#why am i getting deja vu. anyways | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thxliaaa · 2 years

Text

it doesn't change anything | steve harrington

synopsis - a baby really does change everything doesn't it? right...?

pairing - steve harrington x reader

warning/s - cursing, mentions of miscarriage, reader being insecure, child birth and i think that's it. feel free to correct me if i'm wrong though.

author's note - thank you all so much for all the likes and reblogs that you have given my story !! i literally did not expect for it to blow up. you guys literally have no idea how thankful i am right now. i really really appreciate it. i love y'all so much !! here's the long awaited pt. 2 to "it changes everything"

part one

navigation | masterlist | taglist

photos are not mine !!

To say Steve was mad would be an understatement. He was so furious at you for keeping your pregnancy from him, he was also furious at you for refusing to go to the doctor to check on your baby, but most importantly, he was furious at himself for being so oblivious. That’s why you were constantly eating, he thought that maybe you were just stress eating. Every pregnancy symptom you showed, he thought that you were just stressed from all of the things happening around you. The thought of you being pregnant didn’t even cross his mind, not even once.

As soon as Steve got home to his apartment, his telephone was bombarded with calls. “Jesus, just fucking wait” he muttered as he made his way to the kitchen. “Hello?”

“STEVE! Come to the hospital as soon as you can, (Y/N) fainted!” Robin frantically explained. For Steve, it felt like deja vu all over again. It felt as if that time you bled on the bathroom floor and not long after, he was greeted with bad news. Once again, he sped through the door, and stepped on the pedal as hard as he could. Even though he was mad at you for keeping something like this from him, he still cared for you seeing as you were carrying his child.

When he got to the hospital, he sprinted towards the front desk wanting to get a response as soon as possible. Again, he fought with the nurse, just like old times. “Relation to the patient?” The nurse asked.

“Husband, I mean ex-husband. I’m the father of the baby she’s carrying” Steve blurted out. The nurse gave him a look of judgment. “I see, she’s in room number 505”

Steve did not waste a second and quickly ran to the elevator. Finally, after what felt like forever, The brunette boy had finally reached the fifth floor where his ex-wife was lying on the bed with an IV connected to her. He also noticed that the kids, Jonathan, Nancy, and Robin were surrounding her.

As soon as he opened the door, Nancy noticed his presence and went to hug him to try and comfort him. “Did they find out why she fainted?” Steve mumbled into Nancy’s neck as they pulled away from the hug.

Before Nancy could even answer, Robin beat her to it. “They said it was cause of stress and fatigue”

Steve glanced at his best friend which was then followed with a nod. He was still in a state of shock. Everything that's happening right now didn’t make sense to him at all, it felt like a fever dream.

“How long have you guys been here?” He asked the three adults in front of him seeing as the teenagers were already sleeping on the couch and on the extra chairs.

“Well after you left, that’s when she fainted. So if you add the time it got you to your house plus the time it took to get you to this hospital. Then that would be how long we were in here” Robin started to blabber. Steve knew that Robin too, was nervous for her best friend.

“It’s fine you guys can go home, I can go look after her” Steve had plastered on a fake smile as his friends all looked at each other in concern. “Are you sure, Steve? I mean we can handle it” Nancy said as Jonathan looked at her then nodded.

“Yes, I’m sure. Besides, the kids need to sleep anyways” The brown-eyed boy laughed humorlessly.

“Okay. You can call us if you need anything. Anything, okay?” Robin stated as Jonathan and Nancy started waking up the sleeping teenagers surrounding them.

They all bid their farewells to Steve as he led them out. As Dustin was heading out the door, he suddenly stopped in front of the adult in front of him. “Hey Steve?”

Steve hummed in reply. “Don’t mess up” Dustin said as he put his hands on the brown-eyed boy’s shoulder. “Gee, thanks for the advice man” He replied as he pressed his lips together.

Dustin gave the boy one last hug as he followed the others. Finally alone in the room with (Y/N), Steve had nothing to do but overthink.

It has been 13 hours since you had fainted and Steve never left your side. The only times he ever did was for bathroom breaks and to get food. However, he never had the appetite to finish them. So they just sat there on the bedside table left untouched.

Steve was pacing the room back and forth, he couldn’t stay still. Just as he was about to call a doctor for the third time, your eyes started to flutter open.

It was bright. That was the first thing you had observed. It took a while before your eyes had adjusted to the brightness of the light bulbs, but when you were fully conscious, you saw Steve’s face in front of you. He had a smile plastered on his face.

“What happened?” You managed to croak out. “Well you fainted last night, and you know, you’re pregnant so we obviously had to bring you to the hospital”

Everything started to finally come back to you. Robin telling Steve that you were pregnant. You and him getting into a fight right after, and the darkness engulfing you later on.

“So you know now, huh?” You laughed without any humor laced into it. “Yes” He replied as you felt him stiffen.

“Why would you keep this from me? This isn’t only your baby, it’s OUR baby”

You stared at him as your face fell. “Well, you didn’t want to stay with me anymore. And I know that if I told you about the baby, you would’ve changed your decision about the divorce”

“Damn right, I would’ve. Being apart from each other won’t be the best for the baby” Steve spat.

“But being with each other won’t be the best for us” You fought back as his eyebrows furrowed in anger. “If Robin didn’t tell me about this, would you have told me at all?” He queried.

You took a deep breath before answering, “Of course I would’ve. You’re the father, Steve.” you held both of his hands. “You have a right to know” you added.

The brown-eyed boy’s face had softened after he was reassured with what you said. He then put a big smile on his face after having a realization.

“So we have a little nugget on the way now, don’t we?” He chuckled.

five months gone

It had been a few months after the incident happened and you were now five months into your pregnancy. Of course, Steve had managed to find a way to convince you to start going to your doctor’s appointments. He had accompanied you to the first ultrasound of your pregnancy, and when he saw the baby’s silhouette on the screen, he couldn’t help but shed a tear.

Today was the day you were supposed to find out what the baby’s gender is. However, even though Steve was practically on his knees begging for the doctor to tell the two of you what the gender was, you wanted it to be a surprise for the both of you. Steve just sighed in defeat knowing that you were stubborn enough to not let yourself lose.

When you got home, Steve stayed with you. He was an amazing co-parent to have with you. Even though you two were divorced, he still showed you that he cared for you. Although, half of you think that it’s only because of the baby you were carrying.

You got too lost in your thoughts to even notice that there was somebody ringing the doorbell. “Hey, (Y/N)! There’s somebody at the door! I would go get it but I can’t because I’m cooking!” Steve yelled from your kitchen.

Pulling away from your thoughts, you got up and went to the door. “Hey sorry for taking long–”

Robin was standing in front of you with your favorite foods in her hand. “Hi” She smiled at you as your face dropped from seeing her. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I figured you and the baby might be hungry so I decided to stop by” She chuckled.

This would be the first time you talked to Robin after the incident that happened. The game nights still happened every Friday. However, even after her many attempts, you still had refused to talk to her. You couldn’t fathom how she was the one person you had trusted, yet she had spilled your secret to the very person you didn’t want to find out about it.

“We’re fine, Steve is making us food from the kitchen”

“(Y/N), how long are you gonna keep on ignoring me? I learned from my mistakes and I only wanted what was best for you–” “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR ME!”

“I trusted you, Robin. I trusted you with a big secret that I had and you have the audacity to make yourself a victim right now?” You couldn’t believe what you were hearing.

“I didn’t need you to do that for me. So no, I can’t forgive you right now no matter how many times you apologize. Now, get out of my face before I kill you” You yelled.

“(Y/N)–” “GET OUT!”

Robin put her head down in defeat, she messed up and she knew it.

Just as soon as you closed the door, Steve came running to the front door after hearing you yell. “Hey, is everything okay?” He put his hands on your shoulders. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just about something” You forced a smile onto your face.

Steve smiled back before pulling you in for a tight embrace. “Not too tight. Baby bump” you giggled. “Oop, sorry”

The two of you stayed like that for a while. It was rare moments like this that made you happy. Just the two of you together, against the world.

“By the way food is ready”

three months gone

It was now the eighth month of your pregnancy. You had a baby bag packed and ready to go anytime the baby wanted to pop out of you. Steve was also checking in on you everyday, making sure you weren’t dead yet.

You were in the middle of making yourself pickles with peanut butter on them when you heard a knock on your door. “Just a second” you chuckled as you licked the remaining peanut butter that was on your spoon.

When you opened the door, Steve was standing on your doorway with a serious look on his face. “Oh hi” your face dropped at the expression his face had. “Can we talk? This is really important and I think it’s about time we discuss this” He said with a serious tone laced on his voice. “Oh uhm sure” You said as you led him inside your house.

As the two of you sat on your table, you offered him something to eat, in which he declined and tried to converse with you to address the elephant in the room.

“So how have you been?” He awkwardly asked. “Steve, you’re on the phone with me 24/7. Just skip the small talk and just get straight to the point”

Steve was baffled at her response, yet he complied and got straight to the reason as to why he went to her place in the first place.

“I think it’s about time we talk about our schedule with the baby” He started as you made eye contact with him letting him know that he has your full attention.

“I was thinking we could switch every 2 weeks? We'll live close to each other so he or she won't have to adjust to a new place every time we have her.”

You nodded at his suggestion before opening your mouth to state a query that you had in mind.

“Uhm, what holidays do you want to have the baby?”

Steve thought for a second before replying to your question. “You can have the baby for their first Christmas. I know how important Christmas is for you”

You shook your head at his response. Steve furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“No. We can spend the baby’s first Christmas all together. The baby deserves to have two happy parents on Christmas” you suggested.

The brunette boy sat in his seat with his mouth agape. However, you were getting the wrong idea from his current position. “Only if you want” you added nervously.

Steve shook his head “No, no. Of course I want to. Thank you” He gave you a genuine smile.

Steve couldn't help but smile at what his ex-lover had stated. It was thoughtful of her to say that, and knowing that she still cares for him made his heart skip a beat.

“So do you have any baby names in mind?” You asked your ex-husband to hopefully get your mind off of the conversation you had just a few seconds ago. Steve nodded, “Yeah, I have a few actually”

“Let’s hear it then” you warmly smiled at him. “Well do you remember the flowers I gave you on our first date?” He asked as you raised your eyebrows at him. “Pink lilies of the valley?”

“Yeah! I was playing around with names and I really liked the name ‘Lilliana’. We can call her Lily for short.”

He looked into your eyes, waiting for a sign of approval from you. “It’s really pretty and it has a sentimental meaning attached to it” Steve added.

“Lilliana it is then. How about a boy's name?” You asked him. Steve awkwardly scratched the back of his neck before replying “Well, I kinda forgot about that part”

“What made you so sure that this baby isn't a boy?”

“Well what made you so sure that it’s not a girl?” He asked back at you. “Cause I have motherly instincts, Steve” You scoffed.

“Maybe you should decide then.” Steve offered, which you gladly accepted. “How about Luke? From Star Wars you know? The first movie we watched together”

Steve had a flashback of the night you two went out for a date. It was raining and the theatres were closed, both of you were completely drenched in the backseat of his car before finally deciding to just rent out the movie “Star Wars”. It was also the first time you two shared your first kiss together.

“I like that, very sentimental too” He chuckled as you hid your face to prevent him from seeing the blush that was creeping up on your face. “Luke it is then” you smiled.

“Well since we have shared custody of the baby, I would like for you to meet my girlfriend. Since you know, she’ll be helping me take care of the baby”

Girlfriend. Steve had a girlfriend.

You had completely forgotten about the time you were at the mall when you saw him practically snogging the girl in public. You felt your heart drop at the topic, yet you sucked it up so Steve wouldn’t notice it.

“Yeah, for sure. When though?” You asked, forcing a smile onto your face.

“Anytime, really. We don’t mind.”

“Would Thursday be a good day?” You asked, trying to seem interested in the said topic. “Yeah of course! I’m so excited for you to meet her” Steve smiled in response.

“Yeah me too!”

Nope, definitely not excited

—

Steve was right about her, the girl was a complete sweetheart. You couldn’t bring yourself to hate her. I mean how could anyone?

She didn’t mind that you were having a baby with him, she supported him with all of her heart. Not only that but she was also really beautiful. Like a goddess type of beautiful.

You couldn’t help but feel insecure. In this moment, you knew that you had lost. If it wasn’t for your baby, Steve wouldn’t have stayed in contact with you. I mean who would get back to you if they saw this beauty?

The girl could even be a better mother than you. Just then, a thousand insecure thoughts started to fill your head. In times like this, you could only turn to one person, and one person only.

You dialed the phone number onto your telephone, it was ringing for a few moments until a familiar voice answered. “Hello?”

“Hey Robin, Can you come over?”

Not even a few minutes went by, Robin was already at your house. You had ranted about Steve’s new perfect girlfriend to her.

Robin was in disbelief, “(Y/N), calm down”

“I can’t just calm down, Robin. I look like a huge potato right now because of this belly” You sobbed into the tissue she gave you.

“That’s because you’re pregnant. P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T. Have you seen yourself before you were pregnant? I would’ve totally hit on you if you were single” She said as you laughed at her statement.

You couldn’t stay mad at Robin for that long, of course you wanted to, but you just couldn’t.

“You know what, Robin? I missed this” You smiled genuinely at her. “Me too”

“I’m so sorry for what I did to you. It was unacceptable! I couldn’t believe myself. I only said that because I was worried of you cause if you ever—“ “Robin, breathe”

She exhaled as you giggled at her behavior. “It’s all forgiven now, Robin. Don’t worry about it”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up. “Of course.” You said as you pulled her in for a tight embrace.

“Although, I do prefer you apologizing to me with snacks.” You smiled innocently at her.

“You are such a jerk”

one month gone

Your water had just broke and you had notified Steve about it. He was now going to the hospital as fast as he could.

When he got to your room, he saw you walking around, hands pressed against your waist with your face scrunching up in pain.

“Hi” He smiled nervously at you. “Why are you nervous, Steve Harrington? Are you the one pushing a baby out of your vagina?” You snapped back at him.

“Geez, no need to be aggressive”

“Shut up before I kill you” You gritted your teeth together as another contraction hit you.

“Are you okay? Do you need anything?” He asked as he was panicking. “I need this baby out of me right now. Can you do that, Harrington? It’s freaking Christmas Eve later yet I’m spending it at the hospital in pain” you took a deep breath before laying down on the bed again.

“Hey, I’m here okay?” Steve kissed your forehead as you smiled at him. “I know, thanks for coming.”

“Well I mean, do I have any other choice?” he joked as you playfully punched his chest at the remark he made. “I’m kidding. Just try to rest ok?” he kissed your forehead again before he got to rest himself as well.

He woke up 8 hours later and spent the last 2 hours watching TV. The time was now 11:35. Steve decided that you also needed food to at least make your Christmas Eve happy. He saw that you were still sleeping, so he quietly made his way to the door and bought some food.

Steve was gone for 20 minutes. 20 minutes tops. Yet when he came back, you were surrounded by doctors as you were pushing this baby out.

He dropped the food he brought to the table and rushed towards you to hold your hand.

“Push, (Y/N), push!” The doctor was encouraging you to do so. Even though it was painful, you complied with them. “I can see the head now. You’re doing so good (Y/N)! Just one more. One more!”

Steve’s hand was sweating, he was nervous at the situation happening in front of him. As he was about to say something encouraging to you, he was abruptly stopped by the sound of a baby’s cry.

“It’s a girl!”

And just like that Steve’s life flashed before his eyes.

six months gone

Your daughter, Lilliana, had just started teething. She would bite anything her teeth would grab a hold on.

One of her newest victims was her father.

“Ow! You hurt daddy, Lily.” Steve pouted as he played with your daughter. Lilliana started laughing at his gesture. “Oh, so you like it when daddy gets hurt?” He put his hands on his chest as your daughter started laughing more.

“Honey, I’m home” you shouted as you heard laughing from upstairs. As you climbed up the stairs, the laughing started getting louder and louder. “What is going on here?” you chuckled as you watched your husband fake crying. “Well, Miss Lily here thinks that daddy getting hurt is funny”

You laughed at what Steve had said. “Is that true, sweets?”

“Is that true?” You bopped her nose as she laughed harder. “She's been biting an awful lot lately” Steve said as he grabbed her from the crib and held her in his arms. Lilliana took this as an opportunity to bite him again. “OW!” He flinched as the little devil in his arms started biting him again. She laughed once again, as you stared at your little family lovingly.

nine months gone

Lilliana had just started crawling, and she was not normal. She was crawling backwards, which was weird.

“No Lily, you crawl like this. Forward, not backward” you showed her how but she disregarded it and just continued to crawl backwards again. “You never listen to mommy, don’t you?”

“Steve!” You called out from the living room. “Yes?’ He stuck his head out of the kitchen. “Why is my baby crawling backwards?”

“Wait what?”

“She is! Like look at her!” You exclaimed as Steve sprinted towards the living room. He looked at her then started laughing like a maniac.

“Oh my god. I live with two babies” You rolled your eyes as Steve started cheering Lilliana on. “You’re supposed to be teaching her how to crawl properly, not encouraging her”

“This is how I crawled as a baby. Beeboop beeboop” He started laughing again as he watched your baby crawl backwards again.

You sighed at the sight of them. “Like father, like daughter”

five years gone

It was now Lilliana’s first day of kindergarten. She made sure to prepare everything she needed the night before. You were proud of your daughter for being independent and very mature for her age.

“You sure you got everything, love?” You asked again as she sighed at you. “Yes, mom”

“Was that a sigh I heard?” Steve pointed his eyebrows at her. (Y/N) laughed at the scene that was unveiling in front of her. “Okay honey, you need to go now. Promise me you won’t cry?” Lilliana just nodded in reply as her parents kissed her forehead goodbye.

“I need to go now bye mommy, bye daddy!” She said as she gave a kiss to the both of you on your cheeks once again.

You and Steve stood there in surprise. Lilliana didn’t even cry

“What just happened?” Steve was perplexed. “Well that was anticlimactic.” Your eyes widened at the little girl’s gesture. “I expected her to beg us not to go.” You added as you turned to look at Steve who was standing beside you bewildered.

His little girl was all grown up.

seven years gone

“No! Lily favors me!” you heard shouting from Nancy and Jonathan’s living room. “No! She said that I’m her favorite!” you heard another one fight back.

You made your way to their kitchen and saw the kids, who were now young adults fighting over your daughter.

“The last time I saw Lily, I asked her if I was her favorite and she said yes!” Lucas raised his voice. “Because you were the only person there, dipshit!” Dustin snapped back.

“Hey! Hey! Language! My daughter's right in front of you guys.” Steve interfered with the argument.

“But Lilliana is always excited to see me” El said softly. “You’re lying!”

“She loves me cause I’m the only one that has unique and beautiful hair” Max rolled her eyes as if she was pointing out the obvious.

“Shut up, Max. Nobody likes redheads!” Mike said to her. Max gasps at the statement that he made. “Well clearly Lily does!”

The young adults were fighting over who your daughter favored. You mentally slapped your forehead at this pointless argument.

The yelling was starting to get louder and everyone was basically using this as an excuse to judge each other and before you decided to start to intervene in the argument unfolding in front of you, Steve had beaten you to it.

“Guys, it’s obvious she favors me” He rolled his eyes.

thirteen years gone

Lily had just arrived home from school, sulking. You noticed the change in her behavior after she slammed the door to her room. “Hey! No slamming the doors young lady!”

Wiping the excess water off of your hands, you went up the stairs and made your way to your daughter’s bedroom. You heard sniffling from inside but before you could even open your mouth to speak, you heard your husband’s voice coming from inside.

“Hey, he’s just a stupid boy okay?” Steve said as he pulled your daughter in for a tight hug. “He doesn’t deserve you and you certainly don’t deserve someone who acts like that” He added as Lilliana started sobbing into his neck.

He rubbed his hand comfortingly up and down Lily’s back as she was letting out soft sobs. Steve was the perfect dad.

fourteen years gone

“First day of High School! You made it honey!” You and Steve were ecstatic for your daughter. Even though she acted as if she didn’t care, you knew deep down she did.

“Do you have everything packed?” Steve, once again asked for the ninth time. “Yes, dad” Lilliana rolled her eyes.

You chuckled at the father and daughter. “Hey don’t you dare roll your eyes at me” Steve pointed at her.

“One more picture!”

“What? Mom? No!” Lilliana protested. “Pretty please?” you pouted at her which was then followed by Steve doing the same thing.

“Please Lily, this’ll be your mom and I’s remembrance that our little girl is growing up–”

–

“Mr. Harrington, are you there?”

Steve was abruptly awakened from his daydreaming. “What?” He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “We said, what do you want to name your daughter?” The nurse in front of him replied.

(Y/N) looked at Steve for reassurance that he can name their baby. As Steve caught a glimpse of his daughter, tears started forming in his eyes.

“Do you want to hold her, Mr. Harrington” The nurse asked as Steve can only do so much but nod. He was stunned in place, no words were able to come out of his mouth as his only focus right now was on his daughter.

(Y/N) smiled at the two, it was her little family.

“Merry Christmas, Steve”

And Lilliana did have two happy parents on her first christmas, because at exactly 12:00 am of December 25, 1990, a baby girl was born to Steve Harrington and Y/n Y/l/n.

three years gone

“Are you excited to be the flower girl, Lily?” Steve enthusiastically asked his daughter who was in front of him. She nodded shyly as Steve tickled her. Her laughter was music to his ears, he could never get enough of her.

“Ooh, it’s time. Are you excited to see mommy in a dress?”

“Yes!” Lilliana jumped up to show her excitement. Steve then grabbed her and twirled her around in the air. “I better go inside now. You go wait out here okay?”

Lilliana nodded as Steve went inside the chapel to wait for a special someone.

“You may now kiss the bride”

Everyone around them whooped and cheered at the newlyweds, and Steve was one of them.

No matter how bright and cheerful the aura around him was, he was fighting the urge to break down inside of the chapel. No amount of happiness could replace the misery he was feeling inside of him. And he hated it.

However, in his mind, the only thing keeping him intact was that you were happy. Lily was happy. And he prioritized your happiness over his, even though it pained him to do so.

As the newlyweds made their way through the aisle, he made eye contact with you who was now hand in hand with your new husband. You gave him a nod to let him know that you acknowledge his presence in your wedding. He did the same thing as well.

It should’ve been him standing there with you. Yet, that was not the case.

In the end, (Y/N) and Steve never lived happily ever after. Just because a baby is born doesn’t mean people automatically get back together. Although, they did spend a happy life with their daughter, Lilliana, just not altogether.

Steve was wrong, a baby doesn’t change everything. Because if it did, there would be a happy ending to this story. The two of you would be together. And Steve Harrington wouldn’t have to watch the love of his life say “I do” to Eddie Munson.

But, there’s no fairytale in this story, and that’s just how life is.

jk i’m not that cruel there’s an alternate ending to this story. i feel like my love for angst is too much right now. I NEED TO MAKE SOME FLUFFY IMAGINES

taglist:

if your name is crossed out, it means tumblr won't let me tag you. sorry :(

@t0ky0cl0v3r @joekeeryswife @555stargirl555 @idli-dosa @simpfoegeorge @evansflowers @simonsbluee @molllybc @seaveysinn @louweasleymalfoy @screambih @ifmybossfindsthisimfired @phantomxoxo @maxinedelore @111angelnumbers111 @shadyshadyy @cal-is-not-on-branding @ilovereadingfanfics @drxwstxrkxy @buckleyverse @vortxxx @ducky-is-dead-inside @bxtchboy69 @r00chal @danelhi @idkihavenofantasy @bula-zara @untitledarea @minaxcarter @thefandomplace @brxtnxy @heyyimmisunderstood @youare-hackskellington @thaliasworld96 @cherrybb-101 @quartzneyy @olivialou13 @nothing2113 @hehehehannahthingsngs @livsh20 @crying-caro @angstasf @laurynstonephotography @munson-master @i-always-come-back-xoxo @lovel-blog @histvgirl @cherriebat @loverofjoes @cebragirl @alexxavicry @mushy-mushroom04 @analyticalfrog3 @kaitieskidmore1 @differentdeputyfishpaper @theamericanjewitch @lilostif16 @poppetbaby02 @auggie2000 @slutt4eds @zvummyummy @ariiiloves @arminsgfloll

4K notes · View notes

j0elmill3r · 1 year

Text

Emotional Motion Sickness

Pairing - Joel Miller x Daughter!Reader, Ellie Williams x Miller!reader

Summary - Joel relives the worst night of his life when you are critically injured.

Warnings - Violence, blood, injuries, angst, sad Joel

Word Count - 2.5k words

Anonymous asked:

Hello! I wanted to tell you that I love your writing❣️ and by the way, I wanted to ask you for a petition for Joel miller x daughter! reader. Where his daughter is almost on her deathbed and has Deja vu with what happened with Sarah.

A/N - Okay what's going on? Why am I so motivated to write? Anyway, as always, thank you for the request, I hope you enjoy it! Feedback, likes, and reblogs are always appreciated!

Joel Miller Masterlist

You'd basically begged your dad to let you come with you, despite being 23 years old, Joel still very much babied you. You sometimes wondered if he still thought of you as the same person that you had been at the start of the apocalypse, an innocent child entirely dependent on her father - He made you think that he couldn't come to terms that you had grown up in this world, having had your entire childhood robbed from you. But if you were being totally honest, you didn't really know anything other than this world, and that's why you thought you bonded with Ellie so well, thinking of her as your younger sister - A bittersweet thought for Joel, since you were a younger sister, even though you had no older sister anymore and were now older than her, it was funny, you were now older than your older sister. He liked to think you and Sarah would share the same bond at that age that you and Ellie do now, even as adults.

You looked over to the bed Ellie lay in as you heard her giggle to herself - That stupid joke book, you thought to yourself, but hey, it was the little things in this world. She looked over at you.

"Hey, do you wanna hear a joke?" She asked you. You turned over on your other side to look at Ellie and nodded, knowing that you didn't really have a choice in the matter. "Okay, Why did the scarecrow get a promotion?" She started.

"I don't know, why did the scarecrow get a promotion?" You amused her. Ellie giggled to herself before continuing on with her joke.

"Because he was outstanding in his field," You shook your head as Ellie continued giggling. There was something oddly comforting in her jokes, they reminded you of the ones your dad used to tell you when you were little when he was trying to get a smile out of you when you were grumpy. "Your dad doesn't find my jokes funny." Ellie whined. You laughed and shook your head, laying on your back.

"To be fair, your jokes are pretty bad," You broke the devastating news to her, hearing Ellie gasp, and you smiled in amusement.

"I, am gonna go to sleep now and pretend that you didn't say that," Ellie told you. "Goodnight, traitor." She said, trying to sound as offended as she possibly could.

"Goodnight, Ellie," You told her. You tried to go to sleep but felt a settling unease in your stomach that you couldn't explain. You knew you could never shake off your gut feeling, which was why you couldn't sleep. You couldn't seem to switch off, your brain running at a mile a minute, unable to shake off the unease settling in your stomach. The day had gone too well, considering your dad's reunion with your uncle Tommy had gone to plan, there hadn't been some catastrophic fuck up at all during the day, somehow unsettling you. Then came a thud from the front door. Quietly, you crept down the hallway towards the door, your body and breath shaking with each step you took. Another thud. This time, you didn't know if it was coming from the door or your heart thumping in your chest.

Thud.

Crash.

Before you had any time to think, a runner came launching through where the door once stood on its hinges, then sprinting towards you. You screamed out for your dad before being body slammed to the ground by the runner, trying your best to fend it off and protect yourself from being bitten.

"Dad!" You screamed out, fear evidently clear in your voice. Joel woke up at your screaming, immediately reaching for his gun as he ran out of bed and to the room that you and Ellie were sharing, where the aforementioned girl lay sound asleep. Running down the stairs, Joel found you fighting for your life. Without hesitation, Joel fired two shots into the back of the runner’s head. You quickly shoved the body off of you and scrambled to your feet, running to your dad and wrapping your arms around him. Joel let out a sigh of relief as he held you.

"It's okay, look at me, Y/N," Joel demanded softly. You met your father’s worried eyes with your tear-clouded ones. "Did it bite you?" He asked you, in a serious, yet comforting tone. You shook your head in response, rubbing your eyes of tears. It went quiet for a minute, only for it to be replaced by that terrifying clicking sound. More gunshots went off. Bang. Bang. It didn't matter how many times you experienced a hoard of infected, the fallout never ceased to terrify you. Joel knew that, feeling that your breathing had become quick and shallow. "Okay, go and get Ellie, we need to get out of here, okay?" Joel had both hands on your shoulders, looking you in the eyes. This was when he remembered that you deep down, were still a scared little girl.

"Okay," You said quietly, your voice trembling as you looked out of the front door, more gunshots ringing off in the distance. You went back upstairs to wake Ellie up, giving her a gentle shake at first. "Ellie come on, we need to go," You told her. She groaned in response, turning to her other side. "Ellie, I'm being serious. There are runners everywhere." Suddenly, the girl found the energy to get out of bed, quickly jumping into her shoes and slinging her red zipper on. You both ran down the stairs and out of the house, into the open air where herds of the infected runners overtook the commune. You looked around frantically for your dad or uncle Tommy, sighing in defeat when you found neither, deciding to quickly grab Ellie's hand and make a run for one of the trucks you could both take refuge in until it blew over. However, on yours and Ellie's beeline to the row of trucks, you heard one last gunshot ring out.

You stopped dead in your tracks. Everything had gone silent, but then it all came back, the blood rushing to your ears, Ellie yelling out for your dad, your dad calling out your name. You didn't know why, had something happened? Was there something behind you? And then you realized, the blissful unawareness of the gaping hole in your stomach dissipated, and was now replaced with excruciating pain.

"Joel!" Ellie cried out, her eyes filling with tears as she watched you collapse onto your back, hyperventilating as you clutched at your bloodied stomach. "Hurry!" She cried panickily, kneeling beside you. Joel came running over, skidding onto his knees beside you.

No, no, no! Sh-sh-sh-sh, okay, you're okay. Y-You're okay, move your hand, baby. Move your hand.

Memories of your sister’s death came flooding back to him, only it was you in the exact same position, 20 years later.

"Y/N, hey, come on, it's okay, look at me," Joel said loudly over your hyperventilating. "I need to pick you up baby, you're gonna be okay," He promised you, putting his arms under you, wincing as you cried out in pain.

I know, baby, I know, I know, I know, I know! I know it hurts. All right. Don't look down, look up, look up. Come on, baby. You're okay, you're okay…

You continued crying in pain as Joel ran back to the house, carrying you in his now blood-soaked shirt. You'd gone pale, shaking as you grasped at your dad's shirt. Tommy followed in suit as you were taken back to the house that the three of you had been allowed to stay in for the night before continuing your trail to finding the fireflies. Tommy swiped everything off of the table so Joel could lay you down on it. The commune's doctor came in with a first aid kit, rushing over to you.

"I need everyone out," She said, looking at your dad, Tommy, and Ellie. Joel wanted to scream at her. No. He wouldn't leave you alone. "Now, please, or she's going to die." The three had never left a room so quickly, but for Joel, everything was going in slow motion.

"I know, I know, I know, I know, baby. I know, I know! I know this hurts. You're gonna be okay. All right… Baby, baby, baby, listen to me—I gotta get you up, okay? I gotta get you up. All right? You c'mon. You c'mon."

You grabbed his arm the same way that she did - as if it were the only thing keeping you alive at that very moment. Joel sat down on the stairs, dropping his head into his hands, leaving Tommy and Ellie clueless about what to do. Tommy knew what Joel was thinking, he still remembered the night of the outbreak, remembered holding you, only 2 years old at the time - 4 days shy of your 3rd birthday - as your sister slowly died in your father’s arms.

She continually gasped, both for air and in pain as Joel tried to pick her up.

"I know, baby! No, no. I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know! Tommy, help me!"

Tommy watched on helplessly, holding an increasingly distressed you. Although you weren't quite old enough to comprehend what was going on, you knew it wasn't good - You could hear your sister crying and gasping, but Tommy held you chest to chest, you didn't need to see what was going on.

"Joel," Tommy said tearfully, looking over at his oldest brother and oldest niece, who now lay limp in her father’s arms. Joel looked back to his oldest daughter.

"C'mon, baby girl. C'mon, baby girl, I gotta get you up. C'mon! C'mon, we'll get up! C'mon, baby girl, wake up! C'mon… come—please," Joel gave up begging, collapsing to his knees in tears. Tommy put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, and it was then that Joel realized how distressed you were. "Give her here," Joel sniffled, rubbing his eyes and nose as he held his arms out for you. He held you close as you continued sobbing.

"Daddy," You cried, clinging to your father as though he was your lifeline. He put his hand on your back, trying not to let the tears in his eyes spill over as he rubbed your back.

"It's okay baby girl, daddy's here, I've got you," He assured you, sensing your fear. "It's all gonna be okay baby girl, I promise." Joel didn't know who he was assuring, him or yourself.

The tension was thick was the commune nurse came out of the dining room, coated in a layer of your blood. She made eye contact with Joel, remorse written on her face.

Oh, no.

You had ended up staying longer in Wyoming than the three of you had hoped for, but there was no way it could have been prevented, given that you had been put on ordered bedrest for at least 3 days, but Joel had made you do 4 - Just in case, he had said. Ellie had been more clingy with you than usual, which had reminded you that despite how hardened she liked to act, that she was still only a child who had been unfortunate enough to be born into this world.

You knew the night had been traumatic for your dad, resurfacing painful memories of Sarah's death, you didn't know if your dad would have recovered if he would have lost you in the same way he had lost her. Joel sighed as he watched you limp into the kitchen, holding your stomach as you did.

"Good morning," You said quietly, hobbling over to the chair so you could sit down. Joel shook his head at you and handed you a glass of water, and your last antibiotic. "Thanks." You popped the pill into your mouth and took a swig of water, then swallowing both.

"You're supposed to be in bed," He gently scolded you. "Another day resting won't kill you." He said. You sighed and shook your head, you knew why he was being like this, he just didn't want to lose you, he had already lost so much to this apocalypse.

"Dad, I'm fine, honestly," You assured him, looking up at him as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "Just still a bit sore." You said, rubbing your stomach as you moved. You had to be careful of how you moved, just in case you tore your stitches.

"Please go back to bed, baby," Joel pleaded with you. You knew he wouldn't relent in trying to get you back onto bed rest, you sighed in defeat and nodded. "Thank you, do you need me to carry you up the stairs?" He asked you. You blushed in embarrassment as you nodded - what 23-year-old still needed her dad to carry her to bed? Well, obviously you did since your large intestine had a slight tear in it. You whimpered slightly as he picked you up, and you saw the guilt immediately flood onto your dad’s face.

"'M fine," You mumbled, holding onto him as he carried you up to his bed. You didn't question it, but accepted it for you were in need of some comfort, and if sleeping in your dad’s bed gave you it, then so be it. You saw an amused smile on his face as you looked up at him, quirking a brow in confusion. “What?” "What's' Forrest Gump's password?" He asked you, a small smile on his face.

"Huh?" You asked, confused at who this Forrest Gump character was.

"1Forrest1," He finished. Then you realized - Ellie's jokebook, and how he used to tell you dad jokes when you were sad to try and cheer you up. You giggled at the joke as you looked at your dad. "You have no clue who that is, do you?" Joel asked you, laughing as you did.

"Not one at all, old man."

#joel miller x daughter!reader #joel miller hbo #joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel tlou #ellie williams #ellie williams tlou #ellie williams hbo #x daughter reader #x daughter!reader #x daughter #hbo the last of us #the last of us

1K notes · View notes

turvi · 6 months

Note

Hi beautifulll! Could you write a piece were student reader x professor Severus are in long secret relationship - and imagine Harry and reader are in the great hall during lunch talking to each other in hushed voices etc trying to not make too much of a fuss but you can tell something is wrong, which Severus notices. And then Harry gets up and storms out of the hall with reader running to follow. Later they both end up coming in late to their Potions class, to which Severus just eyes them weirdly before taking points away ofc. Anyway after the class is over he asks reader to stay back and asks her what’s going on. She doesn’t tell and then says that Harry confessed he likes her. Severus gets upset and makes a comment about the potter boys always taking his loved ones any from him before reader comforts him and then it’s just pure fluff of them both comforting one another :) sorry ik it’s long was just ranting my thoughts out!

Severus loathed this feeling. His grip tightened around his quill as he saw Y/n laughing with Harry. Y/n’s laughter used to sound like honey in his ears when he was the reason she laughed but now it pricked his heart how that dunderhead was making his girl laugh. Severus hated how beautiful she looked as she smiled at Harry. He wanted to be the only one who saw her smile like that.

His brows furrowed deeper when he saw Harry whisper in Y/n’s ear. The voices in the Great Hall faded and he felt a tinge in his chest as he saw them leave the Great Hall. Severus felt a sense of deja vu. This was how he had started to lose Lily. This is how he will lose Y/n. He will no longer feel her soft fingers on his skin, he will no longer see her looking at him in so much love, and he will no longer hear her humming as he slowly falls asleep.

Severus got up abruptly and went to the Potions classroom even though he had 30 minutes for the next class. He couldn’t be in front of so many people while his heart was breaking with mere thoughts of Y/n being with Harry. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t realise when the students came in. He cleared his throat and started looking for her as everyone settled. There was no sign of Harry or Y/n. That was it. He had lost her.

He was about to turn his back when he saw the door open and Y/n and Harry entering the classroom. Severus noticed how she avoided his gaze, looking everywhere but at him. His booming voice made everyone jump. “30 points each from Gryffindor.” He didn’t bother speaking much and turned his attention to teaching the class ignoring his heartache as he saw Harry glancing at Y/n now and then.

Severus was so involved in his thoughts that he didn’t realise the minutes passed and the class was over. He held back his scoff as he saw the students hurriedly collecting their belongings in their bags. As usual, his onyx eyes found Y/n, he walked closer to her desk “Miss L/n stay back…we need to have a conversation about your…performance” he demanded and Y/n felt a shiver down her spine. She felt her throat dry when she saw his cold gaze on her.

As soon as the last student left Severus put his palms on her desk. “Why were you late L/n?” Y/n felt her heart clench as she heard him say her last name with such coldness…as if she didn’t mean anything to him.

She took a shuddered breath and finally spoke up, “Harry…he…he said he…he….has a crush on…me” Y/n noticed him clenching his jaw and immediately cupped his cheek. Her touch brought Severus out of his rage daze.

“These buffoon Potter boys are always trying to take my love away from me” Severus huffed and started picking his nails. Y/n gently placed her hand in his, kissing the back of his hand.

“But he didn’t Severus,” she spoke so softly it immediately eased his heart, as if he didn’t need to hear anything else, “Harry can’t take me away from you…not when I am so stubborn and so terribly in love with you that I am willing to stand by you no matter how rough life gets for us.”

Us. That was a word Severus had barely heard. Any sense of family was lost for him when he lost Lily but now when he looks into Y/n’s eyes and can feel her hand in his, he feels complete. Severus couldn’t help but smile at the idea of having someone being there for him, someone he could rely on.

Before tears could leave his eyes he placed his forehead on hers, closing his eyes. Enjoying her presence, the feeling of her breath made him feel like someone had now wrapped a warm blanket around him to save him from the harsh cold.

“No words can explain how thankful I am for your presence” he couldn’t keep his hands back from touching her, her smile only encouraging him more. “I am so terribly in love with you too.”

Her giggles warmed him up more, his heart beating wildly in his chest as she peppered kisses all over his face.

A/N: I apologise for the long delay (I got this request in July eshh.) too much happened this year and now I am back feeling fresh after a hectic few months. Again so sorry for the delay I have so many more stories and I will post them soon. <3

179 notes · View notes

bittenbyyou · 1 year

Text

Inferior Flames (1)

MCU!AU | MCU!Peter Parker x Stark!Reader | MCU!Spider-Man x Stark!Reader

genre: enemies to lovers, angst, slow burn, lil cute moments

description: Your father wants you to knock Peter down a peg. OR Peter is bitter because you’re an Avenger and he’s not.

word count: 3.6k

warnings: Tony Stark being your father is already a warning as to how ridiculous he could be lol, mentions of Spider-Man: Homecoming, references from Captain America: Civil War, idk where this would fit in the MCU timeline per se b/c I’ve only recently started watching all the Marvel movies.

a/n: maybe it’ll be a series? idk, if you like it, lemme know!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

“Firefly, I need a favor.” Your father plopped onto the couch next to you, so you paused your show with the TV remote.

“What is it?” you asked, turning your body to give him your undivided attention.

“You know Spiderling, Spider-Boy?”

“Peter Parker, Spider-Man? Yes. How do you still not know his name?”

“My names are better.”

“Uh huh. Wait, he’s the one that rejected your proposal to become an Avenger.” You nudged him with your elbow, flashing a smirk.

“No, no. I don’t do rejection.”

“But he did turn you down.”

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose to alleviate his frustration. “Sure. Whatever. Anyway, the kid wants to be an Avenger now. Been texting Happy nonstop about when’s the next mission and he’s wanting to see me tomorrow.”

You blinked twice and stayed quiet, a blank stare on your face as to why this was an issue. When he didn’t say anything, you gestured for him to elaborate.

“I don’t think he’s ready,” he added, crossing one arm over the other.

“You’re serious? Dad, you’ve never shut up about him ever since you gave him the suit. Even when I was abroad, I’ve seen what he can do. He’s amazing. You wanted him to be an Avenger.”

“I’m aware. But he said no and now… the ball is in my court.” The shit-eating grin on his face was soon replaced with a chuckle that sounded almost sinister.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, he turned me down and now he wants me back. God, I’m making him sound like an ex-girlfriend.” He shivered in disgust and you rolled your eyes. “Anyway, I get to turn him down now. It’s great.”

“So you’re turning him down because he turned you down first. Petty much?”

“Hey, that is not what’s going on here.” He turned his attention to the paused TV screen instead of meeting your judgmental gaze.

“Dad, that’s exactly what you’re doing. You’re really letting your pride stop you from recruiting someone as amazing as Spider-Man? Let Peter join.”

“What, are you in love with him or something? You think he’s so amazing?” he asked while doing jazz hands at the word “amazing.”

You wouldn’t call it love; it was more along the lines of admiration. During your time abroad, your father filled you in on all his adventures and antics so if anything, it was his fault as to why you were somewhat enamored with Spider-Man. Deep down, you knew your father adored Peter, so it was only natural you did too.

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

“You can’t date anyone until you’re 21.”

“I’m telling Mom you’re being ridiculous.”

“I already told your mom and we’ve already established that I’m ridiculous,” he said proudly, as if it was a badge of honor.

“You told me you were proud of his decision to lay low.”

“I am. I was. But now the tables have turned and what kind of person would I be if I let him in so easily? The others think I’m crazy recruiting a 15 year old.”

“16 now actually,” you corrected.

“God, this is like deja-vu.”

You giggled. “I’m the same age as him and you’ve been wanting me to join too.”

“Don’t remind me. You were the first person to ever turn me down and I’m still recovering. I’m waiting for you to crawl back and beg me, saying ‘Dad, please! Let me be an Avenger!’ Like the kid is doing now,” he said, using a high-pitched voice when he was imitating you.

“Good luck with that. I have no interest in being an Avenger.”

“See,” he said, pointing his index finger at you, “that right there is why I need your help.”

You crossed your arms in the same way he did, skeptical of where he was going with this. “Go on.”

“I want you to pretend to be another recruit who wants to be an Avenger. I’ll tell him there’s only one position and make him work for it.”

“Dad…” you said sternly.

“What? He doesn’t know you’re my daughter. And I’m trying to protect him too. The kid’s been going off doing things on his own and not thinking clearly. He can wait on becoming an Avenger.”

“He stopped Vulture. He kept looking for those weapons when no one else would.”

“He’s reckless.”

“You’re using me to make him jealous.”

“A little,” he said with a shrug. “But I’m also looking out for him.”

“Uh huh.”

“He’s coming here tomorrow and I want you to battle him. If he beats you, he’ll get to join.”

“This is so stupid.”

“It’s genius, really.”

“You’re making a kid fight for something that you already want to give him.”

“No. Not yet.”

“You know he can’t beat me.”

Your father leaned in and pecked you on the forehead. “Exactly. Him losing will help him work harder to be better. This’ll give him that push he really needs. So will you help me?”

“Let me get this straight. You want me to fight Peter Parker and make sure he loses just so he doesn’t get to become an Avenger even though deep down, you want him to be one?”

“Precisely.”

“That’s the stupidest idea ever. And it’ll hurt his feelings.”

“No, it’ll build character. He needs to understand it’s not that simple. You can’t ask to become an Avenger and get it.”

“... But he can… because that’s what you wanted in the first place.”

“He turned me down so it’s only fair that he proves to me how much he wants it. Like a test. I’m testing him.”

“No. Dad, I’m not doing that.”

“I’ll enroll you in school right now instead of waiting for the following year.”

You sighed, contemplating his ridiculous proposition. He had adopted you when you were 10 on one of his missions overseas and has kept you a secret from the public. As much as it pained him, he could not bring you home right away because you required guidance on using your powers responsibly. You had to remain abroad for a while longer until the adoption forms went through and your mentors felt you were ready to leave the tiny village where you resided.

However, he and his wife Pepper, kept in touch and always checked in. He showed up every birthday and made it his mission to be a part of your life. Now that you were in high school and your powers were restored, he flew you into New York City right away.

It’s been a few months since your transition and you absolutely loved it. The Avengers who resided in the compound were very welcoming and so far, they were the only ones who knew of your existence along with your mom. Your father had yet to announce your identity to the world because he didn’t want the spotlight to overwhelm you. Originally he planned on having you relax a bit and then enroll you in public school next year, but going earlier was enticing to you.

“... Which school?”

“Spider-Man’s.”

“... Fine.”

“You do have a crush on him.”

“Shut up, Dad.”

The next day…

Upon entering the foyer of the Avengers Compound, Happy led Peter to where Stark was. The man stood in the middle of the main entrance hall, sporting a classy suit and sunglasses. Peter clenched his fists in determination, carefully reciting the words he wanted to say in his head since the car ride over.

“Hey kid. What do you want?”

“Mr. Stark,” he squeaked. He shut his eyes in humiliation, clearing his throat and lowering his voice a bit to sound more confident. Once his eyes fluttered open, he puffed out his chest and said, “I changed my mind.”

“You changed your mind,” Stark deadpanned.

“Yes. I want to be an Avenger.”

“You understand why I’m skeptical.”

“Um… yes, but—”

“Look, you turned me down last time and am I used to rejection?” Peter opened his mouth to answer but was immediately cut off. “The answer’s no, but I respected your decision. All that talk about looking out of the little guy—great—so what changed?”

“I’m ready for more than that now.”

“No, you’re not.”

“That’s not what you thought when I took on Captain America,” Peter argued.

“Trust me, kid. If Cap wanted to lay you out, he would’ve.”

Peter furrowed his eyebrows at the realization that he got off easy, questioning his entire existence.

Stark pressed his palms together and pointed at him. “You really want to be an Avenger?”

The boy nodded eagerly. “Yes.”

He inhaled sharply through gritted teeth. “See, here’s the thing: there’s someone else.”

Peter’s face fell, heartbroken at the thought of being replaced. “What—What do you mean there’s someone else?”

“Well, after you turned me down, I recruited someone else. If you really want to be an Avenger, prove to me you’re better than her.”

“Wait, her?”

“Yeah. You think you got what it takes?”

“Well it’s rude to attack a lady—”

“No. Gender equality’s a thing, right? You beat her up, she beats you up. You both end up in casts—”

“Casts?!”

“Suit up and let’s go.”

With no other choice, Peter obeyed and did what he was told. His thoughts were racing at the thought of battling someone to prove his worth. But this was his dream and he had to get out of his own head. After he finished suiting up, Happy led Tony and him to the outdoor training area that featured a wide-opened space with reinforced surfaces.

It had strategically placed obstacles to encourage agility and tactical thinking during battles. Additionally, the area incorporated holographic projectors to create any virtual landscapes to simulate specific scenarios for the Avengers to train in.

And that was where Peter’s eyes landed on a figure in the distance. You, who was practicing your combat skills with a large kung fu spear. The way you moved was calculated, graceful, like a beautiful yet deadly dance. You performed many high kicks and flips, mesmerizing Peter as your hands maneuvered the spear so flawlessly around your body. Your father and Happy watched you, proud smiles plastered on both of their faces.

“That’s who you’ll be battling today,” Stark said, clapping his hands together once to catch your attention. You stopped what you were doing and landed in a perfect split with the spear parallel to your body, noticing your father and Happy’s presence. You got up and rushed over, your eyes quickly finding its way to the boy in the iconic red and blue costume.

“Hi D-... Mr. Stark. Happy.” You turned to Peter, loving the fact that he didn’t have his mask on yet so you could finally meet him as him. He was far cuter in person, you weren’t going to deny that. “I’m [Y/N].”

Your dad wanted this “test” to be authentic, so you couldn't tell Peter you were, in fact, a Stark. Plus you didn’t look like a Stark anyway, with you being adopted and all. It’d be a cinch.

“P-Parker, Peter. Parker Peter—I mean, Peter Parker,” Peter said softly, shaking your hand. God, you were so pretty that it made him a fumbling mess. He wondered if you two were the same age.

“Great. Now that both you kiddos are here, you both know what you have to do, right?”

You and Peter looked at each other and exchanged awkward smiles. “Mr. Stark, I’m not comfortable battling a… um…”

“Girl?” you finished. “I’d be more worried about yourself, darling.”

The way the word “darling” rolled off your tongue caused Peter’s face to redden like a cherry.

“I’m not saying girls can’t battle, I’m just saying I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Are you going to hold back if the enemy is a woman?”

Peter opened his mouth to say something but to no avail.

“You said you wanted to be an Avenger. There’s only one position available, so we’re going to be testing you both. Happy will launch the simulation sequence and then you two will be fighting one-on-one,” your father explained.

“Good luck,” Happy said, trying hard not to laugh. The two men walked a safe distance away where they could observe you both.

“What’s the simulation sequence?” Peter called out before putting on his mask.

“We’re going to be launching drones at you,” Stark called back from afar with cupped hands.

“Drones?!”

“Yeah, we want to see how much you’ve improved!”

“In 3, 2, 1!” Happy shouted as he pushed some buttons on his phone.

You and Peter both stared up at the sky as a swarm of drones lined up in a similar fashion as the game Space Invaders.

“May the best Avenger win,” you said, sending him a wink. He laughed nervously as you immediately launched yourself in the sky. Peter gasped in awe.

“She can fly?!”

Hovering in front of the drones, you closed your eyes and pressed your index and middle fingers together, forming a "V" shape. Bringing the fingers perpendicular to your forehead, it felt as if you were beckoning an unseen force. With unwavering focus, you opened your eyes, and the spear you held multiplied tenfold, floating effortlessly beside you. Extending your arm forward, you pointed confidently at the drones, issuing a resolute command for the spears to launch their attack. Explosions scattered throughout the sky as you managed to wipe out half the drones with one attack.

“And she can multiply things. Great,” Peter huffed, launching a web at one of the drones to join you.

“She’s going to destroy him,” your father said, chuckling to himself.

“Kid, come back. Don’t be such a sore loser.”

Peter shook his head while removing his mask, muttering self-deprecating thoughts to himself at his performance. You watched as he walked away, rubbing the back of your neck.

“Did I go overboard?” you asked, a tinge of guilt eating away at your conscience. Your father chuckled and waved off your concern with a flick of the wrist.

“No, you did great. He’ll be fine.” He went after Peter and placed a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from going any further. “Hey. You put up a good fight.”

Peter spun around, exasperated and using his hands to express his frustration. “I lost. There was no way I was going to win. She can fly, she can multiply things, she can use telekinesis, she can breathe fire—is she part dragon? How was I supposed to compete with that?!”

You saw him pointing at you from afar, giving him a small smile but was only reciprocated with a frown.

Tony put on a contemplating face. “Is she part dragon…?” he mumbled. “Anyway, I told you that I had to find someone else after you said no. And she’s earned her place. I’m sorry you’re disappointed, but you lost fair and square.”

“But—”

“No buts. You aren’t ready. So lay low, be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and work your way up. Go to school, focus on classes, and finish that homework you’ve been putting off.”

“I don’t need to go to school.”

“Yes. You do. Even she goes to school,” Stark said, pointing over in your direction.

You went over to where Happy was, your eyes still glued on your father and Peter. “Happy, he looks so heartbroken.”

“I know. But it’s for the best. Kid’s too eager and knocking him down a peg might do him some good.”

“I feel bad.”

He patted your back and gave you a reassuring smile. “He will be okay. Your father appreciates your help.”

You immediately straightened your posture when you saw Peter come over with your father.

“Anything you want to say to [Y/N]?” your father asked, giving Peter a gentle nudge from behind.

“Congratulations,” Peter said, mustering up as much strength as he could to give you a smile. Because he really was happy for you, but it hurt for him. The smile didn’t reach his eyes and the pitiful gaze in yours wasn’t helping.

“Thanks. You did really well.”

“Yeah, but I have all the bruises,” he joked, pointing at his face in a circular motion. You took a step forward and placed your palm out in front of his face.

“May I?”

His eyes widened in confusion, but he nodded anyway. An ember glow emitted from your hand and all his bruises healed in a matter of seconds.

“You can heal people too? What on earth can’t you do?” Peter was both fascinated but also very annoyed at your perfection.

“I can only heal minor bruises,” you said quickly.

“Of course,” he muttered.

“Happy, take him home for me.”

“Got it. Come on, Peter.”

“Bye Peter,�� you said, giving him a shy wave. He only gave you another meek smile before walking away. You glared at your father, who only let out a sigh of relief.

“Great job, kiddo.”

The next day at school Ned practically crashed into Peter, who was at his locker minding his own business.

“Dude, dude, dude!”

“Whoa, what is it, Ned?!” Peter said, a hand on his chest from the sudden heart attack that was his best friend.

“There’s a new girl and she’s so cute. Have you seen her yet?”

Peter closed his locker shut, wracking his brain for a moment when he saw an unfamiliar face today. “No, I haven’t. What’s her name?”

“Uh… I can’t remember. Was it [wrong name]? Or maybe [another wrong name]?”

Peter looked down the hall and somehow amongst a cluster of students, he spotted you walking towards him. Like a moth to a flame, his eyes somehow went straight to you and only you. Irritation overcame him as he remembered the battle from yesterday. How you beat him so effortlessly, so ridiculously cool and being all perfect. And now you’re at his school? What, were you mocking him?

“Ned,” Peter said, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Is that her?” He pointed at you and nodded his head in your direction.

Ned looked over in your direction and snapped his fingers. “Yeah! That’s her.”

“Dude, that’s the girl,” Peter muttered.

“Huh? What girl?”

He thought about how he sulked on the apartment balcony, venting to Ned about you. “The… girl… remember what I told you over the phone yesterday?”

It took a few seconds, but Ned’s brain finally clicked. “She’s the one that beat you? Her? Oh my god, you didn’t mention how cute she was!”

“Will you keep your voice down? She’s coming this way!” Peter opened his locker again and hid his face behind it. Ned shook his head in disapproval.

“Are you embarrassed? Come on. Challenge her again.”

“I can’t.”

“I’ll do it for you.”

“No, dude, stop. You aren’t supposed to know about her. Mr. Stark will kill me.”

“But she goes to our school.”

Peter hid his face in his locker until you finally passed. He let out a huge sigh of relief, feeling like he had dodged a bullet. That was, until Ned shouted out, “Hey! New girl!”

You stopped at the familiar label people were referring to you as. Once you turned around, you saw Ned’s huge smile while Peter still cowered in his locker. The boy you were walking with scoffed at Ned’s boldness.

“You don’t need to engage with them. They’re nobodies.”

“That’s not very nice, Flash,” you said, frowning at his poor choice of words.

“If we’re nobodies, why is she friends with Peter then, huh?” Ned exclaimed loudly. If a black hole could open up and swallow Peter whole, now would be the time.

“What, you know Penis Parker?” Flash asked you, incredulous at the new information. Peter carefully pulled his head out of his locker enough to take a tiny peek at you. He wondered what you were going to say.

“Yeah. I know Peter, Flaccid Flash,” you replied, bumping into his shoulder deliberately as you made your way over to Peter and Ned. The entire hallway filled with laughter at your stinging remark.

“Hi. I’m [Y/N]. I think we maybe got off on the wrong foot. How about we start over?”

Peter looked at your extended hand as if it was a foreign object, standing still as a statue. When his brain finally registered what you said, Ned had beat him to it, shaking your hand so fast like he was in the presence of royalty. “We would love to start over. I’m Ned. Peter’s best friend.”

You let out a laugh. “Hi Ned. It’s lovely to meet you.”

Without thinking, Peter grabbed your other hand. “Come with me.”

You didn’t have time to react and he led you to the nearest empty classroom, thankful class hadn’t started yet.

“What are you doing here?” he interrogated, letting go of your hand. You leaned against the wall, crossing one foot over the other.

“I go to school here now?”

“But why here?”

“Because… it’s a nice school?”

Peter placed a hand on his forehead, his jaw clenched as he thought of what to say next without sounding like an ass. “Look, you beat me and you’re an Avenger fair and square. I’m happy for you, really.” His words became soft and broken towards the end. “But seeing you reminds me that Mr. Stark will never be impressed with me. So can you give me space?”

His voice was frail but sincere. You got off the wall and gave him a nod. “Okay. I’ll leave you alone.”

“Thank you.”

Before Peter could leave, you asked him one last question. “Sorry, but could you tell me where gym class is? I have it first period.”

It took everything in Peter not to curse out loud. He had to fight back his bitterness and said through gritted teeth. “Yeah. I have it first period too.”

You smiled to yourself, trailing closely behind him as he led you both to your first class. Together.

Reblogs and thoughts are appreciated! Thank you!

Update: I might be in the middle of writing a part 2. :) Your support means a lot!

#peter parker x reader #peter parker fic #mcu peter parker #mcu spiderman #peter parker mcu #peter parker x you #peter parker e2l #peter parker x oc #peter parker #spiderman fanfiction #spiderman x reader #stark!reader #tom holland peter parker #inferior flames #my writing

336 notes · View notes

hotpinkrathian · 3 months

Text

Ahhhh so I have to admit I have been working on something, it's a very big project for me.

It's 30 000 words long as of now, and I estimate to be about 1/2 - 2/3 of the way through the story. I'm super excited about it, however I don't want to get to a point where I'm almost done and don't finish, which is why I am writing it so much.

I want everyone in the kyalin Fandom to be right there with me when it's ready. So I'm going to do my best to finish it before I start posting.

How would I describe it???

A Kyalin mystery slowburn

Here's a snippet from Chapter 3 (spoilers ahead)

“Here,” Tenzin said, passing Lin a notice.

“So secretive,” Kya joked, pretending to lean over.

“It's not that secret,” Tenzin said, “two more came forward getting letters, bringing the total to-”

“Forty-nine.” Lin finished. The names added to the list weren't familiar to her. An Earth Republic mayor, and a fire nation general. “Something tells me there's one more out there,” Lin said.

“You think? An even 50?”

“Stopping at forty-nine would be good thinking on their end,” Kya said, “I mean, it would have everyone worried over the 50th letter, which doesn't exist.” She elaborated.

Lin raised an eyebrow, shrugging it off.

“What are the odds they get out anyway?” Kya asked.

“You mean the dirt?” Lin clarified.

“Yeah. Are the threats… real? Do you think they actually know something, or is it… broad enough to make yo- people think they did something.”

“Well we've bounced around that idea for a while,” Lin said, “but I think the general consensus was that… they were a little too close for comfort.” She looked to Tenzin, whose harrowing eyes reflected the anxieties of her own.

Her own letter bounced around in the back of brain, waiting to be unpacked. She had divulged so much into dealing with the case, and worrying about Suyin, she hadn't put much thought into how she would deal with the information revealed by her letter.

What she would do.

What she would say.

She didn't inherently think she had anything to be ashamed of, but there were plenty others who wouldn't see it that way.

It would be career ending, perhaps enough to chase her out of town in search of a fresh start.

If Suyin was still alive, Zaofu could make for a nice retirement place.

“Excuse me for a moment,” she said, getting up. She made for the bathroom down the hall, but instead opened the window at the end of the hall.

Delicately, and with precision, even in her wine-induced stupor, she climbed outside, hanging onto the ledge.

She'd done it a thousand times in her teen years. Scaling the air temple had been a right of passage, and a necessity, when she was with Tenzin.

It was second nature to her as she hauled herself to the upper floor.

Luckily, the window wasn't locked and she got back inside with ease.

She walked quietly down the hall, praying she didn't wake the kids. It was as she remembered. Almost nothing had changed, and a strange wave of deja vu overcame her.

It ended when she entered the left door, and not the right.

Kya's room was one she hadn't been in much, especially as she got older. It looked as she had envisioned. It was tasteful and colorful. Lin envied her ability to pick out pictures and tapestries of varied colors, still managing to make them go together.

First she checked the nightstand, which had a lot of interesting things, but nothing she was looking for.

She checked the duffle bag on the chair, nothing but clothes and towels.

She sighed, looking around.

She noticed the bed was lifted slightly off the floor. Tenzin used to keep… stuff under his bed.

Perhaps these airhead all thought alike.

She got on her knees before laying herself gently onto her stomach.

She outstretched an arm under the bed, feeling around until her palm landed on a box.

She pulled it out, and allowed herself to stand up before setting it on the bed and opening it.

The unmistakable waxy green seal.

The inky handwriting on the back with a clear name designation.

The clear indication that it had been open and removed multiple times.

She held it in her hand, her fingers frozen.

Fifty

#legend of korra #kyalin #korrasami #atla #lok #lin x kya #tenzin #pema #korra #asami #mako and lin #bolin x opal #post cannon #kuvira #should i hide a secret in the tags #mystery

69 notes · View notes

stayteezdreams · 1 year

Text

Three Is Fate: Part One

Plot: Why do you keep getting bumped into and knocked over this week? And why is it always by the same guy?!

-Part Two-

Pairing: Seo Changbin x Gn!Reader

-Meet Cute Series-

Warnings: Nothing :)

A/n: Sorry if this came out a bit rushed, the week I wanted to take off to write ended up being horrible, so I barely had any time to do any actual writing. I hope you like it anyways :)

Words: 1.9k

You walked briskly down the side-walk towards your home, your mind bouncing between all of the things you should get done while you had time. As much as you'd like to relax, you wouldn't let yourself fall into that familiar trap.

So lost in thought, you were taken by surprise when shot around the corner just ahead of you. Suddenly, you felt a shoulder collide with yours. You let out a startled gasp as your bag fell to the ground as you stumbled back.

Before you could really process who ran into you, they were already fumbling with their words as thy reached down towards your spilled bag.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Let me get that, I'm sorry!"

Crouching down to help collect your things you spoke softly "It's okay"

"No no, I shouldn't have been going so fast!"

As the man looked up, you felt a jolt in your chest as his eyes met yours. You were't expecting him to be so handsome.

Suddenly feeling a bit shy you smiled "No really it's okay, it happens."

He smiled at you but shook his head "You're too nice."

You giggled softly as you watched him grab your ear-phone case, that had slid from your bag. Handing it to you, you took it with a smile.

"Thank you."

Changbin's heart was racing as you smiled at him. You should be glaring, yelling, and telling him to watch where he's going, but instead you just smiled and told him there was no need to apologize.

As you both stood up, Changbin wiped his hands on his pants nervously as he smiled at you, bowing his head again.

"I really am sorry, I didn't hurt you did I?" He eyed the shoulder he had run into.

You smiled and shook your head "No, I'm okay, really."

"Are you sure?"

You let out a soft laugh and nodded "Yes I'm sure."

"Okay, um" he started to back away, remembering that he had been in a hurry to the studio. "Sorry again."

You nodded with a smile, as you began to walk away as well. Turning, you smiled to yourself. Even if he might be a bit reckless, he was cute, whoever he was.

Looking back before you rounded the corner, you felt your stomach flip as you saw him watching you. You barely caught the startled look on his face as he hurried to look away before you finished rounding the corner. You let out a small laugh as you grinned.

As brief as the encounter was, you found yourself thinking back on the handsome stranger a lot that day.

"I really wish they had changing rooms" You said as you glanced down at your bag, hoping the clothes you bought would fit.

"That's why there's a two-week return policy." Your friend said confidently as you headed towards the store exit.

As soon as you stepped out into the mall, your stumbled back as someone passing collided with you.

"Oh sorry!" You both said at the same time, neither of you having even seen the other approaching.

As your eyes locked you felt an odd sense of deja vu before you realized you actually knew the face in front of you.

Changbin felt his head spin as he looked into your familiar eyes. There was no way this happened again

"You" You both spoke at the same time again.

Your friend stared at you in confusion, as the two men behind Changbin watched with confused yet amused looks on their faces.

You chuckled, before clearing your throat and finally reaching down to grab your bags, which you had dropped with you collided again with he stranger from a week before.

"What a weird coincidence"

He let out a soft laugh "Let me help you" He said hurriedly as he grabbed one of your bags and handed it to you.

"Thanks" you smiled bashfully, taking it from him.

"At least I wasn't going as fast as last time" he said with a soft laugh.

You smiled "It was my fault this time, I should have been paying attention when I left the store."

He shook his head lightly "Don't worry about it, you just got me back from last time"

Seeing the two young men behind him watched you curiously, you smiled before turning to your friend "We should go."

Changbin looked back at Felix and Hyunjin who gave him looks of expectation and curiosity "Oh, yeah, us too."

"Sorry again!" He waved his hand dismissively with a smile, as you began to walk away, but smiled brightly at him "Goodbye."

"What the hell was that about?" Your friend asked as you awkwardly shuffled along with them.

"That was that cute guy I told you about last week. The one that ran into me."

"Really?" she looked back at him before whispering "He's still watching you."

Your felt your heart jump at this, wanting to look back, but deciding not too, though your ears burned a little hotter.

Hyunjin lightly slapped Changbin's shoulder as he watched you walk away, again.

"Who was that?"

"Ah" he let out a sigh of frustration "That was who I ran into last week when I was late to the studio"

"Oh" Felix said with realization "You're right, they are cute!"

"Don't get any ideas!" Changbin said defensively, making Felix raise his hands up as Hyunjin laughed.

Changbin glanced back once more, seeing you disappear into the distant crowd. He cursed himself for having let you leave without learning your name, but he was just so stunned that he ran into you again, literally.

He couldn't stop thinking about you randomly over the last week. He wanted to know who you were, and why you seemed to make his heart beat so quickly. And when he had a second chance, he blew it.

He told himself with determination, if he happened to see you again, he would learn your name.

Though a few days had passed since your second collision with the cute stranger, he seemed to keep floating back into your mind.

You wondered what his name was, what he did, what was he like. And would you see him again? Random thoughts came and went as the days passed, but doubt settled in your mind. There was no way you'd see him again. Right?

Unraveling your headphones as you made your way into the gym, you let out a soft breath. This was your first time in this gym since you moved. You hoped it would be as easy to get used to as your last one. And since it was closer to your home, you hoped you'd be able to convince yourself to come more often than you used too.

As you entered the main room, you noticed only a couple people. It was a lot less crowded than your last one, which was much more appealing to you as well.

Rounding a couple of machines, you were suddenly jolted back as someone collided with you. You let out a small gasp as you dropped your headphones, the person's water bottle clattered on the ground as well.

"Sorry!" You both said at the same time as you locked eyes.

You both froze, silence passing between you as your bodies remained still. There was no way. You had to be imagining this.

Changbin opened his mouth in awe as you blinked a few times, surely as astonished as he was.

"Seriously?" You finally said, your tone amused yet astounded.

"This is getting crazy" Changbin response with a similar tone.

You stared at each other in silence for another moment before you both let out breathy laughs.

You both reached down for your stuff. You grabbed his water bottle as it had rolled to your feet, as Changbin grabbed your headphones. Handing them to each other, your eyes met again and you both smiled bashfully.

"Thanks" you both muttered as you rose.

You fiddled with your headphones as you spoke "Wow, I mean, once is random, twice is coincidence, but three is-"

"Fate?" Changbin finished for you.

You held eye contact before you let out a soft giggle "Yeah, maybe. "

Your giggle sent a shock through Changbin as he felt a smile tug at his lips. Changbin couldn't take his eyes off of you, every time he saw you he thought you were cuter than the last. You thought the same as you looked down at your headphones, too shy to meet his eyes again.

"Do you come here often?"

You froze for a second as you processed what just left his mouth, as you looked up, you saw his face contort from realization to embarrassment before he shook his head.

"Wait, no- that sounded-" he facepalmed lightly.

You couldn't help but giggle at this, finding him even cuter. How could someone he so hot and cute at the same time? You wondered, as your eyes flicked momentarily to his arms.

Hearing you giggle, he chuckled at himself before he removed his hand and cleared his throat.

"What I meant was, I haven't seen you here before, so I just wandered how many times our paths might have crossed."

You smiled and nodded "This is my first time here, I just moved to this area."

"Ahh" Changbin tilted his head back for a moment "So us running into each other the first time you walk in, is-"

"Fate?" You repeated his word from before and he grinned.

"It sounds nice when you say it."

You hoped how his comment made you feel wasn't so obvious on your face as your heart skipped a beat and your stomach filled with butterflies.

"Can I show you around? Give you a run-down of the gym?" He asked next, hoping you would say yes before walking off again.

"Oh, yeah! That would be nice" You nodded with a bright smile that made his heart do a flip.

"Cool." As he turned to walk away, you began to follow, but quicky stopped when he did.

"Oh!" he turned back to you "I swore to myself if I ran into you again I'd get your name."

"You did, did you?" You asked coyly, wondering if he really meant to say that.

Seeing how his ears turned a little brighter, you figured he did not.

"Uh-" he chuckled "Yeah, I did."

You repressed a giggle as you smiled "I'm Y/n."

He grinned "Changbin"

"Nice to meet you, officially, Y/n"

As it turned out, Changbin was nicer than you could have imagined. He was welcoming, kind, funny and charming. And apparently, with a little time, a lot more confident.

When you walked out of the gym together he turned to you "Can I get your number? So I don't have to keep rounding corners quickly, hoping I might run into you again?"

You laughed "You haven't actually been doing that have you?"

He gestured his head vaguely and you giggled before you nodded "Yes, you can get my number."

He grinned as he took out his own phone "Maybe we can work out together, be gym buddies" You nodded happily at the idea "And maybe...we can hang out outside of the gym?" He asked a bit more cautiously.

You smiled at him, your heart hammering in your chest as you nodded "I'd like that too."

As he grinned back at you, his eyes lighting up, you couldn't help but wonder, maybe it really was fate that kept bringing you together.

Tags: @bubblesreplies, @halesandy, @why-am-i-sad, @sourmooonlight, @jaeheekangslover, @seungminsdreamwife, @thesunsfullmoon, @jisunglyricist, @ink-spilled-stars

#Seo Changbin #Changbin #Stray Kids #Seo Changbin x Reader #Changbin x Reader #Seo Changbin/Reader #Changbin/Reader #stray kids x reader #stray kids/reader #meet cute series #stray kids meet cute series #changbin fluff #changbin imagine #stray kids imagine #changbin fic #seo changbin fic #stray kids fic #stray kids fanfiction #seo changbin x you

215 notes · View notes

theotherseapancakes · 2 months

Note

Psssst. You mentioned no one cares about Philemon, but now I'm curious if you have any thoughts about his role in the games after he disappeared. And for sillies sake, does he have anything to do with the Dance games?

I have been waiting my entire life for this. Anon do you realize how verbose I'm going to get. DO YOU REALIZE? I hope you like read mores. Let me preface this with I am aware and have seen some popular theories, so I'm going to sidestep a lot of them and present one I've built since... well, I became a Persona fan as a teenager. MAJOR PERSONA SERIES SPOILERS LIKE THE ENTIRE THING OK? OK. yes even royal.

The P2 PSP additional scenario is so incredibly important and I think everyone missed the point of it. THE PERSONA 2 PSP ADDITIONAL TATSUYA SCENARIO!!!! It's beyond important, because it reveals to us Philemon can have more than one Avatar we know about, just like Nyarly. (Casual reminder he's like half the shopkeeps in P2. Time Count, anyone? Why was the Time Count so hot. Anyway.) Disclaimer: I'm just a casual fan who has played a LOT of Persona and SMT. I haven't gotten around to all of them, but I've played/finished both paths of 1, 2, 3 (and p3p) as well as 4 and 5. Didn't manage to get my hands on Golden but I've seen enough of it. (It's funny you ask about the dance games, they're the only ones I don't have right now! But my roommate does, and will be gone for a few months soon, perhaps I will take the time to start with p4DAN. I'm atrocious at rhythm games though so more than likely I'll find a video. Anyway.) WHAT is Philemon? If we can't define that, we can't talk about The Positivity Guy Ever.

So let's talk about Phil. He's a fascinating character. His Persona is just a form of Himself, But Cooler. And he seems to HAVE no set shape, not unlike Nyarlathotep. People have various theories about Shadows and their origins etc., but Phil is more like that vote of confidence in people. I think, personally, that after the end of Innocent Sin, Phil's been pretty weak. We see in Eternal Punishment he's fading pretty roughly, and has a hard time talking to the party. Presumably ending Nyarly might to some degree fix things when Deja-vu Boy goes home, but... the problem is, we don't know how fixed they truly ended up being, or the full depth of how much he could/did expend!

In fact, the first time we even see Phil without the dumb mask is when Tatsuya decks him. Pay close attention to that fact. To the mask motifs here. I want you to really soak in Phil's everything. He's a leader. A kind soul. He's the good of people. He wants to believe the best.

Anyway, most of these things overlook what I find really interesting as we've gotten more games worth of lore: he and Nyarly aren't the only eldritch entities walking around like that. Yes, Nyx is one too. Yes, it's probable she may even be their 'mom'. It's possible they all came from Nyx initially, but it's also possible (and should be considered) they too may have been outsiders at one point. We need to ask ourselves how far the human collective unsconsciousness can go. Is that sea infinite? Could it affect other worlds? Think about Aion in Devil Summoner Soul Hackers 2. Yes, I am asking you to think about Soul Hackers 2. Deal with it, I don't care. They're sister series. They share many things. SO! Did the shape of the human mind change a bunch of eldritch creatures and make them interact with us even more after Nyx smacked the moon a gazillion years ago? Is there multiple worlds? Weird bullshit? Just the two? Hmm. Well... I, personally, think so. I think he was touched by humanity just like Nyarlathotep, but in the other way. The reason I bring this up is two-fold. The first is Nodens. Now, we don't know much about the actual Nodens, unfortunately, just some speculation. Which is a shame. (If anyone has more info I'd love to have it, ngl. As a pagan this shit fascinates me.) But what we do get on him in Lovecraftian lore can provide us some intriguing possibilities about Phil's everything, which the games love to keep really rather vague. (And this is putting aside that his human Persona is based off the obviously bogus Jungian Spirit Guide, but we love an old guy in a mask anyway. He probably felt that was more 'friendly' for humans, hah.) I believe that Nodens, and Phil by extension, are just as responsible for nurturing and keeping the collective unconsciousness alive and positive. We see the butterfly symbol everywhere. We see it with Lavenza, too. "This is truly an unjust game." So was the bet Phil made with Nyarly, a game he rigged. Phil made the mistake of thinking the Crawling Chaos wouldn't cheat, a mistake he is never making again, I assume, if he can help it. Shit, you could view his boss fight in P2EP as him trying to train the EP crew to beat the snot out of Nyarly, even. But off topic. If Nyarly is basically the father of all Shadows, and they and Personas are the same coin, it makes me wonder a lot of things. The two have always been portrayed as simultaneously diametrically opposed, but also not? They have identical halls in P2. They have similar powers and talents... I think after Persona 3, Phil's remnants sank into the Collective Unconsciousness, to attempt to rehabilitate humanity from what it lost, from what he himself lost. I think Igor took over the room, because he took a backseat to recover. It would go a long, long way towards explaining why only SOME characters have the tier of the Wild Card, which is similar to the 'original' Persona power. (Having multiple.) He was took weak to remain in his Spirit Guide (Philemon) form, and had to abandon it to return to the depths as Nodens... So. Let me go back to Nodens and make some notes about design.

Nodens, as seen here, sort of resembles an iron maiden. It really brings to mind the idea of maybe Tatsuya or someone's humanoid form sleeping within it, doesn't it? Fitting for an aspect of Philemon! ... You probably can see where I'm going with this, but let me pull up some screens to finish the point:

That's right! It's Azathoth, Baby! I believe that unlike mythology, he's yet another aspect of Philemon. Eldritch positivity, in too much force, could be used for accidental bad, too. (Reasons Maruki is my favorite Law Hero, haha.) Let me explain. I think Philemon always existed in... let's call it parts. Azathoth is said to be a dreaming god in whom's universe we all just happen to be alive inside, right? "Dream of butterfly" (Philemon) "Or is life a dream? Don't wanna wake up. Cuz I'm happy here." That sure is thematic to what Maki goes through in Persona 1, and what Maruki's beloved suffers, isn't it? ISN'T IT. The "true reality" he creates... would help Maruki create in the additional Semester--would be something most humans would never pass the muster to even try to control. But we have seen Phil test a few people and find them worth passing before! However, that seems like ages ago. Why has he been so quiet? I think because he was spending time conserving his energy. He believed in humanity enough to give Makoto a push when it was needed in p3 (or femc, if you play her), but otherwise trusted Igor while he restored what needed it. But in Persona 5 Royal, he hand-picked Maruki, didn't he? At first, when I played Persona 5 Royal, I really thought it was some part of Nyarly, but I no longer believe this to be the case. The coloration and symbolism in the background (the golds, the whole garden of eden themes, the way his Palace was laid out), the whole sea of soul motifs in P3Re later... mmm. I have a lot of thoughts about this, but this post is already way too long for one simple ask. So let's wrap up by going one step further and looking finally at Nodens' dialogue to the party in the Extra Scenario in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (PSP). The following is a transcript, you can find a video here:

Nodens: This is the memory of the lost child whom you all seek. Nodens: Memory occasionally brings about much distress and suffering, but it is absolutely vital to distinguish oneself from others and manufacture one's own psyche. Nodens: Ever since it began, life's memory has accumulated unbroken, passing through individual experiences and spanning several generations. Nodens: And so it has given shape to Kadath and the Collective Unconsciousness, thereby becoming a foundation for the next generation. Nodens: Even if the roots of the world are directed by fear and anxiety, never forget that the true essence of life is brimming with joy. Nodens: You must not stop seeking the answer for why life was born in a cosmos progressing towards absurdity and chaos. Nodens: Life brims with joy, bringing about balance in a universe predestined to heat death, and that allows the world to live a long time.

So to answer your question, I think he's taken a much subtler role. I think he's influencing people by pretending to be a Persona for Maruki, because he believes it will help them grow. I don't think he was intending a forever-control vice grip, but rather to prove a point. No matter what, the primordial chaos of humanity will rise up for chaotic good, lawful good, whatever "good" is needed. Azathoth is... interesting. Adam Kadmon is also interesting. But mostly I HIGHLY suspect we may see him again in Persona 6, or at least I'm hoping so. It's my personal pet theory by then he'll be less faded and come back to us in a new form of some kind. He's never had a set one, after all. Now for funsies about the dancing game, well, he's a positive guy, he wanted to just make sure everyone had their fitness regimen checked off. Obviously. (This is a joke.) Did the devs intend this? I'm honestly not sure? Like there's a lot of nods to older Personas in 5 and now 3RE especially, but it's definitely worth chewing on. I could go on and on about things I think he's connected to, but ultimately they have the final say lol. I'm just a crackpot conspiracy theorist on tumblr who really likes Philemon. He and the Room are my favorites. :) Ask me about attendants for additional dumb, sometime, I guess lol.

#persona #persona 1 #persona 2 #persona 3 #persona 4 #persona 5 #persona spoilers #p5r #philemon #persona 2 innocent sin #persona 2 eternal punishment #nodens #text #long post;#SORRY NOT SORRY THIS IS ONE OF MY ETERNAL BRAINROT QUESTIONS HERE #I live and breathe overthinking SMTPersona

46 notes · View notes

crookedkryptonitebeliever · 4 months

Text

Best and Worst of Both Worlds (Part 24)

Tw: Yves is fucking fuming, jealous n shit , mentions of cheating, Montgomery being touchy

VOTE BELOW GUYS ONY THE FIRST 20 VOTES COUNTS

part 25

Another day has gone by. You collapsed on your bed again, only to be woken up by Evangeline's incessant calling.

It's morning already? You groaned and kicked your legs in the air, throwing a tantrum that you couldn't sleep in.

You didn't even pick up the phone, you went straight to freshening yourself up. Not realizing that you received a missed call from Yves instead.

"Mx. (name), we are here!" You choked on your own snore. You must have fallen asleep in Mr. Jones's car.

You shook your head, muttering thanks as you got out of the car, all bleary and groggy. You skipped breakfast again. The extra meals Yves made all went to your housemate's bottomless pits they called stomachs. You're sure the breakfasts he prepared ahead of time were as delicious as his lunches or dinners, but you couldn't be bothered to eat them. It's not like you're starving in the morning anyway.

Mr. Jones drove off leaving you to yawn and scratch your back in peace.

But you let out a scream when a car blared its horns at you.

You turned around to see Montgomery sticking his head out of his car, holding something in his hands while the other was on his steering wheel.

"Mornin' sweetheart!" He greeted, beckoning you to come closer. "I got ya' breakfast!" He lifted up the paper bag with edible oil stains, and you stared at it.

"C'mon, baby. I ain't got all day." He waved it up and down. You took a couple steps forward and grabbed it with great hesitance.

"Have fun at school today, honey!" He reached out to pinch your cheek. Montgomery gently shook your head by the mass of flesh he was holding. You swatted his hand away, but before you could complain, Montgomery already drove off. Leaving you to eat his dust.

You noted that his car looked a lot better than it was. He had a new paint coat done and his bumper was fixed. How much did Mr. Jones give him?

You sniffed the item he gave you. It smells... greasy.

You opened it to see fried chicken and waffles, neatly wrapped in a piece of baking paper. You noted the lack of drinks, but there was $10 next to it and a note that said:

"4 ur drinks XOXO"

You grimaced, why did let the cash directly get into contact with the food? You picked it out using your thumb and your forefinger, flicking off any maple syrup before walking away.

You pulled your phone out to check the time. You're actually early for once! With half an hour to spare too.

Your eyes then widened at Yves's missed call. He didn't send any good morning texts today.

So you called back as fast as you could. It didn't take more than a few seconds before Yves picked it up. You began apologizing profusely, telling him how busy you were in the last three days.

"Of course you were." He replied, his tone was cold. "I am glad you are enjoying your time with your new... friend."

You scratched the back of your head. He's upset and you don't know what to say. You didn't have to, because Yves continued talking.

"...so much so, that you've been ignoring my texts, my calls... all in favor of Jones's daughter."

You stayed silent and so did he. There was no shuffling of papers, clinking of utensils, or busy chattering in the background. He must be standing or sitting completely still, alone in his hotel room.

That is true. You haven't seen all the pictures he sent from Monday. You remembered you promised to call back on Tuesday, but it's now Wednesday. Radio silence on your part.

You sighed and told him that you were sorry. A sense of deja vu washed over you when you asked how you could make up to him.

You heard something being poured into glassware. There were a few seconds of quietness between you two. You can hear liquid swishing around in a vessel.

You called out for Yves, asking if he's still there.

"I miss you, (name). How could you do this to me?" His voice was softer and slightly wavering.

Guilt stabbed through your chest as soon as his hurt reached your ears. You apologized once more, feeling as if the word had lost its meaning since you used it too much. You asked again, what you could do to make it okay, what could you do to make Yves forgive you.

Silence.

Then more pouring of this mysterious liquid could be heard.

You pulled it away from your ear to look at the time. Three whole minutes of no verbal exchange have elapsed.

You put it back to your ear and called his name.

"(Name), I want you to do something."

You told him, yes, you would do anything.

"Answer my calls, please." You agreed and promised him that you would do that. However, he cut you off mid-sentence.

"I loved hearing you speak about your thoughts. I was heartbroken and bitter beyond belief when you took that pleasure away from me and gave it to Jones's daughter." Yves's voice wasn't raised, but you could hear the venom dripping from it when he referred to Evangeline.

You gave into your reflex to defend yourself, saying that you have a life here, you're swamped by schoolwork, and numerous other changes in your life. So you didn't have enough time or energy to spare telling him all the details.

"Must I remind you that I do not take too kindly to disloyalty? I only have eyes for you, (name). But it seems like you have eyes for someone else."

You let out a gasp and panicked. You assured him that there wasn't anything going on between you and her. She's just your friend, well your only friend so far. You just didn't want to bore her away!

He hummed in response, ominously. You felt like you were in a block of ice, You have never heard Yves sounding this steely.

You were speechless. Yves has nothing to say, but he still wants to be on the phone with you.

"Hello, (Name)!" You inhaled sharply when you saw Evangeline cheerfully greeting you. Her voice is loud enough for Yves to pick up.

He did not say a word, instead, opting to wait and see what you would do for him.

You froze, alternating your gaze between her and the floor and the sky. She looked confused as to why you were freaking out right before her very eyes.

"Is that Sir Yves?" She asked loudly. You pressed your finger to your lips, gesturing her to be silent.

"Is he mad at you, (name)?" This girl cannot read the room! You mouthed at her to go away for a while, you need some privacy with Yves.

"I could talk to him if you want. I'd say I'm a good mediator myself." She smiled and tilted her head to the side.

You looked at the screen. It's deathly quiet, you thought maybe he hung up and you could deal with him later at home. But to your dismay, the call is still going.

"Hi, Sir Yves! This is Evangeline, how was your day?" She tried speaking into the phone, but you pushed her away and said that it wasn't an appropriate course of action.

You took a couple of steps away from her and pressed the phone back to your ear. Yves did not respond to Evangeline's polite yet strange behavior.

You gulped and asked him if he wanted to talk to Evangeline.

"(Name)." He finally spoke. You responded with a 'yes'?

"I want you to think about this from my perspective."

You waited for a few seconds for his next instruction or piece of wisdom.

"Reflect on all the things you did or did not do for me since Monday." Yves gave you a minute to let his words sink into your psyche.

You fidgeted in place uncomfortably, you were definitely neglecting him although he did everything he could to ensure your well-being was taken care of, even if he was a whole continent away from you.

"(name)." He demanded for your attention again. You ensured he knows that you're giving it to him now.

"Think about the reasons behind your recent behavior."

Evangeline. Mostly. You felt the need to please her as your only friend. But your exhaustion was due to Montgomery's antics.

"Think about how I must have felt." You felt the shame sear through your entire being. Yves must have felt betrayed by you. To the point that he thinks you're cheating on him with Evangeline.

You let an apology slip your lips once more. But Yves ignored it and proceeded with his lecture.

"Now, base your answer on what you have gathered." There was a beat of silence.

"Do you think I have any desire to speak to her?" Some hostile inflections within that sentence sent shudders throughout your body. You should choose your words very carefully.

You took a few moments to think over the facts before replying to Yves.

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere oc #yandere x you #tw yandere #oc yves #yandere oc x reader #yandere concept #male yandere oc x reader #yandere male #oc montgomery #oc evangeline

56 notes · View notes

ghcstao3 · 1 year

Note

hi, hope you're well! so today I was thinking (bc ofc my brain's natural reaction is to lunge viciously for the hurt/comfort), what if the '09 game events still happened? Like, instead of AUs (where timelines branch off from a single event), it's a glitch in the timeline? So you have the '22 version of the 141 doing their thing, but they have nightmares & deja vu stemming from the '09 stuff. Cue (yes I'm shipping) SoapGhost where Ghost has all these bad feelings concerning Shepherd plus he has awful nightmares about burning & Soap's there to comfort him, but he's afraid that they're all losing it bc he keeps having similar dreams concerning how he dies--

i am well ty! hope u are as well!

anyway i tried my Best. however u may (will) have to pretend 22 141 doesnt know shepherd was part of the betrayal bc uhhh yeah👍🙂👍 also cw for kinda graphic desc of ghost’s nightmares

Soap couldn’t pinpoint when the dreams started, or why, for that matter—but what he does know is that it’s pure and utter torment.

It’s a unique fear that festers in their wake, in cold sweat and heart palpitations. It’s spine-chilling in a way Soap has never experienced, because while he’s confident he’s looked death in the eyes on too many occasions, never has he actually died.

But his dreams, these dreams—they tell him otherwise. And he isn’t the only one, either.

Gaz and Price have started to look just as sleepless. And Ghost—Soap has never seen him so afraid. When, for the first time in weeks, Soap sees his face, it’s harrowed. Haunted.

There’s a sense of familiarity that’s brought along with Soap’s dreams; explosions, gunfire, dilapidated buildings and someone screaming his name. His brain supplies him with the knowledge that it’s Price, but it isn’t, not really. At least, not how he knows Price. He feels old wounds tearing open and a searing pain in his side as his body is drained of far too much blood, and Price—not his Price—is shaking him. Begging.

In the end, it just makes sense to Soap. To die in the field. But the dream is too visceral to feel anything but real, and he starts to wonder just when he’d begun to deserve these sorts of taunts.

Gaz says his own nightmares are blunt, but just as violent. As fiery. Price doesn’t say anything, but there’s a new sunken quality to the bags under his eyes, and he just looks at his team so different, with a tortured gaze and a regret so profound he doesn’t seem to understand it himself.

Finally, Soap thinks, their mental states have deteriorated beyond repair. Until, in his arms, Ghost is screaming his throat raw in his sleep, a wail only ever sounded by those trekking their way through hell. Soap’s heard it before, from others, in their final moments, but never from the living.

And that’s when Soap begins to understand that these aren’t just some dreams, but some distant reality he hopes to never face.

Soap gently coaxes Ghost from his slumber, cutting through nightmare and imagination and whatever horrible thing could have Ghost in such pain. His face wets with tears as he slowly wakes, clinging to Soap like a child might to their mother’s leg in an indescribable fear. Ghost has never seemed so small.

“It’s not just you,” Soap whispers. He presses a kiss to Ghost’s temple, pulls the man closer. “Tell me what happened.”

As Ghost gradually forces out the words Soap begins to feel sick, nauseated not only by their contents but by the knowledge that Ghost had just lived through it, but he never lets go. Never asks for Ghost to stop speaking, just listens. Listens even as something gnaws away at his gut, as bile climbs his throat.

Hot, Ghost says. It was hot. A bullet had been lodged somewhere in his body but it didn’t matter—it was hot. He’d claw off his skin to get rid of the heat if it weren’t already melting flesh from muscle, from bone. Clothes and gear meld with his corpse and he feels it all, feels the bubbling, smells the burning, senses the way parts of his body slough off into ash.

He’s reaching for someone, and there’s the itch of betrayal, and a voice in his ear that he knows, instinctually, is Price, but there isn’t anything more he can do than lie there and accept his fate as his fleeting thoughts pester him about everything he’d done wrong. About everything he could’ve done—should’ve done to save… to save—

“I know his name,” Ghost murmurs, “but I also don’t. And I—“

“Don’t dwell on it, Simon,” Soap advises. “Please.”

Ghost shakes his head against Soap’s shoulder. “I can’t just—it’s not something I can forget, Johnny. Not when it keeps happening.”

“But you can,” Soap pleads. A terrible sense of dread has befallen him, growing in intensity and insistence. Something isn’t right, but he doesn’t know if he wants to find out just what. “We all can.”

Ghost is silent a moment. Shifts somehow closer to Soap. Soap can hear him thinking.

“I don’t know if we should be trusting Shepherd,” he finally says.

Soap’s face pinches in a tight frown. It seems such a random topic for this hour, after such terror. “Why?”

Ghost shrugs. “Can’t explain it. Gut feeling. Could be wrong, but—“

“When are you ever?” It’s meant to be teasing, but Soap does trust Ghost’s judgement more than anyone, perhaps even more than his own. Ghost just nods and clings ever tighter until his breathing evens out and tense muscles go lax.

Soap can’t find it in himself to fall back asleep.

Instead, he begins to wonder just how true these nightmares hold. And he begins to question how exactly Shepherd may fit into all of it.

Unfortunately, though, he supposes, there’s only one way to find out.

#ask #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #soap mw2 #ghost mw2 #soapghost #ghostsoap #writing #drabble #kyle gaz garrick #captain john price

137 notes · View notes

sarah-sandwich-writes · 15 hours

Note

another time, a different place (I have loved you before)

I’m intrigued 👀👀

( ☆ω☆ )

The first chapter is up even though I only have a very rough not quite 5k written so far, which is something I haven't done since my very first fic ever so like heeheehoo hope it works out, but I want to make sure I actually write it bc every time I rediscover this wip I fall in love with the premise all over again. It's gonna be a biggun tho I fear *sigh*

It's an endgame fix it fic! Featuring a fresh outta the soul stone Peter and (although he doesn't remember him) Harley. There are lots of flashbacks to Harley and Peter's time in the soul stone, but neither of them remember it, they just have strange dreams they don't quite remember and a lot of deja vu when they interact.

The MOst Fun THing for me right now is the dissonance between soul stone Harley (a joy! a delight even!) and present day Harley (what crawled up his butt and died??) and the most difficult thing about it is, due to forces outside my control (the mcu timeline) they're high schoolers 😒 which is fine I just am tired of writing high schoolers. Basically the timeline thing is specifically designed to torture me you don't even KNOW what I mean but someday you will and we'll all look back at this post and go sarah wtf why didn't you just go full au so you could age them up and not have to-- THAT"S NOT THE POINT!!

Anyway! Here's Peter being a grump, Harley being a dick, and Flash being obnoxiously attention-starved <3

MJ squints at him. “How do you guys know each other?”

Harley weighs Ned and MJ with a look. “Depends. How much do you know about your lunch buddy’s nighttime pastime?”

“Not here,” Peter snaps. Then he adds, because how could he not, “They know more than you.”

Harley tips his head and, curious, looks at Ned and MJ anew. “Huh.”

“Wait, how much does he know?” Ned demands.

“Later.” Peter looks around, but no one seems to be listening. On the other side of the room, Flash is telling anyone who will listen about his spring break plans in Norway. He pushes away his crumb covered tray and skewers a glare on Harley. “Why are you here?”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, because you live in Tennessee?”

Harley pops a torn off chunk of greasy bread in his mouth and says, “I live in New York.”

“Since when?”

“Since I moved here. What’s with the interrogation? Pepper thought you’d be excited.”

“Ohh,” Ned interjects. His expression compresses into a pitying wince. “Did you know Mr. Stark, too?”

“Not h—,” A hard thump on Peter’s back interrupts his repeated warning.

“Are you still still peddling that tall tale, Penis?”

He grits his teeth and doesn't turn around. “Go away, Flash.”

Flash straddles the bench beside him and raises his voice. “Wow, the man’s dead and you’re still trying to ride his coat tails. What’s it like to be that desperate to be someone important?”

“Fuck off, Flash,” MJ says with a note of warning.

He puts up his palms and gets louder. “Honest question! I have no idea what it’s like to be a poor nothing orphan who has to make believe he’s a hero to justify the drain he is on society and his family. Well, what’s left of his family anyway.”

He was concentrating so hard on not letting his irritation show that he missed Harley getting to his feet and rounding the table. But there’s no way anyone could miss him hauling back a fist and planting it square in Flash’s mouth.

#I HAVE SO MANY PLANS YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW #parkner #fix it fic #sswrites #another time a different place #nobody be mean to flash #he is just a baby he needs watered with love and room to grow #ask games

11 notes · View notes

kagedbird · 2 months

Text

Cicero Loves You, Listener!

TESSDE AU - Dark Brotherhood route

~ [First] ~ [Next] ~ [Prev] ~

I awoke to the same ceiling I’d been seeing for nearly half a month, a pounding in my head once again.

Not seeing Cicero by my side when I looked around, I sat up and pressed my hand into my forehead with a groan. What the hell happened to me? And why did I keep waking up this way?

Deja vu…

Turning once more, I saw a plate full of food and a cup of water settled on the nightstand, alongside a note.

The note read, “Dearest Listener! You had not listened to Cicero! Haha! He warned you you were not yet well enough to be up and whatnot, but he will forgive you as you had been seeking him out for Mother! Such a generous thought from you, my Listener.

“He will be taking care of Mother just outside your door if you find yourself up and I am not there. Do come by! I am certain she would love to see your beautiful face in person! Though I have told her much about you all ready, I am certain she wishes to see it for herself.

“See you soon!

-Your Dutiful Keeper, Cicero.”

I huffed softly, shaking my head slow. Well, that explained things a little. Guess I’d over done it. I just hoped I didn’t make too bad of an impression on his family… though I get the sense that they’re hard to please anyways.

Settling down the note and downing the entire cup of water very quickly, I managed to shimmy out of bed and test myself getting up. It was slow going, but I managed to stand on my feet, and I was pleased.

Grabbing an apple from the plate, really not wanting to take the sweets Cicero seemed to like so much, I bit into it and made my way to the door, poking my head out once more.

I found Cicero indeed kneeling down in front of that coffin from before, settled in a prayer position with his head low. But as I had creaked open the door, his head snapped up and he turned to me, mouth splitting into that smile I began to know so well.

“Listener! Good evening! You were asleep for some time. Did you rest well?”

“Um… sure. We’ll say yes.” I hummed softly, chuckling as I stepped out into the small sanctuary. “What are you doing?”

“Praying to Mother, of course! Come, come, you can pray alongside me!” Cicero offered, shifting to the side to pat where he once kneeled.

“Do I need to kneel? My knees aren’t the best.” I asked, moving closer. I took one more bite of my apple before settling it on a nearby empty plate, wiping my hand on my shorts to rid myself of the sticky juices.

“However is most comfortable for the Listener! It’s what Mother would want!” Cicero replied cheerily, happily watching as I settled down with my legs crossed.

“What… do you pray to her for?” I asked, finally seeing ‘Mother’ in her coffin. That was a dead woman all right. Yikes.

‘Uh. No offense.’ I quickly corrected myself in my head, unsure if she could hear me.

“We pray for her wisdom to guide us to a better life!” Cicero says, clapping his hands together. “With you here to hear her guidance, it’s all the more possible now!”

“Happy to help,” I smiled back, nodding. “She’s only able to talk to a Listener, right? How long have you all been without one?”

“Oh, Cicero isn’t entirely sure about this Sanctuary!” He says, tapping his chin. “Cicero arrived not long after you helped him on the road! And there was no Listener then! But Cicero’s last sanctuary was a handful of years ago. Our Listener died protecting the Night Mother from an attack! Very brave, very brave.”

I paused, frowning. “So… you’ve just been unable to hear her since?”

“Yes! Well— Cicero has never been able to hear her in the first place.” He chuckled a little manically, that strain in his throat again. “But now Miss Allora is here! And all is well in the world!”

I hummed, looking up to ‘Mother’ thoughtfully. What kind of mother just… waits and leaves her children waiting for her? What was the point?

Surely I was missing something.

“Is she speaking to you?”

I jolted, looking over to see Cicero leaning in closer than before, gaze holding me tightly in place. The manic look was amplified in a way— his eyes begging to know.

“Uh— no. I was just lost in thought. I’m sorry.”

Disappointment dusted in his eyes before they flickered back into the mask of joviality. “No worries, none at all! Cicero understands gazing upon Mother and just thinking! He’s done it enough over the years! He has!”

“How old are you?” I asked curiously, stretching my back slightly. It popped and I let out a small puff of relief. That felt good.

“How rude! To ask Cicero his age!” The jester huffed and puffed dramatically, crossing his arms. “...Kidding! Cicero is nearly in his thirties! Getting up there in age, he is!”

“I’m nearly in my thirties… too…” I said, blinking. “Wait. I am?”

“You are?” Cicero asked, tilting his head. “How sad that the Listener cannot even remember. Perhaps praying to the Night Mother or Dread Lord will alleviate the addlement! Cicero wouldn’t want you like he is— with others always calling him crazy.”

“You’re the farthest thing from crazy,” I frowned, gently placing my hand on his arm. “Don’t listen to that kind of crap. You’re clearly devoted to your cause and your family, and it shows. Sure, you’re a little loud at times, but I think I am too. It doesn’t make us bad people, and definitely doesn’t make us crazy. Jeez.”

Cicero is frozen in place as he stares at me, glancing down to my hand. I quickly pull it away, embarrassed for getting so caught up in trying to make him feel better that I invaded his personal space.

“Sorry. We should… get back to praying.”

“...Yes.”

I’m more unnerved by his quiet response, and quickly adjust my sitting position on the cold, hard floor, before clasping my hands together and closing my eyes in a vain attempt to ignore his continued staring.

Was what I said that strange?

‘This is what I get for trying to be nice,’ I bemoaned in my head, letting out a quiet sigh.

Oh well. Could be worse, I guess. He could be reacting like that woman who tried putting a knife to my throat.

“That pretender…”

I jolt, snapping my eyes open at the voice that pervaded my mind again, looking up to ‘Mother’. She never moved, nothing changed, save for a subtle red glow in her eyes.

“You are in charge of this guild, my sweet Child. My Listener. Fear not your brothers and sisters under Sithis’ arms, for his wrath will quell their injustice well.”

I swallowed thickly, nodding my head. That was… good to know.

‘Is there… anything you need of me, Mother?’ I asked in my mind, unsure if I should be speaking out loud or not. It felt… personal, to have her address me. Secretive.

“There will be a job for you in the future. You are still weak, however. Instead, inform my dear Keeper Cicero that Mother wishes for you to hand out tasks in the meantime.”

“Cicero,” I whispered, eyes never straying from Mother. I couldn’t. “...Mother has jobs for the others.”

I could feel him move next to me, his face nearly over taking my view of Mother. His hands took mine and held them tightly— almost too tight— excitement in his voice.

“Yes? Yes?! What tasks await us? Oh, do not keep the Keeper waiting!”

“A grieving boy in Windhelm cries out to me…”

“He is asking for Grelod the Kind…”

“To be murdered in Riften.”

“A scorned woman in Markarth…”

“Craves the ending of a man named Alain Dufont in Raldbthar…”

“As well as a woman named Nilsine Shatter-Shield in Windhelm…”

“And an Indolent Farmer in Ivarstead…”

“Craves the blood of a pitiful farmer in Ivarstead.”

I feel myself slump forward against Cicero, a cold sweat breaking out over my skin as whatever held me aloft whisked itself away like smoke blown from a candlestick.

Murder. The tasks were about murder.

But Cicero was all smiles as he helped me sit up, beaming so wide, it had to hurt. “Splendid, splendid! To hear her through you— it’s enough to forget all those silly years of silence! Maddening silence! Oh, but it’s all broken now, yes it is! We must tell the others the good news!”

Cicero pulled me to my feet and guided me out of the sanctuary— after thanking Mother for her guidance and closing her coffin once more— and led me out into the main hall of the… whatever we were in.

It felt like a den with how strange the shape of the interior was. I could only hope it wasn’t a den of wolves.

I froze lightly as all eyes turned to us from various places all over the room and carefully kept myself close to Cicero. He had mentioned protecting me before. I could only hope that continued to be true.

Their eyes… it made all the more sense now.

Bloodlust.

“Looks like the tidbit finally woke up.” The giant man growled out, pulling his sword from the grinding stone he had been using.

“Who?” A small girl asked, tilting her head curiously.

Something inside me ached at the sight of her pale skin and darkened eyes. Violently I am reminded of undead creatures of the night that consume their victims blood until nothing is left.

Vampires.

“The clown’s pet.” The giant man grunted, standing up. “Taking her out for a walk, Keeper?”

“Haha! How very funny of the sheepdog!” Cicero spat back with a high pitched chuckle. “Surely he recognizes the importance of the Listener’s position! Especially! Since Mother has given us contracts!”

“What?” An older man asked, eyes wide. His gaze turned to me, looking me up and down slowly with an agape look. “You heard her speak? What did she say?”

“Oh, Mother dearest had several contracts to dole out!” Cicero said, slipping my tight hand from his to clap excitedly. “Our Listener told them all to me, so that I may in turn share them with you! She is still recovering, the poor thing!”

“Recovering?” A dark, ashen skinned woman asked, frowning. “I could have helped speed along her recovery, you know. I’m not the most adept with healing magicka, but…”

“Cicero had it under control!” The jester interrupted, still smiling genially. I could tell there was an underlying threatening tone, if only from how long I’ve spent in his company alone. Seemed he was very protective of me, in every sense of the word.

Now to know if that was a good or bad thing.

“How do you know she’s really the Listener? Not that I distrust you, Keeper,” a lizardman asked, faintly shocking me from his presence. “But it’s all rather sudden…”

Where the fuck was I? Was this normal? Why did I feel more deja vu?!

“She spoke the Binding Words to me! Oh yes, oh yes! Tried coming straight to me once she heard them, but Astrid held her with a knife to her throat!” Cicero guffawed, looking tickled pink despite my almost murder. “But of course, dearest Mother would not have let it come to that! No, no!”

“She looks weak.” A dark skinned man from the back wall bluntly remarked, biting into my insecurities deeply.

“Quite rude! Miss Allora has been on bed rest for two weeks! Anyone would become shriveled at that point, indeed!” Cicero huffed, ‘defending’ my honour.

“Gee, thanks Cicero…” I sighed, looking away from everyone.

“Of course!”

“Enough joking around. We got contracts? Give them. Now.” The giant man said, standing up and stomping over to tower over me.

I shrunk instinctively, feeling my chest tighten as my vision flickers from man to wolf repeatedly, reaching out to clutch Cicero’s jacket tightly in my hand reflexively. Said jester immediately positioned himself in between us, pressing his back to my front.

“Night Mother requested I hand out the tasks, according to our wonderful Listener! Isn’t that correct, Miss Allora?”

“Mhm,” I forced out, nodding quickly and dropping my eyes to the floor as a shudder ran through my body. My headache was getting worse.

The giant man huffed loudly through his nose before crossing his arms. “Get on with it then.”

#skyrim #tesblr #tes oc #Cicero skyrim #dark brotherhood #Arnbjorn skyrim #Nazir skyrim #Babette skyrim #Festus Krex skyrim #Gabriella skyrim #Veezara skyrim #Night Mother

11 notes · View notes

goldennika · 2 months

Text

Initial Thoughts on TXT's Minisode 3: Tomorrow

Overall I think this album sounded the most sonically cohesive from their entire discography so far! I haven't read the articles about the album yet but it seems like they've deviated a bit from their usual approach of exploring different genres in a single album and kinda stuck to more of a band sound this time around?

Sure, they experiment with layers and singing styles but I’ve really felt (and liked!) the band influence across the different tracks!

The way the music builds in each track is delightful albeit seems a wee predictable. I am a sucker for a good guitar and bassline though so this album suited my tastes

Currently (and surprisingly) my favorite track upon first listen would probably be Deja Vu (Anemoia Remix)! I honestly wished the remix ver would have been the title track instead 🥺

The original ver is probably more palatable for general population though and lends itself better to their type of choreography than the Anemoia remix would so I understand why the title track is so.

My favorite track off this album would likely change after I’ve read through the lyric translations and give the album a few more listens.

If I’m being honest, I think this album would be more of a slow burn type of in terms of how quickly it grows on me, compared to their earlier releases (particularly Temptation and Freefall).

I’ve genuinely enjoyed these tracks! But I can’t say that I loved the album and I think a factor in my tempered response to Minisode 3 is just how short they all are!! 😩

The entire (mini) album’s duration is just 17 minutes for 7 tracks!! It felt like just as I was getting into the groove and spirit of the track, it just… ends 🥲 IMO, these shorter track durations may end up hurting them in the long run as they sacrifice the listening experience for convenience of streaming 😔

That said, it makes Deja Vu an impressive feat that it has such a cinematic and immersive feel, and done in less than 3 minutes!

In any case, I will be listening to these tracks more and am looking forward to catch their performances throughout this comeback!

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading and i’d love to hear your thoughts too!

If you want to see my raw thoughts for each track, you can find them below the cut!

Track 1: I'll See You There Tomorrow

yes lower register TXT let's gooooo

sounds like a video game bg music? haha

ooh when the music built up it got funky

ugh love me a good bassline

this is kinda cute???

funkyyyyyyyyy

am digging the old school vibe to this

*head bops*

ok this is rly growing on me

the layers to the music is just 😩

IMAGINE HEARING THIS WITH A LIVE BAND I WOULD ASCEND

Track 2: --- -- --- .-. .-. --- .-- (Tomorrrow)

uhm yeah

so....

that's a morse code alright....

Track 3: Deja Vu

ok technically not a first listen since i've watched the MV already but here we go anyway!!

the high pitched warpy sound at the start -- i like it

this feels like R&B-ish?

their verses seem almost spoken than sung

different from how they usually are

the little music break after the first chorus, mhmm

that clarity was delicious

this song feels so... ambient? if that makes sense

like there's a distant thunderstorm almost?

and the sirens blaring??

THIS SONG SOUNDS LIKE AN ENTIRE MOVIE??????

and they did that with a 2:51 duration ??

Track 4: Miracle (A miracle happens at every moment that you and I are together)

really liking the piano

ooh the build up of the instrumentals

EYYYYYYYYY

leaked image of me listening to this track

oooh it got rock band-y

oh this would be AMAZING to hear live!!

ugh the harmonizing in the second verse/pre-chorus YES 😩

looooove the energy on this one

they are killing the instrumentals on this album

I CAN'T STOP HEADBOPPING

OH SHIT THE GUITAR IS HITTINNGGGGGGG

wow ok i loved that one

Track 5: The Killa (I Belong to You)

sexy start okayyyy

is this Spanish guitar?

the finger plucking(?) style 😩

OH WHAT THE FUCK

EXCUSE ME THE HARMONIZING???????????

DEADDDDDD

oh this range and style suits Soobin so well??

mhmmm the adlibssss

i swear those harmonies will be the death of me

the guitarrrrrrrrr 😩

Track 6: Quarter Life

istg the instrumentals are so good here

band txt is one of my fave genres

*head bops*

the build up is delicious

oh i'll bet kai enjoyed this one haha

LET'S GO BEOMGYUUUUUU

whoever thought of putting the maknaes together for this track is a genius

another great song to hear live

claiming this as Beomgyu's song bc wow

THAT WAS TOO SHORT WTF 😭

Track 7: Deja Vu (Anemoia Remix)

THE GUITAR!!!!!!

WHY CAN'T THIS HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL VERSION

PLEASE LET US HAVE BAND TXT AS THE MAIN CONCEPT NEXT TIME 😭

ugh i can't resist a good bassline

wtf i swear we were robbed that this is just a remix and not the original song 😭

THE ADLIBS!!!!!!!!!

SING IT TERRYYYYY

WTF THIS IS A ROBBERY FRRRRRR 😭

pls let this listing be an April Fools joke and this is actual the title track 🥹

#tomorrow x together #minisode 3: tomorrow #I'll See You There Tomorrow #deja vu #txt deja vu #miracle #Miracle (A miracle happens at every moment that you and I are together)#the killa (i belong to you)#quarter life #Deja Vu (Anemoia Remix)#txt reactions #kpop reactions

11 notes · View notes

cabinofimagines · 7 months

Text

So it begins (Halloweek 2023)

A/N: I'll be expecting lots of comments and likes on this or we won't post the rest you've been warned -Danny Words: 1,167 Warnings: This ofc follows our Halloweek timeline therefore everyone is of age but it's all platonic dw

next >

Apollo is worried.

Meg asked him to deliver the invites for this year's Halloween party to all of their friends, and he thought it would take two, maybe five seconds to visit everyone. He was wrong.

Now that he's a god again, he's able to visit everyone at the same time, but since we don't have the power to read all of the interactions at once, let's start with the ones at Camp Jupiter.

Apollo—dressed as Lester—knocked on Hazel's front door and waited. Now, time's a bit funky when you're a god, so he could be wrong, but he kind of felt like it took way too long for Hazel to show up and open up.

When she did, she looked like she'd spent the whole month hybernating.

"Lester," her expression changed right away, and she tried to reach for her sword except she didn't have it at the moment. "What is it? What happened?"

"Greetings, Praetor!" Lester smiled, handing her a bright orange envelope. "You are cordially invited to Meg's Halloween party! Costumes required, drinks are optional."

Hazel blinked, her mouth forming a silent "O" when he explained the reason of his visit.

"Anyway, the invite's for you and Frank, obviously, we're not wasting paper if you guys are coming together anyway," Lester paused and studied her looks. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah!" She fixed her posture. "Sorry, I was taking a nap so..."

"Got it, got it," Lester grinned. "Well, see you at the party!"

Hazel tried not to look as freaked out as she felt, she nodded and smiled. "Sure! See ya!"

Next up was Jason. He opened right away, but he looked just as tired as Hazel. When he saw Lester at the doorway he frowned.

"This is the worst kind of deja vu," he muttered.

"Good to see you too!" Lester replied happily, though he was starting to sense that something wasn't quite right with his friends. He handed Jason the envelope. "Party at Meg's, costumes, food, you know the drill."

Jason took the invitation and stared at it for a little too long, Lester cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Have we misspelled Jason, or...?"

The boy shook his head and tried for a smile, but he was a terrible liar. "No it's fine, I was er... just thinking about some stuff I gotta do before I leave for the party."

"Busy man, aren't you, little brother?" Lester patted his shoulder proudly.

"Please don't ever call me that."

"I'll think about it," He winked at him.

Since Grover offered to take the invite to Percy and Annabeth the last time he'd visited Meg, Lester's next visit was to Piper.

This time he made sure not to show up at an inconvenient time, which meant he showed up when she was just coming back from her last class of the day.

Piper was so done with everything that she didn't even panic when she spotted Lester on her bed. She nudge him to the side and fell face-first on the mattress.

"What?" She asked against her pillow.

Lester looked at her with worry. "Am I missing something? All of you look really tired, is there a new war going on?"

"Yeah, it's called midterms," Piper groaned. "Why are you visiting us?"

Lester placed her invitation on the pillow. "Halloween is this weekend."

The girl lifted herself up abruptly and seized the envelope. "Crap," she stated.

Lester started to feel anxious. Had everyone forgotten? They weren't thinking about ditching Meg's party, right? That would suck.

"I take that none of you remembered?"

Piper's face was easy to read. "No, no! Don't worry, I'll be there."

Lester didn't want to pressure anyone, but he also didn't want Meg to get hurt. "Well, if you need any help you can call anytime."

Piper smiled and placed the invitation on her nightstand. "Thanks, man."

"Yeah," he got up to leave. "Take your nap."

Leo was the only one so far that looked the same as always. He was fixing a bike on the rooftop of the waystation, and when Lester showed up, he seemed happy to see him.

"Hey, man!" The young man got up and grabbed a dirty cloth to sort of clean up before shaking Lester's hand. "What's up?"

"Halloween party at Meg's," Lester handed him his invite.

"Oh, right!" Leo seized the envelope and read it briefly. "Cool, yeah," he looked up and smiled. "You guys need help with the decorations or something?"

"Nah, the dryads and satyrs took over," Lester said.

Leo raised a brow. "Really? And they did a good job?"

"Hey, don't use that haughty tone, they are experts at parties!"

"Alright, fine!" Leo raised his hands in surrender. "Well, yeah I'll be there. You told everyone else yet?"

"Yeah, I'm on it," Lester tilted his head, paying attention to the other interactions. "They don't seem excited this year."

Leo grinned knowingly. Truth be told, he was freaking out a little as well, but he was good at hiding that sort of stuff. Time had gone by way too fast this year, he hadn't even realized it was October.

"We're all adults now, man, stuff get in the way, but we'll be there no matter what."

"Yeah," Lester sighed, humans had the bad habit of aging too quickly.

Nico and Y/N were a whole other story. They were together on the rec room, and when Lester showed up Nico welcomed him with a crooked smile.

"About time! We were starting to wonder if Meg had forgotten."

Lester pulled out the two orange invitations and smiled. "Never!"

"Nice!" Y/N examined the piece of paper with excitement. "Can't wait! It took Cal like a whole week to finish my costume, it's gonna be amazing."

"Meg said she was cool with me summoning a few ghosts to act as waiters for her party," Nico grinned, pushing the letter on his pocket. "It's going to be awesome."

"Are you taking the cocoa puffs with you?" Y/N asked with curiosity.

"Of course," Nico snorted. "Already have their costumes planned out."

"Aww, that's cute," Lester beamed. "I'm glad you two didn't forget, everyone else seems... sort of dead."

Y/N frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lester shrugged. "Doesn't look like they're feeling it this year, Piper mentioned some midterms, whatever that means..."

Nico and Y/N shared a look, but whatever they were thinking, they didn't mention it to Lester.

"You probably caught them in a bad moment," Nico brushed it off.

"Yeah, we'll be having our monthly meeting tomorrow, I'm sure everyone will want to talk about how excited they are about the party."

Lester cheered up at this. "Yeah, that's probably it! Well, see you guys this weekend!"

"Bye, Lester!"

"See you."

The god vanished and left the two demigods alone. Y/N looked at Nico and scowled.

"They definitely forgot."

"Definitely," Nico smirked and fell back on the couch, eating a fistful of popcorn. "Can't wait for tomorrow's meeting."

#halloween verse #halloween fic #pjo fanfic #heroes of olympus #toa #danny's writing

27 notes · View notes

persephonesfill · 7 months

Text

choke on me—chapter ten

breathe me in (prequel fic)

like smoke rings in the air (steve's pov)

chapter nine

a/n: after five thousand years,,,it's finally here. i'm almost free,,,

rating: there's some swearing but nothing too explicit this time

warning(s): just tony being an idiot 💖

—————

When exhaustion finally starts to take a toll on him, Tony decides to crawl out of his workshop and brave the trek to his bedroom. As comfortable as his couch is, it's no match for a real bed. Tony's getting older; he needs the firmness of his mattress lest his back starts screaming at him. And the couch…the couch holds too many memories. Not that his bedroom is any better. Steve had fucked him on his couch but what they had done in his bed…was something else. Something raw.

He catches a glimpse of himself in the chrome of the elevator and nearly falters. Dark circles, messy hair, and a pinched expression gaze back at him. He looks a little thin in the face, but that doesn't make sense. Hadn't he only been in his workshop for a couple of days? Tony closes his eyes and leans back against the wall. The metal is pleasantly cool to the touch. His stomach clenches, almost as if in protest but, Tony can eat later when he's not dead on his feet. Besides, the kitchen is full of ghosts too.

A part of him knows he can't run anymore. There wasn't anywhere in this tower, anywhere on this earth, that wouldn't remind him of Steve Rogers. Tony was hopelessly, irrevocably changed like shattered glass. Even if you repaired it, painstakingly fitting every piece back together, the cracks would still be there.

When Tony finally opens his eyes, it's not his penthouse suite, dark and lonely, waiting for him. It's Steve. Steve, who he had run off. Steve, who had stayed, anyway.

The deja vu hits him hard and all he can think of is the first time Steve hunted him down. His heart jackrabbits in his chest and all he wants to do is run, run, run.

"I just want to talk," Steve says roughly. "Please."

"We talked," Tony says, attempting to shoulder past Steve. All he has to do is make it to his bedroom, then he can lock the door, and—

"That wasn't a talk," Steve says. "Tony, please."

Steve grabs at his arm and Tony lets him because he's weak. He can't, won't look Steve in the face. One look, and he'll crack, and who will be left to pick up the pieces?

"Fine," Tony says, willing his voice not to tremble.

"Can you...can you at least look at me? Am I that awful?"

"You're not awful," Tony mutters, still averting his gaze.

"Then why won't you look at me?" Steve squeezed lightly at Tony's arm. His other reached to cup Tony's face, tilting it gently until they were eye to eye and, oh.

Tony was right. It's too much, looking at Steve this close. His eyes are red and swollen, and Tony is wracked by another pang of guilt. The whole point of this was to save Steve.

"You're not awful," Tony finds himself repeating, just to get that look off of Steve's face.

"Then why did you run?" Steve shakes him ever so slightly but it's enough to have Tony gasping. "What are you afraid of?"

Steve leans in and for a moment, Tony thinks he's going to kiss him but all he does is press their foreheads together. His touch burns.

"I thought we were good. I thought..."

Steve trails off and Tony can hear his heartbeat in his ears.

"You left me in the dark, sweetheart."

It's the 'sweetheart' that does Tony in. A kick in the teeth would hurt less. He's shattering again and Steve is picking at the shards with bloodied hands.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm —"

Steve shushes him, a strong hand stroking Tony's hair, the way you'd pet a distressed animal. Maybe Tony is an animal, stupid and relying purely on instinct. Instincts that tell him to lean into Steve's touch while he can. Tony's an animal and Steve is his shepherd and he'd follow him off a cliff if Steve asked him to.

"We're okay? Made a promise, remember? We're okay."

Tony wakes up with a sob lodged in his throat. Steve? Where was Steve? And why couldn't he breathe? He throws back his sheets, hot and sweaty as they are and if he could, he'd claw his skin off too.

He wags his head from side to side, once, twice, like a dog. It helps a little, like he's done a factory reset on his brain and he starts to come back to himself. And so does the pain.

"Jarvis," he croaks. "J?"

"I'm here, sir."

Jarvis's smooth, dulcet voice is like a balm to his soul. Tony blinks away the wetness gathered in the wells of his eyes. It was a dream. A terrible fantasy his stupid brain had manufactured as soon as he had closed his eyes. Like Steve would touch him, hold him...

"...Would you like for me to send for Captain Rogers, sir?"

Really? Again? Why would Jarvis suggest that after Tony had made himself clear the first time? Unless...

"Jarvis...have you done that before?"

Jarvis has no body. He is circuitry and code, one of Tony's first creations and there's nothing he could keep from Tony, but as his AI speaks, Tony swears he would be bowing his head in embarrassment.

Jarvis speaks and a few things make sense to Tony in that moment, particularly the way Steve was always able to find him in those early days. The first night they had truly connected outside the physical. Steve, with his sleep-tousled hair and bunny slippers like he had just gotten out of bed.

Tony thinks of hot cocoa kisses and red-gold hand-in-hand with blue-white and he wants to jump off of a fucking cliff—

"No. I don't...I don't need him, J. I don't want him."

What a joke.

"If you say so, sir."

Tony's made the right decision. He and Steve, it's a bad idea. A ticking time bomb that would have gotten them both killed if Tony hadn't put his foot down.

Howard, bastard that he was, had had the right of it. Stark men weren't made for love, for a life of softness. That wasn't their legacy. It was blood and iron and an early grave.

Tony could at least spare Steve the same fate.

***

The next night, Tony makes sure to go to bed early. Surely, it's the sleep deprivation doing him in, making him dream up, stupid, impossible things. He goes to sleep like a normal human being and wakes up screaming because tonight's dream is even worse. It's him and Steve but as they were before. Lost in each other. Happy. And completely blind to the danger around them. They're lying in his bed, bodies and souls so intertwined, Tony doesn't even notice the intruder in his tower until they're kicking down his door, a gun aimed right for Steve's head.

The night after next, it's Steve falling from the helicarrier with the sea rising to swallow him.

Every night, Tony goes to bed and every night, he loses Steve in every way imaginable.

The night terrors do him in and eventually, even hiding in the workshop is no option. Going back would be a waste of time, at least while he was running on fumes. Sleep deprivation and mechanical engineering surprisingly didn’t mix well. Instead, he does what he can on his StarkPad, just to keep himself busy. It’s fine. It’s not the first time he’s pulled an all-nighter and surely won’t be the last. Countless sleepless nights at MIT had prepared him for this very moment.

But…he had had Rhodey then. To be fair, he still had Rhodey. He just wasn’t talking to him right now. Or any of the Avengers.

It was nothing they did, and part of Tony does feel guilty for leaving them in the dark the way he did—

"You left me in the dark, sweetheart."

Tony flinches, and therein lies the problem. He can’t see Rhodey, or the rest of the Avengers, because then he would have to see Steve, and that’s something he just can’t handle right now. Not when he knows that whenever he was struggling, Jarvis would take it upon himself to contact Steve and Steve would always answer. Like Tony was another mission. A burden.

Tony goes five more days in full isolation. He doesn't necessarily spend them in bliss. Bliss would imply a sense of peace and he felt anything but peaceful these days. Tony survives on a steady diet of coffee, barely sleeps, and when he does, nightmares of all sorts plague his mind. The Avengers and Rhodey have stopped asking Jarvis about him, Pepper's finally stopped calling, and Steve...Steve hasn't sought him out once.

It's fine. That's what Tony had wanted. Still, it's hard not to seek Steve out. Tony doesn't even realize he's looking for him some days until he's pulling out two coffee mugs instead of one in the morning or rolling to the right side of his bed to make space for the body that isn't there. The memory of Steve clings to him like cigarette smoke; inescapable and everywhere all at once.

Tony had forgotten how heavy, how utterly encompassing loneliness had felt. His limbs were stiff with it, his tongue heavy from disuse. And underneath it all, the slow lurching beat of his heart still pumping away. Still, he endured.

On the sixth day, Tony is lured out of his self-imposed exile when Jarvis alerts him of a Code Green. Not the most creative of emergency codes but it got its point across, point being that Bruce was seconds away from hulking out and going on a rampage.

So far in the six months that they've all been living in the tower, they've never had a Code Green, until now. As much as Bruce may not trust himself, he still had impeccable control. Whatever had triggered a Code Green must have been serious.

A thousand scenarios each worse than the last cycle through Tony's brain and everything else melts away. The bone-deep exhaustion, the soul-devouring loneliness, none of it matters, not when someone he loves is at stake. And he loves Bruce, loves him like a brother, loves him like he loves Rhodey, and Tony will be damned if he sees him hurt.

Tony takes the stairs to Bruce's floor—the elevator would be too slow— in what feels like record time and it helps drive away the rest of the mindless fugue he had languished in for the past week. There was a mission to complete and nothing else.

When he had first renovated the tower after the Chitauri invasion, Tony had created personal floors for each of the Avengers on a whim. On the off chance that they needed a place to retreat to when the expectations of their world got to be too much. He had never thought—never hoped—that it would be permanent. That they would call his tower home.

As Tony looks around, Bruce has done just that. Bruce's personal floor is bright and airy, sky blues and light woods, and...perfectly intact. Bookcases lined neatly against the wall, pictures safe in their frames, and no sign of a Hulk-out anywhere.

"I'm sorry,” Bruce says softly, stepping into Tony’s way and Tony understands.

It’s another betrayal. One he definitely would have seen coming under different circumstances. He doesn’t even have it in him to blow up. He’s too sleep-deprived for that and right now two Bruce Banners are staring at him in concern. He blinks until the other Bruce disappears.

“You’re sorry?” Tony says and he hates how the words come out, all rough and stilted like he’s just learned how to speak. “For what, lying to me? Don’t worry about it, all my friends have at some point.”

It’s a low jab, Tony knows it is, but Bruce’s responding flinch hurts just as much.

“We didn’t know what else to do. One second, everything was fine, and we were…we were happy. Then you went ghost on us, Tony. God, we didn’t even know if you were still alive.”

“You thought I was dead? You thought I would do that to you? To all of you?”

“We didn’t want to assume the worse but you left us in the dark,” Bruce says and he might as well have yanked the proverbial arc reactor out of Tony’s chest. Tony lets out a sharp gasp like he’s been punched, but Bruce is still talking, scrubbing a hand through his hair. Tony’s seen him do it countless times, usually when he’s stressed and this time is no different.

“And Steve was about as forthright as you are before he left—“

“Steve left?”

“He’s been gone since yesterday morning,” Bruce says quietly and Tony—Tony falters. Steve had never come to see him because he hadn’t been there in the first place and that…it bothers him.

Bruce steadies him with ease, two surprisingly strong hands securing Tony by his arm. He lets Bruce lead him to a nearby chair and collapses into it like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

“Easy, Tony, easy,” Bruce says softly, rubbing circles into Tony’s back. His hand is an anchor to the physical world, and not the melancholia Tony has constructed for himself.

Still, the nagging thought that Steve was gone—had left—because of him, was persistent.

“Steve’s going to come back,” Bruce says firmly. “And we’re going to be alright. But we can’t do any of this without you. Both of you.”

Bruce pulls out a chair beside Tony and sits so they're face to face. This close, Tony can see the gray coming in Bruce’s sea of curls, the dark, pronounced circles underneath his eyes. He looks as ragged as Tony feels.

Here Bruce was, trying to comfort Tony, and Tony could barely stand to look him in the eye. Yinsen had told him not to waste his life and here Tony was, doing just that.

"Come back to us," Bruce whispers clutching at Tony's wrists like they were his lifeline. "Come back to me."

Maybe it's the lack of sleep and proper sustenance or both, but Tony finds himself saying something he would never admit in a million years under any other circumstances. "I don't deserve it. I don't deserve your—"

"It's not about whether or not you deserve it," Bruce snaps, sharp as a whip, and cutting Tony off in the process.

"I'm rotten, Bruce," Tony says and he can taste the rot on his tongue, the dark, worthless part of him that's been with him since birth. What good was he, really? What good was Tony Stark after all the dirt he had dealt? What good was Iron Man?

"Then so am I," Bruce says and firmly cuts Tony off before he can even protest. "You're so quick to defend me, but won't give yourself the same courtesy. Why?"

His words cut deep down to the marrow. It's hard to shake them away, and Bruce latches onto the opening in Tony's walls while he can.

"What is it about you that makes you think you're so awful? That you don't deserve love—"

"Because it's me, Bruce! Because I'm Tony fucking Stark and I was born with blood on my hands. That's my legacy. Nothing I do will ever change that—"

"Then why bother? Why bother with any of this if you don't think it matters?"

"I don't—I—"

"Don't say you don't know," Bruce says. "You're too smart for that. You know what I think?"

Bruce doesn't even give him time to answer. "I think your heart's too big for your body."

Tony had been called heartless more times than he could count, but his heart too big for his body? Some would say it didn't even exist.

Bruce reaches out, slowly, carefully, like Tony's going to bite him. He reaches until his palm connects with Tony's sternum. His heart lurches to life then and it hurts, God, does it hurt, like it's trying to leap right out of his chest.

"Yes, you're Tony Stark, and you have blood on your hands, but you also have love in your heart. I know it. I've seen it."

Tony’s eyes sting. He blinks away the tears before they fall but it doesn’t matter; Bruce has already seen them.

“Your heart is too big for your body, and that scares you. You try to run from it, but Tony you can’t outrun yourself. You can lie to yourself all you want. You can say you’re rotten and you don’t deserve love, but I know the truth.”

“…And what’s the truth?”

“Agent Romanoff has issued a call to assemble,” JARVIS says, startling them both. Bruce removes his hand from Tony’s chest and Tony feels like he can breathe again.

“Is this another trick?”

“No,” Bruce winces but shakes his head. “This is real.”

“Then let’s go,” Tony says, rising out of his seat and already headed for the door.

“Tony—“

Tony freezes in the doorway, and it takes everything in him not to tremble.

“What?” He bites out.

“…We’ve got your back. Always.”

***

Tony and Bruce are the last to enter the war room, all eyes immediately hone in on them. Natasha stands at the head of the table, level-headed and alert, Thor and Clint flanking her in their respective seats. Steve is nowhere to be found and it's fine. They'll get through it. He doesn't miss the way their eyes linger on Bruce or the subtle shake of Bruce's head as they take their seats.

He wants to say something, wants to mention the lies, the deceit, but his pride won’t allow it. If he talks then it means that they got to him, that Bruce got to him and he won’t give the others the satisfaction.

“What do we got?” Tony says, in lieu of a greeting and Natasha is, thankfully, business as usual.

“Larissa, Greece,” she says. “We think it’s one of the old bases they've made home.”

Tony thinks of everything he knows about Larissa. It's inland, but not too far from the coast of Greece…and one of the most populated cities in the Thessaly region. “You think or you know?”

“Same signs as the one in the Alps,” Natasha purses her lips. “Residents going missing, ties to HYDRA’s glory days and…” Her eyes flicker over to Bruce.

“And what?”

“Gamma rays. Lots of ‘em.”

That had been one of their breakthroughs. The scepter emitted gamma rays to the likes of which Tony had never seen, aside from the Tesseract. He has the strangest feeling that those two things are connected, but the Tesseract is long gone, back on Asgard where it belongs. He could look at Howard's old research notes, see if anything might help them get any closer to locating the scepter.

It helps, to have a threat to focus on, somewhere to channel his anger and frustration. "You think the scepter is emitting gamma rays to that capacity? And the EPA isn't on top of that?"

Bruce raises a hand. "Well, technically it wouldn't be the EPA. It's the Hellenic Ministry of—"

"Not the time for semantics, dude," Clint says. Tony can already feel the migraine coming on.

"Or maybe it is."

Tony's throat closes at the sight of Steve, sweeping through the door, right in the middle of their meeting.

It's been too long since he's seen Steve's face and he doesn't know whether to look away or stare dead on.

He's still handsome, outrageously so even with the heavy bags underneath his eyes and messy, windswept hair. He's clearly just come back from wherever he fucked off to, clad in a brown leather jacket and blue jeans that have no right to look as good on him as they do. His eyes rove over Steve obsessively, checking for the wounds that aren't there, that only make themselves known in dreams. A thousand questions come to Tony then: why did Steve leave, why did he come back, why didn't he stay, but all that comes out is "Why?" and maybe he's asking every question at once.

Steve shifts his attention entirely to Tony and it's overwhelming. The full heat of Steve's gaze is enough to make his ears pop like he's standing at a cliff's edge. "You're the genius," Steve says coolly. "Don't you know everything?" He takes a seat next to Bruce…and right across from Tony.

“You think the government’s in on it,” Tony says, answering one of his questions.

“It would explain the lack of interference, it being an inside job.”

“And if it is, what’s the plan here, Steve? Look, we got lucky last time. That base was sequestered away in the middle of the fucking Alps. Larissa’s a city and cities mean civilians—“

“I know the risk, Tony. Don't you think I've thought of that? Just like you? God—"

“Does anyone else feel like they’re missing something?” Thor mutters none too subtly and it takes all of Tony’s willpower not to scream.

“All the time, buddy,” Clint says.

“That’s enough,” Natasha snaps, commanding their attention back to her. It’s not the first time he’s been subjected to her glare, nor will it be the last but it still makes Tony feel like he’s some dumb little kid.

“HYDRA won’t have to send anyone after us,” she continues, looking each one of them in the eye. “We’re doing a bang-up job tearing ourselves apart.”

Her voice cracks like a whip and it’s enough to make all of them flinch. Shame boils inside him and his stomach roils like he’s going to vomit. That, coupled with the ever-building headache behind his eyelids has him ready to keel over.

“The longer we sit here tearing each other down, that’s another minute the scepter is in HYDRA’s hands. That’s one more person they’re poking and prodding at like a fucking rat. That’s what matters.”

The scepter is and perhaps always will be a dark shadow looming over Tony’s head. Natasha's reminder is enough to bring him back down to earth. He thinks of Elena Senn burnt beyond recognition and swears he can taste smoke.

"I'm calling a recess," Natasha says, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her forehead. "We clearly need it."

Slowly the others file out of the room casting lingering glances at both Steve and Tony on their way out, until it was just them and Natasha who remained. Bruce's gaze was especially pointed. Tony tries his best to ignore it.

"Get your shit together," Natasha says quietly but her words are still deafening in their sincerity. "Or I do it for you." She leaves purposefully shutting the door behind her.

It's just him and Steve, on opposite sides of the table. It might as well be a canyon; Tony has never been further away from Steve. Neither of them makes a move to leave, but what is there to be said between them? Tony had let Steve go and he had no choice but to make his peace with it.

"I'm sorry," Steve says roughly, all of the combativeness and snark from earlier leaving him as quickly as it came.

"For what?" Tony says, maybe a bit too harshly judging by the way Steve flinches. "You haven't done anything to me. Hell, according to Bruce, you haven't even been here." And that didn't sound bitter and accusatory at all.

Steve had left and Tony had been alone and a part of him that he tries to smother to death can't help but wonder, "Why didn't he come for me?"

Steve Rogers was notoriously stubborn, Tony was more than familiar with that now, so why did he just let Tony call the shots? Why didn't he fight? Why didn't he stay—

"Can you fucking blame me? One minute things were fine. It wasn't perfect, but…we were good. We were so good, Tony, and then…" Steve's voice cracks but he doesn't need to finish his sentence. Tony already knows what he's going to say. After six months, it feels like he knows Steve better than he knows himself some days.

"I just…I never thought you would run," Tony whispers, mostly to himself, but Steve hears him anyway.

"It didn't help," Steve says quietly. "I saw you everywhere."

Tony crosses his arms in front of his chest, but that won't stop him from breaking apart. Not after an admission like that. Steve had haunted Tony all this time, and it looked like Tony had done the same. What did it mean? Tony wasn't the type to believe in curses or destiny, but sometimes, Steve felt like both. Like something sent from the gods to lead him into sin or absolution.

"I don't know what it was like for you," Steve says, locking eyes with Tony. "But I couldn't shake you. No matter how much I tried I—"

"Don't," Tony blurts out, interrupting him. "I can't hear this."

"Why not? It's how I feel. I can't tell you how I feel?"

Tony shakes his head hard. "You shouldn't—you shouldn't feel anything about me."

Steve's rising out of his seat and in seconds he's in Tony's face. Tony plants his feet, stands solid like a tree, and hopes he seems more steadfast than he feels. But God, having Steve this close nearly makes him shiver, after the days, weeks without. There's fire in Steve's eyes, and a part of Tony is desperate to burn.

"It's not me, is it?" Steve says, and the way he says it, Tony knows it's not a question and for the second time today, someone is seeing past every single mask he's donned and clawing the truth out of him. "It's you. You don't think you deserve it, do you?"

Tony says nothing, but his face must betray him. Steve's face twists into a grimace and he's like an animal, lashing out with the intent to kill.

"God, is that what you think? That you have to fucking earn love like an animal? Like a goddamn dog? Sit, roll over, play dead and someone will throw you a bone?"

The words hurt, like a kick in the teeth. They hurt because they ring with the truth, and a fever seizes Tony. A bitter burning thing that leaves him seething. How dare he? How dare he throw Tony’s feelings in his face like he was stupid for having them?

"What else am I supposed to do? This?" Tony gestures between the both of them, poking Steve hard in the chest, in the process. "This is a fucking transaction. I give and people take, Steve. They take and they take and take until I have nothing left. That's how this goes. That's how it's always been. One day I won't be able to give you anything, or—or you won't want it, but either way I'm the one left empty.” Tony blinks, surprised to feel the telltale wetness of tears clumping his lashes together. He hadn’t cried in years, not since his parents had died and all the goodness in his life had died with them. He doesn't bother wiping them. Steve's already seen, the anger seeping through his very pores dying in an instant. The anger leaves Tony too and all he’s left with is a bone-deep exhaustion and of course, the ever-present shame. What was he ashamed of? It’d be easier to list the things he took pride in.

"No," Steve says. He's shaking and fuck, Tony wants to touch him. He wants to be the one who takes, wants to have Steve completely to himself but that would go against everything he had sworn not to do when he broke things off.

"No," Steve says again, more firm this time. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what? There's nothing to 'get'. We both knew this was a horrible idea and—"

All this time, with them shouting at each other, Tony hadn't even noticed them inching closer until he and Steve were damn near nose to nose. He sees the moment Steve snaps, the way his eyes darken, and next thing Tony knows, Steve is seizing him around the waist and it’s like all the times before. Before Tony had known he was in love, before they had fallen apart and it's so. fucking. Easy. It's so easy, Tony could fucking cry at the relief of Steve's hands on him, hot and possessive and exactly what he needs.

"You don't get it," Steve growls, pushing them backwards, until Tony's flush with the table.

Steve kisses him then, until Tony’s breathless, gasping into his mouth like that’ll help him breathe. Like every kiss isn’t killing him.

Steve slips his tongue into Tony's mouth like it belongs there like Tony was a fool for ever shutting him out. Tony lets him do what he wants. Digs his fingers into Steve's hair, tugging at the short strands, just the way Steve likes. Steve grabs him by the thighs, and lifts so Tony's sitting on the table and Steve's stepping into the v of his legs, spread open as they are.

He's dying or he's being reborn, but either way, Steve's at the center of it all, beautiful, terrible, Steve Rogers, kissing his lips, his nose, his neck.

Tony's vision swims and it could be the lack of sleep, or Steve's teeth on his neck, or both at this point, but he finds it hard to care. He breaths in the scent of leather and Steve's cologne, that fucking lemon and pepper and sycamore, and it might as well be a line of cocaine. He's as good as an addict right now, high off every bit of Steve that he can get. Until it all comes crashing down.

"I love you," Steve whispers against his skin.

Every muscle in Tony's body seizes like someone's slammed their foot on the brakes, except it's his brain going ninety miles an hour. Steve withdraws, sensing his discomfort and Tony wants to punch him for it. Sometimes, he hates that Steve can read him so well, can see how close he is to falling apart. He wants to yank Steve back in for yet another kiss and he wants to push him away for the sake of his own sanity.

"I love you," Steve says again and it might as well be a knife, a sharp and precise hit to Tony's guts. How could he say that? How could…how could Steve believe that?

"Don't," Tony whispers.

"Why not? I'm stating a fact."

"What?" Tony slides off the table, and just barely stands on shaky legs. "God, Steve, that's not a fact. That's—that's an opinion if anything, and an incorrect one at that."

"If it's an opinion, how can it be incorrect?" Steve asks and the utter audacity of him has Tony sputtering.

"That's why it's a fact. Water is wet, the sky is blue, I fucking love you."

Tony shakes his head again and again like that will make the words go away, like it will make Steve go away, but of course that infamous Rogers stubbornness is making itself known.

"Either way, you're wrong," Tony says.

"Is this what we're doing?"

"Yes, because you're an idiot."

"That's what love does, Tony."

"Please, stop," Tony says, taking a shuddering breath. "Stop saying that word."

Steve cups Tony's face with both hands, until Tony has no choice but to look at him, and bear witness to his confession. His pupils are blown, the blue of his eyes nothing but a thin ring. Steve's lips are pink and kiss-swollen. Tony can't help but commit the sight to memory.

"Can you look me in the eyes, Tony? Can you look me in the eyes, and say that you don't love me? That I'm fucking crazy, and this thing between us is all in my head?"

And for the life of him, Tony can't. He can't because it doesn't make any sense, that someone like Steve could possibly love the likes of Tony fucking Stark. It goes against everything Tony's ever known, ever heard. Tony is a man of facts and numbers and all the facts tell him that Steve Rogers is a good man and Tony…Tony isn't. They're incongruent. Two puzzle pieces that will never fit together no matter how much they try to slot into each other's lives. Steve can fuck him but he can't love him. No one can.

Instead of saying that, Tony closes his eyes. It's enough of an answer.

Steve laughs and it's a bitter thing. Nothing at all like the golden timber Tony is used to. "You're a lot of things, Tony. I didn't think you were a coward."

He lets go of Tony's face and when he opens his eyes, Steve's leaving the war room, the door closing behind him with a resounding slam.

“Your heart’s too big for your body,” Bruce had said. Tony wants to claw it out.

#stony #stevetony #steve rogers #tony stark #marvel #mcu #imperialstark fic #my fic #my writing

21 notes · View notes