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#except instead of a chair its the remains of his base
angelonasher · 11 months
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The server:
Grian and Scar blowing up Doc's tunnel bore; Doc taking revenge with wither skulls; Grian dragging Zedaph into this by making him blow up part of Doc's base; Doc getting revenge by making Grian blow up the front of Mumbo's vault; Grian and Scar retaliating by filling the perimeter with so, so many chickens; Doc putting the chickens into Grian's base with the threat of greater revenge; Scar killing Bdubs's horse; Bdubs doing the horse curse in Scarland; Scar's (unfinished?) revenge with the horse-head-wither-skull-curse-show-
Meanwhile Mumbo: *casually hiring Scar to blow up his base (while completely ignoring Pearl's demolition service)*
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adelaidedrubman · 10 months
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god it’s really fucking wednesday
i was tagged by dearest @deputyash to share a wip on this day! sending tags out to @henbased @florbelles @unholymilf @shallow-gravy @v0idbuggy @corvosattano @roofgeese @jackiesarch @confidentandgood @poetikat @derelictheretic @afarcryfrommymain @cassietrn @nightbloodbix @socially-awkward-skeleton @direwombat @voidika @firstaidspray @megraen @inafieldofdaisies @blissfulalchemist @strangefable @clicheantagonist @nuclearstorms and anyone else who wants to share!
yeah it’s obviously hook, line, and sinker chapter 3. please enjoy jestiny having a very brief flicker of moral clarity and john getting his pretty woman moment. (don’t litter kids. or stalk and harass your exes.)
“I fucking heard that!” she leaned over the side of the boat to screech, crumpling the styrofoam of the bait cup in her fist and attempting to fling the trash across the distance to Skylar and Sherri — torn bits floating down to scatter impotently along the surface of the water instead. 
“Jesus, Jessie, a fish is gonna fucking choke on that,” Skylar cried, pushing herself up from her lounge chair. 
“And maybe I can’t stop you from driving a boat on public waters, but you can’t litter on my damn property,” Sherri agreed, reaching behind her to pull a net from the pouch on the back of her own chair and toss to Skylar. “That shit drifts to shore.”
Jessie crossed her arms over her chest with a huff, rolling eyes dismissively to duck Skylar and Sherri’s judgmental glares with an earnest wave of shame — she didn’t mean to endanger any poor fish, obviously, she was just angry — instead finding John’s gaze, oddly comforted by the quiet, embarrassed fury she saw simmering back at her, as if the bright blue glitter of his eyes was a tempestuous pool to reflect her own angry humiliation, unfiltered and undiluted in their vibrant heat. 
Then something in his stare sharpened, an almost imperceptible narrowing of the pinpoints of his pupils into focus, gaining all the ice-cold clarity of a glacial pond as he darted his eyes back to where Skylar reached forward to dip the mesh of her net into the water to scoop up the ripped up bits of styrofoam. 
“Hi,” John hummed pleasantly as he stepped up to Skylar, placing a hand atop the handle of her net. “John Seed. Do you remember me?” 
“The fuck you —” 
He slid his hand down the pole of the net, pulling it closer until his fist was circled just beneath the base of its bag. “I tried to buy bait from you a few moments ago. You refused to sell to me.” 
“...Yeah?”
“Big mistake,” he barked with a tug of the net to cause Skylar to stumble slightly, barely catching herself to remain upright. “Big. Huge!” He forced a manic laugh, snatching the net from her hands. “Because perhaps had I been occupied with my own fishing, I wouldn’t have time now to ask if you have a proper permit to fish with a net.” 
Sherri stood, moving to stand between John and Skylar, defensively. 
“I do my business selling fishing licenses, dumbass,” Sherri grumbled, pulling two crumpled pieces of paper from her back pocket to flash. “You really think I’d come out here without one?”
“Ah.” John clicked his tongue against his teeth twice, wagging his finger and tapping it against the paper Sherri held out. “But I’d like to see your netting license,” he said in sing-song. “Class A resident fishing licenses only allow fishing with a hook and line. Netting requires its own permit.” 
Sherri and Skylar exchanged confused looks. 
“Ha!” Jestiny let out a single, choppy laugh as she hopped over the side of the boat, splashing mud as she landed. “It does.”
It did, when it came to hoop nets. But of course even if he knew the law he wouldn’t know the difference between —
He waved a hand in front of his face, then rested it atop his chest. “Oh, I’m only joking, of course,” he said with a smile, bowing his head. “Montana Code Title 87, Chapter 6, Part 5 Fishing Offenses includes an exception in paragraph (1)(a)(iv) for landing nets.”
Jestiny felt a giddy heat blossom along her cheeks — he knew the difference between a hoop net and a landing net. He’d actually studied up. 
Skylar placed a hand atop her hip. “We weren’t even fishing with that net,” she said matter-of-factly. “We were just cleaning up the trash your girlfriend threw in the water.”
He cocked an eyebrow, smile widening. “For after the fish has been hooked as specified in subsection (1)(a).”  He nodded down towards their rods. “And your hooks appear to be bare.”
“That’s not what I saw,” Jessie chirped, throwing her arm around John’s waist and pulling him to her. “And I think the word of two officers of the court is gonna outweigh what y’all say.” Jessie leaned forward, snarling. “I think it certainly gives me probable fucking cause to seize all this shit as fuckin’ evidence of a crime, including the fucking bait,” she snapped. “I think it could mean y’all both forfeiting your fucking fishing licenses as penalty, if this shit gets dragged into court.”
“Good fucking God, Jessie,” Sherri huffed, swiping the can of worms from off the ground and shoving it in Jessie’s hands. “Here. Take the damn bait, since it means that fucking much to you. You win. We’re leaving.”
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lavellenchanted · 2 years
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Personal Effects
Steggy Week 2022, Day 3: Headcanons and Meta ↳ A headcanon for post-Endgame
The box sits at the back of Peggy’s wardrobe.
It’s been there for years, moved with her between apartments and houses, plain cardboard with a thin layer of dust on the lid and a blouse that’s fallen of its hanger draped across it and almost obscuring the neatly typed label stuck to the side, that reads, Personal effects of Cptn S. G. Rogers.
It is, like many things in Peggy’s life, a secret.
At the end of the war it had seemed as if anything related to Captain America, anything that might even have retained half a fingerprint, had been scrupulously collected by grey, angular men indistinguishable from one another in their identical suits and taken to some undisclosed location – all of it was packed up and removed from the SSR base, presumably to be pored over for any tiny particle of DNA that might help the government recreate Project Rebirth.
All of it, except one small box that Chester Phillips had brought to her the day the men in suits first arrived and that she had managed, by some small miracle, to spirit out of the base and hide among her own things.
Most of the time it remains undisturbed, apart from when the occasional pair of shoes are stored on top of it. It usually only ever comes out once a year, its contents lifted out one by one and tenderly examined, a quiet ritual to mark an anniversary few others ever think about.
Until the day she’s finally able to return it to its rightful owner.
It’s a few weeks after Steve shows up on her doorstep, when they’re sat at the kitchen table discussing paperwork and false identities and who, or if, they’re going to tell that he’s return when he makes an offhand comment about at least there isn’t the complication of having to reclaim any belongings. He clearly expects Peggy to laugh and blinks in surprise when instead she sits bolt upright before dashing upstairs.
When she returns and places the box down in front of him, his mouth falls opens.
“Are these . . .?”
“Your things.” She nods. “It’s all I managed to save after – well. After. I didn’t even think about it before now but what you said – I thought you might like to have these back, at least.”
His hands shake a little as he lifts off lid and looks to see what’s inside, small pieces of his past that he never expected to see again.
There’s his ration book, worn around the edges, most of the stamps torn out, kept because his name and signature still legible on the front in his clear, neat handwriting. Several loose sheets of paper with half-finished sketches drawn in idle moments. One of them – his cheeks flush red when he sees it – is of Peggy, her face in three-quarter profile, unaware that she was being observed, the pencil strokes soft and drawn with obvious care.
Beneath the sketches are his old watch – a cheap, second-hand thing bought when he was a teenager. It’s long since stopped working, but he takes a moment to marvel at the worn line in the leather strap where he used to have to fasten it so tightly to stop it falling away from his wrist.
A dog-eared copy of The Invisible Man, which he’d been halfway through reading before his last mission. There’s an irony there, given the uncertainty of his own status now, but he doesn’t delve too deeply as he flicks through and finds the ration coupon he’d been using as a bookmark before setting it aside.
There’s a pocket knife, that he thinks was given to him as a present by a neighbour when he was small; it had been replaced by standard military-issue equipment when he was on duty but he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of it entirely and so stowed it away with the rest of his belongings.
And finally – a wallet. Old leather that was beginning to fall to pieces even back that, with a couple of dollar bills still inside, but far more important is the small, black-and-white photograph tucked behind them.
It shows a young woman seated in a chair, a man stood behind it with a hand on her shoulder. She wears a simple, long-sleeves white blouse and ankle length dark skirt, with what looks like sensible boots beneath it. Her hair is pinned back from her face and it’s difficult to be sure of the colour when everything is shades of grey, but it appears blonde. She’s smiling, her right arm held up across her chest so she can hold the man’s hand. He’s in an army uniform, tall and broad-shouldered, hair a few shades darker than the woman’s. He’s looking down at her rather than at the camera, a softness in his expression visible even small and at a distance.
Steve looks at it for several moments before turning it over to see the date written on the back in his mother’s looping cursive: 23 January 1918.
Peggy watches the mingling of joy and grief on his face, and reaches out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, unconsciously mimicking the pose in the photograph.
“Your parents?”
“Yeah.” His voice cracks a little and he clears his throat before continuing. “It’s only picture I ever had of the two of them together. Dad went back to the front a couple days after this was taken, and it was a month or so later that he died.”
Sorry doesn’t seem nearly enough, especially it only takes the barest calculation to know that Steve’s mother must have just found out she was pregnant around the time this photo was taken.
“You look like him,” Peggy says instead, running her hand up the back of his neck to stroke comfortingly through his hair. “But I can see your mother in you as well.”
“Mom always said I reminded her of him. I liked that, to feel like he was still a part of me even though I never knew him.” Steve absently rubs his thumb over their faces. “One of the more difficult things about being in the future was that I didn’t have anything of them. Sometimes I felt like I was forgetting what they looked like.”
For a moment a frown clouds his face, but then it clears and he looks up at her with a smile.
“Thank you for saving it.”
“I’m just glad you have it back, my darling.” Peggy leans down and brushes a tender kiss across his mouth. “I think I might have a frame somewhere that can fit it – we can put it out on display. Let me check.”
While she disappears from the kitchen to search, Steve turns back to his old wallet and rummages inside again before pulling out one more item – a small, squared silver key.
He grins briefly before slipping it into his pocket. Peggy doesn’t need to know about this, not just yet. Not until he’s had a chance to visit the bank and see if the safe deposit box he left behind is still there, along with the most precious thing he owned before enlisting.
It might be a while yet, but he wants the first time Peggy sees his mother’s engagement ring to be when he’s asking her to marry him.
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lasquadranights · 2 years
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Sabotaged
Ghiaccio x Reader
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Content Warnings: References to Polygamy
***
Perhaps when you were more naïve, you’d believe the main base for an assassination group would be large and sprawling; lit only by fading light bulbs where the loudest sound would be a repetitive drip of water.
And yet, one lightbulb had become too dim and you were sure everybody the city over could hear the debate about it.
It truly was a good thing that living in a refurbished industrial building meant you had no neighbours.
“Could I ask you a favour?” Risotto’s rumbling voice had you lifting your head curiously.
You removed one of your ear plugs, quickly realising that if you had thought the argument was loud before, you had been sorely mistaken. “I’m not sure how much I can do but I’ll give it a try.”
“Thank you.”
Risotto’s office was one of the more isolated in the base but somehow, sound had managed to carry through from the kitchen. You winced a little when a smash followed a particularly loud curse – with any hope it wasn’t something important.
It seemed everybody except for yourself and Risotto had congregated in the kitchen either to watch or participate in the argument about changing the light.
You could have made a joke about it taking six assassins but you opted against it.
The smashed object was a glass but it, at the very least, didn’t look like it had been thrown. Instead, it was probably bumped off the table by the wildly gesturing Ghiaccio. You slipped between Prosciutto and Formaggio who were just watching the argument and plucked the lightbulb from Ghiaccio’s hand.
It was a dangerous ploy but thankfully, you managed to move out of range before he could grab your wrist. “I’ll change it,” you said.
Illuso chuckled. “Don’t know how that solves anything. You’re just as short.”
“I’ll get the ladder.”
“It broke yesterday.”
At the very least, the shouting had somewhat stopped. The light in question was unfortunately in one of the higher parts of the room and, true enough, even on a chair, you probably wouldn’t be able to change it.
“Illuso, don’t make me go and beg Risotto to help with this.”
“You could always beg me.”
You rolled your eyes and held the lightbulb out to him. “Pretty please.”
He grinned as he took it from you, his smugness evident despite your sarcasm.
With the lightbulb now changed and the source of amusement gone, the others dispersed and left you standing in the kitchen with Ghiaccio who was very grumpily cleaning up the broken glass.
“I didn’t need your fucking interference!” he barked at you. “You shouldn’t give into those assholes and their egotistical bullshit.”
“No but I wanted my headache to stop and there was a quick solution.”
You reached out to lightly stroke Ghiaccio’s cheek, smiling when you were immediately batted away. He glowered at nothing and just about broke the broom with how hard he threw it back into its place. You watched him curiously, knowing his temper was beginning to simmer down.
“Ghia,” you hummed. “Do you want to go for a walk?”
He didn’t answer directly but he marched to the door so you trailed after him, grabbing one of Prosciutto’s heavy coats on your way out. There was a nip in the air that had been getting worse lately.
Ghiaccio stormed along but he remained close to your side, marking sure to march angrily at your pace. You’d learned not to take his temper personally, though it was hard to stop feeling like you should make things better.
“I don’t know how you put up with their shit,” he eventually hissed. “It’s ridiculous.”
“They don’t tease me as much,” you admitted.
He was a favoured target due to his explosive reactions. With tensions a little higher than usual however, you’d felt the taunting take on a crueler façade all around. Everybody cared about each other but they were also the easiest outlets for frustration.
“Only because they’re all fucking soft when it comes to you.”
“They’re soft for you also Ghia.”
He scoffed. “Yeah right. They all still give me crap about being the ‘newbie’ when I know you got involved in this way later than I did.”
“I’m not technically involved,” you said, the lies coming out almost on instinct. “I’m just a building renovator.”
“Still.”
You glanced up at the beautifully blue sky. It was a lovely day and you were sure the evening would be just as nice. Perhaps you could convince Risotto that everybody needed some time spent at the pier.
“Ghia,” you asked, curiosity piqued. “How’d you end up getting involved with Passione? You don’t strike me as the type to have tripped into it.”
His face went red and you cursed yourself for not thinking that through. Life before joining Passione went unspoken – though not for any specific reason. You’d just never brought it up before.
And it didn’t look like Ghiaccio was willing to speak about it.
Yet, he responded before you could take back your ill-timed question. “Started out just to pay off something stupid but it wasn’t like I had anything better to do after.”
“What did you do before?”
He smiled almost proudly at you, the red flush still in place on his cheeks but slightly displaced. “I was a national skater,” he said, arrogance tainting his voice. “Still am probably. Nobody could touch me and they all said I’d be able to go to the Olympics if I continued.”
“That’s impressive,” you acknowledged. “But that just makes you ending up with us stranger still.”
“What are you talking about? Do you need to meet requirements to work for a gang?”
“Well, generally Olympic-level skaters don’t become assassins.”
He rolled his eyes. “They do when they’re better than a pathetic little asshole who goes crying to his parents about everything.” There was a pause before he continued. “It wasn’t sabotage. I was saving him the embarrassment but my scholarship was apparently hinged on stupidly trivial matters.”
“So, you lost your chance to go to the Olympics because of it?”
“No. That disappeared because the fucker’s parents happened to be involved with this ridiculous organization. They decided the best way for me to ‘repay’ the asshole was to work for this bunch.”
It was a strange concept. You decidedly could say it was Ghiaccio’s fault for where he was but also, it wasn’t? Like sure, losing a scholarship for cheating or sabotaging or whatever, was one thing but you weren’t sure being forced to join a gang was a fitting payback for it.
“Stop looking like it’s so complicated.”
“I’m trying to think of how to respond. It’s not really fair, is it?”
“Who cares? I know I’m still better than those idiots. The only people who lost out were my parents and their investment.”
There were definitely layers to that but you had a feeling you’d pushed a little further than you should have already. Ghiaccio wasn’t quite stomping anymore, instead having settled into a more casual stroll with his hands shoved in his pockets.
“Do you want to go skating tonight?” you asked. “I know there’s a rink nearby.”
He gave you an incredulous look. “Can you even skate?”
You dramatically bumped into his side, looking up at him through your lashes. “If not, you’ll just have to teach me, right?”
He scowled and blushed at the same time, pushing you off his shoulders. “Fine but I’m not helping the others at all.”
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forever-rogue · 3 years
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Baby Steps (A Good Man)
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A/N: Hello my sunshines! I’m back with another little installment of the AGM ‘verse with our favorite Javi and Dulzura! I love them so much and I’m glad y’all do too! I hope you guys enjoy!  As always, comments and feedback are welcome, and if you’d like to be tagged let me know! Xx
*can be read as a standalone or part of the ‘verse as a whole*
Pairing: Professor! Javi x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 5.8k
Warnings: language, pregnant!reader
A GOOD MAN ‘VERSE MASTERLIST
MASTERLIST
JAVIER MASTERLIST
»»————- ♡ ————-««
“Mrs. Peña?” the sound of your name still surprised you, despite the fact that the students had been calling you for several months now. A grin worked its way onto your face as you looked at the young boy who was watching you with wide, eager eyes. Putting your pen down, you motioned for him to continue, “will you come outside and play with us?”
“You want me to hang out with you guys?” you almost laughed at the idea that any kid deemed you worthy of spending time with them, “I thought teachers were lame, Mikey?”
“Some of them, but not all of them! You’re pretty cool,” he smiled and displayed his toothy grin. How were you supposed to say no to him? You nodded and stood up, taking the hand he was holding out to you, “besides we’re playing kickball and we need one more person!!”
“I should have known you were just using me for my exceptional skills,” you pretended to be hurt as he pulled out of the building and into the playground, where the sun was shining brightly. 
Normally, you’d have turned him down, opting to get some work done during the lunch period, but decided you might as well indulge him and yourself. You really enjoyed the kids you had this year, and it was a gorgeous early spring day. 
»»————- ♡ ————-««
Turns out, kickball with a bunch of seven and eight year olds was not as simple as it seemed. They seemed to come up with all sorts of nonsense rules, and on top of it all, they happened to be extremely competitive. And yet...you were thoroughly enjoying yourself - and glad you had opted to wear jeans today instead of a skirt or dress. Javi had been particularly fond of the tight, high-waisted jeans that hugged you in all the right places, getting very handsy before you both had to leave for work. Typical Javier; not that you minded of course. 
“Come on, give us a good one, Mrs. P!” Mikey yelled at the top of his small lungs as you proceeded to kick the ball that was rolled at you. You offered up a firm kick, but not one you would have used if you’d been playing with only adults. Taking unfair advantage was something you definitely didn’t want to do.
As soon as your foot made contact with the red rubber ball, you watched it whistle through the air before running to the first base. But...it was over before it started as you ran and then immediately proceeded to trip over your slightly untied shoelaces. You made contact with the hard earth before you knew and rolled your ankle in the process. 
You landed with a mixture of an annoyed sigh and a loud oof as you chided yourself. You should have made sure they were properly tied before doing anything. The kids clambered around you, faces anxious as they tried to make sure you were okay. Physically you were sure you’d be just fine, but mentally your pride was wounded. Oh, to make a fool of yourself in front of a bunch of children. 
“I’m alright,” you promised as you slowly rose to your feet; an instant tinge of pain shot through your ankle and leg as you almost lost your balance again. Maybe you were hurt… “it’s alright - you guys go back to playing and I’m going to go back to the classroom and sit for a moment. I might have twisted my ankle.”
They nodded, but gave you wary looks as you hobbled back inside the building. You should have remained the umpire and refused to play; you were obviously not coordinated enough for any of this. Slumping back in your chair, you rolled up your pant leg and hissed at the sight of the already swollen ankle. Shit.
“You’d better get that checked out,” Anna, one of the teachers from across the hall looked at you with a pained expression, “looks painful.”
“Nothing some rest and elevation won’t fix,” you insisted as you slumped against the back of the chair, “I’m too old for this! When did I become an adult?"
“Hey, at least they think you’re cool,” she huffed playfully, “they never ask me to play! But seriously, that looks pretty bad. And it happened at work, you know how they get about stuff like that.”
“Fineeee,” you groaned, “I’ll go to the school nurse.”
“I would recommend an actual urgent care or ER visit,” she raised an eyebrow, “besides, you know how Javi gets - he'll flay us all if he thought we weren’t looking out for you.”
“He’s...something else.”
“He’s amazing,” she reminded as you nodded in agreement. For how much of a worrywart he could be, you knew it was all out of love, “now go and get it checked out. I’ll handle getting the sub in and telling everyone. You have enough to worry about. Can you make it okay, or will you need a ride? Should I call Javi?”
“I can drive myself,” you promised, thankful it happened to your left foot and not the right, “I’m not going to bother my darling, overprotective husband just yet. Not until I can confirm that nothing is actually wrong. I don’t want him to stress over nothing, and I’m sure by the time he gets home tonight he’ll just be laughing at me and my clumsiness!”
“Alright,” Anna grabbed your purse and handed it to you, as you managed to slink out of the chair, “go get checked out and feel better. If you need anything at all, just call me.”
“Thanks for all of your help,” you hobbled towards the door, trying to keep as much weight off of your foot as possible, as Anna grimaced at you, “I swear it’s not that bad - worse than it looks.”
“Sure, sure,” she disagreed politely, “now quit stalling and go get help!”
»»————- ♡ ————-««
The white walls and bright lights of the exam room were enough to rattle your nerves, even if just ever so lightly. You sat on the examination bed and tried to keep yourself calm as you waited for the nurse to come back and begin examining you. Nothing but the distant sounds of people outside and the tick-tock of the aging clock met your ears. You almost wish you’d called Javier just to have some company. Shit.
“Mrs. Peña?” a kind looking woman, maybe around Javier’s age poked her head in as you nodded, “sorry for the wait, we’re pretty busy right now. You’re here for a rolled ankle?”
“Yeah,” you answered as you relaxed at her comforting presence as she came in and sat on her rolling stool, eyes immediately dropping your swollen and irritated ankle, “I was playing with my kids outside - kickball - and then tripped over my own damn feet and ta da!”
“Were you at home when this happened? Playing with your kids?”
“Oh no, I’m a teacher,” you quickly explained, a warm flush rising up your cheeks at the thought of children, “it was on their lunch break at school. I-I don’t have any children of my own.”
You weren’t sure why you felt the need to offer up a clarifying statement.
“I see,” she made a few notes before turning back to you, “it looks pretty bad, to be quite frank. I’m going to assume it wasn’t a break, a sprain rather, from how you’re managing, but we’ll need to do some x-rays to confirm. We’ll do your blood work as well just to make sure everything is in order. Before we do x-rays or anything - are you pregnant?”
“No,” you admitted, looking at your feet as you tried not to sigh. It had been on your mind recently, and you weren’t sure quite what to make of your own feelings on the matter. While you hadn't been actively trying, you couldn't help but wonder if it would ever happen.
“Any chance you could be?” 
“Umm,” you twiddled your thumbs as you shrugged your shoulders, “I-I suppose. I’m not on birth control and my husband and I don’t use protection...we’ve been trying but not trying if that makes sense? But my cycle’s been regular so I highly doubt it.”
“Okay,” the scratching of her pen on paper was almost maddening as she was making notes and you just sat there. You could curse yourself for babbling on to her, but you couldn’t really help it. Besides, it’d be better for them to know all the details if they were going to x-ray and poke and prod you, “very good. Let me just go get everything and we’ll get started and a better look at everything. We’ll have you set and on your way in no time.”
»»————- ♡ ————-««
“Here you go,” you scratched Stevie’s ears as you offered him a treat, a scrap of carrot from the vegetables you were chopping up for dinner, “what do you think, buddy? Should we tell him tonight?”
“Should we tell who and what tonight?” Javi’s voice startled you so much that you almost dropped your knife. You hadn’t even heard him come in, ever the sneaky DEA agent as he walked into the kitchen. A smile was on his face as he came over to you and pressed a soft kiss to your lips, “hi baby.”
“J-Javi,” you couldn’t help but melt into his touch, despite his surprise arrival, “you’re home!”
“Oh very observant of you, Dulzura,” he teased as he pulled back and started to undo his tie. It was only then that he noticed you weren’t wearing what you had earlier in the day; you were in one of his sweaters and a pair of joggers and… “what the hell happened to your ankle?!”
There it was  - Javier switching into overdrive. You put everything down on the counter and turned to him, putting on your most innocent and sheepish expression. His large, warm hands found your face as he looked you over to make sure you were okay. 
“It’s nothing, Javi,” you promised him, “I swear it. It’s just a bad sprain, but I went and had it looked at and they wrapped it and gave me pain killers. It’s umm...a stupid little story actually…”
“What happened?” he bent down and reached out to tentatively and delicately cheek the binding to make sure the nurse had properly tended to your sprain. He made a small sound of disgruntled satisfaction before standing up and waiting for a proper explanation, “why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t want to worry you, Javier,” you promised as he crossed his arms over his broad but acquiesced with a nod, “you’re so busy, and honestly, it wasn’t a big deal at all. Besides, Anna was ready to call you immediately, but I told her not to worry. All that happened was that I was outside with the kids and we were playing kickball and I tried over my laces, fell, and twisted my ankle. It hurts, but no fracture or anything.”
Javier’s lips twitched as he tried not to laugh, his shoulders shaking with effort as he just studied you, “are you....are you serious, Dulzura?”
“Don’t laugh at me!” you pouted as he started laughing at your dismal nod when you confirmed that that was what actually happened, “they thought I was cool and how was I supposed to say no to them!? I’m the cool teacher to them!”
“And look what that got you,” he snickered as you sighed heavily, “I’m sorry - I’m sorry. As long as you’re okay, that’s what matters. Whatever you need, just tell me the word and I’ll make sure you have it. I’ll take good care of you, Dulzura.”
“I know you will...you always do,” your heart raced as you tried to decide whether or not to tell him the rest of your revelations. But then he looked at you with those eyes, those soft brown, gentle eyes, and your heart melted. He gently pulled you into his arms as he kissed you again, chasing after your soft, sweet lips with his own, seemingly never able to get enough of you, “Javier, I love you.”
“I love you too,” you felt him smile against your lips, “what’s brought on your sudden declaration of love, mi alma?”
“I...I’m pregnant,” you blurted it out without even really thinking about it. Javier pulled back as a surprised expression crossed his features. He looked at you, seemingly in a state of shock, before opening and closing his mouth a few times, “Javi?”
“You’re pregnant?” he repeated as you nodded. It took about a moment for everything to finally come full circle as he finally realized what you had said. Immediately, an overwhelming wave of emotion came over you as you felt the back of your eyes start to sting with tears. He grabbed your face and slowly crashed his lips back onto yours and kissed deeply and slowly, “holy shit.”
“I know,” you beamed at him, “they asked before they did x-rays and blood work and then well...they discovered I was pregnant. I had no clue and then they told me and yeah - holy shit."
“That’s amazing,” he said softly, “pregnant....”
“I know,” you breathed him in and ran a hand through his dark curls, “I’m not far along, only like six weeks, so it’s still very early, but yes. We’re finally having a baby, Javier!
“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around and held you in a tight embrace, “I love you so much.”
“You deserve this - everything. You are such a good man, Javier, and I am so honored to call you my husband, and the father of my child,” he almost melted under your praise as you traced along his features before resting your hand on his cheek, “I love you, Javi. I am so excited for this.”
“Me too,” he agreed, “this is everything - you are everything.”
»»————- ♡ ————-««
3 months pregnant
“Dulzura?” Javier yawned as he wiped the sleep from his eyes as he got up and found you in the kitchen, peering into the fridge. You were in the mood for...something. You just weren’t sure what that something was. Everything sounded good but nothing seemed to satiate that craving you had deep within, “what are you doing up?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” you admitted, hoping you hadn’t woken him up by accident, “and I got hungry. I’m sorry if I woke you, my love. Go back to bed, Javier.”
“It’s fine,” he insisted as he shuffled into the kitchen and slowly pried you away from the fridge, “sit down, and let me make you something to eat. What sounds good?”
“Javier,” you did as he asked, padding over to the other side of the counter and taking a seat at the bar. You rested your head on your hands as he stifled a yawn, "honey, go back to bed. You're exhausted and you've got back to back classes tomorrow."
"They start in the late morning," he insisted, with a sleepy nod as you just laughed at him. He was such a stubborn man sometimes it drove you crazy - but you knew it came from a place of love and concern, "don't sleep well without you anyways. 's better when you're there."
"Oh, my sweet husband," he reached into the fridge and pulled out some cheese, butter, and your favorite pickled jalapeños. You watched in curiosity as he went to the bread box and grabbed the fresh loaf of bread you'd purchased earlier at the store, "grilled cheese?"
"Grilled cheese with jalapeños," he corrected, a lazy smile tugged up the corners of his mouth. You made a small sound of musing as you realized it didn't sound too bad at all, "and tomato soup, naturally. How does that sound?"
"Sounds delicious," you grinned eagerly as you leaned in to watch him work. You made a small sound of surprise as your stomach rumbled loudly. Apparently you were hungrier than you had thought, "apparently, my stomach and I agree. I think its your daughter that agrees."
At the mention of your baby, Javier paused and smiled, his eyes flitting to your barely visible bump. Some days he still couldn't believe that you were having a baby. You were his wife. What a wild world it was indeed; years ago he'd never dreamed he would have all of this. The Javier that once existed and refused to believe that there was any light in the world could never have pictured any of this. 
But here you were. Continually proving him wrong. And he loved it all.
"Wait - how do you know we're having a girl?" he asked, suddenly wide awake as he raised an eyebrow at you, "I thought we still need to wait another month or so."
"We do," you grinned at him, "but I just know. I'm sure of it!"
"Well, you do have a fifty-fifty chance of being right…"
"I have a hundred percent chance of being right," you insisted as you reached over the counter and grabbed the jar of pickled jalapeños and fished a few out, and popped them into your mouth, "don't argue with your pregnant wife, Javier Peña. You of all people should know not to cross someone so dangerous."
He snorted with laughter, suddenly feeling much more awake as he sliced up cheese and turned on the stove, "and if we end up having a son?"
"Then we keep having more until we have a daughter and I am proven right," you plastered on a sweet smile, knowing it would wind him up. You'd never really discussed how many children you wanted or planned on having. It was just a sort of...whatever happens happens type thing. But, if you were being honest, you'd probably have given Javier as many children as he wanted. Your husband fell silent as he watched you for a moment before taking the jar away from, "nothing to add? Silence isn't like you, my love."
"We can have as many as you'd like," he promised, "you're the one doing all the hard work. If you're done after one, then it's fine for me. You already amaze me every day."
"Don't make me cry, Javier," your whole body soaked in the warmth and love from his simple words, "its getting really easy at this point, and you're taking advantage!"
"Sorry," he shot you a wink before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to your lips, "back to business."
"Hmm," you mused quietly, "I thought kissing me was business."
"I thought you were hungry?"
"Fine," you playfully huffed as he carried on cooking, "Javi?"
"Dulzura?"
"I love you," you beamed at him, the little smile that worked its way onto his face take your breath away - as it always had. 
"I love you."
»»————- ♡ ————-««
6 months pregnant
A huff escaped your lips as you tried to reach for the socks and underwear that had fallen out of the laundry basket. It was no easy feat when you couldn’t see your own feet anymore. But you were determined to get everything up and off the floor as you walked back towards your bedroom to put away the clean clothes. And you weren’t about to give up and ask for help - not yet anyway.
Instead, you opted to awkwardly lower yourself to the floor in order to blindly grab for the discarded items. But it was no use...this was almost harder. 
“You alright, Dulzura?” Javier came in and found you struggling, cleaning his dirty hands off on a rag. He’d been working outside, getting the garden spruced up as the summer slowly came to an end, “can’t reach?”
“I can,” you stuck your tongue out at him as he huffed with laughter, but motioned for you to go on. Wanting to prove that you were right, and weren’t completely helpless after all. It hadn’t been easy having to give up a lot of the things you used to be able to do with ease as you progressed in your pregnancy. The fact that none of your pants would fit over your belly anymore had been a point of horror for you - it meant you were truly and actually pregnant, you were actually having a baby. You’d always known, but that had been what made it all extremely real. Every day you got closer and closer to your due date, it all became a little more real. Exciting - but terrifying. 
Not being able to see your feet had been another blow. You could hardly get proper shoes on anymore, opting for easy slide ons, which were great for the warmth of summer and didn’t matter since you were on summer break along with your kids. It was almost as though Javier could sense your frustration, and he’d often silently help you with getting your shoes on in the morning. He never said a word, knowing he didn’t have to. He always told you he loved you in so many ways, often without saying it. 
You tried to again, dangling your hand along on the floor as you tried again. After watching you struggle for a moment, Javier came over and grabbed everything in one foul swoop before taking your hand in his and helping you upright. 
“Hey,” you pouted at him as he put the items back into your basket, “I almost had it!”
“I know,” he kissed the tip of your nose, “but I wanted to help. Why can I not help my gorgeous wife?”
“Your very pregnant and easily frustrated wife?” you teased as you started to walk towards the bedroom. He followed after you, swatting at your bum as you squealed in delight, “Javier!”
“Come on, mi alma,” he grinned, “let me help put everything away.”
“If I let you help, you’re just going to take me to bed and then I’ll have to wash the sheets again!”
“I’ve never heard a single complaint from you before,” as you set the basket on the dresser, he came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist before settling a hand on your belly and gently rubbing it a few times. He pressed a few kisses to the side of your neck as you tilted your head to give him easier access, “there we go, Dulzura. Just like you like it.”
“You’re the worst,” you teased as you turned your head to kiss him, “you’re lucky I love you. And I’m seemingly always in the mood right now - they really weren’t kidding about pregnancy making you more horny. Although, I’ve never heard a single complaint from you before.”
“And you never will,” he promised, his low in your ear as you tried not to completely let your mind wander too far away, “do you have any plans for this afternoon, Dulzura?”
���N-no,” you  managed to choke out as one of his hands skimmed along the waistband of your leggings. You knew exactly where this was going, and you were loath to stop him, especially as he slowly kept kissing you.
“Good,” he rasped, “because I have plans for you. Been thinking about you all day, especially in these tight leggings. You knew exactly what you were doing, didn’t you honey?”
“Uh huh,” you agreed as his warm hand slipped inside and a shiver ran up your spine, “Javier. Please.”
“Don’t worry, mi alma,” he captured your gasp in a sweet kiss, “I’ll take good care of you.”
The laundry could definitely wait.
»»————- ♡ ————-««
9 months pregnant 
It was an early, chilling morning as you sipped on some tea as you sat out in the garden. It was probably too cold to be sitting outside, but you were handled up in blankets and didn't care. 
Christmas was a few weeks away and you enjoyed peeking into the neighbor's yards to see what they all had going on for decorations.
"Are you sure you don't want to come inside?" Javier poked his head out from the sliding screen door, his brow furrowed in concentration, "its freezing! And I have breakfast!"
"I've got blankets and a baby keeping me warm," you reminded him, pointing at your large belly. You were due in a couple of weeks; how time had flown. He jokingly frowned at you, sticking out his tongue. Playfully rolling your eyes, you clambered to your feet and waddled over to him, "fine, hold on you big baby. This is because I want breakfast."
Javier was on his winter break from teaching and you were on maternity leave now and you definitely didn't mind having him around all the time. If you could have always had it this way, you definitely wouldn't have minded.
"I'm just looking out for you," he insisted with a pout as you pressed a kiss to his lips, "I talked to Papà. He's really excited to come in a few weeks - more like excited to meet his grandbaby."
"I'm not complaining at all," you insisted, knowing there would be many sleepless nights and chaotic days ahead of you, "we'll need all the help we can get. Hell, maybe we can convince Steve and Connie to come and visit too…"
"I'm sure we'll have all the help in the world between our families and friends, Dulzura," he promised as he took your hand and pulled you into the warm kitchen, putting a plate of breakfast for you on the counter, "I'm sure we'll get sick of having so many people around."
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," you took a bite and smiled as Stevie laid by your feet. The whole house was warm and cozy, perfectly decorated for Christmas, with a huge tree and already lots of presents. Javier had really outdone himself this year, seemingly more in the Christmas spirit than you. Honestly, you were feeling a little bit out of it - being so pregnant would do that to you. 
You watched your husband for a few moments, admiring his profile and lazy smile. Gods, you were still so in love with him. He felt you watching him closely, and turned to you, cooking a dark brow, "what's on your mind, mi alma?"
"Nothing much," you shrugged lightly, feeling a flush of warmth was over you at him catching you, "just thinking about how I love you, and how I'm glad you're here with me, that you knocked me up, and yeah. Are you…are you nervous Javi?"
"About the baby?"
"No, about the Astros' odds next season," you snorted as he groaned at your joke, "of course the baby. I'm just...so nervous. Like I feel ready to meet her, but I'm so scared that I'll fuck it up somehow."
"You still think its a girl?"
"Positive," you grinned at him - you'd decided not to find out the sex ahead of time, leaving it a surprise for both of you. You were still convinced it was a girl, Javier was undecided, "we'll find out soon enough!"
"Either way," he brought his plate and sat down next to you, "everything will be alright. You're going to be an amazing mother, Dulzura. You are everything."
"I love you, Javier," you beamed as he gently put a hand on your belly, "I know it'll be alright, but holy shit - I'm so nervous. Its getting so real lately. We're going to be parents."
"Parents," he repeated, "fuck."
"Who would have thought-" you were quickly cut off when you felt the baby flutter round. A small sound of surprise left your lips as you grabbed Javier's hand and placed it on your belly, "she's telling you not to curse."
He was silent for a moment as a smile spread on his features; despite having felt this many times by now, it still continued to surprise him. He couldn't even imagine how it felt for you, "this is...everything."
"I realized I didn't know what to get you for Christmas so I got you a baby instead," you don't know why it came to mind, but as soon as the words left your lips you brought into a fit of laughter - Javier joined in, a brilliant sound that you adored above all.
"Best Christmas present ever," he whispered before leaning in and giving you a gentle kiss - sweet from the syrup and pancakes he had just eaten, "I mean it. I love you both more than you will ever know."
"We love you too," you grinned as he stroked your belly, "I'm glad your class was the only one available and I took it. I'm glad you were a grumpy professor that let me into his office - I was able to work my magic and look where that got us."
He threw his back with laughter, his dark curls shining brilliantly in the light as his eyes crinkled in the corners. You'd never been more glad for subjecting yourself to his class.
"Me too," he whispered as he put a hand on your cheek, "you always were a stubborn thing."
"Some things never change," you stuck your tongue out at him, "I trust your daughter will be the same!"
»»————- ♡ ————-««
You were humming to yourself as you shuffled around the kitchen and tried to put together a mid afternoon snack when you felt an odd sensation in your lower belly. It caused you to drop the knife on the counter as you held onto the marble and gritted your teeth. Stevie was at your feet in an instant, looking at you with concern.
"Its okay, buddy," you reassured him as the pain passed. Surely it couldn't have been anything too bad...probably just an end of pregnancy pain. Sighing at your nonsense worry, you reached for the knife again but before you reached it, the pain was back, "never mind, shit shit shit."
Trying to keep yourself calm, you leaned against the counter and tried to even your breathing. Contractions. Of course. You were due in a week and you still hadn't been expecting it.
"Javier?" he was down the hall in the second bedroom that had been converted into the nursery, putting away the final touches of clothing. Before he could respond, you felt an odd sensation followed by liquid running down your legs, "Javier!"
"What's wrong, Dulzura?" he rushed down the hall and back into the kitchen, worry etched onto his features as you stood there in shock and clutched at your belly, "honey-"
"My water broke," you said meekly as you pointed to your wet pants, "and I've had a few contractions - I think the baby's coming."
"Okay," he immediately kicked into gear as he remained cool and calm, despite wanting to panic and worry along with you, "its okay. I'm going to get the hospital bag, we'll get you in the car, Stevie to the neighbor, and then we'll go and have a baby."
"You make it seem so simple," you huffed lightly as you tried to channel his inner calm demeanor, "we'll be okay, right? I-I'm scared…"
"I know, honey," he promised as he kissed the side of your head, "you've done so amazing already, it will all be okay. I'm right here, okay? I'm just going to grab your bag and the dog and we'll go. Ten minutes and we'll be on the way."
"Okay," you agreed as he practically ran down the hall to get your packed bag, "we're going to have a baby, Javi."
"Indeed we are," he agreed with a small smile as he reached for his wallet and keys and stuff for the neighbor to watch Stevie for a few days, "we're having our baby."
Holy shit.
»»————- ♡ ————-««
“You’re doing amazing, sweetheart,” Javier praised you as you squeezed his hand after another push. You groaned and gritted your teeth as you glared at him; this was absolute hell, “the baby’s almost there.”
“Shut up, Javier,” you hissed as you got ready for another push, “I am never letting you touch me again! You did this to me.”
“Hey - it was a team effort,” he reminded you in a vain attempt at a joke. Your death glare and the squeezing of his hand said it all, “sorry, Dulzura. I love you.”
“I love you too,” you said as you took a deep breath, “but right now, I’m blaming this on you.”
“Fair enough,” he said as you pushed again. He was sure his hand was going to break.
»»————- ♡ ————-««
It wasn’t much longer before you were laying back and holding the smallest bundle you could ever imagine in your arms. You were somewhere between crying tears of joy and exhaustion, as you stared at your newborn daughter in awe. Javier was sitting next to you, looking down at her, his own eyes glossy as he gently touched her cheek. She had the darkest eyes and a shock of dark hair, already taking after her father. She had come into the world squealing and crying but had fallen asleep almost as soon as Javier held her. 
“I told you we were having a girl,” you teased him softly, “I was right. Look at her, Javier. That’s our daughter. We made her.”
“You did all the hard work, mi alma,” he whispered as he pressed a kiss to the side of your head, “she’s beautiful.”
“Lucia Luna Peña,” you grinned at your husband, “it’s perfect. I love you both more than you could ever know. Javier...you really are everything to me - the best friend, best husband, and now the best father. She’s going to love the hell out of you, just like I do.”
He remained silent for a moment as he looked at the sleeping baby before looking back at you. His whole world was in his arms, and the thought of that alone was enough to overwhelm him with emotion. He’d never thought he wanted this - a “boring” job, a home, a wife, and a baby. 
But here he was. And he had never felt happier, never felt more full of love and life. This was everything. 
“I love you so much, Dulzura - you and Lucia,” he promised as he rested his head on top of yours, “you have given me everything, more than you know. Te quiero con todo.”
»»————- ♡ ————-««
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loveofafangirl · 3 years
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72 Hours
[Baron Zemo Masterlist] [Marvel Masterlist]
Pairing: Baron Zemo x Reader/You (no gender, race or body type described)
Synopsis: You are tasked with watching Zemo for the weekend while he assists you in providing tech support and intel to your teammates in the field.  *Sort of: Enemies to Lovers* *One-Shot: Not same “reader” as my other stories.
Word Count: 2.2K (sorry this is longer than I intended)
A/N: This is a request for @purebloodwitch, where y/n is part of the Avengers and used to taking care of everyone, but at Zemo’s safe house he starts taking care of her and she is uncomfortable at first. I hope this fits what you are looking for. I hope you enjoy it. 
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3 days.
72 hours.
That's how long you had to suffer his company. You stare out the window, taking in the country view. The car was taking the two of you to one of his safe houses. You had wanted to go on the mission with the rest of your team, but you were the most organized and could most easily relay intel to different groups as you uncovered it. Plus, it had been decided you were the least likely to bring physical harm to him. Though, you weren't so sure at the moment.
You had been against Bucky's plan to release Zemo. You remembered the bombing at the U.N. and the fallout that began that day. You blame him for the Snap and the loss of so many of your colleagues. If he hadn't turned the Avengers against one another, maybe Thanos never would have collected all six Infinity Stones. Maybe no one would have vanished, tearing the world apart—twice: once when they disappeared and again when they returned. As far as you were concerned, Zemo was the catalyst that led to Thanos, the need for the GRC, and the rise of the Flagsmashers. Everything began that day at the U.N. 
You look at your watch:
71 hours and 26 minutes.
When you arrive at his safe house, he insists you let him hold the door for you. You had always stood on your own, caring for those around you. You weren't used to gestures such as these, nor did you want them, least of all from him. 
Your fists clench when he refuses to go in first. Reluctantly, you proceed, allowing him to hold each door for you.
"Would you like a tour?" He gestures grandly around the lavish apartment.
"No," you state coldly, ignoring his coy smile that seemed to dip slightly at your tone. "Just tell me where to set up."
"Perhaps by the windows," he suggested. "The panels are one way. You can see out, but no one can see in. It should give us a good vantage point to keep watch without being noticed." 
You begin moving the bags of equipment you brought.
"Allow me." Without waiting, he takes the bags from you and carries them to the area he had previously pointed out. 
You follow wordlessly.
"There you go."
You nod your gratitude, unable to bring yourself to say thank you to him.
"Is there anything else?"
"No. When I'm done setting up, you'll need to tell me everything you know about Project Typhon and get me the decrypted files you insisted that only you could access."
"Of course, I am at your service."
You keep an eye on him while working. You still couldn't believe you got stuck babysitting. Now your focus was split between the work and making sure he didn't get into any trouble. 
He moves about the kitchen, grabbing this and that. He returns with a tray in his hands containing a teapot, two cups and saucers, small sandwiches, and a tin of cookies. "I had the pantry stocked before our arrival."
You give him a curious expression.
"I did not want you believing they had been sitting for the years." 
"I'm good."
He pours two cups of tea, offering one to you. "You haven't eaten since early morning. Please, help yourself."
You breathe deeply, trying not to give in. You had packed some rations, but you hadn't eaten any yet. You hate how appealing everything looked. You begin reaching for it, but pull back, now convincing yourself it could be poisoned. You turn your attention back to your work after a quick glance at your watch. 
65 hours. 
The evening passes slowly. You juggle your Zemo-sitting duty with decoding his cryptic replies into useable intel to relay to the two teams you were monitoring while also keeping an eye out for any digital chatter that may hinder your mission.
"Why me?" You sigh to yourself, thinking back to how you had asked Sam that same question when he first told you this was your assignment.
"You're good with people, Y/N."
"So you're sticking me with him?" You pointed an accusatory finger over your shoulder to Zemo.
His head shifted to the side, "No offense taken. I understand the difficulties. If you allow me a moment to explain."
"You understand nothing," you chided. Your gaze narrowed to a glower. 
"Easy, Y/N," Bucky interjected. 
"You of all people—" Your head shook in disbelief. "I was there. I saw what he did."
"We need him. He's the lesser of two evils right now."
You crossed your arms, not sure that was true. 
Your thoughts drift back to the present. You check the time again:
63 hours.
Zemo lounges beside you, nursing a drink in his hand. "I surmised you would decline a drink like my own, so I brought you a coffee instead. I noticed you had a few over the past days." He gestures to the warm mug on the table beside you. 
The rich aroma captivated you as you breathe in its bold notes. You really needed it. Begrudgingly, you took your first sip. It is better than you expected. A hum of delight slips from your lips. 
Noting his growing smirk, you muster the strength, uttering, "Thank you." You surprise yourself at the sound of your tone. It was much more cordial than you had intended it to be. 
"It was my pleasure, Y/N."
The two of you remain in silence, except for the occasional exchange needed for the mission. You were so focused on the job you hadn't even noticed him refill your coffee cup until you picked it up, expecting to savor the last drops but found a full cup met you instead. 
He kept working, seemingly not looking for any credit. You didn't offer any, but you had to bite your lips back to stop a smile threatening to erupt. 
57 hours. 
You rub your eyes and stretch your arms. "I'm going to try to get some sleep. Don't even think about trying anything."
"Wouldn't dream of it." He stood as you made your departure. "Gute Nacht. Sleep well."
You walk away without looking back. You knew there were agents strategically placed along the perimeter so he wouldn't get far, but you still worried.
Warm sunlight streams in the window of the large bedroom, gently caressing your face. The mattress is so soft and amazing; it sucked you into its depths immediately, and you fell quickly. You nuzzle in the soft fabric of the bedding, not wanting to move. It was your best sleep in months, even though it was only for a few hours. You think to yourself that you could get used to this.
Your body tenses at the thought as you remember where you are. You jump out of bed and quickly get dressed. Your team is counting on you. You swipe your phone checking the time.
52 hours.
You head straight to your setup; your fingers float nimbly across the keyboard as you attempt to focus solely on your work. Your stomach growls, pulling your focus. The scent of bacon frying greets you. You turn toward the kitchen, and for the first time, notice Zemo.
He catches your eye. "Would you like to join me for breakfast? I've set the two places." Sensing your hesitation. "I can bring it for you as well."
You glance at your phone. No new communications from the team. No alerts from any of the traces you had set up. Nothing to keep you there. Before you know it, you're walking in his direction.
He moves around the counter, pulling out one of the high bar chairs for you. 
You sit, even allowing him to push it in for you, a warmth spreading over you. 
"Please." He gestures to the plate in front of you and takes the seat opposite you. "Enjoy." 
You nibble on a piece of bacon and let the taste linger on your tongue. It was just the way you liked it. He sips his black coffee, watching you enjoy the first bites. You cover your mouth, feeling self-conscious suddenly. You shake your head, trying to brush away the feeling as you question why you care what he thinks. 
Your phone lights up, but it's nothing important. You glance at the time 7:11. You try to remember why you cared. Your attention shifts once more to the man across from you; that was why. 
51 hours. 
The two of you go about the day. Zemo is more useful than you expected. He quickly decodes and unscrambles messages and relays them to the team. Like you, he thrives on analytics and strategic thinking. There were moments where you actually enjoyed the conversation that developed. 
A few times, your fingers brush against his while reaching for the same thing. He always offered his apologies with that smile that made you forget what he'd done that day.
Before you know it, he's bringing you dinner.
"Is it really that late already?" You question, glancing at the time. You accept the plate. "Thank you." 
You enjoy a pleasant evening together, sharing the meal he prepared for you. He was a great cook to your surprise. This was better than anything you had eaten at the Avengers compound lately. 
As the night lingers and you wait for your team to send you new intel, he tells you stories about Sokovia. Once, he mentions his son before pausing and quickly changing the topic. 
In your rush to label him as a terrorist because of that fateful day, you never listened to his reasonings. They didn't excuse his actions, but he wasn't the cold-hearted killer you had expected based on his military profile. He was just a man who lost his entire world. 
When you part for the evening, you gaze back, lifting your hand. "Good night, Zemo."
The next morning, you wake softly, breathing in the comfort of the bed. You reach for your phone; his file is still open from where you fell asleep reading it. You wanted to understand him. There was so much more than you gave him credit for. 
You realize you were wrong. He wasn't the cause of everything that happened. You were. Everything began not the day at the U.N., but that day in Sokovia, with Ultron, and with the Avengers. They had created Zemo; he was merely a product of their haste. They were the catalyst to their own undoing. He had just shone a light on it. 
You lie back thinking over the past two days—the conversations that you'd shared, the kindness he had insisted upon, even when you tried to care for yourself, and those small touches that elicited a feeling you couldn't understand. 
Your last day together followed much of the same patterns: sharing meals, breaking down and relaying intel, keeping watch.
You notice how at ease you are. Your body is calm with no tensions or worries. You hadn't checked the time since—well, you weren't really sure. A look of horror flashes on your face as you realize you were enjoying this—enjoying him. 
"What did I miss?" He questions, strolling in from his bath, still in his robe.
Your body flushes, and your eyes cascade over his form. Realizing what you had done, you turn away and clear your throat. "Can you please put some clothes on?" 
He shrugs and walks off. As soon as he turns away, you find yourself chewing your cheek as you watch him leave. "Snap out of it! The only thing that matters is the job," you scold yourself. 
For the rest of the day, you keep your distance, averting your gaze, and avoiding him as much as possible. When he wishes you good night, you don't reply, hurrying off as quickly as possible.
You hope to find reprieve in the quiet of your room in the comfort of the softest mattress you had ever known. However, you toss and turn all night, your mind restless with growing thoughts of him.
You skip breakfast, or so you had planned. When you didn't come out, he left it outside your door.
You pack up in silence, catching glimpses of his curious look. You know he is probably wondering what changed, but he doesn't pressure you.
As you leave, you take one glance back at the beautiful apartment.
He waits at the door, holding it open for you.
This time, you don't protest and even offer your thanks. A smile fills your face as he opens the car door too. 
Your eyes close, remembering all the good moments from the past 72 hours. Without thinking, you turn into him, brushing a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you." 
Your gaze lingers on his soft brown eyes longer than you intend. You feel trapped, unable to break away, but you don't want to either. You lick your lips, wanting more, but worrying what it would mean. You decide to go for it, but as you move to him, he's already there, meeting you halfway until he pulls you entirely into his embrace. His lips are warm and inviting. You feel the world around you melt away under his tenderness.
Your heart flutters when you finally pull away. "That's a one-time thing."
His head tilts to the side, considering your words, and then nods in agreement.
You get in the car, your gaze still focused on him, a devilish smirk forming on your lips. "Unless I decide it's not." 
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Marvel Perma(til the end of the line): @the-soot-sprite​​​; @fandomxreaders ;  @moonstuffsteve​
Zemo tags: @montypythonsholysnail​​​ ; @killsandthrills​​​ ; @noavengers​​​ ; ​@nalabarnes1031 ; @trelaney​ ; @willowtheewisp​ ; @marchingicenotes7 ; @valquiria3000​
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itsallyscorner · 3 years
Note
okay so I love littlemix!reader x Tom holland??? the best pairing ever??? Anyways could you do something based of Holiday, like it’s obviously based off their lovers and maybe his reaction to the song & mv? Pls I’m in love with Baby Mix btw 😌❤️
Glad you’re enjoying the Little Mix member!reader x Tom Holland fics, I’m enjoying them too🥰 Thank you for the support on Baby Mix, btw, I appreciate it! Sorry for taking so long! Much love and happy reading💖
💌.
Holiday
I completely forgot when the girls dropped the video so I’m making up a time. Enjoy:)
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Counting down the minutes to midnight, Tom continuously refreshed the YouTube app on your smart tv. The two of your were in his shared home with Harry, Harrison, and Tuwaine. You’ve been staying with the lot since the beginning of quarantine; London’s travel ban prevented you from catching a flight back home to your family, resulting in your boyfriend, Tom, begging you to stay with him and his mates. You didn’t have a problem with it in all honesty, the boys were great and respectful roommates. Though you were the only woman in the house, they provided you with entertainment and respected your alone time. They were a nice group of lads, letting you in on inside jokes and making you feel like you were part of the gang. By now, you probably were part of the gang. Harrison even considered on replacing Tom with you.
“Bubs, the video’s not gonna be up yet.” You glance at the screen that showed the previous videos the band’s channel posted. Tom huffed, nudging your arms apart so he can squeeze through them to lay on your chest. The two of you were currently in his room waiting for the release of Holiday’s music video. Tom had been anticipating the video all day, asking for hints about the music video’s concept and wondering how it looked.
With his body snuggled up against yours, he rested his head on your chest and wrapped his arm around your torso. His other hand reached towards the tv with the remote as he clicked the video for Break Up Song.
“I know it’s not gonna be up yet, but what if they accidentally uploaded it early? I wanna see the video already.” He whined. His fingers began to drum to the beat of Break Up Song on your stomach.
You laughed, fingers carding through his brown curls that have grown for the past months. He hums along to the song while you text the girls. He lets out a chuckle once he sees you on the screen doing the dance that he’s been helping you learn for the video. You had been struggling to get the choreography down and doing the moves on time. Noticing your desperate attempts at the moves, Tom offered to help you. Obviously in the end you perfected the choreography, seeing as it made the video, thanks to Tom.
“You are so cute.” He mused watching you dance around in the video. “Look at you dance, I don’t know what you were so worried about. You look so adorable when you dance and look at your face! Just wanna squish those cheeks together.” He began to tease you. You whine his name out as he reached up to squish your cheeks together with his hand. Your phone began to rang causing him to stop. He glances at the sceeen, “It’s my best friend, lemme answer it.”
“Go ahead.” You giggled handing him your phone. His head remains on your chest as he answers the FaceTime call. Jesy pops up on the screen with a giant smile but it drops once she sees Tom, changing into a playful scowl.
“Hi best friend!” Tom greets her loudly, a playful grin on his face. Jesy rolls her eyes at the boy.
“Hi Tom.” She greeted him sarcastically. “Give the phone to (y/n).”
“She’s right here, see,” Tom moved the phone further away so you were both in the frame. You waved at her, “Jess I miss you!” You cried.
“I miss you too darling—Tom give her the bloody phone!” Jesy scolded him through the phone. He let out a dramatic sigh before handing you your phone and snuggling into your stomach, mumbling something about “not being able to catch a break from the constant bullying of Jesy Nelson.”
“Right just a few minutes left, I’m trying to get the other girls on here.” Jesy explained as she tapped around her phone. Sooner or later. The two of you were joined by Perrie, Jade, and Leigh-Anne.
Perrie let out a squeal as she saw everyone on the screen, “You guys I miss you so much!”
“Didn’t we all see each other just a few weeks ago?” Jade asked sipping on a glass of wine as per usual.
“Yeah, on the set, but it’s a few weeks too long.” You pouted. You noticed that everyone was drinking except for you, “Wait, has everyone got a drink except for me?”
Leigh-Anne’s eyes scanned everyone on the screen, “You are, are you in bed already? It’s so early babe.”
“Leigh-Anne’s it’s literally about to be midnight, it’s late.” Jesy chimes. Jade makes a sound of disagreement, “I mean does time even matter anymore?”
“What day is it anyway? I’ve lost track.” Perrie thought out loud. You moved to get up from the bed but Tom stopped you. “Where are you going?” He whispered.
“I’m getting a drink, I’ll be back.” You patted his cheek before sitting up. He stops you once again and stands from the bed, “I’ll get you one.” He kisses your temple and leaves the room.
“Aww, was that Tom?” Jade asked leaning closer to her camera. You hummed, “Yup, being the amazing boyfriend he is and getting me a drink.”
Perrie smirked at you, “Gosh, there’s that smile again. She’s whipped for ‘im ladies!” The girls began “ooo-ing” like a bunch of elementary school girls. “Guys, stop.” You whine.
“Have you told him the part you wrote was inspired by him?” Leigh-Anne asked, chin in her palm.
“No, I’ll tell him while he’s watching. He’s been so excited the whole day, probably more than me.” You chuckle. As if on cue, Tom comes back in with a bottle of champagne and two glasses.
“Tom’s going to be so nerdy about it, like a cute nerdy, you know what I mean? All mushy gushy. Like how he gets whenever (y/n) kisses his cheeks.” Jesy said as the girls cooed. Tom peeks from beside you.
“Did I hear that correctly? Did Jesy just compliment me?” He asked everyone, looking back at you for confirmation. You shrugged as you looked at Jesy. Jade stifled a laugh at Jesy’s annoyed expression.
“Oh fuck off you div. It’s an observation. You could barely compose yourself whenever you’re around (y/n).” Jesy playfully jabs at him. You adored their friendship, it was like a brother/sister bond. Jesy being the older sibling and Tom being the annoying little brother.
“Jes, leave the poor boy alone, he makes our baby happy.” Perrie defended Tom. Tom smiles thankfully at her, “Thank you Perrie, at least I know some of you like me.”
Tom pops open the champagne and takes one of the glasses to pour the beverage in, “But I’ll take it as a compliment Jes. Cheers to that.” He raises his glass and clinks it with your phone screen. You and the girls continue to talk until midnight. When the video was finally released you all celebrated and took some screenshots of each other to post later.
When your FaceTime call with the girls ended, you turned to Tom, who already had the video up on the screen. He made grabby hands at you and pulled you to sit in between his legs. With his back against the headboard he made sure the two of you were comfy before asking you, “Can I click play now?”
You chuckled at him as his leg bounced, “Yup.” He pressed play, placing the remote down and wrapping his arm around your front to pull you closer to him. The intro to the video starts, the title of the song appearing on the screen in a water type font. Jesy pops up on the screen singing her part, Tom cheers yelling “It’s my best friend!”
Tom hypes each of the girls up while they appear on the screen, cheering their names. When the chorus comes, his brows furrow as he looks down at you. “Wait where are you? Why—why didn’t they show you yet?” He questioned you, visibly upset. You were about to answer but instead pointed to the screen when you realized your part was coming up.
Boy, have I told ya?
You give it to me like no other guy
We got that heat, yeah, like the summer (summer)
And that's why I'm so glad I made you mine
You appeared on the screen, body cladded in a white bikini that had gold straps for both the bra and thong. You bursted out laughing when you saw Tom’s reaction. His eyes look like they were about to bulge out his head while his jaw was slacked.
“Holy...shit.” He mumbled eyes glued to the screen as you sang. The scene was you in that blue hallway type set. You looked at the camera, bedroom eyes fully activated as your back slid down the wall. You felt his grip around you tighten, his breathing getting deeper.
The scene changed to the one with the planets, sculptures, and lounging chairs. You were seen walking towards a Chaise lounge, giving the camera a perfect view of your bum. While you sat sideways on the couch in the video, Tom couldn’t help but think about how gorgeous you looked in the video. You looked like a goddess, confident as you strutted around in that little number of yours in the video.
You turned to look at him once your part was done and pressed a kiss to his jaw. “You know my whole part was about you right?” His head snaps to look at you, “You wrote something about me in a song?”
“Tommy, I always do. Who else would I be singing about?” You asked him amused. He took a second to think before shaking his head, “I thought it was in general, like it was based on how you would feel if you were with someone that made you feel that way.”
You nod at his explanation, “Well yeah, the fans could see it that way. But when I sing it, it’s about you.”
A goofy grin made its way to his face before he giggled, “It’s about me.” He pulled you into a hug from behind and rested his chin on your shoulder. He turned back to the tv to see you all dressed as mermaids while you sang your part in the chorus.
“Wait what—you’re mermaids?” The look of confusion appeared on his face again as he tried to figure out the video. He looked at you then back to the screen, repeating the action a few times.
“I never thought I’d say this, but if you were a mermaid, I’d still fuck you.” He confessed with a shrug. You bursted out laughing at his confession, “How do you even fuck a mermaid, Tom?”
His hands gripped your sides, voice going down an octave, “You tell me, (y/n). Get the mermaid tail back and we’ll find out.” You looked at him shocked, “Thomas!”
He laughed dropping the act and went back to watching the music video. “Wait, I’m still cofused. I thought you guys were in space cause of the planets and stuff. Why are you guys also underwater? And mermaids?” You tilted your head trying to come up with an answer for him.
“Um—it’s a spa, on a another planet, which also has an ocean I’m guessing, and that’s why we’re also mermaids?” You explained, also questioning yourself.
“I like the concept, probably the most random video you guys have had, but it’s sick.” He approved of the video with an impressed look on his face. When the video ended, he immediately pressed replay. Though when your part came up this time he let out a “GOD DAMN” before his eyes scanned you up and down. When he finally felt like he’s processed the music video, he let it play in the background and paid attention to you.
He leaned down to kiss your lips sweetly, “Love, that was amazing. I’m proud of you.” He was quick to add on, “And thank you for writing a part of the song about me, I never thought someone would write a song about me, not even a part. But thank you, I love you so much.”
You giggled shoving your face into his neck as you both moved to cuddling. Suddenly you remembered something you and the boys promised to do.
“Tom! We were supposed to watch the video with the other boys! Remember we promised to not watch it without them?” You leaned back to look at Tom who was already shaking his head.
“Oh they’re not allowed to watch the video.” He muttered. Your brows furrow at him. Tom motions to the tv, the part where your bum was facing the camera on the screen.
“Because of that, I don’t need them seeing that, that’s mine.” One of his hands trail down the length of your back to grip your ass. He rolled over so he was on top of you, dipping his head into your neck, his lips ghosted fluttery kisses along your skin. You let out a content sigh, running your hands through his soft hair. When his lips reached your ear, he whispered, “But seriously though, you should think about investing in a mermaid tail.”
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luuxxart · 2 years
Note
LUXX THE ROBOT AU??? HELLO YOU NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT THIS IM IN LOVE PLEASE ELABORATE
AH WELL,, YOU SEE,,,, i hadn't really intended on doing anything w it for a while but then i made some good doodles and i was like. ah i guess i'll just go ahead and do somethin with this lmaoooo
so info and doodles are under the cut and here's the mentioned post in case this gets buried in the eventual tag haha
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i kind of just started doodling the idea in december. i dont remember why lmao but,. it was a thing (Ren was originally going to be based on Sumire as well and utilize Prince Charming). and then i did these two drafts of a comic for the new year lmao (i might finish them later but for now here they are)
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so heres the basic gist of the au without going into spoilers (jic i want to actually write this in the future, and,,,, i do have a small piece of a beginning bit of prose)
five years after the events of Royal, shadows are on the rise again, and specifically, they are present outside of palaces, much like in Port Island. Okumura Foods is rebranded into Okumura Tech, and with help from the Kirijo Group, a new line of Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons which are not as advanced as ASWs like Aigis or Labrys so as to avoid any unecessary thinking on their part and so they can be mass produced.
(also yeah i know im missing an "S" there. im not taking chances. but in the fic futaba and akira will be calling them a**-bots. its too funny to pass up)
however, it becomes increasingly clear that they need a free thinking weapon to take care of some of the bigger shadows, so Okumura Tech goes through a few constructions, trying to recreate Aigis. nothing is really working. the personas they're trying to produce are overwhelming the Plumes of Dusk. in fact, a few end up being total disasters that have to be destroyed at all costs.
finally, they manage to recruit Mishima, who is just coming out of college with a doctorate degree in AI design (having switched from a degree in general coding, inspired by the advent of ASWs). instead of just using the Plumes of Dusk, Mishima introduces the idea of AI to aid the Plumes in persona construction. think the Cores from Portal, except they can't be separated from the ASW or the Plume of Dusk.
so Mishima, still worshipping the ground Joker walks on, constructs an ASW in Akira's image, codenamed Joker, who ends up rebelling against Okumura Tech (feeling that something nefarious is afoot). Joker renames himself Renegade (Ren for short) and just kind of adopts Amamiya for a reason i'll have to figure out as i write.
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Mishima's persona is half-AI based and half-awakening. Talos is an AI that he designed, but when he gets so stressed out that he awakens his persona, the AI sort of merges into his psyche. He's a Nav (just your regular old Otacon guy in the chair archetype) but he can do damage if need be. (also im bringing this meme back bc i love it)
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also, Ren's persona is. a secret. mostly because its a reference to a real AI/antivirus and that reference sort of would reveal the antagonist. i dont want to reveal that before i even write the story haha
the story itself is told between Akira and Ren's perspectives at vastly different times. Akira's starts when Mishima shows up at his door after a major disaster at Okumura Tech. hijinx and romance ensue. Ren's starts when he tracks down Akechi, hoping the former Detective Prince will help him figure out why the shadows resurfaced in the first place and if there's anything going on under the surface of Okumura Tech.
oh and this is very much detached from anything regarding the Uncle Adachi AU haha im still using Mishima's persona user design and persona from the Bunny AU tho. itd be a short fic. hopefully six chapters at most. probably more mature than Everyone's a Ki/ller??? remains to be seen.
and yes. haru and mitsuru would of course also be major characters.
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starsinmylatte · 3 years
Text
Nightcall
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Pairing: Thrawn x afab reader
Rating: Explicit (Very 18+)
Word count: 2.4k
Warnings: established relationship, edging, praise k!nk, very slight dom/sub undertones, interspecies relationship
Summary: Reader has had a VERY long day, and Thrawn is away from the Chimaera. Or is he?
Author's note: Hi! I'm finally starting to post fics to Tumblr again. I've been away for a bit, but I am very excited to write more. All my stuff is also on AO3 here! Any comments or reblogs are always greatly appreciated (seriously y'all leave the sweetest comments and it makes my day). Have fun reading my first ever attempt at smut and lmk if you'd like to be added to my tags <3
Today had been hell.
Thrawn had departed the Chimaera days ago to handle some business on Coruscant, and, as usual, Konstantine was using his absence as an excuse to be a massive pain in the ass. The Grand Admiral relied on you to help keep order just as much as he relied on Eli Vanto, but he was currently as busy as you were. So, the ever-glamorous job of making sure the Seventh Fleet remained in orbit mainly fell to you.
It was the fifth day Thrawn had been gone, and you were already fantasizing about throwing Konstantine out of the airlock. It would undoubtedly save the remnants of your sanity. He usually wasn’t blatantly insubordinate, but today he seemed to make an exception.
“I simply don’t understand why the Grand Admiral is insisting on holding this formation,” he exclaimed. “We should be chasing the rebels back to their base by now!”
Another headache was definitely coming on. I swear on every star in this kriffing galaxy…..
Your reply was icy and tinged with frustration, “Konstantine, if you wish to question the Grand Admiral’s tactics, you are more than welcome to discuss it with him when he comes back. Until then, we will be following the orders he left us with.”
He momentarily met your piercing stare before realizing any further arguments would be futile.
“Fine. I do believe I’m needed elsewhere,” Konstantine huffed as he departed the bridge.
For the first time in hours, the bridge was blessedly silent. You sank into a chair, rubbing your temples. Kriff, I definitely feel that headache now….
A sudden hand on your shoulder made you jump. You were so distracted that Eli might as well have materialized out of thin air.
“Hard day?” The corners of his mouth twitched as he attempted to stifle his amusement. “I heard you gave Konstantine a well-deserved earful.”
You rolled your eyes at him, “Next time, it’s your turn. This is my fourth headache in the past five days.”
“Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off? You’ve been working harder than anyone else on the Chimaera for days.” He lowered his voice before adding, “He should be back soon.”
A wave of relief washed over you at the news. You and Thrawn had gone to great lengths to keep your relationship secret from the crew, but Eli was too good of a friend to be kept in the dark. Besides, he would’ve noticed eventually that his two best friends were slightly more than friends.
Eli must’ve noticed the change in your expression, “Oh, you definitely need a break.”
He shoved a datapad in your hands and started pulling you to your feet, ignoring the numerous protests you gave him. “Here, take this to Thrawn’s office, leave it on his desk, and then you’re taking the rest of the day off. No arguments.”
-----------------------------
Thrawn’s office was its usual freezing temperature. Even though your uniform had layers of thick material, the chill was easily seeping through them. Shivering, you placed the datapad on the large desk in the back of the room.
You turned to leave, but a pang shot through your heart as you looked around the empty room. It was normal for you to barely see Thrawn on the days he was especially busy, but it was always different when you knew he wasn’t on the Chimaera at all. Stars, you missed him when he was gone. Just knowing he was nearby on days you couldn’t see him was so comforting. “Soon” wasn’t a good enough time frame for when he’d return.
A sudden thought crossed your mind; nothing was stopping you from spending the night in Thrawn’s quarters. It wasn’t exactly an unusual occurrence for you to sleep here, and it would be comforting. Besides, with your headache, you didn’t exactly feel like walking all the way back across the ship to your room, and his private quarters were conveniently connected to his office.
You began stripping off your uniform as you walked into the room and made your way over to the bed. It was still freezing, but every layer you removed took the worries of the day with it. Soon, everything except your bra and panties sat neatly folded on the bedside table. In this moment, you weren’t an Imperial officer; you were a woman climbing into her lover’s bed for comfort after a long day.
As soon as you slid between the soft, black sheets, you instantly received the comfort you were craving. They smelled exactly like Thrawn, crisp and clean, but with a unique depth cut by the citrusy scent of his favorite tea. You could almost imagine that he was actually there beside you. A contented smile crossed your lips as you drifted off to sleep.
---------------------------------
You suddenly woke to a light caress on your cheek. In your groggy state, you didn’t fully realize what that touch meant until you leaned into it. You would have probably fallen back asleep were it not for the low, pleased murmur that followed your actions.
“Apologies, ch’eo bat in’a, I did not mean to wake you, but I was not expecting to find you here.”
Your eyes flew open in shock as you sat up and gasped, “Thrawn!”
The low light in the room illuminated the regal form sitting beside you on the edge of the bed. Thrawn’s usually unreadable expression was one of slight amusement mixed with another, softer expression. You couldn’t help but notice his beautiful azure-hued skin and luminous ruby eyes were only complemented by the dimmed light; you couldn’t help but think he was meant to be seen like this. He must’ve been tired from the constant travel, but nothing in his posture or expression gave it away.
You didn’t wait for him to speak again before reaching over to embrace him. Thrawn immediately wrapped his strong arms around your waist and pulled you in tightly. Pressing your face into his chest, you quietly murmured, “I missed you.”
He said nothing, so you assumed he didn’t hear. You both sat contentedly for a few minutes and savored the intimacy before he moved one hand to stroke lazily down your back and the other to run through your hair. As you leaned further into his touch, he grabbed your chin and turned your head so he could press his lips to your ear.
“You are quite endearing when you’re half-asleep. It’s beautiful,” he whispered.
The praise combined with the sensation of his warm breath in your ear finally did you in; a flame began to spark to life in your core. You had missed him, and every single part of you was screaming for you to let him know just how much.
Before you could even move, Thrawn trailed his lips down to kiss your neck, and the flame in your core blossomed. You let out a quiet, breathy moan, and he immediately stopped.
Bringing his lips back to trace the shell of your ear, he rasped, “Oh? It seems you did miss me. How fortunate that I was able to return to you already in my bed.” He paused to lightly trace the outline of your bra before continuing. “And in something so pretty too. A shame that it will soon be discarded.”
You whimpered at his words as his lips renewed their brutal assault on your neck and upper chest. For what seemed like an eternity, Thrawn was content to lavish affection on the spots that provoked the greatest responses from you as his hands held you in place.
“Thrawn, please…. Touch me….” you begged, hoping desperately for him to comply.
He merely let out a dark chuckle as he chided, “Patience, ch’eo ch’itiseb, for every protest that leaves your pretty mouth, I will be sure to make you wait even longer.”
You bit back a moan at his sinful words; his eyes seemed to glow even brighter, and his smile turned feral. The look he gave you in return was simply predatory.
He continued to suck hickies into the sensitive skin at the base of your neck and around your collarbones. His tongue licked a long, torturous line up the column of your neck to kiss the area under your jaw. With every kiss, caress, and touch, the flame in your core spread throughout your entire body. He bit down on the juncture of your neck and shoulder, and you melted even further into his arms.
“It seems you were able to learn an adequate lesson in patience, so now we may continue. Turn around for me,” he ordered.
You turned to face the wall as he returned to his previous position at the edge of the bed. He trailed his hands up your waist and around to cup your breasts. Thrawn may have decided that you could have more of his touch, but he still refused to dip his hand under the lacy fabric of your bra. Instead, he teasingly rubbed over the material to brush against your nipples. Your head fell back to rest on his shoulder as you pushed your chest out into his hands, still desperate for more.
“How very, very eager for my touch….” His tone was still infuriatingly collected for how quickly he’d reduced you into a moaning mess, but a slight accent began to mar his words. “Ch’itses’o euhn ei.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Thrawn unfastened and discarded your bra. Finally, he wrapped his hands entirely around your breasts. The sharp contrast between the warmth of his body and the room’s icy air only intensified the pleasure as he began to roll your nipples between his fingers.
You couldn’t help but moan his name again, loudly. Thrawn’s breath hitched before he let out a low, breathy moan, “Bun vn’inen’i. Let me hear you.”
His voice had always been profoundly attractive, but hearing him murmur filthy sentiments into your ear in his native tongue made you absolutely melt. You let out another gasp and rubbed your thighs together, seeking any friction you could find, keenly aware of the desire beginning to pool between them. In your desperate search for friction, you accidentally rubbed your ass back against him and felt his growing erection.
The contact made Thrawn hiss. In one fluid motion, he flipped you around, pushed your back flat against the mattress, and leaned over you.
It was moments like this when you remembered you were in the bed of one of the most powerful men in the galaxy. Thrawn’s ruby eyes glowed with lust as he gazed down at you. His feral smile returned as he studied his prize. “Allow me to show you just how much I missed you.”
He trailed kisses from your breasts down to your inner thighs, nipping at them slightly, then stopping to look up at you as he reached your panties. “These must go,” he murmured against your thigh. Thrawn took the band in his teeth and began to tug the panties off, using his hands to remove them fully.
Finally, you laid before him completely bare, and once again, he paused to appreciate your body. “Simply beautiful,” he cooed.
Thrawn returned to kiss your inner thighs before he spread your legs further. He moved to kneel on the floor at the side of the bed and pulled your hips to the edge. You knew exactly what was coming next. “Oh….”
You barely had time to moan before he swiped an experimental finger through your core. Under any other circumstances, you’d be embarrassed that you were already so wet, but Thrawn lit a fire in you that no one else could. Now it was his turn to let out a low groan at his discovery.
He didn’t waste any more time before moving one of his long fingers to lightly trace around your entrance. The torment of his delicate touch made you rock your hips upwards, desperately begging for more contact. Without warning, he pushed two fingers deep inside you, making your walls clench hard around them. You moaned and begged for more as he began to pump them in and out of your drenched core, causing your legs to shudder in pleasure.
“Look at you, I’ve only just started using my fingers, and you’re already shaking,” Thrawn groaned.
He brought you right up to the peak of pleasure before suddenly withdrawing. You sobbed in protest as he brought his fingers up to your mouth. “Clean them off,” he commanded. Hoping that he’d finish you off if you complied, you obediently took his fingers into your mouth and sucked all your juices off of them.
Thrawn was very pleased. He moved back down between your thighs and sucked another hickey on the delicate skin before returning his attention to your core. He slowly circled your sensitive clit with a finger before licking his way up to suck on it. Once again, he continued his attention until you were at the very edge before withdrawing. Being edged once was hard, but the second time left you an absolute mess.
When Thrawn looked down on you, covered in his marks, eyes glazed over in lust and absolutely begging for completion, he lost the remnants of his control. He leaned back up to murmur, “Ch’eo ch’itiseb, how would you like me?”
“Stars, Thrawn, I don’t care. I just want you inside me now,” you moaned back at him as you reached up to help tug off his remaining clothing. After a few moments, he was also completely bare and leaning over you on the bed again.
With how desperate you felt, any time at all was too long, but your pleas and cries finally turned into more gasps and moans of pleasure as he finally lined his thick cock up with your entrance. The feeling of being so gloriously stretched and filled as he pushed in made your walls clench around him. Thrawn moaned at the sensation and began fucking you at a leisurely pace.
He leaned in to capture your lips in a burning, passionate kiss as his thrusts grew faster and your hips rose to meet them. His hands roamed your body, finding their way to pinch and tug at your nipples. You moaned into his mouth as you grew closer and closer to the high you’d been chasing all night.
Pausing between kisses, Thrawn suddenly grabbed your chin and stared into your eyes with his burning red ones before returning to kiss you hungrily. The unspoken message was clear: you were his. This new intensity, combined with his thrusts that came faster and faster, finally sent you over the edge into a shattering climax. Thrawn’s thrusts grew more and more erratic until he finished soon after you, coating your walls with his seed as he came.
As you both lay there in the afterglow, Thrawn mused, “I may have to find an excuse to be gone more often.”
Tags: @pretty-with-andorian-shingles @mittheresabosen @handbaskethell
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cheri-translates · 3 years
Text
[CN] Victor’s Business Trip Date
🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 出差之约, which has not been released in EN! 🍒
Note: This date features S2 Victor, but contains no main storyline spoilers!
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[ This date was released on 13 May 2021 ]
"This flight will be reaching its destination soon. Please fasten your seatbelts...”
Hearing the announcement, I shift my gaze away from the notebook laptop, rubbing my slightly swollen eyes.
The company recently took up an important collaboration, which is why I had to make final amendments to the proposal even in the middle of a business trip.
Drawing up the window at the side, what enters my vision is a patch of deep blue. Above the vast water, the small islands are reminiscent of dark emerald gems.
MC: So beautiful...
It’s as if I’m able to sense the greenery from across the window, and it adds a tinge of anticipation to this trip.
Even though the reason why I’m here is to attend an international meeting spanning three days.
The moment I step out of the airport, I see the apologetic expression on the staff’s face.
Staff: Hello, are you Miss MC?
MC: It’s me. Did something happen?
Staff: I’m incredibly sorry. Because of our negligence, the car that was supposed to pick you up is scheduled to arrive only in the afternoon. However, another guest has agreed to share a car with you to the venue.
MC: That’s fine, as long as the other party doesn’t mind.
-
When we reach the carpark, my brows arch at the sight of a long Bentley. I can’t help but criticise silently that the host would use a car with such high specifications.
The staff steps aside to pull the door open. I bend and enter the car, prepared to thank this important guest whom I have disturbed.
MC: Hello, thank you...
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Lifting my eyes, I meet an indifferent face.
MC: ...Victor?!
In the spacious car, Victor is wearing a black suit as he typically does, a thin picture album in his hands. 
Since Victor, who should be at another end of the earth, has appeared before my eyes, I’m unable to react immediately.
MC: ...what are you doing here?!
Victor: Why can’t I be here? LFG receives an invitation from the host each year. This year is no exception. 
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He glances at the time on the television screen installed in the car. He taps his knuckles against the picture album, his tone calm.
Victor: Also, who else would be willing to wait fifteen minutes for you.
I clear my throat hastily, displaying a brilliant smile.
MC: I have to give CEO Victor a proper thanks for waiting patiently then! But I really didn’t expect you to attend the meeting personally. Didn’t you always refuse in previous years?
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Victor looks at me with slight surprise.
Victor: You remember these things really clearly. I happen to have time this year, and...
He pauses, his gaze landing on me.
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Victor: I wanted to see if a certain acclaimed producer is just as skilful and at ease when faced with an international collaborative partner.
Hearing the mildly teasing tone in Victor’s words, I can't help but crinkle my eyes into a smile.
MC: In that case, I definitely won’t disappoint CEO Victor. This meeting is really important to our company. I’m bringing out one hundred percent of my fighting spirit, which I haven’t done in a very long time.
While speaking, I scoot backwards into the soft chair. With Victor at my side, the tension that I’ve been experiencing is finally alleviated slightly.
MC: Fortunately, the host arranged for the venue to be at a resort. We can have a good rest too. I heard the scenery on that small island is pretty good. And there are lots of kittens...
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Victor: I’m guessing the reason why you came here to attend the meeting was for the resort.
Hearing this, I stare at the picture album in his hands. The page which has been flipped open happens to be the view I saw from the plane. It’s clearly a brochure for this place.
MC: CEO Victor, aren’t you looking at a brochure?
Victor: It was to while the time away while waiting for someone.
Even though I’ve exposed Victor, his expression remains unchanged. He closes the brochure composedly, which has a few images of cat paws on it.
Victor: Do you want to look at it?
MC: No need. Actually, the main reason why I came here isn’t for the resort.
Victor: Then what is it?
The expression in my eyes changes, revealing a smile.
MC: My reason is very obvious. It’s to expand our company’s influence internationally, and obtain a few more million dollars’ worth of LFG’s investments.
Victor doesn’t refute my words. Instead, he folds his arms in front of his chest and leans against the wall of the car, meeting my eyes calmly.
Victor: What do you plan to do?
MC: Before coming here, I noted down the organisers and brands, then wrote proposals based on their preferences and styles. But from the looks of it, there seems to be a faster method.
I smile while facing Victor, speaking unhurriedly.
MC: For instance... getting close to an extremely important guest at the meeting.
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Victor arches his brows, the upward curl at the corners of his lips softening his well-defined features. 
Victor: I’ll look forward to it then.
-
The meeting that spanned the entire afternoon finally comes to a temporary end. After politely turning down an invitation to the dinner banquet, I leave the venue, standing outside and taking in breaths of fresh air.
Victor: Why are you hiding here?
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Turning my head, I see Victor who appears to be leaving as well.
MC: I’m heading back to rest and prepare for tomorrow’s main event. What about you? What are you planning to do?
He glances at the insuppressible fatigue on my face, then continues walking.
Victor: Like you, I’m heading back to rest.
He doesn’t walk quickly, as though waiting for me to chase after him. Curling the corners of my lips, I speed up my footsteps and follow him.
In this resort surrounded by water, exquisite glass houses sit among the elegant scenery, reminiscent of illustrations from a fairytale.
Two small wooden signboards with cats drawn on them attract my attention, and I continuously turn my head around to peer at them.
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Victor: What are you looking at that has left you unable to walk properly?
MC: There’s a story written on these wooden signboards, and I find it interesting.
It’s a simple yet heartwarming short story: a mysterious kitten knocks on the door of guests, giving them a secret, warm gift.
MC: Do you think a kitten will knock on my window tonight?
I turn to Victor, saying this jokingly. However, he’s the same as always, shattering my imagination with his words.
Victor: It’s just an advertising tactic by the resort.
Kitten: Meow~ 
Before he finishes speaking, a soft sound drifts from the thick clump of grass at the side. My eyes brighten instantly.
MC: See? The Cat Resort lives up to its name.
Very soon, a calico cat leaps out from the thick grass, its black eyes seeming to scrutinise the both of us.
I squat down, wanting to reach out to play with it. However, it’s incredibly proud and aloof.
MC: ...what a cold cat.
The “cold” calico cat avoids my outstretched hand and goes to Victor’s feet, circling him in a clingy manner.
MC: Why is it only warm towards you?
Victor: Your earlier enthusiasm probably gave it a scare.
Kitten: Meow~ Meow meow~
The kitten lifts its tiny head, raising a paw and “condescendingly” leaves two paw prints on Victor’s trousers before leaving in a leisurely manner.
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Victor: ...
Watching it jump back into the grass, I retract my gaze, continuing forward with Victor.
MC: I didn't expect you to have an affinity with animals. Whenever I want to get close to the stray cats below the company building, I have to “give offerings” of cat food first.
The gentle evening breeze brushes past. In this leisurely atmosphere, Victor’s tone is casual and relaxed.
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Victor: Maybe the cat food you bought doesn’t taste good.
MC: I buy high quality cat food, okay?
Engaging in idle chatter while walking, we soon reach the houses that have been prepared for us.
Detached glass houses scattered in a disorderly fashion appear before our eyes. What surprises me is that the small house Victor is staying in happens to face mine.
The two windows aren’t that far apart, and they face each other, conjuring a carefree atmosphere. 
MC: I didn’t expect our residences to be so close by. This way, we could start chatting just by opening the windows.
Victor: ...I won’t do such a silly thing with you.
MC: I was just kidding. See you tomorrow! Rest early, CEO Victor.
Waving at him happily, I turn around and push open the door to the small glass house.
-
Everything in the small house is as exquisite as the exterior. Through the transparent ceiling, I can see the glow of sunset.
Now that I’ve returned to the residence, the exhaustion from the journey immediately spreads through my four limbs. With a “plonk”, I fall onto the soft bed.
It is only after releasing a huge breath that I think about shutting the curtains. When I walk over to the small balcony, I see the person standing opposite.
Victor is holding a cup of coffee at the window, and is currently meeting my gaze.
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He has removed his outer jacket and has his sleeves rolled up, making his entire person seem much more relaxed. I can detect a smile from the expression in his eyes.
Recalling how I looked sprawled on the bed earlier, my face instantly heats up.
MC: [whispering] That’s so embarrassing...
Pretending to be calm, I shoot Victor a smile, then tug on the thick curtains firmly.
The room instantly descends into dimness, and also covers the slight tinge of red on my face.
Buzz buzz - at this moment, my phone vibrates.
Victor: There’s a meeting tomorrow. Sleep early, and don’t get overly excited.
-
Upon waking up, the room is so dark that there doesn’t seem to be any light coming in. Drawing the curtains, I realise that the sky’s almost dark.
Warm yellow lights from the opposite house enter my vision, reminiscent of tender candlelight in twilight.
At some point of time, it had started raining outside.
And behind that curtain of rain, there’s an indistinct figure.
Victor seems to be reading documents while sitting by the window.
MC: He’s still busy with work at this time?
After thinking about it, I put on a coat and sneak out of the door.
-
MC: Thanks for your help.
Carrying the congee I purchased as a take-out, I walk down the glass-roofed corridors. Falling rain patters outside the corridor, embellishing the night with even more coldness.
Kitten: Meow~
At this moment, a calico kitten suddenly appears at the side, and it’s clearly the same cat Victor and I met before.
With the same happy and contented gait, it comes up to me, then lifts its head to stare at me.
After being confused for a few seconds, I lift the congee in my hand, and the kitten’s line of sight slowly shifts upwards too.
MC: Turns out you’re just a little greedy cat despite your aloof appearance. But I can’t let you eat this. I still need to feed a “big cat”.
Despite me leaving mercilessly, the calico cat follows behind me all the way.
MC: Fine, you can visit Victor with me then.
It lets out an excited “meow”, though I’m unsure if it understood what I said.
MC: I’ll take that as an agreement.
When I walk to the small glass house, Victor’s room is still lit. I pick up the cat and lean towards the window, tapping on the window with a thud.
The figure sitting in front of the window pauses. The curtains which weren’t closed completely are pulled open.
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Victor’s face appears in the window clearly. When he sees me and the cat in my arms, he’s slightly stunned for a moment, obvious surprise flashing across his face.
Warm light illuminates the room with a soft and comforting glow. Even Victor, who is sitting amidst the warm colour, seems to become much gentler.
Lifting the kitten’s paw, I wave it a few times in greeting.
MC: Hello Mr Victor. We’re here to give you a present.
He chuckles in resignation, the word “dummy” leaving his lips silently.
Victor sets the documents down neatly, then gets up to open the window. While supporting the window frame with a hand, he looks down at me with a scrutinising gaze.
Victor: What are you doing outside this late instead of sleeping?
MC: I should be the one asking you that. Why are you still working this late!
Hearing this, he lifts his hand and rubs the space between his eyebrows, but the veins in his eyes can still be seen faintly.
Victor: There’s an issue related to an acquisition by LFG. Goldman called and asked for my opinion.
MC: Is the issue serious? 
Victor: It’s manageable.
He sets down his hand and brings it to me. I stare at this unfurled hand, blinking in confusion.
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Victor: Didn’t you say you brought something for me?
Only now do I remember my official business, and I hide the thermal bag with the congee within it in my arms.
MC: Victor, are you going to take my congee and then ask me to leave?
Victor: ...when did I say that. It’s just that a certain someone has a “tough battle” to fight tomorrow, and has to maintain her vigour.
MC: I’m fine. I just took a nap and feel so much better.
While we’re talking, the kitten in my arms suddenly meows impatiently. Then, it leaps out of my arms. 
It jumps into Victor’s room deftly, then stands on his desk, licking its paw calmly.
MC: ...it really likes you. It doesn’t even want my congee now.
I grumble, and Victor suddenly chuckles softly.
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Victor: Didn't you buy the congee for me? I don’t intend to share it.
Hearing this, I recall the serious matter I came to attend to by making this trip.
I scan my surroundings. It’s still raining, and there’s quite a distance to the door. And this window happens to be sufficiently low.
After giving it some thought, I roll my wrists, then speak.
MC: Victor... move a little to the side.
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Victor: What are you planning to do now?
Victor arches his brows in a lack of comprehension. However, he follows what I said and shifts away from the window.
In the next second, I support myself on the window frame, hopping across smoothly.
When Victor sees the faint footprints on the windowsill, he’s silent for a few seconds.
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Victor: ...
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Victor: Looks like you truly had sufficient rest. You’re full of energy.
MC: This is a special situation. Scholars in the ancient times would leap over walls to meet beautiful women. Today, I’m leaping over the window to bring you congee.
I retrieve the piping hot congee from the bag, placing it in front of Victor.
MC: For you. Have some supper before continuing work.
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Victor lowers his head to look at the congee, the corners of his lips curling upwards indistinctly.
Victor: Is this what you called “catering to my tastes”?
MC: That’s right. So I hope CEO Victor would help me out tomorrow in preventing awkward silences.
Victor: It depends on your performance.
He picks up a spoon, stirring the slightly solidified surface of the congee slowly. The fragrance of rice makes my stomach grumble uncontrollably.
Smelling the fragrance, the calico cat circles our feet, meowing coquettishly.
MC: It seems hungry. The congee I ordered is pretty bland. Why don’t you share some with it?
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Victor: Looks like it isn’t the only hungry one.
Victor gives me a meaningful glance, then splits the congee into three portions. The portion that he blows cool is placed in front of the kitten, and another is pushed in front of me.
Victor: After you’ve finished eating, go to bed.
MC: I didn’t even say that I wanted to eat...
I can’t help but mutter to myself while happily taking a spoon and sending a scoop of congee into my mouth.
Victor: The proportion of water and rice is wrong, it wasn’t cooked long enough, and it doesn’t bring out the taste of congee.
Hearing VIctor’s comments, I pause in my movements, then release a soft ‘hmph’.
MC: I wasn’t the one who cooked it, so your words don’t hurt me.
Ten minutes later, three completely clean bowls convey the greatest gratitude towards the chef’s hard work.
The satisfied calico cat has long since found a space on the carpet and rolled into a ball, snoring and sleeping soundly.
Victor: It’s also time for you to return and sleep.
MC: I still don’t feel like going back. I just had a nightmare, so I don’t feel drowsy at all. Why don’t I stay behind and accompany you while you work? I could wait for tomorrow’s sunrise too.
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Victor: ...seems like you just want to use my room to watch the sunrise.
Seeing that he remains unmoved, I raise my hands, looking at him with a face filled with sincerity.
MC: I’ll definitely keep quiet throughout, and won’t disturb your work!
Victor doesn't say anything, returning to his documents. He seems to have tacitly allowed me to “run amok”.
I sit on a sofa chair at the side obediently, supporting my chin with a hand while sneaking peeks at him.
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Beneath the warm lights, the side of his face seems to become much gentler. However, his slightly furrowed brows reveal a faint sharpness.
Rain patters down outside the window, a stark contrast to the tranquility within the house.
Looking at Victor’s figure, my eyelids grow heavier and heavier...
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Victor suddenly senses a weight on his shoulder. He turns his head, only to see that the girl who claimed that she wasn’t drowsy is currently sound asleep, eyes shut tightly.
Victor: MC? 
The girl wrinkles her nose, as though she’s having a beautiful dream, or feeling nostalgic for the delicious food from earlier.
He recalls the story written on the wooden signboards earlier in the evening about the kitten which taps on windows and sends gifts. A soft chuckle rises from his throat.
Along the horizon, a hazy ray of light sneaks in through the window in front of them.
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🐈 Phone call: here
🐈 Support the cafe by dropping by the tip jar!
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janetbrown711 · 3 years
Note
"Wait- where are you going?" Wakko
If Wakko heard another word about that stupid disneyland prince, he was going to scream.
Every since that party he was all Yakko would talk about. Except in the rare moments where Yakko would instead talk about Disneyland and its "fascinating history".
"Wakko, did you know they were in a war just a few years ago? It was between-"
"Max is first in line in his kingdom too, I wonder what that means for-"
"Wakko, did you know their colors are blah blah and blah?"
"Wakko did you know Max has brown eyes-"
"Wakko, Max blah blah blah blah blah-"
Every. Single. Conversation.
Sure, at first it was fun (hilarious, even) to poke fun at Yakko and his newfound crush, to make him act stupid for once. It was also really funny when he teamed up with Dot and forced him to interact.
But now? Now he was confident he was regretting that move with every fiber of his being. It never ended- just "yakyakyakyak" about Max. Hell- Wakko was pretty sure if he ever saw the guy he'd bite his face off just so Yakko would finally stop talking about him.
Wakko tried asking his mom to ask him to stop but she just chuckled and said it's a harmless crush and the yakking about Max will go away eventually.
Weeks passed, and nothing changed.
So, to punish Yakko, Wakko purposefully stopped hanging out with him. If he wanted to talk about his stupid crush he could talk about it with Dad or Dot or someone- ANYONE who wasn't him.
...
Another week passed and it was like Yakko didn't even notice. He never looked for him, never got confused when he suddenly left a room, none of that. At diner, he'd hardly even glance at him. His head was too full of that stupid prince to even notice.
He spent a lot more time with his mom instead, which he didn't hate. He loved cuddling with her or curling up on her lap during a meeting, while she stroked his ears softly. Plus- sometimes she'd actually ask for his input (something Yakko clearly had no interest in as of late). At least he felt useful somewhere...
Oh yeah, and he went to see Doctor Scratchnsniff, but... well... eh? Wakko didn't really like him and how he'd poke at him, and Wakko usually just preferred to cuddle up to his mother while in the office instead of talking. He was weird. Wakko didn't like that.
Be that as it may, Wakko still enjoyed the time he spent with his mother after a year of having her gone, and was happy she was trying her best to make him feel better.
However, all that changed in an instant, when one morning at breakfast his mother announced she and Yakko were taking a trip to Disneyland together, leaving the rest of them behind.
"What? Why?!" Wakko shot up in his chair. Everyone turned, shocked at the sudden outburst.
"It's for diplomatic reasons, Wakko. It's part of my duty as Queen to get acquainted with our allies, and it's important for Yakko to do so too," Lena explained lied to him.
"It's for that stupid prince, isn't it?!" Wakko glared daggers at his older brother.
"Well- i- uh-" He fumbled, which only made Wakko angrier.
"Wakko, please," Lena placed a hand on his shoulder, which he brushed off, jumping down from his chair and running out of the dining room.
Where exactly he was going he didn't know, but he had a feeling no one was going to chase after.
He ran for a very very long time, before realizing he should probably slow down, but before he did he crashed headfirst into none other than Doctor Scratchnsniff and the two of them went crashing down.
"Ahh... Wakko? Are you okay?" The doctor asked, rubbing his head. Wakko looked at him silently, before sniffling and rubbing his head too.
"Something the matter? Is it about Yakko?" He asked. Wakko frowned.
"Ah... I see. It's his trip, ya?" The doctor said, getting up. Wakko growled, staying on the floor.
The doctor sighed. "My doors are always open if you need an ear," he said before leaving. Wakko continued growling until he was out of sight.
He did not like that man.
Eventually, he heard footsteps behind him and he dashed into the nearest room, which was stone and dark and empty. He made sure to lock the door behind him and held a hand over his mouth so no one could hear him breathe.
"Wakko?"
It was his mom.
"Wakko, darling, I don't mean to abandon you... it's just... as queen, there are certain duties I must fulfill that you can't always follow," She said softly.
Wakko remained silent.
"Your brother and I love you very much, you know that, right?" She placed a hand on the door.
She could say what she wanted, but he knew they planned this on purpose. To go see that stupid prince. Ugh.
Eventually, the queen sighed. "We'll be back by tonight. I'll still be able to tuck you in if you want."
He remained silent, stewing.
"I'll see you tonight... I love you," she said, before leaving.
Wakko waited a while in there. It was an overcast day. Not heavy enough to rain, but enough that the room was grey and barely any sunlight was getting through, leaving him cold and mostly in shadow.
Wakko didn't like being alone. In the cold. In the dark. Against the stone flooring. It sent chills down his spine and a heavy feeling in his chest.
It reminded him of the tower.
After a long time, he eventually got up and wandered aimlessly, not knowing what to do without his mother and storming far away from Dot and his father, who were probably doing their own thing by now.
Eventually, he made his way to a familiar doorway. He hated it, he hated it more than anything. It was a reminder of his grandmother- of her cruelty and hatred...
But every so often out of pure painful boredom he'd go and visit it.
Not the actual room- his mother had that locked with a real big lock and key, but just... the base. He'd sit there, and stare at it. Expecting something.
What he expected he didn't know.
Maybe for his grandmother to pop up and drag him back there for Yakko to have to save him again.
Maybe for it to collapse in front of him because of its uselessness.
Maybe for it to open up once more and he can look at the familiar prison once again, and feel... whatever this was some more.
Wakko grumbled and pulled his hat lower as he stared at the door to the entrance.
"You having a staring contest?" The voice of his younger sister caught him off guard.
"Wh-what are you doing here?" He asked, wiping his face. Dot sat next to him.
"Yakko's being dumb lately," She said, curling her knees to her chest. "He keeps talking about that prince."
"I bet he's not even that great. I bet he smells and has a stupid laugh," Wakko huffed.
"I bet he's dumb," Dot agreed.
"Yeah, he is dumb," He crossed his arms, thinking a moment.
"We need to stop them," He said. "Before he separates us from Yakko for good."
Dot blinked. "You really think he's trying to do that?" She asked, the question striking a nerve.
Wakko nodded. "Why else would Yakko not want to hang out? It's just like before... with Her," he seethed. Dot gasped, understanding the gravity of the situation.
"We have to separate them. For Yakko's own good," She said. "But... how? Mom and Dad are on his side," She pointed out.
"We'll have to find our own ways, but with our minds combined, I'm sure we'll figure something out in no time," Wakko said confidently.
"Yeah!" Dot said confidently. "We'll stop him and Yakko will be back in no time."
And so the two then swore an oath that no matter what, they wouldn't let this foreign prince- this Prince Maxamillion- take their brother away from them no matter what it took.
Now all they had to do was think up a plan...
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 The End
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fenheart87 · 3 years
Text
Flowerful Language
KuraHi fluff... Subtle flower language to show affection, the idea was based off three things: white rose meaning young love and loyalty and two roses together meaning feelings returned.
Kurama was distracted from his studies by gentle fingers combing through his hair. Being touched by the owner of said hand wasn’t something new, just the context and type of touch. The redhead had not recently injured himself on his cranium nor anywhere else. Despite his brain being puzzled, his body remained curiously relaxed as he sat leaning against his bed and that was all the more puzzling. When had the smaller demon moved to his bed?
“Hiei?”
“Hn?”
“Is there something in my hair?” Kurama joked, not yet pulling away to look at the fire demon and break the soothing and gentle touch.
“You always have something in your hair fox.” The almost soft amused quality coloring the words had the taller moving away to glance at the speaker. Red irises were partially concealed by heavy lids, an arm tucked underneath his head as support. Hiei was completely at ease laying in his bed and Kurama suddenly couldn’t remember how to breathe.
“I supposed yes… Was there something you needed?”
“Hn, still wasting all those years of knowledge I see.” With huff and slight curl to his lips that the kitsune was certainly not distracted by, the shorter demon rose stood. Lifting his arms in a stretch before donning his cloak, boots and sword. “I do have an appointment to keep Fox, hopefully the storm will keep at bay while I’m gone.”
“If not, you know my window is always open for you.” He had abandoned his reading and carelessly shut the book without saving the page, the move seemed to bring amusement to other occupant once more.
“If only there were something more convenient that was open to me.” Opening the window Hiei hopped onto the sill, pausing for a moment and casting a long searching look into curious green eyes. “Perhaps one day when the kudzu is finally worn out its welcome there will be a hidden entrance elsewhere.”
Kurama sat alone in his room, the strange conversation and actions turning within his mind and the answer just out of reach. Collecting himself and shifting everything to the side for a moment, the human side of his brain was pushed to the back. If Hiei’s comments about his age and the kudzu vines were any indication he needed to think like a demon, like Youko. Hiei has referenced his life as the King of Thieves, knowledge gained during his reign would be mostly stealing something. Convenience could be a number of things, again leading to stealing something or maybe something else. The fire demon's mention of kudzu was interesting. If Kurama recalled correctly it was an invasive group of vines that strangled the plant flora and trees around it. The breeze distracted his attempt at puzzling out his partner's confusing actions, rising from the floor he crossed to the open window to close it. Luckily he noticed the small pouch before crushing it.
"Bad habit of leaving gifts without warning, some things never change." Kurama moved the pouch and closed the window completely, moving to his desk to inspect the contents. Inside there was a note and two seeds, their aura marking them as different species. Curiosity completely peaked and all other thoughts brushed aside as the redhead determined they were from Ningenkai and thus safe to pour a bit of his energy into to unfold the mystery of what the blooms would look like. The first grew until a bloom unfurled, black in color and with several smaller blooms in the middle. Thin tendrils sprouted from the middle as well fading from the black color to a white near the ends. Tacca chantrieri or the more common name, the black bat plant.
As intrigued as he was, Kurama set the plant aside in a spare pot and turned to the other seed. With one more burst of energy but more gentle the seed grew into a familiar shape. Glancing between the newly grown rose sporting stripes of cream and purple and the black plant, something was nagging at the back of his mind. Hiei was rather straightforward and blunt with most things, the only exception being… His feelings, oh. The rose was indeed beautiful but the knowledge behind the message made it breathtaking.
"I wonder if there's room in the garden out back."
---
Kurama knew it would take a time before his rather thoughtful partner would appear again and so he waited patiently, keeping a close eye on his newest additions and their welfare. Sooner than expected the ever elusive fire demon returned, occupying his window once more.
"I trust you didn't have to suffer the rain and that's why I haven't seen you in so long?"
"Hn." Not talkative but not opposed to idle chatter and maybe he could squeeze a couple of answers from the surly visitor.
"Well if you need a reprieve and some rest, I won't need my bed for the day." The redhead kept a playful tone, same as always while watching those crimson eyes scan his room to look for changes. They alighted upon the recent pot that had its home on the corner of his desk that housed a certain small but healthy black plant. Meeting the shorter demon's gaze head on, Kurama noticed it was guarded and calculating. A point in his favor to cement his theory. "The tacca chantrieri, I must say, is not the most common gift one would give. I've been wondering why you, of all people, would give me a black bat plant."
"I'm not wasting my breath. Is your mother due home soon?" Small deflection but the thoughts behind his eyes were still not very clear.
"No, she's out for a while yet. Feel free to use the bath and I can make you something to eat or heal as needed. Nothing has changed Hiei."
"At least I haven't outworn my welcome." Kurama felt it had been the wrong thing to say before the fire demon disappeared from his room. He needed to know if the gesture had the deeper meaning the older demon longed for but was unsure how to coax the truth from Hiei. Letting all the thoughts roam free from the last couple weeks, the plant wielder plucked a seed and bloomed his new favorite flower.
"If only you would be blunt this time…" A memory of his mother receiving a bouquet of roses from his step father came forth, there was a misunderstanding. Shiori was always overjoyed to receive flowers but one bouquet had made her concerned. It was a beautiful array of red, white and pink mixed but the number is what Kurama remembered concerning her. There had been fifteen instead of twelve for a solid dozen and what she had said back then had stayed with him until that moment when he finally understood.
"All colors have different meanings but when it comes to roses the number can be more important. Fifteen means 'I'm sorry’ so I thought you were apologizing for something."
After that he had spent his time with various books and recalling old information from his time before his human life to understand something his mother loved. With barely a thought, he reached a hand and grabbed a lesser used seed from his hair and helped it bloom with a burst of energy. The white bloom was pure in color and when laid across the other rose made a striking pair.
"Kurama, I found some-" The redhead turned his body slightly while still being seated in his chair. Hiei was staring intently at the pair of roses on his desk before his fire gaze met his calm and collected gaze. "Feeling sentimental fox?"
"I wouldn't say that, more like soulful."
With a snort the slightly shorter demon crossed the room and distracted Kurama from wondering when his friend had a growth spurt by pressing their lips together. Humming in contentment, he let Hiei break the surprisingly soft kiss with a grin.
"White really?"
"With all my soul." Another snort but this time there was no kiss, just a fond tug on his forelock and a small amused quirk of lips that made Kurama promise himself that wouldn’t be the only kiss between them.
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ladylynse · 3 years
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Chapter 16 [FFN | AO3] of The Trouble with Ghosts: Lancer hadn’t realized how closely young Mr. Fenton’s school troubles–and the secrets he surely wasn’t telling his parents–were tied to ghosts until after that encounter with Phantom.
(beginning | previous)
Warnings: Torture and near drowning until the dialogue starts, more threats afterwards
-|-
Despite his distorted view, Danny saw the three figures enter the lab before Vlad did. Vlad was too busy watching him. Smiling. Waiting.
Danny’s heart thundered in his chest. He couldn’t kick or thrash. He couldn’t scream, at least not without burning up the last of his oxygen. He hoped Vlad would take his widened eyes as panic or pleading instead of surprise, but—
There must have been some sound that Danny didn’t hear. Vlad turned, flicking intangible as a blast from an ectogun shot through him and hit the door of Danny’s chamber, fizzling out into a shower of green sparks. It wasn’t enough to crack the door, unfortunately, but now he could hear yelling above the blood pounding in his ears, and he knew they must’ve seen him.
Black started to swirl in front of his eyes, and something within him tried to spark to life.
Danny pushed it down, trying to focus, but all he could see now through the encroaching black was glimpses of pink and green. Vlad wasn’t holding back, then. He wasn’t pretending.
Of course, he couldn’t, not with Danny right there in his lab. Considering he looked like Masters and not Plasmius, he’d have to play at being overshadowed to even try to get away with this. Not that it would work now that everyone knew the truth. They weren’t going to take Vlad’s word over Danny’s.
Danny’s chest ached.
Every heartbeat seemed like it was building up pressure, threatening to burst out of him—
That same something sparked again, white light filtering through the black, and he pushed it down.
His vision closed off completely, and he tried to listen, to follow the fight, only to start as something banged into the door of the chamber, sending a reverberation through the entire thing.
Liquid flooded into his mouth and filled his lungs, and Danny choked, spluttering and trying to move—
The spark came again, and he didn’t have the strength to stop it.
After the change had washed over him, his body didn’t protest the lack of oxygen. The fogginess lifted from his mind, and he could see with clear eyes.
Meaning he could see the snarling expression on Valerie’s face as she attacked Vlad, flanked by his mom. Not that attacking Vlad did much good, seeing as he simply stayed intangible. Valerie’s momentum from her punch sent her stumbling through him, and the rolling desk chair lying on its side in front of his chamber didn’t seem so out of place once Valerie grabbed a beaker from the table she’d hit and hurled it at Vlad’s head. Maddie danced out of the way—Valerie really wasn’t used to fighting with allies—and swept at Vlad’s feet with the Fenton Utility Weapon, but he still wasn’t tangible, and whatever setting she had it on wasn’t enough for shock him back to tangibility. Danny saw her changing the settings, spinning the dial on the side in between hits, but she hadn’t had success yet.
Most ghosts couldn’t stay intangible for very long.
It was incredibly draining.
Thinking back on it, Danny really should’ve realized that Vlad employed that tactic more than anyone else he’d ever fought. All those years of breaking into places, maybe. He wasn’t fighting back anymore, though Danny wasn’t necessarily sure that it was a good thing. It was Vlad. Having no scruples was kinda his thing, and—
Wait.
Where was Lancer?
It shouldn’t have been difficult to lose sight of a giant ball of green energy, but to be fair, Danny hadn’t expected Lancer to ever turn off the portable ghost shield. (Once Danny had realized that must be what Lancer was using, he really couldn’t see it being anything else.)
Of course, a ghost shield was only effective against ghosts.
Danny’s heart sank a little when he spotted Lancer a mere five feet from him, half-hidden behind an examination table but held in place by a second Vlad.
A duplicate in human form was still in human form. Truthfully, Danny wasn’t sure how that worked, but it was something he’d tested with Sam and Tucker once he’d gotten the hang of actually creating a duplicate. Vlad had had twenty years to test out his abilities, so he knew perfectly well that he’d only needed to drop his intangibility and invisibility at the last second to pass through the ghost shield.
For a moment, Danny didn’t know why Vlad wouldn’t just overshadow Lancer. A scalpel to the throat was a little much, even for him. Maddie and Valerie were too focused on the first Vlad to notice, and Danny couldn’t hear Mr. Lancer making any attempt to get their attention. It just didn’t seem like an effective tactic, so Danny couldn’t understand Vlad’s game. If it were just to keep Lancer from reaching him—and he had clearly been Lancer’s goal; Danny had no doubt Valerie and Maddie had agreed to something like that beforehand, letting Lancer do the rescuing while they did the distracting—there were easier ways to do that.
Holo-Maddie reappeared at that moment, causing the real one to freeze in place and stare as the hologram chirped out, “Sample processed, sweetums!”
Valerie was the first one to recover—unless you counted Vlad, who was already flying towards the computer console. The version of him who wasn’t holding Lancer captive, anyway. “What the heck is that supposed to mean?” Valerie shrieked, her words even clearer to him now that he was Phantom. She hadn’t taken her eyes off the hologram, but Maddie had the moment Vlad had begun to move. She was taking aim with her weapon, and—
Vlad screamed as the blast hit him in the back, throwing him forward into the console. His suit was smoking slightly at the edges, distinct despite Danny’s watery view. Maddie took another shot, this time hitting the computer in a flurry of sparks.
It was only once the Maddie hologram flickered that Danny realized that might have been his mother’s intention all along. Had Vlad let himself be hit? Had he been trying to protect the computer?
Valerie had her ectogun raised again, too. Except— It wasn’t the one she’d held earlier, the one Maddie must’ve given her. It was definitely Dalv tech, the same one he’d faced down only yesterday. She wasn’t in her suit—at least she knew enough not to trust that—but he knew that look on her face. She was a split second away from pulling the trigger, and Danny was sure that it was only Vlad’s voice from behind her when she could clearly see him in front of her that had her freeze before she could take her shot.
“I’d hold your fire,” the scalpel-wielding Vlad said, effectively drawing the attention of the others.
Holo-Maddie reappeared by the first Vlad at the computer console, but neither Valerie nor Maddie gave any indication that they’d noticed. Valerie took two steps towards Mr. Lancer and the Vlad who was holding him captive, still aiming her gun at them, but Maddie stopped her. She started trying to bargain, but Danny could recognize the distraction for what it was, and he looked back to see if he could figure out what Vlad was doing at the computer.
The angle wasn’t great; Danny couldn’t see the screen, let alone make out what Vlad was typing. Still, he could see Vlad pocket something—a flash drive, maybe?—before he keyed something into the computer. Holo-Maddie disappeared, and one of the large buttons on the console started flashing red.
Vlad changed into Plasmius, catching Valerie’s attention once more, but she only got off one shot before he flew through the wall.
It had missed him by less than half an inch, the tiny little dart embedded in the wall instead.
The remaining Vlad smiled before dropping the scalpel and vanishing himself.
Danny couldn’t make out Lancer’s gasping words, but he waved off Maddie and Valerie and pointed towards Danny. At a word from Maddie, Valerie nodded and moved towards him anyway, but Danny couldn’t see if Lancer had downplayed his injuries because Maddie was all he could see as she came over to examine the chamber.
“Hold on, Danny,” she said. “I’ll get you out of there.”
Either Vlad’s work was incredibly intuitive or he’d based it off an old invention with which Maddie was familiar, because the water was draining in less than thirty seconds. Danny might not strictly need to breathe as much in ghost mode (or at all? He always got really uncomfortable whenever they tried to test it, so he wasn’t wholly sure if it had a time limit), but he still sucked in huge lungfuls of air the moment he could.
“Thanks,” he whispered, just before the door’s seal released with a pop.
“Don’t thank us yet,” Maddie murmured as she pulled the door open and peered at the contraption sticking out of his abdomen. “Do you know what this is?”
“Vlad was trying to get…got…a mid-morph sample. Like, a DNA sample or something from the moment I changed.” Danny glanced down at it. “You can probably just pull it out without killing me.” Vlad didn’t know if the sample was all he needed, after all. At least, Danny hoped he didn’t. That doubt would keep Vlad from pulling anything worse right now.
“Let’s get you out of this first. Then I’ll take a better look at that.”
A detached part of Danny knew most mothers didn’t carry around lockpicks, let alone know how to use them. It wasn’t one of the things he could ever remember Jazz rolling her eyes over—being able to chase ghosts past the first locked door or gate or whatever was rather essential to a successful ghosthunter, and his parents didn’t exactly have a life of crime on the side like Vlad—but it was something he’d gotten used to long before his parents had ever opened the portal. He could still remember the look on Mrs. Foley’s face the first time he’d asked her where she kept hers if she didn’t have any pockets in her clothes. He’d been five or six, maybe, and she’d been too stunned by the seemingly random question to speak.
Tucker had been too busy laughing to realize Danny hadn’t been joking like he’d assumed.
Still, it didn’t take very long for Maddie to free his wrists, and by the time she dropped down to work on the lock at his feet, Lancer was hovering anxiously in the background and Valerie had gone to glower at the computer console.
“Thanks for coming,” Danny said, trying not to focus on the thin line of red where Vlad had scored Lancer’s skin. He really hadn’t thought Vlad would kill anyone—it was more his style to utterly discredit them—and seeing that this might not have been an empty threat on Vlad’s part made Danny’s stomach turn. He was fine with the danger being focused on himself, but everyone else, especially someone like Mr. Lancer….
“The others are headed over,” Valerie said without turning around, and Lancer closed his mouth without speaking. “Good thing, too. I think Tucker’ll need to figure out whatever Mr. Masters did, because I definitely can’t.”
“Come on, sweetie,” Maddie said as she eased him free, keeping his torso straight even as she turned him, pivoting him out of the chamber without pulling free whatever was stuck inside him. “Just hold on a few more seconds while I look at this.”
Danny nodded and didn’t breathe, letting her work.
He felt like he’d lost. Mr. Lancer, Valerie, his parents— They all knew and accepted him, and now they all knew the truth about Vlad, too. That should have been a victory. Maybe it still was, of a sort, but if Danny had won that battle, Vlad had won the other one. He’d gotten the mid-morph sample. His play with Valerie had worked. He’d…he’d be able to create stable clones….
Would he even be satisfied with a clone? He might create the perfect half-ghost son that looked exactly like Danny, might be able to brainwash him or program him or whatever he’d done to Danielle to make the clone as like Danny as possible, but a clone would never be as good as the original, however perfect a replica it was. How far would Vlad get before he realized this wouldn’t make him happy, either? How long would it be until he came back? Tried to capture Danny again, tried to split his parents up and win over Maddie? If he did manage to create perfect clones, he could use them to his advantage—
“He won’t get away with this,” Maddie was saying. “He won’t simply lose his position on the city council; his estate—his entire empire—will come under scrutiny. I know he kept residences here and in Wisconsin, and there are all those hunting cabins, too. He won’t be easy to track down, but we’ll find him, even if he tries to hide in the Ghost Zone. In the meantime, we’ll make sure he can never come back and never hurt you like this again. It’s going to be okay, sweetie. He can’t fool us now that we know the truth, and he won’t be able to keep his political power, either.”
“We should perhaps focus on the most immediate problem—” Lancer started.
“I’ve almost got it,” Maddie said without looking up from her tinkering, but from the look on Lancer’s face, that wasn’t what he’d meant.
“Uh, guys?” There was a note of panic in Valerie’s voice that hadn’t been there before. “I think Vlad sealed us in.” Danny looked over at her, and she had her phone to her ear. “Jack’s outside in the office, and Jazz is headed back to school to pick up Sam and Tucker, but apparently this place is blast proof.”
“There should be a control panel on the wall where we came through,” Maddie said. “Get it open and I’ll come when I’m finished here.”
“I can bandage him up,” Lancer said with a touch on her shoulder. “First aid is within my skill set.”
Danny had felt the poking and prodding and pulling around his abdomen, of course, but he hadn’t realized his mother had tugged out the device—long and sharp with what might be electrodes hanging off of it for all Danny knew—until he saw it in her hand. She set it on the bench beside her and pulled his own hands to press against the wound before removing her own and straightening up. She pulled out a sample bag from one of her many pockets and put the device inside before tucking it away. As she stripped off her green-stained gloves and pulled another pair from a different pockt, she said, “Thank you.” Pointing with her free hand towards the wall with the portal, she added, “I saw the first aid kit over there.”
As she walked over to join Valerie at the far wall, Lancer dropped to a crouch to examine the wound for himself, gently nudging Danny’s hands out of the way.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Danny said after Lancer sucked in a sharp breath.
“I think I’ll be the judge of that, Mr. Fenton.”
“You don’t know what I’ve been through.”
Lancer closed his eyes briefly before standing. “No, I daresay I still don’t, but I do know it is not something I would wish on someone as young as you. Come along; I’ll see what I can do.”
“If it’s bad enough that you need to stitch me up, you don’t have to be that good at it for it to be good enough. Sam didn’t know what she was doing when she started, and all Jazz and I knew about sewing when we began doing this was whatever Dad had shown us, and that never involved stitching up people.”
“You are not making the situation sound any better, I’m afraid.”
“It’s just….” Danny bit his lip but let Lancer guide him closer to the portal and didn’t protest when the teacher bent to pick him up and sit him down on an examination table. Well. Dissection table, going by the bindings. He decided not to think about that, something that wasn’t hard to do when his wound was throbbing after the jostling, and instead changed back to Fenton before Mr. Lancer asked. The change, at least, came as easily as it always had. “It’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be once it started.”
“Should that not be cause for celebration?”
Danny wasn’t sure if Lancer was trying (and failing) to be facetious, so he shrugged and then hissed as the movement stung, stabbing into him with more ferocity than he’d expected from such a slight movement. “I don’t think it’ll be as easy as Mom thinks it is.”
Lancer was quiet for a moment, busying himself by grabbing the first aid kit from the wall, setting it down beside Danny, and looking through the contents to find what he wanted. Finally, “Things rarely are as simple as they should be, but you needn’t take it all on by yourself any longer—and, rest assured, I am not referring to your friends. I strongly suggest the matter be left primarily to your parents, with my assistance wherever I am able to help. If there are any legal proceedings—”
“Are you serious? We can’t take Vlad down using the proper channels. If he can’t buy people off, he’ll just overshadow them or get some other ghosts to do it for him.”
“Mr. Fen—”
“This isn’t something you can just fix. It’s not that easy.”
“I understand, but—”
“No, you don’t. You can’t or you wouldn’t be standing there talking about legal proceedings.” Danny started to sigh and then coughed as the pain spiked again. His healing was still too slow. How long was this thing supposed to last? He couldn’t remember Vlad helpfully monologuing about that little detail. Too bad Technus wasn’t likely to know.
“I’m sorry.”
Danny blinked and looked up at Mr. Lancer, who was still focused on disinfecting Danny’s wound. Danny hissed through his teeth as a new sort of stinging took hold, but Lancer didn’t pay that any mind.
“I should have done something before,” Lancer continued as he reached for some butterfly stitches, something that Danny knew from experience would hold well enough until he could get stitched up properly. They were better than nothing, anyway. Lancer held the wound closed as he put them in place, and Danny did his best not to wince. “I knew something had changed in your life, and it took me entirely too long to find out what it was. I allowed myself to be distracted, to neglect you in favour of the school—”
“What?”
Lancer had pulled out the gauze now. No big surprise there. When in doubt, cover it and deal with it later. It would not be the first time Danny had pulled that trick. With his usual healing rate, he typically only needed stitches and splints and stuff to make sure he didn’t heal improperly; he’d never had to worry about infection.
“Let’s just say seeing Mr. Baxter appropriately punished for his actions has been an ongoing fight, one I have not dedicated myself to as much as I should have, as you are not his only target.”
Oh.
Being Dash’s favourite punching bag wasn’t even on Danny’s radar right now.
“That’s okay. I’m used to it. But you—”
“You being used to it, as you say, is part of the problem—and, quite frankly, yet more evidence of my failing. Thankfully, that is a fight I am better suited for than this one has been.” The hand that had been tracking towards to the first aid kit—probably for medical tape to hold the gauze in place—jerked towards Lancer’s neck instead, no doubt pulled by the reminder of what had happened and the realization of what could have been, but it resumed course before it could make contact. “Just because you are used to something does not mean it does not need to be addressed.”
“I mean, I guess, but priorities, y’know? Vlad’s definitely worse than Dash.”
“And your parents will focus on that problem with the help I can give them, as I’ve said.”
“But it’s Vlad. It’s not just…. I mean, yeah, he’s one person, but he’s not one problem. He can create a whole bunch more problems really easily, especially now that he has a mid-morph sample from me. That’s what he needed to stabilize his clones. He can create a perfect clone of me now, at least once he gets a lab set up or overshadows someone in charge of one that does have the right stuff, and—”
“I am not saying that you are incapable of handling the problem—or problems—Vlad poses,” Lancer said delicately as he finished taping the gauze into place, “but you need to understand that you aren’t alone in this anymore.”
“Sam and—”
“Did I not tell you that your friends and your sister should not be the only ones facing the danger alongside you? You know that isn’t what I mean.”
Danny frowned. “You’re still seriously underestimating Vlad, even though he threatened you and you’re standing in his secret lab.”
“Which is one reason why I am not trying to say you should sit out all of this while the adults take care of the situation,” Lancer said, not looking the least bit surprised when Danny bristled. “You have more knowledge and experience than we do—even, I daresay, than your parents do. You may have fewer years of ghost hunting under your belt, but your perspective and the intensity of your, ah, training, for lack of a better word—”
“Experience is the best teacher.”
Lancer raised an eyebrow at Danny’s glib interruption but otherwise didn’t comment on it. “You should not be sidelined, but neither should you continue to be the one leading the charge and taking the heaviest fire. One of the reasons your parents fight ghosts is to protect you and your sister, is it not? Is throwing yourself into the most danger possible not against everything they are fighting for?”
Danny shifted and tugged his shirt down to cover up Lancer’s patch job as the teacher packed away the supplies. At least that meant his previous wounds must not look too bad; otherwise, Lancer would’ve insisted on redressing them. Of course, the one in his side was near enough to the one in his abdomen that Lancer could’ve done it at the same time. Danny had been paying more attention to what he’d held in his hands than where he was putting them, mostly because thinking about what Lancer was doing would just make it hurt more.
Still.
If Lancer hadn’t continued talking, that meant he was waiting for an answer. Danny took a careful breath, and it didn’t hurt this time. “Sometimes it’s necessary.”
“It is not necessary right now, and I am quite sure your parents will do everything in their power to ensure it remains unnecessary for you, your sister, or your friends to do that.” He glanced over his shoulder and added dryly, “And I am very much including Miss Gray in that assessment.”
Danny glanced towards Valerie. She was still hovering by the door, watching Maddie work on the panel. “Val’s a good fighter.”
“I never said she wasn’t. I’m trying to say that none of you should fight, but as you have the most knowledge of the situation, it is prudent that you help the adults—”
“But don’t you get it? Yeah, we’re kids, and it sucks that we have to risk so much to do this—but we aren’t the only ones in situations like this. Well, not like this, dealing with ghosts, but with high stakes. And it’s great that you care and want to take care of us, but we don’t need taking care of. Maybe you think it’s a shame we had to grow up fast or whatever to deal with this, but we can’t just pretend what we’ve gone through never happened. We’ve already had to learn to fight, so we did, and we’re good at it. It doesn’t make sense for you to just up and stop us and make us into, I dunno, consultants or something instead of fighters.”
Lancer blinked.
“We always knew there was risk. We accepted that, just like Mom and Dad did. Just like you did. We might not be legal adults but that doesn’t mean we don’t know what we were getting into with this. This whole thing with Vlad is messed up. We know. We know better than you do. He has what he wants, something he’s been trying forever to get, which is scary because it means I don’t know what he’s going to do next. And neither do you.”
Danny stared at his hands, not wanting to look Lancer in the eye after he’d let his tongue run away with him. “It’s just…. I can make a better guess of what this means than you or Mom and Dad can. And if you guys try to block us at every turn and insist it’s too dangerous to be directly involved ourselves just because we’re kids, we’re never going to stop him, and things will get worse.”
He pushed himself off the table, landing on his feet and wincing but holding in a whimper of pain. He’d get through this. He had to. Vlad’s drug had to work its way through his system and wear off soon, and then he’d be back to normal in no time. “I’ve picked up some things from Tucker, so I’m going to check out the computer. You can go through Vlad’s files or something and see if you can find the formula for whatever Val shot me with. Mom can probably make an antidote once she has that.”
Lancer made no move to follow as Danny strode off, and when he called Danny’s name, Danny pretended not to hear.
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Final fantasy 7 prompts number 74
1. Zack rocketed out of the slide and strait into the nearby wall. All Angeal had to do was glance at the food tray lying next to his student to figure out what happened.
"Zack-!" He began, intending to chastise his protégé. But whatever he was about to say was lost when a blur of black and silver shot out of the slide. The next thing he knew, Sephiroth was staring cooly up at him from his position on the floor, his own tray abandoned a few feet away from them.
Zack started laughing
Aka Zack can convince anyone do do stupid shenanigans with him, not just Cloud
2. Zack and two other 3rds found a large pile of scales, laying curled up on the beach while out on a mission. They surround it and are preparing to pounce when the serpentine body unravels to show the torso of a man.
The three freak out a bit and ironically yell at the man to stay calm. The blond just blinks at them before rising up and up and...the man was the snake. Or was the snake a man? Either way, Zack ends up befriending him and bringing him home as a suprise birthday(?) present for the General. Seph needed a friend, and Spikey would be perfect!
In the meantime, Naga! Cloud lives as Zacks secret roommate
3. A were-chocobo is running around Shinra tower and Cloud is fed up with people assuming that it's him
4. Sephiroth accidently gets left alone with an infant and he panics for a while before excepting his fate
(Its funnier if its insane sephiroth)
5. A Sephiroth fan stalks time traveler Cloud, believing him to be a threat to their precious idol.
They find out something important and foil all of the blonds plans
6. Willingly walk into the lions den and let reunion take over. The implants will let you keep your rationality without alerting Sephiroth, mostly by creating feedback that makes the madman hear whatever he wants to hear. For all intents and purposes, you will appear to be his perfect puppet. Thats then you'll stab him in the back. Literally.
At least, that was the plan...until Sephiroth started hugging him and sobbbing. Then the silverette started talking about feelings and how neither of them would ever have to be lonely again. Cloud was honestly a little scared by this seemingly sudden mental breakdown and couldn't help but wonder what exactly Sephiroth was hallucinating from the feedback
7. Cloud cut through the fabric of spacetime, just barely managing to escape his silver haired stalker yet again. He didn't even have time to be relieved however, as a Cait Sith popped out from behind a nearby tree. "Oh, hey Cait." He greeted casually.
The robot didn't reply, choosing instead to stare at him in silence. Odd, considering "Cait Sith" was a chatterbox, even on a bad day and Reeve would never be so rude. "Reeve?" The blond asked, concerned.
The cat recoiled, as if startled by something before running off. "Huh." He made a mental note to ask Reeve about his Cait Siths when he got back to his home dimension.
A slight tremor made him pause. Looking to his left he found the source: a litteral stampede of Caits! And they were headed right for him!
He later learned this was a world where he was the villain instead of Sephiroth...after he was captured, of course
8. Cetra! Lorekeeper! Cloud laid his mother to rest after her sudden passing, but instead of taking over her duty as guardian of the sacred sights, he decided "Well, the planet is doomed anyway." And set out to walk in the footsteps of his ancestors.
He just wanted to see the world beyond the snow-covered pines and travel the old nomadic routes carved out by his kin. Kinda like a final lap, to say goodbye. Too bad there where so many people wanting to kidnap him...kinda puts a wrench in his plans.
Based loosely on the song Lullaby of the Moon by David Vitas. I like the twist at the end
9. Shinra and Wutai role reversal au
10. Au where Sephiroth didn't actually die in Nebilhiem. He came to inside the mako and swam away and contemplate his life decisions and decided to fake his death. (The events of OG, AC, etc remain unchanged)
He can't bring himself to actually cut his hair, so he dyes it and ties it back into a ponytail.
He lived through all of the tragedies, living life as a normal everyday worker...until a man with a crimson cloak walks into his life with the blond from his nightmares.
11. Sephiroth is terrible at cooking, despite following instructions to the letter.
Every year he makes these amazingly awful cookies. No one was brave enough to tell him that his food tastes like burnt mud, so he obliviously assumes that people are avoiding him out of fear. (He's kinda right.) So he hunts people down and gifts them to whomever he manages to catch, looming over them ominously with a blank expression until they eat.
This year, Zack gets caught.
12. Time traveler Cloud accidentally winds up mentally connecting with just about all of SOLDIER after his connection with the Sephiroth of his timeline is severed.
Instant regret. On the other hand, all the information flooding through his head is great for sabotage! :D
13. Time traveler Sephiroth and Genesis getting into arguments, which leads to Sephiroth telling Angeal about Gens recent (illegal) escapades.
Gen threatens to dye Sephs hair rainbow, and the silverette calls his bluff
Sephiroth is still wondering how Gen managed to do it...and so well too...
14. Time traveler Cloud au, buuuuut he somehow accidentally bodyswaps with Angeal.
Both are confused.
15. Veld slumped in his chair. The vice president was not making his life easy, that was for sure.
He glanced up to stare at the ceiling, only to find something unexpected there. An envelope was literally duct taped above his desk. How long has that been there?
Upon actually reading the letter inside, he quickly holsters his gun, grabbed a few extra rounds of ammo and walked out the door
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mari-beau · 3 years
Text
GIVE ME A REASON: PART FIVE -A Rogue One fanfic
I honestly don’t know this was going to take the detour it did, but hey, that’s fine. Anyway, Jyn is very confused about her attachment to Cassian, and his own messy feelings.
Also on AO3
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Title: Give Me A Reason: Part Five
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Jyn Erso POV, Cassian Andor
Pairing: Cassian/Jyn (mostly pre-ship?)
Spoilers: Rogue One; Episode IV A New Hope
Setting: Post-Rogue One AU (Cassian & Jyn live); Also during/post A New Hope
Warnings: Implied Bi!Cassian; References to Naked Times in the Shower; Characters being hot messes and confused about Feelings
Words: 3,226
Story Summary: Jyn’s entire universe has been turned on its head, so maybe she’s clinging a little too hard to the one thing she feels certain of (strangely enough) as she tries to figure out her place in the galaxy. And maybe she’s being a little overprotective of a wounded captain.
Also can be found on AO3.
The energy level in the large mess hall was an incongruous mix of highs and lows. Quite a number of people were congregated at various tables, but it wasn’t at capacity. Some groups were chattering away, with a happiness and lightness Jyn honestly couldn’t recall witnessing in anyone in a long, long time, on any planet or moon. But there were other groups, and individuals, that were quiet, lethargic, mostly just nursing cups of restorative drinks and pushing bland food around their plates. Hungover.
Jyn supposed that made sense. Either way, no one was really in a down mood. They were either still excited about the Great Victory, or suffering the consequences from being too excited about it the previous night.
Why did she feel like Cassian and herself were the mopiest pair in the entire mess hall? Yes, it was really gratifying to know that their suicide mission hadn’t been entirely in vain. They had more than succeeded, the plans had been transmitted to the rebels, and the rebels had used them to destroy the Death Star. But still… The feeling of loss weighed heavily on Jyn. And she sensed it was yet another burden laid on Cassian’s shoulders. In a vulnerable, pained moment, he’d told her that maybe it would’ve been better if she’d left him on Scarif when they’d miraculously been spared from the blastwave. And perhaps near the end there (what should’ve been the end), he’d embraced the release from his conscience as hard as he’d embraced her.
She understood. She’d felt the peace there on that beach, as well.
The thing was, she still felt it, with him. Even when filled with other confusing emotions, some of which he was the cause of, she still felt… content… even happy? Was this what happy felt like?
Well, no, maybe not this, not still half-mourning a father she’d lost decades ago but then lost again, mourning the loss of the friends she’d made in just a matter of a day but who had been truer than any others in her life, coming to terms with the guilt of leading so many on a suicide mission, which she then survived.
And Cassian had survived.
“I’ll get the food,” Jyn said after they’d found a table tucked in a corner and Cassian claimed the seat that allowed him to put his back to the wall. (Of course). Jyn would’ve chosen it herself, but she didn’t protest that she would be forced to sit with her back to the entire mess hall. He was rubbing at his leg. The memory of the surgical scars running down his hip and thigh, barely a week old, a fresh pink against olive skin, popped abruptly into her mind. She shoved them aside. “Is there anything specific you want?”
“No.” He was smiling even as he shook his head. “Beggars can’t be choosers. I’m not picky.”
“Me, neither.” Force, sometimes they were so much the same, their lives filled with the same sort of deprivation, that it hurt. It hurt to think of the little boy Cassian had been, not having a favorite food, because having food at all was something to be grateful for. Something Jyn had known herself, still knew, and would never unlearn her associated habits of eating too much (if given the opportunity) and too fast.
“I’ll be right back,” she said and headed towards the serving line.
A couple people stared as she added more than two helpings of everything to her tray, but she thought it was more out of shock over the disproportionate amount of food to her size than anger that she was maybe taking more than her share. By the time she’d collected enough to feed an entire unit of Wookies and headed back to Cassian, two humans in non-uniforms (which wasn’t uncommon for the rebels) had sat down at the table.
They were the type of people who took up more space than they needed. An amateurish attempt at intimidating others through establishing dominance. Jyn had learned to be more wary of those who drew no attention, who lurked in the shadows, who had unassuming appearances disguising a lethality the brazen could never hope to possess.
So it was really just instinct that had her assessing gaze passing over the two trying-too-hard-to-have-swagger rebels to the slight man sitting quietly in the corner. He was a killer, undeniably. But not by choice. And Jyn knew something she thought most didn’t remotely suspect; Cassian Andor was soft deep down inside. And every terrible thing he’d done tortured him. Which made him even more dangerous, especially to Jyn, who she feared may be the only one to have ever seen his vulnerability, his humanity. To everyone else, he was just some Rebel super-spy-assassin, a good little soldier.
He’d locked eyes with her, but neither of his companions had seemed to notice, instead going on about some miraculous feats of badassery during some mission or other.
“You’re in my seat,” Jyn said, interrupting the bigger of the pair mid-sentence.
The man who was easily twice her size froze, puffing himself up when he looked at her, not that he needed to with that bulk of muscle, but his first instinct was obviously to meet her firm tone with aggression. She knew the response of those who’d survived on the streets well. And even if this was no seedy back alley or dive, this was her territory. And she wasn’t going to be the one to back down.
“Am I?” Big man said.
Before Jyn could respond, Cassian’s quiet voice cut in.
“You are.”
The big man looked at the wounded captain and his entire demeanor changed. Apparently, the soldier knew Cassian for the dangerous creature he was.
After a brief moment in which the expression on Cassian’s face gave nothing away, Big Man’s attention returned to Jyn.
“Uh, sorry,” he said, vacating the chair. Setting the heavily-laden tray down, Jyn plopped into the spot opposite Casian as the big guy lumbered off to find another chair, seemingly to rejoin them. Ugh.
Jyn slid the tray across the table in front of Cassian, then dragged her chair to sit directly beside him. There was no way to lift any of the dishes off the tray without losing some of the impressive pile of food. They could share.
She reached across Cassian and grabbed some sort of bread roll and- oh, force, he smelled good, like the cleanser from the shower and freshly washed skin that was silky smooth except for the scars and- she shoved the roll in her mouth before she did something embarrassing like hop onto his lap and bury her face in his neck.
The very large rebel’s companion had remained at the table, and was staring. Yes, at Jyn, but also at Cassian, at the pair of them, at the pile of food she’d torn into but Casian was contemplating eating with an actual utensil like some sort of civilized person. And the man’s gaze dropped, but Jyn knew it wasn’t to assess her attributes, none were visible beneath the loose-fitting clothes she was wearing, Cassian’s clothes. Oh. Right.
“You must be Jyn Erso,” he said and held out a hand, which was surprisingly clean, so Jyn shoved the last bite of roll into her mouth and shook it. Firm but not too firm, and his dark brown eyes were surprisingly soft as they met her gaze, a little guarded and very curious. This one was obviously the more intelligent of the pair.
“That I am,” she said after swallowing the large piece of bread that threatened to lodge in her throat. “And you are…?”
“Oh,” he laughed self-consciously. He had a nice, easy going smile. “Sorry. Yeah. I’m Tarrek Zin.” His large friend returned with a chair. “And this is Utto.”
The giant known as Utto nodded, grunted in response, before sitting down in the chair that was obviously ill-equipped to handle his bulk. A man of even less words than the spy.
“And you’re… friends of Cassian?” she asked, trying not to appear too interested. Who were these people? Cassian didn’t have friends. Not that she’d known him all that long, but she was pretty certain the man was a resolute loner. Aside from K-2SO, who was lost to him now.
“Yes,” Tarrek said at the same time Cassian said, “No.”
She withheld her laughter because Tarrek Zin seemed genuinely a little hurt by the terse captain’s response.
“We’ve worked together before,” Cassian gave as further explanation. “They’re…”
“Freelance,” Tarrek said.
Cassian gave a little snort of laughter. “That’s one way to put it.” He took a larger bite of the mystery protein.
“Oh, what does that mean?” Now, Jyn was intrigued. They were an odd sort to find on a military base, even amongst the ragtag collection of rebels that formed the Alliance. They were both human, Jyn thought, although there could be a bit of something else in the big man, who was surprisingly not unattractive for a bruiser type, with thick brown hair and a symmetrical face with a square jaw and only a small crescent scar on one cheek. The smaller man was by no means small, taller than Cassian, well built with flawless brown skin and a friendly, appealing face with just a hint of scruff neatly trimmed into a goatee. And a charmer’s grin, which he turned on Jyn.
“We find things.”
Again, that ironic little half-laugh from Cassian, who finally looked up from the pile of food.
“They steal things,” he said, pointing his fork at them. “Don’t let Tarrek try to pretty it up. They’re nothing more than thieves.”
“So’s your girl, from what I hear,” Tarrek said. “Didn’t you all find her in Wobani, serving time for forgery and assault amongst many other crimes?”
“She’s not my girl,” Cassian said, not denying her criminal record. And Jyn would be lying if she claimed the denial that she was his girl didn’t hurt a little. Even though it shouldn’t. She wasn’t a possession. And neither was Cassian, so she could stop feeling possessive of him, as well, really-
“Then you’re a free agent?” Tarrek flashed that charming grin of his again, with an edge of mischievousness. And a bit of something else in his eyes as he lookd at Cassian. “Because with the Empire scrambling after the destruction of their favorite new toy, no one’s going to notice if some stray things get found. We could use your skills on at least a dozen different jobs I can think of…” Tarrek shot a brief glance to Jyn before returning his attention to Cassian. “And Not Your Girl for that matter.”
“I think I’ve made it very clear I will not be going on any jobs with you,” Cassian said. “Even if the Alliance thought we’d need someone with your skillset again for some reason, I’d find someone else.”
Oh, wow. That seemed a little harsh, even from the jaded captain. The hurt on Tarrek’s face was blatant, and he looked away. Jyn couldn’t help but think there was some sort of complicated history at play.
“May I…?” Utto asked, indicating the crispy poultry leg sitting near the edge of the tray, the big man oblivious to the undercurrents of the conversation.
“Uh… be my guest,” Jyn said and large, burly fingers snatched it right up. Unsurprisingly, the whole drumstick fit in the man’s mouth. He ate even faster than Jyn, chewing a bit then pulling the bare bone out, picked absolutely clean in less time than it took Cassian to cut another bite off the brick of vegetable-thing or whatever it was. Food. That’s all Jyn needed to know.
“Well, we better get going if we want to get a good seat at the ceremony, seeing as we’re not guests of honor,” Tarrek said, seeming to have recovered from the hurt feelings enough to tease. Cassian made a displeased noise but said nothing as Tarrek got to his feet and locked eyes with the rebel captain. Some sort of weird exchange passed between them, that seemed almost- “The offer always stands if you change your mind.”
“I won’t,” Cassian said, then went back to studiously eating.
Tarrek rolled his eyes but then gave Jyn a broad grin, leaning over to whisper loudly, “You think about it, too, Jyn Erso. Maybe you can convince the captain here not to throw his life away for the rebellion.”
Jyn just gave him a nod, disconcerted about the man’s extremely accurate knowledge of Cassian. Or maybe his unwavering loyalty was just that obvious.
“Let’s get out of here,” Tarrek said to his large companion, who appeared about Wookie-size when he stood up, only beefier.
Utto lingered a moment as his friend walked away, and Cassian frowned at him, that furrow forming between his brows. Jyn’s curiosity was also piqued as the moment stretched out awkwardly long, Utto’s fierce blue-grey gaze scouring Cassian’s face.
Cassian broke first, dropping his fork onto the tray with a clatter and sighing loudly.
“You have something you want to say, Utto?” he asked.
“You hurt Tarrek,” he said. “Don’t change your mind about joining us. Unless you mean it.”
“Understood,” Cassian said. “Is that all?”
“Yeah. That’s it.”
Utto glanced at Jyn, then gave Cassian another assessing look before grunting and shaking his head, then stalked off after his partner.
Cassian returned his attention to the food in front of him, like nothing had happened at all.
“What was that?” Jyn asked, her mind racing, trying to put everything she’d just witnessed into some sort of context.
“Nothing,” Cassian said. “Just two of many I’ve pissed off.”
“But they’re angry because they want you.” Jyn was pretty sure about what she’d just witnessed, albeit confusing.
“The Alliance used them to break into an Imperial facility. We were after intelligence stored there. Tarrek and Utto made out like the bandits they are by stealing the tech stored there and selling it on the black market. It was their most lucrative job ever. They still pick up odd smuggling tasks for the rebellion, but they want me to help them with more heist like that again.”
His face was closed off, but Jyn needed to know if she was right, needed for Cassian to continue to let her in, needed his trust and confidence.
“I get that,” she said, “but they want you… like physically. At least, Tarrek does.”
Cassian met her gaze, slowly closed his eyes, sighed and shook his head.
“I never should’ve kissed him.”
“Oh.” Well, that explained both the heat and the chill in Tarrek’s gaze when he looked at Cassian. Apparently, it hadn’t been just one-sided. And maybe she’d been reading Cassian’s looks, the way he touched her, all wrong. Maybe the intimacy they’d shared in the shower, naked but not uncomfortable, washing one another with tender caresses, had only held sexual undertones on her side. Maybe he wasn’t attracted to her in the same way she was to him. Maybe he- “You er… kiss males?”
“Sometimes,” he shrugged. “When it’s necessary to complete a mission.” He licked his lips. “Sometimes just because I want to.”
Jyn stared at the pile of green puree of what she hoped was a vegetable of some sort, trying to swallow down the stupid feelings clashing inside of her; jealousy and possessiveness, hurt, and even a little bit of titillation contemplating Cassian’s sexual history.
Long fingers skimmed the back of her hand and curled around hers, squeezing gently until she met those rich, dark eyes of his.
“Sometimes I kiss females, too.” He held her gaze so she resisted the urge to stare at his mouth.
“When it’s necessary to complete a mission?”
“And just because I want to.”
Did he want to? Jyn felt like he did, thought everything in the way he looked at her indicated a deep affection and need for her. But at the same time, she knew he wouldn’t, not here in a public place, not when he hadn’t even kissed her when they were alone. Not even when they were naked, standing under the spray of water, his hands buried in her hair, rinsing out the cleanser, her hands wrapped around his waist, helping to support his weight, her skin prickling with the closeness of his body, the caress of his fingers on her scalp, the feeling of his-
“We should get moving,” he said, releasing her hand to push his chair back and stand, looking only a little unsteady on his feet. “We need to find you some clothes that fit.”
“Why?” Jyn said, standing as well and brushing her hand over the front of the loose shirt. At least Cassian wasn’t an extremely large man, or else his clothes would fall right off her. As it was, she’d had to roll up the sleeves of his shirt and tuck as much as possible into the fatigues that she’d belted to cinch in at the waist, which would’ve been entirely hopeless if he wasn’t a lean man. She’d also had to roll up the hems to her ankles. She had no other option than the infirmary shoes. Okay, she looked ridiculous. But she didn’t care. The clothes smelled like Cassian and made her feel perpetually wrapped up in him.
“It’s not exactly fit for being presented to a princess.”
Cassian reached to pick up the tray, which Jyn felt a little bit of guilt for not having completely cleaned of its contents and wasting food, but there had been unforeseen interruptions. She grabbed it before he could, doubting his ability to walk and carry a laden tray a few days after major surgeries and with bones still healing. But had he said,
“Princess?! What princess?”
“Princess Leia will be hosting the ceremony.”
“Oh.” Jyn headed across the mess hall to bus the remains of their meal, perhaps moving a little too quickly for her wounded companion, a sort of panicky nervousness fluttering in her stomach as their potentially being the center of attention approached. It would be brief if they were, she tried to tell herself. The last time she’d been the center of the Alliance’s attention hadn’t gone well. Had, in point of fact, ended in a rogue suicide mission.
“You’ll be fine. She’s Bail Organa’s daughter. Sensible woman. Fierce.”
Jyn shoved the tray into the reclamation unit a little harder than necessary. “And how do you know her?”
Cassian laughed, light and genuine.
“I don’t know her, not personally.” His hand went to her shoulder, seemingly to guide her but she knew the request inherent in it and snaked her arm around his waist to let him lean a little of his weight on her. “Let’s see if we can track down your missing clothes.”
Jyn didn’t care if they couldn’t. Let the princess see her in Cassian’s clothes, let everyone think they were together. Because whether or not he kissed her, whether or not it was romantic, Cassian Andor was hers. Even if he sent her away and she never saw him again while she lived, he would always be hers.
Force, she needed to get a handle on this possessiveness. Because it owned her. He owned her.
His palm came to rest on the back of her neck as they left the mess and headed towards the storage and supply wing of the base. His thumb stroked along her nape and she leaned into him, relaxed as a Savarian cat being petted.
Dank farrik, did she ever belong to him.
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charming-2d-boys · 3 years
Note
and and if its not too much for you then could you do prompts number 19, 17 and 24 for illumi as well? IM SORRY I JUST LOVE YOUR WRITING SO MUCH KSKSKS
Of course I can! 😊
And thank you very much! I'd hug you if I could, anon! 🤗❤️
17. “I’m telling you. I’m haunted.”
19. “She’s hiding behind the sofa.”
24. “Did you just hiss at me?”
A/N: a bit long and a little creepy because I love horror and I’m trying to get into writing it as well (already tried a few times, I want more!). Also, somewhat based on an actual place I’ve heard and read about.
-----
   “Illumi, why are we doing this again?” The sight of this supposed haunted house - hospital, actually - made your hair stand on end. There was no one there besides the two of you from what you could tell. Except for the actors inside.
   “Hisoka recommended me this since it’s Halloween.” You looked wary at the mention of Hisoka’s name. That was never a good sign. The fact that there was also no one to greet you when you arrived and the fact that the appointment and payment had to be done online unsettled you as well. Illumi didn’t really bat an eye, apparently. Well, when did he, really?
   “Aaaaaand you thought that just because of that, it was a good idea to go through with it?”
   “Hisoka is also participating, he told me so yesterday.” You only hummed, not really believing him. Until you didn’t see him, you wouldn’t believe that Hisoka was there. You looked at the building again, seeing some broken windows, some barred ones and some that were, strangely, still intact. At one point, you thought you saw someone looking at you from one of the windows on the third floor. But when you looked better, you didn’t see anything except for a torn curtain moving from the breeze that was entering through the broken window.
   Illumi and you called Hisoka several times and even texted him, but you got no response. Probably fed up and also curious, Illumi took your hand in his and you both entered the building. Decay, graffiti, pentagrams, names, 666s, destroyed or unusable furniture, hanging lights or wires, water, mold etc. That’s what greeted you in the hallway/waiting room - you presumed because of a few leftover chairs that weren’t really nailed to the floor anymore. You were pretty sure you’d find pretty much the same thing on the other floors as well. You quickly moved your head when you thought you saw something - or someone - out of your peripheral vision, only to find nothing there. The breeze coming in was making weird sounds echo and gave you chills.
   “Illumi, are you sure we should be here? This doesn’t look safe at all.”
   “It’s fine.” Well, at least he was helping you keep calm. You looked around, noticing how dark it was despite the broad daylight, which is why you both turned on the flashlights on your phones. Tripping and getting hurt here wasn’t worth it.
   You moved through the hallways, peering into several rooms and even going inside some that caught your attention. There weren’t many things left: some patient’s files, diverse papers and documents, vials, cabinets and cupboards with missing doors, IV drips, needles, candy wrappers among other things. And still no sign of Hisoka. When you left another room - probably reserved for the nurses and doctors, judging by the amount of file cabinets that still contained some files and folders about patients and the hospital’s activity - you froze when you noticed quick movement to your right, just around the corner.
   “Illumi?”
   “Hm?”
   “There’s a ghost here or something.” You gripped onto his arm, already feeling on edge. Illumi looked at you with a raised eyebrow, silently judging what you’d just said.
   “There’s no such thing as ghosts.”
   “I’m telling you. I’m haunted. I’ve seen the same thing - or person - three times already! They just disappeared behind that corner!” Illumi looked towards where you were pointing before shaking his head.
   “I can’t feel any Aura. There’s no one there.” You felt like bolting. You swore you would if you saw that thing one more time. Illumi’s grip on your hand was tight, keeping you somewhat calm, but not enough. How was he so calm, you couldn’t understand. The journey continued as you both moved to the first floor. Same thing as before, only that there were more patients’ rooms and quite a few metal bedframes left, no sheets, mattresses, pillows or whatever.
   You were still a little paranoid, but hadn’t seen or heard anything in a while. You started to relax, only tensing briefly when you went up to the second floor - again, nothing interesting or different from before - before finally reaching the third one. It was starting to get dark, what with all the exploring you’d done and you had a feeling your phone’s battery might die soon.
   “Illumi...?”
   “Yes?”
   “This is supposed to be a haunted house of sorts, right?”
   “Yes, why?”
   “Where are the actors?” The both of you stopped. You had been so tense and Illumi so curious that none of you had thought about it.
   Suddenly, you heard a loud noise in the distance, but the echo made you jump in pure terror. Something clattered to the floor in one of the rooms to your left and Illumi pulled out a few needles. The both of you sensed something, whether it was Aura or bloodlust, you didn’t know. Honestly, you didn’t even want to find out. You just wanted to leave.
   Illumi seemed to be just a little bit tense, but still as calm and collected as always as he walked towards the noise, with you trailing behind him and whispering, trying to convince him to just leave it and go. No such luck.
   When you heard another noise, quieter, coming from behind you, you remained as still as a statue. There was something or someone right behind you, you could feel it. You couldn’t even call for Illumi, he wasn’t even in front of you anymore, probably in the room where the first sound had come from.
   A shrill and loud, ear-piercing scream left your mouth when you felt a cold hand wrap around your neck and you bolted, dropping your phone and running blindly in whatever which way your feet carried you. You could hear nothing else besides the blood rushing to your head and the faint echoes of your scream, still bouncing off the walls, as your eyes were screwed shut and your ears were covered by your hands.
   “Hisoka...” Illumi sighed as he picked up your phone, going towards where he felt your Aura coming from. Meanwhile, Hisoka was laughing like a maniac. “Where’s (Y/N)?”
   “She’s hiding behind the sofa, in the waiting room.” Hisoka barely managed to speak as he tried not to die from laughing. Illumi only sighed again before going to said location, gently putting his hand on your back as he felt you shivering. You jumped, almost screaming again, before you saw that it was Illumi and you just hugged him, scared out of your mind.
   As soon as you calmed down, you, your boyfriend and Hisoka went down each floor until you left the hospital, going towards the car you had taken to drive there.
   “(Y/N), I couldn’t help it~ ♦️ Also, I’m sorry~ ♠️” He didn’t sound sorry at all and when Illumi’s arm went around your waist to instead pull you closer to him, you hissed, separating from both of them and going on ahead.
   “Did you just hiss at me?” Illumi actually sounded a bit incredulous.
   “Yes! Hisoka is an asshole, I knew that already. But you just left me there while you were playing Inspector Gadget or something while I was scared out of my mind! Who does that?!” You hurried towards the car and got in the back as soon as it was unlocked, refusing to talk or even look at either of them. When Illumi tried to talk, Hisoka advised him to leave you for a bit until you calmed down. They’d both take you somewhere to get back into your good graces.
   As they both got inside, Illumi in the driver’s seat and Hisoka in the passenger’s, you were looking out the window, the sunset reflecting in the remaining windows of the hospital. A blurry figure, too far away from you to make out any details, waved at you from the third floor, where you’d seen it the first time. You felt yourself go pale as your eyes widened and your heart stuttered. Both Illumi and Hisoka were in the car with you... so who was up there then?
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