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#in fact he fucked them up so badly his family blamed THEMSELVES for not stopping the abuse. LIKE??? HUH????
flutteringfable · 27 days
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hot take tomura shigaraki is more deserving of forgiveness than enji todoroki. because at least the terrible things he did were not started by his own wishes.
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Overworked
Fandom: DC Pairing: Batsis!reader x Batfamily Word count: 3k Summay: Your on your way to be the next C.E.O. of Wayne Enterprises, but the road is filled with challenges and a lack of self-care that your family can’t help but worry about (based on this) Warning: Slight angst and unconciousness, near death experience Requested by a pretty great Anon: Can you do a one shot of future ceo batsis overworking herself with long days and vigilante nights and she’s basically not sleeping or taking care of herself and batfams gotta step in and make her listen to reason.
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The cup of coffee had already grown cold, the liquid inside it stale and surely undrinkable, when you reached for it. Hardly the first few drops of the liquid had ran down your throat when you realized the horrible transition it had gone through from the nectar of productivity to the lovechild of tar and sulfur, your face distorting into an expression of utmost disgust as you quickly put it back down and besides the other six paper-cups that were all half-filled at most. You sighed when you realized that it must have already been an hour since you had made - and after completely forgot about - the coffee. It really was a cursed circle that you had been going through for the last eight hours. You made a cup, brought it to your office, drank a bit, forgot about it and realized how horrible it now tasted half an hour or so later and then you took at least another twenty minutes before deciding to head for your next cup.  Was it already time for the next one? No, it could wait a bit longer. You turned your attention back to the screen in front of you - or rather the three screens - and let your eyes fly over all the data and graphs and numbers that you had to have in a presentable form by next morning for the monthly debriefing. This time would be your first time without Bruce on the sidelines and overlooking your work, a fact that made you feel proud at your accomplishment while simultaneously scaring you to the core. You knew that logically it wouldn’t be different than the last two - which you had also done basically solo with Bruce only sitting beside you silently observing - but there was still that internal voice that told you that without your father by your side the board would rip you apart until nothing was left over. You didn’t know what exactly caused it but suddenly you felt dizzy and the letters and numbers in front of you started swimming around, turning into absolute gibberish, the neon-lights of the screen hurting your eyes. No, not the screens themselves, it was the contrast between the brightly lit screens and the darkness that spread out behind them. It was only then that you let your gaze move behind the confines of your office and through the glass doors to the rest of the office space that was completely engulfed in darkness. Now you realized that it wasn’t only that, it was more, there was no soul wandering the floor and no sound beside the ever-so-steady growling of the computer fan and the clicking of your keyboard. “Fuck,” you couldn’t help but mutter when you looked at the clock beside you which already read half past nine. Which meant that you only had half an hour at most before your patrol started. Ignoring the pounding that built up in your head you tried to remember how it was possible for the time to surprise you like that. You had come to work at eight that morning and had spent two hours calling around, checking on contracts and meeting with potential clients, then you had your daily briefing with the department heads - which had extended into almost an hour because Brad from PR really couldn’t get his shit together - then you had to talk to HR about finding a possible replacement for Brad from PR and after you had started working on the numbers. And now you were standing in the elevator on your way to the car park. Did you have Lunch today? No, you had to skip Lunch break for Brad. What about Breakfast? No, wait, you forgot about that too. You rubbed your eyes and felt the need to curse rise again when you realized that you’d have to get right back to the numbers as soon as you had finished patrol which meant that you wouldn’t be able to sleep yet again. What was that? The fourth night in a row? Your only solace was the possibility that you’d maybe finish quickly and get a good one to two hours before you had to be back in the office, but deep inside you knew that it was unlikely. It hadn’t worked the last four nights either. But you’d pull through. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. After tomorrow’s meeting you’d go home at a normal time and indulge yourself in that full meal your stomach had been begging you for, sleep for a full eight hours and maybe even watch a movie if you felt especially crazy. Just for one night you’d really let yourself go. But for that to be possible you had to bite your teeth together and stay on your path.
The elevator arrived at the car park and you quickly rushed to your car and made your way to your apartment which - for maximum efficiency - was only a five minute drive away from the Wayne Ent. Tower, where you quickly rushed into the hidden side room to change into your gear. As you checked the time you realized that you still had a good five minutes before you had to check in with your father and you had to very quickly decide between your two options: quickly eat something or make and drink another coffee. You decided for the second one, but as you made your way to the kitchen counter where your coffee machine stood you caught a glimpse of the unopened stack of mail on the kitchen island and with a sigh decided to just get that over with, effectively ignoring both your previous options.  The letters were rather quickly sorted through and before you knew you were standing on a nearby ceiling and activated your comm. “Y/H/N reporting from area 7.4 in central Gotham.” “Good evening Y/H/N, it’s Oracle, I’ll be your voice in the background tonight,” Barbara’s voice echoed through your ears and after exchanging the usual greetings she quickly gave you the location of a robbery in progress. With quick, experienced movements you jumped over the roofs until you stood on the ceiling of a jewelry which was - luckily for you - made out of glass. There was only a single man in the darkness of the store below you, using a flashlight to clean out the display cases, and he wasn’t especially silent so you used the noise to your advantage as you opened one of the few ceiling windows that were openable and let yourself glide down with a hook. “I think you have to pay for that,” you interrupted the robber who quickly turned around, his face hidden by a black, knitted hat with badly cut out holes for the eyes. He was definitely no professional. The man - obviously panicked - got out a gun with shaky hands and pointed it at you, but before he could even think of shooting you had thrown a batarang and the piece of weaponry landed on the floor too far from him that he could reach it before you. Seemingly not seeing another option the man started charging at you and you just sighed and said: “I wouldn’t do that if I was you,” but by the end of the sentence his fist tried to make contact with your masked face, but you caught his hand expertly and used the momentum to twist it behind his back, grabbing the other one too and with quick movements you had used a pair of handcuffs that you had in your bat-belt™ to chain him to one of the displays before letting him go. “If you’ll excuse me for a second,” you mumbled before walking a few feet away where you told Barbara to contact the police and tell him they didn’t need to hurry. You had just finished the conversation and muted your mic again when the same dizziness as earlier in the office hit you but this time tenfold. It was like the ground was swaying below you and you had to take ahole of a countertop so that you didn’t fall. “Hey, are you okay, you look kinda sick,” the robber asked in an actual concerned voice, but you didn’t answer, instead you quickly used the hook you had attached earlier to let yourself swing out of the window again. “Y/H/N?” Barbara contacted you and you tried your best to swallow down the weakness in your muscles that suddenly seemed to grow over you. “Yeah?” “Bats asks you to meet him on the roof of the Jefferson building down in third.” “Tell him I’ll be there in a minute.” 
You gave yourself another few seconds to collect yourself before you did as you were told and made your way over to the roof of the builduing Babs’ had told you to go to, the dark silhouette of your father’s persona already expecting you there. Like you had done so often before, you started to run towards the edge of the building next to it - the one you were currently on - and made yourself ready to jump, only for your muscles to suddenly give up on you and the only thing you felt next was the rushing of air as you were falling and then the sudden stop and pain in your wrist as something caught you. Bruce quickly pulled you up and even with the cowl you could see the concern. “You okay?” he asked, his voice worried which definitely sounded uncanny in connection with what he was wearing. “Uhm yeah, my legs just kind of gave up on me there,” you tried to wave it off with a chuckle, not wanting him to see that you were frightened to your core. “Y/H/N?” he asked again in that voice he had always used when you tried to sneak out at night and lied when he had caught you. He hadn’t used that voice in so long. “I’m serious Batman, everything is okay, it’s no big deal,” you huffed - now defensive - and stood up with your arms crossed in front of your chest. “It is when you suddenly fall from a roof. What would have been if I hadn’t been there to catch you?” he asked, now slight anger edging through the worry, but you couldn’t blame him. “I’m sorry, okay, it won’t happen again,” you sighed and hoped he would just let it go, especially considering that the dizziness started to return. Along with it came the heaviness of your eyelids that you had gotten used to that somehow now seemed to actively pull you down. You raised your hand to rub your eyes - hoping it would put some more live back into you - but even that slight movement seemed to be too much as the world started swaying again and you felt gravity getting the best of you. Something black started moving in front of you and you weren’t quite sure if you were falling unconscious or if it was Bruce who came towards you to catch your falling form, but it turned out to be latter when you found yourself being lowered to the ground and propped against the end of one of the vantilator shafts of the building with Bruce kneeling beside you. “You’re definitely not okay,” he muttered as he held your face in his hands to get you to look at him. “I’m just a little bit tired is all,” you tried to argue, but your voice was weak and almost started lulling. “When was the last time you slept? Or ate?” You shut your eyes in concentration as you tried to remember. “Wait I know the answer to that one,” you muttered but almost fell asleep, only being kept away when your head started falling downwards, “What did you ask again?” “When was the last time you slept an entire night?” he tried again, this time more specific. “What day is it today?” “Friday.” “Then I think it was Monday,” you whispered since suddenly the loud noise of your voice seemed to pierce your skull apart. “You were on Patrol from nine to two a.m. on Monday,” Bruce disagreed and you almost chuckled. “Yes, and after I went to bed and got a full five hours. That’s pretty good isn’t it,” you couldn’t help but smile almost proudly, your mind starting to fog up with bubblegum coloured smoke that made it impossible to think straight. “And when did you last eat?” Bruce sighed, worry and recognition crossed his face. He himself must have known too well what you were going through. You averted your eyes and looked down at your lap where you played with your hands like an embarrassed child. “Also Monday,” you mumbled and Bruce immediately shook his head. “That’s not okay, you have to take care of yourself Y/H/N, you’re no good for anyone when you don’t.” You weren’t sure if it was only tired paranoia that made you see only disappointment on your fathers face - that ignored all the worry - but suddenly the prospect of having disappointed him, the one thing that you were trying to avoid ever since you could remember, made tears well up in your eyes and your lip quiver, “‘M sorry,” you could just press out before the tears started rolling. Bruce immediately regretted his tone of voice, but he knew nothing he would say now would be remembered by you so he just pulled you up from the roof and started carrying your already passing out form towards the batmobil. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow…”
The feeling of waking up rested was foreign to you, especially since it wasn’t one of your four separate alarms that woke you, and caused you to immediately sit up, only to be pulled back into the mattress. Your eyes flew open and explored your surroundings. The chandelier above you, with rainbow-coloured glass-pendants and the dark blue dealing with the painted stars immediately calmed you again. This room was your childhood bedroom which meant that you were in the manor, which in turn meant that you were safe. For a moment the calm was pretty nice, but then you remembered your case of immovability and looked down at where your wrists came out from under the cover. They were bound by silky bands and a move of your feet told you that the same was the case for them. While you were contemplating ways to get out of the unbelievably good, but still comfortable restraints, the door started to open and you turned as well as you could towards where you smallest (figuratively and literally) brother entered. “Your awake?” he asked in his usual stern voice, but you had known him for long enough to recognize the hidden worry. “Yeah, mind telling me why I’m strapped to my bed?” “Forced self-care,” he stated matter-of-factly and you couldn't help but narrow your eyes. “What?” “You fainted on Patrol, father says you haven’t eaten or slept since last Monday so we took measures to make sure you wouldn’t kill yourself with how careless you are.” You wanted to reply with something snarky, but you were well aware that what he said was probably right. “I’m sorry okay, I just had a lot on my plate, but you’re right and I feel a lot better now that I had some sleep, so you can let me go again,” you tried to smooth your way out of there, but you had the slight suspicion that it was hopeless. “I respect your try but you will not be let go until father is certain that you’re better.”
“But I am better!” you whined and tried yet again to wiggle yourself out of the restraints. Damian just raised his eyebrows unimpressed. He walked over to a chair that was standing beside your bed and as you followed him with your eyes you noticed the shutted curtains and the small gap of light between them. “What time is it anyways?” you sighed and felt surprise when you had to hold back a yawn. “It’s about 8 a.m.” Your eyes widened. That meant you had enough time to get to the office! “Please Dami, you gotta let me go, I have to get to the board meeting,” you begged, starting to wiggle more and more, but to no avail. “But Ukthi, you-” “No you don’t understand! This is my first time alone, I can’t let dad down, I have to be able to pull through with this if I ever want to make it as the next C.E.O. Dad wasn’t allowed a break either.” “Ukthi-” “Damian please, please, I promise I’ll come back right after and take care of myself, but I have to do this if I-” “Ukthi! The board meeting was yesterday. You slept for over 24 hours!” Damian shouted to get you to stop interrupting him and when you realized the weight of his words you sunk back down into the pillow. “What? But I was supposed to…” “Father just postponed it, he didn’t leave room to argue, he also gave you the week off from patrol and work.” If your hands weren’t bound you’d probably sunken your face into them in shame. You tried to hold tears back as you looked away from Damian. “Y/N?” he asked and came closer. “I’m sorry, It’s just- how am I supposed to handle being the C.E.O. of Wayne Enterprise if I can’t even handle little things like board meetings? How am I supposed to take after dad?” “Y/N, you keep on saying how father managed to lead the business on his own, and how you should be able too, but you’re not alone. You’re not supposed to be either. You have all of us by your side for a reason and we won’t leave you alone with this. We’re here for you and you shouldn’t be ashamed to ask for help. We’re family, we love you and we want to support you with all we can. “For now, how about you rest a little bit more and then I’ll let you out of bed to get a proper meal, Alfred made your favorite. After that I’m afraid Father will want to have a word with you.” “Oh shucks….”
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Hey! I love your meta’s, a little while ago you talked about The Order of the Phoenix as an organization could you talk about the Death Eaters?
The post anon is referencing.
TL;DR the Order is incompetently hilarious and Dumbledore is a man who trusts no one.
Oh, the Death Eaters, what to say about the Death Eaters...
In a World Without Voldemort, They'd Probably Be Arsonists
One of the things JKR implies in the series, and something fandom seems to take for granted, is that Tom Riddle is the ultimate corrupting influence.
Were it not for him, the Wizarding World would be a much better place, and people like Bellatrix LeStrange would be productive members of society.
As soon as he is killed, even, by Harry, the good guys win, their problems all presumably solved, and Harry tells his son Albus Severus that it's totally fine if he's put into Slytherin.
I don't believe that though.
To me, it's not so much that Tom Riddle corrupted these people, but that he gave them an organized cause. The people themselves, oh, they were itching for a fight.
In a world without Tom I think they'd be a loosely, poorly organized, group (probably with Bellatrix as the ring leader) where they commit acts of domestic terrorism probably involving burning offensive shops to the ground or attacking muggleborns, halfbloods, and blood traitors.
Voldemort, to me, is designed to pander to them (and not the other way around).
The Death Eaters' Beginnings
So, first off, I think Tom's goals are not what he says they are. What he represents to his followers is exactly what they want to hear, wrapped in a grandiose theatric bow that they just love.
But how did this all start?
First, I don't believe in the Knights of Walpurgis. Instead I think Tom came relatively out of nowhere in the 70's uses parseltongue to prove his heritage as the Heir of Slytherin and thus of purer blood than any of them.
He throws these exciting rallies/parties that the rebellious, angsty, teenage heirs all go to. There he says everything they wanted to hear in the most eloquent manner they've ever heard, promises them the action that their fathers have never delivered, promises them a role in the glorious revolution and a place in history, and probably offers them mounds of cocaine.
All the Death Eaters we see, or the core of them, appear to be in this age range where they'd be in Hogwarts or just out of it when Voldemort came knocking. I can imagine they're all whipped up with excitement, YEAH LET'S BLOW UP THE MUDBLOODS and for some that's great, for others... things don't go the way they expected.
October 31, 1981: It All Falls Apart
Regulus famously steals Tom's horcrux. I imagine it wasn't so much that he learned the error of his ways but that he saw what Tom Riddle was really after: the destruction of his very society.
Lucius is riding high until October 31, 1981 and he sees the complete destruction of the entire Black family. Lucius' priorities greatly shift and as he grows older he prays Voldemort never returns. Unfortunately, Tom does, and he charges interest.
Bellatrix absolutely loses her mind, refuses to accept reality, and tries to torture the Longbottoms for information they do not possess. She is imprisoned in Azkaban and never truly recovers from this.
Snape ends up the cause of death for Lily Evans and must forever live with the guilt and be tied to her prophesied son. He also becomes Dumbledore's lackey forever, which ultimately gets him killed.
Point being, no one's having a good time. Some because they figure out being a Death Eater wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and others because they had the Voldemort rug pulled out from under their feet when Tom Riddle disappears.
Pettigrew flees and lives as the Weasley rat for nearly fifteen years.
They're left making a mad scramble as they try to pick up the pieces of their lives.
Canon Catches Up
More than ten years go by and then suddenly, in a muggle graveyard, the surviving Death Eaters discover that they are bound to Voldemort for the rest of their lives.
Death cannot stop this man and he has branded them: there's no escape.
Some are still enthusiastic supporters of the cause: Bellatrix is vindicated that her lord has returned, he rescues her from hell on earth, and everything's finally coming up Bella. Barty is similar in actively working for Voldemort's resurrection.
Lucius, meanwhile, lives in constant terror. Karkaroff desperately flees the country and hopes Tom will not find him. Snape, is in fact, Dumbledore's agent. Pettigrew only returned in utter desperation and has now cut off his own hand.
They're not the young men they were, some of them have families, to some of the past ten years have been utterly miserable. They have to watch as their children make the same damn mistakes they did, be sucked into this same hell hole, and there's nothing they can do about it.
There is a notable reluctance for the cause, and yet, they have to try with the same vigor or this madman will kill them all.
And it's all worthless anyway: come 1998, Voldemort dies again (perhaps for real this time, who knows, Harry Potter seems to think so for whatever reason) and then they are imprisoned for their acts as Death Eaters.
And they just laugh, because how badly Lucius wishes he could go back in time and tell his eighteen-year-old self, "YOU DUMB FUCK, LEAVE NOW!"
But Do They Learn Anything?
No.
Just because we see some of them regret being Death Eaters doesn't mean they regret their beliefs. Their beliefs were fine, even blowing up people here and there, a bit gauche but fine.
But maybe following Voldemort blindly was a bad idea.
Are They More Competent Than the Order?
No.
Tom Riddle is terrifyingly competent in that he infiltrates the government with ease, has spies everywhere, and all but proclaims himself minister one day and nobody blinks.
He gains the full support of most of the wizarding world's wealthiest and prestigious families.
But he doesn't actually give these people anything to do. Because there's nothing for them to do, with them, Tom's won. He owns the Wizengamot, the Ministry, everything.
There's no need to fight. It's over, there never was a war. Society is primed to accept Tom Riddle as their ruler.
However, the likes of Bellatrix LeStrange thinks there's a glorious war on, so "uh, go out and blow up a few muggles, have fun." And the young Death Eaters (and the older ones), think they've committed this great, daring, brave, and very important act.
Tom only seems to hand out real assignments when in desperate straits or else when being particularly vindictive.
Lucius, after messing up with the diary, is told to retrieve a prophecy he is not allowed to touch in a department of the ministry he should have no access to. If he fails: Tom kills his entire family. When Lucius does fail, Tom assigns his son to assassinate an already dying Dumbledore. These aren't real tasks, though they do have the appearance of one, and consequences for failure.
Barty, Tom is forced to rely on, as he is trapped in this dying infant's body. And better Barty, someone who is truly loyal and seems fairly clever, than Peter Pettigrew who is a miserable scum bag who'd sell his grandmother for a bar of soap.
Barty, of course, fucks this up. Rather than just kidnap Harry Potter at any of the many easy points this could be done (Hogsmeade trip, lure Harry out to Hogsmeade with super secret serial information about Voldemort/Snape being a Death Eater, etc.), Barty is determined to make use of the Triwizard Tournament to destroy his father's legacy.
This means rather than a few weeks, it takes months to kidnap Harry, and even then they bring along an extra boy who then gets killed and provides some evidence that Tom Riddle has in fact returned. (Somebody murdered Cedric). It takes months and Barty actively ensuring Harry makes it through the tournament and does well, leaving open the possibility that he might get caught helping Harry cheat at any moment. And of course, Barty has to pretend to be Madeye Moody for months, keeping his man locked and drugged in his trunk.
Thankfully, Moody's such a paranoid wreck, no one even notices.
Quirrell, Tom is forced to rely on. Quirrell fucks up, though admittedly not as badly as Barty. Quirrell fails to steal the stone when it's in transit/in Gringotts. He fails to murder Harry Potter, an eleven year old boy in the world's most dangerous school. He rouses Snape's suspicion almost immediately. Then of course he doesn't get the stone. He at least gets to the room with the stone and nearly overpowers Harry and gets it had he not been mysteriously lit on fire by the power of love/Lily Evans.
The only one Tom ever really relies on by choice is Snape. Snape is charged with spying on Dumbledore and later running Hogwarts (which he fucks up).
There is only one competent man in Britain: Severus Snape. Which is, of course, why he's a double agent that Dumbledore and Tom both extensively rely on despite his being a double agent.
There's no one else.
Tom Riddle doesn't make use of the Death Eaters but given they prove themselves enthusiastically incompetent at every turn I don't blame him. Just pretend to give them something to do and hope it makes them feel important.
That's all I've got in general, you want anything else you'll have to ask for something more specific.
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lubdubsworld · 3 years
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Change of Heart ( Taehyungx OC)
Chapter 1   Chapter 2    Chapter 3     Chapter 4     Chapter 5   Chapter 6  Chapter 7   Chapter 8
Summary : Times are changing. After years of being oppressed, werewolves are taking a stand against humans , demanding equal rights and fair treatment. Heading the movement is Kim Taehyung, the breathtaking heir to the Kim fortune and one of the few remaining Alpha werewolves in the country. His disdain for the human race is well known and well warranted. They killed his family after all….. He wants to change the world , to put humans in their place but when his five year old daughter takes a shine to their very human neighbor , maybe he has to start with a change of heart , first.
: Pairing : Taehyung x OC / Werewolf AU!!
Genre : Romance, Explicit Content
Chapter 9
“I believe you owe me an explanation....” My father’s voice was soft and steady, his gaze piercing as he stared at me. I could feel my skin thrum with distaste and the urge to take a shower was strong. I wanted to scrub my skin off, Eun Woo’s touch somehow lingering and heavy on me.
“Give me my phone back.” I said instead and my father shook his head.
“No can do. Those men you met? Paranoid bunch. They thought you and Eun Woo might have been recording something and they wanted me to check your phone. i had to reassure them and so, just for good measure, I destroyed it.” 
I glared at him.
“I’m still waiting for an explanation. Two weeks ago you couldn’t stand the sight of Eun Woo.... And now here you are, at my Yacht club , claiming you’re dating the man. What are you trying to pull?” My father prompted. 
“There’s nothing to say. I just... I lost my job at the preserve and I can’t really look for anything else right now Eun Woo is just helping me out.” I whispered.
My father looked surprised. 
“That’s interesting, I see your pride isn’t as strong as it was when I introduced him to you at the preserve.”
I kept quiet. 
"Good. I’m not surprised that you’ve come around to be honest. You are your mother’s daughter after all. Gold digger that she was, at least she left you some of her good looks for you to cash in one, yeah? ‘.
My breath caught in my throat, lips wobbling as tears sprung .
“But still.....the fact that you would whore yourself out to a bunch of animals, to keep him? It makes me wonder. What exactly is going on here, that I’m missing” ”
Taehyung , I thought miserably. I wanted him so badly right now that I felt like I would shatter if I didn’t get away from here. 
I glared at my father, feeling disgust well up at the mere sight of him. 
“I’m not going to do any such thing.... I’m just helping you . Eun Woo told me you’ve been looking to finish the deal and those men wanted to see me at the resort on the seventeenth. You should be thanking me right now.  . ” I said defiantly and my father’s eyebrows rose. 
And then he chuckled. 
 “I feel like you’ve bitten off way more than you can chew. But just remember, this is your doing and if things go south, i am not risking my entire reputation to rescue you. ” He said firmly. 
“I can take care of myself.” I said shortly. I clenched and unclenched my fingers , trying to ground myself. 
It was so amazing, how blind my father could be. He hadn’t suspected Eun Woo at all. Merely chalking him off as a perverted wolf who wanted to make a bit off money at his resort. Eun Woo was smart as well, being obtuse and sounding foolish on purpose, playing into my father’s belief that wolves weren’t intelligent. 
. And this would be his downfall, I thought vindictively. The way he continually thought that wolves were foolish. That he was somehow smarter than them....
“I am not sure if I trust you entirely so I’ve asked Eun Woo to keep an eye on you, till the seventeenth. You can stay with him at his apartment.  ” My father said thoughtfully
I kept my gaze down. 
“At first i considered calling the whole thing off but apparently , Eun Woo’s onto something with the whole beta wolves being into voyeurism. Perhaps that’s a whole new avenue I could look into.... Those men out there....I’ve been showering them with gifts and women for months and this deal wouldn’t come through. But Eun Woo sweeps in, dangles you in front of them and suddenly they want to finish this deal in five days? Apparently,  you’re  the secret weapon I should have been using all along?”
I glared at him.
He looked thoughtful as he stared at me. And then he nodded, features hardening. 
“So be it... You can go fuck that wolf in front of those men and I’ll get my work done. Always knew you weren’t unlike that mother of yours....” He smirked.
I felt my heart clench at that. My mother had been nothing but innocent. I recoiled when he made to stroke my cheek and he laughed again. 
“He’ll come pick you up in a couple of hours . Take a shower and fix yourself. ” He gave me one last look before leaving. 
The door slammed shut behind him and I sank to the floor. I stared around the room... groaning. 
And then my eyes fell on the small pink phone, sticking out of my bag. My dad had taken my phone but not this . It was the pair to the toddler phone that I’d bought Luna so many moons ago. After my fallout with Taehyung I hadn’t used it at all but it had remained at the bottom of my bag. It would only connect to its pair, but no matter. 
Grinning, I pulled it out, dialing quickly. If nothing else, at least dear , sweet Luna’s voice would cheer me up. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So, you’ll make all the arrangements?” Eun Woo watched Taehyung carefully, the Alpha wolf sat behind his desk flanked by two of his closest men, Kim Namjoon and Kim Seokjin. The betas were built like fucking walls , both of them narcs in the force. They stared at him, eyes narrowed in distrust and for the first time Eun Woo felt the first inklings of regret.
Taehyung for his part looked like he believed him.  A laptop stood open in front of him, and the wolf had a Bluetooth device in his ear, obviously watching something on the screen. Eun Woo wondered if he had even listened to anything he had said. 
“So that’s it? You offered them the resort and they said the deal’s going down.” He asked casually and Eun Woo nodded , realizing that Taehyung had been listening to him after all. . 
“On the seventeenth. Yoon Jae hyun’s going to be there.”
“And Mirae...?”
“Well, just as a guest...I did imply we were seeing each other so it would be less suspicious if she were also around.” Eun Woo willed himself to sound normal. 
Taehyung didn’t look suspicious but there was no telling with the beautiful alpha, who had mastered the art of keeping a straight face while destroying his enemies. And Eun Woo was well aware that if the alpha found out how he had used the girl, he would definitely be topping that list. 
“Very well. I’ll make the necessary arrangements. You can go now. I’ll contact you soon.” Taehyung said shortly , his gaze flitting back to the screen infront of him. 
Eun Woo nodded, before standing up on shaky legs, his heart pounding, instincts telling him he was in danger. But he pushed away the thought, grabbing his bag and leaving the office quickly. 
Taehyung watched him leave, claws out and digging straight through his desk to stop himself from launching across the room and tearing the wolf’s throat out. He could smell her on him. And his wolf wasn’t happy about it. 
“Fucker’s got balls, lying to your face like that.” Namjoon commented mildly, staring at the laptop, where for the past hour or so, Taehyung kept replaying the CCTV footage from the poolside camera on the yacht club. 
Taehyung stared at the screen, watching the sheer discomfort and disgust on Mi Rae’s face and he’d never been filled with so much bloodlust in his life. The urged to rip the wolves to shreds, to tear them limb from limb, it simmered in his blood. 
The potent rage in his veins stunned him because he’d never felt anything like it before. If he’d had any doubts about whether his wolf had made the right choice, choosing Yoon Mi Rae,  it was gone. The sight of those men, ogling what was  his  and his alone, it made him want to kill. 
They had to die. And he had to do it.  
Simple as that.
And he would. 
He would run them through with his claws and watch the life blood drain out of their frail, fragile bodies. 
it took him some effort to compose himself. 
“How long has he been running this little racket in his resort?” Taehyung asked casually, feeling inordinately foolish. It was unlike him to be so neglectful over something so incredibly important. How on earth had Cha Eun Woo managed to run something so illicit and horrendous right under his nose? 
He blamed himself.
 He’d trusted Cha Eun Woo, for one hot minute. Forgotten that the wolf's loyalty lay solely with himself.
Namjoon sighed, placing a file in front of Taehyung. Taehyung flipped through the pictures , stomach turning. Eun Woo had huge sprawling rooms , with beds in the center  fitted with restraints and handcuffs. Comfortable arm chairs and couches dotted the rest of the room, men lounging about as they watched the action unfold.  Women,  drugged and barely conscious,  lay on most of them and apparently, alpha wolves indulged themselves with the women.
It was the most disgusting thing he had ever encountered in his life. 
And the bastard had actually dared, actually had the fucking thought of dragging his  mate  into it. 
The mere thought of it made Taehyung laugh out loud. 
Cha Eun Woo was out of his damn mind. 
 There really was no other explanation for it. Or maybe he’d been so blinded by his own wealth and power that he’d forgotten that Taehyung was ten times as powerful as him. 
Well, whatever the reason, he clearly had a death wish. 
And Kim Taehyung was going to grant it to him. With Pleasure. 
“It’s new. or we would have caught wind of it before.” Seokjin said apologetically, “ Probably a few months at the most. He mostly uses the men to get tax exemptions or do get ordinances cleared for his resorts or you know, get out of adhering to construction regulation and stuff like that. In return for letting them watch alphas knot human women. ” Seokjin’s face was scrunched in disgust. 
“And when I let him meet Yoon Jae hyun and his cronies, he saw an opportunity to expand his clientele and he took it. “ Taehyung hummed thoughtfully. 
“Mi Rae’s with her father....” Namjoon said thoughtfully.
“Knowing that son of a bitch, he’ll probably force her to go through with it.” Seokjin shuddered.
“Well, let him bring her there. We’ll get her out. And arrest the whole lot of them.” Namjoon said with a shrug. 
Taehyung stared at them for a second. 
He had been determined to do this by the book, at first. But watching Cha Eun Woo molest his girl, while a bunch of impotent , old bastards ogled her....well, that really changed his mind about how he wanted to deal with these motherfucking idiots. 
“No.” Taehyung said casually.
Namjoon and Seokjin stilled.
“Tae?”
“We’re not arresting any of them.” He said casually. And then he gave Seokjin a slow, calculated smile. 
Namjoon’s eyes widened as realization set in. 
“Tae-” He began , looking worried but the Alpha merely stared at him.
“I’m going to trust that my two best men are going to make that happen for me?” he drawled, eyes flashing red in a way that said it wasn’t really a request.  
Seokjin groaned.
“Fine. But we’ll still have to get an arrest warrant and all that. Don’t want the guy to be hailed as a victim or a martyr after I kill him. that always pisses me off.” He said distastefully and Taehyung hummed.
“I’m going to leave that to your capable hands, gentlemen. “ 
“We’ll get things ready then. “ Namjoon said casually making to move away and Taehyung nodded, watching the two betas move to the door. 
“Good., oh and one more thing....” he called out , making them both turn. 
“What’s wrong?” Seokjin asked , confused.
“Cha Eun Woo... he’s mine. Bring him to me when you’re done with the others.” Taehyung whispered. 
Namjoon grimaced but Seokjin merely grinned. Ironically, although he looked soft and almost feminine in his beauty, Seokjin was the meaner one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taehyung came home to see his daughter giggling uncontrollably on the couch, her phone pressed to her ear and he was confused.
The only one who could call her on that phone was him and-
His eyes widened, realization hitting him hard as he all but pounced on the couch, wrestling the phone out of Luna’s hands before he could think his actions through.
“Rae...” He breathed in disbelief.
“Taehyung?” Her voice came out surprised and relieved and he felt like he was flying. It felt like liquid honey in his ears, the sweet cadence of her tone filling him with sweet blessed relief. He hadn’t even realized how badly he had wanted to hear her voice, to get some confirmation that she was alright. 
“Dada dada dada...gimme gimme ...I wanna talk to Rae Rae...!!!” Luna bounced next to him, tugging on his arm and he struggled to keep his balance. 
“ How did you call? I’ve been trying to reach you and-”
“Dada!!! Please...i haven’t spoken to her in ages...lemme talk to Rae Rae...!!” Luna’s voice was shrill and unrelenting. 
“My dad got my phone.... I’m supposed to be with Eun Woo” He could almost see her rolling her eyes as she said that and he felt fondness bloom inside him at the though.
“Dada!! Lemme talk!” Luna was beginning to climb him now and he flinched when her tiny little claws came out, easily piercing the silk of his shirt and digging into his arms. 
“Damn it! Luna will you let me talk to your mother for one damn second?!!!!!” Taehyung shouted, frustration spilling out of him before he could tamp it down.
Luna froze on his arm. 
It took him another ten seconds to realize what he just said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My heart thudded straight up to my throat, my lungs constricting so hard that I almost choked. 
I gripped the phone hard, fingers shaking as i tried to process what I’d just heard. 
“Shit... Oh shit..” Taehyung swore and I startled. 
“Don’t swear in front of her...” I hissed automatically . “ Taehyung what the fuck-”
“You’re swearing now!!” He shouted.
“Can you blame me?” I shouted back, my heart pounding. “ I’m not...what the hell do you mean mother?!!”
“I’m sorry... I don’t know why I said that.. It just slipped out.. i... you’re my mate and ... I know you told me not to call you that but I’m sorry , that’s what you are and she’s my daughter so I guess I just.. “
“We’ll talk about this later. “ I snapped, too tired to deal with his twisted feelings. “You have to get me out of here! The last thing I want to do is spend another minute with Cha Eun Woo. ” 
“God, Rae... are you alright? ..”
“I’m fine but can you get me out of here? I wanna get out of here!” I whispered. 
“Are you in your dad’s apartment? Is he hurting you?”
I sighed in defeat, knowing exactly what was going to happen.
“Let me guess....you want me to stay with the pervert till you finish saving the world.” I groaned.
“We need him at that resort on seventeenth. This whole thing is beginning to infuriate me and I’m going to end it. For good.” Taehyung’s voice carried a hard edge to it that made me wince.
“Are you gonna be there?” I asked, worried. 
“I am.”
I bit my lips.
“Did Eun Woo tell you how he got those men to agree to come there?” I asked hesitantly. 
“He didn’t but I know. Don’t worry about, I’ll deal with that....”
“If he didn’t tell you how did you know?” I asked, confused. 
Silence.
“ i planted a bug on him. And I had spycams set up around the pool.” 
“I didn’t like what he did.” I whispered. “ I don’t... I know its for a reason but the way he touched me I... I didn’t like it...” 
Taehyung didn’t respond for a few seconds.
“ Mi Rae , what he did was so far out of line that I can’t even begin to tell you how angry it makes me. But, don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m going to take care of him too. ” He said finally.
I felt myself itch with the need to get away. To reach Taehyung. And Luna..God, listening to her voice after so long....listening to her happy , joyful delight.,..
“I want to see you.” I begged, dignity forgotten. “ I want to see you and Luna.. Taehyung get me out of here!! Please.!!!” 
Taehyung groaned. 
“Baby, listen to me... just leave with Eun Woo for now , he won’t touch you, I’ll make sure of that.....”
“No you can’t make sure of that!!” i snapped. “ You don’t know how it felt to have his hands on me.... I.... I can’t bear the thought of him near me... Please, please, get me out of here.” 
A steady beeping made me jump and I stared at the phone in my hand. A red light blinked steadily on the upper edge made my heart drop. The battery was running out. Of course it was . I hadn’t used this in days. 
Tears sprung before I could tamp down on my own misery,
"Tae...Can you hear me?” I choked out. “ Tae... I can’t explain it. I feel weird.... I feel miserable and scared and to be honest, I hate my own skin right now.... Ever since he touched me... I feel like ....”
Another series of beeps and the call ended. My fingers were shaking as i stared at the phone in misery. 
This whole thing was spiraling into something scary and unpredictable and for once, the fear refused to ebb. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Taehyung...we can’t...”
“Call him.... We’re moving this thing up to tonight. I’m not waiting a whole four days to rip these bastards to shreds.  ” Taehyung roared, clenched fist coming down on the mahogany surface of his table with enough force that Namjoon heard the tell tale sound of wood splintering.
He flinched. 
Taehyung was enraged and the beta wolves felt like they were walking on literal eggshells. 
Seokjin held a hand up, trying to calm the infuriated wolf. 
“Okay... Okay...listen , we can’t just go in guns blazing and just kill some of the most  prominent men in the country, Taehyung. That’s not how it works.  ” 
Taehyung tried to keep his temper in check but it was impossible. God, the way she had sounded on the phone. Cha Eun Woo was lucky he wasn’t in front of him right now... Taehyung was going to tear him limb from limb for this. 
“So what, I just hand her over to him for the next five days?” He snarled. That wasn’t going to happen. it would be one thing if she was comfortable with it, but there was no way he was letting Eun Woo within fifty feet of her, not when she sounded so upset. 
“This is what happens when you ignore your fucking biology and act like a whole entire idiot. “ Seokjin snaps. “ There’s a reason people spend days locked in after mating!! Your bond is fragile and sensitive. Just because you don’t want to fuck her into the wall anymore , it doesn’t mean your bond is settled. She’s probably feeling just as worse....and she likely has no clue why ...” 
Taehyung felt his head throb.
“She’s human...she won’t feel the bond...” He muttered.
Seokjin scoffed.
“Are you serious, Tae? The mating bite connects you to her. You know that right? Yes, its not going to be as potent as it is for us , but human mates can sense the bond. The reason she’s so desperate to see you right now is because you carted her off with another wolf, before the bond could even settle. A wolf who for all intents and purposes sexually assaulted her.” 
Taehyung’s breath caught in his throat.
He’d been avoiding that thought , tried to downplay what Eun Woo had done, just for the sake of his own sanity. But Seokjin was right. What Eun Woo had done was just that and Taehyung had literally given him the license to do it. 
“I need to see her .” He whispered softly. 
“I’ll go get her.” Namjoon replied gently.. Taehyung stared at him, frowning.
“How?” he asked, shortly. His mind felt so foggy, so unlike himself. He was usually the sharpest man in any room, solving problems before they even cropped up, ever missing anything. But right now, he couldn’t think beyond getting her back in his arms.
“With them... I’ll go with them and tell Eun Woo I’m going to bring Mirae here..... Will that be enough? We’re this close to ending this for good, Tae. Don’t ..let your instincts mess this for you...”
Seokjin scoffed.
“Shut the fuck up, the pair of you. Taehyung stop thinking with your dick for a second and consider what we’ve been doing..... This raid has been in the works for three whole years. We’re not going to do something stupid now. Namjoon and i will go see Eun Woo....Give him a taste of what will happen if he touches Rae.... and then we’ll be back here.” 
He smiled then, wide and beautiful and even Taehyung felt a cold shiver run up his spine.
Seokjin continued, 
“ Five days from now, we’re going in, collecting enough evidence to bring the bastards down and then, to satisfy Taehyung’s bloodthirsty soul, we’ll rip a few throats out too. How’s that sound?  ”
it sounded fucking fantastic especially the last bit. 
“What if you piss Eun Woo off and he calls off the whole thing...?” Namjoon protested and Seokjin rolled his eyes.
“The mutt’s playing in the big league now. He was the one who offered them the whole show, think they’ll take too kindly to him backing out all of a sudden? Probably won’t..... He’s gonna have to stick with it. If for no other reason than to cover his own ass. ” 
“You’re not leaving Rae with him. I want to come with you guys....” Taehyung said firmly. 
“Oh, God. No. Absolutely not. I’m not burying Cha Eun Woo’s decapitated body tonight. That’s just not going to happen.” Namjoon held his hands up.
Seokjin grinned.
“As loathe as I am to admit it, Namjoon is right. You don’t have to be there. Don’t worry, we’ll be thorough. Make sure he understands we aren’t playing around. And we’ll think of something with your girlfriend. We can’t bring her to you.... Jae hyung has eyes on you , you know that. We’ll make sure she’s somewhere safe.  ” 
“You know you can trust us , Tae. We’re going to make sure this fool gets what he deserves.”
Taehyung nodded, skin still thrumming with discomfort. He wasn’t going to feel better until he saw her, but it looked like he had to wait for a while. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I stared at the two wolves flanking Eun Woo, each one holding him up by one arm, his knees bent at an odd angle. He looked unconscious . 
“Sorry. He wasn’t supposed to pass out but the fucker’s just a huge ass coward. Didn’t even last five minutes.” 
“Five minutes of what?” I whispered, staring in mild horror at the blood dripping steadily from the man’s temple. 
“Five minutes of us demonstrating what happens to people who covet things that don’t belong to them.” Seokjin smiled brightly. 
“Jungkook’s on the way here.... You know him right? Taehyung told me he’s a friend of yours.  He’s going to let you crash with him for a couple of days  That okay? “ 
I stared between the two of them.
“Are you sure? My father....” 
“Oh your father won’t know, sweetheart, don’t worry about that.  You know the original plan was for us to just warn this fool and he would come to his senses . But he chose to be an idiot and mouthed off about fucking anyone he wants to fuck.... So, Joon and I are going to keep him away from you. We owe Taehyung that much.” The wolf had a breathtaking face, impossible to look away from. 
“Can’t I go to Taehyung?” I said stupidly and they exchanged looks.
“No wonder he’s whipped. She’s gorgeous.” Namjoon muttered under his breath. 
Seokjin elbowed him sharply.
“Uh.. no. That’s going to be difficult because ....well, for starters its going to be pretty suspicious if you randomly show up at the Official residence of a Minister.”
 I flushed.
“He’s not staying at his condo?” I asked hesitant.
Seokjin shook his head. 
“He’s taking office in a few days, Yoon Mi Rae, ssi. He’s under the limelight right now. Which is why we think it would be safer for you to stay elsewhere. Your father is probably watching him closely.” 
I closed my eyes, feeling jittery. I startled when arms wrapped around me, warm and firm. 
“hey..... you alright?” The taller, dimpled wolf gave me a concerned glance and i realized I’d swayed a little. 
“I’m sorry... I’m fine.. I’m just...”
“It’s the bond.” Seokjin said gently and I stared at him.
“Bond?” I muttered, confused. 
“He claimed you. It sounds archaic but you do belong to him. Your body recognizes that even if your heart or mind doesn’t. “ He sounded almost apologetic.
I groaned.
“So I’m going to feel this way...”
“Anytime someone else gets close to you, yes.” 
I remembered how averse I had been to Jungkook touching me in the tub, that morning after. 
“So this isn’t real? I want to be with him but it isn’t real...and I can’t be with anyone else either -”
“Hey...Hey...listen. That’s not what I’m saying. Just the fact that the bond formed is proof that you guys have something special. If you weren’t into each other his wolf would have rejected the bond at once. But I’m just saying, for a few days, maybe indulge your baser instincts and stick to him, yeah? Once the bond settles , you can make better decisions without being physically affected by them.” Seokjin said gently. 
I sighed peering over at Eun Woo.
“What are you going to do with him?”
Seokjin hesitated.
“Take him to our place probably. Can’t risk him running around wrecking havoc. Don’t worry about it. Five days max. This whole thing will blow over and you won’t have to see him again.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You okay?” Jungkook placed a pair of towels at the foot of the bed, looking concerned as he stared at me. I sat on the bed, knees drawn up and arms folded over them staring at him. 
“I’m so screwed.” I whispered. 
Jungkook smiled.
“It always feels that way.... at first. Don’t worry, you guys will work this out.” 
“I’m scared. My father ...he... he’s always been a bastard but... I never saw him as someone dangerous. But I think he is. I’m scared he’s going to hurt Taehyung.” I said softly, finally voicing what I’d been worried about all along.
Jungkook gave me a sharp look.
“That’s not going to be easy. Hyung can take care of himself. I’m an alpha myself and you won’t see me going against him. Everyone knows he���s not someone you should underestimate. “
“But I’m still worried..... I... I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“I’m glad you don’t want me dead anymore.” 
Taehyung’s voice sent a jolt of electric current straight up my spine. I scrambled, turning around to the window in shock. 
The alpha sat perched on the window sill, looking entirely unbothered for someone dangling a good fifty feet off the ground. 
“Hyung , what? Get in here!!!” Jungkook hissed, reaching for him, but he was already throwing his legs over and dropping to the carpeted floor with ease. 
“Don’t trust you enough to leave her with you for the night, Jungkook-ah...” He said casually, but his eyes danced with mirth. 
Jungkook rolled his eyes.
“She smells like you now hyung.... I’m not going there ..”
Taehyung gave me a surprised look. 
“She does?” 
“The bond’s settling then.” Jungkook said. “ This is my cue to leave. Where’s your security detail hyung? Tell me I’m not going to get shot in my sleep for kidnapping the Minister for Supernatural affairs.” 
Taehyung chuckled.
“They know where I am... I’m only here for the night. I have stuff to do in the morning.” He turned to me holding his arms out, “ You okay?”
I threw myself at him without a second thought. 
It felt like gears slotting together perfectly, his arm around me calming the simmering discomfort under my skin so quickly that I went limp. 
I closed my eyes, gripping his tight, letting my eyes fall shut as I inhaled the musky , woody scent of him. I heard the door close softly behind Jungkook and Taehyung ran his palms up and down my back.
“I may possibly be the worst mate in history.” He commented mildly.
I snorted.
“There’s no competition there. You win, hands down.” I muttered. He pulled back to stare at me, hands coming up to gently cup my face.
“I’m going to kill him.” He said softly and I frowned.
“I thought he was only doing what you asked him to.” I said , frowning.
Taehyung gave me a sharp glance. His hands slipped to my wrists, tugging me to the bed. I settled on the mattress and he took his shoes off carefully. 
“God, no. Do you really think I’d do something like that?” He gave me a wounded look and i bit my lips.
“How would i know? All you told me was that you needed Cha Eun Woo to help you”
Taehyung hesitated.
“He’s been running a brothel in that resort. A brothel were old or impotent wolves can watch alphas knot human women..... Its been going on for a while. i never knew. He’s been hiding it really well.” 
I felt my jaw come unhinged. 
Suddenly, the way he had talked about how I would look, having sex with an alpha wolf, the way he had described it to those men, it made sense.
“He told them ... he made it seem like I was one of those women.” Bile rose up in my throat.
Taehyung reached out, fingers lightly gripping my waist and tugging me closer.
I hesitated, not sure what he wanted but he scooted back to lean on the headboard, long legs stretched out in front of him and he held his hand out again.
“Come here.” He whispered gently.  “ i can think better if you’re in front of me” 
Seokjin’s words echoed in my head ,   maybe indulge your baser instincts and stick to him, yeah? Once the bond settles , you can make better decisions. 
I crawled over on my knees. 
Taehyung reached out , gripped my waist with both hands and lifted me straight up into his lap like I weighed nothing. i yelped, knees hitting the mattress on either side of his waist as I tried to spread my thighs wide enough to accommodate him . 
He kept his hands on my waist, grabbing the hem of my blouse and tugging it out of my skirt. He slipped his fingers in till he grazed my bare skin, thumbs rubbing soothing circles against the heated flesh. 
“Feel good?” He whispered softly. 
I tilted my head, regarding him thoughtfully.
“When have you ever made me feel anything but good, Alpha Kim?” I smirked, my tone dripping with sarcasm. 
The fingers on my waist tightened, hard enough to bruise and I choked  , gripping his shoulders , feeling the hard jut of his shoulder blades beneath my fingers.
“Behave.” He warned softly, “ I’m trying to start this right.”
I sighed.
“Start what?”
“This.. You and I. Together. As more than just friends.” 
I straightened, surprised.
“Taehyung-”
“I came here tonight, not because I had to...not because I needed to... but because I  wanted to.  I want you to know that. I’m here not by obligation but because I wanted to see you. Because I care for you.” He stared right at me but i couldn’t help but be wary. 
I looked away. 
“That's not what you said the last time we met which was literally this morning...” i protested. 
“ Rae, I was so fucking scared. I’ve been living inside my own head for too damn long. I’ve always had these....fucking rules inside me. Rules that i couldn’t bring myself to break. I don’t break the law, I don’t get involved with humans, I don’t trust humans, I always do stuff by the book..... But today, just...seeing what happened at that pool...... I realized I’ve been so fucking blind. ”
I swallowed.
“That’s not your fault...”
“It is... “ He said shortly. “ I’ve been so caught up with keeping my own rules, with fighting humans that I forgot that not all wolves are saints either. I’ve been so focused on your father because he’s human that I didn’t even consider that the men actually funding and dueling this entire drug racket...they’re wolves like me. That it isn’t humans who exploit us but men in power. Men in power who twist the law and use it as leeway to do whatever shit they want. “
“You couldn’t have known.” I said weakly.
“I could have. If I’d wanted to.  Two months ago Cha Eun Woo built a beach side resort in Jeju Do, very close to some endangered coral reefs I remember reading about it and wondering how he could have possibly gotten a permit to do that shit. But then i never followed through with it. And I wonder if it was because I considered him a friend. A friend whose favor I would need in the future. And what does it say about me, if my moral values are so selective? I can’t act high and mighty about bringing your father down while I’ve been letting Cha Eun Woo run a fucking sex trade right under my nose.” 
I pressed a palm to his face, my heart breaking at the sheer exhaustion on his face. 
“You can’t fix the entire world, Taehyung. You’re not meant to single handedly solve every problem in the country...... “ I whispered.
He shuddered.
“But if i don’t , who will?” He stared at me. “ Someone has to make an effort right?” 
I nodded.
“Yes... You’re right. And you’ve done enough. You’ve done more than your fair share. And you can do so much more, if you let yourself relax. If you let yourself breathe when you’re drowning you can swim so much further.” 
He stared at me. 
“My daughter.” He choked out. “ She really thinks you’re her mother. “
I bit my lips in distress. 
“Tae, I’m so sorry-”
“ Her mother died when she was barely three....So she doesn’t remember her much. She only remembers her scent which was yours.... She... She really wants you with us, Rae.”
“You shouldn’t have said that on the phone. What were you thinking calling me her mother...” I whispered, shaking my head. 
“  I think I  saw you as Luna’s mother. the moment you held her that day, in the dock , in the rain. The way she relaxed in your arms...The way her face lights up at the thought of you... I... I want that for her. I want her to have that...forever.” 
I let myself look at him. 
“And what about you? What do you want? “ 
He held my gaze for a long time. I felt my heart begin to pound, anticipation clawing up my spine. 
“a bowl of patbingsu would feel great.” He said seriously. 
It took me a second to realize what he’d just said. I punched his shoulders, not in the mood for jokes at all.
“Sorry sorry...that was bad timing.” He grinned. 
“The worst. Are you asking me out or not?” I demanded.
"I am asking you to move in.” He said softly. “ As my mate.” 
I couldn’t bring myself to speak. 
“It may seems too much , especially for a human but I’m a were and I want you in my house. Want your scent there, mingling with mine and I want my daughter to see us together. I want you to be...the woman I love.” 
“Don’t throw the L word around like that . It scares me..” I muttered and he smiled.
“I’m not a teenager Rae. The L word as you call it, it doesn’t scare me. I have a daughter, I know love in its purest form. And I’m not afraid of saying it either.” 
“Well, I’m just not sure if you even mean it.” I said desperately. 
“I do mean it. I love you and I know that because I broke every rule I’ve been keeping for the past twenty years , just because of a five minute video clip of another guy touching you .” 
I shook my head.
I felt overwhelmed. 
Somewhere beneath that chaos, I was happy, of course I was. But for now, the exhaustion and weariness won out, and I edged closer, resting my head on his shoulders. 
He hugged me closer and i felt the gentle press of his lips against the top of my head. 
“Let’s sleep.” I whispered. “ I’m so tired.” 
He hummed.
“Would you like me to leave?”
I shook my head. 
“No. Stay.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up sometime in the middle of the night, to find myself on my side his arms wrapped right around me, tight and firm. I wondered how numb his arm must be, and wriggled a bit, swallowing the dryness in my throat.
He grunted and gripped my waist, stopping me from moving.
“You need to stop grinding on my dick, darling.” He choked out. I froze, face flaming. 
“Sorry... I...”
“It’s alright. What’s wrong?” He whispered, fingers brushing my hair back. 
I stared at the wall in front of me, lightly stroking the arm wrapped around my waist. 
“I feel better when I’m with you.” I whispered. “ Even when i barely saw you, those months in your home in the preserve...I always felt better when you were around. It was irrational, how much I liked you and wanted to be with you, seeing as I didn’t know much about you at all... And It makes me wonder, if perhaps you and I, perhaps  we aren’t that different.” I said. 
He hummed.
“How so?”
“Maybe wolves aren’t the only ones who can sense their mates . Maybe humans can too....maybe we sense it but we’re just too scared to act on it.” 
“Why should you be scared...?”
“Because sometimes, even your mate rejects you and that stings.” I smiled. His grip tightened around me.
“I will spend the rest of my life atoning for what I put you through...” He kissed my neck and I trembled. 
“It wasn’t a sin.” I said laughing at how serious he sounded. “ It was you being true to yourself . i appreciate that.” 
“But I hurt you. I hurt my mate. As a wolf that is unforgivable.” 
“Well , then you’re lucky that I’m not a wolf, aren’t you? Because I’ve already forgiven you.”
He tugged me around gently till I was on my back, before climbing on top of me. 
“Can I kiss you?” He brushed the hair off my face.
“I don’t know. Can you?” I grinned at him. 
He growled. 
“brat.” 
He pressed his lips against mine, a soft and gentle touch that lasted for just a few seconds before he drew back. 
And then he leaned in again, this time , lips parting, soft and wet as it closed over mine, tongue sweeping across the seam of my lips, begging entrance. I relaxed into the pillows , letting him take the lead. 
Taehyung kissed like he did everything else, firm and hard but somehow careful and gentle.
 The soft press of his fingers on my chin as he tilted my face for better access, the way his tongue licked into my mouth in soft kittenish licks, the way his teeth nibbled on the plushness of my lip, only for his tongue to lick and sooth the sting right after....
His kisses tasted like scotch and honey, like spring water in the middle of summer , cool and refreshing nd reaching so far inside me that I ached for it. He was strong and warm against me, his hair felt like spun silk beneath my fingers . i traced the contours of his face , the sharp edge of his jawline, the softness of his perfect brows and the sharpness of his collarbones. 
My mind was reeling by the time he pulled away. 
“Can I fuck you ?” He asked softly and I jolted at the filthy words in that deep earnest tone.
“I don’t know Can yo-?”
He didn’t let me finish. Groaning as he sat up, gripping the hem of his t shirt and peeling it off. I watched as he shimmied out of jungkook’s sweatpants ,before straddling me again. 
“Take that t shirt off for me.” He smiled and I quickly shrugged it off. 
“Mmm.... beautiful. I love your breasts....such pretty pink nipples.” He said casually and i choked a bit when he reached down, thumbing at the hard nubs till they pebbled up under his touch. 
I threw my head back as he bent over, peppering kisses all over my jaw before moving down to lick my nipple, lips closing over the nub for one second before nipping at them with his teeth. I felt the hardness of his erection against the softness of my stomach as he grabbed my panties, tugging them off me.
“I like it rough.” I whispered into his ear and he growled, reaching forward and grabbed the hair at the back of my head, yanking me away from his face. 
“Then let me fuck your face.” He said casually, scooting forward and pressing his cock right up against my lips. I took the hard length of him into my mouth. He tasted tangy and familiar , from the texture of his skin like silk on steel , to the way slight saltiness of his precum on my tongue. I loved the way his fingers gripped my hair, just a little too tight for comfort and a little short of violent. 
I moaned in disappointment when he pulled out a little, but only to place himself properly , one hand gripping the head board for support. Bracing himself against the headboard, Taehyung threaded one hand through my hair, gripping carefully till heat seeped through my entire body at the sting of it, and then he began thrusting into my mouth gently, pushing past my teeth and deeper into my mouth. I inhaled each time he pulled out, trying to tamp down my gag reflex, as i took the entire hot, wet length of him inside my mouth. 
He picked up the pace, letting go of the head board in favor of gripping my hair in both hands, holding me in place as he fucked into my mouth till my eyes watered. 
I felt myself  dripping wet with arousal and I tapped his thighs. He pulled back to stare at me.
“You alright?” 
“Fuck me.” I choked out, throat fucked raw and voice breaking. “Need you inside me now-”
He didn’t wait for me to elaborate, grabbing my waist and turning me over at once.
“Hands and knees., grab the headboard.” He growled and I scampered to obey. 
“Good girl, Now just hold on let me make you feel good, yeah, baby?” 
I felt a soft, wet kiss right on my spine, before fingers gripped my hair again , tugging me back just as he slid right into me. 
The shock of it made me stop breathing, his cock so thick and hard it felt like I’d been split open. 
“How does that feel baby? ...” He whispered, bending over and kissing my neck. “ Am i making you feel good” I fought to get words out and then groaned when he slid back in , a little rougher and a little faster.
He stopped again, pulling out and hitting my thigh, the sharp sting making me yelp.
“Roll over, sweetheart.” He whispered and I blinked groggily, rolling over to stare at him. He grabbed a spare pillow, folding it in half before pushing it under my hips. 
i blinked in confusion as he loomed over me again, this time grabbing my leg and throwing it over his shoulder. before pushing back in. deeper this time, the tip of his cock hitting so deep that I felt a sting of pain that made me wince.
He caught the look on my face and smiled, apologetic.
“Sometimes, too big isn’t too good. You’re a little small for me, I’m hitting your cervix. Let me fix that.”  He fixed the pillow again and this time when he pushed in , it was pure pleasure, his cock brushing my g spot with ease and making me clench around him like a vice. He moved to his knees, still inside me and I groaned in protest when his weight lifted off me. 
“Wanna see you cum, angel..” He whispered, using his thumb to press and slide over my clit in smooth, little strokes . I could feel my wetness leaking all over the place and I felt my throat go dry when he scooped up the dampness, before tracing the slick wetness all over my nipples and bending low and licking it all off.
“Taste so sweet, my baby...” He whispered, “ Wanna try?”
I barely registered what he said, eyes fluttering shut and I yelped when he lightly flicked my lips.
“Open your mouth..you should taste how good you are...” He grinned wickedly. 
Before i could reply he was already slipping two fingers between my legs, collecting more of the heady slickness. I moaned as he slipped the fingers into my mouth, smearing it all over my tongue , the spicy sweetness foreign and yet arousing against my tongue.  I felt my eyes widen as the taste filled my tongue, making me clench harder around him. 
“Tell me you taste good...” He pulled back and rammed again inside me , is fingers moving back to my hair and gripping tight.
“I.. i taste good..” I stuttered.
He grinned in appreciation and held my hips, swiftly flipping us over till I was on top, his cock slipping out of me because of how wet and messy i was. I struggled to pace myself and yelped when he casually grabbed my hips, lifting me up and bringing me down till I took the entire hard length of him inside. 
“Wait...stop.” He said suddenly and I froze. And then he was sitting up and turning me around making me kneel, facing away from him and i finally noticed the large dresser mirror, right across from the bed. 
I met his gaze through the reflection, swallowing. 
“When I watched you put on make up today, the way you stared at me through the mirror and put me in my place.... I was thinking I should do this.... .stare at you through a mirror someday and put you in  your  place. Didn’t think it would be so soon, baby.” 
I panted as he moved behind me, using his hands to lightly part my thighs. And the he was pushing closer, sliding into me and I gasped, gripping him tighter as he used one hand to fondle my breast while the other wrapped tight around my hip, bracing me for his thrusts. 
It lasted less than two minutes. I came unraveled, my mind exploding in glorious white hot pleasure and his warmth washed inside me, filling me and dripping down my thighs till i fell back against him, boneless and spent .I fell forward on to mattress, my limb jelly and he groaned, draping himself over me. 
“Hope that was sufficiently rough and filthy for you, my dear.” He whispered. 
I could barely think, let alone string words together so i stayed quiet, letting him pull me closer and hold me tight. 
i shifted as he moved to settle his head on my breasts, his arms and legs draping over me while his breath fanned hot and cold against my sweat slicked skin. 
His phone buzzed right next my head and he frowned. 
And then he laughed, turning to show me the screen
 From Jeon Jungkook :
I’m in the next room hyung!! Fucking stop. !!!
 I grinned despite myself.
Good Lord. 
~~~~~~~~~
 Author’s note : 
Ummm...hi?
Guess this isn’t ending in ten chapters fml.
@veronawrites
@ladyartemesia
@bumb1e–bee
Some of you sent me an ask to be tagged but i couldn’t tag you guys...probably because you’ve made your profile private.... So I’m sorry about that.
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tokoyamisstuff · 3 years
Text
Dark Side Of The Moon Ch. 1 - Dark! Loki x Reader
Chapter 1: Speak to Me/Breathe
Chapter Summary: The last thing you remember was being mortally wounded, now having woken up in a completely different reality. And you’d soon need to face the horrors of who would seek you out...
Warnings: Violence, Blood, Suicide Attempt, Graphic Descriptions of Death, Dark! Loki, Spoiler you kinda die but kinda don't
Words: approx. 3800
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[Story Masterlist]
Masterlist to my other works right ->Here<-
Lyrics used from the Song: Kina ft. Snow - Get You The Moon
“Y/N, look out!”
The piercing sounds of gunfire nearby made your eardrums ring, yet Steve’s words got through to you nonetheless.
But you were determined to end this, here and now.
Tony was the first one at your side, catching you in his arms before you hit the floor. However, you could only do so much as whimper a silent apology to your friends, who now had to live with the consequences of your actions.
“Why did you do this?!” you heared Dr. Strange yell as he unsucessfully tried to close the deep cut in your gut. Too afraid of what you might see if you’d look at the wound, your glare was locked on the beautiful sky - yes, the sun was almost setting, and it was somehow calming to you that this would most likely the last thing you’d set eyes upon.
“There was no reason to be this reckless!” Steve followed close by, his scolding soon turning into desperate screams. “Fuck. FUCK!” If Captain America himself is cussing, then it’s as severe as you thought it to be.
Your wounds were lethal, that much was sure.
And of course they were right, as always: You didn’t need to play the martyr here, throwing yourself into danger to shield your comrades - well, you did anyway, and there was no going back now.
On the other hand, they were the ones taking a gravely depressed widow onto a dangerous mission. But you did not want your precious friends to blame themselves for that, for it was your own wish.
Dying in an honorable battle was what would send you to Valhalla, after all - where you could finally meet him again, hopefully.
The only one not having spoken a single word up until now was Thor, very well knowing what all this was about. It was no secret that you were sick and tired of how your life had turned out to be, ever since the Infinity War.
You felt empty. Incomplete. Desperate. Hallow.
The God of Thunder had turned his back to you, yet there was still agony radiating from that already broken man. Your almost-brother-in-law was the only one who could possibly understand your pain. Thor Odinson had lost everything: His homeland, most of his tribe, his family and best friend - and soon, you as well.
All this time, you wanted to be strong. For them, who had also lost so much!
But at some point things just got out of control.
“You can’t leave me alone, Lady Y/N! Not you too!” Thor finally whimpered as he fell onto his knees, softly squeezing your hand. “You’re the only thing I have left from him!
So this is what dying feels like.
The bloodloss caused your limps to go limp, and when the pain began to stop and got replaced by numbness, you knew it would soon be time. Your brain lost the remaining control over your body, and you found yourself encoated by pure nothingless.
Only able to listen by their screams, cries and kind words - at least you’d die surrounded by those marvellous people. It sure was a privilege knowing them.
You weren’t afraid - all in all, it had been a good life, after all. 
There were no regrets.
“Shh” you hushed them, using your last bit of strenght so your lips formed somewhat of a most broken smile, forming words between gurling on your own blood.
“It’s alright, I-” you cut yourself off, trying to scream as a last, torturing pain shot through your whole system. “I-I-I’ll-- meet him again...you know?”
“I’m no-not strong enough, please...” Thor cried out like you had never seen him before, feeling a tide of guilt wash over you. “Loki wouldn’t have wanted you to go like this! He told me to protect you, so you could lead a long and happy life!”
Without him? Impossible!
“You gave me a shoulder when I needed it
You showed me love when I wasn’t feeling it
You helped me fight when I was giving in
And you made me laugh when I was losing it”
Yes, indeed: You had been to selfish to keep on living just for the sake of your friends, burdening them with yet another loss.
“I-I don’t wanna go...this was a mistake, I- please...”
How badly did you want to soothe them right now, telling them that everything would be alright and you’d meet them again, eventually?
It was too late now.
Your body gave up earlier than your soul, which had endured and kept on all this time, even in it’s shattered state.
And when Tony’s palm gently closed your eyes, making it easier for you to embrace the cold darkness, the last thing you heared before your senses gave up were startling you enough to almost bring you back to life:
“I’m so sorry, Y/N.”
That voice was familiar, yet it didn’t belong to Loki. Dr. Strange, no- Stephen Strange, your friend and mentor of the mystic arts.
“I don’t have the heart to allow this to happen” he stated frantic, making you wonder if that was a dream of your hypoxic brain or if you were still able to hear them? People tend to say the sense of hearing dies last, after all. “She still has a pulse, even though weak. Hurry!”
Their voices were far in the back, words way too far out of your reach to understand. As if you were an outsider, only observing from a distance.
Your friends were fighting, or maybe discussing something. That much you could make up from their tone, but your mind was too exhausted to make sense of anything.
It felt as if you were already without a body, floating through the unknown like a feather in the wind - not knowing where fate would lead you to next.
Everything was numb - even your pain. It was soothing, somehow.
Because you had been a ghost way before, when you were alive even. An empty shell of a human, acting like they weren’t dead on the inside.
Coherent thoughts, memories, emotions...even the fractions of your own past you had both collected and surpressed. Right now, they were all restrained and pushed far in the back of your very core, where you were finally able to evaluate them without earthly bondings.
Was this heaven, hell - or maybe both or none or them?
____
"Be aware of the limits this tactic has. It’s a very drastic measurement that can most likely be used only once in your lifetime, and it is not guaranteed to work either.”
Stephen’s voice again. You recall that scene, it’s been long in the past...but why are you remembering it now?
Yes, this was familiar. All of you had been invited to the Sanctum Sanctorum, a fitting place to teach about this ancient knowledge.
You clearly remembered that Loki was absent in any of the Doctor’s lessons, feeling that a “puny human” was “unworthy” to teach him, and “it would be nothing new anyway, Y/N, I am a god and the way better wizard, I know it all already.”
What he was about to tell you back then was some kind of crazy emergency-plan: Dangerous, unpredictable and escpecially untested.
“I’ve only read about this tactic up until now” the mage pondered loudly as he picked at his goatee, earning some childish giggles by you and Tony. “So I cannot promise that it will function as planned. The Multiverse is dangerous and acts in unforseen ways.”
“Very reassuring” you had mocked at the time, not really biding the topic any importance or thought ever again.
But now...
The trick sounded way simpler than it actually was, being as complex as it is only natural for something like that, costing a huge prize at that:
Dr. Strange would send any of you who were on the brink of death through a portal, thus leading you into a random dimension of this endless Multiverse.
That dimension, in which your alternate self has most likely died, will gladly accept you as a “replacement”. Some kind of what Peter Parker called a “glitch” will occur, instantly healing all of your wounds - even fatal ones, so you could remain in the timeline that was missing you. 
Yet the consequences of this maneuvre would be unspeakable.
_____
“That bastard...” you gnarled internally, finally realizing why you would remember this of all things after apparently having just taken your dying breath. “He didn’t just-”
Eventually, you realized having escaped death’s grip, slowly beginning to regain your senses - yet still refusing to open your eyes.
“I don’t want to leave this place. My friends -- will I never see them again? No. NO! Life is meaningless. Just let me be with him. Please! Loki...”
“’Cause you are, you are
The reason why I’m still hanging on
‘Cause you are, you are
The reason why my head is still above water
And if I could I’d get you the moon
And give it to you
And if death was coming for you
I’d give my life for you”
Another part of Strange’s lesson echoed in your head, revealing that you were now in fact up on your own.
“Not even I can tell just how much this timeline will differ from what you know. Of course I will search for you right away, but considering the countless possibilities, it might very well be that we’ll never meet again. But you’re alive, and hopefully safe. That’s all that counts.”
Grass tickled your palm as you twitched your fingers, testing the limits of your body, which had literally just tricked death. Suddenly, you felt a stinging pain, almost like lightning boring into your temportal. The origin of this pain remained unknown.
When you finally found the courage to sit up, your flesh still feeling as heavy as lead, you realized that Stephen was most likely wrong: He assumed that you’d find yourself in a place you had a deep connection with, yet that place was unrecognizable to you.
Then why were you here of all places?
Actually, this location was incredibly beautiful, managing to stop the aching in your heart, if only for the fraction of a second.
Your former lover would’ve loved this place.
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“'Cause you are, you are
The reason why I’m still hanging on
'Cause you are, you are
The reason why my head is still above water
And if I could I’d get you the moon
And give it to you
And if death was coming for you
I’d give my life for you”
Even though not all of Dr. Strange’s speculations were correct, you decided to stick to his emergency plan: Find as much information about this “new” earth as possible, point out the differences to your initial one, and then contact the Dr. Strange of this dimension.
Two mages working on crossing each other’s path would at least higher the stakes to find your original timeline.
Well, no one could guarantee you that the Avenger’s existed on this timeline, and they could as well be evil in this one...what a weird and horrifying imagination.
Knowledge really was power - that was another thing Loki had taught you a long time ago, and it would prove valuable, especially in this situation.
As you wandered this surprisingly extensive garden and getting lost in admiring the beauty of it’s nature, you found yourself devoid of any weapons. That fact made you slightly uncomfortable, even though your current location seemed absent of any ememies, making a peaceful impression. 
Seemingly there weren’t any evil schemes going on in this dimension.
It basically were only minor differences, at least that was your first impression. At least there were no changes in natural laws or something as big.
“I miss the days where magic and science didn’t mix up like this” you whispered, mainly to yourself as you examined the new, large scar on your abdomen - the only memory left of your “almost-suicide-mission”.
To be more precize: The only thing left from your former life, now leaving you able to start completely anew, wether you wanted it or not.
Sun had almost drowned behind the horizon, diving the sky in a deep orange. Your eyes were still adjusting, yet you could’ve sworn to see the silhouette of a person. It was far away, at the entrance on what appeared to be a palace belonging to this garden.
Apparently, you had invaded someone’s propery, and you could only pray that it was noone important - or worse, a owner who would defend their ground with violence.
You don’t think your earth had a place this...flashy. The castle was way bigger than any you knew on the other timeline. The first difference you had figured out, yet it was only a minor one.
Maybe the headache you were experiencing was from someone making you  out as an intruder?
One thing was sure: You had been noticed, and you immediately were on high alert.
Where to run to or at least hide?
There was a maze made out of bushed parting you and the palace, and since there was no better option, you’d enter it. Talking to that person and convincing them of your goodwill would make it way easier to gain information.
“You may come out” you declared as you made your way, unable to evaluate the situation properly. “I mean no harm. I’m just lost.”
Was it dangerous to be here? Obviously, you were not allowed to be here anyway.
However, when you had finally found the escape to that maze, only several hundret meters away from the building, the person was already gone.
Had your mind just played a dirty trick on you again? Wouldn’t be the firt time it’d betray you like this...
No. You clearly felt someone watching you.
And as soon as your senses had sharpened to your usual self again, you instantly jumped back, gaining some distance to the Citauri that had just appeared behing you.
Shit! You weren’t ready to fight again just yet. Not like this.
And where one of those vile beasts were, many others would appear. You knew that much.
Had Thanos invaded this earth? Oh god, not again...not him. You were so damn tired of those fights, escapes and especially the pain that always inevitable followed after.
Just when it was about to swing it’s weapon at your head, you felt dizziness crawl up your nerves, making you collapse on the floor. Lucky for you, because only like that, the stike didn’t hit you.
Even though having been taught basic magic skills, that certain kind of spell you were unable to fight against - only true masters of the art were able to perform a sorcery that well.
The Chitauri had left your line of sight, yet the other figure from before reappeared in a pace so fast that your eyes couldn’t follow. They sweeped you off the floor just before your head would meet the hard pavement.
“And now you will answer to me, shapeshifter.”
Once again someone robbed you of the control of your life and body, leaving you without a free will.
How long had you been passed out now? You didn’t know and honestly didn’t care either - since you had nothing to lose anymore.
In the meantime, the owner of those lands had dismissed his guards, not wanting to be disturbed as he was left alone with you in the giant throne room.
The apparent ruler of that unclassified location was sitting on his throne, warily observing you from above. You were lying to his feet at the bare floor, every piece of clothing robbed from you and restrained by a pile of chains. He watched every twitch, all breaths you’d take or groans escaping your mouth until you would finally awake.
Oh, how you really were just like he remembered you, with every little detail he had adored.
At long last, you would finally open your lids again, blinking heavily as you took in your surroundings - but when your eyes met certain emerald ones, they immediately sprung wide open, the emptiness in your heart being filled with all kinds of emotions once again.
The man - it was him!
“'Cause you are, you are
Oh, you are
Oh, you are
You are'Cause you are, you are
The reason why I’m still hanging on
'Cause you are, you are
The reason why my head is still above water
And if I could I’d get you the moon
And give it to you”
“Loki!” you screamed from the bottom of your heart. Without a single coherent thought, your legs would carry on their own as your weakened body stumbled in their attempt to climb those stairs.
For both of you, that momend of reuinion had waited far too long.
The god was temptated to approach you, his trembling hands already reaching out to catch your fragile body should you fall - but suddenly, you felt his knuckles digging into your cheekbone.
“Stay away from me, you fake!” Loki yelled furiously as you hit the ground, rubbing your cheek as you tried to understand what just happened.
Yeah, that sure brought you back to reality again, after such a short high.
Right.
That isn’t your Earth - and not your Loki either.
You couldn’t even be sure this world’s Y/N and Loki had the same kind of relationship the two of you had back in your timeline! The only thing you knew was that he knew you from his past, but as it seemed not pleasantly.
Now that you looked closely, he even had less scars, almost looking untouched and pure - like a true, invincible god. Maybe life here had treat him well, unlike his counterpart from your timeline.
He was still wearing that excessive outfit with the golden horns, and much to both your amazement and fear, it seemed that he still possessed theTesseract.
Could it be...
Before you could connect the dots, the king would soon interrupt your string of thoughts. “Drop that disguise, scum!”
Loki kept on degrading you as he paced in front of his throne, brow sinking deeper and deeper. “Don’t think you can somehow appeal to those pathetic sentiments” he explained, “I’ve freed myself from them long ago. Just stop making a fool out of yourself, and maybe I’ll reward it with a quicker death.”
Yet when he saw your most innocent smile, even this Loki would stand frozen in place, deeply in shock.
How he yearned to see it, all those years - to tell you just how sorry he was for everthing he’s done.
No.
He had left all of this behind - to claim his birthright and rule.
“I-I’m deeply so-sorry...that is a mistake” you whimmered with a broken voice, wiping a tear of joy out of your face. “My feelings overwhelmed me, I guess. I’ve never thought to see you again, even if you’re not the same Loki I know.”
Still cowering on the floor, you looked up to him with compassionate eyes, as if he had not just beat you before. You did not dare to make any more, wanting for Loki to try and understand himself.
“A variant?” he gnarled, just like you did when he realized.
No force in the world had allowed him to access other parts of the Multiverse, no matter how desperately he tried - and now fate had literally dropped you in front of his door.
Loki balled his fists in anger, making you flinch as you anticipated yet another blow.
“Dear, I-”
“Shut up!” the God of Mischief shoutet, causing his magic to break free. The walls of the palace were shaking, most windows and furniture having been destroyed. “It’s no use, woman!”
That man was way more powerful than the “puny god” people called names back on Asgard - and his sheer might made you quiver.
Just what kind of monster had he become, and why?
“L-Loki, please...” you tried to appeal to the last bit of humanity  he might possess, and your begging made his guts twist in agony. “You’re scaring me.”
“You better be scared!” he exclaimed, grabbing you by the chin and forcing you to look at him. “No matter what disgracefully weak “alter ego” of me you knew, I am built different. Stronger. Better. Everyone in the Nine Realms fears me, and I desire nothing else! Everything distracting me from fulfilling my destiny and reign over you dull creatures I got rid of. You’re nothing more than an insect I might as well crush right here and now!”
Choking on a sob, he tried to relish that last chance he got to admire you, smell you, touch what he cannot possess...no matter how many universes there may be.
A flood of tears cracked down your face at his words, yet you couldn’t be helped.
No matter what he would say - he looked just like him.
And that was enough for you to feel alive after such a long time of being a walking dead. There had to be a reason you landed right at his home, of all places in this universe. You had a connection, both of you felt it ever since you had been transported here.
"May I ask-” you disrupted yourself, awaiting some reaction. But the conqueror had seemed to have spoken what he thought important to say, not declining your question at all.
Whenever he seemed fit, he could disintegrate you - yet right now, this situation was way too intriguing.
“What happened to myself in this reality?”
Loki swallowed harshly, letting go off of you as he threw you down the stairs. He wouldn’t even bide you one look as he tried to surpress the turmoil of emotion still running through his veins, desperately keeping it from breaking free.
The outcome would always be the same: Suffering, for both of you.
“And if death was coming for you
I’d give my life for you.”
He only ever wanted it to stop hurting. To become unfeeling, since love had always been poisoning his mind, sometimes being gifted with it even though he knew he would never be worthy of anything else than disgust and hate.
And that contradiction caused him to throw away anything good that happened to him, through you. Let it be taken away from him just shortly after finally learning to remotely enjoy.
You deserved the truth, a reason to hate him even more than you probably already did.
Had you only come to his salvation earlier, then he might have been helped - yet now, he was beyond redemption. Broken. Sick. Dangerous.
And when the Chitauri dragged you away, his last words let your blood run cold:
“She died through my hands.”
_____
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bunny-hoodlum · 3 years
Text
Asynchronous With You: Ch 5.5
ship: naruhina
rating: teen (references to much ecchi this chapter)
tags: Modern Day AU, Foster Siblings, Family, Angst, Unrequited Love, Poor Communication
summary: An awkward journey full of self-denial and missed moments between two foster siblings. Perhaps their love will find the right timing someday.
She can't stand herself right now, so she makes him feel like he's the untolerated one
She just wants to be alone.
Between the abandonment from her parents, the fact that she wronged Hanabi and will deserve the worst outcome for it, to the way Naruto skillfully fucks up her emotions without even trying, she just wants it all to stop.
It's all… so itchy.
These events and circumstances, they gravitate to her, they stick to her fly-trap skin and die. And she can't be rid of it.
It's all fated.
Her whole existence is one incurable allergy, and continued exposure will only lead to anaphylaxis.
However, if she closes her eyes and lays very still atop her covers, she can dream of a world where everything is as it should be.
One where her parents cherish her and she and Hanabi are one of the closest sisters you'll ever see.
A world where Neji didn't lose his parents, yet it would still feel like he's always lived with her in the same house.
A world where Naruto had never been orphaned, had grown up secure in the love of his parents so that he didn't have to inebriate himself on his vices.
She just can't stand being his sister, because it makes her feel depraved.
She can't stand all the ways that she wants to compete against those other girls.
She's got the home advantage.
Proximity is everything, or it should be.
She doubts he would hate it if he found the hole had grown bigger. She doubts he would hate testing it out.
She pictures it and pictures it, and it's exciting. Tingles shoot down into her belly, traveling lower and lower.
It's so wrong how much she wants to be claimed.
She knows he wouldn't dare.
She knows he would hate it if the one offering themselves on the other side was her.
She can't stand how she had wanted to be curled against his side on the train ride to Neji, how she wished his voice would tickle her ears again like when they were kids, giving her the reassurance that she needed.
She can't stand how she had conspired with Neji to make Naruto feel off-kilter, like he didn't know her at all, just to hand off this whole cosmic unfairness onto him.
Any effort on her part brings them closer together as foster siblings, so really, could anyone blame her for giving up at this point?
She's starting to feel itchy again.
Hinata sucks in a sharp breath as she wills her legs to work.
She needs to apologize to him.
She wobbles out of her room, then leans against his bedroom door. She knocks against the wood. Her efforts are weak at first, hesitant pauses punctuated between each knock. Then desperation finally takes hold, and her knocking picks up as much volume as intensity.
She knows what she's here to do.
It's not that hard.
But the hushed desires crowding the back of her mind, the clawing need to clear the air and put her anxieties down for good, these make it so hard for her to breathe.
These make her not trust herself to be alone with him.
The door handle rotates, the click hitting her ears like the cocking of a gun hammer.
Her heart seizes in a panic.
He greets her with an affronted frown, then tugs at his earbud wires. Thunderous drums and riotous electric guitars buzzed like industrial wasps from the earbuds. When he hit pause on his phone screen, the absence of noise made their home feel like a cave.
Cold and vast.
"I-I have things to say." Her nose wrinkled with embarrassment.
Naruto stepped away from the door, allowing her passage into his room.
It feels like it's been forever since she's stepped foot in here. The posters were all different, and there was an abundance of them plastered along his walls. To her shame, the ceiling over his bed was also well-decorated with the ripped out pages of Gravure models. They all had different looks, different shapes and sizes.
Did he really have no preference?
As she hovered awkwardly in the middle of his room, he took a seat on his bed and patted the empty spot beside him.
She stared, her skepticism all too open.
"Hinata…" His eyes implored her, but when she would still go no closer to him, he was reminded of a life he had thought long-forgotten, back when he was treated like a germ. He shut his mouth, and buried that pain down deep. He couldn't bring himself to say those words. It felt way too pathetic.
His eyes followed her as she headed for his desk and slid the chair out from it. But then she stood there, staring at it too, like it would infect her.
With a growl, he collapsed onto his bed. "You're not going to sit, you're not going to talk--"
"I am going to talk."
"So talk." He laced his fingers behind his head, staring at her pointedly.
She pushed the chair back, and turned towards him, her hands wringing themselves to the point of splintering bones.
"I'm sorry. Neither of us have had a choice in all of this. The only thing we can choose to do is be better to each other."
His pointed look evolved with a lifted eyebrow. "Yeah, we kind of decided that early on, didn't we? I made sure to get along with Neji, and I protected you. It's what I could do. The bullying you endured didn't just stop for no reason."
"I-I know. And what I'm saying is, I'm the-the one whose g-given up on--" Her stuttering caused him to sit up.
"Hey, Hinata? Hey, hey, hey," He stood up and walked over to her, his hands clasping over her strangled ones. "It's okay. C'mon, it's okay. Try to breathe," he extricated her hands from each other and squeezed each of them in his own, offering her strength. "Breathe. Breathe."
But that shaky breath she took caused a few tears to let loose, and for her to question her purpose here.
When he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her tight, her mouth smashed against his shoulder, the sobs wouldn't stop. The air was like pins in her throat and she felt so, so itchy.
His bedroom was caked in perfume and sex just as she had always imagined, and she wanted to wipe that all away.
"I c,c,can't be a g,good s,s,sister."
She wanted to love him fully.
He stroked her hair and shushed her.
"You'll be an amazing sister. That little brat already loves you. Hell, sometimes I think I won the lottery myself, y'know?"
She wanted to pound her fists against his chest. Instead she clawed the fabric of his lounge hoodie, because she may not be able to hold onto him like this for much longer.
I don't want to be your sister.
I don't want you for a brother.
These are the things she wishes she could say. With every intention of making it up to him, if he would have her.
Before she came here, she needed to gauge how badly he wanted to be part of this family. But now that he went and said something like that… she doesn't have the heart to take this away from him.
"I-I'll do better, Naruto-lun, I,I,I'll do better."
"Geez, you push yourself hard enough, don't you?" He teased.
In the world she dreams up when her eyes are closed, she's able to press her lips to his, all questions erased from both their minds as they melt into the rightness of each other's bodies.
In reality, this is as far as they can go.
AN: I didn't feel comfortable leaving them all passive-aggressive and whatnot, because I no longer like that part of my writing? I think in the past I was fascinated with the whole concept of 'this is what happens when you let things be', but lately it's not all that fascinating, it actually feels pretty dumb. So maybe this is just one of those stories where it's like, 'Yeah, this ain't working for this'. Also, I used to think communication, even if it's healthy, was boring no matter what. Like, 'Easily solved! There is no story!', but lately my mindset on that has evolved and maybe that's because of exposing myself to better stories and media. Anyways, another short one, unfortunately, but I hope you liked it! This chapter has allowed me to go back to advancing the plot with summaries, so I'm quite looking forward to speeding things up. IDK if there is actual NH juiciness up ahead, but we'll see the story allows. 😅 I really had imagined Hinata getting up to more bold 'hint-dropping hijinks' like she did with her shirt, but it seems like it wrote itself out. :( lesigh.
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razorblade180 · 4 years
Text
Interdimensional Moms: part 1
Intro <-
Yang:So how we doin this? Drawing straws or... well we actually don’t have straws here so-
Weiss:It’s obvious that you wanna go first.
Blake:Extremely obvious.
Ruby:All over your face.
Yang:Hey now, don’t call me out like that! We all have so much to sort out here. I don’t even know where to begin. Differences could start and stop anywhere for all we really know.
Blake:From what it seems, Beacon itself would have one or two minor changes, but the real changes start after the fall. At least, for you three that is.
Weiss:You saying you’re different?
Blake:Unless you three started going on dates with Jaune at Beacon, then yes, I’m different.
RWY:(They’ve been together that long!?)
Yang:Okay, starting from Beacon...nothing really stands out too much. Jaune and I were just friends. *cringes* Back then, a certain faunus caught my eye.
Blake:Ah...right. I guess that tracks in practically every universe.
RW:Oh yeah it does. You two are joined at the hip.
Yang:Haha, really? Glad to hear it. My Blake and I are best buds! Remnant has never seen such a dynamic duo! Can’t say it didn’t take a lot of time effort after a rough patch. We actually dated in my world.
Blake:Same.
Yang:What!? How long?
Blake:I don’t know, it was pretty on again off again.
Yang:Well for me it was after Haven. Both of us had gotten pretty serious. All the growing we’ve done together and apart had brought us closer. However, Adam unintentionally put a wedge between us. His attempt to change and the problems that came with it were-
Yang stopped midway and saw the confused faces of her otherworldly teammates. They were shocked, confused even. Especially Blake, who looked the most shocked of all.
Yang:Umm did I say something odd?
Blake:Adam, he...isn’t dead?
Yang:Oh, well I guess that’s the start of the major changes then. Blake and I fought Adam at Argus. Stabbed him through the chest and watched him fall down rocks into a river.
Ruby:That lines you with my world. Dude died that day. Like any normal person should.
Yang:Well Adam is anything but fucking normal. Man has the craziest luck. A young women, the winter maiden in fact, she saved his life. She’s not exactly normal either. The maiden, Jacquelyn, ended up sticking by him to see if she could change his ways. This naturally meant we’d run into them again. And that’s how things fell apart.
Blake:What do you mean?
Yang:You were fully committed to seeing if Adam could actually change. I wasn’t, so we constantly butted heads in any situation involving him. Then we would fight about things that had nothing to do with at all. Eventually, we broke it off. We remained on decent terms but I was pretty heartbroken about the disconnect. Enter our lovable blonde idiot. Jaune did everything in his power to cheer me up.
Weiss:Sounds like him. Always such a bleeding heart. That boy just can’t help himself. Let me guess, his kindness and concern made you feel all warm and fuzzy?
Yang:Hehe, guilty. It was more of his willingness to laugh at my puns. Jaune’s always been interesting to talk to. He tries to act cool and calm even though he’s terrible at it, then comes clean right after. Before I knew it I was telling him things I hadn’t talked about with people before. I could tell he looked at me like most guys do, but also genuinely wanted to listen to me. Talk about playing unfair; he got defenseless. Suddenly I was smiling again. Anytime with him was time well spent. Then one day, I kissed him.
Ruby:Happily ever after?
Yang:Not even close! Hahaha!
Weiss:Why do you sound proud?
Yang:It’s funny looking back at it to a certain degree. Gods, I was such a brat. More than a few fights are on me. Between Blake, Raven, and other experiences, my insecurities flared up in ugly ways over nothing. It even got us to break up too. I was officially done with dating. My Ruby was out in an uncomfortable position.
Ruby:I bet! I’d never want you two fighting. Especially in my world. Picking between the person I love and my sister!? I don’t know what will happen.
Yang:I kinda do. *sets up* You’d start dating Jaune because you’ve looked at him since Beacon. The two of you would confide in each other and share a special kind of love, but it would be bittersweet. All because your sister still pines for him and never met to make him leave, and Jaune never says it, but he hates how things fell apart. He’s faithful to you and would never do you wrong, a guy to truly cherish. So... you let him go. Watch him walk back to your sister like you asked, because my happiness was worth that much to you.
Ruby:....
Yang: In my world at least. Honestly it’s still the most amazing thing I’ve seen you do. We must’ve cried over that conversation for hours. I felt so guilty and you only smiled, hugging me tight. Jaune and I had a few more stumbles. Nothing serious though. Eventually we moved in together when the world was saved. You and Oscar got together officially which made me happy. Even made our weddings a competition of who’d make dad bawl his eyes out the most. You won by the way; Raven came back into our family and into dad’s arms. Last but not least I had a baby. Yujin Xiao Long, my fucking pride and joy from above.
Weiss:Wow, that’s a lot.
Blake:What am I doing? Did I marry Sun?
Yang:Yep. You and blondes Blake, I tell ya.
Weiss:Hold the phone! Who am I with!?
Yang:Pretty sure you’re technically single. Buuuut, Neo and your have gotten pretty friendly from what I managed to interrogate out of you.
Weiss:That’s, highly unexpected. For a number of reasons.
Yang:Better believe it. Besides Cinder, a few crazies, and Salem, a few people made something of themselves. Dying sucks after all.
Ruby:You have a dead Cinder?
WBY: You don’t?
Ruby:*crosses arms* Hmph, I’ll wait my turn. Yang, you said you’re the only mother from our team. If Blake and I have been married for quite some time then what, we don’t want kids?
The joyful sunshine from Yang slipped into grayer skies. Her smile faded and it increasingly got harder to look at this Ruby without thinking of her own.
Yang:Are you sure that’s something you wanna know? I’ll tell you, but I didn’t want to bring down the mood with the problems where I from.
Blake:Problems? How big of a problem.
Yang:The biggest we’ve faced. It’s...a lot.
Ruby:Well we’ve listened this far. *takes hand* Lay it on us.
Yang:Pfft, oh boy. So...umm...another secret war came up. One that caused us to leave our friends and family for over a decade.
Weiss:A decade!?
Blake:What gets worse after Salem!? Who tries anything after a grimm queen!?
Yang:So a majority of Remnant was still unaware of her, but a fight like that can only be kept under wraps so tightly. Plenty of people still learned fractions of the truth. A few of those people weren’t exactly nice guys. They idolized her efforts and became her followers that wanted to keep her will alive, starting with taking revenge on the people who defeated her. We were so unaware. So caught up in normalcy. They ambushed us, and I mean everyone. We...we didn’t come out unscathed. Ren was crippled badly. Weiss, you almost your brother. Jaune’s family got hit but thankfully lived. The real casualties were aimed to hurt Ruby.
Ruby:Oh, of course. S-So, either you’re about to say I had no time to start a family, or...
Yang:...
Yang:When I tell you the look you made when you learned what happened to Oscar, to Qrow... that’s the moment it felt like my little sister left forever. Till this day you don’t smile like you used to. Very recently, now that it’s finally over, you’ve started looking better, but those ten years were hell. We choose to go out and fight again, avoiding contact with family. I haven’t had a real opportunity to be in my daughters life.
Ruby:How old is she?
Yang:Sixteen soon. Left her when she was four so you know. *tearing up* I missed everything. Just about anyways. Ironically it was Raven and Adam that helped her through the years with Jaune and Dad. Eventually we came back and ooohh boy was Yujin not thrilled in the slightest. Hehehe. Her right hook is really strong. I only had about a week with her before things got complicated again. *wipes eyes* But it’s okay. We left on good term. Something I definitely don’t feel like I deserve.
Blake:I can’t believe a thing like that would be possible.
Yang:Cults are a huge problem in Remnant now. You’re definitely aware of that. You actually oversee a little group from the shadows to deal with them in secret. An idea you got from experience. Adam works for you and everything. Hate to admit, but he’s become the guy you wanted him to be. Even has a family. I’m grateful to him. He personally kept my girl safe.
Blake:To think I’d hear you say that. Now I know this isn’t my world.
Yang:Don’t get me wrong, I still will hit him if given the chance. My life hasn’t been charmed and sacrifices too great were happening way too many times but it finally has gotten to a point where everyone feels like we’re taking steps towards a better future.
Weiss:Moving forward?
Yang:Yes, I was trying to avoid the phrase but yes Weiss, we’re moving forward. Still... *looks at Ruby*....
Ruby:W-What?
Yang:It’s unreal seeing you like this. My Ruby has become so strong and endured but hasn’t really picked herself up completely. All her tragedy stemmed from the loss of Oscar and Qrow; her last talk with Oscar was fight about kids too. That’s the entire reason she went off alone in the first place. Looking at you I can’t help but question my own choices. If...I just let her stay with Jaune, then maybe-
Ruby:Nope.
Yang:Huh?
Ruby:Look, if I know anything about your world, then it’s gonna be me and I can tell you without a doubt your Ruby doesn’t blame or would consider her own happiness without you. She loved you enough to take the chance to find love again. You really think there’s anything you could’ve done differently at that point. That girl is as stubborn as they come! *smiles* So buck up cowgirl. You deserve it.
A sense of warmth came over Yang as she heard those words. This other Ruby smiled at her with the same love as her own; completely caring about Yang’s feeling before her own. Yang felt so...unburdened. She couldn’t help but cry a little, laughing softly as she did. Who would’ve thought love could transcend worlds? It was so vindicating, therapeutic even.
Yang:Ruby, you’re something else entirely, you know that?
Ruby:It’s my curse. All I ever wanted was normal knees but the world said “no, special eyes!”
Yang:Well I guess I should thank the world then?
Weiss:You said your Ruby is getting better? That’s good. Still, it must be pretty weird looking at Jaune. Can’t imagine how lonely it must feel losing a love twice.
Blake:It never numbs.
Yang:Geez you two, lighten up. We can’t all be depressed. Ruby also didn’t lose Jaune. Actually....there may or may not have been an interesting...arrangement for a brief period of time.
Ruby:Ehhh what?
Yang:Hehehe well, hahaha, ummmm a decade is a very long time without feeling any kind of pleasure in a bleak situation. And you know me, I have to share things with you all my life.
Ruby:OH MY GOD!!!
Blake:*grinning* Yooooo! You loaned out Jaune!?
Weiss:That’s....accurate; in a lot of ways.
Ruby:That’s so scandalous! How could you!?
Yang:I didn’t force it! I gave the option, you said no, then you changed your mind because things got real stressful. Like come on, a decade of death and loneliness.
Ruby:Sigh...yeah. I can see it. Still, it’s so filthy. He’s a married man. What, so I’d just look at you and say “Yang I’m gonna sleep with Jaune, don’t come in the room.”
Yang:....
Ruby:What?
Yang:....Nothing.
Ruby:Bullshit! What is it!?
Yang:*scratches head* Well, I was lonely too, and a week is only so long-
Weiss:Oh so it was a group thing!!?
Ruby:WHAT!?
Yang:Only sometimes!
Ruby:SOMETIMES!?
Blake:HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! THAT IS AMAZING!
Ruby:Why are you laughing!?
Blake:Because that’s just so extreme, and not, all at the same time. I could totally see that happening.
Weiss:Same. Dang, Jaune slept with sisters. That’s dangerously close to being like your dad.
Ruby:That’s different!
Blake:Is it though?
Yang:Eh, I don’t see the problem. We’re all grown and make choices. Plus I’m the one who guided you through awkward teenage changes. It not like we didn’t share a room for years.
Ruby:That doesn’t make it okay.
Yang:Eh debatable.
Ruby:*red* It isn’t though! How could I do something so bold!? So taboo!?
Weiss:It isn’t like you’re the one who did it. Just a version of you.
Ruby:Not better!
Yang:Awwww it’s okay Ruby. Let’s hug it out. Hehehe *opens arms*
Ruby:Don’t touch me!
Weiss and Blake laugh until their sides hurt as Ruby tries escaping the bear hug that terrorized her. Yang’s world found interesting for sure. Weiss finally decides to help Ruby out.
Weiss:Got a picture of Yujin?
Yang’s eyes lit up and pulled out her scroll. Her team huddled around her and collectively cooed like that parents they are at the sight of a blonde young girl with gorgeous blue eyes with a black combat school graduation cap and gown and a certificate proudly raised up high. If it wasn’t for those eyes and shoulders length hair, they might’ve mistaken her for Yang.
Yang:She’s going to Beacon early because she’s fucking awesome like her mom.
Ruby:I think you mean her aunt?
Yang:I know what I said.
Weiss:I bet she’s just as hardheaded.
Blake:What do you think your kid is up to right now?
Yang: Well...*smiles*
xxxx
The girl in question sat at a work bench with oil on her face and her hands busy tinkering with gauntlets. She looked over at blueprints in a journal. If they were right, then she was definitely doing something wrong. How her mother made something so complex was crazy!
Yujin:Come on Yujin. You can fix a car, making gauntlets into a sword that don’t break should be easy!
Footsteps came up from behind her and a plate stacked with sandwiches. She looked up and smiled at her dad that gave her a wink, then kissed her forehead.
Jaune:Haveing fun, you grease monkey.
Yujin:Jokes on you, I like monkeys. Just a few more attempts and I’ll have the coolest weapon in Remnant. That entrance exam is as good as aced.
Jaune:Not if you don’t have a landing strategy. Tomorrow we’re going on a trip.
Yujin:Does it happen to be near a cliff?
Jaune:Who can say? Rule one of being a huntsman, be prepared for everything.
He ruffled her hair and left, laughing evilly. Yujin could tell he’s been waiting for this day. She pulled out her scroll and searched through a collection of videos labeled “mom” and found a super early one. She hit play and watched her mother give a peace sign to the camera as trees increasingly got closer from below.
Yang:Beacon rules!!!! Wooohooo!
The camera flipped and focused on a familiar blonde flailing through the air like a doll in the distance.
Yang:Oof, hate to be that guy! Wait, that’s vomit boy! Hahah, hope he survives. He owes me shoes. Poor dude. I guess he needs more training in flirting and landing. Wait, eugh I think he barfed again! Hahaha!
Jaune:Stop watching that one!!!!
Yujin:Hahaha but it’s the best one. The ending is priceless.
Jaune: *walks back down*
Yang:Well if he survives this I guess I can off him at least I can offer him mints and company. Fake it to ya make Jaune. Between me and Ruby, at least you’ll look like a player. Heh, nah, I don’t think I can support a bunny onesie.
Yujin and Jaune:*grinning* And then she did! *high-fives* Arc charm, baby!
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mjvnivsbrvtvs · 3 years
Text
2000 words of (checks notes) hbo rome, but Antony captures Brutus alive and no one is quite sure what to do with that. mostly unedited, sort of heading in a direction for sure.
Cassius is dead.
And,  
well.
Brutus is alive.
For whatever reason, Antony had decided to drag him back to his camp, and he sits in Antony’s tent like a child waiting to find out what punishment is going to get doled out while listening to Antony and Octavian shout at each other from some other place in the encampment.
Cassius is dead, and Brutus feels like he was cheated out of being able to take the honorable way out. Instead, he was ignobly marched back across a never-ending field of bodies, a prisoner, maybe something worse. To step between bodies of the men he commanded to their deaths felt like the worst kind of cowardice.
Cassius is dead, Brutus has the blood of his brother-in-law under his nails, and he feels inexplicably jealous.
The yelling stops, and after a moment, Antony steps back inside.
‘Great news!’ he says cheerfully. ‘You won’t be dying today!’
Brutus stares at him. Antony looks back expectantly.
In the back of his throat, the decorum that dictates social niceties threatens to claw its way out of his mouth, to show the appropriate gratefulness.  
Cassius is dead, and Brutus wishes that was his fate as well, so he swallows hard and says nothing.
When it becomes clear that Brutus won’t say anything, Antony pulls a seat over and sits across from Brutus, uncharacteristically serious. ‘I know that this isn’t really ideal for anyone,’ he says, looking Brutus in the eye. ‘But it is better to survive. Think of your mother, how much better it will be for her to get a letter from you than to receive one from me announcing your death.’
It feels like Antony is attempting something like reassurance, like he’s worried Brutus might take the stylus off the desk and shove it through his own neck (he had thought about it, and immediately discarded the idea) but all Brutus can concentrate on is how much he doesn’t want to think of his mother.  
Every personal betrayal, every manipulation at the hands of his own mother comes to the forefront of his mind and he can feel his expression twist into something bitter. ‘I’d consider it a personal favor if you would tell her that anyway,’ Brutus finds himself saying, and Antony laughs, sharp and surprised.
‘I didn’t think you had it in you to be cruel,’ he says, leaning forward.
‘You know, I never really wanted this?’ Brutus says, because now the words won’t stop spilling out of his mouth, ‘but she used my name, and Caesar couldn’t trust me after that.’
There is some emotion that Brutus can’t identify in Antony’s gaze, something quiet and calculating, not unlike a predator considering how to cast judgement.
‘You helped kill him,’ says Antony, tone neutral.
Brutus looks away, and back own at his hands. They aren’t shaking anymore, but on that day, he wasn’t sure they would ever stop. Cassius might have put the blade back into his hands, but he was the one who grasped it and drove it into the body of a man he had once considered to be like a father.  
Abruptly, he wonders if Octavian is somewhere on the other side of the material of the tent, eavesdropping on them like some kind of ghost.
‘I did,’ agrees Brutus, because there’s no sense in denying it or trying to claim some kind of innocence to the act. It runs in the family, even if he tried to deny that legacy before. He won’t try to pass blame for the action now. ‘You should let Octavian do whatever it is he wants to do.’ He sits up a little straighter and narrows his eyes. ‘What do you gain from this anyway? What benefit am I to you?’
Antony leans back, posture open and lazy. It’s not sincere, Brutus knows. It’s the false nonchalance that Antony presents the world when he wants people to look a little less closely, to take him a little less seriously, all the while planning out a series of strategies in the back of his mind.
‘Do I have to have an ulterior motive?’ asks Antony. ‘Maybe I just want to ruin Octavian’s day for a bit.’
He stands up before Brutus can reply, and begins to walk back towards the tent flap. ‘You’ll be staying here,’ Antony informs Brutus. ‘There are soldiers on guard duty, so don’t think about trying to escape.’ He looks at his desk, to the stylus, and after a brief pause of consideration, crosses the space in two easy steps to grab it. ‘Remember!’ he says, grinning. ‘Tomorrow’s a new day!’
Then he’s gone.
And Brutus is once again left with his hands, and Cassius’s blood.
At some point in the night, Brutus falls asleep.
When he wakes up, he is in Antony’s bed, with absolutely no recollection of how he got there. His hands, Brutus notices as he sits upright and pushes the blankets off of him, are clean.
‘And he lives!’ says Antony. He’s sitting behind his desk, watching Brutus from over top the paper in his hand. His tone is jovial, but it doesn’t meet his eyes. ‘If you wanted to go back to sleep for another hour, I won’t tell: it might be the last time you’ll get the chance to sleep in.’
The entire exchange is baffling.
The expression on Brutus’ face must convey as much, because Antony laughs. ‘Just because you are my prisoner doesn’t mean it has to be painful for us both.’
Brutus arches an eyebrow at the use of the possessive and makes a note to eventually find out the specifics of what Antony and Octavian had been fighting about. ‘I think you'll find that sentiment goes against almost every expectation someone might have if they found themselves held captive by a political rival,’ points out Brutus.
‘I like to think of us as people who could have been political allies under different circumstances,’ counters Antony. ‘We did work together for some time.’
‘I think’ says Brutus slowly, ‘that you have some ulterior motive you’ve been angling towards for some time.’
Silence, except for the general ambience of a military encampment the day after a resounding victory. Conversation, men looking forward to returning home, the sharp crackle of an early morning fire. Life goes on. When the sun comes up in full, the bodies left on the battlefield will begin to stink and decay under the full force of the heat.
The fight in Brutus, the revulsion that he will be used for another person’s end goals again, fades out of him, replaced with a quiet grief at the thought of the men he led to their death.
Antony snaps his fingers.
‘You look like you’re thinking unhappy thoughts,’ says Antony. ‘Do not. It’s always better to live. If you must spiral into melancholia, wait until I’m gone.’
‘Besides!’ continues Antony. ‘Soon we will be back in Rome!’
Brutus can’t think of anything he’s looking forward to less.
Brutus wishes more than anything that Antony had just given him a sword so he could fall on it.
Currently, the feeling is driven less by a sense of duty (what kind of man begs for mercy? comes the voice of his mother. I didn’t beg this time, mother, he would say in reply) or the open wound of loss, but instead by an intense awareness that he does not belong in this place anymore but more importantly 
annoyance.
If he thought he would have to wait around to see what Octavian and Antony were arguing about back in Philippi, he was wrong. The second Antony had set foot in Rome, with Brutus half a step behind him, Octavian immediately launched into an impassioned speech that started with, ‘You should be grateful to Antony, if it were up to me, I would have taken your head displayed it for all to see,’ (poetic in a grim sort of way, thinks Brutus) and ended with:
‘Don’t get too comfortable. You belong to Antony now, and he’ll do with you whatever he wants.’
It’s clearly meant to be some threat, but it’s laughable because Brutus knows this, everyone who’s heard about the outcome at Philippi knows this, there’s probably creative graffiti about it already going up on the walls of the city, and Octavian says it like Brutus hasn’t spent the last week trying to puzzle together why Antony wanted him alive so badly.
The facts of the world are as follow: the sun rises in the east, it sets in the west, Octavian has only become more insufferable over the years, and Brutus belongs to Antony now.
The only person who doesn’t seem to be aware of this is Antony, who continues to act as though Brutus is more of a peer that he had a minor disagreement and has subsequently forgiven.
‘It’s been nice catching up with you, Octavian,’ says Antony with a smile that conveys that the entire exchange has been anything but nice. ‘But I have things to do, matters to attend to.’  
Brutus says nothing.
Octavian levels him with one last bitter look before turning around and leaving the room.
‘Well!’ says Antony after a moment. ‘That went as well as to be expected. I have a feeling he thought I’d have you executed somewhere along the way back.’
‘He’s not the only one,’ comments Brutus dryly, and Antony punches him in the shoulder good naturedly.
‘I love that grim sense of humor you have,’ he says. ‘Come on, let us go home. I’m fucking exhausted.’  
Home, it turns out, is Pompey’s villa.
Or more accurately: it’s Antony’s now.
Brutus can see it on the walls, in the décor, in the choices of fabrics and design. It’s alive, it’s vibrant, it’s a complete antithesis of everything Pompey stood for.  
He likes it.
‘So-’ Antony starts to say, at the exact moment Brutus says:
‘What’s your endgame here, Antony?’
It’s a recreation of the morning in Philippi: the open, if somewhat confusing, amicability that doesn’t quite meet the eyes. The sense that Antony is thinking of things in stratagem, planning for some kind of outcome no one has even thought to imagine, much less prepare for.
The villa is nice. Brutus likes what Antony’s done with the place.
He also feels very much like he’s walked into the open mouth of something with very sharp teeth, and if he must be assigned a role in whatever Antony is gearing up for, he would at least like an idea of what’s to come.
Whatever Antony is searching for in Brutus’ eyes, he must have found, because the tension in his jaw disappears.
‘Some other time,’ he says finally. ‘Not today.’
There’s a promise in between the words.
Brutus tries to feel grateful for that, at least. It’s hard, because once, before all of this, he used to be--
--a person.
Antony shows him to one of the rooms, makes some remark about not leaving the villa, with a side glance at Posca, who does his best not to meet Brutus’ eyes, which is understandable. Antony takes off, and in the absence of anything else to do, Brutus decides to try and reinvent himself.
He can no longer be Brutus, descendant of a king killers. He is no longer a reluctant, albeit talented, politician, following in the footsteps of all the other politicians that came before him. He’s not even entirely sure what his status as a citizen of Rome is. In lieu of death, Octavian might push for exile.
The only concrete fact about himself now is that Antony wanted him alive, and so he belongs to Antony.
The lack of solid ground to stand on makes exile a tempting thought.
At some point in the afternoon (no further along in the process of reinvention than when he started) a young woman stops by: Cynthia, if Brutus recalls correctly. One of Antony’s slaves. She asks if he’s hungry, if he’d like an apple and--
--for a moment, Brutus feels like he’s returned to Philippi, standing defeated, surrounded by bodies. The dead don’t eat, they need coins for the afterlife, not food, the dead don’t eat, and he’s not a person anymore--
--Brutus says yes and follows her.
Antony is exhausted.
Octavian, he knows, is planning something. There is something ugly and spiteful inside of that youth, Antony can’t stand to be around him, no matter how much Atia dotes on him.  
When Antony returns back home late in the evening, he’s greeted with the sight of Brutus sitting on one of the couches, peeling an apple, while Cynthia stands nearby, slicing up a pear. He pulls the heavy fabric of the toga off his body and casts it across a chair, making his way towards the two.
Draping himself along the couch next to Brutus, he leans over and says, ‘Slice off a piece for me.’
Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Posca watching the scene unfold from the quiet shadows of the evening.
Brutus cuts off a part of the apple so that the slice is stuck on the side of the blade, and holds it out to Antony, like this is an everyday occurrence, like Brutus isn’t pointing a knife at the person who owns his life.
He realizes it, a moment later, and freezes, but before he can course correct, pull back, apologize, Antony leans forward and bites the apple slice right off the sharp edge of the knife.
Brutus stares at him.
Or, more specifically, Antony is delighted to note, he stares at the line of Antony’s throat, his gaze lingering for just a second too long.
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charincharge · 4 years
Note
Person A and Person B are co-workers who hate each other. They’re always competing with each other at work and they’re always getting into arguments. Then one day Person A is leaving an appointment with their therapist when they happen to see Person B waiting to see the same therapist in the lobby. I think one is perfect for rowaelin.
This was silly but fun. Word Count: 1,757
Aelin pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, a horrible mannerism she’d picked up from her least favorite person. She could see her boss bite back a smirk as he noticed Aelin’s mirrored position from across the table. Aelin leaned back, removing her hand from her nose, refusing to have anything in common with the man who made her life a living hell. Fucking Rowan Whitethorn.
When Aelin had first joined Rifthold Marketing, she’d been excited to meet her team. She’d been warned she would be the first female to be hired as a senior account manager, and that it was a bit of a boys’ club. But Aelin could handle herself. She was fierce and opinionated and refused to be bowled over by any sexist asshole. But it turned out she didn’t need to be worried, the team of managers, who referred to themselves as The Cadre, invited her to their weekly happy hour her first day on the job, welcoming her with open arms.
Well. All, except one.
Rowan Whitethorn was a prick extraordinaire. He scoffed as Aelin sipped her chardonnay at their happy hour, frowning into his beer unhappily at her presence, and he hadn’t warmed to her since. It’d been four months, and every day he’d made Aelin’s life a living hell. Which is why for the life of her, she could not understand why Dorian, the company VP had asked them to work together on a new account pitch.
“This is insane, Dorian,” Rowan grumbled from his side of the table, his fingers ever present on the bridge of his nose, between his furrowed brow.
“As much as I hate agreeing with him,” Aelin said, clearing her throat. “Rowan is right.”
“I am?” he asked, straightening up slightly.
“Of course,” Aelin scoffed. “Us working together is ridiculous. I have an existing relationship with the account. Orynth Hotel Group is only taking the meeting because of me. They want to rebrand with me. Rowan has no business pitching whatever nonsense ideas he has to them.”
“Except Rowan also has an existing relationship with the client,” Rowan said, speaking of himself in the third person. It was something he did all too frequently, and it made Aelin’s skin itch every time.
“The existing relationship should not count if it’s not professional,” Aelin jeered, and Rowan’s lips curled into a sneer as his fist pounded on the table. “Who is she? An ex? You screw your way into all your accounts?”
“Excuse me?” Rowan gaped. “Dor, come on, she can’t say that. Not only is it not true,” he ground out. “But it’s grounds for harassment. I’ve worked with Maeve on three campaigns, and she specifically reached out to tell me she’d just joined Orynth.”
Rowan glared at his boss, who looked far too amused at his discomfort. Dorian sighed loudly.
“Which is why I need you to work together,” he said, giving the pair a small smile. “Orynth is a huge account, and we would be idiots to lose out because you two couldn’t come up with a cohesive pitch. I know I can count on my two best account managers to come up with something spectacular, yes?” He paused and looked at them. “By Friday, please.”
Aelin groaned and slumped back into her chair, nodding feebly at Dorian as he left the two in the conference room.
“Coffee?” Aelin offered, hoping to thaw the icy glare from Rowan’s eyes, but it hardened even more as he shook his head.
“While you waste time on that, I’ll gather my notes for you.”
Aelin tried her very hardest not to roll her eyes as she made her way across the hall to pour herself a cup of coffee. She could get through this. It was one week of her life. Just one fucking week where she’d have to spend every minute of her day with Rowan. She paused. Thank gods she had therapy tonight. Her therapist had heard far toto much about the infamous Rowan Whitethorn, and she had a feeling she’d be hearing another earful tonight.
When she made her way back into the conference room, Rowan had spread out a series of boards he’d drawn up across the table. The intricate pitch proved he’d already put a lot of work into it, but Aelin had done the same prepping for this meeting. She knew it was going to be a long battle between them. As she glanced at the boards, she couldn’t help but admire some of them. She hated that he was actually pretty talented. If only his attitude didn’t suck so badly, they might actually be a pretty great team.
“So?” Rowan asked expectantly as Aelin took a sip of her steaming mug.
“Your illustrations are beautiful…”
“But,” he ground out between his clenched teeth.
“But,” Aelin continued. “Orynth has worked incredibly hard to launch themselves as a luxury hotel brand. Cozy, family stay doesn’t exactly say – luxury to me.”
“I don’t know,” Rowan countered. “Taking time off work. Having a family. Sharing a meal. Feels like a luxury to me.” His eyes were suddenly sad, and Aelin felt slightly uncomfortable seeing it. She looked down at her coffee and when she looked back up, his eyes were back to their usual cold glare.  “I suppose you have something much better?” he asked, his voice defensive with sarcasm.
“In fact…” Aelin laid out her own papers. Her boards weren’t anything close to Rowan’s meticulously drawn illustrations, but they got the point across. Rowan’s eyes flicked across them quickly, and she could see the eye roll he barely restrained.
“What?” she snapped.
“It’s just… sex?” he scoffed. “It’s so overdone. This isn’t a seedy Vegas hotel for a forbidden affair.”  
“No, it’s… a staycation for an overworked couple who deserve time to relax. Away from their family. Time for themselves. Between sheets or otherwise. The luxury of being yourself.” Aelin used her best pitch voice and watched as Rowan barked out a loud laugh.
“You think that’s going to sell?”
“You’re infuriating!” Aelin said.
“You’re not much better yourself, Ace,” he spat, using Dorian’s nickname for her.
“Fine,” Aelin sighed. “Let’s scrap them both.”
“Fine,” Rowan agreed, pushing all the papers off the table and making room for new scratch. She was in for a long night.
Luckily, at seven on the dot, Aelin called it for both of them. They’d made a list of general areas to explore and a few sub headers without murdering each other. She deemed that extreme progress.
“Where you going?” Rowan asked as she gathered her things. “Hot date?” he asked, glancing at the clock.
Aelin snorted, thinking of her weekly date with her therapist. “Something like that,” she answered.
Rowan stretched, clearly annoyed. “I would have put in another hour, but who am I to judge? It’s not like we have to pitch something to Dorian in four days.”
Aelin didn’t dignify his taunt with a response, her fury rising up in her as she sped off to therapy.
“I wish I didn’t have to work with him. He’s just… rude,” Aelin concluded for her doctor, who sat listening to her intently. “All the time.”
“And you’re not?” Yrene probed. Aelin rolled her eyes.
“He started it!”
“Aelin,” Yrene sighed. “We’ve talked about this every week for months. Someone needs to be the first to extend an olive branch, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be him.”
“Well, it’s not going to be me, either.”
Yrene gave her a warm smile. “Did you think maybe that you two spar because you’re so similar? Obviously, I only know what you’ve told me, but maybe Rowan needs you to be the first to reach out.”
“Unhelpful session, doc,” Aelin laughed as she stood, the timer beside Yrene beeping softly.
“It’s going to be a stressful week for you, I understand,” Yrene said. “But, you can do it.”
Aelin walked all the way down to her car with Yrene’s affirmations ringing in her head. Should she reach out? Say something kind? It would maybe make this week better. Or maybe not, she sighed.
As Aelin reached for the car door handle, it didn’t open. She dug through her purse only to quickly see her key wasn’t there. She realized she’d left her car key on the arm of Yrene’s couch. She’d been in such an infuriated rush when she got there she must have forgotten to put it back into her purse. Yet another thing Rowan Whitethorn was to blame for.
She stalked back upstairs to the second floor, and saw that the light on Yrene’s door was on, meaning she was already in another session. Damnit. Aelin couldn’t wait around for another forty five minutes while Yrene’s eight o’clock appointment received their therapy.
Tentatively, Aelin knocked on the door. The chatter stopped from inside the office as Yrene opened the door a crack.
“Hi!” Yrene said, her voice high with surprise.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Aelin began, “But I left my car key on your couch.”
“Am I hallucinating?” a voice called from within the office. Aelin would recognize tthat voice anywhere.
“No fucking way…” she mumbled as she pushed the door open wider.
There, on her spot on her favorite couch in the room, sat Rowan.
“Did I conjure you? Said your name three times, and you appear like Bloody Fucking Mary,” he scoffed. “Date went badly?”
“I forgot my key,” Aelin said, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. All those times Aelin had complained about Rowan, and here Rowan was probably doing the exact same thing. Aelin couldn’t bear it.
Rowan’s eyes widened as he realized where Aelin had been. He reached over and grabbed her car key and walked it to her, handing it over.
“You know,” Yrene said softly. “You two are the only clients who sit in that spot.”
“Great,” Rowan sighed. “I’m going to need a new therapist,” verbalizing the thoughts that Aelin had just had.
“No!” Yrene called out as Rowan grabbed his jacket off the couch. “Rowan, don’t…”
“At least I get to keep something this week,” Aelin smirked, putting her key back into her purse. At her smug smile, Rowan growled and stalked back to the couch, plopping down on the opposite side. He flicked Aelin off, and Yrene gave her a soft smile.
“See you next week, Aelin,” she said, closing the door in her face.
No fucking way, thought Aelin. Never again would she be seeing the same therapist as Rowan fucking Whitethorn.
~*~
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scarlettroubles · 3 years
Text
Say Goodbye to My Heart Tonight
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Mc’s mentioned in this story are Jules Farrier and Will Scarborough @cursebreakerfarrier​, Morgana Canigula @lgvalenzuela​ , and Septimus Crowe @brothergrimm71​. Finnegan Bradigan, Eliza Ryder, Augustus Hawthorne and Mathias and Matteo Alabaster belong to me.
As Eileen made her way to the library as instructed by Headmaster Dumbledore, she couldn't help but smile in anticipation and from the fluttering feeling in her stomach as she made her way to see the final surprise laid out by her boyfriend.
Boyfriend the very word made Eileen lightheaded and made her want to swoon. She found it very annoying. She wished it would stop.
But then she remembered the antics her and Will got into these past few days. How they had both heard the exact same announcement from Dumbledore that there was to be a Valentine's day Ball and the rush of excitement that flew through her veins in that moment.
She remembers how she had instinctively turned to look at Will from where he sat in the great hall with the rest of his housemates from Slytherin like Augustus who was just napping, Jules who had a far away look in her eyes. Probably thinking about her boyfriend Bill, Barnaby who was bursting at the seams with joy at the prospect of getting to dance with Morgana again, and Merula who although was sneering at the idea of some silly love fest with Ismelda Murke and the rest of her school clique, Eileen couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes darted off towards the Gryffindor table and on to Septimus Crowe, who was his usually broody self this morning but whom Eileen knew was hiding a drinking flask underneath the huge table. At most days Eileen would  have scolded him for drinking on a school day but seeing as how her sister Eliza and Jae Kim were currently sitting near him and talking his ear off and just being plain pain in the asses, she would let it slide for now.
She remembered the electric shock that passed through her when she found Will looking right at her from across the room too, and how they had both blushed madly when they had realized that they had been staring at the other like love struck teens. Penny and Finn had squealed at how adorable they found it while Diego and Chiara just gave her a knowing look. Tonks on the other hand  went as far as guffawing very loudly and had to have a hand smacked across her mouth before the entire teaching staff could silently scold them with their eyes. She remembers feeling her cheeks heat up with embarrassment and how badly she wanted to disappear in that moment because dammit she had a reputation to uphold-
But then it was announced that Madam Pince of all people would be planning the ball and suddenly the entire mood of the great hall dropped dead faster than a demiguise could disappear right before your eyes.
God they really were idiots. Not only idiots but idiots in love, how fucking cheesy was that? How fucking cheesy was it that they had BOTH immediately thought of saving the Ball for the other. How Will teamed up with Augustus (who had apparently only joined in with the promise of free snacks from Matteo) the Alabaster twins, Eliza and even dragging poor Septimus who looked absolutely done with everything  into the mix to try and convince Madam Pince in making the Ball into something everyone would enjoy and not the classical and so very lonely event she had had planned. While Eileen teamed up with Merula, Finn, and Jules to give Argus Filch of all people a makeover in order to get him to woo and convince Madam Pince to change the Ball into a classical woodland fairytale.
When she looked back at it now she really should have paid more attention to the poorly concealed smiles and giggles her friends were throwing at her every time the boys passed them by in a hurry.
With Mathias blushing from the tip of his ears every time he spared a glance at his boyfriend Finn, to her own boyfriend nearly crashing into every damn column or wall that was around him if he so much as passed by her and probably would have had a concussion by now if not for her sister Eliza grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt just at the nick of time and throwing her a questioning look, seemingly judging her taste in a romantic partner when Eileen herself felt like she had no right to judge seeing as how piss poor her sister’s own love life was.
It was funny to think that she and Will had gotten together just a few months after the start of 6th year. Those first few months were bliss compared to what had been going on now.
It was hard. It was really, really hard not to think about Rowan. Eileen wanted nothing more for her best friend to be here with her, She was the first person to have picked up on her feelings for him long before she had realized it herself. She should be enjoying the Ball with them and teasing her with the rest of her friends on how adorable she was with Will. She should have been laughing with Ben and her as they danced badly to whatever song the band played next.
She should be here, here in Hogwarts, alive and not buried 6 feet below the ground. Here laughing that unrestrained laugh of hers that never failed to make her smile and look at her with so much love. Talking off Eileen's ear about the many historical romances and fairy tales she knew as they went on their daring quest to save the Ball for everyone at Hogwarts. The rich scent of parchment, ink and fresh-sawn lumber following right behind her. With that stupid scarf she loved so much hanging off of her gangly shoulders and fluttering in the breeze.
Sometimes Eileen swears she can hear her voice ringing down the halls. But she knows she is dead and gone from the physical world. She is but a muted colored ghost of regret and guilt in her mind but a dear friend and loved one in her heart. And Eileen tries her best not to let the heavy chains of guilt that she struggled so hard to snap off wrap themselves on her wrists once again.
She really shouldn't linger on such thoughts unless she wanted to dampen the mood. Rowan wouldn't have wanted that for her. She would have wanted her to be happy. A sad smile that slowly turned into a bright one graced Eileen's face as she remembered just how her friends had found out she was dating Will.
Will had given her his old Slytherin sweater a month after his confession to her by the black lake. She hadn't worn the sweater at all during those first few weeks after receiving it, wanting to keep their new relationship on the down low for now. And, albeit being the tiniest bit embarrassed at owning a piece of her boyfriend's clothing and what others might scandalously think happened between them if they caught her wearing it.
But after another disappointing encounter with her brother and an upsetting talk with her father that had involved a bank statement from Gringotts meant for him, followed by her breaking into the Gryffindor dorm rooms just to get an old friend of hers to take her to the Ryder family Manor in order to investigate said bank statement had left Eileen feeling drained and in desperate need of comfort. And so in a moment of weakness, she had finally put on the sweater and slept in it only to wake up the next day to be met with wide eyes staring right at her groggy form wearing a Slytherin sweater that definitely didn’t belong to her.
The girls had all screamed their heads off upon learning that yes, her and Will did finally get together. While Chiara, Rowan and Penny all gave her a group hug and immediately started swamping her with questions, Tonks, in her usual fashion, went and started screaming at everyone in the Hufflepuff dorm room that “THE SHIP HAS SAILED EVERYONE! IT'S FUCKING SAILED! WILL AND EILEEN HAVE FINALLY DONE IT HAHAHAHAHAH- OW!” 
Before she got bonked in the head for being too loud and for cursing with first years around by Diego . It wasn't long until the the entire school found out about it and both her and Will were receiving congratulations from their classmates. In fact, Eileen could have sworn seeing Snape grumpily give Professor Mcgonagall a small pouch of money at the teachers table that morning during breakfast and for some reason, seemed to be glaring at her as if it was her fault for him losing some kind of bet but also seemed to look at her like he was...relieved…? Ugh, the very memory of such a strange encounter left her mind buzzing.
And so it was with a heavy heart Eileen buried down the guilt and pain that still lingered deep within her and focused on the present.
It was Valentine's day after all and she had a date. This was no time for sorrow and regret. This was a day of love and there was only one path for her at the moment and that path was leading her towards the Hogwarts Library.
Snapping back to the present, Eileen found herself right in front of the library door. She felt her palms start to sweat and her heart speed up. Whether from apprehension or excitement she could not say.
She placed her hand on the door knob and took a deep breath before giving it a twist…..And found herself walking straight into a fairytale.
The library had been completely transformed. Fairies that she recognized from the forbidden forest were flying about, buzzing softly and casting the entire room in a warm, soft glow. The books and tables in the library had been transformed into stairs and a platform to walk on. Above the platform even more books had been transformed into heart shaped archways and at the bottom of those archways lined scented candles that filled the library with the smell of lavender and lighted a path to somewhere deep in the library. Where the path led to she could not see but was excited to explore.
She took another step forward to investigate and saw that underneath the platforms were blue construction paper that seemed to have been enchanted to mimic the movement and flow of a running river.
Eileen couldn't help but cover her mouth in awe. She couldn't be blamed for it, because this…This was incredible and as Eileen stood there still struggling to take it all in, behind her came a familiar voice.
"Happy Valentine's, day my love." Will spoke softly as he emerged from his hiding spot. Carrying with him a brilliant red rose.
The smile on his girlfriend's face was so intoxicating Will couldn't help but smile back and think that he wouldn't mind getting drunk on it.
He was snapped out of his thoughts though as Eileen was suddenly running to meet him halfway and accidentally got a little too excited and ended up colliding straight into her tall-as-a-fucking-building of a boyfriend and hurriedly moved to wrap her arms around his shoulders and Will just laughed at his girlfriend's enthusiasm as he too, mirrored the gesture and wrapped his arms around his lovers waist and twirled her while also trying to not let the rose still in his hand get crushed in-between them as they both laughed.
Eileen drew back a bit to look at Will. He was taller than her and although Eileen had finally gotten that growth spurt of her’s these recent years and stood at a whopping 6’1 feet, she still had to crane her head to look him in the eye. Something he always liked to tease her for, only for him to be lightly punched by his girlfriend in the shoulder good naturedly.
"How in the world did you pull this off? This is- this is absolutely gorgeous Will! If it weren't for the musk of old books I would have thought I was transported somewhere entirely new." Eileen exclaimed to her lover with a smile.
Will just laughed softly, pleased at how much she liked it.
"I had a little help…" he explained rather cryptidly.
Eileen gave him a confused look when she suddenly heard a familiar chirp followed by a buzz behind her.
She twisted her neck to see where the noise was coming from and felt her jaw drop as she saw a familiar branch of bowtruckles behind her, it was the bowtruckles from the Care of Magical Creatures classroom but among them was also her bowtruckle companion, Barnaby Jr. And Tinkerbell, a fairy she had helped rehabilitate after having found her at the end of a nasty storm and whom she had named after some fairy from a muggle film Finnegan had shown her once, all up on a bookshelf.
Junior, noticing they had managed to get her attention, let out another happy chirp before quickly making his way down the bookshelf followed by Tinkerbell and the rest of the army of bowtruckles and Eileen could only watch in amusement as the tiny creatures raced towards her. She let out another laugh and bent down so she could scoop up Barnaby junior and let out a gasp as upon further inspection, noticed the tiny bowtie the little bowtruckle had on him. She turned to look at Tinkerbell and found her to be also sporting a beautiful blue ribbon tied into her hair as well as tiny rose bracelets on her wrist. Actually, all the other  bowtruckles had  accessories that fitted them all so perfectly. It was clear whoever gave them the outfits made them with utmost care.
"Oh Merlin, look at how stunning you two look with those accessories! They suit you both so well! You didn't just give Junior and Tinkerbell outfits though, you even gave accessories to Francis,and Ottie,and Rosie and- oh holy Hufflepuff look at all of you! You all look so lovely! Oh Will I think I'm gonna cry-" Eileen squealed happily as she did her best to cradle all the little creatures she had been caring for for years near her face and Will just smiled so lovingly at her as Junior and Tinkerbell, and the entire army of bowtruckles all let out happy chirps and buzzes at the attention they were getting from their caretaker and Mummy.
"I told them I wanted to do something special for their mummy. And as soon as they heard that I immediately had their attention. When I started to explain the plan they started jumping up and down, climbed down their Wiggentree, and made a beeline for the library. It was really funny and touching to watch them all clamoring to impress their mum." Will rubbed his neck in embarrassment.
"Junior found Tinkerbell fluttering around and must have explained to her the plan because the next thing I know, I'm putting some of the charms up to make the paper river and suddenly there's this group of fairies demanding they help out too!"
By the end of Will's recount, they were both laughing as the little creatures began to pat themselves on the back in a job well done and puffing out their chests, obviously liking the amount of praise they were all getting.
"Did Pince really let you use her precious library just for this or have you somehow managed to bribe our friends and the teaching staff to keep Hogwarts favorite librarian busy as we enjoyed our date?" Eileen asked playfully but with the slightest bit of worry in her voice. She didn't exactly want her date with Will ruined with an angry librarian and caretaker barging in the middle of it and having their date end with them sentenced to serve detention by helping Pitts out in the kitchens. It would have been worth it sure, but it would still be annoying and a wickedly bad damper on their special night.
"Actually yes, as long as we promise to tidy it all up afterwards and leave the place exactly as it was."
"Madam Pince has been left in such a good mood from her own romantic fairytale date with Filch that our friends and beloved teaching staff may or may not have set up for them that she has agreed for me to use the library for this very special occasion just this once." He finished with a flirtatious wink.
"The entire teaching staff? Even Snape?" Eileen asked, not quite willing to believe it.
"After being pressured into it by Professor Mcgonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore? Yes, even grumpy ol' Snape joined in on it."
The picture of the ill-tempered, greasy haired bat of the dungeons grumpily setting up a date for his two fellow co-workers left the two love birds cringe just the slightest bit at such a disturbing image.
"Now that that's out of the way, shall we?" Will said as he extended a hand to Eileen while still holding on to the rose from earlier and his face immediately lightened up as soon as the rough yet warm hand of his lover joined his open one. He led Eileen down the heart shaped archways and the path of scented candles while behind them, followed the crowd of bowtruckles and fairies. Letting out soft chirps and buzzing noises as they too went under the romantic shaped archways.
Will suddenly stopped and turned to Eileen to give her the red rose and she graciously accepted it with a soft smile that left Will's cheeks feeling warm. He quickly grabbed for the wand in his pocket and with a flick of his wrist, some string instruments cleverly placed in the corner of the room started to play a soft yet sweet ballad. Eileen gave Will a disbelieving look at the ridiculous amount of effort he put into this whole thing and Will just ducked his head and chuckled in embarrassment before grabbing for her hand again and moving on.
"So uh, this isn't too much is it? I-I know you're not the biggest fan of grand  gestures or anything but, I… I know these past few months haven't been easy on you and I just- I wanted to do something special for you. I wanted to give you the storybook romance you deserved. And yes, I know technically storybook romances although ideal are not realistic, but…."
Will raised his hand, gesturing to something ahead of them and Eileen let her eyes follow to where they were pointed to before letting out a sharp gasp.
Soft, pale pink light emanated from the floating fairies like the faint embers of a candle. It cast the room in a rosy hue, highlighting the platform she saw ahead of her. It was one of the strangest displays she'd ever seen. And yet, somehow it fit.
The platform was composed entirely of books bound together by enchantments. Stacks of curving tomes that resembled the half moons flanked its edge, conjoining in a heart in the middle. Candles flickered along the edge, creating a kaleidoscope of pastel pinky, peachy colour throughout the library. It was a scene that would make Pince lose her mind. It was a scene that melted Eileen's heart.
Will once again gave his wand another precise flick and suddenly there was a silver dining platter floating gently to the ground. As soon as the platter touched the floor, almost all the small creatures in the room started to crowd around it. When the lid slid open, the plate was revealed to be filled with creature feed which started to float a few inches off the plate before swiftly distributing itself to the eager hands of fairies and bowtruckle alike. The creatures making pleased noises as they ate their meals.
“They deserve a reward for helping me out with this. They're er, they're eating it so I'm going to assume I got the right feed for them? I know you explained to me their diets in the past and I even asked Hagrid and Barnaby to make sure I grabbed the right one but even then I was still scared I went and mucked it up. S-sorry I'm just blabbering now aren't I? ” Will laughed nervously as he struggled to keep his composure relaxed.
Eileen just looked at him adoringly though. She was touched to know that Will had listened to what she said about bowtruckles and fairy diets. Hell, he even remembered the whole damn conversation and went as far as double checking with Hagrid to make sure he got it right!
God, she could feel how sore her cheeks were getting from how wide she was smiling right now. But she could complain about how stupidly cheesy this all was later on, in the privacy of her dorm room with her face maybe buried in her pillow as she replayed the night's events all over again on loop.
Right now, right now she was stupidly in love with her boyfriend because she's an idiot and her  heart felt like bursting from joy. And right now she would very much like to kiss her boyfriend stupid.
Will looked at Eileen only to find her looking at him with those golden eyes he grew to love so much. Eyes that reminded him of the sun that, at times felt like they were gonna scorch him alive with that intense stare of hers but right now, felt more like a warm caress upon his skin and for all his charm and skillful words, he could not help but grow bashful at the knowledge that a girl like her was looking at him with so much love. And if his heart started beating faster and his cheeks grew flush then that was his secret to keep.
He grabbed for her hand once more and she let him guide her up the stairs of this strange platform. And in the faint darkness of the library, Eileen ludicrously wondered to herself if Will could see the faint red glow of her own cheeks as she felt his sweaty fractal covered palm against her calloused one.
As the two made their way towards the middle of the floor, Will took both of Eileen's hands in his and held them firmly as he gave her a small smile that told her a thousand secrets.
"You made this Valentine's ball perfect for everyone, even for the likes of grumpy old Filch and pinched-faced Pince."Will started off until Eileen decided to speak up in typical smartass fashion.
"Technically you could say we both did seeing as how we cheesily went behind the others back to save the Ball in an attempt to give the other the best night of their lives but please, continue."
Will gave her a disbelieving look at her interruption in which Eileen just laughed as her lover struggled to fight down a smile and keep their already sweaty palms clasped to one another.
"As I was saying, you made this night perfect for everyone, even when no one asked you to. And I wanted to do something for you in return. Can't have my own girlfriend outdoing me anyway."
"Outdoing you? Will Scarborough, are you saying this was a contest between us?" Eileen asked, exasperated.
"Of course not, because if it was then I would have obviously won and you would have obviously lost. Which you hate and today is a day of love. I mean, c'mon Elly I built you a whole damn classic fairytale romance with nothing but books and paper in a library that is guarded by a crazy librarian who hates people using her library with the help of the creatures you love so much. Without another person's assistance might I add! And no, Headmaster Dumbledore does not count because he merely stalled you so I could do the finishing touches, but I digress."
Will finished as Eileen fought to contain her laughter at his mini rant.
"Okay okay, we need to be serious right now. This is my serious face."
"I thought that was your dork face-
"Merlin's beard Elly, will you let a man speak? If you interrupted me this much when I first confessed to you at the shore of the black lake we would have been caught by the teaching staff before I could get a word out!"
And it was then that Eileen finally bursted out laughing and clutched her stomach as Will smiled down at her on how silly she was being.
He couldn't help but feel a wave of pride to know he was one of the few that could make her laugh like this.
Eileen let out a new guffaw of laughter as Will grasped her by the shoulders. Trying to steady her and make her stop laughing. 
"Just- hold still. I'm being very serious right now. I am about to be a huge romantic so we are going to be serious. What I am about to say is serious" Will said as he craned Eileen's face to look at him as she finally ceased giggling. Sensing Will's sudden change of mood.
"These past few months have not been easy for you. They haven't been easy for me either because they weren't easy for you. And it hurts me to know you are hurting and all I can do is to hold you and hope you can feel my love. That you know that my love for you is always there. And that you are free to take it just as I am free to take yours. That you can trust in me like a lifelong friend just as I trust you, and have faith in me that I will come back like a sailor at sea does to his family and his wife after every little row we have no matter how silly or bad it was."
"I am grateful that you trust me enough to hand me your heart and have faith I will not break it or wander off with it as I hand mine to you and hope for the same thing. I am grateful I can make you laugh like no one else can and you are comfortable enough to be vulnerable around me just as much as I  can be vulnerable around you."
"I thought I knew what love was but then I met you. I am so, so glad I met you Eileen, my love. My beloved. My trusted friend. And I know sometimes you question if you are worthy of being loved, if you are worthy of my love, and sometimes I wonder if I am worthy of yours as well. But I think- I think we should stop questioning if we are good enough for the other and just focus on being enough for each other instead. Love isn’t built on doubt after all, it’s built on trust and faith. Because at the end of the day that is what I want. To be with you and to continue to grow as a person because of you. And at the end of all that, I say- Happy Valentine's day, my love."
Will finished with tears in his eyes he was desperately trying to hold back his own tears only to find Eileen holding back tears of her own. He moved his hand to wipe them away, not wanting to see her sad but she merely grabbed his palm and pulled him into a kiss. And as Eileen claimed his lips she could only hope he got the message loud and clear.
I love you too.
When they both finally pulled apart for air, they pressed their foreheads together and smiled sweetly as tears of joy streamed down both their cheeks and held each other close. Tucked safely away from the prying eyes of all save for the small creatures that still hung around the room but were smart enough to give them their privacy.
When they finally opened their eyes to look at the other, green eyes met gold ones that were filled with such love and understanding that only they would truly know.
"Before we end the night, I have one more surprise up my sleeve."
"Another one? Haven't we had enough surprises in one night Will?"
"Trust me, I think you'll like this one." He said confidently and Eileen took his word for it.
" As you may or may not know, we are most definitely the best power couple in this school. And don't you think Hogwarts best power couple deserve to have their own love story written down for the ages? So why not have our own storybook?"
Will  brought out his wand and with a wordless spell, a book suddenly materialized right between them.
It was a leatherbound book and was expertly crafted. It was a gorgeous shade of teal with various roses of pinks and reds decorating the edges of the cover and two interconnected golden hearts in the middle with what looked like an actual key hole in the space where the two hearts met at their feet. With a golden chained necklace wrapped around the book with a heart shaped key on the end of it.
"It's beautiful Will." Eileen breathed out softly. Still mesmerized at how well crafted the book was.
"Only the best for my lady." He said as he gave her his most charming smile which only made the smile on Eileen's face grow even bigger as she let out a small chuckle.
"So, what's it about? Wait no, let me guess… It's about a curse breaking witch who had a strong connection with animals and made a living by breaking curses who one day meets this charming sorcerer.
They don't get along at first but they keep running into each other over and over again and eventually team up to stop some ancient evil."
"And have a classic romance story along the way." Will added with a smirk.
"And end up becoming each other's future despite everything that was thrown their way. Because they knew the moment they met each other a second time, that it was fate." Eileen finished with a smile.
"I think that's a story I can read over and over again." Eileen said as she cradled the book gently and caressed the cover. Feeling the soft leather beneath her fingers and admiring just how much love was put into its pages.
"With you being a bookworm and a sappy romantic? Definitely. The key will allow you to open it so that way you can read it whenever you want. You can even wear the key like a necklace so that way the story will always be with you."
"Tch, and you call me the sappy romantic when you went and did all of this?"  Eileen said teasingly.
Will just gave her a pouty face which made her laugh and to which he quickly joined in.
"It's perfect, this entire night has been perfect. Thank you Will."
"What do you say we end this night with a dance?" Will said as he offered her his hand one final time.
She felt herself smirk and grabbed his hand without hesitation.
"I couldn't think of a better way Mr. Scarborough."
As Will led them both to the middle of the library floor, this time it was Eileen who brought out her wand and with a gesture of her hand the instruments at the corner of the room started playing a song for slow dancing and the couple both positioned their hands on their partner's body and proceeded to dance. The bowtruckles and fairies, seeing the humans swaying softly to the music decided to follow them as well and all partnered up. Doing their best to copy Will and Eileen as they danced the night away.
And as Eileen rested her head against her boyfriend's chest and listened to the soft beating of his heart.  For the first time in forever, Eileen looked forward to the future and hoped that Will was included in every step of the way. Because there was no one else she'd want by her side to take on the world than Will Scarborough.
And just for the night, the universe was merciful on Eileen Ryder and her lover Will Scarborough. And she smiled.
For even if it was just one night. No matter how short their love story would be. Eileen knew she would rather love Will no matter how short of a period of time that would be, than not love him at all.
And just for this night.
It was enough.
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theslowesthnery · 3 years
Text
a very long post of random musings about the prince AU
(random note, not really related to anything: androgeus is said to be the oldest son of pasiphaë and minos, so unless he goes and gets his stupid ass killed in this AU as well, asterius won’t ever become the king of crete, something he’s actually perfectly fine with - he would hate for crete to be sullied by having a monster such as him for a king, and has no confidence in his ability to be a good ruler. as much as his family loves and supports him, he is still painfully aware of how everyone else sees him, and is more than fine with the idea of fading to obscurity in time. in fact he finds the idea comforting. no, asterius is not fine :)
also, i have no idea how many and which children pasiphaë would actually have, what with minos’s ~*mysterious*~ untimely death. there doesn’t seem to be any official order in which their children were born, only that anrogeus was maybe their oldest son and phaedra was maybe younger than ariadne. they could have children younger than asterius, since in my head he was maybe five to seven years old or so when minos died, and in those years minos and pasiphaë could’ve had more children.
also unhappy headcanon, because i need some conflict: androgeus doesn’t like asterius and doesn’t consider him his brother, or worthy of the title of prince. androgeus was old enough at the time to know how asterius came to be and seeing how much his father - who he practically worshipped - despised the baby, learned to despise him as well. and while he doesn’t know the exact circumstances of minos’s death, he has a pretty good idea, and blames asterius’s existence for that as well. ariadne and androgeus used to get along very well, but his dislike of asterius - and insistence that minos was a good man who didn’t deserve his fate - has driven a wedge between them. needless to probably say androgeus and pasiphaë are also not on the best of terms, to make a massive understatement)
the moment theseus sees the younger prince of crete for the first time, his jaw drops. he has heard, of course, that one of the children of queen pasiphaë, the queen of crete, is a “grotesque”, “abhorrent” “monster”, so it’s not seeing asterius that surprises him. what surprises him - and he tells asterius as much the first chance he has, when they are introduced - is that he is anything but grotesque, abhorrent or any of the other disdainful words used to describe him. instead of some sort of revolting, malformed beast, theseus sees a strong and beautiful creature whose entire being exudes nobility and kindness, with an exquisite body like it had been sculpted by gods themselves, yet overflowing with gentleness and vulnerability. asterius is stunned speechless, not only by how fearlessly and without hesitation theseus comes to stand close to him - so close, asterius can almost feel the warmth of his body - but by how openly and confidently he states things that no one has ever said about asterius, right there in front of everybody as if they were well-known and accepted facts.
theseus is everything asterius is not: brash, loud and confident, commanding attention and basking in it. people are immediately drawn to him instead of repelled, and theseus thrives on it. and yet the two get immediately along, theseus never exploiting asterius’s more meek personality for his own gain, always making sure asterius isn’t feeling pressured into something he’s not comfortable with, always being kind and caring and encouraging to him in a way that asterius isn’t used to from people outside his immediate family. unlike so many others, theseus does not avoid getting close to or shy away from physical contact with asterius - in fact, he can be quite touchy-feely, often punctuating his words by touching asterius’s arm, shoulder, back or even chest, something asterius finds Actually Quite Nice in a way that surprises even himself. theseus even often loudly makes positive remarks on asterius’s physical attributes regardless of who is around to hear, something asterius is definitely not used to.
”the athenian prince...theseus. is he funny in the head?” he asks his mother once. pasiphaë lets out an undignified chortle.
the two spend a lot of time together in the palace - wrestling and sparring (no one ever does that with asterius because of his size, strength and horns, not even his brothers!), playing games, even just sitting or strolling about and talking for great lengths at a time - but no one thinks much of it. theseus has no siblings, so it’s understandable that he would greatly enjoy the company of a male of similar age, and honestly everyone is thrilled that asterius has found a friend who seems to genuinely and truly enjoy his company and isn’t deterred by his beastly appearance.
asterius, of course, falls for theseus fast and hard, but has no intention of doing anything about it. not only would he just ruin their friendship (the idea that theseus could feel the same way about him is not just not on the table, it’s not even in the house, it’s so beyond a possibility), but more importantly theseus is the betrothed of asterius’s sister ariadne. even if there was some possibility of theseus loving him back (and there isn’t, he keeps reminding himself, so stop thinking about it) asterius would never risk ruining his sister’s happiness. no, theseus will take ariadne with him to athens and they will marry, and asterius will most likely not see them again.
ariadne keeps asking asterius to tell her about theseus, since the two are spending so much time together and all, and everything he truthfully tells her makes her infatuation stronger. the fact that theseus is so nice to her brother and gets along so well with him is very important to her and convinces her that they’re truly meant to be, as she would not be okay marrying someone who treats her brother badly. he feels so fucking bad about his feelings for theseus.
and then one evening, when they are looking at the stars in the garden, theseus leans in and kisses asterius - not brazenly as one might expect, but gently, almost shyly. pull away, asterius’s mind is screaming but he can’t hear it over how hard and fast his heart is beating. it’s his first kiss (and gods know he was not expecting to be kissed ever) and it’s with a man he’s fallen in love with, and so he closes his eyes and allows himself to return the kiss, cautiously at first and surely clumsily, and even though theseus is the one who initiated the kiss in the first place, asterius can scarcely believe it when he doesn’t pull back in disgust and horror.
it’s not until they pull apart and he sees theseus’s flushed face, smiling almost shyly with adoration and joy in his eyes that asterius remembers. "this is wrong”, he breathes, and theseus’s smile - always so confident, except for now - wavers. “is it?” he asks, voice more quiet and vulnerable than asterius had imagined possible, and it breaks asterius’s heart even further that he must be the one to remind him of the Situation.
“ariadne”, asterius whispers, unable to look theseus in the eyes. “she’s... you’re...” he attempts to continue, but the words are stuck in his throat. regardless, theseus understands, as his smile falls the rest of the way. “ah. right.”
asterius does not ask if theseus doesn’t care for ariadne. it doesn’t matter. it’s not as if their marriage was arranged because they love each other - they hadn’t even met at the time the arrangement was made. theseus isn’t betraying ariadne’s love by kissing her brother, but the incontroversible fact still is that they are betrothed to marry, and asterius would not risk his sister’s chance to marry a future king - and a good man at that! - that she’s hopelessly infatuated with.
“i’m sorry”, asterius says and leaves, unable to bear any more. if theseus calls after him, he can’t hear it, stumbling back into his quarters as if in a fog, oblivious to everything around him. how cruel of the gods to bring someone like theseus - someone who doesn’t think him a monster, who sees him what he is and still thinks he’s beautiful and worth caring about - into his life, so close and yet so far, to allow him to not only fall in love but have his feelings returned when he fully knows they can’t be together. had he grown too happy? too confident? did the gods need to remind him of his place that badly?
asterius begins avoiding theseus after that. “i was taking up too much of his time, he should be spending time with his fiancée, not me”, he tells those who ask, laughing. they laugh too.
one day, theseus finds him sitting in the garden and sits down opposite him a respectful distance away. “are you angry with me?” theseus asks. asterius shakes his head. “upset, then?” asterius inclines his head. “not at you, no.” regardless, theseus wants to apologize. not for kissing asterius - that he doesn’t regret for one second and makes sure asterius knows that - but for making things difficult. and for possibly misreading asterius’s affections for him.
this would be asterius’s chance to tell theseus that yes, he misunderstood, that asterius doesn’t care about him like that. it would make things so much easier, wouldn’t it? perhaps they could go back to being friends, back to how they were. but looking at theseus’s face, the affection and the twinge of hopefulness in his clear blue eyes, remembering how soft his lips were on his, asterius can’t bring himself to lie.
“you did not misread anything”, he says, his quiet voice trembling, and the smile of relief and joy on theseus’s adoring face is almost enough to make him feel like he didn’t just make a huge mistake. asterius explains that that’s exactly why he’s been staying away - because being with theseus is painful, because every moment they spend together is a moment asterius falls more in love with him. knowing that they can’t be together, asterius therefore thinks it best for them to keep their distace in order to not make their inevitable separation even more painful.
theseus, for his part, is...how should i say it. he’s a himbo in love. he’s following his heart, living 100% in the moment. he knows he’s supposed to marry ariadne, but because he’s in love with asterius, that’s who he’s pursuing - for good or for bad, he’s not really even thinking about ariadne, how he might end up hurting her or how he’s complicating everything. that being said, he respects asterius’s wishes, and promises to keep his distance if that’s what asterius truly wants (and of course it’s not what asterius truly wants, but he's trying to protect both ariadne and himself).
pasiphaë, of course, is quick to notice that her son and theseus - whose close friendship made her extremely happy - have been spending less time together and seem unusually distant and short with each other, and that perhaps it’s connected to how asterius is clearly down and troubled. she asks him about it. “has he been cruel to you?” she asks when he seems hesitant to say anything. “no!” he responds. “no, gods no, mother. he’s...he’s a good man, he truly is. he’s kind and caring and sweet and...” “...funny in the head?” pasiphaë suggests, and asterius laughs a little. “perhaps a little. but in a good way, if such a thing is possible. he is...he is beyond wonderful, and...ariadne is lucky to have him.” pasiphaë reaches up to gently stroke the side of her son’s face. it doesn’t feel that long ago that he fit to sit in her lap, or to hide under her bed from the outbursts of the late minos, and though he might have to duck through doorways now, he is still - and forever will be - her little baby. “and you are in love with him.”
asterius hates that he can’t even deny it. all he can say, tearing up, bowing his head so low he doesn’t have to meet his mother’s eyes and see what he assumes will be disappointment in them, is “i’m sorry. i’m so sorry.”
pasiphaë just embraces him. “oh, my sweet child, do not apologize”, she says, her voice soft and full of love and compassion for her son and his predicament. “it is not your fault. we cannot decide who we fall in love with.”
she would know, he thinks. perhaps theseus, like her, has been cursed to fall in love with a beast, to see beauty where there is none. perhaps theseus’s father, too, offended the gods somehow, and it is now his son that bears the punishment. he can’t decide if that would be make the situation better or worse.
at this point pasiphaë is assuming that asterius’s feelings are one-sided (which, to be fair, is a fair assumption), and is very surprised when asterius tells her that it’s not quite that simple, that theseus kissed him. pasiphaë encourages asterius to tell ariadne, to talk about it with her, but he absolutely refuses to, terrified that she’s going to be upset and angry with him.
(i...don’t really know where to go with this. i do want asterius and theseus to end up happily together, with ariadne being supportive and not being at all bummed out that she doesn’t get to marry theseus - she doesn’t say it out loud, but she knows that she’ll find a husband for herself easily enough, while someone loving asterius the way theseus does is much more rare, and she’d rather wait for a while longer for the one meant for her than rob asterius of what might his is one and only chance.
i also want angst. i want androgeus to cause Problems. he finds out before ariadne does, and is very nasty to asterius about it. probably not like homophobic nasty, but “look at you, slavering after your own sister’s fiancé like the beast everyone knows you are. as if anyone would ever look at you with anything other than disgust. you’ve already ruined this family’s life enough, try not to mess this up as well” nasty. “stay away from the athenian or i will tell ariadne everything, and then she’ll hate you just like she ought to have all these years.” basically voicing and amplifying all of asterius’s existing fears and insecurities.)
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halfpint55 · 4 years
Text
A Defence of Kataang with regards to how they are portrayed in TLoK (it’s long but there’s headcanons at the end)
Note: This is not about shipping wars. This is a safe zone. This is not about Zutara vs Kataang. This is me defending Kataang and the characters themselves...from the writers. 
I initially wrote this as a response to a post that got me heated. My reblog just made it too long so here it is as its own post. 
Now this post ripped apart Kataang as a couple but more than that said some stuff about Aang himself that hurt my heart. I didn’t really want to pick on this post but its condemning of Kataang was based almost entirely in what we know of them as parents in TLoK and honestly it’s that lil nugget of canon that I take issue with. It has bothered me from the get go because it doesn’t make sense from a writing and story perspective, and it’s been pissing me off since I watched it.
TL;DR nice and early bc this post is gonna be a long one:
This particular condemnation of Kataang rests almost entirely on the SHITTY way they were portrayed as parents by the writers of LoK, and in all honesty, on this particular topic, canon should be ignored.
Overall Kataang parenting is of my biggest gripes with LoK because in terms of writing it’s totally incongruous - it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t align, and it makes zero sense for what we know of those characters, and I don’t know if I can ever forgive the showrunners for allowing it to be written it into canon.
I will also preface this by saying I like LoK - love it. I had a scroll through the comments and reblogs on this post, and a lot of the hate towards this portrayal of Kataang ended up being blamed on the “terrible writing of LoK” which is not where I stand at all. That being said I am so angry at the writers for this one.
The other portion of the concurring comments that were very hateful towards Kataang came from Zutara shippers and honestly for me, although I do ship Kataang, this not a just a Kataang issue. I’m of the belief that Zutara would’ve just as easily been written to have similar issues due to very similar dynamics - Zutara also would have been two powerful benders from very different cultures, and with Zuko/Aang (whoever you ship w her) having a massively important global leadership role that is embedded in who they are, and therefore impossible to ignore as a factor in their relationship.
Now let me be clear, my desire to reject canon on this front is by no means me wanting to believe the best of my faves, and not wanting to hear a word against Aang. It’s not even necessarily a defence of Kataang bc I ship it that hard (I mean I do but I can set that aside for the sake of argument if that’s what you need from me here). 
The first, and main issue people have with Aang/Kataang in Korra, is the first point of the original post:
So why in hell would [Katara] be okay with Aang ignoring TWO of their children’s complete existence once he found out they had an airbending son?
And I agree with the post on this front; Katara would not have allowed her children to each be treated differently by their father. I had the same initial thought when watching LoK, and it’s the reason I hate and want to ignore the canon of LoK so badly. 
As much as it hurts to think of, we have to accept that Aang wouldn’t have been able to stop his preferential treatment for Tenzin from bleeding through into his parenting just out of a desperate desire to save his culture (which is absolutely understandable - doesn’t make it okay, but it’s understandable; Aang suffered an incredible loss, a massive cultural trauma which he alone carries the burden of). So of course he wasn’t able to hide how excited he was, and forgot to be mindful of his attitude and behaviour towards Kya and Bumi. So this aspect of canon Kataang? Yeah, I’m with it. So far so good. EXCEPT the most unrealistic element of canon is now that Katara would let him. I simply do not believe for a second that Katara would’ve allowed Aang to be the kind of parent LoK painted him to be.
However, I do not think it would’ve been a point of contention between the two of them! Katara would pull him aside, Katara would gently (but firmly) point out what Aang mightn’t be able to see for himself - he’s focusing too hard on Tenzin.
And Aang would listen.
All throughout A;tLA the two of them often help the other sort through their stuff. Aang has a great track record of being receptive to Katara’s advice and help (calming him down when discovering Monk Gyatso’s body, The Desert when he Appa is stolen, Serpent’s Pass when he’s bottling his feelings about Appa being missing). He’s also just so receptive to others’ ideas - he just goes with it and trusts in his friends (think of his trust in Katara’s plan to rescue Haru, his trust in staying behind with Sokka in the library to get the eclipse info). Aang’s humility is one of the most incredible things about him and it’s at the core of who he is. He would absolutely be able to hear Katara telling him he’s focusing too hard on one child - he would be open, and he’d listen.
So to me now canon just does not make sense at all. it does not align with their established character traits. And yes, people change as they get older and grow into adulthood but honestly, the elements of their respective personalities that we’re talking about here are pretty core elements of who these two people are.
Katara has always been fiercely protective of those she loves, strongwilled, stubborn, and ready to (vocally or physically) fight for what she believes is right and that wouldn’t disappear as she gets older. She wouldn’t let Aang’s preferrential treatment slide.
Aang has always been, and chose to be despite his loss, an optimistic, kind, believe in the best of humanity kind of person. He’s open to all points of view, he’s a good listener, he always tries his absolute best to find solutions that are good for everyone. And again his humility, his willingness to love, is who he is.  He believes all humans (including fkn OZAI) and all life are sacred, he believes in the absolute right to life. The kid is a vegetarian for crying out loud.
Now the parts of the take in the post that hurt my heart to read about what OP thinks of Aang:
“Aang never made an attempt to establish anything resembling a real familial unit with Katara, basically just stayed around until she popped out an Airbender [...] she was treated like some trophy wife to give birth to airbenders and that’s it!”
I wasn’t going to address this in this post until I read the comments in the notes, because people seem to agree. They share the sentiment that Katara was reduced to “just a love interest” by the two ending up together.
However I do very much take issue w the notion that Aang “basically just stayed around until she popped out an Airbender” (and honestly that entire paragraph - we don’t actually know that Aang didn’t make an effort to establish a family unit). As much as the LoK writers fucked up in their portrayal of Kataang as parents, this is a much harsher judgement of Aang’s character as a husband and father than anything implied by Aang and Katara’s children. I just don’t buy that Aang would view Katara (or anyone he married, even if you don’t ship Kataang) as a trophy wife, whose only role is to have airbender children. He never has viewed her that way - he has always looked at her like she’s the sun, and the most important person to him after she pulled him out of the iceburg. He loves her the most of anyone on the planet. It does not align with his character, his values or beliefs that he’d think of her (or any partner) that way. He is so besotted with Katara for who she is it HURT me to read that part of your take. Aang simply would never. Look at how he looks at her! 
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What’s more is the unwavering respect and deference he shows Katara as his waterbending master - he recognises and loves her as the whole, complete, three dimensional, TALENTED POWERFUL INCREDIBLE WOMAN that she is. She is NEVER “just” a love interest for Aang. (But ALSO, do we respect Suki any less for being Sokka’s obvious love interest??? No. suki is written to be so badass that Sokka is HER love interest and I think Katara has equally badass energy but I digress).
Moving on!
OP made an excellent point that there would’ve been culturally different values between the two but I don’t think it would’ve been family that was the clashing point. Yes the airbenders value spirituality and enlightenment. But they lived together in massive communities! They supported and raised one another. Their community and culture was strong, and they were bonded in their spirituality! They value love, as well as enlightenment, peace, and the lives of all.
Now, again the points they made about the cultural divides within the Kataang family unit are valid, but also again I dislike how they chose to portray this in LoK. It would definitely be a struggle they faced as a couple. However I think they really missed an opportunity here with where they took it. Because they do at one point in the comics have Katara bring up the fact that their family will be a blend of two cultures, and she brings it up because Aang is trying so hard to bring balance back to the world by means of seperation.
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They’ve known from the get go of being a couple that they’re going to have to navigate being a culturally blended family unit.
So I find it so shitty that they wrote it so that Kya got to learn the waterbending culture, Tenzin got Air and bumi got…nothing? It’s dangerously close to the way Disney does the “the girls are carbon copies of mum, and the boys are carbon copies of dad” thing (think Lady and the Tramp). It’s lazy. Especially when we had that “separation is an illusion” episode, AND things like Zuko learning different nation’s styles and applying them to his firebending, and Sokka learning an element of strategy or fighting from every nation. 
So give us Kya using Airbending moves with her waterbending (maybe she invents the water scooter)! Give us Tenzin doing more grounded moves that Aunty Toph (or Lin, while they were together) taught him from earthbending.
There are much more creative ways to illustrate the bumps and troubles Kataang might have run into in trying to navigate incorporating equal parts of their cultures in their children and family unit. Even just smaller scale issues like food and meals - how do they figure out how to do mealstimes with Aang’s vegetarianism with Katara’s culturally significant Water Tribe meat dishes? And then even taking into account how picky little kids can be!
Give me a scene where they literally just ate moon pies for a week because toddler Kya would scream if you put anything else down in front of her.
Maybe Bumi demanded sea prunes over and over but Katara and Bumi are the only ones who like them, and Bumi bonds with his mother this way - they go on little one-on-one outings to water tribe restaurants in Republic City, searching for the most authentic sea prunes!
Kya maybe likes the water tribe fashions the most because it helps her connect with her namesake BUT Kya also has a playful sense of humour - not unlike Monk Gyatso - Aang sees how much she loved moon pies and teaches her to throw them with waterbending.
We know Tenzin was a calm, quiet, and possibly shy child. Maybe he loved to hole himself away learning crafts. Give me Tenzin learning to tattoo, Tenzin learning to carve (and carving his first glider - it crashes of course), but also Tenzin learning to carve water tribe adornments and necklaces. Katara tries at first but when she gets busy Sokka comes in and teaches Tenzin to break all the carving rules Katara has laid down (”it doesn’t need to be perfect my little pupil - let the creativity flow!”)
Tenzin may not be able to waterbend but that doesn’t mean he can’t learn other means of healing. As the littlest he spent a lot of time watching Katara work - she teaches him to tie splints, dress wounds, and yes deliver babies.
If you made it here I love you so much for reading. I love sharing my thoughts so HIGH FIVE YOU MADE IT, ur now my friend - the friendship is non-refundable sorry 😌😌
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sheep-sorbet · 3 years
Note
These are... a lot I’m so sorry I just have a lot of feelings
-I think Zexion and Xemnas acting like siblings is absolutely hilarious. Xem is serious superior man until the rest of the org leaves and then he tries to gently bludgeon Zex because the bastard threw a book at his head earlier
-Zexion was the only one not afraid of Larxene who had her grudging respect-He can shoot a gun. He was raised by Braig.
-He can use a sword. He was raised by Dilan.-Ever since he was little, he was fascinated by weird creatures and would bring them home. Even drew the line at the giant snake (he hated the spiders equally though). He still does this at 20-something only now the warriors of light are in on it and they’ll occasionally bring him even weirder things
-no he doesn’t experiment on them he just thinks they’re Neat
-Zexion occasionally comes out in Ienzo’s personality, usually when he’s mad at one of the apprentices. He’s very petty.
-Even as Ienzo, he can be really unsettling sometimes. He can just kinda... snap to being happy and pleasant at a moments notice and his smile never wavers... he moves like a predator even if he does his best to mask it. And yet he’s still really easy to let your guard down around
-he was raised in an emotionless cult and it shows. He’s just... off. And absolutely despises showing ANY weakness (I mean, he was the smallest, physically weakest, youngest member in the org practically his whole life). He will walk on a broken leg without giving anything away and it’s driving the apprentices insane
-He is the apprentice’s secretary at this point. Everyone always go to him when they need something because the others are... themselves
-he doesn’t put up with any of the apprentices bs. If one of them is being rude, he will absolutely grab them by the ear and drag them off, size difference be damned
And finally, consider: Ienzo accidentally adopting a bunch of gremlins (Vanitas, Repliku & 3ku). By that I mean they follow him around everywhere and hiss at people and Ienzo’s just like “yeah they’re not socialized yet but I’m working on it :)” and 3ku bites his arm
DO NOT APOLOGIZE THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I ASKED FOR :D 💙
-i never considered the idea that they'd act like siblings; i personally always thought ienzo (or ig zexion, at the time) would have.... secretly harbored a grudge, now that i think about it. he remained as close as possible to xemnas, both because he wanted to keep an eye on his actions, but perhaps also because a part of him truly believed in what xemnas was doing, reaching for. after all, he was the only one freaked out when the org13 members started killing each other - it must have been jarring because at that point, that was the closest thing he had to a family. he wasn't close to everyone, and certainly not as a nobody- but he WAS manipulated by xemnas, and i feel like once things started going bad, the rose-colored glasses came off, so to speak, and he probably realized just how badly he'd been deceived. of course, that was only the beginning, too ;_;)
-yeah, there's no way he was afraid of larxene. annoyed by her attitude and upset with her eventual betrayal/plan to overthrow the organization, but never scared of her. in fact, i'd argue ienzo wasn't scared of anybody in the organization until vexen was assassinated.
-either he CAN use normal weapons like guns and swords and just chose to use a fucking book instead, OR he can't use any traditional weapons and got a book as consolation. i can't tell what's funnier honestly
- WEIRD 👏 KID 👏 IENZO 👏 yessss. i love the idea that he'd sneak off for however long and by the time anyone noticed he'd gone missing they'd find him on his way back with some sort of fucking creature. and now that i think about it, that would explain why he didn't seem to be afraid of the heartless at all in BBS- at that point he'd likely not seen one yet, and must simply have thought it was another fun creature to put in a box and watch SHSJHAHAJS
-hm, i personally think it's less like zexion "comes out" in his personality, and more that they're the same person, and that any habits he formed as zexion were/are hard to shake. if you play/watch in japanese, you see he's actually rather polite, even as a nobody; and is VERY good at hiding snark behind faux politeness.
-HDMSNMSFNNSNDG "sorry even i'd love to help you, unfortunately i'm in a call with sora right now because SOMEBODY WOULDN'T ANSWER HIS PHONE"
-i personally see it less as him being unsettling, and more like it's just very blatant that he spent his entire adolescence being gaslit to believing he couldn't feel anything and is now learning how to deal with emotions for...... the first time in his life, cuz he wasn't exactly expressive as a kid, either. his emotions, when he's able to stop dissociating for 5 seconds, are probably all over the place. i agree with you tho that he can put up a mask like it's nothing- but others would probably find that more concerning than scary.
-idrk what you mean by "moves like a predator"- he's analytical for sure, and hyper-aware of his surroundings most times, and that may be unsettling for other at times. deep down the other apprentices + ansem know it's a trauma response, and probably blame themselves for it. especially now that he knows that literally ALL of the people closest to him lied, tricked him and used him, for basically his entire life..... trusting, being comfortable, is hard for him. but he tries his best, and deptite his inherent pettiness, almost disallowes himself to be upset by it or hold it against them. he struggles a lot with guilt and he knows the rest of them do, too. he doesn't understand that it's okay to be in pain, and feels just as responsible as he feels they were- so it provably feels, to him, that if he were to deny them forgiveness or even allow himself doubt, then he'd be a hypocrite for wanting that same forgiveness. i can personally see lea making some sort of fuss about the way ienzo was treated as a kid and ienzo to actually be the one to tell him to shut it. but..... more on that later ¬w¬
-it took me a moment to remember who tf 3ku is and jfc there as so many rikus so fucking many. so many. but also he'd be an awful babysitter and they'd all love him for it GNDMDNF
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lunar-jimin · 3 years
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i don’t want to fall in love, if he won’t be here next year
Pairing: Jungkook x Reader
Genre: best friends to lovers, fluff, wee bit of angst
Word Count: 3.9k
Rating: pg-13
Warnings: feelings, soft kookie, swearing, kissing
Summary: The universe was evil to make you spend Christmas Eve alone with your best friend who you definitely are not in love with. 
A/N: This is for the lovely @namluve​ through @btswriterscollective​ Secret Santa project! Happy holidays, love! Sorry that it’s at the later end of the posting period, but I hope you enjoy!
“For fuck’s sake Jungkook, can’t you unzip your own damn pants?”
“It’s not my fault they got stuck,” he whined, back arched awkwardly as he attempted to see what he was doing, “and I can’t see it because the zipper is in the fucking back.”
You sigh. The mall had started using Santa suits with the zipper in the back after some curious kid showed off Jimin’s candy cane boxers to the entirety of the shopping center last year. Now, your unfortunate best friend had managed to get the damn thing stuck.
“Move,” you frown, taking the zipper from him. You wiggled it back and forth a couple times before it finally moved down the rest of its track.
“Oh, thank god, I thought I was gonna be stuck in these forever.”
“God, you’re so overdramatic. It’s a wonder you make it through the day without me babying you every step of the way.”
“Hey, that’s not fair. You were the one who almost burnt down the kitchen making ramen.”
You roll your eyes.
“Whatever.”
You continue to strip yourself of your itchy elf dress and the god awful red and white striped tights to match. It takes everything in you not to glance over at Jungkook who is now inevitably just in a muscle tee and tight black underwear.
So what, your best friend was one of the prettier humans to ever grace this planet? You were a grown woman. You had self-control. And you definitely didn’t want him to bend you over this sticky locker room bench and fuck you into the next century. You don’t even need to think about the fact that you were maybe, kinda, sorta, totally, irreversibly in love with him.
“So it’s just you and me tonight, huh?” his voice is less agitated, now that he’s free of his confines.
You snuck a glance and were happy to find him in matching grey sweatpants and sweatshirt. Still deadly hot, but your panties would stay dry. For now.
“Yeah, I suppose. I’m gonna miss our holiday ragers.”
Normally, you would spend Christmas Eve getting black-out drunk with your friends. This year, however, most of them were going home to their families or had started families of their own. Which left you and Jungkook alone with each other for the first time in years.
You were nervous. And you hated that. There was no reason why you should feel like throwing up at the prospect of spending an evening with your best friend. You had done this a million times, why was this time so special? Maybe it’s because you can’t remember the last time you spent more than two hours alone with him.
Ever since Jungkook started dating some girl from his animation class last year, the time the two of you spent together had decreased drastically. You couldn’t blame him, everyone around you was finding themselves in long-term relationships, excited to build a future now that college was almost over. He was just doing the same, and for a while, you thought she would be the one (a thought that left you crying in your bed for a week). You’re embarrassed to admit how pleased you were when Jungkook arrived at your doorstep four months ago, piss drunk at three in the morning to tell you she had cheated on him.
That was the last time you had spent a decent chunk of time and he was either crying or asleep for most of it. But now, here you were, following Jungkook to his beat-up Toyota Corolla, with the intent to spend the night with him. And while he hadn’t shown so much as the slightest hint that he may share your feelings, you couldn’t help but hope.
Three hours later, your nerves have been calmed by the half-a-bottle of wine you’ve downed. Your face is warm, but the spot on your thigh where his hand rests is warmer. Jungkook had convinced you to watch the Holidate despite your better judgment, and now you wanted to bleach your eyes.
“I can’t believe we watched that,” you groan into his shoulder, “I should be able to sue the production company for the two hours of my life that just got wasted.”
Jungkook lets out a buzzed giggle at your complaint, body shaking lightly next to yours.
“It was terrible,” he agreed, “but Seokjin said it was good.”
“Jin has a terrible taste in movies, and you know it.”
“True.”
He turned to look at you, little sparkles in his doe eyes as he gave you the sweetest smile. Your stomach flips.
“So, what do you want to watch?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
“Do we really have to?”
“Don’t pretend like you don’t love Die Hard just as much as me,” you slap him playfully, “besides, you know you’re going to make me watch Love Actually after this.”
“Whatever.”
“You know it’s true, Kookie. We all know you’re a hoe for Bruce.”
“Am not.”
“If you want to live in denial, who am I to stop you.”
Despite his vehement denial of loving the movie, Jungkook quoted nearly the whole damn thing. If it weren’t for his adorable ‘yippee-ki-yay motherfucker’, you probably would’ve smacked him.
“You didn’t have to quote the entire thing,” you grumble.
“Sorry.”
He looks up at you with his doe eyes and you melt.
“It’s fine, just don’t do it with Love Actually. It’s confusing enough as it is without you talking over it.”
“I won’t, I won’t. Just admit to me you actually love the movie though.”
“I really don’t see the appeal.”
“How can you not see the appeal? It’s a cinematic masterpiece.”
“Yeah, but it’s confusing with all the different stories and I don’t understand British people at all. Also, as a single person, it’s incredibly painful.”
“How is it painful?”
“Because I want someone to fall in love with and cuddle me throughout the holidays.”
“You have me, you know?”
“You know that’s not what I mean, Kookie.”
“What do you mean?”
He’s grinning cheekily, completely aware of how uncomfortable his question makes you. You may be in love with him, but that does not stop you from thinking he’s a little shit sometimes.
“I want, you know, a partner, someone who’ll take me on dates, and kiss me, and do other things.”
“What other things?”
“Jeon Jungkook, you know what I’m talking about.”
Despite being best friends with Jungkook since the pair of you were in pull-ups, you had never felt comfortable talking about sex with him, even before you realized your feelings. You just hadn’t had a lot of experience, limited to a few boyfriends, and the subject wasn’t one you were comfortable with. Luckily, it was a topic Jungkook hadn’t brought up. Until now.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it, you just want a holiday fuck buddy.”
You smack his bicep, but don’t respond. Neither does he, simply turning to the screen before him and pressing play.
You’ll never admit it to Jungkook, but you do quite enjoy the movie. Sure it was a little painful to watch a ten-year-old have a more successful love life than yourself, but the storytelling was good. By the time the credits were rolling, you were only a little embarrassed to admit there were a few tears in your eyes.
When you looked over at Jungkook, you were surprised to find a downcast face.
“Is everything alright, Kookie?”
He looks back at you and you were surprised to find tears running down his cheek.
“Oh gosh, Kook, what happened?”
He remains silent, only taking your hand in his, thumb gently rubbing over your skin. His eyes stare down at where your palms meet, and despite your best friend’s apparent distress, you can’t help but notice the warm tingles radiating from his touch. With your free hand, you reach up to brush the tears from his cheek, a pout forming on your lips.
“It’s just,” he sighs, pulling away from you and wiping his eyes, “it’s just, I want it to, you know.”
You tilt your head to the side confused.
“What are you talking about Kook?”
“What you were saying earlier, about the cuddling and dates and shit. I want it too.”
“Oh, Kookie.”
You pull him into, clasping his neck as he buries his nose in your shoulders. You want so badly to tell him that he can have it. He can have all of it and more. With you. But you know now is not the time for confessions.
He pulls his head back to look at you, a twinkle in his eyes that you can’t quite place.
“What is it Kookie?”
He looks down at this lap and then back up at you.
“I don’t want it with just anyone.”
“Well of course not, you’d want it with someone who can love and cherish you just as much as you love and cherish them.”
A dull ache in your heart was beginning to grow. He was so close to being yours, lips only inches away. But yet it seemed a mile still remained between the two of you.
“That’s not what I mean.”
You are once again sent hurling back into confusion.
“Well then what do you mean?”
“I want,” he falters, breathing unsteady like a fish out of water. He grabs your hands again, holding them tightly as if he was afraid you’d slip away. Your heart was pounding in your chest, your mind only just beginning to grasp onto what was happening. Part of you refused to believe, refused to hope, less you were wrong.
“I want you.”
His voice was soft, almost too quiet to hear, but the words were there. You felt your body tense up, shocks running up and down your spine, sirens wailing in your head. You had hoped for this moment for months, no, years, and here you were, and you were totally unsure what to do with yourself.
When you don’t respond, he pulls away and turns to face the TV.
“I’m sorry,” you see him wince in an attempt to stop the tears that are forming in his eyes, “I shouldn’t have said anything. Forget that I ever opened my mouth.”
“Kookie I…”
He turns to look at you and you can’t help yourself. His lips are just as soft as you’d dreamed about during lonely nights. He responds immediately to your kiss, mouth forming against yours as his hands come to cup your jaw softly. Soft glowing warmth radiates throughout you and you are no longer sure whether the tears you feel on your cheeks are his or yours.
You pull away and look into his eyes and at once you recognize the twinkle dancing in them.
Love. Adoration.
He didn’t need to say the words. They were already there. Unspoken. Filling the small space between his body and yours. Radiating throughout the room.
He grabs your waist and swings your body over his so that he is slotted between his thighs. Your hair falls down around you as he stares up at you, his eyes telling you everything you’d ever need to know.
“Will you be mine?”
You nod before leaning down and pecking his lips. You want more than anything in this world to be his.
“I love you, Kookie.”
His eyes go wide, body stiff beneath yours. He slowly lifts a hand up to brush the hair out of your face.
“I love you too.”
A year later, you walk back into the living room with two glasses of wine in your hands to find him down on one knee.
23 notes · View notes
kalimagik · 4 years
Text
Trouble in Paradise
(Pt. 2)
Tom Holland x Reader x Harrison Osterfield
Word Count: ~3k
Warnings: some language 
A/N: Here is part two of my 100 Followers Celebration Weekend! I hope y’all enjoy reading it and thank you so much for all of the support! Part 3 will be out tomorrow around 4:15 EST! Happy Reading, lovelies <3<3
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 
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Y/N felt a million times better after sailing around the Hawaiian island, listening to Haz try to make her laugh, and swimming in different coves. Not to mention, 4 out of those 8 other people were other boys on vacation who kept trying to get Y/N’s attention. That helps a girl gain some confidence back. Haz had to keep stealing that attention back though. He hated the sight of all of these boys drooling all over Y/N.
“Where have you two been?” Tom asked as they strolled onto the beach.
“I decided to see some more of the island, so the concierge suggested this awesome boat tour around the island,” Y/N nonchalantly answered.
“YOU WENT ON A BOAT?” Paddy yelled.
“That we did, Pads! It was absolutely amazing! Except for the fact that people kept trying to take Y/N’s attention from the tour,” Haz played.
“They were not trying to get my attention,” Y/N felt herself blush.
“Who was trying to get her attention?” Tom interjected.
“All of these boys that were vacationing together. It was ridiculous to see them throw themselves at her,” Haz continued.
“Wait, they were? What the heck. That’s gross!” Tom spoke.
“What’s so gross about that Tom?” Y/N asked.
“Yeah, Tom. What’s so gross about that?” Jamie followed.
“Just that boys would do that type of thing. Like what the heck, you know?” Tom tried to save himself.
“Tommy, can you come with me to put some more sunscreen on my back?” Jamie asked, but Y/N could sense the iciness in her voice.
As soon as she left, she turned to Haz, “I think that you just got him in trouble…”
“Maybe I will offer to let her sleep in our room…”
“Might be a good idea. You kept me in good company today, soooo I figure a few more laughs each night isn’t so bad,” Y/N laughed.
Harrison left Y/N on the beach as he went to catch up with Tom and his girlfriend.
“Tom! Jamie! Wait up!” Harrison called before mumbling to himself, “wow…I have been telling people to wait for me too much today…”
“What’s up, Haz?” Tom stopped.
“Why don’t you two share our room.”
“Where are you going to sleep?” Tom asked.
“I will just bunk with Y/N. We’ve all had sleepovers before, so it isn’t weird and I’ve already asked her, so it’s fine!”
“Oh…uhhh, okay. Yeah. That would be great…” Tom hesitated a bit.
“Oh my gosh, Harrison! That would be amazing! Oh, Tommy! Now we can spend so much more time together!” Jamie cooed.
“Yeah. Thanks, Haz…” Tom said before turning around to follow Jamie.
Harrison watched as the two of them went into the house, not entirely sure as to why Tom was being all weird, but he figured he could get back to Y/N and the rest of the Hollands. He walked back to Y/N and the other 3 Holland boys playing soccer on the beach. It was a sight that he liked to see.
“Paddy! Paddy! Pass it over to me!” Y/N called, getting the smallest Holland’s attention.
“Here you go, Y/N! OH MY GOSH! SHOOT! SHOOT! AND SCORE! YES Y/N!”
“Harry! How could you leave her wide open?” Sam complained.
“Don’t be blaming me! Common. Let’s start it up again. We can get them this time,” Harry said, putting the ball at the center of their makeshift field.
“Don’t push your luck, boys!” Y/N mocked, high fiving Paddy.
Harrison watched as the twins started off the next play and couldn’t help himself.
“Haz comes in from the sidelines! No one was expecting him! He steals the ball and GOAL!” Haz laughed as he took the ball from Sam and scored.
He ran around in circles before he huddled with Paddy and Y/N, scooping them into his arms to celebrate.
“WE WIN! WE WIN! WE WIN!” Y/N and Paddy chanted and laughed.  
Harrison loved this moment, even though Paddy was also in his embrace.
“Alright, winners. How about we celebrate with some dinner?” Nikki stated.
Paddy rushed to his mom’s  side, but Haz and Y/N sort of lingered in their embrace. Y/N had no idea what she was feeling, but she pulled away once she started feeling warmth. This was her best friend, plus she didn’t need any more complicated feelings.
“What’s for dinner, Mum?” Sam asked.
“Just this and that. Don’t worry, it’ll be good! Dad ordered out instead of cooking!”
Everyone couldn’t help but laugh at that and then run inside. Y/N went to go into her room to grab another cover-up when she passed Tom and now Jamie’s room.
“Tom. Why did you invite that girl?”
“She is one of my best friends. Why wouldn’t I invite her?”
“Isn't it weird to have a girl with your essentially all male family?”
“No. She gets along with everyone great. Besides, we are just friends. No one has ever had feelings for each other. So just relax a little bit, Jamie. Are we okay, babe?”
“Yeah, yeah. It should be fine.”
Y/N felt her heart sink after it had just started to rise again. Tom had never had any feelings for her. Ever. How had she been so stupid? With all of the feelings, she accidentally slammed her door and stood there grimacing, hoping that no one heard her.
*knock, knock, knock*
She knew it was too good to be true.
“Who is it?”
“You know who it is. Plus, it’s my room too...”
“Oh yeah. Come in,” Y/N whispered as she opened the door. “Did you hear that?”
“Well, yes. But, I was on my way in here anyways, love. You weren’t that loud.”
“Okay…that’s good,” Y/N sighed as she slid down onto the floor.
“Hey, hey, hey! I thought we were doing better today. Why don’t you come out and eat some dinner. Then we can take a walk along the beach and maybe watch those Hawaiian stars that you love. How’s that sound?”
Y/N couldn’t help but let the corners of her lips turn up into a smile, “Thanks, Haz. How do you always know what to do?”
“Just because I know you, darlin’. Now, let’s go.”
Y/N followed Haz out of their room and into the kitchen.
“There you two are!” Tom beamed, “Come sit down so we can eat some of this delicious Hawaiian, Chinese takeout!” he laughed.
Y/N was able to get through dinner without any more meltdowns and even better, the next few days were some of the best of her life. She only felt depressed about Tom a few times, but each time, Haz was there to cheer her up. Tom, on the other hand, saw the two spending a lot of time together, sometimes seeing the way Haz would look at Y/N. Although, he was jealous of the time his two best friends spent together and that was really starting to show through with Jamie.
“Tom, Tom! Tommy! Are you paying attention to me?” Jamie snapped as Tom watched Harrison and Y/N in the tidepools, picking up aquatic life.
“Yeah, babe. I am, I am. What were you saying?”
“You aren’t listening! You’re staring at Y/N again. I thought you never had any feelings for her?!”
“I didn’t…I mean, I don’t! My friends are just spending a lot of time together, without me.”
“Well, you’re with me, so isn’t that fine?”
“I don’t know. I guess.”
“TOM!” Jamie yelled before stomping off inside.
Tom followed her inside, and Harrison and Y/N watched the two dash off.
“Think he needed her that badly?” Y/N giggled, finally feeling a little bit better and like she was moving on.
Things were pretty calm for a while in the Hawaiian ocean, until Y/N heard the slamming of a car door.
“What’s that?”
“Jamie! Jamie!” they heard Tom call, “Ah. Whatever. Fuck it!”
Harrison and Y/N saw Tom come around the corner of the house and stomp towards the beach.
“Tom?” Y/N called, “What’s wrong?”
“Ah, it’s fucking nothing. Jamie got mad or whatever and just stormed off,” Tom waved it off.
“Why did she get mad?” Haz asked genuinely.
“She thought that I had feelings or whatever for Y/N and was all pissed that I had invited her, even though Y/N was here first. I told her she was crazy! Y/N is my best friend! I couldn’t have feelings for her! We are like brother and sister!”
And there it was. The last dagger in Y/N’s heart. The one that she felt was breaking it into a million, no a billion pieces. She couldn’t stand here anymore and listen to the person she thought was the love of her life rip her heart out and stomp all over it. She stood up from the sand and ran. She didn’t know where she was going, but hoped that it would get to the opposite side of the island, somewhere where no one could feel or hear her heart shattering.
“What’s wrong with her?” Tom asked cluelessly.
“Are you serious, you div?”
“What?”
“You made that girl fall so hard for you by giving her so much time and attention and never even thought to look at her like the beautiful girl that she is. You strung her along, pulled her into your charm, and left her clinging onto every word or touch that you’ve given her. You only looked at her as a fun person to be around and didn’t see the most beautiful, passionate, funny, bubbly, dedicated, and smart girl in the entire world,” Haz said.
“Haz. What the fuck? You talk about her like you’re in love with her.”
“How would you know what that sounds like?” Harrison shouts.
“BECAUSE I WAS AND HAVE BEEN IN LOVE WITH HER!” Tom yelled even louder.
“No you fucking haven’t. If you were, you would’ve done something. She is a once in a lifetime type of girl.”
“I was never good enough for her! How could anyone be good enough for her? She’s perfect! But, you’re in love with her too…aren’t you?” Tom said, finally lowering his voice, “I can see how you look at her…”
“Yeah. I am. I have been falling for her since the moment we saw her in that pub.”
“Well, same. But what can we do about it?”
“I guess we should go find her first? Huh? I can’t stand here and think about her crying somewhere…” Haz trailed off.
“Okay, let’s go,” Tom said, trying to follow Y/N’s footsteps.
“Why did you get a girlfriend if you were in love with her?” Haz had to ask.
“I needed to find something to take my mind off her, but as you two got closer and closer together, I couldn’t stop thinking about her…”
“Then, there is probably something that you need to know before we find her,” Haz sighed.
Tom stopped, curious about what his best friend had to say.
“I was, kinda, sorta, helping her get her mind off of you.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s been in love with you, but you were too blind to see it. She’s been crazy about you. So, when she obviously chooses you, I’ll try my best not to look upset because she doesn’t know that I’m in love with her.”
“She does? But, she doesn’t?” Tom tried to  wrap his mind around all of the hidden feelings being told to him. “How do you know that she’s going to pick me? You’ve been there for her all week and probably every time I was an idiot. You should tell her how you feel.”
“I can’t…because…well, I’ve known her feelings for a while. I can’t take away the moment that would make her so happy…That moment where the one she loves tells her that he loves her too. I’m not going to get that from her…I’m just her best friend.” Harrison hung his head, trying to accept what he was saying.
Tom didn’t get to respond before they saw Y/N sitting at the water line a little ways further. Tom was going to tell Harrison to be the one to talk to her, but she looked over and saw them before he had the chance. She wiped her eyes and turned to the side in hopes that they maybe, possibly didn’t see her. She knew that was too good to be true.
“Y/N! Hey, hey, hey. Stop that…” Haz said as the two boys ran the rest of the distance and sat down on either side of her.
Harrison cupped her face, wiped the rest of the tears, and then pulled her into his chest. By this point in their friendship, he knew how to comfort her.
“Y/N?” Tom whispered.
She lifted her head up from Harrison’s chest, “What?”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t actually mean any of those things. I just couldn’t let her think that I had feelings for you. She was my girlfriend.”
“If you didn’t mean them, then why did you have to say them to me?”
“Because he actually is in love with you,” Haz piped up.
“Haz, no…” Tom tried to interject.
“And he should know that you love him too. You two want each other and should be together. I’ll leave you be for a bit, but not too long…”
Y/N tried to stop Harrison from leaving, but he had already made up his mind. He wanted the girl he loved to be happy. And he knew that his best friend would be the happiest guy in the world if he had the chance to be with a girl like that.
“Tom? Is what he said true?” Y/N asked once Haz walked a distance away.
“Well, yeah. It is. I’ve been falling for you since I met you, but you were and still are too good for me. You’re really going places. I can’t get in the way of that…” Tom tried to explain, hoping all of the words would come, “but…I can’t come here and confess all my feelings, expect you to run into my arms, and not tell you something else…”
Y/N looked at Tom confused.
“I’ve been an utter and complete jerk on numerous occasions, but there was someone who was always there for you, love. Harrison has. Do you know why he does all of that?”
“Because he’s my best friend?”
“Well, that and because he’s also in love with you,” Tom finished.
“No he isn’t! Well, he was…but he told me earlier this week that those feelings are all gone.”
“Y/N. He has watched you fall for me as he fell for you. He watched the person he loves, love someone else and has never said a word…”
“Oh shit…” Y/N said cutting off Tom because she thought of her words to Harrison just a few days earlier, “Tom…I have been a total jerk to Harrison. Shit! I messed things up so badly!”
“What do you mean?” Tom asked, genuinely curious.
“I can’t really explain because it makes me look terrible and I just have to find him,” Y/N blurted out, standing up.
Tom felt his chances with this amazing girl with the E/C eyes begin to fade away until she leaned down and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.
“Thank you for telling me everything. How you feel, how Harrison feels, and apologizing, but I really have to go find him. Maybe we can talk about this a little more later?” Y/N asked before running off.
“Yeah, okay,” Tom essentially whispered.
He wanted her, he wanted her to be his so badly. He was so stuck on what to feel. This whole thing was a mess. He didn’t want to hurt his best friend. But he didn’t want to lose either person. So, as Y/N ran down the beach, Tom just sat there and tried to come up with something to do.
“Haz?” Y/N said as she knocked on her shared door with Harrison.
“I’m not in here!” Haz called.
“Good try,” Y/N chuckled as she walked in. Now was time for her second hard conversation in one day. “Can I talk to you?”
“Always, darlin’. Where’s Tom? He hasn’t picked you up and carried you into the sunset yet?”
“Haz…” Y/N tilted her head, feeling bad for the boy.
“Why are you here is all I mean to say. No. No. No. Not that, why aren’t you with him?”
“He told me…everything,” Y/N said, trying to gage Harrison’s reaction.
“Hence why he should be carrying you off into the sunset,” Haz scoffed.
“No, Haz. Everything…”
Haz picked his head up, but wasn’t sure whether to be worried or hopeful.
“You told me that you didn’t have any feelings for me anymore…”
“You were feeling so hurt. I couldn’t let you have any more pain or worry in your life. You were so down.”
“Why are you always so sweet to me Haz?”
“Because it’s what you deserve. It’s how everyone should treat you,” Haz said, finally meeting Y/N’s eyes.
“Why didn’t you just tell me that you loved me?”
“For the same reason you didn’t tell Tom that you loved him.”
“Oh…I see…”
“So, why are you here?”
“I…I…I don’t know. I just couldn’t stop thinking about how rude I was to you a few days ago. I didn’t think about what I was saying…”
“Common! Don’t be so hard on yourself! You had no idea! I didn’t tell you!”
“No, Haz. Stop! It was terrible…I was terrible…”
“You could be the worst person in the whole world and I would still think that you’re the best,” Haz chuckled.
“Haz? What do we do from here?” Y/N dared to ask.
“I don’t know love. I honestly don’t know.”
Y/N couldn’t help but lay her head on Harrison’s shoulder and just enjoy being in his presence.
She didn’t know what to do. She was also super confused now. She loved both of these boys, but she didn’t know what feeling went with which boy.
Tag List:
@thesuitelifeofafangirl // @viwihere
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dexpairs-blog · 3 years
Text
My MC Ciel and Beelzebub headcanons
I'm bored so take this lol. Reminder that this hcs are PLATONIC. also, it's probably not all about Beel but uh,, idc. It also contains some general headcanons. I'm gonna do proper hcs for him maybe later lol
TW: mentions of trauma, Ch.16 related issues, cursing, Ciel being petty?? (idk ).
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ah yes, ✨SOFT BIG BOY HOURS✨
At first Ciel was a little intimidated by him, because he's HUGE.
They bond over food, the First time they talked Beel asked them if they had food and they pulled out a bag with 20 cherryXplosion (it's a popular candy in Italy, it's also my favourite lol) and they shared it.
Also, when Beel got mad at Mammon for eating his custard he never touched Ciel, he never laid a finger on them.
He saw Mammon showing the custard in their mouth and Ciel refusing to swallow it bc it wasn't theirs.
He still destroyed their room tho rip-
When they shared a room it was kinda awkward lol, but they got along almost immediately. They started talking about foods and he learned that they were really picky because of their sensory issues.
So now when he know there's something they don't like HE'S WILLING TO TRADE, he trades something from his plate he knows they like with said food. He also learns how to cook foods in certain ways so they don't have a "yucky texture" as Ciel says.
Ciel Is so grateful for that🥺 they make him pasta, HOMEMADE pasta and HOMEMADE bolognese sauce as a thanks. Oop he's a fan of their cooking now.
Their relationship is really wholesome, they're just babies being babies.
After the pact with him they can be seen hanging out togheter often, he likes to carry Ciel around on his shoulders.
HIS HUGS ARE SO SOFT AND GENTLE 😭💕 while Ciel likes to squeeze him with all of their strenght he's really gentle with them. Baby boy know he could crush them if he's not careful.
He thinks it's adorable the fact that Ciel squeezes him as hard as they can but it doesn't affect him in the slightest, they're so tiny compared to him🥺
Ciel likes playing with his hands, they're huge. Sometimes when they get distracted at rad meetings they absentmindedly reach for his hand comparing it to their tiny one, HAJDYEKHDIS IT'S SO CUTE OH MY GOSH AAAA.
They like to cup their cheeks with his hands for the same reason, his hand alone is just as big as their skull lol.
The brothers are jealous now-- now their all take turns to play with Ciel's cheeks AAAAA 😔
Dia also joins, don't leave him out 😡
Lol the meeting is completely forgotten now, they're all playing with their cheeks and tiny hands👀
This is what you get for being baby Ciel😡 jk jk-
The other side characters may or may not get involved as well.
Ok now some angst-
After the incident™ Ciel locked themselves in their room for a while and only got out for breakfast, rad, lunch and dinner.
Y'know, they just fucking witnessed their own death. And got almost killed for the 5/6th time, it's obvious that this kid had a lot of trauma to internalize.
After two weeks of this they just moved to purgatory hall, Lucifer was being bitchy bc their grades were getting lower.
Beel felt horrible, he knew it wasn't his fault but he couldn't help to blame himself for this.
Belphie felt even worse, the whole House of Lamentation was a chaos when they left.
At first they didn't seem to realize how badly this whole thing affected the poor child, they slowly realized as the time passed.
They all felt like monsters not realizing that they not only made Ciel internalize so much trauma, but they also wanted them to act as if nothing happened AND the fact that they're Lilith descendant.
Meanwhile at purgatory hall, Ciel vented to Simeon and Solomon. They preferred to leave Luke out of this.
They stayed there for almost a month, Simeon basically became their therapist and so did Barbatos.
The healed from this pretty quickly thanks to them and Solomon and Luke distracting them.
For the time they were there they shared a bed with Luke, simeon didn't want them to sleep on the couch despite Ciel protesting and saying that it wasn't a big deal.
Ciel and Luke have matching pajamas you can fight me on this.
They also helped everyone around the dorm, Simeon had to do the laundry? Cool, can i help?(they ended up Just watching bc it was confusing-), Solomon do you need help with the dishes?, Luke lemme help you make dinner! Actually, why don't you just sit and relax? I'll do it for you!
Tbh Simeon and Solomon were surprised, Lucifer always complained about how messy they were or how they never helped him. (Lmao it's actually bc of his attitude- cause if you ask them they're always willing to help) and yes, they were messy but they try their best ok?
Also, they need Simeon ironing their clothes because they can't do it. Or they need Solomon to help them with the washing machine. They need help with the 'adult stuff' as they call it.
Simeon please teach this child how to fold clothes in the right way, their clothes are always full of wrinkles😫
At some point they just straight up go to Barbatos to help them with these things.
Ciel calls Simeon 'mom' unironically, Solomon jokes about it but they both don't care. He thinks it's so sweet🥺 him? A mom? He's soft. Solomon also thinks It's cute.
Lmao they influenced Luke and he does it too. He did it once by mistake and he's flustered lol.
Speaking of Luke, they always try to be a good example for him. Simeon really appreciates that, he's so grateful that they know where it's time to act mature.
That's why they're always the first option when he needs someone to babysit Luke.
BACK WITH THE BOYS
They all came to purgatory hall to apologize. Even LUCIFER and he was CRYING, him CRYING.
Ciel forgave them but they still stayed for a bit longer, they were still so uncomfortable around Belphegor.
At least they get to hang out togheter!
When they hang out it's just the two of them at first. They are still good friends and they helped him cope in a healthier way instead of stress-eating.
Belphie and Ciel actually became friends towards the end of the year, yes they made the pact during Diavolo's birthday party but they still didn't hang out much.
As i previously said, Ciel was petty at him, they would do everything to make him upset. By hogging Beel 24/7 to straight up pour a bucket of ice on his face when he's napping.
They would only smirk and say "now we're even" and then leave. He noticed how they would act tough around him even tho they were literally shaking in their boots and flinching every time he got close.
The kid has guts, he respects that.
They only stopped when they were told that it would also affect Beel, they felt bad.
From them on they just straight up avoided him.
Lucifer got fed up and locked them in a room togheter.
they both vented, and eventually Ciel forgave him completely.
Now Beel, Belphie and Ciel all hangout togheter :)
Happy Beel noises
Turns out Ciel and Belphie have a similar sense of humor
Beel is glad that their family is back togheter🥺
All of the brothers remind Ciel that they care about them a lot and not because of the fact they're Lilith's descendant, they constantly remind this to them.
Beel is always the one picking Ciel up from therapy, Lucifer decided it's best for them to see a therapist after this whole thing.
He was right. They go regularly and it helps a lot.
They go get ice cream togheter 😎
Sometimes Belphie joins too
Now Ciel and Belphie are always talking about running away togheter with Beel
LOL
Beel is glad their family got a new younger sibling.
Also, Beel, Belphie and Ciel have naps togheter, fight me.
Ciel is the little spoon, they just get squeezed between the two demons, it makes them feel safe.
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