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crystalas · 3 years

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It’s only a matter of time

Okay I’m on here mainly for the fanfics so here goes...hope you like angst and stuff X3 bring a cup of tea its a long one!

The story: MK and Red Son wake up trapped by Macaque who has plans for them and he isn’t going to take no for an answer.

Chapter one: the nightmare begins

Monkie Kid woke up with a grown, he felt stiff and cold, his back and neck aches horribly which wasn’t surprising as he found himself waking up on a stone floor.

Wait. Why was he sleeping on a stone floor?

That thought got his brain firing on all cylinders as he sat up quickly, which made the chains on his wrists clank and jangle. He looked down at them adding them to the list of ‘what the heck was going on?’ MK surveyed his surroundings and saw he was in a stone-grey cell with no windows, one jail door, a bucket to which he could guess the reason that was there for…

And an unconscious Red Son who was also chained to the wall.

Oh, he had soooooo many questions.

Red Son shifted with a groan and sat up rubbing his head, as he groggily took in the sparse jail cell he looked down at his chains and then he caught sight of MK.

“NOODLE BOY!!!??” he screamed. “What is the meaning of this?!”

“I was going to ask you the same thing!” MK shouted back. “Is this one of your schemes?”

“Oh yes Noodle Boy my brilliant diabolical plan was to chain myself up in a cell with you, you saw through it so perfectly!” Red Son declared slowly clapping his hands, “All my hard work has come undone by your brilliant wit and clever thinking!”

“Ok sorry you can rein back the sarcasm now!” MK growled, he got to his feet and yanked on the chains testing their strength. They didn’t seem magical or anything special, as far as he could see they were just normal chains.

“Well, whoever did capture us are morons, I can tell you that much” Red Son exclaimed as he got to his feet, MK turned to look at him.

“What makes you say that?” he asked and Red Son just stared him in the eye as his hands erupted into flames, the metal bands on his wrists glowed cherry red then white hot before melting off and hitting the floor with a sizzling thud.

“Because only a fool would try and chain me up without heat proofing my restraints first” he answered and began to walk towards the door to inspect it. MK checked his ear more out of habit and found to his surprise that his staff was right where he left it last, he pulled it out and regarded his chains for a second. He remembered how Monkey King had been able to break Spider Queen’s webs by simply tapping them with the staff so he tried that. He tapped the chains with a little force and with a ringing clang the both chains fell apart the individual links clanking to his feet. He walked over to the cell door where Red Son was kneeling looking at the lock with a keen eye.

“Hey I can try and open it if you want?” MK offered but Red Son just gave it a push and it opened without so much as a creak.

“Wait it wasn’t even locked?” he asked dumfounded.

“I stand by my statement; our kidnappers are morons…” Red Son muttered.

“Yeah, I mean they didn’t even try and take the staff” MK said as they left the cell to find themselves in a dark hallway. Red Son lit a flame in his palm and began walking, MK not wanted to be left in the spooky dark dungeon without a light source followed.

“To be fair even if they had thought to, they would have struggled to do so. What with the whole ‘only those deemed worthy thing’ unless they had MY gauntlet of course!” Red Son declared proudly.

They walk the corridors silently for a while, it unnerved the two how quiet and dark this place was even as they walk by windows there wasn’t even the glimmer of stars or moonlight. There were no city sounds or wildlife noises or anything that could help them figure out if they in an urban or rural area.

“So… um do you remember anything before waking up here?” MK asked desperate to get rid of the unsettling silence.

“I remember being in my work shop, I was tinkering with the truck when I heard my mother call me…then…” Red Son stopped walking as if to try and collect his thoughts. “Something grabbed me from behind. You?”

“I remember being on a delivery run, the address was this little run-down apartment. Then yeah something grabbed me as well when the door opened.” MK answered, the silence returned as they continued to wander. They came to a door that opened up to reveal a large dojo training floor, they looked around as they walked through keeping an eye out for any movement.

“Why do you think they kidnapped us?” MK wondered as he looked at the wooden weapons that were on a stand nearby.

“Besides the obvious? I mean you are the Monkie Kid” Red Son muttered “My guess is that someone thought they could force a marriage out of me” this got a tsk of amusement out of Red Son and a look of bemusement from MK.

“Marriage??!”

“Yes, it is demon custom to capture your intended betrothed as a way of showing your strength and cunning. A stupid tradition that should have died out over a century ago in my opinion but there are still plenty demons out there that like to cling to the old ways.” Red Son explained they left the dojo floor and carried on inspecting the other rooms as they did. There looked to a shrine room, bedrooms, maybe a kitchen but it was as sparce as their cell was. There was nothing that gave them any indication on who took them or why.

“Sounds like you’ve had your experience with that sort of thing…” MK ventured; Red Son scoffed.

“When my father the Demon Bull King was first imprisoned by you-know-who, I was next in line to be head of the family however I was too young so my mother ruled in my stead… the amount of times demons thought they could take me so they could claim the title was beyond annoying. Ever wonder why I know teleporting magic?” Red Son explained looking back at MK.

“So why don’t you use it now?”

“To put it in a way your simple mortal mind could comprehend I need to know the location of my destination and the pathway to it, I can’t just ‘whoosh’ my way out of sealed room I need a window or an air vent or something…” Red Son said as he opened another window and gave an irritated growl as it only opened to empty darkness. “And I’m not leaping into that until I know what’s out there!”

MK gripped his staff tighter and he could feel his instincts tingle, Red Son also seemed to feel something because he could see his fists clench and he began to walk faster to the door. He opened it wide and found…

“What the hell??!” MK cried out.

The entire dojo was in a cave, Red Son lifted the fire ball above his head and made it grow larger the light illuminated the cave as far as they could see which wasn’t very far to begin with. The cave was barely large enough to house the dojo they had been in, MK used his staff to pole vault up to the roof tops making sure to stay in the light, using his golden sight he looked around getting more desperate as claustrophobia began to set in.

“I don’t see any tunnels!” he called from on top of the roof tiles “I don’t see anything that looks like a way out, not even inside the dojo!”

“Then how do we get out of here?” Red Son shouted back.

“Easy, you don’t!” a voice declared and they spun around to see a dark furred monkey being standing there as if he had been there from the start.

“Macaque?!” MK spluttered.

“Uncle Mango?” Red Son squeaked at the same time, they both turned to look at each other.

“You know him?” they both asked in unison.

“It’s cute you remember that name Red” Macaque chuckled “Kinda makes me feel bad about what’s ahead…”

“What do you want this time Macaque?!” MK snarled feeling a little safer from his high vantage point, Macaque looked up at him with a smirk.

“Why to carry on with our training of course. My little student” he grinned.

“I was never your student!” MK growled getting ready for a fight but Red Son seemed to beat him to the punch as he strode up to Macaque his hair angrily aflame.

“I demand you release us from this…place!” he shouted “Where are we?”

“This is my dojo, and only I can travel to and from it unless you know shadow magic of course” he sniggered, Red Son growled and his fists began to burn with fire.

“Release us now or I will make you!” he roared.

MK felt a chill down his spine as this conversation went on, something was wrong, something was very, very wrong here. Macaque was too at ease with Red Son and MK both armed and angry at him, then it hit him like an ice block to the gut.

Only a fool would try and bind Red Son without fire proofing it first.

Only a fool would leave MK with his staff.

Only a fool would leave the cell door unlocked and let their prisoners just wander around on their own.

Macaque was a lot of things but he wasn’t a fool.

“Red Son hold on something isn’t right here!” MK said but Red Son wasn’t listening as he was already pouncing to attack, fire blasting as he leapt forward to land a hit…

MK watched in horror as gold bands on his arms, legs and around his neck began to glow and magic began to pulse over his body; Red Son dropped to the floor screaming in pain clutching his neck as he tried to claw the band off of him. Macaque step over the convulsing demon and looked up at MK who took a step back.

“Aw don’t worry bud; I didn’t leave you out” he smiled and muttered something. MK’s head was suddenly gripped in what felt like a hydraulic press, he clutched at his head in pain and his fingers found something under his bandana something made of metal and it was pressing into his skull with all the weight of an elephant. He staggered around trying to get whatever was on his head off but the pain only seems to getting worse with every passing moment. In his stumbling he lost his footing and fell to the floor with a painful thud but that was nothing compared to whatever was trying to crack his skull open. He screamed and gasped as the agony was knocking the air of out him and he just couldn’t breathe!

The pain was suddenly gone, but all MK could do was lie there shaking from the shock and taking huge gulps of air as he suddenly remembered how his lungs worked. He opened his eyes blearily and saw Macaque standing there waiting politely for the boys to regain some composure. MK grabbed his staff and used to it prop himself up.

“Here’s how things are going to go” he declared as Red Son got to his knees snarling at him with rage. “I am the master you are my students. You will obey my instructions to the letter, I say jump you say how high that kind of thing. If you try to escape, or defy me, or attack me, or basically do anything I don’t like…” Macaque trailed off as he muttered again. The agonising pain returned in a crashing wave that sent both boys to the floor.

“Well…you get the idea”

“How did you get these accused bands?” Red Son demanded.

“Did I say you can ask questions?” Macaque inquire and Red Son gave a staggered groan as the band glowed once more. “No, I didn’t. Now up you get my little students” both boys glared at him defiantly.

“Stubborn, aren’t you?” Macaque laughed “Well this just make it that more fun for me”

MK and Red Son cried out as pain rippled through them again.

“Please. Get up”

MK staggered to his feet and the pain stopped, he glanced at Red Son who was also getting to his feet.

“Good boys” Macaque said calmly and began to walk back into the dojo. “Please. Follow.”

“How dare he bark orders at me!” Red Son muttered under his breath “When my father finds out about this, he’s going to smash that sub human into a pulp!” only for him to drop to the floor again with a strained groan, MK ran to his side to help him back to his feet.

“Until we get these things off of us, we better play along, ok? We’re only hurting ourselves” MK whispered to him.

“I didn’t say you could talk” Macaque demanded looking back on the two, they flinched as they now knew what was coming and was made right as the bands once again activated, causing both of them to fall to their knees.

“Please. Follow” was all Macaque said after that. Every attempt to get away or attack or even just to talk to one another resulted in them lurching to the floor as they received punishment. Macaque would just stop and wait for them to get to their feet before barking the same order at them. They soon stopped trying anything and just followed quietly behind Macaque as they lead the back to the cell, they had started in. Inside the cell was two of Macaque’s shadow clones each holding a folded bundle of clothes.

“Please. Get dressed” Macaque exclaimed, both boys looked at him wanting to say something about what the hell was going on or how they were not getting undressed in front of each other but Macaque just smiled and tilted his head as if to say ‘wanna try it?’

MK sighed and grabbed the first bundle and Red Son with a frustrated growl did the same with the second. MK just let his clothes drop as he took them off Red Son however took great care to fold his up and put them in the corner. They found with a sickening feeling in their stomach that the clothes they had to wear looked similar to what Macaque was wearing but simplified. Red leggings with tawny yellow robes and a brown belt sash.

The shadow clones took their old clothes and held them for a second, as Macaque looked at his students in their new attire.

“Now boys I don’t think those fit your new outfits, hand them over” he demanded, MK felt his hand go to his bandana as Red Son gripped what looked like a beaded necklace with a horned pendant.

“This is my family insignia I am not taking it off!” Red Son growled but saw the look in Macaque’s eyes and flinched before looking sadly at the pendant before taking it off and handing it over. MK took his bandana off as well and threw it at the shadow clone in disgust. As they did their clothes ignited into purple and black flames and vanished into ash, Red Son gave a horrified gasp.

“That pendant was handed down through the generations of the Demon Bull Family!” he screamed “How dare you just destroy it for your little power tr…” he couldn’t even finish his rant as he fell to the floor once more gasping and writhing as magic ripple over his body.

“Red, the sooner you learn to do as I say the less time, you’re gonna spend like this” Macaque sighed as he knelt down to pet Red Son on the head. “I was commissioned specifically to train you two up, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“Why?” MK blurted out but winced back as Macaque stood up to look at him sternly. He looked at MK for a moment before giving that horrible smirk again.

“Why indeed?” he said simply “Now I want you boys to get settled in, I’ll be bringing supper shortly.” And with that he and his clones left as Red Son laid there trembling as he recovered. They remained frozen in place until they heard the sound of the hallway door closing, once they heard that click MK rushed over to Red Son who was struggling to move.

“What did he mean he was ‘commissioned’ to do this?” MK asked as he helped Red Son to sit up.

“It means Noodle boy that there is someone else in on this!” he whispered, “Someone powerful or high up because they somehow got a hold on Guanyin’s binds!” he pulled down his collar to show nestled around his neck was a gold band, he also showed MK the same kind of bands on his wrists.

“They also managed to get Monkey King’s Skillet!” Red Son said sadly pointing at his head and for the first time MK actually tried to feel for the cause of his pain, as he felt the metal band dread ran through him as he remembered Monkey King telling him how torturous it was to have on and how he hated every second he wore it.

“How do we get them off?” MK whispered back trying his best not to panic.

“We don’t” Red Son said coldly “Only the one who placed it or something with stronger magic can remove them, so our first priority is to get out of here and find my parents or … ugh Monkey King they would have a good idea how to do it.”

MK started to pace the cell trying to suppress the rising urge to freak out and panic.

“So, what now? We’re trapped?” he asked.

“We need to remain calm” Red Son said quietly.

“How? We’re trapped in a dojo that in this shadow realm cave thing, Macaque has magical shock collars on us, we both have our powers but we are still helpless!” MK babbled “Oh god Pigsy is probably freaking out; he must be worried sick…they all must be worried sick…”

“Which means they will start looking, my mother is a wind master which means she can scry the winds.” Red Son said quietly, MK spun around to demand how the hell the most anger management challenged person he has ever met can be so calm in this situation when he saw that Red Son was clenching his hands so tightly his knuckles were white.

Red Son is freaking out just as badly as I am, MK thought he’s just better at hiding it.

“What…what’s scry mean?” he asked.

“It means anything the wind touches mother can see. I seriously doubt Macaque even with his shadow magic could have taken us without a breeze catching something, not to mention he took me in my own home which has security cameras in my work shop. Someone will notice and will find something that will lead them here!” Red Son stated slowly “It’s only a matter of time, we just need to stick it out. ‘Play along’ as you said.”

MK sat down next to Red Son taking deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down.

“You’re right.”

“I know…”

“What do you think he has planned for us?”

“I don’t know…Uncle Mango was never this…twisted when I was a child.” Red Son muttered, “Or maybe he was just better at hiding it. Or I never noticed…”

“Uncle Mango?”

“Oh, nothing blood related, same way Monkey King is considered my uncle it’s more of a god father thing you humans do”

The cell fell to silence as MK ran out of energy to talk and Red Son didn’t feel like answering more questions. They both just stewed in their own thoughts on their new predicament.

#red son #monkie kid #monkie kid red son

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purplerose244 · 3 years

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My thoughts on Ninjago the Island!!! 🏝🏝🏝

So, gotta be honest... this is not a Blind reaction thing, I actually watched it in French first so I know most of the stuff already 😅 It's entertaining, it got great animation, but nothing more than that in my opinion 🤷‍♀️

Still there is stuff I liked or I want to point out, and finally I'm seeing the English version so I can actually understand what the HECK they are saying 🤩

Alright, nothing else to say, here we go!

UNCHARTED

I haven't actually seen anything Clutch Powers related before Ninjago, is he always like this? I love that he is a jerk honestly, just wondering 😂

Press F for respect for intern Dwaine (at least he seems to like being... used?)

Clutch: It's just a bunch of rocks! It's not alive!

Totem: I'm about to end this man's whole career

Wait, Misako is part of the explorers club? ... that would have come in handy in season 11 to get the scroll of Forbitten Spinjitzu from the club instead of begging uncle Powers for it... *sighs* I don't mind plot holes in Ninjago like most fans I think, but if you wanna make Misako relevant again at least pay attention to the details 😅

Wow, after the end of season 13 I would've thought Wu was going to go through a midlife crisis, not Misako 😂😂

Oww, everytime I hear I get 😢 Bless your soul Kirby, always in our hearts 🖤🖤🖤

Well hello Brian

Always nice to see you 😊

Twitchy Tim must have been pretty interesting to voice 🤔 I like him enough, he's fun and all, maybe not at the level of the characters we got last season

Okay, the place is called the STORM belt, there are LIGHTNINGS, and the sand of the beach is BLUE. Are we gonna address any of these similarities to our Bluebell here or not? 😅

Wait, Tim was giving a hot air balloon tour, does that mean other people where with him? What of them? Are they dead? Did he let them die on the island?... am I reading too much into this? Probably 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Alright, the part of the boats? SO COOL 🤩🤩 I literally can't say anything bad about the animation at this point

Why did they think leaving Kai, Jay and Cole on one boat was going to be a good idea 😂 Also Zane just randomly doing sick tricks on his vehicle, love that nindroid

I'm guessing Nya is keeping her water abilities for her season 🤷‍♀️

Yep, yep, this is why the creators try to keep Pixal out of the adventures, with her everything is way too cool and easy to access to 😎😎

Twitchy Tim: There are statues that become alive!!

Lloyd:... so it's a season 2 stone army ripoff, we've seen worse

It's a cute episode overall 👍

THE KEEPERS OF THE AMULET

OKAY THE INTRO IS SO FREAKING COOL 🤩🤩🤩🤩

So Twitchy Tim has temporarily taken over Jay's role of spazzing out and complain about worse case scenarios... in another occasion they might have bonded over this, maybe 😂

Okay, survival position? MOOD

Nya: DRAGOOON 😱

Me: DRAGOOOOOOON 😍😍😍

Why am I not surprised that Jay was the one that named him Zippy? 💙 Also HE'S SO CUTE 💕💕💕 Love how in every adventure, we always get very different types of dragon in this show 👌 I'm a simple person, I see a dragon... 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Oh-oh, it's the "Lloyd's done with this crap"'s face

This means serious business... am I that used to LEGO characters that this way of crossing arms on the chest looks almost normal to me? 😅

Soooo, Master of the Mountain clearly gave Cole too much development... because now he got demoted to "the one who is always hungry" 🤦‍♀️ I'm all for Cole's endearing love for cakes, which is super relatable, but if you're gonna push it on his fun side, at least be coherent 🙃

Is it just me or it feels like the writing of this special was made by someone different from the one of season 13? Like, it's not bad, just less engaging and witty. For now. Maybe I'm being premature 🤷‍♀️

New way of nerfing powers, we got... weird, sucking power totem thingies... OKAY

My gosh I really can't say anything about the animation, look at that! It's all cinematic with such a light! YES!! 🤩

I'M SORRY

WHY ARE WE LOOKING OVER THIS??? IT LOOKS LIKE COLE'S LAVA PUNCHES BUT THEY ARE JAY LIGHTNING FEET??? IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT AGAIN??? WHY ARE WE IGNORING THIS??? 💙💙💙💙

So they at least addressed that lightning isn't a Jay's thing only anymore 😅

Alright, Jay having a mental breakdown because of a bridge because it always breaks, that's the Bluebell I know and love 😂😂 Nya telling him to keep moving was cute too 💙❤💙❤

Okay, I'm sorry but this really bothers me, what kind of lightning can instantly knock out the MASTER OF LIGHTNING??? Like, my gosh, really??? I hope they give us an explanation, like it's some sort of special lightning, because this really doesn't sit right with me. Jay is lightning proof, we've seen it in Skybound, we've seen it in Sons of Garmadon, I DON'T BELIEVE HE WOULD JUST BE KNOCKED OUT LIKE THAT 😡😡😡

Soooooo, storm amulet? Being one with the lightning? Is that the reason why Jay got to be the sacrifice? 😅

THE GIFT OF JAY

Alright, I am kinda looking forward for this one, what did Bluebell actually say or do to get him into trouble this time 😂😂

Oh, he just... introduced himself... well that was underwhelming

SENSEI👏YOU👏ARE👏A👏FREAKING👏GOD👏STOP👏GETTING👏KIDNAPPED👏BY👏RANDOM👏VILLAINS👏

Bring ooooon Lloyd Grills 💪

Okay I did like the little speech, definitely resonates with how Lloyd survived this long even though everything wanted him to give up, even his father... I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING 😭

Jay out there making the real questions 😂

Awwww Edna used to call him gift of Jay? I can totally see it, so cute 💙💙 Makes even more sense if Libber actually left Jay at the Walkers' door...

Pff, Jay made the connection I would've done honestly 🤷‍♀️ Like, him being the master of lightning really didn't give these dudes any impression or inspiration? Any cool idea, full Road of El Dorado style? 🙃🙃

Lloyd out there abusing of the animation budget 💚💚💚

Somehow these ninja never actual sneak in, it's always a huge mess everyone knows about beforehand 😂 It's familiar though, I'm used to it and happy with it 👍

I might not be the biggest Misako fan, but you know what I am a fan of?

LEGO HUGS 😍😍😍😍😍

Dang it uncle Powers, you just got here to make a mess did you 😅

Not the first person of the fandom to say this, but Jay looks absolutely lovely with that flower crown 🌺🌺🌺

Oh poor greenie

Lloyd just has the worst luck 😓

Jay: Why would I be the gift?

Kai: Yeah who would want Jay?

Nya: Huh, me?? 😡

Got some very good Jaya for this little special, can't complain 💙❤💙❤

I mean, not matter how big of a snake Wojira might turn out to be, we've already seen the biggest and the second biggest snake of all so 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Whoa, at last... IT WAS THE FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER THAT HAD SOMETHING HE SHOULD'VE TOLD WU A LONG TIME AGO!! 😱 Wu, you got pulled a Wu, how does it feel? 😂

Again, Jay freaking out, kinda my jam it's too funny 💙💙

Wow Kai way to be hominous offscreen 👏👏 I miss talking about my flame babe, this really isn't his time 🤷‍♀️

THE TOOTH OF WOJIRA

So when I first watched this I was genuinely, really excited about knowing the truth behind all this. It turned out very different from what I first thought, but at least in this case it's okay (besides I was pushing with the lightning meaning just to see Libber again 😅😅😅)

I feel like the guys get their powers stolen or blocked so much it takes them a minute to remember "Oh wait I can literally burn my way out" 🤷‍♀️

SPINJITZU YAY 🤩

I... forgot that Misako knows how to fight 😅 She knows how to do spinjitzu too if I remember correctly...

NYA BEING LIKE "OUT OF THE WAY IMMA SAVE MY BOYFRIEND AGAIN" ❤💙❤💙

Gotta love how they were all crazy worried about Jay, like, this is something that never changes through the show. They really care so so much for each other 💕💕💕

Ooohhhh, okay, so Wojira does seem to be the main villain of next season according to the story. I remember Tommy saying that we needed to have faith and this is probably why. The special was okay, nothing too much, and hopefully that too much we will see in Nya's season 😍😍😍

What the- pff, I didn't notice this the first time 😂

At this point I can't tell if that one short with the chicken of the movie carried a hate or a love for chickens in the actual show 😂😂

Nice to see Jay standing up for himself at least for a little while 💪 Also Lloyd being "He's our trouble", aww family 💜

THERE IT IS

MY BRUISE HEART IS SOARING 🖤💙🖤💙

Gotta give props to the voice actors, voicing an explanation while fighting must be pretty hard! WE ARE BLESSED WITH AN AMAZING CAST!!! 🤩🤩🤩

And there he is, our favorite jerk... shaved Ronin 😂 He does look a little weird, but it's fair, new animation and all. Not the weirdest until now 🤷‍♀️

I genuinely had to make a mental check to see where we are with Ronin now, like, he started as a villain, then a partner, he betrayed us, became an ally, he hunted the ninja, then joined them, that timeline was erased, he was around in SoG and... wow this man is chaotic 😂😂

Yaaaay, Twitchy's last minute redemption act! Lloyd is too good at motivational speeches 👏👏

A bit of Lava OTP/BrOTP

Cause it's good for the heart ❤🖤❤🖤

Okay, Scooby doo reference, why not? Also honestly, I'm confident Ronin has seen A LOT of jails and prisons... probably won't stay behind bars for long 😅

Mammatus: sorry for imprisoning you and almost killing your friend

Kai: no biggie, that's how we make friends in this show

Alright the "And Clutch Powers" gag made me chuckle 😂 ... wait where is he- DANG IT UNCLE POWERS

Okay, this is the last time I say it I promise, but I mean. I MEAN

THE ANIMATION GUYS 😍😍😍

Aaaaand sensei you jinxed it 😅 But you apparently awakened Nya's season so I'm gonna forgive you on this one 😉

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are a few little details that bothered me a little, and it wasn't as exciting as I maybe hoped it was going to be, but it was fine. Enjoyable still. These characters make me like the show, even when it got nothing too impactful 🤷‍♀️

But I got triggered about that lightning thing with Jay 😅 I guess I'll just fanfic whatever I had in mind...

Don't have to repeat myself about the animation *chef's kiss*

The writing was really less engaging, a little normal in a way? Idk just a feeling. Nice to see Ronin again though, I really like him. And nice to see Jay freaking out, I really like that too 😂

To be honest I wanted to put down my thoughts on this one because I REALLY wanna do the same with Nya's season 🤩🤩 I already know that Maya is gonna be there and I am so HAPPY already!!! 💙💙💙

So that's it from me! Thank you for reading me ranting, see you next season! 😊

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whitecatindisguise · 4 years

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Fire In Your Heart

I'm SOOOOOO late, but here's your birthday present, @crystal-moon-101.

Starshard!Varian and Solana belong to Crystal. Go read her Stars In My Eyes fic before this one, as it is closely related to it.

Summary: Varian is troubled by the events connected to the Stuff of Vesuvius, and Solana comforts him.

----

Everything was on fire. The buildings, the streets, the sky. He could see the merciless red tongues reaching out to cover every stone, every brick, every plank. He could feel the heat, the burning sensation touching his skin and leaving it hot and sweaty. His ears were filled with wood cracking under the force of fire and the screams. Oh, Demanitus. The screams.

High-pitched, bone-chilling shrills of pure terror rising to the sky, begging for help, pleading for some kind of miracle.

"You did this." A voice said from behind. His back tensed, every muscle pulled in a subconscious reaction.

"No…" He whispered, tears gathering in his eyes. "I didn't want this…"

"But you did. It's your fault. After all..." Andrew was standing right behind him. The alchemist could hear his breath on the nape of his neck. "... you were the one to open the door."

Varian's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to argue, but no sound came out.

"Nothing to say, buddy?" Andrew's voice purred into his ear and the teen suppressed a shiver. "No 'That's not true!', or 'You're lying!'?"

Varian clenched his fists as the Saporian laughed. He shut his eyes, stopping the tears that threatened to fall.

"You know why is that, don't you?" Andrew continued not bothered by the teen's demeanour. "Because no matter how much you try denying it, in the end it all comes down to one simple fact."

He was suddenly grabbed by the back of the collar and pushed forward, dangling over the edge. Under his feet, Corona burned, the magical fire enveloping everything in sight.

Varian's breath hitched as he stared at the drop, the only thing keeping him from falling was the grip on his shirt, the grip he knew would falter and he will plunge to his doom.

"Look, Varian! Feast your eyes upon Corona's downfall!" Andrew yelled, his voice sounding with joy. "Look and remember: this is all your doing! You could have prevented it! But you chose the lives of your friends over the safety of the whole kingdom. The lives which will be lost either way, because you were too weak to stop it!"

Varian couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't do anything but watch the fire burn, the purple and gold banners turning to ashes, the building collapsing upon each other.

And then, when he thought it was the end, that it can't get any worse… the grip disappeared. His breath hitched again and his eyes widened in horror, as he fell forward and down, down, down.

"Burn along with it, Varian!" Andrew shouted from where he was still perched upon the airship, the Staff of Vesuvius still in his hold. "After all, traitors pay with their lives."

Varian felt the heat of the fires getting closer and closer. His back collided with the concrete with such force, all breath was sucked out from his lungs. And then, everything went black.

It was all dark and quiet. Varian laid on his back, staring into nothingness. Was this is how afterlife looked like? The endless void with nowhere to go?

Suddenly, he heard something. A familiar hum resonating in the void, filling his soul with warmness and calmness.

[You are safe], it seemed to be saying. [Nothing can hurt you.]

Varian pushed himself up, only now noticing what he thought before was a black void, was in truth a starry sky. The lights blinked lightly, staring down at him.

He heard the hum again and looked the way it was coming from, noticing a white gem, floating several feet from where he was laying.

"Oh." He said.

Starshard glimmered at him in response. [I'm here.], it seemed to be saying. It twirled, the magic slowly embracing the teen like a warm blanket.

Varian sighed tiredly and took few steps forward, approaching the gem, before sitting back down, his back against it. It was warm, almost gentle, as a mother caressing a hand through her child's hair.

He closed his eyes and stayed silent for some time, listening to the hum of the Starshard and enjoying the warmth. He didn't know how much time has passed, but gradually his breathing evened and heartbeat slowed. He took one more calming breath before trusting his voice not to crack when speaking.

"Thank you." He said, resting his head on the smooth surface of the gem. It hummed in response, glimmering gently.

Varian once again fell into comfortable silence, letting the quiet hum and gentle glow of Starshard overtake his senses. Slowly, he could feel his panic subside, turning into the calmness of the mystical gem.

It wasn't the first time it pulled him out of the nightmare, which became much more frequent with the last events connected to Andrew and the Stuff of Vesuvius.

"Guess it's common goal of every villain to traumatise me." He said to noone in particular, chuckling at the bad joke. He let out a deep sigh and looked up at the starry sky. "I should probably get used to it then."

Starshard hummed behind his back, as if comforting the teen. He laughed and patted the crystal like one would pat an animal.

"Well, time to wake up, I guess." He said and glanced at the gem. It twirled and hummed in response, its magic gently wrapping around the alchemist, like a protective barrier of some sort. He smiled at the gesture and closed his eyes.

Varian opened his eyes and stared at the brick ceiling of his bedroom. He yawned and pushed himself up to the sitting position. He noticed his streak glowing and sighed. Guess this is how it's going to be whenever Starshard contacts him in his dreams. Luckily, anyone who would enter his chambers while he's asleep, knew about the mystical power and wouldn't be freaked out by his hair suddenly starting to glow.

His gaze moved to the nightstand positioned next to his bed and he smiled slightly. The lamp he created using the feather Solana gifted him was basking the room in the warm light. It didn't quite banish the nightmares, as he hoped when making it, but the sight itself when he was woken up from night terrors was enough to help him calm down.

Varian pushed himself off the bed and stood up, stretching his limbs with another yawn. He heard a chitter and looked to see Ruddiger waking up too, the raccoon quickly climbing to settle himself on the teen'z shoulders and nuzzle his cheek affectionately.

"Good morning to you too." Varian chuckled, scratching the raccoon behind its ear.

He put on his clothes and clasped on the capelet, his hand hovering over the sun symbol for a moment longer. Ruddiger chittered worryingly into his ear and Varian smiled comforting at his best friend.

"I'm okay, Ruddiger. Nothing to worry about." He said, the shadows of his nightmare still lingering at the back of his mind. He wouldn't voice his thoughts, though. Everybody worried about him enough, even without his sleeping trouble.

He left the room, Ruddiger still perched on his shoulder, and moved towards the kitchen, hoping to grab something to eat. He was just turning a corner, when a blurry of brown and purple rammed into his side and he fell forward, landing painfully on his back.

"Oh my gosh, Varian!" He heard a familiar female voice and Rapunzel appeared in his view, looking at him apologetically. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you. I just got informed that the council meeting which was supposed to take place in the afternoon tomorrow, was moved to 8.30am today. And it's already 8.25!" She exclaimed on a single breath, while pulling the teen up to the standing position and smoothing his clothes. "I know that's no excuse, and I should still observe my surroundings, but you know how I am when I'm late: rushing forward without looking where I'm going. It's a good thing I have the layout of the castle memorized, or I would be bumping into walls and doors at this point. People are the only variables I can't take into account because I never know who will appear where. I mean, I do know that the guards are having a training right this moment, the kitchen stuff is, obviously, in the kitchen, and my parents are probably already at the meeting, which leaves only the maids and you, but I still should be more cautious and-"

"Princess, slow down. You're starting to babble." Varian interjected the speech with an amused glint in his eyes. Rapunzel blushed and he smiled. "I'm fine, no harm done. And you should really get going, instead of explaining to me what I already know."

"Oh, right! The meeting!" Rapunzel gasped, as if throughout her while tirade she forgot why she was in a rush in the first place. "Gotta go, see you later, Varian!"

She shouted and was disappearing behind the corner before the alchemist even managed to offer a response. He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, him and Ruddiger continuing with their initial goal: breakfast.

It was good way past noon when Rapunzel stumbled into Varian's lab, dropping herself onto one of the chairs standing next to the table. The alchemist smiled at the woman's behaviour.

"Tough day?" He asked, glancing back at her but not stopping what he was doing. The brunette sighed dramatically and leaned lower on the chair.

"Try to sit through a 4-hour council meeting with everyone arguing about the best way to rebuild one street and then we can talk." She replied and Varian rolled his eyes.

"Nah, I'll pass." He said, dripping silver-coloured liquid into the beaker with a green one, and watching the mixture turn gold. "Besides, you wouldn't want me there. I would call everyone, including your father, an idiot and then you'll have even more work than you already have."

Rapunzel chuckled but didn't deny it. She sat in silence, observing how the teen worked. Or, more precisely, how he looked and moved. She noticed it only briefly when they bumped into each other in the morning, but only now had the occasion to confirm her suspicions.

"Are you sleeping at all, Varian?" She asked. The teen's back tensed for a fraction of a moment.

"Of course." He replied. Rapunzel didn't sense a lie, but she knew he was withholding something.

"How many hours?" The princess pushed. Varian stayed silent a few seconds too long before answering.

"Enough." He sighed and put away the beaker before turning to the woman. "Rapunzel, I am fine. I am sleeping. At least, until-" He suddenly caught himself off and looked away.

"Until what, Varian?"

The alchemist didn't meet her gaze, still stubbornly looking elsewhere. Rapunzel frowned and get off the chair, approaching her friend. She grabbed him gently by the shoulders.

"Varian, please. I'm just worried about you." She said, her green eyes pleading. "We all are."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't?" He mumbled, still refusing to meet her eyes. "I can take care of myself, Rapunzel."

"I know." The brunette replied, tears glistening. "I know… but, Varian… when you were taken… I thought we lost you… I thought-"

"You think I didn't?!" Varian shouted, turning to her angrily. "That I thought they were just going to let me go after I served my purpose?! That I'm going to get out of that tomb?! That I'll survive that fall?!"

Rapunzel took a step back, stunned, but the teen kept on going.

"I was terrified, Rapunzel! I had to be constantly alert, constantly on guard to not let them get to me, to not let them know about my powers! I had to work for them, knowing they are going to kill me!" Tears were falling down his eyes, but he didn't stop. "On this airship, I was sure I wouldn't come out alive, not this time! But I did. I survived and you know what? I didn't forget. My mind didn't forget. Each and every night it plagues me with nightmares, with what if's. So yes, I do sleep. Until I wake up covered in sweat and my heart beating so fast it's going to jump out of my chest."

Rapunzel backed down more, finally bumping into a shelf. The beakers and test tubes jingled at the movement and Varian stopped suddenly, painfully aware how terrified the woman was.

Scared, he turned on his heel and bolted out of the room, Ruddiger scrambling to follow. Stupid, stupid. She was only worried, and he yelled at her and made her fear him. Again. Andrew was right, he didn't change at all.

He was running through the halls, not paying attention to the people he was passing. He needed somewhere to go to, somewhere safe. Somewhere, where no one would find him, at least for some time.

He skidded to a sudden stop, Ruddiger bumping into his leg. He knew just the place.

Varian leaned over the side of the basket as the air balloon soared through the sky. He was positively surprised the whole 'Saporians Incident', as he referred to the events, didn't end up with him having flying trauma. He loved travelling this way: it was time-efficient and allowed to reach places which would be difficult to do so by foot or on horseback.

The wind rushed through his hair and he let out a content sigh, watching the world pass by underneath his basket. Ruddiger was sitting on the railing, sometimes leaning over in an attempt to paw at the passing clouds. Varian smiled at the raccoon's antics and stayed close enough to catch the playful animal if it leaned too far.

He looked up and in the distance saw the familiar peak of Mount Glacignis. He couldn't contain the smile that made it's way up his lips. Even though the mountain and the tomb hidden within held many painful memories, it was also a home to a dear friend of his, a majestic being who not once proved itself amazing companion and a comforter.

Solana, in comparison to Rapunzel and everyone else back home, didn't treat him like a glass ornament ready to break the moment they look away. She was always ready to comfort and cheer up the teen, but never looked down on him nor wore this worried face everyone around him seemed to adapt as of late. That didn't stop her from acting like a mother around him, a fact that made Varian laugh rather than be annoyed with the creature. Try to argue with someone who is at least ten times larger than you and can burn you to crisps (not that Solana would ever do that, but the point still stands).

The basket touched down on the snow-covered mountain, just outside the entrance to Haco's Tomb. While the Saporian airship was way too big to land in such close proximity to the chamber, forcing them to climb all the way up, the air balloon was much smaller and allowed Varian to skip the climb every time he went to visit Solana. And considering the mountain was very steep and full of deadly cliffs hiding underneath the snow, the teen was more than happy to fly all the way to the peak.

The alchemist jumped out of the basket, Ruddiger once again taking his place on the teen's shoulders, and made a small trek through the snow to the cave. He went down the stairs and pulled out the red-and-orange feather from the inner pocket of his winter coat. The massive door lit up and opened to reveal a darkened chamber, the torches hanging from the walls only now coming to light. Varian stepped in and heard the stone doorway close shut behind him. He didn't worry, however, as he knew Solana will open them for him whenever he would be ready to go back.

Speaking of, the huge phoenix perked up from where she was resting against the Staff of Vesuvius, and visibly brightened up (in literal sense) when she noticed the teen coming closer. He touched her head in a caring manner, gently running it through the feathers. She leaned to the touch and crooned quietly, welcoming him back.

"Hey, it's- I know we've seen each other only two days ago but-" Varian bit his lip as the memory of his latest nightmare and the conversation with Rapunzel replayed in his head.

Solana tilted her head to the side, before nudging his hand with her beak, in a comforting way. The alchemist smiled involuntarily.

"It's nothing… just some nightmares… and stuff…" He replied, trying to play it off. Even though he came here because he knew Solana will go and start comforting him, he was reluctant to speak about his troubles.

The mystical bird blinked but seemed to accept his decision. If he didn't want to speak, she wouldn't make him. That's why he preferred Solana's company to his friends and family back in Corona. While all of them cared about him, only Solana seemed to respect his unwillingness to talk about his problems. Others usually tried to push him into explaining what was troubling him, was it whether by straightforward or more subtle hints. He loved them all the same, but he sometimes wished they gave him space when he clearly needed it.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by another nudge into his side, and blinked to see the phoenix tilting her head towards her back. Varian grinned at the implication and wasted no time in climbing up the creator's side and securing himself at the back of her neck. Ruddiger clambered up right after and sat in front of his boy, ready for a ride.

Solana looked back to make sure both of her passengers were secure before lifting off, up the chamber through the hidden tunnel and out of the mountain. Varian was hit by the cold air and he stifled the gasp that tried to escape his mouth at the sudden change. Ruddiger tensed and clung to Solana's neck, only now realising flying a phoenix was nothing like riding a horse. The alchemist chuckled and petted the raccoon, comforting the scared animal.

Solana broke through the clouds and evened, spreading her wings wide to let the wind direct her flight. Ruddiger slowly uncurled his fingers from where he was clinging to the creator's feathers, only now daring to open eyes and look around. Varian did so too, a wide smile spreading on his lips. There was something calming in the way Solana soared through the sky, letting the wind guide her. He closed his eyes and leaned back, hands not letting go of the phoenix's neck, enjoying the way the wind ruffled his hair and pulled at his clothes.

After what seemed like hours, Solana finally started lowering her flight, directing them back towards the mountain. Varian clung to her neck as she descended and flew into the tunnel again, bringing them back inside the tomb. Her legs touched the ground without the jostle and the alchemist allowed himself to sit there just a moment longer, before swinging his leg over the creator's body and sliding down. Ruddiger chittered at Solana what he thought was a thank you and jumped down too, going for his usual spot on Varian's shoulders.

The ten reached his hand and patted the mystical bird's neck in gratitude.

"Thank you." He whispered.

Solana nudged him gently with her beak and did something which could be her equivalent of rifling his hair, but felt more like pouncing on his hair strands with her beak instead. Varian pouted and playfully swatted her head away, smoothing his hair. Really, why did she always have to do that?

She stared at him and he realised she was asking whether he was alright now.

"Yes, I'm better now, thank you." He replied and she nudged his cheek with a beak again, something like a gentle kiss of some sort. He blushed fiercely and he could swear he saw a playful glint in those fiery eyes.

He yawned, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted. Solana eyed him for a moment, before laying down and gently pushing him towards her side. He tried to argue, but the phoenix was stubborn, and he really needed a rest, his night terrors not really leaving him well-rested, even if he did sleep the whole night.

With one more nudge, he finally gave up and leaned against the warm body, the slow rise-and-fall of Solana's chest and the sound of her beating heart working like a mother's lullaby for his tired body. He felt Ruddiger cuddle next to him the raccoon never backing down on an opportunity of a nap, and soon felt himself drifting away into a peaceful slumber.

When he awoke again, he was pleasantly surprised to realise, none of his usual nightmares made their appearance. He laid awake, eyes staring into the dark ceiling, until he felt both Ruddiger and Solana stir awake. The phoenix raised its head and stared at the massive door, as if looking through them. Varian 's gaze jumped between the creature and the entrance, wondering what was going on.

"Everything okay?" He asked, observing the mystical bird in confusion.

Solana pushed herself up, Varian doing the same since he could no longer lean against her side. He would much prefer to stay snuggled in the warm feathers, but the curiosity got over him. He followed Solana to the door and she reached one of her wings to touch the stone, the markings lighting up in an instant. The door let out a groan and started to open, the light from the cave getting inside the tomb.

"I'm just saying, we have no way to- woah, it's opening!" Varian heard a familiar male voice and saw two figures standing in the open doorway.

"Eugene? Rapunzel?" He said in disbelief. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Oh, Varian! I was so worried!" The princess launched herself at the teen, locking him in one of her bear hugs before he could react.

"I-I'm fine." He replied, stunned by the reaction. "Except for the fact you are choking me."

"Oh, sorry." She released him quickly and grinned sheepishly.

"See? I told you he'd be fine." Eugene said with a grin of his own. "The big bird here wouldn't let him get hurt, am I right?"

He tried petting Solana's back, but the glare she gave made him retreat his hand before it got bitten.

"You were worried about me?" Varian looked at the princess in puzzlement. "Why?"

"You looked so troubled when you rushed out of your lab." Rapunzel replied, her finger playing with one of her hair strands. "I tried to follow you, but you were too fast. By the time I thought to check your room, you were already gone. I noticed the feather gone as well, so I figured you must have come here."

"She practically dragged me from the Royal Guard training because she was worried for you." Eugene laughed and Rapunzel blushed in embarrassment.

"But… why?" Varian asked, still confused. "I yelled at you."

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have pushed you." The brunette shook her head. "I'm sorry, Varian. I was so caught up in how we almost lost you, I got a little too overprotective."

"It's… it's alright." Varian mumbled back. "Still, I'm sorry I shouted at you. I shouldn't have done that. I was just tired from…" He fell silent, not wanting to mention the nightmares.

Solana seemed to sense his distress, because she nuzzled her beak against his cheek, Ruddiger doing the same from the other side.

"It's just-" He tried again. "You all treat me like I'm going to break the moment you take off your eyes from me. I know you're worried about me, but you don't have to walk on eggshells around me."

"I wasn't-" Rapunzel argued but Eugene cut her in.

"Okay kid, we got it. Less worrying, more trusting." He flashed Varian a smile. "But can you really blame us? You seem to be a magnet for trouble."

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm a genius." The teen gasped in fake offence. It would have come out more convincing if he didn't grin like an idiot.

"Never say you were." Eugene grinned back. "Now let's go back before your dad notices you're gone and turns the whole kingdom upside down to find you."

"He wouldn't do that." Varian laughed.

"Look me in the eyes and say that again." The man countered.

Varian turned back to Solana and petted her softly.

"Thank you for… everything." He said. The phoenix nuzzled him again and then pushed him gently towards his friends. He laughed. "I'll be back in two weeks."

Solana nodded and turned away, moving back to the tomb, the door closing behind her.

"Okay, let's go back before my dad really does something stupid." He said, moving towards the exit of the cave and to his air balloon."By the way, how did you two get here?"

"We had Max take us here, but I sent him away when we saw your ride." Eugene replied.

"You know you could have taken another balloon, right?" Varian raised his eyebrow. Eugene laughed.

"Didn't think of it, actually." The man said. The alchemist rolled his eyes.

"I hope you at least treat Max to something good for getting you guys here in one day." He said as he started the fire and the basket rose into the air.

"I'll get him a bucket of apples." Rapunzel promised and Varian laughed.

"I'll make sure to keep Ruddiger away from the stables then." He winked and they all shared a laugh, as Mount Glacignis turned smaller and smaller.

----

So that was it. I hope you liked it. Please, reblog if you did.

#varian #starshard!varian #solana oc #stars in my eyes #birthday present #kitty mom writes

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vanchlo · 4 years

Text

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes / Green Eyes 4

Read all 3 previous parts here!

Blurb Synopsis: With final exams approaching, you find yourself coming to rely on Harry more, whether for help with teaching, emotional support, help packing your apartment, or to complain about your students wanting to set the two of you up together. The saying goes that ‘stress makes you stronger,’ and that will be the true test during this season in your lives, and relationship.

Genre: Teacher Harry, soooooo much fluff, some angst, a little sad, and lots of romance.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 10k words, whoops

Pairing: Harry x Reader

Music Inspo: Changes by David Bowie & Butterfly Boucher (click to listen; yes the Shrek version, YES FROM THIS VERY PART)

I also wanted to thank my pals @sunflwrnarry and @bfharry who’ve helped me with this story with their support, ideas, and love for it. I love freaking out with you two over this story ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

As you bring your fist to the blue door, you suddenly pause. Thoughts dance inside of your head and tie themselves to your heart. Happiness comes over you in another wave as Harry’s voice interrupts the thoughts, his voice telling you that he loves you from earlier. A content sigh meets the air in front of you in a white cloud. You had forgotten how cold you were, but the playful barking coming from the other side of the door brings you back to reality.

“C’min!” Harry replies once you knock.

Slowly opening the door, the warmth of Harry’s house greets you, along with the musky cinnamon smell that accompanies it. What surprises you is the little bundle of golden fur barking at you, but with the cutest bark, you’ve ever heard.

“Ya, you get ‘er, Gatsby! Go get mummy, go say hullo t’ her!” Harry giggles, and soon you are too as you fall to a crouch as he approaches you. With that tail dancing in the air, you only laugh harder as he slips and falls in front of you. “My goodness, yer a clutz li’l boy. ‘Bout third time ya’ve fallen down and we’ve only been home fer a few minutes, jus’ beat mummy by a tick.”

“Hi, bud. How was your ride home with daddy? What do you think of your new home?” you coo to the puppy, rubbing the top of his furry head. He continues to yip at you for a few seconds until his sniffer takes over.

“I see how good o’ guard dog, you are, pup. Ya smell any food on ‘em and they’re yer friend,” Harry sighs with a titter, carding a hand through his hair when you glance over to him.

“No, you’re a good guard dog, Gatsby. You just have to get used to mummy and daddy, don’t you?” you croon, rubbing both hands along his chubby face as he sniffs the air. “Come on, let’s go sit by daddy,” you suggest, unable to hide your laugh as you observe him struggling to walk on the hardwood floor.

“Looks like I might need t’ get su’more rugs or else he’s gonna be fallin’ e’rywhere.”

“Yeah, it’ll be easier to clean up his accidents on the wood flooring, though,” you note aloud, sliding off your slushy winter boots onto the mat by the door. After hanging up your coat on one of the hooks, you turn right into Harry’s living room to take a seat by him on the long red rug. “Did you take him potty yet?”

“Ya, I did befo’ we went in tha school and afta, and a few minutes ‘go. He went befo’ we went in but not since. ‘m not too worried tho’, I knew when I got him that he’d be peein’ on e’rythin’,” Harry notes, his eyes stuck to the waddling furball. Quickly, they dart to you and his strong arms come around your middle, pulling you into him. “C’mere, love, and have a cuddle wit’ me.”

Gatsby turns and begins to bark at the both of you as Harry pulls you over to sit in his lap, the both of you laughing loudly. He tottles over and proceeds to sniff the both of you.

“How does she smell, Gats’? Does mummy pass yer sniffer check?” he mumbles, against your cheek where his words tickle your skin. You contribute to the conversation with a laugh at the both of them, sinking into Harry’s arms. Contentment washes over you when your back meets his chest and you feel him press a kiss to your temple.

“Come here, Gatsby!” you say, patting your lap excitedly.

“Nah, he’s too busy sniffin’. I swear ‘s all he did when he was in me car, even tho’ I was holdin’ him tha whole time.”

“It sounds like you should’ve named him Scooby-Doo instead,” you remark, earning a soft laugh from Harry. You squirm when you feel his breath tickle your neck. Sighing, you relax against him, his arms resting on your soft tummy and sometimes rubbing his knuckles against it.

“Perhaps,” he comments, the feeling of his smooth cheek against yours an absence now, his stubble already prickling your skin. “Fit right into me arms, tha both o’ you,” he continues, swaying the both of you back and forth in his arms now clad in a long-sleeved Rolling Stones crewneck.

You hope he can see the smile adorning your face and being all the reply he needs. You’re uncertain the last time you felt this content and happy all rolled into one, but it’s hard to pinpoint because Harry always seems to have that effect on you.

“Hope ‘s okay I named him, jus’ thought it was perfect when I saw him tha otha day,” he whispers against your temple, the cinnamon from his gum tiptoeing over your face.

“Yeah of course, it is. I couldn’t imagine him being named anything else. I don’t know how you kept him a secret for a whole week, I would’ve squealed,” you say with a grin, backing up when the puppy gets brave and stands up, his front paws on Harry’s knee. You titter at the feeling of his feathery whiskers on your skin, the sound of his adamant sniffing, and the cold wetness of his nose on your chin.

“Yeah, I dunno how I didn’t. There were so many times I almost told ya, but I jus’ wanted t’ surprise ya, bird.”

“I’m glad you did. Okay, Gatsby, you go and smell daddy now,” you relent, your hands coming around the chunky puppy. His tummy is warm against your palms and his whine fills your ears as you lift him up to set in your lap.

“I dunno, I think he likes how ya smell betta. What, did ya eat sumthin’ on tha way here, a Twix or Bit-O-Honey, or sumthin’?” Harry murmurs, his smile felt on your temple. “We’re gonna hafta watch it, he’ll wanna get into e’rythin’.”

“Yeah, he must smell that Twix I found in my car,” you reply, squealing when you feel the puppy’s warm wet tongue on your cheek.

“Sumbody already loves their mummy, I see,” Harry comments. “Ya, Gats’, le’ss give mummy all tha kisses!” he exclaims before pressing loud smooches all over your face too.

“Oh no, attacked by kisses, whatever will I do?!” you shout, feeling the energetic puppy in your lap as you close your eyes, chuckling. You wouldn’t change this for the world, no siree.

“Thanks for dinner, it was delicious,” you tell Harry as you set your dishes in the dishwasher.

“Welcome, love. Would ya like some wine? I should finish off dis bottle already, ‘s gettin’ all flat,” Harry asks, the soft click of the fridge door opening following his words.

“I don’t know, it’s getting kind of late and I have to drive home . . ,” you answer, conflict showing through in your words.

Your eyes follow Harry’s tall figure as he reaches an arm to a shelf in the cabinet, grabbing two long-stemmed wine glasses. A smile tickles at your lips when his shirt rides up a tad, and his fern tattoos adorning his hips say hi to you, as well as his happy trail you love so much. It amazes you the amount of restraint it takes to not reach over and touch his tummy. Ugh.

“You could have as much wine as ya’d like and ya wouldn’t hafta drive home if ya stay tha night. Gatsby had wanted me t’ ask ya, anyways. I told him we could make it work - we’ll all pile togetha in me bed, and ya can borrow sum jammies o’ mine,” he hums, turning to face you as he sets down the two empty glasses. The bubbles rising within your chest only worsen when you see the smug look pulling his lips into a smile. “I mean, that’s if ya want t’ sleep ova.”

The gurgling of the white wine filling a glass occupies the silence between the two of you. Words fleet you as you watch him fill one glass three-quarters of the way full, and when his eyes lift to you they brim with uncertainty and anxiety.

“Bird?” he inquires softly, raising an eyebrow. His adam’s apple bobs in his throat as he bites on his lip. “Sorry, nevamind, maybe ‘s a bit early fer that still. Yer not movin’ in fer anotha’ month, so ‘s okay,” he finishes, trying to diffuse the situation with a soft laugh.

You deliver your answer by grabbing the full wine glass and bringing it to your lips that part with a smile, “I’d love to stay over and steal your ‘jammies’,” you reply softly, the wine surprising your lips with its sweetness and chill. His face collapses into a blushing laugh as he shakes his head.

“Birdy, you li’l shit,” he remarks, clucking his tongue as he pours the rest of the bottle into the second glass for himself. “Ya can’t scare me like that, thought I jus’ made a proper fool o’ meself.”

“No, you could never make a fool of yourself in my eyes, Harry,” you mumble, setting down the wine glass on your short walk over to him. Your fingers soon find him, first on his backside where you cup his ass, earning another head shake from him.

“Ya really fancy me bum, dontcha, love?” he snickers, setting down the bottle with a clud, twirling the metal cap back on quickly. He turns around to face you, but you leave your hand on his bum.

“Mmmhmm, it’s quite nice,” you try to say seriously, but it comes out accompanied with a laugh.

“So ‘s yers, y’know,” he winks, slapping your butt as he dips to plant a kiss on your lips. “We betta go find out what that li’l boy ‘s doin’ in there, prolly gettin’ into trouble.”

“In a second,” you whisper, placing your hand on the back of his neck slowly.

“Jus’ a second?”

“Maybe more,” you shrug, feeling the wispy hairs on the back of his neck as the golden glints in his eyes come into focus.

His rose lips spread into a smile, showing his straight teeth, and disappearing when your lips meet his in a kiss. The remnants of the chocolatey brownies you had for dessert linger on his lips. Wafts of dark smoke from when he started the fire in the fireplace titillate your senses, coming to be a favorite smell you associate with him.

“You taste and smell so fucking good, like brownies at a bonfire,” you breathe against his lips, your eyes wandering to his that stare at you so adoringly you feel like you’ve already had five glasses of wine.

“Look at tha potty mouth on you, can’t believe it sumtimes,” he smirks from above you, the smell of cocoa hitting your face.

“Yeah well, you sure like to kiss it a lot.”

“I do, don’t I?” Harry coos, brushing the pad of his thumb along your lip, adding another theoretical glass of wine to the overflow of your senses. “I’d kiss it bloody all day long, if I could.”

Your head fills with wishes similar to those as his lips caress yours, but you’re broken apart when you hear a whine from nearby. Parting, you both peer into the other room, finding Gatsby waiting in the doorway. You swear that he stares at the both of you while he lifts a leg and pees onto the dark wooden floor.

“Well, so much fer that,” Harry giggles, stealing a kiss from your cheek before he lets go of you. “Where’d ya leave those baby wipes we were usin’, love?”

Although Harry’s pajama bottoms swallow your entire bottom, legs, feet, and all, you can’t help but smile at them. The gentle smell of his laundry detergent reminds you of marshmallows for some reason, and you couldn’t be happier as it envelopes you. His Beatles shirt falls over your head and comes down to your thighs, but you’re not complaining. I think these are tha smallest ‘ve got, they should fit, he had murmured a mere minute before as he handed you the folded pile of clothes. Okay, Harry, if you insist, you think silently as you inspect your appearance with a dumbfounded smile.

With a nervous grin, you set your outfit from today on a shelf in the cabinet and turn off the light. You can hear Harry talking to Gatsby as your socked feet pad down the hallway, easing your nerves quickly. Low and behold, once you push the door open, you find him sitting on Harry’s chest, looking like he’s getting a talking to. Sure enough he is, you find.

“‘s time t’ go t’ bed now, so we’re all gonna sleep in dis bed. Please try not t’ pee on daddy’s sheets. Ya have a pillow t’ lay on down at tha end o’ tha bed, and yer bed’s on tha floor in tha corner. There’s one o’ those blue plastic sheets down fer ya t’ go pee too, alright? Understood?” he tells the puppy with a toothy smile, wagging a finger at him and twirling one of his floppy ears around another

“Uh oh, somebody’s in trouble,” you joke, leaning against the doorframe. When Harry’s eyes carry over to you, you self consciously cross your arms over your chest not contained by a bra. “What?” you mumble, narrowing your eyes at him as he stares at you, that toothy grin only growing wider.

“Nothing,” he confesses, looking back to Gatsby with reddening cheeks, stealing glances at you every now and then.

“Harry,” you continue with emphasis, dashing around the bed to slide under the cream covers on the right side. “Hi, Gatsby,” you coo excitedly when his tail begins to wag frantically, pulling a giggle from your lips when he turns towards you, hitting Harry in the face.

“Gosh, kid,” he manages, lifting the puppy up to pass him to you. You’re almost drowned in puppy kisses to the face, sending giggles from your lips. The puppy’s name flies into the air as you try to fight him off. “Guess he likes that taste o’ tha toothpaste.”

“I guess so,” you agree aloud, finally his attack of kisses ending. Soon, he forgets you and wanders around the bed sniffing. He finally lies down and curls up against Harry’s leg towards the end of the bed.

“I sacrifice one o’ my pillows fer ya t’ lie on, and that’s where ya lay?” Harry huffs, but soon an adoring whine sounds behind his lips as he admires the puppy. “I guess we tired him out runnin’ laps downstairs.”

“Yeah, it’s about time. He has so much energy, I can’t believe it,” you murmur in agreement. When you look over to see the look on his face for the puppy, instead you find his eyes waiting on you. “What? Do I have toothpaste on my face?”

“No, but if ya did Gats’ woulda gott’it,” Harry hums, nevertheless brushing a thumb across your cheek with the sappiest smile you’ve seen him wear in a long time. “Ya jus’ look . . cuter than I thought ya’d look in me clothes, bird.”

“I’m swimming in them, how is that cute?” you ask, pulling on the front of the shirt as proof, eliciting a loud laugh from Harry.

“‘m sorry, I thought they’d fit betta. But they look great on you, they really do. E’rythin’ does, and sumhow I love me jammies on ya best,” he remarks, his hand coming to cup your cheek. “Yer so beautiful, birdy. ‘m gonna go get ready fer bed too, befo’ I keep blabberin’.”

The smirk painted on his face looks much like the one you’re sure is consuming yours at his words. He folds back the covers and Gatsby moves over as Harry leaves the bed, but you grab hold of his hand at the last second. He turns to you with a questioning look, saying he has to go and brush his teeth.

“I like it when you blabber, especially to me,” you share, pulling on his arm until he returns to lean over the bed, steadying himself with a hand on the mattress.

“There’s n’body else ‘d ratha blab t’ than you, love, and ‘m guessin’ we’re in fer a long night with this li’l one,” he smiles, pecking you fast before his hand slips from yours and he leaves the room.

Yawning, you slide back under the covers and pull them over your shoulders, savoring Harry’s smell they hold. Your head falls onto the satiny pillowcase as the top plush blanket a shade of sage caresses your cheek. A huff tickles at your ears and you find Gatsby’s made his way over to you and settles his head to fall on your calf, his large ears splaying out on the splash of green. Emails and texts on your phone occupy your time as you wait for Harry, listening to Gatsby’s adorable little sounds where he’s curled up beside you. Your sleepy hand finds his furry body, keeping you warm, and you tickle his fur as you turn your phone off to set on the table at your bedside.

“Look at you two, snug as a bug in a rug, ‘d say,” Harry murmurs out of nowhere, appearing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. For a second, you think you need to do the same because you’re sure the image in front of you is a mirage of some sort. Harry scratches at his bare chest, a yawn leaving his lips while stretching his bare arms into the air. “Oh sorry, I neva sleep with a shirt on, I hope that’s okay. It doesn’t make ya feel weird, does it?” he questions, closing the bedroom door so Gatsby won’t wander around the house, as he said earlier.

“N-No, it’s okay,” you mumble, trying not to stare as he pads across the room. The closer he gets, the more your heart freaks out in your chest, you’re sure of it. “I like it,” you confess, suddenly wishing you weren’t so good at this blurting out secrets thing.

“Oh, d’ya now?” he smirks, shutting off the overhead light, leaving his lamp on to carry soft light on his side of the bed. You suffice a response with a shrug of your shoulders, cozying into the bed as he slips under the top sheet, pillowy comforter and blanket.

“Yer sumthin’, aren’t ya, birdy?” he quips, flicking off his lamp, leaving the soft glow of a few night lights he installed about ten minutes ago for you and Gatsby, his guests.

“Something special,” you tease with a snicker, hearing his breathy one in return, and soon finding his face lit by the glow.

“That, ya are, love. My sumthin’ special,” he acknowledges, the squeak of the mattress following his words as he arrives at your side. “If ya need anythin’ tonight, ya can wake me, alright? Figure we might be up a few times with him, anyways.”

“Thank you, Harry.”

“Welcome, bird, I hope ya have sweet dreams. ‘m glad ya stayed fer a sleepova, thank you,” he hums, a dimple falling into his cheek with his words, leading you to think if you had any they’d already be there in your cheeks. Sometimes you can’t believe your luck.

“Of course,” you answer, leaning forward to place your lips atop his. He giggles into the kiss as your lips move together, the spearmint in his toothpaste forgotten as it tickles your own tongue too after he gave you a spare toothbrush. His hand comes to rest on your side and it feels peculiar with the absence of his rings, but you savor it and it’s warmth.

His bottom lip remains between yours, pillowy soft and warm until you begin to hear Gatsby’s snores and your fingers have found the bravery to roam his chest. The cheekiness comes out in you when one wanders to his bum, giving it a good squeeze through the checkered fabric of his ‘jammies’ as he so adorably calls them. A muffled snicker slides into his mouth when the hand on your side drifts to your bottom with a soft slap. You’re grateful for his absence of a shirt, letting your fingers admire the slope of his back warm against your fingers that are cold from washing up. The little hairs all over his body are satiny smooth beneath your fingertips, just like his top lip that you take between yours, your hurried breaths filling the air.

“‘Kay, bird, time t’ get sum sleep. We can snog in tha mornin’, ‘m beat afta t’day with school and runnin’ after this li’l boy,” Harry sighs after ending the kiss, mirroring your frown but much more dramatically. “Get sum sleep, ‘ll see ya in tha mornin’. We’ll all three go t’ tha shops t’ buy tha rest o’ his stuff and ingredients fer pizza t’morrow,” he yawns, leaving a kiss on your nose afterward. You nod in response and hastily lay a kiss on his cheek. Nervously, you pull away, afraid you’re pushing his buttons, but he just smiles and kisses you on the lips one last time.

“Goodnight, Harry,” you whisper, arms diving back under the warm covers as you try to get comfortable without moving Gatsby.

“Night, bird . . and Gatsby.”

“Goodnight, Gatsby,” you murmur, patting his small head softly, his snores continuing against your leg.

“Oh, I see how it ‘s, yer already becomin’ a mumma’s boy,” Harry tuts, clucking his tongue as he squirms in the bed, finding his sweet spot. You drift off soon next to your two boys, counting down the days until you get to fall asleep with them by your side every night.

Browsing YouTube, you scroll through the videos that appeared from your search request for haikus. Yawning, you rub at your eye as you pause your scrolling and inspect a video before playing it. It doesn’t get a chance to play very far when you’re interrupted by a voice.

“Thanks fer tha lunch again, bird. Ya really do spoil me, I always forget t’ make one,” Harry hums, waltzing into your classroom holding the Rolling Stones lunchbox you had bought for him for Christmas last month. He sets it down on a clean corner of your desk, leaning across it to peck you on the cheek.

“You’re welcome. Did you eat everything?” you ask, dragging it over and undoing the zippers.

“Ya. I loved tha bagel sandwich you packed tha fixings fer, and tha soup was lovely,” he hums, leaning against your desk, crossing his arms over the soft yellow button-up covered in black flower designs.

“No, you didn’t,” you disagree smiling, opening one of the small pockets to take out a box.

“What, how’d I miss those? You musta hid ‘em from me!” Harry exclaims, taking the box of Chocolate Banana Pocky from your grasp. A cocky giggle of his fills the air as he opens the box and rips open the white bag.

“Harry, you better not eat those all in one sitting!” you warn. He looks you in the eyes as he sticks four of them into his mouth and takes a bite, a smirk playing along his lips. “Harry Styles!” you proclaim, sitting forward and threatening to rip the box from his hand. He only giggles harder and takes another bite, the four pocky gone in a flash as he crunches on the rest of them loudly.

Shaking your head, you watch him walk away, sticking three more between his rose lips. You sigh with a smile, unsure of just how many times you’ve seen him devour a box of them within an hour, or less.

“What’s your full name?” you wonder aloud, looking away from the computer screen and to him where he stops in your doorway, turning around.

“Well ‘m not gonna delight ya with that info afta ya jus’ yelled at me, now am I? ‘m sure ya jus’ wanna use it t’ yell at me su’more,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders as he shoves the rest of the half-eaten pocky into his mouth, winking. You can hear his chewing all the way from here. “And no, yer not gettin’ any o’ me pocky.”

The deep breaths just don’t stick, and soon you find yourself out of your chair and pacing your classroom. You busy yourself picking up forgotten pencils and papers on the floor, tidying the messy containers of books, and the disaster that is your desk.

“Ya ready t’ go?” somebody sings from your doorway where a shuffling sound comes from as well. “Birdy?”

You don’t respond, unfreezing your hands from the sound of his voice. Instead, you flip over a copy of The Tempest and replace it in the bin right side up, because Harry would not allow that to be done to a Shakespeare. His shuffling of feet comes next, tapping along the floor and getting closer. A swallow is met with the lump in your throat, and you brush the back of your hand over your cheek, hoping they’re gone.

“Hey, anybody home?” Harry laughs, arriving at your side and slinging an arm around your waist. “‘m ready t’ go, if you are, love. ‘m sure Gatsby ‘s waitin’ fer us at my place, all excited. He’s missed you, y’know,” he coos, pecking your cheek.

“Yeah, sorry I-.”

“Hey, yer phone’s ringin’. Here, ‘ll grab it fer ya,” he volunteers, soon feeling his absence as his footsteps are drowned out by the loud ringtone. “It says ‘s yer mum.” Closing your eyes, you groan quietly or at least try to. Soon, he’s at your side again and places it in your hands where you hit decline.

“What, why didn’t ya answer?” he questions, probably eyebrows knitted together in the cutest way possible, like he does. You don’t look though, so you’re not sure as you shove it into your pocket, busying your hands with the mess of books before you. Removing a copy of The Christmas Carol that was shoved into the front of another bin backward, you replace it to face forward now. “Birdy, what’s goin’ on?” he continues, a hand settling on your arm, but when you reach to grab another book his hand grabs it. It leaves your fingers to grace your chin, turning your head to look at him.

“I just don’t want to talk to her right now,” you reply softly, hoping he won’t detect the spent tears that aren’t so invisible on your cheeks.

“Oh,” he breathes, a dimple falling into his cheek when his mouth quirks into a confused expression under his layer of five-day-old stubble. “Y’know, ya’ve neva talked much ‘bout yer parents, ‘d like t’ meet ‘em. I mean we’re movin’ in togetha soon and ‘m sure they’d like t’ meet Gatsby. Ya met me sista fer tha first time tha otha day.”

This time you’re positive he doesn’t see the tear streaks or how they still cling to your eyelashes coated in mascara. Boys can sometimes be so ugh, you mutter to yourself amongst your thoughts. You knew this was coming the second she called, and well, months ago, but you had hoped you could’ve gotten by longer without it.

“You don’t want to meet them,” is all you say as you turn away, his hand dropping from your chin now cold from the drought of his touch. You soon arrive back at your desk where you pick up a stack of worksheets from this week’s vocabulary words, looking for a paperclip to fasten them.

“You can’t decide what I want and don’t want, bird. I don’t like that,” Harry responds, and you can see him looking at you from the corner of your eye. “I mean, ya met my parents already, why can’t I meet yours? I don’t undastand.”

“I don’t want you to meet them,” you reply, setting the now fastened stack on one of the wire shelves of the little stackable organizer on your desk. You continue to avoid his gaze by gathering together another stack of today’s green root words quizzes.

“I thought we weren’t keepin’ secrets, bird, but ya can come ova when yer ready t’ tell me. ‘m goin’ home, so take howeva much time ya need,” he grumbles with a loud exhale, almost slamming the door to your classroom on his way out.

Sinking into your chair, your hands rake through your hair as a defeated sigh joins the air. Another one falls after the next when you spot the neon blue Post-It note stuck to the underside of your desk, just at the edge where you would’ve spotted it, just like you have. The crack along your heart only grows deeper when you begin to read his messy chicken scratch, and all of the love that leaks from its words.

Birdy,

Gatsby wanted me to tell you that you are such a greatttttttt mummy already, and that he loves you soooooo much! His daddy loves you too ;) I’m looking forward to making homemade pasta together tonight, you always have the greatest ideas. My students asked me today when I’m going to ask you out on a date, soooo would you like to go out on a date with me this weekend, toooooo pack up your apartment to come and live with me? ;) I’m so excited to wake up to you every morning and fall asleep next to you every night, bird. Only two more weeks! Fourteen more sleeps, it’s not like I’m counting or anything.

I love you, so much

Harry xoxo

“C’min!” a voice drawls when you rap your fist against the door. The warm inviting scent of cinnamon greets you when you walk into Harry’s house an hour later, along with the growing puppy who scurries over to you.

“Hi, bud,” you murmur with a smile, giving him a good petting as his tail sweeps along the floor. “Is daddy still crabby?” you ask him, closing the door behind you with your foot.

After toeing off your boots and hanging up your coat, you peek into the kitchen where the smell of onion, garlic, and broccoli waft from. Harry stands at the stove in a shirt and sweatpants, rolling his bottom lip between his fingers. You don’t get much of a chance to figure out what mood he’s in, because Gatsby jumps up onto your lap, licking all over your face.

You play with the puppy in the living room as Harry cooks in the kitchen until he announces the food is ready, homemade pasta night forgotten apparently. You eat together silently while watching TV, Gatsby begging at your feet. You thought that things were better now when compared to earlier, but for the rest of the night something was off between the two of you. You focused your attention on Gatsby who you swear has grown since the last time you saw him, if only a few days ago. Now, he fills your lap comfortably, and you’re sad to say goodbye to him when you leave early. You just couldn’t take the awkwardness floating in the air anymore, and left after a short peck from Harry.

The next day, a Saturday, Harry showed up with Gatsby and a bunch of cardboard boxes to pack close to the last of your stuff. You tried to make it up to him by cooking him breakfast, which he loved, but you still felt it sticking to every moment that passed. You weren’t sure if you should bring it up or not, and at the same time you were waiting for him to bring it up, readying your defenses. Something was clearly bothering him or on his mind, and as you bubble wrapped things and packed them away, you were curious about why he kept looking at his phone. Then around one in the afternoon, after a few hours of packing, he stepped out to take a call.

“What’s going on with daddy, Gats’?” you posed to the puppy who ignored you, albeit stealing a look at you, returning to the rawhide he’s been intent on destroying. You swallow nervously, glancing over to the hallway outside your bedroom where you can just make out his voice. Tearing your gaze from it, you try to busy yourself by gently placing the wrapped picture frame in the box, and picking up the next one.

“Everything okay?” you ask softly when Harry returns, shoving his phone into the back pocket of his blue jeans.

“Ya, e’rythin’s fine,” he replies casually, pulling at the collar of his charcoal-colored henley shirt.

“Okay,” you mumble quietly, wishing you could forget about packing and admire the way that shirt hugs him in all of the right places. That will have to wait for another day when he wears it, you agree silently, seeing that he’s not in the mood today for his buttons to be pushed. You don’t want to find out what happens when you push them when he’s in a bad mood. You try to forget about it as he helps you pack up some of the less necessary items in your bedroom, like summer clothes, novels, photo albums, CDs, DVDs, and more.

As you stare at the barren shelves of your fridge, you make a mental note to go grocery shopping soon, something you’ve forgotten recently with finals approaching at school and packing.

“Do you want to get takeaway or go out for lunch?” you call out to Harry, leaving the kitchen to find him sitting on the sofa in your living room. He’s staring at something intently on his phone, but when he hears your footsteps behind him, he quickly hides his phone in his pocket.

“Takeaway’s fine,” he answers, clearing his throat, his nervous tic.

“Harry, is something going on? You’ve been acting weird, like you’re hiding something,” you assert, walking around to face him. You’re unsure of what he’ll say as you’re unable to read his face, and you know that’s when it’s bad.

“What, so yer tha only one who can keep secrets?” he retorts, his face screwed up in crude disbelief. You’re sure the same emotion painting yours is even worse as you feel the sting of his words. He sighs as you shake your head, beginning to walk away. “Bird, stop, ‘m sorry.”

“What, Harry?” you ask, stopping your feet, but not turning around to face him. You hear him breathe in deeply among the squeaking of Gatsby’s toy he plays with on the couch beside Harry.

“I was offa’d a teachin’ job t’day, a few hours north at that Wright Arts Academy, that’s who called me,” he announces solemnly. The only thing you’re grateful for in the moment is the fact that he can’t see the look on your face as you’re positive every breath just left your body. “They’re so focused on enrichin’ tha students in arts, ‘s great. ‘d be teachin’ classes like Mythology, a whole class on Shakespeare, Improv, Rhetoric, Intro to Sci-fi and Fantasy, and jus’ so many great English courses. Tha classes are smaller and so ya get t’ know yer students betta. ‘d get t’ teach ‘bout my favourite, Shakespeare, fer an entire semesta, bird! They’re offerin’ me more money, too . . ,” he continues, and you’re unsure of when you want him to stop, or if you wish he had never begun. Suddenly, you do a three-sixty when your thoughts are consumed by the happiness and excitement in his voice.

“You should take it,” you say, spinning around to look at him. His eyes are stuck on a random part of the wall, but then he looks to you.

“But ‘s three hours away, bird? ‘d hafta move away and we’re s’posed t’ move in togetha,” he counters, eyebrows falling and quickly you’re more confused than you were a moment ago.

“You’ve always wanted to teach those kinds of classes, Harry, you’ve told me so yourself.”

“But, birdy-.”

“Take the job, Harry, if it’s what you want,” you insist, trying to smile at him, but it doesn’t stay long when you see the look on his face.

“I dunno if ‘s what I want, yet. I don’ wanna move away from you, I don’ wanna do long distance. Wait, do you? ‘s tha movin’ in with me too soon, are ya gettin’ cold feet?”

“What are you talking about? Harry, no of course not. Where are you getting this from?” you reply, dumbfounded at the words coming out of his mouth. Apparently, you can only grow more confused.

“Maybe it has sumthin’ t’ do with not wantin’ me t’ meet yer parents, I dunno, you tell me, bird. D’ya not wanna commit? Why would ya want me t’ take a job that would make us do long distance?”

“I don’t know, Harry, maybe because I want you to be happy!” you exclaim, feeling telltale signs of incoming tears, and they fly faster than you thought they could have. “You’ve told me that you’ve always wanted to teach classes like those, because you enjoy those topics so much - myths in literature, science fiction and fantasy novels, and even though I don’t understand it, you love Shakespeare! You almost named Gatsby after Romeo or Duncan instead, you love his work so much. Of course, I don’t want you to move away, because things are so perfect right now having a job that means I get to work across the hall from my boyfriend. I can’t believe you think I’d want you to move away and do long distance. I would never- but I want you to be happy, and I’m not going to stop you from taking this job if it brought you that. I’m not going to be selfish and make you stay for my own happiness. A-and my parents are another story, I haven’t spoken to them in years. They’re just not good people. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, I didn’t know how,” you finish, feeling grateful for that blurting talent of yours because sometimes you need it. Harry’s jaw almost hangs off its hinges as you stare back at him through blurry eyes, wishing the last few minutes hadn’t happened. Well, the last day. Quickly, the tears triple and you can’t stand him seeing you cry anymore because of the thoughts bashing against the walls of your head.

“I’m going to go pick up lunch,” you say softly, defeat evident in your tone as you turn around. After grabbing your keys and coat, you stomp out to your car and start it. You wait for it to warm up as the cold air from the vents slowly turns warm, but really you only waste the time so you can spill your tears in silence.

It takes all of your strength and willpower to not go back into your apartment and tell him not to leave, because you’re pretty sure it would break you. You can’t imagine a stranger teaching in Harry’s classroom, no shared kisses in the copier room and staff lounge, crossing the hall to ask him a question as soon as it pops into your head, and the fun you both have with your students trying to set the two of you up together albeit it being futile. The doubt of getting a job for yourself at this stupid Academy of Arts to join Harry only makes you feel worse, especially because of the memories your school holds for the both of you.

Wiping your tears away, you try to take a deep breath that won’t come, and you pull the car away to leave him and hope that he won’t do the same to you. The tears left as you drove to go and pick up fast food, but they returned when Harry texted you while in the drive-thru to not get him anything because he was going home to think. Once you returned to the empty apartment, that’s all you could do was think, and it tore you apart.

You had left Harry be for the rest of the weekend, although it was one of the hardest things you had done. You’d liken the effort to running a triathlon, although you’ve never done one of those, but you feel like you have the strength of a triathlete after giving him space. You relented and texted him once though, but just once. It was to ask for a picture of Gatsby who you missed, and he followed through, sending you a couple of pictures. They made you the happiest you’d been all weekend, even despite the tears that crept up when you saw Harry’s reflection in the mirror in one. Then his ringed hand holding Gatsby in another, a selfie of sorts with your favorite shirt of his on his torso. It all made you doubt your words the more, not wanting to have to suffice for only seeing him and Gatsby through pictures if he took the job. You were reminded of your reasoning for it all - wanting him to be happy, but it still gnawed away at you what that would mean if he moved. You tried not to let yourself get too carried away and at times you almost called him, but you weren’t sure who was the bad guy after your argument. You were the one who exploded on him, and you both kept secrets from the other, something you had recently agreed not to do. A promise that the both of you broke so soon.

You had yet to see Harry the following Monday at school, even though you could hear the Cat Stevens album trickling from his classroom at seven-twenty in the morning. Somehow you avoided a run in on your way to the early morning staff meeting, and you didn’t mean to, but you were roped in to sit by a colleague. You found your first seconds of joy of the day when she showed you pictures of her growing baby, one Harry doted on and hogged during most of the staff Christmas party last month. You tried not to think of that while looking at the baby’s chunky thighs and rolls on her arms, and how much you wanted to tell him about it. The joy didn’t stay long when you spotted him taking a seat next to Julie, the visual arts teacher who has had a thing for him as long as you can remember. The pit in your stomach hardens at the sight of him, messy-haired and unshaven, and yet handsome as ever. Confliction carries your features when you spot him wearing the multi-colored Peter Max inspired pop-art button up you had bought him for Christmas. It all only gets worse when he senses your stare and meets your eyes, showing you the sadness hidden in them before you look back to the pictures of the baby.

“Hey, teach! I have a question!” a tall brunette girl in your classroom whispers to you, glancing over to the librarian nervously.

“Yes, Sabrina?” you reply, trying to ignore how some of the students call you that, but then again it’s some that you’re the closest to.

“Um, Mr. Styles is just right over there, aren’t you going to go and talk to him?” she grins, playing with her ponytail, ignoring the computer in front of her.

“Yeah, he’s looking extra cute today,” the girl beside her comments and you have to hold back your laughter. “But he was all glum when I had Creative Writing with him earlier, I don’t know what his deal is today.”

“Maybe he’d be happier if he had a girlfriend,” Sabrina comments wryly, raising her eyebrows at you.

“Maybe I’d be happier if you two were doing your review for the final exam, and not trying to set me up with your teacher, when I can manage just fine on my own,” you comment firmly, trying to avert their attention back to their computer screens and review packet.

“Hey, Mr. Styles, um Ms. Y/N needs some help with something about Shakespeare!” Sabrina calls to Harry two rows of computers to your right.

“I don’t need help!” is all you say with a sigh, loud enough for him to hear, turning around the second you see his head of tousled curls lift where he’s leaning next to a student he helps.

“He ignored you!” Sabrina’s friend exclaims in a whisper, inhaling dramatically along with Sabrina. “You’re not just going to let him ignore you, are you, Ms. Y/N?”

“God, what you’d do to him, he’s usually all over you?” Sabrina sighs.

“Girls, please return to your work. I’m sure Mr. Styles is busy helping a student with their final review, which you’re supposed to be doing right now too. Finals are at the end of the week, we all need as much studying as we can get,” you calmly say although rather curtly, walking away when you see a student with their hand in the air.

“I wish they’d just confess their love for each other already, they’re perfect for each other,” Sabrina grumbles, clicking her pen annoyingly.

“Me too, then maybe they’d both stop being so crabby during finals week,” her friend notes aloud with an exasperated sigh.

Usually you can take the teasing of your students wanting to set you up with Harry, but today you’re not in the mood for entertaining them or carrying a conversation about it. Today, it just hits a little too close to home, you realize silently as you lean against a wall to observe your class, the student no longer needing help. You steal a glance at Harry who stands up straight after helping a student, patting their shoulder with a smile. His attentiveness shines through when he moves on to another student, falling to his knees to get to eye level with him, giving them all of his attention. The way the shirt hugs his torso in every way only makes it all the worse, clinging to his biceps, the slope of his back, and his love handles you love so much before it disappears into the waist of his black slacks.

“Ms. Y/N, are you okay?” Sabrina asks, her eyes on you when you look over to her.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just got something in my eye,” you answer with a hard swallow, picking up your clipboard and checking your watch. You do anything to try and not think about Harry leaving, and how not only you would suffer, but his students. Also, just how much you’re dying to tell your students, hopefully one day soon, that you’ve been dating all along. Hopefully.

Finals had been wreaking havoc on you and only causing more hell for the day you were having. Luckily, Harry had helped you with the majority of it in the recent weeks and even had given you some of his old tests. The anxiety still overwhelmed you at times wondering if you’re preparing your students enough, if the final review packet was too much or not enough, and if your students would be ready. Finals were going to be the death of you, you were sure, if Harry’s revelation about the job offer wouldn’t kill you before then. You couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking, if he had sought it out and applied, or how it even came about. It drove you even more crazy as the tests neared, knowing that you’d be spending the rest of the week in your classroom from seven-thirty most likely until five pm every day, with him just across the hall.

You craved his voice and his touch, his hugs, and that laugh that could fix anything in seconds. That Monday and Tuesday you didn’t mean to ignore him, but when he walked into the staff room while you were in there, your feet found their way to the door quickly. You’re sure you could have left the bone you bought for Gatsby on his desk or bring it over to his house, but instead you left it in his mailbox with a note.

Give this to Gatsby, please. Tell him it’s from Mummy xx

It stung when you found it in your mailbox later that day with a note from him.

You can give it to him yourself the next time you come over :) xo

It was even automatic when you agreed to get lunch with Lola on Tuesday, even though that was the day you and Harry always went and got pizza together. During your prep hour that morning, you lingered in the staff room after he made his appearance. But when Julie the art teacher started to compliment how good he looked wearing the tie you bought for him with Fleetwood Mac song titles covering the fabric, it drove you up the wall. She didn’t stop there, and continued on about how nice he looked and how much she liked his returning beard, making you want to throw up onto your doughnut you had just warmed up. You dropped it into a trash bin in the hallway after deserting the scene, unable to endure her flirting with him and not being able to do anything about it. It pained you to not be able to tell her to stop because he’s your boyfriend, but you and Harry had agreed early on to not share your relationship with colleagues unless necessary.

It was all becoming too much for you to handle, finals week and kind of fighting with Harry and thinking about him moving away. Too much too quickly.

The hard copy of Creative Writing’s final exam sat in front of you that Tuesday afternoon. The sun already hides beyond the horizon outside the windows hugging the wall to the left of you. This has to be the second or third time you’ve printed a copy to look over, always finding something wrong with it, but this time you think maybe you’ve found a winner. The clicking of your pen meets your ears when you think you find a problem, but it’s whisked away when there’s another click. Your classroom door opens and in walks Harry, playing with the black-tie dotted with song titles of all different colors.

“Hi,” he rasps, gently closing the door behind him.

“Hi,” you return, eyes straying to the test in front of you. Your attempt to continue checking it is futile as goosebumps cover your skin and your heart hammers away.

“Gatsby misses you.”

“I miss him too,” you reply, feeling the tears press at the back of your eyes with warmth, trying not to think about not seeing him for months at a time if Harry moved.

“I declined tha job yestaday,” he announces gently, but the whiplash you feel from looking to him quickly almost hurts. His bubblegum lips sit in a taut and nervous line, hands bunched into fists in the pockets of his red slacks. They leave your view when the printed words on the test return in your eyes, growing hazy quickly. “Can ya say sumthin’, please, bird?”

“I hope you didn’t do it for me,” is all you say, hoping the true meaning comes out in your honest tone muddled by your waterworks.

“‘Course I did it fer you. I did it fer us, and Gatsby. I did it coz ‘m ashamed it took me longa than ten minutes t’ figure out that no matta tha luxuries, that’s not my dream job. I already have my dream job, ‘s here teaching across tha hall from you, gettin’ t’ have ya botha me durin’ my prep hour, combine our classrooms t’ play Jeopardy, have our students harass us t’ go onn’a date already, and gettin’ t’ have a snog with you wheneva I want. I don’ care if I don’ get t’ teach all those bloody fancy classes and get paid mo’, coz I lose all o’ that here that already makes me so happy. ‘m sorry I didn’t realize it earlier,” Harry confesses, emotions wavering in his voice that he clears a few times, taking slow steps over to where you sit.

“You know . . . ,” you begin, listening to the silence that takes your words and probably how much they’re killing him right now, especially when you leave you chair. “I think we’re going to have to tell our students sooner or later, because they’re driving me nuts. So are these tight outfits you keep wearing, they make it really hard not to attack you with kisses whenever I see you.”

A smile explodes on Harry’s lips, the first you’ve seen him wear in days, as you approach him. Your hands sing when they touch his chest, feeling the necklace under the fabric before they wrap around the buttery smooth fabric of his tie.

“Y’know,” he begins sarcastically, a hand coming to his chin where he strokes his new beard, although not quite as majestic as it’s been before. What a little shit. “I think ya might be right on that one, but I like t’ watch ‘em squirm. ‘s been fun t’ hear ‘em get all frustrated ‘bout us not datin’ yet,” he giggles, his rings finding their home on your back once again.

“Little do they know, huh?”

“Oh yes, very li’l,” he chuckles, the dimples falling into his cheeks under his patchy facial hair that you love so much. Quickly, they disappear and his cheeks flatten from their prior roundness. “‘m sorry y’know, so sorry, birdy. I was a proper asshole t’ ya, I feel terrible ‘bout it.”

The tears signal their return when his head falls and you spot one escape and fall down his cheek. You catch it with your thumb before it can get very far and lift his chin up to have him look at you. You thought your heart couldn’t hurt after everything he had said moments ago, but it wrenches inside of your chest at the sight of his red-rimmed eyes, tears falling from them.

“Harry, please don’t cry. It’s okay, we all make mistakes. I just want you to know that I am committed to you, so much so that I can’t wait to move in with you . . and Gatsby.”

“I know, ‘m sorry I ever doubted it, I dunno why I did. ‘m committed too, coz I love ya so much, birdy. I love you,” he weeps, shaky words hitting the air that you pass when you pull him into your arms. “I didn’t know I could miss ya so much ova jus’ four days,” he continues, his hot tears meeting your neck as his beard leaves tickles after brushing it. Your heart breaks even further at the feeling of his chest trembling with a sob against yours.

“I know, Harry, me too,” you coo, raking your fingers through his hair as he holds onto you, his face hiding in your neck.

“Plus, I couldn’t take tha job coz ‘m not gonna be one o’ those shit parents who makes Gatsby spend a different weekend at each parent’s house. Also I miss you makin’ me lunches, I neva rememba,” he cries against your skin, his subsequent giggle gracing your ears. He’s the first to pull away and your heart aches a little harder at the tears painting his face, ones you try to make quick work of.

“Good, I don’t think I’d have the heart to tell him, so it’d have to be you.”

“‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’,” he pouts dramatically, quoting a certain William, the pad of your thumb swiping below his left eye, feeling his feathery eyelashes against your skin. “Guess we’ll hafta stay togetha then,” he sighs sarcastically, pursing his lips that soon sing out a bubbly laugh still adorned with the remnants of tears.

“Oh, I’m sure our students would harass us to get back together if that were ever to happen,” you giggle, adoring his wispy dark eyelashes that clump together with wet tears, his murky green eyes peeking up at you beneath them.

“Ya, they’re gettin’ ratha rowdy ‘bout that, aren’t they?” he notes aloud, clucking his tongue as if disappointed then sniffling. Your thumb wanders to his forehead to smooth out the crease that’s formed between his eyebrows, pulling his eyes to yours. “‘d love t’ tell ‘em but ‘s fun t’ watch ‘em go crazy right now, but sumday, ya.”

“Yeah, we have to make it fun first,” you agree, catching the last tear with your finger, hands wandering to his tie the same dark color of his button-up.

“Right, you are,” he hums, eyes darting to your lips as you slowly yank on the tie, bringing him closer. “I knew I hadd’a smart birdy.”

His smile dissolves against your lips that surround his in the sweetest kiss containing the unsaid words and forgotten kisses from the last few days. Sorry’s pass between your lips as his warm rings press into the small of your back, the tie caught between your hands until you let go, certain he’s not going anywhere anymore. His lips sputter a laugh against yours when both of your hands come to caress his lovely bum that you squeeze greedily.

“Watch those naughty finga’s o’ yers now,” he warns through hooded eyes, the bitter smell of black coffee dancing across your face.

“Or what?” you reply with a shrug, the both of you feeling your fingers slowly dive underneath the tight fabric of his pants.

“Or yer gonna catch me without any briefs on one o’ these times,” he replies, trying to keep a straight face until the words leave his mouth that soon pecks yours.

“Oooo, I’d like to see that happen,” you tease, wiggling your eyebrows at him until he collapses into laughter above you.

“I dunno what ‘ll do with ya, bird, with a potty mouth like that.”

“Well, you can’t dump me now, we have a son together,” you shrug dramatically, mouth pressed into a fake line as you watch his eyes roll into the back of his head.

“Very true, altho’ a crappy joke there. I guess I might hafta kiss that potty mouth outta ya.”

“I’d like to see you try, Mr. Styles,” you counter, happy to see the tears have abated from the both of you, hoping you don’t find them again for months and months.

“Oh, would you, Ms. Y/N? ‘ll take that bet, and if I win it, ya hafta come ova and make Gatsby and I dinna t’night. And have wine with me and stay tha night, gotta get su’more practice befo’ ya move in with me soon,” Harry continues, a smug expression donning his features.

“Deal,” you say, squealing when his hands come under your bottom and lift you up to sit you on a nearby desk. The words on your lips disappear when he plants his lips on yours hastily, hands drifting along your waist. “You better get it all out before our field trip next week.”

“‘The lady doth protest too much, me thinks,’” Harry replies, quoting Shakespeare with a funny look on his face, replacing his lips on top of yours. Your tongue scoops up and into his mouth that he parts for you, tasting the Bit-O-Honey he just had that you’re sure his pockets are full of if you checked. You giggle into his mouth when your hands brush against his thighs, sure enough feeling the hard candies in his pockets on your way to explore his bum again.

“‘We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep,’” you recite as your nose draws a line across his cheek moments later, leaving him silent. A smile curls upon his cheeks at the sound, astonishment playing with his features.

“Our students are right, we really should be t’getha, birdy. I love me a Shakespeare girl. ‘The course of true love never did run smooth,’ but I think ours ‘s doin’ pretty well, if I do say so meself.”

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thunderheadfred · 4 years

Text

S1E9 - Trou Normand

We’re really following the violin man with a chaser of corpse totem pole aren’t we

Ohhhhhhhhman we sure are

Can u bury people on the beach???? Wouldn’t it erode, furthermore how is this totem pole anchored? I have so many questions

Lmfao Jack just stands awkwardly in the background like a disappointed dad when Will goes into his magic murder trance

Stop showing us the totem pole it still isn’t scary

“This is my body of work” Will shut your filthy mouth. you’re as bad as Hannibal

Will loses time, disassociates, makes involuntary puns, and shows up at Hannibal’s door like a lost puppy. I’m sure that’s a good idea.

Will confides in Hannibal, Abigail confides in Freddie, y’all just can’t pick some decent support can you.

Maybe if Will just like, I dunno, said he was sorry and cried an embarrassing amount until he felt better and took his wannabe daughter fishing more, neither of them would end up driven into the arms of unfeeling sociopaths for comfort hmmmmm

Will: (is demonstrably unstable) Alana: you’re extremely cute and all, but I can’t be in a relationship with you because you’re demonstrably unstable Will: excuse me??????? What??? I’ll have you know that I hallucinate a NORMAL AMOUNT

Wow. Will and Hannibal visiting Abigail. The staging of this entire scene is just So Dads.

Ohhh. Okay. I get it. This is the Dad Issues Episode. You get to be a Dad! And You get to be a Dad!

How 👏 does 👏 Abigail 👏 get 👏 to 👏 Minnesota???????

Uh hghfhfhfjfjfbgnsnanaksnsn W h a t

STOP FAST-TRAVELLING THIS ISN’T FUCKIN SKYRIM

“I survived” Abigail internalizing Hannibal’s Dark Teachings ooooohhh

Alana: I trust Hannibal Lecter soooooo much. He’s so honest and kind. Truly the one person in this world who would Never Ever Lie to me.

LANCE HENRICKSON

the number of murderers on this show who just turn themselves in or go “haha whoops u got me” is pretty wild

The twist on this week’s “mystery” is so ludicrous and unnecessary. I’m glad they just dropped the whole thing 30 minutes in and focused the rest of the episode on the murder family

“We are her fathers now” WELL SHIT JUST SPELL IT OUT I GUESS

Yes of course Will will lie to the fucking FBI for you, Hannibal. We’re ALL going to Hell in your fuckin bespoke woolen handbasket.

The first time Will Graham has ever looked clean and it’s just so he can eat human flesh with his co-parent while vetting Abigail’s toxic "friend”

“Will and I are going to protect you” and then he looks into the camera I hate this I hate you I hate hate hate;alken;alkejfesksnbskans

Body count

Lance Henrickson: 17-Person totem pole

Hannibal: 1 family dinner, Me

Stoned vampire one-liner:

“I don’t want you to wake up and see a totem of your own making”

# Fred Watches Hannibal

#Fred watches Hannibal #spoilers #hannibal #season 1

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silvorr · 5 years

Text

Gabriel Approves The Second Time Around

Part 4

Lila’s not one to dally, especially when something like Adrien is on the line, so it isn’t even a day before she’s waiting for Gabriel Agreste to pick up his phone. This would be the second time she’s calling him in the last five minutes, and the fact that he didn’t pick up the first time does nothing for her growing frustrations.

Lila growls.

She expects her second time to go straight to voice mail, again, and she’s just mustering up the patience to call a third time when the line clicks and she’s suddenly greeted with a monotone, “This is Gabriel Agreste’s assistant speaking, how can I help you?”

“Natalie? Hi!” It pains Lila to be this chirpy so soon after a fallout but she’s got a role to play, hasn’t she? “I don’t know if you remember who I am but- “

“Cut to the chase Miss Rossi. I haven’t all day.”

‘What’s this woman’s problem?’ “Right. I’m so sorry to be bothering you but it’s just that- there’s something important I need to discuss with Mr. Agreste. Something… something happened at school today and I’m really worried for Adrien.”

There’s a pause on the other side of the line. Then: “Mr. Agreste is out of country for the time being. I’ll make sure to book an appointment as soon as he returns.”

Lila clenches her teeth, ‘That’s not soon enough!’ “Is there no way I can speak with him immediately?”

“I’m afraid not Miss. Rossi. If that is all. I will contact you with the appointment details at the earliest.”

Natalie hangs up before Lila can get another word in and Lila glowers at the floor. ‘That man better come home soon,’ she thinks, ‘or I’ll just about lose my mind.’

With his father gone on a business trip Adrien felt just a little more in control of his life than he usually did. This was probably what spurred his decision (and a few suggestions from Plagg of course) to surprise Marinette by waiting outside her bakery ten minutes before school started. He’s already gone inside and confirmed that Marinette was yet to start heading to school and so there he stood; leaning beside the front door with a smirk that would have made Chat Noir proud (yes, Adrien knew that technically he was Chat Noir but whatever).

It wasn’t very long before Marinette stumbled out of the door of her parent’s bakery. She had a piece of toast clenched in between her teeth and looked ready to make a run for it all the way to school but paused when she turned and instead met Adrien’s green eyes.

“Hey there princess.”

The piece of toast fell to the ground as her jaw dropped. “A-A-A-Adrien?!”

He laughed at her bewildered expression and moved to pull her in a hug. “Mariiiiiii~ I missed you soooooo much.”

She laughed that sweet laugh of hers, the one that lit Adrien’s heart on fire, and hugged back with ferocious strength. When Adrien pulled away, they were both laughing.

“Come on, we should get to school before we’re late.”

“Oh shit!”

Lila ground her teeth and forced a sweet smile. The whole goddamn day they’d been at it, acting all lovey-dovey. It was so annoying to watch! It almost felt like the Dupain Chang girl was mocking her.

“Awwww, you guys are so cute together!”

Lila turned a bitter eye towards Alya as the girl yet another photograph of them. Would she just stop it already? This whole routine had gotten old after, like, the fifth time. Still, Lila made sure that none of her bitter thoughts slipped onto her expression and pretended to be happy for the new couple.

Her only comfort through the whole thing was that she wouldn’t have to keep through this for very long. The thought made Lila internally smirk.

‘Two weeks. Enjoy your boyfriends while you can Dupain Cheng, because ultimately he belongs to me.’

Those two weeks turned out to be the worst of Lila’s life. If Lila had thought that they’d been bad the first day, they just got worse. From the staring at each other all the goddamn time, to holding hands to the one time she’d seen Adrien feeding Dupain Cheng, it was living hell. Two weeks’ time before Gabriel Agreste was back in Paris didn’t pass quick enough for one Lila Rossi. But once she had finally lived through it, once she was finally sitting on a park bench, pretending to read a book as she waited for the one and only Gabriel Agreste to meet with her just like they usually did, no one could put out the malicious fire that seemed to twinkle in Lila’s eye. Any moment now, and she’d soon be watching Dupain-Cheng’s world crash and burn.

She was extremely mindful as a silver car came to a stop behind her and she could imagine to a degree the two unimpressed faces behind her, but nothing was stopping her now.

If there was one thing Lila was good at, it was weaving a story. She had already tarnished Dupain-Cheng’s reputation to some level in Gabriel’s eyes, a feat that wasn’t very hard to be honest. Now, all she had to do was mix in a bit of news about Dupain-Cheng’s more stalkerish tendencies (something that, to her delight, weren’t lies), put in a bad word or two about how clumsy she was and how she’d positively ruin Adrien’s reputation. That was really all it took and Lila could hear the dissatisfaction in Gabriel’s voice as he took his leave. She could imagine the frown on his face, the disappointment that he felt towards his irresponsible son.

Lila smirked as she closed the book in her hands.

‘Told you not to mess with me Dupain-Cheng’

“Adrien.”

Adrien looked up in surprise to see his father standing at the top of the main staircase. The man looked down at his son with his usual displeased scowl and Adrien had to wonder if he had done something wrong or if his father had simply decided to welcome him back.

“In my office. Now.”

Adrien winced as he followed the echoing footsteps of his father up the stairs. Whatever he had done, it must be bad because he was able to actually pick up the displeasure in his tone. The few times his father let emotions escape never turned out to be good and Adrien found himself subconsciously preparing himself for the worst.

When he entered his father’s office, a place he could enter only when permitted, he found his father with his back towards him, standing behind the desk he usually worked at. Adrien came to stand on the other side of that desk and waited for his father to bring up the source of his displeasure.

“I expected better from you Adrien.”

‘You always do father.’ Adrien thought.

His father continued, unaware of just how little Adrien was coming to care for all this responsibility his father was fond of placing on him. “When I first agreed to let you attend public school, I was under the impression that you were aware of the rules you would have to abide by.”

Adrien shifted nervously in his place. What was this about exactly?

“You’re still young Adrien. Letting you out in public has been one of the greatest risks that I’ve taken, especially now that a super villain is running around terrorising Paris.”

Adrien almost wanted to laugh at that. If only his father knew…

“Not only are you in constant danger when left unsupervised, but so is the reputation that this brand, that my brand carries. I would think that was something you well understood, but in light of recent events it seems not to be the case.”

What-

“She is a baker’s daughter, yes?”

Adrien’s blood ran cold.

There was no way-

“Correct if I’m wrong, son.”

Silence hung heavy and thick in the room. It was stifling and Adrien was finding it hard to keep a cool head under his current situation. He thought he had done well to hide his secret, but here he was trying to answer to crimes that were anything but.

“Will there be a need to pull you out of school?” his father mused, “You know very well that I would be more than happy to put you back on private tutors.”

A panic filled Adrien; unlike anything he had ever felt outside the mask. “Father please…” His voice sounded weak, even to him.

His father ignored him and continued on, “If you wish to continue attending school Adrien, I better not hear anymore of this nonsense again. If my sources catch you again, there won’t be a next time.”

“I-“

“Am I clear?”

“Y-yes father.”

And just like that his time with his father had come to an end. Adrien felt sick in the stomach as he exited that room, his only comfort right now were the tiny claws that dug into his skin, right above his heart. He let Natalie escort him to his room, completely lost in thought and actively ignoring her prattle on about the activities he had scheduled for the rest of the day. She would come inform him when things were due but right now, he had much bigger problems to address.

He closed the door to his room and came to sit on his bed in a daze. Panic still drummed heavy and persistent in his heart and he knew it wouldn’t go away until he did something about it. Whether he liked it or not, this wasn’t the first and nor would it be the last occasion he had disappointed his father. Adrien folded in on himself with his arms coming to wrap tightly around his sides.

“Plagg, what do I do?”

Plagg, who had come out of his usual hiding place to comfort his holder detached himself from where he had pressed himself against Adrien’s cheek. He flew down to nudge Adrien’s phone out of his pocket and onto the bed. “Call her. It’s only fair that you figure this out together.”

And Adrien didn’t want to; he didn’t want any of this to become real. The moment he talked to Marinette about this it would be set in stone and irreconcilable. The last month and a half, from taking her out on dates to being her boyfriend, her partner had been the best of his life, every moment spent with her was in love and in the pure adoration he felt for her. And he had finally finally gotten to her, only to lose her like this. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair, but life never was.

“Adrien?”

Her voice was as sweet as ever, like nothing was wrong, and it had a choked sob escaping him. The shock of the news was finally subsiding and a heavy helplessness quickly took its place. He heard her startle on the other side of the line, “Adrien?! Are you okay?”

“No Mari I’m- I’m not, I’m not.”

“What happened?”

“Father he- he found out. He found out about us.”

Adrien hears a sharp intake of breath. “What-What did he say?”

Adrien closes his eyes and a few tears slip from beneath his eyelashes, “He said that- he was ready to pull me out of school, Mari. The only freedom I have- I- “he’s not able to finish the thought. His voice is breaking and he can tell that he’s worrying her.

“Oh Adrien… “

They sit in silence for a while and Adrien tries to gather his thoughts. When he feels like he can talk without him breaking down again he says, “Mari, what are we going to do?”

“How did your father find out?”

“What?” the question catches him off guard. “I-I don’t really know.”

“Someone must have told him, right?”

Father had mentioned sources. “Yeah, I suppose.”

She responds with a non-committal hum. He can almost see the gears in her mind turning and it makes him smile a little. It reminded him that if he was ever in trouble, whether it be Chat Noir or as Adrien, he would always have two strong and dependable women to help him through.

“Adrien?”

“Yeah?”

“I- I think I have a plan.”

(A/N: I’m sorry for the delay for this chapter. Thing is, I’ve already posted part 4 once before only to take it down, because there were some things I wanted to add. I’m not used to writing and posting multiple part fics and would actually prefer to write this in one go before posting, but any attempts at that in the past have resulted in fics not being completed or posted at all. Posting each part one by one right now means that I’ll have to hold myself to this work until it’s complete, because I actually do have a readership that enjoys what I write, and I thank you all so much for that.

I’ve only ever posted one-shots in the past on Wattpad (find my works at CaptainLynda), and those get only two or three views every few days. Seeing how fast my fic was accumulating notes (even it was only ten or so for a few days) has made me happy, and it motivates me to follow through until the very end.

I encourage my readers to leave comments, because if there’s one sure fire way of bribing a writer to complete there works is to show that you actually enjoy their work. (Reblogs are more than welcome as well)

Unfortunately, I can’t seem to figure out how to link all the parts together but once I do, I’ll make sure to leave links around so you guys have an easier way around.

Anyways, I hope liked the chapter, Until next time, ado.)

@tyagressian

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous fandom #marinette #adrien #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #adrien x marinette #adrienette #plagg #gabriel agreste #Gabriel Approves The Second Time Around #part 4

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heleneplays · 5 years

Text

Helene, Holly, and the trip to Harrods

Fandom: HPMA

Characters: Helene Adler (HPMA) & Holly Spencer ( @luvpotion94 )

Rating: K

Words: 605

Summary: Fic from @luvpotion94 's art just because!!! (reuploaded)

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Helene twirls and skips in her new clothes while Holly calmly looks around for one last survey of the store. Finding nothing elae catching her interest, she turns to the general direction she last saw the Slytherin girl.

"We're done here, I believe. Come on Helene, or we'll be late for our reservations for dinner."

"No we won't! Plus if we are, they wouldn't dare kick out an Adler NOR a Spencer, much less both of us~!" Helene pops up with a small click of her dainty shoes so suddenly, Holly couldn't help but blink.

"Well, yes. There's also that." She sighs. Their names were both a blessing and a curse, but one can't help what family you were born into, couldn't they?

The twosome walk out the boutique, and off to their Restaurant.

After a light dinner and a decadent desert (courtesy of the blonde's sweet tooth), both girls prepare to part for the night.

"It was really nice coming here with you, Holly! Mom's usually soooo busy... And the whole makeover, it was very kind of you!!!" Helene's blonde hair fluffs up as she continues talking, resembing a fluffy, happy Puffskein.

"It was no bother, I enjoyed dressing you up..." She thinks back on the girl's past wardrobe during weekends in the school, and shakes her head.

"Yeah!!! So please accept this as a token of my appreciation!"

A small leather box with an unfamiliar brand is suddenly thrust into her hands.

Holly's manicured fingers run over the elegant loops of a golden, interlocked HA, before Helene's voice snapped her back to the present.

"Again thank you so much and I'm soooooo sorry to run now; but David and Eli are here to take me home and Mom's gonna be mad if we're not back by the curfew time--"

One man in a chauffeur's uniform and a familiar brunette teen were nearby, looking apologetic. They approach

"Miss Helene, we really must go--" David starts, when Eli voices his thoughts.

"Perhaps we should call for the other car for Spencer...? Jasper is available, isn't he Dave?"

Holly smiled at the older Ravenclaw teen.

"It's no need Adler-- you should go ahead, we all know your mother's temper is legendary." All four chuckle, knowing that Irene Adler was one tough nut. A ping chimes and Holly nods. "That'll mean my driver's just around the corner."

"I- Okay then, I hope you like it!" and with that, Helene goes in for a brief, but charged hug.

'She's warm, and really soft. Her hair... smells really good...' The words register unbidden to her mind, then the contact ends too soon for her taste. 'She really IS a good hugger, huh.'

"Okaygottajetweshoulddothisagainsometimeandthanksandbye~~" Helene rushes then hops inside the waiting car.

The blonde waves back to her until they turn the round. Her car finally arrives and the ravenette gets settled into her seat before cracking open the box.

Nestled in a satin pillow were a pair of multi-stoned, flower-and-chain dangling earings:

Holly Millicent Spencer starts to laugh heartily.

"Oh Helene Mae Adler, you absolute treasure."

---

BONUS:

Helene leans further into Eli's lap as he continues to pat her head.

"So how was today, little Puffball?"

"T'was loads of fun, Holly got me a whooooole new wardrobe."

"What's wrong with the one's I picked you?"

"Well, I have the alphabetized list at home, but from her words your style was artocious and not--"

Eli stops patting her head. Then transfers her to the chair across. Helene whines, but Eli is too busy sulking.

David briefly watched the Adler siblings' antics from the mirror, and shakes his head fondly.

[End.]

#hpma #harry potter magic awakened #magic awakened #hpma mc #hpma friendships #holly spencer #holly spencer hpma #helene adler hpma #helene adler #my fic #fanfic #lee makes stuff

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randaccidents · 5 years

Text

Breaking and Entering

Ah the first week of school! The easiest way to drain all your writing juices. Stuffs gonna slow down from here and not like 3 fics a week like what I was doing, but I’m unlikely (cause I never finish promises) to stop now cause I have like *leans over to check* about 10 WIP fics I wanna write with new ideas every week soooooo...

Right the fic! Its a fic! Yayy I wrote things. The dialogue might come off as clunky cause school punched me in the guts while I was trying to write that.

Shadow People AU from the wondrous mind of @mine-sara-sp

TW: toxic thoughts, self-harm, self-blame, description and talk of that loneliness that seeps into your chest and hooks in deep and never ever wants to let go making you doubt your actions

Crypt broke into someone’s base and left with the real treasure and a no-no word gets thought.

The pickaxe shatters in his hands. Mechanically, he replaces it with another, adding to his internal count. That was the fifth iron pick he’s broken thus far. Another 3 to break before he had to surface and go to the shadow meetup. The thought of that made the hole in his chest feel twice as large, and he swung his pick hard enough that the shattered rock flew in large chunks around him.

It wasn’t that he was feeling lonely or left out. He had friends. He had 3D, and Phas, and TFC, and Abyss, and the grey stone that surrounded him on all sides. He had a pick in hand, a reason to keep chipping away at stone walls all day. He was fine!

...and he was a big old fool, to continue to believe that lie.

Collecting another pile of coal, he silently wondered if this was what the other shadows saw of him. A useless lump of black, easily replaced by better sources of fuel and light, cast aside like it was nothing. Bitterly, he broke the next block of stone, left hand holding onto the coal piece. Now he had only one use, like the coal he held - to ensure that 3D remained happy and unbothered by the venom of the other shadows, just like how the coal was only useful for torches that lit up the few blocks surrounding it. Ugly, practical, no use in the canvas of almost every build.

So deep into his bitterness, it came as a surprise when he broke through into a cavernous room. This wasn’t the first time he had broken into another person’s base, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. He guessed that he should check whose base this was and its size before he closed the hole he made in the wall, if only so that he wouldn’t accidentally break into it again.

Stepping through the hole, the first thing he noticed was just how large and sprawling the whole build was. This was going to be a pain to dig around, he could just feel it. Looking around, he took note of the many scattered blocks of precious ores lying around the room. This hermit seemed to be very rich. He would guess Jevin, but the slime wasn’t disorganised with his ores. Maybe Scar? The build of the room didn’t quite hold enough details to pin it to the hermit though. Looking around, he felt the beginnings of anxiety rise up his throat as he fully registered the scale of the room, how open it felt to stand under its ceiling. Picking a random hallway, he ducked into it and began counting how many blocks wide this end of the build was.

Walking down the large hallway, Crypt peered into every room he came across, curiosity overriding his earlier anxieties and bitterness. It’s been a long while since he had broken into someone’s base, although that was mostly because he heard this season was all about building up the overworld. Feeling the loneliness of being left out beginning to choke up his insides, he quickly ducked into the nearest room, slipping past the door in search of a distraction.

To his surprise, he found a room full of greenery and wildlife, parrots and bunnies and wolves and other animals lazing about the room. Looking up revealed a glass covered ceiling, redstone lamps shining through coloured glass to give everything a pleasant blue tint. Light humming music drifted through the room, backlit by the sound of water flowing through the room. Crypt took another step into the room, entranced. The room was expertly put together, a feeling of openness enmeshed with closeness in a dizzying mix of comfort he never thought he could feel in such an open room. Leaning against a nearby hand-crafted tree, Crypt closed his eyes. The room felt so isolated, cut off from the world around, that he couldn’t help but feel at peace. Despite all that, some small part of him was still counting the seconds, waiting for the moment he was meant to surface from the underground and meet up with 3D. He might have time to be alone now, but he’s meant to be easy to deal with, so he counts the seconds in his head instead of in the durability of his pickaxe.

Once he’s mentally reached two iron pickaxes left, he pushed himself off the tree. Stretching, he looked out wistfully over the garden room. This had been a great place to relax after his exhaustingly painful thoughts, but he still had to count the size and shape of the whole base. Turning away, he headed for the entrance.

And came face to face with two identical shadows, frozen in the doorway staring at him. He similarly froze, caught like a sheep eyed by wolves.

One of the two shadows seemed to snap himself out of it first. He came walking forward, holding out a hand to Crypt. “Hi, Crypt right? I don’t think we really got to meet properly considering what happened the last time we saw each other. I’m Cavalier! Welcome to the Hoard!”

Crypt looked down at the hand offered to him. Noting down the purple-and-yellow feathered wristband the shadow - Cavalier - wore, he added another identifiable shadow to his mental list of those he knew as he grasped the hand in a warm shake. Who else was new here that he had never met? Who else did he meet and never remember? Swallowing the sudden surge of bitterness, he gave Cavalier a warm smile. “Yes, I’m Crypt. I don’t quite remember where I met you first, but you are a very kind shadow.”

He could sense the moment when he messed up, feel the sudden tension run a rod straight through Cavalier into his grasp. “I’m not a kind shadow.” whispered Cavalier, his eyes averted and refusing to meet his.

Well, he couldn’t have any of that. No matter how toxic this line of thinking was, only he was allowed to feel sad in any form. He squeezed the hand he held lightly. “Cavalier, I may not know who you were or what you have done before I met you, but you have yet to drive me out of what is clearly your house, instead welcoming me for visiting. You are kind.”

“And so are you Crypt, to comfort Cavalier so quickly.”

The voice might have sounded like Cavalier’s, but it didn’t fool Crypt. Meeting Paladin’s eyes, he offered up a fragile smile. “Hello Paladin. Speaking of which, I may have broken into your area by accident. Is it alright for me to measure the size of this Hoard of yours?”

Paladin looked up at the ceiling in thought. Crypt felt Cavalier let go of his hand, the shadow moving to lean against Paladin to whisper into his ear, and felt a stab of jealousy that he quickly buried. No, he wasn't jealous of their bond, not at all.

"There might be a few problems with that actually," Paladin began, holding up his hand as they began to list out his reasons. "Firstly, the Hoard kinda twists and turns a lot, branching out in many directions. Secondly, I’m pretty sure that Keloid and Avarice intend to keep expanding the Hoard. Third, I kind of have a forge in here that may or may not expand. So it’s going to be difficult for you to really measure something that’s going to keep expanding.”

Crypt sighed dejectedly. This direction would be blocked off to him then. Reminding himself that he was meant to be easy to handle, he steeled his heart and gave them as careless a wave as he could. “It’s no matter. I can always tunnel another direction.” The durability counted steadily downwards in his mind. He turned and began walking towards the doorway, throwing a final comment over his shoulder. “I’ll show myself out. Sorry to break in.”

“Wait!” A hand grabbed his arm, bringing him to a gentle halt. He turned, raising an eyebrow at Cavalier. The shadow fidgeted under his gaze, suddenly uncertain of himself. "Uhm, since we didn't really meet before, a-and I don't know when we'll meet again, do you want to join us for a bit? Just to chat? You don't have to if you're busy, I understand!"

Looking at Cavalier was a mistake. Crypt questioned how anyone could say no to Cavalier. Sighing good-naturedly, he moved to a tree behind Cavalier, patting his helmet as he passed. Sliding to a sitting position, he smiled up at the stunned duo. "Well? I don't have a season you know."

Cavalier was quick to rectify that problem, practically throwing himself to the floor before Crypt, to the amusement of the other two in the room. Stomach down on the floor, he interlaced his fingers in a peak, resting his head upon it. Paladin leaned himself against Cavalier's side, amusement written across his face. Cavalier spoke up, not pausing for a single faux-breath. "What do you normally do? I don't see you around much, but you're from last season so you must have done something, right?"

Crypt smiled down at the excited shadow. Having someone be curious about him, wanting to know about him, was something new and foreign and oh so lovely. With warmth bubbling through his chest, he began to answer.

"You're right, I am from last season. But normally…"

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

Paladin was mid-rant about the difficulties of smelting emerald into workable tools when Crypt's mental timer went off, snapping the last pickaxe in twain. It was time to meet up with 3D for the shadow meetup. He found that he didn't want to leave, comfortable in his surroundings and the people around him, who were genuinely interested in what he had to say. But he had a job to do.

With a small grunt of effort, he pushed himself to his feet, cutting off Paladin's rant. "Crypt, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned. The tone of voice made Crypt shake his head wistfully. Ah, to feel concern for him not borne of pity. He hefted the pickaxe he still held in his right hand. "It's about time for the shadow meetup. I have to meet with 3D, and I suggest you two prepare to leave too, or you might be late. See you fellas around soon."

Turning, he headed straight for the exit, only for a whisper of words to stop him in his tracks. "We haven't been in weeks, not since the first time Cav went…"

Whipping around, Crypt regarded the two shadows before him. Paladin was glaring at the ground, face severe. Beside him, Cavalier had managed to sit up, his face reflecting pained memories. Something dropped in the pit of his stomach. He could just comfort them, he knew, but part of him screamed to, for once, know what had happened. He asked the dreaded question, voice as gentle as he could without sounding like pity. He out of every shadow would know that pity helped no one. "What happened the first time?"

Cavalier's hand moved to clutch his wrist, tightening around the wristband that lay there as he looked away. "You know the one you shouted at?" Paladin asked.

He flinched. Oh, so it was his fault. He really shouldn't have tried to connect to the loop. Paladin looked up at him, face softening. "It wasn't you. You saved him actually. Coda was going to destroy his wristband."

"I fail to see the problem."

Paladin tilted his head at Cavalier, directing his attention. He could see Cavalier's fingers tighten, cutting holes into his arm. He wanted to comfort the shadow who had been so happy just minutes ago, yet he could tell that if he moved from his spot, neither of them would tell him what had happened.

And he was so tired of not knowing what had happened.

"You know Puzzler?" At his nod, Cavalier continued, fingers digging further. "He gave those who served him gifts. I was one of them. All the gifts were supposed to be destroyed after the war, but I kept mine. It's… important. To me." Cavalier turned his gaze to his wristband. "They didn't like that."

He found himself wanting to know more, to understand this part of the war no one wanted to talk about. But he could also see when his questioning would only cause grief. Moving to kneel before the knights, he gently began to pry Cavalier's fingers open. "Is that why you said you weren't kind? Because of what you did in the past?"

Cavalier's small nod, his guilty body language, reminded him so much of 3D. He patted the shadow's hand as he pried open the final finger. "But you're trying to be better now, to repair relations with them, and that's proof enough that you are kind."

Another hand pressed over theirs, making Crypt lift his head. Paladin was still looking away from them, but the shake of his hands spoke for him. Crypt squeezed his hand, prompting a sigh. "Trying works for him.” he whispered, voice choked and bitter. “Me? Two seasons later and only one new family member to show for it. I don’t think anyone notices if I’m even there. Makes it that much harder to be there for him. So we don't go anymore."

He heard the loneliness, the pained longing to be part of a community in Paladin's voice. It was a pain that he was well versed in. Some part of him guiltily rejoiced, he didn't expect to find someone else who understood, but it was overshadowed by his friends’ - could he call them friends? He decided that he would. - hurt. Gently, he pressed their combined hands to his forehead. “I understand,” he murmured, pushing himself to encompass all of his sincerity in his limited words. “It hurts, when no one cares enough to know if you’re even there anymore, or ask where you went. It’s a hole in your chest, something that doesn’t fill up because no one truthfully takes you seriously." He squeezed gently, ignoring the insistent sound of shattering iron in his head. "But you're not alone. You have each other, and from what I know those vexed shadows care too. Being in the loop is not the best, in all honesty. No one really cares about how little old Crypt feels anyway."

"But I- we do." came the soft whisper from his left, from the hand with purple and yellow wrapped around its wrist. The hand leading towards blue didn't respond, shifting as if to pull away. Crypt held on tight, lifting his head to meet their gazes. Paladin was quick to break off, looking away guiltily even as Cavalier held his gaze. Normally, this would have hurt more, reopened the hole in his chest. But after their conversations, after them both listening attentively to him rant about stones without judgement, their tones of concern and desire to be with him, he instead felt immense sadness that they couldn't see that they cared, and were kind.

Was this what Abyss meant when he said he was blind?

Paladin was still turned away from him. How could he comfort someone who wasn't even looking? A small memory poked at the back of his mind, and he let it guide him. Twisting his body slightly, he leaned forward to rest against Paladin's side, just as Phas always did with him. He thinks that it was a form of comfort. He knows that Paladin and Cavalier enjoyed touch, always reaching for a hand to hold. He hopes that this wasn't the wrong choice, feeling the knight tense up at his touch.

Then, Paladin relaxed, leaning into him in return. Crypt felt another presence press hesitantly against his back. He shifted slightly, allowing the presence to slot in among them, softly and gently cradled against his being. It was… warmth, something sliding in to fill a gap in his chest.

Paladin shifted slightly, poking him in the side. “Didn’t you say you had to go to the shadow meetup?”

… fuck.

He jumped out of the comfortable pile of shadows and headed for the door, grabbing his pickaxe as words stumbled out of his mouth. “I have to go so sorry it was nice meeting you two.”

Twin voices vocalised their goodbyes as he turned the corner and ran down the hallway. A voice snaked its way along the walls, carrying a question. “Will you come back and visit again?”

He blinked, seeing his shadow fly across the walls and keep pace with him, a perfect replica of his body. Shaking his head good-naturedly, he gave his shadow a grin and a thumbs up. Turning another corner, he left his unnaturally formed shadow behind, the shape buzzing excitedly as it zoomed back down the hall.

Bursting into the large cavern from earlier, Crypt quickly located the hole he had made and dove in, rushing to make up for lost time. It wasn’t until he hit the first branch in the passageway that he stopped, a problem suddenly before him.

He’d promised he would visit. He wanted to visit. But he didn’t have anything to mark the route to the Hoard. Rummaging through his inventory, he came across the pile of coal he had mined earlier. Bingo. Pulling out the dusty sticks TFC had summoned him with, he jerry-rigged a few torches together, striking the coal against shards of stone. Placing the torch down, he spared a second to admire his ingenuity before the mental striking of broken pickaxes sent him careening down the strip mine, torches lighting up every branch, something forgotten given new use.

#shadow people au #crypt #paladin #cavalier #me? writing from a perspective that isn't knights? more likely than you think #this was meant to be comfort but then the hurty held me at gunpoint #but its ties well #sorry if its messy school is a bitch #aight trigger tags time #toxic thoughts #self-harm #self-blame #extreme loneliness #sad bois in general too #my writing #I give these boys more friends

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cutegirlmayra · 5 years

Note

Hey friend~! I recently developed a need for some Amy x Gadget (the custom hero wolf-guy) from Sonic Forces. I dunno why, I just think it sounds cute. :V I'll leave details up to you. Feel free to message me if we need to discuss specifics. (Also, I can totally draw a picture for this if you need one. dsgkjsd;lga)

You know I love you and pics for my prompts! >w

Your needs are my passionate, daily labor~

PROMPTS ARE STILL ON SHUTDOWN! Please don’t send me a prompt! I’m still working through the ones I have T-T

Commissions are open for writing! Please speak with me and we can customize your order! :Db Also, check specific rules before any purchases!

Prompt:

“I just miss him soooooo much!” Amy hugged the couch’s pillow, squinting her eyes shut and wagging her body back and forth in her hyper energy.

Gadget just nodded politely, but it was clear he was feeling a little awkward at her exaggerated emotions…

“My body just wants to leap out and embrace him! Can you blame me? We all thought he was-…” She grew quiet for a few seconds, making Gadget a bit worried about her and lean forward.

“… Ah! It’s too painful to recount!” she suddenly shoved the pillow into her face and spooked him, having him ‘yelp!’ in surprise and fall off the couch.

She peeked over the pillow at him on the ground, seeing that he may be feeling pain from the landing. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” she quickly got up and sat beside him, her hands on the sides of her face. “I just get so worked up about Sonic! My bad…” she tilted her head in apology, but Gadget just wanted up off the floor.

She took his hand and helped him up, which is when he realized her overwhelming strength.

“W-Woah…” he blinked, immediately back on his feet again.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

As she tilted her head, his vision grew uneasy as she was suddenly shining with a brilliant radiance around her.

“GAK!” he flinched back and let her hand go. ‘She… She’s so cute! Darn it, I’m attracted to strong women!’

“Hmm?” she seemed oblivious of what his face was conveying. “Did you hit your head when you fell or just your bum?” she didn’t seem to understand his odd behavior but stepped around him with a finger to her mouth.

“Hmm… You sure you’re alright?”

‘Too close!’ he flung his arms up over his head and covered some of his face, nodding assuringly with little sweat droplets spraying all around his nervous face.

“Well, if you say so. Hey! I have an idea! Let’s go and try to find Sonic!”

‘Bad idea.’ he lowered his arms, looking at her with some sympathy now. ‘Tails had found other dimensional Sonic, and the Sonic from our world is really busy with mission after mission. I should know. They give me all the dirty work when he’s off recovering or trashing an Eggman base…” he scratched the back of his head, looking away from her cheery self. ‘But I can’t just break her heart and say no… I’m supposed to wait for Knuckles to tell me where to go next but…’

It pained him, but he took a glance back at Amy, wincing when he saw how completely carefree and happy she was.

Her eyes were twinkling with hope and longing, it clutched at his heart and caused a deep, torturous pain to swell up in it. Like bowling balls being crushed up against his fragile, sensitive heart.

He clutched his chest, chibi-crying inside his mental image of himself. ‘SO CUUUUTTEEEE!’ he cried within his thoughts.

“You’ll be my partner this time, right?” she blinked rapidly, leaning up closer to him without restraint.

He mentally panicked, forcing his arms straight down beside him and turning his head which way and left her without a response.

‘She’s never going to take no for an answer! I’m supposed to stay at base, but I think this is more temptation then I can handle! I wasn’t even properly trained for the forces, how do they expect me to decline a sweet, beautiful young girl such an innocent request!?’

He swallowed hard, then shrugged with a nervous laugh of approval.

“Oh yay! Thank you, recruit!”

She lept into his arms.

Suddenly, those nerves turned to butter that her warm arms melted and he limped in her sturdy embrace.

He was in heaven, while the world around him was crumbling into oblivion.

He bent back a moment with a goofy grin on his face before she released him and pulled him at alarming speeds out from HQ. “Come on! I just know Sonic’s this way! Call it my womanly intuition!”

His eyes were spirals, ‘S-She’s so strong!’ his blush could leave a stream of light behind as she dragged him along, but he didn’t mind.

Amy was struggling to breathe. The over-turned road was their only defense against the flames from the giant Eggman robots, but Gadget fought against the bending of the cement collapsing on them.

It was like something he would run on at high speeds, the twisting roadways, but now it was a hazard they were trapped under.

Amy was on her knees, coughing into her hand.

The heat rippled over him and the smoke stung at his lungs, but the will to protect Amy was stronger than all that.

“Amy!” he looked behind him, “I need you!”

She opened her eyes, red from the dusty air mixing with the sting of flames.

“You’re stronger than me! Even I know that!” he cried out, it was the most he had ever said to her, maybe to anyone else in his whole life.

But he needed her amazing strength, her impeccable bravery, and charming optimism to get them out of this mess.

“AMY!” His voice strained as the road began to topple on top of him.

Suddenly, two hands were placed by his right arm against the falling cement.

“Huh?” He turned to see that same girl, strong and determined, pushing against the wall.

“Sonic wouldn’t want me to give up, either!” she nodded, a sound resolve in her dry mouth. “We have to let it collapse!”

“Huuuhhh!?!?” Did she have a death wish!?

“Trust me! Look at how it’s bending!”

He saw where her eyes were and looked down the swirling mass of road.

‘…Wait!’ he could see what she meant!

“It bends like a wave!” she explained, “If we let it fall, we can run through the tunnel and stay out of the destruction! We can make it if we run really, really fast!” he could hear her strength in her voice giving way, she couldn’t hold the wall of the road up much longer.

It wasn’t just that though, he looked to his grappler.

“Are you with me?” She closed her eyes, growing desperate as he could hear her grunt to keep her force against the road.

He smiled, “Always.”

She peeked an eye open, seeming shaken at his quick reply.

He kept a gentle hold on her eyesight, as he noticed her begin to see him differently, as though she saw light spring from around him too.

Then the road broke around Amy’s arms.

“Ahh!” she pulled back and grabbed onto him. “Run!”

The two bolted down through the lop-sided oval of the rolling road collapsing just at their heels. Gadget had his arm around Amy and she had one around him, it gave him the confidence to believe his next plan would work.

No matter how strong or fast Amy was, neither of them could move faster than this domino effect. They didn’t have enough boost…

He threw his grappler out to the side of a cliff.

“What are you doing?!” Amy cried out, a few pieces of cement hitting her head. “Ah!”

“Grr..!” seeing her about to get sweeped up in the whiplash of the falling structure, he pulled her closer and shot out towards the cliff.

He was right, the whole thing cascaded down the gap below in a slow falling crash once the line flattened at the end of its tail.

Amy clung to Gadget as they dangled on the side of the cliff wall, but she didn’t notice Gadget hitting his shoulder hard against the stone to protect her from the impact.

He was waning… and then…

“That… that was amazingly lucky. You saved us, Rookie… GADGET!” she suddenly saw him let go.

They began tumbling down for a moment until Amy summoned her hammer, “Not like this! I won’t let you die!”

She hooked her hammer to an underground, but now exposed pipe sticking out from the cliffside.

Using the remaining last bits of her strength, she climbed the rest of the way up to the city’s broken surface and placed Gadget down beside her, falling by his side and gasping for air.

The flames still licked the skies as she looked at his face.

Was he conscious?

“Gadget…” she lifted a hand delicately to his face, stroking some black soot and dirt off his cheek. “Thank you… You… did so great today. It’s all my fault… I put us in harm’s way to find Sonic… I should have thought more about you then myself… I’m sorry.” she hugged him, and without realizing it, Gadget smiled and softly opened his eyes.

He bent his head down and closed them again, but hugged her with a weak arm in return.

“I… thought more about you then myself, too.”

She gasped, rising her head up.

He smiled sheepishly, still a bit battered from it all and his shoulder driving him crazy, but he tried to remain a handsome, fallen hero if he could muster it long enough.

“I think… you did great too.”

She pursed her lips, tearing up.

“You really think I’m strong, don’t you?”

“Stronger than you know.”

She was crushing his chest, making it hard to breathe, but he left the sarcasm in his voice go unnoticed.

“…Gadget…” she went a little limp on him.

He took the chance to breathe a bit easier, but then moved up as she helped him sit better.

“Sonic’s… a lucky guy.”

“Huh?” She seemed surprised to hear him say that, as though she didn’t understand before shaking her head. “O-Oh, right. Uh-huh…”

He noticed the sorrow that suddenly stroke her face, and a glimmer of hope rose in him.

“Do you… fall for anyone that saves your life? Or just the handsome blue speed demons?”

She blushed and pushed him away, covering her face. “STOP THAT! That’s not true! OoooOOOOooohhh..!” she whined her infamous tune.

‘Ow, my shoulder!’ he twitched his hand and arched his back, not releasing a single word from his mouth. ‘Pain, pain, pain! But so strong! Chaos, I love that she’s strong but why now!?’ he gripped the air and bite at his lower lip, ducking his head down to not reveal how much pain he was in at her action.

“Hmph. I’m not easily swooned…” she turned away, but he thought for a moment that maybe she was lying…

“Well, if you can be, I wouldn’t mind being a hero instead of a rookie.”

She flinched and looked back at him, “You… I love Sonic!”

“For now, maybe.”

Her quills rose, perhaps in protest? But her mouth forced a frown as though trying to hide something.

“You're younger than me!”

“Is that your first excuse?”

In offense, she punched his chest. “No!”

“Ow..!” he let a piercing cry escape for a moment. “So… Strong…” it was his last hit point, so he fell back and let the darkness take him.

“Huh? Gadget? Rookie? Hey!” were the last sweet sounds he heard before slowly… drifting… away…

He woke up later to hear from Tails that he was stupid for letting Amy get her way, and was scolded by Knuckles profusely for letting her get away with manipulating him.

However, while Sonic was away… Gadget would make Amy flustered and nervous in his absence~

Though, she didn’t seem to ever return his affections, maybe thinking it was his odd way of teasing her but…

For Gadget? It was enough.

#sonic prompt #sonic forces #sonic forces prompt #gadgetxamy #amy rose #sonic forces rookie #sonic forces custom character #custom characterxamy #sonic

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jiminthestreets-bonesinthesheets · 5 years

Text

The Way We Were Supposed To Be - Ch One

HUGE ENDGAME SPOILERS!!!!!

Title: The Way We Were Supposed To Be

Fandom: Avengers

Pairing: Stucky

Rating: Lemon

Tags: minor character death, there will be smut, slow burn… I think that’s it really.

Summary:

Two years after defeating Thanos, Steve finds himself faced with a harsh reality. Because of his decision to stay in the past with Peggy and finally give himself the life he thought he had always wanted, Nick Fury returns to face him with a daunting truth. With the world’s timeline in disarray, it’s up to Steve to return to the past and restore the world to its natural order. Unfortunately it means that the all American hero has to sacrifice his heart and soul to save the world once again. And although Steve thinks that his one chance at a happy life had passed, who knows what the new future holds, perhaps… everything he had been searching for was right there all along.

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Special Thanks: as always to my girl Katie, AKA @goingknowherewastaken for reading my notes <3

A/N: Soooooo yeah, like it says at the top, HUGE ENDGAME SPOILERS!!! So if you haven’t seen the movie yet turn back now and read this later!!

And for those of you that have seen the movie already and who are reading this, you're awesome and I hope you like it. This is just my way of getting the satisfying stucky ending that I was really hoping for that the movie didn’t quite deliver for me.

So yeah, if you do like this I would be so so so grateful if you gave this a reblog or even a comment, and if you want to be tagged for this or future works let me know!! Love you guys and enjoy <3 <3 <3

Chapter One:

It had been two years almost to the day. Two years since Steve took the leap back in time for round two, and took his second chance at a happy life. Two years since he sat on that bench by the water and talked to Sam, passed off his shield, and decided to live out the rest of his life in the peace he so rightfully deserved. Two years that is, for the rest of the world, but an entire lifetime for Steve.

Today had lead him to Peggy’s grave. A cool wind blew through the cemetery as he shoved his hands deep in his jacket pockets, staring down at his wife’s grave, and remembering the perfect life they had together. Thanks to Tony and his discovery of time travel Steve was able to have everything he had ever wanted. A wife, kids, house, white picket fence, the whole American dream. After everything Steve had been through, saving the world countless times, losing loved ones, being a man out of time, he was finally able to put that all aside and live a normal life, and he was grateful for it.

A shadow crept up beside him, covering Peggy’s tomb stone as feet came into his view. He already knew who it was.

“Director Fury,” he didn’t even turn his gaze away.

“Captain.”

Steve chuckled, he hadn’t been called that in a long time, and deep down he was slightly glad for it. “I'm sure there’s a reason for your visit. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

He said nothing in response, merely handing a large brown folder to Steve. When he opened the folder and pulled out the contents he found himself staring at documents, birth certificates, medical records, pictures, articles. He shuffled through them a few times before letting go a sigh.

“Are these…”

Fury hummed with a nod, “The children Miss Carter was supposed to have.” Steve bit his bottom lip worrying it between his teeth as Fury continued, “After you went back in time to return the stones and came back an old married man, I started doing some research over the last two years, collecting information on the old time line. And luckily enough, when you crossed over everything we had remained intact. Certificates, pictures, documentation, all of that remained and nothing vanished, except the memories of these people. You going back in time and taking the life that you wanted, rather then returning the stones and letting it play out as it should have, disrupted the time line and the natural order. Now these people never existed, people who were supposed to exist, people who were destined to do great things for this world and now they’re gone.

But that’s not all. These are just the beginnings of the changes your little escapade created. It wasn’t just Peggy’s time line you changed, but rather hundreds of others. For example, the man who was supposed to marry Peggy went on to marry someone else, they then had kids who shouldn’t have existed, they interacted with people they shouldn’t have, the real husband of that woman would have done the same and married someone else, and so on, and so on. Do you see where I'm going with this?”

“So what you're saying is I need to go back and…” Steve shook his head, not wanting to believe any of this, “and change it back. I have to go back to the exact moment when I was returning the stones and stop myself from talking to Peggy and changing the timeline.”

“Yes.” A simple answer that sounded more like an order to Steve.

Steve huffed out another sigh, subconsciously twisting the gold band on his finger.

Fury turned to face him, placing a hand on his shoulder giving it a squeeze, “I'm sorry, Steve, but the timeline has to be restored and you need to return to the present. You can’t stay in the past, you were meant to be here.”

Anger bubbled in Steve now. He thought he had finally moved on, moved forwards with a new life that he deserved. He fought for his country more then once, all he wanted was the simple life he was owed, and apparently he couldn’t even have that. “What is the world missing because of me?!”

“In short,” Fury shrugged, “a few doctors, a novelist, a research scientist who’s work lead to preventative measures for dementia and eventually a cure, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, husbands, wives… I'm sure you get the point.”

“Yeah,” Steve ran a hand down his face, “yeah, I get it. In order for the world to be restored to its rightful time line, I can’t be happy.”

“No one said you can’t be happy,” Fury shook his head, giving Steve’s shoulder a shake, “this life with Peggy may have been something you wanted, but obviously it’s not your happy ending. But I have faith that it’s out there somewhere and you'll find it this time around.” Steve pulled away from Fury, kneeling to place a hand on Peggy's grave as a tear slid down his cheek and into the grass. “I’ll contact Doctor Banner, let him know what we need to do. Meet us at his lab in two days, don’t be late.”

Without another word Nick Fury slipped silently out of the cemetery, leaving Steve to cry over the loss of the love of his life a second time.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days later Steve pulled up in front of Banner Tech Labs. The gates opened before he even reached them, and he drove through the dense tree line until he finally made it to the large building. He stayed in his car for a while, needing a few minutes to breathe before going inside and giving up his entire past, sacrificing his whole world for that of the universe once again. Ever the American hero, he thought.

Turning to the passenger seat he laid a hand on the duffle resting there. Inside was his old jump suit, the one that had taken him back to Peggy. He had long since tucked it away thinking he would never have to use it again… it still fit like a glove.

With one last hard breath he clutched his hand tightly around the duffel and forced himself out of the car and to the front doors. When he walked inside the building was quiet, empty aside from one woman sat at a large desk to his left. He turned towards her and placed his free hand on the counter, and before he could say anything she looked up to him with a smile and said, “Mr. Rogers, Doctor Banner awaits you upstairs. Take that elevator all the way to the top floor and he will greet you when the doors open. Good luck.”

She returned to her work without another word as Steve gave a nod and trudged into the elevator. When the doors closed it felt like a lifetime before they opened again and Steve found himself staring directly at the device that had given him a second chance at life, ironically the same device that would be just as quickly ripping it away.

“Steve,” Bruce who had been tinkering away at the controls, stopped and locked eyes with him. The air was tense, thick, and Steve could feel it getting harder to breath by the second. “I'm sorry, man.”

He stepped out of the elevator and towards one of the desks off to the side of the room, Bruce’s eyes following him as he moved. He lifted the duffel in his hand and plopped it down on the metal surface with a thud, “I brought the jump suit, figured we’d need it.”

Bruce nodded, then continued tapping his fingers on the screens, “I’ll just be a few more minutes here, Fury should be here soon.”

With a sigh Steve left Bruce to his work, opting to wander around the lab while he awaited his pending doom. A few minutes later found him walking past a slightly opened door at the back of the lab. He peeked in and figured it must be Bruce’s office, so he pushed the door open and looked inside. What immediately caught his eye were the countless framed pictures that completely covered the back wall behind his desk. Walking inside he rounded the desk and began scanning his eyes over all of them, even finding himself in a few.

There were some from Tony’s party after they had taken down Loki, one of Sam trying to life Thor’s hammer, one of Rhodes telling his odd joke to a laughing group of people, the tag line “Boom! You lookin’ for this?” forever etched into Steve’s brain, even one of that old guy that Thor got insanely drunk with his Asguardian booze.

There were some of them in battle, fighting Ultron, the twins appeared in a few pictures shortly after that with a memento to Pietro. Even Bucky could be seen in a few pictures, some of which Steve could tell had been provided to Bruce by Shuri from their time in Wakanda.

There were even some more recent pictures on the wall. There was Wanda and Bruce at the newly restored compound, Clint and his ever growing kids along with Laura and yet another bun in the oven, by the looks of things due any time. There was even one of Bruce and a now seven year old Morgan, who was resembling her dad more and more with each passing day. Years of friendships made, broken, and restored all before him. Then his eyes caught a certain picture on the wall and he stopped there.

It was from their short stint in witness protection on Clint and Laura’s farm back in the days of Ultron. Even back then it was obvious that there was more then friendship between Bruce and Natasha, and this clearly confirmed it. The picture must have been taken by Laura. The two were sat at the kitchen table side by side, Bruce with his head down blushing profusely while Nat looked on adoringly at him, and by the angle of her arm Steve could tell she had her hand rested on his thigh under the table. A perfect moment captured between the two star-crossed lovers, and it made Steve’s heart ache all the more.

“I love that picture.” Steve hadn’t realized that Bruce had snuck in behind him and was now standing beside him, admiring the same frame.

Steve returned his gaze back to the picture as he spoke, “You two should have been able to be happy. After everything we did for this world, you should have had at least that.”

Bruce sighed beside him, moving to lean against the desk. “I wish it could have been that way, but unfortunately we were dealt different cards.”

“Don’t you ever think about it?” Steve turned to face Bruce, crossing his arms, “Don’t you want to go back to before Natasha sacrificed herself and be with her, like you should have been?”

Bruce shook his head with a pained look, “Not if it meant changing hundreds of lives in the process. I wish she was still here, with me, but I can’t change that. She did what she had to do to help us defeat Thanos and save the world. Without her sacrifice, trillions of beings in the universe wouldn’t even be alive right now. And yeah, I miss her, and yeah, I will always love her, but she did what she thought was right and I can’t fault her for that.”

“But you could finally be happy.”

“I wouldn’t be though,” he shook his head, “not knowing that the world changed because of my selfishness.”

“And that’s why you have to change it back,” the deep commanding voice of Nick Fury startled them both from the doorway, both turning to face him, “I know you Steve, and I know that you're a man of morals. You can’t leave the world the way it is, you need to restore natural order, even if that means letting her go.”

Steve took a breath pinching the bridge of his nose. He huffed out a small laugh, even following it up with a sad smile, “You know me well, Fury. As much as I don’t want to lose her again, I know I have to make things right.”

“Good man.” Fury gave him a nod and then left the room. both Bruce and Steve followed him out, neither wanting to wallow in this misery any longer then they needed to, and Steve just wanting to get it over with.

When they reached the device Fury had Steve's duffle in hand and pushed it out towards him. He took it, slipped on the suit, and shuffled onto the pad.

“Ok, Steve,” Bruce began as he ran his fingers over the screen again, “I'm going to put you five minutes ahead of your younger self just before you knock on Peggy's door. If the time and date you gave Fury is accurate, you will have exactly five minutes to intercept yourself and for both of you to activate your suits at the same time and head back here. Got it?”

Steve gave a nod from the pad.

“In and out, Rogers,” Fury ordered from beside Bruce, “don’t change anything, don’t talk to anyone except yourself, and head straight back.”

Steve nodded again, and when Bruce asked if he was ready all he could do was give a thumbs up and activate his helmet. Bruce gave him a countdown, and by the time he reached one Steve was fighting a loosing battle against the tears now flowing down his cheeks as he slipped into the quantum realm.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When Steve opened his eyes he was standing in front of the all too familiar house, Peggy's… their house. Bruce had sent him back to the exact moment he changed his life, and the world, and in the next five minutes he had to stop himself from doing just that.

His eyes followed down the sidewalk a few feet and to the end of Peggy’s driveway and there he saw him. The younger version of himself stood stock still at the end of the driveway, watching through the front window as Peggy paced back and forth in the living room, no doubt working on top secret business.

Staring at himself he remembered the feeling of this very moment from way back then. He remembered the doubt that rushed over him, wondering if he was doing the right thing, if she would accept him back, even the sickening thought that she had moved on. It had after all been a year at this point since he put himself in the ice, and a lot can happen in a year. He even considered just making the jump back to the present, and now thinking back he should have known that this was too good to be true. He should have realized himself the repercussions that a drastic decision such as this would have, and he should have left well enough alone and spared himself a second heartache. But a want for a life he deserved overpowered that better judgement and he took the leap.

Lost in his thoughts, his younger self started to walk down the driveway and towards the path to the house. Steve hurried his steps to catch up and just before young Steve was able to walk the porch steps he caught his shoulder and turned him around. He was met with momentary wide eyes before a flash of understanding and sorrow came over them.

“You’re…” young Steve began.

He nodded, “the consequence of this decision.”

“Can’t do it can I?” young Steve asked shaking his head, but Steve could tell he already knew the answer to his question. “And you're here to fix it, to stop me… us, from probably changing the time line, right?”

“Unfortunately, I am,” They both sighed, Steve placing a hand on his younger self’s shoulder comfortingly, “we can’t change the time line. Bruce warned all of us about this the first time around and we were too caught up in wanting something more to see what we were doing wrong, and now it has to be reset.”

Young Steve nodded, taking a second to look back at the still pacing Peggy, completely oblivious to what was happening right outside. “What happens to her? I mean, if we go back to the present, does she have a good life? A happy one?”

Steve nodded with a smile, “She does. She gets married, has kids, a very rewarding career. She does good for herself.”

“And what about her life with us… what happens if we stay?”

This time Steve shook his head, “Its better if you don’t know, just know that this life is the one she was meant to have, without us.”

Young Steve heaved a sigh before looking up to ask, “So, how do we do this then?”

“Together,” Steve held up his hand, finger on the trigger.

“And when we push the button and return to the present, there will only be one of us?”

“Bruce said it would be the Steve that was meant to be in the present,” he scrunched his nose a bit, slightly confused himself, “there will only be one Steve Rogers, but it will be both of us in a way… I didn’t understand the science of it, I just agreed when Bruce tried to explain it.”

They both laughed together, then young Steve raised his hand ready to make the jump back.

“On three,” he said.

“On three,” and Steve began the countdown.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The next thing Steve knew he was back in Bruce’s lab. He removed his helmet and turned to look at Fury who was rifling viciously through databases on a computer screen to his left.

After a few moments Fury met eyes with Steve and gave him a single nod. He had done it, he restored the world back to its proper time line, but he still couldn’t help mourning for what he had lost.

Without a word and his head down, Steve walked off the pad and across the room. He stalked directly to the elevator without a single word from either man in the room. When the doors closed his breath hitched when he caught his reflection in the metal surface. It was like he had never left, like he never stayed behind with Peggy, he was just as young as he was before he made the jump. He scoffed at his reflection and turned away, pushed the ground button, and left banner tech labs in his rear view mirror.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: And there we have chapter one... chapter two soon to follow! So let me know what you guys think and I love you for reading <3 <3 <3

And I’m gunna tag everyone who liked the posts from before so if you want to be taken off the tags list just send me an ask or message me and I’ll make sure you’re off for the next post :)

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