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#am gonna face plant myself into the ocean—
inkclover · 1 year
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🩸(un)Holy Matrimony🩸
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jediskywalkerblog · 3 months
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Hey! Can I request some Ani Valentine's Day, please? Something a little spicy and a little fluffy with his padawan or close knight gal pal?❤️
Many Thanks ❤️
OMG love this request, happy valentines my lovelies🥹❤️ Request written for @thesassypadawan <33
valentines mornings
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A/N: this contains a whole lot of fluff and some smut. Minors DNI.
The lights shining through the tiny gap in the curtains awakens you from your peaceful sleep. You’re wrapped in your favourite pair of muscly arms. Nothing beats this feeling. You roll over as silently as possible until you’re facing his beautiful face. You just love the way he looks when he’s sleeping; completely relaxed with not a care in the world, the way his curls drop down his forehead, the way his lips just look so inviting to you. This is what you’d always dreamed of.
“Liking the view?” He whispers in his deep morning voice before you reach up to move some hair off of his forehead.
“Yes I am actually” you tease as he pulls you closer into his tight embrace. A feeling that always makes you feel so safe.
“Happy valentines beautiful" he says before planting a light kiss on your forehead, making you blush.
“Happy valentines ani” you say looking up at him to reveal his ocean blue eyes looking down at you.
“You look so beautiful in the mornings” he says as he plays with your hair. You don’t think you look particularly attractive in the mornings but Ani thinks the opposite.
“Thanks Ani, so do you” you say before reaching up to plant a kiss on his soft lips. “I’m going to get you something!” You say before leaping out of bed. You just can’t wait to give him his valentines gift…
“I’ll be right here baby.” He says as he sits up in bed revealing his toned abs and chest…
“Here” you say as you sit back down on the bed in front of him, handing him the little red bag. As he opens his gift his face lights up. He pulls out the little necklace you bought him with your name engraved on it. He loves the little things.
“I love it beautiful, thank you” he says before planting a kiss onto your plump lips. He leans over to his bedside table and hands you a tiny box.
“It’s only something small (y/n), I hope you like it” he says as you slowly open it. The tiny box reveals a shiny little band ring. “I made it myself” he says as he takes it off you and slips it onto your finger. “It’s so I’m always with you, no matter how far away I am” he says as he grabs your hand.
“Oh I love you Ani” you say as you begin kissing him and straddling his lap… every kiss gets more lustfull and deeper as he grabs onto your hips and you begin to grind on his lap. You can feel his cock bulging out of his joggers. You need him. You need him now.
“Ani” you moan.
“Shh baby, let me take care of care of you” he says putting his finger up to your lips before he rolls the two of you over so he’s on top of you.
He pulls up your oversized tee, which you stole out of his wardrobe, revealing your red lace thong.
“My favourite” he says as he plants little kisses down your belly until he gets to your soaking panties where he pulls them down and off with his teeth.
“Ani, I need you now” you moan as he slips his joggers off revealing his hard, throbbing cock.
“Don’t worry baby, I need you too” he says just before he slips his cock into your tight walls. “Fuck that pussy is so good. All mine” He moans as he begins to speed up and stretch you out.
“Fuck ani” you moan as you dig your nails into his back. You just know they’ll leave a mark for later.
With every thrust getting faster and harder you can feel yourself getting close.
“Ani, I’m gonna cum” you scream as he pounds you, hitting your sweet spot in all the right places.
“Cum for me baby” he says as he looks down at you with those beautiful blue eyes… that’s enough to send you over the edge. Suddenly, you’re releasing your climax onto his cock causing you to scream and shake at the same time.
“That’s it baby” he says as he kisses your forehead.
“Cum Ani, I want you to cum in my pussy” you moan as his thrusts begin to get sloppier. He’s close. Before he can respond to you, he’s filling your pussy up with his cum as he moans into your neck.
He pulls you onto his chest as he lays down next to you.
“The best valentines morning ever” you whisper as you draw imaginary shapes on his abs.
“I love you (y/n)” Anakin says before planting a kiss on your lips.
Omg I loved writing this! The smut and fluff combo was just 🤝🏼… I’m still taking requests so send via the ask button! <33 - @jediskywalkerblog 🚀✨🛸
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funnefox · 8 months
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Inspired by my crossover shenanigans sent to @rubydoowhereru, I decided to write my fav Ruby Gillman x Spongebob crossover idea into a reality
Spongebob and Patrick had just messed up big time. Patrick had just expelled the magical bag of wind he got from his soon to be girlfriend (in his dreams) Mindy. With that gone, the duo were now stuck in this seaside city with Neptune's crown, and now Mr. Krabs was surely gonna get cooked before too long.
"No" a defeated Spongebob said with a frown "How can we get back to Bikini Bottom now?"
"Bikini Bottom? I know that place!" An unfamiliar sounding voice to the crew said. From that, a blue skinned, probably Canadian looking girl started attempting a slow-motion run before suddenly tripping on a curb and sliding towards Spongebob and Patrick.
"Who are you?" SpongeBob asked the face-planted girl
"Ruby Gillman, Kraken savior." The now identified girl answered, standing up "and I'll have you know that fall was completely on purpose"
SpongeBob and Patrick then cheered, excited to hopefully find someone that can help them get home
"So, uh...so you know a boat?" SpongeBob asked Ruby Gillman
"Boat? Hahahaha. Lil Sponge, I am a boat!" Ruby answered
A little confused at that statement, Spongebob and Patrick had no time to react to being grabbed along with the crown by Ruby. She then put them on her shoulder and jumped into the ocean beyond a conveniently placed guardrail. Almost in the blink of an eye, Ruby then transformed into a purple kaiju sized version of herself, while keeping the tiny Sponge, Starfish, and Crown on her.
"Hold on, lil guys. This is gonna be a bumpy ride" Ruby prompted as she started swimming to where Bikini Bottom was.
A half hour or so later, Ruby finally saw the tiny Island that made up the surface of Bikini Bottom.
"There it is, little guys" Ruby said to her new friends "your home should be just below my tentacles"
"But Ruby, we'll never be able to float down there in time" Spongebob pointed out
"Please, my family doesn't really believe in floating" With that, Ruby sent out a sonar signal, making rise two similar looking Krakens, one Pink and one light green, both with royal looking shoulder pads.
"Did you see that?" SpongeBob asked Patrick
"The control" Patrick answered
Ruby then grabbed SpongeBob, Patrick, and the crown again, and presented them to the duo.
"Listen Mom, Grandmama. Long story short, these two need to bring this crown to a restaurant otherwise someone will die"
"Ohoho, don't worry Ruby" the light green Kraken, Ruby's Grandmama stated "sea creatures like us have techniques about things like that for centuries, we can get them home"
With that, Grandmama began singing an angelic note, bringing with it a forcefield that enveloped Ruby's new friends and the souvenir they held
("Eugene Krabs, the time has come...")
"Oh boy, a high note! C'mon Ruby, join in!" Ruby's mom gleefully said as she started to make a high note herself, adding to the force field.
("for you...")
Ruby stammered for a little bit before making the note a trio performance, adding even more to the force field
("...to fry!")
Suddenly, when the high note seemed to be at its' peak, Ruby let out a small burp, launching the forcefield and all within it down to the bottom of the ocean
"Oops, sorry, you two" a now awkward feeling Ruby apologized. "I messed it up"
"Aww, don't worry Ruby" her mom interrupted "I had a few trouble with belches myself. What you did was a good-"
Suddenly, a blast came up to where Ruby's mom was, not only burning her, but turning her to her smaller human form
"...uh, Ruby. Call your father."
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prettyputrified · 1 year
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Playlist for the Town of Oceanberry/Chiffany Kid Buddy Ray
for @rainbowdelicsunshine ‘s Oceanberry AU
Everything Stays- Olivia Olson 
“Go down to the ocean
The crystal tide is raising
Waters' gotten higher as the shore washes out
Keep your eyes wide open, even when the sun is blazin'
The moon controls the tide, it can cause you to drown
Everything stays, right where you've left it
Everything stays, but it still changes
Ever so slightly, daily and nightly
In little ways
When everything stays”
Love Love Love - The Mountain Goats
“Some things you'll do for money and some you'll do for fun
But the things you do for love are going to come back to you one by one
Love, love is going to lead you by the hand
Into a white and soundless place
Now we see things as in a mirror, dimly
Then we shall see each other face to face”
The Moss- Cosmo Sheldrake 
“Legend has it that the moss grows on
The north side of the trees
Well, legend has it when the rain comes down
All the worms come up to breathe
Well, legend has it when the sunbeams come
All the plants, they eat them with their leaves
Well, legend has it that the world spins 'round
On an axis of 23 degrees”
Space Oddity- David Bowie
“Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you-
Here am I floating 'round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do”
Saint Bernard- Lincoln 
“When I am dead, I won't join their ranks
Because they are both holy and free
And I'm in Ohio, satanic and chained up
And until the end, that's how it'll be
I said make me love myself, so that I might love you
Don't make me a liar, because I swear to God
When I said it, I thought it was true”
Baby You’re A Haunted House- Gerard Way
“I'll be the only one who likes the things you do
I'll be the ghost inside your head when we are through
Sometimes you scare me, but I come around to you
I'll say hello hello hello hello
And I'll find a way to scare you too
Baby, you're a haunted house
Better find another superstition
We're gonna stay in love somehow
'Cause, baby, you're a haunted house now”
Suburbia Overture / Greetings from Mary Bell Township! / (Vampire) Culture / Love Me, Normally (yes this is all one song) - Will Wood
“Meyers-Briggs, OK-ULTRA
Takes a village to fake a whole culture
Your ear to the playground, your eye on the ball
Your head in the gutter, your brains on the wall
Home is where the heart is
You ain't homeless, but you're heartless
It's the safest on the market
But you still gotta watch where you park it”
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baenxietydad · 6 months
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we should take a walk, and look at all the flowers
they're homosexuals, your honor
there was the shitpost one, now the gross and cute one
Slow Burn - Kacey Musgraves
In Tennessee, the sun's goin' down But in Beijing, they're headin' out to work You know the bar down the street don't close for an hour We should take a walk and look at all the flowers
It's giving Hatfish on their silly little forest walks, Mu-yeol pointing out every edible or medicinal plant and Hatter's just like
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and the song in general is about kinda gradually coming to love someone, very gross, very sweet
Lover Boy - Phum Viphurit
Time and toys may fill my heart with joy I'll know peace when I'm your lover boy I'll be your new school soul Silver and gold New desire Friends on fire Call me, "Lover boy" ... Darling, I got my trust issues Warning, you stay away
You Are Mine - The Avett Brothers
You are mine The edge I need when I am out of line The air I breathe when I believe I'm dying I guess you are there
We're So In Tune - Kississippi
I'm feeling kinda dizzy Getting tender for you No drama, you just bring My heart so close to Passing it's limitations It's such a bad design It's not an invitation I gotta catch my ride
Playing the same song Like I'm playing my cool Hard not to fall in love when We're so in tune
This song is go girlypop but it is unfortunately also the most Hatfish song to ever Hatfish
남자가 사랑할 때 (Man In Love) - Infinite
But like, specifically I need you to listen to Kim Tae-rae of Zerobaseone sing the part after the rap verse on Boys Planet because that's good stuff right there
Like a young child, I keep laughing for no reason I control myself by saying that I’m different from others
When a man’s in love, he wants to stay by your side There’s always so much he wants to do for you When I’m in love, I want to give everything in my life to you With just one expectation, your heart When I’m in love
Look carefully – if you feel this, that means he’s fallen for you
And you thought I wasn't gonna find a way to put K-pop on here
Everywhere, Everything - Noah Kahan
Drive slowly, I know every route in this county Maybe that ain't such a bad thing I'll tell you where not to speed
It's been a long year and all of our book's pages dog-eared We write out the ends on our palms, dear Then forget to read
We'll Never Have Sex - Leith Ross
Oh, you kissed me just to kiss me Not to take me home It was simple, it was sweetness It was good to know
You look perfect, you look different I don't wonder about your indifference If I said you could never touch me You'd come over and say I looked lovely
...
Depollute me, gentle angel And I'll feel the sickness less and less Come and kiss me, pretty baby Like we'll never have sex
I could actually write a thesis paper about how this 1:39 long song is Hatfish af.
Drink The River - Gabe Lee
And I can't drink the river to dry the land Bury the ocean beneath the sand But I can love you Until the tide pulls me under by and by
Rain On My Tin Roof - Seth Avett
And if there were ever a reason to stay Turn off my phone and become one with you and my bed It's the rain on my tin roof
The amount of times Hatter has to remind him he needs money for Nemo's tuition to keep him from calling out of work tbh
200% - Akdong Musician
MORE K-pop for the masses
It must be L.O.V.E 200% sure of that I want you really I mean really Really, I like you and my reddening face is evidence for that
Canon that Akmu is some of the Korean music Mu-yeol will try to get Hatter into lmao
Around Your Room - Kississippi
Throw your heart at me, I'm a sucker for you That's something that you might say and confidentially I'm a sucker for you too 'cause my heart's stuck that way Nothing's gonna change, gotta love that belly ache
This song makes me so FERAL about Hatfish, particularly this lyric
Steady when you are around me A babe in the woods for legitimate longing
Excuse me??? "A babe in the woods for legitimate longing" in your 40s and 50s because someone wants to love you, I'm weak
Twin Human Highway Flares - The Mountain Goats
Can't believe y'all thought there wouldn't be a Mountain Goats song, wow, that's clown behavior.
Sunset spilling through your earrings all over your body When we shut the motel room door behind us, we knew we'd hit the motherlode On the day that I forget you, I hope my heart explodes
Chateau Lobby #4 - Father John Misty
People are boring But you’re something else I can’t explain ...
First time, you let me stay the night despite your own rules You took off early to go cheat your way through film school You left a note in your perfect script: "Stay as long as you want," and I haven’t left your bed since
The Genius breakdown of the lyrics is *chef's kiss*
Strawberry Queen - Charles Wesley Godwin
Felt like Adam next to Eve staring at a fruit of God So I wrapped a bow around my heart and placed it in a box of cherry wood I asked her if she could take that box and do it good She smiled and said she would
*inhales* Okay, listen, the VIBE is more fitting than the actual lyrics of the song, let me explain. The singer is from West Virginia, he's a proud Appalachian man, and his wife who he wrote the song about is from Florida. He wrote this song about how he never, ever thought he could be with someone that wasn't also from the mountains, not from his culture/background, who didn't understand.
And that very much parallels Hatfish! Mu-yeol never would have thought he'd pursue someone who checked all three of these boxes: A. from the West, B. a human, and C. most importantly, a sorcerer. Sorcerers and fairies have MAD beef in Korea, sorcerers were barely on his radar to interact with back in Korea let alone befriend and catch feelings for. So yes, this is on here for how perfectly the song's energy matches!
Bring Your Love to Me - The Avett Brothers
Bring your love to me I will hold it like a dandelion One I want to save, one I want to keep From the breeze that follows me and no one else I can only stand here still And I can only hope you will Keep me in focus long enough to tell I'm trying to help
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bipercabeth · 3 years
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28, gimmie your hand
sequel to this photographer percy au 
When Percy took pictures of Annabeth before they started dating, she could never tell if he was looking at her through the lens of artist or lover. Now, she’s beginning to think it’s the same thing. There’s a delicacy to his gaze, as though his smile is meant both for Annabeth and the light shining on her. His taking a picture so often looks like gratitude, like the fear of forgetting his luck in a moment so blissful. And he immortalizes her on film, takes his care to capture and develop her image. It is no small thing, being a muse. 
She envies it, sometimes. Percy gets to show Annabeth and the world exactly how he sees her, while she is left with her words, which can only ever fall short. He captures time and frames her suspended in the golden glow of sunlight, he makes her laugh moments before the flash, and he does not believe in bad photos. He photographs her bedhead, her soft stomach, her bent posture, and her chewed fingernails. He photographs her genuine laugh, her pouted lips, her pensive expression, her golden curls. Annabeth has never liked the sharp upturn of her nose, but Percy photographs her profile with such care that she can’t help but soften to it.
They’re at the beach for what feels like the last warm day of September. The Atlantic ocean is too vast to be swayed by the local weather, so they stay on the sand until they need to cool off. Percy’s camera is buried in their beach bag as they soak up the day—not every moment needs to be captured. Sometimes happiness demands to be fleeting. Nostalgia wouldn’t be as powerful if Annabeth could remember exactly how many freckles the sun kissed into Percy’s cheeks today. The longing comes from the fear of forgetting.
Sunset brings a gentle chill and sends Annabeth into Percy’s side. He pulls her bare legs into his lap and rubs his hands up and down them. It only works for a few seconds, but she’ll take any excuse to keep his hands on her. (She thinks he will too.)
One of the best parts about being in a relationship, she thinks, is not needing an excuse. There is an agreement between them that says you can touch me. I am trusting you to handle me at my best and my worst. I think that’s love. Please touch me.
Annabeth shifts her weight and straddles her boyfriend in a way that’s a bit indecent for a public beach, but the closest people are specs on the horizon and Percy is leaning back on his palms, his face to the orange sky and throat exposed. His skin looks golden, dripping in sunlight like honey, and Annabeth watches his Adam’s apple bob as she tastes. Even his smile is sweet. Annabeth is not an artist, but sometimes loving him makes her rethink that.
“Baby,” he whispers, and Annabeth opens her eyes to him chewing his lip. “You know the last thing I ever want to do is stop making out with my beautiful girlfriend on the beach, but...” He juts his chin to the sun, then to her general face. “I‘ll kick myself if I don’t get this.”
Annabeth pretends to roll her eyes as he lays back on the beach blanket with his camera in hand, but the way he looks at her is too profound for her to do much else. She’s always loved the way he looks at the world, though it wasn’t until recently that she discovered she likes the way he looks at her more. All that wonder, all that love, plus a surety that is so rare on him. There is the boyish boldness that makes her want to strangle and kiss him, plus the sly cockiness that has her leaning toward the former, but that gleam in his eyes cannot compare to this glimmer. His fingers slide along her chin, angling her kindly from  the harsh angle he captures her at.
She chuckles, gestures to his hand. “We wouldn’t get anywhere without this. Piper says I can’t pose for any camera you’re not behind.”
Percy pokes her in the side quickly, snapping a photo when she laughs. “That’s because Piper is a terrible photographer.”
“I’m sure she’d love to hear that.”
“I’m just saying, it’s more than landscapes and lighting. If you’re taking pictures of people, you should try to capture something real. Something human.”
“Her Instagram feed is very focused on humanity.”
She said it to rile him up—passionate Percy is one of her favorite versions of the boy she loves. She’s snuck more than a few photos of her own during a long-winded rant about camera lenses and color editing.
But this passion is quieter than what Annabeth is used to. Honest. Soft. Percy rests the camera on his chest and trails his fingers from Annabeth’s wrist to her elbow, his eyes following the slow migration.
“I don’t always know why you’re looking at me the way you do. I think that’s why I picked up a camera in the first place—my mom looked at me like I was the best thing that ever happened to her, and I was scared that one day she’d come to her senses. I wanted to remember that face before it disappeared.” He doesn’t look at her. Can’t, maybe. “It’s been over a decade, and that look is still there. I guess now I take pictures to try and understand it. Because I don’t— I want—“
Annabeth takes hold of his wrist. It’s then that he looks at her, propped up on an elbow. He breathes.
“You look at me like I’m a good thing.” And he’s opening his mouth like there are more words he wants to say, but they won’t come.
Annabeth kisses him, sweet and soft and a bit desperate. The lens of the camera presses into her chest, and she slides it out of Percy’s grip as she presses a kiss to his nose, his forehead. 
“Lay down for me,” she says. And, at his hesitation. “C’mon, Jackson. It’s hardly the first time I’ve had you on your back.” 
That earns a laugh, which earns the first picture. The camera may be out of Annabeth’s league, but she’s seen Percy use this thing enough to know that the big black button is all she really needs for what she’s trying to do. 
She says, “I love you,” says, “You’re everything to me,” and, “You are so beautiful,” for the sake of his smile. She says, “Gimme your hand,” and kisses his knuckles. She sits a little lower in his lap and photographs the way his eyes darken, and his hands, still itching for the camera, busy themselves with her thighs. The sun is disappearing quickly, but Percy is glowing with the last of the New York summer. His skin is still damp from the kiss of the Atlantic, and Annabeth thinks that he was born to look like this. Love and light, gentle and summer-warm by the seaside. Percy Jackson summed up in a time, a place, a feeling. 
And Annabeth isn’t great with words, but he needs to hear them. 
“The sun is gonna set,” she leans in, throwing her shadow over his face, and sets the camera down, “and it’s gonna rise, again and again and again, and I am never gonna stop looking at you like this. Even if you never take my picture again.” She plants her hand over his shoulder to lean down. “You’re gonna spend your entire life by my side waiting for it to go away, and one day you’re going to forget to worry. Just like you help me forget to worry.” 
And then he smiles a bit sideways, a dimple pressing into his cheek. “You proposing to me, Chase?” 
She rolls her eyes, but smiles back. “As if you won’t know when I propose.” 
Percy’s hands skim up her back, where the last of the light stretches over the horizon of her skin. “Not if I beat you to it.” 
He pulls her down for a long kiss. When Annabeth comes up, it’s nearly dark out. 
“I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to photograph your own wedding.” 
“Yeah, well.” And he’s arching up for one last kiss before they have to leave, a comma on the page of this long day turned night. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” 
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yelena-bellova · 3 years
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Safe Haven: tftaws!Bucky Barnes x fem!reader - Chapter Eleven (final chapter)
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chapter ten - Chapter Eleven: Safe Haven
Series Masterlist
Plot: Y/n and Bucky enjoy their time off in Brooklyn and make decisions about their future.
Warnings: FLUFF, very little angst for once, talk of torture, reference to suicide, open ended plot twist that I'm not sorry for...all the fluff, seriously...
Word Count: 7.3k
A/N: Here we are...part of the journey is the end, and we've arrived. Even though there's another a/n at the bottom (with an important announcement so don't tap out too soon) I want to iterate just how thankful I am for the response I got on this series. I had the most amazing time writing it and loved getting to meet and connect with so many of you through it. ENJOY!!
----
It had taken all the strength Bucky had in his soul to knock three times on Yori’s door. He didn’t know what reserve he had had to tap into to actually make his long-hidden confession but once the words had fallen from his lips, he felt both freed and all the more burdened. Watching his friend’s eyes become overtaken by heartbreak, the desperate, confused utterance of ‘why…?’ By the end, Yori wouldn’t even look at Bucky. Bucky didn’t blame him, he was surprised that the man wasn’t yelling him out of his apartment. Instead, he calmly told Bucky to leave, surely holding back the majority of his emotions until he was by himself. The door shut on their friendship and Bucky was by himself on the other side of the door once again, drawing the shaky breath he’d held while he was inside Yori’s place. Out of every person he’d gone to see, every heart he’d had to crush, this one had hurt the most. In the dauntingly long hallway, his eyes sought out the gift the universe had given him, so undeservingly.
His guiding light.
Bathed in the blue light that flooded through the dirty windows of the aged building, Y/n stared down at her feet as she paced. For as open as they’d become with one another, Bucky found himself unable to ask her to accompany him to his last opportunity to make amends. The two of them had become so skilled at reading each other that with one look in his saddened eyes, Y/n had squeezed her phone into the pocket of her jeans and stood by the door waiting for him to ready himself. Bucky was starting to make peace with his past, but he still didn’t know what he had done in his wretched life to have such an angel in his life.
“Hey,” she greeted soothingly, turning to face Bucky as he approached her, “How’d it go?” Bucky wasn’t ready to speak yet, he wasn’t even sure how he could describe what had just transpired. He simply sighed and allowed Y/n to wrap him in her arms in the embrace that was quickly becoming his favorite place to be.
——
As I woke with a groan, stretching my arms over my head, I was immediately aware that one side of the bed was cold. I blindly reached a hand over and felt around for Bucky’s missing body, sitting up when my search was unsuccessful. I blearily scanned the bedroom, our suits laying in a pile that had been kicked to the corner of the desolately furnished room. The few articles of clothing I had gone to the nearest department store and purchased for my impromptu stay in New York still lay folded on top of Bucky’s dresser. It didn’t dawn on me until that moment that I was beginning to spread across Bucky’s apartment without even trying.
It had been four days since the Flag Smasher’s final stand and while the world may have been spinning, mine had never been more steady. Bucky and I hadn’t left his apartment for more than running necessary errands. Other than that we’d spent the time enjoying our slice of domestic heaven learning about one another. I had discovered that Bucky was a good cook but only when it came to breakfast food. He had found out that I needed to sleep with the windows opened slightly for background noise. I had learned that his Spotify consisted strictly of music from the ’40’s and nothing else, contrary to what he’d told Sam about diving into Marvin Gaye’s discography. He’d learned that I got cold easily which led to both me stealing his hoodies and being on the receiving end of many bear hugs. We could tell what the other would do in combat or how they’d handle a concerning matter, but it was finding out the little things about James Buchanan Barnes that made me fall a little bit harder for him with each revelation.
The unlocking and opening of the door followed by quiet footsteps alerted me to his presence. I heard a few muffled noises before the floorboards outside the bedroom creaked, the door opening directly after. Bucky was careful and nearly silent as he came into the room until he saw that my eyes were open. We shared a lazy smile as he approached the bed.
“Did I wake you up?” he asked.
I shook my head in reply, he came to kneel at my side of the bed and pulled the hand he’d hidden behind his back out revealing a bouquet of daisies. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any cuter,” I chuckled, reaching out to grab the bouquet, “I don’t think anyone’s ever bought me flowers.”
“That’s a crime,” Bucky said as he stood up, shedding his leather jacket as he walked around the bed, “In my time, you always brought a girl flowers on the first date. It was just what you did.”
“I guess we can consider my little extended stay a first date,” I dipped my nose down to smell the flowers, “Although I’m pretty sure in your time you wouldn’t allow a girl into your bed so soon.” Bucky snickered to himself, “A gentleman would never let a lady sleep on the floor. And selfishly,” he tugged his second layer, a grey long sleeved shirt off over his head, and looked down on me lovingly, “I sleep better with you here.”
It was true. He’d told me how he’d only used the bed once since he’d moved in, having slept on the floor instead. I was familiar with the phenomenon, Sam had gone through the same thing when he’d returned from the service. I’d told him that if he had a nightmare and needed to move out to his living room, I’d join him with no hesitations. Shockingly, it hadn’t happened yet and we’d slept in a peaceful tangle of limbs each night that I’d been with him.
Kicking off his boots, he slipped under the duvet and sat up against the headboard, looking over at me and patting his jean clad thigh. I set the flowers down and crawled over to him, sinking down onto his lap and sliding my hands around his neck.
“I like this,” he complimented me with a smirk, tugging at the material of his henley that I was wearing, “Looks better on you than it ever would on me.” “Clearly you’ve never seen you,” I scoffed, I’d also learned that the man had no idea just how attractive he was, “What were you off doing?” “Grocery store,” Bucky answered, gesturing to the sidelined bouquet, “Florist. Dr. Raynor’s office…” “Oh, I didn’t know you had a session this morning.”
Bucky took a deep breath, his hands firmly secured around my waist and his thumbs rubbing at my hips. “I didn’t,” he answered, “I, uh, I crossed off all the names in my book. Thought I’d drop by and let her know.” I gave a breathy laugh, “All of them?” He nodded, “All of them.” Surprised and proud, I placed my hands on his cheeks and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. “I never doubted you for a second” I said softly, our lips almost touching, “I’m proud of you.”
Bucky gave a small smile, not yet ready to take as much pride as I could in his recovery. I could tell that he was lighter, while his personality was silent and stoic there wasn’t as much sadness lurking beneath it. To those who knew him, the difference in his behavior was visible. The days that I’d been in New York were the happiest I’d seen Bucky since I’d known him.
“So…” I sighed, my hands sliding down to his shoulders, “No more therapy sessions, no more battles to be fought…What do we do now?”
The dreaded question that we’d been avoiding since we’d isolated ourselves from the outside world. There was no doubt as to whether or not I wanted to make it work between Bucky and I, but we hadn’t even discussed what “it” was. What should have unfolded over the course of a couple months had happened as a crash course over two weeks. I didn’t regret it, I just needed to know where Bucky’s head was at regarding our future. “Look,” Bucky averted his gaze downwards, “I’m not…I haven’t done this in a long time and I can’t promise that I’m gonna be good at it. I can’t even promise that I’ll know what I’m doing some of the time. But,” he shyly raised his eyes to meet mine, “I want this. I want you.”
His earnestness was so genuine, I thought my heart might burst from the emotion in his ocean blue eyes. “Bucky, I don’t want perfect,” I said, “And I’m pretty sure that a 106 year old with a robotic arm and a girl who can fly using blue energy from inside her wouldn’t even know what to do with perfect,” I earned a single laugh out of him, “Whatever we have right now, that’s what I want. I want to fight with you by my side and make a difference in the world, then I want to come home with you and teach you to cook something other than pancakes.”
He furrowed his brow, “What do you got against my pancakes?”
“My point is,” I giggled, my hands drifting back up to each side of his neck, “I want you exactly as you are. I haven’t done this in a long time either, I thought that after my dad died I was too broken to ever let myself be happy like this and you know that I’m coming in with more baggage than before. You’re not the only one who doesn’t know what they’re doing. But there’s nobody else I’d rather figure this out with than you.”
The long stare he gave me was reminiscent of the first moment we’d been alone together, standing before the 200 foot drop in Munich. It was the first moment I’d appreciated his beauty, maybe it was the first seed planted in what was now a full-blown relationship in the making. This time, instead of sassing me with those hardened, slightly amused eyes, he surged forward and kissed me, cradling the back of my head in his Vibranium palm. I returned the kiss with just as much fervor, gripping the tight blue t-shirt tightly in my fists. Unlike the kisses we’d shared at 1AM in the kitchen of my house, this one carried a different weight. It was a promise of a future. Movie nights introducing Bucky to the classics that he’d missed. Lazy mornings in bed turned passionate as our bodies surrendered to one another. Protecting each other on whatever battlefields we’d inevitably end up on. Frustrating fights over something we’d inevitably admit was stupid to argue over. Whispering soothing affirmations to help Bucky come down from a violent nightmare. I could taste it all, the good and the bad, in that one kiss and I wanted every bit of it.
“Two weeks…” I said after we’d parted, shaking my head in amazement and laughing, “That’s all it took.” “Crazier things have happened,” Bucky reassured me with a smile, running his hands up and down my back, “My folks always said they knew in a week and they were together for almost forty years.” I bushed my lips against his softly, basking in the euphoria of knowing that the two of us belonged wholly to one another. To think that I’d been willing to throw all of it away mere days ago, I was ready to deprive myself and Bucky of the love we’d craved all our lives. I thanked God that my resolve to stay away had weakened long enough to let Bucky in because now, wrapped in his strong arms with his lips begging for a deeper kiss, I knew that I had something truly spectacular in my hands.
“Well, since this is official,” Bucky said, a little breathless, “There’s something you should have.” He took his hands off of my body and reached behind his neck, pulling off one of his dog tags. Understanding what he was doing and the significance of it, I moved my head to allow him to place the necklace over it, the cold metal of the ball chain settling against my neck. The tag fell between my breasts, I picked it up and read Bucky’s name, his service number, the name of his sister, their address and his birth place. He’d given me, a part of his future, a piece of his history.
“Bucky…” I whispered, not trusting my voice enough to come out steady.
“A lot of soldiers gave one of them to their girls before they shipped out,” he recalled, watching me examine the piece of metal, “At least I know if I ever do ship out anywhere, you’ll be with me.” I bit my lip and smiled, looking up at him with misty eyes. When the first tear fell down my cheek, Bucky was quick to wipe it away and did so with a smile of his own. After all the pain we’d both suffered through in life, we were finally allowed tenderness. Our hearts were scarred, our bodies worn, but no amount of trauma could lay a hand on the way we felt about one another. There’d be many more fights, some with forces bigger than the ones we’d spent the last two weeks taking a stand against. But at the end of the day, I had Bucky, my safe haven to come back to.
“It’s getting late,” I observed after a few minutes of sweet silence, the morning hours were slipping away from us, “Are you hungry? I can make us something.” “Yeah, but,” Bucky’s hands found my arms and he rubbed his palms against them, “Let’s stay here just a little while longer…”
A grin spread across my face, one that I was finding only Bucky could bring out in me. “Okay,” I replied, settling my face in the crook of his neck and resting against his chest, the only place I wanted to be.
——
A FEW DAYS LATER
“You ready, Barnes?” “I’m ready.” “This is the most dangerous mission we’re ever going to face.” “I wouldn’t have come if I couldn’t handle it.” “Then why are you sweating?” “I’m not…sweating.” “Well, at least I know you’ll never lie to me. You suck at it,” I smirked just before smoothing out the shoulders of his jacket, “Follow my lead, you’ll be fine.”
Bucky blew out a breath, his cheeks loosing their puff as he exhaled, “Here goes nothing…” I gave three sharp knocks on the door before entering, seeing the familiar face waiting in a chair by the window. “Hey, Mama…” My mother smiled deeply at the sight of her daughter, alive before her. “Baby,” she whispered as she slowly rose to embrace me, “Oh, you’re here.” “I’m here,” I smiled, trying to fight the tears threatening to fill my eyes. My mother had been my first call after the battle in New York, realizing that my face was flashing across every news channel in the country alongside Sam and Bucky. This was the first time I’d seen her since before I’d left Louisiana with Sam.
“And you brought someone?” she asked over my shoulder, pulling away to wipe her cheeks.
“I did,” I turned around and looped my arm through Bucky’s, who was looking vaguely nauseous, “Mom, this is James.”
Bucky stuck out his gloved hand towards my mother, “It’s wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Y/l/n.”
“Wonderful to meet you too, James,” she responded, shaking his hand and looking over to me, “I’ve been waiting a long time for Y/n to bring somebody home.” I forced a chuckle, “Thanks, Mom…” “Well, I’m honored that I’m the one she chose,” Bucky beamed, his bright eyes seeking mine out.
“Well, sit down,” my mom gestured to the two free chairs in the room, “I want to hear all about how you two met.”
Bucky and I exchanged a nervous look as we pulled up our seats to join her by the window. How were you supposed to explain that you’d fallen for a 106 year old who just happened to have once been the world’s deadliest assassin? “Um…James is one of Sam’s friends from the military. He came with us to Munich and things just sort of,” I slipped my hand into one of Bucky’s that sat in his lap, “Happened from there.” “We didn’t like each other much at first, but,” Bucky chimed in, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand, “She definitely snuck up on me.”
“Oh my,” she looked at me amusedly, “How’s Sam taking this? Has he threatened you yet, Bucky?” “Yeah, I, uh, got a text from him the other day, and it read something like ‘I’ve got access to government weapons, don’t make me use them.’”
I covered my mouth and snorted as my mother got a good laugh herself, “You didn’t tell me that.” Bucky shook his head, a small smile on his lips, Sam and him had been getting along swimmingly since his last visit to Louisiana. But no friendship could eclipse Sam’s overprotective nature when it came to his family, it was only a matter of time until Bucky was on the receiving end of its ugly side.
“Truth is,” Bucky turned his gaze to my mother while keeping a soft grip on my hand, I could feel his nerves radiating through his touch, “I’m crazy about your daughter, ma’am, I think she’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
Mom sighed, an ear-to-ear grin painted across her face. It was the same one I’d seen when my sister had first brought her now husband home to meet us. “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear that, James,” she replied, “I’m looking forward to getting to know you more.” “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” I questioned, “It’s been so long since the whole family was together.” “I wish, but I’m a little too tired to make the trip there,” Mom answered, settling into her seat a little more, “You don’t need an old lady there slowing you down.” “That’s ridiculous,” I gently pushed back, “But since Sam and I are back home for a while, we’ll make sure to bring everybody up one of the weekends.” “I’d like that,” she smiled. A phone buzzing interrupted the conversation, Bucky let go of my hand to reach into his jacket pocket. “It’s Sam, probably wants an ETA,” he announced, rising from his seat and looking between both me and my mother, “Sorry.”
Both of us shooed him out of the room to take the call, turning back to one another once he was gone with shining smiles. “Honey…” “I know…” I tried to hold back a giddy laugh threatening to erupt.
“He seems wonderful…” I shook my head, semi in disbelief that things had turned out the way they had. “You don’t even know the half of it, he’s just…I’m crazy about him.” “That much is obvious,” Mom gestured to my face, “You haven’t stopped smiling since you walked through that door. I’ve never seen you this happy. Just one thing…” I furrowed my brows as her smile turned to a knowing smirk, “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t know who he is?” I sighed, leaning forward in my seat and propping my elbows on my knees. “We weren't trying to hide it, he just doesn’t like to advertise it. Once people know, they usually can’t look past what he was. But, Mom, we’ve been glued at the hip for the last two weeks and I can promise you, what you’re seeing is what you’re getting. I wouldn’t be with him if I thought there was any chance he could hurt me. He saved my life and so many others last week...” “Sweetie, you don’t have to try and sell me on him,” Mom said soothingly, reaching out to touch my knee, “I trust your judgement and I also know what happened to him, it was tragic. The fact that he has a second chance at his life makes me happy, especially since it’s with you. Watching the two of you, how at ease he is with you…And those eyes,” she stopped to chuckle, “The way he looks at you is something special, it’s something magical. The two of you fit.”
Eventually I would tell her the whole story of how Bucky and I came to be, but it was better saved for another day. If she only knew how challenging it had been to get to something so simple and how Bucky and I valued each other all the more for it. “He fought for me, Mama,” I said with tears brimming, letting out a laugh, “Literally and metaphorically. And I just couldn’t let him go, he’s everything I’ve wanted but what I thought I could never have.” Mom placed a hand on my cheek, “You deserve him, my love. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve happiness.” And for the first time, I believed her. I believed that through my suffering, I had played a small part in helping Bucky through his. We deserved something more than what had happened to us and we had found it in one another.
“Your father would be proud of you,” Mom said, her face flashing with a different emotion than joy for a brief second. “I’m not sure about that…” I mumbled, dodging her eyes in favor of staring down at my hands, a different reaction than I’d ever had when talking about my father.
“Sweetie,” she coaxed me, tapping at my hands until I looked back up at her, “Do you…do you know something?” My heartbeat started to quicken as I struggled to contain the information I was withholding from my mother. It was taking everything I had not to tell her that her husband had been a part of one of the cruelest organizations the world had ever seen. The pain must have reflected in my expression. “Yeah,” she whispered, biting her lip and closing her eyes, “You know…” “Mom?”
She sighed, sitting back in her chair and supporting her head in her hand. “I didn’t know anything about that part of your father’s life when I married him, he didn’t like to talk about his time in the ‘service’ and I never pushed it…It wasn’t until the night that he died, before he left the house, that he sat me down and confessed it all.” “He…” I moved to the edge of my seat, “He told you?” “Mmhmm,” she nodded, a distant look in her eyes like she was transported back in time to that very moment, “I didn’t know how to process any of it, how could I? This man who I’d shared my life with and he’d made his living off of inflicting pain on innocent people. Hours later, he was gone and any chance to delve deeper into it was gone too. It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with everything, but I made it. You’re free to draw your own conclusions, Y/n, I’m not telling you how to feel. All I’ll say is this,” Mom drew a breath before continuing, “Your father’s guilt over what he did, to Bucky specifically, overwhelmed him. He told me how HYDRA manipulated him, a young and ambitious man, into coming to work for them, lying and telling him they were creating a better world with their work. He thought he was fighting for what was right…I’m not making excuses for him, believe me, I’m simply telling you what he told me. Do you remember when he’d wake up from a nightmare?” I nodded grimly, the shrieks of my father’s always strained vocal cords still haunted me decades later. “Do you remember what he used to cry when he woke up?” Mom asked.
I silently shook my head in reply, when I’d be awoken by my fathers blood curdling screams as a child, I’d always bury my head under my pillow in an effort to block it out, shedding tears at knowing I couldn’t help him. “Soldat…”
My head perked up, the word was familiar to me after hearing Zemo call Bucky the same thing when we were undercover in Madripoor. “Of course by the time that your James was free, your father had been dead for over a decade but,” Mom paused, looking out the window as memories hit her, “Your father’s guilt over what he did ate away at him every day. As far as you went, he told me that the reason he wanted to keep your powers hidden was because he was afraid HYDRA would come for you. It’s the reason I moved us to Delacroix after he died, I didn’t want to take the chance of somebody finding you. Dad didn’t want them to make you a weapon the same way they made one of James. But honey,” she took my hand, “He believed you could do great things, truly. One of the last things he said to me was that our family was the one good thing he’d done in life.”
Everything that I’d thought and everything I’d never thought had been revealed to me. My father’s crimes could never be erased, but some part of me felt satisfied knowing that he knew what he did was wrong. He’d been haunted day and night by Bucky, the man who I was completely head over heels for. In some way, it felt poetic that Bucky and I had ended up together. I couldn’t magically heal his trauma, but for every bit of torture my dad and countless others inflicted upon him, I was now there to shower him in the love and safety he deserved.
“Have you…forgiven him for what he did?” I hesitantly asked.
“You know, after all these years, I’m still not sure what forgiveness looks like in a situation like this,” she admitted with a small shrug, “We weren’t affected, yet his past put us in danger, especially you. And now, seeing the man that he was paid to hurt and how much joy he brings you, it’s bringing up a lot of emotions I thought I’d buried. I know he regretted what he’d done with his whole being and I believe that, but I still question why he didn’t leave sooner. I wish I could give you a better answer but-“ “Mama,” I squeezed her hand and pushed back my tears to help her, “I’ve had this information for a week and I’m still spinning, I can’t imagine what it’s like to sit on it silently for this long. I was hellbent on keeping this from you but I’m actually relieved that I don’t have to hide it…” I took a trembling breath, “Dad did a lot of things wrong in his life, but I have a chance to do a lot of good. I’ve talked to Sam and I’m going to keep working with him, I’m done living with my hands tucked under my legs. I want to make the difference in the world that Dad thought he was making.” “I think you’re off to a pretty good start,” my mother replied, “I was terrified watching you fly around New York, but I’d also never been prouder of you.” A knock on the door followed by Bucky sticking his head through it broke us from the topic. “Am I interrupting?” he asked, his eyes widened slightly as he worried. “Not at all,” my mom said cheerily as she slowly rose from her seat, “I don’t want to keep you two any longer when you’ve got somewhere to be.”
I tightly embraced her and placed a kiss on her cheek, “Love you,” I whispered.
“Love you too, sweetheart,” she replied, gesturing afterwards to Bucky who made his way over to her and allowed himself to be hugged by her, “Take care of my girl, James.” “I will,” Bucky promised, pulling back to give a nod full of conviction.
Once the two of us had shut my mom’s door and were back out in the hallway of the nursing home, Bucky noticed the slight puffiness of my eyes. “Happy tears or sad tears?” he asked as we walked down the hall.
“‘I don’t know’ tears,” I replied with a small smile, weaving my fingers between his gloved metal ones. “But well done, Sergeant. I’d consider that a successful mission,” I finished, receiving the laugh I loved so much and a kiss to the side of my head. I pressed my lips to the place on his shoulder where I knew underneath his layers Vibranium met his skin, one of his favorite places to be kissed. My phone went off then, alerting me to a text, I pulled it out of the pocket. “Bucky…” I muttered, stopping in the middle of the hall. “What is it?” he asked as he stepped back to join me, I held my phone out for both of us to read the ominous words displayed.
The world’s seen what you can do, come to Madripoor when you decide to use those hands for something worthwhile.
- The Power Broker
“How did they get my number?” I asked in surprise, letting Bucky take my phone to examine it closer as if he could find something I couldn’t. “I don’t know,” he answered, handing the device back to me, “But we’re changing it immediately, you need to show this to Sam soon as we get to the house.” “They’re not actually threatening me, seems more like a job offer than anything else that’s only going to be declined. Plus, they’re all the way in Madripoor,” I stuck the phone back in my pocket, “I’m not going to let this ruin our day.” Bucky frowned down at me as I took his arm once again, “You’re a little too relaxed about this.” “I’m a mutant who can make things move with her mind with Captain America for a brother and a Super Soldier for a boyfriend, I’d love to see the Power Broker try to mess with that.”
——
The dock was exactly how I loved to see it, packed and filled with joy.
Sam and Sarah had invited the whole town to the celebratory cookout, people of all ages flooding our corner of the bayou as Bucky and I pulled up. Sam had loaned us his truck for the duration of our stay and I was having the time of my life showing Bucky around Louisiana and there was nothing more Louisiana than a cookout with the entire community.
Bucky parked near the end of the dock and hopped out, carrying the ice cream cake that we’d picked up on our way. He crossed around the front of the truck to open the door for me, taking one of my hands and helping me hop out of the passenger side. After a dozen more reassurances during the drive that the text I’d received wasn’t worth freaking out about, he’d begun to relax. For once, he wasn’t trying to hide his emotions. I could see it plain as day on his face, he was genuinely excited to be back in Delacroix and even more excited when the familiar sounds of AJ and Cass hit our ears.
“Oh! There he is!” Bucky greeted as the boys ran up to us and began throwing fake punches at my boyfriend who willingly played along, dramatically dodging their imaginary hits. He raised up the hand that held the cake over Cass’ head and yelled to which I quickly threw an energy shield underneath his arm to protect the overly expensive dessert.
“Aunt Y/n! Can you make us fly?” AJ came up to my side and begged.
Cass backed his brother up, “Yeah, can we? Please?” “No,” I replied, retaking Bucky’s hand and letting him lead us through the crowd, “But you can follow us with your two perfectly functional legs.” My nephews both groaned and laughed as they fell in step behind Bucky and I. “Where is everybody?” he asked as he set the cake down on one of the picnic tables set out and removed his sunglasses.
“Uncle Sam’s taking pictures with people, Mom’s cooking and Aunt Mel’s at one of the tables,” Cass answered, his face lighting up as he got a good luck at the dessert.
“After dinner,” I said, quickly having switched back into aunt mode, “Now lead the way.”
I extended my hand toward the boys and raised them up a few inches above the ground, receiving laughter and praises in return as I moved them ahead of us and through the crowd. Along the way people kept patting me on the back or sneaking in quick hugs, they shook Bucky’s hand and thanked us both for what we’d done in New York. The only thing that confused me was how people weren’t calling me by name. By the time we made it to Sarah, I had questions.
“There they are, America’s Power Couple,” she announced, coming out from behind the booth where she’d been chopping to hug us both. I pulled back to lower the boys back to the ground, “Do you know why people I’ve known almost all my life are suddenly calling me ‘Sapphire?’”
“Did you not check the internet at all when you were in Brooklyn?” she raised an eyebrow before pulling out her phone from her back pocket and pulling up Instagram, “Ever since the night of the fight, people have been referring to you as Sapphire. People are posting pictures of you, trying to get interviews with you, kids are even dressing up like you!” “Oh my gosh,” I mumbled as I scrolled through the hashtag containing the name, seeing all the proof of Sarah’s words before my eyes. Dozens and dozens of various types of photos displayed my signature shade of blue, “Bucky, look!” He took the phone out of my hand, a smile spreading across his face soon after. “That’s my girl,” he said proudly, handing the phone back to Sarah.
“You wanted the superhero life, you got it,” my sister laughed before returning to what she was doing, “Sam’s doing pictures and there’s already been people asking if you were gonna be here so I imagine they’re gonna want some with you.”
Bucky grabbed my hand and led me around to where a line had formed, spotting Sam as the destination. As soon as he caught a glimpse of us, he held up a finger to the crowd and broke away from them. The three of us exchanged hugs, me internally laughing to myself at the fact that two weeks after saying they never wanted to see one another again, they were now brothers in arms. Sam took my hand and tugged me towards where everyone was gathered, “Lotta people have been waiting for you, Sapphire,” he smirked.
As the day went on, the three of us did meet and greets with nearly everybody. At one point I found Bucky casually talking to Sarah with AJ, Cass and other neighborhood kids hanging off his vibranium arm. People had gathered around me as well asking to levitate them, something that provided entertainment for everyone. We ate, we laughed, at one point I caught Sam and Bucky watching the sun set over the Louisiana waters. I couldn’t resist the temptation to sneak in between the two and was received with an arm around each of my sides. We’d fought a shared battle along with our own separate three and now that they’d all been put to rest, we could take a minute to enjoy the freedom we’d worked so hard for. The future was unknown, but I knew that if we’d made it through the mess of a week we’d had together, there wasn’t a whole lot that we couldn’t make it through.
——
When the sky darkened, the dock lights went on and the party kept going. Someone had brought out a Bluetooth speaker and there was now a section of the dock that acted as a makeshift dance floor. I was seated at a table with Melanie watching the show, baby Alexandria fast asleep in her arms. “So…Bucky,” my sister said teasingly teased.
I let out a loud sigh, “Bucky.” “He’s perfect for you,” she smiled, “I’m glad you brought him home.” “Me too,” I scanned the dock until I spotted my boyfriend, engrossed in a conversation with Sam, “He fits right into the family.” “I’ll say, the kids love him. Max and Sophia have been following him around all day, I’ve never been able to get the baby to sleep as fast as when he held her…” I chuckled, “Yeah, just when I thought he couldn’t get any more attractive, you stuck a baby in his arms.” Mel snickered at my reaction, “Yeah, pretty sure every woman on the dock snapped a picture of that.” The two of us burst into laughter before hushing ourselves as to not wake the sleeping infant. “Hey, Sapphire,” she nudged my shin with her foot, “I’m proud of you.” “Well, that’s a far cry from how you felt last week,” I commented, remembering the fear in my sister’s voice from our phone calls in Riga.
“I’m always going to worry about you, but once I actually saw you do your thing,” she breathed, “I was just in awe of how you would risk your life to save all those people. It would be a waste to not put your gift to good use.” I leaned my head against hers and brushed a finger over Alexandria’s thinly haired head, appreciating the sweetness of the moment. Once a slow song came on the speakers, I watched as Bucky stepped away from Sam and made his way over to our table. “Can I steal your sister away for a dance?” he asked Mel. “Steal? You can keep her,” I shot my sister a faux smile while she watched on with a grin as I took Bucky’s outstretched hand and let him lead me away. “Gonna show me some more Madripoor moves?” I jested as we walked across the dock. “That was not dancing, although I did enjoy it,” Bucky replied, giving me a wink that could have melted me into a puddle, “I’ll show you what real dancing is.” I recognized the song as a version of ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ and realized Bucky waited until now to show off any moves in his arsenal because it was probably the first song he recognized on the playlist. He encircled my waist with his flesh arm and took my hand in his Vibranium one, pulling me so close that there wasn’t any space left between us. He began to sway us slowly to the beat of the song. I rested my cheek against his, breathing in the scent of him mixed with the bayou evening air. As far as I was concerned, dancing in the arms of the man I was somehow lucky enough to call my own in the place I loved most in the world was the perfect end to a perfect day.
“Alright, I give…” I relented softly, close enough to his ear that I barley had to speak louder than a whisper for him to hear me, “Your version of dancing is better.” He gave a gentle laugh, the sweetest sound, and rubbed at my waist, “It’s more about the partner than it is the actual dance, think I’ve got the best one.”
“You certainly know how to make a girl blush, Sergeant Barnes,” I replied just before he spun me out of his arms and back into his body, “When’s your flight back to Brooklyn?” Bucky cocked an eyebrow, “Already tired of me?”
“Never,” I shook my head with a genuine smile, “Just trying to soak in all the time I can with you before you go back.” “About that…” he trailed off, turning his gaze to the various other couples dancing around us, “I was thinking of maybe extending my stay. I mean the scenery’s nice, good food,” he looked back to me, “Decent people.” The grin that I was fighting was starting to make itself very apparent, “What are you saying?” “Well,” Bucky shrugged and looked away again, “I mean, I’d need to find a place, hopefully nothing too expensive or else I’d have to find a roommate and even then, it’d be hard to find someone I like enough to live with…”
“Bucky…” I’d ceased our movements to show just how serious I was, searching his face to try and tell if he was joking or not. “What do you say, doll? You think you can put up with me a little while longer?” he asked with a smirk. I exhaled happily and pulled him down to my lips, kissing him with all the excitement that filled my veins at the prospect of him staying. When we finally pulled away, I cradled his cheek in my hand. “I will put up with you for as long as you want,” I beamed, pecking his lips once more. “I’m glad,” Bucky kissed my temple, “It was either telling you this or the other thing…” “What’s the other thing?” I asked, thinning my eyes at him in expectancy of another surprise.
Bucky drew a breath, taking a few seconds to steady himself for whatever he was planning to say. “Well, I was going to tell you that I love you but,” he clicked his teeth, “Now that I think about it, it’s probably better saved for another time,” The earth ceased to move and spin at a dizzying pace all at once, his blue eyes never more truthful than they were in that moment. “I think you’re right,” I said over the lump in my throat, holding back the tears that had come all to quickly, “Best to save that for another day, wouldn’t want to make a hasty declaration or anything...” “That’s what I was thinking,” Bucky replied plainly, continuing our charade. I gave him a watery smile, bringing one of my hands up to run through the hairs at the base of his neck. “I love you too,” I whispered.
Both of Bucky’s arms wrapped around my waist, clutching me as tight as he could without actually injuring me as our lips met. I encircled his neck and relaxed into him completely, feeing aglow with the love that I could finally admit to feeling. Both of us smiled into the kiss, feeding off of the mutual joy of what was unfolding before us. Was it crazy to commit in the ways I was committing to a man I’d known for only two weeks? To some, yes. But ‘some’ hadn’t formed the bond that Bucky and I had over the short span of time it had taken for me to fall in love with him. We had seen the best and the worst of each other, rising and falling with one another’s waves and learning what made the other tick. I wanted every part of him, the good, the bad, the traumatic and the pure. The quick decisions that would raise eyebrows made sense to us, and that was more than enough reason for me to see each one through.
“Thanks for not giving up on me,” Bucky said softly after we’d parted, pulling back to admire me. “Thanks for not letting me give you up,” I returned, staring up into the eyes that had first captured me. The eyes that I’d get to stare into each and every day.
Since the night we’d connected on the jet ride to Berlin, there was some way Bucky had made me feel that I couldn’t put a name to. Something I couldn’t understand at the time but I was fully aware of now. Bucky felt like home. And with our bright future ahead of us, wrapped in his arms dancing underneath the Louisiana stars, I’d never felt more at home.
----
A/N: I'm not crying, you're crying. GUYS. IT'S OVER. WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH MY TIME NOW? I want to thank every single person who liked, commented, reblogged, sent messages and asks and supported this silly little fic I thought up one day after watching TFATWS. As someone who is super insecure about their writing, seeing it well received was a boost to my confidence to keep running with this. I've loved getting to write this and give it to you all and can't wait to write more for you. I'm adding my new taglist link for anyone who would like to be added, it's separated by the characters I write for and you can choose which ones you'd like to follow. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES AGAIN. I LOVE YOU ALL 3000!!
Safe Haven taglist: @tanyaherondale @wanniiieeee @asoftie4bucky @edencherries @i-reblog-fics-i-like @ttalisa @gcfty @withyoutilltheendofthismess @rinaispunk @weirdowithnobeardo @felicityofbakerstreet @godlyhufflepuff @eternalharry @voguesir @mizz-kraziii @okayline @smellmymisunderstoodfluff @wanderin-stories @nicklet94 @intricate-melody @aesthethickks @stumbleonmywords @simplybarnes @21bruhs @lostinwonderland314 @superbookishhufflepuff @kaelyn-lobrutto24 @zozebo @fandomxreaders @kittengirl998 @sarai-ibn-la-ahad @i-know-i-can @x-judyjude-x @thebi-valkyrieofvalhalla @buckverse @living-that-best-life @haphazardhufflepuff @citlalireedus @lindseyrae20 @missstef23 @qhbr2013 @sebby-stann @bluemoon-icecream @iixbella @lets-love-little-me @abitofeverythinggg @itsnottilly @sltwins @mads-weasley @hart-failure @natdrunk @nctma15 @obsessedwithjustaboutanything @patdsinner33 @rosebucketbarnes @tylard-blog1
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teddy06writes · 3 years
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Pirate/Mermaid AU
requested by this anon: “Alright. Hear me out. Pirate Sapnap x Mermaid(fem) Reader. Finna Sapnap and the bois end up in a shipwreck and then reader tosses them all on shore and nurses them back to health type beat. Idrc, I just need that pirate AU. Please and thank you!”
{*Pulls out notebook of mermaid lore, with folk lore from everywhere around the world including tumblr, fresh vs salt water mermaids, shallow vs abyssal mermaids, mermaid sizes based on sightings, and legends, and lets it drop onto table* Boy oh boy have I been waiting for this}
{Like seriously tho} 
Pirate!Sapnap x fem!mermaid!reader
trigger warnings: swearing  mentions of drowning
premise: pirate sapnap and his crew wined up in a shipwreck, and naturally, since your passing by, you figure you might as well save them. As you help them recover, you can’t help but revel in the stories Sapnap tells of traveling around the high seas, well you’ve never been able to leave your cove. Eventually, when the time comes, there is a choice to make
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Days since you washed over the Reef 323:
You floated lazily alongside what was left of the wrecked ship as Sapnap moved about, trying to find more worth scavenging. 
“I thought you got everything out of there.” You said, twisting to lean your fore arms on the now sideways knee wall of the ship. 
“Well, we’ll need all of it if we want to make anything that can make it proper back to the smp.” He explained, dropping some of the less water logged planks onto the raft.
You nodded, still looking up at him quizzically, “Where will you go? After the smp of course.” 
Sapnap paused, sitting down on the edge of the boat, “Mm, probably back further south, it’s nice down there.” 
“Where's your favorite place out there?” You implored. 
“There's lots of cool places,” He chuckled, running a hand through his scraggly hair, “I suppose the land Karl rules over, he calls it party island. Its quite a good time.” 
“Sounds interesting.” You smiled, letting your chin rest on your arms.
“It’s one of the only places that doesn’t have a constant warrant out for our arrest, so that's good enough, even if the locals are- strange.” 
“Stranger than you?” You smirk. 
A grin crossed his face as he reached down to flick water your direction, “Stranger than merfolk.” 
“Hey!” You protested, raising your tail to splash water back at him. 
He laughed, “You wouldn’t dare!” 
“You underestimate me!” You brought your tail down on the surface of the water, splashing him.
Still laughing Sapnap went back to gathering what he could find out on what was left of the main deck, dropping it back down onto the raft before climbing on, “Lets go get Ranboo then.” 
You nodded, grabbing hold of part of the raft and beginning to swim across to the other half of the wreck, where the other boy had been doing scavenging of his own. 
“Ahoy there!” The younger mans voice rang out from the back side of the wreck, “I’ve found a way into the hold!” 
“Where?” Sapnap asked, eagerly climbing off the raft and onto the rocky reef the ship had been sunk on. 
“Round over here!” Ranboo finally appeared from the side of the wreck, “You have to swim a little, but there's a hole in the ship, I made it big enough to get through!” 
“How water logged is everything?” 
“Ehh, not too bad, we can probably get a decent amount of it.” Ranboo itched at the back of his head. 
Sapnap grinned, immediately scrambling across the rocks towards the other side of the ship, “Lets go then!” 
 You sighed as they both disappeared, pulling yourself up to sit on the raft,  long tail still half dipped in the water, glumly calling, “Good luck.” 
“Don’t sound so upset! I bet if you really wanted to you could get over here!” Sapnap’s voice came muffled from somewhere within the hold. 
You scoffed, “Yeah, and get myself so busted up on those rocks that I can’t keep you fools out of trouble.”
Ranboo’s head appeared again, as he heaved a chest up and onto the reef, “We don’t need to be kept out of trouble.” 
You cocked an eyebrow, “You two were the ones who got in a shipwreck.”
“Your the one who got stuck in this cove,” Sapnap pointed out, coming back into view with a chest of his own, “Fish in a bowl.” 
“Well at least I had an excuse for getting thrown over this damn wall.” You snapped. 
After that it was quiet as you climbed off the raft, carful not to knock anything to the water as they loaded up the chests, quickly going back for another round and stacking them on the raft. 
You sighed, holding the raft steady as they tried to find a way to get everything to balance, “At least one of you is going to have to swim. This isn’t gonna work.” 
Ranboo and Sapnap looked at each other for a moment before Sapnap nodded at the raft, and Ranboo climbed on, almost reluctantly, “You know if I swam too we could get more stuff on here.” 
“Too late,” You said, letting go of the raft and letting yourself sink back down into the water for a moment, quickly reemerging as Sapnap went to jump from the reef, “Be careful. I’m not dragging your dumb ass back to shore again.” 
He rolled his eyes, “You worry too much.” 
“No one said I was worried.” You scoffed. 
Off to the side Ranboo faked gaged, grabbing one of the planks to use as a makeshift oar and began to paddle away, “You guys are the worst!” 
You chuckled, quickly moving out of the way as Sapnap jumped down into the water yelling, “Race you to shore!” 
Rolling your eyes you began to swim, “There's literally no way for you to beat me!”
Sure enough you quickly pulled ahead, grabbing a hold of the raft to pull it with you, chuckling as Ranboo began to yell joking insults back toward Sapnap, then as you drew closer to the shore, Karl joining in, despite having no clue what was going on. 
As the water grew shallow Ranboo jumped off the raft, pulling it up to shore, Sapnap hurrying to help him upon reaching the same depth. 
Karl waved at you before grabbing the first of the chests, pulling it up onto the shore before beginning to rummage through its contents. 
Smiling you slowly began to drift back out away from the shore, pulling yourself up onto one of the few smooth rocks that littered the cove, sudenly tired from the trips back and forth, content for now to just relax in the sun. 
~~
Days since you washed over the reef: 325
Your dreams of the terrible storm that had landed you trapped within the cove were interrupted by a soft call of your name. 
“Hmm?” You rubbed at your eyes, sitting up to see that the sun had mostly set, and to see Sapnap standing at the end of the rickety pier that they had built during there first week stranded. 
“Hey.” He smiled. 
“Hey yourself.” You slipped off your rock, quickly swimming over to him. 
He sat down at the edge of the dock, offering a large piece of watermelon to you, “This is the last of the watermelons, Karl’s already started planting the seeds but hopefully we won’t be stuck here that long.” 
You frowned, “How you gonna get out of here?” 
“We’re gonna try to make a ship that’ll hold together long enough to get to Boomerville. We should be able to figure things out from there.” He explained, looking out to the open ocean. 
“Your gonna make a ship?” You looked up at him, confused, “How? There’s only four of you.”
Sapnap shrugged, “We can salvage parts of the ship, and we can cut the trees from the island. Bad thinks we could swing it.” 
You sighed, hauling yourself up onto the pier, Sapnap scooting to the side to make room, “You really think you can get out of here?” 
“Yeah,” The dock was quiet for a moment, the only sounds coming from the waves lapping at the shore before he offered, “You could come with us, if you wanted.”
You looked over at him, “How? I don’t even see how you could get a boat out of here, let alone me.” 
“Well, you know how yesterday everyone was gone?” He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. 
Your brow furrowed, confused, “Yeah?” 
“We were kind of exploring the other side of the island. There's a gap in the reef, we should be able to get through.” 
You looked at him for a moment longer before looking down the coast of the island, you’d been trapped here for nearly a year and had never been able to find a way to the other side, “How am I meant to get to the other side of the island?” 
 “I’m sure we could figure out something,” Sapnap shrugged, almost chuckling, “I mean unless your lying and you’ve lived in this cove your whole life.” 
“Why would I lie about that?” You demanded. 
He held up his hands in defense, “Woah woah woah! I just figured the reef extends out away from the island, surely you’d gone around far enough to find the gap!”
You half wrapped your arms around your torso, “The reef isn’t in a perfect ring, it ellipses up to the shore, you should’ve seen that. Plus, There’s a wall where the rocks extend out to the coast south from here, none of the gaps are big enough for me to fit though.
“I may not be an abyssal mermaid but I’m not the same size as whoever made those. Fucking shallow water mermaids. Never take anyone else into consideration.” You huffed. 
“What?” He laughed. 
You couldn’t help but glare at him, “They’re inconsiderate! Just because they have less space to swim in doesn’t mean that the rest of us have the same sized tail!” 
Sapnap just kept laughing, so you moved to climbed back off the pier and into the water, starting to swim away, laughing even as you called, “You’re an asshole!” 
~~
Days since you washed over the sea wall: 334
Since the castaways had gotten the idea to make a ship they had only spent there days felling trees and working them into planks, as well as trying to salvage more boards from the wrecks.
You watched as they toiled, offering help where you could, though you still doubted there plans. 
Now you were perched back on the pier, quietly wrapping a bandage around Karl’s arm, “I told you all that those rocks are dangerous.” 
He shrugged, “We didn’t think they were that bad. Besides we’ve climbed over them like that before.” 
“If you could climb those easily without getting cut I’d be long gone from here.” You muttered bitterly. 
“We’ll find a way to get you out of here,” Karl smiled sympathetically, chuckling, “I doubt Sapnap would let us leave without you.” 
“What’s that supposed to mean?” You asked, looking up at him. 
He giggled, glancing back up toward the wood where the shelter had been made weeks before, “Nothin.”
“mhhhm.” You hummed warily, tying off the bandage and  setting down your supplies before slipping back into the water, “Try not to get that wet.” 
He nodded absently, looking at the material before looking back at you, “I guess it was lucky that trunk was sealed. Hey, what did you do before we found those- to keep the cuts clean that is.” 
“Oh uh- kelp works, just about the same. That’s what I used on you guys after you landed here, and when I ended up here.” You explained. 
“You put sea weed on us instead of bandages??!” Bad yelled from up the shore, “That's not sanitary!” 
“It was kelp! Dude its like basic first aid! That’s all we had!” You retorted. 
“Ewww sea vegetables!” Ranboo yelled dramatically. 
“Dude shut up kelp is literally the most versatile thing! As long as you have kelp your set for life!” You argued, barley holding back giggles.
“But its weird!” Ranboo argued. 
You chuckled to yourself, turning and diving into the water, reemerging to swim closer to the beach, tossing a long piece of kelp to hit him in the face, “Kelp!” 
Everyone began to laugh as you retreated back into deeper water, swimming back and forth as Ranboo pealed the kelp from his face, “That was just plain rude!” 
Sometime later, after everyone had gone back to the shelter you found yourself slowly swimming back to the underwater cave that had been serving as your home since you’d ended up here.
You laid back on one of the rocks, stretching your tail and flexing your fins as you shuffled down to get comfortable, tugging a random drifting piece of hair out of your face you stared up at the ceiling.
Following the pattern of the rocks you sighed, what would happen when the ship was built, if ever? would they find a way for you to go with them? Or would they just leave you alone again?
Your thoughts slowly spiraled, going over the limited possibilities of what could happen, thinking of being alone again, when something knocked against the mouth of the cave. 
Slowly you rose, swimming the small distance to look out and see the bottom of the raft. 
A moment later you were swimming up and hauling yourself up onto the raft next to Sapnap, wringing water from your hair, “What’s up?”
“Stars are out.” He mumbled, gesturing up to the sky.
You nodded, leaning back to prop yourself back on your elbows, “Used to watch them, every night. From where ever I was staying that night. Now I don’t really see reason too.” 
“Why wouldn’t there be reason to?” He asked. 
“There always the same stars here. I used to be able to travel far enough to see different stars every night, but now there always the same.” You searched the heavens as you spoke.
He  glanced over at you, “We’ll see new stars once the ship is built.” 
You really think that building a ship will work?” 
“Maybe,” He murmured, “We’re trying to find a way to get you over there.”
“I don’t want to be alone again.” You mumbled, turning to look at him. 
Sapnap looked you in the eyes, “You won’t be, if I can help it.” 
“And if you can’t?” 
He opened his mouth, but made no reply, instead staying focused on the sky. 
You sighed, moving to slide back off the raft, “At least some stars remain.” 
Days Since You Washed Over The Sea Wall: 378
You swam back and fourth anxiously, today was it- today was the day that they made the attempt to sail from the cove. 
As far as you knew, the ship, which was apparently little more than a shoddy row boat, had been completed through much work, and today was the day they ventured out. 
Despite many weeks passing, no one had been able to come up with any plan to get you across the island, so now you were left in wait, hoping to see the boat come around the island, to try to find a new way to get you over the wall. 
Time seemed to pass slowly as you stared out over the sea wall, wondering if they had abandoned you completely. 
The sun had fully risen in the sky and yet they still weren’t appearing, your thoughts spiraling, coming to the conclusion that they truly had just left you. 
Taking a shaky breath you swam up to the sea wall, moving along it to what you made was where it held the least width, searching the wall almost desperately. 
A wave, almost larger than one you’d seen in a while rolled over the wall, pushing you back before re exosing the top of the wall, and with another deep breath you grabbed a section of the wall, ignoring the way it cut into your hand, and beginning the slow process of hauling yourself up. 
Just getting to perch on the wall found cuts on the palms of yours hands, and a scrape across your side, as well as a dull ache in your tail from where it slapped across the rocks. 
Still the shipwrecked pirates were no where to be seen. 
You continued to struggle across the rocks, slowly making your way to the ocean, dropping off the wall and into the water to feel a large pain across your back, still you ignored it, desperately starting to swim forward. 
The ocean was rougher than you excepted it to be, after all it had been over a year since you’d left the protection of your cage. 
You dived down, the stinging of pain from your cuts overtaking the feeling of freedom as you slowly resurfaced, only to be met with yet another huge wave. 
By the time the ‘ship’ had finally made it around the island, fighting against the rougher sea, you were no where in sight. 
“(y/n)!” Sapnap yelled, looking over the cove. 
“(y/n)!” Ranboo echoed. 
Bad struggled against the rudder, “Hurry up!” 
“(y/n)! Where are you? We’ve gotta go!” 
There yells were all in vain, not one of them reaching your ears, deep under the water, mostly unconscious in the cave that you’d barley managed to drag yourself into. 
~~ Days Since You Washed Over Sea Wall: 421
You sighed, carefully pulling yourself up onto the rickety old pier, rubbing gently at the scar that now crossed your torso, before laying back and staring up at the sky, trying to remember the way it had been to not be alone. 
The physicals wounds had healed, sure, but still the mind numbing loneliness was beginning to get to you yet again.
You stared up at the sky, wishing that at least the stars were there, but you were met only with the sun. 
“(y/n)!” 
You shot straight up as the familiar call echoed in your ear, “What the fuck?” 
“(y/n)!” The yell came again. 
“You mother fucker!” You shouted, dropping off of the pier and swimming as fast as you could out into the water. 
(y/n)!” Was repeated yet again as you all but crashed into Sapnaps arms.
“You fucking asshole!” You repeated, looking from the pirate to the ship that had laid anchor outside the reef, already starting to pull him toward the shore, “I thought you weren’t coming back! I went out there after you! Busted myself up!” 
He glanced over your various scars, both the older and the newer before hugging you again, not worrying as you continued to tread water, “I didn’t mean too.” 
“What the hell though? I Thought you left me.” You repeated.
“I told you not if I could help it.” 
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vicious-vixxxen · 3 years
Text
Mermaid!Kirishima X Male Reader
((Lost the original ask who prompted this, but here’s a little Mermaid!Kirishima to start the prompts off here! Thank you again for being the first to send in an ask, I appreciate it so much! And such a fun and interesting one to kick things off with, so manly! <3))
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You’d almost fallen asleep. Again. Jesus Christ. Groaning, you stretched your limbs out as far as they’d reach- stifling a cry as your joints popped, and you became a puddle against the wooden dock you were laid across. The soft plap-plap of the waves beneath you very nearly lulling you under once again. Opening your eyes finally, you raised your arm to block out the harsh mid afternoon rays, and to check your watch for the time. Nearly four. He was late. “Where the hell are you, sharkboy,” You grumbled, sitting up, and stretching your arms out for a second time, stretching them for all they were worth, before slumping over and scrubbing at your tired eyes. Wincing slightly at the soft burn of your palms against your cheeks. Fuck. No sunblock. Of course. You’d be confused with a lobster by the time you went home and scooped up in a net for dinner if you didn’t apply any. Chancing a glance around the open ocean around you, spotting hues of blue after hues of blue- but no red- you sighed, tugging off your sweat soaked tank top- shoving it into your bag with the rest of your things, before retrieving your sunblock, and squirting a liberal amount into the palm of your hand. Slapping them together afterwards to smear it around, before hiking a leg up to begin applying it. The soft scent of coconut filled the air around the dock, and mixed with the salty scent of the seafoam below the dock, it reminded you of Kirishima. How enamored he’d been the first time he spotted you out here, doing just as you were now. The scent, the sight. Long tanned legs, short board shorts, no top. He’d been drooling, it was a whole adorable thing. Of course, you absolutely flipped your shit the first time you saw him. He wasn’t exactly the most subtle creature to catch a glimpse of, especially when he reared up to apologize- fins fanning out, causing you to nearly have a heart attack. You knew of mer-people, of course, but no one had seen any in these parts in decades. You certainly hadn’t. Not in your lifetime. First time for anything, though, you supposed. He’d wandered too far from his pod, and gotten curious of the handsome human male spread out like a buffet on the docks. If there was one thing to be said about Eijiro, it was that he was too curious for his own damn good. Something that both endeared you, and frustrated the fuck out of you. You hardly noticed, so caught up in your thoughts of the creature, the sound of the water breaking- the soft creak of the dock straining beneath the merman's grip as he hoisted himself up quietly, laying flat on his stomach just a few feet away. Eyes wide as saucers, red irises glinting mischievously as he tried to stick to his plan. Thwarted only by all the bare expanse of skin you were showing off. Tan, and soft looking. Soft to the touch, too, Kirishima thought suddenly, mouth too full of saliva as he recalled the feel of your skin beneath his webbed fingers. Shaking himself from his awed stupor, Kirishina grinned- all sharp teeth, as he shimmied across the dock, long tail swishing excitedly beneath the water, where it hung low from the dock. Already aware of his tardiness, Kirishima wasted no time lunging for you when he was close enough- laughing boisterously as you shrieked, and began swatting blindly at him. “You asshole! How many times have I told you /NOT/ to do that?” Y/N Shouted, initial panic already seeping away, as he was rolled over beneath Kirishima- the merman's soggy red spikes haloed by the sun’s rays, making him look….positively angelic. The fucking heathen. “You’re an absolute menace to both land and sea society Kirishima- no, no don’t fucking kiss me, I’m mad at you. Take your fishy kisses somewhere else, they will not be accepted here!” Y/N continued to shout, laughing suddenly as Kirishima nuzzled and raked his teeth along the soft expanse of your neck, webbed fingers digging just this side of rough into your sides, to elicit a fit from you. “L-Lemme g-go you smelly s-sardine! Ah-ahah! S-shit, i’m gonna p-piss myself if you don’t-ah!- stop! Kiri, please, mercy, mercy!” You cried, tears in your eyes as Eijiro wrapped your legs around his broad hips- shifting his scales downwards, as to not scrape you. Cradling you in his arms, his elbows against the dock, to shift you both upwards just a bit. Toothy grin as bright as ever as he gave in, and finally looked at you. Kirishima swore he could look at you forever. Your bright, twinkling E/C eyes, the soft, sun bleached tips of your hair. The curve of your nose. The curve of your /lips/. Especially the curve of your lips. “You can’t just show up late and expect me to be all hugs and kisses, that’s not fair,” You pouted, despite the smile you couldn’t help forming on your face. Ankles hooked just at the small of Kirishima’s back, where waist met scales. One hand splayed across the creatures back, the other finding its way deep in the crop of damp hair atop his head. Fingernails digging gently into the base, in that sweet spot that always had Kiri mewling if you scratched long enough. “Mm, i’m sorry, baby shark,” Kiri cooed, snickering at the eye roll he could practically sense, as he dipped his face back down against your neck, and kissed. “-It was my turn to lead the roundup for dinner. You know how long it takes to completely swarm a school of flounder? Little bastards shoot off in different directions. So yummy,” he paused, nipping at your earlobe, causing you to tense, “-but so difficult to catch. Like, but also kind of unlike, another little fish I know.” “A man of a thousand sweet talks.” You were already putty in the merman's hands, and you both knew it. Didn’t mean you had to advertise it. “I am sorry, baby shark. I tried to hurry, but you know how Denki can be. He gets a little zapped if he exerts himself too much on the hunt. We all gotta get him back to the cove in one piece after that, and he’s such a squirmer, so...ya know,” Kirishima shrugged, arms tightening just barely around your middle, as he leaned back, smile less predatory, and more sincere now, as he pressed your foreheads together gently. “Apology accepted...I guess,” You mumbled finally, breaking the creature's gaze, only to flick your gaze down to his plump, bitten lips. One drop of saltwater still clinging to his cupid's bow. “I missed you, dude,” Kiri whispered finally, blush painting his pale face, as he pressed chaste kisses to your cheeks, and chin. Peppering them all over afterwards as you began to giggle. “Missed you too,” You sighed, closing your eyes, and angling your head to catch Kirishima’s lips in a soft kiss. Just a press of them together, no real urgency. You had the rest of the evening, and long after sunset to spend together. There’d be plenty of time for rough, heated kisses below the docks. When you lost your trunks, and Kiri started losing control of the sharpness of his scales. Leaving small pricks and scrapes over your inner thighs, from how you’d going to his hips. Only to have the merman lay you out on the dock under the stars, and kiss them all better. Webbed hands spread wide over your stomach, your hips. Trailing down your thighs, up, and around… “Whoa now,” Kirishima whistled, pulling back to glance down between you, and you huffed. “Don’t get cocky, asshole. I haven’t seen you in almost a week, give me a break.” Hooking your chin over the merman's shoulder, you rolled your eyes once more at Kirishima’s little giggles. Mesmerized by the expanse of muscle in his back. Gaze trailing down between Kirishima’s shoulder blades. Down the small of his back, where his hips dipped first inwards, then back out. Hips filling out below his scales, bright red at the tips, and a deep obsidian at the base, where they met his flesh. Similar to the hair atop his head. Unhooking one of your feet, you ran your toes down along the soft, slippery surface of his tail, as far as you could go, before bringing it back up. Noting the shiver down Kirishima’s spine, and grinning. “Never gets old, does it?” “No, nope. Absolutely not. You make my tail feel like it’s gonna shake right off,” Kirishima groaned, planting his plans on either side of you now, caging you in as you rested back against the dock. “Should probably get that checked out by a doctor.” “Asshole.” “See if I give you the gummy worms in my backpack now.” “....did I mention how much I love you yet?” “That’s what I thought, seaweed brain.” You laughed, flinching back with a frown as Kirishima nipped at the air in front of your face playfully- reaching back for your brag, to draw out the large bag of gummy worms you’d already opened, when waiting for the merman to arrive. Grabbing one out of the pack, and holding it up between two fingers for Kirishima to slurp up. Humming contentedly as he chewed, and you simply smiled. “Love you,” You whispered, feeding him another- watching as he slowed in his chewing, before gulping audibly, and leaning down close. “Love you too. Beautiful boy.” ((Thank you again to the wonderful prompter who asked for this, I had a blast writing it!))
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day 6: "touch starved"
It was a strange thing to think about, that Poseidon could barely recognize his own brother. In a way, Aidoneus had been his only company for years in the dark, but this person—tall, sharp-featured, wrapped in white bandages staining iridescent gold with ichor—was a stranger. The only thing that Poseidon recognized was the coloring. He remembered, hazily, being envious of his father’s deep blue skin, flecked with stars. He had looked like a king. Like the king of time and everything that bowed to it.
Aidoneus didn’t look like a king, Poseidon thought privately as he hesitated in the half-open door of the small shelter that Metis had transformed into an infirmary. His blue skin was a softer shade than Kronos’, and his stars were an illusion, nothing but flecks of ichor dried into glittering flakes of gold in his long hair and on his exposed skin. Aidoneus just looked—tired, and hurt, and shockingly small despite his feet hanging off the mat beneath his back.
“Um,” Poseidon said, awkward. “Aidoneus?”
The one visible eye flickered open, and then squinted shut again, a painful-looking twitch running down the arm nearest to Poseidon. Poseidon hastily shut the door behind him. It was after sunset, but before full dark—he had been so delirious with glee over his first day of freedom that he nearly blinded himself for good, and Metis had started limiting him to wandering around near dawn and dusk, to acclimate himself to the light. Aidoneus, she had told him quietly when he asked to visit, couldn’t even bear that much light, not yet.
“Sorry,” Poseison said hastily. “Sorry. I’m, um. I’m Poseidon? I guess we haven’t really—met.”
Aidoneus blinked at him, a flicker of interest ghosting across the weary planes of his face. Poseidon tried his best to grin down at him, and hoped it looked right. He’d been trying to relearn the trick of—people, and Metis and Hera and Hestia were kind enough to let him blunder and fuck up and fix it, and Zeus was a whole other force of nature. Poseidon had figured out quickly enough that it didn’t really matter how uncomfortable he was with talking to people, when it came to Zeus. He could just stand back and let his younger brother carry the conversation, and Zeus would take any remotely positive engagement as his due, and ignore anything else. Poseidon knew that Metis worried about Zeus overtaxing him, but it was perversely relaxing.
He was nervous about talking to Aidoneus. He felt like he needed to get it right, with Aidoneus.
Aidoneus’ lips trembled for a moment as Poseidon hovered uneasily just inside the door, and then he swallowed and raised a hand—slowly, so stiffly that Poseidon’s own bones hurt just watching. Aidoneus touched his own face, just under his exposed eye, and his lips pressed together on a letter that he couldn’t quite form. He managed a faint hum, like he was trying to force his voice into cooperating, and tapped his cheek again, more forcefully.
“Oh! I mean,” Poseidon said, scratching a little sheepishly at his own cheek, beneath the bandages hiding his eye. “I guess we technically met then, yeah, but there wasn’t a lot of time for small talk, you know? You were in pretty bad shape, you probably remember, and I was in shock, or something, and you were also, you know, bleeding out, so maybe you don’t actually remember. I’m not an expert or anything but I figured it was a ‘if he lives, we can hang out under non-mandatory circumstances where we can both talk and see things’ kind of deal, at the time.”
Poseidon shut his mouth with a sharp click on the words, realizing that Aidoneus was watching him with a steady gaze. “Sorry,” Poseidon said again. A cool flush was rising on his cheeks, and he could feel his fins threatening to make an appearance under that dark red stare. “You probably don’t want to think about it. Um—I talk too much. Metis thinks it’s like you not being able to talk, except the other way around. If I say something that pisses you off, maybe just point to the door? And I’ll leave you alone.” He swallowed his next words, and forced himself to think, to take a breath before he spoke. The silence between his words was a living thing, making it hard to breathe. Poseidon hated silence. “Do you want me to leave? You can just nod or shake your head.”
For a moment, he thought that Aidoneus wasn’t going to do anything—that he was just going to sit there and stare Poseidon down until he left out of sheer discomfort. But then, a tiny movevment, careful. A shake of Aidoneus’ head.
Poseidon gestured at the floor next to Aidoneus’ sickbed and asked, “Can I sit?”
A nod, this time.
Poseidon took a deep breath, let it out, and walked around Aidoneus so that he was facing the door, then dropped himself down on the floor. He could see the end of the wounds, on this side, the bandages stopping just above Aidoneus’ left wrist, and without thinking, Poseidon reached out and grabbed his brother’s hand.
Aidoneus went tense, hissed in a breath through his teeth.
“Sorry!” Poseidon released him so quickly he heard the bone at the bend of Aidoneus’ wrist knock against the floor, and he clenched his hands in his lap for fear that he might make it worse. “I didn’t think—I just, I don’t really like the dark? And it’s getting dark out, and I’m not really tired, and I didn’t think.”
That clear red eye was back on him, and Poseidon bit his tongue to shut himself up.
He remembered what it had been like, when Zeus first yanked him into a hug. Poseidon had felt like his skin was on fire from the simple act of being touched, really touchedby another person, someone he could see and feel and talk to. Zeus had thumped him on the back, and then left an arm slung around Poseidon’s shoulder as they watched Metis direct the others through stopping the worst of Aidoneus’ bleeding. They had both still had ichor on their hands, from holding Aidoneus together until they could get him real help, and Poseidon was holding a pad of bandages over half his face, waiting quietly for someone to be free to look at his wound, and somehow the thing that had sent him into a boneless pile on the ground was his brother giving him a hug.
The thing Poseidon had missed the most, in the lonely dark, was being touched. He had lived in fear of Kronos, of course, but Rhea’s hands had been so kind, the rare, precious touch of her forehead against his so warm. He had missed many things about the world, but touch—it was so simple, so essential, so shattering to have it restored after so long. It had probably scared Zeus half to death, when Poseidon simply crumpled out from under his arm and started sobbing.
And Aidoneus had been alone in that darkness, with no one but Kronos for company, for thirteen years.
Just thinking about it made Poseidon feel sick in every fiber of his body.
Poseidon didn’t realize that his eye was closed tightly until he heard, for the first time in his life, his brother’s voice. It was rusty with disuse, a broken stutter with barely enough breath to be audible, but it was a whole word.
“Hhh-h-her-re.”
Poseidon opened his eye, and—
Aidoneus was holding his hand out again. It was trembling from the effort of holding his hand off the floor, but it was there.
“I’m not gonna hurt you, am I?” Poseidon asked, already reaching out. “I don’t want to be mean, but you look really bad.” Aidoneus shook his head, hand dipping as if he was already running out of strength to hold it up.
He flinched again, just a little, when Poseidon took his hand, but this time, Poseidon didn’t let go. It took a moment, but Aidoneus’ fingers slowly relaxed in his.
Aidoneus’ hand didn’t feel summer-wind-hot, like Zeus’ did. Instead, it was cool, only slightly warmer than Poseidon’s own chill. Poseidon told Aidoneus as much, and Aidoneus watched him with that same solemn, steady gaze.
“I guess it makes sense,” Poseidon said. “I never really thought about what wealthwas like as a domain. Like, the ocean is a place, right? But metal is cold, and rocks are cold unless you leave them out in the sun. Hey, once you can stand sunlight, we should see if you hold heat, it would be like one of Metis’ things. An experiment. Has she told you about those?”
A head-shake.
“Oh, she was telling me about one the last time I got my bandages changed. Do you want me to tell you about it? I could shut up if I’m being too loud. Sometimes everything is so loud, but also, I hate it when it’s quiet. Everyone else is on a bunch of errands, and I was supposed to be letting you sleep, but it was really—quiet. I hope you weren’t actually asleep when I came in. I just figured maybe you weren’t, and if you weren’t, I would feel a little less stupid talking to you than I would talking to myself, even if you didn’t talk back, and—”
A light tug on their joined hands interrupted Poseidon mid-thought, and he looked back down at Aidoneus, startled.
“T-t-e-ll m-m—” Aidoneus couldn’t seem to get past the start of the second word, his hand becoming a fist in Poseidon’s grip as his face creased with frustration.
“Tell you—about Metis? She said that the new salve for your wounds was an experiment, I didn’t really pay attention to most of the details but I can try,” Poseidon said gamely. Aidoneus’ features slowly relaxed, and he nodded again. “Okay, so,” Poseidon said, tucking his feet under him so that he was sitting cross-legged, with Aidoneus’ hand in his lap and his other hand free to gesture. “She was saying that she found some plant, she called it comfy—or, um, comfurry, or something like that…”
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vampiresuns · 3 years
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The Main 6 as Poetry + Other Bits of Literature That Reminds Me Of Them
[link meme voice] This is my post and I get to choose the poems
Asra
“Will you come travel with me? Shall we stick by each other for as long as we live?” — Walt Whitman, Song Of The Open Road
“I love you. I love you. I love you. I’ll write in waves. In skies. In my heart. You’ll never see, but you will know. I’ll be all the poets, I’ll kill them all and take each one’s place in turn, and every time love’s written in all the strands it will be to you.
But never again like this” — Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, This Is How You Lose The Time War
“Friendship is more tragic than love. It lasts longer” — Oscar Wilde
“The centre of every poem is this: I have loved you. I have had to deal with that” — Salma Deera, Letters to Medea
“If someday the moon calls you by your name don’t be surprised, Because every night I tell her about you” — Shahrazad al-Khalij
Nadia
“All palaces are temporary palaces” — Robert Montgomery
“You know, they straightened out the Mississippi river in places, to make room for houses and livable acreage. Occasionally the river floods these places. “Floods” is the word they use, but in fact it is not flooding: it is remembering. Remembering where it used to be. All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.” — Toni Morrison.
“We’re each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?” — Ursula K. Le Guin, “Nine Lives”
“The first desire is to feel that one is Desired, not just wanted but preferred” — J. D. McClatchy, The Dialogue of Desire and Guilt
“If I can’t have love, if I can’t find peace, give me bitter glory” — Anna Akhmatova, Rosary
“I send my soul through time and space to greet you. You will understand” —  James Elroy Flecker, To A Poet A Thousand Years Hence
Julian
"Time for you and time for me, and time yet for hundred indecisions” — T. S. Eliot, The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock
“I over came myself, the sufferer; I carried my own ashes to the mountains; I invented a brighter flame for myself” — F. Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
“To have been on earth just once — that’s irrevocable. And so we keep on going and try to realise it, try to hold it in our simple hands, in our overcrowded eyes, and in our speechless heart” — Rainer Maria Rilke, Duino Elegies; The Ninth Elegy (tr. A. Poulin, Jr.)
(have I been walking in circles again?) — Margaret Atwood, Journey To The Interior
“Last night, as I was sleeping, I dreamt–marvellous error!– that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden bees were making white combs and sweet honey from my old failures” — Antonio Machado, Last night as I was sleeping
Muriel
“I am a very boring and unpleasant man, drowned in literature... but I do love you” — Vladmir Nabokov in a letter to his wife Vera, written in 1924
“Rejoice! Our times are intolerable” — Jenny Holzer
“We disappear as stars do, soundless, without a trace” — Charles Wright, Drone And Ostinato
“You don’t want to hear the story of my life, and anyway I don’t want to tell it, I want to listen” — dogfish, mary oliver
“—the way somebody comes back, but only in a dream.” — Mary Oliver, We Should Be Well Prepared
“History is a man in a brown suit trying to define a room he is outside of. I know history. There are many names in history but none of them are ours” — Richard Siken, Little Beast
“The consistency of hurt is what makes it so comforting” — William Nu’utupu Giles, “what do you want? it’s not that simple”
Portia
“I exist as I am, that is enough“ — Walt Whitman, Song Of Myself
“I will plant myself in the garden / I will grow I know I know I know” — Forough Farrokhzad, Another Birth
“When does a war end? When can I say your name and have it mean only your name and not what you left behind?” — Ocean Vuong, On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous
“I am doing my best to not become a museum of myself. I am doing my best to breathe in and out.I am begging: Let me be lonely but not invisible“ — Natalie Diaz, American Arithmetic
  Here, we worship      the hot pot; stuff our bellies             with blessings. My auntie says—
If we’re gonna suffer,      we gotta do it over good food.
— ode to enclaves by Chrysanthemum tran (she/they)
Lucio
“Abuse of power comes as no surprise” — Jenny Holzer, Truisms
“You spit on them because the taste left of on your teeth excites. You showed hope all over your face for years and then killed them” — Jenny Holzer
“And on a pedestal, these words appear: ‘I am Ozymandias, King of Kings; look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remain” — Percy Shelley, Ozymandias
“Lucifer: It may be thou shalt be as we.
Cain: And ye?
Lucifer: Are everlasting.
Cain: Are ye happy?
Lucifer: We are mighty.
Cain: Are thou happy?
Lucifer: No. Art thou?” — Lord Byron, Cain
“Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens” — Robert Montgomery
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headinthestaticsky · 3 years
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NEW! The Fire of the Innocent Sun: Jasper Hale x Fleur Hale, Chapter 5
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Authors note: Again some elements of the movie and book have been changed. Remember when this song was popular?
"I keep going to the river to pray 'Cause I need something that can wash out the pain And at most I'm sleeping all these demons away But your ghost, the ghost of you It keeps me awake."
Ghost by, Ella Henderson
I hadn't been down to the reservation in a while it's lush trees and plants were turning orange and yellow and its grass was still damp and slippery. It was as if it was frozen in time, being dormant in constant rain and coldness. Before I knew it I was at Billy Black's house, an uneasiness was nestled within my stomach. I didn't know how Jacob would react or how much he had changed. I knew he was still hurt after all the manipulation Bella had put him through and I didn't know how he would treat me. Would it be was cheerfulness and joy or would his heart freeze over and reject my plea immediately? I didn't have much time to ponder over my choices as the door had swung open. A smile greeted me at the door, Billy Black hadn't changed much... it gave me a sense of comfort.
"Fleur, it is so nice to see you again...Sam told me the situation you're in... I hope you make it out okay." Billy said, moving aside for me to come in.
"Thank you, I hope we do too... Did dad show you pictures of Ezra?"
Billy chuckled before answering me.
"You know he did, he looks a lot like you two... same black hair and brown eyes."
"He doesn't have my personality that's for sure."
"What's he like?"
"He's a lot like Jasper... calm and collected the only thing he got from me was my love for the Earth. He is obsessed with plants, water, and he is absolutely fascinated by space it's adorable." I smiled at the thought of my son... I never knew how much love I could feel someone until I had him. I loved Jasper to death of course but having a child just opens your eyes that much more.
"Not that I'm complaining that you visited but, there is a reason you're here I'm sure."
I looked at him, guilt replaced my joy.
"Yeah, there is... I need to talk to Jacob, is he here?"
"He might be down at the beach, if he's not there he's in the barn house."
"Thank you, Billy. It's so nice seeing you again." I said, I bent down to hug him.
I then turned around walking toward the front door, I walked down to La Push. The nerves had set in again and if I could, my palms would probably be sweaty. The wet gravel crunched beneath my feet and the wind howled loudly. I had stopped and looked around, the ocean looked grey matching the sky perfectly.
"What are you doing here?" I sternly voiced asked from behind me.
I slowly turned around and saw Jacob staring at me. The disdain was riddled in his eyes.
"Hey, Jacob..."
"What are you doing here?" He asked again he sounded angrier.
"I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't important... I think you know everything that is going on right now."
"I know some of it but that's not my problem. I left Sam's pack."
My eyes widened, shock replaced my apprehensiveness.
"What? Why?"
"I didn't feel the need to be there anymore... and before you even ask you know why."
"It is Bella?"
"Ding ding ding."
"I'm sorry Jacob... I know my sister really hurt you."
"Not like you care."
I walked up to him looking him dead in the eye.
"Of course I do! Jake, I've known you since I was a little girl... you were one of my best friends. I know you can't stand what am I but I am always going to care about you."
His eyes filled with sadness but relief began to shine through. I took a chance and pulled him in for a hug, he reciprocated it. I could feel hot droplets of water fall onto my clothes.
"She really fucking hurt me."
Venom leaked from my eyes and my face scrunched up.
"She hurt me too."
I didn't know how long I was standing there with him but suddenly the sun filled my vision. It was like our walls built with coldness and ice were beginning to thaw. I hadn't really talked much about any of this with Jasper or the others. No matter how much she screwed me over she was still my sister. As much as I didn't want to I loved her and I always would. Jacob and I pulled apart, I could see the relief on his face. He must've been holding all of this in too, all of that pain stuffed into a bottle that was about ready to burst.
"So... what did you need?" He asked, a small smile was on his face.
"You know I had a son?"
"Yeah, I do... Billy tells me all the time about the photos your dad shows him."
"Well... Bella and Edward told the Volturi about him and now they're coming after all of us."
"Wow... So that's where she went."
"Yeah... Leah told me that a lot more people are turning because of the vampires we found to help us out."
"So you're asked me to help the wolves out."
"Damn didn't even have to finish my statement."
Jacob laughed before answering.
"I'm in... you're going to need all the help you can get."
"Thank you so much Jacob you do not know how much I appreciate this."
Timeskip: 2 hours later
Jacob and I drove back down to the Cullens' house, I wondered how they would react. When I pulled into the driveway I saw Jasper and Rosalie waiting for me.
"Oh boy..." I muttered to myself. Jacob and I got out of the car and approached them.
"Fleur where were you?" Jasper asked.
"I had to find a little bit more help," I said, gesturing toward Jacob.
"Jacob, nice to see you again." Jasper greeted, I could tell he was tense.
"Don't worry I'm not gonna try anything on you guys... even if blondie tries to poison me."
"Don't push your luck." Rosalie threatened, her eyes took on a deadly look and her finger was pointed at him.
"Okay you two settle down and get in the house," I said, trying to breaking the tension. Before we could however I could he the sound of two people running. Their speed wasn't one of a human Rosalie, Jasper, and Jacob would all hear it too.
"Rosalie get Carlisle now!" I said.
Rosalie quickly ran into the house.
Before I knew it two men were standing in front of me... both were unfamiliar.
"Who are you?"
The door behind me swung open and Carlisle called out toward the two people. Kate, Rosalie, and Emmett were right behind him.
"Vladimir, Stefan, you're a long way from home."
"What are they doing here?" I heard Kate inquire.
"We heard the Volturi were moving against you. But that you would not stand alone." Vladimir answered.
"We didn't do what we were accused of," I stated.
"We do not care what you did."
"We have been waiting a millennium for the Italian scum to be challenged," Stefan said in eagerness.
"It's not our plan to fight the Volturi," Carlisle said quickly.
"Shame. Aro's witnesses will be so disappointed."
"They enjoy a good fight."
"Aro's witnesses?" I asked.
"Aww. Still, hoping they'll listen?" Vladimir said to me mockingly.
"When Aro wants someone from a coven it's never long before evidence turns up proving that coven committed some crime."
"So he's done this before?" I said, anger leaked in my voice and I quickly whipped my head around to look at Carlisle.
"It happens so rarely, I never realized it was a pattern," Carlisle replied.
"How in the hell do you not remember that he's done this before you've lived for hundreds of years!"
"I can't really tell you Fleur... I just know he always pardons one person whose thoughts he claims are repentant. This person always has an ability. And they're always given a place with the Guard."
"It has to be about Alice. He has no one like her!" I started.
"Which is why she left." Jasper finished for me.
"Why does he need witnesses?" Emmett asked.
"To spread the word that justice has been served. After he slaughters an entire coven." Vladimir answered.
"Come on inside, we need to tell everyone else the news," Carlisle said.
You could imagine the faces of everyone when they revealed the pattern of the Volturi. Horror and shocked were all anyone could feel in the room.
"Benjamin, Tia, we're leaving. NOW!" Amun demanded.
I quickly jumped up blocking his way toward the exit.
"And where will you go? What makes you think they'll be satisfied with Alice? What's to stop them from going after Benjamin next? Or Zafrina or Kate, Bree, or anyone else with a gift?" I started, I looked toward Jasper for support.
"They will try to get anyone they want. Their goal isn't punishment, it's power. It's acquisition. Carlisle might not ask you to fight, but Fleur and I will. For the sake of my family. But also for yours. And for the way you want to live." Jasper added. Jacob and Leah looked at each other before nodding slightly toward one another.
"The pack will fight. We've never been afraid of vampires."
"We will fight," Kate said, Tanya, Elezar, and Carmen nodded in agreement.
"This won't be the first time I fought a king's rule." Garrett added.
"We'll join you." Benjamin said, smiling at me."
"No, we will not!"
"I will do the right thing, Amun. You may do as you please." Benjamin said dismissing Amun.
"We will stand with you."
"So will we."
I looked at everyone before thanking them.
"We're going to take down these bastards once and for all."
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9/10 Chapter 1 - Malt
I started writing a bit of a Harry/Kim fanfic??? Because why the hell not. Anyway, here’s the first part of it. I’m kind of just making it up as I go with a few specific ideas scattered in my head. Spoilers for various plot points. Here’s a sample before the cut. Feel free to send any suggestions or critique, since it’s been ages since I have done much writing. Still working on getting a feel for Harry’s skill voices.
YOU — After a little while, your voice finally returns. “Why are you so nice to me?” KIM KITSURAGI — He takes a long pause and leans back in his chair. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just stubborn too.” PERCEPTION — You turn to look at him as you finally untangle yourself from your chrysalis of arms, and he looks different somehow. You don’t know if it’s your eyes being sore as hell, or the dull ambiance of the hazy bar lights. Somehow, he looks so light. His bomber jacket is slightly pulled up by his folded arms behind his head, seeming to break the bulky illusion it usually projects over his slim torso. Like suddenly seeing a gap in a suit of armor. SUGGESTION — You should tickle him. ESPRIT DE CORPS — He will kill you in mere seconds if you do that.
ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN — Hello again, Harry boy. The midnight train to Fuck-All-Borough is boarding once again, and you’ve pre-paid your seat. YOU — Okay. ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN — Yes, that’s right. Let’s drive right into the sweet, succulent sopor of oblivion. Let no feelings come to pass, no sensations, just the pure bliss of the radiating void. YOU — But aren’t you here? ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN — That’s just it, Harry. I’m nothing. I am the pale of the mind, I am the deafening silence, I am the black canvas that stretches taut when you close your eyes. I am the swaddle that cradles the mind and the ocean you will drown in. I am born of you and someday, you will die in me. LIMBIC SYSTEM —  But not yet—something still stirs in this weighted sack. Something heavy, and sore, and full of noise that steadily rises into a crescendo.
PERCEPTION — And then you open your eyes. And it fucking hurts. PAIN THRESHOLD — Dear god, it’s like a jackhammer on a pogo stick on another jackhammer. PERCEPTION — You realize there’s a smell you haven’t smelled in a few weeks now that’s uncomfortably emanating from your form. Al Gul. COMPOSURE — Oh. You finally did it again. You fucked up.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY — So we got a little smashed. Who cares. You know what’s a great way to stop feeling sorry about it? Getting smashed again. AUTHORITY — No. YOU — Why am I always fucking things up? HALF LIGHT — Because life is terrifying. LOGIC — He’s right about that one.
YOU — What was I doing last night? ELECTROCHEMISTRY — Like I said, getting smashed. CONCEPTUALIZATION — Painting the world with a palette of sugary booze and sad, old rock and roll for sad, old rockstars.
YOU — Who did I hurt this time? DRAMA — Mostly, just yourself. VOLITION — A small miracle, if so. You’re used to self-immolation. YOU — But why? Why now? We were doing better. ELECTROCHEMISTRY — Speak for yourself. LOGIC — You do know that you can’t just ride out two decades of practiced chemical drowning on a workhorse of piety and guilt, right?
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT — This ceaseless dependency on cocktails of narcotics and spirits has weakened you shamefully. PERCEPTION — You look around your dimly lit bedroom, eyes half-closed anyway to quiet the searing pain in your cerebral cortex, slowly putting the pieces back together as the rest of your body wakes up.
YOU — I was having a shitty day. I was stuck on a case and my mind just kept drifting into half-remembered past mistakes. After work, I decided to do it. I called her again, like an idiot. I thought to myself, I can do this, I can let her go, and I’ll tell her I’m finally over it (almost). INLAND EMPIRE — But that is not how it went. She had prepared for the next time you would call. The last time was terrifying enough, torn awake at 3 in the morning, listening to your desperate lies, digging through past trauma. 
YOU — “Hey, uh, Dora. It’s Harry. I’m sorry—“ PERCEPTION — A sharp sigh breaks your concentration. DORA — “Let me stop you there, Harry. Because I’m tired of this. You’ve been doing this six years now but it feels at least twice as long. So since you can’t put an end to it, I am. Don’t call again. You won’t be reaching me at this number anymore.” PERCEPTION — Before you can react, there’s silence. And a dial tone. YOU — Fuck. Fuck shit fuck.
COMPOSURE — You stumble through dialing the number again, fingers slipping the first time from nerves and connecting the second, with no answer. You try again. And again. And then you stop trying. It takes everything in you not to smash the phone where it sits. PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT — You need to smash something. If we can’t smash the phone, we HAVE to smash something. REACTION SPEED — Your feet are already taking you away from the pay phone, one thought ahead of the rest of you. You barely round the corner into the alley before you plant your fist full force into the nearest brick wall. PAIN THRESHOLD — Your hand spirals into a fractal of pain, blood dripping down your busted knuckles, slowly running down the dirtied wall. You can feel the cracking of your knuckles, like a brittle lacework of glass strapped down only by the leather of your worn-out hands. HALF-LIGHT — Get out of here. ELECTROCHEMISTRY — Now that you’re done smashing your fist, it’s time to get the rest of you smashed. YOU — “Fuck it. I’m getting a drink.”
CONCEPTUALIZATION — From there, it was a blaze of sweet, hot fire down your throat and back up again, run ragged from shitty karaoke and mild alcohol poisoning. But the film reel is running thin, and you’re struggling to get anything else from your memory bank.
YOU — How did I get back? I don’t remember walking home. ESPRIT DE CORPS — You asked for help.
HAND-EYE COORDINATION — You pat at your pockets, searching for the right one, not quite remembering what you’re doing but knowing the answer you thought of for a fraction of a second is somewhere in there. After a moment, you find it, carefully tucked away but nevertheless damp with sweat from your slacks.
“If you need to talk— 005-93-88-651 Lt. Kitsuragi”
INTERFACING — Your hands are a bit shaky, but you dial out the number on the slip of paper in your hands. PERCEPTION — It rings once. Twice. A third time. And then you hear the receiver click. KIM KITSURAGI — “Hello?”
SHIVERS — In a small apartment in Central Jamrock, not too far from Precinct 41, and not too far from the Jamrock Public Library, Lieutenant Kitsuragi sits on his bed, some light reading in hand, winding down for the night. His new apartment is still filled with cardboard boxes here and there, in no particular hurry to be unpacked. The lights of the city pierce through like little pinpricks in the glare of his bedside window, still insistent on their presence even in the quiet of a cool spring night.
YOU — “Hi, Kim, I uh…” Your voice shakes and you lose your words for a moment, because some part of you really didn’t expect him to pick up. KIM KITSURAGI — “Detective? It’s after midnight.” DRAMA — It’s already that late? You must’ve woken him up. A bad start. YOU — “Uhh… sorry, I uh. Wasn’t looking at the clock. We can just talk tomorrow—“ KIM KITSURAGI — “You’re drunk.” COMPOSURE — Fuck. There’s nothing coming out of your mouth anymore. Another bad phone call. It takes everything in you not to cry. You do anyway.
KIM KITSURAGI — “Where are you?” YOU — You manage to croak out enough to say “Sunshine’s Hideaway. Bar on 12th street.” KIM KITSURAGI — He pauses a moment, thinking. “...I’ll be there in a few minutes.” ESPRIT DE CORPS — He’s thinking about the best route there. LOGIC — He doesn’t have his motor carriage right now. He’s going to have to walk it, and it’s cold out. YOU — “I… you don’t have to do that, I’ll just—“ KIM KITSURAGI — “Harrier, just shut up and park your ass somewhere warm until I get there.” AUTHORITY — He’s doing it! He’s doing the eyebrow thing but on the phone! I didn’t know he could do that! YOU — “Yessir.”
It probably takes about 15 minutes for him to arrive, though each minute feels like five. You feel like a child waiting for their parents to come pick them up at school. You’re pretty sure everyone is staring at you. You can’t really see through the blurry bokeh of your stupid tears. But you can just barely make out the door of the bar opening, followed by a silhouette marked by orange slipping through. Lieutenant Kitsuragi spots you after a moment, and you quickly try to wipe your eyes like you haven’t just been crying the whole time as he approaches. KIM KITSURAGI — You can hear him pull at the chair next to yours, calmly settling into place. “Hello, detective.”
YOU — You try to pull up some words, but you just find yourself nodding appreciatively as you try not to grimace. COMPOSURE — Somehow, the moment his eyes fall on you, you feel like someone just ripped the rug right out from under your feet. You slide down on your elbows, face pressing down onto the table in humiliation, locking your hands together on the back of your neck, like you’re trying to hide in a little tomb of your own arms.
KIM KITSURAGI — You hear the lieutenant take a deep breath and sigh. He unzips his jacket, stifling him in the warm interior of the bar. “That rough, huh?”
YOU — You don’t want to say anything, but your mouth opens before you can stop it. “I’m such an asshole, Kim. I keep fucking everything up, over and over, no matter how hard I try. I just. Keep falling back into my bullshit.” Your voice shakes as you get the words out. “Is this just as good as it’s gonna get at this point? Have I fucked up entirely too much, entirely too long, am I just… this constant trainwreck now and forever? How much of myself have I wasted away into nothing, doing this shit? Acting like a child. Acting like an animal. It feels sometimes like all I have is more downturns. More hurting people. More hurting myself. And I’m so, so fucking tired… and I don’t wanna do this anymore. If this is how it is, I don’t want to… be.” Your voice stops making any noise by the time you reach the end of that.
HALF-LIGHT — And then there’s silence. You know this silence. It’s the sound of someone deciding they’re sick of your shit. This is the moment he realizes he really, truly does not know you and you don’t know him. And he knows he has to get out of here, before you take him down with you, like you’ve done to so many others. EMPATHY — But then there’s a hard pat on your back. Thumping against a hollow drum, ringing through your electrified lungs. KIM KITSURAGI — “It’s okay, detective.” PERCEPTION — His voice is soft and careful.
KIM KITSURAGI — “Honestly, it’s astonishing you’ve held out this long. It’s barely been two months since Martinaise. Since the Whirling. Throughout my time in the RCM, I have seen many good officers break over less. I didn’t know you before March. I don’t really know what kind of officer you might’ve been before that. But who I am familiar with is the Lieutenant Double-Yefreitor Harrier Du Bois, the officer I met two months ago, who is probably the strangest man I’ve ever met, but he is also the most relentless, the most stubborn, the most annoying, and honestly, the most sincere man I’ve ever known to grace the RCM. He is a man who cares enough to find the time in his busy workload to help people he just met, whose troubles he sniffs out like a bloodhound, offering them the help that no one else would. No matter how trivial, or how complicated. I don’t know if this selflessness is something you picked up because you don’t know how to help yourself, but I do know there’s a real effort in there. There’s a real, true love for the people of Revachol. And I know how much this job takes out of people. You can’t turn every mistake around in just a few months. Probably not even a few years. But I think what matters is that you are trying, and I can see how much it hurts you to feel like you’ve failed in that. Please don’t think that tonight is a sign that you can’t do better. Tonight is a dam breaking in the expectations you’ve built up for yourself after staring down your own potential.”
PERCEPTION — Are you laughing? Or is that crying? INLAND EMPIRE — It feels like there are ghosts escaping your every breath. Like parts of you are desperately rushing to the surface, tearing through flesh and bone, clawing at a chance for freedom. The lieutenant’s arm still rests heavily on your back, the only anchor your spirit has left as it dissipates into vapor and rushes through the night.
VOLITION — You cry until there’s nothing left in you anymore.
YOU — After a little while, your voice finally returns. “Why are you so nice to me?” KIM KITSURAGI — He takes a long pause and leans back in his chair. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just stubborn too.” PERCEPTION — You turn to look at him as you finally untangle yourself from your chrysalis of arms, and he looks different somehow. You don’t know if it’s your eyes being sore as hell, or the dull ambiance of the hazy bar lights. Somehow, he looks so light. His bomber jacket is slightly pulled up by his folded arms behind his head, seeming to break the bulky illusion it usually projects over his slim torso. Like suddenly seeing a gap in a suit of armor. SUGGESTION — You should tickle him. ESPRIT DE CORPS — He will kill you in mere seconds if you do that.
KIM KITSURAGI — After a moment, he realizes you’re staring at him, then adjusts in his seat, leaning forward and settling his arms in front of him. “How are you feeling? Do you think you can walk?” YOU — “I uhh... probably. My leg doesn’t hurt as much right now.” KIM KITSURAGI — “Mm.” He mutters, getting up from his seat. “At least there is that small grace. How far is your place?” PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT — You’re pretty sure he’s offering to walk you back. You’re not a child, you can get home perfectly fine on your own, thank you. YOU — “Ten blocks.” COMPOSURE — You quickly try to rise to your feet, but it becomes immediately apparent that the floor has been replaced with a rickety old carousel, and you promptly lose your footing. REACTION SPEED — Before you can even attempt to figure out what is happening, you realize that Lieutenant Kitsuragi has wrapped one of his arms around your back. PERCEPTION — His grip is tight and you can feel the muscles tensing in his forearm against your back. Once again, its presence stabilizes you, a beacon for your twisting senses to converge upon. It takes a few moments for everything to slot back into the correct place. KIM KITSURAGI — “Are you sure you’re alright, detective?” DRAMA — His concern is quite sincere. YOU — “I just gotta sleep this off.” You say as you steady yourself back upright.
KIM KITSURAGI — “Let’s get going, then.” He nods to you as he zips up his jacket again, then stretches his right arm out behind your back. PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT — No, dude, fuck that shit, you’re sick of people propping you up because of your stupid leg, we can do this shit on our own! YOU — “Thanks.” You steady yourself against his arm and extend your left against his back as well. PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT — Hey, what! DRAMA — By now, the lieutenant knows when you’re just trying to bullshit and act like a tough guy. It’s time to drop the act, for now. He knows you need the help. You wouldn’t have called him if you didn’t.
CONCEPTUALIZATION — That’s all I got. The rest is just black. YOU — Ugghhhhhh damn it. Like Kim hasn’t seen enough of me making an ass of myself by now. EMPATHY — On the bright side, his mental image of you can probably only improve. Hopefully. Maybe. YOU — Whatever. What time is it? PERCEPTION — You look around for your alarm clock, and find it knocked onto the floor beside your bed. It says 9:53. YOU — Shit. Did I have work today? ESPRIT DE CORPS — No. Your hours have been temporarily reduced during your recovery period. YOU — Right. Okay. I should probably get up and do something about this headache.
You throw the blanket off of your body and gradually roll yourself out of bed, bones creaking with aches and pains, limping across the room and dodging various discarded clothes and shoes that litter the floor. You twist the doorknob and open your bedroom door, making your way across the living room, towards the bathroom.
REACTION SPEED — Wait! There’s someone… on the couch? PERCEPTION — A figure of a man lies on the couch, covered with an ugly patchwork blanket, still sleeping. Next to the couch, an orange bomber jacket rests. Wait… is that Kim? HALF-LIGHT — OH MY GOD, you’re half-naked, GET BACK IN YOUR ROOM AND PUT YOUR PANTS ON BEFORE YOU HUMILIATE YOURSELF. SAVOIR FAIRE — You quickly backpedal, trying not to make any noise, and press your door shut firmly, hoping that you weren’t noticed. YOU — Why is he here??? I thought he just walked me home? HALF-LIGHT — Stop thinking and get your damn armor on! VOLITION — Armor? We didn’t find any armor pants in Martinaise. DRAMA — He’s being metaphorical. You hurriedly stuff your legs into the closest pair of semi-clean trousers before peeking out the door again.
PERCEPTION — The lieutenant is still asleep on the couch. SAVOIR FAIRE — Alright, go time. You sneak through the living room and into the bathroom, carefully trying not to creak the medicine cabinet as you get yourself some painkillers. ELECTROCHEMISTRY — Down the whole bottle! Party time! VOLITION — No. We are not doing that.
After taking the recommended dose of painkillers, you peek out into the living room again. PERCEPTION — Lieutenant Kitsuragi is still resting quietly on your couch, lying on his back, tightly wrapped in the ugly spare blanket from your linen closet. You suddenly realize there’s something different about the living room… such as, there’s less garbage everywhere. EMPATHY — Did he clean the room up for you? Or maybe for himself?
You exit the bathroom and slowly cross the living room, stopping halfway through, looking at the lieutenant again. PERCEPTION — He looks peaceful, and his face relaxed and still. With his glasses off, you notice more of the shape of his brow and his tired eyes. His breathing is slow and measured, with quiet sighs. One of his arms dangles out from under the blanket, his hand just barely off the floor. His fingers are thin, bony, weathered from work, with little scars and blemishes that have mostly faded away.
SUGGESTION — Hold it.
YOU — What?
No one replies. You stare for a moment, feeling a tension in your chest. Curiosity snakes through your skin. You step closer towards the couch, then slowly crouch down, meeting the lieutenant’s eye level.
SUGGESTION — Hold it. Please.
You reach forward, and the lieutenant suddenly stirs.
KIM KITSURAGI — “Mmnh…” His eyes flutter open. “Oh, good morning detective.” YOU — “Uh, yeah. Good morning.” You casually withdraw your hand and rest it on your leg. “Why are you here…?” KIM KITSURAGI — “You don’t remember?” He asks with a hint of concern. YOU — “Well, mostly. I remember you helped me walk home, but after that, it’s fuzzy.” KIM KITSURAGI — “Ah, so just the normal amount of alcohol-induced forgetfulness.” The lieutenant nods at you, then sits up on the couch. He reaches for his glasses on the side table, then folds them open. “I decided to stay here on the couch, just in case...” He trails off. EMPATHY — To keep an eye on you. In case you started doing worse.
YOU — “...Thanks. I’m sorry for interrupting your night.” KIM KITSURAGI — “No need to apologize,” he says with a slight smile. “Honesty, I’m… glad you asked for help instead of isolating yourself. That would have been…” He pauses, looking for the correct words. “Not ideal. What time is it, anyway?” YOU — “Bit after 10.” KIM KITSURAGI — “Already that late? Good thing I’m not working today.”
YOU — “Sorry to make you clean up after me.” You say, glancing across the room. KIM KITSURAGI — “Well, no, it’s not your fault or anything. You didn’t expect company.” He seems a bit self-conscious suddenly, looking away. “I suppose it’s more like I don’t know how to leave a mess alone.” SUGGESTION — You’re not sure which mess he means—the apartment, or you. EMPATHY — It’s both. You feel a slight embarrassment tingling across the surface of your skin and decide to change the topic.
YOU — “You said you have the day off?” KIM KITSURAGI — “Yes, I have a few errands to run, part of some loose ends to clean up for my transfer to 41. But I can get those done any time during the day.” SUGGESTION — You should— YOU — “Do you wanna go get breakfast? I know a good place down the street.” You say it before you can even finish thinking. KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant sits quietly for a moment, adjusting his glasses. “Hmmm… sure, why the hell not. I’ve got some time to spare.” SUGGESTION — Jackpot! YOU — “I’m gonna go get dressed, you’re welcome to the bathroom if you need it.” KIM KITSURAGI — “Sounds good.”
You walk into your bedroom and shut the door behind you. 
CONCEPTUALIZATION — Time to get stylish! LOGIC — Not that stylish, it’s just breakfast. Don’t make it weird. INLAND EMPIRE — Hey, weird is our thing! YOU — I think I’m just gonna wear whatever’s clean and doesn’t smell repulsive. CONCEPTUALIZATION — Oh, sorry, didn’t know we were Boring Cop today.
After taking a quick glance at what’s available, you decide to just go with a simple, pastel gingham button-up and a fresh pair of jeans. Glancing at your coats, you grab a blue blazer with a checkered lining.
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT — Oh my god you look like a nerd. RHETORIC — No, he looks smart. Ready to have a battle of the wits. PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT — Yeah, like I said, A NERD!
You quietly ignore the high school bullying going on inside your head as you exit the room. Lieutenant Kitsuragi glances at you from next to the couch, in the middle of putting on his jacket.
KIM KITSURAGI — “No disco today?” He says with a slight smile. YOU — “All my disco’s due for the wash.” KIM KITSURAGI — He tugs at his collar and settles his jacket into place. “It’s almost odd to see you in something so… tame.” YOU — “I mean, I still got the jackets from Fuck the World and Piss F****t if you change your mind.” KIM KITSURAGI — “Somehow I doubt the waitstaff would be understanding of the artist’s statements at breakfast.” He lets out a small chuckle. EMPATHY — There’s a surprising softness in his response. KIM KITSURAGI — “I’m all set to go if you are.”
The two of you head out of your apartment and set out down the road, your destination just two blocks away. The streets of Jamrock are already lively with pedestrians and motor carriages milling about. Before long, you arrive at a staircase with a weathered, striped canopy hanging above, quietly announcing its presence with simple text saying “The Lazy Daisy”. You and the lieutenant head down the stairs and enter the little eatery, pushing past the door and being met with the sweet and salty smells of this morning’s meals. You wave to the waitress and take a seat at a little table in the corner.
KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant takes his seat across from you, his eyes studying the surroundings. “You know, I never noticed this place before.” YOU — “Yeah, it’s easy to miss amongst all the other businesses on this road.” KIM KITSURAGI — “But you remembered it?” YOU — “I think my feet did.”
WAITRESS — A cheerful, pudgy woman in her forties wearing a striped apron walks over to the table, little menu books in hand. “Good morning officers! Thanks for stopping by the Lazy Daisy today. Can I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?”
YOU — “You wanna get a pot of coffee, Kim?” KIM KITSURAGI — “Sure, that sounds fine.” WAITRESS — “Alright, I’ll give you a moment to look over the menu!”
You already know what you’re going to order: skillet hash with a side of toast. You watch the lieutenant look the menu over and find yourself wondering what he’ll order. YOU — “You seem like an Eggs Benedict kind of guy to me.” KIM KITSURAGI — “I was thinking about trying this malted waffle actually. It’s been a while since I had a good waffle.” He replies, not looking up from the menu. “But you are correct, I do enjoy a good Eggs Benedict.”
YOU — “Can’t go wrong with either one.” WAITRESS — The waitress returns, a full pot of coffee in one hand and two mugs in the other. She gently places the pot of coffee at the center of the little table and places the mugs down on either side. “Alright, so what can I get for you boys?” YOU — “I’ll go for the skillet hash with a side of dry toast. And the lieutenant here…” KIM KITSURAGI — “I’ll take a malted waffle with a side of bacon.” WAITRESS — “Sounds great! I’ll bring it out when it’s ready.”
You turn your attention to the coffee and partially fill both of the mugs, absent-mindedly adding a sugar cube and a little cup of half-and-half to yours and stirring, watching the color spread and blend. You look up and notice the lieutenant surveying the restaurant again.
KIM KITSURAGI — “Hmmm… yes, this place certainly seems your style.” YOU — “What, sad and old?” KIM KITSURAGI — He smiles slightly, but his brow betrays his discomfort. “No, I was thinking more along the lines of… eclectic, stubborn, lively.” He glances at the walls covered in various posters, art, and rock and roll memorabilia. YOU — “Disco.” KIM KITSURAGI — “Disco.” He nods affirmatively.
You absently stir your coffee and lift it to your mouth to take a sip, mulling over topics of conversation. RHETORIC — Go for a standard sort of icebreaker, what’s the latest with him, that sort of thing. ESPRIT DE CORPS — Let’s talk work. Trade some gritty case stories with him! INTERFACING — Maybe you could talk torque dork to torque dork? EMPATHY — Neither of you have motor carriages right now. That would just be a bummer. INLAND EMPIRE — Ask him to tell you a secret! AUTHORITY — That one never works.
YOU — “You just moved into your new place, right Kim? How is it?” KIM KITSURAGI — “Hmm, it’s not bad. I had to make a few concessions but… there’s a bit more floor space than my last place. I finally have a good space for a proper desk.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “Now the only trouble is getting a desk up three flights of stairs.”
YOU — “I can lend you a hand with that if you want. I have reason to suspect I may be a former gym teacher.” PERCEPTION — You can’t really hear it, but judging by the steam rolling away from the mug at his lips, you can tell the lieutenant let a light chuckle out through his nose before taking another sip of coffee.
KIM KITSURAGI — “Maybe I’ll take you up on that when I find something suitable.” RHETORIC — Great job! Look at you! You’re so good at talking like a normal person!
KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant casually withdraws his notebook from his jacket and starts perusing it while he slowly sips his coffee. YOU — “Hey, no working until we’ve had breakfast.” KIM KITSURAGI — He barely moves, glancing upwards at you and cocking an eyebrow. AUTHORITY — It’s fine, that brow is only operating at about 25% capacity. You got this. YOU — “Take a break, lieutenant.” You place your hand on top of his, gently encouraging him to lower the notebook onto the table. He nonchalantly relents, quickly withdrawing his hand and tucking it under his other arm, which rests casually on the table. His glance wanders away from you and out towards the windows. EMPATHY — It’s hard to tell if he’s annoyed or just playing up indifference. Perhaps you shouldn’t have grabbed his hand like that.
You take a moment to look around the restaurant, passively taking in the surroundings that feel intensely familiar to your instincts, but strangely recent to the rest of you. It’s a weird feeling, one you’ve been experiencing just about everywhere you go in Jamrock. Places that you know but have never seen. Drifting shadows of the person you once were, and still are, half-buried in a haze. Your head fluctuates in the pressure, a mix of pristine images just out of reach and faint illusions gripped tightly in your palm.
KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant’s low voice suddenly pulls you back to reality. “Everything alright, detective?” INLAND EMPIRE — There is a hole in my brain. YOU — “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about the usual.” You pause, contemplating your next words. “Grinding the bourgeoisie into sausage for the proletariat and whatnot,” you lie. KIM KITSURAGI — “Ah, so nice of you to join us, Comrade Mazov.” YOU — You quickly bust out your trusty finger guns and fire off two shots, clicking your tongue as you snap your fingers. KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant is unphased by your reckless discharge of live rounds that undoubtedly rain chaos upon the once peaceful restaurant. DRAMA — C’mon, he probably thinks it’s at least a little cool. EMPATHY — It’s not, man.
RHETORIC — Let’s get back to the list. What else can we talk about? YOU — “Tell me a secret about yourself.” KIM KITSURAGI — He sighs. “This again?” YOU — “You know it.” KIM KITSURAGI — He pauses for a moment. “No.” YOU — “Aww, come on.” KIM KITSURAGI — He raises one eyebrow. AUTHORITY — Oh god, we have full capacity brow-raising. I repeat, full capacity!
KIM KITSURAGI — His brow lowers slightly, offering a challenge. “You’re terrible at keeping secrets. Maybe if you can think of a single piece of personal trivia you haven’t already divulged entirely unprompted to any random passerby, we can come back to this topic.” ESPRIT DE CORPS — He does not believe that his terms can be met. He is secure in that. SUGGESTION — Challenge accepted! YOU — “Deal.” DRAMA — You’re gonna need to work on this for like, at least 8 hours probably. Maybe more like 20.
WAITRESS — The same woman reappears with a tray in hand, radiating the unmistakable smell of hot, fresh breakfast. “Here you are, sirs!” She gently slides the plates in front of each of you. “Let me know if there’s anything else you need! Enjoy your food!” PERCEPTION — You notice the name on her apron: Denice. YOU — “Thanks, Denice.” WAITRESS — She offers a polite smile before leaving.
You immediately start digging in, shoveling the mixed bits of potato, egg, bacon, and cheese into your mouth, savoring the salt and fat of a hearty breakfast. It’s your favorite meal, but you don’t always have the time or energy to get anything decent most mornings.
SUGGESTION — Hey, I just had a great idea! Offer Kim some of this shit. YOU — You finish the bite you have in your mouth quickly. “Hey, Kim, you wanna try some of mine?” KIM KITSURAGI — He blinks. “No, thank you. I’ve got plenty here.” He looks down at the colossal waffle on his plate, barely dented. YOU — “Yeah but this is like, stupid good. I’ll even let you have some egg yolk.” KIM KITSURAGI — “Very generous of you.” He smirks, then studies your plate for a moment. “Hm… sure, why not.”
You slide your plate a bit closer to him. He holds his fork up, surveying for the ideal sample size. Then, he strikes, claiming an entire egg for himself.
YOU — “Woooow.” You feign offence. KIM KITSURAGI — “Sorry, detective. I’ll need to confiscate this. I believe it may be connected to a case I’m working on.” He tries to keep a straight face but the corner of his mouth is slightly turned upwards. In seconds, he files the evidence into his mouth and promptly destroys it.
YOU — “Can’t believe the corruption I am witnessing here.” In a counter-attack, you jab your fork into one of the untouched corners of the lieutenant’s waffle. KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant stabs his knife down across from your fork, as if ready to engage in combat. He stares you down, brows furrowed with the illusion of authority. “Detective, I would tread carefully if I were you. You have entered enemy territory, and I have the high ground.”
PERCEPTION — You can feel your face turning red in the heat of the incredibly stupid breakfast battle you have entered. AUTHORITY — Do it! Let loose the dogs of war! Get that fucking waffle! KIM KITSURAGI — The lieutenant narrows his eyes at you, his concentration unwavering. The authority levels are building in his brow. They are charged to 50% capacity. DRAMA — I have an idea, sire.
YOU — You relax back in your seat, looking behind Kim. “Oh, hey Captain Pryce, here to enjoy the best breakfast in Central Jamrock?” KIM KITSURAGI — He quickly turns his head to look behind him. SAVOIR FAIRE — In an instant, you slice a corner of the waffle free from Kim’s plate, casually sliding it onto yours. KIM KITSURAGI — Realizing the feint, he snaps his attention back to you, glaring.
YOU — You pull your plate back, then pick up your mug, gesturing towards the lieutenant with a slight smirk. “Truce?” KIM KITSURAGI — Studying you for a moment, he reluctantly picks up his mug and clinks it against yours. “For now.”
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fairlyspnfanfic · 3 years
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The Ties That Bind Us - Part 5
Summary: When your past comes back to haunt you, who will prevail?  Hunting had been your life since your were 4 years old.  The monsters that started you on that path were resurfacing, and you knew what you had to do.  But nothing is ever truly secret, and nothing is ever that cut and dry with the Winchester’s in tow.
A/N: This is a new one that is coming from a few requests.  I’m not going to post the actual requests because…well because it would spoil the story line and I’m pretty into this one.
Words: 2328
Warnings: Trauma, medical terminology, stress, hospital waiting room
PART ONE  PART TWO  PART THREE PART FOUR
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My toes had been resting in the sand, fully submerged in the ocean saltwater, for hours. The chair I lounged in had sunk to the point that my seat was resting on the sand and was just beginning to cover the side rails. I could feel the warming rays of the sun on my skin, and I basked in the comfort of my parents sitting on either side of me.  
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees and lazily dragging my fingertips over the surface of the water. I planted my feet and began pushing myself up to a standing position. Having been sitting so close to the ground, it took no shortage of effort to get myself upright.  
“So, what’s it gonna be, baby girl?” My father questioned me from his seat in the sand. Running my hands through my salt-air blown hair, I took a deep breath.  
“I don’t know.”  Looking out over the water, I crossed my arms over myself, hugging my elbows. I looked over at my mother, her ever-smiling face looking up at me.  
“They’ll be here before you know it,” she said soothingly. I scrunched my eyebrows together quizzically, confused once more. “The boys. The Winchester’s.”  Her answer was matter of fact. I hadn’t considered them, having been too elated to immerse myself in the bubble of happiness and relief that was my family being given back to me.  
“Dean,” I whispered, drawing my eyes back out to the water as the pit of my stomach dropped out.  
I heard my father chuckling behind me. “That boy’s a good nut. A little marred on the outside, mind you, and completely oblivious at that. But he’s a good nut.”  My arms loosened and I felt my shoulders relax as I allowed myself a laugh.  
“He really is.”  My words were tinged with a hint of sadness. I could picture his face. The panic that was etched into it, his wide green eyes staring at me, pleadingly, assuring me that I was going to be fine. 
“Hummingbird,” my mother’s voice pulled me from my thoughts of him. “I’ve known you for your entire life. From the first fluttering of your feet in my belly, and every second since. I’ve seen you grow into this beautiful woman, inside and out. But honey,” she paused briefly, taking a breath. “I’ve never seen you as happy as you are when you’re with that boy.”   
Her kind eyes seemed to be able to see right through me and directly into my heart, if not my soul.  
“But mom,” I whined. “I just got you back.” She reached out and held her hand open, gesturing for mine. I placed my hand gingerly into hers, feeling the prickling of tears coming to my eyes.  
“I know, Y/N. I know. But you’ll never lose us.”  She looked over at my father, her smile growing. “We’re always with you. And we’ll be here whenever you’re ready.”   
I knelt into the wet sand in front of her, the waves lapping at my legs as my jeans quickly soaked through. “What if I want to stay?”  
“Then you stay. But it’s up to you, baby girl,” my father answered nonchalantly.  
“I think I’ll just go for a walk. Clear my head a little, okay?”   
They both nodded back to me in response, as I began walking down the beach, my bare feet pressing into the sand with every step.  
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“Trap a reaper?  Dean, are you insane?”  Sam was yelling, his voice full of incredulity.  
Dean gave no answer, just stared at his brother expectantly.  
“No, Dean, this is crazy. We aren’t doing this!”   
Dean stepped quickly over to his brother, gathering the front of his shirt in his fists as he pushed Sam against the wall behind him violently.  
“Insane?” Dean’s voice was shaky and manic. “This is what we do, Sam!”   
“No,” Sam responded calmly. “It’s what we’ve always done, and it never ends well.”  He kept an even keel, ignoring the rage and sadness that were circling within him. He understood his brother’s actions but didn’t want to encourage them if he could help it.  
“It ends with our family together, Sam. That’s all that matters here!”  Dean’s fingers relaxed as he released his grip on Sam’s shirt and took a step back.  
Sam’s face dropped. “Y/N wouldn’t want this, and you know it.” 
“Well, she’s not here, is she?”  Dean’s yelling attracted the attention of the nurse that had been sitting at the computer at her station. She looked up at them with judgmental eyes. “Sir!” Her voice rang out with authority.  
“Sorry,” Dean answered, calming his voice down slightly but not breaking his eye contact with Sam.  
They stared at each other, neither willing to back down. “I’ll do it alone,” Dean stated softly. He grabbed the bag that he had set down on the chairs and stormed down the hall. Ducking into the first bathroom that he could find, he closed the door behind him, quickly throwing the lock.  
It didn’t take him long to get everything set up. Trap symbol painted, crucifix in the bottom of the mortar, ore, hemlock, what else?  What am I missing?  Dean went through the recipe in his head making sure he had everything just right. Finally, he dragged the blade of his pocketknife across his left palm, letting his blood begin to drip into the concoction as he threw a lit match down into it.  
“O theris tes, caleo se cai deo.”  He chanted the incantation and held his breath, praying that he’d done everything correctly.  
“Really, Winchester?  You’re summoning us into a washroom now?”  The reaper who Dean recognized as Jessica was indignant. “What is it this time?”  She threw her hands up in the air, disgusted, and attempted to walk away from him. Her foot faltered, hitting the edge of the symbol he had painted on the floor.  
“You have got to be kidding me!” Her irritation was tangible.  
“Not quite,” Dean answered with just a hint of casual jest. “I need your help.” 
“You usually do.”  Jessica was full of indignation. “What is it this time?  Running from some big bad?  Need to take a stroll through the land of the dead?  What could it possibly be now?”  Her anger was blazing, and though he would never admit it, Dean found himself intimidated by the reaper.  
“Y/N,” Dean said by way of explanation. But the reaper gave no response, simply shrugged her shoulder and lifted her palms to the ceiling.  
“What about her?”   
“I need you to bring her back. Work a miracle, pull her back from hell, I don’t care.”  He swallowed, his throat closing with pent up emotion. “Whatever it takes to bring her back. Just do it.” 
“There’s always a price, Dean.”  Her amusement was clear, both in her speech and body language, as she was now standing with one foot to the side, propping her right hip higher than the other as she stroked her chin.  
“Name it. I’ll pay it.”  His caramel-apple eyes began to tear as he struggled to hold them back. 
“Oh Dean, Dean, Dean. Always so willing to die for those you love.”  Jessica smiled, a devilishly delighted grin.  
“We have a deal or not?”  His gravelly voice enunciated his seriousness.  
“I haven’t even told you what I would require,” she droned. “Have some patience,” she spat at him in staccato as her grim smile quickly fell into a severe and intense glare.  
“I told you to name it, I don’t care. Just tell me what you want!”  
She hesitated, lightly pacing across the two or three feet that she had been granted. Suddenly, she stopped in the center of the mark, her head snapping up to Dean and that same devilish grin slowly drawing itself across her face.  
“What?”  Dean’s demand was loud, hoping to show her the urgency of the matter.  
“Nothing,” she said, succinctly and sweetly, her arms crossed in front of her.  
“Nothing?  You’re saying you want nothing in return?  What’s the catch?”  
“Call it a get out of jail free card, Dean.” 
He looked at her incredulously. “I don’t get it, why would you do it for nothing?” 
“Because you, Dean Winchester, will be in my debt. And I will hold that debt until it is paid in full. You can count on it. But for now,” She held her hands up, opening up her fingers as if demonstrating their emptiness. “For now, I want nothing. But you will come when I call,” she looked down at the trap before making eye contact with him again. “And I will call.”   
Dean paused, considering the offer and turning it over in his mind. “Done.”   
There was a knock at the door, startling Dean momentarily. “In a minute,” he yelled, waving the would-be-intruder off.  
“We have a deal, then?”  
Dean nodded in response, leaning down and scraping away the edge of the painted symbol. By the time he stood back up, Jessica was gone. He could only hope she would make good on it.  
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I walked down the beach, enjoying the feel of the warm sand between my toes and the water lapping at my feet. But internally, my mind raced. Getting my parents back was life changing. Or I guess, afterlife changing. I hadn’t seen then in decades, and yet being with them felt so natural. As if no time had passed at all. Each time my mother called me Hummingbird, the nickname I’d had since I was just kicking her bladder around in-utero, my heart soared. Each grunt or chuckle from my father sent delight through me. And yet, I felt as though I was in an impossible situation.  
The Winchester’s were there. Undoubtedly working through the job, or on their way to another. Could I leave them?  Could I really be truly happy knowing that I may never see them again?  May never see Dean again? The thought brought a sob from my mouth as I moved my hand up, running my fingers over my mouth.  
A seagull flew past me, cawing as it went, drawing my attention back behind me. I had walked farther than I had realized.  I could just make out my parents as they sat in their chairs, their silhouettes small and distant. Taking a moment, I faced the ocean again, feeling the slow drag as my feet sank into the sand more with each caress of the water. I could remember my mother taking me to beaches as a child. We would both sink, giggling at the loud smacking sounds that were created when we pulled our feet out.  
Smiling to myself, I looked back over towards my family and began walking again. But out of seemingly nowhere, my path was impeded by a person. A woman with long red hair and defined cheekbones stared at me, her face unreadable, wearing a long black trench coat.  
“Let’s go,” she said, matter-of-factly as she pulled her black gloves off her hands, one finger at a time.  
“What?”  I shook my head, confused.  
Her deep sigh did nothing to endear her to you, let alone to explain who she was. “You’re not the easiest soul to find up here, ya know. It took no shortage of effort on my part. Effort I should not be extending to begin with.”  Both of her gloves were off now, as she looked me in the eyes, unblinking but the corners of her mouth seemed to draw up, as though she wanted to smile but thought better of it.  
“Who are you?”  
“I’m Jessica.”   
I waited for an explanation that clearly was not coming voluntarily. “Jessica who?” 
“Y/N, we really don’t have time for this.”  She sighed through her sentence, obviously irritated.  
“Maybe you don’t, but I have all the time in the world apparently.”  My aversion to authority had kicked in and being pushed around by a stuck-up stranger did not bode well for it ending anytime soon.  
“Jessica. Reaper. Here to whisk you back to the land of the living as instructed.”  She rolled her eyes, clearly resentful.  
“Instructed by whom?”  She looked at me blankly, as if to tell me that my question as asinine.  
“He didn’t.”  My eyes were wide and felt as though they might burst out of my sockets.  
“Like I said,” she began. “We don’t have much time. It’s now or never, kid.”  
My eyes drifted over to my parents, my heart feeling as though it would break, as I felt Jessica’s cold hard fingertip press against my forehead and my vision went black. 
To be continued….
Part Six
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queenmuzz · 3 years
Text
Mors aurem vellens, 'Vivite,' ait, 'venio'  Chapter III
Firstfruit Offering
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The sun shone in your eyes, causing you to flinch.  How long had you slept?  Of course, you’d had a long trip, and your body didn’t have the stamina it used to, but surely you wouldn’t be so negligent as to sleep until mid morning?  But the way the shadows caused by the pillars stretched out on the marble, you had definitely overslept. Using your staff, you almost ran into the inner sanctum, terrified that you had the sacred fire die out.  From your interactions last night, you were almost certain that Vergil was not the type of God to have his rites besmirched.   What a dishonour it would be, to be slain for blasphemy on your first day as Temple Priestess!
Thankfully, the flames still flickered, albeit weakly, eating the last of the log, the embers now almost ash.  
So you gingerly placed another log from your small stash, as to not smother the little flame.  You cautiously began to blow at the base of the charred log, only stopping when the flames began to lick and scorch at the new logs shreds, kindling into a new flame.  With a sigh of relief, you slowly got back up.  In the light of mid morning, the temple, while eerily silent, was less foreboding than last evening, and the whistling wind seemed less strange. 
Even the presence of Vergil, unseen, but ever present was much less terrifying.  You could feel him, watching your every move, but not as overwhelming and less judgemental as last night, you still felt him as you walked back to your messy bedroll.  After all, he could have just struck you down for sleeping in, for almost losing the fire, he was well within his rights as God within his Temple.  But he just remained silent as his shrine statue.
You arrived back to your modest sleeping area, and as you rolled up your bundle, you noticed something. There, sitting at the foot of the bed was a bundle of brown fur. Upon closer inspection showed that there was one...no two...rabbits laying dead.  For a brief moment, you panicked, you had heard of feuding families leaving dead animals in the beds of their enemies as a warning.  But these ones seemed placed at the foot of the bed, and not where you would have noticed them upon waking.  And the way they were positioned, they kind of reminded you of when the barn cats would present dead mice to you and your siblings, as some sort of ‘gift’. Had Vergil given them to you as a ‘welcome present?’ You had to stifle an inward snicker at the mental image of the God carrying the pair of rabbits in his mouth before dropping it at your feet, and you hoped that he didn’t have the ability to read minds.  But, even though you still felt like you were being watched, there was no change in the intensity, and so you relaxed, and allowed yourself to utter out a soft ‘Thank you’ into the still air.  There was a shimmer in the light, the roots of the giant plant seemed to shift slightly, but then, all was silent.  You picked both of the rabbits up, and a knife contemplating on what to do with them.  Skinning them would be the first step of course, but what then?  Roasting them sounded delicious, but you had no time to turn a spit, undoubtedly today would be busy.  But perhaps...a stew?  You had a turnip, and some wild herbs that you’d picked up on your travels.  Unfortunately, a stew was not a stew worth eating without some bread to soak up the juices, and you were practically down to crusts of  bread so stale, that not even an ocean of stew would soften them up....
“Hello?!”  A voice rang out, startling you out of your thoughts.  You placed your knife down and followed the voice.  From what you had heard, no one ever came here, the entire countryside thought  land was cursed, and the temple shouldn’t have any visitors.  Still, it would be rude as Temple Priestess to not greet the person, even if they were lost.
“Hello? Anyone here?” The voice repeated, more louder, and it came from the common area.   Strange, you swore you could smell freshly baked bread.
Ah, there the visitor, a plump, auburn haired woman with a ruddy complexion, dressed in a simple peasant’s dress, carrying a basket, looking around slightly worriedly, and muttering to herself. 
“I do hope nothing bad happened to her, if something did….Enrico, I’m going to...” she growled, but whatever her threat was cut off by your appearance.
“AH!  There you are! When I heard that my Dear'' the faux deference dripped through, “husband left you all by your lonesome here, at NIGHT of all times, without inviting you to spend the night at our farm place, I was THIS close,” she pinched the fingers of her free hand together, almost touching, “to making him sleep with the pigs.  Damn fool…”  she brushed the hair away from her face, and looked around.  “So, I told him that I was going to come here this morning, and that he either come along, or be in charge of all the chores.” She chuckled, “Guess which he picked? He’s so superstitious, he’d rather have to milk the cows, feed the chickens, AND look after our little son than set foot here.  Anyways,” she smiled and gave a curtsy, “I’m Cecilia Elesion, wife of the lovable idiot, Enrico.  And I figured to myself, ‘that poor girl is all by herself, a newcomer, with no one lookin’ out for herself, so I’m gonna take a look out for her.’  Rico begged me not to go, but I insisted.  It’s ‘bout time someone took care of this Temple, it’s been abandoned for ages.” She took a look around, her eyes trailing the roots that wound themselves the pillars. “Ah, yes...I suppose you could call this a ‘Welcome to your new home’ gift.  I made em’ meself!”  She handed you the basket, and the gingham sheet that covered slipped off, revealing several loaves of freshly baked bread, some even designed in a braided pattern.  This wasn’t the leftover scraps of a farm wife's dough, these were the first loaves.  Cecelia was obviously sincere in her devotion.  
“Thank you!” you breathed in the scent as you took the basket.  After months of bread hard enough to crack teeth, warm fresh bread was glorious.  It would make a fantastic addition to the rabbit stew you had planned.  It would be  your first proper meal since you had left your home village.  For an instant, you felt a bit homesick, memories of your mother’s hearty stew.  You grasped her hand in thanks, trying to invoke a blessing, but a familiar chill trickled up your spine, and you felt a whisper in the shell of your ear.
“Ah….it appears she has been blessed by my Mother….” Vergil’s voice nearly startled you, unexpected as it was.  He’d been so content to lurk in the background, that you’d momentarily forgotten about his presence.  You paused for a moment, a frown on your face as you tried to decipher what he said.  Eva’s blessing… AHA!  The generous woman in front of you was with child, even if she didn’t show it, perhaps she didn’t even know it.
“Is something wrong?” Cecelia asked, misinterpreting your frown for a concern.  You hesitated, not knowing how to go around such a delicate subject.  As a child, you remember your mother slapping a man when he asked her when she was expecting, even when she wasn’t pregnant.  Should  you even mention it?  You decided, you  had been given a message from a God, it wouldn’t do to not relay it.
“I am just a little concerned with you going through all this effort, carrying all this load while expecting.”  After all, a pregnant woman shouldn’t exert herself too much.  She should be informed of her condition, in order to prepare herself.
Cecelia’s reaction was unexpected.  She turned pale, and a tinge of fear passed over her face. “You...you could tell?”
Ah, so she already knew.
“Well, I was told,” you admitted, glancing at the statue.  Strange, she should be happy, excited for a new addition to the family, not looking like she was about to burst out in tears.
“No one knows yet, not even Enrico.” she confessed, a sheen of sweat coming over her forehead.  You quickly leant your arm to help her down to the floor. “We’ve tried so hard after our only son, so many losses, that this time… this time I couldn’t bear to  let him know, I didn’t want to get his hopes up once again, only for them to come crashing down.  Our little Credo...he was our miracle child...I had resigned myself to focusing on just him.”  She looked at you, dawning horror on her face.  “He told you?  Does that mean…?”  She couldn’t speak further, the poor woman looked like she was going to pass out.
The whisper came again, without a hint of deception, “I have no claims on her unborn child nor her, not for many years, my Mother shall guide her through both their journeys.”  His words, while spoken firmly and without empathy, were a relief to you.  
Oh, so this was going to be  a Priestess’s job?  You’d always assumed that it would be a rather insular job, tending to the hearth, offering prayers, not relaying messages like the more outgoing Gods’ priests.  You knelt down towards the trembling woman, speaking as soothingly as possible. “It’s alright...He has spoken to me, and he says that you and your child are safe.”  
The woman scanned your face, trying to find out if  you were truly speaking the truth, or just speaking false words of comfort, before the impact of what you had said hit her.
“You’re...you’re certain?”  
You nodded, inwardly relieved as the ruddiness returned to her cheeks.  What you didn’t expect was her hugging you.
“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!”  You swore you could hear your ribs cracking, “A thousand blessings upon you.  You have no idea how much both of us have been praying to Mother Eva for another child, we were almost planning on making a Pilgrimage to Fortuna.  But if you and Him say…”  she looked to you for one last confirmation, and smiled brightly.  “Rico will be delighted when I tell him.  And to think…” her old grin came back, “he’d rather clean up chicken droppings than set foot in this place.”  She looked down at the basket, momentarily forgotten, “this is poor payment, but is there anything, ANYTHING you need that our family can provide, we can do it.”
“Well,” you thought.  In truth, the fact the Temple was located on lifeless ground, meant you were without much sustenance, so maybe… “Wood for the sacred hearth.  I need a supply to keep the flame burning.”
“Say no more,” Cecilia assured you as she got back onto her feet, “you will lack for nothing. We’re just poor humble farmers, but we can provide you and Him the essentials.  Whatever you need!” 
She gave a curtsy to you, paused before the statue, and clasped her hands to speak a short silent prayer.  For a brief moment, you swore you saw the roots quiver, but when tried to take a closer look, they were still.  But something in the air was different, other than the smell of bread, there was a vibration, a smell of fresh earth, but then it was sucked up, like water to a dry sponge.
And with that the woman left, a spring to her step, so out of place in such a dour looking place.
*******
Vergil watched as the little plump woman hurried out, singing a merry tune.  Mortals got far too excited over small things.  While he spoke the truth,  that for now, he had no claims on her or her child, in a short amount of his time, he would claim one, then the other.  That went for everyone, none could escape his reach.  Perhaps that’s why people were afraid of him, that they would attempt to avoid his inevitable arrival to end their pitiful lives.  But this was strange.  That woman had… thanked him?  To him, a God of Death, be given thanks felt...fulfilling.  A surge of energy, more potent than life blood coursed through him, and the Qliphoth’s roots seemed to twitch in response.  
“Well, that was kind of you.”  His sense of puzzlement was dissipated as the voice of his Priestess, who was watching the woman’s receding form. 
He stood beside her, still invisible and scoffed, “She provided an offering, I felt it would be poor form to let her leave without being compensated.” “But you didn’t have to do that.  You made her so happy!” she placed her hands together, “If you did that more often, perhaps more people would visit your temple!”
“And what makes you think I want people to ‘visit’?”
“Well…” she stroked her chin, “I assumed you would be lonely all by yourself here.  After all, that’s what temples and shrines are for, right?  To be a meeting point for both mortals and Deities.  Us mortals give you offerings and our prayers, and you give us advice, prophecies  and sometimes intercede on our behalf.”
She looked outside.  “Where I come from, in the wild forests…packs of monkeys and herds of  deer travel together.  The deer, with their keen noses, lead the monkeys to fresh vegetation with nuts and fruits, and the monkeys, sitting high above the trees, have a good view of the surrounding area and can alert the deer when a tiger is prowling downwind of the herd.  A relationship in which both benefit.”
Vergil was annoyed by her simple observation. “I need none of that.” “Well, you’re the only God I know who doesn’t appreciate or encourage worship.  Lady Trish has people flocking to her for her for rain-bringing storms, Lord Dante practically has entire battalions marching through his temples, praying for victory.  Even poets and writers make the pilgrimage from miles to beg the gift of inspiration from Lord V-”
“DO NOT SPEAK THAT NAME!”
The roots of the Qliphoth rippled with energy, and he had to control them from jerking.  Just the mention of that cursed name brought back memories that he could not bear. In response to his rage the roots demanded blood, lifeforce, something to sate their ever ravenous hunger.  And they sensed the Priestess, standing there, so weak and vulnerable.  Easy prey.
“I’m sorry,” she spoke apologetically, but refreshingly not with overly emotional supplication.  Just her calm voice, startled at his outburst but without the expected fear, was enough to let his rage subside.  She stood there, unaware how close she was to death, her eyes staring through him.  She still couldn’t see him, of course, he would not allow it, but her steady and firm stance was  unafraid of his wrath.  Perhaps her expecting death in such a short time left her without fear.  
No, he ordered them to stand down, and they reluctantly complied, she has no idea of what she speaks of, he thought, and besides...she still has more use to me alive than dead...for now.
Still, his rage hadn’t truly subsided…did he really need her, another priest that would eventually stab him in the back? “I need no one.” He hissed, his voice sizzled through the temple like a winter’s wind.  “I need no worshippers….I need no priestess.”
And without allowing her to respond, he left, not even looking back.  She would no doubt leave after his outburst...any sane person would.   He was fine with that.
He did not need her.
He did not need anyone.
All He needed was power.
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thiswasinevitableid · 3 years
Note
for mermay, 24 indruck nsfw?
Here you go! 24 was Lighthouse, and I made it a continuation of this space mermay fill. NOTE: this fill contains oviposition.
Communication Log between Lieutenant of the Amnesty and Chief Astrobotantist Duck Newton.
Joseph: Storm is forecasted to last four days at least. We won’t be able to land on Atlantia to pick you up until it passes.
Duck: Roger that. We should be fine here; ‘Drid says the storms are dangerous for spacecrafts and travel but not for buildings. I’ll keep testing the specimens we found in the meantime.
Joseph: if it gets too dangerous, let us know and we’ll try to get an emergency retrieval ship to you.
Duck: Will do. Duck out.
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Atlantia, one of the four moons of the planet Oceana, is off limits to most. It’s home to precious minerals that the residents of the moon Aquaria have been known to go to war over, fighting to see who controls the territory in which the substance resides. To avoid these conflicts, the whole moon was declared a public resource, and all but the native Atlantians must acquire elaborate permits to visit. Outsiders are practically forbidden.
Unless said outsider is married to one of the most valuable individuals in the whole lunar system and said individual is suddenly very willing to throw his weight around for the sake of his beloved’s research.
Indrid’s negotiations were only able to secure permission for him and Duck, not the rest of the Amnesty, and so Duck spent the better part of two weeks scouring the plant life and trying to discern if the mineral make-up of the soil produced plants more likely to contain the curative properties he’s searching for. When the storm picked up, rendering the surface of the moon unsafe, Indrid apologized profusely for not foreseeing the change in the futures. Duck pointed out that it was sudden enough that the two of them had already arrived at the pick-up spot before the storm turned violent.
Of places to be sheltering during a storm, an Oceanic Beacon is at once an excellent and terrifying choice. It’s a combination of a lighthouse and landing strip, alerting travelers to the presence of land and the location to dock their craft. Because light from the beacon has to reach a massive distance into the sky and across the waves, the building lives beneath a dome of specially engineered, see-through glass. A storm has never so much as cracked one. But it means that Duck has a perfect view of the gigantic waves washing over them which, while awe-inspiring, makes his lizard brain certain he’s about to drown.
So he spends most of his time in the terrestrial rooms researching to keep his mind off the weather. Except for when Indrid swims up from the heavily fortified subaquatic portion of the lighthouse to visit him. Then he devotes every last bit of his energy to his husband. Most of the Aquariads he meets are shocked to discover he’s not only happy to be married to the eerie, formidable seer, but that he actively misses him when he’s out on his missions.
“The others are not too worried I hope?” Indrid swims to him as he comes down the stairs from the communication pad.
“Nope.” Duck pulls off the top of his uniform, “once you knew we had food to last over a month if we had to, I got a hell of a lot calmer too.” He drops into the pool, water carrying a hint of heat, as Indrid curls the celestial expanse of his tail around his waist. Duck is a strong swimmer, but Indrid’s ability to carry him to and fro without getting so much as winded makes him want to feign helplessness and spend his days in those undulating scales.
“In that case, sweet one, care to join me for a swim before dinner?”
Duck smiles, “You know it, sugar” and draws the alien in for a kiss as the lights of the beacon make gemstones of the salt spray on the glass.
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Two days down, two to go, and Indrid wishes he could enjoy their little impromptu second honeymoon to it’s fullest (he’d taken Duck on a proper one his first visit back after joining the others on their expedition). His body has other plans; it seems to have caught on to the fact his partner keeps coming and going, and that if he wishes to have offspring with said partner, he needs to be ready (never mind that he and Duck cannot have offspring through any sort of biological means). So when Duck’s scent fills his nose and his laugh floods his ears, his body decides to fill his ovipositor.
Thus, he’s spent the last three days increasingly uncomfortable, the weight noticeable in his abdomen. His initial plan was to excuse himself early in the evening when they got home and masturbate until they were all released. But the beacon, while spacious, has very few rooms closed off, and the water is so clear that there are a high number of futures in which Duck catches him in the act.
Which is why, as the human sleeps a very safe distance from the edge of the pool (“‘Drid, if I fall in the worse that’ll happen is I get a hell of a wake up call” “yes but I cannot bear even the slightest risk of you drowning”), Indrid is squirming in an attempt to get comfortable. He doesn’t even realize he’s chirping in frustration until Duck murmurs his name.
“It, it is nothing sweet one, go back to sleep.”
“Darlin, your spots are goin’ green.” Duck indicates the flickers of sickly chartreuse in the water, “you feelin sick?”
“No. Or, ah, not in the sense you are thinkingoh, ohhh” he sighs, rubbing his face against Duck’s palm as the human gauges whether he’s feverish, “but I am achy and restless.”
“And hot, christ ‘Drid, there are med supplies here right? I mean, I got some in my bag, but they’re for humans-”
“I am not sick. It’s this” He rolls onto his back so Duck can see his cock straining to emerge.
“Sugar, you know you can ask for help with that any time.” Duck’s smile is sweet sin.
“No, it’s” Indrid whines as the tip emerges, the bulge of the first egg painfully obvious.
“Oh. Huh. Kinda figured you weren’t due for that again for a year or so. Not sure why; guess I just assumed Aquariads had a matin season.”
“Unfortunately it can happen quite often. If, if you do not mind, I will excuse myself and deal with it. It’s to the point where the eggs need to come out sooner rather than later.”
“Sure. Or, uh, if you want, I could, uh, help you out?”
--------------------------------------------------------------
The widening of Indrid’s eyes and the shock of orange that travels up his tail and fin suggests Duck has just done something remarkable.
“Surprise you, sugar?” He tucks a strand of silver hair the behind the aliens fanned out ear.
“Yes. There, there were no futures where you offered, why in the name of the deep did you?” His colors have turned nervous, but Duck spots occasional bursts of desire.
“Because” He sits up, patting his lap so his husband will rest his head in it and let Duck rub the knots in his neck, “you’re my ‘Drid; I wanna help you out, make you feel good too. And uh, I gotta admit, I been a little curious about it. Plus that holo-porn compendium you sent me while I was gone time before involved it a lot and it seems like it could be fun.”
“So you did watch it” Indrid looks up, grinning.
“Course I did. Gotta learn how to please my Aquariad husband.” He teases, kissing Indrid’s forehead.
“You need no help in that area whatsoever. I could not ask for a finer husband, human or otherwise.” Indrid kisses Duck’s belly through his thin shirt, then pauses, “you are not offering this out of a feeling of obligation, right?”
“Right. I want to do this with you, ‘Drid. Cross my heart.”
Red eyes skate up to his face, “In that case, disrobe and get in the water at once.”
Duck sinks into the clear depths the instant he’s naked, Indrid swimming back only long enough for him to get in before crowding him against the edge of the pool.
“My love.” Indrid purrs, kisses so languid and gentle they almost disguise the heat in his fingertips as gropes Duck’s ass, the force with which his tail forces his legs apart.
“You know itAHhh, fuck, fuckin love that” he groans as the tendriled tip of his cock teases Duck’s own, “so, uh, this gonna be that different from the way we normally do this?”
“For starters, I will not cum until all the eggs are deposited.” Indrid’s fin flickers pink, “and it will be more intense on your end, not only because of the stretch but because I have to be rather, ah, vigorous in order to make sure they all come out.”
“As opposed to all those times you don’t fuck me like there’s no tomorrow.” Duck snickers, wrapping his legs around the dark scales to help ease Indrid’s cock into him.
“It’s not my fault you are the most delectable, ah, ‘piece of ass’ I have ever seen. Did I use that correctly?”
“Yep” Duck tips his head back, allowing Indrid to kiss it as he pauses his thrust so his tendrils can stroke his G-spot before continuing deeper, “you been watchin earth porn for ideas?”
“Indeed. I also found some featuring an actor who looks rather like you, and watched it an embarrassing amount during your absences.” He chirps as he bottoms out and Duck toys with the sensitive band in his fin as Indrid positions them so the bottom half of his tail is flat against the wall, which lets him keep Duck pinned to it.
“You are going to squirm, and I do not want you doing so and coming off my cock.”
“Seem mighty confident you’re gonna get that reaction.” Duck nips his ear.
Indrid’s sharp-toothed grin takes on a hungry glint, “The futures tell me so. But since you seem to doubt them…”
“AhFUCK!” Duck’s back bangs into the wall as Indrid pulls halfway out and then drives back into him, “fuckyeah, sugar that feels so fuckin goodOHwhatthefuck” the bumps in Indrid’s cock are moving, the ones towards the base of the shaft grinding on Duck’s dick as they do.
“Nmmmm, I told you I was pent up, oh, oh yes, yes sweet one, get ready to take the firstAHhhnnn.”
“Jesusfuck” Duck bucks his hips as the first egg pushes into him. It’s not hard like a birds egg, more soft and squishy, but all the same his body convulses as it registers something inside him. His brain, however, sends a moan from his mouth because as alien as the sensation may be, the fact it’s Indrid doing it makes him wetter and harder than he’s been in weeks.
Better still is the look on Indrid’s face, his head tipped back in bliss as he fucks him. It’s only when he looks down that Duck sees the tears threatening his eyes.
“You, I, I’ve, you are letting me lay in you, letting me mate with you, no, no one has ever let me do this before.”
The heat spiking through him on the word mate changes to fierce affection at the thought that Indrid was denied such closeness, or any closeness, for so long.
“Oh darlin, c’mere” he guides the alien into a kiss, then moans as another egg presses into him. Indrid swallows the sound down, keeps Duck in the kiss until the pressure has subsided.
“Such a lovely little mate.”
“Do my best.”
Indrid rubs their cheeks together, “That is why this has been so frequent, you know. I am so very enamored with you that the primal parts of my system want nothing more than to fill you with my eggs, keep you here pampered and fucked out until we have a whole little school swimming about the house. I, ahhhn, I could even look after them on my own while you are away. Or, or if we decide that is not for us I want to lay in you every day so no one else will ever dare to think you could be theirs.”
“Not a fuckin chance, fuck, darlin” his thighs tighten around his tail as another egg pulses out of the tip, “it’s so fuckin hot when you talk like that.”
“Really? I was afraid I was babbling. OhOHohdear, ah, this is unexpected.”
“Uh-”
“Not in a bad way, but I am so aroused the eggs are going to start coming out more quickly. Which means, my darling husband, I suggest you hold on.”
“Way ahead of youUUUshit, fuck” his hands switch from gripping Indrid’s shoulders to thrown around them for dear life as Indrid bounces him roughly on his dick. There’s not pause between the fourth and fifth egg and he’s starting to feel full, squirms when the sixth egg almost pushes Indrid’s cock free.
“I, I told you so.” Indrid purrs, hands holding tight to Duck’s ass as another egg emerges, “but you are not going anywhere, little human. You are, nnng, staying right here, taking every last one of them, because you are my mate and if I want you full to burst you will be.”
“Holy fuck, ‘Drid” Duck buries his face in his husbands neck as his cock shifts backwards. The tip opens wider, covering all of Duck’s folds as the tendrils return to his dick, “fuck, fuck, sugar I’m gonna cum.”
“Yesss” Indrid growls, tail rippling as he forces the next egg into place, “that’s it, sweet one, cum for me, cum while I stuff you full, my perfect, perfect, wonderful one.”
Duck can’t even get words out as his orgasm races through him, muscles spasming in new ways around the eggs. He whines as Indrid continues bouncing him, eggs shifting and keeping his muscles from relaxing, tendrils keeping a rapid tempo on his dick.
“Oh, ohohohoh I am close, ohyes, Duck, my sweet Duck, you take me so well, take a little more, be a good mate and take the last one, take my cum, you are going to hold all of it until I am satisfied that you are mine AH, ahhhhyes” he trills and Duck grunts as he’s stretched wider by the last egg and flood of cum. Indrid clings to him, chirping and trilling as his tail twitches, until his cock retracts. Then it’s just the storm and the sound of their joint panting as Indrid swims them weakly backwards to a shallow section of the pool.
“Here” the alien guides Duck to recline half out of the water, “if you spread your legs and relax, most of them will fall out on their own.”
“Gotcha.” Duck can neither keep his eyes open nor stay upright, so Indrid adjusts so the human is resting atop him, back against his chest. One by one, the eggs slip out dissolving in the water after a few moments. The last two prove stubborn and Indrid massages his abdomen, cooing about how wonderfully he did, until they too slip away.
“Thank you.” Indrid murmurs, nestling his chin on his shoulder.
“Any time, darlin. Or, uh, maybe not too many times back to back. Not sure my junk can take it. Still, better we did that than tryin it up my ass. Woulda lead to some awkward med records and my crew never lettin me live it down.”
“Do not be so sure. I suspect Joseph would have been envious.”
Duck snorts a laugh, looking over his shoulder in surprise.
“I read his sexual preferences on those forms they made you each submit.” Then he smiles like a sunrise welcoming Duck home, “but I think I made the right choice, don’t you?”
“Yeah, sugar, I do.”
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