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#every passing second and no one was there to help him until athena showed up at the literal last second
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Helpless Part 17 sorry for not posting yesterday
“So, di Angelo."
"I'm hopeless aren't I?"
"I mean there's still hope, you just need to not mess up.”
“I’m not good at that.”
“Luckily for you there’s motivation.”
“What?”
“You can’t lie until you and Nico kiss."
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!"
"Calm down, what are you hiding anyways Solace."
"When I heal people I feel all their pain, I almost killed myself, I'm useless, I'm hopelessly in love with someone who is halfway to death, I glow in the dark, I'm only alive on necter and ambrosia, I would kill every single Demeter kid right now if I could, I pass out really often but I can feel it before hand so I hide in my office when it's about to happen so no one knows. Fuck. Shit." Will ran towards the forest with tears in his eyes but Piper ran after him,
"Wait." Piper charmspoke when they were in the middle of the forest, it was dangerous but neither of them cared in that moment.
"Oh fuck you, leave me alone."
"Will-"
"If you tell anybody a word of what I said I swear to Apollo I will rip you apart limb for limb McLean." Piper shivered, Will couldn't lie...
"Breathe. In and out, I'm going to unpack a bit of what you said alright? If it's too much tell and I'll stop." Will just nodded barely breathing as Piper sat down beside him, "You feel everyone's pain when you heal them?"
"It's a trade off, if people knew they wouldn't let me heal everyone."
"Doesn't that mean you're almost constantly in pain?"
"It's worth it."
"What do you feel right now?"
"Broken rib, last time I healed Nico. I mean I feel other things from a week ago but they all would have healed a bit by now so it's not as bad. I've been on painkillers anyways, practically high on them at this point."
"That's-"
"-not heathly, I'm fully aware but I don't give two fucks."
"Alright, you tried to kill yourself? Why? Are you alright?"
"After the Manhattan battle, Michael and Lee... I was on the bridge but I met someone there. We convinced each other to not jump, I realised I couldn't leave Kay and Austin alone. They lost two older brothers in the war, they wouldn't be losing a third. I still sometimes wish I'd done it, but they can't be alone."
"Will, show me your wrists."
"No, fuck off."
"Will-"
"Don't act like you fvcking care, leave me alone."
"Will, I care. I just want to make sure you're okay, don't make me charmspeak you."
"Fine." Will muttered in tears, rolling up the sleeves of his hoodie. His arms were covered in shallow, red, cuts, Piper counted 14 on one arm and 17 on the other. She pulled the crying boy into a hug,
"I'm here for you."
"I feel so useless, I've never been on a quest, I can barely fight, I'm not half as good of a healer as Micheal was. Everyone would be better off without me, the Demeter kids agree."
"Never say that again okay? Almost all of camp would be dead without you."
"I couldn't save them, it's my fault."
"You still saved all those people; you didn't kill anyone Will."
"I didn't help them either, it's my fault they died."
"No it's not, you tried to save them."
"But I didn't."
"You can't save everyone, some people are too close to dying."
"I should have saved them."
"It's impossible to save everyone, some people are too close to death."
"Micheal could have done it."
"People die Will, death is a part of existence. You can't delay every death, it's not your fault."
"It's the only good thing about me, healing people. If I can't do that well enough what's the point of me living?"
"William Andrew Solace listen to me, you can't save everyone. Even then you're worth more than your power, clearly considering I've had twelve people come to me asking how to make you like them. You're cool, funny, loyal, ridiculously smart as in smarter than half the Athena cabin, and you actually genuinely care about everyone."
"It's just, when they die on my watch. I feel like I killed them." A few second's of silence passed,
"When was the last time you cut?" Piper asked with caution not trying to upset Will any more then he already was.
"Two days ago, when I thought Nico might not make it. The thought of him dying, fuck." A tear rolled down his face and he pulled away from the daughter of Aphrodite.
"I'm going to find you a therapist okay? Do you think that'll help?"
"Yes, but I'm too scared to open up to people. Fvcking curse, I really want to punch Lou Ellen right now."
"I'll find someone that can help."
"Thank you."
"Do you want to talk more or is it too much?"
"Too much."
"Alright, just one thing."
"Yeah?"
"Nico's halfway to death?"
"Yes, I want to lock him in the infirmary because I don't know how much longer he'll last with the amount he's eating and drinking."
"Shit."
"Weren't you meant to be giving me advice on how I can get him to like me?" Trying to change the topic, he wasn't exactly meant to be telling people this stuff.
"Oh rightttt that's what I was meant to be doing."
"I'm slightly more hopeful then I was a week ago, at least now I know he's gay."
"Who told you?" Piper asked reaching for her dagger,
"Nico...? We were playing twenty questions and I asked him if he was straight."
"Ohhh okay, so I don't need to kill anyone."
"I don't think so...?"
"Great, so Nico di Angelo, son of Hades. I think... show him you care but don't worry about him too much, honestly just be normal with him, he doesn't get that from most people. The most important thing, give him space but don't let him push you away, he does that a lot."
"Thanks McLean."
"It's my job." Piper said, messing up his hair.
"You said twelve people came to you trying to date me, who exactly were they?"
"Well it's meant to be confidential, but one of them was Leo when he first met you. Don't tell him told you, he will kill me."
"Leo Valdez? That's unexpected."
"The more you know Solace, the more you know. Anyways I should probably go, me and Annabeth are dying Percy's hair red."
"What?!"
"He's the little mermaid so naturally we're kidnapping him and dying his hair red."
"Well I wish you luck and I can't wait to see red-head Percy."
***
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bent-penny · 11 months
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Totally not me finally talking about my Cuphead AU because I'm slowing forgetting about it due to queer puppets eating my brain.
(This will probably go until I feel like making another one or if someone has a question about something)
It's called the Son's of No Good Saints AU, and a lot of it is just what presive to be canon. The other half of this AU is just ridiculous headcanons that I thought of while listening to a Playlist I have that makes me think of them
One of the primary focuses of this AU is the powers that the three cups posses. (The weapons and charms they use in game) the weapons were first created as one force of power by Athena Goddess of War (and Ms. Chalice's mother). As the power was passed down to the mortal members of the Calix Animi it either began to separate (and become two different weapons) or weaken. The Calix Animi soldiers could only use 50% of their power before they would break
Somewhere down the line, Athena decides leave the Calix Animi (Athena was the leader at the time) but she didn't leave them totally lost. She had a child with a mortal man from a peasant family. Ms. Chalice's dad only had her for the first ten years of her life before the Calix Animi took her away from him to train her and show her how to use and control her powers. She would be thier new leader, and the new protector of Inkwell
From what I do remember, the Devil has had a bone to pick with every God and Goddess after he was thrown out of heaven. After building up an army of demons and what not, hell and Inkwell went to war.
Ms. Chalice losing her life marked the end of the three year war.
After Ms. Chalice was put to rest with the Calix Animi on the fourth Isle Inkwell went back to peace and content.
Everything but Chalice. Unlike her fellow soldiers, she wasn't content to dissappear, leading her to wander the planes of existence for many years. Both finding and losing herself. Over and over.
A few thousand years of aimlessly wandering later, Chalice found herself back on the fourth Isle in the year 1924.
There she made friends with a young Chef Saltbaker (who had just lost his daughter not a few months before). For the next six years they bonded over magic and food. In fact, Ms. Chalice was a big help to Saltbaker achieving his dream in being the best Chef in all the isles. In return, Chef Saltbaker decided to help Chalice achieve her dream of having a normal life.
It Took Saltbaker almost two years to make the wonder tart work the way Ms. Chalice wanted it to, the first wonder tart that he created turned Ms. Chalice into a five year old that Saltbaker would have to take with him on deliveries and out shopping. She would always put her hands in the ingredients while Saltbaker was trying to bake.
The second wonder tart turned Ms. Chalice into a bitter elderly woman. That would always lecture Saltbaker and everyone that came into the bakery always starting with "back in my day-" or "when I was your age-"
But as time passes, resources for food and magic became scarce and not easy to find, putting the wonder tart that would turn Chalice 14 years old on hold. So while Chef Saltbaker was just selling his goods to get by and keep the bakery open, Ms. Chalice took the liberty of going off to the main isles of Inkell to look for the magic that was needed to make the final wonder tart.
Going back to the mausoleum but getting trapped in the process, she ended up staying in the Keeper Urn for months until getting released by Cuphead and Mugman
That's it for part one! Thank you for reading this far <3
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hikari-kaitou · 3 years
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Capcom’s Official AA Fanclub Surveys - Main Series Edition
Naturally, Capcom’s official AA fanclub site didn't only post surveys about the DGS characters; they published far more of them about the main series characters. It makes sense, as they started the trend before the DGS series had even been conceived.
Back in the old days, they used to hold a survey on Capcom’s official AA fansite every few months where they’d write about the seasonal activities of a handful of characters and ask fans to vote for the funniest/most pleasant/strangest/etc answer.
They stopped doing them in like… 2016? 2017? The original text is lost for good as far as I can tell. Even the wayback machine couldn’t help because the content was password locked and you can’t get past the password wall while remaining in the archived version.
Fortunately, I saved some of my translations of them so I thought I’d share them. Unfortunately, I was doing these translations very casually and only intended to share them with two of my close friends at the time when I did them, so some of them are just summaries rather than proper translations, and I tended to only focus on characters that we personally were interested in or scenarios that we thought were funny or interesting. That means there are parts missing, and because I didn't expect the original text to be wiped off the site I didn't save it so I could go back and fill in the blanks. Sorry about that...
Cut for length!
"Spring is on its way and each of the AA cast members spent their day off in different ways. Who's way of spending their day off sounds the most pleasant?"
Phoenix- he finished unpacking his moving boxes and sorting his seasonal clothing. While he was packing away his ugly pink sweater and such, he happened across the complete works of Shakespeare at the bottom of one of the boxes, got completely absorbed in reading, and ended up abandoning his unpacking.
Mia- She went shopping at a department store for a new summer suit. On her way, she coincidentally ran into Maya, who was on her way to the agency to hang out, but then at some point Maya vanished. Mia tried calling her cell phone but she didn't answer. "Don't tell me she's lost at her age," Mia thought, and began to search for her. She found Maya transfixed by a rooftop Steel Samurai show. It seems that she was both exasperated and relieved.
Maya- she tagged along on Mia's shopping trip, but the second she spied a poster for a rooftop Steel Samurai show, she made a beeline for the roof. She got into a cheering battle with a mean-looking elementary school boy and really enjoyed the show. When the show was over, she reunited with an exasperated looking Mia. She gleefully led Mia to a burger restaurant so they could eat some burgers together.
Edgeworth- he treated himself to a drive along the coast in his red sports car... Well, that was the plan, but then he was pushed by his mentor Von Karma into being the driver for his shopping trip. As a reward for his service, he received a brand new Von Karma style, stylish and flashy summer suit.
Then there's Larry, who dragged Phoenix to a café to hit on its hot owner, and the judge who bought a wig.
"Apollo, Fulbright, Edgeworth, Klavier and Kristoph made visits to a nursery school near the courthouse. Which of them did the most pleasant activity with the children?"
Apollo acted out the story of the “Crying Red Ogre” for the children. Phoenix played the part of the blue ogre, and Apollo was the red ogre, and Apollo’s wailing moved the children to tears too. In a panic over all the crying, they got Trucy to cheer them up with a magic trick in which she made Apollo disappear.
Fulbright: He came dressed in a blinding white costume to teach the children about justice and put on a play. The children gave him thunderous applause... But when Jinxie, who had been forced to play the part of the heroine, saw Fulbright, she thought he was the ghost of an army general, got scared, and slapped a charm on his face.
Edgeworth and Gumshoe: He and Gumshoe were going to reenact the story of Kintarou (an old Japanese fairytale). Franziska handed Edgeworth the Kintarou costume she’d designed (If you've seen Ghibli's Spirited Away, recall what Bou, the giant baby, wears. That's what we're talking about here). Edgeworth fearfully asked “You... expect me to wear this...?” Gumshoe, who had painted his whole body black to play the role of a bear, told him “Of course, sir! It doesn’t fit me!” and shoved Edgeworth out on stage in it. Edgeworth quickly began to reconsider Gumshoe’s salary for next month.
Klavier and Kristoph: Kristoph started giving a boring lecture on the importance of law, and the kids were getting antsy. Seeing this, Klavier came over with his guitar to liven things up, performing a rock style arrangement of the “The Bear Went Over The Mountain". But then he threw in the unnecessary comment of “If any of you scratch the frets of my guitar, I’ll be suing for damage of property, ok?” And they both ended up getting kicked out.
"This survey is about who knows how to enjoy a sunny day at Gourd Lake the best"
Simon: To give Taka some exercise, Blackquill took him and Fulbright (who was on guard duty) out for some falconry. Things were going well until Taka heard something about this mysterious creature “Gourdy,” freaked out, flew into the little shop selling Gourdy merchandise and started making a huge mess. Blackquill and Fulbright gathered Taka up in a panic and hightailed it out of there as fast as they could.
Edgeworth had seen Phoenix home and on his way back passed by Gourd Lake. Just as he was starting to get bad flashbacks... he happened to hear Larry in the middle of a flirting attempt and got dragged in. The woman he was trying to put the moves on was a foreigner, and she and Edgeworth started chatting in her native language. Larry couldn’t understand and was annoyed that Edgeworth was apparently moving in on his target, so he sulked and blew up at Edgeworth.
Athena tried to play matchmaker for Apollo and Juniper, so she told them to meet her in the forest near Gourd Lake so that they would run into each other there and hopefully hit it off. Juniper got there first, expecting to find Athena, but when Apollo showed up, she panicked and hid behind a tree. While she was trying to gather her nerve to go talk to him, he wandered off and she lost sight of him.
Phoenix was at the park and he got caught by Larry who was doing his part time job of selling Samurai Dogs. Larry saw a pretty lady that he wanted to flirt with so he asked Phoenix to mind the shop while he was gone. Business was slow, so he called in all the WAA members to put their full range of skills to use. They seem to have managed to sell them all!
Gumshoe took Missile for a walk in the park. They stopped for a rest and Gumshoe fell asleep, so Missile slipped out of his collar and ran over to where the Samurai Dogs were being sold. He ate them all without Phoenix noticing. Phoenix handed things back over to Larry when he got back and Larry got in huge trouble for losing so much product.
"This survey is talking about how the cast spent their Valentines Day"
Trucy gave Polly chocolate for himself and some for Klavier and asked Apollo to give it to him for her. Klavier wasn’t in court when Apollo went to look for him, though, so he and Phoenix went to the prosecutors’ office together with their chocolate. On their way, though, Apollo found himself getting a lot of strange looks from Themis Legal Academy students.
Ema gave some chocolates to Phoenix to give to Edgeworth because she suddenly got called to a crime scene. Phoenix headed over to the prosecutors’ office but Edgeworth was in court and wasn’t there, so Phoenix waited out in front of the prosecutors’ office with this flashy, girly looking bag of chocolates. Edgeworth’s trial ended up going a long time and Phoenix got a lot of stares as he waited.
Edgeworth was hit by a pollen-filled spring breeze on his way back to the office and suddenly his eyes got all red and itchy and he was left sneezing and sniffling. Phoenix came to talk to him and got quite a surprise when he saw the state Edgeworth’s face was in. The chocolates Ema gave him were in the shape of the Steel Samurai and they made Edgeworth so pleased that it seemed to ease his suffering a little.
Flower Viewing:
Phoenix and Apollo go to the park early to hold flower viewing spots for the WAA members. They see some people from around town that they know who ask them to hold their spots while they go and grab this or that. Phoenix and Apollo do their best to hold those people’s spots and in the process lose their own. They end up begging Edgeworth to let them share his and Klavier’s spot.
White Day:
Because of his painful memories about Valentine’s Day from elementary school, he doesn’t like Valentine’s Day or White Day that much. As a return gift to his beloved daughter, he gave her painstakingly handmade magic panty shaped chocolates. Apparently he forced the ones that didn’t turn out on Edgeworth...
Klavier was holding a ladies only concert, which he invited Trucy to. Phoenix was worried about letting Trucy be out at night by herself, so he sent Apollo along in disguise (as a woman!!). But Klavier saw through Apollo’s disguise easily and to Apollo’s horror, called him up on stage.
Autumn/Moon Viewing:
Phoenix, Edgeworth and Larry went to collect chestnuts together. Larry was too focused on looking for chestnuts and not watching where he was going and fell down the mountain slope. Phoenix had tried to catch Larry but he ended up falling too and spraining his ankle slightly. Edgeworth had to carry Phoenix on his back down the mountain.
Apollo went moon viewing with the rest of the WAA. It turned out into kind of an office party and Apollo had drink after drink while assuring everyone that “I’m fine!” but ended up getting pretty hammered. He proceeded to pass out and Phoenix took care of him.
Obon Festival:
Klavier performed a bonfire festival dance version of the Guitar’s Serenade at the summer festival and Apollo provided the taiko drum backup. He filled the gaps in the taiko drumming with his chords of steel, and it was a very energetic bonfire dance.
Edgeworth noticed the festival going on on his way home from work and decided to have a look. He saw Phoenix selling Samurai Dogs and desperately wanted one, but couldn’t bear the thought of Phoenix finding out that he was a Steel Samurai fan. He hemmed and hawed in front of the festival stall, trying to decide whether to buy one, but they sold out before he could make up his mind.
Phoenix went to the festival with Maya. Larry, who was working the Samurai Dog stand, called them over and forced them to watch the stand while he made a booty call. Phoenix and Maya’s manzai comedy duo style vocal advertising was so successful that they quickly sold out.
Christmas:
Phoenix, Trucy, Athena, Apollo and Pearl all spent the night at the office after their party wrapped up. Phoenix put presents next to the kids' pillows during the night.
Edgeworth grumbled about having to play Santa but dressed up anyway and snuck in at night to bring the younger ones at Phoenix's office some presents. He accidentally ends up sneaking into Phoenix’s room instead.
Apollo wanted to be a good big brother to Trucy and Pearl, so he snuck into their rooms to leave gifts but tripped over something, let out a Chords of Steel volume shout as he fell and ruined the surprise/
Klavier, as a favor to Trucy, snuck in dressed as a Visual Kei style Santa, but he announced his arrival with a rock arrangement of Santa Claus is Coming to Town and got caught and kicked out.
Blackquill had to make a jailbreak in order to play Santa, was chased down and Phoenix woke to find the police surrounding his office.
DGS Edition
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fruitcoops · 3 years
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Hi, Eve
Rose here from yesterday, thank you very much for the Birthday message, I wasn't expecting you to read it let alone reply but I was looking for Coops kids Birthday fluff specifically. It doesn't matter if you don't have time however as I don't want to be a bother.
Hello Rose, and happy (belated) 20th birthday! Sorry for the wait--I really wanted to get this one right to celebrate such an important number. I hope your day was absolutely fantastic! SW credit goes to @lumosinlove, but Stella is an OC
Combined with asks for Sirius lightly making fun of Remus' accent and Remus yelling at a game show (@nazar4114)
“Medusa!” Stella shouted with all the force in her thirteen-year-old lungs. Remus leaned forward on the couch. “Medusa!”
The front door opened with a creak. “I’m h—”
“Yes!” they cheered in unison as Nicole answered correctly. Remus turned and gave Stella a double high-five, feeling his heart squeeze at the vivid joy on her round face. “Good guess.”
“I knew she was gonna get it,” Stella said with a pump of her fist as she turned back to the show and folded her legs underneath her.
“Gonna,” a familiar deep voice mimicked from the doorway. Paper bags rustled before footsteps stopped behind the couch; Remus tilted his chin up without sparing a glance, and Sirius pressed a laugh-laced kiss to his cheek before dropping one on Stella’s head as well. “You sound too much like your dad.”
“Love you, too,” Remus said wryly.
“I’ll take ‘Myths and Moths’ for 400, please.” Nicole’s voice snapped his attention back to the screen, and Stella narrowed her eyes.
“Daily Double!” the automated voice announced. Stella gasped; Remus bit his lower lip. “This mythical shield was wielded by Athena, and is sometimes said to be made of goat skin.”
“Aegis,” Stella whispered, then raised her voice. “It’s the Aegis, Nicole. You know this.”
“We know you do,” Remus said, scooting forward. “You just guessed whose head is on it.”
Nicole’s buzzer went off with two seconds to spare. “What is the Aegis?”
“Hell yeah!” Stella whooped.
Remus turned to her and raised his eyebrows. “Excuse you.”
“Sorry.”
“Are you two going to do this the whole afternoon?” Sirius asked from the kitchen, obviously amused. “We might need to get the neighbors some noise-cancelling headphones.”
Stella blew a dark lock of hair out of her eyes as she flopped her head back. “It’s almost final Jeopardy, papa. We have, like, ten minutes.”
Sirius blinked at her, then shook his head. “I swear you two share genes.”
“Ope, you caught me,” Remus said over the noise of the commercial break. “When I was 20 and had literally never left Wisconsin, I went and had a secret kid in Maine who looks terribly like you just so that someone would watch Jeopardy reruns with me thirteen years later. Oops.”
“It’s the truth,” Stella said with great gravity. “I remember.”
“Mon dieu,” Sirius muttered, though he couldn’t keep a smile down. He had never been able to hide around Stella, not once in the three years since they had adopted her. It was one of the things Remus loved most about him. “By the way, nobody under the age of fourteen is allowed in the kitchen for the next…hour. Ish.”
Stella squirmed around until she could rest her arms on the back of the couch. “What if I get thirsty?”
“I’m sure you can invoke birthday privileges and ask your dad to get something for you.”
“Birthday privileges?” Remus scoffed. “Nobody in this house has a birthday today. Yours was last month, and mine’s in March.”
“It’s my birthday,” Stella said.
“What? No, it’s not.”
“Yeah-huh.”
“Your birthday is in June.”
“It’s today.”
“Or maybe July?”
“It’s today, in December, when there’s snow,” she insisted, throwing herself back against the pillows. “Come on, dad, that’s not funny anymore.”
Remus raised his eyebrows. “Is somebody too old to find their poor old dad amusing now? Can you go back to being twelve so somebody will laugh at my jokes again? I know, I know, we're super lame compared to all your friends’ parents—”
“So lame,” Sirius agreed from the kitchen.
“—but I like to think we get one more year of pre-teen cuteness before the teen angst takes over.”
Stella sat up again with a groan. Looking at her, Remus saw a mix of himself and Sirius that had always baffled him, considering they had adopted her comparatively late in her life; beneath it was something uniquely Stella. Maybe it was her double-jointed elbows, or the board-straightness of her hair next to their curls, but there was no mistaking that she was her own person through and through. He loved that about her. “I’m not going to be a terrible teenager.”
Sirius poked his head around the edge of the kitchen—his nose was adorned with a smudge of flour. “Can I record that for future use?”
“Non.”
“Ooo, using the French,” Remus hissed. “That transformation is already beginning.”
“It’s not like you were bad teenagers, right?” She settled upside-down on the couch with her flamingo-patterned socks high in the air.
“I almost convinced Grandma to let me dye my hair blue, but otherwise I was pretty good.”
“I was terrible,” Sirius laughed. “I didn’t talk to anybody for a solid three years.”
Stella frowned. “How? I think I’d die if I did that.”
“He’s stubborn,” Remus stage-whispered.
“I heard that.”
Stella suppressed her laughter as best she could, but she was about as good at hiding her emotions around them as Sirius was. She didn’t really giggle—the amount her voice had deepened over the past three years always gave Remus whiplash—but her laugh had the same cadence as it did the first day they heard it. While Stella had been quiet at first, it only took love and time to bring her out of her shell. Within a year she settled into their lives like she was always meant to be there.
A thoughtful look crossed her face. “This is my last year before high school.”
“Does it feel different?”
“Not really.” She paused, then shrugged. “And a little. I don’t feel older. It just feels like there’s stuff I won’t get to do anymore.”
“And a lot more you will get to do.” Sirius left his dishtowel on the counter before joining them on Stella’s other side. “You can drive soon, you’ll get a longer curfew, you get more freedom…”
“I guess.”
“What are you going to miss?” Remus asked as she toyed with the hem of her shirt. It was a basic Lions FAN jersey; he was fairly sure she bought it to be ironic. That, and she only wore one of theirs if she was upset with the other, or if one needed a boost at a game.
“I dunno.” A few beats of silence passed. “My classmates. My team. It feels like everything’s going to turn upside down.”
“You can still keep in touch with your friends, and I bet your team won’t be too different,” Sirius said quietly. “Even if it does, that doesn’t mean you have to give all of them up. People change in different ways. They come and go on their own time.”
“There’s going to be a lot of upside-downs over the next couple years, kid.” Remus offered her a smile. “But you’re going to be just fine.”
“You two sound like such dads right now.”
“This might shock you, but that’s because we are.”
The corner of her mouth tugged up and she lolled her head to the side to look at Sirius. “Is the cake done?”
“Fifteen more minutes.”
“Will you watch final Jeopardy with us?”
“What’s the category?”
“US Presidents.”
Sirius exhaled through his nose, but nodded. She grinned and turned herself upright to snuggle against his arm. “You just enjoy watching me lose.”
---------------------------
“Alright, is everyone ready?” Sirius called from the kitchen.
“On three,” Remus said, raising his phone camera. “One, two, three!”
“Happy birthday to you,” over a dozen voices sang. They were off-tempo and so out of key the composer was probably spinning in his grave, but Stella’s clear joy didn’t waver for a millisecond even as her cheeks reddened. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Stella, happy birthday to you!”
Finn, of course, dragged out the last note. So did Leo, Logan, Kasey, James, Lily, and Talker in varying degrees of awful harmony attempts. It was terrible, and beautiful. “Make a wish,” Sirius said softly as he set the cake down and stepped back. His eyes were the brightest quicksilver Remus had seen in many moons.
Stella closed her eyes, took a breath, and blew as hard as she could—the entire room erupted into cheers when all the candles went out. She was laughing and blushing at the same time when Remus turned the lights back on, though the humor won out in the end and she helped pass plates of cake to her many aunts and uncles. Like every year prior, Regulus managed to smear a bit of frosting on her chin, only to immediately deny it with great offense when she noticed. It was becoming a bit of a tradition—one that Remus never grew tired of.
I know what I would wish for, Remus thought as he looked around the table at their patchwork family. Celeste, Dumo, and his own parents had no doubt spoiled their first grandchild with ‘cusp of adulthood’ gifts, and Natalie and Lily would certainly steal her away after cake for some girl time. Finn and Logan would remain the fun uncles while Leo and Regulus kept their thrones as the cool uncles; Stella would interrogate Jules on the intricacies of high school for at least an hour before they destroyed everyone in a snowball fight. The world they built together had a place for everyone.
I would wish for this. This, for us, forever. It wasn’t a bad eternity to imagine.
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treasure-hwa · 2 years
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track 3. HAPPY WITHOUT ME
feat: son of apollo!kihyun x daughter of athena!fem reader
release date: february 5th 2022
genre: angst, demigod au
word count: 885
warnings: jealousy, breakup
author's note: the third one from the series and finally one that is from the group that created the All About Luv album hihi enjoy!
All About Luv Day Masterlist
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We were together for two years and a few months when she ditched me to be with Mr. Beauty, and that happened three months ago.
We seemed to be well. I mean, well in front of others. We had arguments, like every couple, but she thought it was too much, the arguments were beyond normal and we stayed days without talking properly. Our pride made us both wait until the other apologized first. Usually, I would be the one and would also try to ease things, however she apologized when she realized the biggest part of it all was her fault.
We were not going that well, I confess.
We met at Camp Half-Blood and everything was flowers at the start. I fell in love with her plenitude and because of the way she always got excited with a good book. She fell in love with my enthusiasm and my voice. We were a beautiful couple at the time. The daughter of Athena and the son of Apollo walking around hand-holding, on her free hand, a book; on my back, a guitar.
Coincidentally, we lived in neighboring cities and we administered our relationship very well.
The second stay at the camp was okay, though not as magical as the first one. We didn't stay too close nor spend that much time together, since she became kind of a leader of cabin 6 and made new friends. Outside the camp, our second year of relationship was punctuated with some minor arguments that increased month by month until the third stay on the camp came, which was horrible.
We barely looked at each other, we sat at tables completely opposite and, just like I didn't mention her to my friend, I wasn't mentioned to her. And at this point, we were bad, but we were together.
Then, he came. He, mr. Perfect Beauty, son of Aphrodite, enchanting everyone with his charm and pretty voice.
I was with her when he stopped her to get some information, too gentle and delicate. Always so gentle herself, unable to deny such things, she helped him immediately and left me behind to show the camp to the newbie. My feet were planted on the same spot, burning their backs with my eyes. I could feel something inside me boiling.
To shorten the story, he was better for her than I was. He treated her with gentleness and looked at her as if she was a treasure, while she did the same to him. She ended our relationship and passed the rest of summer talking to him, introducing him to her friend group. At least, it wasn't cheating, she had the decency to end things between us before trying something with him
Back to the present moment, with me laid in bed gazing at a photo of them on Instagram for over ten minutes, I was again boiling with anger. They were so good together, almost as good as we were. In the posted photo, they were in a flower camp enjoying the sunny day and, for Apollo, the sun shouldn't shine for those two! It should be me and her in the sunlight, not them.
Our breakup was friendly, however, just now I realized the mistake I made in letting her go that easily. I loved her. Damn it, I still do.
In the heat of the moment, my fingers opened my contact list and clicked on her phone number. The phone rang and rang and, surprisingly, she picked it up.
— Hello? — her voice had remnants of laughter. I could almost see her smile.
— I'm glad you're having fun.
— Kihyun? — her laughter ceased completely and her asking his name stung his heart. He should have known she would delete his phone number. — What do you want?
— Do you post these photos because you know I'll see them?
— What do you mean?
— You know I can't lie, because I'm Apollo's son, so here's the truth: I hate to see you happy without me. I know our relationship was bad, it wasn't what it was in the beginning, but�� I still think about you.
— I'm sorry you haven't moved on yet, but, please, don't call me anymore to talk about this. I'm happy with him and I don't care if you see my photos or not, I post them because I want to, you seeing them doesn't make a difference. Block me if you are bothered.
There were seconds of silence on the call.
— We were such a good couple — I whispered. — Why don’t we try again? I swear I won’t be like before.
— Kihyun, we were, but we aren’t anymore and won’t be. I’m happy now.
My chest seemed to tighten with each passing second and I couldn’t breathe properly. I clutched the fabric of my shirt and forced out:
— But you’re not happy with me…do you think it will all be flowers forever with mr. Beauty?
— I won’t know if I don’t try. I tried with you and it didn’t work out. Accept it, please.
She hung up and, while I drowned in my sorrow, she probably drowned in his arms.
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kookie-doughs · 3 years
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Y/N L/N AND THE HALFBLOODS
Percy Jackson X Reader
-Y/N L/N met Percy Jackson and everything is now ruined.
Chapter 22: Then It Ended
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As soon as we came, Annabeth ang Grover tackled me. We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest. According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.
Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful—gray silk with embroidered owls— Percy told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it. She punched him and told him to shut up. Percy being the son of Poseidon, he didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make his shroud. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.
As I was still unclaimed, Hermes cabin had made me one. (Just... IDK go crazy with your shroud IG) It was fun to burn. As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, Percy and I was surrounded by my Hermes cabinmates, Annabeth's friends from Athena, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past." The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabinmates, whose poisonous looks told me they'd never forgive us for disgracing their dad. That was okay with me. Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen my spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brats didn't get themselves killed and now they'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday...." Going back to the cabin I finally had time to talk to Luke. Who just expressed his relief of me being fine, and how he was scared when Annabeth told everyone about me. No wonder everyone was so shocked seeing me come back with Percy. On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors. As Annabeth, Percy and I were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell us good-bye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human. "I'm off," he said. "I just came to say ... well, you know." I tried to feel happy for him. After all, it wasn't every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying good-bye. I'd only known Grover a year, yet he was my oldest friend. Annabeth and I gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on. I asked him where he was going to search first. "Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan ..." "We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?" "Yeah." "And you remembered your reed pipes?" "Jeez, Annabeth," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat." But he didn't really sound annoyed. He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway. "Well," he said, "wish me luck." He gave Annabeth and I another hug. He clapped Percy on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes. Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware. "Hey, Grover," Percy called. He turned at the edge of the woods. "Wherever you're going—I hope they make good enchiladas." Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him. "We'll see him again," Annabeth said. July passed. I spent my daysplanning out strategies with Luke for capture-the-flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares's hands. I got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava. From time to time, Percy and I would walk past the Big House, he'd glance up at the attic windows, and think about the Oracle.
I tried to convince him that its prophecy had come to completion. "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned." "Been there, done that—even though the traitor god had turned out to be Ares rather than Hades." "You shall find what was stolen, and see it safe returned." "Check. One master bolt delivered. One helm of darkness back on Hades." "You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend." Percy recited. "Ares had pretended to be our friend, then betrayed us. That must be what the Oracle meant.... Or maybe Nereid?"
"And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end." He sighed. "I had failed to save my mom and lost you..."
"So why are you still uneasy?" The last night of the summer session came all too quickly. The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads. Percy and I got our own leather necklace, and when I saw the bead for my first summer. The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.
"This is so beautiful..." I smiled to Percy. "The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!" The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause. I'm not sure I'd ever felt as happy or sad as I did at that moment. I'd finally found a family, people who cared about me and thought I'd done something right. And in the morning, most of them would be leaving for the year. * * * The next morning, Luke called me. He gave me a paper, telling me to fill it out, and asked me to meet him as soon as I could. I knew Dionysus must've filled it out, because he stubbornly insisted on getting my name wrong: Dear (WRONG NAME) , If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin work at sundown. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit. Have a nice day! Mr. D (Dionysus) Camp Director, Olympian Council #12 That's another thing about ADHD. Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face. Summer was over, and I still don't know what to do. I had no where to go to. The only option I had was Percy's or maybe Hades was not joking about inviting me back to the Underworld. Sighing I decided to just meet Luke before filling it for second opinions. The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection. Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill, where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport. I was walking around looking for Luke. I jumped when I felt someone tap me from behind. I instinctively unsheathed my knife and turned only to see Luke with his hands raised.
"Whoa! Calm down just me." He laughed.
"Kinda weird seeing someone laugh at a knife pointed at them." I smirked sheathing my knife.
"I only laugh since its you." He smiled and ruffled my hair. "Are you done with everything?"
"Not really. I don't know whether to leave or not yet. That's why I came. Help me?" I asked him.
He turned to me and to the forest. "How about you hear me out about something... important and private... then decide?" He gestured towards the forest.
"Not planning on killing me are you?" I squinted at him.
He gasped. "Not you. Never. I would never hurt you."
I let him lead me to a shrouded area of the forest.
"How serious is this thing that you can't let anyone see? I am blindly trusting you here Luke." I laughed nervously. But when he didn't reply I felt something was off. "Luke, okay this isn't cool. How deep into the forest do we have to go?"
"Y/N remember when you said... You want to be the person I trust...? How you promised to help me?"
"Luke?" He took my hand and pulled me sharply. I winced at how hard he pulled me. "That hurts! Let me go!"
He snapped back and let go of my wrist. "I-I'm sorry... Y/N..."
As much as I knew I had to leave, I couldn't I was worried about him. I reluctantly placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's happening?"
"I did it..." I said and sat on the ground. "I swear I didn't mean to get you hurt. But, I confess to everything. I  stole bolt and helm, I summoned the hound, I gave Percy the cursed shoes... And just now, I tried to kill Percy Jackson." He looked at me with empty eyes.
I shot up and looked at him in emotions I couldn't put in words. "W-Wh---" I wanted to leave and check on Percy. But once again, seeing him right now... I need to stay with him. "Why are you telling me this...?"
"Join me... please?" his voice was weak. He sounded vulnerable. "Let's serve my Lord together..."
"L-Luke... no. I-I can't do that!" I took his shoulder, "Y-You should stay with me instead. How about that, huh? L-Let's explain to Chiron and the others... come on please. I could help you!"
Nothing was working.
"Come with me..." He muttered.
"Luke, I won't join you. You have to change your mind. You can't do this."
"I can't change my mind."
"I can help you with that? How about you go with me huh? I could spend all my time doing this and that. Please, just change your mind."
He didn't reply for a while until he whispered, "Promise me."
"Promise you what?"
"You'll stay with me."
"What? Luke I wo--"
"You won't join... Just...don't stay here for the year... and stay with me."
"I-If I stay with you... what would that mean?"
"Yo-You... might change my mind."
"I'll go." I replied with no hesitation. "I'll leave camp for the year. And I'll find my parent to prove to you that Gods and Goddess aren't all bad. We'll find my parent together."
"I do my lord's bidding--"
"You can still do it. If you want to. But whatever happens... stays only between us. I'll stay with you until I change your mind. And I'll bring you back to camp."
"I would never do anything to ruin your trust in me." He knelt down. It was kinda awkward but hey... "I need you."
Worry not hero. We shall stay.
"Please..."
We'll meet again. Wait for us, we shall join you soon. Now leave.
I had no idea what happened since when I came to Luke was gone and there was no sign of him anywhere. How were we going to st---
We will meet him once we leave. Now go as our hero needs us.
I suddenly remembered Percy's state that Luke had told me about. So I ran. I ran to the Big House
***
Percy finally opened his eyes. He was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House, his right hand bandaged like a club. Argus stood guard in the corner. Annabeth and I sat next to Percy, I was holding his nectar glass and she was dabbing a washcloth on his forehead.
"Here we are again," Percy said. "You idiot," Annabeth said, "You were green and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing..." "Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit." He was sitting near the foot of the bed in human form. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved." "Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened." Between sips of nectar, he told them the story.
I bit my lip trying to keep what happened between Luke and I private. It was a risky move that would not be approved by anyone after all. The room was quiet for a long time. "I can't believe that Luke..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse him.... He was never the same after his quest."
Percy was looking at me as if checking what was my reaction to his story. "This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once." "Luke is out there right now," Percy said. "I have to go after him." Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The gods—" "Won't even talk about Kronos," Percy snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!" "Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready." "Chiron... your prophecy from the Oracle... it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? Y/N? And Annabeth?" Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place—" "You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?" His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you..." Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows. "All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!" He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Percy. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing." "We can't just sit back and do nothing," He said. "We will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come." "Assuming I live that long." Chiron put his hand on Percy's ankle. "You'll have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice...." I got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise me. "But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision." "I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you." He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear... whenever you're ready, they're here." "Who's here?" Percy asked. Nobody answered. Chiron rolled himself out of the room. I heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time. Annabeth studied the floor. "What's wrong?" Percy asked her. "Nothing. I ... just took your advice about something. You ... um ... need anything?" "Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside." "Percy, that isn't a good idea." Percy slid his legs out of bed. Annabeth and I caught him before he could crumple to the floor.
I said, "I told you ..." "I'm fine," He insisted.
He managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on me. Argus followed us outside, but he kept his distance. By the time we reached the porch, his face was beaded with sweat. But we had managed to make it all the way to the railing. It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun. "What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked us. "I don't know." Percy replied. "I got the feeling Chiron wanted me to stay year-round, to put in more individual training time, but I'm not sure that's what I want. I also don't want to leave you both with Clarisse only." Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy." He stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?" She pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted—two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver. "I wrote him a letter when we got back," Annabeth said. "Just like you suggested. I told him... I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided... we'd give it another try." "That took guts." She pursed her lips. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least ... not without sending me an Iris-message? Both of you?" Percy managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."
"You already know my plans."
"When I get back next summer," she said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?" "Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."
She held out her hand. Percy shook it. She gave me a hug. "Take care, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth told Percy. "Keep your eyes open."
"You too, Wise Girl."
Then turned to me, "Good luck on your own quest Droopy."
"Of course Peabody." We watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world. "I made my decision." Percy said. "What's yours?"
"I'll be leaving camp... I'm going to look for my parent..." He looked at me in shock. "I'll be back next summer," I promised him. "I'll survive until then."
"Alone?"
I smiled at him.
"Don't you want to stay with us? Mom said---"
"I want to find my parent. I need to. I'll be fine Percy."
I helped Percy to his cabin so he could pack and went to mine. To my surprise I see a middle-aged man with an athletic figure slim and fit with salt-and-pepper hair, and a very familiar sly grin. He had bags at his foot.
"Delivery for Y/N L/N."
"Uhm..."
"Hermes." He said.
I froze and looked at him with wide eyes.
"Personally packed. As a thank you for what you're about to do." He smiled softly and handed me the bags.
"H-Huh...?"
"For helping Luke."
"I..."
Don't forget her mail!
Ooh! And tell her to bring us snacks next time we meet since it'll be often now!
No it wouldn't be often! She'll be with Luke!
"Both of you keep quiet." Pulling out a mail he handed it to me. "Luke... prayed to me telling me about your plan. He asked me to help you. I don't know what or why he did it. But I know he'll change thanks to you. So do guide him."
"Sorry you lost me at the talking air..." I blinked.
Hermes laughed and showed a caduceus. "It's just George and Martha."
"Hi?"
Hello!
Hi
"I just wanted to let you know. No god or goddess could see you. No matter how hard they tried. So your secrets.. are really secrets. Good luck on your travel."
Next time we meet you should have snacks.
Then he vanished.
Staring at the letter on my hand, I was stunned seeing it was from... my mom and dad.
Sweetie,
You've made quite a friend here.
-Mom and Dad.
I immediately knew where to look. I hurriedly took my bags not bothering to check the contents. I ran to Percy's cabin and helped him out so we could leave.
Percy got a cab and looked at me worriedly.
"I'll write you. Stay safe Arthur Curry." I ruffled his hair and watched him go.
I didn't know where to go so I just went to the first secluded area I saw.
"You have more stuffs than when you arrived." I heard someone behind me.
"You prayed to your dad. I hope he knows how to pack." I sighed turning to him. Turning around I barely made out Luke from the few days I last saw him. "You okay?"
"Do you know where to look first?"
Call upon our hound.
I whistled, I don't know why. But when I did, D/N came out of the blue. Luke looked at me and my dear dog, who was probably bigger than the hound he'd summon back then. "How do feel about L.A?" I said riding on D/N and making space behind me for Luke.
~~~END OF BOOK 1~~~
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Previous | Book 1 Masterlist | Series Masterlist
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END OF BOOK ONE!!! THANK YOU FOR READING YLATHB I HOPE YOU ENJOY!! I'LL PUBLISH BOOK 2 WHEN I'M DONE OR EVEN AT LEAST HAVE WRITTEN 5 CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK 2 ;))
I HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!!
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smallstoriesiwrite · 3 years
Text
Second choice part 2
when the reader is use to Tenya putting them second all the time will the reader forgive him? or will she move on? better yet will she return home with long term childhood friends?
Tenya x Fem!reader
A/N: thank you so much for so much likes on my last story. yes I am adding the Marley warriors into this because a bitch adores them. this might be 4 or 5 part series. of who you choose to stay with ( im guessing Tenyas but im a hoe who loves to fuck shit up sooo you will see!!!)
NEWAYS love yo selfs and drink water <3
part one
[ 3 weeks passed by]
“Okay remember we have a 3 day weekend starting tomorrow Friday. If your going home tell me and I’ll check you out and please contact me if you have any questions. Stay safe. Class dismissed” Aizawa says
My classmates all burst into talk that bothers me completely.
God why are they so loud. I need to get out before I tell them to shut up.
Good thing I’m going Home to my family for this weekend.
I missed my parents and siblings.
Sighing I walked to Shoji
“Hey Sho ready to go?”
Shoji has been the only person talking to after the outburst that happen. He was the only one that understood the situation and was probably the only reason at times I was laughing.
“Hey y/n. Yeah I’m ready let’s head out” Shoji says while putting his hand in the lower of my back
I felt the eyes of my remaining classmates look at me and Shoji.
I looked back at them with a cold glare and said
“Got a fucking starring problem?”
“N-no” the class said in sync
I rolled my eyes and continued walking off.
“So you going home for the 3 day weekend Y/n?” Shoji said while walking toward his dorm
“Yeah I want to be home with my family and my siblings. Some down time you know?” I say
“That’s good! Not going to lie I do miss being out this school.” Shoji says while grabbing his keys to unlock his door
I see Tenya, Deku and Shoto walk by to Tenyas dorm that happens to be right next of Shojis dorm.
“Wait why don’t you come to my house this weekend!” I say
“What?! No no y/n that’s your time to be with your family I don’t want to intrude” Shoji says frantically and waving his arms.
“Sho you have meet my family before they would love you to come over” I say grabbing his keys and unlocking the door “And besides your the only person right now that doesn’t see me as a emotional shit down person. You and my family and outside school friends happen to be the only silver lining I have just now.”
Opening the door I motion Shoji in and walked in myself and shutting the door.
I put the keys on his desk and walked toward his bed and through myself on top of it
“What do you mean by your silver lining y/n? And please shut your eyes for a moment I’m changing” Shoji said
Grabbing his nearest blanket I threw the blanket over me
“Well Sho by silver lining I mean that you are kinda my sun in the middle of the hurricane. You didn’t judge me when I did my outburst. You went to go check on me hours after the incident because you knew I needed to cool down before lashing out. Hell you sit at lunch with me when your friends say not to. And you have been there for me for so much even before I dated Iida and during as well. So yes you are part of my silver lining as much as my family and friends that don’t come here to UA.” I say
I feel movement on the bed and arms wrap around me.
This took me by shock and I pull the blanket down to see Shoji almost in tears.
“SHO WHATS WRONG?! DID I UPSET-“ I say frantically pushing back a bit to cup his face
“I’m fine y/n. I’m just shocked that you would even consider me such a close friend to you.” Shoji says in his wobbly voice
“Sho. I know I don’t say it much but I do genially care about you. Like you mean the world to me. Hell my family considers you family.” I say while sitting in front of him
He smiles and attacks me with another hug
“SHOJIIIIII!!!!!” I wine out
We both turn into fits of giggles and he pulled me up
“Okay let me start packing so we can head out tonight.” Sho said walking to get his to go bag ready
I pulled my laptop out my backpack and FaceTimed my Mom to tell her Shoji is coming for the weekend
Tenya POV
It’s been 3 weeks and I can’t find the courage or strength to talk to y/n.
Have I really put her second ?!
I didn’t mean to shes everything to me.
God why am I not fighting for this!
In class I saw y/n wasn’t paying attention in class more in her little world. She does that a lot when she’s not in the mood to learn.
After Professor Aizawa dismissed us I saw Shoji and y/n walk out together. I stared because the fact Shoji had his hand on her lower back. I didn’t notice it at first until Shoto said
“Does Shoji have his hand on her lower back?!”
Our group of friends heard and turned to see y/n and Shoji walking out.
We stared for too long because the fact y/n gave us a deadly glare and walked away.
Sighing I picked up my book bag and left to my room with Midorya and Shoto.
While walking to my dorm midorya spoke up
“Hey have you tried talking to her. I know you miss her and you want to fix it.”
Sighing I respond
“No i haven’t. But I want to talk to her when she’s comfortable and not in a situation where she has to shut down and let herself be emotionally unavailable and let her thought and actions go by what her body feels at the time.”
“So a clear mind in a way. Like in the comfort of her own environment.” Shoto says
“EXACTLY!” I say
Walking to my room I see Y/n leaning on the wall and talking to Shoji.
Calmly and smoothly.
In the process of opening my door I see y/n smile a bit and I thought the world stop for just a moment.
Seeing we walk into his room so gracefully.
“Hey Iida are you there” I hear Shoto say
“AH yes yes Im here. Sorry!” I say opening the door to let the boys in
Settling down I hear Midorya say
“Iida you are still head over heels for her. Why did you ever put her second.”
Sighing sadly I sat on the floor with my head in my hands
“I don’t know. I love her. Everything she does and how she can be such a punk to everyone. But as soon as it comes to her family she softens up. The way she interacts with animals. Or when her favorite characters from her favorite anime come on the television. As well the way she is so honest with everyone and not caring what anyone says. To the way she dresses. To the way she plays the ukulele guitar and so much instruments and the way she sings so softly but with power in rock songs.”
Tears started to form in my eyes
“I didn’t notice she was hurting until 3 weeks ago. She finally broke. And as a boyfriend I should have never let her believe she wasn’t lovable. She’s so lovable. She has flaws like me. But every of her flaw is so beautiful in my eyes.”
Softly crying I hear Shoto say
“Win her back.”
Looking up i say
“How. How do I win back someone that doesn’t believe in second chances. That’s her biggest pet peeve. She has only given second chances to certain people. And even then it’s rare.”
“Show her that your worth one more chance.” Shoto says
“Your brother Iida might know a way. He’s dating y/n sister after all?” Midorya spoke up
“Yeah they have been dating for more than 4 years now. She’s been though thick and thin with him. I didn’t even know out siblings where dating till y/n sister Athena picked up y/n for a doctors appointment and I saw her. But definitely I will call my brother now!”
I say rushing to my laptop
Ringing my brother I waited for him to answer
“Hello?”
“Brother hi!”
“Hey Tenya what’s up?”
“Well I was hoping you can help me with something if you are not busy?”
“Shoot what’s up?”
“Well you know how me and y/n are not together anymore because of me not giving her time and putting her second-“
“So your finally admitting that you where putting her second when she came first. In love and time” Tensie said scolding me
Looking down with tears forming
“Yes I’d finally have to admit that I was putting her second.”
Looking up with tears rolling down I choked out
“Please I want her back”
Tensie sighed and explain the plan
[time skip to y/n house]
Y/n POV
Arriving home with Shoji I see my family waiting for us at the door.
Smiling I slung my bag over my shoulder and closed the taxi door.
Playing
I grab Shoji arm and raced to my front door
My Parents greeted us and told us to head to dinner with them
While eating dinner with retome and conversing i hear my mom say
“Y/n sweety just wanted to tell you that the Iida family will be spending the 3 day weekend with us. As well with Zeke and his friends are coming in to see you.”
I stared at my mom
“WHAT?!”
“Are you not happy?” Dad said
“I am for Zeke and the crew haven’t seen them in roughly a year. But why the Iida family.” I say mumbling the last part
“Well you so forget Tensie is my boyfriend and Kyo best friend?” Athena spoke up
“I’m fine with him coming I could care less but why the whole damn family like. It was supposed to be us family plus Shoji and Zeke and the crew.” I argued back
“They are friends as much as Zeke and the rest of your friends from Marley. They are going all to be here till Sunday afternoon understand? The house is big enough do you to ignore The Iidas if you want. Shoji will be by your side and us as well. Plus the moral support of your 7 other friends coming in to visit you.” My father States
I sighed and agreed and finish dinner and head to bed.
Dropping off Shoji at his guest bedroom that isn’t too far from my room he spoke up
“You will be fine y/n I understand you don’t want Iida around. But his brother happens to be in love with your sister and best friends with your brother. I’ll be here for you and your other friends I can’t die to meet. You have told me so much about the 7 that basically helped you train and become your friends as well.”
Sighing I leaned to the wall
“I know it’s just bad enough I see him at school and he doesn’t even try to reach out.”
Groaning i looked at Shoji
“I need to move on.”
Shoji looked shocked but didn’t say nothing
Chuckling I looked down and spoke
“Thank god Zeke and the gang are coming. I needed a break from my crazy life and they just happen to be peace but enough chaos. Your gonna love them Sho.”
Standings straight I continue
“Well Sho I atta go to bed. Tomorrow everyone arrives. I need sleep I’ll see you in the morning sweet dreams Sho. “
Shoji smiled and pats my head
“Sweet dreams as well y/n”
Smiling i walked to my room and closed my door when I heard my messages go off.
I pick it up and see from Zeke.
Zeke👑: Hey shorty we are on the train to you as we speak. Get there tomorrow around 8am I expect your famous banana pancakes.
Y/n✨: bold of you to assume I’ll be up at that time
Zeke👑: im going to tell Reiner you are mean to me 😢
Y/n✨: what is he gonna do about it?
Zeke👑: please make us food someone decided to blow most of our food money for tomorrow on blankets - Rei
Y/n✨: let me guess pieck ?
Zeke👑: yep. - Rei
Zeke👑: please? -Rei
Y/n✨: 😑fine just because you said please😫
Zeke👑: thank you see you tomorrow. Get some sleep - Rei
Y/n✨: yall too sleep well see you tomorrow
putting my phone to charge on my desk I see a picture of the gang from a year ago when I went to go visit them. smiling I looked at the picture and though "it wouldn't be so bad to move back with them."
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( link to this photo. this art is not mine at all https://pin.it/7LfNDiJ )
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miraculous786 · 4 years
Note
I vote Damian to be Mari's Persephone because it would be hilarious to see him making flowers bloom when his wife is happy and when she's sad he brings out the hawthorns on anyone that made his Queen cry.
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Note: Thank you so much Nonnies and @loveswifi for the help with this! Hope you enjoy it! ❤️❤️
Masterlist
A Hidden Hades Hunting For (Hopefully) Her Husband
Damian is son to Talia al Ghul, the goddess of harvest, sacred law, and the cycle of life and death. There are rumours that beneath her sweet exterior is a woman of high authority and challenge, but none have been confirmed.
She is believed to have wooed Bruce (Zeus) into having her child, however it is more widely accepted that she used her magic and power over fertility to have his offspring without him knowing. His wife Selina refuses to believe that such a brooding yet faithful man would cheat on her after he rid of his playboy-persona millennia ago.
In this AU, Jason is Ares, Dick is Hermes, and Tim is Athena.
Only those who know her well are aware of her true bubbly personality. They’re mostly the deceased souls of those who’ve died.
Marinette is Hades - goddess of the Underworld. She took visits to Earth in order to experience what life was like for mortals years ago, except stopped when gossip flew about around her being dark, despicable, evil.
Marinette laughed. Her domain didn’t need any worshippers in order to prosper, but she didn’t tell Lila that. She only sat back and watched, a grin on her face as students with glowing eyes accused her of unspeakable acts. It was only when one that she viewed as a sibling of sorts - Adrien Agreste - did as well that she decided to do something.
What happened was that a class of teenagers she came back to frequently were put under the spell of Dolos, or Lila who she took the form of. She sensed Marinette’s ichor and threatened to turn her followers against her if she didn’t conform to her will.
It was only after all of their deaths that they learnt what happened.
With a flick of the wrist, a crack formed in the ground beneath Dolos, soon enlarging into a crater as limbs made of fire pulled her screaming form down into the depths of the Underworld. The class watched, stunned, but then a fog began to clear out of their minds. They seemed to wake up, apologies on the tips of their tongues, only to realise that Bridgette and Adrien weren't there anymore.
Dolos was doomed to having to solve an infinite puzzle, whilst Adrien was allowed to live as an equal to Marinette in hell. The class, now adults, are sentenced to be souls who help them in their duties. They aren’t mistreated, however. On the contrary, they’re viewed as friends to her.
Now, we skip to present day.
Damian is sitting on a bench in one of the gardens that he is confined to on the orders of his mother, when he suddenly hears what sounds like a bark. He turns around, only to be met with something shoving him to the ground.
He whips out a vine, wrapping it around the creature to inspect its species. That's when he realises that it's a dog. A very happy dog that starts to lick his face all over and leave its saliva everywhere.
Despite his cold personality, Damian has a soft spot for nature and animals of any sort. He picks it up, stroking it gently and trying to fight off the urge to smile at the way it leans into his touch.
He's touch-starved himself, to put it simply.
Damian sits with what he realises to be a male dog for a few minutes more. He doesn’t bother to keep an eye out for Talia - he’s too busy creating vines that his new friend bats at with his paws. It explains why he doesn’t realise the person walking up to him until they put a hand on his shoulder.
A polite voice calls for him, asking if he found their pet.
He turns, only to be met with a beautiful face framed by a black hood. The woman smiles at him, then suddenly calls out, “Titus!” with a surprised expression.
The animal in his arms leaps forward, starting to lick her whilst jumping up and down happily. Her laughter causes Damian to freeze, since he starts to sense the magic surrounding her. She’s a diety, he realises. But how did she get in here?
That day is the day that a friendship blossomed between Damian and Marinette.
She convinces him that she’s a nymph of sorts, citing that the reason some plants wilt around her are because of a curse set upon her by Talia. It makes him cautious and understandably distrustful until she assures him that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
They keep their meetings a secret for years, though it doesn't feel like that long because of their immortality. Titus is usually the communication between them, and leads Damian to where he needs to go within his mother's gardens to find Marinette.
She has earrings that preserve her identity and prevent nature around her dying - however, plants still wilt and weaken enough to be on the brink of death. They are brought back to life by Damian almost constantly when she is in his presence, meaning she can touch them without worry.
As time passes, the two become closer. Instead of words, they begin to trade flower crowns and daisy chains. They always have blushes on their cheeks when talking to one another, or even thinking about each other.
This doesn't go unnoticed by Talia.
She plans to figure out once and for all why her son's demeanor has changed, at least until she's called to Olympus by the higher-ups in order to discuss something. Something involving Damian.
This only makes it easier for the two to get away with their escapades.
One day, whilst her and Damian are sitting under a tree, Marinette pulls out a black ring. She shyly offers it to him, making him flustered as he slowly takes and slides it on his finger.
What he doesn't know is that there's magic laced within the jewellery.
They relax for a few minutes in silence, until she breaks it by calling his name. She takes a deep breath, preparing herself as she explains that she's not really a nymph - she's a diety. A diety that he wouldn't like if he found out about the domain that she ruled over.
A soft hand cups her tear-stained cheek. She looks up, only to hear Damian whisper, "I'm sure that's not true, Beloved."
That's all it takes for her to yank him forward into a kiss, which he returns full-force under the watchful gaze of her sibling Adrien in the shadows. It takes all of his will to not jump up and down from joy.
They officially become a couple that day.
Marinette returns to the Underworld in the evening with a dazed expression, causing Alya and her friends to grin and float up to her. She deals with their relentless teasing, trying to cover her face out of embarrassment whilst she hesitantly tells them all what happened.
Adrien is the first to suggest courting Damian, though she immediately shuts it down and expresses fear at being found out. Her reputation was tainted, after all - and maybe he would go back on his promise of still loving her true self.
He manages to convince her of his sincerity by reminding her of all their interactions (he may or may not have watched over them to keep watch and see his ship sail), and Marinette eventually comes to the decision to start courting.
As she prepares lavish gems to gift him in the future, she is unaware of what is happening in the skies way above.
She'd refused to give him up - saying that he was her pride and joy and the perfect soldier for them to use in battle against future enemies trying to overthrow them. That made him even more angry.
Bruce, after a long conversation with Selina and his many children, had decided to have a conversation with Talia about his youngest son not too long ago. He showed interest in wanting to have custody of Damian on Olympus instead of her having him on Earth, making Talia lose her sweet attitude and gain a scowl.
Lightning struck harsh that night, and the goddess of harvest had returned home with her tail between her legs and a newly-formed resentment towards Damian. He was too busy thinking about his 'nymph' friend to notice, however.
In Olympus at the current moment in time, Damian is kneeling before Bruce. The god tells him to stand, his sons and daughters at his side displaying various levels of shock as he begins to explain why he is there, and why he will be in the future.
Everyone had agreed that Talia wasn't a good fit for him, due to her revealed intentions for his birth. He doesn't have time to argue about the situation before he is whisked away into a room fit for a royal, high in the clouds and miles away from his girlfriend.
The next morning, a dinner is set up with all of the gods in Olympus, including Tim, Jason and Dick. Dick is enthusiastic, trying to make conversation with Damian as his brothers are eating (or drinking coffee...). However, he has none of it.
He's too busy thinking about Marinette. How she would think that he'd broken his promise, or had abandoned her, or forgotten about her. His demeanor switches to his defensive one - cold, cruel, uncaring.
Marinette returns to Earth with a crown in her hands the next day, which has a shining jewel in the centre and spikes with the finest of gems at their points. She looks around excitedly, smile on her face as she and Titus wait for Damian.
Hours pass.
Up in Olympus, said diety is being introduced to family friends and other gods, that all coo at him much to his displeasure. He growls under his breath after every new person he meets, only cementing in everyone that he is a child. A young one that needs to be watched over like a hawk lest he attempts to go back to his mother.
Just as he enters his room with a heavy heart, he senses something strange in the mortal world. Large fields of crops near to his old home had just been destroyed - their roots upended and ripped out. His eyes widen.
Damian rushes to Earth, taking a route that is unknown to most whilst trying to keep hidden from his new siblings. He reaches his destination in a matter of mere seconds, but it's too late. He only breathes out a shocked sigh as he gazes down at the crater in the ground.
There's a glint of something gold at the bottom of it, and he picks the item - the crown - up with almost invisible tears in his eyes. The ring on his finger burns as a reminder of Marinette's emotions.
Below him, a frantic Adrien is trying to calm her down, but it's no use. The goddess of the Underworld is hysteric, crying rivers of tears filled with betrayal as souls all around try to ease her too.
Damian spends the next centuries and millennia on Olympus, sometimes returning to Earth when he wants to remember Marinette.
He keeps her a secret from all of the gods except for one of his friends - Jon (Artemis) - though he only mentions that she was someone important that handed him the crown that is always on his head.
He reluctantly begins to view Tim, Jason and Dick as brothers when enough time has passed, but never admits it. Selina and Bruce, however, catch the glints of relief in his eyes when they're in his presence. He finally has someone to talk to without worrying about Talia, excluding Marinette all those years ago.
Speaking of which, she had slowly become closed off and harsher in her treatment of the dead in the Underworld. They see that she's spiraling, hiding her depressed state under a constant frown, but can do nothing about it. Even Adrien is unable to bring back her kind personality in the absence of Damian.
That is, until he catches word from the messenger, Dick, that he is up in the skies on Olympus.
It's a slip-up, of course, but he still manages to catch what Dick says and act like he didn't. He waits until he's gone before he rushes back to Marinette and tells her what he suspects.
A small smile spreads across her face. One that is cruel like the rumours say, yet happy like she once was. Of course he didn't want to leave her, she thinks. He was simply forced into doing so.
Damian is talking to Jon about another recent affair in the middle of a mortal forest, when suddenly, he freezes. He feels a familiar burn at the ring on his hand, along with fields full of nature dying in an instant miles away.
He uses a zeta portal to teleport to the area, leaving behind a confused Jon. He zips around, eyes wide as he senses the plants around wilting slightly, along with some of the nearby animals inching away from him.
Everything becomes quiet. That's when he catches a flash of black darting around in the corner of his vision. He turns there, his eyes widening in recognition when seeing a dog wagging its tail happily.
"Titus!"
Damian takes a step forward.
A large crack forms in the ground beneath him, revealing the depths of the Underworld in all of their glory. Just as he's about to fall down, a chariot of the darkest colours hovers below him, soon speeding off without a second to waste with him inside.
He tries to command vines to capture the person at the reigns of it, but can only muster enough energy to sag back. Strong magic fills the air around him, forcing him to stay seated on plush pillows.
The last thing he sees before his sight is shrouded with nothing is a glint of red at his kidnapper's ears.
~*~*~
More to come!
There will be a second part, which will include general headcannons and what happens after this. Feel free to send in an Ask if you have any suggestions of different legends in Greek mythology that could be included. :)
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@northernbluetongue @moonystars14 @soupfilledboots @vixen-uchiha @starsshineandgivehope @professionalfangirl1738 @queen-in-a-flower-crown @pale-lady-dreamer
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Text
Promise of Pancakes
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Evan Buckley x Eddie Diaz 
Warnings: just some team teasing 
Category: fluff 
Word Count: 1.4k
Author’s Note: this is a continuation of the blurb I wrote for drey during my shorts for 1.5K so here’s another buddie fic and drey, this ones for you babe :) <3 @suburban--gothic​
----
A 24 hour shift and no sleep was a normal occurrence at station 118 but it sure as hell wasn’t not fun. It was around 3am and the last reruns of survivor had just finished, leaving Buck and Eddie with nothing to do.
“Maybe we should get some sleep ? Just before the next call ?” Eddie looks towards the blonde man who was mid yawn “yeah, that sounds good” and with that, they head towards the bunks.
They had a few extra guys from B shift with them so the bunks were a bit more full than normal, the two men looked around for two empty beds but there was only one.
Eddie takes a seat on the edge, Buck looking at him with brows furrowed, “uh- I’ll- I’ll sleep on the couch, it’s cool” he turns and heads towards the door when Eddie calls his name.
“Don’t be ridiculous, I can’t let you sleep on the couch” Eddie looks at his friend as he makes himself comfortable in the bed. Buck’s brows furrow once again- he could feel the lines developing on his forehead, Eddie patted the space beside, his head tilted with a small smile on his face.
“C’mon, the couch isn't comfortable” he says, scooting over to make space for Buck- the beds weren’t small but they weren't exactly big. Buck nor Eddie weren’t the smallest guys either, they were both rather beefy to put it in a not so technical term.
Buck walked back towards his friend, looking at him for reassurance once more, “are you sure ?” he asks, Eddie nods before Buck sits beside him on the bed, their bodies pressed against each other.
It’s not like they hadn't slept beside each other before. They’ve done it so many times, intentional and unintentionally. 
The first time was after they had taken Christoper to the zoo together, Chris was knocked out in bed and Eddie was in his bedroom. Buck had come in after checking on Chris, sitting on the bed and talking to Eddie while he changed. The men were just talking and fell asleep beside each other. It wasn't awkward, they woke up the next day and moved on like it was the most normal thing in the world because it was. 
Ever since that day, the two of them often slept in the same bed when staying at each other’s place. They kept each other company, laughed and talked, they cuddled too but if you mentioned that- they’d both deny it. 
“Are you comfortable?” Eddie says quietly, as the two men lay stiff as a board beside each other, it was uncomfortable because there was barely any space. 
“Are you?” Buck turns towards his friend, now on his side and looking at him.
“Okay, uh- hold on” Eddie rolled on his side, facing away from Buck. “Better?” he whispers, settling into the mattress. Buck hums, now too tired to answer him as he pulls the blanket over the two of them.  
Buck hadn't realized how tired he was until he got into the bed and although the bed was small, he would sleep much better there than he would have on the couch. Buck’s arm slung over Eddie’s waist, something so normal to them yet it would seem so intimate to a passing person. 
Eddie’s hand finds Buck’s, hands now holding each other as Eddie’s thumb caressing the top of Buck’s hand softly. He could now hear Buck’s steady breathing, telling him that he was asleep. Eddie leant back slightly against Buck’s chest, Buck relaxed and settled into the bed, his arm tightening around his waist, the two men drifting peacefully into sleep.
--- 
A full night’s sleep was a rare occurrence at the station, especially during the summer- there were always idiots somewhere doing something stupid. 
The flash of a light woke Buck. He woke up confused and unsure as to where or what time it was. The two of them still in the position they had fallen asleep in, Eddie’s back pressed to Buck’s chest. 
Buck rolls onto his back with his eyes closed, Eddie moves too, trying to find the body he was just pressed against. His shoulder resting on top of Buck and Eddie again, shifts in his sleep. His head now on Buck’s chest, he settles again.
Another flash of light caused Buck to open his eyes. Hen, Chimney and Bobby all standing at the end of the bed watching them. Hen had her phone on her face, smiling at a sleepy Buck. 
“What are you guys doing?” he whispers, they all looked like they had been awake for a while. 
“We were making breakfast, Bobby said to let you two lovebirds sleep in.” Chim informs him, earning him a playful smack to the arm from Cap. “I never said love birds.” 
“What time is it?” Buck goes to sit up but notices Eddie on his chest and how peaceful he looks- he lays back down. 
“A little after 9,” Hen says, sitting on the bed across from them. Eddie stirs in his sleep, Buck’s hand instinctively comes up to his back, rubbing it softly. Bobby and Chimney exchange glances, Chim looking over his shoulder at Hen who just hums with a smile on her face. Buck may have just woken up but he knows those looks and that hum meant something. 
“What ?” he looks at his team, Hen is the one who speaks up. “The two of you look like a couple” 
“But we aren’t-” “are you sure about that ?” Buck starts but is cut off by Bobby. “Buck, the two of you spend every minute at work together and outside of work too, you're helping him raise Christoper- you’re no less of a couple than Athena and I or Hen and Karen, even Maddie and Chimney.” 
Bobby’s words hit Buck, he glances down at the man who was still peacefully sleeping on top of him. Bobby was right- they spent every waking minute together and they were still together even if they weren't awake. 
Friends don't do that- lovers do. 
“Breakfast is gonna get cold, wake him up and meet us out there” the 3 of them step out, leaving Buck in bed with Eddie. 
He couldn't help but watch Eddie for a few moments, the way his expression softened, how at peace he looked. 
It was different from the Eddie everyone else saw- there was something raw to it, like there was a whole other side to Eddie that no one else knew and got to see except for Buck. 
He wishes he could stay in bed forever but the alarm was bound to go off sooner or later and someone would come looking for them soon enough. Buck shook Eddie gently, “Eds, c’mon. We gotta get up.” he whispers, his fingers dragging up his back and to his hair. Eddie hums as Buck runs his fingers through his hair. 
“Five more minutes” he mumbles, face still buried in his chest. 
“Cap made pancakes” he says, Eddie now sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. There were 2 things that could get Eddie Diaz out of bed, the first thing was his son and the second was the promise of pancakes. Buck smiles, sitting up too and legs now over the side of the bed. 
“What kind of pancakes ?” Eddie asked him, stretching as he got up. Buck’s eyes were glued to the section of Eddie’s stomach that was showing due to the raised shirt. 
“Buck?” he calls again, he hums with his eyes still on Eddie. 
Eddie’s arms lower, his shirt falls back into place and Buck’s eyes meet Eddie’s. “What kind of pancakes?” “oh, um- I don't know. Why don't you go check?” he smiles at him, Eddie humming as he steps out. 
Buck drops back onto the bed and his hand runs over his face. 
What the hell did he get himself into? 
--- 
taglist: @mrs-dr-reid @dralexreid @yelenabelous @ickletheficklepickle 
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clusterbuck · 3 years
Text
what you're looking for has been here the whole time
(1.7k, rated T, complete) read it on ao3
@911week day 4: "it's always been you" + love
The realisation doesn’t hit Buck all at once, like they sometimes do. Instead, it gathers quietly, collecting momentum until eventually, it crashes over him like a wave.
It’s made up of the little things. It’s in the way Eddie’s face twists up whenever he asks about Buck’s dates with Taylor. It’s in the way Buck will invite Taylor over to the firehouse for lunch and when he looks at Eddie, he’s met with a glare, some impenetrable combination of bitterness and longing, annoyance and jealousy. It’s in the way Eddie finds a way to change the subject whenever he talks about Taylor for too long.
It finally hits him in the backyard of Bobby and Athena’s house, at the first team barbecue he’s brought Taylor to as his plus one, officially. He looks over to find Eddie, and Eddie doesn’t straighten his face out in time, and Buck understands.
Eddie is in love with Taylor.
It explains everything, doesn’t it? Why Eddie frowns when Buck talks about their dates, why he changes the subject. Why he’s currently looking at them with something Buck can only describe as open, undisguised yearning.
Dimly, he thinks maybe this explains why Eddie was so antagonistic towards Taylor in the beginning. It was right around the time Shannon came back—he must have been feeling all kinds of guilty.
The more he thinks back, the more pieces fall into place. Eddie’s always gotten a little weird every time Taylor shows up in their lives, every time Buck and Taylor have fallen together in this push-pull, on-off thing they do.
How long has Eddie been pining after Taylor, exactly?
And now that Buck knows, he sees it everywhere. He stops bringing up Taylor as much, because he doesn’t want to hurt Eddie any more than he already is. He makes an effort to spend time with Eddie, just the two of them, because he figures Eddie could probably use the company, and he makes a conscious effort not to bring up Taylor.
(In the back of his mind, he wonders if maybe this doesn’t help as much as he thinks. If maybe he himself is a reminder of something Eddie can’t have. But he ignores the thought as much as he can, because—if he follows that train of thought to its logical conclusion, he’ll have to think about the fact that, ultimately, he is the one causing Eddie this pain, and that’s not something he can live with.)
Only, in the end, it turns out he can’t live with any of it. Because as much as he tries to avoid it, when he’s alone in the dark in the middle of the night he lets himself imagine that when he sees Eddie staring at Taylor, Eddie is actually staring at him.
It’s not a new thought, not by a long shot. Buck has been in love with Eddie for as long as he can remember. It’s always there, his emotional baseline. But Eddie’s never given any indication that he’s anything other than straight, so Buck has tried to put it out of his mind and move on.
And he hasn’t really felt guilty about it before—he really does like Taylor, even if his feelings for her don’t come close to his feelings for Eddie. Taylor is funny, and she’s beautiful, and they have a lot of fun together. The sex isn’t half-bad, either. Above average, if he does say so himself.
He’s not in love with her, but he really thinks he could get there, some day.
It’s been enough for him up until now, but now Eddie’s involved, and Buck doesn’t think he can bear the thought of staying with Taylor if it’s going to keep hurting Eddie like this. So he makes up his mind.
Breaking up with Taylor is somehow simultaneously harder and easier than he’d thought it would be. Harder, because he doesn’t really think about what to say, so after he gets out the part about how he doesn’t think they should see each other anymore, he’s left standing there, opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the words to explain why.
Easier, because after a couple of seconds of him standing there like a grouper fish, Taylor asks, “It’s because of Eddie, isn’t it?”
And maybe his reasons are complicated, but that’s as good a distillation of them as any. “It’s not not because of Eddie,” he allows. “Look, Taylor—”
“You don’t need to give me the speech about how you weren’t just jerking me around,” Taylor says. “Do you think I’d let a guy do that to me?”
“… No, I don’t,” Buck says, and feels marginally better about the whole thing.
“We had fun,” Taylor says, “But I think we both knew, on some level, that it was always just going to be fun.”
“You’re probably right.” They’d never really had the big conversations, but from what he’s picked up over the years, Buck is pretty sure Taylor isn’t looking to settle down and build a family any time soon. Meanwhile, Buck’s been dreaming about having his own family since the moment he realised parents weren’t supposed to act like his did.
(When he closes his eyes and imagines his family, it’s always the same: two men, one slightly taller than the other, and between them, a kid with curly hair and glasses and the world’s brightest smile. And as much as he tells himself it’s never going to happen, the image never goes away.)
So Taylor’s right. They’re mismatched on a fundamental level, destined to never have anything more than what they’ve had: a few months of fun scattered across the past few years, and a friendship that will hopefully outlast them. Even if it’s going to hurt like a bitch, watching her with Eddie.
“Of course I’m right,” Taylor says. “Now you should go and see Eddie.”
“Why?” Buck asks.
“To tell him,” she says, like it’s obvious. “It’s about time.”
“That’s not—he’s not interested,” Buck says, and swallows the urge to tell her that Eddie is in love with her, because that should be Eddie’s to tell.
“Sure he’s not,” Taylor laughs, and refuses to listen to anything more Buck has to say on the subject.
He ends up driving towards Eddie’s house anyway, despite what he’d said to Taylor, because—where else would he go? And besides, he should probably tell Eddie that Taylor is single again, in case he wants to do something about it. The thought churns in his stomach like battery acid, climbs up his throat like reflux, but he figures it’s the least he can do.
Buck lets himself into Eddie’s house, and he has a plan. He’s going to tell Eddie that he broke up with Taylor, and then he’s going to be very chill and casual about mentioning that Eddie might have a shot with her, now.
His plan lasts for all of two minutes. Eddie comes to greet him at the door like he always does, and Buck manages to get through the part where he tells Eddie about the breakup.
Then something like hope flashes on Eddie’s face, and Buck can feel the pettiness rising like bubbles in his blood. He knows this is good news for Eddie, but honestly, he could at least pretend to care about Buck’s half of the breakup for the duration of one conversation.
“So, you know, she’s all yours,” he says, bitter, not at all chill and casual like he’d planned. “Have at it.”
Buck doesn’t really know how to describe what Eddie does next. He freezes, completely unmoving, and his eyes most closely resemble the spinny wheel his computer gets when it’s struggling.
Finally, after what seems like a small eternity, Eddie shakes his head, quick like he’s trying to clear out his thoughts. “What?” he splutters.
“I mean, you’re in love with her, aren’t you?” Buck says, still in that same bitter tone.
“In love with—” Eddie parrots, still shaking his head. A look passes across his face, like he’s steeling himself for something, and then he’s stepping into Buck’s space and closer still, backing Buck against the wall of the entryway.
“Buck,” Eddie says, somewhere between a growl and a groan, frustration and fondness all at once. Then he’s lifting his hands to cradle Buck’s face and pressing his lips to Buck’s.
The kiss is tender and demanding, and Buck feels like he’s drowning in the feeling of Eddie’s fingertips at his temple and Eddie’s lips on his, and he feels like he’s coming home.
He also feels like he’s missing something, because—“What?” he asks, when they break for air, the only word he feels capable of forming.
Eddie smiles at him, rolls his eyes just a little. “I was never in love with Taylor,” he says. “I don’t know where you got that impression.”
“But—you always looked so annoyed when I talked about her—”
“Buck,” Eddie interrupts, smoothing his thumb across Buck’s cheekbone. “Do you not get it? It’s you. It’s always been you.”
Buck blinks. “Well,” he says, and blinks again, because he doesn’t really know what else to do.
“Do you need to sit down?” Eddie asks, looking concerned. He goes to take a step back and Buck’s hand shoots up, clamping around Eddie’s wrist.
“No, don’t go anywhere,” he says. “I just—you could have said something.”
“You were with Taylor,” Eddie shrugs. “I thought you were happy.”
“Only because I thought you were straight!” Buck protests. “If I had known—god, Eddie, do you even know how long I’ve been in love with you?”
And once upon a time, he’d thought saying the words would be hard, but it’s as easy as breathing.
“Probably not as long as I have,” Eddie says, and he’s smirking but there’s an intensity in his eyes that tells Buck he’s being serious.
“Oh, you want to bet?” Buck challenges, because—yes, this might be one of the most significant moments of his life, to date, but he’s got a competitive streak a mile wide.
“Maybe later, I’m kind of busy right now,” Eddie says, and leans in to kiss him again.
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half-bakedboy · 3 years
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Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz | Rated T | Chapters 1/11 | Posting Every Other Day 
When Maddie showed up at the one-eighteen covered in bruises and needing a place to stay, Buck didn't hesitate to let her into his home and the new life he had created in L.A. While he was happy to have his sister back, he was tired of insisting to her that he wasn't as lonely as she accused him of being. So when she assumes he's in some secret relationship with his coworker and best friend, Eddie, Buck decides it couldn't hurt to tell a little white lie, especially when it meant his sister could focus on something that wasn't her own past.
Now Buck is stuck trying to navigate through a ruse of his own creation while dealing with newfound feelings for his best friend that seemed to sneak up on him.
Oh, and did he mention the mysterious accelerant that kept finding itself in his path, putting everyone he loves in danger?
read chapter one on ao3
“I’m just worried about you, Evan,” Maddie sighed into the phone. Buck’s heart did that stupid little stutter directly correlated with disappointing his sister and he held the phone away from his face as if that would lessen the guilt he felt. 
“Mads, I’m—”
“You’re not fine.” 
Buck sighed. “I wasn’t going to say fine. I was going to say—” Buck thought for a second, but his sister was right—as she usually was—and who was he to argue with her? “Alright, I was going to say fine, but it’s because it’s true!” Buck urged, hoping that the more times he said it, the more likely she’d be to believe it. (Maybe he could convince himself of the fact along the way.)
“It’s been almost two months since Abby—”
“Really, big sis? You just gotta bring that up?” He complained, groaning more than audibly as he stared up at the firehouse ceiling. He had found in the last few weeks of overtime shifts that counting the tiles and slabs that made up the structure was a great way to pass the time. 
“Yes, little bro, I have to bring it up because I’m—”
“—Worried about you.” Buck finished the sentence with her and prepared for annoyance or, at the very least, another deep sigh, but instead, she stayed quiet as if giving him the chance to speak up. 
Another sigh resonated before Maddie said, “You’re all alone in this big city with no family. You have to understand my worry.” 
“I do, I really do, but I’m finally finding myself here. The 118 has really taken me in as their own; they’re friends who almost qualify as family at this point!” Buck argued, running a hand through his hair. Maddie couldn’t possibly understand what his fellow firefighters had meant to him. 
“Have you at least started dating yet?” Maddie asked. Buck resisted the urge to hang up on her and took a deep breath as he considered her question. He could tell the truth, which was that he hadn’t so much as touched a woman since Abby tore his heart out of his chest and stomped it into the ground. 
Or…
“I’m dabbling,” he decided to say instead. 
It wasn’t completely a lie. He had decided a few days ago with a lot of pressure from Hen and Karen that he needed to at least attempt to get back out there and downloaded one of the most popular dating apps he could find. He set up his profile—albeit very scarcely—and had been waiting for those likes to come in. What he wasn’t expecting was almost complete radio silence and for his ego to take a direct hit when Chim got a date within the first hour of downloading it. 
“Anyone I should know about?” For some reason, Buck wasn’t expecting the question. He thought that Maddie would shy away from asking or just be happy that Buck had divulged even just that little bit of information, but no. She just had to put her brother on the spot and have him panicking about what to say. 
“Soon?” He sputtered, immediately regretting his words the moment Maddie’s small squeal echoed through the speaker. 
“Evan Buckley, I knew you were keeping something from me the second you said you were fine! You knew that I wouldn’t just take that laying down, right? You must’ve!” The happiness in her voice broke Buck’s heart a little further and he couldn’t back down; not when her joy was so obvious in her rambling and the way she giggled into the phone. 
“I— It’s really new, Mads,” Buck muttered as he tilted his head to the side and let his phone rest against his cheek. 
“New is good and you deserve good, Buck,” Maddie said, the words like a gentle caress to his cheek that he would have leaned into if she was there. As if an idea had just occurred to her, Maddie gasped and said excitedly, “I’m gonna come visit. I’ve gotta meet this family of yours and you can’t avoid introducing me to whoever is making your life a little less lonely if I show up at your door.” Buck was annoyed that she had a point, but the prospect of having his sister around after a few years of space had his heart warming in his chest. 
“You’re welcome here any time, Mads. I’ve really missed—”
“I’ve gotta go,” Maddie said, her voice quieter and a bit more panicked than Buck would ever have wanted to hear. “Doug needs me to— Well, he just needs me. Will you please stop being such a stranger and let me in on your life from now on, little brother?” Buck rolled his eyes at the term of endearment but agreed easily anyway. 
“You know everything there is to know, sis.” 
He wished he could be surprised when he got the text a few hours later that a trip to L.A. just wasn’t in the cards for her.
----------------------------
The one-eighteen was quiet—though Buck wouldn’t dare say the word—for the majority of his shift a few days after his call with Maddie, which he was grateful for because Bobby was tabling his famous pasta bar as Buck skipped up the firehouse steps. The rest of the team was already seated in their usual spots and Buck took his next to the newest recruit, Eddie, elbowing his side as he leaned to scoop up the first piece of lasagna. 
“Ay, the rest of us eat first, unless you’re planning on serving me, Diaz,” Buck teased with an over-exaggerated wink.
“You know I just live to serve you, Buckley,” Eddie shot back easily and Buck couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up inside of him. It had been their thing since the new guy started. Buck would flirt with him until the rest of the team groaned or stopped it and apparently, Hen was at her wits end already if the piece of bread that slammed into Buck’s head was any indication. 
“ Jeez , Hen, we’re just having some fun,” Buck pouted, taking a large bite out of the piece of food that landed on his plate. 
“Do you always have to flirt with the newbie? It’s honestly sickening,” Hen complained with a roll of her eyes but Buck knew there was no heat in her words. He realized that look was all too similar to the one his sister would have given him. Buck laughed and tossed a grape tomato in her direction in retaliation. 
“There’s no stopping us now,” Buck assured her with a wink.  
And there really wasn’t. Buck and Eddie had been like that since the very beginning, and they only grew more comfortable and in sync in the few months they had spent working together. Eddie had joined the team as an openly gay single dad with no hesitation and Buck had respected that immediately. He was not one to hide his interest in any and all genders, but he wasn’t exactly waving a flag when he started at the one-eighteen. 
There was about a minute of silence when Eddie introduced himself before Buck decided that the best way to smooth him onto the team dynamic was to hit on him. Buck made a ridiculous come-on about a firehose that was brushed aside by the rest of the team, but Eddie laughed and gave it right back. The two had been fast friends ever since, much to the dismay of the rest of their team. 
“What’s everyone’s plans for the next three days off?” Buck asked as he stacked both his and Eddie’s plates full of food, tossing an untouched piece of bread behind his back that Eddie caught seamlessly just before it landed in his salad dressing. 
“Christopher and I have a Marvel marathon planned that I couldn’t even try to get out of,” Eddie offered, slurping up a spaghetti noodle as Buck sat back down. “Which reminds me that he wanted me to ask you if you could come?” Eddie asked, peering at Buck out of the corner of his eye. Buck wasn’t sure where the sudden shyness had come from, but before he could ask or answer, Bobby was chiming in. 
“May and Harry are with Michael so I will be finally showing Athena that my cooking skills are not just for show,” Bobby said with a large smile on his face. Buck liked seeing him like that, unapologetically happy for the new life he was starting. 
“I’m planning on sleeping until my alarm goes off in three days,” Chim laughed from where he leaned back in his chair. “What about you, Buckaroo?” 
“Well, I was going to try and find a date because my sister won’t stop bugging me about being single, but…” He trailed off, cupping Eddie’s shoulder tightly in his hand, “I just got an offer I’d be a fool to refuse.” 
Eddie smiled and shrugged off Buck’s touch with a fond roll of his eyes before they focused on his plate. Buck glanced around at his team with an uncontrollable smile on his face as they bantered and laughed and listened intently to whatever story Hen was telling about her son, Denny. He thought back to his conversation with Maddie and how worried she had sounded for him, as if he was alone without Abby. 
He wasn’t. His team—their laughter and camaraderie, their friendship and love, their shared stories and experience—was everything he needed.
----------------------------
Buck was stuck with the dishes once the table was cleared, but he didn’t mind. He liked to get lost in the mundane task of scrubbing and cleaning, the clanging of the dishes a friendly reminder that he had spent much-needed bonding time with his team. Plus, doing the dishes meant he got to decide where they would go out after their shift and he had the best places in mind. 
“Ma’am, are you okay?” Buck heard Chim’s voice softer than he expected from the second-floor terrace. 
“I’m— That’s just the question of the day, isn’t it?” Buck’s heart dropped as he recognized the all too familiar voice and before he could think twice, his legs were bringing him down the stairs in a sprint. “I’m looking for—”
“Maddie?” Buck asked. When she turned, he caught sight of the bruises littering her face and peaking out from underneath the collar of her shirt. The long sleeves did nothing to hide the darkness around her wrists and she didn’t even try to cover up the gashes on her cheek and lip.
“Hey, Evan,” she said weakly, a forced smile tugging at her lips. Buck had her in his arms before her legs could fully give out and he held her tightly to his chest, careful of the soreness he knew was probably hidden underneath her clothes. 
“Hey, hey, I got you. I got you, you’re okay,” Buck whispered into her hair as she sobbed, nails clawing at his back that probably would have hurt if he wasn’t so focused on providing his sister comfort. He caught Chim’s eyes over her shoulder, EMT bag in hand, and shook his head, searching the room for Hen. Chim seemed to understand exactly what he was doing and ran to the back where Buck was pretty sure Hen was resting. 
“I didn’t know where else to go,” Maddie choked out as she tried to pull away. Buck wouldn’t let her, though, as he threaded his fingers through her hair and kissed her temple softly. 
“Here is perfect, okay? Don’t worry about it,” Buck reassured. He wasn’t sure exactly what to say to her. He had known her relationship with Doug wasn’t the best and there was no doubt in his mind that that monster had hurt her. The way her body trembled and her voice shook had Buck feeling uneasy himself as he led her to one of the more comfortable couches in the station. 
“Hey, sweetie, I’m Hen. You’re Buck’s sister? Maddie?” Hen said as she approached, carefully as if walking up to an easily spooked animal. Buck appreciated it as much as it hurt him to see. 
“That’s me, the overbearing big sister,” Maddie attempted to joke, but it fell flat to everyone that had gathered around except for Buck. 
“I don’t think I ever used the word ‘overbearing’ specifically. Maybe persistent, annoying was probably dropped in there a time or two,” Buck teased. He was too grateful when Maddie’s hand came up to swat his shoulder to focus on the wince on her face at the movement. 
“She can’t be worse than you, Buckaroo,” Chim chimed in from where he stood a few feet away, flanked by Bobby and Eddie, who Buck noted was paying closer attention to where he kneeled beside his sister than he was at Maddie like everyone else. 
“I promise I’m not,” Maddie said weakly. Buck held onto her hand delicately as Hen settled beside her, the EMT bag on her lap. 
“Any family of Buck’s is family of ours,” Bobby stated, nodding at Hen as if giving her the okay to fully check up on her. 
“He’s told me a lot about you guys, his family away from family. I—” Maddie’s breath hitched as Hen pressed her thumbs over the bruises along her collarbones and she pressed her lips together to compose herself before she continued. “I’m sorry for barging in this way, looking like—”
“—Like a Buckley?” Eddie offered, easing the bit of tension of what wasn’t being said in the room. Buck sent him a thankful nod as he squeezed his sister’s hand. “We’ve heard y’all are prone to accidents. The number of times I’ve had to patch up this one on company time is too many and counting.” Buck laughed and tossed a friendly finger in Eddie’s direction, smiling when Maddie seemed to relax at the banter. 
“This one is always tossing himself into the fire quite literally, huh?” Maddie asked. Buck could tell she was relieved to have the conversation moved away from her and he didn’t mind being the target for her benefit. 
“I’ve only been here for a few months, but I’m pretty sure Buck would put anyone before himself.” Eddie’s voice was a lot closer than Buck had expected and he didn’t realize how much tension was building up inside of him until Eddie’s hand landed in between his shoulder blades. He glanced up to catch his friend’s eye, smiling softly at the steady and comforting press on his back. 
“Yeah, that’s exactly who he is,” Maddie muttered. When Buck glanced up at her, her eyes were narrowed and darted back and forth between him and Eddie accusatorily. That was not good . Buck cleared his throat.
“Can you guys give us a minute?” Buck asked.
Eddie ran his hand up to Buck’s shoulder, squeezing gently and Buck couldn’t resist reaching up to let his palm brush over the back of Eddie’s hand, letting him know how much the gesture was appreciated. Bobby and Chim hesitantly nodded in response before they all disappeared, leaving an even more tense Maddie and nerve-filled Buck alone with Hen who was treating the cut on Maddie’s cheek. 
As if scared for Buck to ask, Maddie offered, “It had been a few months, Buck. I thought— I really thought he had changed.” Buck sighed and rested his forehead on Maddie’s knee, relaxing only marginally when Maddie’s hand patted the back of his head. 
“What was it this time? Did you argue with him a little too hard? Maybe you didn’t reach the level of perfection he always required of you?” 
“Buck—” Hen warned, shooting a look that could kill in Buck’s direction. 
“No, it’s— It’s okay. He’s right either way,” Maddie relented with a deep sigh. “It had been building since I said I wanted to visit you in L.A. I told him that you had alluded to seeing someone and that I wanted to see if it was true. He said I couldn’t go, that he was the only family I needed, and when I argued against that…” Maddie trailed off, gesturing to her face and that was enough for Buck to put together what happened next. 
“He did this because of me?” Buck’s voice shook as he glanced back at his sister, reaching a hand up to stroke a finger over the dark bruise on her jaw. Maddie grabbed it and turned toward her brother, leveling their eyes together with a protectiveness in them that provided him the calm he needed. 
“This was not your fault, Evan,” Maddie said sternly. 
“It’s neither of your faults,” Hen added, resting her palm on Maddie’s arm softly. Maddie nodded and smiled at Hen as brightly as she could given the circumstances. 
“She’s right and I came here because I can’t have this happen anymore,” Maddie stated, holding onto Buck’s hand a little tighter. “You mentioned your captain’s girlfriend was a cop?” 
Buck nodded and wrapped his arms around his sister, wishing he had never let go in the first place.
----------------------------
Athena had arrived at the station quicker than Buck had expected her to. Upon seeing him, she pulled him into a tight hug that he didn’t realize he had needed so much before disappearing into Bobby’s empty office with Maddie. He didn’t trust just anyone with his sister, but the second the door shut, he felt like he could finally take a breath. 
He was flanked by both Hen and Eddie in a flash while Chim paced in front of them, chewing on a piece of beef jerky to stay occupied. Bobby watched from above, silently observing his team, and looking ready to step in if Buck needed it. They were all there for him and when the door finally opened after what felt like hours later, the smile that tugged at the corner of Maddie’s lips told Buck she had seen just that. 
“Again, I’m really sorry for—” Athena shook her head and pointed a finger at Maddie, effectively stopping her unneeded apology. 
“You’ll only have to be sorry if you don’t let this one take care of you the way you deserve,” she said, raising her eyebrows like a challenge. Maddie pressed her lips together and nodded bashfully as she leaned into the arm Buck had thrown around her neck. 
“Buck, shift’s just about over. Why don’t you show your sister where she’ll be staying?” Bobby said. It was an order as much as a suggestion but Buck was going to take him up on it either way. 
“Yeah, that sounds great. Let me know if you need me to come back in.” Bobby silenced him with one look.
“We can survive the next hour without you, man,” Eddie chimed in. He walked over and pulled Buck into a one-armed hug as if he knew nothing could pry him away from his sister. Buck was grateful for the extra warmth Eddie provided him, either way.
“If you guys need anything, you know where we’ll be,” Hen assured, rubbing a gentle palm down Maddie’s arm until their hands were connected. Maddie squeezed it tightly and mouthed her thanks at Hen who brushed it off with a wave of her hand. 
“I can’t thank you guys enough,” Buck began, but he stopped himself from saying any more before any of his team could argue. “I’ll see you in a few days?” He asked, directing his attention to Bobby so he could let his captain know that his sister arriving wouldn’t impact his work. As if he already knew, Bobby nodded and wrapped an arm around Athena’s waist. 
“We’ll probably see you before then,” Bobby offered with a slight wink and Buck laughed. 
“You guys sure I can steal my little brother away early?” Maddie asked nervously. 
“Now that you’ve teased us with him leaving, you can’t take it back,” Eddie said from beside Buck. They both had to laugh and Buck punched Eddie’s arm in retaliation only for Eddie to grab onto his hand tightly, not letting him pull away yet. His voice was low as he muttered, “You’ll let me know if you need anything?” 
It was meant to be a question, but Buck knew it wasn’t. Everyone around them was so focused on Maddie and her injuries—which Buck couldn’t blame them for—that none of them really stopped to think how tough the next few days may be for the Buckley’s as a whole. But not Eddie. Just one glance from his friend told Buck that Eddie was well aware of the toll this might take on Buck’s good-natured mind and that Eddie was going to be there through it all. 
“Yeah,” Buck confirmed, resting a hand on Eddie’s neck in a friendly gesture of comfort, “I’ll call you.”
----------------------------
“I’m not going back there,” Maddie said the minute the door to Buck’s apartment shut. 
“I know you’re not,” Buck agreed because even if she hadn’t made the choice herself, he wasn’t going to see his big sister hurt like that again. 
“I grabbed what I could before I left and it’s going to take me a little while to get back on my feet, but—”
“Hey,” Buck said gently, wrapping his arms around his sister once more, “we’re gonna figure this out. It’s always been just the two of us, right? Sure, a few years have gone by, but you’re still the most important person in the world to me and we’re going to figure this out.” He repeated, believing the words so fully that Maddie must have, too. Her shoulders slumped in either relaxation or defeat, Buck couldn’t be sure which, and she pulled away enough for Buck to press a soft kiss to her forehead. 
“Can I stay here for a little? Just until—”
“Maddie, stop. You’re staying here whether you like it or not,” Buck said with a laugh, ruffling her hair in his hand before she could swat him away. 
“I just don’t want to impose on any guests you might have around,” Maddie said, crossing her arms over her chest and glancing around his apartment as if looking for signs of additional life. 
Buck sighed, “Go take a shower while I make up some dinner.” Maddie’s laugh was so refreshing, the tension of the last few hours seemed to fall right off of his shoulders. 
When he heard the water turn on, he busied himself with finding dinner even though he was still full from the large lunch at the station. He wasn’t sure when the last time Maddie had eaten was but her skin was too pale even through the bruises for him not to offer her something good. He rummaged through his cabinets for way too long, losing track of time as he listened to Maddie’s voice stop and start in the shower. 
He used to love listening to her sing. She had always been carefree and beautiful and that was always something he admired. He could hear the hesitance in her voice as she weakly sang through the chorus of one of her favorite country songs and wished he could heal whatever it was inside that had her balking. Buck loved her more than anything in the world.
With a deep breath, he reminded himself that she had made that first step, the one he had wanted her to so many years before. He smiled to himself, grateful that she made it back to him mostly in one piece. Even though she didn’t have that fire in her eyes that he remembered, he knew that her deciding to come home to him was the spark she needed to light it back up. 
A knock at the door had him cursing because the water had shut off and he still didn’t have dinner on the table. When he opened the door and saw Eddie, two pizza boxes in hand, he thought he might cry. 
“I figured you usually go grocery shopping with Chris and I and we’re running low on food for two so—” Buck interrupted him by wrapping him another suffocatingly tight hug. 
“Man, you could not have arrived at a better fucking time,” Buck sighed with relief. “I can’t believe you did this for her,” he muttered mostly to himself. Eddie opened his mouth, but before he could respond, Maddie trotted down the stairs, patting her hair down with a towel. 
“Eddie, right?” She asked, a twinkle in her eye that Buck wasn’t too fond of given the situation. “Did you bring us dinner?” 
Eddie nodded and mumbled, “Yeah, for, uh, you actually.” Buck took the pizza boxes from his hands and Eddie immediately ran his fingers through the hair on the back of his neck as if suddenly bashful. Buck thought he looked more adorable than usual but brushed it aside. 
“That is so sweet of you,” Maddie said, knocking her hip against Buck’s. “Isn’t that so sweet of him, Evan?” Eddie snickered and Buck knew it was because of the use of his first name. He shot an unimpressed glance at Eddie who pressed his lips together in return as if holding back more laughter. 
“Eddie’s just a regular old saint if you ask anyone,” Buck explained with much more sarcasm in his voice than he really intended. Maddie didn’t seem to notice as she smiled up at Eddie. 
“Are you staying for dinner? I’m sure Buck would appreciate the company,” Maddie said happily, side-eyeing Buck as if he’d even thought to go against her words. 
“Oh, no, I gotta get back to my kid,” Eddie said, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder. Buck knew Christopher wasn’t with him or else he would have asked them both to come inside. 
“You have a kid?” Maddie asked, mouth agape for reasons Buck didn’t know but would definitely ask her about later. 
“Yeah, Christopher. He’s—”
“—The best kid in the entire world,” Buck interrupted, turning to his sister. “Maddie, this kid is a spitfire and he’s got jokes and comebacks for everything, I swear! And he’s like the smartest 8-year-old I’ve ever met, not that I’ve hung out with many 8-year-olds, but still. You’re gonna love him!” Buck decided. He must have been rambling as both his sister and Eddie were staring over at him with amused looks on their faces. “…What?” 
“I mean, I was just gonna tell her his age, but I guess all that stuff is true, too,” Eddie teased. He flinched when Buck swatted at him with the hand that wasn’t holding the pizza. 
“He sounds incredible. I hope I get to meet him?” Maddie asked. Buck nodded quickly and a smile Buck wasn’t sure he had ever seen before tugged at the corner of Eddie’s lips. Buck was just about to offer for them to come over the following night when he remembered what he had already agreed to. 
“Oh, crap. The Marvel movie night!” Buck exclaimed as he finally set the pizzas down on the side table. “Did you already tell Chris I was gonna join?” 
“Yeah, but it’s totally fine. I’m sure he’ll understand that your sister is here and—”
“Nonsense! You promised that kid a movie night, he’s gonna get a movie night!” Maddie shouted as she opened up the pizza box and helped herself to a slice. Buck was glad she seemed to still have the appetite he remembered. “I don’t mind having a night to myself. It’s been too long since I’ve been able to just cry over a sad Hallmark movie with a glass of wine, you know?” Buck didn’t, but he also really wanted to hang out with the Diazes. 
“We can always reschedule. Marvel isn’t going anywhere,” Eddie offered, but Maddie just shook her head and slapped Buck’s arm like it was his job to convince Eddie he would be a fool to do that. 
“I’ll be over tomorrow at five with sandwiches to pay you back for tonight, okay?” Buck said softly, holding Eddie’s bicep in his palm. A blush covered his face and Buck wasn’t sure why he was being so nervous all of a sudden; they bantered and touched like that all the time. 
“Yeah, okay. Maddie, thank you for letting me steal him and enjoy the pizza. Buck, I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow.” He waved as he backed away and Buck watched as he jumped into his car and drove off. 
Once the door was shut, Maddie smacked him on the arm and Buck recoiled, sending a confused glance at his sister. 
“What the hell was that for?” Buck asked, rubbing his skin even though it really didn’t hurt that bad. 
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were dating a coworker !” Maddie shouted, gaping at Buck with joy in her eyes that he had missed more than he realized. He was so focused on her happiness, it took him more than a few reasonable moments to realize what she had said. 
“I’m— Wait, what?” Buck asked, pausing mid-bite on the piece of the pepper and sausage pizza he made a mental reminder to thank Eddie for tomorrow. 
“Eddie?!” Maddie repeated in a squeal. “I knew after our conversation that whoever you were dating wasn’t just any old person, but another firefighter? A male firefighter at that? No wonder you didn’t want to tell me yet!” Buck blanched and finished chewing his pizza carefully so as to not choke. 
“Maddie, I mean this with no malice and all confusion; what the absolute fuck are you talking about?” Maddie scoffed and grabbed the pizza boxes, wandering to the living room and placing them on the coffee table. She made her way into the kitchen to grab two beers from the fridge before settling down next to Buck who had to sit on the couch and think before he fell over. 
“Oh, you cannot even pretend that you guys aren’t head over heels for each other. The hand on your back at the station? The side hug? Bringing you pizza after a rough day? The blushing?!” Maddie raised her eyebrows at Buck and he honestly didn’t know how to respond. 
He should have said it was nothing. He should have said they were the only two openly not-straight men that he knew of who worked at the LAFD and were closer because of that. He should have said that they were just friends who put their lives at risk for each other every day so their relationship was bound to be special. He should have said all of that. 
But Maddie looked so happy and carefree so instead, he lied. 
“It’s… really new,” he said, echoing the words he had told her before she came to L.A. Her squeal of delight was enough for any regret he might have had to wash away and for his heart to soar that he could put that bright smile back on his sister’s face. 
“Evan Buckley, you have to tell me everything !”  Maddie crossed her legs on the couch and settled back against the cushions, making herself comfortable in the place Buck had started to call home. Even with the bruises and cuts littering her face, she looked at ease, and Buck smiled over at her widely. 
“There’s nothing to tell, Mads. He started at the station a few months ago and we just… hit it off. Like I said, it’s new and he’s… good.” He wasn’t sure why he had hesitated but he hoped she didn’t read too much into it. When she rested a gentle hand on his bicep and squeezed, he knew she had believed every word of what he had said. The fact it wasn’t a total lie was the only reason he didn’t let his guilt build up too much just yet. 
“I’m really proud of you, you know?” Maddie said softly, moving her hand up to cup the side of his face and brush her thumb along his cheekbone. He melted into the touch and closed his eyes, the words resonating through him as the ones he always longed to hear. 
“What for?” Buck asked. 
Maddie sighed and said, “For being you.” She tapped his nose with the tip of her finger before she added, “Now tell me all about him!”
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Good Night (#little-butterfly-writes contest submission)
Heyy! I wrote the most fluffy self-insert entry I could muster for the #little-butterfly-writes contest hosted by @little-butterfly-writes! I haven’t written for self-inserts for a long time and I’ve forgotten how fun it is to be self-indulgent :)) 10/10 highly recommend you to write one too! I named my MC Athena so I’ll use that name :)  
Fandom: MLQC - Gavin & Athena 
Genre: Fluff 
Word Count: 1473 
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At last, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. 
The entire company had dealt with the high workload for weeks in order to meet the strict deadlines. The heavy pressure was finally off my shoulders after wrapping up the filming and editing for the big project. 
The office became more quiet as the crew members left for the day. Currently, I was one of the last people there, Minor being the other. For the past few weeks, we had always been the last ones. I underestimated him and his work ethic. He would say the same phrase around sunset: “Hey, Athena! It’s getting pretty late. Think we should call it a day?”
Every day, I would encourage him to head out first and every day, he’d insist we both leave together. 
Minor watched me lock the front doors, shoving his hands in his pockets. “So! Any plans for tonight?” he asked.
Rattling the handle, I murmured, “Not really…” Suddenly rewatching my favourite shows didn’t seem as appealing as it did when I had been busy. The temptation of procrastination vanished when I needed it the most.
Minor glanced at his phone screen. “That’s great! I’ll see ya later, boss!” With that, he walked away.
“Huh?” I stared at his shrinking figure until he turned the corner of the block. He really zoned out, but I didn’t blame him. His expression held nothing but pride and relief that the project was finally over.
***
When I got home, I turned on my laptop. Although Minor never failed to get me out of the office, he couldn’t stop me from working here. Everything was done but revising some materials wouldn’t hurt. Plus, I should look over the reports that I needed to submit next week. 
Frankly, I wasn’t sure how much time passed when I got up to take a long shower. After drying off, I grabbed the first comfortable thing in the closet and realized it was Gavin’s white T-shirt.
Gavin had left for a mission a few weeks ago. The mission was highly classified so I decided not to bother him for the duration of the time. My workload started piling up then and I distracted myself as best as I could. Now that work was out of the way, Gavin’s gentle eyes were back in my mind. When I imagined him smiling, I couldn’t help but do so myself. If I couldn’t see him soon, at least I could meet him in my dreams.
I turned off the light and pulled the covers to my chest, staring at the balcony window as I waited to drift off. There were traces of clouds across the glowing moon and I couldn’t bear to turn away from the serene view. It felt like I was staring at it for eternity until a shadow suddenly appeared. His amber eyes shone against the moonlight and the night wind rippled at his STF jacket, sweeping his hood down.
Before I knew it, I was already opening the balcony door, letting the chilly breeze spill in. “Gavin! You’re back!”
He nodded. Despite the time of day, Gavin didn’t look tired. In fact, with his steady composure and uniform, he looked like he was ready for another day at the Special Task Force. “Mm. The mission finished just now. I wanted to see you,” he said matter-of-factly. 
No matter how long I hadn’t heard his voice, it was distinct and recognizable. I didn’t realize how much I missed him until I gave him a tight hug. It was then when I felt a sudden drop of temperature and I withdrew abruptly: “Geez, you’re freezing!”
Smiling, he tugged me close again, stroking my black hair. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. But you . . .” He furrowed his brow, noticing my loose-fitting ‘dress’. Even in the dim room, the familiar shade of red on his ears was evident. He shed his jacket and I tried to stop him, but he managed to wrap it around me.
“You need it more,” I insisted. “You’re gonna catch a cold.” 
“It’s alright. I have something better.”
His hand slipped into mine. I couldn’t help but hold it tighter in hopes of generating more warmth for him. I brought him to the bed and bundled the blanket around him.
“How long were you flying? You know it gets colder at night,” I scolded, embracing him as we laid over the pillows. He wasn’t shivering but I held him close, unwilling to let go.
He burrowed into my chest and I could feel his smile through the thin fabric. “I promise to be more careful next time.”
“You always say that! Especially about your injuries. Speaking of which, let me see them.” Before Gavin could react, I yanked the blanket away, inspecting his forearms and his torso. 
“Ahem, I’m-I’m okay, really,” he assured, his ears burning bright again when I pulled at his button up shirt. I only found old scars that had already been engraved into my memory. 
Gavin brought my restless hands to his face. His gaze towards me never wavered. “I’m telling you the truth,” he said earnestly and kissed the back of each hand. He wrapped the blanket around us, nuzzling into my chest again. 
Relief steadied my heartbeat until he looked up at me and spoke in a low tone: “Before I left for the mission, I swore I wouldn’t get injured.” He paused, pressing closer. “Do I get a reward for honouring this promise?” 
Whether he was intentionally giving me the subtle, big, ol’ puppy eyes or not, I couldn’t refuse. Brushing his soft, brown fringe back, I pecked his forehead. “There,” I said, a smile playing across my lips. “How’s that?”
He frowned and cleared his throat. “I also made sure not to skip any meals.”
I gave a peck on his cheek. 
“I kept my sleep schedule consistent too.”
“Eight hours?”
“Mm.” 
“Was it eight hours or not?”
He nuzzled deeper into the crook of my neck, hiding his expression. Gavin’s face seemed to have warmed up since his arrival. I started laughing when he playfully bit me.
“Okay, okay, I understand. Agent B-7 has a tight schedule and he works very hard. Here,” I leaned towards his mouth and he closed his eyes, waiting expectantly. His anticipation made my heart flutter, but I couldn’t resist messing with him. In the last second, I moved lower and pressed my lips to his own neck, nibbling it for good measure and for payback. 
His soft groan was barely audible before he pulled me back, pinning me down into the pillows. “I don’t think you’re being fair, Athena. Seems like you’ve forgotten about your own sleep schedule.”
I froze but I tried my best to keep my cool. “My sleep schedule is fine, thank you very much, Officer.”
Feigning doubt, he hummed. “I’m not sure. You’ve been working overtime ever since I left.” He narrowed his eyes, carefully examining mine for reaction. “If Minor hadn’t insisted any earlier, you’d be at the office until midnight every day.”
My eyes widened. “Minor?! Aw, why am I even surprised?” Now to think of it, Minor had started to work longer hours around the day of Gavin’s departure. All this time I was hoping it was because Minor had been engrossed with the Miracle Finder project, not because of a task assigned by Officer Gavin.
“It’s almost 1 am. I should’ve found you fast asleep by now. How do I know if this isn’t a bad habit of yours?” Gavin leaned in, his proximity repelled my fleeting thoughts. His blue and black uniform made him seem so much more intimidating. “So,” he murmured, “are you ready to confess?”
I hoped my face wasn’t as red as it felt, but his grin knocked down my wishful thinking. “Okay, okay. I lied. My schedule is terrible.”
“Mm.” Satisfied, he released his grip on my wrists. “Let me help you fix it. Is this okay?” He cradled me in his arms, snuggling close. “If not, I can count sheep with you again.”
I giggled, recalling that night with all the sheep. It felt like nothing yet everything had changed. Sighing contently, I leaned into his broad chest. His heartbeat was calm, lulling me to drowsiness. “I think it’s working,” I mumbled, “as always.”
Gavin chuckled as he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. His steady gaze was genuine and pure. “I sleep better when I’m with you too.”
My eyelids grew heavy and with the last source of energy that I could gather, I lifted my head and kissed him. His lips were soft against mine and when his parted in shock, I deepened the kiss. I could hear his heartbeat racing as I slumped against him again. 
“There. For everything you’ve done for me.”
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Final notes: I hoped you like it! A lot of things have changed in the MLQC fandom, but I hope everyone is doing well! Reading/writing anything about comfort characters really helps me so I had fun writing this!
I also write for luciensgunsee in Instagram --- it’s mlqc x reader stuff so if you’re interested in that, do check it out! I might put the extended, uncut versions of those scenarios here in Tumblr?? If anyone is interested, please let me know :))
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fruitcoops · 3 years
Note
Just a prompt idea if u want... Reg getting cuddles. Like brotherly bonding from the comfort of the couch. I've had a rough week and I could use some couch cuddles cuz just like co-existing in the same space as someone without any expectations or worries and just... Yeah that's the vibe, just calming and chill.
God I love writing siblings. And Regulus. It’s so awesome that those usually go hand in hand. SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!
TW for implied terrible parenting
Love is a funny thing. It waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows, but is as constant as the tide. Sirius had been on the waning side for much of his life until the Lions (and everything that came with them) flooded his world, but Regulus…Regulus was still catching up a bit.
It started small, as many good things do.
“Drive safe!” Regulus called from the living room while Sirius grabbed his keys off the table by the front door.
“Go for a walk at some point,” Sirius reminded him. “Love you!”
He closed the door before his brain caught up his mouth, then stuttered to a stop just before turning the car on; it had just sort of slipped out, a habit from the Dumais’ and Remus. The last time he had said he loved his brother was—
Sirius sighed and thumped his forehead on the steering wheel. He couldn’t remember the last time he told Regulus he loved him, and wasn’t that the most pathetically sad thing? It was hard to pay attention to the road after that.
So, over the following weeks, he made an extra effort. Every ‘goodnight’ had a ‘love you’ tacked on to the end. Every hug was accompanied by a light kiss to the top of his head. Every flight to an away game was preceded by a ‘see you soon, love you Reg’, and it never failed to get a reaction—Regulus’ eyes would widen in surprise, his brows would furrow in confusion, and then hope would wash it all away.
Sirius started getting answers about a month into his endeavor. The first time Regulus responded with ‘sleep well, love you too’ he nearly cried right in the middle of the living room. They still bickered, still argued over stupid things to cover the much bigger things lurking below the surface, but it was rare for them to go more than a few hours without quiet apologies.
“Sorry,” one would mutter as they stood in the kitchen to cool down.
“Love you,” the other would say, knocking a shoulder, hip, or elbow into them as they passed in reminder that I’m still here.
“Love you, too,” the first would admit, only half-grudging.
Slowly but surely, Regulus began opening up. He let Sirius hover like a concerned mother hen over his applications, even though they were both busy enough that it didn’t help either of them. Their family dinners became louder and brighter, filled with mindless chatter until their food threatened to get cold. He ventured out of his room during daylight hours and only subjected Sirius to a fond eye roll when he prodded him to get outside, you vampire rather than prickling up like a pissed-off hedgehog.
They settled into a rhythm that Grimmauld Place had never allowed and Sirius reveled in it; finally, he would be able to show his brother that affection wasn’t supposed to be withheld as an ultimate reward for good behavior, but freely given by loved ones. Regulus was allowed to push back, to state his opinions, to be friendly with whomever he wanted, and Sirius had the privilege of getting to know his little brother at long last.
“Scoot,” he said one night, flopping down on the couch with a bowl. Regulus groaned and dragged his legs out of the way as he blindly reached for the popcorn. “What’re you watching?”
“Planet Earth.”
“Good choice. How was your day?”
Regulus glanced over at him. “Really good, actually.”
“Yeah?” Sirius popped another handful of popcorn in his mouth to stifle the shriek of excitement building in his chest. “Zoo was fun?”
“They have new owlets in three enclosures, and I got to feed the tropical birds because Marc and Louis are still young enough to go in.” His face was alight with happiness; something clogged in Sirius’ throat. He had missed this. “There’s a raffle for naming the owls next week.”
“Will you submit something?”
“Oh, definitely.”
“Got any in mind?” Regulus uncurled his legs a little more, so their ankles were crossed.
“A few.” He was clearly seconds away from bursting, so Sirius sat back and waited. “Do you—do you want to hear them?”
“I’d love to.”
“Alright, well, I was thinking Pallas would be a fun one, since that was Athena’s best friend in some of the myths,” Regulus began, his eyes flickering away from the tv screen for half a second. His shoulders were starting to bunch like they always used to when he was excited as a kid, and he was wringing the hem of the blanket in his hands. “Basically, Pallas was…sorry, you don’t need to know all this.”
“No, no!” Sirius said quickly. “Tell me everything. It’s cool.” You have no idea how much I love hearing you talk again.
Regulus’ shy smile grew brighter. “Okay. Well, Pallas was the first option, and then I was thinking it would be funny if one was Neptune, because it’s double irony.”
Sirius tuned out David Attenborough’s voice in the background and set his popcorn aside, turning his full attention on Regulus while he rambled about etymology and every detail of the new owlets. He listened until the episode ended and Regulus yawned so wide his jaw cracked, then guided him off the couch with a gentle nudge toward his room.
“Sleep tight, Reg,” he said, ruffling his already-messy hair.
“ ‘night, love you,” Regulus called absentmindedly as he walked down the hall.
Sirius’ chest seized. Regulus had never initiated their nighttime tradition before. “Love you, too.”
Right there in the hall, Sirius made a promise: he would never let either of them revert to their old ways again. He would be there to celebrate every acceptance letter, to tease him for every texting typo, and to square up against anyone who even hinted at insulting his baby brother. Regulus didn’t need protection—he had proved himself plenty independent in the past—but he was still nineteen years old and Sirius had a moral, spiritual, and semi-legal obligation to be the big brother he had been always been told was unnecessary.
And if he thought about it, really thought about it, there was nothing he would rather spend his life doing. 
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tripleaxeldiaz · 3 years
Text
maybe one day i’ll fly next to you
chapter 1/8
read on ao3
The sun is just rising when he gets to the rink, the early morning light streaming in through the high windows, making the ice glow. He’s the first one there, just like he planned, so he gets to take his time getting ready. He stretches a bit in the locker room before lacing up his skates and heading to the ice. Placing his guards on the boards, he takes a minute to just look, relishing in the stillness, the quiet, the smooth surface of the untouched ice. He takes one step, two, and he’s off, gliding through the mirrored surface, carving his path as he goes.
Buck can’t remember a time when skating wasn’t his entire life. He first put on skates at four, wobbling on the side of the rink while Maddie was in lessons. He started lessons of his own at six, and after that, he never stopped thinking about being on the ice. And he was good, too — by eight he was competing in the regional circuit, already landing a handful of clean triples when most kids were still struggling with doubles. He qualified for his first nationals at 10, won gold in Juniors at 11, and by the time he qualified for Junior Grand Prix at 13, people already knew his name. They knew his “modern artistry” as they called it, his powerful jumps, and talked about him like he was someone worth watching out for once he made it to the senior level.
It helped that by then, Buck was already addicted to competition. He loved skating on its own — the power he felt when he jumped and flew across the ice, the beauty of well-executed spirals and step sequences — but nothing made him feel more alive than doing it in front of a crowd and a panel of judges. Landing each element perfectly sent a thrill through him that he never wanted to stop feeling, and seeing his scores, usually much higher than others, was something that never got boring. He wanted to be the best, was on his way to being the best, and those hazy dreams of an Olympic gold medal didn’t feel quite as hazy anymore.
For a while, at least. Until he showed up.
But Buck doesn’t want to think about him right now, he just wants to enjoy the peace and quiet while he can. He’s not skating to anything in particular, just the music in his head taking him wherever feels right. He’s so lost in it, trying to nail the bit of choreo he just made up, that he doesn’t even notice Bobby until he hears him clapping from the benches. 
“Looks good, Buck. Talk to Hen, I think that would work in your new short.”
“Thanks Bobby,” Buck says, making his way to the boards. Bobby hands him his guards and his water bottle, heading back towards the locker room.
“Come on, we’re just about to get started.”
Bobby and Athena have had this beginning of the season meeting for as long as Buck has been at their club. They go over assignments for Grand Prix and the Challenger series, figure out general training schedules, and do a “goal setting session” for what they want to accomplish this season. 
Bobby calls it a “family meeting”, which is cute but also annoying. Skating isn’t a team sport. Families don’t win medals. And that’s all Buck wants to accomplish every season until he retires: he wants to win.
He sits down on a bench next to Maddie, who’s deep in conversation with Athena about her and Chimney’s programs, he’s sure. She’s been planning them since Worlds, so they’re probably fully choreographed and ready for competition. The Buckleys are nothing if not overachievers.
Bobby clears his throat, standing in front of the roll-away white board, and gets started. Buck’s half paying attention — it’s the fifth time he’s heard the “athletes aren’t born, they’re made” speech, he gets the point — letting his eyes wander over the small crowd of skaters. Chim’s on Athena’s other side, nodding along with Bobby. May and Hen are standing along the lockers, whispering quietly. The Juniors kids are sitting on the floor, in awe of their coach as he talks about hard work and victory. Buck gets it, he’s still a little in awe of Bobby himself, but not so much of his recycled speeches.
There’s one face, though, that he doesn’t see, and for a minute, he’s hopeful. He’s gone, he moved, he went to work with Rafael in Lakewood or something, so I’ll only have to see him maybe four times a year instead of every goddamn day thank god—
The doors to the locker room burst open, and fuck. 
Because, nope, he’s still here. Windswept and out of breath and 15 minutes late, yet somehow still oozing confidence and jackassery.
Eddie Diaz. Olympic Bronze Medalist. Two time reigning World Champion. And the absolute bane of Buck’s existence.
Bobby doesn’t even say anything, just waves him in and keeps talking. If Buck had been that late, even if it was for a good reason, he would have had his ass handed to him in front of everyone and would’ve had to run laps or something after his ice time. But of course, Eddie gets a pass.
Whatever.
Buck doesn’t pay much attention to the rest of the meeting, too busy trying to keep himself from glaring at Eddie every 20 seconds. He tunes in enough to hear that they’ll both be going to Skate America and NHK because of course they are and spends the rest of the meeting trying to keep his blood pressure down. When it’s finally over, he makes his way through the crowd to get back to the ice for his first session with Bobby. He’s scrolling through his phone, trying to find his music, when he feels someone walk over and join him on the bench. He looks over, and lo and behold— 
“Eddie,” he says with what he hopes is a low level of contempt.
“Buck,” Eddie responds, looking over and nodding as he laces up his skates. “Good summer?”
“Fine.”
“Ready for the season?”
“Always am.”
Eddie smiles, easy and charming, and Buck hates his fucking guts. He nods at him again as he heads onto the ice, and Buck gives into the temptation to thump his head against boards a few times.
It’s going to be a very long year.
~~~~~~~~~~
Buck has hated Eddie since they were 16 years old.
Okay, maybe “hate” is a little strong, but whatever emotion it is when just looking at a person makes you feel like smoke is coming out of your ears, that’s how he feels. 
It was his first season in Seniors, and he had been doing better than he expected in the first half — a silver and a bronze at his Grand Prixs, and fifth at the Grand Prix Final. Nowhere near perfect or the best in the world, but he was the best US men’s skater and poised to win gold at Nationals. He hadn’t even heard the name “Eddie Diaz” until he got to Nats, and even then it was just whispers — some small town kid from Texas who was landing clean quadruple jumps at a time when some of the highest ranked skaters couldn’t. Buck was working on them — his coach kept harping on how important they’d be to the sport one day — but he’d hit a growth spurt just before the beginning of the season, so he was still getting used to his new center of gravity. 
But the rumors were true, Buck saw it with his own eyes at a practice session. He remembers the mix of awe and dread as he watched Eddie jump — the thoughts of damn I want to be as good as this kid and he’s about to take everything from me.
Eddie won Nats by about 30 points. Buck came in second. The US only had one spot at both Four Continents and Worlds, and Eddie got picked for both. Something about having “a better chance with his abilities and consistency in the international field” or some other bullshit. 
He didn’t podium at either. Buck felt shamelessly vindicated.
Over the next three years, they became perfect foils of each other — Buck with good jumps but better artistic expression and connection to the music, Eddie a little stiff but a blur of height and speed in the air. They flip-flopped at competitions — Buck got silver, Eddie got gold. Buck got gold, Eddie got bronze. Nats turned into a yearly showdown, the media always highlighting their “friendly rivalry”. Buck must have been a better actor than he thought if he was coming across as “friendly”.
He won Nats right before the Olympics, pretty much guaranteeing his chances of getting named to the Olympic Team. Two days before the announcement, he broke his leg on a bad landing and felt his dreams shatter along with the bone. 
Eddie went instead. He placed third, higher than any US man had placed in 12 years. 
Buck watched it all from his couch, unsure if he’d ever be able to skate again.
Fast forward three seasons, and while Buck is still struggling to get his consistent jumps back, Eddie keeps skyrocketing. He hasn’t lost a major competition in two years and is the overwhelming favorite to win the gold medal in Beijing. It was bad enough to hear about it from other skaters or see at competitions, but then Eddie moved to Bobby and Athena’s club a year ago, so now Buck gets to suffer through first hand observation.
It simultaneously pushes him harder and makes him want to die.
Which is the exact feeling he has right now as he watches Eddie land a perfect quad toe triple toe combo. He tried the same combo yesterday and landed flat on his ass, so now he just wants to practice it over and over until it’s perfect and he can rub it in Eddie’s smug face. See, you’re not the only one who can do it. You’re not that special.
“You better watch how hard you’re frowning, Buckaroo, you’re gonna get wrinkles,” Hen says as she walks over to him. She follows his line of sight, and her expression turns from vaguely worried to exasperated. “Staring that hard at Eddie isn’t gonna make him fall.”
“It could,” he says. “Maybe I have untapped psychic powers that are just waiting to come out.”
She gives him a flat look. “Sure, and I’m the long lost crown princess of a small European country. Can we go over your free instead of fantasizing about stupid things, please?”
“Fine, fine,” Buck says, finally turning away from Eddie as he steps on the ice.
He loves his programs this season — he usually doesn’t get used to them for a few months, but this time around, he already feels connected. His short is more modern, melancholic and gritty, while his free is more classic, hopeful, makes him feel like he’s floating rather than skating. He’s always been good at choreography — either taking it and making it his own or creating steps himself — and he feels like both really highlight his talents. Plus Hen, being the amazing choreographer and friend that she is, let him have a lot more input this time around, so it all feels more authentic. He likes to think that no matter what happens, he’ll be proud of whatever he puts out with these pieces.
They work on his free for an hour, and he stays an extra two to work on his short and his jumps on his own. By the time he leaves, the sun has set, his legs are already sore, and he has a lovely bruise blossoming on his right thigh from falling on his quad flip three times in a row.
It’s all worth it, though. Because as much as he wants to be happy with his programs no matter what, he knows he won’t be unless they get him to the top of that podium, hearing the national anthem play with a gold medal around his neck.
~~~~~~~~~~
He’s floating away in his dream, higher and higher like a runaway helium balloon. He can see the whole world below him, spread out and endless, rolling hills and forests and oceans. He wonders if he’ll ever come back down, or if he’ll just keep moving up and up, into the atmosphere, into space, into a different universe. He thinks that might not be so bad.
Suddenly, he’s falling, plummeting back down to Earth like an asteroid. He’s racing and racing towards the ground, bracing for impact, for everything in his body to break, he’s falling and falling faster and faster—
He wakes with a yell, covered in sweat, his leg twinging. He takes a few minutes to breathe and get his heart rate back down, but even then, he’s still shaking.
He looks at the clock. 4:30am. He could go back to sleep — he doesn’t have practice until noon. 
Except his mind is churning now with the phantom memory of breaking. The feeling of going from standing to not being able to move, pain radiating from his leg into every other part of his body. The panic, not just for his body, but for his whole life and what it could turn into. What he could lose.
He lays there for another half an hour, but the memories just keep burning. So, he does what he always does when he needs to shut his mind off.
He goes to the rink.
First practice isn’t until 8am, so he uses his keys to unlock the back door. Chuck, the janitor, was sick of waiting two extra hours to lock up after him, so he gave him his own set after his first season. Buck gives him a giant cookie bouquet for Christmas every year in return.
He feels better after just a few laps around the ice. The chill that bites as he speeds up his pace, the white noise of his blades in the ice, it all settles him like nothing else. He speeds up still, setting up for a triple Salchow — easy, almost second nature, a jump he could do in his sleep. He pushes off, but as soon as he’s airborne, something jolts through him, makes his stomach turn over. He pops the jump to a single and lands on the wrong edge, losing his balance and sprawling across the ice on his back. He stays there, staring up at the lights, letting the cold leech in through his sweatshirt. 
Almost four years later, and this is still happening. He scares himself out of jumps like he expects each one to end badly, even though he knows — logically, statistically knows — that it’s unlikely. 
And yet. Here he is. On his back. After another failure.
He’s too tired to feel pissed or frustrated like he usually does, so he’s just resigned. Today is not the day for jumps. That’s just how it is.
He gets up finally and skates over to his bag, digs his headphones out and queues up his short program music. He works through the step sequences, over and over, making little tweaks as necessary, thinking through where the judges could take off points until it’s perfect. The repetition quiets the last of his racing thoughts, and he finally feels like himself again. 
He’s moving into his last spin when he sees movement out of the corner of his eye. He slows down enough to recognize Eddie, inching towards the locker room like he’s trying not to be seen.
Buck stops, staring Eddie down. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Eddie freezes eyes wide, looking suspiciously guilty. He walks forward, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I have an 8am and wanted to beat traffic on my way in. The back door was open when I got here, and I saw the lights on, so I—” he swallows, looking anywhere but Buck’s face. There’s a blush crawling up his neck, and he looks nervous.
Nervous like he just got caught somewhere he shouldn’t be, Buck thinks. He narrows his eyes as he checks his watch — it’s 7:00. He gets wanting to beat traffic, but a whole hour?
He quickly makes his way off the ice, grabbing his bag from the bench. “Well, I’m done for now, it’s all yours.”
“Thanks,” Eddie says quietly. Buck’s just about through the door when he hears his name. He turns back to Eddie, his blush now all the way up to his hairline.
“You looked good out there. Can’t wait to see it in competition.”
Buck freezes, processing the compliment. A compliment. From Eddie. They hardly talk unless they have to, and even then it’s never friendly. Cordial, sure, but not friendly.
So why is he being so nice now?
Buck just narrows his eyes again before stalking off to the lockers.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Mads, I really think he’s gonna pull a Tonya Harding on me.”
She looks at him over her wine glass, unimpressed. “Yeah, because that worked out so well for Tonya the first time.”
“I’m serious!” he says, taking a sip from his own glass. Neither of them drink during the season, so they’re taking full advantage of their weekly wine nights while they can. Buck’s not a lightweight by any means, but two glasses in and he is starting to feel a little fuzzy. And a little crazy, trying to figure out what Eddie was up to this morning. “You haven’t seen any weird guys lurking around have you? You’d tell me if you did, right?”
Maddie rolls her eyes. “You sound insane.”
“I’m not insane if I’m right. Why else would he be watching me?”
“We all watch each other, Buck! He was watching Chim and me yesterday too while he was on break. He even said our twizzles were really in sync.”
“You better watch your back too, maybe he’s trying to take the whole club out.”
“Oh my god,” she says, pouring another, very full glass.
“He’s just so— he’s—”
“Annoyingly perfect? Obnoxiously talented? I know, Buck, you only bring it up every 15 minutes.”
Buck deflates at that. “I don’t— it’s not that often.” Sure, he rants about how clean Eddie’s edges are and how good his quad flip is, but that’s because it’s so irritating. Buck works just as hard as Eddie, and he knows he’s not flawless. But somehow, Eddie is. Stupidly flawless and perfect and— 
“I’m just saying,” she says, squeezing his hand across the table and bringing him back to the conversation. She pours him another generous glass, too. “This energy is great, but it would probably be better to put more of it into practice and less of it into worrying about one of your competitors. I know you’re nervous about this season, but you can’t let that turn into this weird paranoia. Don’t let it take your head out of the game.”
He sits back and sighs. She’s right, of course. She always is.
He doesn’t tell her that, though. Just takes a gulp of wine and tries not to think about Eddie’s annoyingly perfect anything. 
~~~~~~~~~~
There’s a news truck parked outside the rink when he gets in the next morning, and he spends about 15 minutes contemplating just going home and telling Bobby he’s sick. 
The lead reporter — Taylor, he thinks — claims they’re here to do a profile on the club and how they’re preparing for the Olympics, but he knows they’re mostly here for Eddie. They want any and all sound bites they can get from him to use over and over and over in coverage leading up to Beijing. Quotes about hard work and following his dreams that they can play over footage of him skating and smiling after winning again. Buck’s already annoyed at the prospect of seeing them on NBC Sports for the next six months.
To their credit, they do film everyone practicing at some point. They get Maddie and Chim doing their new rotational lift, May landing her triple lutz that she’s been working on for months, and Buck’s nearly perfect (if he does say so himself) flying camel spin. So at least they have good footage of him, not just random shots in the background of Eddie’s. Maybe he’ll even get his own little promo. 
Bobby calls him into his office after lunch, where the news crew has set up an interview space. He wasn’t expecting to talk to anyone — maybe a quick question at the boards, but nothing this fancy. He sits in one of the chairs as someone puts powder on his face and tries to do something with his hair. Taylor sits down across from him, a 1000-watt smile turned on as the cameras start rolling.
“So, Evan. Or do you prefer Buck?”
“Evan’s fine.” As much as he hates his first name, it’s how the general public knows him. Buck is reserved for friends and family.
And Eddie, an annoying voice reminds him. Fine, friends and family and...competitors.
“You came in second at Nationals and Four Continents last year, and fourth at Worlds. How do you feel about the momentum going into this Olympic season?”
“Every season is different,” he says as diplomatically as possible. These reporters always want drama, someone slipping up and bragging about themselves when they have no right to. He’s not wrong — every season is different. No matter who’s expected to win or who has the most medals, you never know how everything will play out. “We haven’t had a men’s field this strong in a while, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens. But I’m as prepared as I can be at this point.”
“You were injured right before the last Olympics. Do you see this year as a bit of redemption for yourself?”
He feels his smile go tight. “It’s every kid’s dream to go to the Games. It’s certainly still mine. I’m ready to do whatever I can to make that dream come true.”
“Eddie Diaz has been with your club for just over a year now. What’s it like training with him?”
There it is, he thinks. He’s surprised she asked so many questions about him before getting to Eddie. The first responses he thinks of are all variations of he sucks and I can’t stand the sight of him, but he knows any petty answers will be worse for him personally than anyone else. So, as much as it pains him, he settles on the nicest version of the truth he can muster.
“Eddie’s an amazing skater,” he says, surprising himself at how genuine he sounds. “He’s been paving new paths in the sport, and he’s pushed everyone to be better to try and get on his level, myself included. He definitely brings that same energy to the club.”
“Do you think you can beat him this year?”
Wow, she’s not holding any punches.
He shrugs, smiling through the sudden burst of anxiety in his veins. “We’ll just have to wait and see.” 
~~~~~~~~~~
Despite his less than fiery interview, Taylor asks him what he’s doing after practice right before they leave. It’s easy enough to turn her down — he’s got an early PT appointment in the morning, plus the way she’s been looking at him all day is making him itchy. He can tell she only sees him as an object — as a means to get her name on a lead story or a body to keep her bed warm or both — and that’s just not something he’s interested in. Maybe a few years ago, when sex was a way for him to forget about the potential end of his career, but not now.
As nonchalant as he was in the interview, this season really could make or break him. 
He can’t afford any distractions.
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dreamingofaizawa · 3 years
Text
Queen of Hades
Hades! Shouta Aizawa x Persephone! Fem! Reader
***18+ Fic***
If you are not 18 years or older, please refrain from reading any further. Thank you.
Warnings: TW: Incest, kidnapping, stockholm-ish, slow-burn ish, smut, praise kink and body worship if you squint, possessive during smexy time, overstimulation, squirting, dacryphilia, masturbation (not super descriptive tho), unprotected sex (pretty obvious but I’m putting it here anyway), creampie, aftercare, tiny bit of angst at the end but not too bad.
Word Count: 9.7k (Holy shit)
Author’s Note: *kinda long note here, you don’t really have to read it if you don’t want to*
Ohhhkaaaayyyyyy so this took a lot out of me. This is my longest fic so far, and honeslty I’m kinda proud of it. I’ve always been a sucker for Greek mythology, and I’ve always had a soft spot for Hades because he’s so sorely portrayed as a villain in mainstream media. He’s really not as bad as movies like Percy Jackson and Hercules make him out to be. Nothing in the mythology suggests that Persephone was unhappy, so I took it a ran with it. I also drew a bit of inspiration from Lore Olympus on WebToon (iykyk) for the parts regarding Demeter’s parenting.
The only three characters I really referenced to mha besides Aizawa is Hizashi Yamada (Hermes), Momo Yaoyorozu (Aphrodite), and Bakugo Katsuki (Ares). I went with Momo for Aphrodite solely because she seems like the only one Bakugo would willingly listen to since she’s on par with him at least in intelligence. I made Bakugo Ares because he’s the god of war, and tends to get angry easily. Their temperaments are similar, except for the fact that Ares can be pretty cowardly (sorry not sorry Ares).
Anyway, enjoy~
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The god sat on his throne, contemplating his lonely existence for what felt like the hundredth time. It may have been, considering he is immortal. At one time, he’d never given loneliness a second thought. He didn’t mind being this way. His job was important, even if melancholy, and he took it very seriously. Keeping Cerberus tame and entertained was probably the most difficult part, physically. The three-headed dog sat at the entrance to the underworld, guarding at all times to ensure any and all souls that passed through could never escape. And Hades simply ruled over this plane of existence, ensuring nothing was out of order and those kept in the depths of Tartarus remained there. 
However, in the last couple centuries the raven-haired god had been plagued with longing for someone to share his existence with. He no longer wanted to be alone. He craved someone to spend his time with, someone to think about and experience what mortals and gods alike called love. He wanted a queen. With the time he had on his hands, he prepared himself to scour the mortal realm as well as Olympus, to search under the invisibility his helm allowed him. Soon he was walking the realms, invisible to all creatures, observing, searching for his queen.
____
Being the daughter of Demeter wasn’t easy. The goddess hovered over you, making sure you were doing your duties properly as the goddess of vegetation. Being a goddess yourself was only made difficult by your mother. She needed perfection. You worked diligently to hone your powers, urging plantlife to grow to your will and learning about the time before the gods. You spent every day under her guidance, until she was finally satisfied with your performance. She’d finally stopped pushing you about a century ago, now simply watching with no commentary or instructions.
Today was finally the day you’d be able to have time completely alone outside your quarters. You wandered, stopping in a beautiful meadow. The sight made your heart swell with joy. Lush, soft grass stretched as far as you could see, flowers of all colors blanketing the area. From bright, vibrant sunshine yellow to deep cerulean and mulberry. Some of the lone flowers stood tall enough to touch your hips as you floated through the greenery. It was serene, peaceful. Your chest felt light, finally you were free from your mother’s harsh gaze to relax, all alone.
As you finally decided you’d return, you thought of the beauty of the area. It didn’t take long for you to find a few choice blooms to pick and carefully pluck them from the ground. Keeping them alive would be effortless from your amount of training. You’d keep them in your chambers, a memory of the feelings you experienced here. Satisfied with your choices, you took a final glance around you and began your return.
You only made it a few steps when suddenly the ground began to quake. Only a horse’s length from your feet, you watched wide-eyed as the ground split open to a huge chasm, chunks of earth tumbling into the void. A golden chariot pulled by four beautiful black stallions emerged from the fissure, pulling to an abrupt halt next to you. A raven-haired man stood proud in the chariot, one hand extended out toward you. His face showed no emotions, his dark obsidian eyes tired and sad, a scar curved under his right eye and light scruff adorning his chiseled jaw.
You shrunk away from his hand, unsure of his identity or the reason for such a surprise visit. “Who are you?” you ask warily, your eyes narrowing slightly. “I am Hades, god of death and wealth. Your mother would know me as Aidoneus.” Your eyes widened in shock. No wonder you didn’t know who this is. Hades rarely left the Underworld, and hasn’t in the past thousand or so years according to what you’d heard from your mother. Why was he here of all places? Sensing your apprehension, he reached out for you once more.
“Please, my sweet, come with me to the Underworld.” Your eyebrows scrunched in confusion. You weren’t entirely sure why the god of death wanted you, but you didn’t want to find out. Shaking your head, you took a few tentative steps backward. “I...don’t want to go with you…” The idea of abandoning your duties was absurd. You were a goddess, and your mother would be absolutely furious if she found out you’d gone with Hades and vanished to the underworld. Not to mention how your family might feel about your sudden disappearance.
A loud cry of your name had you snapping your head toward the source. A beautiful woman donning golden armor wielding a spear was sprinting toward you, her brown curls pulled tight into a woven plait down her back. “Athena!” You called to her as you began to run, but you were lifted off your feet before you could take a second step. In a blur of motion you found yourself in Hades’ golden chariot, a strong arm around your waist holding you tight to the god’s side. He peered down at you with those deep dark eyes as the chariot descended into the chasm.
“I am sorry, my love. But coming with me was never your choice to make.” You looked upward, watching as the earth closed above you. Panicked, you struggled in Hades’ grasp, but he was too strong for you to escape. “Please, don’t fight me.” You shot the god a glare that could kill, tears streaming down your face. “I never asked to be taken! Why? Why have you stolen me away?” A heaved sigh escaped his lips. “I will explain, my love, but for now,” he brings his other hand up and taps your forehead with two fingers, “Sleep.” Your eyelids droop, and your consciousness fades to black.
____
He had hoped you’d come with him willingly. Of course, he knew the chances of that happening were rather slim. Confiding in Zeus about his newfound feelings for you may have been a bad idea for him, considering he was the one to come up with this ridiculous plan. The god of the sky was supposed to be distracting most of the other gods and goddesses with a meeting, though it isn’t a surprise that Athena had managed to slip away. He was rather lucky to have been able to escape Athena without direct confrontation. He may be a powerful god, but Athena was the goddess of war strategy and wisdom. She could probably fight Zeus himself and find a way to come out victorious.
But now, as he gaze down at your sleeping form in his bed, he can’t help but feel it was worth the trouble. You were absolutely gorgeous, a beauty to rival Aphrodite, though he’d never say it aloud for fear of the woman’s jealous revenge. He watched the rise and fall of your chest, the way your lips parted ever so slightly with your breath. He wants so badly to kiss you, to hold you and cherish you, to worship you the way you should be. But he wants you to accept him and love him of your own accord. He’d made that decision from the first time he laid eyes on you. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to your forehead before leaving you to rest.
____
It felt like you hadn’t even been asleep for a second, like you had only just closed your eyes. But you definitely weren’t in the chariot anymore, and Hades was nowhere to be seen. Sitting up, you took in your surroundings. You lay on a large bed covered in fine pelts and furs on the wall furthest from the door. The room itself is large enough to fit at least three chariots and room to spare. Cool blue floated around the room, candles inset in the walls lit with cerulean fire, emitting a soft glow and shadows dancing in the light. The room was relatively empty, save for the armor on the wall along with a two-pronged scepter and a helm. There was no question in your mind where you were.
The large wooden door creaked as it opened, the King of the Underworld himself standing in the doorway. You glared as he made his way over to you and sat on the edge of the bed. “Why am I here, Hades?” You absolutely meant for the edge to come through in your voice, letting out your aggression in the most passive way possible. You hoped the tinge of fear you felt hadn’t shown through as well. As much as you didn’t like being taken against your will and hated Hades for it, you didn’t want to get into a fight with the god of death.
“Please, my name is Shouta. The mortals call me Hades. And you’re here because I’ve fallen in love with you, sweet goddess.” His voice was gentle, apologetic even. “The kidnapping was Zeus’s idea. I only went along with it because I knew my sister would never let me have you if I asked. I know how she is with her children.” You gave a small huff and pulled your knees into your chest, eyes still on the god. “Talking to me first was always an option, you know.” His shoulders shook as he chuckled. “My apologies. I should have talked to you first.” 
Apprehensively, you asked the question you were sure you already knew the answer to. You tore your eyes away from him, suddenly the furs underneath you were the most interesting thing in the world. “When can I go back?” His hand appeared in front of you, and you didn’t flinch or move away as his calloused palm cupped your face gently, making you look up into his dark eyes. “I’m sorry, my love. But I can’t let you return yet.” You gave a small nod, and he pulled his hand from your face as he stood. “Walk with me?”
His eyes were hopeful, waiting for the answer he wanted. If you declined, would he force you to go with him anyway? You squeezed your knees further into you, giving an indirect ‘no’ to test his reaction. He let out a small sigh, “I see. If you need anything, you can call for me.” He moved to walk out of the room, not halfway to the door when you stopped him. “Actually...um...I think a walk would be okay.” Slowly, you got up and walked over to him, and he gave a small smile before leading you out of the room.
The underworld was nothing like you thought it would be.
Hades - or rather, Shouta - led you on a tour of all three realms of the Underworld on the boat steered by Charon, the ferryman that delivered souls to the three parts of the Underworld. The Elysian Fields were gorgeous, mirroring daytime in the mortal realm with lush greenery and bright sunshine. This part was reserved for the mortals that were exceptionally heroic in their lifetime. Good people who lived lives giving to the people that needed it with no expectation to be repaid. All the souls here were happy, either playing or relaxing with each other in this afterlife.
The next part was the Asphodel Fields. This realm was darker, stuck in a deep limbo but beautiful all the same. A bright full moon sat high in the sky, the ground littered with luminous teal crystals. These souls were shadows of themselves, normal mortals that made mistakes and loved and lived their lives as best they could. They now live a mirrored life here, as a shadowed version of themselves. It was not a sad existence, but one that the mortal souls could be satisfied with.
As you rode the boat with Shouta on the river Phlegethon toward Tartarus, your body began to shake and your breath shallowed. You could feel the foul energy seeping into the air the closer you got. This was where the worst of the worst were kept prisoner. This realm locked a wicked soul in a loop of punishment and suffering. He looked down at you and wrapped an arm securely around your waist, and you peered up into his black orbs. “Tartarus is not a place I enjoy taking you, but I do intend on making you my Queen. You will need to see it even from a distance. I promise, you are safe.”
With a nod, he turns his attention back toward the bow. The closer you got to Tartarus, the more you began to feel fear. Despite the river of fire and the heat pouring from the banks, your body shook. The sheer bloodlust, anger, resentment, and malice pouring from the shoreline was enough to make your heart race. You may be a goddess, but you are young and weak compared to the god next to you. You feel yourself pressing into Shouta more as you float past the shore. The sights before you are horrific, if only because of the souls that are there.
You’d learned about the war between the gods and the titans early on in your life, and now here you were seeing the titans for yourself. They were enormous. Even on their knees, bound in chains thicker than the largest tree trunk, made from Adamantine the metal of the gods, they towered like mountains. They were monstrous, some with more heads than you could count, some with extra limbs, some with animalistic traits and some purely demonic. The sound of the chains rattling rang through the entire realm as a few lunged out toward the boat, only to be stopped short by the chains. 
You jumped several times, fear consuming you. Shouta held you close, his arm tight around your shoulders as you clung to him. Confidence and power radiated off his form as he raised his other arm, the chains around the titans tightening and drawing into the ground with a flick of his wrist. He leaned down and whispered into your ear. “You are safe, my love. They cannot hurt you.” You calmed a bit with Shouta next to you, securing you to him and keeping you safe.
The ferry floated along and soon you were out of the realm of Tartarus, back at the palace grounds that the god lived in. The building was beautiful, built like the temples the mortals built for the gods. However, the stone it was made from was not white but black, polished to a beautiful shine that reflected the cool blue glow from the misty realm. This area was not in any of the three parts of the afterlife. It was the god of death’s personal realm. 
The large temple sat high on a rocky hill, a staircase carved into the cliff face that led down to the five rivers that course through the underworld, all of them parallel each other until they branched off. The realm itself was magical in its own right. It seemed to be an enormous cave, huge stalactites hung from the ceiling, which was shrouded in deep blue mist that sparkled and mimicked the night sky. It was so high even the largest and lowest stalactites hung miles above the ground. The ground was all black earth, void of vegetation but full of life all the same, the scent of upturned earth and rain filling your senses. 
You ogled at the beauty of it all, despite the darkness. You hadn’t taken the time to observe before the tour, but now that you could you almost didn’t want to look away. You felt the warmth of Shouta’s body as he pressed against your back, a hand gently taking your chin and directing your head up to look at the misty abyss. “Would you like to know what sparkles through the mist?” You gave a small nod. Though the mist was thick, there was something sparkling from far above it that made up the constellations in the sky of the mortal realm.
He stretched an arm out, palm up as if to catch something. The star you recognised as Polaris shone brightly then faded, and the glimmering speck fell from the fog, landing square in Shouta’s palm. It was a large gem, sparkling against the darkness. You traced your fingers along its ragged edges, and it floated back up to its place when you dropped your hand. It was then you remembered that Hades was not only the god of death. He was the god of wealth, of earthly riches, precious gems and metals that mortals sought to obtain.
Shouta’s voice was smooth and deep in your ear, his body still pressed up to yours. “Let us go inside, my love. It is time to rest. Tomorrow, I will take you to see Cerberus.” You let your body relax into him, relishing in the safety of his embrace. Giving a small nod, you let the raven-haired god guide you into the palace. He led you to a hot spring in the back of the palace, the large steaming pool set deep in the ground and illuminated by blue flame candles. He left you alone to bathe, and you relaxed into the water as you reflected on the recent developments.
Despite kidnapping you, the god clearly harbors no ill intentions toward you. He’d even revealed that the whole thing was, in fact, your father’s idea. He’s kind, sweet, nothing like the angry and cruel god the mortals seem to fear. And he radiates power, his strength clear even when he first appeared to you in the field. He suppresses his overwhelming prowess around you, you’d realised. It became clear just how powerful a god he is when he took you through Tartarus. As powerful as he is he’s gentle toward you, compassionate and caring, dare you say loving. He did claim to have fallen in love with you.
Still, you had duties as a goddess, though your mother was more than capable of handling it on her own. The only reason you had duties is because you are the daughter of gods. You wondered briefly what she was thinking right now, if she knew you were gone, if Athena had informed her of your current placement. You would have to wait to find out. Until then, you would enjoy your time here. The Underworld is beautiful, and mostly peaceful, disregarding Tartarus. If Shouta means to make you his Queen, maybe you could learn to love the man as you’ve come to love the realm he rules. 
And of course, the god himself was rather handsome. His deep obsidian eyes held eons of emotion. Strength, power, loneliness and longing. And when he looked at you, you could tell he was sure he loved you, his eyes full of pure adoration. His long raven locks framed his face perfectly, the onyx crown he wore nearly invisible in his dark tresses. His jawline was strong, sharp, his ivory skin seemingly glowing blue in the atmosphere of the Underworld. The robes he wore hung loose around his frame, but it wasn’t hard to tell his body was strong and well built. He was a god, after all. You’d be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t want to see him in all his glory.
You finished your bath and fell asleep in the same bed as the god, your backs to each other and plenty of room between you. You only knew him for a single day, but you trusted him with your immortal life. When you woke up, Shouta took you to see Cerberus like he said he would. The dog sat proud just inside the entrance, the gate closer to resembling a cave entrance than an actual gate. Cerberus had his own wide perch above the ground to look down and watch the entrance closely, his job as gatekeeper being taken just as seriously as Shouta took his job as king of the Underworld.
Reaching the river bank, Shouta stepped out and held his hand out to you, helping you out of the riverboat after him. Soon the two of you were approaching the three-headed beast, and the closer you got the more you understood just how large Cerberus is. Sitting on his haunches, his shoulders towered far above your head. You’d have to climb up onto his back to reach his three heads. As the two of you approached, the hound turned his heads and bowed low, muzzles nearly in the dirt with a low growl emanating from him. 
Shouta, with a hand at the small of your back, walked up to the beast and placed a hand on the middle head, slowly petting up and down in between his eyes. You could hear the whoosh of his large tail behind him. He may be the guard dog to the Underworld, but he was still a dog, you supposed. “Hello, old friend. Meet your future Queen.” The head closest to you lifted, a large huff blowing in your face from his snout, before his nose twitched as he sniffed at your hair and face. You giggled, the air tickling your neck and face, as you reached up and held the large head in your hands and kissed above his nose.
“Such a sweet boy, aren’t you?” The hound’s tail swished harder and one of his front paws tapped against the ground, his body almost dancing at the praise and attention. Mindlessly, you let your hand pet at his fur as you observed the other two heads. Each one seemed to have a different personality. The one you were giving attention to was happy and jumpy, constantly sniffing and licking you. The one in the center was calm and collected, stoic even, eyes trained on the entrance as Shouta pet it. The furthest from you seemed angry, a low growl a near constant as his gaze was focused on the cave entrance. 
“Show her a little respect won’t you? It won’t kill you.” The angry head huffed before turning its gaze to you, giving a short bow, and with a snarl turning his attention back to the entrance. As interesting as guarding the gate seems, the only one that actually entered through the gate was Hermes. You watched as the god zoomed in and out, delivering souls to the dock, sending those who could pay off with Charon as he rowed them to their respective placements. You doubted any soul would be able to leave. They’d be spotted and caught easily, if Cerberus had anything to say about it.
Several months passed while you were down in the Underworld, staying by Shouta’s side through whatever he needed to do. No matter how many times you travelled through the underworld with Shouta, you never got enough of the beauty of it all. Sometimes he’d take you through the Asphodel Fields, deep into the crystal forests.  He walked with you through the fields with a warm hand at the small of your back, gently guiding you where you had yet to roam. The longer you stayed, the more you found yourself wanting to be around the god.
Any time he needed to visit Tartarus, you’d join him, and he’d keep you tucked into his side the whole time. You felt safe in his hands. Lately you’d been cuddling closer to him at night, longing for his embrace. His rather thick arms would curl around your waist and shoulders, pulling you tight to his chest. You'd wake up to the god’s deep obsidian eyes on your face, his gaze soft as he told you how beautiful you are or how thankful he was that he could wake up next to you. He’d leave soft kisses on your forehead and cheeks, thick fingers rolling shapes into your skin. 
It was those little intimate moments that had you falling, very possibly in love, with the King of the Underworld. When he’d run his hands down your arms and whisper his affections. When he’d teach you about the workings of the Underworld while you pet Cerberus’s head. In the bath when he’d wash you after a long day, never advancing further than a chaste kiss to your shoulder and neck. The lingering, longing, loving gaze he set on you while you rode the riverboat to the different realms. In no time at all you’d realized you’re happy here.
Now, you both stood at the gate with Cerberus once again. One head was nuzzling up against you, the other two focused on the entrance as you and Shouta pet the happy dog. You’d learned that while the center wasn’t averse to physical touch, he preferred to be left alone. The angry one had become less growly and aggressive toward you, which you supposed was progress. Though you were sure if you ever attempted to leave the Underworld, Cerberus would stop you regardless. Not that you wanted to leave.
A whoosh of wind rushed past you and suddenly Hermes was standing on the other side of Shouta, a wide grin plastered on his face as he leaned on the god’s shoulder. “What’s up, Sho?” His hypnotic green eyes wandered over to you and his eyebrows raised as his grin widened. “So this is miss Persephone, is it?” He held a hand out for you to shake. “It’s good to meet you.” Tentatively, you reached out and took his hand, shaking it before you asked the question burning in your mind. 
“Sorry, but why did you just call me Persephone?” A moment of realization hit the blonde. “OH! Yeah, you’ve been called Persephone by the mortals, as well as the rest of Olympus. The Bringer of Destruction. Fitting for the Queen of the Underworld, isn’t it?” Your breath quickened and eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. “Why would they call me that? I haven’t done anything!” Shouta narrowed his eyes at the god. “Hizashi, what’s this about?” He leaned away with his hands up in mock surrender.
“Hey, it wasn’t me. When Demeter found out her daughter was missing she abandoned her duties up in Olympus. The mortal realm has slowly been changing ever since she left, slowly becoming cold and barren. It’s not pretty. Your other siblings are trying their best to uphold Demeter’s abandoned chores but...they aren’t their mother.” Shouta slipped an arm over your shoulder, tucking you into his side, and you clung to him in your increasingly distressed state, relishing in the safety his arms often held for you. The two gods talked as you tried to ground yourself.
“How much does Demeter know?” A high-pitched hum rang from the blonde. “Well Zeus, Athena and I are the only ones who know you took her. I believe Hestia, Hera, and Poseidon know she’s here but not how she got here, and the rest just don’t know anything. Zeus made Athena swear not to say anything, but considering she’s his favorite it may be only a matter of time before she confesses to Demeter with no repercussions. There’s also a possibility Aphrodite and Eros know for reasons that should be obvious to you.”
While they spoke your mind was reeling. You never thought anything of your mother’s hovering, but she’d abandoned her duties up in Olympus just because you’d vanished. What did that even mean? And now that the mortal realm was suffering, would you be punished for it? Would you be blamed for your mother’s absence? 
____
“Do I have to go back to Olympus?” Shouta could hear the slight panic and sadness in your voice, and it made his grip around you just a bit tighter. Both their eyes flicked over to you, Shouta’s gaze soft and concerned. Hermes - Hizashi - gave a kind smile. “So far, nothing’s been decided. Zeus is pretty adamant about keeping this whole thing discreet, so for now you can stay here with Sho.” You seemed to relax in his arms, but Shouta could tell you were still stressed about the whole situation. 
“Thanks ‘Zashi.” The blonde nodded, then zipped away and returned to his duties as the messenger god. Shouta looked back down at you and he could see the tension in your face. Eyebrows slightly scrunched, bottom lip pulled between your teeth as you chewed on it, crossed arms and hands clutching your biceps. He’d almost call it adorable if he couldn’t feel just how stressed you were, leaning your body into him like a cat seeking shelter from the rain. His arm slipped down to your waist as he guided you back to the ferry. 
It didn’t take long for the both of you to be back at the temple. He sat you on the bed then kneeled in front of you, rough hands gently holding your own, calloused thumbs massaging circles into your skin. “My love, you are upset.” He watched and listened as you poured out your worries, all of them fears of whether or not the mortal realm would survive, if you were to be punished for your mother’s actions, if your mother would punish you herself for disappearing. He reassured you that he wouldn’t let anyone punish you for anything, that he’d protect you with his life. 
He had already vowed to himself never to let anything happen to his precious Queen. He is not a violent god, but he would hunt down any soul that dared so much as a wrong thought about you, vowing that there would be hell to pay. If he ever let something happen to you, he swore he’d never leave the Underworld again, and instead trap himself in Tartarus indefinitely. Eventually, he would express his devotion to you, his undying love and loyalty, but for now all you needed to know was that you were safe with him.
His heart nearly skipped a beat when your eyes filled with tears, voice breaking as you cried about not wanting to leave the Underworld, not wanting to leave his side. You’d grown to love the realm for all it had, as well as the man who ruled over it. He knew as well as you did that you would eventually have to return to Olympus, and there was no guarantee you would ever come back. Well, there was one, but he would never suggest it to you for it was almost cruel. It kept you connected to this realm, like a chain to an anchor.
But then you had to go and ask.
____
You could see the turmoil behind his dark irises. He was thinking, and thinking hard. “Sho...is there any way for me to come back?” His jaw clenched, something you’d come to recognize as a signal of stress for the god of death. “What do you mean, love? You could return any time you like.” You squeezed his hands, willing him to listen. “I mean permanently, Shouta. If somehow my mother refuses to let me return, is there a way to tie me to you? To make sure I need to return no matter what?” 
His usually calm features twisted in surprise, eyes wide and jaw clenched tight, his hands gripping your own. But the shock only lasted a moment before he was relaxing again. “My love, there is a way. But it is not kind to you, to force you to return here.” The sadness at that statement was clear in his eyes. He didn’t want to think of it, but the possibility for you to never want to return to him was there. Your eyebrows furrowed deeply and you ripped your hands away from his, planting your palms on either side of his face and forcing him to look deep into your eyes.
“I want to return here, Shouta, to you. Look into my soul and tell me I’m lying to you.” His dark onyx stared into you, and you stared back. He would know your sincerity, whether he wanted to or not. He had to know how much you truly cared, how far you’d fallen since that day in the meadow when he scooped you up into his golden chariot. You had to make him know. He didn’t protest when you began to pull him closer, leaning in until your lips ghosted over each other.
You’d never been this close before. He never advanced on you, never made you uncomfortable, never forced anything on you. He refused to force even the smallest things on you, like placing a hand on your waist or your shoulder, always asking permission and making sure you were okay first and foremost. Maybe it was just because of how gentle he is with you, or the fact that he’s the sweetest deity you’d met. Maybe it was the work of Eros. But you were no doubt in love with Shouta.
When your lips connected it was like a wave of heat crawled over your body, a spark igniting flame that rolled through your veins. You fit perfectly together, molding to each other in a sweet, passionate kiss. His own hands found purchase on your waist and neck, gentle caresses holding you close. Finally pulling away, you were both breathless, sucking in air through shuddered breaths and adrenaline. His voice came through heavy and thick with swirling emotions. “There is a way to keep you here, but will you wait and think about the decision before it is made?”
You knew what he was doing. He was preparing himself for what, in his mind, is an inevitable rejection from you. You also understood that he was taking you greatly into consideration, thinking about you and your happiness first. And that’s why you knew you loved him. Because you cared about him before yourself. Loving each other more than yourselves was something you shared. “Tell me now, my King, and I promise I’ll think about it.”
He sighed, but you couldn’t tell if it was from relief, sadness, or stress. Regardless, he explained to you the magic of the Underworld, and that if you were to eat a pomegranate seed from the realm you’d be compelled to return, whether you wanted to or not. You gave a nod and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you, Shouta. I will think about it. And you’ll know my answer when it comes time for me to return to Olympus.” He nodded, clearly grateful that you’d heed his words. However you fully intended to eat a seed when asked to return to Olympus. You had already made up your mind, and nothing could change it.
____
Waking up every day to see your face was a blessing for the god of death. He loved that you’d become comfortable with him, that you curled into his side while you slept. He adored your half-lidded, sleepy eyes when you first woke up in the morning. He adored your mussed hair before you combed it out and pulled it into a loose braid down your shoulder. Everything you did made him adore you even more, everything about you was the most beautiful thing to him. 
He loved all of you, all that you did and said, every little detail of your existence. And he made sure you knew, whispering sweet nothings as he held you in bed, praising your beauty while he bathed with you. Every morning he watched your gorgeous eyes flutter open and made known his gratitude for being able to hold you so close. You never said much yourself, but he’d never have it any different. Your movements were enough for him. He lived for the little gestures and physical touches. The way you’d cling to him while you were out, how you’d hug him close at night. How you’d lean into his chest while you bathed together, or run your fingers through his hair when you relax in bed.
But he hated what you did to him, when you’d get close and squish your body up against him, when he felt your soft skin under his rough palms. He hated the feelings being with you unlocked, the filthiest parts of his mind coming to light. He wanted to ruin you in the best way, to make you his forever. He wants to worship every inch of you, and watch as you unravel beneath him. Late at night while you were fast asleep he’d gaze at your body, eating up every bit of exposed skin and letting his imagination run rampant. Tears falling down your face from pure overwhelming pleasure, sweet sounds pouring from your kiss-swollen lips, legs quivering and fingers clawing at the bed beneath you.
Tonight was no different as his eyes raked over your slumbering form. He could feel himself hardening just at the sight of you, and it drove him insane. He was slightly disappointed in himself for allowing something like lust to affect him so heavily. But it did, and he had to take care of it.
____
You were only half awake when you heard a soft curse and felt Shouta shift in bed behind you. When you rolled over to curl into him, you confirmed he wasn’t there and it woke you up rather quickly. Still a tiny bit groggy, you got up and went to search for him through the temple. Really, there weren’t very many places to search. It wasn’t long before you ended up outside the bathing room, but something stopped you before you stepped through the curtained entryway. 
You could hear heaved breaths and soft curses from inside, the light slosh of water muffling a lot of the sounds. The sounds which were coming from none other than Shouta. You slowly pulled the curtain back, just barely, and peeked in. The sight before you made your thighs squeeze together and heat build in your stomach. The god was leaning on the edge of the small pool, head thrown back and his lower half below the water. It wasn’t hard to figure out what he was doing, with his hand submerged and the muscles in his arm flexing and pumping slowly.
You’d be lying if you denied how much you wanted him. You craved him in the worst way, wanted to touch his bare skin and feel the muscles in his back tense under your fingers. You wanted to see him lose himself and ravage you, to watch as he let his more primal instincts take over. The only problem you saw was how you would approach the subject, especially when your lustful feelings were becoming very hard to ignore. But now, you had just found the perfect opportunity.
Shouta’s back was mostly turned toward the curtains, so it wasn’t hard for you to slip into the room unnoticed. Silently, you padded up behind him and knelt. He was still pumping himself below the water, whispering filthy words and your name under heavy breaths. You reached out and grabbed his shoulders, making him jump, but you quickly shushed him. “It’s me, my King.” He froze, his entire body tensing and his shoulders rising with shuddered breaths. 
“I-I’m sorry, my love...I-” You released your grasp and leaned over to look in his eyes, silencing him. “No, Shouta. Don’t be sorry. We may be deities but we are afflicted with emotion, same as any mortal.” Leaning down, you kissed and nipped below his jaw. “Come to bed, and we can help each other with those emotions.” He turned his head to you, brows slightly furrowed and concern laced in his voice. “You don’t have to help me, sweet girl. You shouldn’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
You raised an eyebrow at him, a small smirk tugging at your lips. “Did I not just say we’d help each other?” Surprise was evident on his face as he gazed up at you from the water. You leaned close to his face, lips just grazing each other, and stared deep into his eyes. “If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t have offered.” Just as he pressed forward, you leaned back and stood, leaving the god shocked and wanting more. “I’ll be in bed, if you feel like joining me.” You swayed your hips a little more as you disappeared behind the curtains, a small tease to lure the god.
Back in the room, you stood at the foot of the bed, back to the door as you waited for him. You made it abundantly clear what you wanted, that you knew what you were asking for, and knew what you were offering. The door creaked open, and you could feel the heat of Shouta’s gaze on your body. He was on you nearly instantly as the door shut, his hands roaming your body and lips ghosting over your neck. His voice was raspy, heavy with lust and want. “Are you sure you want this?” You pushed your hips back into him, feeling his hardness through your thin robes. 
A sighed ‘yes’ passed your lips, and it was all the confirmation the god needed. His hands came up and pulled the fabric off your body, the cloth wrapped around his waist following soon after. His thick fingers pinched and pulled at your body, relentless in their attack on your skin. His touch floated over you, sending electricity buzzing through you. Lust built like a wildfire, spreading and burning your blood as it coursed through your veins. You leaned back into him, pressing yourself against his strong body as he peered down yours and left kisses on your neck and shoulder. Your body felt impossibly hot, arousal pulling you deep into him as he traced your body with feather light touches.
Suddenly he grasped your hips tight, turning you and pushing you backward onto the bed. He stayed standing, and you both took a good look at each other for the first time. Yes, you often bathed together, but your back was always to his chest, and the lower halves of your body were submerged. He never touched you anywhere other than your back, shoulders and hair when he helped to wash you, and you never turned to look at him. But now, as you looked up, there was no doubt in your mind you were looking at a god. 
He looked as if he was sculpted from marble, ivory skin pulled taut over chiseled muscles. Scars littered his body, discolored lines carved into his skin, each holding a story. Your breath hitched in your throat when your eyes landed on his cock. You may be a goddess, but if you weren’t prepared, he would undoubtedly destroy you. You felt more than heard the deep chuckle he let out, a devilish smirk set on his lips. “Don’t worry, little one. I won’t break you,” you lifted your eyes to meet his, “Yet.” You swallowed thickly, anticipation building in your chest. He climbs up and slots himself between your legs, leaning over you as his hair hangs in curtains around your face, drawing your eyes to the man above you.
“My love, you can tell me to stop any time.” The look in his eyes told you just how serious he was. He would do anything you asked of him without a second thought. You gave a nod and looped your hands around the back of his neck, pulling him down into a deep, sweet kiss. Your bodies pressed into each other, your skin burning against his as every cell in your body longed for his touch. Both your tongues poked out and melded together, tasting and savoring each other while his hands roamed down your body and your fingers massaged into his scalp. 
When he finally pulled away you both panted, hot breaths fanning over each other’s face. One of his hands trailed down and gripped your thigh, fingers digging into your plush flesh as he ventured toward your heated core. He gathered the slick at the apex of your thighs, groaning at both how wet you had become and the little breathy moan you let out as he pushed a thick digit into your sopping folds. Soon he was adding a second, the burn quickly subsiding into pleasure as his thick fingers curled and scissored, stretching you and preparing you for his cock.
The pleasure was intense for you, never having experienced it like this before. In the 200 years of your life you’d never lain with a man, but there was nothing your mother could do to stop you from learning to pleasure yourself. She knew nothing about what you did alone in your chambers. But this was something different entirely. Shouta’s fingers reached deeper than yours could, stroking every sensitive spot inside you that you’d never known existed. Your legs shook as that familiar coil built in your abdomen, though much faster than you could build it on your own. 
Shouta cooed praises into your ear, that knot beginning to fray the more he focused his attention on that gummy spot on your walls. His thumb slick with your juices reached up and rubbed at the little nub between your folds, and it only took a few tight circles for you to fall apart on his fingers with a moan. He drew out your orgasm, curling his fingers into you until you were choking on sobs from the overwhelming pleasure, your thighs trying to clamp down on his hand and nails digging crescent shapes into his wrist.
You whimpered as he pulled his fingers from you, moaning softly as you watched him suck your essence off his fingers with a lewd groan. He leaned down and pulled you into another heated kiss, and you could taste yourself on his lips. “Are you ready for me?” His breaths are heavy, hands gripping your hips tight, jaw set as he tries to compose himself. “Yes, my love. I’m ready.” He kisses you softly as he pushes into you slowly, swallowing up the little mewls dripping from your lips. One hand is rubbing at your swollen clit and the other toying with your breast to distract you from the stretch of his thick cock.
Your own hands are dragging down his back, trying to ground yourself as the god sank all the way into your cunt, stilling as he bottoms out completely. You’re both taking heaving breaths as your walls flutter, adjusting to him. Your legs are quaking and you mewl softly, tugging at his hair. “Please, Shouta, move.” He pulls his hips back and slowly thrusts back in, dragging the head of his cock along your sensitive walls deliciously. He starts a slow pace, languidly driving himself deep inside you. He leans down and kisses at your neck, the angle change making you throw your head back and moan. 
You purposely clench down on him, and he bucks his hips up into you with a curse under his breath. His hands come back to your hips, fingers digging harshly into your skin as he growls. He pulls back until only the tip of his cock sits inside you, and snaps his hips forward, punching all the air from your lungs as he sets a brutal pace. Shouta doesn’t react as your nails claw furiously at his back, only yanks your body into him as the tip of his cock kisses your cervix with every thrust. Deep guttural growls and moans pour from his lips, the sound of wet skin slapping skin and the sweet, salty smell of sex permeating the room.
The little air you’re able to suck in is expelled in whines and sobs, fat tears streaming from your eyes as they roll back in your skull. Your mind was so far gone with pleasure, your entire body shivering and shaking as calloused fingers rub your clit, sending you head first into a powerful orgasm. His growls deepened as he kept himself from his own release, pounding into you with reckless abandon. His voice was raspy and breathless and one hand gripped your chin, tilting you to face him as he slowed his rutting. “That’s right, little goddess. Cry for your god, for your King. Tell me, who do you belong to?”
You took a moment to breathe through a sob, barely able to think with the overwhelming sensations. He was still thrusting his hips into you, slowly, dragging along your fluttering walls and gripping your face ever so slightly harder. “Answer me, sweet girl. Who do you belong to?” He punctuated the question with a sharp snap of his hips, stealing the air from your lungs before you gasped it back in. “You! I belong to you Shouta!” He’s pounding into you again, his hand moving to squeeze gently at your neck as he drives his cock deep into you over and over again.
“Yes, you’re mine. All mine forever. My goddess, my Queen, my wife, my love.” He lets out a loud moan, rubbing at your clit furiously. “Cum for me again, pretty thing. Cum.” Your entire body thrashes with the intensity of your orgasm, electricity jolting through you, your body answering Shouta’s command as if it knew you belonged to him, just as you both had said. You scream a moan as clear liquid splashes over his thighs and abdomen, and he fucks into you relentlessly as he chases his own release. With a long, low growl he shoves himself up against your cervix, pumping his thick seed into you and painting your insides white.
He keeps his cock buried deep inside you as he wraps his arms under your waist and rolls over onto his back, holding you tight to him as you lay boneless on his chest. You’re panting heavily, a sheen of sweat covering the both of you as he rubs his palms up and down your back. Fatigue tugs at your mind, your eyelids drooping as your breathing finally evens out. You feel Shouta shift your body with ease, pulling himself out of you with a hiss and lifting you into his arms. 
You nuzzle into his chest as he walks, and soon you’re in the warm water of the bath, sitting on the submerged ledge between Shouta’s legs and leaning back into his chest. You can feel the water running down your arms as his hands cup and pour it over you. His rough hands are gentle as they run over your body, slowly cleaning you and massaging your aching muscles. You’re drifting in and out of consciousness, barely registering being carried once again before being laid down on the bed again. Shouta’s strong arms wrap around you, pulling you into his chest as you relax in his hold.
Barely conscious, you kiss his chest lightly, getting a kiss to your temple from the god. His deep voice is tired, but happy, gravelly from earlier. “I love you, (y/n).” You echo the sentiment, barely a whisper, and somewhere in your mind you wonder if he heard you. The question vanishes as quick as it had appeared, and you drift off to sleep.
*
***About 2 months later***
*
It was early, much earlier than you’d normally wake up, when someone showed up at the temple. You were in bed with Shouta, and he awoke at the presence of other gods. Yes, gods. The both of you went to see who it was that garnered his attention. Hizashi - Hermes - stood at the top of the staircase with another god and a goddess. You recognized both. The god with spiky blonde hair and eyes red as blood was Ares, god of war. The goddess had hair black as Shouta’s pulled high on the back of her head. The front of her red dress draped low, down to her navel, her shapely figure complimented by the soft fabric that was no doubt woven from silk. Aphrodite.
The three stood at attention as the two of you walked out, the three eyeing you with very different looks on their faces. Hizashi regarded you fondly, like old friends reconnecting. Ares was angry and guarded, as always, and Aphrodite had a glint in her eyes that you couldn’t quite discern. The ravenette turned to the god of war and nodded, and Ares visibly relaxed, no longer ready for a fight. Hizashi strolled over and leaned on Shouta’s shoulder again, a wide grin plastered on his face. “Hiya, Sho.” The blonde nodded his head at you. “(y/n).” 
You smiled back at him, greeting him kindly before turning to the other two and giving a short bow. Aphrodite returned it, but Ares almost sneered. You weren’t really surprised.  “Why are you three here, Hizashi?” Shouta asked sternly. The blonde seemed to deflate slightly as he walked back over to the other two and stood with them before speaking. “Well, for one, Demeter knows now where her favorite daughter has disappeared to. Imagine her fury when she found out her own brother had stolen her away.” Shouta groaned, then huffed. “She’ll live.”
The blonde chuckled. “Probably. Zeus has ordered that Persephone, formerly known as Kore and given the name (y/n) by Demeter, return to Olympus indefinitely.” Your eyes widened in shock and time seemed to freeze at his words. Your heartbeat drowned out any other noise, panic swirling in your head. Indefinitely? That meant until your mother decided you could come back to Hades, and you knew the answer would be never. You couldn’t live in a world where you couldn’t come back to Shouta. 
The god could sense your distress and pulled you into a tight embrace, still discussing the arrangement with the three deities. But your mind was elsewhere. You knew what had to be done if you ever wanted to return. Heart racing, you leaned back and grabbed Shouta’s face, pulling him to meet your eyes. “Let me eat a seed, Shouta. Please.” His eyebrows knit together and his body tensed as he shook his head. “I can’t let you do that, my love. I can come visit you in Olympus instead.” But you wouldn’t have any of it. 
____
He watched as your eyes filled with tears, your voice quivering and breaking as you spoke. “No! My mother won’t let you see me! And even if I begged her she won’t allow me to return here. She won’t let me come back to you.” Fat tears rolled down your cheeks, sobs shaking your shoulders as you tried to hold them back. He hated seeing you so sad, so heartbroken. But he knew what would happen if you ate a pomegranate seed. To be fair, so did you, and you were willing to do it if it meant you could see him again.
You were willing to be compelled to return, compelled so strongly that if you didn’t return your body would fall ill and weak, pain seeping into your very bones. You would need to return here, to the Underworld, or you would suffer. You would need this realm to survive. He had explained it to you when you asked, and you’d promised you would think about it. Still, he hated the very idea of you being in pain. His mind reeled with the possibilities, and as much as he hated it, you both knew how this was going to go.
____
Staring up at the god, you waited as he lost himself in thought. You didn’t want to force his hand, but if you needed to, you would. Three other deities were present, and could probably hold him long enough for you to pull a red fruit from the earth and swallow down a seed. A deep sigh came from the raven haired god, and a large hand cupped your face as he pulled you into a sweet kiss. He leaned his forehead against yours and sighed softly before speaking, his voice low. “I won’t force you, my love. It is your choice to make.”
You let out a shaky, relieved breath and pulled away from him. Extending your arm out to your side, palm down to the earth, you willed the plant to grow. In mere seconds, a tree sprouted from the dirt, a single large pomegranate glowing with the magic of the Underworld hanging just at your face. You plucked it smoothly, then let the tree shrink back down and vanish. You cracked the fruit open and held a single seed in your palm, looking to Shouta as you took a deep breath. He gave a final nod, and you popped the seed into your mouth, swallowing it whole.
You felt the magic course through you, a piece of the Underworld itself flowing through your body and making itself a part of you. Turning to the three, you spoke, radiating the confidence of a Queen and a goddess. “You three have witnessed me consume a pomegranate seed from the Underworld of my own volition. You know that Hades has not forced anything upon me.” The three nod, acknowledging the truth in your statement. You addressed the goddess of love. “Aphrodite, I believe you can confirm that I love Shouta just as he loves me, and that it was not influenced by you or Eros but developed naturally.” 
She gave a sweet smile, nodding in confirmation. Turning back to Shouta, you wrapped your arms around him and he held you tight in a final embrace before you left for Olympus with Hermes, Ares, and Aphrodite. You peered up into his dark obsidian eyes. “I’ll be back, I promise.” He smiled down at you, adoration and love the only emotions in his gaze beside a tinge of despair. “I know you will, my Queen. If you are ever in danger, or if you long for me too much to bear, tap the ground and I will come to you.” 
You held him close, then separated and walked to Hermes, who picked you up gently and held you to his chest. Aphrodite and Ares climbed into their own chariot and set off before you. With a final glance to the god of death, you called out to him. 
“I love you Shouta.”
“I love you too (y/n).”
He and the rest of the Underworld vanished in a blur, replaced by the grand palace grounds of Olympus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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outoftimewriting · 4 years
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Imagine (inspired by the incomplete fanfic Son of Underworld) (1/5) (Son of Hades!Percy AU)
Hey! Check the masterpost after reading this - there's a whole collection after :))
TW: Racism, anxiety, social isolation
Percy is a son of Hades
His mother was charmed by both Hades and Persephone, so he has the goddess' blessing.
Percy has deep black hair, and dark skin that's darker than the night. His eyes are like looking at the abysm - even so, a hint of green appears beyond his irises, the shade of Persephone showing itself slightly.
Every year, they don't go to Montauk: They go to a subterranean little house in the middle of the woods that Percy has no clue how his mother has money to afford renting.
His mother reads him the Hobbit - its a hole in the ground, with a little round door. He is sure he is a Hobbit.
Weird things happen to Percy. His eyes go all black one day and his mom freaks out. He explodes a bus. Once, he makes a mess of the Egyptian section of the museum he is in - he has no clue how.
People don't like touching Percy. Only his mom hugs him, and sometimes, Percy feels so alone he thinks he will someday merge with the shadows around him.
His ADHD gets worse every year, but misteriously, he can read anything if it's related to history. He is the best at history and geography and math.
He does math instinctively. He know earth, he feels the dirt in his fingertips and knows, he just knows.
He feels history being whispered in his ears by people that aren't there.
Percy goes to Yancy Academy. He is not a irredeemable case. No. He gets a scholarship on math. He never got a grade bigger than a E+ in English bc of his dyslexia, and he will never get more than a C- in Science, but he is good in math.
Pre-algebra is easy, and his teacher is kind. It's the first teacher that passes her hand in his head and say "Here, honey" when he misses home.
Professor Brunner is cool, but he feels uneasy at his presence. Like the man is just waiting for Percy to do something, and it doesn't help that, weirdly, Percy is not awful at Latin.
Nancy Bobofit picks on him once. She touches his skin, but it feels like touching something dead. She never looks at him again.
Grover is a good roommate. He is a good guy, a good friend, and they spend lots of time together. He doesn't creep Grover, no. They share a love for flowers.
He doesn't touch Grover. He is afraid that if he does, he won't have a friend anymore. Percy gets used to sweaters and gloves, all blue.
Because Percy may be a child of Hades. But he loves blue and soft tones of pink. He has soft sunset fluffy sweaters and loose washed-out jeans.
Percy is twelve when a guy in his class turns out to have only one eye and a javelin. His algebra teacher saves him with a black sword.
Mrs. Dodds, or Alecto, tells him everything. Or everything she can. She tells him he is in danger. She tells him there are powerful beings in the world. She tells him he is the son of one of them, but more than that and he would be at risk.
He sits through his finals earlier at her urging. Grover does too, and Grover sticks with him.
Grover is, perhaps, his only friend, and Percy is desolated to discover that Grover wasn't really his friend - he was just a guy, a satyr, tasked to protect him. Grover insists that they are truly friends, but his fatal flaw this time is holding grudges, and it takes a part of his heart.
He doesn't turn his back to Grover though. He is bitter, and he wants to punch him. But it still is everything he has.
Apart from his Mom. So they go talk to his Mom and get his things, and she cries at his shoulder and insists on going with them until the borders.
It goes badly. Sally "dies" in a flash that looks like thunder, by the hands of a Minotaur. Grover says Hades is sending his monsters after them - But Percy knows where thunder comes from.
Percy doesn't break one of the monster's horns - he breaks both, and carries Grover through the barrier, doing his best to not touch the satyr.
Nectar tastes like his mom's blue cookies. He cries after Grover leaves the room.
Mr. Brunner is Chiron. Alecto is a Fury. The greek gods are the powerful beings she was talking about.
Mr. D looks at him once, and for a second, pity flashes in his eyes. Most people forget that before he was Dionysus, he was Zagreus.
They play in silence. Percy doesn't make difficult questions. The blonde girl looks at him once, and she opens her mouth to say something, but she just closes it with a conflicted expression.
People look at him weirdly. Some regard the horns he stuck at his belt, some look at his skin with disgust (he heard it all before, the slurs). Some regard his soft appearance, and names are thrown, Demeter and Aphrodite and Persephone and Eros, and Percy want to scream and melt into the shadows.
He has a mother. No one knows his father.
He meets Luke. Luke is everything he aims to be - he shines with warmth, like a beacon. Percy doesn't touch him. He is afraid he'll drain him empty of light.
Annabeth and he are cold towards one another - the girl doesn't like his aura, he doesn't like her snobbish behavior.
He settles at Cabin 11. He doesn't mix up with the Ares children, he steers clear of Clarisse. He spends his time studying greek, listening to whispers in his ears, and trying new things.
Percy isn't very good with a sword - not one of them is well balanced to him. He is good with daggers - but horrible at close contact because he doesn't get very physical. He is okay with a bow, but it still isn't his thing.
He tries the spear - definitely no. The javelin? No. Mace? Too close combat, not enough balance.
Turns out his weapon of choice is a giant Warhammer, and sometimes a fierce-looking ax on the other hand, and everyone starts looking at him again, questioning and questioning.
Canoeing is not for Percy. Two minutes, and he got water sick. They are in a river for gods' sake!
Pegasi hate Percy. He doesn't try again.
He likes running with the dryads, and they like him. He likes the strawberry vines, he can make them look shinier, flowers bloom, even though he can't raise vines or produce anything.
He tries to deal with metal. He is good at it. The metal feels like water under his hands: he can do anything with it. Metal, stone, gems. He ignores the shadows curling at his feet, the flecks of green in the midst of the red fire.
Hephaestus, they say. He is not muscled like some of the other Cabin 9 children, but again, he is probably a legacy of Persephone or Demeter or some minor harvest god. He looks a little like Charles - it's not only the skin.
Everyone is willfully blind. Percy Jackson must be a child of Hephaestus. He deals with metal and fire, he put Clarisse on the floor with his Warhammer last week, and the girl was impressed instead of pissed. What if he likes the shadows a little?
Charles takes him under his wing, almost part of the cabin.
Percy uses a long-sleeved orange shirt under his camp shirt, being the sun, or rain.
He doesn't touch people, and everyone is used with each other's little quirks, so no one questions him.
Some Apollo and Demeter children steer clear of him like the plague, the ones who work in the infirmary, the ones that tend to the gardens and create life.
Some Apollo and Demeter children stick to him like glue, the ones that can sing someone to madness and induce sickness, the ones that destroy and kill.
Some children in his cabin still give him glances. Alabaster, Ethan, Clovis. They feel in him what's inside of them.
Luke is glued to his side. Luke basks on the power.
He burns food. To Hermes, for letting him sleep in the corner of the floor. To Dionysus, he is doing what he can, so far away from his dominion.
He doesn't burn food to his father. He burns it to Hephaestus.
He makes a silent prayer that he won't be an unclaimed child. He wants a family, he wants someone, anyone to come and be and love him because the only family he had is gone now.
In his dreams, he sees a somber man with a crown of bones, skin just like his. He sees a dryad so beautiful, she must be a goddess, with her pale green skin and hair like a thousand vines, flowers sprouting beneath her barefoot feet.
He confides in Luke about Alecto. The boy looks ready to explode of happiness, but Percy doesn't understand.
Percy stays unclaimed a month. Then Capture the Flag happens.
It's not a hellhound - this time? It's a sea serpent. A Cerastes.
They get the flag. Percy gets a helm of darkness over his head, a dark glow around it.
Luke thinks he is the only one who saw the sweet green glow behind it, the soft smell of pomegranates. He is wrong.
'Hades,' said Chiron. 'Earthopener, The Silent One, The Rich One, Lord of the Dead. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Underworld God'
Percy does not have a family. He does not have a cabin. Percy has nothing, and he is alone.
Not much changes. People steer clear of him. The only people he talks to are Annabeth, reluctantly on his part (even though she seems equal parts resignated and scared, like it somehow affects her), Luke, Charles, Alabaster and Ethan.
Some children of Apollo, Demeter and Hermes look at him curiously. Pollux and Castor spend more time in his vicinity.
A lot of gods are connected to the Underworld one way or another. Ares can call upon skeletons. Athena can drawn upon years of forgotten history. Aphrodite has a son in the second coming of Eros, so she knows - she knows - that before he was his son, he was a son of what is under even the Underworld.
Percy is afraid. He doesn't know his powers, what can he even do? Can he make the earth tremble, can he raise the dead, can he kill people with a touch? Or does his powers relies solely in metal?
He doesn't touch anyone. Not even through gloves - he has a jacket now.
Dionysus calls to him and offer to transform him in a pomegranate tree - but his mom is somewhere, and if he is capable of raising the dead, he wants her back.
The prophecy is the same, and their journey is not that different.
He doesn't think his father stole anything. But he might - who is Percy to know? The man has never once spoke with him. He doesn't know who his father is, and no one is giving him good impressions.
Their bus is exploded by hyperboreans, who, in the end, like all creatures who have ice in their hearts, answer to Poseidon.
They kill the Medusa. Percy sends the head to Olympus. They follow a poodle, but this time, the attack of the Echidna is not in an Arch. Is in the Chalk Pyramids in Kansas, and Percy falls off a cliff only for the earth to welcome him with open arms, as he raises an army of skeletons to do his bidding.
They still meet Ares. Percy swarms the aquatic park with skeletons - and it's the first time he tries shadow travelling. It works - but they end up, all three of them, in Wyoming.
At least now they can prove Wyoming is real.
He ignores the televisions. He ignores the stories. He ignores Gabe - because if there is someone he wouldn't mind strangling with his bare hands, it's Gabe.
Ares meet them there - their ride this time is an abusive circus caravan, and Percy sleeps the whole day of the travel, he doesn't even remember Ares or the suspicious backpacks. They free the animals and flee in Las Vegas.
The Lotus Hotel is much harder to resist this time around, seeing Percy sleeps what looks like two hours but feel like two days, but someone touches Percy, he freaks out and gets the three of them out of there (without shadowtravelling this time).
They pass Procrustes. They go to D.O.A. Percy insists - he has to do this alone. It's his father, his home turf.
Grover and Annabeth became loyal friends. They won't let him go alone.
They pass Charon easily. Percy keeps producing money everywhere - and Charon folds. Cerberus wants to play, and Percy plays with him. It's just a doggy. Percy vows to come back. Annabeth doesn't cry alone.
Luke's shoes betray him. He thinks that's the last betrayal of this mission, because it hurts somewhere deep in him.
The confrontation with his father is the worst. Hades has no regard for him. Calls him a liar, a cheater. Says he shouldn't ever have claimed him. That he stole Zeus' bolt for hubris, and his Helm for vengeance.
Alecto looks at him sadly. She knows he didn't do anything.
"You know nothing about me"
Percy shadow travels away with his friends. Its easier, in the underworld.
He fights Ares in the Mojave Desert instead of the beach. The god bleeds gold, and the helm is his.
"Tell my... my father, to expect my visit"
Alecto looks apologetic. He, although, is not.
He makes a sob story for the police. Is difficult, because people look at his skin and see a delinquent. They look at his skin and sneer, but Annabeth is just tanned, and Grover is a ginger.
Percy gives back the Master Bolt. Zeus looks like he would be better as a puddle on the floor - Percy disagrees.
Poseidon looks less - less angry, less probable of smothering him on the floor. He claps a hand on his shoulder, and it sounds like an apology (or the best he is going to get).
He feels tired. He goes back to camp for the last bonfire - but he isn't sure he is coming back next summer. Some people like him - but he hated being looked at and proded. He wants to see the Underworld. He wants to find his place.
He hates the Cabin 11. It's humiliating. It's degrading. Nemesis turns the tides of wars. Hecate controls the Mist. Morpheus can drive someone crazy - they aren't gods, they are feelings, things above nature, sons and daughters of Nyx.
He feels detached. Luke asks him to a walk.
Perseus hate some of the gods. Perseus hates Zeus, who took his mother. Perseus hates his father, who called him a liar and tried to deny Percy's place. Perseus hates that they don't have more cabins. Perseus hates that they have cabins for gods who don't have children.
But Perseus loves Annabeth, and Grover, and Charles. He has dreams - dreams of Persephone that mingle with his dreams about Kronos. He wants to meet her, even if she hates him.
He doesn't go with Luke, no. But he doesn't say no. He teethers the line this time - half his friends at one side and half at the other, and he wants to scream.
Alabaster and Ethan leave, and he doesn't blame them. Luke doesn't poison him, and doesn't blame him for staying. He probably thinks Percy is going to sway Annabeth, and he can't fault him.
He leaves a golden drachma in his hand - for him to call when he makes a decision.
And Percy truly doesn't know what it will be.
Zeus gives back his mother and Gabe is now a statue at Persephone's garden - but he holds a grudge.
Perseus is only twelve, when he discovers he is Percy only to his mother, Annie, Charles, Grover and Luke. To the world, he is Perseus, the one who destroys.
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