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gojoho · 3 years

Text

MERCY

• pairing; toji fushiguro x reader [ nsfw ]

• premise; it’s the same dance with him, a shameless game of cat and mouse in which he always win but maybe losing is equally as rewarding.

• words; 2078

• note & warning; i’m back with some toji content, he’s just been in my mind a little to long for me not the write about him. some warnings for this one is public, unprotected ( wrap it and then tap it folks ) sex, with the usual grammatical errors—I swear I try to proof read ya’ll but they just manage to find a way to stay in there. i am slowly but surely getting my mojo back.

Old habits die hard; it's easier to hate each other that way. Labeling whatever that was manifesting between the two of you as that, a bad habit. A dirty secret only an onyx sky could appreciate enough to hide. Perhaps that's what kept it alive and kicking, midnight turmoil, where even the most terrible of bad ideas are more seductive.

Though it's debatable if the alcohol left you unhinged, mindless, and bold. What other excuse did you have for allowing the bastard to enter your domain? There was no shame from the thinking without a conscience, but with the pounding music and pulsing lights, you weren't sure there was even space to think. He held a brazen stare all evening, keen to every move you made.

A man's attention was never anything to sneeze at, but when it was a straggler like Toji Fushiguro, it was intoxicating. And more than the liquor, everything seemed to be within reach under his spotlight. He held his distance, clung to the darkness, yet with such an adamant gaze he could have been right there beside you. At least, that's how you imagined it but the game wasn't that easy.

He'd stay in his dark corner, not quite able to step closer until you were ready. Until the heat underneath your skin became unbearable, leaving you an aching mess. That made it easier to devour you. Whether it meant burying his head between your thighs or hooking his arms around your waist and keeping you open. Or bottomed out inside you, mouth feasting on your chest.

The club was full, Friday night packed but it would work in your favor. You knew none of the songs, not that it mattered, it was mere fuel to your movements. A nice accessory to the sway of your hips, to suggestive temptation behind them.

It wasn't worth looking in his direction; he was always watching. At that thought alone, your clothes become a nuisance. A means to an end, that would start with him. Toji was a patient man but knew that patience didn't extend to everyone, you in particular. He was a tease, and as your dress inclined it almost felt as if he'd been the one to hike it up.

A sensation too similar to his hands moving over your bare thighs, ready to pry them open. His smug chuckle was right there feeding your imagination, and as one song faded into the next, there wasn't a spot on your body that hadn't been kissed in theory. With one thought, you were drooling over a man less than ten feet away, fantasizing about all the ways he could take you. It was more of a headache than it seems, and as the pace of the songs picks up, the conscience returns. Whilst you make your way back to the bar. You'd need a little more liquid luck to get through the rest of the night.

“That was quite a show.”

“Didn’t know I had an audience.” What else could you have done but tell a bald-faced lie? Telling him the truth didn't do anyone any good. How you envision him fucking you in the middle of the dance floor.

“Could’ve fooled me." The bar was located farther away from the DJ and next to the restrooms. The quieter end of the venue, but you're sure you'd have heard his smirk regardless.

After all this time, it's only then that you turn to him.“What are you doing here Fushiguro?”

Big mistake, ten feet away he looked the same as when you last saw him, but up close and personal, some details that had escaped memory came back to haunt you.

“Would you believe me if I told you, I’m here to see you?”

Yeah right, “Not in the slightest.”

“It’s true for the most part, had a job in the area and thought I’d pop in do some sightseeing." He shifted his weight back to the counter, his elbows well-rested on either side.

“Well you came and you saw.”

“On the contrary,” he said. The double meaning has turned your cheeks crimson, and you're thankful for the red lights underneath the counter. “Cute dress.”

Images from moments before gloss over your eyes, heating every part of your body. They burned a path down your chest before settling below your hips. “Seriously Fushiguro what do you want? You made it pretty clear we both want different things the last time you popped in.”

“Things are different.” Sincere wasn't the word you or anyone else would use to describe the guy, but his demeanor defied all expectations. He seemed to be a completely different person.

“Yeah, they are,” you mumbled, tossing back a shot you managed to order before his interruption.

“Look," he started and turned to face you. Face inches from yours, his scent enveloping both of you. "I tried the settling down thing and it doesn’t work with my kind of lifestyle.”

It wasn't the words you wanted to hear, but you probably wouldn't have had them anyway. Wishful thinking, “Then that’s clears things up doesn’t it?” Toji Fushiguro didn’t do apologies, much like he didn’t do commitment, and even as he called after you, that would never change. Something you wish your body would recognize, no matter how much it longed for him.

The corridor to the restrooms was too quiet for him being that close to you...too intimate. In the quick second you had turned you back to him, ready to sober up and head home, he’d already been behind you. Pushing you up against the wall in the far corner, his arms barricading you in.

“You’re quite stubborn, you know that.” His voice was low, quiet all to maintain the secrecy veiled in the darkness.

“Thanks, I’ll be sure to add it to my resume.” You witted, going to duck around him but he was quick and with a step forward his hips pushed yours in back place.

“Will you just listen,” he pleaded. Not that you had much of a choice, but he took your silence as obedience. “I won’t make excuses, I’m a shitty guy but it’s gotten me this far. You won’t get the white picket fence with me. That’s not who I am.”

It was true, he was a shitty person. One minute here and the next gone with the wind. All with impeccable timing, usually around when he’d finish fucking you senseless. Truthfully it wasn’t something too much of a problem, it was better if he had his life and you with your own. Though you supposed between the kisses, and that final thrust that brought you both over the edge left some vulnerability.

“If I’m stubborn, then you’re quite dense. I never asked for that Toji. I was fine with the wild sex but was a little conversation too much to ask? You’ve got baggage, newsflash so do I, but you’d think we’d handle it like two grown adults. You’ve always been on the move, please, slow down every once in a while.”

The silence is deafening, louder than the upbeat track in the distance. You were irritated, angry, and, to make it worse, aroused. What else did he expect from you but a meltdown? As he moved his head to your back, he lowered his arms, allowing them to ghost your waist. “I'm sorry,” he said softly, kissing it.

In retrospect, you should have jumped for joy, climbed to the top of the bar, and screamed at the top of your lungs like a lunatic, but you didn't. You didn't want to abandon his embrace at that moment; he had really changed.

The kiss in trial is slow and tender, responsive to not only the worries but any emotion in between. Everything you didn't think he was capable of and all rage bleeds into desire. Each of you starved and desperate to find a fill.

The stiffness of his pants condemned his hold, which found its power over your hips. You want to propose that he return the excitement to your place or whatever hotel he was staying in, but he broke the kiss to turn you around. His patience had reached its maximum for the night.

“Wait for a second,” you mumbled out. A slight moan slipped through feeling his erection firm and strong against your rear. The ends of your dress taunted by his fingertips liked how you pictured them too. “Sorry princess, no can do.”

It’s almost impressive how quickly he lifts your dress and slipping a finger past your thong. But should anyone know your body in grave detail it was him. There’s a ceremonial cheer from the crowd as the DJ lets the beat drop, Toji’s opportune moment of intrusion. Your own cry, not one in interest to the music but the long slender finger to part your folds.

“I’ve waited all night to get my hands on you,” he mumbled out, lips pressed to the back of your neck.

“Toji—”

“I’ll be quick, just the way you like it.”

It’s in your best interest to stop him there, keeping private matters just that, you should stop him...should.

“Fuck…quickly.” you cursed out in compliance. There’s a smirk on his face, you know it. Sure he’s different, but some things never change.

In the second he pulled his finger away, you whimper half expecting for it to slip back in, maybe even with a partner but a casual Friday night turns into Christmas.

“I'll take my time with you later, right now—” he started face pressed into the back of your shoulder. “I just need to be inside you.”

First was the tip of his cock, a feeble tickle before the rest of his inches followed. Stretching you full, slipping deep into your heat. Coaxing the ache that was for him, letting the world see just how easily your body welcomed his own. Yet, it was hard to care about the rest of the world when your own revolved around everything below your hips.

He gripped them tightly, anchoring you there at the hilt with a slow sure thrust before looping a hand to your front. Twisting the nerves in time with his sudden thrust. Quick like he said, but still slow enough to feel him move inside you. In and out, then over again. The excitement of having him there indulging with your body, and the anxiety of getting caught clashed. Making you even more aware of your walls around him, but in his muffled moans there are words of encouragement. Sweet nothings that make your arousal fierce, sexy, and less wrong.

“Don't stop, ” you say a little too loud for doing something taboo but you don't care, “Don't fucking stop.”

The million and one fantasy that flooded your mind on the dancefloor spirals, winding with the moment and coiled in an untamed void. Ready to snap at those trying to control it. And there, shrouded in the thin veil of privacy Toji picks up his pace, teasing it with each stroke until finally, it shudders through. Coming in waves, meeting your peek every time he pushed forward. Bolting down your legs the more sloppy and anxious his hips became.

“Fuck, ” he grunts hands shooting to your chest. Pulling you closer to him, eating up your moans with his.

Almost feral with the way he continued despite his cock’s twitches, he wasn't nearly satisfied but that was a mess neither of you was capable of cleaning up at the moment. Regrettably, you push back on his rhythm stopping it completely. Snapping him from the haze.

“We should go, ” you whisper out on his lips. Which he can only grunt back in response to, hesitant to slip from your warmth.

His hands are glued to your body, unable to null all contact as you tugged your dress back down or as he tucks himself back into his pants. You'd ask whether it was back to your place or his but the languid look on his face as the two of you shamelessly stepped into the light made it fruitful. It didn't matter where the two of you went, he'd have you crying for mercy.

#jjk #Jujutsu Kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen smut #toji fushiguro #fushiguro toji #toji fushiguro x reader #fushiguro toji x reader #toji fushiguro x reader smut #fushiguro toji x reader smut #gojoho

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

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All in the Family

Chapter 133: The Second War Begins

They all found themselves blinking in stark contrast of the lazy morning sun from moments ago to a heavy orb of late afternoon beating down on them all. Alice got a particularly painful landing, smashing face first into something hot and metal, Lily found herself scattered painfully in a pile of woodchips, and Frank was somehow twisted up in a lone swing set, the other already broken. Regulus was perched ungainly on the very highest peak of the playground, the sign visible to him at the end of the road from his view trailing this as Magnolia Park.

Peter, Lupin, and Potter were visible scattered around the street as well, his friend having smacked against the chain link fence and had the mark on his face to prove it. Lupin was still dazedly in the street right in front of where one of those muggle contraptions could run over him, or fly over him if it was anything like Arthur's. Potter was looking curiously around at all the Muggle dwellings, but bypassed them as he ducked his head around the corner and immediately took to his feet, ignoring the bleeding palms of his hands for landing on the sidewalk like that as he called after Sirius. He couldn't see his brother in the alleyway but kept his balance on his wooden perch and tipped his head up to the sun anyways, enjoying the view and thinking to himself for now.

If they'd been born Muggles, would they have ever done something as simple as play at a park together before? He'd never wanted to be one before, it was base traitorous to his species he was sure to even entertain the thought, and besides, those Dursleys proved enough Muggles were no better about being scum than some wizards. What Evans had said still lingered in him though, what he'd give just to play a game at a place like this.

Sirius had been the only one to land in the shade of the alleyway and so was already brushing himself off and back on his feet the fastest, but he could see from his crooked vantage that nobody was dying, not even Regulus who seemed in no danger of falling, so he'd happily kept himself out of the way for now, leaning against the cool wall and wondering if this was the exact spot Harry had once fended off the dementors and gotten his first sight of him so long ago as he still turned everything over while James and Remus quickly joined him anyways.

"I'm fine," he told them both before they could even ask, and he really meant it this time. He told them in detail and made sure to meet both of their eyes as often as he could so they'd believe him, "I'm exhausted, and depressed as hell it came to this, and still pretty pissed all things considered, but we'll be fine."

James only studied him for a moment before relief flooded him and he seemed to take him at word. Remus though was studying him intently, a question on his lips he kept suppressing by pursing them up and glancing guiltily at James.

He had an idea what this was going to be about and so saved Moony the awkwardness of stopping their fooling around before James even did know about it. "Give us a moment, yeah?"

Prongs looked surprised at the dismissal, but not particularly offended, appraising the two for a moment before shrugging and jogging off towards Peter. Sirius watched him go, never having felt more love in his life for his brother, James still trusted him after everything. He met Peter's eyes and flashed him a genuine smile, who'd been standing on the edge of the grass. Sirius couldn't deny he was a bit glad he hadn't come over though, he really was too tired to deal with anything else right now and that swirl of emotions he couldn't avoid when he did head over there after this. He had a lot of cleanup to do.

Surprised, but willing when Remus took his hand and took him deeper into the alley out of sight of the park entirely, they could go no farther back onto the other street from the barrier once more. He braced himself, telling himself he would not hold it against Moony for cutting this off now that he'd had a reality check and that hadn't been helping, so he was fairly surprised when Remus leaned in and kissed him fiercely instead.

Sirius hummed in pleasure at how very alive he felt, the warm bricks on his back, Remus's fingers trailing lightly up his neck and hovering there, pulling him in closer and feeling very secure in how utterly good this still felt. The book finally started though, and the two sprung apart like the guilty party they still were as Evans read The Second War Begins.

"I'm, surprised," Sirius admitted quietly, the burning pain of Harry suffering through the various stages of grief only slightly easier to get through as he rubbed his thumb against Remus's bottom lip in silent question.

"Of course, you idiot," he scoffed in return, before he seemed to check himself and looked at Sirius steadily. "Look, I know we started this for the wrong reasons, but um, I've been wanting to do that this whole time, and I should have, but, I've been a coward. Look, you should know, I-"

"Think we should tell James," Sirius thought he was agreeing. Remus pulled back though and Sirius let his hand fall in surprise as he surmised, "that's, not what you were going to say?" It only just occurred to him he hadn't told Moony of his more recent conviction to even do so and probably should mention it to him first. "I know I said we'd wait until we got out of this mess, but come on Remus. You know he's no more going to be one of those pureblood arseholes who frowns upon shirt-lifters than I am. He should know why we keep buggering off."

"I just, like my business private, you know that," he muttered, no longer looking directly at him.

Sirius flushed and leaned farther into the mortar now with shame, but Remus quickly corrected, "not that I'm accusing- look Sirius let's move past that Snape shit for the last time, honestly. The arsehole is not worth the breath wasted."

"And we'll be discreet," Sirius more than happily agreed, taking Remus's hand and hoping he was caving. "Won't tell anyone else obviously, none of their bloody business, not even Peter if you don't want."

Remus still looked a tad panicked, so Sirius altered, "not next time everyone falls asleep, I'm too exhausted to stay up myself, but the one after that then?" Let him get used to the idea at least beforehand, that felt like a kind compromise anyways.

"Okay," it did seem to ease him up, he released a breath anyways and squeezed Sirius's fingers. He still tensed his shoulders though and looked like he was building himself up to say something, but then leaned in and kissed him again, with somehow even more enthusiasm than before.

He was very convinced Moony was just worried about being caught now, and hadn't the blood left in the right places to worry about such a thing as his fingers frisked lower.

"Down boy," Remus pulled back with a chuckle, leaving Sirius a panting and flustered mess. "Can't stay like this forever now," his smile was odd.

Sirius huffed and glared at the neighboring houses. "Think any of those will open for us? I'd curl up on that grass for a lie down if I wasn't worried Evans would shove those wood chips under my nails, and you know how I'd sleep even better." He still had his hand very suggestively in place.

Remus placed his hands on either side of the wall and pressed their foreheads together but seemed unwilling to do anything else, as if suspended in place. Sirius sighed but finally forced himself to be the one to pull away, ducking under his arm and jogging back out into the street to check himself. Remus already knew it hadn't worked though when he yelled at the top of his lungs, "no bed and breakfast for us, but thanks for stopping to check Evans!"

It was all too easy to picture in his head, Sirius jogging over to James's side like nothing had happened, the two still able to keep each other's spirits up through Harry's miserable coping, as if hoping their laughter would echo through time for him.

'You should have just asked,' Remus continued, accusing himself now that Sirius was long gone and it would be even weirder and more noticeable if he called him back. 'He's not a bloody mind reader!' It did matter to him though, what exactly Sirius wanted to say to James. That the two were just off shagging, or that maybe it was something more? He had time now at least, not much but some to get up the nerve and ask later.

Sirius certainly hadn't made it seem like it was going to be any such thing that full moon day he'd screwed all this up, but things had changed since then. They'd been through a lot dealing with these books and mostly each other, and he was positive enough in the enthusiasm Padfoot still showed just now his reluctance back in the Centaur's home had just been his abysmal way of dealing with this future and shutting down, which Remus should have stepped in and helped him with like Prongs had!

The hell was the matter with him, too cowardly to comfort him when he needed it but dragging him off like this at a convenient time? Or was it all just wistful thinking on his part he could have even made a difference, maybe only James really could have gotten through to him in that moment, it's not like he'd done anyone any good in this future after all.

He knew what a hypocrite he was being too, doing exactly what Sirius just had and trying to put it all off for later and avoid really talking to him. He wouldn't let it build up so bad he'd have a bloody breakdown over it though, he quickly promised himself. He just had to ask, and accept whatever Sirius's answer was, nothing else was required on his part. If Sirius didn't reciprocate he couldn't force anything to happen otherwise regardless.

Pushing himself off the wall and still cursing Prongs for these stupid too-tight pants, he leaned in the shadows for now and watched with a smile as his prediction had been exactly right.

Sirius had gone right over to James, and there was that air around him all the Marauders knew so well as he smiled at his best mate and instigated, "want to play king of the castle?" With his head cocked suspiciously in Regulus's direction.

"I'm game," James promised at once, turning back to Peter and only feeling slightly bad he already forgot whatever he'd been saying about magnolias and their plant properties. "Want to team up with him?" He offered in form of apologizing by letting them play start and including Regulus without protest.

Peter couldn't have looked more surprised if James had just blotted out the sun, but he grinned and said, "yes," at once. Hopping the fence and quickly scaling the playground nearly up to Regulus and explaining quickly while the two were already silently counting down the head-start they'd given.

Lily sighed as Potter began laughing again of all things while Harry was boarding the train once more to a home that didn't want him, now with no options left in the world even if the Order did arrive in some form of collective presence. She finally understood though, watching them play some deranged game that seemed to have no rules as the four shot spells at each other with no clear endgame to her. James Potter, much like his best friend, would never pass up an opportunity for a laugh if it was available, and she was really starting to see how that was okay as she caught herself smiling for the infectious noise and holding off far longer than was needed to on the last sentence as the park teemed with life.

HPHPHPHP

As always, please feel free to guess future chapter locations, as well as what you're looking forward to seeing them react to. I have them all planned out at least in principle, but it'll greatly amuse me to see your guesses.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #reading the books #OotP #Marauders #HP #Wolfstar #Jilly #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Regulus Black #Lily Evans #Frank Longbottom #Alice Smith #Peter Pettigrew

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utterlyinevitable · 4 years

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Please can you continue the angst and do Bryce and MC breaking up after OHSY?

OK but... why would anyone break up with Bryce Lahela?????

Bryce and MC (Becca) OHSY/OH3 Breakup

Bryce and Becca’s relationship has always been easy. Everything flowed - their bodies fit together divinely. It was natural.

So natural that they didn’t need to verbally define anything. They didn’t need to.

Now that Keiki was at boarding school Becca could stay over more freely and more often. Nothing could have been better than evenings curled up on his couch with the duvet and a bucket of kettle popcorn.

As soon as they got the official letter that Edenbrook would not be operating any longer, Bryce put in for a transfer at Mass Kenmore. He’d applied to other places but Boston is where he needed to be. He has his apartment and needed to be close to Keiki.

He was happy and a weight lifted off his shoulders when he got his acceptance letter.

He kept the news mostly to himself, only casually dropping the info one night when he was grilled about his plans by the gang.

He was attacked with a hug. Everyone was so happy for him. They celebrated with shots and then the afterparty in Becca’s room was slow and sweet. Savoring.

For purely selfish reasons Becca would not apply to MK. She did not fit in with the likes of Tobias, June and Landry and really couldn’t trust a hospital that did. The idea of working beside them made her skin crawl.

But she didn’t want to be too far away from the life she built in Boston.

So she applied everywhere within a 3-hour drive.

Nothing.

No responses from anywhere, or bland rejections to try again next term.

So she threw caution to the wind and applied to other cities: LA, Miami, Dallas, San Fran, Phoenix, New York.

Still, she hadn’t heard back from a single one.

In the office one night, while reassigning paperwork, she spoke of the issues with Ethan.

He considered things and offered to reach out to Chief Fredricks at Weill in NYC.

She wasn’t thrilled about moving back home, but she accepted the gesture nonetheless.

The next week, she had a truly competitive offer from Weill.

The salary package and benefits were astounding. She couldn’t believe it. This opportunity was too good to be true.

She called Bryce immediately. “No way! That’s awesome, Becks!” “I know! And it’s not too far either, we can still spend long weekends together” “Totally. Look at us getting our lives together!”

Then, unexpectedly, Edenbrook was saved and Ethan offered her her position back.

She wanted to accept. Oh, man, did she want to stay. But the Weill gig was too good. Edenbrook could never match that. She’d be a fool to throw this opportunity away.

She declined and Ethan told her the position will still be available whenever she wants it. “You’re one hell of a doctor, Lao. When you’re ready, we’ll be here.”

She thanked him and promised to revert back after her final year. “We’ll be on the same level then, you ready for that?” “No,” he huffed with a smirk. “You’ll always be a rookie in comparison.”

Later that evening, Bryce was waiting for Becca at her apartment. Every staff member at Edenbrook got the same email about their jobs being reinstated should they want them back.

He was miffed she didn’t take the Edenbrook job.

He understands her issue with the MK internal team but... her old job was safe. Nothing has to change for her.

That was the start of the longest goodbye.

They still made the best of their moments together.

He packed up all her things and they took a road trip down to move her in. She stayed in a family-owned apartment in Brooklyn and was lucky enough to save money that way.

It was a cute one bedroom. They christened it immediately.

As they settled further into their residencies and the weeks turned into months. The weekend meetings became less and less.

Becca made a whole new group of friends and even ran into a few from her youth. She had a new local bar and 24/7 eatery. New parks and food trucks and cocky colleagues to help her destress after an egregious shift.

Bryce couldn’t stand some of the MK doctors - they were arrogant and cocky, and not in the wholesome way he is. He tried to see the gang as much as possible. But Donahue’s was a bit farther now.

He spent most nights commuting home and leaving Becca video messages about his day when she’s unable to pick up his call.

Bryce never really noticed how lonely he was before Becca and Keiki made his apartment a home.

They’ve spent 4 weekends together before the distancing feelings started settling in.

They were growing apart.

For their 5th weekend, Becca had to cut it short one day because of a case and then two hours before leaving Bryce was called into emergency surgery. Besides Tanaka, he was the only one available that knew the procedure forwards and backwards.

Instead, they had a video chat date. They got in their pajamas and snuggled on their respective beds with a snack, some beer and started watching Deadpool 2 together.

“I was thinking of coming back to Edenbrook next year,” she said randomly during the movie. That week was one of the toughest she’s ever had and all she wanted was the comfort she found in Boston. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in months!” “Better than when that hair product company sent you a free gift basket?” “100%. Without a doubt. I can’t cuddle my hair gel every night and leave kisses all over it’s body. I mean... I could but it’d be weird as hell.”

They talked about what that would be like and how fun living together for real would be.

Everything seemed good.

They seemed happy.

They seemed like they were planning a forever.

Well, one of them was.

Three months later Bryce finally made it down to see her. Their last few trips had been rescheduled again and again and again and it was finally here.

He ran out of MK so fast no one dared to stop him.

Becca planned a very lowkey date night for them in Williamsburg. They had Tacos at a pop up and drinks at an improv studio. Nothing seemed to be different. They held hands over the table at dinner, she rested her head in the crook of his neck perfectly carved to fit her. They joked and laughed as they walked arm in arm back to her place.

Then why did they feel so distance?

Why was she having trouble look him in the eye?

Why did the edges of her lips curl down when she smiled now?

He held her in his arms, folded her around him as they snuggled on her couch.

That’s when she told him. A mumble into the heat of his skin.

“I thought you were coming to Boston when you’re done?” Bryce was stunned.

He thought they had settled on a plan weeks ago that she’d be back in Boston and they’d share his apartment and they’d start their lives together.

“I was. But they offered me an opportunity of a lifetime, B. And it’s kinda nice being close to my family... I didn’t realize how much I was missing out on..”

He said the next words so quickly and full of honest intentions: “Do you want me to move?”

She didn’t expect him to offer that. He knows how important his career is to him.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” “Sure you could. I still have three years left of residency. Could transfer nearby.” “Another transfer? Don’t you think that’ll put you behind?” “I’m the top resident at MK and was at Edenbrook. Didn’t you know?”

He tried to joke but the way she wouldn’t look him in eye has his chest constricting.

“Do.. do you not want me to move?”

Tbh she hadn’t given much thought to her relationship or goals in months. It was all just wishful thinking when she spoke of things with Bryce.

She had her eyes on the prize and that was becoming the best doctor of her generation. She’d been much too busy fabricating her new life.

“I don’t know.”

Bryce sat back. He thought she was the one. “What are we doing, Rebecca?”

She gave a confused furrow of her brows.

“Are we end game?” he clarified, trying to keep his calm.

Her jaw opened and closed, trying and failing to find all the words she needed him to hear; “I don’t know.” “Okay. I’ll tell you what I DO know. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life making you snort and smile. I can transfer residency and move here for you. All I’m asking, is if you feel the same way.”

There was a wall of silence between them towering so high.

“I love you so much, Bryce.”

It was said so softly he might’ve missed it if he kept talking.

The sadness etched on her face and the light reflecting off the glistening in her eyes told him she wasn’t ready to commit.

She wasn’t going to commit.

Bryce grabbed his bag, snatched his keys and wallet from the table, and walked out the door.

#Anonymous #asked #open heart #open heart headcanons #bryce x mc #bryce lahela #hc

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saeysooo · 4 years

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♚ yandere arcana ; main 6 headcanons {crybaby} ||

♡ tw: psychological terror, possession, manipulation, murder ♡ gender-neutral / female apprentice

♜ asra alnazar ; tag, you’re it ♜

They were your master, you their apprentice; But that relationship wasn’t enough to suffice Asra. NOT EVEN CLOSE! They wanted to be yours... Or more so they wanted you to be theirs!

They would watch you through your windows... In fact, they would follow you everywhere! You were so perfect to them, especially whenever you would get undressed after a long day of training. Your soft skin, the adoring stare in your innocent gaze... And yet you had no idea who was watching you behind open curtains.

“You’re so cute! I can just cut you up!”

“Let’s go on an adventure together... What do you say, darling? No..? It’s funny how you think you have a choice!!”

“Then how about we play tag~? If I win, you’re mine. If you win... Well, you’re still mine! You’re mine, ALL MINE!! Run darling!! RUN!”

Maniacal laughter invaded your thoughts, crawling across your skin as you ran for you fragile little life.

They pushed you to the ground, holding you in their dominating grip. At a loss for words, it was too late to scream for help, cry. And even if you did, they wouldn’t let you go!! YOU LOST THE GAME!!

They had no idea before... That YOU were their poison; the bittersweet wonder that they were always searching for on all their adventures into the unknown. There was no way they can give up such a rare flower!

Fluffy, white hair tickled your cheek, their lips dragging across your skin, leaving the mark of their adoration upon you.

“My mother used to tell me that I should pick the best lover... Oh, I love it when I hear your breathing... I know that you won’t ever leave me!”

Where were you...? CAN ANYONE HEAR?! HELP, PLEASE!! ...Ha, you’re talking to yourself!! Silly apprentice, they trapped you in their oasis~!!

♜ julian devorak ; mad hatter ♜

He’s absolutely. Fucking. INSANE.

Julian Devorak was CRAZY for you! Perhaps it was the drugs he experimented with that drove him to his insanity... Or not!

“WHERE IS MY PRESCRIPTION?!”

Maybe it was just the sole factor that you were the only person that showed so much attention to him!! He drowned himself in your touch, the mere sight of you. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do just to hear you call him such endearing things; things only reserved for HIM!

“Wonderland is wherever you are, pumpkin!!”

There wasn’t one dream where you weren’t in it; driving him absolutely nuts. There were so many wondrous things the two of you would do: Skinny dipping in a rabbit hole, painting roses red with his blood, getting high together off helium. Or perhaps the two of you can get drunk off a blue caterpillar and fool around?

The feeling of you being in his mere presence made him want to tear the skin off of him, he wanted so badly just to hold you!!

“IT’S ALWAYS JULIAN NO, JULIAN PLEASE JUST LISTEN! Pumpkin, you DON’T UNDERSTAND! My brain is absolutely SCATTERED whenever you are around, can’t you see!?!”

And by lord how much he loved roleplaying in the bedroom with you. He would go as far as to make costumes and everything to get the scene he wanted to play out absolutely perfect!

“How about this~ Oh I know let’s do some improv acting!! It can be a drama! You can be Alice, and I’ll be the Mad Hatter!”

No matter who you told, nobody would accept or believe that Julian was absolutely insane. He was beyond a histrionic, and it was all because of you. You did this to him. You made him fall in love so fucking hard it drove him mad. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!

♜ nadia satrinava ; cake ♜

Everything about you was absolutely divine to the Countess. They would bend over backwards to make you happy, to have you stay in their loving gaze. Even if you wanted to leave... She wouldn’t allow it! Can’t you see?! YOU’RE ALL HERS!

Every night you would return home, Nadia felt as if a huge part of herself was missing. You were perfect to her, don’t get her wrong... But there was one ingredient to you missing that was stopping you from being absolutely divine: Her love.

You were warm to her like an oven, your kisses upon her cheek always so sweet like sugar. Your fingers were silk-like, every single time you touched her. Your skin tasted like buttercream and you smelled like vanilla! Every sense she felt around you was filled with empty calories... Calories that would never satisfy her until you were all hers.

You saw her as nothing but a friend... And oh how much she hated that. The thought of you not being more than such a berating title made her skin crawl, her jaw tightening with anger.

It was when you started dating someone else that she felt more than betrayal... Oh no she went ABSOLUTELY. FUCKING. MAD.

“I am NOT a piece of cake, flower!! How can you just discard me like I didn’t love you more than them?! HOW CAN YOU LEAVE ME WITH NOTHING BUT A FROSTED HEART THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE YOURS?!”

“I planned everything out perfectly when I was with you!! The dates, the outfits, the sex! ALL OF IT!!”

Nonetheless... she found a way to forgive you. That’s what a Countess does, forgive those who have made mistakes!! Oh how much you will miss your lover... But it will be okay! Soon you will have another!!

“I’m taking back what’s mine... And showing you a slice of heaven that you can have when you are mine. Not that you weren’t already mine~!”

♜ muriel of the kokhuri ; teddy bear ♜

What was once his cold, exposed heart? He couldn’t even remember anymore. Despite all his attempts to push you away, isolate himself once more... You showed him love, gave him a space in your heart that was unmeasurable. And he didn’t want to admit how much he loved it.

You could never be scared of Muriel, knowing he was just a big teddy bear! You found it absolutely endearing whenever he talked in his sleep, saying all the things he would do to you, nervous beyond belief!!

It was when you started finding knives under his pillow in the morning, crumpled photos that he had drawn of you, destroyed pieces of wood that he whittled of you... That doubt began to sprout in the midst of your naive heart. Should you be scared?

What was once a comforting and quiet energy... Became malicious and violent. His love for you seemed to only extend farther than what you could perceive “healthy.” How can love become so violent?! What happened to the sweet, gentle giant that sparked a newfound feeling in his mind?!

There was only one thing you wish you did... RUN.

It was when you disposed of the myrrh he had given you to forget him... That he went absolutely mad. How can you just try to dispose of him?! ACT LIKE YOU DIDN’T KNOW HIM? HOW COULD YOU??!

What was a normal, rainy day was filled with nothing but sheer terror. He was inside your home!! WHO WAS HE?! ... YOU’RE SCARED! But oh how you had brought this upon yourself!! SO WHAT IF YOU’RE FUCKING SCARED?!

You were unprepared when his heavy breaths radiated off of the walls, bouncing around inside your mind... He was absolutely silent... When he tried to bring a knife down upon you.

♜ portia devorak ; dollhouse ♜

There was nothing Portia wanted more than for you and her to be a perfect couple, someday a perfect family even. Pepi, you, and her... Alone in her cottage, living a domestic life. How wonderful does that sound? Absolutely HEAVENLY to her, that’s for sure!!

To the public, you and Portia were, in fact, the perfect couple! She was absolutely angelic to anyone who met her eye, and you were her darling lover, an endearing doll of hers that she kept close to her. She opened the walls of her home to you, to her heart!

But soon people started to see something... different between you two. Were you really as perfect as you looked?

She’s coming... SHE’S COMING!! Swinging the attic door open, her wide smile offered an array of madness that couldn’t begin to be assessed. Her giggles filled your ears, what was once something you loved became something you came to fear.

When was the last time you truly thought for yourself? Portia did everything for you. She coddled you, fed you, dressed you, did your makeup, told you when you can speak, when you were to sleep. There wasn’t a moment where you were anything else but her rag doll, controlled and motivated under her loving hand.

“You were absolutely wonderful today, doll!! The way people looked at us. We’re perfect together!! EVERYONE THINKS IT, DON’T YOU?”

No matter how perfect everyone thought the two of you to be, you saw what everyone else didn’t see of Portia... How terrifyingly. Fucking. Insane she was.

But this is all your fault. You tried to run, tried to ruin the perfect facade Portia built up in her head. She just had to take things into her own hands to make sure you stayed! AND NOW LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!!

♜ lucio morgasson ; milk and cookies ♜

What else is there to say?! He LOVES YOU!!

He locked the doors of the palace at night. He needed to know you were there with him, in his arms, sound asleep... But when you tried to run, Lucio lost his trust in you; Trust that you can be alone.

“YOU SHOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU TRY TO FUCKING CALL FOR HELP AGAIN, LITTLE BIRD!!”

Every night became the same; Lucio spiking the milk that put you to sleep; enough poison in it where he would be able to bend you to his will. Day by day, you grew weaker, unable to think for yourself. He took his chance to hold you then, singing a lullaby to you until you were... absolutely... knocked out...

“Do you want me, little bird? Of course, I’ll hold you!! I’m here!”

When the plague hit, did Lucio care? Absolutely not!! All that mattered was that you were with him, until death did you part! But when Lucio got sick, ill-ridden with the plague... He needed a final resort... Something that would assure you both would be TOGETHER FOREVER

“I baked you cookies, darling bird. Do you like them? ...Do you want to know the secret ingredients? Well, it’s a little bit of sugar... And a LOT of poison! ...Oh look how tired you’re getting. Perhaps I should put you to bed? The plague can’t kill you if I do first~! But don’t worry!! I’ll be join you VERY soon, my beautiful bird!”

He held you close to him, the sickening look in his reddened eyes absolutely deadly, filled with lust. There was nothing more soothing than seeing the pure innocence on your face when you were asleep. He sang you a final lullaby, before he set the room aflame... Ashes, ashes... If he was going to die, you were going to go down with him!! Amongst the fire surrounding him, he found solstice in knowing you were waiting for him, beckoning him to join you in the supple whisper of death. Because even in death... You couldn’t escape him; Death couldn’t do you part!

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*Author’s Note: I re-listened to the crybaby album and heard certain lines in different songs that set off my yandere writing radar. I stayed in my seat for 4 hours writing this as well... So I really hope you enjoyed!

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newathens · 4 years

Text

sally and amphitrite and poseidon iv. i will be honest idk how far this fic will go but it’s been so much fun writing it. i hope you have fun reading it xx—

“Reservation for Jackson.”

The restaurant was cavernous, two levels and a grand staircase, but still warm and welcoming. Candles burned at white-clothed tables. Light-hearted conversation filtered through the air. Low-lighting made everything overtly intimate. Amphitrite’s hand in hers was her focal point as they were led to their table.

Sally smiled behind her menu. They used her name.

Albeit—the Mist is what got the table. Still, it was the little things.

“Sally?”

“Hm?” she looked up to find green eyes on her.

“How was work?” Poseidon asked. She tilted her head and arched a brow. He smiled, “You know I care about the mundane human activities, as you refer to it.”

“It was just fine,” she said.

“And Jared?”

“Oh, still a dick.”

“Jared?” Amphitrite asked. Sally leaned forward, dropping her voice even though the chance of eavesdroppers was nonexistent.

“This annoying coworker I have. He’s technically a little higher up than most of us in the department, but we still all work in the same cubicles and eat our bag lunches, so there’s no reason for him to be as arrogant as he is. Also, he’s completely sexist. He hides it, but you can tell.”

Amphitrite hummed in reply and set her eyes downcast.

“Don’t smite him,” Poseidon followed without pause.

“Never without her permission.”

“You say that so casually,” Sally said.

“She’s trigger happy,” he said.

“You’re one to talk, earthshaker.”

The conversation went on from there. Only when the waiter came for their orders did there come a stumble.

“Oh, she doesn’t eat,” Poseidon said when the man had asked what Amphitrite would be having, then he glanced sideways to Sally. “She never eats. Refuses to, really. Thinks human food is below her.”

The waiter paled and Sally wondered, idly, what he was actually hearing. She smiled sympathetically. Again, the two gods played their staring game but in the end, Amphitrite ordered the salmon and wine. Expensive wine.

“What a dent that’s going to make to our wallet,” he said nonchalantly, but Sally watched how his eyes lingered on her. As if in shock. As if this was unheard of, something Amphitrite would only do once in a thousand years. For a special reason. . . or someone.

Sally didn’t want to be presumptuous, she couldn’t possibly be the one thing that broke a goddess’ eternal fast, so she took a deep breath and kept talking.

They laughed and joked and drank as the restaurant rose and fell in busy bouts around them. It felt natural in a way Sally hadn’t often experienced before. Sure, human connection was possible, but growing up without both parents always left the feeling of otherness.

With them, otherness was somewhat a prerequisite of belonging.

She was enthralled—couldn’t get enough of them. They seemed to glow the happier they got, a soft, golden shine that drew your eye to them. And the way their iris’ twinkled, the colors twirling, never quite staying still. The stories they told as if she had been there to witness—thank goodness she had brushed up on mythology or she’d be lost.

It all felt strangely familiar as if there had never been before, only now, and this is what was since the start. A wonderful thing to feel. No wonder she lov—

Sally pulled back. Not that far, she thought, not again.

When the main courses were served, Amphitrite stared at her plate. Even the fork looked foreign in her hand.

“You don’t have to eat it,” Sally said.

“No, I ordered it,” she insisted, though grimaced as the food hit her mouth. A grimace that turned to confusion.

Poseidon laughed behind his palm, which made Sally lift her own to hide a humored smile.

“It’s not. . .the worst thing in this world,” Amphitrite said.

And the longer they ate, the more her fork found their plates as well.

She had come to a decision.

Wine was a dangerous, dangerous drink.

Not because it muddled her senses—they were fine. Not because of loose lips—she kept biting her tongue. But because it made her stare—and for that, she would never forgive it. Together they conversed, caught up in a private matter as she had fallen silent. He tan, broad, raven curls. She lithe, sharp, red. Poseidon had his cuffs rolled up. Amphitrite, the fabric of her neckline, plunged deep down. They smiled back and forth amid small quips, unaware of the madness they drove her towards. The two gods, finally at ease, looking every bit a couple, were radiant.

Radiant. He had called her radiant.

Poseidon took Sally’s hand across the table as if sensing himself in her thoughts.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hi,” she sighed.

“I hope we did not cause you too much stress.”

“No, this was perfect,” a pulse passed between their palms. “It was perfect.” She glanced towards Amphitrite and found the same hard stare pinpointed at their hands. Her heart dropped down the staircase in the middle of the room, porcelain against marble, each clink clink clink echoing in her eardrums. She blinked away the brilliance, “I need some air.”

Amphitrite snapped out of it, “Come, I’ll go with you.” She gestured with her head towards the waiter approaching, which Poseidon caught and nodded in reply, a practiced set that reminded her quite vividly that they were husband and wife.

The goddess’ hand in hers was firm as they left, but it was simple to guide a doe if it was fool enough to believe you.

The frigid air tickled at her skin and she shivered, thoughts sinking into mindless chatter to hide from the cold, shocked when a coat found its way over her shoulders. Not her coat, not a new coat, Amphitrite’s coat.

“My coat,” Sally said.

“Don’t worry, he will bring it.”

Sally drew the fabric closer, running her fingers down its edges. It felt sleek, luxurious—something that was clearly not her own. She spoke suddenly, with fervor, “Will this work? I mean, are you actually okay with this?”

Amphitrite tilted her head, “Excuse me?”

“I saw you staring, earlier and just now. You look so, so angry when he touches me. There’s this burning in your eyes and it—do you hate me?” Sally bit her lip, not yet upset, simply filled with a vibrant adrenaline that kept her heeled feet numb.

Amphitrite slipped her hands inside the coat, around Sally’s waist, pulling them closer together. Her expression was gentle, almost embarrassed. The red of her hair glowed orange against the golden lights outside. “I do not hate you.”

Sally let out a sigh of relief.

“When I see you two, you have to understand, that was not hatred,” she lifted a hand to Sally’s cheek and slowly, traced the bottom lip with her thumb. “That was, I am—”

“Get on with the show, honey,” a gruff voice split through the moment.

At the end of the carpeted sidewalk, leaning against the pole of a decorative streetlight, stood a man with a cigarette in hand. He was clearly drunk. Rich, noisy, Wall Street.

Amphitrite fumed, a rushed breath escaping through her nose, and Sally slipped a hand around her wrist to distract her, possibly stop her.

But as life had proven before, timing was a bitch.

Poseidon joined them, walking much too confidently, stopping much too close, slipping a hand at the small of her back much too quickly to confuse the three of them for anything other than what they were.

The man laughed, “Oh shit, cheers to you, buddy. Living the dream.”

He understood fully the situation as she slipped her other hand along the collar of his coat. Sally felt very much like the owner of two Dobermans lying in wait for their prey.

“It’s one stupid human,” she tried nonchalantly.

“One too many,” Amphitrite countered.

“I meet douchebags every day and I never kill any of them.”

“Who said anything about kill?” Poseidon asked.

“How sinister,” Amphitrite said.

“Vindictive.”

“Downright evil.”

Sally made a point of looking unamused. Amphitrite pulled her away suddenly, farther from the man, and her nerves uncoiled only to spike again when she noticed Poseidon didn’t follow. Too soon did the goddess whisk her ‘round the corner, slipping into the shadows, away from roaming eyes, where she could not meekly protest.

For truly, it was deserved.

Over the centuries, sparse were the tales of sightings of the sea god, because most often, any sailor to witness him seldom survived.

But a small handful knew his real face.

He stepped closer to the human, silent despite the man’s conversation. And with each step, he seemed larger, stronger, more menacing, watching as the conversing died away to nothingness. The man tried for humor, only to lose all nerve and wait as the tense moment inched by, nothing but inches between them.

He could sense the fear of ten men all packed into one. It would satisfy her to keep it alive and so he retreated.

And in that retreat, the man threw out an insult.

The next moment, the human fell to its knees, pulling strings of seaweed straight from its mouth, choking up half the sea with it.

One more body fell into the pile.

They ran halfway down the block before stopping short.

“I’m used to tennis shoes,” Sally said and went to ramble until she caught Amphitrite’s gaze, who looked at her with bright eyes. Truly bright, glowing bright. Looking mesmerized and completely unaware, as if they hadn’t been interrupted. As if her husband wasn’t torturing a random human. “What is it—”

Amphitrite took Sally’s face like she had before and kissed her.

An urgent kiss that had her spinning. A quick kiss that turned into kisses. She gripped at the goddess’ blouse for dear life and hoped she wasn’t ruining it. It was a first kiss, one with meaning.

And when they pulled apart, Amphitrite appeared sated. “Jealous,” she said. “That was jealousy.”

“But I’m right here.”

“Don’t ask gods to explain themselves,” Amphitrite said and their laughter intermingled. “You two are so familiar with one another—”

“Well, I would hope so—”

“—and I want to be familiar with you.”

“I thought we already were.”

The goddess tilted her head as if to say but not like that or not enough. Even further, though, Sally realized between the explaining and admittance and pure intention there lay wanting. Desire.

The air was finally clear, it felt, at least, to her. All worries gone, confusion dispersed. She held a secretive smile, one that had Amphitrite opening her mouth, only to be stopped as Sally brought their lips together again.

A bit more forceful this time, enough for them to stumble, closer to the wall, where the cool stone held her steady. The kisses came smooth, like a river, one blending into the next, no end in sight. Hands traced her bodice, free from pretense, eager to please. She welcomed it, returned it.

The breakaway was instantaneous as a presence arrived, too close to be unaware of.

Poseidon stood a few paces back, both shocked and reserved, somehow. Somehow. In his eyes. It always came back to the eyes.

Amphitrite pulled away.

Sally was left alone, silent against the wall. She watched them play their staring game, but this one held no anger. They stood awkwardly, if a god could do that at all, looking scared, stressed. As if a debate was taking place, discussing the responsibilities and consequences of godly affairs. The nerve-wracking prospect of mingling with mortal beings. The natural way of gods and the livelihoods that were affected because of that.

That was exactly what was happening, she realized. Sally could not muster the reason as to why now, but she knew she was hurtling close to the possibility of losing one of them. Or both.

“I’m cold,” her voice pierced through the tension and snapped them back to reality. Her reality. Poseidon glanced towards her and extended his arm out. The coat hung there, an offering. She pushed off the wall, listened to the echoing click of her heels as she walked toward him, and took it from his palm. Then, without pause, before another beat of silence could pass, she placed herself against his instep, crowded close enough to fall off balance, and kissed him.

A kiss practiced and well-versed, gentle in her palms as they held his jaw, sure in his hands as they kept her steady. A kiss traveling down a path she had been many times before. She halted it a moment too soon, and turned without pulling away.

Amphitrite caught her eye and joined them, looking almost mesmerized. That couldn’t be though, she couldn’t mesmerize a goddess.

But she had mesmerized a god. Many times. Even now. So why not?

Sally blushed harsh between them, cradled by their presence, bracketed by their arms, borrowed coat heavy on her shoulders. Borrowed coat. She ducked her head.

“Warm now?” he asked.

“Shut up,” she said. The pair laughed and that laughter encircled her and she fell to ease. Whatever the moment could have been was gone. They stayed. They were hers.

“Where to now?” Amphitrite asked.

“I’m tired.” Her lie lingered amongst them.

“Well,” he shrugged, “To bed then I guess.”

Sally cleared her throat and nodded, “That would probably be best.”

Amphitrite gave a long, languid hum, “Oh, you two are ridiculous,” then pulled Poseidon by his lapel right over her shoulder. The sight of them kissing burned into her corneas as the earth gave way beneath her and they dispersed into a flurry of sea mist.

#my fics #sally jackson #pjo #should i post this to ao3? or like is it pointless #i mean i started this to get rid of writer's block #and this has sat in my drafts for months so. . .hm

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snortyport · 4 years

Text

(Un)Broken Happily Ever After Chapter 2

Summary- You’re friend has some wise words that you desperately need to hear.

Word Count- 3045

Pairing- Non idol!Tae x reader

Warning- None that I can think of, maybe swearing

A/N- Thanks so much for reading! After this chapter, the timeline will be a little different so enjoy the continuous timeline while you can lol

Previous | Masterlist | Next

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You pull up to Yoongi’s house, parking along the freshly mowed curb, the smell of fresh cut grass still lingering in the air. You pull your visor down to check your face over. Your sleep wasn’t very good, and your appearance isn’t hiding that fact. You let out a small sigh and then smile at yourself but dropping it seconds later. Who are you fooling? No one will believe that you’re fine.

He’s probably going to know something is up. Look at me, I look terrible. He’s one my best friend and can usually read my emotions before I can.

Grabbing your bag and exiting the car, you walk up the driveway to Yoongi’s house, wishing to whoever is listening that things could go back to the way they were. When you and Tae still cared about your relationship.

Standing at his front door, you knock three times, your knuckles scraping on the wooden door. After a minute of waiting, you knock again, harder. You know Yoongi likes his sleep and usually works the midnight shifts at Open Mic Night Café where he’ll often stay late to play the café’s instruments once all the customers have gone home. So maybe coming here so early wasn’t the right move. But you’re here now and you don’t think you have the mental capacity to drive somewhere else.

You’re not even sure why you decided you come to Yoongi’s. Jungkook is your oldest friend, having known you since childhood. You’d only met Yoongi when you became friends with Tae four years ago, a year before you started dating. And yet when thinking of whose house to come to it was Yoongi who popped into your head. Maybe it’s because he’s so much quieter than the rest of your friends. He doesn’t ask questions, rather he’ll sit in silence with you while you think over your problems. He’s a quiet comfort and that’s what you want right now.

You don’t want to talk about Tae, or why you broke up. You don’t want to sit for hours while someone tells you that you’re great and things will work out. You just want to sit in your own head and not do anything. And Yoongi’s place is the perfect spot for that.

You know he won’t make you talk about your feelings because right now you don’t totally know what you’re feeling.

Hell, you haven’t even cried.

So how are you supposed to know how you’re feeling? It’s too soon and the only thing you feel is tired.

You knock on the door harder, but instead of stopping after three knocks, you keep going. That’ll get him up.

You hear angry ranting and feet stomping on the other side of the door. “First they mow the lawn at the ass crack of dawn and now this jackass keeps kno—” he pulls the door open with gusto; rage written on his tired face. His face goes slack but morphs into confusion when he see’s it’s you. He’s wrapped in his comforter from his bed and his hair is sticking up in every direction. He squints at you in the early morning sun, looking between your face and the duffle bag hung on your shoulder. “Y/N? What’s wrong? What are you doing here so early?”

And with those simple words, your walls come crashing down. Your face contorts as a sob rips from your throat. You cover your face as the tears start streaming down your cheeks.

It’s over! It’s really over! I left! Why did I leave?

Yoongi watches you in horror. You show up on his doorstep after waking him up after only a few hours of sleep, and then you start sobbing hysterically. You feel bad putting Yoongi in this position, but the tears don’t stop. He’s never been good with anyone crying and here you are, at his door like the worst Amazon package he didn’t even order.

He opens his opens his arms without saying a word, and you rush him. You squeeze your arms around him, pressing your face against his shoulder where your tears soak into his shirt. He wraps his arms and the blanket around you and the two of you stand there. Yoongi doesn’t say anything as he lets you cry on his shoulder in his doorway for what feels like hours.

But when you finally calm down enough to stand on your own, the sun had barely risen above the houses on the other side of the street.

Yoongi grabs the bag off your shoulder, dropping it onto his and turns around to go farther into his house. You close the door before following him into the kitchen. He sets your bag down on the dining room table, motions for you to sit and silently starts moving around his kitchen, grabbing two mugs, and setting the kettle to boil. He digs in his fridge and brings out a half-eaten chocolate cake.

When the water boils, Yoongi pours it into the mugs and adds just the right amount of honey without you having to tell him. He brings everything over, setting your mug in front of you. He opens the cake container and hands you a fork. You eye the cake for a second, debating if chocolate cake first thing in the morning is a good idea, but fuck it, you’re sad and cake will help.

“Now, you ready to explain why you’re here crying on my doorstep,” he leans back in his chair to check the time on the oven, “at six thirty-eight am on a Saturday instead of curled up in bed with Tae?”

“I’m sorry, Yoongi,” you mumble and look down at your brewing tea, not quite sure if you’re stable enough to talk about it yet. You swallow thickly and look up into his concerned eyes. “Me and Tae broke up,” you say quietly.

“You… broke up? With Tae?” he asks, his face tangled in bewilderment. “I thought he was endgame or whatever. Something big must have happened? Did he cheat on you? I swear I’ll go over there right now and beat him up. I’ll stop and grab JK on the way too,” he says, standing up from his chair, letting the blanket drop to the ground. You can’t help the small smile that slips onto your face, but you shake your head and he sits back down and pulls the blanket over his lap. You love that he’s willing to beat up one of his best and oldest friends for you.

“You don’t have to do that,” you shake your head, your smile sliding off when your mind drifts back to Tae. “It wasn’t one big thing, but lots of little things that have just piled up and piled up and piled up until it finally came crashing down on me,” you say, wrapping your hands around the warm mug. “I just couldn’t handle it anymore,”

“Couldn’t handle what? What was he doing?”

“It was more what he wasn’t doing,” you look up into his baffled eyes. You sigh and take a sip of your tea. “I don’t know how you get it so perfect…” you mumble, taking another sip, letting the hot, calming liquid sooth you into talking.

“I work at a café remember. I make the best drinks. Now what wasn’t he doing? I’m confused,”

“Remember when that little boy died? And how bad Tae had gotten?”

“Of course. It changed him completely. I thought he was in a good place now?” he asks and takes a bite of cake.

“He is, but, when all of that was going down, he could barely get out of bed let alone clean, so I did all the housework,” you say twirling your tea spoon in your mug. “But when he started feeling better, I thought he’d start helping out again, but he didn’t. I’d come home from work and there’d be a huge mess. I’d ask him to clean while I’m at work and I’d come home, and the apartment would be even messier than before. I’d clean it after I’d get home from work and the next night I’d have to clean again. It’s just become too much,” you take another sip of tea.

It sounds stupid now that you’re saying everything out loud but caring for an able bodied, grown man that’s acting like a child is exhausting.

“I’d work late and there would be no supper waiting for me. He’d order takeout for himself and give me his few bites of leftovers when I got home. We haven’t been on a date in, fuck, forever. I don’t even know how long. Conversations have started ending in fights,” you sigh, “and I guess I’m just tired of it all. It almost didn’t feel like we were in a relationship. I felt more like a parent nagging her son to do his chores. It’s so tiring.” Tears spring back into your eyes and a lump forms in your throat. “I’m so tired, Yoongs,” you rest your head in your hands as the tears fall.

He brings his chair beside yours so he can rub your back. He sits there while you cry. He doesn’t tell you things will be ok, or that you’ll get over him, and you’re glad he doesn’t. You wouldn’t believe him right now and you don’t need pointless words of comfort.

When the crying episode ends, you lean back in your chair, wiping your eyes.

“Did I make a mistake? We’ve been together for three years. Am I really going to throw that all away without trying to fix it in the first place?” you ask him desperately.

“It sounds like you guys just weren’t working. I don’t know if talking things over would have helped,” he says, placing his hand over yours on top of the table. “Sometimes people need time apart to realise what they’re missing. If after some time apart you still love him and want to be with him then go and see him and maybe that’ll be it. But if after some time apart you don’t want to get back with him… then you’ll know I wasn’t meant to be,” he leans back in his chair and takes a sip of tea.

“What if I want to get back together but he doesn’t?” you ask timidly.

He sighs and takes a moment to think. “Well, then you leave him be. It’s a risky game to play but hopefully it’ll pay off the way you want it to,” he sips the last of his tea and stands up to take it to the sink. “I think you did the right thing though. Taking some time away from each other. I think it’ll do good for both of you to be on your own for a bit.”

“I do too… but… I really miss him. Even though we didn’t do a lot by the end, just being in his presence was comforting, you know? Like we mostly sat on our phones and ignored each other, or Tae would play video games and I sat on my laptop, but it was nice having someone there, it wasn’t lonely,” you smile sadly at the almost finished cake. You put the lid back on after taking one more forkful, then you get up and put it back in the fridge. “Why do you put cake in the fridge by the way?”

“Because I like it cold, and it holds its shape better. Now, I get it’s nice to have someone to help stop the loneliness, trust me I do, but that doesn’t mean you should be using the wrong person to do it with,” he pats your shoulder.

“But he was so right at first. Why did that change?” you whine, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Sometimes the right people come into our lives at the wrong time. You met in senior year of university, right when you should have gone out and started your life, but you stayed here with Tae. I’m not saying that was a bad thing, but you didn’t get out there and do what you wanted to do,” he grabs his blanket and wraps it around himself again. “Didn’t you want to move across the ocean after you graduated?”

“Well yeah, but Tae didn’t want to move away from everyone right after we graduated so we were going to move when we were more settled, you know, when we had more money,” you shrug your shoulders, “but then we just never left. Life happened and plans changed.”

“Well, life has changed again. Why don’t you go now?” he suggests.

“I guess I could, but I don’t know if I want that anymore,” you tell him. “I have a good job; all my friends are here. I just don’t think I want to leave. If I’m being honest, I don’t really know what I want to do with my life anymore. But you’re right, I used to have dreams and aspirations. I guess I put those aside to make Tae happy. Not that I haven’t been happy too, I was, but everything I did, I did for Tae.”

“And that’s fine. If you were happy and that’s how you wanted to live, then good on you. But now you can figure out what you do want to do. Even if it takes you months, or you decide to you don’t want to do anything then that’s fine too,”

“Right now, I have no idea what I want to do,” you say, shaking you head.

“And that’s ok. You can figure out first how to be you without having someone hanging off you everyday,” he tugs the blanket closer to him, and yawns. The purple dark circles under his eyes giving away how tired he truly is.

I’m such a bad friend for keeping him awake and listening to my problems when he’s so clearly tired.

“I’m sorry, Yoongi,” you say, wringing your hands together.

“For what?” he looks on at you with confusion.

“For coming here, waking you up and dumping all my problems on you,” you shuffle your feet on the spot.

He steps closer, presses his hands against your cheeks, and lifts your face up. “You don’t need to apologize. You’re my best friend, I’m always going to be here for you,” he kisses your forehead and stares deep into your eyes, which if anyone else did that, you’d be blushing and thinking they have ulterior motives, but it’s different with Yoongi. There has neve been any kind of sexual tension, ever, since becoming friends.

Tears spring to your eyes at his kindness but he wipes them away as they fall with his thumbs.

“Why don’t we go back to bed. You can stay in the guest bedroom for as long as you want,” he drops his hands and grabs your bag for you. He takes off out of the room and down the hall to the bedrooms. You have no choice but to follow him as he makes his way to your new room.

You’ve stayed in this room many a times. Drunken nights out with the group and being too tired to go all the way home, snuggling tight with Tae. Nights when Tae was still working, and he’d have the graveyard shift and you didn’t want to be alone.

He opens the door and throws your bag onto the bed.

“You know where everything is so if you need anything, just get it,” he scratches his head and looks you over. “You sure, you’re ok?”

“I’m… I’m ok right now. Thank you so much Yoongs,” you say, your voice cracking at the end. Without saying anything, he pulls you into a blanket hug and rubs your back. He lets you go and turns to leave, waving over his shoulder as he leaves your room.

You close the door behind him and then sit on the bed. You look around the empty room, taking in the blank walls and baren furniture. This is a bachelor pad through and through with almost nothing decorated except the main rooms. You fall back onto the bed, you head hitting the pillowy mattress, and you stare at the ceiling.

Do what I want to do? What do I want to do? Travel maybe? But my job would never allow that.

Maybe get a new job? No, I like my job and I finally have more responsibility.

Maybe I just do nothing right now like Yoongi said.

People are always saying you should have a dream, but you don’t. All you want to focus on is finding yourself. Finding what makes you, you. And maybe that can be your dream.

You became so reliant on having Tae around that you forgot how to be by yourself, and how to do things on your own.

As the sun’s rays glide across the floor and disappear with the arrival of the moon, you don’t move from your spot. You heard Yoongi leave his room a while ago. You debated going out to see him to thank him one more time for letting you stay, but before you could even sit up, he was shutting the house door to go to work.

So, you continued to lay there.

You mind racing with different scenarios.

Going back to Tae. Moving away from everyone and everything. Dying your hair fire engine red. Getting something pierced. Every thought bringing you closer to what you really want. And that’s to be better, not for Tae, not for your friends, or your job, but for you.

You’re a grown up and you’re always relying on someone. To go to a restaurant with you, to go shopping, even getting a pick me up coffee. You’re always calling one of your friends to come do things with you.

It’s time to grow up and become the independent woman you always thought you were.

No one is in your way. No one can stop you.

From here on out, it’s you, and only you. With maybe a little help from your friends, because let’s be honest, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but from here on out you’re your main priority.

Here’s to me and my new journey.

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Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Here’s to women finding themselves!

Tagged: @anatron9000, @sugalarity

If you’d like to be tagged, let me know!

#bts imagine #bts fanfic #bts taehyung #bts namjoon #break up imagine #taehyung #namjoon

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wongiemei · 4 years

Text

4. Fool

Thousands of years ago, many kingdoms were scattered around the world.

Civilizations from the Egyptians to the Mesopotamians, everyone lived in their respective territories without any concern. However, war usually broke out among these human kingdoms and sometimes, found victory to be too far away so they enlisted the help of the Underworld.

This world remained hidden from plain sight with the use of magic and they couldn’t risk the revelation of these curious little humans. From faes to werewolves and vampires to witches, the supernatural beings of the unknown world were trying to be safe.

However, as the great Pharaoh Khufu neared his deathbed, his doctors gained information about ways to preserve his life and his legacy. The Great Pyramid of Giza was only made possible by the help of the witches from the Kingdom Meraki. Khufu exchanged his soul for the creation of his pyramid, including spells and enchantments specifically to keep out unwanted visitors and robbers. Due to Meraki’s reputation of being the artistic and architectural kingdom, the pyramid remained intact for thousands of years.

This agreement between the Merakis and the Egyptians formed the first alliance of the Human and the Underworld. Egypt became a superpower during its time.

But of course, there comes a time where everything will eventually fall apart, no matter what spells or enchantments were placed to preserve the pact.

An arranged marriage between an Egyptian prince and a Meraki princess was supposed to strengthen the alliance but with the news of the death of the princess crushed that hope. Furthermore, the prince was accused with killing the girl as he was thought to experiment and research their kind and what made them so different.

With anger from the betrayal of the humans, Meraki, along with their Underworld kingdom allies, snarled at the Egyptians and the rest of the Other World, developing a deep hatred as one of their kind was killed by the hands of a human.

The High Meraki King, Suleimon, was driven mad with the death of his daughter and forever cursed Egypt, never letting them be a stable kingdom for as long as they stand.

A crime in one of the Kingdoms was a crime to all of the Underworld.

Although you’ve never been good at planning, this auction seemed to be taking a lot of your energy. With the stress of it and combined with the sudden intense thirst for blood made it hard for you to even focus at all. Inviting Jisung for a midnight hunt in Australia, you both satisfied your hunger from this town called Riverun, disguising the mangled corpses as murdered bodies.

Jaemin noticed your skittish and different behavior and-he couldn’t believe it himself-was slightly worried.

He often found you slumped over your desk in your office or already passed out on the bed by the time he got home from hanging out with the others. It was known that vampires don’t get physically tired but they were most vulnerable and capable to breaking down under mental exhaustion.

Holding a glass of pig’s blood and walking towards the familiar gold door on the right, he casually walked in without bothering to knock.

“What is it, Orendian?” You didn’t even look up as you knew who it was based on the scent he carried.

Peaches and Chocolate.

“Visited Mother and Father today. It wasn’t a pleasant appearance but they have grown to live with it. After all, the fate of their country rests on my hands. It’s best if they don’t anger me otherwise,” he answered.

A sigh escaped your lips and you massaged your temple with your right hand. “What do you really want, Na Jaemin? Because I know for sure you’re not just here for small talk.”

Placing down the glass on the coffee table in front of the fireplace, Jaemin leaned against the wall and crossed his arms before speaking. “I have grown worried about your health, Kalon spawn. This auction is not as big of a deal as it is. You being too exhausted to even speak to the press with me, or even being too tired to make love to me at night, has caused quite a concern.”

Finally looking up and peering at him through your circle glasses, you sent him a glare and growled. “You’re nothing but a face to the kingdom and a horny little shit. I’d hate to kill you before you could even wear that ridiculous green crown of yours.” Your fingers went up to slowly take off your rims and held it for a second before sending him a sickly sweet smile. “So if you could, the door is right there. I can’t be bothered to show you out.”

It seems that little comment angered him as he marched up to you and roughly placed his hands on the oak table. His red eyes glared into your own and he slightly bared his fangs.

“Do not speak to me like that, you dirty blood spawn.”

“Then don’t treat me as if I’m just a toy that you can play with and take with you wherever you want. I’m a woman, Na Jaemin. So treat me like one.”

Days after your spat, you haven’t exactly spoken any words to him as you were usually asleep when he arrived or he was asleep when you climbed on the bed. This time, it was the same thing. Except today, he wore nothing so you were able to see his bare chest. Propping yourself on your elbow, you laid on your side and examined every little eyelash as you couldn’t fall asleep. It wandered down to his ridiculously perfect nose, to his cupid’s bow, and to his plump lips that looked a little dry from the gusts of wind that came in through the small window.

If he wasn’t such a dick and a bitch, he would’ve looked handsome to your eyes. But the way he has treated you has made it nearly impossible for you to be able to see him as nothing but a little shit.

Eventually wandering down to his neck and Adam’s apple, you noticed about a dozen green lines that looked really familiar to you. Seeing the faint lines trailing farther, you clenched your jaw in anger and fury.

You may hate his guts but you weren’t able to let him be killed by someone else.

You will be the one to do so.

After a particularly late night with just hanging up on the phone with Donghyuck, you entered the bedroom with Jaemin sipping his nightly tea and Jun bowing towards you before starting to the door. Smelling a particularly strong smell, you almost stumbled walking towards the bed and your eyes widened, immediately recognizing it.

With a quick flick, the delicate China cup fell from his hands and the contents of it spilled below on the beige carpet. Jaemin looked at you irritably and just looked at you with a slightly glare and furrowed eyebrows.

“What the fuck?” he drawled out. Your eyes flickered from the wet stain to his eyes and you scoffed.

“Are you a prince or not? More, a vampire prince? You idiotic excuse of royalty! How could you regard the cup was practically filled with poison! What’s more, fucking holy water!” You shrieked and Jaemin’s face shifted.

At first, he was shocked and completely confused but now, he was more than angry. He was murderous and livid.

“What did you just say?” An angry whisper pushed itself from his mouth and you grabbed his chin and pushed it up, making the view of his neck more visible.

“I noticed these green lines a few nights ago. I didn’t think much of it but I’m pretty sure what this is from. Someone has been poisoning you, Jaemin. I can smell that holy water and they must’ve used it to brew your tea.”

The only logical reasoning made you look up at him, teeth biting at your bottom lip. “The only thing I can think of is Jun-”

“Jun would never betray me like this. He’s been with me since I was a child. He would never do such a thing.”

“What else is there? Who else is there to blame?”

He wasn’t sure if he even believes you.

You can tell by the way his eyes inspected you that he thought you were just playing a game. Lying to him. But you bent down, bracing yourself as you touched the little bit of liquid still resting on the cup. You hissed at the slight pain and it confirmed your suspicions.

“it’s poisoned, Jaemin.” You confirmed and his brows continued to knit together. “However, I don’t know how you or Jun don’t smell it, or even feel it. There’s no marking on your body that indicates a charm and these faded lines show that this has been happening for a while. If I’m correct, even way before we were married.”

Jaemin just stared at you, emotion clear from his face. Such a serious accusation against one of his trusted men by a Kalonian princess. Who was he to believe?

“I believe you have been tricked so much in your life that you have no problem but to look past everything else and accuse my butler immediately.” Jaemin’s voice deepened considerably and you knew he was a little angry at your lack of faith to Jun.

A hint of a smirk flitted past your lips. “He’s nothing but a butler to you, prince. Yet, why do you protect him so?” Your head cocked to the side, curiously. “We can keep our friends at an arm’s length but our enemies can be hidden in the shadows behind us. That’s why I have no problem mentioning him as a suspect. In the end of the day, I am alone. You are alone. So what kind of fool lets himself be fooled by a little bit of friendship?”

In a blink of an eye, Jaemin has pinned against his wall beside the long window with his arm pressed against your throat.

“What did you just call me?” He hissed, expecting you to cower away from his fangs.

But you just placed a sly smile. “A fool.”

He pressed harder and your eyebrows knitted together, slightly pained. “But it’s okay. Sometimes you have to change your role as a prince to a fool. To be the fool to fool the fool who think they’re fooling you.”

He paused and looked at you different. “This is not a simple play that I can easily change my character and expect an understudy to take over. I am the future king of Kalon and Orenda, princess. I can’t trust anyone to bear the weight of that title other than myself.”

The pained expression behind his cold facade in his eyes made you wince as it felt familiar to you and you just can’t help but softly place a hand on his cheek. The bags under his eyes made it clear of the pressure being placed upon by his parents as he neared his coronation age. Although he never mentioned it to you, the reason for his visit to his family’s house was to prepare him for what’s to come.

And he didn’t like it.

“What do you expect me to do with Y/N?! Huh? What about her?!”

“It should be easy to you, Jaemin. She’s just a girl. A princess, sure, but just a girl. Once this is all over, you can have your pick at any girl you’d like.”

It took a bit of legilimency and it wasn’t easy as you were out of practice but with the help of the library and ancient Meraki spellbooks hidden away, you were able to look into his memories and you were shocked to see his defiance and refusal to betray you.

Despite everything he has done to you, you have equally tortured him and you didn’t think he was so bad. If anything, you were both the same.

“I was wed to you because my purpose is to share the burden with you, not to just be a handbag on your arm for the public. And I still stand by my statement. It’s okay to not be the prince for a second. You’re still a child, for devil’s sake. A foolish child, but it’s okay.”

Jaemin loosened the pressure and he looked down, his fringe covering his face. His fist shook with anger and he finally looked up to you with raging eyes. “It wasn’t my fault that I was placed into this life and I never asked to be the crowned prince. Don’t you think I have wanted to just be a child before? To go to parties and go to university like the other vampire children? But I can’t. I can’t because I was given the short end of the stick.”

A sympathetic expression graced your face and you couldn’t believe it but you gave him a slightly soft smile, understanding his pain. “I think we all have. But it’s harder for me because I’m just a woman. For me, it wasn’t to be a child. It was to be a man and be able to express myself without the restrictions of my gender. I couldn’t even tell you the amount of times I’ve been shot down and my ideas thrown out of the window because of what I look like. So we’re in the same boat, Na Jaemin. I can’t believe it’s taken us this long but we need to look out for each other. If we want to change the ideals of our families and countries, we must change and break away from the strings of our puppets.”

For the first time since he married you, Na Jaemin looked past your dress and your face. He saw a prisoner trying to get out.

He saw him.

Inviting him out for tea, Jaemin sounded genuinely surprised as Jun delivered the message from you. After several talks about the poisoning, Jaemin has become quite leery of Jun and was very suspicious as you even wanting to do anything with him was very unlike you.

Keeping on guard and watching Jun’s every move, he followed him out to the courtyard and let out a relieved sigh at the sight of you reading. He walked towards the table and saw an array of sweet edibles.

“I thought you didn’t like sugar?” He asked as he sat down. You looked up at him from your book and sniffed.

“Of course, I don’t. But you do.” You answered. “Also, peach tea, your favorite. I was unsure of how many sugar cubes you placed in it so I’ve just left it out.” You added before returning back to your book.

All he could do was look at you in shock.

How could you remember his affinity for sweets? Also, not minding the smell of the sweet tea even though nothing infuriated you more than the smell of peaches.

“Jun, could you leave us for a moment?” You asked without looking up from your book.

Jaemin saw Jun curtly nod and walk away through the doors and back to the house.

“What was that about?” He asked before shoving a cookie in his mouth.

Looking up, your lips curled at the crumbs around his lips and grabbed a napkin to wipe his lips. “Oh, do mind your manners, Orendian.” He stared at your face as it concentrated on getting rid of the bits of crumbs with the white napkin. “Anyways, I have done some research and of course, I was right.”

He chuckled after taking a sip of his tea and wiping his lips. “Quite a confidence there, princess.”

“Well, I touched the liquid and it was indeed holy water and the fainter the lines are, the longer it’s happened. It seems he hasn’t given you any until that night because if he has done it recently, it would be clear and evident. Green symbolizes the holy water and the thin lines were left as it burned its way down-.”

Jaemin listened but found himself distracted at the way your lips moved and the wonder if they have always been that pink.

“-And the question still remains. How do you not feel or smell it and how come nobody else noticed it?”

A playful smile-more like a smirk-appeared on his face to cover up the fact that he hasn’t been listening to your rant. “Oh? My Queen, you seem to be taking on an entire village’s role. You’re a princess, a planner, now a doctor? What else is there I don’t know about you?”

Mockingly smiling, you shook your head. “Ha ha, so funny. You see, there’s a difference between you and I. I’m educated and clearly, you’re not.”

Obviously taking offense to that comment, he widened his eyes at you. “Excuse me, Kalonian? Are you saying I’m stupid and illiterate?”

“Well, did you hear those words coming out of my mouth? But it’s good to know you think about yourself like that. However, now I wonder. If you think you’re stupid and illiterate, why do you act like such a pompous ass all the time?”

A hearty laugh filled the air and you watch in surprise at the way this boy in front of you scrunched his eyes in laughter and the corners of his mouth raised his cheeks.

This was clearly not the same one you married a while ago.

To your surprise, you were actually able to tolerate him for just one afternoon.

And all it took was a simple poisoned cup.

Sitting on the car with Jun sitting at the passenger seat, your fingernails dug into the leather of the seat and you tried to stop yourself from ripping open the door and tearing his head off yourself.

With the things he has done to your husband and the fact that he even tried to kill him with you in the house and probably knowing your goals, you felt disrespected and when that happened, you were going to take action.

“Your Highness, I have received word the Lee’s Butler that Prince Donghyuck is waiting for you at this address.” Jun informed from the front and you bit a cruel grin, knowing exactly where it was without even having to look at it.

“Oh, yes. Tell him we will be right there.”

With the excuse of wanting to have tea with the Lees, you told Jaemin you were bringing Jun along with you in case you needed him. On the plane to Cerilian, you took note of Jun’s odd behavior, knowing that being an Underworlder made him so anxious to be so high up and so close to the Heavens.

Or it could be the guilty conscience.

The drive there felt like you were driving straight to Lucifer’s palace with how long it took but you finally arrived at a manor. The manor that was only used by Donghyuck for special reasons.

Jun opened the door and walked out first before opening your door and holding out a hand to help you out. Biting back your disgust, you daintily hovered a hand over his gloved one and took off your sunglasses, strutting to the main door where 2 tall men stood guard.

“Hello, gentlemen. Pleasant day?” You asked sweetly. They looked at you and returned to their fixed gaze above your head.

“Princess Y/N of Kalon has requested to see Prince Donghyuck.” Jun said and the men stood the side and pushed the door open.

You sent them a bright grin and offered a loud ‘thanks!’ before entering the manor.

Inside, Donghyuck sat on the couch, messing around with what seems to be cocaine. You saw his concentrated expression melt away as he caught sight of you and opened his arms for a welcoming hug.

“Hello, princess! It has been a while hasn’t it?!” You nodded and when his red eyes rested on someone behind you, his grin grew wider. Very sadistically. “Oh! And you brought Jun with you!”

With an angry scoff, you looked at him pointedly. “Can we start, Donghyuck? I promised my husband I’ll be home tomorrow. And I’d love to cram a bit of sight-seeing of your country.”

Donghyuck bowed, “Yes, your highness.” And he stood up, a wicked glint in his eyes. “BOYS!”

The 2 men from outside entered and Jun looked out of sorts as they took him by his arms and legs before dragging him away.

“Y-Your Highness! Princess Y/N! Help! What-!” His yells silenced and you thought one of them knocked him out.

“Shall we, princess?” Donghyuck offered his arm which you took with a polite smile.

“We Shall.”

Jun woke up a few minutes later and he looked around wildly at the plain room and tugged at the restraints. He saw the 2 men with you and Donghyuck to the side. Trying not to look obvious, he closed his eyes and tried to use his magic to remove the ropes but to no avail, instead making it tighter which caused him to whine quietly.

“I wouldn’t try that, if I were you.” Donghyuck warned. “The more magic is done, the more it’s going to restrict. It can only be done with a Sterilian steel knife and it’s right here.” He patted his pants pockets.

“Your Highness! Princess Y/N! What’s the matter of this?!” He yelled and you only gave him a cold smile.

“What the hell is the matter with you? Poisoning your king and doing it under my fucking HOUSE!” You roared.

He grew quiet until he spoke quietly with venom lacing his voice. “My brothers and my father died in the war between Orenda and Kalon. Then their bodies were taken, blood drained to be dipped into your swords as it is the only thing that could cut vampire skin. You tricked our families and Meraki thinking you were doing good but you were doing it all wrong!” Jun looked up with angry and sad eyes. “All of us! We grew without a male and the only ones left in my family were taken and thrown into a fucking war they weren’t meant to be part of! You and your bullshit lies! All of you! Fraudulent!”

You’d be lying if you said his answer didn’t hurt because it did. Every night you thought about how terrible this alliance was and the lives lost for no reason. A single marriage in exchange for millions of lives.

Donghyuck remained silent so you spoke. “All of that happened under the leadership of our parents and our ancestors. We had no control of that. Jaemin and I? We’re going to change that, Jun. We want to break away from this and change our world to its full potential without the loss of any of our and your kind. We want to make this place a better place!”

“That Merakian princess? King Suleimon’s daughter? We know the truth. She was killed by you lot because of his obsession with her. Rather than taking ownership of it, you let the Egyptians take the blame and let Meraki loathe humans for thousands of years. All of you are liars from the very start. I may be foolish but I’m not a fool. You cannot deceive me with your lies. That’s why I did it. I did it because I had the closest connection to the future ruler of the Vampire World. I may not be remembered but I will avenge my country!”

“You crazy, ignorant son of a bitch,” Donghyuck sneered.

You walked over and placed a delicate finger under his chin to bring him to eye level with you. “Normally, I would understand people like you. Revolutionists, right? But you have tried to kill my husband, Jun. I can’t allow others to do that unless it was me. And bad things happen to the people who interfere with my plans.” You said and slapped his face.

“You will die for this, Kalonian! You and the rest of your kind!” He screamed and it became louder as the guards poured holy water on him.

Donghyuck had a cruel smile on his face as he watched the scene in front of him and he offered a match of fire, which you accepted.

Holding it tightly and ignoring the slight hiss at the proximity of the flame, you stood in front of Jun for the last time. “And Jun, before you go. Only my husband can call me that.”

And you dropped the match.

a/n: and that’s on self quarantine

taglist:

@d0dges @bobohu-s-ane-yeobo @heyyyun @thwia

46 notes · View notes

fablesrose · 4 years

Text

Of Kings and Shadows XX

Description: Y/n, a girl who seems to have found her calling. Being a SHIELD agent is like a dream come true. With a friendship starting to form with the Avengers, she’s the Queen of the world! What could go wrong?

Pairings: Avengers x reader, Loki x reader (eventually)

Notes: On Wattpad –> Here

Masterlist

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

"Nick, what are we doing here?" Tony was leaning back in his chair of the conference room, not looking amused. "Couldn't you have just stuck it in a file?"

Nick Fury stood at the head of the table, looking at every one of the thirteen people in the room individually. "We've come upon some new information about a new branch of Hydra and its top weapon."

Pietro spun in his chair with a groan, "I thought we had gotten rid of them."

"Well, kinda like a Hydra, if you cut off one head, two more grow back in its place." Fury answered him in a patient tone that everyone knew wasn't going to stay for very long if he kept being interrupted.

"Bold words about an organization with an octopus as its logo," Loki didn't even look up from his book that he didn't walk into the room with.

Clint swiveled to look at him in the corner of the room, "Loki, you gotta let it go."

"I will not!"

Fury began to talk loudly over them to regain their attention, "The organization changed its name to fit it's leader's dress up game, it now goes by The Kingdom, but as far as we are concerned, it is still Hydra."

"You mentioned a weapon?" Vision sat invested in the meeting, unlike most of the others.

"That's what they are calling her, yes."

"How long has she been active?" Bucky spoke quietly, but firmly from his seat.

Nick paused a moment, watching Bucky before he answered, "As far as we can tell at least three years."

"And you're just telling us now?!" Steve straightened in his seat, not happy with the lack of transparency.

"Cool it, Rogers, they didn't have any information other than that she existed." Nat looked up from cleaning her nails.

Steve raised his eyebrows at her, "Oh, and they told you?"

"No."

Pietro started to roll his chair around the room, "Why is this meeting so long?" He dragged out the last word as he rolled around the table.

Loki used his foot to stop him when he approached, "If you don't stop whining I'm gonna make sure repayment is unnecessary."

"I owe you nothing!"

"I'm pretty sure saving your life is the definition of you owing me something."

"Blah!"

"Alright!" Sam yelled, throwing his hands in the air, sick of the bickering. "What kinda powers this chick got?"

Tony held a few fingers to his forehead, "Do I need to call anyone? The spider-kid, King Panther? Ant-dude? The wizards?"

Nick took back control, "Not for now, Tony. We don't know where she is or where she is going to strike next. We know she is enhanced, but no one can figure out exactly if she has powers, and if she does, what they are. For now, we just need you to be aware. She is extremely skilled in infiltration and we have no idea what she looks like, just that she was able to take an extremely valuable target on their behalf at a high profile event we had under surveillance and walk out unnoticed, and unidentified."

"So what you're saying," Rhodes spoke up for the first time, "is that we don't know what she looks like, don't know what she can do, but she's out there. So lookout."

Fury sighed, "Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying."

"So," Bruce looked at Fury, puzzled, "what do you want us to do?"

He shook his head, "I don't know."

There were a few beats of silence, no one knowing what to do.

Thor was leaning against the wall, listening quietly, believe it or not, "And her name?"

Throughout the meeting, Fury had been standing, but at this question, he sat down to answer it, "They're calling her The Queen."

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

Another rich diplomat. Another party. And of course what's a party anymore without either a murder or a kidnapping? The real question is: why not both?

That's how it's been lately. The missions Noxy goes on are usually parties, balls, banquets. She goes in, gets the target alone with baffling ease, and either extracts the information herself right then and there, or delivers him to fellow agents and wipes her hands clean.

I've grown used to what she's doing. No matter how long or hard I tried to break free from the cage I was trapped in, nothing changed. Not even a blink.

So I stopped trying. I watched. I watched as she murdered. I watched as she tortured. I watched as she developed the unimaginable powers that were given. I watched as she became everything I wanted to be. I watched as she became everything I didn't.

I learned how to block out a lot of things that she did. It was manageable to block out one sense, usually sight. It got hard when I had to block two, and it became impossible if it grew to three. Touch was the hardest to stop. It was especially frustrating when that was all I wanted to block out.

The target was some rich dude with high standing in some organization that had some information that Henry needed. The briefings were the one time I was consistently not paying any attention. Once again her sights were placed upon a well dressed, old, white, balding man. The white dress that clung to my figure must have made my body irresistible to well dressed, old, white, balding men because while Noxy skirted just outside his circle, his eyes followed.

Just like all the others, he was caught hook, line, and sinker.

It was simple really, it was almost like there was a formula. Champagne glass half full held delicately by the fingertips. A casual lean against the bar, the leg with the slit slightly out-turned to show an inch or two of more skin.

They all think they're playboys. Just once I can't wait for Noxy to have to think of something different when having to get a well-respected scientist who loves his wife away from the crowd.

With a sultry stare and flirty introductions, a witty remark and the swing of the hips and they're gone from the crowd. His hand was planted at the small of her back, but the farther we strayed from the crowd the farther his hand strayed.

The mansion the banquet thingy was being hosted at was nice. It was nice as all of the other mansions were. He guided Noxy down a long hallway, farther and farther from all the people who could protect him. He eventually came to a large bedroom and opened the door, allowing Noxy to go in first.

I knew what was about to happen, so I started the theme song that I had come up for her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CduA0TULnow

I think I did it again I made you believe we're more than just friends Oh baby It might seem like a crush But it doesn't mean that I'm serious 'Cause to lose all my senses That is just so typically me Oh baby, baby

He closed the door with a barely noticeable click and began to approach Noxy. Unfortunately for him, she wasn't in the mood.

Oops, I did it again I played with your heart, got lost in the game Oh baby, baby

She picked at her nails for a moment before his eyes grew wide looking at her hands. The reason for his stare was the black pigment that spread from her fingertips up her arms.

Oops, you think I'm in love That I'm sent from above

He started to turn around, but Noxy was too fast for him. The darkness was too fast for him.

I'm not that innocent

A cloud, a shadow, that's what was emitted from her hands that engulfed the target's head and face. It was there for a moment, then it was gone just as quickly. His body collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

You see my problem is this I'm dreaming away Wishing that heroes, they truly exist I cry, watching the days Can't you see I'm a fool in so many ways But to lose all my senses That is just so typically me Oh baby, oh

With the target on her shoulder, she walked away from the bedroom window towards the extraction point, with heels on still, mind you.

Oops, I did it again I played with your heart, got lost in the game Oh baby, baby Oops, you think I'm in love That I'm sent from above I'm not that innocent

The mansion was built in a remote part of the world, surrounded by a forest with at least a hundred miles of privacy. Noxy scaled the uneven terrain easily enough, though she did occasionally hike up her skirt and push off of the trees to give her momentum.

Oops, I did it again to your heart Got lost in this game, oh baby Oops, you think that I'm sent from above I'm not that innocent

I'm not sure how long I've watched her go on these missions. I'm not sure when the last time was when I blinked of my own free will. It feels like a lifetime, but it also feels so close, like only yesterday I could brush my fingers through my hair and if I just pushed a little harder, I could do it again. I've been in here for months, I know, but if those months added up to a year or more, I had no idea.

Oops, I did it again I played with your heart, got lost in the game Oh baby, baby

Somehow, out of all the hundreds of miles of trees and darkness, Noxy came upon a pair of men. They looked to be surveiling. I had no idea who they worked for, but I could tell they were professionals. They saw Noxy too late, which is hilarious since she's wearing a stark white dress and heels with a man on her shoulder. Though she was naturally quiet, there's only so much you can do to muffle that sound. Noxy didn't even have to shift the target from her shoulder when she fired up her shadow hands, but she was not so merciful to these agents. From her fingers flew a beam of darkness. Technically I could barely see it from the combination of speed and the lack of light. The trees above carefully shielded the ground from the shine of the moon and her sister stars.

Oops, you think I'm in love That I'm sent from above

I've seen maybe thousands of beams just like it though. It mimicked the shape of an icicle, though made of shadows or some sort of unidentifiable pitch-black material. The first man fell to the ground with a gaping hole at the base of his throat. The second attempted to draw a weapon but was struggling to get the gun out of its straps. Noxy took the time to walk closer to him until they were no farther than a few feet away. I could see the fear in his eyes, and I'm sure he could see the indifference or maybe even pleasure in hers. She sent a spear of shadow into his stomach. She wanted him to die slowly. Or at least with how much blood was coming from the wound, slower.

He fell to the ground and tried to crawl away backward all the while trying to keep the blood inside his body.

Noxy didn't care anymore for him and left him to suffer in the dirt. She continued on in her mission.

I'm not that innocent

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

The Avengers were gathered in the common room for some downtime when F.R.I.D.A.Y caught everyone's attention.

"Director Nick Fury is calling."

"Put 'im on," Tony waved his hand as he sat down on the couch.

Fury was projected onto the screen in the common room and he was relieved to see that everyone was already there.

"What's up?"

Fury took a breath as if to prepare himself for what he was about to say, "We have a singular feature to identify The Queen with."

Everyone suddenly became quite serious and sat up in their seats. The more anxious ones scooted closer and were barely on the cushions waiting for him to elaborate.

Pietro was curious, but not too worried, "Only one?"

"Our informant died before we could get any more of a description."

Pietro swallowed but didn't speak again.

Fury had a grave look on his face as he revealed what they had to look for,

"She has black eyes."

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otterlydeerlightful · 4 years

Note

Sportarobbie: War AU + Proposal Fic

Totally did not reread this one...completely raw first draft here! XD

Robbie covered his head with a yelp as something exploded nearby. The man couldn’t keep his knees from knocking together as he did his best to shrink into the shadow of the wall, the only thing that stood between him and the heathens currently trying to destroy them. He heard something sail overhead and cringed, whimpering below.

“It’s okay, Robbie. You’re okay,” a warm voice assured him as a gentle weight came to rest over his shoulders.

He looked up at the beautiful pair of blue eyes gazing at him and the battlefield, however briefly, faded into the background. He wouldn’t have made it this far without Sportacus. It was such a strange thing to think that he and the relentlessly optimistic fool had made such a good pair. He loved the daft elf, but couldn’t for the life of him understand what had possessed Sportacus to initially ask him on a date. Who could have predicted that agreeing would have been the best decision of his life? Robbie was thankful to have Sportacus by his side now.

“You’re safe, Robbie,” his boyfriend assured him. Sportacus rubbed his back gently as he spoke. “We’re safe back here.”

“It’s only a matter of time,” the man choked out. “We can’t hold them back forever!”

“Then it’s a good thing this won’t last forever!” Sportacus said with a smile.

The both jumped as another projectile sailed over their heads and hit a nearby tree head-on. Sportacus instinctively shielded Robbie from the attack. The man below him swallowed and clung to his beloved elf even after the danger had passed. This was silly. He shouldn’t let Sportacus take the brunt of everything, but he was such a coward. A pathetic, lazy coward. He had to be braver than this…if not for himself, then for the man he loved.

“H-how can you say that?”

“Because it has to end some time, right? Someone has to win.”

Robbie stared, slackjawed. How the elf could be so blasé about war was beyond him. Maybe Sportacus had snapped from having seen too much carnage. Robbie fleetingly wished he could join him. Something hit the wall behind them and Robbie yelped in terror, diving forward and covering his head. Sportacus gently pulled him back up and wrapped him in his arms.

“It’s okay, Robbie. I promise.” His boyfriend paused, rubbing his back. “I think you are getting a little too upset, Robbie. Maybe we should—”

“Upset?” he asked in disbelief. Robbie flubbed for a few seconds before throwing his arms wide. “Sportacus, look at where we are!”

Sportacus blinked. He didn’t seem to know how to respond.

Another projectile flew overhead, exploding into the ground some distance away. Robbie whimpered. That, somehow, brought a decisive gleam to the elf’s eyes and Sportacus sat back on his heels to reach for their waiting ammunition.

Oh no— Oh no, what was he doing?!

“Sportacus!”

“I…think we should to end this, Robbie.”

“End…?”

Sportacus nodded. “I think that this has gone on long enough.”

The elf reached for the homemade catapult sitting beside him. It was a device of Robbie’s own design. A hybrid of a giant slingshot and a real catapult, really. It was easy lightweight, easy to use, but required a clear shot and precious seconds to properly aim at a target. And Sportacus was about to use it.

“Sportaflop, no!”

“Robbie?”

He froze, his heart pounding in his ears as the war raged around them. This was it, wasn’t it? One way or another, this was going to end...and it might be the end of them, too. What if they didn’t make it home? What if…what if this was it? Robbie’s mind suddenly filled with flashes of a life that never was, a thousand what ifs and words left unsaid. This might be his only chance. Their only chance. He needed to know. If they were going to face down the very real possibility of The End, he needed to know.

“Sp-Sportacus…when…when this is all over…”

His beloved waited patiently.

“When this is all over,” Robbie began again, “Would you…would you consider…”

“What, Robbie?”

“Would you marry me?” he blurted out.

Sportacus’ eyes went wide. “Wh-what?”

Robbie trembled, for once not in response to the carnage all around them. “It’s just…I love you! I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone and in spite of everything you love me back! You’re incredible and-and caring, and understanding, and you let me be myself, and just…y-you’re incredible, you stupid elf, and if we both make it out of here alive…I-I want to marry you. If you’ll have me.”

Sportacus immediately leaned over and pressed his lips against his love’s. Robbie melted under the man’s fingertips as they gently curled around the back of his neck in a loving caress. The pair parted to see one another again and, much to Robbie’s elation and relief, Sportacus was all smiles. His eyes practically sparkled.

“Of course I would marry you, Robbie. I love you!”

He felt himself smile, lips twitching slightly and his chin quivering. “I-I love you too, Sportacus…”

His partner—his fiancé—chuckled. “That’s good, then, isn’t it?” he teased before leaning back and tightening his grip on the catapult still in one hand. “If we’re going to get married, then I think we need to finish this as soon as possible!”

What? No—

“What are you doing?”

Sportacus stood quickly, ammunition loaded and ready by the time he was fully upright. He took the barest moment to focus on his target, and released. Robbie couldn’t breathe. Time moved slowly as he scrambled, limbs abnormally sluggish and heavy, to try and pull his love out of harm’s way. Sportacus’ aim was true, and he had fired far more quickly than most on the planet would be capable, but the movement hadn’t been instantaneous. And the moment he had reared his head, the enemy had honed in and fired a preemptive response. He was hit square in the chest. Robbie heard his own voice crying out in horror as the elf let out a surprised grunt and, as if in slow motion, stumbled backward and fell.

Robbie’s world shattered as he watched Sportacus hit the ground. Oh God. Oh God, no…was he…was he…?

“Yeah! Take that, Sportacus! We win!” a small but triumphant voice cheered from somewhere nearby.

Sportacus sat up with a laugh, his chest dripping wet and covered in the remnant of the exploded water balloon that clung to his uniform. He laughed and jumped to his feet, hands on his hips as he looked over the wall at the enemy. “That was a great shot, Trixie. Congratulations!”

“Nobody beats The Trickster when it comes to throwing water balloons,” the young girl bragged before high-fiving her teammates.

Robbie stared up at Sportacus. While still overwhelmed, his current reality slowly began to seep into his consciousness. Water balloon…oh, right. A game….it had all been a game. Robbie had been so elated to be included that he had completely immersed himself in his role. A little too much, it seemed. He—and Sportacus—had never been in any real danger at all. Sportacus was safe, he was safe, and….Robbie had….oh dear.

Without another word, Robbie scrambled to his feet and spun on his heel toward home. He was sure his face was as red as he felt it was, and the man didn’t know how to deal with that right now. At best, Robbie had just made a complete fool of himself with his stupid, spur-of-the-moment question.

The farther he got from the park, the worse Robbie felt. Sportacus had most likely thought his proposal all part of the game, a silly declaration of…nothing. He had spoken before having the time to thoroughly think over his own proposition, but Robbie found himself surprisingly devastated that his boyfriend’s response had been part of their game rather than genuine. The more he thought about the idea of marriage, at least to Sportacus, the more Robbie realized he really did want it. He wanted it…but didn’t see how on earth the elf would ever say yes for real. God, that had been humiliating.

“Robbie!”

The tall man cringed as the quick patter-patter of elven boots quickly came up from behind.

“Robbie, wait.”

He sighed, but did as he was asked and waited for Sportacus to catch up to him. His love’s brow was furrowed with worry as he approached. Sportacus touched Robbie’s arm and silently asked permission to meet his boyfriend’s gaze.

“You left so fast, Robbie. Is something wrong? It is not because we lost, is it? If it is, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made myself such a target.”

He kept silent and bit the inside of his cheek to channel his nervous embarrassment.

“…Robbie?”

A stupid thought crossed his mind. Robbie Rotten may be a genius, but that didn’t mean all of his ideas were brilliant. He wanted….no, needed to know if Sportacus would have said yes for real. But he didn’t know how to ask. Robbie wanted to know, yet he was terrified to know. Why did he have to get so caught up in that stupid game?

“What has you so upset?” his beautiful elf asked in obvious concern.

He swallowed, unsure what might come out of his own mouth until he heard it for himself. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You never do anything wrong…it’s not fair, really.”

Sportacus just looked confused.

“I don’t…I don’t do well with blatant face-value stuff!” Robbie whined, his arms flailing with emotion while he spoke. “It’s hard! It’s-it’s easier to just…you know….!”

The elf nodded. “I know, Robbie. I understand.”

“No, you don’t. I…it’s not just the disguises! Or-or the playing…it’s….ugh!” Robbie pulled at his hair in frustration, ruining his perfect pompadour. “This is stupid! I can’t believe I actually…arg, forget it! I’m going home…”

Sportcus was staring at him, eyes widening even as Robbie spoke. He grabbed Robbie’s shoulder when his boyfriend turned to leave.

“Wait…Robbie.”

He winced, but let the elf hold him in place.

“Did…did you mean it…when you said that you wanted to get married?”

Robbie’s stomach was in horrible, painful knots. He looked down at his feet. “Th-that depends if you’d laugh in my face or not,” he ended up mumbling.

The silence that followed did not instill much confidence. Robbie sighed and was about to apologize for his stupid impulsive question, but Sportacus spoke first.

“You meant that?” he asked in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. “You…really want to marry…me?”

“I know we were supposed to just be pretending—” And maybe he had done that a little too well in the moment. “—but I did mean everything I said. Y-you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and…and I really like the idea of being with you for, well, forever...I know I just blurted it all out like an idiot and I doubt that kind of thing is even on your radar—heaven knows I even surprised myself on this one—but…”

“Yes.”

Robbie halted mid-sentence. Robbie blinked a few times and quickly looked up at his elf. He had to have heard that wrong. Except Sportacus’ smile was as bright as the sun itself, and his smile was made of nothing but loving contentment. He reached up and cupped Robbie’s cheek in his palm. The taller of the two suddenly couldn’t breathe. Robbie’s chest felt tight.

“W-what?”

“Yes, Robbie. I would be honored to marry you. I love you more than anything in the world and I would love to grow old with you. I said yes to you then because I had wanted it to be real. My answer is the same.”

Sportacus leaned in for a kiss that Robbie was only too happy to meet. The elf soon enveloped him in his strong arms and Robbie cradled the back of the elf’s head in return. Suddenly, Robbie didn’t feel quite so foolish as he had mere moments ago.

......I know, I know--I cheated! But this was the only way my brain would let me picture this scenario and I ran with it.

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komahinasecretexchange · 5 years

Text

Title: pool lights

Author: @kamookura

For: @cellophanerose

Rating/Warnings: T? Talk of wounds/death, but nothing that isn’t what we have in game

Prompt: ‘Something during their last meeting in Hinata’s cabin in chapter 5 (a what-if scenario would be nice; doesn’t have to be canon-compliant)' and 'Hinata’s dreams during the time Komaeda is still in his pod ’

Author’s notes: the requests were so good, though i feel like i didn’t do them much justice. there was many ways i wanted to go with this, but of course could only pick one ending… i hope it’s okay!!

His cottage feels different this morning. Sitting up in his bed and looking around, Hinata notices that the room feels bigger. The space between the furniture looks larger and are rearranged, and his belongings are definitely not where he left them before he went to bed. The lighting is different, too. The whole islands sky had been lifeless and dull since the incident, but today the sun’s rays cast large shadows across his bed and floor.

He turns his head to the window and squints at the blinding sun. It feels great, warm sun on his skin. The blue of the sky is vibrant and there’s hardly a cloud in sight. Hinata blinks as he hears the squawk of seagulls that fly outside his cottage. He hasn’t heard birds on the island since…

His head hurts and his eyes are exhausted, but he moves to stand.

Moving his arms feels wrong. They’re heavy and slow, and it takes a lot more effort to shuffle himself to the edge of his bed than it ever does. Looking around the room again makes his head spin, and he pushes himself up to stand with weak muscles. The clock on the table doesn’t show any time, just symbols that Hinata can’t read. Looking at them makes his stomach swoop uncomfortably. The suns position high in the sky makes him realise that he must’ve missed breakfast.

It’s not until he looks down that he realises he’s already fully dressed, shoes and all. He really must be unwell if he can’t remember changing clothes, he thinks. Before he can worry too much, there’s a knock at the door, and a familiar voice from the other side.

Whoever is on the other side is banging on the door to some kind of beat. Again, it feels hard to drag himself over to the door, as if he’s walking through jelly or something. His vision darkens a little as he gets closer, as if the sun is setting around him. He feels like maybe he’s about to pass out. He tries calling out to them that they can come in, but talking feels impossible, his throat straining to try and get out any words.

The knocking gets louder, and Hinata’s ears start ringing. The room stretches out in front of him, already abnormally large room expanding and expanding, until all that he can see is an expanse of floorboards and the rattling door in the distance. The shadows from the blinds still line the floor, but with the setting sun light, they look more like bright orange jail cell bars projected onto the ground. Hinata feels a pull in him that says he shouldn’t step on the shadows.

Dragging his feet, he gets there, extending a hand out farther than he thought he could reach, and grabs at the door handle. The small gaps around the door in the frame glow gently, a red colour growing more intense, filling the room with heat the further down he pushes the handle. He’s ready to be greeted by fire, destruction when he opens the door, can already feel his eyes behind his closed eyelids going dry.

He yanks the door open, and it’s all gone. Komaeda is standing with his hand still raised in a knocking motion, grinning. The sky behind him is as bright as it was when Hinata woke up. Blue, clear, birds chirping, tree leaves swaying gently in the summer breeze. He looks back into his cottage, and sees his room is back to how it should be. Furniture back in its original places with all his stuff exactly where it should be. The clock on his table reads 3:43pm.

The sick feeling that had been building in him had dissipated, as if it had never been there at all. So easy to forget.

“Ah! Hinata-kun! Hello!” Komaeda’s voice is uncertain, as if he’s confused on how he got there.

Hinata stares. Forgets for a moment where he is, when he is. He closes his eyes, fully expecting to open them and be back in bed, but when he opens them he’s only greeted with a concerned looking Komaeda.

“May I come in?”

“Uh, yeah? Okay.” Hinata moves aside and Komaeda steps in, looking around the room as if its the first time he’s been inside. Hinata shuts the door and watches as Komaeda wanders a little bit.

“Is there something you need?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Komaeda looks over his shoulder at him, voice suddenly more firm.

“What?”

“You guys all have business with me, right? Nanami invited me to the lobby. She said she had something she wanted to talk to me about.” He turns fully to face Hinata, leaning against the dresser with his arms crossed. “Everyone put her up to that, right?”

Hinata blanks for a second, then remembers what is happening. Souda and Owari thought up a plan to catch Komaeda and tie him up, or something. He’s been acting weird lately, and he guesses that they thought he was gonna do something weird.

Hinata winces; There really is no fooling Komaeda.

“Looks like thats bingo, then?” Komaeda laughs gently. “But it’s good timing! Because I have business with you all, too.”

“You do?”

Komaeda nods. “If everyone’s already there, then that saves me a lot of effort. Oh, and I want you to come, too, even though you’re not really involved with the ‘plan’”

“So you even know that?”

“Yeah, you were left out, right? But that’s understandable. Since you’re the only one who isn’t an Ultimate, you’ve basically been left out from the start.” Komaeda’s mouth forms a smug grin, and it sets something off in Hinata’s brain.

“Hey, no, we are not doing this. You don’t get to talk to me like that.”

“Like what? I’m just saying the truth, aren’t I?”

Hinata sighs. “Truth or not, you’re just saying it to piss me off. You just want me to get mad so that you laugh and say something like “Oh, as expected of a reserve course student, can’t handle their emotions!”. You’re not slick, Komaeda.”

Komaedas smirk doesn’t waver. He just stares at Hinata as if he’s won. “I mean, if you’re going to say it for me, then…”

“Why are you here?”

“I told you, I have business with everyone.”

“You knew we planned to talk to you anyway, so why’d you come to me specifically. Is it just to berate me some more like you did in the funhouse? Or do you have something else you want to say?”

Komaeda’s grin wavers then, and for a second he looks conflicted. He opens his mouth to speak, but Hinata steps forward and cuts him off.”

“You stuck to my side like a puppy before. You were so excited to hang out with me and talk with me about what my talent could be, you complimented me. I knew you were a weirdo, and despite all that I still gave you the benefit of the doubt. Then you find some sketchy file that says I might not be an ultimate, and suddenly you think I’m scum of the earth. What happened?” His fists clench at his sides. “The others? They want to get you in the lobby to tie you up. They’re saying you’re dangerous, that you want to hurt us all.”

Hinata stares straight at him. Komaeda tries to keep eye contact, but averts his eyes to the ground after a few seconds. Hinata continues.

“I told them it was a stupid idea. You’re fucking mad, but you wouldn’t do that. You preach hope all the time, what would you get from killing us all? And do you know how stupid I sound to them? Standing up for the ‘enemy’ basically?”

“I never asked you to stand up for me.”

“I didn’t say you did.” Hinata runs a sweaty hand through his hair. “Maybe they’re right, maybe you do want to hurt us, maybe you are just a lunatic who needs to be tied up. If that’s the case, then why do I find it so hard to let go of you? Why do I-”

“You let your emotions get the better of you. Typical of a-”

“Shut up! Just stop talking, for once!” Hinata’s yell feels as if it vibrates the walls. Then silence as they look at eachother. Hinata takes another step forward.

“Why do I want so badly to find the Komaeda that I met when we first got here? Why do I believe that you’re not the person they think you are? That you think you are? All you’ve done is run us around in circles and piss us off, so why do I care about you?”

Komaeda uncrosses his arms. His hands are shaking. He reaches up to scratch at his cheek as his eyes dart around the room. He lets out a breathy laugh.

“You shouldn’t care about me, Hinata-kun. It won’t get you anywhere. I’ve stopped caring, so you should too.” A pathetic response. His voice tried and failed to hold any weight. Hinata moves in front of him, places a firm hand on his left shoulder. Komaeda flinches but doesn’t push him away.

The light in the window dims once more, orange filling the room. Prison-bar shadows land across Komaedas face. Hinata’s body feels sluggish again, but his eyes are focused and his voice steady.

“If you didn’t care about anything, if you didn’t care about me, you wouldn’t be here right now. You wouldn’t have knocked on my door and come to talk to me. Maybe you don’t want to believe it, Komaeda, but you’re here because you still care. Is that too much for your brain to handle? That you could give a shit about anyone who doesn’t have a talent?”

His grip tightens and Komaeda grits his teeth. His eyebrows are pinched together tightly like hes trying to hold back tears.

“Why should I ever believe a word you say? In every trial, you’ve said some shit to lead us in the wrong direction for your own amusement. Why should I believe you when you say that I’m worthless? Why should I believe you when you say you hate me?”

“Why do you care so much about if I care?” Komaeda’s voice cracks. “You’re talking as if you understand anything. You don’t. And maybe, neither do I. Maybe I don’t understand why I’m here. But what does it matter? What does it matter if I hate you? What does it matter if I’m still fond of you, despite you being a nobody.”

Hinata is quiet. He loosens his grip on Komaeda’s shoulder and slides his hand down his arm and to his elbow.

Komaeda locks their eyes. Hinata’s heart skips a beat. Komaeda’s grey eyes are different, a mixture of dark and light, as if hope and despair are fighting to make him see them. Swirling.

“Maybe I want to hate you and I can’t. Maybe I hate myself so much for the talent I’ve been given. Maybe I’m jealous that you’re such a beacon of hope. Maybe I’m angry that even though you’re a Reserve course student, you’re everything I wanted to be.”

Tears slip down his face, and Hinata’s free hand automatically comes up to wipe them away. The sunset light catches his watery eyes, and he looks pitiful. Hinata’s anger fizzles out.

“Why are you crying?” his voice is a whisper, concern.

Komaeda leans his head into Hinata’s hand and lets out a shaky breath. “Hinata-kun,”

“Hm?” Hinata slides his hand down from Komaeda’s elbow to his hand. It feels wrong. He closes his grip around it but it doesn’t budge. Komaeda sobs harder.

“Hinata-kun, I’m so sorry.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

Komaedas right hand comes and closes around their two joined ones. Hinata looks down. Komaeda’s right hand is stained, dripping, bright pink in the middle of his palm all the way through. Hinata’s breath hitches as he grabs both of Komaeda’s hands with his own.

His right, a wound. His left - long, chipped, red fake nails and a skin tone too off from Komaeda’s own for Hinata not to realise what this means. When Hinata laces his fingers with them, again they don’t move.

“I’m so sorry.”

Hinata’s eyes dart back up to his face. His mouth is covered with tape, blood staining his cheeks. His eyes are glassy, wide, desperate. Hinata moves to lift the tape from his mouth but Komaeda shakes his head, so he just grips his hands harder.

He’s crying now. Not a sob, but his eyes are streaming and he can’t form words. He’s seen this before. He remembers. Komaeda’s tied, bleeding body on the warehouse floor, the ominous music, the-

Hinata looks down once more. The white of Komaeda’s shirt is stained with a dark red X right over his stomach. A mark. A target. That wasn’t there before.

“Komaeda,”

A sob in response, muffled by the tape.

“Komaeda, I,” he doesn’t know what he wants to say.

Komaeda tries to say something under the tape, but his efforts are fruitless. The tape only creases and doesn’t give.

Then he feels it. His body goes numb, the orange of the room brightens and he gasps and screws his eyes shut. He feels something, but nothing at the same time, like his body is ripping apart and putting itself back together. Its hot, his abdomen feels like it’s on fire. It spreads down his legs, warm and wet, and it takes a sharp yelp from Komaeda before Hinata cracks his eyes open again.

Komaeda is shaking, staring down between them. Hinata feels dread boil in his throat. He slowly lets his eyes trail down Komaeda’s body. Komaeda is sweating, his shirt clinging to him, and Hinata doesn’t see what he expects. Petals. Red, dark, beautiful petals. A rose. The flower firmly embedded in Komaeda’s stomach. Hinata drops Komaeda’s rotting hand and reaches to touch it, fingers brushing where flower and flesh meet. Komaeda hisses, his real hand tightening its grip on Hinata’s.

Hinata draws back, and instead just stares. There’s no blood, just petals sticking to his shirt and dropping onto the ground. The blossom would be beautiful anywhere else, anywhere but plunged inside his stomach.

His hand goes to the stem;thick, dark green, sharp. Thorns catch at his fingers but don’t tear skin. He traces it back, further slowly, until it reaches where it is pierced through his own body. No blood, a single petal wedged in with the flower’s stem. He doesn’t dare more his body, for fear of hurting either of them. He doesn’t know what to do. They’re attached at the abdomen, stuck.

“Does it hurt you?”

Komaeda takes a moment to think. Takes a deep breath. Shakes his head.

He can’t tell if he’s lying. Hinata wouldn’t say he’s in pain, but it feels as though the flower is trying to root itself inside him, to keep him there. Its hot, invasive, but painful? No. something about it feels… calming. To be stuck here, nowhere to go, nothing to do, until his entire body is overtaken by leaf and root. It should hurt. But it doesn’t

His vision feels hazy, eyes suddenly heavy, exhausted. For a reason he can’t explain, he doesn’t want this to end. He doesn’t want to fall asleep. He’s not ready to wake up yet. There’s so much he has left to say to him.

“Will you come back to us?”

Komaeda doesn’t respond, still staring down at where they are connected.

“Do you want to come back?”

No answer.

“…can you try? I’m… doing all I can. To bring everyone back. But I know i can’t wake you up if what you really want is to stay asleep.”

Komaeda shakes his head. He keeps shaking it, and tears stream down his face. He reaches his arms up, around Hinata’s neck, and Hinata gets no time to prepare before Komaeda is pulling him closer, a hard, painful embrace, forcing the flower to tear through them.

Hinata yells. He can’t see it anymore. He can’t see Komaeda anymore. In a blink, the world is dark again, only a soft moonlight filling the room. Hinata is sat up in bed, sweating, crying. He looks to his clock. 4:12am. He wonders if he’s still dreaming, as he can still feel the lingering touch of Komaeda’s arms around him.

“Where’ve you been, man? You never miss breakfast, we were worried about you!” Souda is smiling a lot for someone who’s ‘worried’.

“If you were worried, why’d you wait until almost lunch to check up on me?” Hinata pushes Souda backwards so he can exit his cottage and shut the door behind him. Souda stumbles a little down the path, before falling into step at Hinata’s side as they walk the distance to the hotel restaurant.

Souda shrugs. “Kuzuryuu said you needed the rest, so not to bother you.” He puts his hands in his pockets. “But I was bored, so decided to come get you anyway.”

“Don’t you have anything to be doing?”

“Well, Miss Sonia said we should have a fun day today! Y’know, since I finished fixing the pool yesterday.”

Hinata furrowed his brows. “You fixed the pool? We have more important things that need to be done! Like clearing out the downstairs of the hotel, and repairing the rest fo the cottages, and-”

“Chill out, dude! Life is about the little things! We deserve to have some fun every now and then, right? Besides, it only took me a day and a half. Owari said she’d fill it this morning, so it should be done by now.”

As if on cue, just as they turn the corner to the pool area, a massive splash flows over the edge of the pool and at their feet. From the middle of the ripples, Owari springs out of the water, tossing hair out of her face and laughing.

“Damn, its cold! Feels good though!” She takes a deep breath and ducks back under the water. Sonia is stood on the far end of the pool, face lit up and clapping happily.

Souda huffs. “Hey! Wait for the rest of us!” he turns around, running back towards his cottage, presumably to get changed for swimming.

Hinata steps up to the edge of the pool, looking down into the cool, glittering water. It’s impressive that they managed to get it clean and functioning in less than two days. Even the area around the pool was looking great, too. The sun beds had been washed and the umbrellas were up. Kuzuryuu is sat on one of the beds, shaking his head at Owari who is kicking her feet violently as she swims.

“Can’t believe you jumped in with your clothes on. We have swimsuits. You know that, right?” He sounds annoyed, but he’s smiling. His suit jacket is layed over the back of the bed, and his sleeves are rolled up past his elbows. Hinata thinks this is the most relaxed he’s seen him.

“At least she kept her clothes on, this time.” Sonia laughs behind her hand. Kuzuryuu shakes his head again. She sits down on the pool edge, slipping her shoes and socks off and dipping her legs in the cool water.

Hinata furrows his brows. On one hand, it’s refreshing to see his friends having fun without a care, something they’ve not been able to do for god knows how long. He wants nothing more than to join them. To sit next to Kuzuryuu under an umbrella and laugh and watch as the others swim. To splash his feet on the water’s surface with Sonia. To jump in cannon-ball style like Owari and race her from end to end.

On the other hand, he’s annoyed that everyone is slacking off so much. When they woke up, they promised each other that they’d spend their days working hard to get the island looking and feeling livable, and doing everything they can to make sure their friends will be comfortable when they eventually all wake. He’s mad that they seem to be willing to forget about important tasks and just mess around instead.

He must be making a pretty sour face, because Sonia addresses him. “Hinata? Is something wrong? Don’t you like swimming?”

“What? No. I just- what do you guys think you’re doing?” His voice comes out more aggressive than he wanted it to. He coughs. “Uh- I mean-”

“We wanted a break, is all. Is that so bad? Just ‘cause you like to work yourself sick, doesn’t mean we have to.” Kuzuryuu takes a sip of what looks to be a fruit juice. They really look like they’re on vacation like this.

“No, you can take breaks obviously. Just- isn’t there a lot more important things that have to be done?”

“Of course there is.” Sonia speaks. “And they will get done. I thought it would do us all some good to have some fun and relax.”

Hinata understands. He really does. Forcing them all to work is just going to drive them apart. They deserve a break. Hinata nods, and starts to head back to the path.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sonia’s voice is authoritative, typical of a princess, and makes him stop in his tracks.

“Computer room. You guys can have fun, I’ve got stuff I gotta work on-”

“No, stay. You need a break more than any of us.” Just as she speaks, Souda comes walking up the path back to the pool, clad in his swim trunks and holding a towel, effectively blocking his exit.

“I’ll take a break once I’ve woken them all up.”

“One day off won’t hurt.” Souda places his hands on Hinata’s chest and pushes him back towards the pool area. “They’ll be there tomorrow, they aren’t going anywhere.”

“You spend too much time in that room. I do not think the dark and the computer lights is very good for you.You’re a lot paler than you were in the program. You need to get some sunlight.” Sonia’s voice is full of concern.

Hinata wants to be mad, but he can’t help but feel a bit of relief. He’s been exhausted working late nights and early mornings in that dark, unsettling room. So, despite his guilt, it doesn’t take much to convince him to sit at the pools edge with his jeans rolled up and his legs in the water. It’s hard to shake the feeling that he’s letting his sleeping friends down, but maybe a minutes peace would do him good.

It’s peaceful. The water on his calves feels great, cold but good when mixed with the hot rays beating down on the back of his neck. Watching Owari and Souda splash at each other is fun, especially seeing Souda get absolutely wrecked by the force of Owari’s waves. Chatting so casually with them all is… strange. He can’t say its ‘familiar’ because he never knew these people before the simulation, and in the program they were all so tense. But it feels right.

Sonia brings him a glass of the same thing that Kuzuryuu had.

“What is it?”

“Pineapple, cranberry, lime, and orange punch! We had a lot of fruit that no one seemed to be eating, so I thought to make us something to drink so we don’t waste it.” Sonia smiles, proud of herself, and sits down next to him. Hinata smiles back and takes a sip. It tastes amazing.

“It’s great, right? If Miss Sonia can make such tasty things, maybe we don’t need to wake up Hanamura.” Souda speaks jokingly, but his face immediately turns sour as soon as he says it. Hinata kicks water at him and he yelps.

“Hey, don’t say that shit. I know you’re only kidding, but I’m going to bring them all back whether you like it or not.”

“Yeah, man, not cool. Hanamura’s dinners are the best, we’re definitely waking him up first!” Owari moved to lay on her back in the water, softly swaying her arms to keep herself afloat.

“That guy was pretty useful, even though he was a creep.” Kuzuryuu mutters, sipping his drink again. Owari laughs.

It feels strange. They haven’t really talked about the others much. It seems wrong to speak of them so casually and jokingly, but maybe it’s what they need right now. Right now, forgetting the pain and remembering their friends for who they were… maybe that could help.

“Once he’s up, I’ll get him to make a list of food he wants Naegi to send us. I doubt we’ll be getting feasts like we used to, but Hanamura seems like the kind of guy that could make anything taste good.” Hinata smiles as he remembers the things Hanamura would cook for them. He swears, even his fried eggs and toast tasted gourmet.

“When Nidai wakes up, that’ll be a massive help. Carrying stuff all around the island is tiring. I wish I was as strong as that guy.” Souda sighs.

“You’re just a pussy!” Owari lifts her head up as much as she can from her position. “But I feel ya. Once Coach wakes up, things’ll be way more fun around here!”

“You guys are just gonna be fighting and end up breaking all the shit we’ve fixed.”

“Ha! Maybe! But we’ll fix it again.” she drops her head back down to the water, creating a little splash.

“No, you won’t.”

Sonia shifts nervously. “Hinata-san, do you think we could ask Naegi-san for… animals? Hamsters? I fear that, when Tanaka-san wakes up, he will be distraught to learn that he has no animals to take care of.”

She makes a good point. “Ah, maybe. I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t imagine it’ll be easy.”

“I appreciate it. I’d love if he could teach me more about animals and caring for them. His hamsters were so smart!” She clasps her hands together, smiling at the memory.

“And what about you?” Souda nods towards Kuzuryuu. “When Pekoyama wakes up, are you guys gonna date, or something?”

Kuzuryuu flushes and gapes. He opens and closes his mouth like a fish for a moment before huffing. “Shut up, asshole. It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?” Souda’s tone is teasing, and Hinata wonders if he’s taking it too far.

“It.. I don’t know, okay? I spent my whole life with her by my side, but I don’t feel like I really know her. Of course she means the world to me, and I’d die for her… but I think…” he rubs his palm against his scarred eye. “I want to take time to get to know the real her, y’know? She acted so professional all the time, always calling herself a ‘tool’… I’m excited to see her again, and have her really thrive and be her own person… I’m excited to learn who that Pekoyama will be.”

Everyone is silent for a moment. Kuzuryuu fidgets uncomfortably, and looks like he’s about to speak again before Sonia pipes up.

“Ah, that is so wonderful, Kuzuryuu-san!” she’s smiling brightly again.

“Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not! I truly think it is a lovely thought! I never would have expected to hear you say something like that. I, too, wish to meet the real Pekoyama-san. She’s a lovely person, I am sure.”

Kuzuryuu gives her a shy, thankful smile, clearly embarrassed with himself.

“Anyway, it’s your turn.” His bashfulness subsides almost as quickly as it came, and now he’s looking at Hinata expectantly.

“My turn for what?”

“Who do you miss the most?”

“You can’t ask me that!”

“I just did. C’mon, it’s just some fun. We all basically said it, and it’s not like they can hear ya. No ones gonna be pissed that you didn’t pick ‘em.”

“I guess…”

“Go on then.”

Hinata draws a blank. Truth be told, he doesn’t feel like he got particularly close with anyone in particular. He cares about them all deeply, of course, but thinking of a person he misses most feels hard.

But there is a name that sticks out. He doesn’t know if he would say he ‘misses’ hm, per say, more like he has regrets concerning him. So many of their conversations left so much to be said, left Hinata feeling empty, aching.

“Um,”

“C’mon, spit it out then,” Souda flicks water at Hinata’s knees.

He runs a hand through his hair. “Komaeda, I guess?”

Souda’s eyes widen. “Really? That guy?”

“Yeah, is that so weird?”

“I mean, not really, but I can’t help but think you’ve got weird taste.”

“I just think there was more to him than we knew. He was so nice at first… I want to believe that that him is the real him.”

The others look at each other, and shrug.

“I guess that makes sense. I think it’ll take a lot for me to think of him as anything other than a crazy guy.”

“What was he like? Before, I mean?” It feels like too much to ask, an embarrassing question, wanting to know more about the guy who caused hell for them all. But Hinata can’t help but need to know. “You guys were all in the same class… so what was he like back then?”

They’re quiet for a moment, thinking. Hinata kinda hopes that they’ll sing his praises, but by their hesitation he could tell that wouldn’t be the case. Owari speaks up first.

“A weirdo, for sure. Not, like, a dangerous freak like how you knew him, but definitely weird.”

“Weird how?”

Souda chimes in, “He still did those hope speeches of his, talking nonsense. And he’d cry a lot. Not sure what that was all about. Guess he got overwhelmed easily or something.”

“I think he meant well! He was never anything but kind.” Hinata is thankful for Sonia’s input. Any evidence to support Komaeda being a good person is enough.

“Wait, hold on, can you really say he wasn’t dangerous? You didn’t forget what he did at the exams?” Kuzuryuu laughs.

“What? What’d he do?” Well, that didn’t last long.

“You’re gonna think I’m lying. Right, we weren’t told the full details, but he blew up the schools gym somehow so that we wouldn’t have to take our practical exams.”

“You’re serious?! Holy shit…”

Souda butts in. “Is that really surprising? Remember what he did in the program?!”

“Ah, you’re right…”

“Man, what’s with that guy and blowing stuff up?” Owari turns onto her front and starts swimming lengths of the pool, kicking water in Souda’s face as she passes him.

“In Komaeda-kun’s defense, he did that for us. He wanted to help us out.” Sonia provides.

“Still, to blow up a school-”

“Hang on, how come you don’t know about that?” Kuzuryuu pushes himself forward on his seat and send a quizzical look Hinata’s way. “You went to Hope’s Peak, too. You’re saying that no one on the reserve course had any idea?”

Hinata pauses, an clears his throat. “Uh, yeah, about that.” he winces a little. It’s uncomfortable to talk about. “My memories of before, uh, him, are pretty hazy. Especially ones in the lead up to the incident.”

“That’s weird, we remember just fine!” Owari chimes from the far end of the pool.

He scratches his cheek. “Well for you guys it was just brainwashing, so your memories were easier to recover. For me, they… actually messed with my brain directly, so…”

“It’s okay, don’t force yourself.” Sonia gives an understanding smile.

“He always got on my nerves. Komaeda, I mean. He gave off a real weird vibe. He never did anything creepy but I always felt like I needed to keep my distance.” Souda explains, making little geysers in the water with his hands, shooting them at Owari and missing when she swims past him.

“Right? There was always something about him…” Owari kicks water at Souda again.

“Hey! Stop that!”

Kuzuryuu stands up and stretches.

“Right, I’m done talking about that guy. I’m getting some lunch, I’m starving.”

“Ooh! Wait for me!” the force of Owaris propulsion is impressive, if not scary, as she leaps out of the pool and heads for the restaurant. Souda groans, and makes his way to the edge of the pool.

“Slow down! If you eat it all again I’m gonna be pissed!”

Hinata watches as the three of them head into the building, Owari running ahead, with Souda trailing behind and grumbling. Once they’re in the building, Sonia turns to him.

“I apologise if we said anything to make you uncomfortable.”

“What? No, it’s okay. It’s nice to be able to talk to you all. I feel like we’ve barely spoken since we came back.”

She nods, kicking her feet in the water.

“What has progress been like? With waking them up.”

Hinata finishes his drink and slides the glass across the ground away from himself. He leans back on his hands.

“I’m getting somewhere. Now that I’ve got Alter Ego up and running again, I think bringing them all back won’t be as hard as we thought it’d be.”

“All of them?”

“Of course. We can’t pick and choose who we wake up.” He watches the the umbrella gently sway in the warm breeze.

“I know. In my heart, I do want them all to come back to us, and for us all to be friends.” Sonia sighs, averting her eyes to the water. “But I won’t lie to you. I am worried that for some of them… restoration of their hope is a lost cause. I worry that their grudges will be too strong.”

They sit in silence for a minute. He’d not given too much thought to how things would go after bringing them all back, rather just focusing on getting to that point.

“You think they’ll hate each other? For what they did to one another?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t want to say that I don’t believe in them, but…”

“Yeah, I understand. I think if someone killed me and then I got to meet them again, I’d be pretty pissed.”

The sky isn’t as beautiful as it was in the program, not by a long shot. Its desaturated, dull, but today the sun shines a little brighter, and the water at their feet twinkles and shines. He thinks that maybe once everything is okay again, once they’ve healed, then maybe the sky will heal too.

“Do you feel anger towards any of them?”

Sonia sighs.

“I hate to admit, but I do, a little. I know that we have no right to judge other people’s crimes, we have all committed unforgivable crimes during the tragedy. Despite that, I guess these feel a little more personal.” she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Is it really okay? To bring them back?”

“We don’t have a choice. That isn’t fair.” Hinata is a little shocked by Sonia’s question. She’s always been the one to say she wants them back. But he sort of understands.

“I know… I know. I don’t truly want to leave them. I told you, I do want us all to be together, happy. But…those who were steeped in too much despair… is it really safe to bring them back?”

He knows who she’s talking about. His mouth goes dry, and he tries to find words but they escape him at the moment. The thought of waking them all up except him, leaving him in that pod, alone, basically dead, it makes him want to vomit.

“Hinata-san, I don’t mean to upset you, I apologise. I was just thinking aloud. I won’t try to stop you from waking anyone. I know you two were… close. You were fond of him.”

“We weren’t close.”

“You were the closest to ‘close’ any of us were with him. He was fond of you, too, we could all tell.”

Hinata scoffs. “You’re kidding. All he did was try to wind me up.”

“Maybe, but it was plain to see that he liked you more than anyone else. And I know that you like him, too, despite what he did.” She waits for Hinata to respond, but he doesn’t, so she continues. “I see you staring at his pod. When I come in to talk to you, and you haven’t noticed I’m there yet. You long to speak to him again, right?”

“…Right.”

“I think that maybe he passed with things still left unsaid between you… am I correct?”

“Something like that…”

“For what it’s worth, Komaeda-san was kind while at school. I won’t lie, he was a little odd, but he wasn’t a bad person. I think that once things get better, you’ll be able to bring that side of him out again.”

Hinata feels his eyes sting. Stupid, he shouldn’t cry at something like that. He blinks it away as best he can.

“You think? I feel like it was me that brought the ugly side out of him…”

Sonia shrugs. “I disagree, though I guess you will have to wait to discuss that with him.”

“I guess I will.”

The night, as usual, is full of tossing and turning. His bed feels too hard and too soft at the same time, and every time he closes his eyes he sees a flurry of visions that haunt him and make him want to scream.

One too many horrible dreams has his dragging himself out his door at god-knows o’clock and out to the pool. It’s almost pitch black out, the glow of the moon barely enough to light up the path, but the lights in the pool are still on. They’re obnoxiously bright in the dark of the night, Hinata having to squint his already tired eyes. The harsh LEDs make the whole pool glow vibrant and blue. He clumsily sits himself down next to the edge of the pool, facing the hotel lobby.

He dips a hand in the water. It’s warmer than he’d expected. Warmer than it was earlier.

He stretches his legs out in front of himself, slowly laying down on his back, arm still waving around in the water. The bumpy tiles aren’t comfortable by any means, but right now they feel infinitely better than his bed.

He thinks back to his conversation with Sonia, and the dreams he’s been having, and the simulation. He usually tires not to think about the program too much, but he feels inclined to analyse his and Komaeda’s relationship.

When they’d first arrived on the island, Komaeda was immediately friendly. He’d helped him up off the beach, and introduced him to everyone else. Hinata is sure that without him, he wouldn’t have had the confidence to talk to everyone.

The whole time before the first trial, Komaeda was nothing but lovely. Hinata considered him a friend, someone he can trust, someone so chill about everything that maybe Hinata could be chill too. Komaeda’s compliments made him flush, his closeness made him feel fuzzy, and, at the risk of sounding cheesy, his presence gave him hope.

Then, the trial happened, and the world seemed to flip itself over. They’d all effectively cast him out, after that. Hinata was devastated. He felt so betrayed, like he wanted to hate him. But for some reason, he couldn’t. From then until the end, Hinata realises that he never really hated Komaeda. He never truly felt like he could ignore him. He was annoying, and he angered Hinata to no end, but in the end, Hinata still was drawn to him.

In his dream, Komaeda had said that he was jealous of him. Hinata thinks maybe he feels similarly.

Looking back, in an unbiased point of view, he can see a lot of himself in Komaeda. Obviously, they both admired Hope’s Peak before going there, but more so than that, they both felt like there was more for them in the world.

Komaeda, despite how much he belittled himself, was an Ultimate, and he said himself that Ultimates were the world’s hope. He was dedicated to becoming that hope, embodying it.

Hinata, despite being a reserve course student, always felt like he belonged in the main course. Maybe he didn’t have a specific thing that he was really good at, but he was dedicated to trying to prove himself.

They both had such little regard for themself. Komaeda, constantly offering himself to be a sacrifice. Hinata, giving up his body and his brain to the school he admired.

They both effectively killed themselves. Komaeda, setting up an elaborate plan to have himself murdered. Hinata, allowing his personality and mind to be wiped, leaving someone new in his place.

Hinata often wonders if Komaeda even wants to wake up. He always spoke of dying for hope, of being a sacrifice, a stepping stone. Would waking him up anger him? Would he feel like he’s failed? Is he content thinking his death was worth something?

If Hinata had thought of this in the program, maybe he would’ve been able to get through to Komaeda better. Maybe he could’ve stopped what he did… but now isn’t the time for regrets.

He has a hard time keeping his eyes open, the cold ground on his back, the warm water on his hand, it should be uncomfortable, but he can’t help but let exhaustion take over him. He lets out a deep sigh. The air tonight is nice. Gentle breeze flowing over his body like a blanket.

He shifts slightly, getting a better position, and feels warmth overtake his body, and he feels light. He opens his eyes, and sees nothing but blue. He turns, body moving slow, and around him are lights, tile, and he’s falling. Reaching out does nothing, his fingers don’t even graze the water’s surface. He’s pulled down, down, until the blue fades into a washed out green. He doesn’t feel like he’s drowning, but the water moving through his fingers feels unmistakable.

At the bottom, the green glows ugly, familiar, computer monitors and pods on the ground. Open pods, empty, all but one. He tries to reach for it, but the water slows him, swimming towards it takes all of his effort. He knows who this pod belongs to. He doesn’t have to see it to know, but he uses his faltering strength to try. He can’t let him stay here. He can’t let this mean what he thinks it means.

His arms ache, pulling himself through water that feels like glue, but he catches a glimpse. Skin; pale and lifeless, hair like chalk. As soon as he sees it it’s gone, he’s out of the water.

He’s standing in his room, door far away, orange jail cell shadows on the ground, and that knocking at the door.

Again.

It’s happening again.

He feels himself push down on the door handle. He doesn’t want to. He never wants to, but his arm is stubborn, and his mind is tired. Over and over in his head, the only thing he can do is beg - beg that, this time, it’ll be different.

And he sees a sunset.

The air becomes the ocean; swirling, rippling, suffocating, dancing with the orange of the sun. There’s a surge of heat that dances up his arms, washes over his face, a heat so thick it feels more like liquid. It takes him by the wrist and drags him into the room. A familiar face leading him into the water. A siren pulling a sailor into the depths.

He knows he’s down there.

He doesn’t care about the danger.

He’d rather drown than leave without him.

#fanfiction #komahina #komahina secret exchange

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anastasiaskarsgard · 5 years

Text

So this was a request from @anxiousamandapanda

Concept: Roman is being an asshole, and the reader just loves him so much that nothing he can say will push her away. Plus she loves his sassy face. Arguing turns into smut,

I even ended it with fluff as a bonus. No one is more surprised than me!

Warnings: smut, cursing, violent roughness, rejection

Katie nervously walked up to the familiar modern mansion where The man she knew would be her eventual undoing, lived. Roman Godfrey. She’d tried to run away and forget him, traveling to the far corners of the globe, in hopes of locating whatever or whoever, could make her forget Roman. But relief never came, and the farther away she got, the more she yearned for him. She knocked and rang the bell, but after a few minutes with no response, she tried the door. Luckily it was unlocked. She peeked inside, not seeing anyone so she yelled out, before closing the door behind her, and seeking him out.

Katie: Roman! Are you home? I knocked but no one answered,so I let myself in. Helloooo????

She checked all the rooms downstairs, and then heard something fall from Romans room. Butterflies sprang into action at the thought of seeing him after all this time. She walked in his room and couldn’t help but feel pure joy, looking upon his gorgeous features.

Roman: I was ignoring you. Please see yourself out.

Katie: is that any way to talk to your favorite girl in the whole wide world

Katie slowly approached Roman, like he was a rabid animal.

Roman: Wow. You’re delusional and you don’t fucking listen. I don’t have time for your bullshit Katie.

She heard his words, but she didn’t believe them. She ran over to him attempting to crawl in his lap,?desperate for any kind of contact.

Katie:! Oh Romie! I missed you!

Roman looked at her in utter disgust, grabbing her by her shoulders and pushing her off his lap, watching as she flailed her arms, before crashing on the ground and sliding several feet away.

Roman: are you fucking insane? Don’t fucking touch me!

Katie looked up at Romans sneering face, and her heart melted.

Katie: God you’re so fucking hot when your mad

Roman: can you ever take anything serious? Where the fuck have you been?

Roman didn’t want to admit it, but the past four months had been hell. When the one girl he actually believed when she’d told him she loved him asked him if he loved her, he had refused to answer. Sure he could see it caused her a lot of inner conflict and pain, but he’d tell her that he loved her when he felt like it. When he was certain. He never dreamed she’d walk out and stay away for months without so much as a text or email. It had broken him and he’d just recently started functioning again.

Katie: I got side tracked.

Roman: for four fucking months??

Katie crawled slowly across the floor like a cat, trying to lean against his leg, looking up at him longingly.

Katie: it was a large track

Roman: get the fuck away from me, before I rip your throat out....

He pushed her hard, making her roll over, landing on her hands and knees. She stayed thAt way a few minutes, breathing harder than Roman felt was needed. His lips upturned a bit at her dramatic antics. He loved how ridiculous she was. He’d never admit to that either but she was exciting. Suddenly she jumped to her feet and marched right up to him, looking him in his eyes defiantly.

Katie: as long as you touch me, you can do whatever you want to me

Roman: don’t say it unless you mean it.

He absent-mindedly played with her hair, thrilling internally that she’d returned. He loved how she was such an obedient whore for him. She allowed him to do whatever depraved perverted acts he could think of, and be thrilled she’d made him happy. He had gotten used to having that constant source of love, and craved it like a drug. He tried to find it in some old booty calls, and had even gone on a date with one, but it wasn’t the same. Sure these girls were obsessed with him, and some even said they loved him, but it wasn't real.

Katie: fuck me up Daddy, I deserve it.

Katie grabbed his bulge above his pants, keeping eye contact, biting her bottom lip

Roman: I fucking hate you...

Katie: not as much as I hate myself

He growled and bit her lip almost hard enough to draw blood before pulling back

Roman: we are both so fucked up. Last chance to get the fuck out before I take out all my fucking aggression on you.

Roman looked for a reaction, but she didn’t even flinch. He turned around and stalked away leaning against his counter looking in the mirror. He stared at himself, trying to figure out what he was feeling, when it hit him. He was happy. He turned his attention to Katie, who was now stark naked, jumping on his bed. She squealed when he turned around and met her eyes.

Katie: you know just the thing to say, to get a girl naked.

Roman: you are ridiculous, why are you naked? What makes you think I'd even care to see you again?

Katie: I can see your smile shining in your eyes fool! You can glare and sneer all you want, but your mouth is a dirty liar. You eyes never lie. But maybe you get over things better than me. Time offered me no relief, neither did distance. How long did you miss me? Be honest.

Roman: I missed your bat shit crazy ass every day. Every hour.

She stopped jumping and walked closer to Roman standing just in reach to tempt him. She could see his bulge straining against his pants, so he was still at least physically attracted to her.

Katie: I missed you.

Roman: why?

Roman regretted asking as soon as he said it. He didn’t want to appear weak or vulnerable. When he looked at her face and observed her puzzled lost expression on her face, he saw red.

Katie: why did I miss you?

She was impossible he raged. He tried not to explode. She knew why he asked why. He had had it with her nonsense, turning away from her. He balled his fists, and clenched his jaw.

Roman: just go. Everything is a game with you.

Katie: I left because I love you too much. I’d follow you through the gates of hell if you’d hold my hand.

This was what he’d yearned to hear, her weird little professions of love, he could feel his walls coming down, and he was close to giving in.

Roman: stop!

Katie embraced him again defiantly. Holding him tighter as he tried to shrug her off. He understood she was mad he didn’t answer her question the way she wanted to hear, but he wasn’t going to live in fear of being abandoned when she didn’t get her way

Katie: I tried to stop. I left the country trying to forget you, but I couldn’t so now I’m not leaving. You’ll have to kill me. I’d rather be dead, then away from you.

Roman: how do I know you won’t just up and run away again? I couldn't survive it a second time

Katie: because I got away from you and we both know you weren’t going to ever try to find me, and yet I came back. knowing you might kill me at any moment.

He grabbed her by her chin, looking her in the eyes with a sinister smirk playing across his lips...

Roman: how do you know I won’t just fuck you until I’m bored of you, and then throw you off the roof, or drain you dry?

Katie: as long as I get you one more time, I’ll die happy. But I know in my heart, you’d never really hurt me. The only thing you ever do, is push me away when I won’t stop touching you.... like now.

He was trying to push her away, but nothing scared her away. He wanted to touch her, but he knew he wouldn't be able to stop once he started.

Roman: how could you go knowing I’m left here alone?

Katie: you don’t have to be alone ever again

He wanted to believe her. He tenderly ran his hands across her body, having to use every once of self control to play it cool.

Katie: just answer my question I asked the day I left

Roman continued running his hands across her body, lost in thought it seemed, before looking her dead in the eye...

Roman: no

Katie: thats really your answer?

She took a step back, tears already filling her eyes, threatening to spill over. She searched his face for a hint but when his expression didn’t change she lost it and screamed in his face

Katie: answer me! .

Roman: get on your fucking knees.

Before she realized what she was doing, she slapped him across his smug face. His expression became more sinister, as she saw his eyes darken and his smile appeared forced as it spread across his face.

Roman: God, Ive missed your fire. Now get on your fucking knees, bend down and kiss my shoe, and then do that sexy little crawl you do over to the bed. NOW!!!

She immediately got on her knees, laughing excitedly, clapping her hands with glee. She looked up at him with the cutest look on her face, and it took his breath away for a moment. As dark and lustful as his thoughts were, and as hard as he was trying to be an asshole, she somehow always softened him up with just a glance and a giggle. She fascinated him but she didn’t listen well.

Roman: what are you supposed to be doing

She remembered what she was supposed to do as she kissed his shoe, and made her way over to the bed. Roman went in his closet and grabbed some ties, picking up her underwear before climbing up on the bed, pushing her on her back.

Katie: What are you doing? What’s behind you? Let me see.

Roman took her underwear, and shoved them in her mouth, gagging her. He then grabbed her wrists, securing them together and tying them to the headboard. He beamed down at her, and wiggles his eyebrows at her

Roman: that’s better.Finally, you’re quiet and helplessfor me to do as I please

She whimpers through the gag and his smirk gets bigger. He slowly strips off the rest of his clothes and makes his way towards her, never breaking eye contact. He settled next to her feet and She closed her legs tight, feeling embarrassed. He grabbed her ankles and yanks her legs apart, crawling between them and humming as he sees how wet he’s made her, and then looks at her with a raised brow.

Roman: are you sure? There’s no turning back. Till death do us part.

She nods her head and then bucks her hips as he licks along her slit. He grabs her thighs, opening her up wider, pinning her down so She can’t move. She whimpers and whines through her underwear as thrusts his tongue deep inside her, laps up her juices and sucks on her clit. Her eyes slide closed as the pleasure completely takes over and she ges lost in the sensations Roman is giving her. Just as Her climax builds to seconds away from bursting, he pulls away. She cries out in frustration, but it’s muffled by her gag.

Roman: What was that? I can’t understand you. You’re not being a brat are you?

She blinks at him, growling in the back of her throat at his mock concern. He glares at her and She cries out in shock as his hand slaps down on her thigh, leaving a perfect red imprint of his palm. He lifts his other hand and She squirms, trying to shift away from any more slaps. He rolls his eyes, And yanks her back, sitting on her shins to pin her down. He slaps her thighs over and over again until Shes sobbing, almost insane from arousal.

Roman: I’m going to remove your gag, but I can put it right back in

He leans forwards and pulls her underwear out of her mouth.

Katie: please Roman!

Roman: Please what? Say the words

Katie: Fuck me, please!

Roman: When I’m ready.

He begins to trail kisses up to her breasts, taking his time on each breast, looking up at her making the most delicious sounds.

She arches into his mouth with a moan and then scream as he bites down.

Katie: Roman! please!

He shakes his head and pushes his knee between her legs, pressing up against her pussy. She moans and bucks her hips, grinding against him, desperate for any kind of friction.

Katie: Roman, please claim me. Make me yours

He stills and then she hears a low growl come from his throat. She gasps as he roughly grabs her hips and pushes his other leg between hers. She whimpers as he lines his cock up with her entrance, slowly rubbing his head across her swollen clit, before placing himself at her entrance, hovering above her but then he freezes.

She wants him so bad she feels like she’s going to explode, but she doesn’t dare buck her hips, or try to rush him.

Katie: I love you Roman Godfrey

He slams into her, giving her no time to adjust as she feels his cock bottom out. He cries out from how tight she is, and can barely move inside her as he feels her walls clench around his shaft. He pounds into her more aggressively, causing her to gasp and moan With abandon. She wraps her legs around his waist as he fucks her into the mattress, groaning and mosning, saying the dirtiest sweet nothings in her ear. He lifts her up a bit as he settles back on his haunches, pushing back inside her, grabbing her by the hips, so tight she’ll for sure have marks, and starts fucking into her, slamming her down as deep as he can go. He hammers away at a frantic pace, watching his cock slide in and out of her perfect pussy. She scream his name as She cums, arching her back, desperate to get her hands free, to touch him. He groans as She tightens around him even more, crying out as he cums deep inside her, his fingers digging into her flesh. He collapses over the top of her as he pants for air. She whimpers and pulls at her restraints so he might get the hint and untie her.

He leans up and unties her, carefully checking her wrists. When he’s done, he lays beside her and pulls her against his chest, kissing her forehead.

Katie:. i love you so much

Roman: good

Katie: I’ll never leave you again

Roman: you better not princess.next time, I WILL fucking find you, and I’ll RIP out your treacherous heart and eat that motherfucker.

Katie: perfect. I’d deserve it.

Roman: you were so tight. You didn’t share my pussy while you were away did you?

Katie: absolutely not!

Roman: I can tell.

Roman had had several women In her absense, but none of them made him feel the way she did and for the first time in his life, he wanted to be completely faithful. She was all he wanted.

Roman: Katie. Open your eyes,

She obeyed and gazed into his pretty eyes, as he seemed to be trying to find his words. He had the cutest look of frustration before he just grabbed her face and crashed his lips into hers whispering “I love you’s” over and over between kisses. He pulled back and looked the most vulnerAble she’d ever seen him look

Roman: I’ve only ever said that to my sister and my daughter.

Katie: that’s makes me the winnner at life. The best boy loves me so I win.

Roman: now I wanna just say it again and again. I never got why people said it so often, but I feel it now. I love you Katie. I truly do.

Katie: I love you more Roman Godfrey. Can we rinse off, get clothes on and go get pancakes?

Roman rolled his eyes, but then smiled and nodded his head.

Roman: you can have anything you want.

Katie: seriously?

Roman: name it

Interactive story Bonus!What should she ask for?

#e #bill skarsgard #billy skarsgard #bill istvan günther skarsgård #roman godfrey #hemlock grove #roman godfrey fiction #soft roman #roman #fanfic #roman prompt #roman drabble #roman godfrey fanfiction #my writing

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slytherin-puffskein · 5 years

Text

Red Dahlias

Warning: Angst. A lot

This takes place after the Portrait Vault

The / / / symbol as well as the italicized words are for flashbacks.

This an AU. It’s not the canon Barnalau story.

Idea was talked about with a dear friend of mine.

* * *

“You...”

SLAM !

“Fucking...”

SLAM !

“ASSHOLE !”

SLAM ! SLAM ! Lau’s fists are finally starting to hurt as he punches for yet another time, but it’s not like he has the time to care. No, his only focus is to try and hurt. He wants him to feel pain, to feel the exact thing that Lau is feeling at this moment. Tears streaming down his cheeks, teeth gritting together, red in his vision, he can barely focus on what is happening around him. He can barely hear Rakepick’s satisfied laugh as she looks at what is unfolding in front of her. Lau’s only focus is to hurt.

Because if he keeps hitting, maybe he won’t have to think, to remember.

But as his fists hit another time, a silver of a memory creeps into his mind.

/ / /

“Ah ! I did it ! Look, it’s so much better than yesterday !”

Barnaby points excitedly at the pot filled with red dahlias. They looked absolutely gorgeous, and Lau smiled as he took a close look at them, temporarily neglecting his beautiful orchids.

“See ? I told you you’ll get the hang of it, Barny !”

The young Slytherin blushed, and giggled sightly. The King-Clemence farm’s garden was stunningly beautiful and filled with colourful flowers, so of course Lau had to invite Barnaby during the summer while his father was gone on a short trip. And here they were now, tending to flowers... and teaching Barnaby how to grow them. Oddly enough, the young boy insisted for red dahlias, insisting that they were beautiful. Lau accepted, not paying much thought into it, and man, he did a great decision by accepting. They looked magnificent, and Lau was almost jealous... emphasis on almost.

“I would never have done it if it weren’t for you, though” Barnaby admitted with a smile. “Your advice really paid off...”

He looked beautiful. The summer sun gave him a tanned look, and he was wearing a simple t-shirt and cargo shorts. He looked so... relaxed, devoid from any worries, and Lau absolutely loved it. He eventually slid closer to his boyfriend, who was still kneeling in front of his flowers, and he raised his head to kiss his cheek.

“Maybe I should charge you, however. You kept asking me for advice...”

Barnaby giggled, and wrapped his arm around Lau’s shoulder to bring him closer.

“Oh ? And what would the price be, hmm ?”

Lau rubbed his chin, trying to look deeply in thought.

“Mmm... one kiss per advice ? And I’m pretty sure you asked around 20 questions... so that would make 20 kisses... no discount, even if I love you very much”

“I’m perfectly fine with that price”

Lau smiled, and closed his eyes.

“Pay up, then”

If he had kept his eyes open, he would have seen the... odd expression in Barnaby’s eyes. A touch of regret, fear, and... pride ? It took him a moment before finally kissing Lau, a smile on his lips.

I’m going to marry him, Lau thought.

/ / /

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU !” Lau spat out the words, his face as red as his hair.

He punched Barnaby’s chest once again, but the other Slytherin was too tall, too burly, too strong to even feel Lau’s punches. He simply stood there... expressionless. But his eyes were saying all: they were filled with pride. A terrible, terrible pride.

Finally, Rakepick grew bored of that show, and she at last decided to step in, her capes fluttering behind her.

“King, that show must cease at once. It was fun at first, but now it’s getting boring”

The witch giggled, and with a single flick of the wand, Lau was pushed away from Barnaby, and his back hit the nearest wall in a loud THUD!. Rakepick stared at the young boy, a wicked smile twisting her lips as she gently pet Barnaby’s hair. Anger boiled in Lau’s veins. Was she manipulating him ? Or did Lau really hear the truth !? Oh god, if only he could unhear it... he’d rather never know about this clownery, no matter how terrible it would be for him.

/ / /

“Where are you bringing me ?” Lau said, a smile on his lips.

“It’s a surprise” Barnaby giggled, his hands covering Lau’s eyes.

“Hun, you know I hate surprises ever since Tulip gifted me with a Dungbomb”

“I promise it’s not a Dungbomb, Lau. I don’t want you to smell terrible, how will I be able to cuddle you !?”

Laughter bursted out of Lau’s lips. If only he knew.

/ / /

Barnaby had carried him to a deserted hallway, and for a moment Lau thought that they were in for a heavy makeout session. But instead, Barnaby took out his wand, and pointed it straight at him, between his eyes. That’s when Lau stopped smiling.

And that’s when Madam Rakepick stepped out of the shadows, a smile on her face. She looked so tall, so mighty... so evil. Her wand was out too, but she wasn’t pointing it at Lau.

“Great job, Mr.Lee. I knew you were able to do this... I knew as soon as I was aware that R trusted you. You truly are the smartest guy in your family”

Just like Cecil Lee had said, back in their first year. Lau immediately tried to grab his wand, but Barnaby was quicker:

“Expelliarmus !”

Fwiiiiip ! Lau’s wand was snatched off his fingers, and landed a few steps farther. That’s when he knew he was trapped.

/ / /

And now here he was, pressed against a wall by Rakepick’s magic, sobbing and trying to not scream. Even if he did scream, however, he would have found out he was unable to do it. Rakepick’s magic was squeezing his throat, and Lau was gasping for air. Barnaby stared... and bit his lip.

Yes, he was working with R all along. Yes, he has been manipulating Lau all along, making him believe that he was his friend... and then lover. Man, passing off as this dumb guy really paid off ! Barnaby himself was astonished at how good it worked. No one dared to suspect him, not even Rowan ! Good thing Rakepick used Ben as a red herring. All of the attention was on him. All of the dirty looks were for him because he dared attacking Laurent. No one batted an eye at Barnaby. He was too dumb to orchestrate something like this.

Except, he did. Along with R and Rakepick. His father knew the young witch, and she immediately took Barnaby under her wing, with a specific order: Befriend Laurent King.

Man, he did more than befriend. And as all was revealed, he could see Lau absolutely breaking down, and losing all hope on him. And then try and beat him up, with not much success. He tried to speak up, but Rakepick spoke once again:

“With the fourth Vault’s curse being broken, I no longer need you by my side, Laurent. Although I’m pretty sure you figured it out”

Of course he fucking figured it out. As soon as she started attacking them, especially Merula. He wasn’t expecting to see her back so soon... but life was filled with surprises, wasn’t it ? He groaned as Rakepick took a step closer.

“Go the fuck away... both of you...” he whispered.

He still couldn’t believe it. He allowed himself to love men, to love Barnaby... and that was the result !? A complete betrayal ? Rakepick scoffed.

“I’m soon going away, but Barnaby needs to stay here. After all, Hogwarts is his school, he can’t just leave...”

She pointed her wand at Lau.

“And you won’t be able to rat him out. Not after I crucio you for hours...”

That finally made Barnaby speak. He snapped his head towards Rakepick.

“Crucio !? You promised you wouldn’t hurt him !”

“Oh, why would you care ?” Rakepick replied. “He’s only a pawn in this entire game, we don’t need him anymore”

Barnaby opened his mouth to speak, to protest... but then he saw the way Lau was looking at him. Pure hate was inhabiting his eyes... and Barnaby’s stomach lurched. Rakepick seemed to have notice the distress in his eyes... and laughed.

“What, are you telling me you care about him, now ? That’s laughable, really”

“I-I don’t !” Barnaby replied.

If his father, or R, were to know he actually cared about Lau... the punishment would be terrible. To both him and Lau... and he wanted to protect Lau.

You fool. Rakepick is about to torture him ! Talk about protection !

Barnaby’s eyes squeezed shut. No, no, he must keep himself together. He must not succumb to what his heart was telling him to do.

He thought about those red dahlias. To all of those kisses he gave Lau.

He loved them. He loved him.

As he opened his eyes, he heard Rakepick scream out.

“Crucio !”

#barnaby lee x mc #barnalau #barnaby lee #lau king #patricia rakepick #hphm #hogwarts mystery #hphm mc #hphm jacob's sibling #hogwarts mystery mc #hogwarts mystery jacob's sibling

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the-fearmonger · 4 years

Text

Halstaff’s Gift

The wagons swept into Beregost like a graveyard breeze, unseen and unheard. The tents sprouted overnight, enormous mushrooms of fabric, filling the western field with every color and manner of promised delight. The tents themselves were marvel enough, but the sheer mechanics of erecting the surrounding wrought iron fence, in the space of one night, boggled the mind. Spelled out in iron letters across the top of the closed gate were the words, “Twilight Fair”, hanging below was a plain white sign and written in simple script, “Open at dusk.” Surely some magic was at work. But such is the nature of fairs and circuses, the shiny veneer distracts, obscures, and as often as not something darker, something much more sinister, hides beneath.

Hal awoke in the early dawn with a flood of inspiration. He leapt out of bed and hurried to his workshop, his footed long underwear swishing along the floor. He threw open the door, hurling wood shavings and sawdust into the air and strode to his chalkboard quickly sketching out his fading dream. Yes, yes, if he followed the grain here, he knew just the piece, and if he set a sapphire there, then… yes it could be perfect. He glanced up at his carvings of the Dragonslayers on the shelf above his work table. Phobian looked down, his expression suggesting caution. West’s mouth was open in some long monologue. Atticus’ eyes were narrowed as he scanned the room for valuables. Finn had his arms crossed, looking bored. Only Chet looked on excitedly, seeming to say, “Go for it, ya nacker!” Hal nodded at Chet, grabbed his tools, pulled the cloth off his project, and began working.

Seleen gasped. The bench was well built, sturdy without being bulky, but that was not what drew the eye. Into the backrest Hal had carved a landscape. Far off mountains gave way to smooth rolling hills and freshly tilled fields with an old fence that bordered a dirt road. In the foreground was a farmhouse, the front door open where the figure of a woman stood, her hand raised in greeting, or perhaps farewell, it was difficult to tell which. Each detail was painstakingly carved into the wood, Seleen imagined she could even see the individual hairs on the woman flutter in the wind.

She walked over to the bench, drawing her hand across the smooth wooden seat, “Hal, it’s… it’s beautiful,” she said, touching her own hair unconsciously, and he smiled, “but, I cannot accept it.”

Hal’s smile faded. “What? Why not?”

Seleen met Hal’s eyes for the first time since entering the room. “This is… a work of art, I cannot afford it…”

“No no, the price we agreed upon is fine, I want you to have it.”

“That is the other issue, my husband, he wouldn’t… Hal, you must understand why I can’t accept it. I’m sorry, I can find another carpenter.”

Hal’s smile reappeared, hardened this time. “No no, I understand. I have another bench I’ve nearly finished. It’s more … functional. I can have it to you before your husband returns from his hunt. Give me until this afternoon.” He said, turning from her, suddenly becoming very focused on the arrangement of tools on his workbench.

“If you’re sure.” Seleen said, “I’m sorry about the inconvenience. It really is wonderful.” She took a half step towards him, but stopped herself.

When Hal turned back, the door was swinging shut. He glanced up at the carving of Finn with his arrogant expression. “Oh shut up.”

Hal trudged down the dirt road towards Seleen’s farm, the plain bench balanced across one shoulder. It would have been a strenuous task for any ordinary man in town, even in a place of such hardy stock. But Hal was not ordinary, he was a hero, a hero driven by shame and unrequited affection.

Hal was determined to correct his mistake. Of course she would not be interested, she was married, with two children. It did not matter that her husband was away with the children on a hunting trip, he had been such a fool. Fighting the dragon cult had been easier than navigating women. But no matter, he would deliver the new bench, and maybe his foolish assumption would be forgiven, if not forgotten. Perhaps he would even ask her to accompany him to the fair, as friends of course, nothing more. Why wouldn’t she? After all the Twilight Fair is a once in a lifetime experience, or so they say.

Hal’s eyes darted toward Seleen’s silhouette as they walked side by side in the growing dusk. He still could not believe she’d said yes, he stopped just short of pinching himself. They talked of town gossip and the scantness of the harvest this season. Despite the subject matter he could not keep the smile from his face.

As they passed through the main square and began approaching the fair they both grew quiet. Throughout the day the town had buzzed with a nervous excitement. Travelers had become few and far between in Beregost of late. The townspeople were anxious for tidings and distraction. Hal passed two coins into the hand of the tall, spindly man at the iron gate who then waved them through, a dark smile upon his black lips. Hal even bought the two of them some exotic treat upon a stick. Had that halfling called them owlbear balls? Surely that wasn’t literal? It smelled delicious, like his mother’s cooking. No matter, he could eat an entire sack of owlbear balls and not be put off today.

The fair was a curious place, even outside the exotic edibles. There was a woman with eight legs, lauded as the daughter of the ancient Lolth, Hal was fairly sure at least three of those legs were sewn on, but he kept this to himself when an anxious Seleen hid her face in his shoulder. There was a drake they laughingly tried to pass off as an infant Chaos Dragon, Hal pointed out several inconsistencies in the creature to Seleen, which he was sure she appreciated. They even had their fortunes told by a decrepit tiefling woman. Hal had to smile at the adorable, scandalized expression on Seleen’s face when the crone told her a long, dangerous adventure lay just over her horizon. He barely listened when the tiefling woman told him he would not see another sunrise. Hardly a fortune that would prompt generous tips, he thought, but he flipped her a gold coin anyway and pulled Seleen from the tent.

There is a unique, careless joy to be had in the company of an alluring woman you know is not to be yours. Hal could not remember the last time he enjoyed himself so, perhaps when last the Dragonslayers had all been together. Not wanting the night to end, Hal spotted the Maze of Mirrors as they made their way towards the exit.

“Hal, this place stands my hair on end.” Seleen said, looking into the mirror as hundreds of Hals and Seleens gazed back.

“It’s ok, they’re just reflections.” Hal hesitated, then reached out in the gloom and took her hand in his, countless identical couples doing the same. He lead her on through the maze.

The deeper they went the more the noise of the fair faded. First the buzz of the crowd, then the ringing of a bell from a nearby game, until even the occasional childish shriek could no longer be heard. Silence descended on them like a heavy blanket until the air seemed to shimmer with its weight.

Seleen gripped his hand tighter. “I don’t like this Hal, why don’t we turn go back?” She said, panic beginning to edge its way into her voice.

“Yeah, ok, maybe…” He said, glad that she suggested it before he did. Hal turned and found his own image staring back at him. He would have swore they had come straight down a hallway, now the mirrored passage behind them made a hard left.

“Uh Hal, is it getting darker?” Seleen asked. It did seem hazier than when they entered, the torches lining the hall becoming fewer and farther between. The smokeless flames that had seemed charming when they entered now gave off a forbidding light. When Hal looked down the hall, for a moment it seemed like one of his images curled it’s mouth into a malignant smile, when he blinked, it was gone.

“I think you’re right, let’s head back.” Hal let go of Seleen’s hand and reached up, grabbing a torch from one of the nearby sconces. As soon as Hal removed it from the wall, they were plunged into darkness.

Seleen screamed and reached out, searching for Hal in the blackness where he had stood only seconds before. Her hands found only emptiness.

“Seleen!” Hal whispered into the dark. He had stumbled when the torches had gone out, and quickly became turned around in the dark. “Seleen!” He called, louder now. He groped his way through the inky blackness, jamming his hand into a nearby wall and let out a curse. He considered smashing one of the mirrors with his boot but did not want to bring shards of glass down on Seleen if she had fainted. She must have, where else would she have gone?

Holding the extinguished torch out in front of himself with one hand and letting the wall guide him with the other he walked forward, shuffling his feet so as to not step on Seleen if she had collapsed. He told himself the two of them would laugh about this in the light of day, to let themselves be so frightened by a simple carnival trick. But as he walked further through the darkness a pit grew in his stomach.

“Seleen!” He called again, his voice cracking. Yet he knew he was alone. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. Why had he let go of her hand?? An inexplicable dread worked its way through his veins, seizing his every muscle until each step was a deliberate effort. How long had he been walking? Minutes? Hours? Just when he thought he wouldn’t be able to move his foot another inch, a light flickered at the edge of his vision. The torches had reignited, illuminating the long straight hall and filling it with the stench of brimstone. A surge of hope and relief bloomed inside him, only to be stamped out in the next moment.

Images of Hal lined the mirrors on the wall, all mimicking his uneasy expression, except for one. At the very end of the passage a mirror stood facing him, only the image in this mirror was smiling. The same sadistic smile he had seen for a moment before, only now when he blinked, it remained. Suddenly, the smiling Hal leapt towards him. Hal knew he should defend himself, raise his hands, run, something! He was a hero! But he was alone, and he was afraid. As the figure bore down on him he opened his mouth to scream, and was engulfed by fear and darkness.

#1/6/20 #dnd #hal #seleen #prologue

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