#so anyways as we go to pay ? fucker demands I go wait outside while he pays . for no reason. just. fuck me ig okay
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I spent quite literally one [1] hour with my father and now feel like absolute shit. Unironically how does he do this [i am impressed]
#AvieRant#now mind you i am writing this from “weh weh weh huff puff” attitude so it is probably biased like a motherfucker#but whatever i'll feel bad for it later#so before we even get anywhere [walgreens] I talk about how someone on the discord got a full ride to yale and he goes on his#“You think you don't have to do things if you don't want to...” speech yada yada yada shut up please you're the reason why#I couldn't apply to college because you fucking refused to help me get my immunization records until like august [too late]#anyways I show concern for him as he says his ankle has been hurting especially on the EXTRA LONG WALK he CHOSE to take#and he fucking. slaps my stomach and says “yeah well I ain't got a pussy so I ain't a bitch”#i. are you fucking kidding me . one - don't touch me . two - fuck you. three - don't fucking touch me#then we GET to walgreens and he makes sure to inform me how stupid I am for... looking at the price of things before buying them#and actively gives me a side eye or sucks his teeth when I suggest making decisions based off of cost [idgaf if you have cash be smart >:(]#anyways he also just basically decides shit for me. I asked for one [1] thing and he informed me that I simply don't need it#before promptly ignoring any even suggestions of me getting something I'd actually want other than what he soyjaks at#so anyways as we go to pay ? fucker demands I go wait outside while he pays . for no reason. just. fuck me ig okay#anyways we seem to FINALLY be getting my phone turned on on the way home!!!! like we're AT T-Mobile!#then he has to wait 5 minutes and decides we'll just do it tomorrow. like he's been saying for 11 months#then basically tells me to go home alone while I carry everything bc he wants to go somewhere#like . fuck you fuck off i am tired of your bullshit#ugh . i. like again. can't ocmplain. free food and housing and what not. but do you HAVE to be a dick whenever you can? >:/#whatever i'm gonna go cope somehow see y'all around
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you're standing here beside me (i love the passing of time)
part one read on ao3
“Steve’s really stressed out,” Robin says over the phone. She kind of shouts it, actually, and Eddie worries a bit that she can hear the couple down the hall fighting again. She keeps telling him he has to move, but he likes the area.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried too, Rob,” Eddie says.
“He’s - I’m not gonna say he’s changed, because he didn’t need to -”
“I know, Rob.”
“- but he’s more…secure, I guess. Especially outside of Hawkins.”
“He said he wasn’t planning on going back there longterm, ever.”
“Neither of us is,” she says. Eddie waits a second - strangely, living in Boston’s slowed Robin down. “I know he regrets not going with you, but he really couldn’t when the kids were still there.”
“I know. He wouldn’t be Steve if he could,” Eddie says.
“So we’re good? We’ll see you next week?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there. No weirdness. And I think I’ve got a couple leads on places for you.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie says, and hangs up.
~~~
A week later, Eddie’s sitting on his stoop with some of his neighbors while a handful of kids from his building draw with chalk on the sidewalk.
“Fucker!” someone shouts - Buckley, of course. Eddie peers through the cast iron railing. She’s got her arms raised like she can hug him from half a block away, and Steve is trudging behind her like a packhorse.
“Language, Buckley!” Eddie says, grinning. He bounds down the stairs, grabbing ahold of the railing to swing himself towards her, and gets there just in time for them to crash into each other. He swings her around once, then plants her on the ground. “You’ll get me in trouble,” he says quietly, nodding his head back at the women on the stoop.
“They’re all watching you,” she says. “Anyway, I would never get you in trouble - people here love me.”
“You just keep talking to them, don’t you?” he says. He gives her a once-over, sees her doing the same. She looks queerer than she ever has, and that’s saying something, but she also looks like she’s raided Steve’s WASPy wardrobe.
“I’m being nice! I talk to people in Boston, too,” she says. Eddie waits for Steve to catch up, nods at him, and turns to lead them both into the building. He’s not doing their first in-person conversation in front of all his neighbors. They’ll have to listen through the walls like everyone else if they want to know what’s going on.
“Just come on,” Eddie says, leading them up the stairs. “And maybe help Harrington out, I’m on the fifth floor.” Robin groans, and Eddie starts taking the stairs two at a time.
~~~
As soon as Eddie steps aside to let the two of them into his apartment - a one bedroom, amazingly, courtesy of a very kind raise when he got made assistant manager at the record store and a band successful enough to pay for itself. He steps into the kitchen area - still not its own room, but close enough - to let Robin and Steve snoop. Or put their bags down, at least.
He can imagine how he must look, how he must have looked when they walked up. He’s back to a version of himself that he never fully achieved in Hawkins, young as he was. His hair is grown out again, and he’s filled nearly an arm and a half (and a leg, not that they would know) with tattoos. His rings are the same, but he’s got his guitar pick hanging on a nice chain.
“Here - you guys are in my room, I’ll take the couch.” Eddie sees Steve furrow his brows out of the corner of his eye.
“We can’t do that,” Steve says, even as Robin is lugging her bags towards the bedroom.
“Look, man, it’s not a pullout, so either you two share or one of you shares with me,” Eddie says. He looks at Steve through his bangs and tries to do that thing with his eyes - the ‘consider your options’ thing, with his brows lifted.
“I guess,” Steve says. “I should get our stuff set up.”
“It’s good to see you, Steve,” Eddie says.
Steve pauses at the bedroom door, and says, “You too, Eddie.”
~~~
Once they unpack, Robin demands that they go out to eat and, as she puts it, “see the sights.” Eddie tells her there aren’t any sights to see - at least not in the daylight - but lets her bully him into his favorite diner anyway.
He doesn’t realize until the end of the day that she’s working her ass off to keep him and Steve from ever being alone in private.
“I admire the hustle, Buck,” he starts. They’re strolling through a park, and Robin is acting like a Labrador - wandering away to look at things, then remembering that she’s trying to avoid leaving them alone and hustling back, then forgetting and wandering away again. “But you’ve gotta let us talk to each other sometime.”
Robin glances between them, and she and Steve do that eyebrow communication they’ve always done, and she sighs. “I was just trying to help,” she says. “You know we can’t afford a hotel the whole time we’re here.”
“Look, my buddy Sean and some of his buddies have a house, I’m sure they’ll put you up if I wreck things too badly,” Eddie says.
“You’re not gonna wreck things,” Steve says, but Robin nods seriously.
“Just -” Eddie turns to Steve. “Here, or back at my place, or -?”
“I think your place?” Steve says, looking around. “I don’t -”
“I get it. Here,” Eddie pulls a notebook out of his pocket and writes down the address of the record store. “I think Cindy’s in today, she’ll get you hooked up with whatever the hell you’re listening to these days.”
~~~
They walk with Robin until they hit her turnoff - she refuses to trust the grid system, so Eddie spent their walk drawing her a map to the record shop.
“Just go straight until you hit your number, then take a right, it’s easy,” Eddie says, pushing her away. “There’s a bookstore across the street that you might like,too.”
And then he and Steve are alone, and Eddie is awkwardly shrugging and leading the way back to his building.
“It’s, like, safe for her to be out by herself, isn’t it?” Steve says.
“Yeah, it’s fine. And Cin’s in the building too, they can walk back together.”
“You’re not trying to hook her up, are you?”
“I’m not not trying. Why, do you think it’ll work?” Eddie grins. Steve’s taking the stairs just as easily as Eddie is, so before he knows it he’s unlocking his door and stepping inside and a wave of awkwardness is descending.
“You, uh, look like you’re doing better,” Steve starts. “I mean, your hair, and everything.”
“I am,” Eddie says. He toes his shoes off and walks to the fridge. He starts rooting through it and says, “It’s not - I didn’t know how bad it was until it was too much, you know? By the time I realized it was too late to do anything but leave.”
Steve doesn’t answer, so Eddie just walks over to the couch. He piled blankets and a pillow at one end of it before they arrived, so he shoves them onto the floor. Eddie puts one can of beer - unopened - on the coffee table for Steve, and walks over to the stereo.
Steve is standing at the line of hooks by the front door, one hand raised like he wants to touch Eddie’s jacket. It’s the same leather as he always had, but the vest is new. He’d retired the one he made to replace the one he lost to the Upside Down when he moved to Pennsylvania, couldn’t bear wearing it after Steve had helped him track down patches, sat with him while he sewed it together.
Eddie shuffles through his tapes and pulls out a Steve Miller album. “Threshold” starts up, and the sound jolts Steve out of his reverie. He turns away from the vest. Eddie sits on the couch, leaning against the back of it and facing Steve. He cracks his beer and clutches it between his two hands like it’s a soothing cup of tea.
“I - uh - I was the same, I guess,” Steve says. He’s hovering, standing in the archway between the kitchen and living room like he doesn’t know if he can cross the threshold. If he thinks anything about Eddie playing Steve’s music instead of his own, he doesn’t say it.
“Come sit, Steve,” Eddie says, patting the couch in front of him. “I don’t bite.”
“That doesn’t sound right,” Steve says.
“Well, not unless you ask me to,” Eddie says. It comes out stilted, but it seems to work - the tension on Steve’s face breaks, and he practically launches himself onto the couch. “Here, take that.” He gestures at the beer on the coffee table. Steve takes it, cracks it open, takes a sip.
“I mean it, though. I didn’t really understand why you left, back then. I thought -” he trails off.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Steve.”
“I want to. It’s just - I - it was something I thought everyone just did, you know? Pick the path of least resistance. And I didn’t understand how some people couldn’t, ‘cause I was so deep into it that I didn’t realize that I had a choice too, and that I was making a choice, you know?” He’s gesturing while he talks - something he must have picked up from Robin, Eddie thinks, and the beer sloshes out of the can and over his hand.
Eddie pulls a napkin off the pile in the middle of the table and hands it to him, but doesn’t say anything. Steve still looks determined, and Eddie won’t interrupt him if he isn’t done.
“I guess - I said you could make it easier for them, for the people who hated you, and I just didn’t realize that not everyone could do that? I mean, I didn’t realize that I was doing it too,” Steve says.
Eddie looks him over again. Here, in Eddie’s - lair, for lack of a better word, a place that’s Eddie all over, his childhood bedroom grown up and grown out - it’s suddenly clear that Steve is only the same as he used to be at the barest surface.
He’s still wearing crisp lines, but he’s leaned into the bright colors he always used as accents, and his clothes look worn, like he put on all his favorite things this morning. There’s an embroidered flower at his collar, where it probably ripped and he had Buckley fix it.
“I didn’t blame you, you know that, right?” Eddie says. He fiddles with the tab of his beer, stares at it, because he can’t bear to look at Steve. “For not being ready.”
“I mean, I’m glad, but that - you just shut down, that night.” Eddie has his feet on the couch, knees bent under his chin, but Steve - as always - sits straight up, facing him. Eddie lifts his gaze, but Steve has never been good at hiding his feelings, and looking at him is like looking into the sun, so Eddie’s eyes land on his shoulder.
“I mean, you know I’ve never been…good at feelings,” he starts. Steve furrows his eyebrows again. Eddie can’t stop twisting one ring around his finger, and the rest of them keep clinking lightly together. “And it was - a lot of things were building up, I guess.
“Nothing was getting better, and you saying that - about making it easier on people, and getting weird again, it made me realize that even if I could stand to try and fit in, it would never work there. And I’ve never been good at big realizations like that, even when I have time to think about them, and it felt like it was my fault. That I couldn’t be normal.”
“I - Eddie, you quoted Boromir at me,” Steve says. Eddie gapes.
“You read Fellowship?”
“I mean, I listened to all of them.”
“Did you like them? I mean - sorry, not the time,” Eddie says. He’s starting to rock slightly, forward and back, still clutching the beer to his chest.
“I’m gay,” Steve says. Eddie freezes, and finally looks directly at his face.
“Con…grats? I mean, thanks for telling me?”
“I loved Nancy, you know? And when we were together, I knew that it wasn’t the same. You and me, or me and her. So I just, like, clung to everything else that made me normal, because I wasn’t ready to see why being with you felt so different.”
“And you were good at it,” Eddie says wryly.
“I was good at it, and I didn’t know how hard it was to be good at it once you’d stopped doing it, and I was scared. For me and for you.”
“I know. I’m - I didn’t mean for it to shake out that way. And you guys living here, I - can we be friends again?” Eddie asks. He can’t look at Steve anymore.
“Is that all you want?” Steve asks. “When we talked on the phone -”
“If you’re asking if I’m still hung up on you, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t,” Eddie says. He can’t get the words out without twisting them up - a last line of defense. Steve doesn’t answer for a minute. He just gets his foot onto the couch and pushes it forward, until his socked foot is pressed against Eddie’s. Eddie presses back.
“If you’re still willing to pick up, I’d really like that. I - I loved you, then, and I think it would be really easy to love you again. Or still.”
~~~
“Look what I found,” Robin shouts when she barges in an hour later, looking smug. Eddie has to squint to see the cassette across the room - the j-card is a hand-drawn-and-photocopied black and white thing, which means it looks like about fifteen bands he could name off the top of his head. “Cindy said this is yours, Eddie. Why didn’t you tell us you had a tape out?”
“Oh my god I’m gonna kill her,” Eddie says. He covers his eyes, pressing down. “I shouldn’t’ve sent you there without me.”
“She wouldn’t let me listen to it there,” Robin says. Eddie can hear her shucking her coat and kicking off her shoes.
“Yeah, ‘cause it’s shit. She only keeps it ‘cause it would be a bad look if she didn’t, with me working there and shit.”
“I’m putting it o-” Robin is halfway to the tape deck when she cuts off, seemingly having noticed how Steve and Eddie are sitting. She puts one hand on her hip. “I take it the talk went well.”
“I - it did, yeah,” Steve says. Eddie nods along, until Steve adds, “now put on that tape - I want to hear.”
“Is it full of love songs? Were you pining?” Robin asks. The tape deck clicks shut, and she presses play.
“Only a little,” Eddie says. He meets Steve’s eyes and knows that Steve, if not Robin, knows how much of an understatement that is.“I am not taking the couch so you two can be grossly in love, I’m telling you that right now. If you want Eddie’s bed, find me and Steve an apartment faster,” Robin says.
#steddie#steve harrington#eddie munson#steve harrington x eddie munson#this is the comfort to the hurt of part 1
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Monster - Chapter 19
chapter index
“How far off are we talking?” Inuyasha asked, kicking out the fire as the rest of his team hurried to pack up camp.
“Ten miles, give or take.” Koga answered.
“How are you so sure it’s Hakudoshi?” Kagome asked next, strapping her bag over her shoulders.
“Anyone want to fill us in on what a Hakudoshi is?” Miroku implored with a bemused frown.
“A short, evil minion that we need to kill.” The wolf demon answered.
Blinking blankly, Miroku shifted his eyes over to Kagome for an actual explanation.
“Naraku created a group of demons. As far as we know, he had five. We killed one already, so now he’s down to four: Hakudoshi, Kagura, Byakuya, and Goshinki. Hakudoshi, we really don’t have a lot of information on other than he’s a child and has long, white hair.”
“He’s a child.” Miroku gasped.
“An evil one!” Koga feebly defended.
“Miroku, think of it as a design.” Inuyasha spoke. “Remember how we explained Naraku to you? How he’s an inorganic half demon? Anything he creates is essentially inorganic, as well. Child or not, Hakudoshi is still a demon of his that needs to go down.”
“Excuse me?” Koga sort of gaped at how that bit of information was so casually mentioned and how no one else was the least bit fazed by it.
“He’s just a little boy though, right?” Sango inquired sympathetically. “Isn’t there a chance he can be turned around and saved?”
“No, I think he’s a bit too far gone.” Kagome grimaced. “We had a friend that was sort of tortured into shape by Naraku’s guys. Hakudoshi was the main offender and was a fan of sharp objects.”
“Oh, okay. Evil child with a knife. Got it.” Miroku cringed, immediately throwing aside any further argument he could have thought of.
“The only one that’s worth saving is Kagura, but that’s a story for another time. We’ve gotta get going.” Kagome added.
“Hello?” Koga called, demanding their attention. “Inuyasha, what the fuck did you just say about Naraku?”
“Oh, that he’s an inorganic half demon? Yeah. You didn’t know that?” The hanyou shrugged sardonically. It was high time the secret got out to all that were involved since everything was so real now, but that didn’t mean he planned on sitting Koga and Sesshomaru down to have a nice, mature, informative conversation. That just meant he’d openly talk about it in front of them so that they could piece it all together on their own. It wasn’t like they could do much with it, anyway. He kept it under wraps for the protection of himself and everyone around him. Now, there was no further reason for it.
“Yeah, come on, dude.” Miroku arched a brow, playing along. He felt it was only his right since the guy just tried to punk him. “Even we knew that.”
“How the fuck… Inuyasha, what are you talking about? What does this mean?” Koga questioned seriously.
“It means he’s not a full demon like he wants everyone to believe. I can tell you’re looking for his weakness though, and I don’t know that. Technically, at this point, him being half demon is useless information. It’s nothing more than a fun fact. Half demon or not, he’s still a force to be reckoned with.”
“No, but half demons have specific traits about them, don’t they? They have a time of the month dedicated to basically emphasizing their weaknesses, right?”
“We turn human, yes.” Inuyasha tried not to grumble with his admittance. It was common knowledge. What wasn’t was the day and time it happened. “Naraku, doesn’t. I don’t exactly know what he transforms into, but it’s definitely not human, and potentially even more damaging to him. Be that as it may, do you know when that is?”
“Obviously not.”
“Then, it’s useless information.”
“How do you know this? Did you see it?”
“A long ass fucking time ago, I did. I was a kid; I wasn’t paying attention to the phase of the moon. Unless you know where he is and want to camp out every fucking night outside his place to wait and see if you miraculously feel his demonic energy die off, I’m going to have to repeat, this is all useless information now. It serves as nothing more than a stab to his ego.”
“Dammit.” Koga hissed. He was hoping that since it was new information to him, it’d be something they could grasp onto and utilize in the future, but the mutt was right. No one knew where Naraku was hiding, and camping out was obviously out of the question. Not to mention, a monster like that with the pride he harbors would take extensive efforts to protect himself during his moment of incapacitation. As quickly as he’d clung to the hope, the wolf demon was going to have to drop it. “Can you guys keep up while running? We should head out.”
“Kagome, get on.” Inuyasha kneeled, securing her rear as she climbed onto his back. With a little hike up, he was set to carry her at a decent speed.
“Kirara, let’s go.” Sango firmly ordered, and the small cat demon by her side let out a little meow, hopping into an open space as she transformed into her larger, saber-toothed version.
“Uh, there are things you don’t see every day, and there are things you see that make you think you took a little too much of Kaede’s good shit. What the fuck is that?” Koga pointed to the large cat demon, beyond perplexed.
“Kirara.” Sango replied nonchalantly, jumping on the demon’s back with ease. Miroku followed, not quite as skillfully, but not as sloppily as he used to either. “She’s my cat.”
“You’re not high, buddy.” Miroku grinned. “This is not an illusion.”
“Kagome, you’re from a weird ass village.” He shook his head, heading off in the direction he came from as he led the squad forward.
Koga had had to slow his pace down a bit since he knew he ran faster than the average demon and he didn’t want to lose his new comrades, but he was glad to hear no complaints from anyone. In fact, it was him that ended up doing the complaining. By the time they reached the fork where he’d left Sesshomaru, the high and mighty dog demon was nowhere around. As fruitless as it was to even call out for him, given his scent and aura weren’t in the immediate vicinity, the wolf demon still found himself audibly searching.
“Let me get this straight,” Inuyasha began, safely setting Kagome back down to her feet. “You told Sesshomaru to wait for you?”
“Yeah.” Koga frowned.
“And, you actually expected him to listen?”
“He said he would!”
“Did he say he would or did he grunt?”
Koga paused as he recalled the conversation with Sesshomaru, realizing it was the latter that he’d received. “Fuck!”
“Who’s Sesshomaru?” Miroku asked after climbing down from Kirara.
“Inuyasha’s older brother.” Kagome answered.
“Half brother.” Inuyasha corrected.
“They don’t get along.” She continued with a grimace.
“From the smell of it, he’s long gone.” The hanyou mentioned, his nose in the air to gather the area. “He went right. We’ll go left. There’s no use in you trying to catch up with him, so just come with us.”
“What happened to no teaming up?” Koga meagerly mocked, barely putting any effort behind his deriding tone.
“You can come with us, you can stay behind, or you can seek out the imp fucker. I don’t care. I was just giving you another option.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes, leading the way toward the left route.
“Alright, alright. No need to beg, Inuyasha. I’ll help you out, but only because you asked so nicely.”
Inuyasha barely bit back his groan, his head falling as he kept walking. He was going to regret this, wasn’t he?
“Koga, you never answered my question from before.” Kagome said, jogging a little to walk beside him as they all continued down the path. “How do you know this is Hakudoshi? Didn’t you guys say the underlings all give off the same scent as Naraku?”
“Oh, yeah. They do. We caught something feint and followed it. You’re not gonna like this, but we ended up coming across a house at the edge of the woods -“ Koga paused, pointing behind them to the West. “And, everyone inside was…”
“Dead?” Miroku attempted to finish for him, wondering if that was the word he was going for.
“I mean, yes, but a little more than that.”
“How can you be a little more than dead?” Sango asked.
“It was gruesome, okay? The bodies were mangled. It was an entire family torn to shreds. The smell of Naraku was strong there, so we followed it out. We got all the way to this path here, and the scent of him went down both ways. Hence, why I came and found you. That way, no matter what, more ground is covered and we can hopefully corner the fucker. Sesshomaru was adamant that it couldn’t be Kagura, Byakuya doesn’t look like the type who’d want to dirty his nails doing something like that, but who’s the one we discovered has a thing for torment? Hakudoshi.”
“You cannot possibly be that stupid, can you?” Inuyasha gruffly asked, abruptly stopped in his tracks as he spun around. His brows were furrowed and his lips turned down in disapproval. “This is most likely the biggest trap anyone has ever willingly walked into.”
“No, that was definitely considered.” Koga plainly responded. “But, it’s a chance we have to take. And, one you readily hopped on board with without any further information.”
“Because, I decided to trust you for once. A big mistake on my end, clearly.”
“So, if you knew it was potentially a trap, you’d let it all slide and allow him to get away?” The wolf demon challenged.
“I would have taken a moment to establish a plan.” Inuyasha scowled.
“Hakudoshi could theoretically lead us to Naraku. Sesshomaru and I already came up with a plan. Cover more ground and pin him.”
“You’re forgetting one major thing here, Koga.”
“Goshinki.” Miroku concluded. It was the only name he’d heard that hadn’t been considered.
“Right.” Inuyasha assertively confirmed. “That’s a creation we have literally no information on, and you two are going off of assumptions. Assumptions that could get us all killed.”
“What’s happened to you, Inuyasha? You used to be so carefree and reckless.” Koga teased. “Now, all of a sudden, you’re rational and want to put as much thought into everything possible? Why’s that?”
Inuyasha didn’t answer. His jaw clenched tight, and his amber eyes pierced through Koga’s blue irises.
“Oh, got it.” The wolf laughed, patting Kagome’s shoulder. “It’s because your sweetheart almost died, right? Well, don’t worry. I’ll be right here to save her again if anything happens.”
“You son of a -“ Inuyasha ground out, stopping himself before he could throw a punch at him.
“Koga!” Kagome pushed his hand off of her.
“Kagome, what?” Miroku demanded, marching forward.
“Goddammit.” She grumbled before turning to him. “Look, there was an incident, but I’m fine.”
“What happened?”
“Naraku’s puppet kicked my ass; I told you that already.”
“You didn’t tell me it’d almost killed you!”
“It’s not imperative knowledge, Miroku. It happened, it’s done, I’m okay, so let’s drop it.”
“What happened?” He repeated more sternly.
She hesitated. She didn’t want this to make her cousin worry more, which was why she’d chosen to never include that tidbit of information in the first place. It wasn’t necessarily her most prideful moment, either. It was terrifying. For she and Inuyasha. Bringing it up would help no one, and would ease the pressure on no one’s shoulders. Still, Miroku pierced her with his indigo stare, and she felt compelled to give him something.
“He tossed me off of the mountainside and into the river after the heavy rains had filled it. Koga saved me.”
Miroku could say nothing, his hand flying to rub the tension from his forehead as he closed his eyes. This was why she didn’t want to tell him. What good is it doing? It seemed to only be reinforcing his stress and the longer he was silent, the heated sighs leaving his nostrils, the more uncomfortable she was becoming. She could only hope he was taking this long because he was processing the information and throwing it away. He got what he wanted, there was nothing anyone could do to change it, and now the best thing to do was to let it all go.
But, then his dark blue eyes transferred to Inuyasha. “I thought you’d said she’d been safe with you.”
“Hey!” Kagome quickly shouted, though she didn’t immediately regain his attention. Nevertheless, she spoke. And, she spoke powerfully. It was like she could feel the admonishment sitting heavily in Inuyasha’s chest, and she wasn’t about to allow that to overtake him again. “It is not his fault! My safety is in no one’s hands but mine, so don’t act like I need bodyguards standing at every side of me! I am not fragile, you know I’m not fragile! I know it upsets you that you weren’t there, Miroku, but that’s the thing! You weren’t there! You don’t know how it all went down! So, don’t blame Inuyasha, because you don’t know how hard he was trying to save me!” Finally, his look had shifted back to her, and it seemed his frown became something less angry and hinting more on the remorseful side. “Redirect it towards me! Ask me what I had done wrong! I can list everything! I was too scared, I let my emotions get the better of me, I wasn’t strong enough, I hesitated - I can go on! But, you’re not gonna do that, are you? If you aren’t going to blame me, then I can guarantee you that it’s not going to make you feel better to place the blame on anyone but Naraku, so just drop it! It happened, it’s done! Let it go, Miroku!”
Swiftly, while the heat still bubbled in her core, Kagome turned around to face Koga. “And, you! What was that? Were you just trying to gloat because you didn’t like that Inuyasha opposed you!? Grow up!”
“I - I didn’t know that not everyone here was aware of what had happened.” Koga feebly defended.
“No, you just didn’t think before you said anything! You were throwing whatever you could out there to get under his skin! If you want to tag along, you need to learn to communicate better, understand!? Work with us or go find Sesshomaru!”
Then she turned to Inuyasha, sighing out some heat and allowing her glower to relax a little before speaking to him. He was innocent, he didn’t deserve her temper. So, with one exhale, she pushed as much infuriation from her being so that she could continue semi-reasonably with him. “I don’t really think that there’s any way we can come up with a plan for this. I think the best thing we can agree on is to be on high alert. Expect the unexpected. Or, did you want to turn around?”
“No, you’re right.” Inuyasha agreed.
“Okay.” Kagome breathed, though she faced the others in challenge. “Anyone else want to say anything?”
The group was quiet, and she’d noticed Koga’s tail drooped almost fearfully, his azure eyes on the floor and away from her. Good. It was immature of him to bring up her near death experience anyway; he should be ashamed of himself. He didn’t just cause Inuyasha to recoil, but gave her, her cousin, and Sango grief in doing so, as well. What an idiotic move.
“Great. Then, let’s keep going.” She concluded, turning around on her heel and walking forward at a quick pace. Everyone else, though, had to stay put for a quick breather.
“What did I tell you about pushing her?” Sango asked Miroku, coming forward to give him a half-sympathetic rub on his arm.
“Yeah, I know.” He grimaced, turning to follow after his cousin so that she wasn’t wandering off alone. “I’ll go calm her down.”
Inuyasha pinched the bridge of his nose. “The answer you were looking for is, I’m not sixteen, seventeen years old anymore, Koga.” He sighed. “But, it does also help to have someone else to consider when making your decisions. You should try it sometime.”
“That was terrifying.” Koga admitted.
“Yeah.” Sango laughed, her cat demon companion following her forward. “That’s what you get.”
Kagome could hear the footsteps approaching, easily identifying the gait as Miroku’s, and as soon as he was close enough, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “I’m sorry I left home without telling you, and I’m sorry if that felt like betrayal, but can you please try to get over it?”
“Well, that was blunt.” He muttered. “I wasn’t betrayed, Kagome. I was worried sick. Look, stop for a second.”
“No, because then the others will catch up and I don’t want them to overhear us.”
“Okay, fine, fair enough. Just try to look at it from my point of view. Please. Our entire lives, I’ve spent looking after you. Not just after I moved in when dad and uncle died, but always. I was the one who gave you the boost on top of the counter to get the cookie jar, and then helped you down. I was the one who put a bandaid on your knee when you tripped and fell. I was the one who stood in front of you when the henchmen came to our village. I know you don’t need protecting, but I’m your older brother. Whether you need it or not, I want it for you. I like to know that you’re safe, and when I don’t, it scares me.”
“That’s very sweet, but it also sounds like you’re saying if you weren’t there to monitor the situation yourself and something went wrong, you’re going to be judgmental about it.”
“How did you get that from anything I just said?”
“‘I like to know that you’re safe, and when I don’t, it scares me.’”
Miroku grimaced. “That wasn’t supposed to be turned against me.”
“I don’t know what you want from me, Miroku. I’ve said I was sorry like ten times already. I can’t go back to two months ago and change my mind, and even if I could, I wouldn’t. You can be mad at me all you want, I completely understand, but can you please try not to take it out on Inuyasha?”
“I didn’t take it out on him. I asked him a simple question.”
Kagome stopped walking then, pinning him with a stare that read right through his weak facade.
“O-okay,” He babbled awkwardly. “So, it was less simple and more a question that put him on the spot. I met the guy yesterday, Kagome. I don’t know him yet, so if he’s telling me he’s ensured your safety but Koga’s telling me you almost died, I feel like I have the right to -“
“Be judgmental?” She interjected, walking again.
“No.”
“He never said that, anyway. He’s contributed to my safety, but no one can ensure anything. Especially out here. You said it yourself last night, you and Sango have been through the wringer, as well. How many times have you guys been really hurt to the point where you needed to lay low?”
He bobbed his head in a small motion. “A couple times.”
“Right. It’s impossible to know what to expect outside of the boundaries of home, and we’ve all had to learn that the hard way. I’m not asking you to be his best friend, I’m asking you to take common sense into consideration, and to think before you react. You cant control what happened in our separation, and you just need to come to terms with the fact that I’m fine. I know you want to protect me, and I sincerely appreciate it. I do. I want to protect you too, which was why I suggested you two go home. But, you made your choice, and as much as I wanted to fight you on it, I respected it. It’s not like you’re blind to the craziness we’re dealing with; I’m sure you’ve gotten a pretty good taste of the morbidity out here. All I’m saying is, what’s done is done. Let it be done. Stop trying to make up for lost time, and just be with me now.”
“Okay, okay, okay. I get it. I’m sorry, but I’m also not sorry. I didn’t want to upset you, but it’s sort of shocking to find out you’d almost died. You can’t blame me for responding in a manner that wasn’t exactly the most positive.”
“In my defense, you weren’t supposed to find that out.” Kagome sighed. “I’d wanted to keep that from you, and clearly for good reason.”
“Why? Why wouldn’t you want me to know that?”
“Because, that information only hurt you, Miroku. Are you telling me it’s a good thing you know now?”
“Okay, I see your point.” He finally relented.
“It’s not like I’m trying to keep secrets from you or offend you in any way. I’m just keeping my business on a need-to-know basis.”
“I understand now. I do. Is there anything else I need to know?” He gave a crooked grin to try and lighten the mood.
Kagome heard the footsteps of the rest of their group coming around the bend not too far behind them now, and she peeked over her shoulder to make sure Inuyasha wasn’t in sight. Still, to be respectful of his sensitive hearing, she chose to keep her voice low. “Yeah. The day I’d almost died, it was really hard on Inuyasha, too. He was scared he’d lost me. He’d felt like he’d failed me. So, what you said - salt in the wound, Miroku. Not cool.”
“Oh. Ouch.” His smile stiffened. Faltered. “My bad. I can’t even apologize to him, though. I take it from the way you’d whispered that I’m not supposed to know.”
“Yup. Just keep it in mind for the next time you want to act like a tough guy. You don’t know the full story. I know that’s what’s bothering you, but handle it.”
“Are you saying I’m not tough?”
Kagome stopped walking and analyzed the size of her cousin’s biceps, teasing him by pursing her lips disappointedly as she pinched the muscle. The flicker of her brown eyes up to his said it all and Miroku gasped.
“Is this what I get? Is this the treatment I get because I care about you?”
“No, it’s the treatment you get because you’ve got puny arms.”
“The audacity! You’re small, too!”
“Miroku, she stabbed a guy in the groin with an arrow yesterday. I wouldn’t say that if I were you.” Sango chimed as they all appeared down the trail.
At hearing that, Koga’s eyes went wide, aghast, and he swiftly spun around on his heel mid-step to head back in the direction they’d come in. He’d been the most recent to piss her off, so it was evident he was the one she’d have no problem turning on if he spoke out of pocket again. He’d much rather head out to find Inuyasha’s brother than stick around to potentially share the same fate as arrow-dick-guy. Before he could take another step though, Inuyasha snagged the back of his vest, dragging him along.
“Keep going, wolf. She’ll only turn on you if you pretend to be alpha.”
“Inuyasha, I am alpha. I’m literally the alpha wolf of my pack.” He murmured unnervingly to the mutt.
“I know.” He smirked. “I want to see what happens.”
“Uh,” Inuyasha heard Kagome up ahead, noticing she’d stopped walking, she and her cousin facing off to their right. From his vantage point a little down the path, he couldn’t see what they were gazing at, but he could tell there was a break in the trees right where they stood. “It’s a cave.”
“Do you sense anything?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
She was right. The scent was feint, but Naraku’s trail ended here and went inside. He could feel demonic energy, but what was disconcerting was, he couldn’t pinpoint just how dangerous it was. Even worse, from outside of the cave, he felt eyes on him. Eyes he felt would only peer harder the moment they went inside.
“You got anything to help prepare us?” Sango asked. “We haven’t faced anything belonging to Naraku yet. How strong are we talking?”
“That sword on your hip,” Inuyasha pointed. “It’s not just there for show, right?”
“No. I’m highly skilled with it.”
“Good. You’ll find it’s a valuable asset to keep you alive then. Other than that, all I can say is to stay vigilant. If Koga or I tell you to back up, you back up. We tell you to get down, you get down. Understand?”
“You two went from arguing to playing co-leaders?” Miroku asked with an arch of his brow.
“You got heightened senses?” Koga asked. “You got keen instincts?”
He scrunched his nose in regret of his remark. He was on a roll today. “No, but I’ve got nice hair and great listening skills.”
“Wonderful. Then, you’ll be just fine.” The wolf remarked with a wink, bravely leading the way inside.
“Hey, you okay?” Inuyasha checked, grabbing Kagome as he sort of forced her to walk slower and stick behind everyone with him. His arm wrapped around her shoulders as he pulled her closer to kiss her temple, her stride falling in line with his.
“I’m fine.” She dismissed. “Sorry for what he said back there.”
“Don’t be. You still mad?”
“Nah, I was more frustrated than anything. I get where he’s coming from, I just don’t know how to make everyone happy right now.”
“Don’t worry about making everyone happy, kid. He’s spent over sixty days worried about you. By now, it’s almost a learned behavior. Show him he’s got nothing to worry about. Show him what you’ve got. Just like you did with me.”
The advice made sense. It made a lot of sense. Miroku had always stood in front of her, shielded her from so much while growing up, so simply telling him no one needed to do that anymore wasn’t going to be as effective as showing him what she’d learned she could do. He hadn’t been there to see her develop into the conjurer she now was, so his absence went both ways. He was going to have to drop his need for control, and she was going to have to demonstrate her formed abilities.
In reply, she smiled and nodded, glancing up to the hanyou in appreciation. Kagome gave a little perk of her lips to silently request a kiss while he was still so near, and he grinned, leaning down to quickly give her what she’d wanted.
Inside the cave, it was dark. Ominous. Inuyasha was right, he felt closely watched. Almost studied. He jogged ahead to catch up with Koga, the hit from his boots against the cavern floor echoing off the surrounding walls.
“You feel that?”
“Yeah.” Koga agreed, blue eyes searching for the culprit. There was nowhere for anyone to hide, though. Not so close to the entrance at least. The only way to discover the source, he felt, was to delve deeper, but deeper was where it would definitely grow increasingly dangerous. A turn of events they were prepared to expect. No matter what, Koga didn’t like the feeling swimming in his gut. “Come out of hiding! You wanted us to follow you, right!? Well, here we are!”
The wolf demon’s loud voice bounced off of the walls, repeating down the chambers the cave harbored, but no one replied. No one came out from behind a rock, or a nook in the siding, no one approached, no one was there. Except someone was. Someone had to be. This was Naraku’s scent, there was no mistake of that, but for some reason, the demonic aura was so engulfing, it almost felt like they were inside of a demon, itself.
“Well, if they didn’t know we were here before, they sure do now.” Inuyasha remarked dully.
“We give off demonic energy, ourselves, dipshit. Of course, they knew we were here.”
With a roll of his amber eyes, Inuyasha trudged on beside him, remaining observant of their surroundings as they traveled through the tunnels. The deeper they walked, the more sinister the feeling became. It was like wading through a sludge of demonic energy, and that sludge was toxic and thick, almost entrapping. Still, there was no way to pinpoint the source. It was all around, and he was trying to figure out the direction of a stronger pull, but he couldn’t.
Kagome fell behind. Just slightly. Out of nowhere, a very subtle dizziness began to hit her, but she didn’t want to worry anyone. She hadn’t had much water today, so maybe she was a bit dehydrated. It wasn’t bad at all, so there was no need to bring it up or ask for a small break. Maybe it was the energy of the cave. It was putrid, that was for sure. Definitely similar to what she felt when Moryomaru was near. Vile and rotten.
That had to be it. It was just overwhelming. Kagome tried to blink her slight case of vertigo away when the tiniest ache in her head pinched right over her eyes. No one else was reacting, though. Were they not affected by this? With a deep breath and a thick swallow, she pushed it all aside. If the demons of the group, more sensitive than she, could go forward, then Kagome could, too.
The further they went, the worse it got. She found herself squinting to see straight, tensing her throat so her pained sighs wouldn’t alert anyone. Her head wasn’t consistently throbbing, but came in waves. Not even quick waves. In fact, she couldn’t grasp the pattern, sporadically coursing through and causing Kagome’s brow to crease and her nose to crinkle each time. Again, she tried to gather if anyone else was having adverse effects to the atmosphere. Koga and Inuyasha seemed relatively uncomfortable but that was the extent of it, Sango and Miroku appeared fine, and Kirara had reversed her transformation to perch in her owner’s arms. Then, Kagome’s vision blurred momentarily, and her fingers twitched. What was wrong with her?
As much as she didn’t like it, she was going to have to say something. This wasn’t going away. Something was off. She was feeling a haze drifting over her, and it almost seemed like it was legitimately clouding her vision now. Kagome opened her mouth to gather Inuyasha’s attention, but her voice didn’t seem to work. Her body stopped as they all kept going, though she hadn’t told it to. Her brain was sending signals to her legs to keep walking, to her mouth to speak, but her command seemed to be meaningless all of a sudden.
And, when she blinked that time, she opened her eyes to see the bars of a cage before her. It was pitch black all around, not a sound to be heard, not a person in sight. No longer was she dizzy, and her head pounded no more. To her right, her left, beneath her feet, and above her head, she was surrounded by metal that sealed her in. The bars were cold and didn’t budge at all when she thrusted her bodyweight into it, trying to shake the lock free.
The shock to go from behind her group to wherever the hell she was now in a split second had her shaking, her lungs pumping as a panic sprung over her. She called for Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Koga, but no one answered. Her voice merely echoed in the darkness she was trapped in, the rattling of her cage from her forceful jerks against the bars hitting her ears over and over as the sound bounced off of walls she couldn’t see.
When she heard someone speaking, Kagome held her breath. Ice pebbled her skin. The voice was that of a child’s, a young boy’s, yet it held the underlying hint of menace. It was like she could sense the smile he wore, the enjoyment on his tongue, but he wasn’t talking to her. What he was saying, it didn’t make sense.
Inuyasha felt a spike, and both he and Koga stopped immediately. Ominous energy no longer filled the air. It was focused now. It was heavily concentrated in one spot. Behind them. The hanyou turned around to scour the open area they’d reached deep within the cave, spotting no one that didn’t belong, but then his stomach unexpectedly sank. It dropped so low, he thought he was going to be sick. The threat they were feeling, it was coming from Kagome.
She stood there, her hands raised up as she steadily moved her fingers one-by-one, her expression blank. He could hear the smallest mumble coming from her lips, but what she was saying, even he couldn’t make out. A sense of dread was overcoming him. Why was he feeling this? Even Koga seemed struck, confounded, saying nothing, but instead, actually taking a step away. The evil, it was growing. Evolving.
Miroku and Sango had turned to look, and Miroku was quick to notice something was wrong with his cousin, but as he went to step forward, Inuyasha hastily reached for his collar, pulling him back.
“Kid?” He cautiously asked. Kagome didn’t even look up from her hands. “Kagome?”
After a moment, she sighed and shook her head, her dark tresses fluttering around her shoulders. She made a few more subtle sounds from her mouth, the only clear word Inuyasha gathered being, “testing.” Otherwise, it was almost like she was learning to speak, clicking her tongue once or twice to discover how to make audible noise. Her brown eyes wandered around the large cavern, blinking as if to adjust to the dull light in the cave, panning over them, up, and then coming back to land on him.
“Kagome.” He tried again, this time more seriously. His heart was pounding as it would in the face of an enemy, his instincts were ready for an attack, but everything felt wrong. This was Kagome. This was his Kagome. He wasn’t supposed to feel this with her; it was all wrong.
Her plush lips parted, and a breathy, “huh,” was released. Her voice was high, sweet, and a timbre she rarely used.
Inuyasha let go of her cousin, knowing he was staying put now, and his fists clenched at his sides. Worse, Tessaiga began to quiver in its sheath, calling for his attention. It only did that in dire situations. It only asked to be released when he neglected to recognize it needed to be wielded for his own protection. It was wrong. It had to be malfunctioning because of the weird aura.
“Oh,” She sighed again, beginning to speak more clearly from then on. “There it is. Finally. That was tough - she’s a tough one.”
“Kagome -“ Sango tried.
“That’s not Kagome.” Inuyasha said, cutting her off.
A smile began to curl at her lips, and it scared him. It scared Inuyasha. It was crooked, arching more in one corner before it expanded on the other end, and her tongue tipped out between her teeth in a playful manner that made his blood go cold. That wasn’t Kagome’s smile, that wasn’t the grin he loved so much. Even Miroku twitched agitatedly at his side, stepping away before he looked at him with disturbance hindering the glow in his eyes.
“What’s wrong with her?” Miroku asked.
“What?” Kagome leaned her head to the side. “Don’t you recognize me…?” Her voice trailed off at the end as she nibbled her bottom lip. “Miroku?”
She seemed unsure of the name she spoke.
“Or, are you Miroku?” She asked, pointing to Koga, ending with a frustrated groan as she tapped her head. “Hang on, it’s a little jumbled in here. She wont let go just yet.” A few more taps. “Come on, lady. Let it go. Ah, no, I was right. Miroku.”
“What’s going on?” He reached, jaw taught.
“And, you’re Koga.” She pointed again to the wolf demon, completely disregarding the question. “Which obviously makes you Inuyasha, and you’re Sango. Got it.”
“Who are you?” Koga asked, stoning as he nobly squared himself.
“I’m Kagome.” She giggled.
“Who are you!?” Koga repeated in a lethal growl.
“Woah. Someone’s testy.” Her smile shifted to a wry smirk. “What are you so upset for? I haven’t done anything yet.”
“Don’t make me ask you again.”
“Or what? You’ll choke me out? Kill me? Look at me, pal. Whose body am I in? If you come at me with those claws of yours, it’s not me you’ll be touching. Come on, use your brain.”
Koga didn’t rebuttal, clenching his jaw and slanting his eyes dangerously, and her gaze bounced around to gather the discomfort written over all the others’ faces. Inuyasha, in particular, seemed the worst off. His hardened features screamed his seething anger, but his golden irises communicated something much different. Something more desperate.
With a grumble in the back of her throat, one that was small and held the attitude a young teenager would, Kagome rolled her eyes and lolled her head slightly, a small stomp being given from her right foot. “You guys are no fun. I’m Hakudoshi. Duh. Who the hell did you think I was?”
“So, this is what you can do? Mind control?” Koga glared.
“Way to simplify it. Don’t do me the dishonor.” Hakudoshi gestured to his entire self inside of Kagome’s body. “This is much more than mind control. I have control over her heart, brain, soul, you name it. Kagome has left the building.”
“Where is she?” Inuyasha questioned, his voice coming off husky.
Hakudoshi pointed to her head. “Right up here. She’s annoying as shit, how do you handle her?”
“Let her go. This is your one warning; let her go.” The hanyou growled. “You hold onto her, you hurt her in any way, not a single one of us will blink when it comes to ripping you apart.”
“You’d hurt your precious lover?”
“You think we don’t know your body is around here somewhere? You honestly think we’re that stupid to believe your entire entity is inside of her right now? No, you’re in this cave, we know that much.”
“But, where?” Her smile widened tauntingly. “This cave goes on for miles, and what makes you think you have that sort of time on your hands? You can go searching for me, but what’s your plan? Is someone going to play babysitter while the others go on a wild goose chase? Not a single one of you is strong enough, and that’s what’s fucking funny. Two humans and three demons against a conjurer. From the looks of it, three of you would be too sentimentally stunted, maybe four of you, and the last one - that’s you, Koga - would just get absolutely wrecked. Or, are you going -"
“Get out of her head, you stupid, fucking brat!” Inuyasha demanded, his claws biting into the heels of his palms with rage that was only building at an uncontrollable speed. How did this happen? It couldn’t have been that quick. Did Kagome feel anything weird, anything abnormal, or was Hakudoshi stealthy while he slid inside and took command.
She arched a brow at the interruption. “Well, that was rude.”
“You’re forgetting something, Hakudoshi.” Miroku spoke. “So long as Kagome is in there, she can still fight back. If one of us has to restrain her while the others go searching for you, so be it. Kagome wouldn’t allow you to hurt us.”
Hakudoshi guffawed, laughing hard as Kagome’s frame doubled over to clutch her stomach. “What!? Again, look at me! I have complete control over her!” He boasted, flailing her arms about. “This is all me, you fucking moron! Kagome can’t stop shit right now! She had just enough darkness in her heart for me to grab hold, and now the fight she’s putting up is worthless. I can utilize the knowledge and skills she’s learned by flipping a switch in her mind. If I want to kill any of you with her abilities, I can and there isn’t a damn thing you guys can do to stop me!”
“What darkness?” Inuyasha asked.
“I’ll actually entertain that question, because it was hard to find and I’m proud of myself. Apparently, holding Kikyo while she died was what did her in. Just a tiny bit. It’s been eating at her for a while now, hasn’t it? That’s not where it started, though. There was a little girl? One she failed to save, or something?” She grimaced carelessly. “I would say that created the smallest, dark spot in her heart, and Kikyo’s gory death made it about the size of a small ink stain. She’s resilient, I’ll give her that. But, not resilient enough.” That last part was almost sung while he emphasized each word of the sentence, tapping her finger in time. “All I need is an inch. So long as there’s darkness, I can take rein.”
Kagome could hear everything that was being said from within her cage, listening to this little boy speak through her. She could hear the others reply to her. It was like she was just a bystander to a conversation while she was also the main focus, and it was driving her insane. She felt completely powerless, rattling the metal bars as hard as she could, but the lock refused to give.
It didn’t surprise her to have darkness in her heart. In fact, what surprised her was how small it was. Kagome was the type of person to pick herself back up again, she never lost hope. In the era they were living in right now, darkness surrounded them, but it was what they fought for that made the difference. She knew that was what had divided her from Kikyo. She knew she’d been strong enough to avoid allowing it to take over her. But, she was human. Kagome was a human who’d been through a lot, who’d had her heart broken, who’d seen others have their hearts broken, who’d had her world turned upside down over and over. So, she wasn’t upset to know her heart had taken a hit. She was upset that her anguish was being manipulated against her.
How was she going to get out of this? Her back was bare; she didn’t have a single weapon on her. She stood in her cage in nothing but the clothes she’d donned that day, stripped of her bag, her arrows, and even her father’s blade in her boot. It was like the demon wanted her to feel as vulnerable as could be, to watch helplessly while he plotted in her own body.
Still, she shook the door of her crate, the metal hitting loudly, echoing, muting her scream as she demanded to be set free. Kagome refused to be a prisoner in her own mind, her own vessel. If he thought she was annoying now, she was going to create as much noise as she possibly could to give this guy a pounding migraine. Hopefully it would throw him off or distract him, though he seemed well versed in tuning things out. It was the best option she had until something better came along, and it was more important that she didn’t sit back and take it.
“Naraku’s not going to be too happy to learn she’s still alive.” Hakudoshi mentioned. “Though, given there was no validation of her death, he was fifty-fifty on the possibility, so maybe he’ll just do his notorious grunt before giving us our next orders to kill her. Which brings me to my next course of action. See, I honestly didn’t expect all of you guys to show up, no less the conjurer. I was trying to draw in Sesshomaru. I’ve been bored and felt like taunting him a bit, and since Naraku asked us to dispose of him, I figured I’d have some fun beforehand. Goshinki went one way, I went the other, and I was really hoping Sesshomaru would follow in my direction, but my dumbass of a brother broke his muzzle and found some villagers to eat, which stole Sesshomaru’s attention from right under me. Anyway, in you guys walk, and the moment I saw the conjurer, I couldn’t resist. Now, I’m toying with the idea of taking her back to Naraku. It’d save us both an enormous amount of time -“
“No.” Inuyasha rumbled.
“-and he can choose whether to keep control over her and use her to gain the power he’s always wanted, or kill her on the spot and remove any inconsequential threat she thought she ever was.”
“Like hell!” He barked.
“Right, right. Of course, you object. That’s to be expected, but it brings us around full circle. Obviously, you all were going to die the moment you set foot in this cave. No matter what, Sesshomaru and the wolf were going to be goners today, and Koga made our jobs a hell of a lot easier by bringing Inuyasha along. The rest of you are just bonuses, I guess. The thing about me is, I’m not really the, um, remorseful type.” Kagome leaned her head to the side, the smallest smile curling her lips. “I like it when people scream. Watching blood seep from wounds excites me more than anything I’ve ever experienced. I couldn’t have imagined a better scenario. Now you all get to die by the hands of someone you care so much for.”
“Kagome.” Sango stepped forward, a valorous pinch to her brow appearing. “Kagome, you have to fight harder. I know you’re in there, I know you can hear me. Kick his ass. Push him out. Push him out.”
Kagome’s eyes were on Sango now, and for a moment, her expression had completely fallen. Her lips were straight, brow was uncreased, and her entire body had stilled. Then, she dropped her gaze, a shudder running over her, and a pout formed so fully that her chin quivered.
“S-Sango?” Kagome trembled.
“Kagome!” Her friend called urgently. “We’re all right here! We know you can do it!”
“It’s so cold.”
“Keep fighting! Keep -“ A flash of heat ran through Sango’s veins when she stopped, realizing Kagome’s frown had crumbled and it seemed like she was pinching back her laughter. Gradually, her stomach shook with amusement and a snort came through her nose, giving in to the one-sided humor of the situation as she laughed.
“Man, you should have seen your face!” Hakudoshi gloated. “How could you fall for that so easily!? You’re clearly not the brains of the group!”
“You’re despicable.” She said through clenched teeth.
“Thank you.” He replied with a grin.
“You guys need to go.” Inuyasha spoke lowly. “Find Hakudoshi. Kill him.”
“What’s that you’re saying over there?” Kagome rose her eyebrows in question, her head inching to the side curiously. “Trying the whole divide and conquer thing?”
“Go.”
“Inuyasha…” Miroku started, appearing more tense than he had before.
Was he expected to just run off and leave her behind? Sure, Inuyasha was strong and he and Kagome clearly cared about each other, but this was his family. This was his cousin, his little sister, being manipulated right now, and he was being told to leave her to someone else to take care of? That wasn’t going to sit right with him. It was logical that Inuyasha would be better at tending to this situation given he was stronger and faster, but Miroku was struggling with the aspect of leaving her at all.
Hakudoshi took the moment to shrug everything off of Kagome’s back, heedlessly dropping her bag to the floor before returning her quiver full of arrows where they belonged.
“Ah, that’s better.” She spoke, wiggling her shoulders freely before pulling an arrow free. “Miroku, tell me she won’t do it again.”
“You need to go.” Inuyasha insisted, giving the guy beside him a pressing look. “Get out of here.”
“I can’t leave her.”
Hakudoshi lined up the nock of her arrow with the string of her bow, utilizing Kagome’s skills by simply reaching into her brain. It didn’t matter if he had never shot before. Kagome knew how, and it was her being he inhabited. Anything she knew how to do, he was able to do as well. Pulling the string back, he leveled his aim, lining the arrowhead up in Miroku’s direction.
“Awe, let him stay, Inuyasha.”
“Look, I can’t protect you and her at the same time. It’s better if you go and find him. You need to save her.”
“Inuyasha’s right, dude.” Koga concurred. “We’ll only be in the way, and for what?”
“To help!” Miroku strongly stated.
“Where’s that arrow aimed, Miroku? You think you’re helping right now?”
“They’re right.” Sango said, backing up. “Inuyasha can handle this. We’ll be of more help if we find that bastard.”
“But-“
“I can sense your anxiety.” Hakudoshi grinned, teasing them all, adding to the tension on their shoulders. “You really think it’s gonna be that easy to find me? Do you think my body is somewhere in this cave, sitting helplessly alone? Don’t take me for a fool. Of all of Naraku’s creations, I am the genius. I am the more cunning. I am the imperceptibly strong one. You think Naraku made me a child for nothing? No. It was to deceive everyone. It was to strike more fear. You may only see your precious Kagome right now, but believe you me, you’ll be an idiot to think finding and killing me will be as easy as running off to save the day.”
“Oh, shut up!” Inuyasha commanded angrily. “The only thing you’re good at is fucking with people’s heads. You want to make us think it’s going to be difficult so we second guess or stall. Well, it doesn’t fucking matter. Either way, you’ve fucked with the wrong person.”
“Oh no, I’m shaking in my boots. Whatever shall I do?” She giggled. “I’m not just good at messing with your head, Inuyasha. Want to watch me drag you all down one-by-one? She’s yelling right now. Kagome’s trying so hard to break free, and she’s frustrated that she’s gotten nowhere. She’s beginning to lose hope. She’s really reliant on her weapons, isn’t she? Without them, she’s powerless, and boy is that catching up to her right now. ‘Inuyasha! Inuyasha, please!’” Hakudoshi called out in the exact scream Kagome was internally fighting with.
The hanyou flinched painfully, his jaw tensing, and a trembling breath left his nose. Every muscle in his body went unbelievably taut for a moment, horrified by how scared she was. He’d had to fight his instincts to protect her, because he couldn’t. He couldn’t do a damn thing for her right now except face her as she currently was.
“Miroku, she just wants to make you proud. Awe, you two have such a sweet bond, don’t you?” Hakudoshi said, violating Kagome’s mind as he discovered her thoughts, her emotions, laying them out on the table for everyone. No longer did she wear a smile. In fact, she seemed nothing short of serious now. As if hurting people was a business matter. “Grew up together, got into trouble together, lost your fathers together. The look on your face when you watched your one remaining parent die has stuck in her head for even this long. Wow, it’s so vivid, too.”
“Stop it.” Miroku muttered.
“You only held it for a moment before you realized she was looking. Then, you wiped it off and never showed it again, and she didn’t know why. But, it’s stuck with her ever since. Oh god, and your fathers went down in flames, didn’t they? Fire and bloodshed, demons everywhere, they were doomed from the start. You were trying to stop the bleeding even after your father shut his eyes. She saw you put on that brave face when it made the least amount of sense, and since then, she’s felt like she needs to put one on with you too in order to be taken seriously.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?”
“I know her better than anyone does. She knows perfectly well that I respect her and take her seriously whether she’s got a brave face on or not.”
“Knowing her better is irrelevant, Miroku. I’m in her head. I can see everything. You want me to scream again so that you’ll believe me, or what?”
“No!” He quickly sputtered, terrified to hear her desperation again. “No.”
Hakudoshi blinked, lowering the bow and arrow Kagome held. Her plush lips were relaxed together, and her gaze lowered just for a second before he looked back to her cousin.
“Her heart’s pounding right now. She’s scared. She really doesn’t like that you’re the one I’m threatening.” He cocked a brow in speculation, and as he continued speaking, it was more to converse inward than anything. “Would you rather Inuyasha? No? Sango? No, again? Koga?” He sighed in irritation, re-stringing the arrow. “Then, silence.”
“Go.” Inuyasha urged, feeling the gravity of the situation upsurge dauntingly. “You guys need to go.”
“What are you gonna do?” Miroku inquired when Koga grabbed his shoulder and began pulling him back to continue through the tunnels.
“Whatever the fuck I can.”
“No! I’m staying with you!”
“Oh, please do.” Kagome’s voice sinisterly brushed their ears while she once more aimed.
“Miroku, I know you don’t trust me yet, but right now, you’re going to have to!” He barked, shoving Miroku away. “What the fuck are you so worried about!? If anyone’s in fucking danger here, it’s me! So, if I have to tell you to get out of my way one more fucking time, I’m gonna kick your ass!”
“Let’s go, Miroku!” Sango dropped Kirara to transform, reaching for her boyfriend’s arm to pull back.
Kagome inched her arrow back further, pinching an eye shut for better aim.
“We’ve got this, Inuyasha.” Koga promised.
Inuyasha had turned away to regard them for a split second, grateful that Miroku had finally given up his obstinance, when he felt the incoming threat. Thinking as quickly as he could, he pulled Tessaiga, the sword transforming as each inch was freed from its sheath, jutting it out to successfully block the shot that was too close to hitting Miroku in the back.
In his peripherals, he’d caught Kagome waver. Her head had notched to the side and her hands twitched. Her face had twisted almost painfully, but before long, her deadly stare was back. As if it had never left.
“Oh, you’re fast!” Hakudoshi grinned.
Tessaiga transformed when defending against her arrow. It had been calling for his attention on his hip. No. He was almost scared to see if his hunch was true, but he had to. Turning back forward, Inuyasha squared, holding Tessaiga in the direction Kagome stood and watching as it stayed transformed, swirling with energy that should have died off. As if betrayed, he nearly dropped his sword to the ground. It was detestable, compromised, ruined, wrong. Tessaiga didn’t work against Kagome. It wasn’t supposed to. He’d figured out a while ago that it was meant to aid her. It was meant to protect her. Fate was a funny thing, and it managed to tell him he was born to be by her side, not opposing her.
“Inuyasha.” Miroku whispered apprehensively.
The hanyou slid his sword back into its sheath, and then removed the sheath entirely from his belt, tossing it to the side. “Go. I promise, I won’t hurt her.”
Finally, he heard them run off, the sound of their feet fading down a corridor as they rushed to find Hakudoshi. There was a chance. Before, her fidgeting, that was Kagome trying to regain control. It had to be. Hakudoshi had almost struck her cousin, of course she was going to object powerfully. Inuyasha could reach her, he was confident of which. It was going to be tricky, but it was possible. She was conscious in there.
“So, it’s lover versus lover, is it?”
“Kagome.“
“You realize you’re part demon, right?”
“Baby, I know you’re giving it your all right now, but you’ve gotta put in a little more effort.”
“All I have to do is flip that switch in her brain to use her conjurer abilities.”
“Push him out, kid.”
“It won’t even take a lot. You’re only half demon, so with the power coming from her, I’d say ten percent would be enough to do you in. Twelve percent to be safe. Six percent if I want you to suffer.”
“Come on, kid. Fight.” Inuyasha pushed.
“Oh, give it a rest.” The grumble in her voice was deep, another octave she rarely used. “All you’re doing is agitating her; you’re not helping her any. What is this? You think some motivational speech is all you’re gonna need to save her life? Or, is it your own life that you’re more worried about?”
Inuyasha could barely fight his glower. It felt off giving it to Kagome, but it wasn’t Kagome it was intended for. It was Naraku’s minion. Hakudoshi was lucky it wasn’t he going after him, because Inuyasha would make his death agonizing. As if he didn’t already hate Kagome being touched as it was, she was now being held captive from the inside. He wanted Hakudoshi to beg for forgiveness before he ended his meager existence.
At the exact same time that Koga had sensed something was off, Kirara gave a low growl of warning, reinforcing the wolf demon’s decision to stop immediately. The further they’d gone down the corridors, the darker it had become, and the drip of water echoed loudly in a cavern up ahead. Quickly assessing it, Koga could tell there were no living beings anywhere near, but that somewhere in the cave was another dangerous demon. It was either Hakudoshi’s body or the fucker wasn’t lying earlier.
“There may actually be someone else here. With him.” Koga mentioned to the others.
“Are we near them?” Sango asked.
“No. I can’t tell where they are, but the further we get from Kagome and Inuyasha, the more clear their energy is becoming.”
All he smelled was Naraku, though. Which meant, no matter what, they were going up against an underling. Considering he was traveling with two humans, Koga almost wished they were facing an off-brand demon. These were like mini bosses before the big boss, and Koga just wasn’t sure how skilled these humans were with the weapons belted to their sides. Would they pull through and be actual assets to him, or was he about to have to keep their lives in tact while facing a direct descendant of Naraku, himself?
“Stay close. Follow orders. You go against anything I say, I’m knocking you out myself so I don’t have to deal with saving your sorry asses. Got it?”
“Who died and made you king?” Miroku grimaced.
“The previous leader of my clan.” Koga snorted.
Miroku and Sango exchanged a bemused look before shifting back to Koga.
“I’m the leader of the wolf demon pack. That may mean nothing to you, but let it mean something here. I know how to look out for people, I know how to make quick decisions in the heat of battle, and I know how to make the best calls. We’re all fighting for the same thing, right? So keep up and don’t hold me back.”
“How about, you don’t hold us back.” Sango countered, slanting her eyes brazenly. “There. You wanted a challenge, right? You wanted to make sure we weren’t submissive and weak? Well, go ahead. Lead the way, King Wolf Demon. We’ve got your back.”
“How far ahead do you think they are?” Miroku inquired, gazing into the dark shadows in front of him.
“Not sure.” Koga replied, impressed by the boldness of the woman. She was gutsy, he could grasp that much. “It helps that Hakudoshi’s presence isn’t hanging over us anymore. Now that it’s centered, whomever’s with him is standing out.”
“You can’t follow their scent?”
“I only smell Naraku, but it’s all over the place. It’s like they’ve touched every fucking wall in this maze to throw us off.”
“They probably have.” Sango agreed. “It would be a good reason to back up Hakudoshi’s arrogance regarding our difficulty finding him.”
“So, we go forward, right?” Miroku asked.
“Only way to figure out where the scent gets stronger. Be on your guard.”
Kagome was protesting as hard as she could, wrestling, yelling, trying to break the lock on her cage. Hakudoshi was reaching back to equip another arrow, and he was moving agonizingly slowly. His way of taunting both she and Inuyasha with the threat.
“Stop it!” She demanded. “I won’t let you hurt him!”
But, she went ignored. Time and time again, she went ignored. What did she have to do? What had she done earlier to make Hakudoshi’s control falter when he’d shot at Miroku? She was frantic and scared, and she was resisting. She was resisting, and that resistance was like the spark of a flame in the kindling. While she pulled back, there was a thump in her core that pushed forward, but what was it? How did she fan the spark to grow into flames? How did she do it again?
“What would you do if I spoke to you entirely like I was Kagome from this point forward?” Hakudoshi asked, aiming an arrow at Inuyasha.
The hanyou didn’t answer. The bastard would have him dead in a second if he didn’t think up a plan, and he needed to be quick. He’d need to dodge and then he’d need to disarm him. That was the best course of action. Pinning her down would be second. He had to believe that the rest of the group would pull through, would kill the brat and free Kagome. Until then, he was going to have to do everything he could to survive, which may very well be as difficult as facing Kagome in the flesh. He knew what she could do, and this child was inside of her putting her skills to the test. Against him. If he really could utilize her conjurer powers, Inuyasha would have to be incredibly careful. It was ironic to think about, a demon using conjurer powers, but wasn’t something he was willing to underestimate. Technically, he was just possessing her, not completely encapsulating her body as it was easy to assume. Which meant, Hakudoshi probably wasn’t all talk.
“Her mannerisms are right here.” He pointed to her head, nearly nicking her flesh with the arrowhead. “Oh, whoops.” He flinched too casually, cringing at his mistake.
Inuyasha had had to tense rigidly to avoid reacting. He couldn’t feed into Hakudoshi’s bullshit. It would egg him on. It could potentially cause him to actually hurt Kagome, and Inuyasha refused to allow that.
“So, anyway, what’s your plan? You really gonna fight Kagome? Or are you gonna take every hit she throws at you?” When Inuyasha neglected to answer, she shrugged her brows. “Silent treatment, huh? I bet you wouldn’t ignore your girlfriend.”
Her expression softened, brown eyes shimmering as they always had as a very soft curve appeared on her lips. When she spoke then, it was in her natural tone, and it struck Inuyasha directly in the heart. “I understand if you can’t fight me. This is scaring me, too. But, can you do me a favor?”
It took everything in him not to respond, but he’d failed to keep all of his reflexes at bay. His amber eyes flickered away and his frown deepened momentarily before he forced himself to look back at her. Whatever existed of Kagome’s smile had shifted as she now worried her bottom lip between her teeth, and her gaze had fallen to the rocky floor beneath their boots.
“Inuyasha, I really don’t want to hurt you.” She tremblingly admitted. “Kill me before I do. I can’t stop him. I’m trying so hard, but I can’t stop him. So, you have to stop me.”
“No!” He growled. “Stop it! Hakudoshi, stop it!”
“Baby, please.”
His stomach clenched painfully.
“Why can’t I break free? What do I do?”
“God fucking dammit, stop it!” Inuyasha slammed the heels of his palms into his temples.
Kagome began to walk closer, and the hanyou had to remind himself to take a step back. The aura coming off of her, the threat, it wasn’t hers and it was to be heeded. This wasn’t his girl he was up against; he couldn’t be fooled so easily. But, each step away from her was physically painful. He was supposed to be protecting her, but he was refusing her quivering form.
“Why won’t you let me near?”
“Knock it off already!”
“You have to promise me that you wont let me hurt you.” She whispered.
“Hakudoshi!” He back stepped again.
With a small groan, the demon relented. “Fine. This will be more fun, anyway.” He said, making Kagome grin as she lunged to attack Inuyasha.
Swiftly, he grabbed her wrists to protect himself, flinching back when she’d almost cut his face with the arrow. Getting her to drop the bow was easy, but her grip on the sharper object was white-knuckled and fierce. Already, he knew his hold on her was too strong, but he couldn’t let go just yet. He could feel the danger levels spiking, which made him believe Hakudoshi was legitimately using her conjurer powers. If he didn’t make her drop it soon, if Hakudoshi cut him, he could be severely hurt, and then what? Lose Kagome? Allow his death to sit on her shoulders? Neither were going to happen.
“Kid, keep fighting for me, okay?” He said directly to Kagome, thrusting her back against the cavern wall to smack her hand against the uneven rock. Finally, her grasp relented and the arrow slipped from her fingers.
“Remember when Naraku was holding me over the cliff?” Hakudoshi continued his charade, speaking as if he were Kagome again. “Just before I was thrown over, I wanted to tell you that I loved you. I didn’t want to die without you knowing.”
“Stop it!”
“And, I know you know now, but I feel like I should remind you.”
No, no, no. He couldn’t hear that. Hakudoshi or not, he didn’t want that tainted in this moment. They said those words so rarely, spoke their feelings through actions and other versions of affectionate discourse, but whenever that phrase did come out, he didn’t want it to throw him right back into this incident. He wouldn’t have it taken away from them. He was frenetic to shut Hakudoshi up.
He’d acted without thinking. It was a natural impulse, and before Inuyasha knew it, his knee was being thrusted up into Kagome’s diaphragm. She doubled over with a violent cough, her breath coming raggedly, unevenly, struggling at first until Hakudoshi started laughing with saliva dribbling over her lower lip.
Inuyasha had backed away in unrestrained regret, holding his hands out at his sides as if they’d abused their privileges. How could he? He’d hurt her.
“Holy crap, dude.” Hakudoshi guffawed, and Kagome’s voice both caressed and defiled his ears. He wished the possession changed her tone to the child’s. It was painful to hear her be talked through, no matter how out of character it’d been or not. “You really kneed her. That wasn’t even a warning tap either, that was a full on hit!”
“Fuck, baby! Fuck! I’m so sorry!”
“What kind of abusive boyfriend are you?” He asked, standing straight.
“Oh, fuck off!” Inuyasha ground out, setting his jaw irately. “You can’t get under my skin with that shit.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Hakudoshi bobbed her head. “Only, ‘I love you’ will do the trick.” She grinned tauntingly, picking up her foot to pull out the knife in her boot.
Kagome slowed down a moment. Too long, she’d been fighting the restraints of her bars and it was getting her no results. She needed to take a minute to analyze the situation, no matter how difficult it was to do right now. It was easier to let her nerves get the better of her, to keep fighting and struggling, but it was fruitless and Inuyasha needed her to come back to him.
She looked closer at the lock keeping her closed inside the cage. So many times, she’d kicked it with everything she had, applied her entire bodyweight into it, and the only thing she’d achieved in doing so was creating loud clanks to echo in the darkness she currently resided in. The lock didn’t look to have received any damage whatsoever. That was impossible. It should have at least sported a dent, or a nick. Something. This was getting her nowhere. Why?
Because, she wasn’t shut in by a key. Of course. She was confined by demonic energy. She’d been so heavily consumed by Hakudoshi’s that she hadn’t even been able to feel the power engulfing the thick, black padlock. That being said, she still wasn’t sure how the hell she was going to get out of there. Yet again, she was held back by her inability to transmit spiritual power into her hands.
That wasn’t going to work for her right now. Kagome had no other options. She couldn’t wait for an alternative to appear, because nothing ever would. She was going to bust out one way or the other, and this was how. Hakudoshi had no right to threaten Inuyasha with the power that was hers. It was hers. And, she was going to use it exactly as she willed.
Koga’s heart was beating hard, his lungs were pounding. It felt like they’d been traveling through the cave for way too long and only ended up turned around, but before he’d even sensed it, Kirara caught onto something to their right. She led the way, her hackles raising, her growl growing more violent when they finally found the right path. Koga felt it, too. Up ahead was a threat waiting for them. Literally waiting.
“For a while there, I honestly thought you’d never find us.” A woman spoke, her arms crossed over her center. “The child’s been out for half an hour now? Forty-five minutes? Were you guys walking or something?”
For a quick moment, Koga took in the sight before them. They were in another opening, one just a smidge more narrow than the other they’d left Inuyasha and Kagome in. Water had leaked in through the cave ceiling, coating the ground in puddles all around, the drip loud to his ears. The woman in front of them, she was tall. More interesting, she looked to be about as done with anyone’s shit before anything had even happened. It was like the expression of annoyance was forever etched into her skin, her eyes naturally slanted in that manner. Her hair was brown, medium-length, worn half up in a twisted bun that a white feather decoratively stuck out of. Red painted her lips, nearly matching her bold irises, and along her body, she wore a plain, black dress that dipped down low in the center of her chest.
On the floor at her side, a young child slumped in his seat. His hair was white, long, untamed. He was unconscious and still he managed to give Koga the creeps. Nothing more needed to be studied about him. That was Hakudoshi.
“Kagura?” He asked, just to be sure.
“Don’t try to be my friend just because you know Sesshomaru.” She shook her head, rolling her eyes. “I’m still under orders to kill you and protect this freak.”
“Because of Rin?”
“Because of Naraku.”
“Because he has Rin?”
She sighed out heatedly, shaking her head in irritation again. “You clearly already know the answer to that, so why are you asking?”
“Don’t you think it’d be easier to save her if we knew where Naraku was?” Koga tried, carefully stepping forward with a subtle hand gesture for Sango and Miroku to hang back. “Give me something that I can pass on to Sesshomaru. Better yet, come with us. We -“
“Stop.” She ordered abruptly, and it was said in a tone that brought Koga to listen. Very slowly, very steadily, she shifted her head from left to right, her scarlet eyes never parting from his azure. It was her way of conveying something she couldn’t say out loud, but whether he understood was up to him. Hakudoshi wasn’t completely unconscious; he could still hear everything. The last thing she wanted was him bringing anything back to Naraku, and that fucking rat would. “Back up.”
“I don’t want to fight you.” Koga admitted, following her gaze as she glanced over to the child’s limp form, then back up. What was she telling him?
“Then, this’ll be easy.” She said. This guy had to be as daft as they came. There was only one way to make this painfully obvious, so careful of the ruffle of her clothing, she grabbed her ear and once more looked at Hakudoshi. That seemed to do the trick. Koga stiffened slightly, nodding in comprehension.
“Kagura, what am I supposed to tell Sesshomaru?”
“Nothing.” She frowned. “You aren’t leaving here today. So, I suggest you fight, or you’ll die in shame.”
As Hakudoshi lunged at Inuyasha, Inuyasha had to be quick to grab Kagome’s wrist again. He couldn’t afford to be conscientious or apologetic right now. He had to disarm her and pin her down. Swiftly, he stepped a leg behind her ankle, shoving her back to throw off her balance, and dropped down to the floor with her. He tried smashing her hand against the ground to make her fingers release their grip on the blade, but they actively refused. She held onto the knife for dear life, and Inuyasha had to shove the worry that his clutch was bruising her to the back of his mind.
“The first time we made love -“
“No! Shut up!” Inuyasha demanded, silencing her sweet voice. “Get out of her head!”
“Make me.” She rumbled seductively, the switch in her timbre nearly giving him whiplash. “Of course, that brings us to the third time we made love.”
“Fuck you.” He growled, pinning her still as she tried to buck him off. “Those are intimate moments between she and I.”
“Not anymore.”
Inuyasha thrusted her hand along the ground again, fighting against her incessant battle to stab him, but still she clung to the dagger with a grasp that would not yield. He was just going to have to pry it away from her, then.
It was difficult, but his main focus had to be her dominant arm. He couldn’t let go of it whatsoever, so he had to figure out a way to use his hand that restrained her left. Dragging it down, despite her opposing struggle, Inuyasha managed to capture it beneath his knee, freeing his own hand to force her fingers to release the knife. She’d given a jolt and the sharp blade clipped his palm, making the hanyou hasty to retract back.
“Man, I really messed that up, didn’t I?” Kagome giggled. “I’ll admit, it’s hard to multitask. This lady’s got it down to an art.”
There was no conjurer power that backed up her attack, and Inuyasha got fucking lucky. His hand was seeping blood now, but he didn’t have time to even think about it. It was actually working in his favor. The more blood that got on her hand from his prying, the more slippery her grip became. Finally, Inuyasha stole the dagger away, dropping it to the side of his leg as he quickly rolled her over to her stomach.
God, he’d forgotten how fast she could be. Immediately, Kagome was pushing up against him, and he’d barely been able to really define his dominance. He had to apply his knee to her back to shove her back down while he expeditiously scooped the arrows from her quiver and threw them out of reach.
“You fucking jackass!” Hakudoshi protested on a wheezy breath.
Inuyasha removed his knee, realizing his bodyweight was hindering her breathing, and everything else was by pure instinct. He’d jerked one hand behind her back, hiking it up so she had limited use of her shoulder, and took a solid grip in her hair. Maybe he’d gotten too lost in the moment, too aggressive. He could feel how forcefully he was pinning her down, feel her cheek scrape against the rock, but it wasn’t until she cried out that he slackened.
“Ow. Inuyasha, you’re hurting me.” Kagome moaned.
“Shit!” It was reflex, his reaction to let her go. But, he shouldn’t have been so precipitous. He hadn’t realized her free hand had reached for the blade he’d thoughtlessly dropped so close. Kagome rolled over nimbly, and Inuyasha hardly had time to react. She swung the dagger at him, and he was incredibly fucking grateful it was in her non-dominant hand, because it was held at an angle that gave him the advantage to jump away without harm in the nick of time.
“Wow, you really are weak for her.” Hakudoshi commented, rising to Kagome’s knees. “If you don’t wisen up, those emotions will be the very thing that kill you.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Inuyasha responded, wiping the blood from his hand on his pant leg, a vain effort as he felt more warm liquid cover over the burning wound. He had to ignore the angry spot on her cheek he’d caused, one that went right over the small scrape she’d received the day before, making it larger, darker.
“You know, maybe I’m going about this all wrong. Maybe I’m attacking the wrong person.” Kagome smiled mischievously.
Immediately, Inuyasha knew where Hakudoshi’s thought process was headed and he stiffened.
Steadily, Kagome lowered the knife to her thigh, scratching the blade against the texture of her pants. “What if I -“
He’d moved promptly, he had no choice. He went to pin her down again, to steal the dagger from her grasp once more. He was going to throw it so far away that it’d be lost in the shadows and worthless to find in the depths of a struggle. But, Hakudoshi got the better of him that time. Inuyasha hadn’t established proper form, and Kagome bucked her hips upward, tumbling his balance and rolling him over.
Good fucking god, she was strong. He was hanyou, he had formidable strength, and yes, the fear of hurting her was drastically holding him back from doing anything too impetuous, but he was now in a pressing conflict. The knife was inches from his throat, and she was pushing all of her weight down into him. Inuyasha was lucky he was quick enough to stop it in time from stabbing him through, and now he was fighting to keep her lifted so she didn’t succeed.
“Kagome, baby!” He called warily. “I could really use your help right about now!”
“Kagome says to suck a dick.” Hakudoshi grinned.
“Kagome!” His options were limited. Rolling her off of him was a feeble choice if she still had the fucking knife, though it gave him an opportunity to pick himself up and create space. There was the potential that she’d be faster in that sort of predicament, and that obviously needed to be taken into consideration. He desperately needed to disarm her and he needed to act quickly, because she was bouncing her weight down on the dagger now in an attempt to wear out his muscles.
His best option was to take her by surprise. He needed a split second, that was all. He had no choice, and he would make up for it in whatever way that he could later. For now, Inuyasha fixed his grip on her hands holding the knife with one palm, trusting the strength in his arm, and with the one he now freed, he slapped Kagome in the face with what was absolutely too much vigor. But, it worked. Hakudoshi was discombobulated for an extremely brief moment, a gasp leaving her lips, eyes wide from the jolt of it, and Inuyasha utilized the time to push Kagome back and rip the knife from her fucking hands, throwing it in a direction unknown even to him.
Hakudoshi began thrashing against Inuyasha. He hit him back, he scratched, he laughed wickedly, and it was difficult for the hanyou to take hold of Kagome’s wrists again with how wild Hakudoshi made her flail. Inuyasha was trying. He was sorely trying to get her under control, only really failing to block one good hit from her, and when he’d thought he had a forearm in his grasp, Kagome sprung off of him, ripping herself free to run toward something.
He rolled himself over and pushed himself up, his body going insurmountably tense in response to what he was facing that his gasp was silent and nothing more than a hitch in his chest. Hakudoshi had snagged an arrow and her bow, and was inching it up to aim at him. Kagome’s smile was one of victory, her bottom lip stained with blood he’d caused her to bleed.
She was furious. She was screaming. She was desperate and frantic. This was her body, and Kagome had no control over it. This was her mind, and it wasn’t listening to a thing she was saying. What caused her stomach to ache painfully was that she could feel Hakudoshi pulling her spiritual power, rounding it up, saturating an arrow as he aimed it at Inuyasha. Hakudoshi had the upper hand, she could practically see it, and her panic was beginning to overwhelm every inch of her.
“Inuyasha, run!” Kagome cried, but unsurprisingly, she went unheard. Until Hakudoshi had the audacity to tease by repeating it. His tone held no inflection. It was said casually, carelessly.
“Inuyasha, run.”
“Please! Run!”
“Please. Run.”
“No.” He replied gruffly, and Kagome froze, realizing he was replying to her. “I won’t leave without you.”
Hakudoshi inched her arrow back to create a tauter string, and she could feel that he was about to release it. No. No!
Feeling helpless, Kagome shook the bars of her cage again, frenzied enough to try anything to save him. She was hot all over, her heart was pounding erratically, her mind was racing a mile a minute.
“Stop!” She screamed. “Stop it!”
This wasn’t supposed to be happening. This was her body, dammit. This was her mind, this was her heart, this was her ability. Why wouldn’t her powers work for her? Why would they never work this way? She’d been trying to burst the lock, and nothing. Failure was not an option right now, she needed to recondition her strength.
Protect yourself for me, my little bird. Keep it in its cage.
Her father. His words. It rang so relevant right now that it hurt. She was nothing but a little bird trapped in a cage, but it was the most unsafe she’d ever felt. Her papa thought it’d be her salvation, to hide away, but this was irony at its worst. The fact of the matter was, her powers weren’t what put her in danger. It was the people around her. The people against her. Locking her gifts up to defend herself had been the counterintuitive option all along.
“They’re mine, Hakudoshi! Stop!” He was about to shoot and Kagome was terrified, shouting so loud that her voice broke. “They’re my powers! You can’t use them!” She rattled her cage defiantly, feeling a pull in her abdomen that helped her push against her restraints. “They’re mine! Not Midoriko’s, not Kikyo’s, not yours, they’re mine!” Hakudoshi released his shot. “Get out!”
Inuyasha grunted, the sharp strike of her arrowhead piercing the right side of his chest, causing him to stumble backwards a few feet until he hit the wall. There was nothing in her arrow. He was dealt nothing more than a painful blow through his flesh. Still, he found himself holding his breath anxiously. Her powers would have taken effect by now, right? The tail of the weapon stuck out in front of him, and he watched it to see if it would disintegrate. When nothing happened for thirty seconds, Inuyasha nearly slumped in relief.
There it was, she could feel it. Hakudoshi’s hold on her was destabilizing. Warmth radiated from her being, and Kagome urged it to grow. He was trying to reattain his control, like hands slipping over an oil-slicked rope, but she couldn’t allow that. The fire charred the kindling in her core and raged violently within her. It hurt, but she didn’t care. She let it expand through her veins, through her flesh, through her fingertips.
“Get out!” She repeated vehemently, doubling over as she vividly visualized the demon expelling from her soul. “GET OUT OF ME!”
Inuyasha watched Kagome’s frame fold, falling to her hands and knees as unrestrained grunts and groans left her mouth. Her fingers raked against the rock beneath her, and letting go of a cry, she stumbled down to her forearms with a wild tremor that racked her entire body.
“Kid?” He spoke through heavy breaths from his lungs.
“Get -“ She was fighting. She was pushing so hard, and he felt a manic energy soaring from her that greatly intimidated him. Kagome was giving more than what she had to free herself that her voice came out low and throaty, like she was forcing her words out while her body was battling intensely that it was nearly impossible to use her vocal cords. “Get out!”
It was her. Inuyasha’s stomach twisted achingly, desperately needing to support her, to be next to her. “Kagome!”
He ripped the arrow from his chest, clenching his throat to swallow the pained moan. It was unimportant in retrospect. Fuck his discomfort, he had more critical things to worry about right now. Inuyasha pushed himself from the cavern wall, sprinting over to Kagome’s crumpled body and skidding to his knees.
“Don’t touch me!” She screamed at him, and the hanyou went rigid. His hands hovered just inches above her back, twitching as he struggled with himself to listen to her.
“Kagome, it’s me!”
“It’ll hurt you! My power! It’ll - It’ll hurt you!” She claimed through choked exhales.
It was emanating from her. That’s what he was feeling. He may not be able to see it, but she was shrouded in her conjurer strength, seemingly able to do what she’d never been able to before as she fought back against Hakudoshi.
“He won’t -“ Kagome released a wrenching sob, trying to pick herself up to her hands but collapsing back down. “He won’t let me go. He’s still here.”
“Keep going, baby!” Inuyasha encouraged, dropping his palms to the earth while staying as close as allowed. “Fight him! You can do this!”
“Get out!”
“You can do this!”
Kagome whimpered through the engulfing and searing heat of the flames, taking as deep a breath as she could muster in an effort to fan the fire and keep it growing. Blinking open her eyes, she could see how vibrant the lavender of her power was, appearing like a legitimate blaze from her skin. At this point, Hakudoshi’s presence was barely lingering. She needed to be diligent to make sure there wasn’t an ounce of him left in her soul. If she wasn’t thorough in getting all of him out, he could potentially seep back in to take rein of her again.
Never. She wouldn’t allow it. She was going to make him regret ever taking her hostage, she was going to make him regret ever using her against her people.
“Let me go!” She demanded, slamming her fist against the ground.
“Good, Kagome! Fight him! You’ve got this!” Inuyasha shouted.
He was in her heart. He was clinging to the small fleck of darkness that’d been created from the times she’d endured, his grimy hands slipping but catching, slipping and catching again. Kagome tensed her breath then, concentrating her strength there as it torched and incinerated whatever presence he left within her. It was overkill, but it was necessary. She felt like she’d inhaled smoke, coughing and sputtering when she finally breathed again, but that was it. She was freed.
Hakudoshi was gone.
Inuyasha felt her powers calm, but didn’t reach for her just yet. Gradually, the stiffness in her muscles noticeably decreased. Kagome was gasping in air, her back excessively rising and falling with how her lungs pumped, but progressively, her body was relaxing.
“Kagome?” He whispered.
She couldn’t help the chuckle of relief that left her mouth, or the way her arms refused to work with her, failing to even try and pick herself up. Her head went from the balance on her forearm to the hard surface of the ground as her rear sank back to rest against her legs. It didn’t matter that her head scraped along, nothing mattered in that moment. She was too fatigued to care, or feel pain, or worry about anything more.
Extremely sluggishly, Kagome reached out with one hand, blindly feeling around for Inuyasha. He was still there, she could sense him, but words weren’t coming to her right now. All she wanted was his touch. She wanted to feel his warmth, his callouses. With her opposite hand, the side she’d yet to try, the side she’d assumed he had to be closer to, Kagome turned it over, sliding it out in the hopes that he would know what she wanted.
Inuyasha swallowed thickly, hoping he was reading her right. She was searching for him, wasn’t she? With her hand opened for him, he slid his fingers within, feeling the sweat that coated it and sighing out so deeply the moment her fingers curled to hold him there.
“Is it you?” He asked, unable to control himself any longer as he scooted closer. “Are you back?”
Kagome hummed, nodding lazily.
Inuyasha made haste to pick her up. He released her hand, grabbing around her shoulders to pull her to a sit so that she wouldn’t have to push with her defeated muscles. Her dark hair was everywhere, but she managed to sweep her arm over to fix the tresses out of her face, a small smile curving her plush and blood-stained lips. But, her eyes. Though lidded, they glimmered with tears and the earthy tones pulled him right back home.
“You did it.” He chuckled proudly, sweeping hair behind her ears as he admired her for all that she deserved. “You did it, baby.”
His fingers trembled as much as she, the ice was finally leaving his bloodstream, and Inuyasha cradled her jaw when Kagome finally got a good grasp on supporting herself. As tears fell to streak her cheeks, he gently swiped his thumbs to clean each one, careful of any sensitive marks that marred her face.
“I’m sorry. Fuck, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Kagome leaned into his attention, uncaring of how she felt or looked while she couldn’t take her eyes from the wound in his chest. Though his shirt was black, she could still see the blood causing the cloth to stick to his skin, seeping through in a thick coating. Her fingers shakily reached for the injury she’d inflicted, stopped by his quicker hand when he grabbed her wrist and brought her knuckles up to kiss.
“I’m sorry.” She cried.
“Don’t be. You saved my ass, kid.”
“No, I -“
“You didn’t hurt me. I promise. This wasn’t you, baby, remember that.”
Feeling like she needed him or else she’d be unstable and incomplete, Kagome urgently grabbed his shirt and pulled for him, nearly losing her meager balance in the process. Inuyasha wasn’t hesitant in the least to comply. He moved closer at the same time he gathered her forward, hugging her tight while breathing her in.
“Are you okay, kid? You okay?” He rushed to ask, taking her jaw again to tilt her head to the side and analyze the blemishing of her face.
“I’m fine.” She replied.
Inuyasha swiped his thumb over her bottom lip and froze when she winced. Reflexively, Kagome sucked in her lip, finally tasting the copper as her tongue traced over the cut that bled. It must have collided against her teeth when he’d hit her. She could hear everything, she was aware of the general happenings of the fight going on, but given it wasn’t a direct reality for her, it was weird coming back to deal with the repercussions of it.
“Oh, that was a good one.” She commented, and Inuyasha immediately released her, a look of panic striking his expression. He’d almost backed away fearfully before Kagome reached for him, and she steadily pulled his hands back toward her. “No, it’s okay! Inuyasha,” She hovered one of his hands by her cheek before she nuzzled into it. “It’s okay. I promise.”
“I hurt you.” He breathed contritely.
“You didn’t do it on purpose. You were defending yourself. I’d have a problem with you if you hadn’t.” Kagome brought the other back to hold her as he had been.
Inuyasha curled into her, tilting her face again as he softly brushed a kiss to her scraped cheek. The tremble in her fingers was increasing, the shock of the situation really settling in. They rested on his forearms, her hold barely there anymore. She had to be fucking exhausted. It had to be so hard just sitting up right now. Her eyes were sunken and hooded, her smile was present but listless, her skin was pale and clammy, yet she still pushed through it all instead of collapsing and saving affection for later.
With a kiss to her forehead, he decided it was best to gather everything up. The battle wasn’t over. As much as he wanted to get her out of there, he needed to help the others, and Kagome was undoubtedly safer with him at this point.
Making sure she could support herself, he stood to find the knife he’d tossed. Thankfully, her scent was good guidance, and he was able to locate it hidden in the shadows in the distance. He fixed that in his belt before he picked up her arrows, unsurprised when he heard that grumble come from her as her stomach clenched in pain. Inuyasha made his way back calmly, smoothly, setting everything down beside him so that he could pull her hair out of the way. His hand was gentle as it stroked her back, soothing her heaves while she vomited.
“You’re okay.” He kissed her shoulder. “You’re okay, babe. You did such a good job. I’m so proud of you.”
Kagome coughed, a shuddering whimper following her discomfort, but Inuyasha continued to console her the best that he could. This was to be expected. She’d busted her ass saving them both and presented a level of power neither of them had yet to see. He’d take care of her tonight. He’d watch her carefully, he’d tend to everything she needed. Thankfully, Kaede had given them some of her medicine that helped Kagome the first time around, so she’d at least be able to sleep through the evening and fight the fever with a little help.
He helped her crawl away from the mess, whispering that he’d be right back when he walked in the direction of their kicked-aside bag, grabbing Tessaiga not too far off along the way. He pulled out the canteen of water and opened it up, ambling back and handing it over for her to sip on.
“Where is everyone? Can you smell them?” Kagome asked as she handed the bottle back over to him.
“Yeah.” He gave a small nod, replacing the lid before reaching for her arrows to drop back in the quiver over her shoulder. Her bow was within reach, so he stretched from his spot, dragging it their way. “They’re somewhere deep, but I’ll be able to find them.”
“We’ll return for the bag later.” He said, helping her to her knees so she’d be able to rise easier. Turning around, the hanyou readied himself for her to climb on his back, keeping a grasp on her hand to help leverage her up before he scooped up her rear to support her.
Thankfully, he not only had multiple scents to guide his way, but just a mile in, he could catch the sounds of fighting, of yelling. The cat demon’s roar was distinct and echoed, and Inuyasha picked up his pace.
As he got closer, he scouted out a spot to tuck Kagome in. She was already growing feverish; he could feel it through his clothing. Her part was over, she’d done more than enough. Now, he needed to protect her.
“Stay here, okay?” He whispered as she settled into her little nook. Her body was tired, and she leaned against the rocks for support.
“I want to come with you.” She said, but everything else about her communicated otherwise.
“No,” He shook his head, smiling softly while pushing her bangs from her eyes. “We’ve got it from here, kid. I’ll come back for you. I promise.”
Inuyasha leaned forward and brushed a kiss to her forehead, feeling how she subtly relaxed. “Tell me you’ll stay here. Nod.”
Kagome gave a listless nod, her face expressionless as she fully sank back now.
“Good girl.” He cooed. “I’ll be right back.”
It looked like he hadn’t taken the exact turn everyone else had. The tunnel he inhabited inclined and he came out on a ledge overlooking the scene below. There was a wind picking up in the cavern, one that only bewildered Inuyasha for a second before he pieced together who the woman facing off with Koga and Sango was. Kagura could control the wind, keeping their advances at bay while assaulting them with sharp thrusts of rocks shooting mercilessly through the air. Miroku and Kirara faced a child, a malicious grin on the little one’s face as he whipped his white hair over his shoulder.
Hakudoshi.
Taking out his sword, Inuyasha jumped from his ledge, slicing through the current Kagura flared with a wind scar that carved a passage. The moment his feet were on the ground, he raised Tessaiga over his head and slammed it down, watching Miroku get shoved out of the way by the feral cat demon as his attack went straight for the evil child. A barrier protected Hakudoshi, forcing his second wind scar to trail right over him in a circular motion before dying off as it hit the far wall.
“Long time no see, half breed.” The boy sneered.
“Inuyasha!” Miroku called. “Kagome, where -“
“She’s fine. She’s safe.” He quickly replied, amber eyes never parting from the purple ones belonging to the demon child.
“Eh,” Hakudoshi’s top lip curled cynically. “You tend to use those words lightly, don’t you.”
“Fuck you.” Inuyasha spit.
“You did quite the number on her.”
The hanyou nearly dropped his sword in his vehemence, marching forward. He could see the arrogant twitch of Hakudoshi’s mouth, thinking he had the upper hand with his barrier, but with a tightening of Inuyasha’s grip, the fang of his sword grew red and he stabbed it through. The wall around the child disappeared, and it was pleasant to watch his expression dwindle instantly. His small legs hurried to back up as he tried to rebuild another barrier, but Inuyasha went and broke that one two, reaching forward to strike his face.
“Not so tough now, are you?” Inuyasha grabbed the demon by his neck, lifting him up, ignoring the way Hakudoshi clawed at his wrist and hand to be set free.
“Kagome blames you for not saving her when she was thrown from the cliff.” Hakudoshi claimed through his clenched throat, choking but still speaking tauntingly with whatever willpower he had. “She saw you trying to grab your sword, but couldn’t understand why you weren’t able to get it because it was right there. She thinks you should have been stronger. Stronger like Koga. Like your brother.”
“No, she doesn’t.” He evenly refuted.
She’d lied. She’d never intended to stay behind and wait. Kagome just knew it was the only way to keep Inuyasha from worrying. She would be upset with herself if she didn’t do everything she could to help, and there was still some fight left in her.
At first, she’d tried climbing to her feet, but her legs shook and gave out from beneath her. Twice, she’d tried to stand, but it was no use. Not even with the wall as support was she able to walk up the incline. Just trying to pick herself up was exhausting, her stomach wringing painfully, and she’d had to pause to pass some bile. Trembling horribly, Kagome wiped her mouth clean, continuing forward on her hands and knees.
It was a strenuous path uphill, but Kagome pushed herself as hard as she could, swallowing thickly to fight through her body’s resistance. She could hear the action, she could hear Hakudoshi spewing nonsense to try and hurt Inuyasha again, and she could practically feel just how livid Inuyasha was as he faced him. She wanted to see to his end. She didn’t want to risk him getting away. If anyone needed to be disposed of in Naraku’s army, it was him. He was the termite, the demon who destroyed you from the inside out, and he was going to choke on his arrogance today.
“Kagome thinks you could have done more to save your mother.”
“You’ve lost your spark since you can’t speak through her anymore.” Inuyasha firmed his hold on Hakudoshi’s throat.
He wheezed, his voice breaking, but still he continued. “You were fourteen, you weren’t helpless. Just inexperienced and stupid. That’s no excuse. You could have helped her.”
The hanyou turned around, walking back the way he came.
“Kagome believes she would have survived if only you were full demon. Your mother would have been better off.”
“Kirara,” He called, holding the child a little higher. “Hungry?”
Tossing Hakudoshi, the saber-toothed cat leapt forward and caught him in her mouth, biting down and vigorously shaking her head from side-to-side. His screams echoed as he was mauled alive, ripped apart in Kirara’s teeth.
Kagome perched on the edge of the ledge on her knees, aiming an arrow in her bow downward. It was almost too much effort to pull the string taut, the muscles in her arms quivering horribly, but she powered through. Supplying a lethal dosage of her power into her weapon, she locked on the best she could.
“Kirara, drop him!” She ordered, and the cat was obedient to the ring of her voice. Spitting the maimed demon out, she backed away and Kagome released her shot, killing off the wicked underling of Naraku.
She’d had to catch herself before falling forward, her balance off kilter, her body weak, her stomach objecting, but she swallowed the bile the best that she could. She had everyone’s attention now and there was still one demon left.
“Kagura!” Kagome stressed demandingly. “Go! If you want to protect Rin, then go! Now! Otherwise, we’ll have to kill you, too.”
“You aren’t even going to try to ask questions?” The woman asked through a tense jaw and uneven breaths. “You’re just going to let me go? Just like that? That doesn’t seem like the wisest thing to do.”
Aggravated, Kagome pulled an arrow from her quiver in a means to challenge her attitude, aiming it in her bow. It worked. She was stopped promptly by Kagura’s quick reaction to raise her arms in way of yield.
“Alright, alright.” She murmured. Her scarlet eyes looked the countering woman over, how she was fighting just to stay up. She was dangerous. She was a force to be reckoned with, and she could tell that with nothing but a glance. Kagura was there when Hakudoshi came to, and he hadn’t been touched with her around defending him. Which meant, Kagome had pushed him out. No one had ever succeeded at doing that before. Hakudoshi was violent and sadistic. He’d make a home out of your body and then kill you while he was in it. But, when he regained consciousness here, he was pissed. Which meant, he lost. He didn’t get up as easily, either. He seemed out of breath, he carried himself as if he’d been wounded, as if his strength had been compromised, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been sent back not only with a damaged ego, but damage to his being, as well. “I hope you win, conjurer.” Kagura said before backing out, leaving the cavern.
With a breath of finality, Kagome let her hands fall to the ground beneath her, supporting her body the best she could. Spotting her cousin gazing at her with pressing concern, she gave a feeble wave, a smile containing minimal effort accompanying it as she gave a thumbs up. Miroku chuckled exasperatedly, rubbing his forehead in agitation before running his fingers through his hair.
“You said you’d stay.” Inuyasha said as soon as Kagome’s eyes glanced his way.
“Sorry.” She mouthed. Matching his tone, as light as it was, was just too much energy right now, and it was a struggle on its own not to collapse.
As if reading her fatigue clearly, Inuyasha effortlessly made his way back up to the ledge to check on her. The backs of his fingers caressed her cheeks, pushing hair from her face. She was burning up; it’d hit her hard this time. They needed to get her to a place where she could safely recuperate.
“I don’t think any of those things Hakudoshi said.” She whispered on an exhale. Her body gave the slightest sway, and Inuyasha’s hands moved to her sides to prevent her from falling.
“Shh,” He soothed. “I know you don’t.”
“I - I would never.” Kagome looked as if she were about to cry, sparring against her exhaustion to stay upright. “I think you’re perfect the way you are.”
“Kid, stop.” Inuyasha lulled. “Come on, you need to rest.”
“Is the fight over?” Her brow furrowed tight, and one of her hands pressed into his thigh as she wavered again. It was like she couldn’t feel his support. “Are there - there anymore demons?”
“No. It’s over.” He shook his head. It clicked. She was about to pass out, and at the perfect moment, Inuyasha caught her when she fell into his chest. Giving it a second, he waited. Her breathing was still there, her pulse was still beating, but she was undeniably unconscious. Honestly, it was surprising that she’d lasted this long.
With a sigh of relief, Inuyasha held her tight for just a moment longer. Everything was fine now. Her body was forcing her to rest. Kagome was going to be extremely unhappy when she woke up later, but for now, she was okay. He pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head before adjusting her legs so he could scoop an arm beneath the backs of her knees. She was safely cradled in his hold as he stood, silently gesturing to the others that it was time to leave.
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Only the Good Die Young (Part 7)
Summary: There were just a few more hoops you had to jump through before you and Bucky could be happy
Pairing: Biker!Bucky x y/n
Word Count: 2.5k
Warnings: Language, anti-religious sentiment, harmful relationship with parents, smut references
Author's Note: This is the Time. It’s always the time for Billy Joel. No, I haven’t taken this too far. If anything, I haven’t taken this far enough. You’ll see. You’ll all see.
This part is dedicated to the anon message I got earlier which simply read ‘UPDATE OTGDY ITS SO GOOD’, cause the mix of affection and vaguely threatening demand absolutely made my day. I love you, whoever you are.
---
You spent the whole next day researching places you could move to. Something small, cosy and close to the beach would’ve been ideal, but anything a significant distance away with four walls and a roof would do.
You tried to get some preferences out of Bucky, but he insisted that he wasn’t picky, and that he’d be happy as long as you were.
When he got back from work you cornered him in the kitchen, enthusiastically telling him about everything you’d found. He’d had a pretty long day, but your excitement seemed to cheer him up a bit.
Not long afterwards, the two of you were curled up on the couch, flicking through beautiful, unbelievably expensive beachfront properties and dreaming about the kind of future in which you could afford them.
Your current situation, however, was presenting issues of its own- the most pressing one being that most of your belongings were still at your parents’ house.
There was a vague plan in your head for how you were going to retrieve them but, in all honesty, you were really trying not to think too much about it. You had a terrible tendency to overthink, and doing that would only cause you to put it off for longer.
Unfortunately, you’d completely forgotten to tell Bucky all this, so he decided to bring it up casually while you were doing the dishes.
‘So, when are we paying your folks a visit?’
‘We’re not.’ He flung the dish cloth over his shoulder and shot you a confused frown. ‘I still have a key, so I was thinking we’d sneak over on Sunday morning while they’re at church.’
‘Damn, that’s a shame. I’d really like to get to know them better.’
‘You’re such an ass.’ You grabbed a handful of soap bubbles and blew them at him, laughing as he tried to protect his hair. ‘They’d only call the cops on you anyway.’
‘That’s half the fun of it.’
You spun round and playfully pointed your finger at him. ‘I thought we’d established that I am not cut out for being a prison girlfriend. For one, I couldn’t pull off the juicy couture tracksuit.’
A mischievous smile spread across his face. ‘Oh you definitely could.’
---
Sunday came around a little too fast for your liking.
The two of you walked to your parents’ house, but only after you’d taken an unbelievably long time convincing Bucky that he wouldn’t be able to strap two suitcases to the back of his bike.
He’d also suggested towing them on their castors, like trailers.
You were moving in with this man.
The closer you got, the tighter your grip on Bucky’s hand became. When the house came into view and you saw that the car was gone, you calmed down a little, but still stayed extremely cautious in your approach.
As long as you’d been alive they’d never missed Sunday mass, however, by this point, you’d completely given up trying to predict their behaviour. You wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d both stuffed themselves into the mailbox, waiting to jump out at you.
With the coast seemingly clear, you unlocked the house and scurried inside.
Bucky stepped through the door and immediately couldn’t hold in his laughter. You weren’t sure if it was all the crucifixes, the bible quote plaques on the kitchen wall or the plastic coated sofa cushions, but he was endlessly amused.
After letting him have his fun for a while, you gestured for him to follow you upstairs. Reaching your bedroom door, you turned to warn him about how your mother’s taste had inexplicably worsened while decorating in there, but he’d disappeared.
You heard faint chuckling coming from your parents’ bedroom.
Rolling your eyes and huffing, you trudged through to see him holding their bedside bible, flicking through it amusedly.
‘What are you doing Buck?’
‘I’m trying to find the bit where it tells you which sex positions are god-approved.’
He caught you off guard, making you burst out laughing. Your mother would absolutely flip her shit if she found out Bucky had been in her bedroom, but knowing that made you much less likely to drag him out.
‘Try Leviticus.’ You strolled over and rested your chin on his shoulder. ‘That’s where all the weird stuff is.’
He raised a cheeky eyebrow and started skimming faster through the book, stopping occasionally to read a few lines, feign disappointment at the content, and rip the page out. You tried to grab it from him, but he moved it just out of your reach and carried on.
‘Oh here it is.’ Still holding the book with one hand, he suddenly grabbed you round the waist with his other arm and pushed you onto your parents’ bed, climbing on top of you. ‘Let’s give some of these a try.’
You laughed as he threw the bible onto the floor and started kissing down your neck. Brushing your hand over his hair, you almost got lost in the moment, before remembering how little time you had before your parents got back.
‘We really don’t have time for this Buck.’
‘We always have time for something that’ll piss your mom off.’
You shoved his shoulders playfully, making him reluctantly push himself back onto his feet and pull you up after him.
The two of you walked through to your room, leaving the bed sheets messed up and bible pages scattered all over the floor. You didn’t mind her thinking something had happened, even though it hadn’t. You just wished you could’ve seen the look on her face.
Time was ticking but, thankfully, you’d never had the chance to properly unpack anyway. All you really had to do was grab one or two things and zip your suitcases back up.
‘Jesus Christ, are your clothes made of lead?’ Bucky’s only job was to help carry the cases downstairs, yet he still found cause for complaint.
‘Oh that one is mainly textbooks. That’s why you’re carrying it.’
He frowned, still bent double, dragging the suitcase into the hallway. ‘Can’t you just leave those here? You’re not gonna need them.’
‘I know, but my parents paid for them, and I’m gonna resell them. Will probably fetch a decent chunk of our first month’s rent.’
He stood up straight and gave you a proud smile. ‘I knew there was a reason I liked you.’
He disappeared down the hallway as you finished gathering your last few things. You zipped up the second case and rolled it out of your bedroom, endlessly relieved thinking about how you never had to come back here.
Even if your current plans didn’t work out, you were determined that this severing of ties was permanent.
As you reached the bottom of the stairs, you saw Bucky on the sidewalk outside, sitting on your suitcase and lighting a cigarette. He looked up towards you, but his attention was immediately caught by something else, making his face drop. You stepped through the door and followed his gaze.
It was your parents’ car, pulling up on the driveway.
They must’ve left church early. Of course that’d happen on the one day you really needed it not to.
You tried to come up with some course of action, but all that was going through your mind was fuckshitfuck.
You heard the fast clicking of heels against stone and your mother appeared from behind the car, storming towards Bucky with her usual venomous expression.
‘Get off of my property.’
He looked down. ‘Um, I’m pretty sure this is a sidewalk.’
You yanked your suitcase over the threshold and slammed the door behind you, drawing her attention.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ She screeched, probably waking up every baby within a five-mile-radius.
You didn’t respond, marching away from the house as fast as possible and keeping your gaze fixed on the ground. Before you reached the sidewalk, you felt a hand grip your arm tight and yank you back, almost pulling you off your feet. You turned round to see your father, looking like he was ready to kill someone.
Before you could really process what was happening, Bucky had planted himself in front of you, giving your father’s shoulders an almighty shove. Your arm was released as they squared up to each other, your mother in the wings encouraging her husband to start throwing punches- cause that’s what good Catholics do.
Then something happened that you wouldn’t have predicted in a million years.
Bucky walked away.
He reached for your hand and led you back to the sidewalk, grabbing the other suitcase without breaking stride. The two of you hustled away from the house as fast as you could, not looking back or responding to anything shouted after you.
Despite what’d just happened, you couldn’t help but crack a smile. You’d never seen him walk away from a fight on his own before.
---
The walk home was quiet once your parents’ voices had faded into the distance. You kept glancing over to see if he looked angry, but he seemed alright.
Was this… progress?
When you got home, Bucky dragged your suitcases into the middle of the front room and unzipped them both. By the time you’d made it through the apartment door, your clothes were littered all over the place and he was wearing a pair of your best underwear stretched over his jeans.
‘I like these.’
You were pretty shocked at how good a mood he seemed to be in, but you weren’t about to question it.
‘It’s a shame you’ve stretched them beyond all recognition, then.’
You chased him round, trying to yank them off him for a while, but he was a slippery little fucker when he wanted to be.
You debated properly unpacking all your clothes, eventually figuring that you were moving soon anyway, so there was really no point.
So, your overflowing suitcases ended up piled in the corner, and you and Bucky ended up tangled together on the couch for the next couple hours. It was so nice just being able to relax and decompress after such a shitty situation, usually you’d just be arguing or cleaning his wounds.
You were almost at the point of nodding off, when Buck unceremoniously jolted you back awake by jumping up and proclaiming his next great idea.
‘Alright, there’s gotta be somewhere nice in this stinking town. I’m gonna take you out on a proper date.’
‘Yeah?’ A warm, sleepy smile spread across your face.
‘Yeah.’ He lifted you off the couch and threw you over his shoulder. ‘C’mon let’s get you dressed.’
You dug around for something nice, half-dreading what Bucky had planned for the evening. He was great in so many ways, but you were struggling to forget that the last time he took you for a night out, he ended up leaving in a cop car.
---
You kept trying to guess your destination from the route Bucky was taking you, but you came up with nothing. The only time you’d been to this part of town was when you were fourteen and your dad brought you to help collect a life-size, wooden virgin Mary statue that he’d bought from a seedy guy at church.
Sometimes you wondered if your childhood was actually just a series of really vivid fever dreams...
Bucky pulled you into his side as you were walking. ‘We’re nearly there.’
‘If this is another dive bar I swear to god-’
‘You think so little of me.’ You raised an unamused eyebrow. ‘Yeah, fair enough.’
You turned the corner, and almost had to double-take. It was a little Italian restaurant, tucked between some vague office buildings but lit up like a golden Christmas tree. It looked like it couldn’t seat more than ten people, but that just added to its charm. Bucky led you inside and the waiter sat you at a little table in the corner.
He’d really nailed it, the place was beautiful.
You both ordered and sat in comfortable silence for a minute, taking in your surroundings. Maybe it was more than a minute, you weren’t too sure, you’d gotten a little lost in your thoughts.
‘What’s up?’ Bucky snapped you back to reality. ‘That’s your deep thinking face.’
‘I dunno, it’s just... I keep forgetting that we’ve only properly known each other for a few weeks. It feels like we’ve lived through a lifetime.’
He leant back, smirking a little as he thought about it. ‘I guess someday we’ll look back and have to laugh.’
‘Someday?’
‘Oh yeah. I've got plans for you.’
You smirked and narrowed your eyes a little, leaning towards him and whispering ‘I know it probably wasn’t intentional, but that sounded vaguely threatening.’
He chuckled into his glass, wincing slightly before swallowing the wine. You told him you really wouldn’t mind him sticking to beer, but he insisted that he wanted to go the whole hog with this fancy dinner-date. It was just a shame that the bottle he’d ordered completely at random ended up tasting like ass, bless him.
You’d been meaning to bring up what’d happened earlier on the walk over, but you’d struggled to find the right moment or to come up with wording that wasn’t unbelievably patronising.
Well done for not punching my dad by the way, really proud of you kiddo.
‘I also wanted to say.’ Here goes nothing. ‘What you did today, I really appreciated it.’
‘What, wearing your underwear?’
You gave him a playful scowl before smiling and reaching over the table, placing your hands on his.
‘I know sometimes you struggle to control this self-destructive streak, but you walked away from a fight today. I’ve never seen you do that before, it really meant a lot.’
His smile slowly dropped. Shit, had you upset him? That was about as diplomatically as you could have worded it. Maybe you should’ve just kept quiet.
‘It hardly makes up for all the other times, though.’ His eyes flicked away from yours, moving down to stare at your hands. ‘Y’know, before you came back, the stuff I did… it was some kind of miracle that I survived.’
‘Don’t say that.’
‘It’s true. It was more than a self-destructive streak, I really just had nothing to live for.’
Jesus, that knocked you back. You felt like you’d been winded. The worst part was that he didn’t even look upset, he’d just fallen into this heart-breaking expression of sunken acceptance.
You squeezed his hands hard. ‘Things are good now, that’s what matters.’
He nodded, looking back up at you and forcing a smile.
Now more than ever, you realised how important it was for you two get away from this town and start again. Maybe it wouldn’t be enough to completely disconnect him from the guilt of his past, but it would at least make it all seem a little further away.
You just knew that you were desperate to help him, and you were willing to try anything.
---
Part 8
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@shawnie--jo @brilliantbellesoares @livingoffsavvyillusions @noiralei @bebeyeni @kingkassam @newyorkgoddess @sir-lili @im-squished @dancer3205 @thefallenbibliophilequote @supernaturalwintersoldier @adriannajackson
---
#bucky fanfiction#bucky imagine#bucky x y/n#bucky x reader#bucky x you#bucky fanfic#bucky fluff#bucky fic#bucky barnes fanfiction#bucky barnes imagine#bucky barnes x y/n#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes x you#bucky barnes fanfic#bucky barnes fluff#bucky barnes fic#biker!bucky x you#biker!bucky x y/n#biker!bucky x reader#biker!bucky#marvel imagine#marvel fic#marvel fanfiction
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The Whore and the Roach || [Geralt x Reader]
❛ pairing | geralt x fem prostitute!reader
❛ type | oneshot
❛ summary | ❝ she doesn’t want to be a prostitute. she just doesn’t know how to get out. he can help. ❞
❛ warnings | whorehouse, prostitute, minor violence, geralt being a big good bully, protective!geralt
❛ sy’s notes | this is my first shot. it’s SFW. just a little sweetie shot mostly. gif by thewitcherdaily.
A soft wooden brush shifts over the study back of the muddy horse. He chomps on his supper of concentrate and hay to the swift rack of a brush over his back. His tail flicks periodically as he eats, suggesting that perhaps he has relaxed some over his long stay with you while his owner made a visit to Temeria. Your hand shifts over his long tail-- and you replace the soft brush in favour of a wide-toothed comb.
“Much better,” you say, standing off to the side of the horse. With one hand holding the top of the section, the other combs through his tail. The horse kicks out, and you’re suddenly a lot more happy that you were to the side of him rather than directly behind. “Keep still. You haven’t been combed in a while! Tell the Witcher he’s slacking. Better yet, I’ll tell him.”
The Witcher in question slips into the warm cozy stable. His large hulking body walks past you to settle his large hand on top of the chocolate strands of his horse’s mane. You glance to him, perking a small smile.
“You could at least brush him. It’s not enough that he has a foul-smelling Witcher on his back.”
“The pimp,” he states his question. You recognize the White Wolf for having come in some time ago. He spent three nights with someone else.
“Off with Mildritha for the night,” you gesture back. A long hmm slips from his lips. His large fingers weave through the horse’s mane, running his hand upon the side of his horse’s face. Roach, or so he affectionately calls the poor thing, looks up.
“Give this to him.”
The Witcher holds out a cloth bag. One look upon it and you realize it’s the missing coin. If you took it, you knew exactly what would come of it. No way were you taking that. Not on your life-- if something happened to it, you would be the one settled with paying off the Witcher’s debt. From the looks of it, it would be substantial.
“I can’t take that,” you say, the word seeming to snap off of your tongue. The Witcher deadpans and closes his glove around the bag of coin again. He prepares his things over Roach’s back and loin, unmoved by your words. It occurs that this man is perfunctory in every sort of the word. Once settled, he walks toward the door of the stable.
“Wait. Witcher!”
He stops, not bothering to turn. He’s listening, at least.
“Stay until morning. You could stay with me.”
He takes a step forward, clearly denying your request.
“You don’t know what it is like when he is angry. He’ll make me work again!” You say, like an absolute idiot. Living in a whorehouse wasn’t known for being a life of luxury, despite what the slinky red gown would tell others.
“So leave,” he rumbles.
You’re momentarily stunned. “It’s not that easy.”
Most women found it empowering: taking men for the coin they had. Maybe you would too, if there was no pimp to dictate how often you worked. So when your cunt was chafing and aching, you wouldn’t feel your teeth gritting like two hunks of rock sanding a sword. The best thing you could do that night was look exhausted and hoped men looked over you.
“Well. I mean. Some of us can’t choose our destinies,” you gesture humorously toward him. “Some of us are well renown Witchers. Some of us are whores in a house with an angry father. This is my life. I could never leave.”
He stops. Then turns to face you. In a way, meeting his brilliant amber eyes is something that gives you pause. Your eyes shift and falter, falling to the ground again. He lifts you under your arms and settles you up on the horse.
“What are you doing?”
“Keep her steady, Roach.”
It’s now, here, or never. Geralt walks out-- over to the whorehouse, forgetting everything you’ve said in the past. There’s a loud hey! from the inside. “What is he doing?” you whisper out loud-- then sit upright. The scuffle only becomes louder when your plump older father is corralled out with the Witcher lackadaisically, as if this whole ordeal is nothing to be really concerned about. You glance toward him, dressed in his unbuttoned dusty slacks and nothing else.
“Get off,” he motions, glancing over his shoulder. “Hurry the fuck up!”
Between his words and Geralt’s piercing gaze, you know which one of the two you’re paying attention to. Geralt seizes the reins and walks slowly toward the exit of town. There’s something to be said for the pimp’s stubbornness. “You can’t just-- you didn’t pay for her! Hey! Did you hear me, you dirty fucker!”
Then, he makes the wrong choice when he grasps at the other side of Roach’s reins. His chocolaty head jerks, clonking the old man in the face. Geralt stops with the loud splash of his head hitting a deep puddle, just enough to explain himself… somewhat.
“You have your coin.”
From there, there is no response. The town shrinks as Geralt walks on. Every wooden tavern, home, and whorehouse snuffs out their lights. Out of your age old home, there’s a moment. Just a small, lingering moment of uncertainty. You put out those thoughts with the fear and turn back around to the Witcher.
“You paid him for me?” you ask.
Geralt glances toward you. “Yes,” he states. Then, nothing. He’s not much of a talker, and maybe it’s your fault for being a prostitute. Most men only came to prostitutes for one of two reasons. Something told you-- Geralt had his fill of company a few nights ago.
“Then you’ve bought me. Why did you buy me?”
Nothing more than a dull hmm, a noise that indicates he’s at least heard you. Gone from one man to another, your eyes settle over Roach’s mane. Another thought hits you. The wind whistles through the trees on an otherwise quiet night.
“Where are we going?”
“A forest.”
“You’re dangerously talkative, you know. Seems to work out for you.” You glance over. Geralt glances at you at long last. He mounts Roach-- his strong muscles shifting around you to grasp Roach’s reins. His body affords the safety that you’ve gone without for so long, but you don’t want to give into safety. All safety was short lived.
“And what’s in this forest, anyway? Treasure? Another creature?”
“Women,” he answers. “The forest is full of them.”
Maybe he was a Witcher with a one-track mind. You think he has to be to be constantly on the move hopping place. The creaks of the forest aren’t every man’s friend. Unless you were something like him-- something that everyone despised. The bright lights of the town become dimmer and dimmer until they are specks in the dark forest surrounding you.
“That’s not it,” he rumbles.
Woop! There goes that.
“The women there will take you in,” he reasons. “You can’t come with me.”
A gamut of emotions ran through your face-- unsure which was worse or better. Living in the forest with no one you knew? Not even Roach? Though, if you had to guess, being used until your body was dry of the ability to have children was not the best life. You wonder, would the pimp have killed you after that point?
“That’s not exactly a great investment of your coin,” you say. “Buy a whore for nothing?”
“Losses and profits. Is that what you’re worried about?”
“Y-- well, no. It’s not my fault if that’s what you’re thinking.”
He’s unreadable. Partially because when he hovers behind you, with his warm and brawny chest behind your back, you can’t see his face. Maybe it was better that way-- being unable to see his deadpan expression, because some times, it’s like looking into the mirror.
“He was my stepfather,” you say. “Been with mother since I was a babe. I thought he cared, y’know, like a father?”
“Seems not,” he clips short. “Caring fathers don’t whore their daughters out for coin.”
No point arguing there.
“For someone that doesn’t have much company, you sure are a know it all.” You grumble, glaring off to the side. Your hand strokes over his mane, not really knowing if its at all for him, or soothing for you. Probably you. Roach doesn’t seem to give a shit one way or another. You carry on like that, making small quips he doesn’t pay attention to until he stops abruptly.
“What?”
“Stopping for the night,” The Witcher grumbles, pulling you off of Roach. He sets you down on crunchy leaves. You glance around, looking toward the tall arching trees, and you follow them to kiss the dark peppered sky. You had never slept outside before. Somehow it was more freeing than sleeping inside.
He’s quick to set up a makeshift camp. Nothing takes too long with the Witcher-- and you suppose that’s out of demand of a man who must run and rush wherever he goes. You stretch out by the crackling fire he’s arranged, glancing over tentatively when he crumpled beside it. It’s cool. Much cooler than you thought it would be. You run your fingers together, pulling your cloak around yourself for added warmth.
“Come over,” he rumbles.
“Come over?” you repeat as if your brain is as empty as the wind that carried through the leaves and chilled your skin.
“You won’t shut up,” he acknowledges from the ground, turning over to pierce you through with his amber eyes. “You’re cold. I don’t want to hear it all night. Come here.”
You lift, trudging his way to sit beside him. It’s not particularly warmer here, if only a little, but just as you gave it that thought, the Witcher dragged you down beside him. The ground is unforgiving. Harder than your back is used to. Maybe, in time, it would become accustomed to a rougher lifestyle. If it meant not being forced another another man, it was worth it.
“There,” he mutters, allowing you to rut close. His chest heaves slow, very low. You listen to the slow beat, his body serving as a shield from the small wind that carries through the forest. Your eyelids become heavy, unusually comfortable with a man. The Witcher-- even. “Now go to sleep.”
@kingniazx
#Geralt x Reader#Geralt/Reader#Geralt of Rivia x Reader#Geralt of Rivia/Reader#The Witcher Imagines#The Witcher Imagine#witcher imagines#witcher: netflix imagines
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You’re my only friend
A/N: I’m back. With an all new John Wick story.
Words: 2,552
Pairing: John Wick / OFC
When he walked in that day, Lauren could see the fresh cuts and bruises in his face. She hadn’t seen him in 5 years. Back when she worked here daily, he’d usually come by weekly. Refuel his car, one package of Lucky Strike’s. Sometimes he even bought a Mars bar.
10 years ago, when she started working at the gas station to earn herself some money while studying to become an accountant, he was one of the first customers who came by. He was wearing a black suit, with a black turtleneck. His hair had been shorter. He had looked like he came right out of a Ralph Lauren advert. Except for the black eye and the fresh cut on his left cheek.
Her boss George had told her that his name was John Wick and that he had bought the house on the hill the year before.
It was only a couple of weeks later, she had his usual package of cigarettes waiting for him, when he came in to pay, that he introduced himself with a little smile, thanking her.
Every time she saw him, he had another injury. Sometimes it was only his hands, that were bandaged. On other days, his face was full of cuts and bruises.
There was something dark about him. Something she couldn’t quite explain.
One night, she had just been dumped by her boyfriend a week before graduation, she had spotted him in a bar. It was the first time his face was unharmed since she first saw him. He was sitting at the end of the bar all by himself, drinking a scotch.
“So you do go out?” Lauren had sat down beside him. He turned in his seat, as he saw who sat down.
“Once or twice a year.” He had smirked.
“Must be my lucky day then.” She teased.
“Maybe.”
They had talked about their whole life’s in that night. He had tried to convince her that he was a book binder, and she had not believed a word he said. John had brought her home that night, to make sure she got there safe.
The weeks after that meeting he stayed for at least a coffee when he came by the gas station. He once told her that she was his only friend. She couldn't quite believe it.
One night he told her about the women he met. Helen was her name. She could see in his eyes that something changed in him. And she couldn’t help the sadness that she had felt in that moment. She tried to be happy for him, to remind herself, that it would have never worked out for the two of them. She was to young.
The last time she saw him was on a Monday night, almost 5 years ago. He had looked like hell.
“Jesus John, what happened to you?” She walked to him, as soon as he had entered the gas station.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.” He had said.
“You look like someone ran you over with a car.”
“They did.” He had mumbled.
“Explain.” She had demanded. That's when he had told her. Everything. About how he grew up. About what had happened. About what he did for a living.
“But that’s it. I’m out. I’m going to marry Helen.”
“You will?”
“If she says yes.”
“Then good luck.” She had smiled at him.
Lauren had left for her new job in New York City the next day, without saying goodbye.
John just wanted to get home. He had to process the last 2 weeks. Helen’s death. Daisy being killed by that fucker Iosef. His revenge on him. Head shaking, he looked over to the shop where his only friend used to work before she left without a word.
He still missed her. He could have needed someone to talk to in the last years. He had never told Helen about his life before her. She had never known, how exactly he had made his money before they met.
The only person outside of the underworld, that knew was her. Even if it was just for a day.
He knew that she worked as head of accounting in some huge PR Firm in New York City. But if she had wanted for him to know, she would have told him herself. He often wondered, if he did something wrong back in the day.
Walking through the familiar door of the gas station he reached for his money to pay.
“Fuel and cigarettes.” He said to the cashier.
“Which ones?” The cashier asked.
“He takes Lucky Strikes.” Someone called from the back office.
“Yeah…” John slowly confirmed the asking look of the cashier. John could hear mumbled talking from the back office, before the door completely opened and Lauren walked through, a hesitant smile on her face.
John looked at her blindfolded for at least 15 seconds, before the cashier waved a hand in front of his face. Ah yes. He still had to pay.
After doing that, he walked over to Lauren, who was now standing by the door.
“Before you say anything, I’m sorry I just left. I thought it was easier that way.” She began, but John ignored her completely and hugged her tightly.
“I missed you.” He whispered in her ear.
“Missed you too.”
“I can’t believe I’ve never been here.” Lauren said, walking through John’s house. He had demanded her to come to his house for dinner. She hadn’t complained.
“You could have come over any time.”
“Before or after you told me you killed people for a living?” Lauren asked, walking into the kitchen, where John was cooking dinner. She never would have taken him for a guy who could cook.
“Any time.” He looked at her honestly.
Lauren hopped on the kitchen island eying his cooking.
“I thought you said you were finished? What about Helen?”
She could see him tense before he took a deep breath.
“Helen had cancer. She died 3 weeks ago.”
“I’m so so sorry John.” Lauren reached for his arm. He nodded and continued.
“She got a dog for me. It was delivered on the day of her funeral.”
“That dog?” The grey pitbull was laying to her feet.
“No. No it was a puppy. I only had her for 2 days before someone broke into my house, knocked me out and killed her. That someone also stole my car. So I did what I had to do.”
“Do I want to know?”
“I don’t think so. It’s over now.”
“You already said that years ago.”
John looked at her. Her eyes full of compassion. She had changed in the last years. Her hair was longer. She had a light scar above her right eyebrow, which hadn’t been there before. But her eyes where all the same.
“And I meant it. Like I mean it now.” John took the pot with noodles from the stove.
“But enough about my sad life. You still have to explain why you just left. And what are you doing now anyway?”
Lauren crossed her legs.
“I’m head of accounting at a big PR Firm in New York. I just got promoted 2 weeks ago and thought I could visit my family for a week, before I have to get back.”
“Congratulations.” John gave her a little smile.
“Thank you very much Mr. Wick.”
“You still didn’t answer the first question.”
She sighed as John came to stand in front of her.
“I thought we were friends.”
She couldn’t stop herself, as she reached to stroke his cheek. He looked at her surprised.
“Oh John. You really didn’t know, did you?” She smiled sadly at him. That’s when all the dots connected.
“Lauren…”
“No. No it’s okay. A lot has happened since then.” She winked at him and pushed herself off the kitchen island to go to the bathroom.
They had spent the following 2 days catching up, before Lauren had to go back to the city.
“I could drive you.”
“I have my own car.”
“Call me when you get home” He demanded.
“Yes Dad.” She laughed and kissed his cheek before she sat herself in her car, to drive back to New York.
John long stood outside of his house, her car long gone.
She had told him only a day ago, that she had been in love with him. That that was the reason she left all these years ago. He shook his head. She was almost 20 years younger than him. It couldn’t have worked. But why couldn’t he stop thinking about it?
The days were even longer than they used to be. Lauren was pretty sure her head would explode, if she would be forced to sit through one more meeting.
"Have a nice weekend Lauren. If I see you here this weekend, you're fired." Mr. Twickham, her boss said.
"That I wouldn't risk. I'll just type in the last numbers and then I have a hot date with the book I've been trying to finish since my vacation."
"Have fun!" Mr. Twickham winked.
"Thanks."
She made her way through the almost empty floor to her office. Her heels clicking on the floor. Pushing the door to her office open, she flicked on the lights and had to suppress a scream as her eyes met John's bloody face.
"What happened to you?" She breathed and shut the door behind her.
"Complications at work." His face twitched while he answered.
Head shaking she made her way over to him.
"It's not my fault. They destroyed my house. It's gone." He groaned clutching his side.
She followed his movements and saw his bloody shirt.
"You need to go to a hospital."
"I can't."
"Well what do you usually do, when something like this happens?" Lauren asked.
"The continental hotel. I go there. But I first had to see you."
"Why?"
"Because if I had gone there immediately, someone would be dead right now, and my life would be over."
Lauren stood head shaking in front of him.
"You're an idiot Wick." She went over to her desk, looking for her purse and coat, before she came back to him extending her hand to him. He looked at her asking.
"Come on. I'm getting you to that hotel, before you bleed all over my floor."
All eyes were on them, as they entered the hotel. She would have to ask him, what kind of hotel this place was.
"I'm guessing you need to see the doctor Jonathan?" An older man came to stand in front of them.
"If you don't want him to bleed out on the floor you better get on it." Lauren rolled her eyes annoyed. The man smirked at her, before two other people came by to help get John to hopefully a doctor, which left her alone with the older man.
"I'm sorry I must have lost my manners. I'm Winston, the manager of this hotel."
"I'm a friend of John's" She introduced herself vague, before she spotted the blood on her coat. John's blood. Winston must have sensed her unease, as he reached slowly for her arm, helping her out of the coat. He handed it to someone behind him.
"I'm guessing you want to wait for John. You can do that upstairs in his room. Let me take you there."
She must have fallen asleep after Winston had brought her up. John's dog had happily welcomed her, as she entered the room, crashing down on the bed. She turned her head to the side in the now dark room, seeing the familiar silhouette of John laying beside her in only his boxers. There was only a little light coming through the windows, but it was enough for her, to see the extent of his injuries. Old and new.
"Jesus Wick. Why are you doing this?" She whispered to herself, before she fell asleep again.
The smell of coffee waked her the next morning. Sleepily she opened her right eye to catch John's next to her.
"You're awake." He was still laying next to her.
"Awake is not the right term for that. I smell coffee?" Lauren pushed herself up to sit and saw a whole breakfast on the table in front of the window.
Walking slowly she poured herself a cup and took a first sip. She heard a chuckle from the bed.
"I need caffeine for the conversation we are about to have. You want some too?" She asked him. He nodded, and tried to sit up.
"Stay." She ordered and John sighed before he fell back on the bed.
The next 2 hours Lauren listened to everything that had happened after she left John almost 3 weeks ago. Apparently some Italian idiot had come for John and he had no choice but to do what he said. Which was killing his sister. Which resulted in him wanting John dead.
"When I kill him, there is no one left of his family, and I'd be free to do as I please."
"But you didn't do it."
"I can't do it here. That's a rule." Lauren nodded, not even asking any more questions.
"But I have to finish this. I have to..." Lauren kneeled in front of him on the bed.
"I know. But first you have to heal."
"Thank you." He said after a while.
"For what? I only brought you here."
"You're still my only friend." He whispered. Lauren lay down next to him on her side. He turned himself so he was facing her.
"And I will continue to be your friend. And when you're finished with all of this, you'll know where to find me. But until then, be safe John." She leaned in and wanted to kiss his cheek when he turned his face and her lips landed on his. She shrank back, as if she was electrified.
"I'm.. Sorry. I should go. Please be safe and stay alive." Lauren jumped from the bed, putting her shoes on, and leaving John confused on the bed.
It was almost a half year later when there was a knock on her door. It was Sunday, and she hadn't bothered putting on clothes and went to the door, only in a big old shirt.
She was waiting for her food to arrive, nobody else would come by at that time.
The money for her insanely big sushi order in her hand, she opened the door to be greeted with John standing there, a little suitcase next to him.
She blinked a couple of times, to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. There were no bruises in his face and he looked healthy.
"John... What..." She didn't get to continue, as he put his arms around her, and pushed her against the wall next to her door, his lips on hers. Her hands wandered into his hair and she couldn't help the moan that made it's way out of her. He bit her lip before he leaned his forehead on hers. Both of them trying to catch some air.
There was a light knock next to them on the door, that still stood open. John leaned to look outside, his hands not leaving her body.
A young man was standing there holding a bag.
"Sushi for 5D?"
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You owe me, Chapter 11
April was working out on the floor when Loki came back from getting more supplies the following day. She was in her underwear, doing push ups and clapping her hands together with each one.
Loki scoffed while he watched her.
‘What?’ She snapped, glaring up at him briefly before continuing.
‘That’s nothing.’
April growled angrily and sat up. ‘Go on then. Let’s see what you can do.’ She folded her arms over her chest as she glared at him.
Loki smirked, he couldn’t take her serious while she was half naked. ‘You’re cute.’ He reached out to pet her head, then walked to the other side of the room.
‘You’re such an asshole.’ She hissed at him and hurled her shoe at him, aiming to hit his back. But he turned around in time and caught it with his quick reflexes.
‘You weren’t saying that last night when I was deep inside you, making you squirm.’ He smirked and leaned against the wall.
April clenched her jaw, she couldn’t think of a good comeback so just flipped him off and went back to doing push ups. Loki chuckled in amusement, pleased he’d won that one. And that he was able to push her buttons in the right way, also knowing her weakness now.
He left her to do her workout for a few minutes, then he decided to have some fun of his own.
The sight of her exercising while just in her underwear, had aroused him. So he sat down on the chair opposite her and pulled his cock out, stroking it languidly while he watched. April never noticed what he was doing until she was finished exercising and stood up, facing him.
She raised an eyebrow at him, her eyes then drawn to his cock he was stroking. With his large hands, he made his cock look normal size. But she knew differently.
Loki smirked, he saw a look of wanting in her eyes, the way she licked her lips too was a big giveaway. He was wanting to see if he could break her, if he could bring her to heel, so to speak.
‘Come here.’ He motioned her to him with a finger.
April narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms over her chest. She shook her head. ‘If you want me, you come to me.’ She said defiantly and moved onto the bed, back against the headboard so she was still facing him.
She pulled her panties off, then spread her legs wide open, giving him a good view. Loki knew exactly what her game was, she was trying to get him to break, to do what she wanted. But he knew deep down, she didn’t want that. Proof had been how hard she’d come last night when he took control.
April slid her hand down between her thighs and started touching herself, while still looking directly at Loki. She moved her gaze from his cock to his eyes and locked on. Loki was impressed with how she could maintain his intense gaze.
If she wanted to play this game, he would wait it out. He knew that she would give in before he did anyway.
April didn’t think so. She thought that Loki would snap and rush over to take her. But she was surprised with how long he was lasting, actually. Five minutes passed, and he hadn’t looked away from her. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if he had even blinked. His rhythm with his hand remained the same the entire time, stroking himself up and down.
But April was getting hot under the collar. The look on his face, his cock just there, waiting to fill her. She had two fingers shoved inside of her, but they weren’t long enough or filling her as much as she wanted them to. But she knew nothing could fill her as well as his cock could…
Loki knew she was close to snapping. She started writhing around on the bed, little whimpers of frustration filled the room as she tried to finger herself more vigorously.
‘Come here, April.’ Loki demanded, his voice firm and steady.
April closed her eyes and grunted in utter frustration. She wanted to do as he said, though a part of her was fighting with herself. But the need for his cock and him was too much. Thinking about how good it was when he took her last night…
She slid off the bed and went over towards him, shedding her bra in the process, making Loki lick his lips.
He wanted to celebrate, to brag over how she gave in. But he knew that would just piss her off and she would defy him again. So he simply let go of his cock and reached his hand out towards her.
Without hesitation she slid her hand into his. He curled his fingers around her hand, trapping her as he tugged her onto his lap but with her back to his chest. He used his knees to spread her thighs open, then to her utter shock, he slapped her cunt.
‘FUCK! WHAT THE’ She was cut short when he did it again, then a hand wrapped around her neck tightly and he squeezed as he pulled her back, flush against him.
‘You do as you’re told, when you’re told.’ He snarled into her ear, making her tremble.
Oh god YES! Her body was screaming internally.
He grabbed at her thigh and positioned her just right so his cock was at her entrance, then he pulled her down and she sank onto him. They both moaned at the feeling, and it took April a while to adjust again. But Loki didn’t give her much time. He thrust his hips up into her roughly, all she could do was bounce up and down on him, moaning.
His hand was still firmly around her neck, squeezing when he felt like it. Then his other hand slid down the front of her body and found her clit. She squirmed on top of him, still taking his thrusts. But she started crying out in sheer pleasure when he pinched and rubbed at her clit.
She grabbed his forearm and her nails dug into his skin, but that didn’t put him off. It gave her something to do with her hands.
April felt like a fuck doll, as all she could do was take it. She tried to angle herself on top of him, to get some form of control but Loki kept thrusting roughly into her, hitting the right spots that was making her positively soaking wet and her limbs weak. The hand around her throat didn’t give her much leeway anyway.
She lost count how many times she came before Loki exploded inside her. He finally stopped his moving and she just sat on him, enjoying the fullness and warmth of his come inside her. And the pulsing from his cock, she could feel every movement from him. She was that sensitive.
‘Holy fuck.’ She groaned when he let go of her neck and she melted back against him, head on his shoulder.
Loki chuckled darkly and slid both hands up to her breasts, squeezing and then tugging at her hard nipples, making her whimper.
Once she had recovered slightly, she moved off of him and collapsed onto the bed instead. Loki got up and moved to the bed too, but he flipped her over first and gave her ass a good smack. She let out a scream and rolled over onto her back, glaring at him. She felt like he’d split her skin open.
‘You fucker!’ She snarled.
He just winked at her and then lay down on his back for a nap.
When the two recovered, they got dressed and ready to leave.
‘What’s the plan?’ Loki asked.
‘We need to get a car and get to Southampton. I know of someone who can sneak us onto their freighter over to America.’ She said determinedly then looked at her watch. ‘But they leave at 7pm tonight, or we will then have to wait three weeks before they next go out.’
‘We best get moving then.’ Loki nodded.
They paid at reception and thanked the receptionist, Loki flashed her a charming smile that made her blush. They didn’t have to worry about being ratted out by her, that was for sure. She even called them a taxi to take them to the nearest town.
The taxi driver was a little too chatty for Loki’s liking. But April handled him.
‘Where are you two love birds off to then?’ He asked with a cheery smile as they set off.
‘We’re away on our honeymoon. But I can’t say, it’s a surprise.’ April said and looked at Loki, smiling over the top.
He raised an eyebrow at her choice of story.
‘Yes, I am very excited.’ He gave her an over the top smile back, then looked out of the window, hoping to get out of that conversation.
‘Nice. Congratulations on the wedding.’ He then went on to speak about his own wife and his children too.
Loki just rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw, trying to keep himself from telling him to shut up and just drive. April was amused, she could tell Loki was pissed off. He didn’t have much patience at all for humans.
By the time they arrived outside the car hire place, April was surprised that Loki hadn’t combusted. The taxi driver had chatted the whole way there, Loki couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. Leaving April to pay the driver.
‘That was the longest hour of my life.’ He grumbled.
‘Lighten up, grumpy. We have a car to get.’ April gave him a hard pat on the back, earning a glare from him.
She made sure her wig was still on ok, then she went in while Loki waited outside. His face was too recognisable out of the two of them.
He let out a sigh and leaned back against the wall while he waited. He was scanning the people walking by on the pavement, seeing if anyone looked suspicious. But it seemed safe enough for now. Staying at the B&B seemed to have helped them out. He just hoped they would make it to Southampton on time to get the boat.
Loki pulled out one of the burner phones he had and pretended to talk on it, just so he didn’t look suspicious loitering around outside.
After near half an hour, April finally emerged swinging some keys around her finger.
‘Ah, you got it. Any trouble?’ Loki asked as he grabbed his bag and followed her round into the car park.
‘Nope. The IDs worked a treat. They weren’t suspicious at all.’ She said, relieved.
‘Good girl.’ Loki beamed happily. Everything was going to plan so far, they were hopefully going to make it on time now they had a car.
April walked up to a jaguar and Loki’s eyes widened. ‘You certainly pulled out all the stops, huh?’ He chuckled.
‘Well why not? Not like we are actually paying for it.’ She grinned and went to the drivers’ side, but Loki grabbed her arm.
‘Nu uh. I’m driving.’ He grabbed the keys from her and then held them up high when she tried to get them back.
‘Not fair! I got the damn thing.’ She whined.
‘I’m the better driver. We need to blend in, you will end up crashing it.’ He growled.
‘You’re such a cunt.’ She snapped and stormed round to the passenger side.
Loki just chuckled in amusement at her outburst. When they both got in, he noticed she was still in a huff. He just started up the car with a smug look on his face and then off they went.
A little while into the journey, April got over it. She got control over the radio and was singing along happily to one of her favourite songs. They were making good time, April called her friend that was getting them on the ship, and he was expecting them.
‘This is such a smooth ride.’ Loki said gleefully.
‘See, I am good for some things. I have a good eye for cars.’ April boasted.
‘You’re good for sex too.’ Loki smirked and winked at her, making her roll her eyes.
They were driving through a town when Loki pulled over at a shop.
‘Why are you stopping here?’ April asked, suddenly on edge.
‘Because we need to get supplies from the shop. We are going to be in a shipping container for what, over a week? We need plenty of food and water.’ Loki said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
‘Why here though?’ April shifted in her seat and then looked at him. ‘There are shops closer to the port.’
‘We don’t know what we will be arriving to. We don’t know if SHIELD or your gang will be on our tail. And we can’t afford to miss that boat. Stop being such a whinge. Come on.’ He then got out of the car.
He looked back and noticed April was taking a long time. When she finally got out, she was wearing sunglasses and had put on her head scarf.
‘We’re not robbing the place, April. Take off the glasses.’ Loki said, frowning at her.
She grumbled again, but took them off. Though she was really on edge, kept looking around herself.
‘What’s with you?’ Loki asked as they walked up to the shop.
‘Nothing. Let’s just get what we need and get out of here.’ She said hurriedly and quickened her pace into the shop.
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You owe me, Chapter 11
TITLE: You owe me
CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 11
AUTHOR: fanficshiddles
ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine after the battle in New York, Odin sent Loki back to Earth without his powers as punishment. SHIELD are after him and he meets a woman who isn’t all she seems at first and she has her own agenda. The two end up teaming up, to help one another. But it’s not quite as plain sailing as they’d hoped.
RATING: M
April was working out on the floor when Loki came back from getting more supplies the following day. She was in her underwear, doing push ups and clapping her hands together with each one.
Loki scoffed while he watched her.
‘What?’ She snapped, glaring up at him briefly before continuing.
‘That’s nothing.’
April growled angrily and sat up. ‘Go on then. Let’s see what you can do.’ She folded her arms over her chest as she glared at him.
Loki smirked, he couldn’t take her serious while she was half naked. ‘You’re cute.’ He reached out to pet her head, then walked to the other side of the room.
‘You’re such an asshole.’ She hissed at him and hurled her shoe at him, aiming to hit his back. But he turned around in time and caught it with his quick reflexes.
‘You weren’t saying that last night when I was deep inside you, making you squirm.’ He smirked and leaned against the wall.
April clenched her jaw, she couldn’t think of a good comeback so just flipped him off and went back to doing push ups. Loki chuckled in amusement, pleased he’d won that one. And that he was able to push her buttons in the right way, also knowing her weakness now.
He left her to do her workout for a few minutes, then he decided to have some fun of his own.
The sight of her exercising while just in her underwear, had aroused him. So he sat down on the chair opposite her and pulled his cock out, stroking it languidly while he watched. April never noticed what he was doing until she was finished exercising and stood up, facing him.
She raised an eyebrow at him, her eyes then drawn to his cock he was stroking. With his large hands, he made his cock look normal size. But she knew differently.
Loki smirked, he saw a look of wanting in her eyes, the way she licked her lips too was a big giveaway. He was wanting to see if he could break her, if he could bring her to heel, so to speak.
‘Come here.’ He motioned her to him with a finger.
April narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms over her chest. She shook her head. ‘If you want me, you come to me.’ She said defiantly and moved onto the bed, back against the headboard so she was still facing him.
She pulled her panties off, then spread her legs wide open, giving him a good view. Loki knew exactly what her game was, she was trying to get him to break, to do what she wanted. But he knew deep down, she didn’t want that. Proof had been how hard she’d come last night when he took control.
April slid her hand down between her thighs and started touching herself, while still looking directly at Loki. She moved her gaze from his cock to his eyes and locked on. Loki was impressed with how she could maintain his intense gaze.
If she wanted to play this game, he would wait it out. He knew that she would give in before he did anyway.
April didn’t think so. She thought that Loki would snap and rush over to take her. But she was surprised with how long he was lasting, actually. Five minutes passed, and he hadn’t looked away from her. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if he had even blinked. His rhythm with his hand remained the same the entire time, stroking himself up and down.
But April was getting hot under the collar. The look on his face, his cock just there, waiting to fill her. She had two fingers shoved inside of her, but they weren’t long enough or filling her as much as she wanted them to. But she knew nothing could fill her as well as his cock could…
Loki knew she was close to snapping. She started writhing around on the bed, little whimpers of frustration filled the room as she tried to finger herself more vigorously.
‘Come here, April.’ Loki demanded, his voice firm and steady.
April closed her eyes and grunted in utter frustration. She wanted to do as he said, though a part of her was fighting with herself. But the need for his cock and him was too much. Thinking about how good it was when he took her last night…
She slid off the bed and went over towards him, shedding her bra in the process, making Loki lick his lips.
He wanted to celebrate, to brag over how she gave in. But he knew that would just piss her off and she would defy him again. So he simply let go of his cock and reached his hand out towards her.
Without hesitation she slid her hand into his. He curled his fingers around her hand, trapping her as he tugged her onto his lap but with her back to his chest. He used his knees to spread her thighs open, then to her utter shock, he slapped her cunt.
‘FUCK! WHAT THE’ She was cut short when he did it again, then a hand wrapped around her neck tightly and he squeezed as he pulled her back, flush against him.
‘You do as you’re told, when you’re told.’ He snarled into her ear, making her tremble.
Oh god YES! Her body was screaming internally.
He grabbed at her thigh and positioned her just right so his cock was at her entrance, then he pulled her down and she sank onto him. They both moaned at the feeling, and it took April a while to adjust again. But Loki didn’t give her much time. He thrust his hips up into her roughly, all she could do was bounce up and down on him, moaning.
His hand was still firmly around her neck, squeezing when he felt like it. Then his other hand slid down the front of her body and found her clit. She squirmed on top of him, still taking his thrusts. But she started crying out in sheer pleasure when he pinched and rubbed at her clit.
She grabbed his forearm and her nails dug into his skin, but that didn’t put him off. It gave her something to do with her hands.
April felt like a fuck doll, as all she could do was take it. She tried to angle herself on top of him, to get some form of control but Loki kept thrusting roughly into her, hitting the right spots that was making her positively soaking wet and her limbs weak. The hand around her throat didn’t give her much leeway anyway.
She lost count how many times she came before Loki exploded inside her. He finally stopped his moving and she just sat on him, enjoying the fullness and warmth of his come inside her. And the pulsing from his cock, she could feel every movement from him. She was that sensitive.
‘Holy fuck.’ She groaned when he let go of her neck and she melted back against him, head on his shoulder.
Loki chuckled darkly and slid both hands up to her breasts, squeezing and then tugging at her hard nipples, making her whimper.
Once she had recovered slightly, she moved off of him and collapsed onto the bed instead. Loki got up and moved to the bed too, but he flipped her over first and gave her ass a good smack. She let out a scream and rolled over onto her back, glaring at him. She felt like he’d split her skin open.
‘You fucker!’ She snarled.
He just winked at her and then lay down on his back for a nap.
When the two recovered, they got dressed and ready to leave.
‘What’s the plan?’ Loki asked.
‘We need to get a car and get to Southampton. I know of someone who can sneak us onto their freighter over to America.’ She said determinedly then looked at her watch. ‘But they leave at 7pm tonight, or we will then have to wait three weeks before they next go out.’
‘We best get moving then.’ Loki nodded.
They paid at reception and thanked the receptionist, Loki flashed her a charming smile that made her blush. They didn’t have to worry about being ratted out by her, that was for sure. She even called them a taxi to take them to the nearest town.
The taxi driver was a little too chatty for Loki’s liking. But April handled him.
‘Where are you two love birds off to then?’ He asked with a cheery smile as they set off.
‘We’re away on our honeymoon. But I can’t say, it’s a surprise.’ April said and looked at Loki, smiling over the top.
He raised an eyebrow at her choice of story.
‘Yes, I am very excited.’ He gave her an over the top smile back, then looked out of the window, hoping to get out of that conversation.
‘Nice. Congratulations on the wedding.’ He then went on to speak about his own wife and his children too.
Loki just rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw, trying to keep himself from telling him to shut up and just drive. April was amused, she could tell Loki was pissed off. He didn’t have much patience at all for humans.
By the time they arrived outside the car hire place, April was surprised that Loki hadn’t combusted. The taxi driver had chatted the whole way there, Loki couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. Leaving April to pay the driver.
‘That was the longest hour of my life.’ He grumbled.
‘Lighten up, grumpy. We have a car to get.’ April gave him a hard pat on the back, earning a glare from him.
She made sure her wig was still on ok, then she went in while Loki waited outside. His face was too recognisable out of the two of them.
He let out a sigh and leaned back against the wall while he waited. He was scanning the people walking by on the pavement, seeing if anyone looked suspicious. But it seemed safe enough for now. Staying at the B&B seemed to have helped them out. He just hoped they would make it to Southampton on time to get the boat.
Loki pulled out one of the burner phones he had and pretended to talk on it, just so he didn’t look suspicious loitering around outside.
After near half an hour, April finally emerged swinging some keys around her finger.
‘Ah, you got it. Any trouble?’ Loki asked as he grabbed his bag and followed her round into the car park.
‘Nope. The IDs worked a treat. They weren’t suspicious at all.’ She said, relieved.
‘Good girl.’ Loki beamed happily. Everything was going to plan so far, they were hopefully going to make it on time now they had a car.
April walked up to a jaguar and Loki’s eyes widened. ‘You certainly pulled out all the stops, huh?’ He chuckled.
‘Well why not? Not like we are actually paying for it.’ She grinned and went to the drivers’ side, but Loki grabbed her arm.
‘Nu uh. I’m driving.’ He grabbed the keys from her and then held them up high when she tried to get them back.
‘Not fair! I got the damn thing.’ She whined.
‘I’m the better driver. We need to blend in, you will end up crashing it.’ He growled.
‘You’re such a cunt.’ She snapped and stormed round to the passenger side.
Loki just chuckled in amusement at her outburst. When they both got in, he noticed she was still in a huff. He just started up the car with a smug look on his face and then off they went.
A little while into the journey, April got over it. She got control over the radio and was singing along happily to one of her favourite songs. They were making good time, April called her friend that was getting them on the ship, and he was expecting them.
‘This is such a smooth ride.’ Loki said gleefully.
‘See, I am good for some things. I have a good eye for cars.’ April boasted.
‘You’re good for sex too.’ Loki smirked and winked at her, making her roll her eyes.
They were driving through a town when Loki pulled over at a shop.
‘Why are you stopping here?’ April asked, suddenly on edge.
‘Because we need to get supplies from the shop. We are going to be in a shipping container for what, over a week? We need plenty of food and water.’ Loki said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
‘Why here though?’ April shifted in her seat and then looked at him. ‘There are shops closer to the port.’
‘We don’t know what we will be arriving to. We don’t know if SHIELD or your gang will be on our tail. And we can’t afford to miss that boat. Stop being such a whinge. Come on.’ He then got out of the car.
He looked back and noticed April was taking a long time. When she finally got out, she was wearing sunglasses and had put on her head scarf.
‘We’re not robbing the place, April. Take off the glasses.’ Loki said, frowning at her.
She grumbled again, but took them off. Though she was really on edge, kept looking around herself.
‘What’s with you?’ Loki asked as they walked up to the shop.
‘Nothing. Let’s just get what we need and get out of here.’ She said hurriedly and quickened her pace into the shop.
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D&D Session Summaries for 8&9
So there were some things that needed to be sorted out, which is why these two have been bundled together. Details of what actually happened will be listed later in the post.
When last we left our heroes...
Returning to the city of Octin after defending Ravenhome from a detachment of Warbreed, the heroes arrived in time to celebrate their victory with a festival. Fun was had, drinks were imbibed, Shura won the axe of the antediluvian war spirit Gonzo in an arm wrestling contest... you know how festivals go! All went well until our heroes encountered a procession heading through the heart of the city; the daughter of the Duke Fabron and an eastern noblewoman are to be wed in a couple days! Oh? It’s Naoise’s @bluethegirl wife??? Well, we were planning on crashing a wedding in the east, and it seems to have appeared in front of us... All the more reason to disrupt political marriages if it’s linked to the party!
Saturday morning starts like all others do for our brave heroes, with a hearty breakfast at a table in the closest thing we have to a home right now, the Affable Undulate, and a long discussion of what we are getting up to today. We have a wedding to crash, a meeting with our benefactor to attend, drugs to sell(???), typical day for the lads, really. Now, we know that we need to figure out where Allavara is actually being kept, and we’re waiting for night to rescue her, so discussion quickly turns to what to do about Guinevere Greysteel, our powerful councilwoman contractor. We have done jobs for her, sure, but we did kill Galen/The Wizard formerly known as Ketracel (at this point Cerna @pantographicclone, who had been off on Cerna Business, manifests behind the party and tells us that we could just kill them all) so maybe we don’t lead with that? Maybe we sell her the drugs? Ellie @xynnos wants to bury it in the forest to keep it away from everyone, but we all pinky promise not to drink the orc juice and let him have some when he wants to Get Feral.
So we finish up with food and show up at the Greysteel manse in the wealthy district of Octin so to meet with Guinevere early in the morning. We’re all introduced and then she begins to ask us about our contracts, namely what happened in Ravenhome. Shura tells her that yes, another force of Warbreed were demanding tribute from the town in livery of green and purple, that of the Duke Fabron, and that we forced them to move on by beating their leadership in combat. Jawbones @darkseldarine mentions that they were summoning demons, to which Greysteel says “I might need to make up with my cousin if magic is involved.” Shura, being a dumbass without an off switch, ounce of charisma and no impulse control in situations Like This, asks “Who is your cousin?” every one of the party and players knowing damn well it’s the fucking corpse we buried in a shallow grave in Ravenhome after Rowan @krunk-mcdunk brained the poor fucker less than a week ago. Ellie quickly realises there’s no easy way to shut Shura up without cutting him off, so we’re stuck with this lie. You know the drill, “What’s your relationship with this dude?” “Oooooh he’s missing??? That sucks, man” “No we haven’t seen him!” Strangely enough, it’s not Shura who almost fucks us up at this part, but our lovable ranger Jawbones(Jawbones!) saying “Hey! Didn’t Rowan...see a wizard? And clobbered him??” Yet THAT doesn’t do us in either! What does is us talking about the orc juice and Shura lying through his fucking teeth and saying no.
Greysteel:“Hand it over.”
Shura: “And why should we.”
Greysteel: “Well, name your price.”
Shura: “We have a few vials left, alright, and we will hand it over on one condition. Our friend here, miss Naoise, is gonna need protection very soon, and she won’t be the only one. She needs to lay low, and we know the Greysteels can help us with that. If you want this potion, you will help us.”
Greysteel: “Two vials for your protection, and you take another job, and you set up a meeting between me and the Kingless.”
Shura: “Yeah that’s reasonable, but what’s the job? I’m not signing everyone up for it.”
Greysteel: “I have intel on cults within the city.”
Shura: “Sounds like my line of work.”
Greysteel: “You’ll meet with my informant at 2, at this address. It’s possible this potion came from my cousin.”
Greysteel tells us that the Baron and his entourage are staying at the Duke’s old castle, just outside the city.
We get our pay for the contracts and move on.
Some of the party go and say hey to the musketeers in their coffeehouse to tell them they have a meeting with the councilwoman, nothing really comes of that.
Ellie and Cerna go to the library to see if Ellie can learn about the castle and any secret entries. So the rest of the day is basically relying on a Rowan/Jawbones stealth mission to figure out the defenses and state of the castle for the night operation we’re planning on pulling. Rowan and Jawbones manage to spot the tower Allavara is staying in while completely blanking on what the guards are up to. Jawbones also spots a room in strangely pristine condition not too far from the tower. The group meet up and discuss this and Ellie sends a message by way of bird to tell Allavara to prepare for a rescue mission, and OH YEAH YOUR WIFE ISN’T ACTUALLY DEAD :DDDD
The team show up and avoid guards under cover of night to the base of the tower with Allavara. We discuss how we’re gonna get up there and down safely with Naoise’s wife and child, and eventually Cerna tells us he can spider climb up the tower with a rope! So we do that! And climb up! And get them out!
Now this is where we have some things to talk about; we have a timeline that was kind of retconned because the decision the party reached was too impulsive for some of us. I’ll recount the story as we have decided it happened, not as it actually did, because this is revisionist history and you literally can’t fucking stop me.
Allavara tells us she has heard strange noises from Fabron’s room down the hall, and has seen all manner of grim things surrounding the Duke. She notices the Wren necklace on Shura and tells us she fears he is a demon worshipper, or perhaps that he may even be communing with something grim right now. Some of the party decide to go with Allavara back to Octin, for her safety; Shura, Rowan, Jawbones and Cerna prepare to kill a cultist. We arrive, and he’s tranced out with occult knowledge and symbols lining the room in peculiar patterns. Out of his armour, with no guards left to protect him, Shura takes the Axe of Gonzo and decapitates Baron Fabron in one fell swoop. We turn the room, take the body and all valuables, and disappear into the night. Fuck that guy. End session.
(I will mention for posterity that the way the Axe of Gonzo worked was that Shura could burn mental stats for a bigger crit range and extra weapon die on one crit. Auto crit on a sleeping target, and I rolled a crit anyway, coming to 8d12+2d6+9 because of Zealotry and Half Orc feats etc. This was supposed to be something of a combat encounter but for the second time in this game a named villain was killed in a single hit in their sleep.)
We pick back up outside Octin where the group is prepared to split up just in case we have been followed; Naoise and Allavara go back to the Affable Undulate with baby Atticus, Rowan and Shura are headed for the Bloody Cup after a visit to church, Ellie and Cerna head to another bar and Jawbones goes off on her own for her own business.
Naoise spends a night with her wife and kid at the bar, just catching up.
Shura and Rowan show up at church and he goes in to check with Belruel, making sure that what they had just done was the right call. He feels a hand on his shoulder and that definitely lightens his mood because yeah, in that situation he knows he would have done it even if it wasn’t the right call. Belruel does not tell him if Fabron is linked to the cult Shura has dealt with in the past, so that’s rough, but no matter! Fabron had a dark longsword in his room, and this lad loves trophies, so in proper fashion, why not try and see what’s up with it in a church? In his little prayer circle, he tries to attune to the sword but it hurts him to do so, and then something strange happens. The metal creaks and takes on a lighter hue after burning red hot and literally screaming. Shura, and Ya Boi, being dumbasses, do not equate this to any real change, so he does not try and attune again in case it literally kills him. Rowan says her prayers to Winthrop the merry and laughs as Shura’s cursing at a sword across the room. The two of them go to the bar they chose, and a drunken exhausted Shura collapses in bed before he can attune to the sword.
Jawbones (Jawbones!) makes herself less conspicuous and heads to a bar. She just listens in on the crowd, eats some stew, but there’s nothing too interesting; news hasn’t spread yet. One of her old friends lived here, so she talks to this lad Welrick, just checking in on an old friend. She asks for Arc, but there’s been no sign of him. In Arc’s room, the window is open and the room is empty, there is nothing interesting beyond a black rose coin. She pockets the coin but falls asleep as she’s waiting for someone to return. It’s from her pocket by the time she wakes up.
Now Ellie and Cerna immediately head to a bar; Ellie tries to meditate and eventually he can sleep for a bit but the scars on his chest begin to open. Panicked, Ellie runs for the gates and out into the woods. Mr. Shiny has left him, his powers are fading and he is winded. Ellie lies down in a riverbed, as if embracing death, certain that Fyena, the pagan spring goddess who is all but confirmed to be living inside him has left, or is perhaps wounded? Cerna seems to have a nice night by himself, commenting on his weird fucking roommate.
We all meet back up in the morning at the Affable Undulate; Jawbones and Ellie show up first and Ellie’s a bit fucking rocked by the events of last night. The rest show up not too long after, and Shura decides to attune to the sword; there is no psychic damage, so that’s neat! Fabron’s blade, once known as Barbspawn, has been reforged in the light of the church as a gift from Belruel to this boy; the sword is now Brightspawn. Cerna takes The Axe of Gonzo, and the team agrees to go and tell Greysteel she needs to help Naoise/Marcella and her family right now!
We show up and Greysteel is understandably shocked to see Allavara here and requesting hiding, but she agrees to uphold the deal; we’ll be taking Marcella out for drinks later this evening, but she can stay here now. We also have something to tell Greysteel, and we have no idea how to break the news to her; Shura fumbles for words, until Rowan’s flair for the dramatics takes over, she billows her cloak, takes a bow and the decapitated body of Fabron rolls out onto her floor. She is none too pleased with this, although she’s kind of glad we didn’t tell anyone but her. The news can’t leave the room, though, and we’re not getting a pat on the back for it, which sucks. Oh well!
But we leave the mansion and the wedding procession is... still happening?? We see carriages, and we see Fabron alongside his daughter? We see Allavara in a wedding dress? We know they’re illusions or body doubles, but still, why are they keeping up appearances? Wild.
The contact is met, and enter @bluethegirl‘s new character! We show up at an apartment; the door is half open and the walls are lined with notes and scraps of paper. Lazing on a couch is a tiefling flipping through a book, with the cultist symbol of Arioch on a necklace. The investigator stands up, introduces himself as Ashe, and quickly notices Shura’s Wren necklace, tearing his own cultist one off with a strong “It’s not what it looks like!”
End session.
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Familiar tension
written by @MurhderBDB @TenaciousDoctor and @SympathAssassin
Murh:
Fuck this shit *Jane was the first person to get my aggressive vibe and she was visibly cautious. Not that I could blame her but my aggression was not aimed at her or anyone here. It was aimed at those fucking lessers that kept coming at us on 10th. It was as if they were crawling out of the walls and kept multiplying. We all took a hit. In some way or another. I took a bullet to the abdomen and here I was. Pissed the fuck off and Jane has to deal with it. I felt a great deal of relief that she didn’t refer me to the human doc or send me to Havers’s. But that didn’t change my mood.*
Stitch me up. I want to go back out there and get those fuckers!
Jane: *Every room in the medwing had one or two casualties in, and between Manny, myself and Ehlena we were working down the priority list as fast and effectively as we could. Murh’s aggression added frustration to an already stressful night, and I wasn’t in the mood for his bullshit*
You’re not going anywhere. Sit your ass down and keep quiet so I can do my work. If you don’t cooperate, I will transfer you to Harvers’s clinic. Are we clear?
*The response was a half hearted nod and I expected as much, but I was done being bullied by Murh and his anger issues. The past few months between Murh and Manny screwed me up and I almost lost myself in the process. Now that I was done dealing with the both of them, I was back on track to being myself.
I cleaned the wound and removed the bullet after anaesthetising the area. One good thing about my vampire patients were that they handled pain very well. After stitching up the wound, I turned and left the room to check in on Xhex who had come in earlier after a fight at the club turned nasty and Rehv insisted she gets checked out by us.
Walking into the room, I picked up Xhex’s chart and removed the pen from the pocket of my white coat*
How are we doing? Wanna tell me what happened and where it hurts?
Xhex:
Opening an eye looking around. Where the fuck am l? The events from the night before started to come back to me, I was outside the club when a disturbance had happened. Some humans had began fighting in the queue, they were getting impatient and decided to take their frustration out on each other. I had come outside to break it up when I felt a sharp pain in my lower back, I had been literally stabbed in the back. Fuck those fuckers were going to pay for this. I lost my concentration for a second letting my symphath side loose, feeding off their pain and abuse. A face abruptly came into view, Trez was shaking his head.
“Boss says you're going to the manse clinic where you can heal properly. He saw everything from his office”
Before I could protest Trez had bundled me into his car and had drove me up to the gargoyled monstrosity. Trez carried me to the clinic where the human female doctor was waiting for our arrival. How I am going to kick Rehv’s ass for this, he knew full well how much I hated clinics. My anxiety rose, I thrashed against Trez till the female doctor and stuck a needle into my arm. It was lights out.
Waking in the bed in the clinic wondering on how long I had been here when the door opened. The human female doctor entered, she picked up the clipboard looking at what was written on it.
“How you feeling? Are you going to tell me what happened?”
I hated sharing, I wasn't going stay here for a second longer, I had business to sort out.
“No offense but I can heal quick. I need to be out of here”
Getting out of the bed, I stood up, my feet and legs baring my weight. Right bathroom, shower and dressed. I took one step forward and collapsed in a heap by the bed.
Murh:
*Jane treated me like another patient. It pissed me off to be treated like I was nothing but a patient of hers. I was more. I demanded more. But I kept my mouth shut because right now I was gonna blow my lid and fuck things up even more than I had before. I bit down hard on my tongue tasting blood as Jane finished up and left the room.
I felt aggravated and pissed as hell. Why the fuck did this female have this mind fucking dominance over me. I wanted to let go with everything I fucking had in me but every time I heard her voice or saw her or even the mention of her name had me doing backflips. FUCK.
I listened as Jane opened the door of the room next to mine. A sudden chill hit me and I wanted to stab something. I had no fucking idea why I felt like this but it was a vigorous and nauceating feeling. My stomach twisted and I fell back against the pillows.*
Jane: *My green eyes flickered over Xhex, scanning for any visible injuries. I didn’t get a chance to examine her while she was out cold because the med wing filled up so fast but Rehv wouldn’t have told Trez to bring her here if there wasn’t a reason.
As she spoke my eyes kept scanning for signs of discomfort. She hid the pain well, but as she stood, her legs gave way causing me to lunge forward and grab hold of her. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d say she was a 10 at being stubborn. And that put her into the normal category around here*
Easy there. Let’s get you back on the bed and check you out, okay?
*I didn’t expect a response since Xhex would be pissed at her inability to just get up and walk out. Using my shoulder I half created a crutch to get her back on the bed and once she was lying down, I started to examine her body. She had a laceration on her back but other than that everything checked out*
You’re gonna be just fine, but this laceration is deep and needs internal and external stitches. I’m going to give you a local anesthetic to numb the general area. You won’t feel a thing.
Xhex:
Fuck, fuck, fuck. This female will probably think I'm weak, I'm beyond weak but having to use her as a crutch was embarrassing, was a sign that I was not altogether healed up. This was fucking great.
The female doctor went on about having stitches, my body froze at the thought of needles and being prodded and poked, but the female was soothing, her voice gentle as she explained to me what she was going to do. Nodding my head slightly agreeing to this, if I wanted out I had to let her do her thing.
I tried to relax, I had to get out of my head. My body began to hum, the last time my body did this was when he was about. He couldn't be here, the last time I saw him was when he followed me up north to the Symphath colony, when he found out what I truly was. If only I had told him my true nature, if only I had stopped him from following me, if only…
The last I knew of him was on that ghost hunting program, he was the ghost at the B & B in Charleston, South Carolina. He was going by the name of Eliahu Rathboone. I had to admit that was such a shock to see that face stare out from the tv screen.
Murh:
*Staring at the ceiling I wasn’t sure if I was glad to be lying down or pissed off to be in here. My skin was crawling with a strange sense and a familiar scent that lingered nearby, but I shut it off. My mind refused to go there. I wouldn’t even allow myself to think about that scent or who it belonged to. It’s not like she was here anyway. It was my mind playing tricks on me. Yeah. That was it.
Maybe Jane was right about my mental health but I didn’t give a fuck. The only thing keeping me sane now was fighting and fucking. And as soon as I was healed up enough I’d be out there finding and killer lessers and fucking everything that moves.
If Jane came back in here I could maybe persuade her to lose the clothes and hop up on the bed. The thought of Jane naked and climbing on top of me to ride my cock had me rock hard.*
Jane: *I sensed a shift in the air as soon as it happened, but I wasn’t sure what it was about. The atmosphere changed so suddenly and drastically, I had to get up and go have a look to see if there was any evidence of something going down. I opened the door and popped my head out to look left and right down the tunnels and listen for any commotion, but there was nothing going on. Weird.
The door swung closed with a soft click as I headed back to Xhex and started prepping for the procedure. Once she was lying on her stomach, I prepared the injection and took a seat on the rolling stool. Her eyes followed my every move and her discomfort with needles was evident when I brought the syringe closer*
Tell me a bit more about yourself for medical reasons. Is there anything in your past, health wise, that I should be aware of?
*The slight diversion worked and I numbed the area around the laceration as well as inside it before Xhex finished telling her story*
Xhex:
Rolling onto my front for the female doctor to do her thing, but I stiffened as I saw the needle.
“There's nothing medically wrong with me. Hate needles from a past experience”
Shut the fuck up or she be asking more questions I told myself. Luckily she didn't ask any more after that, once the needle had pierced my flesh she got on with stitching my wound up.
When she was done the female doctor helped me onto my back, I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, but when I place my foot onto the floor I couldn't feel a thing.
“What have you done to me? I need out of here like now”
Panic rose inside of me, I tried not to show it on my face. I had to get out of here, away from him. I don't want to know what he would do if he found me here. Shout, yell, trying to kill me. In a way I don't blame him for what I did, but for now it would be safer for others that I bailed now.
“I need out of here NOW!!”
Murh:
*My blood turned cold. The combination of aggression and arousal fucked with my mind. My hand shot down to my cock and gripped tight. Balls throbbing. Head spinning. Cock twitching. Up. Down. My hand moved and worked my cock at a slow pace. Images flashed between blinks. Female after female. Faces without names. The numerous females I fucked over the years to get one female out of my mind. Her face haunted me and I wanted her memory gone. I wanted the memory of what I saw when I went to find her in that cologny gone.
By the grace of sheer will the images stopped and I closed my eyes seeing nothing. A blank canvas.
My hand kept up the slow stroking. My eyes stayed closed. The blank canvas remained long enough to get my aggression under some control and bring my focus back to my arousal. Release was my aim. I couldn’t give a fuck about messing all over the sheets.
My hand started pumping faster. The door opened but I didn’t need to look. Her scent gave her away and made my cock perform as if it was part of a circus. Twitch. Throb. Tingle.
Jane: *The internal and external stitching went over smoothly, but Xhex still looked tense. After I dressed the wound, I turned to take my gloves off and place all the gauze and instruments in the stainless steel bowl. Xhex’s panicked voice brought me whirling around*
Wait!! The anesthetic has to wear off first.
*I leaned in and helped Xhex back on to the bed to lie on her side*
I’m sorry if this is uncomfortable, but it won’t take too long and then you will be out of here. I do recommend that you take two days off to rest and heal up.
*My words weren’t registering with Xhex. She was too tense to listen to me, which caused me to change tactic*
Let me go check on the patient next door and when I return, I will take you up to one of the rooms and you can sleep there for a few hours. I can’t discharge you if you don’t cooperate, and this way you won’t need to be around all the medical things.
*That got her attention and a nod confirmed her intention of a least listening for now. I gave her a warm smile and turned to go back to Murh’s room, only to find… Omg…* Murh, what are you doing?
Xhex:
The female doctor reassured me that she would have me put into another room. Anything to be away from this room with the medical equipment and of the scent of him.
“I’ll stay till I walk again, I cannot promise for the two days off. I'm needed at the…. Well let's say I'm good at my job”
I heard the doctor go next door where I heard her gasp in astonishment or was it in disgust? Had to be in disgust.
A nurse came in, helping me to the room above the medical ward, I hated being this useless, hated having to be dependent on another. Soon I was settled into the new room. As soon as the anesthetic wore off I was out of here. Another thing I was glad of was there wasn't the scent of him, I was sure I had smelt his scent, I had convinced myself but why now was my mind throwing this spanner at me.
Murh:
*My hand slid up and down my cock. My head rolled back on the pillow and FUCK. Jane walked in and her scent sent me over the edge. Hips thrusting up to meet the pace my hand was setting. Jane mumbled something and then turned around to leave the room. My growl was loud enough to shatter some of the glass in the room. The words that followed were strained with need and full of warning.*
You better fucking stay!
*Jane opened the door to speak in hushed tones to another female and then she closed the door and was at my side. My hand shot out and gripped her arm. She stood too far away. I wanted her closer. I wanted her hand to be doing the stroking.*
Take over Jane.
*It wasn’t a request. It was a order.*
Jane: *As soon as I walked into the room, I turned around and called Ehlena over to help Xhex to a room upstairs. When I turned back and closed the door, the sight that greeted me was interesting and disturbing. I was rather familiar with the needs of the vampire males. There had been many times I had to leave the room for one of them to get their hand action on, but Murh’s words… or rather the order he barked at me, pissed me off like nobody’s business.
I turned to my right and grabbed a towel and tossed it over at him*
Clean up after yourself and don’t tear your stitches. I’m going to check on the other patients and Manny will be back to check in on you soon.
*There was growling and cursing and whatever else, but I ignored it and walked out the room, closing the door behind me. Leaving Murh alone with his hand* #FamiliarTension #BondedBrothers
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A Noble Debt
“Well, hurry up. You know how Lady Brightstar feels when people arrive after she has shoved that damn golden spoon of hers into her fat mouth.” The sindorei stepped toward the door as he placed his red gloves on. He took one last glance in the large, wall-sized mirror and fixed his blonde hair, pulling back a few lingering strands around his ear. He was a smug looking noble, as most were, but he lacked patience and in the eyes of many in the noble community, class. Nonetheless, his was a family of money prior to the fall of Silvermoon, and therefore, accepted among the nobles. Lord Werrin Dawnfury, possibly a distant relative to many of the Dawnfuries in the city, but not one of notable repute.
“Dear, it is Lady Brightdawn, not Brightstar, and it’s not my fault the servant brought our clothes late. I’ll just have to get rid of her when we get back.”
“She was a waste of air anyway. Hurry up, Olieda!” Werrin grabbed his cane and stood perfectly still for a good five seconds before he sighed dramatically and looked in the mirror once more. He looked older than what he was, but he smirked at the dignified way his expensive clothes and items around him made him appear. His eyes lingered to a small dedication along the bottom of the golden mirror:
Lord and Lady Dawnfury, for their dedication to the children of Silvermoon
He scoffed at the plaque and took a small vial from inside his robe. Opening it, took a tiny scoop of dust and lifted it up to his nose. “Fuck the children,” he muttered and snorted the dust. He closed his eyes as he rubbed his nose a bit and sealed the vial, exhaling with an exaggerated widened mouth before he took another breath and opened his eyes. He liked what he saw: a dignified man who was a “hero of Silvermoon” because he knew the right people and dealt with the right villains.
“Olieda, I’ll be outside. This is ridiculous! You’re taking forever!” He watched himself once more as he spun toward the door, his blond hair following behind him. As soon as he opened the door, he stopped and gasped. Not one foot had stepped from behind the doorframe when he noticed a man standing in front of him, wearing a violet pinstripe suit and a large hat covering his face. He stood posing with his legs slightly widened and his hands resting on a cane placed in front of him. Werrin’s eyes narrowed. “Get off my property. We have no business tonight,” he growled through gritted teeth. He knew the man, or rather, the undead man, and while he was firm with his demand, his insides felt as if they were melting.
The undead man’s hat slowly moved upward, revealing two glowing orbs behind rose-tinted glasses. A smile sat comfortably on his face. Werrin stared at the man’s eyes and exhaled quietly in relief. Blue eyes were not good, that much he knew, so he wasn’t in trouble. “You’re absolutely right, Werrin. We do not have business tonight…”
“But we do.”
Werrin’s fel green eyes widened upon hearing the voice beside him. He hadn’t heard the voice before, but it came at him with a cold, menacing sound that he didn’t have to hear the voice before to know whose it was. The noble slowly turned and saw a man dressed in a black suit. There was a black leather mask on his face in the shape of a rat and blonde strands of hair peeking over the leather. The mask slowly turned to look Werrin, green eyes glaring back at him. “I would close the door if I were you. We wouldn’t want you to be a widow, now would we?” the masked figure spoke softly.
Werrin reached back for the handle and he gulped loudly as he closed the door. He noticed the undead man walk closer to him and he backed against the door. “I don’t have any business with you tonight. I-I don’t understand.”
The masked man canted his head to the side and then to the other, and Werrin could hear a chuckle echo within the mask. “Tell him.”
The undead man drew a small notebook from within his jacket and made his cane stand alone as he pulled the red ribbon from the book to the exact page he needed to be. “Two hundred thousand in gold. Due a two weeks ago. Your excuse: I have a charity event to attend, but you’ll have your money tomorrow.” The undead looked up at Werrin. “Tomorrow was two weeks ago.” He snapped the little book shut.
“I’d say I was extremely generous by giving you two weeks.” The masked man’s body turned toward Werrin, pushing away from the wall. “I’m a sensible man. You have money. My money. Hand it over.”
“I…I don’t have it. I mean, i do, but right now is not a good time.” He looked back at the door he was leaning against. His wife was about to walk out any moment. “Come tomorrow…tomorrow I…”
The masked man grumbled under the mask and the undead reached out to turn out the nearby lights. As soon as it turned dark around the home, the masked man lifted his mask, reached out for Werrin’s throat, and stared at his face, noses less than an inch away. “You won’t have any more tomorrows, fucker,” the blond man whispered hoarsely. “See, I don’t do this. This here? I don’t collect because those who make deals with my Kingdom pay on time and if they don’t, he finishes the job,” he said, gesturing to the undead man. “But you, you’re a noble; a man of high repute, who has been honored for feeding the children and who visits the whores at my bordello whenever he needs a fuck. For your kind, you better believe I’ll be there to finish the job. I bet your heart tastes so tender because it is soft and weak. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum,” he muttered, tapping the man’s chest.
“I…I can get…let me go get it…”
“I’m tired of waiting.” The blond man squeezed his throat tighter and Werrin’s eyes widened as the small sharp object in the blond man’s grip punctured his skin. As the man’s hand slid across Werrin’s throat, warm blood began to spill out over his red and golden outfit. Werrin slumped against the door and the undead’s eyes began to glow blue. He extended his hand out and a portal opened beneath the noble. He fell through and down into the Rat Kingdom, where the Ratz would swarm the noble’s body as soon as it hit the ground.
The front door opened and a woman stepped out. “Werrin?” she called out into the darkness. A cold hand reached for her hand and someone leaned down to kiss it with cold lips. “He’s gone, ma’am,” a gentle voice said, and soon, he was gone too. Olieda pulled her hand back and she gasped.
The next morning, she saw her husband’s torn robes covered in blood on her doorstep.
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Black and Blue
Word Count: 2,150 (without lyrics)
Warnings: Abuse, Abusive boyfriend (it’s not Dean), violence, cursing, drinking alcohol
Pairing: Dean x Reader
Tags: @lucifer-in-leather @ravengirl94 @wayward-mirage @helvonasche @mamaredd123 @myplaceofthingsilove @assbutt-still-in-hell
Author's Note: This is my submission for @casbabydontgoineedyou ‘s 2k challenge. Congratulations on the followers! I’m sorry I’m late! But here it is, a day late. I chose the song Blue Ain’t Your Color by Keith Urban (lyrics are bolded and italicized) and I’m still not sure what emotion to put with this, heartbreak, happiness it’s a little bit of both. And there’s a sprinkle of anger.
Masterlist
I can see you over there
Staring at your drink
Watchin’ that ice sink
All alone tonight
Melting ice and salty tears are watering down what remains of your drink as you sit alone at the bar after another night of hell. Black and blue bruises up and down your arms.
“Can I get a whiskey? And get her something else too,” a man sits beside you, probably another hunter, just not living like you.
“Thank you,” you say, wiping your tears.
“No problem,” he says and sips his drink alongside you.
“You should probably ice those, it’ll make them less noticeable,” he states motioning towards your arms.
“I’ll be alright, always am,” you say.
“If you say so, I’m Dean,” he introduces himself and you finally take a good look at him. Familiar green eyes, a strong jaw, and a frown that seems permanent.
“Y/n,” you mumble and sit there sipping the drink. You finish your drink and sit for a few moments before breaking the silence.
“Thank you for the drink, I’ll have to buy you one sometime,” you smile weakly at Dean before standing.
“You sure you need to drive?” Paul, the bartender and your friend, asks.
“I’ll be alright, I’m not that drunk,” you say and start towards the door. You stumble slightly and grab the bar.
“Woah there sweetheart, I don’t think you should be driving, I’ll take you home,” Dean offers.
“What about my car?” you ask, thinking of what he would do if you came home without your car.
“My brother will drive it behind us, I just need your keys,” he says, you hand your keys over reluctantly and he calls over a taller man.
“Sam this is Y/n, I’m giving her a ride home, I was hoping you would drive her car home,” Dean smiles at
“Oh my gosh, you two are the Winchesters, aren’t you?” You ask finally connecting the dots.
“Son of a bitch, I can’t go to one roadhouse without someone knowing who I am,” Dean grumbles.
“Calm down Deanie Weenie,” you grin.
“Oh shit, you’re Bobby’s niece,” Dean mumbles.
“Of course. My parents moved me away so I wouldn’t get into the hunting life and look where I am,” You laugh bitterly as Dean leads you to his car. You buckle and give him directions to your house.
“I owe you a drink,” you state as you get out, Sam hands you your keys and you go inside.
And chances are
You’re sittin’ here in this bar
‘Cause he ain’t gonna treat you right
Well, it’s probably not my place
But I’m gonna say it anyway
'Cause you look like
You haven’t felt the fire
Had a little fun
Hadn’t had a smile in a little while
“Baby, you gonna go to that damn bar before you come home,” Brock slurs into the phone.
“I am tonight, I need a few minutes of me time,” you mumble, hoping that he’ll allow it.
“Sure thing beautiful, just bring home some beer and pretzels,” he hiccups.
“Okay,” you breathe and he hangs up. You make your way inside the bar you take your normal seat and wait for Paul to get a chance to get you a drink.
“The usual?” He asks.
“Of course,” you smile weakly.
“Looks like your friend is back,” he nods towards the door while he fixes your drink. You glance towards the door and the Winchesters are walking in. Dean immediately smiles at you and sits by you.
“His is on me,” you grin. You and Dean sit beside each other and buy each other drinks. You send a couple to Sam, but according to Dean he needs to drive him home so Sam can’t be too drunk. Your phone rings, interrupting your drinking.
“Let it ring,” Dean mumbles, sipping his whiskey.
“I’ve got to take this,” you mumble and step away from the bar.
“Hello,” you mumble.
“When will you be home?”
“Soon, I promise. Go ahead and go to bed,” you state.
“Alright,” he mumbles into the phone.
“Goodnight,” you say and he hangs up. That was actually painless, you head back to the bar and sit back down. You get back home around four in the morning.
Baby
Blue looks good on the sky
Looks good on that neon buzzin’ on the wall
But, darling, it don’t match your eyes
I’m tellin’ you
You don’t need that guy
It’s so black and white
He’s stealin’ your thunder
Baby, blue ain’t your color
“Baby, I need some beer,” Brock yells from the living room.
“I’m cooking right now, can I go after I finish?” You ask softly, hoping he’ll be kind for once. You hear the familiar creak of the chair and his steps on the floor.
“You’ll go when I need it,” he growls pushing you against the counter, you whimper and turn your head away.
“Look at me,” he grabs your chin and turns your face towards him.
“You are going to go outside, start that piece of shit car, drive to the damn store, and buy me some beer,” he barks and shoves you towards the door. You grab your keys and purse and head out to your car. You start it and drive to the store. Your hands shaking you get out and make your way to that familiar isle.
“What do we need?” You hear someone mumble to himself as you look for the right kind of beer.
“Hey,” you hear from behind you. You feel arms wrap around you and you flinch.
“It’s just me,” Dean mumbles, slightly hurt.
“Sorry, hunter reflexes,” you smile up at him and hug him.
“How’ve you been?”
“I’m okay. How about you and Sammy?”
“We’re good,” he nods.
“Good,” you smile at him and grab a case of beer, knowing if you don’t get home soon you’ll be accused of cheating and it’ll only get worse.
“Here I’ll get it,” he says and takes it from you.
“Thanks,” you mumble, slightly confused.
“No problem,” he says setting it on the counter. You pay and start to pick up the beer.
“I’ll get it, just let me pay for mine,” Dean says and you nod. He pays, picks up his groceries and grave the case of beer. You pop your trunk, and Dean sets the beer in smiling at you. You can’t help but smile back at him.
“You should smile more, it suits you,” he says, shutting your trunk.
“Thanks,” you say and hug him once more.
I’m not tryna
Be another just
Pick you up
Kinda guy
Tryna drink you up
Tryna take you home
But I just don’t understand
How another man
Can take your sun
And turn it ice cold
You step into the bar, searching for your friends. Dean motions you over to the booth he’s sitting in. You slide in beside Dean and order a drink.
“You made it,” he grins. Sam is working on his laptop and sipping a beer.
“Yeah,” you smile at him. You sit with him and drink for a while.
“I need up,” he mutters into your ear.
“Okay,” you mumble and stand up. He steps out and you sit back down.
“You should dance with me,” he grins, pulling you back up.
“Oh, I don’t dance,” you shake your head, thinking back to the last time you asked Brock to dance.
“C’mon, you loved to dance,” Dean pleads and that’s how you find yourself dancing with Dean Winchester. Your head rests on him as you sway to a slow song that came on.
“Thank you,” you mumble as he sways with you.
“Why?” he asks, looking down at you.
“I love dancing, I haven’t had this much fun in forever,” you smile up at him.
“I’m glad I could help,” he chuckles, his chest rumbling.
“I could dance all night,” you murmur softly.
“I’ll dance all night with you, if you want,” he offers, and you take up his kind offer.
Well, I’ve had enough to drink
And it’s makin’
Me think that I just might
Tell you if I were a painter I wouldn’t change ya
I’d just paint you bright
Baby
“I think you should go on a hunt with us,” Dean grins from beside you. You had met them at the bar once again, and you were sipping on your favorite drink.
“I don’t know, I don’t think my boyfriend would like that,” you glance at Dean, unsure.
“What is wrong with this boyfriend of yours? He’s never with you, he doesn’t let you hunt with us and you only come out with us half the time,” he asks, you know what he’s accusing Brock of but Dean can’t know that he hits you. He doesn’t do it on purpose, he loves you.
“Nothing, he just doesn’t want me out too late, he worries,” you lie.
“I’m not an idiot. Why don’t you tell us how he hits you? Why won’t you just tell us it’s you he’s yelling at when we call?”
“Dean I think you’re overstepping your boundaries here,” you whisper, standing up.
“You can’t even see what he’s doing to you, can you?” he whispers grabbing your wrist lightly.
“He isn’t doing anything to me, he loves me,” you whisper.
“He doesn’t love you! He’s hurting you! He’s killing your happiness, he making you dull and unhappy,” he cries.
“Why do you care?” You demand.
“Because you’re such a bright person and he’s made you into this quiet soft spoken thing and I don’t know what the hell you are thinking,” he states, shaking his head.
“I’m thinking he loves me and you haven’t seen me in years, you don’t know me anymore,” you bite harshly.
“I do know you though, I know you love to dance and laugh, and on rainy days you love to sit in a cozy chair and read by the window. I know you,” he states, standing up beside you.
“Dean let me go,” you whisper, pulling away from him.
“Fine, but I won’t watch your happiness die because of that fucker anymore,” he bites and leaves you standing there, slightly shocked that he listened but he left.
'Cause blue looks good on the sky
Looks good on that neon buzzin’ on the wall
But, darling, it don’t match your eyes
I’m tellin’ you
You don’t need that guy
It’s so black and white
He’s stealin’ your thunder
Baby, blue ain’t your color, no,no no
Mmm. It ain’t your color, baby
You miss Dean, you sit in your chair in your room by the window, he was right you like to sit and read while it rains. But you couldn’t read for thinking about him, you look out the window at the rain hitting the ground and listen to the soft patter of it hitting the roof. You think about what Dean said about your boyfriend, about how he’s making you quiet and dull. Dean might be right but you love Brock.
“Hey baby how about you start cooking supper?” Brock yells from the other room.
“Can I finish this page?” you ask. You hear his footsteps coming towards the one room you feel safe in.
“I’m coming,” you cry standing setting your book down and walking towards the kitchen.
“I want chicken tonight,” he states cornering you beside the fridge.
“I don’t know if we have chicken,” you whisper.
“I bought chicken,”he whispers and slowly kissed your neck.
“Brock not tonight,” you plead.
“I don’t want you going to that bar after supper, I want you to stay here,” he demands into your ear.
“Okay you mumble and start to cook supper. You continue to try and figure out a way to get out.
Mmm, baby.
Blue looks good on the sky
Looks good on that neon buzzin’ on the wall
But, darling, it don’t match your eyes
I’m tellin’ you
You don’t need that guy
It’s so black and white
He’s stealin’ your thunder
Baby, blue ain’t your color
Blue ain’t your color
Blue bruises glare from your wrists and your back is screaming from the way he shoved you.
“You shouldn’t take that shit,” Dean states from beside you.
“I’m not anymore,” you admit weakly, you had finally listened to what he told you a few weeks ago and told Brock where to shove it.
“Good,” he mutters gruffly, sipping his drink. You notice cuts and scrapes along his hands.
“What happened to you?” You ask meekly.
“Hunt,” he mutters and sips his drink.
“Oh,” you mumble.
“You need help getting your stuff?”
“I’ll get it all eventually,” you mumble.
“I’ll help you,” Dean offers.
“You sure?” you ask.
“I’m sure,”
“He shouldn’t be home tonight, if you aren’t doing anything,” you say. He nods and you drive back to the house. Dean helps you pack the rest of your things into your car.
“Thank you,” you grin up at him.
“You do have somewhere to go, right?” he asks, looking at you, concern in his voice.
“I’ll figure it out,” you shrug.
“Maybe, you could stay with Sam and I at the bunker? I know you probably have hunts, but it can be a sort of home base,” Dean offers.
“I’ll need to think about it Dean,” you smile.
“Just know the door is open for you,” he says.
Mmm. No, no, baby
Come here, baby
Lemme light up your world
You grin up at Dean, you broke up with Brock just over a year ago, moved into the bunker with the Winchesters and started hunting with them. Things were awkward at first, but you grew comfortable together and a few months after you moved in Dean asked you on a date. You said yes and you soon found out what a truly good man was.
“Are you two going to the bar tonight?” Sam asks from the door of your bedroom.
“I’m not, I just want to lay here all night,” you answer.
“I’m staying here too,” Dean grins.
“Alright,” Sam mumbles and walks away from your room.
“You wanna play pool?” Dean asks.
“Of course,” you smile up at him. You two never play pool when Sam is home, you’re afraid you and Dean will get too into the game and the bets will get ugly; sometimes you play at the bar which is never as eventful.
“If you win, I’ll do whatever you want in the bedroom for a month,” Dean smirks.
“If you win, I’ll cook whatever you want for two weeks,” you grin.
“That’s not fair,” he groans.
“I think it is,” you smile innocently.
“Fine,” he grins and you start playing. In the end you won, you had learned from the best.
#katies 2k challenge#dean x reader#dean winchester#dean winchester x reader#dean#dean reader insert#dean winchester fic#dean fanfic#dean fic#dean winchester reader insert#summer-binging-spn writes
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Adventure One: The Faerie’s Ultimatum!
A new year, a new set of adventures! Our elven exterminator has earned herself a Title and shiny weapon! Will the faeries quietly accept her refusal to rejoin them? Let’s fine out.
Three weeks passed with little incident. A Farmland village sent two replacements, grateful gangers swelled the ranks, and slowly the new squads formed a cohesive group, each in their own way. Piece by piece, the Westward Branch of the Office of Pest Control regrouped from the losses inflicted by the Worm.
Squad Twelve, for whatever reason and despite William’s constant pleading, failed to gain a fourth member. Langford insisted the three’s “squad spirit” was too strong to meddle with. Finally William gave up, resigning himself to an understaffed squad, even if that squad had a Worm slayer, a duster killer, and a dwarf who spent part of his wages to buy a small cannon for the Pest Control Office’s armory making up its ranks.
Said cannon was the main gripe William had that day. As nothing else of note was occurring, after a brief patrol the squad retired to the barracks for some bread and liquid bread.
“I just don’t see a case where we’d both need a cannon and not need the Army,” William remarked over his loaf, “it’s the same reason we don’t have more powder weapons in the Armory –if we need that many it’s time for the city guards to get involved.”
Georg shrugged and sipped his beer, “Seemed like a good idea.”
“We’re the sewer squad,” William insisted, “from what I’ve heard you can’t even safely shoot a pistol down there.”
Georg shrugged again in reply.
William sighed, surrendering to the dwarf’s stalwart stubbornness. Since the incident with the Worm and subsequent squad reshuffles, Squad Twelve’s duties consisted mostly of quick sewer patrols and sluice inspections, a task made easy thanks to the raker’s vigilance in the wake of the Worm’s subterfuge. Though it lacked the duty pay of exterminating, the standard payment kept them moving forward.
Leafa, enjoying not having to enter the sewers unless absolutely necessary, downed her mug of beer and sighed, “I just wish they’d give us more exciting work –all this idleness is getting to me.”
“I’ve never known an elf to hold still very long,” William remarked, “they always have an energy about them, besides the casting power, I mean.”
Leafa nodded, her hand reflexively reaching to the pommel of her Church sword, “I don’t mind light duty once in a while, and I hate going in the sewers, but we barely even get to do a thorough patrol now that the Spire’s taken an interest in things.”
“They still say it’s too dangerous,” William said, “Never mind we have a Worm Slayer with us now and the Worm never got control of the slimes, thank Heaven.”
Leafa gave a sheepish shrug, “It was a group effort, you know –without the druid we would’ve been Worm turds… well, you would be, I’d be….”
“But you’re not,” William cut her off, “You’re a citizen of the Confederation, remember? The faeries can’t touch you.”
Georg nodded in agreement.
Leafa smiled, “True, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try. We’ve already seen that.”
“And in response we’re getting an Army Regiment,” William replied, “and the last time I saw an Army uniform was the yearly recruitment drive last spring. Even I know what a big deal it is for the Army to come here.”
Georg nodded again.
Leafa smiled and opened her mouth, but the sound of the city bells ringing cut her off before she could speak.
The elf’s ears twitched, “That can’t be good.”
“Attention all Exterminators!” a voice boomed from the Office speaking tubes, “Attention all Exterminators! Report to the West Gate immediately! All Exterminators report to the West Gate immediately!”
William hauled himself up, “You heard them, let’s go.”
The three exterminators bolted from the room to join their fellows as they dashed for the West Gate, several squads of city guards joining the mass as they ran along the quickly emptying roads.
William matched pace with a guard sergeant, his only armor a skewed helmet slaped over his matted hair. As they passed people quickly leaving the streets for their buildings, the bells clanged as their feet echoed along the stones.
“Sergeant!” William called, “Any idea what’s going on?”
The Sergeant glanced at William, then his Exterminator badge. After a brief nod of greeting he replied, “Word is there’s a druid at the gate under a peace flag.”
“What?” William snapped, “Why assemble us there if they’re not going to arm us first? Or at least let us put on our armor?”
The Sergeant shrugged, “Last I heard unless its iron armor’s no good against fae and their kin, and we don’t have enough for everyone anyway. As for weapons, there’s emergency arms at every gate, though if you ask me we’d be better off breaking out the muskets. Oh, there they are.”
As the scattered groups of guards and exterminators approached the gate, William looked to where the Sergeant’s gaze focused. Several city guards were unloading muskets and handing them out to waiting exterminators, while a squad of musketeers waited at the base of the gate tower. Langford stood by the wagon, arguing with the city guard captain while more guards clambered into the gate’s bastion’s to mount the wall.
William left the Sergeant to it and dashed up to Langford, Leafa and Georg catching up as their sergeant waited to be noticed.
The Captain, a scruffy fellow in hastily fastened leather armor and an unwaxed mustache, jabbed a finger at the Senior Exterminator as he nearly shouted, “We need to blast that fucker to paste before he can react!”
“He’s under a flag of peace you imbecile!” Langford –wearing no armor and his badge poorly pinned in place- barked back, “even mustering the guard risks an incident!”
The Captain retracted his finger and folded his arms, “I don’t take chances with faeries.”
“Is it true? Leafa interrupted, “There’s a druid outside?”
The two turned to the elf, and, after absorbing the squad’s presence, nodded.
“He’s demanding to speak with Langford,” the Captain explained, “and refuses to elaborate his presence to anyone else. He bears a flag of truce, but as I just said, I’m not taking chances.”
Langford sighed, “Fine, do what you want. I’m going to see what that damned druid wants.”
Leafa swallowed, “Most likely me.”
“We don’t know that,” William said, “they could just be here to complain about the Frontier or something.”
“We’ll find out the hard way, it seems,” Langford said.
As the Senior Exterminator headed for the parapet, the Captain handed Georg a musket from the nearby cart.
“I know it’s a smaller caliber than you’d be used to,” he explained, “but it’s something. The Gate Guards have iron shot cartridges, each man gets three shots.”
Leafa’s ears twitched, “Do you honestly think you’d have time for three shots?”
Glowering at the elf, he replied, “No, but it’s good for morale. You want one?”
Leafa rested a hand on the pommel of Schimmern, grateful she at least had a weapon on her when the call came, “Fortunately my sword does not leave my side, Sir.”
The Captain managed a small smirk, “Fair enough. Sergeant, what about you?”
“I’ve never fired a powder weapon in my life,” he replied, “So thank you, but not until I’ve had a chance to practice first.”
The Captain nodded, and then Langford’s voice boomed out toward the Farmland beyond the wall.
“I am Senior Exterminator Matthew Langford! Who are you to stand before the wall of a settlement of the Confederation?”
In reply, a voice like a rainstorm replied, “I am known in your tongue as Streamwell, and I serve the faerie you know as Farseed.”
Leafa gasped, “Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.”
William put a hand on the elf’s shoulder, who jumped as he managed a weak smirk, “It’s fine.”
“What business do you have here, druid?” Langford demanded.
“My master demands the return of one of the elves of a tribe under his protection. He demands Leafa of the Tall Trees Tribe be handed over to me so that she may rejoin her people.”
Leafa whimpered, her ears twitching madly as Langford’s voice boomed back.
“Leafa Talltree, Esquire, has resided within this city for over a month and a day. As a result she is a citizen of the Confederation. More than that, she is a Titled member of the Confederation Office of Pest Control and a Tithing Member of the Church. To demand her is a violation of the Accords between your master and the Confederation and constitutes an act of war. Leave these walls now or you shall be fired upon!”
To accentuate his statement, over a hundred musket wielding guards and exterminators aimed their barrels downward, their match and flintlocks cocked and ready. Leafa held her breath as she watched the parapet, her hands over her ears to protect them from the fusillade she knew was coming.
“I have said my peace and thus will depart,” the druid responded, “know that my master is not one to take no for an answer. We shall return.”
“And we shall be ready to reply with iron, druid. Now return to your master and report your failure, and tell him we shall generously overlook this overstep in the interests of continued friendship between the Confederation and the Tall Trees and Far Trees Tribes under his protection.”
“I shall do as you ask, though know he also protects the Far Marsh Tribe as well.”
Langford said no more, and, after several agonizing moments, the guards and exterminators lowered their muskets.
Leafa exhaled and slumped to the ground in relief, “Thank Heaven.”
William, though clearly also relieved, sighed and muttered, “Last I heard the Far Marsh Tribe bordered the swamps near the edge of the Frontier and the Farmlands.”
Georg grunted, “Could be trouble.”
Leafa groaned, “I can’t believe it…to think he’d go this far for me….”
William, his eyes anywhere but the elf, asked, “You wouldn’t happen to know… why… he’s so interested in you?”
The elf’s ears twitched, though her eyes remained on the road as she replied, “For the obvious reasons, of course.”
William sighed, “I was afraid of that… ah, Senior Exterminator! What do we do now?”
Langford, having appeared from the gates not long before, approached Squad Twelve with the air of a barber about to announce the need to pull an abscessed tooth.
Leafa hefted herself up and took a step closer to the Senior Exterminator, “Sir, I am so sorry-”
Langford raised a hand to cut her off, “None of this is your fault. None of this. Do you understand me?”
Leafa opened her mouth, closed it, and nodded.
Langford grinned and patted the elf’s head, “Very good. Oh shit, is that the Mayor?”
The squad turned around to see several men surrounded by six guards walking down the street. The guards wore chest-plates, helmets, and a brace of dwarven double-barreled pistols. Amongst them walked a stout man with short white hair, a robed man with a large symbol of the Church hanging from an iron chain, and an older man with an aged red cloak fluttering behind him.
Langord swore under his breath, “Great, the Mayor, the Senior Priest, and a Merchant Guild Master.”
William glanced to his commander, “Guess they heard about the druid.”
Langford sighed, “This is going to be my whole day.”
“Sir!”
Langford glanced to the south to see a young man running as fast as he could towards him, several notes held carefully in one hand. Raising a single brow, Langford took several steps closer to the man as he skidded to a halt in front of the group.
“You’re a runner from Town Hall, right?” Langford asked.
The runner, gasping for breath, nodded and held out the notes, “Pigeon came this morning… messenger… at the East Gate… confirmed… thought… you should know… first….”
William and Leafa flanked the runner in case he collapsed. Langford, meanwhile, took the notes and scanned them over. After a moment he grinned, his gold teeth glinting in the daylight.
“This’ll pacify the fancy-cloaks, at least,” he said.
Leafa’s ears twitched, “May we ask what the good news is, Sir?”
“It’s the official report from the Confederation Council’s Army Secretary,” he replied, “They’re mustering a Regiment and it should be here in two weeks.”
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