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whump-card · 9 months

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Sunless Lives Part 10: I Should Try Again

Thank you for reading this far <3

~2030 words

CW: Consensual sex baybeeeee. Not super explicitly described.

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~~~

Matthew stayed in Simon’s room for the rest of the night. Simon woke up with stifled gasps and sobs every couple of hours. Every time he did Matthew reassured him with I’m here, I’m here, and he settled back down. As much as Matthew hated to admit it, it was frustrating. It was exhausting. But somehow, it also made his heart swell. It felt like he was doing the right thing.

He didn’t need to do it a second time.

Simon became completely withdrawn after that night. Not the thoughtful pensiveness he’d shown previously, either; he looked regretful. Ashamed. He barely spoke to or looked at Gina or Matthew, and when he absolutely had to he went to Gina first.

After two days, Gina decided to take advantage of this.

On the evening of the second day, she waited until Matthew was in the shower, and then gently knocked on Simon’s bedroom door.

“...Yeah?” she heard distantly.

“Can I come in?”

“...Sure.”

Gina entered, closing the door behind her. Simon sat at his desk with the UV light on, his laptop closed in front of him. Gina meandered over in what she hoped was a non-threatening way and sat on his bed. He swiveled to face her. For a few moments they sat in silence, as Gina collected her thoughts.

“So… What the fuck is going on?” she finally asked.

“Huh?” Simon blinked like a deer in headlights. Gina cursed under her breath.

“What I mean to say is, you told Matthew what happened to you. He relayed the basics to me. Shouldn’t that have cleared the air? Shouldn’t things be easier now?”

Simon twiddled his thumbs.

“That’s what I wanted,” he admitted, “That’s what I thought would happen. But I think I made everything worse.”

“Because you wigged out?” Gina asked knowingly.

Simon nodded, miserable.

“Because I wigged out, and now Matthew probably thinks I’m… I don’t know. Broken.”

Gina sighed.

“I don’t know what to tell you, man. Either he’ll get over it or he won’t. Personally, I think being able to totally break down in front of someone and know that they’ll still treat you as a functional person afterwards is a sign of a healthy relationship. I’ve cried a lot in front of my current boyfriend, and he’s stuck around for a while.”

Simon stared at her, not sure which was a more startling revelation: that she ever cried, or that she had an as-yet-unheard-of boyfriend.

“And Matthew cares about what you want, about your autonomy,” Gina continued, “He’s actually gotten on my case about respecting your decisions before. He’s got a lot of new information to process, but I think at the end of the day he knows that you’re a smart person capable of taking care of yourself. Basically, I think he’d still totally date you.” She nodded sagely.

Simon slowly lowered his head into his hands.

“I can’t believe that’s actually what I’m worried about during all this,” he groaned.

“You two have been making eyes at each other since Matthew joined the team,” Gina said, “Of course you’re worried about it.”

She reached out and patted his good shoulder.

“It’ll work out, but listen…” her hand tightened on him, “These walls are so goddamn thin, you better not hook up while all three of us are stuck down here.”

Simon threw his hands up in surrender, finally smiling at her.

“We won't! We won’t!”

~~~

They didn’t. But Simon and Matthew did warm up to each other again, making small talk over meals the next day and listening to music together with the volume on low in the afternoon - one of the few forms of entertainment Gina and Matthew allowed with Simon’s concussion. Simon’s music collection was highly eclectic; he liked what he liked, regardless of genre, but leaned towards upbeat and danceable. Most of it was an entirely new realm for Matthew, who was firmly rooted in his safety zone of industrial metal. He played a couple songs for Simon in turn, and they were both surprised that he liked them.

Gina borrowed Simon’s noise-canceling headphones, and refused to reveal her opinion on any of it. She sat on the floor with her laptop on the coffee table, pretending to answer emails but really spending more time leafing through the stack of Vogue back-issues she’d found stashed inside the TV console. Simon and Matthew sat next to each other on the couch. Matthew was also working on his laptop, while Simon was on strict sit-still-with-your-eyes-closed duty.

She was about to suggest they pause the music and get dinner started when -

Thump-thump-thump.

Simon jumped and grabbed Matthew’s hand before he could stop himself. Gina didn’t hear the knock but she saw his reaction and pulled off the headphones.

“What’s up?”

“Someone’s at the door.” Matthew gave Simon’s hand a reassuring squeeze before he let it go to get up and look through the peephole.

“It’s Cap,” he announced, and opened the door.

Simon paused the music and jumped up, ignoring the twinge in his ribs. He couldn’t keep a grin off of his face - finally, Christian was here to see him.

“How goes it?” asked Captain Isles as he stepped inside.

“We’re good,” Matthew said, closing the door behind him, “Simon is recovering well.”

“Let me see,” Isles beckoned Simon over. Simon eagerly darted around the couch to stand in front of the captain.

“Coordination seems good,” Isles took hold of Simon’s chin and lifted his face to look in his eyes, then turned his head to look at his temple. They’d stopped bandaging it, and the wound was now a small dark scab.

“Looks good…” Isles muttered, and without asking he unbuttoned Simon’s shirt and pulled the collar aside to look at his shoulder. Simon swallowed, but stayed smiling. Matthew crossed his arms, radiating disapproval. The bite wound was still bandaged, although they’d given it some air the day before. Seeing no discoloration, Isles didn’t bother looking under the bandage and released Simon’s shirt.

“Think you can take care of yourself from here?” he addressed Simon.

“Uh, what?” Simon looked back and forth between Isles and his hands as he quickly rebuttoned his shirt, his smile finally flickering out.

“I want Ruiz and Beck back in action,” Isles said, “And you’ve still got some resting to do. But you can do that on your own now, right?”

“Yeah, sure,” Simon said quietly.

“Good, then it’s settled. Ruiz, Beck, I expect you back at work tomorrow morning. Take care, McKenna.”

“Wait!” Simon plucked at Isle’s sleeve, “Do you want to stay for dinner?”

Isles blinked back at him for a second before smiling in what he probably thought was a comforting way.

“I’ve got other plans. But I’ll come check on you tomorrow after work.”

“...Okay.” Simon couldn’t stop his face from falling.

With that, Isles left. Simon stared at the door for a moment, eyebrows pinched. He so desperately wanted to be friends with Christian again, like they used to be. Before Simon ruined it. Before he got too close.

Matthew touched Simon’s shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts.

“Are you okay with us leaving?” he asked.

“Yeah, sure,” said Simon distantly. Of course he wasn’t - but it wasn’t like he’d thought this would last forever. And he did sort of want his personal space back.

“Well, I gotta get home and water my plants before they die,” Gina said, “But maybe Matthew could stay another night?”

Simon was about to ask why her boyfriend couldn’t water her plants, before he realized what she was doing.

“Oh, you don’t have to,” he said, turning to look at Matthew with big, hopeful eyes. Matthew hemmed and hawed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I mean I guess… If it would make you feel better…”

“It would,” Simon affirmed.

“Gina, you want to stay for dinner?” Matthew asked.

“No thanks,” Gina said, already packing up her laptop and gathering her things, “I’m out of here.”

Gina left quickly while Simon reheated leftover chicken cacciatore for dinner and Matthew folded up the cot and stowed it in a corner. She gave Simon a wave and a rare smile as she headed out the door.

Simon found his heart pounding now that he was alone with Matthew. The two of them ate sitting on the couch, with what felt like a large distance between them. Finally, as Matthew deposited their bowls in the sink and there was no longer anything to distract them, Simon spoke.

“I need to apologize for how I behaved the other night.”

“You really don’t -” Matthew started.

“No,” Simon held up a hand to stop him, “I really do. I tried to pressure you into something you didn’t want, and that’s not okay. I’m sorry.”

What if you did want it? a little voice in Matthew’s head said, What if you would’ve said yes if Gina weren’t there?

“It’s okay,” said Matthew, his throat dry.

What if you’re going to say yes now that she’s not here?

“And I want you to know that these past few days have been really difficult for me, and I’m not normally like that. Ever,” Simon stressed, standing up.

“Uh-huh.”

He seems fine now, maybe…

“What I’m trying to say is,” Simon stepped closer to him, “I’m a grown-ass man, I’ve got my head on straight right now, and I’m not scared of you. And I want you,” he poked Matthew in the chest, “And I think you want me too.”

If not scared, Simon was clearly a little anxious, staring up at Matthew with wide eyes and bated breath as he waited for his response.

Matthew, on the other hand, suddenly realized he was terrified. He knew, now, what his real hangup was. A lump formed in his throat and his voice came out high and strained.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

Simon’s eyebrows pinched with worry.

“No, no no,” he said soothingly, putting a hand on Matthew’s bicep, “You won’t! You wouldn’t.”

“But you would let me, wouldn’t you?” Matthew said, blinking away tears, “You let Isles treat you like shit.”

Simon frowned a little.

“That’s different.”

“How? How am I supposed to know that you’ll tell me if I do something that hurts you?”

“I’ll promise! I promise I’ll tell you,” Simon pressed his other hand to Matthew’s chest, shifting closer, “I won’t let you hurt me. I can take care of myself.”

Matthew’s breath hitched, his heart leaping under Simon’s hand.

“You promise?” he leaned in.

“I promise,” Simon breathed.

You won’t hurt him.

Their lips met, and it felt right. Matthew wrapped his arms around Simon, mindful of his ribs. Simon's hand slid up from Matthew’s shoulder to the back of his head, pulling him deeper into the kiss. His other hand explored Matthew’s chest, his well-formed pecs and his stomach, round but dense with muscle. Matthew’s own hands moved down to grab Simon’s ass, causing Simon to break the kiss with a laugh. He titled his head back and Matthew kissed down his jaw to his neck. Their breathing grew heavy, and Simon reached down to find Matthew’s belt buckle.

“Wait,” Matthew pulled back to look Simon in the eye, “Your concussion - physical activity -”

“How about I lie still,” Simon smirked at him, “And you can do all the work?”

They had sex in the dark. Only the distant glow of a nightlight allowed Matthew to see the shape of Simon beneath him. He still knew the scars were there, though - he could feel the faint indents and ridges along Simon's shoulders and upper arms, his stomach, his ass, his thighs. He didn’t say anything though, instead asking Simon what he wanted, what he liked, was that good, and Oh, you liked that, didn’t you? Simon did his best to lie still and calm, giggling at Matthew’s earnestness, but he came hard with an arched back and a cry of Matthew’s name. Afterwards Simon got dressed and turned the lights back on before crawling back into bed and nuzzling up under Matthew’s chin, breathing deep and trailing his fingers over Matthew’s skin.

For the first time since the attack, he slept peacefully.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

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Taglist: @flowersarefreetherapy @pigeonwhumps @sunshiline-writes @seasaltandcopper

#whump fic #whump writing #whump #sunless lives #sunless lives arc 1 #AAAAAAAH the first arc is done!!!#I am unbelievably excited for you all to read arc 2 - that's when Shit Gets Real #my writing

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starr-fall-knight-rise · 3 years

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HASO, “In the Ambience.”

Had a conversation on discord last night where I became aware that I left Sunny and Adam’s interactions at a place where it was sort of nervous and awkward. So thank you DZ for talking that through with me.

I am not really well versed in writing relationships, and I didn’t want it to overshadow the rest of my writing, so I pulled back from it, but I think I pulled back too hard. So if you care about the Sunny/Adam dynamic, I wrote a story this morning to acknowledge that. Hope you like it, and I hope you all have a great day.

She got up in the dark, with only the dim ambience of soft blue lighting to accompany her. She stretched all four arms, and rolled her neck. It struck her as mildly interesting in that moment, how something so small could connect them to humans, The thought was fleeting as she took another step forward to kneel down on the floor. There, in a little alcove in the wall, she had set a volcanic rock from Anin, dried moss, and other paraphernalia from her home world. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath resting her hands together.

Praise and respect to the spirits of Anin. Praise the fathers and mothers of war gone to their rest below the moss and the earth. Praise their spirits that watch from the sky and peer through the ether down upon us.

She continued the slow mantra in the style of Prayer learned from Naktan and pulled her concentration to her core ignoring anything and everything around her. A deep state of meditation overtook her. She would never have done this if she thought there were any chance that she was in danger, but below she knew Earth glowed like a sphere before their orbiting ship. There was no worry of invasion.

She thought she heard something at one point, but chose to ignore it as she continued her mantra.

Eventually, and after an unknown amount of minutes, she stood and turned slowly to find-

She stopped, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“What are you doing.”

Adam burrowed his way further down into her blankets nuzzling his head up against her pillow, “So warm, and comfy!”

She tried not to smile, “You dumbass.”

He pulled the blankets tighter around himself, “You know, I did come here to talk to you, but I actually really am comfortable, so come back in two hours.”

“I-”

He closed his eyes and pretended to snore loudly.

She rolled her eyes as she watched him theatrically pretend to sleep. She looked around mildly for a moment before picking up another pillow and glancing at the door. She casually walked over, dropped the pillow on his head and then held it down as if she intended to smother him.

That got him up and moving.

Before long the two of them were grappling for the upper hand, him trying to put her in a choke hold, and her using her lower arms to pinch him.

He yelped, “Ouch! Pinching is illegal.”

“SIssy.”

He clamped his legs around her lower arms pinning them in place. SHe struggled for a minute and then went limp.

SHe could feel his smug smile, “I win, I beat the saint of Anin. Everyone bow at my feet.”

“You say that, but if this were a real fight, you’re the one with a self destruct button.”

“Self-destruct button…?”

“Meaning if this were a real fight, I would have punched you in the balls.”

“Please don’t”

Finally he let her go, leaving the two of them to lay on her bed, sheets scattered on the floor around them, and her pillows in disarray. Adam put his hands behind his head and sighed.

She glanced over at him, “I don’t suppose you came to just hang out. Here on Admiral-ly business?”

He groaned pulling one of her pillows over his face, “Please smother me for real this time.”

SHe leaned up on one of her elbows, “Why?”

“I don’t wanna be an adult anymore,” She tilted her head to the side watching in amusement as he attempted to throw a childlike tantrum, but only really had the energy to kick his feet once, “It’s boring and lame and they wont let me wear heelies to important meetings…. Children don’t have to pay taxes.”

She laughed, pulling the pillow from his face, “Adam you are many things, but ‘adult’ is not one of them.”

He grinned slightly, “True enough.” He sighed again and rested his head back against the pillows, “I just want to get back to what we are supposed to be doing, exploring the universe and making cool alien friends.” He threw up his hands in frustration, “But Suddenly I find myself embroiled in stupid annoying politics that I don’[t understand, being used by people who are, lets face it, WAY smarter than me, constantly finding myself getting manipulated.”

She huffed, “They aren’t smarter than you Adam, they’re just manipulative, and you aren't.”

He sighed, “Fair enough.” Then he looked at her, bright green eyes reflecting the soft ambient blue light, “I just, I miss this, I miss us, I miss hanging out and doing stupid shit, and all of the things I could do when I wasn’t so important and this operation was smaller.”

She smiled rather sadly reaching one hand over for his, lacing the four of her fingers through the five of his, “Well someone has to do the hard things, who better than you.”

He glanced over at her raising an eyebrow, “Or you, miss saint”

She rolled her eyes again, “Can’t seem to get you off of that. I’m still the same person I used to be.”

“But with power.”

She elbowed him gently and he grinned, “But really, I am proud and impressed and…. Let's be honest super super smug that ‘I’ know you personally.”

“I know, I am pretty terrific.”

The two of them laughed for a minute before settling down again. He glanced over to her little shrine on the wall, “What were you doing just then?”

She looked up at the ceiling, following the lines of metal and rivets with her eyes, “Praying to the spirits of Anin.”

Embarrassed, he shifted, “I didn’t know you were….. Well I didn’t think you were all that religious?”

SHe shrugged, “Don’t feel bad, it’s sort of a new thing. Back before all this, it was sort of just stories to me. Like I believed it because that was what everyone believed, but I didn’t really accept it, or feel it the way I do now. After everything with my mother, it was hard to feel connected to something I felt I wasn’t a part of….. But then after visiting my mother, after becoming a saint for a religion I never really followed…. Well it started to make more sense. It feels real now in a way that it never did.” She turned to look at him, finding him watching her, the UV blue stripes in his skin glowing blue.

“I believe in the spirits of Anin more than I ever have.”

He smiled at her and squeezed her hand, “I’m glad to hear it.”

They lapsed into silence for a long moment staring up at the ceiling before, inevitably he broke it, “So this makes you like, space Moses.”

She frowned and turned to look at him, “What is a Moses?”

He grinned, “A guy from one of the Earth Religions. You know guy follows god’s directions to lead his people away from slavery, climbs a moutain, recieves the word of god, comes down to give it to the people, that sort of thing.”

Sunny tilted her head slightly to the side, “Are you religious?”

He paused, frowning, “I…. well I…. don’t really know. My family has been some flavor of Christian for a long time.”

“Christian?”

“Uh yeah, The general idea is that there is one all powerful deity who created everything. He has rules and laws that you are supposed to follow, The general tenants of this specific religion mostly boil down to, love everyone and don’t be a dick, which humans are notoriously bad at. You sin you go to hell, a very bad place after you die, and if you are a good person you go to heaven. Problem is everyone is a sinner and breaks the rules, so really no one was going to get into heaven.”

“That sounds bleak….”

“Well that's where the other stuff comes in. Basically this all powerful deity sent down his son in human form to live a perfect life, so when he was martyred he took on the sins of all of humanity and paid for them in the greatest act of mercy to open the gate for the rest of us into heaven.”

Sunny shifted as he tilted to the side to lay in the crook of her arms, “Of course that is just one religion among tons on earth, we aren’t really as cohesive in our beliefs as Drev are….. As for me…. I’m not really sure.”

She tilted her head to the side, cheek resting against his hair, “After seeing space, I become more and more convinced of some….. Thing that created everything, but beyond that it's sort of a tossup.”

She ran one hand through his hair, course but still soft somehow.

“You know my name comes from that religion.”

She turned her head to look at him, “Oh.”

“Adam was the first man.”

“WHat do you mean.:”

Adam shrugged, “He was supposedly the first man that god created, from the dust of the earth…. I think?”

She gave him a sidelong glance, “Look, and you get to be the first idiot in space.”

He snorted and poked her in the ribs.

“There were PLENTY of idiots in space before me, believe you me.”

“Mmm I don’t know, you are pretty dumb.”

He laughed, grabbing a pillow and hitting her with it. She rolled over so she was lying on top of him and then went limp.

He struggled, “Get your big ass off me.”

“Oh no, I have been attacked by a sudden acute case of the, my spine doesn't work anymore disease.”

“If you don’t move, you’ll suddenly find yourself with a case of fist in your face disease.”

She laughed and rolled off him, making su7re the hard parts of her carapace were sticking down for maximum discomfort.

He grunted.

They returned to lying down next to each other in the half darkness. Sunny reached over and turned on some quiet music in the background as the two of them sat and talked, and laughed.

“I can’t wait to get back to deep space.” He closed his eyes and hummed softly at the thought, “Just the crew and the darkness and nothing ahead of us but an endless frontier.”

Surprisingly, she found the thought to be more than a little comforting, and closed her eyes thinking about the vast reaches of blackness and the endless spinning galaxies.

“And while we are out we can drop Conn into a pulsar.”

He snorted,

“That billowy bastard would survive and you know it.”

She huffed, “Still though, if I have to hear one more smug lecture how he has a child with you, I’m gonna wring his scrawny neck.”

He grinned teeth flashing blue in the light, “Is someone;.... Jealous?”

Sunny laughed, almost tipping him off the bed and onto the floor with her mirth, “Yes Adam, I am totally jealous, really I am. I mean who wouldn’t want to have a child with YOU, big dumb, dork. Really the perfect place to put my superior genes.”

“Superior genes, says someone who can’t reach the top shelf.”

She kicked him foot clanging off his prosthetic, “I am a foot taller than you.”

He placed his hand next to his ear, “What was that, I can’t hear you over how short you are.”

Sunny shook her head, “At least I have binocular vision and both my knees.”

“And weird neck nostrils, don’t forget about those.”

“Oh yes so I can house them on my face like you and your bigass nose.”

“Low blow, low blow.”

“There are…. Lower things…. I could make fun of.”

He snorted, “Can’t make fun of it if you’ve never seen it. You on the other hand, walking around in the nude.”

“You’re welcome. Who wouldn’t love.” Sse gestured to herself, “This.”

“Mmm yes,.... chitin , very sexy.”

“I am a gift to the universe, and should be appreciated by everyone.” He brushed a hand through his hair, “Well I find that real gifts are gift wrapped, so jot that down.”

“Oh yeah, like a prank gift when you put something lame in a box for something cool.”

He frowned at her, “You wound me,. My feelings are so very very hurt. I might even cry.”

“I drink human tears.”

“That, that’s really gross.’

She laughed and then they lapsed into silence. She could hear him breathing quietly next to her in the darkness, his chest rising and falling under the ambient blue light. She looked across the room to where her saint armor was hanging in it’s climate controlled case illuminated to a pearly sheen.

“Adam.”

“Yeah.”

“You know I’m just kidding about calling you dumb riught.”

“Yeah I know.”

“I’m proud of what you’ve been doing.”

Adam turned to look at her rather incredulous, “Me, of what? I haven’t been doing shit.”

“So we are just going to ignore you overthrowing a maniacal politician while simultaneously piloting a 2,000 year old spacecraft?”

“That was more Conn and Eris than it was me,”

“It was your idea.”

“Lets not forget Admiral Kelly.”

Sunny pulled him closer, “I am sorry, I will not be accepting anything other than you acknowledging that you did a good job.”

“Screw you.”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you.”

He sighed, “You’ve been talking to Ramirez WAY too much.”

She was only slightly smug as she rested her head back against the pillow, “I really should get up and train.”

“We should.”

Neither of them movies.

“Alternatively we could just…. Lay here…. All day and do… nothing .”

She looked up at the ceiling for a long moment and pretended to be in deep contemplation before “Well it’s official, you have convinced me. You and your silver tongue.”

“I am a master negotiator.”

He shifted position putting one arm behind his head, “Think about it, by this time tomorrow we will be back to space exploring and doing what we should have been doing all along. I can’t wait.”

“That makes two of us.”

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platypanthewriter · 3 years

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Sun

Harringrove April prompt 15, Sun. After the Mindflayer, Billy’s kinda weird, but Steve figures that makes sense.

Steve took the kids to pick each other up, sometimes, and sometimes, Max was at the hospital, to see Billy. In Steve’s head, Billy nearly dying to save Eleven kind of...balanced out beating Steve’s head in. Didn’t mean Steve liked the guy, but he thought...well, Steve Harrington had been no kinda prize until he started fighting for kids, and maybe Billy had changed, at least a little.

Also, it was hilarious, because post-Mindflayer Billy Hargrove didn’t give a shit. Steve had thought he hadn’t before, but then he saw a nurse outside, trying to get Billy to go back in—or at least put his clothes back on—and Billy just leaning against the side of the building by the dumpsters, naked in the sun. She saw Max, and sighed with relief, heading inside.

Before, Billy had cared too much, Steve realized—about what Steve was doing, about who ruled the school—but he only cared about the sun, anymore.

That, and probably annoying his sister, some, because when she leaned around the corner of the building and yelled, “Billy Hargrove, put your damn pants on,” he leaned his head back, eyes still closed, and replied, “Don’t look over here and you won’t see anything you don’t like, Maxine.”

“You better have left your bandages alone,” she shouted, and he laughed, then grimaced, wincing.

“You better stop bossing me around,” he yelled back.

“You’re gonna freeze your ass cheeks off,” she hollered, her hands firmly over her eyes as she meandered hesitantly towards his voice.

“Don’t fucking come over here,” Billy groaned, bracing himself against the wall to look over, but one of his knees bent, and his legs both collapsed. He landed with a soft “—oop.”

“...can I look?” Max asked, stopping.

“No, don’t,” he muttered, trying to push himself back up, and Steve took a step forward automatically, grimacing.

“You are such a pain in the ass,” Max told him, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m gonna get you a wheelchair.”

“The sun’s only over here for like fifteen more minutes,” Billy hissed at her, squirming until he could lean back against the building, at least. “Lemme alone.”

“I can hear you shivering,” she snarled back. “You’re probably getting dirt under all your bandages. I’m getting a wheelchair.”

“Get the wheelchair,” Steve told her, and Billy twitched, but he didn’t open his eyes. “Once he’s in the shade, we can throw a blanket on him, and push him in the sun again.”

“...fine,” Max growled, and stomped off.

“...y’know if you leave a bottle of water in the sun for six hours, it disinfects it,” Billy said softly. “The UV rays.”

“...okay,” Steve said, keeping an eye out for anyone he needed to prevent walking around the edge of the building. Billy mumbled something, and Steve wandered closer, trying not to notice how thin his shoulders looked, or the irritated red skin peeking out from under his bandages. “...what’s that?”

“It doesn’t like the sun,” Billy whispered. “Can’t take the UV.”

“...you know it’s gone, right,” Steve told him, and Billy snorted a laugh, his knuckles whitening as he gripped at the scrubby grass.

“Mmm,” Billy said, and Steve crouched to grab his hand.

“Come on,” he said, “I’ll help you stand up.”

Billy laughed. “You’re gonna see shit and wish you hadn’t, Harringto—fuck,” he gasped, as Steve slid an arm around him, and slowly stood. “You’re warm, fuck,” Billy muttered, staggering, and shivering harder.

“We showered together,” Steve reminded him, trying to hold Billy so he faced the sun, but not touch him anywhere weird. “I’ve seen it all. I mean, you didn’t look as shitty, then.”

Billy laughed again, then took a few shuddery breaths, touching his bandages. “...fffuck,” he breathed. “I’m hot as...hell, Harrington,” he gasped, his whole face screwed up with pain. “Just...got no taste.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Steve played along. “The stubble really helps. And the goosebumps, can’t forget those.”

“Shit,” Billy breathed, pulling him a couple of inches further into the sun. “...yeah. I gotta...hide back here,” he said, coughing, and groaning. “My public keeps wanting autographs.”

“...what about a tanning bed,” Steve asked, watching the last sliver of sun slide behind the laurels that shielded the dumpsters. “Surround you with the same thing, right?”

Billy’s breath caught. “...they’re not gonna let me out,” he whispered, curling a little against Steve’s shoulder, worn out. “I can’t get to one.”

“I will talk to your doctor, okay,” Steve told him. “Would you lie down and sleep, after? If we get you in one? Surrounded by the what, the UV light?”

Billy gripped his arms, and nodded, swallowing. “Y-yeah. I—I just need to—”

“Okay,” Steve nodded, as Max pushed the wheelchair around the corner.

Billy draped himself over the chair like a throne, and Max groaned at the drama, but tucked a blanket around him with annoyingly thorough pokes. Billy grumbled, batting at her hand.

Once Steve wheeled him into the room, Billy lolled his head back and hollered, “Max! You were so right, I’m dying, I need water.”

“Like a plant,” Steve said. “He needs to be watered. I kinda have to take a piss—”

“Sounds like you two can work that out,” Max said, wrinkling her nose, but running off.

“You piss on me and I’ll tear your dick off—” Billy started, then trailed off, watching her go. “Check my back,” he whispered, yanking at the blanket, and Steve grabbed his hands.

“Get in the bed,” he whispered back. “I can’t see anything with you in the chair. I’ll check.” Billy’s shoulders were bony in his hands, and Steve bit his lips, helping him back onto the hospital bed.

“...don’t get fresh, now,” Billy grunted, shaking with exhaustion as he flopped too far down on the bed, his feet hanging over the edge, but too tired to move.

“I would never,” Steve told him, snorting a laugh. “Lemme scoot you up—”

“Just look,” Billy hissed, clenching his fists, and Steve kept his sigh silent, and yanked back the blanket.

There were still a bunch of bandages down Billy’s back, and Steve grimaced, trying not to stare at a dude’s naked ass. “”You’re fine,” he sighed, and Billy slammed his hand against the mattress so hard the bed rolled a little.

“You didn’t fucking look—”

“I did,” Steve hissed back, and Billy shook his head, wrapping his arms around his pillow and his face.

“Look harder,” he whispered hoarsely. “Everything hurts, there’s something there this time—”

Steve rubbed his face, and then, grimacing, reached out and touched Billy’s shoulder. Billy gave a full-body shudder, flinching away. “—the fuck,” he gasped, sounding strained, but Steve just set his jaw and ran his fingertips down the back of Billy’s arm.

“I’m looking. There’s nothing.”

Billy stayed still, for once, letting Steve run his fingers down the whole length of his body as Steve’s face flamed. When Steve finished running his fingers down Billy’s sides and along his legs and feet, he stuck his arms out behind him, and Steve carefully inspected his hands and forearms for black veins.

“Back here,” Billy said, grabbing his hair off his neck, and Steve leaned in to inspect the back of Billy’s neck, and behind his ears, listening to the panting, snuffly breaths he was taking into the pillow.

“You’re clear,” Steve said, and Billy finally relaxed, swallowing hard.

“...fuck,” he muttered, between slow, shaky breaths. “Shit. I thought—”

“Try to get some sleep,” Steve told him, sighing. “You’re fine.”

“I’m so fine,” Billy muttered into his arms, huffing a laugh.

Steve thought about telling someone that “looking” with fingertips worked, but he couldn’t see Max wanting to try it, or Billy letting her.

“...you want me to come look tomorrow?” Steve asked, resignedly, and Billy went really still. “...I can check for you if you’ll feel better.”

“...you just wanna get your hands on my ass,” Billy whispered finally, his voice cracking.

“That’s definitely it,” Steve snorted, pulling the blanket back over him, and tucking it in. “Stay under there, it didn’t like warm either, right.”

When Max came back in, she had a tray of food, and started bickering with Billy over the applesauce on it, so Steve left. As he opened the door, Billy called out “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” Steve agreed.

He tried to find Billy’d doctor to ask him about a tanning bed, and then the nurse on duty, but she must have thought Billy wanted a tan, because she rolled her eyes. “That kid is gonna die of vanity,” she said, and Steve laughed uncomfortably.

When he’d been at the grocery store, they had cactuses. He drove over there and wandered around until he found a lady holding flowers, and grilled her on how to make somewhere warm and sunny enough for a cactus. After writing a lot on his hand about grow lamps and minimum temperatures, he turned away, and she said “...you aren’t gonna buy a cactus?”, so he did. He picked out an especially spiky one to call Billy, and a shorter wooly one that looked like it was crouching to lunge, and called that one Max with great satisfaction.

The hardware store didn’t have grow lamps, so he ordered two, and bought some bulbs. When he got home, he put Billy and Max into the window, and carefully watered them, then frowned at them through the evening, half expecting them to wither and die.

The next day, Billy was waiting for him after work, his hands shaking a little, but he looked less exhausted.

“You get some sleep, finally?” Steve asked, pulling Billy’s hair away from his ears to check, and then lifting it off his neck.

“Don’t get distracted,” Billy muttered.

“Yeah, yeah, I gotta appreciate the sights, right,” Steve sighed, and Billy laughed, relaxing already under Steve’s careful fingers.

“What about under the bandage,” Billy whispered, when Steve’s fingers grazed his ribs. “Where it went through me.”

“Doesn’t the nurse change that out every day,” Steve asked, having seen it, and Billy’s fingers clenched around the edges of the mattress.

“She’s not looking, she thinks I’m nuts,” he growled, and Steve grimaced, lifting the edges to look underneath.

“I think they’ll throw me out if I mess with your bandages. How about you have Max watch?”

“...she doesn’t wanna see that,” Billy muttered, and Steve rolled his eyes, thinking ‘because I do, right.’

“She wants to make sure you’re safe too,” he told Billy, who was silent.

“His room at home doesn’t get any sun at all,” Max said, when she showed up, and Steve frowned at the man huddled under the blankets. “He’s gonna get arrested for flashing the neighbors. And probably, like, skin cancer on his dick.”

Both options seemed likely.

“When are they releasing him?” Steve asked, cocking his head thoughtfully, and Max winced, blowing through her cheeks.

“We don’t know. He keeps talking about how he could stay longer if he fell down the stairs,” she said, smiling grimly.

“...what the fuck,” Steve said, staring at her, and his vague thoughts of Billy coming to visit began to take shape.

“What?! No!” Robin said, when he mentioned the idea of inviting the man who’d given him a concussion to live in his house.

“He’s changed,” Steve said lamely. “And he’s got no strength in his arms,” he pointed out, with more certainty. “He’s not gonna be hitting anybody.”

“We can always fling him off your balcony,” she said, considering.

He broached it to Billy the next day, as he ran his fingertips down the warm, goose pimply skin of Billy’s thighs. “You should come to my apartment,” he said, and Billy’s foot twitched.

“...the hell would I wanna go visiting anywhere,” he asked. “Don’t get distracted—”

“I’m not, look, I’m stopping here, I’ll restart in the right spot,” Steve said, resting his whole hand on Billy’s thigh just below his ass. He shivered. “I’m saying come stay with me, okay.”

After a long pause, Billy lifted his head from the pillow. “...what,” he croaked.

“Come stay with me.”

“...are you fucking serious,” Billy shot back, glaring over his shoulder. “Don’t fuck with me, Harrington—”

“I’m not,” Steve sighed, rolling his eyes. “My apartment faces south, man, sunny all day.” Billy’s breath caught. “Think about it,” Steve told him, bending to carefully check Billy’s legs for the black veins of the Mindflayer.

That night, Steve’s phone rang. “Were you serious?” Billy said, with no preamble. “I can come stay with you?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, winding the cord around his finger, his cheeks irrationally flushed. It was just Billy, he told himself, glancing around the apartment and wishing it was nicer. The carpet looked older than Steve was, he thought in dismay.

“For how long,” Billy said softly, like there had to be a catch, and Steve shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter, Hargrove, jesus. I can’t let you go home.”

“...the hell did Max tell you,” Billy hissed, and Steve blinked.

“She said your room had no sun.”

Billy started laughing—Steve hoped the noise was laughing, anyway, at least mostly—and then hung up.

The day Billy was released, Steve took him straight to a tanning salon, and he emerged half-asleep from the tanning bed, so sleepy and quiet he didn’t even resist Steve carrying him back out to the car.

He did have a lot to say about getting piggy-backed up the stairs to Steve’s apartment, like “Giddyup”, “Yee-haw”, “You just want me wrapped aorund you,” and “What the shit, Harrington, three stories, I’m gonna be trapped up here like fucking Rapunzel.”

“Didn’t a king put her in a tower to weave gold,” Steve asked, panting, and Billy laughed against his shoulder.

“That was Rumpelstitzkin. Wrong story. Rapunzel, a witch did it. They traded her for salad.”

“They fucking what,” Steve said, staggering to a stop on the stairs, and Billy burst out laughing.

“Keep walking, your majesty. Don’t drop me.”

Steve reached and flicked the lights on, and then carried Billy inside. His mom had gotten rid of his kid’s bed, so he’d just hauled his queen size out to the front room, in front of the windows, and he lowered Billy next to it, turning to grab him as he stumbled, looking around.

“...there’re cactuses growing on your windowsill,” Billy pointed out, and Steve nodded.

“It’s so sunny in here cactuses grow,” Steve informed him proudly. “I thought that one looked like you—”

“Sturdy?” Billy suggested, smirking. “Prickly?”

“Pain in my ass,” Steve told him. “Here, sit down before you fall down. Okay, these lamps?” he pointed, walking over, “—sun lamps, okay. They’ll keep it sunny year-round—”

“...why do you care if it’s sunny year-round,” Billy asked flatly, and Steve blinked over at him. “I already don’t know how I’m gonna pay you back for this,” Billy gritted out. “The fuck do you mean year-round.”

Steve bit his lips together, thinking how weird and pathetic it was that he’d been so excited to have Billy come he’d lost sleep, bought grow lamps and cacti, and scrubbed his whole fridge out that morning at three, after it occurred to him, lying awake, that he hadn’t since he moved in. He walked into the kitchen, and started getting out the chicken soup fixings he’d been assured Billy could eat. “...I put a plastic lawn chair in the shower for when you can take showers,” he said, and heard his bed creak. He looked over to see Billy standing, gripping the headboard, but then he sat again, swearing.

“Harrington,” he hissed.

Steve told him about the hours he kept, and the plan with Max to bring Billy’s things, and Billy muttered darkly, and eventually complimented Steve’s soup like he was mad to admit it was good.

That night, he squirmed next to Steve, slowly, because he couldn’t move fast, his breathing catching, then evening out, then gasping again.

“...you need anything?” Steve asked finally, and Billy was silent for a long time, like he was holding his breath.

“Maybe I should shave my head,” he said, casually, out of the blue, and Steve couldn’t help it, he snorted a laugh, dissolving into snickers.

“What?!” he hissed, still giggling.

“Can’t check under my hair,” Billy said, nearly inaudibly, and Steve groaned, then scooted closer, and reached up to find Billy’s shoulder in the dark.

He slid his hand up and through Billy’s curls. “S’warm, right?”

“...yeah,” Billy breathed.

“Doesn’t like warm,” Steve whispered back, sliding his fingers through every inch of Billy’s hair, slowly, so heat could build. “If this feels bad, we’ll know, right?”

“......yeah,” Billy said, after an even longer pause.

“...so does it?” Steve asked, after a while, and Billy didn’t answer. Steve suspected he’d fallen asleep, but he made sure to finish.

While Steve got ready for work, Billy was arranging himself in the bed, centered in the windows with his naked ass hanging out. He sighed contentedly, and Steve groaned.

“Tell me you put sunscreen on,” he said, and Billy glared over.

“I can’t put a shirt on, Harrington. It’s fine—”

“You’re gonna be pissed if you get sunburned,” Steve told him, grabbing the sunscreen he’d bought for the time he took the Party camping, before they were too old for fun. Billy stared at him, but Steve had had girlfriends, and he was a good babysitter, so he was an expert at warming sunscreen just enough, and not letting his fingers linger anywhere they weren’t supposed to be.

Billy lay stiff as taxidermy as Steve rubbed sunscreen into his shoulders and arms, and then down his back—and then paused, because usually there was swimsuit there, and Billy cracked up the hardest Steve had ever heard him laugh. He ever kicked his foot a little, snickering at Steve’s bad life choices.

Steve slapped a lotion-gooey hand on Billy’s ass, defiantly, and Billy yelped, laughing harder, and curling a little on his side, so Steve had to shove him on his face again to get him around the side of his butt.

“What are you doing,” Billy groaned into his pillow, cackling as Steve got his thighs and down the backs of his knees.

“I just don’t wanna find you burned to ashes, like a vampire,” Steve said, blushing harder than ever, and then patted the calf of Billy’s leg. “Flip over.”

“...I’ll get the front,” Billy said, still sniggering. “I promise. I swear, Harrington—”

“...you better,” Steve said, a little relieved, and a lot disappointed. He shook his head hard, and left the sunscreen where Billy could get it.

When he glanced back, Billy’s whole body was much redder than Steve’s squeamish lotioning could explain.

That night when he got home from work, he brought a pizza. Billy eyed it doubtfully, but accepted the offered plate. He stayed on the bed, watching Steve watch TV, until Steve waved him over, making a face.

“D’you need help getting off the bed, or something?” he asked, and Billy shook his head, narrowing his eyes.

“Not gonna risk it,” he said. “You felt me up too good this morning. Might get ideas.”

Steve threw an olive at him, and Billy popped it in his mouth. Steve watched him lick the drooping tip of the pizza into his mouth, and the grease shining on his lips. Steve cleared his throat, and fixed his eyes on the TV screen.

“So if I’m the spiky one,” Billy said, pausing halfway through the pizza slice to lay back on the bed, “—who’s the other one? You got two cactuses in your life?”

“Max,” Steve told him absently. “I was asking the lady at the store how to keep it sunny enough for a cactus in here, and so she thought I’d buy some, y’know.”

“...I guess when you start bringing a girl around, you’ll get something pretty,” Billy said, not any particular way, and Steve realized he’d been listening closely for tone.

“Cactuses have flowers,” Steve told him, and Billy pushed himself up again, watching Steve’s face.

Steve didn’t know what to do with that, except stick his tongue out, or something, so he stuffed the whole rest of the pizza slice in his mouth, and chewed.

Billy could mostly take care of himself, except for being a little crazy. Steve asked Dustin what it was called if something couldn’t live without sunlight, and Dustin said photosynthesis, so that was what Steve told his neighbors Billy had. He jerked awake nearly every night no matter how long he baked himself the night before, breathing shakily. Sometimes, it worked for Steve to slide a hand over and touch his shoulder, and then smooth his hand over Billy’s skin, reminding him the Mindflayer didn’t like it warm.

“You could just look, and we could go back to sleep,” Billy mumbled, but he scooted closer as Steve smoothed a hand along his ribs, and down his hip.

“Too sleepy, no lights,” Steve groaned, flopping half on top of him, and Billy laughed until they were both awake.

Once, he tried to escape Steve, who scrambled the other way, thudded to the floor with a loud crash at 3am, and woke the neighbors, who yelled up through the floor asking if they were okay.

Billy and Steve snickered in horror over that one, and Steve tried to sleep on the couch, that night, despite Billy’s continual whispers of “You know you’d rather get some, Harrington. Get back over here. I’m lonely, Harrington. Put your hands on me, Harrington.” He started singing it, softly, then louder, like their neighbors weren’t tortured enough, and finally Steve groaned, laughing, and tromped back over to crawl into bed.

“You want my hands on you, huh,” Steve whispered, daring to scoot close and slide a hand around Billy’s waist, pulling their whole bodies against each other. “...warm enough?” he asked, and Billy nodded, frozen stiff like a board against his chest.

“...what were you dreaming?” Steve whispered, against Billy’s ear, because usually Billy curled into his warmth, edging towards him even asleep, until they were a mess of arms and legs and their skin stuck together a little with sweat.

Billy took a slow breath, then let it out. Steve waited, but he just kept...breathing, until Steve finally grunted unhappily against his neck, and snuggled closer. They didn’t get much sleep, that night, since Billy kept twitching awake, and finally Steve got up and turned on the sun lamps, and yanked off the blanket to run his hand up and down Billy’s lower back.

“...d’you wanna kiss me,” Billy finally said, flatly, like he was mad, and Steve froze.

He thought about the way Billy knew exactly how to make Max mad—but teased her about something else, instead, after listening to her scream as he went down at the mall. The shine of the pizza grease on Billy’s lips, and how pink they’d been, after he licked them. How he sat up a little every time Steve walked in the room, like Steve Harrington was someone to get excited about.

“...you don’t, do you,” Billy said, even more firmly, his hands clenched on Steve’s, around his waist. “Fuck. Forget it.”

“What the hell, no, I’m not forgetting it,” Steve hissed, and Billy laughed, less happily, this time.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “That’s what I was dreaming about.”

“What if—what if I do. Want to,” Steve mumbled, feeling like a moron, and Billy went all stiff and uncomfortable in his arms again.

“Make up your mind, Harrington,” he growled, and Steve sat up, so Billy fell on his back with a sputtered “Fuck!”

Steve licked his lips, staring down at Billy’s glowering face and set jaw, going golden in the first, early rays of the sun. He leaned in for a kiss.

The other Harringrove April prompts I’ve done

#Harringrove #Harringrove April #Billy's having a weird time #Steve decides to give him another chance #He's glad he did

51 notes · View notes

birdsandspades · 4 years

Text

Ice Pack (A Todoroki Shoto Oneshot)

-The dorm is fresh out of ice packs. Lucky for you someone happens to know where to find one.

Word Count- 3,122

*This is my first BNHA fanfiction so i’m sorry if its crumby. I just think Todoroki is really neat.

----

You pressed a finger into the skin of your arm, hissing as the red gave way to white. Turning around, you looked over the rest of your body in the gym bathroom mirror.

“I think this is my worst sunburn yet. I really should have put on more sunscreen…” You frowned, wrapping a towel around your body.

Your quirk had been a wonderful gift, the first in a long line of quirkless family members. The day you manifested it you could have sworn your father cried.

“A hero, we're gonna have a hero in the family!”

You remembered the fond words as you looked down at the pile of clothes on the locker room bench. It sure didn’t feel like a gift right now. You picked up your shirt, inching it over your burning skin. Each scape of the fabric drawing out a new string of curses.

“Hey, are you dressed yet, Mina is wait...oww,” Jiro looked over your reddened back, wincing as you pulled the shirt over it.

“Yeah, oww”, you sulked. You glared down at your pants, not ready to endure the pain they would cause your legs.

“Tell me again how your quirk does all of that again.” She motioned to the entirety of your burned body.

“Well, I'm like a solar flare. My body stores a large amount of heat, and if I save up enough of it I can make flames. If I have a big enough amount of it I can even produce light.”

She nodded along, shuttering as you shimmied into your jeans.

“But the more I use it, the more I'm exposed to the UV radiation I'm putting off. Eventually, if I use it too much. Well, I get this stupid sunburn.”

“I still don’t get why you get so burnt, didn’t the department of support make you that sunscreen a few months ago for it?” She gave off a chuckle, recoiling at the faces you were making while you slid on your shoes.

“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s working…” , you trailed off, looking at the bottle of sun protectant stuffed in your gym bag. You picked up the rest of your belongings, motioning towards the door. “I’ll talk to them tomorrow, let's just go back to the dorms so I can take these things off again.”

Jiro held open the door, laughing as you waddled past her.

----

You stepped into the common room, smiling at your classmates sitting on the couch.

“Who ordered the L/N F/N, extra burnt?”,Sero teased from his seat, elbowing a giggling Denki.

You gave him a sarcastic laugh, throwing your gym bag at him.

Kirishima turned his attention away from the t.v, his eyes slowly roaming over your red arms. “Hey L/N-chan, how was training…?”

You gave him a sad smile, “Exhausting, but I think I finally got my flashbang technique down!”

“Jesus Glowstick…”, Bakugou walked past you from the laundry room, an amused smile tugging at his lips as he pressed a rough hand onto your forearm.

You smacked him away, cursing at the now burning skin. You looked up, meeting his glare as he walked off down the hallway. You hated that nickname and he knew it. He had picked it out after the licensing exam, going as far as to even suggest it for your permanent hero name. Most people thought he chose it after your quirk, you did after all have a nifty move called glow. You had made yourself useful during the search and rescue part of the exam, using your quirk to illuminate your body as you searched for survivors among the rubble. Many of the students had commented on it after the exam, envious of the power giving you such a high boost on your score. But Bakugou had chosen the nickname for a different reason.

He had had the pleasure of running into you after the exam later that night in the kitchen. Your body red and raw from over exerting yourself during the test. “You're so red you're practically glowing. You should get a support item if your weaknesses are that obvious Glowstick ” , he mocked, poking your sunburn and he walked past you to the common room.

“I’m going to grab some ice packs from the freezer and call it a night.” You patted Jiro on the back before walking to the kitchen.

----

You had been looking for the ice packs for about twenty minutes when Midoriya walked into the kitchen.

“Hey Midoriya-kun, have you seen the ice packs? I’ve looked everywhere and I can’t seem to find them.” You pulled your head out of the freezer, turning to him.

He gave you a sheepish smile, holding up the warm gel packs. “I’m sorry L/N-chan, I took them out last night and forgot to put them back when I woke up.”

You shut the freezer door, taking the packs from his hand. You squished a few of the warm beads around the plastic, sighing in defeat. “It’s ok, i’ll use a water bottle or something.”

You trudged past him out of the kitchen and towards the dorm rooms. Usually your sunburns only lasted a few days tops, but this one felt different. The heat radiating off of it alone was enough to tell you that it was deep. You really should have put on more sunscreen.

You bumped into a stationary mass, the points of contact stinging as you looked up.

Todoroki’s hold on his phone slipped as it fell to the ground. “I’m sorry L/N-chan, I was reading something on the news.” His gaze fell on you, taking in the fluorescent flush of your skin. “Your sunburnt.”

You took a step back, looking away in an attempt to hide the rising heat in your cheeks. “No, I'm sorry Todoroki-kun, I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you ok?” You reached down, picking up his phone.

“You should use the ice packs in the freezer.” He slipped the phone out of your hand, careful not to graze your sensitive skin. “ It might help with the discomfort.”

“Oh, Midoriya was using them so they are warm now. I’m gonna use this water bottle for a bit.” You shook the bottle, giving him a soft smile. “I’m sorry I made you drop your phone, I hope it's ok!” You shimmied around him, giving him an awkward wave as you made for your dorm room.

Todoroki raised his hand slightly, watching as you rushed down the hallway.

----

You had been working on your homework for a few hours in an attempt to keep your mind off the multi toned boy down the hall. You groaned, letting your head fall on the table. The second hand embarrassment burning the skin on your neck further. Functioning had not been at the forefront of your mind when your eyes met his in the hallway. That was painfully obvious as you replayed your awkward retreat over in your head.

“You could have just talked to him, it's not that hard to talk to people F/N. He was being nice and you ran away.”

You continued to grumble to yourself, angry that once again your lack of social skills had robbed you of an opportunity to talk to your crush.

This hadn’t been the first time you had made a fool of yourself in front of Todoroki, nore the second or third. The boy seemed to be a magnet for your most awkward encounters.

----

You could remember the first time he talked to you. You were standing in the tunnel waiting for the first of the sports festival games to begin, the echo of the audience ringing through your ears. You peaked your head out from the entrance, scanning over the sea of people in the stands. You could feel your heartbeat quicken, the thumping in your ears deafening as you cowered back into the tunnel.

A warm hand on your shoulder pulled you out of your eclipsing panic attack, the sound finally coming back to your ears as you looked up.

“I heard that if you picture everyone in underwear, it makes it less scary. I don’t understand why, but maybe it will help?”

Your eyes met a familiar mismatched set, the hardness you were used to was replaced with concern as he looked over you.

You had grown attached to them in the time you had spent in class together, the small glimpses you caught stirring the butterflies in your stomach everytime they looked your way.

The fluttering in your stomach started to stir per usual, the lump in your throat expanding as you searched the crevices of your brain for something to say.

“Hi.”

He gave you a confused look, “Hi.” Shifting on his feet, he stood in silence. As if waiting for you to say something else. After a moment he gave you a small nod, disappearing into the crowd of waiting students.

----

A soft knock on your door startled you, your knee bumping into the underside of your desk.

Standing up , you rubbed the stinging skin as you walked over to the door. Turning the knob, you pulled it open.

“Hi Todoroki-kun.”, you stared at the boy in front of you. Unsure what warranted a visit so late at night, or really at all.

“Hi L/N-chan.” His look was blank as he stared back at you. He shifted on his feet slightly, pushing his hands into his pocket.

“Um, is there something you need…?”, you broke the silence finally. Your eyes met his once again before looking away, focusing on the door behind him.

“I wanted to bring you the ice packs from the freezer…”, he trailed off, looking down the hallway. “But they were gone again. So I figured, I could offer you a hand instead.” He extended his right hand a bit, offering it to you.

You looked between him and his hand a few times, trying to connect just what exactly he ment. “Um, it’s ok Todoroki-kun. It’s late and you're probably really sleepy! Plus it doesn’t hurt that much anymore, so you don’t need to worry about it! I have my water bottle and I can…”

He reached up, pressing his cold palm to your forehead. Your mind calmed as the soothing feeling sunk into your skin. You closed your eyes, leaning into his hand. Letting out a soft sigh, your hands reached up, circling around his wrist as you pulled him closer.

“I used to do this whenever my siblings were sick. They said it made their fevers feel better, is it helping you too?” He craned his neck, peeking under his arm to see your face.

You gave him a small nod, sinking into his touch. The first bit of relief washing over your body.

He looked behind you at the desk, opened books and worksheets scattered across it. “I can help you with your homework as well if you like?”

You opened your eyes, blushing as you met his own. You couldn’t help it. The way he tilted his head, the childlike curiosity that tinted his eyes as he watched you cling to his hand.

“I don’t want to be a burden…”

“You're not.” He stated bluntly, gently pulling his hand away.

You took a step back, opening the door wider for him to come in.

He took a step inside, closing the door behind him. “You didn’t show your room when we did the room contest.” He was scanning over your bedroom, taking in all the things that made it yours.

“Oh, um. I was kinda late getting moved in so mine wasn’t unpacked yet.” You played with your finger, watching as he walked over to your bookshelves. “It’s mostly manga, I don’t know if…”

“I like manga too.”, Todoroki looked back at you, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Your room is nice, I think you would have won.”

“Ah, probably not. Everyone has such fun rooms, mine is pretty bland in comparison.” You waved your hands at the thought, giggling awkwardly. Your eyes went wide as Todoroki unzipped his jacket, sliding it off his shoulders. He draped it over the back of the desk chair before pulling it out to sit down.

“My jacket is insulated, you wouldn’t really feel my quirk through it.” He stated plainly, unaware of why you were staring at him.

You gave him a simple “Oh” , before sitting down at the seat across from him. At least he was wearing a tanktop, but that wasn’t helping much either. You turned your attention to the math book in front of you, forcing your gaze off of him.

He gave you a weird look, watching as you got out your worksheets. Pushing out his seat he walked around the table. Grabbing the chair next to you he pulled it closer before sitting down again. “I can’t reach you from over there.”

Your body tensed up as his shoulder rubber yours, the coolness of his exposed skin slowly permeating your shirt.

He reached his arm around you, pulling you into his right side. His hand gingerly snaking up the sleeve of your shirt, as he caressed your heated arm.

“How much have you done so far?” He used his left hand to flip through your papers, looking over the work you had completed.

“Only a few problems.” You mumbled, looking down at your hands under the table.

“Hm?” He leaned in closer, his eyebrow raised as he tried to understand whatever you had just muttered out.

“J-just a few.” You spoke a little louder, earning a nod from him as he turned to the next page of your book.

He slid the paper over to you, motioning for you to start so he could watch your work.

You sat there for a moment, looking at your book. “Um Todoroki-kun, i’m right handed.”

His eyes shot open, letting go of your arm. “I’m sorry, go ahead.” Crimson creeped up his cheeks as he rested his hand back in his lap, unsure where to put it at that point.

----

He watched you work over a few problems, correcting you as mistakes popped up. He had a way of explaining this that just made everything make sense, if he had been teaching the class maybe you would have had a better grade by now.

After a while you were out of homework to work on, the silence settling between you both as you packed up your books for class the next day.

“Thank you for helping me Todoroki-kun, I don’t think I could have finished it without you.” You turned towards him, offering him a small smile.

“I enjoyed helping you, thank you for letting me.” He returned the smile, chuckling lightly.

Your lips parted slightly, blinking slightly at the sight before you. You were in awe, not only had you seen him smile twice in one night, but that was the first time hearing him laugh as well. Heat blossomed up your cheeks as you gawked at the now very confused boy in front of you .

Todoroki reached out, palming your face as if it was a ball. “I think your sunburn is getting worse. You look even redder.”

“That isn’t the sunburn…” Your words were muddled by the hand over your face, the concerned look in his eyes visible through his spread finger.

He pulled back, clearly flustered by the mistake. “ O-Oh, i’m sorry.” He stuttered out, avoiding the amused look on your face.

You reached for his right hand, bringing it back up to your cheek. “It’s ok, I didn’t mind.”

He chewed on the inside of his lip, lost in thought as he searched your eyes. He had never been good with social cues, he could blame that on his father. But right now, it felt a lot like what he thought reciprocated feelings would be like. He ran his thumb over the skin of your cheek, wishing his other hand was just as cold. If it had been then he could have cradled your face, touched you just a bit more.

You looked down at his left hand, his fist clenched around the fabric of his sweatpants. You reached down, pulling it away from it's grip and up to the other side of your face.

He was hesitant to touch you with it, the heat from it was sure to cause you irritation. That's what it had always done for him, an uncomfortable reminder of why his mother was no longer home. What had hurt those closest to him. What he didn’t want to be.

He ghosted the tips over your cheek, testing the waters. He watched for a reaction, searching your face for uncertainty. When he saw none he closed the gap, letting the reservations pass as the anxiety melted out of him.

You were naturally warm, just like him. He had felt it on multiple occasions. The arm brushes in the hallway, the finger grazes when he handed you something, the radiating heat he could feel just from being near you. He liked it, you were like the sun to him. That little bit of warmth kept him going most days, but he was getting addicted. But what would more feel like? Would you want more, would you want him?

You could see from the look in his eyes that he was debating something. Weighing the options in front of him. You reached out cupping his cheeks with your own hands. You ran your thumb over the bottom of his scar, his skin soft as it gave way to the soft pressure of your fingers.

He relaxed into your touch, whatever had been plaguing his thoughts was no more.

“Todoroki?”

He hummed in reply, eyes still closed.

“Can I kiss you?”

He opened his eyes, giving you a skeptical look. He opened his mouth to speak before shutting it again. Shaking his head he let out a soft chuckle.

He leaned in, brushing his lips over your own. “I should have asked you that.” His lips met your own, molding to the shape of the smile that tugged at the corners.

His were warm, the perfect temperature between hot and cold. He lingered for a moment, extending the duration of the contact. No one wanted to pull away, but the need to breathe was bubbling up.

You stared at him breathless, speechless as you processed the lasting heat on your lips.

“Todoroki I…”

He cut you off, “I can stay a bit longer if you want. You're still pretty warm.” He gave you a shy smile, taking your hand in his own.

You smiled brightly, squeezing his hand in yours. “I would like that.”

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tex-treasures · 3 years

Text

Hogwarts Professors au

About: Tex and Sherlock sibling bonding time! Complete with nerding out and staying safe in the sun!

I just really love my eggheaded brother so much; this au is a fun Hogwarts professors au where I’m the caretaker / professor of magical beasts, Sherlock is the potions professor, Moriarty is in charge of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and John is head Mediwizard at the school.

On an exceptionally hot day in early May as a Quidditch game unfurled over at the school stadium, Tex and Sherlock stood in front of the Black Lake, Sherlock in blue swim trunks holding an enchanted pad and pencil (Tex's transfigured work) charmed to work underwater (a combined effort between the two). Tex sported a lean black bathing suit, hair in a French braid after a quick tap of her wand to the crown of her head.

Tex squinted up at the sky, taking note of the sparse clouds and glanced over at Sherlock, assessing him for a moment. She nodded to herself and proceeded to dig into her beach tote bag before procuring a bottle of sunblock.

"Alright gringo, c'mere." She said, opening the bottle with a swipe of her thumb, "cain't let you get sunburnt or Mycroft'll get angry with me."

"He's all the way in London," Sherlock scoffed, "how's he going to find out?"

She fiddled with her hands, grinning. "Because, he's gon' Floo me at some point soon enough and I'm gon have to tell him if you end up lobster red-"

Sherlock glanced up and frowned at the sun peaking through a thin strip of cloud. "Bet you love the fact you've all the melanin in the family, the sun doesn't hate you."

She glared playfully at him, "It's only fair! Y'all ended up hogging the height genes!"

He laughed and shuffled over, smearing the UV protection onto his face and across his chest as she got his back and shoulders. Once he was done, he turned around and helped her.

Now protected, the two walked down to the shore. Tex stuck her toe in, sighing in relief as the cool water welcomed her, the stifling muggy air releasing it's grip as she walked in. She felt goosebumps breaking out on her arms and giggled to herself as Sherlock scowled his way in to join her.

"Alright, are you ready for trial one?" Sherlock asked.

This whole experiment had been her idea, having spent time in her early twenties getting a open-water diving license. She had used NoMaj equipment for years and wondered if a Bubble-Head Charm could compete with a tank of air. Having come to Hogwarts to teach Care of Magical creatures, she had to leave her gear at home and figured this was the next best thing--- or maybe it would prove to be better.

Before they waded in deeper, Tex had Sherlock help her set up a wide protective bubble to block any curious merpeople from stumbling into their experiment, let alone any particularly vicious grindylow.

"How deep do you think it is?" Sherlock asked.

Tex hummed, staring out into the darker and deeper parts of the lake. "I know for a fact it houses a gosh dang Great Squid," she said matter of factly, having seen it exactly once before when she was an exchange student. Her NoMaj studies swelled forward to the forefront of her mind like the oncoming tide as she continued, "and those frickers generally live at depths of about..."

She paused, doing mental math before blurting, "300 to 600 meters? So it would have to accommodate- and since there's so many magical creatures here, the lake itself is imbued with magic too- I don't doubt that there's plenty of space for this creature and its mate to live comfortably."

Sherlock hummed thoughtfully at this, "Well, the protective border is firm. Would you like to go through the signs once again?"

Tex nodded and they spent a minute reviewing the diving signals- "ok", "let's ascend", "stop". Tex paused, nerves welling up as she stared down at her wand. Sherlock watched her for a moment before laying what he hoped was a reassuring hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

"I'm not sure on the visibility," she said quietly to herself, "hopefully we get at least 10 feet."

"I'll be right here." He said, hand reaching into his pocket to retrieve some gillyweed he'd harvested for this specific occasion. She nodded and watched him swallow it, stifling a laugh as he struggled to keep his face neutral from the unpleasant texture and taste.

Once he seemed ready, she casted the Bubble-Head Charm on herself before adding a warming Charm to them both and she dove in, grateful for the dive belt with weights inside already to counteract the air of the charm and her own natural buoyancy as she dove down until her dive watch told her they were about fifteen feet, a perfect depth to explore but capable of ascending quickly if need be. She then gave Sherlock the time and depth numbers via hand gestures.

She breathed slowly and fully, eyes locked on Sherlock as he breathed freely, gill slits flapping gently as his newly acquired breathing apparatus began to work for him. Even looking at him brought questions to her mind but there was no time for that now. Perhaps another time.

They looked around and relief flooded her- the warming charms were working nicely, because otherwise they really would've needed a wet suit at least, and secondly, the visibility seemed kind- she could see what she supposed was about 20 feet out, enough to see the some merpeople watch them curiously from the other side of their self-made barrier.

She signaled him that she was "ok" and he returned the gesture before she gestured for him to follow her. He did as he was told, and she lead him around inside their border, pointing excitingly to a school of brown trout as it passed through the protection barrier on the northernmost side. As they swam, Tex checked Sherlock's location often, admiring his magically manufactured flippers and her own NoMaj made ones. He took to swimming well... Swimmingly.

The Bubble-Head Charm was working splendidly, and she couldn't help but feel her theory was right-- 'Magic, blessed magic', she thought as Sherlock drew her attention to an otter, pointing excitedly at it and smiling to her. Seeing him excited fueled her own excitement- when was the last time they were able to just hang out like this?

She hadn't been diving in a couple months, and it felt wonderful to get in the water and feel weightless, be in a world that she (admittedly wouldn't confess to anyone) felt more comfortable in. The freshwater fish eyed them lazily, some even coming to investigate them as the two hovered and looked around once they finished recording for their first dive.

She kept her eyes on the clock, aware Sherlock's gillyweed only lasting an hour and once they hit the 45 minute mark, she signaled Sherlock to ascend with her. They did so slowly, and within eight feet Sherlock's gills began to disappear. Tex quickly and silently casted a Bubble-Head Charm on him and in turn, he shot her a grateful look. Once they surfaced, their bubbles popped and the two swam back to shore.

Sherlock perched himself on a rock before scooching over to let her sit next to him. He cast a Drying spell on both of them before sharing the notepad and his scrawl listing the depth and time.

"So while I was down there, I think it confirmed my theory," Tex said, "the charm was working in a molecular level, filtering the oxygen in the surrounding water through osmosis and then using reverse osmosis-"

"To expel the carbon dioxide," Sherlock interjected, watching her dark eyes light up and feeling his own do the same, "that makes sense-- carbon dioxide is heavier, so-"

"The real question is just how long it will continue to do so," Tex continued, leg bouncing, "which really-"

"-could quite possibly continue infinitely if the user has enough energy to keep it casted." Sherlock finished, grinning and shaking his head.

"This could be big news!" Tex exclaimed, "In the NoMaj world, we've underwater engineers, biology researchers-- if the extent of this could be explored, it could open up more job opportunities for wizards and witches- of course they would still need to keep using diving buddies, but seriously-"

Sherlock's stomach cut in, letting out a low and long rumbling growl and both science geeks startled at the sound. Tex laughed heartily, "Okay, okay, I get it. Food. We'll discuss this more over lunch. You think the game is over yet?"

Sherlock looked out towards the quidditch pitch and shrugged, "Who knows," he said as they began to gather their things and head back to her shack, "if not, do you want to go join the others after we eat?"

"Sure thing, Sherly."

They walked in companionable silence for the most part, the roar of the quidditch spectators carrying over in the wind. Once they reached Tex's shack she opened it and allowed Sherlock in, earning them both curious chirps and squaking from her Occamy Quetzal, seven feet now and taking up the entire sofa like a lazy king.

Once Sherlock exited the bathroom, he waited out in the living room for her to re-enter from her bedroom, taking the time time idly examine her possessions. He spotted a mix of Muggle and magical picture frames of family and friends (one of which was of him, Mycroft, and Tex). Masks from different countries adorned the walls, bookshelves lined with both Muggle and magical fiction and nonfiction text books. When they were in school together, as brief a time that was, Tex didn't seem well adjusted to being of both worlds, too self-conscious of her background.

Clearly, time had been kind to her and allowed her to own her duel heritage and not a little pride swelled up in his chest for her. With nothing to do but wait, he watched Quetzal as the feathered serpent drew close but not close enough to reach out to- not like Sherlock would, he wasn't stupid; he'd seen what that beak could do. Quetzal eyed him curiously, cocking his head up to peer at him.

"You don't say?" Sherlock murmured to him.

Quetzal chirruped.

"Fascinating."

As soon as Tex came back out and joined him, Quetzal shrunk and flew to her, wrapping himself around her neck with a stubborn hiss when she tried to put him back down.

"Alright Q, but it's going to be noisy." She said, stroking his now small head.

Quetzal purred.

Sherlock raised a brow at him. "Looks like he's staying."

"Yeah," she said, taking a second to grab the black fanny pack hanging by the door before snapping it around her waist. Quetzal let out an excited squak once it was situated and dove into the bag in a streak of turquoise and purple.

"Did you Extend that yourself?" Sherlock asked, nodding to the accessory.

Tex smiled, pleased. "I did, yessir. Found it made carrying Q much easier-"

"You spoil him." Sherlock teased.

"I spoil all my critters." She corrected playfully as she followed him out and locked the door behind them, "I'm surprised he wants to join; he hates noisy places just as much as me but at least this way he can at least hide from all the noise when it gets to be too much."

"Perhaps I'll make a backpack and Extend it for you too one day," Sherlock offered jokingly.

She snorted "Maybe I'll take you up on that if you swear not to dump me somewhere."

Sherlock laughed, "I make no promises."

Once they were finished eating (Quetzal included), they headed over and settled in the faculty section of the quidditch pitch, John greeted them excitedly, pointing at the scoreboard reading "Hufflepuff: 70, Gryffindor: 40". Sherlock smiled at his joy, feeling his own chest warm at the sight before settling next to him as Tex flanked his other side between John and Jim.

Quetzal poked his head out for a minute, catching Jim's attention. The creature hissed at the Slytherin graduate as the man looked at him, somewhat surprised, before slipping down into the fanny pack and disappeared completely.

Jim pouted before pointing at the fanny pack. "He still doesn't like me."

Sherlock opened his mouth to make a snide comment but closed it as Tex laughed and patted Jim's shoulder, "Don't take it too hard; Quetzal doesn't like anyone-"

"Well he tolerates me-" Sherlock drawled, smirking as Jim shot him a dirty look. Jim raised a brow and casually bumped shoulders with Tex, leaning in to her space to talk as the crowd once again quieted.

"So, how'd the dive go?" Jim asked, ignoring Sherlock's overprotective glaring. John turned his attention to Sherlock and Tex then, his blue eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Fantastic!" Tex exclaimed, beaming at him with a small grin as she fidgeted with her hands, "We'll tell y'all all about it after the game, right Sherlock?"

Sherlock eyed Jim over the back of Tex's head. She would've noticed, if she wasn't busy admiring Jim's hands tapping on his thigh, wanting to hold it. Sherlock pitied her- he'd rather play Marco bloody Polo with the vicious grindylows than sit at a table with Moriarty, pretending to be civil with each other. Jim winked at him, smirking knowingly, almost challenging him with the way he didn't break eye contact.

Sherlock hated that smile, hated what he was saying by the mere flash of his canines.

'Can't play nice with me for fifteen minutes, Holmesie?' it said, 'You can't do it, not even for your sister, can you? Well I can. Pathetic, aren't you?'

Sherlock rolled his eyes at him, done with the nonverbal taunts, "Oh, I suppose we can."

John nodded, oblivious to their exchange, his eyes already drawn back to the game, "Excited to hear about it, mate."

Sherlock preened a little before catching Tex's eye, the two of them sharing a smile over their favorite Blondie as Jim pressed a little closer into Tex's side.

(✨okay to reblog✨)

#tex writes #i love my egghead bröther | sherlock #soldier boy | watson #king of my heart | moriarty #hogwarts professors au #i found this gem in my phone's notes app and had to share i love sherlock and I being NERDS #long post

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risottoneroo · 4 years

Text

Between His Fingers, Chapter Three

chapter three is here! hope yall like it!

warnings: drug mentions, teen boys being awkward, mentions of trauma and grooming, injury mention, implied nsfw

tags: @killuas-manicure @i-mean-i--guess @spaceeballs @casketjuice

chapter two

Kakyoin stared after you. He’d been joking about Jojo, but he was starting to realize that he himself really liked you.

You ran after Jotaro. “Hey, dickhead, wait for me.”

He shot you a dangerous look. You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you’re so big and scary and tall.”

He sighed. “Shut up, woman. Don’t overstay your welcome.”

You rolled your eyes. “Tall, menacing, and misogynistic. What a fucking catch you are, Kujo.”

You walked next to him in silence for a bit. He glanced at you. “How are your wounds?”

You shot him a glare. “Fine. My jaw is still bruised.”

He nodded. Kakyoin caught up with you two and walked on your other side. “Is he being rude, Y/N?”

You smiled at him. “No, Nori. It’s okay.”

Kakyoin’s heart jumped at the little nickname. He gave you a dumb grin. “Uh. Good.”

He cleared his throat and looked away. You smiled. You could clearly see Noriaki’s little crush, and you thought it was adorable. He wasn’t bad looking either. You could see your hands tangled in his hair, pulling him into a kiss, making him blush…

Jotaro cleared his throat. “If you two are done making eyes at one another…”

You snapped back and glared at him. He gestured to a door. “We’re here.”

He opened it. You stepped through, Kakyoin following. Jotaro’s stomach clenched. Watching you smile and call Kakyoin “Nori” was getting to him for some reason. He pushed it away.

Joseph was waiting for you in the room. He looked stern, and was easily as tall as Jotaro. “I’m Joseph Joestar. I heard you attacked my grandson.”

You looked down. “I was- well…”

He laughed. “Nothing against you. Kakyoin did the same when he met us.”

You looked up. “Really?”

Joseph and Kakyoin nodded. You smiled. “That’s a relief.”

Kakyoin said, “And I was brainwashed too. It’s not your fault.”

Joseph put a hand on your shoulder. “But we do need to know any information you have about Dio.”

You bit your lip. “He really never told me much. I was kind of a pet to him, really. If I did know anything, I’d tell you, I swear.”

Joseph sighed. “I believe you.”

You smiled, relieved. “Can I ask you a favor?”

Joseph nodded. You glanced at Jotaro, then Kakyoin, then back. “Can I travel with you all? I’d like to take back my life.”

Joseph looked at you warmly. “Of course. You can stay in the room with Kakyoin and Jotaro for tonight, if that suits you.”

You looked at the boys, smiling. “Yeah, that works, if they’re okay with it.”

Jotaro looked away, shrugging. Kakyoin nodded, a little too eagerly, and caught himself when Jotaro shot him a look. He coughed. “Yeah. That would be- that would be cool.”

A large, dark-skinned man walked into the room. “Mr. Joestar, I don’t believe there are any more Stand users in the area. I have surveyed the hotel and the grounds, and nobody gave off any unusual energy. Whoever this girl is, Dio clearly thought she’d be more of a challenge.”

You bristled. “I would have beat Mr. Tall Dark and Grumpy if he hadn’t played dirty.”

Jotaro exhaled. “Tch.”

The dark skinned man held out his hand. “My name is Muhammad Avdol. I have heard of your prowess, of course. I do not want to demean you or your Stand.”

You took his hand. “Y/N L/N. Are you from Egypt? I recognize your accent.”

He nodded. “Do you know the country?”

You smiled. “I grew up on the streets of Cairo.”

His eyes widened. “Did Dio kidnap you?”

You looked down. “Yes. He couldn’t manage to kill me, so he made me his… He called me a holy woman, when he was drunk.”

Avdol looked confused. “Why could he not kill you?”

You felt the burns on your back tingle. “My stand has certain powers, including emitting strong UV light, that make it hard to battle. Especially for a vampire.”

Avdol’s eyes widened. Kakyoin gasped. “That’s a very powerful ability.”

He reached for your shoulder, and you flinched. Kakyoin tilted his head. “The burns on your back…they look like angel wings. Your Stand…”

You nodded. “When it materialized last year, it burned its way out of my body. I’m marked forever. Even now, she can only materialize out of these burns without causing more damage. If she touches me anywhere else, I will be burned. She is as vengeful as her name suggests.”

Jotaro looked at you. “I played dirty because I wouldn’t have been able to win otherwise. I’m not Polnareff.”

Kakyoin snickered. “Yeah. you have no honor.”

Jotaro shot him a glare.

Joseph also seemed interested, leaning in and asking, “UV light? Like sunlight?”

You nodded. “Bright UV light and radiation. Exactly like a star. It damages Dio significantly on contact with the light itself. With living people, my Stand has to touch them.”

Joseph nodded. “You did quite a number on Jotaro’s neck and arms.”

Jotaro’s hand went to his neck, where his own burns were still prominent. Joseph said, “That’s quite the powerful Stand you have. May I see it?”

You closed your eyes. “Angel of Judgement!”

Your Stand materialized next to you and spread its wings. Light radiated off it and illuminated the room. You tried as hard as you could to suppress its light so it wouldn’t burn down the hotel. The others covered their eyes. Kakyoin was first to look up. “It’s gorgeous, Y/N.”

You smiled at him. Avdol looked up at it. “It’s very humanoid for a Stand, wings and eyes notwithstanding. It reminds me of Star Platinum.”

Kakyoin walked around behind you, looking at your Stand from every angle. You backed up so you still faced him. He cocked his head at you again. Jotaro spoke up, “It’s bright. Can you turn that thing down?”

You growled. “You asking for more burns, Kujo?”

He snorted. “Tch. Women.”

Joseph appeared to be just as dazzled. You dematerialized your Stand, leaving everyone feeling a little colder.

You fell with a gasp, the energy taken out of you. Jotaro caught you by the shoulders, setting you upright. “What happened, Y/N?”

You looked at him curiously. “You used my real name.”

He looked away. “Tch. Answer the question.”

You rolled your eyes and said, “It takes a great deal of effort when my Stand is out to keep from burning down the building it’s in.”

Kakyoin nodded. “I noticed that. It was setting the club on fire as you two fought.”

Jotaro grunted in agreement. Avdol said solemnly, “A great blessing, as well as a great curse. Your Stand, as powerful as it may be, is still a threat to all you love.”

You noticed Jotaro was still holding your arms, and you pulled away from his grasp. “Lucky I don’t love anything, then.”

You met the stares of the men in the room evenly. The first to break was Joseph. “Y/N, I’m sure you’re exhausted. Go to the room and rest.”

Kakyoin decided to walk you to the room while Jotaro stayed to talk to his grandfather. He kept looking at you curiously. You met his gaze. “Out with it. What do you wanna ask?”

He looked down. “You moved away from me suddenly back there. Is there a reason? Does it have to do with your time in Dio’s keep?”

You stopped at the door to the hotel room. He opened it and looked at you. “You can tell me.”

You stepped past him, inside the room. He was being so kind. You bit your lip. You turned to face him. Kakyoin looked at you with genuine concern in his eyes. You avoided his gaze and said evenly, “I used to be a female street urchin. It’s an instinct. Dio never mistreated me. He never even really laid a hand on me.”

Kakyoin closed the door behind you two. “I’m sorry.”

You looked away, mumbling, “‘S not your fault.”

Kakyoin cupped your cheek. His hand was warm and dry and immensely comforting. “I don’t mean to apologize. I’m trying to tell you I sympathize.”

You blinked slowly, trying to hold back tears. “It’s okay, I swear.”

Kakyoin stroked your cheek gently. “If you insist. May I hug you?”

You nodded and hugged him tightly around the waist. He laughed and hugged you back. He was big and warm. You took a deep breath against his chest, noticing his scent. Like sandalwood and cherry blossoms. He stroked your hair gently. “I know we just met, but…”

You pulled back to look at him. He was blushing. You tilted your head innocently. “But what, Nori?”

He pushed his bangs back from his face. “Would you like…to maybe…go for a dance sometime? Or maybe coffee?”

You flushed too. “Yeah…Yeah I would like that.”

Kakyoin was already looking at the floor. “It’s okay if you don’t- OH you said yes.”

You smiled at him. “Of course I did.”

He blushed even more, smiling nervously. “And- And would you want to sleep with me tonight?”

You pulled back, raising an eyebrow. Kakyoin stuttered and waved his hands, trying to save himself. “N-Not l-like that! I-I meant l-like in my bed. W-with me. I d-didn’t want to force you into anything.”

You laughed. “You’re cute. Yes.”

He calmed down considerably, sighing. “Good.”

You got up on your tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “‘That’ comes after the date.”

Kakyoin’s eyes widened. “Oh…okay. I mean- that would be- um.”

You chuckled softly in his ear, and he felt himself just about melt. Kakyoin put his hand on the wall. “I- Y/N…”

You pulled back a few steps, leaving the boy a panting mess. “Too much?”

Kakyoin looked at you. You looked genuinely concerned for his well being. He shook his head. “I’d rather just…wait.”

You smiled. “I’m a virgin too, Nori. Teasing is just my specialty.”

He nodded, trying to catch his breath. He wondered briefly if you used to tease Dio like that, but dismissed it. If you had, it wasn’t his business. You cocked your head at him, watching him straighten up and adjust his uniform. He was so much fun to tease, you knew you’d be teasing him like crazy all night.

Jotaro walked in then, not acknowledging either of you. He dropped on the bed, pulled his hat over his eyes, and went to sleep. You walked back up to Kakyoin and whispered, “Does he shower?”

Kakyoin shook his head, then thought, then nodded. “He showered last night.”

You shot him a look. He didn’t look up.

Jotaro wasn’t asleep. He was grumbling to himself in his head, thinking about the conversation he’d had with his grandfather.

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ericahacher · 3 years

Text

A RIVER THAT WINDS ON FOREVER

It felt too soon to be going back home. Hours on the back of her bike with the sun beating down on her, and the closer she got to the base – the more familiar the terrain became – the more the feeling grew; like she’d never left in the first place. Approaching the outer perimeter – the path of the patrol routes, the sightline of the nearest lookout point – she slowed down, weaving between gnarled Joshua trees and pale rock formations erupting from the sand, watchful eyes scanning her surroundings through the tinted visor of her helmet. A trail of dust appeared on the horizon before long, kicked up by an ATV advancing from the left, then another, from the right. Erica slowed to a stop, switching the engine off and kicking the stand down while she waited for them to reach her. Before they came to a full stop in front of her, she pulled her helmet off, breaking into a grin when the first of the drivers recognized her. “Erica?” “Josh.” She stepped off her bike, receiving him when he came up to hug her, the pair locked for a moment in an embrace before the woman from the other vehicle took over, flinging her arms around Erica’s neck. “Sadie, good to see you.” “Your hair! You look so different!” “Figured a bit of change was in order.” She rubbed at the back of her head, still smiling at them. “Look at you,” Josh was almost laughing. “Couple months in the city and you’ve got piercings all over. You get any tattoos?” She shrugged. “Not yet.” “And the others?” Sadie looked hopeful, grabbing the brim of her cap and wiggling it a little to adjust it. Her dark hair was tied into a bun at the nape of her neck, but a strand loosened with the movement, blowing across her face in the dry breeze. “Forgotten about us already?” Josh smirked, quirking an eyebrow. “No; I’m here for work.” “How long are you staying?” “I’m not.” Both their smiles faded, disappointment and something else sapping some of the warmth from their expressions. Erica pretended not to notice. “Right. Of course.” Sadie returned to her ATV for a comm, freeing it from a small bag placed on the side of the seat. “Gate, this is lookout four. Erica’s here.” She spoke into it, releasing the button on the side while she waited for a response. “Copy.” There was a pause. “All clear, Sadie. I’ll let Cira know.” Fuck. Erica closed her eyes, slowly breathing in, then put her helmet back on and straddled her bike. Josh had seen her expression, but thankfully knew better than to ask, returning to his ATV with a nod and a polite but rather unconvincing smile. Helmet back on, Erica mirrored the nod, flipping up the stand with the heel of her boot and starting the engine, leaving the two of them to return to their posts as she traveled on, trying not to clench her jaw too hard, or let her knuckles pale around their grip on the handlebars.

The base was nestled in a flat between a loose circle of towering bluffs, a high wall wide enough to walk along the top of filling the gaps between the crags. Steel walkways clung to the insides of the steep cliffs, connecting the stretches of wall to form a perimeter around the entire compound, high enough that when walking it, one could see clear to the other side. Coming up on the gate, she saw two figures atop it – one on either side of the barrier, each carrying a rifle – silhouetted against the sun. She didn’t bother trying to see who it was, nor did she get the chance, because before she’d even reached the gate doors, the left one opened, pushed along by Grant and… Erica drew in a breath, rolling in through the opening on momentum alone before pulling to the side and parking her bike out of the way of — but still near — the inside of the gate. She took her sweet time switching off the engine, taking her helmet off, rummaging through her small backpack before hooking the strap over her shoulder, getting off the bike, and only when she couldn’t stall anymore without looking ridiculous, she turned around to face the shadow she’d been keeping an eye on the entire time, stretching across the sand underneath her feet. Another hug, firmer, longer, but no comment on her hair, or the silver rings in her ears and septum. “It’s good to see you.” “You too, Mom.” Erica pulled back, carefully breaking the embrace to look down at her mother’s solemn face. “How is everyone?” “Surviving.” Her mother began walking, and she followed, throwing a small wave and a halfhearted smile over her shoulder at Grant as she went. “One of the solar panels has lost connection with the inverter; we’ll need new parts for it as soon as Frances and Lionel figure out what the problem is — and we’re low on antibiotics, but otherwise the base is operational.” Erica opened her mouth, stopped herself from asking if there was anything she could do, and nodded instead. Nobody was dead. Sick. Hurt. At least not badly enough to be worthy of mention in her mother’s eyes. “Listen, I need to talk to Moira. Could you… not tell Allegra and Marcel or Nadir that I’m here? If you see them. I don’t really…” she turned her head, looking around as if Gia and Yousef’s parents would suddenly appear, now that she had mentioned them, “have time to catch up.” “Will you stay and eat?” “Maybe. I don’t know.” “I’ll be in AG.” Her mother peeled off without acknowledging her request. “Find me before you leave.” Stopped in her tracks, Erica drew a quiet sigh, then headed in the opposite direction, towards the building that housed the lab.

Placed in the shade of one of the crags and thoroughly air-conditioned, the lab and infirmary was the coolest building in the compound, with its own set of generators and additional backup power on top of that again, should anything go wrong. Failsafe upon failsafe. The hallway she stepped into when she came through the door was dark and quiet, void of people; not unusual, so she pressed on, undeterred. Through another door towards the far left end of the hallway, the lab opened in front of her — just as dimly lit, save the blue sheen cast over the wall to her right by the UV-lamps that warmed the rows of various plants there, encased in glass. She still didn’t see anyone, so she continued past an open doorway into the next room, where she finally spotted the back of the woman she was looking for, silhouetted by the monitor at her desk. “Moira. Why’s it so dark in here?”

With a start, the brown-haired woman turned around, mouth open about to reply before she saw who had spoken and froze for a second, a blank look of surprise lingering on her face. “Erica.” She stood up, rubbing her eye as she approached, lab coat swishing around her legs. Her glasses were perched on top of her head, half-tangled into the mess of greying curls she’d piled there and fastened with a tie; a strand clung to them when she tried to pluck them free, and she began impatiently trying to disentangle it, gaze focused on the hinge it’d gotten caught in. “The panels… getting fixed. Generator’s running the important stuff. Lionel said it probably wouldn’t be long, so–” she got her glasses free and hooked them into the pocket on her chest, “–I’m not wasting fuel on lights. What are you doing here?” A sigh heaved her shoulders. The woman’s hands were planted firmly on her hips. “I need poison. As small a dose as possible, and as fatal as possible in as little time as possible.” “Okay… I don’t really have that kinda stuff on hand. Method of administration?” “Oral.” Erica made a face. “I assume.” “I can make a tincture, but it’s gonna take a couple of days if you want it to be potent.” “Days? You really don’t have anything else? Some drug that could be lethal in high doses?” “No guarantee it’d result in death, no. It’s also not what you would define as quick.” Moira paced around, opening a small fridge filled with vials. “The only thing I have is a bit of snake venom, but that needs to be injected. We also need it to make antivenom.” “Shit.” Erica, about to reach for her phone, remembered that it was packed away on her bike, switched off. No cell traffic in or near the base. No phones. Just radios. A few months in the city, and getting anything arranged without one was already a pain in the ass, where she’d never once minded it before. “Do both. What do you need?” Moira shrugged. “Nothing I don’t already have. Hey— where are you going?” “To replace your venom.” She was already through the first doorway. “Rattlesnake!” Moira called out after her, the clinking of lab equipment sounding between her words, “The Mojave, not the diamondback!”

In AG, her mother was walking between rows of cabbage with a spray bottle of organic pesticide, a wide-brimmed hat hiding her face from the sun. “Mom,” she called out, pacing closer along the edge of the square plot, boots never touching the darker soil that had been placed there. “Yes?” her mother didn’t stop her work; didn’t look up. “Looks like I’ll be staying for a couple days. Have you seen Locke?” “If you want to help, go to the panels, Erica.” “I need to do something for Moira first. Have you seen him?” “I haven’t — but you know where to look.” She nodded, a single dip of her chin. “I’ll see you tonight, then.” Two days of living in the past, for a client she’d never worked with before. Money is no object, she thought stubbornly as she headed off in search of the only man she’d trust to wrangle a deadly snake, wondering idly if Josh and Sadie would be too in whatever huff she’d put them in to keep her company later, maybe share some moonshine. She’d need it — especially if she was staying the night with her mother.

#( erica )#( para: a river that winds on forever )#( title from ends of the earth by lord huron )#( this was supposed to be posted weeks ago but whatever )

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mythologyfolklore · 3 years

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Baldr in Hel - Ch. 02

(A/N: This contains Baldr having a mental breakdown and also a brief discussion about when an unborn baby gets a soul. There is also a cameo of foreign underworld gods.)

Baldr's POV

It had been two days since he had arrived.

At least he thought so.

The underworld sun never set and the UV-A light¹ bathed the entirety of Niflheimr and Helheimr in permanent ghostly twilight. There was no day-night cycle. It seemed to Baldr, like time stood still in this murky, chilly world.

Fortunately the Bright One had quickly figured out, that Hel had a rigid schedule he could orientate himself on.

The meals played a big part: there was a warm and simple breakfast for the Queen of the Dead (and for him, since he had a seat of honour at her table), an opulent lunch and a warm, but light dinner (Hel had told him, that it was better not to eat too much in the evening).

Baldr didn't believe, that the ingredients for the food were home-grown; that was impossible around here. But he didn't dare ask, where they came from.

Hel also had the habit of getting up early, earlier than Baldr was used to. Perhaps it was because his habit was to rise with the sun, or maybe it was the black light of the underworld sun, which made him feel like he was woken up earlier than usual.

Hel's two personal servants, Ganglöt and Ganglati, worked rather slowly (no surprise with how elderly they were) and Hel had advised him to make requests at least an hour in advance, whenever he wanted something.

Baldr had also learned quickly, that Hel was rather morbid, when it came to naming things.

Apart from her gargantuan palace, Éljúðnir, her own bed was named Kór (sickbed), its curtains Blikjandabol (gleaming bale), her table was named Hungr (hunger), her knife Sultr (starvation).

(“Why do you give your possessions such dark names?”

“Why not?”

Later he had learned from her manservant Ganglati, that her gallows humour – which she clearly had got from her father – was her way of coping with her ruined youth.)

And last but not least …

“Uhm, Hel? May I ask you something?”

“Certainly.”

“Why is there a pitfall in front of your audience hall?”

“Oh, you mean Fallandaforað²? That's my threshold.”

Threshold???

“It sorts out anyone who has malicious intent and or is guilty of hubris.”

Now Baldr was even more confused. “Uhm … could you elaborate please?”

“Alright: every soul has an individual signature, made up of character, memories, thoughts and good or bad deeds they have done in life. Over the chasm of my threshold goes an invisible magical film. Most people are able to cross it, no problem. The really bad ones stumble over invisible obstacles, but they get across. But those guilty of hubris or ill intent fall into the chasm. Their punishment is to be lost forever in the deepest and darkest pits of Niflhel.”

Baldr felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

Hel's emotionless tone and face hadn't made her explanation any less scary. Neither did her sudden changed of disposition, when she suggested talking about something more pleasant.

When he asked her personal servants about it, Ganglati, her elderly butler, just laughed: “Well, that's how our queen is. She's very changeable, both in appearance and in demeanour. If she has a blank expression all the time, well, that's just Hel being Hel. But here's a tip; if you want to get a hint on how she's feeling, pay close attention to the state of her left half. The worse her mood is, the more decayed her face is. But if she's happy, it looks just as lively and beautiful as the right side of her body.”

The light god tilted his head in interest. “Is that so?”

“Mhm.”

“You two must have known her for a long time.”

Ganglati nodded affirmatively. “Oh yes. We were already long here, when she came here as a young thing. Such a frightened, poor little lass she was. Such a burden on the shoulder of a ten-year-old. It took her a while to grow into her new role, but we were there through all of it, Ganglöt and I.”

Compassion struck Baldr with an intensity he hadn't felt in quite a while (and he was quite a compassionate person, a “bleeding heart”, as Loki had called it scornfully).

The things this woman must have gone through!

Hel's POV

Hel allowed Baldr to roam through the castle, so that he could get used to it (among other reasons).

The Bright One was curious and once he got over his initial apprehension, he asked her a lot of questions, which made her really happy. He was genuinely interested in her place.

Maybe it was selfish, but she would have been a fool, if she hadn't been grateful for this indeed very special revenge kill/“birthday gift” from her father.

Her life wasn't boring per se, just … repetitive. Always the paper work and the soul judging.

Well, at least the upside of the latter was the soul reading. Whatever the soul had experienced, she knew it, their memories, their wishes and hopes, their deepest secrets – some of which even the persons themselves didn't know – and of course their silly little mishaps.

Sometimes being a death goddess could be really fun.

She always had a story to tell and a friend from Hellas had given her the idea to write those stories down. Now she had to employ thousands of librarians to administrate the nigh infinite amount of media in her Halls of Knowledge. But hey, the dead might as well make themselves useful.

Hel was quite sure, that Baldr would be dying to see them, once he found out about them. Maybe she would have to drag him out of there; reading his soul had revealed, that he loved stories and reading.

One thing was for sure: he was really curious about the little light that floated about the hallways of the entire castle. Once Hel was showing him the halls he was going to inhabit, once the problems were fixed, when Baldr caught one of the little lights in his hand. The next moment he yelped, let go and the light quickly escaped.

“It bit me!”, he exclaimed in shock. Hel took a look at his hand. There was no blood, but one of his fingers had a visible bite mark.

She smiled lopsidedly. “You have to excuse them. They panic easily and when they panic, they bite.”

“What are they anyway?”, Baldr asked. “I've been wondering for a while.”

“These, Baldr, are the souls of stillborn children”, Hel revealed. “Babies, who just transformed from a bunch of cells to living, sentient beings, who just gained a soul – only to lose this spark of light almost immediately, before they could even see the world and take their first breath. Some of them had already been born, when they died – usually of sickness, or because they were considered weak and were abandoned. So they're as confused and upset as babies can be.”

Baldr looked pained. “That's awful”, he whispered.

“It is”, Hel agreed. Then she hummed a little melody and the baby souls gathered around her head and hands, including the one that had bitten Baldr's finger.

“Hello, children”, she greeted them. “How are you today? Are you playing nicely?”

Their answer was a barely audible hum, a chorus of susurrated words only she could hear. The tiniest of them (the little finger biter) nuzzled her right cheek.

“Hey there, sweetie”, Hel smiled. “I see, you're growing teeth.”

She turned to Baldr. “Come here, Óðinnson. This little soul wants to tell you something. But pay very close attention and keep your voice down; the souls of the stillborn have the faintest voices and are most sensitive to noise.”

Baldr approached and hesitantly opened his hand. The tiny soul floated onto it, then up his arm and onto his shoulder, right next to his left ear. His eyes widened in evident surprise, as the soul whispered something into his ear. But then he smiled and whispered back, that it was okay.

The soul nuzzled his cheek too and made a humming sound, which prompted the other souls to float over and orbit around the glowing god.

Baldr's POV

Baldr wasn't quite sure, what to do, but at least the souls seemed comfortable around him, so that was a good thing. Hel seemed pleased at the sight.

“Are they attracted to my light?”, he asked softly.

“Oh yes. As I said before, most of these children have never seen the light of day, but some have. The big one on your hand, that's Ragnar. He died at the age of three and is the oldest of the group. He just told the little ones, that your face shines like the sun. So they're really excited. They had no idea the sun was so bright, warm and beautiful.”

“Oh”, he breathed and his cheeks reddened considerably (seriously, what was that with all the blushing lately?).

Some of the souls made a noise that sounded suspiciously like giggling.

Of course this wasn't the first time, that someone likened Baldr's brightness and fairness to the sun, but to him it meant so much more, when it came from a child.

“I agree”, Hel responded to his process of thought. “It does mean a lot more from a small child. They don't say these things to flatter or to be poetic or romantic, but because to them it's a simple truth.” She smiled. “Look at them, they really like you! They orbit around you like planets! Seems like you're called 'The Beloved' for a reason. Even the dead love you.”

These words made him glow a little brighter with joy. “I'm glad”, he said gently.

They stayed there for a while, before continuing their tour, leaving the souls to play.

After walking for a while, Hel asked her companion: “What's the matter? You're so silent.”

“Just wondering, that's all”, Baldr mumbled. “When does a being get a soul?”

“Hm, I think it's an ethical or philosophical question”, Hel mused. “Some say, it's at the moment of conception, some say it's at birth. But to me, it's the moment, when their tiny little organs start working; the moment they become viable.”

“Why can the souls talk?”

“Unlike their mortal shells, souls have a voice, mind and conscience from the moment they spring into existence. Even if the creatures themselves can't speak, their souls can. And if you can hear the soul inside a creature, you can understand them. You can read them like books.”

“Like you can?”, Baldr asked.

“Yes and no. I can only read the dead. The living are an enigma to me”, Hel admitted. “That's one of the reasons I prefer the company of ghosts. Another being the way the living look at me. The horror, fear and disgust in their eyes … I hated going outside in Jötunheimr.”

He gasped: “Your own kind was afraid of you?!”

“Yes. We led an isolated life deep in the Járnviðr. But sometimes mother would have to travel to the next settlement for groceries and then she would take us along, because she couldn't leave us alone at home. But it's not fun to go outside, only to be called a 'monster' a 'freak', or other charming things like that.”

Baldr felt his heart crack.

This wasn't right. She didn't deserve this.

Unable to stop himself, he took her hand.

“I don't think you're a monster or a freak”, he spoke softly.

Hel's POV

Hel felt a blush rise to both of her cheeks and for the first time in quite a while, her left side turned lively.

“You don't?”, she asked

The dead god shook his head vehemently: “Absolutely not! They were fools for not seeing your magnificence!”

Her blush intensified and she couldn't help but smile.

“Thank you, Baldr. That means a lot to me.”

Of course it didn't escape her, that her apparent joy made him happy in return.

Oh Baldr, you sweet and messed up summer child.

A few hours later, at the lunch table, he thought of another question.

“Hel, can I ask you something?”

“Of course you can.”

“Uhm … do you come after your mother? I mean, you definitely have Loki's wit and gallows humour, but except for that, I don't see much of a resemblance between you and him.”

Hel smirked.

Baldr giggled: “Okay, scratch that. That is definitely a Loki-smirk.

“Why, thank you!”, the Queen of the Dead snickered. “I'll take that as a compliment. But to answer your question: yes, I do come more after my mother – at least on the good side.”

By his curious eyes she could tell, that he wanted to know more, but was afraid to ask.

“Go on”, she encouraged him.

He fidgeted a little. “Your mother … what was she like?”

Hel tilted her head. “Why did you hesitate to ask me that?”

“W-well … I thought … I …”

“That it would hurt me to be reminded of her?”

“Y-yes.”

“It doesn't”, she assured him. “I like remembering my mother. She was the most unimpressed person you could ever meet. Very outspoken too, though she didn't talk much. She didn't smile much, but never got angry either. She would teach us her magic and all kinds of runes and spells. Mother didn't play with us, that was father's job. But sometimes she would do something sweet. Small gestures here and there. When I was a little girl, I asked my mother for bells to play with. She said no, but on Yule I found them in my Yule bag. It was father, who gave them to me, but he whispered into my ear, that it had been mother's doing. 'But that's a secret, sweetie', he said, 'Don't tell Mama I told you'. These …” She took the scythe, which was leaning against the table and shook it, making the bells ring, “… are the very same bells. They're my most priced possession.”

Baldr was smiling from ear to ear. “That's such a sweet story! You and your family must have been so close.”

“We still are”, Hel corrected. “We always were, always are and always will be. I'm sure that as an Ása you know that kind of love. During my brief stay in Asgard I could tell, that your family is a very tight-knit group.”

He clearly understood.

“I want you to understand, Baldr, that it doesn't upset me to talk about my family. I have nothing but fond memories of them. What upsets me is what your family did to us. My brothers and I, we were only children, when your father tore us apart. I do not truly hate Óðinn, because I know and understand, why does what he does. Still he hurt us and for that I resent him.”

Baldr nodded sadly. “I think I do understand. You're a strong person to not hate my father.”

Hel sighed: “I wouldn't call it strong. It's not so much strong as it is wise. It's the sensible thing to do. Hatred doesn't resolve anything. It just makes you more miserable, blackens your soul and clouds your judgement. My father is the hateful, vindictive one.”

“Can confirm”, Baldr said wryly and pointed to where he had been pierced by the mistletoe dart.

Right that moment, the waiters came in and brought lunch.

When Baldr saw the content of his bowl, his face brightened up.

“Ohhh, girolle stew with mussels!”, he squealed in delight.

Hel chortled, as the light god proceeded to practically inhale his food.

“You certainly have a healthy appetite!”, she snickered.

Baldr laughed sheepishly: “Yeah, Nanna would say that too. She used to joke, that, if we weren't so rich, I would eat us out of house and home.”

Hel snickered some more: “Don't you worry, Bright One. There is no danger of that happening. You can eat as much as you want.”

The blond beamed and refilled his bowl.

Later Hel was sitting in her office doing her paperwork and making zoom calls.

She was on the call with a few of her foreign colleagues, when a knock on her office door got her attention.

“Wait a second, guys, someone just knocked on my office – ENTER!”, she called out to whoever was waiting outside.

She was a little surprised, when the door opened to reveal …

“Baldr! What can I do for you?”, Hel inquired.

He was smiling sweetly – primordial cow, it looked so cute!

“Hi, I just wanted to- oh, wait, I see you're busy”, he noted sheepishly. “I'm sorry. I'll just come back later-”

“Don't be silly! Come here, Óðinnson!”, she ordered.

Baldr's POV

Baldr obeyed, albeit hesitantly.

“Come”, she repeated. “I want you to meet my colleagues from abroad.”

He joined her behind the magical screens and saw the faces inside them.

“Everyone”, Hel addressed her colleagues, “I want you to meet my new companion. This is-”

“Baldr!”, one of the other underworld rulers exclaimed and waved behind their screen. “What a surprise! Hi!”

Baldr recognised the other and beamed. “Oh, hey, Persephone!”

Hel blinked: “You two know each other?”

Baldr nodded. “Yes, I've met her a few times, when my family and I would visit the Olympians for business-”

“So this is the dead god you're hosting now?”, one of the other zoom call participants asked. “I've heard of some god dying and entering your realm.”

“Yes, this is him”, Hel confirmed. “Baldr, this is Osiris, son of Nut and Geb. He's the king of the Egyptian underworld and very much like you. Osiris, this is Baldr Óðinnson, formerly the god of light, peace, joy, justice, spring and all that stuff – which should be obvious by the way he glows.”

Some of the foreign chthonic deities laughed.

Curiously Baldr regarded the Egyptian god. Through the screen he could tell that the other had green skin, was clad in white linen and wearing a white crown.

“So you died too?”

“Yes, no thanks to my brother Seth”, Osiris sighed. “My wife and some helpers sewed me back together and resurrected me. But since I was already dead, I couldn't return to the land of the living, so here I am, ruling the afterlife. But it's a nice gig and I'm comfortable here. I'm sure, you will like living with Hel too. Once you get used to her aloof demeanour, you will find, that she's a very likeable person.”

“Oh, I do!”, Baldr agreed eagerly. “I really like it here!”

He couldn't help but laugh, when Hel gawked at him like he had just grown a second head.

“What's so funny?”, Hel complained, “This is the first time I hear that sentence!”

Baldr gasped: “What??? Well, then I will have to tell you more often, because it's true!”

He was very pleased with himself, when the left side of Hel's face turned significantly more lifelike (though she was still deathly pale) and a blush tainted her right cheek.

That means she's happy, right? According to Ganglati, that means she's happy.

“Awww!”, some of the foreign underworld rulers cooed.

“So cute!”, Persephone gushed.

“Does anyone have something of importance to say, before I end this conference?”, one of the participants – a skeletal god with a splendid, colourful feather crown – asked.

Everyone else said no.

“Good. The meeting is over.”

Hel lost no time in switching her screens off.

Baldr gave her a questioning look. “Not even so much as a goodbye?”

“Not among us underworld gods”, she muttered. “Besides, I don't need to hear their gossiping. In that regard many chthonic deities are just as bad as most upperworld deities.”

Ah. No wonder she wanted to get away as quickly as possible.

“They're going to ship us, aren't they?”, he sighed.

“Like GodEx”, she grumbled. “Especially the married ones. You have to excuse them. Every time they suspect that one of us singles has even so much as a crush, they get all … stupid.”

“Ah. Yes, I've been there.”

“I know you have. By the way, you can sit down.”

Baldr smiled gratefully and sat on the chair in front of Hel's desk.

She leaned back in her own chair and regarded him across the table.

“So! What brings you here?”, she wanted to know.

He shifted in his chair.

For a few minutes he had forgot about what he had come here for, but now he was reminded. He had just wanted to … wanted to – oh Allfather, what had he been thinking? She was the Queen of the Dead, she had so many better and more important things to do than listen to his stupid-

“Go on. Spit it out.”

“I … I just … I …”

He grew pale, when he saw how the left half of her face decayed again and she began to frown. He was displeasing her. She was getting agitated, just because he couldn't even … damn it!

And just like that he broke into tears.

“I'm sorry!”, he blubbered, “I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- I'm sorry! I'm sorry!”

Through the blur he could just about make out Hel leaping up and darting around the table, then her right hand cupping his face and the other dabbing at his eyes with a paper tissue.

“Hey now.” Her voice was so gentle. “There is nothing to say sorry for. You don't owe me an apology. You don't owe me anything.”

“But … but …”

“Listen to me, Baldr”, she spoke sternly. “You don't have to please me. You don't have to live up to my expectations. I expect nothing of you. You don't have to put on a false smile and pretend that everything is fine, when it's really not. I know everything, Baldr. I saw the hurt, anxiety and depression, that broke you to the point where you wanted to die. I saw the lone moments, when you sought comfort in your twin's arms, because the pressure was too much to bear. But you know what? It's gone now. You're dead. You're free. Just let go.”

Let go.

Only one person had ever told him that in his life: Höðr, his dear twin-brother. No one else had ever understood.

In his beauty, purity and wisdom, Baldr appeared to be perfect.

He was not.

Blinded by admiration or envy, the people, who flocked around him, forgot that he too had his shortcomings. Höðr had been the only one, who had never forgot, had never expected anything of him. And now there was another person, who asked nothing of him either, who understood his feelings?

Baldr cried harder. He couldn't help it.

For a second he was confused, when Hel moved to take him in her arms, only to stop short. But then she shifted and let him lean into her right shoulder, instead of the left. Honestly, Baldr wouldn't have given a damn, he just wanted to be held, to cry his heart out and be told that everything was alright now.

This was wrong, because he was just one of many dead people and she was his new queen and sovereign. It was undignified and improper, downright insulting and disrespectful even, to get emotional in front of a monarch.

But for some reason Baldr couldn't bring himself to care.

He just drank in the physical closeness and Hel's soothing and placid aura and listened to her murmured words of comfort.

“Are you feeling a bit better?”, Hel asked, when he had finally stopped crying.

He nodded, sniffling. “Yeah … I think so. Thank you so much. I really needed that, I suppose.”

“No need to thank me”, she replied and handed him a jug of water. “Just know that, whenever you need someone to talk to, I'm all ears- uhhh, Baldr, why are you pouting like that?”

“Why are you wearing your hair like that?”, he all but huffed. “You haven't done that since Nanna saw your face and couldn't stand looking at it.”

She had brushed her black hair forward to hide the decayed part of her face and for some reason that bothered him even more now than it had a few days ago.

Hel made her “owl face”, tilting her head and looking at him with that bottomless black eye.

But it soon gave way to her usual blank expression.

Hel's POV

“Can you stand looking at it?”, Hel questioned earnestly. “Your breakdown happened after you saw how my condition worsened. You saw my face decay and flipped out.”

Baldr blushed and mumbled: “Uhm … it wasn't because of that. You see, I noticed that your left side changes condition and your butler explained to me, that it's affected by your mood. So when that happened earlier and you started frowning, I … I thought …”

“That you had displeased or even angered me”, Hel realised. “I see. Looks like I owe you an apology. I didn't mean to frighten you. I was getting impatient, because of your stuttering, yes, but angry? No. How could I ever be angry at someone like you?”

She flashed him a half smile.

For the first time in his life, Baldr acted on impulse: he brushed her hair out of the left half of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

“That's better”, he smiled.

It took her a heroic amount of self-control not to blush again, like a flustered teenager (Niflheimr, she was thousands of years old and had never once gotten flustered before Baldr had showed up!).

But damn, he's so adorable!

She coughed awkwardly and returned to her chair behind her desk.

“Now, that you have calmed down, what did you want to talk about?”

Baldr blinked, as if he had forgot.

But then he laughed: “Oh, right! I just wanted to know, if we could talk more about our families, you and I. If you want to and have time, of course.”

She could feel her left side become more lifelike, enabling her to smile fully.

“I would very much like that, Óðinnson.”

---

1) Ultraviolet-A light. The proper term for black light. As a god of light, Baldr would know everything about light and the different spectra and would probably say UV-A light, rather than black light. 2) Fallandaforað: "Falling Bale/Falling Danger", Hel's threshold.

#norse mythology #hel #baldr #ganglati #Greek Mythology #Persephone #egyptian mythology #osiris

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writinginthesparetime · 4 years

Text

A place far away pt7

pairing: actor!Park Haejin x student!reader

Warnings: famous!au ; college!au ; litte bit of swearing?

genre: fluff ;

chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

(If needed I will add more warnings and upload the genre tags in next chapters)

Summary:

So that’s how all started.

It was a rainy day in Seoul and I was the new girl in town. Precisely the new girl in college, just moved from europe to study abroad.

Little did I knew Seoul was not the only korean thing I’d fell in love with.

————————————————

21st November

“Lillian! Your caffelatte!”

I looked up from my books just a moment, only to see a girl holding two cups in her hands desperately trying to get her friend’s attention.

This cafeteria in the campus often looked like this: loud and busy. I didn’t enjoy spending my time there to study, but that morning only the idea of staying home made me sick.

I spent the last two weeks studying for three exams, now focusing on the last one of those. Class? Chemical behind the skincare.

I went back to my notes, looking at graphics and formulas well written, trying to revise some useful acids for peeling and the benefits of vitamin c for our skin.

I sipped my coffee and looked at the time. Almost 11 o’clock.

It was so weird to think that the whole campus had the free morning. Someone definitely decided to spend it in bed sleeping, someone just enjoyed their free time and someone, like me, chose to keep on studying.

I never wanted to be the best student, but indeed I wanted to prove myself I could. I just needed to tell myself so, and actually work hard. Luckily, lessons were interesting and I found myself being capable of getting on the top of class.

Even cooking class was satisfying.

In the table next to me, a group of girls were chatting loudly, all smiling and well dressed. They were talking about the real reason why morning classes were cancelled and most of the girls went on campus anyways. The reason they all wore their best dresses and used tons of makeup.

An idol.

Or someone famous.

Again.

Yes, if months ago there were some weird visit by an entertainment company, that morning was the confirmation of a collaboration with the college.

So, an idol in that exact moment was in one of my college’s class filming some stupid advertisement about some stupid product, probably to attract teenagers who are still influenced by whoever is in the commercial.

And it worked just fine.

I sighed lightly reading again the same phrase on my notes. “What’s uva and uvb rays? And how uv sun rays damage our skin?”

Let’s say in the morning, especially on these cold ones, the last thing I think of is putting sunscreen on.

Just waken up then, after embracing a sky full of clouds, that’s definitely not my first thought.

And suddenly I thought about Nana who was surely still sleeping in her warm bed.

I lost every kind of concentration, desolated I closed my books and stopped looking outside the window.

I still had some time before the first lesson started, but it was so obvious that I wasn’t able to keep on revising.

This exam looked infinitely long to study and I still had one to go before the end of the year.

And then I suddenly started thinking about that lesson, one month and a half ago. About that speech the teacher made, about working in a company.

I sank into the chair, trying to make myself as little as possible.

I didn’t know what to do with this information. All my classmates saw the list and picked their favourite company. Some girls, after reading important company names, even started to study more.

And I was the only one in the class who hasn’t choose yet. Well, I didn’t even decided about doing this work or not.

I was one of the best students, suitable for the opportunity, but I was afraid about the whole working and going to classes and studying for exams at the same time. I could have just failed.

Plus, I really couldn’t understand why we had to choose a company, I could really work everywhere they wanted.

I snorted.

I knew my time was almost over, I couldn’t keep on procrastinating. A teacher already stopped me in the hallways to know if I made up my mind. I simply run away.

And then I suddenly thought about the no-boys rule, that has been recently broken by Nana a week ago at a really late halloween party. She kept on saying that she didn’t really broke our promise since she make out with a girl, but we both knew the truth.

On the other hand, I didn’t date anyone, girl or boy. I kinda made friends with other classmates, even ended up in a project group with Jackson, who kept being an acquaintance.

That’s it.

That’s it, like any other Hae-jin story then.

I looked up.

Y/n, stop thinking about him.

Yet, sometimes his kind smile came back to mind.

And even how we never met in the last month and a half, after bumping into each other almost every week.

Slowly the voices in the cafe became quieter and many people left, dispersing in the campus.

I sipped my coffee and I saw myself reflected in the window.

My eyes were tired from the lack of sleep and my cheeks bright pink because of the cold November.

I wrapped myself in my blue hoodie, judging again my morning decision to choose comfort over style. Countless times Nana tried to find any item in my wardrobe to save my outfits, that are so basic to her.

Anyways I did find a trick: just wear an elegant coat over every outfit and suddenly I didn’t look like a mess. Not completely.

I noted mentally to go shopping as soon as my mother sent me some money.

I got up picking my things up and throwing them inside the backpack and, against my will, I exited the cafeteria heading to class to revise the next coming exam. I wasn’t prepared for it, neither for the day ahead.

While i was quickly walking i kept hearing people chat about what was going on in college, and i even saw some people randomly run through the campus, going wherever they heard the idol’s last location was.

And it was just one of those crowds that crushed me. I stumbled, getting hit by thousands hands and shoulders that tried to get me out of the way.

I was almost falling when I ended up crushing a girl, she quickly grabbed me by my shoulders, holding me.

“Everything’s okay?’ She asked worried.

This girl definitely looked older than me, well I could guess she wasn’t going to college anymore. Her neat appearance made me feel ashamed. Everything about her made me think she was one of those girls who really treated herself good.

“I’m fine, thank you.” I said softly and bowed at her. She took a step back, feeling the embarrassment between the two of us.

With her right hand, closed into holding two different phones, she moved a lock of hair with her pinkie.

Only then I noticed she was holding, with her other hand, a big brown leather briefcase. She kinda looked like a business woman, only her windbreaker didn’t suit her style: an huge stuffed one, long ‘till under her knees, with an embroidered word on her chest, probably the name of the company she was working for.

She quickly excused herself and left, not giving me enough time to read that word. I only saw the logo, made by three little triangles that reminded me of the three Giza’s pyramids.

“Y/n!” I heard my name being called while trying to walk in the hallway. “Wait, y/n!”

I turned around to where I thought this voice came, only to see Nana, of course, running to me. In a couple of seconds she joined me and, well, actually she bumped into me, with the biggest hug.

“Y/n-ah, you have no idea how it’s so good to wake up late, i feel so fresh!” Saying so she slapped her cheeks lightly.

“Lucky you.” I looked up.

“Oh my god, what are those? Eye-bags?”.

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately.” I said shrugging my shoulders.

We walked side by side, in silence. Nana knew my weird sleeping habits, she knew it’s been weeks since I had a proper full night of sleep and, luckily, she knew when was the time to not say a word.

And I didn’t have to tell her more.

In the hallways people kept walking and talking, even louder than any other day, it was becoming annoying.

Everyone was frenetically moving, girls stopping mid walking looking at their phones, little half runs and continuously checking their hair.

I was getting curious to know who was the reason of this whole mess.

“Hold this: I have a concealer that matches your skin color.” Nana suddenly gave me her make-up trousse. We have so differently skin color, even different undertones, but I wasn’t shocked at all: we often tried make-up products together, even sharing them for fun. “If it’s not your color, you’re good enough to make it work it out. I know lately you’re not into this, but your eye-bags could literally scare the teacher.”

I smiled at her, knowing that she was trying to make me feel better and she definitely didn’t want me to look like a zombie.

We left in front of the class door, she headed inside to take seats while I just tried to remember where the closest toilet was.

Needless to say that I didn’t know at all: campus and buildings were huge, every lesson was taken in a different classroom and I still couldn’t orient myself. I only followed the signs.

I found myself walking for the whole hallway and after turning twice, fifty metres ahead, I ended up in a blind alley, with some doors on the sides.

Above one of them, a sign with a drawing of a lady. And behind that same door a group of girl exited the toilet. Coming across, we bowed slightly.

All of the sudden, behind myself I heard a soft sound, getting slowly louder until the rustle clearly turned into quick steps in the hallways.

I turned around confused, but I could only see me and the other four girls.

I was so focused on that sound which was gettin louder and kinda deafening because of the echo on the walls, that I didn’t notice I was slowly going backwards.

And when I turned, I didn’t have the time to clearly see the person I bumped into.

Raising my gaze, I saw some details.

A black button down shirt. A strong arm. Fine jawline.

And then the shoulder I literally crush into.

The man was taller than me so his shoulder was at the same height as my face, and because of my abrupt movement I ended up hitting him.

I got hurt on the side of my face, a strong smack at my right ear.

Suddenly my head started spinning, there was a loud strong whistle that kept shutting my thoughts. I stumbled untill I lied to the closest wall.

Every sound was padded. I brought my hands to my head, I could literally heard my blood angrily pulsing.

I didn’t know what was around me anymore. My vision was blurred, it was hard for me to focus on anything.

I ended up squeeze my eyes multiple times.

The man stopped, and I only knew because I couldn’t hear any close steps.

My legs were shaking and the whistle still there, not letting me think straight.

“Oh.” A manly voice that sounded so far away. “I am sorry.” His cold and formal words made me shiver.

The only thing I was thinking about was to find a quite place to sit, any place.

And then, like someone opened a door with air stream, steps and voices got louder.

The whistle left, letting me finally hear but every little sound now was painful as a stab. I looked up trying to recall the place, feeling the rough wall behind me.

I was so shocked to see a crowd of people coming towards me, and a man I could clearly see because he was taller than anyone. That man. He just run out to another hallway.

I didn’t see more because once I recognised the toilet door I only thought about laying on the little couch each bathroom in campus had.

I moved quickly.

I closed my eyes while sinking on it. Slowly I started feeling better, no more dizziness. My heartbeat was regular now.

Outside, finally the silence.

It still took me a couple of minutes before getting up. I decided to splash my face with some cold water and suddenly I felt a little better, more awake.

I could still clearly see how sick I looked.

Maybe it was time for that concealer to save me.

I quickly applied some makeup, trying to hide my dark eye-bags. I fixed my hair tying them up into a ponytail to look more clean.

“You look awful.” I whispered.

I exited the toilet and redo the same way backwards. Empty hallways and silences.

Only my steps echoing between the yellowish walls.

Three times I bumped into someone that morning. Three differs ways, three different people, three different pair of arms touched me.

Hold.

Loved.

Hurt.

Slightly bent over, I got closer to Nana who took a seat in the middle raw.

I tried to be as quiet as possible and to be the more invisible I could. The teacher already started the lesson and he was writing fast on the blackboard.

“Y/n, what happened?”

Nana asked after looking at the clock on the wall, and then at me. I let myself fall onto the chair, giving back her trousse.

“I don’t think I am feeling good, after class I am going home.”

I was slowly walking through the campus, heading to the exit while thinking about taking a long nap before getting back to study.

I needed to rest.

And i needed a painkiller for my headache.

“Miss. Y/l/n! Miss!” I heard a door slamming and quick steps. Beside me, my history of makeup’s teacher was closing our distance.

“Yes?” I asked. Behind him, inside the hallway people were talking and looking at us.

“I am truly sorry to disturb you, but I needed to know if you decided about the job. As I have already told you, this is the last week to sign up.”

“I am really thankful for your interest, but I haven’t had the time to look at the list, so I think I’ll have t-“ I couldn’t end the phrase because the teacher, after looking up for a folder and finding it inside his briefcase, interrupted me.

“Here it is.” He gave me the folder smiling.

“Honestly, I still won’t have the time to choose, I’m too busy studying for exams.”

“Miss y/l/n, that’s not the first time we talked about this.”

“I am truly sorry, I don’t think I’ll be able to study and work and attend classes, all together.”

“Miss, I never thought of you as a lazy person, but you know better than me that classes are ending soon and there are just a few exams to be taken. Do you really want to risk to lose this opportunity?”

“What if I can’t do it?”

“Miss, you’re on the top five of the class, we are positive you’ll be able to make it just fine. And if you won’t, we do not expect you to pass every exam this semester.”

“But it will be humiliat-“

“It will be more embarrassing to lose such an opportunity to work with professionals. I don’t want to force you, but I think you’ll regret this in the future.”

He kept smiling the whole time, trying maybe to reassure me, while his words were sharp.

I really just wanted to go home, forget about everything and sleep. Thinking too much made my headache stronger.

I raised my gaze, ignoring his face. Behind him, I could see some people staring.

“All I ask you is to think about it.”

I grabbed the folder and hold it tight.

I just needed to resist one more week, and wait for the deadline.

But the idea of meeting persistent teachers made me feel sick. More than I already was.

“Are you feeling good?” He asked worried, taking on step closer.

“Not really. Teacher, I don’t really have time to choose between the companies right now.”

“I have a proposal. Actually, you can even meet them now if yo-“ He stopped talking mid sentence. “A-are you feeling good? You look pale, do you need some water?”

“Thank you teacher, I just need to go home and rest.” I quickly smiled.

“Please, think about my proposal. I actually highlighted the company in the list and at the end of the folder I gave you some informations.”

He sounded so noisy.

“Okay okay. I surrender, I accept. Please send me via mail al the papers I need to fill and I’ll gave it back to you as soon as possible. But now, I really need to go.”

I quickly bowed and left, heading to the closest bus stop.

The headache was painful as ever. I found myself crying on my way home.

————————————————

A/n:

I am truly sorry, it took me ages to write this chapter. I keep on revising it because I think it’s kinda dark and sad: it resembles what happened in the last weeks.

AnywaysI hope you still like it, and please dm me if you want to be tagged in next chapters!

Look forwards to the next ones, they’re gonna be gooooooood!!

#park haejin #park hae jin #korean actor #story #park hae jin x y/n #park har jin x reader #park #k actor #kdrama #writing in the spare time #writing #a place far away #original #forest

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fortheloveoffanfic · 4 years

Text

Lullaby

Keanu Reeves x Reader (A/n- After a one week, unforeseen hiatus, we’re back. Also, in retrospect, these two have been having a lot of sex, I'm not even sure if this is realistic. Welp.) (Chapter Summary- Keanu’s sister confronts him about his dealings with a certain young lady and Y/n returns to The Heather for an awkward reunion with her friends.)

Chapter1 Chapter2 Chapter3 Chapter4 Chapter5 Chapter6

Warnings- SMUT/NSFW (it’s at the end)

Chapter 7

After Y/n had hurriedly gotten into her dress and collected her stuff, she had nearly run out of Keanu’s suite, with barely a good bye. When she was gone, Keanu disappeared back into the bathroom, only remerging when he found a pair of sweat pants that he had left in there after his first night at the hotel. “So...” Karina began, observing him curiously as he shut the door behind him.

“So?” He feigned ignorance, hoping he could avoid a conversation on the matter.

“So if you wanted to bring along your secret girlfriend, I don’t think mom would have minded. I mean, she looks really young. Like really, really-”

“I get it,” Keanu emphasized, pushing off from the wall that he was leaning on, rolling his eyes as Karina started fluffing the pillows, long deciding that it was probably the safest part of the bed to touch. She always had to be doing something with her hands whenever she was nervous, “And Y/n isn’t my girlfriend.”

“Well that makes more sense,” she returned, no hesitation in her tone.

Keanu’s brows knitted in confusion, “What the hell does that mean?” He frowned as he opened one of his suit cases, rummaging through it in search of a t-shirt.

“It just means that you’re not the kind of guy to date some kid,” she scoffed.

Keanu rolled his eyes again, “Y/n not a kid. She’s twenty-three.”

Karina huffed, chuckling quietly, “Compared to fifty-five, she’s a kid. Keke, she could be your kid.”

“First of all, don’t be gross. And second of all, she’s not my kid,” he explained, rolling his eyes, already exasperated.

Hitting the pillow as she set it down, “I just think that-” Karina gasped loudly, “Jesus, do you have torture chamber in here or something?”

“What?” Keanu scrunched his nose, finally producing plain grey t-shirt from his suitcase. When his sister didn’t answer, still staring at his back with a mix of horror and confusion, he moved to stand backwards in front of the mirror, craning his neck uncomfortably to see what she was seeing. Sure enough, there were angry red lines running the length of his back, “Oh,” he chuckled absently, “That’s-”

“Never mind,” Karina cringed, clearly disgusted at the mere thought, “I don’t want to know,” she shook her head, shuddering as Keanu started puling the t-shirt on over his head, “Look,” Karina sighed, “I don’t wanna be that sister that gets overly involved in her brother’s personal life, I just.....how are people gonna look at you if this gets out? How are people gonna look at her?”

With a heavy sigh, Keanu sat on the bed, starting to put on a pair of running shoes, he really needed an out from that conversation and he wasn’t going to find one in that hotel room, “I’m going for a run, why don’t you tell mom I’ll meet you guys for lunch.”

Realizing that he wasn’t going to entertain the topic any further, Keanu’s sister just sighed, already on her way out, “Yeah, sure. Just be careful,” smiling tightly, she didn’t even wait for him to respond before pulling the door closed behind her and heading out.

As Y/n approached the sleek black vessel bobbing idly in the water, she silently hoped that she could head straight to her room without having to interact with anyone. Though Keanu had offered a jacket or a scarf, something to cover up with, Y/n had been to flustered to wait for him to find one, opting to walk back hurriedly with her head down and sunglasses protecting her identity.

Quickly, she jogged over the short iron ramp that bridged the space between the yacht and the dock. Thankfully, the poolside and living room was clear and Y/n was even a little shocked that there was no one there. Hurriedly she went up the stairs, relieved that thus far, she hadn’t had any run ins. Though, her relief short-lived when she bumped into Tracy, who was just coming out of one of the guest bedrooms, and not one that she was staying in, “Y/n!” She sighed loudly,pulling her into a hug, which was a bit alarming considering Tracy had never been a big hugger.

“Trace,” Y/n reciprocated, patting her back slowly, confused by the out of character display of affection, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, pulling away awkwardly, “Where the hell were you? We’ve been looking for you!”

“In Matt’s room?” Y/n cocked a curious eyebrow, her gaze shifting between the door and a somewhat flustered Tracy.

Clearing her throat, Tracy straightened her back, “What the hell happened to your neck?”

“I asked you a question first!” She frowned as they both tried to deflect semi-obvious, unspoken truths.

Of course, Tracy was always better at getting straight to the point, “Yeah, well, I’m not the one who look like someone did a tour of Iraq on her neck. Besides, we’ve been calling.”

“It does not look that bad,” Y/n’s hands flew to her neck, “Look, just.....I was out, okay? And my phone died,” she managed, already turning to go up the second flight of stairs, "I need to go take a shower," Y/n huffed.

"Looks like you already took a shower," Tracy smirked, referring to her drying hair, "It was him, wasn't it?"

"Who?" Y/n turned, facing Tracy again, pretending not to know what she was talking about.

"Who?" She mocked, rolling her hazel eyes, "Come on, I'm not an idiot, Jill and company told me who they left you with yesterday," she teased, "And I used to be your roommate; I can tell your walk of shame from a mile away."

"Ugh," Y/n sighed, hanging her shoulders, "Fine. It was Keanu," she rolled her eyes.

Tracy joined her on the stairs, and slowly, they walked to Y/n's room. "Nice guy movie star did that?" She chuckled, almost as if she couldn't believe it and Y/n's cheeks took on a barely noticeable shade of pink, "I might have to get me some of that."

"No, you do not," Y/n deterred as they approached the double doors to her room. As the entered, Tracy immediately flopped onto Y/n's bed, still grinning wickedly.

"Then he must be really good; if you're not willing to let him go," Y/n just shook her head, going through her stuff in search of an outfit, "So, are you gonna see him again?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, dumping a sweater and a pair of faded blue capris onto the bed, "We didn't really talk about it."

"I can see that," Tracy hummed, “I’m surprised you came back if it was that good though.”

Getting a towel out of a near by closet, Y/n stopped, leaning against the wall, “Yeah, well, his sister caught us. Definitely not the best part of my morning.”

“No shit,” Tracy chuckled, laying back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as she rubbed her arms up and down the sheets.

Still holding the towel, Y/n sat next to Tracy, “Since we’re on the topic of getting caught in awkward positions; what were you doing in Matt’s room?”

“Woah Y/n/n!” Tracy sat up, laughing loudly, “That was a stretch, wasn’t it? But if you must know...” she trailed off, looking to see if she could somehow get out of explaining why she was there. Tracy and Y/n had been friends for going on six years and they had both met Matt at a college frat party; and from the minute they were introduced, Tracy and Matt had been at odds, though everyone always teased them, saying that they fought like an old married couple. “I was just.....”

“You were just...?” Y/n encouraged, gesturing with her hand for Tracy to continue.

“I was just asking Matt if he had any sunscreen,” it didn’t even sound like Tracy believed what she was saying, “It turns out that he didn’t,” she scoffed, “That dumbass doesn’t know how dangerous UV rays are,” she grumbled, actively avoiding Y/n’s gaze.

“Okay, first of all, I don’t think Matt’s ever owned sunscreen, I mean, he’s Matt; he lives in New York and barely ever leaves his office. This might be the closest he’s been to a beach since college,” dropping the folded towel on her lap, Y/n folded her arms, “And I find it hard to believe that you forgot to pack sunscreen considering-”

Playfully, Tracy shoved Y/n into a standing position, expertly cutting her off, “You know, I just remembered; Amanda was saying something about asking the captain to take the boat out later, maybe you should go shower, put on this adorable-hickey hiding outfit and go tell her its a great idea! Go, go go!” Tracy encouraged, standing abruptly, “I’m just gonna.....call my attending, you know to, check in.”

“What are you gonna do? See if a implants at ten went as scheduled?” Y/n teased, smirking at Tracy’s erratic behavior.

“Yes! Laugh all you want, but a bad boob job is socially debilitating, and as a doctor, I have a duty to make sure that patients are comfortable and happy with their results,” already, Tracy was half out the door, “I’m going now,” she announced, pulling the door closed behind her, all but literally running away from their conversation.

Confused, Y/n undressed and headed towards the bathroom, intent on freshening up in a way that showering with Keanu hadn't allowed.

Afterwards, Y/n took her time in getting dressed. The warm water and rubbing from her lufa had remedied some of the hickeys; some had faded and lighter ones were barely visible, but her loose turtleneck was still in order. She paired her outfit with a cute pair of oxfords, that had somehow made it into her suitcase, and then ran a brush through her damp hair.

When Y/n got to the poolside, everyone was there; Matt, Jillian and Tracy were lounging in the shade, chatting over drinks while Catherine and Amanda were in the pool. "Look who finally found their way back!" Amanda cheered from the water.

Rolling her eyes as she laughed quietly, Y/n plopped into a empty chair after grabbing a beer from the bar. "Isn't it a little warm for a sweater?" Jillian scrunched her nose.

"She's hiding her sex scars," Tracy interjected with a smirk.

"Sex scars?" Matt's brows knitted.

"They are not sex scars," Y/n sighed, taking a swing from her tinted bottle.

"Do you have clever word play on stock or something?" Jillian turned to Tracy.

Chuckling, Tracy took a bite out of a strawberry and as she swallowed, she returned, "It's a gift."

"I still wanna see Y/n's sex scars, whatever that is," Matt said and Tracy mumbled something about him being too dense to understand. Reaching to playfully tug on the neck of her sweater, Y/n lightly swatted at his hand, squealing when she failed to deter him. "Wow," he breathed.

Squinting her eyes, Jillian leaned forward, hampered by the little patio table that they were at, "Isn't that one too big to be a hickey?"

"Okay," Y/n shoved Matt's hand away, readjusting the collar of her top, "I don't wanna talk about this anymore."

"I have something we can talk about," Amanda said, coming up from the pool, using a towel of soak up most of the water before she slouched down in the wicker chair next to Y/n. Catherine wasn't to far behind, squeezing water out of her long blonde locks. "Let's have a party. Invite a bunch of people and take the boat out tonight. It'll be fun."

"Do we even know people to invite?" Y/n chimed in.

"Yeah, I wasn't aware that we had a Greek party crew," Tracy agreed.

"You weren't," Amanda pointed to Y/n, Matt and Tracy, "Because while Y/n was getting laid and you two were doing.......whatever you were doing," Amanda looked between them, "We were making friends."

Catherine hummed her agreement, "We met this awesome group at a club last night, said their down to party whenever we were ready. If we ask them and they bring their friends....."

"It'll be lots of fun," Jillian finished.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Y/n chortled, "Let's do it!"

Everyone cheered in excited agreement and they quickly started discussing specifics for the coming night. A quick word to someone from the staff ensured that the captain and the rest of the crew would know to prepare and as they moved on to discussing building up a a crowd, Catherine suddenly gasped, grabbing Y/n's hand from across the table, "You should invite Keanu!"

"You should!" Jillian agreed, "As a 'thank you' for fucking you senseless."

"I don't know," Y/n frowned, “What if that’s weird? I mean, his sister caught us and we didn’t talk about seeing each other again. Isn’t that like asking out your one night stand?”

“People do that all the time,” Catherine countered.

“Yeah,” Matt winced, passing a hand over his five o’clock shadow, “But then it’s not really a one-night stand anymore.”

“I think you should do it,” Amanda put her hand on Y/n’s shoulder, “But only if you want too.”

She wanted to, she really did. But Y/n didn’t want to overstep in thinking that just one wild night together meant that they would just start hanging out, “I do,” she sighed, “I just don’t want it to be weird you. I mean, how’s that gonna go?”

“Come on hun, the worst that can happen is that he says no,” Jillian folded her arms, eyes challenging, “But you won’t find out unless you try. So you should try.”

“Okay,” Y/n nodded, shifting uncomfortably in her chair as she tried to summon the resolve to make her way over to Keanu’s hotel.

“Now,” Jillian urged.

“Ugh,” Y/n stood reluctantly, knowing that they wouldn’t let it go until she went over there and came back successful. They really were good friends. pushy and overly-involved but still good and Y/n knew that they always meant well.

Three short knocks had Keanu pushing off the sofa, headed towards the door. He had had just returned from lunch with his family and had planned on spending the rest his afternoon with a book. It wasn’t exactly the a conventional vacation activity but his conversation with sister from earlier that day had left him in a less than favorable mood. Though, it only took pulling the front door open to change that, “Y/n,” he smiled, “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“Oh?” She beamed, taunting him, “I thought you were confident in your abilities,” Y/n winked, tilting her head to the side, regarding him through sparkling eyes.

Keanu scoffed humorously, leaning against the doorframe, “Nice sweater,” he mused, his gaze flickering over her body, even in loose clothing and with wind tousled hair, Y/n looked every bit one of the most desirable woman he had ever come across, “And I’m very confident,” Keanu leaned forward, close to her face, his lips centimeters away from her, “And those little sounds you made reminded me that I have every right to be.”

Y/n’s breath caught and before she could even think of leaning forward to kiss Keanu, he was upright again, out of reach without effort. Flashes from the night before and even that morning barraged Y/n, bringing with it a distinct, rosy heat to her cheeks. Keanu had been so skilled at extracting everything from breathy moans to muddled praises. He knew just where to touch and how to do it and the mere thought of his hands on her body again was sending her into a heated frenzy, and, for some reason, him standing there in a t-shirt that stretched over his firm biceps and sweatpants didn’t really improve her situation.

Fighting to get herself under control, Y/n had to take a deep breath and drag her bottom lip between her teeth, “You really know how to get a reaction, don’t you?”

“I have my moments,” Keanu teased, “You know I’m happy to see you, but what are you really doing here?” He folded his arms and Y/n had to try to ignore how good he looked like that, shifting her weight from on leg to the other.

Y/n huffed quietly, “We’re having a party tonight, I want you to come.”

“Is this the kind of party where I have to wear a tux?”

“Jeans and a t-shirt will be fine. We’re at the private dock a half mile up, and we leave at nine,” Y/n had already started walking backwards down the hall, not giving him a chance to say ‘no’ or herself the opportunity to stay at his suite for longer than intended, “I’ll see you?”

“You’ll see me,” Keanu determined, watching her enter the elevator, his smile not fading even retreated back into his room.

Y/n stood amidst the large gathered crowd, music so loud that she could feel it throbbing in her chest and probably ruining her hearing. It was getting closer to nine, in fact, there was just ten minutes left in the hour and Keanu still hadn’t shown. Y/n was staring to think he wasn’t going to at all.

“Looking for someone?” A deep voice along with a hand on her arm startled Y/n, nearly making her spill beer on her dress.

“What?” She turned abruptly, smiling when she saw it was Keanu, “Oh! Uh....” Y/n trailed off definitely not willing to tell him that she had been awaiting his arrival, “No, well, yes,” she stuttered, racking her frozen brain for an appropriate excuse, “I was looking for someone to dance with.”

“Well now you’ve found someone,” Keanu beamed, relieving Y/n of her drink, discarding it on a near by table, “Come on,” he encouraged, pulling her closer to the center of the makeshift dance floor.

Y/n took Keanu’s hand, only just taking in his outfit; black jeans with a grey t-shirt, black leather jacket and brown boots, “You look great!” Y/n’s voice combatted the volume of the music, almost losing it’s way to his ears.

“You look even better!” He returned, looking down at Y/n who was wearing a glittery, one shouldered mini dress, and her straightened hair fell, needle straight, over her bare shoulder “What did you do about....” he gestured to her neck area.

“Make-up,” Y/n answered, shimmying closer as Keanu’s hands slid down to stay secured on her hips, “Took an hour.”

“Sorry about that,” he chortled.

“No you’re not,” Y/n’s hands wound around Keanu’s neck, pressing her body to his.

“Eh, maybe you’re right,” he winked

Getting lost in the music was easy and Y/n’s dance moves slowly became more suggestive, with the sole intent of teasing Keanu. In response, his hands slid down her waist, around to her back, lingering on the curve of her behind. When Y/n turned in his embrace, Keanu roamed her body, his fingers almost electric as they brushed the exposed skin of her thigh just below the hem of her dress. Reaching backwards, she leant her head against his chest and urged his face closer to the back of her neck.

“Maybe we should go somewhere more private?” He suggested, his whisper a warm wave against her diamond-studded ear.

Twisting her body and tangling her fingers in Keanu’s hair, Y/n pulled Keanu into a hot, brief kiss, “We should. Come on,” untangling from him, Y/n took Keanu’s hands, lacing her fingers with his, leading him inside, barely paying any mind to the few party-goers that had populated the living room. Though, from the minute they found themselves in a lonely, minute cubby between the stairs and the wall, Keanu’s lips were on hers, his hands slipping beneath the end of her dress, kneading and groping as she worked on the buckle of his belt.

“Where’s your room?” He breathed when they broke for air.

“Third floor,” Y/n returned her lips on Keanu’s neck as she shoved his jacket off.

Pushing her panties to the floor, Keanu slipped a couple digits into her slick folds, smiling as she moaned loudly, “That’s too far,” slowly he pumped between intervals spent rubbing her cilt, “Where else?” He urged.

Throwing her head back, Y/n almost hit it on the wall behind her, and she was having a hard time finding it hard to offer any comprehendible response. “Come on baby,” Keanu encouraged, slowing his movements.

Between moans a whines, Y/n finally managed, “Rear deck....through there.”

Wordlessly, Keanu hoisted Y/n up in his arms, her legs going around his waist, taking them through a near-by door that lead them back outside. Thankfully, the little sitting area with a circular with an unlit fireplace at the center had, thus far, remained untouched.

Walking backwards, Keanu sank into one of the stark white, cushioned love seats. Clumsily, Y/n undid his pants and he raised off the seat slightly to help when she shoved them down to his knees, along with his underwear.

Y/n's dress was bunched up at her waist and Keanu's fingers were sank into her soft skin. With her forehead pressed to his, Y/n reached between them; lining him up with her drenched entrance. Then, as she sank down on his arousal, the pair moaned in unison.

"Fuck," Keanu breathed, his breath fanning her face. Y/n's warmth cocooned Keanu perfectly and he took a minute to enjoy how she felt around him before roughly commanding, "Move babygirl."

Sighing as she leaned forward, Y/n's still clothed chest was pressed to Keanu's, and she buried her face in the side of his head as she struck up a leisurely pace. Keanu breathed her scent, all champagne and expensive perfume. Her hands moved from around his neck, traveling down his chest only to slip under his t-shirt. The coldness of Y/n's fingers sent shivers up Keanu's spine as they slid up to his shoulders.

As they moved, rough but in sync, neither of them noticed that the boat had long pulled away from the dock; clear skies affording anyone on board a clear view of gorgeous Greece glittering in the distance, the lovely city leading to mountains illuminated by the moon hanging above, keeping silent watch on the miscreants below. The chill of the night went mostly unnoticed too, with their actions and proximity offered the pair an incomparable warmth.

The thin heels of Y/n's stilettos dung into Keanu's thighs, any injury only prevented by the denim barrier. Eventually, Keanu's grip on Y/n's hip tightened as he led her into a faster pace. Moving one hand, he reached between them, rubbing her throbbing cilt encouragingly. Y/n’s breath shuddered as a result the added pleasure and her nails sank deeper into the flesh at his shoulders, “Fuck Keanu,” she moaned.

As they moved, Y/n pressed her lips his, occasionally nibbling on Keanu’s bottom lip. Soon, the tension bubbling in the lowest pits of Y/n’s stomach were at a boil and she was close to bubbling over. Her body tensed and her breathing grew heavier, “Keanu......” she whimpered, eager for release, her eyes shut tight, “I’m close.”

With a throaty growl, Keanu’s hips bucked upwards to meet Y/n’s, “Me too,” he managed through gritted teeth.

Not long after, Y/n was finally bubbling over; garbled praises punctuated by loud breaths easily falling off her lips. A gush of wet warmth spilled out of her, coating their thighs and probably parts of their clothes.

The feeling of Y/n clenching around him was enough to bring on Keanu’s release buried deep inside her; low groans contained in his throat as he kissed her again, the base of his short nails digging into her firm ass.

Their heads lopped together at the sides but before Y/n and Keanu’s breathing could start slowing while she was still in his lap, noises at the closed screen door startled them into separating, pulling and tugging at their clothes. Y/n was still adjusting the hem of the dress, when out of the screen door, lip-locked and already half undressed, stumbled Matt and Tracy.

“What the fuck?” She exclaimed, half amused, a bit mortified, though it was mostly because Keanu was still pulling his pants up, and extremely shocked.

Springing apart; Matt’s hand left its place of Tracy’s behind and she scrambled to start re-buttoning her blouse, breathing with wide eyes, “Fuck!”

******

Tagging- @baphomentwolf666 @a-really-bi-girll @paanchu786 @harrisongslimited

#Keanu reeves #Keanu reeves x reader #Keanu reeves x you #john wick x reader #john wick x you #Keanu reeves fanfic #Keanu reeves fanfiction #john wick fanfic #john wick fanfiction #series #lullaby #Keanu reeves series #ff #fanfic #fanfiction #chapter 7 #john wick #john wick series

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medeafive · 4 years

Text

Blood and Stone -02

Masterpost

"You're really lucky," Bruce confirms, staring into the microscope at her blood sample. "Looks like you don't have silver poisoning. Not for lack of trying, though."

Natasha sits up uncomfortably, rubbing the bandage over her left palm. "What would that even look like? In humans?"

"Argyria?" Bruce asks. "Skin turns blue or blue-grey. Either locally or generalized. Potentially toxic in high doses or at chronic exposure. Deposits usually in the skin, hence the color, in other organs, particularly the eyes. Can damage rods in the eye, impairing vision, particularly night vision, and can also impact organ functions. Most of all, never ever goes away."

Natasha shudders. "Sounds like it could be worse."

"It's doubtful the dose you took would have killed a vampire," Bruce adds sternly. "Even if he drank all the blood in your hand. People have experimented with that in the past, it only works very very rarely. So stop poisoning yourself."

Fury is staring at her with one eye. Oh great, he's gonna have words. "Promise," Natasha says. "Won't do it again."

"Hope so," Bruce repeats, cleaning out the petri dish. "Tell me if your hand does go blue in the sun. Other than that, you should rest for at least a week, you look like you got run over."

Plus going out into the night with a bleeding wound is suicide, no matter how well bandaged. And really, she just wants to sleep. But first, she'll have to face Fury, Fury standing there, arms crossed. She sighs, turning to face him, not trusting her legs enough to get up. "Come on. Just get it over with, I know I fucked up."

Bruce decides he maybe should not be here and excuses himself. Fury's face doesn't change, even when the door falls shut. She snorts inwardly, as if the silent treatment would work on her. But she's tired. "Just say it. I broke the rules."

"I don't appreciate you trying to sacrifice yourself," Fury states. "But I can't say I don't understand it."

Not the tone she expected. She breathes in deeply, against the protest of her rips. "That's not-"

"It is," Fury interrupts. "But that's never going to work. So sleep, and then we'll work out how we get this motherfucker together ."

She sighs again. Boy, her right shoulder still hurts from time to time, even though Bruce relocated it and put her on painkillers. "Do you think that's going to work, though? That we have a chance?"

"I don't know," Fury replies honestly. "But if there is, that's the only way."

Strangely enough, nobody really asks her what the black cloak actually wanted. Then again, it's probably a bunch of lies anyway. Except that he honestly doesn't seem to plan on killing her or he really would have. Why would she trust anything he claims to want, though? She won't be played with.

While Fury mostly lets her off the hook, Clint is very pissed at her. The words reckless, crazy and suicidal fall. She holes herself up in her room, sleeps, only comes out at night to eat and generally pretends she's dead.

Her left hand grows an unhealthy ashen color, swelling up as well, especially around the cut, creeping up her forearm. So she does have some silver poisoning. She doesn't show Bruce, though, because she is so fucking tired. Sleeps most of the day. It calms down after a few days of rest, only leaving another scar in her palm.

"You're a pale motherfucker, Romanoff," Tony the tinker remarks, stuffing more grapes into his mouth with his greasy fingers. "Maybe I should point a UV beam at you?"

She snorts, opening the fridge. At least she doesn't have to look for her own food anymore, like when she was running around Saint Petersburg all alone. "I'll hack your precious fingers off. Where's the meat?"

"Meatpacking plant got attacked again," Tony clarifies. "No, seriously. Do you remember the sun? Incredibly bright, yellowish, gives you that weird warm feeling?"

"I do go out during the day," she insists, slamming the door of the fridge shut. At least some bacon… but no. "When I'm not recovering. Seriously, no meat at all?"

"None, Clint ate the last sausages," Tony states, slapping after a fly but missing. "You can take some of Sam's protein powder, he claims it's very healthy."

She rolls her eyes demonstratively, yanking the fridge open again, spotting some eggs at least. "Guess it's better than them going on a killing rampage in Vinohrady. Though I would die for a juicy burger."

"Don't flirt with me, Romanoff, we talked about this," Tony teases. "Bruce says it's more like a gateway drug. The animal blood, not the flirting. That too but he obviously didn't mention that."

She gives him a warning look, cracking the eggs into the pan. "What are you even doing? It's the middle of the night."

"Pepper's out tonight, testing her new armor," Tony replies. "Probably not coming back soon, though. Actually, I should go back to bed."

Natasha grins crudely. "Awww. Can't sleep, huh?"

"Shut the fuck up, you heartless shell of a human," Tony returns. "Enjoy your stupid eggs."

Her shoulder still slows her down. Jab. Block. Jab- too slow. His kick hits her, knocking her back. Fuck. Block. Dodge. Jab jab- ouch. He doesn't take it, probably because he knows he doesn't need it. Upstrike. Jab cross jab knee strike- it actually lands, though not very hard. Block. Dodge. Block. Punch- too slow. Block block block. Kick. Blocked. He catches her on her back foot so she stumbles back, block, dodge, lash out, tumble-

She grunts as she lands on her bandaged hand. Should get up before he pounces, not give him the chance to- fuck, she's so tired. She groans, dropping on her back. "Fine. I give up."

"Took you long enough," Sam remarks, unwrapping his hands. "You're a lot stronger than you look, though, I have to give you that."

She huffs, pulling her knees up. Breathe. "Not quite back at my best yet."

"Pretty close," Sam corrects, holding a hand out for her. "Wanna get up? I'm cooking dinner."

She waves him off. Not in the mood for that many people. "Thanks. Just gonna lie here."

"Mhm." He sits down next to her. "Is everyone mean to you, just because you disregarded every rule of safe conduct in the face of an unprecedented danger?"

"Fuck you and your psychology degree," she returns. "Just leave me alone."

"You're really no good at dealing with problems that you can't shoot in the face," Sam observes, getting back on his feet. "I haven't done my isha prayer yet, do you mind?"

She shakes her head, staying on the floor. She won't admit it but she actually enjoys listening to him pray. While she can no longer believe in God, it gives her some momentary comfort that he can. "I'll put some food aside for you later," he offers while getting his bowl and filling it with water. "Whenever you feel like eating."

She nods to herself, closing her eyes, then quiets her breath down enough so she can hear him recite Basmala and wash his hands.

Clint also gives her the silent treatment, even after a week. She can live with that. Though she doesn't really want to. The streets are way more quiet at night now, but people are starting to doubt there's really a black cloak. If there was, it would have to somehow be worse, more murders, more blood in the streets than just the occasional execution of inept vampire fledglings. If the hammer doesn't come down, no matter how loud it cuts through the air, one starts wondering whether it's really there.

They're patrolling the riverside today, up from Vyšehrad towards the National Theatre, staring occasionally across the Vltava. The castle's lit brightly, tauntingly. As if they're holding a crooked dance of the dead. Clint draws his bow, just for the hell of it, because a patrol is always an incredibly tense and taut affair. He's right, the bow's incredibly quiet. The vampire the silver arrow hits won't be, though. Slowly releases. Natasha breathes out. "They're really high on their horses, aren't they."

Clint makes a non-committal noise, shrugging and turning away. Won't cut it. There's a car coming down from Karlovo Náměstí, loudly spluttering over the breaks in the asphalt. The roads have seen better days, too. Clint raises an eyebrow and puts in an arrow. Vampires don't drive, obviously, but they often follow cars waiting for the occupants to stop and climb out. Easy prey. The car's brakes screech as it prepares for the turn, the driver's face flashing yellow as it comes closer to the street light, eyes widening, and then he yanks the car to the left, speeding past and away from them, South. Maybe, if he drives far enough outside the city, he'll be safe. Clint snorts, lowering the bow. "Yeah, thanks."

As if they looked like vampires, with all the body armor and all the silver on their persons. Natasha shakes her head, internally grateful the silence is broken. "Forget about him. Let's check the roofs around, maybe the noise lured some out."

Clint nods, shuffling across the now again empty street. They know the area very well, since it's the closest thing they have to a frontline, the hunting parties from the castle crossing the river to find prey. "You wanna stay on the ground?"

"No, coming with you," Natasha replies quickly, following him through a backyard. She promised not to run around alone after all, and she doesn't feel like suffering the silence alone either. There's music playing somewhere inside, soft and jazzy, somewhere in the warm light behind the curtains. Clint throws a grappling hook up a balcony, grabbing onto her wordlessly, and then they're already pulled up into the night sky, climbing and crawling up onto the roof.

The noise is different up here, less people, more wind. There's some traffic, somewhere, constant humming in the background. Cars these days are fairly safe. Getting out is the hard part. There's light in some windows, those that aren't behind wooden shutters. The river glitters with the moonlight. Clint settles on the top of the roof, surveying the area. She crawls up as well, pushing some loose strands of hair behind her ears. The shadows are quiet, for now.

"I'm sorry if I worried you," she says. "That was not my intention."

Clint bites his lip. It's clear he doesn't want to talk. Well, so would she, but here they are. "Fury didn't even care, did he?"

"Because he didn't rip my head off?" Natasha questions.

"You could've died ," Clint repeats. "Damn close. You shouldn't even have gone out. He didn't seem overly concerned, to say the least."

"Guess he lost a few too many," Natasha replies. "This job… it helps not to get too attached."

"That's not what you deserve," Clint states.

Someone opens a window, a middle-aged woman, pulling out a cigarette. When she sees their silhouettes on the roof, she slams and bolts the window again.

"It's after 1am, isn't it?" Natasha asks. "They're getting careless again."

Clint huffs. "Aren't we all. See that down there?"

Natasha leans over the edge to see better. "Think that's just a bag of trash. After all, been a long time since we last saw a homeless person."

"You never saw that, did you," Clint remarks. "Wasn't great seeing them, but not seeing them anymore is worse."

Natasha huffs. "Plenty of homeless people in Moscow. And Petersburg. The very first ones they got, when no one cared yet."

"Got something of a divine punishment, doesn't it," Clint states. "Turning those we neglected against us."

"Man is wolf to man, right," Natasha agrees. A light turns on somewhere and there's faint arguing carried over by the wind. She remembers women locked out of their apartments by abusive partners after sundown, kids thrown out by their parents, the threat of being left outside in the dark hanging over everything. Since the police stopped patrolling at night, everything falls into nothing. Anarchy. At the mercy of whoever's stronger, more brutal.

Clint gets up carefully, watching every step. "Let's cross to the other side."

They climb South, over the roofs. What they don't tell you is that most of the time, nothing happens, nothing at all. Just sitting around, paying constant attention and definitely not falling asleep because that gets you killed. Also why you don't go out alone. It's 90% boring as hell and 10% deadly.

There's hardly any movement on this side either. Another stray feline beast. Rats, almost bigger than the cat. Many of the windows are just empty, dead. The city lost a hundred thousand to the vampires and another three hundred thousand to the safer seeming countryside, not counting the other side of the river. Everything has changed so much. It's like a war, right here, only fought at night. A bloody war.

The silence is more comfortable now. Clouds move quickly, with the wind, and the moonlight soon drowns in them. "I don't know if someone told you," Clint remarks quietly. "But I wasn't particularly pleased when you came here to join us."

Natasha smiles to herself. "I know."

"You didn't seem like a teamplayer, to put it mildly," Clint justifies. "And you're still holding back, but you know the ropes now."

Does she, now? "Is that why you were so pissed I went out alone?"

Clint laughs, bellowing. "Turns out you don't actually think you can solve every problem on your own. Just that you have to."

"Not true," she returns, pushing against his shoulder, carefully, and then they settle into an amicable silence.

After about half an hour, the armor becomes uncomfortable to sit in. It's not a cold night but moisture has still settled on the roof so that she's extra careful getting up. Clint stretches his arms. She slips slightly, grabbing onto the edge of an alcove to steady herself, only slowly straightening again.

"Tasha!"

She whips around, just in time to see a black silhouette diving towards her, it crashes into her like a wall, knocking her far off the roof, she grabs on automatically, twisting, window straight ahead, rolls up to prepare for-

Just as she slams into the glass pane, her side , she's pulled back and suddenly, they're diving down another street, cool night air cutting tears into her eyes, oh shit, house, house, stone, closer, closer, closer-

They ricochet off almost noiselessly, up again, towards whichever fucking floor that is, another street, another house, another window, house, stone, glass glass glass-

Whatever she's knocked into doesn't break but she hears the glass, barely has time to roll in on herself, then they crash, stopped, all the speed turning into impact , some crack , and boy, her spine.

She's thrown around once again but then it stops, only her insides swim, her sight, sick, sick, can't hear properly, her vision swims red, groans, the glass beneath her crunches but the armor, thank Tony, up, down, up, up, up, she presses her eyes shut and her gloved hands down, her back hurts , right side, shoulder, no time, she fights herself up to seated. The black cloak stands by an intact window, up, they're high up, staring out, boy, she's ready to throw up. "Are you batshit crazy ?!"

He doesn't reply obviously, that fucking asshole, intently focused outside. She tries to breathe again, despite her ribcage and the pressure of her armor. "We should be good," he states, not paying her any mind. "He's going the other- ouch. "

She reaches for her gun while he plucks the silver throwing star out of his thigh, only to find the belt must have ripped, cut by one window or the other, gone, and then he's already turned back to her and she missed her chance. "For the last fucking time, could you stop throwing things at me?"

"Are you insane ?!" she screams at him. "The fuck are you doing?"

He rolls his white eyes, throwing star dropping to the ground carelessly. He's bleeding but not much, as far as she can tell. Dammit. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" she repeats. " Calm down ?"

"Try not to cut yourself," he advises. "I'm sorry I hurt you last time, I'm not going to do it again."

This guy is un-fucking-real. Off-the-chart annoying. Another wave of sickness overcomes her. "Maybe don't knock me through a window next time? Two. Two windows."

"You didn't go through the first one," he returns. "And I took the second one for you, you're welcome. Not my fault you're so hard to grab for a talk."

"Oh, now it's my fault?" she questions. "A fucking talk ?"

"Yes." He strides over. "Have you decided?"

"Whether I would rather be turned into a monster," she clarifies. "Or see all of my friends die."

"Yes," he confirms calmly, squatting down to her height. "It's not going to become any easier."

"I was being sarcastic," she remarks. "How about I get rid of you instead?"

He smirks, fang peaking out, and dangling something from his hand. Her belt. With the guns. Motherfucker. "Don't think so, sweetheart."

She calculates mentally whether there's any chance she could snatch that- not without a good distraction. But she can't think of anything other than cutting herself, and she's not ready for that. "I could always bite the bullet myself."

He chuckles, and it sounds frighteningly human . "No, you wouldn't."

"You don't know anything about me," she bites back.

"I know more than you think," he replies, straightening and backing away, taking the belt with him. The throwing star is by the window, too far, can't reach. Is there anything else… "I know why you left Russia."

She freezes, very cold all of a sudden. No. No. Nononononono- "I know what you did there," he adds. "Really, you're not better than anyone."

She jumps to her feet, crunching glass. Don't engage. Don't feed the flames. "Give me my guns. Or I'll cut myself."

He seems exasperated. "You couldn't goad me into a blood frenzy if you cut an artery."

Bluffing. "Guns," she repeats, holding out a hand.

"I could still murder your friends," he points out coldly. "Starting with the one with the arrows."

Her hand drops. Her head's still spinning. Shouldn't poker too high. She feels very lost all of a sudden. "I'm not going to hurt you," he repeats for the umpteenth time. "Or any of your friends, if I don't have to. Just agree already."

"I don't give a fuck about your empty lies," she spits.

"Well, I do," he replies. "You know, you remind me of myself. Before."

"Before you turned into a fucking monster," she specifies. "Before you started hunting humans for blood."

He looks slightly disgusted. "I hardly ever feed on humans."

"Oh great," she cuts him off. "Then you're hardly ever a murderer."

Surprisingly, he throws her one of her guns. She's too slow to catch. "This look innocent to you? But I forget, you're obviously something better ."

There's a trap somewhere. She can't just shoot him- "I'll take you to Žižkov," he announces. "Satisfy your own bloody urges. Then you can think about whether you're really all that different."

#blood and stone #buckynat #vampire au #natasha romanoff #black widow #bucky barnes #winter soldier #fanfic #my writing

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going2go-away4-awhile · 4 years

Text

This isn’t What I Wanted: Chapter 3- Saint Anthony’s Prayer

Summary: Waking up in a hospital is always alarming, waking up in Hope County Hospital is terrifying. Suddenly thrust into a body that isn't hers and knowing nuclear fallout is on the horizon. Adaine must gather supplies while she can before the big day happens, and trying to stay clear of a radical cult is easier said than done. Self Insert in Far Cry 5

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25543036/chapters/62247643

TW: BRIEF MENTION OF DEATH, BRIEF MENTION OF CAR ACCIDENT

Waking up to a good morning text from an unknown number was disorienting. Rubbing her sleep crusted eyes, Adaine groggily looked at her phone’s time, 6:47. What kind of animal-? The beginning of her rant was cut short when another text came in.

Good Morning Ms.Adaine! -6:47 am

Oh, This is Jackson Wilson, Pastor Jeffries told me that you needed some help around your house? I can come at 9 if that's okay with you? He told me how to get there, he figured you didn’t know the area well enough to describe it. -6:48 am

Adaine slowly left her warm bed and shuffled her way into the kitchen because fuck her this was not something to deal with this early. Waiting on the coffee maker to start, Adaine carefully thought her next steps. One, Pastor Jeffries had briefly mentioned Jackson's family yesterday and how they had been a part of his congregation. This meant that Joseph Seed had already poached Pastor Jeffries' congregation. Two, this “kid” (how old was this dude? 14, 19? People need to stop saying the word kid so willy nilly) was part of Eden’s Gate. Therefore he had cult parents with even more cult friends. Three, he was given her address, so he knew where she was and how to get to her. So, Adaine was left with two options: should she tell him no and risk a bunch of peggies coming after her later. Or, she could allow him into her house and get much needed help, but it was at the risk of him finding her a sinner and ratting her out to the Cult. Glancing around the cluttered kitchen littered with heavy objects, reminded Adaine that medically she wasn’t supposed to move heavy things from her healing ribs and broken foot. Did she risk the chance of permanently hurting her body in the long run or take the chance of manipulation to keep a peggy off her tail. Grabbing a cup from a shelf and pouring herself a cup of liquid magic, Adaine reached her decision.

______________________________________________________________

Leaving his home for the second time today, though this time much more put together, John made his way to his freshly washed truck, climbing to the smooth custom leather seats, he started the truck and left the Seed Ranch. Drumming his fingers along the steering wheel to the beat of “ Oh John ”, he nodded in passing to a member on guard duty. Driving on to the main road, John sent a quick text to Jacob.

Checking out the Hospital, how's the search?- 10:21 am

He mused over this morning's conversation at Joseph’s home. A new age Lazarus, a miracle sent to guide them for the trying days to come. Between bites of breakfast Joseph could only give them vague and blurry details of her face, the color of her hair, and any distinctive scars or moles she had. Joseph wasn’t sure where she was but he knew she had suffered a major fall and a bad car crash, therefore Jacob and his hunters would search the Whitetail Mountain Trails; while John and his people would start calling surrounding hospitals. He couldn’t let her get away, and more importantly he couldn’t let Joseph down. A small chime from his phone alerted him that Jacob had responded.

A late start John. I’ve already searched my territory, no wandering dead woman. However, I did find some of Eli’s cameras. Searching Faith’s territory now.-10:45 am

A scowl twisted on his face, he was simply getting ready, what if he found her today? He needed to look his best to impress her, what did Jacob know about that? It wouldn’t kill him to trim and oil his beard. He clenched teeth in frustration, Jacob knew John tried his best, he just wished Jacob wasn’t such a dick about it sometimes. He left Jacob on read.

Breathing slowly in and out he let his anger his wrath go and checked himself one last time in the car mirror, before stepping out into the hospital parking lot.

The automatic doors slid open and a gush of cool, bleach filled air rushed past him, escaping into the hot summer day. John’s eyes scanned the reception desk, not a member, she’s a part of Eli’s little friend group, ah Mr. Martin. Striding up to the desk and ignoring the other two staff members, John called to his fellow community member.

“Oh Mr. Martin, I was wondering if you could help me find something!” A pleasant and warm grin was on his face, a face John had learned to put on for difficult clients. Mr. Martin’s face was one of shock and elation, his fellow employees’ faces however, told a different story. Mr. Martin quickly put down the items he was holding on the desk and moved to greet John.

“Brother John, What an unexpected surprise! Yes anything you need, I can help with!” John quickly glanced his badge, Andrew Martin, John remembered him now. A recovering Alcoholic, part of Faith’s group. He put a hand on the older man's back and guided him away from prying eyes and ears of the other two staff members.

“Mr. Martin, I’m here on a mission given to me by The Father. We need your help finding someone, can we count on you?” Make him feel important.

“Of course, I’ll do anything to help the project, please what does The Father need?” Excellent. John spoke in a hushed voice of the woman they were searching for, she had been in a bad accident recently and told him what few details he had of her. Andrew’s forehead creased in thought as he mulled over the information he had been given. A beat passed and a spark entered his eyes.

“Ms.Ada? I believe she was released just yesterday, I’ll go pull her records.” Making their way back to reception desk, John leaned against the counter as Mr. Martin typed in some things on the older computer. The other two at the desk had gone back to work but, the little miss who was part of Eli’s group, was giving them a hard glare from the corner of her eye. John made a note of her name tag, before focusing back on Andrew.

“I believe I’ve found her, Brother John.” He turned the monitor around to face John, and as john looked over a Ms. Adaine’s records: broken left foot, cracked ribs, multiple lacerations on arms, major head trauma, signs of confusion and anxiety after crash; John finally got a good photo of her. And he knew then and there, it was you, his miracle reborn again. Nodding in goodbye to Mr. Martin and with the faint sounds of scolding voices at Andrew, John left the hospital.

Adaine I’m coming.

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Sorting stuff into piles: things to sell, things to keep, and junk, Adaine took quick photos of the things she was selling to post online. A large thump and a grunt came from behind her, reminding her that Jackson Wilson, a gangly pimple faced 15 year old, had just finished carrying the last of the broken kitchen appliances out to her Great Aunt’s pickup truck. That had half a tank of gas and still ran, thank God. The teen was laying on the now clean hardwood panting slightly. She smiled down at him and fetched him a cold water bottle. He seemed like a nice kid, Jackson was quick to help her with taxing objects and hadn’t complained in the two hours of work. He reached and took the offered bottle, he quickly finished it, let a small burp out afterwards. Rolling her eyes at the teenager, she went back to posting items online to sell. She was extremely happy with how today was shaping out, she had found quite a few gems cleaning out the house. She discovered Hope County maps, photo albums of her family, a working sewing machine, and countless books. Reviewing the maps she came to the conclusion that she was in John’s region, but her property backed to a River, which acted as a natural border of Jacob and John’s territories. Adaine was finishing up a post when Jackson’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Ms. Adaine, I know you haven’t been in town for that long but if you ever need someone to show you around, I’ll be happy to help!” The pure earnestness of his face was a little unnerving, what teenager wants to spend a day helping a complete stranger? Eden’s Gate really missed the mark on stranger danger lectures.

Putting on her best ‘Customer Service’ voice, a skill she learned at low wage jobs as a young adult. “I would love to do that sometime Jackson, unfortunately I’m unsure when I’ll be able to get out of the house. I’ve got a lot to do, it will probably be months before I get everything sorted out here.” His expression deflated slightly but he nodded in understanding. She smiled at him once again before retreating out of the room. The house was getting back in shape and with it Adaine had a chance to plot her moves. Pulling her to-do list out, she added some items and crossed some off.

STAY THE FUCK AWAY FORM EDEN’S GATE: Failed step one

Sell unneeded things: She’s got several hits already on her posts, so she’ll run to the post office later this week and mail those out. Anything that isn’t sold she’ll put together and sell as a ‘mystery box’ on eBay.

Convert a bunker room into a greenhouse: Buy seeds, UV lights, soil.

Sort and properly box the Bunker

manuals, and entertainment: During breakfast she had ordered: a laptop, gaming consoles and games she loved to play, 15 USB drives for the manuals and other digital items she would have,

Found an unused Yoga mat and some small weights.

Get company? : Get a cat and a chicken. Chicken lays eggs and when it dies it will be a nice meal. She really wanted something to cuddle with so a cat would do.

Buy a ton of bottled water: Adaine wasn’t sure when Faith’s Bliss got added to the water supply, but she wasn’t drinking the county water anytime soon.

As she wrote down the last words on her list, Jackson entered the room. Shoving the list in her pocket, she stood and saw he was carrying something. He sheepishly looked at her and rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, “Hey Ms. Adaine, I know you’re getting rid of this stuff and well. I was wondering if it was okay if I could have these baseball cards? I understand if you say no, it's your great Aunt’s, I get it, if you don’t want me to have them. Um, ah-this is rude, never mind forget I asked.” Jackson quickly moved to leave but Adaine stopped him.

“No Jackson you can have them. If you want anything else that I’m getting rid of, you can have it.” Even if Jackson was part of a cult, he was still a kid. She remembered being a teenager, and it sucked, but to be a teenager in a doomsday cult? Adaine couldn’t imagine how that must feel. Also, there was a high chance he was made to join because his family joined. Letting him have some baseball cards she would have sold wasn’t a loss in her book. Watching his face light up and thank her profusely, made Adaine question how many kids were in Eden’s Gate that shouldn’t have been there.

______________________________________________________________

As 3 o’clock hit she waved goodbye to Jackson, watching him get in an old beat up minivan and drive off. She closed the door and sighed, she wanted to rest so bad. She’d been going for two days non stop on the house and she hadn't even started in the bunker. Making her way towards the kitchen to make a bite to eat before she went to the bunker, a rapid knock was heard from the front door. Adaine’s whole body slumped, she was ready to be alone, but Jackson must have forgotten something. Hobbling her way back towards the door. As Adaine opened the door to ask Jackson what he had forgotten, fear paralyzed her body and mind. Standing on her front porch was Joseph, Jacob, and John Seed.

“Hello Adaine, may we come in?”

#far cry imagine #far cry 5 imagine #far cry 5 #joseph seed #john seed #jacob seed #joseph seed imagine #john seed imagine #jacob seed imagine #Chapter 3

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swearwolf-writes · 4 years

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The Paradox - Chapter 2

Jemma was sound asleep, comfortable and warm in her bed, her dreams for once not plagued with nightmares. The sound of an airhorn tore through the silence, violently knocking the girl from her sleep. She groaned, bleary eyed and blinking slowly, as she squinted at her phone's harshly lit screen. What do the Salvatore brothers want now I wonder? Come to the boarding house ASAP. Urgent. - SS "Bloody hell." She grumbled, clearly disgruntled about being woken before her alarm.

She sped over to the house with her school bag only to find Elena Gilbert standing outside the door. She raised her eyebrows, thinking back to the curse. She walked in the house, Elena trailing in behind her. "What was so urgent that I had to be roused at such an ungodly time? Oh - and Damon, dear friend - that means woken up." He saw (and heard) Jemma and rolled his eyes. "I know what 'roused' means Jemma. I'm not an idiot." "That is debatable." He shot his old friend a dirty look and chose to ignore her, instead focusing his attention on Elena.

"Hello Elena." "Is Stefan here? He called. He said it was important." "Right this way." He spoke quietly and let her in, being unusually quiet.

"Hey." Stefan spoke up as he walked towards her. The young girl cut him off and asked him swiftly, "what's going on?" Everyone is so serious today….” She trailed off as she spotted Rose entering the room. “You." Elena whispered as Jemma simply glared, her anger evident.

The two went into the lounge and sat on the couch beside one another, apparently in agreement about the newcomer considering how Elena eyed her wearily. "Okay, you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years and I don't know what's true and what's not true. It's the problem with all this vampire crap but Klaus, I know he's real." Jemma’s eyes widened a little at the mention of her old friend but she kept quiet, wanting to hear what she had to say. "Who is he?" Elena asked the question that no one wants to hear. Brave girl, if not stupid - she would do well to keep her nose out of Mikaelson business. No good comes of it. "He's one of the Originals - he's a legend." Damon answered her. Jemma pursed her lips as she avoided smiling; the irony that she, an Original, was their friend and yet they didn’t believe in them was not lost on her. Nothing’s wrong yet, wonder how long it'll take. "He's from the first generation of vampires." Stefan followed up. "Like Elijah?" "No. Elijah was the Easter bunny compared to Klaus. He's a foot soldier. Klaus is the real deal." Jemma resisted the urge to laugh at her. Eli is no foot soldier. He just happens to have more restraint. "Klaus is known to be the oldest." Stefan unhelpfully added, making her roll her eyes discreetly. Eli's older than Nik and Finn than them both. "Okay,so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?" "Yes." "No." Rose and Stefan both reply at the same time, making her chuckle. "Actually, yes - if it really is Klaus, then he's not just coming after you, he will get you." "Sounds like you know him?" "Oh no," she quickly replied, "if he really is the oldest vampire ever created though, he'll have some major strength." "What they're saying is," Damon stood up, glaring at Rose, Jemma and Stefan, "I mean if what they're saying is true-" "It is." Rose and I cut him off. "And you're not saying it so I don't kill you-" "Which I'm not." Jemma smirked at the vampire as she repetitively cut in. Maybe she’s not so bad. "Then we're looking at a solid maybe." Jemma arched a brow. ‘Maybe’ means she's pretty much dead already. Elena swallowed hard and took a breath, naturally making Stefan attempt to come to the rescue. "Look, Elijah's dead, right? So no one else even knows you exist." Jemma squirmed silently in her seat, a part of her wanting to tell the group that Elijah was very much alive, while another part told her to keep her mouth shut because she wouldn’t be able to tell them that without exposing herself - and more importantly, her family - as Originals and that would only bring more trouble. "Not that you know of." Rose mentioned, Jemma pointing at her in agreement. "Elijah might have told someone before he got there as he knew Rose would only call him for one reason: Katerina or her döppleganger." She piped up. "That's not helping." Damon looked at the pair, once again disappointed but not surprised. "Look, I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him." Once again, I must resist the urge to laugh. "I mean, we're talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction. We don't know if he's real. For all we know he could just be some sort of stupid bed time story." Stefan placed his hand on Elena's shoulder, making Jemma fake-gag in the background as Rose jumped up. "He's real and he doesn't give up. If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus, then you're an idiot." Guess I’m an idiot then. "Alright, we're shaking. You made your point." Damon looked pointedly at Rose, making her smile sarcastically at him.

Elena got up without a word, shouldering her bag as Stefan watched her reach the room’s threshold. “Where are you going?” “School - we’re late.” “Let me grab my stuff, I'll go with you.” Stefan got off the sofa, walking towards her. “It's okay, I know where it is.” She left without another word, Jemma cringing on Stefan’s behalf behind him.

“She's in denial.” Damon stage-whispered to Rose, making him turn and stare daggers at him. “Shut up, Damon.” Jemma snorted at the brothers, dumping her bag on the floor as she sprawled out on the sofa. “Tell the teachers I’m sick today. I can’t be bothered going in.” She called, waving goodbye as he left the room,

----------

The sound of voices in a nearby room woke Jemma as she stumbled over to the lounge and interrupted a tense conversation between Rose and Damon.

“Don't get on my bad side.” he growled at her, his voice low. “Then show me your good side,” she replied, not missing a beat. Jemma coughed to indicate her presence but was dismissed without a word. “How do I find Klaus?” “You don't find Klaus, he finds you.” “Come on,” he turned and paced in frustration, “somebody's got to know somebody who knows where he is, right?” He turned to the eldest vampire for backup, receiving only a shrug. “Add another two hundred somebodies to that and you're still not even close.” “Humor me. You got in touch with Elijah, how did you do it?” “Through a very low somebody on the totem pole. A guy named Slater in Richmond.” “Perfect. I'll drive.” “No. You forget not all of us can do sun.” “Then you drive. Come on.” “I’m coming with.” Jemma followed the pair.

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The trio reached the underground parking lot, Rose parking the car as Jemma stretched her arms in the backseat.

“Back entrance. How convenient.” Damon remarked. “That's the point. We can't all have little daylight rings.” “You could just befriend a witch - I’m sure they’d be perfectly willing to help if you didn’t try to, oh I don’t know, break their necks.” Jemma retorted snappily. “Oh give over - you’re not even a witch anymore. And in any case, if a witch screwed me over, I’d drain them-” Rose was cut off by Jemma, her hand wrapped tightly around her throat as she bared her fangs. Damon sighed, grabbing her hand and pushing her away lightly.

“If you two are done, how do you know this Slater guy is even here?” “I called him. He's here. He's always here.” “Good.” He pushes her against the wall at super speed. “Just one thing. If you're setting me up in any way, I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat.” He smiled, almost cheerfully at her. “It's something I'm very good at.” Rose grabbed him and pushed him against the car with ease, twisting his arm painfully behind his back. “I'm older than you and stronger. Don't get on my bad side.” She released him, looking at him with sincerity in her eyes. “You can trust me.”

They entered the coffee shop, Rose tugging off her jacket as she reached the windows. “What-” Jemma mumbled in surprise as the girl stood in the sun and didn’t burn. “Whoa. What about the sunlight?” Damon gestured in confusion at the wall length windows. “Double paned and tempered. UV rays can't penetrate. You see the appeal now?” She explained, smiling as she spotted her old friend, Slater.

“That and the free Wi-Fi.” The man joined their conversation, quickly being pulled into a hug by Rose. “Hey, how are you?” “Good. I saw you come, what are you doing here?” “Mmm, it's a long story but I want you to meet…” She gestured to her partners. “Damon Salvatore. Turned 1864 in Mystic Falls by Katherine Pierce aka Katerina Petrova. And…. someone I don’t know. I’m sorry, you are….?” “Jemma Erikson - pleasure.” He nodded, turning back to the more familiar face that was Rose. “So I take it I was right, what I told you about the tomb under the church was true?” “Yes. It was right. Thank you for the tip.”

He looks at Damon, putting a hand out. “It's nice to meet you,” Slater said, shaking the man’s hand, “maybe.”, he finished cautiously. “What's going on Rose? Where's Trevor?”

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“And you're sure Elijah's dead?” “Beyond dead.” Damon nodded, the group of four heading over to Slater’s table with coffees. “Trevor was a good man; he helped me with my dissertation on sexual deviance in the Baroque period. I was schooling for my Psych PhD.” “Slater's been in college since '74.” Rose explained. “When I was turned. I have 18 degrees, 3 master's and 4 PhDs.” He said proudly. Damon looked as if he were resisting the urge to kill him which he might have been doing but nonetheless that was how he looked whenever Slater decided to open his mouth. “The point?” “Exactly, I mean, what is the point? What should I be doing with my eternity? If you have an answer, please enlighten me.” Damon looked Jemma dead in the eyes, clearly tired of the man already. “We need your help. If someone wanted to get in touch with Klaus, how would you hook him up?” “Craigslist.” He replied with an air of faux nonchalance. “Really?” Jemma questioned him. Seems a bit mundane. “Seriously. I respond to a personal ad to get sent to somebody who knows somebody who knows Elijah, who's dead and that's where my connection ends.”

Silence sat heavily at the table till Damon leaned forward and shook his head. “Here's what I don't get: Elijah moved around during the day, which means the originals knew the secret of the day ring. Now why would Klaus want to lift the curse of the sun and the moon?” “To keep the werewolves from lifting it. If a vampire breaks the sun curse then the werewolves are stuck with the curse of the moon forever and vice versa.” Slater answered. “But werewolves are extinct.” Rose replied in confusion. “True. I've never seen one but rumor has it…” He trailed off. “Well-” Jemma interjected. “Not such a rumor.” Damon finished. Slater looked between the two of them, clearly interested. “Mystic Falls?” The pair nodded. “God, I've got to visit this place. It sounds awesome.” He added, oddly awestruck. “Awesome doesn't even begin to describe it. Can we stop the curse from being broken at all?” Damon asked. “What do you mean?” “Well, if we make the moonstone useless, would it stop the curse from being broken?” “Well, yeah, probably, but why would you want to do that?” “Tell me how.” “You think I'm gonna help you figure out how to do something that will piss off an original? And keeping them from walking in the sun?” Smart boy. “You want to walk in the sun? I can make that happen if you help us.”

Damon’s attempts to bribe the man with the possibility of a daylight ring were short-lived as all of a sudden the windows came crashing in, shattered glass all around them as screams erupted from the throats of the vampires there. Jemma attempted to cover Rose with her body as Damon looked out onto the street for the perpetrator. Despite her attempts, Rose's face was burnt, her skin still burning as Damon put a jacket on Rose's face and helped her get out the back of the coffee shop, Jemma shortly following the pair after having been pushed behind the stampede of people fleeing the coffee shop. He carried Rose to the car and put her in the back, Jemma reaching them and placing a hand on Damon’s shoulder.

“You're gonna be okay.” He looked at her almost kindly, seeming to actually care. “I know.” She breathed heavily, still wincing in pain at her burns. “Who's behind that?” “I don't know. Where is Slater?” “Iowa by now. Who the hell knows?” Rose shook her head, speaking fast as she healed, her skin regaining its normal colour. “He's not behind this, he's a good guy, he wouldn't betray me.” “Then who did it?” “It's Klaus, don't you understand? You don't know this man, we're dead, we're all dead.” She sobbed, not from pain but from fear. Fear of my old friend - of my family. Maybe Edmund was right. Maybe they truly did become monsters.

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Having parted ways with Rose and Damon at the Salvatore House, Jemma trudged home in silence, thinking hard at what she thought to be true. A low whistling caught her ears making her halt in the middle of the street. It was a familiar old tune that she hadn’t heard in quite some time. Her breath hitched as she looked around, trying to assess the situation. She shook her head and grumbled, ignoring the sound and filing it as a part of her imagination as she hurried home.

She unlocked the door, stepping in and scuffing her boots on the mat. “I’m home!” She called, locking the door behind her. “Family meeting, now!” She added, pulling her hair back into a ponytail as she went to the living room, flopping heavily on a beanbag. Her siblings quickly followed suit, Edmund leaning on the doorframe with crossed arms and Fran perching on the arm of a sofa.

“Where’s the fire?” Ed asked, seemingly unperturbed however his fingers tapping restlessly against his arm gave his worry away all too quickly. “Don’t freak out or anything but I think we had another run in with the Mikaelsons….?” She replied slowly, cringing a little as she waited for their outbursts about how irresponsible she was. None came. How odd. “Um, okay, well Damon, Rose and I - Rose was the vampire I told you about, the one who broke my neck - went to a coffee shop to meet a friend of hers about how to get into contact with Elijah and the rest-” “Wait, do you know how to contact him?” Fran cut her off, sitting up straight. “No - but we might have figured out a way to break the Sun and Moon Curse: all we have to do is render the moonstone useless and then the Mikaelsons won’t come to town, we won’t be exposed as Originals and there won’t be anymore annoying hunters calling for our heads - simple.” “Not simple - the Mikaelsons are killers, remember?” Edmund went over to his youngest sister, crouching down in front of her. “Look, we’ve already lost Alice to some crazy vampires and we’re not losing you too. If they don’t get what they want, they’ll tear this town apart out of spite if not necessity.” Jemma sighed, combing her fingers through her hair. “I know they’re dangerous and I know they’re not the same people they once were but I don’t trust the stories either Ed. The stories would call us monsters too simply because we’re more powerful than most vampires - those who cannot be understood are always pushed aside and portrayed as beasts and if you didn’t realise, we’re exactly like them in others’ eyes: old, powerful, secretive. We’ve all killed and while we are better than them, we are not good. But we try to redeem ourselves so what’s to say they won’t too?” “They’re not good people Jem-” “No but they were our family, we theirs and to the Mikaelsons, family is everything.” “Who’s to say they even consider us family anymore? They left us Jemima and you would do well to remember that.” “And you would do well to remember that they didn’t have a choice unless they wanted to die at the hands of their father.” Jemma and Edmund leveled their steely gazes as Fran swore from her place at the sofa.

“If you two are quite done, we should get back to the topic at hand.” She reminded her siblings, glaring at the pair of them. “Yes, well in any case, I think the Mikaelsons will be back in town at some point. They need Elena and the moonstone - both of which are right here in Mystic Falls?” “What do we do till then?” “Prepare.” Edmund answered. “How? We can’t kill them and we can’t let them kill our friends.” “We have to tell them who we are-” Jemma looked at them, her eyes imploring them to understand. “No way. We swore-” “If we don’t tell them everything, it could get them killed. We got attacked by someone at the cafe and I’m almost certain it was Elijah but I couldn’t tell them he was still alive because how would I explain to them how I know so much about the infamous Original family?” “We can’t tell them - if we do, they won’t trust a word we say. We’ve known the Salvatores for a hundred years and we didn’t tell the truth; how d’you think they’ll react to their friends having lied to them for all their lives? Right now we can help from the background but if we tell them we aren’t who we’ve said we are this past century, they won’t let us anywhere near them and we won’t be able to help at all.” Edmund reasoned, rubbing Jemma’s knee soothingly. “I know it isn’t the answer you wanted but there’s nothing else we can do.” “I hate this.”, she whispered, covering her face. “Us too.” Fran replied, sitting next to her, hugging her loosely.

#insert fic #oc insert #oc - Jemima Erikson #my works #fics - the paradox #damon salvatore #elena gilbert #Stefan Salvatore #TVD #tvd fanfic #tvd fanfiction #the vampire diaries #the vampire diaries fanfic #the originals #the originals fanfic

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minecraftoworymode · 4 years

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picked a whole bouquet of whoopsie-daisies the other day reading some Very badfeel content so to cheer myself up here’s some super self-indulgent ramblings about romeo recovery post-s2

“YOU CAN DANCE IF YOU WANT TO YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR INTERNALIZED MISOGYNY BEHIND” or how romeo learned to stop worrying and indulge in the ““feminine”“ shit in life

when romeo transitioned he scrubbed everything that could be potentially viewed as feminine from his appearance and behaviour. while he did everything he could about the former (hairstyle, clothing, body language, voice), it didn’t feel like enough bc he couldn’t change some things that ppl used to be jerks- his frame (short and lithe), his family, his being trans- so he made up for it by trying to “act” like a “real man”. this unfortunately meant he was super vulnerable to manipulative alt-right indoctrination tactics (”we will validate you as a man as long as you endorse our assholery and share our shitty beliefs about what it means to be a man”) and he was on the verge of getting sucked into gamergate ideology when [THIS LORE IS ANOTHER POST] and hey, now the world is minecraft. u dont gotta perform gender roles for villagers they dont care. xara will not only actually eat ur liver for pulling The Bullshit but when you are kind she smiles, so bright and warm, and it is very very nice so maybe you should keep on doing that. n fred? fred is chill with their Everything in a way uve only ever Dreamed of. romeo marinates in this sauce for a couple centuries and comes the closest to being comfortable in his own skin he’s ever been.

however,

after the Incident he slam-dunked himself back into the hypermasculinity juice bc it was a mindset “safe” from feeling pain, whether his or others’. n since the worlds the admins created dont have the same ideas of gender as the world they came from, once he’s been dethroned romeo has a particularly hard time adjusting wrt That on top of all the other 2750347502730 issues he has to face

anyway flash forward a couple months of being incredibly volatile bc he now has to confront all the terrible things he did and how Dare u make him do that and maybe if hes nasty enough he can provoke someone into killing him and saving him from having to unpack All Of That- (note from @simple-mooshroom-herder: Xara and Jesse at least grasp that Romeo will probably burn himself out on this bullshit eventually and the best thing to do is interact with him with a certain level of healthy detachment. Eventually he'll see that theres no "getting out of this" and he'll start to do the Work but until then its very frustrating to see that tactic take him nowhere.)

- one day petra notices how he’s constantly staring at all the ppl wearing cute dresses in beacontown and at first she thinks he's being creepy but then realizes that he's not being creepy and actually she knows exactly how he feels bc she also used to look at ppl wearing clothes super not suited for combat like that, like she wished she could wear them too, like if she just didnt have to keep up this image of the Warrior who is Not Soft Ever-

n ok. listen. these worlds have been specifically engineered to be better and kinder than the one the admins came from, and when people mess up- even REALLY mess up- people are generally not only willing to forgive you but support you as you try and get better. it’s instinctual for communities to respond to misdeeds with rehabilitation and reconciliation, rather than retaliation and renunciation (tho its not an overnight thing and it generally takes 1-3 people to spearhead the process, esp if the actions have affected a large group of people). like. ivor created something that almost destroyed the entire world, not just beacontown, yet by the end of season one he’s grown to be a part of the team- n its not just jesse & co being forgiving here, bc when ivor made his s1 build with 3 lava source blocks people objected to it, but by s2 he not only has lava in his build but a giant lake of it. (im assuming the fences around said lake are coming eventually, bc safety is still important, but the implications im choosing to take from this are a) despite almost ending the world people let him into their lives anyway and b) the community not only grew to accept but encourage his self-expression.)

BUT ANYWAY before i go off on that even more one day petra and romeo basically put on an impromptu fashion show in jesse’s house (bc their house is huge and, kind of perfect for a fashion show, and also right next to the order hall’s armory whence they stole a bunch of fancy swords to match the outfits) n theyre having a blast until the hero in residence , returns to their residence (and with COMPANY) n romeo is absolutely Mortified- caught red-handed showing feelings of an almost human nature, oh my god, this will NOT do- n this whole grand soliluquy of shame and excuses and apologies grabs the steering wheel of his tongue but he cant even spit a single syllable out bc jesse and lukas almost immediately dip leaving romeo panicking for a second before they come back with their inventories FULL of cute outfits, including a billion skirts and dresses, some of them are even enchanted so theyre like. super shiny or constantly flowing or things like that.

this actually ends up spiralling into a town-wide... not quite fashion show bc there's no runway or anything, everyone just shows up in their cutest/coolest outfits .. fashion convention?? Anyway several people come up to him and compliment him on his outfit casually before continuing along, not recognizing him not only bc of how hes done his hair and makeup n what hes wearing but he just seems... so happy (he might be wearing something on his head? like a headpiece or hat or something? but also maybe not hmm)- whoever this is, he's not hunched over like he's got several centuries' worth of sins crawling on his back he’s not trying to shrink and make small a human-shaped apology for the simple fact of his existence not dragging his feet like hes ready for, dreading, a hundred mile trek through the desert repenting hes just. hes literally just Vibing

anyway he's mostly been silent or just providing very quiet "thank you"s but when it turns out that some people showed up ready to play music and there's a song that he knows he literally cant help but start jamming out its the GOod Stim everyones a-dancing and a-jiving and some people start to sing and so of course he does too (the healing power of dancing and singing in cute outfits.... unfathomable) but. ppl recognize his voice

and after a few seconds he notices how quiet it's gotten all of a sudden n everyones looking at him like "oh shit thats the admin" and honestly his heart breaks. visibly

but

then someone starts singing, so quiet it takes a moment for him to hear over the sound of an encroaching panic attack (oh god he has airpods in), but when he looks over theyre smiling - theyre smiling at hiM???? AND IT DOESNT EVEN LOOK MEAN??- and doing this very simple step, that he catches onto just as easily as he matches their singing (its a fairly common little tune n dance)

theyre like standing like a good few meters away but as they take turns with lines in the song they slowly inch closer

and he thinks hes starting to recognize the dance that the steps theyre doing is from but at the part in the song thats coming up ur supposed to allemande left and even tho theyre like, less than a meter away now literally no one has really wanted to get close to him, let alone actually touch him, so hes totally expecting them to be like 'psych' and humiliate him in front of the entire crowd-

BUT THEN THEY ACTUALLY GO FOR IT???

he completes the step without even thinking about it n continues onto the next in this state of dull bewilderment where there is but one braincell active in his head and it is just going, in a very tiny voice, "danser?"

- when they linked arms the person briefly seemed surprised that he didn't like, chew their arm off or anything (he had. kind of snapped at people a few times during the past few weeks), but then their shock turned into a wide smile and they sort of- nodded? at someone over his shoulder like 'come and join us, it doesn't look like he's going to kill me after all you guys can put the eulogy writing on hold'

what rly makes his heart do the confused and hopeful conga is that this isnt even anyone romeo knows, its a total stranger. or- like- he saw them while he was pretending to be jesse he just didnt care to get to know them beyond ‘name and gimmick’- its not even someone who has any reason to think he'd be cool to befriend its literally jsut someone taking a chance on him (tkae a chance take a chance take a chance take a cha)

afterwards hes like "i should thank jesse for putting you up to that, it was fun" and theyre like "what? jesse didn't "put me up to" anything, dude, you just looked super choked. * something something surfer lingo who would i be if i just left someone to feel bad when they could be having fun dancing you know?*"

he H

#ng+#msg #i said this was super self-indulgent and i was not lying #i call ng+ my mcsm project and thats literal

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ninjakitten1699 · 5 years

Text

Papa Krux

Summary: Krux is left alone with Baby Wu and his thoughts while Acronix is out.

A/N: It was supposed to be a Father’s Day oneshot, but obviously I worked on this at the last minute and I posted it two days late. Oh well, have it anyway.

Warning: mentions of violence, a little bit of angst and just enough Papa Krux Fluff.

He kept being called that. He wanted to hate the title. He wanted to hate it so much. He wanted to forget about it and about... them.

The old former master of time looked to the clock. Acronix had only left an hour ago and he didn’t expect him to come back until later. Hopefully before dusk.

His younger brother had rushed out at the second to last minute of the event he spoke so fondly of and Krux actually had to help him with the necktie that belonged to his suit back in his Dr. Saunders’ days. He yelled at Acronix to not ruin it while he was out. Of course his sibling yelled back that he won’t.

Krux sighed at him and shook his head, but smiled at his enthusiasm. He’d never seen Acronix so excited before. Not ever since he dropped from the Temporal Vortex the first time in forty years. They both got stuck in it again, but dropped off a few months after the events. The Vermillion were gone with the Iron Doom and the Time Blades, but it’s only a matter of time until it drops.

Now, Acronix had adjusted much faster to the world than Krux has and as it turned out he met someone. This person had made Acronix so happy and Krux couldn’t honestly have been more happier that his brother was spending more time with someone than with a piece of technology.

Now he left to go on a date with that person and until then, Krux was stuck with a certain someone. And if his timing is still right, then he should go off in... three.. two.. He began hearing the little infant cry from the bedroom. There he goes. The old man sighed and got up, grabbing the unfinished bottle from the warm water it was sitting in.

He followed the crying to the bedroom and opened the door where there was a crib with a hanging mobile of origami dragons. Krux insisted on making one instead of buying one and, to his surprise, Acronix agreed understandably. He approached the crib, looking down and seeing the little one. Funny how this little infant was once his enemy, Wu. The old fool grabbed the Reverse Time Blade by the powered end and he began de-aging until he was an infant that knew nothing of the situation or of who they were.

“Hello, little Wu.” He greeted him. The infant kept on crying and reached up to him, obviously wanting to be held. Krux rolled his eyes at him and picked him up. “You are so clingy.” He held him in one arm. “Of course you always have been when it came to certain people.” Baby Wu just sniffled before sneezing. Krux sighed, already pulling out a handkerchief and wiping the excess mucus off his little face.

“I really wish Acronix paid attention to the weather channel... Even though he doesn’t like the news very much.” He said, gently shifting the infant in his arm to hold him better, sitting down in the rocking chair that he never got rid of. What? The rocking chair lasted much longer than the other things he had. “Not that I blame him. The news that morning had been bad and I was glad you slept through it surprisingly.”

He distinctly remembered the news that day was about a family shop being robbed by a group who only left a purple “UV” initials spray painted all over their glass windows. Krux had turned the television off by Acronix’s requests which was surprising to him. Then again, Acronix never liked bad news when they were children so it shouldn’t be surprising that he also hated the news on TV.

The baby hummed and squirmed a little. “Oh. I almost forgot.” He moved Wu back and gently placed the nipple on the bottle close to his lip. It took a minute before he finally latched on it and began suckling on the tea bottle. Strange that Wu still liked tea even as a baby, but then again, once more, he couldn’t blame him for hating the so called “formula” the Twins bought and agreed to throw it out after figuring out that it made Wu sick. Of course it was only after a few bottles of it, a load of laundry which consisted of rags and a few shirts that got sacrificed.

Honestly Krux was still disappointed in modern society for the things they had, the technology took over way too fast in his opinion, the people were being more careless by the day... and how they treated mothers too. He leaned back in the rocking chair, gently using a foot to rock the two of them back and forth while his mind took him back.

‘It was twenty years before the time could come. Twenty years before his brother could ever return. The world around him was slowly changing. The only thing that didn’t change for him was the history museum, so he decided to stay there.

The room he occupied was abandoned and forgotten about over time. He already had snuck in the Vermillion Eggs into this secret room and no one suspected a thing. Figures since their security wasn’t even all that good from the beginning.

He hadn’t expected anything to change within the museum at all... but then... she came in. A single mother much like his own with a daughter and she looked few months pregnant too, if he learned anything from the woman the Elemental Master of Earth was married to. When he looked around though, there looked to be no sign of a father.

She was wandering around, letting her daughter look over the exhibits in marvel. He smiled at that. It was nice to know that someone other than himself liked history. When he looked to the mother though, he could tell that she was trying to keep her mind off something. A hand went to her swollen abdomen and she closed her eyes, gently holding her daughter’s hand tighter.

He wondered what she was thinking. Should he ask?... A part of him told him no, he shouldn’t waste a single moment for someone like her. His brother was more important than anything. He needed to cover everything in their plan to take over Ninjago and make sure there were no flaws.

Another told him something else... It reminded him of how difficult his own mother had to work. She worked until she dropped dead-tired. It made both him and Acronix worry for her well-being. She often told them that she was fine, that it was worthwhile to work as long as it kept a roof over their heads and food on the table for them. She worked hard on their dinners and often ate after them. The two of them felt awful when she got sick and still had to work. They couldn’t do much about it when they were children.

What made it even worse was that she pleaded desperately for them to not go to war when they got called for the Elemental Alliance. Mind you, the Elemental Alliance was the last resort against the Serpentine that attacked and the Time Twins had every right to go, especially after that one Serpentine who left his mark on their mother at first before it got left on Krux’s back after he reversed Time and shielded her from the attack. Acronix used his ability to fast forward himself and grab the neighbor’s wooden rake before swinging it at the snake’s head, making that serpent lose one of his fangs and leave a nasty scar across his snout. It honestly made him easier to find when they met him in battle.

They caught the eyes of Garmadon and Wu, the Sons of the First Spinjitzu Master, and offered them a place in the alliance. Their mother though, feared losing them the same way she lost their father and didn’t want to have them gone too.

When they finally convinced her to let them go, she only asked for them to come back home... and Krux hadn’t. He couldn’t go back to their mother without his brother. It would break her heart even worse than anything. And he was certain that Wu and Garmadon had told her what they plotted behind their ally’s backs. For him, there was no going home to their mother. At least... not until after it was all over.

Krux looked back to the pregnant mother and her daughter... Was he willing to let another single parent suffer much like his own? And considering the time period they were evolving from, he wouldn’t doubt that she would be frowned at and whispered about much like how his own mother was.

The man in the red museum outfit made his decision and approached her. He gently adjusted his mustache before he spoke out in his accent to her. “A fine afternoon it is, yes?” She jumped at his voice and spooked her daughter but gave a small forced smile, nodding at him.

“Yes.. it is.”

He was snapped back into reality when he heard Wu begin coughing softly. Krux pulled the bottle away, seeing it was a quarter full before setting a rag on his shoulder and sitting the infant’s chin on him. “Shh.. Easy there, little Wu. Easy...” He hushed, gently rubbing his back in circles, trying to soothe him before his body decided to force him to cough anything up. That usually left a mess, made the baby cry even worse, and made it even more difficult to calm him down for sleep.

Krux slowed down the rocking chair to a gentle stop, making himself stand up. He held Wu in one arm and held the bottle in his other hand. The infant had stopped his coughing but was still whimpering. The older Time Twin actually felt bad for him. He wouldn’t have had Wu been older like he was before but now that he’s an infant who had no memory of them, he felt bad.

Why wouldn’t he be feeling bad? The infant was sick from the rain that happened a few days ago. He was only slowly getting better through rest and no big activities. Of course he was kept hydrated more often but Wu didn’t mind waiting for tea to be made. At least he had more patience than Acronix did.

Krux shook his head, having already left the room with the infant in one arm and the bottle in his other hand. “I have to keep your tea in the kitchen and then we’ll head back to see if you need to be clean. Alright?” Baby Wu only hummed. Krux sighed softly.

‘He grown accustomed to seeing her. She was a frequent visitor at the museum. The little girl was especially excited to see him, telling him her day, what she did in the schoolyard, and so much more he couldn’t keep count but he cared enough to listen.

One day, that changed. She looked down into her hands and it concerned the man when her mood changed. “She won’t tell me what’s wrong.” The mother told him. He decided to find out for himself and he surprised the woman when he gently pried the answer out of her.

“There’s... someone at school... He..” She held a hand on her arm. He could already guess what happened but he just had to confirm it. “May I see your arm, little lady?” He asked. Hmph. His accent was no good in this type of situation. He had to work on that. She rolled up her sleeve and he could see a bruise on her arm.

A part of him wanted to be angry, but she looked scared. He remembered a time when someone grabbed his brother too hard and he screamed at him, flailing and attempting to hit him. Krux came on the scene and it unfairly got the twins punished when all he did was defend his brother, but unfortunately no one was going to support their story.

He only looked up at her, wanting to ask who did it to her. Instead he kept himself calm and gently lent a hand. “Come on. I have some things that could help the bruise.” The little girl just grabbed his hand and gripped on it as if she was scared that he would leave her. The mother sighed and held her daughter’s other hand, trying to give her comfort.

Had it not been for the little girl with sad eyes and the mother’s worried expression, he was certain that the moment would’ve been picture perfect.’

Krux had already made sure the little infant kept clean. Wu just hummed and reaches for his nearby rattle. The old man sighed and handed it to him, letting him shake the little instrument. It was honestly amusing to see him entertained. At least he didn’t throw his rattle at him unlike how he did to that one person when they were out for a walk.

Krux was uncertain how to feel about the person but Baby Wu had thrown the rattle at them from the stroller. Acronix forced himself to keep from laughing but he obviously had trouble doing so while Krux was amused. They left before they could cause a scene and Acronix had to lay on the ground because he was laughing so hard. Krux leaned on the stroller and chuckled, covering his face with a hand. He hadn’t seen his brother laugh like that ever since they were children.

‘The little girl was worried for her mother and he couldn’t blame her. It had been a few months since they first met. He got promoted to being the girl’s babysitter when he wasn’t working while the mother was at her job. He often helped the little one with her homework, especially the history homework.

He rolled his eyes when there were inaccuracies within the text, and he told her a more correct version of what the teachers told her. She listened to everything. It’d been a while ever since he had someone listen to him so intently. His brother and mother were the only two that usually listened to him.

It upset her when she got a terrible grade and it infuriated him when he went up to that teacher and interrogated them on why she had such a failing grade. He could go into details about them heading to the principals’ office, demanding that he knew what he was talking about because unlike the teacher, he was actually there for the event though he worked around the details of where he was in the historical pictures.

In the end, he overwhelmed the teacher and the little girl was happier about the grade change. A problem from school hadn’t came up then.. except for that bully in the playground. It ended when the boy pushed her down and he glared at the boy with such anger. Can’t blame the old man when all he could think of was his six-year-old brother being pushed and covering his face with his arms to protect himself.

The little girl kept her brightness and her mother had calmed down, knowing she was alright. He was glad to lift some weight of someone’s shoulders. The mother had lightened up and she seemed so bright at times. Other times her mood swung fiercely, but he managed to help keep her calm and deduct why she was frustrated. Turned out it was mostly her job that caused her frustration.

He didn’t know how but it went from a talk about work, the little girl, and it turned into a conversation about names for the next child. He had no idea how it happened but...

A part of him liked it.’

Baby Wu has inevitably grown bored of the toy and reached up for Krux. The old man sighed and picked him up, setting him in the makeshift baby carrier. “Perhaps you need something to help you keep calm.”

Wu smiled and cooed with big eyes. It’s like he understood what he meant. Krux chuckled and took him into the room where the piano was in the middle. Nothing else, save for wooden chest that he warned Acronix not to open. He growled at Blunck and Raggmunk for being curious of it and told them to back off, having the chest hidden away by then. At least until now and he knew that his brother wasn’t that nosy. Or he hoped so.

Wu got even more excited when he recognized the room they were in. Krux smiles at that. He hadn’t had anyone this excited since...

‘Her daughter had been excited over her sibling’s arrival coming so soon. It honestly only felt like yesterday when he first met them even though he met them months ago. The mother was more swollen than the Master of Earth’s wife, but he still did what he could to help.

He even made himself relearn piano for their entertainment. Like how he and his brother played the piano when they were children. They sometimes played more complicated pieces together. Other times, they competed on the piano before the whole masterpiece got ruined and they tumbled to the ground with the wooden bench. They ended up laying on the ground and apologizing to each other.

Her daughter even wanted to learn piano like him and he couldn’t even tell her no. A part of him liked seeing them as his audience but he didn’t mind having a protege. He liked seeing them happy.. their smiles... their laughter... He found himself liking it a little too much.’

He sat at the piano, playing a piece of music that he knew from long ago. Wu hummed and curled up on him, listening to the soft music that left the piano. He smiled at the little one’s audience and kept pressing the keys.

‘He told himself he would leave them when she had a hold of life herself. He told himself his brother was more important than anyone. He told himself to not get attached to the small family. He told himself that it was an accident when the little girl called him her father when he obviously had no relation to her.

That changed when he heard two baby cries instead of one.’

Krux faltered in his movements and sighed at the memory. He looked down, seeing Wu had fallen back to sleep. He got up and left the room, shutting the door behind him before finally heading to the bedroom down the hall. He opened the door, seeing the crib again.

He was ready to set the little boy in there but he felt a little hand grip on his shirt. Like he was scared that he would disappear forever if he just left him in bed.

It made Krux pause his actions before he sighed and just kept a hold of him, heading to the rocking chair and set himself down. He gently used his foot to rock them back and forth. The infant hummed and kept his hold on his shirt.

Krux gently shushed him, leaning his head on top of the infant’s gently while he rocked them a little slower. It always comforted his brother and surprisingly it comforted Baby Wu as well.

‘Much like how it comforted her boys too.’

“Papa.” Baby Wu hummed in his sleep. Krux wanted to argue with him but it was no use. He wouldn’t listen. It was the first word Wu spoke and Krux couldn’t get him to stop. It was no use to try to argue with an infant.

‘Her boys called him that too and even then he couldn’t tell them no. In fact, he ended up smiling at them.’

#ninjakitten’s writing #lego ninjago #ninjago #lego ninjago krux #ninjago krux #krux ninjago #krux #papa krux #lego ninjago wu #ninjago wu #wu ninjago #wu #ninjago baby wu #baby wu #father’s day #ninjakitten1699

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