cowering in the dark, stuck at the bottom of an endless pit, lying on the ground with no air or food or life in you. How could he have let this happen? How could he have not known of this before? Anger burned within Childe, anger at himself. He should have never let you walk out of your apartment without apologizing first. He should have enquired after you after the first night you didn’t show up. He should’ve been the first person there for you, instead of the last person to know. He was so utterly stupid.

Approaching what must’ve been the site of the accident Childe felt his stomach drop to his feet at the sight of you. You were covered in dirt, cuts spread across your arms and legs as you slumped against a Guild member, dragging your feet in an awkward shuffle towards the stretcher that must’ve been meant to bring you to the apothecary. There were a variety of Guild members flocking around you, along with one of the doctors of Liyue, who was scribbling notes down furiously. Your expression was utterly dazed, as if you weren’t exactly sure of what was going on, something that tore Childe apart.

Stepping towards you Childe called out your name. At the sound your head jerked up, and you gave a hoarse sort of cry before turning to make your way towards him. Sprinting towards you Childe stepped backwards as you fell awkwardly into him. Steadying you for a moment before wrapping his arms around you Childe felt all his emotions crashing over him, so intense that he couldn’t control them anymore. Ignoring the tears that tracked their way down his cheeks the Harbinger let out a shudder.

“Thank the Seven, thank the Seven you’re safe. I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. You don’t have to forgive me, alright? You don’t have to forgive me, but by the gods I’m so sorry.”

“I wish you had been there,” you mumbled softly. “It was so dark, I couldn’t see anything. I thought, I thought that I might never see you again.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I said all those things to you, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine. You should’ve fold so easily you know, you should be really, really angry at me.”

“I don’t want to be angry at you though, I just want you to stay.”

“Then I will,” Childe tightened his embrace around you. “I promise I will.”

“Okay.”

Having apparently said everything that had to be said you let Childe sling you onto his back, refusing to be carried to the hospital in the stretcher. As you appeared to doze off on his back Childe made a promise to himself. Even if he couldn’t disobey the Tsaritsa, even if he couldn’t change who he was, he would never leave you when you needed him to be there.

You would never find yourself needing him to be there without the chance of your need being met. That he promised you.

[biggest-stupidhead]

Bad Timing (Levi x reader) Part 11

Summary: How do you tell your friends that you’re falling for your big brother’s best friend? 

Word Count: 8.2K (longest one yet) 

__

The next few days flew by in a snowy blur. Most of your time was spent wrapping gifts and packaging baked goods to deliver to family friends. You grunted as you leaned heavily on top of the Tupperware container as you shoved in more sugar cookies. This particular batch was going to Erwin's coach and his family. The sound of wrapping paper tearing made you cringe, turning around you saw Hange holding up the two uneven lengths of paper. She smiled sheepishly at you before shrugging and taping the pieces together once more. Your mom and Erwin were currently out shopping at the mall, which was a good hour away from the hick town you lived in.

You and Hange had already been out shopping the other day. It had been very stressful shopping for all your friends and family. You were glad to have gotten the ordeal over with. Although it was stressful, you had enjoyed picking out the perfect gift for your loved ones. Some highlights included: a camera lense for Armin, a set of chain necklaces for Mikasa, a turkey hat for Sasha, a safari hat for Connie, and your personal favorite was a set of fancy tea cups for Levi.

You really had outdone yourself this year, even going as far as buying Erwin supplies that he would need for College. For Hange you had purchased her a fresh set of glassware for her experiments, since she was majoring in Chemistry and enjoyed doing work outside of the classroom you thought it was a fitting gift. Hange held up her finished product proudly, judging by the size of the box you guessed it was a pair of shoes.

"I can't wait to give these to him!" she gushed as she set the box to the side and began folding a sweater that the two of you had purchased for your mom.

"Yeah I'm sure he'll love them." you agreed. You weren't the only one who had splurged this year. Hange had bought Erwin a fresh pair of cleats for his freshman season at college.

"I hope so!" she chuckled as she boxed the sweater and the pair of earrings for your mom.

"What did you ask for this year?" you asked as you set the stuffed container of cookies to the side.

"Oh nothing special." Hange waved her hand dismissively. You weren't surprised, she wasn't exactly interested in possessions. She valued knowledge above most things, so the closest you could get to filling that need was to give her books or items that helped her learn and shit. You had learned that the hard way, a few years ago you had given her a nice bracelet, which was currently collecting dust on her dresser.

"Well what about your parents, are they doing something special this year?" you inquired, you knew that she had learned to appreciate knowledge from them. They used to go on trips and spend Christmas soaking up the culture of wherever they went. One of their most notable trips was to South America, Hange's favorite trip to date. They hiked in the jungle and learned about the environment and shit.

"Aw sadly no, they wanted to take a break and focus on their research here." She shrugged as she wrapped the box in snowman wrapping paper.

"Really?" you mused, although Hange's family was unconventional you admired their free spirit.

"Yeah, I'm particularly interested in my mom's project, she's studying these penguins in South America right now-" she continued to ramble on about her mother's studies and her father's work. Both of her parents were very active in the zoology community. Hange's rant was cut short by the sound of her phone ringing, she apologized before answering the call, walking out of the room for some privacy. Which you thought was odd, she usually wasn't so private with her phone calls, which at times could be annoying. You brushed it off as most likely being a conversation about gifts. You picked up your phone, taking the opportunity to answer the text that Mikasa had sent you earlier that morning.

"We'll be over around 7." her text made you feel giddy with excitement. Although this year would be a bit different you were still excited to see all your friends.

"See you soon!" you responded, you realized that it was probably a good idea to start dinner for your mom. She should be home any minute but still you set about preheating the oven for the casserole and the ham. Thankfully the Jeagers brought dishes as well, Carla made a mean pumpkin pie. You weren't expecting Kenny to bring anything other than booze. You fell into an easy rhythm as you prepared the vegetable casserole. It couldn't have been more than an hour later that your mom and Erwin stumbled in the door and dropped the bags down by the card table where we had been wrapping gifts. Your mom was quick to wash her hands and start the mashed potatoes as you checked the ham. Hange had began to set the table with Erwin, a christmas playlist had been playing to set the mood.

The Jeagers arrived right at 7, just in time. Grisha's arms were full with gifts, Carla toted two pies, Eren held a board game, and Mikasa had two bottles of red wine with ribbons around the necks of the bottles. Hugs and formalities were exchanged as they entered and put their gifts under the tree. Carla joined your mom in the kitchen to finish carving the ham. You and the other teens finished setting the table as everyone trickled into the dining room.

Just as the ham was placed on the table and glasses of wine were poured, the doorbell rang once more. Kenny had arrived, surprisingly only thirty minutes late. He had a huge bottle of vodka and another sizable bottle of whiskey. Your mom greeted him, taking the liquor from him and pointing him to his seat. Now that all guests were accounted for you began to dish out food and recount the past holidays that your families spent together. It didn't go unnoticed that Kenny was a tad uncomfortable, but thanks to Grisha's easy going nature and Carla's friendliness, he slowly eased up. Of course you and the other teens had your own conversation separate from the adults.

"-Do you remember that one year that I creamed you guys in Just Dance?" Hange gloated as she waved a forkful of ham in Eren's face.

"Ugh yes, but only because that was the year that Mikasa's ankle was sprained." Eren deflected, lifting his own fork to push hers from his face. Mikasa blushed and shoved a spoonful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

"Well I guess we'll just have to see if that was the real reason after a rematch!" Hange teased before biting into the hunk of meat.

"I guess we will." Eren narrowed his eyes as he watched Hange chew the meat.

"We should play Mario Kart first, I want to redeem myself." Armin was quick to change the subject. Always quick to avoid possible conflict.

"Yeah I totally creamed you last time!" you gloated a cocky smile on your lips.

"W-What! No I had the most wins!" Eren's eyes were alight with anger. He was too easy to piss off.

"Wrong!" you said in a sing song voice.

"Knock it off you two." Erwin scolded from across the table, Eren's cheeks flushed when Erwin scolded him but you simply rolled your eyes. In the last few months Erwin had taken to hovering over you and your friends. It was strange, he had never shown so much interest in your social life until recently. At first you had been eager to tell him what was going on in your friend group, but now it was becoming annoying.

"Lay off Erwin, it's all talk." you scoffed with a roll of your eyes. Erwin's eyes hardened at your snarky tone, your guests eyes flickered between the two of you as you glared at one another. Until finally you snorted and looked away with a shake of your head.

"Uh...so who wants pie!" Armin, ever true to his anti confrontation nature filled the thick silence between the teens. Meanwhile the adults had continued to yammer on about all the hot hospital gossip.

"I-I would." Eren played into Armin's excuse to change the subject.

"Yeah sounds good." you sighed, defeated. Armin scrambled out of his seat and ducked into the kitchen, returning a few moments later with the pies. He dished out three pieces onto you and Eren's plates before serving himself. By the time he had returned, Hange had already changed the topic to the party the following day. You sat in silence as she rambled about the logistics for the party at your house.

"I think that Nanaba is bringing mac and cheese, Mike is probably going to bring those snicker doodles that he always makes-" You tuned her out, not interested in her current rant. Tomorrow's party wasn't the party you were really excited for. So you instead turned to Mikasa, hoping to talk about your plans for the 26th.

"So what time are you going to Annie's? Would you like to ride together?" you asked as you angled yourself to face her to better tune out Hange.

"We are heading over around 9, and sure I'm driving." Mikasa responded as she stretched to serve herself a piece of pie.

"Perfect, are you spending the night there?" you quizzed, unsure if you also wanted to spend the night there.

"No, we were going to go back to Armin's but I can drop you off here if you want." Mikasa answered as she took a bite of pie.

"Alright that sounds good!" you agreed, knowing that Mikasa was always a reliable designated driver.

__

Dinner had gone relatively smooth, despite the tension that now hung in the atmosphere between you and Erwin. The rest of the evening was spent in the living room opening gifts with a Christmas movie marathon playing in the background. The Jeagers left around eleven, which was later than they usually stayed. Kenny took the guest bedroom in the basement, since he was spending Christmas day with your family anyway. You checked your phone with a heavy sigh, already it was twelve am. You contemplated texting Levi to tell him happy birthday, but you weren't sure he would be awake. It was already six in the morning in France, and usually he got his three hours of sleep between four and seven in the morning. But you decided that if he didn't answer you could leave him a voicemail or shoot him a text. So after you changed into your pajamas and had snuggled beneath your covers, you pulled up Levi's contact, your thumb hovering over the small phone icon. Finally you just said 'fuck it' and pressed the button, the phone rang three times before he answered.

"Hey." his voice was thick and gravely as he spoke, immediately you felt bad. You knew that you must have woken him up and you cringed internally.

"Hey happy birthday!" you greeted, making sure to keep your voice low so you wouldn't disturb Erwin and Hange.

"Tch thanks." Levi mumbled, you pictured him running a hand down his face as he tried to wake up.

"you're welcome birthday boy." you teased as you fell back onto your pillows.

"shut up." Levi scoffed, you could hear his footsteps as he walked through the apartment, presumably to get his morning cup of black tea.

"you know you love it." you sighed.

"keep telling yourself that." Levi's voice was becoming clearer now that he was more awake.

"I think that I will." you answered with a light laugh.

"you still going to that party tomorrow?" Levi interrogated, you groaned. You had almost forgotten how he liked to stick his nose in your business, even when he was across the fucking ocean.

"Yeah what about it?" you huffed, feeling a bit defensive.

"Shouldn't you stay with your family or some shit." Levi sounded frustrated.

"My mom said I could go." you pouted childishly.

"Whatever." Levi grunted, and you frowned, unsure of where his frustration was coming form.

"Aw come on no need to be jealous, I'm sure you can find some rager in Paris. Not like you'll be missing much here." you chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hmph." Levi scoffed, you could hear the tinkling of his spoon as he stirred his tea.

"So....when are you due to be home?" you asked, deciding it was best to change the subject.

"Next week." Levi's tone was clipped.

"I'm so jealous." you sighed dreamily.

"Yeah Paris is way better than Shiganshina." Levi responded nonchalantly, you weren't sure if he was being serious or sarcastic. Either way he was telling the truth.

"No need to rub it in my face." you chuckled.

"Tch." He scoffed, you liked to imagine him smiling as he did so, even if he wasn't.

"Well I hope that this next week goes by fast, as much as I hate to admit it I've... missed you." you confessed, the tips of your ears scorching hot with embarrassment. The silence was deafening as you waited for him to say something, hell anything even if it was making fun of you.

"Whatever." he huffed, the butterflies in your stomach fluttered at the sound of his baritone voice.

"Just don't stay out late tomorrow." he quipped and you frowned, why did he care how late you stayed out?

"No need to worry about me, I'll probably just stay sober with Mikasa." You told him, only half honest.

"Never said I was worried about you." Levi sighed.

"Hmph fine be like that." you scoffed and rolled your eyes, not surprised with his response.

"Be like what?" He asked, genuinely curious what you meant.

"Like an ass." you quipped.

"Tch I'll quite being an ass when you stop being such a brat." Levi snapped, clearly you were approaching dangerous territory.

"Okay okay chill." you muttered, backing down before things got too heated.

"You're the one that brought it up.." Levi pointed out.

"Yeah and now I'm regretting that" you sighed, wishing he wouldn't be so stubborn for once. He sighed as well and you heard a small clatter on his end of the line, you figured he was starting the dishes.

"Look I've got some shit to do, I'll call you later okay?" Levi's voice was a tad strained and in the moment of silence you heard the sound of Isabel and Farlan bickering in hushed tones.

"Y-Yeah sure of course." you couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

"Happy birthday Levi." you wished him once more.

"Thanks, talk to you later brat." and with that he hung up, leaving you totally alone in your dark room. You plugged your phone in and rolled over onto your side, he could be so annoying. You inhaled sharply and decided that you would enjoy the party tomorrow to it's fullest. What he didn't know wouldn't kill him.

___

"Hey can I borrow your lip gloss?" you asked Mikasa as you leaned forward to apply another coat of mascara to your lashes.

"Sure which one?" she asked as she pulled her hair into high pigtails on top of her head.

"The cherry one." you answered after a moment of contemplation. She finished her hair before reaching into her makeup bag and pulled out the tube of clear gloss.

"Thanks." you said as you took the make up from her. You didn't usually put this much effort into your appearance when you went to parties but you figured since it was the first time you would be going to Annie's that this was a special occasion. Also you had a sneaking suspicion that two of your exes would be there and you at least wanted to look hot if you were going to get black out.

Plus Mikasa was also dressed up, she wore a tight fitting black top with long sleeves and a low cut neck line that showed off her pale collarbones and neck. She had chosen to wear a choker that had metallic studs surrounding the black leather along with some other layered necklaces. To match her top she had selected a red plaid skirt and some torn tights. You weren't dressed nearly as edgy as she was, but you too had gone for a grungier look. You'd opted to wear a tattered pair of mom jeans along with a black cropped tank and an oversized flannel to cover your shoulders.

You sighed as you finished applying the gloss and frowned, Eren and Armin were in the next room over blasting Post Malone. You assumed that Eren was on aux since Armin usually listened to Surfaces or Khalid.

"You ready?" Mikasa asked as she pulled on her Doc Martens and double checked her earrings.

"Yeah." you assured her as you stood up to grab your small backpack with an extra change of comfy clothes in case you ended up staying the night. The two of you left the room and knocked on Eren's door that was down the hall.

"Just a minute!" Armin's shrill voice sounded a bit panicked but Mikasa simply shrugged and headed towards the kitchen. The Jeager's house was a ranch style house with one main floor and a nice basement. The two of you waited patiently in the kitchen for the boys, it was already well past nine. You scrolled through your snapchat, most of the stories were the regular group picture of friends having a sleepover, the druggie kids showing off their weed, and of course Sasha and Connie posted a video showcasing the house party at Annie's. From what the short video showed, her house was dark except for some LED lights that flashed through multiple different colors. The music was deafening, and the kids that you could see seemed to be swaying to the pulsing music.Sasha spun the camera around as she knocked back a shot with her arm around Connie who blew a puff of vapor at the camera.

"Looks fun." Mikasa scoffed, you knew that she preferred more low-key parties.

"If you end up not liking it we can always dip." You shrugged, knowing that this wasn't exactly your speed either. Mikasa hummed in agreement and turned to look down the hallway as Eren's door opened. The boys emerged from Eren's room, Eren wore a pair of black jeans and a dark forrest green long sleeved shirt. Armin wore a baby blue knit sweater with a collared shirt underneath and black jeans as well.

"All set?" Mikasa asked as she turned to pull out a bottle of titos with a cute little sweater over it. You smiled at the cute accessory and nodded.

"Yep!" you said popping the p as the four of you all made your way out to Eren's car. You slid into the back seat next to Armin who was fiddling with the hem of his sweater nervously. Eren resumed his hype music as Mikasa backed out of the drive way. Eren pulled out his puff bar as soon as the car was out of the drive and took a long drag. Mikasa scoffed and cracked the window for him. He blew the billow of smoke out the window and reached to turn the music up. He reached back and dangled the puff for you to take, after a brief moment of hesitation you accepted it and cracked your window before taking a hit. Armin watched with wide eyes as you inhaled and blew the vapor out the crack.

"Since when did you vape?" Armin asked, his mouth agape in awe.

"I don't...at least not regularly." You admitted sheepishly.

"That's what they all say." Eren chuckled, smoke curling out from his lips as he smirked.

"Shut up I'm serious!" you snapped a playful smile on your face. Thankfully Annie's house wasn't far away, about a twenty minute drive. You pulled up to the house, it was huge. Standing at least three stories tall, with a long winding driveway. Mikasa pulled up behind one of the many cars in the drive way and parked the car. Mikasa led the way around to the side door, which was unlocked, piled of shoes littered the hallway. The sound of loud music greeted you as you walked into the kitchen on the main floor to set the alcohol you'd brought down. The real party was in the basement.

The lights were off, leaving the only source of light to be the flickering LED lights, you couldn't even tell who was who. The air was heavy with the mingling aromas of cologne, vapes, and weed. Armin practically clung to you as the four of you waded through the crowd to get to the seating area in the center of the room. As you got closer the overpowering scent of weed assaulted your nose. There on the large L shaped couch was Annie, she held a large bong to her lips as Bertolt held the lighter under the weed, she inhaled deeply and the bong bubbled. She pulled back and blew a puff of smoke right in Reiner's face, the blonde's face scrunched up in disgust as he turned away to cough.

"Yo." Annie greeted Mikasa who leaned down to dap her up. Once Annie had greeted Mikasa she turned her attention to Eren who was eyeing the bong.

"You want a drag?" Annie offered, patting the sofa next to her. Eren nodded and dropped down between her and Bertolt, who once again struck the lighter for Eren. Mikasa rolled her eyes and waited patiently for Eren to finish his drag. Once the bong was out of the way she lowered herself down onto his lap and pulled her puff bar out to take a long drag. Armin shifted awkwardly behind you and tugged on your sleeve.

"Want to go get something to drink?" he yelled over the booming music, you glanced at the bong longingly but decided that Armin needed you right now so you nodded in agreement.

"Sure." the two of you pushed through the crowd to the minibar where an impressive amount of liquor was waiting. You poured some Bacardi into a glass of and added some pineapple and orange concentrates before handing the cup to Armin. He thanked you and quickly got to work on finishing the mixed drink. You poured yourself a rum and coke and then two shots of Malibu for you and Armin to take. The two of you knocked back the shots before wandering back over towards the couch. The crowd had thinned out a bit, something about watching a movie in Annie's in home movie theater.

"-No that's bullshit, I know for a fact that you pissed your pants in the second grade Eren!" your eyebrows shot into your hairline at the words leaving Annie's mouth.

"Just because I'm quiet doesn't mean I don't notice shit." She huffed as she lifted the juul in her hand to her lips and took a long drag.

"I-"

"Just take the L Eren we all remember." Bertolt shook his head and chuckled at Eren's flushed cheeks. You glanced at Mikasa, usually she would defend Eren but she seemed content to let him struggle through this one on his own, still perched on his lap.

"We've all had accidents before." Armin said with an awkward chuckle as he sat down beside Annie, who looked at him with a blank expression.

"Like that time you tripped down the stairs and broke both your legs in fourth grade?" Annie quipped, a small smirk curling onto her lips. You choked on your drink at Annie's remark, she was an absolute savage.

"Exactly..." Armin flushed, lifting his own cup to his lips. Your phone buzzed in your pocket, but you were too invested in the conversation to be bothered to pick it up.

"Want a hit?" Annie offered the bong to you, you nodded. Although you'd never had weed before, you'd tried asking Levi for some of his but he always denied you. Annie held her hand out to Bertolt who placed the lighter in his open palm. She packed some more weed into the bowl before handing you the bong.

"You ever done this before?" She asked as she kneeled in front of you. You shook your head,

"Okay so I'll tell you when to inhale, and you've got to take a huge breath so you can get the smoke in your system. But then you'll have to take another breath to get it in your lungs." she instructed as she pressed the weed deeper into the bowl.

"Okay." you agreed, she nodded and struck the lighter, holding the flame over the weed in the bowl. You pressed your lips to the mouth piece and waited for her instructions.

"Inhale." she said once the weed was lit. You sucked in a big breath and the water in the bong bubbled. The smoke burned the insides of your throat as you inhaled it, you pulled the bong off your mouth and sucked in once more to get the smoke into your lungs. She nodded in approval as you coughed, smoke curling out of your mouth.

"Not bad for your first time." she commented as she took the bong from you and passed it to Mikasa who took a long drag before passing it to Bertolt.

"Thanks, that stuff burns." you coughed, Annie sat down next to you on the couch and draped her arm over the back. You felt the buzz from the weed and the shots you'd taken earlier, making your head spin a bit. Annie's thigh brushed against your own, you tried to focus on what she was wearing, a pair of grey sweats and a cute cropped peachy colored tank top with spaghetti straps.

"I like your top." you complimented, her hand fell from the back of the couch to your shoulders.

"Thanks." she said, turning to gauge your reaction to her touch. You swallowed a bit nervously, you'd known Annie since kindergarten, but you'd never really been friends before, she was always so quiet.

"I always thought you were a good kid." Annie smirked, her eyes a bit playful.

"What made you think that?" You giggled, shuffling closer to her.

"Your brother is like the school's golden boy, and you are always in all the honors classes." she shrugged, you frowned. You were used to people coming up with these assumptions. She was right though, you did take honor classes, but that didn't mean you couldn't party!

"I guess...But that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy partying." you countered.

"I suppose." she chuckled, taking a hit from her juul and blowing the smoke away from your face. Your phone rang in your pocket and you frowned, as you dug it out of your pocket. Your frown deepened at the sight of Hange's contact lighting up your screen.

"Hang on I should take this." you apologized, moving to stand up to find a quiet place to answer the phone. Annie snatched your wrist and pulled you back down on the sofa, the room spun as you fell back down and slumped against her shoulder.

"Slow down there sweetheart." Annie chuckled as you leaned against her.

"I got to go answer my-"

"Nah just stay here, enjoy yourself." Annie pulled you closer, but your head was too foggy to protest, thoughts of your phone already fading into the back of your mind as Annie held the bong to your lips once more.

__

"She's still not answering." Hange chewed on her knuckle as she glanced at Erwin who was gripping the steering wheel. His brows were knit tightly together with worry, Levi shifted in the back seat, tapping his fingers impatiently.

"This is stupid, she can wait until tomorrow to see me." Levi huffed, trying his best to sound indifferent.

"Oh don't say that Levi." Hange frowned as she looked back at Levi, her eyes deep with worry.

"Don't worry about it." Levi grunted, turning his attention back to his phone. He opened snapchat, and scrolled through the stories. His eyes widened slightly when he stopped on Sasha's story, the video of the party played, he found himself looking for your silhouette among the swaying bodies. He tapped on his screen, expecting to move on to the next story, only to find a new video, added to her story less than ten minutes ago. A video of you with a red solo cup in one hand, and a juul in the other. You were leaned up against a blonde girl who was pushing a bottle of Pink Whitney against you, the pink alcohol sloshing in the glass.

"Come on (Y/n) finish it off!" Sasha encouraged as the other kids on the couch picked up on her chant.

"Finish it, Finish it." the crowd cheered as you sat down the cup and took the bottle from the blonde. You looked at the camera as Sasha shuffled closer.

"No pa-paparazzi please." you giggled, hiccuping half way through your sentence. You lifted the bottle to your lips and tilted your head back, the liquid spilled down your front, making your skin glisten in the colorful lights as you chugged the alcohol you managed to get in your mouth.

"Fuck yeah!!!" Sasha jeered, spinning the camera around to her face. The video ended and Levi felt his blood boil. He'd never seen you so out of it before and he hated it. He hated how easily you had given into doing something so stupid, he hated the sight of the juul in your fist, he hated the way the girl's arm was tightly wrapped around your waist, but most of all he hated that he wasn't there.

"Wait, I think Sasha's snap map is on." Hange mumbled, her phone screen casting a pale glow over her glasses as she zoomed in on Sasha's bitmoji. Sure enough Sasha's bitmoji was on the map, surrounded by at least twenty other bitmojis gathered in one location.

"Okay let's head that way then." Erwin sighed as he started the car and backed out of his parking spot in the airport parking lot. Erwin pulled out of the small airport that was about thirty minutes away from your town and set off towards Annie's house. Thankfully Annie lived on the outskirts of town so it wasn't as far of a drive. It wasn't long before Erwin was pulling up a long winding drive that was full of cars. He parked at the back of the line of cars and got out of the car with a heavy slam of his door. Levi slammed the back door of the minivan as hard as he could, the two of them marched up the driveway silently with Hange following nervously.

"You guys please slow down it's icy out here." Hange begged as she slipped on one of the steps to the side door. The three of them piled into the house, Hange knew it was bad when Levi didn't bother to kick his shoes off before continuing towards the basement steps. Erwin stormed down the steps, the music getting louder as they descended. Erwin paused at the bottom of the steps to take in the scene, cups littered the floor, the room was hazy with smoke from juuls and the scent of weed clung to the air. A group of partygoers was crowded onto the couch, Levi's eyes narrowed onto the back of your head.

"Yoooo that's ice cold." Eren's loud voice could be heard over the music as the teens passed the bong between one another.

"No it's the truth." you slurred, the empty bottle of alcohol still in your fist.

"Well sorryyy that I forgot that I had gum in my mouth." Connie said, waving his hands in front of his face.

"You're an idiot." Sasha laughed boisterously as she shoved a handful of pretzels into her mouth.

"damn straight." Annie agreed, taking the empty bottle from you and setting it on the coffee table. Erwin stalked across the room and stood behind Bertolt, who was now on the floor. The conversation came to a halt at the sight of the uninvited guests.

"Woah I think I'm seeing things." you said, tilting your head downwards as you tried to understand why you were seeing your brother.

"Me too." Reiner agreed, his own distant gaze honing in on his team captain.

"Get up we're going home." Erwin's voice was cold and commanding as he glowered at you.

"I don't wanna leave." your eyes hardened with denial. Erwin stepped over Bertolt, once he had moved your eyes landed on Levi, who was glaring at you with those dark eyes.

"I'm definitely seeing things." you grunted as Erwin pulled you off the couch and away from Annie's warmth.

"Hey man she said she didn't want to go." Annie snarled, jumping to her feet, her icy blue eyes sharp.

"Yeah well she's drunk as shit and doesn't know what she's saying." Levi snapped back at Annie, who had a hand clamped down around your arm. Hange shifted nervously behind the couch as she watched the scene unfold.

"You need to leave." Annie growled, pointing a finger at the stairs.

"That's what we're trying to do dumb ass." Levi growled, taking a step closer to the circle of teens.

"Leave her alone she can make her own decisions." Reiner quipped, rising to his own feet.

"Stay out of this Braun." Erwin ordered, releasing you so he could turn and face Reiner.

"I'm just saying, she chose to come here on her own and she's enjoying herself so let her be." Reiner shrugged.

"She's had enough tonight." Erwin countered, shifting his gaze back to you as you swayed on your feet.

"No I haven't" you frowned up at Erwin.

"Yes you have. We're leaving end of discussion." he said with finality, once more reaching for your wrist.

"I'm not leaving Erwin." you protested, pulling yourself free from his grasp. He snatched your wrist once more and tugged you away from the circle. You gasped and stumbled after him, the protests of your friends echoing loudly in your head. Erwin hauled you up the stairs and out the side door, Levi and Hange close on your heels. He only slowed once you were walking down the driveway. You wrenched yourself free once more with a strangled cry.

"I said I don't want to leave!" you screamed, a few tears sliding down your cheeks.

"You always embarrass me in front of my friends just give me this one night!" you cried, the cold air making your face beet red.

"You'll thank me later." He said simply before turning to continue down the driveway.

"No I won't I'm going back inside." you turned on your heel and marched back towards the door, only for Levi to catch your wrist.

"You've had enough for one night." He scolded as you struggled against his hold. Hange chewed on her bottom lip with worry at the sight, this was not how she planned your reunion.

"Levi let me go." you said with finality as you met his eyes.

"No, you're going home." Levi's voice was tense.

"No I'm not."

"(Y/n) you're going home and that's final." Erwin sighed, running a hand down the side of his face. You spun around and glared at him.

"You're not my fucking dad Erwin so quit acting like it! Jesus it's so annoying I'm tired of it!" you screamed, your chest heaving with frustration, your breath coming out with puffs of vapor. Hange and Levi stood deathly still, knowing that the topic of your father was a sensitive one.

"Fine be that way." Erwin snarled and marched to the van and climbed in with a slam of his door. Hange rushed to get in the car without a second glance over her shoulder. Levi remained firmly rooted to the ground, his hand still wrapped firmly around your wrist as you cried.

"Get out of here Levi." you sobbed, shaking your arm to throw his hand off. He finally let you go, his head tilted down to the ground. You huffed, wrapping your arms around your chest before turning on your heel and stalking back towards the house. Levi stood there a moment longer just listening to the sound of your receding footsteps before he padded back to Erwin's car and slid into the backseat.

__

Your head was spinning as you pressed your back against the bathroom door, your lip quivering as you tried to contain your tears. You knew that you'd hurt both Erwin's and Levi's feelings, you also knew that they were only trying to help you. But there was only so much help you could except from them without them toeing the line between helpful and overbearing. You slid down the door with a whimper, you hugged you knees to your chest and rested your chin on top of them. A knock startled you out of your moping,

"(Y/n)? You in there?" You groaned when you recognize Jean's voice.

"Open the door please." He said softly and you felt more tears fall down your cheeks as you reached up for the knob to unlock the door. The lock clicked and you shuffled to lean agains the wall so he could open the door.

"Hey" he said as he stuck his head in, his amber eyes soft with worry.

"Hey" you sniffled, turning your head up to meet his gaze.

"What's wrong?" He asked, slipping into the small bathroom and closing the door behind him. He crouched down in front of you, his elbows propped on his own knees as he got onto your level.

"Well for starters, you kissed someone else when we were talking." you said a bit venomously. He cringed and plopped down to sit criss cross applesauce instead.

"I'm sorry I know that I shouldn't have done that but, I've been really confused....like sexually I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and your frowned.

"I know, but it still hurt my feelings." you mumbled, a few fresh tears falling from your watery eyes.

"I shouldn't have led you on like that, it was a real jerk move." Jean agreed, his eyes still soft and comforting. You'd missed being his friend you realized as you sat on the cold tile.

"I've missed talking to you." you spoke your mind, managing a small smile.

"Me too, let's be friends again?" he proposed, offering his hand to you. Your smile grew wider as you extended your own hand to grasp his. You shook hands briefly.

"So are you and Marco a couple now?" you asked.

"Sort of.." Jean chuckled.

"You want to go back to the party now?" He asked, jutting a thumb towards the door. You nodded, although now you were beginning to sober up. He stood and offered his hands to help you to your feet. You accepted his hands and he pulled you to your feet. The two of you walked slowly down the steps to rejoin the circle of teens in the living room. Jean stopped at the bottom of the stairs his hand held loosely in your own. He squeezed your hand, asking for your attention. You turned and faced him, a questioning look on your face.

"You've got some-" He chuckled, lifting his thumb to his mouth and licking it before wiping away some rogue mascara off your cheeks. You gasped in mock offense as he wiped away the makeup.

"You're not my mom." you teased, pulling your face free as you turned to head back into the fray, trusting that Jean got all the black marks off your face.

"Nobody could replace Angie." Jean agreed as he followed you into the basement. The group of previously rowdy teens was now subdued due to your brother and his meddling party crasher friends.

"Hey look who's back!" Reiner greeted, causing all the heads to turn back to you. You smiled sheepishly and dropped back into your seat next to Annie.

"You alright?" She asked, her eyes scanning you meticulously for any signs of injury.

"Yeah I'm- I'll be alright." you stumbled over your words as the group watched you carefully.

"You want a uh beer or something?" Connie asked, lifting up an unopened can.

"No she doesn't you idiot!" Sasha snapped, elbowing Connie harshly.

"Ow well I was just trying to make her feel better!" Connie cried, turning to tackle Sasha. The two began to tussle, rolling around on the floor grunting as they struggled. You smiled, the pair never failed to make you happy. Annie draped her arm over you again as the boys began to place bets on who would come out victorious.

"If Sasha wins you've got to drink one of Connie's mixed drinks!" Eren said, leaning over to Bertolt who scoffed, his boyish features contorting with disgust. Connie was known for making the worst mixed drinks.

"You're on Jeager." he reached over Reiner and the two shook in agreement before turning their attention to the scuffle.

"Come on Sasha!" Eren jeered as Sasha bit down hard on Connie's hand. The boy yelped and tried to desperately pry her locked jaws off his hand. He gave up quickly and resorted to hitting her head with his closed fist, his face wild with panic.

"Tickle her neck" Mikasa suggested as she lifted a red solo cup to her lips. Your eyes widened in surprise, Mikasa usually kept quiet during these scuffles, unless of course it was Eren being thrown around. Connie's free hand flew down to Sasha's armpit and immediately Sasha released his other hand to roll away from him. Connie regained the upper hand, pinning Sasha beneath him as he tickled her ruthlessly. Jean groaned and slapped a wad of bills into Reiner's open palm as Sasha slapped the ground in defeat. Connie threw his hands into the air and rolled off Sasha who was fighting for breath.

"Traitor" she moaned, her brown eyes glaring at Mikasa who shrugged indifferently. Eren groaned and frowned at Mikasa.

"Why'd you do that?" He asked as Bertolt looked relieved. Mikasa shrugged once more a sly smile on her face as Eren pushed her off his lap.

"So" Connie jumped to his feet and clapped his hands together.

"About that drink." he turned and strutted over to the mini bar, followed by a sulking Eren and a smug Bertolt. You turned to Sasha who was now straddling Mikasa her hands around Mikasa's shoulders as she jostled the girl.

"Come on Mikasa why'd you sell me out like that?" she whined as she shook the girl, Mikasa's drink sloshing in her cup. Mikasa smiled as her eyes drifted to the group of boys, Connie had a large bottle of Tito's and a two liter of Mt. Dew in his hands as he inspected the two, his face scrunched up with concentration.

"Come on Sasha it's not like you wouldn't do the same if it were me." Mikasa scoffed with a roll of her eyes. You snorted at Mikasa's response, knowing that she was indeed correct. Sasha gasped and shook Mikasa harder.

"I would never do that to you! Besides you would win in any fight you fought." Sasha objected, leaning back on Mikasa's lap her arms extended.

"Psh whatever." Annie scoffed, a playful smirk on her lips.

"Not all of us are masters at kickboxing." Sasha pouted as she climbed off Mikasa's lap and dropped onto the empty space next to her. You knew that Mikasa had participated in the sport for the past few years, but you were confused when Sasha looked between Annie and Mikasa.

"What you didn't know?" Annie asked with a smirk. You shook your head,

"No I guess I don't know." you laughed as Annie licked her lips and she threw her arm back over your shoulders.

"Mikasa and I are on the same kickboxing club." She shrugged as you settled back into her side. Your mouth opened into an 'o' shape in realization as Annie dug her juul out of her pocket and took a hit. Mikasa nodded in agreement, her eyes shifting back over to the boys, who were laughing loudly as Eren chugged a cup of mystery liquid.

"Really? I had no idea." you said as you followed Mikasa's gaze. Eren was now leaned over gagging as Armin patted his back with a worried expression.

"-You dodged a bullet there!" Reiner quipped as he patted Bertolt's back as the tall boy watched with a disgusted face.

"Hey where did Ymir and Krista run off to?" Sasha asked, whipping her head around to look for the pair.

"Probably making out in some corner." Reiner scoffed as he dropped back onto the sofa, the rest of the boys rejoining the group as well. You nodded in agreement, it was no secret that the pair had been seeing each other recently.

"Guess so." Sasha sighed, slumping back into the sofa, throwing a glare at Connie who was now seated next to her with an arm over the back of the couch. Eren and Armin were the only once unaccounted for, you assumed that they had fled to the bathroom given the state Eren had been in after drinking Connie's concoction. Jean had managed to slip away with all the commotion, probably to return to Marco. Annie sighed, glancing at her phone with a frown, it was well past three at this point and you were starting to feel the fatigue.

"Well I think that I'm heading off to bed." Annie yawned, the others seemed to be mellowing out as well.

"You guys can crash here or my brother's room is open as well as my sisters rooms." She said as she stood up. You immediately missed her warmth as she lingered by the couch.

"I call Eric's room!" Sasha perked up, also standing up to run towards Annie's younger brother's room.

"No fair!" Connie yelled, giving chase. Mikasa sighed and stood up as well.

"I'd better go check on Eren and Armin." She mumbled as she stalked off towards the bathroom.

"Are you staying the night then?" Annie asked you as you also stood up, not sure if you should go after Mikasa.

"I'm not sure, Mikasa was going to take me back to her place..."

"You can sleep in my room with me." She offered, tilting her head towards the stairs. You bit your lip as you weighed your options. Mikasa had been drinking and smoking and you knew that she wasn't stupid enough to drive so you figured that you weren't leaving any more.

"We'll sleep in Sarah's room." Reiner said as he and Bertolt began to retreat up the stairs. Leaving just you and Annie in the basement living room, she raised a brow as she waited for your answer.

"No pressure." She said as she began to walk towards the stairs.

"Yeah I'll sleep with you." you blurted as you jogged to catch up to Annie. She smirked at your wording and you flushed.

"Not like that!" you slapped her arm as she led the way up to the top floor which was a maze of closed doors. She slipped into one of the closed doors, into a large bedroom with a queen sized bed in the center of the room. She emptied her pockets before climbing into bed, pulling the covers back for the both of you. You slid into the open side and sat your phone on the bedside table. Annie sighed with relief as she nestled into the covers, scrolling through her phone as you closed your eyes in an attempt to sleep. After a few minutes Annie put her phone down and rolled over, now her front was facing your back.

"You awake?" She whispered, you rolled over to face her as well.

"Yeah" you answered, resting your head on your arm as you focused on her features as best as you could in the dim lighting.

"You wanna make out?" she asked, your eyes widened in shock. You weren't sure if she was being serious or not.

"For real?" you blinked rapidly as Annie shuffled closer and pushed a lock of hair out of your face.

"I mean yeah." she huffed a shy smile on her face. You pursed your lips in thought, you had never kissed a girl before, and it wasn't like the thought of doing so had never crossed your mind. You shrugged and leaned slightly into her touch.

"Yes or no." She said as she propped herself up on her elbow so she was looking down on you.

"Sure." you agreed, she leaned down as soon as the words left your lips. Her lips were so soft compared to the boys that you'd kissed in the past. Her hand that had been in your hair now traced over your cheek bones as she licked your bottom lip. You opened your mouth for her to slip her tongue in, the taste of weed and pink whitney mingling on her breath. You met her tongue a bit timidly as she licked your bottom teeth. She pulled back after a moment to readjust herself so that she was now laying down on top of you, caging you in her arms as she leaned down to kiss your chin.

"You're so cute." she mused, her lips pressed against the corner of your mouth.

"You're really pretty" you breathed as her lips hovered over your own once more before connecting her lips with yours once more.

[amerrierworld]

Babysitter (pt 10)

Pt 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Summary: You and Tony have a discussion as Hela and Loki sneak around. 

Characters: Hela x fem!reader, Loki, Tony, Steve, Rhodey

Word Count: 1,813

Warnings: nothing? feels!

The New Avengers Facility was by far the most luxurious hideout you'd ever encountered. It was also incredibly large and perfect for aimless exploring. 

The Avengers, though concerned for you once you arrived, quickly lost focus of you as they began flitting about their machines and computers to see what the hell was happening around the world. 

You were given your own room, fully furnished with a well-stocked mini fridge. There was a camera situated outside by the door, so they’d know if you went in or out.

Normally you would’ve protested the house arrest, but you couldn’t be bothered suddenly. You were numb. 

The Facility was massive. It varied from small cozy lounge areas to large open spaces for training, meetings, and all sorts of experimental engineering. 

You were curled up in one of the tinier corners on a brown leather sofa. The rest of the place just seemed so pristine and neat and horrifically modern, no offense to Tony’s design tastes. There was a digital fireplace and heater, yet the 3D projection of the actual fire made it seem real. Only thing missing was the smell of burning wood. 

“Thought you’d have run off by now,” grunted a voice behind you. Tony had come into the lounge. You kept looking at the fire.

“I have no where else to go, Tony,” you said bluntly. Over the past few days you’d been reading up more and more from the news, contacting people you hadn’t talked to in ages. There were a few distant friends and relatives who’d been taken by the Blip, and your heart ached at the ones you hadn’t been able to see one last time. 

“Besides,” you sighed, breaking your gaze from the fire as Tony came to sit across from you, “none of you would have let me leave even if I really tried.”

He leaned back, stretching his body nonchalantly, and you noticed how weary  and thin he actually looked. Dark circles under his eyes, and his fingers seemed to be twitching or twiddling consistently.

“What happened to you?” you muttered. “Why do you look like shit?”

“Oh, you know,” he said, waving his hand, “spent some merry time in space, that’s all. Wasn't planning on being stranded there, but here we are.”

You didn’t ask anything else. Instead you got up, walked to the near sink and pulled out a kettle from the cupboards to make yourself some tea. 

“Okay, let me ask you a question,” Tony said in the silence, twisting in his seat to watch you, resting his head on the back of the sofa. “How on earth did you end up falling head over heels for a psycho?”

You snorted, grabbing a teabag and a mug, “you could ask Pepper the same thing.”

Tony clutched his chest in mock offence, “Ouch. Cold-hearted.”

Grinning, you steeped your tea, and turned around to look at Tony, “it’s not that simple, Stark.”

“No, I think it is,” he said.

“Well fine,” you sighed, slightly exasperated, “she was in my house with me alone, for days. At some point we ended up talking and actually getting to know each other. She opened up to me, and I to her and.. that was it.”

“And how do you know she wasn’t lying to get a way out?”

“She wasn’t. She’d never.”

“But how do you know? Wasn’t it you who always thought you had to give things time? She’s lived for thousands of years, Y/N. You’re a fruit-fly compared to her.”

“Why has this turned into an interrogation?” you snapped. He held up his hands, 

“I’m not interrogating. Just trying to understand.”

“Why did Jane fall in love with Thor, huh? At the time he was a ridiculous, self-absorbed and mindless God who didn’t know how the hell this world worked. Why did Pepper fall in love with you? A narcissistic millionaire playboy who loves to play games and doesn’t take anything seriously?”

You paced the floor as your tea cooled down, fuming,

“Why the hell does anyone fall in love with anyone, huh? Who gets a fucking say in how they feel? And why do you guys have so little faith in me to trust what I feel? I’ve kept secrets for you, I’ve hidden you in my home, I’ve been a part of so much secrecy, and suddenly when I get a little heart-eyed at someone, you act as if I’ve been brainwashed.”

Tony didn’t say anything for a moment. When you met his eyes, they were a little wider than before, looking at you questioningly. 

“In love, huh?”

You blinked.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Uh-huh, you did.”

“N-no, I didn’t, I said I-”

Your face became red, fumbling over your words.

Tony got up from his seat and clapped his hands as he sauntered over to the exit.

“Let’s go sparring, hm? Haven’t done that in a while,” he offered. You tried to cool your cheeks, forgetting about your tea steeping behind you.

“That’s cause I always lose,” you retorted. “You guys work out like your life depends on it. Which... it does.. I guess.”

“Yeah, but look at the state of me,” Tony spread out his arms and did a spin. “I’m feeling like trash. You’ll take me down no problem.”

You doubted that, but followed him anyways. 

-

“Ah, fuck!” Hela swore as another branch tugged at her helmet.

“Will you shut up?” Loki hissed, crouching down and peeking through the trees. “God, you’re even more infuriating than Thor!”

Hela was breathing heavily, aching, grumpy. 

“You really are a pain when you’re not around Y/N, aren’t you? You’re not going to massacre all the Avengers just because you’re peeved, right?”

“Be silent, filth,” she spat. Her brother only rolled his eyes. “What do you see?”

“I thought you wanted me to be silent.”

Hela whacked the back of his head and he grimaced, 

“Alright, alright. Look yourself, it’ll be hard to get in undetected.”

Hela peered over his shoulder. He was right; there wasn’t a lot of hiding spaces or shadows. Well-lit with open spaces, the modern-style building looked quite distasteful to Hela. She pulled a face, both in annoyance and disgust,

Loki chuckled, “I’m glad you hate it too.”

“Shut up,” Hela hissed, before scurrying off further into the trees to explore the perimeter. 

“Where are you- Hela!” Loki whispered hoarsely, hurrying after her. 

She was looking for weak spots, places with no cameras, a spot to sneak in. But she also had no idea where you were, and with the vastness of the buildings she worried if she’d even find you on time.

“Hela,” Loki hissed. She shushed him again, eyes searching the upper floors.

“Hela!” 

“What?”

“Look,” Loki pointed downwards. A little further in the distance outside, surrounded by well lit lights, stood you and that iron-armoured man, both with wooden sticks in your hands, the length of a short blade, thick enough to wrap your whole hand around it.

“Come on, let’s go back, before they see us,” Loki hissed, grabbing Hela’s shoulder. “At least we know she’s here.”

But Hela couldn’t move. You were wearing dark grey sweatpants and a zip-up hoodie, and sturdy boots. You looked tired, but were a vision to her. The man with you wasn’t wearing his armour, and suddenly looked a lot less threatening.

Loki watched, amazed, as his sister’s armour shimmered. The horns disappeared from her head and her cape faded until she was only in black, blending into the darkness.

She dared another step closer.

“Widen your stance,” the man said, waving the stick around. “Now try to attack.”

Hela watched you practice, your grip a bit clumsy and your stance a bit wobbly, but you were determined. She recalled the day she pulled a fork on you as a weapon, and winced a bit at the memory of the fearful, defenceless look in your eyes.

“Like that?” she heard you say, bending your knees and lowering your core.

“Good, but stay light on your feet, otherwise you can’t dodge.”

Your voice was like music to her ears, and hot tears prickled at her eyes. She missed you. So much.

“Stark, what the hell are you trying to do?” two more men had appeared. One blonde, and large, wearing a tight shirt and jeans. The other, dark, dressed in similar casual clothes.

“Gentlemen! Welcome to this exclusive defence lesson.”

“You’re by far the worst defence teacher out of all of us, Stark. Y/N won’t learn shit from you.”

“You wound me, Captain.”

Hela watched you shake hands with the other.

“Oh, Y/N, this is our friend Rhodey, also known as the War Machine.”

“Pleased to meet you, despite the.. unideal circumstances,” the newcomer shook your hand respectfully and flashed a smile. Hela flared with jealousy, and subconsciously bared her teeth.

“Easy,” Loki whispered.

The four of you paired up, you against Tony, but watching Captain’s instructions as he sparred with Rhodey. 

You were not held under lock and key, and Hela worried a moment. Did you go willingly with them after all? Did you forget about her? Was it foolish to even attempt a rescue?

Your laugh rang into the night as Rhodey tackled a distracted Steve, and both dread and joy filled Hela’s heart.

“Okay, try again,” Tony encouraged you. You swung at him a few times as he blocked and dodged. 

Then, you saw her in the darkness. A flash of green eyes, and Tony took your distraction to his advantage, swiping your leg from under you and you fell to the ground with a thud.

Hela nearly shot out of the tree line to protect you if Loki hadn’t stopped her. Then she heard a groan and chuckle coming from you,

“I told you I’d lose.”

“Don’t get distracted then, kiddo.” Tony held out his hand and hoisted you up. Hela growled at the camaraderie and slunk back in the shadows. “What were you looking at?”

He began to turn to follow your eyeline, and you paled,

“N-nothing! I- I was daydreaming.” He looked back at you.

“Not a good idea to daydream while fighting, Y/N,” Steve said.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m not used to this, you know?”

“It’s about time you were taught,” Tony clapped your shoulder. 

“You want to learn anything from the War Machine himself?” Steve asked, nodding at Rhodey.

“Oh, I-I’d love to. But, maybe tomorrow?” you suggested, desperately trying to avoid looking at Hela in the distance. “I’m quite.. tired.”

The men seemed to agree and chatted as they headed back into the building. Tony swiped at Steve as they walked, who promptly tugged the sparring stick from him. 

You hurriedly looked around into the darkness, wanting to see another glimpse, hoping you didn’t imagine it. But when you couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, you worried if you really had gone insane.

Steve called after you, and your heavy feet carried you back inside to settle for the rest of the night.

A/N: Life is fucking INSANE. only a few chapters left for this!! Don’t ask me about the timeline alterations because me trying to make sense of the canon and trying to make it all fit is making my brain explode!! I hope you like it, love you all!!! Stay safeee

tag list: @midnight-lestrange​ @cheerfullyvenomous @germansarechill @gaylorrds @amii-nyc @waitingfortheendtocome @novakitten0901 @marvels-writings @jadewestwriter​ @thisisanexistentialcrisis​

[liliesoftherain]

My Hero Academia Main 3 Boys x Reader

Ch. 19 Endeavors Agency

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but here's the next part of the series! I just realized I hit over 2000 followers, and I honestly don't deserve it at all. Thank you guys for your compassion and understanding, and I hope to generate more content you like. I might be willing to do an event, and turn my requests back for a short amount of time, but we'll see.

Masterlist

“Are you all ready for tomorrow? I still don’t know how I feel about you staying at Endeavor’s agency for the week.”

You hold in a sigh, choosing to smile instead--even if he couldn’t see you.

“Yeah dad, I’m all ready to go,” you knew of your dad’s--distaste--for the number two, even if he wouldn’t say it, “and I hope I’ll be able to learn a lot from this--although I know you’re probably the better teacher.”

He hums at your praise, you can hear his amusement over the phone.

“I’ll always have room for you at the office, just say the word.”

“I’m sure you’ll have your hands full with Bakugou, dad.”

“I hope to reform that boy, by the looks of him, he has pride sewn into the very fiber of his being.”

“Sounds about right-”

“Plus, he was getting a bit too cozy with my daughter, I have half the mind to question him about it.”

“Dad!” You elongate the word, turning it into a groan at the end as he just chuckles at your misery. 

Moving on from the topic, you change the conversation to something lighter--mundane things about school and work before having to hang up the phone. He was unable to come home tonight, meaning you wouldn’t be seeing him until you got back. Unfortunately, you were used to calls instead of in-person goodnights--even if it was a bit lonely sometimes, you pushed on. 

 After ending the call, you get ready for bed--thoughts of the week ahead making it difficult to fall asleep.

-----

“Everyone has their costumes, right? You can’t wear them out in public unless you’re given permission--and don’t lose them either, understood?”

“Yep, loud and clear!”

“Speak properly Ashido, it’s yes sir. You all need to mind your manners.”

“Yes sir..”

You grin at Mina’s dejected face, only patting her back in comfort once you were dismissed. You wave goodbye to her as she heads to her station, looking back in search of your internship buddy. 

After spotting him, you make your way over to his side to see his attention on Iida as he marches off.

“Todoroki?”

He turned to look at you, blinking owlishly as he snapped out of whatever thoughts he had been consumed by.

“Hakamata, hello.”

In some ways, you were looking forward to the internship. Ever since the sports festival, you’ve been able to regard Todoroki in a brand new light. He wasn’t as stuck up as you first took him for, if anything his reactions only made it seem that way. 

The boy was just--awkward. 

“Shall we get going then?”

He nodded in agreement, and you both leisurely walked towards your train. Sitting side-by-side after baording, suitcases in your laps respectively. The trip there was pretty quiet, and you were glad to say it wasn’t an awkward one. It was different, being so used to rambles from people like Mina and Izuku, or even loud and rowdy conversations with Eijiro or Bakugou. Yet with Todoroki, words weren’t needed to fill the air, it was comforting all on its own. 

It didn’t take long to reach Tokyo, arriving at the station quicker than you thought. You both get off, having to walk the rest of the way to the large building. It was bigger than your father’s, and you felt slightly intimidated. Todoroki looked over as your steps faulted, tilting his head in silent communication. You give a tight smile, ushering your nerves down as you make your way inside. 

“Hello!” The woman at the front desk beamed, “Endeavor has been waiting for you two, why don’t you go and head up to his office!” 

She gave you the quick directions, waving you off as you stepped into the elevator. Todoroki had seemed tense now that he was actually about to see his dad, and you couldn’t blame him. Your last interaction with the man wasn’t the best, if anything you were downright rude.

All within reason, of course. 

You arrive on the floor that his office was located on, stepping out of the elevator and having to walk through a room filled to the brim with sidekicks to get to the room. After receiving the okay to enter, you step inside to realize the entire part of the building was his office. The room was huge; marble walls with high ceilings, a crystal chandelier hung above a seating area and all the way towards the far wall, at a large oak desk, was the man who you’d have to put up with for the next week. 

You heard a bitter sigh come from your companion, and you give a quick glance of reassurance in his direction. He does the same before you two make your way into the room. If you thought it was intimidating before, the scarce lighting made it even more so--the room relatively dim, save for the rays of the setting sun peeking in through the wall of windows on the right hand side.

“Shoto, I’ve been waiting for you.” A deep voice speaks up as you both stop to stand in front of his desk.

Endeavor is standing as well, smirking down at the both of you before focusing his attention on his son. 

“I’m glad you made this decision. You’re finally ready to walk down the path of the mighty.”

“I have no intention of following any path you’ve created. Only I can decide my future.”

The surge of pride you feel as Todoroki stands up for himself falters as a chuckle falls from Endeavor.

“Is that so?” He glances between the both of you, “you both should go get ready then, we’re going out.”

“Where to?” Todoroki answers, looking surprised. 

“I’m going to show you both what it means to be a hero.”

-----

The sun has long been set as the three of you patrol the streets of Tokyo, whispers following as you did. It was very different, the energy a complete contrast from what you’ve seen with your dad and his patrols. People called out to him all the time, big grins on their faces’ as they waved enthusiastically. However, the people around here looked intimidated by the large pro hero. In awe yes, but nervous to approach him at the same time. You couldn’t blame them, Endeavors aura was very nerve-wracking.

However, despite the feeling he gave off, things were calm. The peace surrounded everyone and everything around--laughter and smiles was seen all around. It was great; this is how life should be, no one should be fearful. 

“Rescue, evacuation, and suppression. There are the three fundamentals required of all heroes. Most agencies are established on a foundation of either “rescue” or “suppression”. However, my agency does not. Remember that. We are grounded in all three of these fundamentals, combined.”

You and Todoroki nod, listening to Endeavor’s speech as he stomps on. 

“You have to remain focused--memorize every single detail of your jurisdiction. Don’t let a single irregularity slip by. Be on-site faster than anyone else. Minimize all casualties by keeping all citizens far away as possible.”

He didn’t look back once--his focus never wavering, remaining on the crowds around him. 

“These are the basics of the basics, do you understand?”

“Yes sir.” You answer.

“Yeah.” Todoroki spoke, as enthusiastic as ever.

“Then keep up.”

In the blink of an eye, Endeavor was gone. You blinked owlishly, sharing a look with Todoroki before you both rushed off after the number two. It was hard to keep up, the hero using his flames to accelerate his speed. 

Todoroki was using his ice to help him, almost in the same way, while you used the move you picked up in the sports festival--allowing your light to harden under your feet, to extend and give you a boost. While you would be faster if you allowed your body to transform into light particles, you weren’t very efficient with it, you’d need some more training before you could try to use it in your day-to-day activities. 

You finally heard the wailing of police sirens and the screeching of tires. 

You were shocked Endeavor had noticed so far away, but you suppose that’s what it means to be the number two hero. 

In a less populated area, down a mostly deserted road, there was a large truck being tailed by three different police vehicles, with no sign of stopping. The getaway truck was being reckless, swerving all over without a care of what--or who--it ran over. 

Trying to boost your speed to get there quicker, you were left to stop short as the truck suddenly came to a screeching stop. Endeavor had stopped the truck with his own body, acting as an obstacle halting it from moving any further. You watched in awe as the criminals inside were apprehended accordingly, Endeavor having full control of the situation. While you weren’t able to do anything but watch--since you were only interns and didn’t have hero licenses to be able to use your quirks like that in public--you still took in every detail you could, exactly like Endeavor had told you to. 

The way there were no casualties, or any injuries of the citizens for that matter, and even though there was damage to the area around him, it was insignificant to what could have been if they continued on for even just another few minutes. In the short amount of time it took for Endeavor to race over and stop the villains, so much had already been done.

‘A real pros power…’

“Let’s go. We aren’t done.”

-----

You awake bright and early the next day, feeling exhausted from how long you stayed out last night. The three of you ended patrolling for the next few hours without any other exciting things to happen. Endeavor tended to mainly ignore you, but he did ask about what your goal was overall--if anything you were shocked that he was speaking to you civilly.

You explained how you wanted to get the experience you needed to be a great hero, and do it on your own accord. How you wanted to use your quirk to the best of your ability and save lives. You weren’t here to play around, you wanted to do something good--you wanted to be useful. He gave you a simple speech of encouragement--if you could call it that--before dropping the subject as he ranted to Todoroki about all the great things he could learn from him. 

 It was a night to remember, and you did learn something pretty valuable, so you’d have to give him that.

You walk out into the main area--the one you had to walk through yesterday to get to Endeavor’s office--with your hero uniform already on, ready to see what was on the agenda for the day. The room was large, holding plenty of office desks and important equipment, as if Endeavor had his own intelligence force right in the middle of his agency. Seeing as how many cases the number two hero took on--as well as how many cases his plentiful amount of sidekicks took on--it wasn’t a surprise.

Glancing around, you couldn’t find Todoroki, instead coming face-to-face with one of the many sidekicks held in the agency.

“Hey there kiddo, welcome to the Endeavor Hero Agency!” The woman laughs boisterously.

Her copper-green hair flickered around her head, a cocky smirk on her lips, and a wicked gleam in her amber eyes all made you alert. She wasn’t a threat, but her attitude was the exact opposite of Endeavor’s.

Just a bit weird.

“Ah, yes, thank you.” You bow, only to be thrown off guard as she pats--more like slaps--your back repeatedly.

“Oh come on, don’t be so formal! I’m going to end up putting you to work right away, even if you’re going to have to fight for the right to work alongside us!” She cackles loudly, and you sweat drop as she reminds you of a certain pinkett back at school.

“Luminary.”

You push off Burnin and look towards Todoroki as he walks up beside you, also just as ready as you were to start the day.

“Shoto, good morning.”

It felt a little embarrassing at first, to be calling Todoroki by his first name, but you remembered it’s what he had chosen as his hero name. The entirety of the night before, only code names were used, so now it was second nature. 

“Shoto-kun! I’d say the same for you, but you’ll probably be stuck with Endevor while miss Luminary here will have to kick it with us,” Burnin tries to slap you on the back again but you quickly dodge, causing her to grin to widen, “since, yanno, Endeavor really only cares about you!”

Todorki scoffs at the notion, even if it was true. He was eyeing Burnin as she continued to try and pester you. It’s odd, seeing you in a different setting outside of school. He noticed how quiet you’ve been, and while that wasn’t a bad thing, you were always pretty upbeat and talkative in school. 

You kept up with Bakugou’s rambunctious actions, Midroiya’s rambles, Ashido’s exuberant personality, and even Kirishima’s upbeat attitude. However, ever since you both stepped onto the train to come to the agency, you’ve kept to yourself for the most part. You soaked up all the information you could, even if you were being a little wary of Endeavor. 

Todoroki had indeed noticed, and he would be too in your position, shoot, he already was wary of his old man and all the ideas he had running around in his head. However, right now in this moment Todoroki saw the flicker of fire sparking again as you tried to keep the older sidekick from putting you into a headlock. It was good to see you as yourself, you always did know how to light up a room.

“Shoto.” The smile playing on the boy's lips fell as he heard his father.

You quickly detach yourself from Burnin’s hold, straightening up as Endevors approached. His hard gaze barely looked in your direction, focused on his son as always.

“Shoto,” he repeats, “We’ll be having an important mission today.”

Endoavor finally looks at you, the frown on his face stays in place--but it doesn’t get any deeper either. 

“As for you Luminary, you shall be shadowing Burnin for the time being.”

“Yes sir!” Burning salutes the pro before shrugging an arm around your shoulder. 

Todoroki glances at you from the corner of his eyes, and he sees how your shoulders fall ever-so-slightly. It was practically unnoticable, but he saw it. You were disappointed, the only reason Todoroki convinced you to come was because he knew that working with the man who had the speed and instincts of a number two pro hero was a great opportunity--even if his old man was a scumbag. He had to acknowledge his talents. 

“I want Hakamata to come.”

The silence between the two was stifling, the heated glares acting as a silent conversation. You eyed Todoroki bewildered, confused as to why he was questioning Endeavor's decision. Sure, you were annoyed and somewhat disappointed, but you expected this. You were prepared to be treated as second best. 

After all, people like them were always good at making people like you feel inferior. 

“What?”

“I want Hakamata to be able to attend this mission with us.”

Endeavors eyes shut briefly, before doing the unexpected.

“If that’s what you want. Be ready, the both of you, we’re leaving soon,” he turns to the rest of the members in the room, “We’re taking a work trip to Hosu.”

“Yes sir!”

As Endeavor turns to leave, you smile brightly at Todoroki.

“Thanks Shoto.” 

“Uh, yeah, sure.” His head faces the floor, he couldn’t bring himself to look you in the eyes.  

“Let’s hurry then, we have a city to get to!”

“Right.”

-----

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[meliakim]

Ultimate Bias

Mun is thankful when Seokjinie calls her to distract her from the typhoon.

*Mun’s POV*

I closed my eyes and did my best to focus on the music playing through my earbuds as I rode the bus home. I have been trying to expand my kpop horizons over the past half-year or so, ever since befriending Kim Seokjin and becoming an ARMY. I had recently been getting into a group called GOT7. Currently, the sub-unit JJ Project’s new album was playing, and it was helping me calm down. The bus felt like it was shaking due to the heavy rain, which seemed to be coming down sideways as the wind blew furiously outside.

I have always been a scaredy cat when it came to storms, and it being the middle of summer and storm season meant frequent storms and typhoons. This typhoon had been forecasted for a week, but it still didn’t make me feel prepared for its arrival. As the bus came to a stop at my stop, my heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t ready to trek through the storm to get to my apartment. I pulled the hood of my large yellow rain jacket over my head and took a deep breath before heading out into the storm. I did my best to calmly speed walk to the apartment building and sighed a sigh of relief once I was indoors.

I headed up to my apartment and shed the soaked jacket, hanging it up on the coat rack by the front door for it to dry. Even though it shielded me from most of the rain, I still felt wet and in need of a shower, so that’s what I did. I hopped in the shower and blasted my music, trying to forget that there was a typhoon outside. Even though it was still relatively early in the evening, I put my PJs on, then made some instant ramyeon before hiding in my room from the storm. Though I closed the blinds and curtains, I could still hear the howling of the wind and the rain hitting my window, so I snuggled up close to my giant RJ plush on my bed, as if he would be able to protect me.

I put on an episode of My Hero Academia to distract me as I ate my ramyeon, which was interrupted by an incoming FaceTime call from Seokjinie. I sat up a bit straighter and took a deep breath, trying to put on a brave face despite the typhoon outside, and then answered. He was in his hotel room, seeming to have just gotten back. “You’re back in your room awfully early,” I said, knowing they were currently in the same time zone, as they were in Japan. Normally, they were always out late working and didn’t get back to their hotel until late at night.

“Today we just had a soundcheck for tomorrow night’s concert. Some of the other members went out to get drinks, but I decided to grab some food and come spend the evening with you,” he said, showing me his bag of carry out food. “I hope you don’t have anything else going on,” he added, setting the bag down on the table in his room and taking a seat. “No, I’m doing nothing at all! Not sure why you would want to hang out with me instead of the boys, though,” I replied with a smirk.

“You know I don’t like large crowds and bars like they go to… It’s not like I had anything better to do,” he teased, pulling out the boxes of food out of his bag and setting them on the table. “Whatcha eating there?” I asked him, curiously. “There’s a good sushi place just outside the hotel that I pass by every day, so I decided to finally try it,” he said. “What have you been up to today?” he asked as he opened his box and pulled out his personal chopsticks, preparing his soy sauce and wasabi as we talked.

“Same old, same old… I’ve been listening to this new album by a group called JJ Project,” I said as I affectionately watched him eat. “JJ Project? Isn’t that a sub-unit of GOT7?” he asked. I nodded. “Yeah!! You know about GOT7?” I asked. “I know GOT7… at least a few of the members. I know Jaebeom and Jinyoung well,” he replied. “AND THEY’RE JJ PROJECT!!! Ahhh! I can’t believe you actually know them!! Aish, sorry!!” I said, realizing I was fangirling. He just laughed from the other side of the call. “Ahh, Mun-ah… I’m an idol too, you know? You seem to always forget that!” he said, still laughing cutely.

I laughed with him. “To me you’re just Seokjinie!” I said, suddenly becoming serious at hearing the loud clap of thunder outside. Seokjinie must’ve seen the change in my demeanor. “What’s wrong?” he asked concernedly. “I’m just not a big fan of storms,” I said, trying to seem cool and collected. “It’s storming there? The typhoon must’ve moved over that way, it was storming here yesterday. You’re afraid of storms?” Seokjinie asked, to which I nodded. “I had no idea! I wish I was there in Korea so I could come over and distract you,” he said.

I smiled. “You’ve already been doing a good job with that… I honestly forgot it was storming for a moment, until I heard the thunder,” I replied, reaching over and pulling my very large RJ closer to me. “I’m going to stay here with you until the storm passes, then… even if it’s through the night. And RJ will be right there for you to hug,” he said, kindly. I hid my face behind RJ, almost sure that I was blushing. “Thank you, Seokjinie… you don’t have to do that,” I said. “But I want to,” he said, taking another bite of sushi.

“So, tell me, do you have a bias in GOT7?” he asked before shoving another piece of sushi in his mouth. “I think it’s Jinyoung… He stood out to me the most, and I really like his voice… but I honestly like all the members,” I answered. “Yahhh, is it because ‘Jin’ is in his name?” Seokjinie asked with a smirk. I laughed and just played along. “Yes, that’s literally the only reason why I chose him to be my bias,” I said, sarcastically. “Does that mean Jinyoung in B1A4 is your bias as well?” he asked. I had gotten into B1A4 a lot over the past several months. One of the members, Sandeul, is a good friend of Seokjinie. Though I’ve never met him, he still became my bias.

“Actually, for B1A4, I really like Sandeul. His voice is so smooth, and I could listen to him sing literally all day,” I said, smiling at the thought of him. “So you chose him because he’s my friend,” Seokjinie teased. I laughed again. “Yes, literally all my biases have to do with you in some way or another,” I replied. “So that makes me your ultimate bias then?” he replied, dramatically. Though I know he was just teasing, I couldn’t help but blush. I got up from my bed and rotated the camera, showing all the BTS Jin merch in my room that Seokjinie had given me over time. “Look at all this merch! I don’t feel like I have much of a choice,” I said.

“Heyyy, I gave you all of that stuff because I thought it would be helpful. I knew how much you were going to miss me while I was gone, so I slowly gave you stuff, hoping that it would be enough to remind you about me and make you not miss me!” he spurted out quickly like he did when he acted like he was irritated. I just laughed and blushed. “Well, it’s not working… you should’ve sent me some more stuff, because I still miss you,” I said, looking away from the camera as I said so. “And I miss you, Mun-ah,” he said simply, smiling smally as I looked at him again. I had forgotten all about the typhoon outside.

[scenes-in-between]

Trust No 1 (Part Four)

For the hundredth time in the last 18 hours, Gibson wonders why he agreed to this.

The train is busy and loud in a way he hasn’t had to deal with for a long time. Living for months crammed in a tiny trailer with Mulder’s noisy mind was nothing compared to this. Dozens of people in close proximity, only a handful of them asleep, all drowning each other out and making it nearly impossible to listen for threats. He finds himself trembling with the effort.

Jesus, poor kid, Mulder practically screams beside him.

“I’m fine,” he says through clenched teeth. “Just got used to the quiet.”

“Only a few more hours,” Mulder murmurs aloud, and Gibson nods.

A picture flares to life in Mulder’s mind, something Gibson has seen there before but Mulder’s never spoken about. Gibson doesn’t know if he’s remembering a nightmare or something that actually happened; it feels like the latter, but that’s impossible.

Mulder catches Gibson frowning at him and shrugs, sighing. “Sorry. I know it’s not the same, and I’m not suggesting I know exactly what you’re going through. I just can’t help remembering how it felt.”

“How what felt?”

Now Mulder’s the one to frown, confused. “You don’t know? I mean… You couldn’t see that memory just now?”

“People usually remember things in a kind of shorthand. There’s not always context. This memory of yours… I’ve seen it before, but I don’t know what it means or if it’s even real.”

“What did you see?”

“You’re in a hospital, I think. And you can hear people like I can. But it’s too much. It hurts, and you can’t… you’re not…”

“Yeah,” Mulder says quietly. “Yeah, that was real.”

“But how?”

There was an artifact, Mulder thinks. A piece of a ship, a spacecraft. I don’t know how or why it affected me like that, but it did. I could hear thoughts, but not like you do, not really. My mind couldn’t handle the input. It burned me up, shut me down. I almost died. Only reason I didn’t is that someone cut open my head and took whatever it was out of me.

Gibson can see images again as Mulder remembers waking up in that room, remembers Scully rescuing him. Mulder’s thoughts slide away from the narrative of the memory and latch on to Scully, and how he can’t wait to see her, and William, and there is this swell of affection that is unlike anything Gibson ever felt from his own parents. It makes him a little sad, even though he���s long since come to terms with the fact that his parents were always more afraid of him than anything else.

“They just cut it out of you?” Gibson prompts, hoping to steer Mulder back on course.

Mulder blinks. “Uh, yeah. I mean, I assume so. I used to have, well it was never a big scar, but…” He brushes his fingers over his forehead, almost like it’s a reflex. “Then later, after I came back from the dead, everything just… healed. Way faster and way more completely than should have even been possible. Can’t even feel the scar at all anymore. But yeah, that’s where they cut me open, and then when I woke up afterward, that was that. Only thoughts in my head were my own.”

Gibson wonders what it would be like to never hear anyone else’s thoughts, ever. The only way that ever truly happens for him is if he’s physically isolated, though when he’s not so out of practice, he can choose to turn the volume down by picking one thing or person to focus on. He realizes that as Mulder’s been talking (both in his head and out loud), that’s exactly what has happened; the rest of the mental chatter in the train car has faded into the background, nothing more than a dull murmur at the edge of his mind. He’s grateful for the respite, but it also means he might miss something, if there’s someone or something on this train that wants to hurt them. He really should go back to listening.

But also he’s just so, so tired.

“How much longer until the next station?” he asks, wondering if maybe, since he hasn’t picked up on the presence of any threats on the journey so far, he can afford to let his guard down a little, at least until they stop again and more new people get on board.

Mulder shifts and digs into his pocket for the brochure they picked up at the station the last time they transferred, which has a timetable with all the stops on this rail line. “Hmm, forty-five minutes, give or take? Why?”

“Can you do me a favor and just think about something really boring for a little while? Like, I don’t know, FBI protocols or something?”

Mulder chuckles. “Can’t say I’ve ever really been much of an expert on those. But sure. You gonna try to nap?”

Gibson doubts actually falling asleep is possible, but he nods anyway. Even if he can just rest for a while, that will be good. Just in case, though…

“Make sure I’m awake when we get to the next station, okay? So I can listen to the new people getting on. Just in case.”

Mulder nods, and a jumble of emotion spills out of him: pity, guilt, gratitude, regret, and something else Gibson can’t immediately identify. There’s this sense of he’s way too young to have to have to carry all this and I should be the one protecting him, which makes Gibson want to roll his eyes. Mulder still seems to think of him as the 12 year-old kid he was when they met, but he’s 16 now, and he’s been living on his own for a good long while. He can more than take care of himself. But there it is again, that flash of something else, and then it’s like Mulder makes the conscious decision to stop and focus on that one feeling because it completely takes over. It’s warm and something like affection but not quite, and Gibson puzzles over it some more before realizing, finally, that it’s pride.

Mulder is proud of him.

It’s not something Gibson has felt directed toward him many times in his life, and it makes him squirm a little bit. But it’s also nice.

“Thanks,” he says quietly, and Mulder nods again.

“You got it, kid.” 

All right, let’s see. Now, unfortunately for me, I’ve had to sit through more than a few training seminars on the application of Chapter 119 of Title 18 of the US Penal Code. Fortunately for you, this is just about the most boring subject on the face of the Earth, and as I happen to be cursed with an eidetic memory, I can recite the stupid thing chapter and verse. Consider this your first class ticket on an express train to Snoozeville.

Gibson can’t help but smile a little as he leans back in his seat and closes his eyes.

Chapter 119: Wire and Electronic Communications Interception and Interception of Oral Communications. Section 2510: Definitions. As used in this chapter-- (1) “wire communication” means any aural transfer made in whole or in part through the use of facilities for the transmission of communications by the aid of wire, cable, or other like connection between the point of origin and the point of reception…

The gentle rhythm of Mulder’s bland recitation melds perfectly with the steady rocking and the click-clack of the train, and in spite of his apprehensions, Gibson is asleep in minutes.

***

From the relative comfort of his office, the Shadow Man watches the grainy feed from the station platform’s surveillance camera. It’s not exactly riveting viewing; Agent Scully paces back and forth, having arrived at the station more than an hour before the train is due. But, this is what he does. He watches. All day long, day after day, he watches and he listens.

It’s a form of omniscience, being able to drop into the daily life of virtually anyone he may choose, whenever he needs to, observing unseen from the shadows. (Not the most imaginative moniker, this one these FBI agents have given him, but he supposes it does fit.) Tonight, all he needs is confirmation that Mulder really is going to get off that train.

Scully’s posture belies not only anticipation but also fear. Her guard is fully up, but she need not worry. Not tonight, anyway. Let them have their reunion. He will call tomorrow to arrange a meeting, and then he’ll eliminate Mulder once and for all. He has waited months for this opportunity; one more night is nothing.

That is, until something happens that tosses every one of his carefully-laid plans out the window: someone blacks out the camera lens.

Ah. So. His little employee has finally started to put the pieces together, has he? He supposes it was just a matter of time, but this is particularly inconvenient. Without eyes on the platform, he loses his advantage. Despite his claims to the contrary, it would absolutely be possible for Mulder and Scully to vanish into the wind, away from his view. He cannot let that happen.

He glances at the clock and scowls. It will be a close-run thing, getting to Alexandria from Bethesda before the train arrives, but the late hour and empty roads are on his side. He’s out the door and on the road in minutes, speeding southward.

Looks like Mulder and Scully won’t be getting their little reunion after all. But they’re the ones who decided not to play along. Now the plan has to change, and that’s fine by him. A predatory grin lurks at the corners of his mouth as he presses harder on the accelerator.

This ends tonight.

***

As the train begins to slow on approach to the station, Mulder’s leg bounces with both nerves and excitement. Beside him, Gibson is still and silent, all of his attention focused on the thoughts of the people outside.

Suddenly he gasps and grabs Mulder’s arm. “You can’t go out there.”

No, please, I’m so close...

“You can hear someone out there?” Mulder asks tightly.

“Yes! There’s a man, and he’s one of them. He wants to kill you.”

“Damnit…”

Scully said we’d be safe. Oh no, Scully… 

“Is Scully in danger?”

Gibson’s eyes are wide. “I don’t know. He’s… he’s got a gun, and he’s not aiming for her, but he doesn’t care that she’s in the way.”

Mulder leaps to his feet.

“Wait! You can’t!”

The three pops of gunfire are muted from inside the train car, but Mulder hears them anyway. He hurtles forward to lean over Gibson and peer out the window. There’s movement on the platform, bodies on the ground, but it’s too dark and they’re too far away for him to make out any detail.

The train picks up speed again, and a ripple of confused chatter fills the car and drowns out the conductor’s words coming over the loudspeaker. Mulder’s insides give a desperate lurch as he catches just a glimpse of Scully’s stricken face through the window. She’s on her feet, thank god. She wasn’t shot. 

For the span of a heartbeat, there she is in front of him, real and solid, not just a presence in his mind. But then she’s gone again as the train whisks him past, and he wants to cry out at the injustice of it. It’s not fair. I was so close. The months of separation feel like an iron band around his ribs.

But it’s clearly still not safe to go home. He knows she wouldn’t have brought him out of hiding unless she truly believed it would be okay, but apparently whoever led her to that belief was either wrong or lying. Will it ever be completely safe? Is this what the rest of his life is going to be, this hiding and running and always looking over his shoulder? Feeling like he’s in this limbo, merely existing while the rest of his life carries on thousands of miles away without him?

It’s not until Gibson grabs him by the arm and shakes him that he realizes the boy has been speaking. He blinks.

“What?”

“He’s on the train! The man who was on the platform. He knows you’re here, and he’s coming after you!”

Mulder snaps to attention. “Can you tell where he is?”

Gibson squeezes his eyes shut, visibly shaking from concentration or fear or both. “He’s… he’s three cars ahead, but under… hanging on to the underside. I think he was on the tracks and then grabbed on to the train as it went over him.” He opens his eyes again, wide. “We have to get out of here!”

Mulder’s stomach tightens as he does a quick mental calculation. While he didn’t plan for this exact scenario, he did look up several potential places he could try to go, in case it turned out that it wasn’t safe in D.C. after all. One of them is a quarry with significant iron deposits, just south of Alexandria. The tracks run near enough that he just might make it, might be able to lead the man there, if he can manage to avoid getting caught first.

Quickly, nonverbally, he rushes to convey his plan to Gibson. He’s got about two or three minutes to jump off the train and hope to god the man follows him. He jerks open the zipper on his backpack and pulls out one of the burner phones he bought, as well as a couple of hundred dollar bills, shoving both into his pocket. 

“I hoped we wouldn’t have to use these,” he says aloud, “but this is exactly why I bought them. Stay on the train for two more stops, then find somewhere to lay low. Let me know where you are, and I’ll come find you. The number for this phone is on the paper in the backpack. Got it?”

“What if something happens to you?”

Call Scully, Mulder tells him telepathically. “But I’m hoping it won’t come to that,” he adds.

Gibson nods, and Mulder gives his shoulder a squeeze before hurrying down the aisle to the door. He moves quickly between cars, into and through the one in front of where they were sitting, and then the next. If Gibson’s right, the man should be there just ahead of him, underneath the very next car. 

Mulder’s heart pounds as he turns the latch to open the exterior door. He certainly doesn’t want to get caught, but he also needs to make sure the man follows him into the quarry and doesn’t get on the train and go after Gibson. Outside the ground rushes past, and he steels himself for how much this next part is going to suck.

I am getting way too old for this shit.

He grips the handrail beside the door and leans forward as much as he dares.

“Hey asshole!” he shouts into the wind. “Looking for me?!”

Taking one last deep breath, he jumps.

***

Only when she is absolutely certain that the Shadow Man super-soldier isn’t coming after her does Scully stop running. She looks around wildly. Mulder has to still be here, somewhere.

“Mulder!”

It’s Arizona all over again, with her shouting his name into the night, hoping against hope for some answering call. 

“Mulder!”

But as was the case in Arizona, she receives no response.

***

The roller coaster of emotion is too much for Gibson. His own feelings are magnified by what he hears in Mulder’s thoughts, a sort of resonating loop that spirals him toward despair and exhaustion.

So he sleeps. It is, mercifully, a dreamless slumber, and it cradles him all the way back to New Mexico. Mulder gently shakes him awake, and they wordlessly disembark, waiting amid the other passengers while Mulder’s motorcycle is unloaded. Once they retrieve it, it’s a quiet ride back to the trailer neither of them had hoped to see again, though once they crest the hill and finally come within sight of it, Gibson lets out a sigh of relief.

[wr1ter-reader-dreamer]

Waiting (Pt. 1)

Timothee Chalamet x Reader

A/N: This story is an original work of fiction inspired by actors I like. If you like it too, please reblog it and leave a comment. Also check out some of my other works at my master list linked below. I welcome feedback, so let me know how I could make my posts better! Thanks, and enjoy <3 

Masterlist

Part 2  -  Part 3

He had been away filming for months, and it was hard. We had gotten by with late night phone calls and Facetimes, but it was obvious how much we missed each other. Usually I was able to take time off to spend a week or two wherever he was filming, but not this time. This time the director had requested no outside guests, hoping that it would keep everyone focused so they could finish as fast as possible. Never before had I hated his job as much as I did now, but it was his passion, so I tried not to show it.

The calls and Facetimes had been innocent at first. We would end almost every night with a summary of our days, a statement about how much we missed each other, and a declaration of love. Days where we knew we would be too busy to call would see numerous Snapchats with short captions about whatever we were thinking at the moment. Everything was going fine the first month, but then everything changed.

I had been having a particularly hard day at work when I got a text from Timothee to check his Instagram. Curious, I immediately clicked open the app and looked for his most recent post. What I saw had my body instantly heating up.

The picture was a first look of Timmy’s character in the movie. He was dressed in period garb with black leather pants and chainmail. His hair was cut shorter than usual, and he was looking off camera with a serious look on his face. The image radiated power and authority, a look I usually only saw from Timmy in bed.

Sucking in a deep breathe, I attempted to rein in my racing heart. I didn’t bother texting him back, knowing he would see that I had liked the post and that he would know what it had done to me. For now, I tried desperately to focus on my work until I could get home and show him exactly how much I had liked the picture.

That night our FaceTime hadn’t been so innocent. Instead we both showed each other just how much we had missed the other with lowly spoken words of praise and need. After that, all of our conversations had an underlying, if nor outright, sexual tones. It was obvious that we needed each other in a more carnal way that neither of us were bothering to hide.

It was no surprise really that we had come to this. Timothee and I had always had a very active sex life, and that didn’t change just because he was away filming. After almost two years together, we knew all of the alternative ways of getting each other off. If anything, it was surprising that we hadn’t started this earlier.

We continued like this for two months, our calls now ending with breathless “I love you’s” after we were both temporarily satisfied. Neither of us was a stranger to the fact that the tension and sexual frustration was building the longer he was away. I needed him, and he needed me, and the last day of filming could not come fast enough.

Just when I thought I would die from frustration, Timmy announced in an excited call that he would be him in two days. Bubbling with anticipation, I prepared for his arrival. I re-stocked the fridge with all his favorites, changed the sheets on the bed so he could crawl into fresh ones, and even bought a new set of lingerie that I knew he would love.

I took off of work the day he was set to arrive, knowing I wouldn’t be able to focus. Instead I set my focus on preparing for tonight. Timmy’s plane would arrive relatively late, and I knew he would be hungry, so I made his favorite dinner. I also took a shower, shaved, and put on the lingerie under now of his oversized t-shirts so that I was prepared for desert. It was a tradition to spend our first night back together relieving all of our built up tension, no matter how late he got in. 

Finally, I got the text that he had landed and was in a car on his way home. Squealing, I set out dinner on our small table and went to the entry hall to wait. I knew that it would take a while for him to arrive, but I was to excited to do anything else. I had missed my sweet boy more than I ever could have imagined, and I was so happy to finally get to be in his arms again.

Lost in my thoughts about his soft smile and fluffy brown hair, I almost missed the sound of the key turning in the lock. Still, there was no way I could miss the door swinging open to reveal my handsome boyfriend, a large yet tired smile on his face.

“Timmy!” I squealed, rushing into his arms and almost knocking him over in the processes.

He laughed and dropped the bags in his hands so he could wrap his arms around me, “Hi, mon amour.”

Eagerly I pulled back from the hug only to connect my lips with his in a frantic kiss. Pushing up on my toes, I tangled my fingers in the base of his now grown out curls and tugged lightly. He growled, returning my kiss briefly before pulling away with a quick peck.

“I’ve missed you, baby,” he sighed as he smoothed his thumbs over my cheeks and looked at me, “I almost forgot how beautiful you are.”

Rolling my eyes, I nipped playfully at his thumb before stepping away entirely, “I made you dinner.”

“I can smell that,” he smiled, hand trailing down my arm to my own so as to not loose contact. After so long away he didn’t want to let me go for a second, and I was perfectly fine with that. 

I bent down to pick up his bags as I said, “Why don’t you get started, and I’ll take these to our room?”

“Merci, mon cher. Hurry back, though. I miss you.”

Smiling, I nodded. I quickly took his bags to our room and deposited them in our closet before glancing in the mirror. Briefly, I fluffed my hair and smiled, then made my way back to where Timothee was tucking into dinner.

“How was your flight, handsome?” I asked as I sat beside him and tangled my fingers with those of his free hand.

Taking a moment to chew and swallow his bite, he shrugged, “Long and boring. This is really good.”

“You should know by now that I can cook when I want to,” I teased playfully.

He rolled his eyes with a smile, “But you prefer when I do it.”

I shrugged, “Not my fault those French grandparents of yours taught you so well.”

With a laugh and a shake of his head, he reached for the glass of wine by his plate. I watched mesmerized as his long fingers wrapped atone the simple glass and brought it to his lips. His soft lips curled around the rim, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed a large gulp. Then he returned the glass to its place by his plate, and my eyes lingered on his hand.

He had such nice hands. Long fingers, wide palm, perfect for curling inside me or pinning my hands above my head when I was naughty. Instantly my body heated uo, reminding me just how long I had gone without those hands on me.

Timmy must have noticed my gaze because he sighed. Blushing at having been caught, I looked up at him to find an apologetic look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked with a slight frown.

He sighed again and turned slightly to rest his arm on my shoulder and play with the ends of my hair, “I’ve had a really long day, mon amour, and I have to be up really early for a photoshoot tomorrow.”

“So?”

“Baby,” he said softly, abandoning my hair and cupping my cheek, “I can’t tonight.”

“Oh,” I said dejectedly.

“I’m sorry, amour. I know how much we’ve both been looking forward to this, but I need to get some sleep.”

Plastering a small smile on my face, I shook my head, “It’s alright Timmy. I understand, and I can wait.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, leaning down slightly to catch my eye.

“Of course.”

He smiled and pulled me into a big, “Je t’aims, douce fille. Merci.”

“I love you too, Timmy. So much”

And that was how we broke tradition for the first time. Timothee finished his dinner then took a shower while I cleared the table. When I was done, I got ready for bed, making sure that he didn’t see my disappointment. I knew that his job was important, and I didn’t want to make him feel bad. I hadn’t lied. I did understand, and it was fine. I was perfectly capable of waiting. I just didn’t realize how long I’d have to wait.

A/N: There are a second and third part to this, so make sure to hit the link above to read them! And if you’d like to read more of my work, make sure to check out my masterlist, also linked above.

[baekhypnotized]

drive me crazy [M]

it’s a just normal occasion that baekhyun brought you out for a dinner with one of his partner. everything was perfect at the first but when his friend mentioned about his rival, he became intense. on the way back home, you decided to make him relieve his stress, made him go crazy.

GENRE: smut, romance, oneshot

PAIRING: byun baekhyun x you/fem reader

WARNING(S): fingering, oral, handjob, blowjob, car sex, dom!baekhyun, sub!reader

WORDS: 3.3k+

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I improvise this oneshot so I decided to post it out. But, I’m so sorry if my writing skills are still suck because I kinda having problems with my insecurities towards writing :( sorry for any common errors and for the bad smut oneshot too. will try to improve more in the future!! please leave some of your thoughts after reading this!! thank you in advance for dropping by and read!!

Byun Baekhyun is just a busy businessman, the greatest CEO in the city as he owns almost all of the shares in Byun Corporation which it's his family company. At a very young age, he became the Chairman just because his father fell sick as he was unable to contribute himself into his hectic schedules or not, he will get a heart attack due to high blood pressure.

Instead, Baekhyun took the biggest role among his siblings because his eldest, Baekbeom, is busy handling their company in China plus he already has two children and it does make sense that Baekhyun is the most perfect one to take the position other than his close relatives.

But, here you are, always be by his side to support him no matter what happens. Even though Baekhyun said you are his pillar of strength in his life, he is your source of light. He shines brightly in your life the moment he came in the first place. The one who taught you that life doesn't only revolve around you, where problems can be solved even if it takes thousands of years. That man helps you a lot to realise that you’re that kind of person who deserves to live in this world.

"Babe..." A soft tone calling you.

Currently, you are reading your book on the bed with Baekhyun, sleeping soundly beside me as he hugs your lap lazily like a child. You divert your gaze to him, stroking your fingers through his messy, fluffy permed hair full of adoration. Putting aside your book on the bedside table, you bend your body with your arm supporting your head. You continue to stroke his hair softly, trying to coax him from his exhaustion.

Baekhyun's eyes are still tightly shut but his cute snores have turned into several sighs. He had a sleepless night before, busying himself into meetings with shareholders, business partners and also piles of paperwork.

"Yes, Baekhyun?" You reply to his call.

"I’m fucking tired..." He confesses and again, he leaves out a huge sigh. Your lips tilt into a small smile before you plant a soft kiss on his crown a little bit longer, hoping it will soothe him a bit.

"I know, baby. I know. Have some rest, hmm?"

"I can't. We can't. We have dinner with my business partner from London, remember?" He replies. You almost forgot that he told you two days before that he's going to bring you together with him to the dinner since he wants to introduce you as someone who's the most important to him to them. But, right now, you would want to force him to stay at home instead, telling them he will not be able to join the dinner since he's sick or something. Baekhyun can pay all the expensive dishes for his business partners just to give him the bill.

Yet, he's not the kind of person that you know.

Baekhyun is a responsible man, always prioritises and cares about his company more than himself because he wants his dad to be proud of him but of course, his dad is already proud of him no matter what. His dad once told you to always remind him to not immerse himself too much in this business because at once, he will never have thoughts about his health. Like the one that his parents believe in, you moved into his apartment after you graduated from your university and since then, you are the one who's taking care of everything about him.

"But Baekhyun..." You are about to fight him when he suddenly cuts you off with placing his soft lips on yours, indulging into a long, passionate kiss. Baekhyun brings his calloused hands to cup your cheeks, tilting his head a bit to devour your wet cavern deeper. Involuntarily, both of you sit up, as you are wrapping your hands around his neck while he pulls you to sit on his lap. The two of you drown into the long kiss, able to replace all the kisses that you guys were supposed to exchange always for the past few days when he was busy.

He breaks the kiss, tugging a strand of your hair that is hiding your face behind the ear. Your heart flutters as you could feel your face flush. "I’m sorry for not being with you for the past few days, babe. I'll make it up to you later." He lifts your chin up to look into his eyes straightly, "Cross my heart."

You bob your head several times, placing your head slowly on his broad chest as you inhale your favourite scent of his that gives you comfort somehow. Baekhyun places his chin on your head, caressing your hands adoringly as the two of you stay in this position for a few minutes before starting to prepare for tonight's dinner.

He wears a royal blue tuxedo, pairing with a silver metallic wristwatch from Rolex and his hair was combed nicely, making him look the hottest tonight. As for you, you wear a short satin silk dress in also royal blue colour to match with his tuxedo. You dangled a pair of crystal blue earrings and also a wonderful expensive necklace that Baekhyun bought for you together with the dress. You slip yourself into blue high heels and bring your pouch to the dinner.

Baekhyun prefers to drive his Black Audi Rs7 rather than having his private driver to drive the two of you to the restaurant. The interior of the car was designed beautifully as it suits well with him. Maybe that's why he prefers driving his favourite car. And whenever he drives the car while using only one hand on his steering, somehow he looks so magnificent. Every time he focuses on the road, he slides his other hand to intertwine with your hand, planting a kiss on the back of your hand. That small action can make your heart beats like there's no tomorrow.

Baekhyun makes you fall in love with him every second of the time.

When the both of you arrive at the restaurant as he parks his car, Baekhyun guides you to the private dining room that he reserved by placing his hand behind your waist, keeping you close to him because there were a lot of people on our way as he’s afraid of losing me among the crowds.

"Baekhyun!" A man who looks like in our age greets him from afar as the two of you go closer to the table. Baekhyun sincerely greets his business partner with a warm hug while you shake hands with his escorts.

"Finally, you’re here in Korea! Let's take our seats, shall we?" Baekhyun invites all of us to take our seats as I land myself sitting right beside him. Baekhyun comfortably places his hand on your thigh, caressing it. You do have fear as you would become so nervous with strangers but thanks to him, you feel calm and giving a bright smile across your face.

"Jack, let me introduce you to my favourite girl," He introduces your name to his business partner as you lift yourself from your seat to shake hands politely with Jack.

"Nice to meet you! Baekhyun often tells me about you!" Jack says that cause you to flush. The thoughts of Baekhyun mentioning you to his friends make you blush because obviously he wouldn’t stop doing it as he in love with you. Like deeply.

The waitress comes to your table, handing the menu booklet to each everyone. Once you open the menu to take a look at the choices, you are stupefied by staring at the price. It was extremely pricey that makes you gulp a large lump in your throat.

"Baby, order anything that you want," He murmurs, pats your thighs to assure you to choose anything that you want. Well, he's too rich to pay for the dishes for sure. After the four of you guys order the food, Baekhyun and Jack start to discuss the business while me and Maria (Jack's escort) exchange stories about our countries.

You sneakily take a few glances on Baekhyun, feeling ease seeing him laughing out loud when Jack tells him some jokes. You are very delighted to see him in this way even when he talks about his company's business. The qualms that you worry finally lessen slowly.

The food expressly arrives after a few minutes but as usual for women, Maria and you take pictures of the dishes first, leaving the men snorting silently as they are watching both of you. After a few shots, the four of you finally devour the dishes. For real, the foods are so mouth-watering, making all of you guys busy indulging the good food silently and focus.

"Anyway, do you know that Park Corporation is currently trying to win some of our shareholders' attention?" Jack asks, causing Baekhyun to stop swallowing his food. You can see his face becomes tighter and the facial expression becomes serious and intense.

"Really? Has he succeeded then?" He asks in return. Baekhyun, trying his best to not spoil the dinner, casually continues to cut his beef.

"Our shareholders' grip strongly on our trust, Baekhyun. But you know how determined he is, trying to let your business down..." Jack expresses it slowly, understanding that Baekhyun also has his own temper that he needs to control when it comes to his company.

Baekhyun grabs his expensive wine, gulping it, "No worries, we will never lose them." He replies with a small smile, trying to not make Jack worry about the current situation. "Let's finish this up, guys. It's getting late already."

The moment becomes silent because no one is brave enough to utter anything currently. Including you. you could only caress his thigh softly in circles, murmurs discreetly into his ears saying, "Everything's going to be fine, baek." You comfort him with a soft tone.

When the dinner ends, we bid goodbyes to Jack and Maria, inviting them for a tour later when they have more leisure time to visit Korea because Jack has a business that he needs to settle back in London, that's why they need to catch the next flight by tonight.

The drive back to the apartment continues to become silent. you hate this kind of moment when Baekhyun looks so scary and serious as you are afraid to talk to him. But you know, only you can break him through that intense moment between the both of us. Daringly, you travel your hand to his crotch, begin to massage his clothed members slowly but pleasurably, causing him to hiss softly.

Baekhyun tries his best to focus on the road, gripping the steering wheel tighter the moment you continue to massage his balls. You slip your hand into his pants and boxers, feeling his bare meat as you grip your fingers around his member. He’s so fucking thick. You take out his member freely from his pants, playfully playing with his red tip using your thumb pad in circles.

"B-baby.." He calls.

You ignore him, start pumping his shaft around your fingers by adding more pressure. Moans start to elicit out of his mouth. You continue to cup his big balls with your other hand, trying to make him crazy while you're working out with his cock with your hands. When the veins at his dick start to protrude as it starts to stand proudly and hard, a few pre-cums start to release. "Eyes on the road, Mr Byun."

You begin to engulf his whole long length into your mouth, bobbing your head up and down your mouth while taking a glance at his pleasurable face. You can finally taste his small amount of juices in your mouth. Moans and low grunts are escaping as Baekhyun slams his head back to the headrest. He tries his best to focus on the road, trying to avoid us from getting caught into an accident. You could see the visible veins decorating his throbbing dick.

It didn't take long before Baekhyun finally surrender . He purposely bucked his hips upwards, accidentally causing his tip to hit the back of your throat as you gag having his cock fully inside your wet cavern. You try your best to give him the pleasure that he wants since he loves it when you mercilessly give him the blowjob. Your tears start to prickle in the corner of your eyes each and every time Baekhyun's cock hits your throat as you are breathing heavily through your nose this time.

"F-Fuck... it feels so good, baby-" He mutters as he moans. The sounds of you gagging and choking yourself with his big cock is the music into his ears where he doesn't need to turn on the radio. But instead, listen to that drench and sloppy wet sounds that you’re making with his throbbing dick. You are speeding your pace to engulf his cock as it's abusing your mouth.

"I'm coming, baby..." Baekhyun warns you with his husky yet breathy voice. Before he succeeded in releasing his juices into your mouth, he parked the car safely, somewhere as it's a perfect place to hide the car from other people's sights.

Baekhyun tightens the grip on the steering wheel, causing his knuckles to turn into white the moment he releases his hot seeds into your wet cavern, leaving a loud gasp. You try so hard to gulp and swallow it quickly. He pulls you off from his cock, some of his seeds trail from your lips as you lick it off.

"You're such a bad girl. I was driving and you blow-jobbing me, huh?" Baekhyun cups my cheeks with his hand, holding them with a force as he stares into your eyes seriously.

Innocently, you nod your head.

"Are you already wet?" He asks.

"You need to find it out then," You arrogantly reply as you smirk. Spreading your legs wider, you invite his fingers to feel the wetness that already drench your panties after listening to his moans from previous sessions. Practically, your wetness is pooling at your core, dripping wet but still waiting for him to settle it.

Baekhyun chuckles huskily, bringing his fingers to cup your drench panties before he pulls it off, leaving your bare pussy revealed to the exposed air. You breathe heavily, with the thoughts are currently playing in your mind which are Baekhyun finger fucking your hole.

Baekhyun strokes his two fingers along your folds, caressing on it while his thumb abuses your swollen and sensitive nub. Your toes start to curl and you grunt softly. "What do you want me to do with you?"

"Fuck me with your fingers, please" You finally beg. Suddenly, he hardly pushes his 3 digits into your tight cunt, passing through the walls without any warning..

You start to squirm badly when he begins to thrust your pussy with his fingers as he continues to play with your swollen clit. Your eyes are shut, biting your lower lip to bear with the pleasure that he gives when he keeps poking your sensitive spot over and over with his fingers.

You grip tightly around the seatbelt but it's unable to make you stop squirming badly, feeling aroused having him sliding his digits in and out easily because of your wet juices as the lubrication.

"B-Baekhy- Faster-'' you command. In any minute, his eyes dilated, increased his thrusting and hit your spot non-stop. You pull his nape into a deep kiss, swallowing the moans as he slips his tongue to stroke the roof of your mouth.

You double over the gasp when he brings his mouth to your clit, sucking and licking it badly while his fingers continue to pump in and out of your pussy. He quickens his movements and fucks you faster with his digits. You can finally feel the build-up in your stomach as he rolls the bud between his lips. The string of arousal finally snaps. You let out a loud mewl. You grip your fingers hard around the seatbelt, squeezing your legs together with Baekhyun lodges his face between your thighs.

"Oh my god.." You pant hard, feeling the last wave of pleasure rushes in you.

You cum having his mouth abusing your pussy. Baekhyun gives a few licks of your juices, swallowing them. Your legs feel so weak as your heart is beating too fast.

"Come here," Baekhyun invites. He unbuckles your seatbelt and lifts you up from the passenger seat, placing you to sit on his lap. "Thank you for being such a bad girl for me, babe," Baekhyun mumbles into your ear, dragging the tip of his hard cock along your slit. "Let me reward you." He breathes.

A sexy moan leaves your mouth when you lift yourself to push his tip between your folds and into your wet pussy. Baekhyun sheaths himself even more until his cock completely buried inside of you. Your walls squeezing tightly around his thick rod. He groans, his hand placed on your hips while your hands wrap around his neck.

"You're so..." he sounds breathless, "tight.."

You start to ride his cock relentlessly while Baekhyun works out with his hips upwards to meet with your thrust synchronously. Your inner muscles clench around him involuntarily. He grunts into your ear.

Your legs start to tremble to the fact that the pleasure weakens your energy. Baekhyun keeps on ramming your tight pussy with his thick girth while your pussy is trying to engulf his rod fully in me. The sexes slide smoothly just because the two of you guys’ pre-juices lubricate it well. "B-Baekhyun-"

Baekhyun slaps your bare ass, causing you to let out a surprised squeal as your pussy suddenly tightens around his throbbing cock, causing him to groan loudly. His breathing is loud and shallow in your ears.

Your mouth parts as you receive the same arousal that he keeps on giving. You roll your eyes back, slamming your head together each and every thrust. He cannot stop calling your name, abusing your g-spot with his swollen tip over and over. The overstimulation that you’re currently having, causing you to slow down from thrusting.

But, he aids you, pinning your back to the steering wheel as he uses his force to pound into your tight snatch. Tears start to stream down your cheeks as you feel like about to burst.

You bump your back on the steering wheel, accidentally hitting the honk. There are also a few times your head bumps towards the roof of the car, causing the both of you to chuckle for a second. Baekhyun pulls me away from the honk, afraid we will catch the neighbourhood's attention while we're busy fucking in his black car. "I'm cumming, Baekhyun..."

You couldn't hold it anymore. Baekhyun continues to hit that specific spot with a few more thrusts, you explode around his cock, your walls convulsing. He also released his hot and warm semen into your womb as both of us panting hard, trying to catch our breath. Baekhyun pecks your lips, wiping your sweaty forehead with his hand. "Thank you, baby." He plants a kiss on your crown.

You slowly pull yourself to sit back on the passenger seat, gasping softly the moment his throbbing cock sliding out from your cunt, feeling empty inside. You grin widely at him when the mixed cums start to drip from your hole. You pull out some tissues to wipe off the cums around your pussy, worried that it will stain his leather seat. Baekhyun also takes some tissues to wipe his drench throbbing cock before he slides his member into his pants back.

"Sorry if you accidentally stained your seat, baek.." You mutter softly as you apologise, making him chuckles.

"It’s okay, baby. This is also your car anyway and only you can sit here," He points it out to the seat that you’re sitting, "And the place where we'll be making out other than our bed." He smirks seducingly, causing me to slap his chest softly.

"Let's go home, hmm?" You buckle your seatbelt securely before looking at him. His engine roars the moment he starts the car, buckling himself as he slides his hand to intertwine again with your fingers.

"To our home, we go."

[imaginedhaven]

Rules of Engagement: Chapter Six

Link to Masterpost

So when I said this “might even come out Thursday” yesterday I had completely mangled my understanding of days and weeks and didn’t realize that at the time “Thursday” and “tomorrow” were synonymous. Whoops! But it was as ready as it was going to get anyway soooo...

Enjoy!

~*~*~

After her birthday, Aelin’s days settled into something resembling a routine. In the mornings, she would train with Aedion and his men. Sometimes she would bring her knives, and more rarely she convinced Aedion to give her another lesson in hand-to-hand fighting. During these morning lessons she retained her human features and senses, in part out of fairness to the men and in part to make certain that if for some reason she was unable to shift, she would not be defenseless.

Her afternoons were filled with training in magic. Though it wasn’t strictly required in order to wield her power, Rowan required her to shift at the start of every lesson.

“Is it because you enjoy seeing someone else with pointy ears?” she had dared to ask once. “It can’t be because of the magic, there are plenty of humans without a drop of Fae blood who can use magic.”

Rowan had simply bared his fangs and growled in response, and she had decided that it wasn’t yet worth pressing her luck. Their newfound lack of animosity was tenuous enough already.

They hadn’t yet discussed any further what had been shared between them that night he had chased her down. Aelin wasn’t certain there was much point in bringing it up. For all of his posturing during their lessons, now that she knew she could see the glimmer of pain that would likely always reside in those pine-green eyes, but he never once acted as though he was in any way affected. If she asked directly, she was only likely to get a barked command to try to light yet another candle.

Perhaps it was a shield, the casual air of cool distance he kept about him so often. If it was, Aelin knew better than to press past it unnecessarily. If he wanted to talk, he would.

Instead, Rowan had crafted what seemed to be an increasingly infuriating series of challenges for her to overcome. Their first lesson after she had finally shifted he had set a candle in front of her on the ground and ordered her to light it. Instead, she had exploded it, and Rowan had needed to quickly smother a ring of fire two feet around where it had once been.

Several weeks and countless lectures about control later, it had become evident that bigger tasks came to her more easily. Of course, Rowan hadn’t allowed her to remain content with that. One candle became two, and two became four, and she would have to focus her entire will on only lighting one of them at a time.

She attempted to practice when she could outside of their lessons as well, but it was difficult to find a place within the palace to work. Most of the inhabitants got understandably nervous while she was playing with fire beside them. And so she settled for the slow improvement she was seeing under Rowan’s training.

She knew she had grown complacent when she felt a glimmer of surprise as she watched the Fae warrior striding toward where she was warming up for another session with Aedion. “I thought we weren’t meeting until after lunch,” she called in place of a greeting.

“You thought wrong,” he replied. “You focus better during your combat lessons. Today, we combine them.”

“You want me to throw fire at you,” Aelin deadpanned as she fought yet another wave of shock.

He grinned in response, chin lifting. Do you think I can’t handle a little heat, Aelin Fireheart? his posture screamed.

Her eyes narrowed. As long as you remember that you asked for it, she thought as she settled into a more open stance and shifted.

Before she could do anything else, a cool breeze blew around them both. A shield, she realized, and this time the surprise she felt was more pleasant.

He nodded, eyes gleaming with satisfaction at her recognition. Nothing will get through that, she read in his expression. Do your worst.

She glanced down at her hands, remembering the feel of a knife against her palm. If she could create fire, and if Rowan was so convinced that she could influence its shape as well, perhaps she could…

A dagger of flame appeared in her right hand, and she grinned as she inspected it more closely. It was light, almost impossibly so, but the fire did not burn her hand. She took a chance and flicked her wrist in a motion that would’ve sent an actual knife into the targets Aedion had set up, focusing all her will on recalling how the blade would fly and slice through the air.

The blade of fire collided with the hard air of Rowan’s shield and dissipated, just over the bullseye of the target.

The pleasure she felt at her success was matched by the brightness of his eyes as he looked on. Before she could say anything, though, he had crafted a blade of ice and was deftly twirling it around his fingers. “You handled a blade well enough,” he called. “But what is the first lesson of any competent combat instructor?”

Before she could open her mouth to reply the ice dagger was sailing through the air, directly toward her face.

Aelin growled, and her flames sprung up around her, clinging like a second skin. The blade Rowan had thrown spluttered and melted a scant fraction of an inch from slicing her cheek.

She glared up at him, only to see he was smirking. “Sloppy,” he said dismissively, “and wasteful. You’ll burn out too quickly if you don’t control your shielding. Small, precise, and controlled, like an actual shield you would wield.”

With a snarl she sent a blade of her fire at him, growling when he didn’t even lift a hand to alter its path just enough to miss him entirely. Please, he seemed to say. I’ve been doing this for centuries, and you started a few short weeks ago.

Two more knives of ice hurtled in her direction, and she thought several foul names for him as loudly as she could as she rushed to summon a shield. This one was smaller, but the edges were frayed and ragged, and she began to sweat from a combination of the effort of maintaining it and the heat. Better?

He lifted a single silver eyebrow in response. Keep trying. You might get somewhere eventually.

She threw the whole shield at him this time, taking advantage of his surprise to throw herself along the path the circle of fire had cleared. He blocked her first swing, but flames kissed the edges of her boots as she swept her foot across his legs and knocked him down for the first time since the day she’d first shifted for him.

Aelin pressed her advantage and pinned him down, fire twining around his wrists before she gasped at the feel of an icy breeze running along the back of her neck. With a smirk he threw her off of himself and froze manacles of ice around her forearms. She grinned back, melting the ice with nothing more than a thought, and launched herself back at him with a shout.

~*~*~

They sparred for another hour or so before Rowan called a halt to it, picking himself up off the ground and then extending a hand down for her. As she took it, the shield around them dissipated and the sound of a whistle pierced the air. A glance around revealed Aedion as the offender, having obviously gathered with several of his men to observe.

Aelin took one step toward him and gasped as her knees buckled. Before she could hit the ground, though, something solid and warm wrapped around her and pressed her into something even more solid and warm, and she dimly realized that Rowan must have caught her before she could fall.

The slight chill still lingering at his fingertips and the scent of snow on the air despite the relatively warm late spring day confirmed her suspicions, and she glanced up at him. “Thanks,” she muttered.

“You’re not used to expending that much energy over an extended period of time,” he said rather than directly responding. “And you didn’t have time to pull it out properly. Honestly, I shouldn’t have let it go on as long as I did. You’ll be fine once you eat something, but if we’d gone too much longer you would’ve risked burning out.”

“That sounds… painful,” she managed as he led her back toward the palace.

“If you extend yourself that far, it will kill you,” he replied. “It will tear you apart inside, and then kill you. If you had prepared in advance of this, tunneled into your power, you could have lasted longer. This is far from the limit of your power.”

“Careful, now,” she teased. “Did it hurt, to compliment me like that?”

His silence was answer enough for Aelin as he pulled her into the kitchen and sat her down, thrusting a bowl of broth into her hands with a wordless command to eat. Still, though, she tried one more time to provoke a reaction out of him. “It’s lucky no one else is around,” she said. “If someone were to see this, they might almost think that you care, and we can’t have that. It’ll ruin your image as a soulless Fae bastard.”

A single silver eyebrow quirked up, but Aelin cheered internally as she saw the faintest glimmer of a grin on his face. “I’ve told you before,” he replied, “I haven’t lost a student during their training yet. It’s a point of personal pride. Nothing to do with you, though I appreciate your concern for my image.”

“Speaking of your image, perhaps you can answer something for me,” Aelin said as she stirred the broth he’d given her. “Aedion’s the one who heard all the storied before you arrived, and there’s one I simply couldn’t believe. He says you once killed a man with a table.”

“Of all the stories your cousin could’ve shared, that’s the one you didn’t believe?” he asked incredulously.

“It just seems so unlikely. What did you do, squash him like a grape?”

His expression turned into a feral grin, one that reminded Aelin very suddenly that she was speaking with someone who had been honing warrior skills and instincts for centuries. “No,” he said, pine-green eyes gleaming. “I tore off the leg of the table and stabbed him with it.”

Aelin deliberately yawned into her broth. “Oh,” she said lightly. “That sounds much less exciting. I think I prefer the way Aedion told it.”

As Rowan sat beside her at last, his posture seemed to say the truth is rarely as glamorous as the stories that are told. Surely you know this.

Aelin shrugged and finally turned her attention fully to the broth, letting out a soft sound of surprise as she realized how hungry she truly was.

Though he didn’t overtly react, the warrior’s eyes were full of laughter. I told you you needed to eat.

Overprotective Fae male bastard, she thought with a scoff. It’s lucky for you I know you’re all like this.

If he responded to her play at nonchalance, or even considered responding, she missed it entirely as she devoured the broth before her. Finally, his voice filtered into her awareness. “You’ll need to eat more than you have been, as we begin working with your magic,” he was saying. “Although your magical ability isn’t decided by your physical strength, how you take care of yourself does have an impact. As you drain your magic, you’ll likely feel a drain on your energy as well.”

“Great. Just wonderful. So I can expect to have two overprotective males hovering instead of one,” she teased.

Rowan stiffened beside her, and she could tell she had unintentionally touched on a point of discomfort. “It is… instinctive, for many Fae—yes, mostly males, stop giving me that look—to be on edge around someone they perceive to be vulnerable to threat, real or imagined. There’s also a cultural element to it, at least where I come from. With you, it helps that you seem to know how to handle yourself even when your magic is drained. That said, it is very difficult—”

“No,” Aelin interrupted.

“No?” he repeated, obviously confused.

“If you’re about to apologize to me for something so deep in your nature, I’m not interested in hearing it,” she explained. “You certainly haven’t apologized for being a bastard, why should I ask or expect you to apologize for being a hovering buzzard?”

He opened his mouth to say something else, but she continued before he could. “You’re not human, Rowan. Anyone who expected you to act like one would be in for a surprise. That being said, I absolutely reserve the right to be annoyed if this keeps up, because it’s in my nature to take care of myself. But I won’t apologize for that, and you don’t apologize for your own nature. Am I clear?”

Pine-green eyes gleamed within his tan face, though with what she couldn’t say. She narrowed her own eyes at his continued silence until he managed a nod in reply. “Good,” she smiled. “Because things were going to be terribly awkward if we went on our trip with you still acting like this.”

She realized her mistake as soon as the light in those eyes turned into ice. “What trip?” he growled.

Aelin laughed, buying herself more time to gauge his reaction. “Trip? Did I say trip?”

He snarled. “Aelin. What. Trip?”

One of the most important lessons for warriors and assassins and rulers alike was knowing when one was outmatched. Sometimes a tactful retreat was the correct response, rather than pressing onward into certain defeat.

At least, that was what Aelin told herself as she fled up the stairs of the palace, followed closely by a Fae male snarling curses at her all the way.

~*~*~

Several days later the formal invitation from Adarlan arrived, and before Aelin knew it they were riding toward the border at a brisk pace. She surveyed the small clearing they’d found with a grin as the sun began to set. “Do you remember the last time we were allowed to go camping, cousin?” she asked.

“I’m surprised you remember it, as young as you were,” he grinned as he began to gather wood for a fire.

“Please, you’re only five years older than me.”

“That matters a lot more when one of you is five,” he retorted.

Aelin sighed and laid back against her bedroll. All right, so it had been a long time since she was allowed to go on a trip like this. Likely, Darrow assumed they would be staying in hotels most of the way, and he was right for the most part. However, at the pace they intended to set it was impossible to completely avoid camping as they cut through the wilderness between Orynth and Rifthold.

A pair of knee high leather boots entered her vision, and she frowned as she looked up to meet Rowan’s gaze. “Did you need something, Buzzard?” she asked.

Either he had still been upset with her for the way she had told him about their journey or he had missed stretching his wings, for Rowan had spent the majority of the day flying ahead of them as the white-tailed hawk whose form he could take. Aedion had joked about her driving the male into an animal form until Lysandra had grinned and shifted into a ghost leopard. He had been noticeably paler and quieter after that.

As she sat up, Rowan inclined his head toward the pile of wood Aedion had gathered. “Light a fire.”

Aelin frowned. “Are you certain that’s a good idea?”

A cool breeze scented with the pine and snow she associated with her homeland blew around them, and Rowan met her gaze with a fierce grin. “I think we’ll be safe enough,” he replied.

She sighed and reached a hand out toward the pile of logs, only to have it smacked away. When she glared at him, he only smirked. “It’s a crutch. You don’t need it,” he declared.

“Maybe I like the dramatic effect,” she huffed, but obediently she wrapped her arm around her knees instead and began to focus on the logs.

“Easy,” he muttered by her ear. “Control. Only take as much as you need, and no more.”

Aelin gasped in a breath of the cool air that was still flowing around them and examined the well of power that was slowly becoming more familiar to her. Surely it would only take a little to start the fire, and so she imagined just a small thread coming out of that well…

The fire lit, and she grinned in satisfaction.

“Good,” came Rowan’s voice beside her. “Keep it going.”

“How long?” she asked, already beginning to sweat with the effort needed to restrain the rest of that well.

“For as long as I say,” he smirked.

Aelin grumbled at his typical lack of a specific guideline, but focused on the flames regardless. They were almost hypnotic, with the way the reds and oranges and yellows swirled and with the way the individual flames danced and swayed together. With Rowan around to contain her should something go terribly wrong, she was able to let go of some of her fear of the power she wielded and appreciate the beauty of it all.

As she watched, she idly wondered if she would be able to create fire that did not burn. Perhaps another time, though, as this fire needed to be able to cook the fish Lysandra was busy catching from the nearby stream. Instead, she worked to manipulate the height of the flames, first coaxing it down nearly to embers and then working up a bonfire nearly as tall as Aedion.

“Easy,” Rowan hissed as the flames licked higher, but Aelin was lost to the beauty, mesmerized by the rhythms she could see in the movements. She swayed with them until a cool arm wrapped around her, pulling her into a body that was equally cool, and she suddenly realized that she was burning like her fire. No, she was her fire, and he was his ice, and she nestled closer with a contented moan at the temporary relief from the heat.

“Aelin, that’s enough,” she heard distantly. “Let go.”

Why should she let go? She was one with the flames, and they were beautiful, swirling together in a stunning and glimmering dance. As she watched they danced higher, and she shifted to work out a twinge in her lower back before going back to swaying with the fire.

Aelin. Was the voice in her imagination now, or was Rowan actually speaking? Aelin, stop this now. Let go. He sounded so worried, but she couldn’t find the words to tell him to stop fussing. Couldn’t find any words at all, actually. All she could do was hold on.

A distant sigh carried the scent of pine and snow to her, and she sighed in relief at its familiarity but still couldn’t look away from the beauty of her creation. “Forgive me,” said a voice beside her, though she could hardly focus on it.

Before long, she couldn’t focus on anything but gasping as the air was pulled away from her. She choked on nothing, hands going to her throat, but still she clung to the tether between herself and the fire. Why it seemed so important, she couldn’t say, she just knew that all would be lost if she let go now.

Darkness encroached on her vision, though, and without the air she couldn’t hold on. Distant shouts rang in her ears as the tether slipped away from her and she fell away into the shadows.

She must have only been gone for a moment, as when she opened her eyes the fire was merrily crackling without her aid, but she realized with horror that something must have gone terribly wrong.

She was burning inside, and not even the cool of Rowan’s wind was enough to stop it.

~*~*~

Rowan let out several curses in both the common tongue and the Old Language as Aelin collapsed into him. She was burning up, overly hot to the touch, and dimly he realized she must have overextended herself. She had lost control of her magic, to the point where words had been unable to reach her and he’d had to forcibly break her connection to their campfire. Who knew how much power she had let flow into the flames?

It was too much, that much was evident from the flush of her cheeks and the arch of her back in combination with the heat emanating from her.

Quickly, he worked to remove the leather jerkin she’d worn for their ride, not stopping as her cousin let out a startled cough. “What are you doing?” Aedion demanded, torn between confusion and anger.

“She’s burning up,” Rowan snapped. “She lost control and used too much, and she needs to get cool now or…” He didn’t let himself think of the possible consequences.

Not even the removal of the heavy leather from her frame was enough, he realized, nor was the breeze. He didn’t dare remove the cotton tunic and trousers she wore, not with her demi-Fae cousin looking on and already on edge. But there was a stream nearby, and if he could freeze the water around her… Yes. That was their best chance at getting her through this.

Without a second thought he scooped her into his arms, gritting his teeth as she moaned and buried her face against his chest. How had he let this happen? One moment she was leaned against him, face upturned into the breeze he was directing to blow past them, and the next…

He should have been keeping a closer eye on her, he admonished himself as he ran for the stream. He knew she was largely untrained, and liable to lose control, and he hadn’t been watching closely enough for the signs.

The stream had been near the camp to begin with and he was quick to reach it as she burned in his arms, wading in with her without a moment’s hesitation and hissing as steam began to rise around them. Before she could raise the temperature of the water dangerously high he quickly froze what was coming into contact with her, only for her to melt his ice almost immediately.

He growled in frustration and froze the area again. This was his fault, and it was up to him to help her through this. He would not—could not—fail now.

Once they got through this—for she would come through this and be all right, he would not accept any other option—he would give her the lecture of her mortal life about control and recognizing the signs of a burnout. Gods, they had just talked about this potentiality a few short days ago, only for her to be in this position now. He knew, though, that it was ultimately his fault. He could’ve better explained the signs, he could’ve watched more closely, he could’ve cut her off before she reached this point…

A litany of his own shortcomings as a teacher raced through his mind as he struggled against the heat she was generating, freezing the water again and again before she could boil them both. A crashing noise emanated from the bank—her cousin or his mate, no doubt, come to observe. He didn’t even glance in their direction as he growled a warning. He couldn’t be certain if his growl or the steam she was still generating was what decided it, but whoever had joined them remained blessedly silent as he continued to work.

Sweat gathered on his brow as he continued to focus as much as he could on bringing her temperature down, nearly-blind panic lending him strength. The extreme shifts in temperature she was experiencing would likely be deeply unpleasant for her, and she would hurt the next day, but he was no healer and had only limited resources at his disposal. She could hate him later, as long as she survived this.

Each time he froze the water his ice lasted a little longer before melting away, and finally the water stayed cool around them. Aelin remained flushed, eyes unfocused and overly bright, but she was no longer burning in her own skin. She wasn’t all the way back to a normal temperature, likely wouldn’t be for several more minutes at least, but she was no longer in immediate peril and so Rowan allowed himself a single moment of relief.

Her turquoise-and-gold gaze finally landed on her face. “What…?” she began to ask, voice hoarse.

“You almost burned out,” he managed, carefully not allowing himself to wonder just how close she had come to the edge of her power. “How are you feeling?”

Aelin shivered, though the flush remained high on her cheeks. “Awful,” she admitted.

“That’s to be expected, I’m afraid.” Rowan carefully directed a cool breeze to blow across her face, eyes closing for a moment as it wafted the scent of hot embers and floral jasmine into his awareness. “Are you in danger of flaring up again?” he asked as he redirected his attention to watching her face.

Aelin’s eyes fluttered shut, obviously taking stock of her own state of being. “No,” she managed, another hint of steam escaping from her as she breathed. “No, it’s still… but it’s getting better.”

Carefully, Rowan pulled her further into the stream, enough to tilt her head back and allow the cold water to flow into her hair for one more point of contact with something cool. His chest and arms cried out at the sudden cold, and he dimly realized she must have burned him while he was getting her to the water. It was much milder than the first time she had burned him, though. He would have endured far worse if it meant getting her to safety. “You’re still too warm, and you’re going to feel this tomorrow,” he warned her. Already he could feel the urge to take her away somewhere safe, keep her comfortable and protected while she recovered. She would be largely useless for another day or two as her magic replenished, likely too weak and sore to even hold one of the knives she loved so well.

Rowan quickly did his best to tamp down on the instincts now screaming at him to bundle her into a cave or whatever small room they could find on the road. It’s not my place, he reminded himself, though the words rang hollow even in his own mind.

Aelin sighed and shivered again, the flush of her cheeks finally fading to something more normal. “Thank you,” she breathed. “If you hadn’t cut me off from the fire, I…”

He hissed softly. “I pushed you too far. You should’ve told me you were so close to your limits, though.”

She grimaced. “I’m in for one hell of a lecture tomorrow, aren’t I?”

He gave her a glare in response that he hoped said something along the lines of you’d better believe you’re in for a lecture. 

Aelin sighed, curling around herself. “I suppose I deserve that. I thought everything was fine, it all happened so fast.”

“We’ll talk about it in the morning,” he said quietly. “Right now, I just want you focused on recovering. Let me know when this gets too cold, and we’ll get you out of the water.”

A moment of discomfort crossed her face, then. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she fisted a hand in his shirt. “Aedion,” she managed. “If I go back to the camp like this, if he sees me struggling into dry clothes, he’ll panic. I’ve already got you to deal with, I want him to be as calm as we can keep him.”

He nodded. It was a reasonable enough worry, after all, for this girl who was surrounded by males with Fae ancestry. “I’ll head back first, then, bring your bag back here.” He carefully didn’t tell her that her cousin was likely already on edge, instead moving her closer to the shore and making sure she would stay put before climbing out of the water himself.

He grimaced as the wind of his own shield around the camp came into contact with his shirt, before calling a stronger wind to dry his own clothing out as much as possible. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do for now.

As he’d suspected, Aedion was impatiently awaiting their return, pacing around the fire. “Where is she?” he demanded.

“In the stream, cooling off,” Rowan replied. “She asked me bring her bag to the shore. Something about overprotective Fae males.”

It was clearly something he had heard her say before, judging by his laugh and the hand that carded through his own golden hair. “She’s been telling me off for it since we were children,” Aedion said, confirming his suspicions. “If she’s good enough to yell at you about it, that’s good enough for me. We should reach the next town tomorrow, unless…”

Rowan shook his head. “She’s not going to move anywhere fast tomorrow. It’ll likely be the day after.”

Aedion nodded slowly. “I’d rather spend less time out in the open, but if she can’t make it she can’t make it. We’ll adapt.”

Rowan nodded and grabbed Aelin’s bag. As he headed back toward the stream, he took a deep breath and allowed a part of himself to sink into the well of wind and ice at his core.

If they were to be on the road for longer than expected, with Aelin almost entirely defenseless, they would need all the help they could get.

~*~*~

Tagging:

@ireallyshouldsleeprn @queen-of-glass @fangirlprincess09

[kerikaaria]

If I Never Met You: Chapter 21

(??? X Reader) Idol!AU, Manager!Reader

Genre: (PG13) Fluff and some angst

WC: 2.8k

Warnings: Vague description of anxiety and a mild panic attack

Series Masterlist

Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22

It was time for the MMAs, and I can tell the boys feel really nervous. They hadn’t really stood out among other groups who debuted this year, and while they had a large enough fanbase, there was also a lot of negativity and criticism being aimed towards them – more and more every day it seemed. But they were still nominated for Best New Artist and Rookie of the Year awards at some of the shows. Which was the case for this first one, plus they’ll have a performance to do not long after that award is announced.

I made a deal with Jimin that he had to do his best to eat something before schedules, especially big events like these, and that when I asked him about if he ate he had to be honest with me. Luckily, he seemed to be keeping up with that so far, so I had hope that he’d get through his troubles eventually.

I paid attention to the television screen in the corner of our room whenever I could. It had honestly been my first time seeing one of these shows. I never had much interest in them back home, but I was actually enjoying what parts I could watch of it. I was familiar with most of the songs being performed, having heard them countless times during the boys’ own activities. And there were some really interesting special performances other groups had put together.

When it came around to the time when they were to announce Best New Artist, everyone in our room paused what they were doing to watch the screen closely. I started feeling my heart race. This was an award that every artist only had one chance at getting (per award show at least) so that made me feel more anxious of the result we were waiting for.

The woman on stage opened her envelope and paused only briefly before announcing the winner. As soon as she said “Bangtan Sonyeondan,” I jumped up and down, barely containing a scream from leaving my mouth. We could see how happy and excited they were as they made their way to the stage to accept the award, with Joonie giving a short speech before they descended.

They had to come backstage right after so we could get them ready for the performance, and I could hear them coming down the hallway. They were yelling in excitement and they all practically ran into the room one or two at a time.

“We got the award!” Namjoon exclaimed as soon as he entered.

Many people in the room, myself included, cheered or said words of congratulations as they each piled in.

Tae was the last to bound into the room, and he instantly found his way to me, practically knocking me over when he jumped to embrace me. “We got it, noona!” he said right by my ear, a little too loudly.

“Yeah, I saw,” I laughed. “Congrats, V.” I said with a smile as I gently grabbed his shoulders to move him away slightly before he could destroy my eardrum.

Staff around the room started approaching the boys with sound equipment to get them ready for their stage while the Bangtan Bomb cameras filmed them. The smiles on all their faces were as big as they could be, and I was so happy to see them like this.

After Jin was done getting set up for the stage and made sure the camera was focused on one of the members not close to me, he came over to wrap me in a hug too.

I chuckled as I returned the embrace. “Yes, Jinnie?”

“This is great,” he said. “I didn’t think we’d actually get the award. I’m so happy.” I could tell he was smiling by the tone in his voice as he rocked us back and forth.

“Yeah, I’m so happy for you guys,” I said. “Don’t forget you’re also up for the award a few more times too. Who knows, you might get another one.”

“That’d be crazy,” he said as he let me go.

The boys finished getting set up for their stage before leaving to get into their places. The stage was relatively short, only about five or six minutes. But especially after getting the award, it was meaningful. Not everyone got a chance to perform at these shows.

I held their trophy and watched on the screen in the back as the boys performed, wishing I could be out in the audience for once. Their excitement from winning their first award was still evident in how enthusiastic they were on stage and I longed to be in the audience to feel that excitement radiate off of them. I felt like this stage was more meaningful because of their win, and they didn’t come to disappoint.

When they finished, they came backstage again and they filmed a message to their fans for the Bangtan Bomb before we got ready to go home. They were still so happy and energetic. Even Yoongi, who is usually the calmest out of all of them, would randomly break into a happy dance or start to ramble excitedly with the others. Needless to say, the ride back to our apartments was noisy. And it made me so happy to see.

Sejin drove tonight, so I looked through twitter. I was curious to see what people had to say about tonight’s performance and our award. Of course we posted on twitter and the comments on our post were filled with love and support from the wonderful Army. It was amazing how even the simplest “congratulations” or “you guys were amazing” could make me feel so happy.

And then I decided to browse through the internet, looking on articles that were quickly written about the event. Now that was something I shouldn’t have done. My stomach churned when I saw piles on piles of comments saying that our boys didn’t deserve to win the award, that they have no talent and they won’t last even two years in the industry. Every now and then there was the light of a positive (or even neutral) comment in the dark sea of negative words, but I soon gave up trying to find more and went back to twitter to detox the comments from my mind.

Soon enough we were home and before I could even go to unlock my door, arms wrapped themselves around me and dragged me into the boys’ room.

“You’re not getting away that easily, noona,” Hoseok said as he let me go.

I laughed. “I’m not even allowed to set down my stuff, or maybe change into something more comfortable first?”

“Only if you promise to come right back,” Jungkook said from behind Hobi, resting his chin on his hyung’s shoulder and looking at me.

“I promise,” I said as I backed towards their door.

I only took a few minutes, changing into a comfy pair of pajamas before making my way across the hall again. When I reentered the room, I heard Jin on the phone ordering takeout while Tae was tickling Jungkook into a giggling puddle on the floor, and Jimin and Hobi were in a fit of laughter, the younger practically falling into Yoongi’s lap.

“Can’t you guys be quiet at least while Jin was on the phone?” I asked them, chuckling a little bit myself because the scene was just so crazy.

Tae let go of the younger boy and Jimin and Hobi’s laughter slowed down at that. “Sorry noona,” Jimin said. “Namjoonie hyung literally just tripped over thin air. It was the most hilarious thing I’ve ever seen, I couldn’t help it.”

“How can you say it was the most hilarious thing when you laugh at even the worst of Jin hyung’s dad jokes,” Yoongi retorted.

“Glad you thought me almost dying was hilarious,” Joon said.

“It really was though,” Hoseok said, laughing once more.

It was amazing how they lived together and spent every moment of every day together but still managed to keep conversations constantly flowing. I didn’t participate in the conversations very much, content just listening to each of the interesting stories from their childhoods they were currently sharing.

I didn’t know if it was because I was a bit tired, but my eyes kept falling to one of the boys in particular. I’d be watching someone else while they talked, but then he’d start to speak, or laugh, or just move around and my eyes would just gravitate to him and even linger on him for a bit afterward. Probably because he was sitting right across from me and it was just natural to look in that direction.

Even after the food arrived, and even still after we all finished eating the boys were still energetic. It was well into the night, but they showed no signs of settling down yet. Except Yoongi, he was back to his usual calm demeanor now. At least we didn’t have anything to do the next day, otherwise tomorrow would have royally sucked.

I sat a bit separated from the others, somewhat spacing out. I definitely didn’t have as much energy in me as these guys, but I felt like it would be rude if I just left right now. As I spaced out, my eyes stayed glued to him again.

Lost in my mind without any comprehensible thoughts, I felt a small smile sitting on my face but had no idea why. He turned and I vaguely noticed through my blurred, spaced out vision that his gaze met mine. I woke my brain back up to purposefully smile at him before turning away, embarrassed because I realized it probably looked like I was intentionally staring for who knew how long.

I opted to move my sight to the floor so I didn’t embarrass myself again. As I let my mind slip back into its hidden corners, I felt my heartbeat somewhat speed up. It brought me back to consciousness a bit so I could focus on it, wondering why that was happening. Then I started to feel my breath become shallower. I tried to focus on taking deeper breaths in but it didn’t seem to be working. I realized what must have been going on so I stood up to walk towards their door.

“Hey guys, I’m feeling pretty tired so I’m going to head back to get some sleep,” I said as calmly as I could muster. I let some of them say goodbye before I left as quickly as I could without (hopefully) seeming suspicious. As soon as I closed the door to my apartment, I leaned against the door and slid down. Without having any need to hold it back anymore, I felt the effects of the panic attack increase.

What was this? Where the heck did this come from? It had been so long since the last time I had a panic attack. My anxiety hadn’t been affecting me for a long time so I was confused as I let myself succumb to my body’s irrational reactions.

Then I remembered the thoughts that started surfacing recently. How I was worried about spending too much time around the boys, that I was going to annoy them if I didn’t distance myself a bit. How did I not recognize it before? My anxiety was coming back. I thought I had pushed it down, but I guessed it wasn’t as easy as that.

I willed my shaking body to get up and go to the kitchen to find paper bag from a recent takeout meal I had ordered so I could use it to regulate my breathing before it got worse. Why this trick worked was beyond me, but all I knew was that it was calming.

I tried to focus my thoughts, thinking of something comforting. While I was sure my body was panicking from insecurities about my friendship with the boys, when I fished my own mind for thoughts that were calming, he came to mind. His smile, his laughter, the feeling of his embrace. Soon enough, between that and regulating my breathing with the paper bag, I was able to bring my mind back to earth and my breathing and heartbeat regulated.

I needed to figure out how to keep this from happening again. The last thing I needed was to have a break down during work.

The next day, I decided to try to spend by myself to make sure a repeat of the night before didn’t happen. And that was going all fine and dandy until there was a knock on my door.

I opened it to see Jungkook, who instantly entered my house before I could even say hello.

“Hey, Kook,” I said as he sat in my living room. “What’s up?”

“I’m hiding,” He said.

“Huh?” I tilted my head in confusion. “What are you hiding from?”

“Jin hyung.”

“Okay…” I sat across from him and raised my eyebrows. “Care to elaborate?”

He bit his bottom lip as he contemplated telling me. “Well, I may have ruined one of his Mario figures.”

“Oh no.” I gasped. “Not the Mario figures. Do you have a death sentence?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!”

“Does he know yet?”

“I would be dead if he did.”

“How did that happen anyway?”

He laughed nervously. “I accidentally bumped into the shelf with his figures when me and V hyung were wrestling. One of them had fallen off the shelf and hyung pushed me to the ground on top of it and it broke. It hurt, too.”

I shook my head and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It was nice knowing you, Kookie.”

Not two seconds after I said that, I heard a voice that was very distinctly Kim Seokjin’s yelling, “WHERE IS JEON JUNGKOOK?” That was quickly followed by a knocking on my door as the maknae ran into my bedroom to hide.

Good thing I keep my room clean, I thought as I opened my door. Jin entered quickly before saying, “Hi (Y/n). How are you today? Have you seen Jungkook?” within the spam of two seconds.

I blinked, taking a moment to register what he actually said before shaking my head no. “No, I haven’t seen him.”

“(Y/n),” he said, eyeing me carefully. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

“Is he missing?” I asked, feigning ignorance. “Do we need to go looking for him?”

“Oh, he will be missing once I get my hands on him,” Jin said. “And I have a feeling he would have come to you to keep him safe.” He stepped closer to me, bending down until his face was mere inches away from mine. “So tell me, (Y/n), our precious little Kookie came here, didn’t he?”

Before I could say anything, a sound came from my bedroom. Jin hurried to my room and opened the door to Jungkook holding onto his foot. It seemed like he stubbed his toe on my bed frame. His eyes went wide as he saw Jin standing at the doorway.

“Jungkook…” The quiet tone of Jin’s voice was honestly scary.

“Yes, hyung?” the poor maknae asked as innocently as possible.

“Did you do this?” he pulled a broken Mario figure out of his pocket.

Jungkook gulped nervously, but didn’t say anything.

“Taehyung already told me you broke it so just admit to it,” Jin said.

“Wait, hold on,” Jungkook said, straightening up. “He’s as much at fault as I am. He’s the reason why I landed on it and it broke in the first place.”

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” Seokjin yelled as he grabbed Jungkook by the arm and dragged through my apartment back to their own.

Well, I guess Jimin is about to be the new maknae, I thought as I heard some more yelling and closed my door. I chose to go back to relaxing, not wanting to get in the middle of what was sure to be a blood bath.

Later, there was another knock at my door. I carefully opened it to see both Jungkook and Taehyung there.

“I’m not harboring anymore fugitives today,” I said.

“We didn’t do anything,” Taehyung replied. “We just wanted to stop by.”

I looked to Jungkook who nodded in confirmation. “Okay, well then come on in, I guess.” I sat in the living room and the boys followed, sitting on either side of me. “So, Jin didn’t kill you after all, huh?”

“Only because Namjoon hyung stopped him,” Tae said.

“Good,” I said, chuckling. “Be more careful next time, yeah?”

“We will,” Jungkook said, smiling.

I sighed, feeling strangely content. Yesterday was so strange. I had no reason to be feeling anxious or worried because actually more often than not, it was the boys seeking me out to spend time. If that didn’t show they wanted me around, I didn’t know what would. But then again, when did anxiety ever make sense?

Series Masterlist

Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22

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[missizzy]

New Fic: All Five, Part 16(Star Wars)

(Read entire fic on AO3)

The rest of that day was dull, and therefore, long.  In the Temple, Qui-Gon spent most of it trying to find out all he could about the current traffic around the Chancellor's office, while Obi-Wan and Anakin were mostly caught up in other tasks, ones their Master feared wouldn't keep them distracted, knowing them both as well as he did.  Over on Avvarbor Prime, Mace spent it traveling to where his Padawan waited with her pair of charges, and the three of them apparently spent a quiet day in relative safety.

Qui-Gon and Anakin took their lastmeal that night in their quarters. Of course as soon as Qui-Gon said they were going to, Anakin must have guessed what he wanted to talk about.  He was mildly surprised his Padawan didn't launch right into it as soon as they had sat down with their greens and loaf.  Maybe he was finally learning patience.  Or maybe he wanted to not talk about it that badly.

He waited until both their plates were half cleared, before he said, "I know something happened yesterday which you remain troubled about, my Padawan.  What about it is most on your mind?"

"The girl, of course!" It burst out from him, just as Qui-Gon had expected; the question had just been to get him talking.  "I'm wondering where she is right now, if she's even alive...yeah, we can't even know that, can we?  Look, I know we had to walk away, didn't even need Obi-Wan to explain, not really, but..."  He sighed.

"Of course this has brought you pain," said Qui-Gon.  "You would not be a good person if it did not.  This is one of the prices of being a Jedi they don't tell you about until you're paying it.  The guilt, especially when we are aware it is the system that is stopping us, the rules set for us by the Senate, rather than the Force."

"And you object to those, Master?"  Anakin asked, with a hint of a smile.

"Certainly not in their entirety," Qui-Gon had to admit.  "We do want to be of service to the people, after all.  Indeed, if the Senate was a bit more of a reflection of their true will...but it may be the closest we can get."

Anakin hid his disappointment well; Qui-Gon could only faintly sense it.  "There are no easy answers to any of your questions, Padawan," he said to him.  "The best I can tell you is to try to figure out what is right, and to know there may be times when that will not be what you were told to do.  You knew what the right thing to do was yesterday, after all, much as it was a terrible thing to do as well."

A nod from Anakin.  He was now old enough to understand why that wasn't a contradiction in terms, and regret it.  "We shall meditate further on this tonight," he finished.  "I hope that will help you find peace with it."

But they ultimately wouldn't get the chance to.  They were just gathering up the dishes when the comm chimed, and Master Yoda's voice came out, "Master Jinn?  Padawan Skywalker?"

"That's us," said Anakin, with just a little cheek.  Qui-Gon felt oddly proud.  

"See you, I must, right away," and there was something odd about his voice.  A line from Master Dooku ran through the head of his former apprentice: "On those occasions when he's obliged to do something he doesn't think is the best idea, he'll sound as impatient as he accuses us of being."

Anakin probably hadn't noticed.  He was at the door even as Qui-Gon said, "We're on our way.  Your interview chamber?"

They did indeed meet Yoda there, sitting next to the far wall so as not to have the ceiling lurking right behind and over Qui-Gon's head, waiting for him to bump into if he tried to move without paying attention.  That at least got him a little more relaxed than his poor Padawan, and he tried to sound casual, as he asked, "So, Master Yoda, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Pleasure this may be, or may not be," was the reply, as Yoda turned towards Anakin.  "Word, I have just received, from Chancellor Palpatine.  He wishes to meet with you, Padawan Skywalker.  Alone."

That was a very great demand to make at Anakin's age, even for the Supreme Chancellor.   "What for?" he asked.  "Did he say?"

"Say, he did not, only that he would like if within the next few days, this meeting would be."

"Right now, my schedule's open?"  Anakin asked his Master.

"It can be very easily," Qui-Gon confirmed, but he knew they both would sense his displeasure and wariness.

"Refuse this, you can, Master Qui-Gon," Yoda reminded him.  "He is your Padawan, and even the Chancellor of the Republic cannot meet him, or just cannot meet him alone, if nay, you tell him."

Qui-Gon had never forbidden any of his Padawans to meet with anyone, or even restricted the conditions under which they could.  It went against most of what he believed in in life.  But now he was besieged by a feeling he had never had before, a fear of what would happen to Anakin if he didn't step forward to protect him from those too powerful.

It was because Anakin couldn't get away with refusing himself, he told himself firmly.  That didn't mean the decision couldn't still be his.  Yet he still felt the vague dread as he asked, "What you do want to do, Anakin?  It�s not right that you should need me to say no in your stead, but if you don't want this I'll do it."

Anakin didn't answer right away, but just sat there, his uncertainty strong enough for anyone to sense.  After a minute or so, he asked, "What do you think would happen if Master Jinn insisted on coming with me?  Would he agree, or refuse to meet with me at all?"

Yoda closed his eyes, and they could tell he was reaching into the Force, seeing if it would tell him.  Finally he said, "Tricky, Chancellor Palpatine seems.  Possible, it is it, that he will say yes, then attempt to separate you when you arrive."

Master and Padawan then needed only a quick glance at each other to confirm they were both thinking the same thing.  "Tell him I insist on being present," said Qui-Gon.

"Tell him that, I shall," said Master Yoda, and he bowed.  "May the Force be with you two.  Need it, you may."

"Maybe this will even be fun," Anakin commented as they walked back to their own quarters.  "I mean, if we're trying to get the better of the Supreme Chancellor."  It was a weak echo of his younger self, and in spite of everything, Qui-Gon had to smile a little.  They would, at least, feel some very real satisfaction if they pulled it off.

"We shall have to begin preparing for it immediately," he said.   "It is a safe assumption that the exact meeting time will be at the Chancellor's pleasure rather than ours; we might even find ourselves roused for it early tomorrow morning.  Tonight will we have to study the layout of his office and surrounding quarters.  Also, I have a friend there who we'll contact; he may be willing to help, although he will likely ask for favors in returns, ones we may or may not be able to grant."

He also thought that so long as they were going to be in the Chancellor's suite, they might also do some investigating of the other goings-on there, at least if the opportunity provided itself.  It would for him, perhaps, if Palpatine did succeed in separating them.  Although if that was a back-up plan of action, it was probably smarter not to mention to his Padawan that he had it.  There was still too much chance of him taking that the wrong way, hard as Qui-Gon had worked to get him to overcome his insecurities.

Rozitti didn't answer when Qui-Gon first commed him, in his bedroom, while Anakin waited outside.  He was a very busy man.  Anakin looked very curiously at his Master when he came out, but when Qui-Gon said, "He wasn't home," he didn't ask any questions.  The two of them spent two hours going over everything they knew about the entire building, right down to what Anakin happened to know about the electrical system.  ("I got curious about how they worked here on Coruscant after that adventure I went on in the Temple," he explained.) The two of them did meditate a little before Qui-Gon sent Anakin to bed, with him directing his Padawan to focus on what he could do in the immediate future, and let go of what he couldn't do.

A lesson he could've learned better himself, of course.  Obi-Wan was busy that night, helping tutor a young knight of a more nocturnal species, so Qui-Gon could have no companion except his own all too agitated thoughts.  He couldn't let Anakin know how much he, too, had been disturbed and deeply distressed by the thought of that poor woman they couldn't help, much as he had known countless people like her in his life.  He spent extra time in meditation, keeping his mental state through several exhausting katas, which at least allowed him to drift off for a few hours.  But his dreams that night were painful, and when he woke too early, it was just as well, since he needed more meditation to resettle his mind.

By the time Anakin woke, however, Qui-Gon, was more mentally composed.  It helped that they took their first meal with Obi-Wan that morning, though the talk between the three of them that morning was entirely commonplaces.  It was a busy day for both him and Anakin, the one still teaching lessons, and the other still learning them.  Qui-Gon envied them that, wished the Council would let him take on some classes, though he supposed if he couldn't anyway if they did let them go to the Avvarbor System now.  

He instead spent the morning doing more research.  There was only so much more left to read about Palpatine and the goings-on of his circle and surroundings.  With that subject exhausted, he went back to reading about dark objects.  He'd found a book about experiments done by now-unknown practitioners, possibly Sith-affiliated, experimenting with ways to travel tens of thousands of light-years within moments by bending and twisting the Force.  They knew it hadn't ended well for most of them, but there were a handful where their exact fate was unknown.   Obviously if any of them had succeeded, the Sith hadn't received their knowledge then, but it was just possible they had somehow come to it, or part of it, now.

When just before lunch he got a comm from Master Yoda, he was pretty sure what it was about even before he answered, "Master?" and got the response:

"Agreed, the Chancellor has.  To meet you both tonight, he wants.  At 2000, or 2100."

"2000, then," said Qui-Gon.  The sooner this all was over with, the better.

2000 Hours Both Master and Padawan were the epitome of proper decorum for the first ten minutes or so they were in the Executive Building.  Master Jinn had made Anakin spend much of the afternoon reviewing all the rules, and Anakin had done it very thoroughly.  He knew how important this all was, after all.

Then they got a few minutes by themselves, when they were left to wait to be called into the Chancellor's office.  Obviously they had to be on camera at that point, so there was only so much they could even say to each other, but Master Jinn still leaned down and said to him, "Remember, Chancellor Palpatine is a very powerful man with maybe more responsibilities than anyone else in the galaxy.  But he is also just another person in the end, to be respected as much as any other, but not seen as all powerful or more than that."

It wasn't Anakin's first time meeting a Supreme Chancellor.   Master Jinn had a couple of times had cause to meet with Valorum, and Anakin had come with him once, when he'd been eight.  Palpatine he'd seen images of, and his main thought had always been that he and Valoum didn't look all that unalike.

He still thought that now, but when Chancellor Palpatine actually stepped out of his office to greet them-which Anakin didn't think Supreme Chancellors usually did-Anakin did note they felt pretty different in the Force.  It wasn't a difference he could even really put words to, but if he'd tried to, he probably would've said it was like Palpatine was just more there.  He could've just been strong in the Force; politicians often were, though thankfully they usually weren't actually Force-sensitive.  But Anakin also had the feeling that there was something important there too he couldn't identify.  He hoped Master Jinn could figure that one out.

Whatever it was, he wasn't sure he liked it.  But that could just be his already being suspicious of the Chancellor and the people around him.  He wasn't even sure how much that was them, and how much that was his being suspicious of everybody nowadays.

"Padawan Anakin Skywalker."  Palpatine's voice was warm and paternal.  "Thank you for coming to see me, and on such short notice.   And you, too, Master Jinn.  I've heard so much about you both.  I suppose you will insist on coming in?"  He didn't sound entirely friendly there.

"I assume you must have something very important to tell my Padawan," said Master Jinn, perfectly placid.  "Something I'll need to know anyway.  This should be easier for both of us if we can just hear it together."

"It's not exactly that," said the Chancellor as he stepped into the audience, but made no further protest when Master and Padawan followed him shoulder to shoulder.  "And in truth, Master Jinn, what I've got to talk about today is something the Jedi Council will be hearing about sooner or later.  I suppose you two might feel the need to tell them about it now, but...I think I will leave that up to your discretion."

Did he know, about Master Jinn and the Council?  Anakin wasn't sure how many people outside the Temple knew about that.  Though if there was any kind of Sith influence in this place, they'd probably be spying on the Council as much as they could.

One way or another, he didn't like the way Palpatine was looking at Master Jinn, like he thought he could get something out of him.    It made Anakin wonder a lot what he might want.  They none of them had time to get tangled up in stupid politics, if it was just that, and if it was worse...well.

"To be honest, this is something I'm very worried to tell the Council about, especially as I fear they may take offense...or worse.   You see, I am starting to think someone in the Order is plotting against me, the Republic's government in general, or both."

He looked at them as if he expected this news to send them both reeling.  To be fair, it would have, if they hadn't already thought far worse could exist within the Temple.

Though Master Jinn probably would have remained easily neutral anyway, as he calmly asked, "And what makes you think that, Chancellor?"

"Call it a combination of whispers I've heard and circumstantial evidence I've seen piling up.  I am aware, of course, of these Sith Lords that have done the Order such damage and even put you in dire conditions once or twice, and I would not expect you to do as much as you did before all that started.  But suddenly I'm finding strange failures on some of my vital diplomatic missions.  Just last week, for instance.  Kit Fisto has always been exemplary in his negotiations with the Dac, but this time he suddenly couldn't get them to stay seated for five minutes even after he spent three weeks trying."

Well, that could potentially be caused by the Sith sabotaging Knight Fisto somehow.  Anakin wished he could ask someone what missions Master Dooku had been even somewhat connected to.

"And after that mission, you see," Palpatine continued, "I found myself with five Senators, two of whom had never showed any sign of caring in the least, coming after me, three of them on the floor of the Senate itself, attacking my very capacity to serve as Chancellor.  And when I looked into them, they all had ties to the Jedi Order somehow."

"Who were they, and how so?"  Master Jinn asked.  "Were all the ties all that significant?"

"Well, one of them, Senator Merks from Duzzkem, is actually married to a failed Initiate, which seems pretty significant to me.  Two more, Senator Larkin Buffe and Avos Fullan, have distant cousins in the Order, though I admit I don't know if they�ve ever actually had much to do with them.  The last two, Sborowsky Glitz and Ken-Oilt-Feras Gu, have worked with the Jedi multiple times on various diplomatic matters over the years."

"If their behavior is a coordinated effort against you," said Master Jinn, "then those Jedi and those Senators, or at least their staff, would have to be in a good deal of contact with each other.  How much do you think they could conceal?"

"You would be amazed, Master Jinn.  I know the Senate preaches transparency and letting the people know all we do.  And yes, a good deal of spying and other dodgy monitoring goes on too.  But I'm afraid it's all been going on so long that any Senator who's been on Corurscant for more than a few months has learned how much to let themselves be recorded and how to make sure, for an hour or so at least, that noone will ever watch what they are doing and who they are doing it with.

Of course, I don't pretend to fully know what kind of supervision the Jedi Order puts its members under, or even how much you people tend to just know about each other."  A pause, and maybe all that work Anakin had done trying to learn how to read people was finally paying off, because it hit him that the Chancellor was silently suggesting Master Jinn tell him exactly what supervision there was.  

Master Jinn, however, remained silent at first, then asked, "What do you know about their activities?  Quite frankly, Chancellor, if you claimed not to be monitoring them as much as you are allowed, at least these past few weeks..."

"I can give you detailed records on that if you like.  I will note immediately that Senators Fullan and Glitz have found themselves in the Temple District surprisingly often, though only Glitz has actually set foot in it in the past two months-to my knowledge, anyway."

"I'm willing to take that back to the Temple with me.  Of course the moment the Council hears about it, they will want to see everything."  When, of course, there was still the possibility one of them was working for the Sith.

Which was probably why Master Jinn kept a game expression when Palpatine kind of crooned, "Do they really need to hear about it, Master Jedi?  I have heard that you and they have not always agreed on how to handle certain affairs, especially ones that might require a more unorthodox solution."

Yet he responded, "I shall have to tell someone, Chancellor.  A matter such as this I cannot keep to myself.  Not with the implications it has for the entire Order."

Palpatine looked gravely as him, then said, "If you feel you must, I suppose you must."

"Is this why you only wanted to talk to me about this?"  Anakin asked.  And now that he'd had that thought, well, he really hoped it wasn't true.

But Palpatine replied, "I did want to restrict this information as much as possible, yes, though I know we could never have kept you in the dark entirely, Master Jinn.  You see, I was wondering if young Anakin would be willing to get just a little more information for me.   Nothing secret, even, just...hard to obtain if you're not a Jedi.  About the Jedi who have interacted with the Senate recently, and maybe which missions they were sent on, that sort of thing."

"That sounds like a lot of information," said Anakin, to quell his real reaction.  "Don't Jedi and the Senate interact a lot?"

"Indirectly, more often than not.  And I don't necessarily care about every routine diplomatic assignment request, especially ones that were denied anyway.  I think if you start looking over everything, you'll be quick to spot where the more significant interactions are."

"That is no small task you are asking of one Padawan," observed Master Jinn.  "Even if I aid him, it would consume much time for the both of us.  If we were to do this, we would need further help.  How would you feel about potentially bringing in my former Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi into this?  Or Padawan Padme Naberrie?  She's a good friend of Anakin's."

"Hmmmm."  The Chancellor's face didn't say much, so Anakin looked at his Master's instead.  Master Jinn shook his head only slightly, just enough to convey his opinion to his Padawan.  "Naberrie is apprenticed to Master Windu, I believe?"  A stronger shake of the head from Master Jinn.

Anakin decided to ask it:  "Do you not want Master Windu to know?"

"I would think that would be obvious," he chuckled.  "Not that I even suspect him of anything, mind you.  But you must know how he is, especially if you're friends with his Padawan.  Has she not told you how he berated her when she went and offended some Lord on Falsine while exposing two of his manservants for secretly working for his longtime rival, and when as I understand it, there's a chance that this saved the negotiations to end the civil war.  He wasn't happy with her the time she ran out on a meeting to help put out a building on fire on Morgos Prime either.  And then there was the time..."

"We get the point," said Master Jinn, and he was now sounding openly displeased, but meanwhile Anakin was reeling, because no, Padm� hadn't told him about any of that.  "But I still do not think it likely the two of us could do this alone.  At the very least, I know Obi-Wan to be free of any overbearing influences; even I haven't been one in his life for years now.  If I was to tell anyone other than my current Padawan here, it would be him."

"If you feel you must, then," sighed Palpatine.  "Shall we nonetheless keep this to the four of us for the time being?"

"Very well," said Master Jinn, and Anakin nodded too.  

They didn't get the chance to do any real snooping.  Barely had they stepped out the office when the guards were right there, making it clear they were to remove themselves immediately.  Honestly, Anakin was a little relieved.  He was still thinking more about what he'd just learned about Master Windu and Padme.

It was still the main thing occupying his mind as he and his Master headed back for the Temple.  He didn't even pay much attention to his surroundings as they went, at least until they were nearly there, and Master Jinn commented, "You look at the Temple from the outside, you really don't see that much of it, all things considered.  You see an outward structure, spires that have relatively little happen in them, a grand entrance, and a few more ways in if you look closely enough, and walls that go down far lower than most of this planet's inhabitants will ever travel.

I don't think most of the inhabitants will ever have any idea that we're having any special trouble right now either," he continued, as they disembarked and headed up the steps inside.  "They never know all the trouble and complications the Jedi Order suffers from.  They don't want to, and the Order doesn't want them to either.  Of course there's no keeping it from the galaxy when we get openly attacked, but I don't know how much of the Order, even, knows of the rest of it.  Even rumors only get out about so much, and then of course they're not always believed."

"That sounds like it's all true all the time," Anakin couldn't help but remark.  "And not just about big scary things that where Jedi who do know about them know they have to put a stop to them, but also things where nobody does anything."

"You're right about that, Ani," said Master Jinn.  "I daresay there are even many things even each of us hasn't noticed, much as we know about these big important things currently going on.  We should keep that in mind."

Not too long ago, the thought of Master Jinn being oblivious to anything would've seemed absurd to his Padawan.  But he was pretty sure he'd missed the obvious possibility of his own Master being the Sith, because surely if he had seen it, he would've also realized that Anakin, too, had seen it, and thus sat him down to discuss it by now.  It left Anakin both thinking he really needed to point it out, and feeling like he just couldn't, though he supposed if Obi-Wan or Padme said they should do it, he would.

And now he had to think he might have missed a thing or two about his longtime friend Mace Windu, that his good opinion didn't necessarily mean there wasn't anything seriously wrong with him.  That he didn't really know how he truly treated Padme.  Maybe nobody really knew how a Master treated a Padawan besides the Master and Padawan themselves.  Though he now wanted to talk to Padme about it, at least a little.

[polymetis-23]

Diary Entry Sept. 26th, 2021

Day 1 - The hunt begins

I spent most of today working on updates to my hero gear based off the trial runs these past few weeks. First I removed the giant skirt from my costume and replaced it with a utility belt. Sure those might not have been the most iconic thing about steampunk but they tinkered a lot so I'm sure they were around plenty. I hope to make more gadgets as time goes on so this will be a good place to store them. For now it is a simple belt with pockets as found at hardware stores. I know, it's ugly and doesn't really fit and I wish I had time to be proper about it, but with The Eye out there it seems somethings will sadly have to be function over form. 

In addition to adding the tool belt, I have been working on the wrist crossbows (told you I wouldn't forget about them). I've moved them down from the back of my hand to around my wrist and made the bow limbs out of a semi-bendable metal. They work like springs and shoot the dart out fairly fast … or at least that is the current theory, I've really only added the wrist strap, had to finish some homework.

As the sun started to set, it was finally time for me to find The Eye (seriously does anyone have a better name for this person?) I could've sworn I was in a movie. The sky was overcast but no rain and everything seemed eerily quiet. Without a better idea I started from where I last saw them, the eye was still on the wall and it didn't look like anyone had been home in a while, I hope she didn't kill him. Anyway, I wasn't about to break into someone's house because that is illegal so I sat on the roof and surveyed for any mysterious red lights. It may not have been the most efficient way to find them, but hey that red glow is the only thing I have to identify them at the moment, and well the eye. I saw a few flashes over the course of the night, and a few more eyes around the city. Some the crime was obvious, another breakin or general vandalism, but others a dark red eye was just on a wall, nothing around to denote why.

Day 2 - Uh yeah, exams are a thing

    How, might I ask, are we in the third week of classes and I already have a quiz. Like seriously what are we supposed to have learned at this point? Even if they had taught us something, this is the absolute worst time, now I have to spend all day studying and I can't go out tonight. I was getting so close last night to actually catching up to The Eye. Sure I hadn't actually seen them, but I was getting quicker at navigating the city so the time between red flashes and my arrival at a scene was getting less and less, it was only a matter of time until I caught them.

Day 3 - Crossbow work

    The forecast for today is rain, lots of rain all day and I don't really fancy going out and getting soaked or slipping and falling on my butt while hunting for Eye, so I guess today is a design day. It actually works out really well because now I will have the wrist bow ready for when I finally do encounter her. Next thing I need to work on is tranquilizer darts, I don't want to permanently hurt those I bring in, after all I'm not the judge, jury and executioner, I just bring people in to meet justice. 

    After today's tests the bow seems to be great … or at least manageable. I still need to improve the aiming, for some reason the bolts won't group together. And I need to make an automatic reloader attachment, I have plenty of darts held on the cuff, but it would be nice for the system to be semi automatic incase I miss a shot or more probably I am fighting more than one opponent and need to incapacitate them both in quick succession.

Day 4 - The Evil Eye

    Finally a semi-free day. I was able to make a few small adjustments to my weaponry between classes then waited until dark to roam the streets. The clouds from yesterday blew by leaving not a trace and letting the nearly full moon illuminate the streets, although that could also be from light pollution … I guess it is good that I can see and not trip, but I would've liked to be able to see the stars.

    The night started relatively calmly, I was finally getting used to the red haze that settled over the world when I used my goggles. If I ever learn how to actually code, I'll have to write a program to filter out the ambient light, but for now I would just have to let my eyes adjust. I got lucky in my positioning tonight, I hadn't seen any pattern in how The Eye chose their targets so I had decided to sit on a random tall roof top and was rewarded with a beam of red two blocks over. Although I had previously only seen an aura of red indicating The Eye's (this is gonna stick now isn't it?) presence, it wasn't hard to imagine that they had the ability to focus it. 

    I ran across the rooftops, which were thankfully connected, I'll have to figure something out for when they aren't. I guess I could run at street level but that is more crowded and less direct, plus heroes are known for leaping across roofs right? Regardless I soon arrived at where the beam had been and looked for the source. Below me on the street there was a fight going on and sure enough one of the combatants' hands were surrounded by an aura of red. Upon closer observation I was shocked to find out this wasn't a fight, it was a beating. The man The Eye was 'fighting' was just laying on the ground not even trying to defend themselves. It was clear to anyone watching that the fight was over and didn't need to be continued so why was The Eye still there? I called 911  and reported the situation so her victim could get some help. I doubted they would be moving by themselves any time soon. 

    After placing the call I turned my attention back to the street to apprehend The Eye myself, but they were already gone, an eye left on the ground above the injured man's head. I could already hear the sirens of the ambulance and knew he would be okay. I waited until the paramedics started treating him, then left. I spent the rest of the night searching for another sighting of The Eye to bring them in, but they seemed to have gone silent for the moment. I suppose I will have to try again tomorrow now that I had seen they were not only bad, they were straight up evil. Attacking someone for no reason at all.

Day 5 - The Conversation

    So classes were normal today and nothing special happened except well, I finally got to talk with the eye. I went out a little earlier than I usually did planning on scoping out some of the roofs on campus. Although I was currently preoccupied taking down The Eye who seemed to operate across the river, I knew I would be coming back to stop crime on campus eventually. There is a really nice iconic roof space above the main lobby of campus where I was planning to start. Up there you can see all around campus, sure it wasn't the tallest building, but it did have a great view.

    Anyway, I was up there planning to see what was what and keeping an eye out for any red flashes in the city when from behind I heard:

    "I thought they blocked off all entrances to the roof" they had, I have just been practicing picking locks. Yes I know that skill is rarely used for anything good, but sometimes it can come in handy, like tonight with the door

    I turned around expecting to see some other student, while it wasn't a common hang out spot, people definitely still came up here. Instead I was confronted with The Eye herself, what was she doing on this side of the river and at my school no less. Of course I immediately confronted her about her illegal activities and she scoffed at me. I mean she literally scoffed and called me naive, how am I naive when I saw her commit those crimes? Like seriously? It quickly became apparent that she wasn't remorseful at all and needed to be brought in. We had a brief altercation which I definitely nearly won if she hadn't taken a cheap shot and knocked me on my butt I would've had her. As it was I landed with a loud smack and was slightly dazed. The only sound I heard was "stay down, this isn't the world for you" When I got my bearings again, she was gone and I was alone on the roof. 

    I layed back down and stared at the sky. This is going to take more work than I thought, but I'm sure it can't be that much more.

Day 6 - A day to relax

    Not much happened today, I ended up sleeping through my alarm which I guess is a natural consequence of staying up into the early hours of the night every day for a week. I did my laundry, bought a few groceries and sloughed through some homework and … that was about it.

Day 7 - Coding is still the worst

    So I have a problem set due for my coding class and I swear this class should be worth twice the amount of credit listed on the syllabus based on how long it takes me to write a 'simple' program. I guess I am learning some things because I can follow the code examples given in class, but I definitely can't recreate them. I'm gonna need to find another way to code my goggles or get someone to do it for me. Superheroes have a man in the chair right?

    I eventually got the problem set turned in and started to draft ideas for the semi-automatic wristbow, still very rudimentary though.

[oneweekoneband]

To Leave Or Die In Long Island

Of course, BTMI! was just getting started. Less than a year after the release of the debut, Jeff came out with a second album (well, at 8 songs, it’s more of an EP, or mini-album, or, in Jeff’s words, a digital “10-inch”). Though To Leave Or Die In Long Island is shorter in length than Album Minus Band, that only seems to have helped to focus the sound and songwriting on it. In some ways, it’s more conceptually ambitious, too – the album begins and ends with the same melody in a kind of parallel structure. Almost everything that was great on Album Minus Band is honed to a finer point here. (Strangely, according to this interview, this is apparently Jeff’s least favourite BTMI! album; while I understand his reasoning why, it easily ranks as one of my favourites.) As on that album, for example, Jeff continues to criticize the state of the 2000s punk scene. But instead of simply lashing out at obnoxious trend-chasers, his targets get more specific and his lyrics more potent as a result: opener “Happy Anterrabae Day!!!” takes aim at the overly-violent culture that can still be observed at hardcore shows. Between the first verse to the second, Jeff moves from jeering at the guys who threaten “some fourteen-year-old” to suggesting ways to improve the situation: “If I kissed you on the nose or offered you a hug, / How could you possibly still wanna fight?” He ends with a reminder of the positive possibilities of punk rock: “Think about the reason you went to shows at twelve years old, / We all felt alone, it was not to kick my ass!”

Whether it’s the inside-joke about a bandmate’s ladder-climbing career offer to join a more successful band (that didn’t work out in the end) on “Congratulations, John, On Joining Every Time I Die!” or the under-a-minute hardcore punchline of “Showerbeers!!!”, the album really shines on the lyrical front even when it feels like Jeff isn’t trying (which he admits he wasn’t on “Showerbeers!!!”). Then there’s the more serious stuff: “Dude, Get With The Program” is one of Jeff’s best songs about the paper-thin quality of that bullshit facade upper-management types put on when trying to soothe class antagonisms in their workplaces. Inspired by an experience he had at a job in which a company’s managers started lecturing workers on being part of their “family” right before the paycuts and firings began, he vents his frustrations: “You’re working on your first million, / I’m on my first thousand, / And bills are due tomorrow.” There’s the emptiness of the rhetoric fed to those who get the short end of the stick under capitalism: “You didn’t get fired, you’re ‘laid off.’” The chorus clears it all up: “You could have figured out a way to help us out, / But you just said: / ‘Hey, go ahead and get fucked!’”

By contrast, the less-oppositional “Stand There Until Your Sober” has been a long-running fan favourite possibly due to its confessional quality. It’s a song about drinking too much, feeling like you’ve fallen behind in life, like you’ve missed your chance to grow up, and being generally miserable with nothing to look forward to except the awesome party you have planned for your friends at your funeral (because “mourning is for suckers!”). Over a relatively sparse 3/4 groove with some nice musical flourishes (those backmasked acoustic guitar chords that open the song always get me), Jeff sings about the city’s ambient lights blocking out the stars, making out with a stranger on a boat, and earning only “a hundred and ten bucks for twenty hours” while watching his friends achieve a comfortable stability in life that always seems out of reach for him. It’s the ultimate loser’s anthem, and maybe some of the most poetic stuff to come out of BTMI! Even in the midst of the despair, a ray of positivity breaks through near the end of the song: “You’ll finally know that life’s okay, / Even when the bad things happen.”

The music, too, takes a giant step forward on To Leave Or Die. Though Album Minus Band already showed signs of breaking free from the confines of ska-punk, Jeff signals his ambitions to fuck with the formula as much as possible right off the bat with the cheesy fake-out synth-rock intro to “Happy Anterrabae Day!!!”, gradually revving up the tempo until it reaches the hardcore intensity that kicks off its first verse. Remember what I said about Jeff’s harmonies on Album Minus Band? Here’s the thing: he might not be a great singer (something he’d address directly on the band’s final album), but he sure knows how to layer his voice in his wall-of-sound production to trick you into thinking he is. Of course, he pulls back the curtain at the end and mutes all instruments for the final chorus’s last couple “na-na-na” sections, revealing a chorus of Jeffs screaming vague harmonies and polyphonies at the top of their lungs, barely staying in time with each other, let alone in tune. He knows exactly how absurd it sounds and works that to his advantage perfectly – it never fails to make me laugh out loud. I actually first got my sister into this band by showing her this part of the song, which she couldn’t believe would be left in an actual studio recording. It’s both incredibly funny and incredibly punk; what could be more so than a guy going “Yeah, I can’t sing, but how about I make a whole goddamn choral arrangement out of my voice anyway?”

The peak of the album’s musical ambition arrives at its climax and final song, “Syke! Life Is Awesome!” A tour-de-force of multi-section songwriting, Jeff describes it relatively accurately on Quote Unquote as being composed of “20-second blasts of different genres whether it be alt-country, post-punk, reggae or synth pop.” What that description doesn’t quite capture is the progression of the song, from an acoustic-strummed folk-punk intro into a kind of freak-folk chorus strung out on its own silliness, from there to a classic hardcore punk tempo interspersed with a couple bars of ska, building to an unstoppable outro with a horn section that sounds like a Motown track’s backing dialed up to light-speed. That excellent “na-na-na” vocal melody from “Happy Anterrabae Day!!!” is reprised here through the horns at the end of the song, a motif for the observant listener to enjoy. Lyrically, too, this might be one of my favourite BTMI! songs; Jeff says this one was about a time he got to talk with the lead singer of Squeeze and realized how cool it was that his life had turned out in a way that such a thing could happen. It’s the end of the song that really gets me: sprinting across the album’s final stretch, Jeff begins a long, uninterrupted phrase following an instrumental break that details all the weird things that happened in his life in the chain of events that got him to where he was at the time of writing that song. It evokes a sense of wonder at the simple mechanism of cause-and-effect: “And if I knew how to throw a football, / I would have never played any music, / And if never got my heart broken, / I would sing ‘blah blah fucking nothing.’” It’s a celebration of the uniqueness of the timeline that makes your life unequivocally yours, as it could never be any other way. In philosophy, we might call that a “haecceity.”