#and some of the less important warning signs get harder to ignore
Text
How to explain the kind of loneliness I’ve felt in touch with this weekend: I don’t want to have to ask permission to hug someone, I want to hold and be held.
#it’s very strange bc realistically things are really good for me#i have some sources of stress—i won’t say that doesn’t exist—#but I’m getting genuinely close with my friends and getting more in touch w my emotions etc#i think what it is is that as things get better you’re able to undo some of the emotional anesthetic#and some of the less important warning signs get harder to ignore#starting to genuinely consider the idea that maybe I’m not aromantic—maybe I’m very socially anxious and I’ve been depressed for a long time#i mean. the thought of like living with one person the rest of my life is kind of tough#but now as im getting close with my friends i want to get even closer#you know? i want to put my head on their lap.#sucking my friends off is genuinely really fun and fulfilling but there are other kinds of closeness that im recognizing i need#btw if ur reading this & we ever meet in person & u want to#id love to suck you off or put my head on your lap. or both. or just be close some other way#nearly cried earlier this evening when one of my cast mates killed this beautiful wolf spider#it’s been weird#trying to get thru the week yk
6 notes
·
View notes
Note
Im so sorry ,in advance, its okey to ignore the request Batfam x child here this scenario:
Batfam where on a mission catching some criminals, like usual but then hearing crying noise on the dark alleyways, when Batman or anyone in the batfamily check to see,
When they looked, they saw a crying child with little bit blood on their face , they asked “why are they crying?are you hurt?” or “ are you okey? What happened?”
The child pointed at darkest corners of the alley. they looked where the child was pointing at, they saw two of the parents died
in the same manner like Batman backstory , when the child look up at them still crying , they lift their arms and said “ c-can I-i *sob*have a-a hug?*sob* p-please”
How would the batfamily react? Or what to do to calm the child reader
Oh my poor reader... Bruce would jump in immediately.
Summary: Bruce sees a child in a similar situation like he did many years ago.
Warnings: murder, corpses, Bruce sees himself in (Y/N), protective batboys.
This is an important mission. They have been preparing for this mission for months on end. Endless intel, interrogations, surveilling, scouting the buildings, research on the important members... The entire family was on the verge of killing someone.
Even Bruce was ready to commit murder, despite the strong moral code and despite his self control. They were stretched thin and the moral of the team was down. Bruce didn't think it could ever get so low.
This a breaking low. But none the less, they have persevered and through some teamwork, they got the intel that they needed. That's why they were on the roof top, waiting for a perfect moment to strike. Bruce was ready.
Everyone was tense and waiting in the darkness of the roof top, watching and waiting. Bruce was perched over the edge, ready to go at the moment's notice.
He looked back when he heard gunshots. The others were ready to jump, but Bruce stopped them. It felt off. Bruce looked down and saw it was their target. And a small shadow running. Bruce jumped, knocking the criminal out.
The others spread out, going to the building to check the location out. According to the intel they gathered, the drugs they had been looking for should be here.
Bruce moved into the dark alley listening for any sounds. What he didn't expect to hear was crying. And it didn't sound like it's an adult crying. It sounded like a child crying.
And he was proven right when he saw a child, shaking and sobbing. Bruce could see some blood on his face.
" Hey, are you okay? " Bruce asked softly, trying to see if the child was hurt. The child pointed at the dark corner and Bruce was hesitant at first. He thought that he was going to stop breathing when he saw the dead parents.
They were shot in the chest, one each. It felt all too familiar. Bruce's breath hitched for a moment. This was just like him, all those years ago. He closed his eyes and he calmed down. There was a child that needed him.
He walked back and the child cried harder. He put his hands, flexing his little finger. " Please, I- I need a h-hug, I-I'm scared... "
Bruce picked him out without a word, putting the child's head in the crook of his neck, just to make sure he didn't see anything. He gently patted his back.
" What's your name? " Batman asked, walking towards his sons.
" (Y/N). " The child mumbled, clutching onto Bruce tightly.
Everyone stopped in their tracks when they saw Bruce holding a child. Everyone wanted to ask questions, but they saw that it wasn't the time. They saw that child was under a lot of stress and Bruce softly shook his head.
It was a clear sign of not now. Everyone understood what it meant and they understood that something happened. But it seemed like (Y/N) wasn't hurt.
At least one good thing tonight. If you exclude the drugs and the drug ring they brought down.
" We called Gordon, he is on his way. " Dick said softly, walking up to the child. (Y/N) was still crying, but not as hard as before. He was crying quietly.
Bruce was torn. Does he adopt him? Does he put him at a foster home? What does he do?
One thing was for sure. There wouldn't be any help in the foster home. Or even the orphanage. Wherever he went tonight.
The others knew that sooner or later, Bruce was going to adopt him. Emphasis on the sooner. Maybe even tonight.
451 notes
·
View notes
Text
All I Want For Christmas..
König x GN Reader ᐤ Fluff
Summary: Your loving boyfriend is currently deployed. As the holiday season creeps closer to Christmas, you feel lonely knowing that König wouldn't be there, or so you thought..
Warnings: Mentions of seasonal depression.
The seasons had been creeping by slowly, bringing the changing of weather and leaves. The warm and inviting hues of Autumn were always comforting but as November passed and you were eased into December and the thrall of the winter season, it became harder to ignore a dreadful feeling in your chest. The frosty streets of the Northern American city you lived in was decorated with bright Christmas lights and decorations. You saw the decorations and happy families every day when you walked your little corgi, Bagel, but for some reason the infectious joy was lost on you. You struggled most of your life with seasonal depression and usually you found ways to preoccupy yourself turning the holiday months but none of your tactics were working this year and you knew exactly why.
Around two years ago you had signed yourself up for a pen pal program, created to boost morale in troops across the globe. This program wasn't specific to American troops though, it was meant to randomly assign you a soldier in any allied countries army including private military contractors. You figured it'd be fun in your free time, to send an occasional letter and possibly learn about a foreign country depending on what kind of soldier you were assigned to. You just so happened to be assigned to a KorTac soldier stationed in Austria. For an entire year you had sent letters back and forth, getting to know the soldier named König. After a year of continuous letters, you started to develop feelings for the man who seemed so sweet yet mysterious. You had no clue what he looked or sounded like, you only knew as much as he told you but it was hard not to feel some kind of affection for the man. A year of letters later, you had decided to meet him in person next time he had leave.
It was awkward and he definitely wasn't what you were expecting. König was a huge man and even if you knew he was kind and quite a gentleman, he still scared you shitless when he locked on you at the airport and approached you with such meaningful strides. He was so sweet though, and even if he did scare you at first, you grew to find an immense comfort and safety in his presence. The meeting only made your feelings for him grow and unbeknownst to you, he was certainly feeling the same attraction. More letters and a few visits later, you two had confessed your feelings and began a loving a healthy relationship together.
This was your first holiday season with König as your boyfriend but the excitement of it quickly wore off when you remembered that he was deployed halfway across the world and wouldn't be able to take the holidays off. It only served to make the seasonal depression worse with the knowledge that the love of your life wouldn't be there on Christmas Day. You had received a letter from him just last week, saying how much he wished he could be with you but you didn't have the heart to send one in return. You desperately wished he was allowed to have a phone on base so that you could call him on Christmas Day at the very least. You couldn't even send him any actual gifts, it wasn't within KorTac regulations.
It was a very frustrating scenario with no real solution. Eventually you decided to try your very hardest to pretend like it didn't bother you but often you'd catch yourself snuggling sadly, on the verge of tears thinking about your lover and how much you missed him. It made you feel kind of pathetic too. You knew what you were signing up for when you agreed to start dating him, he had even warned you that he would often miss important holidays and such but that didn't make it hurt any less now that you were experiencing it.
With a soft sigh, you decided to compose your letter in response to the one König had sent you a week ago. He was probably worried about not having a response yet and you didn't want to give him any additional reasons to be an anxious mess.
-
Dear König,
I'm missing you a lot. I know you're busy, I just wish you would have been able to take this Christmas off. Bagel misses you a whole bunch too, he's always sitting by the door waiting for you to come back. Sometimes I consider sitting with him…
I hope you're keeping warm and safe. I bet the snow over there is much deeper than it is here. Do they decorate on base for the holidays? I don't think I've ever asked you that now that I think about it.. I've been trying very hard to keep myself happy but I can't help but think about you constantly. I miss the way you hold me through the night, or when you kiss my forehead, and hold my hand.. I miss listening to your stories from missions and antics with your teammates. I miss everything about you but I know you knew that already, it's usually all I talk about in these letters.
Here's to hoping next year I get to keep you for the holidays. I'm sure my family will love to have you over for your first Thanksgiving, I know we talked about you wanting to experience that American tradition eventually. I got you some Christmas presents too. I put them under the tree and they're all wrapped even though I know you won't be able to open them until February, at least it'll still be a little chilly out then. Maybe we can recreate a little Christmas, I'll even set the tree back up before you get here.
I can't wait to be in your arms again. Please come home to me safely.
Love, y/n
-
You sniffled a little as you finished the letter but you wouldn't let yourself cry again. You spritzed the paper with a spray of the usual perfume you'd wear, something König had said before that he loved. He had written in his letters how the scent of your perfume would make him relax after a long day and occasionally those letters would delve into more intimate territories.
You folded the letter and slipped into an envelope. You quickly wrote down the required information and pressed a stamp onto the top corner of the envelope. You got up to get dressed in something warm, simple jeans and one of König’s thick jackets that he had accidentally left behind the last time he had come to visit you. Although you referred to your apartment as you and König’s home, he didn't actually live with you yet. He lived in Austria but honestly spent more time on his vacations with than at home, only staying long enough to see his family before he caught a flight to America to see you. As a result, he often left behind clothing. König was a big guy so the jacket he left behind was quite over sized on you and did an amazing job at keeping you warm.
The post office wasn't very far from the apartment complex you lived in so often you'd just take Bagel for a walk and mail the letters from the post office directly. The little corgi was already excited and was jumping around as you slipped on his harness and leash. You walked out the door, letter in hand with a sigh, hoping that König would get the letter soon..
𓆩♡𓆪
Halfway across the world, on the Austrian KorTac base, König was in just as bad shape as you were. Winter was his favorite season and he didn't suffer from seasonal depression like you but he was devastated at the fact that he wouldn't be able to see you for the holidays. He had been mopping around quite a bit and it definitely didn't go unnoticed by his teammates. König wasn't the most sociable person but at the very least he'd talk with his team during their daily PT or meal times but he'd been more closed off than usual the past few weeks.
Truly, he was feeling very anxious about you. Worried to leave you all alone even though he knew you were perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. He had sent you a letter in the last week of November and it's been over two weeks with no return letter. Usually your letters were delivered quickly so he didn't understand why he hadn't heard back from you yet. He swallowed thickly as he lay in the bed of his private room. He felt awful, and all he wanted was to see you and hear your sweet voice welcoming him back to your small but cozy little apartment. To put his large hands on your hips and kiss the life out of you. He groaned, his face flushing pink behind his sniper hood. It was only midday but he didn't have much to do, being a commanding officer surprisingly left him with some time to himself for once as he didn't have anything really important to tend to.
A loud knock on the heavy metal door to his room pulled him out of his thoughts and with a groan, he rolled his large frame out of the squeaky bed that was far too little for him. He pulled the door open to find one of his comrades, Horangi, at the door. The small Korean man held and envelope out to him with a rather disinterested look on his face. “Surprise, your beuja finally sent you a letter.” Horangi said. König’s face flushed red at that, not bothering to correct Horangi when he called you König’s ‘spouse’. “Danke..” He muttered as he took the letter and Horangi headed off to hand out a few other letters, not one to pry in König’s personal business.
As soon as the door was shut, König resisted the urge to hop around his room like an excited child. He ripped the envelope open and nearly salivated at the smell of your sweet perfume. His excitement was snuffed out though as he read the letter and he frowned deeply. “Oh, mein engel..” he muttered sadly. Although it sent a thrill through him that you thought about him so often, he was also incredibly saddened to hear that you were so caught up about his absence. König bit his lip and cast a glance at the calendar hanging up by his door. It was only December 15th and he tried to think of something he could do to ease your troubled mind.
He wasn't scheduled for leave until February, but he was a Colonel, surely there were some strings he could pull. He smoothed out the folded letter with his large thumb before he brought the paper up to his covered nose, breathing in deeply so hebcould inhale the scent of the perfume. Yes, surely he could find a decent enough excuse that would let him take an early leave, he had enough influence with his ranking.. he would just have to try, even if it meant getting turned down and having to endure some physical punishment for asking.
𓆩♡𓆪
As time wore on, you were getting more and more restless. You hadn't received a letter back and if König had written one, you probably wouldn't get it until around New Year's due to how crazy the postal service was around this time of year. You'd be surprised if he got your letter either.
It was Christmas Eve and only around 6 pm. You were in the kitchen preparing a small Christmas dinner for yourself and Bagel. All of your friends were busy with their own families and your family lived across the country so you were left alone for the night. Although your heart yearned for König, you tried not to let it completely ruin the holiday. You had planned to make a small ham and a few sides, something you could eat tomorrow night for leftovers as well. You were going to watch Christmas movies with Bagel curled up in your lap, wearing his cute little Christmas sweater that your mom had crocheted for him last year. It was lonely and a little sad but you found a bit of comfort knowing that you weren't the only person in the world spending Christmas alone. You just hoped that König was having a nice time on base.
As you were putting the finishing touches on the small dinner and singing along to the Christmas music you had blasting through the apartment, Bagel's ears perked up and he jumped from his spot on the couch, rushing over to the door. You weren't paying attention, the music too loud to hear anything but it and your singing along.
The lock turned and the front door was carefully pushed open. Bagel started barking, his nubbed tail wagging a mile a minute as he excitedly jumped around the stranger's legs. You couldn't hear the barking over the music and you danced around the kitchen as one of your favorite Christmas songs came on.
König stood in the doorway, carrying a very heavy duffle bag and looking very exhausted. Despite how tiring his traveling was, his blue eyes immediately softened at the sight of you cooking in the kitchen and the sound of you singing along to Mariah Carrey’s ‘All I want For Christmas’. His heart swelled with love and he reluctantly pulled his eyes from you as he closed the front door and scooped Bagel up so he would finally stop his barking. He pulled down the mask he was wearing, thankful that the cold weather was a good excuse to wear one so he could feel a little more comfortable, and peppered kisses over Bagel's fluffy face. He set the dog down, unable to resist you.
König’s large frame moved silently behind you, not that you'd hear his heavy boots over the music anyway. His hands reached out and gently rested on your hips. This elected a scream from you, and you whipped around ready to defend yourself against whatever intruder thought you'd be an easy target. Immediately König released you and cursed softly, not thinking about how easily that could scare you. “I'm sorry, mein schatz, I didn't mean to scare you.” He apologized but smiled warmly as he saw the realization on your face.
Your eyes widened and lips parted in awe as you looked up at him, unable to comprehend that he was here and in your apartment. König shifted anxiously as he considered that maybe his surprise wasn't as well thought out as he hoped. Your hands drifted to his chest, resting them against his toned pecs and gently gripping at the soft grey shirt he was wearing. He was still wearing the KorTac regulations cargo pants and his combat boots. From the way he was dressed it seemed like he didn't even bother going to his own home before he got on a plane to get to you. He even still smelled a little earthy, just like the dusty training grounds on the base.
“König.. I.. I thought you weren't going to be able to see me again until February, how..” you were a bit lost on what to say. You weren't expecting him to show up at all and it left you in a bit of a state of shock. You let your hands roam his clothed torso but your touches were innocent, just a way for your mind to solidify that he was really here. König smiled softly and you felt breathless seeing his handsome face for the first time in months. “Ja, don't worry, I took care of everything.” He said with a nod of his head as he grabbed your smaller hands and held them in his own.
You were average height, but König was still quite a bit larger than you and it showed in the way his palms swallowed your hands. He had to lean down just a bit to press your lips together but when he did, you felt fireworks and butterflies each time. This time was no different and as your lips connected, you practically melted right into his arms. König loved that he had such an effect on you and he quickly wrapped his arms around you and tugged you into a strong embrace. As you broke the kiss to gasp for air, König pressed his forehead against your own. “I missed you so much, mein schatz.” He breathed out in a husky tone. “I'm all yours..” His accent deepened with his words, his eyes boring into you with a hunger you were all too familiar with.
He reached past you to click off the stove, abandoning the dinner you were making as he practically dragged you to your bedroom. He would be more than happy to cuddle with you and watch cringe Christmas movies while drinking hot cocoa but first, he needed to show you a different reason for you to be happy during the winter months..
All of my writing is original work created by me. Please do not repost, translate, or alter them in any way.
#call of duty#konig x reader#könig x reader#konig#könig#konig mw2#könig mw2#cod#cod x reader#call of duty x reader#konig cod#könig cod#fanfic#writing#x reader#oriistar
146 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ten Maintenance Tips That Every Car Owner Should Know
Maintenance makes an object last for longer time. Maintenance should be done for everything which is vital for us. It is a regular process or must be done in right time. Here I’m gonna discuss about top maintenance tips for cars.
Maintenance for car
To increase the life of an object, we have to make sure it is not getting damaged and also fixing some acute issues. A car is a useful product because it is a means of transport. As it useful, maintenance is needed. A car consists of many components, they perform their work. As a result, they get wear off or damaged as time passes by. This can cause various issues. So car needs maintenance to avoid such issues that are caused naturally, or due to weather conditions. Maintenance process consists of inspection, cleaning, repairs and replacement in regular basis. Many car owners fail to do routine maintenance of their car; as a result the car health is affected. Various issues arise from the car which they have to fix. So to prevent your car from lot of problems and to keep it in perfect condition, maintenance is to be done. Here are 10 tips which will be helpful for car owners to maintain their car.
Tips for car maintenance
Always refer to user manual first for maintenance. You will get to know all those facts that are only for your car or other cars of same model. It will help you to guide on several fixes that is needed for your car to make it remain in its best condition. If you lose the hard copy which comes along with the car, then you can get a soft copy for your car model in the website of the manufacturer.
Check the pressure of your tyres regularly. A correct pressure in your tyre makes your car more efficient to some extent. Tyres make the car move by giving more traction between wheels and the road; it avoids the car wheels to slip on the road. So a perfect pressure in the tyres makes your car move more effortlessly. Flat tyres or low pressure tyres make the car harder to move.
Always check the warning lights on the dashboard of your car. Try to identify those signs. Contact your dealer if you get confused. Warning lights indicate that specifically something in your car is wrong. If you ignore the warning signal, then a great issue might occur afterwards. Take the help of user manual if you get difficulties in identifying the issue. Therefore if you find any of your warning light is on, then try to reach to the root of the problem and fix it.
Make sure your car engine is clan enough so that there will be no engine issues. The engine is the most important part of your car as it uses the fuel to make the car move. Most of the engine issues make your car less fuel efficient. So you need to take care of the engine, always keep it cleans. Any dirt, debris buildup in engine will lower its performance and make release of harmful gasses. This can even damage some components of engine and may give rise to a major issue.
Always keep the battery of the car clean. A battery provides energy to starter, lights, spark plugs, etc. So clean your battery regularly to increase battery life. If the batteries, especially its terminals are not cleaned, then it will get corroded and you may have to replace the battery. In some batteries acid may leak and cause damage to the other electrical components like cables. To clean the battery, first you have to disconnect the negative terminal and then disconnect the positive terminal. Then clean the terminals carefully with a brush. After cleaning, connect the terminals of the battery in opposite order of the disconnection.
Check the brake fluid regularly. If the brake fluid in any of the brakes is low or leaking, then immediately fix the leakage and refill the fluid. Low brake fluid can lead to malfunctioning of hydraulic brakes. Proper amount of brake fluid in the brakes will only make the brakes more effective.
Check the lubricants regularly. These lubricants are mostly oil and grease. It is used in all those components which move. Lubricants make them work more smoothly and effortlessly. If oil is low or impure in your car, then this will make the things harder. The components may overheat wear and tear due to friction. So always check the oil, and change then regularly. Also change the oil filters when you change the oil.
Check the spark plugs. If they are dirty or burnt they may not carry out their work of igniting the fuel mixture in the cylinders properly. It can lead to low fuel economy and increase emission of harmful gasses. If you find them faulty, then replace them
Never drive abusively and continuously fluctuate the speed of your car to have good mileage of the car. Also never overload your car to maintain good fuel economy.
Check the cabin air filter regularly. If it is clogged, then simply replace it. Clogged air filter affects the performance of AC of your car.
Conclusions
To save your money and time, you need to maintain your car. Regular maintenance keep different components of your car work for longer period.
0 notes
Text
Effective Ways For Water Leak Detection That You Should Know
Water leaks are a major concern for any homeowner. While some water leaks are easy to detect, others can be more subtle and harder to find. This is why it’s important to know the signs of a water leak. If you see any of these signs, it may be time to contact your Plumber hoppers crossing so they can come by and do some water leak detection in your home:
What is it?
Water leak detection is the process of finding a leak in your home. Water leaks can be caused by a number of things, including a faulty pipe or a leaky faucet. Water leaks can lead to a lot of damage to your home, including damage to your electrical system and more. A leak detector will detect any water that is leaking from inside or outside the house so that you can address it as soon as possible before any serious damage occurs.
Where does the water come from?
A water leak can be caused by a variety of sources, including aging pipes and faulty appliances.
Some of the most common causes for water leaks include:
Worn or damaged pipes
Broken appliances (including washing machines, dishwashers and toilets)
Faulty plumbing fixtures (such as faucets)
Leaking roofs (if left unrepaired) can cause significant damage to your home and its foundation over time.
Similarly, leaky gutters could lead to serious problems with mold accumulation in your attic or basement area. Finally, even seemingly small cracks in walls may cause extensive damage if neglected for long periods of time!
What are the signs of a water leak?
The signs of a water leak include:
Water stains on the wall and ceiling. This is the most obvious sign of a water leak because it indicates that there are leaks in your plumbing system. Depending on how long the stain has been there, you may be able to tell where exactly the leak is located as well as whether it’s a slow or fast drip. If you notice any stains in your home or business, call us immediately!
A sudden increase in water bills. Expensive plumber hoppers crossing can cost thousands of dollars so if you notice an increase in your monthly bill, it might mean that something is wrong with your plumbing system (and not just because everyone likes showers).
Wet spots on floors and carpets can indicate that there are leaks underneath them as well as around doors and windows where pipes are connected to walls; this could mean mold growth if left untreated for too long! Don't ignore these warning signs!
Water Leak Detection is crucial to keep your home safe.
Water leak detection is crucial for your home. It can save you money, time and energy. For example, if a water leak is found before it becomes severe, then fixing the damaged pipe would be easier and less expensive than when it's already too late. The faster you find the source of a leak, the easier it will be to fix and prevent further damage from occurring in your home or office building.
A leaking pipe may cause flooding which can cause other problems such as mold growth on walls and furniture or even seepage into electrical wires leading to fires or power outages. Also remember that some leaks won’t immediately cause damage but could result in costly repairs down the road if left undetected until they become severe enough to warrant immediate attention at great expense by an expert who specializes in this type of work!
Conclusion
If you see any signs of water leaks, it’s important to get in touch with a water leak detection expert right away. Water Leak Detection should be done at least once per year and it will save you thousands of dollars in repairs if your home is exposed to potential leaks that could cause damage.
0 notes
Text
Burn The Witch 12 - Bad Surprise [Bucky Barnes x Reader]
A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s the next chapter, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader
Warnings: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.
Summary: Sometimes plans have to change.
Series Masterlist
Every job required something from people, and your job was no different.
Being a spy was not a conventional profession, everyone knew that. You were expected to be on the move all the time, be a good liar, be a good fighter, be whatever the job told you to.
And most important of all; never show fear, which you were usually fine with. You had learned long ago how to keep your calm in times of crisis. You had even managed to keep your calm facade when your last mission required you to play Russian Roulette with a target in order to keep your cover.
But this? This was something else.
Bucky cleared his throat to stifle a laugh as he looked down at you.
“Is it just me or are you using me as a human shield against a peacock right now?”
Your eyes snapped up at his for a moment before you turned your gaze to the peacock again, taking a subtle step to Bucky’s right to keep him between you and the animal.
Coming to the zoo was his idea, and you thought it could be a fun experience. You had never been to a zoo before, and it would count as one of the old times dates, so you were almost giggly by the time you got there.
Right until now.
“I think peacocks don’t have souls.”
“Alright.” Bucky sipped his coffee while you tried to ignore the fear bubbling at the pit of your stomach, eyeing the peacock that walked around the area behind the fences.
“I’m serious,” you insisted “What if it attacks me?”
“It’s not going to attack you Y/N.”
“It could,” you said, “It looks like it wants to attack me.”
The peacock fanned out its feathers all of a sudden and let out a squawk, making you jump out of your skin.
“Fuck!” the curse left your lips and Bucky’s eyebrows rose, an amused grin pulling at his lips.
“Sorry!” you said quickly, “Sorry, I…I don’t trust peacocks.”
“You got mugged in a dark alley and got shot, and a bird is where you draw the line?”
Correction, you were once held at gunpoint by the Italian mafia and peacocks were still where you drew the line.
“That’s not a bird.”
“….Peacocks are birds.”
“No, that’s the devil looking like a bird,” you said, “In-in bird shape. Bird shaped demon.”
“Okay, how about we see some other less threatening animal?”
“Let me check—oh my God Bucky they have sharks, I love sharks!” you said, waving the brochure in his face and he pulled his brows together.
“Sharks fall under the less threatening animal category?”
“Of course they do!” you said, looking at the brochure before looking around, “I think the aquarium is over there, let’s go.”
You grabbed his hand to entwine your fingers with his as you both started walking towards the huge blue structure.
“So I feel like I shouldn’t ask because I know you can’t exactly tell me the details,” you said, “But you’re not going on another mission soon, are you? This week?”
“I don’t think so,” he said, “Why?”
“I’m kind of planning something.”
He tilted his head, “What are you planning?”
“Not a club, relax.” you said, “Although I find it quite ironic that you’re this unstoppable brave superhero with super strength who gets intimidated by dancing.”
“I’m not intimidated…” he grumbled under his breath, making you giggle.
“Whatever you say,” you sang, and reached the entrance of the huge building and you pulled your hand out of his.
“Excuse me sir, is the aquarium still open?” you asked the security guard by the door and a small smirk appeared on his lips.
“Yes but it is closing in ten minutes sweetheart.”
Sweetheart?
Jesus Christ….
You smiled politely at him, batting your lashes.
“Oh—“ you took a look at the sign, “I just want to see the killer shark and we’ll be out. In five minutes. Please?”
He eyed you up and down but seemed to snap out of it when Bucky cleared his throat behind you as if warning him, making the guy gawk between you two.
Even you had to admit you seemed like a quite unusual couple. You were wearing a short white sundress with ruffled sleeves and sweetheart neckline with your hair loose while Bucky looked as if he was there to kill someone, a complete opposite of you with his dark jeans and black leather jacket as well as leather gloves.
You didn’t even have to turn your head to know that he was glaring at the guard before the guy shifted his weight, then stepped aside.
“Enjoy.”
“Thank you!” you said, grabbing Bucky’s hand as you led him inside. He followed you without any objections whatsoever, in complete silence as the sight of blue filled your vision along with many fish swimming behind the glass.
“You don’t even see it, do you?” he asked softly and you pulled your brows together.
“Hm?”
“Does anyone ever say no to you?”
You approached the label by the glass, “You do.”
“Do I?”
“All the time,” you nodded, still reading the label but your head shot up when you felt him tug you by the hand. A giggle escaped from your lips as he turned you around so that you could look up at him, then wrapped his arm around you to scoop you up, making you squeal.
“Bucky!”
“All the time?”
“Put me down!” you said, your laughter echoing in the empty aquarium halls and he tilted his head.
“Not until you explain yourself,” he teased you, “All the time?”
“Sometimes, sometimes!” you said quickly, “Very rare times I might add!”
“Mm hm, I thought so.”
“If you drop me, I swear to God—“ you started but was cut off when he pulled you into a kiss, making you wrap your arms around his neck. He took a step with you still in his embrace and you gasped as you felt your back hit the thick glass, but every single protest you could think of seemed to disappear from your mind as you lost yourself in the kiss. You raked your fingernails over the nape of his neck, making his grip around you tighter-
Then someone coughed.
Bucky pulled back instantly and you turned your head to see another rather annoyed technician leaning on her hip, watching you with her brows raised.
“Aquarium is about to close,” she said, pointing at you, “Take it elsewhere.”
Bucky put you down and you tried to fix the skirt of your dress, trying to look presentable.
“Sorry!” you said as Bucky mumbled an apology beside you as well, and the technician shook her head and walked away, talking about how she wasn’t getting paid enough for this. You covered your face and let out a whine but Bucky chuckled, causing you to lower your hands to stare up at him.
“Why is this entertaining for you?” you exclaimed and he held your wrist, gently steering you to the exit.
“Come on.”
“We can never come here again, ever.” you insisted as you followed him outside. It didn’t escape your notice that he bumped his shoulder into the security guard’s quite hard, almost knocking him over on your way out and your jaw dropped.
“That was mean!”
“Nah, he had it coming. Are you hungry?”
“But you could get in trouble. Besides, he was a nice guy—“
“Uh huh, a nice guy who was ogling you.”
You pulled your brows together, pretending to be confused, “Oh I’m sure you misunderstood.”
He tilted his head and pulled you closer to wrap his arm around your waist, then brushed his lips against yours, making you sigh.
“Bucky, it was mean and you can’t just kiss me to distract me—”
“I can try,” he murmured to your lips before kissing you again and you looked up at him when he pulled back with a grin.
“Fine,” you admitted, still pouting. “I’m hungry. Starving actually, let’s eat something.”
***
You were finding it harder and harder to convince yourself it was time to go home after every date with Bucky.
Scratch that, you were finding it harder and harder not to invite him upstairs.
But of course, you would have to report it back to the General and discuss the further strategies with him and for some reason, it felt more of a betrayal than this whole thing.
Surprisingly enough, it was something you wanted and not something you would will yourself to do because of the mission. There was no denying it, he was an attractive guy and you really liked spending time with him and you kept having dreams about him and whenever you were with him you had this lightness in your mind, as if you were a different person.
A better person, maybe.
You shook your head at your thoughts and left your apartment to knock on Keith’s door.
“It’s me, open up.”
You heard footsteps before he opened the door and a boyish smile pulled at his lips at the sight of milkshakes in your hand.
“Jesus, finally!”
“I made it at home, can’t promise it’s good,” you said as you walked past him into his apartment and stepped into the living room, “What are you watching?”
“James Bond,” he grinned at you, “Hey, have you ever tried milkshake with gin?”
“No?”
“Me neither, let’s try it.” He said, taking the big glasses from you to pour gin into them. You sat on the couch and took a look at the screen.
“How many times have you watched this again?”
“Like a hundred,” he handed you your glass and you took a sip.
“Not bad,” you commented, putting your feet up on the coffee table. He sat beside you, keeping his eyes on the screen.
“What did you do today?”
“Had a date.”
“With Barnes?”
“Yeah. At the zoo.”
“He took you to the zoo?” he asked and you nodded.
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“And peacocks are fucking scary,” you muttered, “And hey, we learned that Bucky is the jealous type.”
“The guy was dating people back at 40s, I could tell you that much myself.” He snorted, “Chloe says you went on a mission with Julian?”
You slipped a little on the couch, “He’s an asshole.”
“I know. Is he really that bad in bed?”
You shrugged your shoulders, “Nah as much as I hate to admit, he’s pretty good. Unfortunately.”
“So top or bottom?”
“He goes either way to be honest, that comment was more about me.”
“About you?”
“Yeah, I like to be on top.”
“Suddenly everything about you makes sense,” he murmured and you took another sip of your milkshake.
“Don’t try that with Barnes though, the guy is from 1940s. He’s probably used to missionary only, you don’t want to give him a heart attack,” he wiggled his brows, making you scoff.
“Shut up.”
“Chloe is right, maybe you should go full on vintage on that when the time comes.”
You turned to look at him.
“Speaking of Chloe,” you said, “Anything you would like to tell me?”
Keith’s grin faded slightly and he shifted his weight, “Like what?”
“Bringing her coffee, taking her out to the field…” you trailed off, “What gives, man? I thought we had a deal.”
“We never had a deal,” he defended himself, “You slammed me back during training years ago at the academy and told me not to even think about it when you saw me looking at her.”
“No,” you shook your head, “Five years ago, in Ireland. That undercover job, the one that almost got you killed? We made a deal.”
He swallowed thickly, looking down at the milkshake before taking a sip. “Y/N…”
“Keith, you can’t,” you insisted, “She deserves a normal life, a normal family and kids and a dog and stuff.”
“I know,” he ran a hand over his face, “I know.”
“Then?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re a spy,” you said, “You said it yourself, spies die like flies.”
“Not all of them,” he said, “General is still alive. He has a family.”
“Yeah, one in a hundred,” you said, “Face it. That’s a very low possibility for us.”
“You don’t think you’ll get to grow old and have a family and all that?”
You pulled your brows together.
“No,” you said, “Of course not. I’m probably going to die in one of these missions.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“Keith, I can’t have any of those,” you said, “I can’t. I…it’s impossible.”
“Don’t you want to?”
“It doesn’t matter what I want,” you muttered, “I made my choice ages ago.”
“Y/N,” he sat up straighter, “Do you want to?”
With a very bad timing, your imagination went overdrive and a strange scene flashed before your eyes. You laughing in Bucky’s arms, watching two kids playing in the garden-
You shook your head, trying to shake off the thoughts.
“I could never have that,” you stated simply, “You might love Chloe and you might also be lucky enough to have her love you but…it’s not the same with me.”
“I’d say Barnes loves you.”
A bitter smile pulled at your lips and you bit inside your cheek, taking another sip of your milkshake.
“He loves someone who doesn’t exist,” you managed to croak out, “He loves my cover. He could never love me.”
***
Spending the night at Keith’s and drowning your sorrows in gin and milkshake meant that you would have a killer hangover the next day. Unlike Keith, you didn’t have the luxury to sleep until the noon, seeing that you had a cover job to keep so for the whole day until noon, you walked around like a zombie.
Coffee helped though. Just a little.
Thankfully it was a slow day at the shop. After serving a couple of people, you had nothing to do other than seriously considering sticking your head in the freezer to get rid of the hangover.
“Long night?” Tara asked as she walked past you to put the straws into the cup and you nodded, groaning.
“Remind me not to drink, ever.”
“I make that promise to myself every Monday, does not seem to work.”
You chuckled, “Have you ever tried to mix gin into milkshakes?”
“No?”
“Don’t,” you shook your head as you helped her to move an empty milkshake container into the kitchen. “It’s a terrible idea and I’m experiencing the consequences of that mistake right now.”
“That sounds like a fun night though.”
“Fun night, terrible morning,” you let out a laugh as you walked out of the kitchen but as soon as you did, your eyes caught the sight of the man in the shop. Your smile was wiped off your face as the familiar anger filled your system.
Jesus Christ, this day sucks.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” you asked and Julian had the audacity to shoot you a grin.
“Whoa cute outfit,” he said, eyeing you up and down, “Holy shit I didn’t even know I was into this whole thing, I’m having an epiphany.”
You looked over your shoulder to see if Tara was still in the kitchen, then turned to Julian.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was craving milkshakes,” he stated, “Hey, would you recommend Lavender Macaron?”
“Get the fuck out of here.”
“I think I’m gonna go with Lavender Macaron, makes me think of France,” he said, “Fun times.”
“Fun for you maybe.”
He shot you a look, “Come on Y/N, we didn’t leave the honeymoon suite for two days. That was the greatest-“ he lowered his voice, “Mission I’ve ever had.”
“You’re putting this entire operation in—“ you started but stopped talking as soon as Tara walked out of the kitchen. Julian raised his brows for a moment before smiling at her and you went under the counter to grab his arm.
“Y/N, is everything okay?”
“Just peachy,” you said as you dragged him out of the shop, and he heaved a sigh, following you.
“No I’m serious…” he said with a chuckle as soon as you both stepped outside, then motioned at the uniform, “This is something else.”
“Why are you here?”
“I heard that it was good, I did not think it was this good.”
“I’m seriously two seconds away from punching you.”
“How come you never dressed up like this for me when we were dating?”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” you insisted and he shrugged his shoulders.
“I was around.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that?”
“Believe whatever you want,” he said, “Your shop has good rating, although I’m beginning to believe it has less to do with milkshakes and more about the waitresses.”
“Julian I swear to God—“ you started but you were cut off when someone cleared his throat, making both you and Julian turn your heads. Your stomach dropped as soon as you saw Bucky watching you two with a frown and you withdrew your hand from Julian’s arm.
“Bucky,” you breathed out, “Um-hi.”
“Hi,” he said without taking his eyes off Julian, and you could almost see the wheels turning in his head.
He was trying to decide whether he was a threat to you.
“I didn’t…I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I figured I could drop by,” he said, crossing his arms, “What’s going on?”
Fuck.
Fuck, you had no idea how to turn this around. Thankfully neither of you had said anything about the mission, so it was more than likely that Bucky just knew you knew each other, but other than that, your cover wasn’t blown.
“Nothing! Nothing at all, he’s just—“ you stammered, trying to come up with an explanation, “He’s um—“
“Oh come on Y/N, don’t be one of those secretive people,” Julian said, “You hate secrets. You’re Bucky, right? I heard about you.”
Bucky just raised his brows, his glare on him unwavering but even if it was quite chilling, Julian was a trained assassin just like you were, so he was used to it. Instead he curled his lips, looking between you before offering him his hand.
“I’m Julian,” he introduced himself, shooting you a grin as if you two shared an inside joke “The evil ex-boyfriend who’s gonna take her from you.”
Chapter 13
#bucky barnes#bucky barnes x reader#tfatws#bucky barnes imagine#marvel#bucky barnes x you#the falcon and the winter soldier
635 notes
·
View notes
Text
My Protective Demon and Me: How to Live with Your Overly-Protective Hellspawn!
Intro:
So you've bagged yourself a demon, huh? Well, there are many great benefits to dating the otherworldly creatures of Hell, including increased power, longevity, and security! We can assure you that your demon boyfriend wants nothing more than to keep you safe, dear human, but this can be a new experience for the uninitiated. Never fear, because we have put together this guide to help you navigate the relationship you've just signed your soul into! My Protective Demon and Me is an instructional tool for your new demonic partnership, designed to introduce you to the protective tendencies of Seven Rulers of Hell. Listen to our advice, and you won't be left wondering why your boyfriend insists on carrying you down the stairs or loses his mind when you're injured by paper!
(Warnings: Possessive Behaviors, Implied PTSD, Yandere-ish)
Lucifer
Now, there's no kind way to say this, but Lucifer will think of you as small, weak, and helpless on most days. We promise it's not quite as insulting as it sounds because to him, that just makes you cuter.
Because he thinks you're so pathetic, he will want to provide for you in all sorts of ways. This includes security.
Lucifer's approach to keeping you safe is a little indirect, and it may sound a tad… invasive, but that's only because he's not able to be with you in person as often as he'd like.
He uses familiars spread across the Devildom to keep an eye on you during the day. Don't fret; these familiars aren't there to tell him about your every waking breath. Just monitor you and report back to him if something's amiss.
If there's an alert, he will drop everything to be sure that you're alright. The second he knows something's wrong, he'll be right with you within a minute, Diavolo be damned.
He may try to play it off as he just happened to be in the area if others are around, but in truth, he'd use magic to recall himself to your side.
Speaking of magic… Again, since he can't be with you as much as he wants, you may begin to notice your body getting stronger to a certain degree over your time with him. Is he secretly using magical means to strengthen your bones or make your skin harder to tear? He will never say, so best not ask.
Potential threats against you are dealt with discreetly, mostly under the guise of safeguarding the exchange program for Diavolo. No offenders will ever make it to the castle dungeon, though, as Lucifer tends to finish them off on sight... We recommend that you make yourself scarce during these times. Torture is such a nasty thing to witness...
Lucifer would like to believe that, in being with him, you're the safest that you could possibly be, but he always worries about what danger you're in while he's busy with work. A part of him blames his lack of vigilance over Lilith for her downfall, and he has strained to recover a sense of security over his loved ones ever since... Though he may come across as overbearing, just know he only watches you that closely because he couldn't bear to lose you.
Mammon
If you've won over Mammon's heart, then he's going to guard you as fiercely as a dragon does its treasure. But be warned because this can lead to confrontation...
Mammon will see himself as your bodyguard of sorts, so he'll try to be around you at all hours of the day. He'll start by making excuses like he needs study help, but after a while, he'll just hope you come to accept him as a constant fixture in your life and don't question his hovering.
He will stick very close to you in public, particularly when among other demons. He's the second strongest of his brothers, so this alone should deter most threats but don't be surprised if you see him scan the room you're in from time to time.
Take care not to hurt yourself around Mammon because he has yet to fully process how fragile the human body is. He may panic upon seeing you hurt (and he's not the most helpful when he's panicking…).
Should you get hurt when Mammon is near, you may see his protective instincts spike considerably. He will offer to carry heavy packages, refuse to let you handle sharp objects, and hold out a hand to steer you around tight corners.
Do not threat, this added level of attention is only temporary. Remind Mammon that accidents are a part of human life, and you can get yourself through them as the species normally does.
If someone actually tries to hurt you, we advise you to stay calm and focus on getting harmed as little as possible. Unfortunately, there will be no good way to talk Mammon out of fighting in your defense. It's best to focus on minimizing the damage to yourself and staying alive until help can be brought to you.
Mammon does this not to look down on you, but because he loves you so deeply, he's devastated any time he sees you hurt. Be patient with him, and he will learn to draw back his fear to a more appropriate level. Always know, though, that he worries about you constantly, so try not to give his demonic heart too many palpitations - yes?
Leviathan
Levi is in some ways more chill than his brothers, and in others far more extreme depending on the location you find yourselves in.
If you are in his room (which you will be a lot), then he will be very relaxed. As far as he's concerned, you are in his domain and thus perfectly safe. There's no need to worry about you getting hurt or stumbling upon any rivals.
If you are together in the outside world, however, he will be very on edge. You are the most important individual in his life, so any possibility of you leaving him by death or by choice is not acceptable.
He will try his damnedest to steer you away from large crowds or packed spaces because he will be terrified of losing you in the chaos. Being in any public place where he can't see you will drive his anxiety through the roof. His imagination is quite active, and his mind is always against him.
If you are with his brothers, then he will be particularly tense. He acknowledges both their capacity to drag you into dangerous shenanigans AND steal away your affections, neither of which are options he'd like to pursue.
He will rarely let you be alone with his brothers without express permission, and even then, he has likely shot a threat to them about minding your safety (and your relationship) beforehand. As he is third strongest, only Mammon and Lucifer would ignore his "requests" but only to a point. It's a terrible mess whenever he summons Lotan in the House…
If someone else hurts you retribution will be swift (and bordering on lethal) because he's far more worried about getting back to making sure you're alright. He won't have his Henry dying on his watch, after all.
If you happen to hurt yourself, expect him to stow you away in his room for even longer than usual. Your accidental demise is a recurring fear of his, so he will need a great deal of reassurance that you are still with him and not quite at death's door just yet (yes, even if you get a papercut).
Leviathan is so protective of you because he feels like he has the most to lose if you died/left. He interacts with so few people that having even one show him patience is a game-changer. He would have the hardest time moving on should your presence ever leave him, so protecting you is the best thing he can do to protect himself from that pain in the future.
Satan
Satan's protective nature is less overt than the others, but in many ways, it's more… intense.
He's more familiar than the others with the fragility of human bodies thanks to many years of casual study. Thus, he has bulked up his knowledge of your species in earnest to help keep you safe.
What we mean to say is, fear not, you're now dating a doctor. He may not have an M.D. to his name, but he's pretty damn close.
He will want to know about any slight inconvenience you may be experiencing, from a slight headache all the way to broken bones. He prefers to diagnose your problem quickly then use any combination of magic or medicine to heal your ailments. You will rarely struggle with ongoing discomfort again!
That being said, he can be quite pushy. There will be no, "I'll just sleep it off" with him. If it can be fixed, he will fix it. Your patience be damned.
If you somehow manage to hurt yourself… He will be disappointed, but he will not deny you assistance. He will lecture you if he sees you doing potentially reckless activities, though, because it's his (self-imposed) job to patch you up afterward.
It should really go without saying that most demons know better than to hurt someone he loves. He may not be the strongest of his brothers, but he is among the least merciful, and that does make a difference.
If, for whatever reason, one actually does manage to harm you, then you have an important choice to make. Do you allow him to act on his anger or be the one to show mercy when he will not? If you'd like to be charitable, please consult our helpful material, How to Calm Your Demon Boyfriend: Tame Demons, Save Lives.
At his core, Satan worries about his demonic side because he knows how easily his Wrath can take over. So he does his best to circumvent these destructive tendencies with nurturing ones. He may come off like a worrywart, but helping you is just as much an assurance to him as it is a service to you. He's not destined to hurt you. He can heal you instead.
Asmodeus
Asmo is a free-spirited individual who would like to afford you the same freedom that he enjoys… but he knows very well how fragile the human body is. He's had many human lovers over the years, so he's very familiar with your limitations.
However, he's also aware of how capable you can be despite your perceived weaknesses (he's been friends with Solomon for years, after all).
Unfortunately, this won't stop him from worrying about your safety entirely. It's nothing personal, we assure you. He simply wants to be sure the love of his life can be with him for as long as possible.
Asmo shows his protectiveness most when confronted. He's far more worried about some demonic lowlife taking advantage of you than he is you falling off a step ladder. He understands that accidents will happen and that most are ultimately harmless, but other people? They can do you far more harm.
Due to his disposition and rank, most demons won't take his claim to you seriously. This is to their folly. Though he may not be physically strong as his elder brothers or even Beel, what he lacks in raw power he makes up for in deception.
Like Mammon and Levi, Asmo will want to be close to you out in public, but he will come across as far more relaxed than those two. This is partly due to his more developed confidence and because it makes it easier for him to charm potential threats into leaving you alone. Things are taken care of quickly after that.
Should you get injured well… Asmo will not be much help for anything aside from getting you to someone who actually can. He'd likely panic worse than Mammon, so do your best to remain calm and assure him that you will be fine after a little assistance.
His treatment of you post-injury won't differ much from how it usually is, because again, he knows that when there's a human involved - it's bound to happen.
Asmo's fear of others, both tragically and ironically, stems from his sin itself. Though he always tries to champion his partners' consent, he knows more than anyone that others can let their Lust drive them mad... His worst nightmare is letting you fall victim to one of those monsters because, frankly, he wouldn't know what to do with himself if that ever were to happen.
Beelzebub
Beel is protection incarnate. This is something he's been doing long before you met and will likely continue to do until the end of his days. Protecting those he loves is in his nature.
That being said, this means is you are dating the equivalent of a demon-shaped Doberman Pinscher, loving and loyal to you and an absolute nightmare to your enemies.
Though he doesn't feel quite the same need to hang off you as Mammon might, Beel's protection can be likened to something like a hired-bodyguard. Close, but not too close, and always vigilant almost to a territorial degree.
If someone Beel doesn't like approaches you, he may growl at them. We would recommend you heed his warning. Beel is generally a good judge of character, and if something strikes him as off, then there may be cause for concern.
Fortunately for you, Beel does not jump to conclusions nor confrontation very often. Though he may act intimidating, he won't make any moves unless given an "Okay" from you beforehand.
This, however, does NOT apply if someone actually hurts you in any way. Though he may seem sweet and wholesome, please remember, he is a demon and the demon of Gluttony at that. Someone will be eaten for their transgressions, but he would rather you not watch if possible.
Truthfully, what will scare Beel far more than possible attackers are injuries in and of themselves. He has what basic first aid is afforded to anyone who plays sports but is nowhere near qualified to save you from something life-threatening... Should you become injured or sick, it would devastate him that he can no longer take care of you. He may even be at risk of a small breakdown as a result.
The events of Celestial War have perhaps taken their heaviest toll on Beel. Whether it's true or not, he carries a lot of the blame for what happened on his shoulders... The idea of going through something like that again, but now with you, scares him more than anything. Please remember, under that kind exterior lies dormant wounds that will likely remain unhealed long after you're gone...
Belphegor
Belphegor is a strange case because, in some respects, he is one of the most possessive of the brothers... But he's also the least overtly protective.
Part of it is, yes, his inherent laziness. Following you around all day would be quite a hassle. He also can't expect you to stay in bed with him 24/7 (not that he lets that stop him from trying). Even setting up complex background machinations to keep an eye on you would be too much work...
But that doesn't mean that he leaves you alone entirely. If there is one thing that Belphegor tries to shield you from, it's his brothers. For possessive reasons, yes, but also as a form of protection.
Belphie is acutely aware of how often his brothers' shenanigans can lead to disaster. As such, he'll try to drag you out of their problems as much as possible.
It's not lost on him that the events that lead to your first demise were all due your penchant for meddling in his brothers' affairs. So in his eyes, a fairly simple and effective way to keep you out of trouble would be to keep you from them as much as possible.
As far as injuries go… "He dislikes seeing you hurt" is the least complicated way of putting things. Seeing you with major injuries obviously triggers some uncomfortable and unwanted memories for him, as it would for you. However, his emotions quickly get muddled up in it...
The sudden combination of fear, panic, shame, and anger can strike him at once and leave him in a frozen or vulnerable state... Painful for sure, but also not helpful in that situation. Minor injuries, thankfully, do not cause this reaction.
If you're injured and Belphegor appears to be going through trauma, we recommend calling for assistance from someone nearby or a different brother if possible (Satan would be a good option). Once you're stable, Belphegor will be relaxed somewhat but may need some cuddling.
Even with his lazy attitude, Belphegor does care for you and will try to keep you safe in his own way. He may hide the intensity of his emotions behind a veil of apathy, but they run so strong that they can be paralyzing. Never doubt that he does love you, and try your best to be there for him when things become difficult...
More from the How-To series in Masterlist 1.0; More recent HCs in Masterlist 2.0
#obey me#obey me shall we date#shall-we-date-obey-me#obey me lucifer#obey me mammon#obey me leviathan#obey me satan#obey me asmodeus#obey me beelzebub#obey me belphegor#obey me headcanons#obey me how tos#obey me scenarios#tw: possessive behavior#tw: ptsd
1K notes
·
View notes
Note
hey! I saw you were taking requests , I was wondering how Loki would help his partner suffering through chronic pain? I suffer with fibromyalgia and Loki is a massive comfort character , thank you so much ❤️
Immeasurable | Loki x reader
a/n: hey sweetheart! ok, so i was doing some research and spoke to my friend who also has fibromayalgia, and this ended up being a little angstier than i intended. I hope that's ok, but please let me know if you want something that's just fluff all the way through and ill be more than happy to write that for you 🖤
warnings: a bit of angst/self doubt, melted ice cream
The whole night was spent in pain. You'd wake up, try in vain to rub away some of the discomfort, try to go back to sleep, and then repeat. By the time morning hit, you were still exhausted and it felt like there was nothing that would change that.
Deciding it best to stay in your room, you politely ask F.R.I.D.A.Y to let Tony know you would be out again today. He knew about the pain that often plagued you, and he knew that there was very little you could do about it. It wasn't your fault, and the treatments you normally used could only ease it slightly. You were in this one for the long haul, but hopefully this particularly bad feeling would ease soon.
Gathering with the team to eat was never one of the most coveted moments of the day for Loki. Oftentimes he much preferred to skip it. The one thing that always called him to the table though, was you. So when he arrived this morning to find your seat empty, he immediately began to worry.
When Tony spoke, alarms went off in his head.
"Alright team, today is gonna be another training day. Gotta keep sharp for any more...visitors." Tony gives him a somewhat-playful look and continues.
"We're doing another group exercise today. Since we're all here, I'm going to start teaming you all up!" All here? Clearly not everyone is here, so why was he acting as though someone very valuable wasn't missing entirely?
He claps his hands together and rubs them in excitement.
"Capsicle, I'm putting you with Point Break-"
"Stark, I believe you've miscounted." The team looks around, but ultimately decides to ignore him. Tony chuckles at the interruption, a small sign of anxiety flashing before his face that quickly vanishes.
"Nope! Definitely did not." He returns to giving out teams, but Loki was now even more concerned and ready to argue.
"It seems a cruel joke to ignore the absence of a member of the team you claim to care so deeply for." Loki tries to sound unconcerned. He desperately plays at nonchalance and wants everyone to believe that he's only bringing you up to make Tony's life harder.
They see right through it though. The two of you were nearly inseparable. Even trying to appear like he didn't care about where you were was...laughable.
"Alright, Reindeer Games, you clearly want a partner. You're with our dearly missed little teammate. It's not gonna be glamorous, but you're right. They're on the team and everyone needs to participate. " Tony grabs a water and a pint of ice cream from the freezer, tossing them to Loki and shrugging.
"What..?" How could they be partners if one of the duo wasn't here?
"Go on upstairs. I'm sure you're needed." Loki nods, still confused but more than eager to see you. Right as he reaches the doorway, Tony shouts one last thing at him.
"Hey, no funny business!"
You had wanted to get up and grab a drink for the last thirty minutes. Tony was great, but remembering some important things just wasn't on his list of strengths.
So, when you hear a knock at the door, you're desperately hoping it's the forgetful billionaire who owns the damn building.
"You can come in!" Loki opens the door slowly, a little nervous. For what, he's not sure.
When you see him, your heart drops. In your eyes, you were never as strong as the other members of your team, never quite as fast or resilient. Loki had never looked down upon you though. He never made you feel less than the rest. Giving him a reason to do so...that hurt you.
"What are you doing here?" The words come out strained, a new blossoming of pain joining the dull ache that already existed in your muscles.
Loki notices immediately and moves forward, just enough to let you know that he's there, but not enough to make you feel trapped.
"You're hurt? Who hurt you?" You try not to let anything show, to be strong and not ruin the image you hope he has in his head of you. But you can't.
"I'm okay." Once again, the words barely make it out. Loki steps forward again, face marred with a look of hurt and confusion.
"I am not blind."
You know you can't hide it. For as strong as you try to be, this was just something you couldn't always toughen up and push away. Deep down, you know that no one could. It was nothing to be ashamed of, and yet here you were, still scared of letting one of the only people who knew pain as well as you did in.
Looking back to Loki, you recognize the concern. There's no judgement or signs of cruelty. He just wants to know what's happening to you. Finally, you decide to tell him. Just...in a second.
Right now, something a little more pressing rises to your attention. You were still incredibly thirsty, and the effort to stay awake all morning had you feeling exhausted and dehydrated. Looking to the bottle, you point sheepishly.
"Can I have that?"
Loki watches you carefully, but gives you the water immediately. He places a little pint of ice cream on the nightstand before leaning down to get even closer to you.
With shaky hands, you bring it up to drink. His own palm rests against your raised one in an attempt to steady your shaking form. The fact that he didn't take it from you to hold it himself meant so much. You could do it, you just needed a little help.
"Tell me what's hurting you...please." His eyes plead with you, and although he would never force you to say or do anything, you know in that moment that you can't keep this to yourself any longer. Not from him. You place the bottle down and sigh.
Recognizing that you're preparing to share something difficult with him, Loki lifts his hand to gently stroke your cheek. You instantly lean into his palm.
"Okay. But first, can you please hold me?" Your eyes are watery as you speak, beginning to let down the facade. He’s going to know soon. There's no point in hiding.
Loki doesn't even respond. On any given day, he'd do absolutely anything you asked of him without question. On days when you clearly weren't okay...well he was willing to go above and beyond if it meant providing you with any comfort he could.
He climbs on to bed, gently wrapping his arms around you. You can tell he's afraid of hurting you. It warms your heart, but it also stings.
You're not fragile. You're not some weak little kid. Still, the feeling of him against you is too comforting to deny.
"Sometimes…" not wanting to lie, you revise your statement.
"Most times, I experience a lot of pain in my body. It changes every once in a while, but it never really goes away." Loki's eyes appear confused, guarded in a way that tells you he's unsure of how to respond. You give him a moment, and he finally decides he needs more information.
"Why?" His eyes scan your body, searching for any sign of injury. Anything that could be causing the obvious pain you're experiencing.
"It could be a mix of things. Genetics, stress, bad luck?" You shrug and try to smile a little, hoping that the last one could lighten the mood. It didn't.
"How do we stop it from hurting you? What can I do to help?" He looks so eager, as though you could tell him that you needed all of the infinity stones and twenty planets in order to take just the smallest amount of hurt away and he'd happily do it. The intensity with which he looks at you tells you that it isn't far off, if off at all.
You shake your head. He rises a little, just enough to lock eyes with you and attempt to tell you just how much he wanted to stop you from experiencing any discomfort. It couldn't be stopped though. You knew that.
"Please let me help." His fingers come up to stroke your cheek again, looking for any further contact he could get with you. It makes it hurt even more when you have to crush his hopes.
"There's nothing you can do, Loki. There's no cure or quick fix. I have to live with it."
It's like he barely hears you, rejecting your response before you can even really give it.
"No. No, there must be something we can do." He's so adamant about it, and as much as you appreciate his dedication, you've been through this before. Too many times to count.
"There’s not!" It's hardly a yell, more a frustrated little cry than anything. You didn't mean to get upset, but everything just felt like too much and you needed it to stop. Still, you regret losing your temper immediately.
Prepared to apologize, you look at Loki with tears in your eyes. What you see in him translates a million things to you, but one stands out more than any other: he wasn't looking for an apology. He didn't even seem to think one was necessary. Instead, he looks upset with himself.
"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" The question is valid. You both had shared so much with each other...this one just seemed to never have the right time. That's what you tell yourself anyways. What you end up telling Loki...well, it's the truth.
"I didn't want you to think I was weak. Everyone else already knows and I see the way they look at me. They think I'm some glass doll ready to shatter at any moment. I'm not!" Tears slip past your eyes and you can feel the beginnings of a new type of pain. Your heart hurt intensely now, having never shared those thoughts with anyone before.
Loki hugs you to him, kissing your forehead and holding you close.
"You're right. You're not made of glass. I need you to know that not one of those people looks down upon you. I've spent time with each of them, mostly unwillingly, but they all think the world of you." You shake your head. He couldn't be telling the truth, right?
"Furthermore, I want to apologize."
You pull back, questioning Loki.
"I told you, it isn't anyone's fault. You don't have to be sorry."
"No, as much as I hate that you're in pain, that's not what I mean. I want to apologize for making you think, even for a second, that you had to hide this from me. That you thought something like this would make me see you as less than you truly are. Your strength is immeasurable, and knowing that you remain so courageous and ready to help others when you experience this so often…well, how could I not be in awe of you?"
Kissing your forehead again, Loki settles down beside you. He lets you absorb his words, feeling the stiffness in your body alleviate slightly as you lay against him.
You didn't know what you expected when you finally told Loki. Honestly, you weren't entirely sure you ever planned to. This, though, was more understanding than you ever imagined.
"Thank you." Looking up, you can see the tiny smile form on his lips.
"For what, darling?" His fingers brush against your shoulder, hoping that the continued stimulus would take your mind off the consistent negative feeling at least a little.
"For understanding. And for being here." Your own fingers play with his shirt, feeling the soft material and taking comfort in his existence beside you.
"Thank you for allowing me to." Loki leans down, careful not to make any jarring movements. Kissing you gently, he smiles as you giggle against him.
"Now what's so funny, little one?" Your head shakes in embarrassment, but you still look over his shoulder as much as possible, trying to get a glimpse of the nightstand.
"You're going to think I'm crazy, but I saw you bring in ice cream and I've kind of been thinking about it a little this whole time." When he looks at you, shocked and more than a little taken off guard, you laugh even more.
"I find your dedication to it both very confusing and wildly impressive." He joins you in laughing, his joyful chuckle vibrating through his chest and making you smile in content.
Suddenly, your body grows tired again. A deep wave of fatigue hits you and you don't try to hide how it affects you. You don't have to, not with Loki. Not anymore.
Loki immediately grabs the container from the table. He opens it, brows scrunching as he takes in the goopy, melted mess.
You watch in fascination as his hand turns a deep blue, frosting the ice cream once more. He was pretty damn great.
"There. Not quite the same as it was, but hopefully good enough." Taking it from his hands and placing a bit in your mouth, you smile.
"It's perfect." Loki kisses you, humming happily.
"That you are." He licks his lips and nods his head in approval. "That tastes quite good."
You take another spoonful and give it to him, happily sharing one of your favorite treats while you both settle in to talk and watch something.
Hours later, you're still struggling to sleep. Loki watches as the sun sets, covering the room in a vast darkness. He hates the way your body tenses against him, the way he can't just take every last piece of hurt away from you. In that moment, he remembers all the times that he had felt pained in life. Decades flash before his eyes, until finally he lands on a memory from his youth, and he gets an idea.
Lifting his hand, Loki brings little fireworks to life. The colors dance across his fingertips, and when your eyes open after a particularly uncomfortable wave, you can't pull them away.
He watches, enchanted by the way the sparks of light reach your eyes. While your focus remains on the beauty his magic creates, his mind is only filled with how breathtaking you are.
It doesn't stop the pain, but it definitely does make going through it a little easier.
That's how it goes from then on. Most days you feel okay enough to keep fighting, but on the days that you don't, he's there. The treat may change from ice cream, to cookies, and one day a huge stack of candy that Loki seems far too giddy to try. Sometimes you watch movies, other times he reads to you instead. A lot of things change about the way you two learn to live with your pain, but one thing stays the same. You never have to go through it alone again.
#loki#loki imagine#loki odinson#loki laufeyson#loki fanfic#loki laufeyson x reader#loki x reader fluff#loki x reader fanfic#loki x reader#loki odison x reader#loki layfeyson imagine#tom hiddleston#marvel x reader#marvel fluff#marvel#loki fluff#loki x you#loki x y/n#loki angst#loki blurb#loki headcanon#loki series#loki show#loki disney+#mcu loki
193 notes
·
View notes
Text
Definitely, maybe.
Part five: The one who belongs to someone else.
Introduction. Part one. Part two. Part three. Part four.
Paring: Latina!reader x Logan Lerman x Tom Holland x Ben Hardy x Timothee Chalamet x Pedro Pascal x Michael B. Jordan
Warnings: Swearing, angst, misspellings, some Spanish, me learning how to write properly, and NY stuff that I've learned from movies that we all agree to pretend are real.
Word count: 6.4 k
a/n: You been asking for smut, I know, I know, I just wanted to introduce you to all the boys first, and we're getting there, just one more ahead. Also, I'm working on a masterlist because we are getting too many parts already.
All body types and skin tones friendly. You can also enjoy it as a no Hispanic reader. Constructive feedback and misspellings correction is always welcome.
Red and blue lights flash the driving mirror.
—No, no, no, por favor que no sea a mi—You beg to the sky looking at the patrol that is asking you to park, or someone else, there's a lot of cars in this part of the city, there's a big chance is the panic who's controlling your senses.—Dios, mi abuela fue a la iglesia cada domingo de su vida y nunca te pidió nada, please let me have some of her divina recompensa.—But that's not how it works, you end up parking with just a few seconds to think what to say. There's a perfect explication of why you are driving a car that is not yours in the middle of the night and smelling like a minibar.
Then this ridiculous thought comes to your mind, you look expensive, you've never seen the daughter of a senator but you must be close to it, it would make you less of a feminist if you just use your attributes? Ugh, you feel sick just to think about it but don't have enough money to pay a fine, and the constant paranoia of being chased all the time as an immigrant will only get stronger.
You pull down your dress a little so your neckline can do its job but you regret it immediately, and you're pretty sure you look more like an expensive prostitute who stole the car of his lover than some influential men's daughter.
—License and registration.—You hear him say when he approaches your window. You don't like this but you have to play the dumb tourist, the pretty foreign girl that is too stupid to be dangerous, with the look you have tonight it shouldn't be hard. But damn you hate cops, any uniformed man that works for the government is your eternal enemy, and you don't know how long you could keep the nice dumb Latina game before spit on his face.
—There's something wrong, officer? ...You?!—Your sexy and fake high voice is ruined when you see the face of the man who stopped you. This night couldn't get worse.
—Wait, what happened with the party?—Evan interrupts you while you finish some notes for work, little remainders for later when you don't have an eleven years old kid running around you, he's not usually this energic and you have to blame yourself for that, you're describing a life of excess and eccentric fun, something you let behind so many years ago that your own son doesn't know even a bit of it.
—Ugh, a nightmare doesn't worth telling.—You remember vaguely most of it but what keeps fresh in your mind is bad enough to don't want to bring it back.
—But if Timothée is my dad I have to know the important things, including the bad stuff.—Sounds perfectly reasonable and that's what makes you groan at him. Sometimes you feel blessed that your kid is better than you in any possible way, and sometimes you want to kill his brain with video games and reality shows like the rest of the parents.
—Ok, cool, but I'll keep all the +18 content for myself, so this part of the story might be blurry for you.—It kinda is for you anyway.
You should’ve known this night was cursed, you had a feeling because a) your earring fell off at the same time Timothée texted you to give you the party address and say he can't pick you up. And b) he won’t pick you up. Your mother would say that’s reason enough to not go, a real gentleman wouldn’t make you go to an unknown place in the middle of the night on your own in a city like this. But you decide to ignore it because you are a modern woman and because it’s worth it. It better be.
The outfit must be something special. You always take your time to choose what to wear, even if just another regular day, and since this isn't the case you thought about it for hours, that made your mind busy enough to not thinking about Tom and the whole love confession. He texted you saying he'll come for you to go to class together on Monday, which is completely impractical because he's way closer than you but is progress and you're going to take it.
You wanted to ask for Sheep's opinion but you thought she might not care, has been a few days since she started acting strange like she's bothered just to see you breathe. You want to blame his boyfriend to take all her time and attention from you but is probably just her new job, she got a small role in a Netflix show, and even when you're so happy for her, that's the event that has changed her into someone completely different. But you give her time, stress can do bad things to people.
The winner is the exact copy you made of the black and white striped dress Cameron Diaz wore in "The Mask" beautiful, classy, and sexy enough without being too scandalous, not that you have any problem with that, but this isn't the occasion, you don't want to feel like you're being too much or too little, just enough, it's supposed to be easy, right? you were born for this. Just adding some big shiny earrings you got on a thrift shop that look like real diamonds and you're ready, not that you own any to compare. Red lipstick, dark eyes, and a messy bun to get that disinterested pitch every look needs.
Getting there wasn't a problem, you were in the rich part of the city, everyone know who, where and what just to brag about it. The excitement is growing with every second, you check your makeup like thirty times in the elevator and send texts to your mom just to let her know where you are, and because you have to share that moment with someone and you are limited of friends these days.
Timothée opens the door with red eyes, drunk, high, or somewhere in between, you know then you were right about the bad feeling. He jumps on you to kiss you and no matter how much you try to explain the delicacy of your lipstick, he does it anyway, leaving a taste of alcohol and shrimps in your mouth. Taking you by the waist he walks you to a group of people you don't know while you're trying harder to fix the red color of your mouth without a mirror.
—Here is the companion I bought, look at her, that's how five grand per hour look like.—They laughed but you were too disoriented to process all the things he said, it was supposed to be a joke? if it is, why isn't he correcting? Instead, his hand goes straight to your ass and presses it to get you closer to him.
—I'm actually an intern in the costume designer department of the new version of "Sense and Sensibility".—You wanted to mention your recent promotion to hairstylist and makeup artist but that might be too pretentious. Anyway, they don't seem to care what you are or not, in fact, they don't even see you, all eyes are on Timothée
—Oh, well, is easy to forget when you're paying them—All laughs again. Who is this person? Who are all these people, actually? You recognize some influencers, a few cast members but there's no sign of the director, other main actors, not even his co-star. You feel like an extra in a movie where someone will be killed in a luxury party, hopefully not you. You take his hand from your body and clear your throat.—I'm just joking my love, she looks stunning, isn't she? I’ll get you a drink.
He leaves and the group of people surrounding you suddenly dissipated like boiling water, you were on your own again and despite some judgmental gazes is like you’re not there, you’re sure you could just take your dress off and throw it to someone’s face and unless Tim says something about it, no one would care. You’re there as his companion, an ornament, and that’s not enough to earn their attention because it’s too obvious you’re the one in turn.
You walk to the only window no one is smoking and check your phone, you know, the thing you do when you pretend you have important issues to attend, but no, you end reading some old messages, pictures, texting your mom of how much fun you’re having at the party, and somehow you check your filed Facebook messages to find Logan’s name. You cover the screen so fast you hurt your nail, his name is enough to make you tremble like a Chihuahua, you haven’t talked to him since that night, you know from his sister he lives in the house he bought for you two and he’s having the happiest life without you. You want to believe that because that means you took the right decision but deep inside… no, you can’t be that person, you want him to be happier than ever.
You find the guts to open the message, and you read as slowly as is humanly possible. “My angel, I hope this finds you in perfect health…” Dios, just Logan could start a message like that, your smile is almost too big to fit in your face so you bit your nail to cover it a little. “I recently found one of the human body drawings you made for me to study, you’ll be happy to know…”
—That’s a fucking long-ass message.—Tim appears behind you and takes your phone from your hand, spilling some of his drink on your dress in the process. Apparently, he's been there long enough to read part of the message.
—Give it back.—You command in the most severe voice you have, your magical moment got ruined and you remember the hole of hell you are.
—"My angel, I hope this finds you in perfect health. I recently found one of the human body drawings you made for me to study, you must know I still use them now and then"—Timothée starts reading the message, and even when no one is close enough to hear it and you don’t really care about this people’s opinion, that’s not for anyone to read, that’s one of the few parts of your life you treasure the most and you’re not ready to get over it.—You little slut, are you cheating on me with a med student?
—Give it to me.—You repeat trying to take the phone from his hand but he’s faster and walks away putting it out of your reach.
—"I meticulously preserve them, I certainly know any piece of art made by you will be priceless in the near future"—You don’t want to hear it coming from his drunk mocking voice, so you try to ignore what he’s saying and put more effort on chasing the phone.—Should I had kept the jeans where you left the wet spot on? I didn’t know you were an artist, my love.
—Timothée, por el amor de Dios.—Now you're trying to climb him, it wouldn't be that hard to take him down, he's skinny and you're fierce. That's what you thought but he's not moving even with you are on top of his shoulder and his opposite long arm keeps the phone away from you.
—Who is this guy and why is he talking to my girl like this?—You see the olive eyes getting darker and the tone of his voice went deeper than you thought he could do. You desist from taking the phone, you know the bullies love the attention, maybe that's exactly what he wants and give it to him just makes it worse.
—I'm not your girl.—You claim fixing up your dress having enough of games, and you have no reason to keep worrying about losing your job, the filming is done, and apparently your relationship with him too. You don't care about any of that anymore, just want to read Logan's text.
Even behind all the alcohol and the eyes injected in blood thanks for who knows what kind of drug, you can see the disappointment and anger, but it's not a broken heart, Is the hissy fit of a child that loses his balloon and now everyone will pay for it, especially you.
—Are you sure about that?—You can see him swallow hard, almost looking vulnerable, but his voice is defiant and threatening to prove you wrong. He just has to stretch out his arm to reach the open window with your phone in hand, his intentions are clear and the only thing you can do is raise your hands as a reflex.—You were mine the moment you put a foot on my trailer, and I don't fucking share my stuff.—Before you can say a word he drops the phone from the fourth floor.
You know is senseless but you find yourself running out of the party and going to search the device, using it also as an excuse to get away from that place. This is the first time someone makes you feel meaningless, you know the famous' world is cold and lacking in empathy but this is ridiculous, they're a bunch of parasites fed by attention and power. By Timothée.
The screen is crashed and the rest of it is probably beyond repair, not that you're surprised, its life is longer than you've been in the country and you admit you should have replaced it much earlier but you're not the kind to throw away things that still work. However, is not the phone you are worried about, not as much as what it contains.
—That was obsolete anyway, I'll get you a better one.—You didn't know he was following you, his voice interrupts your self-wailing. He sounds calmer and a little embarrassed, but not enough to say sorry, you don't think he's capable of saying it.
You shake your head and start to walk away without a word, you don't want anything from him, not materially, at least.
—Don't make a scandal out of it, it's just a phone!—He yells erasing any trace of regret in his voice. He doesn't see the reaction he expected and that's when he runs after you and with a hand on your upper arm pulls you back, you gasped for the sudden bluntness.—That annoying habit you have of leaving when I'm talking to you.
You push him away with all the strength you have, which resulted in him almost falling on the ground.
—I don't care about the stupid phone!—You finally break, but sadly is not as satisfactory as you thought it would be.—You are mean, vain, arrogant and the worst part is that you enjoy being this despicable human because you have absolutely no consequences to it. Everyone around you just accepts it and I feel so sorry for you because the only possible way for you to fill the void inside is to be surrounded by that crowd of mules licking your steps—To your surprise, he has nothing to say, he's just standing there with no facial expression, whatever he feels is easily covered by his years of experience acting, even drunk.—I can't give you that and it's obvious they don't want me either. What am I even doing here?—You ask yourself thinking where would be the best way of getting a cab, is a rich zone, must be easy.
—Everything is better when you're around—His voice is thin and fragile, you have to process what he said three times in your head to understand his words. You're not willing to look at him yet.—You're not like the others.
—Pure bullshit. You love to repeat that misogynist discourse of girls being in a certain way because is easier than be responsible for the people you choose to be—You were hugging yourself the whole time, is a cold night, but not enough to be bothersome, you enjoy Fall weather—You got me for a moment, I give you that, you fooled me but I'm too tired of guessing what version of you is real—When you return your gaze at him, he doesn't try to hide the guilt anymore, but there's still haughtiness in there.—Now, if you don't mind Mr. Chalamet, I need to get a cab.
—No, you came with me, you leave with me.—There's no trace of alcohol in his voice anymore, a good scolding is enough to put you sober, you know that thanks to your mom. Oh god, you're becoming her.
—You didn't bring me here, gigantic head—You look at him and put your hand in front of him with the palm up. He stares at it for several seconds before put his own on it—Not that!—You shake it and start looking inside his jeans pockets until you feel the metal of his key car.—You can't drive and I have to get home. You'll find it in the studio tomorrow.
That's how you ended with a car way more luxurious than you expected, driving so slowly and carefully that the police stopped you. What a night, but at this point, you couldn't care less about anything that is not that message, is been months and you can't get over it, over him. Not even Ben moans, Tom's comforting arms, or fight with a movie star at 3:00 am. is enough to get him out of your mind.
—So is true, you don't wear anything that hasn't appeared in a movie, huh?—Michael B. Jordan is leaning on the car window with a mocking smile and a sparkle of satisfaction that you would love to punch but his uniform keeps you in line, where you come from police is not equal to justice, most of the times is oppression.
—You know where it's from?—That was kind of comforting, no one at the party noticed. Not that you care.
—Is The Mask, not some Adam Hitchcock's blurb.—He smiles and even when you really don't like him, it's nice to be with a familiar face, you are really tired of running away, scaping for problems that are a result of your null capacity to deal with emotions. Ugh, what a word.
—Is Alfred Hitchcock, actually.—You didn't want to sound priggish, but you correct him with no time to stop yourself, an old habit.
—You got me, smarty, you know more than movies than me. Where did you get this car?—You feel really nervous even when you got this legally, you have your documents and license on time and he's being nice enough to not want to run away in a car that you technically borrowed for yourself.
—It's not mine.—No shit, Sherlock.
—No shit, Sherlock, I was asking where did you steal it.—You wanted to laugh but there's something with the uniform that just doesn't allow you to be yourself.—Are you drunk?
—No, no, fuck, no, it's just, I don't feel comfortable with cops—He raises his eyebrows but that is his only reaction.—Listen, is my boss' car, I'm doing the favor to take it to the studio, and I'm really nervous because is fucking expensive, he's an asshole, I haven't drive un almost a year because you people only use cars if you're rich or your work and lives depend on it. I'm starving.—The last part came out of nowhere, you haven't eaten anything in almost 13 hours, maybe that's the actual reason why you are that moody.
He doesn't answer right away, takes his time to look at you, what makes you blush, he's really close, closer than he's ever been. Does he smell like green apples? Not the actual apples, the artificial smell they had given to them.
—Get out of the car.—Oh no, is he arresting you? Is he finally taking revenge for every time you make fun of his Hawaiian-type shirts? You know you have too much karma accumulated and a cop making you pay for it when you don’t believe in their sense of justice is kinda poetic, and evil.
You don’t want to discuss with someone with a taser, gun, pepper spray, or who knows what else. So you take your bag, the key car, and get off defeated.
—My turn is almost over, I’ll take you to eat something, c’mon.—He walks back to his patrol and you stay still for a few seconds still processing his words, you must look totally devastated for him to offer that. How you see it you have two options, go with him and spend an awkward hour with a person you don’t like or risk getting a fine, Tim can pay it, it’s not a big deal but you don’t want to owe him even the minimal thing.
You get in the car holding on to your bag to feel calmer, this is the first time you’re fully alone with him since you found him half-naked in your kitchen. Those defined abs may never leave your brain.
—Are you cold?—He interrupts your thoughts with his question, you didn’t notice you were shaking. He looks for something under his seat and gives you an NYPD hoodie, you hold it doubting your next move, is not like you don’t appreciate the gesture but it’d be easier to take if it doesn’t get that words printed—Is clean.—He says chuckling when he sees the way you’re looking at it.
—Is not that, just, you know, fuck the police, defund the NYPD, demilitarize the pigs and that stuff.—You say putting on the hoodie anyway, is a cold night and you won't help the institution wearing their propaganda.
—Yeah, I get it, but you can't change the system just from within.—You decide is not the right moment to have a political conversation so you shrug your shoulders and discreetly smell the hoodie, a mix of cologne, green apples, and cheap soap, you know is cheap because you buy the exact same, do its job.
—I'm in the mood for pizza.—You say casually, making a deal to yourself to try to be his friend, he is a small part of your life anyway.—Domino's is open at this time of the night?
—Tell me you're not consuming that shit, dear Lord, you been here for how long, two years? I can't believe your idea of a good pizza is Domino's. Stella hasn't taught you anything?—You're surprised by the level of condescension with a pizza and you mirror his smile, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Your school program includes people from all around the world so you don't have that much experience with actual new yorkers. Logan is rich, so he doesn't really count.
—What's wrong with Domino's? I don't buy much street food, is cheaper to buy things on the food market. Besides, all pizza is good.—The mention of Sheep makes you a little tense, so you don't say anything about it, is not a conversation to have with him.
—Don't blaspheme in the patrol, I just washed it—You laugh, finally, after a terrible weekend. You can see why she likes him, there is something about his voice, smile, and his eyes that feel... calm, like watching Friends after a marathon of Lord of the Rings.—There are rules to survive this city, and I'm surprised you have made it this far without a proper guide.
—Chill out Mr. Miyagi, I'm not from the jungle, and I've learned a lot by myself.—He gives you a lopsided grin as a request, and you put your fingers up ready to enlist your acquired knowledge.—Walk fast, like you're about to be stabbed, something that actually happened to me, with an umbrella—He nods and laughs being related to it.—Number two, no small talk, no one cares, even if they ask. Number three, if you look a stranger in the eye, especially a homeless person, you have essentially invited them to approach you.
—Number four, we never eat from Domino's, Papa John's, Pizza hut, or any other chain restaurant, only trucks and local places are allowed.—You roll your eyes but you get the point, is just, again, you're not much into street food, it doesn't taste like home and the only way to eat food like that is preparing it yourself.
—Fine, fuck capitalism, let's support local places—You make an obvious fake enthusiastic tone but he nods proudly.—Number five, you don't need a car to live here, not even know how to drive. I would have successfully avoided this police brutality if I had followed that rule.
—For someone who is about to eat for free, you whine too much.—He parks the car and gives you a sign to go with him. You see him go to a pizza truck and order, you realize at the moment how ridiculous you look, so before chasing him you let your hair down, take your huge earrings off, and roll up the skirt of your dress until your mid-thighs letting the hoodie cover the rest, and clean the red lipstick with a Kleenex from your bag. Now you look more like a college person and not a rich girl who just got seized.
—Here you go.—He says giving you a slice as big as your head, looks oily and spreading cheese everywhere. Perfect.
—Is it vegan?—You ask receiving the food with an obnoxious face. His kind grind turned into a dread expression and you give him your second laugh of the day.—I'm kidding.
You are about to give it a bite when you see passing next to you a huge rat with the exact same slice as yours in its mouth, running into the dark of the night happy to have obtained the food for its family. They use to scare you when you just moved out but now they're like any other pigeon in the sky.
—Rule... whatever, a rat with a slice of pizza is a symbol for good luck, congratulations.—He pets your head awkwardly, not sure if you're ok with the physical contact, which, surprisingly, you are.
—I see rats with bagels all the time.—Pizza and bagels, that's the main culinary wonders of the city, you like it, not much to object but is hard not to compare it with your home's food.
—Is easy to confuse a rough diamond with a simple rock.—You both eat in silence, enjoying the mixed sounds of the city and all the different smells, the whole situation feels like one of those lofi music videos. You remember thinking about moments like this before getting the scholarship, what would it be like to feel normal in the city of your dreams.
—How do you know that much about movies?—He asks after a few minutes when you take a break to drink something, that pizza is not easy to take.
—When I was a kid a spent much time on my own, so my dad bought me a used DVD reproducer, and at the corner of my neighborhood was this movie store where you could buy 5 pirate movies for one dollar. They were blurred, with a terrible sound, and most of the time with the wrong movie inside but they helped me to not feel lonely. Eventually, the store closed but I've watched everything in it by then—He gives you a warm smile, you never told that story to anyone, not because is too intimate to share, but because no one asked, it doesn't sound like a question with a complex answer.—Anyway, I watched Marie Antoinette when I was like eight, and I decided at that moment that however is done I wanted to be part of that magic.
—You hear all kind of people chasing dreams in this city but is hard to find someone who actually deserves it.—You blush and you cover it with your hair but the smile on your voice is impossible to hide.
—Is that a compliment? You must really want me to like you to date Sheep.—You laugh but you can see his face tense, so you can guess your friend has been busy breaking everyone’s hearts.
—She hasn’t returned my calls in three days so I don’t think there’s much you can do—You nod, all this time you thought he was the reason she is ignoring you but apparently you are both in the same boat.—But yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking, what I should have said is, Marie Antoinette at eight? I can see where all the damage started.
You gasp and throw your napkin at his head, he easily catches it without even looking at it and laughs; that was unexpectedly attractive.
—Why a cop?—You ask, not sure where that question came from, maybe you authentically want to know more about him, he just bought you food, and honestly, that's the easiest way to win your trust.
—I wanted to be an actor when I was a child. This is the city of opportunities so you may think that if you want to chase the big wonder, this is the perfect place to do it. But I grow up surrounded by these people giving their entire lives to get something just given to one in a million so I decided is not worth it. For many years I wondered what I wanted to do with my life and the answer was really clear, my dad was a cop, a good one, or that’s what people say. I don’t remember much because he died when I was seven—Conversations about death are not your strength, everything can turn out uncomfortable if you choose the wrong words.—It might not be that glamorous but if my father died for it, it surely worth it.
—For the good ones.—You raise your almost empty can of Coke and he does the same with a grin that warms the cold weather of the night.
—For the good ones.
The next two hours passed like minutes talking about anything and everything. It just felt right to talk freely with him, you didn’t feel judged for your awkward family moments or your random thoughts, not even once because he told you his too. At some point of the night he borrowed you his gym sweatpants, any of you could just suggest going home but that was off the table, end that peace just for weather reasons would have been a tragedy.
—I read Timothée Chalamet is a dick. Is that true?—The mention of his name remains you of your life and everything that comes with it, including the middle semester project that you must dedicate your entire day, one that is about to start.—What, you can’t talk about it?
—He is a complete dick with no sense of privacy or human decency—And when he interrupts a deep kiss to look at your eyes, smile, and caress your chin, you feel like a character of his Victorian movies. But he didn’t ask that.—But the next week he’ll be no longer my problem.
—That’s why we have rule twenty-three, don’t ask for a picture of a celebrity unless they are local—You have heard about it before but you haven’t got the opportunity to decide if you like that rule because the only celebrities you have seen are from work and that club’s party opening.—That means you’ll be free to go to the Stephen Kings’ movie projection there will be for Halloween.
You don’t know if that was a proposition, a suggestion, or just a simple recommendation, and whatever it is, you noticed he was nervous to ask. Is it wrong? It feels wrong like you were betraying your friend accepting to hang out with his boyfriend without her consent. But he didn’t ask you to go with him so is safe to answer.
—Yeah, I guess—You get a moment, four seconds top, where you shared innocent, curious, and tenting gazes like three graders in the playground. And that’s the further you will allow yourself to go.—We better leave, if the sunlight touch me I’ll turn into dust.
You get off the car hood and go to the side door, but this time he opens it for you. You give him a “seriously?” Look, receiving a little push in your arm as a response.
↬☀︎︎
A distant voice asks you to wake up, softly whispers that turn into caresses on your cheek, your eyes feel so heavy, even when you are well aware of your environment your eyelids keep closed.
—Good morning, Princess—This is the first time Tom calls you that way, the change from silly nicknames to Princess is enough to get you out of hibernation. He is squatting beside your bed, his smile is the promise of a better day, and chasing that idea you give him one small back.—Your mom has been texting me desperately all day, she said you're not answering her calls and is worried.
—Fuck, my phone broke last night, can I call her from yours?—That’s an oversimplification but in the search for a better story, that's what you decide to believe and tell. Tom nods and gives it to you, he looks happy, beyond that, this is the first time you see that subtle blush on his cheeks and the eyes sparkling. You sit on the bed next to his body looking for your mom's number, slowly he moves between your legs, you have shorts and an oversized Back To The Future t-shirt, you got took the time to prepare yourself to bed last night and keep Michael’s clothes inside your closet to wash them, like The Tell-Tale Heart, a little innocent secret who feels dirty somehow
The conversations with your mom are always long, nostalgic and the tears are hard to hold for both parts; after a long life sharing almost every day with her, her absence never feels smaller. But this time is different, Tom is exploring the bare skin under your knee with his warm hands, asking for permission with curious eyes, and when you don’t object to the touch the British boy keeps his exploring mission cautiously, giving special attention to see your eyes in case something change. Is time to hang up when he gives a long and loving kiss to your knee, the less erotic kiss you could think of but so intimate to bristle your skin.
—Not nice to touch someone's daughter when is talking to her mom.—The protest of your voice loses strength at every word, he heard that and just straight his back to reach your face, the gap is almost extinct.
—We're okay, she likes me.—He assures holding your hips and pulling you a bit to him. Tom looks very comfortable with the new closeness authorization, you like it but are not very sure about it yet, most of you still think of him as your best friend.
—Did she tell you that? Are you talking with my mom behind my back?—You laugh when he does, almost like nothing changed.
—She adores me, I swear, I'm invited to Christmas, you know?—You're not surprised, she invites everyone, Logan was too but the first time he got family plans and didn't make it to the second.
—You should go, maybe we can do...—His lips touch yours in a peak at the middle phrase and makes you forget what you were about to say.—Man, the audacity to interrupt...—Then he kisses you again, deeply, using his tongue to taste your inner lip and his hands holding your shirt in fists. That's a twist of events.
—Is that ok?—You hear a weak whisper coming out of his voice but you got so mesmerized on his lips that decided to ignore it and kiss him back instead. He responds to your touch and starts to lean over you to make you lay on the bed.
Jesucristo bendito, is this happening? like, actually happening? you must look like trash, you barely took all the makeup from the night before and didn't take a shower, you start to get so worried about smells, feelings, and what that'll mean to your already too much-spoiled friendship.
However, the time of doubts is done when Sheep starts yelling in the living room, you both reacted running to the sound and looking for your blonde friend. Michael is there but doesn't look like the same as a few hours ago, is annoyed and tired for the lack of sleep, a look that doesn't match him at all.—What did you do?—You ask him fast assuming she's mad for something he did.
—Just in time, the star of the movie, I was wondering how much it will take you to be the protagonist of this.—That is Sheep's voice talking about you and what must be your heart breaking from her words.
—Excuse me?—You wish your tone would be less savage but you can't help respond the same way she did.
—Logan wasn't enough, then you got the drummer, fucking Timothée Chalamet, Tom and now my boyfriend. I'm so glad I didn't leave you alone with my dad or I'd be calling you mom now.—You have no words to that, Michael doesn't even dare to look at you, he must have told her something she misunderstood, but Sheep, or well, Stella is saying things she actually thinks and keep to herself. Tom walks in front of you whispering things to her to calm her down but she is not looking at him, you didn't tell her anything about Tom either so he's taking responsibility this time.—Go ahead and fuck the whole city, Michael if that please you but you're crossing the line with Tom and you know that, you're going to ruin him as you ruin every man that enters in your life.—She has a very you moment having the last word of the dispute and getting out of the apartment with Michael going after her but not putting much effort in it.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
Taglist:
@eridanuswave @cjand10 @deluxeplanteater @rorodendra @navs-bhat @coxxxxxpi @leviosatothestars
Thanks for all the love and support, if you have opinions, suggestions, or want to be part of the tag list (Or don’t want to be part anymore) let me know, I appreciate every message.
#ben hardy imagine#michael b jordan fc#tom holland x reader#timothee chalamet fanfiction#pedro pascal#logan lerman fc#definitely maybe#fluff#angst#timothee chalamet#Tom Holland#Ben Hardy
111 notes
·
View notes
Text
“resentment”
Pairing: oikawa x fem!reader
Genre: angst
Summary: you used to love oikawa’s determination, his drive, his willingness to give his all and sacrifice everything to get the things he wants. now those are the same things that make you resent him.
WC: 6,700
Warnings: lots of angst, explicit language, reader’s kinda petty but so is oikawa, relationship isn’t toxic or anything but it could def be better
A/N: shoutout to @shadowkunoichi for this request! your ask gave me enough serotonin to last for the rest of the week <3 it’s also important to note that the moment i saw oikawa’s smug ass face on screen my brain and heart immediately went “this the one” so here’s some pain ft. my favorite setter -Dawn
The first few times Oikawa cancels your dates for extended volleyball practice, you tell yourself it doesn’t bother you. You’re disappointed, of course –you barely see him enough as it is, despite living together for three months, despite dating for a total of eight– but it’s not the end of the world. It’s just another compromise you have to make, and it probably won’t be the last.
That’s what relationships are about, anyway, you remind yourself firmly, whenever the silence of your too-big for one person apartment starts to get to you. Compromise.
You’re no stranger to compromise, either. You can’t be, not when you’re dating a pro-athlete. You know better than anyone how talented Oikawa is, how admired. He’s worked so hard, and you’re so proud of him. You may not know much about sports, but you do know that your boyfriend has an amazing career ahead of him.
And while the selfish part of you would like to keep him all to yourself, you also know it won’t always be possible, and you tell yourself you’re okay with that. You love Oikawa, and you support every single one of his dreams, even if doing so means you have to eat dinner on your own sometimes.
It won’t always be this way, you tell yourself. It’s just for now. And it definitely doesn’t mean he loves you any less.
That’s what you tell yourself.
It helps that he’s always sorry about it. You hear it in his voice whenever he calls you to tell you he won’t be home until late, see it in the guilty way his eyes search for yours through the screen when he FaceTimes you to let you know you shouldn’t wait up for him. He’s even more torn up about it than you are most of the time, blowing your phone up with apologetic voice notes and text messages with too many emojis.
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: babe 😔😔
[you]:: yes baby?
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: 😔😔😔😔
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: 😩😩😭😭
[you]:: oh boy
[you]:: you’re not gonna be home in time for dinner, are you?
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: i don’t think so 😩😔 we have that game coming up so we’ll be practicing all night
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: i’m so sorry baby ☹️☹️ but i’ll have to miss dinner again 😭😭
[you]:: it’s fine, i’ll just find someone else to share my chicken with
[you]:: speaking of, u have ushiwaka’s #? i wanna see something
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: STOPPPP 😭😭 i’m sorry!!!
[you]:: allegedly
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: stop 😭😭 i mean it!! i love you pls don’t hate me 😩☹️
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: i’m really sorry babe ☹️☹️
[you]:: if ur apology doesn’t include dollar signs then i don’t wanna hear it
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: check ur email
[you]:: ??
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: 👀😇
You check your email, and sure enough, there’s a gift card there to your favorite clothing store, along with a note that reads “financial compensation for putting up with me <3 also if u ever share chicken with ushiwaka i’ll cry and then die so pls don’t.” It makes you laugh so hard you forget about being upset with him in the first place.
[you]:: i was joking!! u didn’t actually have to send me anything u weirdo
[pretty (annoying) boy 💙 ]:: i know 😇😏😘
And when he does make it home that night with an apology on his lips, a bouquet of flowers, and a promise that he’ll make it up to you, it’s hard to do anything else besides forgive him. Because you know that no matter how crazy both of your schedules are, no matter how lonely you might feel without him at your side, he loves you more than anything, and you love him as much in return. And for a while, that’s enough.
Until it isn’t.
You’re thankful to have successfully made it through your first year of grad school with just a caffeine addiction and minor bags under your eyes, but not having to attend your classes or meet with your professors over the break means you’re at the apartment a lot more. You still have your job, but it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore Oikawa’s absence.
It’s not just dates he’s missing anymore. It’s family events, outings with your friends, getaway trips the two of you planned weeks in advance.
You know it’s not his fault. He has things he wants to accomplish, goals he set for himself long before he met you. The Olympics are coming up, and he needs to be ready. You can’t blame him for staying late to get in some extra practice, or for having to attend events with his teammates and his fans instead of you.
You can’t blame him for any of it, at least not without feeling selfish and unsupportive, and somehow that just makes it worse.
It takes you longer than you’d like to admit to build up the courage to talk to him about it. You almost don’t want to bring it up at all, but after weeks of missed dates and apology bouquets, of waking up without him and going to sleep before he gets home, you crumble. You don’t think you can keep grinning and bearing it anymore, not without starting to resent him.
You confront him while he’s sitting at the kitchen island in the middle of your shared apartment. It’s rare he doesn’t have a game on the weekend, even rarer he gets to spend the afternoon with you. It almost makes you reconsider –will this ruin your time together?– but you hold fast. You know that if you don’t bring it up now, then you probably never will, and you’re not sure you can take that much more silent heartache.
Oikawa, for his part, does well to listen as you speak. He watches you intently, pretty brown eyes soft and searching, as you tell him about how neglected you’re feeling, how lonely.
You know he’s not doing it on purpose. You know he’s meant every single one of his apologies, and that this is what you signed up for when you agreed to be in a relationship with him. And you love how driven he is, how determined he is to succeed.
You just...you miss him. That’s what it boils down to in the end: how much you miss him. You miss him now more than that time he left to spend a month back home in Japan while you stayed in Argentina, despite the fact that you’re in the same country this time, despite the fact that you share the same apartment. It shouldn’t be possible, but it’s true.
“I know your career is important, and I would never try to get in the way of that,” you tell him, quietly, tiredly. There’s an exhausted air around you he’s never seen before, the kind of whispered sadness that breaks his heart. “But sometimes, Tooru...sometimes it feels like I’m dating a ghost. And I’m not mad at you, or angry, I’m just...lonely.”
You finally look at him, and the emotion in his eyes startles you. He’s actually tearing up –“you’re such a crybaby,” you like to tease him when his eyes water during sad movies, but you always comfort him anyway– and it’s enough to make your eyes fill with tears, too. He looks so sad, so broken, like knowing he’s hurt you –even if it’s been completely unintentional– hurts him too.
He’s quick to stand and walk over to you, wrapping his arms around you tightly. You return the embrace, resting your head against his chest while one of his hands moves to cradle the back of your head.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispers into your hair, and you can tell by the way his voice shakes that he means it. “I know things have been crazy lately, but that’s no excuse for leaving you here alone. I never want you to feel like you’re anything besides the most important person in my life. I love you so much, and I promise I’m going to fix this. Things will get better, I swear.”
And in that moment, you believe him. You trust him, after all, and you know he doesn’t make promises he can’t keep. So you let him mumble reassurances into your hair, let him kiss your breath away and shower you in the affection you’ve been missing for far too long.
It’s so easy to get lost in it, lost in him. Too easy.
He’s always been like that; charismatic and witty, magnetic and charming. It doesn’t help that he’s totally gorgeous, too. You knew, from the moment you met him, that if you ever let yourself fall in love with him, you’d be in trouble. It’s why you never took any of his advances seriously, at least not in the beginning.
But he was able to chip at your resolve with every teasing smile and playful wink, every reverent touch and whispered words meant just for you. He let you get to know him; the real him, not that flippant and perfect pretty boy facade he presents to the rest of the world, and so of course you fell for him, because how could you not?
Oikawa is stubborn and prideful, exhausting and even sometimes petty, but he makes you feel like you’re the strongest person he knows. He looks at you like you’re the only one he’ll ever want to see. He makes you laugh and keeps you on your toes, and you know right away –before you moved in together, before you told him you loved him– that you will never love anyone the way you love him, because no one else will ever be able to compare.
That’s why it’s so easy for you to believe him now. Because you know he loves you and that you love him, and the two of you are determined to make this relationship work. So when he promises that things will change, that he’ll be more present from here on out, you believe him.
It’s the first promise he’s ever made to you that he doesn’t keep.
For every event Oikawa does bother to make it to, he misses two more. Your parents, who adore him, wonder why they never see him anymore. Your friends start to ask if you even still have a boyfriend. You find yourself asking the very same thing.
You stop inviting him to events at your university and lunches with your friends. You don’t want to set yourself up for disappointment anymore, and you figure it’s easier to just save yourself from the inevitable. The apology gifts he gives you start to feel hollow, empty, just like your apartment. You stop opening them, letting them pile up in the corner of your living room. Eventually, he stops giving them to you.
You’re not sure if you’re thankful for that, or if it upsets you even more.
The Olympics get closer each day. Oikawa’s practices become more intense and even longer than they already were. There are so many things he needs to do now: games to play, meet and greets to attend. Sometimes if he’s out too late he just doesn’t come home at all. The team sets him up at a hotel, and he stays there for the night instead.
It gets harder to catch his scent on his pillow where it lays beside you in bed, untouched and forgotten. It should hurt you more, but it doesn’t.
There’s an event being held back in Japan, promising a night of drinking and dancing and schmoozing. All the investors and international players and coaches will be there, and you promised a while back to be Oikawa’s plus one.
The vindictive part of you wants to cancel on him, just so he knows how it feels, but you decide you can put your pettiness aside for a few nights if it means free booze and food and a comfortable stay at some ridiculously fancy hotel. You wonder if that’ll be enough to fill the hole he’s made in your heart.
Besides, you want to remind him that you’re the kind of person who keeps your word, even if he’s not.
The flight is long and exhausting. So is finding your hotel and forcing yourself to get dressed, but you get through it. Oikawa looks unfairly stunning in his suit, but you try not to notice. He arrives at the party with you on his arm, wearing a silky gown that matches his tie and jewelry that glitters whenever it catches the light.
You’ve barely talked to each other the whole way here, but at the party, amongst his teammates, old rivals, and friends, you’re the perfect couple. You smile, laugh, and dance exactly when you’re supposed to. You play your role so well that no one notices how numb you are, not even Oikawa, even though he’s supposed to know you better than anyone else.
Maybe that’s why you find yourself at the open bar. Oikawa’s off mingling with god knows who, swamped by dozens of people who are always seeking his favor, trapped in his orbit. They praise his hard work, his tenacity, his determination. Once upon a time, you would’ve done the same.
But things are different between you now. What used to be Oikawa’s endearing stubbornness is now an outright refusal to meet you halfway. His determination to be the best has become an inability to compromise; his passion has become obsession. It’s strange to think how all the things that used to make you love him now just make you resent him.
But the liquor here is free and flowing so you knock it back like water, and it’s almost enough to make you forget your heartbreak, your anger. Almost.
All the drinking eventually sends you to the bathroom. You touch up your makeup as best as you can and wash your hands with one of the several different soap options, exiting the bathroom noticeably drunker than you were when you went in.
You’re off-balance enough that when you run into what feels like a brick wall but is actually just a tall, broad-shouldered man, you stumble and nearly fall over. He reacts quicker than you do, catching your elbow and steadying you back on your feet.
He asks you if you’re all right and you reassure him that you are. You swear you’ve seen his face before, but you’re too tipsy right now to bother to remember where.
“I appreciate the help,” you say sincerely, patting his shoulder. “But I promise I’m okay. Thank you again, really.”
He gives you a look like he doesn’t believe you, and he’s proven right approximately five seconds later, when you turn on your heel to leave and nearly fall over again. Once more, he’s there to catch you.
You try to convince him that you’re okay; you’re just a little bit tipsy from all the champagne earlier, but he guides you to one of the stupid velvet couches in the hallway and makes you sit down. He tells you to stay there and wait for him, and you want to protest but he’s already gone before you can make any real sort of argument.
When he returns, it’s with a bottle of water, which you sheepishly accept. He stays with you as you drink it, and your vision and stomach start to settle. You thank him again for all his help. He tells you it’s no big deal, and when he introduces himself as Ushijima Wakatoshi, you laugh so hard you almost spit water all over yourself.
Ushijima raises an eyebrow at you. “Is there something about my name that amuses you?”
“No, no, nothing like that.” It takes more effort than it should, but you’re thankfully able to force yourself to stop laughing. Talk about ironic encounters. “It’s just– I’ve heard of you before.”
“Are you a fan of volleyball?”
You resist the urge to snort, sending him an amused smile instead. “Something like that.”
The two of you chat for a little while, and it’s a surprisingly pleasant conversation. You quite like his company, and you appreciate how he’s willing to keep an eye on you solely out of the kindness of his heart, just to make sure you’re really okay. It’s hardly necessary anymore –the water’s doing a great job at sobering you up– but it’s a nice distraction from the reason you started drinking in the first place.
Or it was, until you start to hear that very same reason calling your name from somewhere down the hall. His voice gets closer and closer, and you shut your eyes, bracing yourself.
“What the hell?”
You open your eyes and suddenly Oikawa is in front of you, eyebrows drawn together and lips pulled into a deep frown. You can only imagine what you look like to him right now, low-eyed and tipsy and sitting on a couch next to his oldest rival.
You can already see the anger in his eyes, the suspicion. He’s jealous, and it’s absolutely ridiculous because he has no right to be. Not after ignoring you for so long. Not after reminding you over and over again that when it comes down to it, you’ll always be second place to his career.
You haven’t been flirting with Ushijima, but now you wonder if maybe you should have. There’s a bitter part of you that wants to hurt Oikawa as much as he’s hurt you, even if it’s only for a moment.
Ushijima seems completely oblivious to the situation, which you’re sure just infuriates your boyfriend even more. He’s described to you in great detail how one of the things he finds most frustrating about Ushijima is how completely and utterly unbothered he is by everything.
“Oikawa,” the man closest to you greets, standing up. “It’s good to see you.”
“Ushiwaka.” The smile your boyfriend directs to his old rival is tight-lipped and void of any of its usual warmth. Oikawa’s gaze settles on you next, eyes narrowing even further. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Come on, let’s go.”
“I’m sorry.” Your voice is plain, dull, as you tilt your head at him mockingly. “Do I know you?”
“Stop being cute.” The way he practically snaps it makes it clear he doesn’t think you’re being cute at all. In fact, he actually looks pretty pissed, and you almost smile at the realization. As petty as he can be, it’s clear you’re better at this than he is. “It’s getting late. It’s time for us to leave.”
Ushijima’s gaze slides over to you. “Do you know him?”
But you’re not looking at him. You’re looking straight at Oikawa, at the tenseness of his shoulders, the way he’s on the verge of fuming. Apparently, just the idea of you being alone with his oldest rival is more concerning to him than the fact that you’ve barely spent any time with each other in the past two months. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.
“Of course.” You stand, closing the short distance between yourself and Oikawa. “He’s my boyfriend. My loving, devoted, perfect boyfriend.”
You place the hand that’s not holding your water bottle against his chest, perching on your toes to deliver a sweet kiss to his cheek. When you pull away, the stain of your lipstick remains, and you wonder if he can feel the resentment in it.
“I just forget sometimes, is all. You know, since we never see each other.”
You don’t bother to examine the look on his face. You can’t find it in yourself to care anymore. You turn to Ushijima instead, offering a tired but genuine smile.
“Thank you again for your help, Ushijima. It was a pleasure to officially meet you. Have a good night.”
You turn on your heel and walk away, down the hall and past several magnificent paintings, past any apology you would normally be ready to offer. It’s petty and deliberate, the kind of reaction you didn’t think you were capable of before this, but it’s all you have left. Oikawa doesn’t care, hasn’t cared for a while actually, so neither will you.
You don’t know what he says to Ushijima or if he even says anything at all, but you do hear his footsteps when he runs after you. They slow as he gets closer, but you don’t stop walking, don’t turn back to look.
“Are you fucking kidding me? What– what the fuck was all that back there, huh?”
You stop. Slowly, you turn to look at him, but you don’t say anything. You just stand there, watching, waiting, feeling absolutely nothing as you do.
“‘It’s a pleasure to meet you.’” It’s a poor imitation of your voice, but the intention is there. “So what, I don’t spend enough time with you and suddenly it’s okay for you to flirt with someone else?”
You laugh without humor. “That’s what you’re stuck on? The fact that I had a conversation with him and not the part where I said we never see each other? You truly have a gift, Tooru.”
The frown on his face deepens, but the anger in his eyes softens a little, replaced by a hint of guilt. There’s regret there, too, over not keeping the promise he made to you. You would be more moved by it if you weren’t so completely infuriated right now.
He closes his eyes, letting out a sigh. “I’m not going to have this argument with you. Not here.”
“Where should we have it then, hm? In the lobby? At the hotel? We’re damn sure not having it when we get home, because you’re never fucking there!”
You don’t mean to scream at him, but that’s what comes out. You’re not sure which one of you is more surprised by it. Oikawa stares at you, wide-eyed and stunned, as if you’ve just slapped him, and you stare back, breathing hard. You’re so focused on each other you don’t even notice you have an audience until you hear a new, familiar voice speak.
“Hey.” Iwaizumi steps between you, concerned and cautious.
He’s the only one here, thank god, but his appearance reminds you that this is definitely not the time or the place for any of this. You shouldn’t care who overhears you, but as angry as you are, you’re not selfish enough to air out your relationship’s problems in front of all of Oikawa’s friends and colleagues. You still love him, after all, even if it’s hurting you to do so.
Iwaizumi casts a wary glance between you and his best friend, almost like he’s preparing himself to play the unwilling referee in what seems to be an inevitable fight. Any other time, you might’ve laughed at the look on his face, but not now. “Everything okay, you two?”
It’s not. It hasn’t been for a while, and right now Oikawa’s looking at you like he’s finally realizing that too.
The car ride back to the hotel is eerily silent. You and Oikawa share no words, no fleeting glances; you don’t even sit close enough to touch each other, not even accidentally. The ride up to your floor is spent in a similar fashion, a cold distance settling between you that’s never been there before.
Or maybe it’s been there for a while, and it took you screaming at him in the middle of a party for the two of you to notice it.
Miraculously, you make it into your room in one piece. The two of you remove your coats and shoes in that same suffocating silence. You make it to the bedroom without exchanging a single word, and he takes a seat on the bed while you sit in front of the vanity and begin removing your jewelry.
Another long stretch of silence later, and then he’s meeting your eyes in the mirror to ask, “Can we talk?”
You consider telling him to go fuck himself instead, but somehow you bite down the urge.
“About what?” You take off your necklace, a pretty golden chain with your birthstone on it that he got you for your birthday. “About how I wasn’t flirting with Ushijima? Because I wasn’t, if that’s what you’re still so torn up about.”
“I know you weren’t,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair. It’s a bit longer than you remember; that’s how long it’s been since you’ve really gotten the chance to look at him. “I don’t know why I said that.”
“I do. You were jealous.” Your earrings are the next to go, another gift from him. He’s scattered himself into so many pieces across your life; you’re not sure how you’ll ever be free of him, or if you’ll ever want to be. “But you had no reason to be. I would never do that to you.”
“I know.” He looks down, fidgets with his fingers, meets your gaze again through the mirror. His tie is loosened around his neck, making him look disheveled in just the way you like. “I’m sorry.”
“Great.” Your tone is short, clipped, as you finally remove the last of your jewelry. “Is that all?”
“Please don’t do that. I’m trying to have a conversation with you here, so that we can fix this. I mean, don’t you want to talk about everything, especially after tonight?”
“I’ve already said everything I needed to say, Tooru.” You break your gaze from the mirror, turning to glance over your shoulder at him instead. “You know exactly what the problem is, just like I know you won’t do a single thing to change it. You can’t, because my feelings –our entire relationship– all of that stuff’s always going to come second to the things you want.”
The frown from earlier is back now, this time paired with a hard look, like he can’t believe you’re questioning his commitment, even though he’s given you dozens of reasons to do so. “That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?” You rise to your feet, a dry, humorless laugh escaping your throat as you do. “Tell that to the countless dates you’ve missed. Tell that to the bed you hardly sleep in anymore, to all the times I’ve fallen asleep without you and then woken up only to realize you still weren’t there.”
The words feel heavy and bitter on your tongue, your anger growing the more you think about everything you’ve endured over the past few months, all the different ways he’s managed to disappoint you.
“There’s nothing untrue about it, Tooru. You just don’t care about me the way I care about you.”
“Are you seriously going to stand there and tell me I don’t care about you?” he demands. “Of course I care. I love you, dammit. How could you ever think I don’t?”
“How couldn’t I? God, have you seriously not heard a single thing I’ve said this entire time? I’m practically in this relationship by myself, and you’re doing absolutely nothing to change that!”
“You think I like having to leave you on your own so much? You think it doesn’t break my heart seeing the look on your face every time I have to tell you I can’t make it to all the things I want to be there for?” He’s on his feet now, hand jabbing at his chest, like if he could rip out his heart and show you the scars there, he would. “Because it does, okay? It makes me fucking miserable, but what else am I supposed to do?”
“You’re supposed to be there, Tooru!” You don’t know when you started crying, but you are. You’re yelling too, hands shaking, voice raw. “You’re supposed to be there when I need you, not make stupid promises you can’t keep! And even if you can’t be there all the time, you’re at least supposed to try!”
“I am trying! I’ve been trying this whole time, and you know that!” He sounds as exasperated and raw as you do, waving his arms around, red-faced and distressed. “You knew what my goals were before we started dating. I never hid them from you. You knew exactly what I wanted, you knew how hard I would have to work, how hard it would be for us, and you agreed to be with me anyway! You promised me you wouldn’t let it come between us!”
“Well, that was before I knew how fucking impossible it would be!”
There’s nothing productive being exchanged between the two of you anymore. You’re just screaming at each other. You call him obsessed and self-absorbed; he calls you needy and demanding. He tells you to grow up and stop asking for so much, and you tell him he’s chasing a pointless dream.
You’re not trying to compromise with each other, or trying to make the other see your point of view. You both just want to hurt each other, and you do.
You’re crying by the end of it; so is he, but you both refuse to admit defeat. It’s one of the many things you have in common: your stubbornness. You’re out of breath and hurting and there’s a small part of you that just wants him to hold you, but at the same time, you can’t stand the sight of him anymore.
You storm out of the room before he gets the chance to, looking back to catch him throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. You throw yourself onto the couch and opt to sleep there for the night, because you know that if you don’t, you’ll probably end up strangling each other.
Oikawa, for once, is wise enough not to follow you, but there’s a quiet voice inside your heart that wishes he did.
You wake up the next morning with a stuffy nose and a migraine. The price of crying yourself to sleep, you suppose. Your appetite is gone but you know that if you don’t eat anything soon the pain behind your skull will only get worse, so you force yourself to stand from the couch.
You step on something hard, eyes widening at the indignant noise of protest it lets out in response. You lose your footing almost immediately, toppling over onto the carpet. It’s everything you can do to throw out your hands and avoid smacking your forehead against the coffee table.
“What the fuck, Tooru?” You scowl when you realize it’s not a random object you’ve tripped over, but rather your own boyfriend, who for some inconceivable reason is laying on the floor beside the couch. “It’s bad enough we spent last night fighting– now you’re trying to kill me, too?”
“I could say the same thing to you!” Oikawa exclaims, returning your scowl with equal exasperation. He’s rubbing at his chest, a pout tugging at his lips as he groans. “You just stepped on my chest. I could have died.”
“Oh, bite me, drama queen.” You roll your eyes, preparing to stand up again, but then you notice the dark circles on his usually flawless skin, the messiness of his hair, and the fact that he’s still wearing his suit from last night, though the tie is gone and the first few buttons of his shirt are loosened. “...did you actually sleep out here? On the floor? Why didn’t you just sleep on the bed like a normal person?”
“I couldn’t.” He pouts even more, and when you nudge his leg with your foot, he sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “It didn’t feel right without you. It never does. But it felt even worse after last night.”
It melts your heart, you admit. Just a little. But it’s not enough to make you forgive him or to forget your argument, and right now he’s looking at you like he knows that too.
Still, you feel the urge to remind him, “I’m still pissed at you.”
“I know. I’m really sorry. Not just for what I said last night, but for everything I’ve done before that. I never should’ve made you feel like you’re asking for too much, because you’re not, it’s just…” He takes a shaky breath, leans his head back against the couch from where he sits beside you on the floor. “...it’s hard.”
He turns his body slightly so he’s facing you fully. He starts to reach out a hand towards you, almost like he wants to cup your cheek, but he seems to think better of it and lets his hand drop down between you. You almost smile.
His eyes are hesitant as they meet yours, apologetic. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
“I shouldn’t have yelled at you, either.” You fiddle with the straps of your gown where they’ve slid down your arm. You were so exhausted and upset after your fight with him that you didn’t bother to change out of it. “...do you really think I’m needy and demanding?”
“Of course not,” he answers easily. “Do you really think I’m chasing a pointless dream?”
“Definitely not. Your dream isn't pointless, Tooru, it’s amazing, and it’s one I know you can reach.” Your hands brush where they rest between you. He tenses slightly, like he’s not sure you’ll want to touch him after everything, but you slide your fingers through his and watch as he lets out a quiet sigh of relief. “I was just angry.”
“Me too.” He squeezes your hand, and you let him pull you a bit closer to him, let him press a kiss to the back of your palm. “I don’t want to fight with you. And I definitely don’t want to disappoint you anymore.”
“I don’t want to blame you or resent you anymore, either.” You inch closer and he lets you rest your head against his shoulder, resting his own against yours in return. A clock ticks on the wall behind you. For the first time in a while, it feels like the two of you are back in sync. “So what are we gonna do about it?”
It’s the million-dollar question, it seems. And it’s the one that, after weeks of heartache, of missing each other and blaming each other at the same time, he finally has the answer to.
When you return to Argentina together, everything changes. Oikawa’s determination goes back to being something you love, now that he’s putting it towards making sure the two of you get to spend time together. He’s at the apartment more; does his best to get to dinner on time, to attend outings with your family and friends, and to meet you halfway at fancy restaurants and magnificent museums and shower you with his undivided attention.
It’s not perfect. He’s still busy, so he can’t be with you all the time, but the effort is there. You see it now more than ever, and it’s all you’ve wanted.
It doesn’t last.
You spend three blissful months together, both of you putting in an equal amount of effort to make it work, to understand each other and support each other, even when it seems impossible. But Oikawa’s schedule becomes more and more unyielding as time goes on, and it’s not long before the cycle of absence starts all over again.
If you had to really pinpoint the beginning of the end, you’d say it’s the night of your presentation. The research project you’ve spent countless hours working on has finally been completed, and tonight you’re going to share it with the public; this thing you’ve struggled with since you entered grad school, this thing you’ve put your blood, sweat, and tears into, both metaphorically and literally.
It goes incredibly well, as your professors and mentors reassured you it would. Your classmates, friends, and parents are all there, and they get to watch and glow with pride as the room erupts into applause once you finish your presentation, knocking the whole thing out of the park just like they knew you would.
The only one who isn’t there is Oikawa, despite you telling him about this ages ago, despite it being written on the calendar hanging on your fridge. You know he texted you with some excuse, but you don’t bother to check which one it was this time.
It should hurt more. It should make you want to shout and scream, to sob and cry, but it doesn’t. The anger you felt before, the fury and heartbreak; it’s not there anymore. It’s gone. You’re not sad or upset or disappointed. You just don’t feel anything at all.
Your friends offer to take you out for the night to celebrate, but you politely decline. Instead, you make your way to the apartment you share with Oikawa, finding it emptier than it’s ever been before.
Months ago, you might’ve cried. Now you do nothing, say nothing, feel nothing. It’s just numb.
By the time Oikawa does make it home, you’re already packed. You’re sitting at the table, waiting, still as a statue. He greets you in a flurry of brown hair and frantic movement, an apology you don’t care to listen to fast on his lips. He whirls by you so quickly he doesn’t even notice your bags stacked next to you.
“Shit, baby, I’m so sorry! I know I’m late, but I’m here now and I promise I won’t be going anywhere for the next few–…”
It takes him a few moments, a couple of double-takes, but finally, he registers the silence around him, the sight of you at the table, surrounded by your things. For once, he has no idea what to say; you see it in the way he looks at you, the way he freezes, wide-eyed and almost afraid.
“My research presentation was today,” you start. “It went great. They’re going to publish it in a journal.”
You watch his face crumple right before your eyes, watch the way his shoulders slump. He looks more defeated now than during any of his previous losses, and so, so incredibly guilty.
“But I thought it wasn’t until–...but it was, wasn’t it? Oh, god. I– I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
“I know you are.”
You stand up. The smile you send him is tired and a little sad, but it’s not bitter, at least not anymore. You’re past that now. You’d like to think you both are.
“I’m so proud of you, Tooru. You work harder than anybody I’ve ever known. I just know you’re going to reach every single one of your dreams.”
You mean it, too. Oikawa has an incredible future ahead of him. You’ve always known that. Once upon a time, you believed you might be a part of it, but not anymore.
“...but I also know that I can’t be with you when you do. I can’t– I won’t be second place for the rest of my life.”
He’s incredibly stubborn, and this time is no different. He tries to change your mind, tries to convince you to stay, but it’s far too little and far too late. Too much has happened between you two, and you just don’t have it in you to be disappointed anymore.
You love him. You do. You always will, and you tell him so, too. But just because you love someone, you remind him softly, doesn’t mean you’re meant to be with them. You love him enough to let him go, and you’re hoping he loves you the same.
“But you promised you’d stay,” he whispers, more heartbroken than you’ve ever seen him over all of this, over you. “You promised we’d figure it out. And now...now you’re just giving up on us?”
You place your keys on the table. The clock in your– no, his kitchen ticks along. It matches the slow, broken beating of your heart. He’s run out of time, and you’ve run out of chances.
“That’s just it, Tooru. I have nothing left to give you.”
This time when you leave, you don’t look back.
Written by: Dawn
#oikawa x reader#oikawa tooru x reader#haikyuu x reader#oikawa imagines#haikyuu imagines#oikawa x y/n#oikawa x you#haikyu x reader#haikyuu!! x reader#haikyuu#haikyuu!!#hq x reader#our writing#oikawa angst#oikawa tooru angst#dawn writes
364 notes
·
View notes
Text
Blame
Blame - @midnightsconspiracy
Summary: Having a baby without telling their father was hard, what was harder was when that baby’s father was Hank Voight
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1900
Requested: Yes!!
‘Hank and the reader had a small fling 2 years ago Hank called it off but what happens when he finds out that the reader son isn’t just hers but his as well.’
A/N: It doesn't really follow the timeline of the requests 2 years, but it's along those lines anyway :):)
Masterlist
Yours and Hank's relationship had seemed perfect at first, well to you anyway. Nothing seemed as though it was out of the ordinary until the man had unexpectedly broken it off.
It had originally started when you had first met him on a case. Originally, you had attended a police scene after his unit had called for a paramedic crew, the sergeant in question having hit the offender a little too hard. Your partner was assigned to look at the perpetrator's wounds, him having come out of that scuffle worst for wear, you on the other hand were sent to look at Voight's beat-up hand. Admittedly, you were a little wary at first, having heard of his tough reputation through the firehouse. But he seemed to be kind to you anyways, and so you ignored those rumours, choosing to decide for yourself instead. And so your relationship grew from there, secretly spending most of your free nights at his place, learning to trust each other implicitly.
As time went on, the two of your learnt to love each other, both scarred from the outcome of previous relationships. Your days were filled with shy smiles from the texts you'd send to each other, and nights with the feeling of one another. Everything had seemed perfect at the time, blissfully unaware of what he was feeling. Yes, he did love you, but the insecurities and comments were eating away at him. Each day he would come into work or go out to his local gentlemen's club and receive judgments on your relationship, about how you were much younger or better looking than him. He took most of the comments to heart despite you telling him otherwise, but who was he going to believe, over 10 of his closest friends and colleagues or his girlfriend? Eventually, he chose his answer, breaking it off before you could object otherwise.
Distraught was the only word that you could use to describe yourself. You were absolutely heartbroken knowing someone you believed loved you threw it all away because of the opinions of others. Not only were you emotionally broken but also physically, feeling like absolute crap, constantly throwing your guts up and in an ever-changing mood. At first, you just blamed it on the stress you were facing, the breakup had been rough and you'd tried your best to change his mind. But it continued on day by day even after you'd accepted what had happened. Confiding in Sylvie about your problems, she seemed worried for you, urging you to go to the doctors for advice. Although you were apprehensive at first, you followed her instructions, seeking Natalie out to check you over.
You played with your hands nervously as you waited for her to come back with the results of the blood tests. At first, you just thought it was the flu, but after each symptom of yours she checked off her list, your mind knew where this was all going. And so as she confirmed what you were thinking, you froze, tears springing to your eyes not knowing what would happen to you or your baby.
That day you had made one of the most important decisions of your life, you would move back home to Virginia and raise the baby with only the help of your family. And so that's what you did, packing your things up into a moving van, putting your apartment for sale and driving to your new home. It was a little challenging at first to adjust to your new life, you missed your friends overwhelmingly having spent nearly every day of the last five years within the walls of that firehouse. But, you knew you had to move on though, probably never going back to Chicago to allow your child a better life. It had crossed your mind once or twice that maybe Hank would want to know about this, be a part of their life, but you just couldn't chance it. He had let you go over the opinions of others so what would stop him from doing similar with this child? You couldn't take that risk though, so as soon as any thought of him would appear, it would disappear soon after.
It was a struggle being a single parent, going through each trimester of your pregnancy alone. Sometimes you wished he would go through the milestones with you, the first sign of a baby bump, the first kick. And you had your family there with you too, but it was never the same as someone you loved. The worst was when you gave birth, all alone, with no one to hold your hand as you experienced the worst pain of your entire life. However, it had led to the best thing, your son, Jackson. Your life had changed overnight, now you not only lived for yourself but also your son.
As he grew up your happiness also increased, loving life just you and your child. Most of the time it was perfect laughing and playing but others you wanted Hank to be there, helping you out with the hard moments. Things with your family worsened as Jackson grew as well, things becoming rocky as they helped you less and less. And so just after you celebrated your sons third birthday, you decided maybe Chicago wasn't so bad. You could reunite with your friends, have some help with Jackson and potentially get your job back at the firehouse. So that's what you did, once again packing your stuff up and moving the both of you into a shared apartment with Sylvie, your rock in all of this.
Your life had suddenly gone back to normal overnight, picking up your career as a paramedic at 51 whilst you got a babysitter from Jackson. The only people that were aware of your presence were those at the firehouse, trying to keep your return in house so as not to raise any unwanted attention. But that had all changed as you and Brett were once again called to a police crime scene. And your prayers weren't answered as you rolled up to one led by intelligence.
As soon as you exited the ambulance you were faced with the entire team with two people needing assistance, the perpetrator and Hank. Sylvie gave you a knowing look as you grabbed the equipment, allowing you to take the bad guy. But as you walked towards the guy, Hank raised his voice, telling Sylvie he wouldn't be treated by her, wanting to talk to you instead. So you both complied, wandering over and grabbing Hank's head to assess his injuries, not wanting to even look him in the eye. You tried to wrap things up as quickly as you could, refusing to talk to him at all.
"You're back," he stated bluntly, needing to know your reasoning behind leaving in the first place. But you wouldn't give him the pleasure, fixing medical tape onto his wound, before packing up your stuff and hightailing it back into the ambulance. Although you were done with him, he definitely wasn't done with you, having heard some interesting rumours about your departure.
Finding out your new address, Hank made it his mission to see you, to explain what he was thinking. Knocking on the door of your apartment, he wished to see your face, having missed you the four years you had been gone. Just after you had moved your life to Virginia, Hank had a revelation, kicking himself for letting go of someone he loved so much. But instead of meeting your beautiful face, he found some random woman, being informed that you no longer lived there. He had been left distraught, leading to months of emotional instability, bottling it up, only to explode with anger and sadness after too long. But now as you opened the door, he smiled, glad that it was actually you this time.
"Why are you here?" You asked, wedging your body between the door and its frame, not wanting him to spot your child who was happily playing inside.
"I wanted to see you, I missed you," he confessed, wary at your suspicious behaviour.
"Missed me? You broke-"
"Mommy?" Being cut off from your angry rant, your eyes widened at the sound of your son, knowing you would have to reveal him to his father. Picking your toddler up, you tried to close the door, hoping to defuse the situation. Unlucky for you, Hank stopped the door from closing, pushing inside of your apartment.
"Mommy huh?" He questioned, confused at how you had a child.
"What's your name buddy?"
"Jackson," your son replied, blissfully unaware of who this man was and what havoc he was causing.
"And how old are you?" The cogs were turning in Hanks mind, could this child be his?
"I just turned three!" The exclamation from the child, confirmed it all, he was this boys father and you hadn't told him. Straightening up he looked you in the eyes, an angry look on his face.
"Hey, buddy why don't you play in your bedroom?" And with that, you brought your son back into his room, closing the door behind you.
"He's mine isn't he?" Hank questioned that eerily quiet voice piercing your ears. Yes, you hadn't told him, but it was to protect you and your son! Not trusting your voice you nodded your head, giving him the confirmation he needed.
"And you didn't think to tell me?" He roared, his anger overflowing, grabbing your arms to get you to look at him.
"It was to protect him, if you could easily get rid of me, what was stopping you from getting rid of him too?" You cried, knowing what you did was wrong.
"And you didn't think I could make that chose myself?" You could see the tears in the man's eyes, his voice crackling as he realised this was as much his fault as it was yours. You had made the choice but he was ultimately to blame. Bringing you into his arms, you both cried, equally regretting your decisions. Looking back up at him, your feeling flooded back, remembering how much you really loved this man. And so at that moment, you decided that Hank should be part of your boy's life, Jackson was as much his as he was yours.
So that evening was spent introducing the pair, watching as they got along like a house on fire. Hank's experience raising a child previously meant he knew how to please a child, allowing them to bond as father and son. Every time he looked at you, your original feelings intensified, understanding why you had originally thought that he would make a great father. In Hanks mind he was feeling overwhelming joy, the last few years had been so tough for him and this, this was all he could ever want. He had loved Justin with all his heart, but since he had died a black void had overtaken his heart. His grandson had briefly filled it, but that had been taken away again as they left as well. Finally, he had something that could fill this hole, a woman he loved infinitely and had made the biggest mistake of his life by letting her go. And a son, that he would hopefully watch grew up day by day, as a nice, happy family.
----------
Taglist: @mileika @redpoodlern @yosoynicolexo @chazubagi@scarletsoldierrr @cindydoll2 @anotherfan07 @one-sweet-gubler
Want to join my taglist? Click Here
#chicago pd#chicago pd imagines#chicago pd x reader#one chicago#hank voight x reader#hank voight#hank voight imagines
336 notes
·
View notes
Text
Title: Epiphany
Pairing: Peter Maximoff x Reader
Summary: Continuation from previous chapter. Finally back in the U.S., you and Peter get a mini shopping trip with the others, where you get a special gift for him. Followed by your ride back alone together to his house near D.C. and an abrupt introduction to his family.
Warnings: Mostly just more fluff. Bit of a dysfunctional family implied. Not proofread too well as I didn’t have much free time left and wanted to get this posted.
Chapters: Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Taglist: @drikawinchester , @n0obmaster69 , @alexloveskili , @what-a-silver-lining , @bluesprings18 , @weakmoony-stuff , @slytherinsi-mp , @wintwrsoldiwr , @tommy-braccoli , @amourtentiaa , @cringingmemeries , @bi-panicatthe-disco , @himbos-are-my-lifeblood , @simp4mcuwomen , @ikkleroniekins , @cowboyenorgy , @the-chaotic-cow
Peter Maximoff x Reader Masterlist
—————————
You were groggy, legs stiff as you’d finally made it out of that plane. Honestly, when this was all said and done you’d be happy to not travel again for a very long time.
But the important thing was that you were home. Well, sort of. You were getting a lot closer anyway. McGuire air force base in New Jersey was bustling with activity as you’d all been shuffled around after landing.
Moira had said goodbye, staying here to work some more as it seemed this had become a temporary east coast operations point for more than just the air force. But she’d arranged it so you all could take a van off base together to find the nearest rental car lot.
Which that was when you really started feeling this was your last chance to inwardly practice whatever your speech was going to be to Xavier. You were going to volunteer to drive Peter home, splitting off from the others when they’d no doubt be heading north for New York.
The van hadn’t been the most comfortable thing in the world either as you’d all piled into it with Hank driving. Moira had told the Professor to just leave it after you all got something else rented, and that someone from the base would come and get it later.
Besides a little shared complaining from the group about being continually shoved into one thing after another lately, helicopters, to jets, to aircraft carriers, and now this, there wasn’t really too much said though. That silence likely somewhat due to jet lag as well. But when Xavier had signaled to Hank to stop after seeing a bank you were about to pass, that’s when Peter seemed to perk back up.
And by the time this older van had clunked its way into the parking lot and come to a stop, Peter was on the verge of fully laughing.
“What?” Ororo finally asked, Peter sitting between her and you both here in the back of the van.
“Nothing.” Peter respond just as quickly, though still seeming far too entertained as Raven had helped Xavier out of the van and back into his wheelchair before the two of them had gone inside the bank together.
You and Ororo just exchanged an odd glance, before Jean revealed the answer all too easily. “Peter thinks we’d make a terrible cast for a heist movie. He’s thinking about robbing the bank and imagining a poorly executed role for all of us.”
“Hey!” Peter complained. “You really don’t play fair. I think about a lot of things without actually do-”
“Seriously?” Scott asked, looking back at you all.
“Oh, come on. One eye beam and the vault would crack like an egg.” Peter retorted, “Do you guys not ever daydream?”
“About crime?” You questioned.
“I did give the kid his markers back didn’t I?” Peter asked.
“What kid?” Hank looked back as well.
“Oh, except this one.” Peter pulled out the dark blue marker that’d still been stashed in his pocket. “The kid still had a light blue one anyway. He’ll live. You guys need to sign my cast!”
—————————
The Professor had apparently recognized that bank as one he had some accounts with, and you’d assumed he had gone in to withdraw some spending money for the remainder of the trip.
But when Hank drove you all to a nearby department store next instead of continuing on straight to the rental car lot that had been the supposed goal the entire time, you were surprised. Even more so when the Professor had called for you, Jean, Kurt, and Ororo specifically.
“I know this isn’t much,” Charles explained, before passing each of the four of you a small amount of cash. “But the staff staying with the displaced students at the motel did already take them shopping for at least some bare necessities. You deserve the same until we can provide better.”
It was still entirely generous and unexpected though as you’d all exited the van, then fully understanding the point of this additional pit stop. With the destruction of the mansion, and with Ororo not even being from here, the four of you now had not a single possession to your names except the Air Force issued clothing you’d left the aircraft carrier with.
Scott and Peter were a little bit different story, Scott was expected to go back home with his parents for a while and no doubt everything he still had there, and Peter having lost nothing really except the one outfit that had burnt up in the jet’s crash in Egypt.
But you knew a little better of how he felt about that, not missing the way Peter was already eyeing things as the two of you had split off from the rest of the group once entering the department store.
Your only real goal was at least getting a comfortable pair of tennis shoes to replace the awful boots they’d given you and a couple pairs of jeans, some t-shirts, socks, and underwear. Just the very minimum, that was fine for you.
You tried to be quick, knowing it was still a little unfair to make Peter just watch you shop when he could take nothing for himself. Albeit, you doubted much here was really his style anyway.
You did half expect him to give you a harder time as well on your own choices, but found him quite distracted as you’d walked back and forth looking at one rack then another of clothes.
Finally you realized why, catching him still lingering at a glass display case you’d already passed more than once as you then circled back to him with a bit of clothing in your arms.
As you came up to stand beside him, you looked down to see the multiple men’s watches all glinting up in the light from beneath the glass.
You smiled, putting two and two together easily enough as you glanced back to him and that clearly longing expression on his face. “Which one do you like?”
He blinked, just seeming to realize your attention was back on him then as he tried to look nonchalant. “Nah, it’s okay. I’m not going to steal it if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“That wasn’t what I was thinking.”
“It’s what Mr. Smiley over there, the store detective was thinking.” Peter commented a little more quietly, just motioning his eyes to a man standing off to the side.
The man didn’t look “smiley” at all of course, appearing to consider the same display of pants over and over as he’d pick one size up and then put it back down as if he wasn’t watching you both.
You chose to ignore the stranger, just reiterating back to Peter instead. “Come on, which one do you want?”
You could see by the tags that they weren’t exactly cheap, but certainly weren’t Rolex’s either. This was doable.
But Peter only met eyes with you again. “Seriously, I can get one later. I’ll live.”
His old watch had been destroyed. And you hadn’t forgotten what importance it had to him. “That wasn’t the point.” Already deciding you were sure about this, you dug back into your pocket, pulling out money and putting it on the glass in front him.
“I’m going to go put some of these clothes back, get somebody’s attention to come open the case for you.”
He stared, trying to turn around to stop you, but you were already out of his reach as you smiled, just disappearing back behind some nearby clothing racks.
You intentionally took longer than necessary as well as you did put back enough of the clothes to make up for the money you’d given him. You wanted to make sure he really did follow through with having them get one of the watches out before you’d come anywhere near again.
It took a while, but he must have finally relented, unable to resist the temptation, and reinforcing your thought that he really had seen one he especially wanted as you’d finally wandered over once more just as the saleswoman had been handing it over to him.
She rang it up then and there at the counter as he’d immediately put it on that empty spot on his left wrist.
Curious, you’d tried to get a better look at which one he’d picked, moving closer before he suddenly swung his right arm out, catching you around the shoulders and pulling you even closer even with the awkwardness of his crutch still under that arm.
You felt a warm kiss planted just as fast on your cheek before you could respond. The saleswoman giving you both an odd look as Peter only grinned to you. “Thanks, babe. I’ll make it up to you at some point. Promise.”
You moved slightly, not really caring about the money or the stares of any of the store staff as you still tried to get a look at the watch, grabbing his hand. “Well which one did you get?”
He let you take his hand easily, grasping his fingers around your own in return as he tilted his wrist to let you get a good view. “Check it out, digital face, but it counts seconds and hundredths of a second. And you can change it to stopwatch mode too. Also water resistant to 100 meters...though not quite sure when I’d need that.”
“Jean said the motel the others were staying at has a pool,” You commented lightly, though still looking at the bright, silver colored metal watch band and face. “Quicksilver.” You added absently, reading the model name also etched there.
He paused, “What did you say?”
“Oh, the pool? Jean said the Professor mentioned that, though he still is looking for some place less rundown-”
“No, what you said after.”
“Huh?” You glanced back up.
“Quick what?”
“Oh.” You realized, turning your hand which was still holding his so the etching would better face him as well. “That must be the model.”
He must have not even noticed until that point, also reading it then. But he pulled you in even a little closer then as he leaned his head against yours, seeming to contemplate something.
“What?” You asked.
“I think I just had a...hell, what do you call them? Epitaph?”
Your eyebrows raised, looking at him in real confusion then. “Um...like on a gravestone?”
“No, no.” He was still trying to find the word. “Dammit, when the light bulb goes off you know...like something hits you and it’s awesome!”
“Epiphany?” You questioned after another moment, though still highly unsure of where this was going.
“Yes! Totally!” He let go of your hand then, before giving an awkward high five as you hadn’t been expecting it.
But you were still thoroughly confused, even as the saleswoman had now excused herself, gladly wandering off to assist other customers. And even the store detective just coughed somewhere in the distance, finding you both no longer a theft threat as much as just just two more weird young people he was not going to ever understand.
——————————
If anyone noticed that the amount of things you rang up were visibly less than what Jean, Ororo, and Kurt had gotten, no one said anything.
Soon enough you were all back in the van again, but Peter kept admiring the watch still. The odd beep and chime going off on it every now and then as he played with its functions.
It was evident enough, that even the Professor finally looked back at him. Which Peter noticed as well just grinning. “I didn’t steal it.” He proclaimed proudly.
“I know you didn’t,” Xavier answered, but then giving you an odd look next.
You tried to smile back, but weren’t sure if this might now be the time to bring up your plan or not with the Professor’s attention on you. Yet before you could think to say anything more, Peter just added happily. “Oh, and Prof., if you do reboot the X-Men, I’m Quicksilver. So I call dibs on that, the rest of you will have to think of your own stuff. Though I’m pretty creative, I can help for maybe a small fee if you need inspiration.”
“Seriously?” You answered, just turning your head to look at Peter then.
But you were even more surprised when Xavier actually looked impressed for a moment. “Quicksilver? Hmm. An old nickname for liquid mercury. Which of course in the Roman pantheon, Mercury was also the god of trickery, thieves, and often depicted with wings on his feet as the fastest of the gods. He-”
“Uh.” Peter interrupted. “I was more thinking that my hair is silver and I’m quick. Also this badass watch (Y/N) bought me says that on it. But that god stuff is cool too I guess.”
You heard Raven about snort laughing as the Professor’s thoughtful expression quickly faded. “Fair enough.”
—————————
By the time you did reach the rental car lot, you tried to get Xavier’s attention before he could go inside the rental office with Raven. You almost jogged up to him actually, that worried about missing your chance.
Yet as you reached him, you saw him wave Raven off, telling her he would be just a moment. She only shrugged, walking ahead inside.
Before you could even open your mouth though, he just gave you another curious look. “You know, for all your worrying about this, it’s the ride home that I’m more concerned about. You realize from Washington D.C. back to New York, that’s going to be about a five hour drive all on your own.”
You don’t know why you felt any surprise. Honestly it was more of a relief though that you didn’t have to explain everything from scratch. Having a psychic as a father figure had its benefits at times, if otherwise you felt you would have difficulty communicating something.
“I promise I’ll call as soon as I get to Peter’s and again when I leave?” You offered with hope.
“I’d really feel better if you had one of the others to ride back with...” He countered, but giving a sympathetic look. “You know, of all my students, I just...you really are one of the last I’d expect to befriend him this way. And I say that with me actually being quite fond of him. Though admittedly I did think him just a pain in the arse when I first met him. I didn’t have my powers then though to see any deeper. So it wasn’t the best first impression to be honest.”
You both glanced over at Peter who now seemed preoccupied with playing with those stolen sunglasses as he just chatted with the others. He’d agreed to let you plea the case to Xavier on your own, thinking you could probably be the more sincere and convincing of the two of you.
“I think he’d really like to come to the school once everything’s rebuilt,” You added, looking back to the Professor.
“Yes, I know.” Xavier agreed. “He’s really hit it off with you all. He’s enjoyed this despite everything else. It’s nice to see, really. Though...I do still worry about the inevitably of his father returning. There will still be a lot to unpack there. And Erik may not want him at the school as much as Erik’s always disagreed with some of my worldviews.”
You frowned a little, having not thought about Magneto in quite a while now. “If he cares about Peter at all though, you’d think he’d realize it’d be better for him to be somewhere he had friends. Where he’s happy...”
“One would hope.” Xavier answered, but then looking to you once more. “You’re sure about this aren’t you? Determined to make the drive back alone?”
“I mean, if anyone tried to give me trouble, I could always use my powers.” Yet you still smirked, parroting his teaching you’d heard for years. “But still as discreetly as possible of course.”
He took a breath, that concern still not leaving his expression even as he relented. “You have come a long way since that little child I met all those years ago.”
“I wasn’t that little.” You smiled, knowing full well which day he was remembering. When you’d been sitting, feeling abandoned in that airport as your real father had been explaining again this place you were being sent to in New York. Saying he’d call you all the time once you got there, all the while you knew he never would.
That’d been the first day you’d ever met Charles. When your own family was too afraid of you, when they were far happier to have you move across the country. But Xavier had flown all the way there just to share the plane ride back to New York, with your stubborn, silent self.
Abruptly you leaned down, putting your arms around the Professor’s shoulders as you hugged him. “I’m really glad you’re okay,” You said, knowing full well how close you all had come to losing him only a few days ago.
He laughed lightly, but returned the gesture even though he was a little surprised. “Or you’re just happy to get your way. Do be careful alright? Both of you.”
“I promise. Thank you.” You smiled, really meaning it before you let go of him to stand back up.
As you did so, you could see Peter looking your way. He gave a questioning expression, then turning his thumb down then up as if to ask the results.
You smirked, nodding as him thumb went up to confirm the Professor had agreed with your plan.
“Sweet!” You heard Peter exclaim from all the way over there.
————————
Xavier had given you the phone number to the motel in New York that the others were driving to. They’d gotten another van, though thankfully a little newer than the beaten up government one they were now leaving behind.
A car had been rented for you and Peter. A blazing red thing you now leaned against as you waited for him. You’d already said your goodbyes, which were pretty brief as you expected to see the others again soon.
You were still close enough to overhear as Peter got to Scott however. It caught your attention as you’d heard Peter’s tone change.
“Hey, man...I wanted to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t get your brother out.”
It was the first time you’d heard Peter talk about that specifically with Scott. But when would have been the right time?
Yet Peter kept on pretty quickly, the awkwardness obviously still there even with that hint of guilt. “If um, if I lived closer you know, or I wasn’t in this damn thing-” He’d motioned to his cast. “I’d run up there and go to the service too. I mean, I know how important siblings are...”
Scott seemed a little taken aback himself, but shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. None of it would have happened if it wasn’t for that psycho god, whatever we want to call him. And he got his. It’s all we can do.”
You could hear the little bit of waver in Scott’s voice though, and you knew the sad reality would likely be that it still wouldn’t fully hit him that Alex was truly gone until Scott was back home with his parents, and his brother was glaringly absent.
But Peter just patted him on the shoulder before walking back to you on his crutches.
His eyes were still a bit sad, but he smiled at you as he neared you. “Well, ready for a roadtrip, babe?”
“They gave us a road atlas, so I think so.” You answered, already walking to open the passenger door for him.
“Ah, maps are for suckers.” He answered, handing you his crutches so he could sit down in the seat. “Sure, it’ll look way different going so slow, but I have an excellent sense of direction.”
“Uh huh,” You responded with a healthy bit of skepticism. “We’ll see.”
—————————
“So...we’re finally alone.” Peter said, still snacking on whatever brightly colored candy that actually was that you’d grabbed from the gas station for him.
“Sure, and going seventy miles an hour on the interstate, while I need to keep my hands on the wheel and eyes on the road to not kill us, yes.” You answered.
“It’s practically a straight line, it about drives itself.” He responded, but while just fiddling with the radio for the umpteenth time.
Every time a station went to commercial, it was clear he couldn’t handle the wait for the music to come back, only trying to find something else to listen to right away.
You finally laughed a little as he’d accidentally found some other talk show yet again.
“What?”
“I’m waiting for that dial to fall off in your hand.”
“Man, you think one of these gas stations has some cassettes or something?”
“I have no idea.”
“Hey, are you hungry yet?”
You shrugged. “I could probably eat.” The bit of food on the plane had been pretty awful. You hadn’t even finished it.
“I need to pee anyway.”
“Again?” You glanced at him. “That’s gotta be the Mountain Dew.”
“Oh yeah, that’s all gone.” He shook his empty cup, just the sound of ice jostling around in it. “I’m thinking Dr. Pepper now...and a cheeseburger. Maybe McDonalds?”
“Sure.” It really didn’t matter to you. All those fast food places were all about the same. “Golden Arches it is then...let me know if you see an exit with one and I’ll-”
“There was one.” He pointed as it went right by.
“Um...one with a little more notice please.”
“Got it. I’m on watch, captain.” He gave a little mocking salute, before pulling his sunglasses back down as if that would somehow help his focus as he stared out to all the upcoming exit signs ahead.
——————————
He was adamant about going inside to eat instead of just going through the drive thru once you did find the next McDonalds. You wondered if he was trying to stretch out your time together a little more.
Which you would have no complaints if so, now laughing as you sat at a table inside. You’d seen the odd looks an older couple had given you as they’d come in, and Peter was fairly certain it was due to his silver hair.
“I mean I could always try a mohawk, full on punk if they think this is too weird,” He commented, pulling some of the silver bangs back in front his face as he chewed on some fries. “I still think Ororo’s is badass, but I don’t know if I have the right head shape for it. What do you think?”
“What head shape is a person supposed to have?” You asked, seriously not knowing, but still smiling.
“Of course even the best hair gel doesn’t hold up too well when I run. It probably wouldn’t stay up long.”
“Uh huh.”
“Hey, are you even listening to me or just admiring the view?” He grinned in what you were sure was supposed to be his attempt at a dashing look, albeit with a little bit of ketchup still at the corner of his mouth.
“Can’t I do both?” You answered wryly, just taking another sip of your drink.
“You gonna stay for a little bit after we get to my house?” He asked abruptly then.
“Well I wasn’t planning on just throwing you in the yard and driving away. But it is a decent drive back to New York.”
“You could spend the night.”
You quieted, that warmth rising back in your chest. But you didn’t think he meant it that way. You chose to believe that anyway.
“Well it’s not like we haven’t slept together before.” He continued.
“Slept in the same bed.” You quickly corrected. “In the same bed. With clothes on.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Semantics. And it was nice, right?”
“It was.” You admitted. But that didn’t mean the chance was going to come again anytime soon. “And semantics? Really? After trying to remember the difference between epitaph and epiphany?”
“Hey! I shine every now and then. It’s not always a swing and a miss.” He gave a pretend pouting look. “Fancy private schooler picking on a poor high school dropout, come on.”
“Well, it’s not like I’ll have much reason to study anytime soon.” You admitted. “This was a really dramatic way to get out of my organic chemistry final.”
And he really did look pleased at that. “So you’ll have plenty of time to hang out with the bad influence that is Pietro once I get this cast off. You said that place had a pool right? Sounds like a party.”
—————————
Traffic hadn’t been too terrible the rest of the way. And you’d only gotten turned around a couple times, despite his self proclaimed excellent sense of direction.
Even though you knew it’d been hours, it didn’t feel that way at all. You both mostly just talking about whatever, or even when it was quiet, just listening to the music he chose.
It wasn’t all even rock music to your surprise. He seemed to like just about everything. But when you recognized a song as a favorite of your own, you did notice how his excitement grew a little. You wondered how often if at all he’d really gotten to share that love of music with anyone else.
By the time you’d gotten off the interstate again and the roads started to get smaller and smaller, you knew you must be getting close even before you started to see houses here and there.
“Hey, woah up for a second,” He said raising his hand abruptly.
You did so, but only gently pulling to a stop on the side of the street to not block any other traffic as you looked over at him.
Not that there were any other cars. You thought maybe you saw someone walking their dogs in the distance.
But he didn’t say anything for a moment, just taking his sunglasses off again as he turned his head to meet your gaze.
“What?” You asked as another song started on the radio. It was slow, but you thought you’d heard it somewhere before.
“It’s just around the corner.” He looked almost sad for a moment though, before suddenly smiling again. “My house I mean. You’re going to come inside, right?”
“Well...yeah, as long as that’s okay with your Mom anyway.” But even as you answered, a new bit of nervousness found you. What if she blamed you when she saw he’d been hurt though? Would she think you or your friends were dangerous? You’d never thought of that until this moment actually.
You blinked when you felt his hand touch your face, drawn back out of your thoughts as that song continued on in the background.
“Can I kiss you?” He asked then.
But you just tilted your head slightly in question. It’s not like he’d ever truly asked before. Though you could never really tease someone for wanting continued permission.
And was he nervous too? Knowing he was about to be home again and that this would be over, at least for the time being?
You unbuckled your seatbelt easily enough, leaning across the center console as he did the same.
The kiss was soft though as you closed your eyes. His hand moved gently behind your neck as he held you in close. It felt just as good as the times before.
But you knew there wasn’t much more either of you could do now. You both had to go home.
He was the one that finally pulled back, just looking at you contentedly for a moment before he shifted fully back into his seat.
“You know, my Mom’s going to think I’m full of shit if I say I made any friends...and more than a friend too.”
“You can call me whatever you want, whatever you’re comfortable with,” you said honestly. It’d just be easier, because you didn’t know what was right or wrong either.
Whatever happened, you were just grateful for what you’d already had. How could you not be?
—————————
The black mailbox with Maximoff lettered on the side came up soon enough as you pulled carefully into the driveway, before throwing the transmission into park and killing the ignition.
It was a neat little house, with hedges on the side of the property line and some white patio furniture you could just see up a small incline with decorative stones leading up to it.
The house was also directly across from a public green space with jogging or walking paths weaving between several trees it looked like. Which was a little amusing as you wondered if Peter ever used them.
After you’d gotten out, you rounded around the back of the car, pulling Peter’s crutches from the backseat. He’d already opened the passenger door and stood up as well, before you realized the front door of the house was also opening.
“Peter!” You heard a woman call, and you looked up to see a little bit older woman with dark blond hair now rushing down the steps.
Her arms flung around him as soon as she got close enough, holding him like that for only a moment before she pulled back away. “They wouldn’t tell me anything! Those assholes in the suits, whoever they were! They wouldn’t even tell me where you were-” She looked down, “God, your leg, are you hurt anywhere else?” But then just as quickly her eyes were on his face again, critically, “He did it, didn’t he? I told you! I told you he would hurt you and you don’t listen, this whole time I haven’t slept, do you know that!?”
“Mom!” Peter finally exclaimed, trying to get a word in, as he grabbed her shoulders. “They were CIA, I just told them to tell you I was okay. It hasn’t exactly been a breeze getting back home, this was the best I could do. And it wasn’t Dad, he didn’t-”
“Like hell! Did you see San Francisco? Did you see New York City!? Buildings ripped apart, Peter! Who else could do that!? It’s all the news can talk about, he-”
“It wasn’t just him! Would you just listen for-”
“You could have been killed!” She yelled, her voice almost echoing now off the side of the house as you just stood there still holding his crutches.
You felt entirely invisible to be honest as the two of them just continued, only focused on one another in their arguing.
It was so loud actually that you didn’t even hear someone else then walking up behind you from the park across the street. You didn’t know they were there at all before their voice was almost right beside you.
“Who are you?”
You startled at the question, turning your head to see a young woman now standing there. Her eyes were dark and guarded, the very first thing you noticed honestly as you reflexively took a step back closer to the car.
“Wanda! You’re here!” You heard Peter’s voice rise again though. “A little help here please!”
But Peter’s mother only kept on. “You leave your sister out of this! She’s not the one that ran off after a sociopath and disappeared for days!”
“He’s our father!” He yelled back.
Yet the girl with the long auburn hair kept her attention on you for another moment. “Well whoever you are, you’re probably going to regret coming here.”
You could only remain silent though after that as she just walked on to her mother and brother.
She hugged Peter abruptly, working her way between the two even in their fighting. “I knew you were alright. I could still feel you, even though Mom didn’t believe me. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t an idiot.”
Peter seemed to calm some at Wanda’s touch though, just responding. “You have no idea. I punched a god in the face. It’s a long story.”
——————————
(Continued in next chapter here.)
#peter maximoff#peter maximoff x y/n#peter maximoff x reader#peter maximoff x you#peter maximoff x oc#quicksilver xmen#quicksilver x y/n#quicksilver x you#quicksilver x reader#quicksilver x oc#quicksilver#x men#x men fanfiction#xmen#xmen fanfiction#xmen fic
130 notes
·
View notes
Note
hi can you write about spending a valentine’s day with gray pls?
valentine’s day smut w/ gray? + more haha sorry couldn’t put them all in
A/N: I’m sorry this is a day late. It was supposed to be 90% smut but somehow it took on a mind of its own and turned into this monster.
warnings: smut, extremely cheesy, way too long
***
It should be a given understanding that Valentine’s Day is the dumbest, most antiquated, overrated holiday that’s ever existed. That had always been your take on it, even as a little kid — the worry of spelling your classmates’ names correctly on cards imprinted with cheesy Scooby Doo and Spongebob puns; the expectation to dress up nice in the hopes you would get asked to be someone’s Valentine in the hallways of middle school; the potential embarrassment of being the only person in class who didn’t get bought one of those stupid roses from a ‘secret admirer’ in high school.
There’s simply too much pressure surrounding the idea of professing your love or even your mere fondness for anyone and everyone in your life. The fear of rejection if you do, and the judgement if you don’t. It had always made you anxious, whether you had someone to share the day with or not.
But this Valentine’s Day, as a young twenty-something, you were actually (secretly) looking forward to it. Conner was your first adult relationship, with the title of ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ and labels and commitment. He’s cute and smart and charming and yours. So, sue you if you were quietly anticipating wearing that SavageXFenty set beneath a brand new dress while you went to dinner after being greeted at the door with roses and a box of chocolates.
And yet here you are, on February 14th, hood of your sweater drawn over your head as you rummage through your freezer with a clear target in your mind. Your eyes are blurry and swollen, but you find the pint of birthday cake Nada Moo with ease, and you slam the freezer door closed a little harder than you really mean to as soon as it’s in your grasp.
You’ve just popped the lid off when your phone buzzes on the kitchen counter where you’ve plopped down to eat your depression snack in a more acceptable place than your bed or the couch.
You see Grayson’s name accompanied by a goofy, up-close picture of him smiling filling the screen, and hesitate. He’s one of your best friends, and clearly done nothing wrong, but you’re not sure you’re capable of handling anyone of the male species right now after...everything.
At the end of the day, though, it’s Grayson. He knows heartbreak almost better than anyone, and you’ve coached him through it on more than one occasion. Maybe he can spew back some of your own advice if it comes to that.
You swipe the bar at the bottom of the screen, and your ceiling suddenly replaces the image of his silly, handsome face. “Sup?”
“Yo. Am I interrupting anything? Sorry, just remembered what day it is.”
You swallow. “Uh no, you’re not.”
“What’s wrong?”
You bite your lip hard, digging your spoon into the softened ice cream. Was it that obvious just from your voice that you had been upset? Or does he just know you that well?
“Nothing.”
“You sound like you’ve been crying.”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t lie. Let me see your face.”
There’s a beat of silence, and you concede. “No. I’ve been crying.”
He’s quiet, and you can’t bring yourself to look at his own face in the corner of the screen. You shove the chunk of ice cream past your lips, and after a moment he says with a softer tone, “Crying on Valentine’s Day is never a good sign.”
You’re glad that you’ve gotten so much of your tears out already, because you feel the inevitable prickle behind your eyes that would have been full-blown waterworks a few hours ago. You scoop another bite. “Conner cheated on me — has been, cheating on me. I found out last night.”
Grayson sighs your name, and something about the genuine sympathy in his voice makes you even more emotional. “Fuck. I’m so sorry. What a piece of shit.”
You shrug even though he can’t see, and sniffle past the lump in your throat. “It’s whatever. I’m still in shock more than anything. Hurts like hell, though, still. I let him have it when I saw the texts and he hasn’t tried to call me once. No texts. Nothing.”
He’s silent, but it’s that raging silence you know oh so well from him. It doesn’t happen often, but anyone who knows Grayson Dolan knows that when his volume comes down, he means business. A loud and obnoxious Grayson is a happy one, but a brooding and quiet one means serious business.
“Do you want me to go beat his ass? I’ll do it.”
A smile cracks your scowl before you know it, and you shake your head. “No thanks, Gray. As much as I’d love to see that happen, I like your face the way it is. And not on a mugshot.”
He chuckles a little, and you feel your chest lift some just hearing the familiar depth of it. “Well, do you at least want me to come over later? I totally get if you need to be alone, but I know from experience sometimes what helps the most is having good friends around.”
You’re a little surprised. “You don’t have a date?”
“Nope.”
“No one from the roster hitting you up?”
“I don’t have a roster,” he argues playfully, but you both know that’s a lie, if not at least a stretch of the truth. “And even if I did, you’re more important. Always.”
You sigh and take another bite. His words make your neck tingle and your toes wiggle, but you ignore it; your brain is full of confusion as it is. “That makes one man in my life who thinks so, I guess.”
You finally prop your phone up against the fruit basket sitting in the middle of your bar so he can see you. Grayson takes in your image, which admittedly must look kind of pathetic, and you watch his jaw clench and release in a way that you can’t deny is utterly sexy.
“Is an hour okay? Tell Vanessa to come, too.”
“Benito took her to Tulum for the weekend,” you say, referring to your best friend and her boyfriend. “She did threaten to get on a plane and come home early for me, though.”
Grayson grins crookedly, but his jaw is still tight. “Well, tell her you’re in good hands. See you in an hour?”
You give it one last quick consideration; you already feel this much better just talking to him on the phone. Nothing bad could come from him being in your apartment, and you trust him. “Yeah, that’s fine. But just so you know, I’m already at the stage of eating ice cream at 10:30 AM.”
“Did you forget you’re talking to the emotional ice cream eating champion? No judgement here.”
You finally let out a giggle, your spirits officially lifted. “I’ll see you soon.”
**
True to his word, Grayson arrives at your door about an hour later, his arms laden with milkshakes from Monty’s, a gift bag decorated all over with sparkly hearts, and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.
You’re stunned. The only thing you’d managed to do in the time it took him to get here was take a quick shower in attempts to rid your face of some of the puffiness, throw on some shorts this time with a fresh hoodie, and toss the used tissues scattered around your place into the garbage.
Before you can say anything, he holds out the flowers. “They were out of roses. But I know you like pink.”
You reach out for them slowly, eyes wide, your fingers brushing his when you grasp the plastic wrapping. His cheeks are a similar color to the petals, and it makes both your heart and your lips smile.
“Peonies are my favorite,” you say truthfully. “And yes, especially pink ones. Thank you, Gray.”
“You’re welcome,” he says, sounding relieved.
As he crosses the threshold of your door, he leans down to kiss your cheek, and you can’t help but hum quietly and pull him in for a hug. “That gift better not be for me, either,” you mumble into his chest.
Grayson pulls back, his eyes sparkling, but keeps you close with an arm wrapped loosely around your shoulders. “Oh, this? No, this is for my other best friend I’m trying to cheer up on Valentine’s Day.”
You slap his arm playfully, and lead him into your kitchen, pulling out a vase from the cabinet beneath your sink for the flowers.
The bag has a few gifts in it: a new Comfy (“I remembered you ruined yours when that ketchup bottle exploded all over you the other day”); a huge bag of watermelon sour patch kids (“I know they’re your favorite. Also ice cream gives you brain freeze after the first pint or so, trust me”); and a heart shaped box of your favorite chocolates (“you can eat them or burn them, I wasn’t sure which you’d appreciate more but either is fine with me.”)
You appreciated all of it, more than he would ever understand. All you can do is fling yourself at him weakly, completely overwhelmed. “Fuck you, you’re gonna make me cry all over again.”
Grayson envelops you in those huge, muscular arms, cooing behind that laugh you love so much. “Is that a really backwards way of saying thank you?”
You grunt in affirmation, and with you still wrapped up in his arms, he starts waddling the two of you back the short distance into your living room.
“Here,” he says, coaxing you down into the blanket nest you had created on the couch. “You chill and find a movie. I’ll make popcorn.”
You do, and he does, and the next few hours are spent lounging about in your apartment. Having him here with you is doing wonders from keeping your mind from going down the paths you’d been spiraling towards ever since you saw the messages between Conner and no less than four other girls on Snapchat. You don’t believe in snooping, but finding the first one had been an accident when he received the snap while you had his phone, and your finger happened to press the icon at just the right moment.
In your eyes, though, the image of one pair of tits that weren’t your own was enough justification to see what else you could find.
“I hate to admit it, but I’m kind of relieved,” you told Grayson a while later, Shrek playing on the TV quietly. He’s sitting next to you, far enough apart for there to be couch space between the two of you, but close enough to share the oversized blanket thrown over your laps. “Obviously what he did is so fucking shitty and I’m not justifying it in any way, but I can be honest with myself now and realize I wasn’t in that relationship for the right reasons. There wasn’t anything there emotionally at the end of the day.”
“You still have every right to feel hurt by what he did, though. It’s a huge violation of trust,” Grayson assures, reaching out and squeezing your hand gently.
You squeeze back and grimace at him. “Yeah.” You let out a little mirthless laugh and shake your head, heat flooding your cheeks. “It’s so embarrassing, too. And finding out the day before Valentine’s, no less. Like, I just wanted to look cute, have a nice dinner, have some nice sex, and just... I don’t know. Have an actual Valentine’s day for once. No pressure or anxiety or anything.”
Grayson stares at you in that way he does — so intense and almost intimidating if there wasn’t a genuine warmth behind it. You’re suddenly aware of his thumb brushing the back of your hand slowly. He squeezes your fingers again.
“So, let’s do it, then. You and me.”
You arch a brow at him, smiling at the rosiness in his cheeks when he realizes what he might have implied. “The dinner part, I mean. And the dressing up. Even though I think you look plenty cute right now.”
You roll your eyes, but for the countless time that day, your heart flutters happily. Looking back, you can’t remember the last time Conner had complimented your appearance, let alone after hours of crying and lazing around in sweats, sugar crystals stuck to the corner of your lip.
“That would be great, except there’s no way we’re getting into any restaurant at this point,” you remind him. “Probably no delivery, either.”
“I’ll cook for you,” he counters, throwing the blanket off his legs and standing up with a groan. He stops to stretch, and the way his arms go over his head makes his shirt ride up at the bottom, exposing a chunk of hard muscles and golden skin.
You swallow, eyes trailing up the rest of his torso appreciatively. “I don’t have much.”
He’s already rummaging through your pantry, though, and pulls out a half-full box of pasta, a jar of marinara sauce, and a leftover chunk of sourdough bread. “You got salad stuff?”
You nod, and he opens the fridge to find some lettuce, peppers, and other salad fixings before setting them with the pasta ingredients on the counter. “Go get dressed, look as cute or not cute as you want. I’ll take care of this.”
He’s absolutely unreal. “Gray-”
Grayson holds up his hand. “Ah, no, I’m doing this. You deserve it. Also, I’m hungry. It’s a win-win.”
Your stomach growls as well, and that’s all the convincing you need. While he gets busy in the kitchen, you tidy up the living area some before heading to your room. You feel a little silly, making your third outfit change of the day, but you also like the giddiness in the pit of your belly at the thought of Grayson doing all of this for you. You might as well take advantage of having someone like him in your life. Show him some Valentine’s appreciation of your own.
You forgo the slinky red number you had planned to wear to the restaurant with Conner, and opt instead for a rather unsuspecting blouse-jeans combo, which happen to both respectively frame your tits and ass perfectly.
The lacy, bright pink set in the back of your closet might have made it beneath your clothes, though. The prettiness of it made you feel that much better, even if no one else was going to see it.
Maybe.
Padding back into your kitchen after running a flat iron through your hair and throwing on some concealer, mascara, and lip gloss, you find Grayson draining the pasta into a colander in the sink.
Grayson does a double-take when he sees you standing there admiring the flex of his bicep as he holds the pot. “Hey! You look amazing.”
“If you say so,” you joke, bumping his hip with yours as. You pass him to pull plates and bowls out of the cabinet.
“I do,” he insists quietly.
Arm outstretched mid-reach, you look over at him, locking eyes with his hazel ones. He looks a little surprised by the words that left his mouth, like he meant for them to stay inside his head. There must be some kind of challenge in your gaze, daring him to elaborate.
He busies himself with the pasta again hastily, his voice low. “Conner is a fucking idiot. To do that to you. To let you go. You don’t deserve that. Especially not today.”
Plates in hand, you rest them gently on the counter with your lower lip caught between your teeth, and peer over at this handsome man you’re so proud and lucky to call your best friend. He’s everything you thought Conner was — cute and smart and charming — but so much more — beautiful and good and kind.
And he’s been right here in front of you the whole time.
You reach out and touch his elbow softly. The hairs on his forearm are crisp but soft, and you follow them down to that gleaming watch on his wrist.
“You know,” you start quietly, fingers tracing the links of the band before flipping his hand over to trace the lines of his palm, “you keep talking about what I deserve today. But you deserve all that and more. You deserve someone’s love that matches your own.”
He watches your delicate fingers on his large, calloused palm, then trails his eyes up to yours when he feels their attention on his face. A piece of hair flops into his eyes, and you reach up without thinking or any hesitation to push it away again with a little smile playing on your glossy lips.
You look down and lay your palm flat against his, admiring the difference in size between your hands for a moment before interlocking your fingers with his.
“I love you.”
Your eyes flit up to his in surprise; he beat you to the words.
“In case that wasn’t obvious,” Grayson continues, turning towards you. “And I hope that’s not too much for you to handle, with everything you’ve had hap-”
“I love you too, Gray,” you interrupt, stepping that much closer to him so you’re nearly chest-to-chest with him.
“Yeah?” He sounds almost boyish in his astonishment, and it makes you want to hold him tight and never let go.
“Yeah,” you giggle. “A lot. I’m sorry it took me getting dumped to realize it.”
He shakes his head, his hand resting on your cheek gently. “Can I kiss you?”
You nod once before he’s swiftly ducking down to claim your lips with his. They’re soft and pliable, and you feel their effects from the nerves in your scalp all the way down to your bare toes.
“Grayson,” you breathe, lashes fluttering open as he pulls back just enough to look at you concernedly.
You smile, bigger and brighter than you have all day, and cup his stubbled cheeks with your hands, scratching your nails gently against his jaw. “I just wanted to say your name.”
Grayson grins now, too. He kisses you more insistently now that he’s got the taste of you on his tongue, which he flicks against the underside of your top lip as he breaks the kiss. “Say it again.”
“Make me,” you challenege, voice breathy and excited, eyes closed as you savor his sweet breath against your lips. “In my room.” You feel him tense up a bit, and you open your eyes to meet his questioning gaze, biting back a smile at the inevitable hope also shining there. “I’m sure.”
With that, Grayson hauls you up into his arms, and you wrap your legs around his waist with a squeal as he buries his face into your neck. He starts making the way to your bedroom, cooked food left long forgotten in the kitchen behind you.
“Are you wearing my signature scent?” he asks, inhaling your skin deeply.
“Mmhm,” you hum, threading your fingers through the back of his thick hair. It’s so long again, and you give the dark strands a sharp tug that makes him grunt. “Part one of my gift to you. Since you got so many for me today.”
“Part one, huh?” he says, crossing the threshold of your room. “What’s part two?”
“What I’m wearing underneath this,” you whisper in his ear, giggling loudly when he lies you down on the bed with more of a toss than he might have intended. “If you want it, that is.”
He looks at you like you’ve lost your mind at the mere suggestion that he wouldn’t, and you take that as enough encouragement to tug at the bow tying your forest green silk wrap blouse together.
The folds part open and expose your chest, clad in that pink lace demi-cup bra with the cage detailing over the tops of your breasts. Grayson moans and dips down to nuzzle your cleavage, breathing in the scent of your warm skin. His hands trail up your sides, from your hips to your rib cage, until they settle in the dips of your waist. His touch ignites you, makes your back arch and your hips grind up against his thigh between your legs, just from the sensation of his hands on these new parts of your body.
“Grayson,” you sigh, and he smirks up at you with his chin on your tits when he realizes that’s all it took for you to say his name again.
You grab his cheeks and kiss that smugness away, shifting your legs so they’re wrapped around his waist once again, pushing down on the small of his back to get your centers to meet.
Both of you gasp into each other’s mouths when his erection rubs against your pussy, even through all the layers of clothing still on your bodies. You reach down blindly, still attacking his mouth with yours, and feel around for his belt.
His pants come off, followed by yours, and he sits you up enough to push your blouse off your shoulders rather gently considering the intensity of everything. Once the garment is tossed over his shoulder, you’re down to nothing but that pretty lingerie and he in his boxer briefs.
There’s a moment of pause and clarity for the two of you, staring into one another’s eyes as the reality hits of what you’re about to do. What it means to both of you. Grayson stares down at you, and places a hand over your rapidly thumping heart.
“Beautiful,” he says quietly, dragging his hand up your chest, over your throat, until he’s cupping you’re cheek and stroking your lip with his thumb.
You smile in return, then part your lips with your eyes locked on his, encouraging him silently to slip that digit in your mouth.
Grayson’s eyes darken, and he offers you his pointer finger instead, swallowing hard when you suck and swirl your soft, wet tongue around it.
Suddenly, he’s rolling the two of you over, switching positions so he’s on his back and you straddle him. You smile happily, taking your turn to duck down and attach your lips to the pulse point his neck, grinding down on his cock with a slow, steady rhythm.
“You’re so amazing, Gray,” you tell him, nipping at the lobe of his ear before kissing the underside of his chin. “Can’t believe you’re all mine now.”
“Can’t believe you’re mine,” he growls back, cursing when you trail your kisses down the center of his body, giving each one of those moon’s their own special attention before continuing down.
When you get to the waistband of his underwear, you trail your tongue on the edge of the elastic and watch his abs contract with each shaky breath he takes. One little move of your hands, and you’ll finally get to see what he’s really packing.
But before you can even hook your fingers there to pull down, he’s tugging on your hair. “Fuck, fuck, c’mere. Please.”
You pout, but follow his lead, licking back up his muscular torso until he’s able to drag you to him for a deep, wet kiss.
“Sit on my face,” he demands, shuffling down on the pillow to make more room for you.
That takes you off guard. “But—”
“Do it. Please. I fucking have to taste you.”
Your body must be working ahead of your brain, because before you know it, you’re straddling Grayson’s face, his tongue is sweeping through the wetness in your slit, and his dark eyes are peering up at you from between your thighs.
“Oh... oh!” you cry out when his tongue starts flicking against your clit. He goes back to swiping up all your arousal, then suctions his lips around your clit. He’s using one hand to hold the lace of your thong aside, and the other dips first one finger, then two inside of you. “Oh, fuck, that’s so good...”
Grayson moans, the vibrations erupting around your clit and sending you right to the edge already. You reach back and palm his cock, rock hard in his underwear still, and squeeze as he makes you cum all over his mouth.
He gets his fill of your cum as he groans and keeps up the motion of his fingers, the pressure of his lips, the softness of his tongue as your pussy pulses with each contraction of your orgasm. You wait for him to start letting up, but something about the way he’s working you just makes those waves stay steady rather than die down again. Maybe that’s his intention, because when you drop your head down to look at him with your mouth wet and agape, there’s a sparkling mischief in his eyes has he eats you out like his last meal.
Your hips grind against his face of their own accord, and you delve one hand in his hair while the other supports you on the headboard. You gasp out a quivering, breathless laugh as it all becomes just too much, and you try to lift off his mouth.
Grayson isn’t having it, though. He wraps his arms around your thighs and holds you down, reveling in the moans and whimpers and squeals as he makes you cum again.
“Oh my god — enough, enough, I can’t...” you whine, shoving on his forehead until he releases you and drops his head to the pillow. You could already see it by the crinkles in the corners of his eyes, but he’s smirking wide, chest heaving as you slink your way down his body.
You collapse next to him in a daze, and he rolls on top of you smoothly, peppering little kisses to your cheeks, your jaw, your nose. When you’re back in your right mind, you nudge blindly at his face so his lips find yours. He tastes like your pussy, and you sigh happily as you lift your heavy arms to wrap around his neck while his scoop beneath you, holding you close.
You continue to indulge in each other for a while, in the kisses you hadn’t been allowed to share until now. There’s something exciting about his familiarity and yet also this strange newness that has you absolutely desperate for him in every way.
“This is crazy,” you say when you pull back for air, studying his face hovering right above yours. You push back that stubborn chunk of hair that keeps falling into his eyes with a soft smile. “How did we end up here?”
Grayson turns his head to press his lips to your palm. “I don’t know. Is it too much? Should we stop?”
You shake your head vehemently, and he grins. “No, please. I think I just have to grasp that you’re really... mine now.”
He chuckles. “How do you think I felt watching you with that loser for five months?”
The mention of Conner makes you feel nothing — nothing other than gratitude for Grayson, that is. You slide your hands down his back, over his ribs, across his abs until your hand cups his dick.
His hips thrust into your touch, and you grin up at him demurely as you finally delve your hand past his waistband until you’ve got his length completely in your grasp.
He’s hot and hard and thick, and you start stroking him just to gauge the reaction in his face. He doesn’t disappoint, his jaw gaping open slightly, his breaths picking up, a flush rising to the apples of his cheeks.
Without warning, he reaches down and grasps your wrist. You pout, but he asks hastily. “Are we gonna have sex?”
You smirk. “Hell yeah.”
Grayson grins and shakes his head. “Alright, then you gotta stop.”
“Already?” you tease, letting him sit back and hook his fingers in the tiny string of your thong at your hips.
He gives you a look as he pulls the scrap of lace down your legs, then stands to push down his own underwear. Your mouth waters at the sight of him, and you wish he’d let you blow him some before you hit the main event, but he says, “I’ve wanted you for too long to take any chances about screwing up the first time.”
You melt a little, reaching for him as he climbs back on the bed. “There should be some condoms in the drawer there. Just to be safe after... you know.”
He nods and dips down to kiss you before leaning over to riffle through the top drawer of your nightstand. He comes back with a purple square, which you take from him.
“Gotta practice an activity safely,” you wink, tearing open the condom and rolling it down his shaft quickly.
“Shut up.” Grayson rolls his eyes, but smiles softly as he settles between your legs just right. “I love you.”
“I love you,” you whisper, gasping as he starts to sink inside you.
“Oh, fuck,” he whimpers as your walls suck him in and grip him tight.
He goes slow for a couple of minutes, allowing both of you time to adjust to each other. He stretches you out so much better than anyone you’ve ever been with, and you can’t help but clench around him when you see those tattoos and smell his cologne and hear his voice — all things that remind you that this is Grayson fucking you.
He growls the first time you do it, then sits up hastily, pulling his face out of your neck when you do it again. He tucks his knees beneath him, sits on his heels, and hauls your hips into his lap as the speed of his thrusts picks up incrementally. Until he’s fucking you for real, and your tits bounce in your bra with every upstroke.
You shove an arm beneath your pillow, enunciating the curves of your body, and watch his expressions as he fights to hold back. His hair is disheveled, lip caught tight between his teeth and muffling his deep, satisfied sounds that mingle with your open higher-pitched ones. He catches your eye and his hands on your hips grip you so tight for a moment that you’re sure little bruises will be there in the morning — not that you mind.
“Fuck,” he whispers harshly before slowing his hips and shifting down to give you a deep, sloppy kiss. “Turn over.”
You moan into his mouth, then follow his order, rolling onto your front as soon as he pulls out. You expect him to haul your hips up into the air, but he moves your hair off your neck and trails sweet kisses from shoulder to shoulder, his hand sweeping down the subtle curve of your back until he’s gripping your ass.
Grayson’s hand moves down your thigh and pushes it up and out once he’s cupping the back of your knee. The angle encourages you to twist your upper half until you have sight of him once again in all his angled, sweaty, muscular glory.
“Fuck me, baby,” you beg him, already anticipating the fullness inside you again. Needing it.
“Want me to fuck you?” he asks needlessly, pushing into your pussy once again. You moan loudly, either in confirmation or from pure pleasure, it doesn’t matter. The angle is tighter, the tip of his dick hitting a spot so perfectly accurate inside of you that you can’t concentrate on anything other than how good he’s making you feel. “Yeah. So fucking sexy. So beautiful...”
“Gray.. oh fuck yes, right there,” you whimper, catching onto his arm as he leans over you and gives you those hard, steady strokes.
“Open your eyes, baby, lemme see them when you cum,” he growls out.
You open them as much as you can, your vision blurry, but you can still make out those handsome features soaking in the pleasure on your face. Watching and waiting for you to get yours so he can get his.
As soon as you’re clenching like a vice around him, Grayson is letting go into the condom. You can vaguely feel the throb of him as he cums in spurts, the sound of his masculine, drawn-out groans making you shiver and tense up even more on his dick. If it’s possible for anyone to sound as sexy as they look, Grayson achieves that in spades.
He collapses on the bed next to you, and you have just enough strength to roll over until he’s got you gathered in his arms. You nuzzle into his chest and try to process everything. You had been hoping for nice sex today, and instead you got the best sex of your life.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence while you both catch your breath, after he pulls and ties off the condom, you smile into his cooling skin with a satisfied sigh.
“Thank you for making this the best Valentine’s Day of my life. Especially after it was starting to look like the worst.”
“You made this the best day of my life, period,” he says, kissing your forehead. “Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Gray.”
#the relief i have in finishing this lmao#im sorry its a day late this took way more effort than i thought it would#dolan twins#grayson dolan#smut#blurb#g blurb
249 notes
·
View notes
Text
𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫
summary: moving from new york city to the outerbanks was already difficult in itself. but having to deal with being hated by a blonde surfer who questioned your existence made it harder to keep a secret you cannot disclose. especially when his friends roped you into what they called a gold game
warnings: focuses on how you got to the outer banks, language, mild derogatory terms, mentions of death, adoption, accidents
a/n: my second series! hope you guys like this as much as the first one. let me know if you want to be added to my taglist.
the atrocious heat of the sun hit your substantially exposed body. as much as you didn’t want it to look too bare for people at the beach to have a free exhibit, the scorching july day made even your sheerest sundress too uncomfortable to wear.
you were unacquainted to the small island called the outerbanks. used to the chaotic hustle of new york city, it was as if life came to a sudden halt when you stepped out of the ferry to live a new life. a life where waking up early to avoid the morning frenzy on the subways and anticipating the city’s midnight madness was no longer your usual.
it did not take too long of living on the island that you mustered up knowledge about your new environment. how there are two sides of the island and two different groups. which meant it didn’t take long for you to realize that you were put in the kook category, just by the look of the houses in the area much like your own. but you hated it, the title and attention.
you closed your eyes, not minding the squeals and giggles of kids at the beach with their families. ignoring a few whistles you got and muttering of locals that you were sure were about you. as you blocked out the distractions, you laid under a palm tree seeking shade until the rays of light didn’t shine through the leaves anymore as the day progressed.
as the wind picked up, you headed back to figure eight, careful not to be followed by whoever. it has been a routine for you to do your laundry at the house as well as take a small amount of cash enough to suffice for a week or two. and as you finish what you need to do, lock all doors and go to where you felt safe and invisible, the cut.
life in new york city came naturally to you. growing up with adoptive parents made you thankful for them having to put up with you. it took years for you to open up when you were adopted, but when you did it was something you would even call magical. helena and marcus hawke made you feel loved you as their own, doing everything they can to make you have the best life to live, and for that you couldn’t be more happy. the house always smelling like freshly baked goods and breads. lively flowers littering the windowsills and the house well lit with the rolling stones playing no matter what the weather or season was.
it was a sudden shift in scenery. your brownstone that was once cozy became dull. one that could be a contender to houses used in horror films. you were closed off to people because of the handful of times you’ve had a foster home just for them to put you back in the system once they got tired of you, so you learned not to get comfortable.
you came home from school one gloomy, winter day. cheeks red and tight from the blizzard you barely just escaped. the house blue despite the candles and lamps doing everything they can to improve it. you heard thumping from upstairs, voices loud enough for you to hear them trying to keep it down. thinking that it was your parents who just got home from their three day business trip, up the rickety stairs you went. you were welcomed by your aunt in your dad’s old art room, the one turned into a boring office.
noticing the almost bare walls and a surprisingly clean desk, you knocked on the slightly opened door. two pairs of eyes were suddenly looking at you. cold ones, which only heightened your worries.
“what are you guys doing?!” you pointed at the wedding canvas that was taken down and leaning on the bookshelf. not meaning to raise your voice at them, you muttered a soft sorry and went back to scanning the room.
“y/n, you are coming to brooklyn with us.” vera, your aunt said dryly, making your head snap in her direction. austin, her husband didn’t bother looking at you and continued rummaging through the drawers and putting them in piles.
“austin, what are you doing? and what do you mean i’m going to brooklyn? where’s mom?!” tears were threatening to fall down your now warm cheeks though you didn’t have any idea why. but with the looks on their faces and actions, you could tell something was going on. mainly because the family you have been adopted into had too much pride to just accept you as their own blood, despite your parents loving you from the moment they saw you.
“helena and marcus got in a car accident yesterday. dead on arrival. now i don’t have much time, i have a busy schedule so will you please just pack. we’re leaving in a bit.”
you felt your heart breaking. it was like a huge punch in the face, the one that knocks you out and you forget what happened hours prior when you wake. and then you felt it, the feeling of being closed off because people who are important left once again, leaving you all alone.
“and you’re gonna tell me this when?! when they’re burried?! fuck!” austin strided towards you, vera not holding him back when he gripped your arm rather harshly.
“you should be thankful we’re even here, you ungrateful bitch! if it weren’t for the will i would be kicking you out into the streets so you can be a drug addict just like your real mom when she gave you up! now go pack!”
his words and behaviour were unexpected. of course you accepted the judgemental stares and coldness gave you every time there were gatherings or meetings your parents brought you to. you learned to accept that they will never treat you normally as part of the family, but you have never imagined it escalating to this. and with what he said, you further confirmed he was bad news.
you ran to your room, hurriedly gathering the things most important to you. including the shark tooth necklace your dad gave you when he gave you a tour of their lab. heading out the door, you turned back to grab the cassette he always played on the radio. you opened it to check if it was not damaged, and as you slid the tape out of the cardboard protector a pink paper your mom loved writing on fell on the floor.
to panic was your first instinct, especially with the footsteps approaching the room. so you hid the paper in your pocket together with your emotions just in time before your aunt barged through the door.
“i’m sorry for the way he acted, but it’s not like you didn’t deserve it. we’re leaving in ten minutes whether you like it or not. ten minutes.” she uttered and left, goosebumps travelling your body from her piercing eyes.
you immediately shut the door, doing your hardest to make the slightest sound. then you leaned against it and fished out for the letter. it was your mom’s handwriting, you haven’t started reading anything and just saw the usual cursive letters and just like that tears poured down your cheeks.
the letter contained information, of how to get into an island you had never heard of in your life. so you reached for the envelope said to be under your nightstand which contained fifty thousand dollars. and you were off, into the cold not caring for the protests of your aunt and uncle. smashing and throwing away your phone, with your duffel bag slung over your shoulder, you hollered for a cab, and to the airport you headed.
the letter contained fairly easy instructions, but it was difficult to ponder. the letter said to look for heyward and once you asked around as you stepped off the ferry, you were led to meet with a man with a welcoming aura, finishing up some groceries before ushering you onto another boat when you introduced yourself.
it was more or less half an hour when the dated boat parked on a dock of a huge estate not isolated but far enough from other mansions. the outside was surrounded with bright green grass. cobblestones in perfect placement lining the path to the front porch with large antique oakwood doors.
as you dropped your bag into the tiled floor, you heaved a deep sigh. looking at heyward as you forced a kind smile.
“thank you. my parents must really trust you if they told me to find you.” he nodded as if he bowed, looking around the bare living room before answering.
“you’re safe here, kid. and you’ll figure it out. you’re brave to go to a place you don’t know, especially from new york. it takes guts.” you raised the corners of your lips which he returned
the short stay you were in the house you noticed minor details that could be of great significance. no decorations or paintings on the walls, it was different back in the city as your dad loved art. no antiques suiting your mom’s taste, and no sign of anyone having lived there. the massive space only decorated with necessary furniture.
and with that, as heyward tapped your upper arm and turned around, you called out “is there somewhere i could stay that will not capture attention?”
you hated the feeling of asking him such question. after driving the boat to your house that are bright to the eyes of people, here you are asking for another place to stay. you felt like you were interrupting his tight schedule, but you felt worse thinking that you were bragging. he was occupied with his job when you arrived, working hard to make a living and you don’t even have to worry about paying for another house.
negative thoughts were wiped out of your mind when he let out a laugh, tapping his temple with his pointer finger “i knew you’re a hawke! smart kid. i know a place. but you stay here for a bit to explore. i’ll pick you up after a delivery i have to make.” you nodded, feeling the weight lift off your shoulders.
as he stepped out the door, he peeked one last time gaining back your attention “third room to the left upstairs, the small wine cooler is a safe, i’m sure you’ll know where to find the code.”
it was a peaceful drive that even you were surprised, used to having clouded thoughts that you cannot seem to get rid off. having the windows down definitely did you wrong as a loud honk of a horn from a rundown volkswagen startled you along with its bright headlights, making you swerve your jeep.
the probability of you crashing was high, being that you closed your eyes trying to control the vehicle. it just so happens that you are lucky enough to have pressed on the brakes faster before falling in a ditch.
heavy breaths escaped your now pale lips, your heart pounding twice the speed you were driving before the unfortunate incident.
“oh my god! are you okay?!” you heard a girls voice query in a loud tone as you tried to steady your breathing. you nodded quickly but she did not buy it, the shaking of your head made you panicked state apparent.
you looked up, three pairs of eyes glancing intently at you. “john b you stupid asshole!” she yelled once again as you observed all of their expressions. blue eyes catching your attention but breaking the contact as you tried to start the car once again only for it turn off.
“shit” it wasn’t unheard by the three teenagers as you turned the ignition for the hundredth time “we can give you a ride if you want.” the guy who the brunette lass called john b offered, you looked at him and back at the other for confirmation earning nods except from the blonde one.
“we’re not giving a kook a free ride.” he declared and your doe eyes widened by the statement not knowing how he can identify your so called title before relaxing as you watched scan your car.
“good to know that if i died i would’ve died right here because your bus is pogue exclusive.” you rebutted. he let out a laugh, the three others merely watching the exchange
“it’s a van, princess. not a bus.” his remark made you roll your eyes. you didn’t know if it was because of the reply itself or the nickname he gave you, nonetheless it made your stomach turn.
“don’t be a prick. come on, we’ll help you get your car back tomorrow.” the girl once again said. it was late at night, so as much as you wanted to decline, you had no choice but to agree. especially when her smile made you feel welcome despite the inhospitable approach of the blonde.
a shriek was let out by another boy when the sliding door was opened, the others let out a laugh and you couldn’t help to do so too by the sight of him trying to cover his lower area even with boxers.
“didn’t know we have a guest i would’ve prepared!” you giggled with the three, accepting his hand as he introduced himself as pope. the others soon doing the same except that one boy once again.
“do you have a problem with me?” you couldn’t help but ask out of annoyance. “i don’t need to explain myself to you, kook.” he answered under his breath and avoided your stare.
problems with any body on the island is one thing you wished to avoid, so at any given circumstance, and because you have the excuse for it, you played your last card.
“i’m a pogue, stupid.”
attention was on you, even john b who slowly stopped driving and looked back to ask you where you lived. making a u turn once you told him where your house was on the cut.
“are you new?” pope uttered starting a conversation. you shook your head, already having come up with a lie “lived here my whole life.” a scoff was let out and you looked at the blonde once again
“how come we haven’t seen you here before?” he asked, and you smirked “that’s because i’m a vampire, you just got lucky to spot me tonight.” the others laughed, making you comfortable to stand your ground against the blue eyed boy
“i still haven’t gotten a name you know.” all you got was a frown which turned to a smirk “that’s for me to know and y—” “it’s jj!” “kie!” you laughed at the altercation, secretly wishing to have a friendship like theirs as you watched them playfully slap and kick each other.
“a pogue with a brand new jeep, interesting.” he blurted out and drilled a hole into your head with his cerulean eyes “i’ll let you take it for a spin don’t worry.” he hastily shook his head, an irritated look on his face “i don’t want anything to do with you so fuck off will ya?”
as your eyes widened you let out a whistle and raised your hands in defeat. telling john b to let you out as your house is not far enough. for your own good and the blonde pogue’s sake.
you barely started your walk when you heard footsteps approach. turning around, you were ready to defend yourself from whoever would cause you harm, but were met by the boy who just made it clear he hated your presence.
“you don’t come up behind someone like that! i could’ve taken your eye out!” you wished to call the silence comfortable if it weren’t for the stares of the jj creeping into your arms and back. reciprocating the attention, you noticed he was staring just below your face. you were about to call him out when you glanced down your neck, where your shark tooth necklace carefully sat.
“why are you here—” “where’d you get that?” he asked sincerely, sending a tightening feeling on your throat. “found it laying somewhere. not that it’s your business. why are you here?” you lied and asked once again
“john b told me to tell you he’s picking you up tomorrow to get your car.” he stuttered, “okay cool.” you quickly muttered and turned around not wanting to further drag the interaction.
convincing yourself to relax, the blonde boy was bothered as he went back to the twinkie, letting out a laugh of dismay “she’s hiding something.” his friends furrowed their brows, ready to hear what he has to say
“she’s hiding something and i’m gonna find out what it is. even if it means being around her annoying ass.”
comment on the series masterlist to let me know if you want to be added or removed from my taglist or want your username updated. read more of my works here! ♡
@sunsetholland @bibliophilewednesday @drewswannabegirl @omgitzbillie @sexualparkour @spencereidbasis @spilledtee @ifilwtmfc @maybebanks @obx-snippets @glux64 @rae131415 @pink-meringues @jeyramarie @lust-for-pan @k-roleplay20 @prejudic3 @rafeyybabyy @mj-20182 @makrenee @hoodpankow @softtfordrew @diverrdown @obxhstyles @suicidexdarkness @edyn-nicole @weasleyswizarding-wheezes @obxloves
#outerbanks#jj maybank#jj maybank obx#jj maybank x reader#obx#jj maybank imagine#jj maybank fic#jj maybank x y/n#obx imagine#jj maybank series#jj x reader#obx series
101 notes
·
View notes
Text
BURN THE WITCH! - Part 8
Finally! It is finished.
Also...warnings I guess for itchiness. And severe scratching due to itchiness.
Here goes:
Lila was prideful. Exceedingly so. But let it not be said she was too prideful to know when it was time to jump ship.
And the ship that was Paris was sinking fast.
All thanks to Ladybug, of course. Because “Little Miss Righteousness” just had to stick her nose into Lila’s business. How dare that insect make a fool out of her?
She would have had to leave soon anyway. While she could certainly come up with a new story to fool her classmates and explain away the previous unfortunate incident, it would still be difficult since they were starting to wise up and it would be harder to keep them under her thumb if she stayed much longer. While the akuma had been dealt with and everyone’s memories erased, Lila didn’t want to take any chances.
Then there was the matter with Hawk Moth. She had some suspicion of his identity—but that was all it was: suspicion. The evidence she had to go on was circumstantial at best. Unless she could find something to confirm it, it was useless. And even if she was right, there wasn’t much likelihood that she would be able to make use of it without proof.
She clenched her fists in growing rage at the reminder.
How dare he turn on her like that?!
There was something that grated at her knowing that she would be leaving things unfinished. That she would be letting him get away unscathed. She at least wanted to get some sort of payback for him leaving her to dry.
If there was any real justice in the world, she would get the chance to try and take his Miraculous for herself. Wouldn’t that be ironic? Especially after how he had cut ties with her.
But now he would expect her to try something. He may even try to take her out himself first. It was what Lila would do in his place.
No, it was better to cut her losses. She still had the an exemplary school record. She still had her position and experience as a model to take with her. She could just move somewhere new and start over. There was nothing worth staying in Paris for anyway. She was getting bored here.
Her decision had absolutely nothing to do with Ladybug’s threat though! Ladybug was clearly the one jealous of her! She wasn’t scared of that pathetic little bug! She was too much of a goody-goody to actually do anything to Lila herself! Ladybug was supposed to be held to a higher standard, after all! She was just bluffing! She wouldn’t actually do anything to her! So Lila had no reason to be scared! And she wasn’t!
It took a moment for Lila to realize her hand holding the phone was trembling. She bit back a curse and clutched the hand with the other to hide it and force the them to still. But when that didn’t work, she set the phone on speaker before putting it on its stand on the table.
Lila’s mother, bless her, was ignorant of this inner turmoil—or if she was aware, she simply attributed it to Lila’s claims. The woman was all too willing to blindly trust her precious daughter. All Lila had to do was use that and soon Paris and all its problems would be nothing but a bad memory.
She busied with drying her hair with a towel while regaling her mother with the tale of the latest attack—albeit a heavily edited version. Honestly though, wasn’t that stupid Cure of Ladybug’s supposed to fix everything to how it was before the attack? So shouldn’t she have been dry already? And back in her new designer clothes?
As it was, her fall in the Seine had left her hair a mess, and she barely had time to simply wash it properly, much less take the good long soak she really craved. She was fortunate enough that there had been time to return home and try to clean up at all. And especially to get rid of those clothes she had “borrowed“ from Marinette’s home. The last thing she needed was to be seen running around in that. Not that there was anything wrong with the clothes themselves, but questions would no doubt arise as to where she had gotten them or why she was wearing them. And the last thing she needed was for her mother and Marinette of all people to meet.
After a moment of consideration, she twisted the towel just enough to cause her pain. With a hiss and a gasp, it sounded quite like she had been crying. Enough to fool someone who was not physically there at any rate.
“I just miss Home. It’s been so long.” She said, ending with a sniffle that may have been partly exaggerated and may have been partly a sign of a cold coming on.
“But what about your friends? You just seemed to be getting so settled in Paris. You even have a boyfriend. From what you’ve been telling me, you two are awfully close. You have a difficult enough time seeing each other as it is. Won’t moving just make it worse?”
Geez, the woman was being annoyingly persistent today.
“We can write and video chat.” Lila replied easily. She could just “break it off” later. Maybe claim he’d been cheating on her. That was usually good for some sympathy points.
Her mother paused at that. “But long distance relationships are much more difficult. And I thought you liked it in Paris? You’ve been doing so well here. I hadn’t seen you so happy in a long time.”
Of course she’d been happy. She had people devoted to her every whim, fame and connections as a model, and a cushy front row seat to the downfall of that so-called hero.
Lila narrowly avoided clicking her tongue in irritation. Why did her mother have to be so parentally concerned now of all times?
“But Mom, I’m just worried about all of the akumas!” She said with exaggerated earnesty. “This last one was really dangerous! I could have been killed!” She bit her lip and hitched her breath, as if trying to hold back tears. Or hide her lack of them. It was a good thing her mother wasn’t there to see and possibly call her out on it.
Not that she would. She was such a good mother like that. Overly trusting and easily duped. How many teenagers could say they were so lucky?
“I’ve tried to make the best of Paris, but it’s just too much!” Lila cried.
“Oh, my poor dear!” Came her mothers’s voice over the phone. “I’m so sorry I didn’t realize how much this move has had an effect on you.”
In that instant, she knew she had good as won. From the safety of her home and with no one in direct sight, Lila allowed herself a smug grin of victory before schooling her expression back to that of the pitiful child she wanted the older woman to see her as. No one may have been there to see it, but as an avid actress of her skill level, it helped her to match her desired tone and inflection with an appropriate expression. She gasped loudly and grabbed the phone to bring it closer to her.
“But Mom, I know how important this job is to you! I don’t want to get in the way...”
“It’s all right, dear. I can contact your aunt and have you stay with her and your cousins until I can finish things here.”
That made her frown.
Lila’s aunt was...not ideal, as her cousins had been among the earlier victims of Lila’s manipulations. She dared say her aunt favored her over any of her children by the time she’d left them. And her cousins were wary of her to say the least after the way she had played them against each other and themselves. But that had been a couple of years ago and she couldn’t be sure they hadn’t caught on and solidified their relationships to better counter her.
Still, if Paris was any indication of how easily people could be fooled and turned against one another, she could probably manage it again.
“Lila?” Her mother called, drawing her attention back. “Are you all right?”
Lila played up the uncertainty. “I don’t know…I wouldn’t want to cause you or Auntie trouble…I can just stay here.” She looked down and to the side and spoke tonelessly, the picture of a dejected daughter. “I’m sure I can just try to put my fear aside and make the best of it…”
“Nonsense!” Her mother exclaimed. “You should never have to make yourself suffer like that!”
There was the sound of papers being shifted, followed by the clicking of a mouse. No doubt her mother was already looking into the procedure on how to transfer.
“I only want you to be safe and well, mi bella.” Her mother said, softly. “And if Paris isn’t the best fit for you, then I’ll discuss the matter with the Embassy and see about ending my assignment early.”
“But Mom, you don’t have to! I can manage, really!” She half-heartedly attempted. “The heroes are even starting to do a…half-way decent job.”
Her mother scoffed. “A job that they have been at for over a year and still can’t manage! It’s clearly not safe here if the city’s own heroes can’t even do their jobs properly.”
Hook.
“But let’s get you taken out of that school first.”
Line.
Lila smirked, unseen.
“Thank you, Mom.”
Sinker.
__________________
Another loss. And a worse one, even.
Witch Hunter had been ruthless and efficient. Perhaps one of his better creations to date. Her powers to know one’s sins and enthrall anyone who heard her announcements soon gained her the entirety of Paris under her sway—and by extension, his. That the powers specifically targeted one girl would have been a disadvantage had the girl in question not had such a…sordid history. That history fortunately gave plenty of opportunities to rally others to the cause, but as evidenced from the fight, it still had limitations.
If only Lila had some ounce of subtlety. Then even Ladybug would have been affected by Witch Hunter, and both Miraculous would have been willingly handed over to him if it meant getting rid of the girl in exchange. The key had been that Ladybug’s opinion of Lila had already been so low that no “reveal” of her misdeeds had been enough to enthrall her.
How curious. He had been aware of Lila’s grudge against Ladybug, but he hadn’t realized that the feelings were mutual. Just what had Lila done to make Ladybug despise her so?
He could hazard a guess, but not any that would lead him anywhere. Lila’s list of crimes was rather extensive. And despite the knowledge he had of her, even he couldn’t boast immunity to the rage.
So what had kept Ladybug from giving up on her?
Was it Ladybug’s Miraculous that protected her? Some sort of inner strength? Or was she already aware of his use of Lila? But even if she was aware, how would that be enough?
He had been able to keep his head, but some of the things he heard had been enough to turn his stomach and make him question his alliance with her. He had been accepting at first of her audacity in how she approached him on both sides of the mask, as she presented herself as useful and willing to aid him. And she had been useful, he would give her that. Her main concern was having others under her sway and she was willing to do anything to maintain it…even remove anyone who would become a threat to her.
He hadn’t lied when he told Lila she was of no more use to him. But that hadn’t been the entire truth. Given what he now realized, she was more of a threat than he had ever considered. He couldn’t put it past her to try to figure out his identity to take his Miraculous for herself.
He took a breath.
Perhaps...he needed to reconsider the girl’s position? On both sides of the mask.
“Sir? What should be done about Lila Rossi?” While the interruption from Nathalie was timely, it didn’t truly disrupt his current thought process.
It was a good question. She had been a willing ally and useful tool in manipulating people. He certainly had praise for her skills.
But...
Perhaps he should have been more cautious and try to question just how she obtained those skills?
As well as her intentions for the future. For himself and especially for his son.
How much did she know? Had she discovered him? Did she suspect? What plans did she have? And now that she had been revealed as a willing ally, what information could others get out of her that could lead back to him?
Lila Rossi was a threat. He could see that now.
But just how much of a risk was she? How much did he risk if she were allowed to remain free? It was clear Ladybug knew of their alliance, and she would be keeping an eye on the girl from here on out. What else could she gain from Lila if he didn’t remove her?
“Sir?”
He paused, considering for a moment.
Then came to a decision.
“Nothing.”
Nathalie started at that in surprise.
“Her contract with the company will be terminated, of course.” He stated, turning to go to his desk and prepare to sign the necessary paperwork. “The company will put out an official statement that we deny any knowledge of her history or dealings, and that we disavow her actions. Anything else is already held under a nondisclosure agreement she signed upon her hiring. Though we should prepare legal action if she attempts to retaliate.”
“But…what should be done about her assistance to you as Hawk Moth?” Nathalie asked.
He straightened.
“Nothing.” He repeated. And he did not like to repeat himself.
“Sir? Is that wise? She has been an accomplice.” She warned him with a frown. “What if she has learned who you are? She could become dangerous.”
He sighed.
“She is a loose thread. But to act on it at this point and try to remove her will only backfire. Ladybug will doubtless be keeping an eye on her from now on. We would risk more if we were caught trying to get rid of her.”
“But since you left her to Witch Hunter’s mercy, she may try to retaliate against you.”
Oh, of that he had little doubt. It was in her nature to turn on those who would not play by her rules.
He had little choice at that point. Witch Hunter and all of Paris were focused solely on seeing the girl punished. He had no way of knowing Ladybug wasn’t already part of the crowd by that time. His mistake was underestimating Ladybug’s will, but even then, would he really have responded differently?
Lila Rossi had lost her use as a tool, and with her antics had used up any good will he had towards her. She lacked the subtlety or even the good sense to simply limit the extent of her lies lest she be found out and face backlash. But much like Miss Bourgeois, she seemed inclined to push the limits of what she could get away with. And unfortunately, with superheroes and villains in Paris, the bounds of what she could normally get away with had increased drastically. Even worse was that she fully seemed to believe she ‘deserved’ the praise and attention simply for claiming things she had never done.
And given how one of her first actions was to buy a trinket to pass off as a false Miraculous and proclaim herself a hero, how long would it have taken for her to decide that she ‘deserved’ a Miraculous as well?
“It was only a matter of time before she set her sights too high. It would be better to cut her off now before she got any ideas about taking a Miraculous, even if it was my own.”
He couldn’t put it past her. Because as much as she despised Ladybug, how could such a girl be satisfied only with her destruction? If she did aid in Ladybug’s defeat, she’d likely just take the Ladybug Miraculous for herself at the first opportunity, and then Gabriel would be back at square one.
No, worse. Because Lila Rossi wouldn’t risk herself for others. It was highly likely she would run away with the Miraculous and then he would lose any chance of obtaining it in this lifetime.
…
Lila Rossi had her uses, but it was best to cut his losses with her now. And Witch Hunter had been the prime time to do so.
It would have been foolish of him to risk his hold over Witch Hunter just to spare Lila at that point. But there was no doubt that she will seek retribution for it. She was certainly spiteful enough, even when it would be to her own detriment.
Still…
“That girl has caused enough problems. We don’t need her interfering with our plans.“
Nathalie clutched her tablet, still worried. “But if she knows…if she tries to reveal you…”
“Lila Rossi is a liar.” He stated as he pulled up news footage of the latest akuma fight. “She is a liar and now people know it. Anything she thinks she knows, we can dismiss as a jilted teenager with delusions of grandeur and an unhealthy interest in my son.”
He paused for a moment, then leaned back in his chair to look to his assistant.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the tale of the ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’?”
“I am familiar with it, yes.” She replied, albeit confused as to the sudden subject change. “But what does that have to do with this?”
“In the story, the boy is eaten. But his final claim is ultimately proven true, for all the good it does him.” He looked back to the footage, pausing it on Lila’s expression while she was on the pyre.
“But if we do not respond…if Hawk Moth does nothing to silence her, there is no ‘proof’ to her claims. People will suspect it to be another lie. Even moreso, that it’s merely an attempt to get back at me as her ‘former employer’. There will be no ‘wolf’ to validate her claims, even once she’s gone. So yes, we will leave Miss Rossi to her daily life. Let her say what she may think she knows.”
He smirked.
“She could scream it to the world and no one would believe her.”
__________________
It took a while for them to have their conversation and for Marinette to dry her tears. By the time she was able to reach some level of calm, it was almost time to return to school.
One would think that they would be allowed the rest of the day to recover from the akuma attack, but Paris as a whole and the school in particular seemed used to the frequent interruptions by this point. Though perhaps it was more of a testament to Ladybug’s efficiency in dealing with akumas.
…as well as the efficiency of the civilians to set up an entire festival on a spur of the moment. Perhaps she should recommend they try another one at some point? One that doesn’t involve lighting anyone on fire?
When she went downstairs, she found her parents in something of a state of worry. They looked up in surprise when she came down, but were relieved to see her.
“Marinette? When did you get home? I didn’t see you come in.” Tom said.
“A little while ago. We must have just missed each other.” Marinette replied quickly. Then frowned when she notice their expressions. “Is everything okay?”
“There was an akuma attack earlier and one of your schoolmates came here.” Sabine explained. “We had tried to help her and allowed her to change clothes here into something dry, but she took it upon herself to go into your room.”
Marinette’s eyes widened. “What?!”
“I don’t know what she was doing in there.” Sabine huffed, angrily. “When I caught her, she tried to claim she had gotten lost. Then your father had gotten a text message from Nadja about a ‘Witch’ and she took off running.”
Lila. There was no one else it could have been. Which meant she had probably done something to sabotage her.
Great. Just great.
They had checked her room and taken pictures of how she left it since they were uncertain of what she may have messed with. As it stood, they wanted to know if anything had been stolen and were questioning whether to call the police.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Her father told her.
“We both are. She was soaked and we had wanted to give her some privacy while she changed.” Sabine shook her head. “I hadn’t thought she would go roaming around the house, much less sneak into your room.”
Tom rested a hand on Sabine’s shoulder. “We should follow up on this though. Maybe Roger will have some advice.”
Sabine nodded to him before turning to her daughter. “Will that be all right, dear?”
Marinette hesitated.
She would be lying if she said she wasn’t frustrated. With them. With the situation. All of it.
In their defense, they hadn’t realized it was Lila. And even if they had, they weren’t aware of just how horrible Lila truly was. Despite Marinette’s pleas of innocence during her expulsion, her parents hadn’t fully taken her word for it and even afterwards hadn’t quite believed that Lila was a chronic liar.
But there was a part of her—the part that was still full of indignant anger over the incident and would have formed the core of the Princess Justice akuma Hawk Moth had wanted her to be—that blamed them. If they had just listened to her back then. If they had simply heard her out. If they had believed her about Lila.
They should have known. They should have recognized Lila. They should have remembered what she had done before and at the very least thought to keep an eye on her just in case she tried anything like she had before.
…but Marinette didn’t have it in her to hold a grudge. Especially after what she had seen with Lila and her own grudge.
It wasn’t their fault, it was Lila’s. And while she was irritated with her parents for their negligence, she was willing to forgive them and keep her focus on the one who really deserved her ire.
So for now, she would try to move forward and do what she could.
“I’m not happy about it. But if anything can be done, I’d like to see if we could.”
Her parents agreed and offered reassurances that they would try to address the issue. They also promised her they would be more cautious in the future, which was nice fo them. They offered to let her stay home from school, but that was one thing she had to turn down.
Whatever Lila had done, Marinette probably wouldn’t know until Lila revealed it. It made her dread returning to school. But she couldn’t keep putting it off. If she went now, she could at least try to meet with the others and head off anything Lila could do.
So she made a quick rush to the kitchen to get a small lunch for herself and some cookies for Tikki. With her parents otherwise occupied, that meant that Tikki could come out of hiding and they could talk freely for a bit longer.
“Marinette, maybe you should take a break and stay home for the rest of the school day?” Tikki suggested. And wow, she was certainly taking this ‘be more supportive’ role to heart.
Something in Marinette warmed at that. And in any other circumstances, she would happily have taken Tikki’s advice.
“I’m fine, Tikki. Really.”
Tikki frowned, clearly not buying it. “But you’ve spent half of your day dealing with the crisis caused by Lila and then the akuma that was caused by that crisis, all while trying to keep Lila safe. Even when she was working against you.”
Yeah. There was that.
“You did a lot today. Both as Ladybug and Marinette.” Tikki continued. “No one would fault you if you let yourself recover.”
Marinette hesitated at that.
It was tempting. She was tired. And if she was being honest, she really just wanted to sleep and not deal with anything until tomorrow at least.
But…
She bit her lip.
For all that Tikki’s words made sense and clearly came from a place of concern for her, Marinette couldn’t help but be reminded of only a couple hours ago where Tikki had been trying to convince her to let Lila burn.
She knew that this was different. A matter of self care and health. But even though it’s something she’s wanted and something she appreciates hearing from her kwami, it still felt so strange now that she was experiencing it.
This was something she was going to have to get used to. And she would, she was sure. After all, Tikki was clearly trying for her. And Marinette wanted nothing more than to reciprocate—and also to just drop off into sweet blessed sleep…
However…
“I need to see this through.” She stated, resolutely.
She needed to get back to the school. Both for class and to check on her friends.
After all, even if her Miraculous Cure had fixed the damage caused from the akuma, that didn’t mean her friends were fine. And she still wanted to check in on Rose at the very least.
Tikki looked up at her sadly. Then she floated over and nuzzled Marinette’s cheek, showing her silent support.
It only took a few minutes to gather the rest of her things and make her way to the school.
Even if Tikki assured her that what happened wasn’t her fault, Marinette still felt the need to apologize to Rose for what had happened. Maybe they could still find some way to fix things.
She reached the school in minutes and had almost immediately run into one of her classmates.
Just not the one she had been expecting.
“Adrien?”
He spun to face her, appearing nervous. Even panicked.
“Oh, hey! Marinette! Hi! Hey, um…hey.” He finished, looking embarrassed. “How…are you?”
“I’m fine. Just…have a lot on my mind.” She shrugged. “Just…with Rose and the akuma and everything.”
“Good. That’s good. Well, not good-good about the akuma. But good that you’re okay. Um. Me too.” He looked away, clearly still nervous.
She frowned in concern. “Are you okay?”
“Fine! I’m fine! Just…y’know…got caught up in the akuma attack and was one of her minions for a while. But Ladybug saved me so we’re good.” He said with a not fully sincere smile.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She hadn’t recalled seeing Adrien among the mob. But given how big it had gotten, she wouldn’t be surprised.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Marinette…one of the things Witch Hunter said…” He looked her in the eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me Lila had threatened you?”
She straightened in shock. “What?!”
He rubbed the back of his head, looking to the ground. “I’m sorry, it’s just…she said a lot of things Lila had done that I hadn’t known. Like…well…” The book. Her framing Adrien for insulting Nino. Her working with his father. “How she threatened you?”
“Oh.” She said, a bit blankly. Because what else could she say?
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He implored her. “I had said we were in this together, but…you didn’t tell me she did that.”
It was true. She hadn’t.
But…why hadn’t she?
“I…didn’t think it was a big deal?”
Why was she asking him instead of telling him?
“Not a big—Marinette, she threatened you!” His eyes widened in realization. “Her expelling you was part of her threat, wasn’t it?”
She flinched, but nodded.
“Just…why didn’t you tell me? I could have helped you! I would have done more!”
She waved her hands frantically, trying to console him. “It’s okay, Adrien! Really! You were only—it was just…”
A tap at her leg caught her attention. It came from her purse. A quick glance downward revealed Tikki looking up at her from the safety of the clutch she carried with her. The little kwami remained hidden to Adrien, fortunately, but visible to her. Tikki looked up at her with wide eyes and gave a smile and small nod of encouragement.
Why would she—?
Oh.
Oh, right.
“No.” She admitted. “It’s not okay.”
She had been spending months now convincing herself that things were okay when they weren’t. That she was okay when she wasn’t. And that if she at any point felt she wasn’t okay, it was a failing on her part.
That wasn’t a healthy way to live, as she was only just now starting to understand that.
“I don’t know if you realize this, but I’ve been listening to you on things because I look up to you. I took your advice because I trusted you and believed that you only had everyone’s best interest at heart.”
“But I did!” He insisted automatically before catching himself. “I mean, I thought I was...”
“I trusted you over my own intuition. I listened to you when you kept emphasizing the feelings of others over my own. Chloe was bad enough, but Lila too? Even if they were the ones who were horrible, it felt like I was expected to just...” She struggled for a moment to find the wording to accurately convey her feelings before simply shrugging. “Just deal with it.”
He winced. He hadn’t realized the impact he’d had.
“Because of that,” she continued, “whenever I started to have an issue, I brushed it off because I figured that if there was a problem with someone and something they were doing...well, it was just me, right? So I had to do the right thing. I had to be the bigger person. I had to be the ‘Everyday Ladybug’. Even when I didn’t feel like I could be.”
She took a breath.
“And that wasn’t fair to me.”
He looked up at her. Sad and worried and sympathetic all in one. “I never meant to make you feel like you didn’t matter. I just thought...”
“Chloe’s your friend so it makes sense that you’d want to defend her.” Marinette reasoned. “But Lila, too?” She wrung her hands. “They both did horrible things. They both hurt me...really badly. And it felt like you’ve cared more about their feelings than mine.”
“That’s not it!” He exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. “I just...I know they aren’t then nicest, but they’re struggling. It’s…harder for them than it is for you.“
“If they’re having a hard time, it’s because it’s entirely of their own making. Chloe has been bullying everyone for years, so it’s not our fault that we don’t want to continue to deal with that mistreatment. And Lila has been actively lying to everyone not to be like, but just so she can manipulate them. I get that you care, but your attempts to protect the people you see as ‘needing it’ has resulted in harm to other people who don’t deserve it. You aren’t just enabling them...you’re rewarding them.
“You said to take the highroad, but whatever the highroad is, I don’t think that’s it.”
He gaped at her, some combination of shocked and horrified.
“But I haven’t been encouraging any of this! I tried to help you! I made a deal with her so she would get you back into school.“
Well, that was something she hadn’t known. Although his sudden friendliness with Lila had been suspicious. As had the schools sudden change of heart about her expulsion. But she hadn’t realized the two had been related.
She was grateful to him. Truly. He had only done it for her.
However...
“I never asked you to.”
She wouldn’t have wanted it had she known.
“I never asked you to become Lila’s toy or put yourself in such a bad position for my sake. I only asked you to stand by me and support me.”
She had turned to him that day, wanting him—just someone who knew the truth to speak up in her defense.
To say she was innocent.
To admit that Lila had lied.
To just say she was believed. That she was worth believing in.
“And you didn’t.“
He stared at her. Long and hard. As if this had never occurred to him before. He seemed unable to speak for a full minute.
Until…
“I’m sorry.“
She jumped in surprise.
“I was a hypocrite. I knew she was lying but I convinced myself it wasn’t that bad. And even when I knew people were hurt, it didn’t matter until her lies hurt me.”
He gave a weak laugh.
“Witch Hunter…did you know? The way her power worked was that you only fell under her spell when she announced something Lila did that truly makes you angry.”
He covered his face. In resignation? In guilt?
“I only fell under Witch Hunter’s spell when she revealed Lila had been spying on me for my father. Not when I found out what she did to Rose. Not when I found out what she did to Nino. Not even when I found out what she did to you.” He shook his head. “It only mattered, really truly mattered when it affected me.”
He hung his head in shame.
“I’m a real jerk.”
The denial was automatic on her lips.
“You aren’t a jerk!” She insisted. “You were just—”
He gave a bitter laugh, cutting her off.
“I was so proud of myself that day. When I told you to take the highroad and not out Lila.”
He looked up at her smiling humorlessly.
“Do you know what it’s like to watch you? All the time, I see you doing the right thing. Standing up for people. Doing things to make people happy. Making things better.”
He sighed.
“It felt...it felt good being the one you would listen to and follow.” He admitted. “You were looking up to me and taking my advice. I was so proud of myself! I got to be the one who had solved the problem and made everything better!” He announced with a wave of his hands in an exaggerated fashion before slumping down.
“I’m such an idiot.”
She stared.
He…really admired her that much?
And at that time, he’d just been trying to impress her?
That…hadn’t been the inclination she had gotten at all. It had just felt that he was admonishing her at those times for not being the bigger person. Looking back, now that she was willing to admit it, it had felt like more expectations and double standards.
“I can’t say what you did was okay, because it wasn’t. Lila was able to hurt me. And now she’s hurt Rose and everyone else now because neither of us spoke up when we should have.”
She took a breath.
“But I think I get it. About wanting someone you care about to listen and look up to you. Because that was how I’ve felt about you.”
He jumped and looked up at her in surprise.
Because when it came down to it, hadn’t she been the same? Doing things that had hurt her or others because she had been so focused on Adrien and wanting him to think well of her?
Was it ironic that it was only now, after everything that had happened this day, that she could finally voice even a bit of the feelings she has for him?
They just weren’t the feelings she thought she’d ever be sharing…
But maybe, she thought as she felt Tikki’s comforting presence by her side, these were the ones she needed to?
“It hurts that even when I’m doing the right thing and you say you’re with me, it still feels like you’re not really on my side. Even—especially when I’ve let things get this far at your request.”
“I didn’t mean—I’m sorry—” He started, but he broke off as she raised a hand to stop him.
“I just...” She shook her head. “If we really are friends, I wish you would show it more. And...that you would stand up for me the way you do for them.”
He stared at her in shock. Perhaps a bit of horror as her words really got to him.
“I’m sorry.” He murmured. “I never meant to make you feel that way. I never wanted you to think I don’t care.”
He stood straight and held out his arms to her in clear indication of…something. But she was exhausted—both mentally and physically as it was and her mind was a bit slow to catch just what he was intending to do.
“I know you can handle things, Marinette. You’re strong. And brave. It’s why I know I can trust you when things get tough. But…that you can handle things doesn’t mean you should have to. It doesn’t mean you don’t need support.”
He smiled at her. And oh damn, that smile. It was like a miniature sun and she couldn’t help but stare even as her brain was yelling at her to look away.
The next thing she knew, she was in his arms and…oh…this must be how being held by the sun felt like…
“I want to be someone who you can count on to support you, Marinette.”
Oh. Okay. Nice. This was nice. More of this please. More of just all of this.
The hug must have lasted an eternity. An hour at least? Because it felt like forever until she was drawn out of the soothing feeling by a rumbling and a series of sounds that seemed to mean something…
Could she just…stay like this? For a day or two? Maybe the rest of her life? Tikki tried, bless her, but kwami arms just weren’t the same as human arms and the feeling of being wrapped up in sunshine was bliss.
Oh wait, he was talking more. She should probably be listening right now.
“—contract. Maybe I could talk to them? See what else they know of that could help?”
“Hmm?”
She was dazed and completely out of it, something Adrien seemed to pick up on as he released his hold (noo, don’t do that!) and backed away (noooooo) to arm’s length to look her over.
“Marinette? Are you okay?”
She blinked a few times as her mind reoriented to where she was.
And more specifically to who she was with.
“Oh! Right! Fine! You’re fine—I mean, I’M fine. Just…” She sighed, rubbing at one eye with the palm of her hand. “Just a…long day.”
Maybe she should have stayed home after all if just one hug could do that…
Adrien seemed to notice this and frowned in concern. He took in her state and apparently there was something about her appearance she had missed earlier because he seemed to get the same idea.
“Marinette, are you okay? If you’re tired, maybe you should go home and rest?”
She shook her head insistently. “No. I can’t.”
He rested a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to push yourself. Remember? I’m going to support you. And I know everyone else would understand.”
She didn’t think they wouldn’t. But as much as she just wanted to sleep until tomorrow and skip the rest of this day, she wasn’t sure she would be able to relax at home if she didn’t know what was happening with her friends.
“If nothing else, I want to check up on Rose.” Seeing that he looked ready to argue, she rushed on. “I need this. Please.”
He hesitated. And she was worried he would push the issue, because she was sure that she would give in if he did. She just did not have the energy to argue at this point. Fortunately though, he seemed to understand as he took her arm in his.
“Okay. But I’ll be right here with you.”
Any other day, she would be a stammering mess if Adrien were to take her arm and walk with her like this.
Today, she was simply grateful.
__________________
It didn’t take them too long to find Rose. She was in the hallway talking with Alya. The two seemed deep in conversation that they didn’t notice the duo approach.
“Rose!” Marinette exclaimed, loosening her arm from Adrien’s hold and rushing to her friend. “Are you okay?”
The blonde looked up at her, tearful.
“I’m okay.” She murmured as she wiped at her eyes.
“But are you?” Alya broke in, asking Marinette. “Girl, I saw the footage!”
Marinette blinked.
“Footage?” She asked, and then started to back away at the expression on Alya’s face.
Alya could be headstrong, but she never really got angry. Upset, certainly. Annoyed, often. But even in the heights of Lila’s worst attempts to make Marinette look bad, Alya had never truly gotten angry—just righteous and in Marinette’s opinion that was admittedly a bit resentful at the time, acting a bit superior. Perhaps the only time she had ever seen her friend look truly angry was during Hero’s Day, and even then it took a hit from Dark Cupid and Hawk Moth’s control to get her there.
So seeing Alya looking ready to claw someone’s eyes out was…unsettling, to say the least.
Even Adrien apparently seemed to think so, as he moved up to Marinette and almost seemed to position himself slightly between them. “Alya? What happened?”
Despite Adrien’s attempt to act as a barrier, Marinette tried to reach out, concerned for her friend’s state. The way she was looking, Marinette half wondered if she wasn’t still affected by Witch Hunter. A quick glance to a worried Rose disproved that easily enough, but perhaps it was a remnant of her power the Cure missed? “Are you okay?”
“What do you mean am I okay? Are YOU okay?!” Alya shouted, pointing at Marinette. “Girl, I saw what what happened with you and Lila!”
Marinette jumped. Her mind immediately raced to her call out of Lila just a little over an hour ago. Did someone record her going off? Was there something that had revealed her as Ladybug? Had she messed up?!
“What?! No wait—it’s not what you—I didn’t mean—!”
Alya was pulling up her phone, and by the time she turned it so that Marinette and Adrien could see, the video already started playing. The video was recorded from someone within the akuma’s mob—not yet grown to the level of the city yet.
Marinette briefly recognized that the location in the video seemed familiar but hadn’t quite registered how when a sudden commotion caught the attention of the group. The person recording turned the camera sharply, which blurred and then focused on a fallen figure a short distance away.
“—conspirator helping the Witch! Someone grab her!”
…oh. That figure was her.
And the moment when Lila had betrayed her and tried to sacrifice her to the mob.
“Hey! That’s Marinette!” Came Alya’s voice from the phone, shortly followed by the exclamations from the crowd that Marinette already knew were coming because she had lived this and yet despite seeing it on record, she still struggled to believe it actually happened.
…the crowd leaving her alone part. Not the Lila betraying her part. THAT, she could believe no question.
“I can’t believe she would do that!” Alya exclaimed. The real Alya. The present one. Who was standing in front of her and not the one in the phone—who was almost disturbingly cheerful in how she was calling for Lila’s blood.
…to be honest, Marinette wasn’t sure whether that mob Alya or the furious one in front of her scared her more. Present Alya, for her part, was clearly NOT happy about the events.
Neither was Adrien, apparently, as he grabbed the phone from Alya and looked to be furious himself.
“Wait—Lila did WHAT?!” He demanded. And…wow, was this what Adrien had been like as part of the mob? She hadn’t known he could get that angry.
“She tried to throw Marinette to the mob!” Alya bit out.
“I can’t believe it!”
“How could she—?!”
“When Marinette had just been trying to help her!”
“That lousy little b—”
“WHY did she even think that was necessary?!”
“Is it too late to torch her and say the akuma did it?”
Marinette looked between the two, feeling that she should be saying something but honestly, just getting all the more overwhelmed.
A hand on her arm broke her attention away from the two and back to poor Rose, who looked almost to the point of tears again.
“I’m so sorry, Marinette! I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Oh Rose, you deserved better than this.
“No! You actually let me go.” She insisted, much to the blonde’s visible relief. “You were focused only on Lila. And aside from getting people to help you hunt her down, you didn’t do anything to anyone else.”
If anything, the people of Paris seemed pretty happy for the excuse.
…maybe she really needed to talk to the Mayor about having a fun festival to just let everyone blow off steam?
She could focus on that later though. She shook her head and returned her attention to Rose. The girl still looked nervous, but less worried at least. That was good.
Rose sniffled. “I didn’t know. I’ve just been scared to see what my akuma did.”
“No one was hurt in the end.” Marinette assured her. “Ladybug came and stopped it. Nobody was hurt.”
Because Rose never really wanted to hurt anyone, she was sure. Even if it was Lila.
At most, maybe Lila got a little smokey smell to her. And a lot wet. But she survived. And without burns.
Rose seemed to slump in relief. “I’m so glad.”
And this…this right here was why it was worth it. Because the difference in Rose’s posture and expression within a few seconds meant a situation she could feel move on from versus a guilt she would be carrying with her all her life.
“I can't believe I almost did that! What did I become!?" Rose cried.
“You were akumatized. You were rightfully enraged by someone you thought was a friend taking advantage of you. Honestly, the only reason I didn't join in is because nothing about her shocks me anymore.”
Despite the attempt at reassurance, the smaller girl drew in on herself more. She rubbed at her eyes to wipe away tears and merely nodded at Marinette’s words. Hearing, but not fully agreeing. Or maybe it was the reminder that Marinette had known and tried to reveal Lila sooner to no avail.
Of all people, Rose didn’t deserve this. None of the classmates did, but Rose had been particularly trusting and was affected the worst because of this.
She couldn’t help it. She hugged Rose. If Adrien’s hug earlier had been so nice for her, maybe this could help the smaller girl in turn.
Rose certainly seemed to appreciate it as she hugged back…quite strongly, actually. Marinette had known Rose had some upper body strength given how she had been able to carry Chloe during the Zombizu attack but wow. Rose was smaller than Adrien, but her hug was just as warm but more tight.
Marinette lost herself a bit in the comfort she was giving and receiving. She barely even noticed that Adrien and Alya were still talking. She was peripherally aware that it was happening, but once again had lost track of what they were actually saying.
She had checked on Rose and made sure she was doing…well even if not fully okay. Maybe this was a sign she should go home?
“LIAR!”
It seemed it wasn’t to be, however, as a sudden commotion caught her notice, dragging her attention to a gathering down the hall.
And suddenly, Marinette was wide awake.
__________________
“—trusted me. Ladybug knew I would never do such a thing! That’s how she was able to ward off Witch Hunter.”
Lila giggled.
“You could say that the ‘power of friendship’ saved the day!”
Of course she was lying through her teeth once again. Not that she needed to at this point, really. Her mother was firmly in her corner and Lila would be getting to leave Paris soon enough. But there was a part of her that wanted to see if she couldn’t convince them one more time.
While she may not have a chance of getting revenge on Hawk Moth, she at least wanted some victory to take with her when she left. After all, Lila was hardly one to simply let things go and let this end without a last hurrah. No, if anything, when the chips were down, she was used to going all in. And if she lost? Well, not like it mattered if she wasn’t there to pay afterwards.
This time would be no different.
Truthfully, the only reason she was at the school at all was so her mother could file the paperwork to transfer her out. She hadn’t really wanted to go, but she had needed to be there to run interference in case anyone attempted to approach her. It had been part of the reason she had insisted on going despite her “harrowing” experience. Her mother had insisted on starting the process to remove Lila from the school immediately. And while she was sure no one would recognize the woman if she arrived alone, Lila knew she had to be there to “lead” the discussion between her mother and the Principal, as well as protect her mother from hearing any untoward rumors that could taint her view of her loving and trusted daughter.
Lila hadn’t intended to be caught by her soon to be former classmates. The original plan had been to simply disappear from their lives and leave them with their guilt and uncertainty. It was part of the reason she had agreed to come with her mother to the school so soon, as she had expected that everyone should be in class by the time they arrived. But her mother had gotten out earlier than expected, and people were still milling about the school.
She had kept her head down and hoped that no one would notice her. But luck was not in her favor it seemed, as Bustier had been late for some unknown reason, so her students had chosen to hang out in the hallways instead of waiting in the classroom or simply calling it a day and going home early.
A minor hiccup. She was sure that they would be forced to leave once class started. She separated from her mother with the pretense of saying goodbye to all of her friends, in the actual intention of simply buying time until the teacher returned and called them away. Her mother and Damocles had even seemed eager for her to, reassuring her that they did not need her and ushering her out of the room, which was all the more in her favor she supposed.
And really, how could she resist one more opportunity to see them dance for her?
After this, she would be home free. Not like they could do anything to her across international borders even if they did try.
There was no risk to her at this point. So It was worth pushing to see just how far she could milk this.
And these were the best saps a girl could ask for.
The present classmates listened to her tale of woe. Though only a fraction of the crowd she would normally draw and not quite as eager as they used to, they were still listening to her patiently at least instead of simply blowing her off or calling her out. Which meant there was still a chance they would believe her.
A few of them actually seemed to be buying her story. And it had been one of her better tales, in her personal opinion. There were one or two that rolled their eyes—which, rude. A couple who seemed disinterested. But most of the rest seemed uncertain.
It was a shame Rose wasn’t there. Lila was sure that she would especially appreciate the performance. Though part of her was relieved, since she figured that the emotional girl would probably start crying if she had been.
Though there was also no Marinette either, which meant no one to counter her story as she had no doubt the little Miss Perfect would.
“You’re really saying that Marinette handed you off to the violent mob?”
That also meant she wasn’t there to defend herself either.
Lila hunched her shoulders and brought up a hand to her face in a nervous expression. “It’s not her fault. I’m sure it was because of the akuma. Even she wouldn’t turn on me like that just because she doesn’t like me…”
Cry her a river? She’d be seeing Marinette cry a river once she was done here. If she accomplished nothing else before she left, she would at least make sure Marinette Dupain-Cheng regretted talking to her like that.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t have done it if she was herself.” Mylene reached forward to comfort her but stopped a foot away and immediately decided to back off and keep her hands to herself. She coughed into her hand and looked away.
Lila frowned, scratching her head. What was that about?
She shook it off and kept to her plan. Play up the innocent act and leave them guessing until it was time to go. Whatever happened after that was their problem.
“I was so scared.” Lila whimpered. “Her expression at that time was…terrifying.”
Some more of the classmates looked sympathetic. Yet none of them approached her. Now that Lila noticed, there was a distinct space between her and the rest of the class. No one would come within five feet of her.
She hugged herself, looking the picture of wounded and helpless. “I was just lucky I was able to get away after she outted my hiding place to the mob.”
“LIAR!”
Everyone jumped to see a fuming Alya approach. A somewhat less visibly angry but still no doubt displeased Adrien was right behind her.
Both of them were focused completely on Lila.
Lila gasped, as if hurt. “What do you—”
“Can it.” Alya cut her off immediately, not even giving her a chance to spin some new lie. “You can’t be trusted, Lila. Or did you think we would forget about earlier?”
“That was a misunderstanding.” Lila explained, raising her hands in a peaceful gesture. “You weren’t here, but I had already told everyone what happened and why.”
“Oh really?” Alya asked, clearly disbelieving.
“She said that she was hit by an akuma before the attack today and only snapped out of it after Rose was akumatized.” Alix stated with a droll tone and an expression that said she didn’t believe it either.
Alya gave Lila a flat stare. “Do you actually expect us to believe that?”
“It’s the truth.” Lila rested a hand over her heart akin to an oath before curling her fingers and drawing in on herself as if pained. “I was horrified when I woke up and realized what had happened.”
“Then where is the money?” Alya demanded.
Lila resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Usually Alya would take her at her word, which was useful when others in turn trusted her for her reporting skills. It worked to her advantage when Alya believed her, but having those skills turned on her was a real pain.
“Hawk Moth must have taken it.” She suggested. It couldn’t be proven, of course, but it couldn’t be disproven either. And this group was particularly gullible and willing to believe the best in anyone regardless of common sense.
Except this time, apparently.
“If Hawk Moth needed money, we would be seeing akumas robbing banks, not stealing donations from teenagers for a fake charity.” Kim pointed out.
“He was probably being discreet.” Lila said hastily.
“Stealing money from a charity isn’t discreet!” Alya shouted, drawing even more attention much to Lila’s annoyance.
“Everyone already knows you lied and pocketed the money. The very least you could do is admit it.“ Adrien said, looking rather cross.
Of all the times for the doormat to actually try to stand up on his own, did it have to be now?
Lila gasped, looking hurt. Internally, she was annoyed more than anything. He was supposed to be passive. He’d never stood out like this before!
“But Adrien, you said we were friends, remember?”
It was a reminder of their “deal”. As well as a thinly veiled threat of what she would have free reign to do if that deal was broken. Not just to Marinette, but to him as well. After all, Adrien knew about Lila’s lies all along and did nothing. If he was going to out her here, she would be dragging him down with her.
“I said we were friends as long as you didn’t hurt anyone I care about!” Adrien corrected her. “And you have! You hurt Kagami. You hurt Marinette. And now you’ve hurt Rose!”
“Wait—dude! You knew?” Nino asked, looking hurt.
“I knew she was a liar.” Adrien admitted to everyone. He looked down in shame. “I didn’t want to say anything because I thought…” He paused before shrugging. “Well, I thought a lot of things that were wrong.”
“Dude.” Kim muttered.
Ivan gave Adrien a stern glare. “You owe Rose. Big time.”
“Marinette, too.” Alya added, gesturing to the pig-tailed girl who had approached the group alongside Rose.
“I know.” Adrien nodded and turned to the two, even going so far as to bow lowly from the waist. “And I’ll accept any punishment if it means you will all forgive me for not speaking up sooner.”
He knew better now. The absence of overt conflict doesn’t mean that the problem is solved. He had thought he was fixing problems, but really, he was only dealing with symptoms.
Rose looked uncertain. She stared at Adrien, biting her lip. She was snapped out of her thoughts by a touch to her shoulder. Looking up in surprise, she saw Marinette and remembered that the other girl had still been beside her. Even now, she was acting as a support.
Marinette patted her on the shoulder and smiled at her reassuringly. “It’s up to you.”
Rose looked back to Adrien.
He hadn’t been the one who did it. But he knew…if not that Lila was lying, then at least that she was a liar. He knew and he didn’t say anything. Which…well, wasn’t AS bad as Lila actually lying, but still bad.
She frowned.
“I want your endorsement on the charity.”
“Done.”
“And a cake for the class as an apology.”
“Just tell me what flavor.”
“And for you to take Marinette on a date to a fancy restaurant.”
“I’ll check my sched—wait, what?” He asked, standing up straight.
Marinette covered Rose’s mouth before she could repeat herself.
“Just the first two will be fine.” She said, flushing with embarrassment. Because really Rose?
Rose, for her part, gave her an annoyed look but didn’t fight her. Nor did she attempt to keep up the demand even after Marinette released her.
“Are you sure?” He asked, holding up a hand to her as if in offering. “After everything, a nice meal would be the least I could do.”
Then he smiled.
And suddenly, Marinette’s initial willpower just took a hit.
“It’ll be my treat.” He promised.
Marinette felt herself heat up at that. He hadn’t seemed to notice the ‘date’ part of Rose’s statement, but seemed rather stuck on the idea of getting a dinner together and Marinette knew she shouldn’t, but she didn’t want to say no either…
The classmates were all grinning or sending each other knowing looks. Alya was getting her phone out to record for blackmail future wedding material. Rose was beaming excitedly. They were all glad that some good was coming out of this.
Except, of course, for Lila.
Any cheerful atmosphere or chatter immediately died at the way Lila cleared her throat. Somehow, she just seemed to draw all attention to herself. The others looked to her in question. But Marinette, who knew Lila well enough to know she was plotting something, only felt dread.
“But is that really appropriate?” Lila asked, innocently. She rubbed at her arm. “After all, you wouldn’t want Adrien to be leading on Marinette the way he did me.”
The others stared. “What?”
Marinette paled.
Oh. Oh, this was going down a bad road, she could feel it.
Adrien glared. “I never led you on, Lila.”
Lila chuckled cheerfully. “Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, of course. But taking a girl out to a fancy dinner would…well…certainly imply things. Especially if the girl in question already is enamored with you.”
He blinked.
“What?”
“She holds feelings for you.”
A moment’s pause.
“You mean…as a friend?” He asked.
…seriously? Was he not getting it?
“She is clearly crushing on you.” Lila stated flatly.
Adrien stared.
“…What?”
Lila sighed in irritation. “Why else do you think she always freaks out around you? The stammering? The nervous giggling? The weird statements that don’t fit the context?”
Marinette pulled at her pigtails in frustration. Because of course. Of-freaking-course Lila would sink this low!
Adrien blinked, then rubbed his chin. “I thought it was because of the way I kept surprising her? Like approaching her from behind. Or appearing behind her locker right as she closes it.”
Nino squinted at his friend. “Which I’ve been meaning to ask, how do you even do that?”
“Not the point.” Lila cut in before turning back to Adrien. “Seriously, Adrien, didn’t you wonder why she had all those posters of you in her room?”
“Because she’s a fan. She even told me as much.” He stated.
Lila stared as Adrien beamed at his Very Good Friend. “And it’s kind of nice knowing that a fashion designer like Marinette likes what I do. And looks up to my father.” He snapped his fingers in realization. “Hey! Maybe I could see if you can’t meet my dad sometime!”
Marinette smiled uncertainly and just…sort of nodded. “That sounds nice.”
Because really, what else could she do at this point?
Lila gaped in growing outrage.
Was…was he just going to keep ignoring her? To focus on…THAT?
“What? No! Adrien, she is crushing on you! Like…obsessively!” Lila exclaimed.
Adrien seemed to be getting annoyed with Lila’s continued interruptions, given the look he threw her. “Lila, do you really have to keep making things up?”
“I’m not making this up!”
“Yeah,” Alix said sarcastically. “Just like the charity.”
“And Marinette leaving you to the akuma.” Alya added, still clearly angry about that.
“And everything else you’ve ever said.”
Lila growled. “But this is true! And I have proof!”
With a smirk, Lila held out her phone, showing the picture she had taken earlier of the schedule inside Marinette’s room.
“See? Marinette has your schedule on her calendar!” She exclaimed.
Adrien frowned at her, disapprovingly. “Are you seriously making things up now just to make Marinette look bad?”
Marinette winced.
He was really keeping his word and trying to support her. She knew in this moment that if she denied it, Adrien would believe her. And it may save face and protect her from any further humiliation.
As well as sticking it to Lila, which was always nice.
…But Marinette hated liars. And if there was one thing that this entire mess taught her, it was that great harm could come from lies. She didn’t want to give Lila any additional ammunition to use against her, but she knew it would only be worse if it got out later.
And she didn’t want to misuse Adrien’s trust in that way.
“Actually, I do have your schedule.” She admitted.
Adrien stopped in the middle of the lecture he was about to give Lila. He turned to her in surprise.
“What?”
“It’s just…you would mention certain activities or plans. Fencing. Tutoring. Lessons. And I would hear and add them to my calendar so I would be aware when it came to planning things.”
Silence.
Lila smirked in victory. So the goody-two shoes had a fault and was actually admitting to it for the entire class to see. Even Adrien’s protective best friend must be up in arms as he took Lila’s phone with the picture of the schedule to look it over.
Adrien, for his part, blinked as he registered the information.
“So you’ve kept track of all the events and scheduling I’ve told you about to add to your calendar?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.”
A longer pause. Marinette mentally kicked herself. Why hadn’t she just stayed home and avoided this mess?
Then he smiled. “That was nice of you.”
“What?” Marinette asked, stunned.
“What.” Lila less asked than stated. Shrieking even in her disbelief.
“Well, friends keep friends on their schedules.” Adrien said, nodding resolutely.
Lila stared, her eye twitching slightly.
But he paid her no mind, keeping his gaze on his very good friend.
"Can I see it?" He asked her.
Marinette blinked. "What?"
He was actually looking eager now. “That way I can fill in any gaps so we can choose better times to hang out!”
She flushed. This was not the direction she had expected this to go. And from Lila’s disgusted expression, neither had she.
Far be it from her to argue. Especially against Adrien’s hopeful puppy eyes.
"Okay."
“Great! I’ll come by your house later! Maybe we can play Mecha Strike while we’re at it.” He said with a smile that—gah, too bright! It would probably blind her if it didn’t make her heart explode.
Marinette blushed.
“Okay?” She agreed because really, what else could she do at this point?
"WHAT?!" Lila raged, her skin starting to turn red. "Why would you want to help her keep your schedule?! Isn't that creepy?!"
He turned to Lila at that with a frown. “But...she's my friend. I'm on her Personal Calendar with all the people she considers friends!" And she’d done this even before their talk today, so that meant she really did like him, right?
Lila rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Adrien! Who actually does that?"
Adrien shrugged. "Nino does."
A pause. Slowly, all eyes turned to Nino.
The cap-wearing teen realized the sudden attention he'd got and jumped back, waving his hands.
"Well, how else were we supposed to have hangouts with that schedule of his?" He defended before turning his attention to Marinette. “You’re missing his Chinese lessons by the way.”
Marinette turned to him in surprise. “What?”
“Yeah, also he has a photoshoot this weekend and in the middle of next week. And I see my schedule on there, too, but you don’t have my gig Friday.”
“Wait—you’re on her schedule, too?” Ivan asked, surprised.
“All of her friends are.” Nino confirmed.
Kim raised his hand. “Am I on there?”
“All of her friends are.” Nino repeated, and looked down at the picture of the calendar. “She has your swim meet for next Tuesday. And a plan to bring some of those tarts you like.”
“Sweet!” Kim exclaimed, giving a fist pump.
Nino nodded to Marinette before handing the phone back to Lila. “Plus Alya and I are having a date Sunday, not Saturday, so we won't need you to babysit. Might want to add that.”
Marinette blinked as she just…tried to register everything.
“Oh. Okay.”
Apparently, that was becoming her default word as she was still trying to process how any of this was happening.
Alya stared at her boyfriend.
“So wait, you have Adrien’s schedule, too?”
“Of course, I do! Hangouts are difficult enough, but we also need to know what times we can video chat.” Nino shrugged. “How else do you think I knew when his dad was leaving? And how to get past his bodyguard?”
Lila gaped. She couldn’t believe this!
Even the other classmates seemed unbothered. Did they really have no concept of boundaries?
…of course they didn’t. They were teenagers.
The fact that Lila herself had commonly infringed on Adrien’s boundaries in a physical way on a daily basis and most recently violated Marinette’s boundaries specifically to find this information to use against her in the first place seemed entirely lost on her.
“You’ve got to be kidding me? How are you okay with this? Are you seriously that stupid?” Lila demanded.
Adrien frowned at Lila, stepping in front of his friends. “Marinette and everyone else here are my friends. Of course, I care about them and would want them to know when I’m available—”
“You can’t possibly be that blind! MARINETTE. HAS. A. CRUSH. ON. YOU. She is so hopelessly in love with you that it’s pathetic!”
“Don’t talk about her like—”
“She has birthday and holiday gifts for you for YEARS!” Lila shouted. “HOW IS THAT NOT WEIRD?!”
The classmates blinked or jumped in surprise before all eyes turned to Marinette.
Why? Why was she Lila’s go-to target?
“I was just…I mean…” She stammered, looking down in shame and embarrassment.
The classmates seemed to be waiting for an answer. It seemed they were at least trying to give her the benefit of the doubt since it was LILA making the accusation, after all, and it was clear by this point that she was simply throwing out anything to make her look bad.
Hesitant, she looked up to see Adrien’s reaction.
And Adrien…oh god, he actually had tears in his eyes!
“Really? Is it true?”
Marinette jumped to try and explain.
“I—um—well—you see—”
His eyes widened. “I can’t believe it...”
“No wait! It’s not—”
Okay, yeah, she was a mess and had nothing.
“You felt so bad about missing my birthday that you’ve been making gifts for me ahead of time so you won’t miss it again!” He exclaimed, looking excited.
Which was okay, apparently, because Adrien had apparently drawn his own conclusions. As evidenced when he pulled her into a hug.
“You didn’t have to do all that, Marinette.” He said, giving her a squeeze. “I don’t hold it against you that you forgot my birthday. You didn’t know.”
A part of Marinette was screaming. Because oh, the irony. If only he knew…
Alya…out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Alya also looked like she desperately wanted to say something. Probably the truth about his scarf. Which now was a bad time to reveal.
“You have no reason to feel guilty for not getting me anything.” He told her, releasing her with a smile and patting her shoulders. “But I appreciate that you felt so strongly about it that you would try to get such a head start to make up for it. It means a lot that you care so much about me.”
Marinette…yeah, Marinette.exe has shut down.
“But that’s not...” Mylene started, only to pause for several seconds before frowning with a small wince. “Actually yeah, that does sound exactly like something Marinette would do.”
“Remember how she got Alya an interview with Ladybug after she accidentally deleted that video?” Kim chimed in.
Nino slapped his forehead. “Oh yeah! Alya went on and on about that for weeks!”
Alya—even Alya, her best friend, who knew full well about her crush and the gifts actually looked uncertain at the news. She bit her lip, looking back and forth between Adrien and Marinette in confusion and concern.
Because she remembered that Adrien’s father had somehow wound up with credit for Marinette’s gift to Adrien. She also remembered how Chloe had broken into Marinette’s locker and vandalized her gift to Bustier. Then there was the time Marinette made Adrien that hat but didn’t take credit for that either.
Marinette…just seemed to have bad luck when it came to giving people things, apparently.
So was it really any wonder that the girl would become that anxious over gift-giving? Or that Marinette, being Marinette, had gone so far as to prepare a multitude of gifts as backups in case something like her gift being stolen, lost, or vandalized happened again?
Alya...honestly didn’t know anymore. Maybe that was something she should try to help with more in the future.
Adrien for his part was simply basking in the glow of happiness that came with knowing how much his good friend Marinette cared about him. Nobody had the heart to argue with him. Nor did any of them even have an argument to make.
“Are you kidding? No one keeps that many gifts for one person in their closet! Can you possibly be that stupid?”
Except Lila, but after everything that had happened, no one was really feeling inclined to humor her.
“Since you’re bringing that up though, here’s a better question.” Alix cut in, giving Lila a glare. “How do you even know any of this?”
Lila drew back in surprise as she suddenly found herself the subject of glares from the rest of her classmates.
“I somehow doubt Marinette invited you into her room.” Alix continued.
“Her parents did!” Lila quickly explained, absently scratching at her wrist. “They invited me inside since the mob was after me.”
Okay, yeah no. Marinette’s brain had rebooted at that. There was no way she was going to let Lila implicate her parents.
“I already talked to my parents about what happened after I saw you wearing my clothes. They invited you into the bakery.” Marinette corrected angrily. “They did not invite you into my room.”
“It was an accident.” Lila claimed. “I had gotten lost, but once I realized where I was and what I was seeing, I just had to warn everyone—”
“‘What you were seeing’,” Marinette cut her off coldly, “should not have been seen unless you had been looking for them. I kept those gifts in my closet. The schedule was put away. The pictures were not visible from my trap door—which you should have realized right away would NOT lead you to any exit.”
Lila scratched at her neck. “Well, I hardly know anything about you since you keep me at arm’s length. Can you blame me for being a little curious?”
“YES.” Came the resounding echo from…well…nearly everyone. It was clear that nobody was buying anything Lila was trying to sell.
“You don’t try to ‘learn about someone’ by breaking into their room, recording what you find there, and sharing it with people!” Mylene ranted.
“It sounds like you’re trying to make Marinette look bad to distract us from your own actions.” Ivan said with a glare. “Because none this changes what you did.”
“You lied to us about the charity and EVERYTHING else you’ve ever said!” Alya exclaimed.
“Did you make up all those illnesses, too?” Kim asked, disappointed and disapproval evident in his voice.
“I bet you were the one who nearly caused Marinette to get expelled.” Alix hissed, leading more growls and angry muttering from the audience.
“No, I haven’t! It was just a misunderstanding!” Lila insisted.
“Was it?” Came a voice.
Everyone immediately silenced and all eyes turned to one person.
Rose stood tall. Or at least as tall as she could in such a situation. In truth, she was shaking. Her lip was trembling like she was trying not to cry. And she stared straight at Lila, almost as if she was gazing into her soul.
If it was anyone else, Lila might have been concerned.
But it was Rose. Poor simple Rose who always believed in everyone and would listen to anything she said without question.
It’d be easy enough to get back in her good graces.
And all it would take…
Lila sniffled, lowering her head. “I’m sorry.”
Everyone stared.
Marinette wanted to bang her head against something.
Lila rubbed at her eyes to give the illusion of tears. She even managed a couple of hiccups. “You were just all…all so amazing and I was scared about fitting in. I did embellish some things but I…I just wanted you all to like me.” She covered her face, effectively hiding her eyes.
“Things just spiraled out of control and before I knew it, I was trapped! I couldn’t be honest and I was so scared of what you all would think of me!” She sobbed out.
Disregarding, of course, the fact that she had just tried to throw Marinette under the bus—and not for the first time.
Lila looked up at the group, eyes watery though no actual tears have been shed. “I never meant to hurt anyone.” She whimpered. “I just admired you all so much! I’m so sorry!”
They hesitated. Of course they did. They were easily played by emotional appeals. All she’d ever had to do was fake pain or sadness and they would fall over themselves in response before any true logic or reason could set in.
And of course, Rose of all people stepped forward.
The small blonde rested a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes, with what had to be some form of reassurance on her lips.
Leave it to Rose to forgive any transgressions and be willing to start anew. She was always the first to offer reassurances. The first to believe in someone. The first to support a good cause. If anyone would understand and show sympathy, it would be her.
“I don’t believe you.”
That…was not it.
Rose stepped back from Lila, her nose scrunched in disgust. She backed away a good couple of feet. She even wiped her hands on her dress—or attempted to, until Mylene handed her some hand wipes. As if touching Lila had been filthy to her.
“Is even touching me that bad?” Lila asked, acting pitiful.
A long pause. Several of the classmates glanced between each other. They all seemed to want to say something, but couldn’t seem to bring themselves to.
“You stink.”
Except for Juleka, who was glaring at Lila.
Lila gaped.
“What?”
Did…she mean that literally or was she just being juvenile?
Kim actually pinched his nose. “Yeah, I wasn’t going to say anything, but you kind of reek.”
Lila clenched her fists, her anger growing and her skin starting to turn red. “How dare you?!”
"Like...you stink...and you stink. Figuratively and physically." Kim said, sounding nasally with his nose plugged.
“Kind of smells wet and musty.” Nino muttered.
“I was thinking it smelled more like a dumpster.” Mylene noted.
“It’s probably her soul.” Alix muttered, shooting Lila a dark glare.
Marinette gasped and spun on Lila. “Wait! Lila, didn’t you jump in the Seine earlier?”
Lila flushed, embarrassed at the reminder and the realization that her shower earlier had only done the bare minimum for her hair. “It wasn’t by choice!”
The other teens gave Lila disgusted looks.
“You…do know the Seine isn’t the cleanest, right?” Ivan asked.
“It wasn’t my fault!” Lila exclaimed. “It was that damn Ladybug who splashed me with water!”
Several of the classmates bristled at that and the insult to their city’s hero.
“She was putting the pyre out.” Alya countered, looking up the video on her phone. “Otherwise you would have been burned. And then you would have died. And none of this would even be up for discussion right now.”
“Really, you could show a little more appreciation for Ladybug rescuing you.” Adrien said, narrowing his eyes at Lila. “Even if she wasn’t your best friend.”
He knew she wasn’t. He had been there when Ladybug herself had confronted Lila on her lies, so of course he knew that they weren’t friends. Not that anyone else did. But the reminder of that particular lie and Ladybug’s recent threat brought out a level of fear within her that she hadn’t experienced before.
She could almost swear that she felt Ladybug’s gaze on her.
Lila silently fumed momentarily but forced herself to calm and steady her nerves.
Remember, she was still the one in control here. Not the school. Not these classmates. And certainly not Ladybug!
She closed her eyes and let out a breath.
Oh well. She gave it a try and it didn’t work. An annoyance, but ultimately, no real loss. She was still leaving. And they had nothing they could pin on her.
Rose was the one who collected the money. The school and teachers were the ones who hadn’t verified her paperwork. Gabriel had been the one to hire her to spy on his own son. Hawk Moth had been the one to use her. And Ladybug had been the one who didn’t protect her.
Really, wasn’t it their own fault?
“If that’s how you all feel, then I’ll just leave.” Lila said, looking away in a manner she was sure looked dejected. Such a look would normally lead people to feel some pity for her and some remorse for anything they had done.
Here though, it just made her look petulant.
None of the classmates were impressed. Several looked ready to argue. Maybe to even try to brave the stench around her and force her to stay and admit to her acts.
Except…
“The one thing I don’t understand though is why did you keep doing it? Why all the lies?” Rose asked.
“Yeah,” Alya agreed. “Looking back, your lies were all over the place and didn’t amount to much. Not until the fake charity scam, anyway, and you were bound to get caught. What was even the point of it all?”
What was the point? Was she serious? It was everything.
Lila rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Like any of you would have really cared about me if you hadn’t thought I had something you could use.”
They all just stared at her incredulously.
“Um…but we would have.”
Lila paused, blinking in confusion.
“What?”
Rose brought her hands up. “We would have liked you regardless, Lila! You didn’t have to lie!”
“And even if you do lie,” Mylene continued, “we still could have forgiven it and liked you anyway.”
“We may not have been happy about being lied to, but we could have understood. Maybe even helped.” Ivan stated, rubbing his head.
Marinette stepped forward. “I told you before Lila. We could be friends when you stopped lying.”
Lila stared at her. Was she serious?
That was…
Lila gaped at them all in disbelief. None of them argued. Many even nodded their heads in agreement.
She couldn’t believe it…
That was the dumbest thing she’d ever heard!
Who actually forgives people for things like that? Even little acts that seemed weird were often enough to turn people off. Even good qualities like leadership, prioritizing, and professionalism could be twisted and used against the person. This was supposed to be a world where any flaw should be enough to ruin someone and warrant raking them over the coals!
And these idiots were just…fine with it?
Honestly, it was no wonder she was able to get away with so much! These idiots were practically begging to be manipulated!
Lila forced tears to her eyes. “You would be willing to forgive me? Just like that?”
“Well, not now, no.” Adrien said, finally speaking up.
Lila stared. Because…this was Adrien. Adrien Agreste who was Paris’s Sunshine Child and seemingly incapable of holding a grudge. Or standing up for himself.
And…he was going to refuse to forgive her?
“I figured your initial claims about knowing famous celebrities was just to make people like you. We could have forgiven you for that.”
His eyes narrowed.
“But then you used your lies to hurt people. And in ways you had to go well out of the way to do.”
“What?! No, I didn’t—”
But he cut her off.
“You tried to get Marinette expelled. You stole from all of us and made Rose’s charity work into a criminal act. And while we’re at it…” He drawled, making Lila nervous. “Maybe we can discuss how you’ve been spying on me for my father?”
Lila tensed briefly before putting on a wounded expression.
“That was just the akuma making things up!”
“Yeah, I spoke with my father about that.” Adrien continued, sounding…particularly cold. “Oh, and by the way, you’re fired.”
“Fired?” Lila balked. She clenched her fists and her shoulders raised in growing ire. “What do you mean ‘fired’?!”
Adrien steepled his fingers together as if he was trying to think. “Um, how else can I say it? You’re being let go. Your department’s being downsized. You’re part of an outplacement. We’re going in a different direction. We’re not picking up your option. Take your pick. I’ve got more.”
She grit her teeth.
She’d known from her call with Nathalie earlier that they were firing her. Part of her had believed that it was simply due to Witch Hunter’s control. But if that was the case, they shouldn’t remember it now. Though it could be that they remember the initial claim from Witch Hunter that brought them under her influence, but even then, there wouldn’t be any proof.
No…this had to be intentional. Given her suspicions of Gabriel, she had considered that he would cut ties, but to do it like this? Through Adrien? In front of everyone?
Oh. She was going to make him pay.
Outside of Lila’s thoughts of revenge and misery, the classmates realized something about Adrien’s totally cool and not at all corny or referenced speech.
Kim stared. “Dude…did you really just…”
Nino held up a hand. “Let him have this.” He wiped away a fake tear. “I’m so proud.”
Muffled chuckling from others indicated that they all knew what he had been referencing.
Except for Marinette, who was looking around in confusion. Because sure, Adrien was being cool just then and it was kind of funny to see Lila get some comeuppance, but what was all the snickering for? “Wait…what was that about?”
Adrien spun on her in shock. “Wait—you’ve never seen Emperor’s New Groove?”
Marinette blinked, uncertain. “Um…no?”
He took her hands in his, looking so serious that this had to be a matter of grave importance. “We must rectify this immediately. Will you come watch the movie with me? Father is being unusually lenient about things to make up for everything with Lila that he’ll probably allow a hangout this weekend.” He smiled. “So would you like to binge watch movies together?”
Oh. Oh, Marinette thought she was over this. But clearly not as she felt her face flush and her heart leap into her throat. Her brain was short circuiting because this was…this was a date with Adrien? ANOTHER date with Adrien? THREE dates with Adrien? That she hadn’t even had to be the one to ask him for? Just what is life right now? Was this life? Was this a dream? Lila finally outted as a liar and Adrien agreeing to spend time with her…this felt like a dream.
At best, she was only able to nod. And Adrien’s smile in response was near blinding. She didn’t even notice the way their classmates grinned or gave each other high fives.
…or the way Lila was turning red in her growing ire.
Lila scratched angrily at her neck. Hard enough to leave marks.
Not only did he fire her, but now he was ignoring her and just flirting right in front of her?! It was bad enough she was revealed and chased around for the past few hours thanks to an akuma. Then betrayed by Hawk Moth. And then threatened by Ladybug. But this…this was just adding insult to injury by this point!
She wanted to say something—anything to break up this delightful little scene and wipe that happy look off their faces.
Sometimes, spite overcame reason.
“Oh please!” She shouted, drawing everyone’s gazes away from the cute scene and back to Lila where she was pointing at Adrien in anger. “The only reason he’s firing me is because I know he’s Hawk Moth!”
A long pause.
Alya looked at Adrien before turning back to Lila, eyebrow raised. “You mean Adrien?”
The blond in question paled and drew in on himself. It wasn’t true, but what if she brought up some ‘evidence’ like his tendency to disappear during akuma fights? Would anyone else believe her? Especially given how he’d messed up before and inadvertently helped Lila to create prime akuma material?
“Adrien isn’t Hawk Moth!” Marinette insisted, looking angry, and Adrien felt a combination of relief and admiration for the girl.
“Yeah!” Nino agreed, wrapping an arm around Adrien’s shoulders and holding out the other hand in front of them like he was trying to ward off Lila or perhaps her stench. “Don’t be talking about my boy like that!”
“Wow.” Kim muttered. “You’ve told some bad lies before but that takes the cake.”
“Shame on you, Lila!”
Lila reared back in shock at the direction this went. “What?! NO! I meant Gabriel Agreste is Hawk Moth!”
But people were just…rolling their eyes and looking away from her.
She held her hand to her chest in earnesty. Her other hand went to scratching her side, which kind of spoiled the effect. “He knows I’m a threat and he’s trying to discredit me!”
A long pause.
“You’ve already discredited yourself, Lila.”
“Yeah, it sounds like you’e just saying anything at this point.”
“She’s just mad that Mr. Agreste is letting her go.”
“After everything she did, I don’t blame him.”
“The guy os a jerk, but come on. Hawk Moth? Really?”
No one was even considering what she had to say now. If it wasn’t clear before, it was now.
Lila had lost any credibility.
Several of the classmates were gathered around Adrien, trying to support and comfort him over the accusations. She had a feeling that even if she had irrefutable evidence, they still wouldn’t believe it. Not now, anyway. It grated at her, but at this point, there was nothing she could do.
There was nothing she could do and she had just wasted her last trump card to no effect. And if it got back to Gabriel that she had accused him…
All the better to get out now then.
“Hey, wait!” Alix shouted as she noticed Lila trying to sneak away. “We’re not done here!”
Honestly, it was perfect timing that the teacher arrived to start class.
“All right, class! To your seats!” Bustier said, smiling nicely in her usual fashion.
And it looked like that would be the end of it. With Bustier back, there would be no further pressing of Lila. No retribution. No way to hold her accountable.
Alya for her part tried though. She raised her hand and called out insistently. “Wait! Ms. Bustier! Lila has been—”
Bustier shook her head. “I’m sorry, Alya, but it will have to wait. We’ve missed part of the school day as it is.” She paused and turned to Lila. “Oh, Lila! Your mother and the Principal are waiting for you in his office.”
Lila smiled politely. “Thank you. I’ll head right there.”
This was it then. A final meeting and she would be out of this school and out of Paris.
…though maybe after she takes a more thorough shower first, she thought to herself as she scratched at her neck.
Still, she couldn’t help but send one last smirk back at her now former classmates as she walked away. She hadn’t managed to pull them back under her sway, and she couldn’t say she had won.
But she could at least find some satisfaction in the growls and shouts of anger as she left them behind.
__________________
In the Principal’s office, the adults had a…rather interesting conversation of their own once Lila had departed.
“Good heavens! I didn’t know how much longer I could stand that smell.” Principal Damocles asked as he opened a window to try and freshen the air.
Amara Rossi took her seat in front of the desk, feeling a bit lightheaded herself. “Did something happen today? Science class? Chemicals, perhaps?”
“It could have been an akuma attack. We had one just earlier.” He replied.
Her eyes darkened. She was reminded of the constant prolonged akuma attacks that disrupt daily living and the inept superheroes who allowed them to persist. “I see. That will be one thing we will no longer have to worry about once we leave, at least.”
“Quite right.” He agreed kindly as he went to his files to pull out Lila’s paperwork. “I do hope that Lila’s new school will be better suited to accommodate all of her illnesses.”
Amara shook her head, uncertain of what she just heard. “I beg your pardon?”
“Of course we did try to adjust to Lila’s needs as we were made aware of them. Especially with her little…fibbing illness. But it was difficult without official documentation to clarify what she had and the best ways to address them. And we were never able to get clarification during her stay here.” He rested the paperwork on his desk and looked up to make eye contact with Mrs. Rossi. “We of course are not judging, but it would be prudent for you to make the appropriate arrangements prior to her arrival at her new school, wherever it may be.” He puffed up in pride. “And of course we will be more than happy to assist in sending over documentation as well—”
“No wait. Hold on.” Amara interrupted him. “What needs are you talking about?”
Needless to say, once Lila was out of the room, it didn’t take long for them to notice things weren’t adding up. And the conversation that followed ended up being…
“What tinnitus?”
Quite informative.
“What fall down the stairs?!”
With certain parties being made aware of things they hadn’t known previously.
“WHAT LYING DISEASE?!!”
By the end of it, both adults were in shock.
Damocles wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, clearly…unnerved to say the least. “I…erm…take it that some of these things might have been said…er…erroneously?”
Amara covered her face with her left hand, exasperated. “Unless my daughter has been under an akuma’s influence for the past several months the school has been closed.”
He frowned at that, unnerved. “On that note, I’ve been trying to reach out to you for some time about your daughter’s absences. Have you not gotten my calls?”
“I only received one or two. And Lila warned me not to answer because you were akumatized.” She paused in thought for a moment before lowering her hand and looking to the Principal. “Has the school been closed at all? Lila said you had been akumatized and that the school had been shut down, which was why she had to stay home for so long.”
Damocles blanched at that. “It was only the once! Well…twice actually, with the attempted mass akumatization during that one incident. But I assure you, madam, that the school was never closed. Certainly not for more than a day at any rate!”
She frowned, unsure. “But…the heroes…”
“Are quite adept at their job for youngsters!” Damocles hurriedly told her. “Akuma battles are normally finished within a couple of hours. Some have lasted overnight at most. There is only one to my knowledge that continued for a few days, but that was a rare exception and the damage was minimal.” Though the harm to Chloe’s mental state couldn’t be quantified.
“Oh…” She murmured. Wow. While Lila’s complaints had dampened her view of the city’s heroes, she had known her coworkers and the city at large seemed to admire them greatly. She regretted that she had never really listened to their gossip about them, but she was grateful she had never spoken up on what she had believed. Otherwise she would likely be a laughing stock at work.
He shook his head. “But no akuma has lasted for months, I assure you! In fact,” He said, reaching to his monitor and turning it so that they both could see the screen, “the Ladyblog should have all the facts about the akumas and our heroes!”
Amara observed the blog, curious. It was well made. Perhaps they could get the designer to help update the embassy site.
But on point, the blog listed news reports and updates. Hero sightings. Events. Akuma attacks. And in particular, the most recent attack…
“Wait!” She gasped. “Is that Lila?!”
From there, it had been a simple matter of reviewing the footage from the latest akuma attack.
Including the incident where Lila had shoved an innocent girl to the ground in front of the mob. (“That would be Marinette Dupain-Cheng. A bright student and the Class Representative. But…er…she and Lila haven’t quite seen eye to eye and there was an…incident a few weeks ago…”)
As well as a compiled list that had been taken of every claim made by the akuma—Witch Hunter? She was apparently a classmate of Lila’s. And according to the Ladyblog, she had been a victim of Lila’s lies, which had resulted in her akumatization and targeting of Lila. (“My word!”)
And worst of all, a video of Lila tied to a pyre and surrounded by a mob of people wanting her to burn. In and of itself, it was horrifying. Especially for any parent to see their child in such a state.
But for Lila…it was like she didn’t think it was real. Like she didn’t think she was in any actual danger. Or she thought this was a game.
And that, Amara found most terrifying.
“This is…” She muttered in shock. She couldn’t even begin to describe it. Her daughter, tied to a pole. About to be lit on fire. All because she had been lying this entire time? Not just lying, but stealing from her peers? Framing people? And she didn’t dare say it, but from some of her statements in the video and the akuma’s claims, it almost looked as if she had been working with a known terrorist!
She had known her daughter wasn’t perfect or innocent. But this much? To go this far? And for what? She couldn’t even begin to understand…
“Madam, I…think this is a most serious matter.” Damocles stated. He was trying to be delicate but…well, really. How can one approach this sort of thing delicately?
“I agree.” She stated, resolutely. “Lila has been playing everyone it seems. But now that we know, what should we do from here?”
Damocles stroked his beard as he thought. “I admit we have never had a situation this extreme before. But if you will permit, I believe there may be a way to approach this…”
The rest of their time was spent discussing the matter at length and coming to an agreement. Damocles admittedly had his failings, particularly when it came to stubborn and selfish students with access to parents in positions of authority and willingness to abuse that authority to get their way. But when he wasn’t having to work around such barriers and had parents who were actually working with him instead of obstructing the school regulations, it was substantially easier to make appropriate accommodations and plan accordingly.
Which is what Lila ended up walking in to once she was asked to return to the office.
“Is everything settled?” She asked sweetly, her expression belying her earlier anger. Honestly, her only concern was finishing this as quickly as possible and going home to shower. A good three or four times.
She forced herself to ignore the way the adults in the room turned their heads away from her with upturned noses. She took advantage of the moment and attempted to unobtrusively scratch under her arm. Honestly, this itching was only getting worse! How had she not noticed it earlier?
“Well, Lila.” Damocles coughed as he turned on a fan. “Your mother and I have been discussing things and we couldn’t help but notice a few discrepancies.”
Lila froze. She steeled her expression to hide her rising panic. Because no. Not here. Not after everything.
“Lila…” Her mother called, her tone harsh and warning of her slowly boiling anger. “You told me that the school had been closed. And here I come to find that not only had it still been open and running all this time, but that you had been excusing your absences with claims of trips around the world!”
Shit.
Why had she left them alone?!
“But there were akuma attacks!” She insisted. “And the school was closed!”
“Not for weeks at a time!” Her mother exclaimed, furious. “And what is all this I’m hearing about your actions since you got here? Lying to your teachers? Stealing from a charity? Getting another student expelled?!”
Here, Lila straightened. “She had been bullying me and I had only been trying to protect myself.”
“Then why did you claim a lying disease to have her brought back?” Damocles questioned.
Lila hugged herself to look sad and sympathetic—and also used the opportunity to scratch at her side again. “I was threatened.” She admitted morosely. “Adrien said—”
“Adrien? Adrien Agreste?” Her mother interrupted. “You mean the boy you said was your boyfriend?”
Lila hesitated for a moment before a plan came together and she nodded. “Yes. It was why I wanted us to leave Paris. He’s been harassing me, Mama.” She shuddered and hitched her breath as if in fear. “He threatened me if I didn’t take back the allegations. He’s been cheating on me with her, Mama!”
“Interesting. Very interesting.” Her mother said in a blithe manner that only made Lila more nervous. “Because according to this Ladyblog, it sounds like you were the one harassing him. As well as this Marinette girl, regardless of whether she is his girlfriend or not.”
Lila snapped up and gaped at her mother. The woman never bothered with the Ladyblog. Lila had been sure she hadn’t known it even existed!
“You can’t trust the Ladyblog! It’s just a teenager’s fan site! It’s nothing but lies!”
Her mother glared down at her. “Like this informative interview of you claiming to be Ladybug’s ‘bestie’?”
Lila paled.
“I was only trying to get people to like me and make friends.” She said, lowering her head in shame. Not that she had any, of course, but it paid to look the part at least. “I didn’t think anyone would see it.”
“Lila, the Ladyblog is extremely popular. It’s a central news source for anyone in Paris to know what the most recent update is regarding any akuma attack! Anyone would have seen it!” Damocles exclaimed.
“Even if it wasn’t,” Her mother continued. “You still shouldn’t have been claiming things like that! What if Hawk Moth saw it and thought it was true? What if he tried to kidnap or hurt you?”
She wasn’t worried about that. He wouldn’t have harmed her since she was working for him.
Well, Lila realized with a small wince. Not anymore.
“I didn’t think it was a big deal.” Lila said, looking away.
“Getting back on point.” Damocles interrupted. “There is the problem regarding all of the days you’ve missed. Your teacher was led to believe that you were out of town while you had informed your mother that the school was closed. This is a serious matter, young lady.”
There was no way to lie that she hadn’t done it now that both of them were aware and on to her. But she could still try to reframe things in her favor.
“I’m sorry. I had just needed a break for a while and I didn’t know how to tell you.” Lila spoke, tearfully. “It was just…all of the akuma attacks and everything with Adrien and the bullying…it was too much!”
She sobbed into her hands.
“I just couldn’t take it! I’m sorry!”
She continued her sobs for a good minute. Since she had her face covered and her head lowered, she couldn’t quite see how the adults in the room were responding. Sneaking a peak got her a glimpse at best lest she risk them seeing her.
Her mother looked drawn. The Principal seemed tired. Neither of them so much as tried to get closer to Lila to comfort her. Though that may very well have been due to the smell, and she cursed Witch Hunter and Ladybug both for causing the situation in the first place and for not fixing this with the Magical Cure as well.
Really, she thought hatefully. This was all their fault. Rose’s. The class’s. Hawk Moth’s. And especially Ladybug’s. She never would have ended up in this position if not for her!
“I’m sorry, Lila. If you were truly having such trouble, then you should have spoken to one of us about it and we may have been able to help you.” Damocles sighed. “I’m afraid there’s nothing else for it now. It’s already gone much too far for us to be able to overlook.”
Amara nodded, resigned. “I understand.”
Lila sniffled and raised her head.
“So I guess I’ll be expelled?” She asked with a mournful tone.
Okay. All right. So she would be sent to another school somewhere. A boarding school perhaps? Some sort of alternative or otherwise stricter school meant to “rehabilitate“ her, no doubt. She could handle this. It was still someplace new where no one would recognize her. It wouldn’t take too much before she could just start over. Within two months, no one there would even really know why she had transferred.
She could still make this work for her.
Damocles, however, looked at her in surprise.
“Expel you? What are you talking about? We don’t expel students for truancy.”
Lila froze.
“What?”
“You will be suspended for a time.” He continued. “Though I believe given the nature of your actions, it would be better for your suspension to be altered so you remain on campus and under constant supervision.”
Lila stared. She would swear she could hear cracks forming in her reality.
“And we will have to keep you in a separate classroom as well to remove any...distractions.”
Crack.
“Of course.“ her mother agreed. “I’ll be removing her computer and phone for the time being as well. Depending on how things go, we may have to dispose of them altogether.”
Lila felt her eye starting to twitch.
“This will be an opportunity for you to catch up on all the coursework you missed.”
Crack.
“And there will be a hearing as well.” Damocles continued.
Lila jumped to her feet and slammed her hand on the desk.
“But—but you expelled Marinette immediately without a hearing!”
Damocles appeared flustered at that. “My actions at that time were…admittedly hasty, especially considering that it turned out they were based on a lie...” He gave her a sharp look at that. “But given what appeared to be dangerous and escalating behavior at the time, I had only acted in a way to protect the other students in this institution.”
He clasped his hands. “But less school is not the appropriate answer for a student whose crime was skipping school. Especially in this case given that Lila may very well need to be held back a grade as it is.”
“What?!” Lila demanded.
He gave her a dry look, unimpressed with her reaction or the repeated interruptions. “Young lady, regardless of your reasons, you’ve missed months of your precious education. Surely you didn’t think you would be able to graduate alongside your classmates. At this point, you won’t be able to get the approval from the conseil de classe to move on to the next grade, much less be prepared for the brevet.”
Lila blinked. “The what?”
Her mother groaned and covered her face. “It’s the mandated test required in secondary school into get your diploma, Lila.”
Lila gaped, glancing back and forth between the two, as if expecting this to be a joke. “But…college in France is just scuola media! It’s middle school! How do they require a diploma?!”
“It’s a national requirement and certification of the knowledge and skills acquired.” Damocles explained, ignoring the way mother and daughter were reacting as he instead puffed out his chest and straightened his jacket. “And we here at Francois-Dupont are dedicated to our students and making the appropriate accommodations to help them succeed! Regardless of any…”
He paused, sending Lila a look. “Complications.”
Amara sighed but faced Damocles. “So what would you recommend?”
He brightened at that. “The best answer to get young Lila back on track would be an alternative remedial program in which she can remain in school and make up for what she missed in a setting where she can be more closely monitored to keep something like this from happening again.”
Remain here? In Dupont? With everyone aware of her lies?
“You can’t do this!” Lila shouted. But to no avail as the adults paid her no mind at this point.
“What about the fraud?” Her mother asked. “I believe she had solicited funds under false pretenses?”
“Oh, that is outside our jurisdiction.” Damocles answered, waving it off. “We can only deal in school and school-related matters. Fraud is a legal issue, so that will be going to the courts as a separate case. But on that note, I would recommend getting a lawyer.” He said, turning serious.
“Hopefully, that won’t be necessary.” Amara replied. “As we will be making arrangements with the students who started the charity and reimburse the funds Lila took.”
“WHAT?!”
“Returning everything you bought with the money to the stores you purchased them from should be a good place to start,” the woman continued, “assuming they will even accept the exchange once they know what you did. Which you will be telling them if they didn’t already know from that akuma.”
“But…but I don’t have them!” Lila exclaimed, suddenly realizing that she had worn Marinette’s clothes back home and left her designer items at the bakery.
“Then you will just have to find some other way to make up the lost funds.” Her mother stated, dismissively.
Lila stomped her foot, the picture of a child throwing a tantrum. “But that’s not fair!”
“You stole money from your classmates, Lila!” Her mother bit out sharply. “Giving back what you took is the very least you could do!”
“But I can’t pay it!” Lila yelled, scratching at her chin in fury.
“Then you can use your now copious amount of free time to take on some extra employment. Because you won’t be sitting around at home doing nothing or getting into more trouble while I’m not there. And you certainly won’t be going out with your friends—assuming you have any left after this mess.”
“But…where am I supposed to find employment?!”
Her mother looked through her tablet and pulled up a number of listings when she then handed to Damocles to print off. “There are always openings for extra hands. Odd jobs. A part time job. I don’t care if it’s something like washing dishes at a diner, you will be doing it. And whatever you earn is going to go to straight into the bank until you pay back every euro you took.”
Lila gasped. “I’m fourteen! That’s child labor!”
“That didn’t seem to be an issue when you were modeling for the Gabriel line without telling me.” Her mother countered, growing more furious.
Lila glared back, enraged and for once incapable of speech.
“Whatever you have to say, this is your own fault for stealing the money in the first place. And also using it when you knew it wasn’t yours!” The woman shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t even understand how you thought that was supposed to work.”
“We were supposed to be out of Paris already!” Lila muttered darkly.
Unfortunately for her, her mother heard her well enough. “Which I suspect was the real reason you suddenly wanted to leave, wasn’t it?”
Lila stayed silent. Merely sitting petulantly and scratching at her arm.
Her mother looked down at her daughter. She had never seen her like this before. And now that she knew what the girl had been up to, she wondered if she had been blind to the truth. And for how long.
She sighed.
“You dug yourself into this, Lila. And you won’t be running away from it. You are going to pay back what you took, no matter how long it takes. If this does end up going to court, you are going to agree to any deal they offer and you will make this right. And if you are very very lucky, they will accept your apology and your return of the money, and not pursue harsher charges. Because if they do, you will be accepting those charges and any consequences that come with them.”
Damocles coughed, daring to interrupt. “Am I to presume she will be losing her cellphone and laptop as well?”
“That would be a given.” Her mother replied. “Though at the rate this is going, I may very well sell those off as well to contribute to her debt.”
“What?!” Lila screeched. “But how am I supposed to do schoolwork then? Or keep in contact?”
“With pen and paper like everyone else. And you won’t need to worry about contacting anyone since you are going to be grounded for the foreseeable future.”
Lila groaned and sunk further into the office chair. She tried to keep her arms crossed, but couldn’t hold it for longer than a couple seconds before she felt the itchiness again and started scratching at her arms once more.
“And would you stop scratching yourself?”
“I can’t help it!” Lila cried, spilling real tears for once.
The lighting in the office was decent. Adequate to see by, but not quite enough to get a full detail of what they were looking at. In an attempt to help, Damocles turned on his desk lamp and moved it shine on Lila, putting her skin in much clearer display.
And particularly, the red and splotchy areas that were slowly spreading on her body.
“Good heavens!” Damocles shouted as he went to his phone to call the nurse. “That is an extensive rash, dear girl!”
Her mother grabbed her arm to look closer. “What did you do? Take a bath in the Seine?”
“I didn’t have a choice! I was being chased!” Lila exclaimed, attempting to pull her arm out of her mother’s hold so as to scratch more.
“That…would explain the smell.” Damocles noted before the receiver picked up and he quickly turned his attention to requesting the school nurse’s assistance.
“Did you at least wash it off? Didn’t you shower when you got home?” Her mother asked, exasperated as she had to keep hold of Lila’s arm to prevent her from scratching herself.
Lila hunched over. “No. I had to call you first.”
Her mother groaned in response, much to Lila’s irritation. She glared up at the woman who should be reassuring her own child in this hardship but instead was merely shaking her head at Lila like this was something she had simply brought upon herself!
How could she?! What sort of mother would be so cruel?
She barely paid any attention when the nurse entered the office with some ointment in hand. She only realized what they were doing when they started to slather the gel on her skin, which felt gross and humiliating. Made all the moreso with the way the nurse and her own mother couldn’t fight the looks of disgust at the smell that still covered her. Even Ladybug calling her out in front of Adrien hadn’t been so humiliating.
But it would get worse.
Damocles coughed. “We will resume this discussion another time. Madam, if you are willing, I can arrange a meeting with the students involved and allow you to discuss reparations in an informal…non-court setting.”
“If you please, that would be preferred. In the meantime, I will be taking Lila home so we can deal with all of…” She paused, waving her arms around and trying to think of the right words before simply shrugging with a sigh. “This.”
“Wait! I can’t go out there! Everyone will see me like this!”
It was perhaps out of some love as a mother, or just some small mercy that had Amara Rossi agree to take her daughter through a roundabout path out of the school. One that allowed Lila to take hallways that were less used and offered less visibility in and out of the classrooms.
And most importantly allowed her to avoid Bustier’s class.
After getting instructions from the school nurse regarding skin care to get rid of the rashes, Amara thanked both Damocles and the nurse before taking Lila outside. The two made it to the front of the school with few being there to witness Lila’s ‘walk of shame’ so to speak. It was probably more than Lila deserved, but her mother was hardly cruel. Tough when she had to be, certainly.
There was now just the final leg of the trip. Amara started down the steps of the school and made it to the bottom before she realized her daughter wasn’t following her.
“Lila!” She hissed. “Get down here!”
“But…” Lila hesitated, looking up and behind her to where Bustier’s class would have a perfect view of her exit.
“Now, Lila. Or do you still want to be out here when classes are over?”
Lila forced herself to move down the steps—both as quickly as possible to try and lessen the amount of time anyone had to see her and as carefully as possible to avoid anything touching the ointment on her skin.
“When we get home, the first thing you’ll be doing is taking a shower to clean yourself properly this time. We will be going through your room as well and taking back your laptop, your phone, and anything I even think you may have bought with that stolen money.”
Lila grumbled but didn’t argue.
“Yes, mother.”
At this point, she just prayed no one had seen her.
__________________
They saw her.
“Is that Lila?”
“It is! And her mom!”
“What’s that on Lila’s arms?”
“Oh. Wow.”
Bustier had stepped out of the room for what she said would be a minute while leaving the class with some assignment to do until she returned. Naturally, given the drama of the day, no one was really able to focus on the schoolwork. So instead, they took to quietly chatting with one another. Or in Alya’s case, nudging Marinette repeatedly as the girl tried to wrap her head around the prospect of having a date with Adrien.
No, THREE dates. Wait—were they dates? Like…date-dates?
Fortunately for her own peace of mind, her imagination was put on hold by the exclamations of those near the windows. Helpless to the draw of wanting to know what all the fuss is about, Marinette and the others on her side of the class joined those at the windows to see just what it was about Lila that had grabbed their attention.
And she had to say: Yikes.
“That has to be the worst rash I’ve ever seen.”
“Looks like that dip in the Seine did not agree with her.”
Marinette winced in sympathy.
As Ladybug, she had a few instances of having to make use of the Seine or the sewers as an exit, so she knew full well how nasty the water could be. The suit and resulting Cure would normally rid her of any of the water or contaminants or so Tikki said, but that didn’t stop Marinette from taking a good long shower afterwards. Or three. Just to feel clean afterwards, despite Tikki’s reassurance.
What happened this time?
She looked down to her purse, but the little clasp remained resolutely closed. Even when she tried to pull at it.
Tikki...what did you do?
“I feel kind of bad.” Rose murmured, resting a hand on the window. “She only jumped into the Seine because of me. Because I had everyone hunting her.”
“I don’t.” Alix replied. “You were only after her because of what she did.”
Nino nodded in agreement. “Yeah. And if the info on the Ladyblog regarding Lila’s crimes are any indication, she may have been doing it to help Hawk Moth.”
“We can’t prove that, though.” Ivan noted.
Rose hugged herself.
Marinette hugged her as well. “Whether or not Lila deserved it, it happened because of Hawk Moth. Not you. So please don’t blame yourself, Rose.”
Adrien came up next to them and rested a hand on Rose’s shoulder. “If we try to question who is truly at fault, we’ll be dragging this out forever. All we can do at this point is try to figure out where to go from here.”
“Hey, that’s right!” Mylene realized. “Rose, what are you going to do about the charity?”
Rose looked down. “I don’t know. It’s kind of pointless now since we don’t have the money anymore.”
“That doesn’t mean we can’t try again.” Nino reassured her.
Adrien nodded in agreement. “Plus Alya and I were talking earlier. If you still have the ledger of the funds, you could try to bring up charges against Lila to get the money returned. My father has some attorneys our company frequently uses for any legal issues. I could see about getting one of them involved to find out how to proceed on this.”
“Dude, seriously? Is your dad cool with this?” Nino asked, completely taken aback that the man would do such a thing.
“It’s only the beginning of what he could do to make up for his part in this.” Adrien muttered.
Nino blinked at his friend and his…strangely dark expression. Then he grinned and slapped Adrien on the back. “Good for you, man!”
“But what about Lila though?” Ivan asked.
“Murder?” Juleka asked.
Which of course, none of them took seriously.
Right? Right.
“If Lila’s mom’s attitude is any indication, I don’t think Lila will be getting away with the theft.” Kim said, looking out the window in the direction the two ladies left. “She looked maaaaaaad.”
“She is angry from what I have heard.” Max said from his seat. He didn’t look up from his tablet and was the only one aside from Nathaniel to not move from his desk. “Apparently Lila had been lying to her mother and the school about why she’s been absent for months. And then with the theft on top of that, plus all of the other things revealed thanks to Witch Hunter, I believe there is a 97.3% chance that Lila will be grounded for the foreseeable future.”
“Wait. How do you know that?” Kim asked.
“Markov told me.”
“Oh.”
A pause.
“And…how does HE know tha—”
Max simply disregarded him and turned to Rose. “You should probably discuss the matter with Lila’s mother. It sounds like she is taking the issue seriously and would like to meet with you and work this out appropriately.”
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.” She said with a smile. Albeit a somewhat wary smile.
“So there may be a chance to get the money back then?” Ivan asked, hopefully.
“But wait—what about Prince Ali?” Alix realized.
This brought all eyes to Rose, who looked hurt at the reminder of her friend cutting off ties with her.
“Rose…” Marinette started.
She winced. “I…still have his email. I don’t know if he’ll talk to me, but…I can apologize. And I can try to make it right. I think…” She took a breath. “I think I understand now why he was so upset. He’s a Prince and must be used to a lot of people trying to use him.”
She hesitated, looking down.
“Lila was…probably that exact type of person. And she was able to use him through me—even if she didn’t know it.”
The others winced.
Yeah, it was probably a good thing they learned about Lila now before it got too serious. Who knows what would have happened if Lila had ever actually gotten to meet him? Or really any of the other celebrities they actually knew.
Rose bit her lip for a moment, then looked up. “I’ve been thinking…if I do get the money back…since the charity Lila had told us about doesn’t exist, we can’t donate the money as planned. I would like to give the funds to a charity with a similar purpose—I even found one that looks genuine and does a lot of good, but…” She frowned. “That’s still misleading to the people who originally donated.”
“So what will you do?”
“I have a log of everyone who donated since I had wanted everyone to get credit or some sort of ‘Thank You’ for helping. I can try to reach out to them and ask them what they want to do.” She brightened slightly. “Alya is also helping by putting a notice on the Ladyblog about what happened and what we’re doing so that anyone who did donate before can be alerted and know to contact me.“
Alya smiled. “It seems to be working so far. If anything, I’ve been more messages from people wanting to donate as well.
Mylene gasped in delight. “You may end up with even more funding for your charity, Rose.”
“Just as long as we make it clear it’s the real deal this time.” Alya agreed. “I posted the charity’s info on the website as well as some links to verification sites so people can check for themselves that it’s real. This way, we don’t run into the same problem we had with Lila or get accused of lying ourselves.”
Well, that was a relief. They had a plan and they were certainly taking this seriously.
“I’m glad for you, Rose.”
Rose smiled back. “Thank you. I know this doesn’t really fix everything, but it feels like the right thing to do.”
“Aww!”
The group hug that commenced was just what they all needed.
__________________
Tom and Sabine had quite the busy day. Especially with that girl who had come in earlier and snuck into Marinette’s room.
And the akuma. Though they were at least getting used to daily disruptions caused by those.
“I hope nothing came of it.” Sabine worried as she was finishing putting things away. “I’m sure she was doing something up in Marinette’s room.”
“I’m sure if anything happened, Marinette could handle it. And if she couldn’t, she would let us know.” Tom replied as he headed to the laundry room to put away their used aprons and towels.
There was silence for a bit.
Then…
“Honey?”
Sabine paused and turned towards her husband. “Yes, dear?”
“Did that girl ever come back with Marinette’s clothes?”
Confused, she started towards the laundry room where her husband was. “No, why?”
Tom turned to her, with some items in hand. “I think she left her things behind and the Miracle Ladybug Cure didn’t send them back.”
Sabine stared. “Oh my!” She reached forward. “These look practically brand new!”
“And expensive.” Tom added.
The two looked over the items before looking up at each other. With a nod, they seemed to come to the same conclusion.
“Early birthday gift for Mari!”
“We’ll take it to Roger.”
…not…so same conclusion, evidently.
Sabine gave Tom a flat look. Tom smiled embarrassedly and rubbed his head.
“Yes. We can take it to Rodger as part of the case.” He agreed, sheepishly.
Sabine sighed and shook her head.
“Though maybe we can discuss it with the school.” She mused. “Since that girl is a student there. And some of the things on the Ladyblog are a bit concerning…”
“Should we still press charges?” Tom asked, worried.
“Let’s wait and speak with Roger tomorrow. And see what Marinette has to add.” Sabine said, taking the items from Tom and placing them in a safety box where they wouldn’t be mistaken as common items.
…or early birthday gifts.
__________________
Taking the Dragon Miraculous back to Fu was easy enough.
Apologizing for beaning him with a pot was less so.
“It is all right, Marinette. Really.” Fu assured her as he took the box back from her and restored the choker to it’s rightful place. “With the Miraculous Cure, I no longer have the injury.”
Marinette winced from her seat at the table. “Still, I feel really bad about it.”
He shook his head. “You did what you had to. The akuma’s influence was widespread by that point and the situation was dire.”
Especially since her kwami and the Guardian himself had both been affected as well.
He wouldn’t say he…approved with her methods. Or the headache it had caused him. But it had allowed her to defeat the akuma and restore things in the end. And truly, that was what mattered.
“It took a lot of strength from you today, Marinette. I am proud of what you accomplished.” He told her as he returned the Miracle Box to its hiding place.
“I just wish I could have helped Rose more.” She murmured.
“You did everything you could, Marinette!” Tikki insisted.
“It is difficult, but sometimes there is only so much that can be done, even with the aid of the Miraculous.” Fu returned to his seat at the table. “But I sense that is not the only thing on your mind today. Am I wrong?”
Marinette gasped. “Oh, Master! There’s something we’ve discovered today. Something really important!”
Tikki gasped. “That’s right!”
The two nodded to each other and spoke at the same time.
“Gabriel Agreste is Hawk Moth!”
“Adrien invited you to see a movie!”
Marinette froze, turning red at the reminder.
Tikki, for her part, blinked at Marinette in confusion.
“Wait…you mean what Lila said earlier?”
“That’s right.” Marinette said, turning her attention to Fu and away from any distractions of stupidly cute blond boys. “Earlier today, Lila tried to claim that Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth.”
Fu frowned. “Marinette, are you sure about this? Lila Rossi was Hawk Moth’s accomplice. As well as an unrepentant liar. This may be a lie as well.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. Lila tells lies if she thinks they’ll benefit her, but she’ll tell the truth if she thinks it could serve her more.”
Yeah, she knew that much from Lila’s attempt to sneak into her room and get dirt on her.
But more than that, Hawk Moth had betrayed Lila. After working with him all this time, someone she had…at least trusted she could use if not actually trusted had turned on her. And was even outright going to let the akuma kill her.
If Lila could be so spiteful for this long over Ladybug simply telling someone she had lied about knowing her, she couldn’t put it past the girl to not hold some grudge against Hawk Moth as well. And if she thought she knew who he was…
Well, if all else had failed her, there was no reason at that point not to try to reveal it.
“It would explain her connection to Gabriel Agreste as well.” Marinette reasoned. “He was a known recluse for a year before Adrien started school. He would keep Adrien from any events. Refused to let his friends come to visit him or for him to visit them. And wouldn’t even let Adrien have a birthday part.” She frowned, tapping her chin.
“So why would a man like that who is so protective of his son trust some random teenage girl with Adrien’s well being? Especially one he has never met who lied to his staff, forced her way into his home, manipulated his son into a photo op,” Not that she was bitter of course, “…and snuck into his personal office?”
Fu frowned, considering her words. “That is strange.”
“Exactly!” Marinette said, pushing closer to the table in earnest. “Even if she didn’t know he was Hawk Moth at the start, she still tried to get to him because of his control over Adrien. It was a connection she knew she could use, so it would benefit her. Which is Lila’s MO.” She said with a roll of her eyes.
She shook her head. “But this would explain why he would seemingly trust her. If he was Hawk Moth, that means he akumatized her before. Three times, even!”
Fu nodded. “The powers of the Butterfly would have let him know what she was like. If she was a willing assistant as Witch Hunter’s scroll proclaimed, he would have known.”
Tikki gasped. “It could also explain the mass akumatization when you had gotten expelled!”
Marinette gripped the table in growing anger. “They must have planned it! How else would he have known to have it ready?”
“Calm yourself, Marinette.” Fu reached out to place a hand over her own. “This is a good theory, but you don’t want to open yourself to an akuma. Especially not after everything that has already happened today.”
She wilted at that. “You’re right, Master. I’m sorry.”
“That is all right.” He assured her with a kind smile. “It is healthy to feel emotions, but you cannot let them overcome you.”
“But…” She hesitated. “Do you think I’m wrong?”
He paused for a moment, thinking it over as he took a sip of tea. “I had suspected once before that whomever had the Grimoire likely had both the missing Miraculous as well. After Gabriel Agreste had been akuamtized, I had wondered as you did whether it was simply coincidence.”
“Because the Butterfly user can’t akumatize himself, can he?” She asked.
He gestured to the tablet containing the translated Grimoire. “Normally, I would say not. But as you have learned, there are ways around any barrier. And as coincidences increase, at some point, we must ask how many coincidences are necessary before something is proven true.”
He smiled. “One such coincidence may be that he had the lost Grimoire. But another may be how convenient it was that he should be akumatized immediately when anyone may be suspecting him after its loss.”
She frowned, uncertain.
“Let us think on it for now, Marinette. And it will be best if we keep an eye on both Gabriel Agreste and Lila Rossi in the meantime.”
“Yes! Thank you, Master Fu!” She nodded before getting up and heading to the door.
“Goodbye, Master! Goodbye, Wayzz!” Tikki chimed before she flew into Marinette’s purse.
As Marinette walked down the street towards home with Tikki in tow, she continued to think over things. What she had learned. What Master Fu had told her. What she had experienced throughout the day.
“Oh!” She gasped as she realized something.
“What is it, Marinette?” Tikki asked from within the opening of the purse. They were mostly alone for the moment, so they could afford to speak if they did so quietly.
“Something I’d been meaning to ask you.” Marinette told her. “What happened with Lila today? The Cure normally fixes things to how they were before the akuma, so why was Lila covered in a full body rash?”
“The Cure sometimes acts in mysterious ways.” Tikki replied.
Marinette frowned. The answer was obviously vague. And Tikki’s refusal to meet her gaze indicated she knew more than she was letting on.
“Tikki…”
“Oh, look at the time! You should be getting home, Marinette!”
“TIKKI!”
__________________
Rose looked over her draft for what had to be the thirtieth time.
Excessive, maybe. But she wanted to make sure she was doing it right.
Ali,
I do not know if you will read this letter, or if it has even been permitted to reach you. At the very least, I am hoping for a chance to tell you from the bottom of my heart:
I am sorry.
While I had never meant to harm you, it doesn’t change the fact that you were harmed. And this harm could have been prevented had I been more cautious.
I could come up with any number of reasons as to why I chose to put my trust in the wrong person. The girl I had thought was promoting this charity was my friend. I wanted to believe the best in my friend. But that is no excuse.
If I truly had respect for you as a friend and as your station of Prince, I should have done my due diligence in ensuring the honesty of anyone I trusted. Especially before I tried to encourage you to trust them as well.
You were right. It was foolish of me.
From your perspective, it must have seemed as a sign that I did not take your friendship seriously. And I am deeply ashamed that I ever allowed that impression to anyone, but to you most of all.
If you choose not to forgive me, I understand. But I at least want you to know that I am going to make this right.
I am pursuing legal options against the girl in question. I do not know how much we will be able to see returned, but I fully intent to refund the donations to you and everyone else who had trusted me to do the right thing.
This may not fix anything. And you do not owe me anything from it. But I hope I can at least try to make up for my mistake and be the person you believed me capable of instead of the fool she turned me into.
Thank you for everything,
Rose
She took a breath.
Okay.
This was it then.
Any last words? Any final changes? Any regrets?
…no.
She shut her eyes and clicked ‘send’.
And finally exhaled. With the air, she breathed out all of her anxieties, fears, and doubts.
She had done what she could.
She was doing what she can.
That was…that was all anyone could expect of her.
All that she could expect of herself.
…
…
…
That didn’t make it not ache though.
But there was nothing for it now, she realized as she turned away from her computer to go to bed.
She wanted to fix things. Desperately so. But she couldn’t force Ali to accept her apology and forgive her anymore than she could force Lila to be honest.
Rose curled up under her covers and hugged her pillow close.
It was a small comfort. But one she was going to allow herself.
She hoped for the best. She always did.
But even if he didn’t…she would move forward and continue doing good. Just as he inspired her to.
She just…
A couple tears fell.
She had just wished he would be around to see it.
It would take another hour before she would fall asleep.
…
…
…
It would be another three hours before an email alert came up on her computer.
__________________
Ugh.
Lila fell onto her bed, huffing angrily.
This whole day sucked.
She was attacked by an akuma. Everyone turned on her. Hawk Moth was going to let her die. And even when everything was saved, everything was ruined.
Thanks, Rose. Thanks, Hawk Moth. Thanks, Ladybug.
And now she was stuck here in Paris and couldn’t even get away from any of it!
She groaned into her pillow. She couldn’t be too loud, though, as her mother was being annoyingly alert and “keeping an eye on her” now. The last thing she needed was to give her reason to suspect something was up and cause her to come barging into her room.
There was no escape this time. Not now that everyone knew.
She’d still have to deal with her class. Even worse, she’d have to see Adrien and Marinette making eyes at each other.
She’d still have to deal with the school. And now that they knew what she did, she wouldn’t be getting away with anything again.
She’d still have to deal with Hawk Moth, and his akumas would still be a risk for her, as well. She wouldn’t put it past him to try to take her out. What little power and control she had was gone now.
And worst of all…
…Ladybug.
That measly little bug and her damn threat against her. To follow her. To keep an eye on her. To be her…special friend.
Like she would really do that.
Lila turned over in her sheets, settling into her bed and getting comfortable.
Or trying, at least.
Something felt off. She just didn’t know what.
She glanced around her room. It was much more barren now since her mother had cleared out a lot of her belongings. Her laptop and cellphone were gone, as was the limited light they provided in the dark.
She huffed and turned over to face away from the door.
Half asleep, she glanced out the window.
Two glowing blue orbs were staring back.
She screamed.
__________________
A creak of a window opening and closing.
A giggle.
“Huh? Tikki? Zzat you?”
“I’m fine, Marinette. I was just checking on something.”
A yawn.
“What was it?”
Another giggle.
“Nothing important.”
Two blue eyes sent a glare out into the city.
“Nothing at all...”
#BURN THE WITCH!#witch hunter#ml fic#marinette dupain cheng#tikki#adrien agreste#rose lavillant#lila sucks
477 notes
·
View notes
Text
Concubine nhs pt10 / on AO3
Lan Qiren was predictably satisfied that next morning to learn that his nephew was finally willing to let him start looking for a young woman who would become empress. He had been pressing for it even before Lan Xichen met Nie Huaisang, and it had since become one of their few causes for arguments. This change of opinion pleased him so well that Lan Xichen felt a fresh new layer of guilt adding up to what was already plaguing him.
“I’m glad that boy can make you behave, where I can’t,” Lan Qiren said after being fed a lie. “I suppose I should have expected it. He’s smart, when he bothers.” To this Lan Xichen replied with a puzzled look, so his uncle explained. “I’ve been sending him books to study, and he sends notes saying what he thought of them. His understanding is usually shallow on most subjects, but he makes interesting observations sometimes. A good teacher might make something of him.”
That was something that Nie Huaisang had mentioned. Or at least, he had said that Lan Qiren was sending him books, blaming those less frivolous volumes he had in the little house on the emperor’s uncle. The way he’d spoken about it seemed to imply that he was not reading them, and he certainly never said anything about writing his own commentary on them.
It upset Lan Xichen to think that his uncle might have known Nie Huaisang better than he did.
He wondered if there was anyone who didn't know Nie Huaisang better than he did.
“If shufu thinks so, then he’s welcome to see if Huaisang might be interested in being taught,” Lan Xichen said, keeping his tone polite and distant. “Once I am married, I fear I might have less time to devote to him. Studying would provide him with something to do.”
And perhaps Nie Mingjue would hate Lan Xichen a little less in the future if his brother was given a chance for education. Perhaps that could still be saved. If Lan Qiren was the one to find him a teacher, it would certainly be a good one. Nothing but the best would do for an imperial concubine, and Lan Qiren had very high standards.
“I’ll see what can be arranged,” Lan Qiren promised. “I might visit him myself if I have time. I’ve missed having a student, and I’m curious about that boy. Even Wangji seems to think well of him, I can't continue ignoring him eternally.”
Lan Xichen smiled with as much joy as he could fake. He would have to warn Nie Huaisang then. His uncle was not prone to gossip, but he might become upset at Lord Nie for having used his son in such a manner, and Lan Xichen did not wish to see that friendship compromised. Not only that, but he did not want to be scolded for having behaved like a fool. He was ashamed enough about everything that had happened without his uncle lecturing him about it.
Having dealt with that matter, Lan Xichen went on with his day, not without some difficulty. He found it hard to focus on councils, or the people to whom he granted audiences. Every problem was important, and deserved his full attention, but his mind was elsewhere, and only through great effort did he manage to do his duty. Only a bad emperor would let private business distract him from his empire, he'd always been told, and yet there he was.
It took just as much effort to get ready to go to the little house that evening. Lan Xichen had prepared some reports he needed to read, hoping to somehow turn the time spent in that house into something productive. That plan crumbled when he opened the door only to be greeted by Nie Huaisang, dressed in his finest clothes, wearing too much jewellery, smiling at him as if nothing had happened.
“You’re home!” Nie Huaisang exclaimed, springing from the sofa where he’d been sitting and running toward Lan Xichen who only escaped his concubine’s embrace by holding up a hand and pushing him away.
“What are you doing?” Lan Xichen snarled.
Nie Huaisang stumbled, his smile wavering. He stared at Lan Xichen for a moment, eyes wide and terrified, before quickly lowering his gaze as he bowed deeply.
“His highness said he would continue visiting,” Nie Huaisang mumbled. “This humble one thought his highness would wish… that I should…”
“No!” Lan Xichen exclaimed, so embarrassed it made him nauseous.
He still wanted Nie Huaisang, still loved him. He couldn’t help it, not even when he now knew that the person he loved wasn’t real. But as much as he’d been desperate the day before for any sign that Nie Huaisang might wish to continue his comedy, now that it was truly happening, the thought of it was appalling. It was bad enough that he’d unknowingly taken advantage in the past, but to still kiss Nie Huaisang and take him to bed while fully aware that the other man did not want him back would have been criminal.
He’d made a mistake in taking what was only offered under duress. He would not make another mistake in continuing to take advantage.
“We’re not doing that anymore,” Lan Xichen said, prompting Nie Huaisang to raise his eyes and throw him a confused look. “I’ve told you, I’m only continuing to come here to avoid giving the impression that your family fell out of favour. I’m not… I won’t ask that of you again. You can be safe on that regard at least!”
That reassurance did not have the intended effect, and Nie Huaisang only looked more distressed. Perhaps now that the initial shock of being discovered had passed, he was worried about what his father would say when he heard about that failure, and truly hoped to mend what had broken. Lan Xichen felt angry, but sorry too. Maybe when the war was over, he would find a way to free Nie Huaisang from his current position without sending him back to face his father.
Maybe Lan Qiren had the right idea, about finding him a teacher. If Nie Huaisang could pass the exams and enter the administration, his father might find it harder to punish him.
“In the future, when I come here, just continue on as if you were alone,” Lan Xichen ordered. “I will do the same. You don’t need to dress up like this, either. Just keep on what you’d normally wear.”
“Yes, your highness.”
Lan Xichen opened his mouth, ready to say there was no need to be using his title, only to quickly change his mind. Much as that new proof of the distance between them pained him, it would be worse to be addressed in a familiar manner. This was safer.
“Let’s eat,” Lan Xichen decided. “Then I will work for a while and sleep. You’ll take the bed,” he added after a moment of reflection. “I’ll take the sofa.”
“Your highness should take the bed,” Nie Huaisang protested. “It would be more suitable.”
“The sofa is fine.”
Nie Huaisang hesitated, and bowed even deeper. “His highness is tall, and the sofa is not long enough for him to lay down comfortably. This humble one is shorter, and has fallen asleep there many times without issues.”
It was reasonable, but Lan Xichen disliked the idea of sending Nie Huaisang to sleep on the sofa while keeping the bed to himself. It would feel like taking advantage again.
“You take the bed,” he insisted. “I might not even sleep at all anyway. I have a lot of work.”
Nie Huaisang looked unconvinced. He pouted, as if ready to say something about Lan Xichen’s stubbornness, as he did sometimes. But remembering he didn’t have to pretend to care anymore, he just lowered his eyes and gave up on the matter.
The evening, after that, went on quietly and awkwardly. They ate without a word, Lan Xichen having to fight several times the impulse to put in Nie Huaisang’s bowl some vegetables he knew the other man liked, or to ask him about his day. That heavy silence between them was hard to handle and yet necessary, or so Lan Xichen tried to convince himself. When they were done, the table was freed and cleaned to Lan Xichen could work, while Nie Huaisang grabbed a book and took refuge on the bed. It was the same military treaty as the previous day. Lan Xichen couldn’t help being upset about that for some reason, though he tried to focus on the reports he’d brought.
Tried, and failed.
"Shufu has told me he'd like to come see you," Lan Xichen announced after a while, when he found himself glancing at Nie Huaisang again and their eyes met. "He is interested in talking to you about the books he's made you read. I would appreciate if you kept our current situation from him."
"Of course, your highness,” Nie Huaisang replied, curling up a little tighter in his corner of the bed.
"He also spoke of finding you a teacher. If that's something you'd like, tell him. We have to start planning for your future after the war."
"Yes, your highness."
Lan Xichen frowned, wanting to ask what Nie Huaisang wanted, but refrained from it. Lan Qiren would be told, and he was the one who could organise those things. Having warned Nie Huaisang, the rest was out of Lan Xichen's hands.
For a good while longer, Lan Xichen continued reading. He took notes as long as he could, until tiredness made that impossible. Then he laid down on the sofa, forced to fold his body in a rather uncomfortable position as he continued reading.
After those last few days, even a bad position was not enough to keep Lan Xichen awake through the night. Without noticing he fell asleep, and only woke up a little before dawn. His aching back was what woke him, but the first thing he really noticed was that someone had wrapped a heavy blanket around him while he slept.
There could be no doubt that it was Nie Huaisang’s doing. Aside from the two of them, nobody would have dared to enter the little house at night. Servants had been instructed quite strictly from the start to wait until morning to pick up empty dishes, unless ordered otherwise. But as to why Nie Huaisang would do such a thing, Lan Xichen couldn't be sure.
It might have been nothing more than duty, and the need for every subject to care for their emperor. Or perhaps it was merely the force of habit, after three years of living together. Or else, if Lan Xichen allowed himself a moment of weakness, he could pretend that Nie Huaisang did care for him, not as an emperor but as a person.
A pleasant illusion to have in the vanishing darkness, but which could not be lingered on as morning light lazily inundated the little house.
Lan Xichen got up from the sofa, and stretched as best as he could when he wouldn't let go of that blanket. Out of habit, he turned his attention to the bed, where Nie Huaisang was sleeping deeply. Just like Lan Xichen, he must have fallen asleep by accident: his candle had entirely consumed itself, and his book laid open on the mattress, not far from his hand.
It wasn't an unfamiliar scene. Nie Huaisang would sometimes stay awake later than was reasonable, reading about poetry or devouring a novel. What Lan Xichen would do then, what he did again that morning, was to pick up the discarded book, placing something in it to keep the page. He would then make sure Nie Huaisang was warm enough, which he did that time by giving back the blanket offered to him during the night. And then, because Nie Huaisang always looked so sweet and peaceful in sleep, he would…
Lan Xichen froze above Nie Huaisang, having stopped just before his lips could touch the other man's. He remained that way a moment, hardly daring to breathe as the realisation of what he had almost done hit him. Then, as if struck by an invisible force, he quickly stumbled back, nearly tripping on the hem of his robe in his haste to put distance between himself and the sleeping young man.
Habit was a powerful thing, Lan Xichen thought as he hurried to make himself presentable so he could leave that cursed house.
He would have to be more careful in the future.
#xisang#nie huaisang#lan xichen#mo dao zu shi#mdzs#jau writes#concubine au#short one but I'm procrastinating on a bunch of stuff again#mostly on xisang week preparations
27 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
niiv
NIIV
creativefucker69
Untitled
lupixia-blog
Lupixitumblr
averyangrypossum
☆ Your Local Clown ☆
merrittwitch
Witch in a Ditch