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obitohno · 1 year

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among the amaryllis | 03

levi ackerman x reader

synopsis ⤸

every week, you secretly leave flowers by levi’s door in the hope to eventually woo him. unfortunately, your plan fails horribly, as levi suffers with hay-fever and thinks that someone is pranking him.

chapters ⤸

៚ contents

៚ prev

themes ⤸

fem! reader, 18+, flower shop au, army veteran! levi, florist! reader, unrequited love, pining, mutual pining, secret admirer, fluff, slow burn, angst, smut, wet dreams, handjobs, fingering, oral sex, mutual masturbation, levi suffers with ocd, reader is short

word count ⤸

5.2k

a/n ⤸

so, i’ve had a few requests for this next chapter, n it’s finally here! and! we finally have some levi smut in this one, yayay!! pls be aware that this one briefly depicts levi suffering with his mental health, so pls avoid if this is triggering for you. other than that, pls enjoy!

reblogs are appreciated ~

three:

the yelp of surprise that escapes you is both comical as it is concerning, and in your panic, the box of flowers slip from your fingers, thumping to the floor in a way that makes you flinch. there’s a flurry of rushed footsteps, and then a familiar head of blonde hair comes into view, gentle hands reaching to neaten the fallen petals.

‘i’m so sorry!’ armin stutters an apology, all red cheeks and wide eyes, ‘i didn’t mean to actually scare you!’

your pulse is still throbbing in the side of your neck as you help to rearrange the peonies, plucking away a few loose petals. you gently push his hands away, silently disapproving of the way he’s arranging the flowers, and with keen interest, he watches you take charge. once satisfied with the arrangement, you sigh, swallowing down the thick lump that has formed at the back of your throat. armin is quiet as he eyes you for a few long seconds, and you pretend that you can’t feel his questioning gaze burning into the side of your face.

eventually, he breaks the silence with a meek, ‘when are you going to tell him that you love him?’

it’s a strange feeling, to hear someone other than hange airing the extent of your affections aloud. this time, however, you don’t deny it, and you answer with a depressed, ‘i don’t know… never?’

‘never?’ armin almost looks appalled by your answer. ‘then why are you—?’

‘i don’t know, armin,’ your words rush out, a little harsher than you intend. you breathe an apology, one that he accepts with a smile that looks like he pities you. ‘hange is very persuasive,’ you reveal with a frown pinching your brows together in the middle, ‘i don’t think it’s a good idea, but hange says it’s a good way to build up my courage until i’m ready to tell him.’

he’s taken upon a pensive expression, sky-blue eyes glazed over as he stares down at the peonies, thumbing with one of the petals you’d picked away, before it falls from his fingers, fluttering to the ground. when he meets your gaze, his smile is one of a gentle encouragement, ‘maybe hange is right.’

you scoff, using the stone wall to brace your hand as you pull yourself to your feet. armin mimics you, watching as you turn your head away from the flowers. ‘i don’t think so… well… i don’t know.’ you force a laugh, the sound causing armin to frown at the back of your head as he follows you out of the small garden, where you come to halt outside of the gate. ‘he thought it was a prank,’ you tell him, but the look on his face gives away the fact that this isn’t news to him. when your expression morphs into one of exasperation, he is quick to explain.

‘we saw him the day after—he seemed genuinely confused,’ his eyes are gleaming with pity, his brows pulled upwards as he peers at you. ‘but if he knew they were from you, i’m sure he’d accept them.’

‘he told me that he couldn’t stand them—and… ugh, why the hell did i agree to this?!’ and then, much to armin’s horror, tears are welling in the corners of your eyes, blinking down the curves of your cheeks. he’s already pulling you into an embrace, his arms circling around your shoulders in what you think is supposed to be a comforting manner. it only serves to worsen your cries, somehow, and your entire body shudders against his. he blurts your name in a panic, one of his hands patting the top of your head as your tears drench the shoulder of his t-shirt.

the moment lasts just a few, short seconds, but your head hangs with shame even after you’ve calmed enough for him to take a hesitant step backwards. he’s eyeing you wearily, and you try to force a wobbly smile. it must look as forced as it feels, however, as his face falls, and he reaches out to press his fingers to your cheeks, brushing away the remnants of the streaks of tears that stain your skin. your bottom lip trembles, but despite your embarrassment, you manage to croak out an apology, one that he waves away with a genuine smile. your eyes dart over to the peonies, and in that moment, you make a split-second decision. you hesitate before stepping back into the vicinity of levi’s front garden, and then before armin can stop you, you’re already marching up the short cobbled path, hands snatching the box from the ground.

he calls your name, evidently confused as you stride past him, freeing a hand to yank open the lid to the dustbin. ‘no, wait!’ armin yells, but it’s too late.

you watch the petals scatter to the bottom of the container, the box tipping on its side as the peonies spill out, now a crumpled mess. for just a second, you’re able to pretend that the horrified look in armin’s eyes doesn’t make you feel regretful. but it doesn’t last long, and you already wish that you could take it back. you’d spent months nursing those flowers into the beauty that they once were, now diminished to nothing but a sad pile of broken petals at the bottom of levi’s dustbin. you can only pray that the next time he throws out his rubbish, he doesn’t look carefully enough to notice the mess you’ve now created. you step back, allowing the lid to slam shut, and then without another word, you spin on your heel, and start your journey back to your home.

armin rushes after you, and after he murmurs your name twice without receiving an answer, he resigns himself to following you in silence. you’re too preoccupied with your own thoughts to notice, and you completely forget that he’s following behind you until you’re yanking the front door open, allowing it to swing shut on an unsuspecting armin. he yelps as the doorframe collides with his elbow and the pained sound is enough to jerk you out of your thoughts. you immediately trace your steps back to the door, rapidly apologising as he’s forcing a grin, one that doesn’t reach his eyes, which are currently glimmering with concern as he watches you sigh heavily, seemingly defeated.

‘i’m sorry,’ you apologise again, and he’s already shaking his head, stammering an excuse.

‘i-i should’ve been watching where i was walking,’ he shoves his elbow under your nose, the pale skin blooming a bright red colour. ‘see? doesn’t even hurt.’

you choose to not voice your doubts, even when you see him wince upon straightening his arm out to allow it to fall by his side. his eyes are observing your face, the blue irises shining as they flitter across your features and you quickly turn your head away, occupying yourself with neatening the cushions on your small settee. you usher him into a seat, offering a drink as compensation for causing his injury. he seems to understand that you’re trying to avoid talking about what has just occurred, and for now, he allows you to hide your regret by busying yourself with the task of preparing him a cup of coffee.

once you press the cup into his hands, you slump into the armchair opposite him, gaze somewhere far away as you watch the thin line of steam that trickles up toward the ceiling. armin takes a sip, and there’s an awkward pause, before his lips are parting, only to be interrupted when you rush to speak first.

‘please… don’t,’ you all but beg him.

he frowns, seeming to disapprove, but he doesn’t argue. instead, he takes his time in finishing his drink, and only when he places the now-empty cup onto the coaster, do you break your silence.

‘i’m scared.’

armin blinks, surprised.

he doesn’t know what he had expected you to say, but it definitely isn’t that. he’s watching you with avid attention, and it only makes you feel that more self-conscious.

your cheeks feel warm as you then whisper your confession through a very coy voice, ‘i like him. a lot.’

‘i know,’ armin is smiling now. you’re a tad bewildered by the pointed look he now aims at you. he’s sitting up in his seat, the longer strands of his fringe pushed back from his face as he watches you with mirth dancing in those big blue eyes of his. ‘we all know.’

the revelation makes your stomach twist, uncomfortable by the possibility that your hidden feelings aren’t actually as private as you’d originally thought.

‘the only one who doesn’t know, is the corporal,’ armin assures you, his smile kind. that little fact makes you feel less tense, something he notes with the knowing tilt of his chin. his hands are now clasped together, ‘he’s a very complicated man,’ he pauses to say your name, ‘but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel. he does—he’s just very bad at showing it.’

you tut, ‘you sound like hange.’

armin almost looks proud of this comparison, and you choose to not voice the fact that you’re not entirely confident in hange being the ideal role model for the youngsters to look up to. hange is a beautiful person, inside and out, you have no qualms about that. but their eccentric personality—along with their unique ability to somehow persuade you to do things that you’d probably never dream of doing if not for their influence—is the cause of your conflicted feelings. you know that it’s not entirely fair to place the whole blame on the brunette—you’d had just as much freedom to follow this plan just as much as hange had planted the idea into your head in the first place—and it only makes you feel guiltier about throwing the peonies away. right now, you know that hange is following through on their end of the deal to keep levi distracted, the knowledge only making you shrink back into your seat, your legs pulling up to your chest. whilst your friend is doing their best to help you, you’re sat here, wallowing in your own misery—a misery that you’ve only caused yourself. you glance toward the clock on the wall, and your stomach sinks upon realising that it’s already nearing evening. by now, you’re sure that they will be returning soon, if they haven’t already, a fact proven by your mobile phone vibrating on the coffee table.

hange’s picture flashes across the screen—a selfie that they’d forced you to take with them, half of your face hidden by a bundle of white-petalled daises (you wince at the irony as you stare at the photograph)—and you watch it ring until it silences.

armin’s lips part, but he’s cut off by hange calling a second time. the both of you watch it ring, and the blonde dares to suggest, ‘maybe you should answer…?’

you hesitate, reluctantly acknowledging that hange will only continue to call if you don’t answer, and so, you reach for the device, swiping your thumb across the screen.

‘three hours!’ hange’s voice shrieks down the phone. even armin flinches from his seat opposite you, and gawks, wide eyed. you wince, listening as hange berates you, ‘three bloody hours! he made me sit in that blasted tea-shop for three hours! he’s an absolute mad-man, and still, i—!’ they pause, their voice suddenly significantly lower as they hiss down the speaker, ‘—i let him drink his seven—yes, seven!—cups of tea, because, again, i—unlike you—was being a good friend, and endured it! for you! only, what do i see when he finally decides to go home?! oh, yes, that’s right! you—for whatever reason—and it had better be a damn good reason—decided to throw the flowers away?! why?! and honestly! who the hell even needs that many flavours of tea anyway!? ridiculous!’

and before you can even get a word in, or manage to think of literally any excuse to defend yourself with—which, judging by armin’s expression of pure terror, confirms the passing thought that it’ll probably be ignored anyway—you listen to the tell-tale beeping that signals the ending of the call. you pull the phone from your ear and stare down at it, dumbfounded.

‘they ended the—’ you start to say, only to be cut off by the sound of a fist slamming against the surface of your front door, followed by hange’s voice bellowing your name from the other side. you rush to unlock the door in favour of avoiding a complaint from your neighbours, and they push past, storming down the hall and into the living room before you can stop them.

‘arlert!’ hange greets armin, who still looks as terrified as he had twenty seconds ago. ‘how lovely to see you! how have you been?’ armin’s lips part to answer, but he isn’t given the chance, ‘that’s nice, i’m great too,’ hange’s smile is stretched too wide across their face, and when they look at you, their big brown eyes don’t even attempt to conceal their unrestrained anger. glancing at armin, hange orders, ‘please leave.’

‘he knows, hange,’ you sigh, slumping back into your chair, shoulders slumping. hange pauses to assess your miserable expression, and all of their frustration seems to dissipate when they release a sigh of their own. armin watches the pair of you from his seat on the edge of the settee, unsure of what he should say or do. you don’t appear to notice his dilemma, however, and you scratch your left eyebrow—a habit you’ve possessed since childhood—and huff, ‘he caught me.’

hange is quiet as you then recount the happenings of how you’d thrown the flowers away in a short-lived bout of defeat, and that you now regret that decision.

‘they were some pretty nice flowers,’ you sniff, shoving down the urge to cry by pressing your face into the armchair cushion. hange is now sitting beside armin, the pair of them watching you carefully as you finish your thoughts with a pitiful, ‘he’s way out of my league.’

at this, hange snorts, loudly, and even laughs, just as loudly, the corners of their mouth curling upwards. ‘please don’t tell me that you actually believe that!’ when you reply with a searing glare, eyes peeking over the top of the cushion, hange’s smile falls, and they click their tongue at you. ‘i’ve already told you—armin, you tell her—levi cares for you just as much as you care for him.’ the tinging on armin’s cheeks is a tad suspicious, but you don’t have the chance to decipher the meaning behind it, as hange is standing from their seat, hands crossing behind their back as they begin to pace the carpet of your living room floor. ‘you’re worrying over nothing—what’s the worse that can happen?’ they come to a halt before you, hands raised in the air as they question you. ‘do you think he’ll reject you or something? is that why you threw the flowers away?’

your expression is one of clear conflict, and hange watches as you shrug, unable to answer their question. ‘i don’t… i don’t know, hange. all i do know is that i’m wasting my time, and you’re being weirdly pushy about this—why are you, by the way?—because we all know that levi has zero interest in—’

‘he does.’

it is armin who interrupts your self-pity wallowing with a sad smile.

‘he talks about you a lot—more so than he’s spoken about anyone else before. even eren notices,’ armin doesn’t seem to notice that he’s unintentionally insulted his best friend. ‘he thinks that no-one realises, but we all know that he’s been sneaking off to have lunch with you everyday.’

his revelation makes your cheeks feel as if they’re aflame, and you despise the fact that his words easily form even just the tiniest bit of hope. hange is now crouching before you, a hand reaching out to grab yours. ‘i’m sorry that i’m being so pushy,’ they look a little saddened by your description, and your mouth is already opening to apologise. they talk over your stumbled words, their fingers squeezing around yours. ‘you’re both very dear to me—to erwin, too—and we all know that life hasn’t been the easiest, for either of you,’ you cringe, not particularly wanting to talk about the wrongdoings of your past, and luckily, hange is quick to realise this. ‘but it’s because of that, that we want you to be happy. everyone knows that levi is as stubborn as he is frustrating—’ over their shoulder, armin is nodding in agreement, ‘—and for whatever reason known only to god, he thinks that the world is out to get him; that he doesn’t deserve happiness. but he does. he really, really does, and even if he does reject you—which i don’t think he will—then i think it’ll still make him happy to know that those flowers came from you.’

there’s a tense pause as you mull over their words.

hange squeezes your hand again before letting go to stand up straight. ‘i wouldn’t encourage you to do this if i didn’t think you had a chance—i care about you just as much as i care about him. you both deserve to be happy.’

you feel a little embarrassed by their confession, and the guilt that has built inside you has now increased by a tenfold. your shoulders slump even further, if possible, and your head tilts to rest against the back of the armchair. hange has occupied their previous seat next to an apprehensive looking armin, whose big blue eyes are glued to your form as you curl into the seat, eyes closing as you relent, murmuring a very quiet, ‘okay.’

‘okay?’ hange repeats dumbly, before the biggest smile breaks out onto their face. ‘okay, as in—?’

‘i’ll do it,’ you huff.

hange releases a loud cheer, fist pumping into the air so vigorously that poor armin jolts in his seat, wide eyed. hange chuckles down at him, their arm swinging over his shoulders and pulling him in for a tight hug. armin’s voice is muffled, but you still manage to hear him ask sheepishly, ‘what do we do now?’

hange’s grin widens once more, and you must admit that you’re still a little uneasy about conceding to their plans so easily. still, you guess that the pair will remain here for a while yet, so you make an offer of tea.

‘now,’ hange is unable to contain their giddy excitement, ‘we talk flowers.’

๑

it is the middle of the night when levi wakes with a start.

it is still dark, and he’s panting, eyes fixated to the ceiling as it takes few long moments for him to realise that he’s no longer dreaming. when he does, it’s with an exasperated groan, the balls of his hands pressing hard over his eyelids. there’s an intolerable heat in the air, aided by the rapid beating of his heart, his pulse throbbing angrily at the vein in his neck. his hands scrabble to throw the bedsheets from his waist, relishing in the brief rush of cool air, but it doesn’t last long and he listens to the sheets landing with a soft thump on the ground. he doesn’t have to look to know that there’s a slick that has formed between his legs, and the knowledge only serves to make his stomach twist with shame.

hesitating, he takes his time in sitting upright, upper lip curling at the stickiness that clings to his abdomen. a string of curses are whispered into the dark, and although he knows that he’s alone, he can’t help his eyes from darting toward the bedroom door. as usual, it’s locked shut, but it does little to ease the guilt that is now gnawing at the centre of his chest.

this isn’t the first time that he’s dreamt of you, and it certainly isn’t the first time he’s awoken with an erection after doing so. still, he feels an unbearable guilt whenever this happens, and he already knows that he’ll probably be avoiding you for the next few days after this. still, he allows his finger-tip to trace past the dark curls that are soon due a trim, and over the dribble of semen that glistens on the swollen tip of his cock. the action makes his toes curl, and he grimaces, hips jolting upward as his slick aids the fisting of his girth. it only takes a few tugs to make him pant once more, and his eyes roll shut, head tilted backwards as he groans your name under his breath. a particularly harsh jerk encourages the expelling of an uncharacteristic whine through clenched teeth, voice an octave higher than usual as he grunts, hand wet with arousal. it doesn’t take much for his mind to muster up the image of you, and he pictures the expanse of skin that had shown when you’d wore those tiny denim shorts of yours the other day. he pictures you now, and suddenly, it’s your hand that is cupping his sac with eager determination, and it is your fingers that are stroking across the tip of his cock, gathering the slick in the palm of your hand and kneading it down his girth until he’s murmuring your name once more.

he imagines your breath fanning across the sensitive skin of his thighs, and he shudders, biting down on his bottom lip, hard enough that it stings with the promise of broken skin.

it is rare that he partakes in this form of self-care—although, when he does, it is usually in some sort of lust-crazed frustration sourced by his ever-increasing affections towards you. and so, it’s just minutes later when he feels the familiar tension building in his abdominal muscles. it spreads across his entire body in a heat that makes his hips roll in a newfound enthusiasm, motivated by the finger that teases at the ring of muscles hidden below his sac. this is new, he thinks, frowning at the foreign sensation, his muscles clenching around his finger-tip. he doesn’t dare push past the first knuckle, his hand stilling as a thin layer of sweat coats his entire body. once he deems himself relaxed enough, he gives an experimental twisting of his finger, and his cock twitches against his abdomen, his mouth falling open in a silent moan. it feels better—a lot better—than he’d expected, a fact that should’ve encouraged him to continue, but instead, it puzzles him. It panics him a little, and he quickly rips his finger free, a hissed pain following soon after.

for a long while after, he lies there on the mattress, erection a heavy weight in the palm of his hand, his sac tightening as a reminder of the arousal that continues to tickle away at his nerve endings. once more, he’s imagining you, fist pumping at such a pace that his breath leaves him in short, rapid bursts, and when he finally, finally comes undone, he does so with a broken shout of your name. his chest heaves as he struggles to catch his breath, the remnants of his orgasm spreading across his body like a liquid euphoria that renders his eyelids too heavy to remain open.

when he’s able to breathe easy, his brows pinch together, and he releases a shaky breath that escapes him with a quiet, ‘fuck.’

an arm comes to cover his eyes, the corners burning with the promise of tears, and he unwillingly welcomes the combined feelings of regret, disgust and shame that settle somewhere deep in his gut. it had felt so easy, so normal to dream of you, to picture you beside him, to imagine your voice whispering the sentiments that he’s wanted to hear for so long. but now, he’s repulsed by what he’s done, and he sits up just enough to snatch the sheets from the floor, angrily smearing them across the mess he’s made, wiping his skin clean. his hair clings to his forehead, the strands soaked in sweat, his skin glistening, also saturated. his nose crinkles, jaw clenching as he throws the sheets to the ground once more, his legs swinging over the edge of the mattress.

he busies himself with washing himself clean in the shower, scrubbing every inch of his skin until it singes red. he treats his hair in a similar manner, massaging the shampoo into the inky strands so vigorously that he accidentally blinks some of the liquid into his eye. it instantly burns, his eyes watering and he slams his fist against the shower wall, yelling a strained, ‘shitting, stupid—stupid—fucking—fuck!’ he sinks to the shower floor, sobbing something incoherent that even he can’t understand, and his shoulders wrack with the force of his tears mixing with the scalding spray that bursts out of the shower-head. he stays there until all traces of soap have been washed from his skin, the water having long turned cold when he eventually musters the energy to haul himself upright. he doesn’t remember getting dressed—nor does he remember shoving the soiled bedsheets into the washing machine—but at some point, he blinks, and he’s now stood in front of the bedroom window, bleary eyed as he takes note of the rising sun. it’s still early, as the sun usually rises at some time between four and five in the morning, but he already knows that he won’t be getting any more sleep tonight.

he yanks the window open wide enough to allow the scent of his dreams to escape from the room, and he leaves it that way, his feet moving of their own accord as they lead him down the stairs, his fingers reaching for the set of keys that hang on a small hook by the front door. he unlocks it, and it swings open just enough for him to slip through the gap, clicking the door shut behind him. he sits on the stone wall for a long while, welcoming the aroma of the early morning air that isn’t so warm yet. it’s crisp enough that there’s even a gentle breeze, and his eyes close as it fans over his cheeks and across his forehead, his shoulders sinking with a resounding sigh. he isn’t sure how long he sits there, but after a long while, he hears the unmistakable sound of the washing machine ending its cycle with a loud bleeping noise that he can hear, even from outside. he leaves the keys on the wall, making his way back inside to retrieve the washed sheets. only, as he’s pulling them out of the basin, he’s brimming with another spell of remorse and umbrage—both sourced by his own revolting actions—and suddenly, he’s marching outside, soaked bedsheets in hand, the front door slamming shut behind him. barefoot, he tramples over the pebbled path, and throws open the iron gate so harshly that it ricochets off the wall behind it, swinging back at him. it would have hit him had he not stuck out his foot to kick it away again, ignoring the bite of pain caused by the metal colliding and bouncing off of his ankle bone. it’ll probably bruise, not that he particularly gives a shit about that right now, as he’s too busy with yanking open the dustbin lid, reaching to shove the sheets inside. he’s making a mess all over the pavement, he realises, the sheets dripping water down the length of his forearms. he grunts, screwing the fabric into a ball and squeezing out as much liquid as he can. then, he’s lifting the lid once more, only to pause, hand frozen in the air.

there, at the bottom of the bin, is what looks to be the crushed petals of a flower that he doesn’t recognise. something shrub-like, he guesses by the bulbous shape, not that it really matters, as they’re scattered at the bottom of the container, the petals looking a little deflated. he stares at them for a long time, his level of irritation growing with each passing second, and again, he comes to the conclusion that it’s the same person is playing yet another prank. clearly, leaving flowers on his front step wasn’t enough the first time, and so the perpetrator has obviously decided to go a step further by shoving them into his bin as well. the idea somehow manages to worsen his existing foul mood, and he grits his teeth, cursing a string of expletives from under his breath as he reaches to shove the bedsheets as far down as his arms can reach. now, he can no longer see the flowers, and he slams the lid shut with a loud shout, ‘fuck!’

he turns to make his way back inside, however, just as he’s kicking the iron gate shut behind him, he sees a flash of red from the corner of his eye. his head turns so quickly that he actually feels his neck crick, his glare now aimed at the singular stem that is weaved into the branches of the large shrub that separates his garden from the neighbours on the left-hand side of his residence. he squints as he reaches for the stalk, ripping it free so roughly that he also removes a handful of leaves along with it.

‘you’re fucking shitting me,’ he spits out loud, eyes narrowing down at the singular rose. he balls his fist around the stem, unaware of the thorn that is hiding behind one of the crumpled leaves. it jabs itself into the side of his middle finger and he grates out a muffled, ‘stupid, shitting thing,’ as he rips it free, smearing the blood onto the back of his free hand. the rose remains trapped between his fingers even after he’s stomped his way back inside, free hand snatching the keys from where he’s left them on the wall, and he locks the front door shut behind him.

he enters the kitchen to search for a vase, and when he can’t find one, he settles with the biggest jug he has. he fills it with water, narrowed eyes watching as the liquid sloshes around when he slams it down onto the dining table. he drags a chair out from underneath the surface, and slumps down into it, the wood creaking as it adjusts to his weight, and he runs his fingers through his hair. the room is still dimly lit, and the kitchen is significantly cooler than his bedroom had been, but there, he sits, and stares at the rose as it gently bobs around and around until the water settles. the only sound that fills the silence is his own breathing, in and out, in and out of his nostrils until he sniffs, and to his annoyance, sneezes. his head darts forward with such unexpected force that his hands shoot out to catch himself on the edge of the table, in fear of his nose colliding with it. he sniffs again, and his stare morphs into one that is a mixture of exhaustion and infuriation.

eventually, long after the sun has risen high in the sky, he recognises the twittering of early-morning birdsong, and that is how he drifts off, with the curve of his cheek warming as the sunlight trickles its way in through the kitchen window.

#♡ jordy is writing ♡#attack on titan #aot #aot smut #aot x reader #levi x reader #levi smut #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman smut #shingeki no kyojin #snk x reader #snk smut #snk

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carmylasso · 1 year

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babes imagine henry getting angry with ted and giving him the silent treatment and only talking to you 🤭

poor ted would be so sad and you’d have to talk to henry about how that’s not the right way to handle things but also ted would be so happy henry has someone else he can confide in & go to

AN: this might be a bit more angsty than expected, but i think it's still very sweet (michelle lasso, can you fight?) thanks for the request, cal!

at first you’re pretty sure its gonna blow over in a matter of hours: in the couple of years you’ve known those two, they have never been able to stay mad at each other. when it doesn’t, you become torn between how much you love the extra cuddles (for a 7yo, henry lasso is notoriously sweet, but he has so much energy that he finds it hard to stay put for too long, just like someone else you know) and the way it breaks your heart to see ted mopping around the house while henry stops himself on his tracks whenever he wants to suggest something the two of them usually enjoy together

these two are simply not cut out to be away, which is why you avoid talking about michelle: it makes no sense to you how someone could fall out of love with ted lasso, but it makes you furious to think about that first year she practically forced them apart…but that’s a line you shouldn’t cross, and you know it.

“he’s down?” its day 3 of whatever brought this on, and ted’s too tired to act like he doesn’t miss his boy terribly.

“out like a light” you whisper, climbing into bed to wrap your arms around him from where your boyfriend sits by the edge, caressing his chest as you lay a kiss to the back of his neck “I know I shouldn’t ask, but is everything okay back in kansas?” they weren’t like this when you went out with a friend sunday afternoon, before the weekly scheduled facetime meeting with the two and michelle. if something happened…

“michelle’s had something come up at work so she’ll need him to go there a week earlier” you heard what he wasn’t saying, that your boyfriend had said it was okay practically before she asked, no matter what he thought on the matter. you also knew henry could tell when something hurt his dad’s feelings and that he hated it almost as much as you. “he’s not happy i told her i’d see about moving his plane tickets”

“i’m sorry, darling. that explains things, he’s sad about…”

“he’s mad at me, honey” his voice is quiet when he interrupts, bringing your joined fingers up so he can kiss your knuckles. “he doesn’t wanna go”

“what if you went with him, ted?” his boy doesn’t like change, that much you have been around long enough to be sure of. there’s a not so tiny part of you that doesn’t want them both gone at the same time, but you’re an adult. you can take a few weeks away, right? if you can’t, they never have to know; “just for a few days?”

“baby…that won’t fix things. henry doesn’t wanna go to kansas early cause if he does, he’s gonna miss your birthday” you’re still processing what he said when he moves the both of you so you're straddling him, thumb brushing your bottom lip “he’s been planning a surprise party for months now. we know you don’t like to make a fuss, don’t worry ‘bout that. it’s just gonna be a few friends for dinner but he’s taken charge of everyone”

“ ted, that’s so fucking sweet” you’re doing your best not to cry with every new word that comes out of his mouth, both of your focuses changing when you hear quick steps coming down the hall, halting at your half closed door “hen?” ted doesn’t fight it when you climb off him, turning to face the little blondie on the threshold

“mum, i don’t feel good” your body freezes for a second before the pain in the kid’s voice pulls you out and forces you to focus on the sweat coating his body and the barely conceived tears that fall the moment henry crashes into you, face smushed onto your stomach “hurts”

“is it your tummy, bub?” he’s hot under the fingertips you run up and down his back, clinging to you like he thinks you’re about to be taken away, the way he called you making your heart leap where it beats against your chest

“don’t know” henry doesn’t even fight his father when the man picks him up, checking for his temperature and shaking his head, the worry lines between his brows getting deeper when he buries further into his warmth. theodore, does, however manage to keep a calm facade, meanwhile your head is going in a million directions at once: should you get him in a bath? find an extra blanket? a driver that can take you to A&E? he’s hurting and all of a sudden you’re hurting too…surely his real mother would know what do, no matter how you feel about her, she wouldn’t just stand there while he cries..

“where’d you go, honey?” ted is looking at you like he knows what you’re thinking. he probably does, has been able to pretty much from the day you met. when he looks at you, he is always watching, after all

“sorry! sorry, what can i do? do we still have ibuprofen downstairs? i will go check for it”

“no, let me. here, you two climb in” he pulls the bedding out of the way as he speaks, gently laying henry on his pillow. “breathe, sweetheart, it’s just a fever. it’ll come down soon enough” you feel stupid and lost but you let him wrap you in his arms for a moment.

“you should stay with him, ted”

“i’ll be back in a sec, my love”

“but what if he needs to…”

“he needs his mama right now, that’s it” his tone is final. it settles you. you can panic later, you decide. now, you lay as still as you can, trying not to disturb, only for henry to climb half on top of you before his dad can even get to the hall. you let him. after all, for you, the lasso boys and what they need always come first.

especially when what they seem to need the most is just you.

#ted lasso #ted lasso fic #ted lasso fluff #henry lasso #ted lasso x reader #ted lasso x you #ted lasso blurb #ted lasso headcanon #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fanfic

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kentai345 · 9 months

Text

East Highland's Notorious - Chapter 2

AO3 l Chapter 1

Fezco x reader

Summary: You never proclaimed yourself to be a nice person or a good girl because no one expected you to be one. If someone perceived you as one that was their fault. Life wasn't easy but Fez made it bearable.

Things had been weird since the whole Mouse incident as (Y/N) was ignoring me still pissed about the money and she was ignoring Fez too. She didn’t hate him she was just putting distance between them to give her time to get over her crush. So it went from talking every day, to every other day, and less and less. If she did respond it was just one-word responses. She missed staying at Fez’s as things were starting to get rough at home. She was depending on the money that she saved over the summer to feed her and her parents since the money they got they used to buy drugs and on nights when they were on a bender she would end up locked outside the house having to sleep on the porch until they got back. She was having a bad week.

“Bitch are you listening?” Maddy said snapping me out of my thoughts. “No stopped listening around long-distance.” I said remembering the last thing we were talking about was Cassie and Mckay.

“What’s up with you?”

“It's been a rough week.” I said with a sigh as I got another text from Fez which I ignored leaving him on read. “Still ignoring Fez.” Maddy asked.

“I’d rather go back to talking about Cassie and Mckay.”

“Stop being such a coward and fucking talk to him, you put up a fight for everything else. Why not him?”

“I’d rather die than put myself in that situation and once I get over him I’ll talk to him like normal again. Besides I have bigger worries right now.”

“Like what?”

“Money problems.” I said glaring at Rue from across the cafeteria and she looks away when our eyes meet.

“Hey do any of you guys know how BitCoin works?” Kat suddenly asks. Maddy and Cassie shake their heads and I take advantage of the situation. “No, but for 10 dollars I can take you to someone who does.”

“You can’t just take me for free.”

“Did you not just hear me say I’m having money problems? I need gas money and you got the friend discount I usually charge 25.”

“Fine.” Kat agrees and I tell her to meet me after school.

After school I call Ash asking him if he was at the store and I was gonna bring a friend who needed information on BitCoin. “Why? You know how it works.” He said.

“Ok we know that but she doesn’t and I need cash, so I ain’t telling her for free.” I said and saw Kat coming my way. “Just do me this favor.” After hanging up we get in my car and after she gives me the money I drive her to the gas station. I was so busy focusing on getting cash I completely forgot that Fez would be here too. Fez was outside smoking when we got here and I avoid looking at him as we go inside and I call for Ash.

“Hey, (Y/N).” Fez said as I sat atop the counter next to the register.

“Hey…” I said staring at my feet finding them entertaining. I was glad Ash had come out from the back and he sat down next to me on the counter to breakdown BitCoin for Kat.

“It’s a worldwide cryptocurrency and digital payment system.”

“I literally have no clue what you’re talking about.” Kat said and I shake my head.

“There’s literally no easier way to explain it.” I said and she looks at me suspiciously. “I thought you didn’t know how it works.”

“I don’t, but I can’t help you if you’re stupid.” I said and she looks at me taken aback. “Shit sorry, I’ve been getting no sleep.”

“Look why don’t you just tell us what you’re trying to do, and we can tell you how we can help you.” Fez said.

“Unless it’s human trafficking. I don’t fuck with human trafficking.” Ash said.

“I’m not human trafficking.” Kat clarifies. “Yeah, us neither.” Fez said.

Kat starts to explain what she was trying to do but I quickly stop her. “First give me another 10 dollars.” I said to Kat holding out my hand and rolling her eyes she gives me the cash. “I was just wondering if it’s like a good way to anonymously get money online.” She explained.

“That’s literally what it’s made for.” I said like it should have been obvious.

“Dumbass.” Ash said and I nod my head agreeing. “What a waste of a trip. Oh wait I got 20 dollars out of it.” I said laughing. “If you give me 5 dollars I’ll drive you home.” I said and she glares at me.

“I’m fucking with you. Get in the car.” I said getting down from the counter. I say bye to Ash and give a half-hearted wave to Fez as we walk past him but he grabs my hand.

“Yo, can we talk for a second?”

“No time I gotta go to work after I take her home sorry.” I said slipping my hand out from his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I started taking on more hours to make up the cash I had lost which meant getting off later and getting less to no sleep if my parents locked me out. But it made avoiding Fez easier except for when he showed up at the restaurant giving me no choice but to talk to him. I should have expected to do this sooner or later, especially after blowing him off at the gas station.

“How long are you gonna stick around?” I asked him as I came to clear his plate and give him the check.

“Till you get off, didn’t see yo car thought I could drive you home and could finally talk.”

“I’m working late, so no need to wait up. I’m sure there’s money to be made somewhere.” I said and left for the kitchen setting the plate down. I go back to Fez to get his money for the bill and he hands me a 50.

“Keep the change.”

“That's too much for a tip.” I said not wanting to take his money. “Don’t worry about it.” He said not taking no for an answer and reluctantly I keep the change.

After clocking out I go to the bathroom to change out of my uniform and I consider just sneaking out the back to avoid Fez but like he read my mind he waits for me near the bathroom giving me no chance of escape. Once we’re in the car he doesn’t start it right away so we just sit in awkward silence as I find anything to stare at out the window.

“So like what's going on with us?” He breaks the silence.

“Nothing, just been crazy busy.” I said playing with my fingers.

“Can you at least look at me.” He said and hearing the sadness in his voice I comply. He reaches for my hand but I pull it back from his reach “I’m really tired so can you just take me home, please.”

“Can you at least tell me, why you been avoiding me? Like for real.” He said starting the car. “I’m just trying to get things back to how they were, you know before the summer.”

“And like what does that mean?”

“You see me like a little sister and I don’t see you- look I don’t know how to explain it.�� I said frustrated and looked out at the passing scenery.

“Don’t do that, just say what you gotta say.” He said and finally taking Maddy’s advice to stop being a coward I decide to just spill. I could always just jump out of the car and hope it kills me if it doesn’t work out.

“Fine. Am I really just a little sister to you? Like nothing more?” I asked looking down at my lap. “That’s what- hold on.” He said and pulled over. He brings his hand to my chin making me look at him and I become even more nervous under his gaze.

“Is this about that shit, I told Mouse?” I nodded my head at his question. “Nah, I just said that so he wouldn’t try no shit on you. Of course, you are more than that to me.” He clarifies but it's still not enough clarification for me.

“Like a friend you fuck around with more or like-”

“Like your my girl, more.” He states cutting me off and I smile. “I would love to be your girl.” I said shyly and leaning in he kisses me.

“Can’t believe you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder over that.” He said in disbelief.

“What did you expect from me? You weren’t exactly defining what our relationship was and I was trying to figure it out all summer.”

“Didn’t think I had to, thought it was obvious. And shit, you didn’t say nothin.”

“Like hell I would, you know what this isn’t about me.” I said kissing him as a distraction. After sharing a few more kisses he continues taking me home and as my house comes to view I see my dad’s car gone which meant the house was empty and I was locked out. I didn’t want to worry Fez so I didn’t tell him and pretended everything was normal. After much convincing, I told him he didn’t have to wait for me to go inside and after kissing him goodbye he leaves. I walk up to the front door hopefully trying the door knob but it was locked and I sigh defeated.

I sit on the ground leaning against the front door and prepare for a long night outside again wishing I could just change the locks and lock them out for a change. However, I would never do that cause even though my parents were practically fucking useless except for somehow keeping a roof over our heads I’d seen them angry and I’d hate for it to be targeted at me. It’s just a rule you don’t piss off a drug addict especially when you have to live with them. As I was accepting my fate I was considering sucking it up and calling Nate and hear a car stop in front of the house and when I look up I see Fez getting out of his car. I should’ve known he was gonna circle around and catch me in my lie.

“How’d you know?” I asked him as he got closer.

“Yo dad’s car is gone which means they’re out doing whatever and you're locked out.”

“Well aren’t you a great listener.” I said sarcastically as I stand up and hug him. “Thank you.” I whispered into his chest and he kisses the top of my head. “Let me take you home.” He said grabbing my bag for me off the ground and taking my hand with the other.

“Your house feels more like home than mines does anyway.” I said as I got back in his car.

“Good to hear, 'cause even though he won’t admit it Ash misses having you around.”

“Of course he does, who else is gonna bother him.”

When we get to his house I go to take a shower and when I get out I realize I don’t have any clothes to change into and walk into his bedroom with just a towel and see Fez putting some clothes down on his bed. When he sees me he looks away shyly with a light blush on his cheeks and I smile to myself finding his shyness cute. “Sorry, can I borrow some clothes?”

“Uh yeah here.” Turning back to me he hands me the clothes he had set down on the bed. It was actually some of my clothes that I must have left behind from previous times. “Thanks.” Without thinking I start to remove my towel and he immediately turns back around sitting on his bed with his back to me. “Sorry.” I apologized for not warning him.

“Okay, I’m done.” I told him as I sat down on his bed and he turned back to face me. We fall into a silence staring at each other before I release a nervous laugh looking away first. “It feels different, now that we’re together.” I said playing with my fingers in my lap.

“Different like how?” He asked scooting closer to me and takes my hand into his. “A good different like I’m nervous because I’m used to sleeping on the couch instead of in here with you.”

“Don’t be.” He reassured kissing me. “We can take it slow or whatever you want.”

“Thank you for everything Fez.”

“No need.” He kissed me again. I feel his tongue against my bottom lip and I open my mouth for him letting his tongue intertwine with mine. His hand goes to my hip kneading at it lightly and I lay down on his bed pulling him with me as we continued kissing until we have to pull apart for air. Cuddling into his arms I end up falling asleep as a week's worth of lack of sleep caught up to me.

I woke up early in the morning to catch up on homework and make breakfast for Fez and Ash. I was working on my homework at the kitchen table when Ash woke up before Fez and came into the kitchen smelling the food making himself a plate. “What are you doing?” He asks sitting with me.

“ Late homework. Help me out?” I said passing him my math homework with a 20. He takes it and starts working on it as he eats breakfast. Fez came into the kitchen smiling as he saw us at the table kissing my cheek before grabbing some food and sitting with us. “You want a ride to school?” He asks me.

“No need, Nate’s gonna take me.” I answered not looking up from my assignment and missing his look of annoyance. “Nah, I’ll take you.”

“And once again no need.” I said not wanting to inconvenience him.

“Just tell him, I got you.” He said and I finally look at him. “Nate already’s on the way. Why are you making this such a big deal?” I asked and my phone rings getting a message from Maddy telling me they were outside. “And he’s here. Thanks again.” I told Ash grabbing my homework from him and putting it in my bag and Fez walks with me to the door.

“See you later.” I said kissing him.

“I’ll pick you up after.”

“Thanks but-” I stop seeing his smile drop. “I would appreciate it, miss you already.” I said kissing him again before leaving.

“Uh are you good?” Maddy asked me as we were walking to class. “Yeah, I need some advice. So you know I’m used to using Nate for stuff like rides to school or getting him to spoil us on our shopping trips and stuff. And I think Fez is like…”

“Is jealous?” She finishes and I shake my head.

“Not jealous more like bothered by our friendship.”

“I get that Nate’s been your friend for a long time and you two trust and depend on each other. But you need to start depending on Fez the same way or it's gonna seem like you don’t need him and you don’t want him to feel like second place.” She explained and I sighed annoyed yet still confused.

“Is that how you feel about Nate and me?”

“No, after you set us up you took a step back giving us space, which is what you need to do for Fez.”

“Why is dating so complicated?” I whined.

“At least you’re not dating Nate he’s even more complicated along with being a dick.”

“Don’t I know. What’s the new trouble in paradise?”

“You’re not gonna believe me if I tell you.”

“Now you have to spill.” I said curiosity piqued and she pulls me aside in the hall lowering her voice.

“Okay, so last night I went through Nate’s phone and…” She looks around and I wonder if she found the messages between him and Jules. “And?”

“He had dicks on his phone.”

“Like his own or…”

“No other guy's dicks.” She said and I can’t attempt to hide my look of shock.

“I actually have no words and that’s too crazy to be made up. You don’t think he’s gay, do you? Cause Nate’s like the definition of straight toxic masculinity.”

“I know he’s like super straight but…” She says in thought.

“I think you gotta talk to Nate about it, he might not like you going through his phone but it is weird.” I advised.

“Ugh, you’re right dating is complicated.” She complained hugging me and I smile hugging her back.

After school I see Fez’s car waiting for me outside and on the way to his car Nate comes up to me to remind me about the carnival. “My parents wanted me to invite you to come to help out at the booth for the chili contest."

“Why?” I whined. I had only met Nate’s dad and brother before and that was enough for me.

“You made a good impression on him and now my mom wants to meet you and you know they both-”

“Hate Maddy.” We say simultaneously and he nods his head. “No offense I’ve met your dad and your idiot of a brother I don’t wanna meet your mom.”

“Look I’m not fucking thrilled either but just do it, just stick around for Maddy I invited her too. Stay for a few minutes and that’s it.” He said then looked at my hands. “And get a manicure.”

“I’m sorry you’re forcing me to spend time with your family and get a manicure.” I scoffed annoyed walking off but he grabs my wrist roughly stopping me. “I’m not joking (Y/N), just do what I say.” He said coldly giving me some cash for the manicure before walking away. I rub my wrist to ease the pain before remembering Fez and rush to the car.

“Sorry about that.” I told him as I got in the car. “It’s alright, what did he want?” He asks gesturing to the money in my hand and I put it in my pocket.

“Just paying me back for something.” I shrugged not wanting to explain the complicated ways of Nate Jacobs.

When we get back I got his room to put my stuff down and wanting to talk to him we sit down on the bed. “I wanted to say sorry about this morning, I’m so used to figuring stuff out myself or having Nate do stuff for me that I don’t want you to feel like I don’t depend on you or need you.”

“Nah, I get that you been friends for like a long time or whatever but I would appreciate it if you let me help you out like he does for you.” He said.

“I swear I’ll try, no I will. I just don’t wanna make you feel bad or anything.”

“It’s alright baby, we’re good.” He said kissing me and grabbing my waist pulls me into his lap. I straddle his lap, wrap my arms around his neck, and bit his lip teasingly and he squeezes my waist in response. His lips trail from my lips to my jawline down to my neck sucking lightly on the skin and I hum in delight. He goes to my collarbone and I roll my hips into his causing him to release a groan but before we go any further there’s a loud knocking and banging coming from the front door.

“You expecting someone?” I asked sliding off his lap.

“Nah, but don’t move alright? I’ma go get rid of them.” He said kissing me one last time before getting up and I nod my head obediently. The banging on the door didn’t ease up until Fez got there and after waiting for awhile I heard yelling and banging coming from the door again and go to see what was happening. As I get closer to the door I hear Rue’s voice.

“Open the door! Open the door! Open the door.”

“I can’t do it, Rue. I’m sorry.” Fez says leaning his head on the closed door listening to Rue blame him for her problems. He faces away from the door and I see the sad heartbroken look on his face and take him into my arms.

“I’m so fucking serious. If you don’t open this door right now, I swear to god, I will hate you, till the day I fucking die.” She threatens and shaking my head I take Fez’s hand and take him away from the door.

“I’m sorry.” He tells her one last time before we walk away and we sit down on the couch together just hugging each other.

“You did the right thing. There’s not much we can do but it's a start.” I tell him attempting to cheer him up. “And she didn’t mean any of it, its what addicts do, she’ll calm down and come to her senses eventually.”

“I know.” He whispered. “Thank you for being here.” He kissed my forehead and I smile at him cuddling further into him. We spent the rest of the day just watching movies Ash eventually joined us later and I can’t help feeling truly at home with them.

#euphoria #fezco euphoria #fezco #fezco x reader #fez x y/n #maddy perez #nate jacobs #fezco fanfic

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magicbystarlight · 6 months

Text

Venomous - Part Nine

Masterlist, Part One

Summary: A wife. A mother. A witch with someone else's name. That’s the life you didn’t want. So Tom offered you more.

Word Count: 3,386

Warnings: 18+, arranged marriage, age gap relationship, assault, a bit of ptsd, terrible parenting, war, sickness. Minors DNI.

“I thought he knew—I’ve written him about it! Three times! I don’t understand why—you’re his best friend!”

The air in the room was thick, each breath laborious as you paced. Rick had been taken somewhere. Your mother and Abraxas’ parents had followed Theseus. You would have too, but Velena had shooed you into this room with Abraxas.

“Take care of your fiancé, dear.”

He’d been taken care of. Some witch had fixed his nose and cleaned the blood before you’d even made it to his side. Gods, the amount of people fawning over him should have given you some time to figure out what the fuck happened.

“In front of so many people! In front of his boss! At the Minister’s home! What was he thinking?” His entire career thrown away. For what?

“He wasn’t thinking,” Abraxas said. He was calm. So very calm. “He’s been away so long he only remembers you as the child you were when he left.”

“He didn’t give me a chance to explain—if he’d read a single letter, he’d have known!” Hadn’t Dumbledore seen him since? Would he not have told him? He’d been busy fighting the tyranny of a mad man, yes, but—

“You’re going to wear a path into the floor, Little Bird.” Abraxas stood in your way, taking your hands. “He’s been at war. If he felt even a sliver of what I did when I thought of you marrying someone, I can’t blame him for it.” His lips pressed against your knuckles. It brought little comfort.

Still, you let your head fall against his chest. "He threw away his entire career, Brax."

"I'm not pressing charges."

“It doesn’t matter.” Not to anyone else but you. “It’s going to be in the papers tomorrow.”

“It won’t.”

“Someone took a picture!”

“Keeping one measly picture out of the tabloids is nothing.” His chest rumbled with a laugh as he rubbed circles on your back. “Not when you’re a Malfoy.”

A knock on the door had you twisting out of his hold. Annoyance blistered at the sight of Azar. You hadn't even known he was at this godsforsaken party. "They're asking for you." His hand raised when you moved towards him, shaking his head. "For Abraxas."

He left with a promise that everything would be fine. And with Azar’s assurance he’d stay with you.

“What did Rick say?” you asked when the door shut.

“I don’t know. They wouldn’t let me in either.”

It was quiet for a while. Your pacing resumed without Abraxas to interfere. Five minutes passed. Then ten. How long did it really take to say he wouldn't press charges? Azar stood by the door like a guard. The walls shrunk as the minutes continued to pass, the air too thick. This was stupid. Waiting. You had a right to be in that room, figuring this out. It was your brother and your future husband.

You took a step towards the door and Azar moved in front of it swiftly.

"Oh come on, Az!"

He shrugged. "This is your own fault."

“Funny. I don’t remember decking my fiancé.”

“Tom offered you a way out of this,” he said cooly.

“Cut the shit.” You shook your head, nostrils flaring. “If Tom had stayed the fuck away from me and if you hadn't been his little lap dog, there wouldn't even be a fiancé." The pent up anger seeped through the cracks. He was your uncle. Your blood. How could he not have protected you? How could he not understand? "You know what happens when we turn our backs on family. It doesn’t matter how great you think he is, he’s not one of us. I’m not risking my future for some teenage prick with a hardon. Especially not after he fucking tried to kill me.”

Azar flinched. A crack finally in the mask. “He what?”

Rubbing your neck, you forced yourself to breathe. “It doesn’t matter, Az.”

“It does.”

You couldn't look at him. Not after his part in everything. “He cornered me. Tried to tell me that I was his. When I told him I wasn't going to be some Half-Blood's whore,” another breath had to be forced out through the tightening in your throat, “he choked me until I thought I was going to die.”

“He wasn’t trying to kill you.”

A half-hysteric laugh slipped out. Of course he was taking Tom’s side. You knew, you knew he wouldn’t believe you.

“I'm not saying he didn't hurt you, it's just,” you stepped back as he stepped forward, "he wasn't thinking. His family's a sore spot."

Your head shook. "You weren't there. You didn't—you didn't see the look in his eyes. He didn't hesitate." Swallowing down a sob, you tried to steady yourself. He wouldn't see you cry. You wouldn't let him. "You can make all the excuses for him you want, but I won't."

"Let me talk to him. It had to have been a misunderstanding."

A tear escaped before you could stop it. A misunderstanding.

"Do whatever you want, Azar." The Stunner hit him square in the chest before he'd blinked. "Just stay out of my way."

—

"So I'm an adult when it comes to getting married, but a child still when it comes to figuring out why my brother assaulted my fiancé?"

"Lower your voice," your mother hissed, eyes flitting to the end of the hall where Minister Fawley was in a heated discussion with Theseus. They'd seemed eager to pass off your mother when you'd arrived. It was doubtful that they cared much what you were saying. "This is sensitive. The fewer people involved the better."

You scoffed. "The entire party saw it! Don't you think I should have something to say when people ask?"

“It was a misunderstanding, that's all."

A misunderstanding. Everything gone wrong in your life brushed off as misunderstandings. Selene was as useless as her brother. It was pointless to continue with her. And you couldn't dispatch her in the same way you'd done Azar. You could only wait for the moment the door would open and you could ask Warrick himself what in the bloody hell he had been thinking.

Only that moment did not come. For Abraxas and his parents had opened it alone, surprised to find you waiting. Warrick, they had said, had already left. Too embarrassed to face anyone else.

Liars.

The voice echoed again in your mind. Not yours, but someone else's who didn't know Abraxas. Because Abraxas had proven time and time again that he could be trusted. So when he told you that it had all been a misunderstanding, you'd silenced the voice and smiled.

—

The shortened Christmas edition of the Daily Prophet arrived a few hours into the early morning. It was a terrible discovery to find you plastered across the front. The picture had been taken only a few minutes after you'd arrived at the party, greeting the Minister with your engagement ring on full display. A grin plastered across your face, hair pristine, teal gown complimenting your skin. A picture perfect Pureblood.

Future Mrs. Malfoy Stuns at Minister's Christmas

It made your stomach turn.

They hadn't mentioned your actual name once in the article.

—

Your father made his first appearance that afternoon, staying only long enough to be considered polite before leaving again. Warrick did not come to see you.

—

Letters came. The story hadn't made it to the paper, but gossip spread as it always did. Your hand ached from writing the words "it was a misunderstanding" over and over. Warrick still had not come.

—

The manor had never felt so small. Abraxas had never been so...overwhelming.

—

We've decided to visit my sister in Sweden and won't return in time for New Year's.

~Elin Avery

You wondered what your mother had said to convince your grandparents to forgo the annual lunch that had been a tradition from before you were born.

—

Warrick never came. Abraxas insisted he would reach out when he was ready, but for now he didn't need to be guilted with letters.

—

"Are you sure I can't come with you?" Abraxas asked for the seventh time that morning. "I'd love to meet these mysterious friends of yours."

You finished pinning the last braid into place, turning to admire your efforts in the mirror. "They're not mysterious. We were in a fight and weren't talking. Now we're not and we are."

His presence at your side had been a constant following the Christmas party. You'd only left the Manor once, making a brief appearance at the Greengrass' New Year's party. Fashionably late and gone before the clock struck midnight. On his arm the entire time.

The promise of shared time in his library had finally been fulfilled, but the disappointment of finding nothing soured it. He'd even sat with you through all your mothers' wedding talks. A date had even been settled. The sixth of July 1946. A little more than a week after you complete school.

“That’s the mystery,” he said. His immense figure took up the space in the mirror behind you. "What you were fighting over."

You smoothed out your skirt. It had been a gift from him. "It was nothing, just some silly little fight."

His hand fell to the nape of your neck, caressing the skin.

"But like I said," voice higher at the familiar scene in the mirror, "we've made up. And I've been waiting to tell them all the horrid details of the old man who's laid claim to me as his bride.”

Abraxas laughed, the tension falling out of your shoulders as his touch retreated. "Do your best not to turn them against me before we've even met, will you?"

—

It took less than fifteen minutes together, crammed in a corner of The Leaky Cauldron at a table meant for only two, to shed the awkwardness of the past few months. Abigail’s dry humor mixed well with Larissa’s animated storytelling. They’d been together since the day before New Year’s, Larissa coming down from Cambridge to spend the last few days of break in London.

"It is sad though," Larissa said, as she ended a story of their exploits in an unauthorized Muggle club the night before. "Walking around and seeing all the rubble and stuff."

You blinked at her, confused. "What rubble?" Were Muggles that bad at building things they just collapsed?

"From the bombings," she said matter-of-factly before finishing off the last of her mashed potatoes.

"Still? It's been, what, three—four years?"

Abigail shook her head, covering her mouth as she tried to quickly swallow her own food. "Since it started, yeah, but they're still going on. Manchester got hit Christmas Eve. Think it's nearing forty dead."

Nausea rolled over you. There hadn't been news of bombings in the Daily Prophet. You knew they weren't publishing much about the war with Grindelwald, but not talking about attacks on the soil of your own country? You still remembered the pictures they'd splayed throughout the entire paper the day after the first attack a week into Second Year. It had disrupted classes for more than a week, fights breaking out between classes over grotesque comments made to people with Muggles in their family. Abigail had been in a panic for a day not knowing if her family had been hit and only calming when she'd learned they'd gone to the country.

The news of new bombings had come less and less until after a few months stopped entirely. People stopped mentioning war in the corridors. Abigail's family had returned to London. You thought it was over.

Good friends that they are, they saw the gears turning in your head. "It's Muggle stuff," Larissa said too kindly. "We don't expect you to know much about it. Especially with, you know, your brother and everything."

Like the terrible friend you seemed to be, you only nodded and let the conversation turn to other less horrid things. Because one of your supposed best friends lived in the Muggle world. Abigail had a little sister that was only—Merlin, how old? She should be coming to Hogwarts soon, right? Was it her father or mother that was the Muggle? Could—could they still use magic if there was an emergency? Did she also have people she cared about fighting in a war?

The thoughts distracted you through Diagon Alley. You didn't feel like a normal eighteen year old witch. You felt spoiled and sheltered and selfish.

You hadn't even gotten them Christmas gifts.

"You know," you began, looking out the window of the sweets shop to Twilfitt and Tattings, “I’ve been meaning to have my measurements retaken. Mind if we go there next?” It took very little convincing to get them to have their own measurements taken. It was easier still to keep them distracted looking at fabrics while you ordered a few new robes, dresses, and sweaters for you all. Larissa wouldn't mind, but Abigail would object if she knew.

"And will these be to the Selwyn or Malfoy account?"

"Selwyn," you answered quickly, pulling your hands off the counter.

She scribbled something down on the order forms. "You are all set with these, Miss Selwyn. And if you would like, I could set an appointment during your Easter holiday to have Mrs. Wright come see you about wedding dresses."

The taut smile on your face ached as you declined, excusing yourself quickly and pulling your friends out of the shop. "If I hear another thing about a wedding, I may Obliviate myself."

"Like that would save you from your mother," Abigail chuckled, linking her arm with yours as you walked along the cobbled street.

"At least I've been good today," Larissa said, mimicking Abigail on your otherside. "Not a single word about it even though I've been dying to ask!"

"And for that, I'm grateful."

Abigail, a little softer, asked, "Has your break been good though?"

"Warrick decked Abraxas in the middle of the Minister's Christmas party."

An echo of, "What?" sounded from them, pulling you to a stop just before the entrance of Knockturn Alley.

The story came out rushed beginning in the middle and skipping back and forth to parts, but it felt so good to just say it outloud again. It had been trapped inside for days. Their response made you feel less alone. They too questioned why. Why would he do that? Why wouldn't he talk to you after? Why wouldn't he write? Why didn't he know? Why?

"I mean, you are his little sister. I get being upset about it, you know, the circumstances, but that's an extreme reaction."

"And shouldn't he be happy it's Abraxas? They were close, right?"

"Incredibly close. They were together all the time."

"Did they have a falling out or something?"

"I don't think so. I haven't heard about one."

"It's weird." Larrissa bit her lip, seeming to debate on something. "Do you think maybe," she paused again. Larissa very rarely thought through the things she said, more akin to speaking her mind than worrying about how it came out. "Do you think you're not getting the whole story from Abraxas?"

"I have no reason not to trust him."

"That's not the same thing as actually trusting him."

You didn’t know what to say to that and avoided looking into their eyes by watching the dark alley over their shoulders. A mistake. Or maybe a sign you had to be more observant of your surroundings. Because leaning against one side of the alley, just down the stairs, was Robert Goyle. One of Tom's lackies.

His hand around your throat. His lips against your ear. Malfoy isn't what you want.

You reached into your pocket, curling your fingers around your wand. It wasn't a coincidence he was here. It never was. “I trust Abraxas. He would never do something to hurt me."

"Maybe not on purpose," Abigail tried to start, but you were shaking your head.

"Rick's been at war. I can’t begin to imagine the things he’s seen there, the lies he’s uncovered, the people he might’ve trusted that turned out to be Grindelwald conspirators. Of course he'd be suspicious, a little violent even. And of course he doesn't have time for me right now." You crossed your arms, sticking your chin up."Brax is only trying to look out for me, keep me from realizing how in my own head I've been and let Rick have the space he needs. By time I'm Mrs. Ma—Malfoy, everything will be alright."

"I hope so."

"It will be. And I've realized that I do, in fact, need to set that appointment if I want my dress to be ready for the wedding. Did I tell you we set a date?" Your eyes shot back to Robert who still stood there watching. "Sixth of July next year."

Child bride.

The nausea from earlier returned. The image of Robert unfocused. Heat prickled at your skin. The air was too thick to breathe. A whistle in your ear.

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know. She was fine and then she just started swaying."

Your eyes tried to open, but it felt as if they were weighed down. When had they even closed? Something touched your face. You tried again. They opened this time, only to slam shut against the blinding light.

"Hey, come on, wake up, please."

You tried to say you were awake, but your mouth felt like cotton and the words sounded wrong to your own ears. Slowly, you opened your eyes again prepared for the assault of light. Ralph McLaggen was kneeling in front of you. Where had he come from? His face contorted in—some expression. You couldn't pinpoint which. Larissa was next to you, Abigail on your other side, both with their arms around you to keep you sitting up.

You were sitting. Hadn't you been standing?

"Thank god," Abigail breathed, letting her other hand drop from your face. "What happened?"

You went to stand despite the protests of everyone, but couldn't lift your own arse off the ground without the world spinning. "I don't know."

"You fainted," McLaggen said.

"Yeah, no shit." There was a pounding in your head now. "I don't know why I fainted. I was fine.”

He smiled. He smiled? Merlin, were you seeing things now too? “Lots of things can cause it. Dieting, sickness. Stress. See that all the time before a game." His hand reached forward, the back pressing against your forehead. "Doesn't seem like you've got a fever, at least."

You flinched away from his touch.

"Stay here, I'll be back. You need to drink something before you go walking around again."

Abigail spoke before you could reject his offer. "Thank you Ralph, that's very sweet of you."

You watched him disappear around the corner, trying to ignore the curious stares from the wizards walking past. With a groan, your head fell into your hands. This was not how today was supposed to go.

Abigail rubbed your back soothingly and you leaned against her. “So much for a normal day, huh?" "This might be the most normal thing she's ever done," Larissa disagreed with a laugh. She poked you in the arm, grinning wider when you turned your head to stick your tongue out at her.

Merlin you’d missed them.

A familiar voice called out your name. Abraxas? He appeared from the crowd going through the street, nearly knocking Larissa over as he rushed to take the spot in front of you. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” you assured him, leaning away from Abigail to let him press a kiss against your forehead. “What—um, what are you doing here?”

“Thought it would be nice to introduce myself to your friends, hopefully dispel any horrid rumors you’ve started on my behalf before they stick.”

You should have bantered back. All you could muster was an awkward laugh. Your friends were better, introducing themselves and saying they’d heard all good things. Abraxas was pleased with the praise, at least. But his pleasant expression faded. “Ralph McLaggen,” he greeted coldly, squaring his shoulders.

McLaggen had returned, four bottled Butterbeers in hand. His tone was equally contemptuous when he responded, “Abraxas Malfoy.”

The nausea finally bubbled over and the contents of your stomach ended up splattered across your fiancé’s shoes.

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dialovers-translations · 2 years

Text

DIABOLIK LOVERS DARK FATE Gentei Tokuten Drama CD ”Diabolik ★ Aesthetics ~The Soul, Body and Blood Kept Beautiful with Sadism”

Original title: ディアボリック★エステティック～心も身体も血液もドSに美しく～

Source: Diabolik Lovers DARK FATE Gentei Tokuten Drama CD

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Katsuyuki Konishi, Midorikawa Hikaru, Takahiro Sakurai, Suzuki Tatsuhisa, Morikubo Shoutaro

Translator’s note: You know, part of me wanted to believe that this weird trivia about Ayato rubbing takoyaki sauce on Yui/the MC was nothing but a fever dream...Unfortunately it is not because it’s in this CD. I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to have these boys run a beauty salon, but it’s a disaster waiting to happen lol. Even though there’s plenty of funny moments, I needed 200% brain power to translate this one because there’s no visuals so they have to explain the massage techniques with words and well...Let’s say that my knowledge on different muscles in Japanese is very limited. Especially Ruki’s explanations left me going ??? and scrambling to open my online dictionary.

→ LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Yuma: Haah~ Honestly…That Reiji guy is such a slave driver. Can’t believe he’s expectin’ me to put out the signboard first thing in the mornin’. …Heave-hoh.

*Thud*

Yuma: There, that’ll do. ーー Anyway, what’s the point in advertisin’ with a billboard when the damn beauty salon is already fully booked as is? Haah…

Reiji: …What are you mumbling about?

Yuma: …Ackー!? Reiji!? N-Nothin’, really!

Reiji: Oh my, really? I am fairly certain I heard something about a ‘slave driver’ earlier, no?

Yuma: Guess ya must be hearin’ things? …Oh. Seems like the customers are already coming in.

You arrive at the beauty salon.

Yuma: Welcome! We’re pleased to have ya here at ‘Diabolik Aesthetics’!

You seem confused by his attitude and mannerisms.

Yuma: Aah? I’ve got the wrong place? Hell no! I can tell ya were ‘bout to enter!

Reiji: Aah…Ahem. Yuma. I shall not allow such crude language to be used towards a customer.

*Rustle*

Yuma: Woah…Anyway…It’s already past your reservation time, so hurry up get into the store…No, I mean…If you’d be so kind to… (1)

Reiji: Haah…Good grief…He is a lost cause…

Reiji turns towards you.

Reiji: Well then, my dear customers. Please allow me to escort you instead. You see, this gentleman over here was hired only very recently, so he is still learning. Please forgive me. This way, please…

Reiji escorts you.

*Cling*

Ruki: I’m delighted to see you here, Livestock.

Reiji: Ruki! You as well!? How dare you address our customers as ‘Livestock’!?

Ruki: It’s part of our store’s aesthetic. Bear with it. In exchange…We guarantee only the finest quality. You will be made beautiful from head to toe, I can assure you that. ーー You made a reservation for the special course. This treatment is quite lenghty, so we do not have any time to waste. Please hurry your way over to the dressing rooms and change into the right attire.

*Rustle*

Ruki: Oi, Shin.

Shin: What?

Ruki: Please escort the customer to the dressing rooms. It appears to be their first time here, so explain to them how things work over here.

Shin: God…Why do I have to do this stuff? …I mean, sure. Oi, you. Don’t stand there spacing out but follow me. This way.

Shin escorts you.

*Thud*

Shin: You can put all of your personal belongings in one of these lockers. Ah, you’re responsible for taking care of any valuable items. We are not liable for potential loss or damages so don’t forget to lock it, okay?

Once you’ve taken off all your clothes, you can put on this gown over here, okay? I mean, you’re gonna have to take this one eventually too, so if you’d rather not wear anything, that’s fine by me too.

You seem shocked about having to take off your clothes.

Shin: Isn’t that obvious? What? Would you rather…have me strip you down?

*Rustle rustle*

*Thud*

Shin: I wouldn’t mind giving you a massage here either if that’s what you want. I could always lock this room…Hehehe…As long as we don’t exceed the original time of your appointment…I won’t charge you any extra either. So, what will you do?

You shake your head.

Shin: Eh? You’re passing up on my offer? What a waste! I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about us Founders and our ‘godly’ fingers, haven’t you? So, what do you say? You and me, right here, right noーー

Kanato enters the room.

Kanato: Shin. What are you doing?

Shin: …Woah. Che. Seems like someone’s here to get in the way.

Kanato: I was wondering what could be taking her so long to get changed, but I guess you were holding her up.

Shin: Not really. She’s just slow as hell, you see? All I did was give her the usual explanation. …Well then, leaving the rest up to you.

Shin leaves the room.

*Thud*

Kanato: Che…He ran.

Kanato approaches you.

Kanato: Anyway, what are you doing? We are pressed for time here so please get changed already. Come on.

You nod.

Kanato: Haah…I don’t care for you response. Come on, chop chop.

You ask him to leave the room.

Kanato: Haah…? You want me to leave? Who do you think you’re talking to?

You defend yourself.

Kanato: I don’t want to hear any protest! Uu…You…Sniff…think…hic…of me as a nuisance, don’t you? Uu…Hic… ーー You shall not get away with treating me in such a way. I shall…punish you personally.

You try to get away but Kanato corners you.

*Thud*

Kanato: Where do you think you’re going? You can’t get away. …Not from me!

*Rustle*

Kanato: Fufu…Fufufu…But I still haven’t done anything, have I? So please don’t be so frightened. I was going to make you feel amazing, you see?

You ask him to let go.

Kanato: You really think I’m going to let you go now? After all, you are just so…

Reiji enters the room.

Reiji: …! K-Kanato…!?

Kanato: What do you need, Reiji? I happen to be quite busy at the moment so please do not get in my way.

Reiji: T-That’s easy for you to say, but I have no other choice! Come on! Get away from her!

*Rustle*

Reiji: She is a customer of ours, remember?

Kanato: …!? What are you doing!? Let me go! I wasーー

Reiji: Yes, yes, I know. But your time to shine will come later. Now hurry up and leave.

Kanato leaves the room.

Reiji: You should finally get changed as well. Understood?

You nod.

Reiji: Haah, good grief…Our staff is quite the handful. While they may be skilled at what they do, they’ve all got very eccentric personalities. It is highly troubling. At this rate, if our business does not run well, we will not reap any benefits. This is the concept I came up with myself: we guarantee a pleasurable experience for our customers and in return…we get something amazing out of it as well..’ It is truly a ground-breaking system…

*TIMESKIP*

Ayato: Zz…Zz…Nn…I’m completely stuffed…Idiot…Who puts soy sauce on Takoyaki…Nn…

*Knock knock*

Ayato: …Nn…

*Rustle*

*Knock knock*

Ayato: …Hm? Haah…? What do you want?

Ayato gets up and opens the door.

Ayato: Who the fuck are you?

You explain.

Ayato: Ah…? A customer? …Wait! It’s already that late!? God, I overslept!

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: There we go!

*Thud*

Ayato: Couldn’t you have told me sooner? Come on in already, god!

You step inside.

Ayato: For now, just lie down.

You hesitate.

Ayato: Hurry up!

You seem skeptical.

Ayato: Haah…? A medical interview? That’s Kanato’s job! He should have come to you to ask a bunch of questions, no?

You frown.

Ayato: If what happened earlier was part of the interview? Beats me! Oh well, all women worry ‘bout pretty much the same thing, don’t they? No point in asking. …Besides, I only need to take one look at you to figure out what weighs on your mind. Hehe…

*Rustle*

Ayato: It’s this, isn’t it? …Your non-existent chest.

You protest.

Ayato: What? I’m spot on? That sorta stuff happens to be my area of expertise tho! Come on, we don’t have much time. Hurry up and lie face down on this table.

You get on the table with your gown still on.

Ayato: Haah…? How am I supposed to do anything when you’re wearin’ this damn gown?

He attempts to take it on as you protest.

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: Why would you try to hide your body when there’s nothin’ to see anyway? Your front is just as flat as the back.

You get upset.

Ayato: I’m only statin’ the truth. …There.

*Rustle*

Ayato: Okay. I’ll start with a massage, so relax, ‘kay?

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: Yours Truly will get rid of all the stress and pressure built up in your body. Hehehe…

*Rustle*

Ayato: I’ll start with your calves.

You flinch.

Ayato: Woah there…What are you twitchin’ for? …Could it be you’re gettin’ a kick out of this?

*Rustle*

Ayato: See? You did it again? How fascinatin’...You must be sensitive, huh? But we’ve only just started, you see? My hands will travel across every nook and cranny of your body, makin’ you feel amazin’...

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: See? Just like this…

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: How’s that? You can feel your body gradually heatin’ up, can’t you? I’m gonna move all the way down to your ankles…

*Rustle*

Ayato: Whoops. Before that, I gotta take this bad boy, don’t I?

*Thud*

Ayato: A lovely scent, don’t you think?

You frown.

Ayato: Exactly. It’s a body oil which smells just like takoyaki sauce. What’s better in the world than sucking the blood of a woman who smells like this?

Your eyes widen in surprise.

Ayato: …Oh no, I’m just talkin’ to myself.

Ayato spreads the oil on his palms.

Ayato: First I divide the oil amongst my own hands and then I’ll massage your legs with it.

You giggle.

Ayato: It tickles…? Don’t you want to say that it feels good?

He continues massaging you.

Ayato: Come on…Go ahead and feel my hands…Can you tell? …Why are you tremblin’...? Hehehe…You’re way too sensitive. If you’re reactin’ this strongly just from your legs, then I’m starting to fear what’ll happen once I move on to other parts of your body.

You wince.

Ayato: Ah…? You’ve gotten me kind of excited. Come on…I’ll do the back of your legs next and last but not least will be your thighs.

Ruki enters the room.

Ruki: Oi, Ayato. How are things goーー …Ugh. What’s this smell?

Ayato: What do you mean? It’s the smell of takoyaki sauce!

Ruki: I can’t say I understand your choice.

Ayato: Like I give a damn!

Ruki: Oh well. …Anyway, we’re running behind, so I’m going to start with my procedure as well.

Ayato: Be my guest. …Knowin’ her, I bet she’d love to get doubled teamed on.

You grow flustered.

*Rustle*

Ruki: Livestock…Ah, you are curious about my nickname choices? This is how I address all of our customers. I will not take any complaints.

You frown.

Ruki: I will now commence the upper body massage. By focusing on your back, it will not only boost your metabolism, but also help relieve the pressure in your muscles. Allow me to remove the towel.

*Rustle*

Ruki: Hah…? Why do you seem so surprised? …That caught you off guard? In that case…Should I warn you first every time before touching you?

You nod.

Ruki: Oh well. …In that case, I will now touch your right shoulder.

*Rustle*

Ruki: How’s that? Now there’s no more surprise, right?

Ayato: Che…Look at Mr. Nice Guy over there.

Ruki: If she moves around too much, it will hinder the procedure. That’s all. …Well then, I’ll massage out the knot. This will help your muscles which might have dilated from the increased blood flow return to their original shape.

*Rustle*

Ruki: Keep still. Did you not hear me earlier? Just leave everything up to my hands.

*Rustle*

Ruki: Relax. Your whole body. If you tense up, I cannot apply pressure correctly. Down to your very core…

*Rustle rustle*

Ruki: Oh? You’re still having trouble relaxing? I suppose you leave me no other choice.

*Rustle*

Ruki: I will have to use force then.

*Rustle*

Ruki: Ugh…Well then, I’ll move on to your back now. I will align my fingertips with your spine and press down.

*Rustle*

Ruki: This should help get rid of the pressure in your muscles.

*Knock knock*

Ayato: Haah…? Who’s that? ーー Come in.

Reiji opens the door.

Reiji: It appears that things are taking longer than expected. There are other people waiting in the back, so I suggest all four of us work at once. …Is that okay with you, Yuma?

Yuma: Hell yeah! I finally get to do somethin’!

Reiji: What’s the matter? Do you not like the idea of having all four of us treat you at once?

Yuma: Shouldn’t ya be happy instead?

Reiji: Exactly. If you simply behave and let us do our thing, then you will surely feel as if you have ascended to Heaven. Or perhaps…It might be the pits of Hell instead? Fufufu… ーー Well then, Yuma.

Yuma: Roger!

Yuma walks up to you.

Yuma: Sow. Imma massage yer head. Ya know, this thing called a ‘scalp massage’.

Reiji: I shall be in charge of your hands and arms. By focusing on the pressure points in your palms all the way up to your shoulder, I can even get rid of the cellulite on your upper arms.

*Rustle rustle*

Ruki: Oi, don’t move. The massage is not over yet. I’ll move on to your pelvis next.

Reiji: Well then, I shall start with your right hand.

*Rustle*

Reiji: Ah…You are too tense. Please try to relax a little more.

*Rustle*

Reiji: Or does it simply feel too good?

Yuma: I’ll start by a general rub-down of yer head to improve the blood flow.

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: Hehe…How’s that, Chichinashi? You’re getting the full treatment here!

Reiji: It truly is a shame we cannot see the expression on her face.

*Rustle rustle*

Reiji: Hey there. Did we not tell you to keep still? If not, you will receive a severe punishment. Just like this…

*Rustle*

Reiji: Fufufu…Did I not warn you? I pressed a pressure point on the palm of your hand just now. If you experienced pain, then it means that there is a problem with the organ connected to it. (2) Fufufu…Listen carefully. If you do not wish to be in even more pain, I suggest you keep still. I want to make you feel good. With my very own hands and fingers. After all, a happy body harbors a happy soul.

*Rustle*

Reiji: Our store’s selling point focuses on delivering the ultimate pleasure to our customers. …Well, what actually matters happens only after that though.

Yuma: Come on, yer head’s startin’ to feel good too, right? I’m the one workin’ my magic after all. In that case…I don’t mind if ya make some noise. No need to hold back…

*Rustle rustle*

Yuma: I bet ya can’t get enough of the way my fingers massage yer head, before runnin’ across yer nape and pressin’ down?

*Rustle*

Yuma: I can tell, don’t worry. Yer body’s heatin’ up…Hehe…What do ya say? Want me to keep goin’?

You pass up on his offer.

Yuma: You’re good? I see. In other words, you want more, huh?

You protest.

Yuma: Hehe…Ya can no longer run. Not until you’ve surrendered both your body and soul to our fingertips. Just give in already. No point in fightin’ back forever…Just fully submit to it.

*Rustle rustle*

Reiji: Fufu…Your breathing has become quite ragged. I suppose we are almost there?

Ayato: Seems like it. I can feel heat radiatin’ all the way down to her toes.

Ruki: Finally? Good grief, she was a stubborn one.

*Rustle rustle*

Yuma: Oi, oi…Try a lil’ harder. I’ve only just gotten started, ya see?

You protest.

Yuma: You’ve reached yer limit? But the real fun has yet to start.

Ruki: I cannot let you go yet. I’m not done with the treatment of your pelvis.

Reiji: I am nowhere near finished either.

Ayato: Well, I’ve done a pretty good job so far.

Yuma: Oh…You’ve got goosebumps. ー Oi, Ruki, lower the pressure a bit.

Reiji: Ayato, so shall we.

Ayato: Gotcha.

Ruki: If you are wondering why, we do not want you to indulge in the pleasure too much after all.

Reiji: Fufu…First we build up the pleasure, then right before the climax, we hold back. By repeating this process, you will eventually get a taste of true ecstasy.

*Knock knock*

Reiji: …Oh? What is it?

Shin and Kanato enter the room.

Shin: How are things looking over here?

Kanato: We finished the treatment of the customer in the other room, so we’ve come to check up on things.

Reiji: I see. In that case, please join us in massaging the lady over here.

You flinch.

Ayato: Whatcha twitchin’ for, Chichinashi? Aah?

You beg for them to stop.

Ruki: You’ve had enough? You are our customer. No need to be modest.

Shin: Right. You didn’t get to have a taste of my skills earlier, did you? This is where the real fun begins.

Kanato: Exactly.

Shin: Okay. Ready when you are.

Kanato: I’m good to go as well.

Reiji: Well then, dear customer. You get the unique experience of being massaged by six people all at once. Please enjoy it to the fullest. Fufufu…

*Rustle*

Shin: Haha…Are you shuddering from anticipation? I can tell you’re already gasping for air and I haven’t even done anything yet.

Ruki: Let us get back to business.

Shin: You can no longer get away…from my fingers.

Kanato: You do know what will happen if you dare feel good from someone else’s touch, right?

*Rustle rustle*

Shin: Oi…Don’t move. I haven’t even touched you yet, you know?

Kanato: Come on…Focus on me.

*Rustle rustle*

Ayato: Chichinashi. You’ve worked up a sweat. Hahaha…

Ruki: Her metabolic rate must have improved.

Shin: …Don’t tell me that was enough to satisfy you?

Kanato: Go ahead, let everything go.

*Rustle rustle*

Reiji: The Heaven you have been waiting for is just around the corner. ーー No, the gates to Hell will open instead.

Yuma: Hehe…Just lose yerself in the pleasure. Come on.

*Rustle rustle*

Reiji: Oh dear, oh dear, seems like she lost consciousness…

Ayato: Aah? What a weakling. I know she got the special treatment but still?

Ruki: Well, I suppose it cannot be helped, considering our skill.

Shin: What a shame. I haven’t even gotten a chance to show off my techniques.

Kanato: Says the guy who tried to get her all for himself before any of us had the chance.

Reiji: The same can be said about you.

Yuma: Oh well, I guess we’re done here. Ahー I’m beat.

Ruki: Yuma. Shall I give you a massage?

Yuma: Ah? Fuck off. I’m good.

*TIMESKIP*

You wake up.

Kanato: …Hm? Have you woken up? You slept for quite some time, you see? It’s already evening. Come on, get off the bed. Our store will be closing soon.

Reiji enters the room.

Reiji: Oh? Seems like she finally woke up. How do you feel? Well, after undergoing our treatment, I cannot imagine you could be feeling bad.

You grow flustered.

Reiji: Your cheeks are flushed. Fufufu…In other words, it felt nice, did it not?

You thank them.

Reiji: No need to thank us. We are no charity organization after all. That being said, Ruki, please fetch her ticket.

Ruki: Ah, yes. Here it is.

*Thud*

Ruki: Livestock, we accept payment by credit card as well, so feel free to use that option if you’d like.

You seem shocked.

Shin: Hm? What’s wrong? You look shocked. …? The price is too high? …You’re kidding, right?

Yuma: I mean, ya made a reservation knowin’ damn well we aren’t cheap, didn’t ya? All the prices are on the website after all.

You explain.

Yuma: Ah…? Ya never booked a session? Why the fuck are ya sayin’ that now!?

You insist that he dragged you inside.

Yuma: Ah!? It’s my fault!?

Reiji: Now that I think about it, Yuma, I do recall you dragging her inside the shop rather forcibly.

Ruki: That being said, she could have still refused. After receiving the entire treatment, it only seems fair that she pays.

Yuma: E-Exactly…! What Ruki said!

Ayato: What’s wrong, Chichinashi? Don’t tell me you don’t have that kind of money?

Reiji: Good grief…Well, I do admit that the special course is somewhat on the pricey side. What shall we do?

Ayato: In that case…She’ll have no other choice but to pay in ‘that’ way, right?

Kanato: Fufu…You’re talking about ‘that’, right? I honestly prefer that over actual money. She’s been giving off a lovely scent this whole time after all.

Kanato moves closer to you.

*Rustle*

Kanato: I can no longer hold back.

Shin: I mean, if that works for you guys, I’m on board as well. …Of course, I’ll get the first taste, okay?

*Rustle*

You ask for an explanation.

Ruki: …Isn’t it obvious what we’re talking about? Livestock. We want…your blood.

Your eyes widen in horror.

Reiji: Well, if you cannot pay us the money, it is simply the only other option left.

Yuma: Hehehe…Brace yerself, Sow!

You ask if that was their goal all along.

Reiji: Oh dear? You realized only now? Exactly, we only have one objectiveーー not the money, but the customer’s blood.

Ruki: We make their blood more tasty by providing pleasure, then indulge. A very efficient system, no?

Reiji: Well, I am the one who came up with the idea. Fufufu…

You try to escape.

*Rustle rustle*

Kanato: Fufufu…Please don’t thrash about. You got to feel good, so it only makes sense for us to get something in return now, right?

Ayato: Chichinashi. Behave!

*Rustle*

Yuma: Oi, Ayato! Why are ya tryin’ to get first dips here!?

Ayato: Aah!?

Yuma: I’m up first!

Shin: Don’t be ridiculous. I obviously get to go first.

Ruki: Wait. Seniority (3) is the deciding factor here. I go first.

Kanato: Hold up! That’s unreasonable! I’m first!

Reiji: May I remind you all that I am the owner of this store! You should allーー

Ayato: Look, take it down a notch, okay?

Reiji: Excuse me? I could say the same to you.

Ruki: I cannot say that it is very admirable to try and abuse one’s authority to get personal gains.

Yuma: Keh…! Stupid rich folks think they can have it all!

Shin: Well, if you want to use that argument, I have the most authority of us all, being a Founder. …Right?

You suddenly push them aside.

*THUD*

You make a run for it.

Ayato: …!? Chichinashi, you bitch! Get back here!

They start chasing after you.

Kanato: Wait…! I won’t let you get away from me!

Yuma: Fuck, that sneaky Sow…! Hold it!

Shin: Ah…? God, this happened because you guys just had to get into a ridiculous argument!

Ruki: Good grief…I wonder why it always turns out like this? I cannot comprehend.

Reiji: You have the nerve to say that!?

Ruki: What do you mean?

Reiji: Haah…Why does this happen time after time? Well, I suppose I was wrong to assume that things could work out with this group of individuals.

Ruki: Think of it this way, they might successfully drag her back here.

Reiji: Well, my expectations aren’t very high, but I suppose we shall eagerly await their return. Haah…I wonder when we’ll actually get a taste of some delicious blood? Right now, all the trouble does not weigh up to the benefits.

However, it would be a waste to let this fateful meeting go to waste…

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) Yuma is struggling to use correct keigo or formal speech here. Since English lacks similar structures, I had to adjust some things for my translation.

(2) A lot of Chinese medicine (which is also highly celebrated in Japan) focused on internal organs and its relationship to pressure points.

(3) Ruki refers to the ‘nenko system’ which is common at most Japanese firms and companies. The longer somebody has worked at one workplace, the higher their salary and the more benefits they get.

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #reiji sakamaki #ayato sakamaki #kanato sakamaki #ruki mukami #yuma mukami #shin tsukinami #diabolik lovers translation #diabolik lovers drama cd #drama cd

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im-immortal · 11 days

Text

WIP whenever

tagged by @mistressheroine and @galadrieljones (thank you both!!)

I've been tagged but haven't been able to do anything because I've been on vacay, but I'm finally back AND able to write again! And yes yes yes the next chapter of Small Miracles is coming VERY soon! :D

(also been trying to make this post for 2 days but tumblr kept giving me an error and then i realized it only happens when i indent the text ??? wtf)

Here's a snippet from chapter 21 of Small Miracles:

Along the way, Guillermo speaks in a hushed tone as he tells Beth, “I’ve been speaking with the scientists who researched Gale. They showed me his CT scans. He is… remarkable.”

“Milagro, indeed,” Yesenia agrees.

Beth frowns. “How so? Is he a variant, or…?”

“No, not exactly,” Guillermo says. “I—well, I can’t explain it properly. I am nothing close to a scientist, so I don’t understand what the things they found in his blood and spinal fluid mean, but I do understand that his brain is not like the other rippers.”

She thinks about the things Rick said—about Dr. Jenner and his research at the CDC. “Well, from what I was told, when someone reanimates, their whole brain dies except fer the brain stem. That’s why they only know the most basic instincts: sight, sound, smell, growling, walking, an’ eating.”

“Correct,” Yesenia says. “But Señor Gale’s brain stem is not the only part still alive.”

Beth has to stifle a gasp. She looks from Yesenia to Guillermo with wide eyes.

Mae gawks. “You’re joking.”

“I wouldn’t joke about this,” Guillermo insists. “Again, I’m no scientist, but from what they explained, it appears there are small parts of other areas in his brain that are still alive—such as the parts that enable speech, critical thinking, certain emotions, and short-term memory.”

“And still, other parts are not yet active, but they are not dead,” Yesenia contributes. “They are dormant, like a volcano. Waiting to be awakened by… something. Perhaps time, perhaps certain vitamins or minerals. Or perhaps they will never be awakened.”

“What other parts?” Beth asks without hesitation. “Like-like long-term memory? Or…?”

Yesenia shrugs. “They did not specify, but I would think it’s safe to assume that is one of many areas lying dormant.”

Guillermo sighs. “Please don’t take this as concrete evidence of anything, though. It’s all very speculative. They say they’ve never seen anything like it, but we must remember that they have extended very few resources studying the virus and the rippers. They’ve only ever worked with the knowledge Aldo left us.”

Beth is left speechless, walking along numbly as she tries to process this new information. Mae is struck completely silent, face gone pale.

“What I think is most interesting, as they told me,” Guillermo explains, “is that those parts of his brain lit up with more activity whenever he was fed fresh entrails.”

Elba chimes in, seemingly trying to process this baffling information for herself, “Like fuel in a car?”

“More like energy in a battery,” Guillermo says. “Like how we charge our solar panels with the sun. Or at least, that’s how they put it. It’s far more complicated, I’m sure, but they tried to simplify it in a way that we could understand.”

Beth finally finds her voice and manages to say, “I still don’t—I don’t think I really understand. I mean… he’s dead. He’s decomposing just like any other walker.”

“But he is not like any other muerto in existence,” Yesenia says. “Certainly not any that we have encountered.”

��So why’re you telling us this?” Mae asks.

Guillermo shrugs. “We just thought you’d like to know. Perhaps he’d like to know, as well. About just how special he is.” His voice grows gravely stern, “And more importantly, about how vital it is that he never falls into the wrong hands.”

“You must protect him,” Yesenia says in a hushed voice, leaning in closer. “Do not let the CRM get their hands on him. If you are attacked or taken into their custody, you must put him down at the first possible chance.”

“You should tell him,” Guillermo says. “Because if he truly cares about you and Mae, about all of the living left who are trying to rebuild the world outside of the CRM’s control, he could put himself down in a dire situation where you are unable to.”

“And if you can,” Yesenia adds, “we strongly recommend you burn the body.”

“But-but what if he’s…” Beth swallows hard, having never allowed herself to even consider such an idea, yet it’s all she can think now: “What if he’s the key to a cure? To a vaccine?”

“Ay dios mio, silencio, mija,” Yesenia snaps.

“Don’t say that—don’t even think it,” Guillermo says sharply. “He is not the key to any kind of cure. If anything, he could be used to create an entirely new weapon against all those who oppose the CRM.”

“Sí,” Yesenia agrees. Then she adds in a whisper, “We will be destroying all of Gale’s samples as soon as our scientists are finished with them, and the research will be locked away in a very secure vault. If we are ever infiltrated by the CRM, it will self-destruct. No one but only our must trusted will be allowed access to this information, kept to a vow of confidentiality that, if broken, is punishable by death.”

Beth’s blood runs cold and she nods, snapping her lips shut.

They’re right.

Gale is not the key to a cure. But he could be the key to an entirely new, entirely more dangerous weapon that would only be used against people like her, people like her family, people like the citizens of Nuevo Atlanta.

And that’s the scariest part.

She knows they’re right.

tagging @weapon13whitefang @sasusc @not-so-austen @rckyfrk & anyone else who would like to do it :)

#bethyl fanfiction #tagged #wip whenever #my fic: small miracles

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misted-buttercup-enjoyer · 8 months

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UT Month Day 11: Grillby

“well, the weekend’s over. back on that sentry grindset, i guess. first though, give me the usual. how about that good crystal glass your ancestor brought from the surface, huh?”

Actually, it was plastic, and Sans had to know that at this point, but nevertheless, Grillby filled it with ketchup, plopping in a few ice cubes, and set it in front of Sans, who sipped it daintily.

“BROTHER!”

The second skeleton brother stormed in, holding hands with the ‘weird-looking monster child they adopted from the capital’. “SANS, ARE YOU ALREADY ON BREAK?! WHAT TIME IS IT?!”

“hmmm…” Sans glanced at his wrist.

“WELL???”

“i dunno, bro, i don’t have a watch.”

“SANS!!!!”

“hehehe.”

The human child (that’s what they really were, Grillby knew, but who was he to judge by species?) giggled. Papyrus sighed. “YOU HAD BETTER BE BACK TO WORK BY TEN MINUTES OR I RAISE THE ROOF!!! NYEH HEH HEH!”

‘Piggy back?’ signed the little human, tilting their head.

With dignity, Papyrus lifted up the human child and placed them on his shoulders. “NOW, OFF WE GO! WE’RE GOING TO CAPTURE…SOMETHING! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Grillby tapped the table. He communicated in morse code, with the red bird lady supposedly translating for him. But…she didn’t actually know a lick of morse code. He said, ‘I wonder what they’ll do if they actually find a human.’

“Grillbz says the crystal glasses are in unusually good condition for glasses so old,” the bird lady explained laconically. Everyone–Sans and Lesser Dog were the bar’s current occupations–ignored her.

‘You really can’t translate morse code,’ Grillby tapped. The sound of his taps were surprisingly echoey and orotund. And Grillby couldn’t shake the feeling that the bar seemed emptier than usual.

“Grillby says thank you for translating, and someone should totally go out with me,” announced the red bird lady.

No one paid the slighted attention. The red bird lady probably should have tried that when more people were around.

After ten minutes passed and Papyrus didn’t immediately charge in, Sans got a bit uneasy. Or, as uneasy as you can get when you were Sans. Grillby noticed, but didn’t pry. Sans ordered another ketchup, and another. Before long an hour had passed of Grillby filling up fake crystal plastic goblets full of ketchup and washing them and filling them up again.

Finally, Sans stood up. “welp, look who’s outside again.”

Grillby looked around and tilted his head.

Sans chuckled. His pupils disappeared. Grillby was one of the few who wasn’t the least bit bothered by this. It seemed more desperate to Grillby than menacing. “looks like my human kid is treating the timeline as their chew toy. or, are they? sometimes it feels like there must be someone else pulling the strings.”

Grillby stared. Sans, what the hell are you talking about? And why do I feel like I’ve been here before?

“see ya round, grillby.” And with that, Sans swerved and took his leave.

No one was at the bar anymore. Time passed.

…

Grillby couldn’t tell how long it had been. Usually, Grillby’s was bustling with gossip and activity and failed flirters. It was so rare that no one was here at all that Grilby had no idea what to do with himself.

His identity, he reflected, was largely centered around other people. Despite not even being able to communicate with them, he was almost always around other folks. He was the observer, the listener. Simultaneously he was completely isolated and totally social. He had even taken to writing a (fireproof) book about the people of the town. But he had read Miss Buncle’s Book and wasn’t sure if he wanted to take the risk to show his writing to anyone. Not that he could say “Hey, I’m writing a book, wanna read it?” No one here knew morse code.

And yet, Grillby had an ominous feeling, like Grillby’s had been like this before, and it was totally unnatural.

The door creaked open. A yellow lizard monster hurried in. “Grillby!” she exclaimed. “A-are you okay?”

‘Yes,’ tapped Grillby, but he had long since given up on an answer.

The lizard monster’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness, y-you speak in morse code! Okay, okay, I’m a little rusty b-but…” The lizard monster tapped ‘We have to evacuate you’ onto the table.

Grillby stared blankly. First of all, meeting another monster who knew morse code was a shock after all this time of thinking he was the only one. Second of all…what did she mean, evacuate?

“I-I’ll explain when we get to our safe space. For now, we need to r-reduce your body mass and put you in a jar for transportation,” began the monster.

Grillby raised an eyebrow. ‘Why?’

The lizard monster took a deep breath. “A k-k-k-killer human is loose and k-killed m-most of the r-residents of Snowdin. I-I’m surprised they p-passed you up, but…th-thank angel they did…”

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freakshowtwopointoh · 2 months

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Why We Build The Wall - All I've Ever Known Part 3

How does the wall keep us free?

The wall keeps out the enemy, and we build the wall to keep us free

< prev | next >

I knew I couldn’t work on this new technique with Professor Park - too dangerous. So after class, I headed to the gym, to one of the private sparring rooms, and began setting up. The idea was, instead of pulling off a piece of energy to throw, like I usually do, I’m using my own physical form as the guideline. The issue is I have very little room to launch the energy itself, so it might need to “charge”. Or whatever. I’m sure there’s a fancy word for it that Professor Park would tell me.

God, I hate all this power mumbo-jumbo. It makes sense to me when I use them, but trying to explain them or expand upon them feels like stabbing in the dark. Working with Professor Park helps some, but it still feels futile.

I begin with normal energy blasts, warming up as I close my eyes. The goal was to really focus on the energy already around me and use it to my advantage. Then I grabbed a practice dummy and situated it almost on top of me. I took a deep breath and focused on the energy closest to my skin. And then, as I exhaled, I pushed it off of me like throwing off a blanket. The first 2 tries didn't do anything, leaving me feeling a bit silly, as I crouched underneath the dummy.

"Third time's the charm.” I muttered to myself. I tried again, exhaling. A wave of light blue energy rippled outward, zapping the practice dummy and sending it flying. A wide grin stretched across my face. "A-ha!” I cheered to myself, immensely pleased. I heard a slow clap and spun around to see Jordan lurking in the corner.

“Whatcha doin there, little mouse?” They had taken to calling me a “mouse” in an attempt to get under my skin and it fucking worked, unfortunately. I’ve never been able to figure out why they hate me so much, but ever since that first day they seem to just... have it out for me.

*** Flashback ***

I walked hesitantly into my first T.A. meeting promptly at 5pm on the second Thursday of classes, looking around before taking a seat near two girls I’d never met before, smiling slightly. They gave me a onceover before turning back to their conversation. Jordan and Brink came in together, and I watched them scan the room before their eyes met mine. Their gaze was stony as they took their seat towards the front. The meeting itself was uneventful, but once it ended, they cornered me in the hallway, staring me down, arms crossed over their breasts in a way that had my mind wandering in spite of the pure vitriol in their gaze.

“What do you want?” I snapped, forcing myself to focus on matters at hand.

“What are you hiding?” They hissed.

“I can’t tell you. No one can. Just drop it.” I hissed back, glaring. But before they could finish interrogating me, a random dude left the bathroom, distracting Jordan long enough for me to slip away.

They hadn’t tried to interrogate me again, but I could tell they hadn’t dropped it. And I sort of understood - from their perspective, I’m this know-it-all with no credentials who seems to be slated to take their position out from under them. But what didn’t they understand about can’t? If they took a fraction of a second to actually talk to me without being an asshat, they might at least realize that my head isn’t entirely up my own ass. I have my own side of this deal to hold up - and part of that is hiding. From everyone.

“Practicing. Clearly.” I said coolly. “What are you doing?”

“That’s a neat trick. Park teach that to you? Or do you have some fancy trainer?” They said, ignoring my question.

“Park gave me the fundamentals to understand my powers. But this was my own idea. It’s a bit too... intense to work on with her.”

“I’d say I understand, but Brink has no such qualms.” They said, and then they looked at me intently. “Well, I thought you were practicing? Don’t let me distract you.” They raised an eyebrow, leaning against a pillar as they watched. I glared at them before awkwardly going to retrieve the dummy and replacing it. Taking a deep breath, I repeated the motion, sending the dummy flying once more. Jordan raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as I repeated the move a few more times. It was getting easier - using my powers.

I was surprised by Jordan’s nonchalance as I finished training and made my way to the locker rooms. I half expected them to follow me out or corner me elsewhere. But they just... left. And I was left making my way to the showers thinking about the expression on their face when I first threw the dummy off of me.

-----------

My nightmares are often the same, forcing me to relive the parts of my torture that I can remember. I’m at the party, dancing, drinking, spinning, falling... falling... falling... and then I’m cold. I can’t move. People are laughing, everything hurts. And then, I can’t breathe. My head is held under water as I flail and struggle, but there’s nothing I can do. My powers, gone. I can’t breathe, water is in my lungs, the laughter gets louder... and then I wake up. Coughing, trying desperately to catch my breath. This time, it wasn’t really worth it to go back to bed. It was almost 5 am. This is how I spend most mornings, unfortunately. I made my way to the kitchen in our townhouse, wanting a warm cup of tea to calm down. I started the kettle, and perched on the counter top to wait while the water boiled.

I heard someone coming in after a late night, and when the weight of their steps changed halfway across the room, I knew exactly who it was: Jordan. I ignored them, praying they would leave me be. But they stumbled to stand beside me, filling my nostrils with the smell of cigarettes and alcohol.

“Want some tea?” I asked them, feeling my heart race slightly as they got closer.

“Hey, mouse, why are you awake? Aren’t you one of those weirdos who gets like eight hours of sleep every night or whatever?” Jordan said to me, taking in my pajamas and tired eyes.

“Just had some trouble sleeping.” I said evasively, pouring the hot water over the tea bag and stirring it lightly.

“Uh-huh.” They said in a disbelieving tone. “For like, three weeks straight?”

I rolled my eyes - more like three months. “Have you been tracking my sleep, Li?”

“You know there’s like, pills you can take for that shit.” They added, searching my face as I sipped my tea, ignoring my question.

“I’ve got some - I don’t really like using them.” I said, hoping that would end the conversation. On really bad nights, they worked ok, but when I used them too many days in a row, they made the nightmares worse. I’d get stuck drowning, not waking up, just choking. I took them every night for two weeks when everything happened and I ended up coughing and screaming in my sleep until I lost my voice.

“Suit yourself.” Jordan said, seemingly too drunk or too tired to try to interrogate me tonight. “Have a good night, mouse.” They mumbled before eyeing me suspiciously and heading upstairs.

“G’night, Jordan.” I said quietly at their retreating back. I realized that was probably the nicest conversation we’ve ever had. They seemed almost... concerned?

That concern would vanish by the time I saw them the next afternoon. They sent me a dirty look when they came back downstairs hours later, clearly hungover. We sat in awkward silence as I sipped my coffee and kept reading my textbook. It probably would have been a normal morning, had Grace not called me right then and there. I saw her name and cursed, standing up too quickly and stepping onto the balcony quickly. It’s never good when Grace calls me randomly.

“What is it, Grace? It’s the weekend.” I said urgently as I tried to avoid pacing the small deck.

“Look, it’s nothing big, there’s just a few more papers for you to sign. Your dad’s lawyer will come to drop them off.”

“More? What is it this time?” She sighed.

“Some of your... former associates were contacted for a few interviews. We just need to... remind them not to mention you or the work you did.” I could feel my anger burning in my chest, the injustice of the whole ordeal threatening to choke me.

“Again?! God damn it, Grace! I -” I took a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of my nose underneath my thick glasses. “Fine. Just... please, no more. I need this to be over.”

“As I tell you every time, Margaret, if you want to be kept out of the loop, we can make that happen.” I sighed in exasperation. She’s right, of course. She and my dad’s lawyer, a serious man named Robert (not Bob!), had tried multiple times to cut me out, keep me away from the details. But if I had to go through with this insanity, I wanted to at least know what was going on.

And if I’m honest, I’m still terrified that those men might come back for me. While I have my suspicions about who hired them, they were... vicious.

“You’re right, Grace, I’m sorry. I’m just tired. I’ll sign whatever I need to.”

“Do you need a refill of your medication? I can call the pharmacy.”

“No, Grace, I’m fine. Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, and tell Robert to be discreet if he can.”

“He’s already down the block. You too, Maggie.” And she hung up. I sighed, letting out a long breath in hopes of keeping myself together. I made my way around the block, unaware my phone call had been overheard. Unbeknownst to me, Jordan would watch as I walked around the townhouse to a black car with tinted windows. They were waiting on the porch when I came back.

“So the little mouse does have secrets.” They taunted me as I climbed up the steps. They were taking advantage of their invulnerability, blocking the front door. I clenched my jaw, feeling my teeth grind against each other as I forced back the stinging retorts on the tip of my tongue. “Is daddy helping his disappointment make a name for herself? Couldn’t hack it in the real world so you needed his help?”

“I thought I told you to drop it.” I hissed, desperately trying to keep my cool. I can’t give in - can’t tell them anything, can’t give them anything. That’s what I was trained on - don’t give them anything, direct them to Vought, give them the runaround, whatever it takes.

“I can’t drop it - not when you’re clearly getting falsely boosted in the rankings. You don’t deserve anything you have - you haven’t earned shit! You’re coming for my spot, and just because the administration wants to put you there doesn’t mean I have to let it happen.” I scoffed.

“That’s really what you’re worried about? Christ, I should’ve fucking guessed. Well, they aren’t going to put me anywhere in the top ten unless I earn it, so you don’t have to worry about that. Not that I think you’ll believe that, but it is true. Now please, I have other things to do.” I said, and tried to step around them. They blocked my path, glaring down at me.

“You’re right, I don’t believe you. And I’m not dropping it. Nothing about this makes any sense, least of all your appearance here, and Sa-”

“Don’t you fucking dare.” I said, unable to contain my anger anymore, stepping closer. I glared back up at Jordan, fists clenched at my sides.

“So you do care about your brother. Could’ve fooled me.” They said coolly, unfazed by my fury.

“Excuse me?” My eyes glowed a light purple as I started losing control. How fucking dare they speak on my brother when they never met either of us. They weren’t there. I took a deep breath, trying to force myself to calm down. “He was my best friend. You have no idea what you’re fucking talking about, and you should be glad you don’t. Now get the fuck out of my way. And you’ll drop this if you know what’s good for you.”

“Is that a threat, mouse?” They teased. “You can’t do anything to me.”

“Who said it’d be me?”

“Is someone else involved?” Crap. I’m giving them too much information, this is too public. “I will figure this out, with or without your help.”

“God damn it, Jordan!” I looked around quickly, and stepped closer to them. “Listen up. You have no fucking idea what you’re messing around in. The only reason I’ll be doing this is because if you look on your own it will blow up in your face, and most likely cause me more problems.” I hissed in their ear. I reached into my pocket and tore off a small portion of an empty page in my notebook. “Go here in two hours, if you’re still unable to let this go. But you should. This is way above your fucking paygrade.” And with that, I turned around and left, heart racing.

< prev | next >

edits by @barbieprincesshilton

#jordan li #gen v #gen v prime #gen v fic #jordan li x reader #angst #luke riordan #sam riordan #lukes little sister x jordan li

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heavyhitterheaux · 2 years

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Fiore Pericoloso (Dangerous Flower) Chapter 2

AN: I hope everyone liked the first part! So Alani is biracial and looks like the rapper Latto (I absolutely love her, she is so talented). This part mostly features Alani and her best friends Caterina and Tiana, but there is an appearance of Jack, Urban, and Clay. Chapter 3 is told entirely from Jack’s point of view. The most recent chapter will always be pinned until I make a masterlist.

Word Count: approximately 4k (I just don’t know how to write short chapters apparently lol oops)

Please do not repost my content anywhere

Gif credit: troishq

Chapter 2: The Way We Run The City

Dangerous Flower Masterlist

Alani's POV

"Eww, are you serious? In front of your parents?!" I made a look of disgust as Cat was explaining her latest sexcapades with Angelo and all I could do was gag. Those two were always at it and could never keep their hands off one another. Of course me and Tiana were always the first ones to hear about it even though that was the last thing that I ever wanted to hear or think about.

"Shit, ain't nothing wrong with that Cat. Alani is just a little hater." And Tiana got on my damn nerves just as much.

"Girl, not hardly. No one wants Angelo's ass but her and her only."

We were currently sitting in one of Caterina's fathers many restaurants in the heart of the city having a late lunch and I was low-key trying to also plan my escape out of the country. I admit that one moment, I'm okay and I already know that my fate has been sealed, the next minute I'm having a mental breakdown and think that I'm not cut out for the married life more specifically the married mafia life. I was meant to be the rich auntie or in my case, the rich godmother to Cat and Ti's offspring.

"You are such a fucking goody two shoes. Just wait until Jack gets his hands on you and you'll be begging him not to stop. Besides, it was under the table, they didn't see anything. The feeling of getting caught is so worth it." She smirked while taking a sip of her sangria.

"Like that makes it any better. Anyway, I need one last night out, just me and my girls." Caterina, Tiana, and I were known to be hard party girls and we were always getting into something. I had to do it this weekend because come next week, I would be too busy prepping for the wedding. After the dress fitting it would all be downhill from there and I was not looking forward to it.

I can't tell you how many times we would get dragged out of places by our families bodyguards when we went out. I was getting into bars/lounges ever since I was 16 and my father would have a fit every time. However, I never learned my lesson. Us getting dragged out didn't happen as often now seeing as we're adults and now a part of our families' business so we really didn't have a lot of free time on our hands. I had more than Cat, but still. Cat was the oldest so she was starting to have a lot of input in the future of the family business. I however was trying to hold out for as long as I could. Yes, I would be a part of the Harlow empire, however, if anything were to happen to my father, I would be in charge along with my Aunt Dionne. I was praying that never happened.

The clock was ticking and my freedom was slowly dwindling down the drain. I need one last send off. I planned on getting fucked up and I could care less what anyone had to say about it. I haven't gone out with my best friends in awhile and I needed the stress reliever.

"Bitch, say less! Are we doing this tonight? Where should we go? What should we wear?" I could see the wheels in her head turning. Any crazy ass idea I brought up to Cat and Ti, they were always down for it. I guess that's why I call them my best friends. I remember last year when all three of us drove to Atlanta for a weekend. We all swore that everything that happened when we were there would be taken to the grave. Them more so than me since I'm considered the fucking goody two-shoes out of the three of us.

"I was thinking that new spot off of 33rd and Gwynn Falls Avenue. Apparently a lot of celebrities have gone there and it has good reviews." I replied while shrugging and taking a sip of my long island iced tea. If I was going to drink later, I needed to not go hard during the day.

"I haven't been there before either so it should be good. I think Angelo went last week."

"Why does that not surprise me?" I rolled my eyes while stealing a fry off of Cat's plate.

"Ooh yes! Maybe we'll see Drake! He has a concert this weekend I think." Ti was all smiles anytime it came to anything Drake related.

"Eat your food and stop being a groupie." I replied while laughing.

She rolled her eyes and mouthed 'you're no fun' to me before doing as she was told.

"You know, Alani... you really don't like Angelo, and I can't put my finger on as to why." I admit I always said slick shit under my breath when he was around because something doesn't sit right with me about him or his family for that matter. I feel that out of all of the families, we were treated a little bit different when it came to interactions with his. We still did business with them, but I kept them at a distance.

"Because he gives me weird vibes and you could do better. But, with the contract you two have to marry each other. As long as you like him is what's important. You're happy and I don't want to ruin that for you that's why when you bring him up I don't really say anything."

"Told you she was a hater." Ti quickly said before I threw one of the fries that I stole from Cat's plate at her.

Angelo has always made me somewhat uncomfortable when he's around. I can't quit put my finger on it, but something always feels off with the way he interacts with me. It doesn't happen with anyone else. Just me.

All Cat did was sigh.

Even Tiana liked him and Tiana didn't like anybody but us.

"He wants to get to know you. He's trying so hard because he knows how important we are to each other."

"Well, I'm not interested." And that was the God honest truth. I didn't want to be around him if I didn't have to be.

"Well, if not can you just be civil for me?" Only because she's my best friend I'll do it. If she wasn't, I wouldn't care less.

"Whatever you want, Cat. I'm just trying to figure out what I'm wearing tonight."

"Well at least we don't have to worry about paying to get in since your last name is almost Harlow after all." Ti added while while also stealing some of Cat's fries.

"Very true indeed. We won't have to wait in line either."

We literally got into anywhere we wanted because our families are known all around the city and since Ti was an honorary member she got in too.

New York City is split up into five zones amongst the families. Each zone or industry is ran by one or two families. Gambling, casinos, and tourist attractions are run by my family the DeLucas, the restaurants are run by Romano which is Cat's family, bars/clubs are run by the Harlow's, while real estate is run by the Esposito's and Bianchi's. All of the families participate in the drug cartel. They just have the other businesses so that they can be used as a cover up.

There are also many police officers on each family's payroll so that none of us would be arrested or charges brought against us. Local police weren't seen as a problem, but the FBI were. So it was important for us to keep a somewhat low profile and not causing trouble in the city. Caterina was horrible at that. She brought attention to us everywhere that we went.

Her father really needs to get her a PR team.

"What time did you want to leave out? I can come and pick you both up or we can get ready at my house. My mom says she misses her other daughters and yall little brother wants to see yall too."

"They literally just saw me 2 days ago." I adored Mama Naomi, she was the kind of wife/mother I aspired to be besides my own. She is so sweet, nurturing, and caring and in my eyes could never do anything wrong. She and her husband literally treat me as if they gave birth to me themselves which I have always been grateful for. Her little brother Leandro was always a sweetheart.

"Come on, you know how she is."

"I guess so, as long as she makes that Oreo fudge thing I like."

"Yall already know I'm in and Alani I have the perfect dress for you to wear."

Tiana was always wearing the hottest thing of the season. But the way she would get these dresses was a bit questionable.

"Tiana please don't tell me you got that dress from Peaches with the one eye at the subway station again. The last one you gave me started to unravel when I put it on."

"Damn, Alani do you always have to bring that up? I apologized for that. And Peaches got his prosthetic eye now! It looks nice, we should pay him a visit. He's down there on Tuesdays."

She cannot be serious.

"Ti, my ass was exposed! I might as well had been the centerfold in the newest playboy magazine!"

"I mean her ass was out there for everyone to see. I know Jack would've tore your ass up if he saw you that night."

"Both of yall get on my fucking nerves." I replied as I rolled my eyes. I didn't know what I was going to do with these two.

"And you wouldn't have it any other way."

---

I quickly made my way through the front entrance of my house and was attempting to skip up the steps two at a time in order to get my clothes together when I suddenly heard my father's voice.

"Fiore? Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"I'm spending the night with Cat and Ti before the big day and all."

I just left the part out where I planned to get white girl wasted in one of Jack's new clubs and hope no one takes pictures or have to be carried out by security or bodyguards.

"Okay, but promise you'll stay there tonight and not go anywhere else."

I suddenly had a look of confusion upon my face, and I knew my father's explanation was going to put me in a sour mood.

"Umm?"

"Just be mindful, just trying to keep you safe is all. You know there are always enemies lurking in the city. Especially for anyone that has anything to do with the families " I feel as though there is a little bit more to that, but he isn't going into detail.

"Daddy, I want to go out."

Now I was whining and about to have a temper tantrum all at the age of 21.

"It has to do with your safety. You and Caterina and Tiana can do anything you want to your heart's desire, except leave the premises of her family's estate."

"Daddy come on, that isn't fair at all. Me, Cat and Tiana go out all the time so what is different now? I just want one last hoorah or whatever before you hand deliver me to Jack."

"Alani, do as your told. If I tell you it's not safe for you to do something, you need to listen the first time and not question as to why I'm making the decision that I'm making. End of discussion."

I stormed off in a huff up the stairs and into my room and plopped face first down on my bed groaning.

The thing about my father was ever since my mom passed away, he has seemed a little lost. I can imagine he didn't plan on being a single parent and trying to keep multiple businesses in good standing, but truth be told Dionne was more of a parent to me then he was but I would never throw that in his face. He lost the love of his life and I can only imagine how hard that was for him.

After a few minutes of sulking, I decided that I'm an adult and I can do whatever I want to and that included going out tonight and my father can suck it. I'll deal with the consequences later. I walked over to my closet and picked out a few options for tonight since I couldn't narrow it down to one at the moment. I'm not wearing anything Tiana suggests or brings me. I also grabbed my pajamas and lounge clothes along with my make-up and hair products. My dad had another thing coming if I was going to stay cooped up in Cat's house all night. I just had to be mindful that my father also had eyes everywhere around the city and for me and Cat and Ti to be on the look out and not draw attention to ourselves.

I could handle that, but Cat and Ti were a different story.

I was going to make the night memorable and no one was going to get in my way.

---

"Alani, if you keep looking around like that, you're going to draw more attention to us. Stop being paranoid because this was your idea and you can't bail out now. I just went along with it since we’re best friends and your shit is my shit and vice versa but come on, damn. I knew we should have waited to go to that drag brunch instead."

She was right. Suck it up Alani.

"Okay, you're right. I got this."

I mean I was kind of wearing a disguise. It consisted of a black and blonde ombre wig and didn't go as far as anything else, but it was something. Cat and Ti wasn't even trying to do anything to disguise themselves.

I felt so exposed.

"Come on, maybe you need a shot to get you relaxed."

Or six shots, but one to start off with was fine.

I ordered three more after Cat had gotten the first round and we all made our way to the middle of the dance floor not having a care in the world.

I was going to make the most of this, because this time two weeks from now my last name would be Harlow and I would essentially be thrown into an entirely different role that I would have to get used to. If I could press a reset button on my life and go back to the time when I was little and had both of my parents, I would do it in a heartbeat.

After awhile, I went back to the bar to get another drink and water since it was getting a little warm in there. Cat and Ti were still in the middle of the dance floor, and I turned around to face them while I drank the rest of my water to keep an eye on them when both their eyes got as big as saucers.

I couldn't really make out what Ti's lips were saying, but it looked to be around something that resembled oh shit over and over again. I turned to look in the direction where she nodded her head and I looked to see my soon to be husband and his right hand men by his side, Urban and Clay. From the look on his face, I was definitely in trouble and my father was going to be very upset with me. There was literally no where for me to go to try and slip away as I was scrambling to find an outlet. I guess he sent my soon-to-be husband to do his dirty work.

Not going to lie, I wasn't necessarily scared of my father but I definitely could pass on seeing him pissed off.

However, the sight in front of me let me know that I was in for it.

"Clay, go get Ms. Romano and Urb go get Ms. Anderson over there." Jack uttered while not breaking eye contact with me. I glanced to see Cat trying to make a run for it in one direction and Ti trying to go the other way, but they were both caught and I couldn't do anything but stifle a laugh.

"Alani." He finally said while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Jack."

"Please come get in the car and not make a scene."

"Now, why would I make a scene? And what makes you think I will?" I replied while crossing my arms.

"You apparently already have since I heard that you didn't listen to what your father said about you not leaving the Romano's estate tonight, but here you are." He stated while putting his hands in his pockets.

"How'd you know that?"

"Because I'm the one who told him. Let's go."

Well shit.

Clay came back over with Caterina while Urban had Tiana and you know how when it's a serious moment and you try not to look over at your best friend because you know you'll laugh? That was currently me.

"Oohh, Clay what big strong arms you have. Have you been working out since the last time I saw you?" Caterina said while Tiana let out a small laugh and Clay just smirked. I looked away because I know if I looked at her it would be all over.

She literally saw him 2 days ago, but I'll let it slide.

We all piled out of the club and into separate cars. Cat and Ti gave me a sad look and then waved before they got in the car behind us. Yeah, I was definitely not going back to Cat's house and I felt like a teenager again who got caught red handed. It was silent for a few minutes before Jack spoke.

"You want to tell me what possessed you not to listen? Do you not get how reckless that was?"

"First off, Harlow. You are not my father and not my husband.. YET. So why should I have to explain anything to you?" I was in a mood and probably shouldn't have said that, but it came out anyway. I was tired of being told what I could and could not do.

"Because my ass is trying to keep you safe! You're my responsibility now and I let your father know to tell you because of some information that I got this afternoon and I couldn't have you, Caterina and Tiana in harm's way. Why is that so hard to understand? Besides, you came to a place that I own and didn't think that anyone would tell me that you were here? Not the smartest choice. I have eyes everywhere around the city."

I huffed in response and crossed my arms while looking out the window.

"Alani, I'm not trying to keep you locked away and I'm not trying to keep you from enjoying yourself. Just, please listen next time. I just don't want anything happening to you that I could have prevented."

"Okay." I quietly responded because I mean what else could I really say? Apparently I was making his job harder and I didn't want to start off our marriage with me being a headache. All because I wanted one more night.

A night that has now officially gone to shit.

"Sooo, can you drop me off at Cat's now?" I asked while smiling sweetly. Closed mouths don't get fed, so I figured that I might as well ask. People had a hard time telling me no when I asked for something.

"Only if you promise me not to leave this time."

I don't want to have another encounter like this for the night so my ass was definitely staying put.

"Pinky promise" I held out my pinky so that he could lock his with it. He looked surprised at first, but finally did it and gave me a small smirk.

That was something I did with my mom all the time when I was little and she never broke one and I don't plan on doing it either.

"I want to make this work with you Jack, but from now on if there actually is a threat can you and my dad just tell me because in my mind if you don't say that, I'm thinking that there is nothing wrong and I can go about my merry way and do what I want."

"Okay, that's fair."

It was a comfortable silence the rest of the way to Cat's house. When we finally pulled up, I gave him a small smile before I started to open the door when I heard his voice.

"See you at the wedding and don't be late." He jokingly said.

"Yeah next Thursday, right?" I asked knowing that it was on Friday two weeks from now and this made Jack's eyes go wide.

"I'm only kidding, Jack. Lighten up, I'll be there."

I hopped up the steps two at a time to the front door and I noticed that Jack waited until I was safe inside before pulling off.

I made my way to Cat's room and when I opened the door her and Ti looked at me with wide eyes.

"How much trouble are you in?" Cat questioned while stuffing her face with a chalupa from Taco Bell and Ti was munching on nachos.

"None." I responded while smiling at them. I glanced down into the Taco Bell bag to see that it was empty.

"You could have at least gotten me something." I said while rolling my eyes and plopping down beside Ti on the bed.

"Well we thought we would be going to your funeral at the end of the week instead of your wedding in two weeks so we didn't know. I convinced Clay and Urban to feed us."

"Yall are ridiculous and besides, I think Clay has a girlfriend. At least that's what my aunt told me."

"Can we talk about how your aunt always knows all the tea?" Ti asked while laughing.

"She knows everyone's business and no one knows hers. She's smart about it and I can't even be mad."

"But anyway, Jack looked PISSED. But he looked so good girl. Did you see that neck vein popping out? I thought he was going to pick your ass up on the spot. I can only imagine that angry make-up sex you guys are going to have. I can't wait to hear about it."

"CATERINA!"

"Yes?"

"Do you not think about anything else like ever?"

"No, not really, no."

"Cat, she'll find out soon enough. Just wait." Ti added while wiggling her eyebrows.

It was a comfortable silence between all of us while they finished up their food and the television was playing softly in the background. That gave me time to really be with my thoughts which was the last place that I wanted to be these last few days. The clock was winding down and there was no possible way for me to stop it.

"Yall, I'm really scared. Not of Jack or anything, but..." I whispered and I could feel my eyes start to water.

"We know." Cat simply responded while bringing me in for a hug and Ti quickly joined in.

I don't know how long we simply sat there in that position, but I wasn't complaining. What was I going to do without them by my side 24/7?

"It's going to be okay. Whatever happens, we'll conquer it together, okay?"

I simply nodded while wiping away my tears.

"Now, how about some ice cream?"

"Ti the last thing you need to be eating is ice cream. Do you remember how I had to pull over on 95 so your ass could jump the barrier and shit your guts out?"

"Bitch I'm tired of you, always bringing up old shit. You didn't stop me from drinking that milkshake."

"Don't blame that shit, pun intended, on us! We warned you."

"And you know I never learn my lesson. Like I said before, who wants ice cream? I'll make brownies to go with it."

#jack Harlow #jackman harlow #jackman thomas harlow #jack harlow fanfic #jack harlow fanfiction #jack harlow angst #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow fic #jack harlow concepts #urban wyatt #urban wyatt fic #dangerous flower #jack harlow

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abbatoirablaze · 3 months

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Down The Rabbit Hole, Chapter 6

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: mentions of guns (Paintball), mentions of sex/smut, angst.

The two of them hadn’t talked since the kiss.

Jeff had tried to focus all of his attention anywhere else but her, and in the time that had passed, the only thing that really happened was him and Britta starting an argument with some high schoolers.

His ego had taken a dramatic hit after being turned down by Tawney; something he didn’t think was possible.

She was a slightly nerdy, inexperienced woman. And he was an attractive, once very successful former lawyer.

It should have been a cakewalk for him.

And because of that, he threw himself at Britta all over again, which made Tawney start to ignore the study group.

And in turn, ignore her boyfriend. So much so that they never reconciled after Abed’s leading of the chicken tender mafia.

Which was how she also ended up helping out with Duncan, setting up for the Spring fling. They’d set up the food, music, and activities, but were shell-shocked when the dean started talking about the game of paintball.

He’d explained that the prize was going to be priority registration, and that the last man standing would win.

And just like that, the campus turned into pandemonium. People ran for the tables of paintball guns, and the belts of paint. People split off. They turned on one another like animals.

And Tawney felt her instincts kicking in. All of the training that her parents had given her, the countless hours of being taught how to survive throughout anything, came to the forefront of her mind.

Her mom’s paranoia hit her all at once. And it was like she was a small child once more.

“Tawney you have to know what to do in the event that I can’t protect you.”

“Mommy I just want to go home,” she whimpered softly, pushing her hair out of her face. Dirt smudged her cheek. She looked to her mother who gave her a sad frown, and to her older brothers who were already building a lean-to, “mommy this isn’t fun…”

“It’s not meant to be fun, Tawney,” she sighed, shaking her head as she pushed the rifle into her daughter’s hands, “you’re five now. That means you don’t get to stay home with daddy anymore. You have to be prepared!”

“But mommy-“

“No buts,” she replied curtly, cutting her off, “you’re in charge of dinner…I’m going to show you how to track a deer while staying clear of the mountain’s natural predators.”

She grabbed a gun, and a belt, and bolted.

Priority registration.

That would allow her to schedule all of her classes, first choice in making sure that she would have everything she needed.

Behind her, she could hear the screams of her fellow classmates. Running into the student lounge area she noticed Annie, wide-eyed and nervous. Her guns raised. Annie held her hands up in defense.

“You didn’t grab anything?”

“N-no time!” she said quickly, “Britta and Shirley said they would grab some and I said I’d find a safe space for us.”

Tawney tossed one of her guns at her, “take this. If they have guns for you, you can give me it back. Let’s hide in the men’s room.”

“The men’s room?” she asked as Tawney pushed her in, “wh-why the men’s room?”

“Come on!” she replied, pulling her along. Behind her the door opened, and Tawney immediately pushed Annie behind herself and raised her gun. Shirley screamed while Britta held her gun up.

“IT’S US!”

“Tawney don’t shoot them!”

Tawney lowered her gun and looked at the pair. True to Annie’s word they had two guns for themselves and two for Annie. Annie immediately ran to them and wrapped her arms around Shirley, “you guys are alive!”

“Come on…we’ll hide in the men’s room!”

“Why the men’s room?”

“Guys are idiots…we can pick em off when they least suspect it!”

“Good thinking!” Britta smiled.

“How did you guys manage to last so long anyways?”

“Tawney’s idea!” Britta smiled, looking over at her, “she suggested we hide in there and pick the guys off…”

“Tawney-“

“Shh-“ she muttered, not daring to take her eyes away from the library in front of her, “we need to set up a place for the night…and the study room has the best chance of being a stronghold right now…we need to go there.”

“Tawney, I’m bleeding. We need to go to-“

“I’ll get supplies and you and Britta set up the study room,” she offered as they reached the door, “it’ll be easier for one person to sneak around downstairs without getting noticed…plus you two have been arguing all day…it’ll only draw attention and make us targets if you get loud in the halls.”

“Looks like Winger and Perry are getting jiggy with it in the study room!” Chang smirked, pointing his gun at her. Tawney bit her bottom lip in an attempt to stop it from warbling.

She had known that Jeff was a bit of a man-whore but she’d felt like he really did like her when he kissed her.

Only, at the time, she’d been dating Abed.

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach and she dropped the roll of gauze and tape, “well…what are you waiting for, Chang…shoot me already and get it over with.”

“You like Winger, don’t you?” he scoffed, dropping the barrel of his gun ever so slightly. Her head shot up and he shook his head, “ you know I could overlook a lot…I could shoot a toddler right now with this thing and steal their bottle, but I can’t shoot you. Not with how pathetic you look…I’ll let you slide for now…gonna go right on into the study room and take out your little crush and his hookup…and then I’ll take care of you…”

She waited for a moment, not moving as the Spanish teacher slid past her, and towards the doors. The noises had stopped and she sniffled once more, “Chang…”

“Yeah Shakira?”

“When you take them out…I’ll be waiting outside the dean’s office for you…and then I’m going to take you out.”

“I’d like to see you try…” he chuckled, preparing his gun as he started walking back towards the study room.

Tawney, meanwhile, made her way down the side entrance and towards the stairs. She could hear the sound of his machine gun starting up and part of her felt a little bit guilty for letting Jeff and Britta get surprise attacked like that.

But then she thought about the noises she’d heard coming from the study room.

Jeff was having sex with Britta…and the more that Tawney thought about it, she became angry.

Jeff had probably just been using her to get even with Britta. To make her feel like she had to step in and do something.

Britta was territorial like that.

As she made her way down the hallway towards the dean’s office she heard it.

“DEANNNNNN!”

“Shit.”

She ran towards the door and threw it open, seeing Dean Pelton. His eyes went wide, “TAWNEY! You’re still in the game?”

“It’s down to me and Jeff, and I’m going to lay it on the line right now!” she said quickly, “he’s pissed at you for all of this…and he’s coming down here. You’ve got two options. I help you, or I don’t!”

“DEAN!”

“Oh god, please help me!” he exclaimed nervously as he ran to her. She closed the door quickly as he latched onto her arm, “Tawney, you have to help me!”

“Go back behind your desk,” she ordered, “as far as he knows…he’s the last player in the game! Go with it!”

“Okay!”

He ran back around to his desk, and she hid behind the door, just as Jeff burst through.

And boy did he look like hell.

“I can explain!” Dean Pelton began quickly.

“Oh…you don’t have to!” Jeff smirked, crazily. Tawney slid out from behind the door, spotting the gun he’d had attached to his back, and she pulled it off him just as he went to reach for it. Jeff was quick to spin on his heel, eyes wide as he saw Tawney; the gun poking him in the chest.

“Game over, Winger!”

And she pulled the trigger.

Chapter 7

Tag List: @lohnes16, @mckeeee-1

#down the rabbit hole #community #community show #troy community #abed community #greendale community college #jeff winger #britta perry #annie edison #shirley bennett #troy and abed #abed nadir #troy barnes #pierce hawthorne

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nimble-stuff · 1 year

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VII. LOCKED IN A FREEZER || Donnie & Mikey Donnie and Mikey get locked in a freezer and talk about hugs.

Fandom: ROTTMNT

Also on AO3

Request a Prompt here! I’m doing the card for FE3H. I’m not accepting requests for specific characters because I have my own specific ideas. I’ll accept requests for prompts though! Well Nvm I guess I’ll do some other fandoms too AGSFF

@badthingshappenbingo

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Donnie knocked his head on the inside of the freezer door, breath coming out in puffs of white mist. He felt naked without his tech-gauntlet, ripped from his forearm during the struggle. He didn’t need it to know just how unsurvivable an extended stay in the chill was for two turtles dressed in nothing heavier than shorts and masks.

“According to my guesstimates, the current temperature is negative twenty degrees Celsius,” he reported. “More or less.”

“What’s that in real numbers?” Mikey asked. He was swinging from a slab of what Donnie hoped was cow meat on a hook. He wouldn’t put it past Meat Sweats to have something weirder stashed in his creepy serial killer freezer.

“Do not slander the metric system while we’re in here, Mikey, or I will kill you. And please stop touching the meat, it’s weird!”

“You’re weird!”

“You’re on thin ice, Mikey!” Donnie paused and held his face in his hands. “You made me make a cold pun. I’m disowning you.”

They’d been stupid. Foolish, even, though Donnie placed most of the blame on Mikey. Or maybe twenty-five percent. Just twenty-five. Donnie knew the odds, could make the calculations in his head, and he was the smart one, and the older one, and he should’ve accounted for a thousand possibilities, and he should’ve avoided the fight altogether. Regardless of who was at fault, Meat Sweats had bested them and now they were stuck in his personal cold storage for a later meal. It made Donnie queasy and he didn’t want to look too closely at the slabs of meat in case he recognized some of them.

He didn’t know why Mikey was so calm. Meat Sweats had taken their weapons and they had nothing except their wit. Sadly, genius wasn’t something Donnie could throw at the door to make it open. An extended vacation in here and they’d die. Frostbite, respiratory arrest, irregular heartbeat. Donnie started measuring how long they were going to live in minutes rather than years.

“HEY!” Donnie yelled. “Let us out and fight us like a man!”

“That’s not working, Donnie,” said Mikey. “We’ll just have to wait for our bros to come rescue us.”

“We gotta get out before then! Leo will never let me forget this! He’s gonna come through the door and make a pun, Mikey! I can’t take any more puns!”

“Oh, I wonder which one he’ll use. Wanna take a guess? I’ll bet five bucks.”

“No, I don’t!”

Donnie waited to become turtle stew or for Raph and Leo to charge in. He didn’t know which option was worse. The freezer was so quiet and he couldn’t hear anything on the outside. All noise came from the creak-creak-creak of Mikey swinging on the meat hooks.

Soon, Mikey shivered too much for him to continue and he crouched on the floor, rubbing and blowing into his hands.

“Don’t turtles hibernate?” Mikey asked.

Donnie sighed. Unbelievable. Why did he have to keep explaining this? “We’re mutants, Mikey, it’s not the same thing. We’ve survived thirteen winters in New York just fine.”

“Why don’t we think warm thoughts? Tropical breezes, warm beaches, Tahiti…”

Warm thoughts wouldn’t stave off the cold. How long had they been stuck in here? Donnie went frantic. He shuffled all along the freezer walls, feeling for an opening or a nonexistent warm breeze, each step sending piercing cold up his body as his bare feet slid across the metal floor. Each step, and he lost sensation in a part of his body. Fingers first. Palms. Wrist. How long? How long had they been here? A few minutes? Half-an-hour? His mind jumped from one calculation to the next as he tried to estimate an approximate survival time, however numbers mingled together like an overcrowded room. He looked up and he was back at the door. He’d circled the entire room. Donnie checked the door hinges, and even as he fumbled at them with his numb fingers, he knew he wouldn’t work them out without something for leverage.

Mikey smiled with his eyes, gently swaying in his nonexistent Tahiti breeze, legs curled up against his chest. A practical way to conserve energy. An ice cold spear lanced through Donnie’s spin and he doubled over, pulling his arms tight around his body.

“Geez, it’s cold!” he complained, voice shuddering through his mouth. Maybe saying it out loud would make it better. It did not.

“Warm breezes, Donnie,” said Mikey. “Think about warm breezes.”

Donnie didn’t let himself. He had to stay in the moment, to get them out of here. The cold-induced mindless insanity sank so hard into him that in his madness, he was prepared to sink his hands into a pile of burning hot coals.

“Do you wanna hug?” Mikey asked.

“Hugs are the last thing on my mind right now.”

“We could share body heat.”

“That won’t work.”

“C’mon, don’t be like that, you know it’ll help until Raph and Leo get here.”

“Mikey—”

“Get over here and give me a hug.”

“Mikey, I’m going to strangle you.”

“I thought you liked hugs.”

“I do when they’re on my terms!”

“Are you saying you don’t love me?”

“My love for you is feeling very selective right now. Just—help me—break down the door—”

“Donnie, we just gotta wait.”

“How are you so calm?! Meat Sweats wants to turn us into meat chunks!”

Donnie punched the nearest slab of meat, which proved to be a horrible move. He was only glad his hand was numb so he didn’t feel all the horrible pain that shot up through his arm. Then, then slab rocked on the meat hook and barreled into his face, knocking him to the ground.

Mikey swallowed down the smile twitching on the corners of his lips. He crawled over to Donnie and sat him upright, enclosing his bruised hand between his. All energy spilled out of him. Donnie just had to think. He could fix this, he could fix anything, that was his thing. Like Raph’s thing was being the older brother and Leo’s thing was being the funny guy and Mikey’s was being the artist.

“Awkward sibling hug?” Mikey asked, holding out outstretched arms. Despite the bluster and heat behind his words, he shivered all over.

Donnie pulled in a breath that stung all the nerve endings in his mouth. They pressed close together, his arms stretching over the curve of Mikey’s shell. He added the pats just to seal the deal.

“Ah, warm hugs,” Mikey sighed into Donnie’s collarbone. “We should do this more often, not just when we’re trapped in a freezer.”

“I could get us out if you just let me—”

“No, no, let’s just have this moment. Raph and Leo will be along soon.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do. My extrasensory brother sense is tingling so they must be close. My guess is they’re kicking Meat Sweats’ butt right now.”

“Again, that’s a speculation, not a fact. We could be trapped in here forever!”

“Well, not forever. Meat Sweats said he’d come back for us when he’s ready to make turtle stew, although I think fresh ingredients would be tastier. Maybe he just doesn’t want us to struggle so much.”

“Can we please talk about something other than turtle stew?”

“I don’t see you with any conversation starters.”

“Well…um…uh…” Donnie’s mind lagged. His brain was freezing along with the rest of his body and he fought for each breath. Similarly, he felt Mikey’s lungs spasming with each breath. “Hugging reduces blood pressure.”

“Wow, hugging health benefits.”

“It—It can reduce the release of stress hormones. The longer the hug, the better.”

“Oh, how long do you think we’ve been hugging? Have we lost any stress hormones? Do you feel less stressed?”

“Probably. I think we could use this time more productively to think of a way to get out of here. You didn’t get Meat Sweats to lock us in here intentionally just to get a hug, did you?”

“Of course not, although I wish you’d hug me more often.” Mikey pat the battle shell. “The battle shell’s just okay. Your real shell feels much nicer.”

“That’s weird, Mikey.”

“It’s not weird, it’s just you.”

“You called me weirdo like five minutes ago.”

“I said that with affection. Anyway, I think you’re my second favourite hugger.”

“Press X to doubt. What—What kind of ranking system are you using?”

“Well, maybe ‘favourite’ is the wrong word to use. More like it’s a certain type of hug that you give. If a needed a tight hug, I’d ask Raph, and if I needed an emotional support hug when I’m sad, I’d ask Leo.”

“What’s—What’s Dad?”

“Oh, Dad’s the best all-around hugger. A jack-of-all-hugs, if you will. But right now, I definitely need a Donnie hug. You’re my favourite hug to get when I’m happy.”

“So…you’re happy to be stuck in a freezer?”

“Not really cuz I’m really, really, really, really cold. The hug’s just a happy accident.”

They shivered and held each other together in the all-powerful, thick and freezing silence. Donnie couldn’t feel his body but he could feel Mikey’s. It was the one thing he could hold together and be sure was present while each breath filled his lungs with needles. Mikey stifled his face into his collarbone and Donnie’s hands shuddered hard on Mikey’s shell.

For a while, Donnie’s thoughts only went to extremes. They were going to freeze to death here; they were going to end up in stew, Raph and Leo wouldn’t come in time, it was all over. He never thought he’d go out like this. He’d pictured something a little more dramatic, an explosion in the lab or having a heart attack after one of Leo’s puns. All over, it was over.

Then, in a glorious moment, the door swung, and a warm square of light extended out to envelop them. Donnie was so maddeningly desperate for the warmth that even the slight difference in temperature when outside air swarmed in filled him with vigour.

“Sorry, little bros!” Leo called out. “Didn’t mean to give you guys the cold shoulder!”

“Let me out!” Donnie sprang up and shoved past Raph and Leo. “Let me out, let me out, let me out!”

“Wait, were you guys hugging?!” Raph said. “Why weren’t we invited?”

Mikey’s laughter tinkled through the room. He let Leo pull him to his feet. “Hey, it was cold in there, and you guys know I have an open-hug policy. Bring it in, guys!”

Raph and Leo fell for the bait and smashed Mikey between them. Curse Mikey and his irresistible charm. Donnie stood a distance away, trying to shake the cold out of his hands, and then Mikey locked eyes with him and he knew it was over.

“Oh, Donnie,” Mikey sang. “It’s very warm over here.”

“No, thank you,” said Donnie. “I’ll warm up the old-fashioned way.”

“C’mon, I know you want one. Raph, grab him!”

Donnie did his best to run but his numb limbs weren’t cooperating. Raph just had to scoop him up and crush him into the turtle pile and that was it. It was over.

But at least it was a lot warmer.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt mikey #badthingshappenbingo

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casscainsshoelace · 2 years

Text

Incorrect Beiguang quotes because I hate myself

Beidou: I can explain.

Ningguang: Can you?

Beidou: If you give me thirty seconds to think of a lie.

Beidou: You love me, right, Ningguang?

Ningguang: Normally, I’d say yes without hesitation, but I feel like this is going somewhere and I don’t like it.

Ningguang: *Walking in to a room* Sorry I’m late... I was... doing things.

*Sounds of running footsteps progressively getting louder*

Beidou: *Out of breath* SHE PUSHED ME DOWN THE FUCKIN’ STAIRS.

Beidou: I was arrested for being too cool.

Ningguang: The charges were dropped due to a lack of supporting evidence.

Ningguang: Beidou...

Beidou: Oh no, 'Beidou' in b-flat.

Beidou: You're disappointed.

Beidou: I made tea.

Ningguang: I don’t want tea.

Beidou: I did not make tea for you. This is my tea.

Ningguang: Then why are you telling me?

Beidou: It is a conversation starter.

Ningguang: That’s a lousy conversation starter.

Beidou: Oh, is it? We are conversing. Checkmate.

Beidou: *Gets down on one knee*

Ningguang: Oh my god, it’s finally happening.

Beidou: *Falls over*

Ningguang: The poison is kicking in.

Beidou: I learned some very valuable lessons from this.

Ningguang: I’m guessing they are all horrible distortions on the lessons you actually should’ve taken away.

Beidou: Death isn’t real, and I’m basically God.

Beidou: This is bothering me.

Ningguang: Well, you are digging up a corpse.

Beidou: No, not that. That's, uh, pretty par for the course, actually.

Beidou: Am I going too far?

Ningguang: No, no, no. You went too far about seven hours ago. Now you're going to prison.

Ningguang, pointing: May I sit there?

Beidou: That's my lap

Ningguang: That doesn't answer my question, Beidou.

Ningguang: Here's some advice

Beidou: I didn't ask for any

Ningguang: Too bad. I'm stuck here with my thoughts and you're the only one who talks to me

Beidou: Am I in trouble?

Ningguang: Take a guess.

Beidou: No?

Ningguang: Take another guess.

Ningguang: Are you an ‘arr’ pirate, or a ‘yo ho ho’ pirate?

Beidou: I’m a ‘I’m not paying $600 for photoshop’ pirate.

Ningguang: Ok, maybe playing ‘whose past is more traumatic’ wasn’t the best idea we’ve had. Beidou's been crying in the bathroom for an hour. We can’t get her out...

Ningguang: What is your biggest weakness?

Beidou: I can be uncooperative.

Ningguang: Okay, can you give me an example?

Beidou: No.

Beidou: I know you’re deflecting by making jokes about how hot you are.

Ningguang: It’s not a joke.

Ningguang: *sniffles*

Ningguang: I’m a legit snack.

Ningguang: Beidou and I have the kind of easy chemistry where we finish each other's-

Beidou: Sentences.

Ningguang: Don't interrupt me.

Ningguang: Sorry it took me so long to bail you out of jail

Beidou: No it’s my fault, I shouldn’t’ve used my one phone call to prank call the Millelith

Ningguang: Where are you going?

Beidou: To get tofu or commit a felony, I’ll decide on the way there

Ningguang: Do you take constructive criticism?

Beidou: I only take cash or credit.

Ningguang, tending to Beidou's wounds: How would you rate your pain?

Beidou: Zero stars. Would NOT recommend.

#the spacing is weird because I’m on mobile okay-#incorrect quotes #incorrect genshin impact #beiguang #ningguang #beidou #my post

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cuchufletapl · 2 years

Text

dulzaina

For Edling Week 2022. Day 2: Hello | Goodbye | Music

AO3

“I can’t explain why,” Ling said suddenly, and Ed hummed to make him know that he was listening, even as he didn’t lift his head to look at him where he was spread-out on Ed’s bed, “but now that I see you with it, I can’t shake the feeling that if you played an instrument, it should be… I don’t know, percussion.”

Ed snorted. “Eh, you’re not the first one to say that.” He set down the cloth that he’d been using to rub the sweet almond oil into the rod of the shawm and took up the vial again, this time to pour it gently into the instrument. The room smelled so sugary woodsy. “The woman who’s in charge of the Resembool band said the same thing when my mum enrolled me in the junior group.”

“It was her idea then?”

“Oh, yeah, band classes looked boring as fuck. I wanted to go learn the traditional dances with Winry, but,” he paused here, as he took the long duster brush and inserted it into the shawm. “Well, mum wasn’t much of a dancer, but she’d been playing music in the festivals since she was a teenager, so, y’know. She wanted to teach us herself. She…” His hand stilled for a second. “I mean, we learnt the basics from her, at least. We didn’t keep playing much after she died, though, even before we left Resembool.”

Ling drifted his eyes towards the ceiling. “I see. Sorry,” he said, in a more subdued voice to match his boyfriend’s tone.

“It’s fine.” He had moved on to the holes in the instrument, using a smaller brush. “It’s a nice thing to remember her by. Al hasn’t really picked up on it again, but I have more time on my hands than he does, anyway.”

There was a dry, slightly bitter note in that sentence. Ling sat up on the bed to look at him properly.

He had decided to come back to Amestris on a sort of sixth-sense impulse. Lately, too often when he called Ed (through the newly installed Xing-Amestris phone line, courtesy of his ailing father deciding to grant what his now appointed heir had been requesting for an entire year and a half), he had sounded frustrated and put-out, even as he was ostensibly happy to get to hear his boyfriend’s voice.

Ling had started almost every conversation with a “So, how was your day?” And Ed had answered to most of those questions by snorting humourlessly and saying something like, “Boring and tiring. Rebuilding a house without alchemy may not be the stupidest thing we’ve decided to do, but it’s up there, I’ll tell you that much.”

Lan Fan had told him that even Winry had mentioned something along those lines in a letter about her automail arm. It was in passing, in the middle of a brief recounting of how she kept her days busy in Rush Valley, but her taking a line to say that “and Ed keeps pestering me on the phone, he’s just so bored” had raised another alarm in Ling’s head. He had then asked Mei if she had heard anything about Edward from Alphonse in their long-distance alkahestry studies, and she had said that yes, actually, because Al had remarked several times now that lately his older brother would rarely ask about his research, and wasn’t that weird.

So when Ed had mentioned that the preparations for the summer solstice festival in Resembool had begun, Ling had taken the excuse to go pay a long-due visit.

“And besides,” he had said on the phone, when an incredulous Ed had asked why the hell he was coming now, when as per Ling’s description the Emperor was so weak that a breeze could might as well kill him any day, “I’ll get to hear you play the instrument you’ve been telling me about, yes?”

Ling looked at his boyfriend now, and as he went on with the process of caring for his shawm—getting it ready to play in a few days at the village square—, he took in again how his features seemed somehow eroded, how his eyes glassed over without him even noticing. His hands were rough with work they hadn’t been accustomed to before he had traded away his alchemy, and his shoulders were broader than Ling had remembered, but they seemed less straight now—and not because the weight that he’d carried for so long was finally gone, but rather as if there was something else wearing him down.

“The offer to come live in Xing still stands.” He said finally, breaking the small silence. “It will always stand. You can come back with me this time, if you’d like.”

Ed’s hands stilled where they had been wiping down the excess oil with a grey cloth. He lifted his head to smile at him, gently, fondly, his eyes brimming with understanding of what exactly Ling was offering and why.

“Yeah, I know.” He looked out of the window. Ling didn’t need to turn his head to know that he was looking at the hill where the new version of his childhood home stood, still missing the roof. “But I… I don’t think I’m finished here yet.”

“I get it, but,” Ling started, and then bit his lip for a second, contemplating, “I’m not sure you actually need to stay here as long as you think you do.”

Ed blinked and turned to him with a slight frown. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that it may be starting to get counterproductive to take this much time, and that you need to get out again and do stuff.”

“I have been doing—” he began, but then realised that he was being purposefully obtuse and pursed his lips. “I’m just not done. I’m not leaving until—until Al is ready and our home is the way it used to be. I just. I need to do it like this.”

Ling stood up from the bed to go crouch at Edward’s feet. His hands came to rest where Ed’s still clutched the traditional wind instrument. He brushed his boyfriend’s knuckles with his thumbs and stared into his eyes, steadily, hoping to convey how much safety he wanted to mean. Ed’s eyes looked so deep, so sleep-less, not unlike those few weeks prior to Promised Day—more uncertain in some ways, although decidedly less scared.

“I understand, and I’ll be waiting either way, but just consider it. Coming with me, I mean. And don’t… don’t let it swallow you, okay?”

The corners of Ed’s lips turned up slightly.

“What do you think the shawm’s for?”

Ling smiled back. “I figured, yes.”

The summer solstice festival in Resembool was way less elaborate than the festivals back home (although, as a prince in a rich clan, his experience was pretty much based on grand celebrations in the rather large capital of province, so he had to admit a certain bias).

The entire town was gathered in the main square, waiting for the main event of the morning—the performance of regional dances—to begin. A few garlands here and there had been strung from balcony to balcony, and a stand of food and cold drink was sequestered in one of the few corners in the shade, beneath a huge oak tree. It was by far the most frequented spot, as the June heat bore down onto the square and people started to order their first cold beers of the day (“Half the town will be blackout drunk by the time of lighting up the bonfire, you’ll see,” Pinako had warned him merrily).

It was blindingly sunny and scorching in a way that made him feel like his skin was sizzling.

Resembool wasn’t that far from a desert but somehow he hadn’t expected the Amestrian summer to be this hot. He wondered how Lan Fan was faring, wearing all black and hidden away on some roof, as usual observing for any potential threat.

Next to him, Al was fanning himself while offering casual greetings to his neighbours as they passed by the bench he was sitting on. He looked good. He still needed a cane to walk—may always need it—but his face looked full and tan and he’d grown enough that he wasn’t that far from getting to Ling’s height, which was saying something. (Ed’s torn-up face about this, bitter but nonetheless happy for his little brother, was a delight to see.)

“Winry!” he shouted suddenly, standing up and waving his hand up in the air.

She seemed to appear out of nowhere from among the crowd, smiling and breathless as if she’d run straight from the station.

“I thought I wasn’t going to make it,” she huffed after greeting and hugging the both of them. “I swear to god, this week out of all weeks, we just had to be so swamped—where’s Ed? And Granny?”

“Granny’s with the patrons of the bar, like usual. Ed’s already with the other musicians,” answered Al. “Last minute preparations and all that. He’s opening the first song, did he tell you that?”

“No, but what else is new.” She cracked a grin. “Is he nervous?”

“Yeah, a bit.”

“I’m so excited! I haven’t listened to him play since we were nine. And back then I was too focused on not tripping over my feet to really listen.”

Ling hummed. “Ed mentioned that you used to dance in events like these. I’ve been meaning to ask how come you stopped.”

“Have you seen the outfits?”

“Not yet.”

“Then you’ll see why. It’s honestly a crime to make people dance under the sun, in summer, at noon while wearing that many layers.” Winry shrugged and shared a meaningful glance with Al, who was suddenly fiddling with the handle of his cane. “And also, well, I don’t really live here anymore.”

“Yeah,” sighed Alphonse. “It’s a bit… It feels weirdly too much like the past.”

Ling looked away. He kind of understood what they were talking about—he’d known it, when he had set foot back into the Yao palace and his mother had hugged him for the first time in nearly a year, and what he’d felt most keenly still was the lack of an ouroboros tattoo on his hand and the sensation that a piece of him had been left in Amestris. He’d seen it in Ed’s eyes a few days ago too, but he seemed to cling to the notion of something different while he struggled to heal.

The clock on the city hall struck noon and the people of Resembool made space in the middle of the square for the twelve dancers to walk into it, hands on their hips and one after the other in a single straight file, as they all took well-practiced positions. Winry was right. The women’s dresses seemed to have several layers of skirts, while the men wore long sleeves and trousers and nearly all black—and the fabric didn’t seem that light. Several of them already had a shiny sheen of sweat on their foreheads. But Ling’s amazement at the fact that these were summer dance outfits was swiftly ended as the musicians followed and took position at the edges of the crowd-made circle.

Hilariously, their outfits seemed far more weather appropriate, despite the fact that they wouldn’t be the ones engaging in extraneous physical activity. They even got to have knee-length trousers.

Edward stood by the fringes of the group as he took out the shawn from its leather case, which hung by a strap on his shoulder. He had (to Ling’s surprise and delight, because he usually only saw this in the mornings and bedtime and his boyfriend was so handsome like that) his hair down, beautiful and shiny like a beacon of gold. He wore a sleeveless white shirt under an embroidered black vest and a red sash around his waist and it just really, really suited him. Distantly, Ling thought of procuring a camera, because he didn’t think he would get to see his love wearing the Amestrian traditional musician clothes often.

Ed took a deep breath before bringing the shawm’s mouthpiece to his lips. He spared a glance towards the other five musicians, who nodded, and he closed his eyes as the first note filled the air and bounced off the buildings that formed Resembool’s main square.

For some reason, Ling was left bereft at the realisation that this was not a sad song. Of course it wasn’t—it was music to dance to, to celebrate the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer. Nevertheless, he was struck by the quick tempo and the flourishes of the melody, by the way in which the dancers sprung into motion, hands up and turning and jumping, and by how Ed started to tap his foot as another two wind instruments and the drums joined him.

Ling thought back to when he’d suggested that drums would suit Ed better and couldn’t for the life of him explain why he had ever thought it. He wasn’t a life-changing, world-turner performer, but it was clear that he’d grown knowing this instrument, like he’d grown knowing alchemy. This wasn’t the first time Ling had heard him play, since he’d listened to him practice the days leading up to the solstice, but there was a stark difference between the Rockbells’ kitchen and Resembool’s lively plaza. He screwed up a note or two; Ling could tell by the way he’d scrunch his nose and scowl and play the next few notes more forcefully, as if making up for his mistake. He was seventeen, and if one paid attention it was obvious that he lacked expertise next to the other, middle-aged shawm player by his right. But he was Edward Elric and he embodied everything he did, and this time in particular he seemed to be bolstered by something else, something akin to a certain type of nostalgia-tinted desperation, as if a scream was hidden in his fingers as they moved up and down the instrument.

Ling realised why he thought this was meant to be a sad music and why, in a roundabout way, despite the energy and the joy that went into it, it was.

He also realised that Ed wouldn’t be coming home with him this summer, but that it truly wouldn’t be long until he did.

At the end of the sixth song, the entire square shouted, “Happy Solstice Day!” and Ling was shaken out of his stupor. His eyes finally strayed from his boyfriend and he saw that the dancers were panting, drinking readily from water bottles that people from the crowd handed them.

Huh.

He kind of hadn’t been paying attention to the actual performance.

“That was really good!” Winry said, clapping. “I’m so proud.”

“He’s been practicing for months,” Al nodded.

Ed was busy being clapped in the back and getting his hair ruffled by the other musicians, so they made their way to him. He had barely noticed them when he already had Ling’s arms around his torso and was being lifted off the ground.

“Ah, fuck! Ling, put me down, you shithead—” he yelled, but he was laughing, and his hands on Ling’s shoulders weren’t pushing him away.

“If we weren’t dating, your musical talent surely would have seduced me, love,” he said into blond hair as he put his boyfriend down. He heard one of the musicians snort good-naturedly.

Ed leaned back to look him in the face and make sure that Ling could see the way he rolled his eyes, but he didn’t pull away from the embrace yet.

“Yeah, okay, I’m a sweaty siren playing folk music to lure the sailors to crash into the rocks.”

“You’re my siren.”

“Oh my god,” said a voice next to them.

Ed turned towards Winry and pointed an accusatory finger at her. “You’re worse with Paninya, don’t even try.”

“Untrue, Paninya isn’t nearly as cheesy as that. And neither am I. No offense, Ling.”

“None taken.”

Ed huffed while Alphonse burst out laughing, and soon after they were all in a fit. When they calmed down, Winry suggested to go find Granny Pinako and they set out towards the food stand under the oak tree.

Edward was still smiling when he let Ling take his hand.

“So, Al mentioned that at the bonfire tonight there’s also going to be music?”

“Yeah, but it’s an actual band that the mayor hired. It’s not folk or anything.”

“Will I get a dance, though?”

“Duh, as if you need to ask,” Ed said, deadpan, but there was a blush high on his cheeks.

Ling lifted their joined hands to kiss the back of Ed’s. “It really was nice, though.”

“Yeah?”

“Hm-mh. All your practicing here paid off. You’ll have to play privately for me again sometime.”

Ed looked into his eyes for a few seconds, then stood on his tip-toes to peck him on the lips.

“I’m really glad you came,” he murmured against his mouth. He squeezed his hand. “Now let’s go find Granny.”

#I struggled with this one I won't lie #anyways catch me with that cultural projection #si algún día traduzco esto al español va a ser to gracioso tener que escribir que edward elric toca la dulzaina #edling #edlingweek #edlingweek22 #edward elric #ling yao #fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood #fullmetal alchemist #fma #fmab #fma fanfic #my original post #jester writes a thing #fanfiction

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eliibang · 1 year

Text

➵ 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝟐𝟓𝟏𝟐, 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟎𝟐.

SUMMARY. Three years ago, the capital of South Korea plunged into horror, and no one could ever understand what happened. Jeon Jungkook, an intern in journalism, is in charge of this story. Will he be able to find the truth about what happened on that christmas night ?

PAIRING. kim taehyung x jeon jungkook. + bts [non idols]

WARNINGS. minor dni, +18 only — mention of blood, murders, insults, physical violence, verbal violence, detailed smut, unprotected sex, oral sex, betraying.

TAGS. @eunwhore , @sunboki , @spookysins , @lethallyprotected , @dipjria / comment or dm if you want to be in my tag list !

When Jungkook returned to his office, he was both excited and stressed. Interviewing Kim Taehyung was a challenge, it was almost impossible.

No journalist, even the most experienced, had been able to interview him, so it was truly a great opportunity for him to have this opportunity.

But he knew it wasn't easy, Taehyung could refuse to answer him at any time. It had been almost three years since the massacre, three years since Seoul City was completely misunderstood and awaited answers.

“So, Jungkook-ssi, how did the interview go with the terror of Seoul?” asked his manager, with an amused look, as he walked into the office.

He probably didn't expect Jungkook to succeed, just like the rest of his colleagues. And it's probably Taehyung's fault, for not answering until now, but Jungkook felt a little hurt when the silence appeared in the huge open office.

“Good, he said he'd answer my questions.”

As soon as the words had gone out of her lips, silence had taken place. He knew it wasn't his fault, that it wasn't a lack of confidence on the part of his new colleagues, but his ego had taken a hit.

No one ever thought they could make Seoul's terror speak, let alone Jungkook who only entered the business.

“And what is his explanation?” Asked the editor.

“The visit ended before he could say anything. He answered while setting up his things on his desk. But I have another visit with him in the late afternoon tomorrow. I think he'll tell me a little bit more.”

He smiled softly, while silence still prevailed. Jungkook was determined to know the truth, no matter how long and how many visits it would take him. He was certain, and Jungkook knew, that Taehyung wasn't going to tell him all of a sudden.

Gradually, the office resumed its normal state and the voices mixed in with each other, mixed with the sounds of keyboards and mice.

“Should we make an announcement? You know, to warn the public that Taehyung-ssi is willing to talk.”

The chief raised an eyebrow. “Taehyung-ssi, are you guys that close already? No, you better not. If he decides not to answer, it'll only stir them up and they'll think we lied if we don't give them answers.”

Jungkook nodded and finally sat at his desk. He took his time to write a first report on his visit with Taehyung, losing his mind several times.

He can’t understand how a man, who had everything for him, ended up committing such a horrible act. He was attractive, rich and loved, what could have caused him to kill his closest friends ?

What happened that night, what was the trigger, why and how did it come to the decision to commit not one, but two murders? These questions had been unanswered for almost three years, Jungkook hoped to finally be able to answer them and help grieving families.

On his side, Taehyung was laying on the bed of his cell with his arms crossed behind his head. He was thinking about his talk with Jungkook or rather, Jungkook. He was genuinely intrigued by this boy, his face was so angelic, and yet he had come to talk to the worst person Seoul has known in the last three years.

For a moment Taehyung thought of what he could tell him, that he could answer enough to explain his act; but he could not find any. He ruminated for a few moments, before he remembered old memories.

He layd there for a long time, thinking back to the past, to his friends, until the guard came to pick him up for dinner. From that point on, he didn't think about Jungkook and his visit, or even about his friends and his slaughter.

The next day, Jungkook mentally prepared himself for his interview with Taehyung. On one hand, he was stressed that he wouldn’t have an answer because Taehyung was considered unpredictable, but on the other hand, he grasped the answer Taehyung was going to give him.

He was so stressed, he got ready in a hurry. He forgot his glasses and didn't even button his shirt up. Taehyung thought it was pretty cute and he didn't miss to point out. He had fun watching Jungkook turn all red, while he buttoned his shirt and put his hair back in place.

“ You seem stressed to me, Jungkook-ah. He put on a smile in the corner of his lips. Don't be, it's just me.”

Exactly. Jungkook thought.

Of course, they had professional interactions in the past because Jungkook was a photographer and Taehyung actor, but it was always very brief.

“I'm not stressed. He's lying. I'm just looking forward to the details.”

And it was true in a way, but it still made Jungkook anxious. Taehyung wasn't judged crazy, otherwise they would have committed him. He had his whole head and he knew exactly what he had done.

However, unlike some serial killers — couldn't it be said that he was one? — he hadn't focused on the details, he never bragged that he had killed, let alone several people in one evening, in less than ten minutes.

“What do you want to know, Jungkook-ah?”

Taehyung was playing and Jungkook knew it. But this time, he took more confidence than the day before.

“I want to know why you killed your friends, Taehyung-ssi.”

Taehyung stood silent for a moment, staring Jungkook right in the eye. Then he moistened his lips before moving his upper body closer to Jungkook, delivered at the table.

“Well, that's a pretty complex question I can't answer you, Jungkook-ah.”

Jungkook stood on his ass, he should have known Taehyung was making it work. He had believed it, but on second thought, why would he answer to him? He was nothing special and far less experienced than the reporters who tried to interview Taehyung.

Jungkook's look was a mixture of anger and disappointment now and Taehyung could feel it. He finally went to his chair and waited for any reaction from the youngest. She was coming soon.

“Well, I guess I should have known. I should note that the accused does not wish to argue, unless you want to say something?”

“You didn't ask me why.”

Jungkook frowned. “Why what?”

“Why I can’t answer you.” Taehyung insisted that he couldn't answer, not that he didn't want to.

“Well, Taehyung-ssi, why can't you give me a reason for your act?”

“Because I don't have any. I have no valid reason for doing what I do. Not that anything justifies murder, but, in my case, there was no triggering event that made me do what I did.”

Jungkook stood on his ass, he didn't expect that. How could anyone kill in cold blood for no reason? Not that killing someone could be justifiable, but for no reason? There's something really wrong with him.

“What do you mean, you have no reason ? There must be something that made you commit this crime?”

“No, there is not. He looked down before he raised his head and smiled softly. But maybe I should start at the beginning, right?”

Jungkook nodded, and Taehyung moistened his lips before starting his story.

“I should start with my meeting with Jay, so you can understand how I met them all, and what happened.”

as said in the plot before, this fanfiction is also on wattpad, but in french. since i’m native french here is the link if you want to take a look ! i hope you liked it, i know it’s kinda different of all the fairies and butterflies fluff stories but i really hope you will get interest in it !! i’m looking forward your reactions and thoughts !!♡

#bts #bangtan #bts imagines #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook

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