"Mom, can you tell me the story of how you and Dad first met again?" Charlie's eyes were big and soft, her chin resting on her hands as she grinned up at Lilith.

UNPROMPTED // ALWAYS ACCEPTING

There was nothing quite like the look her sweet little princess gave her whenever she wished to hear stories about such precious moments. Giggling to herself the Queen was gentle as she guided her daughter up onto her lap, starting to comb softly through Charlie's long hair.

" Of course , sweetheart . " Lilith hummed softly.

" Long , long ago , back when the world first began ... There were only two humans . We didn't get along that well , the world was peaceful , but ... Boring . Every day , I wondered what my true purpose was , if there was more meant for me ... One day , while I was sitting by a beautiful lake , it was then I finally laid eyes upon the most radiant sight I could have imagined .

It was your father . He was so pure , so bright and full of wonder ... Full of kindness and warmth ... I couldn't take my eyes off of him . He was shy at first , worried what might happen if it were found out we'd met , but from the moment our eyes met ... "

Lilith's expression was almost dreamy, filled with overwhelming love as arms wrapped around her daughter, eyes sliding shut.

" I was hopelessly in love with him . We learned so much together , he created so many things before me ... He was the most wondrous thing in all of existence , and I knew that he would be my world ... "

Pausing to look down at Charlie, however, she pressed a kiss to the girl's head before adding.

" And you , my sweet little Charlotte ... Are our most precious blessing . "

So, I promised a nice update too right?

As some of you may remember last year we adopted Artemis to try to help give Lilith someone to socialize with.... but it didn't quite work out. (Pictured below: Lilith being liquid and squirrely)

Lilith is an active player still at age 3, and since Art wasn't that old we thought she would get along. But turns out Artemis is a much more laid back low-activity kind of cat, not that she won't play, but she never liked the chase-me or wrestle games that Lilith preferred. So, as many of you know from previous posts, we had to make the decision to surrender Artemis back to the shelter because after a year of trying to get them to get along Lil and Art's relationship was breaking down.

This was.... tragic and I still don't feel good about it. Y'all know I loved Art, but she was making Lilith bleed so... something had to give.

We were obviously hesitant to get another cat right away. Even though, Lilith definitely needs a play and cuddle mate as Bean and I proved to be insufficient for her. We didn't have the time or energy to become that playmate which is why we decided to get Artemis in the first place.

But Pom! I hear you cry. This was supposed to be a happy update! Friends, have patience, it is! I give you this information so that you can be as elated as I am at how things worked out in the end....

Everyone, meet Goose.

At a local adoption event run by the shelter near us I met this handsome little black kitty. He was outgoing and I was told does really well with other cats. I met him and a few others a couple times and then had the Serious Talk with Bean. Then, we had Bean come in and meet a couple of candidates I'd thought would fit, but he just kept hovering and returning to Goose's cage. And I knew, I knew, when Bean looks at an animal like that.... he has this warm glow with a deep gleeful shine in his eyes and I knew Goose was ours.

I wasn't going to post about him right away because of how things turned out with Artemis, but friends... it's been ten days and he feels like he's been here forever.

He fits *right* in to our home. Him and Lilith are already comfortable playing and they are even starting to cuddle together sometimes. I didn't have that kind of progress between Art and Lil for *months* and even then they were never this comfortable with one another.

Goose purrs like a monster truck, plays like a champ, is extremely polite and courteous when the other animals give him signals to back off, I just.... he is the perfect little man for us.

This was only a few days into integration.

And this was yesterday. We've had him for a week and a half and he is already fully integrated into the house.

You cannot believe how happy I am with this little man. So yeah! Goose has come into our lives and has already made it tenfold better. I am so grateful to have been able to meet him and add him to the family.

The Shire Is Burning - Chapter One.

Summary: Trying to navigate problems like growing up as a teen in the 80s in a new town can be tough enough without taking things like being on the run for faulty murder charges, alternate dimensions, and a psychopath with powers that's hellbent on revenge into account. Can Lilith do enough to help her new friends save everyone from Vecna? Or at the very least... just one person?

Pairings: Eddie Munson x Original Female Character.

Contents: Swearing, smoking, drug use, eventual smut, and canon typical violence mentioned throughout. Minors DNI.

Chapter: 1 of ?

Chapter Masterlist: The Shire Is Burning - Masterlist.

WC: 2430.

A/N: I am currently in the process of re-writing this abandoned wip from last year so I can move onto new projects without feeling guilty. Enjoy ❤️

Chapter One

The return to Hawkins.

March 18th, 1986.

Lilith Henderson had been back in Hawkins for three weeks, ever since her mother had shipped her off to live with her Aunt Claudia for the rest of the academic year. She had been assured that her relocation wasn’t a punishment for her “delinquent actions” but it sure did feel like it at the time. She’d arrived on March 1st, 1968, after a miserable five-hour flight only to land in an even more miserable, rainy, Hawkins. 

She had been happy in Hawkins once but that was nothing more than a distant memory now. Her mother, Justine, had dived head first into her career after her husband passed away and jumped at the chance to relocate when she got offered a promotion. Lilith had a hard time adjusting to the change and, forced by her mother, spent years in and out of therapy because of it. It didn’t help. 

“It’s your own fault, Lil. You’ve been warned time and time again about your attitude, what did you think was going to happen when you punched that poor boy?” Justine asked, perplexed.

“Poor boy? Mom, he deserved it. I’d told him time and time again to keep his hands to himself.” Lilith argued.

“You broke his nose, Lilith. The detentions and hissy fits I can deal with, I wasn’t even that mad when you flunked senior year and got held back, but this is inexcusable. You were doing so much better. You were on track to graduate. You were happy again. You’re lucky I managed to get the charges dropped, you could be in jail right now. Now listen to me and listen good. You are going back to Hawkins whe-”

“But Mom-” Lilith interjected.

“Whether you like it or not.” Justine finished, taking a deep breath before resuming in an oddly calm manner. “I’ve already spoken to your Aunt Claudia, she’s set the guest room up for you. You’ve got a spot at Hawkins High lined up and your Aunt called in a favor and got you a part-time job. You leave in three days. This isn’t a punishment. This is your second chance, Lilith. Don’t fuck it up.”

She remembered the conversation like it was yesterday. A few years ago she would’ve given her left leg if it meant she could return to Hawkins, but not anymore. Lilith’s fate changed the day she met Taylor during group therapy. The two of them hit it off immediately. It turned out they had more than just trauma in common - they both played instruments. That was how Queens Of Your Demise was born. The all-female metal band consisted of Lilith, Taylor, and Jenny, Taylor’s cousin. Lilith wrote the songs and played the drums, Taylor sang and played guitar and Jenny played bass. They’d quickly formed a small, but loyal, group of fans that followed their shows around town. Nothing quite compared to hearing people scream the lyrics that you wrote back at you while you were on that stage. But, for now, it was gone.

The sound of clanging pots and pans downstairs snapped Lilith away from her thoughts with a start. If there was one thing Claudia could do well, it was cook. Loudly. Lilith left the rather startling pink, frilly guest bedroom and descended to the kitchen. The smell of smoked bacon filled her nostrils as she crossed the threshold into the room. Claudia was hovering over the stove with an apron around her waist and a spatula in her hand as usual.

"How did you sleep, love?" Claudia asked. 

"Pretty well, thank you,” Lilith lied, “How long until dinners are ready?”

Claudia inspected the bacon in the frying pan and peered inside the oven door. "Hmmm, I’d say five more minutes. Go get dusty for me please, dear? I’ll set the table.”

Lilith approached her cousin's door and knocked five times, pausing for a second, and then adding a final two knocks. This was the secret code they'd had since they were younger. Back then the two families had been a lot closer. Each matriarch would take it in turns to cook and host the other for dinner every other night, after which Justine and Claudia would gossip and drink wine while Lilith and Dustin would hide themselves away, always playing an assortment of games until late in the night.

Popping her head around the door, she found her cousin sitting at his radio wearing his headphones. "Oi, shithead!" she called, throwing the nearest thing she could find at him to get his attention. 

"Ow! What was that for?" Dustin asked, turning to face his cousin whilst rubbing the back of his head where the empty Coke can had hit him.

"Dinners ready in five, Dusty Bun. Finish talking to Suzie-Poo and come downstairs.” she chuckled.

“Hey! I told you to stop calling me that.” 

“If you don’t want me to take the piss then you shouldn’t leave your door open while you’re saying embarrassing shit, should you… Dusty Bun?” Lilith mocked, dodging his attempt to throw the empty can back at her.

"So, Lilith…" Claudia began after they’d all settled around the table and began tucking into their meals.

"Please, Aunt Claudia, not another lecture. Between you and mom I've had enough to last me a lifetime." Lilith responded with a touch of annoyance to her tone. 

"Not a lecture, sweetheart, I just wanted to remind you about the expectations of your stay here. You're not here on holiday, remember that. You've already been held back once and I swore to your mother that I would get you through your senior year. I mean it, Lilith, no funny business once you start school. Not one phone call, not one detention, nothing. I want you on your best behavior at all times, which brings us to tonight. I want you home by ten o'clock, no later." Claudia stated. 

After a few minutes of bargaining her curfew up to eleven o'clock, Lilith quickly swerved the topic of conversation to something a little bit more light-hearted before her aunt could begin yet another lecture. 

"So, Dustin, what are you doing tonight?" she asked. 

"Heading round to Mike's. We need to talk serious strategy for the last game of the campaign on Friday," Dustin replied.

"Sounds like fun, what's the campaign?" Lilith asked, curiosity genuinely peaked, but also trying to drag out the conversation for as long as she could. 

"The Cult of Vecna," Dustin began, "we've been playing all year long. It's the best I've ever played, not that I'd ever tell Will that. We're going to win, too, I can feel it."

She passed the time idly with tedious chit-chat for a few minutes before thanking her Aunt for dinner and clearing her plate before heading back up to her bedroom. Lilith looked long and hard in the mirror trying to figure out what to wear to go out that night. Since moving back to Hawkins she’d made two friends - Steve and Robin.

She’d met them three days after arriving in Hawkins on the morning of her first shift at the job her aunt had lined up for her. The job, it turned out, wasn’t too bad. A little boring at times, maybe, but not bad. They spent most of their days watching films and talking about anything and everything they could think of; Robin could be quite the talker and Steve was an excellent listener. During her previous shift, it had taken the two of them only ten minutes to figure out what was wrong with Lilith and why. She missed home. That when was they decided that they were picking Lilith up the following evening and taking her to have some fun.

After a few more minutes of weighing up her options, she opted to go for a pair of baggy ripped jeans, her favorite Iron Maiden t-shirt, and a pair of Dr. Martens. She tried her hardest to tame her long, thick curls and fixed them in place with hairspray, neatened up her eyeliner, and applied her lipstick. Reaching for her jacket, the familiar sound of Steve’s impatient honking blasted through the open window.

-

Closing the car door behind her, Lilith got comfortable in the back seat and fastened her seatbelt. "Hey guys, how was work?" she asked.

"Quiet, typical Tuesday. How was your day off?" Robin replied. 

“Quiet, typical Tuesday. So… where are you taking me?”

“That is for us to know and for you to find out, my cold-hearted little friend.” Steve declared with a touch of arrogance in his voice.

“You’ll love it. I promise.” Robin reassured her.

They spent the journey singing loudly to Steve's mixtape with the windows rolled back and the wind blowing through their hair. It was moments like these that made Lilith think that maybe, just maybe, living in Hawkins wouldn't be so bad. 

“Here we are!” Steve exclaimed, pulling into the parking lot.

“And where exactly is here?” Lilith asked, looking around cautiously.

“The Hideout.”

The smell that hit Lilith’s nose when the three of them walked into The Hideout was one that she could only describe as pure nostalgia. Stale beer, cigarettes, and sweat. “It’s not our usual… vibe,” Robin said curiously, looking around the bar as though it was her first time here too.

“But we figured it would be yours. You know, to remind you of home.” Steve added with an encouraging grin on his face.

“Thanks, guys. It means a lot. Go grab us those seats by the pool table and I’ll grab us some beers.”

“Beers?” they asked.

“What? You guys made me spend an entire eight-hour shift telling you about all the fucked up shit I used to do and you’re shocked I have a fake ID?” she remarked.

Steve opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but closed it and just nodded instead.

She rejoined her friends a few moments later and placed their drinks down on the table. Lilith looked around, really taking in all the details of the bar. All the little bits that give a place character. Posters for various local musical acts lined the walls, the floor was warped and uneven; probably from all the spectators who gathered in front of the stage multiple nights a week. 

“Earth to Lil?” Robin sang, waving her hands in front of Lilith’s face. Lilith turned her attention back to her friends.

“Right, who’s ass am I kicking first then?” Steve asked smugly.

Three games in, none of which Steve had won, Lilith heard the familiar sound of amps being turned on. She turned around and looked over to the small stage located on the other side of the bar.

"Hey, guys, who's that?" she asked.

"That is Eddie 'The Freak' Munson, guess Corroded Coffin are playing here tonight," Steve answered. 

"What's so freaky about him?" Lilith asked curiously. 

"Latest rumor says he and his cult are sacrificing goats in the woods. Anyway, it's your game." Robin replied, gesturing back to the pool table. 

"You guys play, I'm going to see if the band is any good," Lilith replied, wandering off toward the bar.

Lilith sat down and ordered another drink. Beer in hand, she turned to the stage, watching intently as Eddie turned the tuning pegs on his guitar, the tip of his tongue poking out in concentration. After a few minutes of this, he seemed to be finally satisfied and placed his guitar back onto its stand, turned around, and walked over to the bar. 

"The usual please, John," Eddie said to the bartender, leaning against the bar with folded arms.

“Course, lad. You expecting many tonight?” the bartender asked.

“Just the usual crowd I reckon” he answered, handing his money over in exchange for his beer. Eddie glanced over at Lilith and spoke again. “Maybe one or two new faces. Later, John” he waved, heading back to the stage where the rest of the band were waiting.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, we’re Corroded Coffin. Let’s do this!”

-

The band was amazing. She watched in awe, the vibrations from the amps were making the floor beat beneath her like a pulse. They’d attracted a small crowd of drunks, all thrashing around to the music. 

After a few more beers for herself and Steve, due to Robin being a notorious lightweight, she was finally starting to ease up and relax. Steve and Robin were right; she did miss home. But most importantly, she missed her band and the freedom she felt on stage. Music had always been there for her in her darkest of times.

The band took an interval and headed into a back room; Lilith made her way back over to Steve and Robin. “Who’s winning?” she asked.

“Me, obviously. Steve keeps getting distracted…” she rolled her eyes and nodded in the direction of a blonde woman.

“I’m just having an off night, that’s all,” he told them defensively. 

“Steve, give me the cue and go talk to her,” Lilith instructed, holding out an outstretched hand. Steve handed her the cue and walked away. “I’ll break.”

Robin was losing. Badly. Lilith had spent a lot of time in bars like these back home. 

Every Friday night after their gig, Lilith, Taylor, and Jenny would sink back a cold beer and have a game of pool to wind down. She had gotten very good over the last two years, so good so that she had managed to make a good few dollars from people she hustled.

 As she lined up her cue to pot the black, Lilith swore she could feel someone looking at her. She looked up and locked eyes with Eddie, who was leaning against the bar, watching her. She held her eye contact, took her shot, and potted the black. Winking at Eddie, she turned back to Robin.

“Thanks for tonight, I needed this,” she told her.

“It’s okay. We figured a little bit of normalcy would chill you out a little bit” Robin laughed.

“Hey, uh, did Steve have that big red wine stain on his shirt earlier?” she asked, peering over Robin's shoulder. 

“Oh my god,” Robin exclaimed.

“Shit. She’s got a boyfriend. Look, he’s storming over. Over the-” she began.

Robin cut her off. “Steve! STEVE! We gotta go. Now. Run,” she called to him.

Steve turned around and saw the six-foot beefcake storming towards him and went white. “SHIT!”.

The three of them sprinted to the car, their sides aching from laughter. Maybe she was right. Maybe, just maybe, Hawkins wouldn’t be so bad.

“Prince, come on, you’re gonna mess up my luggage.” Lilith sighed. Prince, expectedly, did not respond. 

It was a mildly depressing morning for her. Waking up in an unfamiliar place with only cold pizza for breakfast. But she planned on starting her investigations today, which was something to take her mind off the situation. 

After eating, Lilith put on some clothes more climate-appropriate than her hoodie and sweatpants and took a short walk. Behind the trailer park were a few weird plants. They looked a bit like rosebuds, except that they...glowed, creepily. On her way back to hers, she ran into one of the people she had encountered the other day. But today, he seemed normal. 

“Hey!” She called out and hurried over to catch him. “Are you alright? You were acting real weird yesterday.”  “I’m sorry, I...don’t remember meeting you yesterday. You must be new in town.” He smiled politely, but Lilith could see anxiety all over him. 

“Yeah, just got here yesterday, but look.” Lilith pressed on. “You came over my house, talking about...about some mother? What was that?”

The man glanced up and down the street before leaning in close. “Look, if you’re the sort to try and investigate this town, I’ll warn you that others have tried and come up short or been arrested or...vanished.” He whispered. “But if you want somewhere to start, the lab in the giant crater just out of town is abandoned. I’d start there.” And he left. 

Thoroughly creeped out, Lilith wandered down the road where she’d seen a small roadside shop when she’d moved in. She met the man running the place, one Erwin Pries. 

“You’re new in town, yeah?” Erwin asked while she browsed. 

“Is it so obvious? I keep getting asked.” Lilith grumbled. 

“It’s just I’d recognize a local.” Erwin grinned awkwardly. “Are you attached to this place at all? Because if not, probably leave. This town is--”

“It’s weird, I know.” Lilith grinned, putting a book, a poster, and some cash on the counter. “That’s why I’m here. I’m gonna figure this all out.” 

“Well, best of luck. Try not to get taken out by military officials. If you want a good start, check the lab in the crater. It was abandoned after...the incident.” 

With two different people mentioning the lab so far, Lilith knew what her next move ought to be. She started researching the Strangerville laboratory the second she got home, preparing to leave for it at midnight

Ok so this is an AU where you know what Belphie's intentions were. But you basically lost everything before coming to the exchange program, so you don't entirely feel fazed by it.

Note that this is a completely different turn of events.

!!Slight spoilers to the original storyline, please read at your own risk!!

An exception (Belphegor/MC)

You held your hand up, holding onto the door of the attic, the demon trapped inside had mirrored your actions, as if he's trying to grasp for your hand.

You smiled sadly. "I'll get you out of there, I promise." You whispered as you rested your head forward.

You heard him sigh and asked. "Do you even know what I'd do once I get out of here?"

You kept silent. You were aware of his intentions, you weren't dumb enough to not notice the hidden hatred in those amethyst eyes.

He seemed to know you noticed, and yet here you are, still trying to get him out.

You laughed a little and looked at him. "I don't mind, I just want you to be back with your family, especially Beel." You responded.

This made him look at you puzzled. "Do you have a death wish? Once I get out of here, I'll kill you."

You hummed and turned away from him. "Again, I don't have much to live for, I know what it feels like to be separated, I don't want anyone else to feel that way." You said calmly as you headed toward the stairs.

"If you repay my kindness with pain, It won't matter to me." You stopped and turned to look at him one last time with a smile for this night.

"Good night, Belphie." You finished as you left the demon alone.

He furrowed his eyebrows as he turned away and headed to his bed. You've got to be some stupid human to think like that.

He sighed and closed his eyes, remembering the day he met you.

"...I'm doing this for Beel."

That was what you told him, but he knew full well that, that wasn't the only reason why you were helping him.

At first he thought, maybe you were just stupid. He shook his head and closed his eyes.

He was too tired for this.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Belphie, Belphie..!" A voice called out.

He opened his eyes slightly to see you at the door.

He grumbled and picked himself up as he slowly approached you.

"I got you something." You said to him with a smile. He raised an eyebrow at you as you handed him a picture of Beel through the door.

He took the picture as his eyes softened once he saw the face of his twin. "...where did you get this?" He asked.

"I got it just earlier when we went to Madame Scream's, he was talking about wanting to visit there someday with you and me." You answered.

He grimaced at the thought, having to go with you, but the thought of Beel saying that made him conflicted.

He turned his back on you as he sat on the floor, leaning onto the door. It seemed that you mirrored his movements this time as he heard a soft thud from the other side.

He looked down at Beel's picture with longing eyes as he sighed. "How's Beel?" He asked.

"He still eats a lot."

He chuckled silently.

'That's not new.'

"...but he misses you. There's no day where he doesn't think of you, ...nor Lilith." You answered.

He froze at the thought that they already talked about Lilith to you. "So they told you about our sister?"

You hummed in confirmation. "She seemed lovely." You replied.

There was a long silence until he asked... "you're not doing this just for Beel, right?"

"Didn't I tell you just yesterday that I don't want anyone else to feel what I felt?"

He frowned and leaned the back of his head on the door.

"...What was it like for you?"

He heard you laugh bitterly. "It was like I could blame anyone. But hey, you still have a family to come back to."

He paused and turned his head to see your back facing him. "I lost everyone I ever loved, so what use would it be if I died when you're free?"

"Don't you think that's too dismissive of you to think like that?"

"That's funny, coming from my soon-to-be murderer." You joked.

He thought about your words. Right, why should he suddenly care?

"You hate my kind, Don't you? I'm not sure why, but you can do whatever you want soon." You finished as you stood up, leaving him alone, with no place to respond to you.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

He heard the door open. He opened his eyes to be met with you standing at the door.

He sat up to see you smiling a bit. "I kept my promise." You said as he looked up at you.

He left his bed, and soon, you were met with him hugging you.

"...you're free to kill me now. What are you waiting for?" You spoke as you returned his embrace.

He thought about it for so long, he was confused, why was his urge of bloodlust disappearing with each passing day.

Is it because of the things you talked about whenever you came to him?

Or was it because he had no interest to kill someone that already knew what he'd do?

He sighed as he held you closer. Just a bit more, he was so close to you, he can strike you, and you were even willing.

...so why can't he do it?

He trembled slightly in your arms, he shook his head as if denying what he wanted, what he craved.

"I... can't." He whispered.

This caught you off-guard. You slowly pulled away from him, as you were met with his hesitant eyes.

"Why not?"

"You have yourself to blame for that." He answered as he looked away with a frown.

This only made you smile in disappointment. "That's a shame." You said as you swept his hair away from his face gently.

"You hate humans, but not only did you hug one... you're letting them caress you like this as well." You pointed.

He looked down at you and smiled a bit.

"Maybe you're an exception."

i think i'm finally satisfied with this chapter. kinda. i think. 😬

possible tw: some inner dialogue from main character regarding addiction (alcoholism) in this chapter.

no other warnings that i can see. as always, please let me know if there's a trigger you need specified. i want you to feel safe and informed of what you're going to read.

hope you enjoy, darlings.

you showed up just how i had seen it /

in my dreams, speaking words i needed /

a violent crashing from the ceiling /

you reached out and caught me from the demons

listen to altar by machineheart here.

chapter III: running up to the altar

A warm ray of sunlight upon Lilith’s face wakes her the next morning. She cracks an eye open and surveys her surroundings, momentarily forgetting where she is, still trapped in that hazy world between asleep and awake. She sits up slowly with a long, drawn-out yawn, and pieces of the puzzle start slowly coming together.

Fuck. That’s right. I’m in Crockett. Got here yesterday and met Ms. Keane, and met –

Her inner dialogue chokes for a moment at the memory of Father Paul who, in hindsight, now seems like a bit of a fever dream in the early hours of morning.

A tingling jolt gently rattles through her body the moment her mind thinks of him and his sweet smile, accompanied by the mop of unruly hair on his head that practically begged to have a hand running through it. The way he spoke to her. The way he looked. The way he cared about her safety. The way he –

Stop. Stop it. This is a ridiculous, stupid, pointless situation.

She very well knows it. She’d hoped that after a full night’s rest, this jittery, disturbingly unbalanced feeling that the soft-spoken man had evoked within her would run its course and die upon the sunrise of a new day, like so many other things in her life that became more rational with the rising sun.

If anything, that trepidatious feeling had only grown stronger. She’d dreamed about him. Fucking dreamed about this man she’d exchanged only a few sentences with the night before. It wasn’t sexual in any way, but it set her aflame inside all the same, remembering being held in two strong arms and smelling a scent of forest and spice and warmth. Something inherently created in her mind for him, and him only.

She lets out a small whine of frustration and roughly shoves her long hair into a messy bun atop her head with a hair tie that basically lives on her wrist at this point. She walks over to her suitcase on the far edge of the room and lays it down, unzipping it to search for a new pair of clothes. A very strange, fleeting thought dances through her mind without her approval.

Look nice for him.

She blanches, ripping out a pair of leggings to wear under her big hoodie and an old pair of dirty, white converse shoes just to spite her own treacherous thoughts. She had a few things to do this morning before the service, which apparently, she was now resigned to attend. She’s not sure when she decided this – you know exactly when you decided this, you priest loving harlot – but apparently her mind had made itself up for her. She snorts and shakes her head at herself before grabbing her little coffin-shaped backpack and stepping out into the chilly morning air.

She began walking in the direction one of the ferrymen had pointed out to her the day before as to where she could find the Sheriff’s office and a store. She was starving and needed some groceries, at least to tide her over for the next couple days. Most of her things would arrive today that she’d ordered in advance; a blow-up bed, a little couch that she’d need to assemble, and an odd assortment of other essentials. There were plates and mugs, even some silverware, still residing in the kitchen. That much she felt she could handle seeing, as it wasn’t overly personal.

By the time she’d made it to the little general store, she’d passed by several friendly islanders that had made a point to introduce themselves and welcome her to the town. A ridiculously pretty woman named Erin, who was sitting on her porch, wrapped up in a cozy blanket with a book in her hands, a woman with a very sweet, cheery disposition named Mrs. Flynn, and a young boy riding his bike who had skidded to a halt when he saw her to say hello. He was a Flynn as well, Warren Flynn. Meeting them left a little pep in her step. She hoped that everyone would be this nice.

She finds the general store and as she makes her way to the door, she notices an adorable dog with a brindle coat and big brown eyes patiently waiting for his owner. She can’t restrain herself from crouching down next to him to give him some pets.

“Hi baby! You are so fuckin’ cute. And look at your pretty coat. I’ll have to pick up some doggie snacks so I can give you a treat the next time we run into each other because you seem like suchagoodboy – “

A light cough from behind her startles her, and when she whips her head around to see who it is, two men are staring down at her with barely suppressed grins.

She jokingly winces. “The baby-talk voice came out, didn’t it?”

The man with a beard and a friendly smile barks out a laugh at that, and the man next to him chuckles. She sees the little badge on his coat and realizes he must be the Sheriff.

“Maybe a little bit. We won’t tell anyone, though,” the Sheriff says with a smile, reaching out a hand to help her up. She’s momentarily distracted by how ridiculously good-looking he is – what’s up with this town and all the gorgeous men in it? – before taking his hand and standing up.

“I’ll hold you to that, Sheriff,” she replies with a light laugh. “I’m Lilith, by the way, but you can just call me Lily. Here to take care of some real estate on the island,” she says to them both, shoving her hands into her hoodie pocket.

As they exchanged names – which were Sheriff Hassan, Joe, and his dog Pike – the stern woman from the previous night comes strolling past them. Pike lets out a thunderous bark at her arrival that makes her jump rather comically, then turn to scowl at the men.

“You see? He snapped at me. Snapped right at me, just passing by.”

Joe reaches down to pet his faithful companion. “Pike doesn’t snap. Sometimes barks, mostly just to say hello. He’s just big, is all – sounds bigger than he means to.”

“Snapped. Thought he might have a go at my hand if I reached out. I’m telling you, Sheriff, it’s a menace,” she says indignantly, glaring at the dog peacefully resting by Joe.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Keane, he was just waiting for his dad,” Sheriff Hassan responds, trying to gently defuse the situation.

Ms. Keane begins to mumble something that sounds a lot like "speaking of menace" and sharply glares at Joe, but Lily cuts her off mid-insult.

“He.”

Ms. Keane looks up at her in mild confusion, followed by Sheriff Hassan and Joe.

“I’m sorry? ‘He’, what?” She enquires condescendingly, turning to face Lily now.

“A ‘he’. The dog. You called him ‘it’. I just assumed you didn’t know,” Lily says in a level voice that doesn’t even remotely match the annoyance stirring in the pit of her stomach.

Everyone goes quiet. Ms. Keane opens her mouth and closes it, not sure how to respond, as it wasn’t an outwardly aggressive comment on Lily’s part, but it definitely held an undercurrent of spite.

“Pike works, too. That’s his name,” Lily says with little smile, filling the silence. Ms. Keane’s face turns into something twisted and cruel, her true self rising to the surface rapidly, and then looks to the Sheriff again.

“A menace,” she hisses, then turns on her heel with her nose in the air and takes her leave.

Lily watches her in mild disgust as she walks down the road at a clipped pace, and when she turns to the men, they’re both staring at her with raised eyebrows. Joe has a wide grin on his face, and Sheriff Hassan looks at her in what she can only place as pleasant surprise.

“What? She’s a good Christian woman; she’d never call one of god’s creatures an ‘it’– she just didn’t know. So, I told her,” Lily replies, giving Pike another scritch on his head as he looks up at her with his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth adorably.

“Y’know, dogs can sense evil. That’s what they say, anyway. Kinda’ funny that he doesn’t bark at anyone else, isn’t it?” She says with a chuckle, almost to herself, before remembering the whole reason she was there. “Oh! Sheriff Hassan, I actually came to talk to you. I was told you have a key for me? For the house that’s up for sale?”

Sheriff Hassan looks at her with mild amusement and curiosity, but nods and makes his way down the steps. “Follow me. I’ve got them in the office.”

“Awesome. It’s really nice to meet you, Joe. And you, big boy,” she says, giving Pike a gentle pat upon his head before departing with a smile and a wave. Joe is still looking at her with an openly humored expression, and waves back to her as she follows the Sheriff.

Sheriff Hassan enters a small building next to the general store, ushering her inside, and digs a little key from his pocket to unlock a drawer in his desk.

“Aha, there it is. Easy to remember this one,” he says, handing her a pair of keys that look like they belong to a dungeon door or some haunted castle. She takes them in her hand to study them, and all at once, she feels her heart being squeezed, thinking about how many times her grandfather's hands must’ve used these throughout his life to open that creaking door to that tiny house. Thousands of times. It looked like a skeleton key in a way, unique and old-fashioned, but sturdy and strong. Tears prick the corners of her eyes as she closes the keys in a tight fist. She instantly knows that these will be what she keeps to remember him by. She’ll have new ones made for a new lock before she sells the property.

“I’m – I know how hard it is to lose someone. I’m sorry for what you’re going through right now. I didn’t know him well, but he was always nice to everyone, including me. Never seemed to give a damn what others thought of him, either,” Sheriff Hassan says, smiling at her and resting his hands on his hips.

“They…. well, the people here, they didn’t like him very much, did they? He wasn’t religious. Spiritual without a doubt, but not religious,” She asks, calming herself down and looking up at the Sheriff. He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, averting his eyes, and his expression tells her everything she needs to know.

“Bastards. All of them. ‘God-loving Christians’, my ass,” she mumbles, sniffling a bit to stop her nose from running. “I bet you were nice to him. I’d put money on it. So, thank you for that. It means a lot,” she finishes, her voice cracking on the last few words. She cringes in humiliation, but before she can think too much on it, a warm hand comes to rest upon her shoulder.

When she looks up, she sees the compassion in the man’s eyes. She sees the pain. The loss. A tiny glimpse of the story that is Sheriff Hassan’s life and all that’s lead up to him settling on this isolated little island tucked away from the world.

“It never gets easier. When we lose someone, I mean. We just…get stronger. We have to. You’ll get there, too,” he says kindly, and the way he says it feels so genuine that she can’t help but believe him. She smiles up at him, and he smiles back. An understanding.

“Well, I should probably get going. Have to pick up some food and get ready for the church thingy,” she says while pocketing the keys.

He looks rather surprised but doesn’t say anything. Lily grins at his reaction. “It’s…it’s a long story. Well, not really. I got roped in by the Priest,” she chuckles, feeling her cheeks warm by merely bringing him up in conversation.

“All right. Well, be good, don’t start any brawls or you might end up in jail with only me for company,” he teases with an admittedly beautiful smile.

“We’ll see!” she replies with a laugh as she walks out the door and heads back to the little store beside them.

9 AM comes swiftly and sets her nerves on edge as she quickly realizes she has nothing even remotely appropriate to wear for a church service. She packed for comfort, so most of her shirts have either band names on them or something ironically satanic.

Yeah, that’ll go over smoothly.

She finally unearths a completely plain (hallelujah!) long sleeve black shirt that she’s had since high school that somehow survived the test of time, and a black pleated skirt that falls just above her knees. She yanks a pair of tights on and is relieved to see that they have no holes in them, then throws on her chunky black boots adorned with multiple silver buckles, almost losing her balance and falling in the process.

She runs to the bathroom mirror, swipes on some mascara, tidies up her brows and applies some blush on her rather corpse-like complexion. After a quick spritz of her favorite perfume, she’s raking a brush through her tangled hair and stumbling her way to the front door, her heart beating out of her chest.

This is so stupid. It’s just a church. It’s not a big deal.

She calms herself enough to put her hair in a quick, messy half-up, half-down look. She runs to check on it in the bathroom. Her hair is past her hipbones at this point and she grimaces at how damaged it looks from going so long without a trim, but shrugs and grabs her bag, rushing out the door.

To her horror, she sees that there’s no one left outside of the church, meaning the service had already begun. Meaning she was late. Meaning she’d have to direct every person’s attention towards her when she opened the doors to the tiny church.

Goddammit.

She was about to turn around and head back to her humble abode before the fleeting memory of Father Paul’s delighted smile stops her in her tracks. She might not have agreed to go, but he seemed so excited when she was considering it. He was kind. She could make it through one service, as a ‘thanks’ for his warm welcome.

Fuck it. They’re all just people. Like you. You’ve opened the door to scarier things.

She squares her shoulders and gently opens one of the doors, slipping her way inside without drawing any attention. They’re singing a pretty psalm; one she could swear she’d heard before in her childhood church long ago. There’s a two-person pew to her left, the furthest seats in the house, and she quietly slips her bag off of her shoulders and sits, a rush of relief coursing through her veins.

She grabs a hymnal book from its place in the back of the pew sitting in front of her and begins flipping through the pages. It would feel awkward to be the only person not singing along.

The song finishes and Father Paul takes front and center. Somehow the man has made one of those ridiculous blanket-like Catholic robes look…quite nice, actually. Regal, almost, the rich blue color bringing out his brown eyes and raven hair. If he hadn’t presented himself as such a nice guy, she would be annoyed. It’s hardly fair if he looks good in everything.

It takes him all of 60 seconds to place her in the crowd as he scans the room, almost as if he’s looking for her. He stumbles over a few words from his impassioned sermon when their eyes meet and it makes her heart stutter pleasantly in her chest. She offers him her signature, slightly crooked grin and a discreet nod. He responds with a little smile that warms her from head to toe before jumping back into his sermon with ease.

The end of the service comes quicker than she’d anticipated; it was rather easy to listen to him speak. He had a way of saying things that made even her feel a little spark of inspiration, which was quite a feat considering the topic. One more hymnal is announced before the end, several minutes after Father Paul has taken his leave through the back. As she frantically flips through the pages as the piano begins, a hand gently intervenes from her right and flips to the right page almost instantly.

She startles with a small squeak, barely restraining herself from flinging the book into the rafters, and turns to see Father Paul doing a very poor job of suppressing his amusement.

She tries to glare at him, she really does, but all she can manage to do is clap her hand over her own mouth so she doesn’t burst into laughter during the intro of the song. It’s an actual blessing when the congregation starts singing, giving her the opportunity to duck her head and let out a genuine string of giggles. She pulls it together quickly, taking a deep breath and smashing her lips together to disallow anymore maniac laughter from slipping through.

Father Paul is still singing along with a neutral expression, the only indicator of his own struggle not to lose it himself shown in the very obvious tension of his neck. He must've taken the little book before she'd had the chance to drop it in her laughter, so she gently takes hold of his wrist and guides the hand holding it a bit closer to her so she can sing along.

Her heart just about exits her body when he gently slides it towards her, his right hand completely enveloping hers beneath the book as he secures it in her grasp. He doesn’t instantly pull away and she pretends not to notice. So does he.

He probably doesn’t notice, you wanker.

When he pulls away, his fingertips gently brush across her knuckles, making her clench her jaw in an effort to not react. She scrambles to find where they’re at in the song, and joins in rather ungracefully, hoping her face isn’t reflecting the rush of feelings currently overwhelming her inside.

His singing voice is calm and soothing, much like his personality, but when she joins in, he abruptly stops. It takes her a moment to notice, but when she turns to look up at him in question, she meets him eye to eye. A look of gentle wonder shines within his gaze, momentarily knocking the breath from her lungs. He smiles kindly and nods his head towards the book, encouraging her to keep singing. So she does, despite her cheeks blushing red and her mouth going dry.

Her voice is a bit wobbly at first and her eyebrows crease in the effort to slip back into the song echoing across the little church. She manages to do so, but her hands shake every so often as she sings. She can feel his eyes on her now and again, and it takes an enormous amount of restraint not to drop the book and run. Run from his openly captivated gaze as he listens to her sing. Run from the feeling of pride that fills her at the thought of him liking her voice.

The song comes to a close and she, monumentally relieved it’s over, slaps the book shut crisply, sliding it back into the little shelf on the pew before her. When she turns to attempt a normal conversation with Father Paul, she finds that he’s gone. A wave of relief washes over her, but riding on its coattails is a small jab of betrayal as some members of the church stand and do a double take upon seeing her. She averts her eyes and sits down, feeling smaller and smaller by the minute.

Why did he have to ditch me now of all times?!

As she's debating whether or not to make a break for it while he's gone, he returns with a reassuring smile on his face. He extends his hand to help her up, then reaches behind her to softly press his large hand upon the small of her back, guiding her forward. The warmth of his touch and all of its tenderness, she quickly decides, is worth the glaring awkwardness of the entire situation.

He ushers them both gently to the stairs beneath the altar, as others follow suit without question or fuss. When he leaves her side and takes his place above her, she feels the absence of his touch like a ship's anchor being cut loose. He speaks of Ash Wednesday. She sees Ms. Keane appear to his left, offering him a small trinket containing what he will mark his congregation with. Then she sees a golden goblet, passed reverently into Beverly’s hands.

Panic seizes her heart in a vice grip as she puts two-and-two together.

Wine. It’s fucking wine. How could I forget this part?

Father Paul is already dipping both his pointer and middle finger lightly into the onyx powder, but faulters for a moment when he sees the visceral fear reflected in her green eyes. He gives her a reassuring smile, probably assuming that it’s just nerves causing her to clam up, and places a finger upon her forehead, gently making the sign of the cross.

“Lilith – remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” he murmurs, his fingers lingering upon her skin a beat too long as she stares up at him, eyes pleading for him to understand. Beverly holds the drink up and nods her head, summoning Lily to come forward, her lips pursed in obvious disapproval of an outsider taking part in this sacred ritual.

She looks Father Paul dead in the eye, glancing from him to the golden chalice holding a poison more lethal to her than any other, and desperately mouths two words:

I can’t.

He gives her a look of confusion, and it feels as if the church walls are beginning to close in on her. At a complete loss, she lowers her eyes apologetically, shaking her head in defeat.

"Sorry", she whispers so only he can hear her, not bothering to wait for a reply before side-stepping out of the line and making her way down the isle.

She pretends not to notice all of the eyes studying her as she passes by, and desperately hopes no one noticed the odd exchange that's just taken place. Tears tingle behind her eyelids and she, for what feels like the millionth time in her life, feels a stab of jealousy at just how easy it is for everyone else. How harmless.

She pushes the doors open, momentarily blinded by the sunlight illuminating the island, and jogs home, feeling anything but saved.

Guardian Angel ~ Lucifer x Reader

"I told you to close your eyes." 

The phrase that haunted Lucifer’s every day, every night and every dream since back then, during the Celestial War.

He can remember everything vividly, as if it happened just yesterday - The nightmare that happened to him, the one that he relives every time his mind isn’t focused on work, those bloody flashes before his very eyes.

He closed his eyes ready to die ... He knew he screwed up when he declared a rebellion and his siblings and beloved followed him, fighting to escape the Godly shackles that bound them together, depriving them of free thought, free will, free movement.

It had to be done - After all, who knows what He would have done to poor, little Lilith...Maybe, if it wasn’t for that, they could have stalled the riot, prepared better, gotten stronger, strategised finer...

Were the consequences worth it? 

He’d ask himself that every day he had to see Diavolo’s feign innocence and smug face.

His brothers were around him, around and well. Lilith was turned into a human and lived a happy life with the human she loved...

But his beloved S/O was killed in The Falling, and he had a fight with Belphegor recently just bad enough to have to confine him in the attic, afraid of Diavolo’s punishment.

“Lucifer, close your eyes.” he heard a gorgeous, feminine voice that always managed to sooth all his worries and fears.

He didn't feel any pain...He wandered what went wrong, how come he's alive even though he’s the mastermind behind the rebellion, and his eyes saw the Seraphim Arrows being shot his way...But when he opened his eyes, he was struck with a worse kind pain. 

It was unimaginable. 

It was heartbreaking. 

It was devastating.

Lucifer gasped for air while the tears forcing their way, he saw the love of his eyes in front of him, smiling while shielding him from the enemy with three arrows impaling her torso, barely able to keep herself afloat.

Somehow, however, she managed to look him in the eyes...With that gentle smile of hers...That only made it much worse.

“Keep on living, Lucifer. For me, for Lilith, and for your brothers. Promise me you won't shed any tears for me, my love, and instead, live a happy life, together, and remember me. Keep on smiling, for your smile had saved me a thousand times before...And should you do so, I promise you, with every smile on your face, I will smile as well.” she confessed, prompting her hands on his shoulders, trying to keep herself conscious to have her last goodbye.

Lucifer could feel her blood splattered on him, but seeing her immaculate white dress, now resembling a bed of red azaleas, he was sure the world was going to end. His face was wet from weeping, shock having taken over his senses completely, and for those few moments left together, that were so fast, yet felt like an eternity stopped, he saw S/O’s tears slowly falling down, resembling delicate zircons in the blinding light of the Sun.

“Why....?!” was the only thing the raven haired Seraph could utter, not able to grasp reality from the scene playing in front of him, still praying hard that it was nothing more than a night terror.

“Because, my darling...Dying is better than seeing you dying. They need you, honey. You are their leader, so lead them towards a better life. You deserve it. I promise you, you are my life after death. Now, Lucifer, promise me this...Close your eyes, and remember all those beautiful moments we spent together. I will be there for you, in the next time...I will be missing you so much, my dear...So please, don’t forget me. I will be with you in your heart, protecting you.” her words were soft, painful, and it was clear she was barely able to hang on to her last drops of life.

But the last spark of life was abolished from her eyes as soon as more Arrows were cruelly shot through her, some ripping her majestic Serpah wings, much more beautiful than his, he always believed.

“I love you.” was the last words Lucifer heard as all the remaining strength left her body and she free-fell from graces like a ragged doll tossed away by a spoiled child.

When he finally snapped to his senses, he realised that the rebellion wasn’t going too well, as his orange-haired younger brother went to save his twin, and Lilith fell victim to the Angels’ arrows, falling as well...

This is not what he wanted.

He wanted everyone to live, to be safe and smile again, without having to endure HIS arrogance and power hunger any longer.

He wanted to be able to hold S/O in his arms tightly every night and kiss her, to show her how much he lover her. He wanted to be allowed to feel her, to tell her everything his heart felt, what his mind was forcing him not to disclose, despite being so desperate to...

And yet, in the end, here they were...

Fallens, in Devildom, on the horribly dry and disgusting soil, the broken form of the love of his life in his arms, laying there lifeless, while his sister, barely alive, was hanging to any second of her burning life spawn.

And that’s how he wakes up every time, whenever he has the misfortune to have restless sleeps, which unfortunately for him happens more often than not.

The same voice, the same lines, the same images flashing through his mind for the whole day, without pause.

He was the only one who truly knew what happened to Lilith, and he was the only one whose heart broke, without any chance of healing, as his lover died in his arms, because she was reckless enough to save him.

Why did she have to be so egoistic?

Dying is better than you dying, she said...But what about him?! What about his feelings?! Did she think it wasn’t the same for him, as well? That he’d rather die than have her perish, with such agony...

But what did she care...

She saw herself a martyr, doing reckless things without thinking...

She has always been an idiot.

Lucifer wanted, with all his heart, to hate S/O for leaving him alone for so many millennia, stealing away his heart with her, never to be returned...How thoughtless of her!

...But no matter how much the Fallen wanted to blame her, to hate her, to strangle her for the torture she so selfishly brought upon him...

He couldn’t.

She will forever be the only one he will ever love, until the day the world collapses, the armageddon befalls, the skies crumble and Hell freezes over and the Earth explodes.

His unusual demeanour was easily noticed by everyone around him, as he was more silent than usual, almost as if he was mourning, brooding, and much more focused on his work, not wanting to interact with anyone. Whenever he was like that, he would barely eat, sleep or take care of his health - Not that demons need too much pampering - But regardless, he never talked to anyone about the reason before this behaviour of his.

Diavolo was the only one who knew, since he was there when it happened, and Mammon, as he was told a few cryptic words.  Of course, the rest of his brothers knew the reason, but could never hope to get even close to understanding what was going on through Lucifer’s frozen heart.

That is...Until one day, when he was desperately trying to settle for the second human exchange student for Diavolo’s program, and through the files, there was this girl...

This girl that made him freeze.

Same hair colour and hair style, same eye colour with the same gentle glint, same soft smile of her pink, plump lips, same skin shade...And her picture made it look as if she held some kind of divine aura behind her...Or maybe he was imagining it? Was he so exhausted that he was starting to imagine things? Was he thinking too much of her recently?

He had no idea for how long he stared at the piece of paper before his very eyes until Diavolo got in his study, picked the paper from his hands, and with a low chuckle, told him to pick her for the exchange program...Which seemed to piss him off, but nonetheless, he couldn’t go against the word of the one he pledged his loyalty to, so he merely nodded.

...And it got worse, when she was brought forth in Devildom, and she looked just like her...Almost as if she was a copy. Lucifer couldn’t help himself, he could only stare at her from afar, not believing his eyes.

What was worse, however, was that as soon as he began his speech to her, she stepped right in front of him, looking up, right into his eyes, and with a confused, yet soft look, she said “Have we met before?”

Those words...Those very words made him feel his breath hitch in his throat, and his brothers knew very well was was going on, so for the first time in centuries, they tried to save him from this stiff situation...Only for her to ask them, sans Satan, the same question.

“Have we met before? Some of you seem so familiar to me, but I can’t tell why.” she said, only for the brothers to freeze just as bad as the elder brother.

Something was definitely off, but nobody knew how to solve this issue, so it was up to Diavolo to wake everyone from their trance and tell S/O about the reason for being so mysteriously brought here...Also, assigning Lucifer as her guardian...Which almost made him unleash and strangle him. He could already imagine himself ripping the Demon Prince limb from limb, putting him on fire, throwing him in acid, and other inventive torture methods that quickly came into his mind.

She was so sweet, so nice, so mindful, so respectful, so attentive with him...How can a mere lamb behave with such kindness towards the ferocious, starving wolf?

He was going insane.

For the duration of the year he had to look out for her, to make sure she was okay, that his brothers were behaving okay with her, and that she won’t be a target for the lesser demons.

But it was torture for him now, having to constantly stare upon a person who resembled his long dead lover, having to be constantly reminded of his failure to take care of herself, having to see her pained smile addressed to him, her broken form, her ravished wings, her dull eyes, her dissolved light...

Diavolo was truly a demon.

And she was too much for him.

Every move she made, it was with an unbelievable grace, as if she was a princess, and wherever she stepped, flowers would grow. Her smile was dazzling, almost blinding. Her kindness was so warm, so powerful, creeping into the cracks of his frozen heart. Her hair was so smooth, as if it was some higher cloud from the Celestial Realm...And her voice...Her singing...Angelic...Just like hers...Like the Seraphim started singing their hymns and playing the harp.

Whenever she’d sing, he’d leave the room. Whenever she’d laugh, he’d leave the room. Whenever she’d dance, he’d leave the room. Whenever she’d play with one of his brothers, he’d leave the room.

No matter what she did, he would disappear like the mist, which made the poor girl so upset, thinking she did something to make him hate her.

But the worst came once again during the TSL quiz when Levi went to attack her from him blind rage, and without realising, she created a shield of light around her, which made everyone speechless...As she resembled an angel...THAT angel...

And poor Lucifer could only stare at her, with his heart scrunched up and stomped on, and he left the room faster then anyone could realise, and Mammon on his trail, wanting to help his dear older brother, knowing very well how he was struggling to keep himself composed and whole.

“Lucifer, talk to me. Y’know you can. I know why you’re behaving like this...She ain’t her, man. Even though she looks just like her...She ain’t her. She can’t be her. She died long ago, just like Lilith...They’re gone, no matter how much we want them back.” Mammon’s voice was long and soft, squeezing his brother’s shoulder to calm him down. “Did you see that magic of hers? That is angel magic, without a doubt...But she isn’t one...And do you remember what was the first thing she said when she saw us? Have we met before? This cannot be a coincidence...It just can’t be...” Lucifer muttered, holding his head in his hands, almost tugging at his hair from desperation. “Uhm...I don’t really know how to help ya, but...Maybe if ya ask Simeon to talk to Michael or somethin’...Maybe he knows somethin’? Maybe she reincarnated or somethin’? Ya never know with these things, right?” the silver haired man spoke, making Lucifer sneer for a split second, thinking about cooperating with the very beings who killed S/O...And yet...His words held truth. “...Thanks, Mammon. I will see what he says.” Lucifer nodded, already taking out his phone and texting Simeon about this problem.

But things weren’t so easily solved in the Devildom, as Lucifer’s brother were always up for mischief, and now, they, for some unknown reason, decided to play Hide and Seek in the House of Lamentation, and the eldest was the seeker...

Until, at the very beginning, wanted to cheat while counting, he turned around, only to see the girl casually sitting on the couch, eyeing him with a giggle.

“Lucifer, what are you doing~? I told you to close your eyes!” she teased him, only for him to grit his teeth, punching the wall in front of him, before leaving to his room. “I’m not bothering with childish games of yours.” he scoffed, shooting her a look of disgust, not having the heart to look at her crestfallen expression.

Weeks continued to flow one by one at a rapid pace and Lucifer’s worries grew even more when he realised that, once she willingly stepped inside his room, he could barely control his urges.

“Lucifer...Do you hate me? I don’t know what I’ve done to make you upset at me...But I’m really sorry. I don’t want you to hate me, so please tell me what I can do to make it up to you.” she spoke in such an innocent and genuinely concerned voice, that it made Lucifer kabedon her, her back glued to his door. “It’s nothing personal, but if you’re so curious to know, you are an exact copy of my dead lover from the Celestial Realm. Everything you do, is just like her. You look exactly like her. I don’t hate you, quite the contrary. If I could, I would smother you with affection, I would suffocate you with kisses, I would break every bone in your body with embraces, I would ravish every inch of your body with touches, and many more, that only a demon would know. So, for your own good, little lamb...Stay as far away as possible from me. Your year here is almost done...Don’t try to get yourself killed freely.” his voice was low, almost sounding like a growling threat, but instead, she cupped his face, shocking him. “I don’t understand what is going on...But since I was little, I kept getting weird dreams. Everything is fragmented, nothing is really coherent...But I can see a man with dark hair and dark eyes...And his voice is like velvet. I can see myself holding his head in my lap in a beautiful glade, under a Wisteria tree, and I can see myself dying to save him. That’s why...I was confused when I first saw you...You look just like the man from my dreams...Lucifer...? Are you...Crying...?” her eyes widened, her bottom lip quivered, seeing a single, shiny tear escape his ruby like eyes. “Get out. Now.” he pushed himself on the door, turning his back to her, waiting to hear her leave so he could unleash his pent up emotions that he has been hiding for so long.

This can’t be happening...How is that possible? How can she be having the same dreams as him? It’s not...It can’t...It just can’t be...

Why, S/O, why would you send to him someone who is your exact copy?

Is it to spite him? To anger him? To mess up with him? To taunt him? To mock him? To tease him? To torture him? To kill him with such agony, to mimic the way she died? 

Doesn’t she already know his heart will only ever belong to her, and her alone?

No cheap imitation will ever be able to take her place.

From then on, no matter how much she tried to talk to him, he’d go out of his way to avoid her, knowing very well that any glance her way would only send more painful shocks to his heart, and he’s definitely not a masochist.

He’s suffered enough as it is.

So stop it.

Please, stop it.

Just get the hell out of here already and let him be a grumpy demon in peace.

You’ve done enough.

...

A weird occurrence happened, and a beam of light came from the halls, followed by a pitched, almost banshee-like screech, and as he rushed to check it out, he saw S/O’s limp form in Archangel Michael’s arms. In a burst of rage, Lucifer transformed into his demon form, blasting the angel away and cradling the human’s small form into his arms, his wings wrapping protectively over her.

“What the hell did you do to her? Do you think you’re entitled to kill all the people I care about?!” Lucifer’s dark, booming voice echoed throughout the House of Lamentation, that was met with a mere chuckle. “Luci, my dear old friend, you should know that I wish you no ill-will, despite all the hate that you have for us. You called to ask me about her, and I got intrigued, so with your Prince’s approval, I came over to see what was the deal with this little lamb here.” Michael spoke calmly, making his old friend lay down his guard. “And what did you find out and why did she scream like that?” he mumbled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I gave her back all the memories she had jumbled and lost. She is the S/O you used to know, without a doubt.” the Archangel spoke in a gentle voice, realising that the demon was close to exploding. “Don’t make fun of me, Michael, or I will rip you apart limb from limb. S/O died in my arms. You, filthy angels, did it. So stop lying to me, it’s a sin.” he sneered at him, only to receive a smile. “She didn’t die. From her memories, I saw that she was impaled by the arrows before she fell from graces. Her heart was pure and just...And, although this would be impossible by our rules, S/O became your Guardian Angel. You know very well that as long as a subject is alive, a Guardian Angel cannot be killed...And they certainly cannot be killed by items in the Celestial Realm. This is your S/O, I guarantee it. Look at her...She’s starting to glow again. Take care of her, Lucifer.” he got up, ready to leave, only to be stopped by the demon with one last question. “Where was she all this time...?” he asked, his voice now much softer and emotional. “At first, she was laid in a bed of flowers...But then, she was found by humans and put in a ward, waiting for her to wake up. When she did, she got rehabilitated, taught and integrated into the human world...And from there, you already know.” the answer was shocking...Guardian Angel...Laid on a bed of flowers...How fitting for a Seraph. “...Thank you, Michael.” stomping on his vanity, the Avatar of Pride uttered those words to the Archangel, before taking the girl in his arms and bringing her to his room, placing her on the comfy bed, holding her hand and waiting for her to wake up.

Seconds were passing like centuries, and Lucifer’s heart kept beating fast for the first time since the War, expecting her to open her gorgeous eyes, to hear her angelic voice, to feel her gentle touch...

He needed her so badly, he could almost feel his sanity slipping away rapidly, thinking that maybe she won’t wake up, for whatever reason.

He was desperate, he felt like he was drowning, that he was suffocating, that he was getting strangled by an invisible form, and for the second time in his life, he felt absolutely powerless in front of the hated fate.

“I told you to close your eyes...” a weak voice was heard, making the raven haired man feel a lightning going through his veins. “Never say those words to me again, S/O. I don’t know what I would do.” he said, yet the ghost of a smile appeared on his face. “I’m sorry...I’ve been selfish, haven’t I? You must truly hate me for leaving you alone for so long...Actually, I don’t know how long it’s been...How long has it been?” she asked, holding his hand. “Every second spent without you lasts longer than an eternity. Never leave me again, please.” Lucifer muttered, kissing her hand gingerly. “Aww, Lucifer...You’re as sweet as you’ve always been. You haven’t changed, even though you’re a demon now. You are still as beautiful.” she spoke, getting in a sitting position. “And you will remain an Angel until the day I am no more, my love. To think that you will become my Guardian Angel...Maybe fate wasn’t so cruel with us, for in the end, we are together now, again, as we should have been all this time.” he leaned down, capturing her lips in a soft kiss, barely able to hold himself back, afraid that, maybe, he is still dreaming, and she will vanish from his arms when he next opens his eyes. “Lucifer...I can feel the storm of emotions in your heart. I’m sorry I caused you so much distress...But I am real, my darling. I am alive, and I will be every time you blink. I promise. So don’t hold back. Do what your heart tells you to. Let your feelings flow. It will be okay.” she spoke, kissing him with more and more passion with each kiss, leaving him breathless. “Those are bold words, little angel. Don’t you know that demons cannot hold back when such a delicious temptation crosses their path? We’re not up there anymore...And I have a millennia worth of emotions. Be careful when you say such words, for I will take advantage of them.” Lucifer’s angelic face was tainted with a demonic, smug smirk, which made the girl grin in amusement. “I see, so that’s how things roll down here, hm? Well, great thing that He isn’t staring at us anymore, ready to punish us for any little thing. We can finally be together...Like those human couples...Right?” she asked, gazing down bashfully. “Anything we want to do, we can. There are no rules, nor regulations. This is the Empire of Sin...As Asmodeus would say...Go big or go home. Better to get in Hell for committing all sins, then for just one.”  the demon cupped her face, kissing her, with more fire each time, more love, more passion, more desperation. “We deserve it. After all this time...We truly deserve this.” she answered, feeling herself floating, the physical sensation of pleasure, love and heat foreign to her. “...You better not be closing your eyes, my darling. I want to see your gorgeous eyes, and every reaction you have to offer.”

Forget Me Not ~ R.C.

A/n: I really love the diversity of requests on this page y’all are so good to me. I did assume a female reader, so let me know if you want a male/nonbinary request instead! I love the idea of this prompt going a totally different way lol. Also, super sorry I took so long writing it :( Hope it was worth the wait!

Request: “Could you write something where Randall gets dusted by the reader to forget about you and protect him from the order and how he reacts when he finds out?...” by 💙 anon

Word Count: 4600+

MASTERLIST

"You want me to what?"

Alyssa took a deep breath. It was apparent that it caused her just as much pain to say as it did Y/n to hear. "The Grand Magus," She said with great stress, making sure it was clear that this had been  Vera's decision and not hers. "Wants us to dust the wolves to make them forget. Everything." I went to argue with her so she rushed to add, "She thinks that they can't be controlled and therefore they're dangerous." Alyssa grabbed Y/n's shoulder, her desperation clear. The only person that would understand her struggle was the girl in front of her. If Y/n wasn't on her side Alyssa was going to lose her mind. "If you don't, they are going to kill them. All of them."

Y/n covered her mouth with her hand, trying to process. After a moment she moved it so she could speak, but only to her throat, as if pantomiming choking herself. "I have to make Randall forget me?"

Alyssa swallowed hard. "You've got the easiest access to him, and if you do what they say then you'll gain Vera's trust. I..." She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose for a second. When she moved her hand away and looked back at Y/n, there were tears in her eyes. "Listen, I need a friend in this and so will you. I know you care about Randall as much as I care about Jack and we will be the only two in the whole Order that will understand how the other feels. Please, do this for me. For - for you, even."

Shaking her head, Y/n stepped away. Alyssa seemed defeated until Y/n spoke. "I do it for Randall, like I do everything. If I was doing something for myself... I'd do something stupid."

There was a solemness to Alyssa's nod. She had won and gotten Y/n on her side. But at what cost?

Not long after their conversation, Y/n was on a trail to destroy the one thing that meant most to her for the sake of the man she loved. Randall and her had been dating for a while now. They'd met before either of them were part of the Knights or the Order and had started dating pretty soon after their instant chemistry took off without a hitch. When Alyssa had dragged Y/n to some beaten down cabin or house or whatever in the middle of the woods, Y/n hadn't known what to expect until she opened the door and came face to face with Vera Stone, who was supposed to be dead, and her boyfriend. Her boyfriend who was apparently her enemy. It had all been down hill from there, though it hadn't seemed to be for a second there. Randall and her had talked and figured out a system. They'd make it work. They had a plan.

Now it didn't matter.

"Hey there," Randall greeted brightly, grinning from ear to ear.

Y/n was a terrible liar but tried to seem as happy to see him as he was her. She was always glad to reunite with him, but what it meant to meet up with him now... For the first time she wanted to run far away from him and never come back. Maybe then she wouldn't have to do this. But that was, of course, a lie. If she didn't someone else would, and she might get dusted herself when she finally did return. She needed to grow up and just do what had to be done. Until she could figure out a better option, she'd rather him forget her than be dead. "Hey." She didn't stop walking when she saw him, moving right into his arms. He was a little surprised but was always down for a hug.

As had been mentioned before, Y/n was a bad liar, and even more so to Randall who knew her very well and could always tell when something was bothering her. So even though he loved hugs, he was also concerned by the way she was clinging to him. He pulled her back, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "What's wrong?" His eyes searched hers, trying to find the problem so he could fix it.

God she was going to miss him. He wasn't just her boyfriend, he was her best friend. How could she just...? No, she would do it. She HAD to do it. "Nothing." She steeled herself, pulling her thoughts together forcefully. This wasn't the worst option. At least if he forgot her, he'd be alive. And he wouldn't hurt either. He wouldn't know to miss her. This was a mercy. This was better than what she would be getting. There was no time for self pity though, she had to focus on helping him. Saving him. She relaxed a little and he seemed to believe her a bit more. "I just missed you."

"We saw each other yesterday," he reminded, his smile growing a little more teasing.

She felt her heart swell. "Well, how am I supposed to ever be okay with being away from the best boyfriend ever? Every second apart is actual torture."

Randall scooped her up against her, kissing her on the cheek. "My adorable, cheesy girlfriend. What would I do without you?"

Y/n felt a pang in her chest. "You'll never know." That, at least, was the truth. She stepped away, turning to the bar. She'd come to the Den since that's where he'd been, studying. Jack had left just before she'd gotten there to meet with Alyssa. Lilith and Hamish were still here though, so Y/n had to either wait for them to get called out or somehow get Randall away. "Want to do something today?" She needed to get this over with. Like a band-aid. Fast.

"Sure, I-"

"Hey, sorry to interrupt," Lilith said as she pointed to the door out they were blocking. "I was thinking about going for a run. I can't focus on homework after having a rough time sleeping. I think it would help to get my blood going." They both nodded at her and parted, letting her pass.

"Anyway," Randall sighed, stepping closer to his girlfriend again. "Where do you want to-?"

"Pardon me," Hamish mumbled as he brushed between the couple, pushing them apart again. "I need a drink." He looked tired, but wasn't it early to be drinking? And didn't he have homework? And class?

They let him go anyway. It wasn't their job to judge his life choices.

A thought did occur to Y/n then though. "...Or we could stay here." She chuckled.

He shook his head. "I can tell you, they definitely left because this place gets really stuffy after a while. We were all about ready to clock in a break. How about a walk instead?" Y/n agreed and he reached out, intertwining their fingers before pushing the door open and heading outside, tugging her gently after him. "You had a class this morning, didn't you?" He asked as a way to start conversation.

She nodded. "Yeah." She shrugged, already knowing what he was going to ask. "It was fine. My professor seemed to be irritated today but I know it wasn't my fault so no stress." She chuckled softly and he smiled. It was known that most of her professors were often irritated with her since she struggled to pay attention in class in a way they found mattered. She knew all the material and got fantastic grades, but spent most of her time staring out the window so they'd try to write her off, just for her to pull through anyway. She'd been accused of cheating even a few times, but she never did so it had fallen short.

They began to circle the house in their little walk, not wanting to go too far and chance running into someone else, but also wanting to get some distance from the place Randall didn't want to be right now. Y/n pulled ahead, turning around so she was walking backwards. He slowed down so she didn't have to walk so fast. "You sure it wasn't you? I swear you always press the right button, even if you're trying to be good."

Y/n rolled her eyes. "I'm sure. Even Mrs. Tynn has stopped her side comments. They're over it. I'm not cheating, I'm learning in my own way, and they don't have enough energy to be wasting it on me all the time." He nodded, recognizing that as fact. Most professors didn't waste energy on students if they didn't feel they had to. Y/n tilted their path, taking them closer and closer to the woods and further away from the Den. It would be best if he was away from it when he forgot, so he wouldn't come back and go searching. "How about you?"

"Thank god I don't have class today," Randall groaned, rolling his eyes. "I was so happy when my teachers all told me I'd have no classes on Saturday." Y/n chuckled, remembering how all last year he'd been whining and moaning and complaining about having class on Saturday. He didn't mind Sunday, and if he had the day off on Friday it bothered him less, but there was something about having Saturdays free that he fed off of. Y/n only had the one morning class, so they usually spent it together.

I guess that wasn't an option anymore.

Y/n wrapped her fingers around the bag in her pocket. It was super small. Smaller than what she'd thought. "Randall," she wondered aloud. He hummed, letting her know he was listening. "Do you ever do something that you regret, but you know you have to do?"

At that he scoffed. "I guess. Not really, for the most part, but I have before." Y/n thought back to when must have been around the time Randall had first joined. He was nervous and jumpy, obviously guilt ridden. The first few times he'd killed people had been obvious in hindsight. He wouldn't let Y/n touch him, and had almost broken up with her because he said he wasn't good enough for her. Then, after a while, he'd seemed to calm and adjust. Y/n wondered if that's what he had in mind when she said things you had to do, but didn't want to. Last time she'd checked, he was plenty fine with it now. He even enjoyed it, having to be reeled in by Jack and occasionally Hamish, and being disappointed when he was.

It came out without her wanting it to. "What if you had to kill me?" He stopped dead and she slowed, leaving a lot of space between them. He suddenly felt incredibly far away and she hated it. "I don't mean to make you anxious - I haven't done anything. I just mean, your job is to kill people in the Order right? You enjoy doing it. It's what fuels you every day. Well, goddamnit, I'm in the Order."

He shifted uncomfortably. "I thought we talked about this."

"I-" She bit her lip, looking away from him. "You guys kill kids our age. Kids who are most of the time just doing what they're told so they can be apart of something they enjoy. Something they worked their asses off to keep being apart of. Something that makes them special." She looked back at him. "What if the day comes that I'm asked to do something and you're told to stop me, and we have to kill each other? Would you do it?"

"Would you?" It was accusing and it made Y/n take another step away, horrified at what must have been going through his head.

"NO!" She felt anger rise inside of her. "I'd give everything to protect you, Randall. But what I do doesn't require me to kill you, does it?"

He seemed to have too many thoughts. The easy going mood from a second ago was gone. "Well I can't just quit like you can."

Immediately Y/n's anger exploded and he looked away, ashamed. He knew how much magic meant to her. How she had spent years feeling like an outsider until she'd learned magic and it had given her a purpose. Somewhere to belong, where things made sense. "If I quit, I would lose everything. Including you. I wouldn't know you were a wolf anymore, and with all that sneaking around... I mean our secrets almost ripped us apart before. You want it to happen again?"

"No," he snapped. His voice sounded raw though, and stress lines were beginning to deepen as the thought of me forgetting him made him feel terrible. Y/n knew, because she had been thinking about it nonstop since Alyssa had told her what Vera had ordered.

Y/n turned around, puling the bag out of her pocket. She stared at it, her eyes watering. She blinked it away, looking straight ahead and setting her jaw. "I love you, Randall. Despite what you think about the Order and what you do and our parts in this world that was supposed to make us enemies. I love you."

Randall sighed behind her, his footsteps sounding as he moved closer. She reached into the bag, pulling out a handful of dust. "I love you too. I'm sorry I just... I don't want to lose you."

"Neither do I," Y/n whispered. His hand reached out to touch her shoulder. The second it landed, she spun around, throwing the dust in his face. He collapsed right there and she felt her heart shatter. She slipped the now empty bag in her pocket, staring at him. He suddenly woke up, gasping, eyes flying open as he looked around, obviously confused. She rushed to him, offering a hand to help him up. "Oh my god are you okay?"

"Y- yeah." He blinked, shaking his head, and then took her hand as she helped him up. She let herself hold as long as he would let her, reasoning that he would need to be stabilized but knowing it was really because this was probably the last time she'd ever touch him again. "Where am I?"

"You looked like you were going on a walk and you just collapsed." She slipped out her phone with some quick thinking. "I was taking pictures."

That's when his eyes landed on her. He made the same expression he had the first time he'd seen her, if with a little more confusion now. "Why?"

"I enjoy the beauty of nature," she slowly offered, a spike a fear running through her as she wondered if it hadn't worked.

He seemed to chuckle though, his hand that she'd been holding now holding her hand instead. "All you have to do to see art is look in the mirror."

Despite herself, she blushed. "Well thank you." She pulled her arm away, stepping back. It was time to stay goodbye. "Make sure you get back to school safely, why don't you? Wouldn't want a pretty face like yours to get messed up with another fall."

His eye slight up and she internally cursed herself. STOP FLIRTING WITH HIM! "You know, it's customary for the knight in shining armor to escort the princess back to safety."

"You do know that you're the princess in this situation," she reminded, a smile growing.

"I am," he confirmed rather proudly. "And since you're my knight in shining armor, how about I buy you dinner? As a thank you."

She almost said yes. Almost. She remembered what she'd just said. How keeping secrets ruined relationships. And how could she have a relationship with him when there was so much he'd forgotten? It would be unfair to her, and even more so to him. She didn't get to keep being happy when she'd taken away from him the exact thing she'd gotten mad at him for suggesting she leave. The Order was for Y/n what the Knights were for Randall. Even if it was to save his life, she had a lot to answer for. So she panicked, and said the first thing that came into her mind instead. "I... have a boyfriend." Her face scrunched. What an odd thing to say when just moments before she'd flirted with him. "Sorry. I..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm happy with him."

He backed off immediately. "I get it, no worries. Thanks anyway."

Nodding, she walked away. Her fingers death gripped her phone as she stared at the ground as she walked. The only thought she could muster was: You shouldn't be thanking me.

-

Y/n had been struggling to keep herself together, but at the very least she'd had the freedom to be away from any reminders of Randall when she was doing Order stuff.

Now they were here too.

"Y/n, right?"

The girl turned to face the person talking to her and had to steel herself so she wouldn't cry. "Yeah." Her voice came out in a rasp and she cleared her throat. He kept looking at her like he was trying to understand. She couldn't understand what was so interesting to him, but his look made her want to combust into flames. Randall's gaze usually made her feel warm, but not it was like someone had turned the temperature up a hundred degrees. It was unbearably painful.

"I was just wondering if you could help me with something."

She moved away as he went to step closer, shrinking into herself. "Please ask someone else."

That seemed to confuse him. "But-"

"She gave you an order, Neophyte," Alyssa said calmly. Her hands were behind her back and she was giving Randall a warning look. It wasn't angry like she'd been with Jack when he'd first joined. It was almost... panicked. Y/n could understand. Alyssa of all people knew how weak Y/n's self control was when it came to Randall, and if she burst into tears just because he'd talked to her it would have set off a lot of questions.

Randall seemed pissed. "Fine." He turned around and left and Y/n almost became a puddle from how hard she'd melted in relief.

Y/n turned to Alyssa. "I- I can't do this anymore, Lys. Please just- maybe I should just quit. And forget. I haven't been helping you at all with the dust and it's getting so complicated and I- I- I can't lie to him anymore." Her eyes were watering and she'd begun to hyperventilate.

"You can't forget," Alyssa rushed, her eyes wide with panic.

"Why not?" Y/n demanded. "It's been six months of me sitting here and trying to deal with the fact that I made him forget everything that mattered to him, including me. And for what? It didn't work, and they're going to kill him anyway!"

Suddenly Y/n's brain shut down.

They were going to kill Randall.

Tears were streaming as she leaned against the wall behind her, soft sobs emitting from her as she tried to muffle them with her hand. Her chest constricted and she doubled over, covering her face. Alyssa tried to touch her and shrunk away, a shiver running down her spine as her body coiled so tightly it hurt. "Y/n please-"

In response, the girl on the floor shook her head frantically before her body began to vibrate. She was having a breakdown. It had been the worst six months of her life and Y/n had a soft heart. She didn't hurt people. She didn't betray people who she cared about - people who trusted her. She was a good person through and through. She handled everything to the best of her ability, guided by a strong conscious. Everything she was doing now went against that driving force that demanded she do what was right. Nothing made sense anymore, and she couldn't handle feeling lost on top of feeling both guilty and alone. They were all emotions she couldn't handle. She wasn't built to deal with it.

It was as if Alyssa could sense the exact moment she could no longer help Y/n. The blonde spun around, running. In the distance she was yelling something but Y/n didn't care. Not until two people came back, one kneeling in front of her and reaching out, concerned. Y/n made a mental note not to break down in the temple again. What were they going to do? Help her? No, the Order would be much more eager to just wiper her memory. On second thought, that might not be so bad.

"Y/n, please talk to me." Her head snapped up to lock eyes with Randall of all people. "Wh-" She shook her head. "No," she moaned, putting her head back between her legs. "Don't help me."

He sighed. "Y/n I know." Just like that Y/n was still, her eyes wide as she slowly looked not at Randall, but at Alyssa. The blonde shrunk away in surprised fear at the look of murder on Y/n's face.

"You... told him?"

"They remembered," Alyssa rushed to explain as she twisted her hand around her wrist nervously. "Their healing was just helping them get used to the dust, like someone adjusting to a drug. I had to do something, I-"

Y/n shot to her feet, rushing at Alyssa. Randall caught her by some miracle. She didn't even process him though. "He's going to die now!"

"What?" Randall snapped.

"No one is going to die." Alyssa huffed, her voice tight. "We will figure this out. But- Y/n I need your help."

Y/n grunted, twisting her body to slam her foot on top of Randall's. He yelped and flew back from her and she closed the distance between her and the Alyssa. "You got me into this whole mess. You brought Vera to the Den and that's how she found out about the wolves. You convinced me to agree, and then continued to convince me to stay. Because you needed a friend and if they found out, they'd die. Now you've gone behind my back and made some alliance with them and you want my help again?"

Alyssa let out a sharp breath, her body shuddering. "I'm just trying to figure this out, Y/n. I know how hard this all is I'm sorry I just- I'm trying to keep them alive, and if they didn't get answers it was going to make everything so much worse."

"Then why didn't you tell me they remembered?" Y/n demanded. "What did you tell Randall when he asked who I was or why I did what I did? Do you even know why? Did you take away my opportunity to explain it to him myself, without other people muddling up what really happened? Fuck you Alyssa." She spun around to run off but was stopped dead as her eyes locked with Randall's.

"You... were the one who dusted me?" Alyssa's help had aided in returning memories much more quickly, and in bigger chunks, but for each of the wolves it had worked differently. For Hamish, it had been from when they'd lost their memories and backward. For Jack, it had been returned to him all at once. For Lilith, it had come very quickly in tiny tidbits. For Randall, it was in huge chunks but very slowly. As Y/n revealed she had been the one to do it, he got his first bad memory of the girl. The day she'd taken his memory.

Y/n was stunned. "You... didn't know?"

Alyssa cleared her throat. "I.. think I should go." She dipped around them and raced out before either could stop her. Not that they cared much to.

"Randall, please-"

"She didn't tell me anything," Randall told her. His voice wasn't malicious as she expected, but it was hard. She wasn't sure what that meant. Was he mad? Sad? Scared? Secretly planning some violent revenge? "That's why I came up to you. I thought... I know we were together before, but I don't know everything. Every time I saw you I got more, but... not everything. Alyssa says that in two or three days all of our memories will be back again. I thought talking to you might unlock if we weren't together anymore, or where we'd left off... I guess it wasn't great."

Y/n couldn't find the words. "I can't even think of how to apologize to you. Just, please understand that I did it so they wouldn't kill you. I figured you living out your life without me would be safer for you, if anything. You'd be happy. And you were happy. I know how hard it was, and what it cost. It cost being a wolf, and that was something special. Like magic is to me. And I... I can't imagine what it would be like to realize your best friend doesn't even care about you. I was so mad when I found out. But if I had done anything, I would have forgotten you too. And- and sometimes I wanted to, but I thought that I should hurt. Because I made you hurt. I-" She cringed away, flinching away from her as he met her gaze again. "I'm so sorry Randall."

His jaw worked as he let this new information roll around in his head. "I'm angry," he realized. Y/n's head fell forward in shame. "But... not at you, I don't think." She stared at the ground in shocked, too scared to look at his face again and see he was being sarcastic, or cruel. "I'm mad at the Order. I'm mad they forced you to do this. Honestly, I think I would have done the same. I can't imagine having to choose your life or your magic. I don't blame you- you made the right choice. If you hadn't, you'd have forgotten and I could just as well be dead."

Now Y/n did look up. "You... forgive me?"

After a second, he shook his head. "There's nothing to forgive you for. I got the good memories first, Y/n. I got the cuddling and the crying when I stepped on bugs, and the stressing about tests together, and watching you get decked because someone was nasty to me. Back when we were still pretending to be just friends and I flirted with someone to see if you'd get jealous. To see if you liked me. And it was a guy, and this older woman was really nasty to me. You stood up for me, and when her husband reacted poorly and you were on the floor.... god I was so lucky those police officers were nearby because I almost shifted right then and there." He smiled a little. "You love me, and I love you. And you were faced with a bad choice and an even worse choice. I'm just so glad that I can come back to you, rather than having to go through even more shit to get you to remember to." He sighed, shaking his head again. "I've been through so much, Y/n. We- both have, actually. This world of our is shit, and it's really hard to deal with alone. Can we just get passed this and be happy? You make being happy so much easier."

Y/n beamed. "Of course Randall."

They shared their first kiss in six months, and it was a relief to both of them. It was also a promise. A promise that no matter what, it was always them. They were together, through thick and thin. It was Y/n and Randall and it would always be Y/n and Randall. No matter what to get between them in the future, they'd figure it out and stick together. Because fuck everything else if they lost what they had. Love was more powerful than any magic. More important too.

transient

while this is from the 7kpp fictober prompt list, I’m doing a Shadowhunters Malec fill instead! Sleeping Beauty, and my apparent recurring fascination with dream-walking & fairy tales. (This is for Day 6 [list here], I just failed entirely to post it yesterday. *laughs*)

Lord Lightwood stood by the steps up to his parents’ thrones, nodded gravely at anyone who met his eyes, and refused to dance.

Lord Lightwood stayed until the receiving doors closed, and slipped out into the crowd, a handful of greetings, a few brief conversations, and then he was gone.

No one ever saw him leave, but no one expected him to stay.

He never did. 

Not once. He’d refused formal recognition as heir, kept his old title even when he came of age and ought to have become Prince of the Realm. He served on his parents’ council, but made it very clear he would be making no alliances. He would not marry, and he would never be King.

No one knew why, though numerous rumours worked their way through the Court, and no one could make him budge an inch. Not even his sister Lady Isabelle, no matter how she pleaded, and normally he could refuse her nothing. She had accepted his decision, reluctantly, and would be recognized as Princess of the Realm as soon as she came of age.

Sometimes he slipped away from formal feasts and balls and wandered the gardens, or the library. Sometimes he went back to his rooms to make an early night of it.

Those were always the nights he was nervous, the nights he hoped. The nights he hoped he’d dream.

It had started when he'd turned down a betrothal proposition from the Branwells. He’d met a man in his dreams, literally, and woken up assuming it was nothing but wishful thinking. They'd walked by a river Alec had never seen before, and flirted gently beneath sweet spring sunlight.

Who wouldn’t dream of the things they wanted but knew they could never have?

His dream suitor was a remarkable man. Alec didn’t know his own imagination could be so good, could create someone so unlike anyone he’d ever seen, anyone he’d ever admired, and yet been everything he could ever want. Never knew he had it in him, to imagine someone so beautiful. 

But the man came back, and seemed as startled to be seen as Alec felt to see him. But Alec greeted him with a smile. No reason not to enjoy himself, no reason not to play along with the dream.

“You remember me?” The man lifted a dangerously eloquent eyebrow.

Alec snorted. Alec also wasn't sure where he'd gotten the idea of eyeliner and nailpolish and heavy layers of jewelry, but if there was a way to give his imagination a reward he'd do so. He needed a better word than beautiful. Stunning? “Has anyone ever forgotten you?”

The man smirked, almost sly, but still his eyes were wide and startled, and when he stood still he looked almost sad.

He didn’t stand still for long enough to be sure, however, a grandiose wave of his arms shifting the air around them, turning it into a ballroom. 

“I haven’t had anyone to dance with in ages, I don’t suppose?” The man held out his hand, and lifted a single brow, and music started to sweep in from nowhere, from everywhere.

No reason not to play along with the dream.

The man smelled like sandalwood, the music was flawless, the floor smooth beneath his feet. The man was the most graceful person Alec had ever seen, and Alec had more fun dancing with him then he ever had in a lifetime of classes and formal balls. 

"Could I kiss you, young sir?" The man asked in a whisper, when the magic candles started to flicker, and the music started to fade. 

"I don't even know your name," Alec answered, though his chest burned with how much he wanted to say yes. 

"Magnus." The man bowed, a hint of something bright in his eyes, though his mouth looked sad, and Alec woke up before he could introduce himself in return. 

It was over a week before he met the man again, before he saw Magnus in his dreams. His breath caught, and Magnus' eyes widened, and they were walking towards each other before Alec even realized they were in a forest this time, cool and dark.

Magnus started to bow again, an echo of last time, but Alec reached out and stopped him, suddenly afraid he'd disappear again. "I'm Alec."

Magnus smiled, and Alec hoped he never woke up again. Magnus waved his arm, and Alec followed, and they wandered their way through the woods. It was an old forest, trees tall and thick enough to keep the sun away, to keep the ground covered with layers of old leaves and pine needles. 

They talked as they walked, randomly, peacefully. Magnus had an odd turn of phrase sometimes, like the court documents from far back in the palace archives, but he was eloquent and sharp-witted and his voice was so very warm; Alec never wanted to stop listening.

Alec spoke more than usual himself, relaxing sooner than he usually did around people he didn't know. Though he supposed dancing through a ball together made their acquaintance closer than most. He gave more of himself away in that conversation than he thought he had ever before, talking about his sister and his brothers, the discomfort of his kingdom's expectations. The sorrow in his mother's eyes when she looked at him, as if she knew how much he hated the box closing around him.

Magnus was as good at listening as he was at telling extravagant stories, and Alec was sorry when the light around them started to fade again. He grabbed Magnus' hand, and gripped it tight, hoping... 

He woke up in his own bed, just like normal.

Sometimes Alec didn't dream, sometimes his dreams were like they used to be, but scattered throughout his nights were these sporadic meetings, odd walks and dances and once an entire imaginary feast that left Alec twice as hungry for breakfast as usual when he woke up. 

It was three months before Alec couldn't take it anymore, and pulled Magnus to him, and paused, their mouths so close together he could feel Magnus' breath against his lips, and asked him if he could kiss him.

Magnus nodded, just a little, and his mouth was soft and warm for the barest second before Alec jerked awake in his bedroom. He lifted his fingers to his mouth; he could still feel Magnus' lips on his.

That was the day he started his research; the nights after that he started to ask proper questions, questions Magnus usually tried to deflect, but he started getting bits and pieces, here and there, just a little.

Just enough.

Asmodeus Bane was once King of a land that had been split apart and swallowed by Alicante and Dudael, until there was nothing left, nothing except a few scattered ruins and even more decrepit rumours. He’d insulted the then Faery Queen, Lilith of the Winter Court, and she’d cursed his son.

Asmodeus managed to kill her, but it was too late, the curse took hold, and Magnus Bane fell into an endless sleep. There was a counter-curse, but the woman in the prophecy never showed, and Edom fell apart, and everyone knew the Banes were no more.

Except for Alec, who had met Magnus Bane in his dreams, and wondered if somewhere in one of those ruins, somewhere lost for hundreds of years, Magnus Bane still slept.

And soon, when Izzy took the throne and didn’t need him anymore, he was going to go in search of his beloved. He was going to find him, and wake him up.

No matter what it took.

The other Hotchner

Hotch has a daughter, a seventeen year old girl from a previous relationship bad ended, she's an outsider.Her dad is a trained profiler but she doesn't need training, she's ready to give a hand, no matter what it takes

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I walked in the house and i saw Jack running in my direction"Hey, how's it going bud- Oh okey no touching,your hands are really really dirty and i don't want to wash the red paint off my clothes today"I giggled seeing my little brother getting his hands behind his back

"Sorry,can i still have a kiss please"he said with a big smile and those cute brown eyes looking at me the way a puppy looks at food

"Of course you can, come here"i gave him a little kiss on the forehead and he run back in the kitchen shouting thanks

"Dad you home?" I asked while hanging my coat behind the door

"Yes Lili I'm here" I followed the sound of my dad voice and i saw him sitting at the table, his hair were red, let's just say that Jack had a lot of fun playing with him that afternoon

"Dad what the hell is in your-IS THAT GLITTER?!" i burst into laughter and so did Jack and my dad, yes he does smile and laugh and he's also very loud, i guess he does it with his important people like, Jack, me , Jack's mom and the team, and maybe my mom...but that's another time story

"Your brother thought I needed a change in the color so I let him do that, but then things got, how do you say, out of hand"joked pointing at the floor that was now pink probably because they tried to wash it off too late and, obviously, his hair.

"I can see that"I giggled

"l'll help you clean up the place, just give me ten minutes to change"I carefully gave my dad a kiss, trying not to get any paint on my face and I went up my room.

I used to share my room with Jack because dad didn't want him to be alone when he was away on cases but two years ago when i was fifteen and Jack was five we decided to finally split the room; thankfully our room was really big so it was pretty easy, i also bagged my dad to gave me the part of the room with the bathroom ;he said that because Jack used to pee his bed it was helpful to have a bathroom right there if he needed, i played the card of being the only girl in the house and that i needed a little bit of privacy in my bathroom and he agreed after a lot , and i mean a lot ,of begging.

I finally got rid of my backpack after a long day at school and studying at the library with Milo, I took off my shoes and I went straight to the bathroom to wash my hands and my face.

I went back to my room, threw a hoodie on and some leggings and went downstairs.

"Dad i said i was helping you do that!"of course my dad never listens so he was already cleaning the table"You can do the floor"he added with a smile"Thank you dad, the fun part"I stated sarcastically.

I took a rag ,some bleach and I started scrubbing the floor; obviously my dad didn't try that because everything was cleaning himself perfectly fine.

after everything was in his place i heard a phone ringing"SSA Aaron Hotchner...Hi JJ...yes...yes okey...don't worry I'll be there in twenty, can you call the team...thank you, see you in a bit" he hung up

"New case?"I asked, already knowing the answer

"Yes sorry Lilith, i promised we were gonna spend some time together tonight, I haven't seen you in days" he said with an apologetic tone

"Don't worry dad it's really not your fault,go fight some serial killers"i said with a reassuring smile and a hug

"If you want i can call JJ or Em and ask them if Milo can spend the night"he suggested when i was still in his hug

"Milo has to study, I think i can handle a night alone with Jack, just please tell him to listen to me"

"Okay, you can order food if you want, there's some cash on the bookshelf from last time, or you can eat the leftovers from yesterday,do whatever you feel like doing.Please put Jack in bed maximum at eleven, and you, please sleep a little and don't stay on the phone all night.I'll send you a text when i can.Let''s hope this color comes off easily or it's gonna e a fun night"he said disappearing up the stairs.

I wasn't mad, i knew it wasn't his fault but i really wanted to spend a night with my dad once in a while.

"I'm leaving, bye Jack, by Lilith; love you"the door closed, dad was gone.

We ordered a pizza and we ate together in the living room whileSpongebob was playing in the background,

Fortunately for me Jack was tired because it was Friday and he had a big day at school, so after an hour he was asleep on the couch with his head on my legs and a blanket over him. I picked him and hardly carried him up the stairs to his bed

"Lily can we say goodnight to mom"he asked

"Of course we can bud"-i light up the candle he used to talk to Haley-"Okay say goodnight to your mom"

"Night, night mom"he said in a sleepy voice

"Night, night moma...i miss you"i murmured

I gave Jack a little kiss and I closed his door.

I went back downstairs, checked that the door and the windows were closed,and checked the time: it was almost eleven.I took out my phone and open messages

Milo✨:Did PG ask you to go to the office tomorrow too?

Dad⭐︎:Just checking in, everything okey?

Garcia:Hi Sweetness, the team is out and they probably won't be back till Monday.I hope to see you, little Jack and Milo tomorrow around ten, what do you say?

I responded to each message, i told Garcia that i was happy to go there tomorrow and Milo was gonna be there, because no matter how much i love Penelope i wanted to hang out with my girlfriend, and of course i told dad that everything was perfectly fine , Jack was asleep and i was about to be, i told him to stay safe and i put my phone back in my hoodie.

I drank a glass of water and went back to my room, went in the bathroom and from a cabinet I took a pack of smokes, I took one and i hide the pack again; took my lighter and opened the window and I went on the roof, the most amazing part of the whole house i believe.

Up there I made the most amazing memories I could ever hope for.

My mom taught me to get there when i was eight, a year before she died, she loved to look at the stairs with me, dad of course was really scared every time he saw me, that's why we were careful to not be seen by him when he was home.

My first kiss was also shared up here,when i was fourteen, with Milo.She was a month younger than me and the daughter of JJ and Emily, that's how we met...well we pretty much grow up together, our moms really liked each others, that's why, when her moms and my dad were on a case she always stayed with us and we had the coolest nights a five year old could imagine.

She was there for me when my mom died and we grew up even closely 'cause in a way she was important to Milo's too. We actually didn't came out as a couple yet, because we are officially together for about six months, but we knew they all knew because, well, they are all profilers and even if Garcia wasn't ,she still knew, but that one was on us, we didn't really hide it in front of her , so when she was working on her computer we were sitting on the couch against the wall, to her right, holding hands and basically cuddling; yeah we needed to chill we know.

I came back to reality hearing Jack knocking on my door "Lilyyyyyyyy"

Panic, i pressed the smoke on the roof and throw it in the ashtray Milo setup there for me and jumped in my room

"Lily are you up"sleepy voice Jack was killing me

"Yeah I'm in bed come in Jack"i said after making a run under the covers

"Can i sleep here"he said silently

"Sure why not"i opened the covers and moved a little closely to the end of the bed

"You smell funny you know" said Jack naively

"Shush and go to sleep Jack"I gave him a kiss on the shoulder and turned the other way

I remembered to put my phone on charge and to set an alarm around eight thirty, I made sure to send a message to Milo saying goodnight and one to dad, and I could finally go to sleep ready for another day to start

Moving On Chapter Three

Warnings for this chapter: Mentions of sexual stuff, and soft Aizawa (but who doesn’t love that?) Enjoy <3

"Ready to head out, Pumpkin?" Jasper grabs her work badge with a smile. "Yeah, I am. I'll see you later, dad. I love you." "Love you too, Jas." Papa holds the passenger seat open for his daughter with a bright smile. Once he gets into the driver's side, he gives her a wink. "Should I stop for coffee?" "Ummm, I-" Her phone ringing cuts her off. "Mic? Why are you calling me before work?" "Sorry, baby, but Sho and I stopped a the coffee shop. He was wondering if you wanted anything, but he felt too awkward to ask." "M-Mic! What the fuck, man?!" Jasper can't help but giggle at the outburst from Aizawa. He's too kind for his own good, honestly. "Funny you ask that because Papa and I were about to head there." "Oh! You should totally have breakfast with us! He can, too, or he can just drop you off and we'll take you to work." Jasper glances at Papa, who smiles. "I can drop you off and get something for me and dad before leaving. Do they wanna bring you home?" "That sounds fine, right Sho?" "Sure, I don't mind."  "You two are the absolute best. I'll see you in a few." "D'aawww. See ya." Mic hangs his phone up, smirking at his best friend. "She said that we're the best. Both of-" "Why did you say it like that, Mic? Now I sound like I'm obsessing over her or something!" Mic holds his hands up with a small chuckle that makes Aizawa's blood boil. If they were home, he would beat the hell out of him, but getting arrested doesn't sound very appealing at the moment. "It does not, Sho. You just sound like a caring friend. Nothing is wrong with sounding like you care about her, dude." Aizawa crosses his arms over his chest. He knows that, somewhere in his mind. "Joke wouldn't like-" "Joke won't like that we're taking her home today. What's your point?" He hates to admit it, but Mic has a point. Joke would absolutely kill him if she knew about them hanging out with Jasper outside of work. He glances at his phone, frowning at the sheer number of texts she sent him last night. At one point she even had the nerve to call him a waste of a hero license. He didn't tell Mic about that one. It kills him knowing how much Mic worries about him, and worrying him more would just dig the knife deeper. "Baaaabyyyy!" Mic throws his arms out to wrap Jasper in a hug the moment she walks in. Aizawa smiles at her, but his eyes lock with her father's. He might be smaller than Aizawa, and quirkless, but this is Papa's baby girl, his pumpkin. He's willing to throw himself in an unbeatable situation for her. He holds his hand out to Aizawa while Jasper works to pry the happy blonde off of her. "Carson. It's nice to meet you, Aizawa." "Shouta, please. It's nice to meet you, sir." Jasper watches as they shake. Why does Aizawa look nervous? What is there to be nervous about? Mic bounds to Papa with a grin. "Hizashi, sir. Your daughter is an awesome friend!" "Yeah, I'm aware how great she is." She facepalms. "Papa, don't be rude to my friends, please?" "Okay, pumpkin. I'm gonna get me and dad something. Have fun, be safe, and text me if I need to get you from work instead." "Uh huh, get out." He chuckles before walking to the counter. "Sorry about him.. he worries no matter how old I get." Mic shrugs, and Aizawa chuckles a bit. "It's his job. We don't mind. By the way, Joke never hears about this." Jasper smiles at the dark haired man. He finds himself smiling back at her. "Whatever you want, Aizawa." The next words come out of his mouth by accident. "You're the best, Jas." Her eyes widen slightly, but she giggles at his sudden shyness. Mic's back is turned, thankfully, so Jasper sends Aizawa a wink before she walks towards the counter. Aizawa smirks a bit, but it's hidden by his capture weapon. 'What a little tease..' The thoughts are terrible, he knows, but he hasn't seen someone this way in what seems like forever. Joke has treated him like garbage in their relationship, but thinking this while still with her is so wrong. At the same time, Jasper curses herself in her own mind for the way her heart is racing. 'So much for being into women, dumbass'. Still, she knows that Rumi is the one that has her heart.. right? Sure, Rumi has been in a bad mood, and she has every right to be in one, but it's just a bump in the road. They'll pull through and be strong. But what if they don't? "Pumpkin," Papa places a warm cup in her hand, "I went ahead and got you some breakfast. Here's a muffin, now go enjoy time with your friends. I'll see you this evening." "I love you, Papa." "I love you too, Pumpkin." She watches Papa walk out before going to sit in front of Mic and Aizawa. The two men smile fondly at her. Is she imagining the gleam in Aizawa's eyes? Or the way he can't quite meet her eyes, and instead lets his gaze travel towards her nose, or her mouth? He calmly sips his black coffee, one hand kept on the capture weapon around his neck out of habit. "Hey, 'Zawa." "Hmm?" "How exactly does your scarf work? Is it just.. activated with your quirk?" He chuckles, slightly adjusting the material. "I mean, I guess. It's hard to explain, actually, but you have the right idea. I just think of it like Mic's directional speaker." Mic chuckles slightly. "Except mine is more flashy." Jasper giggles a bit. "I don't mind that the scarf isn't flashy. It makes you even more unique, Mr. Booboo eye." Aizawa rolls his eyes, but the smile on his face shows that he still isn't offended by the nickname. "I don't like flashy, if you can't tell." "Sho, you're so boring!" "And you're too loud, idiot." Jasper can't keep from laughing at their playful banter. They remind her a lot of her and Lilith, really. It's obvious how much the two of them care about each other, and it makes her happy knowing Aizawa always has someone to fall back on. Aizawa's phone rings, and the sight of Joke's name makes him sigh. "Hello?" "Aizawa, why haven't you answered me?" He pinches the bridge of his nose, thankful that Jasper is keeping quiet. "Sorry, I went to sleep and you know that I don't pay attention to my phone on-" "That isn't an excuse! You haven't texted me this morning either!" "Please don't cut me off, Joke. I woke up late and Mic wanted breakfast. I'm spending the day with him ra-" "I'm a bit more important than him, aren't I? I mean, we're actually dating." "No, I don't put you above Mic. Mic is my best friend, and never assume you'll ever be placed before him. I'm hanging up." "What?! Why?!" "Because I have a headache now, and I'm enjoying breakfast with my friends." He screwed that up. "Friends? Who-" "Goodbye." He hangs his phone up and flicks the little sound thing on the side to silent. Jasper can't help but feel bad for him. His eyes lost the small glow they had in an instant. Mic reaches around Aizawa and pulls his slightly smaller friend against him. "Thanks, Sho. Glad to know you love me." "Shut up, Mic. You know how I place people in my life." Jasper manages to smile at that. He takes a lot of shit from Joke, but she's glad he has a breaking point. She gets the same way about Lilith. If it ever came between her or Rumi, Lilith would win. There's no doubt in Jasper's mind about that. "Sorry about that, Jasper." "No, it's okay, but please just keep calling me Jas. I enjoy knowing you're comfortable with me, 'Zawa." She reaches across the table to place her smaller hand on top of his. His words suddenly leave his mind, but his mouth is open to say something. Mic smiles, noticing the small blush on Sho's cheekbones. 'He really likes this girl, huh? Cute.' "Say something, Sho. You look dumbstruck." "S-Shut up." He can't help but fumble his words. Her thumb glides slowly along his knuckles. Her hand is smaller than his, and so much softer. His fingers are calloused from years of working with his capture weapon, but it doesn't seem like she has done a day of hero work. He finally looks into her eyes, and he freezes slightly. She blinks worriedly at him, which makes him feel bad. There's no reason for her to worry about him. He can handle his own relationship.. can't he? "Okay, Jas, but... do me a favor?" "Of course!" She's too damn sweet. "Call me Shouta, or Sho." Her eyes widen slightly at that, and he wonders if he insisted on that too quickly. "Are you sure? I mean, we just met yesterday, and I-" "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it, Jas. That would be highly illogical." Mic snorts. "That means he's deadass, by the way." "Yeah," Aizawa chuckles and brings his coffee to his lips, "I'm deadass, I guess." Her laugh honestly makes him forget about the phone call just a few minutes ago. "Okay, Sho. If you're deadass, then I am, too." She starts to drink her coffee, hoping the cup hides the obvious redness on her cheeks. She pulls her hand away to start picking at her muffin. Honestly, breakfast isn't something she has a habit of eating. Her fathers would always make her something for breakfast, but she would usually take it to school with her and eat it through the day. It wasn't necessarily healthy, but it got her through the day, and she would eat more at dinner if she had a tough training day. "You okay there, baby?" She smiles at Mic. "Yeah, just not a breakfast person." "Us either, but I made some awesome French toast this morning that Sho refused to eat." "Mic, you burned the pan.." "That isn't the point!" She giggles and tears her muffin in half. It seems to be honey and oats, or something like that. "Sho," the nickname feels weird, "will you take this half?" "Why?" "I won't finish it, and you should have something in your system. For me?" That last part decides it for him. At this point, he isn't sure what he wouldn't do for a girl like her. "Fine, for you." Her smile widens more when he takes it and bites into it. "Huh," he looks at the muffin curiously after the taste hits his tongue, "honey and oats?" "Yeah. Papa always remembers my favorites." Aizawa smiles and takes another bite. "I never tried it, honestly. It's really good." Mic chuckles as the two of his friends talk about random stuff. He considers joining the conversations, but he doesn't want them to pry their attention from each other. Aizawa isn't interested in learning about people, but when Jasper mentions that her favorite color is grey, he can see Aizawa jot that down in his mind. Does he even know Joke's favorite color, or her favorite muffin? "What's your favorite color, Sho?" "Black, obviously. I'm boring." "Dude, my favorite color is grey, and you're the boring one??" They both laugh at that. Aizawa glances at his phone for the time, but sighs at the thirty unread text messages from the last hour. "I need to go to the bathroom, then we should get to work." The other two nod, so Aizawa gets up and walks towards the restroom. "Baby, we gotta talk." "Sure?" Jasper tilts her head. "He likes you." "Well, I like him too?" "No, dingus, I mean.. if the two of you were single I know he would ask you out." Jasper whimpers slightly. "Oh.. what makes you say that?" "Ask him what Joke's favorite things are. He won't know, but I can't see him forgetting yours. You got permission to be on a first name basis with him! Come on!" She looks at her cup, wishing that she could suddenly turn invisible. Her mind is so jumbled right now. She didn't want this. Even if Rumi wasn't in the picture, which she is, Aizawa could like her right now just because things with Joke are so bad. Plus, Joke is so much prettier than her, and it's natural that she could make him laugh with her quirk. "I think you're delusional, Mic, honestly. There's no way." "Why not?" "He has a girlfriend. Yeah, they aren't.. made for each other, but he isn't that type of guy." Mic frowns a bit. "Jasper, baby, let me tell you something about Sho.. he's a blunt guy. He's a logical guy. The only reason he hasn't mentioned anything is because you two just met. Logically, most girls would be creeped out if he told you that he had a crush on you the day after meeting you. He wants to wait it out, to settle things with Joke, and to see what you and Rumi are going through. He respects your boundaries and he wants you happy. That's Sho." She can't help but believe Mic at this point. Mic has known Aizawa for fifteen years, surely he can tell when the man has feelings for a person. "She's.. so much prettier, Mic." "Prettier? Than you? Baby, no. You have a natural glow, she tries to have that glow." The bathroom door opening makes both of them quiet down, but Mic reaches to lace his slender fingers with hers. His green eyes hold nothing but sincerity, and it makes her squeeze his hand. "Ready to go?" "'bout time, Sho. I thought you fell in." "I will hit you, Mic." Jasper giggles, catching Aizawa's attention. How ironic it is that her favorite color is the color of his eyes. Has he noticed that yet? She isn't sure he will. She stands and places a gentle hand on his arm. "Ready when you are." Mic passes Aizawa the car keys with a grin. "I call backseat. Jasper can sit shotgun." "Mic," Jasper sighs, "let me-" "Nope. Already called it!" Aizawa rolls his eyes, but shrugs. "Just do what he wants or he'll whine about it." She shrugs and follows them out. Aizawa is kind enough to open the passenger door for her, which makes Mic smirk. Such a gentleman. "Warning, buckle up," Mic chuckles once they're in the car, "Sho can't fucking drive." "I can when someone other than you is in the car." "So I'm the only one you're willing to endanger?!" "No," Aizawa smirks and glances at the blonde from the rearview mirror, "obviously myself." Jasper starts laughing uncontrollably at the playful retort. She laughs so much that she snorts, which makes the two men laugh with her. She can't help but relish in Aizawa's laugh. It's kind of quiet, unlike Mic's, but it's.. really sweet. He notices her stares and gives her shoulder a gentle shove. "Was it that funny?" "A-A little bit. Sorry." He rolls his eyes and does his best to focus on the road. It's really hard when she keeps looking at him so sweetly. "Don't apologize, Jas. I'm glad my shitty humor can make you laugh." Mic snorts. "Seriously, it wasn't even that funny." "You know what," Aizawa sighs, "fuck you." "Oooooh, when and where, big shot?" "Big shot? How about in hell because that, my good friend, is a sin." "I'll fuck Satan, too, Sho. Come on, let me get a turn with ya." Jasper covers her ears while laughing. "I'm supposed to be the gay one!" "Hey," Mic taps her shoulder, "It isn't gay if it's a three way." Aizawa pulls into the school parking lot with a chuckle. "Not into three ways, dumbass." "Not even once?" "Not a chance. I don't want you seeing my-" "I've already seen-" "Woooah! I don't wanna know this!" Jasper hops out of the car, leaving both of her friends laughing. They get out and follow on either side of her. Once they get inside, she jumps from seeing freaking All Might just standing in the hall. He smiles widely at them, holding his hand out to Jasper. "You must be the new teacher. It's nice to meet you." "Jasper. It's nice to meet you, too." All Might glances at Mic. "So, why are you two walking like you're her body guards." "That's my baby, yo!" "Please don't take him serious." All Might winks at her, letting her know that he gets it. "Jas," Aizawa taps her shoulder, "Lets go start grading. Come on, Mic." "Comiiiing." While walking down the hall, a familiar voice stops Jasper in her tracks. "Daedalus, I know you aren't going to forget that I work here." She turns, meeting navy blue eyes. "M-Midnight!" Her old mentor smiles widely before wrapping Jasper in a tight hug. "You look like you're doing well. How are you and Mirko?" Of course she would ask that. She loves hearing about Jasper being happy. "Oh.. we're.. yeah. It's not so good right now, but-" "I'm sorry for asking, Jasper. Don't talk about it if you don't want to." She smiles, relishing in the feeling of Midnight's arms around her. However, Aizawa's eyes are wide. Did she just say her and Mirko aren't doing well? There's no way she could be going through what he is. He won't stand seeing her being torn down like he is. His fists tighten at his sides, which catches Mic's attention. "Yo," Mic starts whispering, "what's wrong?" "Did you not hear her? She said her and Mirko are going through-" "Sho," Mic narrows his eyes, "are you in any position to be worrying about a relationship other than yours? I'll handle talking to her." He's right. Mic is almost always right. Jasper might get upset if he, of all people, has the nerve to ask about it. He uncurls his fists and meets Midnight's gaze. "Go do whatever you were doing, Jasper, but we have to catch up. Lunch with me and the two amigos there?" "I would love that! I'll see you then, boss." "I'm just Nemuri now, kid." Jasper walks back to Aizawa and Mic, flinching when she sees an unfamiliar glare in Aizawa's eyes. "Ignore him, baby. Come on, we gotta talk." Mic places an arm around her shoulder and leads both her and Aizawa to the 1-A classroom. When they get inside, Aizawa shuts the door while Mic rushes to grab the stack of papers that have yet to be graded. "It's mostly English worksheets and history stuff. Take your pick." Jasper takes a stack of the worksheets and settles into the seat next to Aizawa's. Mic pulls a chair in front of them and smiles. "Don't hesitate to ask me if you have a grammar question. Anyways, how are you?" "I'm.. fine? Why?" "We heard that you and Mirko are rocky. I just wanna check in and see if you need to talk about it." Damn, Mic is a good friend. Jasper sighs a bit. "I don't want to be a burden to y'all." "I wouldn't ask if I thought you would be a burden, baby. You can tell us anything, and it will never leave this classroom. I promise." "Me too." Aizawa pats her shoulder softly before going back to marking up the history work in front of him. "Well," Jasper sighs, "Rumi is just very unhappy with me taking this job. She wants me to stay as a full time hero and do more jobs with her." Mic glances at her over the rim of his glasses. "Really? She isn't happy for you." Ouch. That makes a few tears form in her eyes. Still, she forces them away so she can speak. "I guess not. That.. doesn't sound good, does it?" "Not at all, baby. Look me in the eyes and tell me something." When she meets his eyes, he removes his glasses. "How bad is it screwing with your mental state? Just from yesterday to today, something is missing in the way you speak. I don't like it." There it is. She chokes on her words, covering her mouth. Mic reaches and brushes a small curl behind her ear. "You can cry, baby. No one will judge you."   Her eyes close, and a sob finally breaks through her gritted teeth. Mic moves quickly around the table and pushes her chair back far enough to kneel in front of her shaking body. His long arms pull her into him gently, and he kisses her temple. "Shhh.. I've got you. Let it all out." Aizawa's eyes widen, and his chest hurts from hearing her cry. He feels like he should be in Mic's position, but he knows that isn't true. Mic is great at giving comfort to people. Hell, he's been keeping Aizawa sane since they met. After a few minutes, she leans up, finally able to get her thoughts together. "I.. I apologize. Last night, after she pretty much hung up on me, I realized that something has to change. If I don't leave this job.. I have a feeling she'll leave me." Mic stands just to sit on the table in front of her. "I won't tell you what to do, baby, but if you like this job, you can lose someone who doesn't support you." She nods, completely understanding where he's coming from. From the outside looking in, she would tell herself the same thing. Rumi has been childish about Jasper moving on from hero work, that much is obvious.   "I'm not leaving. I already enjoy this job, and I haven't worked with the kids yet. I.. I'm meant for this." Mic slides his glasses back on his face. "Good. I think all of the students will love your personality. I'm gonna get some waters and snacks for in here. Keep her company, Sho." Aizawa almost curses when Mic actually leaves the room. He hates that he's bad at dealing with emotions. Hell, he can't even properly process his own. Still, he has this.. urge to hug her and tell her that everything is going to work out. "Sorry, Sho." "Sorry?" Jasper chuckles dryly at his obvious confusion. "I'm a mess. You seem uncomfortable." "No, I'm fine. I'm just.. bad at emotions, you know?" "I think I like that about you, honestly." He tilts his head, pressing for her to continue. "I mean, in a way, we compliment each other. I process too many emotions, and it makes me try to force my way into everyone's issues. You know when to back off." He frowns a bit from that. She sees her compassion as a problem? She sees that her being a true hero is a problem? "Well," Aizawa sighs thoughtfully, "the fact that I back off shows that I can't even process my own emotions correctly. It also makes people more hostile towards me. I.. am much harder to get along with." Jasper looks from the floor to his grey eyes. They're intense, but somehow soft at the same time. "I don't have a hard time getting along with you, Sho." His genuine smile makes her stomach lurch. "I mean, in a way, we must compliment each other, Jas." His eyes go back to what he was previously grading, but she still takes a second to stare at him. He really turned her own words against her like that. She smiles and goes back to the English worksheets. "I'm back! I got some sour candies, some spicy, and some sweets." "Mic," Aizawa sighs, "we ate not an hour ago." "I know, but sad females love candy and shit don't they?" Jasper almost quite literally falls out of her chair from laughing. At least he's trying. It's sweet. "Oh my god, boom boom baby, you're a riot." "Anything to get you smiling again, baby. I know you like sour stuff." She takes the gummies happily and pats his gloved hand softly. Mic passes Aizawa some cinnamon candy, which makes him smile a bit. Mic is the healthy middle of him and Jasper when it comes to people. He remembers everything about everyone. He makes sure to keep everyone in a good mood, and can take the time for himself if his emotions are overwhelming him. Aizawa will never speak about the times out loud, but there have been nights Mic has quite literally held him for an entire night because his own emotions made him collapse. "You like spicy?" "Not necessarily. Sweets just aren't my favorite." "I get that, but I'm a cry baby when it comes to spicy." Aizawa chuckles. At least she's honest. "That's precious, Jas." She blushes slightly, but laughs it off as she pulls a sour gummy out. "Here then, Booboo eye, humor me." Aizawa holds his hand out to accept the gummy. As soon as he puts it in his mouth, his face wrinkles up from the acidic taste. Of course she gave him a lemon one to spite him. Still, hearing her small giggles makes him grin a bit. "Lemon, really?" "All or nothing, sir." He raises a dark eyebrow at the small nickname. That's a dangerous game to play with him. Still, he can control himself very well. The three amigos get back to grading the stacks of papers. It takes until lunch, but they finally manage to set all of them in the 'graded' pile that Mic so kindly pointed out. "So," Mic stands and stretches his long arms high above his head, "are we still eating with Midnight?" Aizawa seems to bite his cheek at that question. He really wants to, geez he hasn't had lunch with Mic and Midnight together in what feels like forever, but he's already pretty much hiding his friendship with Jasper. Still, when her bright blue eyes light up even more, he can't help but nod. "We told her we would, so of course we are. Jasper, what do you want for lunch?" She tilts her head curiously, but Aizawa only smiles. "I'm going to pick sushi up from the cafeteria. I can grab you and Mic something while you go find Midnight." "I can-" "She likes sushi, and I'll take some soba. Thanks, Sho." Once Aizawa leaves, Jasper smacks Mic on his arm. "Owww! That hurt, baby." "Why did you-" Mic hold his hand up to silence her. "It's his love language. Let him feel good about helping out in any way he can." She can't come up with an argument against that. Still, she hates letting people get her things. But she also gets it. Her love language is acts of service, so she adores helping out the people she cares about.   Mic pulls out his phone to call Midnight, so Jasper checks her text messages. Lilith sent one, letting her know that she'll be at Papa and dad's house later tonight. Mirko also sent a few. Apparently she went by the apartment and didn't understand why no one was there. "Hey," Jasper taps Mic's shoulder, "I need to call Mirko." "Do what ya need baby. We're eating in here, so I gotta call Sho." She quickly steps out into the hallway to dial Rumi's number. She places the phone to her ear just as she sees Midnight turn the corner. "Hey, bunny, where the hell are you?" "Rumi, dear, I'm at work. It's a week day." "So you were serious about being a teacher? Are you even qualified to do that, Jasper?" Jasper sighs and waves her old mentor inside. Midnight stands still, her head tilted curiously. "Rumi, they need the help. Plus, I'm catching up with some old friends of-" "What about our hero work? You finally have a name for yourself, after all the work we put into it." "And the people who see me as a great hero will understand. Rumi, this isn't something I'm willing to debate." "Why not?" "Rumi," Jasper finally hardens her voice, "end of discussion. I'm not defending myself anymore. Now, I need to eat lunch so I can get back to work. I love you." Rumi just hangs the phone up. Jasper looks into Midnight's concerned stare and manages a smile. "She'll be okay." "I'm not worried about her, Jas. However, I am proud of you for standing your ground." Jasper smiles at that and walks back into the classroom. "Hey baby," Mic glances over at the two women entering the room, "I told Sho to grab enough soy for everyone. I don't know how you like your sushi. You good?" "I'm fine, Boomboom baby. Thank you." His grin sends a calming wave through her. "Anything for you, baby." Aizawa returns shortly after, and Midnight wastes no time in hugging her dear friend, once he sets all of the food down of course. Aizawa freezes, but gives her a small pat on her back. "I miss seeing you, Aizawa." "I.. I miss you, too, Nem." Midnight pinches his cheek affectionately, which makes him groan. "Still not cleaning up the stubble?" "I like it, mother." "Jasper," Midnight sighs dramatically, "you have some kind of style, I think. Don't you think he would look handsome with it at least cleaned up a little? Or maybe keep this mop of hair out of his face?" "Mop?!" Jasper giggles at their playful banter. It's nice knowing he really does have more than just Mic, even if Joke doesn't like it. "Well.. uhh.." "Nem, don't put her in an odd position-" "Oh, Aizawa," Midnight playfully shoves him, "no one mentioned positions, but I can tell you that our lovely Jasper is a strict bottom." Jasper and Aizawa share a wide eyed look, and both of their cheeks glow crimson. Mic bursts out laughing, and ends up needing Aizawa to save him from choking on soba. "M-Midnight," Jasper's voice is a squeak, "w-what the fuck?!" Midnight winks at her former apprentice. "I love embarrassing you, oh so much. Plus, did you honestly think you could hide it forever?" Jasper tries to laugh the whole thing away. "I don't just go around telling people about my bedroom privacy, you know." "Why did you apprentice under Nem, then?" Aizawa has a point. Still, Jasper covers her face from his stares. "I thought she was nice.." "I am nice, dear, but it's nothing you should be ashamed of." "I-I'm not ashamed.. just embarrassed at the moment." When she uncovers her face, Aizawa is standing there, placing a plate of sushi on the table in front of her. "No matter how shy you are right now, you need to eat." That small act makes her smile. "Thank you, Sho." He smiles and grabs his own sushi. "May I sit next to you?" "Of course. You never need to ask." "Nem," Mic waves at his friend, "come here and have a chat with me." "Sure?" Once Midnight walks that way, Jasper sighs. "That was fucking awkward. I'm sorry, Sho." "Jas," he chuckles, "it doesn't bother me. I was just shocked." Jasper tilts her head as she takes a bite of her food. Once he finishes the piece of sushi in his mouth, he continues. "I don't know. For starters, she said that randomly. Also, you just seem the type to want control of any situation. I just assumed." Jasper can't contain her laughter from that. Her? In control? "It seems that you, sir, have made an ass out of yourself." "Whatever, bottom."

"That," Midnight whispers to Mic, "is why I did that." Mic smirks at the pair of new friends laughing together. "Nem," Mic nudges her, "you see it, too, right?" Midnight nods and takes a bite of the salad she got for herself. "If there's a thing like soulmates, I will swear that those two belong together." Mic nods. "I remember on the day you introduced her to us, years ago, I knew that something could blossom between them. Jasper is patient, and Sho is so damn loving. I hate how much he hides that loving side." "Well, can you blame him? Poor thing didn't have the best childhood." "None of us did, but I get it." Mic frowns just thinking of the number of times Aizawa has genuinely tried to be loving to Joke. She ignores him when he needs attention, so Mic takes it upon himself to give his best friend any ounce of attention he might need. Some nights it's simple stuff like doing chores together, and some nights he just wants someone to play a video game with him for an hour or two. However, Aizawa always wants to take care of others. He can't see Jasper ever ignoring when Aizawa needs something as simple as that.

"You're supposed to eat sushi in one bite, Jas." "Well, I'm German, so it's okay." "Oh, come on. Don't be a pansy." He chuckles and gives her a small shoulder bump. "Look, it makes me feel like a pig." "I do it. Are you trying to say something?" "Sho, you're bigger than me." "So now I'm fat?" She reaches out to shove him, but his hand grabs her small wrist easily. When her eyes widen, his head tilts to the side. "You okay?" "Yeah," Jasper giggles, "your hands are just.. very large compared to mine." He chuckles and lets go of her wrist. He opens his hand, signaling for her to place hers against his. When she does it, she doesn't miss the silent squeal that Mic makes. Does he have to keep staring at them? He makes a point by enclosing the tips of her fingers with his. "You are so small, Jas." Her cheeks warm from how sweet he's looking at her. "I-I make up for it with my weight, though." Something in his gaze hardens. When she freezes, he takes his hand and pulls her into a hug. It feels natural for her to wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his shoulder. He smiles at the warmth from her body against his. "You're absolutely beautiful, Jas, so never put yourself down." Her grip on him tightens slightly. When they pull away from each other, Aizawa grabs their plates with a smile. "Let me take these. I'll be back in a bit, then we can clock out." "Already?" "Half day since the kids aren't here. I'll take you back to your parent's house." When he leaves, Jasper can't help but look over at Mic and Midnight. "He... he really does like me, doesn't he?" "Baby, he is smitten with you." Mic chuckles. Midnight takes a second to walk over to her before answering. "Rumi doesn't have your heart anymore, I can tell." She hates this. She hates that, in a way, Midnight is right. She loves Rumi, and she will always love Rumi, but something has been off lately. It was off before she even took the job at UA, but she never paid attention to it. At this point, she isn't sure that she would rather stay with Rumi than talk to Aizawa about their feelings. "Ready to head out, Jas? Mic?" Mic shakes his head. "Just pick me up after. I need to talk to Nezu." Aizawa shrugs, but smiles at Jasper so sweetly. His mind is also full of so many thoughts. He hasn't told Joke that he.. loves.. her because he was never sure. Now, he's sure that he doesn't, and he needs to talk to her about it. As of right now, Jasper has made him feel more alive in two days than he has in his entire relationship. Needless to say, the two of them need to think everything through, and it starts with tying off some loose ends.

@katgalle​

7. For Wessa

Writing fic prompt, 7. “I almost lost you.”

@daisyherxndale, I hope you like this, it’s a bit angsty 😅😅

--------------------------------------

It’s been a long day.

Then again, in the Spiral Labyrinth, there isn’t actually any way to let the sunlight in so that someone could tell if the day is actually over or not, or if the day started in the first place. Warlocks can be so awfully cynical and wary of the outer world.

But of course, Tessa understands where their apprehension stems from. The world outside, whether it be the Shadow world, or the Mundane world, has never been kind to Lilith’s children. And the books, and grimoirs, and spells that line the endless dusty old walls of the Labyrinth are worth tenfold of any world war. Those are, of course, several hundreds of thousands of reasons for the cynicism, and wariness, and paranoia.

And, of course, the Shadowhunters of the past have never exactly helped ease the situation, not that it is any better now. Even today, if Tessa tries, she can remember the spoil room in the Starkweather Manor. That room, filled with bloody fangs, and severed claws, and hooves, and wings, everything else that could’ve set the owner apart from everyone. That gloomy, old, wretched manor. Occupying her memory alongside an equally wretched reminder of the truth of her birth.

Sometimes Tessa envies the mundanes. They can fall in love freely, without having to see the love of their life die in front of them, they don’t have to carry that sorrow in their very being for the rest of all eternity, they can laugh, and love, and get their heart broken, and fall in love all over again, and then when it’s all over, they can simply die happy, knowing that they loved and they were loved in return, hoping to be born again alongside their loved ones. They don’t have to stay the same while their love, and their children age in front of their eyes.

Mundanes don’t have to hold the hand of their husband and let him die in their arms, while they stay frozen in time. They don’t have to sit at the breakfast table, just to notice the new grey streaks in their son’s hair. They don’t have to run away and hide in the dusty corners of an age old library, fearing every time someone comes in that they might bear the news of another of their beloved descendants dying.

Sometimes, Tessa imagines what life could’ve been if she had never come to London. If she had just stayed in New York, and stayed a mundane...

But then, she wouldn’t have met them.

Will. With hair as black as the ink in their favourite books, and eyes as blue as the midnight sky. Her Will, with a stubbornness rivalling her own, with so much love to give that she felt overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of it. Will, with his poetry to cheer her up every time he saw her upset. Will, who chose to make himself seem like a loveless monster over risking anyone. Will, who broke his own heart a million times over to save everyone else. Will. Her Will.

And Jem. With his unending ocean of kindness and love. Jem, with eyes and hair as bright as the moonlight she first saw him in. Jem, with music as beautiful as the Angels themselves. Jem, who never broke a single promise he made to her. Jem, who never turned her down. Jem, with steady voice, and calming eyes, and a heart that’s ability to love compares to only his Parabatai’s.

Sometimes, Tessa pities anyone who thinks that love is a weakness for an immortal. Love is not a weakness, because it’s only Will’s soothing words at that Angel-damned Starkweather manor, that helped her calm down, it’s Will’s love that still burns brightest in her heart, it’s Jem’s constant presence, and his loving, kind words, that got Tessa through one of the darkest periods of her life, when she didn’t know what she was supposed to be. Her loves made her stronger, better, her loves made her the woman she is today.

But this doesn’t mean that she still doesn’t envy mortals. Mortals don’t have to hear the news that their grandson, someone she loves more than her own being, passed away. Elders aren’t supposed to live longer than their grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, just to see them age and die, when all they can do is stare helplessly.

So that’s why she is hiding, behind the biggest shelf in the Labyrinth, trying to get lost in the translations, and spellworks, and the theory of magic. She’s trying to push through, one more page, one more translation, one more connotations. If she keeps herself busy enough, she wouldn’t have to see the face of the tiny chubby baby clutching her thumb in his tiny fist, if she’s works enough, if she tries enough....

Suddenly, Tessa feels like she’s floating on air, or perhaps sinking down the depths of an endless ocean.  She feels weightless, and dizzy, the words start swimming in front of her eyes, the scrolls and books and pages in front of her start melting away, like smoke fusing with air. Tessa stumbles upward, trying to gather her bearings, but there’s a new wave of dizziness that hits her and she just...

Tessa expects to hit the floor, hard. But the blow never comes. Tessa opens her eyes slowly, unsure of anything that might be in front of her.

“Tess? Tess, you with me? Tessa?”

Tessa’s eyes flutter open, she turns her head, and realizes that her head is pillowed in someone’s arms, no, not just someone, she knows that voice, that voice, that touch, that’s-that’s-

“Will...” Tessa whispers. He smiles, that same smile he gave her all their life, that same smile he had given her just after they got married, that same smile he had every day Jem was summoned from the Silent City, that same smile whenever little Jamie or Lucie asked him to read them a story. That same smile she fell in love with.

Tessa takes a deep breath, curling up in Will’s arms, and he holds are closer, tighter. “Hey,” he puts a palm against her cheek, the gentlest of touches, “There you are.”

“Will...” Tessa looks at him, “Will... Marcus... he- he...”

“I know, Tess, I know,” Will says, his smile never faltering, “I know. Marcus died yesterday, I know.”

It’s when Will wipes her cheek with his thumb that Tessa realizes she has been crying. “They’re all leaving, they’re all going to go away, one after the other. I-I thought after Jamie and-and Lucie, it’ll get easier, but it hurts William, it hurts every time. It’s like losing them all over again. Sometimes I- I wish that I could just join you, if I could just-”

“Tess, don’t say that, please don’t say that,” Will cups her cheeks with his palms, “You are the strongest woman I’ve ever known, Tessa Gray Herondale, and you are not giving up. You have to stay strong. I need you to be strong. This world needs you. Jem needs you.”

“Tessa you have to fight, you have to live. I almost lost you this time, don’t do anything like this, please Tess, promise me, you won’t. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself. Promise me.”

“Will...” Tessa reaches out to hold his cheek, but Will starts to fade away, the ghost of his smile, and the twinkle of his eyes lingers around. Tessa bolts upwards, her eyes wide, and immediately a harsh bright light hits her eyes, and she recoils. After a moment to adjust, Tessa looks around. The pale, white walls of the medical room of the Labyrinth stares back at her.

Tessa feels her vision go blurry, and she wipes her eyes with the back of her palm. She feels her throat close up, and turns to grab the water from the side table, and she sees her copy of ‘Tale of Two Cities’, and she feels new tears sting in the back of her eyes. She picks it up, a sad smile makes its way on her face.

To the dream of my soul

Will’s handwriting is clear inside the cover, and Tessa has put a very strong spell on it to save it from time’s cruel hands. Still, the thumbed down pages, with little notes scrawled on the margins, bring her right back to the library at the Institute, where she has spent countless hours discussing poetry with a certain blue-eyed boy who will always own half of her soul.

Tears fall freely down her cheeks, and she clutches the book close to her heart, trusting his love to wash over her like a healing spell. After a few minutes, Tessa can feel herself drift off, the symphony of her favourite voice in her ears, a rhythm of her name.

It’s only after she goes back to sleep, that Will smiles, watching over her, and blends into the air, content, now that his love is better, for the time being.

Obey Me / Scm Au Series

Warnings: None

This will be the last chapter without warnings, violence, drama, romance is going to start commencing. S**t is about to hit the fan. --> Ch5

Words: 2667

I do not own the rights to the characters, characters belong to:

·         Obey me! Shall We Date

·         Voltage- Star Crossed Myth

 Chapter 4: Pride and Joy

 It had nearly been a month since you were last in Devildom, not that you were counting. After Zyglavis and his visit yesterday, you felt pretty bummed out. Pretending to be asleep whenever there was a knock at your door. You honestly didn’t want to see anyone or talk to anyone. Constantly asking yourself, over and over again.

‘Why haven’t they contacted, am I just another pawn to other means...’

Depressed would be trivialization.

Another knock at the door disturbed you, turning over in the bed and keeping silent.

Karno’s voice sounds on the other side “Y/N, It’s me. I’m coming in, alright?”

Luckily the door was unlocked, he peaked his head in to the dark room. Noticing she still had the curtains closed, glancing around and catching a little figure shifting beneath the sheet.

Sighing to himself ‘She’s upset…. What did Zyg say to her exactly...’ He slowly walked towards the curtains and drew them open.

The sun light flooded into the room, igniting all the colours and brightening it from its depressing state.

“Y/N I know you’re not asleep… I’m sorry things aren’t the way you want them to be…” He sat himself at the end of the bed. “I care about your wellbeing, and your mental state. Could you try to meet me half way? Shutting yourself out isn’t going to make anything easier, why don’t we do something?”

You were completely submersed under the bedding, grumbling “Like what? I’m not allowed to go anywhere, or do anything. THEY don’t seem to like me too much, so It’s probably best if I just stay here and out of the way.” You barked out, hidden.

You heard Karna begin to laugh, does he find this funny!?

Scrambling to get out of the covers, with the sourest look on your face. You meet Karna’s smiling eyes.

“There she is, come on. Get ready let’s go out” Glowing as he speaks.

It was like he wasn’t even listening to you, “Look, I’m not doing anything, I haven’t-“

*SNAP*

With a snap of his fingers you were completely dressed, out of the jammies you were snug in. You looked down and noticed the attention to detail, you’ve seen this dress before... It was the one you wore the day you got your driver’s license!

Your ‘good luck dress’. You were about to say something to him when he spoke.

“The day you got your license, you wore that dress. Y/N, I have had the duty, no the honour… Watching you grow from a shy, happy go lucky girl, to the woman you are today.” Karno looks down to the floor, a slight shade of pink graces his cheeks.

“You were so happy when you held your passing certificate. Cheering about the freedom, you were so nervous, considering you failed twice before this test…. Do you remember how down you were then? Do you remember the sense of achievement you got when you tried and tried until you succeeded?” He finally looks back, pushing off the bed and standing. “No matter how tough a situation is, you never give up. That’s just who you are, so, don’t give up now.” Tilting his head slightly to the side.

Maybe it was because at this present moment you longed for someone to care. Someone to reach out and just say something that made you feel like you mattered. You felt yourself choking up, nodding along to what he had said.

“Thank you, sir.”

Karno scoffed following with a chuckle, “You really need to stop being so formal, I know we’re old but you don’t have to constantly point it out.”

Your eyes met, and the room was next filled with laughter.

.

The House of Lamentation

“Luci love, where are you hiding? Come now Luci, Mammon is crying for you, the game is over. You win my boy.”

“Grawrrrr!!!” A young Lucifer jumps from behind a pillar.

Fate turns around, pretending to be frightened, “Oh my, some-body please save me!”

“No, no, I’m playing mom. See it’s me! Your pride and joy!” Shaking his hands, showing a toothy grin.

She bends down and brushes the hair from his face “Luci…. Lucifer…...”

…

“Yo, Lucifer man wake up” Mammon starts shaking his brother who’s dosed off in a chair.

Lucifer slowly opens his eyes, squinting at Mammon.

“Man, not like you to fall asleep so unguarded around the house like this.” Mammon leans on the wall looking down to him.

Lucifer rubs his face “I was not asleep, I was just… resting my eyes.”

“Pfft, yea okay then! You were clearly asleep, smiling away. Hey, you better not have been dreaming about Y/N!” He folds his arms and looks at Lucifer suspiciously.

“No, I was having a delightful thought on how I am going to punish you today.” Looking to Mammon with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Mammon’s face drops and drains of its colour “I’m out!!!” with that, he was gone. Brushing passed Belphie, at high speed.

Belphie watches as his idiot brother scurries away, turning his attention to Lucifer dazing off into the distant. “What did he do now?”

Lucifer responds without even a glance, “Nothing…. Yet.”

Belphie examines his brother, clearly noticing something off. Lucifer was always busy, reports, meetings, you name it, he was on it. Finding him sitting here doing nothing rather than relaxing in his room, alone, spelled suspicion. “What going on with you?” He steps closer.

“…”

“Same as usual then, hiding things, are you?” Belphie says with distain, turning to leave.

Lucifer still staring off, “do you ever think of her?”

Belphie stops in his tracks, looking back “Who? Y/N? Of course, I think it’s safe to say we all miss-“

Lucifer stands up, “No, of mother.”

Belphie is taken back, speechless; blinking his eyes numerously.

“Never-mind, forget I asked anything...” Taking large strides distancing himself, retreating away to wherever he needed to be.

…

.

Belphie thought about what Lucifer said as he walked back to his room. He flopped not so gracefully onto his bed and gripped his pillow tighter…

‘The others already seemed to mix Y/N up with Lilith, sure she is her decadent, but that’s all… But to be mother’s incarnation, that throws a spanner into the works.’

Belphie was thinking, he felt bad for you... Not that he’d ever admit it to ya. Though the more he thought about it the more it made sense, you reminded him so much of her. Only mother wasn’t nearly as dull and gullible as you were.

Grinning to himself.

.

Human Realm: Some-where

“Karno, where exactly are we going?” You say as you two waltz around the busy streets.

Even with Karna dressed in ‘civilian’ clothing, people were stopping and staring in awe of him. When you had gone to London with Lucifer, Satan and Mammon, you guys walked around pretty much unnoticed. Well except for Mammon was accused of murder, that yanked a lot of unwanted attention…

But this, Karno still glowed no matter what he wore. People were acting as though he was some sort of celebrity!

“Your friend Solomon lives nearby, I thought I could meet you half way and we’d see someone from school.” He turns to you and smiles.

Solomon!?!

You practically jumped on Karno, “REALLY, SERIOUSLY!? THANK YOU, THANK YOU!” Giving him one of those bear hugs Beel would give you.

Karno’s face went a bright red before placing a hand atop your head, “Okay, okay settle down. Don’t want the others to start bugging you for hugs now...”

You looked up and asked Karno what he meant.

“You see, the departments have reflecting pools. It allows us to do our jobs. Each of the Ministers have private ones in their rooms, down here and in heaven. While the rest of us, use the shared reflecting pools. We can see everything that is happening, chances are we are being watched.” Pointing up to the sky, awkwardly.

You dropped your arms to your side, and as Karno began to walk away… You stuck your tongue out towards the sky, like a child. Moments later there was a crash of thunder, even though the skies were clear. You nearly jumped out of your skin and ran frantically to Karno’s side.

.

The House of Gods

“Cheeky.” Leon smirks to himself, watching two figures in the pool.

He found himself constantly watching the way the girl smiled at the simplest things. The way she swayed here and there, drunk on life it seemed.

This fragile life, an incarnation.

She lived and studied alongside demons the last year of her life.

Demons… Who were once pupils, ‘friends’ he could have once said?

Now, the filthiest of filth. He disagreed with how Diavolo wished for everyone to happily live alongside each other, like the old days.

Look how that turned out, but what the King says is law. Probably just another one of his twisted games, that’s probably why he agreed to Diavolo’s proposal. When he heard Lucifer was now Diavolo’s right hand man, furious would be a watered-down word for how he felt.

That brat once served him, now… Made him sick to think.

This girl survived alongside those brutes, even cared for them. It was laughable, Karno’s little side job. To think she is her, or apart of her, perhaps another one of those twisted games.

He shook his head and returned to his desk, picking up the reports on the side.

Knocking at his door-

“Enter” He roars.

Huedaut steps into the Chief Ministers room, “Ah Leon, you are here. You’ve been spending a lot of time down here.”

“…and you haven’t?” Leon looks to Hue with a smug expression.

Hue shakes his head, “Unlike you, I’m tasked to ensuring the little lamb doesn’t relapse with sickness. She was suffocating with miasma when she first arrived, it’s a miracle she didn’t die.” Looking down to the files on Leon’s desk.

Leon pulls a bottle of wine from his desk, “Is it though?” he then proceeds to grab two wine glasses from the cabinet behind. “Drink with me, talk.”

Hue doesn’t say anything, he nods his head and proceeds to take on of the seats infront of the desk.

.

Human Realm: Solomon’s Apartment

Karno said he’d stick close by, giving you some space to visit your friend. He told you the apartment number, and off you went. You hoped he was home, knocking on his door…

The door opened, “Y/N?” He smiles to you and steps to the side “Come in, it’s been some time.”

“I’m sorry for turning up un-announced, I was in the neighbourhood and thought I’d pop in!” You bow to him.

He gave you a questioning look, “Yea, how did you know where I lived though?”

You panicked, nobody said whether or not you could throw around the gods as excuses so quickly telling him Asmo’s once mentioned it to you.

“Ah, Asmodeus… Once he brought a load of women here with him, I thought I was going to kill him that night….” Solomon shakes his head with a scowl “I probably wouldn’t have been so angry but at 4 am in the morning….”

You burst into laughter, “Sounds like him!”

It felt quite relaxing chatting away with Solomon, you were caught up with everything down below as far as Solomon knew.

“So, have you spoken to any of them recently?” He refills your cup of tea.

You fell silent, and shook your head.

Solomon could see you were upset, “Have you tried? Where have you been this time? Home?”

Again, still silent, you shook your head.

A sudden knock at the door-

Made you jumpy, Solomon slowly got up and answered. “Uh hello, can I help you?”

Karno was standing opposite, “Hi, I’m here to bring Y/N back home” Giving Solomon one of those charismatic smiles.

Solomon leans back and calls you to the door. You thank Solomon for his time today and tell him you’ll have to meet up again, when he tells you to wait one moment. He leaves the door and goes further into his apartment, you turn to Karno.

“We have to leave already?”

He gives you a pathetic smile, “I’m sorry but it’s not entirely safe for you to be out for so long, I am sorry…”

You realise then Karno took a huge risk taking you out today, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry for sounding ungrateful! It literally only hit me now, thank you Karno!”

Just then Solomon returns and hands you a gift. You accept it and thank him with a look of curiosity.

“Don’t worry its nothing bad *laughs* Its pictures I’ve collected during our year at RAD. There are some good ones in there from the retreat at Diavolo’s castle, I’ve also put my number in the box. Feel free to text me, it’s my personal mobile number” Solomon reaches out and just barely touches your shoulder.

“Thank you” Bowing.

Solomon watched the two leave, or watched the man more so. His aura was familiar to Simeon and Luke’s only much, much stronger. ‘So, she’s staying with them I take it’ Thinking to himself.

.

The House of Lamentation

Lucifer was sitting at his desk, trying to look over recent reports.

Trying being the word.

Remembering his mentor’s teachings, her kind words of encouragement.

.

.

“When I grow up, I’m going to be just like you and father Hue!” Little Lucifer exclaimed.

She shook her head to him, “No my love.”

Remembering the feeling of being wronged in that moment...

She then scooped him up, “I want you to be better than us” planting kisses all over his face.

The memories of his childhood…

.

.

He couldn’t focus, setting down the files, another thought occurred.

‘We never wrote back!’

He practically jumped from his seat, texting his brothers to meet in the dinner hall immediately. Then rushing out the door of his room, as he passed by rooms, he heard phones binging. Quickly one by one each of the boys following suit and making their ways to the hall.

“What’s this about?” Satan shows the text.

Levi moans, “I was in the middle of a boss battle…”

…

They all fall silent as they observe Lucifer’s strange state.

He stands tall and crosses his arms, “We never replied back to Y/N’s letter...”

“That’s is?!”

“Yes.”

Everyone pondered a moment before Mammon spoke, “Well THE great Mammon, Y/N first boy, actually wrote her a letter.” Puffing his chest in victory.

“Wow do you actually have enough in your vocabulary to write a full letter?” Satan teases.

“That’s enough” Lucifer jumps in before the situation detours, “Mammon bring your letter now, if you all wish to write one, I will give you an hour before I leave to the human realm.”

Everyone looks in scepticism.

“The human realm? Isn’t she with those ‘gods’?” Belphie points out.

Lucifer nods, “Yes, but if memory serves me well, the house of gods is located in a rundown looking mansion…. In the human realm.”

Beel’s eyes bright up, “I wanna come too, I want to see Y/N, you’ll come to right Belphie?”

Before anyone has a chance, Lucifer dismisses “No, it won’t be safe. You seem to forget…..” Trailing off.

Belphie approaches, “No, we know. Remember what you promised us? We will do this as a family, you don’t have to do everything yourself. You’re not the only one who has to bear the burdens.”

Lucifer looked to his younger siblings who were all nodding and anticipating his response.

“Very well, then we should set off. We should see for our very own eyes how she’s doing.”

.

Heaven

The king looks down in the pool with distaste.

“How unexpected” He says sarcastically.

“Altair, come to me.”

A handsome little boy appears before the king, “Yes your highness!”

“I have a message for Scorpio, see to it”

…

To Be Continued

CH1 - CH2 - CH3 - CH5

 Story has also been uploaded to AO3 

Thanx for all the support, you know what to do! xxxx

Mira Self Para Currently in a coma:

Mira woke up just like she had any other day to the sun shining in the windows. She could hear the birds singing in the trees outside. Their songs made her smile. She got up and stretched. “My goodness. I got up so late today.” She murmured to herself  as she draped her feet out of the bed. Her mother must have left early this morning. 

Mira got dressed and looked around her room. It wasn’t a giant room but it was her own. She smiled as she saw all of the paintings and drawings she had done since she was a small toddler. Mira walked over to the window and opened it letting the fresh air inside. She looked around at the land she was supposed to stay away from. She always wished she could go outside. Of course what her mother, Lilith didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. 

“Did Mother Lilith leave early today?” Mira asked to her best friend Wes, the worlds nicest fox. He was laying casually under a tree. Next to him was his little sister  Gianna. Mira was never going to tell Wes that Gianna was adopted seeing as she was indeed a hedgehog. Wes nodded his head at her and Mira smiled. “Yes!” If Mother Lilith wasn’t around she was able to do whatever she wanted. Mira grabbed snacks for her two friends and climbed out the window. She climbed down the stone tower and onto the soft grass. 

“Hi guys!” She smiled and plopped down right next to Wes and Gianna. Wes walked over and curled up right next to her side and Gianna climbed into her lap. Mira sang songs and fed them snacks. “What are we going to do today?” She asked her best friends. They looked at her. She smiled at them and listened to their ideas. “Hmm we could go on a small adventure.” She nodded and gently placed Gianna off her lap. “Let’s go!” Mira and her friends skipped through the forest pretending to be all types of adventures. Mother Lilith brought Mira all kinds of books to keep her busy. 

There was only one rule. Don’t leave the tower. Mira broke that rule all the time. She did a really good job hiding it though. Finally it was time to go back to the tower before Mother Lilith arrived home. She said goodnight to Gianna and Wes and then climbed back into the top window of the tower. She straightened up their cozy tower home before starting dinner for her mother. 

“Mira!” Mother Lilith called from the ground. Mira tossed the basket over the ledge and pulled her mother up into the tower. “Hi Mother. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to you this morning.” Mira frowned as her mother stepped of the basket. Mira nearly out of breath leaned against the wall. “Oh Flower. I just couldn’t bare to wake you.” She cooed coming over and brushing her fingers over the backs of Mira’s hands. “What did you make for dinner?” She asked walking towards their kitchen.

“Your favorite soup. Remember you brought me the ingredients yesterday.” Mira called after her taking a deep breath. “Oh of course.” Mother Lilith nodded and sat at the table. They enjoyed their dinner in silence. Once everything was put away Mother Lilith called Mira over to her chair. “Flower. I would like for you to sing to me.” She smiled and placed Mira’s hands on her face. She couldn’t reject her mother. So she began to sing the song she was taught as a small child. Her mother use to sing it before she could. 

She continued to sing as the light went from her fingers and into her mother’s skin. Mira watched as her mother smiled. All of the worry lines and faded marks went away. Mira smiled feeling so proud she could help someone stay healthy. Mother Lilith told her all about how she had to save her from her father and aunt. All they wanted to do was abuse her power. She was kept in the tower to protect herself from them. 

After using her power Mira always grew tired so she said goodnight to Mother Lilith and went up to sleep. She was surprised to find an asleep Gianna on her pillow. “How did you get here sunshine?” She whispered and tucked the little hedgehog in with her. She told Gianna the story of how she had met them, obviously because Gianna wanted a bed time story. “It was about a year ago. I was sneaking around in the ya know where and I saw a poor fox all hurt. I ran over to him and secretly used my power to heal him. Shortly after you came out from your hiding spot and we became great friends.” Mira gave a soft kiss to her forehead and fell asleep. 

The next day was the best day it was Mira’s birthday. She got up and quickly went downstairs. Her mother was already sitting at the table waiting for her. “Good morning Mother” She smiled and grabbed the breakfast bread putting it next to her. “Isn’t today lovely?” She asked trying to drop a hint.

“Oh yes dear it is.” Mother Lilith half heatedly said eating her scone. “You know today is my birthday.” Mira said shyly. 

“Oh I distinctly remember that happening last year.” Mother Lilith chastised her daughter standing up from the table. “Oh but mother remember birthday’s are kind of an annual thing?”  Mother Lilith rolled her eyes. “Oh alright. What would you like for your birthday?” She sighed and looked at Mira. 

“Well you know that island that’s in the distance? The one that always releases those lanterns?” She asked pointing out the window. Mother Lilith tilted her head. “What about the island?” She knew where this was going and Mother Lilith was not happy not one bit. “I want to go there.” Mira sighed. “Please?” 

“You want to go outside?! To that island? Don’t you remember all the trouble I had to go through to get you off the island?!” Mother Lilith was enraged. How dare this child ask such things of her. “No. You will not. Ugh I’m tired. Come sing me a song.” Mother Lilith called Mira over. “But Mother....” Mira begged. 

“NO” Mother Lilith yelled at her daughter pushing her down. “I never want to speak of this again. I have to take a trip. I’ll be back in four days.” Mother Lilith grumbled. She wouldn’t tell Mira this but another child she had kept from their father was locked in a tower far from here. She had to go check to make sure that daughter was still alive. Lilith grabbed Mira’s hands and placed a soft kiss on them before heading out of the tower. 

Mira sighed. All she had wanted was to go to that beautiful island. She could see if from her window. Every year on her birthday they lit up the sky with beautiful lanterns and fireworks. It was like a party but just for her. “You know what. I can do this myself.” Mira said stomping her foot. She ran upstairs and packed a bag. 4 days had to be enough to visit the island and come back. Right? 

Mira climbed out of the tower and down to the grass. Wes and Gianna were right by her feet. How did Gianna get back down? Oh well. Mira told them her whole plan. Which since her only plan was to somehow make it to the island it didn’t take very long to explain. “Alright. Let’s go!” Mira said. She was just heading into the forest when she saw two men walking towards her tower. She instantly hid behind the trees to watch. 

“I don’t know if Lilith is here. Are you sure she’s hiding someone here?” The older looking of the two men said. Lilith? Did they mean mother? 

“That’s what Apollo said. He said Artemis sent out Hunters and they tracked Lilith to 3 other towers. This was just the closest to the island so they said to check it first.” The younger one said looking up at the tower. 

“How do we even get up? There’s no doors.” The older one rubbed his hands over his hair. 

Were they bandits...were these the bad people her mother always warned her about. What was she going to do? Mira pulled out of her bag the slingshot she had secretly made. She didn’t have any rocks so she grabbed a berry from the bush. “These pass as rocks right Gianna? Wes?” She asked her friends. They simply shrugged at her. Mira crouched down and got closer to the two men. They were now at the base of her tower looking up. 

“Freeze or I’ll shoot you!” She called from her hiding spot in the woods. The two men jumped and spun around at the sound. “We don’t want to hurt you!” They called out holding their hands up. Mira got closer to them. “What do you want with my tower?” She asked them peaking her head out.

“Your tower...wait...” The younger one tilted his head. 

“We don’t want to hurt you. Your father sent us to save you!” The older one called out with a big smile on his face. 

“My Mother says my father wants me dead.” Mira questioned them. “Or he wants to steal my powers.” She wasn’t sure who to believe. She had to believe Mother Lilith. That was the only parent she had ever known. 

“Look I promise we won’t hurt you. We....we’re Lilith’s sons.” The younger one said almost sadly. Mother Lilith had other children? 

“Her what?!” Mira jumped out of her hiding spot. “Sons?” The two men nodded at her. “How?!” The two looked at each other and then back at Mira.

“Well...um that part...” The older one started.

“We’re older than you.” The younger one interrupted. Mira saw the look of appreciation on the older boys face and was confused. 

“I’m Finn.” Said the older boy smiling at her. “I’m Noel.” The younger one added. “We really don’t want to hurt you. We want to take you to the island. It’s your birthday right?” Noel smiled at her pointing in the direction of the island. 

“You’ll take me to the island?” She smiled wide all thoughts of the men being murders disappeared. Finn and Noel nodded. “That’s why were here!” They said almost at the same time. Mira leaned down and started talking to Wesley and Gianna. “What do I do?” She asked sighing. Mira nodded her head as Wesley told her that siblings were important but she needed to be safe. “Will you go with me?” She asked Wesley and Gianna. They noodled telling her that they had already planned to travel with her. 

Mira popped back up. “Okay I’ll go with you.” She nodded. The men looked at her like she had lost her mind. She had just been talking to a fox and a hedgehog. What was happening. They headed over to her. Together the 5 of them traveled through the forest. They talked all about their favorite things and how much Mira loved the forest. It had been 2 days and Mira was almost worried that they wouldn’t make it back in time for mother’s return. She had to put it out of her head. 

Finally they made it to the edge of the land. Sadly there was a 2 person max on the boat that took people across to the island. They decided to send Finn along with Gianna and Wes across first. Mira would not allow her best friends stay and wait for her on this side. She wanted to go by herself with them but Finn and Noel didn’t want her running away. So they made a deal. Mira waved to her friends as they crossed the water. Now it was just Mira and Noel.

What they didn’t know was that Mother Lilith made very good time at her other tower. She arrived home to surprise Mira and found it empty. She immediately started a search. It wasn’t long before Mother Lilith caught up with Mira and her two sons. She sighed. Of course those boys would try and hurt their wonderful mother. They just didn’t understand. She couldn’t let them take Mira to that island. Once she was there the God’s powers would protect her and Mother Lilith wouldn’t be able to use her healing powers anymore. 

Mother Lilith went searching. Finally she found the perfect helper. A Minotaur. She offered them whatever their heart desired if they brought her child back unharmed. Of course Mother Lilith couldn’t remember the name of the child she had wanted since she only called that child Flower for her whole life. She said it would be the child with dark brown hair. The Minotaur was off. 

Noel and Mira were sitting waiting for the boat to come back. A crowd started to form, apparently there was some type of event at the island that day. Everyone from the surrounding villages were going to get on the boats to head over. It was then that Mira and Noel heard the screams. A Minotaur came racing through the crowd plowing through everyone. Mira and Noel both without thinking starting helping people. Noel used up all of his energy to hit the animal with a lightening strike. Unfortunately he wound up gravely wounded. Mira had been healing as many people as she could when she stumbled on her brother laying on the ground. 

“No!” She yelled. She had just met him. He seemed really nice! Mira decided she couldn’t let him die. Mira did everything she could to save him. She was so angry at the groups of people that she yelled at them. She heard the voice of the boat captain tell everyone to back off. The boat captain told Mira he was going to help her get Noel into the boat they were going to take him to the hospital. Whatever that was. Mira couldn’t pay attention to him. Her vision was fading. The last thing she saw was Mother Lilith standing on the edge of the forest glaring at her. “You will never survive there.” How could she have possibly heard that. She felt Noel’s heart beat under her fingers. She stopped. She was done. Her eyes closed.

She Waits

“She’s always sitting on her porch.” Kid number one groaned.

“You’d think she would have something better do. All she does is watch the road.” Kid number two agreed.

“She might be waiting for someone!” Kid number three exclaimed.

“Who would she be waiting for? She’s lived in the house by herself since we were born. Heck, even before then.” Kid nuber four explained.

“She was married once. Her wife went missing a really long time ago.” Kid number five whispered.

“How’d ya know that?” Kid number one asked

“Either Dani or Davy Lit looked it up. Her wife went to visit her uncle or something like that. She never made it to her uncles. After a couple of years some hikers found her car in the forest the complete opposite way. All of her stuff was still in there, even her phone was still in there.” Kid number five said.

“Oh, that’s horrible. Poor Mrs. Jones. I guess she’s always waiting for her wife. What was her wife's name?” Number three asked.

“She’d be willing to talk to y’all if you went up to her, you realize that right?” All the kids spun around and say Old Mr. Jenkins. “Mrs. Jones would be more than happy to talk about it. No one ever listens to her anymore, they say she’s too old or that she’s gone insane. Honestly, she just misses the love of her life. Those two have been together since well forever. They were packaged deal. You wanted Lilith, well you also got Renee and vice versa.”

“Who’s that Mrs. Jones?” Number one spoke up.

“That’s Lilith, she was always the sweeter one. Come on, go up. Go talk to her. Sadly, I’m the only one that talks to her anymore.” A he started to walk towards Lilith, she turned and waved. The five kids followed after him and she glanced at them as he sat in the chair beside her.

“Who are they?” Her voice was soft, almost to the point they couldn’t hear her. She smiled at them and looked at them pointedly.

“I’m Luna Fields.” Kid number one said.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Sofee Feilds.” Kid number two greeted.

“I’m Millicent Fields but please just call me Millie.” Kid number three said.

“I’m Gunner Fields, these three older brother.” Kid number four said.

“I love your dress, and I’m Pepper Holt. Honorary Fields sibling.” Kid number five said.

“Oh, its nice to met you all. I haven’t had anyone expect Merlin to visit me in me in a while. Y’all mustn’t be that old. I remember just yesterday Merlin was telling me Lisa and Freddy were going to have triplets.” The triplets in question laughed slightly.

“We’re 15 ma’am. Gunner and Pepper are 16.” Lilith gasped and then smiled.

“Time gets a bit different as you get older.” She laughed a little. “Well, it’s to nice met you, and not to sound rude but why did you come up here? I don’t have any candy and haven’t gotten anything that needs done.”

“We were wondering if we could know why you’re always watching the road?” Luna spoke up. Lilith got a sad look on her and then nodded.

“Around 54 years ago, my lovely wife went on a trip to visit her uncle. I couldn’t go with her because her uncle wasn’t very open minded and she didn’t want to start a fight with him when he was on his death bed. I completely understood, I’ve had my fair share of homophobic family members. She asked me to wait for her the day she came back. Her exact words were: ‘I want to be able to kiss and hug you as soon as I get home and if you’re inside reading, I won’t be able to. At least not until you’re done reading.’ So I promised to wait for her on the porch. The day came for her to come home and she wasn’t. I waited all day and most of the night. Merlin forced me to go inside at around one am. Three days went by and I called her sister to see if she had left. Her sister, Bunny, said she was getting ready to call me to ask if she had left the house out. Apparently, Renee had never made it to her uncles. So, I’m keeping my promise and waiting for her. I know it’s probably wishful thinking but she could home one day.” Lilith cut herself off with a sob and Merlin reached over to wrap her in a hug. “I’m sorry, no one ever wants to hear poor Mrs. Jones talk about her missing wife.”

It seemed that all of the Fields siblings (even honorary) made the same decision. Mrs. Jones would no longer wait alone for her wife. After that day, every day after school the Fields kids would be helping Mrs. Jones with her garden, helping her cook, clean or even just talking to her. Until her dying day Mrs. Jones sat and waited for her wife. The day of her funeral, she finally saw her lovely wife again.

rhysothy western au from patreon a few years ago. follow up to this

It’d been nearly a year since Tim had escorted Rhys safely across the desert to what was left of his family’s legacy out in Eridium Blight. Rhys had easily taken control of the ATLAS mining facilities there; he’d gotten in touch with former employees who’d left after Rhys’ father passed, promising them things Tim wasn’t sure Rhys could really deliver on. Money, health benefits, a safe place for them and their families. It shouldn’t have worked, not after the brutal and bloody murder of Rhys’ father, Thomas Caplan. It’d been big and showy on purpose--meant to scare people away, to leave to ATLAS facilities free for the taking.

Tim could admit that he’d perhaps underestimated Rhys’ charisma, his ability to manipulate people into doing exactly what he wanted them to. Tim was still here, after all. He had the money Rhys had promised him, and then some, but every time Tim thought about moving on, maybe heading back to that little nowhere bar he’d grown so fond of, something stopped him.

Rhys’ hand wrapped around Tim’s arm, stopping him from climbing out of bed. “Don’t go.” Rhys said when Tim turned to look at him. His hair was ungelled and messy from sleep. It made him look soft, what with those pouty lips and that baby face. “S’too early.” Rhys murmured, craning his neck to press a kiss to Tim’s hand.

“It’s nearly eleven in the morning,” Tim replied, keeping his voice low in spite of himself. A quick look out the window showed the sun high in the sky, peering in through the drapes of Rhys’ lavish bedroom.

Their bedroom, Rhys always insisted on calling it, but Tim never could. This arrangement was only temporary, he told himself. He’d be on his way soon, start looking for work again. Real work. Being Rhys’ keeper paid well enough, but it wasn’t as if Tim was rescuing him from bandits. Anyone could do this job. Plus, Tim had some notions about the separation of business and pleasure. His relationship with Rhys hadn’t been professional for a long time now.

He let Rhys pull him back to bed. Tim rested his hand on Rhys’ boney hip and kissed his forehead. “Ten more minutes,” he said. “And then we’re getting up.”

--

An hour later, Tim and Rhys were washed and dressed and headed to Rhys’ office. The housing district was a ten minute horse ride from the mining facilities, and the path between them was well worn, with imprints of hooves and boots alike.

“So,” Rhys said once they’d made it inside, away from the noise of drilling. “I have some news.” He took a seat behind his large oak desk and leaned back in his chair, sliding one leg over the other.

“Good or bad?” Tim ask, slumping into the seat across from him. It wasn’t as nice, just a little cushion on hard wood. Tim was pretty sure Rhys kept the shitty chairs because he liked making the people who came to talk with him uncomfortable. It had to be a power thing. Rhys held all of it here in the heart of his little ATLAS compound, and if you asked nicely, he might make you think you had some too.

“Mmmm…” Rhys hummed, tilting his head to the side. “Bad.”

“Well, lay it on me, boss.”

“It’s your brother.” Rhys said.

Tim blinked, looking at Rhys’ face, met his eyes. He didn’t look like he was joking. Tim sat up a little straighter. “Jack?”

Rhys nodded. “I got a letter from Vaughn a few days ago. Jack was in Concordia causing some trouble, I guess. Some woman was with him.”

“What kinda trouble?” Tim asked with a frown.

“The murder-y kind.” Rhys said. He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out what must have been the letter he received. Rhys unfolded it and slid it to Tim. “He killed someone called the...meriff?”

Tim laughed, couldn’t help it. “Yeah, that’s as dumb as it sounds. Sheriff and mayor all rolled into one. Can’t remember the guy’s actual name.” He picked up the letter and skimmed it, eyes trailing over Vaughn’s familiar script.

“Sounds like a tool.” Rhys said agreeably. “Anyway, Jack and his friend have killed a few other people, they robbed a bank…”

“That’s--I mean, that’s what Jack does.” Tim said, eyebrows furrowing. He put the letter back down without finishing it.

It was the truth. Jack had been a troublemaker since they were kids living out in Sanctuary. He’d only done petty crimes back then--pickpocketing, vandalism, stole a couple horses. Tim had even accompanied him on some of those sprees. As they’d gotten older though, Jack decided that he wasn’t happy with his lot in life. He wanted more. He wanted to be rich and powerful--he wanted to be everything a street kid wasn’t. He wanted to be a hero. Jack figured the best way to do that was to become a bounty hunter--though he never called himself that. He and Tim hunted bandits together for a few years, had gone what seemed like halfway across the globe chasing down dangerous men and women.

Eventually, that wasn’t enough for Jack either. He had a very single minded way of doing things, and when someone got in his way...well. Tassiter had been the first, but certainly not the last who’d tried to keep Jack on a leash. It didn’t end well for him. Tim decided to go out on his own not longer after. His brother was violent and unpredictable, to put it mildly, and Tim had decided that seeing him scoop out some poor fuck’s eyeballs one time was one times too many. He hadn’t seen him since.

“Why’s this important now?” Tim asked.

“Vaughn...sent something else along with the letter.” Rhys said, sticking his lower lip out. He looked concerned enough that it worried Tim, made him want to lean over the desk and smooth out the wrinkle between Rhys’ brows.

Rhys slid another sheet of paper across the desk. It was a poster, ripped and stained in a few spots, but easy enough to make out. Tim’s twin brother’s face was staring up at him, his usual smirk in place, one eyebrow quirked. Just beneath the picture it read in large, blocky letters:

Timothy Lawrence

Man With Two Faces

wanted Dead or Alive

For bank robberies and murder of Huxter T. Meredith

There was a reward listed for ten thousand dollars.

“This…” Tim started, staring at the poster, his hands tightening and wrinkling the paper. “He…”

“I don’t know if he’s been saying he’s you, or if there was a mixup with the marshal's office,” Rhys said. “But everyone in Sanctuary thinks you’re the guilty one. There’s no way Roland hasn’t sent someone to come after you.”

“Fuck.” Tim hissed, anger boiling in his veins. Fucking Jack. No way this was a mistake. Jack did this on purpose. He wanted Tim’s attention, wanted him to come back maybe. Tim set the poster back down on the desk with a little more force than necessary.

“Look,” Rhys drawled, “either way...I can’t have a fugitive hiding out at ATLAS. It’s bad for business.”

Tim looked up, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. Rhys’ words were like a slap in the face. Tim didn’t expect anything from Rhys, didn’t expect his protection, but to be tossed out like yesterday’s paper? Tim thought...well, he’d thought Rhys liked having him around. He certainly pulled Tim into his bed often enough. Was Rhys tired of him?

“Oh stop with the puppy eyes,” Rhys said. “I’m not kicking you out, Tim. Well, I am, but I’m going with you.”

“You--huh?”

“Well, no one’s going to believe you if you go to Sanctuary and tell them it wasn’t you. So we go find Jack and turn him in and get your name cleared.”

Tim swallowed, feeling a warm flush crawl up the back of his neck. There was relief somewhere amid his embarrassment. Rhys didn’t want him to leave--Rhys wanted to help him. Tim pursed his lips.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” He said. God knows what Jack had planned for when Tim caught up with him. It couldn’t be anything good. Tim didn’t want Rhys anywhere near his brother. “I can find him on my own.”

“I’m going with you,” Rhys said again. “End of story.”

--

And Rhys did go with him. They set out not long after that conversation. Rhys left his CFO in charge and had her tell his employees he was going on a business trip, which was probably one of the whiter lies Rhys had told this year.

They found Jack nearly two weeks later, in the heart of the bandit-town Lynchwood, under the blazing hot sun. Jack was sitting on the wooden step in front of a run-down looking inn, leaning his back against the post. He was twirling a revolver in his hand, snapping the barrel open and then shut again, over and over.

“Jack.” Tim said, resting his hand at his hip, over his own gun.

Jack looked up from beneath his wide-brimmed hat with an even wider grin. “Heya Timmy.”

Tim took in his appearance with a start. The scar was new, etched deep into Jack’s skin and carving an upside down ‘v’ into his face. His left eyes was a milky white where the scar ran through.

“What, this?” Jack gestured to his face when Tim continued to stare. “Ya like it? Makes me look pretty badass, don’t’cha think?” He rubbed his chin. “Might have to change my nickname though. Handsome Jack is kinda false advertising. You wanna trade me?”

“What happened?” Tim asked, stepping closer to his brother. Anger stirred inside him, at whoever’d done this to his brother. Jack might’ve been a violent outlaw, but he was family, and he and Tim had always had each other’s backs even when they were miles apart.

“Met the business end of a brand,” Jack said, his smile turning sharp. “That redhead bitch Lilith was holdin’ the other end. Ooohoo, don’t you worry Tim, she’s gonna get what’s comin’ to her.”

Jack’s eyes shone with dark promise. Tim felt Rhys step up behind him, his finger’s brushing against Tim’s. Jack’s gaze slid from Tim’s face and landed on Rhys, looking him up and down.

“Who’s the kid? Here I thought were just having a nice family reunion.”

“You know why we’re here.” Rhys said, coming to stand beside Tim. He stood nearly a whole inch taller than Tim, and he used that impressive height to look down his nose at Jack, his arms crossed. “And I’m not a kid.”

Jack tipped his chin up, not intimidated by Rhys in the slightest. “Sure, sweetheart.” He looked back at Tim. “Yeah, I know, that little mix up in Sanctuary. Don’t give me that look, baby brother.”

Tim gritted his teeth. “It wasn’t a mix up. You told them you were me.”

“Yeah, so what if I did?” Jack shrugged. “What’s the point in sharin’ a face with someone if you can’t trade identities sometimes?”

“They think I murdered the sheriff, Jack.” Tim’s hands tightened into fists.

“Meriff.” Jack corrected him. “He was the mayor and sheriff. Tacky son of a bitch.”

“Whatever he was, it doesn’t matter! Roland’s sent someone after me because of it. I can’t--I don’t--I have a real job now, Jack. A life.” Tim’s throat threatened to close around the words, around what he hadn’t known was true until he said it outloud. Something he wasn’t willing to give up. “I can’t have some bounty hunter knockin’ on my front door.”

Jack looked between Tim and Rhys again, something like recognition lighting behind his eyes. “Oh, I get it now. Pretty boy takes you home and now you’re too good for anything else.”

“Don’t even start.” Tim said. He pointed a finger at Jack. “You fucked this up, you’re going to fix it.”

“Yeesh.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Don’t get your undies in a bunch. Look, Lilith oughta be rolling back into Sanctuary right about now, she’ll tell Roland the poster’s got the wrong mug on it, and you’re off the hook. Then you and your kid can get back to the dollhouse.” Jack puffed out a breath of air. “And it’s not like I’d be able to do it again.”

Tim...deflated, his shoulders dropping. “I’m...still mad.” He said with a frown.

“Sure,” Jack got to his feet, holstered his gun and brushed the dirt off his pants. “Come on inside, you can stay the night. Nish’ won’t mind.”

“Jack--” Tim tried, glancing at Rhys.

“Won’t even charge ya for it.” Jack talked over him and held open the door to the inn. “Come on.”

Rhys met Tim’s eyes and after a quick, silent conversation, they both followed Jack to the door. As Rhys stepped over the threshold, Jack followed him with his eyes.

“Hey princess, you got a name to go with those long legs of yours?”

“Rhys,” Rhys said as he breezed past Jack without so much as looking at him. “Rhys Caplan.”

Once he’d stepped into the Inn and up to the bar on the far side of the lobby, Jack leaned in towards Tim. “You always did like the bitchy ones.”

Tim shoved him. “Shut your damn mouth.”

--

Later, after they’d met Nisha and she drank Rhys and Jack under the table, Tim and Rhys retired to one of the guest rooms.

“Your brother…” Rhys started, his words a little slurred, his cheeks pink from alcohol. “Is a real asshole.” He was struggling to unbutton his shirt, his fingers slipping on the metal.

“Mhmm,” Tim nodded in agreement and gently pushed Rhys’ hands away so he could undo the buttons for him. “He’s been that way forever. You get used to it. Eventually.”

“Ugh.” Rhys groaned. “Can’t believe we came all the way out here for nothin’...”

Tim slipped the shirt off of Rhys and reached for his pants--he folded them both and set them aside on a chair. “Think of it like a vacation,” Tim said, pulling his own shirt over his head and leading Rhys to the bed. “You needed one.”

“You needed one.” Rhys grumbled, stumbling over his feet before safely landing on the bed with a quiet laugh. Tim pulled him close under the covers and kissed his forehead. Rhys closed his eyes and settled in, curled up in Tim’s arms. Tim wondered how he ever thought he could walk away from this man.

Tim sighed and reached over to turn off the oil lamp, leaving the room dark. He tucked his face into Rhys’ neck and smelled the alcohol on him, the dust from their travels. No doubt he’d want a bath in the morning. He’d whine in Tim’s ear until he got one, with warm water and bubbles and one of those fancy soaps he liked so much. He’d whine about his hangover and he’d whine about breakfast. The feeling of fondness rather than annoyance at the thought maybe should have alarmed him, but Tim only pressed a kiss against Rhys’ neck and closed his eyes for sleep.