#which makes the “give your report but don't talk about us” retort all the more ridiculous

[thebardbullseye]

hot take ame is the interdisciplinary studies major of the coven of elders

[randomshyperson]

R U Mine? - Heart Shaped Series

Chapter Summary: A game of cat and mouse begins between an Avenger and a criminal. But perhaps there are no winners, as they both fall.

Warnings: mentions of typical canon violence, hints of abusive past and unhealthy work dynamics, some superhero routine lore, more shapeshifter power mentions, mutual pining, forbidden relationship, some teasing, (first) kiss and then a lot of kisses and steamy make out, some fluff and comedy. | Words: 6.965K

A/N-> How many references to Killing Eve can one put in a story. And also, references to the Witch's Road comics. This here is the extra chapter about their first kiss, enjoy reading.

General Masterlist | AO3 | Series Masterlist

-&-

Before.

"I know what you're doing."

Three weeks prior, Natasha's sentence would have made her jump with fright. Perhaps she would have tried to hide all those files and lie and lie again, until she could convince herself the whole thing was about the job.

But today? Wanda was tired. She had spent the last few hours stumbling into dead ends, no progress on whatever she was trying to do with all that vague information Shield had on you.

So she lifted her face to the redhead who appeared in her room late at night, two cups of coffee in hand, and chuckled weakly at the statement. It was obvious that the drink was an invitation - perhaps even a sign of 'hey, I'm not trying to start a fight. I want to help,' and Wanda accepted without hesitation.

"It's not like I'm doing a good job of keeping it a secret." She retorts to Nat, who smiles before taking the empty space on the bed. Practically all the Shield files - now labeled Avengers - about you are scattered on the mattress. It's a mess, and to Nat, it makes sense that Wanda hasn't made much progress.

"To be fair, for a first-time Investigation, I think you're doing all right." Says the widow after a sip of her coffee. "You covered your tracks and even used an official justification for researching her. Your mistake was involving Vision."

Wanda sighs. "Let me guess, he talks under pressure?"

Nat chuckles, nodding. Wanda rubs a tension point on her forehead. Taking advantage of this, Natasha gestures to one of the files. "I'm not going to tell you what you can and can't do, Maximoff. But this doesn't seem very healthy."

Wanda gives a sad smile, and Nat expects her to defend herself. But instead, the smaller girl sighs. "I know." She murmurs sincerely, forcing a faint smile at the widow. "But I need this, Nat. It's the first time in months that I've managed to think about anything other than Pietro. And I know it doesn't look healthy, but it's all I've got. I'm an Avenger now. Maybe it's just time to get to work, and arrest villains or something."

Natasha frowned at her, absorbing the confession for a moment before rebutting: "Is that what you want to do with Y/N, though? Lock her up?"

Wanda swallows dryly, looking down. "Of course, Nat."

"You're a terrible liar."

The brunette sighs. "I mean it!"

"And I don't believe you." Nat insists in a good mood despite everything. "Look at all this, Wanda. You've been at it for days. Studying her. Did you even remember to eat anything in the last few hours?" Wanda snorts, gesturing to the breakfast leftovers on the dresser in the corner of the room which makes Natasha let out an incredulous laugh. "Wow, a nutritious example you are."

The witch tosses her hair back. "If you've come here to try to babysit me, please leave."

Natasha rolled her eyes and ignored the other woman's stubbornness. She put her coffee down between her crossed legs and started organizing the files.

"You're naturally perceptive and clever, Maximoff. But you lack experience and practice. You need to put together a timeline and find the gaps." The widow began, and masterfully, all the security camera photos, reports from shield agents, and unexplained crimes related to thieves with no identifiable faces began to connect and make sense. "But I must warn you, I did all this years ago. When I started at Shield, your little friend was already some sort of the goose that laid the golden eggs, or stole the gold for the saying to work."

"She's not my friend." Wanda murmured, her gaze fixed on the files so Natasha wouldn't see her blush. The widow ignored the comment and continued talking.

"My point is that I didn't get very far." Nat says with a sigh. "To be honest, it was an insult to my ego. She was just a kid back there. And she managed to flee much more experienced agents. She had endless, untraceable disguises. She doesn't need to impersonate, you know? She can create faces. It makes her almost impossible to monitor. When we met for the first time, it was she who found me." Nat says, swallowing dryly at her own memories. Wanda's eyes widen softly, listening carefully. "I never told this to anyone, but when Clint first met me, he told me that he felt something. As if he knew I wanted to escape. And when I saw Y/N, I had the same feeling."

"What did you do?" Wanda asked and Nat sighed.

"I couldn't do what Clitn did for me, Wanda, I'm sorry." Said the widow sincerely. "She attacked first. And I had to defend myself. It wasn't just protocol, it was all I'd learned to do."

Wanda frowns. "Why are you telling me all this, Nat?"

The redhead sighs. "Because it's important. It means that she doesn't trust easily, and attacks when she feels threatened. She reminds me of both of us, to be honest." Nat comments, getting a small smile from the witch. "Besides, I want you to be really careful if you do dig into this."

"I will."

"I'm serious, Wanda." Insists the redhead. "Careful not to miss a gun hidden in her dress." She remembers the last official report Wanda made, regarding her first mission, the night she simply couldn't stop thinking about, especially after your secret vision to the compound, and the witch swallows dryly. Nat doesn't mind her hesitation. "Careful in a way that you'll use your powers if necessary."

Without looking the widow in the eye, Wanda retorts between her teeth: "I get it, Nat."

"You're not going to carry this on until you look me in the eye, Maximoff. And swear it."

Wanda's stubbornness falters, and she returns her attention to the widow, looking at her seriously. Nat gives her a small smile as she adds, "It's not just Clint who cares about your safety. We all do. I'm not going to allow you to throw yourself headlong into something dangerous just to escape your grief, Wanda. Swear that you'll be very careful, and you'll walk away if it gets too dangerous."

Wanda is surprised by the tenderness, and a little embarrassed. It takes a moment but she finally nods. "I swear." She says before adding. "I want to help Y/N. Like Clint helped you. Not lock her up, like I said before."

Natasha chuckles. "I know, kid. I know."

With the Black Widow’s blessing, she kept digging those files. And Nat didn't lie, you're untraceable. Every time you meet, it's clear that you've let yourself be found. Even with handcuffs on your wrist, you keep smiling as if it was all part of the plan. Judging by the way you always escape from prisons, later going public that some confidential information for the police was stolen, this is easily confirmed.

The Avengers are getting used to the strange persecution, very much because each of them has their secrets. And just like his protégé, Steve Rogers had side missions to pursue Bucky. It would be hypocritical of him to hold anything against Wanda for being after you.

And Wanda couldn't stop. Even after hundreds of dead ends and ridiculous escapes. She had to meet you, and have less than five minutes in your presence with another twelve agents and the whole Avengers present every fortnight when they manage to track you only for you to escape again. She didn't know why, but she had the impression that you looked forward to these moments as much as she did.

Like a little private game of mouse and cat, only you and her were part of.

-&-

There are a hundred things to do in the Capital of Crime.

The most complete list of gambling games imaginable, right down to a mural of targets to be captured.

All these things are at your disposal, and all you can think about is the new addition to the Avengers team.

Wanda Maximoff was born in the country that fell from the sky around the same time that Baron Strucker was playing Pinky and the Brain with your cells in a secret laboratory of the now-destroyed Hydra. A Stark bomb made her an orphan, and after bouncing from orphanage to orphanage, often expelled for getting into trouble with her twin brother, Wanda embarked on protest groups in search of civil rights until she was finally recruited into a human experimentation program that turned her into an enhanced version of herself. She was the only reason for the first time in your life that you wished you hadn't split with Strucker so soon - If you'd still been his puppy instead of the clients he got, you would have met her. You may have become friends.

"She's doing it again." Xu Xialing whispered to Layla, the two engaged in a game of Beat the Hero - a competition of colored cards that contained electronic figures detailing the abilities of real-life superheroes. It was, in a way, training for possible battles in real life, where they learned about their enemies by playing. The two of them were sitting in opposite armchairs, while you were practically lying on the sofa, drinking with a lost look on your face. According to them, fantasizing for the tenth time in a row about the Avenger you met in Italia weeks ago.

Layla giggled when she saw your expression before turning her face to Xu Xialing again. "You know, they say Maximoff has psychic powers. Maybe Y/N is under a spell."

"A love spell, that is." Mocks the Chinese woman, getting a laugh from the other.

You only came out of your trance of thoughts about Wanda with the bell from the private room you were in. Your face changed before the curtain opened, and Xu Xialing was the first to look at the security guard entering, somewhat annoyed at having her private time playing games with friends interrupted.

"Forgive me for intruding, madam. The Countess is here and requests the Sage to join her." The man said, and Xialing nodded in understanding. She turned to you, but there was no need. With a soft leap from the sofa, you got to your feet and took one of Layla's cards from her pile - you threw it on the board and helped her win the game, taking the opportunity to leave the room while the two of them discussed whether the assisted victory had been fair or not.

The Golden Daggers Club was as packed and vibrant as ever. The next round of betting for the fights was due to start soon, and there were a lot of people shouting their bets to the judges, and joining the fight cages, so you had to make some effort to follow the venue's security guard into the special area of the place - where federal agents were given even more privacy to be around.

Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine was waiting for you alone, but behind a door with six security guards guarding her. Each of them gave you a look of contempt, but you walked past them without any reaction until you were with Valentina in a room with no windows, every inch of which was covered in priceless works of art, many of them stolen throughout history, which you and Layla recovered together in the service of the Ten Rings.

"You wanted to see me, Countess?" was your greeting, softly snarky. You weren't in the best of moods, especially since Valentina had interrupted your rest.

The woman gave you a false smile from the armchair where she was sitting waiting for you. A closed file and a glass of wine lay on the corner table.

"Oh, what a surprise, after your last defeat, I thought you'd given up on Sage." She comments with a certain venom on your disguise, the same one you wore two weeks ago when you went on what she called a streak of bad luck in the Club's fighting competitions, but which Xu Xialing called a distracted lovesick puppy. You try to disguise your clumsiness by clearing your throat.

Checking that the door is closed, you return to your real appearance and Valentina gives you a small but genuine smile.

"What do you want?" you insist, and in response, she pats the file resting on the table. You sigh. "What's this?"

"Last month has been very busy, but I've finally had time to review some of your late missions reports." She begins and you hide your nervousness, knowing full well where this conversation could end. "I apologize for taking so long to check them, darling. I hope you don’t think I’m jeopardizing your learning progress."

"Stop stalling, Valentina, just tell me what the problem is." You retort grumpily but she chuckles, her fingers tracing the paper before she grabs the file.

“Normally, I trust your experience, but I've heard that you've been particularly... antsy in your last few operations. Of course, you've successfully made it out of all of them, after all, we're having this conversation, but for a master of disguise, the increased number of encounters with the Avengers attracted my curiosity. I thought I'd take a closer look at your original encounters with them, and found an interesting passage in your report on Italy two months ago."

The page is already marked and in the next moment, she begins to read;

"My exit was interrupted by the presence of a new Avenger. A woman, perhaps the same age as me. The new, improved one from Sokovia. Average height, brown hair. Green eyes. Intense. Hypnotizing."

You swallow dryly, looking down at your feet. You're grateful to have control over your own body, or Valentina would be able to watch your cheeks blush.

She continues reading. "We faced each other briefly. The girl doesn't have complete control of her abilities, it was a quick fight. I immobilized her and departed in the getaway vehicle. No disguise was compromised, no other witnesses." Valentina narrates, finally raising her eyes from the file to you. "You know what's funny, sweetheart? The Avengers submitted their own report on Sapienza, and Wanda Maximoff describes the encounter with a Shapeshifter in detail. My question is, why are you lying for someone who didn't hesitate to use her special abilities to show her team your real appearance?"

You're caught off guard. A conflict of emotions rises in your chest, from anger to disappointment. It hurts. It's confusing and suffocating, and you feel the urge to start crying. But none of these emotions floats over your expression, your nails digging into your palm are enough to keep everything well buried.

With a soft sigh, you look Valentina in the eye.

"I don't trust the CIA."

Your boss chuckles, closing the file and crossing her legs. It's not exactly her best lie, but it seems to work on her.

"If this is about the Hydra clean-up in the public sector, I can assure you that we're safe." Valentina says. "Besides, your job is to trust me, Y/N. Not the CIA, or the Ten Rings, or any of your contractors. Only me, dear child, must you trust."

You bite your tongue hard, tears almost escaping this time. 

"I just..." You try, not knowing exactly what to say. "There was a conflict, and the girl, she beat me. Effortlessly. That energy she possesses revealed my disguise immediately, I had no chance to try another one. So I made a choice, and I omitted the part that I thought would do me any harm. Isn't that what you taught me to do?"

Right answer. Valentina grins, before sighing and standing up. You don't want her to touch you, but she puts her hands on your arms and you resist the urge to pull away.

"I'm proud of you, you're getting cleverer every day. I want you to be this way, Y/N. Strong-willed, resourceful." She compliments you, her hands moving up to your cheeks. You try to smile, but Valentina squeezes your skin tighter. "That doesn't mean you will lie to me. Understand?" She asks but doesn't expect a vocal response. Your nod is more than enough for her to give you a fake smile and loosen her grip. "You're my most valuable employee. I don't want you to put yourself in vulnerable situations without a reason."

Valentina steps away, and you decide to take a chance.

"She's like me." It's more hesitant than you'd like, but it's enough to make your boss raise an eyebrow at you. Swallowing dryly, you continue. "Wanda and her brother were also Strucker's experiments. We are the same. I thought I could-"

Valentina interrupts with a spiteful chuckle that makes you cringe like a frightened child. "The same? Is that what you think?" She retorts in a mocking tone that makes you feel too ashamed to even broach the subject. Leaning her waist on the table, she looks at you. "I know you've been digging through my files on her, Y/N. I don't blame you for being curious, but by now, I imagine you know very well the conditions of the experiments Miss Maximoff was part of. How she volunteered for all that. How can you say you're the same?"

You hesitate uneasily. "I don't mind that she volunteered. War called for desperate measures. I just... I've never met any other of us. Another who survived the Baron. I've been thinking if I could just see her-"

Valentina bursts into laughter, and you fall silent, concentrating so that she can't see your red ears. "See her? Now what's that, huh? Romeo and Juliet of the supers? What an absurd idea, child!" Refutes your boss, still chuckling as she walks away to the table. She finishes her glass of wine in one long gulp, and to your surprise, throws the file in your direction. You catch the item flat against your chest. "The notes the Avengers made about you are on page 24. Read what she said about you, and draw your own conclusions about who you call an equal. I came here to confirm your mental state, and this conversation was enlightening. I'll arrange an assessment."

"Val-"

"It’s not open for discussions Y/N." She cuts you off, a car key already in hand that makes you groan to yourself impatiently. "You're not going back to work until you talk to Doctor Grand."

She leaves without saying another word and you're left alone with the file in your hands. Without hurrying, you flip to the page mentioned earlier and sigh when you find a photograph of Wanda wearing a uniform with the Avengers crest embroidered on it. Below is her statement about the mission.

You trace your fingers over the passage "An extraordinary and dangerous skill from an equally impressive fighter" but hesitate when you read the passages about how she felt scared and unsafe. About how she thought you were aiming at her. About how she felt she failed by not bringing a high-risk criminal into custody.

Your tears finally fall, staining the page before you quickly wipe them away, closing the file tightly after ripping Wanda's photo out.

It was time to wrap up loose ends and get back to your perfect record.

-&-

In the fake drawer hidden on the floor under your bed - safeguards for someone whose apartment is frequently visited by a two-faced countess - you kept some personal things. Hydra's last record of you, small souvenirs from missions, and a photograph of Wanda Maximoff.

And this morning - and any other morning really - you were supposed to ignore that drawer, leave any weapons at home, put on a presentable outfit, and meet Valentina in the lobby promptly at 10 o'clock. She would take you by car to Dr. Grant's office who would do a standard assessment of your mental state that would tell whether or not you were fit to return to work.

But instead, you took the photo of Wanda out of its hiding place and put it in your pocket. You stood up, walked through your closet, and chose the least flashy backpack you owned. Then you armed yourself with three different types of knives and two pistols in a chest holster, very similar to that of American detectives. And speaking of the police, your drawer of false documentation provided by Valentina was studied without haste until you had in your pockets the identity of a Shield agent who never existed but was meant to be a little tribute to the job you were performing today.

With your disguise ready, you left the apartment two hours before your scheduled meeting with Valentina, and you had barely boarded the ferry when she called you.

"Our appointments aren't something to be skipped, young lady." Stated the woman seriously, but you gave her a weary sigh.

"I don't wish to see Doctor Grant."

Valentina chuckled, as you handed your ticket to the clerk passing in the corridors. On the other end of the line, she then spoke;

"You're not getting away with this, Y/N. I'm not authorizing your return to work until Roland confirms to me that your mental state is stable for you to continue."

You prop your feet up on the seat, switching your cell phone to another ear. "Val, I'm not running away, I promise. I just needed a break. Give me a few days, okay? Reschedule the visit, I'll be there. I'll even be there early."

She pauses thoughtfully, you can hear her breathing. And then she sighs in defeat and you smile. "Okay. If it's any encouragement, your next service is already being prepared. It's something you've never stolen before, and I'd like it to be yours. Of course, if you prove suitable."

A few weeks ago, the temptation would have been too much and you would have turned around and gone to the appointment just to win Grant's approval and be cleared for the job. To prove not only to Valentina, but to the world, and to any other colleague, that you could complete that mission. 

But now you let out a short laugh, and that surprises Valentina enough for her to keep quiet. "Reschedule for the end of the week. I guarantee that I'll have Dr. Grant's approval and you'll have your order in no time."

The promise seems to be enough for her, and after another sigh, Valentina hangs up. You put your cell phone away and return your attention to the now-stamped train ticket to New York.

The trip didn't take long, and within a few hours, you were in the bustling city. Especially today, at the inaugural Heroes of Earth celebration event, Manhattan was almost chaotic.

With fans and journalists from all over the world filling the streets that had been closed off for a sort of open-air Comic Con, you had no trouble at all going unnoticed in the crowd. You wore a disguise, of course, but you didn't have to. A few minutes into the fair, you really did look like a tourist, with your Avengers sweatshirt, cap, and colorful glasses.

The knives in your backpack were well hidden under the amount of superhero souvenirs you got.

You were trying to choose between an Incredible Hulk smash-burger or a portion of Thor's worthy chicken when the bell announcing the photo session with the Avengers was about to start.

Your appetite disappeared, anxiety taking over your whole body at once.

It was time to move.

The queue was huge, as was to be expected. At least, most of them were there for the best-known Avengers. Thor wasn't even on Earth, which meant that the other five originals were competing with each other over who got the most autographs. The new members, like Wanda, the Falcon, or Vision, were given presentation stands but had much more free time at the event.

You tried to ignore the pang of pride when you saw that among the new members, the queue of people to see Wanda was the longest. A considerable number of children were very excited to ask her to do magic tricks.

Your strawberry milkshake - Black Widow's Special - almost fell out of your hand when you finally saw Wanda leave the curtains dividing the dressing rooms and join the autograph table.

She wasn't wearing the soft hoodie with the Avengers symbol from the photograph you sneak a peek at almost every night, nor was she wearing the pathetic disguise she wore the first time you saw her. No, somehow, she managed to look prettier. Like all her teammates, she was wearing an outfit similar to the official fighting uniform, probably designed just for the event. With a black tactical outfit covered by a red jacket, the gloves that didn't cover her fingers were probably your favorite part.

Despite her relatively unfriendly uniform, Wanda offered such lovely smiles to the people who came to greet her that you thought the milkshake made you sick, judging by the way your stomach and heart were unsettled.

When the Meet & Greets began, you had to go to the ticket booth and buy a single ticket in cash; to meet Wanda, of course.

It would take place back in the fair's improvised dressing rooms, and after waiting for almost forty minutes, you were finally guided inside. Your backpack wasn't searched, perhaps because your weapons were hidden by Ten Rings technology, a gift from Xu Xialing on your last assignment, and when it went through the X-ray at the entrance, all they detected were the countless fair toys you had acquired. And the knives hidden in your body, well, it's obvious to say that when it comes to changing aspects of your anatomy for any situation, passing a security search was quite easy.

"Miss Maximoff will be here in a minute. She had a little problem with her costume, the children who came in before you caused a little milkshake accident."

One of the organizers informed you, and you gave her a kind smile, commenting that the Black Widow special was essential, even if it might cause minor accidents. The employee chuckled before going to answer a call on her communicator that could have been your intentional flooding of one of the toilets to occupy as many of the staff as possible.

Wanda's dressing room was the most intimate environment of hers you've ever been in. It didn't have many things, of course, but for someone who only had access to government documents, it was paradise.

Curious fingers traced all the belongings you could reach, from more comfortable pieces of clothing for her to change into during the event, to different types of tea and books, until you found a music device. 

The password protection on a Stark Industries MP3 player made you laugh to yourself. "What a distrustful little witch." You murmured affectionately, stowing the item in your jacket pocket and moving over to the schedule board.

You had already read the row that marked the start of the Meets, probably described there and in all the other dressing rooms, when your gaze caught a small notebook forgotten in one of the armchairs.

You got the chance to take it in hand and smile at the sketches on the first few pages before the item was suddenly lifted and pulled out of your hand.

"Sorry, but this is private." Wanda grabbed the item out of the air, but you stood there, static like a frightened animal, unable to breathe properly under her gaze. She seemed to realize that she had been too harsh and huffed out a laugh, the notebook clutched tightly against her chest. The sound made you swallow. "I shouldn't have kept you waiting, I guess you got bored. Sorry about that. Let me put this away, and we can, um, get started."

She didn't use magic to return the book to a safe place, you didn't know that yet, but Wanda was still learning to trust her powers. And if she could help it, she usually didn't use them.

She approached you, to put the book away in a bag that you didn't have a chance to peek into, and the sudden movement made your body react in alarm. Your back hit the schedule board, and Wanda frowned, stopping in her tracks with an almost hurt look on her face.

"You don't have to be scared. I'm not going to hurt you, you know." She murmured with the tips of her ears red. "I'm just going to put my notebook away, you see." The backpack floated towards her with a tug, and Wanda hardly met your gaze after that. She tossed the bag into a corner of the room and fiddled uncomfortably with the edge of her blouse.

She was no longer wearing the outfit she'd worn before, she was wearing a comfortable set, too soft and domestic for you to be calm-minded about anything.

You forced your brain to work because you thought the whole thing was getting ridiculous.

"I'm not scared." Your voice comes out very hoarse, so you clear your throat. Wanda raises her eyes, finally, and the green irises make your cheeks warm. You don't hide it from her. "As a matter of fact, I'm not the one who usually gets scared when we meet, am I, Maximoff?"

Taking the time she needed to understand, you removed your colored glasses and cap, your face changing back to its original appearance. Wanda sighed shakily as soon as she recognized you.

"Hi, Y/N." She greeted, too sweet for you to do anything but smile shyly, forgetting for a moment exactly what you had come for. 

"Hello, Wanda." You tried to sound just as gentle, but you must have done a poor job, to blame it on your body that doesn't seem to be working properly. Wanda swallows dryly, her hands moving slowly in the air. You watch the unhurried gesture - the way her fingers draw the air, and how the items of disguise float away to the armchair, and in your hands appear handcuffs that don't prevent you from moving them, and don't hurt either. The most you feel is a tickle.

"I've come all this way, just for you to put me in chains, little witch." You try to tease her, and you think it's a victory the way Wanda tries to hide a smile, approaching with her head down until she's close enough to touch you.

Her hands should be gripping the magical handcuffs, but instead, they hold yours. Wanda sighs. 

"You can't be here." She whispers, meeting your eyes, and you think it's ridiculous that you made any plans at all. You could never do anything to harm Wanda, and that was just the truth. "Then why are you?"

Unlike her, you don't hide your smile. You shrug as if your heart wasn't thumping in your chest, and revel in playing with Wanda's buttons.

"I was in the neighborhood. Wanted to say hi." Your casual reply makes her snort impatiently.

Her hands release yours, and you raise an eyebrow at Wanda's audacity to start searching you. 

"Wow, take me on a date first, love." You joke, but despite the new color her cheeks acquire due to the joke, the fond nickname, Wanda doesn't stop. She gropes in your pockets, reaches into your jacket, and grimaces with disapproval at every illegal item she finds. The false documents, the Shield badge, the guns. The MP3 is in the front pocket and Wanda gets a little closer to reach it, enough so that you have to lick your lips trying to control the instinct to break the distance. She just looks so kissable and smells so good.

She offers you an incredulous look at the stolen item, which floats back to the table as she gropes for the other pocket. Finding the train ticket, she lets out a short laugh.

"Six hours of travel is not being in the neighborhood." She comments, raising her eyes to you. 

"What do you want me to say?" You retort with a little smile, discourteously glancing between her eyes and her lips. "That I couldn't help myself and had to get on the first train to see you again? That I can't even go back to work because I can't stop thinking about you?"

There's this thing that Wanda's eyes do. The pupils get huge, and the green darkens. And she looks at you as if you were something to be devoured in every detail as if you were worth admiring. As if you were worth any of her time.

She speaks again, so low and hoarse that you wouldn't be able to hear her if you weren't close.

"Your thoughts are loud. Are you always so hard on yourself?" 

You swallow dry, caught off guard. Your hesitation makes Wanda sigh. She looks ready to apologize when you nod.

"It doesn't matter, every time we bump into each other, you make me feel different. Better. You look at me as if you can see more. What do you see, Wanda?"

She sighs deeply, and her hands move to touch your face. It's too gentle, and affectionate in a real and true way that you never experience. Your body goes rigid, not knowing how to handle the tenderness, but Wanda doesn't catch any request for her to stop touching, so her hands continue to hold your cheeks.

"I can see your anger, just as I can see your fear. I see the thief, and the murderer, but I can also see only you. No disguises, no lies. The person you are underneath it all." She says, swallowing dryly as she lets her gaze fall to your lips. "This is the person I let get away. And the person I'd like to meet, if you'll let me."

Your chest is heavy with confusing feelings. Your traumas beep in unison, your defenses beg you to push Wanda away and flee before the rest of the Avengers decide to show up. 

But instead, you return watery eyes to Wanda and gasp softly; "Why? Why do you care?"

And Wanda tries to lie. "I think you could use a friend."

You chuckle dryly, pulling away from the touch. "Hard pass." You mutter, but Wanda doesn't let you move away entirely. She decides to risk everything.

She grabs your chin and tilts your face towards her. It's a miscalculated kiss, you both flinch and gasp at the first contact of your lips and being taken by surprise makes you lose your balance in the middle of the movement to get away from her.

You fall into the armchair, and Wanda should apologize, but she doesn't even bother. She pushes your tense shoulders and straddles your lap, this time, when her mouth meets yours, it's much hungrier and more determined.

The handcuffs disappear into thin air with the first gasp that leaves her lips, and you waste no time in grabbing her waist, roughly pulling her down and holding her tight against you as your mouths move together. It's a passionate kiss full of urgency, charged with all the tension you've built up.

Your tongue slides into her mouth without warning, more experienced than Wanda, you manage to get a whimper out in no time. She wants to shrink away from the sound, but your hands slide down to grab her ass and pin her down onto your front, and suddenly all she can do is moan.

It seems absurd that you've gone a lifetime without kissing Wanda Maximoff when you both seem molded to do this with perfection.

You don't even move apart to breathe, a battle of restless hands and hungry mouths panting against each other. Wanda begins to grind herself into your lap in search of friction and you let out a sound you didn't know you could make.

Everything is suddenly so hot that Wanda doesn't hear her surroundings. She doesn't hear the curtain or the footsteps. But she definitely hears the machine man's surprised exclamation.

"Oh, forgive me, Wanda." Vision's back is turned the second he catches a glimpse of what's happening in that armchair.

Wanda jumps away as if she's received a jolt, and you groan in displeasure at the interruption. Despite the way every cell in your body seems to be vibrating with euphoria, you manage subtle changes in your face that prevent the Synthesized from recognizing you if he decides to turn around. "I didn't mean to interrupt-"

"Vis, please leave." She demands with ragged breathing, her face bright red. Wanda looks neither at you nor at Vision.

The man clears his throat, stuttering. "Of course, Wanda, I'm so sorry." He says, but although he mentions leaving, he doesn't. Stopping just before the curtain, he risks a glance over his shoulder. "There was a forced distraction with criminal indications in the western sector, the fair has already been interrupted. The captain has asked everyone to gather for a patrol check, in case there's an attempted attack. I just wanted to warn you. It would be appropriate to send your... friend away." explains the machine, exchanging a quick glance with Wanda before leaving the dressing room.

You'd like to kiss her again, but Wanda sniffles at Vision's departure and you frown in a mixture of concern and confusion.

"That's why you're here, isn't it?" She deduces annoyed. "To try a bloody attack on a children's fair? God, I’m so stupid. You’re obviously using me to distract your partners-”

But you stood up with an impatient sigh for the anxious and nervous conclusions of an avenger who has been caught in the act.

You grab Wanda again and kiss her hard enough for her to lose her balance, and she ends up pressed against the schedule board, and then the coffee table, each kiss more desperate and heated than the last.

Your thigh presses between hers, and Wanda practically meows at the friction. You love how responsive she is to your touch, and you try to push a little further under her clothes, quickly addicted to attracting more sounds.

And you're almost to the edge of her bra when you're interrupted again.

"Jesus, Maximoff, what the hell is going on here?" Unlike Vision, Natasha Romanoff is much more serious and determined to put an end to the whole thing. And she cares little about what was happening against the table. You hide the change in your features on Wanda's shoulder, while also trying to control your own breathing, somehow much more aroused than before. "We're working, Maximoff. There may be terrorists on the perimeter and you're here, well, I'm not judging, I'm just saying there's an appropriate time for everything. I'm sure your friend will survive if you let go of her mouth for a few hours. Who knows, maybe next time you can meet in a more appropriate place?" 

When you finally look at Nat, you can see that she's hiding a teasing little smile. You're glad that Wanda is making friends.

And unlike you, who doesn't mind having been caught not once but twice by the Avengers, Wanda looks like an embarrassed tomato who nods quickly while her magic does the work of adjusting your half-open clothes and leaving the objects you bump into in order again. 

"Of course, Natasha, I'll send her away. I'm sorry." Wanda practically pushes you out, dragging you to a more secluded area at the back of the dressing rooms.

She tries unwillingly to resist your eager hands or the quick but intense kisses you steal from her on the way.

"You have to go." She struggles to gasp, her hands pushing your shoulders to stop the whole thing or she wouldn't be able to think.

Wanda with her hair disheveled after a proper make-out session, her face flushed and her lips swollen is too much for you.

"Fuck." You gasp and she swallows.

"What?" 

You don't know what to say, nothing seems enough. She's awakened something in you that you didn't know existed. Suddenly, the idea of staying away from her seems an impossibility.

"When will I see you again?"

She frowns at the question, laughing nervously. "We shouldn't have seen each other even today."

But your hands pull her by the waist. "Nonsense. We should definitely do this again.” Your lips trail down her jaw, to the sensitive points on her neck that you're trying to memorize. She sighs, and struggles to keep her eyes open, but only for a moment before she pushes you away again, laughing shyly.

"Please, darling, I need to get back, my job-"

"There's no attempt attack, I flooded a toilet so I'd have time to see you." You clarify quickly and Wanda has to shake her head and laugh incredulously.

"You're nuts."

"Honestly? Yes. I think I've figured out what was wrong with me over the last weeks. You’re driving me nuts, Wanda Maximoff. I can't stop thinking about you." You retort quickly, not caring about the irregular beating of your pulse, nor the way she blushes heavily. "I need to know when I'm going to see you again."

She looks back into the dressing rooms and can see that Natasha is coming out through the curtain. She approaches you at once to give you one last intense kiss and whispers goodbye on your lips as you part.

With every inch of skin that Wanda touched vibrating and your heart pounding in your chest, you only remember to regulate your powers and return to a disguise a good few minutes after she has disappeared from sight, and hope that no security cameras saw you there.

[jameui]

MOVIE DATE

PAIRING: Hwang Hyunjin x Manager!M!Reader

GENRE: Angst, Fluff

WARNING: Hyunjin being a jerk

SUMMARY: You boyfriend, Hyunjin took you out on a date to watch your favorite movie.

You sighed in exhaustion and as if the world was trying to test you, a fast running bicycle came your way causing you to jump to the side, so fast that you forgot about the takeouts you had in your hands and at a blink of an eye the neatly boxed items fell to the ground, all the food now spilled on the floor with your eyes widening in fear. "Shit!" You yelled out and tried to get back to the restaurant again, but as soon as you got there the line was already long and it'd take you ages to get to the counter to order, again.

You were at your way to your work with your phone squeezed in between your shoulder and ear as you talked to your co-manager on the other line who seemed agitated for your tardiness, while you tried to balance the foods you were made to order. "Yes, sir. I'll make sure that won't happen again." You told the male before the call was cut short when he decided to hang up all of a sudden.

Looking around, you saw a chinese restaurant that had the smallest line, so you went there and bought the food there, even though the orders of the group was not exactly what they wanted for you to buy. You just couldn't go back empty handed.

After a few minutes of walking, you finally arrived at the venue of the fansign event and got there just in time before Stray Kids were called to the stage for their activity to be done, but the moment you got there you saw that the people present were already eating their food away. They noticed your presence entering the room whilst their head turned to look at you. "I... Good morning, everyone." You greeted them. 'Guess their manager got their food delivered.'

You didn't get a reply, except from the group who was more than happy to see that you had food on your hands. "Hyung! Thank God. I was starving." The group's youngest, Jeongin said as he helped you put the foods down on the table. "You're seriously a life saver."

You smiled at him giving him a muttered thanks that earned you a smile from Jeongin. Honestly speaking, Jeongin was the second best person you ever liked in the group, the first being Lee Felix since he was the only person to ever approach you on your first day since he was able to see how much you were so nervous. Felix was also one of the members who taught you korean, the other being Bang Chan. You had always knew the group back then, and now and you were damn thankful that you got the opportunity to be in their circle.

Knowing how young you were to be working for them, they treated you nicely, not because they needed to, rather cause it was in their nature to be caring. Well, at least except one person. You were the closest to Felix who treated you like his personal manager and a friend as well, going out on friendly dates with you to the park, dog cafés, just anywhere Felix would find interesting to visit.

Who's the person that seemed irritated whenever you were around you ask? Why, the one and only visual king, Hwang Hyunjin. He doesn't actually treat you bad, but the way his eyes would always turn dark or displeased when you show up in his line of sight made you feel so small and felt totally unwelcomed. That was then, apparently, since today the male looked a little too quiet and didn't even bother to look at you. Believe me or not that's actually the kindest thing he's done to you.

You would try to go to him to try and talk to him, worried by his silence. You just furrowed your brows and sighed completely aware that no matter how much you try to talk to him he won't even dare to acknowledge you being there for him.

"M/n, are you just gonna stand there? Come and eat." Chan told you, but you just politely declined his offer with the shake of your head before telling him that you had just taken your breakfast and that you were full, more and you feel like your stomach's gonna burst. "Hm, suit yourself, but I'll be leaving mine untouched, so you can eat it when you get hungry, yeah?"

"You're so kind, Chan." You gave him a smile that got Chan smiling also showing his deep dimples that you could just dive in it anytime soon.

"Hey, hey, hey! We've known each other the longest. Why do I still have to call you 'hyung' and M/n doesn't?" Jisung, one of the group's rapper, pouted with folded arms as Chan chuckled before ruffling the kid's hair that Jisung angrily shook off.

"Well, since he's not that spoiled, unlike you." Chan answered Jisung who gasped dramatically. "And he also gained my permission, so—"

"Whenever or not he's around, is he the only person that ever comes into your mind?" That all too familiar voice spoke out, all your heads turning towards the person. He scoffed and stood up with a smirk on his face, probably in disbelief that the whole group was talking to you and always thought about you. "I mean, come on. There's gotta be something else to talk about other than this... person." You felt his eyes look at you while your eyes stared at him with rising anger. "There's sports, other artists, songs, music, so many and you chose to pick him as the topic of your talk."

"Hyunjin, that is very disrespectful." Chan gritted out, but Hyunjin knew better than to listen or to even stop.

"I'm really not, hyung." Hyunjin's smirk grew wider eyeing you with a suspicious look on his eyes. An idea popped in his head as he opened his mouth to talk. "But, if you want to, I could show you how disrespectful I can get." Without any warning, he took the take-out container and bottled drink in his hand and gave you no second to react as he poured all of its contents onto your head with a loud gasp coming out of you. "There. I'll call it a masterpiece even."

"Hwang Hyunjin!" Bang Chan's voice boomed through the whole room a still smirking Hyunjin turning around to face the older male who was fuming with anger. "You—"

"Chan!" You called out to him before things got a little out of hand. For pete's sake their going to just fight because Hyunjin had made a mess of you? You were not even worth the fight. "No. I'm fine. I can just quickly change, that's all. I'll be right back and I better get no reports about you two fighting." You told the two, Chan rolling his eyes.

You got out of the room and ran as fast as you can to the nearest restroom, cleaning yourself as soon as you arrived. Times like this you would immediately bawl your eyes out, but with the constant behavior that Hyunjin showed to you, you grew used to it. Heck, you even sometimes feel that the other boys only act like they liked you being there and when you weren't, they'd stab you behind your back. "Goodness, why won't this get off."

"Need help?" A raspy voice came from the entrance of the restroom, turning your head around to see Felix leaning himself on the door frame with his arms crossed, then untangled them to let his hands rest inside his pockets and stepped inside as you smiled at him. "Do you need more tissue?"

You shook your head at him, your attention back on your stained favorite shirt wiping them clean with the tissues the place's restroom owned. "Nah, there's plenty here. Besides, I'm all dried up now." You said and showed yourself to him, Felix knitting his brows in worry.

He seeped air through his teeth and cocked his head to the side, unsure if you should be wearing that now dirty shirt when you'd be with them during the activity the whole time. "I don't think you should be wearing that."

"Why? It's my favorite sweater." You chuckled half-heartedly.

"Yeah, I know, M/n, but it's dirty. Plus, I think it gets pretty uncomfortable seeing that stain on your shirt and it gets sticky. Yeugh." Felix pretended to barf which got you laughing softly. Felix, though not trying to be funny, whatever he does it always seemed so funny to you.

"Fine, fine. I'll go change, the problem though is that I didn't bring an extra shirt with me today." You told Felix scratching your nape.

"Really? Well, I guess we have to borrow from one of the group's." Felix suggested, but your eyes grew sizes bigger upon hearing that and waved your hands.

"No way, Felix! I have already done enough damage, I can't afford to borrow a shirt from one of the members, or to you even." You told him, but it all fell on deaf ears as Felix refused to listen. "I'm just trouble, Felix. You don't have to worry about me."

Felix hummed with two fingers pinching his chin gently. "Yeah, I don't think so." He took your wrist and started to drag you back to the dressing room. "Come on, I know there's someone willing to let you borrow a shirt." You just sighed, knowing that Felix won't even dare to change his mind when he had already set them on something.

Alas, as you two got there, none of the members even had a spare shirt to let you borrow. They were very willing and even tried to look around if there was anything, but to no avail. Although, there was one last person you didn't ask. "Hyunjin. You were the cause of this mess, you let him borrow your shirt." Felix sternly told the older male who pilled his brows together.

"What?! No way! Are you telling me I'd offer to do something for that guy? No!" Hyunjin retorted making Felix growl.

Felix was so ready to throw punches at the male who didn't seem to be bothered by the situation, but you just put a hand on Felix's shoulder and assured him. "That's alright, Felix. My sweater was thick enough to not get my undershirt wet. Although, I'm grateful for your effort." You smiled at him and sighed.

Just in time, you heard a call from one of your co-manager that the group was already being requested to be at the stage right now. You gave them an encouraging smile as they all did the same. "Alright boys. It's time to go out there and meet millions of your fans."

The group all shouted, excluding Hyunjin, hurray and hurried out to get on stage, you following behind after you were able to discard your sweater, leaving you only on your black t-shirt. You shivered at the cold now that you were left with a thin clothing that wasn't appropriate for the type of weather you were having and not mention that the place was fully air-conditioned.

Your shaking was not too evident, but one of the members, Seungmin, was able to notice it. Feeling pity he made his way to Hyunjin and tried to convince him. "Jinnie, M/n's cold. Please lend him your jacket, at least. He'll get sick if he continues to get exposed to the cold."

"Better for him."

"Hyunjin, please... Besides, you're already wearing thick layers of clothes why not let M/n borrow." Seungmin reasoned out and solemnly knitted his brows to persuade the male, Hyunjin rolling his eyes at his bestfriend and huffed before taking his jacket off of him and handed it over to Seungmin who silently squeaked. "Thanks, Hyunjin." Hyunjin brushed it off with a 'whatever', the younger of the two jogging his way towards you and gave you the jacket he got from Hyunjin. "I noticed your shivering, so I want you to take this jacket and no, you can't say you can't accept it."

You nodded your head at him and took the jacket from his hands. "Thank you, Seungmin."

"My pleasure." He smiled at you with those puppy dog like smile. He skipped back to reunite with his group while you put on the jacket that Seungmin offered you. You were still in thought though how Seungmin was able to convince Hyunjin to let you borrow his jacket. You knew Hyunjin owned the jacket since he wouldn't let them go since the moment you arrived.

You noticed how the jacket was too big for you, since the sleeves of the piece of clothing only let your fingers peek out through the holes while the flaps reached further down your hips, but it totally felt cozy and smelled like... Hyunjin. How do you explain it? You don't even know where to begin. It was him. The reason why you wanted to work with Stray Kids. You didn't want to look like you were some type of stalker, but all you ever wanted was to befriend Hyunjin.

The befriending process didn't go the way you actually thought it would go. Everytime his eyes met yours or you heard his voice you'd get all flustered and so nervous that your tongue always gets tied, the words you want to tell him gets trapped inside your mouth. It all started to be just an admiration towards the slightly older male until your determination to become his friend gradually became an unknown feeling towards Hyunjin, until realizing later that you actually liked the group's rapper, despite all his bad treatment towards you.

Back to reality, you hugged yourself and took in the wonderful scent the artist gave off until one of your co-worker nudged you. "Hey, stop sniffing the clothes. You totally look like a sasaeng."

"W-what? I wasn't sniffing anything." You denied it earning an eye roll. Later, you heard the whole place bursted into shouts of joy and excitement as Stray Kids made their appearance on the stage greeting all their fans inside and outside of the place. They all took their turns taking the mic to express their happiness and gratefulness to their ocean of fans that filled up the whole place.

Soon, the group was seated at a long rectangular table that was a perfect fit letting all the members seat on their respective seats. There were chairs as well settled in front of the table with each settled across a specific member.

You were appointed to keep guard and stand behind Hyunjin, in any case of fans throwing shade at him or any forms of harm or hate towards the member who had just been caught up in a supposed bullying rumor.

The line started to form as people who were present inside the place took their turns to talk to each member and get a sign from them. So far, you could only wonder how paranoid the company was to keep you on guard of Hyunjin when all these people here are Stays and they wouldn't do such thing to throw hate to any members in the group. Right?

The line was still too long to be gone in just minutes making you sigh, hearing your tummy rumble hoping that no one heard that. You now finally regret not eating that noodles that Chan offered you, the hunger finally hitting your system as your tummy continued to grumble. You pursed your lips and forced your eyes closed while you brought your head down in embarrassment. 'Fuck... why now?'

After a short while, the line was starting to get shorter and shorter, you thanking the heavens for the fast passing by of the time. But, the moment you least expected to happen happened. You felt a harsh tap on your legs and another and another after it finally took your attention, getting a little shocked that the action was done by the person who hated you the worst. "Take it before I change my mind." He told you. You complied and bowed at him politely as he tuts his tongue. "Who would even think of going to work on an empty stomach?"

'You... poured it on me?' You thought then shrugging it off before you looked at the treat offered to you by Hyunjin. You wondered what type of bread it was and hesitated, although Hyunjin's back was facing you he was able to sense your hard time on trying to eat what he gave you.

"It's not poisoned, M/n." He whispered as he signed the album that had his photo on it, then looking up at the fan who would like to talk to him.

Their talk wasn't audible to you, but you opened the packaging of the nicely wrapped pastry and bit on it with your body facing the wall so your back was turned against the people to cover yourself while you ate. One of your co-manager did notice your unwanted behavior and stomped his way to you and took the baked good from your hands and threw it to the ground to step on it and crush it good. "What do you think you're doing, L/n?! You're being inappropriate right now." He gritted out to you with a small voice almost like a whisper so no one else would hear you two. You bowed your head subtly before a hand was placed right below your chin as you looked up at him confused. "Spit." He ordered, referring to the food you were chewing.

You nod your head and spit out the food that was in your mouth into his hand while he picked up the wasted food and left, then threw it all at a trash can. "Fuck." You sighed as you held your chest and slowly turned around to face the non-existent line, the group now interacting with their fans.

Just looking at them now, you were able to remember when you were the one who was there seated at the chairs shouting out the name of the person you would call as your bias, which is no other than Kim Seungmin. At least, when you still didn't take the job to be one of the group's manager. Usually, it would only take one manager to manage the group, but why did this group require another one? You questioned yourself. It was all unexplained to you, but all you gotta do was to just be glad that you get to be friends with the people you see as your role models.

"Hyunjin-ah! When did you start trading jackets with your manager?" The question came out as a shout that got everyone laughing, including the group. You were only able to chuckle knowing that it was Seungmin who convinced Hyunjin to let you borrow his jacket.

Hyunjin didn't get to answer the question, when another fan spoke from the crowd that got every fans' attention. "Are rumors true that you don't treat Manager L/n well?"

Chan furrowed his brows and picked up his microphone. "Where did you get this story?" He chuckled trying to make it sound that it wasn't true and just pure bluff. Chan looked at Hyunjin with the face that told Hyunjin that he should start treating you well if he didn't want the netizens to know about his treatment towards you. "Anyways, it's seriously not true."

-----------

A few minutes later and the event was finally finished and the group was bidding their goodbyes to their fans as they started to walk backstage. You waited for them at their waiting room with a handful of bottled waters for the boys to pick up once they get inside. The door soon opened revealing the group with a tense atmosphere following them that got you so confused. "Hey—"

"Hyunjin. If word gets out about your mistreatment to M/n, that would be a serious damage to our image and to M/n as well, 'cause he's obviously in pain because of you!" Chan yelled at the trouble causing male who only rolled his eyes paying no heed to his warning.

"Atleast, I never went too far as to really hurt him physically." Hyunjin deadpanned Chan growling at his response. Your eyes flickered to Hyunjin, then to Chan not knowing what to do in this situation.

"You are seriously being a jerk right now, Hyunjin." Chan fumed in anger while Hyunjin just continued to act deaf and played on his phone. Chan, giving up, sighed and plopped down on his seat. "Ayayay."

They took turns in getting your glances as you thought of a way to calm the atmosphere. You had already been their manager for a over a year now and this was the only time that Hyunjin ever spoke up to Chan and, to top it off, with sass and without the slightest feeling of being bothered. That was the moment you felt like you had enough. You've had enough with all these things. You were tired of yourself to even think that Hyunjin would finally soften up to you and be his friend. You were wrong to even apply for this kind of job. The group wouldn't be fighting if it hadn't been for you appearing in their lives all so suddenly. "Guys... let him do as he pleases. I'll be the one to take of whatever the netizens hear."

Chan raised his eyes up at you with furrowed brows. "What do you plan on doing? Whatever it is don't do it."

You smiled and nodded. "I won't, Chan." You held up the bottles in your hands and turned on a toothy smile. "Water? Anyone?" They all sighed in relief and got their turns in picking their own bottled water, the last one not being picked up by Hyunjin, so you decided to give it to him. You brought the cold drink to his face making him flinch as he looked up at you. "Thank you for the bread, by the way." You told him and giggled. "I've already packed your jacket in your bag." You informed him and patted his back.

The once crazily terrifying atmosphere now turned into a more comfortable one, the one you always would want to see. You didn't know what got you the courage to speak or blurt out whatever you had in your mind, but you looked at Hyunjin and said: "Hyunjin, can I talk to you privately?" Thankfully, their loud voices was able to distract themselves from hearing your request to Hyunjin who sighed and nodded his head. He stood up from his seat and started to move outside of the room. You followed behind closely, feeling intimidated by the month older's tall figure. "Hyunjin..."

"Cut to the chase, M/n. I don't have much time." He told you as you nod your head in understanding and fiddled with your fingers.

"I know, you'd probably like hearing this, but could I have the permission to quit as your group's manager?" You asked him, his forehead creasing that made him pull his brows together. "I was able to notice what the group had become the moment I became your manager—"

"And do you think quitting would change it?" Hyunjin asked you with a raised brow. "If anything, it'd probably—no, it would break their hearts to know that you quitted. If you do so, you're not only quitting as a manager, but as their friend as well."

"And you're able to say that after you purposely tried to have me fired or suspended from work by offering me that bread?" You sarcastically answered, Hyunjin clearing his throat.

"Well... that wasn't my intention. I didn't even know it'd get you fired." Hyunjin replied making you chuckle.

"Yeah..." You replied with a sad smile. "But, I don't wanna be the reason why you and Chan would always fight. Stray Kids is Stray Kids because they're fun and loving, caring. And I don't want to change that by being around the group." Hyunjin never replied anymore and you sighed. "I'm heading back now." You said and as you started to walk back inside, Hyunjin spoke.

"I wish you never entered our life, at all, M/n." He told you that got your heart broken into pieces. Sure, you admitted that he never liked you even just a bit, but him saying it so bluntly to you, it's like he does really mean it and could only care less. You were about to speak when Hyunjin beat you to it. "If so, I wouldn't be able to garner these undeniable feelings I have for you."

You froze. Were you hearing right? You just cleaned your ears this morning, well you do it everyday. Is your ear trying to play with you? "W-what?"

"DAMN! WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT?!" You gasped with your mouth full of popcorn, your boyfriend, Hyunjin seated beside you at the movie theater. He smiled at you admiring how cute you looked with your shocked expression that was being illuminated by the big screen. "Jinnie! Look, they're gonna kiss! AH!!" As the two actors in the movie was about to kiss, one of the movie's cast bursted out of the door cutting the kiss and earned a few 'oh's and 'I hate you, Chan's. "Chan is such a cock blocker."

"Watch your mouth, babe." Hyunjin told you making you pout.

"It's true, though!" You retorted and Hyunjin could only laugh at your cuteness and honest opinions.

[floating-mid-air]

The Princess of all Saiyans

 -

 Masterlist

-

Hey Everyone! It's been a while. My life's been kind of hectic the past couple of months. Long story short: I Graduated from Highschool this year, so I was busy with everything having to do with that. Then my summer job sadly prevented me from writing as well. And then I started College, which was a big change for me. For now, there are no more chapters in my life opening or closing. Now I'm finally in a place where I feel comfortable continuing this book again. I could've honestly been writing during all of this chaos. But I wouldn't have been pleased with the quality of my writing. I'm really excited to get back into the swing of things. I don't think this chapter panned out the way I originally planned, but I'm still happy with it. As always, I hope you enjoy it. And if you have any comments or concerns, feel free to let me know. My inbox is always open!

-

Chapter 11

-

You've been walking for quite some time now, and the experience has been excruciating. You haven't been in this much pain since you and Raditz were on planet Telia, ten-something years ago. Those damn underlings were able to get a good sneak attack on you. Though you can't say, you let them get away scot-free. You made sure to make their entire dreadful race pay for that injury. You and Raditz had covered up that incident, much like you're doing with your current injury.

"So---" You can hear Goku talking to Krillin from just slightly left of you. "Did you guys find the senzu beans?" Wow, Kakarot may be the least subtle creature you've ever encountered.

"Ya." Krillin chuckles. "All four of us were in pretty rough shape." Goku glances at you with a worried look on his face. You glare at him as Raditz eyes the two of you skeptically. He knows something's off between the two of you. Maybe something serious did happen while you and his brother were trapped together. 

A bit more time has passed, and you've been trying your best to keep up with the others. But it isn't as easy as you thought. You're now trailing behind the rest of them, with Raditz turning back to look at you every so often. The largest Saiyan slows down to catch up with your slower pace, now walking beside you.

He turns to you, whispering in a low tone. "Something's off." Raditz can no longer stay silent about his concerns. First, it was the strange vibes between you and Kakarot. And now it's your out-of-character demeanor making him uneasy.

"About what?"

"You. Typically you walk beside your brother, and when he doesn't let you, you make sure you're always only a few paces behind. But right now, you couldn't be more content to trail everyone. Plus, you're far too confident to not be in the very front." Raditz has been around far too long for your liking. Damn him. He knows you far too well, and you hate him for it.

You roll your eyes at him. "So this conclusion of yours is based on the way I'm walking? I'm tired. When I fought, Burter, that physically drained me. And then I got trapped in a ditch with your moronic brother, that mentally drained me. I'm exhausted, Raditz." 

"It's not just the way you're walking. It's your mannerisms as well." He points at your side. "Your hand hasn't moved from your side from the moment I first saw you."

"God, Raditz." You scoff. "Stop overanalyzing everything."

"Getting defensive now? That's your M.O whenever you're hiding something." He looks back and forth between your face and your hand that has remained glued to your side. The gears in the older Saiyan's head slowly but surely turning. " Y/N, are you hurt?" 

"No." You snap your eyes shut, biting your lip hard enough to draw blood in an attempt to suppress a wince of pain. "I'm fine."

He tilts his head at you. "Y/N, I know you claim otherwise, but I'm not stupid. I know you're in pain."

You chuckle softly in a self-pitying way. "Am I that easy to read?"

Raditz shakes his head, smiling to himself. "No, I've just known you for a long time now." He returns to his serious demeanor, his gaze returning to the area of your wound. "How bad is it?"

"I barely feel it at all. Though, climbing out of that ditch must have reopened the cut."

Raditz snickers. "You're a bad liar."

"That's strange. I've been told in the past that I'm quite good at lying."

A smirk spreads across Raditz's lips. "Well, you apparently aren't when I'm involved."

The larger Saiyan glances at the back of your brother's head. You respond with a glare, firmly pulling on a large chunk of his hair. You know what Raditz wants to do, and it's not happening. "Don't even think about it."

"I-I think we should tell him Y/N."

"No." You let go of his hair, tapping his chest with extreme force. "You're going to keep your big mouth shut. Vegeta will freak out. You know how irrational he gets."

Raditz decides to let you have your way--- for now. The man can't help but wonder why you're so stubborn, but then again, his nature isn't much different from yours.

With every minute that passes, your condition only seems to worsen. Your eyes even start to droop. "Y/N?" Raditz turns to you, his features beginning to fill with worry. He places one of his large hands on your forehead. You're burning up. "You have a fever. Your wound must be infected."

"No." You shake your head in disagreement, almost like a child. As your mental state becomes more and more delirious. 

"Vegeta!" Raditz shouts, gaining your brother's attention.

"Fuck you, Raditz! You're such a blabbermouth!" You shout at the larger Saiyan in front of you.

"What's wrong this time? Is my sister trying to pull you into another one of her elaborate schemes?"

"Y/N's hurt--- bad." Vegeta's eyes widen, and not even a millisecond later, he rushes to your side. "She has a fever. I think her cut is infected."

"Where is it?" He crosses his arms at you, noticing your hand placed firmly on your side. He moves your hand out of the way with ease, lifting your armor. "How did this happen?"

"Burter nicked me during our fight. It's no big deal."

"No big deal? It's infected, you stupid woman!" He turns his attention to Kakarot. "Did you know about this?"

You snicker. "Oh ya, Vegeta. I get hurt, and the first person I run to tell is Kakarot." Vegeta's fists clench at your sarcastic remark, turning his fit of rage back at you.

"You know, in certain situations, you're more prone to infections. And a planet like Namek checks all of the boxes! You know you need to be more careful. Damn our mother and her faulty genetics!" Sadly that's a trait you had inherited from your mother. On most planets, you'd be fine, and injuring yourself would be no big deal. But Namek has specific conditions that result in you being more vulnerable. 

"Raditz, pick her up." Raditz picks you up, giving you a piggyback ride. You wrap your arms around his neck, giving yourself better balance. Vegeta glances up at you. He looks even madder than usual. "With the condition, you're in, you will not be fighting. You will stay away from Jeice, and you won't even enter the same proximity as Ginyu. Do you understand me?"

"But--"

"No!" His voice booms, gaining the attention of every creature for miles. "I'm not kidding around. Do you understand me?"

You bite your lip, tilting your head downwards, avoiding your brother's gaze like the plague. "Yes, Vegeta." Vegeta returns to the front of the group, his mood sourer than ever.

As Raditz begins to walk, he starts talking to you again. "Are you mad at me?" You don't verbally respond. Instead, you claw into his shoulders, your nails digging into his flesh. "Fuck. I'll take that as a yes."

"You're a tattletale."

Raditz chuckles. "No wonder why Vegeta babies you. You'll thank me for this later, you stubborn woman. And I've kept your secrets before, handfuls of them, actually. Like what happened on planet Telia----" Raditz realized the grave mistake he had just made, mentioning that incident in the presence of the very being you worked so hard to hide it from.

You slap the older Saiyan upside the head as Vegeta turns backward, a scowl plastered on his face. "What happened on plant Telia?" It was a rhetorical question, mocking both you and Raditz. "Oh, the three of us will be discussing this in length later. Because it sounds to me like you both lied to me on that initial report." You and Raditz gulp, you've heard that tone from your brother millions of times now, and it has never once become any less terrifying. 

"Oh, lighten up, Geta." You groan. "That was like, what? Around thirteen years ago?"

"The amount of time that has passed matters very little to me. As I said before, this is a discussion for later."

A few more hours have passed, which honestly feels like days at this point. And considering Namek's strange day cycle, it very well could've been. "How much farther?" Your question was clearly directed at Vegeta. And at this point, you're not even sure he has any idea where you're headed either.

"I don't know why you're the one complaining." Raditz huffs.  "You're not the one doing all of the walking! And if you ask him that one more time, I'm going to drop you." Ok so maybe, that wasn't the first time you've asked that question today. Or the second, or third, you're very bored. 

"Man Raditz." You roll your eyes, which are barely open at this point. "You sure complain--- a lot."

"You were just complaining." The long-haired Saiyan grumbles. 

"No, I simply asked Vegeta a question. There's a difference Raditz. I know it's hard for your feeble mind to understand." When you're sick, you tend to act, oh what's the word? Bitcher than normal. And that's saying a lot.

Raditz clenches his jaw. "Vegeta. I need a break from your sister."

"That's how I felt ninety percent of the time I was stuck in a room with you, Nappa, and Cado. And you didn't see me running to wine to Frieza about it."

Before Raditz can retort, your brother interjects. "That's enough! From both of you!"

Krillin, Gohan, and Goku have identical bewildered expressions on their faces. Krillin turns to Vegeta, lowering his voice to a whisper. He doesn't want to be the next victim of your wrath. "Do they always fight like this?" The human finds this perplexing. Back on Earth, the pair seemed inseparable. They appeared to be the Saiyan equivalent of what on Earth would be considered best friends.

Vegeta lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Yes, but typically it's more playful in nature. When my sister is sick, she becomes even brattier than usual."

Vegeta's warning to both of you seems to have fallen on dead ears. Because your quarrel has not ceased, in fact, it has only elevated. "I will drop you, you royal brat!"

"I dare you to you second-class runt. I could still kick your ass even in my delirious state. I wouldn't even have to try very hard."

"I'm considering----"

Before Raditz can even get three words out, your bickering is once again interrupted, and not by the person you may think. "Enough!" Gohan shouts. You honestly forgot the others were here for a moment."If you two keep fighting like this, you're going to get all of us killed!" You and Raditz stare at the boy in shock. It's been a long time since the two of you have been yelled at by a child. The last time being when you were children yourselves. Vegeta hasn't changed much since childhood. He's been bossing you around and shouting at you since you were children, but I'm sure that's not very surprising. 

"Ya, and I can take Y/N---- if you need a break." Goku rubs the back of his neck, chuckling sheepishly. "Not that I want to hold Y/N or anything."

"No." You rapidly shake your head. "Raditz, I'm sorry. I'll be good now--- I promise."

A wicked grin spreads across Raditz's lips right before he grabs your hands with his larger ones. He loosens your grip around his neck, moving your body with ease, scooping you up into his arms. Every step Raditz takes toward Goku seems even more antagonizing slower than the last. Until he's standing directly in front of his younger brother. He elevates his arms slightly, dropping you right in front of an unsuspecting Goku.

Lucky for you, Goku has sharp reflexes. That allows the Saiyan to catch you easily. Raditz look's his brother dead in the eyes, his typical arrogant grin still on his lips. "She's your problem now, Kakarot." Raditz gazes downward to look at you. "Stop pouting. Maybe next time, you'll be nicer to good old Raditz."

A low growl echoes in the back of your throat as you glare daggers at the Saiyan standing before you. "Ya, or maybe next time, I'll rip out your tail and strangle you with it!" The only thing that's stopping you from lunging at Raditz is Goku's firm grip holding you in place.

Rather than arguing that the entire group has become accustomed to, the whole area has become dead silent. You're no longer pouting. Instead, you are glaring at the man who continues to carry you bridal style. You've never liked being held like this. It makes you feel weak like you have no control over your own body.

What makes you even more irritated, Is how Goku reacts to your death stare. He just grins at you. Does he just never get angry? What kind of Saiyan is he? It fills you with so much anger that someone as dopey as Kakarot has Saiyan blood flowing through his veins. 

You clench your fists. You just wanna punch Kakarot so badly. He just has such a punchable face. If you could take away his cheery personality, he'd actually be quite attractive. Wait--- what the hell are you thinking? Kakarot is stupid and way too friendly for you to ever think of him in that way.

 You move your fist up, finally giving in to your urges, attempting to punch the man holding you. Probably not your wisest moment, but your brain isn't functioning normally right now. Goku catches your hand with ease. His reflexes are unreal, or maybe this fever has you more sluggish than you believed. You'd prefer to think that it's the second option. He chuckles to himself. He's still not upset. What the hell is wrong with him? "Come on, Y/N. You gotta be quicker than that." He's challenging you. How Saiyan like of him. You seem to always be able to find specks of Saiyan nature in the cheerful man. And those are the aspects you actually like about him. 

Your eyes begin to once again feel heavy as your eyes droop shut, just before you fall asleep in the arms of your enemy. 

Twenty-Something Years Ago:

You're sitting on your bed, sitting crisscrossed, a book laying open on your lap. Since your father is currently off-planet, you can read all you want. You're enamored with your newest book. It's all about a topic referred to as diplomacy. It's fascinating and has many concepts that are entirely foreign to you, yet at the same time, some of these ideas are also familiar. 

As you read, your door slams open, but you pay the interruption almost no attention, not even bothering to look up from your book. Honestly, the unwelcome intrusion has you more angered than anything else. "God, Vegeta." You roll your eyes. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Something's not right. When Vegeta usually bursts into your room, he's automatically shouting at you.

Out of pure curiosity, you look up from your book. However, standing at your door, you don't find Vegeta. A boy with a very similar appearance but with a much smaller stature stands in your door frame. He's out of breath, desperately huffing for air. "Tarble?" You furrow your brows at your brother, launching off your bed to get closer to him. "What's wrong?" You have this sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Your twin has never behaved in such a manner before. 

"Captain--- Captain Ginyu is here." Tarble is shaking, his eyes watering slightly.

You scowl ever so slightly. "But Ginyu's not scheduled to be on planet Vegeta any time soon." 

"It's--- It's a surprise visit. What do we do, Y/N?"

You contemplate for a moment before your features fill with alarm. "Tarble? Where's Vegeta?"

His lip quivers as he looks down at the floor. "He's with Captain Ginyu."

"Damn it." You mutter under your breath. Diplomacy is a skill you need right now. And Vegeta doesn't have a single quality that a diplomat possesses. Your elder brother is more likely to unnecessarily provoke the Captain, putting your entire race in hot water with the Frieza Force. 

You rush over to your bedside table, rummaging through the drawer. Once you have your scouter in your hand, you run back over to your brother. "Stay in here, and use this to channel our father. Let him know what's going on." You push past your twin, about to leave, before Tarble's voice calls out to you.

"Wait, Y/N!" You turn back to look at him. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go stop our older brother from doing something stupid. Everything will be fine, I promise. Just calm down and do as I said." And with that, you take off, praying that Vegeta hasn't already done something rash.

As you sprint down the halls of the palace, you run face-first into the torso of a large body. "Princess?"

You look up at the bald Saiyan, the one who's supposed to be at your brother's side at all times. Since the future king of planet Vegeta needs to be protected. "Nappa, Where is my brother?"

The imbecile scratches the back of his neck, contemplating much longer for your liking. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen the runt in quite some time. You should probably ask Vegeta." 

You scowl at the Saiyan. "Not Tarble, you fool! I'm asking you where Vegeta is!"

"Oh, Why didn't you just say so?" It's taking every ounce of restraint you have in your body to not viciously attack Nappa. "He's just outside of the palace." 

You run through Nappa, intentionally knocking the large Saiayn onto the floor. His stupidity lost you precious time. It was quite an amusing sight, though. A mere child, being able to take down one of your father's best warriors. 

You arrive outside of the palace, your eyes landing on your target. This is the first time you've ever seen Captain Ginyu. Sure, you've heard stories of the purple man. And much like your people, Ginyu is just as bloodthirsty and just as ruthless. Much to your surprise, the Captain doesn't have an army behind him. This was just before the Ginyu Force had formed. All Ginyu was at this point in time was a captain of one of Frieza's many armies. 

You walk over to them, now standing at your brother's side. "Captain Ginyu." You speak with your hands, an exaggerated smile appearing on your lips. "To what do we owe the honor?"

The man looks down at you, clearly analyzing you with his scouter. "Well, if this isn't a surprise. I think this is the first time I've had the pleasure of meeting you, Y/N." Ginyu extends his large hand out to you, causing Vegeta to feel a great deal of alarm. Your brother's body has gone tense with an apprehensive look on his face. But when your older brother looks over to you, there isn't even a glint of fear in your eyes. You're calm, almost as if one of Lord Frieza's deadliest warriors was not standing before you. You accept the Captain's hand, presenting him with a short but polite handshake. "Your father doesn't like showing you off much, does he?" 

You chuckle softly. "My father likes to hold his cards close to his chest. I'm sure a man like yourself is quite similar." Sucking up to Ginyu is not your favorite pastime, but it needs to be done. And every Saiyan on this planet knows your big brother is far too prideful to do it himself.

Ginyu looks between you and Vegeta carefully. For someone so highly regarded by Frieza, he sure isn't subtle. He's trying to read your facial expressions. Unfortunately for him, your father has raised you both much better than that. A poker face to you feels more natural than a genuine expression. "Speaking of your father, where is he right now?"

"He's of---"

You quickly cut Vegeta off. "He's in a meeting. That's why our father sent me out. He wanted you to know he sends his regards, but his hands are tied at the moment. He will be here at soon as possible. I hope my brother and I can suffice your needs in the meantime."

Captain Ginyu eyes you skeptically, tilting his head at you ever so slightly. "That sounds serious. I hope it's nothing too pressing."

"Of course not. It's nothing my father can't handle."

You're about to continue your schmoozing, but you're stopped by Vegeta aggressively yanking on your arm. "We need to talk-- in private."

You grimace at your brother's words. He just always has to make everything that much more difficult for you. You turn back to Ginyu, offering the man a cheerful smile. "Will you excuse us for a moment? We'll be right back."

Vegeta drags you around a corner, concealing you both from Ginyu's prying eyes. "What do you think you're doing?" He huffs at you in a whisper. "I had everything under control."

You snicker, crossing your arms. "You were just about to tell Ginyu that our father was off-planet. It sounds to me like I got here just in time to prevent you from making a grave mistake."

"I don't see why that matters."

"And that's the issue, Vegeta. Now we don't have time for this. Let's go." You turn back around, walking back over to Ginyu, Vegeta trailing not far behind. "I'd like to apologize for my brother's rudeness, Captain Ginyu." You shake your head but with a slight smirk across your lips. "All Saiyan men are the same, and my brother is no exception. They're incredibly thickheaded and quite savage. I'm convinced they don't even realize what brutes they are." You watch your brother ball his hands up into fists from beside you. It fills you with an immense feeling of joy knowing you're getting under Vegeta's skin for once. You turn back to Ginyu, plastering that disingenuous grin on your face. "Now, how about we give you a tour of our wonderful planet?"  

You and Vegeta have shown Ginyu around almost the entirety of your planet, and you must admit you're beginning to grow worried. Luckily you've managed to hold off any more questions about your father's whereabouts by charming him with various facts about planet Vegeta. But to be honest, you're not sure how much longer you can hold up this charade for. You've exhausted pretty much every idea that you've been able to come up with.

"Captain Ginyu!" Your father's brash voice invades your ears as you turn around to finally see the man you've been anxiously waiting for. You've never seen your father walk in such an urgent manner, and it's pretty funny watching your twin struggling to keep up with your father's pace. 

Your father places himself between you and Vegeta, ruffling your hair affectionately. You look up at him. "How'd your meeting go?"

Your father meets your gaze, catching onto your deception almost immediately. "It went very well. Thank you both for keeping Captain Ginyu company in my absence, but I think I can handle it from here." He directs his attention back onto Captain Ginyu. "Now, how about we discuss you're abrupt arrival somewhere more private."

The two men exit your field of view, leaving the three of you alone. Tarble, in his typical fashion, glues himself to your side. "What the hell was that?" Vegeta spits out with venom. "Where was your pride? You were basically groveling at his feet."

You furrow your brows at him. "I was doing what needed to be done. And if you think our father isn't currently doing the same thing, you're a bigger fool than I thought."

"I know our father is being more agreeable with him, but not at the cost of his pride."

"It's always about pride with you." You step closer to Vegeta, closing the distance between you. "Your pride today would have cost the loss of countless lives today, Vegeta."

"Then so be it. If there are Saiayn's that inadequate on our planet, we should probably just exterminate them now. It'll save us the hassle later on."

You snicker, shaking your head at Vegeta. "Some King you'll be." You turn to your twin. "Let's go, Tarble. I have no desire to be near our foolish brother right now."

The conversation between Captain Ginyu and your father was brief. It was a very anticlimactic ending to the naked eye. The briefness of this encounter only set off more alarm bells in King Vegeta's head. It was clear to the man that Ginyu's excuse for being on his planet was bullshit. He's just not quite sure what the captain's intentions were, but he sure as hell is going to find out.

As soon as Ginyu left planet Vegeta, he promptly set course for his next destination. He's headed straight to Lord Frieza to report his findings, and he's eager to do so.

 Ginyu arrives on the planet in record time, heading straight for the throne room. Ginyu kneels before Frieza, waiting for his boss to speak. "Captain Ginyu. You're sure back early. I trust you were able to gather enough information on the young prince."

Captain Ginyu nods enthusiastically. "Of course, Lord Frieza. The Price was exactly the same as the previous data we collected on him. He's powerful and quite intelligent for a Saiyan. Though, he did inherit that nasty temper from his father."

Frieza sighs. "How disappointing."

"But I did discover something that you may find interesting, Lord Frieza."

Frieza tilts his head at the man. He can't help but feel intrigued. "Go on." It's not that easy for him to find an advantage over those monkeys, so he'll take any information Ginyu can give him, no matter how minuscule. 

"Y/N--- King Vegeta's daughter piqued my interest greatly. She's not even close to as strong as her brother, but she's remarkably clever. She's very good with words, she knows how to manipulate people. I'd say she might even be better than King Vegeta himself."

"Now, that is fascinating. Good work, Ginyu. I'll look into the Princess's abilities more in-depth later. You're excused."

-

This is just something I felt the need to clarify: So in this chapter's flashback, Vegeta is around three, and Y/N and Tarble are about two. In my head, I picture children on planet Vegeta behaving like miniature adults. My idea is once they leave their chambers (the tanks they are raised in to get their basic Saiyan instincts under control), their minds are fully grown, but their physical growth is quite delayed. That's why they curse and stuff. I have a minuscule window of time to squash in all of my plot ideas. So this was the best way to do so.

[aryareyes]

***

Title : The way your eyes burn my soul

Pairing : Gruvia

Summary : Surprise!

Spotlights were shinning brightly, illuminating the dark interview hall, but what set the hall on fire was the audience's energetic ovation.

At the center of the hall, the interviewer, a beautiful young woman was smiling ear to ear, in front of her, her guests of the day, the best duo of the Pop world were seated, delighted matching grins on their faces.

- " Welcome to Pep Talk! Today's a very special day for us because we've our favorite Pop duo, Gray and Juvia with us!!"

The crowd whistled and cheered again as the two stars bowed their head respectfully to the crowd.

- " Thanks Mira, it's our pleasure to be here." The raven haired man answered as he flashed a grin to the public, making girls squeal.

- " Gray's right! We're very happy to be here!" The blue haired girl added, clad in her navy cocktail dress.

Again the crowd cheered but it was mostly male public this time. Mirajane smiled at the public and shifted her attention back to the duo.

- " So, Gray, Juvia, first of all, Congratulations for your last album, Icy Waves. It's a mega huge success! But most importantly, your fans—no actually, people who I know that don't like pop are into it after listening to that album. How do you feel about it?"

The female artist waited for the applause to end before talking,

" We are really glad to hear that." She chuckled contently, a glance at her partner before trailing, "Gray and I worked hard on it...and it was our first album together so..."

- " She worked extra hard for it," Her partner added as she shook her head playfully glaring at him. He smiled as he added, " It was her idea, so Icy waves wouldn't be possible without Juvs here." He winked at the girl, earing a smile in return.

- " He's exaggerating, its our team work."

- " Of course not." He rolled his eyes in response.

Mira chuckled at their bunter eyeing them carefully. Let's get my very wanted scoop.

- "I'm sure your fans love your teamwork. Now, let's talk about this particular song..." she started grinning slowly, earning some whistles and the name of the single from the crowd.

- " Looks like they want the same... The way your eyes burn my soul..." The interviewer paused glancing at the young stars who's cheeks were flushing slightly—at least Juvia's—Gray was doing a great job hiding it.

Mirajane Strauss cleared her throat slightly, getting their attention.

" Your voices...the feel in the song is..." she sighed softly looking for the right word, "...Magic...How did that magic happen?" She asked sincerely.

- " You said it, magic. I guess magic happens in music." Gray answered cleverly, shrugging.

- " I think that answer is too vague Gray," Mira chuckled imploring him to continue.

Gray's lips tugged up as he slid in a more comfortable position on the couch.

- " Recently at your album's success party, there were rumors of the two of you dating, so is it safe to assume the magic wouldn't have happened without that?"

Juvia smiled softly, adorable rosy hues adorning her cheeks.

- " Yes, I think it wouldn't have been magic if there's no feel in it."

Gray's smile turned into something genuine as his eyes were fondly looking over his girl beside him.

- "Are we lucky enough to get more details about it then?"

- " it, here means song right?" Gray lifted an eyebrow playfully earning some chuckles.

- " Definitely the song, but Juvia mentioned something about feel." Mira retorted with a mischievous smile, "So, I'd say the magic of the song—or love."

Gray scoffed. The audience cheered louder.

No wonder she was known for the title of the sweet devil.

Nonetheless, he responded with a natural expression. Years of experience of being the center of spotlights learned him to keep his cool in any kind of situation. He knew to give what the public wants to hear without revealing too much about his personal life neither.

- " We've known each other for a very long time. We'd each other's back through the thick and thin of our careers...so our friendship turned into something more, and I'm truly happy with the change."

The crowd went crazy and Juvia blushed slightly. He looked at her with a soft smile who smiled back brightly. God, she's so beautiful. He thought.

- " Heard that you guys! We were right! Our lovebirds here are dating!" Mira exclaimed in delight—she's a gruvia shipper after all.—" I guess it's time to say—excuse me for my language— Fucking Finally! "

People erupted more into cheers and whistles and chanted their favorite pop stars' ship name. Once the audience calmed down, the interviewer started talking again.

- " Well honestly, almost everyone were shipping you two together since forever and your chemistry is just so perfect. We felt it in the song." She stated as the stars thanked her and their fans.

- " So, now that you got your answers and I've my scoop, let's move to the fun part, shall we?" She continued cheerful with a glance at the public.

- " I don't feel it." Gray stated frowning and Juvia laughed at it.

- " The game is called 'tas-quest.' It's very simple. I'll ask you both questions concerning your partner which you've to answer honestly. Same goes with the tasks."

The two of the nodded and proceeded to play the game.

- " Okay. First question is for Juvia. Who's Gray's crush?"

- " Ouch. You sure want our couple to last?" The said guy retorted with fake mock. "I don't have any other crushes than my girlfriend, right here." He blow a kiss in her way but Juvia hit his arm, glaring at him playfully.

- " Babe. What?"

She huffed with a grin and turned to Mira, " He's a crush on his childhood friend."

- " What?! That was years ago! I was eight! And she's married now, thank you very much." He crossed his arms with a huff.

- " It's still a crush." She argued back.

- " She's a point." Mira smirked as Gray glared at her.

- " Your turn, who's the most jealous between the two of you?"

- " Obviously Juvia." The male singer laughed though his companion she gasped offended at him.

Mira bit back a chuckle as she looked at the young couple in amusement. Juvia pointed a finger at her boyfriend, "You got jealous of a fan on our last concert." 

Gray crossed his arms with a roll of eyes. " He was too close."

- " Because he wanted to take a photo." She retorted with a scoff.

- " Yeah right. He invaded your private space and I protected you being the charming boyfriend I am." Gray muttered under his breath, not loud enough for the fans to here but Juvia and Mira did. The latter smirked while the female singer rolled her eyes but allowed a smile.

He was too cute when he was jealous.—She thought endearingly. Without a word she placed her hand on the his that was resting in the bare space between them and caressed it to smooth him. It worked as he gave her a look and she smiled. He turned his aside fighting back a smile of his own.

The reporter cleared her throat to her their attention, "Moving on to the next  quest—oh it's actually a task for Juvia." She set her gaze on the girl who hastily pulled her hand away.

- " Yes ?"

- " You've to admit to Gray three of your secrets concerning him that you never would have told him." That earned chuckles and whispers.

- " Now it's interesting. I'm all ears Juvs. " He crossed his arms in curiosity, a playful gleam in his eyes.

- " Oh god, tell me I've a joker." She groaned in response—"Nope." Gray and Mira said at the same time.

Juvia pouted, "If I tell him my secret then it's no more a secret."

The sweet devil giggled, " That's basically the point of the game." The girl pouted more but turned her body slightly to her partner who was looking at her amused.

- " I've always found you cuter when you're sleeping...because you're messy, relaxed and actually a kid." She smiled tenderly at him as his cheeks tinted slightly. Their fans cooed. "...So I may have or may not have snapped pictures of you while sleeping." It was her turn to blush as he recovered from his flustered state to smirk at her handsomely.

- " Will we get some of them? " Mira interrupted.

- " Absolutely not." Juvia chuckled, "They're mine." The young girls sighed heavily but grinned at their favorite couple.

- " Next secret Wat'drop." Gray raised an eyebrow challengingly.

- " I stole one of your hoodies a few months ago and got to know recently that it's your favorite since you went through your room for it." She admitted with a cute frown.

- " Wait. My Detective Conan?" He asked in disbelief. His girlfriend bowed her head. " Guilty." She looked up at him again, " You're mad?" He rolled his eyes at her cuteness. How could he be mad at her when she was looking like that?

Instead of giving her a verbal answer, he ruffled her hair affectionately. Juvia smiled and promised herself to find him the real one he was looking for—the one he had that she stole (because she missed him too much), was not the one he wanted originally. The stocks wore off as it was a limited edition and he got himself the closest thing to the original. So, she would  buy him the one originally he wanted.

- " You guys are really cute together!!" Their interviewer squealed as she looked at them and the crowd agreed with her.

They thanked her and Juvia proceeded to the last secret with a groan. "Arghh...I can't believe I'm confessing this to you on a live show."

Gray's eyebrow lifted, " That much secret?" He frowned concerned, " You don't need to tell it."

Juvia shook her head, " No, I should play fair." She mumbled as she stared around at her fans and smiled at them. She then squeezed Gray's hand and locking her eyes on him.

- " I had a crush on you from the very first day I met you." Gray's eyes widened slightly, surprise written all over his face. They forgot they got a loud audience as he blinked at her.

- " Really?"

- " Really." She said softly. He leaned to her side, and kept his voice low. The public didn't notice their murmurs as they've gone wild since Juvia's confession.

-" I don't understand...you didn't like me back then..." He frowned. Juvia gave him a look that meant 'later'.

Mira cheered and turned to them,

" Thanks for playing fair Juvia! You're awesome!"

- " Well, it's almost time. I've a last..." She looked at the small card in her hand before looking back at Gray. " task for Gray."

- " Tell us three things you like the most about Juvia." A gentle smile crossed his features as he glanced at his girl before facing Mira.

- " I think the list is long but I'll keep it short..." He held a hand up, enumerating. " She's one of the most talented and dedicated person I know. Whether it's job or studies or other common things, once she gets into it, she's determined to finish it and gives her hundred percent in everything she does. She's a hard worker and I honestly think that's the reason of her success."

Juvia was touched by his words as she stared at the man she loved talking about her so highly and proudly. She knew why she loved him so much.

- " She's a very good friend—she's this kind of friend who you would call if one day you committed a murder and don't know what to do about it. She'll help you bury the body and get you safely out of the mess." Juvia along with others laughed at his statement.— "Not that I'm planning to murder someone." He added and Juvia laughed more, leaning into him before giving him a look that meant, 'call me if you do'.

- " I guess what I'm trying to say is, she's trustworthy and be there for you through thick and thin. The kind of friend everyone needs to have in their life and I'm grateful to have her in mine." He got everyone's heart with that—if he didn't already had—as they stared at him in awe.

Gray turned to Juvia and locked his eyes with hers as he was about to say his last one. " What I love the most about you is how you look at me. You look at me as if I was your world and you love me so freely and so...easily. You accept my imperfections and love me for myself and not because I'm a star..." He held her hand and pulled her up with him as she started tearing up despite trying hard to not cry. Gray smiled lovingly at her—the one he only reserved for her and never showed in public. " Thanks for loving me, Wat'drop."

Without minding the public—because she saw only him—she brought a hand to his face and he leaned in her touch still giving her that loving look. She smiled, her heart and mind racing as her whole being was consumed of an overwhelming love for the man standing before her. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his in a sweet, soft kiss that sent the room shaking in fan's wild ovation.

When the lovebirds departed from each other with matching grins, hands still intertwined, Mira almost fainted but managed to end the show with hearts in her eyes.

*

The young couple was in the back of Gray's car as they were been driven back to their respective homes. Juvia was asleep on his shoulder as he kissed her head and stroked her hair tenderly. She's been working on her new album for the past week when they just finished their album and even before the interview, she was asked in her studio. He knew that she barely had enough for the past months. Gray was grateful to his production house to be on vacation but it's not the case for Juvia. She's to work for at least a week or two before her own holidays. Thankfully, he would be still on holidays by that time, hence he'd already planned their vacation—It was a surprise for her.

Half an hour later, Gray was carrying his girl to his bed in his penthouse slowly to not disturb her sleep. He lied her gently on it and proceeded to take her heals off and stripped himself, leaving only his boxers before climbing up in the bed with her. Juvia almost immediately clung to him like a koala, her head placed on his chest, a leg on his and an arm across his stomach. With a soft smile, he wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her to him.

- " Are you sure you don't want to get comfortable before sleeping?" He whispered after a moment. She only tightened her hold on him. Gray rolled his eyes and ran a hand in her hair as he stared down at her.

- " I know you're awake Juvs."

- " Why didn't you change my dress?" Her voice was muffled due to her position as she buried her face in his neck. "I don't mind it. It's just you."

Gray's heart skipped a beat and he rubbed circles on her bare arms.

- " I respect you too much to take advantage of you while you're sleeping." He murmured.

She raised her head up with a yawn but gave him a sleepy smile. "Gray, changing my dress to make me comfortable on bed is not taking advantage of me. You're my boyfriend so it's basically your right." He returned her smile, tucking a strand behind her ear to stare into her beautiful blue orbs.

His smile turned soon into a gorgeous smirk. Oh boy. Juvia flushed and  shivered in his hold as his hand pulled the straps of her dress slowly. His eyes were intense on her as he murmured, "Why, I don't have a problem stripping you Wat'drop." His fingers caressed her bare shoulders burning her skin as they went by.  "In fact, I prefer you naked around me." His lips trailed from her ears to cheeks down her jaw and Juvia placed her hands on his chest to push back slightly to stare down at him with an adorable pout.

- " You're such a pervert." She murmured. He pecked her lips in response before looking at her innocently. " I'm using my boyfriend rights here." She hit his chest lightly with a soft frown that turned into a smile, wiggled out of his hold ignoring his protests.

- "Close your eyes boyfriend."

- " Nope." Gray grinned back as he found the perfect position to stare at her, his eyes trailing to her bare neck and shoulders as she held the dress to her chest.

Juvia glared at him for a moment and he held her stare before she shrugged. Gray's eyes widened as she let her dress fall and pool around her feet and stood before him, clad only in her undies. He openly gaped at her too surprised to react as he took her in.

Gray knew Juvia was beautiful. He's known her for almost six years now and he'd seen her in daring dresses before.—it was part of the job. But right now, she was actually standing in his room, in his arm length, only in her navy matching underwear. She was a goddess. Before he could even process what was happening, her hand was unclasping her bra and Gray hurriedly turned to the other side, cursing as Juvia's laugh filled the room.

He was a goner if he saw her naked. He wouldn't be able to not jump her after so Gray shut his eyes tight and pushing away the amazing vision he just saw into the back of his mind as he waited for the little tease of his girlfriend to finish changing.

A moment later the bed shook and her arms slipped around his torso from behind as she placed her face on his cheek. He felt her bare legs slipping on his and he knew that she was wearing his t-shirt. He could handle it. He'd already seen her in his clothes and she's very—Stop right there, Gray.

- " Comm'o look at me..." She chuckled, "...I'm not naked—

- " Shut up." He groaned. She placed a few kisses on his cheek with a smile and after a moment, he finally turned on his back. She smiled brightly at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

- " I love you." She whispered and kissed his jaw before tucking her face under his chin.

- " I love you too Wat'drop." He kissed her head squeezing her to him.

- " You said sweet things at the interview." She murmured.

- " I was being honest." He said as he caught her looking at him lovingly—as if he was her world. "And I meant every word."  She was his world.

She hummed happily and closed her eyes. His arms were her safe, warm cocon. Her place.

-" Speaking of interview..." she lifted her head up in question, crossed her arms on his chest and placed her face on it, staring at his face.  " You said something about crush." His lips tugged up and her own tugged hp in a slow smile under his curios gaze.

Juvia cupped his face with a hand and smiled adoringly down at him. " I had a crush on you in high school. Remember our first meet?"

He recalled it with a fond smile, " You fell on me with books dropping on us. There's so much dust and we started sneezing and the old librarian was yelling at us like a mad woman."

The blue haired girl chuckled happily. " Well, I guess I didn't only fell on you that day but also fell for you."

Gray's eyes widened, " You loved me back then?" His heart thumping against his chest and he was sure that she could hear it, judging by her smile.

- " I thought it was a crush at first. You were so handsome and—"

- " Were?" He raised a teasing eyebrow. She rolled her eyes. "—are and I just liked looking at you..." her eyes locked with his in a playful gleam. " That is until I knew that you were my rival in everything. Literally everything!" She groaned dropping her head on his chest. "It was so annoying. You always beat me in one point or just behind me in a point. So annoying!"

Gray snorted rubbing her back. " I was not used to have a competitor and I hated to lose." She mumbled before lifting her head to face him.

" You hate to lose too." He chuckled but didn't say anything letting her rant about how annoying it was to be constantly on war with him in high school.

- " But I loved bickering with you. I couldn't spend a day without bantering with you. Really." She looked up at him stroking his cheek. "Then, there's this project in our second year and we were partnered up."

- " We ended it, won the first prize." He murmured as she nodded eagerly. " We became friends during that period..." He trailed tracing his finger on her cheek.

- " We were already kinda friends—frenemies, I guess. I've always admired you. You were the first person I've ever met with so much determination to win." She whispered eyes closed.

- " Hmm, I liked you too. But too arrogant to admit it." She snorted at his statement.

- " Then best friends. We were inseparable by the end of high school..." Gray hummed a nod. " You supported me before my uncle to pursue music career."

- " It's because you were incredibly talented Wat'drop." He said sincerely. She smiled as his finger traced the form of her lips.

- " That's an exaggeration but thank you for the compliment." She opened her eyes to look at him, " Want to know something? " He rose an eyebrow, silently asking her to continue. "You were my inspiration to fight for what I want, to fight for my dream." She kissed his forehead gently, " I won't be here without you, Gray Fullbuster."

- " And I won't without you. You were my only family when things fell apart." He retorted as he recalled his dark period—when Ur died.

" You were my strength and my very reason to not give up." Her eyes glistened as his welled up, and she kissed his eyelids, lingering when lips there. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be in streets."

- " You had all our friends with you. We all had your back."

- " True. I'm grateful for them but you, Juvia, you're special. You held me together." She smiled tearfully.

- " You are special to me too. Always have been."  He mumbled an 'I know' and rolled them over earning a surprised squeal from her as her back hit the mattress.

She stared up at him bringing him closer with her arms around his neck.

- " When did you know you loved me?" He asked gazing into her eyes.

- " Last year, when you were in your world tour." His love brushed the hair of his nape as he leaned his forehead against hers. " It started with little things. Like when I spent weekends in our friend's place watching movies and how you were not there to lean on or throw my legs on..." He grinned.

- " Then, we'd go to get a coffee and you weren't there to know that I don't add milk in my coffee. Then, I started missing your voice. I'd call you and couldn't get you so I would listen to your voicemail to hear your voice."

He leaned back to look at her apologetic, his being bursting with love for her. " Sorry about that. You know we barely have our phones on world tour."

- " I know, don't worry about it. But I yearned to hear your voice." He kissed her nose and lips in response.

- " By the time you were back, I knew I was madly in love with you and I couldn't imagine a life without you."

He could feel the love in her voice as she said it.

- " You aren't kidding—you practically choked me to death when you hugged me once you saw me in the airport." He teased with a grin.

- " Yeah well, I just realized I loved my best friend for years and you weren't there for eight moths. I wanted to lock you in a room and never let you go away from me."

- " It's creepy." He grinned.

- " You wouldn't have minded would you—wait why're you grinning?"

His grin widened and she held his face up and forced his eyes to hers. A moment in silence passed between them. Both of their hearts beating in sync as the realization settled over.

Juvia worded it slowly.

- " You loved me." Her tone was barley a whisper as she remained their eye lock.

- " I've loved you for a long time Wat'drop. A very very longtime that I denied and fought back my feelings."

- " Why?"

- " Because I've just lost Ur. And I've lost everyone I've loved. You, losing you...was unimaginable... I was terrified that my feelings will take you away from me so I fought them back to keep you with me. "

- " You wouldn't have lost me if you made a move earlier, Gray." She took a breath, " I've always denied my feelings for you as a crush and admiration until I really couldn't lie to me anymore..."

Gray sighed in response, "We we're both idiots huh..." She groaned, " We wasted years! We could've been together while we were still in Uni!"

Gray looked up at her, " Hey, we're together now and we've always loved each other without knowing so we're good." He shrugged and pecked her lips as she still had her pout on.

- " I'm a bit worried you...we are no more high school kids. We are popular now, successful stars in industry. And we're dating." Her voice dropped as she looked at him, " Going in public, was it a bad idea?"

- " Do you regret it?" He brushed away her hair, and she shook her head. "I'm just concerned about what it could do to our relationship...as much as I love my fans, when it's comes to their favorite celebrity's love life, they'd go crazy. Especially when two celebrities are dating. They don't see the fact that under the mask of popularity, it's two normal people with feelings and we can't really fault them." Her eyes started stinging as she stared at him. "I can't lose you, Gray."

He quickly reassured her pulling her in a tight hug. " You won't lose me." He pulled back slightly despite her pressure to stay like that. He stared into her eyes, " Didn't you say that I'm the most determined person you know?" A nod, "Juvia, I fight for what I want. " He lifted her chin up. " I'll always fight for you." He swore.

- " Promise?" Her tone was frail, and he smiled at her. " Promise. And you promise to fight for me?"

- " Always."

She brought a hand between them, holding up her little finger, He wrapped his around it and smiled when he saw their tattoos matching as their fingers locked together. Juvia dragged him to the tattoo parlor past midnight to get it in their half drunken states a few weeks ago. It was on the day of the success party of their first album together, Icy Waves. So they got themselves tattooed a drop of water on his finger and a snowflake on hers.

There's no ice without water and no water without ice. And Gray would be damned if he didn't keep that promise.

**********************

💧❄️ Happy Belated Gruvia day! ❄️💧

[roseabelle21]

Synopsis: Every anniversary spent with your partner are always unpredictable, joyous, and exciting. You never know what a certain blond has planned every year for your special occasion. And after five years of being together, this might be the best one yet. 

Pairing: Pro Hero! Bakugou Katsuki x Fem! Reader

Status: Unedited

Genre: Fluff🐰🐇🐰

Tagging: @jazzylove @babymilkawa @cloudsinthecosmos @withlovefromjo @unicornlover25

The ambience of the local cafe never fails to soothe your nerves. The work of a Hero is neverending. After all, no one can tell when a villain might show up and cause destruction. The Hero business is relentless; they will call you up when the job becomes too much for your sidekicks, even on your days off. Of course, you know what you are getting into the moment U.A reached out to you for recommendation trials, and peoples lives are at stake, it was understandable.

The sidekicks are still learning though that doesn't mean that they are not progressing, being the most experienced in the field, they still need your help. You love helping people, don't get it wrong, their smiles and relief noticeable in their faces and posture, the ease they felt when you show up because they knew you are capable of taking that villain down, is enough to make it all worth it. But the reports you have to type up after the fight is less than exciting. Sure you have someone who can do it for you, but that damned Hero Commission wants it to come from you. 

So no matter how little time you get to relax, you take advantage of that. Now, here you are, catching up with your best friend since birth in this small, homey cafe. It's rare to have the same day off with someone from class, when you found out that Momo also has her day off today, both of you immediately agreed to meet up. Both of the women practically running up to each other the moment you caught sight on the other side of the road. Wrapping your arms around each other in a tight, and overdue hug, almost squealing in public. 

The giddiness from your bodies did not stop even after 30 minutes later, laughing and telling stories from your work and personal life. Even though you already know from your weekly - if not nightly - calls from each other. Bakugou once jokingly said you and Momo act more like in a relationship rather than the both of you do. To tease him back, you wondered out loud if both of you are, you would already be married. Let's say he did not like that one bit, informing the office the next day that you are sick, unable to move your legs and sore body. Fucker just gave you a smug look before leaving to work, Bakugou did cook you breakfast though. 

Speaking of him, "Hey- Uhm, I have something to tell you." 

Momo looked at you through the top of her mug and gave you a nod. She grew concerned when you bit your lip and traced the rim of your  glass with a finger, "what's wrong?" 

"It's silly," you chuckled. Nervous to tell the truth, but you knew you had to take this feeling off of you, and there is no one better to tell your problems to other than your ride or die. 

"Is it about Bakugou?" she took your hand and intertwined your fingers together, rubbing her thumb along the back of your hand. 

You nodded, "it's just that we haven't spent time with each other as much as we want to. We always find time to eat together, breakfast, lunch, and dinner if one of us is not asleep. We always find time for each other. Now," you gulped. "Now, that rarely happens." 

Momo listened to your story silently, smiling softly when your eyes met. "It's not silly (N/n) you miss him. And that is normal for couples, have you talked to him about this?”

"No," you shook your head, embarrassed, "I can never find the right time to swoop it in." 

She hummed, tapping her chin in thought. You swear you can see her eyes lit up for a split second before it disappeared. Maybe it was just the trick of the afternoon light, so you shake it off. 

"I won't be too worried about him cheating on you if that's what you are implying," your eyes immediately widened and hastily shook your head. Embarrassed flushing red on your face as you frantically waved you hands in denial, "n-no! It's not like that!"

Momo giggled and motioned you to calm down. She's only teasing, no one in class - and the whole world - will question the blond's loyalty towards you. 

He won't even spare a second glance at any girls who are throwing themselves at him. That was proven when someone tried to flirt with him at a class field trip during your third year of U.A. Bakugou and you only being in a relationship for less than three months, the blond shut her down rather harshly. You almost feel bad, had you not been telling her he had a girlfriend for 10 minutes straight. 

You laughed in your head evilly at her tears. 

Do you give a fuck? No not one.

How many fucks do you give? Zero. 

Were you mean for thinking that? Absolutely. 

Do you regret the minuscule smirk of victory forming on your lips once she ran off, crying? Nope. She had it coming. 

"Then there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of," she cooed. "You and Bakugou-san have been inseparable ever since your accidental confession," you groaned, embarrassed. "Maybe he's just busy on a mission? You know how obsessed he is with becoming the number one hero. And now that he's so close to achieving it, he might be losing time for you, but that doesn't mean he loves you any less." 

A small smile graced your lips at her, thankful to have Momo as your friend to confide in everything. She was and will always be your safe person, other than Katsuki. 

After going through that enemies-to-lovers arc? Did she think that Bakugou would easily sway to another person's pursuit of him? Nah, both of you fought for the other to give that up easily (either together or against each other). 

"Make sure to tell him what you feel in all of this. Communication is the most important quality in a relationship." Momo reminded with a stern yet soft voice with a wag of her finger, which caused you to giggle. 

"Thanks, Momo," the ebony-haired girl only responded with a grin. Her eyes sparkled, excited about what's to come in the next couple of months. 

~*~*~*~*

Right now, you felt like the worst person on the planet. With only three days away until the five-year-anniversary with the love of your life, finding the perfect present is almost impossible. Curse you and your perfectionism!

Not only that but the last couple of weeks had been hectic. You think your manager and agency is purposefully doing this to make you suffer. Villains attacking were the farthest reason for your stress, surprisingly. Sure there are petty crimes here and there, nothing your sidekicks couldn't handle, but the media stuff are the ones weighing you down. You grew accustomed to taking a quick shower, at times, dinner with the blond before crashing down on the bed passed out. 

Commercials, photoshoots, travelling, sponsor partnerships here and there, it was almost as if you were back in rising to fame. It was exhausting and frustrating at the same time. You can never seem to find a break anymore. The only time you can rest are lunches with Katsuki and coming home late at night, sleeping. 

However, both of you made the most out of it after your lunch with Momo a few months ago. You took her advice and told Katsuki how you felt. No surprises, he understands how you felt, gave you a tight hug and explained everything. 

Sadly, he can't tell you the mission. It was confidential. Only the higher up's and the rest of his teammates knows it. You understand it's part of the job at the end of the day. And to keep you from worrying too much even though you know he's capable of taking care of himself out in the field. 

Both of you miss each other, and with breakfast and lunch is the only reason you get to see your partner, it was slowly becoming regular to you, much to your dismay. "A small price to pay for becoming a Hero" is what your manager would say. 

Waking up in the morning to either you or Katsuki making breakfast, taking turns to visit each other at their agency to bring lunch despite the limited time, it was more than enough.

Being in the mere presence of the other is more than enough. 

"(Y/N)! Five minutes left till you have to go!" 

The voice of your manager snapped you out of your trance. Turning your gaze from your phone screen to their place in the doorway, clipboard in their grasp, hair messy and dark bags forming under their eyes. 

A small, sorry smile formed on my lips. Well, at least they're not the only ones. 

"You know, both of us would look much, much better if you reject a sponsorship or two." you teased, walking up to them and patting their shoulder as you walked past them.

They smiled sarcastically in retort.

"I wouldn't have too if not for getting a raise," they mumbled under their breath. Tiredly rubbing their face, reminding themselves to suck it up, only three more days, these will all be over. A raise and a week vacation promised, the ones to look forward too. 

"Ah, shit! Almost forgot," they pulled out their phone and typed in another errand. 

Accompany (Y/N) today, tomorrow, and the next day to find a gift. 

~*~*~*~

You found it, the perfect gift to give your explosive man. 

You clapped your hands excitedly, placing the carefully wrapped box on the nightstand atop your beloved night book, away from the possible dangers of the world. 

Sighing peacefully, a flopped down your shared bed. Curling up the warm blankets and cuddling with Katsuki's pillow, enjoying the peaceful afternoon day. 

Finally, a day off. 

The day of your anniversary. 

This day would have been perfect if your other half was here, you know, spending the rest of your day off together. Waking up with his arms wrapped around you, cooking breakfast with his arms still around you, even walking around with his arms around you. 

However, you can't find it annoying. After months of being apart, that was the most and longest physical touch you both have experienced. 

Unfortunately, the office called him for an emergency. The phone call was urgent. Katsuki furrowed his brows in annoyance and concern as he listens to his sidekick give him the information. To put the cherry on top, he only answered calmy. That's how you know it was severe; they need desperately need Dynamight in action. 

Katsuki was reluctant to leave, telling you he's already been away from you for too long. His eyes screamed for forgiveness, hesitant, and something else you can't quite place. 

You pushed him to get dressed, told him if he can finish the mission early, the earlier you can spend the rest of the day together. The fire in his eyes sparkled brighter than ever, accompanied by his menacing grin, accepting the challenge of beating the damned villain who ruined his day faster than they can blink.  

He pulled you in for a deep kiss before heading out the door, running back for a quick kiss before finally leaving. A giddy giggle erupted from you at his actions, watching him ride away with his motorcycle. 

With nothing else better to do, you decided that a quick nap wouldn't hurt anybody. You know that Katsuki will be back soon, safe and sound. He's come so far, and stopping him right now when he's so close to achieving his dream would be an insult. You have so much faith in him, one of the many reasons he loves about you. 

You were ready to drift off into dreamland; had it not been for the insistent and rapid knocking suddenly coming from the front door. Groaning, you muffled your scream in your pillow, wanting to cry from annoyance and stress. 

Only one person could be doing that. With their strong voice chanting your name over and over again at the same rhythm as the door knocking, your manager must have something important to tell you. 

Their bright smile greeted you when you opened the door, in contrast to the annoyed and tired look you gave them. Telling you what is needed to be said, you dramatically collapsed, landing on their chest. Another commercial to shoot!

"Don't you know what today is?!" You questioned dramatically, flailing your arms around to exaggerate your point. 

They smiled apologetically at you, rubbing your back for comfort. "Believe me; you're not the only one dying to sleep right now."

You pouted at them, tiredly rubbing your eyes to chase the sleepiness away. 

"Don't worry (Y/N)! It will be the last one for a long time! I've made sure to give us both a break for the next couple of months to give you time to discuss something important with Katsuki!"

You tilted your head, confused at their cherry voice and excited smile despite the darkness under their eyes. 

"What-?" 

"Let's go! No need to change, costume and your hair and make-up team is already waiting for you, no script needed since you only have to be there, answering the question naturally. And then -"

They continued babbling about what to do the moment you got in the car and towards your destination. As you drive for almost an hour, you noticed the changes in scenery. Gone are the tall skyscrapers and bright lights of the city, now slowly replaced by luscious green grass fields, strong thick trees and clear blue sky that you rarely see nowadays. 

It was satisfying, seeing the wonders of nature even in it's simplest forms. You sighed, feeling at ease compared to earlier this morning, wishing that Katsuki was here to enjoy this with you. A nice picnic here or at the park will be enough. 

You noticed a large, white tent approaching your view when the car started to slow down. To your surprise, Momo and Mina were there, waving at you excitedly, with bright grins adorning their faces. 

"I forgot to mention," your manager started, stopping the car. "A few of your friends will be joining you in this."

You nodded, getting out of the car, wishing you could have changed into something decent other than your sweatpants and Katsuki's shirt. 

The girls were immediately shoving you eagerly towards the tent, noticing that they are already dressed and ready for the shoot. 

"I'm so excited for this shoot!" Exclaimed Mina excitedly, bouncing up and down carefully as to not ruin her hair. Incoherable noises left her lips as she continued guiding you. 

The dark-haired girl beside you, although much more calm and collected, couldn't stop the giggles, holding your hand firmly as they opened the flap of the tent. 

A surprised smile painted on your lips when the rest of the girls in your class greeted you.  

"(Y/N!)"  Ocahako ran to you, giving you a giant bear hug. 

"We finally get to be together on a shoot, kero!" Tsuyu added with an excited clap.

"Hurry and get ready!" Hagakure pushed you towards the chair. You would have tripped on the way there had it not been for Jiro holding you by the shoulder. 

You let it slide with a happy chuckle. It was almost impossible to get all of the girls together for anything. If they try to plan anything together, one of them will always be busy or on patrol that day. 

It was nice being together once again, as in the good old days. Everyone was already ready and dressed in their complementary colours, you noticed. They chatted with you as you get your make up ready, some going out and coming back in for picture taking outside. 

Again, you can't help but feel sad that Katsuki is not with you. These would have been perfect if he was beside you. No matter, you told yourself, I'll be with him after this. 

"Whoa, (Y/N)," the girls cooed at you simultaneously when you got done. Looking you through the mirror with soft smiles and - were those tears welling up in some of them? To say you are confused will be an understatement. This is not the first time they've seen you glammed up.

"Are you all okay? What's the matter?" 

They only smiled at you, dabbing the corners of their eyes to prevent tears from further falling. 

"Whooo, enough of this," Mia sighed, fanning her eyes whilst looking up. "Get dressed honey, your dress is already there." 

When you entered the dressing room, a beautiful white knee-length cocktail dress greeted you placed on the mannequin. It was off the shoulder with sheer sleeves designed in flowers and a flowy skirt. When you touched the material, you are shocked that it was silk. 

Now, you are beyond confused and highly impressed. Then you wondered, what kind of commercial are you making? The company must be loaded to get all the well-known woman Pro Heroes together for this one shoot. 

Your brows furrowed in thought but ended up letting it go. Slipping on your dress which hugged your figure perfectly, doing a little twirl to watch the dress flow. You are feeling yourself in this dress. 

Once you exited the dressing room, you were surprised when you recognised one of your classmates in dance class there, wearing a bright costume along with the other dancers. They grabbed your hands and guided you to the centre; the music suddenly blasted from somewhere and danced around you. 

You were beyond confused as you looked around. None of the girls except Momo was in the corner of the room, laughing and taking a video of you. You are so confused. 

What is going on?

They prompted you to dance along with them, and you did, albeit softly; the dancers still cheered you on.

You laughed as they twirled you around towards Momo. "Come on," she pulled you out of the tent, dancers continued cheering you on from the inside. 

You walked out towards the open field. The trees decorated in pastel shades of your favourite colours, the ground littered with the petals of your favourite flowers, your heart started to beat faster and faster with every step you take. 

You swore you felt your heart leap out of your chest when you spotted more of your classmates came into view. A hand covered your mouth in sheer shock, happiness, and confusion. 

Tables and chairs surrounded the open clearing. Red linens covered the tables along with silverwares, the surrounding trees decorated in lanterns and ribbons, a buffet filled with your favourite food on the side, a fucking swan ice sculpture beside it, chocolate fountain. But the one that caught your attention the most was the gazebo: built in the middle of a tree with beautiful white leaves at the tip of it. 

You didn't know that you are now standing alone at the entrance, still frozen in shock as you looked at everyone with wide eyes. 

What the fuck? 

Kirishima then approached you with his usual bright smile, although this one might be brighter than the rest. He chuckled softly at your expression before offering you his hand.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm about to faint and vomit at the same time," you answered shakily with a laugh. "What the heck is happening, Kirishima?"

"Well," he shrugged his shoulders, "why don't you ask the planner of this event?" 

The pounding of your heart reached your ears, your face glowing bright red, as he led you towards the gazebo tree; only then did you see a single stool in the middle. 

"Wait, the fuck?" You questioned a bit loudly. The rest of the crowd only laughed at your nervousness. 

When you sat down, the table to your right; seated two crucial people in your life; your parents. They are smiling at you, tears running down your mother's eyes with your father's arm draped over her shoulder, both of them wearing white clothing like yours. 

You mouthed a 'what are you doing here?' with a teary smile. Your father responded with a shrug of his shoulders. Your eyebrows flew when you saw the couple beside them: Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugou, both reacting the same as your parents. 

The sound of a microphone caught everyone's attention. Aizawa came into your peripheral vision on the left, wearing his usual black colours. He is nicely clean today; his hair tied away from his face; it looks like he shaved as well. The most surprising of all was the small smile he wore. 

What is going on?

Your mind raced at the possibility, a hand resting on your chest as if it can calm your racing heart. It was all too much to take in. 

"It's been a while since we're all together," Aizawa started, gaining everyone's attention, soft background music playing in the background. 

"I'm not surprised by the length's this man is willing to go; he does want to be the best at everything- which explains everything." Everyone agreed silently. "He will never do anything half-assed."

He then walked up to you with a gentle smile, "now (Y/N), do you know what is happening?" 

"No, I don't even know what's happening anymore," you answered shakily. "This is like a joke: Is this a joke?" you joked, albeit shakily. 

Aizawa only smiled when you continued, "I'm just waiting for the director to shout 'Cut!' I don't know what to do, am I going dance? Will I start acting? There are camera's here, but they're not giving me instructions."

"You have no idea what's going on?"

"No! I'm already getting scared," you chuckled, voice already starting to reveal that you are about to cry soon. You chose to laugh it off. 

"In all honesty, I know that you know and everybody knows and agrees; that you are the most beautiful woman today." You responded with a silent thank you, deeply flattered. 

"You know (Y/N), all of this happened because of one person only. Just one person," you swallowed your heart back down, tears starting to escape your eyes as your heart and mind screams of that person's name. 

"So don't be surprised; because this is how much he loves you."

Tingles ran down your arms once the background music stopped and Aizawa stepped down. You held your clasped hands in front of you and placed them on your lips, tensing up a little, waiting in anticipation. 

"Sir, I'm a bit nervous about being here today." 

The world stopped turning when you heard that line. The tears escaped along with a happy sob. The figure of Katsuki Bakugou emerged from behind the tree at the entrance, holding a microphone to his lips. The other hand, resting deep in his pockets. 

"Still not real sure what I'm going to say," he walks up to you. Not once tearing his eyes away from yours when he met them. The smile on him was nothing like anyone has ever seen before; nervous, happy, content, love. 

"So bear with me, please, if I take up too much of your time." 

He was nothing short of perfect. No words could ever describe how beautiful he is right now; of course, he's always beautiful, but now, he is taking your breath away. 

It was already rare when you see him not wearing his baggy clothing; it's considered a blessing to see him wear a formal white tux that suits him too well. 

When he neared you, he took out a red velvet box in his pocket: gripping on it tightly as he angled it towards you. 

"See in this box is the ring for your oldest. She's my everything and all that I know is. It would be such relief if I knew that we were on the same side."

Everyone watched in anticipation as the blond finally reached in front of you, kneeling on one knee as he continued to serenade you. 

"Can marry your daughter, and make her my wife. I want her to be the only girl that I'll love for the rest of my life. And give her the best of me 'till the day that I die, yeah." 

At this point, you don't care if you look like a mess. The love of your life is looking up at you like you are the most beautiful person he has ever seen; it's probably true. 

"I'm gonna marry your princess, and make her my queen. She'll be the most beautiful bride that I've ever seen. I can't wait to smile; as she walks down the aisle; on the arm of her father. Till the day that I marry your daughter."

You told him about your dream proposal; it doesn't have to be anything special as long as the song is there along with your family. And you know Katsuki, you give him an inch, he'll take it to the moon.

Katsuki stared at you with a soft smile, reaching his arms to wipe the tears off of your face. Laughing at his actions, you held on to one of his hands, placing it down on your lap. Both of you took in deep, calming breaths to ease your nerves before smiling at each other again. 

"Hi (Y/N)," he called with a soft, shaky tone. A short laugh left you at his adorable nervousness. "Hi, Katsuki."

"You already know what the fuck is going on," the crowd laughed at his bluntness. "I'm not gonna beat around the bushes any longer. I want to make this official." 

He opened the velvet box; a gasp left you as you saw the ring inside. A beautiful red ruby gem immediately caught your eyes as it shines in the sun. 

A large smile adorned your lips as Katsuki looked at you with a tender expression. Everyone wiping away their tears at the moment before them. 

"I'll save all the sappy words at the wedding vows, now, (Y/N)," when his eyes met yours again, you are sure. 

"Will you do the honour of making me the happiest man alive by being my wife? Will you marry me?"

Despite the tears falling like a waterfall, your answer was clear and sealed. No matter how many different worlds there might be, how many different lifetimes are there in this universe, nor all the possible scenarios this proposal can take in, you will never get tired of saying the answer over and over again. 

"Yes." 

One way or another, Katsuki Bakugou and (Y/N) (L/N) will always find a way to be together. Herein is arms and the ring on your finger; all is well and where it should be. 

Even though you can't give him his present now, I'm sure the box is still safe and sound on the table. 

After all, you are the one carrying the most important gift. 

The two strips of pink line on the stick only confirms it. 

A/N: This is the longest and hardest story I have ever written for a one shot so far. Wedding?

[hawksward]

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing Ch. 1: Push/Pull (Childe/OC)

Since being granted a vision at the tender age of 10, Irina has owed her life to the Tsaritsa and dedicated herself to rising through the ranks of the Fatui. In becoming a top-ranking diplomat she's received her easiest assignment yet: ensure the 11th Fatui Harbinger remains ignorant of La Signora's plan to obtain the gnosis of Rex Lapis. A simple task for someone who's made a career out of lying.

Unfortunately, even the simplest tasks can go awry when feelings get in the way.

Rating: E (For eventual smut)

Warnings: None that I can think of for this chapter, there will eventually be smut

Banner credit goes to @shinsotired because I'm incapable of art.

Prologue:

Cold. She couldn’t remember the last time she wasn’t cold. At first, the nerves in her fingertips were screaming, the skin exposed through the holes in her worn gloves. But now it was different.

The cold had faded into warmth as she laid on the ground in the alley. At first, it was uncomfortably hot. So hot she wanted to strip off her already thin winter coat and hat. But now it was pleasantly warm. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this way.

But it wasn’t right. It couldn’t be.

The snow seemed to fall in waves, flakes occasionally falling into her eyes. The girl flexed her fingers before closing her eyes, they were becoming harder and harder to move.

I’m dying

The thought echoed in her head. She couldn’t decide if she was scared or relieved. If she died there would be no more suffering. Tears slipped out of her eyes, freezing on her cheeks.

I can’t. Not here. Not like this.

She curled herself into a ball. Clenching her fists as tight as she could to stay awake. She desperately tried to conserve what little body heat she had left.

The voices were faint at first, two men engaging in idle chatter as they strolled through the alley. One man’s footsteps stopped short when he saw her, much to the dismay of his partner.

“Leave it Misha. Street kids die every day here.” His foot pushed her from her side onto her back. She could barely open her eyes, any energy she had for defiance long gone. She immediately knew the man by his mask. Fatui.

“She’s holding something.” Misha reached down to pry open her clenched fist.

Her palm was soaked in blood around an object she knew she wasn’t holding before. Although she couldn’t quite make out what it was from her angle, she noticed the man’s eyes go wide.

“How many street kids do you know who have been blessed by the Tsaritsa?”  He plucked the object from her hand and held it to the lamplight. A cryo vision.

“What’s your name, child?”

Her voice came as a whisper

“Irina”

Ch. 1:

The wind in Liyue Harbor was far milder than the chill winds in Snezhnaya. The boat journey was amicable, albeit long, and she would be in Liyue for the foreseeable future. Even from the docks, she could tell. The whole city was in chaos.

Only a day passed since the Rite of Descension, a disaster of epic proportions, and it was clear there were still no answers.

Irina leaned over the side of the boat, watching the fish scatter as the anchor plummeted into the sand below. Men hurried into the boat the moment the gangplank fell, eager to unload the crates of liquor shipped from the motherland.

Pushing herself off the rail, Irina made her way down the gangplank. She knew next to nothing about her assignment. Only that Rex Lapis was dead and there was now a sea of red tape between the Tsaritsa and the gnosis.

“I trust you’re our new diplomat?”

Her attention was brought to the man before her. He had half a head of height on her with bright auburn hair and even brighter blue eyes. It was clear from what he was wearing that he was Fatui.

“Yes. I’ve been sent by Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa, to aid in the issue with the exuvia.” She held out her hand for a handshake only for the man to hold her hand to his lips, placing a small kiss before releasing.

“I’m Childe. We’ll be working closely together while you’re here in Liyue. Not like I needed the assistance, I have the situation under control.”

She wasn’t surprised that he was less than excited for her arrival, she didn’t climb through the ranks to take easy assignments.

“Aster.” It was an alias of course, she couldn’t remember the last time she used her real name. “You must be Tartaglia then. Don’t mind me. I’m here to help grease the bureaucratic gears. I won’t be interfering with your bank loan operation.”

Irina knew that the Northland Bank was a large source of revenue for the Tsaritsa in Liyue. She also knew that their interest rates and collection practices were less than ethical. Not like it was any of her concern.

The smile on Childe’s face faltered for only a second, but it was enough to betray his false hospitality. He was a harbinger, most Fatui agents and diplomats alike wouldn’t dare talk to him in that manner. But most diplomats weren’t hand chosen by the Tsaritsa herself.

“Well Aster, I’m sure you’re tired from the journey but why don’t I show you around and get you acquainted with the members of the Northland Bank, where you’ll be stationed. As your superior officer allow me to give you the grand tour”

His words weren’t lost on her. Although she wouldn’t be reporting to him on her assignment she needed to appear like she was. She couldn’t have him asking questions.

“Of course, Lord Tartaglia ” the words rolled off her tongue like venom “Please lead the way.”

——

It was clear from the endless amount of stairs he had her climb to the Yujing Terrace that he was looking to torture her. Nothing about the tour was optimal and only served to exhaust her further.

“Don't tell me you’re getting tired already!” Childe was beaming from ear to ear

She wanted to stab him. They had gone back and forth to a new landmark, each somehow across the city from the other, for the better part of 3 hours. And while she was in shape, she didn’t have an elite soldier’s stamina. Nor did Childe have to make the trek in heels.

“Of course not, I’m ready to experience all the city has to offer” She put on her most charming smile. She wouldn’t let him best her, especially not so early in the game.

Childe laughed before waving her over to the nearby railing. The view from the terrace was beautiful. From the top of the city was a view of the harbor. The streets below just beginning to light the lanterns for the night.

“I see you know how to make an impression” Irina smiled to herself as she drank in the view.

“What can I say? I have many talents.” He leaned against the rail, his eyes trained on her. “One of them is sensing bullshit. So why don’t you tell me why you’re really here.”

Irina raised an eyebrow, turning her attention to the man before her. “I’m here because the Tsaritsa is unimpressed at how long it’s taking you to complete your mission. Signora obtained her gnosis within a week of arriving in Mondstat.”

“Signora didn't have to contend with a dead Barbatos.” He countered

“If you think you can do this on your own then by all means be my guest.” Irina pushed herself off the rail, “But as of today all matters dealing with the Liyue Qixing will be handled by me. If you take issue with that you’re free to look through the paperwork I brought with me.”

Childe had no retort, but it was clear that she struck a nerve by comparing him to Signora. It didn’t matter. She would complete her mission as soon as possible and then leave Liyue for her next assignment. which would hopefully not involve the 11th harbinger.

“Well then. Allow me to escort the lady to the Northland Bank. Ekaterina has prepared the small office for your arrival.”

——

Childe didn’t lie when he said the office was small. Her office was a glorified storage closet on the upper level of the bank, barely large enough to fit a reasonably sized oak desk already stacked with paperwork. She knew when she wasn’t meeting with the Qixing she would be expected to help out with administrative work for the bank.

She didn’t expect for her superior  to drop all of his work on her as well.

Before he left for the night he tossed a map her way, a large red x marking where her accommodations would be. She was mildly surprised he hadn’t offered to walk her to the inn to keep tabs on her. Then again the Fatui presence in the city was nothing to scoff at, someone would see her eventually and most likely report back.

Thankfully the inn wasn’t difficult to find, centered in the middle of the merchant district. Accommodations weren’t large by any means, but the warm wood and red bedding were lush and inviting.

What little luggage she brought on the boat was tucked away in the corner, next to a small bathroom. She never carried much, even a small suitcase seeming excessive after growing up with nothing.

Irina glanced at the clock sitting on the dresser. Currently 11 pm. She needed to be at Liuli pavilion in 3 hours. She changed out of her clothes for something that didn’t scream ‘Fatui agent skulking around at all hours of the night’.

—-

Liuli Pavillion definitely looked closed. Irina passed maybe two people on her way from the inn to the restaurant, both of whom were definitely too drunk to remember anyone who passed them by.

Irina checked her surroundings before knocking on the door twice, followed by a brief pause, followed by four more times. She could hear footsteps coming from inside before unlocking the door.

“Can I help you? We’re closed” a middle-aged man looked her up and down, a scowl on his face

“I’m here with the jueyun chili order.”

“Already got it last week.” He barked

“Yes, but this order is a special delivery from Qingce Village.”

The man gave a curt nod before stepping out of the way. The windows in the restaurant were tightly drawn shut, locking in the dim candlelight. Irina made her way to the voices coming from the adjacent room.

The room held a small square table, one seat was filled by a dark haired man in an expensive looking suit. The other was filled with none other than the 8th harbinger herself.

Signora.

“You’re late.” She didn’t bother to look up as she took a sip from her glass of wine “Sit down, we don’t have much time.”

Irina sat down as the man from the door placed a glass of wine in front of her. She took a small sip, locking eyes with the dark haired man across the table. Was Signora going to make an introduction or not?

“This is my subordinate, Aster. She’ll be your point of contact for all things related to the contract” Signora began “Aster, this is Zhongli, you may know him better as Rex Lapis”

Irina nearly choked on her drink. She knew the anemo archon, Barbatos, had taken on a human form before having his gnosis taken. But she never imagined she’d see another archon in the flesh. The Tsaritsa living among her people wasn’t exactly common.

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir.” She wasn't sure how to respond. Clearly he didn’t want many to know if he was going by a different name. But was it alright to treat him like a normal person?

“None of that. In this form, I am simply Zhongli, consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.” He gave a small, polite smile before sipping from his wine “Not to mention going forward we’ll be colleagues.”

“Listen closely because I’m only going to explain this once.” Signora reclined back in her seat, her fierce gaze not once leaving Irina, “The Tsaritsa has signed a contract with Rex Lapis for procurement of the gnosis. Since I can’t be in the city without drawing attention, you will be my proxy. You will tell absolutely no one of the contract nor about Zhongli’s identity. Do you understand?”

“Of course Lady Signora. I will maintain the utmost discretion.”

“Good. Since you’ll be doing it anyway, I want a report on anything you can discern from the Qixing as well.” The tall blonde woman stood from her chair, turning her back momentarily before returning her focus to Irina. “One last thing. If Tartaglia so much as develops an idea of what’s happening here consider yourself out of a job.”

Irina rose from her chair to give her a nod and a salute before the other woman left the restaurant. She had no intention of failing a mission, but it was clear that Signora would rip her entire life out from under her faster than she could blink if she did.

“Please, enjoy the glass of wine with me before you leave.” Zhongli motioned for her to return to her seat “We should get to know each other since we’ll be working closely together. Not to mention it is a vintage.”

[wanderinginksplot]

Warriors in Red Armor

Previous | Next | Masterlist

Chapter Two

Hound II

79's was loud, dim, and crowded. There were so many people packed into the building that the air inside felt thick and hard to breathe. Any conversationalists had to shout if they wanted the other party to hear them. The main illumination in the room came from accent lighting, flashing spotlights, and the occasional glowing cybernetic.

It was chaos, and Hound loved every second of it.

He had always been a fan of crowds, of feeling the press of civilization. He and Grizzer were similar in that sense: they both thrived in situations that offered plenty of information to take in.

When the three Coruscant Guard troopers had arrived at 79's, they fell into their traditional pattern. First, Thire had tried a cheesy pick-up line on a beautiful Mirialan female just inside the doors. She had given him a pity-filled smile and turned him down. Thire had been unaffected. His pick-up lines had a 0% success rate, but he kept trying.

Next, Thorn had stopped by the bar on the way in. He ordered a Corellian whisky, light on the ice, and ignored Hound's protests that they would get the first round together in a few minutes. Thorn sipped at his drink as they walked to the Coruscant Guard's standard booth.

The Corrie Guard booth wasn't reserved - as if 79's would allow something like that - but no one else ever sat there. That was one of the benefits of always being planetside with a regular presence in 79's. No trooper from another battalion would ever try to sit at their booth, not without an express invitation.

Before he did anything else, Hound got Thorn and Thire stowed at the booth. The former was drinking while the latter focused on thinking up a new pick-up line. Hound then left to get drinks for the party. This was his favorite part: getting to meet people.

With the warmth of amusement filling him at the antics of his vode and the civvies on the dance floor, Hound made his slow, weaving way to the bar. There, he chatted with brothers and civilians alike while he waited for the drinks he had ordered. Thorn wanted another Corellian whisky on the rocks, Thire requested a hyperdrive, and Hound decided on a surly sarlacc.

As the bartender placed the second drink in front of him, Hound glanced at the people around him. To his right were a Bith and a Sullustan in some kind of embrace. Deciding he didn't want to learn any more, Hound turned to his left side instead. There, he found a pale woman sipping frantically at a cup of what he was sure was a blue bantha.

"Hey, no rush!" he called over the pounding music. "They aren't going to run out of booze."

She smiled wanly at him. "Are you sure? Everyone here is drinking like the bar is closing and they want to be hospitalized by the time it happens."

"Lighten up, Ark!" a pretty girl on the stranger's other side called. She slung an arm around her friend's neck, and Hound caught a whiff of Corellian whisky from her glass. "One night out isn't gonna kill you!"

"It might," the pale woman sulked, taking another swig of her blue bantha.

"Another whiskey, handsome," the louder one said to the bartender, adding a wink that made the infamously slow-moving man pick up the pace.

The wheels in Hound's mind were spinning. The two women might end up being an excellent match for Thorn and Thire. His vode had expressed interest in finding hookups for the night. Who better for a loud trooper and a quiet one than a loud woman and a quiet one?

"Hey, how about I buy this round and both of you help me carry these drinks back to my friends?" Hound asked.

The louder of the two grinned at him. "Two hands, three drinks, and a crowded dance floor? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. It's our civic duty to make sure no one slips in spilled alcohol." The quiet woman simply shrugged, which Hound took as an agreement.

When the bartender came to drop off Thire's hyperdrive, Hound ordered another round for the women. He directed the quieter one to carry her own drink and the hyperdrive while he carried Thorn's Corellian whisky and the surly sarlacc.

"Don't trust me to carry two drinks?" the other woman asked with a faux pout.

Hound smiled and shook his head. "I might need you to clear a path and you seem like you can command attention."

With that, she laughed and struck a dramatic pose that made at least two troopers in the area stare. "Follow me!"

True to Hound's expectations, she led them across the dance floor with ease. When they reached the other side, she paused while Hound took the lead to the Coruscant Guard's booth. When they arrived, the other troopers immediately caught sight of Hound's guests. Thorn glanced away and took another sip of his drink while Thire's entire face lit up with interest.

"Hey, guys this is…" Hound paused, realizing with a guilty pang that he had never gotten their names. "... blue bantha and Corellian whisky. These are my fellow troopers, Thorn and Thire."

The louder woman slid into the booth with a laugh, offering Thorn her hand to shake. "Corellian whisky, also known as Kai. Blue bantha is my friend Ark."

"Ark?" Thire asked, standing so that the quiet, pale woman could sit on the inside of the booth. Hound noticed with interest that Thire was watching Ark closely. He would have bet every credit he owned that Thire would have gone for the bubbly Kai instead.

"Yeah, it's a nickname?" Kai explained, mouth quirking up at one corner. "Her real one is too long for easy use."

"What is your full name, Ark?" Thire murmured. Hound could only just hear him over the music, but he was silently begging his brother not to use one of his pickup lines on the poor woman.

"Arkularia," Ark answered with a grimace. "I know it's a lot."

"I think it's beautiful," Thire said fervently.

Ark's pale cheeks reddened and she gave a single nod in thanks.

Hound's amused look was echoed by those of Thorn and Kai. Thorn, of course, took the chance to egg his brother on.

"What's wrong, Thire? Run out of your famous pick-up lines?"

"Pick-up lines?" Kai asked, sounding intrigued.

Ark's cheeks reddened further. "Do they work often?"

"Ehh…" Thire hedged.

"Never," Hound chimed in.

Thorn took another gulp of whiskey. "Not on the sane ones."

Kai winked at Thorn as she loudly said, "I think Ark wants to hear one of those pick-up lines, Thire. Do you have one for her?"

Thire looked at Ark for direction, but she only lifted a pale brow. Defeated, Thire took a deep breath and put on his cockiest smile. Hound counted Thire as a friend and that smile still made him want to hit the man in the face. "Hey, Ark, I've got a problem. I lost my comlink frequency. Could I have yours?"

The group dissolved into laughter and the proverbial ice between the two groups seemed thoroughly broken.

"So, Corellian whisky, huh?" Thorn asked Kai, who grinned. "You have good taste."

"Back at you," Kai said, inclining her glass to connect lightly with Thorn's. "I don't know how they get away with selling this vintage so cheap here."

Thorn's eyes sharpened and Hound fought back a smirk. The alcohol prices at 79's had been a source of much discussion from Thorn over the years, and Hound was glad his brother had finally found someone to share that interest with. Especially since Hound wouldn't have to be part of the conversation.

"Well, I have to go," Hound said, tipping back the last of his surly sarlacc.

"Wait, what?" Kai asked. The sentiment was backed up by the expression on Thorn's face. Thire and Ark paid exactly no attention to his announcement, their interest clearly captured by each other.

Hound shrugged. "I have to report for an early morning shift in a few hours. I need to rest up if I'm going to make a good impression on the good people of Coruscant."

Thorn frowned. "What are you talking about? Earlier today, you told the commander that you would be fine to stay out late."

Hound pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. "Why, Thorn! Would I ever be so irresponsible?"

"Always," Thorn said dryly.

"I can't hear you over the music!" Hound shouted, too loud even in the din that was 79's. "See you tomorrow!"

He left before Thorn had a chance to deliver a retort, but he noted with more than a little glee that neither Thire nor Ark had noticed him leaving.

---

Ark I

Thire was charming, there was no doubt about it. He had spent the past two hours asking questions about Ark and actually listening to her answers, as if her every word was fascinating. Most men saw her as an easy way to get to the talkative and flirtatious Kai - at least, if they didn't know anything about who Ark was - but Thire's attention seemed fixed on quiet Ark.

"So, what do you do here on Coruscant?" he asked.

Ark relaxed a fraction. Bars and clubs weren't exactly her scene, but her work? She could talk about that all day.

"Kai and I work as part of an information securities team."

"That sounds… really cool, actually," Thire said, admiration in his voice.

Ark felt an odd urge to preen under the half-compliment before her better sense kicked in and she quashed the temptation. "It pays the bills," she said instead, giving a casual sort of shrug.

"What kind of information securities are we talking about here?" he asked, encouraging her to go on.

For the first time in their conversation, Ark hesitated. Ransom always emphasized how important it was to keep a low profile, but this was Thire. Goofy, pick-up line-using Thire couldn't be anyone of enough importance to get them in trouble.

"Well, we specialize in data recovery," she told him. "Lately, we've been branching out into a new service. Businesses hire us to test security measures and report our findings."

"That's awesome!" Thire enthused, and Ark was relieved to see no hint of deeper understanding or curiosity in his dark eyes. "Do you have, like, a team name?"

"It- It's not exactly a team," she clarified, hoping he wasn't going to get condescending. "It's a business. A thriving one, actually. We're called Red Squad."

Thire frowned and Ark tensed. Would he recognize the name? Instead, he gave a broad grin after a moment had passed. "What a coincidence! We're a red squad!"

"Oh, is red your unit's chosen color?" Ark asked politely.

"Yep, Coruscant Guard crimson," he bragged. "Planetary landing squads will try to make it sound like they have the only important job in the GAR, but keeping Coruscant safe is a lot of work."

"You're permanently stationed on Coruscant?" Ark double-checked, trying to hide the surprise she was feeling. It didn't matter - he saw through her attempt to be subtle.

"You weren't expecting me to be around for very long," Thire summarized. His face went polite and distant rather than being warm and friendly like it had been through their previous conversation.

"Not exactly," she admitted, feeling guilty that her thought process had been almost exactly what he expected. "I mean... I know a lot of troopers have to rotate on and off of Coruscant. Is it nice to stay in one place?"

Thire's eyes thawed slightly. "It is, but sometimes I wish I had the chance to see more places. Actively do more good, you know?"

"I think you do plenty of good here," Ark encouraged softly. She wanted to show him that she wasn't some heartless snob who looked down on the troopers who defended her home. "The war may seem far away from Coruscant, but it's only because you and your brothers work so hard to keep us all safe. Thank you for that."

"Listen, Ark…" Thire said gently, but she had trouble hearing him. Instead, loud cheering from Kai and laughter from Thorn stole her attention as they watched someone on the dance floor.

"I don't believe it - a perfect 30!" Kai shouted while Thorn pounded the table with his fist and roared with laughter.

The idea of seemingly stoic Thorn laughing so hard with cheerful Kai brought a smile to Ark's face, but the sentiment was not shared by Thire. Instead, the trooper scowled across the booth.

"Vod, do you mind?" he asked sharply.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," Thorn apologized, waving a hand in Thire's direction.

"Anyway, is it okay if I comm you sometime?" Thire asked, refocusing on Ark. "I'd like to spend time with you somewhere that I can actually hear you."

"Not much to hear, most days," Ark said with a soft smile.

"Still," Thire pressed. "Would that be okay with you?"

Thire smiled at her, the expression lighting up his handsome face, and Ark paused. The evening had been perfect so far, but how would their next encounter go? She worked hard to cultivate the image of a quiet woman whose most interesting traits were tied to her job. Still, Ark had secrets that couldn't come to light, especially around a trooper of the Coruscant Guard. Plus, Thire was a good-looking, charismatic man with skills and interests far exceeding those he needed for his job. He would figure her out - it would only be a matter of time. She should give a polite refusal and keep the memory of this night a perfect one.

Ark opened her mouth, ready to turn him down, but the open nervousness on Thire's face made her pause. She could not reject him. She wasn't strong enough to choose a quick end to their time together.

Instead, she smiled and nodded, fighting a wave of disappointment in herself. She was willing to wring every drop of happiness from their acquaintanceship before the inevitable end. It was dangerous behavior from a woman whose safety relied on secrecy, but she was hopeful that it would be worth it.

---

A/N - So, this story isn't entirely written from Hound's perspective. He just really likes to talk! I promise, the next chapter will feature other narrators, and will introduce the rest of the characters we're missing.

Per request, the chapters will feature individual warnings about potential triggers. If I miss one, please feel free to let me know!

And yes, some of the drink names in this chapter were taken directly from Oga's Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

[medicallyinevitable]

Medically Inevitable

Chapter 15:- Hopeful Happenings

Characters:- Arielle Valentine, Ethan Ramsey, Ines Delarosa, Kyra Santana

Pairing:- Ethan Ramsey x Arielle Valentine

Warnings:- Slight mentions of cancer

Word Count:- 1700+ words :)

General PoV:-

As the sun shines bright in the late morning, Arielle parks her car and heads straight towards Edenbrook’s locker room, a to-go cup in hand from Starbucks instead of Derry Roasters not wanting any chance to bump into Dr. Ramsey, despite knowing that he’s her boss. Making her way to the nurses’ station, she picks up her charts and textbooks and heads toward the cafeteria.

Arielle’s PoV:-

You keep at your textbooks, scouring the pages for anything that could explain Nigel's symptoms, and the tidal wave of self-doubt doesn’t help either. You let out a sigh, "Maybe Dr. Ramsey's right. Maybe I really don't belong here..."

"Mind if I join you?" A cheery voice snaps you back to reality.

You turn around to find Kyra. Dread fills in you as you see her. "Kyra, what are you doing here? Is your cancer back? Is something wrong?", you start asking.

"Woah! Dial down the doom and gloom there, Dr. Sob Emoji. I'm in remission." Kyra beams.

"What?! Oh my god congratulations! I’m so happy for you!" You envelope her in a warm hug which almost melts all your tension away.

"Just had another check-up. Will be coming a lot for those," she catches you up with her remission plan as you two sit. "No offense but I definitely look in better shape than you!"

"Ugh I know. I'm exhausted.” And just like that, all the tension fills your mind as you give her the details. " My shift ended like five hours ago, but instead of going home I am sitting here and reading till my eyes bleed."

"You should probably get that looked at." Kyra's face morphs into something serious but genuine as she continues.

"Look, I don't want to be that cancer survivor… but it did make me realize that life is too short." You give her a sad smile knowing how painful it must have been for her.

"We only get so many chances you know? But maybe you need that lesson more than I do," she continues after pausing for a moment.

"Is it that obvious?" You raise your brows.

"Let's chalk it up to my incredible intuition." Kyra smiles," Anyways there's an amazing ice cream shop nearby. They make an triple chocolate gelato that's literally to die for," she jokes, " You can take my word for that." "Why don't we visit that place? It'll give you a distraction and a much needed break."

You look at her and then your textbooks, not understanding what to do. All you can see is blurry lines. the words and concepts swim around in your very exhausted brain. You close the textbook with a slam after your answer is crystal clear.

"How can I say no to chocolate gelato!", you say dramatically.

"That's more like it!", Kyra beams. The two of you collect your belongings and make your way out as you tell Kyra everything about the dilemma with your latest patient.

"This place is pretty cute.", you say as you look around.

"Try nauseatingly adorable. I want to make it tiny and keep it in my bookshelf," Kyra replies. You laugh.

"You collect tiny shops?" You ask as the two of you made your way to the counter.

"I collect many sickeningly adorable things," she laughs before turning her attention to the boy behind the counter. "I’ll have the large Death by Chocolate please. And my absurdly attractive friend here will have…”, she nods for you to continue.

You roll your eyes at her before placing your order. You take a look at their menu before deciding to have the same one as Kyra as it's the most chocolatey one.

“I'll have the same.", you smile at the server.

The server scoops your gelato into two big cups and slides them across the counter while Kyra rummages through her bag for her wallet.

"I'll pay.“, you say getting your card out.

"No way!", she stops you by swiftly taking your card from you. You whine but to your dismay she doesn’t budge.

"This was my idea. Besides I didn't get out much during recovery. I've got months of dining-out budget to blow."

The next minute she's handing the cash to the server and then guiding you to a booth. As you two take your seats, Kyra hands you your card.

She takes a spoon full of her Death by Chocolate and sighs blissfully.

“Mmmmmm…”

You smile at her antics. "That good?" You ask before taking a bite.

"Orgasmic. I never used to eat junk food before my diagnosis."

She takes another bite and you take your first. You can't help but let out a moan as the chocolatey silkiness melts on your tongue. Kyra smirks and gives you a smug look.

She then continues, "I was super into exercising and calorie counting. I never did anything I wasn't supposed to." She smiles sadly. "And I still got lung cancer. At my twenties!"

"You must have been so strong!", you reply.

"Everyone keeps saying that but-", she pauses, "I don't know. I just went to the doctor to see why I was breathing weird."

She sighs. "Then suddenly I was going for all these tests, and then I had cancer."

She laughs humorlessly. "Life went from jogging and juice every morning to chemo and puking."

You can almost feel the pain as she speaks about her experiences even when you’re aware you’ll never truly understand.

"But I didn't do anything," she says, " Those things had to happen , and I had good insurance, so I did them. And it's not like I had any alternative."

"I think you should give yourself more credit.”, you reach for her hand and squeeze it in a comforting manner.

"You faced death with a smile on your face. I'll always remember you cracking jokes on the way to surgery-", you stop for a second before adding,"You are the strongest person I know Kyra."

Kyra blushes, a little embarrassed. "Well you can laugh or you can cry and I chose to laugh.”, she shrugs with a smile on her face.

"And like I said, I don't want to be that cancer survivor but it does put certain things into perspective."

"That kind of clarity must be nice.", you reply.

"Well yeah, you have to get some kind of consolation price for nearly dying, right?" She then shakes her head.

”But enough about that. If we keep talking about this you'll always see me as a girl who beat cancer."

"I'll never, Kyra." you say truthfully. "That's not how I see you."

"Oh yeah? And how do you exactly see me?" She asks playfully.

"I think you are inspiring."

A blush creeps on her face as she’s caught off guard, but quickly retaliates with a sassy reply. “If you keep giving me compliments then I’ll never let you hear the end of it.”

“We’ll see about that.” You both dissolve into fits of laughter as Kyra fills you up on the hospital gossip...

“What wait?! Seriously?! I can’t believe it!”

“Me either, but you know how gossip is!”, she replies with a shrug.

Just then your phone chimes. You pull it out to see it’s a reminder for your shift.

“Crap, I have 10 minutes till my shift.”

“Oof, you better hurry!”, she replies.

“We should do this again, this was really nice.”, you say as you gather your things.

“We should! Besides there would have to be 12 different things wrong with someone to turn down Gelato!”, she jokes.

“..12 different things wrong….. oh my god, Kyra, you’re a genius!”

You scramble to your feet and quickly throw away your cup.

“I like to think I am but what did I do?”, she asks.

“I’ll explain later!”, you yell.

“Ookay…” You rush back to the hospital, typing out a message on your pager as Kyra sits there in utter confusion.

“Well I guess I could get another scoop of gelato…”

————————————————————

An hour later, you take a deep breath before entering Nigel's room to find Ethan and Ines already inside.

“Well what are you waiting for?”, Dr. Ramsey says. Pushing back all of your invading memories of him, you continue with your explanation.

"I spent the last two days trying to figure out the one thing causing all of Mr.Platt's symptoms.”, you say as you stand beside Nigel's bedside.

"And?", he asks. For a split second, you can see a slight look of hope in his eyes, but it passes as quickly as it came, leaving you to believe it was a mere delusion of yours.

"That's when I realized nothing was causing all of them-" But before you can continue, you’re interrupted by Nigel.

"Are you calling-", he burps, “me a liar?", he asks, rude as always.

You control the urge to roll your eyes. He could've at least let you finish your sentence.

Ignoring him, you continue what you were saying," Mr.Platt has been experiencing tingling and hair loss but also cold sensitivity and some hearing problems." You pause for a second before continuing,"All of which point to hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto's disease easily treated with levothyroxine."

"Go on." Ethan orders in his usual cold bossy tone.

"I couldn't fit in the constant burping and the chest pain… because it was completely separate." You explain. "I ordered a barium swallow X-ray and detected a hiatal hernia in the esophageal hole through the diaphragm."

"The treatment?", he asks, motioning you to continue.

"I have already booked a laparoscopic surgery to repair it.”, you answer with a touch of pride.

"Good work Dr.Valentine." Ines smiles at you.” You return it with a nod and a tentative smile.

"So ... I'll be cured?" Nigel asks.

"Yes-“, you calm yourself down before you rip him apart and then continue.

"You'll be good as new." you say instead with a forced smile.

"Good... because I don't want to spend a -" he burps, " second more in your hopeless company."

Your blood boils at this point as you bite your lip to control yourself. “The audacity! Ugh, he's a patient, Arielle. You have to be nice to him.”

"Mr. Platt, might suggest viewing this as a new lease on life. Perhaps a life where you don't make everyone around you miserable.”, Ethan's stern voice retorts, shocking you and Ines.

“No way...he did not!”

"Dr. Ramsey!" Ines exclaims with a shocked expression on her face, which you’re quite sure your face resembles.

"I'll report you! I want to talk to your manager," he says more angrily than before.

"Go ahead," Ethan says with a sarcastic smile." Maybe she can't talk to you like this but I sure as hell can."

You look at Nigel who looks like he's about to say something but just then Bryce struts in. He winks at you playfully as he passes you.

"Someone called for a laparoscopic surgery?"

"Oh great, first Barbie and now the damn Ken doll!” You don’t even attempt to hide the disgust on your face as you roll your eyes.

By the time you’ve finished your consultation with Bryce, Ines and Ethan have already left the room. Pleased with yourself, you take a left in the hallway without noticing Ethan standing leaning against the wall.

"Rookie..." His velvety baritone voice calls out, pulling you out of a haze.

Wincing, you stop dead in your tracks as the memories of the previous day replay in your mind. Still embarrassed with your encounter, you turn around but never meet his eyes. You’re sure you look like a kid, standing before him with your feet crossed, one hand fiddling with your hair as you bite your lip.

"So, you figured it out in the end. And you kept things professional.”, he nods, barely visible.

"I guess I just needed a… push.”, you reply in a timid voice laced with embarrassment.

"Maybe you aren’t so hopeless then.", he says.

Unlike yesterday, his voice isn’t filled with disappointment and malice.

So mustering up some courage, you look up to meet his eyes. Relief washes over you as you don’t detect a hint of disappointment in his eyes. He isn’t smiling but something in you tells you he isn’t angry. You don’t realise you’ve been staring into his oh-so blue eyes until his pager beeps, shaking you out of your reverie.

“..Uh- I’ll see you around, Dr. Ramsey.” You can almost swear that you see longing etched into his chiseled features as you lose yourself in his eyes once more.

“Likewise, Valentine.” With that, he turns around and stalks away.

You sigh and lean against the wall, the events since you started your residency swirl around like a hurricane filled with memories.

“What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

******************************************

And this concludes Season 1 of Medically Inevitable!

Authors’ Note:- Hey everyone, hope y’all enjoyed this chapter! As you’ve probably seen before, this is the last chapter of Season 1! Season 2 will be out soon, as soon as we work out the kinks and pump out a few chapters with different moodboards and title themes! Season 2 will be much more eventful, more drama, angst and shocking cliffhangers mixed in with the string of festivities that Thanksgiving and Christmas bring! Stay tuned and check our blogs and Instagram’s (same handle) for more updates! And lastly thank y’all so much for all the support, we are extremely grateful.

Love,

@drariellevalentine & @mysticaurathings

Medically Inevitable Taglist:- @whimsicallywayward15 | @iemcpbchoices | @sizzlingcashherohumanoid | @archveexz | @deepikakkannan | @nishas-paradise | @maurine07 | @archxxronrookie | @adrex04 | @everythingchoices | @rivenni | @annekebbphotography | @mrsethanfreakingramsey | @jamespotterthefirst | @natureblooms24 | @katkart122 | @udishaman | @hopelessromantics4life | @custaroonie | @mvalentine | @queencarb | @lisha1valecha | @ezekielbhandarivalleros | @ejrownsme @the-pale-goddess | @justanotherrookie | @miss-smrxtiee | @missmiimiie | @choicesfics | @romewritingshop | @taniasethi | @keithandlevi-ontheroof | @choicesfan10 | @open-heart-ramseyyy | @crookedkittyperson | @sistatribe | @tsrookie | @starrystarrytrouble | @caseyvalentineramsey | @alina-yol-ramsey | @openheartthot | @gryffindordaughterofathena | @binny1985 | @groovypalacehorselover | @akshara16 | @epiclazershark | @aarisa-frost | @shanzay44 | @jooous | @angela8754 | @red-rookie |

[randomshyperson]

Wanda Maximoff x Reader - Sorry for your lost - Part I “I will grieve”.

Serie Masterlist here || Part II|| Read on AO3 

Summary: When your wife Natasha passes away in a car accident, a part of you dies with her. It takes a few months of mourning for your psychiatrist thinks the best alternative is for you to join a grief group. And there you meet Wanda Maximoff, and learn to live again.

Warnings: (+16) mentions of death, panic attacks and anxiety, grief, self sabotage, mentions of abusive family background, mutual attraction, explicit consent, therapeutic conversations about death, self-deprecation, healthy methods of coping with grief, possible triggers about anxiety, hurtful behaviors, domestic wanda.

Chapter warnings: Heavy angst, death.

Author’s notes:  Hello readers! I'm finally back to posting something, but I disappeared for a good reason, I was writing three new series. And here is the first of them. I really enjoyed this work and it's something I've been trying to write since I watched WandaVision, and only now I've managed to put it into words. I am not finished yet, but there is only one chapter left, so your reading will not be affected. Pay attention to the warnings, and good reading!

Tag list (let me know if you wanna be tagged) 

@mionemymind​ / @abimess​ / @stephanieromanoff​ / @yourtaletotell​ / @tomy5girls​ / @justagaypanicking​ / @thegayw1tch​

//-//

Chapter One - I’ll grieve.

You wished you could go back to sleep as soon as you opened your eyes. The sound of your alarm buzzed loudly throughout the room, and after putting it on snooze mode at least four times, you finally got annoyed enough to grab it and throw it across the room. But the sound continued.

Letting out a grumble of dissatisfaction, you pushed the comforter off you, and sat up in your bed. Your room was a mess, but you just skipped through the clothes on the floor to reach the phone, turning off the alarm through the new crack you made in the screen.

"Honey, are you up?" you heard your mother's distant voice calling you through the door, probably from the living room or the kitchen. "Don't forget your therapy today."

You sighed impatiently, running your hands through your hair. The damn group therapy. 

Grumbling lightly, you forced yourself to take a shower, not wanting "poor hygiene" to end up on your progress report card. 

A while later, when you were finished, you went into the kitchen. Your mother was using her laptop on the counter, and just waved at you.

"Are you going to take me?" You asked her with your hands in your pockets. Your mother took her eyes off the screen to evaluate the sweatshirt you were wearing, and you rolled your eyes at her disapproving expression. 

"You know, you could try driv-"

"Mom" You cut her off in earnest, your heart racing momentarily. You don't drive. An she knows. Your mother sighs, putting her hands up in a sign of surrender.

"It was just a suggestion dear." She retorts as she stands up, reaching for her car key on the key rack exiting the kitchen. "But I'm busy with the store, you'll need to take the subway next time."

"Thanks for the support." You grumble as you step out in front and your mother lets out a wry chuckle.

You frown and let out a dissatisfied exclamation as you step outside feeling the sun's rays on your face.

"You're not a vampire, cut the drama." Mocks your mother by pushing you lightly to get you out of the way. 

You grumble  as you walk to the car. And when you are sitting on the seat, your mother is starting the vehicle and she asks:

"Are you sure you're not going to eat anything?"

Looking out the window, you just mumble that you're not hungry, and she shakes her head in disapproval before you back the car up. You don't speak any more on the way.

//-//

Your mother dropped you off in the parking lot of a gymnasium where the therapy group would be meeting. You sighed as you got out, and thanked her for the ride and the money she gave you to eat, even though you probably weren't going to use.

Resisting the urge to run away, you forced your feet to walk toward the place.

There were a few people at the door, but you didn't smile at any of them, entering the place with your head down and your hands in your pockets. 

And then a woman greeted you, and put a little sticker with your name on your shirt when you gave her your papers. 

Then she signaled the way you should go, and you ended up on the gymnasium court, where there was a wheel of chairs, and a table with food and drink, and several people scattered around, who you thought were part of your therapy group. 

Sighing impatiently you made your way to the bleachers of the venue, hoping to be alone until the session started and you could leave.

Fortunately it wasn't long before the leader signaled for everyone to sit in the circle, and you sighed as you stood up. You ended up with one of the chairs on the far left opposite the therapist, which could be bad since he would see you clearly.

"Thank you very much for coming." Said the therapist smiling gently as his gaze roved over everyone in the circle. You kept your gaze on your shoes. He made a noise with his throat. "Who would like to start today?"

The silence lasted for a few seconds, but then someone was speaking. You forced yourself to come back to reality and pay attention.

"[...] and this is my fourth week around here." Said a woman in a leather jacket. You noticed the army lanyard around her neck. She was talking about an accident when you got distracted again. Lightly poking your eye with your finger, you tried to focus again, letting out a low sigh. And then the therapist was talking again.

"We have new faces today." He said and you felt your heart speed up. You absolutely did not want to talk in front of strangers. "Why don't you share with us, miss?"

You raised your gaze to meet that of the therapist, smiling gently at you. The rest of the group looked at you as well. Taking a deep breath, you began to wiggle your fingers on your leg.

"I don't... I've never been in a group." You say clumsily. "What should I say?"

"Whatever you wish to say." He answers with a smile. You swallow the urge to tell him you didn't want to talk at all. Realizing your lack of response, he is quick to add. "Why don't you tell us why you are here?."

You let out a dry laugh. 

"I really didn't have much choice." You retort wryly. The therapist looks slightly surprised, but makes no mention of interrupting you. You let out a sigh before clarifying. "My psychiatrist, she...she didn't approve of my social ratings. She wanted me to talk to other people. People who... went through the same things I did." You count staring at the floor. When you look up again, the group still waits for you to continue, and you sigh, running your hands through your hair. "I haven't... I... I haven't talked to other people outside of my family in six months. Not since..."

You move your head, sniffling slightly as you straighten your posture. The therapist clears his throat.

"You just need to share whatever you are ready to tell us." He says gently, you nod slightly feeling extremely vulnerable. "But remember that this is a safe space. There is nothing to fear here."

And then he is talking about methods of easing the guilt, and dealing with the pain and you were distracted again. You would like to go back to bed. It must have taken a while, but the session is finally over.

The group dispersed around the room, and you went toward the therapist's desk to have him sign your schedule. He smiled as you approached.

"Miss Y/N/L, I was happy to hear that you would be joining us today." He said greeting you with a handshake. You nodded, taking the paper from your pocket. He chuckled, but accepted it. "You know, I'd like you to try to have a partner in the group, it's recommended for cases like yours."

"What do you mean cases like me?" You ask snidely, but he doesn't care.

"Doctor Harkness gave me your chart." He explained as he signed the paper you gave him while you frowned. "Extreme Social Anxiety in the first few months of treatment. Tendency to complete isolation, introverted..."

"Yeah I know my problems, buddy." You interrupt him with irritation. "You don't have to list them for me."

The therapist gives a lopsided chuckle, and holds out the signed paper to you. But he adds with a serious look:

"I'm here to help you, Y/N." He says. "Don't forget that."

You don't respond and take the paper, turning toward the exit. 

//-//

Your week passes slowly and tortuously. Which is surprising because you barely get out of bed. And then it is group therapy day again, and you are making a new crack at your cell phone screen.

Your mother greets you with a pat on the back as you enter the kitchen, and she is walking past you toward her own room.

You know you have to take the subway today, and you are trying not to think about it too much. As you are walking out the door, your eyes pass quickly over your car key, and you think you have a flash of memory, but you shake your head quickly, pushing the thought away. And then you walk forward.

And you are late for the session, because you can't take the bus to the station, since your feet simply didn't obey you. But that's okay, you don't really care.

You weren't the only one who was late. When you went to enter the door, a red-haired woman bumped into you, also running to get in. She smiled slightly as she apologized, and you just made room for her to enter first.

"Sorry Stephen." She said to the therapist as soon as you two entered the gymnasium, "I had an emergency with the kids."

The man just shook his head with a smile, and waved for you both to sit down.

"And why were you late today, miss Y/L/N?" He asked you. You shrugged your shoulders.

"I didn't wanna come." You retorted and the group giggled, and the sudden sound startled you slightly, but you just sat with your arms crossed. 

"Do you want to try again?" He retorted with light humor in his voice. And you bit the inside of your cheeks. And then you looked down at the floor.

"I couldn't get on the bus." You confessed next. Stephen looked at you tenderly, though, and you didn't like the feeling of your chest heaving slightly.

"And why do you think that happened?"

You shrugged, uncomfortable. 

"I don't know. I... There were too many people." You said embarrassed. And then you started twiddling your fingers, feeling all eyes on you. "I just... I knew I'd have to say hello to the driver, and the conductor. And then I would pass strangers in the hallway, and one of them would sit next to me. And I just... I couldn't."

Stephen nodded slightly in agreement.

"It's okay, Y/N. " He stated. "No one is judging you here."

You let out a dry laugh, and Stephen blinks in surprise, which spurs you to explode.

"Everyone is judging me, Doc." You say through gritted teeth, swinging your leg. "It's as if I can hear the gears in people's brains forming opinions about me." You state with a sigh. "Like my mother for example. She...she...acts like I'm past the time of mourning." You explain with tears in your eyes. "Like there's a limit, and I'm extending her goodwill. Because it's been six months, and she doesn't want me to be sad anymore. But guess what? I don't know how to move on!" You state angrily. "I can't! If I don't miss her, what's left for me? If I don't... God, I can't do this."

And you stand up, wiping your tears away, and walk out of the gymnasium, heading for the restrooms. You feel your heart racing, and it's hard to breathe. 

As you rest your hands on the sink, your brain starts to wander back to the day of the accident again. You choke, because it feels like you're sinking again. You see the water rising through the metal of the car. Your hands on the steering wheel, and then on the seat belt. You shake your head, pushing the images away, and rush to turn on the faucet in front of you and pour the water on your face.

You take a deep breath, trying to stop the tears. And then there is someone entering.

"Are you okay?" Stephen asks and you nod lightly, ignoring the trembling in your hands as you stare at him through the reflection of the mirror. "I gave a break to the group, wouldn't you like to walk with me?"

"I'm not good company right now." You grumble but he smiles, nodding slightly as if to repeat the invitation. You take a deep breath before turning around.

You walk silently and slowly to the outside of the gymnasium, and then he is speaking again.

"You were very brave today."  He comments, and you let out a dry laugh. "Why don't you believe me?"

"I panicked today." You say. " It doesn't sound very brave to me."

Stephen smiles guiding you through the gymnasium entrance toward the parking lot.

"You talked about a trauma to a group of people." He says. "That takes a lot of courage, even if you don't believe it."

"I don't believe in anything." You grumble, but Stephen doesn't mind your hostility. He stays with his friendly posture.

"I would like you to accept my request from before." He said after a moment. "About a group partner."

You let out a sigh.

"I don't even know what that means." You retort with slight impatience as you reach the edge of the parking lot. You notice the garden a few feet ahead of you.

"It's like a therapy buddy." He explains with a smile. "We encourage socializing here. That's why Agatha recommended this group to you."

"Oh, of course you do. Agatha is a bitch." You wryly wipe your hands across your face. Stephen laughs lightly. "How does that work anyway? Do I have to hold someone's hand? Exchange friendship bracelets?"

"No, it's much better." He says with a chuckle. "You talk to that person. You exchange experiences with them. You learn to trust somebody else again."

"My god, it looks like a fucking Disney movie." You retort with irritation and Stephen lets out a laugh. And then you let out a sigh, shrugging your shoulders. "Okay, I'll do it. I have nothing to lose, and it seems that neither you nor Agatha will leave me alone if I don't agree."

"We want you to feel better. Don't take this as a punishment." He says, guiding you back to the gym. You nod slightly, thinking that it really does feel like punishment anyway.

//-//

You see Agatha the same week. Your appointments have been switched to monthly meetings instead of weeks as they were at the beginning of treatment, and while you appreciate the familiarity of seeing her, you can't help but feel irritated with her.

"Someone's grumpy." She comments as soon as you sit down on the couch in the room, to which you roll your eyes.

"You are always so very tender, Agatha." You mock as you cross your legs, hoping the time will pass soon.

Agatha laughs lightly, finishing tidying up a few things on her desk. And then she gets up and sits down in the armchair a few feet in front of the sofa where you are, carrying a small notebook in her hands.

"So, why don't you tell me how your your first two sessions in group therapy went?"

You let out a dry laugh.

"Like Stephen didn't tell you everything." You sneer and Agatha just smiles, waiting for you to speak. You let out an impatient sigh, before stating wryly. "It was amazing, doc. It only took two sessions for me to have a panic attack, so thank you for that."

"Why do you think that happened?"

You squeezed your eyes.

"I have no idea." You retorted. "I'm not the doctor here." Agatha laughs lightly, and then opens her notebook and starts writing something. You sigh impatiently. “Really, you're going to start that again?”

"If you don't talk, I write." She states simply, and you roll your eyes, shifting on the couch uncomfortably.

"Agatha, I just... I couldn't get on a bus, okay?" you tell her, and she closes her notebook to look at you attentively. You take a deep breath. "There were a lot of people. I don't mind walking anyway. It helps me think."

"You don't mind walking eight blocks?" She asks with a slight irony. "That's pretty athletic of you."

"It's weird that you know my address off the top of your head." You play lightly, and she just laughs, straightening her posture. 

"Why don't you just tell me what you want to tell me?"

"Why don't you ask me what you want to ask?"

Agatha blinks slightly in surprise, and then she shakes her head slightly, opening her notebook again. You sigh.

"Okay, sorry." You say, and she looks at you for a moment before closing the object again. I... I thought I was drowning again.”

"Are your nightmares back?" She asks seriously, and you deny it with your head.

"I feel too anxious to sleep." You tell. "And then I black out from exhaustion in the night or in the morning. I don't dream anymore."

"Have you been taking your medication?"

You sigh.

"Of course I have."  You say. "I don't... I'm having trouble keeping my mind still. Like the first few months, you know. Everything seems so noisy now."

Agatha nods slightly, becoming thoughtful for a few moments. 

"I know it may sound strange to hear that, but that means you're getting better." She declares and you frown in surprise, then let out a dry laugh.

"How is my peak anxiety a good thing?"

She opens the book again, but before you can ask what you said wrong, she is reading.

"The first day you were here, you said you felt like you were empty." She narrated and you swallowed dryly. "During your first two months, you continued to describe that you felt like an empty shell. And that you no longer had any dreams, thoughts, or opinions. Without your wife, you said you were no longer here."

You felt your eyes fill with water at the mention of her. But you swallowed your emotions. Agatha turned a page, and read for a few seconds, and then looked at you.

"With your history of anxiety, your mind was remarkably quiet after the passing of your wife." She says. "But now that you're on medication, and therapeutic treatment, plus you're socializing even superficially with the world again, you're starting to feel things again. That's progress."

You look away from her, nodding slightly, trying to believe her words, and trying not to be so terrified at the thought of learning to live again. Without Nat.

You choke slightly, holding back a sob, and then Agatha hands you a box of tissues, but you refuse with a nod, wiping away the tears that have slightly escaped.

"What do you want to talk about now?" She asks after a moment. You take a deep breath, still trying to calm yourself.

"Last week I took a cold bath." You count. "It was snowing."

Agatha blinks in surprise at the information and then lets out a giggle.

"You want me to write it in the book don't you?"

You laugh, wiping away the last of the insistent tears. You just hope Agatha could help you.

//-//

You hate coffee. But you barely slept last night, and now you need to stay awake during the group meeting, so instead of walking to the chair in the corner like you used to, you detour your way to the food and beverage table as soon as you arrive at the gym.

There are a few members around, but you don't look at them, just sidestepping as you extend your arm to the coffee bottle. You pour some, and as you touch the cup, you notice. It's cold.

"Hey sorry about that." Said a girl you thought was named Val or something, as soon as she saw you touching the cup. "We mixed up the shifts yesterday and nobody made new coffee."

You rolled your eyes, picking up the cup and throwing it in the trash. Then you forced a wry smile on the girl and walked outside. 

It was cold, but you are boiling with rage. It was just a damn cup of coffee, you thought as you closed your eyes and tried to reduce your anger. Just coffee. 

You stumbled with fright when Stephen called out to you.

"We'll get started in a minute." He said looking at you curiously. You just nodded, following him after a few seconds.

You bit the inside of your cheek when you noticed the same coffee girl as before, now sitting where you usually sat. The universe was testing you today. 

You just sighed, twiddling your fingers inside your pocket, and walked over to one of the free chairs.

After Stephen gave the briefing, he asked if everyone was all right, and the group lied in unison. You were almost asleep when he called your name.

"I would like to choose your partner today." He says and you feel your heart racing as you straighten your posture. "But I want to know if you have any preferences."

You blink in confusion, and roll your eyes.

"I don't know anyone here, but I'm sure they will all hate me equally, doc." You tried to joke, but Stephen only looked at you with concern.

"No one does or will hate you." He says and you swallow dryly, looking away as you mumble that it was just a joke. Stephen pauses momentarily before continuing. "You know that everyone here has their own experiences of loss and they are unique in their own way, even if they have similarities." He begins and you just wish he would speak soon who your partner is at once. "Usually we don't put new members together, but with the release of one of our members, the number ended up getting odd." He explains. "Anyway, I'm sure you and Mrs. Maximoff will get along very well together."

You frowned slightly at the whole explanation. Then you looked around the group, and realized that this Maximoff woman was the late redhead from the previous session who looked at you curiously. You looked away from her to Stephen.

"Thank you, doc." You said with a slight irony and Stephen just nodded smiling.

"Partners are grieving companions ladies." He says. "We will assess your progress at each session, and then switch partners once the necessary improvement has been achieved."

You grumbled in understanding, and looked away to your lap. When Stephen began to ask about the stories, your mind wandered to the departure time.

And when the session was over you wished you could go to sleep. But Stephen made a slight movement of his head in Maximoff's direction, and you understood that you should talk to her.

Ignoring the urge to show Stephen the middle finger, you just sighed as you got up from your chair and lazily walked over to the woman at the exit. She was talking to a man, and you were even more anxious to address not one, but two strangers.

"Hi." You greeted awkwardly, and both of them turned to you with mild curiosity. 

"Hey, you're Y/N, right?" Said the man with a smile as he held out his hand to you. "I'm Bucky. James Barnes actually, but everyone calls me Bucky." He said and you shook his hand, smiling awkwardly. Then he quickly pointed at the woman.  "And this is Wanda Maximoff, your grief partner."

"Hi." Wanda said shyly as she offered her hand to greet you. You accepted as clumsily as she did.

"Sorry, I don't know how this works." You say. "Should we exchange numbers or something? Or is that just a therapy thing?"

Bucky gives a little chuckle.

"Oh believe me, they'll know if you're not making it work." He counters. "My first partner was Sam Wilson and we wanted to jump on each other's necks whenever we saw each other. And then Stephen asked us to move in together." He says and you blink in surprise. "We're married now, but that's not the point. I guess I'm getting off topic..."

"Bucky." Wanda interrupts with a smile, and he smiles half-heartedly as well. You frown, annoyed by Bucky's story. You didn't want to marry anyone. "I guess we'll make it work, I hope you don't mind having the company of two tiny restless creatures on our walks."

You look at her with confusion and then you understand, smiling shyly.

"No, it's okay." You say. "I like children."

"Really?" She asks in surprise.

You nod slightly. "Unlike adults, they tell the truth."

Wanda seemed to be thoughtful, but then Bucky lets out an exclamation.

"As group guide, I have to pass the to-do list to you ladies." He says pulling a small notebook from the back pocket of his pants. He pulls out a sheet of paper and hands it to Wanda. "Partners need to develop these habits of socializing and coping with grief together. And yes, there is a test."

You sigh impatiently, tucking a loose string behind your ear. 

"That sounds fun." You mock lightly making them smile. 

"Anyway, good luck to you two." He says tenderly. "And Wanda, call me if you need help with Tommy. I know a good therapist."

You frown slightly, not understanding what he is referring to, but you prefer to stay out of matters that are none of your business. And then Bucky kisses Wanda on the cheek in farewell and waves to you smiling before leaving. You switch foot weights when you are alone with Wanda. Talking to other people is not exactly your strong suit these past few months.

"So..." You start clumsily when she turns to you. 

"So." She repeats equally embarrassed. You then clear your throat and rush to pull your cell phone out of your pocket and hand it to her.

"Give me your number." You say. "That way we can arrange...whatever this is." 

Wanda smiles weakly as she accepts the device, and you ignore the curious look when she notices the cracks in the screen. A moment later she hands the cell phone back to you.

"I gotta go." She says. "I need to pick up my kids from school."

You nod slightly and force a smile to say goodbye, and Wanda copies your movement before leaving.

You stare at your cell phone next, noticing the slight anxiety in your stomach as you read the contact "Wanda Maximoff" on the screen.

//-//

By the weekend, you are miserable. Just like the first few months.

You spilled some tea under your bed, and when you went to clean it up, you ended up taking the objects that were lying there. And then you found a crumpled piece of paper.

It was your farewell speech. The words you wrote down to speak on the day of the funeral. The paper you pulled out of your pocket when you got home from the ceremony and probably fell under the bed when you collapsed on the floor from crying so hard.

Suddenly your chest tightened and you couldn't breathe. But you didn't want your mother to worry, so you concentrated on remembering the exercises your therapist had taught you.

And when the room started to get too small, you left.

But because it was cold and rainy, you had just taken a hot shower and had decided to brew tea before you finished putting on a sweater, you had bent down to pick up your socks, and the liquid fell on the floor. 

You went outside without your shoes, and your mother let out a worried exclamation when she saw you standing outside, staring at nothing.

"Honey?" She asked walking out the door after seeing you through the kitchen window. "Honey, what is it?"

You didn't answer. Your face was wet. Your mother's hands wrapped around your shoulders, and she gently pushed you inside, worried that you would end up getting hypothermia.

"I'm fine." You gasped as she led you inside, but she just shook her head. "I'm fine."

"No, honey." She retorted making you frown. "You're not."

"Mom."

"Sit down." 

And then there were blankets around you, and socks on your feet. And your mother was in the kitchen, on the phone, but everything seemed stuffy. You began to be absent again. Thousands of memories flashing through your eyes.

An image of yourself on that living room floor, laughing while your girlfriend had her arms wrapped around you. Your mother was pouring a glass of wine for each of you, and you were happy to tell her about your engagement.

Then an image of you running across the room, trying to dodge the tickles your father tickled you while you laughed.

Then a puppy in your hands on the floor. You looked at it fondly, laughing at how cute it looked. 

Looking down, you saw a hand on your thigh. It was your wife's, the ring on her finger. She smiled at you. You were happy because that was the day you told your mother about the house purchase.

You gasped slightly when you felt someone's hand on your shoulder suddenly.

"I need you to tell me three things you can see." It was Agatha. God, you should have been out of reaction long enough for her to get here. Wiping away your tears, you took a deep breath, trying to reason straight.

"I... I..." You started, but your brain didn't seem to obey you. You took another deep breath. You could see the carpet, so you told her so.

"Two more." Agatha asked tenderly, her hand caressing your back from top to bottom. 

"The... table." You replied crying. "I can see the table."

"That's right, honey." She said. "Just one more now. Tell me what else?"

"My feet." You add breathlessly. "I can see my feet."

"Now breathe with me, okay?" She asks. "Like I taught you."

The exercises help you to calm down again. You apologize for scaring your mother, and for making Agatha drive to your house, but neither of them is upset with you. You feel exhausted, but the doctor wants to talk to you after she accepts the cup of coffee your mother offers her.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" She asks as you sit on the covered porch, fluffy pillows around you.

You lower your gaze to the floor, sniffling lightly.

"I found my grief speech." You count. "Under my bed. The next minute I was outside."

Agatha sighs.

"You ready to talk about the accident."

You raise your eyes quickly, frowning, because it wasn't a question.

"W-what?"

She takes a deep breath, crossing her legs.

"It's suffocating you." She clarifies. "You need to talk or these attacks will happen again."

"I-I don't..."

"It won't be today." She interrupts with a tender smile. "Tonight you need to sleep. But we won't prolong this any longer. You need to talk about it, even if it’s only to scream."

Clenching your jaw, you hold back your tears as Agatha takes one last look at you before getting up. She murmurs that she will see you on Monday, but you don't look at her.

//-//

You don't sleep well on Sunday. And it's definitely because you can't stop thinking about your appointment.

And it goes well for the first twenty minutes. Agatha doesn't pressure you, and agrees to hear about your week, without mentioning the incident on Thursday.

There is a pause after you have told her about the dog barking noise in the early morning and then you know it is time to speak up.

"I was driving." You say softly suddenly, ignoring the feeling that your throat wants to close up. Agatha has her hands folded in her lap as she listens to you. "She...she was sleeping in the passenger seat." You swallow dryly, trying to count and not get caught up in the memory again, your heart racing. Talking is almost like going back there. "I looked at her for a moment and I got distracted... and then... we just..."

You only realize that you are crying because tears fall on your hand. You blink, sniffling. Taking a deep breath, you continue.

"We fell into the water, and Nat...she just...I couldn't get her belt off." You gasp breathlessly. "The water just...kept coming up around us. And she looked at me, and... she just shook her head like she knew what was going to happen." You tell between sobs. Agatha's eyes water, but she doesn't interrupt. "I just...she pushed me. She pushed my hands away and she told me she would follow me. And god... my dumb brain believed her!" You confess angrily. "She told me she was right behind me! And I swam out and when I came up she wasn't with me."

You shut up, not being able to tell anymore through the sobs. You can't even see the office clearly because of the tears.

It takes a moment for you to speak again, your head down.

"When I swam back, the car was completely covered with water everywhere" You recount. "I...I was going to dive again.... I wanted to get her out of there. But the people who saw the accident jumped in after us. And they pulled me out of the water. And I kept thinking that if I hadn't been distracted, she...she would be...."

"No." Agatha interrupts by offering you a tissue. "Natasha had a stomach injury, don't you remember?" She counters and you gasp, the words echoing in your brain. "That's why you couldn't remove the belt."

And then you were remembering clearly now.

Soft music echoed in the car as you hummed the tune and drove to your friends' house. Your wife mumbled softly beside you, making you smile as you watched the sleeping figure. The red hair in front of her face.

"Hey sleepyhead." You called softly, looking away from the track for a moment. "We're almost there."

Nat muttered in agreement. You bit your lip, thinking she looked beautiful. And then you heard a noise, and a white light in the window. You barely had time to frown when the impact threw your car off the road.

Your body tensed immediately as you sat up, looking around with desperation. The car was sinking fast and you turned to Nat.

A wound on her forehead was bleeding, and she was clearly disoriented as you touched her hands. You hurried to unbuckle her belt, but it was jammed tightly in her waist, and you gasped in shock at the wound.

"N-no." You grumbled, trying to move the metal, but Nat gasped in pain, pushing your hands away. You could barely breathe in desperation. Your feet were freezing, because the water was already at your ankles. "Babe, move please. We have to get out."

Nat advanced toward you, taking off your belt. You tried to touch her, but she pushed your hands away again, intending to guide you out.

" Sweetheart, go! Open the door! " she commanded and you shook your head, the water on your knees. Nat forced a smile, the tears in her eyes made your stomach turn. "Don't worry love. I'm right behind you."

As you opened the door, the water moved all the way into the car, and you held your breath Nat repeated the words "I'm right behind you" one more time. And then you swam out.

When you reached the surface, you were alone.

Sobbing, you couldn't say anything else to Agatha, and she proceeded to stroke your back, trying to soothe you with words of affirmation.

"I need you to remember some things honey." She says tenderly. "You couldn't have helped Natasha. She got stuck. You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened." Agatha whispers to you, and you sob. "Remember the investigation, okay? The police said that the driver of the truck was drunk and hit your car after he fell asleep. It wasn't your fault." Agatha says trying to remind you. You gasp, countless memories flooding your head at once. "Say that for me, will you?" She asks and you gasp. "Tell me it wasn't your fault."

You sob, burying your face in your hands. It takes a moment, but you repeat the words.

"It wasn't my fault." You whisper breathlessly. "It...it wasn't my fault."

When you leave therapy that day, you feel different.

You think that it is the healing process that is beginning to work. You still have a long way to go, but you have the feeling that a weight has been lifted off your back, because you have started to believe your own words. You could not have saved Natasha.

There is still a deep sadness in you, but you still buy your favorite drink on the way home, and try to stay in the living room for a few hours before going to your room when you are inside.

[440mxs-wife]

Shore Leave - Part 3

(Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Pairing: Pairing: Leonard “Bones” McCoy x Lt. Maggie Parker (OFC). Other Characters: Lt. Ruthie Warner (OFC, mentioned),  Eleonora McCoy (Leonard’s mother), Donna (Leonard’s sister), Ryan (OMC)

Word Count: 7100-ish (sorry)

Warnings: Fluff, fluff and more fluff. Minor run-in with an ex, but sooooo much fluff.

A/N: This is a continuation of the ongoing story between Leonard and Maggie, which started with Part 1: New Recruit and Part 2: Something More. Enjoy!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At first, Lt. Maggie Parker couldn't believe her good luck. The Enterprise was back on Earth in spacedock for extensive repairs and regular maintenance. This meant a two-week shore leave for all personnel. The ship's corridors were abuzz with excitement and everyone sharing their plans on how they'll be spending shore leave.

As soon as Maggie found out, she called her brothers, excited to have time to spend with them and their families. She was heartbroken to find out that they had already made plans to go on a Caribbean cruise. Their trip started the same day her shore leave started and was supposed to last for a month. Not only that, but the tickets were non-refundable. Ruthie was nowhere near Earth, still somewhere in the galaxy, on assignment on the USS Pegasus. With no one around, Maggie was left wondering how she was going to spend her shore leave.

She knew that Leonard was going home to Georgia and would be gone from the ship for all of shore leave. Their relationship was still going well, after almost two years. However, Maggie didn't know how ready either of them were for her to meet his family. She also wasn't too keen on being without his company for those two weeks.

One morning, Maggie was sitting in the mess hall having breakfast. Well, sort of. She had breakfast food on her tray, but hadn't really touched any of it except her coffee. Maggie had requested a hot vanilla latte from the replicator, but by this time, it had gone cold.

"You know, darlin', breakfast works much better if you actually ingest the food, instead of leaving it on your tray," he teased. He took the seat next to Maggie and reached for her hand, covering it with his own. "Everything all right, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Everything's fine, Len," Maggie said softly as she gave him a small smile. "I guess I'm just not that hungry right now. You can help yourself to whatever is here, though," she offered.

McCoy slipped his arm around Maggie's waist. "Are you sure? You've been a little quiet ever since shortly after shore leave was announced. I thought you'd be excited, making big plans and all," he remarked.

"Yeah, well, that was until everyone decided to ditch me and now I have no plans," Maggie retorted in a rare flash of anger. "I'll probably end up staying onboard the ship and using the time to get caught up on my reports. In fact, reports are what I really should be working on right now. Excuse me," Maggie abruptly got up and left the table.

The captain had witnessed Maggie's hasty retreat and joined the table, taking the seat she had recently vacated. "What was that all about?" Kirk wondered.

McCoy shook his head in bewilderment. "You got me, Jim. I asked her what her plans were for shore leave, and she muttered something about everyone deciding to ditch her," he replied.

"Well, I'm going home to Iowa, you're headed home to Georgia," he remarked then snapped his fingers. "You know, you should take her home with you. I mean she is your girlfriend after all. I'll bet Momma McCoy would love to meet her," Kirk suggested.

"Hey, that's a great idea. I wasn't looking forward to spending those two weeks without Maggie anyway. And I'll bet you're right, especially after everything I've told Ma about her. She probably can't wait to meet Maggie," McCoy grinned. "I'm going to go message her right now and tell her there may be one extra for Sunday dinner."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maggie tried her best to concentrate on her reports to be turned in later to Cmdr. Spock. Unfortunately, this morning's conversation over breakfast with Dr. McCoy continued to run through her mind. I was upset, but I shouldn't have taken it out on my sweet Leonard, she thought. He was only trying to be helpful, and had no idea about my plans for shore leave falling through, Maggie inwardly groaned.

Around midday, Maggie went to the mess hall and picked out some items to take to Leonard for lunch. The MedBay was relatively quiet, not many patients for once. When Nurse Chapel saw who it was, she smiled and pointed Maggie towards Dr. McCoy's office.

Maggie nodded and tentatively knocked on the office door, hoping she wasn't disturbing her boyfriend. When she heard a soft, 'come in', she slowly opened the door and poked her head inside. Dr. McCoy was sitting in his chair, sifting through some papers on his desk.

At the sound of the door opening, he looked up and smiled broadly at seeing his girlfriend. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his chest. "Well, hello there, darlin'. To what do I owe the pleasure? Is everything all right?" he asked.

"I come bearing gifts, or sort of a peace offering, if you will," Maggie replied, setting the food on Leonard's desk. She walked over to his chair, eyes cast downward.

McCoy unclasped his hands and held out his arms. As soon as Maggie got close enough, he reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. He draped one arm across her thighs and with his other hand, he guided her head to rest on his shoulder. Once she was settled, he brushed his thumb up and down Maggie's arm in a soothing motion. "Now, what seems to be the trouble, Love?" he questioned.

Maggie took a deep breath before answering. "I wanted to apologize for my outburst at breakfast. I was disappointed about my situation, but I had no right to take it out on anyone, least of all you. I'm so sorry, Len," she murmured.

"Oh, darlin'," McCoy whispered, then pressed his lips to Maggie's temple. "It's okay that you feel that way. You know you can always talk to me when that happens. So, wanna give it a try? Tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours?" he asked.

She nodded slowly. "I....have no plans for shore leave. My brothers and their families will be on a month-long cruise in the Caribbean with non-refundable tickets. Ruthie's nowhere close to Earth, still on board the USS Pegasus. Jim's going to Iowa, Spock and Uhura have plans and you're going home to Georgia. Once I added all of that up, I felt incredibly....lonely," Maggie explained, a few tears leaving her eyes.

"Hmm. I can see why that would make you a little unhappy. I have an idea, though. What if you came home to Georgia with me?" he suggested.

Maggie sat up in surprise to look McCoy directly in the eyes. "Are you serious? Wait, I-I don't want to intrude on your time with your family, Len," she replied hesitantly.

"Sugar, you would not be an intrusion whatsoever. Frankly, I've been trying to figure out a way for you and my ma to meet each other anyway. What do you say? Will you come home with me to Georgia and meet my family?" he grinned.

A huge smile broke out over Maggie's face as she threw her arms around McCoy's neck and kissed him soundly on the lips. "I would love to come home with you, Len. I love you so much," she replied, whispering the last part.

"I love you too, darlin'. Now, what say we have some of this delicious lunch you brought, and then we can tell Ma the great news?" he asked. Maggie nodded enthusiastically and started to dish out the food she brought with her to Leonard's office.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Soon, the day arrived for everyone to start their two-week shore leave. The shuttle took Maggie and Leonard to the station on Earth. McCoy's sister, Donna, had left his truck in the parking lot. He helped Maggie get up into the truck, then stowed their bags in the truck bed.

Leonard turned the key in the truck's ignition, bringing it roaring to life. He turned to Maggie and grinned, because he couldn't wait for his mother to meet his best girl. He knew that they would get along, with his ma fussing over her, wanting to make sure she felt welcome. Maggie would be as sweet as ever, making sure his ma didn't go to any extra trouble just for her.

Leonard stretched his arm across the back of the bench seat. Maggie slid over to the middle of the bench seat and snuggled up next to him. McCoy placed a sideways kiss to Maggie's temple and curled his arm around her, keeping her close to his side. Maggie placed her right hand on Leonard's chest and gave a contented sigh.

The more miles that ticked by, drawing them ever closer, the more nervous Maggie became. What if she doesn't like me? What if she doesn't think I'm good enough for her son? These were the biggest doubts screaming through Maggie's head as she thought of meeting Mrs. McCoy.

"You know, I can hear the wheels turning in your head, Sugar. Relax, please. Just be yourself, that sweet, loving woman I know you are. Within five minutes or less of meeting you, she's going to love you as much as I do. Hell, she'll love you so much, that she'll likely end up disowning me and adopting you," he chuckled.

His remarks seemed to reassure Maggie about meeting one of the most important women in Leonard's life. Before they knew it, they had reached the McCoy family homestead. Leonard put the truck in park and turned off the engine. He exited the vehicle and walked around to the passenger side, which was closest to the house.

Maggie also descended from the truck, but after she closed the door, she leaned up against it, choosing to hang back a little. She saw a woman of medium height with short, gray hair step out onto the porch, drying her hands on a towel. Upon sight of her son, Eleonora McCoy slung the towel over her shoulder and walked towards him, arms outstretched.

"As I live and breathe. Oh, Leonard, my son, it's so good to see you," she beamed.

"Hiya, Ma. It's good to be home to see you," he replied as he closed the distance and brought his mother into his embrace.

They clung to each other for a couple of minutes, then Mrs. McCoy stepped back to peer around Leonard. "Is that her?" she whispered excitedly, a gleeful smile across her face.

He chuckled and held out his hand for Maggie to draw her closer to his side. "Yes. Momma, this is my Maggie. Lt. Maggie Parker, I'd like you to meet my ma, Eleonora McCoy," he remarked.

Maggie held out her hand, which was shaking a little from nervousness. "It's a great honor to meet you, Mrs. McCoy. I've heard a lot about you," Maggie replied.

"Oh, you dear child, come here so I can give you a proper greeting," Eleonora gently chided, holding her arms out. "And please, call me 'Eleonora', 'Momma' or just 'Ma'," she added.

Maggie looked at Leonard, who grinned and nudged her towards his mother. Eleonora wrapped her arms around Maggie and gave her a little squeeze. Maggie could feel the warmth and welcome in the gesture and a few tears leaked from her tightly closed eyes.

The tears did not escape Eleonora's notice when she pulled back. "Leonard, I'm sorry, but I think I accidentally broke your girlfriend," she chuckled nervously. "Honey, is everything all right?" she asked with concern.

"Darlin', are you okay?" McCoy inquired, rubbing circles on Maggie's back.

"I'm fine, really. It's just that--your hug was so warm, it reminded me of the ones my mom used to give me. She and my dad have both been gone for six years now. I guess I didn't realize how much I missed them until right at this moment. Thank you for making me feel so welcome," Maggie finished.

"My precious girl, you are absolutely welcome here, we're happy to have you with us. Did Leonard happen to tell you how much I've been pestering him to meet you? I would've settled for at least a video message, but I'm much happier to have you here in person," Eleonora winked. "Now, follow me, and we'll introduce you to the rest of the family. Don't worry, dear, Leonard will get the bags," she grinned.

"Already on it, Ma," he called as he hoisted the bags from the truck bed to carry them upstairs to his old room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once inside the kitchen, a multitude of heavenly aromas assaulted Maggie's senses. "What is that divine smell?" she asked.

"That would be my secret family recipe for Chicken and Dumplings," Eleonora answered, beaming with pride. "Now that my son is home and with his beautiful girlfriend, I have been cooking up a storm since morning," she replied.

"What can I do to help?" Maggie inquired.

"You can let Leonard take you on a tour of the house, I'll be all right in here," Eleonora tried to assure the young lieutenant.

"I'm sure we can do that later, but there has to be something I can do to help. I'm pretty good in the kitchen, always used to help my mom. Please?" Maggie practically begged.

"Well....I was going to make a peach cobbler for dessert. If you'd like, you can peel and dice the peaches, then put them in this bowl right here," Eleonora suggested. She handed Maggie a bowl, while Maggie grabbed a knife and what would be the first of many peaches.

While Maggie and Momma McCoy were busy in the kitchen, Leonard was upstairs unpacking their bags. Once he was finished, he quietly came down the back stairs that led directly to the kitchen. His curiosity was piqued when he heard Maggie and his mother mention his name. By this time, Donna had joined them, so he paused on the stairs to listen in on their conversation.

"You sure seem to know your way around a kitchen, Maggie," Eleanora remarked. "I appreciate the help."

"My pleasure, Momma," Maggie replied with a smile. Leonard grinned when he heard that. To him, it meant that Maggie was feeling more comfortable around his mother.

After a bit, Eleonora wandered over to the sink to check Maggie's progress in dicing the peaches. "Once you finish that one, I think we have enough for the cobbler," she declared.

"I can't wait to taste the 'fruits of our labor'," Maggie quipped, throwing everyone into a fit of laughter, including Leonard himself, though silently.

Eleonora then laid a hand on Maggie's arm, causing Maggie to turn and lock eyes with Momma McCoy. "You know, after Leonard's divorce from Jocelyn, he threw himself into his medical studies. After that, he just concentrated on his work on the Enterprise. I'd get messages from him where he seemed happy enough, but I wasn't convinced that it was 100%. Even though he had Jim to help him through it all, I was really worried about him." Oh, Ma, Leonard thought.

"From what he's told me, the divorce was rough on him, especially since Joanna was involved. For anyone who loves Leonard, I'm sure that it couldn't have been easy to see him go through that," Maggie murmured. How right you are, my sweet darlin', Leonard silently commented.

"But now? Since he has you in his life, I see so many changes for the better. He's relaxed, he's content and he's in love, probably for the last time in his life," Eleonora remarked. "I want to thank you for seeing past his outer armor and helping to mend his heart," she added.

"That goes double for me. Len and I may not always agree on everything, as is usually the case with brothers and sisters. But I sure am grateful that he found you, Maggie," Donna chimed in.

"I appreciate the thanks, but the truth is, we've helped each other. I had an ex named Ryan that broke my heart by cheating on me with his high school sweetheart. But then I met your extraordinary son and brother, and he showed me what real love is. So please allow me to thank YOU for raising such a kind and honorable man," Maggie concluded.

As if on cue, Momma McCoy and Donna both swooped in and captured Maggie in a group hug. Gentle tears of happiness were shed between the three women as they embraced each other. Leonard recognized this as his opportunity to come out of hiding on the stairs. "I leave Maggie alone with y'all for five minutes, and look what happens. Y'all broke her again," he smirked.

The ladies giggled and stepped apart. Leonard got a playful punch to his arm from Donna and was pulled into a one-arm side hug with Eleonora. As they returned to their previous activities, Leonard took hold of Maggie's hand, then brought her into his embrace. They closed their eyes, rocking gently back and forth, lost in the feeling of being in each other's arms.

Maggie lifted her head from where it was resting on Leonard's chest. She reached up with her right hand and cupped his face, her thumb brushing gentle strokes on his cheek. "I love you, Leonard," she whispered, her lips curved into a shy smile.

"I love you too, darlin'. So very much," he whispered back. Leonard dipped his head and captured Maggie's lips in a soft, tender kiss.

"Oh, all right now, there's enough sugar in this peach cobbler without y'all dripping honey all over everywhere," Eleonora teased. She made a shooing motion with her hands as she guided them towards the door. "Go on, Leonard, show her around the place. But don't go too far, dinner's ready in about a half hour," she warned.

"Don't mind if I do, Ma," he answered. "Shall we go for a stroll, sweetheart?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to take.

Maggie captured his hand with hers, interlacing their fingers. "Lead the way, my love," she replied.

They left the kitchen through the door that led out to the porch. As they walked, Leonard began telling Maggie about his favorite memories of growing up on the family farm. After they were a fair distance from the house, Eleonora and Donna stepped out onto the porch to observe the lovebirds.

"She's cute, I like her," Donna remarked.

Eleonora nodded. "They're good for each other, and they make each other happy," she responded.

Donna placed a hand on her mother's arm. "I'm going to go in and check the cobbler," she said.

"Thank you, hun," she replied as she watched her daughter walk back into the house. "Oh, Leonard. She's a keeper. Hold fast to this one, my son," she whispered to herself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dinner was a lively affair, with each of the McCoy women sharing quite a few childhood stories about Leonard. He was a fairly good sport about it, until at one point, Eleonora threatened to show Maggie his baby pictures. His protests were enough that she ultimately decided to wait, saying she'd save that for the next time they visit.

After dinner dishes were done, everyone retreated to the front porch for some relaxation. Maggie and Leonard were snuggled up together on the swing, lazily rocking back and forth. Off in the distance, the fireflies were out, like little glowing yellow embers floating in the air.

Maggie was wearing a worn-out Starfleet Medical sweatshirt that she'd once 'borrowed' from Leonard and 'forgotten' to return. He pretended to frown, saying he'd been looking for the shirt for some time, only to find that his girlfriend stole it. Then he softly whispered that while he loves seeing Maggie in his clothes, he much prefers her out of hers. A blush crept into Maggie's cheeks at his remarks, which caused Leonard to chuckle and press his lips to her temple.

"Well, lovebirds, don't stay up too late. Oh, by the way, there's a festival going on for the next few days at the fairgrounds just outside of town. If you're looking for something to do," Eleonora mentioned before going into the house.

"Been a while since I've been to one of those," Leonard remarked. "What do you say, darlin', should we check it out tomorrow night?" he asked.

"You're the expert on the local attractions, my love," Maggie replied. "However, I think it sounds like a wonderful idea."

"If it's the one I'm remembering, it should have music and dancing. Would love to get you out on the dance floor, sweetheart," Leonard murmured in Maggie's ear.

"Mmm, slow dancing with you is something I would definitely be in favor of doing," Maggie said softly. "I think I might have even packed a dancin' dress," she added.

"Did you now? Well, that settles it, we have to go. I'll pick you up at 8:00pm. I'll be the one in the white hat," he grinned.

"It's a date, Cowboy," Maggie giggled.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Eleonora had made a list of things that she needed from in town. Some from the Farmer's Market, a stop at the hardware store and a couple of things from the pharmacy. Leonard volunteered for him and Maggie to run her errands, which also gave them time alone together.

First stop was at the hardware store, where everyone seemed to know Leonard. They all said how proud they were that he was CMO of the fleet's flagship. He thanked them all, and took the opportunity to introduce Maggie as well.

Next, it was more of the same at the pharmacy, with all the warm greetings and well-wishes. When he introduced Maggie as his girlfriend, one woman in particular, Janice Rollins, didn't seem happy to hear the news. She fawned all over Leonard, completely ignoring Maggie and the fact that she had been introduced as his current girlfriend. It was all Leonard could do to extract himself and get done what he went there to do.

After their business in the pharmacy was concluded and they were outside, Leonard explained that Janice was a former girlfriend. He assured Maggie that she had nothing to worry about. "My heart belongs to you and you alone," he remarked as they walked to the Farmer's Market.

"Leonard, I know that, I trust you. My heart belongs to you and only you," Maggie countered. "So, what does your ma have on her list from here?" she asked.

"Tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and potatoes, for starters," Leonard answered. "I'd like to get some corn on the cob, if they have it," he said.

Maggie took the map from his hands to study it, so Leonard wrapped his arms around her from behind. He looked over her shoulder, plotting the best pathway to get what they needed in the shortest amount of time.

Thirty minutes later, they had purchased everything on Momma McCoy's list, plus some additional items. Leonard bought Maggie a bouquet of fresh flowers. She in turn found a vendor with some rare vinyl of Leonard's favorite music artist. For dinner, they bought some thick, juicy hamburgers to grill from the meat locker on site. With their mission accomplished, the couple climbed into the truck and drove back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back at the house, Maggie helped Eleonora once again with dinner preparations. Leonard was in charge of grilling the burgers, while Maggie made potato salad from her mom's recipe. Eleonora also made some Bourbon Baked Beans and there was also leftover peach cobbler.

After dinner, it was time to get ready for the dance at the festival. Leonard showered first, then shaved his slightly scruffy face. He was wearing his dark wash jeans, his boots and a burgundy-colored button down shirt with a bolo tie. As he promised Maggie, he put on his white cowboy hat and waited at the bottom of the stairs.

Then it was Maggie's turn to get ready. After her shower, she towel-dried her hair and left it to cascade down her back in soft waves. She pinned it up on the sides with crystal-encrusted barrettes. Her makeup and jewelry were kept simple, with hoop earrings and the bare minimum on the cosmetics.

Her dress was black with cream-colored flowers sprinkled throughout the fabric. It was nearly strapless, with only thin spaghetti straps to hold it in place on her shoulders. The dress had a high-low hem, with the shorter hem in front that hit just above her knees. A pair of black suede ankle boots completed her outfit.

Just before heading down to meet Leonard, Maggie paused at the top of the stairs. She took a deep breath, then slowly descended. She could see Leonard with his back to the railing, so he hadn't seen her yet. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Right on time, cowboy," she remarked with a soft smile.

Leonard turned to watch his girlfriend make her way down the stairs. As soon as he saw her, his mouth ran dry and all coherent thought temporarily flew out the window. To him, she looked more beautiful than ever, if that were even possible. Her dress flowed elegantly with her as she walked and the hemline gave him just a quick, teasing peek at her shapely legs.

He removed his hat and held out his hand to guide her the rest of the way down the staircase. Still holding her hand as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Leonard brushed his lips across her knuckles. "Well, bless my soul, darlin', you look absolutely gorgeous this evening. Since I have the pleasure of your company, that makes me the luckiest cowboy 'round these here parts," he drawled.

Maggie ducked her head shyly to hide the color spreading across her cheeks. She stepped back a little to give him a quick curtsy. "You may not be the only lucky one. For me, I'd say you're also the handsomest cowboy I've seen in my life," she replied.

She placed her free hand on Leonard's chest and took a step forward so there was very little space between them. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Leonard, however, had other ideas, leaning towards Maggie to deepen the kiss. His decision was rewarded when he heard the tiny moan of pleasure escape from her mouth, and he smiled against her lips.

"We could just stay here, you know. Continue with what we're doing now, let the night take us wherever it leads," Leonard suggested as he started to gently sway back and forth.

"Mmm, as tempting as that sounds, you promised to take me dancing, Len," Maggie pouted.

"Ah, so I did, sweetheart. Your carriage awaits, my love," he gestured towards the door with the hand still holding his hat. "Ma, we're headed out to the festival. It'll be late when we get home, so we'll see you in the morning," he called over his shoulder.

Eleonora bustled out to the living room to see the happy couple before they left for an evening of dancing. "You both look amazing! Have fun tonight. And Leonard? Stay out of trouble, hmm?" she teased.

"I make no promises, Ma, but if anyone can keep me in line, it's Maggie," he grinned and gave his mother a wink. "Goodnight, Ma," he said as he dropped a peck on her cheek before heading out the door.

"Goodnight, my son. At long last, you've found your happiness," she murmured to herself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At the dance, the music was lively, with a variety of genres represented. It was mostly the vintage country music playing, which was best for the two-step, the waltz and line dancing. Maggie and Leonard danced to a few of the more upbeat songs, but got out on the floor for every slow song.

After one of the waltzes, they decided to take a break and get something to drink. Leonard found them an empty table and pulled out Maggie's chair for her to sit down and rest. He took the seat next to her, then leaned over to press a lingering kiss to her lips. He asked her for her drink order, then headed for the bar.

On his way to the bar, Leonard thought about how perfect the past couple of days have been. He'd introduced Maggie to his mom and sister, who loved her right away without question. Earlier in the day, he took her out and showed her the town where he grew up. Tonight, he had the company of the prettiest woman at the dance. Lucky cowboy indeed, he thought to himself.

At the bar, he gave out their drink order. As he waited, he noticed another man sitting on a barstool, nursing a whiskey. The men locked eyes, nodded at each other in acknowledgment, then returned to their previous activities. Every once in a while, Leonard would see him cast longing glances in Maggie's direction, which brought his guard up.

He was wondering how to bring it up without having to break the man's face, when he felt a tapping on his arm to get his attention. "Hey, buddy, do you see that woman over there? The one in the black dress?" the man asked, pointing towards Maggie.

Leonard gritted his teeth and answered that yes, he saw the woman in question. "She's a pretty hot one, no doubt," the man remarked. "She looks a lot like my....my....hey, that's my ex-girlfriend, Maggie Parker. And she's sitting there all by her lonesome," he said, waggling his eyebrows. "I should go over there and say hello," the man grinned as he placed his empty glass on the bar's countertop. He got down from his barstool and started walking towards Maggie, but Leonard stopped his progress.

The man glanced down at Leonard's hand on his upper arm. "Uh, say listen, Pal, you wanna take your hand off my arm? I'm not gonna cause trouble, I just wanna let her know that Ryan says 'hello'," Ryan glared.

"I think you'd better leave the pretty lady alone, Ryan. She's told me about you, and besides, she's way out of your league," Leonard retorted.

Ryan gave Leonard the once-over, as if trying to size up his competition. "What, do you think she's more likely to be in your league, old man?" Ryan snorted.

"For your information, Maggie's in a class by herself. But what you don't know is that she chose me, so I'm tellin' ya, it's in your best interest to back off," Leonard threatened.

With a huff, Ryan resumed his perch on the barstool, muttering under his breath. By this time, the bartender had finished making the drinks that Leonard had ordered. He picked them up, one in each hand, and headed back to the table.

Once there, he set the drinks down on the table. Leonard took both of Maggie's hands in his and pulled her up from her chair so she was standing in front of him. He moved his hands up so they were cradling Maggie's face, then he leaned in and crashed his lips to hers. She responded by sliding her hands up his chest and locking her fingers behind his head.

When the kiss was finally broken, Maggie was left nearly breathless. She smiled as she brushed her fingertips across Leonard's forehead and into his hair. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" she asked.

"To thank you. For choosing me. You could have any man in the universe, yet you chose me," he answered softly.

"Leonard McCoy, you don't have to thank me. I will always choose you. Every day of the week, and twice on Sundays. I love you," she replied.

"And I love you, Maggie. You wanna get out of here?" he asked, holding out his hand.

She nodded, taking his hand in hers. Then she heard the opening bars of "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, a song which had always been among her mother's favorites. Maggie tugged on his hand to catch his attention. "Dance with me? Please?" she asked.

"Always and forever, darlin'," he responded as he led her to the dance floor. He put his hands on Maggie's hips and she put hers around his neck. Maggie rested her head on Leonard's shoulder and closed her eyes as they swayed in time with the music.

As the last notes of the song faded away, Maggie looked up into the face of the man she loved. "Shall we head back now?" she asked. Leonard nodded and kept hold of Maggie's hand, interweaving their fingers. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, causing her to giggle and blush.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The rest of shore leave seemed to pass by in a blur for Leonard and Maggie. They went on picnics by the lake, some horseback riding, and more trips into town on errands for Eleonora. There were even a couple of occasions where Eleonora spent time at Donna's house. She didn't mind, saying that Leonard and Maggie should have some time to themselves at the house.

Then there were the nights spent laying on a blanket in the bed of the pickup truck, gazing up at the stars. Which may sound silly, considering that's where they spent most of their time. But, as Maggie pointed out to Leonard, the stars look different from Earth than they do in space. All he knew and could focus on was how beautiful Maggie looked by the light of the moon.

One night, they were sitting in the front porch swing, Leonard wedged into the corner and Maggie sitting between his legs. Her back was leaning against his chest, with her head rested on his shoulder. The lazy swaying of the swing would usually be enough to put her to sleep, but she was wide awake tonight.

Leonard had his left arm curled around Maggie under her chin, with his right arm draped across her midsection. Her arms matched his in position, and her hands were atop his with fingers interlaced together. Every once in a while, they would give each other a gentle squeeze, in part for affection and also for reassurance.

"Len? In case I didn't tell you, I've had such a wonderful time these past two weeks. Thank you for inviting me to come with you for shore leave," Maggie remarked.

"Oh, darlin', it's been a real treat for me too. Before I asked you, I wasn't sure how I was going to deal with being without you for two whole weeks. Thank goodness I didn't have to go through that," he chuckled, then placed a kiss to Maggie's temple.

"And your mother and sister are amazing, I already love them. I only had brothers growing up, and being around your ma helps me to miss my mom a little less. They were a good influence on you. Except where did you get your grumpiness from?" she teased.

Leonard shifted in the swing so he could look Maggie in the eyes. "It's sass, isn't it? You're sassin' me right now, aren't ya, little lady. Well, I'll fix you," he grinned mischievously just before he started tickling Maggie on her sides and under her arms. That sent her into a fit of giggles and nearly gasping for air.

"Can't....breathe!" she managed to get out.

"Say I'm not grumpy, and I'll quit," he promised but was still randomly hitting her ticklish spots.

"Okay, okay," she wheezed. "You're not grumpy. You're adorable," she replied before capturing his lips with her own. Their mouths moved together in tandem, pressing and pulling in a delicate dance. "I love you, Len," Maggie whispered when they'd finally pulled apart.

"I love you too, Sugar," Leonard whispered back.

"I want you to know something else, and I'm just going to come out and say it. Leonard, you're 'it' for me. When I see my future, you're the only one I see it with. I realize that we've both been burned before, and….and I'm not asking you for more than you're ready to give. Just know that I'm here for you and that I love you with all my heart," Maggie declared.

Leonard was silent for what felt like an agonizingly long time to Maggie, before he spoke again. "You know, after what happened with Jocelyn, I'd pretty much sworn off of women. I was afraid of making the same mistakes again if I got into a relationship. And I didn't want to put anyone else through that, let alone myself."

"Oh, Len," Maggie whispered, but then Leonard put a finger to her lips. "Hey there, shh. It's my turn now, Love," he playfully scolded. Maggie nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Then I met you, my little spitfire, and all of that changed. I'm not afraid to fall in love anymore, because I already have. Maggie, you're 'it' for me, too. I know that my future isn't complete without anyone but you in it as my leading lady. If you can be patient with me on the 'more' part, I know we'll get there eventually. I love you with all my heart, Maggie," he concluded.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

All too soon, shore leave came to an end. With heavy hearts, Leonard and Maggie packed their belongings and put their bags in the trunk of Donna's vehicle. Her car was big enough so that Eleonora could accompany them to the station. She wanted to be there to see her son and his girlfriend off before they had to catch the shuttle back to the Enterprise.

At the station, everyone hesitated for a little bit before finally climbing out of the car. Leonard retrieved their bags from the trunk and set them on the curb. He turned to his mother with his arms wide open. "Bye, Momma. It was great seeing you, and I wish we could’ve stayed longer. Thank you for having us," he murmured, holding her tightly in his embrace.

Eleonora rubbed her hands in circles on his back. "You know you're welcome at home anytime, Leonard. Just don't make it so long between visits, bring your lovely girlfriend with you, and everything will be fine," she remarked.

"I'll try and visit more often, and I'll definitely bring Maggie with me. Love you, Ma," he whispered, then gave Eleonora one last squeeze. Before he let her go, she whispered in his ear about the surprise she had tucked into his bag.

Maggie had finished saying her goodbyes to Donna, then moved to hug Eleonora. "I had a wonderful time, and I loved meeting and spending time with you all. Thank you so much for having us, and I hope we can visit again soon," she said, giving Eleonora a fond embrace.

"You take care of yourself, sweet girl, and keep watch after my Leonard. He's my son, but Lord knows that man needs someone to keep him in line," she chuckled, as did Maggie. "You come visit anytime, we'd love to have you. By the way, I slipped something into your bag. Just a small gift, from me to you. A little reminder of your trip here," Eleonora mentioned.

A soft look crossed Maggie's face as tears prickled behind her eyes. "Thank you, Momma. You know, I think you and my mom would've been good friends," she remarked as she moved in to hug Eleonora once more.

Overhead, they heard the announcement for Leonard and Maggie's shuttle flight back to the Enterprise. One last round of hugs for everyone, then the couple picked up their bags and headed for the platform.

Eleonora and Donna watched as Leonard and Maggie walked away, each with an arm slung around the other's waist. Donna moved to stand beside her mother, and sighed deeply in contentment. "They're so good together. I'm glad they found each other," Donna stated.

"Yes, I am too. Wouldn't be surprised, though, if we were to hear some news from them in the near future," Eleonora replied with a mischievous grin.

Donna looked at her mother with narrowed eyes. "You know something, don't you? What is it? Tell me!" she demanded, but Eleonora refused, just kept the grin on her face. "Fine. Don't tell me," she grumbled as they climbed back into the car and headed home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back in their respective quarters, Leonard and Maggie set about the task of unpacking. As Maggie separated her clean clothes from ones to be laundered, a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and started reading it, her hand flying to cover her mouth. She almost didn't hear the door chime, signaling a visitor. On the second chime, she murmured 'come in' and the doors slid open to reveal her boyfriend on the other side.

"Hey, darlin', whatcha got there?" Leonard asked before wrapping his arms around Maggie from behind. He peered over her shoulder to see that she was reading a recipe in his ma's handwriting for her Chicken and Dumplings. "Whoa. Where did you get this?" he whispered.

"Your ma said she slipped something in my bag, as a reminder of our trip there. I don't understand, Len," Maggie replied, a confused look on her face.

Leonard took the piece of paper and held it up to Maggie. "This....has never left my ma's kitchen, not to my knowledge...." he trailed off. He placed the paper on Maggie's desk, then taking both of her hands in each of his.

"I still don't understand, Len," Maggie stated.

"Giving you this recipe means she loves you, sweetheart. And she knows you love me, but more than that, she trusts you. I know you were worried about meeting her, if she was going to like you. Darlin', after meeting you just this once, she already considers you part of the family," he finished with a smile. Someday, I hope that we can make that a little more permanent, he said to himself, as he thought of what his ma put in his bag.

Maggie tucked the paper into a drawer with her other valuable paperwork, then wound her arms around Leonard. Her hands clasped behind his head, she gently tugged downward until her lips met his. Just before things could get too heated, she pulled back to gaze into his perfect hazel eyes. "Shall we head to the mess hall, see who's back and do some catching up?" she asked.

Leonard pressed a lingering kiss to Maggie's forehead. "Sounds good to me, Love," he replied. With their arms curled around each other, they walked down to the mess area to catch up with their friends.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags: @marvelouslytrekking​​ @spacedancer1701​​ @anna-phora​​

[partytilfajr]

Salaam! My question is that since I'm in my mid-twenties and I'm starting my marriage search soon (I'm a woman) I want to know if i can ask the person I'm getting to know about their previous relationships? If they're a virgin? All of that stuff basically. I read that if they've repented for their sins they don't have to answer these questions or they can just lie and say no since they've repented, but as a potential/future spouse isn't it my right to know?

Wa alykum as-salaam!

So, Dar Al-Ifta Al-Missriyyah has written about this question, extensively, though it must said that the question they are answering is about a man asking about a woman about her status. You can read that answer here.

They write something that is important to note, as I want to underline that many times we fuse the rationale of larger society with the opinion of our Muslim leaders. In the opinion, they write this to conclude:

As for the claim of some men that they have to know if their future wife has fell into a sin or not is a corrupted opinion as it promotes declaring sins, revealing what God concealed, pursuing people’s pitfalls, and thinking ill of people which are all prohibited in Islamic law. As a matter of fact, there is no relationship between the loss of virginity and between adultery as this relationship only existed due to some cultures which do not see any problem when the man commits adultery whereas when the woman commits the same crime she is stained with shame and disgrace.

I just wanted to highlight that this double-standard that exists for women underlines to problems of our societies, and that Islam does not seek to enforce or encourage the hypocrisies that pervade society.

So, in short, yes, you should not be asking people about their status. The only time that people should be disclosing those sorts of things is if it impacts you. So, if someone has an STI, that will impact their partner, and so it should be disclosed.

I am quite aware that the standards for men and women are different, to put it kindly.

Boys expect their future wives to be virgins, while girls hope that their future husbands don’t have something. This is the double standard within our communities (Muslim or not) and it’s exhausting and annoying. I get it.

So Dar Al-Ifta, again, gives you the legal rationale, and again, they are writing about protecting the reputation and the value of a woman, since cultures have used sexism and misogyny to control women’s bodies and to stigmatize women for mistakes that they turn around and applaud men for.

My sense is that we have used this ruling as a way to protect sisters, but that we do not expect to use these same rulings for our brothers. I get why we do that, it’s an Islamic ruling that retorts and slaps away the sexist-fueled obsession with women’s bodies and the double-standards imposed upon women.

If I’m honest, I think most men tend to disclose these sorts of things, and many of them are not aware of this ruling--not anywhere close to the awareness of our sisters. I understand why sisters expect virginity, they’re like “hey, I waited, so should you.” I’d like to underline that there are more brothers that have waited, I’m not going to lie to you, I did not think it would be that high. Which is kinda sad, but I think you get what I’m trying to say.

Now, again, I think most people tend to disclose their pasts, both men and women, and I think they do this out of trust and love for the person they are talking to. I would counsel Muslims to not only take this sort of disclosure as a trust that they should keep to themselves and understand that whatever happens between you two, that you keep that information to yourself. I also think that both men and women tend to write people off for making mistakes.

First of all, we all make mistakes. The issue here is that we only have sympathy for people who sin the way we do. To be a “good Muslim” among Muslims, you don’t drink, don’t smoke, and don’t have a (public) girlfriend/boyfriend, and you’re a good Muslim. Our concern is centralized on discovery, so as long as people don’t know we do these things, we are fine.

We all make mistakes, the thing is, we are not defined by our mistakes, but what we do once we make them. Do we seek to rectify them? Or do we allow them to fester, do we seek help, do we try to fix what we’ve done?

The problem is that we fixate on sins that deal with our concerns vis-a-vis our place in society. The Prophet is reported to have said:

O those who embraced Islam with your tongue and its flow did not reach your heart yet. Don’t inflict harm on Muslims, don’t belittle them and don’t pursue and dig for their pitfalls as whoever digs for the pitfalls of others, God will dig for his own pitfalls and declare it before people… [Tirmidhi]

Now, I know you feel it is your right to ask this question. The ruling I’ve linked above. Just to speak plainly, I tend to believe people disclose this fact, regardless of the ruling--that’s just my sense in dealing with this concern quite often. I’d underline that you treat a brother as a human being here. Our world is filled with prejudices, sexism, misogyny, and all sorts of inequities too innumerable to list here. Of that, there is no doubt. When you are sitting across from another person, they are a human being--and yes different people benefit from these inequities and have various privileges--but I suggest that you treat the person across from you as that: a person.

We cannot abstract human beings. Our boys benefit from double standards--in that they are able to get away with things socially--but those double standards condemn them to facing the reality of their sins. Brothers cry to me about their mistake, it’s not just sisters, and yes, the brothers (if discovered) will face far less than if a sister was discovered, I am not questioning that, nor am I even debating it, I’m saying, just treat the person across from you as a human being.

People are going to ask and people are going to answer, but I ask you to show compassion for someone who is offering you a window of their vulnerability. We often look at potential spouses as products, with check-lists, like we are comparison shopping for a car. They are human beings. I’ve seen the dumb stuff boys write on Twitter, with their dumb jokes, talking about trust issues over a girl wearing makeup or whatever, and yes, they are cringe. I will try and petition Al-Azhar to make corny bro jokes haram, or at least makruh.

You are going to ask regardless of what I write here, and people are going to answer regardless of what they read, because they want to be honest, and it breaks my heart. People just want to be loved. That’s why they are reaching out. It’s why they laugh at dumb jokes. It’s why you stalk people on social media, because you want to reach out to someone else, to have someone love you and accept you, for, well you.

So I get why people respond and answer these questions, I know why people ask them, and I think the Islamic answer is there, and while the central framing of the Islamic answer is to protect women, their honor, and their place in societies that do not treat them with the respect and understanding that they should get for simply being a human, and that disconnect is violently enforced through sexism and misogyny--and Islam seeks to protect women from that human-made reality that contravenes the dictates of Islam. It is a failure of the test by God, on our collective society, that we create these inequities--for God demands justice, and our social norms are reflections of whether we truly believe in God or not, and when women face these barriers and prejudices, it means that our society has failed that test.

After writing this much, I asked myself: ‘why are you writing this much, Osama?’ I think because I have seen such a lack of compassion in our community, and I feel like we have taken religion and twisted it, but we are only aware of our rights and not our obligations, and that creates a very twisted way in dealing with religion and God--and then I thought about how consumerism fuels that self-centered understanding of God, so that religion really only has value as it pertains to our personal desires, rather than in improving our actions, softening our hearts, and in introspection so that we may work to improve society, starting with ourselves.

Anyway. My point is this: regardless of the rulings, you’re probably going to ask, they’re probably going to answer. If you can’t forgive someone because they made a mistake, then ask yourself why.

[primroseprime2019]

Con Job

"Alright! Chores are done! Now can we do some dune-bashing?!" Miko pleaded Bulkhead from her position on his shoulder as he walked into the command centre.

"I don't know, Miko. Last time, I spent a week picking sand out of my articulators. But there's a monster-truck rally in town," Bulkhead offered, causing Miko to light up.

"What is it with you and monster-truck rallies?" Paige asked as she leaned into Optimus, resting on his shoulder.

"They're awesome!" Miko answered casually.

"Optimus! I'm receiving a signal from a restricted band! It appears to be coming from a starship within the solar system," Ratchet reported, "It's an Autobot identification beacon!"

"So there are other bots out there?" Jack surmised.

"The masses scattered to the galaxy after Cybertron finally went dark. But 'Cons have been known to fake traps with false beacons," Arcee pointed out. Paige looked down at the mention of Cybertron but she was hiding her sadness at the fact that she was most likely the last Galatrian in the world.

And it hurt. Optimus, almost as if he sensed her sadness, gently brushed the girl's back with his digit before he looked back at the screens.

"Unknown vessel, this is Autobot Outpost Omega One. Identify yourself."

After some static, they got the answer they were looking for. And it made Bulkhead happy.

"I've had warmer welcomes from Decepticon combat grenades!"

"Wheeljack?!" Bulkhead exclaimed excitedly as he ran forward, causing Miko to nearly fall off his shoulder, "You old 'Con crusher! What are you doing all the way out here?!"

"Bulkhead? That you? What's with all the security?"

"The rock we're on is crawling with 'Cons. How soon can you get here and even the odds?" Bulkhead asked.

"Sometime tomorrow...if I put metal to the pedal."

"Another bot's coming here! How cool is that?!" Miko gushed excitedly.

"Wheeljack... I know him by reputation only. Can you verify his voiceprint?" Optimus asked.

"He is 1000% the real deal, Optimus," Bulkhead nodded.

"Aw, y'all wouldn't forget about us so easily, would ya?" A mech's voice asked playfully. Arcee widened her optics in surprise, "Jazz?"

"Us?" Jack repeated curiously. "I'm here with Jazz and Wheeljack," Prowl chuckled.

"Don't leave us out, ya old mech," another voice said and Primrose widened her optics with joy and surprise.

"WhiteRain, Nightwalker!" She said excitedly. "Hiya Prim," the other femme said.

"Hey, Rosie," Nightwalker said excitedly.

"New bots! And they sound cool!" Paige said happily. Upon hearing that, Optimus and Ratchet softly glared at the girl.

"You're all cool too," Paige said quickly with a smile and the others chuckled. "Whatever you say, Sweetspark," Ratchet chuckled.

"Who's the little lady?" Jazz asked. "You'll see her soon," Ratchet chuckled.

"We will send landing coordinates, Wheeljack. Safe journey," Optimus bidded.

"See you soon, buddy. I'll make sure you get a proper welcome," Bulkhead promised before the transmission was terminated.

"So...who's the boyfriend?" Arcee asked casually.

"Me and Jacky go way back. We were part of the same warrior unit: The Wreckers. Which means the 'Cons are gonna wish he never found us," Bulkhead proclaimed.

"Oh boy," Primrose grimaced as she facepalmed dramatically, "And I thought we had enough male ego around here!"

"Try living with them for as long as I have," Arcee retorted with a smirk.

"I don't know how you survive," Primrose chuckled.

"Hey!" Bulkhead exclaimed in mock offence.

◊◊◊◊

"Wheeljack? You old 'Con Crusher! What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Bulkhead? That you? What's will all the security?"

"The rock we're on is crawling with 'Cons. How soon can you get here and even the odds?"

"A war hero, hmmm?" Ember pondered aloud.

"We haven't much time. Makeshift!" Starscream called out.

Makeshift approached the three Decepticons. As soon as Makeshift was close enough, Soundwave stuck out his clawed tentacle and stabbed Makeshift. Within moments, Makeshift wasn't himself anymore.

"Let us give the Autobots a proper welcome," Ember said with a soft yet dark chuckle.

◊◊◊◊

"Wheeljack's ship is approaching the landing zone," Arcee reported happily.

"You think he's here to visit?" Raf asked.

"Maybe he'll stay! Hm, has to find his own human, though," Miko mused, "How about Paige?"

"No!" Bulkhead, Primrose and Arcee protested and Bumblebee glanced at Optimus who's shoulders tensed up with protectiveness upon hearing Miko.

"GroundBridge cycling up," Ratchet reported proudly, before sparks flew from the controls, causing him to grumble as he whacked it with his fist, "Blasted Scraplets! The equipment hasn't been the same since the infestation." "What are they like?" Paige asked, looking to Primrose, "the new bots, I mean."

"Jazz and Prowl are complete opposites of each other," Primrose chuckled, "Jazz is a bit of a musical delight while Prowl is a little by-the-book. WhiteRain is sassy and creative although her personality says different and Nightwalker's just a cowboy- rowdy and rambunctious."

"Him, Cliff and I would get into all kinds of mischief," Arcee chuckled. Paige smiled softly and she leaned into Arcee's neck cables.

"So Wheeljack's gonna land halfway around the world?" Jack began, "and then you'll just bridge him and the others here?"

"We can't risk revealing the location of our base. Just in case the Decepticons are tracking Wheeljack's ship," Optimus explained the reasoning behind this action.

"Someone wanna calm Bulkhead's pacing?" Primrose asked as she gestured to the pacing Bulkhead.

"Allow me," Miko smirked before approaching the railing, "Dude! I've never seen you so stoked!"

"You're gonna love Wheeljack! We were like brothers! And tonight, we're gonna party!" Bulkhead proclaimed.

"Sweet!" Miko cheered. The alarms went off.

"Bogies! Closing fast on Wheeljack's position!" Arcee reported.

"'Con scum!" Bulkhead exclaimed in anger.

◊◊◊◊

Wheeljack's ship, the Jackhammer, flew through the air, being tailed by five Decepticons who shot at the Autobot ship.

The Jackhammer dodged every shot except one. A blaster shot hit the engine and the ship made a huge dent in the desert as it crashed and skidded for a few feet.

The Vehicons landed and transformed into their bipedal forms. One of them took a step forward only to be met with a blaster to the chestplates and it fell to the ground.

WhiteRain, Nightwalker, Jazz, Prowl and Wheeljack stepped out of the smoke. Nightwalker's blaster was out and smoking.

"You trying to ruin our day, you're gonna have to try harder than that," Wheeljack said before he activated his battle mask and the five Autobots charged at the Vehicons, drawing their weapons.

◊◊◊◊

Echo watched the scene on the screen, her wings twitching slightly. Ember turned to Soundwave, "swiftly now. Before the other Autobots arrive."

Soundwave only nodded in response.

◊◊◊◊

"Open the bridge, Ratchet! We're missing all the action!" Bulkhead pointed out.

"I'll prepare sick bay," Ratchet decided as he activated the bridge.

"Who for? The 'Cons? This is Wheeljack we're talking about!" Bulkhead scoffed in disbelief before running into the portal with Arcee and Bumblebee following him.

"Why do I get the feeling that something bad is about to happen?" Primrose suddenly asked.

"Prim, you worry way too much," Firestorm teased her affectionately.

"I can't help it, Fire. It runs in the family!" Primrose defended as she jerked her helm in Optimus' direction.

"I heard that," Optimus called out from the other side of the room.

"You were meant to!" Primrose called back. "It's strange that Bulkhead only talks of Wheeljack and not of the other bots," Paige said, tilting her head slightly.

"Well Bulkhead and Wheeljack have known each other since the War began," Ratchet said, "trust me, imagine how their reunion will look."

◊◊◊◊

When Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee arrived at the scene, they were expecting a fight. They were expecting to be attacked by the Decepticons. So they had their blasters ready to go. However, there was no need. Surrounding them were dismantled Decepticon warriors. Bulkhead could only stand and watch in pure amazement as Wheeljack ran his blade through the remaining Decepticon and he fell to the ground.

"I taught him that," Bulkhead chuckled proudly.

"Ever think we might need a hand here?" Nightwalker asked as he sheathed his blades and he and the others approached the three Autobots.

"What? And spoil the show?" Bulkhead scoffed.

"You missed one," Arcee said, placing her servo on her hip. WhiteRain unlocked her blaster and shot the remaining Vehicon right in the faceplates, taking care of it quickly.

"If this is all you got, then this planet is in much bigger trouble than I thought," Wheeljack remarked. Bulkhead widened his optics before he hurried up to the other two Wreckers and picked them up into a hug, laughing with joy.

Nightwalker chuckled as he and Arcee clapped servos together and patted each other's backs.

Jazz smiled as he rubbed Bumblebee's helm and Prowl chuckled. Arcee grinned as she watched the two Wreckers.

"Haha, watch the finish, you old wrecking ball," WhiteRain chuckled.

◊◊◊◊

The ground bridge opened and the Autobots ran into the base. Ratchet jumped slightly when the controls sparked and so did the ground bridge.

"Jacky, Rain, come here. Meet my other best buddy, Miko. She can wreck with the best of us," Bulkhead boasted.

"Hiya," Miko greeted.

"You keeping Bulkhead out of trouble?" WhiteRain asked as she leaned in closer.

"I try. But trouble finds us anyway," Miko answered. "More like you find trouble," Primrose chuckled as she hugged Nightwalker and WhiteRain.

"We're gonna get along just fine," Wheeljack chuckled and he walked up to Optimus, "Optimus Prime. It's a privilege."

"Likewise, soldier," Optimus said, "What have you to report from your long journey?"

"Been bouncing from rock to rock searching for signs of friend or foe. Now I find both," Wheeljack shrugged casually.

"We are few but strong. We have suffered losses. But we have grown. And we would relish welcoming a new member into our fold," Optimus said.

"I would be honored," Wheeljack smiled.

"Then let's get this party started!" Bulkhead cheered as he slapped Wheeljack's back and they bumped chests.

"Oh joy," Ratchet said sarcastically with a frown. Jazz looked around before he saw Paige hiding behind Arcee's pede.

Jazz smiled softly and he bent down on one knee and held his servo out. "C'mon out, Lil Lady. I won't hurt ya."

Paige looked up at Arcee who gave a reassuring nod and the girl walked over to Jazz before she climbed into his servo.

"You're a Galatrian," Prowl said, blinking in surprise, "I've heard of you but I didn't think there'd be one on Earth of all places." "She's so cute and tiny," WhiteRain said with a giggle.

Paige blushed and she waved her fist at the other femme, "I'm not tiny!" "Fiesty little thing," Nightwalker snickered.

◊◊◊◊

"The moment Makeshift passed through their GroundBridge, we lost their signal," Starscream announced, "the Autobot base is no doubt heavilly shielded to prevent us from locating it. No matter. I have complete faith in Makeshift," Starscream reassured himself as he and Soundwave walked into a prison cell with Wheeljack- the real one- hanging from energy-suspended shackles.

"Our inside man is already inside," Starscream said. Wheeljack looked at the two Decepticons with narrowed optics, "tell Megatron he's fragged in the helm if he thinks Bulkhead won't sniff out an imposter."

"Haven't you heard? Someone else leads the Decepticons now," Starscream said, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"You? Ha!" Wheeljack scoffed with laughter. Starscream growled and raised his claws to strike the Autobot only for Soundwave to grab him by the wrist.

"Yes," Starscream hissed and he yanked his servo away, "yes he may be yet of use," he looked back at Wheeljack, "Makeshift is very good at keeping up appearances. He need only fool your friends long enough to open their ground bridge from within so that I may finally learn the location of the Autobot base and send in my strike team to stain its floor with the spilled energon of Optimus Prime."

◊◊◊◊

Loud electric guitar music filled the atrium as Miko played for the group, dancing a bit as she did. Paige and Raf sat nearby listening.

"Come on, Wheeljack! Show me what you got!" Bulkhead challenged as he caught the metal ball and threw it back, "Nice lob!"

"So...what's that about?" Jack asked.

"It's called lobbing. A favourite pass-time on Cybertron. Especially among the warrior class," Arcee clarified.

"Come on, Raf! Show us some moves!" Miko encouraged as the familiar beats filled the room.

"Oh, alright...," Raf sighed as he stood up...and did the robot.

"Of course. The robot," Jack laughed. Paige laughed as Bumblebee copied Raf.

"Oh the irony," Nightwalker laughed before he decided to join the two.

Paige watched Miko play her guitar and she walked away. "Hey Paige, can you sing something for us?" Miko asked, a smug grin on her face, "I'm sure Wheeljack would love to hear your voice for the first time."

Paige felt her cheeks warm up as everyone looked at her, even Ratchet. "U-um," Paige said and she glared at Miko, "you are so dead."

Miko stuck her tongue out at her. Paige sighed before she placed her phone on the amp and plugged it in.

"Said there's nothing that we can't do when we're dancing," Paige sang, "I can feel the music more when I'm with you. With your hands on me, I feel my heartbeat racing. Now."

"Had to let go of everything that I know," She continued, swinging her hips a little, "before, -ore, -ore. One, two, three, yeah, come with me. We can work it differently. One, two, three, and dance with me tonight! And maybe all our dreams are coming true. And, baby, I can feel you feel it too. So just let me move you. One, two, three, yeah, come with me. We can work it differently! Said one, two, three, and dance with me tonight. And maybe all our dreams are coming true and, baby, I can feel you feel it too. So just let me move you! Let me move you!"

"Yeah, little faster, little slower, it don't matter. 'Cause I never knew myself this good till now. And I hope you know this change in me forever. Forever," she did a little twirl, "had to let go of everything that I know. Before, -ore, -ore! One, two, three, yeah, come with me. We can work it differently. One, two, three, and dance with me tonight! And maybe all our dreams are coming true. And, baby, I can feel you feel it too. So just let me move you. One, two, three, yeah, come with me. We can work it differently! Said one, two, three, and dance with me tonight. And maybe all our dreams are coming true and, baby, I can feel you feel it too. So just let me move you! One, two, three, yeah, come with me. We can work it differently! Said one, two, three, and dance with me tonight. And maybe all our dreams are coming true and, baby, I can feel you feel it too. So just let me move you! Let me move you!"

She wasn't even aware Ratchet was staring at her with astonishment and the sudden applause startled her. She smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck as her cheeks turned red.

"You weren't kidding. She has an amazing voice," Jazz said, his visor glowing with delight. "I agree," Prowl chuckled.

Paige blushed more and squeaked in surprise when Ratchet scooped her up into his servo. Jack smiled and shook his head with amusement. "Where's Optimus?" He asked Arcee, suddenly noticing the absence of the Prime.

"Went for a drive. Primes don't party," Arcee answered with a smirk. "But I'll be sure to show him this when he gets back," WhiteRain said with a grin.

"Comin' at ya!" Bulkhead warned as he threw the lob ball...that Wheeljack missed and it smashed into the GroundBridge controls.

"You know, I am attempting to perform sensitive calibrations here!" Ratchet snapped, "and you almost hurt Paige!"

"Sorry, Doc. Guess we're a little charged up," Wheeljack apologized as he picked up the ball and he gently patted Paige's head with a digit, "sorry, Kit. You built this bridge from scratch, huh?"

"I did," Ratchet nodded.

"That's quite a feat of engineering," Wheeljack complimented.

"Yes. It is," Ratchet agreed.

"Something wrong with it?" Wheeljack asked casually.

"I didn't care for the way it sounded after that last jump. I put it in shutdown," Ratchet answered.

"What if you need to use it?" Wheeljack wanted to know.

"Oh, I can't disrupt the defrag process without causing irreparable damage," Ratchet shook his head.

"So...how long will the defrag take?" Wheeljack questioned, his expression darkening.

"A few hours...if we're lucky. Maybe longer," Ratchet shrugged. Paige watched Wheeljack, frowning. Something was off about the Wrecker and his aurora only fed her suspicions.

After a while, the party ended and switched to that of Bulkhead and Wheeljack telling everyone, minus Ratchet, their stories of the war.

"So there we were. No communication. Low on Energon. Surrounded by 'Cons. So what does Wheeljack do?" Bulkhead asked teasingly, noticing the excitement on the faces of Jack, Paige, Miko and Raf, "Tell them, Jackie."

"What I do best," Wheeljack said.

"He chucks his only grenade smack in the primary heat exchanger!" Bulkhead revealed.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time!" Wheeljack defended his actions with a good-natured laugh.

"The joint went SUPERNOVA!" Bulkhead recalled, spreading his servos to prove his point.

"Awesome!" Miko gasped excitedly.

"Yeah. I'm still picking shrapnel out of my backside!" Bulkhead said as he rubbed at his backside in demonstration.

"I'm not surprised given the size of your backside," Arcee smirked and Nightwalker and Bumblebee snickered.

"There it is. Jackie's signature. One grenade. One shot," Bulkhead finished the story before noticing the expression on Wheeljack's face, "Hey. You alright?"

"What?" Wheeljack stuttered.

"You don't seem like yourself," Bulkhead observed.

"What do you mean?" Wheeljack demanded.

"I don't know. You seem...quiet," Bulkhead said. "I've been stuck in a can too long. I should go topside before things go stir crazy," Wheeljack shrugged.

"I have patrol in the morning. You can come with," Bulkhead offered.

"Let's go now," Wheeljack suggested as he immediately stood up, causing Paige's suspicions over the guy's strange behavior to rise.

"And break up the party?" Bulkhead protested, "Come on! The gang's loving you! You've gotta tell them about the Battle of Dark Mount Pass!"

"You tell them. You're better at it. How about if Miko here shows me the rest of your base?" Wheeljack offered.

"Yeah. Sure, Jacky. Go ahead," Bulkhead agreed hesitantly.

"Tour starts now," Miko declared as she and Wheeljack disappeared into the hallways, "Do you play any instruments? Can you fly? Have you thrashed more Decepticons than Bulkhead?"

"Typical Miko," Primrose couldn't help but mutter, before noticing Bulkhead's forlorn expression, "Hey. You alright, Bulk?"

"Yeah. Just out of sorts I guess, Prim," Bulkhead muttered. "Don't tell me you're jealous," Arcee teased with a slight smirk amongst the concern in her optics.

"That Miko's making a new friend?! Come on! Something...something's just not right about Wheeljack," Bulkhead said.

"Bulkhead, really?" Arcee sighed, thinking that Bulkhead was just overreacting, "He's travelled for galaxies. You haven't seen him in centuries. He could just be rocket lagged or...well, bots do change, you know?"

"Not Jacky," Bulkhead protested. Firestorm and WhiteRain looked at each other.

◊◊◊◊

Inside his prison, Wheeljack strugged against the confindments. His grunts of determination and occasional frustration were heard by the Decepticon guarding him. It annoyed the Vehicon to wit's end. Eventually, he had enough. He walked up to Wheeljack with his blaster unfolded from his arm and held it to his face.

"You're not going anywhere, Autobot," he proclaimed.

That was when Wheeljack took his only chance. He wrapped his legs around the Decepticon's neck. Immediately, the Decepticon struggled against his tight grip and started shooting laser blasts from his blaster.

"Blah blah blah," Wheeljack grumbled as he guided the Decepticon's target with his legs.

Within moments, Wheeljack managed to make the Decepticon shoot the control panel that kept the restraints that were restricting him active. With the control panel destroyed, Wheeljack was able to free himself. He fell to the ground when the sparks died and the cuffs shattered.

◊◊◊◊

"So, that's pretty much it. Energon stock pile, powerboard generator, armory; everything you need to blow the joint sky high," Miko remarked as she wrapped up her tour with Wheeljack.

"Where's this bunker located exactly?" Wheeljack wanted to know curiously.

"If I told ya, I'd have to rip out your spark chamber," Miko answered dangerously before a happy smile appeared, "Kidding! Just outside Jasper, Nevada! Though I don't expect that to mean too much to ya!"

"Can't say it does," Wheeljack lied, "So, any way out of here besides bridging?"

"Why? You're not planning to leave already, are you?" Miko asked nervously, "Come on. I'll show ya."

◊◊◊◊

"Almost there," Ratchet proclaimed as he continued working the damaged GroundBridge controls.

"Look. I know Wheeljack better than anyone," Bulkhead boasted.

"Hey," Wheeljack said as he walked into the room with Miko, "What are you guys talking about?"

"I was just telling the guys about you and me...at the Battle of Dark Mount Pass," Bulkhead answered casually.

"That's a heck of a story," Wheeljack remarked.

"Yeah. Tell it," Bulkhead requested with narrowed optics.

"Talk, talk, talk. How about after we go off-roading?" Miko suggested.

"Miko, stay out of this," Bulkhead warned. "Bulkhead, easy," WhiteRain soothed.

"I'm not sure I-," Wheeljack began to protest.

"Tell it!" Bulkhead persisted.

"Fine. If you wanna live in the past, Bulkhead," Wheeljack shrugged casually, "The Wreckers were trapped between a Decepticon patrol and a smelting pit. The 'Cons were vicious. Raining down on us with everything they had. Me and Bulkhead engaged the enemy. Left them for scrap. Then I made us a way out using their backsides as stepping stones to cross the molten metal. Isn't that how it happened?"

"Yeah. That's exactly how it happened...except for one little thing. I wasn't there," Bulkhead revealed, causing everyone to stare at the two of them in pure alarm.

"I'd already left the Wreckers to join up with Optimus. But you would know that if all you did was access Wheeljack's public service record," Bulkhead said as he poked Makeshift's chest, challenging the Decepticon.

"Bulkhead, what does that have to do with-WHOA!" Miko screamed as Makeshift picked her up suddenly.

"Miko!" Nightwalker and Bulkhead shouted as Makeshift stood near the ground bridge.

"Stay back. Or I'll squeeze her into pulp," he growled, holding Miko in a firm grip.

"Wheeljack! What are you doing?!" Miko exclaimed. "Decepticon coward," Bulkhead growled, "let the girl go and face me!"

"Don't fret," Makeshift said, "plenty of fighting to come."

"Is there a real Wheeljack!?" Jack demanded. "Oh indeed," Makeshift said with a smirk, "and I'm sure Mistress Ember is making sport of him." Primrose froze and her optics widened.

"You Pit-Spawned fragger!" Nightwalker snarled.

◊◊◊◊

"Are you certain we are at the coordinates we supplied to Makeshift?" Starscream asked Soundwave, which earned him a nod in response.

"Then what is taking him!?" The other Seeker snapped with impatience.

"Maybe they gave your boy such a hero's welcome, he got the warm and fuzzies and decided to switch sides." Starscream whirled around to see Wheeljack walking towards them, his optics blazing with bridled fury and his battle mask on.

"Do you not see you are vastly outnumbered?" Starscream taunted.

"I see fellas who might vastly enjoy me pound some dents into you," Wheeljack growled.

"Destroy him!" Starscream commanded and the Vehicons shot at Wheeljack who took out his katanas and charged at the Vehicons.

◊◊◊◊

"About time," Makeshift huffed as he activated the ground bridge. "You won't get away with this!" Primrose snarled.

"I already have," Makeshift remarked with a smirk.

◊◊◊◊

Wheeljack was having an easy fight with the Vehicons. And he was getting too close to Starscream. Said Seeker fired a missile at Wheeljack. The force of the explosion was enough to knock the Wrecker back but he managed to land on his pedes, slicing and dicing any Vehicon who tried to attack him. That was when Wheeljack jumped onto Starscream, putting the Seeker down for the count.

Wheeljack heard the sound of the ground bridge opening and he turned towards it. "Well, well," he murmured as a plan formed in his mind.

◊◊◊◊

Makeshift stepped back towards the ground bridge with Miko still struggling in his grip. "Let's get this party started," he said with a dangerous grin.

Wheeljack suddenly jumped into the base and kicked Makeshift hard. Miko flew across the air and Bulkhead quickly caught his charge. Makeshift hit the wall and was unconscious for a few moments.

"I'd shut that hole before the stink comes through," Wheeljack remarked. "Couldn't have said it better myself," Nightwalker said.

◊◊◊◊

Starscream coughed as he got up. Energon trailed down his jaw and he looked towards the ground bridge with wide, angry optics. "Enter the ground bridge now!" He shouted.

The Vehicons hurried towards the ground bridge only for it to close. Starscream let out a yell of anger.

◊◊◊◊

Makeshift took out his blades and he and Wheeljack circled each other. Bulkhead stepped forward, but Wheeljack stopped him. "Ugly's mine," he said.

That was when the fight began. The two went at each other. Swords clashed and sparks flew. Everyone watched, ready to intervene if needed.

Paige pulled Raf close to her in a sisterly fashion and Raf clung to her. "Which one's the real Wheeljack?" He asked.

"I lost track!" Miko exclaimed. "The one with the bright grey aurora," Paige said. Jack looked to her in confusion.

Makeshift slashed at one of Wheeljack's swords and charged at him. Wheeljack managed to claim one of the Decepticon's swords, using them both to knock him to the ground. He won.

"That's my Jacky," Bulkhead boasted proudly. Wheeljack deactivated his battle mask and looked to Ratchet, "you, hit the switch."

Ratchet nodded in response and turned to activate the ground bridge. "It's time to take out the trash," Wheeljack said and he smiled at Bulkhead, "all yours, buddy."

◊◊◊◊

The ground bridge appeared before the Decepticons once again. The Vehicons backed away for a moment.

"What are you waiting for?! GO!" Starscream shouted. The first few Vehicons quickly ran into the ground bridge.

Bulkhead held Makeshift's defeated form in his servos before he spun around and threw the Con right into the ground bridge. The first few Decepticons saw Makeshift hurling at them and they quickly turned tail and ran.

Starscream saw them and before he could even reprimand them, Makeshift slammed into him and the two fell to the ground.

Wheeljack smiled at Bulkhead, "nice lob."

◊◊◊◊

At the Decepticon warship, the Autobot ground bridge closed. Starscream got up and glared at Makeshift, "please tell me that you at least learned the location of their base."

"Indeed Commander Starscream. It is in a hidden bunker just outside of-" Makeshift's explanation was cut off by the familiar beeping sound. Starscream glanced at the bomb that was attached to Makeshift's hip.

"Whoa! Back! Back! Back!" He exclaimed as he hurried away. Makeshift stood where he was and he looked down at the bomb on his hip. "Oh no," he murmured before the bomb exploded, eliminating him and any Decepticon who stood too close.

"MAKESHIFT! YOU FOOL!" Starscream shouted in anger as he and Soundwave flew away.

In the control bridge, Ember and Echo stood in the control bridge. Ember frowned as she felt the ship rock from the explosion. "Starscream better not have ruined this ship," she muttered.

◊◊◊◊

In the Autobot base, things had returned to normal. Miko was playing her guitar while Bumblebee, Nightwalker, Jazz Jack and Raf were dancing. Paige hadn't joined them as she was leaning on the railing, watching them with a smile.

Ratchet groaned in annoyance, "it's like a recurring nightmare." WhiteRain and Prowl chuckled softly.

"Now that you're part of Team Prime, we need to pick out a vehicle mode for you," Bulkhead said, gently bumping Wheeljack's arm, "I have some ideas."

"Uh... about that, Bulk," Wheeljack said hesitantly, "now that my ship's repaired, I'm itching to know what else I might find out there."

"Wait! You're leaving? Why!?" Miko pouted. "Well... because some bots never change," Bulkhead said with a soft chuckle. Wheeljack smiled softly.

"Wheeljack, know that you will always have a haven here," Optimus said.

"Jacky never stays but he always comes back," Bulkhead said proudly and he and Wheeljack did a fist bump. "Feels like you just got here, Sparrow," Paige said with a playful smile.

Wheeljack chuckled and gently ruffled her hair, "yeah, well I'll be sure to let you know if I find any more Magic Users out in the galaxy, Kit." Paige smiled softly and she hugged his digit, "thank you, Jackie. That... that means a lot."

"Anytime Paige," Wheeljack said with a soft smile. "We'll see you off," Firestorm said with a soft smile.

◊◊◊◊

In the desert, the ground bridge closed up. Wheeljack turned to Bulkhead, "there's room for two Bulk. Even with a backside like yours. Who knows what we might find out there? Some of the old crew?"

Bulkhead furrowed his optic ridges and he glanced at Miko who looked down sadly. The wrecker looked back at his friend, "sounds like fun, Jacky. But my ties are here now. With them. With her." Upon hearing that, Miko smiled up at her guardian.

Wheeljack gave a respectful nod to his friend and he looked to Miko. "Anything happens to my favorite wrecker, I'm comin' after you," he threatened playfully.

"I'll take good care of him," Miko said reassuringly with a smile and she pulled out her phone, "now say cheese." With that, she took a picture of the two Wreckers.

Bulkhead and Primrose looked to Wheeljack. "WhiteRain," Bulkhead said, a spark of hope igniting in his optics.

"I'm here to stay, sweetspark," WhiteRain said and she kissed Bulkhead on the cheek. "And if I find any wreckers, I'll be the first to let you know," Wheeljack promised. "What's special between you and WhiteRain?" Miko asked curiously.

"She and Bulkhead are boyfriend and girlfriend," Primrose, Firestorm, Nightwalker and Arcee chorused. "Aw," Paige said with a smile as Bulkhead and WhiteRain blushed and Wheeljack chuckled.

The white Wrecker shook his helm with a smile before he saluted everyone and went into the Jackhammer. The door closed and the Jackhammer flew up into the air, disappearing through the clouds.

[one-boring-person]

You Can Be My Wingman (Part Five)

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell x reader

Warnings: mention of past injury.

Context: Having finally recovered, Quicksilver is allowed to fly again, where she meets her new RIO.

A/N: This fic isn't doing too well, but I'm still quite proud of it, so I'll keep uploading it👍😅💛

Masterlist

When I finally don my flying uniform again after weeks of recovery, the familiar thrill of the prospect of flying rushes through me, the excitement building up with the minutes of preparation. Alone in the changing room, I pull on the gear as quickly as possible, practically buzzing with excitement as I lace up my boots and pick up my helmet, bounding to the exit, once again relishing in the lack of pain from the scars on my body. Emerging into the blazing sun, I head over to the hanger, rolling my shoulders in anticipation as I take my seat towards the back.

I stare out at the airfield, my leg bouncing nervously as I take in the familiar sight of the jets waiting in a row for us to use, a couple of attendants preparing them for use, their conversations carrying out to me. I missed it; the hot uniform, the harsh smells and noises, even the sexist jokes I sometimes receive from the other lieutenants. Thank God I survived what I did, that I was luckier than Matthew. A wave of grief and sadness briefly dulls my joy, the memory being painful and raw even after so long.

A person taking a seat beside me snaps me from my thoughts.

"You look healthy." Maverick grins as I turn to him, his bright eyes watching me and taking in my appearance.

"Finally." I reply, rolling my eyes jokingly.

He chuckles before replying.

"I'm glad, training was getting dull without you."

"Oh, I'm sure it wasn't, you've got Goose." I point out, " And don't forget Iceman and Slider. I'm sure you had a great time with them." At the last part, I giggle as he sends a pointed expression my way.

"Very funny." He retorts, playfully swatting my arm.

We continue to talk until the others arrive, joking and laughing together as we used to, though I can feel his gaze lingers a little more than before, his smile slightly remorseful. He had already filled me in on what I missed when I was in hospital, giving me his notes to study from whilst I recovered, in return for my own account of what happened whilst I was MIA.

The seats around us fill up, pilots and RIOs talking together, shouting rude jokes at each other as they approach. Glancing around, I quickly spot a new person I don't recognise.

"Who's that?" I ask Maverick, gesturing to the shy-looking guy. Before he can reply, Goose interrupts, plonking himself to my left.

"Hey, Quicksilver! How's it going?" His cheerful tone draws my attention, his contagious smile spreading to my face. Goose (and a few others) had made the effort to come and see me in the hospital, and he'd always cheered me up, so it's nice seeing him when I'm not incapacitated.

"Hey, Goose, I'm good! How about you?"

"Not bad, not bad. All the better now you're well again!" He responds, turning to the front. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Maverick giving us an odd look, but I shake it off as a trick of the light, quickly looking up as I recognise a certain pilot standing over me.

"Quicksilver, we didn't expect you back so soon." Iceman drawls, jaw working nonstop at the gum in his mouth, "It's good to see you."

"And you, Iceman." I return, uncertainly. Before my accident, he'd always been one of my main taunters, but he's acting awfully nice now, which unnerves me slightly.

Nodding, the tall pilot wanders off to his seat beside Slider in time for the commander to inform us of our task.

As he drones on, I take the opportunity to watch the new recruit.

Sitting uncomfortably in his chair, the lithe brunette shifts around, twisting his bony hands together into knots, fiddling with the fabric of his uniform. In the sun, his eyes appear the same colour as his golden badge, though not much of them is visible from under his mop of tawny hair, the long tufts hanging into his pale face like a shield between him and the world. His body isn't particularly muscular, but he appears nimble and agile, unlike some of the other pilots present, and his manner seems curious and eager, under all the unease.

"...as our Quicksilver finds herself without an RIO, she will be partnered with Hawk, our newest RIO recruit. I'm sure you two will get along fine." At this, I turn my attention back to the commander, meeting his firm gaze quickly, before I return my eyes to "Hawk", finding his golden eyes already looking at me. I offer him a small smile in reassurance, which he unsteadily returns.

"And that is all. Don't mess up, and remember, there's no points for second place."

Getting up with the others, I walk over to Hawk, sticking out a hand for him to shake.

"I'm Quicksilver, nice to meet you."

Taking my hand, he stammers in response.

"I'm Hawk, it's good to meet you, too."

"You ready?" I ask, leading him to one of the jets, my excitement building again as I eye the sleek metal beast before me.

"I think so." He murmurs quietly.

Suddenly unsure of his attitude, I turn to face him.

"Are you sure? You sound a little nervous."

Setting his jaw, he looks me in the eye.

"It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"..yes."

"It doesn't sound like it. We don't have to go out if you don't feel ready." I say this with hesitation, knowing I'll hate it if he agrees.

"I'm just a bit worried about flying with a new pilot after.. " He stops, visibly distressed.

"After?" I press, anxious to get going.

He shifts in place for a second before replying.

"After the last one...freaked out during a mission. He didn't respond to any of us, he just stared at the photograph he had with him. I was so scared that day...I haven't flown since." Hawk finally confesses, looking away.

Smiling sympathetically, I pat him on the shoulder.

"You'll be fine. I won't freak out on you, I promise." When he turns back to me, I notice his small smile almost instantly.

"Ok, let's go."

Climbing in, I secure myself into the jet, hearing him do the same, slightly hesitantly at first, behind me. I pull on my helmet and fasten it tightly, wrinkling my nose at its bad smell, made so from the accident.

Swiftly, I receive permission from the radar tower to take off first, which surprises me slightly. Making my way to the runway, I ask Hawk one more time if he's ready.

"As I'll ever be." Is his muffled reply.

Lining up, I ready myself for take off, increasing the thrust on the plane gradually until we are thundering across the runway. The familiar exhilaration of flying races through my veins as we launch into the air, the immediate change in pressure making me slightly giddy for a couple of seconds before I recover, wheeling the plane around, pointing the nose upwards. I allow myself to grin as the plane breaches the cloud layer, revealing the layout of the ground below.

Seconds later, a second plane joins me, followed by a third.

"Quicksilver, Hawk, your wingmen are Iceman and Slider, and Maverick and Goose." The crackling voice from the control tower sounds in my ear, the bored controller leaving the conversation there.

"You guys ready?" Goose's cheerful voice replaces the controller, his tone laced with excitement.

"We are." I respond after checking with Hawk.

"Born ready." Iceman replies, the grin almost audible in his voice.

For a couple of minutes, we wheel and bank around as a trio, waiting for the enemy planes to appear.

"I see one!" Hawk calls suddenly, voice confident and professional, as he rolls off a direction.

"South-west, below."

Taking this in, I carefully wheel the plane around to find the enemy jet, locating it immediately.

"We'll get him." Goose calls through the radio, Maverick directing his plane into a tight climb seconds later. "Quicksilver, there's a guy to your right!" Slider barks at me as another plane pulls up beside me, gliding up over me.

"Got it!" Banking to my left, I fall into a dive, spiralling downwards quickly before pulling up abruptly, drawing a muffled grunt from Hawk.

"Bit of warning please, Quicksilver!"

"Sorry." I call back, hurriedly, continuing to keep the plane in a steep ascent until I see us overtake the enemy jet, at which point I level out and cut the speed slightly. Drawing back, I allow the plane to speed off a little, before giving chase, moving in accordance with the other jet, the g-force pulling at me, the pressure almost overbearing. Leading us into a series of tight turns and spirals, I almost don't notice the second plane drop down behind me until it's right on my tail.

"Quicksilver, we have a problem!" Hawk yells at me, panickedly.

"Radio the other two, who's got that one?!" I ask, astonished.

"Goose, Slider, where're you two at?" The young RIO shouts into the mic as I throw the jet into a steep climb, spiralling to avoid missile lock from the others.

"We've got our own problems right now!" Slider's voice is also panicked, as is Maverick's when he replies after a minute or so.

"Us too, sorry Hawk!"

"It's fine, we've got this!" I reassure Hawk, nervously, levelling off to find the other two jets giving chase. "I have an idea."

Flying in a straight line, I slow the plane, allowing the other two to catch up sufficiently.

"Are you crazy? We'll be on missile lock in seconds!" Hawk's voice is terrified as he spots the jets coming closer.

"It's fine. Hold on." I growl through gritted teeth, suddenly pulling the brake and pulling the plane around until the left wing is pointing towards the ground.

As planned, the other two jets shoot by, the pilots turning heads as they watch me through the cockpit window, surprised to see us fly past. Levelling out again, I pursue them, quickly getting missile lock on the closest, watching it fly away as I continue chasing the other.

"One down." Hawk reports to the others, voice slightly shocked, "How did you know that was going to happen?" He asks me in disbelief.

"I've tried something similar a few times, but I guess I got lucky this time." My response is quick and breathless as I concentrate on navigating the tight turns the enemy is leading me on.

A couple of minutes later, I have the jet in my sights, the missile radar trying to lock on, eventually managing to do so, the plane flying off towards the base.

"Another one down. You guys need help?" This time I radio in, bringing the plane above the clouds for a better view.

"Yes please, Quicksilver." Goose's voice crackles through. Checking the radar, I locate their plane and angle towards it, allowing the jet to pick up speed as I drop down behind the aircrafts chasing them.

"We're here, Mav."

"Good, we're gonna need help getting them off our tail."

"On it." I target the closest, flying as near as I dare to its tail, activating the missile radar, focusing it on the jet in front of me. Instantly, the plane rolls off into a dive, drawing me away from Maverick, luring me into an elaborate series of twists and turns.

"Turn left." Hawk suddenly says.

"What?"

"Do it!"

Trusting his determined tone, I bank left, jumping when he speaks again.

"Now go right." Doing as he says, I return to my original path at a different angle, with a perfect view of the dodging plane. Moments later, the pilot is forced to land, due to our missile lock.

"Another down." Hawk reports, Iceman's voice coming in seconds later.

"One down."

"Another down." Goose adds, before Maverick chimes in a couple of minutes later.

"Last one down."

"We sure there were only six?" I ask quickly, looping around to find them on my radar.

"Positive. Requesting permission to land." Slider says, voice breathless over the mic.

"Permission granted." The message comes to all of us.

Goose's relieved "Great balls of fire!" filters through the radio seconds later, drawing a laugh out of me.

Making my way back, I allow the other two to land before doing do myself, bracing for the impact.

As we return to the hangers and get out of the cockpit, I turn to Hawk almost immediately.

"Thanks for that last one, that was clever thinking." I say, smiling at the RIO.

Visibly embarrassed, he scratches the back of his head, helmet tucked under his arm.

"No problem, you pulled it off really well. That stunt before was also really clever, I didn't see how it would work at first." He admits, looking me in the eye, "My actual name is Oli, by the way. Oli Green." He offers me his hand.

"I'm (Y/N), (Y/N) (Y/L/N)." I reply, shaking his proffered hand, glad that he isn't so shy anymore.

"Hey, you guys, thanks for saving our asses back there!" Goose calls over as he and Maverick come closer, followed by Iceman and Slider.

"Yeah, that was some real fancy flying there." Maverick grins, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"Thanks, guys. We tried our best." I respond, smiling at them all.

"You guys sure you haven't flown together before? Because that was amazing." Iceman's offhand compliment surprises me, a sense of pride immediately washing over me.

"I'm sure. Maybe we just work well together." Hawk chimes in, happily.

"Come on, let's get cleaned and get something to drink, we all deserve it." Slider exclaims, patting us on the back.

As we start off, I feel cheerful and glad to be back, though a look at Maverick dampens my mood.

Why is he frowning like that?

Part Six

[fandom-collective-writers]

Endgame

Pairing: Nobunaga x Reader

Genre: Modern AU

Rating: Fluff and Smut

Word count: 1720

Written by @rikumorimachisgirl for Anonymous

A/N: Not the Marvel movie. 😁

The score was 94-92 in favor of the Echigo Samurais. With three more minutes left in the fourth quarter, you press on the Azuchi Warlords assistant coach Mitsunari to call a timeout. Echigo has played a running game throughout and led by as much as ten points in the dying seconds of the first half of the game, but Shigen Takeda openly blowing a kiss at you seemed to have ignited something in the Warlords, as your boyfriend and team captain Nobunaga Oda led the team, powering through the second half. 

You hurriedly handed out towels and sports drinks to the players, who were more than happy to receive them. All, except your boyfriend, who showed no interest in joining the team as they huddled around Mitsunari. A sudden power fluctuation caused the electronic boards to reset, giving each team extra time to rest and strategize, but he didn't move from his spot. He was a sight to behold - his eyes fixed on the scoreboard, his expression unreadable. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of girls cheering. 

"We love you, Nobunaga!" 

You winced at the unabashed declarations of his fans seated on the right side of the court but kept your gaze at him. To your surprise, he gave them a sideline glance and winked, as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with his wristband. 

The fans screamed like harpies, as you sighed, dejected. Normally, he wouldn't pay them as much attention as he just did but given your latest argument and the fact that the man in question wasn't backing down, you knew your boyfriend wasn't about to give you any preferential treatment.  

"Are you two still fighting?"

You almost jumped at the sound of a voice speaking quite near you. 

"Ieyasu?"

Standing next to you, the small guard cocked an eyebrow at you, annoyed. "What are you being all jumpy for?"

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to hear you sigh, " he replied, toweling off his sweat-drenched blond hair. "You must be daft if you think I'm going to take instructions from Mitsunari." 

"He's the assistant coach for a reason, you know."

"Yeah because our head coach opted to play team captain today instead of watching from the sidelines, " Ieyasu said curtly, shifting his gaze to Nobunaga. "So, why haven't you made up yet? You're making our lives a living hell." 

You knew how difficult the team's lives have been since that fateful day when Shigen Takeda - of all people - saved you from nearly being mugged by a group of thugs on your way back to your apartment from a quick trip to the grocery. Of course, no sooner than he had beaten up the perpetrators, pictures of the two of you together circulated throughout social media. It only took less than an hour before your own boyfriend saw the picture himself, and of course, the picture he had to see was that of you flashing a gorgeous smile at Shigen to thank him for saving you.

"He really has been giving us a tough time, you know. I couldn't feel my legs last night after practice."

"Well, I would talk to him but he hasn't been responding to my messages nor answering my calls, " you whined. "He hasn't even come home since that evening. Is he staying at Mitsuhide's?"

"You think Hideyoshi would allow that? You better make up with him immediately so that Mitsunari can use his room again. He's been staying with me for two nights now, I might murder him if he stays another night."

The referee whistled to call the players back, and you watched Ieyasu walk back to the court with the rest of the team. You caught sight of Nobunaga making his way back as well, and without thinking, you quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him. 

"I have a game to play -"

"I'm sorry, Nobunaga, " you said, cutting him off mid-sentence, as your vision started to blur. "There really wasn't anything else that happened. You're the only one for me."

He sighed, and broke free from your grip, only to capture your hand in his. "We'll talk later. Right now, I have a game to win. Don't worry, it'll be over soon, " he said, smiling as he wiped a stray tear from cheek before running to his post. From the corner of your eye, you could see Ieyasu rolling his eyes, and Masamune giving you a thumbs up. Your heart soared, knowing that your boyfriend will do everything he can to keep his promise. 

The game ended at 95-94. The entire stadium erupted in cheers as the Azuchi Warlords won the championships once again, three years in a row. Hordes of fans and reporters gathered around the team to take pictures and interviews, as you watched from the sidelines with a huge smile on your face. One by one, the Warlords took their leave to go to the locker room and change. All except your boyfriend, who was still with the press alongside Mitsunari. By the time they'd finished with the interviews, most of the players had emerged from the locker room, looking refreshed and ready to party. 

"We're all going to The Castle to celebrate, " Masamune Date, the team's small forward, and resident playboy told you as he stepped beside you to watch Nobunaga thank the reporters and fans for their support. "I suppose it's safe to say you won't be there later…"

"Please, Masamune, it was your idea to leave these two to party on their own, " Ieyasu said, sounding bored while watching your face turn red. "Just make sure you don't make a mess like you did the last time."

"The last time?" Your eyes widened like saucers. "We've never done anything nasty in the locker room, I'll have you know!"

"Actually, that was me, " Mitsuhide Akechi, the team's center, chimed in sheepishly. "What? The team manager of the Anegawa Daimyos was asking for it, clearly. Anyway, we're leaving. This is all up to you now. Don't forget to lock the door."

You blushed harder, waving them off before you made your way to the lockers where your boyfriend now was. 

"Nobunaga? I'm coming in, " you called before stepping into the locker room. Except for the sound of water running from the shower area where your boyfriend was, the room was incredibly quiet. Slowly, you made your way towards the shower room, stopping by the entrance as Nobunaga's perfect physique, which the glass door did very little to hide. His arms braced the wall, as the stream of warm water cascaded down his back, his tight bum and his long legs. 

As if caught in a trance, you decide just then to give him a celebration he won't forget. You stripped off your clothes, careful not to make any noise while you do. After you'd folded and set them aside, you hurry to the shower room before you lose your nerve. 

The sound of the glass door sliding made him tense, and he immediately glanced behind him. 

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to decide to join you since you were taking your sweet time, " you responded quietly. 

Your retort made him smirk, and you found yourself pinned against the tiles as he molded your lips with his. It was quite a sensation - the cool surface of the shower tiles on your back and the heat of his body pressed against yours almost made you melt. 

"You were waiting?" He asked in between kisses. 

"You said earlier that we'll talk - oh…, " you gasped as he pushed his tongue into your mouth to dance with yours. 

"Yes, I said we were going to talk, " he said, catching his breath before capturing your mouth with his once again. "You've been a naughty girl, socializing with our rivals."

"I have not, " you said, panting while pulling him in for another kiss. 

"Playing the role of damsel in distress, " he continued, as he trailed kisses down your neck. "Trying to get me jealous."

Your eyes flew wide at his admission. "Jealous? You?"

"And this surprises you?" 

"Yes, " you replied, pushing against him hard enough against the wall. The warm water from the shower only made your body feel hotter, as you trailed kisses from his chest down to the tight muscles of his stomach, and finally dropping to your knees as you held the girth of his cock, and gazed up at him. "I'm surprised you're jealous especially because you should know by now that I crave only you."

You flicked the tip of his cock with your tongue, tasting his precum that leaked out of his hardened member. Your eyes never leaving him, you lapped up and down his length slowly again and again until he groaned. Cupping your cheeks with his hands, he shoved his cock into your mouth, reaching all the way to the back of your throat. "That's it, baby. Suck me harder, " he said, his breathing ragged. You placed your hands on his hips for support and he tightened his hold on your hair as he fucked your mouth. 

After a while, he pulled you to your feet and backed you up against the wall once more. Wrapping your legs around his waist, he entered you with one swift motion and drowned your moan with a kiss. 

You clawed at his back and kissed him desperately. He was rougher than usual, but that didn't seem to bother you. You were so close to orgasm as pleasure coursed through you as he pounded into you relentlessly. You missed this - you missed him - and you knew you weren't going to last. 

"Nobunaga!" You cried out as you flew into orgasm, and he followed shortly after, grunting loudly as he came. As soon as you both came down from your high, he carefully set you back on your feet but didn't stop holding you close. 

"I missed you, " you murmured against his chest.

"I missed you too, " he said, as he tucked your hair behind your ear. "And I'm sorry. It was foolish of me to act like I did."

"I'm glad you agree. I won't ever leave you, you know."

He smirked. "I know, baby, " he said. "Because you and me, we're endgame." 

The end. 

[loudlytransparenttrash]

This Week Within Our Colleges: Part 22

Students at George Mason University spent days protesting the hiring of Brett Kavanaugh as a visiting law professor at GMU’s Law School. Some students complained to campus leaders, telling them students’ mental health is threatened by the Kavanaugh hire, despite the Law School being located 3,500 miles away from the university. “This decision has really impacted me negatively. It is affecting my mental health knowing that an abuser will be part of our faculty.” Another female student gave similar comments to the board, “As someone who has survived sexual assault three times I do not feel comfortable with someone who has sexual assault allegations like walking on campus.” A third female student told the board, “we are fighting to eradicate sexual violence on this campus. But the hiring of Kavanaugh threatens the mental well being of all survivors on this campus.” The next day, students marched around campus chanting “kick Kavanaugh off campus” and holding “cancel Kavanaugh” signs while some stuck blue tape over their mouths.

University of Colorado Denver brought back a 2016 course, “Problematizing Whiteness: Educating for Racial Justice.” Students will learn “the plight of people of color and how white people are complicit.” The course details explains, “The study of whiteness has always sought to challenge racism, racial privilege, white supremacy, and colorblind racism. However, to overindulge in the spectacle of ‘white racial epiphanies’ overlooks the ongoing work whites must do to participate in racial justice. Beyond the feel-good of momentary White racial awareness lurk enormous concerns about how to continually examine Whiteness in order to uphold antiracism, moreover the fruition of a more racially just society.” It also, understandably, tells students that recording any of the lecture is forbidden.

A State University of New York College at Old Westbury professor wrote an article which he states it makes him happy when he sees poor white people on the street begging for food and often wonders how hard he should kick them in the head. “White people begging us for food feels like justice. It feels like Afro-Futurism after America falls. It feels like a Black Nationalist wet dream. It has the feels I rarely feel, a hunger for historical vengeance satisfied so well I rub my belly.” White people, he says, are a Rorschach test: “I see in them the history of colonization, slavery and mass incarceration that makes their begging Black people for money ironic - if not insulting. You wasted your whiteness! Why should we give to you?” The professor admits that this isn’t a “good look,” however, when he thinks about Martin Luther King Jr.’s “be thy best self” and “show compassion to those who spite you,” he retorts “go f**k another secretary Martin!” 

A University of Utah student reported her business professor to campus administrators for assigning too many books written by male economists and philosophers. “Many of these figures are of great importance. But at what cost do we continue to plant the seed of sexism in the minds of individuals? But especially in a course and college that is already deemed to be a ‘boys club,’ continuing those teachings, and those teachings being delivered by a professor of his character is dangerous.” The student also took issue in her bias report about a joke the professor made about how, “while all our jobs will be taken by robots,” he will be “retired living in Tahiti surrounded by 40-45 beautiful women feeding him grapes.” The student complained, “Not only did the professor willingly and openly objectify women, but he also objectified women of color. Women of another culture.”

University of Texas at Austin freshmen were threatened to be doxed if they considered joining the Young Conservatives of Texas or Turning Point USA. “Hey #UT23! Do you wanna be famous? If you join YCT or Turning Point USA, you just might be. Your name and more could end up on an article like one of these,” the tweet said, linking to previous doxing posts of conservative students at the school. “So be sure to make smart choices at #UTOrientation.” They went on to encourage other students, “if you begin to spot the young racists trying to join YCT or TPUSA, send us a tip so we can keep our reports up to date.” The anarchist student network have already released extensive personal information of pro-Brett Kavanaugh demonstrators at UT Austin, including their names, photos and contact information. It went so far as to post some of the phone numbers of the employers of students and urged them to be fired.

Webster University offered its white faculty and staff a chance to “witness their whiteness” in a program that seeks to eliminate racism. According to the event description, Witnessing Whiteness is about “white people voluntarily coming together to do work around racism in a supportive, non-threatening setting.” It’s also about “learning to speak about race and racism, exploring white privilege, and practicing allying with sisters and brothers of color.” White attendees also were taught how to commit to positive change in their lives, workplace and region and understand and practice interrupting racism and developing skills to act as agents of change.

University of North Georgia hosted several "safe zone trainings" to make the school a “safer, more inclusive environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community.” Students were given handouts which featured a ‘gender unicorn’ cartoon and encouraged attendees to use “LGBTQ-Inclusive Language” by giving them a list of “Dos and Don'ts.” They asked students to not use words such as “mailman” and “ladies and gentlemen” or phrases such as “both genders” and “opposite sexes,” instead suggesting that they use “all genders.” Attendees were also shown a YouTube video from Franchesca Ramsey called “5 Tips For Being An Ally,” which instructed them to understand their privilege.

Middlebury College were forced to soothe upset and angry students after Polish conservative scholar and politician Ryszard Legutko was invited to speak on campus about totalitarian temptations within liberal democracies. Ironically, the school canceled the lecture just hours beforehand after some students complained, then later held a reflection meeting with the student protestors, where administrators told them, “I hear you, and you should be outraged, and we should acknowledge that and apologize, because that’s the least we can do right now, because we can’t make it right in the moment. But in the future we will do everything we can to make it right.” As the safe space meeting was going on, unbeknown to the protesters, a political science professor allowed Legutko to be ushered into his classroom and address students in secrecy. 

At University of Texas at Austin, a pro-life speaker’s event was disrupted after someone set off a smoke bomb, triggering the building’s fire alarm and forcing attendees to be evacuated. The event went forward in another building.

A Canadian University of New Brunswick professor said he is in favor of taking a variety of actions against “white supremacists” who speak on campus, including publicly shaming them, firing them from their jobs and driving them from restaurants. What’s concerning about this is the professor’s definition of white supremacists. He said the "Make America Great Again" hats will carry the same shame as the uniforms worn by the Ku Klux Klan. “Every time I watch a documentary about the civil rights movement and all the hateful violence they faced, I wonder what the white people who were doing those horrible things were thinking... We are living in an era with Donald Trump and the Republican Party and the right-wing movement in America where things of similar gravity are happening. The entire sentiment of 'Make America Great Again' implies that there was a time when America was great and it's not any longer... America for Trump and his supporters is no longer great because black people have too many rights or there are too many women in the workplace."

A City University of New York professor was interviewed on radio where she stated the “ideology of racialized terrorism” is the responsibility of every white person in the United States. She criticized America for building "mental health hospital beds for white home-grown terrorists, but concentration camps and high-level security prisons for Black, and Black and Brown immigrants.” She goes on to wonder why we pay tribute every September 11 to “the pillars of American capitalism,” but never to “the young Black and Brown” victims. She also claims she's suffered in capitalist America after being designated a “other, non-white" on her arrival into the country and "white America has damned this democracy into the hands of white terrorists.” 

A University of Arizona student live-streamed herself on Facebook harassing two Border Patrol agents who were giving a lecture to Criminal Justice students. The female student stood near the door of the room, zooming in on the officers repeatedly while calling them murderers and saying they were an extension of the KKK on campus. “They allow murderers to be on campus where I pay to be here. Murderers!” In the second part of the video, the student follows the Border Patrol agents to their vehicle, repeating the phrase “Murder Patrol!” and also yelling at them in Spanish. At the end of the video, she films a protest apparently against the appearance of the officers. The student also launched into a rant about the “white woman” who attempted to talk to her. 

Gonzaga University’s Women and Gender Studies and Native American Studies departments hosted a screening and discussion about Disney’s film, Moana, titled, "Is Moana about rape?" According to the flyer, the professor behind the lesson discussed how Western patriarchy and masculinity attack “the feminine,” indigenous cultures, and the environment and nature. “Layne will ultimately also suggest that the film is Neocolonialist. It excuses Western culture from oppressing women, degrading the environment and erasing/murdering indigenous people,” the flyer says. It also came with a trigger warning, stating that racism, sexual assault, genocide and colonialism will be addressed.

Tufts University decided to remove a historical mural after students complained that the paintings depicting only white people eroded the school’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The Alumnae Lounge mural, which depicts “the great names of men” of the school’s history, does not include “a single image of a person of color" which has lead students to complain that “they don’t want to receive awards in Alumnae Lounge because they feel excluded.” Tufts Senior Vice President said. “We want to attract a diversity of people to the university. But no less important, when they arrive, we want them to feel they belong here.” Tufts Africana Center Director applauded the decision, saying “the murals create an unwelcoming space for current students of color.”

Also at Gozaga University, an assistant professor wrote an op-ed where he blasted one of his white law students and accused him of deliberate “racial antagonism” because the student wore a MAGA hat to class. Without naming the student, the assistant professor wrote, “From my perspective as a black man living in the increasingly polarized political climate that is America, MAGA is an undeniable symbol of white supremacy and hatred toward certain nonwhite groups. I was unsure whether the student was directing a hateful message toward me or if he merely lacked decorum and was oblivious to how his hat might be interpreted by his black law professor. I presumed it was the former. As the student sat there directly in front of me, his shiny red MAGA hat was like a siren spewing derogatory racial obscenities at me for the duration of the one hour and fifteen-minute class. As my blood boiled inwardly, I jokingly told the student, ‘I like your hat.’ Without missing a beat, the student mockingly grinned from ear to ear and said, ‘Thank you.’” The professor concluded by arguing that “‘making America great again’ suggests a return to the days when women and people of color were denied access to these very institutions.”

A George Mason University assistant professor took to Twitter to ask white parents across America: “Why are you producing so many young white male terrorists?” “What is going on in your households? How involved are you with your sons? Are you missing signs their racism is filtering out of commonplace household racism into ‘I want to murder strangers’ racism?” She followed up with a reply to the white parents declaring their devotion to making sure their child isn’t a white terrorist, “I appreciate the testimonials of white parents doing the work of raising anti racist children. You give me a bit of hope.” 

The University of Michigan revamped its already transgender-friendly student health plan to include more services on top of sex-change operations. The school already covers mastectomies, genital surgeries, hormone therapy and counseling for transgender students. These plans now also accommodate “facial feminization surgeries,” as well as facial hair removal and “Adam’s apple reduction.” Another addition is “fertility preservation” for transgender students whose transition efforts result in infertility.

A Massachusetts school superintendent told a community audience that white people in our “systematically corrupt system that oppresses black individuals” need to “rewire their brains” in order to overcome their biases. The Pittsfield Public Schools chief (who is white) also blasted Trump, blaming the president's “daily hate” for the rise in racism and hatred on a national level. The event was planned to announce the implementation of African American history courses in local high schools. The course will delve into African American oppression and plans on stopping the normalization of seeing “black people being beaten on TV.” A teacher who worked on the curricula design at the schools said her eyes had been opened after participating in implicit bias training and reading the book "Waking Up White." 

Hofstra University students protested a statue of Thomas Jefferson at an annual event, titled “Jefferson Has Gotta Go!” which was co-organized by local Planned Parenthood staff. For the past few years, students have defaced the statue with “DECOLONIZE” and “Black Lives Matter” in an attempt to pressure the university president to join the long list of schools removing or covering up “traumatizing” statues and artwork. So far, the statue remains. 

An academic conference in Toronto focused on “Critical Becky Studies,” with multiple professors and faculty from American universities participating. “This session aims to characterize ‘Becky,’ a term specific to white women who engage whiteness, often in gendered ways,” the session description states. “Explorations of Becky and implications of educational practice from a variety of perspectives and contexts will illuminate the dynamics of power, privilege, and oppression tied to the gendered and raced mechanisms of whiteness enacted by Becky,” says the session description. Another paper discussed in the panel was titled “Border Becky: Exploring White Women's Emotionality, Ignorance, and Investment in Whiteness.” According to the description, the paper focuses on white women who must undergo a battle in order to extract themselves “from the white supremacist alliance.” 

At University of South Dakota, a planned ‘Hawaiian Day’ themed event had to be changed to ‘Beach Day,’ due to a cultural appropriation complaint from a single student. The student group planning the party were told to make the name change and to ban handing out leis as it violates the school's policy on inclusiveness. The group posted, “It was determined that these (leis) are culturally insensitive by the administration after doing research based off of the essay written by the initial complainant.” 

Williams College student activists demanded the Board of Trustees "commit to a complete process of reparation and reconciliation to indigenous peoples." The open letter states, “Many junior faculty of color are considering medical leave due to the unmitigating stress of living in an unsupportive and callous environment and to avoid the emotional detriment of existing here.” The students then demanded a “complete process of reparation and reconciliation” to the indigenous peoples, “approve a request of $34,000 as well as the increase of $15,000 additional funding for incoming Minority Coalition groups.” ”Offer free weekend shuttles for faculty and staff" and provide separate housing for black and queer students, as well as for all other marginalized groups. Lastly, “hire more therapists, especially trans and racial minority therapists.”

Dominican University in California has added a new major, wholly focused on social justice. The school created the major after a “growing number” of students became interested in social justice “careers,” according to the university news release. Students who major in social justice will have the chance to “examine the links between well-being, social justice, and diverse worldviews.” Additionally, students will “analyze social injustices and work toward positive social change.”

The State University of New York-Plattsburgh offered students the chance to de-stress with therapy donkeys during their Wellness Fair.