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buckyownsmylife · 3 years

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daddy issues - chapter xi

The one where Ransom doesn’t feel ready to become a father, but he should have thought about it before sleeping with a complete stranger.

When Ransom’s latest one night stand lets him know that he’s going to become a father, he finds himself looking for the qualities he never believed to have so he can become the parent he never got to witness as a child.

for general warnings and author’s notes, please go to the fic’s masterlist.

Y/N’s P.O.V.

“Where are you taking me, Ransom?” He just glanced at me, a mischievous smile on his face, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on my thigh. I tried to ignore how it made me feel, how his touch just felt right. It always did, but ever since the night we arrived, when I succumbed to my overwhelming need for the man whose baby I was carrying, it was like there was this magnetic pull between the two of us.

The fact that now he felt free to touch me whenever he wanted, with the excuse that he needed to “sell the ruse to my parents” only aggravated my already constant state of arousal. And I knew he noticed it and relished in it. So I was almost half expecting this impromptu night out to start and end in some hotel room he had rented for the night, finally sick of having to keep quiet in respect to the owners of the house we would still be staying in for the next two nights.

Surprise took over my expression when I saw him park in front of a quaint little Italian restaurant that was all too familiar to me. “Ransom…” I questioned, eyebrows raised high. “What are we doing here?” Instead of directly answering me, he just chuckled lightly, getting out of his seat and opening my door before I could even figure out how to unbuckle the seatbelt on his expensive car.

“You didn’t think I asked you to wear the best dress you had packed just for nothing?” I bit my lip to stop a smile from taking over my face, even though I knew he could perfectly read me.

“Well, if this isn’t nothing, what is it?” It was a challenge, I knew he was aware of it. But he opted not to answer me straight away, not to name this night as what it undoubtedly was and give it a weight that could possibly suffocate us both. I appreciated it, and I appreciated even more the fact that he had obviously listened to what I had said that first night we got here and was trying to get what he wanted by giving me what I needed, instead of just forcing the situation to happen.

“Trust me?” He asked once I had successfully gotten out of the car - with his help, of course. Even though my belly wasn’t really enormous, it was definitely there, hindering my ability to do certain movements and this skin-tight dress that barely still fitted me highlighted it just enough to make it pretty clear to anyone who looked at me that I was very obviously pregnant.

“I do,” I answered sincerely, thinking back on everything he’d done for me ever since I gave him the chance to be by my side for this ride. There was no doubt in my mind that he deserved this trust.

His eyes roamed over my body as we walked to the restaurant hand in hand, and once inside, his body enveloped mine, his chest to my back, his hands over my belly.

“You’re smothering me,” I joked, glancing at his warm brown eyes from over my shoulder. He looked far too elegant for a small restaurant in a small town, but that was Ransom Drysdale, and I can’t say that I hated it. “Is this your way of telling me you’re cold or what?”

He snorted, not immediately answering me as the hostess asked us for the information about our reservation, but once we were being guided to our table, he offered, “Maybe I just wanted to scare off that guy who keeps checking you out?”

I sighed, not feeling in the slightest a sense of curiosity to check on who he was referring to. Not only had I caught a glimpse of the guy already - there was just one other couple waiting with us to get seated - but I highly doubted he’d be staring my way.

“With this belly?” I scoffed, shaking my head at the man beside me. “Impossible.” Ransom just stopped and gave me a long, incomprehensible look. We had arrived at our table by then, but he didn’t seem to want to sit any time soon.

“You really have no idea,” he mused, much to my confusion, suddenly leaning over and capturing my lips in a short and sweet kiss that left me flustered. Damn him and his ability to leave me like this so easily.

“No idea of what?” I asked once he had pulled out a chair for me and took a seat by my side, hand immediately falling over my thigh as the waiter approached us with two menus.

I decided not to point out that he technically didn’t need to kiss me. My parents weren’t there, there was no pretense to keep intact. But it was time for me to admit that I wanted his touch just as much as he wanted to touch me.

“Say, sweetheart… You ever heard of a breeding kink?” The term sent a shiver down my spine, but it was undeniably one of arousal. I bit down on my lower lip, hoping he wouldn’t notice what the term did to me, even though I knew it was a futile plan.

“You’re lying,” I immediately denied it, not believing it was actually a thing men had in real life. “There’s no way! I look huge,” I commented, knowing I was exaggerating even before Ransom rolled his eyes at me.

“You most definitely do not. And even if you did, that just makes men even harder for you,” he whispered in my ear, making me clench my thighs together in desire. He’d been fucking me ever since we arrived in this town, and yet I still so desperately needed him, all the time - and I don’t think the pregnancy hormones were the only reason for it.

Well… if what he’s saying it’s true, maybe it is the reason for his desire.

“And you feel that way too?” I asked, wanting to be sure of it. The predatory smirk on his face said it all, but he still answered me.

“Oh, baby… Just thinking about the fact that it’s my baby inside of you, my seed that got you this way has me straining against my pants.” My heartbeat was out of control as he whispered these confessions in my ear, uncaring for the poor waiter who was obviously waiting for us to make a choice for the evening.

“Didn’t take you for a possessive man, Drysdale,” I decided to play it cool, opting to finally open the menu and stare at it instead of the man whose eyes were trying to pull me in. But beside me, he scoffed.

“I wasn’t.” The words weighed heavily in the mood of the evening, but not in a bad way. My fingers were clutching the card in my hands like it was a lifeline, meanwhile, his fingers clutched me, right on the inside of my thigh, palm sprawled over it in a clear sign of ownership - or at least desire.

I didn’t have anything to say. Everything about the moment had me flooding my underwear, and so I inhaled deeply, trying to focus on the letters before me even though I already knew what I was going to order.

The waiter chose to interrupt our tense silence at that second, and I was almost grateful for it. “Do you know what you would like to have for the evening?” My mouth opened to answer, but before I could, Ransom spoke for me.

“We’ll both have the lasagna.” I didn’t close it as he slowly removed the menu from my hands and offered it back to the patient man, who just nodded at us before taking his leave. It wasn’t until he was gone that Ransom looked to the side and witnessed my expression of shock.

“I’m sorry, isn’t the lasagna your favorite?” He frowned, squeezing my thigh a bit tighter. “I can call the waiter back if you want to.” Forcing myself to close my lips, I shook my head emphatically, eyes still staring wide at him.

“It’s not necessary,” I assured him, even if the gesture was a bit much. “That was my order anyway.” And if it wasn’t, there was no way I’d let this go. But as it were, I realized something that warmed me to the core and left me feeling tingly all over.

He had actually prepared all of this. The only way he could know that this was my favorite restaurant, the lasagna my favorite deal, was if he had asked for my parent’s help. And the thought just made something deep inside of me awaken, something I wasn’t quite prepared to admit to myself yet, much less to him.

Thankfully, although his smile denounced that he had at least an inkling as to what was going on through my head, he just expertly shifted the conversation into a different direction, leaning over me to whisper, “Thank you for getting all pretty to go out with me.”

Good. This was good, solid ground I could stand on. I silently thanked him for providing me with this opportunity as I teased, “And here I thought I was always pretty.”

Ransom’s P.O.V.

“Oh, darling…” I smirked, leaning over her to nuzzle against her jaw, breathing her perfume in. “You have no idea.” And just like that, she was back to being a flustered little thing. It was adorable, and I would have loved nothing more than to keep her like this for the entire evening, but I knew she would get fessed up with me.

So I changed the subject into an equally interesting one, hoping to get to know her a little bit better than I already did. “So, I was the first guy you ever brought home?” She blinked a few times, clearly not expecting the question, but ended up getting around to it.

“Yeah, well. I never had really serious relationships. No one I thought would be worth the hassle of introducing to my parents.” I tried to hold back my smile at the thought of me being worth that hassle. Of course, I knew most of it was due to the baby. I was going to be the father of her child, it was inevitable her parents would be interested in getting to know me even if they didn’t think we were together.

But I was counting this as a win anyway.

“You know…” She started, and I took a deep breath to prepare myself for what was coming next. I knew she’d try to tease me again. There was just no way she’d let me have the last word - and it was one of the things I liked the most about her. “I didn’t think you could be romantic, but this is pretty close.”

My heart skipped a beat as I took in her words. They weren’t what I expected to hear. They sounded sincere, almost hopeful, and so they brought hope into my heart when I stared back at her, finding her looking around the restaurant seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t a romantic man, I’d never been, but this is what she did to me. She made me want to try. And because of her, I did give a shit.

When her head turned back to me, I don’t know what it was that she saw in my eyes - if it was all of those thoughts that were swirling around my brain and I just couldn’t voice right then. Whatever it was though, it made her wiggle her way closer to me, dipping her face up until she could catch my lips in hers, and I tried not to sigh at how comfortable it felt to have her like this - almost in my lap, warm body glued to mine, lips moving with my own from her own advances.

“Hmm…” I moaned appreciatively, rubbing my nose on her neck as her fingers spread over my thigh, pinky almost reaching my crotch. “Are you trying to tease me, sweetheart?” I whispered, loving the smirk that spread over her lips while she kept her innocent facade. “Because I must tell you, it’s definitely working.”

She giggled then, slightly pushing me away, but all I could do was smile like a dork at how much this looked like the teenage romance I never got to experience. It felt sweet and pure while it kept my dick hard all the same, and it was just perfect.

The waiter brought our food right then, somewhat interrupting the moment, but it still added to it somehow. I didn’t think there was anything that could ruin how I felt.

“So, Ransom…” She tried to start another subject as we began eating. “I’ve been thinking about what you told me about your job, and I got a question for you.”

I nodded, eyes momentarily focused on the lasagna as I waited for her to keep going. “Why don’t you write your own book?” I froze, food mid-way to my mouth as I stared back at the woman by my side, not quite believing what I had heard. “I mean, you’re intelligent and I know you have quite a lot to say. I can only imagine how great a book from you would be, and you definitely got the means to get it published.”

She stopped talking when she noticed my reaction, clearly confused, but then patiently waited for any response I might give, which took me a while. I had to clear my throat, have a drink of water, think to myself on what I could say.

I’d given my grandfather quite a lot of excuses over the years whenever he suggested that I should follow his example and write a book. Back then, my main “reason” was that I was too busy living the playboy lifestyle.

Now that my day-to-day life consisted of reading other people’s works, the question had become a constant companion, living deep inside my brain. Why didn’t I write my own book? Why didn’t I give this a try?

There was only one explanation I could give, and even though it wasn’t the easiest thing to admit, it felt important that I shared it with her.

“I’ve thought about it before…” I confessed, seeing the surprise appear in her eyes, paired with a sweet, excited smile. “I guess I’m just… scared. If I never try, I can never fail, you know?” I gave her a tight-lipped smile, reaching out for my glass of water again. I’d ordered it so she wouldn’t feel alone since she couldn’t drink wine, but boy did I miss alcohol at that second.

That was, until her hand got back over my thigh, squeezing it lightly. “I understand, honey.” The pet name made me melt, uneasy feeling suddenly disappearing altogether. “It’s hard to put yourself out there.” Wide-eyed, I couldn’t believe how such a simple sentence had made me feel. It was then that I realized how no one had truly understood me before.

And she did. She did because she cared, she had actively listened, had given me chance after chance of proving myself even when I showed her the worst of me.

Chest filled with warmth, I leaned down to press a quick peck on her lips, going back to my delicious lasagna now that the uncomfortable feeling of vulnerability was gone.

“This tastes so good,” I acknowledged it, reaching out to squeeze her thigh as If thanking her for having this dish as her favorite. There was a lot more I had to thank her for, though. “Still... not as good as you.”

My wink had her eyes rolling, but the sweet smile on her lips made it worth it. She knew me enough by now to know that my mind was always in the gutter. I just had to show her it was all because of her and only her.

#my series #ransom drysdale x reader #ransom drysdale reader #ransom drysdale reader inserts #ransom drysdale reader insert #ransom drysdale fanfiction #ransom drysdale writing #ransom drysdale fics

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newmih · 3 years

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“I never thought I'd be so happy to find you”

Newt x reader female! minho x reader (friends)

Bonne lecture!

Y/N had been a runner for some time. However, she was still blaming herself for somehow forcing Minho's hand to become one. It was tiring, dangerous and as if that wasn't enough, she was away from Newt all day long.

Granted, they weren't dating, but who could blame her for finding the blonde attractive. Probably Gally... While she was in her thoughts, a noise woke her up: "Beep... Beep... Beep...". Her watch had just sounded 6:45 pm. It took Y/N a few seconds to realize the seriousness of the situation. The doors would close in a little more than 10 minutes. She then began to accelerate the step. She didn't want to get stuck and have to spend a night inside the labyrinth when no one had managed to come back, finally in one piece. They had all been killed by grievers . At the mere thought of them, a shiver ran down her back, due to her disgust and fear of monsters but also a sign of a bad omen.

There were only three corridors left to reach the exit when Y/N heard a noise. One of the most horrible sounds a runner has to hear while inside the walls. The doors were already starting to close. She started to run even faster, but because of a root that was lying around, she stumbled, lost her balance and fell. Still with the same eagerness, she got up. No time to insult her, she would do it another day. She finally got there, the last straight line, she put all the strength she had left.

"Y/N!!! Come on you gotta hurry! -Fucking Y/N we can't lose you!" The shouts of his friends encouraged him to continue.

When she finally arrived at the doors, the opening was already too narrow. If she was going to die, Y/N would rather do it fighting than being crushed. The last thing she saw between the doors was Newt's tearful face. It was the first time she'd seen him cry and she prayed it wouldn't be the last, though she much preferred it when he laughed.

The young woman sat down on the ground, tired from her run, and closed her eyes. She didn't open them again when she heard a scream from a non-human thing or when she heard metallic footsteps. She only opened them again when she heard someone shouting her name. She stood there in silence until she heard that cry again.

"Y/N! I don't know if you can hear me but if you can hear me run! Run and don't look back! And don't forget, run or die! "

Minho was always there to reassure her. The glader got up with difficulty and walked, she walked until she lost it. Suddenly, her shoe remained stuck to the ground and in spite of all the force that she put there, she did not succeed in removing it. She wondered then about the origin of what could stick her like that and had her answer by hearing another scream. Much more powerful and strong than the last time. It was getting closer. When she finally heard it in the next hallway, she tried to find a hiding place by looking around. Walls, walls, vines and more walls surrounded her. Her gaze returned to the vines and an idea crossed her mind. It was enough that she hid behind it while waiting for the griever to pass. She tried again to untie her shoe but it was a waste of time. Only one choice was offered to her now, well two: either she remained there and died, or she removed her foot of her shoe and had a little more chances to leave. After reflection, the second option was the best. However, as soon as she removed her foot from her boot, she realized that this was also a very bad idea. She retched violently because of the smell. But there was no time to vomit, she rushed to her hiding place and entered just as the monster was passing by in the hallway.From where she was, she saw its paws passing in front of her.

She had to find a better hiding place and for that, she had to get out of there. She took her courage in both hands and got up. She approached her shoe and pulled with all her strength. She fell on her buttocks but managed to get it off. She was about to burst with joy when she felt a liquid running down her hair. She looked up to see a clawed man between the walls. She stood up in a panic and ran to escape the beast that was already on her tail. As she turned to the right, she tried to put her shoe back on, which she was still holding in her hand. Bad idea, she fell back on the ground and took the opportunity to put her shoes on.

When she finished, and stood up, she realized that she could only use a dead end because a second griever had joined the chase. She tried not to show her fear. This was what the creators wanted so she wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. The creatures had slowed their steps as if to taunt her. Trying everything, she began to climb the wall. The ivy burned her hands, but she kept going anyway. The wall was actually a low wall and she reached the top faster than she thought possible.

Y/N then prayed that the griever could not climb the walls, but apparently his prayers were not heard as the first one began to follow her. When she saw this, she turned around and despite her fatigue ran until she almost fell. She was now in front of an abyss and could not turn back. She could already see her life passing by when an idea came to her mind. Taking what little courage she had left, she turned to her attackers and shouted: "Hey, you grey scrap heap! Come over here if you're looking for me!"

And as if they had a conscience and had heard the young woman's call, they moved so fast that Y/N was at first surprised and then a smile settled on her face. Before one of them could touch her, she threw herself to the side, burning a rib as she passed. They had no time to brake and fell. She dragged herself to the edge to see their bodies turning into dots and then disappearing from her sight.

Finally, she turned on her back with a grimace and rested at last. After a few minutes of silence, she shouted a cry of joy. She had succeeded. The sun was starting to rise and she was still alive.

...

Y/N may have managed to survive the night, but she was terribly tired. Only fear had kept her going until now. Yet she still had to find her way back. She was hungry, she felt dirty, she was hurt and she needed to hear his voice. She started walking again, dragging her feet. She didn't even know what she was doing, she was completely lost. She had gone through the labyrinth in length and breadth, it had almost no secret for her. She kept on going anyway, the terror of having to spend a night inside again pushed her to continue.

She didn't know how long she had been looking for the glade, but it seemed like hours. Y/N was beginning to lose hope that she would ever find her way out when she recognized the root that had caused her to fall the day before. She breathed a sigh of relief, thanked the heavens and then, true to her promise, pointed her fingers at the plant. She shouted all sorts of insults for having made her spend the night in the labyrinth. She was so concentrated on her task that she did not hear the footsteps behind her.

"Y/N?"

The young woman was startled and turned around quickly to find Minho a few steps away from her. She ran towards him and jumped into his arms, so happy was she to find her friend.

"My god! You're fucking alive! You're still alive! You did it! We thought we would never see you again! How did you do? -I ran like you shouted at me last night. Thank you because I think I would have died without your wise counsel. Although you didn't exactly make me feel better.

He smiled and put her back down on the floor.

"Come on, let's get back to the glade. We definitely need to break the news to the others."

Y/N followed him without answering but suddenly she collapsed to the ground. Tiredness got the better of her and the knowledge that everything would be all right for her finished her off. Minho's worried face appeared above her and without her having to say a word, he stooped down and took her in his arms.

The rest of the way went on without a word. Y/N had fallen asleep. Once they arrived at the glade, the Asian went directly to the infirmary, ignoring the questions of the other gladers.

[...]

When Y/N finally woke up, she found a blond man drooling on her hand. She thought the scene was cute and wanted to stay there and watch him for a while longer, but he finally woke up. The young woman saw at first a gleam of incomprehension passing in the glance of Newt then he made a grimace while rubbing his face. This one took advantage of it to wipe discreetly the hands on the sheet.

He finally looked her in the eye and asked:

"How do you feel? -Like someone who just spent a night awake. You know the grievers aren't so bad, I could almost adopt one, almost. "

The desperate look that her friend gave her was understandable. By dint of hanging out with Minho, he had ended up rubbing off on her. The blond repeated his question with a more serious and worried tone. Then Y/N decided to tell him the truth.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to be back on the block." Then taking courage she added: "To find you."

His last sentence took Newt unprepared and he turned into a fish. His head made her laugh which caused him a violent coughing fit. Pulling himself together quickly, he brought a glass of water to the young woman.

"You must have caught a cold or something. It gets cold at night in the maze." He paused and Y/N thought for a moment that he was going to dodge the conversation that was to take place. "I'm glad to have you back too. The truth is, I don' t know if I would have survived losing you."

This time, it was Y/N's turn to be speechless. She would never have believed that Newt cared so much about her. Newt continued to speak without noticing that the girl he loved had come closer to him. After having understood that nobody was immortal and that death could touch anyone at any time, he had decided to confess everything to the one of his heart.

"... I saw you and I thought you were beautiful right away. I wanted to get closer to you but Minho was already there. You became very close very quickly so I thought... I thought you were dating. Because you are both my friends, I didn't dare to tell you. It would have been really horrible of me to..." His tirade was cut off by a pair of soft lips on hers. Surprised at first, he didn't respond immediately, but eventually, he let go.

The two finally broke apart due to the lack of air and Newt rested his forehead on Y/N's. They smiled at each other. They smiled at each other. The silence was comfortable, no one needed to talk, that was it. They loved each other and they would never let go.

#the maze runner #x reader #le labyrinthe #the death cure #le remède mortel #la terre brûlée #the scorch trials #thomas #newt #minho #alby #gally #chuck #paige #teresa

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mamourland · 4 years

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Kissing Prompt #44 - Magnum/Higgins

There was a request for a fic about PTSD!Magnum and I decided to take a shot at it, even if angst is not really my forte. Let’s just say it’s really light angst ^^.

I know nothing about PTSD so I’m sorry if it’s no accurate.

Prompt #44 - Tentative kisses given in the dark.

Context: Post 2x03

Rating: General Audience

Higgins grumbled as she felt something wet and cold in contact with her hand. She slowly opened her eyes, willing to push away what was disturbing her sleep, when she was met with the sight of Zeus and Appolo. The two dogs sat next to her bed and Appolo was nudging her hand with his snout.

She turned her head towards the nightstand and saw the time on her alarm clock: 2:34AM.

Seeing as she wasn’t getting up right away, Zeus barked at her.

“What’s wrong, lads?’, she asked in a low, sleepy voice.

Appolo pushed his snout to her shoulder this time. Higgins was confused because if there had been any danger, they would have barked and growled directly at the source instead of coming to get her.

Something was definitely off though. All the remnants of sleep left her immediately as her spy reflexes kicked in.

She opened her nightstand drawer to retrieve her gun and flashlight before swiftly getting up. She switched off the security of her weapon and followed the lads out of her room. She was only wearing a tank top and sleep shorts but she didn’t think she’d have time to change if something was wrong. She stayed barefoot to lower the volume of her steps to a minimum to keep the surprise effect to her advantage and went down the stairs with her gun and flashlight drawn in front of her. She did a full sweep of the ground floor but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.

She went into the study to check all the security cameras on her computer when Zeus snagged the fabric of her shorts between his teeth to try and pull her in the direction of the French doors left ajar to let the lads come and go as they wished.

She followed the two dogs outside until they lead her to the guesthouse. She turned around, surveilling the area near the front door but everything was dark and silent and nothing seemed out of place.

“What is it?”, she asked the dogs and they both whined.

She was puzzled by their behavior, but she was still on the lookout, gun drawn, ready to face any threat that would cross her path. Suddenly she heard something but didn’t really know what it was and where it was coming from.

The dogs whined again and one of them lift his muzzle to bark in the direction of the second floor open windows.

Magnum’s bedroom.

Higgins didn’t waste any more time and entered the guesthouse house with her gun still in front of her face in case there was an intruder. She tried not to think about her partner possibly in danger when she checked the first floor of the guesthouse. Clear.

She went straight for the stairs starting to climb them when she heard the sound again. Groaning. This time, she recognized Magnum’s voice. She rushed to his bedroom, ready to encounter some kind of bad guy her partner was currently fighting with.

The lads were right by her sides which made her feel slightly more equipped to deal with this unknown situation. When she barged in the room and swept the flashlight around though, she saw no one. No stranger, no fight, nothing but silence and darkness.

She directed the beam of light to the bed and saw her partner, seemingly asleep. He was on his back in only his boxers but something about him was off. There was some kind of tension emanating from him that shouldn’t be while he was in slumber and the sheet was tangled around his feet like he had tossed and turned.

Higgins decided to stick around for a few minutes because if the lads went to get her and lead her to Magnum, surely there was a reason. The dogs both lied on the floor at the foot of the bed, like they were guarding the PI and Higgins had to smirk; apparently Zeus and Appolo were more attached to Magnum than they appeared to be.

She approached the bed silently and put her gun in his own nightstand, not comfortable leaving the weapon in plain sight. She directed the flashlight towards the ceiling so she could see him clearly without the light disturbing him.

She was startled by a sudden move from the bed as Magnum thrashed on the mattress and moaned a desperate plea.

« No, don’t hurt them, take me instead. »

The young woman’s stomach dropped at the realization: he was having a nightmare. And from what she could gather, it was about his time in the POW.

They had never discussed this before but Juliet knew Magnum and his friends had to be suffering from a form of PTSD after their captivity. Nightmares were a common symptom of PTSD and could be quite vivid, however, she was also aware you didn’t just wake a person up if he was in the midst of reliving his captivity.

He could still think he was in that camp when he awoke and mistook her for one of his assailants before attacking her. No, she needed to find a way to reassure him, make him understand he was safe and sound in his bed without rousing him.

She looked around and saw the armchair near the foot of the bed. She curled in it as she tucked her legs under her, knowing she was staying close but he couldn’t reach her if he threw an arm or a leg around.

She looked at him as he moved around, clearly in distress and it pained her to see him in this much agony.

She did the only thing she could think of: she talked to him, hoping he would recognize her voice, tone and accent even in his sleep.

“Hey Thomas, it’s Juliet.”

She noticed he stilled in his tossing and his face turned towards her, like he could identify the source of her voice. She took it as progress so she continued her monologue.

“It’s okay, you’re safe, you’re in your bed, in Hawaii and I’m here.”

He was still trapped inside his mind as he kept whining and muttering incomprehensible words. Suddenly, she jumped out of her skin when he screamed before curling in a fetal position, shaking like a leaf.

‘Screw it.’, she thought as she got up and climbed onto the mattress next to him, still out of his reach and sat Indian style.

It took everything in her not to reach out and touch him, the need to comfort him and herself almost overwhelming.

She resumed talking to him, hoping it would soothe him.

“I have something to confess to you and since you’re most likely not understanding what I’m saying, I’ll just do it.”

She took a deep breath.

“When MI6 offered me my job back, they gave me an amazing opportunity to join a task force with a lot of financing and travelling around the world. Really, it was my dream job when I started my career. And yet I refused it.”

She trailed her fingers on the sheet next to her, picking up a lint, anything to avoid looking at him even though he couldn’t see her. His body had relaxed slightly since she started talking to him.

“When I accepted your offer to be your partner I told you it was because I had found something in Hawaii I didn’t want to leave behind. And that was absolutely true but I didn’t tell you what it was.”

She paused, trying to find the courage to divulge the information.

“It’s you, Magnum. You’re the one I want to stay on this island for.”, she whispered because as much as she was willing to come clean, she was still afraid he would actually hear her.

It was like something incredibly heavy had been lifted off her chest when she revealed her secret as if admitting it out loud suddenly made it true. Like she finally stopped pretending he wasn’t the best thing that had ever happened to her.

She saw tears running down his cheeks and her throat tightened. She tried to swallow down the emotions as she wondered what memory made him cry. She didn’t need to speculate for too long though.

He whispered ‘Hannah’ and her heart broke a little more for him after everything he went through. Like being captured and tortured for 18 months wasn’t enough, he had to deal with the betrayal of the love of his life.

She lied down next to him, her head on her bent arm and turned towards him. She still didn’t touch him and kept talking to him. About how she had never met a man like him, so honest and selfless.

“After everything you went through, you’re still this optimistic man-child and I admire you for it. I wished I was more like you but after Richard died I let bitterness swallow me whole and I didn’t know how to drag myself out of it. Until I met you.”

This time, when fresh tears appeared on his cheek she didn’t hold back and brushed them away with the pad of her thumb.

His reaction took her by surprise as he dragged her to him, as easily as if she had been a rag doll, her body flushed against his and buried his face into her neck.

She gasped at the strength of his hold, his arms around her back, his right leg thrown over her hips as if he was a koala bear hugging a tree.

She froze when he inhaled her deeply and brushed his lips against the sensitive skin of her neck. He had been dreaming about Hannah and now he was kissing her.

‘That’s not good.’, she thought as she tried not to dwell on the fact that it actually felt delightful.

She tried to squirm out of his embrace but he was squeezing her tightly against him and she couldn’t free herself from him. She felt him stiffen and another sensation of dread settled in her bones. He was waking up.

She was still trapped within his embrace and he was waking up. No matter how embarrassing being mistaken for his lost love was, she’d rather face that situation than being mistaken for a Taliban. She had no way to retaliate if he happened to be disorientated and violent.

Juliet attempted to even her breaths and not give way to panic because it would be worse if he felt her fear.

As if she didn’t have enough on her plate, the batteries of the flashlight died out and the room was suddenly plunged into darkness. She tried to brush reassuring strokes across his lower back – the only body part of his she could reach with her arms pinned to her sides – and whispered that she was here, hoping her voice would help him identify her.

“Higgy?”, he croaked and Juliet let out a breath of relief.

“Yes, I’m here. You’re safe, Thomas.”

She felt his heartbeat hammering against her chest but his hold didn’t weaken.

“Are you okay?”, she asked knowing he was definitely not okay.

“I think so. Just, could you please stay with me?”

His broken tone made her heart ache.

“Of course. Can I have my arms back, though?”

“You won’t leave, right?”

“I won’t.”, she reassured him gently.

He loosened his hold around her upper body so she could free her limbs but just like she promised, she didn’t move away from him. Not knowing what to actually do with her arms, she wrapped them around his neck to position them in an actual hug, hoping it would comfort him.

“Do you want to talk about it?”, she asked gently.

“Not really.”, he answered as he grazed his lips from her neck to her shoulder.

She shivered at the contact, not knowing how to interpret his action. Sure, he was seeking solace in her arms and she was more than okay to give it to him. However, he had been dreaming about his ex-girlfriend and now he was laying kisses on her. The same kisses she wished he would give her while actually thinking about her.

“Higgy?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks. For talking to me and dragging me out of my own mind.”

She stiffened slightly.

“You’re welcome. You heard me talk?”

“Yeah, I heard everything.”

She felt his lips turn up in a smile against her shoulder as his mouth traveled again.

‘Great.”, she thought sarcastically.

“Thomas?”

He hummed against her pulse point and now he most definitely could feel how her heart raced under his lips.

“Why are you kissing me?”

“Because I want to.”

Right. That seemed like a logical explanation. Maybe she should just stop finding excuses to do what she wanted also.

She turned her face slowly and pressed her lips to his cheek. She felt him brush a kiss against her neck. Both emboldened by the other’s reaction, they grazed their lips across skin until they met in a chaste kiss.

Juliet couldn’t stop the tingles from spreading in her stomach. She cupped his cheek and dared diving for another kiss, with her mouth slightly open. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth and she moaned softly. He didn’t deepen the kiss though but pressed his forehead to hers.

They stayed entwined for a moment as he slipped his leg between hers and she trailed her fingers in his hair, at the back of his head. She felt safe with his arms securely holding her to him like he was afraid she would leave him.

“Where are you?”, she asked wondering if his mind, even awake, was still in that POW camp.

“Right where I want to be.”, he whispered against her cheekbone.

She smiled.

“And where is that?”

“In your arms.”

Juliet’s heart burst in her chest and she had never felt so light in her life. Magnum wanted to be with her and she wanted to be with him. Forever.

#magnum PI #Thomas Magnum #magnum fic #magnum x higgins #juliet higgins #magnum x juliet #kissing prompt #fanfic #fanfiction #fluff #My fic #miggy #miggy fic

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laineybug04 · 4 years

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A Helping Hand Chapter 2: Where I’m Needed Most

In which Amy realizes she’s bitten off way more than she can chew and the Freedom Fighters realize exactly what she’s done.

First Chapter/Next Chapter

Prison Island Command Center 19:24

Captain Amanda Towers looked over the boundless expanse of the jungle before her. To the east of the watchtower she could see the ocean stretching out towards the horizon. Reds and oranges bled into the blue, and wisps of ivory clouds were dusted with pinks and purples. It was a beautiful, peaceful sunset.

And she had no idea why her father was so up her ass about a possible invasion.

Upon asking what she could expect, he had not given any answer. Just to be ready for anything from a lone man operation to a full scale assault from the Mad Doctor himself. In return, he promised as much man power as he could quietly provide. In particular, he wanted her to give special attention to the northern side of the island. She squinted her tired green eyes but couldn't see much of anything. Not that she expected much, her father had been uncharacteristically cryptic in his sources. She nursed her coffee before taking a tentative sip, readying herself for the night shift. For all that he was worried, she knew the prison was well maintained and empty of any problem prisoner. Once it was a prison housing the most dangerous of criminals, but now she could count on one hand all the humans here that weren't in her employ. It had become Now it was more of a Treasure Island; a place for the United Federation to house and protect its most precious possessions.

"And its most dangerous," she thought smugly of the new droids they'd created to directly fight against Eggman's forces, "Let him try..."

As if in answer, one of the other soldiers called out to her, "Captain! We have an unauthorized vessel approaching the island."

Amanda frowned, "How many, Lieutenant Adebayo?"

The Mazurian Lieutenant squinted against the screen to double check before hesitantly replying, "Just... one, Captain. It's a tiny thing- maybe a speed boat. About 25 klicks North east of us."

One of the petty officers snorted, "Probably some wingnut on vacation got lost."

The Captain frowned and glared down the officer before barking, "Hail the vessel. Tell them to get lost somewhere else."

The petty officer gulped and complied immediately.

Amy woke from her nap to the incomprehensible garbling of the radio. As the static and odd words began to irk her, she opened her eyes to see the jungle island on the horizon, quickly closing in. She was even more smugly pleased to see that there was indeed a metal harbor installed towards the southern side of the island.

"I knew someone was here!" she squealed with glee as she grabbed her camera from her bag, "And I'd bet my last ring that that's another Eggman base! Wait til Sally gets a load of this!"

Still, her ears twitched at the sound of the odd noises from the radio getting louder and more desperate. She took two quick pictures before she finally got sick of the sound and stomped over to the radio. Her ire grew when she realized that Tails had not labeled any of the buttons and therefore she had no idea how to shut it up. She quickly started button mashing before the radio cut out entirely. She sighed in relief until she realized the engine was shutting down and the console was folding out to reveal a countdown and a steering wheel.

"Oh!" she thought pleasantly surprised, "Well, I guess I'm taking over! One minute to shore, huh? Let's do it!"

It didn't take her long to figure out the throttle, and the steering was actually pretty easy to master. She gave a satisfied stretch as she searched the shore for a decent place to hide the boat as close to the harbor as she could without being seen...

"Prepare for imminent destruction. T-minus 1 minute. 59. 58.-"

The overlook had erupted into a hive of urgency.

"How long until the vessel makes landfall?"

"It's in tandem with the countdown. The target's at 20 klicks now and approaching!"

"Where is it heading?"

"Towards Dock 10!"

"Evacuate the Dock and deploy the droids! Aim the cannons and search for any follow up attacks nearby."

"There are no other vessels, it's just this speed boat!"

"Then shoot it out of the water. Do NOT let that thing make landfall."

"The cannons are locked and loaded, Captain!"

"Then fire, dammit!"

Amy's heart stopped as she saw incoming missiles approaching from the shoreline. She screeched as she swerved out of the way. The barrage just behind her and sent a wave that nearly capsized her. When she thankfully breached the wave, she grit her teeth and turned the boat towards the jungle side of the island and began weaving between the waves.

"New plan, wait out the heat and get to Eggman's base through the jungle!" she cried over the explosions, salt water splashing into her eyes and mouth. In spite of the danger, a smug smile spread across her face. This just had to be Eggman launching an attack on her, which meant he was definitely here. She struggled to steer with one hand as she tried to take pictures of the attack with her camera in the other.

Amy pushed the gas to full throttle and sped towards the shore. She growled, eyes growing wide and terrified as the barrage of bullets and missiles only got worse as she got closer to shore. She looked down at the counter- less than twenty seconds before landfall. Just a bit more if she could just...

Too late- a missile exploded behind her and this time the wave not only flipped the boat but the shock wave knocked her head-first into the console and her whole world went black.

Station Square Volunteer Center 22:01

Sally Acorn looked down at NICOLE's display, where Sonic stared up at her with an annoyed look on his face, "So Eggman wasn't at the base?" she asked morosely.

"He was- but he ran for it when I got here," Sonic rolled his eyes, "And he's definitely up to something. I don't know what it is but he's got these plans for a... new set of legs? I dunno if it's for real though- looks really small compared to what he's thrown at me in the past."

Rotor peeped over Sally's shoulder, "Send those along to me. Once Tails wakes up, he and I will figure out what's so special about it and see if we can't find a way to counteract it."

Sonic gave them a thumb's up, "Don't sweat it too much. I'll find a way to take that thing down before you can say..."

"Chili Dogs," the whole room rang out along with Sonic. Sally smiled wistfully while the room, including Sonic laughed along.

"See? We'll be fine! Smell you all later!"

Sally's eyes widened and she called out to Sonic as the crowd around her dissipated, "Wait! Before you go..."

Sonic raised an eyebrow, "Yea? What's up, Sal?"

Her eyes fell and she took a deep breath. It was a long shot, but she had to ask, "Have you seen Amy?"

Sonic's head pulled back in confusion, "Uh... no. Did you send her along?"

Sally shook her head, "I didn't. But, she had another vision and..."

Rotor and Sonic both gave audible groans and she could feel NICOLE judging her from her console. She held up her hands defensively but continued evenly, "I know you all don't think it's real, but... you have to admit her intuition is just too uncanny for there not to be some merit to it."

"It's called a cold read," Rotor argued, "And just because she's good at it doesn't mean she's reliable with it. Better to call a spade a spade and train her up to see facts not fairy tales."

Antoine shivered, however, "You can say zat... after what exploded ze entire city of Station Square?"

Rotor stopped but shrugged, "Apples and oranges. Just because one is true doesn't mean the other is."

"What'd she do?" Sonic asked finally.

Sally sighed, "Nothing... I don't think. She came to see me this morning and was trying to tell me Eggman was on an island off the coast of the Mystic Ruins. I... was a bit harsh with her. I haven't seen her since this morning and I'm worried about her."

Sonic looked slightly concerned but Bunnie came up to Sally and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, "Now, don't you worry yourself too much Sally-girl. I'll bet she's just hangin' out with her new beau right about now!"

The whole room fell silent and everyone stared openly at Bunnie as though she'd just grown two heads. Sonic, especially started to scoff-laugh before asking, "Beau? As in boyfriend? She has a boyfriend now?"

Bunnie gave him a harsh look, "That's right, Sugah-hog, you waited too long and now she's with her Mister Tall, Dark and Handsome hog. She was tellin' me about him this morning- a black hedgehog she was dreamin' about. Ah'm just happy she took mah advice."

Sally's incredulous smile suddenly fell just as hard as her heart did, "...Did you just say 'black hedgehog'?"

Bunnie sized Sally up with her own confused look, "Yea...with red eyes. Y'all got a problem with that?"

"No, no, no- Amy told me he was in trouble, not that she was infatuated with him!"

"Same difference?" Sonic snorted.

Sally shot him a withering glare that had Sonic's hands up defensively, "Hey! Don't look at me like that- I've been dealing with her crushing on me for years now. It's about time she moved on!"

"None of you get it!" Sally cried out, "Amy thinks Eggman is going to use this hedgehog and it has something to do with that jungle island I told you about earlier."

Sonic shrugged, "So let me go get her! I'm a ways away but I can be at the island in two shakes before she gets herself into trouble..."

Sally shook her head, "We can't. When she continued to insist Eggman's plans would involve the island somehow the G.U.N. were very clear about them investigating it on their own. It's clearly some sort of secret outpost. If we set foot out there it will be a political nightmare."

Is this the section that you were worried about? Or is it later?

Her mind raced with all the possible ways to fix this when Rotor raised his hand hesitantly, "Yea... I think we're forgetting something pretty important. That island's in the middle of the ocean. It looks close on the map but it's pretty far away from shore. Amy's strong, but she can't swim out in the open ocean. She'd need a way to get there and she's no pilot."

Antoine and Bunnie gave a sigh of relief. Sally even chuckled a bit before she smiled, "You're right. You're right. I'm worrying about nothing. I'm sure she's just off in the city trying to figure out a way to swim it."

But she saw Sonic looking around the room skeptically before he said, "I hate to be the party-pooper but... where's Tails?"

The room froze, save for Antoine who answered, "Ze boy is sleeping. He 'azs been hard at work on a project in ze Mystic Ruins. He finally finished!"

He laughed and only when he was done did he realize the entire aura of the room had shifted to brick shitting mode.

"She wouldn't," Bunnie murmured, "She... she's only twelve years old. She can't even drive... can she?"

One Train Ride Later 22:41

Tails eyes fluttered open ever so gently. He ached everywhere and he was a bit on the warm side, but he felt way better than he had before. He looked at the clock and hissed, "Oops! There goes my sleep schedule!"

Not that he cared. He was extremely independent for an eight year old and with the project he'd just finished testing, it would be impossible for anyone to see him as anything less than a full fledged adult. He stretched out and slipped out of bed. He took a moment to contemplate what he could do now so late in the evening. He'd already finished one project, and his Revenge on Sonic Tsunami had most of the bugs ironed out finally. He considered adding one more joke to it, but then figured it was already overkill having a menacing countdown and an invisibility armor around it. He chuckled at the thought of taking that thing out to open water, "That'll show Sonic for hiding that thunder recorder in my lab!"

He was making his way towards the kitchen when he heard a pounding on his door. He rolled his eyes but strolled to the door with a small pep in his step. His whole demeanor changed when he saw the Freedom Fighters at the door with him.

"Tails, sweety, where's Amy?" Sally asked immediately, a strained smile pulling on the edge of her lips.

"Hey... guys...?" Tails asked hesitantly, "I... don't know? She came by earlier. She was looking for Sonic and..."

Suddenly Tails blanched and he scrambled back into his house. Sally and the gang took one look at each other before they ran after him. They were halfway down the stairs to his hangar when they heard a cry erupt from the bottom. As they all tumbled down the stairs they saw Tails with his mouth open over the gaping hole in his wall.

"My... my Tsunami!" he cried, his hands lacing through the fur on his head and over his ears, "My wall! My project! MY CHAOS EMERALD! THEY'RE GONE!"

Sally felt herself going faint. Amy Rose now had a ride and a chaos emerald, "Tails... please, how long ago did you see her?"

Tails ran towards the left wall of the lab, where a huge computer was set up, "I dunno… hours ago at least, but I can track the location."

Sally's heart sank further but she squared her shoulders and marched towards the computer to see what Tails was doing. He'd set the time at 13:00- to be safe. As they followed the trajectory of the boat, her heart sank further still as it ran ever closer to the little island that Amy had insisted on investigating. Her heart hit rock bottom when she saw the little dot on the map completely disappear at about 18:00 hours just off the northeast coast of the island.

Sally's hands found their way to her mouth and she slid down to her knees. She felt Bunnie's hands on her shoulders immediately while she heard Antoine scoff, "I just... I don't... What does zat mean?"

Tails eyes were down cast and Rotor had pulled his hat off. It was Tails who answered, "It means either the cloaking device got activated or the boat was..."

Sally could feel her shoulders shaking with sobs now. Not only was Amy possibly dead- but she'd been killed in an active raid against a military outpost of an ally outside of wartime. Meaning, unless Sally was willing to drag Amy's name through the mud, Amy's death could very well be an open declaration of war with the humans. It could lead to the Great War all over again.

Northeast quadrant of Prison Island 20:15

As Amy hid in the mud of a foreign jungle, away from Eggman's robots, in the dark- she took a moment to reacquaint herself with her ever-so delightfully unfair situation.

1. The Tsunami had been beached and flipped upside down into car mode and was basically undriveable at the moment.

2. She was not expecting anyone to help her out of this mess because she'd managed to get here without telling anyone where she was.

3. The Tsunami was now invisible for some reason... and she'd fumbled around the invisible deck until finally managing to fall overboard onto the sand. She would figure out how to fix it later, for now it was kind of a blessing. What better to hide a boat? Frankly she could figure out how to fix that later because...

4. Eggman's robots had almost immediately found her after she'd just barely recovered from being knocked unconscious and nearly drowned to death and were now trying to gun her down instead.

5. She now had a chaos emerald with her and knowing Eggman that meant having a homing beacon on her at all times.

Amy shivered against the mud- she'd run head-long into the jungle without any thought to where she should be going for more than half an hour straight and those robots were still hot on her tail. Not to mention she was tired, cold, hungry, and lost. She reminisced loathsomely to the time she'd been in Maginary world with Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails. She thought her dress was ruined then? She was practically unrecognizable now and she was positive she was going to catch something gross when she got out of this.

The robots hovered ominously near her and she trembled further into the dirt soup, "If I get out of here," she thought miserably.

She shook her head then gasped in pain- she was sure she had a concussion at this point. But she grit her teeth and thought, "Then it's up to me! I gotta figure out where Eggman is, what he's planning and get off this crazy island!"

She military-crawled quietly away. After she stopped hearing any noises she got to her feet shakily and took one step forward.

Only to start plummeting through the ground and through a rusted metal wall. She felt the metal slice through her left arm as she screamed her way down another several dozen feet. She reached out desperately for a way to stop her fall, only to grab a metal cord that held her for a brief moment before snapping and letting her fall the rest of the way down to an unforgiving metal floor below her. She heard rather than felt the sickening crack of her left arm breaking. The wind knocked out of her lungs, she went entirely numb and her mind went still for what felt like hours. Only when she tried to move did a pain like a wildfire blossom from her arm. She tried to suppress a scream, knowing that she was still in danger and any sound could bring a hoard of bots to her location. She whimpered in pain against the cold, wet, muddy floor before she dared to open her eyes to see where she'd ended up.

The world seemed to freeze when she recognized the room she was in.

Clear as day, there was the console attached to a misty capsule from her vision. Amy clambered to her feet, wincing as she jostled her arm. She gingerly held it in place as she limped her way to the console. Unlike her vision, the keys were entirely dusted over and it looked like no one had been here in years. She looked warily around the room and breathed a sigh of relief when she found no red chalk curses on the walls.

"There's that at least..." she murmured to herself as she looked down at the capsule below. It was a ways down but if she squinted she could clearly see...

She gasped and her ears buzzed with adrenaline. She rushed towards the console and tried to turn it on.

She had to save the black hedgehog resting in the capsule.

When the machine refused to turn on she practically screeched in fury. The thing was dead and she had no clue how the hell she was going to get it working again. She nearly bashed the thing to smithereens until she tried to swing her hammer and couldn't without jostling her bad arm. As she pushed back the tears of pain and frustration she took several deep breaths and forced herself to think of something else.

That's when she saw the gem shaped indent on the keyboard- just like the one in Tails' boat. "No way…" She thought, her pain suddenly numbing with her realization.

Amy quickly pulled out the chaos emerald and shoved it into the indent. To her bewilderment, it turned on almost immediately. She was relieved to see that the user data was already entered for her.

"Gerald R. Gerald, huh?" she thought as she entered the password from her vision, "So that's Eggman's real name! Sorry, Doctor, I don't like you stealing little boys for your weird experiments!"

The computer flashed in assent and Amy was thrilled when it asked her if she wanted to unlock the capsule and immediately pressed yes. Amy cried out in fear as there was a great grinding of gears and a hiss came loudly from below her. She limped closer to the edge and watched as the capsule slowly rose up to her level. She shivered from the cold and anticipation as the capsule slid open with a screech. First one hand appeared, then another, before the mist revealed the boy from her visions rising slowly out of his confines to stand stoically before her.

Amy was immediately struck by his crimson red eyes. While her visions were normally very accurate, the sheer intensity of his stare was enough to leave Amy breathless. His unwavering gaze was unreadable and it left Amy curious about the boy she'd just released. Those eyes searched hers and she couldn't help but wonder if he was judging her and if she was measuring up.

Her next thought was a smug one- she was right!

"Hey there!" she called out gently gasping, "Oh wait! Stay right there! I'll find a way to get you acr-"

She stopped in her tracks as the boy jumped across the small chasm directly in front of her. She stumbled backwards and would have tripped if he hadn't caught her from behind to steady her. She cried out in pain- it would have been so sweet if she hadn't just slammed her bad arm against him.

She could feel herself growing faint from the pain. He seemed to see it too as he eased her gently to the ground and gingerly touched her arm.

"What have we here?"

Amy chuckled- he even sounded just like he had in her vision, "I uh... fell down from there and broke it."

She pointed up to the hole in the ceiling before cringing in pain, "But don't worry about me. How are you feeling? How long have you been trapped down here?"

He raised his brow, looked towards the hole, then allowed his eyes to fall slowly down to follow her fall. When Amy did the same she was shocked she hadn't died from that one. The hedgehog seemed to be mildly impressed before asking, "Long enough. What year is it?"

Amy's eyes widened, "Uh... today is day 159, 3237?"

His eyes shifted back and forth before he gave a wry chuckle, "Then it seems I've been here for about 50 years."

"50 years!?" Amy cried, "But that... that's impossible! Eggman's old but he's not that old!"

The black hedgehog shook his head, "I don't know who this Eggman is, but he's not the one who kept me here."

Amy's heart stopped, "But... if Eggman's not the one... who was shooting at me earlier?"

An alarm went off around them that made them both flinch. The doors behind them rumbled open and a large mech and a dozen smaller droids swarmed in around them. Amy felt the wind knocked out of her when she saw in bold black letters just who she had invaded.

"This is G.U.N territory!" the giant mech called out, "You are under arrest for trespassing, espionage, and jail-breaking. Come quietly or we will shoot!"

Amy felt the blood drain from her face, "J...jail-breaking?"

She looked up to the black hedgehog who only glared down the soldier, eyes shifting from droid to droid. Her heart broke. Here she was, stuck in front of a shooting squad with a convict she'd just broken out of prison.

"Why is this hedgehog even here!? He's just a kid...

"Just like Sonic," she decided, "Just like all of us."

Now she was angry. She stood up and roared, "NO!"

She stood tall and ignored the searing pain of her arm as she summoned her hammer in her right hand. She pointed it forward and cried, "What did he do? What did he do that made you put him to sleep for 50 years!?"

"Surrender or prepare to..."

"NO! WHAT DID HE DO!?" she demanded, "If you want to fight, then I'll fight but I'm NOT backing down until you tell me why he deserved to be chained up and locked away!"

"This is Scorpion Troop's Hot Shot!" the soldier barked out defiantly, "We've engaged the enemy! OPEN FIRE!"

Amy's heart pounded with fear, pain, and fury. She charged towards the first droid without a second thought, even as her left arm beat painfully and uselessly against her side. She was about to slam her hammer into the droid when she felt something powerful wrap around her waist and pull her back. Suddenly she was heaved back out of the way of dozens of bullets and lasers that ripped her would-be victim to shreds. Amy was hauled back towards the capsule and into the pit where the capsule had been. She turned in a rage where the boy had simply put up a hand to stop her, "Stay here."

Amy reached out with her good hand but not quickly enough to stop him from jumping off with the help of his rocket shoes. She stared in confusion at the spot he'd just been in, "How... long has he had those on?"

Her mind pivoted to a new worry, however, as she heard the battle raging overhead. She was alone, injured, and all she had between her and destruction was a stranger and the pit she was now stuck in. She had no idea if he was combat ready until she heard the noises above. It felt like an eternity of grinding metal and the whoosh of her protector jumping from droid to droid. It was maybe two minutes before she heard the more tell-tale screech of a huge hunk of metal being twisted into uselessness. She heard glass shattering and the terrified shriek from the pilot in the cockpit.

Then she heard silence- it was menacing, and thick with tension. Her ears twitched as she heard the hedgehog's steps towards the console. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw him safe and sound. Her heart stopped when he pulled the chaos emerald from the console and turned back away from her.

"Behold, the true power I possess!"

Amy's eyes widened, realizing what he was about to do, "Wait wait, NO DON'T DO IT! SHADOW, STOP! I'M BEGGING YOU!"

The silence was deafening. Her heart pounded in her ears as she waited for the dreadful sounds of a fleshy kill. She shook uncontrollably and tears started pouring down her eyes. She didn't want to hear it, but the not knowing was even more agonizing.

Finally, she heard a mighty rip and she held her breath as she heard the human whimper in fear. She listened intently as Shadow murmured something to the man. She fell to her knees and gave a huge, heaving sigh of relief when she heard the man running in the other direction. She was happy he hadn't killed the man, but she couldn't stop her crying. She barely heard Shadow land in front of her with two metal rods and strips of what she realized was the soldier's jacket.

She met his gaze with what she hoped was a fierce and defiant look. While he didn't seem cowed, his gaze did drop down to her bad arm. He knelt to her side and reached for it, "That must hurt for you to cry this hard..."

Her brows snapped together, "Excuse me?! You think this," she motioned to her tears, "Is because this hurts!? You almost killed someone!"

Now Shadow was glaring at her, "They shot at us first. Do you seriously expect the Ultimate Life form to simply not do anything?"

Amy's eyes squinted and her jaw dropped in absolute confusion, "The... what? Are you kidding me?! What do you mean 'Ultimate Life form!? You're just a kid!"

Shadow growled, "I'm no mere child and you know it."

"No! I don't! We just met!" she argued with a huff, "I don't even know who you are or what you did to end up here but if you're just going to go around murdering people I'll stuff your sorry butt right back into that pod!"

He rolled his eyes, "Well, I didn't murder him and now he's off to go get his friends. Now hold still. I need to reset this. Unless you want to try and stuff me in there with a broken arm and a toy hammer."

Amy pouted but her stomach rolled at the thought of the pain to come next. She screwed her eyes shut as tightly as possible while he felt along her arm gently to feel where the breaks were. When he didn't move to shift them after a time she peaked thru one eye to see him muttering to himself in confusion.

"Is it bad?" she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

Now she caught Shadow looking from the ceiling, to the floor, then her arm and back again, "It's not broken."

Amy's eyes widened, "What? No, of course it is, it hurts like nobody's business!"

Shadow shook his head, "I don't feel the break. There might be a hairline fracture but I don't feel anything that needs to be reset."

He stared at it intently for a few moments before he glared at her suspiciously, "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

Amy blushed before giving a sheepish giggle, "Right. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself."

She held out her good hand to shake, "Amy Rose, at your service!"

Shadow eyed the outstretched hand, still skeptical of her- she'd answered one question but hadn't answered the important one. He hesitantly took her hand, gently shaking it, "Shadow, but it seems you already knew that."

Amy's blush intensified and her hand found its way to the back of her head, "Oh! That! Right, sorry, I have a really bad habit of figuring out people's names without any introductions. Just don't mind me, it'll get less scary the longer you know me…"

Shadow's glare came back in full force and Amy wondered briefly if that was just his natural face, "I'm not scared. Now- let's get this bandaged up."

She nodded and watched as he placed the two rods against her arm and commanded her to hold them still. He ripped the jacket into more strips and gently tied the rods to her arm. He then used the remainder of the jacket to make a roughshod sling and wrapped it gingerly around her shoulder and arm, setting it perfectly in place.

"Can you handle that until we get out of here?"

Amy stood, tentatively and took a few trial steps before she gave him a thumbs up, "Feels pretty okay to me! Let's go!"

Shadow nodded in assent and, before she could stop him, grabbed her bridal style and jumped them both out of the hole. When they reached the top Shadow gently put her down and eyed the hole Amy had dropped down from. Amy looked on in confusion as he pulled out Tails' chaos emerald.

"Uh... Shadow... whatcha doin'?"

He simply gave her a cryptic smile as he held it up, "It all starts with this- the jewel containing the ultimate power."

Amy looked on completely baffled and slightly amused but before she could ask he roared out, "Chaos Control!"

When they were met with nothing but silence, Amy had to do everything in her power to keep herself from laughing in his face. The urge to giggle became impossible to ignore as Shadow stared at the gem in confusion before holding it aloft again and crying out, "CHAOS CONTROL!"

Amy snickered under her breath as Shadow's confused look turned into one of pure rage as he shook the offending gem, "What the hell is wrong with this thing?"

Now Amy was outright laughing and Shadow turned his rage towards her, "This is NOT funny! Do you have any idea how we're supposed to get out of here without my chaos control? We're absolutely screwed without it!"

Amy's laughter slowly died down, but she had to remark, "But... I mean. Come on, that was a little funny. You were trying so hard..."

Shadow scoffed, "Well then you can laugh yourself into a grave. Unless you have a better way out of here?"

"Oh stop being so dramatic!" Amy cried, "That was probably Tails' project. You'll meet him once we're back."

She started walking towards the large open door and motioning for Shadow to follow, "Come on, Shadow the Warlock! Looks like we're taking the scenic route back up!"

As Shadow watched the pink hedgehog skip away he couldn't help but wonder if he really didn't want to kill her after all.

"In good time," a voice rasped inside his head.

He wanted to ignore the way his heart sank at the thought. Although she was a bit grating, the girl was oddly impressive. She knew his name but not what he was or what he was capable of.

Getting her to do what he wanted was going to be... difficult.

He shook his head- it wouldn't matter in the end. Nothing mattered anymore.

He followed her out the door.

#Amy Rose #Shadow the Hedgehog #Sonic the Hedgehog #A Helping Hand #Found a Friend

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pinehurst · 4 years

Text

Unwrapping the Fourth Episode

It’s safe to say that the fourth episode absolutely destroyed the internet. Fugou Keiji was trending on Tumblr and Twitter in many countries with many others out of the loop asking, “Where exactly can I watch this anime?” This surge in popularity makes sense though as this episode had it all: the boys in casual clothes, hair down Daisuke, drunk Haru, and some quality bonding. Score one for the fangirls.

Disclaimer: This discusses the fourth episode as well as my thoughts on how the show may progress. My theories and beliefs are reminiscent of the only four episodes out at the moment so this may not be the most accurate thing out there.

Disclaimer #2: The way that I set up the entire review is more of a “live commentary” but I do offer my thoughts throughout so please bear with my rambling.

When the official Fugou Keiji team teased the fourth episode on their Twitter, I was speechless to say the least. Right off the bat, it was obvious that this episode would be much more lighthearted and relaxed than the previous episodes: Daisuke trying to survive day-to-day life without his life source? Let’s see this millionaire try to last in our shoes. This anime has a record of unveiling new information every episode, so I was interested to see how the story would progress.

The episode opens up dramatically with Suzue running after Daisuke as he storms out of the mansion. In fact, he’s so irritated that he leaves without HEUSC or his money. Ok two things. First of all, Daisuke’s unforeseen emo side is showing. What could possibly make him want to leave that suddenly that he forgets the two things that practically define him? Secondly, Suzue addressed our beloved millionaire as “Daisuke-sama.” Wait, what? Being unfamiliar with Japanese culture, I decided to do a quick Google search as to when the honorific “-sama” is used. Wikipedia noted the following:

Sama (様、さま) is a more respectful version for people of a higher rank than oneself or divine, toward one's guests or customers (such as a sports venue announcer addressing members of the audience), and sometimes toward people one greatly admires.

At this point, it’s still unclear as to whether or not Daisuke and Suzue are siblings or spouses; however, it is now known that, whatever their relationship may be, Suzue holds Daisuke to a higher regard. Only three seconds have passed, no need to rush. The remainder of the episode must contain answers.

After the opening comes to a close, Haru asks Daisuke for some help with a lost dog as he hopes to use his “magic” to trace the dog’s path. Immediately afterward though, Haru affirms that “it’s not like [he] absolutely needs [Daisuke’s] help.” It’s pretty clear from this one sentence that Haru doesn’t want to seem inferior to Daisuke. Even when asking for assistance, he doesn’t want to lower himself just to get Daisuke’s help. After all, he needs to assert that he’s got the better philosophy out of the two.

This call does, however, represent the growth in their relationship that we ever so hoped for. The fact that Haru called Daisuke at all showcases two things. First of all, it reinforces that fact that Haru’s morals and humanistic mindset dictate his actions. He not only helped a child in his spare time (which I’m sure many people wouldn’t do) but also called his coworker (that rich boy with completely different morals) for help with assisting a troubled child. It also emphasizes something much more important for the upcoming epiosdes though: Haru is beginning to trust Daisuke more. Episode 3 already helped lay the foundation for their acquaintanceship (soon to be friendship), and this episode only works to add onto that footing. He knows that Daisuke has the resources to help others; in this sense, it may seem as though Haru is only exploiting Daisuke for the greater good, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that he feels comfortable enough to even think of Daisuke as an option.

Once again though, Daisuke and Haru’s views clash when dealing with this child. Haru is determined to help this poor child whereas Daisuke blatantly states that “looking for a dog isn’t a police officer’s job.” This entire situation did teach us a little bit more about Daisuke’s personality though. He’s easily swayed by a child’s tears as he reluctantly agreed to help once the child wept crocodile tears of grief. Even though he is generally unconcerned, anyone would feel guilty leaving a poor child alone. As Haru put it, “[he’s] a human being after all.”

We also learn that Daisuke likes to do his work swiftly and quickly if the past episodes didn’t already emphasize that. He interrupted the child, who we learn is named Tsuyoshi Nomura, asking him where his house is located. The entire time it’s clear that Daisuke oh-so-dearly wants to finish up this business. He even convinced the child that the dog returned home, indifferent to whether or not that may be true. When Haru called him out, Daisuke smirked, “That has nothing to do with me.” Even if he feels guilty, that doesn’t mean he should waste his precious energy trying to help find a lost dog. He may even regard it as trivial.

The episode cuts back to Suzue as we see another side to her that the previous episodes failed to display: her obsesssion with Daisuke. I know what some of you may be thinking, and yes at first I thought that “obsessed” was too strong of a word too. The exact definition of obsessed is to “preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.” Nevermind, Suzue definitely fits this definition. She scattered messages all throughout town, watching Daisuke’s every move. My favorite message of all though was the one in front of the grocery store: “I am eagerly waiting for your return.” Emphasis on the eagerly. That gave me a good laugh; she is so devoted to Daisuke to the extent that she’d give up sleep just to ensure his wellbeing.

Suzue, however, did give us an insider’s look at Daisuke’s life. The fact that she was in utter dismay when she found out that Daisuke left his precious wallet behind goes to show that Daisuke depends on his money to indulge in his everyday activities. Even though we already knew that, Suzue’s reaction really put emphasis on the fact that this was going to be a new and maybe even tough experience for Daisuke to endure. He is pampered by his family, with Suzue worrying about trivial things such as the fact that maybe he “didn’t like the patterns on his shirt”or that she “upgraded his shoes from +5 centimeters to +7 centimeters.” The fact that that put a dent in their relationship made it all the better since it just goes to show that Daisuke is so conditioned to having everything done for him that a sudden shift in behavior wrecks havoc.

It shifts back to Haru and Daisuke shopping, something that I never realized I needed until now. Daisuke’s spoiled side shows once more as he questions why Haru doesn’t just let others do the shopping for him. Running errands? Pathetic. Let someone else do them for you.

Now this is where the million dollar question is answered: what exactly is Suzue to Daisuke? After being questioned by Haru, it’s finally revealed that Suzue is, in fact, Daisuke’s relative. This is where fifty questions popped into my mind, all of them being “Huh?” Suzue is clearly devoted to him on an incomprehensible level, but to be a relative? After much thought and a quick scroll through the Discord servers, someone mentioned a website that got my attention. One website, Nakasendoway, stated the following:

“A main or stem family might have affiliated to it branch families. Each branch family at some time might itself, while maintaining its subordinate position to the main family, become the stem family to several branches. Thus, a well-established, well-organized, and rich family could become extremely large.”

Aha! Now this is something I can get behind! This would explain her sincere devotion to Daisuke and why she referred to him as “-sama.” This doesn’t, however, really explain why Daisuke is holding her in the opening with such passion. Or maybe it does explain everything and I’m just not processing it correctly. I mean it is midnight at the time that I’m writing this and maybe I just need some sleep. Nevertheless I believe that there’s still more depth to Daisuke and Suzue’s relationship that hasn’t been explained yet. Maybe it’ll be explained in the future episodes in the midst of some event that reminds Daisuke of his backstory (that was briefly mentioned at the beginning of episode 1).

Anywho, back to the episode. Daisuke stays over Haru’s house, where he is shocked by the lack of grandeur. That apartment is where he lives? Not some grand mansion? Wild. Ah the adventures that occurred in that tiny apartment sure were grand though. We are once again reminded of Daisuke’s lavish life when he accidentally cuts himself. He immediately requests for a first-aid kit and when Haru makes the grand reveal that he doesn’t actually have one, Daisuke is forced to almost lower his standards. How is he going to heal himself? Why, he’s going to lick his cut! He is away from the comfort of his home so he must accommodate to his needs by doing going through the “harder,” more economical approach. He is finally starting to have a taste of the real world, outside the comfort of his own home.

After this scene is the moment we all have been waiting for: hair-down Daisuke with an oversized hoodie. All I can say is yes. Daisuke once again rediscovers his love for commoner’s food as he chowed on Haru’s recipes. This was wonderful bonding between the two as Haru tried to satisfy Daisuke’s wealthy plate and even taught him a few recipes. The two even watched a show together. Now this is where I believe foreshadowing will take its course.

The show that they’re watching follows a humanistic detective (with attire similar to Haru’s) arguing with his boss (whose attire is similar to Daisuke’s). The detective insists that they act on some case without affirmation from the higher-ups, but his superior refuses to budge. Later on, it’s revealed that this boss dies from a gunshot. Now I theorize that something similar will happen between Haru and Daisuke. Besides the similar attire between the two, the opening also shows Daisuke disappearing before a gun’s line of sight. Maybe this disappearance symbolizes that Daisuke may get shot or even suffer from severe injuries in the later episodes. Whatever it may be, I doubt any of the (relevant) characters will die since they play important roles and I just don’t see Fugou Keiji as the type of anime to do so (now this is obviously subjective but it’s just my opinion).

We are also let into Haru’s internal struggle: the difficulty of balancing their roles as heroes and civil servants. This practically relates to his philosophy as he would do anything to save anyone, carrying heroic acts of kindness and service. He is definitely the type to disobey orders in the name of justice, but in doing so he would be tarnishing his reputation as a civil servant. He wouldn’t be doing as his job wishes, and wouldn’t that be a crime in itself? Not doing what your superiors, who supposedly know better, and all.

Haru and Daisuke part ways after the night together comes to a close. Haru’s off helping that child find his lost dog while Daisuke is out doing whatever he must. All hope is lost when Haru and the child just can’t seem to find the dog. But surprise! Acting as a beacon of hope, a light that came amidst darkness, Daisuke appears holding a dog leash with a dog attached to it! Oh how the tables have turned. Daisuke now decided to help find the dog. It became his obligation to find the dog now. Maybe Haru used his own magic and caused Daisuke to have a change in mindset over night. Maybe he finally came to realize that it’s worth the trouble to help others. Or maybe he had nothing better to do and decided to do his job without his display of wealth. No matter the reason, Daisuke still helped out. He still did what he didn’t want to do in the beginning of the episode. Ah how we love a change in mindset.

Daisuke finally returns home after two eventful days. The first thing he does when he returns? He recreates the “Kato family recipe” for Suzue, and he is very clearly satisfied with the result. After spending the night together, Haru served Daisuke natto for breakfast (love the recurring theme here) in the form of some sacred family meal. Daisuke replicated this recipe for his family WITH the natto. Oh how we love character development! He concluded by saying something along the lines of “It’s called the Devil’s Natto Recipe.” I found it kind of cute how he referred to Haru as a devil considering it was his recipe. It really shows that they still recognize their differences despite becoming closer over time. It’s safe to say operation friendship was a success as the episode comes to a close.

In my opinion, this episode’s sole purpose, besides showing us their lives away from work, was to help Daisuke get out of his little bubble as he was exposed to the real world. He no longer had Suzue’s welcoming warmth nor the unlimited wealth that his wallet provided. Rather, he was put in a situation where he had no money and was thrown into the “working class” for the first time ever. He would have had to scrap by if it weren’t for Haru. Heck, Haru paved the way for Daisuke’s character development as he taught him how to make inexpensive recipes and save money.

However, this episode also raised the question: “Is Suzue going to merely be a comic relief character?” This episode really just utilized Suzue for the laughs as she’s presented as a character who’s overly worried about her dear relative. Personally I view this episode as a much more lighthearted one so of course Suzue would be much more exaggerated. At the same time, it introduced her devotion for Daisuke, unveiling an important plot point. This may make it less shocking if she does end up putting her life at risk for Daisuke’s sake. This certainly explains why she didn’t mind trying to swoon the smuggler in the second episode. Nevertheless I believe that she will be of utmost importance in the future, helping to turn the gears of story development through her gadgets. Her sincere devotion to Daisuke will most likely still serve as comic relief, but it won’t undermine her other characteristics.

As for how the series will progress, personally I believe that the future episodes will have more of an overarching plot and follow a more serious storyline, as we still need to see Daisuke and Haru confront the struggles fettering them down. It seems as though the anime wants to first develop a solid relationship between the two main protagonists before any sort of angst occurs.

Edit: The Fugou Keiji team confirmed in a commentary article that things went downhill between Daisuke and Suzue because of the shoes. Love that!

#Daisuke: Into the Kageyama-verse #we better get slicked hair Haru next #fugou keiji #the millionaire detective #balance unlimited #fkbul #fugou keiji balance: unlimited #fkbu

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danddymaro · 5 years

Text

Gaara No Sabaku x reader | Happiness

Pairing: Gaara no Sabaku x Reader

Word Count : 2448

Fixed/Revised

Mostly in his POV

From original to Shippuden and onward.

I tried to not change too much of it, because Then it’d just be something else.

Happiness

His aquamarine eyes were a complete abyss of nothingness to many, with a deep void that was visible through the two seemingly bottomless pits.

They were rimmed with the blackest color in existence that definitely had a stark contrast to his pale skin.

His hair, being the color of passion, made him stand out in a full crowd and in short, he was someone that simply couldn't be missed by the wandering eye.

- But his appearance wasn't what made him an outsider.

To many, the physical attributes would have not mattered much.

It was what had grown within his being that made people avoid him at any cost. If you were to ask anyone, they would assure you he was a demon spawn, akin to a creation of pure evil.

He was a complete abomination, unloved, and only one purpose in life:

To create destruction.

He was Gaara no Sabaku

For many years the very name struck fear in the hearts of those of his village, as well as simultaneously aspired a deep nested hate within thier very cores.

Cold and alone, without anyone to care for him, he learned to care for only himself, and for so long time, he was the monster that his father and everyone in his land had made him out to be.

With no other choice, he’d long given up hope in being anything but that wretched creature, but it all suddenly changed and his life took a complete turn.

He soon saw the world in a different shade other than those of black and white.

Colors soon surrounded him, and this was all thanks to his new friend Uzumaki Naruto,

' Friend…' he would often repeat the word in solace, because, before then, the world would have not ever been associated with him.

The very word that associated with companionship, and love was unfathomable to him.

' Love…'

To think A damned creature as himself had love.

He had soon come to grasp something he had long given up on, and had felt wasn't meant to co-exist within his world of isolation.

It was incomprehensible, but, you see, the tan-skinned, blonde had a way of making everything possible.

- He always had a way.

It was because of that one boy, who was much like himself, that he saw the world differently.

And with all the new colors in his life, he came to the conclusion that his favorite would have to be (e/c).

- it only took him so long to realize it.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Gaara p.o.v.

Scent...what a scent.

I remember a time long ago…

The scent of your blood was driving me insane!

It was so sweet and not only called to me, but my demon. We both searched for the scent of heaven that coursed on earth.

Stepping foot in Konoha I was overwhelmed.

My mind was in constant distraction, because of that damn scent. I arrived to be met with the sight of so many genins, many around my age, but none with the deliciousness that had taken over one of my senses.

Yet, I knew you were there...

The more my stomach twisted, and the more my heart raced, the more certain I grew of the fact that you would be near, and so I searched.

I searched for the creature that called out to me so strongly, and I followed that sweet scent and was soon lead to a simple genin.

I stopped dead in my tracks then.

- I remember it so well, I could tell it word for word if you asked.

But I know you won't, because, I know you're ashamed.

I was just in time to see your match; the preliminaries.

Your match was pitiful. Your moves were weak, but only because they matched your will.

Where was your courage?

Where was your confidence?

Where was your will to survive?

I didn't see it when your hand shook while holding a kunai.

I didn't see it when you lost your footing so early on.

It certainly didn't show when you gave up.

Of all things, that was what bothered me most, that you simply gave in without a fight.

I asked myself where it all was, and how someone so pitiful could call themselves a ninja.

I questioned myself if I was mistaken when I thought you were special, and by then, I tried to leave, but my feet stayed planted.

So, annoyed I looked on, and with my own surprise, I was relieved to watch you stand back up from your beating without assistance.

There was a type of spark in your eyes that flashed before you walked away with your head down, eyes drawing downcast. And at that very moment, I knew I wanted to see those downcast eyes' gaze set on me instead.

I needed them to look up in my direction. I felt a strong need to have them locked on my own and nothing else.

- I remember the first time I came towards you.

I didn't hold flowers nervously behind my back to woo you, and I didn't have the perfect line to make you swoon either.

- no

I was an uncontrolled beast without a leash and unhinged by that time.

I raged across the entire field with the intention of seeing those pretty eyes up close.

Such beautiful orbs had captivated me that they riddled every thought I had.

I wanted to rip them out and keep them all to myself, save them and keep them safe, just for me.

Those pretty eyes would be wide with shock and fear when I approached them...yes.

- That was my plan.

Those were my intentions because at the time I didn't know what it was to love or to hold affection.

During then, I didn't know how to place that emotion you caused with those twinkling drops.

All I knew was to cause fear.

All I knew was to wreak havoc.

And somehow in my mind, I assumed giving you all I could was my best choice.

I didn't know why I wanted to do this, believe me, I didn't.

I know I was much younger then, but the feelings of arousal I felt were sickeningly real and undeniable. I didn't know what overcame me, but I knew you were the one to cause this.

Only you could stop this pain in my chest.

But imagine this, my love...

Instead of pleasure, your eyes brought me shame.

I stopped in my tracks, dead on my feet.

I had yet to hear your voice back then, but I didn't need to.

Your eyes spoke loud enough.

During then, it was as if you had expected more of me. As If, perhaps, you believed I was much more than the monster everyone saw me as,

As the monster, I believed I was.

‘Do you believe this? Or am I hallucinating?’ I thought with stunned bewilderment.

Again, my chest had become pained.

Again, that feeling weighed down on me when I began to wonder if you cared.

I've cast aside the need for affection, so why did you bring it back forth? How did you breathe life into it?

For so long I questioned my entire existence thanks to you.

And I remember

It was then that I began to question my existence wholeheartedly. Once I saw the way you gazed at me, it made me snap out of my bloodthirsty rampage for just a second.

That day I turned and pretended to be unaware of your crouching figure, sparing you of my unease.

But I knew...

I knew you hid above the trees.

My predator eyes could see you looking straight at me with that wretched look that made me shiver in disgust to my own self.

You hid shaking like the leaves did while the wind became stronger upon my arrival. I tore my focus from you, instead, finding another to release my frustrations in, because I couldn't bring you harm.

I couldn't face you.

Because of some power you held, I could not touch you.

I was there and could literally feel your heart at my hands. It was there and pulsed wildly.

Yet, Rather than the sickeningly sweet pleasure that should have consumed me, your eyes brought me shame.

It was A feeling I didn't know I had any more, and I tasted bitterness at knowing this is what you will think of when my name crossed your mind.

-A rampaging beast.

- A bloodthirsty killer.

I ground my teeth together because strangely enough, I couldn't bear the thought of knowing that eventually, you will know the truth about just how ugly I could be.

You were so small and shaken. Your heart was mine at that moment, yet, I decided to reach for it another time...and in a much different fashion.

I was too young to realize this, but my heart, it was yours as well and with my withdrawal I left you, only to claim it later on in the future instead.

Years later, I saw you again.

I decided to go see the leaf's Hokage personally, seeing as I was now the Kazekage, claiming a title that had been passed down to me.

I'd use this as an excuse, A sorry excuse to see you, because, after all the years that had gone by, I hadn't let my obsession die.

To see just a glimpse, a small glance, that was my goal.

Perhaps if I saw you, then I would feel nothing but reminiscence, meaning that I'd long outgrown you. I could only imagine my silly infatuation would be nothing more than a memory by the time I came across you again.

And luck just happened to be by my side, because It wasn't long before we ran into each other.

I brushed by you, and would you believe it if I said I felt like there was a spark?

A literal spark was set between us.

Perhaps it was just static, but I will always believe it was somehow the connection between us that caused the tiny jolt of electricity to spread throughout my body from that one tiny contact.

Your (e/c) colored hair danced so beautifully with the breeze as I passed you, and I couldn't help but muse that they were similar to silken strands of ribbon flowing freely in the wind.

You left a sweet trail behind you, one that enticed me so. And I was so delighted to understand that, this time around, it was not the scent of your blood that drew me in.

I wasn't a beast driven by carnage, but rather a man driven by likeness and true attraction.

This was an intoxicating scent that called out to me and made me want to pull you back towards me. It was an earthy one that came from just you, and it didn't make me feel that sickeningly aroused way I did before, but rather, it made me feel at home.

The feeling of home came with your scent and I was washed by comfort.

It was soft, tranquil and made me feel at ease.

I will admit it now, I was hopeful in seeing you during the entire way there.

Those few minutes of sleep I'd have, I'd dream of you, focusing on the one thing to keep my sanity at bay.

I’d imagine you smiling at me as if I actually was interesting.

I’d imagine your hand softly slipping into mine, just before I'd give it a soft, reassuring squeeze to let you know I'm here, with you.

And I could only imagine that the smile on your face would be priceless.

I’d imagine the look of sadness that would cross your face as I left, letting me know how much you'd miss me, and what was much more, letting me see that you weren't afraid to show it.

Above all else, I’d imagine you looking at me like no other person had.

I’d hope to see your gaze drop to me and not see a Jinchuriki or Kazekage.

You wouldn't see me as any of these titles, but rather, just Gaara.

Simply, just Gaara

Years have passed and you'd changed. You'd changed so much from what I could see.

You'd grown little, but those beautiful, innocent eyes were now much stronger, and they didn't waver in the least bit.

They only looked straight ahead. You looked up at the world with your head held high.

You walked with your headband tied securely and proudly, and I could see it.

It brought a dainty smile to my face.

You were so much more different, So much more beautiful.

I had hoped to find the same girl I did all those years ago in that village, but instead, I came across a different young woman.

And you know what? I was ok with that, because every flower blossoms, and that you did just that.

I was someone else as well… I had changed too, and I hoped you would see that.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

PRESENT TIME -

Staring at you now, I try my best to hide my smile.

Everyone teases me for this, for being so obvious and transparent in my feelings towards you.

To my disdain, I only have the color of my cheeks to match my hair in proof of how much you still fluster me.

It's an effect I hope lasts forever.

Just then your hand slips into mine, and I can feel how soft and small it is while held within my own.

My eyes gaze away from you, looking straight forward instead because I know that you'll stay by me.

I only want to walk forward with you.

With a smile, I give your tiny hand a soft squeeze, reassuring you that I am here, and so are you.

I constantly have to remind myself this isn’t a dream and you truly are at my side, because It's all too perfect.

Grinning wildly, you only look down at our hands with what I can only describe as utter bliss.

Are you as happy as I am (f/n)?

This isn't a dream, not a fantasy where Gaara can be happy.

This is a reality where he can have a persistent, bright friend like Uzumaki Naruto, one who’d crawl under the darkest pits to reach out for him.

It's a world where I've come to obtain true bonds that last a lifetime and even longer.

This is a reality where the people of Suna look on giggling with glee as he displays affection towards his beautiful lover.

In this reality he isn't a monster, he is a leader, a protector, and a lover.

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crucialandinert · 6 years

Text

Intruder

happy birthday, @joycecarolnotes -- and thank you so much for the prompt. Please forgive my terrible Richard, I have no idea what makes dude tick and, i’ve never written him before, but, i tried.

He could have turned it to the wall, he supposed. But that would have been the easy way out, and Jared was not one to pamper his weaknesses. He didn’t spend hours staring at it or anything, although maybe he should have to toughen himself, but when its gaze burned through him as he entered the server room, or caught his eye while he was getting dressed – the instant pressure on his chest, how he could suddenly hear his heartbeat in his ears – these were things quietly to be borne.

After all, the incident with the intruder had really been a blessing in disguise, hadn’t it? When you know, truly know, that your life can end at any moment, and you close your eyes, dissolve to nothing but the hush of your breath, truly surrender your soul to fate – why, in that moment you become free. You can be startled, you can be anxious, you can be filled with longing, wishfulness, at times discontent (that will be sternly and swiftly dealt with) but you can never really be afraid, deeply afraid, again. All that you had to lose, you’ve already lost. You walk among the others like a ghost; they have more colors, are brighter, warmer, grasp and cling and tear at life, while you look on and hold lightly to the earth, the sole inhabitant of a world they cannot see.

Richard was worried, and there was no one he could tell. Piperchatting with his mom was out of the question, because he could never tell her the whole story. Everyone else in the house, while not exactly more incapable of coping with human emotions than him – he was the undisputed champ there – definitely didn’t even approach the threshold of “any use at all.” Except, of course for Jared, and he was the one Richard was worried about.

Jared said things Richard didn’t know what to make of all the time. The most he ever found himself saying in reply was “What?” – and then desperately hoping there wouldn’t be an answer and he could forget about it again. He wasn’t sure exactly why Jared said these things. It didn’t seem like he wanted anything in particular from the group. He would just kind of drop something incomprehensibly awful into the room and smile, and go about his business. Great, you had to pretend a plastic bag with a drawn-on face was a teddy bear when you were a kid. What am I supposed to do with that? Don’t you realize how weird you’re making everybody feel? The best thing, the only thing, to be done was to ignore it.

But Richard had finally run headfirst into something he couldn’t ignore: Ed Chambers. Sure, Jared had referred to him as his “fictional” supervisor, but absolutely nothing else about what he’d said or how he’d acted seemed to indicate the guy knew Ed wasn’t real. That couldn’t be a good sign. Maybe Richard should have paid more attention when Jared had his outburst at Gavin’s house. That had been far out of character for someone so mild, so harmless – someone who could be charitable even to the rats they still hadn’t quite gotten around to exterminating from where he slept. And now this. Richard tried for a moment to convince himself that Jared was just kidding. That would be a good way to get himself to stop worrying about it, but he knew it was a lie. There was a blankness behind Jared’s eyes when he talked about Ed that frightened Richard. Maybe they were pushing him too far, too much stress? Did Jared have a breaking point – he’d never thought so. Or maybe this was it. Or maybe there was something worse coming, something it was up to Richard to prevent.

Richard padded down the hall and knocked a tiny, one-knuckle knock on Dinesh’s bedroom door. Thumping sounds and scrambling ensued for an awkwardly attenuated moment, then Dinesh opened the door a crack. “What do you want, Richard?”

“I – I was wanting to talk to you for a couple minutes? About this Ed Chambers thing, with Jared, you saw that, right?”

Dinesh swallowed imperceptibly. Had they been even vaguely directed toward him, he would not have been able to meet Richard’s eyes.

“Yeah, I did. What about it? He’s a weird dude, we all know that.”

“Do you – did you happen to see how it got started? You were with him in the kitchen that time.”

“No, I don’t know how it got started. Maybe that’s how he gets all those girls. Who understands why Jared does anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I’m trying to get to sleep.” Dinesh yanked the door shut with a peevish thunk.

Richard headed back to his room and scaled his loft bed, fretfully. That was dumb, to have expected Dinesh to be any help. Or to give a shit. Richard contemplated asking Erlich for a moment, but didn’t think he could stomach the pompous lecture about Jared’s true two-faced corporate nature finally coming to the fore or something. Gilfoyle was completely out of the question. No, he was truly alone. Without Jared, to ask for help dealing with Jared, so he could ask for help to deal with Jared… he would be stuck in an infinite recursive loop.

Richard stared at the ceiling. Maybe it was something simple. Maybe Jared just wasn’t sleeping again. He didn't have those awful dark circles, the ones that made his eyes seem so blue they glowed, that he'd displayed during the “let’s pivot” incident; but there were probably several stages of sleep deprivation along the road to that and maybe one of them was sometimes believing you’re a guy who could “do it” to Sonia Sotomayor.

Ed knew he shouldn't have let that pussy Jared handle the broadband bill situation. He'd meekly tried to bring it to Richard's attention in that gay ballerina way of his, but one "Fuck off, Mom," and Jared just let it go! What a faggot. Someone that helpless, someone who let others treat him that way, shouldn't be trusted with anything; God only knew what Richard saw in the dude. Fucking useless. So, that morning, Ed had had to be the one to go down to the Xfinity storefront and get it taken care of. Got them a sweet discount while he was there, too -- Jared was the kind of loser who always paid full price. Or even more, probably. They could smell him coming. Someone who it was irresistible -- hell, it was fun -- to take advantage of.

He shook his head, and gunned the engine of the Chevy Volt. Ed was hungry -- cleaning up Jared's bullshit had made him late for lunch. He wondered what Jared was having -- with one hand on the wheel, he shot him a quick text. But who the fuck was this lady in front of him in the 10-year-old Camry? Was she fucking blind? This was the third light in a row she'd been dozing on green, he'd been trying to pass her for blocks -- she was one of those drivers who go so fucking slow you can't even get around them, and he was stuck.

Ed felt his blood pressure rise. He mashed the horn, stopped just short of yelling, "Come the fuck on, lady!" But she still didn't move. Was she deaf too?The light was green! Ed was sick of this bitch in his fucking way. He punched the horn again -- vaguely he noticed room had opened up on the left to drive around her, but now this was personal. He had to get this bitch to move. I know, Ed thought, I'll wake her up, and he gave the gas a little tap, making the motor roar. He'd intended to stop just short of her bumper, give her a scare, more the noise than anything else -- but slamming on the brake with a heavy lurch, he made contact by mistake, just barely.

Jared's head jerked forward, shocking him back to himself, as he felt his bumper make contact with the car ahead. His eyes widened. He hadn't even noticed the white Camry in front of him -- must have zoned out again while he was driving, it'd been happening to him a lot lately. He should have done something -- what, he wasn't sure -- about it long before now, it was putting others in danger! Why, he was no better than someone who would text and drive, and Jared would never think of doing that. But there would be time later to excoriate himself. Jared fumbled at the door handle and launched out of the car toward the other driver, already digging for his wallet and insurance card.

A motherly Asian woman emerged from the midsize sedan, took one look at Jared, and immediately started to try and calm him down. "I'm sorry -- I'm so, so sorry! I don't know what came over me, I'm never this careless, this inattentive-" His hands fluttered around him, a storm of gawky dismay that took legions of "honey, I'm fines," "it was nothings," a somewhat stern, "no, I don't think we should tell our insurance companies, I'm sorry but I insist -- you don't want to raise our rates, do you? Ok then, you don't want to raise MY rates," and one, "Just sit for a moment -- here, why don't you take one of my son's waters -- no, really, I have a whole six-pack -- look, I'm starting to get kind of frustrated here," to finally bring them to rest.

It was a good twenty minutes spent alternating sips from a tiny plastic bottle, some light sniffles, and a face hidden in bewildered hands, before Jared felt composed enough to try and drive home.

Now it was Richard who hadn't gotten enough sleep. That was nothing odd; he'd tried to take his usual approach, flog himself awake with caffeine, get some work done and forget about it. But as the day wore on, his overclocked brain couldn't be corralled from wandering to thoughts of his head of business development's earnest blue eyes, as he told Richard that he'd fired someone who didn't exist. It was just -- crazy. Number one, if Ed was Jared's supervisor, how was that even supposed to work?

Richard shook his can of Redbull, found it empty, yanked his headphones off, and stamped out into the kitchen. It occurred to him -- he should look around the server room to see if he could find something that might be messing up Jared's sleep. There could be noises, leaks, something could have infiltrated the ecosystem as an apex predator to the rats -- who knows, because Jared would never have complained.

It was staring him in the face the moment he walked in.

Shit! Shit, shit – oh shit. The Gavin picture. Duh. Jared had balked at having it in there, but then said something about an intruder being good for him? Richard had checked out, mentally. Maybe Jared hadn’t actually been as sunnily fine as he seemed this time, and having the picture in his room was keeping him awake. And of course... the weird anger outburst had been about Gavin. Richard felt like he was suddenly seeing in the third dimension. Jared wasn’t just an eternally buoyant, strangely maternal accessory for Richard to lean on without much thought. He was… vulnerable. He needed protection. From Richard. Richard had to do protection. Protection, a thing which would have to be done by Richard. A familiar quaver arose in his innards. Either there had been cilantro in that microwave burrito or -- Richard was scared.

By the time he got back to the hostel, a slight tiredness behind the eyes was all that remained of the afternoon's unpleasantness. The only content of Jared's mind was an eagerness to get back to work; he was behind on what he'd hoped to get accomplished over the weekend. A quick peep at his watch revealed that he no longer had time for lunch -- and, that his heart rate had returned to normal, so that was good. Now to grab his laptop from the server room and get down to it.

But -- Jared found himself stopping short moments away from reaching for the doorknob. Right before opening a door is the most important time to be alert and use “the gift of fear,” as described in a self-help book about tuning into your survival signals that Jared hadn’t actually needed to read, as it turned out. And it seemed to be time to unwrap that gift. Jared had heard something. He had definitely heard something. Something larger than even the largest of the rats. Something... human. Perhaps an intruder had finally gotten in through the garage door – the possibility of which, along with the complete and utter lack of insulation, was among the slight drawbacks of living in the server room.

What to do, what to do. If there were an intruder, he certainly wouldn’t keep to the server room once he discovered there was nothing of value among Jared’s possessions. No, he would be coming through that door to menace the rest of the house, possibly armed. Erlich, Dinesh and Gilfoyle were all out having lunch with Jian-Yang’s visiting parents -- or, more saliently, at Jian-Yang’s parents’ expense. Jian-Yang himself had requested that Jared not partake in the invitation, as ghosts are taken much more seriously in his family’s region of mainland China then they are in the U.S.. A perfectly reasonable request.

Jared didn’t know if Richard had ended up going with them, or was in his room with his headphones on, deep in concentration, but he certainly wasn’t about to take chances. The only thing to do would be to come in strong and startle the intruder. Even if he did discharge his firearm in fright, he would certainly take to his heels and flee back the way he had come. Intruders were nothing if not cowards. Sure, there was a slim possibility of the intruder being a decent shot, but, one must take calculated risks in life. Avanti.

Jared took one last deep breath, grabbed the doorknob, and launched himself through the doorway with a full-throated Apache yawp – directly into chaos. Out of a squeal, a crash, the tinkling of what – thank gosh in heaven! – turned out to have been safety glass, he was horrified to see tumble – Richard, clutching a large, torn piece of Gavin's image in his hand! Overcome, Jared flew to his side, patting hands trying to reassure themselves that Richard was still in one piece, tangling with flapping wings of high-quality giclee art-photo paper, until at length, Jared was successfully fended off. He sank down on his cot, one splayed hand trying to push back a heart which seemed to be struggling to fly out of his chest back to the other man.

“Richard! What were you doing? You frightened me to death – I thought you were an intruder! I'm so sorry, I can't apologize enough -- What a repulsive show of aggression-– ”

“No – no, Jared, it’s OK. I was just… Well I thought, what are we really keeping this thing for anyway? I have a picture of the formula on my phone. It was just a fuck-you gift from that jerk… and I thought, given the way – you know, how you didn’t like Gavin very much – maybe it was making you uncomfortable?”

What it’s like, is it’s like this: There is a knife in your guts. You were stabbed a long time ago, and, to prevent more damage, you mustn’t remove the knife without the aid of a doctor, but -- you can’t get to one, none even exist. So, to survive, you must move just so, carefully, you must become adroit at flowing through things at just the right distance so as never allow the handle to knock or tap anything around you. At night, you will never really quite sleep, even if you are unconscious, as you must continue to hold the knife in and never relax your vigilance, or everything else will spill out.

It’s all right. You’re so used to it, it hardly even registers. But oh – then oh, someone does a kindness, and they don’t mean to, they’re not twisting the knife, oh far from that – but they’re tapping it. They don’t know, but they’re tapping it, shifting it ever so slightly, sending a pang through you, destabilizing things, just a little. The threshold is low: They invite you somewhere. Tap -- you’re swept with anguish; someone wants you around, not to do anything for them, but truly wants you there. They compliment you on something you wore. Tap -- your eyes will never leave the floor again; somehow they looked at you and could stand it; somehow, they didn’t find you hideous.

Or, the hardest one -- they notice that you are in pain.

Hope and despair aren’t opposites; they are one and the same. Both grab your head and twist it around to look at what you lack, what you’ve always lacked. One says, you’ll never get it, and one says, maybe one day you will, but both are portals to the same essential void, and both can crack you, shatter you like glass. And those moments, when you are given a tiny bit of it, when the knife is grasped however gently, are like that too. They are every moment when you needed, needed so desperately, and were alone; all played at once like an avant-garde symphony for infinite radios.

“Jared. Jared, hey. You look like you’re a million miles away, uh... buddy.”

Jared’s gaze returns, and focuses on the childlike figure before him. The sweet face, soft coppery hair in curls and waves, diffident shoulders. The blue eyes looking uncertainly up at him, that always make Jared want to draw Richard close, shelter him in his arms from the slings and arrows of his audaciously-sought fortune – but selfishly, had also made him want just to be close to a soul so vulnerable, yet so incongruously brave. He shifted his eyes downward. Soon, they would be drowning in tears, to be sent on their way silently down his cheeks, and he mustn’t let Richard see.

“Oh Richard, I’m just so touched – that you would give any consideration at all to my silly preferences. You have so much on your mind, so many stressors these days, I hope you won’t waste another moment –”

There's a tug-of-war in Richard’s heart. Part of him is dying to flee, counting down the nanoseconds like an atomic clock until all this weirdness can just be over, be over. But another, smaller, part is lifting his eyes to look at Jared – Jared who’s crying – Jared who’s breaking, and Richard doesn’t want him to break.

Something that’s never happened in their relationship to date then happens – Richard moves a step closer.

“No way man. You’re a – we’re a team, you know, and we’re all stressed out, this shit is insane, and, and me – me I’m supposed to be the leader, right – I should – I should be looking out for you. And the rest of the guys.”

A small pat is launched, makes it halfway through the intervening air, but is thought better of and recalled. Secretly, Jared is grateful.

“OK so uh – we should clean that up, but, later maybe? I think – maybe you could take a nap or something, you can always use more sleep, can’t you Jared, ha ha.” Jared nods numbly as Richard makes his exit.

Slowly, he folds himself small on his cot, facing into the hanging clothes. Moments in closets, hiding to varying degrees of success, come and go through his mind, as Jared’s tears proceed at a slow, but stalwart pace. It’s as if he holds his own heart in his cupped hands, as he would an injured bird, and turns it, observing its wounds. There is a feeling of opening outward, unfurling a night sky silvered with tiny stars, that spreads out where a void ought to be. It hurts, but he can feel something growing; as he continues to breathe, he discovers he can hold the pain safely. There’s a word in his head, he notices, whispering itself ever so softly. The word is... “maybe.”

#jcn #birthday prompt #good god that's long #NWAAMT #my fic

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protectorsofthewood · 5 years

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Abby and Wendy - Episode 41

FOLLOWING THE VOICES

A thin white mist covered the land. The pale glow of the moon could hardly be seen. Abby saw it was the perfect time to be invisible, and enter the underground unseen. Still, she took every precaution in choosing her way to the back door of the churchyard. Drizzle was falling through the warm and humid air. She felt the key in her pants pocket as she surveyed the churchyard wall from the cornfield. Nothing moved. Without a sound she crossed the dirt path, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Standing still, she heard the rain and the wind in the leaves. The click from locking the door was almost inaudible. Things were going perfectly.

Abby walked along the Birdwatchers’ Path to the cave of vines, and crawled inside. Gently pushing aside some branches, she found the narrow opening into the thicket of brambles and vines. She could barely see, but knew where she was going. In moments she touched the large flat stone covering the entrance to the underground.

A very faint murmuring had begun. As she pulled the stone aside, the murmuring increased. The darkness below was thick, and seemed almost infinite... She went in feet first so she could pull the stone back into place, but kept getting stuck. Her backpack was in the way. She took it off and pushed it under brambles and leaves. Saying a prayer, she slid down the hole and sealed the entrance with the rock. Claustrophobia overwhelmed her, but there was nothing to do but go on, sliding slowly down and down.

Finally, she reached the level path, and by feeling the dirt wall found the entrance to her small underground room. It seemed years since she had been there, but had been only a week ago. Groping blindly to the corner, she unwrapped the mapstick. The light gleamed with astonishing beauty and clarity. Abby saw the map of the underground in her mind, and knew it was a just tiny part of an inconceivably enormous world. The voices were suddenly louder. They seemed to be coming from a certain spot, somewhere below Hidden Valley.

But the voices were coming from other spots as well! Both louder and softer, bigger and smaller. It was a cacophony of sounds, totally confusing. Abby had no idea what to do, but in her heart, she felt that she must do something. Otherwise the voices would haunt her. Perhaps she could find her way back to the fork in the tunnel where Wendy had warned her. But perhaps Wendy was just warning her not to chase the voices. They had other big plans for that day.

Abby sat in the old chair, amazed that it didn’t collapse beneath her. Everything in that underground room looked a hundred years old. There is a quality about this place, she thought. The mapstick seems more powerful, my mind is working. Let’s see if I can find just one good clue. The mapstick will help me. What clues do I have? Voices coming from so many places, but one is the strongest. And that location may be the Root Cavern, with the writing on the walls and the colossal dreamstone sphere. Definitely a powerful spot. But I’ve been there and heard no voices. I didn’t sense the presence of what I’m dealing with today...

Her mind went blank. She heard the opening lines of the rhyme: When you go down under jutting stone Following the way alone

In a flash she realized that it was a song. It had a tune she had heard before, probably a very long time ago. She repeated it in her mind. No instruments, just a voice, perhaps an old voice, telling stories. The rhyme is part of a story. Grandfather Walker! Sonny’s father! It must be him. The Young Warriors’ Club, long, long ago.

She knew that with luck she could catch the rest of the song. She let it play in her mind, feeling the words at her fingertips. And then:

When you go down under jutting stone Following the way alone Very few have found the way From the stream of ghosts back to open day

A warning everyone should know There is no safe way to go The invisible door I’ll tell you true Depends on what’s inside of you

Look for the stone that’s on the wall If you’re the one who hears the call Don’t forget when the voices start Take a look inside your heart They come from the lake of broken hearts

Got it! Got it! Abby let it play over and over. Okay... now what does this tell me? Lots of things! It was a part of the Young Warriors Club. It was probably a part of a story that included the Ghost Girl. No one else explored underground. I was the only Queen of the Underworld. The voices must be really there, if Grandfather Walker made up that rhyme. No... he didn’t make it up. It was passed down to us from long ago.

This rhyme is advice from the ancient past. What can I learn? Well, the voices come from the Stream of Ghosts. It’s dangerous, very hard to return. There’s no safe way except the invisible door, and what happens next depends on what’s inside you. If you hear the call, look for the stone on the wall. That sounds like dreamstone, definitely a door. Maybe that’s a way. When the voices start, take a look inside your heart. They come from the lake of broken hearts. Okay... the voices have already begun. I hear the call from a place of broken hearts. I need to look inside my heart.

Abby immediately realized that she was living with a broken heart. She was jinxed and disappointed in love, and had very little confidence in her mission from Wendy. But without that mission she really had no life to live. She would be a failure, and it would be almost impossible to recover and begin again. Part of her was depressed most of the time.

Okay, that song is certainly meant for me. Do I hear the voices because I have a broken heart? And how will I get out of there? I want to do something and then come back. I’m certainly not looking to stay, so... I must not be completely depressed.

All right, what’s next? Hmm... I would like the best invisible door I can find, and that is the dreamstone sphere that Wendy showed me. It’s already helping me understand myself. I need to go back there, and with the help of the mapstick I can probably find it. I can see it on the map in my mind, I’m pretty sure. But I don’t have any time and energy to waste.Abby studied the map again, trying to be sure of her route. I don’t dare get lost! And even if I don’t get lost, I can’t endure the hours of hiking there and back. I want to be at my best. Maybe I should just get some sleep and do this tomorrow night. No. I can’t bear living like this.

She listened closely to the voices again. The sounds were in the shape of words and sentences, but she couldn’t understand anything. Wave after wave of gibberish washed over her. Even the emotional content was obscure. The result for Abby was truly frightening, nightmarish. I simply must deal with this. If I don’t confront it, I’ll be sucked into it.

The voice of the mapstick spoke in her mind: I’ll show you a shorter way, much shorter. Look at the map again.

She stared at the three-dimensional maze of caverns and tunnels, full of signs and signals whose meaning she could only guess. Certain caverns appeared with a bright light, and some like faint stars she could barely see. It was hard to keep track of the levels of her route. There were passageways that moved from one level to another. Some displayed a glittering light that Abby guessed were rivers.

Trust me, came the voice. Remember how I got you to Wendy’s garden? I know a way.

She felt that she had no choice but to have faith. If she rejected the voice of the mapstick, she would never find the source of the muttering. The incomprehensible voices would continue to pursue her. Her only course of action would be to flee to Wendy again for help.

I need to at least try, she told herself. If I can’t find the way I’ll return, or take the route to Wendy’s.

And so she set off down the warm dirt tunnel. A rat scurried out of the way. She passed by the trap door over her head to Sammy’s Coffee Shop. After a long walk downhill she was under the river. The clamoring voices grew louder and louder. But since she had made a decision, her mind was clear.

The tunnel opened up into the damp caverns with water dripping down from the ceiling, making shapes like icicles. Don’t miss the turn,came the voice. On your right.

At that moment there was a passageway on her right, one she remembered from her journey home with Chi Chi. But am I going all the way back toward the jutting stone, and then all the way to the Root Cavern, and then all the way back? I can’t do it. Of course not. There’s another way. You’ll see. It’s hard for me to trust anything or anyone, Abby told the voice.

I am only a part of yourself, a part you need to listen to. And after you pass under the haunted house, watch for the hard-right turn.

The mapstick shone with great power, shedding a light that was soft, but illuminated everything down to the smallest detail. The slightly blue glow was easy on the eyes, not at all like a spotlight or the headlight of a car. It had the same illumination at the tip of her staff as it did on objects at a distance.

Abby found the right turn to another gentle tunnel cleared of stalagmites and stalactites, a way that must have been used by people long ago. The breeze began to smell like cool water.

I must be on the way to the river from Hidden Valley, a very difficult hike.

No, watch for a left turn. You’re going deep under the Horn. You’ve heard about it before. You’ll be there soon.

Ah! thought Abby. I’m not going to the Root Cavern. I’m going to the dreamstone mirror! I have indeed heard about it. Phoebe went there a few months ago, and I was so jealous. Oh, I can’t wait...

She almost missed the left turn. It was no more than a hole in the wall. Coming closer, she saw a level tunnel that suddenly seemed to end. Crawling slowly forward, she recited the Jutting Stone poem to prepare herself, and keep her mind off the terror of getting stuck, imprisoned far from rescue.

Suddenly the floor just ahead seemed to drop off into nowhere. Approaching it slowly, she saw a steep downhill climb, full of rock and clay. The ceiling was far above her. This level of the tunnel had collapsed long ago.

But Abby had climbed in places like this before. She used the staff, her other hand, both feet, and moved from one sitting position to another. It was arduous but safe. This can’t last forever. But it felt that way.

The avalanche finally leveled off, and she could walk. A few minutes went by. With the corner of her eye she saw what seemed to be a hole in the wall on her left. I recall you have to crawl into the Mirror Cave. Only two entrances, both of them terrible. But at least I’m almost there. Here we go.

On hands and knees with the mapstick leading the way, she crawled for about a hundred yards. With no transition the tunnel opened up into a glorious cavern. The mapstick shone across wide oval shape and a high ceiling. Gemstones shone with many colors like a thousand stars. It was breathtaking.

The voices were right next her, as if only a thin curtain separated her from an aimless mob, a million lost souls. But there was no sign of dreamstone on the ground level. She walked around the oval and stretched her cramped muscles. A couple of old wooden chairs and wooden crates made a few places to sit. Burnt out candles left wax on some chinks in the rock wall. And a giant piece of burlap covered a whole piece of the wall.

That’s over eight feet high, and twice as wide. What’s it doing there? She pulled back a corner and saw the smooth translucent blue of dreamstone, shining like a glowing planet in the light of the mapstick.

Oh my God. I have such little faith. Here it is! How do you get this covering off the wall? She put three crates on top of each other and inspected what turned out to be hooks in the rocky surface. She gently pulled the burlap, and it suddenly fell, exposing an immense dreamstone surface, flat and glowing like a mirror in the light.

Don’t look, she told herself. Get ready first. Powers that be, come and help me! Oh! Please let me do something good. Please, I promise, I’ll struggle to do good my life long.

There was a crate about ten feet from the giant dreamstone door looming in front of her. She sat down, took a deep breath, and raised her eyes.

#Environmentalism #ecofiction #environment #teenagers #Teenagers #green energy #live music #novels #protectorsofthewoodband #climate change is REAL #book reading #climate change #protectorsofthewood #graphic novels #Young Adult Novels

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