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shycoconutt · 3 years

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I Need You (Kakashi x Reader Smut)

A/n: Oh boy do I got some smutty smut for you. This is my first time writing smut and I think I did okay! Please let me know what you think and, as always, feel free to send some requests my way! 🤍

Summary: You find yourself unbelievably horny waiting for Kakashi to get home from work. The night goes exactly as planned.

Word Count: 4200

Warnings: NSFW ( minors, there's the door -> 🚪), fem!reader, vaginal sex, rough sex, doggy style, cunnilingus

Gods, why am I so horny?

Sat in the reading chair in the corner of your and Kakashi’s bedroom, you find yourself unable to focus on the new novel you picked up at the bookstore this morning. Each time you try to focus on the words in front of you, your eyes start to drift off the page and fall on your bed across the room. The bed where Kakashi and you have had sex now maybe a dozen times. You two have been platonic partners for years, but it wasn’t until recently where you both allowed your feelings to blossom into romance. Some would say that your relationship with Kakashi came on fast, but those who say that don’t truly know either of you.

After the war, and after keeping your feelings for each other bottled down for years, Kakashi took you on a vacation to a quaint village on the outskirts of Konoha. During your stay, you two could finally relax and find comfort in each other. The future seemed less uncertain, and you allowed yourself to open up in ways you never had before. You both knew you loved each other, that you were meant for each other, but the stress of war and the lack of knowledge that either of you would come out alive prevented anything from happening. The last thing either of you wanted to do was take the other’s heart six feet under.

It was the third night on the trip when he proposed to you. Kakashi and you were naked together in the natural hot spring, embracing each other in the water. The words he spoke to you that night are etched in your brain, never to be forgotten.

“My whole life I’ve been fighting; fighting for Konoha, fighting for my team, fighting for our friends, fighting my demons, fighting the truth, and fighting the feelings I have for you. I never understood why it was so hard to escape you, but it isn’t until now where I finally understand. Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever had to do. Our love is so natural, so pure. It pains me to know that our reality has muddled it for so long. You are the best thing that’s ever come into my life, and the gods only know how thankful I am that you have been by my side through it all. Everything I’ve ever gone through, every challenge I’ve had to overcome, you’ve guided me along the way. I used to think I was undeserving of your love, but now that we both are standing here, bruised and battered by our past, I realize that it was always supposed to be this way. You and me. Forever.”

That was the night you and Kakashi shared your first kiss. The night you first held each other in a naked embrace. The night you touched the skin normally concealed under each other's clothes. The night you trailed kisses down his chest, to his stomach, his hip, and up his shaft. The night you grabbed him in your hand and stroked him while looking into his eyes. The night you felt his tongue draw across your nipples. The night you felt him suck and nibble at your neck. The night you felt his fingers, god his fingers, trace up your wet heat to rub onto your most sensitive spot. The night he held onto your hip and slid into your tenderness. The night you whispered sweet nothings in each other's ears while he pumped into you. The night you made love, four times.

It’s been a week since your mini-vacation of ultimate bliss. Immediately after arriving back to the village, you both moved out of your individual apartments and moved into the Hatake estate, per Kakashi’s request. When you asked him if this is truly what he wanted, he assured you that this was the place he wanted to make a home with you and your future children. He also liked that the estate is largely removed from the Hokage tower, where he will be spending the majority of his time in the future. Renovations are far from over, but your bedroom was the first area of the house to be set up. It’s your shared sanctuary, and to be completely honest, you’ve never felt more at home.

The only word to describe this week between you and Kakashi is passionate. Even with opposite schedules, you both make time for one another every day. You’ve been insanely busy at your new job that you acquired post-war, spearheading the mental health resource center for war veterans and shinobi still in active duty. Kakashi is busy shadowing Tsunade while she sorts out post-war rehabilitation plans for the village. This is your first day off and, unfortunately, Kakashi is out doing future Hokage duties. Though frustrating, both of you are super understanding of each other's roles in this village and you respect that time with each other may be limited in the coming years. That’s why any chance you get, you both check in on each other throughout your day. Whether it’s offering to take his ninken on a walk while he’s in the office, or him bringing you breakfast when you get to work, you find opportunities to be present in each other’s daily lives.

The evenings, however, are a whole other story. Both of you are usually home a little after eight, and you’ve adapted to having late dinners with each other. After cleaning up, the rest of the evening is spent wrapped up in each other. One thing you weren’t expecting about being with Kakashi is that he is constantly touching you when you are alone together. His hands are either on your thighs, wrapped in your hair, caressing your face, squeezing your arms, massaging your shoulders, touching your lips, or any other way he can get them on you. You crave his touch, so to say that you enjoy this side of him is an understatement. Not only does Kakashi adore touching you, he also adores being touched.

Touching leads to caressing, caressing leads to groping, and groping leads to passionate lovemaking.

Well, geez (y/n), maybe if you stopped daydreaming about Kakashi’s hands all over you then you wouldn’t be this goddamn horny.

Here’s the thing with you and Kakashi’s newfound sex life. You are in the early stages. All the sex you have is all about romance, making up for the lost time, and finally expressing your feelings with your body. It’s amazing and you wouldn’t change your lovemaking for the world.

But right now, you don’t desire lovemaking. You desire rough, animalistic, dirty, dirty sex.

The kind of sex that makes you shudder in desire and fear.

The kind of sex that makes in between your legs sore the next day.

Realizing you’ve been daydreaming for the past fifteen minutes, you close your novel shut and toss it aside. You look over at the clock on your nightstand to find that it’s almost time for Kakashi to be home. Usually, you would already be cooking something up for dinner, but you have a feeling that any food you make would just get cold. Eating is not your priority right now, Kakashi is.

A devious smile forms at your lips when you consider what you plan on doing with him when he walks through the front door. Should you take him right there? Get down on your knees and beg for him? Run a warm, candle-lit bath? Put whip cream on your tits and tell him that you’re his dinner? All great options, but none are really representative of how much you need him.

In one swift movement, you are up off your chair and running towards your closet. He could be here any minute and there’s no time to waste. Once there, you take in how disorganized your closet is. You have yet to unpack any of your clothes, as all you’ve worn the past week is your jonin uniform and your pajamas. Rummaging through the boxes sprawled out on the floor, you finally find which box you are looking for. The box looks like any other box, but written on the side in marker is the word intimates.

Bingo.

One might think you are a sex fiend with all the lingerie you own, but that is far from reality. The truth is, lingerie has always made you feel sexy. Most of all, it’s just so pretty. You love the power it gives you. You love the fact that no one knows that some days you are wearing the world’s skimpiest lingerie underneath your uniform. It’s like you have an edge on someone that they don't even realize. Also, when you did happen to end up in bed with a man, you were over-prepared. The look on their faces when you stripped off your clothes was priceless. It was your way of telling them that you expected them to want you.

There are way too many options to choose from, and you find yourself starting to panic as time passes on. You know you’re overthinking this as, honestly, Kakashi would love anything you put on. Some things you know about Kakashi are that his favorite color is blue, he loves your thighs and is obsessed with how soft your skin is. Therefore, you should obviously go for the baby blue lace and silk set. It includes a lace balconette bra, a thong connected to thigh garters, and a silk robe to go over the top. After putting it on and taking a look at yourself in the mirror, you knew you made the right choice.

Before finding a comfortable spot on the bed, you quickly grab some baby oil and rub it all over your body. The oil will allow Kakashi to slide his hands all over you effortlessly, which is exactly what you need. Satisfied, you grab your book and lay on top of your made bed. You weren’t planning on actually reading, but you think your casualness while wearing such a sexy outfit will have Kakashi’s head spinning.

So there you were, belly down, ass out, feet intertwined, book in hand, when you heard the lock click and the front door open. Perfect timing.

You could hear Kakashi kick off his shoes and take off his vest as he walked into your home. Usually, you would be standing in the kitchen where he would come and give you a warm embrace and kiss you until you told him that he has to eat dinner. But, you're not there, and you can sense his confusion.

“Where’s my babygirl?” Kakashi’s voice projects throughout the house, a hint of concern in his voice. You smile at the thought of the pout that’s probably on his face right now.

“Sorry sweetheart, I’ve been caught up in my new book. I’m in the bedroom,” you call back to him.

You hear what sounds like a sigh of relief as his footsteps make their way down your hallway in the direction of your bedroom, the sounds of pieces of his uniform dropping off of him every few steps. You make sure to keep your head turned to the door so you can take in his reaction to your state.

“Oh, the new book you got this morning? How is it? Let me guess, you already finished-”

An indescribable feeling shoots through your whole body as Kakashi enters your bedroom. He just finished pulling his mask down his face, as his hand is still caught to the fabric pooling around his neck. With a smile on your face, you soak in his expression as he’s stood in the entrance of your room, a deep blush forming on his cheeks and his mouth still agape in mid-sentence. His eyes dart back and forth from your face to the bottom of your ass that’s hanging out of your silk robe.

Damn, you really did that (y/n).

“What’s wrong, Kashi?” You say in the most innocent voice you can muster. You bat your eyelashes and flip over to sit up so he can get a good look at you. You let your book drop off the bed and land on the floor.

There’s another pause before Kakashi slowly walks towards you on the bed. Without speaking, he reaches a hand out to you. You take it and he pulls you up so you're kneeling on the bed as he stands in front of you. His dark eyes bore into yours as both of his hands drop to your thighs. Slowly, he grazes them up over your hips, your waist, up the sides of your breasts, to wrap around the back of your neck. You can feel the hairs on your skin stand in anticipation. With his hands still wrapped around you, he brings his head down to you and grazes his mouth on your jawline. From there he plants small kisses up the side of your face until he reaches your ear where he nibbles before speaking to you in a strained, low tone.

“You’re a very dangerous woman, (y/n).”

He must have felt you shudder because you could feel him smile against your cheek. Standing up straight again, Kakashi’s hands drop to the tie of your robe around your waist.

“May I?” he asks, giving you the sexiest look you’ve ever seen. Kakashi has been so effortlessly attractive since you met when you were young. Having these intimate moments with him almost seems surreal.

“Of course, Hatake,” you smile up at him.

Taking the tie in his hands, he starts to unravel the knot keeping your robe together. Once loose, he lets it fall over your shoulders and off your body completely.

After a few moments taking in the sight of you, Kakashi lets out a deep sigh and shakes his head.

“You’re so out of my league,” he confesses to you.

You let out a small giggle.

“Absolutely not,” you protest.

Without missing a beat, Kakashi grabs on to you and tosses you back on the bed so you are laying down underneath him. One of his hands wraps around the back of your head while the other cups your breast. Pulling the fabric of your bra down, he kneads your nipple between his thumb and pointer finger. One of his knees lands in between your legs and he brings it up to press on to you. You can’t help the moan that escapes as you feel him all around you.

“So what’s the deal?” Kakashi teases. “I leave you alone in the house for one day and I come back to this?” He looks down at your body and back up again. “Where did you get this outfit, hm?”

“Oh baby,” you start teasing him back, “I guess one thing you don’t know about me yet is that I wear lingerie like this all the time.”

“Oh really?” he questions.

“Yep, all the time.” You smirk at what you’re about to say next. “Actually, remember that one time we were stationed together in the Earth country for a month for that S-rank assassination mission?”

Kakashi nods, confused where you’re going with this story.

“We let our guards down and almost hooked up the last night before we came back to the village.”

“I remember.”

“Well,” you pause for effect, “guess what I was wearing underneath my uniform that night?”

Kakashi remains silent, brows furrowed waiting for you. You smile at him deviously as you say your answer.

“This.”

Kakashi lets out what can only be described as an aroused, defeated groan when you utter your confession. He quickly comes back down and your mouths crash together in a heated frenzy. It isn’t until now when you realize that his bulge is hard against your leg, asking to be broken free from the confinement of his pants. While making out, you reach down and slip your hand under his waistband and grab onto his throbbing cock, stroking it in your hand. Although rock hard, the skin of his cock is soft and velvety.

Kakashi moans in your mouth when you make contact with him, but quickly escapes your grasp and gets up off of you. Sprawled out on the bed, you watch him strip down naked in front of you, starting with his shirt, then his pants and briefs. His body is truly something to marvel at, as decades of being a ninja have carved his body into perfection. You love the way his member slaps against his lower stomach when he pulls it from its confinement, excited and eager for you. He stands for a moment, contemplating what to do with you.

“I don’t want to take that pretty outfit off of you just yet. I guess I’ll just have to work around it for now,” Kakashi says as he stands at the end of the bed. Grabbing your ankles, he pulls you towards him and bends your legs upward until your knees meet your chest. Holding both of your legs up with one hand, he takes the other and spanks your ass cheek with a loud slap. You whimper from the sting while he rubs the mark he left. Kakashi sucks in another loud breath.

“Ugh, (y/n), you look so good for me.”

Before you can respond, Kakashi takes your thong and slides it over so you are exposed to him. Getting down on his knees, he brings his face to your glistening cunt and flattens his tongue against it. There he gives you one long lick up your slit to taste you. A moan erupts from him as your wetness meets his taste buds.

“You’re already so wet for me baby,” Kakashi breathes before going in to suck on you.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” you confess through your moans. “I only get this wet for you.”

“That’s because you're mine and mine only.”

Kakashi takes his time with you, almost as if this is his last meal on earth and he wants to savor it. He’s delicate in some moments and fierce in others. Incorporating his fingers, he slides them into you and curves them up to hit your g-spot repeatedly while eating you. Your hand instinctively cradles his face while the other intertwines with his silver locks. You start to feel tightness in your lower stomach as he brings you close to climax. The sound of his moans muffled inside you is enough to send you over the edge.

“Kakashi, baby, I’m gonna-”

“Come for me, baby,” Kakashi nods, giving you permission to let go.

Letting go of Kakashi, you grip onto the sheets around you, feeling the tightness build and drop out of you. Closing your eyes, the waves of ecstasy ripple throughout your body causing you to scream out in pleasure. Riding with you, Kakashi slowly continues to work you through your climax, cleaning up whatever juices spill over.

“Good girl,” He says to you while bringing your legs back down onto the bed. Slowly, he kisses up your thighs while hooking onto your thong, bringing it down off of them. While he does this, you reach around and unclasp your bra, throwing it aside. Once the thong is thrown aside as well, Kakashi lifts himself off the floor and flips you over so you're laying on your stomach, another smack landing on your ass cheek. The high from your orgasm is immediately replaced with anticipation for what he plans on doing to you next.

You feel Kakashi’s naked body slide on top of you until he's flush against your skin, his body completely enveloping yours. Once his face is level with yours, and his cock is hard against your backside, he brushes your hair away from your face.

“Are you ready for me?” Kakashi whispers into your ear.

You nod into the mattress, chest rising and falling with every strained breath.

“You need to use your words, (y/n),” Kakashi scolds you while tucking your hair behind your ear.

“I need you, Kakashi. Please, I need you.” Your words come out as a plea, not being able to take his absence any longer.

You feel Kakashi’s weight lift off of you as he reaches around your waist and lifts it up so your ass is tilted upwards. From there you can feel him position his tip at your entrance, slowly rubbing it up and down to spread your wetness.

“Please, Kashi, I need your cock inside me,” you beg.

Without further hesitation, you feel every inch of him slide into your folds until he’s bottomed out inside you. The feeling of him deep within you sends you into euphoria and you can feel yourself tighten around him.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Kakashi whispers.

Starting off slow, he pumps into you with control. You feel pleasure and pain as Kakashi kisses your neck while grabbing onto your hair. After each thrust you feel him going faster and harder, your bodies smacking against each other. To gain more leverage, he lifts off of you and brings you up onto your hands and knees. With his hand gripping your shoulder, he pumps into you with ferocity.

“For years I’ve touched myself thinking about getting to fuck you like this baby. You’re so beautiful and so good to me. Everything about your body draws me to you,” Kakashi says in between moans. You feel him start to twitch inside you, his thrusts getting more out of control. You look over your shoulder and meet his gaze.

“We deserve this baby. You deserve this. Give me everything.” You both know your words mean more than just sex, and Kakashi relishes them.

Lifting you up by your neck, Kakashi brings you toward him so you're both kneeling while he continues thrusting inside of you. He brings one hand around your front to circle your clit and the other cups your breast. Your hands lift up behind you to grab onto his face. Turning your head to him, you kiss him with every ounce of passion you have left. This new position is hitting you at your core and you can feel yourself tighten again. Kakashi must have felt it too, as he broke free from your mouth to tilt his head back in pleasure. Without exchanging words, you know you both are at your limit.

With a few last staggering thrusts, both of you reach climax in unison. Feeling yourself go limp, Kakashi wraps his arms around you to keep you steady. You feel streams of his hot semen pool inside of your contracting walls. With Kakashi’s moans singing in your ear, you can’t help but smirk at his vulnerability. With him still inside, you hold onto each other, trying to catch your breaths. After a few beats, you both begin to laugh at your exasperated states.

“Stay here, I’m going to get a towel,” Kakashi says while shifting out of you. After pulling a towel from the cupboard in your bathroom, Kakashi brings it to you and cleans up between your legs. Before you have time to move, Kakashi picks you up bridal style and spins you around in his arms.

You scream and start to laugh as he plants kisses all over your face. “Kakashi!”

“Hm?” he hums in your ear, pretending he didn’t just lift you with little to no effort.

Holding you up with one arm, he grabs a blanket off the bed and carries you to the chair in the corner of your room. There he sits down and places you sideways on his lap so you’re facing each other. He then takes the blanket and wraps it around you both so you can stay warm while cuddling each other. Kakashi has always had a knack for knowing exactly what you want at any given moment.

“I thought we could get some inspiration for our next round,” Kakashi says with a smirk as he pulls out a copy of Icha Icha Tactics from underneath the cushion.

“What? How did that get there?” you laugh.

“Oh, I have multiple copies of these everywhere,” he jokes, waving the book in the air.

You laugh and lightly hit his chest. Tucking the blanket up closer to your face, you lay your head down on Kakashi’s shoulder while he flips open to a page in the book.

Before he starts to read to you, Kakashi lifts your chin to kiss you. Every time your lips touch his, flashes of your joint past enters your mind. Although it was hard, and you faced many difficult trials on the way, you are forever thankful that you were both able to live long enough to experience these moments. You took care of each other, lifted each other up when they were in the dirt, and now you can finally share the love you’ve always held for each other. You wouldn’t change any of it. After your kiss, before pulling away from you, Kakashi looks deep into your eyes.

“I love you, (y/n).”

You smile up at him, tears brimming in your eyes.

“I love you too, Kakashi. Forever.”

A/n cont.: Well, whattdaya think? :)

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shotofire · 3 years

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Crystal Clear

Satoru Gojo x F!Reader

Overview: You meet the bizarre Gojo in a library. He shows you his eyes, and explains his profession. It’s a lot to take in at once

Warnings: Cursing, implied smut

Having Satoru Gojo as a friend was, well, different. The guy would always wear a black mask and never tell you why. Also he was so, mysterious. It’s cheesy to say but really, he seems to have many secrets. It was hard to not flood him with a million questions but you knew he would manage to avoid every single one.

Sometimes you wouldn’t even classify what you two have as friendship. There was no texting, calling, or hanging out of any kind besides at a little library in Tokyo. Not many went there, there’d be ten people on a good day. So the first time a tall white haired boy, who really stood out, walked in you were in a trance. He’d talked to you that day which you didn’t expect, but then again who expected someone like him to even come there.

“I’m trying to find a book on how to deal with stress, do you know of such a thing?” He’d scared you when he’d first walked up. It was like the guy was a ninja and moved light on his feet because you didn’t hear his footsteps in the silent library at all. “Uh, yeah I do actually.” The situation was so weird considering you could feel him looking into your eyes, but his were hidden.

Then Gojo began to show up every Tuesday night. You couldn’t help but wonder what his profession was for him to just have this time every single Tuesday. Sometimes you’d show up later or earlier than usual, and somehow he’d always arrive a few minutes after you. The man was light on his feet so at one point you thought he was following you, like you had a stalker on your hands or something.

One time, as if reading your mind, he had said, “I just have a feeling when you’re going to show up. It’s my special talent.” Honestly you believed him, the guy sometimes finished your sentences. Maybe he was a fortune teller of some kind.

Basically, that’s how the relationship went. Gojo would show up when you did, ask for your help to find a new book, and chat for a bit. He was a funny guy and had sly things to say but never made you uncomfortable. What you found odd though was he never read the books you helped find, they’d just sit on the table where you two sat and he’d talk your head off.

The man would sit with his legs crossed and one elbow propped on the head of the chair. His free hand would usually run through his hair every so often or tap against the wooden table. Majority of the time he’d only want to talk about you, and would avoid anything having to do with himself. Over time feelings started to come into play, and you hated yourself for it. You hadn’t even seen the mans eyes and the most you know about him is his name, yet you like him.

Gojo has this thing about him that you can’t seem to pinpoint. As if there’s something about him that draws you in, but you couldn’t let this get any deeper. He was a brick wall that wasn’t going to break anytime soon. You didn’t like the whole gaining feelings thing, so you stopped going to the library. The fact you could just look at him and think of him in so many ways wasn’t a good thing. If the guy was interested in you, he’d actually tell you things about himself.

Staying away from him seemed like a good idea. There was no way of contact besides the library, so the process of forgetting and getting over him should be easy, right?

Wrong.

You’d managed to keep away from the library, even though you love it there, but nothing changed within you. He’d still creep into your mind on a late night as if he was the only thing you could think about. His voice rung through your head like a bell, and everything reminded you of him. Even your bed made you think of him due to his frequent sly remarks.

“Did you sleep well?” he’d asked on a rainy day, observing the dark circles under your eyes. “No, my bed is shit.” His laugh had sent a tingle to your legs, which hadn’t happened up until that point. “I bet I could help make it comfortable.” A blush had been fast to creep onto your cheeks, and his smirk had your head spinning. You assumed he messed with you because a romance novel was always in your hands, there was no way he actually had interest in you.

Right now you are sitting on your couch wrapped in a blanket. It’s dark outside, and it’s Tuesday. It has been a few weeks since you’ve gone to the library, and you miss Gojo. You had moved to Japan recently with your family when he’d first came into your life, so he was sort of a refresher. Then he became too much for your hopeless romantic mind. Tuesday’s always consisted of you battling with you emotions.

It’s your day off from work, and you have nothing to do, and no new books to read. The sweet librarian was probably wondering where you were as well, she always let you have books longer than the due date. She’s even let you keep a couple. At this point you’d have to nail your feet to the ground to stop yourself from leaving. You needed something new, and you needed to see him.

Before you knew it the library was in sight. It was a short walk from your home and didn’t take much energy. Plus you enjoyed seeing all the nature things along the way. The lighting from the windows were dim as always, and it seems empty as usual. Maybe Gojo has already gave up on coming from you absences, and it’ll conform it’s just not meant to be.

Once you open the glass door the familiar smell of cinnamon fills your senses. Oh how you missed this place, it was like your second home. You grab more books than you could carry, and start to have trouble seeing where you’re going.

Someone takes a few novels from the stack, and before you can protest you’re left with a loss of words. It’s Gojo himself, but he looks different. His mask is gone snd instead replaced with black circle glasses, and his beautiful white hair is down instead of up. Also, his prominent collarbones are out on display. You can’t help but stare at him.

“Hi stranger.” Holy shit you missed the way his voice sounds. “Hey.” The nerves within you are moving around like butterflies. He turns on his heals with your books in hand, heading straight for the unspoken reserved table. You follow suit, eyeing his broad shoulders from behind. “Where have you been?” He sets the books down on the table and sits down, forming his usual position.

Why are you so nervous right now? This is Gojo, you know him. Well, actually you don’t. That’s the whole reason you needed to take time for yourself and figure shit out. But it’s not like you’ve never talked to him before. You feel as if he’s a random hot guy asking you for your number.

“Uh, just been busy.” Gojo knows that’s complete bullshit. Even if you had a million things to do you’d make time to come to the library, even if just to grab one book. Your eye contact wavers with him as you speak, so it’s a even more dead five away that you’re lying. “Busy, huh? Or have you just been avoiding me?”

It’s the first time you feel this towards him, anger. Why does he know you so well? Why can he read you like a book yet you have nothing to say about him. He sees the way your jaw clenches at his words, and he’s unsure of why. He may be smart, but he’s just as clueless.

“You know everything about me Gojo,” your eyes are narrowing, “yet all I know of you is your name and a few minor details. You won’t even tell me what you do for a living, or if you even have a job. I feel like you’re hiding too much, and honestly is makes me uncomfortable. I don’t like being around someone who could possibly be a fucking murderer for all I know.” He’d never seen this side of you, or heard your voice sound so frustrated.

It’s silent for a few seconds, but it feels like minutes. You’re breathing heavily, completely vexed. What was the point of being your friend if he didn’t want you to know anything about him? “I’m sorry.” His words surprise you, and your stiff face loosens. His finger is tapping against the wood in a anxious manner. Did your little anger moment effect him that much? You don’t say anything, not even sure what to say.

“I, um,” the boy was never at a loss for words but he sure is struggling right now. His mind seems to be moving a million miles per hour, as if he’s trying to find the right thing to say. Instead of saying anything, he grabs the hinges of his glasses. His fingers rest for a moment as you watch with wide eyes. Then he does it, he slides them off of his face.

Gojo’s eyes are like blue crystals. You’d never seen eyes so beautiful and captivating. Why the hell would he want to cover up such a unique thing about him? “Woah,” is all you can muster up. He has a small smile on his face, but you can tell he’s unsure of his own actions. “You have gorgeous eyes.” You’re trying to make him feel more comfortable. “Thank you.”

You two stay like that for a moment, just gazing at one another. The swirls of white in his orbs become more noticeable as you observe them, and the dark shades of blue. They remind you of the ocean as well. “Why do you cover them? They’re so pretty.” He puts his elbows on the table before resting his head in his palms.

“My eyes are extremely sensitive due to-“ he stops himself, and you notice, “they’re just sensitive and I prefer to cover them.” He was still holding back. You press your lips together in a line, and this time you’re the one who can read him. “You’re lying and telling the truth at the same time.” How the hell do you know that? He bites the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying the wrong thing.

“If I told you everything about me you would call bullshit.” “Try me,” what you says surprises him, “how can you know that if you haven’t even tried?” You were right, but it was much deeper than you could ever antispate. There was a whole realm of things you didn’t know about, but again... he should still try. You are so willing to listen.

“I work at Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School.” You’d never heard of it, not once. Yes you were new to the area but you still knew most of the schools, considering your siblings went to a high school nearby. He sees the puzzled look on your face, of course you had no idea what it is. “It’s a school for jujutsu sorcerers.” You definitely weren’t catching on. It sounded like make believe, but his face was so serious.

He isn’t lying.

“My job is to exorcise cursed spirits that are active and posing a threat to anyone or anything. I am a sorcerer myself, I contain cursed energy that can be used to fight these spirits,” Yep, what he was saying makes no sense, “I know this sounds insane to you but i’m telling the truth.”

Even though it did sound like some big story, and made no sense to you, you still knew he wasn’t lying. The concept of what he’s saying is making you freak out a bit on the inside, but you try not to show it. “I believe you.” He didn’t expect you to so easily, yet you do. “Well, thank you. I know it’s all hard to believe, and you can’t see curses so I don’t know how to physically prove it to you.”

A small smile forms on his lips and he bats his white eyelashes at you, making your stomach do a small flip. “But we could talk more about it over dinner Friday night, if you would like.” Holy shit, your face is already red. Why does it have to heat up so fast? “Yeah, I-I would like that,” of course you just had to stutter. He stands up from the table with a sly smile on his face, “Awe you’re blushing. Eager to go on a date with me, doll?”

Date? Doll? Gosh this boy was trying to make you pass out with his words. “Personally, you have me eager for a lot of things. But i’m going to earn it with my gentlemen-ness, and telling you everything you wanna know.” At this point he was just trying to make your head spin and legs tingle, he likes the way your eyes sparkle at the thought.

Gojo gives you a small piece of folded up paper, “See you Friday.” He sends you a wink before walking off with his hands in his pockets. His parents really made a hot ass son.

You open the paper and are met with numbers, his number. “Oh shit,” you whisper. He’s expecting you to call him? The nerves set in, this is all so much. The guys a sorcerer, has beautiful eyes, just gave you his number, and wants to go on a date.

You’ve struck gold.

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otterbagel · 3 years

Text

The Reunion (Part 1) Simon x Reader

Reader makes a rash decision, one that has long lasting consequences.

(Notes: There are two parts to this! Next part should be out next week. I'll probably start spacing out my posts after this so I don't get burnt out like last time. Also, didn't get to edit this one as much as I should've; the whole thing ended up pretty long and would take a long time everytime I tried to edit it. Can't believe it took me this long to finish one about Simon!!!)

"Hey, this is quite the unusual find, you gotta admit."

Your eyebrow raised without hesitation, your eyes looking down to check your shoes. "Not really," you remarked softly, eyes going back up to meet the object of the discussion: a PL600 android.

The salesman, who had uncomfortably started hounding you for the sale after you had curiously drifted towards the humanoid, was gesturing towards it flippantly with a toothy grin. "At this price?! Tell me, no, tell me where you found one this cheap— in this good a condition?"

Your mouth automatically frowned. The arms were covered by a dark undershirt that made most of the skin unseeable— any damage not on the face and hands wouldn't be factored into the buying purchase. You had a feeling this clothing choice was intentional.

"Just three hundred bucks!" The seller's round face turned into your line of sight. You quickly looked away out of discomfort.

Your eyes landed onto the android's clear blue ones. You hadn't looked very closely at any androids before, despite walking amongst them nearly every day. Did they all look this lifelike?

Maybe you were looking way too into it.

You swallowed, aggressively fumbling for your wallet with a grunt of annoyance. "Okay, fine. Three hundred."

With a pleased noise, the seller took off with your card, waving it in the air between two of his fingers.

You crossed your arms beside the android, who didn't seem to take any notice of what had just transpired.

…

Reality had begun to hit you like a truck on the way home.

By the time you opened the door to your tiny house, you realized just how big of a rash decision you had just made.

The android stood behind you quietly and without complaint as you released the door handle, letting the door softly bang against the wall. You stared dumbly into your own house, coat hanging limply from one of your dangling arms as you searched your brain for a solution.

You frowned, shaking your head rapidly. "I have no room for this."

"Excuse me—"

You jumped at the android's sudden intrusion into your own self reprimand, a small noise of fright escaping you before you could even begin to think of holding it back.

"—would you like me to get started?"

"Uh, yeah yeah yeah, uh… do whatever you want," you waved it off awkwardly, holding a hand to your chest as you attempted to catch your breath. You hurried inside, embarrassed of the whole situation.

You sat down on the couch as the android closed the door and walked past you and into the kitchen.

Without turning it on, you stared at the TV as your fingertips rubbed against your face in nervousness.

That had been such an impulse buy. You couldn't believe you had done that.

The faucet turned on for a moment. You think you had put a cup in there, but there wasn't much else to clean.

It seemed to be working properly. The guy who sold it was certainly odd and abrasive, but all in all it was a pretty good deal. Usually they were more than twice as much; newer models so expensive that the thought of you owning one was impossible. Even if it had some cosmetic damages, that was a small issue compared to its functionality.

Trying to ignore the strange new entity in the house, you flipped on the TV. It was the news.

There was some story about a recent fire that had decimated a small apartment building on the outskirts of Detroit. The police said it likely had something to do with Red Ice, although most evidence would probably be destroyed.

The android had finished whatever it was doing in the kitchen and had quietly begun watching the TV from the archway.

You looked at it as it parted its lips in preparation to speak. "Are you a fan of the news?"

"Sort of," you chuckled, looking back to the screen. "I work at a newstation— not this one, but I like checking it out from time to time."

The android nodded, continuing to watch the screen as it held its hands politely behind its back.

You looked it over, getting that feeling of nervousness again. "W-what's your name?" You blurted out quietly and without any grace.

It blinked at you, the LED spinning blue for a second. "My previous owners named me Simon. Would you like to change my name?"

You shook your head to yourself. "Do you like your name?"

It squinted at you in confusion before returning to its natural, composed look. "It's good," it responded.

Although you tried to maintain a jovial body language, you weren't doing a good job. "Great! Si… Simon is a great name," you chirped out awkwardly.

"Thank you," Simon replied, giving a small head bow.

You turned your head away from it as you felt your face grow warm with embarrassment.

What on Earth was happening to you?

…

You had been having a strange dream about work when you heard someone calling your name.

"...huh…?" you called out groggily.

Your name again. "...I think you're going to be late for work at this rate…"

Your eyes fluttered open. Simon was fiddling with his hands as he held them in front of his chest, eyes moving between you and the clock beside the bed.

It said 8:32.

The comforter was flung nearly off the bed as you jumped up in a panic. "Oh geez, yeah I'm gonna be late…" Random clothes filled your arms that you grabbed from your drawers as you prepared to go to work. "Thanks for waking me."

Simon quietly made his way over to you as you tried finding a pair of socks. "I didn't hear you walking around this morning," he said with a chuckle. "And where you stayed up later than usual last night… I figured…"

A laugh escaped you as you headed off towards the bathroom to get ready.

He had been living here… maybe three months? It had seemed like a much longer time than that. In that amount of time, things had definitely changed between you two.

Despite it being his intended purpose, it felt strange to have someone doing all your housework for you. It became an odd ritual pretty quickly: once you got home, you would work on chores together. Not that there were many— that was one of the perks of having a small house— but it just made you feel better about the whole thing.

The whole process was a bit cathartic for you; away from the hustle and bustle of the busy, stressful life at the newstation and into a warm, domestic one.

You hurried to the front door to slip on your shoes, Simon leaving his spot on the couch to see you off.

"I think I'll make it on time," you joked as you looked up at him. "Thanks again."

"No problem…" he responded quietly, struggling to retain eye contact with you.

As you rose to your feet, he gave you a brief hug. Your face immediately began to burn bright red.

"Have… have a good day at work…" he stuttered out before walking in quick strides to the kitchen.

You were still frozen in place by the time he exited your vision. "Y-you too…" you blurted out before fumbling out the door, realizing your linguistic blunder before you had even closed the door.

As you headed down the street, you let your hands touch your heated face.

…

You had nearly run home out of excitement.

It had been such a small thing, but the prospects of your future career had your mind going nuts.

After fumbling to get the key in the door and tossing it open, you slung your coat off your arms in a fluid motion. "Simon! Simon! You won't believe it!"

He was sitting on the couch— like he usually had been over the past year— engaged in some overly dramatic show you weren't particularly fond of. His eyes were wide at your sudden entrance. "Yes?"

You let the door make its way closed before you kicked it shut behind you, holding your arms out. "They said they liked my article!"

Simon stared for a moment before his LED flashed in excitement. "THE article?" He sat up on the edge of his seat, smiling at you as he was filled with a wave of positive energy.

"Yeah!" You nodded. "Not to get you too excited, but they're showing it to some of the higher ups, but it looks like I might get my own schedule slot soon!"

"Oh wow!" He exclaimed, rising to his feet and taking you into his arms to lift you up for a split second. "I knew it would happen! I'm so proud!"

You erupted into a fit of giggles as he held you, almost enjoying his praise as much as your own success. "Thanks Simon, I couldn't have done it without you."

He released you, letting his hands rest against your sides. "That's not true," he responded quietly, his face red as he looked to the side.

With a warm smile, you nodded to him. "Yes," you drawed out for effect. "You even came up with the idea. And, not to mention, the moral support."

He stepped back a little, crossing his arms as he attempted to hide his expression of happiness. "You're too kind."

The TV played in the silence, Simon fiddling with the edge of one of his sleeves as he pulled it down.

Your mind raced as you looked at his hand, debating on bringing it up right now when the mood was so light.

"They mentioned… uh... increasing my pay," you began, watching his expression for any hint of distress. "I thought that maybe… we could finally… you know… get that fixed…"

His hands trailed along his sleeve as he nodded to himself, seemingly lost in thought. "Yeah," he responded. "That would be nice… but it would be so expensive… are you sure?"

It had taken a few weeks to first see it, and even longer for you to see the full extent of the damage, but your initial thoughts had been correct. The long sleeves had been put on him for a reason, and it had seemed as though it had gradually become a personal choice as well.

His forearms and biceps had a lot of physical damage, certainly from his previous owners.

Luckily, it had been almost purely cosmetic. Aside from a few light dents and scratches to his actual body, it was just a matter of getting the covering fixed. As of now, the white sheen of his android body was always visible underneath his sleeves.

You wrung your hands together out of nervousness. "I just know how you said that you wanted it fixed," you took in a sharp inhale. "It won't be a problem to actually do, I've already been saving for a while…"

He smiled, rushing in to hug you again. You, a bit caught off guard this time, was frozen in place.

"I'd like to put the past behind me," he said as you finally came to and hugged him back, albeit still in a bit of a shock. "I think this is the first step."

As you embraced, you couldn't help but feel a pang of excitement and anxiety.

#dbh x reader #dbh simon #dbh simon x reader

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imagineaworlds · 3 years

Text

I Love You (Part Sixty) -- Aaron Hotchner

Written By: @desperately-bisexual

Request: None.

Warnings: Cursing. Panic attack. Character death. Alcoholism. Drugging(s). Physical trauma. Explosion(s). I think that’s it?

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Nonbinary!Greenaway!Reader

Word Count: 9574

Timeline: Season 8 Episodes 24. Right after part fifty-nine.

Criminal Minds Discord Server

It wasn’t like any other panic attack I ever had. For some reason, the really bad ones only came about when I was really worried about Hotch, like after the bombing in New York when I thought he was literally dying in my arms. This time around, though, I think I was just… paralyzed. I was staring at the wall, the sheets pulled up to my chin, a ringing in my ears, flashing memories of that night back in high school. Those pictures. These pictures. What made The Replicator any different than Steven Teller? A chill ran down my spine. I hadn’t connected his name to what had actually happened to me until my parents brought him up at Hotch’s birthday dinner. I would’ve gone my whole life trying to forget his name if they hadn’t said it, if Hotch hadn’t asked about him, and if Garcia hadn’t called to tell us that someone else had pictures of me now.

Who had seen them besides Garcia? Morgan? Spencer? Morgan would’ve understood because he knew about the true nature of the original photos—hell, he was the one who stumbled upon them in Rebecca Bryant’s apartment, so he had even seen them; but I didn’t want it to be Reid. The two of us were so close now since Maeve’s death. If he saw something like that, he would get all awkward around me and our friendship would slowly fall apart, and instead of letting me into his apartment every Sunday now, he would just let Scarlet in again like he originally did.

I didn’t understand who this guy was. How had Garcia been investigating it enough for Hotch to know exactly what she was talking about, yet I was completely out of the loop? Was I the only one who didn’t know? Why didn’t Hotch tell me about this sooner—if I would’ve known that there was someone out there watching us, I would have never gone on this “vacation”, and I would have made sure that we weren’t being followed, I would’ve closed the fucking drapes. The drapes.

Hotch pushed himself out of bed and ran to the window. “We need to make sure everyone’s safe,” he muttered under his breath.

“Hotch, who is The Replicator…” I croaked.

“He might have gone after the others.”

“Hotch, answer me!”

“Later.”

“He has pictures of us, Aaron…” I croaked as he closed the drapes.

We had left them open because we were so high up, and the lights were off, and the surrounding buildings shouldn’t’ve had a good view into our room. Closing the drapes just didn’t occur to us earlier. But now that we knew he had been watching, we weren’t taking a chance. Not that it mattered. He had already seen everything. From Hotch slowly undressing me, to tying me up, spanking me, torturing me… fucking me. That asshole got a free show, and then he had the audacity to send those images to our friends. Poor Penelope. She was probably mortified. Between getting hacked and having to see literal porn of her co-worker and her boss, she was likely having a meltdown. Yet, all I could think about was how this all reminded me of high school—of the images that boy took of me then used as blackmail against me. It was eerily similar. I absolutely fucking hated it.

“Call everyone, Y/N. Call them now.”

We both raced for our phones. Hotch called Rossi while I started with Reid. I was biting at my fingers nervously as the phone rang, because every second that passed without hearing his voice just somehow convinced me that something was wrong. And then he picked up. I let out a sigh of relief and hid my face in my free hand.

“Y/N?” He had no clue what was going on. “Y/N, what is it?”

I hated that he was getting as good at recognizing my tells as Morgan was. “Where are you?”

“I’m with Morgan. We’re driving back from getting some food. Did you know that you can get sauerkraut on hotdogs? It’s such an odd concoction, considering the hotdog was invented—”

“Spencer, something happened.”

He stopped. “What?”

“You and Morgan need to get back to the Field Office immediately. Don’t stop anywhere, don’t talk to anyone, keep your heads down. Got it?”

“Y/N, what is it? Why—”

“I don’t know… Hotch isn’t telling me right now, but he says he’ll explain everything once we’re all together.”

“Okay. We’ll see you there.” I looked at Hotch as I hung up and he came back into the bedroom, dressed in a button down and slacks again so that it could pass as business formal, considering we hadn’t brought actual work clothes. “Where’s Rossi?”

“He’s with JJ. They can’t get ahold of Strauss, so JJ’s going to head to the Field Office to meet up with Spencer and Morgan while Rossi goes to check on Strauss at her hotel. We need to get dressed and go.”

“Stop,” I demanded harshly. Hotch froze in place. “You need to tell me the truth now. Who is The Replicator?” He was still frozen. “Hotch,” I crawled onto my knees, “he went after our babies, and he took pornographic pictures of us. I have every right to know before the team does.”

Hotch sighed and sat down on the corner of the bed as he explained everything to me. A couple of months ago, something peculiar started happening. Someone was replicating the cases that we were solving—everything from the human marionettes to an Unsub who had exsanguinated his victims. Strauss didn’t want the team to get involved yet, though, so it was a need-to-know case only. I wasn’t on the list. Every time it happened. Strauss found out and told Hotch. The two of them had been keeping an eye on it, and he was convinced that she was going to turn the case over to us soon, but now he was coming after us personally, which was so… unexpected to him.

Rossi called back while Hotch was telling me everything. Hotch rubbed a thumb over the arch of my foot as he answered. “You’re sure?” he asked worriedly. “Alright. Okay. We’re on our way.” He hung up. “Rossi’s convinced that something happened to Strauss… He thinks that The Replicator might have taken her.”

“Fucking hell, Aaron!” I jumped out of bed and ran to change into different clothes. The only thing I had that was “appropriate” was a v-neck and jeans. So much for our vacation. “We should’ve known about this earlier!” I exclaimed, jumping into my pants. “It’s just another lie—”

“Jesus, Y/N! Stop with the hounding about the lies! Get off my back! This was an order, not a lie!”

Actually, he was right about that one. “Fine…” I grabbed my credentials, my weapon, and my bag before joining Hotch at the door. “You’re right.” I kissed him quickly. “I’m sorry.” He closed the door behind us, and we ran off.

In the car, Hotch and I held hands, both of us shaking anxiously. His thumb was doing circles around one of my knuckles while he kept his other hand busy on the steering wheel, tapping to a random beat in his head that he was using as a distraction. He clearly didn’t know what to do with himself. He hadn’t expected that The Replicator would go for us personally—though, if he had come to me with this case before this, I would have told him that this was going to happen, and we could have prevented it.

If I would have known that this guy existed in the first place, Hotch would’ve had to drag me out of the house and to work just to leave Jack and Scarlet. I wouldn’t have sent them to school, I wouldn’t have left them to go on vacation, and I wouldn’t have let them go to the fucking park while we were gone just to give the creep an opportunity to take pictures of them. He could fuck with us all he wanted. Those pictures hurt, and the situation was still spinning in my mind to the point I wanted to throw up; but at least we were adults who could handle it. Jack and Scarlet were still just my little babies. It didn’t matter how big they were getting, they were always going to be my babies, and no one ever fucked with them.

Hotch kissed my knuckles as we parked at the hotel. He paused for a moment, turning to look at me, cradling my cheek in his other palm. “I’m sorry. If Strauss didn’t order me to keep this confidential, you would have been the first person I told. You have to believe that.”

“I do.”

“Are you okay now… knowing what we know about tonight…”

I shook my head. “No, but it’s not the point.” I escaped his touch so that I could open my car door and jump out. Hotch followed shortly, deciding to drop the conversation.

The second we stepped into the hotel room where Strauss was supposed to be staying, we saw Rossi pacing around, completely stressed out, running his hands through his hair while muttering thoughts under his breath. I glanced around. The window was open, the bed was a wreck, there was broken glass on the ground, drawers were left open, the bathroom looked like a tornado had torn through it, but what was most obvious were the mini alcohol bottles from the mini fridge that were scattered everywhere. I thought she quit drinking. There was a situation a little bit ago shortly after The Face Cards when I was still bedridden where Hotch and Rossi found out that she was an alcoholic and decided to get her some help.

“Her one year chip is here,” Rossi said, holding it up for us to see. “She never lets go of it, Hotch. Ever. The Replicator must have her.” So, everyone seemed to know about this guy besides me, I supposed? What the fuck? “I’m going to check the roof.” Rossi was already moving for the fire escape.

“Be safe. We’ll head down to the lobby to look at the security footage,” Hotch said. I wanted to go with Rossi to give him back up, but I realized that Hotch didn’t want me to stray far from him after what happened. So, I followed him out of the room, and we started hurrying towards the inside stairwell just to see if she had wandered down there somehow. Hotch’s phone started ringing.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Straus…” He cocked a brow while answering. “Erin?” He stopped in his tracks when he heard the other end, making me stumble to a halt. “Where is she, you bastard.” He started running as fast as he could through the hallways, leaving me behind.

“Aaron! No!” I yelled, trying to run after him.

“Stay here! I love you!”

Those words echoed in my head as déjà vu overtook my senses. Hotch had said the exact same thing to me after we found Sam dying on his carpet, and Hotch went to the hospital with him. The panic that hadn’t settled in earlier was certainly settling in now. I could remember how Hotch said those exact same words to me as he closed the ambulance doors, and a few moments later, I collapsed on the sidewalk, unable to hear anything, unable to move, unable to breathe until I heard his voice again. He went on his own this time, though—No.

I started dashing to follow him, even though he had enough of a head start to already be out of the building. The Replicator had talked to Hotch. He had called from Strauss’s phone, which was the perfect way to lure Hotch out of the hotel, and it worked, which meant that if he had a plan, he was going to go after Hotch next. I started skipping steps in the stairwell. Not him. Not now. Aaron Hotchner was all kinds of stupid, but I wasn’t going to let this stupid decision get him killed while I froze up in a fucking hallway. I couldn’t live with that regret if that were the case.

When I pushed through the front doors of the hotel, I started looking up and down the street in search of Hotch. He had to be around somewhere. He got a head start, sure, but not enough to disappear into the night unless someone took him. He had to be close. I refused to believe that he was anywhere other than on that block, safe, alive, and waiting for me to find him. So, I just kept looking. I spun around in circles, jumping to look over the crowd, pushing between couples just to see if Hotch was hiding somewhere. I felt like I was going insane.

And then I saw him on a bench. I recognized his hair, how dark it was, how he liked to keep it short in the back but long in his face so that I could play with it when I was bored or during sex. I recognized him because of his body type. The shirt he had put on back at the penthouse was a simple button up, but it was fit to his body so well that when he was sitting down like that, I could see his biceps stretching the sleeves, and the actual torso part of the shirt had molded against his loose abs. I would recognize my husband anywhere. Even while his face was away from me, and he had someone in his arms, I could still tell that it was him. He looked okay… at least from where I was standing. I couldn’t tell for sure, though, so I dared to run across the street and hurry over to the bench. I could tell for sure now. He was alright, but he was holding Strauss in his arms, despite the fact that she wasn’t breathing anymore.

“Aaron…” I carefully peeled his grip off of her. “Aaron, it’s okay…”

As I kneeled down in front of Hotch, I recognized the lost fright in his eyes from the bombing four years ago, and from the murder of Haley a little under that, then my kidnapping two years ago. Whenever he was panicked, whenever there was too much going on at once, his eyes got lost in the world, like he couldn’t see anything at all, yet could somehow still see everything. It was hard to explain, but the way his jaw slacked, and the way his breath was shallow, and his body was unnaturally still… It all pointed to that instinct that overtook him every time something bad like this happened.

I put my hands on his face to bring his eyes level with mine. We had been through this before, we learned how to handle it, now all he had to do was focus on me and we would be fine. He told me that feeling my touch, hearing my voice, seeing my face, it always brought him down to Earth when this happened. So, I held him close, I kissed his forehead, and I whispered to him that everything would be alright.

“He talked about Foyet,” he finally told me.

I stopped comforting him for a moment to reflect on what he just said. “What?”

“He…” He lowered his head. “He talked about how Foyet killed Haley… That I was stuck on the phone, incapable of doing anything that could help.”

“How could he know that?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head against my touch.

“Look at me, baby.” I lifted his head gently. “We’ll figure this out. I promise. Just breathe.”

“He said he’s going to race us home—”

“Shhh…”

“The kids—”

“They’re at the office. They’re safe. Please. Catch your breath with me.” I inhaled slowly, letting him know that I wanted him to mimic me. I nodded an encouragement when he started doing so, and then when we couldn’t breathe in anymore, we held it, then slowly exhaled. He was relaxing in my touch already. We did it again. “You’re doing good, baby. Keep going.”

Footsteps hit the pavement behind us. I turned somewhat, just long enough to see that it was Rossi. He froze when he saw Strauss beside Hotch. As he collapsed and pulled Erin in for a hug, I helped Hotch to his feet, pulling him away so he could collect his thoughts again.

“Don’t stop breathing, baby,” I begged, pressing my forehead against his.

“Foyet—”

“Foyet’s gone. You’re here. I’m here. The kids are safe at the office. Just breathe.”

When the EMTs arrived, they put a sheet over Strauss’s body, lifted her onto a stretcher, then rolled her into the ambulance. Rossi was quiet while he followed them. With Hotch still somewhat out of it—not as bas bad as before, but still— I was the one who nodded in his direction, letting him know that it was okay to go with her. We would see him later.

At the Field Office, Hotch was finally relaxed and level-headed enough to explain to the team what was going on and what we were going to do now. We were going to get on the jet, head back to the office, and take down whoever the hell this Replicator guy was. Everyone seemed on board, but there were a lot of questions about when Rossi would be rejoining us. Honestly, we weren’t sure. He was flying with Strauss to Bethesda to talk with her children and stick around for the autopsy, which we would have by the time we would land in Virginia and get settled back at the office. He would probably return after that… if at all. What we needed to focus on was just getting the profile done and making sure that Strauss’s death wouldn’t be in vain.

When we got back to Quantico, I ran straight into Hotch’s office, finding Jack dead asleep on the couch, buried under a blanket that Hotch always had stowed away in case we had to sleep at the office, too. As for Scarlet, though, she was still awake. Jessica was sitting in Hotch’s chair at his desk, and Scarlet was sitting across from her, playing with some toys. She spotted me almost immediately, though.

“Mom!” She slid off the chair and ran to me.

“Hey, lil’ bug!” I exclaimed, lifting her into my arms. I kissed her a thousand times. “I love you so much!” I kept kissing her. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

“She’s been fussy without you guys,” Jessica said.

“I’m sorry,” I said to her. I brushed Scarlet’s hair out of her face. “Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story before Dad and I have to go save the world again?”

“Yeah.” She nodded and pressed her cheek against my chest while still hugging my neck.

I sat down in one of the chairs across from Hotch’s seat and relaxed. While telling her the story, I thought about how relieved I was to have her in my arms again. The Replicator had a thousand chances to take her or Jack from me, especially while Hotch and I were gone. Hell, he got close enough to take pictures. If he really wanted to hurt us, he could have stolen my lil’ bug away. If that happened, I wasn’t sure if I’d survive.

By the time the story was over, she had magically fallen asleep in my arms. I smiled and kissed her hair. As I got up to lay her down on the couch with Jack, he rolled over and started snoring, making me and Jessica chuckle quietly, but I had to shush her.

When Scarlet was done, I looked at Jess. “I’m so sorry that this keeps happening to us.”

She shook her head. “As long as everyone’s safe, it’s okay.” She stepped forward and hugged me tightly. “Are you guys okay?”

“Not right now, but we will be.”

“You’ll get an actual vacation weekend soon.”

I laughed. “$20 says it doesn’t happen.”

She pulled away from me to shake my hand. “Deal.”

There was a knock on the door from Hotch, coming to tell us that Strauss’ autopsy had been completed. His gaze flicked to the kids, and he hesitated for a moment. They were asleep, but I could tell that he wanted to wake them up and just feel the way they would give him a Superman hug at the same time until he couldn’t breathe. But he restrained himself. He carefully stepped into the room and crouched down in front of the couch, kissing Scarlet’s forehead, then Jack’s. He stayed with them for a second longer, just admiring how perfect and innocent they were. My heart broke in my chest a bit, a smile creeping onto my face, and I reached forward to brush Hotch’s hair out of his face.

“We should go, baby,” I whispered to him. He nodded and pushed himself to his feet. “They’ll be alright. I promise.” He kissed me gently while keeping my head tilted up with his thumb. When he pulled back, we pressed our foreheads together. “Your messes are my messes.”

“Your messes are my messes.” He kissed me again quickly before taking my hand and leading me out of his office, waving goodbye to Jessica. She waved back to us while sitting back down to play a game on her phone. When we walked into the boardroom, we saw that Garcia was finishing up with hanging all the evidence we had of The Replicator. “Garcia, is this everything?” Hotch let go of my hand to cross his arms over his chest.

She nodded. “JJ’s grabbing the printed copy photos from Strauss’s autopsy, but this is everything else… except for you and Y/N… You know…”

“Thanks.”

“So, while you guys were on the jet, I started digging into why he would have possibly attacked Strauss and on this day, considering he would’ve had a thousand other chances to do it if he really does work for the FBI, but I couldn’t find anything in her life that was historically relevant.”

“We need to focus on the location, then. He waited until she was in New York, rather than attacking her here or at her home.”

“Look at how many photos he had of her, guys,” Morgan pointed out, referencing the dozens of pictures of our team up on the wall. I knew that he had taken pictures of me and Hotch in bed, but I didn’t think that he had really been stalking the entire team all this time. “She’s hardly ever in the field, yet there’s more pictures of her than anyone else. It’s like he’s obsessed with her.”

“Maybe Strauss was always the real target. We were just in the way, and also a distraction.”

“I’ve got the rest of the photos,” JJ said, holding the stack up for us before heading to the board to pin them up. “We were right, he replicated the New York attacks, which accelerated his timeline. He spiked Strauss’s alcohol with meth and heroin.”

“Not ecstasy?” I asked.

“Nope.” She hung up a picture of a symbol that had been carved into Strauss’s wrist antemortem.

“Wait—” I stepped forward, halting her actions. “What is that?”

“An infinity sign?” Garcia guessed.

“An eight? Wasn’t she his eighth victim?” Morgan added.

“But why would he do that? His whole M.O. is copying our other cases as closely as possible to prove that he’s been stalking us. He wouldn’t deviate just to make things interesting now,” I said.

“He would if Strauss was his intended target.”

“It’s too random. Everything this guy has done thus far has been strategic and with the point of getting under our skin. This doesn’t affect us personally in any way, unlike the photos and him mentioning Foyet on the phone,” Hotch said.

“Wait. He knew about Foyet?” JJ questioned. “How? That was a confidential case. No one outside of our unit and SWAT knew the intricate details of what happened to Haley.”

“But the file has enough general information. He had to have accessed it somehow,” I said.

“Maybe when he hacked Garcia?”

“It’s a paper file. Cody made sure it didn’t make its way into any system to ensure that no one could get their hands on it outside of the FBI, which means… Technically, anyone working for at Quantico could know.” What was he saying? “The only people who knew where Y/N and I were this weekend before the hack was the BAU and Cody’s office. The only problem here is that Strauss wasn’t sure that she recognized him. If he works for the FBI—”

“He might not have been showing his face to her—and even if he was, she was probably too out of it to actually recognize him,” Reid said. “Besides that, there are hundreds of new and old faces every day at Quantico. Strauss was a busy woman. She might not’ve remembered him.”

I shook my head. “Let’s say that he does work in the FBI, that explains how he knows about all of our cases with so much detail. He replicates everything, we can’t forget that. So, what the hell is the symbol on her wrist replicating?”

“The Cutter,” Hotch realized. We all looked at him, giving him our full attention. “The last case we worked before this weekend.”

We had been in Detroit for nine days, tracking down an Unsub who liked leaving Joker-like smiles on his victims’ faces by cutting them up. Sometimes he got fancy with it, taking their tongues, cutting a toe or a finger off, but he always cut the mouths. There was nothing about carving symbols into the victims. No eights, infinities, whatever. So, why did Hotch think that this had anything to do with that?

“I need to see her computer.” Hotch turned to snap at someone outside the room. “Anderson, I need you to run to Strauss’s office and bring me her computer, please. Now.”

“Yes, sir.” Anderson did as he was told, literally racing to the office just past the bullpen, though the door, down the hallway, and to the right. We waited patiently for him to come back. “Here you go,” he said, panting, handing the laptop over.

“Thanks, Anderson.”

“No problem, sir.” He took his leave from the room again.

Hotch passed the computer over to Garcia, who was sitting down and wiggling her fingers to warm up before she would start typing up a storm in order to hack in. Hotch watch from over her shoulder. “I need you to access who was on the distribution list for my case report for The Cutter.”

“You don’t know who reads your reports?” she questioned, already typing.

“I know that she sends them to the head of the Criminal Division and the Director, but I don’t know who else has access to it.”

“It’s right here.”

Hotch leaned in further to read because the words were too small for him. I was going to have to drag him to the eye doctor soon. Just because I always joked that he was getting old didn’t mean that I didn’t actually worry about him; and something that I had been noticing recently was that he was struggling to read things as well as he used to. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he needed reading glasses now. Not that he would ever wear them. Aaron Hotchner would rather die than ever admit that he wasn’t physically fit to be in the field or to work on reports when we were at home.

“She amended my report,” he said. We all grew curious. “She wrote that he carved infinity symbols into his victims’ wrists.” He stood up tall to address us, “She trapped him to make sure that we would know that he was an insider. Garcia, who else read this?”

“Two other people so far. The Director and— Uh oh.”

“Uh oh? Again?” I scratched my fingers through my hair, really annoyed with how she wasn’t just spitting it out. The other day, she pulled the same shit. Uh oh. I loved her to death, but sometimes she needed to just say it rather than dragging it out.

“You remember the Senator that investigated the BAU after Doyle?

Okay. That was an uh oh. Fuck.

“I’ll talk to him. You all need to stay here, stay together, don’t talk about this outside of this room. No one else can know about this.” Hotch hurried out of the room and B-lined straight for his office to grab one of his suits from his go-bag in his office. I followed him. “Hey, Jess, I need to change real quick,” he said as we walked in. “Can you give us a sec?”

“Of course.” She immediately stood and went to stand outside the office.

I closed the blinds while he quietly picked up his bag, carefully pulled at the zipper, cringing at how loud it was, and pulled his clothes out, all without waking up the kids. It was funny that he thought that they would jolt awake. The two of them were freaking corpses when it came to sleeping. Back when Scarlet was a baby, she was the worst about staying asleep, but now she could sleep all day and all night without a single issue. As for Jack, he struggled to fall asleep sometimes because of his nightmares, but once he was asleep, he was out until morning. They got it from their dad.

“You’ll stay here with them until I get back?” he asked me, peeling off his shirt. I nodded. “Henry’s just down the hall in JJ’s old office with Will. If Jack wakes up soon, he can probably go hang out in there while Jess keeps an eye on Scarlet in here.” He kicked off his pants, then picked up his button up and slid his arms into the sleeves. I helped put it together nicely while he focused on sliding his suit pants on. “I’ll ask Anderson to get everyone donuts from Leonard’s for breakfast. The kids’ll be happy about that.”

“Aaron,” I whispered, fitting his tie around his neck for him, “are you okay after last night?”

“I will be after all of this and once the two of us can sit down and talk about it.”

I flattened his collar around the tie, then stepped back so that he could put his suit jacket on. At least he wanted to talk about it. He wasn’t going to keep it bottled up this time and have me wondering if he was really alright or if he was just lying to me again. I was really fucking sick and tired of him lying to me. I mean, he had been really good about it since the Piano Man case over a year and a half ago.

He kissed me as he holstered his weapon and clipped his badge onto his jacket. “I love you. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I love you.” I cupped my hands on his cheeks before kissing him. “I’ll be here, waiting for you.” We pressed our foreheads together, both of us letting out a relaxed exhale. “Come back to me.”

“I’m just going—”

“Promise me.”

Hotch snaked his arms around my waist, pulling me as close to his chest as humanly possible, our foreheads still pressed together as he towered over me. His fingers sprawled on my back. “I promise.” He rubbed his hands smoothly up and down my back for a bit. “And I promise that we’re going to talk about Strauss, about the pictures, about having another weekend where we can do things the right way.” His hands turned to fists around the fabric of my shirt. “I promise that I’m not going to let this guy take away anything else from us.”

We kissed again, our lips barely meeting because if it was anything more than that, we would have passionately, desperately kissed one another until we were breathless and forgot about the world around us, which wasn’t ideal. We needed to stay focused. Hotch needed to find the Senator, talk to him about still keeping an eye on our unit, even after they cleared us after Doyle, and then we needed to find out who the hell The Replicator was. We could forget about life later.

“I love you, Y/N Hotchner, more than life itself.”

I melted in his arms a bit, grabbing onto his suit jacket to maintain my balance. “When you say shit like that, I don’t know what to do with myself.” We both chuckled quietly. Jack suddenly stared snoring on the couch, making us both laugh again. “He’s so like you, it’s stupid.” Hotch’s smile faded, but he tried to mask it by kissing my cheek, then hiding his face in the crook of my neck. “Go save the world, Agent Hotchner.” I begged, prying him off of me before we could stay glued like that for the rest of our lives. I combed my fingers through his hair to make sure he looked nice for the Senator. “We’ll be here.”

Hotch’s hands left my back, making me ache silently for his touch again, which he somehow recognized, because he immediately held my hand in his as he started walking around me and stepped towards the door. I didn’t move. Our arms continued to stretch towards each other, fingers intertwining in an attempt to stay with each other for a little longer, but once he was out of reach, there was nothing we could do. He opened the door, turned to look at the kids once more, then left. I sighed and slumped into a chair.

Jessica carefully peeked in, wondering if it was safe to return. When she saw me sitting there, flustered and silent, she stepped in and closed the door behind her. I half expected that she would return to Hotch’s seat. It was, after all, the most comfortable seat in the room, and I knew it, considering it was my desk for a little while. But Jessica sat down next to me and took my hand in hers without saying anything. Nothing needed to be said. We just stayed there, watching the kids as they slept, waiting for Hotch to come back with answers.

----

Around the time Hotch returned, Rossi was walking in, too. We all spotted him, but no one said anything to him or approached him. We all just decided to meet in the boardroom while waiting for Hotch to get his things organized and make an attempt to talk to Rossi, which he was immediately denied. He looked to the boardroom, begging one of us to try again, but we all stared at each other, asking ourselves who dared to do it.

“I’m gonna go check on Rossi.” Morgan said to the group. We all nodded understandingly.

When he left, Hotch traded places with him, coming into the roundtable room with a stack of papers. “This is everyone who has read my reports over the past two years.” He dropped the heavy stack on the table. “There’s thirty-six people.” My jaw fell. We were going to have to profile thirty-six different people on a time crunch, which was near to impossible, even with all six of us, plus Garcia, working on it. That was still about six people per team member. How the fuck were we supposed to profile all that?

“Woah! Rossi! What’re you doing, man?! Put the gun down!” Morgan shouted.

My brows furrowed for a second as I stepped closer to the windows of the room to look across the bullpen and into Rossi’s office. There was Morgan, standing in the doorway, and in front of him, Rossi was pointing a gun at him. I dropped my papers and ran. When I was close enough, I slowed down to be casual. I didn’t want to spook him.

“Dave,” I croaked, stepping into his office. My hands were sprawled out in front of me, ready to swing for the gun if he moved for the trigger. “What’s this about?”

“Morgan’s fingerprints were on the glass that killed Strauss,” he answered.

“What?” Morgan questioned, scoffing.

I took another careful step forward in front of Morgan. There was no way he was going to shoot me. “Dave, someone on the inside is The Replicator, they’re probably the one who told you that—”

“It was in her report that was on my desk!” he yelled. The gun was shaking in his hands as his nose started to bleed the same way Strauss’s had been. He had been drugged, too.

I looked over at the page on the ground that was supposedly the official report he had just been reading. “You’ve been drugged, Rossi.” I was still walking towards him, despite Morgan’s quiet protests behind me. “He wants us to turn on each other. If you pull that trigger right now, you shoot me, you lose Hotch, you lose Reid, you lose Morgan, and you lose JJ. Is that what you want? Do you want him to win after everything? After Strauss?” I was close enough to reach for the gun. “Don’t shoot me. Just let me… Let me help you…” I started slowly going for it. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get you help, and you’re going to be just fine.” I had a grip on the gun, and I managed to finally pry it away from him.

Morgan let out a heavy sigh of relief behind me. “I’ll call the paramedics.”

Hotch finally came rushing in, now that the coast was clear and the tension had been diffused. If he had come in any sooner, Rossi might have been spooked and shot me, even if he didn’t want to, but just because of how the drugs fucked with him. He immediately came over to check on Rossi. We helped him onto the couch in his office, and Hotch didn’t hesitate to ask if Rossi had taken anything, drank anything, bumped into anyone. All he told us was that he had picked up Strauss’s report, and that was when he started feeling like shit.

“That was stupid of you,” Hotch whispered to me while slapping Rossi’s cheeks to keep him awake. “The kids are in the next room, how could you—”

“The kids!” I pushed myself up to my feet using Hotch’s shoulder and ran straight to his office. If Rossi had been poisoned through the paper, that meant that the Unsub must have dropped it off, or else security would have caught it. The Unsub was in his office. He walked right past our family. He could have done something to them. “Scarlet—” I turned into the room to see her and Jack watching a movie together on a tablet. I stopped in my tracks for a second as they looked up at me with raised brows. “Did anyone come in here?” I asked Jessica. She shook her head, eyeing me suspiciously.

He didn’t go for them. He said something to Hotch on the phone last night about how he was going to race us home, and Hotch was worried about the kids, which was why we brought them to the office, thinking that they would be safe, but the Unsub had them right there, and he went right past them, and he didn’t—

“Mom?” Jack questioned me. “Are you okay?’

I nodded and faked a smile. “Of course, little man. I was just checking on you guys…” I cleared my throat. “Did you, um… Did you get a donut yet?”

“He had two,” Jessica answered.

“And what about you, Scarlet?”

“I had two, too!” She laughed at herself. “Tutu.”

I smiled casually at them before turning and hurrying right back out of the office, letting out a shaky breath. The office was supposed to be safe. What if Scarlet or Jack had run into the Unsub? What if they had touched the paper Rossi touched just because they wanted to see what the superheroes were up to? I let out another breath, this time trying to calm my nerves as I saw the medics run into Rossi’s and start caring for him.

“We found something,” Reid said quietly, sneaking up on me, even though he hadn’t meant to.

I looked at him suddenly. “What?” I really hadn’t heard him. I had been so lost in thought that I knew he said something important, but I really couldn’t register what it was. “I’m sorry.”

“We found something.”

“Something good?”

“We found the Unsub.”

“Is he still here?” I asked eagerly, already walking with him along the balcony towards the boardroom again. He shook his head. “What do we know?” I asked everyone else when we entered.

“Is Rossi okay?” Garcia asked before she felt like answering me. I nodded to her while taking a seat, now waiting for her to tell me something. She caught the hint. “So, instead of profiling all thirty-six people who had read Hotch’s reports, we instead chose to connect anyone to New York since we noted that might be important to him if he chose to kill Strauss there.” Okay, so… “There were two agents at Quantico. One died last March, but the other… John Curtis… He worked under Strauss during the Amerithrax case in 2001 since he specialized with biochemistry. It seems like he was really hoping to move through the ranks at Quantico, according to letters he wrote to the Director after he was unfortunately demoted to go work in Kansas City.”

“How’d he make his way here, then?”

“After fifteen letters to the Director’s office, he was finally promoted to work in his office.”

That explained how his clearance was high enough for him to get into the building and into the BAU specifically without being detected. If we were to take the cars downstairs, he probably would’ve been prepared that something would go awry with them to prevent us from chasing him down this time around, so it was agreed that we were going to take the helicopters up on the roof. They were faster, more convenient, and unexpected. Curtis probably had no idea that the BAU even had access to the helicopters. They were our best bet. So, we all geared up and started running upstairs, assigning seats in the two vehicles. Hotch, JJ, and I were going to be in the first one, meanwhile Morgan and Reid would be in the other.

As we were flying through the air, speeding towards Curtis’s farmhouse out in rural Virginia, Garcia was in contact with Hotch, Morgan, and SWAT, discussing the layout of the farm so that we could perform a tactical breech with minimal losses. JJ and I were sitting together in the back, though, just staring out our respective windows. I was counting the minutes until we would land. Even after all this time, I still fucking hated flying, but at least when we were on the jet, that was familiar, so I could feel safe there, but now we were in a helicopter, which was unchartered territory for me, and I was terrified. The height wasn’t the problem… It was the fact that we could crash at any minute, and that would be it. Our fate was practically out of our hands.

It was like karma could hear me, because the next thing I knew, alarms were going off in front of the pilot, and we were dropping in the air. I cursed under my breath and held on for dear life. Through the headsets we were wearing, I could hear the pilot saying something about how auto-pilot was failing, and that something was preventing him from turning it back on. I squeezed my eyes shut as we kept falling. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I hated flying, and this was exactly why.

“Brace for impact!”

And then we hit the ground.

I weakly opened my eyes, blinking harshly to try and wash away the fog while also trying to adjust to the darkness. We didn’t die.

“Are you guys alright?!” Morgan asked as he pried Hotch’s door open.

Hotch fell sideways out of his seat in the helicopter, crashing to his knees before Morgan could catch him. I groaned, holding my head, trying to make the spinning stop. My fucking back hurt like a bitch, too—not as bad as when I first injured it at the bank during The Face Cards’ bombing, but certainly getting there. I whimpered when it hurt to move.

“Y/N…” Hotch groaned, carefully crawling his way over with Morgan’s help. “Y/N…” He reached around and unbuckled me from my seat. I coughed; my lungs too weak to maintain a normal breathing pattern. “Baby…”

I weakly wrapped my arms around his neck and attempted to pull him close. “Are you okay?” I opened my eyes as the world stopped spinning. Hotch nodded. “Where’s JJ?”

“I don’t know.” We stumbled onto the grass together. “Are you alright?”

I rested my forehead against his shoulder. “My back…” I croaked.

“It’s hurting again?”

I nodded. “I’ll be fine, though.”

“You said that last time—”

“But I mean it now. Why didn’t he kill us?”

“What?”

I cleared my throat and stood up straight, trying to shake off the ache in my back. “Why didn’t he kill us? I felt it at the end, something controlled the helicopter enough to have us land somewhat carefully, but then he took JJ… Why?”

“To give himself a bargaining chip?”

“Maybe…”

“Hey—” Reid called, running over to us. Just as I looked at him, he crashed into my arms, pulling me in for a hug. I ignored how it hurt my back. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. He took JJ.”

“What?” He pulled away so that he could go check the helicopter for himself. Just as he was inspecting it, a few black SUVs pulled up to take us the rest of the way. Maybe we should have just started with that.

Hotch helped me to the car, Morgan and Reid following close behind. Usually, Hotch would have sat in the front, leaving me in the back, but this time around, he sat with me, squeezing my hand as tightly as he could. I think that we had been through too much over the past few days. It was finally taking its toll. What we thought was going to be a normal getaway turned into working two cases—one where Hotch had to deal with his brother, then he had to deal with a thousand personal things. Pornographic photos, Strauss, Foyet being mentioned, the kids, meeting with the Senator—There were a thousand more things I could have possibly listed, but nearly dying in a helicopter crash… yeah, that was the cherry on top. He had been in the front seat with the pilot. I was in the back with JJ. When we were going down, I wanted nothing more than to hold him again, to look into his eyes, but I couldn’t because I was just behind him. Then, The Replicator could have taken me, but he didn’t. Hotch had risked too many things by not sitting in the back with me, but he wasn’t going to risk that now, the same way I wasn’t going to let him risk it either.

When we arrived at the house, SWAT was there, waiting on us, and for the call that Hotch wanted to make. Without hesitating, he said that we should breach the farmhouse up ahead. So, SWAT led the way, the team following close behind. We started by surrounding the entire thing. When everyone was in place, Hotch gave his mark on the comms, and then we all stormed in with our weapons raised. My back hurt like a bitch as I navigated my way through every room with Morgan, but I put on a brave face and tried to focus on just not getting shot or something. That was probably worse than hurting my back.

When we found nothing on the main or upper floor, Morgan and I moved towards the basement door. He grabbed the handle and I nodded, gesturing for him to go. We hurried down the steps. The basement was a red room for photography so that he could print out whatever pictures he took of us. Morgan and I spotted all of the photos of me and Hotch in bed because they were hanging up on a line to dry. Morgan quickly looked away out of respect.

“Anything?” Hotch asked in a whisper, scaring the shit out of me and Morgan since we weren’t expecting him to be there. When we caught our breaths, we shook our heads. “There’s another room over there.” He pointed with his flashlight.

Hotch led the way, Reid and I shoulder to shoulder, Morgan following behind us. The door was open, so Hotch lunged into the room, hoping to get a jump on Curtis if he happened to be around the corner, but he wasn’t. When we were all inside, we saw JJ sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, chained to it, her mouth gagged with a cloth napkin, of all things. Reid quickly holstered his weapon and hurried to help her.

“Morgan, we should go find him,” Hotch said. “Y/N and Reid can handle this.”

I knelt down on the ground beside Reid to help him get JJ free as the boys ran back out of the room. I peeled the napkin out of JJ’s mouth. “You okay?”

“He said that there’s eight locks because there used to be eight of us before he killed Strauss,” she said urgently.

“That’s all he said?”

She nodded.

Reid picked up a carabiner of keys laying on the ground next to the pile of locks. He sifted through them, only counting six, but each of them had a letter taped on. I inspected the locks themselves, spotting that they had numbers on them. Somehow, the letter and the numbers correlated.

“What are the letters?” I asked.

“G,” he began. That was the seventh letter in the alphabet. “A.” That was the first. “N.” That was fourteenth. “Z— Zugzwang.”

I froze and looked at him. Zugzwang? As in what Diane said to him over the phone when she first took Maeve? How would Curtis know that—Why would he use that? I mean, Zugzwang itself meant the point in the game when the player(s) had to decide if they wanted to forfeit or play until the bitter end, so in the context of the keys and the locks, what did that mean for JJ?

“It’s too easy,” I muttered under my breath, but he was already going for it.

Hotch and Morgan were already running back in, which meant that they probably hadn’t found Curtis. Great. So, now we were playing a risky game that had an uncertain end, and our Unsub likely got away. Well, fuck.

“The whole place is lined with C-4,” Morgan warned us. They were watching as Reid kept unlocking JJ’s chains. “We have about three minutes.”

“We’ll be gone by then,” Reid insisted. Unless this really was too easy, I suspected it was.

Then, it dawned on me. Reid the other week, when Scarlet and I were at his house, was trying to teach her some of the “basics” of chess, which in his mind was everything from how to move the pieces to how to win in less than three moves. He forgot sometimes that she was only two. She was smart, but she wasn’t as smart as he was, though he sometimes wished that were the case. But there was something he said about Zugzwang. The best thing to do in that situation was to do nothing at all. To not forfeit, to not play, but to just… wait.

“Don’t move—” I tried warning JJ, but the second the chains were off her hands, she stood up.

Suddenly, we could all see the pressure plate that she had been sitting on the whole time. Everyone’s eyes widened as we froze, waiting to see if something would happen, like the bomb potentially going off randomly. Nothing happened for a second. We all relaxed, but it came too early, because the door suddenly closed behind us.

Our three minutes were running out.

With our exit blocked, we called Garcia quickly, hoping that she would be able to do something about the bomb’s detonation, or perhaps getting the door open, if she could. I didn’t have high hopes. I was just staring at Hotch as he desperately tried to get the door open. After Haley, we promised the kids—well, technically just Jack—that nothing bad would ever happen to both Mom and Dad while we were off saving the world. Ever. I genuinely thought that if something happened, it would have been one of us going home, having to explain to the kids why Mom or Dad wasn’t coming back, holding the kids as they cried. Hotch and I were prepared for that. But I never in a million years thought that our kids would have to grow up as orphans. Yet, while watching Hotch desperately pry and scrape at the door, I couldn’t help but think that Jack was going to have to live with knowing that three of his parents dies because of the BAU, and that Scarlet was going to have to grow up without Mom, Dad, Curls, and Uncle Morgan.

Emily was going to have to come back. Because she was Scarlet’s godmother, she would have to leave London to handle the will, the house, everything with Jessica. From there, the two of them would have to decide who was going to take the kids and where they were going to be raised. Would Emily take them to England? She had a steady job there with enough income for a thousand kids, but did she have a place for them in her life? Not really. Would she still fight like hell to raise them, anyhow? Of course. As for Jessica, she had a job, but not one with enough income to support two kids on her own. Her place was big enough for them, and it was already in our neighborhood, so she could make sure the kids still went to their schools where they had friends.

Not that my opinion mattered in any of this. The door was barely budging, and Garcia had managed to severe the tie between the phone Curtis had and the bombs he planted; but if we didn’t get the door all the way open soon, none of it was going to matter. My kids were going to grow up forgetting their parents’ faces.

“What the hell are you guys doing in there?!” Rossi exclaimed on the other side of the door. He must have pressed something outside, because it suddenly opened, giving us freedom. “Ever heard of traps before?”

“We have to go,” Hotch ordered, ignoring Rossi’s wit. He must’ve still been high from whatever the hospital gave him.

When we ran outside, ducking behind the SUVs for cover, I looked around for a headcount, realizing that we were one short. Hotch, Morgan, Reid, JJ, they were all there… “Rossi!” I shouted.

He was right behind us, I thought, while we were running out of the house. Where the fuck did he go? It wasn’t like he could get lost, considering all of the sirens and lights that were coming from the road we were on. We were like a beacon screaming: “HEY, WE’RE OVER HERE, IDIOT?!” So, where the fuck was he?

“We have to go back in.” I stepped around the car and took a step that was meant to lead into a sprint, but Hotch caught me, holding me back the same way Morgan had when JJ found out that Will was going into The Face Cards’ bank. “Aaron, stop!” I hit at his hands to make him let go, but he didn’t budge. I didn’t understand. Rossi was his best friend the same way Morgan was mine; why wasn’t he doing anything? “We have to get him!”

“Look, he’s right there,” Hotch said calmly, risking letting go of me with one arm so that he could point at the house. Rossi was crawling out of the storm cellar that connected to the basement we were in. He stumbled for a moment, trying to get to his feet, and then he started running like hell towards us. “He’s fine.”

As if the timing couldn’t’ve been any more perfect, the place blew just when Rossi was far enough that it wouldn’t hurt him. We all ducked while flinching. Glass shattered, wooden beams flew in different directions, and part of the house collapsed in on itself. I did my headcount again. Hotch had me in his arms, Morgan was at my side, Reid was checking on JJ, and Rossi was now casually walking over to us. We had everyone. We were okay. So, I relaxed in Hotch’s arms, letting my head fall back against his chest. What a shitty fucking fucking weekend.

#Criminal Minds #criminal minds fanfic #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #criminal minds smut #criminal minds imagine #aaron hotchner #Aaron Hotch Hotchner #aaron hotchner fanfic #aaron hotchner fanfiction #aaron hotchner imagine

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jimlingss · 4 years

Text

The Colour of Our Voices [Finale]

Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 [Finale]

➜ Words: 6.9k

➜ Genres: 98% Fluff, 2% Angst, Slice of Life, Broadway!AU

➜ Summary: He wasn’t supposed to hear. He wasn't supposed to know. But the instant Jimin came into your life and pulled the curtains back, you couldn't hide backstage anymore. You were no longer merely a phantom of the opera.

cr.

You and Jimin exchange grins and laughter. There’s no one on this planet happier to see the two of you together than Taehyung. “Thank god.” He’s relieved to see Jimin beside you to the point where he looks like he's about to cry. “Does this mean you’re on board with me here, Park? Or are you going to make me beg you.” “I’m on board, Director Kim.” Jimin grins and Taehyung laughs. “I’m liking the sound of that.” He claps his hands together. “Then let’s get started, shall we? We’ve wasted too much time already.”

It’s a dive straight into the deep end without warning. Taehyung gets you both involved in the whole production process, practically becoming his assistants. He always asks for your input, from costume design to stage props, wanting everything to be perfect and needing opinions. You’ve never been so involved in a show before, but you love every second of it. Taehyung also assembles together a dream team — the choreographer, casting director, and creative team. “What’s the story about?” But tonight it’s just you three seated on Taehyung’s living room floor, fried chicken set up in the middle and scripts in your lap, flipping the pages with greasy fingers. “What do you think it’s about?” He throws the question back around, and Jimin hums a low note. “It focuses a lot on the female Broadway actress. She seems to be really...cynical.” “And burnt out,” you add while flipping to a portion you highlighted after reading it through once. “She finds performing boring.” “Exactly.” Taehyung bites into a drumstick, chewing it in his cheek. “After years of doing the same thing, she’s lost all inspiration. Until…” “He comes along,” you say and he nods. The male lead is hopeful, overly optimistic and even overbearing at times. But the two of them fall in love slowly, going through trials, inspiring one another, and adding more vibrant colours to their voices. You consider the story and characters carefully, brooding over days to come. You’re still deliberating how you want to interpret and embody this character — you’ve never played a character like this before and she seems quite different from who you actually are. “Hey, Jimin,” you interrupt him in the dressing room one day. His eyes lift off his paper at the sound of your voice and he smiles. “Do you think I have it in me to be mean?” Jimin laughs boyishly. “Is that why you’ve been so stressed?” “I’m not stressed.” You sigh, putting down your script. “I’ve just been thinking a lot about how I want to do this, and I don’t know if I have it in me.” “Don’t worry, you have it in you.” You scoff. “Okay, what’s that supposed to mean?” “What?” Jimin giggles, ducking his head. “You sound so certain like you didn’t need to think about it.” You pout at him, quirking your head to one side. “I’m not mean.” The brunette merely shrugs, continuing to tease, “You can be inside. Everyone thinks you’re all timid and shy, but I know you. You’re like dynamite. You just...blow up sometimes, if you get upset enough. Hey, don’t give me that look — it’s not a bad thing. It’s kind of endearing. And everyone has a limit, so it’s natural.” “Don’t call my anger endearing,” you snap at him, sounding more like Yeonjeon than intended. The actress was rubbing off on you in the worst ways — and you’re sure she’d be proud of it if she knew. But it makes Jimin laugh and he pounds his chest with a fist. “Try.” “Try what?” “Being mean. Try being the experience Broadway madame.” “Okay. Don’t make fun of me,” you warn him with narrowed eyes, and he promises he won’t. You clear your throat, deciding to walk away from him. He frowns momentarily, confused but eyes glimmering in amusement as he watches you. And you enter the dressing room again, pushing the curtains aside haphazardly. You’re no longer Y/N — you’ve become a cynical, veteran Broadway star. “What do you think you’re doing?!” you bark at him, and immediately, Jimin cracks a smile. You forcefully furrow your brows, hissing, “Are you laughing, Park?” You approach in three wide strides with your arms crossed, pretending you have those three inch heels on that are infamous for your character. “No,” Jimin mutters in an attempt to be timid, but you see the twitch of his facial muscles. You grab the collar of his shirt in a fistful, crinkling the fabric underneath your force. And you pull him forward roughly. “How dare you. Do you know who I am?” You connect his eyes with yours, feigned anger wafting off of you. You don’t realize that your mouths are mere inches apart, that he can feel your warm breath skim against his skin, that his heart stutters in his chest. “Wake up, Park.” Your other hand lifts, lightly hitting on his cheek as if you’re helping him become alert again. “Not everything is beautiful and great in life.” Then suddenly, his arm raises. Jimin’s palm cups the back of your hand that’s pressed against his cheek. He searches your expression affectionately as silence comes across the room. Your eyes soften — while his flickers down to your mouth. He stares at your lips if he were hungry to taste them. You swallow hard. In one second, it’s become too intimate, the air heavy. “J-Jimin…” You’ve broken character with your whimper, and with the call of his name, Jimin snaps back to focus. He lets go, stepping back to put that comfortable distance between the two of you again. Just like that, the warmth of his body is gone. “S-Sorry. Yeah, that was good. Not too bad.” “Thanks.” It’s not clear what you and Jimin are. He’s more than a neighbour and colleague. Less than a boyfriend. Perhaps he could be compared as a friend that you have unspoken affections for. The pair of you agreed to keep things friendly for the time being, to ease your way into things, and not to rush and make another mistake. But at the moment, it’s hard to decipher what’s right and what’s wrong. It’s difficult to know where the exact line is, where the boundary shouldn’t be crossed. Although, you both mutually understand that there are still lots of feelings attached to both your gestures. Your relationship with Jimin isn’t exactly platonic and you don’t think it could ever revert that way. You’re mulling over it so deeply, you don’t notice the crosswalk turned red…. Until you’re pulled back. “Hey!” You spin around, eyes wide. It’s as if you summoned him to appear in front of you, that thinking about him so much made him materialize. “Jimin?” “Watch we’re you’re going,” he scolds with that knot formed between his brows. “S-sorry.” The cars rush past the street. You’re at a loss for words. “What are you doing here?” “Did you forget we live in the same building?” His chin motions to the brownstone at the end of the other block. You don’t realize his hand is still encircling your wrist. For Jimin, it’s too natural to hold onto you and for you, it’s too natural to be held by him. “We must’ve gotten on the same subway train but on different carts.” “Oh.” The evening sun is peeking its last rays from above the high rise buildings, and it casts yellow glow onto his skin. You’re mesmerized at how he looks in the golden hour. “What were you thinking about?” “Nothing.” “Well, you should be more careful. Taehyung wouldn’t be happy if you got run over. Neither would I.” The both of you end up walking together up across the street, down the block, up the stairway, and down the same hallway. Your footsteps sync together. “What are your plans for tonight?” he asks with no real implication behind his voice, simply making conversation. “Nothing much. You?” “Probably just dinner and then maybe a movie or something.” Jimin halts in front of his door, and you stop in front of yours. The boy hesitates as he glances at you. “Do you...want to come in and join me? Promise my pasta recipe’s improved.” You wonder what it’ll mean to follow after him, to accept his invitation, if that’s crossing the boundary of what’s appropriate. But you don’t think about it twice to consider what you really want. “I hope it’s delicious.” Jimin grins as you follow after him.

“Hey, Taehyung.” He stops the busy man mid-step who’s startled from suddenly being called. “You know when you were asking me about the marketing stuff for the production and the posters?” “Yeah?” “I think….you should make the posters purple and orange. Kind of like a split diagonal thing of both colours.” Jimin’s not sure what he’s saying, mumbling away as he scratches the back of his neck. “Like it would morph together. It would look cool, and it’s kind of meaningful to Y/N and I.” “Okay.” Taehyung softens and takes the suggestion to heart. “I’ll make a note of it.”

It’s two months into the production when casting calls happen. It’s surreal to sit at a table and discuss who you’d like in the show, what kind of person you’re looking for. You used to be on the other side, hoping and praying you’d get a call back — but now you’re the one deciding who to contact. You could potentially change any of these people’s lives. “What about her?” Shihyuk, one of the producers, passes a girl’s headshot and application around as the rest of you are narrowing down the people who applied. “She’s pretty.” “She is,” Taehyung agrees, “But she struggled to sing the mezzo part. What do we think?” “No.” Jimin shakes his head. Taehyung looks at you for your opinion and you agree with Jimin. “If she can’t sing then it’s a no for me too.” Shihyuk offers the next application in the thick pile. “What about this person? I saw the video she sent in. She seemed really nervous. Hit some notes well, but her voice cracked at other parts. I really can’t tell if she can actually perform or not.” “Well, it doesn’t look like she’s had much experience,” Taehyung notes at a glance. “What do you think, Y/N?” After all, the character you’re casting for is the female lead’s best friend. Taehyung’s relying heavily on your input for this one considering she’d be performing with you the most. You hum. “I think we should give her a call and see for ourselves.” In the middle of discussions of how the vision of the show could be executed, listening to demos, adjusting parts of the script, costume design, meeting with the creative team and producers, there’s two full days set aside purely for auditions. “Think of me, think of me fondly when we’ve said goodbye.” The girl gestures wildly and inhales a deep breath before she sings, “Remember me, once in a while, please promise me you’ll try. Then you’ll find—” Once finished, she does a dramatic bow. “Thank you.” Taehyung gets her to read a few lines, and after she leaves, there’s a brief discussion. “I think she’s great.” Shihyuk makes his opinion known at once. “She was alright.” Jimin shrugs. “A bit overwhelming.” Taehyung jots the notes down and looks up at you. You nod slowly. “I think she was okay.” The next person is called in and you recognize the girl that enters from her headshot — except, her shoulders are seemingly slugging compared to her picture and she’s dragging her feet. “H-Hi. My name is Boyoung. P-Park Boyoung.” She stumbles over with copies of her application in hand. She begins to distribute them out, but Taehyung lifts his hand to stop her. “It’s alright. We already have copies.” “O-oh, okay.” Boyoung takes them back, muttering apologies like she just killed someone on accident. Once she collects them again, she clumsily trips on her feet and the white papers spill across the carpet, coating it in white. Shihyuk audibly sighs. “I’m so, so sorry.” “It’s okay.” You smile at her, and the girl swallows hard with a firm nod. She composes herself, gets her papers again, and stands in the center of the room. “What will you be performing today?” Jimin asks. “‘There’s Music In You’ from Cinderella.” Her eyes light up as she says it. As if recalling something, Boyoung staggers towards the piano accompanist in the corner. She shuffles her belongings and gives him the appropriate sheet music. “Alright, you can start whenever you want.” Boyoung bobs her head furiously and grips the hem of her sweater. “Beyond the voice—” Her voice cracks. She visibly winces. Shihyuk raises his hand to stop the pianist. “You’re off key.” “I’m so sorry! Please give me another chance—” “Hey,” you interrupt, smiling softly. “It’s okay. Take your time, okay? I promise none of us are going to kill you.” Taehyung looks over at you with a grin. “You can’t promise that. I might just lunge over the table and kill someone one day.” You give Taehyung an unamused expression while Jimin laughs. “If he kills you, we’ll make sure we kill him.” The girl is eased from banter and relaxes with a small smile. She starts again. “Beyond the voice that keeps insisting “no”. There is something more than doubting. Breaking through the darkness. Something that sets your heart a glow. Someone wants you. You know who. Now you’re living—there’s music in you…” Eventually, she finishes her song and releases a shaky breath. Some notes were sung uncertainly, but she has a good voice and tone overall. “Thank you,” she says and practically runs out of the room right away. There’s silence and you lean back. “Well, I like her.” Shihyuk looks at you live you’ve gone insane, but Taehyung grins. “Good.” // You get off the elevator to the main lobby, glancing at your phone before pocketing it. You’re about to push open the front door, but you hear a quiet voice from the girl lingering right by. “Miss. Y/N?” You recognize the short, dark-haired female. “Boyoung, right?” “Yes. That’s me.” She gives a reserved smile. “You don’t need to call me miss. Just Y/N is fine,” you tell with a smile and she nods timidly. “Is there something you wanted...?” “I-I just...wanted to thank you for giving me a chance. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve messed up my audition completely.” “Oh, it’s not a problem.” You casually bat your hand in the air. “ Trust me, it’s a lot more scary to be up there singing when a bunch of strangers are watching you. I just wanted to let you know that we weren’t mean or going to judge you negatively right off the bat.” Boyoung bobs her head and your stare softens. “Keep practicing, alright? You’re really good, so don’t give up.” The girl bows her head, eyes teary. “Thank you. It means a lot coming from you.” You smile, feeling a sense of nostalgia. You remember when you were just like her — when you couldn’t sing a single note in front of anyone who wasn’t Jimin. You remember the way your hands used to shake in the spotlight, how your palms became clammy, sweat built at your forehead. You can recall the way your heart would pick up its speed, that fear that overwhelmed you and kept your voice from coming out. It feels so long ago but you remember it well.

Lately, you seem to be reminiscent of the past. You always thought someday you'd look back in disdain. But instead, it's a bitter-sweetness that you feel most often when your mind takes a trip down memory lane. Sure, that time period was when you struggled to make ends-meet, to make yourself known, and you allowed yourself to be stepped on as a result. But those days were arguably free and ignorant. They were days when you would commute with Jimin to work and the two of you would be involved in each other's antics, making mischief in between sweeps and coffee runs. It was back when you were just best friends keeping each other company. There were plenty of good days in between the bad. “Director Kang?” You squint, and the person ahead of the line turns around. The stout man's gotten older since you've last seen him, hair no longer black but marked with streaks of gray. His eyes are wide and he still has a loud, booming voice. “Y/N.” Once upon a time, you hated the man so much you often dreamed about smashing his head with a brick — you’re so glad that you didn't. You’re no longer filled with hatred. All your resentments have faded away with time. He looks at you from the corner of his eye and you smile at him, sipping on your coffee as he waits for his at the station. The director clears his throat and grunts. “I heard you're in an original production.” “Yes, Jimin and I are working together with Director Kim.” He makes a noise at the back of his throat. “And how is it going? Do you know what you're doing?” “Kind of. It's a bit hectic, but fun. A lot of work.” “As expected,” he mutters passive aggressively. “Shows require a lot of work.” You nod. “I heard the Phantom production is retiring.” The older man sighs and finally gets his coffee from the barista. But he doesn’t try to escape your presence at the chance. He lingers with you in the shop, sipping on his hot drink with his eyes faraway. “It was bound to be over anyways.” Looks like he knew it too. You guess he wasn’t completely aloof to his own production or ignorant from hubris. “Do you know what the others are doing?” “Taeyeon's taking up modeling. She signed with some fancy company here in New York. And Seokjin — he got accepted into Hollywood.” “Wow.” There're not better places they could be, especially for Seokjin. With a godly face like his — he shouldn't fade into obscurity. “What about you? Do you have any plans, sir?” “I'm going on an unpaid sabbatical.” Director Kang smiles after sipping his drink again. “I have enough money to go see the world. Never got a chance to before, y'know? Now's the time.” There’s a bit of small talk made on his travel plans before you get a text on your phone from Jimin asking where you are. You hitch a thumb over your shoulder. “I should probably head out now.” “Oh, okay.” The older man waves you away, dismissing you — a force of habit after many years. “It was nice seeing you, Director Kang.” He grunts, and you walk away. But then he calls out— “Intern!” You turn around. The director gives a nod of acknowledgment. “Good work.” You grin at him, laughter bubbling out of your parted lips. The older man smiles. // “Give me a chance. Let me show you the world.” Jimin sings, vigorous and determined. You scoff, spinning around with your arms crossed to glare. “I've already seen the world.” “Not the way I have.” The music begins on the stereo, violin strings pulling together in a slow romantic crescendo. You both continue the duet, gazing at one another. But halfway through, it becomes too much so you divert your eyes, focusing on the lyrics. Eventually the song dies out and there’s a round of applause around the room that surprises you. On the other hand, while Taehyung gives a thumbs up, you know from the look of his face he's not completely satisfied. Like the perfectionist he’s become, Taehyung pulls you two into his office when there's a moment to spare. “Was there something wrong?” your brunette partner beside you asks. “I only started working on it last night,” you add, not wanting Jimin to be blamed for you slacking. But the boy becomes alarmed and steps forward. “It's not Y/N's fault. I didn't start practicing this until the beginning of this week — I was working on my solo…” Taehyung’s jaw drops. “You guys only started this recently?!” “Well…” “Uh.” You exchange looks. Taehyung shakes his head. “Look, frankly, the duet wasn't an issue. It was good, really good, your voices were super beautiful blended together. Especially if this is one of the first few rehearsals for it. The problem is there's not enough....” Taehyung makes wild gestures, struggling to find the words. “...chemistry. At least not like in the original production of When Summer Meets Winter. There's just this 'pow' that's missing. Do you guys get what I'm saying? Am I making any sense or am I going crazy here?” You look at one another before nodding at Taehyung. “No, we get it.” The pair of you are not as close as you were back then — that much is clear. “Okay, good. Then I want you both to figure it out and work on it. Somehow. Someway. If that requires bonding activity or more practice or more talking. I have so many things to do, can I trust you two will work on it and keep me updated?” “Yeah, sure.” Jimin smiles and when he glances at you for reassurance, your own lips lift. “We can do it.” But you’re not exactly sure what that entails or what he has in mind. You don’t know how to close the distance that’s been set between you and Jimin, how to cross that boundary. But you both did it once before — you can do it again. “So…” You swallow hard. “How do you want to approach this homework assignment?” Jimin grins, teasing, “You’re calling our bonding time homework?” The sly bastard relishes in your flustered expression. “Well if it isn’t homework then what is it?” He doesn’t answer your question and just gives you a knowing look. “How about dinner tonight?” “O-okay.” He’s bold, surprisingly so. Though you don’t mind in the least bit and Jimin’s grin widens. “Sounds like a plan.” // The warm restaurant is dim with candlelights, intimate conversations and laughter — especially at your own table where the food’s long gotten cold. You both forget to eat and only remember where you are when the waitress stops by to fill up your glass of water. “—back to town.” “Oh, I haven’t seen Namjoon in so long. Ever since he…” “Took your headshots.” “God, that must’ve been over a year ago. I thought he was only supposed to go for a few months.” You shrug, not sure yourself. “Namjoon tends to get side-tracked. He probably went to neighbouring countries to take pictures.” “That’s so cool.” Jimin’s eyes glimmer in genuine admiration. “Did he say how traveling was?” “No.” You shake your head. “I’m planning to go see him soon. He always gets me snacks when he goes abroad, plus I need to update my own headshots.” Your eyes sparkle as you smile and Jimin laughs. “Does he mind taking headshots?” “Nah. We’re long time friends, plus I’m sure he’s really curious about a bunch of things that have happened recently, he’s been emailing me for months now asking about yo— never mind.” “What?” Jimin gives a shit eating grin, egging you on, “He’s been asking about me?” You glare before it melts into a sad pout. “Namjoon’s just a fan of you.” “Who isn’t?” he chimes mischievously. You lightly scoff. “Guess you’re not wrong there.” “So you agree with me?” Jimin’s irises glisten in the yellow flame, outright shameless as he fishes for more compliments. He wants you to say it out loud properly. You loll your head. “Yes, Park Jimin. You’re amazing. Happy?” “Very. Do you have any other praise you’ve been dying to give me?” “A ton.” You give him a look that rouses more laughter and your voice continues to be loaded with sarcasm, “You’re the best. There’s so much I’ve been meaning to tell you — I missed you and this so much.” It goes quiet. Jimin’s smile softens into something more sincere. “I missed you too.” He gazes at you. It quickly becomes too much, too intense, and you look elsewhere. Even if you don’t say it, he knows you missed him equally as much. After dinner, you walk together and spontaneously decide to go to an improv show like the old days. This time, you have no reservations about sitting in the front rows and you’re no longer fearful of being called upon. You enjoy the performance wholeheartedly, especially when the improv actor Hoseok pulls Jimin up for a brief segment and you watch him make a fool of himself. You’re still giggling even when it’s all over. “You should’ve seen the look on your face!” Jimin points at you. “Hey, I tried my best!” You wipe the tears that have formed at the corner of your eyes. “God, I should’ve taken a picture.” The two of you are stumbling on the streets together, underneath the darkened night sky, and the dim post lamps that cast a warm glow on his skin. The night is calm. You listen to the sound of cars rushing past in the far-off roads. It’s not so noisy as it is soft background noise. “You can take a picture now.” “Yeah, but it’s not the same.” “Cause I’m missing my horrified expression?” “Yes,” you giggle. Your footsteps sync together, and Jimin steals a glance at you before looking ahead again. And when the back of your hand accidentally brushes against his, you don’t flinch or move away. “Can I...hold your hand?” he asks quietly. Timidly. You faintly smile to yourself. “Yeah.” Almost instantaneously, your palms clasp one another’s. You knit your fingers between his and Jimin gives a tender squeeze. His body is warm and it helps to heat your cheeks. “Sorry.” You steal a glimpse of him before diverting your vision away. “My hands are cold.” “No, it’s okay.” There’s a moment of silence as you walk hand in hand as if it always should’ve been that way. Jimin’s steps gradually slows and you stop with him. On the corner of some unfamiliar boulevard, underneath a lamp post, he stares. Hesitance comes off of him in waves. He swallows hard. “Y/N, can I kiss you?” There’s a beat of quiet. You answer him with a nod. One more enthusiastic than necessary. Jimin grins, leaning in slowly. He lets go of your hand to find purchase on your waist, and the other cradles your cheek. His half-lidded eyes flicker down to your lips, the tip of his tongue peeking to lick at the seam of his own mouth. Your breath hitches, foreheads graze, noses bumping slightly. But you tilt your head and draw in towards him to gingerly kiss his lips. Your lashes flutter against his before you close your eyes to indulge in him. It’s slow and soft, full of hesitance like it’s the first time he’s touching you. Your brain melts and all you can think about is how nice his velvet lips feel against yours. You exhale a breath, and Jimin’s about to pull away, but you deepen it. You tug him in closer by his coat, desperately, anxiously. Trying to feel more of him. Trying to keep him here. Jimin moans against your mouth and angles his head, tongue intruding to taste your lips. The force he presses against your mouth makes you stumble back, whimper, but he holds you as your back hits against the brick wall. Jimin’s arms lift to cage you in and you’re surrounded in his scent. Surrounded in everything that is undeniably Jimin. Soft smacking fills the chilly air, but you don’t feel cold with his hot breath on you. Quickly, the soft kiss turns hungry and earnest, as if he’s trying to prove something. His kiss means more — words turned into actions, like he’s trying to show you reasons why you should stay with him, as if it’s a plea to keep you by his side. You missed this. And when the pair of you part away, the thin string of saliva breaks apart from between you both. You swallow hard, mouths swollen, chests heaving and catching your breaths. Jimin stares at you like you’re the only one that matters. “I’m still in love with you,” he tells. “Very much so and I know I will be for the rest of my life.” Tears prick at your eyes. “I love you too.” “The best thing that I’ve ever done in this life was becoming your neighbour and knocking on your door that day.” Jimin’s body presses against yours and he smiles. “I’d do it again.” You laugh, giggling, searching his eyes as your own soften. “I’m glad I opened that door for you, Park Jimin.”

After nearly four months of being extensively involved in the production process, two months filled with casting and rehearsals, the day has arrived after one hectic dress rehearsal. And Taehyung could not look any happier. While things might not be absolutely flawless, what matters is he’s happy with the effort put forth no matter the outcome. “So this was all you?” Yeonjeon’s shown up in one of the front row seats she paid for herself. She threw out the ticket you got her when she decided it was too far back for her liking. And she’s excessively done up, dressed in a glamorous form-fitting dress. The actress is a sight for sore eyes. “Well, I had lots of help, but it was all my idea.” “Not bad, Kim.” Yeonjeon hums. “You’ve made it far from being a little assistant.” “Should’ve been nice to me when you had the chance,” Taehyung teases, bumping into her shoulder playfully and making her scowl. “I’m not late, am I?” A taller, awkward man comes bumbling over. He pushes his glasses up the slope of his nose. Immediately, Yeonjeon checks him out from top to bottom and her eyes become rounded. “Who is this?” The Broadway actress bats her lashes, voice pitching up. Taehyung grins. “This is Namjoon. He’s Y/N and Jimin’s friend.” “Nice to meet you.” Yeonjeon extends her hand, but Namjoon hesitates to take it. “N-Nice to meet you too. Sorry, I’m really sweaty, I ran—” “Nonsense.” She shakes his hand, grip firm, and she tilts her head while her eyes glimmer in the lights. “You look great and trust me, I was running late too, so no worries.” Taehyung holds back a laugh — he knows for a fact that Yeonjeon was an hour earlier than she needed to be. But whatever she’s trying to do, it’s working. Namjoon is seemingly flustered, eyes wide. His breath stutters and he manages a wordless nod. Taehyung swears he sees a spark. Another friend of Jimin soon shows up — Jeon Jungkook — that Taehyung recognizes from brief encounters in the past. Yeonjeon, on the other hand, is thoroughly less excited to meet him. Especially when he doesn’t recognize who she is. “We worked together.” Yeonjeon’s smile becomes stiffer. “We did?” “In a commercial” “Huh.” Jungkook’s doe eyes blink. “I don’t recall.” Taehyung would expect a cat fight, mostly one-sided, but Yeonjeon paints on a pretty smile with Namjoon here and is civil for the time being. “Guess I just don’t make strong enough impressions.” Yeonjeon continues making Namjoon nervous with her excessive flirting. The man is whipped for her already and playing right into the palm of her hand much to her liking, but he’s a sweetheart that Yeonjeon appears to find endearing. Jungkook, on the other hand, is seemingly not impressed with being the third wheel and relies on Taehyung to make it less awkward. The actor talks to him about how excited he is to see his friend and how he hasn’t been to many Broadway shows — though eventually Taehyung has to excuse himself from the conversation to go backstage one last time. “Alright folks, are we ready?” “Ready!” And eventually when the curtains draw and the music begins, your eyes meet Jimin’s. You gaze at one another, hands interlaced, giving a comforting squeeze, and you step out together. The spotlight shines on both of you.

[Epilogue] The moving truck wakes you. It’s deafening. You can hear the slow ‘beep, beep, beep’ of the vehicle backing up. It snaps you out of your trance, bringing back your attention and you look away from the apartment complex. It was never terribly luxurious — nothing that you had envisioned when you were moving to iconic New York. But it’s cozy, a good five floors, classic brick on the side of a quiet street. And for so many years of your life, it was home. There are messy boxes littering the hall, the door wide open, and the living space suddenly empty. You feel sad somehow, but you continue to pack the last of your belongings and the small knick-knacks you almost forgot. All while trying your best not to cry. “Alright, do you want me to take this too, boss?” the moving truck guy asks, pointing to one of the last cardboard boxes on the floor. “Yes, please.” He’s about to take it, but hesitates. “Umm, excuse me, boss. You’re L/N Y/N, right?” You slowly nod, wondering why he’s asking, and then he smiles. “I thought I recognized you! Can I please get your autograph?” The corners of your mouth quirk. “Sure.” The man grabs his clipboard off the kitchen counter and flips the paper to the blank side. “My sister’s a huge fan.” “Tell her I said thank you.” You sign the paper with your name, all loops and lines, leaving a small message as well. “No, thank you. Honestly, it’s an honour.” The man beams at you, starstruck. The reaction is still hard to get used to, but he quickly takes your autograph and grabs the box. “I-I’ll just take this downstairs, Miss Y/N.” He shuffles out, but steals a glance over his shoulder. You should probably offer to take a picture with him, but you’ll do that later. For now, you want to linger a bit more in the place you spent so much time in. You step out onto the cold balcony to lean on the railing. And you savour the view. You can still remember how you felt when you arrived in New York — to say you were excited to be here was a severe understatement. It was your dream. You couldn’t believe you were standing here in the city. It was absolutely surreal. It still is your dream, but you’ve largely achieved what you wanted and you love every moment of it. Your thoughts interrupted by a sweet, purple tone. “Thought I’d find you out here.” The timing is perfect. You turn to find Jimin and you smile. He embraces you, arms looped around your midsection, holding you from behind. You lean into him as the two of you stare out at the city. “Why do I feel so sad?” “It’s the nostalgia,” he hums, feeling it too. He has been for the last whole week. “I’m gonna miss this place.” It’s the place where you met him. “H-hello?” “H-Hi. I...I just….” He tapped his ear, trying to explain himself. “I thought I heard…heard....never mind.” Jimin hitched his thumb over his shoulder and awkwardly tilted his body. “I just moved in.” “Y-Yeah. I saw this morning.” “So…it’s-uh-nice to meet you, I guess. I mean I don’t guess because it is great to meet you. I swear I’m not usually like this. What I mean is usually I’m not so direct. And, um, bad at speaking. We’ll be neighbors from now on. So I wanted to say hello, since usually, that’s the polite thing to do. Or at least what my mom tells me. She’s great. My mom. But right, I didn’t even tell you my name. My bad. I’m Park Jimin.” It’s the place where you spent countless nights together and apart. “Instant noodles aren't that great for your throat,” you said as you blew on the noodles out on the balcony. “Or for your health for that matter. You need to keep your voice healthy which means you need to drink water, warm up, and know your limits.” He nodded, cheekful of ramen as he scribbled down the notes that were placed on his lap. “You can ruin your voice if you strain it long term. It happens to a lot of singers if you compare to how they sang when they were young and when they got older. Smoking of course is out of the question. An orchestra player has to take care of their instruments. Broadway performers have to take care of their voices.” “Yes, ma’am.” It’s the place where you fell in love with each other. “Don’t worry too much. I think you’ll manage, even if it’s hard. You’re a triple threat, Jimin. Singing, dancing, acting, that’s all the basic requirements.” He smiled, peeking at you through his lashes. “You think I’m good enough at singing?” “Getting there.” “What about you? You said you don’t dance well.” “Well, I don’t really sing or act either.” He clicked his tongue in annoyance. “I don’t know if you’re being humble or you’re such an idiot that you’re unaware of your own talents—” “Did you just call me an idi—” “—because your voice is probably one of the best I’ve heard in real life. Like, you’re just naturally good at singing. I’d pay any amount to watch you perform.” It’s meaningful. The four walls of your apartment and his — they’ve heard you talk, fight, yell, sing, your whispers of your affections. A part of you thought you’d be here forever. But you’re also glad that you’re not — it’s never too good to remain stagnant. To remain in one single place without ever walking forward. “But you know,” Jimin continues, “Our new place is gonna be bigger and have a better view of the city. We can finally host properly and invite Taehyung, Yeonjeon, Namjoon and Jungkook to come over.” You hum, already knowing all the possibilities and the memories that will be made in the new place. Memories that you look forward to creating with Jimin by your side. “We’ll be right over there.” He points to the distance where it’s closer to the heart of it all. You can see the vague outline of the high rise that’ll give you a new angle on the metropolis, a new view that’s perhaps even more beautiful. You look up at him. “Are you excited about being my roommate instead of my neighbour?” Jimin giggles. “So that’s what we are now? Roommates?” “Roommates that happen to share the same bed,” you sing-song. He bursts out laughing and the boyish sound is melodic to your ears. “Just to let you know, my parents didn’t want to just give us a vase and a lamp. They wanted me to put in baby furniture, but I told them it was way too soon.” “Really?” Jimin giggles with you. “I think they already bought a crib and they’re going to return it.” “Hmm, I wonder how we’ll break the news to them that we’re only roommates.” He tickles your side, having enough of your jokes and your teasing. It makes you sing numerous apologies between giggles that you’re only joking before he finally lets up. “It’s about time to leave this old place behind,” Jimin coaxes in case you’re still sad, “We’re practically living together already and we gotta upgrade to bigger and better things. What else am I going to do with the money in the bank that’s collecting dust?” You turn around in his arms, pouting at him sympathetically. “Aww, poor you, your wallet’s too fat, Minnie? I know a way to solve that.” Jimin swats your hand away when it tries to reach into his pocket, his gaze darkening. “Nuh-uh. I don’t think so, miss.” “Psh, fine. I don’t need your fat bank account. Like I don’t have my own,” you tease. “You know, I’m pretty sure the moving guy has a crush on me. He recognized me and got my autograph. Did he get yours?” You quirk your head to the side, taunting him, and laughter bubbles out of Jimin’s lips. “Excuse me? A crush? If he doesn’t know who I am then he’s about to.” You step off the balcony together, back inside your now empty home that’s next door to his equally empty apartment room. “What are you going to do? Punch him?” “More like I’ll kiss you in front of him.” “How threatening.” “Or what if I recite a Shakespeare sonnet to you in front of him?” “Sounds more like it.” “How about I just declare how much I love you?” “Not creative enough — you already do that on a daily basis, Jimin.” The door shuts and the quietness of your apartment settles. Beams of sunlight come through the glass windows, catching the dust floating in the air, and painting the room in warm hues. You walk together with Jimin and the colour of your voices fade away from the wall’s ears.

#bts fanfic #bts scenario #jimin fanfiction #jimin broadway au #jimin broadway!au #jimin x reader #jimin fluff #jimin scenario #jimin fanfic #ALL Y'ALL IT'S FINALLY OVER #oh my god this has been one wild ride #a bittersweet one with an emphasis on sweet imo #I hope you all enjoyed #for those who read every single word I'm absolutely honoured and thankful #thank you for spending your time and reading this series #it means a lot #all the feedback and love means more than you'll know :')

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cosmic-affinities · 4 years

Text

All Just A Game

Read it on AO3 here

Summary:

Party games can be a risky and dangerous venture, especially with Class A behind them. Everyone knows their secrets aren’t safe and yet they play anyway, it’s the allure that comes with Mina’s excitement that keeps everyone coming back for yet another round every time. All anyone can do is just hope for the best.

Big thanks to @we-stanjirou (@sapphicflower on AO3) she helped me with this a whole bunch and helped me choose this WIP to finish last night! She also writes on AO3 so you should totally check out her works!

“Can you believe we are getting a full week off! I mean I know it's so they can remodel the main building, but still it's exciting!” Uraraka had taken the news in stride, teeming with sheer enthusiasm at the idea.

“Yeah, I guess. I’m surprised they’re having us stay in the dorms, although I suppose it makes sense since we are still technically in the middle of term.” Izuku wasn’t quite as excited, missing out on a week of class sounded like it would put them dangerously behind.

“Oh, come on Deku! Lighten up, I heard Mina planning a party for us the first night of our break! Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Uraraka you could make a villain attack sound fun. But, I will say that having a small party might bring us closer together as a class which I would like.”

“Right! Yeah a… small party, that definitely sounds like Mina.” Izuku rolled his eyes at her sarcasm, but still went along with it. He could admit a party would alleviate some stress.

“Just as long as her ‘small party’ doesn’t get busted by Mr. Aizawa I think we’ll be ok.” The pair laughed even though the statement was true.

“Plus we still have another week of classes until they start renovating so maybe you girls can convince him it's a good idea, he seems to take better to you girls rather than the rest of us…” Uraraka crossed her arms and raised a brow.

“Oh and I wonder why Mr. ‘I have 206 bones and I’m determined to break every single one of them’ or better yet why don’t we ask your little friend explody boy over there, I’m sure together you can figure out why Aizawa likes us more.”

Neither could contain their giggles at her comment, once Izuku finally caught his breath he was able to respond.

“Hey! Haha that’s not fair! It’s not on purpose! Although explody boy is kind of fitting.” More laughter followed, eventually they were holding onto each other for support, trying not to wheeze.

Once the pair had calmed down enough Uraraka was able to give a serious response to Izuku’s suggestion.

“I think if we can get Momo to agree with us we’ll be good to go, and I really think she would be on board!”

“I mean if you get Jirou to ask her I’m sure she would say yes…” Izuku responded with an eyebrow raise.

“Oh you’re one to talk, I bet I could get you to do anything if I asked a certain someone to tell you, although he probably wouldn’t actually listen to me if I’m honest.” Uraraka met Izuku with a skeptical look, daring him to contradict her.

“I- I have no idea what you’re talking about! That’s not true!” Izuku’s face was red and he was waving his arms around, only making Uraraka gain a smug smile.

“You’re all freaked out and I didn’t even mention anyone’s name, seems pretty whipped to me.” With a shrug she walked away, purposely leaving Izuku to scramble.

The next day at lunch Momo gathered the attention of all of Class A, she was happy to announce that Aizawa had given the O.K. for their get together, with a few rules of course. There was to be no alcohol or drugs (cough Sero) and the music was not to be loud enough to wake nearby classes.

Having the official seal of approval only made the class more excited, even Iida seemed a little looser than usual, everyone was antsy as the week went on just waiting for their time to relax and have fun.

Surprisingly Izuku was the least excited for their week in the dorms, even less so that Katsuki. He was getting nervous as to what a party hosted by Mina could entail, his biggest worry being party games.

Izuku never really had a reason to play party games, meaning he never got desensitized to the prying nature of truth or dare, the exposing nature of never have I ever, or the intimate nature of spin the bottle. It was an understatement to say he wasn’t prepared.

Bringing this up with Uraraka two days before the party only managed to make him more nervous.

“WHAT?!? You have never played any party games? Not a single one?”

“Not really no, I never had a reason to! Just tell me what they’re like, please?”

“Oh my gosh you poor poor child, let me get some back up, we're gonna need it.” Uraraka quickly pat Izuku’s shoulder and walked off, seemingly to grab someone else.

Izuku stood confused until he saw Uraraka coming back with Mina in tow.

“Tell her the tragedy you just told me.” Uraraka nudged Mina forward slightly, putting her more in Izuku’s line of sight.

“Uraraka! The fact that I haven’t played any party games is not a tragedy!”

“YOU HAVEN’T PLAYED ANY PARTY GAMES?!”

“Oh thanks Mina, I don’t quite think Monoma from Class B heard you!”

“Sorry! Sorry! I was just shocked is all!”

Izuku shook his head slightly, “Don’t worry about it, I haven’t really been keeping it a secret, but apparently it's embarrassing.”

“Mido no! It’s not embarrassing! Listen I really was just surprised, how about this, do you want me to walk through the general basis of the games with you?”

Izuku’s eyes brightened at the suggestion, “That would actually be great!”

“Alright, I’m going to start with never have I ever, basically everyone holds up ten fingers and then we go around the circle saying things we haven’t done and if you have done them you put a finger down, make sense?”

“Yeah! What kind of things do people say?”

“Well, it can be anything really. Some of them are really tame like ‘never have I ever broken a bone’ or ‘never have I ever dressed up for someone else’ or they can get more personal like ‘never have I ever kissed a guy’ or ‘ never have I ever made out with someone in public’ I know that when us girls play sometimes we get into dirty little secrets like turn ons, but I doubt it will go that far tomorrow.” With the end of her remark she winked, getting an even blush out of Izuku.

“Alright I think I got the point, how about truth or dare?”

“Alright truth or dare is exactly what it sounds like. Basically we go around the circle, first by spinning a bottle to see who goes first. Whoever the bottle points to gets asked if they want a truth or a dare. Once they choose anyone can come up with a truth or dare and either whoever says theirs first or has the best is the one we go with. I have to add the bit about having the best one because Kami can be a little dumb sometimes and can waste a perfectly good turn.”

The trio stopped to laugh for a moment, all of them knowing well enough how Kaminari could be.

“Alright I have a question about truth or dare, what if you don't want to do it? Like let's say the dare is to wake up Aizawa and you would rather live another day?”

“OH! Right, we have these forfeits, everyone gets two of them. Basically if you don’t want to answer a truth or carry out a dare you use a forfeit and whatever the alternative is you HAVE to do it no matter what. We have let people do the original one if they want but it still counts as them using a forfeit.”

“Alright seems easy enough, what was the last one?”

“The last one is spin the bottle. Everyone sits in the circle and one person randomly spins their empty drink, whoever it points to starts the game off. They spin the bottle however hard they want and whoever the bottle points to they have to kiss, then whoever they just kissed spins the bottle and it goes on until two people have to kiss for the third time. If it lands on two people more than once the kiss intensifies, the first time is a peck, the second time is ten seconds with tongue, and the third time, to end the game, is a full blown make out sesh!” Mina seemed really excited at the prospect.

“Oh wow, not what I was expecting, are there any more rules?” Izuku looked a little nervous at the prospect of kissing his classmates.

“Only if you’re the one to end the game! Basically whoever spins making you two kiss for the third time has to get in their lap. And! Our unspoken rule is that no one gets weird about it after the game is over!”

Her comment calmed Izuku down marginally, it was still nerve racking.

“Alright, are those the only ones?” Izuku was quick to change the topic, not wanting to be questioned.

“There are more but I think we’ll just stick to those three, the party is only so long after all.”

After they finished talking about games, their conversation drifted into the finer details of the party, Jirou was providing music, Momo was in charge of food, the Bakusquad was assigned to snacks and the Dekusquad was given desserts. Everyone else had the odds and ends, like cups and plates.

Once everyone was clear on what they were doing everyone headed to their respective rooms for the night, they all wanted a good night sleep so they could stay up late the next night.

The next morning came quickly and led everyone to finish their assigned jobs, the common room quickly filled with party supplies, orders for food were placed, and the fridge was filled.

Nine o’clock came around much quicker than everyone expected, everyone was busy making sure everything, including themselves looked perfect. Uraraka brought it upon herself to make sure Izuku looked presentable and so she styled him with ripped black skinny jeans and a tight fitted red top.

Everyone filled in once they heard Jirou’s music start, getting ready to break out everything they had collected throughout the day, quickly getting comfortable. An hour passed and Mina was ready to start the games.

“Alright everyone! We’re going to play never have I ever, everyone sit in a circle on the floor, I didn’t move tables around for nothing!”

A majority of the class created a circle, Mina sat down first, to her left sat Jirou, Todoroki, Shinsou, Izuku and Iida. Directly in front of Mina sat Asui and Uraraka with Momo, Kirishima, Kaminari, Katsuki, and Sero to her left between them and Mina.

“Alright, remember be honest, or else it's not fun! Who wants to go first?” Mina was practically buzzing, she had been waiting for a full class party for a long time.

“Oh I can start!” Uraraka was the first to respond, nearly as excited as Mina.

“Never have I ever, stolen something by accident and then returned it.”

“Uraraka! It was one time!”

“Well then you better put a finger down mr ‘I’ll just use endeavours credit card’ cause you’ve done it!” Uraraka was quick to retort, obviously trying to make Todoroki lose first.

“Well I guess that means I’m next huh? Never have I ever skipped class!” Of course Momo would make hers about school, nearly everyone in the circle put down one of their fingers, save for Iida.

“That is very irresponsible of hero course students! You must never skip class again!” Iida’s familiar arm chopping began and everyone merely tucked it away with the rest of his reminders.

“Hell yeah man I’m next! Alright…. Wow this is harder than I thought.” Kirishima looked around the room and his eyes lit up as they landed on Sero. “I got it! Never have I ever sent nudes!”

“Dude! Really?!” Sero quickly exclaimed, distracting everyone from Asui and Uraraka who had also put their fingers down.

As the rest of the circle freaked out over the new information Kaminari leaned over to Katsuki and asked what he should say.

“Like I fucking care Pikachu, just say something.”

“Wow always with the great help Bakubro, now I’m all set for my turn.” Kaminari rolled his eyes to punctuate his sarcasm and realised the conversation around Sero was starting to die down.

“Alright alright, now that everyone has gotten over Sero being a man whore it's my turn! Never have I ever…” He trailed off and glanced back at Katsuki, “Kicked my crush’s ass!”

Katsuki grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like ‘I’m going to kill shitty hair’ and put a finger down, across the circle Izuku looked away and did the same.

The entire circle was momentarily shocked, mainly at the fact that Katsuki had a crush in the first place, willingly told someone, and didn’t explode when they shared it with the group. A few mouths opened and prepared to talk, Katsuki quickly cut them off.

“If any of you shitty extras bring this up again I will NOT hesitate to kick some more ass, got it?”

No one dared to say anything, knowing that although most of the time he was all bark and no bite, this time he seemed serious.

“Bro… it’s your turn.” Kirishima was the only brave soul willing to speak up.

“Tch fine. Never have I ever gotten all stupid because my crush talked to me.” Katsuki shot a pointed look at Kaminari who simply turned red and put a finger down, he figured he deserved it for that last one.

The rest of the self proclaimed bakusquad snickered at Kaminari’s reaction, remembering very clearly the first time Shinsou was officially in Class A and their friend’s inability to function after he was directly addressed for the first time.

After he finished laughing at Kaminari, Sero took his turn.

“Never have I ever gotten a girlfriend because of an awesome prank played on you by your best friends.” Sero met Kirishima with a raised eyebrow and motioned towards the red head’s hands with his head.

“Oh shut up! First of all it wasn’t an awesome prank! All you and Kami did was steal my phone and change her ringtone so when I ‘lost’ it and she conveniently helped me find it by calling I would be embarrassed! Second of all, at least I got with her! Unlike some people in the squad!” After Kirishima finished he pointedly looked at Kaminari and Katsuki, clearly pointing out their obvious lack of significant others.

“Hey! Yell at Sero, don’t call me and Bakubro out!”

“I regret ever telling any of you idiots anything and you’re still on my shit list for telling Pikachu and Tape Face in the first place shitty hair!”

“I have heard this argument at least a thousand times and since no one will spill the secret about Bakubro I’m cutting you all off and taking my turn!” Mina finally spoke up, the only person fully aware of the possibilities of the conversation.

“Everyone has been a bit personal, I think it’s time we start learning things about each other! Never have I ever… OH! Been turned on by pain and, or getting hurt!” The look in her eyes would have scared even the most brave heroes, a few people looked down and even fewer chanced a glance around the circle. Everyone’s attention was suddenly captured by a screech.

“OH MY GOD DEKU NO!!” Uraraka seemed to be brave enough to look around at her friends and was unfortunate enough to notice Izuku putting yet another finger down.

The only one in the group who seemed unfazed was Shinsou, Izuku had his arms covering his red face while everyone else had some combination of horror or curiosity. Mina was the first to break the silence.

“Oh see, now this is interesting! Come on Midoriya, tell your story!” Izuku finally lowered his arms, still red as ever, and looked at Mina.

“Nope! Absolutely not! There are two people who know about it and one of them doesn’t actually know, they just happened to be there.”

Mina wasn’t satisfied, she was hoping something like this would happen. “Come on Midoriya, at least tell us who knows!”

“Fine! I will say that I told Shinsou after the fact because I was stressed! I will also say that he did not help! At all!”

“Hey the only thing I said was that you should just tell-” Shinsou was quickly cut off by Izuku throwing himself over him with a hand over his mouth.

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence! The only thing that would come out of it is that we would both end up dead! I don’t want to die a murderer, Shinsou!” The rest of the group couldn’t help but watch, they had never seen Izuku act that way.

Mina still wouldn’t let up, she seemed determined. “Wait, you said two people know, who is the other?”

After making sure Shinsou wasn’t going to say anything else Izuku let him go and righted himself. “The only other person who would have any, even slim shred of an idea would be the uh… person who um was there.” Izuku quickly looked down, hoping the vague statement would placate them.

“What do you mean was there?”

“Mina, are you seriously going to make me say it?!” Izuku had no luck in trying to get out of further embarrassment.

“I just don’t know what you mean! I would like to understand thank you very much! Was there, like, someone watching?”

“Ugh, fine. No, the other person wasn’t watching. The other person as in… the person who you know? Inflicted the so-called pain?”

At this, Mina finally seemed happy, she didn’t press on Izuku any longer. She did, however, scan the group, looking for another victi- player to tease.

“Oh did Bakubro lose a finger?” She paired her statement with a wink hoping for another good result.

“What the fuck is it to you?”

“So he did! Come on Midoriya told us some now you do too!”

Katsuki crossed his arms and smirked, he radiated pure confidence that Izuku wished he had moments ago.

“Lets just say I never knew getting my ass handed to me would be so hot.” For a moment Katsuki seemed to be in genuine thought, then he continued. “Well thinking about it, it was definitely more the person, according to shitty hair the last time I was drunk I wouldn’t stop talking about them.”

“It’s true, I never wanted to hear about-”

The sound of explosions drowned out Kirishima’s voice.

“Finish that and you’re dead.” Kirishima took Katsuki’s words at face value and raised his hands in surrender, that was not one fight he wanted to have.

“Wow what has gotten into Bakugou tonight? First he allows a pass for Kaminari calling out his crush and then he lets Kirishima get away with almost spilling his secrets.”

“Oh shut up icy hot, first of all crush sounds stupid so I don’t get them, I just happen to hate one person significantly less than the rest of you, second off all it would be much more fun to beat their asses when they aren’t expecting it.”

“WAIT WAIT SHUSH sorry Todoroki but I just registered what Bakubro said. YOU LIKE SOMEONE IN OUR CLASS?!” Mina seemed to have a special flare for the dramatic and tonight was no exception.

“When the hell did I say that?” Katsuki kept his confident demeanour, giving off an air of ‘I know something that you don’t’ and Mina seemed over it.

“Just now! You said you hate someone less than the rest of us, implying that this person is a part of the ‘us’ either of Class A or maybe even players of this game!”

“That’s my girlfriend everyone! Smart enough to figure all of that out because of one word Bakubro said! And I can confirm that she happens to be right, even though I am now slowly starting to truly fear for my life!”

As soon as Kirishima confirmed parts of Mina’s deductions Katuski’s confident smirk turned into a murderous glare. The glare alone was enough to intimidate anyone in the room who was thinking about adding in their two cents.

“Wait wait! Are you confirming that they are in our class or in this group?” Uraraka seemed to have a special interest in the answer.

“You see, I would answer that BUT he’s really scaring me and I don’t want to die tonight.” As Kirishima answered everyone glanced at Katsuki and completely understood his fear.

“Allllllrright I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this won’t end anytime soon so I’m going to take my turn.” Jirou interrupted everyone’s fear with a fair point.

“Ok never have I ever wanted to kiss a guy.” As Jirou took her turn she couldn’t help but laugh, she knew nearly everyone would have to put a finger down.

Absolutely no one was surprised when only Momo, Jirou, and Iida did not put a finger down. It was common knowledge that a majority of Class A was somehow a part of the LGBTQ community, so much so that they were more surprised to see straight couples while walking around U.A.

Now that the game had been jump started , Todoroki was ready to take his turn.

With a pointed look at Uraraka he started to speak, “Never have I ever been more excited about mochi than seeing my significant other.”

Uraraka sputtered, “It was one time and I didn’t even know Tsu was there!”

“Well you still have to put a finger down, this is what you get for telling everyone about the store!”

“Ugh fine!”

Everyone in the circle looked between the two of them, trying to figure out what was happening, Shinsou decided to move on and take his turn, he glanced around looking for some kind of idea, when his eyes once again found Izuku he was ready.

“Never have I ever had a crush on someone for longer than a year.”

“Shinsou! Need I remind you that you have been in Class A for a year and a half!”

“Oh I will gladly put a finger down, it’s just so funny to see you freak out about me talking about your crush. Plus I don’t think you have any room to talk, if anything you should be putting a few fingers down!”

Izuku gasped and shot Shinsou, a very pointed look. “Seriously! You just had to go and say that!”

“Wait Midoriya what is he talking about you putting multiple fingers down, how long have you had a crush?” Mina was not afraid to ask any question she had.

Izuku’s eyes widened comically, he obviously did not want to answer her question.

“Um over a year?”

“Well duh, that was the never have I ever, but Shinsou made it seem like a lot longer, soooooo how long?”

“Umm not very?”

“Was that a question or an answer?” Mina’s eyebrow went up as she waited for Izuku to respond.

“I am not going to answer that!”

“Why not?!” Mina seemed disappointed in Izuku’s resolve and was determined to get some kind of information.

“Because then it might be kinda obvious!”

“Well yeah that’s kinda the point! You make it obvious, they realise that you’re cute, and then you start dating!”

“Yeah no I don’t really think that's going to happen, and who ever said it was someone that could hear me?!”

“Well since you have been so weird about talking about it I just assumed they could hear you and if you gave too much away they would be able to tell, duh.”

“Oi Pinky! Where the hell was this when you were supposed to be studying last week?! You managed to figure all this shit out but you can’t remember two fucking formulas?!” Katsuki quickly captured everyone’s attention, giving Izuku a moment to breathe.

As Mina tried to come up with excuses Izuku shot Katsuki a grateful look that he returned with an eyebrow raise and a shrug. Shinsou, witnessing their small exchange, immediately elbowed Izuku’s side as soon as Katsuki looked away.

“What, do you need something?” Izuku asked sincerely.

“Yeah I need to know what the hell that was between you and Bakugou!” Shinsou whispered back, in an effort to keep attention away from them.

“Nothing! I just wanted to show him I was thankful he took the attention off of me!” Izuku whispered back, knowing that Iida and Todoroki wouldn’t pay any mind if they did hear something.

“Dude you two are gross you need to just go for it already.”

“Oh you’re one to talk, why don’t you just make your move one Kami already? At least things between you two aren’t complicated!”

“This isn’t about me Midoriya, this is about you and how much you simp for Bakugou, it’s gross.”

“I do not! Plus I think I might be getting over him!”

“Oh yeah right, just last week you were in a gay panic because he shared his water with you after you had sparred for an hour.”

Izuku simply glared in response, not having anything to come back with. Shinsou gave him an ‘I told you so look’ and then turned his attention back to the circle.

The rest of the players were slowly starting to calm down as Katsuki layed off Mina's studying habits.

“Midoriya it’s your turn.” Shinsou loudly announced.

“Oh right! Um never have I ever… stayed up late for someone.”

Everyone was slightly surprised at the question, about half of the circle put a finger down, including Shinsou, he was quick to call out Izuku.

“Wait haven’t you done this Midoriya?”

“Nope!” Izuku popped the ‘p’ and put on a smug smile.

“I’m pretty sure I remember you telling me about being tired one day.” Shinsou seemed suspicious.

“I got up early for someone, not stayed up late!”

“Oh right! I forgot that ~they~ don’t-”

“Shush! Don’t say another word, let’s move on! Iida your turn!”

“Midoriya! It is not polite to shush classmates!”

“Yeah rude!” Shinsou was quick to agree, in hopes of being able to finish his sentence.

“Well what you were about to say was rude and I wanted to prevent my friend from being called rude! Sue me! Now if we are over that, Iida go ahead.”

Shinsou looked disappointed at his missed opportunity but moved on anyway.

“Alright fine, never have I ever been put on house arrest.” Katsuki and Izuku both rolled their eyes at his statement, they were of course the first to have been through house arrest.

No one wanted to feel the wrath of both Izuku and Katsuki so they moved on quickly, allowing Asui to take her turn.

“Never have I ever been tied up in Aizawa’s capture ropes, kero.” Again everyone knew Katsuki and Izuku had definitely been captured before, this time though, a few more people put a finger down as well.

The game continued on, eventually Katsuki and Izuku were out at the same time, quickly followed by the rest of the circle quickly after, save for Iida, he seemed to be the ‘winner’ although the class would disagree.

Once they disbanded everyone split off, some getting snacks or drinks, while others danced, and some even played a few rounds of Uno.

Around midnight people slowly started heading off to bed, Mina on the other hand was quick to announce another game was about to begin.

“Alright! We already played never have I ever now it's time for spin the bottle!”

The original group, save for Iida, sat down just as they had before, Katsuki was the only one with an empty bottle so he put it down in the center.

“Alright! Standard rules apply, Bakubro spin to see who goes first!”

With a small eye roll Katsuki did as he was told, the bottleneck landed towards Jirou, signaling that she was the first to spin to kiss someone.

Jirou spun the bottle with confidence, knowing well enough that her classmates were not the type to make a big deal about a game. Her spin directed her towards Momo, with faint blushes on each of their cheeks the two shared a quick peck and the game moved on.

It was Momo’s turn, she had to give a quick kiss to Todoroki, neither were phased and Todoroki took his turn. It went from Todoroki to Sero, Sero to Kaminari, and then Kaminari to Shinsou. As the bottle pointed to Shinsou, Izuku got minutely excited and he saw the blush creeping up the necks of both Kaminari and Shinsou.

Everyone was making small comments as the game went on, joking about being happy Mineta was expelled long before this game and things of the like.

After Shinsou and Kaminari shared their, admittedly underwhelming, kiss, Shinsou spun and it landed on Izuku. The pair shared a small peck and as they pulled back they both had a small grimace on their face.

“Midoriya, no offence but I hope I never have to kiss you again.” The circle laughed.

“Absolutely none taken, I feel the exact same way. Not to mention I’m pretty sure you had some residual static electricity on you.” As he finished speaking Izuku ran his fingers through his hair, showing that it had started to stick up. Kaminari and Shinsou quickly turned red again at the mention of actual ~electricity~ between them.

Izuku nervously spun the bottle before anyone could mention it, he looked away as it slowed down. When he could no longer hear the spinning he looked up to see every pair of eyes on him, the bottle was pointing to Katsuki. Everyone was on the edge of their seat for a different reason.

Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero were waiting to see how Katsuki would react to the prospect of kissing his crush, Mina, Jirou, and Momo were ready to break up a fight if they needed to, and Todoroki, Shinsou, Asui, and Uraraka were curious to see how red Izuku would get.

No one had to wait long, soon enough Katsuki spoke up.

“I’m not crawling nerd, you can come over here.” Katsuki displayed utmost confidence, but to those who knew him well enough they could see the slight uncertainty in his movements and the bit of red peeking out from under his collar.

These small signs gave Izuku enough confidence to cross the circle and plant a small and quick peck on Katsuki’s mouth. As he pulled away both boys were more red than they had started, but no one was stupid enough to comment on it.

Katsuki took his turn and to everyone’s surprise it landed on Izuku once again.

“Ohh our first double of the night! Alright you know what to do, ten seconds, with tongue!” Mina seemed more excited than anyone else in the circle. Izuku looked somewhere between excited and anxious, meaning no one else could really place the look on his face. Both Katsuki and Izuku were red, but neither wanted to put off their kiss any longer.

Izuku was once again the one to move towards Katsuki, but he was met halfway with a gentle hand on his cheek. The two followed Mina’s instructions to a T, even if it was a bit longer than ten seconds. They did not meet each other’s eye as they pulled back, electing to avoid eye contact with everyone.

“That was a bit long wasn’t it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Shin, that was the exact amount of time we were supposed to kiss, you know for the game.” Izuku quickly whispered back, hoping to avoid the inevitable teasing from Shinsou.

To further avoid the topic Izuku spun the bottle once again, this time it landed on Uraraka.

“Wow am I glad we decided to never do this cause, no offence Mido but, Tsu is a much better kisser.”

Before Izuku could respond everyone heard a small scoff, eventually realising it must have come from Katsuki.

As they looked over Katsuki’s face was impassive as ever, as if they had no reason to pay attention to him, Izuku quickly collected himself and responded to Uraraka.

“Well it’s a good thing you don’t kiss me on a daily basis for everyone to see, huh?” Izuku teased, the pair were, reluctantly, known for being caught multiple times by a multitude of people.

“Oh ha ha, as if you would be any better. I’m sure you would want to show everyone what's yours, oh no wait, that’s them not you isn’t it?” Uraraka was quick to tease back, she shared just enough information to fluster Izuku without revealing who she was talking about.

“I have no idea what you could be talking about! Anyways it's your turn!” Izuku said, much too quickly to be casual.

Uraraka simply giggled and spun the bottle, this time it landed on Asui, the couple gave each other a chaste kiss and allowed the game to move forward.

Asui had to kiss Kirishima, which Mina watched with a jokingly close eye. Directly after, Kirishima and Mina shared a kiss, much to both of their delight. From Mina it quickly went to Momo and then to Jirou, which led to the second double of the night. Both girls pulled away blushing, secretly hoping for a third chance.

Jirou spun quickly and shared a small kiss with Kaminari, noting that she had no problems with electricity coupled with a suggestive eyebrow raise. Kaminari blushed and spun the bottle hoping for his embarrassment to pass, he had no luck with the bottle pointing directly at Shinsou once again, only causing his blush to intensify. The two shared a more passionate kiss, everyone noticed the slight raise to Shinsou’s hair but chose not to mention it for the sake of the pair.

Shinsou spun and kissed Todoroki, Todoroki kissed Jirou, and for the third time that night, Jirou had to kiss Momo. Mina’s excitement at the game ending kiss was nearly unmatchable.

“Oh yay!! Alright you two know the rules! Jirou you have to sit in her lap!”

As the two girls kissed the rest of the circle separated, assuming they would not be finished for a while, they were right. By the time everyone made their way back toward where the games were played the two girls were gone, most likely in one of their rooms.

More and more people left for bed, around 2 A.M. there were only ten people left: Mina, Todoroki, Shinsou, Izuku, Asi, Uraraka, Kirishima, Kaminari, Katsuki, and Sero.

“Alright! Time for the last game of the night! Truth or dare.” Mina was as excited as ever, which no one else understood. Everyone was still having fun but none of them had any of the energy she still possessed.

Everyone sat in the same circle that they had all night, they had become unofficial assigned seats, only coming closer to compensate for the missing people.

“Alright we're spinning to see who goes first, who has an empty bottle?” Mina wasted no time in getting the game started.

Uraraka was the only one to move, she set down her bottle in the center of the circle and gave it a good spin, All the eyes in the room trailed the neck as it spun and stopped at Izuku, Mina was quick to ask the fated question.

“Um dare?”

“Oh this will be fun!” Mina was excited the first choice of the game was a dare and prompted everyone to start thinking.

“Oh I know! Use your cheesiest pick up line!” Although Mina wanted others to participate she could not let her chance go.

“On Bakubro!” Kaminari’s suggestion earned him a swift and hard elbow to the side; he was unlucky enough to be sitting directly next to Katsuki. Everyone in the group quickly agreed with the full dare, to the chagrin of both Izuku and Katsuki.

Izuku didn’t want to disappoint so he took a moment to think of a pick up line and then he began his dare. With a small sigh and then a deep breath to steady himself he started to act as if he lost something. Izuku patted the floor around him, moved things around and even seemed to become slightly frustrated that he could not find whatever it was he was looking for.

“Ugh I can’t believe I lost it! This is so annoying! Hey Kacchan? I‘ve seemed to have lost my number, do you think I could have yours?” Izuku punctuated his last remark with a wink and immediately covered his face with his hands.

“Oh my gosh I am so sorry that was the cheesiest one I could think of!” Izuku amended while laughing at himself. The group quickly joined in only furthering his embarrassment.

Katsuki on the other hand was sitting with wide eyes and a dry mouth, he was not prepared to have Izuku’s dreamy look and a wink pointed at him without any warning. Sero quickly tapped his shoulder to try and bring him out of his trance as Kaminari whispered to him.

“Dude you’re being obvious, and that’s coming from me.”

This successfully brought him back to reality with a slight blush on his face, Katsuki quietly cleared his throat and pushed his two friends away from him. Most of the room was waiting expectantly for Katsuki’s response

In hopes of no one noticing his blush, Katsuki simply kissed his teeth and looked away, failing miserably, since most of the group knew how the two felt about each other.

Izuku was the next to speak up, obviously in hopes of everyone moving on from his dare, “Alright Tsu, truth or dare?”

“Truth kero.”

Everyone seemed to think for a moment, Asui wasn’t typically known to hide things from everyone.

“Oh wait I know! When did you start having a crush on Uraraka? You never told us!” Izuku’s suggestion was well accepted, Class A was notoriously nosy.

“Oh um, since we started U.A….” Asui spoke with a prominent blush on her face, and her answer earned many ‘aww’s and Uraraka dropped her head onto her girlfriend’s shoulder.

No one had any comments to make, even though the pair was known for being caught, the class generally thought their relationship was cute.

Uraraka was next, before anyone could even ask she blurted out an excited “Truth!”

Kaminari was quick to shout out his suggestion: “Kiss marry kill: Aizawa, Present Mic, and Midnight!”

No one held back their laughter, some from shock and some from genuine enjoyment.

“Ugh gross Kami! First of all they’re our teachers, second of all THEY’RE OLD!”

No one came to help Uraraka, they all wanted to know.

“No one? Ugh fine I guess marry Midnight, uhhhh kiss… Aizawa? And kill Present Mic? I don’t know this is weird!”

Everyone seemed satisfied with her answers and let her off the hook.

“Alright Kiri! Your turn, truth or dare!” Mina seemed excited for her boyfriend's turn.

“Dare all the way!”

“DUDE. Smell everyone’s feet and rank them from best to worst!” Sero must have gotten… something past Aizawa. There is no way that was a sober fueled idea.

“Alright feet up everyone!” Kirishima was quick to make his way around the circle, making a mental list as he went along.

“Alright number nine Sero, even your feet smell like weed dude. Eight Kami, bro change your socks or something. Seven Todoroki, normal not gonna lie. Six Uraraka followed by five Asui. Number four Shinsou, kinda smells like lavender? I don’t know but it wasn’t bad. Three my baby girl Mina. Number two Midobro! I don’t know how but it was very minty and I’m here for it. And finally number one, Mr. ‘My sweat smells like caramel’ himself, Bakubro!”

“You know, I think I would have liked to have seen some more hesitation but I guess that's the game.” Mina was stuck between being impressed or weirded out with her boyfriend’s enthusiasm.

“That’s the name of the game baby girl! Now Kami, truth or dare?”

“I think I'm gonna go with truth on this one.”

“Ohhh ok I have something that I need confirmed, do you have a crush on someone?” Mina once again took some initiative and spoke up first.

Kaminari quickly turned red and looked down, hoping to not give anything away. He mumbled out a small ‘Yes’ barely loud enough to hear.

“Oh sorry what was that, I didn’t hear you there Pikachu.”

“Ugh dude really? Fine, I said yes!”

“And that’s why you don’t screw me over.” Katsuki leaned into Kaminari’s space, making it clear that he did not appreciate the stunt he pulled earlier with Izuku.

Everyone momentarily gushed about Kaminari’s revelation, other than those sitting next to him, they already poked enough fun at him as it was.

“Alright alright, that’s enough ha ha I have feelings now! Bakubro, truth or dare?”

“Truth, I don’t need any of you making me do dumb shit.”

“Oh Bakuhoe, how many people have confessed to you?”

“What the fuck is that suppsed to mean Pinky?”

“You know how many people have tried to ask you out or tell you that they like you?”

“Why the fuck would anyone do that?”

“Because you’re basically Class A’s resident hot guy?” With Mina’s statement Izuku started whispering to Shinsou, no one seemed to notice.

“Pinky you are making no sense.”

“Ugh do I have to spell it out for you? Fine, Class A is an objectively attractive group, but it's obvious that everyone around us has a general rank. You, for example, are the hot bad boy, generally unapproachable but you have some kind of secret soft side that is redeeming. The brave ones confess to you and get shot down, probably because of some long term attachment which plays into your soft side.

Next would be Todoroki, he’s the stoic pretty boy. Everyone thinks he’s out of their league so no one confesses to him until he has some kind of revealing thing exposed which makes him seem more normal and not just a poster boy.

And then there’s Midoriya, he’s the oblivious cutie. Plenty of people have tried to confess to him but he has eyes for one person only which makes their attempts seem friendly at best. When someone tries to tell him that they like him, he responds with ‘oh you’re a great friend too’ and means it.”

Everyone sat silently, stunned by the, admittedly accurate, breakdown of the three most prominent figures in their class, until Katsuki finally spoke up.

“Ugh what the fuck Pinky? You make it sound like we’re in some kind of Shoujo.”

“Yeah if anything we’re at least a Shounen!”

“Pikachu you are a fucking idiot and you missed my entire point.”

After Mina’s original statement, Izuku took to whispering to Shinsou as the rest of the group conversed.

“She’s not wrong you know. Have you seen him? First of all he is objectively attractive, that paired with his ambition and drive has got to mean some people have tried to confess to him. And if that doesn’t do it then his physique definitely would, anyone with eyes would agree with me! That’s all to say I'd let him bend me over a table any day.”

“Look Mido, as much as I would love to hear you go on about Bakugou’s abs for the millionth time, is this really the right place to do that?” At Shinsou’s remark Izuku turned red, trying to come up with a quick response.

“It’s not my fault that he’s freaking hot!” Izuku seemed to be getting more flustered as time went on.

Uraraka interrupted both conversations going on around her by loudly questioning Izuku.

“What are you whispering about over there Midoriya-kun?”

“Uh um nothing!”

“Are you sure you seem pretty red?” “Yes! I’m sure! Hey isn’t it Sero’s turn? Sero truth or dare?” Izuku spoke much too quickly for it to have been casual but the rest of the group decided to save it for later.

“Uh truth I guess.”

“Oh now this is interesting, I have been wanting to know who has seen your nudes!” Uraraka moved on quickly once she heard a new opportunity come around.

“Oh easy, Camie and the bakusquad, except Mina, she didn’t want to give me her input.”

“Uh duh! I do not want to see ANY of that, even if it was to make sure it looked ok before you sent it off to your girlfriend.”

“Wait, Camie from Shiketsu?!”

“Oh yeah sorry Uraraka, I always forget that you guys don’t really know about me and Camie!”

“Is no one else here surprised?!”

The rest of the group just shrugged at Uraraka, knowing that Sero had to be with someone outside of U.A. or else they would have known about it.

“Fine I guess we can just move on then!” Uraraka seemed slightly irritated that no one else was slightly in shock but she decided to let it go in favour of the game.

“Alright babe, it’s your turn truth or dare?” At Kirishima’s words, Mina seemed to get excited.

“Dare!”

“Oh I dare you to tell the full story of how you and Kiri got together, he always hates on me for the prank but it deserves some spotlight.” Kaminari seemed to like to take credit for the couple getting together.

“Ugh fine but don’t think for a second that we owe you for that, you’re just lucky I didn’t hit you with my acid.”

“Yeah, no matter what you and Sero say, us getting together was mostly unrelated!” Kirishima backed up his girlfriend with no hesitation.

“Alright for the rest of you guys, basically what happened was Kaminari and Sero stole Kiri’s phone, changed my ringtone to the rap from ‘Fergalicious’ and thought it would be funny to suggest that I called Kiri’s phone to help him find it. After hearing the ringtone Kiri basically snatched my phone to end the call. Eventually he stopped freaking out long enough for us to talk and he ended up telling me that they were teasing him because they knew he had a crush on me. He looked so sweet and embarrassed that I couldn’t help but kiss his cute little face!”

“Aww that is so adorable!”

“See babe? Uraraka agrees with me!”

“Ugh we get it you’re adorable, I still haven’t heard a single thank you from either of you!”

“Get over it! Were not going to thank you!” This conversation seemed to be a common one between Mina and Kaminari.

“Tch this isn’t the first and it definitely won’t be the last time I hear this shit so can you wrap it up?” Katsuki was obviously sick of hearing the same argument over and over.

“He’s right dudes, plus it’s Todoroki’s turn!” Kirishima was quick to end the argument as well.

“Dare.”

“Oh I dare you trash talk Endeavour in a tweet!” Everyone couldn’t help but laugh at Kaminari’s suggestion, Todoroki quickly pulled out his phone and opened twitter.

“Alright, pick a draft for me to tweet.” Todoroki handed his phone off, opened to his drafts on Twitter. Everyone agreed to go with the most straight forward, ‘Endeavour is a piece of shit.’

Once the dare was completed everyone’s attention turned to Shinsou. Kirishima was the first to speak up.

“Yo! Try to describe your crush in three words.” Shinsou balked at the suggestion, that could be a dangerous game to play.

“Oh I know Shin! The three words you can use: first name, last name, and quirk!” Izuku was quick to tease Shinsou.

“Oh ha ha very funny. I guess um, positive, energetic, and… yellow? God pops is going to roast me! I did the only thing he warned me not to do!” Shinsou couldn’t help but think about Aizawa’s instruction to not fall for a loud blond to avoid making the same mistake he did with Present Mic.

“Pfffttt, are you talking about the type of person he once warned you not to go for?”

“Yes I am Mido, but guess what he warned you too but neither of us listened! And look where that got us!” The rest of the group was confused, they had never talked about this warning before so they could only assume what they were talking about.

On the other side of the circle Kaminari was trying very hard to not short circuit, was there a possibility that Shinsou was talking about him?

Katsuki took notice and lightly elbowed him in the side before he whispered.

“You should go for it, you’ve got a good chance.”

Kaminari was grateful to be on the receiving end of one of Katsuki’s few genuinely encouraging moments.

The pair turned their attention back to the rest of the group just as Izuku answered ‘Truth’.

“Oh I know! What were you whispering to Shinsou earlier when Mina was talking?” Uraraka seemed like she wasn’t quite ready to let that little detail go.

“Can I ask for a forfeit?”

“Wow was it really that bad?”

“More embarrassing than anything Uraraka, definitely not something I would like to share with everyone.”

The rest of the group thought for a moment before Mina ultimately spoke up.

“Is everyone ok with Mido’s forfeit being to kiss his crush?” The rest of the circle nodded and turned back to Izuku, he was bright red with comically wide eyes.

“Uh I think I’ll just go with Uraraka’s original question.”

“Oh come on! Kissing your crush can’t be that scary! I did it!” “Well Mina it’s just a bit different when you have your crush tell you he likes you before you kiss him! I have no reason to believe this person is more than a friend and I don't want to test that out today!” Izuku punctuates his small rant with wild hand gestures that showed everyone just how nervous the prospect made him.

“Ok well anyways, basically all I was saying to Shinsou is that, I agreed with Mina.” Izuku hoped they would all take his vague explanation at face value, he apparently had no such luck.

“Mina said a lot of stuff, what part did you agree with?” Uraraka seemed out to get him during this round, he would have to question her about it another day.

“Ok, well I was just agreeing with what she said about… Kacchan.” Izuku thought he was almost free until he heard a scoff from next to him. He looked over to see an apologetic looking Shinsou who hadn’t meant to laugh as he spoke.

“Oh what was that scoff for Shinsou? Do you know something we don't?” Mina’s curiosity had peaked.

“Oh um no! I just had… extra air in my mouth, yeah you see.” Shinsou then pretended to blow extra air out of his mouth, he really hadn’t meant to draw anymore attention to Izuku than was already on him.

Izuku rolled his eyes at his friend's poor excuse of a cover up.

“Shinsou it’s fine, might as well just embarrass myself even more at this point.” Izuku took a deep breath to try and steady himself, no amount of time or breathing was going to make his truth easier though.

“First of all I am going to say that as soon as I’m done explaining I am going to sleep, and no you can’t change my mind. Second of all I do not want to hear a single word from any of you this is going to be bad enough as it is.”

Izuku looked around the circle waiting for everyone to nod before he started talking. He stared down at his hands as he spoke.

“Alright well here goes nothing. Basically I was telling Shinsou that I agreed with Mina when she said Kacchan was… attractive, which should cause people to want to confess to him, as she put it. I also said, along with that his ambition helps. And then I ended it by saying something along the lines of… I would let him bend me over a table any day and that it wasn’t my fault he’s so freaking hot! Alright good night everyone! I’m off to throw myself into a hole!” Izuku spoke his last words all in one breath, and ran off.

The sheer speed at which he was talking caused everyone to take a second to process what he actually said, Shinsou was impressed that he wasn’t out of breath by the end.

Izuku ran to his room, hoping no one would realise what he had said before he was able to leave, on the bright side he could hide for a full week before he would have to face anyone. Once he made it to his room he simply locked his door and slid down, putting his face in his hands.

He sat on the floor for a moment, planning out how exactly he would avoid the outside world for their week off, and to think he was excited about the mall trip Uraraka had planned.

Back downstairs the remaining students were slowly collecting themselves. One by one they turned towards Shinsou to see if that was all Izuku said. Eventually most of them got over their shock and turned to Katsuki. The blonde sat with red cheeks and wide eyes for longer than his friends would put up with.

“Bro! Why are you still here?! Mido just basically confessed to you!” Kirishima had a point, for good measure he elbowed Katsuki’s side. This finally got Katsuki out of whatever shock he was in.

He quickly stood and ran off, heading towards Izuku’s room. Once he got there, Katsuki’s confidence deflated, how would Deku react?

After a moment of doubt Katsuki steeled himself and knocked on the door three times.

On the other side Izuku still sat on the floor, once he felt the knocks on his back he stood up, expecting one of his friends to come and see him.

“Look I just want to be al-Kacchan?” Izuku was prepared to ask whichever of his friends it was to leave but seeing Katsuki shocked him.

“Hey Deku, uh I don’t really know what the fuck I’m doing but I think we should talk.” Nothing could have prepared Katsuki for the adorable face behind the door, Izuku's cheeks had finally cooled off but he had been running his fingers through his hair leaving him artfully tousled in Katsuki’s opinion.

The pair stood for another moment before Izuku moved away from the door to sit on his bed, leaving it open so Katsuki could follow him in. They wordlessly sat down in front of each other, both waiting for the other to speak up.

“Did you really say all of that?” Katsuki was the first to break the silence.

“Uh yeah, that’s not really something I’d make up on the spot honestly.” Izuku decided to forgo the embarrassment he was feeling, letting that get to him would get him nowhere.

Katsuki didn’t know what to say, he didn’t have time to come up with much of a plan on his way to Izuku’s room, he was in uncharted territory.

“Kacchan? Why did you come up here? Because honestly I can only think of two reasons and one is very unlikely and the other has yet to happen.” Izuku couldn’t stand it any longer. There was no reason for Katsuki to have come up to his room unless he felt the same way which was borderline impossible in Izuku’s mind.

“I had to know if you were being serious.” Izuku could tell he wanted to say more, even if he had no clue what he could want to say. Katsuki stayed quiet for a moment, thinking Izuku was going to respond.

“Can I ask why you didn’t tell me?” Katsuki broke the silence.

“Right, because that’s something you say to your childhood friend turned rival, ‘hey I think you're hot and have for a lot longer than I realised’ that would definitely go over well.” Izuku saw no point in pulling any punches, he had already said the worst of it in front of their class.

“Wait wha- no, huh? S-say that again?” Despite himself, Katsuki’s voice cracked slightly, it was getting increasingly harder to keep his cool, or at least what little of it he had left. He may have been able to keep it together better if it wasn’t nearly four in the morning but alas he had no such luck.

Izuku laughed slightly, finally glad to be the more calm one, he took a moment to think of a proper response.

“Wow, apparently everyone wants me to say how hot I think you are today, first Uraraka won’t get off my back, then Shinsou laughs at me, then Mina makes me be specific, and now you. Look let me put it this way, I like you and I have for a while.”

“So- wait, huh?” Katsuki was just short of spouting unintelligible noises at Izuku’s words.

“Let me make this as clear as possible.” Izuku stood and walked towards Katsuki. “I really want to kiss you.” Izuku stopped just short, ending up mere inches away from Katsuki. Their breath mingled delightfully, creating a warmth both found enjoyable.

Katsuki’s heart sped up, he mindlessly wondered if Izuku could hear it. With that thought he was reminded of their proximity.

Their eyes met as Izuku began to lean in slightly, he didn’t have to go far because, for the second time that night, Katsuki met him in the middle.

In a moment any semblance of coherence was lost, the pair could only focus on each other. With a single action they were determined to convey every single complicated part of their feelings for one another.

After a moment Izuku placed himself in Katsuki’s lap, allowing him to run his fingers through the surprisingly soft blonde spikes. Katsuki in turn gripped Izuku’s hips, keeping them both steady.

Once they both needed to take a breath they finally pulled apart, just far enough to rest their foreheads together. Izuku decided to break the silence.

“I'll take that as a good sign then I guess.” Katsuki flushed at the words, knowing that Izuku was fully correct.

“Shut up and kiss me you damn nerd.” Izuku did exactly as he was told, savouring the feeling of calm that washed over the both of them.

Once they broke apart again, the time of night finally caught up with them in the form of a yawn from Katsuki.

“Is kissing me boring you to sleep Kacchan?” Izuku asked cheekily, knowing full well how late it was.

“Nope. It’s just four am and I haven’t slept in about nineteen hours, you know there are days where I wake up around this time to work out.”

“Well I can tell you it pays off.” In a moment of sheer confidence Izuku ran his finger over Katsuki’s exposed abs, suddenly very glad for the tendency of shirts to ride up. In response Katsuki pulled Izuku in tighter, laying his face in the crook of Izuku’s neck.

“Come on sleepy, why don’t we lay down now?” Izuku stood slowly, grabbing Katsuki as he went. He deposited the blond onto his bed and turned out the lights, he was suddenly very glad for Mina and Uraraka not letting things go tonight.

Not wanting to push any boundaries Katsuki might have, Izuku put a pillow between them and smiled as he heard Katsuki start to snore lightly. Izuku sighed happily before quietly wishing Katsuki goodnight.

The next mo-afternoon the pair found themselves tangled together, the pillow separating them long forgotten. At some point during the night the two had moved closer, allowing Izuku’s head to rest on Katsuki’s chest, arms draped over him, safely held in Katsuki’s hug.

Izuku was the first to wake, noticing their position and smiling, he never would have guessed this is how the party would turn out.

He stayed for a moment, keeping his head on Katsuki’s chest enjoying the warmth and comfort he felt from the blonde.

Eventually he did have to get up though, he realized he was still wearing jeans from the night before, he figured that the previous night he was too tired and caught up in Katsuki to notice. As soon as he moved away Katsuki began to stir, Izuku watched in delight as Katsuki slowly woke up, stretching and yawning without worrying about any appearances he had to uphold when he was alone with Izuku.

“Morning sleepy head! Wait, I think it's like one in the afternoon, so maybe not good morning?”

“I don’t care what time it is, it's still too early, come and lay back down, you're comfortable.”

Izuku smiled at Katsuki’s sleep addled voice and quickly changed into sweatpants before laying back down, he would gladly sleep another hour.

Once Izuku was back on the bed Katsuki pulled him close and hummed happily, Izuku couldn’t help but be grateful for how tired the blonde was, there was no way he would do that without the aid of being sleep deprived.

The next time they awoke it was abruptly, evidently some of their classmates became worried about them, or they were living up to Class A’s title of nosey, who’s to say?

“Midobro! Where have you been all da- oh! URARAKA, get in here!”

There were beating footsteps rushing down the hall which the two half asleep teens assumed was Uraraka.

WOAH! Midoriya-Kun! Why didn’t you say anything! If I knew you were in here with Bakugou I would’ve told everyone to leave you alone!”

Izuku took a moment to process what was happening, all he knew for sure was that they were loud.

“Uh I was asleep, how was I supposed to tell you?” Izuku sat up in bed for the second time so he could try and rid his eyes of sleep.

“Ugh lay down already, tell them to shut the fuck up and go away and if I heard shitty hair flip him off for me.” Evidently Katsuki was done with his classmates’ interruption already.

“Kacchan! I’m not doing that, he happens to be my friend.”

“No, right now he’s a nuisance who is going to bother us and then immediately tell the rest of the extras, who are probably already wondering what the yelling was about, what he saw. So he can fuck right off.”

“Wow Kacchan you are not a morning person! Plus it's the middle of the afternoon, we have to get up at some point!”

Kirishima and Uraraka stood in the doorway watching the two interact, both happy that their best friend looked so content.

Izuku finally turned back to the pair standing in the doorway of his room.

“We’ll be out in a little! Sorry if we worried you!” Izuku turned away to face Katsuki once again, Kirishima and Uraraka took that as their cue to leave.

The two finally got up to start their day, slowly waking themselves up. Once they joined their classmates out in the common room they were met with expectant looks.

The first to speak up with a raised eyebrow was Kaminari.

“Oh look who’s finally awake!”

“Oh shut it Pikachu, if you woke up like I did you wouldn’t want to move either!” The smirk on Katsuki’s face said it all, he had no shame.

“Kacchan!”

“What? It’s true you’re comfortable, it also doesn’t hurt that you’re cute.” Katsuki snaked his arms around Izuku’s waist, punctuating his statement.

Izuku flushed a bright red and hid in Katsuki’s shoulder before whispering in Katsuki’s ear.

“I hope you know that this means we’re dating now, no take backs! You are officially stuck with me.”

Katsuki shook his head and smiled.

“Like I wasn’t stuck with you before.”

“Well now I get to do this.”

Katsuki furrowed his eyebrow as he processed what Izuku had just said, it didn’t last long though. He was soon met with Izuku’s lips on his, catching him by surprise. The sudden affection left him blushing as Izuku pulled away. Katsuki, momentarily forgetting their audience chased Izuku forward, capturing his lips once again, doing nothing to help the flush on his face. Once they pulled apart once again they heard Sero exclaim.

“Finally! Hopefully this means I’ll be saved from any future drunken rants about Midroiya!”

Katsuki flushed further, whether it was from embarrassment or anger, no one could tell.

“Aw Kacchan, no need to be embarrassed! I’m sure Shinou could say the same, except mine were mostly sober come to think of it.”

“All of you can fuck right off, I knew I should’ve stayed in bed.”

“You mean in my bed?” Izuku smirked as he saw Katsuki’s blush darken.

“That’s it, I’m done with you all, I’m walking away.” Katsuki turned toward the stairs and began walking forward but before he got too far he turned back.

“Are you coming or not?” Katsuki looked at Izuku and nowhere else, making a point to the rest of the class.

Izuku simply laughed and made his way towards the stairs, shouting a quick ‘No need to check on us!’ as he made his way up.

The rest of the week consisted of Class A hating on Izuku and Katsuki’s PDA even more so than their previous rants about each other. No one expected them to be more insufferable after they got together, but at least their friends were happy, they could only hope that their ‘honeymoon phase’ would end quickly and uneventfully, rather than them being caught by a teacher.

Alas their hopes didn’t last long because Mr. Aizawa seemed to have impeccable timing and a great sense of when Izuku and Kastuki could be in any type of trouble. After getting the pair to separate Mr. Aizawa shot Izuku an unimpressed look before reminding him of the advice he shared with him and Shinsou.

“What did I say about loud blondes?” At his words Izuku’s eyes widened slightly as he gave his expected response:

“Don’t fall for a loud blonde.” Izuku wouldn’t meet his teacher’s eyes, Katsuki on the other hand was looking between the two almost frantically, trying to figure out what was happening.

In the end Aizawa simply narrowed his eyes at the pair and let them off with a warning, noting that next time he wouldn’t be so forgiving. The pair took his words seriously and managed to avoid any extreme PDA, to the enjoyment of the rest of their class.

The pair could frequently be found sparring together or lying down in the training field after a particularly draining match. No one knew what they did while they were out there for hours at a time and no one dared to ask. Most of the time though, they were making idle conversation and enjoying each other’s company.

“Hey Kacchan?” Katsuki responded with a wordless hum.

“Truth or dare?”

“Uh, truth?” Izuku could hear skepticism in Katsuki’s voice.

“How long did you have a crush on me?” It was apparent that Izuku had been wondering about this for a while.

“How long ago did we meet again? Oh whatever I’d say since about ten hours after we met, give or take a few stupid years where I convinced myself I didn’t like you, although even then I’m pretty sure it was still there.”

Izuku was shocked by the sheer honesty but appreciated it, in response he just snuggled closer to his boyfriend and spoke.

“For the record, me too.”

Izuku thought for a moment about their shared past, he knew that, no matter how long it took or what got in their way, they were meant to end up here, together. The overwhelming feeling of balance they felt together was unmatched, the thought alone made Izuku tear up.

“What’s wrong nerd?”

“Nothing bad I promise! I’m just thinking about us, and about how much I love you.”

“Tch no need to get all sappy on me.” Katsuki pulled Izuku in even closer and layed a kiss on his temple before speaking up again, “I love you too.”

It occurred to them much later that this was the first time they had ever said ‘I love you’ to each other, reveling in the fact that they both knew long before they said it out loud.

#bakudeku #bakudeku fic #bakugou x midoriya #katsuki x izuku #deku x kacchan #bakugou kastuki #izuku midoriya #boku no hero academia #boku no hero academia fic #my hero academia #my hero academia fic #kastudeku #izukatsu #dekubaku #dekukatsu #katsuizu #party games #party game fic #All Just A Game

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nalu4emily · 4 years

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The Unexpected Reward - Chapter 7

Summary: Natsu and Lucy go on a job together, but what they bring home is something neither anticipated. Forced to make a life changing decision, they have to adapt quickly, but that's never easy, especially given the circumstances. As they work together on their toughest adventure yet, they find themselves drawn to one another, in ways they never realised. Nalu/cute/fluff/multi-chapter

It was early afternoon by the time the little family had left for the guild. Natsu, being a bit quieter than usual, still couldn't shake what had been playing on his mind all morning. Usually, he would talk to Lucy about anything, but this was unknown territory. He didn't want to upset her, but this was going to end badly, he could just tell.

They hadn't discussed work since returning with Haru and he just didn't know what to do about it. His head was spinning from all the thinking and it was making his stomach churn. Stress was something he use to just pass off with his act now, think later tactic, but now he had others to consider. He'd gladly take on a hundred Acnologia's then have to think about all of this, he was better with actions.

Speaking of, fighting was an excellent stress reliever, what a great way to clear his head. He knew exactly what he was going to do once they reached the guild. He hoped Gray would be there so he could punch seven colours of shit out of him and then anyone else who was willing. Within minutes of arriving, Natsu had spotted Gray, ran over to him and swung the first punch and the rest was history.

Lucy shook her head at the fire breather's antics and chose to stay out of the way. She walked over to the bar and sat with some of the other girls who also hadn't joined the mayhem. Haru had woken up from all the noise and was being passed from person to person, all commenting on how well he was doing. Happy as Lucy was to hear all of the nice compliments about the baby and what a good job her and Natsu were doing, she wasn't really paying attention, too busy watching Natsu be beaten and scolded by Erza.

It sounded silly, but Lucy felt a little strange without the fire mages company. They had spent the last two weeks with each other and she'd gotten use to his constant presence, to the point where she missed him being near her. It was nonsensical, there he was as clear as day, and yet she felt so distant from him.

She could see that their friendship was slowly evolving, they had shared many moments recently with each other that wouldn't be considered friendly, the hand holding, the cuddling, the kissing, it had all become very real once they'd started living together.

There was only one thing missing though, because people just kept interrupting them. She wished she could have kissed him properly last night before Happy, yet again, ruined it all. His lips had felt so good on hers, she could only imagine what they would feel like on other parts of her body…

"See something you like?" Mira giggled as she happily watched the spirit mage ogle the dragon slayer. "Or do I really need to ask?"

"Huh? Oh, I was, er-" Snapping out of her lust filled thoughts, with the biggest blush on her face and little sweat droplets forming on her brow. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said dismissively, turning to face them directly.

"Sure. Is that what you tell yourself when you're cuddled up to him? Or cook him dinner? Or when you sit in his lap and kiss him?" Cana wiggled her eyebrows and laughed at poor Lucy's mortified face.

"What?! Who told you all of that?!" Lucy cried out. She couldn't hide the horror from her voice. Thinking about it for a moment, she didn't really need to ask who'd told them, it was kinda obvious and she was going to kill him.

"So it is true? I knew it! A certain little blue birdy told Mira and naturally everyone now knows." Levy sniggered. Lucy couldn't believe how quickly information passed through the guild, especially where the 'blue birdy' and she demon were involved. He'd only arrived at the guild not minutes before they had.

"Guys, I'm not sure what Happy told you but I think you're mistak-"

"So what was the kiss like?" Levy interrupted, ignoring Lucy's obvious uneasiness.

"W-We didn't ki-" Lucy stuttered, why was it so hard to speak all of a sudden? She'd started to sweat profusely, what if Natsu overheard? How could she face him then, or anyone for that matter?

"You guys are too cute!" Lisanna blurted in her enthusiasm, not listening to Lucy either. "I think Natsu should propose to you and you can both just get married already."

"You'd look gorgeous in a wedding dress, Lucy. I have plenty to choose from." Erza added as she walked over from the brawl she'd just put an end to.

"G-Guys, You're getting too carried away! I'm not getting married and what Happy saw yesterday isn't what you think, it was just a peck, that's all." Lucy interjected, noticing the disappointment on her friends faces. She couldn't hide the fragility in her voice, she wanted them to leave it be now.

Wendy gasped and went bright red herself at what she was hearing, "Oh my, that's still a kiss though isn't it?"

"Well, it's not the type of kiss the others are thinking about because I've never actually done that before." Lucy said quietly, regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth.

"Hold up! You've never kissed anyone? Not ever?!" Cana yelled in her shock. All of the girls turned to her, dumbfounded by the blonde's confession. "But you've had boyfriend's though, right? Surely you must have done something with them?"

"I haven't had a boyfriend before either. I've only ever been on a few dates that's all, and they've always ended badly." With no thanks to Natsu she might add.

Lucy could feel her embarrassment bubbling at the surface about to spill over, starting to fiddle with the hem of her top as she looked away from all of their surprised faces. She knew they were just shocked by what she'd accidentally told them, but it was something she felt very sensitive over. She had spent so long yearning for Natsu that she'd not bothered to look elsewhere. Was it so wrong to only want one person?

"Even Juvia has kissed other guys and had boyfriends before, but that was before she met her darling Gray and now we kiss all the time, amongst other things." Juvia beamed, triumph evident on her face.

Well, that proves it then, even Juvia, who was infatuated with Gray, had been with others before. Lucy hadn't realised how far behind she was when it came to romance or sex. Was she really the only one? What about Natsu? She felt a pang of jealousy at the thought that even he had been with other girls before, and yet it almost seemed stupid because he wasn't one to overly show any interest in the opposite sex. It'd only been recently that he'd started talking about it, and even then it was still far and in between.

It almost seemed funny that she could imagine him being fiery in the bedroom, she thought of that quite often, yet she couldn't see him being all lovey dovey with someone, or doing the romance thing at all. He was a doer rather than a thinker and tended to act on impulse, so it was a possibility that the mood had struck him on occasion and he'd acted upon it. It made her feel a little sick just thinking about it, that was a side to him that was shut off to everyone and she didn't know whether it was on purpose or just through lack of interest.

Why was he so damn confusing? Had there little moment yesterday been an impulse of his as well, or had he actually wanted to? She just wanted to know how he felt about her and whether she was wasting her time.

Confronting him directly about it was an option, he wouldn't be able to hide then. But could she? Knowing there was a chance that he didn't share her feelings and that would break her heart. However, she also knew that if she didn't confront him, then she would forever be stuck in limbo, forever wondering whether the person she'd fallen for, would ever want her in the same way. And if he did, she couldn't stop the naughty images of them both from re-entering her head, the very thought was making her hot and bothered.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled to get her attention, but she hadn't answered. Her face was flushed and she was lost in some sort of trance. He lowered his face to hers and studied her glazed over eyes. He smirked, she was obviously thinking of something heated. "Feeling a little hot there, Luce? You shouldn't be thinking of such things in public."

Her head snapped up to his, eyes widening at his words. If her face wasn't already flushed, it was almost on fire now. She tried to speak, say something but her mind had been frazzled. Why did he keep doing this to her? She was struggling enough as it was.

"Natsu! What are you saying?!" She shrieked, horror in her eyes as she looked around to see if anyone had heard, which of course, they had and were sniggering amongst themselves.

Unfortunately, that'd included little Haru too, who'd been frightened awake from her outburst. Natsu noticed him start to whimper and wriggle, so he reached out for the little guy to take him from his mother and held him to his chest. He sat down on a stool and rocked the baby, hushing him gently until he calmed down again.

"Lucy, I was kidding, what's got your panties in a twist?" Natsu asked, a little concerned at her reaction. Surely that couldn't have gotten her this worked up? She looked like she was about to melt with the amount of sweat on her forehead.

"N-Nothing, er, I-I need air…" She muttered, avoiding Natsu's gaze the entire time. There was too much going on in her head right now and it felt like she was suffocating.

Her body seemed to have a mind of it's own as it shimmied off the seat and made its way outside. The air felt thick and stuffy, like she was being choked by all of her conflicting thoughts and Natsu teasing her really wasn't helping with that, not that that was his fault. Still, as if on autopilot, her body took her away from the guild, she wasn't really sure where she was going, but the cool breeze was starting to calm her down at least.

Meanwhile, Natsu, still sat at the bar with little Haru cooing softly in his arms, couldn't stop staring at the great doors that Lucy had just walked out of. What was all that about? Had he upset her? Because he hadn't meant to, he always teased her but it never meant anything. Surely, what he had said couldn't have been the reason for her to walk off like that. He turned to the guys that were still sat at the bar.

"What the hell just happened? What's wrong with Lucy?" He said, directing it at anyone who wanted to answer.

"Oh Natsu, you really are dense sometimes. Isn't it obvious?" Lisanna said, smiling at him.

"Isn't what obvious? I don't get it!" He replied, why couldn't they just tell him?

"Way to go Flame brain, now look what you've done!" Gray taunted as he walked over to stand by Natsu, a smirk present on his face. "I don't know how Lucy puts up with you."

"What I've done?! You're lucky I'm holding my son or I'd be beating your stupid face in right about now." Natsu spat back. He couldn't be bothered with Gray's smart ass, he was too confused and focused on Lucy. Was he really the problem here? It must've been something else and maybe what he'd said had made it worse? Lucy got flustered often, but that was never a reason for her to leave for no reason, she usually got over it pretty quickly, unless... "This isn't just my fault, what were you guys talking about before?" He realised then, it seemed to be what they always talked about. His and Lucy's relationship was always a hot topic and they tended to take it too far with Lucy sometimes, but for her to react like that, it must have been something personal.

"We were talking about Lucy's sexual escapades. Or lack thereof, I should say." Cana added, already on her way to finishing her third barrel of alcohol. "Poor girl, doesn't know what she's missing!"

"So it wasn't just me!" He stared accusingly towards the group who'd pointed their fingers at him. "But why were you talking about that?" Natsu asked, rolling his eyes. He knew it was something of that nature, but why did they always have to pick on Lucy about it?

"We were just having a little fun but she stopped talking after admitting something and the conversation ended there." Levy started, she felt a little bad for Lucy and how they had reacted to her confession.

"Then you came over and said that, which I imagine was the icing on the cake. Not that you could've known that, of course." Mira finished, she hadn't meant to upset Lucy, she'd just got a little carried away in her excitement.

"Admitted something?" Natsu asked, brows furrowed. Had something happened to her? He'd always been acutely aware of bastards who thought they had a right to touch Lucy, but he took care of them with great pleasure. "What did she tell you?"

"I'm surprised you weren't listening, even I heard them talking and I wasn't even trying to. They weren't being quiet about it." Gajeel walked over with a twin in each arm and stood next to Levy.

"Is someone gonna to tell me what was said? Or are you just going to keep wasting my time, when I should be looking for Lucy?" He was starting to get frustrated now, like he didn't have enough on his mind without them going round in circles.

"We were teasing her about her closeness with you, Natsu, and it went too far." Juvia admitted, even she felt bad now that she had said it out loud.

"And to shut us up she said that she'd never been romantically involved with anyone before and it shocked us. We should have said something, but we didn't." Lisanna said quietly, they had been so excited by what Happy had told them, they hadn't considered Lucy's feelings. "We're sorry, Natsu. We weren't trying to make her feel bad about it. We wouldn't knowingly upset Lucy."

"It's my fault Natsu, I told Mira about what I saw when I came home yesterday and I think it got a little out of hand." Happy came over to Natsu and stood in front of him, with his head down, feeling a little silly now for saying such things.

"We're all to blame, not just Happy. We were so excited and shocked we thought that you'd both finally got together or something." Mira finished, she wished she'd been more sensitive to Lucy's feelings now.

Natsu let out a puff of smoke, and sifted his hand through his hair, completely exasperated. A reaction like that would make anyone feel self conscious, let alone someone like Lucy. It was something she'd always been private about and he was at a loss over how to solve it. She always got flustered if anyone ever brought it up so he never asked, wanting to save her from the embarrassment. It was a delicate and fragile subject for her and he respected that, but these girls seemed to lack a filter and it would often lead to overly personal interrogations.

Natsu didn't really understand why it was such a big deal whether she'd been with someone or not. What she had or hadn't done before was up to Lucy, it was in the past, and as long as she was safe, he didn't care. She'd always been very innocent minded so maybe those things meant more to her? He needed to get to the bottom of this, so he stood up and started to walk towards the main door.

"I guess I should go fix this then?" He exhaled, no longer in the mood to engage with them about it any longer. Why couldn't they just keep their mouths shut? How was he supposed to bring up what he needed to talk about with her, when she was already heightened from this? He loved every single one of his friends, but they could really stick their foot in it sometimes.

He walked out of the guild and took in a deep breath, he hoped Lucy wasn't angry with him for what he'd said, and would let him speak to her at least. He sniffed at the air to try and catch a whiff of Lucy's scent and started to walk in the direction she'd gone.

"Let's go and find mama! I think I know where she's gone." He smiled at the little baby who was resting his head on his fathers shoulder, his wide blue eyes staring deeply into Natsu's green ones.

Seeing that sweet face always managed to make Natsu smile, no matter how bleak the situation, Haru seemed to brighten everything up. Looking forward again, he kept walking, eventually turning a corner and entering Strawberry Street. There she was, sat on the wall with her legs dangling over the canal. It was late afternoon now and the sun was getting lower in the sky, making the blue water glisten. He walked over and perched himself next to her, keeping silent for a moment.

"You found me then? I was wondering when you'd show up." Lucy said, not taking her eyes off of the water. "Did they bombard you with ridiculous questions as well?"

"Not really." He said simply, he really wasn't sure how he was meant to talk about this with her, maybe he should just let her take the lead.

"Figures, they never do with you. Being so shielded means people learn not to bother." She said, with a slight sting in her voice, not directing at him, but at the situation in general.

"Shielded? What do you mean?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn't understand what she was trying to imply.

"Nothing Natsu. Sorry, it's not you I'm annoyed with. I'm not really annoyed with anyone, other than myself for being so immature. I don't know why those things get to me so easily, but they do. I'm an adult, I should be able to talk about adult things without turning into a complete mess." She sighed and finally looked over at him and gave a half smile, then turned to Haru, relaxing a little as she reached out to stroke his hair.

"Maybe, you're just not ready for those sorts of things, but that doesn't make you immature, Lucy, it's not for everyone. It'll come in time if that's what matters to you." He knew it would take her longer, but that was why he was willing to wait for her.

"But I want to be ready…" She said quietly. "Don't you ever want that, Natsu?"

"I didn't use to, it never interested me. But becoming Haru's father changed that, he opened my eyes to all sorts of possibilities that I'd never considered before." Natsu brought the baby down into his lap and smiled at his big wide eyes, he felt Lucy lean in and lay her head against his shoulder. It was in times like this he realised, he could never want anything more than the little family he'd made for himself, and what a beautiful thing it was to experience it with his best friend. "Like having my own family and being with someone I want to share that with."

He turned his head to face her, locking onto her eyes as she brought her own head up. Lucy felt her heart start to thump harshly against her chest, was he trying to tell her something? Was she that someone? Or was she misreading it again? No, she didn't think she was. His eyes were piercing into hers with so much emotion it was almost shattering. Never in a million years did she think Natsu would speak so openly with her, but then she'd never actually asked him. So maybe he wasn't hiding anything, she was just incapable of reading what he'd been trying to tell her all along.

"Me too, Natsu. I think it's also why it bothers me so much when people pry, because I've only ever had eyes for one person. Why would I look elsewhere when all I need is right here in front of me?" She reached out, placing her hand onto his cheek and caressed it with her thumb, giving him her sweetest smile.

It surprised her that for once she didn't feel embarrassed to say that to him, in fact she felt empowered. The way he was looking at her made her stomach do back flips, but this time she didn't want to shy away from it, she wanted to run with it and see where it would take her.

Natsu smiled softly at her, he felt completely at her mercy. Was this the moment he'd been so desperately waiting for? He'd just told her something he'd never told anyone, what else could he say to make her realise? He couldn't look away from her big brown eyes, they were hypnotising. She was the sweetest person he'd ever met and her beauty couldn't be tamed by words. In that moment, her entire being was glowing, blending with the evening rays and she looked utterly breathtaking.

She leaned in, nothing was going to stop her this time. With new found courage, she brushed her nose up against his, and opened her mouth ever so slightly as her eyes slowly began to close. Natsu could feel the blood pumping in his ears as he watched her come closer, her beautiful brown eyes shimmered before they shut completely. He brought his free hand up to rest under her ear with his fingers tangling into her hair and tilted his head slightly. He moved ever so slowly closer to her, waiting to receive her mouth with his.

"Kiss me, Natsu." She whispered against him and that was all he needed before he connected their lips in a sweet kiss.

He pressed delicately against her, her lips were like nothing he'd ever felt before. They moulded perfectly to his and her scent was intoxicating, making him want to delve deeper, but he wouldn't, not yet. He wanted Lucy's first kiss to be special because it mattered to her and that's exactly what it was, soft and gentle. It was all the things Lucy had hoped for as her first experience and she couldn't believe it was with Natsu, the man who had stolen her heart. They remained like that for a few moments and after revelling in each others warm touch, they pulled apart.

Breathing harshly, Lucy's face split into a wide grin, her eyes crinkling at the corners as they were forced shut from her elation. She couldn't believe it, after so many failed attempts and worrying over nothing, they'd finally kissed and it had felt amazing.

"Why did we wait so long to do that?" Lucy beamed. She moved back slightly, wanting to see his face more clearly.

"That wasn't a one time deal, Lucy, we'll need to make up for lost time." A sly smile creeping on to his face, expression turning from soft to something a little more hungry as he glared at her like something he could devour.

Lucy felt almost intimidated by his stare, he was so hot and fiery, she could only imagine what he'd be like as a lover. She felt a spark shoot straight down to the area between her legs as she thought of all the things he might do to her. This time she couldn't help the blush rise up her chest and neck the longer he looked at her like that.

"Luce, you're blushing again. You really should save those kinda thoughts for the bedroom." He smirked at her, she'd always leave herself open for teasing. As much as he wanted to give in to his (and her) desires and consume every last inch of her body this second, right where they sat. He didn't feel that was overly appropriate whilst their son was present and still awake.

"Natsu! There are innocent ears present!" She squeaked, blush now taking over her entire body and it wasn't helping that he was obviously trying to stifle a laugh.

"Come on, Luce. It's getting late and Haru needs to go to bed soon." He turned around and stood up, reaching out his hand to her. The sun had disappeared from the sky now, with only the moonlight to guide their way. Neither mage could control their beaming smiles as they made their way home.

Once reaching their house and going inside, Lucy took Haru from Natsu and went upstairs to their bedroom to change him and began to settle him as she sat on the bed. Natsu had come up not long after with a fresh bottle of milk for him. He stayed in the doorway, out of view, for a moment and listened to Lucy speak softly to the little one. He watched her lean back on the pillows with Haru resting on her stomach as she stroked his back.

Haru, seeming a little unsettled, was grunting as he tried to get comfortable. Lucy (and Natsu) watched in amusement, with grins plastered on both of their faces as he wriggled around on Lucy's stomach, slowly climbing up towards her chest. This was something she had read about in her many baby books. Small baby's would attempt to climb the mother's body to latch on and feed, although it surprised her the instinct was still there considering he'd been bottle fed for the last two weeks.

He was still very small so he struggled to move his weight around, well that's what they thought until he suddenly lifted his head to move it. Lucy's eyes widened like saucers as she watched him do it again. It wasn't elegant or delicate, plopping it back down onto his mother as he jerkily moved to face where Natsu was standing. Natsu walked over, making his presence known and knelt down beside the bed so that he was eye level with the little boy, bringing his face closer so that Haru could focus on it.

"Did you see that Natsu? He climbed up me and lifted his head!" Lucy beamed whilst trying to remain calm for Haru's sake, it was still his bed time after all.

"You bet I did!" A grin pierced his face as he continued to watch the tiny fella. Bringing his hand up to stroke his chubby little cheek. "What a strong boy you are!" It was such a little thing, but Natsu couldn't have been prouder of how well his son was doing. He stayed there for a while longer, cheering the baby on as he made his way up.

Haru had reached his mother's chest and had started rooting, another thing she had read about. Lucy was amazed by how much such a tiny baby could do, it was so damn cute, but he was definitely hungry.

"I'm sorry baby, you're not going to find anything in there." She couldn't contain her giggles as they wracked her body. She quickly held onto Haru so that he didn't fall off as she sat up and laid him down in her lap. "But daddy has something yummy for you."

Natsu stood up, chuckling to himself at the baby's desperate attempt to feed and sat down next to Lucy, handing her the warmed bottle. Haru opened his mouth eagerly and started guzzling, like always. They cuddled up to one another and watched the baby feed for a little while.

"That's one little milestone reached, he'll be walking and talking before you know it." Lucy whispered, feeling a little sad at the prospect of Haru not being this little forever.

"Don't wish it away, Luce. We should just enjoy it while he's still so small." Natsu said. His mood instantly soured as his words reminded him about what he'd been needing to tell her all day, he guessed now was a good a time as any. "When we go downstairs, I need to talk to you, Lucy."

"Is everything okay, Natsu?" She suddenly felt a little worried, starting a conversation with those words never ended well. Her mind was running wild with all the possible things he might say and naturally she came to one conclusion. Her eyes widened, as she snapped her head up to his. "Is this about the kiss?!"

"Why would it be about that?" Raising and eyebrow in confusion. He chuckled at her pink dusted cheeks, only she would assume he would have a problem with that. "You're weird, Lucy!"

Blushing a little at his words, Lucy nodded, feeling relieved. When Haru had settled down, they both went downstairs and sat on the couch together. Natsu looked so serious, it was very unlike him to look like that without good reason. He took her hands in his and let out a breath, this was going to be painful, he just knew it. But at least it was just the two of them, so if Lucy did get upset, he could handle it without any prying ears around.

"Lucy, I don't know how best to say this but…" Her mind was going into overdrive as he paused, he was staring so intently at her that she couldn't stop the adrenaline from spiking through her body and making it tremble. "We need to return to work soon, the money from our last job has almost run out." He waited for her reaction, watching her face morph from confusion to something he couldn't place.

"Yeah, I know. I've been thinking about it for a few days now and I thought if I tried to ignore it, then it would go away." Lucy sighed, she'd been dreading this, she didn't want to go back to work yet, she didn't feel ready. "I wanted to stay with Haru a bit longer before we had to go back, but apparently babies are expensive. Who knew?" She snorted, but her voice was void of mirth.

"Hold on a second! I've been going out of my head all day trying to find a way to tell you and you already knew?!" Natsu looked at her in disbelief. How stupid could he be? Of course she knew, this was Lucy, she was meant to be the sensible one here.

"Just because I knew doesn't make it any easier, Natsu. I don't feel ready at all to return yet, I don't want to leave Haru while he's still so small. It feels like we've only just come back with him and now we're leaving again." She looked down at the floor, fighting to hold back the tears in her eyes, quickly wiping them away.

"Honestly, I don't feel ready either, but no matter how hard it gets, we'll get through it." He spoke softly, circling his arms around her waist and pulling her against him, if she were to cry then he would be there for her, just like she was there for him. He leant down and breathed into her ear, "It's okay to be sad, Lucy."

As soon as her head touched his chest, the flood gates opened, everything she had suppressed came spilling out and she couldn't stop the tremors that dominated her body. Natsu hated seeing her cry, but this reaction was quite tame and easy to deal with compared to how he thought she was going to be.

"We've only had Haru for two weeks but I just can't imagine not being with him, he's such a vulnerable little baby that needs his mommy and daddy." She sniffled, holding onto Natsu like her life depended on it and in return, he held her tight, giving her all the time she needed to relieve herself of such worries. "I need him to be safe and I'm scared that if we leave him now something bad might happen."

"He will be safe, nothing is going to happen to him while we're gone, I promise." He brought his hand up to place it on the top of her head and began to comb through her silky hair with his fingers. "We knew when we took him in it was going to be harder, but we've come this far and he's doing so well compared to where he started."

"He is, even the guys at the guild were saying so. I love him so much, more than I ever thought possible and I want to do right by him. Which also means earning money to provide for him too. I just wish it wasn't so soon." The tears began to fall once more as she buried her head back in to his chest.

"He's a little fighter, Luce. It'll be worth it when you have him to come home to every time, he'll be your reason to keep going, no matter how hard it gets." Natsu felt his own tears spring to the surface, but fought them back. He loved Haru with his entire being and having to leave him was killing him inside, but he had to remain strong for Lucy. "Haru is a tough little boy, he's proven that every single day, so he'll be fine for a few days without us."

"He will. I know he will, thank you Natsu." Her voice barely audible as her breathing began to even out and her tears were slowing down.

It took her a few moments but she eventually and reluctantly separated from his hold and stared up at him. She smiled at him, a genuine happy smile that conveyed so much more than any words she could say. Her eyes were still glossy from crying and her cheeks tinted pink. Her mouth was partially open and her plump lips looked ever so enticing. Natsu was stunned once more by her beauty, it seemed no matter the situation, whether she was laughing or crying, she always managed to look so angelic and all he could think about was their earlier kiss and how much he wanted to do it again.

Lucy could see the want in his eyes, like she was something he would ravage until he was satiated. It made her heart leap out of her chest at the very idea of him being let loose, allowing his hot mouth to gorge on her body. It was just the two of them and even though she was nervous about how far he might go, she wasn't sure once they started whether she'd want him to stop.

Giving in to his desire, placing a hand on the nape of her neck and the other on her waist, he pulled her in, hearing a sharp inhale as he welded his lips onto hers in a searing hot kiss. The dragon slayer inhaled every last drop of her alluring scent and began to move his mouth, moulding their lips together again and again in a fluid motion, swallowing every little whimper that escaped her needy crevice. It was slow and passionate, savouring every last touch of her delicate lips.

Natsu, wanted to taste her, to explore her little mouth and so weaved his tongue into the kiss, which Lucy gladly accepted with her own. It felt like she was being scorched from the inside and it made her feel dizzy, making her moan into him. It was a noise that seemed to awaken the fire within his belly, he just couldn't get enough of this girl.

Without separating, he pushed her down, laying her back against the couch with his body hovering over her, his legs straddling hers and her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. They were completely lost in each other, nothing could penetrate their little bubble of happiness.

When they finally broke apart, breathing harshly from the lack of oxygen, Natsu placed his forehead against hers and smiled. The smile took over his entire face and the only thing Lucy could do was mirror him. He opened his eyes to look at her flushed face, feeling a sense of pride as he mused over her swollen pink lips, even now he found it hard to stop himself from claiming them again.

"You don't know how long I've waited to do that." He whispered, still a little out of breath, but feeling completely elated at the same time.

"Me too, Natsu. I always assumed you weren't interested in me, but I guess you've proved me wrong." She chuckled at the silliness of it all, after all this time he'd wanted her just as much as she wanted him and she couldn't have been happier.

"In that case, I'll spend every day from now on showing you just how interested I am." He smirked, watching her face flush fifty shades of red as she realised what he was implying.

He leaned down, his lips were mere millimetres from her mouth, breath mingling with hers, "You're so beautiful, Lucy." He whispered before ravaging her lips once more. He could totally do this all night long if Lucy would let him.

"OH MY GOD! NATSU AND LUCY ARE MAKING KITTENS!" Both mages heads snapped towards where the noise had come from, making eye contact with the little blue feline hovering by the front door, giggling to himself.

Without thinking, Lucy pushed Natsu off of her in her temper, got up from the chair and ran after the cat, that had now shot back out of the front door, flying for his life as the blonde chased after him. Natsu walked over to the door and watched as Happy taunted Lucy whilst she screeched at him. He contemplated briefly whether he should go and save his little friend before Lucy unleashed hell upon him, if she ever managed to catch him that was. He was probably enjoying their little show more than he should have done and decided that Happy, for once, was on his own.

#Nalu #fairy tail nalu #nalu fanfic #nalu fanfiction #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #Natsu and Lucy #natsu x lucy #fairy tail #fairy tail fanfiction #happy (fairy tail)#fairy tail 100 year quest #fanfic #fanfiction

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g--r-e--e-n · 4 years

Text

The best of cures.

Anime expo: MAX. I may be late because I fell asleep :'C

Pairing: Beelzebub x GN! MC x Belphegor, not necessarily romantic but maybe kind of. May write a more lovey-dovey fluffy piece as a second part if anyone happens to enjoy this humble piece of writing.

Warnings: Mention of a vague sort of unwell feeling, probably because of Solomon's cooking. Spoilers for the whole Belphegor thingy, around lesson 16, I believe. Not too nicely written but I really do try.

A/N: This has been harder than it seemed! Maybe it's just because I didn't sleep nicely, but I wanted to participate in this.

English is not my first language, and this is my first fanfic, so it can feel weird and the characters might be slightly OOC (is that how you young people say it???). I also struggle quite a bit with Internet slang and overall usage of this platform so please, tell me if I did something wrong!

Asphyxiating. Utterly, deeply asphyxiating, which, coming from someone who once died being choked, is not to be overlooked.

Bodies pile against each other, pushing, brushing, bumping. The air seems to get heavier and heavier with every breathing pair of lungs, every beating heart.

Someone's singing on stage something you can't really understand, and it's way to damn loud, almost enough to drown the constant noise produced by a hundred little machines all over the place.

Levi was long gone, too invested into getting new merch to even think twice about the crowd. After all, this was a place were he got to be himself, where people wouldn't judge.

Mammon was, unsurprisingly, spreading chaos all over the place, followed by a very stressed and very tired Lucifer and Satan, who was having too much of a good time seeing his oldest brother struggle against the mass of people while trying not to get Mammon arrested, or probably directly murdered. Sure, he was a powerful demon, but he was also Lucifer's favorite and, under the excuse of "not allowing him to gain us all a bad name", he kept his adorable little brother out of danger, at least this time.

Of course, Asmo, on the other hand, was too busy flirting with cosplayers and praising their skills to even pay attention to your very mortal, very stressed and probably not at its best little head.

But it was fine, because, after all, you had the twins.

More or less. Maybe it was them who had you. Maybe it was Beel who somehow had both of you.

You softly grabbed Belphegor's shirt, who at the same time grabbed his twin's sleeve, forming a very awkard, but oddly comforting little train that ran at unholy speed towards every food booth you can find, as many times in as little time as it's physically possible without leaving you behind. After all, as much as Beel loves his food, you know he loves his family more, and, at this point, it seemed that you somehow are a part of it.

And that feeling must be there for young little Belphie, for when he noticed your pale face he slightly pulled Beel's sleeve, just enough to stop him from continuing ruining more business, perhaps even saving them.

"MC, you don't look too well" Softly said the youngest of all brothers, his soft fingers slowly tracing your cheek, letting go of his twin. His hand slowly and almost lovingly climbed to your forehead, worry clear in his face untill a relieved sigh leaves his lips, before a soft, almost lazy smile is born. "Well, at least it's not fever... Do you need a nap? I'd be happy to help."

You try your best to brush it off with a smile too, not wanting to disturb anyone, but before any words could leave your lips, you felt the world begin to spin around. It's not like you fell, but you did struggle a little, at least enough to get Beelzebub to lay his large hands on your shoulders at a clumsy attempt to help you. He knows for sure he's big and heavy, and now that you, a fragile human, seem to be sick, he seems afraid he could just break you.

"Maybe... Fresh air?" you do your best to speak, slowly coming back to your senses, feeling your guts move around a little too much for your liking. Both Beel and Belphie look at you with clear concern, two identical pairs of eyes fixed not within you, but within your soul.

You do not reek of the heavy, overwhelming and intoxicating sloth, nor of the acute, corrosive and flaming hunger. If a human is well fed and well rested, only sickness could be the answer, right?

They both share a concerned look. Soon, Beel, who does not have as much of a reflexive nature as his brother, is soon leading you two outside, shielding you as much as he can from the crowd, holding you close just in case you feel a bit too weak. Maybe you would complain if his warmth wasn't as alluring, his presence as comforting.

Belphie, on the other hand, lingered back a bit. Seeing you struggling and not being able to help made him feel so uneasy, soon reminded of your human nature, your own volatility. How his dream is just that, a dream. A foolish one.

You barely turn your head back in time for catching a glimpse of the Avatar of Sloth himself rushing (he may not be running, but please still note the huge effort) towards you, who are just crossing the door. Like hell was he giving up just now. He doesn't care what Diavolo says. He doesn't care what God says. He will fall again if it means he can get a happy future with Beel and you. I mean, at some point, you'll have to die. All he has to do is make sure you get here, with him, and to this day tempting you to nap with him had been rather easy.

The breeze is soft but fresh, trees softly dancing with it. Some people come and go, but there's at least a chance for you to actually breathe and sit on the nearest bench, head spinning a tad too much to mourn the loss of Beel's embrace.

"Are you feeling better?" It's Beelzebub who asks this time, kneeling before the bench to look into your eyes, with the face of a sad little puppy trying to cheer its owner. "Maybe you could use some food. What if it's your sugar level? Humans need lots of sugar, right?"

You tried your best to say no, you really did, but he was just too cute to simply refuse him. Poor boy wants to help, so you might as well give him a chance. He could be right, for all that you know. Not like he already made you eat much more than you had planned.

"Well, if y-"

"Food and rest." Belphie slowly nodded, sitting next to you and throwing his arm over your shoulder, a little smile on his lips once again, your voice too weak for him to even notice his interruption. He wasn't usually like this, but not that you could ever know. After all, this smiley Belphie is born every time you are around. "Beel, go get them some sweets. We'll be here."

The young orange-haired demon seemed pretty convinced, a sparkle of concern still alive behind his iris, nodding without a single question to be uttered. Belphegor does know a lot about humans, after all. And he's glad he gets to help.

As soon as his twin is gone, Belphie's eyes carelessly lie upon you, his arm shifting you to rest on his shoulder.

"He's one adorable dork." he softly says, as if he didn't want the trees to know how much he cared for Beelzebub. How much he cared about you. "So you better stay healthy. He already lost you once."

You hesitated a bit. You could be real mean and ask him whose fault it was, but something about the bitterness in his voice told you not to. It's not like you felt strong enough to fight anyone right there and then.

"Don't underestimate me, cowboy.'

You widely smile, letting a half laugh and half sigh go, closing your eyes and softly snuggling up a bit. The action is sweet, yes, but it means more than it might seem to.

For days after the "incident" you could barely let Belphie touch you. You did try your best, mainly because you would rather die again than see Beel sad, but your inner rejection to hid touch was too obvious for Belphie not to notice. It's how any human would've reacted anyway.

But there you were, weak, fragile, ever so much he could kill you with a mere snap of his fingers. Your hear on his shoulder, your hair tickling his nose, your own neck exposed for him to grab once more.

It was a foolish kind of trust that made something inside Belphie want to laugh, yes, but also incredibly warm, enough to openly hug you tight, something strictly reserved for either Beel or his dear pillow.

His hand, somehow a weird, corpse-like sort of cold, lingered softly on your neck, barely touching it at all, caressing slightly your skin and sending shivers down your spine. You seem to find certain relief in his soft touch, for soon you place your hand over his, slightly moving your head almost unconsciously, like a young kitten seeking for love.

"You are a weird human, you know?" A little laugh follows his words. Were your insides not feeling melt already, you sure would've felt it. Belphegor has one of the prettiest of smiles in the whole Devildom and, when you see him laugh, you felt paradoxically enough, in heaven. "I'm glad you're here. Not because of Lilith, not because of anything really, not other than because of you."

You didn't really know if he means those words, seeing how his beheaviour quickly changed, but you decided not to overthink it. Your position was comfortable, Belphegor's heartbeat slowly lulling you... Yet there's something else left.

At times something can be home, back in the human realm. Friends that you left behind.

Others, something can be a demon try as a tree hidden behind a mountain of snacks that barely allowed his bright smile to show behind the almost as bright wrappers.

"Beel, come here..." Belphie's voice sounds almost gravy, barely imprinted in a yawn, as he softly pats the empty space in the bench, his hand leaving your neck tingling softly, a whine almost running away from your mouth. "Don't be too noisy, alright? And try not to get heartburn."

As whiny and bratty as Belphie could sound to any stranger, Beel must find it extremely funny, judging from the way that he softly chuckled and obeyed, quickly handing you a package of your favorite candy that you do your best to hold.

"Here. There's a bunch, so don't worry, alright? Even here, we can try those booths food, so just focus in getting better! Everything else is just perfect." His smile was brighter than the soon, and the way he manged to cuddle both his brother and you while not getting poor Belphie drowning in crumbs seems oddly mesmerizing.

"Just you wait!"

As soon as your words had left you, you were pulled closer by Belpie as his way to hush you and tell you to just eat and nap, which, weirdly enough, helped a little bit.

You woke up pretty late, still cuddling a beautifully asleep Belphie and his twin, very awake, very hungry and very afraid to move. It was his stomach's roar that had brought you to life, and you couldn't help but laugh. Beel, even if confused and distressed, ended up joining, glad to see your strength slowly recovering itself.

When the laugh slowly died, you two were left there, starring fondly at each other, both hunger and illness suddenly yet temporarily forgotten.

It was awkard, yes, but the kind you happened to enjoy. Puppy love kind of awkard. Giggles and scaping gazes. Soft smiles and a warm embrace.

You carefully leaned towards him, careful not to lose your balance, and softly kissed his forehead, staying there, ever so close, for a few seconds before shifting again, Belphie moving in his deep slumber just enough to let you know he misses your warmth, and that, as always, he had some sort of alarm shoved up that made him wake up the moment you decided to get affectionate with anyone.

"Thank you" you whispered softly, eyes slowly shutting so to feel Belphegor's breathing, focusing on the way it mixed with your own, your fingers tracing butterflies over his chest, knowing Beel's attention still lies on you, and finding certain comfort in it. "This is truly being one hell of a year."

Beel's eyes were oozing love as he stated at both, his adored little brother and the lovely human who had stepped in to protect him. Brave, unique. Not that you could tell, of course.

"We're glad" A big smile in his lips and hunger completely banished, he soon went back to cuddling quietly, his comforting warmth soon reaching you, who curled a bit, feeling bumblebees waltzing in your stomach.

Around half an hour later, you were found by Lucifer, who stared at the tangled mess of limbs and empty envelopes with a raised eyebrow. Being fair, he wasn't the first one to be rather surprised by the view, but nobody else had such a tender smirk to their faces. It had been a while since he last saw his beloved little brothers having such a good time.

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tirednotflirting · 4 years

Text

i am missing you more than i should (guess i'm not out of the woods)

i attempted to post this to ao3 and then the page crashed so tumblr gets some rights today i guess.

this is another addition to the maisie thing i’m working on. title and inspo from look at me now by maisie peters

read here on ao3 if you wanna

(it’s kinda emo i apologize)

It’s a cold November night when Luke sees Calum again.

Despite the outdoor temperature being displayed on his phone screen, Luke is warm from the alcohol in his belly and the bodies milling around the bar. He’s ordered a drink to feel natural in his current setting but it’s just soda and lime. He’s stepped into this place to wait for Ashton to come pick him up. He had read one top many horror stories about ride share apps and young drunken people and now always gripes at Luke for not calling him for a pick up on a night out. So after watching all of his friends (though that’s kind of a stretch for the people he frequents clubs with) head off into the night, Luke wandered to the place he currently sits at, feeling drawn to the little dive bar he hasn’t been to in ages and sent Ashton his location.

It’s while he’s waiting for his drink that he remembers why he was drawn to this bar. This is Calum’s place. Luke can’t even think up how many pairs of hands he would need to count the number of times they had stumbled into this place, laughing with their arms around each other while tripping their way up to the bar. It’s close to the complex Calum had been living in while they were still in school. Seeing him here now at the other end of the bar, the glitter in his eyes shining even though they’re not taking a single glance in his direction, makes Luke wonder if Calum’s stuck around this area of town.

Because of course Luke wouldn’t know. Luke hasn’t said a single word to the man in ages, hasn’t seen him in probably a year and a half at this point. (He’s tempted to pull out his dying phone to find the last text messages they exchanged to track the time but he knows Ashton probably deleted their messages during one of the many times he ended up on the other man’s couch with tears raining down his cheeks.)

We want different things. That’s what Calum had told him. Luke wanted to see the world. They were about to graduate, he wanted to see everything and he wanted to see it all with Calum. The idea of settling any part of his still mess of a young life scared the hell out of him. Luke wanted to run but he wanted to do it with Calum’s hand holding his own. Calum was so practical, his mind somehow years ahead of Luke’s. They were graduating, it was time to slow down, he was always trying to explain to the boy he’d laughed with and loved for the last four years. The speeds they were trying to live their lives at during those last few months pretty much started pulling them in opposite directions, Luke supposes. Though that didn’t change how much it hurt the day he returned to his apartment to find a box of his clothes and belongings sitting in front of the door with a little note tucked into the side.

Luke had stuck to his plan. It was only in the last couple of months that he’d returned to the city and found a job more permanent, reconnected with Ashton who had stuck it out in the area for law school. He had seen so many places, so many people, so many pairs of brown eyes that had him nearly chasing after strangers on the other side of the world. He hadn’t dared to try to love someone else but eventually his brain stopped trying to play tricks on him to make him see what he had lost because he couldn’t just slow down. Eventually he didn’t wake every morning expecting to see someone curled up beneath the sheets beside him or to walk into the kitchen to find the ever studious business major drinking from the blue mug with the chip in the handle as he checked the news on his phone

Though from what he could see down the bar, Calum hadn’t been on his own since Luke saw him last. Or at least he wasn’t right now.

Luke watches a laugh escape Calum’s lips while he reaches for his glass on the bartop (always a whiskey man, Luke was never not teasing him for his old man drink preferences). He takes a sip and then raises his brows, his lips moving to ask a question Luke can still hear rolling off his tongue if he thinks back hard enough. He watches the glass get passed along to the blonde sitting in front of him and facing away from Luke. The glittering in Calum’s eye changes some as his bottom lip gets pulled between his teeth while a smirk forms on one side of his face. Luke can see the other man’s shoulders rise slightly in response to taking the sip and he wonders if the scrunched up face he used to pull when sipping Calum’s liquor is anything like this new man’s. He figures it must be as Calum’s face softens in a still vaguely familiar way and Luke watches him lean forward to press a kiss to the blonde’s cheek while a hand lifts to cover the other.

Luke squeezes his eyes shut and forces his face away from the couple. He takes a sip of his soda before shrugging his denim jacket from his arms, the bar suddenly feeling far too warm. He’s reaching for his phone in the pocket of his jacket, ready to send Ashton an SOS to get him to hurry along, when a soft voice behind him nearly throws him to the opposite side of the bar. “Luke?”

He jumps as he spins in the stool he’s seating in, Luke’s eyes suddenly meeting the ones he’s been searching for in every corner of the world. He used to spend hours lying awake thinking about this exact moment, about what it would be like to speak again for the first time with his lost great love. (If Ashton were able to hear him thinking that he would scold Luke for being so dramatic. You’re literally 24. Calm down, Luke.) “Hi, Calum,” he returns, praying his voice isn’t as shaky as it feels. The name feels foreign on his tongue and he can’t tell if he’s thankful for that or not.

“How’re you doing, man?” Calum asks, a small smile playing at his lips. “It’s wild to see you in here, not gonna lie. Thought you were still off somewhere with your wanderlust.”

Luke tries to be as subtle as he can as he reaches for his wrist to pinch himself since he’s not entirely sure he believes this moment to be real. He coughs and shakes himself out of his daze. He’s got to be an adult about all of this, he’s a grown up now. “Yeah, I moved back a couple months ago. Was starting to really stress out Mom with the whole travel thing. I’ve moved in with Ashton, if you remember him? He helped me get this admin job at the law firm he’s interning at.”

“Of course I remember Ash!” Calum beams. Luke wonders if he’s also playing at being cool but then he remembers that Calum actually had the guts to walk over to him so maybe this is just a part of being settled down. “Happy for you, Luke. Sounds like a good set up.”

Luke ignores the nostalgia threatening to cloud up his mind at the sound of his name falling from Calum’s lips a second time. “You still working for Donny then?”

“I am! He gave me like, a month after grad to chill before I got back to my old desk with a stack two feet high of files,” Calum laughs and Luke finds himself doing the same. Calum’s internship boss had always been fond of them together. Donny had once helped Luke get flowers delivered for their third anniversary. He was a good guy. “Actually, just got promoted to Managing Financial Advisor earlier this week. Was here, uh, celebrating tonight wit-”

“Hey Cal, thought I lost you there.”

The blonde Luke had only seen the back of before steps into view, his hand dropping to Calum’s back. He’s just barely shorter than Calum, though that’s likely due to the boots the latter is wearing. His eyes are wide and a pale green, like leaves in early spring. Luke wants to hate him but he can’t. This guy looks pretty nice, unfortunately.

“Sorry, love,” Calum replies softly, his hand lifting subconsciously to push hair from the other man’s eyes. It’s an action Luke remembers fondly (and somewhat painfully, if he’s being honest with himself). “Found a familiar face. Michael, this is Luke. Luke, this is Michael.”

Michael’s eyes widen just the slightest bit. Luke isn’t surprised. He can basically guarantee that he’s sitting right at the top of Calum’s ex-boyfriends to discuss list. They spent nearly all of undergrad together. If Michael’s been around for even a little bit it makes sense that he’s heard about Luke. “Nice to meet you, mate.”

“Yeah, you too.” Luke accepts the hand being offered to shake. The whole situation feels way too formal but also dazed. Though Luke is still drunk and there’s way too many memories dancing through his mind of nights out with Calum and nights in with Calum and Calum Calum Calum.

“Well,” Calum starts, his hand moving to rest lower against Michael’s back. “Our Uber is here but I’m glad I saw you Luke. Take care of yourself.”

Luke nods and wishes them both the same in a small voice while they wander away from him. He can’t hear it but based on the worried look he can see on Michael’s face as they head for the door and the way he wraps his arm more firmly around Calum’s waist, Luke knows he wasn’t the only one faking a brave face.

(He allows himself a moment to give into memory then as he thinks back on one of the last times he was headed out of this bar with Calum. It was early February, just a week and change past Calum’s birthday. The air is cold enough to see their breaths as they giggle and bumble about their new courses. Calum keeps lifting Luke’s hands between his own to blow warm air onto them to keep them warm as they head in the direction of his apartment.

When they finally make it up to the third floor and through Calum’s door, they both kick off their boots. Luke’s gone for his easier to remove ones so he has a moment to lean against the door while laughing as Calum pulls at the laces of his Docs. Once removed, Calum steps over to Luke, his arms looping around his waist while Luke’s drop to hang over his shoulders. Their laughter dies out as they sway back and forth slightly in the entryway.

“God, I love you,” Luke sighs as he drops his forehead to Calum’s. “Never want to stop loving you.”

“Please don’t.” Calum laughs gently before turning his head so their lips press together.

Whether it's seconds or hours that they stand there kissing while holding each other in the dull entryway light, Luke doesn’t know. He doesn’t care. All that matters is that Calum never lets go.)

Luke’s phone buzzes on the bartop, a text from Ashton appearing to alert him that he’s waiting in the lot out front. Luke tips back the last of his soda and shouts a thank you to the bartender. He pulls on his jacket and heads in the direction of the door.

He turns for a moment before reaching to push through back out into the cold. He glances around the open room, quick moments of memories playing out in front of him from the years before. He sighs and pulls himself out of it again.

Maybe it’s time to find a new spot to land.

#cake #cake fic #also some malum #maisie series #i think i literally apologized when speaking w meg yesterday bc i was like 'i don't wanna be mean to cake but also'#maisie posting on insta right as i type these tags omfg

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fictorium · 4 years

Note

Lemme take a chance that this very obvious combination may inspire more Supercat ficlets coz I’ve been dying with the feels you’ve been giving me lately. 22, 25, 40. Thanks so much!

22. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

At first Kara assumes it’s another retreat in the mountains ‘diving’ situation. Cat Grant walking out on the White House is a big deal, but in a career like hers it barely breaks the top ten. Everyone speculates about what big move is next, including serious political commentary about whether Cat will run in the next election to unseat Baker.

Instead she just disappears. Off the face of the Earth, it seems.

Since she hasn’t been told otherwise, Kara ignores the chatter as best she can. It’s only natural that she reaches out by text and email to see if she can help spin whatever story Cat would rather have out there, and it definitely hurts when those go unanswered. Just a little. A totally normal amount. For two friends. Mentor and mentee. Former colleagues.

Which is all they are. Were. Can be. Kara’s sure about that. Mostly.

It would just be polite, in a civilized society, to reply to a person’s texts. Even if just to say that what Cat had planned next was less than zero of Kara’s business. Period.

It’s not like she’s mad about it. Anyway.

It’s only when the unthinkable happens almost three weeks in, when the media actually moves on from the Where Is Cat Grant story that they’ve been having so much fun with, that Kara starts to look at the situation differently. Cat can be guarded about her privacy for someone so public, but she usually leaves at least a trail of breadcrumbs to wrongfoot the paparazzi.

The reporter in Kara almost can’t help herself. She has access to almost everything she did as Cat’s assistant--surprisingly, most things on that front haven’t changed--and it only takes a few calls to former colleagues of Cat’s in DC to start picking up the first scent of the mystery.

It’s a mystery that results only in dead ends though, and Kara is so frustrated after days of working on it flat out that she gives in and uses her supersenses for the kind of lead that good journalism just isn’t providing. She’s out of practice and it wouldn’t work if Cat really had gone to the other side of the planet, but she must at least be somewhere on the West Coast judging by how quickly Kara picks up that familiar half-stutter in Cat’s every second heartbeat, the result of a faint murmur she’s had since childhood.

At first it worried Kara, because it sounded a little broken and almost like a warning, but she quickly got used to it working beside Cat all day every day. Now it’s a useful beacon in street after street of heartbeats, none of them quite right. When she does finally, almost frantically, track down that one elusive beat, Kara’s a little startled to discover Cat’s somewhere way out in the desert, with only a handful of other people anywhere nearby.

Kara checks property records and Cat’s accounts to see if there’s some new house in the portfolio, but it’s only tracing a sizeable payment in the thousands to something vaguely labelled on a statement as ‘wellness’ that Kara puts the pieces together.

She should leave it there, when she does. It’s not something she should intrude on. But there’s a website. Full of glossy words and promises and legally-watertight non-guarantees. Kara wants to throw up as she reads more and more of it, of seeing page after page that screams at her for being so far out of the loop, for not being around to see where this was all going.

And mostly, horribly, for being too damn late.

There’s only one thing Kara wants to do now, but the tiny chance of it is entirely dependent on whether Cat will even see her. It’s coming up on 8pm when Kara picks up the phone, and she just hopes that will be reason enough for her call to get answered.

* * *

At least when she gets there, to the mysterious sprawling ranch in the desert, Kara can see that it’s the height of luxury. That much hasn’t changed since Kara’s world flipped upside down over a week ago. The worst part has been not being able to tell a single soul, not even Alex, and the stress of that was only offset by Cat agreeing to see Kara. Today. In exactly 13 minutes to be exact.

Security is tight, but Kara has patience to spare as she goes through step after step to be allowed inside, to once again be accepted into Cat’s inner sanctum. The room that Kara is politely told to wait in is certainly a beautiful space, a courtyard of sorts with sunbleached white walls and the kind of sleek but stuffed garden furniture that costs four times what Kara’s actual furniture was worth, brand new.

There’s a small table with a pitcher of iced tea, so Kara pours a glass and downs it, pouring another right after. It’s distraction enough with the rattling ice that she doesn’t notice Cat’s approach.

“I don’t owe you an explanation,” is Cat’s opening shot, and Kara spins around at the sound of her voice.

“I’m not asking for one.”

“Good. And I don’t want a drink, before you offer.” Cat waves a sleek water bottle that she’s holding in one hand, a band from it around her wrist. “I haven’t been drying out in here for weeks only to come out addicted to sugar.”

Well that answers any number of questions Kara doesn’t dare ask. As rehab facilities go, it’s certainly five-star. This is the first day on Cat’s program that she’s been allowed visitors, and Kara is surprised she’s even there. It would be terrible to blow it, to have Cat throw her out before they even sit down.

“You look good,” Kara says instead, taking a seat on the large bench that dominates one wall. Cat considers for a moment, then joins her. She has large sunglasses in place, but there’s no evidence of makeup on her skin. Her hair has none of its usually immaculate style, and the blonde highlights have faded out to mostly brown at the roots. All the same, it’s true that Cat looks every bit as beautiful as Kara has always found her.

The compliment earns only a derisive snort, but Cat preens just a little, in her linen shirt and pants, loose-fitting and crinkled in a way that feels almost unbearably intimate; like Kara shouldn’t be present when Cat is so stripped back and vulnerable.

“So, you found me,” Cat says eventually. “We’ll make a reporter of you yet.”

“I’ve been nominated for a Pulitzer, Ms Grant.”

“Oh please, those don’t even count until your third.”

Kara winces at her own excitement, at how readily she’d believed she’d made it. Cat, to her credit, seems to notice that the words were a little too flippant.

“You can still enjoy the first two, of course. Now you’ve seen me for yourself, is that enough?”

“Enough? Cat, I came to see if you need anything. If I can help in any way. Here, now, or when you get out and come home. I’ve been researching addiction, and how best to support someone you care about and--”

“Kara, I’m not your problem anymore. You don’t have to manage me, or keep my life running smoothly. You’re... off the hook for all that now.”

“Did you not hear the part where I care about you?” Kara won’t let that be swept aside, not now. “You can be oblivious, Cat, but not that unaware.”

“And if you’ve done your research, you’ll know that relationships in the first year of recovery are a bad idea. Along with all the other reasons it’s a bad idea.”

Kara stands. She’s being shot down before she even gets going, and it can’t be that way. Not now.

“Do you honestly think I wouldn’t wait for you? That I haven’t basically been waiting for you since I walked into your office at 10:15 years ago? Do you think there is anything you could go through that would make me stop caring about you?”

“I have a lot to fix, Kara. Not least with my boys. Carter isn’t even...”

“I spoke to him,” Kara replies. “I know you’re not talking but I know he’s open to making that better, when you’re ready. And nothing I ever wanted for me and you would get in the way of that. We might only ever be friends, Cat, but I plan on being a good one.”

Cat reaches for her then, catching Kara’s hand and clutching it with her own.

“I knew you’d find me. Somehow, I knew. And I don’t deserve you, Kara, but if you’re really offering to be in my life again, I don’t think I can turn that down.”

“Then don’t.”

“We could go for a walk? In the grounds? They let me do that now.” Cat stands without ever letting go of Kara’s hands. “I can’t promise anything else, but we could start with that?”

“I’d like that,” Kara replies. “I’d like that a lot.”

#s1 nostalgia meme #supercat #kara danvers #cat grant #tw alcoholism #tw drug addiction #tw rehab #Anonymous

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imaginexmeintheuniverse · 4 years

Text

5 times you infuriated me and 1 time you made it okay

A/N: okay so the 5 times concept is something i enjoy writing very much, however i am aware that in this piece in particular, a lot of the ideas are underdeveloped and probably especially dont make sense with the ending when you look at the relationship, but please keep in mind that this ‘5 times’ theme i chose focuses on those kinds of incidents so there are a lot of other times in between (and i dont have the time or energy to turn this into a super long fic but perhaps one day.. ) so this is what happened!

Warnings: mentions of torture (like in the 7th when Bellatrix takes to Hermione)

Tags: @expellimarvelous and for some reason my hp taglist got lost so let me know if you’d like to be added!

↠↠↠↠↠↠

I. Bad Start to the Sixth Year

Your sixth year at Hogwarts seems to be off to a good start as you laugh and snack on sweets with two of your three your best friends on Hogwarts Express. Or at least it seemed like it was off to a good start until the train arrives at the station, and Harry is nowhere to be found.

Waving off Ron and Hermione with a promise to catch up, you insist on going to look for him by yourself. Your search leads you all the way to the other side of the strain where the blinds are conveniently drawn. You can hear a voice muffled through the closed door, and you become filled with dread when you identify who it belongs to.

Sliding the door open a crack, you see a familiar head of slicked-back platinum hair. You aren’t able to make out what he says, but you do see him bring down a foot to meet Harry’s nose.

“Malfoy, what the fuck?!” you burst out, causing the Slytherin boy to jump in surprise.

“Y-Y/N- I-I—”

“I don’t know what the bloody hell you think you’re getting away with, but you better get the fuck off this train before I curse you,” you snarl, shoving him aside to get to Harry. Seeing that he’s been petrified, you take your wand out of your jacket pocket and mutter, “finite,” to which your friend thankfully wakes up, blinking a few times. He doesn’t move much, as he tries to regain control of his muscles, and you insist he takes a moment to do so.

Throughout this, Draco has gone so quiet you think he might have actually left, but when you turn your head to meet his stormy eyes, you’re filled with rage, once again.

“What the fuck are you still doing here?! Get out!”

“But Y/N, I-I'm—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” you say in a lower tone as you tend to your friend, not even sparing him another glance.

Why is it that just when you think there might be a redeemable quality buried deep in Draco Malfoy, he always does something that proves otherwise?

II. Welcome to the Slugclub

“Okay, okay! I was gate-crashing! Happy?” He admits, trying to shake off Filch’s grasp on his jacket.

His eyes that used to be sharp and bright, have recently become sullen. They lock with yours for a solid moment before he’s ushered out by Snape.

Your eyes linger on his figure as he’s led away from the party— probably longer than they should have, but you can’t help noticing how thin he’s become. You’ve barely seen him all year, despite having a few classes together. He was never that hefty to begin with, but it looks like he hasn’t eaten or slept in ages. Other than his usual perfectly tailored wardrobe, he now wears dark circles under his eyes, and it’s impossible not to notice how the contours of his face have become that much sharper and his already pale skin has adopted a sickly pigmentation.

You and Harry follow the pair out, but for different reasons. You know that Harry wouldn’t be happy about yours because of his suspicions, but Draco looks like he’s crumbling under stress.

Eavesdropping only proves Harry’s doubts about Malfoy, and he then decides to rejoin the party as to not get caught by Snape, but you hang back, telling him you need to go to the loo.

You wait in the shadows until you hear Snape’s steps scurry away before approaching Malfoy who stays behind, sitting on a ledge. A half-smirk appears on his face upon noticing you like he’s been gathering an arsenal of insults to shoot at you, but really, under the snide mask, he marvels at how lovely you look tonight.

“Straying from your date with Potter?” he spits out Harry’s name like it’s revolting to have on his tongue. “Wouldn’t want anyone to think Potter’s lady is ditching him in favour of a more refined pureblood—”

“He’s one of my best friends!” You roll your eyes and flail your hands up in exasperation. “And how is the nature of our relationship any of your business?!”

He snorts, leaning his back on the walk behind him and crosses his arms over his chest nonchalantly.

“You know, I came out here to check and make sure you were okay!” You shout at him hands coming up to furiously push your hair back. “I can’t believe that for a second I thought that— no- but you—”

“You thought what?” His voice has become softer, hard exterior starting to peel away in your presence. He stands from his seat, mild concern washing over his features.

You shake your head, looking anywhere but at him. “N-Nothing—”

“Tell me,” his hands place themselves on your biceps, long fingers curling around your arms gently.

You fall victim to his intense gaze, getting lost in the grey seas of his irises. His features aren’t as hard as they usually are and the grasp he has on you is delicate; like he’s afraid to hurt you and you almost feel like you can let your guard down. Almost.

“Is it true?” you ask him, diverging from the subject and he raises an eyebrow in response. “Did you hex Katie Bell?”

He opens his mouth, and then closes it without a word when he realizes he has nothing to answer to that and you’re the only person he can’t lie to. That’s enough of a confirmation for you. You let out a breath of disbelief and he starts to panic, because contrary to the backwards dynamic the two of you share, part of him does care what you think. “Y/N- p-please listen—”

All emotion leaves your voice as you tell him, “Just leave me alone, Malfoy.”

You shrug him off, and spin on your heel, breaking the eye contact. Walking down the hall, you leave him there to bask in the silence and his dark thoughts.

III. Hair Like You

You’re already teeming with rage as you scour the castle for Ron, who slipped you one of Fred and George’s prank snacks that ended up changing your hair color. Running into Draco Malfoy, of all people, really puts the cherry on top of the shit sundae.

To make things worse, it looks as though he’s going out of his way to get to you when he spots you from across the courtyard. At first he squints, not fully sure if it’s you with the new physical change, and then tails you down two hallways, not giving a single damn how creepy he may look.

“What do you want, Malfoy—”

“It seems like you’re more obsessed with me than I had originally thought,” he snickers, catching up with your quickened pace.

That’s when it hits you, and you instantly halt, causing him to smack into your back. Spinning around to face him, your eyes widen in horror as you take in the familiar platinum blonde hair— the same shade you saw in the mirror earlier.

“That’s just great!” You throw your hands up dramatically. “Now I look like you!”

“Please, don’t flatter yourself—”

“Oh, sod off, Malfoy!”

“You know, it really doesn’t look that bad. Maybe you’re starting to have better taste.”

Despite knowing full well that that was Malfoy speak for a compliment, you’re in no mood for it. “Oh, well I’m so glad that the Slytherin prince thinks me, a lowly commoner, 'doesn’t look that bad’ just fu—”

“No! No! No! Y/N! I didn’t mean—”

“—ck off! Because on top of looking like the most insufferable git in the entire school what I really wanted was to receive a backhanded compliment—” And just then, you spot the familiar redhead with bad influences for older brothers from across the hall who you’re even more pissed off at than Malfoy.

“I don’t have time for this,” is all you say as you bolt down the hall towards Ron, screaming, “YOU’RE DEAD, WEASLEY!”

IV. Held Hostage

Hermione’s screams are enough to make you feel like you’re being gutted, and when Bellatrix takes her knife to your arm, you’re absolutely terrified. At least this means your best friend has a break from her torture. In the meantime, you nearly bite through your cheek to hold in your own screams whilst the saddistic woman spells out the hateful term that’s been thrown at you your whole life, carving it into your flesh.

After what feels like hours, the death eater sits back up, admiring the her work with a sickening grin on her face, and you want nothing more than to smack it off. Or at least you would if you didn’t feel like you’ve been drained. What you do feel is defiled; like your own skin is no longer yours, and the blood that runs through your veins doesn’t belong to you.

And Draco Malfoy has been standing on the other end of the room this whole time whilst his barbaric aunt tries to get information out of you.

The rest of what happens is experienced through the blur of hopeless tears your eyes are clouded with, until Harry picks you up off the floor after Bellatrix had pushed you and Hermione to save herself from the falling chandelier. A certain fire surges through you as you regain full consciousness.

You see Harry and Draco fight over his wand, and instinct kicks in as you lunge forward, efficiently tackling the latter to the ground. Snatching the wand out of his hand, you throw it to Harry. The blonde boy’s struggles are weak under your weight, almost half-assed as you feel the tension start to leave his muscles.

“Why?!” you shout in his face, grabbing him by the collar to keep him down. Tears well your eyes, but your gaze pierces through him nonetheless. The feelings of helplessness and emptiness are long gone as angry tracks burn down your cheeks. “Why—”

“Y/N!” Harry scoops you off him in one swift motion, pulling you to where your allies have regrouped. “This isn’t the time- w-we have to get out of here!”

You don’t say another word, and your infuriated eyes target the conflict and fear that resides in Draco’s. He’s left with the image of your anguish and fury engrained in his mind long after you disapparate.

V. Crossing Over

The Dark Lord himself beckoned him, and for a second you thought he might resist, but then his mother called him, extending her hand for him to come to her, and you saw him break.

“No!” You cry out as he starts to take hesitant steps towards the death eaters. “Draco, don’t do this!” His already shaky demeanor falters for a moment at the sound of his first name falling from your lips. “You have a choice.”

Steeling his nerves, he doesn’t allow himself to look back, because he would surely crumble under the weight of your gaze and the pain etched into your features. He continues forward, into the arms of a proud tyrant, and you swear your heart drops out of your chest.

Then, the whole scene with Neville’s heroic spirit ensues and you feel the fire within you flare up again when Harry tumbles out of Hagrid’s arms. Death Eaters that have been backing Voldemort start to disappear, leaving an unevenly distributed cloud of darkness.

Everyone else starts to retreat to the castle to regroup and fight as one, but you chase after the fleeing Malfoy family. It’s as though you have no control as your legs move under you on autopilot and as fast as they can go.

You’ve almost caught up to the trio on the bridge and can no longer help yourself.

“Coward!” You yell, trying your best not to let your voice crack, with no avail. It’s all you can do to keep the tears from spilling freely. Draco meets your eyes with his own that portray a boy who is terrified out of his mind, but you’re relentless. The truth isn’t always easy. “You’re a bloody coward, Malfoy!”

Avoiding your fiery gaze, he turns into his mother’s comfort. Not once do his eyes meet yours again before he disappears in a whisp of black smoke.

What you feel is rage, but with that rage comes with an added indescribable pain and disappointment.

+ Midsummer Night’s Dream

The next time you see the infamous Draco Malfoy is just over a year since he disapparated in a whisp of black smoke. Little do you know, immediately after apparating, the boy fell to his knees in the arms of his mother. He broke that day, and hasn’t been able to put himself back together since, contrary to the proud Malfoy mask he wears out in public. He hides behind crisp suits and perfectly-coiffed platinum locks. It’s enough to have anyone who reads the Daily Prophet fooled about how the heir carries onto a successful path despite everything that has happened.

But not you. He never could fool you of anything, really. So when you and your friends spot him taking a seat alone at the Three Broomsticks you know something’s up, because a refined Malfoy doesn’t just hang out amongst mere commoners like that.

“What is he doing here?” Ron spits out, red fury already starting at the tips of his ears and seething from his narrowed eyes.

As if on cue, Draco’s eyes lift from his glass to meet yours.

Hermione sends you a sympathetic smile before mumbling calming words to her boyfriend. The Malfoys and Weasleys always did get each other riled up.

Harry, who sits beside you, gives you a gentle nudge with his shoulder to get your attention and you can immediately read his expression. He can read yours just as easily and can see that you’re starting to get anxious. “Y/N…”

“Harry, it’s okay,” you simper, standing slowly from your seat. “I’ve got this.”

He casts a glance towards the blond across the room before his eyes come back meet yours, sending you a look as though to ask if you’re sure. You give him a nod and he sends you off with a comforting squeeze of your hand.

As you make your way to the table for one, you’re so focused on slowing your heart rate that you’ve arrived at your destination before you know it, seeing the shiny black dress shoes in contrast to the uneven wood panels of the pub’s floor. When you lift your gaze, it’s then that you realize he’s been staring at you the whole time.

“Malfoy.”

“Y/N.”

The sound of your first name rolling off his tongue lights something inside you— and it’s not pretty.

“What are you doing here?” You ask, your voice is steady, but with a strong undertone of something darker. Like the calm before a storm.

“Can’t a man enjoy a butterbeer on his own?” Despite him being absolutely terrified of you, he somehow manages to exude a certain lightness. You look at his untouched pint and raise an eyebrow and he knows you aren’t in the mood for small talk.

“Cut the shit, Malfoy.”

Recognizing the beginnings of anger in your tone, he stands as smoothly as he can manage and gestures towards the door. The last thing he wants is for you to snap because he knows very well what it’s like to be on the receiving end of your fury.

He follows closely behind as you lead him out into the dim lighting of Hogsmead. The summer air doesn’t feel as heavy as it has for the last week, and the sky proudly shows off the twinkling stars. It would be a perfect night if not for your circumstances.

You stop in your tracks and spin to face him so briskly, your forehead almost hits his chin. “You have one minute to talk before I hex you where you stand.”

“You always did excel in hexes and jinxes—”

“Fifty-five seconds, Malfoy.”

“Uh- erm- o-okay—”

You have about zero patience left. The anger thats been quietly bubbling for the last year has been on the brim of overflowing the second he walked in tonight, but so has all the pain and sadness you’ve kept locked up all this time. “You’re wasting my time.” You prepare to stalk off, but a firm hand pulls you back by your elbow, and for the the first time since the war, your face with Draco Malfoy. It’s the first time tonight that you can really see him. He looks worse than ever.

The silver pools that once resided in his irises look like shells of what they once were. And he sure felt that way, until he saw you. That’s when he realizes how empty he always is until he’s around you. My, how he took that for granted all these years.

Trying your very best, you fight against the urge to give into the part of you who still cares for him and wants to know the last time he had a good night’s sleep. You also try to fight against the water accumulation behind your eyelids, but it only makes it worse.

“What?! What do you want, Draco?!”

The use of his first name is the only sign he needs to be brave for once. Without further hesitation, he leans down to capture your lips in a kiss. Once over the initial shock, you give in for only a half second before you come to your senses and push him back, both hands planted firmly on his chest.

“What the bloody hell are you playing at?!”

“I-I- Y/N, I-I’m so—” Right then, is one of the few times you see what he’s really feeling on the inside be expressed on the outside. “I-I just-I thought—”

“You- you thought what?! We’d ride off into the sunset on the back of a unicorn and live happily ever after?!” You don’t care how frantic you look right now. You don’t care that the midsummer night wind is whipping your hair into complete and utter chaos. And you definitely don’t give a single fuck about how the drunk people stumbling by you giggle uncontrollably. You pause for a moment as you wait for them to be out of earshot, and once they are, you let out a frustrated breath and resume. “Did you honestly believe that you could kiss me, and then everything— all of the absolute shite of a mess would just go away?!”

His gaze drops to the ground that his shiny dress shoes stand on, with a few platinum strands that fall from their place. Those are the only visible signs of something amiss with the well-dressed man. But you see something else cloud his features: shame. The last time you saw that, which was also the last time you saw him, he left. He always left you while you were angry, enraged, and never stuck around to face the truth.

Draco Malfoy decides that this time is going to be different.

He has felt as empty as his eyes appeared for months, but when his gaze rolls back up to meet yours, you see the grey storms you saw when you first met him. Sure, they were masked by an outer shell that was brimming with entitlement, but they have now what they had then. Purpose.

“Y/N,” His hands twitch as he fights the urge to reach out for yours, deciding against it in favour of using two words you’ve been waiting to hear. “I’m sorry.” You soften, releasing the tension you didn’t realize you carried in your shoulders. The angry tears that stung the backs of your eyes melt to something peaceful as they escape their ducts. “I’m sorry for everything I put you through. I know I don’t deserve another chance, or any of the chances you’ve given me, but if you’ll give me one more I promise I’ll be better. Everything you’ve ever said about me is true; I am a coward, but I’m not leaving this time.”

“And what if I want you to leave?” You ask, testing the waters, more than anything else.

“If you tell me to leave— if that is what you truly want, then I will. Tell me to leave, and you’ll never have to see me again.”

“Okay, then leave.”

“Is that what you really want?”

“Y-Yes—” You stammer out a complete lie. Every cell on your body knows it’s a lie, and apparently so does he.

“I don’t believe you.”

More than anything, you want to fling yourself into his arms but you feel like your feet have been colashoo-ed to the ground. A corner of his mouth quirks up into a soft lopsided smile as his hands raise to thread fingers through the top of your hairline, smoothing wild strands away from your face. His touch is so careful and delicate than you could have ever imagined. He leans down slowly and stops just as his lips have brushed over yours, asking for permission, “I won’t if you don’t want me to.”

Syllables get caught in your throat, and channel themselves through you body as you move to slate your mouth over his. The sensation is so delicately mind-blowing, and it leaves you absolutely breathless when you pull away to lean your forehead against his.

All you can manage to breathe out is, “stay”.

The way your breath fans over his lips is intoxicating, and he’s certain he’s never seen anything more beautiful, no work of art finer, than the way you’re looking at him.

“I’m not leaving this time. Never again.”

His grasp tightens as he pulls you back to his lips and your fingers curl around the light fabric of his shirt. Every emotion and feeling accumulated over lost time is poured into this kiss.

This time, what you feel for him is something stronger and far different than anger.

#draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy #draco malfoy imagine #5 times fic #hp #hp imagine #harry potter #harry potter imagine #hp fic #hp fanfic #draco malfoy fanfiction #potatowrites

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nightwingshero · 3 years

Note

❛❛ I’m sorry. I should have asked first, just… it reminded me of you. ❜❜

So...this got uh...kinda long. What was supposed to just start as a prompt ended up being a possible chapter in the future fic for my MCU OC, Camille. This is...rough, its my first time writing for MCU, so just warning you. But thank you for the prompt hun!

There were some things that never changed, things that were just universal no matter who or what you are. Things that people could bond over, connect with, and laugh or show empathy from experience. Standing on your feet for 12 plus hours was one of those things, especially when you wore flats that provided little to no support whatsoever. Which was, usually, the predicament I found myself in.

Huffing a bit from frustration and exhaustion, I slid the key in and unlocked the door, opening as relief flooded over me. There was nothing like coming home to a dark house with nothing but calm when you’ve been running around, helping people in distress all day. It wasn’t like it used to be, not when I worked at hospitals and clinics, and part of me was ready to trade in the suits and such for scrubs again. It was simpler then.

I pulled my messenger bag gently over my head as I dropped the keys in the bowl on my counter. Setting the bag in a bar stool near the island, I flipped the remaining lights on in the kitchen, slowly making my way to the den. Grabbing a remote, I quickly turned on some smooth music, something old and relaxing from my favorite playlist before my fingers found my climbing earrings. I sighed in relief when the weight of them lifted, leaving the lobes a bit sore and making me rub them as I placed the jewelry on an end table. In one swift move, I quickly kick my flats off and enjoy the black cool floor on my aching feet as they lightly smack against the wood as I walked in deeper, until the panel on the wall began to blink.

“Incoming call from Tony Stark.” The A.I. announced as I approached, reading the screen only for my fear to be confirmed. Looking out the huge windows, I glared at the small garden that had been recently added. The sinking in my gut was dread, I knew that, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of what happened just a month ago or if because of the long day I had; leaving me with almost zero energy and zero patience. So, I shut my eyes, take a deep breath, and count to ten before sealing my fate.

“Answer.”

It’s only a second before the bliss of being alone with my music is disrupted by his voice, a blue hologram of him with his hands clasped behind him making me step back a bit in shock. That’s new. “You know, I thought for sure that you would invite me to come with you to run off to Germany. Personally, I’m a bit offended, because it’s my house—"

“It’s actually Pepper’s house.” I corrected as I gathered myself, shaking off the surprise as I moved to the couch and shrugged off my cardigan. Tony walked with me, his image blurring out just a bit as he crossed in front of the dark television. “Her name is on the deed.”

“Technicalities.” He replied, his voice taking its natural dismissive tone. Tony turned to me quickly on is heel, his head immediately cocking to the side. “How is Germany?”

“A lot friendlier since the last time I was here.” It’s out of my mouth before I can stop it, and if I had any energy, I would attempt to smooth it over, but it was the lack thereof that caused the slip to begin with.

I look at him as I dropped the cardigan on the back of the couch, and his head hangs for a second before he sniffs—quickly raising his head and bouncing right back. “As long as you don’t get too fed up with the schnitzel.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I offered a light laugh, and even I can hear the fatigue with my own ears, but Tony says nothing, going on as if he didn’t notice and I’m thankful for it. The last thing I wanted was Tony Stark playing a mother hen and making us both uncomfortable. I frowned, however, and quickly checked my watch. “Are you in California or New York? It’s a bit late for you, isn’t it?”

“Right, you know I’m one to call it a night early. Must be the old age.” His hands come back around as he snaps his fingers, and a fist hitting an open palm as he fidgeted, giving the place another onceover. “I’ll pretend that’s concern and not you trying to brush me off.”

“Are you always this wishful in your thinking, Tony?”

“I don’t answer rhetorical questions.”

“That’s good; they’re not meant to be.” Crossing my arms, I tilted my head as I squinted at him. “Though that one wasn’t rhetorical.” His jaw ticks as he glances towards the windows—that start at the ceiling and don’t end until the floor…walls of glass. I wonder briefly if he can even see the garden, the beautiful sitting area Pepper wanted, if he can trace the lines of rain against the glass as it began to pour.

Clicking his tongue, his head whipped back around with a look on his face that I couldn’t exactly place. “I’ve been thinking, and I think I should propose to Pepper. What are your thoughts?”

“Um,” I blinked, a bit taken off guard by the turn of conversation. “You...were…aren’t you guys still on break?”

“You know, I’m thinking…something nice.” I frowned a bit, his tone seeming a bit distant as he rambled, as if he was distracted. “How would you do it if you were proposing to her?” he asked as he took a step closer.

I raised my brow at him as I scoffed. “Would you want me to marry her for you, too?”

“No. Why, would you?” he squinted his eyes, turning his head a bit as he eyed me suspiciously. Taking in my deadpan expression, he quickly continued, pacing as he spoke. “Right. So, big grand gesture—"

“Not sure that’s the way to go. Remember the rabbit?” Tony winced a bit at the reminder and I sighed. “Or you can just take her to a nice place for dinner and do it a bit more privately.” A second or two went by before he shook his head.

“You know, I’m playing it out in my head—”

“For a few seconds?”

“And it’s not really working for me.”

Laughing, I nod lightly as I sit on the arm of the sofa. “Not enough AC/DC?”

“I need something a bit…bigger.” He mumbled as he began to fidget with something on his side, the sounds of clattering on a workbench adding to the music that was playing. “Fireworks. Put that on the list.”

“Fireworks, got it.” It made me happy, seeing him a bit more lighthearted, but I knew there was something just underneath. He wasn’t one to call for no reason. So I make the decision to take the first step. “Why are you calling, Tony?”

Another click of his tongue, more glances around, and I’m not sure if it’s the room he’s in that he’s watching or mine, but his hand comes up to his face as the other arm crosses over his chest. “I’ve been busy.”

“Do I have to guess? Is this going to be a ‘two truths and a lie’ scenario?” I asked jokingly, but he ignores me as he continues.

“I’ve been keeping out of trouble—”

“Lie. You made that easy.”

“Also been training the kid.”

I hummed, nodding a bit. “Okay, truth. How is he?”

“We’ve been working directly—”

“Lie.”

Tony sighed as he looked at me, but he was only met with a raised brow. “Happy has been communicating with him since the Accords. He wants to be an Avenger, wants something bigger, thinks he’s ready for it.” It grows a bit quieter between us as Sinatra begins to play in the background, but it’s not the peace I had before. Not when there’s weight in my chest.

“Are you going to let him?”

“What team?” Tony muttered, and I could hear it still. The bitterness, the hurt. I only look down, picking at the pastel pink fingernail polish that was beginning to chip at the edges. “No. There’s no team to invite him to.”

“That’s not true, Tony.” I sighed, glancing up at him with a soft expression. “There’s…there’s still something. What’s the real reason?”

“My phone keeps blinking.” He replied with a hint of frustration in his voice as the conversation takes another turn, his hands disappearing in his pockets. Another turn on his heels, as if the conversation was just following his step, and if the music wasn’t playing, I would bet anything that I would’ve been able to hear the slap of his expensive shoes against the floor on his side of the call. “Ross keeps calling, you know? I keep putting him on hold.”

There’s a prickling feeling on the back of my neck that’s accompanied with a shiver down my spine. Dangerous waters, that’s where we’re headed, and its so damn obvious, I should have seen it. Because that’s how Tony always talked in situations such as these. Always a bit misleading to others but him, because they’re points he’s making before he gets to the core of the issue.

“You’re not answering him?”

“Rayna isn’t cooperating.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it, and maybe back then, he’d be more urgent, more upset, but he’s not. He’s neutral, and there could have been a micro version of a shrug and smile if my eyes weren’t so fooled by the dim lights. “It’s Rayna. Of course she isn’t cooperating, there’s nothing to cooperate with. Asgardians aren’t exactly ones to quickly bow to demands, you really think Thor would sign? She’s not an Avenger, Tony. She says it all the time. Ross has nothing he can say—”

“He wants her to sign—”

“No.” It sounded firmer than I intended, but again, that’s the fatigue. Or maybe it isn’t, who was to say? “Not this again. Tony, don’t make her sign. I’m not losing someone else—”

“Bigger picture.” His hands go wide again as he takes a step back. “She’s working with Vision, helping track the Quinjet. Which, by the way,” Another turn, almost a spin as he looked over his shoulder and pointed at me. “Has stopped traveling. She believes he may have crash landed somewhere. If he didn’t jump out.” Tony sighed, and that was when I gauged the stress level, and it’s confirmed as he rubs his eyes. “He wants an Asgardian, someone on the team because Point Break is surfing his way…wherever.” He turned, and at that point he was making me dizzy. I wished he would just stand still. “He’s always on my phone and I can’t make the blinking stop—”

“Because you can’t figure out how to answer a phone—?”

“Because he wants Rayna to sign, and she claims she’s not part of the team. He wants her on the team, though, there’s no backing out of that one. It’s like a recruiting campaign,” he waves is hand, as if envisioning it there, “‘Please join’, in big bold letters. Because we’re short on members last I checked and yesterday, everyone in the Prison of Azkaban was busted free. You hear about that, by the way?” I did. I remembered the breaking news as they announced how dangerous enhanced humans escaped, calling them and Captain America fugitives, and how it was still dominating headlines as the search continued. Most wanted. Tony didn’t give me the chance to answer as he continued. “He wants her to commit to it, wants the extra protection, manpower so-to-speak, since we’re already down a Hulk and Asgardian god…and because he wants you back at the compound.” He finished. I frowned as I glanced down. It was hard for me to be there after everything that had happened at the airport. A month, that was what I was able to get before I was being called back. It was only a matter of time, and I knew that. I was just hoping that I would be more prepared when it did. “And I do, too.” Tony added.

Glancing up at him, I watched as he pointed in the general direction of the coffee table where my tablet laid dark. “Rayna…is going to do what she wants regardless of what Ross wants. She didn’t take a stance a month ago, that hasn’t changed. It would be entertaining to see Ross try and force her, Tony.” I replied as I reached for the device, waking it and putting in my password as Tony worked on his end. “But I’m assuming you need me for something else, then.” I added, my eyes shifting back to him as Tony seemed to weigh my words before he finally spoke, his voice light and smooth as usual.

“I’m sending you schematics.”

Sure enough, his data and plans were popping up in front of me in seconds. He was unusually quiet as I scrolled through, trying to make sense of what was in front of me. But piece by piece, it began to click slowly, and I shook my head in tired frustration. “I can’t read this—”

“It’s fine, just look at the pictures. That’s the fun part.”

“Tony, I’m not an engineer, I’m a doctor—” I replied as I looked back at him. He stepped forward, a more serious glint in his eye.

“A doctor that’s going to help me evolve medical technology.” Pointing at the tablet, he continued. “Those are the plans for Rhodey’s leg braces.” My eyes widened, and I glanced back down to study them more closely. “Imagine offering top notch, advanced technology to help people walk again. We take that, develop it—”

“It would change lives.” I murmured. “Not just…imagine the things this could apply to if we built on it, expanded the field.”

“That’s the idea.” Tony clapped his hands together, making me jump a bit. “But my Rhodey first. How fast can you get here?”

I frowned as I looked up at him. “Tony, he has doctors there that can help you—”

“It’s finished, Camille.” He cut me off. “I have a prototype and I want someone here that I can trust to help me with this.” The words throw me off a bit as I took him in, and I knew deep down that he was searching for someone to trust, someone to help him…someone to fill the void that Steve secretly left. Sighing, I nod slowly.

“I can look for flights in the morning.”

“No need, I’ll send a jet. Tomorrow afternoon work for you? Great.” And without another word, he disappeared as the line ended, the music the only sound in the room. The tips of my fingers tap against the cool tablet in my hands, contemplating a bit before gently placing next to my earrings on the end table. It became irritating when I realized that the music was no longer enough, and needing something more, I flipped the tv on, the news immediately flashing on—blue headlines going on and on about the things that were happening.

I was about to lay on the couch, settling for perhaps sleeping there instead of dragging myself to the bedroom when I saw it. Frowning, I see the way the lights from the tv reflected against something wet against the floor. My feet protest as I rise, walking towards it as my arms cross against my chest. A drop from the rain is the first thing that comes to mind to try to rationalize, to explain it, even though I know it didn’t start until after I had come in—I had just missed it. Looking up, my head tilts back to eye the ceiling as I walk closer, searching for a sign of leaking, the thought ridiculous to me with it being so new, but stranger things have happened.

When it seems clean, I glanced back down and stop in my tracks as I get a better view. The shade kept changing with the light of the tv, but it settled on purple as the blue shone bright on my screen, and my stomach sank. Everything else is forgotten, trained and ingrained instincts are quick to kick in, and I began to follow the trail, my weight shifting to the balls of my feet—never making a sound. Once I begin to pass it, I grabbed the closest thing I could use as a weapon, an oddly curved lamp that was heavier than expected, and I raise it in preparation.

The trail was easy to follow, even if some drops were lighter than others, and part of me was annoyed that while the clean up seemed to be minimal, it would still be a nuisance. Another thing that I didn’t really have the energy for, including the potential break in I was facing. My heart raced, knowing that I wasn’t here alone, immediately hating every horror movie I even remotely enjoyed. This was not entertaining; this was not a thrill I cared to chase. I had just wanted to maybe enjoy a glass of wine before going to sleep. That’s all I had wanted when I pulled into the driveway. I would trade to be back at the Avengers compound instead of dealing with a potential Michael Myers.

It was the study. That was where the trail led me, and I could even see a dim light shining a bit. Swallowing, I count slowly to myself, remembering everything I could about my training. Yes, S.H.I.E.L.D. was gone. Yes, I was mostly doing doctor things now. But I reminded myself how well matched I was against Natasha, how I had even put Steve on his ass once or twice. And I could hear Rayna already insisting that I should just do it—get it over with. A rush of air escapes as I let out a heavy exhale and slam against the door, finding it only gently closed, and raise the lamp higher, ready to attack the first person I laid my hands on.

A hand quickly grabs my wrist, gently stopping me as I stumbled, my eyes going wide as I quickly scan the room. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to smile or grimace, but his face twists a bit either way as he waves lazily as Naomi kneels next to him, her watching me closely. Eyeing the wings that seem to be sparking, the books, pens, the computer, and other things knocked to the ground, including the lamp on the desk. Huffing, I pulled my arm away from Natasha’s grasp and narrow my eyes at Sam as the adrenaline starts to settle.

“What the hell?” I breathed out, looking around to find that they weren’t alone. It hurt, the way my heart squeezed as his blue eyes caught my green ones, the way they just locked and refused to leave. But I blinked, forced myself to focus, because we were in Tony and Pepper’s house and the last time I checked, they were still fugitives.

“Hey there, short stuff.” Sam forced out, an attempt of any kind of humor is lost within the pain in his voice. “Long time, no see.”

“Sure is one hell of a way to greet somebody.” Naomi added as she eyed the lamp.

I turned to Natasha, bewilderment still apparent on my face. “Explain? Please?”

“We need your help.” She replied as she eyed me carefully. “Sam got injured during—”

“The escape?” I breathed out as my arms fell to my sides, the lamp slipping through my fingers. “And you’re here—”

“We didn’t have anywhere else to go.” His strong voice cut through and pulling my attention back. It was something I couldn’t never quite describe, his voice. Always commanding attention, oozing authority, making you want to follow him to ends of the Earth, and still be so soft and compassionate altogether. Or perhaps that was just my warped view, a point that was brought to my attention by Vision once, because I put Steve on such a high pedestal. Steve continued, his tone a bit softer. “We didn’t have anyone else to ask.”

I swallowed, mostly because my mouth was dry, but also because I was so close to word vomiting—things that were left unsaid, things I’ve been regretting saying in the first place, or just maybe not wording it differently. It goes unsaid from Sam, but even I could hear a sarcastic remark hanging in the silence between all of us, his tongue being held. I couldn’t tell who silenced it: Steve or Natasha.

My eyes drift back to Sam, looking over him and seeing the blood dripping from his fingers as he held his side. “What happened?”

“Took a bit of a hit.” Sam shrugged. “You should see the other guy.”

“I see the carpet you’re bleeding on.” Out of the corner of my eye I could see a little quirk of Nat’s lips, a smirk playing dangerously as I stepped forward. “You know this…”

“You could get in trouble for helping us, I know.” Steve stepped around the desk, coming closer, and my heart almost jumped to my throat. “I don’t feel good about asking this of you, but when I said—”

“You’re fugitives, Steve.” I replied, looking up at him, searching his eyes and finding the hint of green there. “There’s no one else that can do this…I’m sorry for that.”

I’m sorry for not choosing you.

It’s on the tip of my tongue, but not even fatigue would let me be that loose-lipped. Some things were better left unsaid, timing had a way of determining that. But he offered a small smile, nothing happy but more empathetic, more understanding, and maybe he was sorry too.

“So?” Naomi asked with her arms crossed as she stood. “You gonna fix him or not?”

I turned back to Sam with a sigh, eyeing him up and down with the knowledge that my night of taking care of people wasn’t at all over. “I’ll need you to go to the bathroom so I can fix you there. You’re going to need stiches.”

“Do the glowy-hand thing, I won’t have to move.” Sam insisted, a hint of a whine in his voice and I rolled my eyes.

“And I’m exhausted, you’re going to need help. Plus, you’re getting blood all over the carpet. Pepper is going to kill me. So, bathroom. Now.” His eyes widened a bit as he muttered to himself, a bit shocked by my urgency, and I could hear the tiniest of laughs escaping from Natasha. Naomi even smirked a bit. I couldn’t help it, honestly. When you worked in the ER, in war zones, places where you had to put your foot down…it just slipped out in times like these. Plus, the lack of sleep didn’t help at all.

Steve quickly stepped forward, wrapping Sam’s arm around his neck as he lifted, helping him before I had the chance to. He glanced at me as I stared, watching him support Sam as if he weighed nothing, and a beat goes by before I realized that they’re waiting for me to show them the way. Avoiding Nat’s knowing smirk, I hurried out of the room, Steve quick on my heels as I lead him to the master bath. It was big enough to allow me to work—honestly it was bigger than my own kitchen in Brooklyn, which I found unnecessary. But of course, most things with Tony were.

Flipping the lights on, I gesture towards the vanity stool as I began searching for the first aid kit. Grunted in pain as Steve sat him down as I dug through underneath the cabinet. “Take the armor off so I have better access to the wound. Has it began clotting at all?” I asked as I pulled out a bag, unzipping it and checking the contents to make sure everything was there.

“Well…” Sam forced out as Steve helped in removing the wings. “That’s a good question. Haven’t exactly looked at it. Just wrapped it.” Wincing, he pulled off the top layer, revealing a t shirt beneath, dry and wet blood caked onto the ripped part of the side.

“You haven’t changed the bandage?” I asked, bewildered. When neither of them answer, I sighed again and glanced at Steve. “There’s some food in the kitchen, help yourselves. I’m sure you’re all hungry. I’ll get Sam taken care of.”

My heart leaps when he places his hand on my shoulder, giving a squeeze. “Thank you.”

“Hey, you better save me some!” Sam called after the Captain’s back. “Super soldiers can eat, don’t let the whole ‘super-hot bod’ thing fool you.” He added after Steve left the door cracked, disappearing into the rest of the house.

The wound could have been worse, in all honesty. Some of the blood was clotted and dried for the most part, but I did my best with cleaning it. A string of curses and him jumping was what I was met with as I continued, and I thought that it would only get worse when I began stitching him. It didn’t though, however, and it shocked me a bit how he seemed calmer as the needle pierced through his skin. “You sure you can’t make your hands do the glow thing?” he asked, his voice a bit strained. I glanced up at him only briefly before focusing on the task at hand.

“I can’t, unfortunately.” Tugging the thread through, I pull it tight and bring the needle around, pushing it back into his skin. “Every time I use it, it takes a toll on me, drains me of my energy, or at least that’s what Rayna and Vis say. I have to be on top of my game for it. Something I’m not really in the condition to be doing at the moment. I’m sorry, but I’ve had a long day and the energy I would need is gone.”

“Well, we’re known for perfect timing.”

Part of me wants to laugh at his joke, the sarcastic comment coming out lightly despite the pain, but I don’t. I choose to focus on stitching him up instead, it’s easier than trying to create small talk around the weight of guilt I feel, or the elephant in the room that’s just waiting to be addressed. The fresh blood began to cover the gloves I had slipped on, the blue turning a dark red, hints of purple here and there. I had never been as put-off by blood as I was now, his blood on my hands…it only made me feel worse. It reminded me of what happened at the airport, how I felt partially responsible for it, and the blood was on my hands just like the others. Blood of friends. I had to quickly shove down the image of Rhodes as I finished up, pulling gauze and tape out of the bag before wrapping it for him.

“All done. Need help getting up?” I asked as I stood, carefully taking the latex gloves off and he nodded. Throwing the gloves in the trash, I offered my hand and used my weight as leverage as he staggered to his feet. As he moved, I wished I hadn’t sent Steve away so hastily, not thinking that maybe Sam would need help walking. I stepped forward, my hands reaching out to catch him. “Hold on—”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Thinks that just because he’s a super soldier, the rest of us break easily.” Sam waved me off with a breathless laugh. “Still on my left though.” He smirked as he pointed down, gesturing to his injury. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

“I’m sure he’s already said it.” I smiled as I walked with him, matching his slower pace as he tried to be mindful of his new stitches. “And if he hasn’t, he won’t forget to mention it now that you’re not bleeding all over the place.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty hard to ignore.”

I smiled a bit as I stayed near, just in case he needed my help, but he seemed to be doing fine on his own. It was weird being in their company again, mostly because it seemed more like a blast from the past, like going home for the first time after being gone for some time. Almost like when I went to visit my parents, returning to something that felt so naturally like home. It’s odd to me that this shouldn’t feel like this, that we’re all technically enemies by government standards. It makes my heart tug painfully as we enter the kitchen.

Steve was sitting at the island, in the stool next to my bag as Nat dug through the fridge. Sam opts for sitting at the small table to the far right and joining Naomi, not bothering to attempt to hoist himself into a barstool, which I’m thankful for. The last thing I wanted was to fix his stitches. I sighed, looking around as they looked at me, Natasha just glancing over her shoulder as she continued making…whatever it was she decided on. Shifting a bit under the weight of his gaze, I rubbed my arm as I spoke. “So, you guys can obviously use what you need—clean up, eat, what have you, but it’s only for the night. I’m…unfortunately, I won’t still be here after tomorrow afternoon—”

“We know.” Nat replied as she placed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut diagonally on plate in front of Steve, moving to do the same to Sam as she looked at me. “We got here just before you did, so we heard the call from Tony.”

“That’s…” Awkward. Creepy. Disturbing. Violating. “Great.” Clearing my throat, I continued. “I have to pack and clean up the study, so that nothing is really out of place. But help yourselves…just don’t tell anyone you’re here.”

Natasha turned, a smirk gracing her lips. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us. Don’t wanna be a tattletale, do we?”

“Right.” I replied slowly, not really sure how to read the terrain of the situation.

“It’s fine.” Steve cut in, my eyes returning to his. “We don’t want to do anything to jeopardize you or cause issues.” Throwing Sam and Nat a look, he continued. “We’ll behave and we appreciate the help.”

“No problem. I just…” I glanced around the room awkwardly. “I wish it was on better terms. But please make yourselves at home.”

If there was anything else to be said, it was silenced as I turned on my heel and all but rushed out. I wouldn’t ever really call it hiding, but deep down, that was exactly what I was doing. Running from the situation and hiding from the confrontation with Steve. Things I wanted to avoid the best I could, because I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. The things that were left unsaid no longer applied, because those were words that could have saved the situation, could have saved our team, and now they were nothing but ‘what-if’s’, ghosts haunting me in the shadows when my mind would wander.

The bedroom felt safe as I walked around, pulling my bags from the closet and setting them on the bed. I’m thankful to have something to keep my hands busy that didn’t require me to get blood on them, something mundane and somewhat normal. I don’t keep track of what’s getting put in, just putting books, my makeup bag, and clothes on the bed to be sorted and packed neatly together, and it’s a ritual I was so caught up in that I nearly jump out of my skin when there’s a knock on the door.

Gasping a bit, I turned as I held a hoodie against my chest out of fear, as if it were armor or a shield, but I just see Steve leaning against the doorframe, his arm crossed—something he’s done a thousand times since I’ve known him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to see if you needed a hand before we headed out.”

“Oh.” I breathed out, not realizing I was holding it, and turned back to my bag as I continued folding the hoodie in my hands. “I think I got it but thank you. I didn’t pack too much. Wasn’t really planning on staying too long, if I’m being honest.”

“You’re always honest.” His voice was light, it’s the first telltale sign that it’s a joke, but it made me freeze for just a second anyway. Honest to a fault, truly, even when I shouldn’t. Steve sighed as he stepped next to me, his gaze cast down as I glanced at him. “Guess I should have done the same, huh?” I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out, so Steve just looked out the window across the room before continuing. “I sent Tony…well, I guess a letter won’t fix this, but…”

“It’s a start.” I finished for him as I tucked the hoodie in the bad, grabbing a shirt as I kept folding. “Sometimes just saying the things that you didn’t get the chance to can be freeing, Steve. You were honest in the end, and I think that counts as something.” I could feel his gaze on me, but I feign ignorance as I stuff the shirt in with a little bit more hast than necessary, but I wasn’t ready for the weight of his pretty blues. Not like this. He only hummed, his gaze shifting once more.

Movement caught my eye, however, as he reached for a book, and I believe it’s going to be just something that I used for mindless reading, but its not. The blood in veins ran cold as he eyed the journal in his hands, delicately opening it and leafing through the pages before coming to a stop at the last one that was written in. The handwriting is different, the doodles more sloppy and less skilled compared to the owner’s, I know this. But that’s not why I was so embarrassed, why my heart is hammering hard in my chest.

“I’m sorry.” The words fall gracelessly off my tongue as my heart hammered in my chest. “I should have asked first, just… it reminded me of you.” The explanation seemed to fall on deaf ears, however, because he doesn’t seem to acknowledge me as he reads.

“You created a list.” He finally speaks, his eyes remaining on the page. “The doodles are cute.”

Licking my lips, I turn more towards him, shifting my weight from one foot to another. “Yeah…just some things I think you could look into after…” After everything was fixed. My heart sunk with the unspoken words, the realization that my hope was fruitless weighing heavy in the air. “I’m really sorry, Steve. It wasn’t mine to take…and…” The snap of the book closing is louder and harsher to me only because I want it to be, but I know he’s careful as sets the book back down. The anger isn’t there, not like I imagined when I played this out so many times in my head, hoping he would come running to see me some sleepless nights.

When I finally gathered the courage to look up at him, I’m met with a small and soft smile—his most signature smile, if I was being honest. “It means a lot, thank you. I’ll start on it.”

The words felt so final, too final, and panic rose into my chest, accompanied with the fear that I won’t see him again, not anytime soon. As he took a step, I reached out and wrapping my arms around him, squeezing hard and wishing to never have to let him go. “Steve. I…” My voice breaks, my vision becoming blurry with unshed tears. With a deep inhale, I try to gather myself. “I’m sorry. About the Accords, about Bucky, everything.” His gaze is piercing and unwavering, and I swallow and try to force myself to continue. “I…wish that things were different. Had ended differently. I just miss you.”

“I miss you, too.” He replied softly, his arms hugging me tightly as he pressed his face in my hair.

“It’s not fair.” I mumbled as I buried my face against his chest. “I should have taken your side, Steve, and stood by you.”

“You did what you thought was right.” The compassion and softness in his voice shocked me, and I feel it’s something I don’t deserve. “I won’t hold that against you.”

“I didn’t want this. This isn’t at all what I had signed up for, even though I should have known it would come to this. I thought this was the bigger picture, what was right for all of us. I didn’t realize what it would cost. They drew the line in the sand, and I caved.”

“Well, you’re excellent at trying to stay to the sidelines.” He laughed, making me smile genuinely for the first time in weeks. His fingers gently brushed my hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. “There was no winning for any of us, Camille. Not with us divided.”

I swallowed, leaning back a bit to look up at him, hints of sadness in his eyes. It wasn’t something alien to me, it was something I saw often when I first saw him after waking from the ice. The loss and regret, and I knew deep in my bones what was happening. Licking my lips, I fingered parts of his uniform as I spoke. “What if…what if we didn’t have to be?” I asked, looking up at him from under my lashes as I tested the waters. His brows furrowed in confusion, so I continued. “Divided, I mean. What if we didn’t have to be, Steve? What if…what if I went with you? What if I wasn’t here when Happy came for me tomorrow?” My voice was soft, so soft, but it felt like it rang out loudly in the silent room. His face molded, reformed into something sadder, something with soft regret.

“You know I can’t let you do that.” How could a whisper hit so hard? Feel so final and unwavering? “Not with what you and Tony are doing. Not with what you’re going to accomplish.”

“Steve—” I went to protest but he looked down, holding my hands in his as he rubbed his thumb against my skin.

“Can you say that it wouldn’t weigh on you? Knowing that you could help all of those people and deciding to go on the run instead? Becoming a fugitive, where you wouldn’t be able to help anyone?” My mouth opened to say that I could, but nothing comes out as he looked back up at me. And just like that, my heart sank even lower, even as he offered the smallest of smiles. “He needs you, you know that. Someone’s gotta be there when he needs it, help him stay straight. He’s…lost enough people, Camille. The team is what’s left, and that team needs—”

“I’m not you.” I retorted, squeezing his hands. “I’m not leading, I’m—”

“There. Supporting and doing what you have to.”

“Steve?” My voice broke, just like my heart as I searched for any sign of hesitation, any hint of uncertainty, but I found none. It’s broken when Natasha called for him, announcing they should be leaving soon, and my panic only rose as he glanced out the door. The look on his face was something I didn’t want to see: resignation and acceptance. I shook my head slightly, because it wasn’t how I wanted this to happen. I didn’t want this to be our goodbye.

“I have to go.” He replied as he looked at me, but I couldn’t bear to return his gaze as I looked to the side. The rain had stopped, but the drops still slid gracefully down the glass of the window, creating trails and following lines laid before them—destined paths. “I left Tony a phone with the letter, just in case. If you need me…I’ll be there.” I tried to say something, truly I did, but I’m too in shock to say it. My tongue lays numb in my mouth, I couldn’t feel it, and in the corner of my eye I could see him raise a hand, only to hesitate and drop it. My eyes squeeze tightly shut as I feel the ghost of his lips in my hair, and tears finally fall again, and I could have sworn I had heard the murmur of ‘I love you’, but I couldn’t be sure. The ringing in my ears seemed to drown the world out.

The second he stepped away, cold air hits my body hard, making me aware of the warmth I have lost. I tried to breathe, tried to capture what was left of my control. A few moments go by until it hits me, the panic, the need to hug him one more time to tell him I loved him rushes over me. My head whipped around, my eyes widening. “Steve!” I called, parts of my throat stinging from the force of it and the lack of use. My heart hammered as I wait for a response, but there’s no answer, just silence.

“Steve, wait!” I called again as my body went into autopilot, demanding his warmth again, craving it. The tears are from my panic and the brokenness of my heart as I searched the dark house, my feet slapping loudly against wood, making it echo off the walls. The study is the first place I check, only to find everything back in place, the blood all gone. Sam’s wings are gone from the bathroom as I popped my head in, hoping to see proof that they were here, the traces would mean they weren’t really gone. That they were here. “Steve!” I cried as I entered the kitchen.

My bag laid innocently in the barstool; the dishes long gone from before. The tv and music still played, the earrings and tablet just as I left it. The only thing out of place was the journal, and I try to remember him taking it, and I come up empty handed—I guess I was so caught up in the moment to notice, too distracted by the whirlwind of emotions I was feeling. I approached the counter, noticing how a pen seemed to be trapped between the closed journal, a clear indicator. My fingers brushed against the edges carefully before I opened it, immediately falling to the page the pen laid on.

There was paper torn close to the spine, indicating a page had been ripped out as I lightly traced the uneven edges. It was then that I realized what was missing, and I didn’t know if it helped or made everything worse. Him taking the list, taking the things I had created as a reminder, it made me hope for his return and fear his absence even more. It was the note that was the end of me as I leaned against the counter for support, my fingers running along the ink on the paper. The memories were bittersweet, both making me smile and making my heart hurt, remembering him at my childhood home and showing him the collection that I had kept. Robert Frost. Edgar Allen Poe. Emily Dickenson. Even some of T.S Elliot. Books of poetry, lines underlined and highlighted—obvious signs of my favorite parts, the ones that spoke the most to me. And when he couldn’t sleep, he would read. And so, I read the lines, over and over as I stood there, the tips of my fingers running over every letter as if it were brail, giving me some hidden message. But there isn’t one, not really. This message was clear, and while it was a favorite of mine, him leaving it just for me created a deeper meaning, and I knew I wouldn’t be forgetting it anytime soon.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my luve,

Though it were ten thousand mile.

#oc: camille riley #oc: naomi clarke #ch: steve rogers #ch: sam wilson #ch: natasha romanoff #ch: tony stark #my ocs #my writing #asks #guileandgall

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adorable-american · 4 years

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So... I rewatched otgw and started looking at fanart and was reminded of bipper... and I've spent the last day and a half looking at #billdip help.

Also, I have an idea for the billdip mafia au, so course

(Mostly a human au)

(Edit: ok so, I had no idea what was happening until I typed it all. I was gonna mostly put the idea and hope a more experienced writer could take on the challenge bc I don't feel my mafia expertise is good but... well... I ended up typing some story bits so sorry if the third person/ first person switches are random and difficult to follow along with)

Bill is a criminal kingpin and afraid of nothing and no one, he is married to Dipper but since Dipper is almost a hazard for his line of work, he keeps his marriage secret. You cannot find a record of their marriage since Bill has the judge on payroll, Dipper (now older) uses his real name, Mason Pines-Cipher instead of the old childhood nickname. So, if anyone hears Bill say "'Pinetree' or on rare occasions 'Dipper'" they just figure he means another random thug. Mason, is completely oblivious to the nature of his husband's true work (because he wouldn't approve) and lives a very normal life as a doctor. He has seen Bill's office which is the front for his true dealings. The office is a nice space at the top of a skyscraper in Seattle. The business front is actually a realtor firm, where he takes advantage of the information and uses dilapidated/condemned/empty houses and buildings for his private matters. But because of Mason's odd work/call hours he often has long shifts and stays tired so he hardly notices the shady things that happen around their home, or the coming and goings of strangers at the wee hours of the morning.

Bill is also a very loving husband who brings his favorite doctor lunches and sits with him during his breaks so that with their crazy schedules they know and still make time for each other.

The only people who know about Mason is a very small circle, it consist of 2 people actually. Bill's chauffeur and another doctor that Bill pays extra to watch out for Mason at work. And because Bill separates the two lives so carefully no one can figure out his weaknesses and use it against him.

Until... dun dun dun!

Bill is kidnapped by a rival!

Mason sitting at the hospital cafe he waits for his husband to bring him their lunches but when he doesn't show Mason becomes irritable, mostly because he is hungry and never carries his wallet out of routine, but also because Bill will not answer his phone and he is stressing out about it, to the point he calls the realtor office and checks the ER. After his shift at the office he quickly drives home and searches the house and goes to the police to file a missing person's report (he forgets to eat and gets highly cranky with the officers.)

After leaving the police station, a black unmarked car follows him home. He is taken in the middle of the night while asleep, he wakes to find some smelly thug in his face and that he is strapped to a chair. (Still wearing his scrubs because in all his stress and overworked body he passed out before changing or cleaning up.) The thug smacks a crowbar against his palm. Threatening to Mason before telling him that he better answer their questions or he'd get the 'crow'. To which the thug steps back and Mason can now see the man standing behind him, the rival mafia boss. "So, who are you?"

"M-mason.." he says, his heartbeat becoming erratic and his breathing quickening with panic.

"Last name?"

"Pines...-Cipher" he hesitates before adding the hyphenated portion. He wasn't sure why, but he was very scared to death.

"So, how do you know One-Eyed Bill?" The rival asks because no one knows Bill's real name.

Mason's face contorted in a confused manor having never heard the name before. And as he hesitates too long the thug brings down the crowbar, smashing Mason's knee.

As Mason screams and cries the boss asks again. "How do you know him?"

"A-are you talking about my husband?" Mason exclaims, chest heaving. The image of his loving husband, an eyepatch hiding the injured eye from long ago, the injury that caused them to first meet... Bill had been quite the charmer. Even after his eye was removed, he denied prosthetics in favor of his new aesthetic. He would visit the hospital and wait in the cafeteria until the handsome doctor showed up. Everyday he waited, until eventually he learned Mason's typical schedule/routine, then he would show up only for lunch and sit with the doctor. Until eventually Mason gave in to his former patient and accepted his request for a date.

The boss and thug give each other a side glance. The boss smiles, making Mason even more scared as he moves closer, getting very close to Mason's face. "You mean to tell me that the notorious One-Eyed Bill, is married to a very cute doctor and his real name actually is Bill?" The boss pinches Mason's cheek and spins the chair around. Behind him the whole time was Bill, his shirt was ripped to shreds, cuts, bruises, and bloodstains littered his body as he wore a masked expression upon seeing his husband now in the same situation as himself. The very thing he worked hard to prevent, being undone... by Mason searching for him.

Mason lurches forward despite being tied to a chair, he wants so badly to help his husband, to bandage him up and nurse his wounds. "Please, I'm no threat to you! Let me help him." The rival boss thinks for a moment, smirking as he has the thug retrieve Mason's medical bag. (Stupidly, they grabbed it with Mason thinking it was Bill's briefcase) The thug dropped the case in Mason's lap and untied him. "Alright, but you have to get to him yourself." The rival said, leaning against Bill's chair and watching as the doctor with a smashed knee crawled with the heavy bag over to Bill. Tears rolling down his eyes in pain. Bill gives him an "I'm sorry" look, his own mouth tied shut with a handkerchief. Opening his bag Mason searched for something to sterilize the open cuts and bandages to cover each one. He pulls himself up into Bill's lap and sets to work. The rival boss unties the gag and questions Bill instead, this time when Bill doesn't answer or tries to lie Mason takes the punishment. Him being yanked by his hair and thrown to the ground, dropping all the bandaging and sterilization wipes.

"Gag him and hold him." The rival instructs, the thug does as he says, gagging Mason and picking up the young doctor rather haphazardly, his large tattooed hand around Mason's throat. Slowly tightening until Bill gives up locations for his operation. He looks over to Mason who has tears in his eyes, letting his gaze drop Bill can read the disappointment all over his husband. By the time, the rival has Bill's locations checked out, Bill knows he has now lost fortunes in investments but that won't stop him from destroying this guy. Because as they agree to finally let them go, hurt, broken, and Bill disgraced. Bill can feel the old powers course through his veins. Its not until they physically knock Mason out that Bill can retaliate. His eyes begin to glow yellow, his pupil turning into a slit as blue flames flicker to life, burning the bonds around him. His body healing itself. He stands up. The rival and thug's eyes widen in horror. Bill snaps his fingers and the both of them burn alive in the blue fires. He was in fact a demon but no one knew, he even had been playing games with these humans for so long he had forgotten what it was like to be beat in his own game, and forgotten the feeling of his power.

After the two burned alive Bill wasn't with the decision to cut his loses and start over else where or cheat and wipe the minds of his rival's thug's. Looking down at Mason, however, he wasn't sure what to do. He pressed his hand gently over Mason's knee, healing the shattered bone before moving up to his head, he couldn't wake him like this, for the mind was much too fragile but, he could see inside his husband's mind. And repair the damage that way but again, he wasn't sure he wanted that either. So he scooped up the handsome doctor along with his medical bag and teleported them home. Dropping the bag onto the kitchen table he carried Mason to their bed laying him down and played his least favorite game, the waiting game.

Once Mason awoke he jolted upright in the bed, fear immediately consuming him as he looked around, screaming for Bill and quickly checking his leg.

Bill was at his side in seconds, calming him down and reassuring him they were safe now. Once Mason calmed down Bill had told him everything and told Mason his options. 1) they could runaway together and start over 2) Bill could fix it all with a snap or 3) They did the first option and Bill would force Mason to go with him should he decide that he wanted to leave him.

Mason raised his hands in defense telling Bill to slow down and let him process.

Mason ends up requesting number 2 but that they be a couple of nobodies who aren't missed and ditch town in favor of traveling the world in search of mystery and adventure.

#billdip #bill cipher #gravity falls dipper #gravity falls #Mason Pines-Cipher #dipper pines

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writersrealmbts · 5 years

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Fluffy Tails: Part 3-Recipe for Fluff

Description: Halloween! Hybrid!Jungkook x reader, Sanctuary Universe: Fall has come, and with it tons of yummy foods that inevitably help you put on some weight for winter hibernation. Jungkook loves his squirrel, fluff and all.

Light Angst/Fluff

Posted: 10/29/2019

Tags: Hybrid au, Hybrid Jungkook,

Wordcount: 2,185

A/N: Sorry I didn’t get it posted this morning, Tuesdays are my busy days and I didn’t wake up early enough to post it. It’s not exactly what was asked for, but it’s the closest approximation I could get given previously established stuff.

“Y/n? Are we going to any Halloween parties?”

You finished measuring out the allspice, trying to decide how to answer him. “Did you have some that you wanted to go to?” You dreaded costume shopping. It was a trial every year.

“Not really, I usually go home for Halloween or to Jimin-hyung’s. We could stay in and watch Halloween movies instead. Especially if—is that pumpkin bread?” His ears perked up, and he bounced a little as he stayed at the edge of the kitchen.

“It will be. I think movies sound great,” You replied, slowly adding your dry ingredients to the mixture in the mixer. “You’re okay with walnuts, right?”

“Yes!”

You nodded, happy that he was because you really loved having nuts in your pumpkin bread.

He was humming softly, sitting on the other side of the counter so that he could be with you while not being in your way. “You’ve been cooking a lot lately.”

You shrugged a bit.

“I had to start working out again,” He commented, laughing a bit.

Your cheeks burned a bit. “Oh.”

He noticed, of course he would. “It’s not a bad thing. I like having so much food. And I really like the recipes you’ve been trying out lately.”

You nodded. “I’m glad.” You started adding water to the mixture, eyes glued to it so you wouldn’t look at Jungkook. The two of you had been dating for almost a year now, but there was still some uncharted territory. Like how your weight tended to fluctuate, especially around fall and in early winter.

“Y/n?”

“Hmm?”

“You okay?”

You nodded. “Just focusing on baking.”

“Alright,” he said after a moment. “I’ll go pick out our first movie. Did you get the candy for the apartment kids?”

“It’s by the door, and don’t you dare steal any until we know trick or treating is over, Jeon Jungkook.”

He laughed, but he went straight to the living area and started looking through the movies the two of you owned.

You’d sort of gradually moved in, officially getting the lease changed about two weeks ago when your previous lease ended and his was about to get renewed. Moving the last of your things into the spare bedroom, even though you spent every night in his room.

“Probably a good thing we’re not going to a party, I’ve got a meeting with one of my teachers tomorrow,” He called out.

“That teacher finally set a meeting to talk about that paper?”

“Yeah, and I have your notes. I’m glad I’ve got such a smart woman watching over me,” He said, arms wrapping around you as he came back into the kitchen. “Train to Busan or Beetlejuice?”

“Both?” You wiggled. “Tail.”

“Sorry,” He grumbled, stepping back so your tail was freed and then reattaching once he pushed it out of the way. “That smells so good.”

You added in the chopped walnuts, then pulled over your bread pans. Jungkook had gotten you two bread pans for your birthday and you’d given him lots of kisses because you made at least three pans of bread every week, especially as the weather started turning cold. Your instincts had you both stocking up on food, eating extra food, and gaining weight. You’d then lose said weight through the winter and be back in shape by spring. Maybe next spring the two of you would officially mate, now that you knew of each other’s habits and feelings wouldn’t be as hurt as this past spring. It wasn’t anything either of you could have helped. Neither of you really realized that the other was indicating they wanted to mate, especially since you both didn’t really realize how you were behaving in the first place. Him running circles around you, you running away and expecting to be chased and both of you being hurt when instinctual expectations weren’t met. And then before you two could properly sort things out, you had to leave for your student research position in Paraguay and you didn’t really have the resources to contact him, as much as it killed you. Plus you had to work twice as hard because you were a hybrid and everyone expected you to fail.

When you’d returned, he was waiting anxiously at the airport with candied pecans and a bouquet of daisies and you cried because of the month of stress and missing him. You didn’t leave his side for a whole week after that, panicking when he started leaving your side. He didn’t mind most of the time, a little worried about you because you also didn’t speak during that time, far too emotional. But when you did talk to him, late one night while the two of you were cuddled up in a blanket fort that felt very nest-like to you, he was so soft and gentle and it was honestly one of the best things ever. Even though you felt bad for your behavior both before leaving and after coming back.

He just seemed relieved that you were able to speak again, and told you that you weren’t allowed to be away that long without contact because he felt sick while you were gone. His family told you that he was a mess, and that they’d worried about him becoming depressed. And that he kept feeding squirrels in the park.

It was after that week that you realized that Jungkook wasn’t leaving your side either, and he kept bringing more and more food home. He didn’t actually want you away from him like you had supposed when you couldn’t stop clinging to him.

“Baby?” He whispered, nibbling on your neck. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“You’re warm,” You murmured back, finding yourself leaning back against him. “And I need to move, and can’t because of your arms.”

“Oh,” He whispered, but didn’t make any sort of attempt to leave your side. “That does sound like a problem.”

“I can’t make dinner until these are baked,” You whispered.

“What are we having for dinner?” He asked, his voice a little husky.

“Stuffed spaghetti squash, veggie enchilada style,” You answered, still almost in a whisper.

He moaned softly. “That sounds so good!”

“It will be, if I can make it,” You flicked his face with your tail and ducked out the moment his arms loosened in surprise.

“Wow, that’s cheating!” He batted at your tail, still losing as you flicked your tail out of your way multiple times as he tried to both box it and catch it. It was one of his new games. “Dang it’s fast.”

You hummed happily, pouring the batter into the pans and then sticking them into the oven, setting the timer and then spinning around just before he managed to catch your tail and blinking up at him through your lashes. “Jungkookie, don’t you think it’s time you said sorry to my tail for trying to abuse it?”

“It started it,” He muttered, folding his arms.

You tried not to laugh at his idea of your tail being a separate entity from yourself. “Is that so?”

“It keeps trying to come between us,” He said, watching it suspiciously as your tail curled around your feet and out of the reach of his hands.

“Hmm. So you tried to fight my tail.”

“It fought back!” He objected, pulling out the veggies from the fridge and started to nibble them in frustration.

You took one as well. “Jungkook, you do realize that my tail is attached to me, right? So if you grab my tail, it will lead to me either being hurt or hurting you?”

He looked away sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

You reached up and lovingly tugged on of his bunny ears. “Do you want me to play with your tail?”

He turned red, first his ears, then his neck, then his face. “No. No. I’m good.”

“Shame,” you whispered, kissing his cheek and heading toward the living room. “Let’s start with Beetlejuice, and then watch Train to Busan.”

“What about dinner?”

“I told you, I can make it until the pumpkin bread is done. Bring the veggies. I’m hungry too.”

He did as you said, sitting next to you and letting you cover both of you with your tail and a blanket. He had taken to petting his enemy during movies and such and you honestly weren’t going to complain.

The two of you didn’t get many trick-or-treaters, and most of them came while the two of you were having dinner.

Jungkook lay with his head on your lap for Train to Busan, sighing happily. “You’re so soft. I was right. Fall is the best time to cuddle you.”

You felt your cheeks burn. “How so?”

He kissed your knee. “You get a little squishy.”

“Excuse me?” You were a little confused by that.

He rolled onto his back to smile up at you. “You’re nice to cuddle with all the time, but because it’s fall and our nature tells us to put on weight for hibernation—even though we don’t hibernate—has made you all soft and comfy and you just feel fluffy. It’s nice. And your ass looks especially nice in my sweats now. You can weigh however much you like, y/n, as long as we’re healthy and happy and together, I’m happy. Now, are we going to watch the movies? Or are we going to cut into that pumpkin bread?”

You shrugged, still a little surprised by what he said.

“I vote pumpkin bread,” He chirped happily, rolling off of your lap and pulling you to your feet before dragging you to the kitchen. “Smells so good. Ooh, we should make apple pie soon!”

You shook your head, laughing as he continued listing different fall desserts and such that he wanted “us to make” which definitely meant you. He’d help now and then, but he definitely relied on you for the know-how.

“You really didn’t want to go to any parties, did you?” He asked teasingly, kissing your cheek as you cut into the bread.

“Finding costumes is a nightmare this time of year. Besides, then I’d have to deal with those sorority bunnies making eyes at you and somehow come out of there without having a handful of rabbit-tails.” You placed his piece on a plate and started slicing a smaller one for yourself.

“Even though you know I don’t care about them?”

“Yup. Because I’ve already heard enough about how ‘interspecies mating is a travesty’ from their dumb mouths. The only problem with interspecies mating comes when it’s a predator and prey sort of deal and even then, it’s not that big of a deal,” You grumbled, then waited as he tasted the bread.

He moaned in delight. “This is amazing.” He hugged you tightly to him, nuzzling against your neck.

You giggled as his nose barely brushed against your skin and his hair tickled your neck. “You sound more like you want to make love to it than stuff your face.”

“Can’t I eat it while making love to you?” He asked, popping another piece into his mouth with a pleased groan.

“Hmmm, pass.” You pushed out of his arms and darted down the hall.

“Hey!” He was close behind you, playfully chasing after you until he managed to catch you by his bed, pulling you to him by the waist and kissing your fiercely.

You giggled as you managed to break away again, leading him in a chase around the apartment, before he managed to catch you again, scooping you up into his arms.

“Are you courting me?” He asked, teasing.

Your cheeks burned at the question, your body rigid in his hold.

His expression softened. “Oh. Well. Would you look at that. Seems like your instincts have a trick and a treat in store for us,” He whispered, leaning in and kissing you before carrying you to the bed. He lay you down gently and kissed you. “I’ll put the food away. You get comfy.”

You nodded, still a little rigid.

He rubbed his nose against yours. “D-did you maybe…want…to…?”

You were beyond embarrassed.

“…Mate?” He finally finished the question, looking a little embarrassed himself.

“Are we ready for that?” You asked, looking away from him.

He was quiet for a moment, then his face was centimeters away and he looked determined. “I am if you are. I don’t have any doubts.”

“Neither do I,” You whispered.

He smiled. “I still need to put the food away.”

You nodded and watched him go, a little excited by how confident he seemed as he walked with a bounce in his step. “This isn’t a trick, right?”

He laughed, turning back. “No, it’s definitely a treat. Anything we need before?”

“Better bring snacks. I’ve been having midnight munchies.”

“Really? Me too. Well, 3 am munchies, but same difference. I’ll bring an assortment. And the candy.”

“Ooh! Yes!”

He laughed and bounded away to get the snacks and candy.

Your mate. He was going to be your mate. Your bunny.

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Masterlist Sanctuary Series Masterpost

#hybrid!au #jeon jungkook #jungkook x reader #hybrid!bts #bunny jungkook #hybrid!jungkook #reader x jungkook #bts #bts fic #safewithmesequel #fluffy tails fic #sanctuary series #halloween story madness #halloween story

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edelwoodsouls · 4 years

Text

all roads lead - ch. 8

When his mother dies, Stiles runs away, straight into danger - only to be saved by Peter Hale. Seven years later, after burying their alpha, Stiles and Malia return home.

Word Count: 3,212 | Also on Ao3 | Other Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,

Chapter 8: PACK

They end up at the ice-cream shop.

Whilst its outside is nothing but peeling paint and a flickering neon sign that now only reads ' C R AM', the inside is a hidden gem of smooth pastel surfaces and large booths, paired with upbeat 80s music and the heady scent of melted chocolate and burnt sugar.

Going in, Stiles knew he was about to be submerged in enemy territory. Still, walking in to the scent of wolves heavy in the air brings back memories of the supernatural cafes and bars in New York, of the stink that had surrounded Peter when he came back from alpha meetings. He has the sudden urge to scrub his skin raw or spray perfume; he shifts closer to Malia.

The booth by the window is filled with what Stiles assumes is Scott's entire pack. There's Isaac, beside a girl with dark hair that Stiles recognises - Allison, who lives in his old house, who of course is connected to all of this, because everything in this fucking town is.

He can't help but frown at how close she sits with everyone, how easily she laughs with them, despite the stink of wolfsbane and iron that clings to her. They don't even seem bothered by it. Stiles has seen packs with humans in them before. But hunters?

The thought flees quickly as he notices the last two of the group. A girl with straight brown hair and an etched frown, and an older guy - maybe twenty-five. Both with Peter's jawline and bright blue eyes.

Stiles forgets how to breathe. Scott is talking, the others sliding into their seats, but the world is ringing, tunneled upon these two, so achingly strange yet familiar.

"Stiles?" The sound rushes back to the scene, and he looks down to see Scott has put a hand on his arm. He sees the tell-tale snake of black veins disappearing quickly up the other alpha's sleeve, so fast he could have imagined it. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry. It's been a long day. What were you saying?"

"I was just introducing everyone."

"Cool, cool," Stiles slides into the booth at the edge beside Malia, facing Scott. His beta leans against him, her shock a far less visible force, but just as shaking.

Scott introduces everyone. Allison gives them a grin that is so sweet it almost hides the sharp edge behind it. Stiles barely registers that her surname is Argent, that he should probably be panicking at the fact that he has her family's blood clinging to his hands, but the information settles somewhere in the back of his mind for later, far less important than his current panic attack.

"And this is Derek," Scott says, confirming what Stiles is already acutely aware of. "And Cora. Hale."

Derek, for his part, appears distant. His mouth is permanently curled down, his eyes staring at a point on the wall opposite. He nods noncommittally in their direction. The table goes uneasily silent for a moment, and Stiles feels he must be missing some important context to this scene.

"Nice to meet you, I guess," the girl says, tone as biting as Stiles would expect-

What had Scott said? Cora Hale. Cora Hale, not Laura. Cora, who was listed as one of the casualties of the fire. Who had been in their year at school until she had vanished that night in a puff of smoke and flame.

"Guys," Scott breaks the silence, "this is Stiles Stilinski, and Malia Tate. They just got back into town and are living with me and Isaac."

Everyone leans in with interest at that. There's a question in their eyes he knows he's not supposed to see, a less-than-subtle shake of the head from Scott. No, this silent conversation says, they're human. Not a threat.

Not pack.

Thankfully, Stiles is saved from trying to bridge a conversation by the arrival of the waitress. Money isn't an issue for him or Malia, not with the exorbitant funds Peter left behind. Between the stress of the day and the ADHD in the back of his brain screaming for sugar, Stiles goes absolutely ham, and even Malia orders a few waffle cones without the ice cream- she still hasn't gotten used to being cold without her fur, let alone inflicting it upon herself on purpose.

He watches the other pack, feeling more than ever like a wolf in sheep's clothing. He can't help but study them as an enemy - just in case, he tells himself, ignoring the rational part of his brain that accuses him of paranoia. It's not paranoia if someone's out to get you, and Stiles is sure that between the mess they left behind in New York, and the mess they've discovered here in Beacon Hills, it's only a matter of time.

Eventually the blood will find them.

But for all he knows of the current situation, this pack does not seem like one in crisis. They laugh easily with each other. They lean towards each other, towards Scott, as if he is the sun, and they are just planets orbiting around him. Allison and Isaac trade comebacks across the table. Lydia inputs with sniping comments and imperious facts, switching it up with forceful compliments so genuine that the whiplash makes his head spin. Even Derek manages the occasional deadpan remark, and Cora tries, too, though she looks as awkward as Stiles feels - a new addition to the pack, he assumes.

He wouldn't guess, watching this family through the window of an ice-cream shop, that so much death and blood hangs over their heads.

Of course the peace can't last long. The conversation turns to him and Malia like an inevitable landslide Stiles can only watch rushing towards him. He feels how out of place they are in this scene, how Lydia in particular watches him as if she can see the death that weighs down his shoulders.

"So where did you say you spent the last seven years?" she asks, as if the question has been building momentum on her tongue all this time.

Uneasy, intensely curious silence drops like a weight over the table. Scott shoots nervous glances between the two of them, but everyone else watches with a hunger Stiles feels devouring him from afar.

"New York," he says, allowing a confident smile to settle on his features, as if this is all he needs to say. He has a suspicion that Lydia has conversations like chess matches, and tipping his hand with nerves is something he cannot afford.

"How'd you end up in New York?"

"I got a bus, how else would you get there?"

Lydia's eyes narrow. "Why did you end up there?"

"Getting lost in a city is easier than a town like this."

"So you left of your own accord."

"I didn't say that, and I don't think it's any of your business."

"How come you're back now, then?"

"Circumstances changed. There was nothing keeping us there anymore."

"You said you were here to pay your debts," Allison chimes in, pointing at him accusatorially with her ice-cream spoon. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Stiles curses silently, taking a moment to weigh his options. "I owe my dad for not being here," he says slowly. "I owe Scott for not being here. Whether it was my choice or not. Me and Malia just want a chance to live a normal life. To finish high school. To leave the past in the past where it belongs and where it should die. If that's okay with you?"

He spits the last question at the table, satisfied when he sees the ripple of uncomfortable guilt across their faces. Lydia's eyes remain narrowed, but he feels the tension ease somewhat. After all, for all intents and purposes he's just declared his allegiance to their pack - to Scott. That's really what this conversation is about, all other curiosities aside. Are you a threat to our alpha? Are you planning to hurt him more than you already have?

"Personally I fucking hate school," Malia says, crunching down on a waffle cone and snapping the remaining tension in an instant. "Stiles is the real nerd here. I just highlight everything in the textbook and hope for the best."

"You can just borrow my notes," Lydia sighs. "Everyone else does."

Malia grins at her, though Stiles can see the moment her thoughts wander back to Kira, to their study sessions together, and the enthusiasm turns sour.

"Maybe we could help you guys prepare for the aptitude test?" Scott asks. "Lydia's a certified genius, and I'm only failing French at the moment."

Stiles manages a smile. "I'd like that."

~~~

"Can't sleep?"

Stiles is sat on the roof that evening, staring up at the nearly full moon. It always pulls at him like this as it grows - he used to sleepwalk in the early days. Now, keeping his wolf under lock and key so often, he finds the urge, the gravity tugging him out into open sky, irresistible.

He nods silently, and Scott pulls himself up onto the roof to sit beside him. For a moment, they simply stare at the moon, transfixed.

"Nervous about going back to school?"

Stiles snorts. "School is the least of my concerns."

"I feel that," Scott nods. His voice is so heavy, so tired, that Stiles looks up immediately to examine the other alpha's face. In the moonlight, the sunshine that usuallt radiates from him seems diminished. There are deep purple bruises beneath his eyes. His shoulders slouch as if they hold the weight of worlds upon them.

For all that Stiles avoided questions during the day, now he finds his own bubbling up inside him. "What..." his voice hitches unexpectedly. "What happened when I was gone?"

Scott's heavy expression turns guarded for a second, before dropping, as if those walls are unnatural to erect, their weight too much to bear on top of everything else. He really is just a naturally open book, all too genuine.

"A lot, Stiles."

"Tell me." He knows anything he learns now will be a filtered truth filled with holes, but he wants desperately to know that he didn't ruin this boy's life by leaving. That the blood of another future isn't on his hands.

"You... you left. Theo left not much after."

"I was wandering where that guy got to."

"His sister died in the preserve; his family moved to start fresh, I think."

No death in the preserve comes without a half dozen red strings attached to it. Stiles files this information away for later.

"Your dad... Stiles, it was bad. Really bad. He got suspended from work. He went to rehab. Relapsed. Got put in the cells a couple times to sober up. Everyone tried to help him, but..."

"He'd lost everything," Stiles whispers. He doesn't want to hear this, the confirmation of his worst fears about his father. All of this is his fault.

"If you- if you ran away, Stiles, I wouldn't blame you. Your dad at his worst, he wasn't a great guy to be around. I can imagine how scary that must have been. I just wish you'd told me what it was like. I could've helped. You could've stayed with me. You didn't have to leave."

Stiles says nothing. Scott's hand inches towards his as if he wants to rest it on his arm like he often does with Isaac, to give that tactile support that pack relies on, but it falls short, resting unsure on the roof tiles.

"Anyway, my mom kinda staged an intervention, along with the old sheriff, and a couple of the deputies from work. She has experience with, y'know, after my dad. I don't really know what happened, but somehow he got back on his feet. Started going to AA meetings. Got promoted to sheriff. Started dating my mom. They've been married a year now. It was a really nice ceremony, actually. Low-key. You would've hated it."

Stiles lets out a soft laugh. "They seem good together."

"Mm," Scott replies, his mind a thousand miles away.

"Can't help but notice you're avoiding talking about yourself, though, Scotty."

"Says the guy."

"Touche."

They lapse into silence. Scott's heartbeat is steady but his scent is awash with a mixture of melancholy and regret that Stiles is intimately familiar with.

"You seem to be doing well, now, at least," Stiles says eventually, as the energy pent up in the quiet begins to itch at his skin.

Scott sighs and nods, both gestures at odds with each other. "Isaac and I became friends a bit after you and Theo left. Both the kids with no friends, y'know?" Stiles cringes. "He moved in in the spring after his dad died. And Allison moved here in January. She became friends with Lydia, who became friends with us."

The information in this story is so sparse Stiles can feel the tidal wave of details slipping in between. But how can he ask for more? How can he ask how did you become a werewolf and who did you kill to become an alpha and how long has it been, how are you so good at it, what am I doing so wrong?

"Derek and Cora aren't usually as rude as today. Well, they are - I think being a dick runs in their genes. But their sister was killed a couple weeks ago - animal attack - and it kinda fucked them up a lot. She was a really great- person."

A really great alpha, Stiles thinks, as another of the puzzle piece slots into place. He feels an unexpected pang at the thought that he will never meet Peter's older niece. He wanted to see what made the Hale pack so special. He wanted to look that woman in the eyes and ask her how she could sleep at night knowing she abandoned her pack.

"A lot of death in this town," Stiles notes as nonchalantly as he can. "Animal attacks. And my dad mentioned something about a serial killer. That's insane, man."

"It's a lot, yeah," Scott says, that heaviness returning to his shoulders like Atlas reclaiming the sky. "There was this guy. He fucked us all up in a lot of ways. But he's gone now, and somehow I think we're all better for it? I mean, we've been through so much shit. I've seen my own blood on my hands more times than I can count in the last year. But without him, I never would've become who I am. Never would've become friends with Lydia, or Derek and Cora, or..."

The names of ghosts linger on Scott's tongue before vanishing like smoke.

"Sounds like some guy," Stiles laughs, all-too aware that Scott has told him more than he probably should have. These are not the official stories, the normal stories of a teenager. And yet he doesn't seem surprised that Stiles isn't horrified.

"That's certainly one way to describe Peter."

Stiles' world shivers to a stop; shatters into a thousand diamonds all reflecting the stillness of this night, this moon.

"Peter?" he manages to choke out. His heart, he knows, is racing too fast, betraying his racing thoughts, but the world is turning to ice and dust before his eyes, and he can't bring himself to care.

"Peter Hale," Scott says slowly, eyes narrowed towards Stiles in concern. "He's Derek and Cora's uncle, but they're nothing like him. He came back to town to settle some old score with his family and got a bunch of us tangled up in the process."

There had been two months, at the beginning of the year, when Peter had vanished. Business trip, he'd claimed, as if he had a consistent job and didn't simply pull cash out of his family's obscene inheritance.

Stiles' curiosity had burned, but he'd been too busy nursing Malia back to health from the gaping hole in her head, the screaming nightmares she had to claw her way from drowning in, to care about much else.

The Peter who returned had been so quiet. His temper shorter, his remarks snider and crueler. Reckless. It had taken months for the tension, the weight, to ease from his body, and by that time the three of them had found themselves hunted for sport and chained up in their own apartment. The beginning of the end.

"Sounds rough," Stiles manages a half-strangled laugh.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just-" The night has become cold enough to freeze his skin, and yet he feels heat rising like a fever in his chest. His thoughts are too fast, his lungs too small to contain the world. The moon above is little more than a haze of silver, glaring down at him in judgement. "Today's been a lot, I think. Seeing everything I've missed, everything that happened because I left-"

"Nothing is your fault, Stiles-"

"You don't know that, Scott. You don't know what might have been different." You don't know what I've done. That everything you've suffered might have been because of me. "And I'll have to live with that every day."

"You're back now," Scott says, a fierceness in his voice Stiles hasn't seen before. The other alpha finally reaches up and places his hand on Stiles' shoulder, the skin-on-skin contact like electricity grounding him to earth. "And I don't care about the past. You wanted a new start, this is it. Here, with us. You just have to let us in."

"I want that more than anything. I just... how do you ever stop looking over your shoulder? How, after all the blood you've seen, how are you so happy?"

Scott purses his lips, thinking about it. His eyes leave Stiles and find the moon above them. This thing they share, that tethers them together more than any past or rivalry might. They are both wolves in love with the stars.

"I'm not happy," Scott says quietly. "Some days the world feels so heavy I can barely stand. You should have seen me earlier this year, I was a total mess. But I put a lot of work in over the summer. I take every day as a new start. I talk to people when I can't carry the load alone. It helps, to have someone to share with. I'm sure you know that from Malia."

"I don't know if I have the energy for that work," Stiles admits. He refuses to acknowledge the burn of tears beginning in his eyes.

"So take it one day at a time. School. Social life. Life, in general. Each step is a good one, even if sometimes you feel like you're sliding backwards. It's all a journey, and it can't always be a race. Sometimes you just gotta rest."

"Wow. You should write a self-help book, Scotty, that's some motivational shit."

"I try."

They lapse into silence, staring at the sky, and somehow Stiles finds his head resting on Scott's shoulder. He hasn't been this physically close with anyone except pack, isn't sure how to feel, how to reconcile how his heart aches for touch and his skin crawls at the thought of it.

His wolf whines silently inside him at how good it feels, and how wrong it should.

#teen wolf #stiles stilinski #malia tate #scott mccall #fanfiction #lydia martin #own work

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danurso · 5 years

Text

Stress

Glynda: and here are the reports about the current grades of the second year students.

Ozpin: thank you glynda.

Glynda: *turns around to walk away*

Ozpin: glynda, could you stay a bit more please? There is something i need.

Glynda: *looking back at ozpin* yes, what is it?

Ozpin: i will also need the report of the grades for the third and the fourth year.

Glynda: weren't port and oobleck the responsibles for these?

Ozpin: yes but oobleck had to leave for an archeologist convention and port had his annual hunting fest to attend.

Glynda: but what about the reports?

Ozpin: that's the point, since they're not available i need you to make the reports for me, i will need all the reports ready in two days.

Glynda: WHAT!? But it already took me almost a week just to make the reports of the second year!!

Ozpin: don't worry, i know you'll find a way out.

Glynda: *gritting her teeth* fine, they'll be ready in two days. *turns around to leave*

Ozpin: and by the way glynda, since port and oobleck are out, i need you to fill their classes.

Glynda: *with a popped vein and a twitching forced smile* as you wish headmaster. *walks into the elevator*

*a few moments later*

Glynda: *leaving the elevator*

Ironwood: *getting in the elevator* good afternoon professor goodwitch.

Glynda: *with a deadly glare* only for you james.

Ironwood: *flinches and gets in the elevator*

Glynda: i have to prepare a report about the grades of more than two hundred students in two days. *massaging her temples* does ozpin even realize how much stress he's making me go through? *sighs in defeat* just to think about all the work i'll have is giving me a headache. hopefully the nurse will have something for it, and to keep me awake for the next two days. *start to walk towards the nurse office.*

???: I'M GONNA BREAK HIS LEGS!!!

Glynda: looks like i'm not the only ones having a bad day. *staring at nora*

Nora: *stomping with a scowl and hammer in hand*

Ren: *getting in her way* nora, stop.

Nora: GET OUTTA MY WAY REN!! ONE THING IS MESS WITH ME, BUT MESSING WITH MY PANCAKES IS ALREADY OFF LIMITS AND CARDIN HAS TO PAY!! I'M GOING TO BREAK HIS LEGS, HIS FACE AND EVERYTHING ELSE ON HIS BODY!!

Glynda: *sighs* as if my day wasn't bad enough, now i'll have to fix whatever destruction she's going to cause.

Ren: you can't do that.

Nora: I CAN AND I WILL!! I WILL SHOW THAT PIECE OF GARBAGE THAT I-

Ren: *pulls her into a kiss*

Nora: *freezes in surprise but starts to melt and drop the hammer to pull him closer.*

Ren: *breaking the kiss* are you calmer now?

Nora: *with a small blush* k-kinda. . .

Ren: why don't we go to a common room? I can make you some pancakes and we can watch the sloth maraton on discovery channel, sounds good?

Nora: *jumps on him and latches on his torso* only if you carry me like a sloth.

Ren: fine, let's go. *walks away with nora latched on his chest*

Glynda: what just. . . *sighs* forget it. After spending so much time with these students i should get used, specially when it comes to miss valkyrie. Still, her mood changed very quickly, it would be nice to get calmer so easily like that, but considering how volatile miss valkyrie is i shouldn't get that surprised by how fast she can change her mood. I doubt something like that wouldn't happen to a more centered person.

Sun: hey blake. . .uhh, you okay?

Blake: *with dark bags under her eyes and a tired expression* im fine.

Sun: please don't tell me you're staying up till late again.

Blake: im not.

Sun: your dead face says otherwise *sighs* i'm only out for a week and when i come back i find my girlfriend in this state, i shouldn't have gone for so long.

Blake: stop talking like you're my father.

Sun: when you're acting like a stubborn kid, i have to take the dad role to help you right?

Blake: shut up, i don't need help.

Sun: well, you look like you need it.

Blake: but i don't, get out of my way.

Sun: no.

Blake: get out!

Sun: *with crossed arms* nope.

Blake: I SAID GET OUT!!!

Sun: sorry, i don't want to.

Blake: *tries to push sun but gets trapped in a hug* LET GO!!

Sun: not until you're feeling better, you need help.

Blake: I DIDN'T ASKED FOR YOUR HELP!!!

Sun: but that's why i'm here, to help you even if you don't want to.

Blake: i hate you!

Sun: and i love you *stroking her hair* and because i love you i can't let you go.

Blake: . . .i told you to shut up.

Sun: okay.

Blake: *getting sleepy* why did i. . .even agreed to...date you?

Sun: i think i annoyed you until you agreed.

Blake: right. . .im so. . .stupid. *hugging him back* and you. . .are so. . .warm.

Sun: why don't you take a nap and finish your business later?

Blake: nnnn. . . *falls asleep*

Sun: *picking her up* hehe, sweet dreams blakey. *walks away*

Glynda: i take back what i said. . . *sigh* i can't understand these teenagers, they can deal with stress like its nothing. . .i wonder how they do that.

Ruby: it's easy when you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend.

Glynda: of course, it's a lot easier when you have a- *stops and looks at ruby who is standing by her side*

Ruby: *waving* hi.

Glynda: miss rose, where did you came from?

Ruby: from my room professor, i was following nora when ren got her *sheepishly* and then i heard you talking and joined.

Glynda: right, and what do you mean with "having a boyfriend makes it easier"

Ruby: not just a boyfriend, a girlfriend also works. It's just that when you're with someone you really like, the world isn't as stressing as it usually is.

Glynda: and how are you so certain of that statement?

Ruby: well, i tested it first hand, whenever im angry or weiss is stressed, we just hug for a bit, cuddle sometimes and we're good to go.

Glynda: oh yes, i forgot that you and miss schnee were in a relationship. But i didn't knew that your presence could tame her when she's stressed, miss schnee always seemed like someone hard to control when angry.

Ruby: and she is, but whenever she's stressed she just comes to me and we hug for some time, after that she gets back to her usual mood.

Glynda: well, maybe that can work for you two, but not every couple is like you.

Ruby: i think they are, just take a look. *walks up to the window*

Glynda: *follows and looks down on the window*

Velvet: *sitting on the grass*

Coco: *pacing back and forth* i can't freaking believe in those guys! Do you know how long it took for me to get those tickets!?

Velvet: *sheepishly* you kinda told me already.

Coco: i told yatsu to keep it and he had the great idea to give them to a blind person store somewhere! I can't believe we're going to lose the movie!

Velvet: i-its okay, we can go watch it another day.

Coco: *groans and lays with her head on velvet's lap* but i really wanted to see "huntsmans: endgame" today.

Velvet: *stroking her hair* we can see it tomorrow, we just need to be carefull with the spoilers.

Coco: *sigh* you're right. . .*with a small smile* well, at least i get to spend the a free day with my girlfriend.

Velvet: *with a light blush* same.

Ruby: see? she calmed her.

Glynda: yes she did, but that's probably just because they have a long running relationship, it's more easy to deal with people's when you know them better and have a good relationship with them, right?

Ruby: well, not always, there are some couples that are always fighting but can still calm eachother down. . .here, just look *pulls them to the corner of the corridor*

Mercury: is it me or you're getting slower?

Emerald: i swear to god, one day i'll sew your mouth shut.

Mercury: *grins* what? emmy is mad cause i won three out of five rounds?

Emerald: *with crossed arms* you got lucky on the last round.

Mercury: yeah, yeah *rubbing his eyes* keep crying baby girl.

Emerald: *with a scowl* i'll show you the baby girl! *pounces at him*

Mercury: *grabs both of her hands, spins her and presses her back against the wall* welp, would you look at that.

Emerald: ugh, you just got lucky again you bas-

Mercury: *kisses her*

Emerald: *pushes him away with a dark blush* w-what the hell are you doing!?

Mercury: i'm kissing you, obviously. *kisses her again*

Emerald: *kisses him shortly before pushing him away* s-stop it.

Mercury: hmm. . .don't want to. *kisses her once more*

Emerald: *tries to push him away but melts on the kiss*

Mercury: now that you look a bit more relaxed, why don't we get back to our dorm so i can take care of these tense shoulders while you call me an asshole.

Emerald: *still blushing* you're an asshole.

Mercury: yeah, i know *throws her over his shoulder and walks away*

Ruby: see? These two are always fighting but they can still help each other to keep their cool.

Glynda: miss rose, while i understand what you are trying to show me, you don't understand the stress i am going through, maybe that tactic can work on teenager's stress, but when it comes to the stress of adults, i doubt it can wor-

???: *bumps past between winter and glynda*

Glynda: *narrow her eyes at the strangely pale boy with black hair and white clothes* excuse me young man, don't you-

???: *glaring at them with his sharp green iris*

Glynda/Ruby: *freezes being overwhelmed by his terrifying aura*

???: ulquiiii!!! *jumps on the boy* good morning ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra: *instantly calms down and looks at the orange haired girl* only for you woman.

Orihime: *pouts* i already told you to call me orihime.

Ulquiorra: and i refused to.

Orihime: what's wrong? You look stressed.

Ulquiorra: nonsense.

Orihime: come on! i'm your girlfriend, you can tell me.

Ulquiorra: *sighs* you are an annoying woman, are you aware of that?

Orihime: *smiles sheepishly*

Ulquiorra: you shouldn't worry about me woman, this "stress" is just an natural response of being on the same team as that shinigami.

Orihime: so it's because of ichigo that you're like that?

Ulquiorra: i can't stand to that man's existence, and i am well aware that he can't stand to mine's either.

Orihime: it's not like that, ichigo just has some. . .trust issues, since your dad betrayed the council and tried to kill him countless times.

Ulquiorra: and made me kidnap you.

Orihime: y-yeah, but thanks to that we got to know each other right?

Ulquiorra: i guess you are correct.

Orihime: just give him some more time to adapt to the situation. even if i can't, i know that rukia will eventually convince him to give you a chance, and on that time you can be nicer with him too.

Ulquiorra: . . .

Orihime: *with a puppy look* pleeeease.

Ulquiorra: *sighs* farewell woman, i will try to be more. . . "friendly" towards the shinigami.

Orihime: yay!! *leaps and kisses him* now what about we get some lunch?

Ulquiorra: *with an practically imperceptible smile* as long as i cook, i will agree. *starts to walk away*

Orihime: *pouts and jumps on his back* my food isn't that bad!

Ulquiorra: *giving her a piggyback ride* it is bad enough to scare me, and i am not supposed to feel any emotion, much less fear.

Orihime: fine, fine, you cook.

Ulquiorra: *walks away with orihime on his back*

Ruby: well. . .that was a thing.

Glynda: Agreed.

Ruby: i've never seen that guy before but his problems didn't sounded much like the ones from normal teenagers.

Glynda: they absolutelly didn't.

Ruby: and yet his girlfriend calmed him down. See what i mean now?

Glynda: i. . .think i do miss rose, but still, where am i supposed to find a good man to get in a relationship with?

Ruby: there's a lot of nice guys around beacon, like-

Glynda: *raises eyebrow* guys who aren't just horny teenagers after a one night stand with a "hot teacher"?

Ruby: well. . .that does makes things a bit more complicated, but i bet you can still find someone nice like. . .

Jaune: *walking by* hey ruby, can i borrow your notebook for a bit? I forgot to-

Ruby: jaune! *pulls him closer* see this guy, he's very nice and caring, he was raised in a house with eight womans so he knows how to treat and respect them, he also knows how to cook, sew, dance and much more, Also his massages are really good, and they're great to deal with the daily stress. He's the perfect boyfriend for you!

Jaune: *blushing* w-what? Ruby, w-what's going on?

Glynda: hmm. . .farewell, i will believe in what you're telling me miss rose, maybe having a "boyfriend" can help me to deal with my stress. Mister arc, from now on you are my boyfriend.

Jaune: *deep red* i-im what!?

Glynda: *narrow eyes at him* do you have any problems with me being your girlfriend?

Jaune: *sweating bullets* n-no, not at all professor goodwitch.

Glynda: good.

*two days later*

Glynda: *laying on jaune's chest* i must admit, these last two days have been wonderful to me mister ar- i mean, jaune.

Jaune: *playing with her hair* same, i mean, it was kinda awkward how fast things went but, i'm happy nonetheless.

Glynda: me too.

*knock-knock*

Glynda: i'll get the door. *gets up and opens the door*

Ozpin: good afternoon glynda.

Glynda: good afternoon professor. Can i help you?

Ozpin: i'm here for the grade reports of the third and fourth year.

Glynda: the grade report. . . *pales. internally* oh god, having to deal with all those classes and doing couple stuff with jaune made me forget about the reports, what do i do now?

Ozpin: is there anything wrong?

Glynda: n-no, no, nothing is wrong, i-its just that. . .that. . .

Jaune: here professor ozpin. *hands him a huge pile of papers* Professor goodwitch here was so overloaded having to teach three classes at the same time that she forgot in one of the classrooms.

Ozpin: thank you very much mister arc. *checks the papers* just as organised as ever, thank you very much professor goodwitch.

Glynda: err. . .you're welcome. . .professor.

Jaune: just that? All she gets is a thank you?

Ozpin: what do you mean mister arc?

Jaune: what do i mean? Do you know how hard it was to teach three classes at the same time while making reports about two hundred different students?

Ozpin: well. . .

Jaune: all that plus her usual huge load of paperwork?

Ozpin: i. . .im afraid i don't know.

Jaune: of course you don't! you just sit back on you chair drinking coffee all day while she has to deal with not only her work but yours as well, what kind of headmaster are you!?

Glynda: *speechless*

Ozpin: . . .

Jaune: so let's make a deal okay, tell port and oobleck to do their jobs and start doing your job of headmaster as well, glynda here will take a few weeks off after these last excruciating days, and you'll cover her on that while, sounds good right?

Ozpin: . . .mister arc, i'm afraid that-

Jaune: if you don't agree on these terms i'll have to call my mother, y'know my mother right? Council member, ex-student of beacon irina arc?

Ozpin: i-irina. . . *gulps and pales* arc?

Jaune: so, are we good?

Ozpin: *having vietnam war style flashbacks* y-yes, i believe we are. . .now if you excuse me, there are some things i have to take care of. *shakily walks away*

Jaune: thought so. *closes door*

Glynda: *with her jaw on the ground*

Jaune: *grinning victoriously* what?

Glynda: h-how?

Jaune: a perk of living under the same roof as eight womens is that you learn how to blackmail and scare someone, specially if one of those womans is my mom. And i know how hard you work to keep this school running, you deserve some time off.

Glynda: a-and how did you managed to make the reports? It took me a week to make the report for just the second year.

Jaune: i didn't, my sister's wife works for atlas and she's really good with computers, she managed to make a program that evaluate all the files of the students and automatically makes an report, it basically makes your work for you way faster than you could possibly make.

Glynda: *speechless*

Jaune: i already installed the program on your computer, i hope you don't mind, it's just that- *gets pulled into a heated kiss*

Glynda: *dragging the kiss for as long as sue can before breaking it* jaune arc, where have you been all my life?

Jaune: *blushing* i-i. . .well, uhh. . .

Glynda: you know, as a teacher, i should always take care of my students, but now you were the who took care of me. . . *whispering on his ear* i guess that means i need to return the favor right? *pushes him against the bed*

Jaune: *blushing even more* y-you don't need to-

Glynda: ohh but i want to~ *straddling his waist* so behave, unless you want to get punished *cracks her riding crop*

Jaune: *gulps*

Glynda: that's better.

*jaune then had a long anatomy class, one he would probably never forget*

#rwby #jaune arc #glynda goodwitch #jaune x glynda #jaune x goodwitch #spellsword #ruby rose #ozpin

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