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rickybowensfever · 3 years

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Sicktember - Zach has a headache

Another @sicktember post! Today’s story is with my oc’s Kylie and Zach.

Prompts:

Blankets

Medicine

Missing Out

Headache

Fever

Zach and Kylie are in the last week of summer before their senior year of high school and want to make every minute count. So, when Zach arrives at Kylie’s family’s End of the Summer BBQ looking flushed and develops a headache, Kylie drops everything to take care of him.

Zach swings by the kitchen where his sister, Emily is garnishing her avocado toast — a sprinkle of paprika, an egg over easy — before taking the right Instagram photo to share with her friends.

“‘Morning!” Zach croaks, startled by the sound of his voice. Must just be my morning voice he tries to convince himself.

He grabs a glass from the wooden cabinet nearest to the refrigerator and pours a glass of orange juice for himself before finding a quick breakfast.

His eyes grow wide when he sees a white plate with four pieces of bacon lying on it. He quickly takes piece by piece until only one remains on the plate.

“Zach!!” Emily exclaimed, her eyes raised and face scrunched in annoyance.

“Those were for Mom!” she explains, holding a hand on her hip.

“Sorry…” he mutters, “That would’ve been nice to know before, you know” he gestures his hands to the plate of bacon, pouting his lip.

“Ugh, it’s fine. I can just make more”

“Sorry, I have to be at Kylie’s soon for their barbeque and I totally woke up late,” he says trying to justify his actions.

“Oh, nice! I’m going to try and stop by later with Kara” she half-smiles. Emily has been seeing a girl named Kara for over a month now since they met at her summer job as a school nurse at a summer day camp. Emily’s first job since she graduated from Med School.

Zach touched his Home screen button to reveal the time, 12:48 PM with five unread messages from Kylie probably asking him where he was.

“Fuck. I better go” Zach said, panicked. He had been up late watching Netflix aimlessly and his throat was sore. He had tried everything: tea and honey, gargling with salt water, and honey-flavored cough drops. Nothing was curing the aching in his throat.

Finally, around 2 am, he was able to fall asleep thanks to some NyQuil.

But, he was deeply regretting his decisions when he woke up at 11:45 am after Kylie told him to get to her house at 12.

Luckily, the pain in his throat had hindered. Please, don’t do this to me again, he said into his mirror as he pulled on a blue t-shirt and khaki shorts.

Zach pulled into the Daniels’ driveway which was beginning to pack up with cars. As he parked his car, Kylie’s brother, Blake ran over to him waving his arms around in excitement.

Blake was a year younger than Kylie and Zach, playing in a band with some of his high school friends.

“Yo! You playing tonight?” Zach asked as he got out of the car to greet him with a handshake.

Blake laughed, “Nah. I got out of that tonight. One of my bandmates is taking their brother to college,” he said.

Blake escorted Zach to the back gate where their ingrown pool was fenced in and the party was brewing. Kylie waved to her boyfriend the minute she saw him. She wore an ombre purple bikini top with denim shorts and flip-flops, pulling out pool noodles for the kids to play with.

Zach smiled, walking over to her, greeting her younger cousins. He pulled her in for a kiss on the cheek.

“Do you have any water?” he asked feeling dehydrated.

Kylie perked up, turning her head toward him.

“Yeah! Right in the blue cooler”, she mentioned, throwing a couple of pool noodles into the pool at the kids. The kids screamed with excitement, one laying on their stomach and the others blowing water out the trunk of the noodle. Kylie giggled.

Zach pulled a cold water bottle out of the cooler and sighed out of relief. Suddenly, he felt light-headed and super thirsty. He chugged the water bottle until only drops of water remained.

“Let’s go inside. My mom still needs help getting everything set up” she mentioned.

Zach nodded, following her lead.

Kylie closed the gate over and started heading into the house.

When they walked into the Daniels’ home, Zach was immediately greeted by her family members.

“Zach! Nice to see ya,” Uncle Tim said. Zach nodded waving at him. “I’ll be right back, you chat” Kylie whispered in his ear.

Zach shrugged. “Ready for senior year? Do you have any colleges picked out?” Aunt Michelle (Tim’s wife) asked.

Zach dreaded this question. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

“Uh, I’m going to community college, actually,” he said, confidently.

“Oh,” they said in unison. Zach was so used to hearing the disappointment in their voices when he told any adult he wasn’t going the “traditional” route for college.

Why was it so bad that he’d rather save money and figure out what he actually wanted to do instead of contributing to being in crippling debt from student loans? His sister had done the same thing and now, she landed a job as a school nurse. When he figured out whatever the hell he wanted to do in life, he would be successful, too.

“Yeah! Trying to save money” he said smiling at them. This was his cue to walk away. He walked over to the sectional in the living room across from the kitchen where the TV was playing a re-run of a Food Network competition.

Once the winner was revealed and another episode started, Zach looked around for his girlfriend. The chatter of Kylie’s loud relatives made his head start to hurt and fatigue set in.

His eyes lit up when he saw a hint of purple and his girlfriend bringing in a folded chair for an elderly woman to sit in. He ran over to Kylie as soon as he saw her.

“Hey. Can I go lay down in your room? I have a headache” he said, talking low so no one could hear him.

“Sure. Do you want some Advil?” she asked, pouting her lip with concern, “You look a little flushed” she mentioned.

Zach nodded, “Yeah, that’d be great” and jogged up the stairs turning a corner in the hallway to enter her room.

The noise died down as he closed the door. Now only hints of loud voices were in the distance. Zach grabbed a fuzzy blanket from a wicker basket and lied on top of her dark purple comforter, closing his eyes as his head pounded.

Then, the door opened.

Kylie rubbed his back saying, “Hey, I brought some water and Advil”

Zach opened his eyes and grabbed the two pink tablets from her hand, chasing them with the water.

“A nap might help? You look exhausted” she said brushing her hand through his soft brown hair.

He nodded, “Thanks” and curled back into his position. A shiver went through his body. Making Kylie now more concerned.

“Do you feel okay? Besides the headache?” she asked quietly.

“Mhmm” Zach mumbled. “Alright, I’ll check in later, or come and get me if you’re feeling better,” she said, closing her door over.

Zach woke up an hour later, feeling cold, his throat burning, and his head pounding more than earlier. He groaned. He could just go home and rest, but driving felt impossible.

He laid in the bed trying to muster up some strength to send Kylie a text. He waited, counted to five in his head, and slowly picked his body up.

Z: come here pls i need u

K: coming!

He threw his phone down and curled back up in his position. Shivering under the one blanket from earlier.

The door opened and Kylie quietly walked.

“Hey, everything okay?” she asked, calmly.

Zach opened his eyes seeing she changed into a Lakewood University shirt - the college she was most eager to attend.

“Need to go home. Can’t drive” he muttered.

“Aw, what’s wrong?” she asked, worried.

“Everything,” he said, his voice raspy. “I just need to go”

Zach groaned. “Babe, you can stay here. I don’t mind. I know you don’t feel well” she offered.

He was silent.

Kylie held in a laugh, resting the back of her hand on his forehead. “I think you have a fever,” she said frowning.

“Why don’t you stay here until you’re feeling a little better? Then, I’ll drive you home” she suggested. “Your sister and your mom are already here, so I don’t think anyone would even be at your house”

“Okay,” he mumbled.

“Let me get you some medicine and see if you have a fever,” she said, running out to the hallway closet where the Daniel’s stored their medicine.

Kylie returned to the room with a bottle of Tylenol and a digital thermometer.

“I’m sorry, but I need you to get up. Please”

Zach slowly, painfully got up and looked at his girlfriend.

Kylie frowned at his glassy eyes and pink cheeks.

“This should help relieve your symptoms for a bit,” she said gesturing to the pink bottle.

Zach just looked at her. He looked exhausted, she thought.

She poured the liquid into a plastic measuring cup and handed it over to him. Zach took a big gulp of the medicine, wincing from the taste.

“It’ll make you feel so much better. I promise” she said smiling softly, then grabbing the digital thermometer.

“Next,” she said holding the thermometer in the air. Zach opened his mouth, letting the instrument rest under his tongue.

“I’ll get some more blankets while we wait,” she said softly.

Even though he felt like utter shit, Zach was so grateful for Kylie. She would drop anything for him, even their family’s annual barbeque. Even before they made things official, as just friends, she was still always there for him.

Beep. Finally, the thermometer beeped as she held two blankets in her arms.

She placed the blankets on the bed as Zach lied on his back with the blanket she gave him earlier.

Kylie took the instrument out of her boyfriend’s mouth and read it. “Okay, you probably just have a bad cold. Nothing we can’t fix! And, you have a little fever, but the medicine should help with that ” she explained.

Zach grabbed the blankets at the end of the bed, ignoring whatever she was saying.

“Zach? Are you listening to me?” she asked noticing her boyfriend’s extra blanket.

He placed the blanket on top of the other and sighed out of relief.

“Sorry, what did you say?” he asked.

Kylie sighed. “I said, you have a little fever. But I think you just have a bad cold. Nothing we can’t fix”

Zach nodded, feeling warmth under the blankets. “Sorry. I really was looking forward to today” he muttered.

“Oh, don’t even worry! We had a great summer, anyway. Now, let’s get you better” she said kissing him on the forehead.

See more of Zach and Kylie!

LOVE SICK

#Zach and kylie #my ocs #sickfic #my sickfics #sicktember #sicktember my ocs #headache sickfic #zach has a cold #sicktember 2021

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fairytsuk1 · 4 years

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my heart weeps for you. (a)

pairing: izuku midoriya x reader

genre: angst

warning: graphic descriptions of injuries, character death

words: 3.1k

summary: please find me in my next life so I can properly tell you that I love you!

a/n: this is a long emotional one, please enjoy it :)

Midoriya used to think that he'd only ever felt genuine sorrow in his life the day his mentor, father, and a love of his passed away.

"I'm so proud of you, Young Midoriya...I suppose you aren't so young anymore, are you?" his hand rested atop his poofy hair, Toshinori could almost see him when he was much younger. When his embraces still had the familiar teenage gentleness behind them, he'd grown up so much, "I am proud of you. To know that you are my successor is the greatest gift you could have ever given me."

Midoriya had watched Toshinori take his final breaths after he proudly exhaled those three long-lasting words. He didn't cry then. Only when he was lost in the coldness of his bedsheets did his heart weep from anguish as though he had lost a part of himself. He hated the sky and the way it shone so brightly because he would never get to see All Might look up at it once more before smiling.

The world looked at the number one hero as a symbol of peace and that he was! He saved the day as Deku with a small pin of his former mentor near his breast, a constant reminder that he was always with him. Grief lasted what felt like forever, but every day things grew just a bit easier. Only, his biggest regret was that Toshinori Yagi had never gotten to meet you. He would have loved you. It seemed that people who had changed Izuku's life could never coexist. It was if life was trying to tell him something.

In the end, it's just you.

The next time he felt genuine sorrow was on a day bright like the one before. Though the pain wasn't because of how alone he felt or how much he missed those who had passed...No, he felt the wave of sorrow overtake him the moment you'd died in his arms. Unlike last time, he wept. His heart cried out for you even when he chose not to think about it. It wept his entire life, for he was never able to find the same type of love ever again.

"Deku! It's me, Signal, I'm sorry I'm late! The train was packed! This lady asked for help retrieving her cat, and I just couldn't say no in my hero get-up! But I am truly honored to be your sidekick. I will do my best for our newfound team!"

You were young and bright and so colorful. Your hero outfit was a pure white and gave you this sense of innocence, but the red rings gave you a bold and courageous aura. You looked more like an angel rather than a hero. He didn't prefer the traditional cliches when it came to romance, but he couldn't help but feel shocked when suddenly things seemed brighter around him. You made things seem brighter.

"Huh?! It's no trouble at all! Really, don't worry about it! That was great for you to do, you're gonna have everyone's vote in the popularity poll if you keep it up. Ready for patrol?"

You reached into your bag and grabbed a clunky helmet with a black shaded screen, it covered your face. Midoriya felt a frown tug his lips before scolding himself. Why are you frowning at her costume? You haven't known her well enough to be upset by how she looks! Later, he would grin in happy remembrance when he had gone to visit your grave. He hadn't frowned because he thought you were ugly, he'd frowned because he thought you were beautiful.

You talked a lot, mostly about the latest things in pop-culture and anything to do with animals. You seemed to be really into music and saving stray dogs. You also tended to ramble about the mundane things in life like blue-spotted pigeons or plump old ladies offering homemade churros. You also ate with your helmet on, and it made you look pretty silly. He couldn't stop himself from grinning every time you turned your whole body to talk to him. You never knew what he was smiling at.

"Okay, watch this!" he watched you intently while sitting on the park bench, he didn't want to ask what exactly he was supposed to be seeing and had no idea if there was supposed to be anything at all.

"Um-haha! I don't see anything--"

Neon pink. A blushing emoticon with small letters appearing under it.

"Signal loves Deku!"

It was like he could hear Mina's words saying that when he blushed, he looked like a firetruck. He was sure he looked like a million firetrucks right then.

"It's true! I'm a big fan and I've always dreamed of being near you! It's like a confession towards your senpai! Have you ever seen those types of anime? It's usually done better in the manga, but I like the romantic connotations either way. Pretty cool, right? During a stressful mission, I thought it might be better to display messages so people would know it's okay while I'm still kicking ass! Also-"

He laughed so sweetly that it felt like drinking honey and milk. He'd never heard of displaying messages like that, it was different! But it was a good type of different, a uniqueness that made you stand out. It was weird how he had only briefly met you once under the cherry blossom trees when it felt like he'd known you forever. He had only first seen you in your third-year school sports festival at his Alma Mater, but it felt like he'd been with you before. Your energy felt so familiar, and you felt so warm. He chalked it up to your infectious bubbly personality, but he had no idea how deep your energy truly ran.

His sidekick Signal gave him a rush he had never felt before. You were sweet, but your quirk was terrific and incredibly powerful, you could sense civilians and give out concentrated waves of vibrations to either alert heroes or ward off villains. The two of you worked like a well-oiled machine because when he punched? You rescued. When you signaled? He arrived. When you both started? You both finished.

"Hey, Deku? Did you know that I love spicy pork ramen?"

"Is this your way of telling me we should get ramen?"

"...No."

"Let's go then! I'll pay since I am the older one, of course," he grinned back at you, "let's get going short-stuff!"

"I'm average!! We've been over this before you bozo!"

It wasn't a date, it was just dinner after work. No biggie. Midoriya didn't need to fix his hair when he walked past the department stores' glass, and he didn't need to nervously look away from your eyes when you spoke with such intensity.

"Am I too young for you?"

His beer sputtered out from his lips like a faucet; quickly, he began to mumble apologies as the brown liquid was wiped away from the table and his chin, "young?! What do you mean too young?!"

"It's just as I said! I'm only nineteen and you' re-gosh-like twenty-five? No, twenty-six! Am I too young for you?"

"Hey!! I'm only twenty-three! I'm not some old geezer or a pervert or something!! ... You're just fine but...dating looks problematic, so we should just avoid it. Especially for your future career because of power dynamics and stuff."

"Dating? I was talking about being a sidekick."

"W-What?!"

You tossed your head back and barked out a laugh as you blatantly made fun of him, "I'm just messing with you! I meant what I said. If it's so problematic, then please wait for me!"

It had only been six months since he'd met you under a bright blue sky with one wispy cloud floating in it. It had been only a year since he first saw you on his tablet with the most radiant smile on your face even though you'd lost to your opponent.

It had only been six months since he had properly gotten to know you, and it was at this moment he could confidently tell himself that he loved you. Even with that clunky helmet.

"Okay, I'll wait for you. But you better not make me wait too long! Who knows what'll happen?"

He wished he wouldn't have jinxed it.

Red was a fantastic color on you and you knew it. It was merely coincidental that it matched his tie and the two of you looked like a couple. The whispers and comments weren't malicious, they were just curious. Who was Deku toting on his arm? Why did they look so compatible? At first, your curious eyes wandered all over the Pro-Hero Praise Party. (It has an official name, but after hearing your joyful excitement of being able to attend a "Praise Party," it just stuck.). You took it all in before glancing back at him with an open mouth of awe.

"So, are the snacks any good?"

Of course you were amazed. After shrugging in response to your question, Midoriya watched you quickly run off to chat with some of the girls, Uravity and Froppy. You were weird if he was going to be honest, you had this childlike excitement that followed you wherever you went but at the same time...you had a presence. It was commanding, demanding, and it called everyone to pay attention to you. You shone so brightly that it stuck to people's hearts like superglue; walking away almost made his vision go blurry because oh my god, please don't let that force be taken away from me.

You always came running back though. When things began to get a bit more intense with flirtatious comments or lots of alcohol, you were always there to seek comfort. With your exuberant nature came his calming one. You two fit together like two peas in a pod.

"Izuku? I have to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

"I...I had a good time! Thank you for bringing me as your plus one to the party!"

He raised a brow in confusion as the two of you stood outside your apartment complex.

"Oh! I had a good time too! We should go to more, it's fun with you," was that coming on a bit too strong? Is that creepy ?! "I--"

Soft lips on his cheek, you had to go up a step because he was just that much taller than you. The gloss made it a bit sticky but you pulled away with a heart-shaped smile.

"Pervert! You're blushing!"

"You're the weird one! Didn't your parents ever teach you not to fool around with older people??"

"Psh, don't pull the 'I'm your senior' schtick!! I heard enough about it from Mr. Ground Zero!..."

He smiled and stepped down, letting a hand squeeze your shoulder. He didn't want to make you uncomfortable with too much affection.

"Well...Big day tomorrow, I'm going to jump right into bed!"

"Got it! Me too! See you later, and thank you. F-For the kiss."

You grinned, your teeth nearly blinding him as you squeezed his hand before turning to go into the complex.

"Also, that hand move was a little weird. Just hug me next time! There!" You stuck your tongue out and hummed, "romantic advice from someone younger than you! Suck it!"

That night, he lay in bed, wishing you were there with him. You two could lie together or watch movies or do anything, really. He just wanted to be close to you. He liked being close to you.

You lie curled up on your side, eyes wide as the heat from your previous action coursed through your veins. Hands lightly rubbed the frilly fabric of the pillow before you squeezed your eyelids shut. Oh, how much you wished the warmth was his and not the space heater near your bed.

SEND DISPATCH OUT! DEKU AND SIGNAL ARE UNRESPONSIVE! NO WORD FROM INSIDE THE BUILDING, WE NEED SOMEONE TO LIFT THE PILLARS!

Dust and crumbled roof fell onto Midoriya's face as he coughed and took in a deep inhale, the fall must've been bad considering the next cough brought up blood. Broken ribs? For sure, he'd broken enough bones to know that the affected area had been his ribs. He was just lucky enough that his hero costume provided enough support to keep him from having anything too serious. Well, he supposed broken bones were still pretty serious...his mind's wandering. Focus on the task at hand.

"Signal? Are you there?" Silence. He wheezed and moved away from the dust waterfall. It was a small area and...he could see the white of your costume easily! Hey! "Y/N! Oh, why didn't you say anything…"

The words died in his throat. Red had pooled around you and a pillar lie where your midsection would be. Your helmet had cracked, and the screen was glitching between various emoticon faces. You lie still and stiff with your hair in your face.

"Izuku?..."

"Don't speak! Don't do anything! I'm gonna get this pillar off of you, and then I'm going to get you some help. Can you say okay?"

"Kay...It doesn't hurt too bad…"

He didn't respond as he leaped over the pillar to see the damage that had been done and how easily he could lift the object. He felt like vomiting when his feet landed on the bone in your ankle. It should've hurt badly with his steel-toed shoes and all, but you made no noise. He glanced back in concern before crouching down and examining your leg.

"You're taking so long, I'm tired…"

"...Can you...can you move your leg?"

"What do you mean? They were crushed, can't feel 'em at all."

If he pulled on your leg, the muscle and tendons would be exposed like red string and yarn. The blood would pool out of your thigh and further stain the concrete. The pillar that came crashing down had caught you on the way down, severing your spine when it hit the ground. If he lifted this pillar, your guts would spill out, and you would bleed out, and you'd be dead and holy fuck there's so much blood--

You sniffled, you had figured it out too.

"I can't feel them, Izuku, please, where are my legs?!"

"They're...Well…"

"It's fucking, oh my god, they're not there. Izuku, am I going to die!? I can get surgery, right? I'll be fine!" You breathed heavily and began to squirm around, "I can still be a hero! I-I'm still a sidekick! It's fine, right?!"

"Please stop moving…" The chip in his ear buzzed loudly though all he could feel and hear was static. He felt paralyzed, what could he do? His favorite girl lies in two pieces because a building happened to collapse, "I'm coming back over there."

You'd begun to cry in earnest, fat tears rolled down your cheeks as your arms beat down on the pillar.

"Stop! I'm fine! Deku! Just pull this fucking thing off of me! I'm fine !" You screamed out in fear, "Please!"

He knelt down and cradled your head with his arms, he smelled like sweat and the rainforest. He felt his eyes well, he was hardly able to blink the tears back. Your voice wavered as you asked the dreaded question. It was much softer this time.

"Will I die?"

How do you tell someone they will die no matter what happens? The silence hung poignant in the air as the distant sound of sirens blared as background noise.

"I'm so sorry! It's my fault! I should've grabbed you when I had the chance!"

"Shut up. Don't think like that. Don't say something like that!! How could it be your fault when a villain attacked this building? It wasn't you, was it?"

Your arm reached up to his face and cupped his cheek, your eyes memorizing every green swirl and every eyelash. There was no time to ponder on what to say, the sirens grew closer. You didn't have time to think about how scary death was or what would come when it was all over. The pillar was going to be lifted soon, and then you'd be gone.

"I'm sorry, Izuku. To leave you this way... I'm so sorry," the words felt like arrows in his heart. So final and spoken so softly. Like you'd already made up your mind, how could you make up your mind in a time like this?!

"You're not gonna leave; if I activate my quirk, I can race you to the medics in thirty seconds, maybe twenty. That's our plan, okay? And then I can--"

"I love you."

"Stop it! Stop saying things like you're ready to go! You aren't! I'm not! Just stop!"

"I love you."

"Please, I'm not ready...Please keep living with me, I just want to be with you!" He clenched his fist as tears freely fell onto your cheeks, mixing with your own, "This won't be your last time saying this, I promise! Just let me…"

You smiled, no teeth this time. Just your lips curving upwards.

"Don't leave me…"

"I love you!" It was merely a whisper this time.

The rock near them was blown away, surely by someone's quirk. But all he could see was your smile and your kind but sorrowful eyes.

"I'm sorry I made you wait so long. I love you, Izuku."

The lump in his throat ached as he smiled and took your hand off his cheek, interlacing the fingers together. The other free hand came to push the hair out of your face. Would he say it?

He stared down at the red and white headstone, custom made. It even had your aura with the bright flowers adorning the soft patch of grass in front of it. He knelt down, leaving red and white roses. He supposed red should be an awful color, having seen you drenched in it in your final moments. But whenever he thought of red, he just remembered those rings that made you look so bright. That dress that made you look so beautiful. The lips that often smiled at him. The love you two had shared.

"I'm sorry I couldn't say it then. But I hope you knew that I loved you too."

It was another day of bright blue skies with fluffy clouds and warm wind. He guessed that All Might would have been enjoying a nice cup of tea while he reminisced. As for you, he assumed you'd be out there saving cats and dogs while accepting churros from strangers.

It was one of the many bright blue-skied days, but one of the first without you.

#midoriya izuku #izuku x you #izuku x reader #bnha midoriya #midoriya angst #midoriya x you #bnha #bnha angst #bnha x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #izuku midoriya angst #boku no hero academia #my hero academia x reader #my hero academia imagines #my hero academia #boku no hero imagines

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xmagicxshopx · 4 years

Text

Rush Hour Pt 1

Genre: Action Adventure, Angst, Romance, Comedy Rating: PG-13 - M Warnings: drug trafficking, human trafficking, language, smut (in pt 2) Pairing: officer!jungkook x reader , officer!taehyung x oc (Nari) Notes: AU fic. Not idol!bts. Single quote marks ‘ ‘ are for thoughts and double “ “ are for talking. Additional Notes: Thank all the crime shows my parents watch for this. XD Not to mention I love the Rush Hour movies. @u@

Tagging: @grxnadxs

Summary: You and your best friend are being framed for a crime you didn’t commit and there’s only two people who believe you. Agent Inspector Jeon of the Busan Police Department and Detective Kim of the Daegu Police Department. Can they rescue you before it’s too late?

MASTERLIST

Organized Crime.

South Korea’s biggest enemy.

Financial fraud, drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human trafficking. It was all because of organized crime and it made the police departments absolutely sick. A beast they couldn’t contain, let alone kill. Drugs were their biggest problem, really. And what drugs couldn’t produce in real cash flow, fake won made up for it. Sickening. Absolutely sickening.

“Detective Kim---Agent Inspector Jeon has arrived.”

Having been standing there watching the city with his steaming mug of hot chocolate because he’s not a coffee drinker, he simply turned his head to the officer-in-training and smiled a friendly smile before nodding his head and saying casually,

“Let the asshole in.”

“Hey, I heard that, asshat!”

Detective Kim, more commonly known as Kim Taehyung, just laughed as he set his mug down to greet one of his best friends and favorite partners in law enforcement. Walking through the door was one chuckling Jeon Jungkook, otherwise known as Agent Inspector Jeon. After performing their super secret handshake, the both of them took a seat in which Jeon sighed heavily.

“They briefed me on the situation. One of them is from Busan so they sent me over. It’s a pretty ugly case. This organization seems to have quite the record.”

“No kidding. Drug and human trafficking?? Disgusting. Makes me sick.”

Jungkook watched his older bestie tossing the folder full of files onto his desk and he couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Kim Taehyung was a good man. An honest and traditional man. Someone who one day wanted to settle down and have a family. A wife and kids. He cherished his fellow human beings so human trafficking always hit harder for him than anything else.

“Hey. We’ll catch them, hyung. They’re going to slip up and that’s when they’ll hang themselves with their own rope. In fact, it sounds like they might already have. It says they’re on the run. Armed and dangerous. But we’re more dangerous. Besides....”

Kim looked away from the window once more to see what his younger friend might be trying to say. The sight before him made the male snort and shake his blonde head in amusement. Jeon Jungkook had since stood up from his seat and was standing in a fighting position while saying with confidence that only he could pull off,

“I’ve been taking boxing lessons. These dirt bags won’t see me coming.”

“Whatever you say, Jeon. Whatever you say.”

Meanwhile, on a train heading out of Daegu.....

“I’m scared....”

You could hardly hear your best friend and honestly you couldn’t blame her. Both of your voices were hoarse from the lack of hydration. The first thing you’d do once getting to the next town would be trying to buy some bottles of water. Your tongue felt like sandpaper. Trying your best to comfort the female next to you, you simply reeled her in and let her head rest on your shoulder.

Criminals.

In the eye of the public, that’s what you were.

The world knew you both as criminals but the world couldn’t be farther from the truth. You two were just a pair of best friends who had found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Simple on paper but oh-so complicated in all actuality. With an internal sigh, you gently stroked your best friend’s raven locks as you spoke up softly,

“It’s going to be okay, Nari. I’m going to take care of us. Just stick with me and everything will be fine.”

Nari, your best friend of four years, nodded gently against your shoulder as she shifted a little closer in the bus seat the two of you were sharing. Honestly, the two of you weren’t used to the silence of the bus. The life you both had been living for the last four months was anything but silent. Guns, violence, moving from home to home. It was all so chaotic.

Human trafficking.

You were no longer considered a person. No. You and your best friend had become objects to be used by scum bags who called themselves men. To be used as they saw fit. Whether it be as a cover-up for a smuggling operation or to release sexual frustration, you were no longer considered a human being. It may have only been for four months, but it’s been the longest four months of your lives.

“Once we get off the bus, I’ll get us a hotel room, okay? I managed to knock the one guy out and grab his wallet. Let’s just hope this won is legit and not fake. Otherwise we’re screwed.”

You didn’t want to scare Nari, but you had to be realistic too. The situation was not pretty but you were going to do your very best to make this as easy for her as possible. Your best friend was a soft and sensitive soul so naturally this was extremely hard on her. Not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. The physical scars would heal, but the mental and emotional? That was a whole other ballgame.

“Let’s get off here. Surely there’s a hotel or motel near by. If not, we can always ask around.”

Back at the Daegu Police Department....

“Okay. So your prime suspects are two females, both in their 20s and South Korean natives. Squeaky clean criminal records. Not even a parking violation.”

Both Taehyung and Jungkook found themselves sporting identical expressions of confusion as their eyebrows knitted together. While the younger of the two was staring at the huge TV screen that had the suspects’ passport photos on display, Taehyung was looking through each of their files and couldn’t believe his eyes.

“The one was going to school to be a kindergarten teacher with a minor in journalism while the other has an online degree in Police Science and has taken several self-defense classes.”

While the blonde detective was rattling off more information from the files, Min Yoongi who was Daegu’s Intelligence Analyst was bringing up those very same records up on the screen for Jungkook to look over as well. Dang. It was hard to believe these girls were their prime suspects.

“The files go on to say the university student, Nari, was currently shadowing a kindergarten class when she went missing four months ago. The Police Science graduate was currently working at a cafe in Busan when she too went missing four months ago.”

“So they were together when they went missing?”

Just as Yoongi and Taehyung were about to wager a guess to the younger’s question, a new voice entered the room as a young man that went by the name of Jung Hoseok strolled in. Hoseok, or otherwise known as Hobi, was a Forensic Psychologist and had been brought it to try and figure out why two girls with absolutely no prior criminal records would be suspects in one of South Korea’s largest drug trafficking ring.

“Possibly. According to their records, they live at the same address. An apartment building on the shadier side of town. Judging from their day jobs, I would say it was all they could afford. The Busan girl commutes.”

Jungkook turned around to look at the older males with his hands stuffed in his pockets, expression pensive as he stood there in deep thought before asking out loud,

“So maybe they did it for the money?”

With a casual shrug, Hoseok looked to the TV screen where the records and photos were on display. It just didn’t add up to him. He had dealt with a lot of cases and in all his years of forensic psychology, he had never seen anything quite like this. But then again.....

“It’s not uncommon for financial stress to drive a person to commit crime. For now, they’re probably going to be your only suspects. They were seen on the storefront’s security footage with the bag as they fled the scene. Looks like it was a deal gone South.”

It was then that Yoongi pressed a button on his tablet and brought up the exact footage Hobi was referring to. The four young men watched as the two female suspects approached two men who were twice their size. Again. It didn’t make sense to Hobi. This was a professional ring. Why would a ring leader who was supposedly one of the smartest men in crime......be sending in two puny girls in their 20s to perform a hand-off???

“Looks like the one put her self defense lessons to good use. But she’s lucky neither one of them got shot.”

While Yoongi spoke in his usual calm tone, the rest of the boys watched on as the footage soon revealed the spat that took place. One man was knocked out and Taehyung could see one of the girls swiping his wallet. The last few seconds of the recording was of the girls running off while leaving the bag behind. The bag was then taken by the two men who ran in the opposite direction. Dang.

“Okay, Hobi hyung. Put your brain to work. Why would those girls try to fight when they were just going to let them have the drugs anyway? What’s the purpose here? The only crimes they committed were assault and stealing a dirt bag’s wallet.”

The psychologist took a moment to consider the young inspector’s questions. Yes. What was the purpose of the whole transaction??? All the girls got away with was a wallet and who knows if it had any actual won in it. Even if it did, the odds of the won being legit were slim to none. Still......it wasn’t adding up......there was more to this story here. That’s for sure. It was then that Taehyung spoke up as he said in an authoritative tone,

“Okay. Jeon---call in Jimin from your guys’ Busan department and have him interview the cafe manager and the staff. You and I are gonna take a trip to the kindergarten class Nari was shadowing and see if the teacher might have any insight. Maybe they got close while working together.”

He then turned to the older males in the room and added in the same tone but with more softness and naturally more respect,

“Yoongi hyung, if you can get me any further footage, maybe even some traffic cams, I’d greatly appreciate it. Maybe we can track down where they ran off to. Hobi hyung, try to take a closer look at the footage we already have. Maybe you can spot something we aren’t looking at. See if you guys can enhance the video any. Get a closer look.”

With that, the four men went to work. Innocent or not, these two women needed to be found because they could be the key to bringing down the largest drug trafficking ring in South Korea.

“There’s a convenience store. Want to grab some supplies and food and then find a place to stay?”

After receiving a timid nod from Nari, you offered her a warm smile and gently tugged her along as the two of you headed into the store. There was plenty of won in the wallet you had swiped so thankfully they could afford the necessities without having to skimp. Shampoo, body wash, water, and food. Pretty simple. Well maybe some toothbrushes and paste as well. The two of you felt absolutely disgusting and probably looked just as much.

The hotel room would probably have little bottles of shampoo and body wash, but you planned to douse yourselves in both. Now that you got to thinking about it, both of your hair looked like rats nests. Comb and brush. Okay. The list was getting longer but still. You both were a little more than ready to start feeling human again. Could anyone blame you???

Once picking out the cheapest shampoo and conditioner you could find, you went to go pick up a bottle of body wash that was just as cheap. You guys didn’t need to be in a beauty pageant, just clean. After picking a brush and comb both, you gently tugged your bestie along with you to have her pick out some food.

Ever since the human trafficking started, Nari had nearly completely shut down. She became quiet and shut off. It was hard for even you to get her to speak. Like the few moments they had alone together while waiting for their next ‘owner’ to arrive and take them ‘home’. It was so heartbreaking because your best friend was once a ray of pure sunshine. A light in the darkness.

And now she had become part of the darkness.

“Okay, Ri, what sounds good for dinner tonight? I think some instant noodles are calling our name.”

You would have loved to just call room service. However, for two reasons, you didn’t go that route. One, it wasn’t essential and therefore you didn’t want to risk wasting your limited funding on it. Two, you didn’t want to give the organization or the authorities any ammo that might help either one of them track you both down. Oh how you wanted to use this guy’s credit cards. But you knew better. Credit Cards were so easy to trace back. It was safer to use the won notes.

After allowing Nari to pick out her bowls of instant noodles, you picked out some as well before buying a loaf of bread and some peanut butter. Carbs. You both needed carbs desperately. The organization and all of your ‘owners’ hadn’t exactly taken the best care of you. Apparently you didn’t need to have a pretty or healthy body to be a sex toy. Go figure. With all of your hygienic items in one basket and the food in the other, you gently tugged your bestie along so that the two of you could pay for the items and get the heck of here.

Coughing up more notes than you wanted to, everything was paid for and the two of you were soon out into the world once more. Honestly, the weather was perfect for a nightly stroll. It had been so long since you felt so.....free. Granted you were currently on the run but you’d take what you could get. Just before you had left the store, you asked the employee on the other side of the counter if there were any hotels close by. Turns out there was. Thankfully just a block away from the store.

“Come on, Ri. Let’s get a roof over our heads and some food in our bellies. You can have first dibs on the shower. It’s gonna be okay, bestie. We’re gonna be just fine.”

You could only hope you didn’t turn into a liar. Going over it all in your head, you were pretty confident that you wouldn’t be found. At least not for a few days. But your mind was already thinking of the next steps to take. Thinking and calculating. You knew better than to think you could be on the run forever. No. You just needed a bit of time before contacting the authorities and explaining the situation; hoping they’d hear you out.

“Morning, Jeon.”

“Morning, hyung. Ugh. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. Just kept thinking about those girls. Makes no sense.”

It was a new day and the game plan was simple. Information gathering. After that, the pair would get together with Yoongi and Hobi to analyze the data collected. Meanwhile, Yoongi was going to try and see if he could use traffic cams to map out where exactly the two girls went. They could still be in Daegu for all they knew. Hobi’s job was to pick apart the suspects’ body language and see if there was anything he could identify that might help them figure out why the girls are even their prime suspects. That part still didn’t add up with any of them.

Okay so maybe not such a simple plan. But it was a plan all the same.

“It was a good call to wear something casual. We wouldn’t want to scare the kiddos.”

Taehyung honestly hadn’t thought about it till late last night. He too had a hard time sleeping. All he could think about was the girls. There was this nagging feeling telling him these girls were innocent. He highly doubted they were armed let alone dangerous. Speaking of, as he popped the trunk to his personal vehicle, he said casually,

“Probably ought to hide the guns too. These kids are young but you know how they pick up on every little thing that’s out of the ordinary.”

“Good point. You’re batting a thousand today, hyung. I’m gonna have to up my game if I’m going to keep up with you.”

“Just put your mad boxing skills to good use should something go south and we’ll be square.”

Chuckling softly, the two made their way into the building and showed the receptionist their badges before being escorted to the kindergarten classroom Nari had been shadowing. It was odd to be working in something other than their usual suit and tie. Jungkook could get used to working in his button up shirt and skinny jeans. The two could hear lots of giggling and it warmed Taehyung’s heart. God how badly he wanted to be a dad. But he needed to focus. This was a job. Not a field trip. He couldn’t let his feelings get involved.

“Good morning, Mrs. Lee. I’m Detective Kim Taehyung and this is my partner Agent Inspector Jeon Jungkook. If you have a moment, we’d like to ask you a few questions concerning the girl who was shadowing your class. She disappeared a little over four months ago. Her name is Nari. Do you remember her?”

Turns out this Nari girl was quite the ray of sunshine to be around. Naturally shy upon first meeting but once she got comfortable, she was a bit of a chatter box. Kind of cute, really. She got along great with the kids and when she had first disappeared, they immediately picked up on it and kept asking where she was. The class had even made get well cards after being told that she was simply not feeling good and needed some time off.

The whole thing silently broke Taehyung’s heart. This Nari sounded like his dream girl. Aside from the criminal part. Which still didn’t make sense. This girl enjoyed reading, writing, anime, and kids. She enjoyed several things that he too enjoyed. It was a shame to think that she possibly turned to organized crime. But for what? What was the incentive to just drop everything and turn to crime? She had such a beautiful life and it seemed like it was something she was still working on building. Why just abandon it?

“Okay, Jeon. Playtime’s over. Let’s go.”

His partner had been of little help during the questioning. However, it wasn’t entirely Jeon’s fault. The kids were insistent that he play with them. Who was a man to deny so many sets of puppy eyes??? That was how Taehyung found his younger partner currently being used as a human jungle gym. He had a kid hanging off each arm as he flexed his arm muscles to help hold them both up. A little girl was giggling and squealing in happiness as she had been placed on his shoulders, hugging his face to keep herself from falling. What a dork.

“Okay, kids. Let Mr. Jeon go so he can get back to work. And what do we say to others who play nicely with us?”

“Thank you, Mr. Jeon!”

The chorus of high pitched voices was so endearing. Perhaps Jungkook was starting to see why his hyung wanted to be a father so badly. These little ones weren’t so bad. Well that was probably a result of good parenting. Not to mention it sounded like the teacher was trying to set good examples for them too. After smiling to the kids and trying to dodge their questions of whether or not they’d be seeing him again, Jungkook quickly made his exit with his partner who was smiling and shaking his head in amusement.

Kids. Go figure. It was then that both agents heard Yoongi coming in through their ear pieces. Taehyung had just been popping the trunk back open to get their guns when the Daegu native started speaking in a calm but rushed voice,

“You two better get back to the office. Hobi made a huge discovery that’s going to change this into a whole different ballgame.”

Well that didn’t sound good.

Making haste, the two drove from the school parking lot and headed straight for the station. It wasn’t often that Yoongi sounded so urgent. He was usually pretty cool, calm, and collected. That’s what made him such an awesome analyst. He was able to look at things with a clear head. It was a trait that many in the department wish they had as well. Arriving in the information room where the male worked, Taehyung said in a breathless tone,

“What you got for us, hyung?”

But it was Hoseok that spoke up in reply; his tone grave.

“Your suspects just turned into victims.”

Wait what???

Meanwhile, you were up bright and early. It was easy and yet difficult to sleep all at the same time. The exhaustion had knocked both you and Nari out the second your heads hit the pillows of your shared king sized bed. However, it seemed like you were awake every other hour. Your body screamed sleep but your mind was on full alert. It was hard to sleep peacefully when you knew danger could be around every corner. You could open your eyes and find yourself right back in the jaws of danger.

It was exhausting, really. But this was your reality for the time being. Looking away from the window, you peered over at the sleeping figure in the bed. Poor Nari. She looked so small and frail laying there in that big bed. It was comforting to see her getting some sleep. Hopefully dreamless and restful. Last night had been wonderful. Their first night where they weren’t held in some kind of captivity. No disgusting cages or dirty food and water. For the first night in four months, they were just two girls hanging out. No longer objects. But humans.

They were humans again.

Deciding it was safe to take a shower, you tiptoed your way to the bathroom and just cracked the door so that it wouldn’t let all the steam out. Gosh the shower last night had been amazing! Hot water, soap. It was wonderful! The both of you had brushed your teeth twice just for good measure too. While you allowed the water to warm up, you thought about the tasks at hand today. The plan sounded simple but it was going to be tricky regardless.

A disguise. You both needed a disguise. Just until you could get your thoughts together and a plan for when you notified the authorities. You didn’t want to just go waltzing in the Daegu Police Department with hands in the air. No. You needed a plan. You needed to be able to prove your innocence. And that was when you thought of those disgusting bracelets you had to wear. Ugh. They were the ugliest shade of orange too. It was surly a color you’d despise for the rest of your life.

“They’re what?!”

Jungkook tried to put a gentle hand on his partner’s shoulder but it got roughly shrugged off. Taehyung was furious. Absolutely furious. Seeing red. That was all the male could see as he stared at Yoongi and Hoseok. The two had just informed them that the two suspects were actually being trafficked and were part of the transaction that took place on the storefront camera footage they were able to obtain.

Human trafficking. These two poor girls were being handed off along with the drugs. It all made sense now. The one using her knowledge in self defense to try and disarm and distract the punks. Swiping the wallet and yet leaving the drugs behind. It all finally added up. These girls weren’t criminals at all. There was a reason their records were so squeaky clean. They never asked for this. They were forced into it. They didn’t go missing willingly. They were kidnapped.

“It’s gonna be okay, Tae. I was able to get access to the town’s traffic cams and I think I know what city they’re in. But you gotta calm down first. The chief isn’t going to let you go into this guns blazing and you know that.”

However, the blonde detective wasn’t entirely listening. It was like his ears were filled with water. He just stood there staring at the single clue that lead Hobi and Yoongi to discovering what was actually going on in the footage from earlier. Each girl sported an orange colored wristband. After doing some digging, Yoongi had discovered it was an inside tagging system for women who were being trafficked. Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. It left a horrible taste in Taehyung’s mouth as he thought of Nari......Nari........

It was then that the feline looking male spoke up but this time directed his attention to the younger inspector.

“Kook---Take him to the cafe around the corner. I’ll forward you guys what I believe to be their city of refuge. It’s not too terribly far from here but it’s a drive. Looks like they took the bus.”

“Thanks, Yoongi hyung. Come on, buddy. Let’s go have a drink.”

That was how Taehyung wound up sitting at a small table with a steaming to-go cup of hot chocolate. Meanwhile, Jungkook had opted for an iced americano. Ugh. Gross. While the younger was looking over the traffic cam footage Yoongi had forwarded to his phone, the detective simply stared out the window of the local cafe. His partner had tried to place a single glazed doughnut in front of him to go with his hot chocolate but Tae had touched neither one; too lost in thoughts of the sweet college student trying to become a kindergarten teacher.

His dream girl.

‘I bet she wants to have kids too someday.....I’ll make sure she has that chance. I’m gonna find her. And I’ll save her.’

The young inspector, on the other hand, was more focused on you. What was your story? Certainly you weren’t going to be working as a barista the rest of your life. The fact that you had taken an online course in Police Science intrigued him. Perhaps you were interested in going into law enforcement? That would be cool. Especially since you were a Busan native. What would be the chances of you working in the same station as him?

“Okay, Ri. Today we’re gonna try and get some fresh clothes and maybe do something with our hair. Basically we need a disguise. Just until we can get our thoughts together and figure out how to notify the police without it looking like we’re turning ourselves in.”

It saddened you when all your best friend did was nod. Again....she used to be so talkative. So bright and cheery. You weren’t sure you were going to be able to take her out of this hotel room just yet. While your guys’ physical scars were already starting to heal, there were far deeper cuts that needed attention. Carefully taking a seat next to her on the bed, you gently wrapped an arm around her and spoke in a soft and soothing tone,

“Nari, baby. You gotta talk to me. I’m no therapist but I think being your best friend has to count for something. You can tell me anything. So please, say something.”

“You could have died.....”

Hmm? Out of all the things you were expecting Nari to say, that definitely wasn’t one of them. Before you could ask her to clarify, she did it for you as she added in explanation,

“They had guns, bestie. And they were shooting at us. They were shooting at you. I was so scared you’d get hit and die. I’ve lost so much. I can’t lose you too. Please---”

“Hey, hey. Shhh. It’s okay, Ri. It’s okay.”

You sat there at the foot of the bed hugging a sobbing Nari; gently rocking the both of you back and forth as you allowed the girl to cry out her feelings. You had been in such a constant state of survival mode, that you hadn’t taken into account how the dangers of the whole situation would affect her. Of course seeing your best friend get shot at would be traumatizing. Gently kissing the girl’s forehead while stroking her hair with a free hand, you said softly and soothingly,

“I’m sorry I scared you, Ri. It wasn’t my intentions. I just......I needed to get us out of there and it was the only way I knew how. And the good news is, we’re not only alive, but we’re free. No more drugs, no more trafficking. We’re humans again and we’re gonna get through this together. I’m with you every step of the way. Okay? Together?”

You held out your pinkie finger for her to take and was happily surprised to see her return the gesture by weakly wrapping her pinkie around your own. This was progress. It was the most Nari had said since the two of you escaped from the organization. Hopefully with this off her chest, she’d open up a little more and just maybe, things would get back to some kind of normal between you two. You really didn’t want to lose your best friend. Nari wasn’t the only one in that hotel room who had lost a lot.

With the both of you feeling a little bit better, you carefully stood up from the bed and brought your bestie along with you. It would be okay. You’d make it be okay no matter the cost. It was time to get out of these disgusting clothes and find something more suitable for wear. Not to mention your hair needed a trim something awful. Then again.....you were willing to go the extra mile for a disguise if it meant surviving to see real freedom.

Deciding it wasn’t smart to stay in one place for two nights in a row, you made the plan to get your clothes, get stuff needed for your hair, maybe purchase a couple duffel bags, and make your next move. That was as far as you had gotten in the planning. Should the two of you stay in this town or perhaps travel back to Daegu? Maybe Busan? Ugh. You just didn’t know yet. Okay. One step at a time, here. One step at a time.

Crossing the street, you had heard from the hotel desk clerk that there was a hand-me-down store for clothing not too far from where they were staying. That would be perfect! You didn’t need to look like models. You just needed some clean clothes to wear. And you had saw where a pharmacy was close by as well. You decided to dye your hair and cut it yourself but you just weren’t sure what color to get. Poor Nari, on the other hand, was way too happy with her hair and especially the color. So to try and find some even ground, the two of you had agreed on a hat. She could tie up her hair and wear a baseball cap. That would work.

While Nari wanted something pretty, you were more focused on trying to disguise yourself as much as possible. In fact, when you came out of the dressing room with a plain white t-shirt tucked into a pair of black skinnies and a black blazer to match; paired with black combat boots that looked like they could kill, Nari couldn’t stop herself from mumbling shyly,

“You look like a boy if it wasn’t for your boobs and long hair.”

“That’s the plan.....babe.”

You couldn’t help but grin as you watched your best friend blush heavily. Don’t get the wrong picture, the both of you were far more into boys. But it was cute to tease your bestie because as much as you loved her, she was such a cute and easy target. When you heard that familiar whine of mortification, you couldn’t help but feel your chest bubble with happiness and relief. Perhaps that talk in the hotel room really did do some good. Nari just simply needed to get some feels off her chest.

After he got Taehyung to finally eat and drink something, Jungkook ended up lugging his butt up from the cafe chair and hauled him outside into the fresh air. It wasn’t like his older friend to get stuck in his feels like this. Sure human trafficking had always been a sore subject, but he was taking it to a completely new level of sore. Stuffing his hands in his pockets and squinting against the sun’s rays, the young inspector said casually,

“Jimin said there wasn’t much to report on the barista from Busan. Apparently she was trying to save her tips from the cafe in order to go into law school. She’s on the fence of whether or not she wants to be a cop or an attorney.”

Jungkook really wanted to meet you. You fascinated him to no end. First the course in Police Science and now law school? You sounded super cool with how you had taken several self defense classes as well. He wondered if you liked boxing......Yeah......maybe he could teach you one day.

Wait what???

Shaking his head to clear it, it was then that he heard Yoongi coming on the ear piece once more.

“Your girls are on the move. They stayed at a hotel last night but they’ve not made any further reservations. Apparently one of the other guests recognized them in the hallways. I informed the manager to keep it quiet because we don’t want to scare them off. If we’re lucky, we can catch them before they depart. The manager said they’ve not returned the room keys yet.”

“Thanks, hyung. Keep us posted.”

“No problem. Forwarding you guys the hotel address now.”

“You hear that, hyung? We’re gonna find them and it’s gonna be okay.”

Feeling a hearty pat on his shoulder, Taehyung nodded and tried to give his younger partner a smile. The two girls must be so scared. Running from not only the organization, but the law as well. When in all reality, this had since then turned into a rescue mission. This was definitely a first for him in his career of law enforcement. Pulling himself together, the blonde squared his shoulders and held his head up high as he walked to the car. Meanwhile, Jeon was reading off the directions to the city where the girls were currently staying in.

“So.....Hyung.......You seem pretty invested in this case. You wanna talk about it?”

Yoongi was right when he said it was a bit of a drive. At the same time, Jungkook couldn’t help but mentally praise the girls for thinking of taking such a far, out-of-the-way route to escape danger. It was a quieter town too. Or so he had heard. Listening to the ticking sound of the vehicle’s turn signal, the blonde detective finally spoke up but in a small voice.

“I just want to find them and bring those dirt bags to justice.”

Okay. So clearly his hyung wasn’t ready to talk about it. Which was totally fine. But it was easier to work with a Kim Taehyung when he had his head on straight and he wasn’t thinking with his heart instead of his brain. Subconsciously nibbling on his bottom lip, a nervous habit of his, Jungkook silently nodded and turned his attention to his phone. With the help of Yoongi and his ability to enhance images, he was able to get a better look at the two girls they were trying to rescue.

“They’re both kind of cute. Once you get past their bird nest hairstyles and grungy clothing.”

That didn’t seem to make matters any easier as Jungkook could hear his hyung gripping the steering wheel all the tighter; the sound of his skin squeaking against the material of the wheel. Oops....

“What hotel was it again? I think we might be approaching the town soon.”

Yeah. Definitely not ready to talk about it.

“Bestie.....are you sure you want to do this? We can get you a ball cap too, you know. It doesn’t have to be this extreme.”

“I’m absolutely positive, Nari. Lay it on me.”

Nari couldn’t believe what she was about to do to her best friend’s hair. It was already painful enough to watch you chop it all off. She knew the point was for you to look as far from yourself as possible but still......This was just crazy. You had chopped your own hair off and now sported a boy cut of sorts. Bangs hung in your eyes to try and hide them while your back had been completely taken up. Not a single strand of hair was hanging down or coming anywhere close to your shoulders. Nothing framing your face. Just your bangs.

“They won’t be looking for a blonde, Nari. Just trust me.”

And that was how you got your hair bleached for the first time ever. It was worth it, though. Everything you were doing, you were doing for you and Nari both. What was a little hair if it meant keeping you both alive and getting your tickets to true freedom? It was so worth it in your mind and you could only hope your bestie would see that too. With time.

After washing and drying it, you stood there in the hotel bathroom mirror with your girl next to you. Nari looked shocked and a bit pale while you were grinning like an idiot. This was perfect. Sporting your outfit you had picked out from the store and turning your head this way and that way to inspect your new hairstyle, you couldn’t wait to throw both the organization and the police for a loop.

They’d never see you coming.

“Okay, Ri. Sadly we can’t stay here. We gotta keep moving. Let’s check out and find a different place to stay. We’ll grab a bus to the next city over and grab another hotel room. We still have plenty of won left. The guy was stupid enough to leave his wallet loaded.”

Helping your bestie secure her baseball cap on and making sure her hair was tucked in nice and neat, you couldn’t help but think how cute she looked dressed so casually compared to the rags she was forced to wear for the last four months of her life. Nari was way too pretty to wear such filth. You couldn’t wait for things to get back to normal. The first thing you’d do is take her shopping for some pretty new clothes to wear to the kindergarten class she shadowed. You knew how much she loved those kids.

Once the both of you packed your items from the convenience store last night and the new batch of instant noodles and snacks from the pharmacy earlier today, you hoisted up the duffel bags and made your way out of the room; making it look just as it did when you arrived. It would be like you were never even here. Although you couldn’t help but notice how deadly quiet it was in the hotel hallways.

“Thanks for staying with us. Have a wonderful day!”

Cool. You were out and on the street once again. The next step in your plan was simple. Find a bus routing out of town to the next city and hop on. Simple, right? Just as you were about to make a step for the bus stop down the street, you felt something hard and cold pressing into the small of your back. Not only that, but a chin rested on your shoulder and whispered in your ear,

“Scream and I’ll shoot you right where you stand, slut.”

Well that sucks.

#bts #jungkook #taehyung #jeon jungkook #kim taehyung #jungkook bts #taehyung bts #jungkook smut #taehyung smut #bts smut #jungkook x reader #taehyung x oc #officer!jeon #officer!jungkook #officer!taehyung #officer jeon #bts fanfiction #jungkook fanfiction #taehyung fanfiction

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valkyrisffvii · 3 years

Text

Setting: Shinra Headquarters, Dancing Moogle (jazz pub on the upper plate)

POV: 3rd person

Summary: Cloud turns 21, and Zack takes him out partying, which ends quite hilariously.

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

August 11th. A normal day for most people, but a very special day for a certain group of SOLDIERs. Cloud Strife, the youngest member of SOLDIER, had finally turned 21, making him legally allowed to do anything he wanted both in Midgar and other locations on the Planet. Of course, his best friend and number-one supporter Zack had plans to celebrate with Cloud the traditional way: going to a bar and introducing the young blonde to the boozy pleasures of adulthood. However, before the two Seconds could get wasted, Mithra insisted that they come over to her apartment.

“Thanks for inviting us over, Mi,” Zack said cheerfully, stuffing his face with cupcakes. Mithra chuckled to herself, grabbing one of the unfrosted cupcakes she had saved for herself. She preferred her cupcakes plain, and if she ever craved frosting she could just eat it out of the container with a spoon. Cloud sat next to Zack, admiring the present Mithra made for him.

“How long did this take you?” he asked in astonishment. Mithra’s gift to Cloud was a digital painting of Nibelheim, his hometown which he missed dearly. Every detail he remembered was present in the piece: the water tower, the mountains, the distant mako reactor, and even the flowers growing along the sidewalk. Cloud almost started tearing up when he unwrapped it, and he could not stop admiring every inch of the print.

“Way too long,” Mithra replied. “I started it as soon as we got back from vacation and I spent at least two hours a day sketching and coloring that damn thing. Sephy told me that my neck would become paralyzed if I didn’t take breaks often enough.”

“I love it so much. Thank you Mithra,” Cloud said, and Mithra went to hug her friend, ruffling his fluffy blonde locks.

“All for you, my dear Chocobo,” she teased, poking his chest. Zack sighed, turning to face them.

“Cloudy, you ready to go to your first bar?” he asked, smirking. Mithra rolled her eyes and Cloud nodded.

“I guess. I’m 21 now so I might as well go.” Zack turned to Mithra.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come, Mi?” Mithra looked up and shook her head.

“I’m good. You know I don’t drink, so I don’t think I’ll have much fun there. Plus, I have to be here in case you two get completely hammered and need a babysitter because Angeal isn’t available.”

Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth were currently on a top mission for Shinra, leaving the Seconds free to do whatever they wanted when they weren’t on duty. Sephiroth had texted saying that they’d be returning the next day.

“Alright, well see you later. C’mon Cloud, let’s go have some fun,” Zack enthusiastically led Cloud out the door, bouncing with energy. Mithra waved at them before turning to her living room area. She moved the coffee table over and pulled out the pull-out mattress from the couch. She’d given Zack a spare key card to her apartment, and knowing of the trouble he’d get himself into, she got herself ready for the aftermath of the boys’ night out.

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

“Cloouud!” Zack slurred. “You should try this drink! Tastes like dumbapples!” He groggily took another swig of alcohol as Cloud chugged from a bottle. His pale face was tinted pink, but it did not even compare to the bright red tinge that covered Zack’s cheeks. The blonde hiccupped and stood up before slamming a bag of gil on the table.

“Too -hic- much. I wanna -hic- go home.” Barely able to think properly, Cloud grabbed Zack’s arm and dragged the babbling man out of the bar and back to the Shinra truck. The only thing Zack remembered was grabbing the key to Mithra’s apartment out of his pocket before they made their way back home.

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

Mithra opened her eyes to bright sunlight shining into her bedroom. She stretched and rolled over, hoping to wrap her arm around Sephiroth, but meeting an empty side of the bed. She frowned as she noticed his absence, but quickly remembered that he’d be coming home later on. She lazily got out of bed, stretching her back and arms out before walking to the door separating her bedroom from the rest of the apartment.

As she opened the door, she was met with the smell of alcohol and male sweat. Grimacing at the odor, she walked to the living area, where she found two passed-out Seconds on the pull-out couch. The grossness of the situation dissipated from her mind when she saw their current states.

Zack and Cloud were spooning on the mattress, Zack being the big spoon and wrapping his arm around Cloud’s slim waist. Cloud was clad in chocobo-print boxer shorts and Zack’s shirt, which was slightly too big. Zack was shirtless, only wearing his pants, and his hair was sticking up in all directions. Light snores came from both of them, and Mithra stifled a giggle as Zack buried his face into Cloud’s neck. She silently took out her phone and quickly snapped a picture of them, planning to send it to Genesis and Angeal.

After capturing the priceless scene, Mithra walked up to the sleeping figures and gently nudged Zack with her foot. Unsurprisingly, the heavy sleeper did not respond. Mithra tried again, slightly harder this time. Still, nothing. Deciding that only something drastic would wake him up, Mithra stuck her index finger in her mouth, thoroughly coating it in her saliva. She crouched down next to Zack at a distance that would allow her to back off should he react harshly, and stuck her wet finger into his ear.

Zack’s eyes snapped open and he yelped, sitting up suddenly and wiping his wet ear. His eyes frantically searched the room before landing on Mithra, who had a smug grin on her face.

“Did you really have to wake me up like that?” he asked, continuing to try and wipe her spit out of his ear. Mithra giggled.

“Would you have preferred that I give you a purple nurple?” she asked innocently. Zack quickly crossed his arms over his chest.

“No thanks.” Due to Zack’s commotion, Cloud grumbled before opening his eyes, rubbing them as he propped himself up on his elbows.

“Ugh, why is it so bright and noisy here? Shut up Zack,” he groaned, his bright blonde hair falling over his face. He placed a hand against his forehead in an effort to alleviate the pounding sensation. The events of the previous night barely flashed in his mind.

“Looks like you two had fun last night,” Mithra laughed, walking to the kitchen and pulling the milk jug out of the fridge. Zack tried to stand up but nearly lost his balance, stumbling back onto the bed much to the annoyance of Cloud.

“I don’t remember how many drinks I had,” he mumbled, “but I vaguely remember stumbling back here and collapsing on the bed.” Zack looked down and realized that he was bare-chested. “Hey, where’s my shirt?”

“Why don’t you ask the little chocobo next to you?” Mithra snickered, dumping a pouch of instant cocoa mix into her mug of warm milk. Zack turned to Cloud and stared at the drowsy cadet, who still looked dazed. He sighed, running a hand through his untamed hair and knowing that the previous night had gone a little far. He carefully stood up again, leaning against the couch arm.

“Do you have painkillers, Mi?” he asked. Mithra nodded and gestured to the door leading to her bathroom.

“There’s ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet on the top shelf.” Zack thanked her and went to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Mithra made a glass of ice-cold water and walked over to Cloud. She helped him sit up against the couch and brought the glass to his lips.

“Here, Cloud,” she said, and he graciously sipped at the cool liquid. Zack walked out with the bottle of pills, and Mithra counted out two tablets before handing them to her hungover friend. Cloud carefully took the painkillers, washing them down with eager sips. He closed his eyes and leaned against the couch cushions.

“I think I pushed him in a little too quickly,” Zack muttered sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. Mithra rolled her eyes at him, placing her hand on Cloud’s flushed forehead.

“He’ll be fine after plenty of rest. I don’t think he’ll want to go out for drinks for a while.” Mithra turned back to Zack. “You should rest as well. You’re just as hungover.” As Zack sat back on the bed next to his best friend, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway outside Mithra’s front door. The door opened to reveal Sephiroth, who looked slightly disheveled, yet he still had a serious expression. The silverette smiled softly as Mithra walked over to him.

“Hello, beautiful,” he said, pressing his lips against hers, which incited a giggle from her. After pulling away from Mithra, Sephiroth noticed the two other Seconds lazily slumped on the pull-out couch. He raised a silver eyebrow at the sight.

“What are these two doing here?” he asked inquisitively. “Also, why is Fair only half-dressed?” Mithra glanced back at them and shook her head.

“Zack took Cloud to a bar for his 21st, and they had a little too much fun,” she said, trying to hide her amusement. A smirk made its way across Sephiroth’s face, and he chuckled before laying Masamune on the weapon rack. Cloud was still propped up on the couch and Zack laid down with his arm covering his eyes, his tanned chest rising and falling steadily.

“They’ll be here for a while. Why don’t we hang out in the bedroom?” Mithra suggested, looking up at her boyfriend lovingly. Sephiroth kissed her forehead and intertwined his fingers with hers.

“I’ll go shower first. The mission was a bit dirty.”

“Great. I was gonna pamper myself a little as a reward for taking such good care of those two.” The couple headed to the bathroom, leaving the hungover duo to sleep off the booze. Mithra was sure to show Sephiroth the comedic moment that she captured earlier, resulting in audible laughter from the normally-stern General.

#cloud strife #zack fair #zakkura #mithra valkyris #twenty one #that age #booze #hangover #final fantasy vii #fanfiction

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mejcinta · 4 years

Text

Hey, Dickkory & Titans fandom! Since it's Kory's season, I thought why not repost this showdown scene between Kory and Blackfire from my a03?? It's post-season 2, I didn't have an idea who else would be a villain in s3 so this was a Trigon/Blackfire alliance against Rachel and the Titans. Read MISSION CRITICAL 2 at my a03 MeJacinta. Enjoy!

*Kory’s fire instantly crackled inside, but the flame never came. The heat in her veins fizzled out as it had two years ago upon landing on Tamaran, and a chill of terror, raw and relentless, struck her body numb. She stumbled back, as far as her wobbly steps could take her from the trap she had stupidly walked into.

“Was it so obvious?” Fernando’s body began rippling into violet waves, like a bad holographic glitch. Violet, the House color of the only person Kory regretted knowing her entire life.

Komand’r stepped out of the holographic illusion, tall, proud and with Tamaran’s stolen crown sitting cozily on the black braids on her head. Her shoulders were padded with metal, her boots high to the knee with spikes. She had lured for one thing only: to kill Kory.

As if driven by an invisible force, Kory’s hands shot forward, palms spread tight in fury. But the flame in them only glowed a faint pink.

“It’s useless,” Komand’r gloated. “I know you’re depleted. Just like your human friends…and as I now understand, your human lover?”

Something hard pressed against Kory’s chest. “What’ve you done to them?” she gasped.

If Komand’r could talk about Dick so smugly, something must have happened. Bruce’s country house could have been compromised.

“WHERE’S RACHEL?” Kory raved, her heart plummeting at the look of delight plastered on Komand’r’s face. “Answer me!”

“Given the fact that one of them can literally wipe out Tamaran, I’ve done nothing I regret.”

“Rachel is not a murderer,” Kory gritted out.

“What have they done to you?” Komand’r looked believably surprised through her façade. Had she expected for even a second that Kory would give Rachel up?

“Nothing you’ve done to me before,” Kory reminded her. If she could close her eyes she could still see the cell she was shackled in, tortured and humiliated in the Tamaran desert. All under Komand’r’s orders.

“We’re still going at that, are we?” Komand’r’s voice crackled with sadism, and as she looked at Kory a violet flame flickered across her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, Koriand’r. If I had the chance I would destroy you right here. But there are things that require patience, something that’s not exactly your best suit.”

“You and I both know that’s a lie,” Kory set the blow, and watched Komand’r’s brow twitch. “You just never had the gall to go through with killing me. Admit it!”

If only Kory could keep Komand’r standing there long enough, she could have more time to juice up and have a clear shot. “Oh, yeah—I forgot,” she kept goading. “You’ll have Trigon do that for you, just like you let him do everything else, huh? Are you going to continue playing dumb...act like you’ve not literally handed our planet to him, Komand’r?”

All that mattered was walking out of there with the tablets, Kory reminded herself. Even in the face of the pain and rage she was feeling, Rachel had to be her first priority. She was the mission critical.

“So now it bothers you,” Komand’r huffed, “that I made one sacrifice for the greater good of Tamaran?”

“The same way it doesn’t bother you,” Kory braced herself, heaving in a deep breath, “that Mother and Father sacrificed you for the peace of Tamaran?”

A swirl of violet flames whooshed Kory’s way and she ducked aside, the sleeve of her top nearly catching fire.

When the haze of smoke before her parted, Komand’r emerged, her arm still outstretched in combat mode. Her eyes were that deadly violet and the twist to her lips told Kory she had really struck a nerve.

“You’ve spat on the very traditions and beliefs that make us Tamaranean from the beginning, Koriand’r! Because you pledge to save what will kill our people and call that a good. Everything I do is for the good of Tamaran, while all you’ve done is for yourself, Koriand’r. Maybe it’s time you accept that.”

Kory continued to quietly pull at the fire in her veins as she glanced at the tablets, still directly blocked off by Komand’r. She clenched the core of her body in anticipation trying to not imagine the horror stricken looks of Gar and Rachel at what she was about to do.

“You’ve done nothing for yourself, Komand’r. You let hate and pain drive you, and now it’s Trigon who has you. You’ve always been the weaker of the two of us—admit it!”

“EEEEYYAAAAAAH!”

A roaring violet ball of fire blew past Kory’s side as Komand’r narrowly missed again, and Kory had only a millisecond to react before a second fireball came hurtling her way.

BOOM! A powerful blast rattled Kory’s body, blowing out her eardrums, and sweeping her practically off her feet.

She crashed to the ground with a muffled thud as grey smoke billowed above and the white and grey wings of pigeons flashed past.

“KORY!” A distant voice like Donna’s cried. It made Kory’s head hurt. Or had she just imagined it? Was she at death’s door already…losing her wits?

She watched the smoke above her, unable to move, her nostrils filling with the foul smell of burning metal. The ground around her singed her skin where the sleeves of her top had burned through.

“Kory, stay with me!” The words rang like a gong this time, and Kory miraculously felt her hands fly to her ears to block the resounding noise out. It was Donna’s voice all right. High-pitched, but Donna’s.

“We need to go,” Bruce’s mild voice was accompanied with the clicking of the soles of his shoes, and Kory was not sure any more what they were in a hurry for.

Firm hands came under and round Kory’s back and she groaned as gravity tagged at the soreness in her bones with the sudden lift.

“Rachel,” was all she could say aloud as she was led out into fresher air, the black blur of Bruce’s BMW parked ahead.*

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kaweeella · 3 years

Text

DAngAnronpA

Chapter 3- I Gave Up On Traditional Danganronpa Chaptering

Warnings for death and depictions of a dead body.

~~~

Izumi sits at the table. She isn’t keeping an exact count of how long it’s been, but she knows it’s been too long.

“So,” Banri says entering the room. “We got anyone missin’ us yet?”

“Save it.”

“Come on, Banny,” Kazunari enters as well, “It’ll be alright.”

“Whatever. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’ve got no horse in this race. Even if that bitch was telling the truth I’m fine. I don’t got a lot of reasons to get out.”

“I’m sure there’s someone who cares about you, Banri.”

“Doesn’t matter. Life was boring. Every day was on repeat. Shit gets boring.”

“... Banri I don’t think this is the answer to your problem.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot you can do to make things fun!”

“Why are you even telling me this? Do you two want me to kill someone?”

“No, Banri, but you’re clearly depressed so we’re trying to help you.”

“Damn, that’s a first.”

“Banny…”

Before he can continue Banri gets up and leaves.

“You think he’ll be alright?” Izumi asks him.

“Hopefully.”

“Okay.” She’ll talk to him later.

One by one everyone gets up. Omi makes breakfast, Hisoka sleeps at the table, Azuma and Homare drink tea and talk. Tenma huffs.

“What’s wrong, Tenma?”

“Didja lose something in the halls?” Kazunari asks.

“No. How much longer do we have to wait? I’m trapped in this place full of strangers, and those stupid winding hallways. Why wouldn’t I be upset?”

“We can’t think like that. If we do we might make irrational decisions.”

“What, so I shouldn’t be upset?”

“No, you have every right to be upset but-”

“Yeah. Okay.” He gets up and leaves.

After breakfast, Izumi finds Banri in the library. Her little book stack is still there, though one of the books is missing, she presumes Banri’s reading it. She can’t quite see the book in his hands.

“Hey, Banri, wanna talk or-”

“No.”

“It’s just that you were-”

“I don’t want to hang out with you, leave me alone you old hag.” He says that as if it’s a line he’s tired of repeating.

Izumi tries to hide her anger. She fails, but she tries. “Alright. See you then.”

“Whatever.”

Izumi walks down the halls. She finds Kazunari and Yuki, but she doesn’t find Tenma. She’s concerned about him too so she wants to try and cheer him up.

“Well, I guess some things are better off left alone.” She mutters.

“Hey, Izumi.” She turns to see Itaru.

“Hello.” She smiles. “Would you like to hang out?”

“Sure.”

They talk in the room she met Sakyo Banri and Tasuku in. She can get a better look now, it has a round couch and a pinball machine.

“Oh hell yeah.” Itaru says under his breath before going to the machine.

“So you like pinball?”

“Yeah. It’s fun.”

Izumi hums. “I was never really good at it. I just liked pushing the buttons.”

Izumi watches him play, the dinging of the machine and the clicking of the buttons the only sounds filling the room for a while.

“Good job.”

“Thanks.” He rubs the back of his neck.

“So what other games do you play?”

“Not that many. Just some card games and other older games.”

“What else do you enjoy doing?”

He laughs nervously. “Well, I like friendly competition with others and group bonding activities. What do you like?”

“I like cooking.”

“That’s a pretty useful hobby. What do you cook?”

“Curry. You wanna try some?”

“Sure.”

Izumi excitedly grabs his arm and the head to the kitchen. Though they’re stopped in their tracks when they see Tenma on the floor.

“Oh, Tenma. I don’t think that’s…” Itaru puts his hand on her shoulder. He cautiously steps towards Tenma. “You don’t think…”

Itaru leans in to listen for breathing. He sits up and looks back to her, shaking his head. Before she’s aware she’s doing it she’s screaming, tears rolling down her face.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” Muku and Yuki run from where they were in the hall before pausing.

“Oh my god…”

Suddenly the speaker turns on, Izumi can hear Banri cussing them out from another room.

“A body has been discovered. Please meet in the hallway and I will continue the explanation.”

Izumi covers Muku’s and Yuki’s eyes. They hear the library door open and Banri comes down the hall. He pauses when he sees them.

“Oh fuck…”

Slowly everyone arrives, all staring down at the former child star.

“Tenten…”

“Now that you’ve all gathered, let me explain the rules. You will be given time to investigate and look for clues. When time is up, you will be taken to the trial.”

“Trial?” She hears someone whisper.

“Then you will discuss the evidence and find the blackened. If you can’t, then the blackened goes free and everyone will be punished. If you do, only the blackened will be punished.”

“Hey asshole, what do you mean by that?!”

They don’t elaborate. They’re just left to figure things out themselves.

“So we have to… look over his body?” Sakuya says in tears.

“No, the adults will investigate, you kids can go wait in the lounge.”

“Oh yeah that’s a great idea.” Banri says. “Keep people out of the loop.”

“What are you implying?”

“Information is our greatest weapon right now, so we should all be a part of the investigation. Unless there’s something you don’t want everyone knowing.”

“Izumi couldn’t have done it. She was with me.”

“Christ, again?” Yuki asks.

“We were playing pinball.”

“Fine then, you’re right. But this is a lot to subject kids to.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure it’s gonna get a hell of a lot worse.”

“So how do we go about this?” Omi asks.

“We should have at least two people watching the body to keep people from tampering.”

“I can do it.” Juza says.

“Yeah, I will too.” Omi says.

Izumi nods and moves towards the body before they all hear something. A little robot rolls down the hallway and stops by them. It has little tablets.

“These are the files. They have the autopsy on them. You might wanna look at them.”

They each grab a tablet and read through it.

The victim is Tenma Sumeragi. He’s 16 years old and 178 centimeters. Cause of death was blunt force trauma. He was killed in the hallway.

Izumi lowers the tablet and looks at him. Only 16… she looks around him. She finds a large book, looking at it, it’s 1001 nights. She looks around at everyone. She sees Azuma and she can’t quite read the look on his face.

“Azuma,” She walks over to him. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Yeah… I asked Tenma to grab something for me earlier. I think it might be my fault he…”

“Did you kill him?”

“What?”

“Were you the one who bashed him over the head until he wasn’t breathing?”

“No…”

“Then it’s not your fault. No one could have seen it coming.”

“But I-”

“Izoom’s right, Azu. It’s not your fault. All we can do now is figure out who’s fault it really is.”

He nods. “Okay then.”

“So now we know why he was over here.” She walks over to Banri. “Banri what book were you reading?”

“Hmm?”

“In the library. You were reading a book, what was it?”

“I don’t know, I was hardly paying attention. It was some collection of weird stories.”

Izumi nods and looks back at the book on the floor. It’s red and blue with a golden lining around the cover with a pretty design.

“Is that it?”

“Were you in the library from when I first saw you there to when the announcement was made?”

“Yeah.”

She thinks. “Okay. That’s all.” She walks over to the library. In it, she finds her book stack, only missing 1001 nights. She looks around. There are books piled on the floor. Percy Jackson, Pillage, Classic Fantasy Stories, and some others. The cover on Pillage is a blue gradient with a moon in the background and a dragon in the foreground. The cover on the classic fantasy stories is black and blue with gold, and has a moon, city, and what looks like a dragon flying over them. The fantasy book has silver on the pages, sticking them together a little. Opening it up she can guess that he didn’t read that far, as after some point she has to get them unstuck herself.

“What’re you looking at?” Itaru asks in the doorway.

“Banri was reading in here so I wanted to look at what he was reading.”

“Right. We should get other alibis.”

The two of them look around. “Yuki, Muku, what were you two doing?”

“I found this supply room and I was looking at what was in there.” Yuki says.

“I came over about 30 minutes ago and started looking with Rurikawa.”

“Okay. Anything else?”

“I saw you going by and I saw Kazunari looking around. Kazunari left before Muku showed up. Don’t know where he went.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“So you have any ideas?”

“No, we just need to collect more information.” She walks over to Juza and Omi. “What were you two doing?”

“Omi was baking…”

“And what were you doing?”

“...”

“He was helping.” Omi smiles.

“Alright, good to know. Thank you.”

They ask around a little longer. The kid and Hisoka were sleeping, Homare was writing, Kazunari was hanging out in Tsuzuru’s room, Azuma was in the dining room, it was mostly like that. A lot of people were just hanging out in their rooms.

“Hey Azuma,” She walks back over to him. “What did you ask Tenma to get?”

“There’s a storage room and the other day I found some tea there, and I thought it’d help ease his nerves.”

She nods and looks in the storage room. There are some different types of tea. Green, oolong, matcha, black, hibiscus, white, herbal. She also sees fabrics, parchment, weights, other stuff she can’t quite get a look at.

“What tea do you think he liked?”

“I don’t know.” She wishes she could have gotten to know him better.

Walking back, she notices something blocking the door to the women's restroom. A cardboard roll. She can see the crime scene from inside.

“Do you think this is where the culprit was hiding?” Itaru asks.

“Well I didn’t put it there, so probably.”

“Right.”

“Time is up, everyone. Please head to the end of the hall.”

Everyone cautiously walks to the designated area. Muku and Sakuya hold Izumi’s hands. They stand there for a second, not sure what’s supposed to happen, when the wall seems to open. Inside is what appears to be an elevator. They hesitate for a moment.

“Go on, get in.”

After a second, Banri steps on, and everyone follows suit. She waits in the back, the boy joining them.

“Izumi?” He says.

“Yes?”

“My name is Masumi Usui. I trust you.”

The four of them sit in the back, the elevator as it descends.

#a3!#a3! itaru #a3! yuki #a3! kazunari #a3! banri #a3! act! addict! actors!#act addict actors #act addict actors au #a3! fanfic

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mxndoscyarika · 4 years

Text

Home (Mando x female!Reader)

Requested by @karnita-mexicana: “Since requests are open what would you think of a padame and anakin type of relationship with mando and the reader where the reader is the queen of a planet and they have a secret relationship going on and it’s super fluffy 🥺👉🏾👈🏾”

Author’s note: It’s finally done! Sorry this took so long, I wanted to make sure I did it justice. Enjoy!

Summary: After weeks of anxiety, you return home to find a new addition to your life.

Warnings: none

Like my writing? Here’s my masterlist.

The Razor Crest was silent as it approached the planet of Garamonde, a planet with lush green forests spattered with some of the most advanced cities in the system. As they entered the atmosphere, Mando picked up the child and placed him on his lap. “You ready to meet someone very special, ad’ika?”

Large dark eyes looked up at him curiously.

“You better behave once we get down there,” he teased. “Ok?”

The child smiled and let out a coo.

———————————————————————

“The mines will cease operation for the time being,” you declared, seated in your throne. “It’s no longer safe for the workers. Many jobs in the development sectors will open as we continue to develop more energy efficient devices; we’ll transfer them as appropriate.”

In front of you stood royal advisors, each carrying datapads with reports on various sectors. Although they were capable of handling everything with little input from their queen, you had made it a point during your time as ruler to remain as involved as possible.

The most recent problem seemed to be the state of Garamonde’s mines. The increased snow over the recent winter meant much more snowmelt once the weather warmed up. Mines set up near the base of the mountains were at risk of being covered by mudslides and collapsing.

“But our exports-”

“Will be fine,” you reassured. “We have much more to offer than metal, and we have a duty to protect and support all workers. This is not up for debate.”

“Yes, your majesty,” they all said in unison, bowing.

Standing up, you said, “Well I guess that settles things. You’re all dismissed.”

Your gown of purple and gold flowed behind you as you strode down the hall, guards trailing slowly as usual. You never quite understood why you needed protection in your own palace.

“Your majesty!” a voice called out. You turned around to see it was Javonor Talbri, one of the advisors who’d brought up an issue with taxation. “I have the reports you wanted on this datapad. Would you like me to give them to you now, or-”

“Leave those in my study,” you quipped, continuing to walk once he caught up. Just a few more feet, and you’d be free of all the formalities and gowns “I’ll go over them later.”

“O-of course, your majesty,” Talbri replied, gripping the tablet tightly.

“I’ll be sure to have a look soon,” you said absentmindedly, entering your chambers. Closing the door on him, you finished, “For now, I have other things to attend to.”

“Of course, your majesty! Forgive any pressure I may have put upon you. I simply just-”

Sighing, you pressed a button on the control pad by the door, which blocked any sound from entering your room. Talbri was dedicated and competent, but he never shut up.

The first thing that came off was the large pin holding together your hair and jeweled headpiece. Even after years of wearing heavy headpieces and hairstyles, you never quite got used to them. At least, not enough for them to be comfortable.

You then changed into some soft pants and a long-sleeved top, both made from stretchy but durable fabric. Stiff heeled shoes were exchanged for worn-in boots with quiet soles. Digging through your wardrobe, you found your favorite cloak, a remnant of a visit to Nevarro. Well, before all the commotion began. Thankfully, it had died down since then.

In less than half of an hour, you were standing by a blue lake. Trees surrounded you, towering high and providing shade for the warm day. Spots of light littered the forest floor, much like how the buildings in the kingdom glittered during sunset. It was peaceful, but something was missing.

You inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to calm the nagging in the back of your mind. Where was he? Did he make it out of Nevarro?

The snap of a twig behind you sends your reaching for your blaster, pointing it in the direction the sound came from. This forest wasn’t known for harboring dangerous creatures, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Hey hey hey don’t shoot, it’s me!” a modulated voice shouts. It’s Mando, and he’s got one hand flung out, the other occupied with a bundled up...blanket?

Letting your arm drop, you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and placed your blaster back in its holster. You took him in, as if the mandalorian standing there could’ve been a figment of your imagination.

Fallen leaves and twigs crunched under your feet as you ran into the mandalorian’s arms, nestling your face against his neck. He still smelled like leather and the metal of the Razor Crest. The only difference was that he had new armor. Yes, finally, your Mando had come home. It was your Din. You pulled away. “I should shoot you for not sending a message to me for the past three months. Where have you been?”

“I’m sorry, I had some business to take care of,” he replied, holding you close. Well, as close as he could with the child on his other arm.

“You didn’t come home,” you murmured, placing a hand on the side of his helmet, where his cheek would be. “I was so worried. I flew all the way out here and waited for you. You never came.”

“I-I know,” he said, voice strained. “It’s a long story.” The bundle in his arms squirmed a little, drawing his attention back to it. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet, cyar’ika.”

You gasped softly as the child poked its head out of the blanket, big eyes looking around at everything. The sky, the trees, Din, and you. Your heart melted as it smiled up at you and reached out. Tucking yourself to his side, you asked, “Is this what kept you away for so long?”

He nodded. “It was one of my bounties. But it’s just a kid. I couldn’t live with myself if I turned it over and walked away. So I broke it out and we’ve been on the run since.”

You frowned. “But your creed...that means it’s...”

“It’s a foundling in my care,” he answered. “And according to the creed, I’m its father now.”

You laughed softly, stroking the child’s ear with a finger. “I never thought I’d see the day that the big bad Mandalorian settles down with a baby of his own.”

“Neither did I,” he replied softly. He looked down at you, taking in your smile and the child’s newfound fascination with your jewelry. “But here we are.”

There you were, indeed. You and Din had discussed having your own children before, but recent years left both of you stranded in your own ways. Transitioning into being a queen had drained you mentally and physically, and Din’s occupation didn’t leave much room for settling down.

“You could stay here,” y/‍n offered. “This place is pretty well hidden, and in all our years of coming here, no one has followed us.”

Din sighed and pressed his forehead against yours, keeping you close with a hand on the small of your back. Even through all the layers, you could feel his warmth against your spine.

“I wish I could,” he said, voice breaking. “But I can’t put you in danger by staying here longer than a few weeks at a time. Not until I know for sure that no one is after our ad’ika.”

Humming, you asked, “Our?”

“Yes. Unless you don’t want it? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just sprung it on you-“

“I’m just teasing, cyare,” you interrupted, pressing a kiss to the side of his helmet. You reached over and let the child grab onto your finger. Smiling, you continued, “I always knew you had a soft spot for foundlings. Remember when you gave me that idea to reform the foster care system?”

“Every child should have a home they can return to,” he rasped, looking down at the child in his arms. “Even if they’re not related by blood.”

“Well, this foundling is very lucky to have you.” Noting the setting sun, you added, “We should get inside, you must be tired.”

The cottage was small, but it was enough for both of you. No amount of luxury or extravagance could replace the intimacy of living with loved ones. Din immediately spotted the satchel of cooking ingredients sitting on the counter, no doubt containing everything needed to make tiingilar, a traditional mandalorian casserole dish. You knew what your riduur’s line of work entailed, and home-cooked meals were few and far between. So, you and Din had eventually formed your own tradition of cooking a meal together whenever he returned to Garamonde. The only difference was that, this time, you would be joined by the child.

You still couldn’t quite wrap your head around the thought of it; that is, the fact that your Din now had a child of his own. Did that mean you would be as its mother? Or would the lack of marriage vows mean you would simply be an outsider to his new clan?

Once the food was ready, you two would sit back to back, a way of dining together while respecting Din’s religion. Until you and he were officially wed, you were forbidden to see his face. Part of you was disappointed at that, because you didn’t know how long it would be until you and Din were married; if you would ever have the chance to at all. But above all else, you respected him, and understood the gravity of the exceptions he already made for you. Sitting back to back while eating? He didn’t have to do that; he’d had to take his meals in isolation pretty much every day. But for you, he risked having his face seen. All so you could savor each other’s presence for as long as possible.

As you ate, you could hear the child’s squeals of joy and Din’s soft chuckles coming from behind you. He would say something in mando’a and imitate the sound of a speeder before feeding the child yet another spoonful of tiingilar.

“Your mother is a great cook, isn’t she?” he mused, mostly to himself. You were glad he couldn’t see you, because you felt your cheeks burn hotter than the two suns.

When it came time for the child to sleep, you two gathered blankets and pillows to line a woven basket. “I’ll have a proper bed made for him once I return to the palace,” you said quietly, not wanting to disturb the drowsy baby. “But this will work for now. Cuun ade je morut’yc.”

Our child is safe.

“Cuun ade je morut’yc,” Din repeated, his heart swelling with affection when you claimed the child as yours.

After washing up and taking off his armor, he slid under the blankets, lying on his back. The sheets rustled as you followed him onto the bed shortly. Although you both couldn’t see, you easily fell into comfort. His presence was familiar and soothing as you practically melted under his touch. You could feel his entire body relax underneath you, weeks of tension leaving him.

“You should stay,” you said softly, head resting against his chest. He was so warm and gentle, a stark contrast from the beskar armor he donned. “It’s safe here. You and ad’ika would have my entire military’s protection.”

“Even if we didn’t have our ad’ika, you know I wouldn’t be able to,” Din said, his unmodulated voice sending shivers down your spine. “Your people wouldn’t approve.”

Lifting your head to face him, you asked, “Do you really think they won’t approve?”

You cradled his face in your hands, tracing the stubble lining his jaw. The curtains in the bedroom were drawn closed to block out any light, giving Din the safety of removing his helmet. Your thumb pressed lightly against his plush lips, feeling his warm breath against your fingertip. Kissing him between each word, you pondered, “Do you really think they’ll disrespect their queen’s choice? Disrespect their king and their child?”

Din groaned softly, his hands wandering south. One arm remained secured on your hip while the other pressed you against him, sliding under your shirt. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Me as your king, and ad’ika as our heir.”

#the mandalorian x reader #mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian #din djarin #din djarin x reader #pedro pascal #baby yoda #star wars #my writing

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maine-writes · 4 years

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21. Beach Wedding

"Why do I have to wear a monkey suit!?" Vonvon whined as Stevonnie adjusted their little green bowtie.

"It's a wedding Vonvon." They explained while the child struggled in the stiff tuxedo.

The wedding venue was the scenic beach of Beach City itself. It was a clear summer day, the golden sun shining from a vivid blue sky. A cool breeze carried the salty sea air, washing upon the white sands like the gentle ocean waves. The cries of distant seagulls accompanied the sounds of crashing waves.

A pristine, white tent was set up with over a few dozen seats and an altar. The tent poles were decorated with bouquets of the unique pink flowers found around Beach City and white streamers.

The entirety of the town was invited, as well as a rather sizable camera crew, for this was no ordinary wedding. This was the reportedly humble and not-at-all-a-marketing-opportunity wedding of Beach City's beloved mayor, Ronaldo Fryman, and Jane Winslow.

When Stevonnie got their invitation, via e-mail, they were told to bring a plus-one, so they brought Vonvon. When told that they were attending a wedding, the child was less than enthusiastic. Stevonnie told them they had to wear nice clothes, so Vonvon had a choice; the tuxedo or the soft blue and pink dress.

Despite Stevonnie gushing over how cute Vonvon looked in the dress, or perhaps because of it, the child chose the suit.

Everyone Vonvon knew was at the wedding: Kiki & Jenny Pizza, accompanied by a framed picture of Nanefua Pizza; Sadie Miller, renowned horror film director; Peedee Fryman, Ronaldo's younger brother and owner of Hot 2 Tot, a fast food restaurant in Charm City; Sour Cream and Onion; Bill and Buck Dewey; Suitcase Sam, whom everyone thought had died years earlier; and of course, Harold Smiley. There were even a few guests they didn't know, but Stevonnie did.

Stevonnie wore what appeared to be a black, shoulder-less, silk wrap garment, matching slacks, and a drape over their left shoulder, decorated by a floral filigree of gold.

"Hey Kiki, Jenny!" Stevonnie waved to the Pizzas.

"Oh em gee!" Jenny squealed, "Stevonnie? I haven't seen you since the town was almost destroyed by those elephants!"

"Yeah, sorry it's been a while." They laughed before noting the picture of Nanefua in Jenny's hands. "When did she pass?"

"Oh, Gunga's still alive." Jenny said, "She retired and lives in Harbor Town."

"Hello Stevonnie." Nanefua said through the now obvious tablet computer.

"Hi Miss Pizza. How's Harbor Town?"

"It's so nice here. I have my own pool by my private beach."

Meanwhile, outside the tent, Ronaldo was doing an interview with local news. He wore a dark brown hakama, a dark red kimono, and a black haori with a series of Japanese kanji on the back. He was insistent it meant 'I am Bloodstone', but Vonvon was pretty sure it meant 'Shrimp Tempura'. He also carried a lime green katana.

Vonvon never really interacted with Mayor Fryman, mostly because when they first met, he asked very personal questions about their father and if they had a gem.

"Since becoming mayor, Beach City has expanded into Brooding Hill and beyond." He said to the smiling reporter. "Now we have a new golf course, a shopping mall that is not a fire hazard, and we're in the middle of talks with neighboring Buddtown and South Salton about absorbing them into Beach City."

"Sounds like you have big plans, Mayor Fryman." Noted the reporter.

"Big? More like massive!" He replied. "I aim to increase Beach City's tourism revenue by at least six-...no, sevenfold, starting with the expansion of Funland and the creation of a zoo showcasing the strange creatures that inhabit the area and the man who studied and captured them to catalogue: Me."

"Boo! Mystery Shack ripoff!" Vonvon yelled as they peeked out of the tent.

Then came the ceremony. As the guests took their seats, only slightly irritated by the constant shutter and flash of dozens of cameras, they noted the person officiating the wedding; Spinel.

She wore her magenta hair in an official-looking bun, wore her usual magenta flannel shirt and shorts, but also had a black and white collar around her neck.

"Alright, let's get this party started!" She announced, holding a copy of the book, An Idiot's Guide to Weddings.

The wedding band, which consisted of a strange businessman with grey wolf paws and claws and an even stranger guy in a red Hawaiian shirt and a grey wolf head, began playing the traditional wedding music with violins as the bride, Jane, walked into the tent.

She was a beautiful young woman with short brown hair, a fair, freckled face, and teal-green eyes. Her dress was not of traditional design, but was a pure white kimono adorned by subtle flower embroidery.

"I guess they have a theme?" Vonvon whispered to Stevonnie.

It was a beautiful ceremony, many a tear shed in joy. Afterward came the reception in the reception tent, which Vonvon was really excited for, because all of the food was made by Lars' new company, Space Catering. Everyone noticed that Jane had somehow changed from her white kimono to a brilliant red one with gold trim.

Gifts were given to the newly wedded couple, some brought the usual; kitchen appliances, money, luggage, and even a few personalized gifts. Stevonnie brought them a pair of actual swords, which really excited Ronaldo.

But Vonvon's eyes were on the prize: The whole roasted pig. As Lars and an assistant brought the massive beast to the buffet table, Vonvon's mouth watered like a cat peeping in a seafood store. They could almost hear the crispy crunch of the pig's roasted, golden brown skin.

On the dessert table were pastries and cakes from Lars' other business, Spacetries. The purple yam sponge cake was Vonvon's favorite. They didn't know what a purple yam was, but it was good.

As they joined Stevonnie at the table with a plate of pork, fried spring rolls, and spaghetti, they excitedly licked their lips.

"So when do they consummate?" They asked Stevonnie, twirling a fork of red spaghetti noodles.

"What?"

"You know, fu-"

Stevonnie quickly moved Vonvon's fork of noodles into their mouth before they could finish their thought. Wide-eyed, Stevonnie wondered who they would have to kill.

They had a feeling it was either the possum or the sock puppet at the other table.

@artsycooky13

#VonvonMonth2020 #a feel good story to escape the angst #a beautiful wedding and an even better reception #featuring Cooky and Kenji #who taught this child this word?!

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loveafterthefact · 4 years

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Love After the Fact Chapter 61: In the Company of Blades

In which Keith has friends, Lance gets to show off, and Shiro wants Adam to step on him

First Previous Next

“Anyway, that’s where we are right now. One thing at a time, and I will come up with a meal plan, just in case,” Thace says. They’re rushing through hallways to get to the training yards.

“Thanks.” Keith twists his hair into a large knot on the back of his head, keeping it in place with a pin. “And thanks for the pin.”

“No problem. I just hope you don’t get impaled through your skull.”

“Hasn’t happened yet. Miraculously. We are very late.” Which means probing questions from one Altean, and a probing stare from another. One, Keith can’t say no to -because he’s soft- and the other, Keith is too scared to lie to.

“Fortunately, it’s easy to blame your health. So long as we can keep Lance’s mouth shut.”

“Right...” Keith is about to explain, but Thace's exasperated groan tells him he doesn't have to.

The training grounds are divided into a series of yards, with walls erected for privacy and so no one takes up too much space. Some are large, some small, some flat, some full of obstacles and ground cover, climbing walls, chasms, even stands of trees. There are even places to practice elk-riding, a means of preserving the ancient history of the mounted warriors of old. The Marmora have more respect for tradition than one might think.

When Thace and Keith arrive, they’re beholden to quite the spectacle. Adam, wielding a polearm, squaring off with one of Kolivan’s two kits, Antok. Regris, his other kit, is standing next to his father. Both are grown, but were raised by the Blades, and remain quite close to their sire.

Regris apparently got the good end of the stick, because Antok is getting his ass kicked by the smaller Altean. Adam’s polearm is indeed double-ended, this one equipped with glaives, which he’s currently using to repel Antok. The Altean is also wearing gauntlets with small blades attached, good for slashing throats if an enemy gets too close. Keith imagines that they also discourage grappling.

It’s strange, but Keith has never once in his life thought of Adam as a warrior. He’s always the behind-the-scenes man, and battle tends to be so upfront and personal. Seems Keith was wrong, because Adam is good. He’s fast, too, keeping up with Antok’s limbs, which includes an incredibly mobile tail.

Shiro seems to be enjoying the view, watching the fierce-eyed Altean swing his polearm like it’s a toothpick. A very long, dangerous toothpick. “That’s literally the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Gross.” Keith shoves his brother away.

“I want him to impale me,” the larger Galra sighs.

“You’re a pervert.”

“I concur with Keith,” Thace murmurs.

“Yeah? Well neither of you gets an opinion because you were both late.”

“Health thing,” Keith murmurs. “Where’s Lance?”

“Three yards down, showing off his marksmanship skills. Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing at all,” Keith murmurs. “I just had a few questions.”

“Ah.” Shiro shifts awkwardly. They’re still a bit uncomfortable, despite putting their disagreement behind them, and being otherwise normal with each other. “Listen.”

The fact that Shiro bothers to turn away from Adam’s totally-not-an-exhibition is a contributing factor as to why Keith actually does choose to listen to his brother’s opinion.

“I’m here for you. No matter what. Know that.”

Keith smiles. That sounds like his brother. “ I know. Thanks. I’ll let you know if I need you. Or Lance will let you know because I refuse to ask you for help.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Adam finally manages to disarm Antok, spinning his polearm and holding it behind his back.

“Well, Remind me never to push Adam over the edge. I’m gonna go see what Lance is up to.”

“You do that,” Shiro murmurs. “I’m gonna go find a deserted hallway and bring your attendant with me.”

“Have fun. Pervert.”

“I will, thanks.”

Rolling his eyes, Keith trots over to the other field, curious to see what Lance has got up to. Thace hurries right behind him, scanning the facility. “Where the fuck is my mate?”

“Who cares about your mate? Where’s- mine…”

As it turns out, Keith’s mate is firing arrows from the back of a galloping elk. And every shot is perfect. He’s also shirtless, which is really great, but kind of gross because he’s doing that weird ‘sweating’ thing that Alteans do, where they get all wet and slippery. Why can’t they just pant to cool off like a normal species?

But whatever. It’s still incredibly impressive. Especially since the targets, little floating spheres, are both moving and firing at him. And it’s nice to see Lance in his element. He’s got a borrowed bow in one hand, a couple arrows between the fingers of the other, another between his grinning teeth.

“Good to know your chosen mate isn’t entirely useless,” a gruff voice murmurs from behind. Kolivan’s followed them from the other field. “Wasn’t sure about him when Shirogane came back with a report on his swordsmanship. He’s actually an incredible shot.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty great.”

The only thing better is the way Lance’s face brightens when they make eye contact. He removes the arrow from his mouth. “Hey, beloved! See something you like?”

“Hm. Not sure. You should go around again so I can decide.” Keith’s smirk morphs into a grin. “I take it you're enjoying yourself?”

“I am kicking ass! This is so much fun! Can’t believe I’ve never tried this before! Also, this is Bruna, and I love her.”

Keith smiles as Lance hangs his bow from the elk’s saddle, stroking the doe’s soft, red fur. “You know she’s carnivorous, right?”

“All close friends have their points of contention, and admittedly her terrifying teeth are… one of those things, but she’s also loyal, and fast, and very sweet.”

Keith eyes the elk skeptically, gaze lingering on her four sharpened antlers crowning her head and the filed horns protruding from her face. “This sharp, vicious creature is your friend?”

“Bruna will be loved and adored by yours truly all the days of her life.”

“Okay. Good luck convincing your father to let you bring her home.”

“Oh, I don’t have to convince either of my parents of anything. I just have to convince you.”

Keith stares down the hopeful look in his ridiculous elk-loving husband’s face. He’s thoroughly unmoved by those large, pleading, blue-and-pink eyes. Completely unswayed… Except… “If you’re getting one, I should get one too. It will give us an excuse to spend time together without being buried in tablets.”

“See, this is why I love you.”

“I love you too. Now shoot some more arrows so I can watch.”

“Okay, should I put my shirt back on, or-”

“No, it’s fine.” A sly smile. “You can keep it off if you like.”

Lance quirks an eyebrow before lifting his bow again -Does he have to show off that he can ride with no hands?- and preparing to continue his practice.

“When you’re done flirting,” Kolivan mutters. “Your mother is waiting to kick your ass.”

“Yeah, okay.” Keith looks around. “Where did Thace go?”

“I dunno. Probably to stick his tongue in Ulaz’ mouth.” Kolivan sighs, leading him to yet another training room. “I’d been counting on you to be the only one of these idiots to keep it in their pants.”

“What about your sons?”

“Pfft. Found mates while you were gone. They’re always… visiting.”

“Gross… Well, I promise never to visit you.”

The Galra chuckle. Kolivan never really has a lot to say, but what he does have to say is either incredibly serious or mildly amusing. He’s an acquired taste. One that Keith has acquired in order to survive. Kolivan’s also his mother’s closest companion, so he insists on their getting along, despite what one might call ‘creative differences’ when it comes to leadership roles.

Essentially, Kolivan’s an unapologetic, amazingly blunt asshole and Keith tries his best to be more… constructive.

“It’s about time you showed up.”

“Hey, Mom. Sorry. I stopped by the med ward.”

“Okay.” She goes easily, drawing her sword. “But don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

That’s what Keith loves about his mother: the understanding. For only having known each other for two years, they share so much: a loss, a condition, a passion for the personal freedoms that their rulers restrict until they can barely breathe.

But Keith and his mother find a way. They dig their roots into unwelcoming ground. They learn to thrive. They draw breath.

And swords. Krolia has Keith panting in minutes, forcing him to the brink of his skills. He really is out of shape, but he’s missed this. He’s missed this challenge, this push, this direct, up-front, physical confrontation where no one is screaming, or complaining, and there’s no stack of work staring at him from behind another stack of work. Just him, trying his damndest to beat the crap out of someone who can actually match with him.

And, surprisingly, he’s doing well. His stamina and strength have taken a hit, but he’s picked up forms and techniques on Altea that give him an edge.

The Galra know how an Altean fights, but Keith knows how they think, why they make the choices they do. Their aim isn’t disarming or killing an enemy. A Galra's aim is to defeat the enemy, to beat them into submission until the ground beneath thier boots is painted red. An Altean’s aim is to make it past the enemy toward a larger goal, and do it as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Krolia isn’t his enemy. She’s just in the way. So, dodging a slash of Krolia’s sword, Keith slips past his mother, elbowing her in the kidney as he darts past. Krolia doesn’t flinch, even as she turns to stare at her son, but nobody can fully brush off a hit to the kidney, and she lowers her sword, panting her way through the pain since she has the option.

“What was that?” she asks.

“I applied a different philosophy. In a mission, you wouldn’t be my target, and I saw no reason to waste my time dispatching you.” Keith shrugs. “Why bother?”

“Because I could have gathered information on you-”

“You didn’t. In this scenario, you, an unnamed, random assailant, are not worth killing, and I have a different mission.”

“And what might that mission be?”

“I…” Keith pauses. “I hadn’t thought that far. I just wanted to show off.”

“Clearly.” Krolia looks her son up and down, amused. “I don’t understand, but you seem to think you’ve achieved something, so-”

“HA!!!”

“AHhhhhh!!!”

“-So what the fuck was that?” Krolia growls, adjusting her grip on her sword.

“I’m not sure, but that was Lance and Adam, so something’s probably being destroyed.” Keith sighs, heading back to Lance’s field. “Welcome to my life.”

Lance is indeed messing around with Adam, wielding a broadsword with an adequate amount of skill -a miracle, honestly, and one courtesy of Keith- while Adam comes at him with his polearm.

From behind the fighting idiots, Shiro grins at him, notching his head at Lance. Keith presses his lips together to hide his smile, ducking his head. He knows he’s doing a good job, but to have someone else say it means a lot.

“I thought you said he didn’t have any skills,” Krolia murmurs, watching the Alteans go back and forth.

“That’s what I thought.” Keith lifts his gaze back to his chosen mate, the glint in his eyes as he experiments with the sword in his hand, figuring out how to make it more effective against Adam’s chosen weapon. “But I was wrong. He just needed some more one-on-one coaching. He’s typically quite capable on his own, but always better when he’s working with others. He’s a people person.”

“That is one of the many, many reasons I don’t understand why you love that little creature,” Krolia murmurs.

“He’s a good buffer. He does all the talking, and I just stand there and look pretty.”

That’s not entirely true, less so as time goes on, but for some reason, Keith doesn’t want to share all that much about his life on Altea. It almost feels too personal, like he’s not ready to share his experiences with anyone yet.

“Hm, I’d think looking pretty would be his job,” Thace teases, clinging to Ulaz’ waist. Ulaz himself only nods, a more quiet kind of friendly than his mate, but friendly all the same. His fondness for Keith is indicated by a softened eyebrow, rather than a smile.

“No, but he does it exceptionally well.”

The corner of Ulaz’ mouth quirks. “Perhaps you can both come over to our place tomorrow and look pretty around our table. The kits want to see you, Mashan in particular. Besides, the hunting party returns tomorrow. A little lizard told me that they slew a pack of vakalt. Herdsmen are coming up, too. We can celebrate together, maybe put a few of them up at our den for the night. Get in a few good stories. Also, be forewarned, Lotor wants to speak to Lance outside the castle, so he may 'spontaneously decide to visit'.”

Keith nods. He watches Lance and Adam spar, glancing to his littermate across the yard. So far, his companions have been more than agreeable concerning the Galra way of life. Lance, at least, will enjoy the experience, and Adam will enjoy a chance to crawl all over Shiro. Maybe he’ll even be able to drag Pidge out of their closet. It’ll be nice.

“Sure. We’ll come.” Keith smiles. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Nonsense!” Thace claps him on the shoulder. “You’ll always be one of us, Keith, and you’re always welcome in our home. You, and that Altean of yours.”

“Thanks, guys. I really appreciate that.”

He does. He’s glad that he still has a place here, even if it’s no longer his only home.

#LoveAftertheFact #LAtF #klance #galtean au #altean lance #galra keith #adashi #altean adam #galra shiro #voltron legendary defender #vld

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

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Chapter 5: Lunch With Dad

Masterlist

Abby's POV

I was zoning in and out at work when my phone started going off. I checked to see my boss was still in her office before grabbing it. I sighed when I saw who it was.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hi, sweetie. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said almost accusingly.

"Nothing too big. What's up?" I asked, running my hand through my hair.

"I'd like to set up a lunch with you."

"Set up a lunch?" I asked. "You mean go to lunch with me? Your daughter?"

"Yes," he sighed. "I will meet you at Juan's Mexican Grill at noon."

"Okay. I will see you then." He hung up without saying anything. "I will see you for our lunch meeting, Mr. Peterson."

Noon came a lot faster than I had wished. Before I knew it, I was parked in front of the Mexican restaurant my dad had requested. I groaned as I got out of my car and headed inside.

"Hola and welcome to Juan's Mexican Grill. How many in your party?" The bored teenager asked me.

"Just me and one other. He is probably already here," I mumbled when I looked down at noticed I was three minutes late. And yes, three minutes is a big deal to my father.

"Mr. Peterson," the boy sighed like he already knew. "He said you'd be later."

I rolled my eyes as he grabbed a menu and started leading me through the restaurant. I bit my lip as my father came into view. He was sitting in a booth, talking to someone on the phone while doing work on a tablet.

"Hi, Dad," I said as I sat down. He didn't look up at me but held up one finger. I rolled my eyes as I took the menu from the waiter.

"I'll umm. . . I'll come back and take your order in a few minutes," he said, looking between my father and me.

My father just waved his hand admissibly while I sent the poor waiter a small smile. "Thank you."

I looked at my father before sighing. I turned my attention to the menu and started scanning the varied meals. "How was work?" I heard him ask.

"Was that to me?" I asked, sending him a knowing look. He hesitated before hanging up his phone and putting it and his tablet to the side.

"Sorry," he said, raising his hands to show they were empty. I waited for him to say something, but he just stared at me. I sighed as I turned my attention back to the menu.

"Are you guys ready to order?"

"Yes," my father said shortly. "I will have two pork tacos and a water. With lemon."

The waiter wrote it down and looked towards me, waiting for me to order. "Can I get a chicken quesadilla with guacamole on the side? And a diet coke."

"Alright, I will bring some chips and salsa while you wait." He took our menus and headed back to the kitchen.

I sat back, folded my hands in my lap, and waited for my dad to say something. He just smiled at me, making me feel uneasy.

"So?" I asked.

"So, how's work?"

"Work is good," I shrugged.

"Are you still Jenna Taylor's assistant?" He asked, sounding a bit condescending.

"Yes, dad." I sighed. "I am still the assistant to one of the top lawyers in town and no, I don't want to go any higher. I'm fine where I'm at."

"But, are you?"

"Yes," I sighed. "Look, Dad, I love working for Jenna. I'm not a lawyer, but she still allows me to help out more than I probably should. I'm happy where I'm at. I know that may sound weird coming from the daughter of the city's top accountant, but I am."

Dad just sat back and looked at me. I held my breath, waiting for his response. "Abigail," he sighed. Before he could continue, the waiter came over with our drinks and a basket of chips and salsa.

My dad waited for the waiter to leave before clearing his throat and slowly taking a drink of his water. "Abigail, we need to talk about Caleb."

My heart jumped into my throat. I subconsciously started playing with my engagement ring. "What about Caleb?"

"I know he is off playing engineer," he sighed.

"He isn't playing. He is," I mumbled as my dad continued.

"But we need to start thinking seriously about what he is going to do when he comes home. He needs to have his career figured out if you marry him."

"If I marry him?" I cut him off. "I am marrying him whether he has a stable job or not. I love him and he can do whatever he wants with his life. Right now, he is doing something important. Dangerous? Yes. But it's what he wants to do. I am not going to tell my fiancé what he has to do in order to marry me."

"I am just saying that when he comes back, he can work for me."

"Why the hell would he want to work in an accounting office?" I said, my voice getting louder.

"Watch your tone with me, young lady." My dad said sternly.

"No," I deadpanned. My father's eyebrows raised as I continued. "You have had your talons in me long enough. I'm your daughter so I haven't fought it. But I am not letting you even try and clamp down on him. He can do what he wants. Either way, I will support him because I love him and when you love someone, you support them without hesitation. Then again, you wouldn't know what that is like because you have never supported me. Ever."

I was out of breath by the time the waiter nervously walked over, our food in his hand. He set our plates in front of us and quickly walked away.

Neither one of us said anything as we started to eat our meals. I couldn't even look up from my plate. I know if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop the tears that were threatening to spill. The stress of Caleb being away, missing him, brushing off people's comments and now my dad trying to control, not just mine but also Caleb's life, was starting to get too much.

And in that moment, I felt like I was going to pass out.

"Abigail," my father said softly. "I am just trying to help the two of you. I know what it's like to be a freshly married couple and struggling to make ends meet. I went through that with your mother. I want you to be financially stable so someday you can stop working and focus on having children."

"Who said I had to stop working when we have kids?" I mumbled, still not looking up at him. "And Caleb and I are going to be just fine. We've both been saving money since high school. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to spend the rest of my life with him."

I finally looked up at him as I added, "I would appreciate it if you let Caleb and I live our own lives, making our own mistakes."

"Okay," he said simply. I waited for him to continue, but went back to eating when he didn't say anything.

We had just finished our meals and the waiter had gone to get our check when my dad spoke up again. "I was talking to your step-mom and we had some ideas about your wedding."

"Dad," I sighed, cutting him off. "I've told Hannah, the step-monster, over and over again that I am not planning the wedding without Caleb."

"I know," he said raising his hands up in defense. "I wanted to talk to you about your budget. I know you and Caleb both have been saving up and created a strict budget. That's great and I am proud of you both."

"But," I sighed when he didn't continue.

"But, your step-mother and I would like to pay for it. All of it."

"No," I said instantly.

"Abigail," he sighed.

"We don't need your charity. We have it covered."

"It's not charity to pay for your daughter's wedding, Abigail. It's actually a tradition. Plus, we figured that if we pay for your wedding, then the money you've saved can go towards an apartment or a house. You could also take me up on my offer to live with us for the first few years."

"Dad," I cut him off. "I know what "paying for your wedding" means. It means that Hannah will have a say in everything. And I am not letting her take over mine and Caleb's wedding. It's not her place."

"Not her place?" My dad challenged. "She's your mother."

"Step-mother," I corrected as I jumped up. "If you can even call her that. She is your wife, dad. Not my mom. I didn't ask for her to be in my life, yet she forces herself in. She will never be my mother because no one can replace my mother. No matter how hard you try to replace mom, I can't. I won't."

With tears streaming down my cheeks, I grabbed my purse and headed straight to my car. I got in, turned it on and leaned my head against the steering wheel as I couldn't hold back my sobs any longer.

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

23 notes · View notes

sweetlydraws · 4 years

Text

Painted Lady AU Christmas at Clover-Bloom (Dealing with the Pressure.)

I started to write this at the begging of December. Life got in the way. I wanted some character interaction. Marinette and the OCS.

Warnings? (Panic attack. Criticism of the Class.)

Third-person P.O.V

Marinette leaving her design class when her tablet binged from a notification. An email? The email reads,

“Dear Students of Clover-Bloom Academy,

As we are now in the month of December, I must remind you all that holiday plans are to be submitted to the head office before the 19’th. We do not want anyone missing any holidays with their family or friends.

Another reminder will be sent on the 10’th. Have a lovely rest of your day.

Headmaster Jean Corbin.”

Marinette read the email a few times. She didn’t realized that you had to put in leave for Christmas. Her tablet binged again, this time it was a text from Brethold.

“Hey M-Nette you out of class? Want me to pick you up?” Marinette sends a quick okay back. She then sits on a nearby bench. Ever since she made some jeans for Brethold, he’s been insisting that he do stuff for her.

Marinette takes her hair out of her pigtails. Running her fingers threw her hair. The middle of her hair is still wet. Sighing she puts her hair in a ponytail instead. Feeling movement in her bag, she sees that Pollen and Trixx having a silent fight about who get to play this new Ladybug and Chat Noir phone game.

Marinette honestly didn’t like this phone game. Like the Ladybug movie, whoever made it had bad characterizations of her and Chat. But she’s not Ladybug anymore, so she can’t denounce it. Pollen and Trixx seem to enjoy it, so she tolerates it. Sadly Nooroo wasn’t there. Nooroo was tired after last night. They had to stop another fight between the Crimson Beetle and Chat Noir again.

Sighing, Marinette just couldn’t figure out why Chat wouldn’t let her talk to him. According to Nooroo, Plagg should know that she’s the Painted Lady. When she first introduced herself to the Beetle, Tikki and Nooroo seemed to have some conversation that left the Beetle trusting her. Why couldn’t Chat do the same?

BEEP BEEP!

“M-NETTE! YOUR TAXI IS HERE!” Brethold yells from his helmet. Brethold was sitting on his scooter, waving at her. Getting up, she walks towards him. Brethold hands her a helmet. They zoom off. “How was class?” Brethold half yells.

“Busy!” Marinette yells back. In Marinette design class her final project is something you work on all year. Because Marinette started school later, she only had to make 3 out of the 4 outfits she designed. She decided on the ones based on Pollen, Nooroo, and Trixx.

“Did you get the holiday email?!” Brethold yelled.

“Yeah!”

“Do you have plans!?”

“I don’t know yet!” Honestly Marinette’s parents only celebrated Christmas because they were semi-forced too. Her mom side of the family only like 4 or 5 people did Christmas and her dads side weren’t really there. Sighing, Marinette decided she would just call her parents tonight and ask them.

“I’m staying!” Brethold’s voice broke Marinette’s thoughts. Before Marinette could yell back they arrived at the Greenhouse Cafe. Brethold parks and they both get off.

“What do you mean your staying?”

“If you don’t have plans, or don’t summit leave you stay at Clover-Bloom over the holiday break.” He shrugs. “My parents don’t do Christmas, never could afford it growing up. Just wasn’t a thing we do. Also my parents house wasn’t updated to accommodate my leg.” He patted his hip, gesturing down his leg.

Marinette nods. She couldn’t imagine if she had hurt her hands or legs and trying to get into her room.

“What is Clover-Bloom like during the holidays?” Marinette asks. She and Brethold head into the cafe.

“Well… There are no classes. Classrooms that have expensive equipment in them are locked but other than that. There all opened. If you have a year-long project you have this time to work on it.” Brethold explains as they head to the booth in the back. Lilian and Vivienne are already there.

“Sup loser! Hey Mari, how was fashion class?” Lilian smiles as she moves her bag to block Brethold from sitting. He sits on the bag, never breaking eye contact from Lilian.

“Will you two ever stop?” Vivienne asks looking tired. Whatever was going on between the cousins, cause them to ignore Vivienne.

“Vivienne, what are you doing for the break?”

“During brake I live with aunts. So I’m staying. I’m probably not going to be in my dorm, but who knows.”

“Do you celebrate Christmas?”

“If my aunt Seong-Min is here for Christmas, then yes.”

“Where is she again?” Lilian asks as she yanks her bag from under Brethold.

“Last time she checked in it was Toronto Canada.” Vivienne rubs the back of her neck.

“Before you ask Marinette, I’m also staying. And no, I don’t celebrate Christmas. Well my parents do but I don’t.” Lilian holds her drink and points at Marinette.

“Can I ask why?” Marinette pulls out her phone to text her parents.

“I just don’t like that I have to buy stuff on this one day to show that I care about people.” She shrugged. “I give people things all year to show that I love them you know. It’s just frustrating that if you don’t give someone something then your a bag guy, even if you gave them something they week before.” Lilian started to get worked up. She shakes her head. Christmas is not a thing to get amokized over.

“Do you celebrate Christmas Mari?” Lilian asks after chugging down a red bull.

SMACK!

“What was said about that.” Vivienne hissed. Brethold quietly snickered. Lilian only muttered under her breath.

“Kinda...” Marinette answered. “My mom side of the family are all in China and my dad side isn’t really in my life. My grandfather doesn’t like my mom, and my grandma travels the world. My parents mostly used Christmas as a day off. At my old school I spent most of the month making things for my former class.” Marinette sighed. It’s been a few months since what happened but it still is sore to talk about.

“Marinette you don’t have to make anything for us. I don’t know if you were planning to or not. I just wanted to throw that out there.” Vivienne says.

“Yeah! You made me these jeans already and I still need to pay you back for them!” Brethold adds.

“I love your designs but I’m not going to get them for free. I’ll gladly pay you first.” Lilian agrees.

Marinette is taken aback. She is just so use to making things for free and not getting anything in return. Before she could rebuttal Aurora bounced in.

“Hello! Guess who is going to Berlin to see her brother for Christmas!” Aurora sang.

“Vivienne?” Brethold joked.

“No, me! Xavier called me last night and told me the plans. I just sent my notice. I leave the 19’th and I’m coming back the 6’th! What were we talking about before I showed up?” Aurora change topics easy.

“Marinette was asking what we're doing for the holiday and if we celebrate Christmas. And we were telling her not to make us clothing as a present.” Vivienne explained.

“If Marinette makes me something I’ll make her something back! Also my family celebrates Christmas. Since my family all live apart, we really go ham for Christmas. Vivienne knows!” Aurora smiles. Vivienne's eyes go wide and she shudders.

“Your family tried to kill me,” Vivienne says pointing her finger. Marinette gasps.

“It’s not my fault your family doesn’t do touching.” Aurora laughs.

“Wait I’m confused?” Marinette whispers.

“My family is a very touchy-feely one. They love showing they love people. So Vivienne was the target of a lot of that love. Her family is very…. Stiff?” Aurora explains through giggles.

“My grandmother,” Vivienne mutters. Marinette nods in confusion.

“Did anyone tell her about our tradition?” Aurora asks. The table goes silent. Lilian smacks her head.

“No, we forgot.” She mutters. Marinette tilts her head.

“On the 15’th we meet up on the roof of C building, bring a karaoke machine and some junk food and have a blast! Since you here, you're invited!” Aurora claps her hand a few time.

“How do you have access to C building? We all live in D?” Marinette questions

“I have keys to all the dorm buildings. Perks of my uncle being the headmaster.” Lilian grins. Marinette is taken aback.

“Do I have to bring anything?” She asks prepared to take notes.

“Only your self. If you want to bring anything that’s up to you.” Vivienne says. Marinette finds this very frustrating before she was constantly told what to do, what to bring. Marinette chest tightens. What if they did want something? What if they get mad at her! What if she messes up! “Ma-” What if they can’t get food, and she didn’t bring anything!”Ette-” What if,what if,what if,what if,what if,what if,what if,what if!

“MARINETTE!” Hands grab her shoulders. Marinette’s eyes won’t focus but Brethold is the one holding her.

“Shit! I think she having a panic attack!” Lilian says. She runs off to grab a water.

“Marinette I need you to focus on me okay,” Brethold asks in a soft voice. Marinette tries to focus her eyes. She is only able to see a blurry picture of Brethold tho.

“Marinette I’m going to need you to take several deep breathes,” Vivienne says. Marinette follows what Vivienne told her to do. While Marinette is focused on trying to see Brethold and breathe, Aurora is able to take Marinette phone out of her tightened hands. Lilian rushes back with the water.

“Drink.” Lilian hands the water over. Marinette takes a minute to finishes it, but when she's done her chest isn’t tightened anymore and she can clearly see Brethold. “Do you need more water?” Marinette turns towards Lilian and shakes her head.

“Nette I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have just assumed that you wanted to come! I-” Aurora was cut off my Vivienne hand touching her shoulder. No one knew that from Marinette bag the two kwamis watch with concern. Pollen and Trixx were able to feel Marinette’s panic. It had taken everything for Pollen to not rush out and comfort Marinette.

“Aurora we don’t need you also in a panic.” Aurora nods, her head drooped lower. “Marinette, if you’re feeling up to it, can you tell us what just happened please,” Vivienne asked not wanting to push Marinette.

“Please expect something from me.” Marinette barely whispers. If the group of teens weren’t already quiet they would not have heard, but they did.

Brethold first thought was one of pain. As the former soccer captain, he knew what it was like to have people put pressure on him… Brethold looks at Marinette, she trying to make her self smaller. His heart is breaking. He doesn’t understand. Who would make Marinette feel like this? He frowns.

Aurora was next. She felt nothing but sadness. Marinette sounded so defeated. The fact they didn’t want anything from her sent Marinette into a panic attack. Marinette seems so happy. Aurora closed her eyes and thought. When they did anything Marinette put almost everything on her plate. When Brethold mentioned that because of his leg brace he can’t find jeans that were comfortable. Marinette went and made him jeans. Vivienne’s aunt mentioned that they were trying to find a new pastry for the menu Marinette offered to help. Why didn’t Aurora see this sooner? She opens her eyes and looks at Marinette.

Lilian was mad. The only thing she could think of was that old school of Marinette’s. Lilian was the unofficial leader of the D-dorm building. Mostly because of her uncle being the headmaster. So when a new student was moving into the dorm, she went to her uncle. All he would say is that the student had a hard time at her prior school. Once she got to know Marinette she learned that she was akumatized. Marinette doesn’t like talking about it. Lilian starts to connect the dots. Her fingernails start to cut into her palm.

Vivienne was quiet. Looking at Marinette felt like a mirror. That feeling of needing a purpose. That feeling that if anything goes wrong it will be your fault. That feeling. Vivienne fought a shiver. She’s had this feeling since she was a child. But this feeling was from a cycle of abuse from her mother, and her grandmother. Vivienne held her breathe. She was only just able to start healing. Even then there are many days that she’s afraid to leave her room. Vivienne forced her self to breathe. Who did Marinette have to help her?

“Marinette.” Vivienne says. Not sure of what to say she just starts to speak. “I know this seems hard to… Believe but you don’t need to do anything.” Marinette goes to open her mouth but Vivienne doesn’t stop talking.“Aurora doesn’t need to bring anything, Lilian, Brethold, or me none of us have to bring anything… This is for all of us to be together. You don’t need to plan out the whole thing.” Vivienne voice trailed.

“But!” Brethold cuts in. “If it would make you more comfortable. We could make a list of thing for the each of us to bring. So you don’t have to… Panic. About what to bring because you’ll know what everyone will be bringing.” Brethold laid the plan out hoping that everyone would give.

“I’m bringing the machine, and the speakers.” Lilian says looking at Aurora.

“I’ll bring the pillows and chairs.” Aurora claps her hands.

“I’ll bring the drinks. Speaking of which text me what you’ll want.” Vivienne adds.

“I’ll cover the snacks, like popcorn and stuff… and first aid things.” Brethold whispers the last part fast. Marinette was quiet. What was she going to bring? They said everything else. She looks at them all then looks down. Her thoughts are racing.

“How about you bring some baked goods.” Vivienne breaks Marinette thoughts.

“But! But Brethold is bringing snacks already! And, and I don-”

“I’ll bring savory snack and you bring sweet ones” Brethold smiles putting his hand comfortably on her shoulder. Marinette nods. She can do that. She can bake some holiday-inspired dishes. She feels the knots in her gut fade.

“I’m sorry for what happened,” Marinette says. Aurora goes to say something but Vivienne stops her. “At… At my old school, I was the class president. At first, I had my old friend as my vice president, it was fine. It was easy! It was fun.” Her voice brakes. “But then it started just being me. I would plan everything! I would have to bring everything! Not only that but I had to make the decorations! For anything, I planned, and more! Stuff I didn’t plan. Things I wasn’t even apart of.” Marinette’s voice was desperate. Each sentence sounded more painful than the last. “ It only got worse when they made me interact with the guy I had a crush on! No. Not made, forced! Forced me to interact with him. I couldn’t even talk to him without panicking!”Marinette bangs the table slightly.

The group of teens looks at each other. Marinette continued. “Marinette make me this! Marinette I need this done before to tomorrow! Marinette what happened to bringing cookies in? Marinette I need this dress, that I didn’t tell you about done by this weekend, AND I’m not paying for it!” Marinette was turning red. “It was only worse after she came back. After they turned their back on me. I would have to plan parties I didn’t even get to go to. And she would always make comments about how she could have done it better and faster. In turn I. Had. To.” Marinette went quiet. Tears fell from her eyes.

No one said anything. The kwamis in Marinette bag froze. Even though they have been with Marinette since her akumatizing they hadn’t heard anything about this. They knew that the former class wasn’t the best but this! Pollen thought about the interaction her former queen and the turtle boy had with Marinette. How could Marinette choose to forgive? Her lady was stronger then Pollen would have been. Trixx, however, was raging. His former fox Ayla. That was the only person in his head at this moment. He knew she was something. Never out of the box long enough to figure it out, but now! His jaw tightened.

Brethold just hugs Marinette. He couldn’t think of any words to say. Aurora joins in. Lilian and Vivienne share a look. Neither hug Marinette but they do hold her hands. The group silently comforts Marinette. Marinette takes it in. Marinette wasn’t sure why she went off. Maybe it was the season, maybe she was just tired of holding it in. Marinette lets out a silent breathe. She makes eye contact with Pollen and Trixx. She wants to laugh, Trixx looks like an angry cat. His ears are laid back and he’s baring his teeth.

“I’m okay. I’m okay.” Marinette tightens her grip on the hands she holds. The others don’t move immediately, but they do slowly. “Thank you. Really thank you.” She rubs her eyes.

The tender moment was ruined by Marinette's phone ringing. Aurora forgot that she was holding Marinette’s phone, resulting in Marinette’s phone almost going flying. Grabbing her phone she answers.

“Hi, sweetie! How was class?” Her dad's cheerful tone causes Marinette to start laughing hard. The others start following suit. “Did I miss something?” Was all her dad could ask.

“You could say that,” Marinette says after she laughed all she could.

“Well as long as you sound happy.” She could hear her dad smile.

“Hey dad I need to talk to you about what we’re going for the holiday break later okay.”

“Sure can’t wait. OH! Nino and his mom came by and dropped off a Christmas present for you. Said that if you can’t come home then to mail it.” Marinette was confused. Nino and his family didn’t celebrate Christmas.

“Um, okay.”

“Tom the cookies smell burnt!” Marinette heard her mom call.

“NOT THE GINGERBREAD! Call you back love you!” Before Marinette could respond her dad hung up. The group was taken aback.

“NOT THE GINGERBREAD!” Lilian jokey yelled! “Your dad sounds like a treat Mari!”

“What! Is with all the yelling.” Vivienne aunt Odette rolled up.

“Sorry aunt Ode,” Vivienne says. “Things got… a little sour over here.” Odette raised an eyebrow. She just sighs and rolls away.

“I’m going to head to my room, okay,” Marinette says. “My head hurt and all the emotions made me tired.” She snorts.

“Do you need me to drive you?” Brethold asks.

“No, I think I’ll walk.”

“Be safe,” Aurora says.

“You too.”Marinette smiles as she gathers all her stuff to leave. After she leaves, Pollen pops her head up. Marinette just puts her hand in her bag and hold the kwamis. Hopefully, during the break, Marinette can rest… No evil Santa or amokized kids. No Chat and Beetle fights. Just her and her friends and family hanging out. Marinette wonders what Nino could have got her.

Quick note! I changed certain things about Marinette and her family. According to Google, most Chinese people in China don’t celebrate Christmas. So I tried to include that. As for Tom’s parents. Her grandfather seemed racist. I live in the southern United States, he reminds me of a lot of the old people here. Also Google also says Moroccan people don’t celebrate Christmas either. The creator says Nino and his family are Moroccan (That's what the wiki says.) so I tried to add that as well. (I’m a white American. I tried to get info. If any of this is false please correct me!)

I’m hoping to get the Kwami post done soon.

#Not quite Ml salt #so not tagging that #Painted Lady Au #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Ml Oc #Miraculous Ladybug oc #ML Fanfic

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lowkey-lokis-bitch · 5 years

Text

our chosen family - dad!steve.rogers

request - can i request for steve rogers x teen!reader? they have a father daughter relationship ever since he recruited her for team cap. they see each other again back @ the avengers facility after a long time. reader got affected by the snap (they shared a moment before turning to dust like peter & tony in titan) her last words: “i love you dad” and she’s the last one who’ll turn into dust. steve cries, vowing to avenge her and the others. reader has strength, speed, heat vision and flight. thank u!! - @barnes-parker – i’m so sorry it’s taken so long aha but i got so invested in this story and couldn’t stop ahaha <<33

word count - 7679

pairing - dad-figure!steve rogers x teen!reader, uncle!bucky barnes, uncle!sam wilson (btw the uncle figures are so much fun to write i love it omg), pretty much team cap family

a/n - hi! this became a long one and I’m kind of really proud of it so I hope you enjoy!! please let me know if this is the sort of thing you would like to read more!! also this kinda jumps between timelines so the lil ‘—-’ are the same scene just jumps, but the proper ‘——’ are different scenes :::))))))

Stars lit up the sky as you floated above the metropolitan horizon of New York. Your mask covered the bottom half of your face, but you could see your breath cloud as the evening became cold. Landing on a rooftop, you squatted and scanned the area for any disturbances. Your eyebrows furrowed as you saw a group of bodies, all crowding around a young woman. The heat signatures they gave off were crazy, deep reds and bright oranges almost hurting your eyes. You jumped across a gap to the next building, trying to get a closer look. Then the woman screamed.

You leapt down from the building, landing in a crouch as the bodies turned to look at you. You stood up quickly, taking in the gasps from the men as they realised who you were. The first man sprinted towards you, throwing a punch at your face. You blocked it with your forearm and jammed your fist into his stomach, doubling him over in pain. You drew your knee up to hit him in the face and jumped over his falling body. Throwing yourself onto the floor, you swung your leg in front of you and tripped up two of the remaining five bodies. As they fell you grabbed their heads, banging them together just hard enough to knock them out for a few hours.

A knife flew by your face, missing you by only a few centimeters. You turned quickly, sprinting towards the attacker and buried your elbow in his face, taking out his legs with your foot. As he fell to the ground, you grabbed his body and threw it against the remaining men, taking them out like bowling pins. Walking towards the young woman, you helped her up and checked her over.

“Thank you,” she stuttered, tears falling on her cheeks. You gave her a smile, hidden by the mask, before sending her on her way. You began lining the bodies up against a wall, ready for the police, when the sounds of footsteps approached you from behind. You spun, holding your hands up in a defensive measure.

“Hello (Y/N),” a man in basic black and purple armor spoke, a quiver strapped across his back. You were taken aback by his use of your name; you had never told anyone of your true identity.

“How do you know my name?” your voice was tense, as were your fists. “Who are you?”

“I’m Clint, this isn’t my normal way of introducing myself,” the man laughed to himself, rubbing a hand against his forehead. “I’m just gonna cut to the chase, we need your help.”

Days later you found yourself in Europe with Captain America, having been recruited for his fight against Tony Stark. The two of you had clicked instantly, him taking the fatherly role that had been missing from your life. You trained together, Wanda helping you with controlling your powers and Steve taking responsibility for your hand-to-hand combat. The progress you saw within yourself in just a few days was outstanding and you found yourself imagining a life with the team, training and becoming friends. But that was a dangerous fantasy.

———–

“Take the new guy, he seems about your age,” Steve didn’t look at you as he spoke, his eyes still focused on Tony as he ran across the airfield. “Save Buck and Sam.”

“Ah, my boys always need me,” you laughed despite your anxieties. Sprinting towards the glass building, you flew into the air and crashed through one of the walls. You landed in a traditional “superhero” pose, looking up to assess the situation. Bucky and Sam lay on the floor, tangled up in some kind of web, as Spiderman crouched against a tall pillar.

“Woah, you can fly?!” the kid spoke, his voice revealing his youth. As you considered, he probably wasn’t much younger than you, a year or two at most. How could Tony bring in someone this young?

“Hey kid, haven’t you got homework or something to be doing?” you cocked him a brow, a smirk hidden beneath your mask. Spiderman’s eyes flicked up to you, widening in shock. You threw yourself towards him, arms outstretched to tackle him to the ground. Landing with a thud, you launched Peter across the room where he hit and slid down the wall. You bolted towards Bucky and Sam, ripping apart the webs that bound them. “What would you boys do without me?”

“Probably not have all of my food stolen,” Sam muttered, standing quickly and bringing his hand to his goggles. You sent him a glare before standing alongside Bucky. Glass shattered behind you, and you turned to see Spiderman caught by one of Sam’s drones, pulled outside.

“That works,” you shrugged your shoulders, leading the pair of men towards the building’s exit. “I can’t believe you got your asses handed to you by a kid.”

————

Deep breaths echoed, bouncing off of the prison cell walls. You sat by the bars, your arms wrapped around them and your hands intertwined. Your head rested against the cold metal, your eyes barely open as exhaustion took over your entire body. You had barely eaten, you couldn’t remember the last time they had given you water and you were sure the fatigue was obvious on your face. A sigh escaped your lips as you forced your head up to look across at Clint in his cell. He was sat on his bed, his head in his hands - as had become his usual position.

The opening of the main door caused you to look up; you half expected Tony to be back to gloat about his victory, to try and weasel any secrets out of you, but the silhouette in the doorway was taller, broader. As he stepped into the light, you heart broke and your lower lip quivered. Steve’s face was rugged, a hint of a beard tickled his jaw as he walked towards Sam’s cell. The two had a brief conversation, Steve glancing around the room at several points. You assumed Sam was explaining what had been going on. Steve reached into his pocket, pulling out a tablet that had hacked into the Raft’s mainframe. With a click of the screen, the cell bars lifted and you lifted yourself from the ground slowly. Your head spun and your legs shook beneath you as you stumbled your way to Wanda’s cell.

Wanda was the weakest of the group, she had been wrapped up in a straitjacket with an electric collar around her neck. Her eyes were sunken, deep bags hanging beneath them. She dragged her eyes up from the wall to look at you. A tear landed on your cheek as you knelt down before her, looking for some way to remove her restraints. Your breathing sped up as you began to panic, unable to find a solution. A hand touched your back, throwing you off balance as you spun around quickly, falling as your head went fuzzy. Large arms wrapped around you as your consciousness began to fade. You forced your eyes open just long enough to see Steve’s face, smiling down at you as you drifted off to sleep.

———–

“She needs to be here, where I- we can look after her.”

“She’s old enough to make this decision herself.”

The steady beeping of medical equipment steadied your breathing as you began to regain consciousness. You tried to lift your hand, but it felt like dead weight. Your fingertips twitched and you let out a soft groan, attempting to communicate with anyone who was in the room.

“Hey kiddo,” Steve’s voice calmed your racing heartbeat as he stepped towards your bed.

“Where are we?” your throat felt as though you had swallowed broken glass and the taste in your mouth was foul.

Steve looked towards the other man in the room, who you could now see was Sam. He sighed, his head hanging before looking back up at you, “A safe house in Sweden, the whole team’s here.”

“How did you- what happened?” your eyebrows furrowed as you coughed, your chest aching with each exhale.

“Well, I couldn’t leave my best girl,” Steve smiled up at you, but his eyes showed his true sadness. “Can’t be part of a team if the rest of the team isn’t there.”

“So, everyone’s staying here? What about Tony?” Steve flinched as you mentioned the name, taking a deep breath before speaking.

“We have to stay under the radar, according to everyone we’re criminals now. Tony isn’t going to try and change that. Nat, Sam and I are going to go underground and Wanda’s gonna be with us most of the time. What you do is up to you,” Steve looked up at you once again, his eyes pleading for you to stay.

“I-I don’t know.” “I don’t want to interrupt a lovely moment,” Sam stepped forward, his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “But you’re young. You can’t be giving up your life before you’ve even had one.”

“Whatever you do,” Steve started, rubbing the back of your hand with his thumb. “We’re always here for you, whatever it is, I’m here.”

In the time after Germany, your physical and mental health took a hit. It took you days to be able to walk again, and weeks beyond that to start training. Natasha and Clint would often find you pottering around the safe house at 3am, a dazed look in your eyes and various weapons in your hands. Not to mention the nightmares, they woke not just you, but Steve who would race through from his room - adjacent to yours - when you began screaming, your lungs crying out for oxygen. It was decided that you would go with Wanda, she was the only one who could fully comprehend what was going on in your head, and you would return when you had fully recovered. Whenever that was.

“I’ll come visit as soon as Wanda thinks it’s okay, kid,” the tears in Steve’s eyes threatened to spill as he held you close to his chest. Your cheeks were already damp with salty tears as you had said your goodbyes to the rest of the team. Your arms were tight around Steve’s waist, and you didn’t want to let go. He pulled back to push loose hairs away from your face and to look into your eyes one last time. “I love you.”

“I love you, and thank you,” you hesitated. “Dad.”

———————————————————————————————————

You kicked your leg out as you leapt into the air, thrusting your foot into the chest of an Outrider and slicing another in half with your blade. As you returned to the ground you drove your foot into the fallen Outrider’s face, leaving the Wakandan dirt splattered with black blood. You wiped your face with the back of your hand, a grimace painted across your expression, before looking up to see Steve struggling against a pack of creatures. You launched yourself into the air before hurtling into the group, sending Outriders flying in all directions.

“Thanks kid,” Steve breathed, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to regain his momentum.

“You know, maybe you’re getting too old for this,” you joked with a quick salute. Steve simply raised an eyebrow at you in response and the two of you sprinted in seperate directions. You grabbed a pistol from the holster at your thigh and sent bullets flying towards two Outriders, dark gore showering the dusty ground beneath you. You increased your speed as you lifted off the ground, taking an aerial view of the battle. From your viewpoint, you saw Wanda fighting against one of Thanos’ children, and she wasn’t exactly winning. You bolted towards her, your hair flying behind you as you landed on the ground, sending dirt flying from under your feet.

“She’s not alone,” Natasha spoke as Okoye readied her blade. You stood next to the assassin, fists out in a fighting position. Proxima Midnight looked between the three of you before lunging towards Okoye, blades prepared to strike. She dove, striking at Okoye’s chest as you plunged your foot into her lower back, tripping her onto her back. She rolled up easily, landing in a crouch as she kicked out at Natasha’s feet. Wanda, now up from the ground, lifted Proxima into the air and sent her flying into one of Thanos’ large tanks.

“Anyone got eyes on Vision?” Sam’s voice came through your comms and you spun quickly to see Vision fighting another of Thanos’ children. You gave Wanda a quick nod before she used her power to give you a boost into the air. You hurtled through the air to the forest, your landing ruined by the dense trees. You dropped through branches before arriving at the floor, the air sucked out of your lungs. You wheezed, your eyes closed as pain surged through your entire body. Your adrenaline was starting to wear out, and you weren’t unscathed from the fight. Looking down at your body, blood and dirt was caking your armor, skin exposed to show deep wounds. You lifted yourself onto your knees, looking up to see Vision stabbed by Corvus Glaive. You stood quickly, grabbing a dagger from your belt and lunged towards the creature, sinking the blade into his side.

Suddenly, Corvus was tackled to the ground and you whipped around to see Steve getting to his feet, yelling across at you and Vision. Vision was visibly injured and struggling to move. He nodded at you and the message was clear. You sprinted towards Steve and Glaive, landing a punch on Glaive’s cheek and kicking your shin into the back of his knee. As he fell, he grabbed your arm and threw you into a tree, your spine curving around the trunk. You cried out in pain as you landed against the ground. Steve blocked Glaive’s blade with his shield, landing a punch and grabbing the blade and throwing it in the opposite direction. Glaive grabbed Steve by the neck, throwing him onto a fallen tree where Steve rolled, grimacing in pain. Corvus walked towards the tree where you were still shaking with agony, and wrapped his hand around your neck. You gasped for breath, your eyes beginning to go hazy.

As you sucked in a shallow breath, Glaive’s eyes went wide. His body lifted as a blade protruded from his chest, revealing Vision holding the staff behind him. Letting go of the stave, Vision fell to the ground. You gasped for oxygen as Steve sprinted over, blood trickling down his face from a cut on his forehead. You crawled towards the pair as Vision’s eyes began to droop, Steve holding his head.

“Hey, you’re good,” you spoke slowly, breathlessly. “We’ve got to get you out of here, okay? I can take you-”

“There’s no way you’re doing anything,” Steve’s voice was stern. “You’re injured, we can’t risk you any further.” “Steve, we need to get him out of-”

“I know, but-”

Wanda arrived on the scene, her face painted with worry as her eyes landed on Vision.

“Don’t cut me off!” your voice was raised, filled with urgency. “I can fly him up, get him back into the building. I’ll take out all of the Outriders, I can do it.”

“It’s too danger-”

Steve stopped speaking as dark clouds appeared between the trees, an ominous noise wiping out all cries from the battle field. A large figure stepped through them, a familiar golden glove decorating his left hand. He tensed and flexed his fingers, the stones making beautiful sounds as he glanced around, assessing the area. You looked towards Steve, his eyebrows furrowed as he stood.

“He’s here.”

———————————————————————————————————–

early 2018 - remote europe

The bed creaked beneath you as you sat, the old wooden bed frame groaning at your presence. You pulled the medical kit out from your drawers, opening it to grab the antiseptic and cotton wool, before pulling up your shirt. A grimace crossed your face as you pressed the ointment to your skin, the stinging sensation dancing across your stomach. Grabbing a bandage from the box, you unwound it and wrapped it around your torso, ensuring it was tight enough to stop any bleeding. Then you moved on to the multiple wounds across your arms.

“Got yourself in kind of a bad state, kid,” you turned slowly to see the familiar face of Sam Wilson. “Need a hand?”

An aggravated sigh left your lips as you stood from the bed, “How did you find me?”

“Well, the deal was you were with Wanda. But that’s obviously not how it played out,” Sam gave you a serious look. “She told us the last place you said you were going and we took it from there.”

You rolled up the leg of your suit, cursing under your breath as you saw the bruising that had begun to appear. “Are you alone?” The uneasy tone of your voice didn’t go unnoticed. Sam looked across at you, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he considered the team.

“We didn’t want to undo anything Wanda might have-” Sam struggled for his next word, thinking carefully of his next word.

“Fixed?” you finished the sentence for him, looking up and giving him a breathy laugh. “Well, don’t worry. I can take care of myself.”

“You don’t have to.”

The words stopped you in your tracks. You took a deep breath, turning to face the man before you.

“You’ve heard about the Infinity Stones?” Sam crossed his arms over his chest.

“Wanda and Vision mentioned them a few times, told me a bit about them. Why?” “Some big, scary guy is trying to get them all. They went for the Mind Stone, but we got to Vision first.”

“Is he okay?” you spoke, your voice raising slightly with concern.

“He’s fine, he’s back at the compound with Steve and Nat,” Sam stepped towards you. “We need you, (Y/N).”

“Now, where have I heard that before?” you joked with a sigh, rubbing your forehead with your palms.

“He needs you.”

You looked up, pained eyes searing into Sam’s.

“What’s the mission?”

——-

The quinjet landed beside the Avengers facility and your heart jumped the second you reached the floor. You were instantly aware of how you looked, the weight of your backpack, the noises your jacket made as you stepped off of the jet. Sam moved to stand beside you, giving your shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

“You ready, kid?”

You gave a quick nod in response, your eyes fixed on the main doors directly in front of you.

“You’ll be fine,” Sam began to walk, his large strides putting distance between the two of you. Gritting your teeth, you forced one foot in front of the other, counting down the seconds until you were inside. The training hall was the exact same as when you had left. A sense of comfort washed over you, releasing the tightness in your chest as you looked around. A small smile broke onto your face as memories flooded back: training with Bucky, long nights talking with Wanda, Natasha trying to teach you new moves, leading to you on the floor, the breath stolen from your lungs.

Footsteps alerted you to a presence behind you and you spun around to meet Wanda’s kind eyes.

“Hey,” you breathed, a wobble in your voice.

“I’m sorry, I know you wanted to be by yourself bu-” Wanda began to walk towards you, taking your hands in hers.

“It’s okay,” you reassured her, pulling her into a hug. “I understand. Plus, everyone was probably missing me tons. You know, I don’t know how they survived without me.” You feigned a confident front, but you weren’t sure that Wanda was fooled.

She laughed nervously, taking your arm in hers and leading you towards one of the main rooms. You stopped before the door, looking across at your friend. She gave you a comforting smile before opening the doors and walking in. Your body felt like lead as you stepped through the doorway, seeing the same people you had left two years ago.

Nat’s eyes met yours and she rushed over, wrapping you in her arms. Although she rarely showed it, Natasha was one of the most caring people you had ever met. It was an extreme contrast to the act she maintained, but you knew her in a way no-one else did. She pulled back, her hands on your shoulders as she studied your face. You could see the relief on her face as you took in her appearance.

“I like the hair,” you let out a laugh. “You know, it’s hard for a redhead to pull off blonde.”

“Good thing I have the attitude for it,” she smirked, hugging you once again before returning to the large screen in the centre of the room.

You spotted Vision at the other side of the room, talking with Wanda, and gave him a quick wave. He responded with a smile, still growing accustomed to human greetings.

“Where’s Steve?” you spoke softly, to no-one in particular.

Natasha turned to look at you, “He’s in his room. Something about not wanting to make you uncomfortable or nervous.”

“I’m gonna-” you trailed off, leaving the room.

The corridors were hauntingly familiar, the same lights flickering as your shoes moved quietly along the wooden floor. 84. It was still 84 steps from the stairs to your room. Your heart rate increased as your hand stroked the door handle, pressing it lightly to reveal your room. Nothing had been moved, it looked as though you had been there only yesterday. The light streamed in from the closed window, thin, white curtains sitting perfectly still. You walked slowly towards the centre of the room, dropping your backpack onto your bed. It was a weird sensation, being back in a place that held so many mixed emotions.

You were snapped out of your memories as footsteps quickly approached from behind. You spun around and saw Steve standing in the door frame, an apologetic look on his face.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you were back already,” Steve diverted his eyes, avoiding meeting yours. “I thought someone was-”

He stopped talking as you walked towards him. Once you were within touching distance, your lower lip began to quiver and you wrapped your arms around him quickly, sobs escaping your lips. He sighed in relief and hugged you back.

“I’m sorry,” you spluttered, pulling away to look up at him. “I shouldn’t have gone off on my own, it was stupid and-”

“Hey, no,” Steve pulled you back into his chest. “I just-, I got scared. But that’s my fault, not yours.”

You stayed in the same position for a few minutes, just taking comfort in his familiar heartbeat. When you pulled away, he wiped the tears from your face before walking you back through to the meeting room. Natasha was now joined by Rhodey and they were deep in discussion, frequently referencing to various sheets of paper that were strewn across the table. They looked up when you entered, Rhodey folding his arms across his chest.

“Welcome back,” you hadn’t met Rhodey before, only briefly encountered him at the airport battle, but you could tell you were going to get along with him pretty well. “You heard of Thanos?”

———————————————————————————————————

“What did you do?” Thor bellowed. The gauntlet was fried, burned into Thanos’ skin. The titan looked around, a smile growing across his face, before summoning a portal and falling through. You looked across at Bucky, who was standing from where he had been thrown. A sense of unease settled across Wakanda and glancing around, it was obvious that everyone felt the same. You launched yourself into the air, trying to see the battlefield, to see if the same dread could be felt across the nation. And that’s where you saw it. Soldiers floating away in the wind, nothing but ashes. Your heart dropped as your mouth opened, your breathing staggering. You crashed back into the forest, looking around at your fellow Avengers.

“Something’s not right, people are-are-” you stuttered, your heart racing faster than it ever had. Steve looked across at you, concerned.

“Steve,” Bucky’s voice came from behind you as you turned. A pile of dust was on the floor, where Bucky’s body would have fallen. Your breath hitched as tears pricked your eyes. Steve staggered over, his heart breaking in his chest. Kneeling down, he ran his fingers through the remains of his best friend, his face obvious with distress. He looked up between you and Thor, the three of you sharing a thought. What the hell is going on?

Something inside of you felt off. Your stomach lurched as you looked up at Steve, tears beginning to stream down your cheeks. He stood quickly, racing over to hold you in his arms.

“Steve, I-I don’t know-” you spluttered, tears staining his armor.

“It’s okay, it’s going to be okay,” Steve’s voice cracked, his facade of strength dissolving before your very eyes. Natasha burst through the trees, her breathing heavy and her face panicked. You had never seen her this way before, the unshakable assassin, shaken. You fell to the floor as your knees gave out, Steve going with you. He held you in his lap, his hands running through your hair.

“What’s going to happen?” your voice wavered as you looked up at your mentor, your face tacky with salty tears.

“I-I don’t know,” Steve could barely look at you, feeling sick to his stomach. “But it’s going to be okay, I’m gonna figure it out, okay?” He nodded, trying to convince himself most of all.

Your legs went numb and you tilted your head to look down, but Steve placed his hand under your chin, lifting your eyes back to his. Your breathing sped up, panic settling in your stomach as you felt like you were going to throw up.

“I love you, Dad.”

Steve fell forward as your body dissolved before him. A tear fell from his eyes onto the ashes on his arms. Natasha walked towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder as she chewed on her bottom lip, her anxieties getting the best of her. Steve looked at the floor, his body heating with despair and anger.

“This isn’t over. I will get them back, and I will kill Thanos.”

Your eyelids were heavy as light beamed through the thin layer of skin. Squinting, you lifted a hand to cover your face and sat up slowly. Steve was gone. Looking around you could see Bucky standing up, Sam on the floor and the tree guy next to a log. But no Steve, no Natasha, no Rhodey. You made eye contact with Bucky, and confusion was plastered across his face, as you were sure it was across yours.

“Where’s Steve?” you stuttered, your legs shaking beneath you. Stumbling over to Sam, you took his hand and he gave it a quick squeeze. “Where’s anyone?” “I don’t know,” Bucky spoke slowly, moving to join the pair of you as T’Challa and Wanda emerged from seperate parts of the forest. You lowered yourself to the ground slowly, your body exhausted from whatever had just happened. Sam rubbed his forehead, desperately trying to hold it together and figure out an answer to the thousands of questions running through his head.

Your breathing was speeding up, your heart pounding in your chest; it felt as though your ribs were about to explode from the pressure. Your worried eyes met Bucky’s and he knelt down beside you, taking your hand in his larger, calloused grip. He gave you a soft smile, exaggerating his breathing to encourage you to fall in sync with his. Due to his past, Bucky was no stranger to anxiety and thus he was the one you always went to when your body started to act against you. He was more than happy to help, seeing you like a little sister and wanting nothing more than to protect you from the big, bad world. Your lip quivered before you took it between your teeth, hard enough to draw blood. Your eyes darted between Bucky and Sam, but as you looked at them you saw them looking in an entirely different direction.

A man stood before a glowing, amber circle, his red cape floating behind him as he strided towards you.

“My name is Doctor Stephen Strange. I was with Tony Stark as we fought Thanos, and I’m assuming you lost as we did,” Stephen’s eyes danced across the group, trying to devise the leader.

Sam stepped forward, “Nah, this is our victory party. You don’t see the balloons?” Despite his jokes, his voice was dark, serious.

“It’s been 5 years since our defeat,” your eyebrows furrowed at Strange’s statement. “And the Avengers need us.”

———————————————————————————————————–

“Avengers, assemble.”

Roars broke out from all around you, an army running and fighting as one. Steve was at the forefront, his shield in one hand and Mjolnir in the other. You could see the grime and dried blood that coated his face from your position, despite being fairly far away. You sprinted forward, a cry escaping your lips in anticipation of the extreme battle that quickly approached. Holding your arms out before you, you launched yourself into the air and thrust your fist into an oncoming Leviathan. The punch reverberated through its entire being and it began to fall as a white horse came flying through the air, the Valkyrie atop it slicing the beast’s spine. You sent her a quick smile before turning to observe the ongoing battle. You bolted into a large group of Outriders, a shockwave exploding beneath your feet and sending creatures flying into the air, where they were quickly taken out by Tony and Pepper. You were moving at an incredible pace, legs and arms flying as you obliterated any Outriders that dared to threaten you.

“What do I do with this thing?” Clint’s voice was familiar over comms, and instantly you knew the object he was referring to. The gauntlet.

“Get it as far away from here as possible,” the sound of Steve’s voice made your heart skip a beat. A smile broke onto your face as you realised, this could be it. This could be the end of Thanos, the end of constantly looking over your shoulder for trouble. You could have a life after this. Your eyes roamed the battlefield, searching for a glimpse of the red glove. Amongst the hoards of creatures, you spotted Clint diving and dodging oncoming attacks and bulleted towards him, your feet leaving the ground and your body becoming streamlined.

“Hey kid, not really an ideal time,” Clint spoke, his breathing heavy as he dodged under a blade that flew towards him.

“Gimme that thing,” you nodded towards the gauntlet.

“Hell no, I’ve already fallen for that once today,” he continued to run, the glove tucked underneath his arm.

“Clint,” you looked at him, your eyes stern. “I can fly. They can’t get it up there.”

The man hesitated a moment, before holding the gauntlet out to you, “Touché.”

With the gauntlet secured in your grip, you bolted into the air, your hair flying out behind you. The roars of battle echoed from below, but your focus remained on getting the glove away from Thanos. A searing pain shot through your abdomen as you were thrown to the ground. Looking down, you saw the hilt of a knife sticking out of your side. You gasped, blood trickling down your side as you brought yourself to stand again, gripping the knife and pulling it out of you. Gritting your teeth, your eyes roaming for the perpetrator as you began to run. Your feet were heavy beneath you, swinging back and forth across the uneven battlefield. Shots rang out around you, but you didn’t flinch. Once again, you jumped into the air, throwing your head back to look at the ships above you.

Bullets flew past you, bolts of energy and weapons you couldn’t recognise skimming your armor. Leather could only hold off so much, and little cuts and digs were becoming bigger and more painful. You could feel your power draining as your body began to give out, failing under the increasing pressure of losing oxygen and blood. Your eyes struggled to remain open as the air became thinner and you felt your grip on the gauntlet loosening. In a panic, you scrambled to hug the glove to your chest and you began to fall. The ground was closing in as you squeezed your eyes shut to prepare for impact.

“Hi, I’ve got you!” a familiar voice rang out as you felt arms catching you. You forced your eyes open and saw the familiar mask of Spiderman. A breathy chuckle escaped your lips as Peter raised an eyebrow, a cheeky smile across his face. “I thought you said you could fly.”

You simply nudged him in response, trying to maintain any kind of energy that was left in your exhausted body. “You have spider-legs now?”

“Oh these things?” Peter glanced at his suit as you reached the ground, him letting you down gently. “That’s not even the best bit.” He reached out for the glove, and you gave it to him gladly. You smiled at him before he swung off, gauntlet in hand. You allowed yourself a few moments to catch your breath, glancing around at the battlefield and trying to find your teammates. You spotted Rhodey in the air, thrusters lit up as he attacked a Leviathan, with Sam on his tail, shots firing out at a rapid speed.

Blood rushed through your body as you gathered your strength to stand, muscled legs holding you up. A herd of Outriders watched you rise and sprinted towards you, teeth scratching and drool flying as they ran. You gritted your teeth as your rubbed your hands together, readying your familiar fighting stance. Your fists acted upon muscle memory, driving into chests and faces, legs flying and stomping on fallen creatures. Your armor became covered in Outrider gore, staining your skin with a deep blue tint. You fought until an entire group of monster corpses lay at your feet, your breathing was heavy and sweat droplets coated your forehead. With a quick swipe of your hand, your face was almost cleared of Outrider blood and your eyes focused once again as you looked towards the surrounding creatures.

“I am inevitable,�� Thanos’ voice rang out over the battlefield and you spun to see the heavy gauntlet on his hand. Your breath caught in your throat as his fingers touched, the sharp snap cutting through the dense air. A confused look appeared across the titan’s face as he turned his hand, revealing the lack of infinity stones. You gasped as your eyes roamed to Tony, who was kneeling with the stones implanting on his suit.

“I. Am. Iron Man.”

A sharp, metallic tone shattered the air. Pain was instantly shown on Tony’s face as his body crumpled to the ground. The hoards of creatures that had begun to charge towards you stopped, all seeming to share a thought. These monsters that you had previously thought incapable of emotion were scared. A quick look around the battlefield showed that their entire race was reacting the same way. The area was almost silent, only heavy breathing could be heard over your comms.

Your feet began to move slowly beneath you, carrying your body towards the familiar presence of Wanda, who was stood near to you. Without turning to look at you, she took your hand in hers, her eyes still glued to the titan knelt in the centre of the fight. Around you, ships fell from the sky, exploding as they met the ground. Fire burst out in the perimeter of the battlefield, but you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the monster stood before you. His breathing slowed as his eyes dropped to the ground, his elbows resting on his knees. He remained there for a few seconds before looking up towards Tony, and dissolving away with the wind. Your breath hitched in your throat as he turned to ash. You tilted your head up to look at Wanda as a single tear rolled down her face. She dragged her eyes towards you and a relieved smile broke onto her face as she looked at you. You pulled her into a tight hug, sobs escaping both of you as you felt her arms around you.

You pulled away after a few moments, your tearstained face smiling up at her with a mix of relief and heartbreak. You couldn’t imagine the cacophony of emotions whirring through her body. Your heartbeat was steadily increasing as you looked around the battlefield, looking for one person. Steve. Your comms were alight with conversation and celebration, making it impossible to identify individual voices. And then, from across the battlefield, your eyes locked with his. A breathy sob escaped your lips as you began to sprint towards him, your injured legs stumbling as you crossed the uneven terrain.

His arms were around you within an instant, your face pressed into his chest. Tears spilled from both of you, neither in belief of what had actually happened. Steve pulled away to look at your face, and despite being in his old uniform, you could see the weathered effect the past 5 years had had on him. His eyes were swimming as he assessed your face, barely an hour older than when you had disappeared before him. Your mind raced with questions but you couldn’t bring yourself to speak.

“Hey kid,” Steve’s voice cracked as he looked down at you, his hands on your shoulders.

“Hey,” you stuttered, your voice shaking. “So, it’s not weird that I called you dad right?”

Steve laughed, shaking his head, “It would be an honor.”

He pulled you into him once again, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. You spent a few moments just relishing in the familiarity of your family. Wanda had approached the pair of you, alongside Bucky and Sam. Steve took Bucky into his arms, patting his back as he pressed his face into Bucky’s soft shoulder. Sam jokingly wrapped his arm around the pair, encasing them in a group hug. You smiled at the action, taking Wanda’s hand once again. Once the group of boys had separated, Steve gave Wanda a quick hug, smiling at his friend. You situated yourself between Steve and Bucky, an arm around each as you settled into the comfort of your family.

Peering around the group, you noticed an empty space, “Where’s Nat?”

Steve’s face dropped as he looked around the group, “She -uh, she didn’t make it.”

Your eyes clouded over as your eyes fell to the ground. The group shared a few minutes of silence, grieving for your fallen sister. You reached to take Steve’s hand in your own, giving it a squeeze and looking up at him through clouded eyes. “She knows we won, and we won for her.”

———————————————————————————————————–

Tony’s lakeside cabin was beautiful during the summer, the rays of sun beaming through the windows. You could have sat out by the lake for hours, not a single thought crossing your mind. It was peaceful, and you felt the most peace in knowing that Tony and Natasha were at peace as well. The funeral had been deeply emotional; you hadn’t known Tony too well yourself, but seeing the effect he had had on people’s lives proved to you how important your job was. You sat on the porch, watching Tony’s young daughter as she played by the lakeshore. An absent-minded smile danced across your face, the cool breeze tickling your face.

“Hey kid,” Steve approached you, his hands in his pockets as he sat next to you. You lifted your eyes to meet his, noticing the nerves he was trying to hide. Your eyebrows furrowed, but you shifted to give him some space.

“Hey,” your voice was soft. “How is everyone?”

Steve took a deep breath, surveying the horizon before you, “As good as they can be, I guess. Bruce is setting everything up, should be ready to go pretty soon. Best to just get it all fixed now.” You nodded up at him, leaning your head on his shoulder. He responded by wrapping his arm around your shoulder, hugging you into his side. “Can we talk?”

“What else were we doing?” you turned to face him, your entire body shifting as you crossed your legs beneath you.

“I mean, a serious talk.”

“Of course, what’s up?” nerves rumbled in your stomach as he looked down at you, his well known “serious face” on display.

“I think I’m going to stay there,” Steve’s eyes dropped to the floor, as though he was trying to look at anything other than you. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Where? What are you-” you stopped yourself as realisation vibrated through your body. “As in-?”

Steve nodded, his eyes clouding with tears.

“With Peggy?” Your voice cracked as you felt your throat thicken. Tears threatened to spill, but you focused all of your efforts into staying strong, for him.

“I- I can’t stay here when I could be living the life I truly want.”

You ducked to meet Steve’s eyeline, drawing it back to you. Giving him a reassuring smile, you took a deep breath and composed yourself. “I understand, and I love you. No matter what.”

Steve pulled you towards him, tears falling from his eyes onto your hair. He pressed a kiss to the crown of your head then placed his cheek on top. He could feel your chest rising and falling unevenly as quiet sobs escaped your lips. Your face was pressed into his shirt, taking comfort in being able to hear his heartbeat.

“Say hi to Peggy for me,” you smiled, your lower lip quivering as a tear dropped onto your cheek. Steve pulled away from you, taking your face in his hands. He pressed a kiss to your cheek, his eyes alight with emotion as he looked down at you.

“Do you want to come out, stand with Sam and Buck?” You nodded in response, taking his hand gently in yours. “I’ve spoken to Bucky, but we’re not gonna tell Sam. I don’t think he would take it too well.”

“Judging by some of his previous reactions, I would say you’re correct,” you laughed slightly as the two of you left the lodge. The brief walk through the forest was a daze, you barely felt as though your feet were touching the floor. You tried your hardest to take in every moment, knowing it would be some of your last with Steve, but your uncertainty took hold of your consciousness.

You reached the clearing where Bucky and Sam were deep in conversation with Bruce. The pair turned as they heart your footsteps, Bucky giving you a knowing smile as his eyes met yours. Sam jogged over, throwing an arm around your shoulder.

“You okay, kid?” he looked down at you.

You wiped your face quickly, having forgotten about the tears. “Yeah, just allergies.”

“I keep telling you to go outside, instead of stuck in your room all day,” Sam’s eyebrows raised in an “I-told-you-so” manner.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” you shoved his chest jokingly, making a beeline towards Bruce. You watched as he pulled a small briefcase out from beneath the table. Steve stepped towards you, unclasping the buckles to ensure that all of the Infinity Stones were counted for.

“Remember, the exact second they were taken, then-”

“Then back, yep. Got it,” you were surprised at how Steve sounded, confident. He closed the case, taking it in one hand and Mjolnir in the other. It still shocked you to see the magnificent hammer in his grip. He climbed the stairs, not looking back at the group of friends behind him. You found yourself moving towards Bucky, wrapping your arm around his.

“Okay, and 3, 2, 1,” Bruce pressed a button on the machine and Steve was gone. You breath faltered and Bucky reached to take your hand, his eyes still fixated on the spot where his best friend had just stood. You remained silent, not wanting to bring Sam’s attention to you, not wanting to let him know anything that was happening.

“And back in 3, 2, 1.”

You turned your head into Bucky’s shoulder, trying to steady your breathing as you began to accept that he was gone.

“Where is he?!” Sam’s voice boomed through the bare clearing as he glared across at Bruce, who was panicking and rushing around his equipment.

Bucky nudged you with his shoulder, causing you to look up and across at the bench by the lake. A small silhouette was outlined in light, white hair sitting atop of a frail, old body.

“Sam,” Bucky’s voice pulled Sam out of his confusion as he turned, following Bucky’s gaze towards the old man. “You go ahead.”

Sam walked over slowly, his hands in his pockets as he looked out to the water. You watched the conversation, too far away to hear any of the words spoken. Bucky remained in silence, your hand still in his. He pulled his eyes from the scene before him and looked down at you, trying to gauge your feelings towards the situation. “You wanna go speak to him?”

You considered for a moment before shaking your head. “We said our goodbyes, I’m okay.” Bucky gave you a soft smile before turning his attention back towards his friends. You pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before spinning on your heels, your gaze fixed on the cabin through the woods. A tear fell to your cheek as you left, leaving behind the comfort of your father. Thoughts spun through your head as you walked, but you brushed them to the side.

The future is bright, so full of opportunity and possibility. And you have to take it. For Natasha, for Tony, for Steve.

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justheretobreakthings · 5 years

Text

Give Me Somebody to Dance With

Written for @gentronlegendaryfriendships Day 4 Prompt: Mistaken for Couple | Dancing Word Count: 2,325 Characters: Romelle & Keith

Read on AO3

“Ah, this is where you ran off to!”

Keith looked up toward the door of the break room to see that the owner of the voice that had spoken was Romelle, who stood in the entryway, giving him a little wave. At his feet, Kosmo peered up from his own nap and thumped his tail at the sight of their visitor. “I didn’t run off,” Keith said. “I politely excused myself.” He doubted it was really a big deal. The party that the MFE pilots had decided to throw in the Atlas’s cafeteria to celebrate the end of a long week of missions was hardly the same thing as one of Voltron’s diplomatic gatherings that required Keith to be there and on his best behavior. He didn’t need to stick around if he had better things to do.

“Still, I couldn’t help but be curious, you know?” said Romelle. “Why did you leave?”

Keith shrugged. “Too noisy for me. Not really big on parties in general. What about you?”

“Oh, I was growing tired, that’s all,” Romelle replied. “Needed a break. Do you mind terribly if I join you?” She gestured toward the couch.

Keith scooted to the side. “Be my guest.”

With a smile, Romelle crossed the room and took a seat, careful to keep her feet off of the sleeping Kosmo. “You know,” she said once she was settled, “Tiring though the party was, you did rather miss out. It’s quite fun down there.”

“Eh, not really my kind of fun,” Keith said.

“Hunk made most of the sweets that were being served. You like those, don’t you?”

“He always saves me leftovers.”

“And Coran and Allura were giving people a lesson on Altean culture. Coran was telling stories, and Allura was teaching people some traditional dances. Of course, Lance taught her a couple of traditional Earth dances in return.” She twirled a strand of hair thoughtfully around her finger. “Do you happen to know much about the cultural significance of ‘Fortnite Dances’?”

Keith shook his head. “Wouldn’t know. I, uh, don’t know much about dancing in general.”

“Hmm. I’ll have to ask him about the history later then, I suppose.” Romelle cocked her head toward Keith with a smile. “It certainly wouldn’t hurt, you know, to learn a little about dancing. It’s a beautiful art form, really. Can be quite freeing. And when done in company, dancing with others, there’s a bond that forms, I feel. Both between the people and the dance’s history. A lot of the ones that hold the test of time have stories behind them. For example, The Two Yonwood Tree Dance was actually - ” Her smile suddenly faltered. “Well, ah, I suppose you’d want to ask Allura about it, not me.”

“Hm? Why?” Keith asked with a frown.

“That’s one of the dances she was showing the others at the party. And it’s - it’s different, from the way I learned it.” She sighed, releasing the hair that she had been twirling and letting it spring back into shape beside her ear. “It certainly makes sense, I admit. The Altea she knows and the colony I know existed thousands of years apart. Of course there would be differences. Still, it would have been nice…”

“... You miss it, don’t you?” Keith said slowly.

Romelle chewed her lip for a long moment before answering, “At times. On the one hand, it turns out that the place I called home was really a front for a mad prince to kill off our people by harvesting their quintessence, so, admittedly that does sour the memories somewhat.”

“Uh - ” Keith said, unsure how else he could possibly respond to that.

“But,” Romelle continued. “For the longest time… it was still home. Where I had grown up, where my family and friends were. It was a comfort. And for it to all come crashing down upon me so rapidly, well…” She sighed. “It would have been nice to get another piece of it back. You know what that’s like, Keith? Were you that way with Earth, when you left?”

Keith hesitated. An empathetic ear would be nice for Romelle right now, a chance for her to talk about homesickness to someone who understood the feeling and who’d been through something similar, but truth be told, he hadn’t felt the same way. He hadn’t been homesick, at least not the way his teammates had. Sure, there were things he missed about Earth, like fast food and his favorite radio stations and the desert hares that lived close to his shack.

But you couldn’t be homesick for a place that had never really been home. He had learned that in his time in foster care, bouncing from one house to another, some nice enough, some not so much, but never with families who were truly sad to see him go. There was always the sense that he wasn’t supposed to be there, that he wasn’t truly welcome, that he was the square peg someone had tried to force into a round hole. He felt like that at the Garrison, too, and when he’d lived in his desert shack, the place had been too empty, too unfeeling to be home.

Maybe that place had felt like home once before, back when he and his dad had lived out in the desert together, but that was too long ago. He couldn’t remember the feeling of home, so he may as well have never felt it at all. And he didn’t quite feel at home in the castle, and certainly not with the Blade, or on that whale.

“Not really,” he finally answered. “I just never really had a home to miss.”

Romelle blinked at him as if needing a moment to comprehend what he said, then took in a sharp breath and moved her gaze to her feet. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I hadn’t realized.”

Again Keith shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. Not like I was starving in the streets or anything. I had houses, roofs over my head, just… not homes, I guess.”

“Mmm. I think I can get that,” Romelle said slowly. “I believe that was a bit of the concept behind the Altean colony, that home’s not about where it is, it’s about what’s in it. Everyone deserves to have a piece of home. People and pastimes that are comforting and welcoming. You… you really don’t…?”

“I mean, I’ve got Shiro,” Keith amended. “So if we’re talking making people our homes, then that’s - I guess that’s close. Although, of course, things have been turbulent ever since Kerberos, but - ” He shook his head. “Anyway, ah - we weren’t talking about - I mean, I’m not the one who’s feeling homesick here.”

“Ah, what an elegant deflection,” Romelle said with a little smile. “But, well, yes. I like to think I’ve held my composure quite splendidly ever since - since everything that happened. But, oh, I don’t know, at times little reminders start to pick away at me. Like that dance I mentioned. My father taught me the Two Yonwood Tree Dance when I was younger, and I always would dance it with Bandor. So I suppose, seeing Allura perform it so differently, well, it was a little reminder that - that things have changed. That home as I knew it is gone now.”

The two sat in thoughtful silence for a moment after she finished, Romelle with a faraway look in her eyes. Keith interrupted the quiet by clearing his throat. “Hey, uh,” he said. “How would you do the dance differently?”

“Well, the basic movements are more or less the same still, although Allura’s added some twirls that weren’t there before. And the way she was showing how to grip your partner and the way your feet move, there was a - a flowiness, of sorts, I suppose you could say, and that - well, it’s a bit difficult to explain in words.”

“... All right,” Keith said, setting his tablet aside and getting to his feet. “So show me.”

Romelle’s eyes lit up in delight. “Really? You mean, right here and now?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“I thought you didn’t like to dance.”

“Well, maybe it’ll grow on me.” He bent down to push the low table that was in front of the couch out of the way, and Kosmo opened his eyes and lifted his nose an inch to observe the proceedings. “So,” Keith continued, moving back to the couch, “What sort of music is this dance supposed to go with? Is it a slow dance, a fast one?”

“I believe you can dance it to most any tempo,” Romelle answered. “But it has to be fairly high and light. That represents the wind that the trees are dancing in.”

Keith thought a moment, then turned on his tablet, pulled up a search bar, and typed in ‘flute music’. He tapped the first video that came up and turned back to Romelle as the music started. “This work?” he asked.

Romelle nodded eagerly. “Oh, definitely!” She hopped up from the couch, moving deftly around Kosmo to join Keith in the little makeshift dance floor. “All right, so we start facing each other, with our hands locked, like so.” She positioned Keith and took his hands in her own, spreading their arms to the side. “Now, traditionally for most Altean dances with partners, the taller of the pair is supposed to lead.”

“Ah…” Keith said.

“Fortunately I learned it with Bandor, so I’m used to playing the part of the taller partner. No need for you to fret.” She tilted her head at Keith with a slight frown. “Although, really, you aren’t that much taller than me. You’re quite sure you’re a Galra?”

“What? Yes, I’m sure.”

“It’s just, well, you’re certainly the smallest Galra I’ve encountered thus far, and I wasn’t sure if – ”

“Let’s just dance,” Keith grunted.

Romelle nodded hastily and returned her attention to her posture. “Right, of course. Go ahead and start by following my feet, like this.”

She started to lead, and Keith followed her feet in a slow box-step pattern, each step moving them only a few inches. “This is the easy part,” Romelle explained. “Your feet keep in more or less the same pattern for the whole dance, and only move slightly. The majority of the movement in the dance comes from the waist and the arms. Here.” She guided his upper body as they swayed from side to side. “You’ll need to loosen up a little, Keith,” she continued after a moment. “Relax your shoulders and wrists.”

“Sorry,” Keith said. He let out a slow breath, trying to oblige and release the tension in his torso. “Never did a dance like this before.”

“Do you have much dancing experience?” Romelle asked.

“Well, in fourth grade they made us all learn to square dance…” He fought down a shudder at that memory. “But other than that, no.”

“It should come fairly naturally to you. I’ve seen you swordfight plenty by now, and you can be astoundingly graceful with your body.”

Keith let out a little snort. “I’m pretty sure the two skills are more different than alike.”

“How so?”

“For one thing, it’s my understanding that stabbing your dancing partner is, uh, frowned upon.”

Romelle laughed lightly. “All right, fair point. Speaking of not hurting your partner, do try not to step on my toes.”

Hastily Keith moved his gaze back to his feet to get them off of Romelle’s. “Sorry,” he said again.

“You’re starting to take steps that are too large, see,” said Romelle. “The movement of the dance is based on the yonwood trees, so the lower half of your body is the trunk, and it has to be grounded and firm. The upper half is the branches, and those move and sway. Here, I’m going to lift the arms, spread your fingers once they’re over your head.”

Keith watched Romelle’s finger for his cue as to when to move his own, and leaned with her motions as she swept their bodies in a circle. “There you go,” she said. “Stay relaxed, it makes it easier.”

“I’m trying,” Keith grunted. “So, you said that this dance has some sort of history behind it?”

“Mm-hm,” said Romelle. “If I recall correctly, one of the early kings of Altea had yonwood trees planted in the ceremonial courtyard where the royal family would greet visitors. So yonwood trees came to represent a greeting of sorts. The dance is based on the image of two people meeting and uniting for the first time, and the juxtaposition of firmness and flexibility as keys to partnership. Like… like me joining your team.”

“I – I see.”

“Lean back now, stretch your arms out.” She demonstrated, and Keith mirrored her. “I don’t know if I ever thanked you for that, by the way.”

“Thanked me for what?” Keith asked.

“For welcoming me onto your team. Into your family. It is… it’s certainly something that I needed. Gives me a purpose of sorts. Gave me back, well, something that I was missing.”

“Hey, don’t act like it was us doing you a favor,” Keith said. “You’ve been just as much a help to Voltron as Voltron’s been to you. Besides – ” He gave her a soft smile as they straightened again, bringing their hands to the center. “Kosmo likes you too much to let you go.” The wolf in question wagged his tail at the mention of his name.

Romelle laughed. “I suppose there’s no arguing with that last point.”

The music from the tablet began to wind down, and Romelle brought her feet back together, releasing Keith’s hands and stepping back with a little curtsy. “Thank you for indulging me, Keith,” she said.

“No problem. Uh, thanks for teaching me your – your dance thing.”

“Perhaps at some point you could return the favor and teach me this ‘square dance’ you mentioned.”

“Not if our lives depended on it.”

#gentronweek #vldgen #vld fic #keith #romelle #my writing #fic: give me somebody to dance with

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smt-here · 5 years

Text

Regression Progression

Pairing : Avengers × reader (platonic, Steve × reader)

Genre : canon, fluff

Warnings : some adorable shits probably and female pronoun for the reader

A/N : I got this idea whilst scrolling through marvel_holic's IG, there's a lot of adorable fanarts and I MELTED. Srsly guys, see for yourself. And I'm not ashamed to say that I cried more than twice from a fanart of baby thor and loki. Not ashamed at all. Contains NO SPOILER for Endgame of any sorts.

m.list

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It was a regular afternoon in the Avenger's facility.

All is well, everyone had just gotten back from eating lunch together. Steve, Bucky, Tony, Bruce, Thor, and even Peter. Nat and Clint are both back in Clint's home, spending time with his kids and Laura.

As soon as they stepped into the premise of the living quarters, they all grouped up and split.

Upon walking to the building, Tony was greeted by his second assistant-who is having a flirty-ish kind of relationship with Steve- matching steps with his. He claimed the first assistant's job is to manage business matters and the second is for personal avengers-members-only matters, but he really just want the passive old man to date.

"Had a good lunch, Tony?" She asked, not even bothering to look up from her stark tablet.

"You know I do," Tony answered, "had a non fancy-schmancy lunch with everyone, it was a shame you weren't there. That shwarma place near the old building? The lady who owns the place still remembers us apparently, she-"

(Y/N) held a hand up at him, "that was a rhetorical question, I don't actually need any details" she chuckled.

That made Tony rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, Pepper called in earlier, she told me to remind you to take your vitamins and not to take your sleeping pills before 8 pm, she also needs you to confirm Vermont, and lastly, she also said something-that-I-do-not-wish-to-know-in-the-slightest-but-is-now-being-dragged-into-anyways about the prenup you ask her to sign?" (Y/N) raised both eyebrows at Tony who only shrugged his shoulders, "hey, I'm just being cautious"

Bruce then cuts in, "any update from Columbia? They're supposed to-" "called about an hour ago, they're expecting you to be there any time you can"

"That's great! Thanks!" He turned his head to Tony, "we'll continue our project later, I have to go now" he then ran off outside to get his car and off he went to where he was needed.

Once Bruce is out of sight, Tony piped back up, "that man is a child, bless his heart" (Y/N) rolled her eyes at that.

She then briefed him about several calls from the government (in which Tony said "put them on permanent hold, or if they insist, tell them they can suck my left little toe") and some updates from not-Nick-Fury.

"And lastly, I have to update the Captain, do you know wh-"

This time, Tony put his hand up in front of her, "main office building, your desk" then he continued with a sigh, "the man actually had the nerve to say that he needs you to teach him how to use snapchat again when his best friend is a genius" he then rolled his eyes before walking away, throwing a loud "GO GET'EM TIGER" as he walk away.

(Y/N) almost immediately sprinted to the main office building. And true to what Tony said, Steve was there, staring down at his phone before he looked up to see (Y/N) and smiled.

She immediately acted cool, walking oh-so-confidently towards Steve. "Were you waiting for me, soldier?" She asked as she put her stark tablet down on her desk and took a seat.

Steve followed suit, sitting down on the chair accross her with a grin, "figured you didn't had lunch, being Stark's assistant and all, dealing with his shenanigans must be time-consuming". He then put a doggy bag on top of her desk.

Out of curiosity, she took a peek inside only to find shawarma inside. The sweet gesture made (Y/N) want to kiss Steve at that spot, the man was being too adorable. Granted she doesn't really know what shawarma actually is but it's the thought that counts.

"Steve, you are seriously the sweetest, I owe you one" she said while smiling brightly like a fool. Well, actually the both of them are grinning like two lovestruck puppies.

Steve cleared his throat before slightly leaning in, "you can repay me by-"

His words were cut off my a loud explosive sound paired with a short yet harsh shake.

It took them both seconds from looking at each other to sprinting for dear life towards the living quarters.

But when they got there, the place were quiet. Everything seems to be in place as if nothing had happened.

"Do you think that was just an earthquake?" (Y/N) asked as they kept walking through the abnormally quiet hallway. "Not sure, it could be... But... I don't know, an earthquake seems too si-"

He was then stopped when (Y/N) grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. At first Steve was confused. But then his gaze followed her own and saw something he'd never expected to see.

Babies.

After a long pause, Steve broke the silence, "Oh no... Are those-" "yup" "in a-" "I think so"

If it wasn't because of a sudden cry, they'd probably still be rooted on their spot.

(Y/N) was the first to react. She immediately locate the source of the sound only to find a small brunette baby in Peter's blue flannel.

"Awww, aren't you the cutest little baby boy" she coos as she scooped him up into her arms and rocked him sideways to calm him down.

Steve on the other hand had found baby Tony. Baby Tony was on the desk, nipping on the handle of a screwdriver. He looked around and saw baby Thor was trying to pull the now-3-or-4-times-his-body-size Stormbreaker, and baby Bucky was on all fours, staring confusedly at his metal arm that is now laying cold on the floor.**

(Y/N) walked over to him with the now-calm baby Peter in her arms. "What do you think happened here?" Steve asked. (Y/N) looked at baby Tony, then the desk, and then at the fuming machine. "My guess is this machine is at fault" she said as she pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

Though she was talking, Steve couldn't help but stare dumbly at how adorable she looks holding baby Peter in her arms, patting him on the back, rocking sideways, as the wheels in her head turns.

"-eve"

"Steve"

"Steve!"

That broke his daze. He blushed in embarassment, "y-yeah, sorry, I was- what is it?" He stuttered. (Y/N) nudged her head to the side, "please get Bucky, he's getting away" Steve looked to where she was nudging her head to and scrambled immediately to get Bucky before he crawled off even further.

Steve held little Bucky up to his face and cringed, "this is weird..." but then the little thing giggled as he tries to reach his chubby hands up to Steve's face which made Steve smiled fondly, "but damn it he's adorable"

(Y/N) sighed, "we have to do something about this..." Peter was in his own world, nibbling on (Y/N)'s shoulder, "God, this is beyond my pay grade" she said as she reached down to prevent Thor from cutting his own face with Stormbreaker.

Steve put Bucky next to Tony before taking his phone out, "I reckon Banner knows how to fix this" he dialed his number and waited for Bruce to pick up.

As he does so, (Y/N) had decided to get creative. She went to the living room to rearrange the couches to make a makeshift playpen. Steve helped putting each babies inside the playpen while FRIDAY kept trying to reach Bruce.

"Call unanswered, should we try someone else?" FRIDAY asked.

Steve rested his elbows on the countertop and sighed, "No, Banner is the only one who knows about this, we shouldn't inform anyone else..." he sighed, "But I don't know... (Y/N), what do you-"

And once again, for the second time that day, Steve found himself awestruck at the sight of (Y/N), baby Peter on her lap, laughing away happily as she make funny faces at him, baby Thor and Bucky leaning onto either of her side, one sucking on his own thumb and the other sucking on a spoon dipped in yogurt as they watch cartoon on the tv, Tony on the other hand was hitting the table with a spoon, pretending to be fixing or tinkering or something.

No one, he thought, would've been as pretty as her, being surrounded by babies like that. It warmed his old traditional heart.

He walked closer and sat himself right next to her, moving Bucky up on his lap who immediately snuggled closer due to his warm body heat.

(Y/N) realized that Steve had sat himself next to her, grinning. She chuckled sheepishly, "I love babies" she uttered, still kind of embarassed. "That's not something to be embarassed about" he reassured.

"So, how's trying to reach Bruce?" She asked as she repositioned Peter on her lap so he's sitting up and facing the tv. "No luck, maybe he's still doing his business matters? I don't know" he sighed, "but we're both stuck with..." he trailed off, looking at the helpless beings, "four babies and no experience".

That made (Y/N) rolled her eyes, "wow, what a sunshine" she said, scoffing at the end which earned her a raised eyebrow from Steve, "there's the two of us, plus Happy is on standby, and I DO have experience with babies" she smirked coyly.

Without missing a beat, she immediately ordered FRIDAY to contact Happy to tell him to buy things that they may need.

It took nearly an hour for Happy to arrive with three large bags in hand.

(Y/N) approached him with an annoyed look, "God, what took you so long? We asked you to go to the store, not Canada" (Y/N) took some of the bags and put it down onto the countertop. Then she took out the bottles and cartons of milk to heat.

"There weren't any baby bottles in the regular shop nearby, and there was traffic! It's New York for God's sake, a- what are those?" Happy stopped rambling once he saw Steve juggling two crying babies in his arms, while the others are playing on the floor. "(Y/N), please tell me you did not kidnap three babies and have Steve assist you, because I swear I want no part in this"

Steve stepped in and explained what happened to Happy who looked like he had just seen a ghost the second he realized his boss is now a baby.

"Okay, okay, okay... So how can I help? What do I need to do?" Happy asked, looking more calm than he originally was just a minute ago.

(Y/N) came back into the conversation, two bottles in hand. She took Peter from Steve's arms and gave him one bottle to feed Tony as she feed Peter.

"We need you to go to Columbia University, find Bruce, explain the situation, and get his ass here as soon as possible" she said sternly. Happy nodded and scurried off inmediately.

Once Happy's gone, (Y/N) went back to the couch to get comfortable while feeding Peter. Steve followed suit.

In a state of total confusion, Steve found himself oddly quite calm. It made no sense. There he was, feeding one of his best friend that had regressed into an infant with a bottle of milk while his crush is feeding his mentee. Oh and not to mention there's a baby that was born in 1917 that is also his childhood best friend and also one that is at least a millenium.

A regular person might have a stroke whilst trying to comprehend or even slightly process the situation. But not Steve. No.

The person next to him help himself feel safe. At home.

A chitauri fleet could be taking over at that moment and he'd take care of them like a walk in a park.

Peter had finished his meal and is now being helped burping. (Y/N) taps his back softly in the same spot repeatedly which is kind of ironic considering how she would literally drag Peter by his ears if she found him trying to prank her or help Tony destroy something in the compound.

All was adorable until Peter vomited out some of his milk onto (Y/N)'s blouse and it dribbled down onto the back of her pants.

Both Steve and (Y/N) gasped in unison. (Y/N) pulled Peter away from her body to look at him.

Honestly, Steve was kind of expecting her to get kind of mad. But her reaction had once again caught him off-guard.

"Peter Benjamin Parker, did you just threw up on me? You messy baby" she said as she reached to the coffee table on the side of the couch to grab some tissue to clean Peter's mouth, "the last time some guy threw up on me, I left him alone in a cab 20 minutes away from my apartment. You're lucky you're adorable" she grinned.

Steve put Tony down on the couch and grab Peter from (Y/N), "I got him, you go ahead and change into one of my shirts and briefs, you can just leave your clothes in my load, I'll wash them for you"

It was pointless to even try to argue with Steve. So (Y/N) only nodded and went to his room to change.

Steve on the other hand, was cleaning Peter's mouth and drops of milk on his shirt while simultaneously making sure Tony is not falling off.

Not long after, (Y/N) came back with his shirt that was so big, it reached her mid-thigh, concealing the briefs she borrowed completely. Her hair was tied neatly and it accentuates her features perfectly. And by all Gods there is, Steve almost had a nosebleed when he realized he wasn't dreaming.

She immediately positioned herself between Bucky and Thor on the floor, sitting cross-legged with her back comfortably rested on the couch and they almost immediately attached themselves to (Y/N). Both babies looked happy seeing her. Thor even had a huge grin that could split his face in half.

"Hey Steve," she turned her body a little to look at Steve, "how long do you think this is going to last?" Steve raised an eyebrow, "I don't really know, but I don't think this is like a cold that will just go away on its own... Why'd you ask?"

(Y/N) pouted a little that made Steve smiled softly at her.

She moved Bucky and Thor to sit on both sides of her thighs. Steve does the same, he moved to her right side with Tony and Peter on his thighs. This time (Y/N) reacted, she giggled at how completely dad-like he looked and it made her insides all soft and mushy.

"It's just that I like them better like this," she began while stroking Bucky's head softly, "their rowdiness and neediness are adorable unlike their adult forms" then she looked at Steve, "can we keep them all like this? Or at least let me keep baby Peter, I'm not supposed to, but he's my favorite out of them all" she giggled.

Steve was just about to tease her, but FRIDAY cut him off.

"Incoming call from Dr. Banner"

Both Steve and (Y/N)'s eyes widened.

"Answer" Steve said and merely seconds after, Bruce's long-awaited voice was heard, "hey guys, I heard about what's going on-"

Steve cut him off before he could continue, "Banner, how quickly can you come here? We don't know what happened but we need you to fix it as soon as possible, we can't keep the whole team like this"

Bruce sighed on the other line, "I'm sorry Steve, but I'm actually in the middle of a lecture and I still have an interview after this. It's actually about the project me and Tony has been working on, the machine that blew up, it's a mollecular altercation device to-"

"Bruce!" (Y/N) was the one who cut him off this time, annoyed at his prolonged explanation, "cut to the point please" "huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. So, I still need to be here until later, but I promise I'll come back as soon as I can and fix the machine. But there's a chance that you both might need to babysit until at least tomorrow"

Steve and (Y/N) didn't know how to reply to that.

They were both having mixed feelings about being burdened with babysitting the should-be adults. Not to mention, they're their friends, so it could get weird.

Somewhere along the silence, Bruce ended the call, saying that he's needed back, leaving the two by themselves.

This is going to be a long night.

_______________

Part 2 ??

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lula1991 · 5 years

Text

My Jewel

Summary

An ancient spell causes a millenary young lady to weaken, it is up to Larry and her friends to help her find the key to return her to normal while a stranger pretends, along with three already known individuals, to take over a captive jewel somewhere in Egypt with the in order to proclaim it “yours.” (The shock of all the chaos in her).

Objective? The guard and the exhibits must prevent it from falling into the wrong hands while between Ahkmenrah and the girl, a romance will slowly emerge that will bear fruit over time.

Genre: Adventure, comedy, romance, fantasy

Warnings: None, for now. But, I can assure you that if you continue to give it a chance, I promise you that later there will be smut of the good, which you love so much in at least two chapters. If you want me to tag you to receive notifications to follow the story closely, don't hesitate to ask me 💕

Chapter 2

The time for the treasures of the British museum was extended for a good period, thanks to how captivating the English exhibitions turned out to be for the visiting public. And although with the reopening of the Hayden Planetarium, the establishment of New York has not undergone many modifications that we say, only some sculptures, vases and figures have been replaced. Well, there was a change but from the heart, since the aforementioned Larempteh has aroused the sudden love interest of Pharaoh Ahkmenrah..

Teddy: Young Ahkmenrah? — Mr. Roosevelt made the king jump a little because of his distraction.

Ahkmenrah: Mr. Roosevelt, what happens? — his strained smile missed him.

Teddy: What are you doing, son?

Ahkmenrah: Ah, I was going around a few times. I know it wasn't a pharaoh's routine to do it but I wanted to make sure everything was under control. — he didn't believe that lie.

Teddy: It's almost dawn, son.— his voice was kind but he was still a little surprised.

Ahkmenrah: Oh yes, just one more look.. — and he sneakily saw among the plants that decorated the African room as his beloved secret Larempteh moved his hips delicately enjoying the moment by putting on a smile that illuminated the place while some of the mammals they moved around her but did not harm her, her dancing was very fine, since the tradition in Ancient Egypt was for young women to go from small to dance classes among other royal subjects to fulfill their role as wives and please their Kings. Ahk sighed and then realized that Teddy was still there. — Ready, there is no one. — he smiled and ran away.

Sometimes Ahkmenrah could behave like a small baby despite having already had 18 years and with a fulfilled mandate under his hands post mortem. Maybe love put it that way..

But one thing should be noted, 4000 Egyptian years had passed and he was still such a handsome young man..

Teddy denied twice by putting on a bright smile since he knew the reason for his behavior..

That day in Larry's apartment ..

Nick: A new exhibition? Was there a new exhibition and you didn't tell me anything, Dad? — the young man reproached him.

Larry: Nicky, your college studies are more important than distracting yourself with this.

Nick: Dad, I left college. At least another year. I want to focus more on being the best known DJ in Ibiza.

Larry: Do we agree that your mother and I don't agree?

Nick: You're still angry at the last party, right?

Larry: I just want you to focus on your future and take advantage of the early hours, not for parties. You must resume college, son.

Nick: I'm already a man, dad. and Larry gave him a dissatisfied look. — I'm about to turn 18.

Larry: We'll talk about this tomorrow. Team Daley, you will go to college and I will go to work..

The night program was a thing of almost every night since the museum opened it and how it was expected there would be a new function to captivate its visitors..

Many reviewed their respective attire, colonial women accommodated their hats, those of the civil war rehearsed their steps, Sac enlisted what was already prepared, Rexy and Trixy were waxed, Attila and his Huns sharpened their weapons, Mr. Roosevelt combed his mustache, she had already checked the fire manual with the primitives and Dexy had accommodated his funny bun..

And of course, how could we put aside our king who was very comfortable talking with the beautiful girl..

Ahkmenrah: Good luck today, friend. — he followed in her footsteps, improving the appearance of her crown.

Larempteh: Thank you. Being never exhibited at night I hope to please the public by appearing to be technical magic for those who do not know that we are true.. — she winked and both laughed. "And make my ancestors look good in the Planetarium.

Ahkmenrah: Of course. — he assumed in a sweet whisper. — Oh, I almost forgot, an old friend will come to see us, his name is Larry Daley, the Brooklyn Guardian as I like to name him.

Larempteh: Brooklyn Guardian? You are a funny king, very witty and original.. — the genuine came out of her lips as she arranged her little cape.

Ahkmenrah: It is in honor of why he has helped me many times and I am in eternal gratitude with him, you know? He is a great person. When you meet him you will notice.

Larempteh: I trust your words. — she smiled at him kindly.

Sacajewea: Guys! Ah Larempteh, thanks to my ancestors that I find you. You act in five minutes, sweetie. — she informed him with a warm smile.

Larempteh: Thank you Sac..

Sacajewea: Hey Larem, I need you to come, I want you to corroborate if what you say here is correct.. — in your concern, the Native American showed the tablet to the girl with her personal information.

Larempteh: Yes, yes, it's perfect data.. — she once said close to the beautiful woman and they were walking together to the planetarium.

That night, Larry was welcomed with open arms by the young pharaoh..

Ahkmenrah: Good thing you could come..

Larry: Yes, my students behaved and I could finish class before..

Ahkmenrah: Okay. It will be a great night.. — this one escaped a fabulous smile of anxiety and that night guard could not go unnoticed how radiant the pharaoh was, his gaze shone in a way he had not seen before. As if that glare owned.

Larry: Is there something that I have not heard? — he wanted to get information but the king preferred to ignore him.

Ahkmenrah: What?

Larry: Ahkmenrah, you are a great king but keeping things a secret you are terrible. — he assumed what the young man gave him by his side, giving him the reason with a funny head tilt. — It's about Larempteh, right? It's that girl who has you so distracted, right? — and the king was discovered, smiled.

Ahkmenrah: You discovered me but you'll see why I'm like this..

Each exhibition had already made its exhibition and now it was the turn of the Egyptian queen, Larempteh, the poor woman was scared to death but Sac was there to give her confidence..

Sacajewea: You'll do well. — she smiled.

Larempteh: Thanks again, Sac. — she sighed, relaxing her tense muscles with nervousness, filled herself with courage and climbed the steps that led her to the stage.

The audience was considerable in the Planetarium but she was so excited that she didn't care about the number of spectators, she wanted to look her best and hopefully she would make it. Of course, visitors were still convinced that those figures were animated only by special effects although Larempteh how a kind of girl conveyed the magic of her authentically perfect world..

Larempteh: During remote times and even further away, Egypt has always been the focus of attention preferred by many. He has given what to speak as a place where too many people have been captivated with their infinite unsolved mysteries, stories that go from one to the other and return to the same place, their myths and beliefs, legends, riches, writings, dances, important adversaries, rituals, pharaohs, palaces, festivities and other wonders; since I was a little girl of 11 years I have also been and not for being Egyptian but for the fact that it is my home, which fits my immense pride, and will be a part of the planet worshiped by hundreds of individual beings for thousands of add more. My parents have blessed me with the name of Larempteh, it means the sacred light of the Sun. I was born in Waset about 4000 years ago..

Everyone was captivated listening to the young woman climb to a marble platform illuminated by a spotlight that made her more beautiful in the eyes of the young Ahkmenrah who from a corner watched her with devotion and heard her relate as a professional..

Larry: I know it's hard for you to stop seeing her, but hide a little, Ahkmenrah.. — he put a friendly whisper in his joke and in wasting it because of the way he looked at the girl, he was hypnotized.

Ahkmenrah: With her beauty, she opaque to Karnak's temple. Larry looked at him. — I exaggerated? — he made a funny face and his friend laughed willingly knowing why he was so anxious.

Not at all, she was very precious..

Larempteh: And then there, I've lived some time. Surrounded by both natural and material beauty, but what mattered most to me was to be loved at heart. I was respected, adored and even treated as a deity too. I keep the most important piece where a queen stands out, the crown, which I wear from the moment it was my royal coronation that took place in my 14 years. An element of utmost excellence in my time and a majestic weight that must be known to be sustained from the moment you were conceived life; If you wore one, well, you could do what you wanted, of course my parents had to deal with my multiple rebellions.. — she said and even laughter arose. — But that's something on the sidelines. Now to close this beautiful evening, I would like to share that if you have the opportunity to travel to my ancient world, do not hesitate for a second to delight in such magnificent delicacies, one by one, that in my case and in my belief, Ra has created For any human eye that knows how to appreciate beauty. Thank you and you have been very kind. — she smiled and loud applause erupted in that room, she was fired very warmly.

She went down the last step and received with congratulations all Larry's friends and even himself..

Sacajewea: Wow! That was incredible! My prayers to my spiritual ancestors bore fruit.

Octavio: Wonderful!

Jed: Unsurpassed!

Larempteh: I think I even overcame my scenic panic..

Larry: Even more. It was great, congratulations Queen Larempteh.

Larempteh: Thank you! You must be the famous Brooklyn Guardian. — the young woman bowed her head in greeting. — King Ahkmenrah has told me about you.

Larry: Yes, I'm not that fabulous..

Larempteh: Do not be modest Mr. Daley, each and every one of us is special in some sense.. — she was interrupted by colonial exhibitions and had to be educated in attending to her compliments.

Colonial girl: You are amazing! From now on you will be my hero. Take, it's for you.. — the girl gave her a wild flower while the young queen knelt on one leg to be at her height and receive the flower with tenderness.

Larempteh: Oh, thank you, beautiful..

Larry: Now I understand why you were so happy. She is amazing.

Ahkmenrah: It is, isn't it ..?

Larry: I think it's your type and you should ask her to marry you. — he whispered convinced walking slowly to the exit of the place and the king felt a soft blush flooded his cheeks.

Ahkmenrah was smiling nervously until she felt peace when she mentally thanked her for not having heard that comment when some colonial people among other historical figures continued to surround her to congratulate her..

Ahkmenrah: Are you crazy? I'm not going to do that or ask her to commit to me. I just met her..

Larry: Hey Ahk, it is customary at this time for men to flatter girls with roses as compliments or as a method to invite them out, so.. — he chose a rose that decorated a vase and gave it to the king by assigning a mission.

Ahkmenrah: But I don't know how that is done, I'm from another era and we didn't conquer in the same way. Also if I wanted to go out with her, I could not because we are museum exhibits, do you forget..?

Larry: You know, tell her how beautiful she was, how well she expresses herself, how intelligent and beautiful she is.. You don't need to leave here for a date, what can you lose, boy? Nothing is impossible. Do not live in the past, after all they are two young real conservations of flesh and blood..

Ahkmenrah: But, I.. — this one was pushed by the guard.

Larry: Good luck, boy. He encouraged him by giving him one last push to leave him out of the Planetarium and close enough to her. And so, Larry and the other boys left the kings alone.

Larempteh perceived the king a couple of centimeters behind her in that long, beautifully lit corridor, tilted her body a little confirming her intuition and knew of her intentions when she smiled since seeing him with a rare flower in her hands meant a moment alone..

Larempteh: Can you excuse me for a moment? Thank you.. — she asked with fine manners and those figures bowed out of respect.

She said goodbye to the friendly exhibits to pay attention to the handsome pharaoh walking a few steps to the entrance of the Planetarium..

Larempteh: Hi.. — It was an audible whisper.

Ahkmenrah: You're all a star. — he said and once Larem was face to face, he looked at her groggy, spreading the rose on the advice of his friend.

Larempteh: Thank you. — she accepted his gift by being affable when her eyes met his that shone with the same intensity.

Ahkmenrah: And now, I have to go.. — he excused himself by swirling on his shaft swirling his distinguished clothes and with a lot of tension he walked to some corner of the museum while his gold-colored cape flamed elegantly.

Larempteh contained a soft laugh at the young man's not very carefree attitude..

On the next night..

The new classical conservation (Larempteh) walked through the diagram room accompanied by Jed and Octavio on each of his shoulders..

Jed: Then the boy and you.. — the cowboy thought and the beautiful hazelnut-eyed girl laughed softly.

Larempteh: No Jed, Ahkmenrah and I are still nothing. In fact we met in this life and how I remember some things about my past, I can not say whether or not he was promised to me or if it was and we could not. — she sighed and did not know why. — Well, as far as I know, my father wanted to force me to marry a king if he chose someone to marry me before he died. Ahk is, but I'm not sure he is the one because I only knew him very recently. — a thought ran around his head, shook him internally. — It was typical that in Ancient Egypt the sovereigns of different lands arranged commitments with their respective children to maintain the royal blood between the families. The opinion did not count on the unknown spouses or even perhaps relatives, it did not matter if these young people would agree or the opposite, had to marry whether they like it or not. That is why in my belief that it is still a difficult situation to handle. Because what if Ahkmenrah is my brother; well, at that time it was not so bad to marry among relatives, it is more common but now it would be shocking and terrible. Many malformations were conceived by such incest. — she closed her eyes trying to forget that thought. — I told my father, but he refused to hear me by telling him that if at that time I got married, I wanted it to be out of love, not obligation or divine whim. — she explained and the two little men jumped to the back of a sidewalk.

Jed: And you still think about that idea? — the cowboy inquired and the beautiful Egyptian thought it a bit.

Larempteh: Seeing how I am analyzing it, I have no other way out. You will see Jed, from the moment I arrived in the world in the year 1104 BC possessed total abundance, I had everything, I was heir to the throne, a secured crown, I came to command an entire town when I was young, I reigned, I had the better comforts, in the palace where I was born they were all at my disposal and I did what I could but I never got to make my marriage and I fear that I am in a great fault with my parents for that and I would like to give them back the love they gave me. That is, seeing them happy fulfilling that dream pending that a king would take me from his hand to the altar and that tomorrow they would leave in peace knowing that a good man took care of me. But I left before them and it was tragic..

Octavio: How did you get to your bed, sovereign?

She sighed deeply..

Larempteh: A spider stung me and I died. The years in Cambridge I could learn more about my story, Octavio. Every day I listened to the guide mention in the many tours that a daily occurrence occurred near my residence in Waset, baptized by the Greeks as Thebes..

**** Flash ****

Guide: And finally, this is the temple of Queen Larempteh and in that sarcophagus, there is the queen. And hanging on the wall behind her, her most precious possession. The Jewel of Larempteh. 24 karat gold, worth a real fortune, a lot of luxury. Any questions? — the man in a shirt and jeans with sneakers asked the group of schoolchildren, who many raised their hands eager to know more about the ruler.

— Yes, there is much speculation since its outcome itself was a complete mystery. Does anyone really know what happened to her? — a teenage girl let go of her curiosity by holding a notebook and pencil how to take notes.

Guide: There are many theories but one is the possible causality. It is said that he died from a spider bite..

We are within the thread of past experiences..

It was a beautiful day in Waset, the Egyptians work on their routine tasks, the farmers reaped wheat among other rich foods, some built beautiful works, the women collected water and washed the clothes on the Nile, and young and young were running around that fertile land..

A happy Larempteh, between smiles and laughter escaped from her friends who were running it, must be a game. The young woman suddenly tripped and rolled around being a bundle of tangled clothes, dust and laughter when she turned on her back with her legs sunk in the fresh and crystalline oasis..

—I used to hang out on the banks of the Nile where the torrid days in that place became good when fresh water flooded my feet, that relaxed me a lot, it was very exquisite, almost considered a luxury for the travelers who accessed it. That way I lost track of time sleeping among the green palm trees and reeds while the Sun was tanning my skin and listening to my friends babble remembering the above falling into a deep sleep..

Without her noticing, a arachnid about the size of a fist of purple and black colors wandered around, perhaps searching for its prey and its target was located..

— I felt a strong pain in my right wrist that made me wake up crying, alerting the boys who called desperate to come and help me..

— Queen!

— Your Majesty! — Shouted a young woman with golden skin taking the affected wrist to the young woman when she vanished. — Help! Please help! The queen suffered an accident!

A crowd of former members of Egyptian royalty surrounded their sovereign to help her..

— The last thing I remember is that they took me in my arms and placed me on top of a bed where the high priest examined me. — Despite being in a confused state I listened, I looked blurry and I felt forced; his voice informed my parents that only a miracle by the gods would save me, since the poison of that creature was so deadly that I could kill a person in just a matter of seconds and that total had spread through me body in less period. They couldn't do much for me, I agonized 1 day and never woke up. My whole family cried my end, my parents, my brothers and sisters, each member of our lineage carefully selected by my father and from that period 18 days of mourning and 18 days of feast in honor of me were decreed to go beyond..18 because it was the age at which I began to live with the gods..

Guide: What if she did her job well in ancient times? For some yes, for others it is debatable. But his generosity was seen out of focus in that Era. Being a young girl of only 18 years, her sudden death has been of great occultism over time. It was always known what it entailed to have the weight of a responsibility as great as it was to command an entire reign in Egypt and at that age, Larempteh was considered the only genuine threat to the nearby Empires. Although there are papyrus records from which they mark data about the event, there is still no exact information about the culprit. It is rumored that perhaps she was killed by some enemy whose nothing is known or how she achieved such evil because it is not common for the arachnid community to live in that Egyptian area.

— And it is true, I am an enigma and will continue to be for ever and ever. To date, the hypotheses are still being opened, but it was never known exactly about the one who caused my death and I don't want to find out. The first time I woke up 61 years ago, I was in gloom in a sarcophagus, wrapped in linen and bandages..

Maybe something magical was close to her that made her relive but she didn't know what, that something that forced her to wake up from her lethargy for some reason and that why she still didn't have certain answers..

She detailed herself sitting on her sarcophagus, she analyzed herself, she looked at how to memorize from zero..

It was confusing at the beginning until she left her ornate coffin and walked through the great hall dimly lit by spotlights that she supposed would be her home but that minutes later she discovered her sad truth..

—That exhibition was not what was called home, but the walls recreated to my Era welcomed me and brought me closer to him. I had to conform..

She approached the walls that with melancholy stroked the hieroglyphs, those exquisite writings that completely covered the four ends of her room, delineating some and sighing others, realizing that this idea of being in her true house was very far away..

**** End of Flash ****

Larempteh: I know I lived in Waset. Born under the protection of Amun. My steps were consolidated in a beautiful, huge and colorful house surrounded by great respect for almost every Egyptian inhabitant. My death occurred in 1098 BC as it marks the exact date on my discovery plate, they watched over me in the Valley of the Queens as the protocol dictated, so I was able to collect the lessons heard. Decades passed until I was discovered and exhumed near the pyramids of Giza where they baptized the expedition with my name, in that same period they exhibited me at the University of Cambridge where I therefore spent 18 years as a historical piece of my time; since I came to New York I felt that something essential is missing from this necklace while my stay lasts in this museum and it was a little less than a month, I knew that here I came back to life thanks to Ahkmenrah's table, since he told me about her effective power and what she causes by explaining that she gives us the chance to live again no matter what our outcome has been and gives us even the opportunities to choose what we believe is right. And if so, if I could not complete subjects in life, how about.. — and she was absent for a few seconds.

Jed: It only takes one gentleman.. — he completed with ingenuity.

Larempteh: And how it didn't happen, I guess so. Hey Jed, do you think there is any pharaoh besides Ahk in the museum?

Jed: I fear not, little one. — and in that answer, the girl showed her faint and confused grief.

Octavio: Can we help you with something, damsel? — before that question the girl was thoughtful.

Close to there..

Ahkmenrah: I don't know, Mr. Roosevelt.. — he looked dazed walking down the hall and looking forward keeping his head up following the man riding his Texas steed.

Teddy: If you have an Ace up your sleeve, everything is possible, boy. — he encouraged it with momentum.

Ahkmenrah: Yes, well, I, I don't know.. — his words tripped nervously.

Teddy: Stop babbling! — he ordered and the king opened his eyes in fright. — Will you do it yes or no?! — and the boy nodded. — Young Ahkmenrah, good luck. — he said willingly continuing on his way.

The king could hear that melodious voice coming from the exhibition of the miniatures, it was not far, so the steps that Ahkmenrah had to take were short and when he could see the girl, he kept hiding letting see his exotic profile right where a smile from trust escaped from the lips of our pharaoh..

Larempteh: Sorry guys. But in this case they can't do anything. — she said regretfully while maintaining a sweet smile.

Ahkmenrah: Larempteh.. — her voice rumbled in the room, calling the girl's attention. — I've been looking for you. — he was heading towards her while his cloak flamed thinly as he walked.

Larempteh: Well, here I am.. — she smiled and in that Jed and Octavio looked at each other with gracious complicity regarding the two young men.

Ahkmenrah: Can I talk to you? I have to tell you something.. — he detailed it carefully as if nothing else existed in the museum.

Larempteh: Sure, what happens, Ahkmenrah? — she looked at him in the same way although the young woman hid her feelings quite well, the boy did not, the boy was very obvious while the two little men covered their mouths so as not to let their laughter escape.

Ahkmenrah: I.. — he was going to talk but Jed's laugh and Octavio interrupted him. — Do you care, guys?

Jed: You should have seen your face..

Octavio: And how he looked at the damsel. — at that comment Larempteh sighed a laugh.

Ahkmenrah: Jed, Octavio, I want to be with her.. — he mentioned in a certain tone.

Jed: Of course you want to be with her.. — and upon hearing this Larempteh raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Ahkmenrah: Alone.. — the king's voice made his intention clear.

Jed: Okay, we understood, we understood.. — and got off the bench followed by the Roman. — We'll leave the turtles alone.

The two little men followed another path leaving the kings personal space..

Larempteh: Well, I think there will be no more interruptions. — she whispered letting out a pretty laugh and he melted every time that grimace was repeated on his face. — And, I guess what you want to tell me is important.. — she clasped her hands over her long, beautiful one-piece skirt.

Ahkmenrah: Sure. Ah, I, I brought you some gifts. — He commented and she formed a beautiful smile at the expectation.

Larempteh: Gifts? How sweet you are. — she murmured beautifully.

Ahkmenrah: Take. It's for you. — he pulled a blue lotus out of his cloak.

Larempteh: My favorite. — she sucked her scent even in Ahk's hands. That flower was preferred by the Egyptians, they regularly had one of that type that smelled with adoration. She in particular loved her.

Ahkmenrah: May I decorate your noble face, your Majesty? — he graciously addressed her by taking her cloak with one hand maneuvering a slight bow and the girl laughed at the gesture.

Larempteh: Of course, Your Highness. — she granted him the request and he politely placed the flower next to his hair, it was beautiful.

Ahkmenrah: How beautiful you look. — he took her chin as she flattered her with a velvety voice as she squinted her eyes admiring her with love, let her fingers caress that part of her face once she gave him a warm smile. — And here my second gift..

And then he handed her sweetly a golden beetle, lapis lazuli and turquoise, the girl opened her hands receiving the second present that was worth more than a fortune..

Larempteh: Ahkmenrah, it's very beautiful but I can't accept it.. — she felt a whirlwind in her being.

From somewhere very close to there..

Jed: What does he say? — he wanted to know but it was impossible to hear from where they were.

Octavio: Octavio does not know how to speak Egyptian.

Jed: Come closer, Kimosabi.

Octavio: No, come closer..

Jed: No, you..

Octavio: No, I'm the oldest for two thousand years, so I order it to you..

And returning with the two young people..

Ahkmenrah: Please, I don't accept a no as an answer. — in that he approached the girl as much as he could. He wanted to memorize every line of his body because it didn't often happen that a purity beauty adorned this earth. That flower lost prominence in the case of that Egyptian cutie, it was so perfect for its reasoning, as if the gods had carved it by hand for him.

The girl did not imagine how great was the devotion that the boy had him..

Larempteh: For Ra! I really don't know what to say.. — due to the surprise, she brought a hand to her chest and laughed with a mixture of emotions in response to such a sweet courtship.

Ahkmenrah: I would love you to keep it.. — he joined his hands with hers to close them protecting the gift and the beautiful Egyptian detailed it, discovering the beauty of it, in every way.

Larempteh: You're cool, Ahk. I mean it. — and at that she gave him a kiss on the right cheek, the young pharaoh received his bemused gesture, so that she would then give him a tender smile and go towards the route that led to another room.

He saw her walking with steps worthy of a true queen, elegant..

Larempteh walked without going to a special corner in the museum, without thinking she came to the lobby where Teddy was waiting for her with a bright smile and she frowned as a sign of confusion..

Larempteh: Why so smiling, Mr. Roosevelt? — she said finally smiling and warm.

Teddy: Oh, my girl, I'm happy for you. — he patted her shoulder.

Larempteh: Why? I haven't done anything out of the ordinary. — she waved her hand to her dress to clean an imaginary fluff.

Teddy: I admire the love of youth and I can't say happy enough that I feel for you.. — he argued leaving the girl even more lost.

Larempteh: What are you saying, Teddy?

Teddy: Ahkmenrah and you. — at that moment she could hear her heart move and echoing in her ears. — At first I wasn't sure, but once I noticed the way he looks at you and his eyes shine when he mentions you, it had to be how I introduced him. He is in love with you. — and upon hearing, she formed a tender smile.

Larempteh: He's such a sweet boy. — she looked down, caressing that precious gift. — He's very special to me too. — she was very frank, her tone was pure honey when her pupils dilated in love?

Teddy: What a joy, little girl. — Mr. Roosevelt smiled brightly.

Ahkmenrah let out a crooked sigh, he didn't look like a serious king, he looked more like a fool with a real title on his head, received with scholarships and all-inclusive, anyone who saw him would say he wasn't worthy of wearing his ornate dress and a high headdress. but who would blame him, that girl was too sublime. He stayed like that for several seconds until something took him out of focus..

He directed his way to a sector where the voices of the little men could be heard continuing with his discussion, he stood up to interrupt everything..

Jed: No, come closer..

Octavio: Octavio orders you to be you.. — he stopped speaking when the king adjusted his voice loudly. — My Sir..

Ahkmenrah: I was listening to them from the other side.. — and smiled discovering them.

Octavio: I told you we should talk like that.. — he lowered his voice when Jed stepped on his foot. — Auch! It was not necessary.

Jed: Yes it was. It also didn't hurt. Hey, how was everything, champion? — he adjusted his hat.

Octavio: We saw that everything is growing like the Roman Empire, my Lord. — he addressed him with respect.

Ahkmenrah: Yes, it is growing but she and I.. — he sighed with endless seconds of mystery.

Octavio: What? — he inquired with scandalous pressure.

Ahkmenrah: It's complicated to explain, Octavio. Before I died I was obliged to marry a queen if I decided to choose one to marry her and I doubt she is Larempteh, I don't know her enough to say that she is the one but that didn't serve as an excuse when the real inheritance was in danger..

Jed: So you and the girl have the same problem. — the cowboy deduced by remembering the conversation he had with Larempteh a while ago.

Ahkmenrah: That's right, unfortunately. Only a miracle on Ra's part would relieve me. — he entrusted himself looking at the ceiling asking for a sign.

Jedd: Calm down, these things always happen. Maybe tomorrow you and the girl will be together, get married and have hundreds of little Egyptians running around the museum or in the other museum. — and Ahk laughed willingly.

Ahkmenrah: Or rather in the next life.. — he was interrupted by himself. — Wait to?

Jed: You make such a beautiful couple and you don't even know it ..

Ahkmenrah: Love? Do you think she and I..?

Jed: Even that mustache rider realized, Ahk..

Ahkmenrah: Marry Larempteh? Yes, it would be great.. — he smiled hopefully.

Jed: Or are you going to deny me that you don't make eyes at him from afar? — and Ahkmenrah swallowed thickly remembering an event about it.

**** Flash of Memories ****

Larempteh was talking animatedly with Sacajewea in the lobby but something distracted the beautiful queen, it was Ahk leaning on the desk and making eyes with killing smiles. Ahkmenrah had his thing, despite being a sweet and attentive king, he also resorted to romance tactics when it came to young girls. The young woman's eyes came and went, without deciding who to pay attention to. He did what he could but the looks on his body were impossible to avoid, the young queen smiled shyly..

**** End of Flash ****

Octavio: You must master very well the real flirtations, my Lord. — pharaoh felt an unbearable heat rising in his face.

Jed: You already looked at her, champion! Admit it, you're dead for her.

Octavio: Besides, he has hypnotic blue eyes. — and the king strangely processed that praise. — her eyes are the color of beauty.

Ahkmenrah: You guys are weird..

#ahkmenrah #rami malek #night at the museum #natm

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