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forever-rogue · 3 years

Note

Hey there, could I please have #2 from your prompt. With it being Din's first, maybe having to either blindfold or blackout the room with the reader? Please and thank you!

2. Kiss

This prompt has me all kinds of soft and gentle and I love one Man(dalorian) so much!

The Mandalorian Masterlist

»»————-　♡　————-««

A huff escaped your lips as you stared at the metal ceiling of the Crest. It was almost pitch black, with only a bit of light filtering in from the small crack in your door signaling that Din too was still awake as well.

Grabbing the scratchy blanket, you pulled it tighter around your body, wishing the chill would go away, but it was pervasive. No matter where you were on the ship or how many layers you wore or blankets you dragged into your small bed, you always felt cold. Rolling onto your side, you squeezed your eyes shut, willing your mind to settle and calm, finally letting you get some sleep. It had been...days since you’d had a good night’s sleep. Your body was desperate for it, and you were sure your mind wasn’t far behind.

But it never seemed to come; instead you spent countless hours lying in the dark staring into the blackness as you tried anything to sleep. To be fair, a lot had been on your mind lately, things you weren’t really sure how to address or even bring up in conversation without worrying about scaring Din off.

Instead you remained quiet, making up all sorts of scenarios in your mind of how the conversation could possibly go. Meanwhile in your waking hours...well your day to day hours, you’d been quiet, retreating more within yourself than you ever had. You didn’t think it was that obvious, prepared to use the guise of giving Din his space and not wanting to interfere with the Bounty Hunter’s work.

But it was fruitless. Din had just been as restless, often pacing around the hull of the Crest for hours after he thought you were fast asleep. There were at least a hundred things he wanted to say, and however he phrased them, he was sure they would scare you off. So he paced - and paced - and paced - and...

Wanting to tear your hair out, you almost jumped out of your small, hard bed and went to the small wardrobe you pulling out another sweater, one of Din’s hand-me-downs that still smelled like him despite having been washing numerous times and threw it on. If you were going to be awake, you might as well make use out of time or find something enjoyable to do.

Poking your head out of the door, you looked around and found the coast clear. Not that you were pointedly trying to avoid Din, you just didn’t need him to worry or fuss over anything. When it came to you and the green bean he was decidedly protective, sometimes almost too much so. But you didn’t mind, not really anyway; it was nice to know that someone was looking out for you.

Sighing lightly, you wished you could go and grab the little one and take him with you. But luckily, unlike his adopted father and yourself, sleep came easily to him. It was almost too much to watch him grow from an excited little blur to practically falling asleep as you held him in your arms. You were going to miss him so damn much when it came to actually giving him back to his people, whether that was the Jedi or more of his own species. But you weren’t going to think about that, not yet anyway. Instead you were going to focus on making every day with him count as much as possible.

And Din.

Once the little one was gone, there would be no use for you either. And then you’d part ways and...something. You hadn’t thought that far ahead. You’d just sort of...been going along with whatever life seemed throw in your way. You supposed you could go back to Sorgan or even Nevarro now that it was safe...maybe you could even link back up with Cobb Vanth and find something to do in Mos Pelgo. Whatever you would be forced to do, it would work out. You’d make friends in many places now, one of them would be able to help somehow.

Pulling yourself back into reality, you slowly, and as quietly as you could, lowered the ramp to the Crest and hopped out, almost stumbled over our own feet as you landed on the soft, grassy floor. You were smack in the middle of the forest, finding it a majestic place untouched by the hustle and bustle of the nearby city. It was calm here, peaceful - nothing but the soft chirping of insects and cooing of sleeping birds meeting your ears.

The sky was clear here, beautiful and giving you access to the millions of glittering stars that light pollution normally absorbed. Humming under your breath, you walked a few paces away from the ship, eventually finding a small log to sit on. You let a long, world weary sigh as you plopped your tired bones down.

You leaned back slightly looked up, naming as many stars as you could, picking out all the constellations that you were father had taught you about as a small child. But even that, so tranquil and all consuming, lost its fun after a little while.

Before you knew it, a few tears ran down your cheeks. You weren’t even sure when you had started crying, or when your thoughts had turned back to the Mandalorian and your son. But like all things in life, it all seemed to come back to them.

Sniffling quietly, you dabbed at your eyes, wishing that you would pull yourself together and get over it. You had to be strong, if not for them for yourself. But kriff. It was hard and there so many things you had left to say and if you didn’t you were positive you would -

“Mesh’la?” your heart jumped at the sound of Din’s voice. You had been so lost in your head you hadn’t hear him approach or anything. Swallowing thickly, you turned around to face him, offering him a small smile before turning away from that swearing gaze, “what are you doing out here? I thought I heard you leave.”

“Nothing,” it was neither the truth or a lie but it would suffice. He made a small sound in the back of his throat as he came over and sat down next to you, where you’d automatically made a spot for him, “couldn’t sleep.”

“You’re crying,” it wasn’t a question so much as a statement as he watched you closely, “what’s going on?”

“Nothing Din,” you swallowed the lump in your throat as you played with your hands in your lap, “just tired is all. Haven’t been able to sleep much lately and I think it’s getting to me.”

“Oh,” he said softly as you nodded. it was silent for a few beats as a sort of awkward tension hung between the two of you. Clearing his throat quietly, he shifted in his spot so he could turn and face you properly, “w-what’s been going on with you lately? Have I...have I done something?”

“What?” your neck almost snapped as you looked in his direction, giving him a confused expression, “Din, no, it’s nothing like that.”

“You’ve been quietly lately,” he pointed out and you realized you were most definitely not as sly as you thought you were, “you’ve been avoiding me...”

“I haven’t been...” your voice trailed off as you shrugged in defeat, neither confirming nor denying his accusations, “sorry.”

“Will you talk to me?”

“I’m scared,” you admitted, “I’m afraid that if I tell you what’s on my mind you’ll want nothing to do with me. And I’d rather just...have you this way than not at all.”

“Please don’t disappear, not again,” he said quietly as he hand slowly, hesitantly, reached for yours. You looked down at his much larger hand, this time not burdened by his leather gloves, but displaying warm, golden skin, “I’ve been...I’ve been wanting to tell you things too.”

“Oh?” you asked as you slowly put your hand closer to his, inch by inch, eventually letting your skin touch his, “what...what did you want to say?”

“I...” he stared at your entwined hands, admiring how small and soft yours looked in his; unmarred and unscarred, pure to the world unlike his which had done horrible things. But yet still, you’d never run from him, never spurned him for his past or judged him. You’d always cared for him with an open heart. You waited with baited breath as his touch sent shivers throughout your whole body, “I’m not always good with words.”

“Me neither,” you admitted with a small laugh, “obviously. But, Din...I...I’ve been thinking about this, all of this...how things are eventually going to change - come to an end. I don’t...I don’t know what I’m going to do when it’s my turn to leave you.”

“Who said you were leaving?” he seemed genuinely shocked as the helmet tilted to side and you were positive there was a look of confusion on his face. You looked up at him, opening and closing your a few times as you tried to decide on whether or not he was serious.

“I just...I came to work for you to help take care of the little one...once he’s home, you don’t need me anymore,” you pointed out as thought it was obvious, “I just, I figured I would have to leave too. Without him-”

“No,” he firmly, but gently, cut you off, “no, you’re not - no. it was never supposed to be like that. I thought you knew that...I thought you’d stay, I want you to stay.”

“You do?” your eyes widened as you met the black T of his visor. Tears were threatening to well up and spill over as he nodded lightly, “I didn’t think...me? Why me?”

“I told you I’m not always good with words,” he admitted with a small huff of laughter, “I’ve spoken more words to you in the time I’ve known you than I have probably in the last twenty years.”

“Din...”

“Maybe I can’t put it well into words, but maybe...may I show you?” he asked with a noticeable shake to his voice. You offered him the smallest and most heart melting smile as you nodded, “can you close your eyes?”

“Yes,” your eyebrows shot up for a second before you realized what was going on and you squeezed your eyes shut as tightly as possible. Your heart was beating so wildly, you were sure that he wildly you were positive he could hear it. Once he was sure you couldn’t see anything, he timidly reached up and released the latch for the helmet, pulling it off with a small hiss and setting it next to his feet. Your heart was surely about to burst when you realized that he trusted you with this; he trusted you fully and completely.

“I’ve never...I’ve never done this before,” his voice was small, nervous, as his hands found your face and gently traced over your features. He couldn’t believe was able to finally experience this, the simple act of seeing you with his own eyes, unobstructed by anything else; to touch you in such a gentle manner with his skin on yours. It was heaven; no - better than heaven.

“Din...”

“May I kiss you?” a small smile spread across your features as you gave him a gentle nod, placing your hands on wrists as you rubbed the delicate skin there.

And then he kissed you.

It was slow, almost achingly so at first, the way he barely brushed his lips over yours, in nothing more than a quick, gentle kiss.

But when your face lit up, eyes still closed, his heart melted and he knew he had to do it again. And so he did; each kiss become more heated and confident as he got his first taste of you. If it was up to him, he wouldn’t have stopped, never ever. He hadn’t realized just how much he needed to kiss, but now that he first taste he was hooked.

After what seemed like a small eternity, he pulled back and rested his forehead against yours. Sighing contently you sneaked a few more kisses before you reached up and touched over his features, just as he had done to you.

“You have a mustache,” you almost giggled as you traced over his lips and he made a small sound of amusement.

“Do you not like it?” he questioned, almost immediately wondering if he should get rid of it.

“No,” you admitted and he panicked lightly, “I love it. I bet it suits you perfectly. It tickles a little bit, but I like it.”

“Does that mean I can kiss you again?”

“Of course,” you beamed at him, “what color are your eyes?”

“Brown.”

“You hair?”

“Brown.”

“I bet you’re magical, Din Djarin,” you whispered, ghosting your lips over his, “maybe...maybe one day I’ll get to see, but until then, I’ll keep all of this in my mind, and my heart.”

“I promise,” he breathed you in gently, committing every bit of this to memory, “I promise one day you will see. But you have to promise me one thing first.”

“Anything.”

“Please don’t leave.”

“Never,” you promised, “never.”

#din djarin #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader #star wars #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #soft hours start now and end never 🥺#okay but i actually like this one lol

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justice4harwin · 3 years

Text

Darklina prompt

Inspired by Taylor Swift’s Champagne problems

A/N: TBH, I’m not sure this is the actual assigment, but the lines of the song that I choose are just too lovely for me and I could’t help it. It wrote itself, i swear

I don’t know if this is what you had in mind @mayatried but I hope you like it :)

Set during S&B

“Your Midas touch on the Chevy door

November flush and your flannel cure”

Alina treaded carefully through the dark. Night seemed to be abandoning its deepest cycle, but there was yet time before the sun arose. Everyone at the Little Palace slept, even Baghra in her hut -she suspected the woman slept, at least-, and Alina had begun to take advantage of such lonely hours to practice.

She walked around first, rounding part of the lake before taking a turn into a maze.

She liked the place. The polished bushes bloomed with flowers of various colors carefully planted within by the gardeners, and there were stone benches here and there.

A part of her wanted to get lost in there and never be found.

She shuddered and rubbed her arms, wishing she had taken a thicker kefta with her instead of the one currently upon her more rounded figure.

It was still strange, looking in the mirror and no longer seeing the bones of the ribs through the soft skin, or seeing her cheekbones softer and pink and full.

Her hands went up. She liked her new cheekbones. She felt pretty.

Deep into the maze, she shook her head to rid it of such frivolous thoughts and took a firm stand.

She closed her eyes and called the power inside of her. She had been able to summon after letting it all go at Baghras hut, but her progress was slow.

She supposed once couldn't heal a lifetime wound in a few weeks, but everyone had their eyes on her now, so maybe she'd have to suck it up.

A small bulb of light appeared in her hand, taking the shape of a sphere. She smiled softly, feeling its warmth.

Gently, she disentangled a hand and created another sphere of light.

Doing her best to ignore the cold and the sleepiness, she willed the spheres to stretch and join.

Trembling, they did.

It's a start.

She then forced them to unify into one long stick of light, flexible like a whip, and then she stretched her arms, elongating the light.

Next, she tried to grab a solid hold of the light with one hand and let the other drop.

To her surprise, it didn't burn her; it just filled her with a sense of power and surety.

Hesitant, lifted her arm, the light going with her, and slashed.

The flowers on a big stone vase banished as if they had never existed, yet the stone remained practically untouched; a black, long spot its only scar.

"Impressive."

She jumped, turning to see The Darkling stepping forward, that blank expression on his face making it hard for her to believe him.

"I thought it wasn't enough." She said, remembering his words.

"It's not." He said, matter-of-factly, and Alina felt a small sting on her chest. "But you managed to get a solid, physical hold of your power already, however short lived it was, and that was impressive. It should have taken you more time."

She felt herself blushing under his praise.

"How did you find me?"

He remained silent for a moment or two, calculating probably as he always seemed to do. She couldn't really distinguish his features that well in the dark.

"Sometimes I like to sit at the edge of the lake to think. I find the still water most calming."

"You have a lot on your plate, don't you?" She asked, genuinely concerned.

He seemed to have huffed a laugh.

"You don't have to worry about me. Your only job is to strengthen your power."

"But I do!" She hurried to say,cheeks red. "I-I mean, I worry about you."

She looked down, and barely felt him approach as his boots stepped on the grass.

"You do?" She wasn't sure what to make of his tone, but Alina felt the need to reach out and take his hand.

Instead, she took a step forward and summoned her light, delicately running it over his face. He looked perfect, as usual, yet she wondered…

"When was the last time you slept?"

He chuckled, not turning away from her light.

"Do I look tired to you, Summoner?"

"No, but Genya is a miracle worker."

His lips quirked up.

"She is, indeed."

"A pity her talents are wasted on the queen and king." Alina said before she could even think of holding her tongue.

She tensed, but The Darkling nodded slowly, a shadow passing over his face.

"It is. She looks like a candle with her white kefta, but she'd be a walking flame in red."

Alina couldn't hide her surprise. Would he dare to promote her?

The Darkling stretched his arm out.

"But no more talk about that. Come, I shall teach you something."

Learning from The Darkling himself? Alina would never miss the chance.

She eagerly followed him deeper into the maze, into a spacious area occupied only by grass.

Gracefully, he sat down.

"Next to me."

Much less gracefully, she did as he commanded, trying not to get grass or mud on her kefta. She placed her legs underneath her body and her hands on her lap, more than ready to soak in all the information he had to give.

She looked at his profile and felt her breath caught. Even in the dark, his pale face seemed perfectly clear to her.

She leaned her back against the wall of bushes, wincing only slightly as some small sticks pinched her back.

“Now what?”

“Are you afraid of your powers?” he asked.

“No.” she was too quick to reply.

“Do not lie to me, miss Starkov. I don’t take kindly to deceit.” he spoke calmly, yet she felt a small flicker of fear roll over her body.

“I am.” she muttered, so quietly she herself almost didn’t hear the words. She bit down on her lip and then opened her mouth: “I’m scared to not be enough to destroy The Fold. I feel like I’m not advancing fast enough. I’m also scared of how powerful I could get if I,...if I unleash it, and I’m scared it’ll consume me and I’ll let it.”

And that was only part of it. What if she accidentally hurt someone innocent? What if she failed? Why did people keep watching her in such various ways?

“A power, a gift like ours, is not bestowed upon just anyone. We have it because we were meant to wield it; because we are the only ones strong enough.” he leaned towards her, his expression almost gentle. “You will be magnificent, miss Starkov. I am well aware of what you could accomplish, and if you do get too lost, I’ll be right there to pull you back.”

“Do you promise?” she felt silly asking, like a child, but she needed some reassurance.

Everyone was so expectant of her, of great achievements she was terrified of, that having someone who could understand her and seemed to genuinely believe in her capabilities -without making a fuss or calling her a Saint- sent a tidal wave of reassurance that could’ve dropped her on her ass if she hadn’t been already seated.

“I do.” he replied, his voice filling the entire space they occupied. He leaned back, face blank again. “Now, close your eyes.”

Alina did as he said.

“Deep breaths.”

She slowly took in a big gulp of cold, late-autumn air. She shivered.

“Now,” he said, and his voice sounded right by her ear, his beard brushing against her soft skin and threatening to ruin the whole process. “Feel the light.”

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“It’s inside you, miss Starkov.”

“Alina.”

He said nothing, but she felt him tense. “Feel it.”

She reached down, deep within herself for that almost familiar warmth, and smiled softly when it answered her with an enthusiastic twinkle.

“Now, imagine it all over your body, every inch of it, warm and gold.”

That twinkle in her chest seemed to have steadied, and with the utmost focus, Alina began to picture it covering her chest, travelling down her arms and legs, all the way to the tips of her toes.

She shivered again, the sudden change in temperature taking her body by surprise.

She opened her eyes and looked down, and found a faint glow on her hands. She felt the currents of wind but they didn’t affect her. She was as warm as if she were well sunked in a hot bath.

She looked up at The Darkling, who almost smirked; she was sure of it!

“Well, now I know I won’t freeze to death on the mountains.”

“You plan on going to the mountains?” he asked, almost amused.

She flushed.

“N-no, it was,...um, it was a joke.”

He chuckled silently, and Alina tilted her head as he shifted in his place.

“You’re cold.”

“I am perfectly fine; thank you, Alina.” he answered, the perfect liar.

The use of her name made her falter, and after a second it made her feel more secure, however odd that may sound. She scooted closer to him and again, bought her hand up to his cheek. It was cold.

The Darkling almost seemed startled for a moment, but then, when Alina thought he might push her away, he slowly lifted his arm, bringing her to his side.

She looked up at the stars shining down on them, at the full moon, so beautiful and unreachable, just, or so she thought, as the man next to her.

“Can you feel the warmth too?” she asked softly.

A moment passed and she felt his lips ghost over her hair.

“I can feel you, Alina.”

She couldn’t help but smile and cuddle even closer, daring to press her front to his side and take a hold of his dark cloak.

Slowly, he placed his chin atop of her head.

Alina didn’t move, enjoying the moment. Cheeks red as they could be and her heart beating faster than a rabbit’s. She just enjoyed the silent environment, the quiet rustle of leaves and the voices of night.

Cuddling with the most powerful, dangerous man in all of Ravka, Alina felt the pressure set upon her shoulders since she arrived at the Little Palace fade away, like it didn’t matter. Yes, it was a tough task; but just like with anything that proved difficult, she’d advance little by little.

She dared to wrap an arm around his midsection, his own free arm engulfing her as well as he muttered something.

His breathing had slowed and steadied, his heart beat strong inside its cavity.

Carefully, she lifted her eyes as best she could without moving him, and realized he had fallen asleep.

With a contented sigh, she buried her face into his chest and closed her own eyes.

Somehow, the feel of his cloak around her, his frame against her, and her dim light keeping them warm felt far more comfortable than the luxurious bed all but forgotten in her bedroom.

#shadow and bone #alina starkov #the darkling #aleksander morozova #darklina #alina x darkling #alina x aleksander #taylor swift #champagne problems #evermore #writing prompt #in the middle of the niiiiighhht #theyre so soooooft

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sirsharp-a · 3 years

Text

Tell Me a Story. ❜

Summary: He could see her in a way that she wasn't comfortable with-- could undress her soul like he could his women.

Trigger warnings: Implied physical abuse/assault, power abuse.

Drabble 1 / 10.

“Tell me a story.”

The hand that was wiping down a table paused, ocean eyes swivelling until they could rest on her superior. He was busy dusting behind the counter, meticulous as always, his focus anywhere but on her.

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s been a long day. I’m bored. Talk to me,” he said, voice light, distracted. Somehow, it filled the space, made her realise that they were alone. Was it intentional? She didn’t know. Before she could ask: “Don’t pretend you care about wiping down tables, Miss.Adler. I know this job bores you to tears. You could use the conversation too.”

Consideration creased her brow for a moment. "What kind of story?"

"I don't mind."

Suddenly, she felt as if there was a lot of pressure on her. Edgar, by all accounts, was a sophisticated man with plenty of stories of his own. Though she felt little need to impress him, his spotlight burned. What exactly does one say to a man who’s heard it all?

"Um… Well…" The scout racked her brain quickly, eyes locked onto his back as he worked. She would have done unspeakable things to feel even an ounce of his confidence. Stress never seemed to touch him like it did her. "I suppose… when I was in my old-old creed…"

His ears suddenly stood up straight, and what alertness had been missing before was definitely present then. After a moment's pause, Edgar turned to face her, rag forgotten as his hands curled around the lip of the bar. He leaned against it a little, a brow raised inquisitively.

"You never speak about where you're from. I've been trying to pry it out of you for years."

"Shut up and listen," she scolded, hopping up onto the table she’d previously been cleaning. His eyes subtly followed the curve of her legs as she draped one over the other, arms crossing over her chest. “Back in my old-old creed--”

“Just one question before you continue!”

Grace groaned dramatically. “What?! You’re making me not want to continue!”

“Hehe,” he trilled. “By ‘old-old’, you mean that you’ve been in two separate creeds before mine?”

“... yes,” she replied after some amount of thought. There was no way to take back the tidbit that she’d unwittingly bestowed him with at this point. Somewhat sourly: “May I speak now?”

“You may,” he retorted, offering her the floor with a wide, theatrical sweep of one arm. After a brief roll of her eyes, she continued.

“My Alpha was a reckless fool. He was strong, like no other Alpha I’ve seen, but he was selfish and careless. Mean, too. The kind of person who enjoyed throwing his weight around. You know the type?”

“Yes, I know Arthur.”

“Hm.” She tilted her head for a moment, seemingly torn between saying something and remaining quiet. “... yes, I suppose that’s a fair comparison. But he was even more of a brute, if you can believe that.”

“I find it difficult, but you don’t seem the type to needlessly embellish stories.”

"He used to make his own fight each other. He'd make us pick sticks; the two with the shortest draws would be forced to brawl in the centre of the circle until he was satisfied. We lost a couple of members because of that, but it didn't faze him that much. He tried to make it out like it was a sporting event; some sort of morale boost or something. We knew better though. He was just always itching for a punch-out."

She shifted, feeling the ice in his gaze spreading through her. He could see her in a way that she wasn't comfortable with-- could undress her soul like he could his women.

I don't like feeling naked in front of you. It's disgusting.

"... one time, it was me that drew one of the short ones. I wasn't worried about it, but I didn't want to fight my comrades."

"You disagreed with him openly," Edgar said with a nod, listening to her scoff as if he'd predicted that too.

"Of course I did," she muttered ruefully. "I knew it was stupid. This brazen display of in-fighting was such a huge waste of time. It proved nothing. It created rifts between members. We lost people for it. We could have been hunting, or seizing new turf, or growing as a group. Instead, we were killing ourselves. I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I turned around and told him that I wouldn't fight-- that he couldn't make me strike my own."

"So you've always been like this…"

"Yes. And I will stay like this. I don't elect somebody into power just to have them behave like a spoiled idiot," she replied spitefully, internally urging his eyes away from her. Whatever he thought he had on her, he didn't. She wasn't willing to let him see what resided in her heart-- not unless he earned it, which she wasn't convinced he could do.

I don't need an Alpha. I don't need anyone. Least of all you.

"So let me guess," Edgar spoke up, retrieving a shot glass from behind the bar. A bottle of whiskey followed, posture straightening as he crossed the distance to her table. He noticed her gaze lock onto his hands as he poured a shot. For a short while, it hovered between them, before he offered it to her. "You rose up above the ranks. He met his match. Hence why you don't put too much stock into what Alphas say."

Her eyes blazed as she accepted the glass, downing the contents all at once without so much as a flinch. Then, she laughed. It was a terse little sound, more bile than sunshine.

"Did he hell," she murmured gravely, a bitter smile shaping her lips. "He punched me. He punched me so hard that I fell over and didn't get back up. Like an idiot."

"Oh." Given what little he knew about Grace, he hadn't expected her to tell him something so… revealing. She prided herself on appearing tough, untouchable even, and though he knew that she wasn't, she sold the image well. He grimaced slightly, head canting slightly in an expression of pity. "... this story is somewhat depressing, Miss. Adler."

"You said you didn't mind what kind of story it was."

"That I did," he conceded, the neck of the whiskey bottle spun in his fingers. "... is there at least a moral there?"

"Of course there is," replied the scout, reaching out and plucking the whiskey out of his hands. After taking a sip of it, she fed it between her knees, her hand idly stroking along its neck as she searched his face. He seemed taken by the movement of her fingers while she remained silent. "I learned that sometimes, you can be right and still lose. You can stand up for what you believe in, you can put everything on the line for your integrity because you're certain that you'll come out on top, and then you just don't. You can do everything correctly and still wind up the fool. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't defend your principles. If anything, it should make you fight harder."

"You got all that from being punched in the face…?" Edgar asked, vaguely impressed. "The way your mind works is most admirable, but it eludes me still."

"I'm not a Rubik’s Cube, Mr.Strahv. You don't need to solve me."

"And yet, I feel you've shown me one of your faces."

A silence hung between them, one oddly charged and passionate in spite of her disdain for his status. She didn't want him to look at her as if he didn't think similarly to that foolish man.

You're an Alpha. That's what Alphas do.

"Either way," she quipped, a smug quality creasing her lips; just barely a smirk, as if she was trying oh-so hard to hold it back. "He got what he deserved in the end."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. His bullshit eventually wound him up dead. He bit off more than he could chew, finally, and paid the ultimate price for it." She would have been even more smug had she not possessed the knowledge that they had all paid for it too.

Don't think about Nyx. Do not speak about Nyx. It didn't happen. It didn't happen, it didn't happen, it didn't happen--

"Well, good riddance!" Edgar exclaimed, a hearty guffaw offered in return for her divulgence. "I suppose, in the end, you did win. It just took a while."

"Maybe…" But now she was distracted. Her mind was wandering, upturning stones that were best left stationary. The way her Alpha had perished was embarrassing to say the least; one might have expected it to be some epic battle, two powerful creatures locked in a hateful tango until one of them finally emerged victorious. Instead, he'd charged into the proverbial ring like a bull and been subsequently knocked off of his feet, the jaws around his neck squeezing tight until his throat had exploded like a juice box that had been stamped on. Near instant, akin to a threatening wildfire being put out with one solitary bucket of water-- a fitting death for such a lacklustre leader

"He was wrong, you know."

Slowly, Grace tilted her head upwards, her eyes finding his in the low light. An ear flicked, her hesitation plain.

"Huh?"

"The way he was acting, it belonged to that of a burden, not a supposed leader. You were right to be angry with him. Even if you didn't come out on top that time, I respect your principles. You have a good head on your shoulders." He watched her keenly, noted the slight changes in her expression. The twitch of her lips; the slight crease that had formed in her brow.

In a voice like oncoming thunder: "You respect it until it's you."

A soft laugh left her leader, his head shaking. "No. I would hope that you would speak up if I was acting that stupidly. It is unbecoming of a man to speak with his fists." He thought about it for a moment, then tilted his head slightly: "… unbecoming of anyone, actually. I would express the same disappointment in a woman, too."

"...I didn't expect such sound logic," Grace admitted. The woman popped the cap off of the whiskey once more, the lip of the bottle pressed tenderly against her lips. The smell entered her long before the taste did, thoughtful eyes only sparking to life when alcohol finally touched her tongue. After a single swallow, she put it aside. “Well. That’s my story.”

“You have quite a way with words,” Edgar replied. “And you can hold your drink. You’re a woman after my own heart.”

“I’m after nothing from you,” she uttered, an impossible mix of defiance and playfulness burning in her eyes as she stared up at him. Her lips curled into a smirk. “Besides. I can’t go after what you don’t have.”

#🞮 — 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐔𝐒. ❜ ( EDGAR. )#🞮 — 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐀 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐑. ❜ ( GRACE. )#🞮 — 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌. ❜ ( IC. )#drabble *

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canyouhearthelight · 4 years

Text

The Miys, Ch. 86

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all keeping safe and healthy, as much as you can.

This week, I decided to let everyone see how exactly Sophia and Arthur interact. You know, since they are theoretically friends from Before and all that (they really, really are friends, I swear). Thank you to @baelpenrose for helping me with this chapter, which you did immensely.

After a decadently scathing review of an ancient fairy tale and some quick thinking to keep Nixe from lighting the book on fire out of principle, I found myself actually regretting that I needed to return to work. This time escorted by Alistair, who was ostensibly returning anyway from a meeting with the current Head Archivist, we set a brisk pace while quietly discussing my schedule for the next week. By the time we arrived back at our shared office, my head was spinning with the thought of all the Council meetings I had in my future.

Having worked up an appetite and refusing to make important decisions on an empty stomach, I queued up two bowls of etouffee, along with a heaping plate of cornbread and butter. While my assistant provided more and more details around each of my peers’ agendas in regards to testing various ecological building methods - how could there be agendas behind something like that - the door hissed open and a familiar brunette man strolled to my rescue.

Before I could even greet him, Arthur sat down and snagged my yet-untouched meal. "I gave Charly a treat. No reason. But she seemed very enamored of the glittery pens." Unfazed by my attempts to recover my food, he took a bite before giving the bowl a critical look. “This is really good, Sophie. You should try some.”

Scowling, I stepped back over to the food console. “Why did you give her a treat?”

He paused to swallow another mouthful of my lunch. "Phenomenal self control in the face of rage"

"You heard?" I winced before returning to the table with my second attempt to eat.

"Who didn’t? And I'm not saying I condone violence, but her aim was superb, I must say."

"Arthur, she bit him."

"Very clever use of weapons at hand, I agree." Still nonchalant, he slathered butter on a slice of cornbread.

“That’s real butter - “ I tried to warn.

He just waved me off with a spoon. “No whey, I already tested it. Besides, Miys was able to do something about that, just to make my life easier.”

Shaking my head, I finally got to try some of my food. "You gave her caffeine, didn't you?" I asked hesitantly, returning to the topic of Charly.

"I will neither confirm nor deny"

"That's a yes."

"You can't prove that."

"Is it... is it on the pens? Is that a thing?"

"Pffft,” he scoffed. “How lazy.” I stared at him intently until he rolled his eyes and groaned. “The ink in the pens disappears after an hour, glitter and all. She'll love them."

I couldn’t really argue with that, so instead I shifted topics slightly. “So. The guys mentioned asking you to be part of my escort detail?”

He nodded. “I couldn’t make it today, but I moved some stuff around. Should be good to go.”

Something fell into place in my mind. “Wait. Did you send Nixe?”

“Is that her name? The mermaid?” I nodded, so he continued. “I mean, yeah.”

I sputtered, fortunate I didn’t have food in my mouth. “You don’t even know her name and you sent her to fill in?”

“Well, I know it now.” When I didn’t let the glare stop, he set his ill-gotten spoon down firmly. “Sophia. Sophie. That woman is almost as tall as one of your boyfriends, taller than the other, and has endurance enough to probably win a fight while holding her breath. She has an enormous soft-spot for kind people - which you are - and every inch of her screams don’t fuck with me.”

“Because people think she’s crazy,” I scowled in accusation. “She’s actually really sweet.”

“Well, that too. She’s also strong as fuck, and truly believes she is an exiled queen of a race of warriors to boot. I’m willing to bet, if she punched that wannabe warlord? She’d put her fist through him.” He picked up his spoon and smiled. “So, yeah. I asked her to walk you to the archive. She wanted to head down anyway, so….” He shrugged before finishing off the etouffee. “Besides, she was also the person I figured was least likely to need to resort to violence.”

That got a smirk out of me. "Since when don't you condone violence, oh peaceful reformed warlord?"

"Stop putting your words in my mouth, Sophie. I absolutely condone justified violence."

"Excuse me? Weren't you just praising Charly for -"

"I also said justified violence, to be fair."

Before I could have an aneurysm, Alistair stepped in. "Mr. Farro, sir, Councillor Kalloe asked me to pass on this declination of access to your personal sword?"

“You asked for your sword back? Arthur…”

He scowled at my assistant, shaking his head before muttering. “You absolutely did that on purpose, you traitorous, limey dick.”

“Arthur!”

“You should not have been such a cad to have stolen Miss Sophia’s lunch,” Alistair sniffed, unimpressed.

All I could do was rub my temples and focus on deep breaths. They don’t actually hate each other, I reminded myself firmly. “Arthur. Sword. Why?”

“I’m sure I don’t have to explain the anatomy behind why it’s a lot harder to intimidate someone when you’re… oh, about a head shorter?”

“Arthur….” I was feeling like a broken record, especially when he smirked at me and I realized he was probably counting how many different inflections I could use on that.

“Besides, it’s time someone showed that Game of Thrones, Mad Max reject what a real warlord can do,” he added airily, staring at the ceiling.

I choked on my last bite of cornbread, pounding the table and gasping for air before I could respond. “Wait, you mean to tell me your professionalism is offended? Are you serious!?”

“Yeah, I’m serious.” He didn’t even bother looking down at me. “I earned the title, protecting my students, and he’s just some bullying, conspiracy-peddling amateur who wouldn’t even rate a decent Fallout villain.” Finally, he glanced back at me. “Besides, if he’s the guy he thinks he is, he’ll understand that threatening another leader’s people is met with violence.”

“Oh, another leader now?” I asked skeptically.

“Oh hell no. Not me.” He shook his head violently before gesturing with his spoon again. “You. Xiomara. Grey. Your people.”

“You know I don’t believe violence is the answer,” I said softly.

“I know. But right now, it’s the question. The answer may end up being yes, no matter how much you don’t want it to be.” He gave me a meaningful look before his expression hardened. “If it comes to that, and I think you, or Charly, or anyone else I care about is in danger? That Viking-wannabe is going to find himself on the wrong side of the airlock. You won’t have to make the hard decision, fight all that empathy you have floating around in there.” He tapped his temple. “I’ll make the call, me and Xiomara.” Like a switch flipping, his features relaxed again. “I just need her to give me back my damned sword.”

Alistair cleared his throat politely, arching an eyebrow at the man across from me. “Dare I even ask why you have a sword?”

Arthur pointed at himself and enunciated slowly. “War. Lord.”

Nonplussed, my assistant waved the response away. “Yes, yes, I understand all that. You’ve certainly said it frequently enough. How did you come by it, I mean? You are both from the Colonies, after all.”

I snickered at the back-handed insult, waiting for Arthur to clarify. To be honest, I was mildly curious about it, myself, but was certain enough that I didn’t want to know the answer that I had never asked.

Arthur straightened himself, and in the worst faux-Italian accent, explained “My sword has been serving the warrior sons of the Farro family since the days of the Medici.” Dropping the accent, he clarified. “I was a history teacher, Before. I used to show the sword to some of my classes, and even took a few lessons in the style the sword was used in. Then, when the End happened… it saw battle again.” He paused for a moment before scowling. “Which is why it better not be rusted when I get it back. It’s a five-hundred year old weapon.”

“Is that how the two of you know each other?” Alistair continued, pretending to be entirely unimpressed by the provenance of an antique sword - I wasn’t fooled, he was an archivist.

Arthur, however, looked completely baffled. “The sword? No? What in the -”

“Teaching….” Alistair clarified wearily.

I snorted hard enough that my sinuses burned. “Oh gods no. I don’t think we ever even lived in the same state. And I only taught for…. Two years? A year and a half? Not counting the whole - “ I waved a hand around my head vaguely “-Interpersonal communication fiasco. And he was still in high school at the time, I think.” I glanced over, but Arthur just shrugged. “Anyway, we actually met in an online group, almost a decade after I quit teaching, one dedicated to writing.” Pausing, I glanced around at my office. “I don’t think we ever imagined anything like this, though.”

“When did you first meet in person?” Alistair asked, still curious.

I felt my face flush scarlet, while Arthur just tipped his head back and roared with laughter. After several minutes, he managed to get himself under control enough to point an accusing finger at me. “We met, face to face, the day she marched her self-righteous ass into my office and railed at me over Charly Harper’s grades. I’ve been chewed out by every form of indignant parent ever, but that was a new one on me. She was about to pick a fight with me on behalf of every student ever taught by anyone. And Xiomara was standing there, just letting her!”

“I’m not sure she knew who she was supposed to restrain,” I clarified. “Even once we calmed down, it probably took a good fifteen minutes to realize who we were looking at.”

“Wait, so you met in person on the Ark?” Alistair sputtered in disbelief. “Mr. Farro, I have heard you, on more than one occasion, refer to Miss Sophia as being like a sister to you, yet you only met less than a year ago?”

It was my turn to scoff. “In person, maybe. But we met over twenty years ago, and two lifetimes away.”

Arthur nodded. “Italian families work differently than British ones. Even those who moved to ‘the colonies’,” he deadpanned. “And I’m sure everyone on the Ark and probably on Earth is aware of her annoying ass tendency to adopt strays.”

“Yeah, hokay, stray number one,” I mocked gently.

He just made a ticking gesture at me. “Thus, our initial clash. There was a miscommunication that affected a member of her ‘family’, and she was shooting to verbally kill at a hundred paces.” Clucking at me, he admonished, “Tyche was much more threatening, just for reference.”

“Carrying seven knives will do that.”

“Ten, actually, six for throwing.”

I shrugged nonchalantly as Alistair’s eyes tried valiantly to escape his head. “She’s not going to give up a ranged advantage.”

“Tell me the truth, is she actually any good with those?” Arthur asked, leaning in.

“They were actually for me.”

“They’re kind of an impractical weapon, but I wouldn’t put it past the Reid sisters to get good with them.”

Alistair, on the other hand, was still sputtering. “Miss Reid,” he scolded. “You mean to tell me you can throw knives?!”

“I can also kill a squirrel at thirty feet with a sling and a stone,” I shrugged. “Girl’s gotta eat.”

My assistant looked queasy, Arthur just looked mildly impressed. “Why was Tyche carrying them, if they were for you?”

“Because I was angry enough to do something stupid,” I admitted. “It was more so I wouldn’t use them.”

“So… on the off chance I need to know what your phenomenal sister will use in the event she is the angry one, what should I be watching for?” He leaned forward on his folded hands like an eager student.

All I could do was scrunch my face in confusion. “Pain? Blood? Think what Charly did to Jokull, plus rabies, no sense of self preservation, and absolutely no concept of ‘fair’. I mean, she can throw, for sure, but she isn’t above just becoming full-on possessed if she feels the need to attack.”

“Did she really almost beat herself unconscious on a bulkhead?”

“Yep.” I popped the ‘p’. “Although, that person almost killed me, so it’s probably better they got the sentence they did than ten minutes with my sister.”

Arthur nodded in understanding. “Probably more merciful, yeah.”

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#the miys #found family #humans are weird #food #backstory #aliens #scifi #original scifi #original fiction #my writing

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chronicallylatetotheparty · 4 years

Text

Float Like A Butterfly Ch.2 Boundaries

Summary:

Adrien remembers a promise amid chaos.

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

"You know, dude. You don't have to let her do that."

"Huh?"

"Chloe," Nino clarified, watching said girl go with a scowl before his eyes flicked back to Adrien. "You don't have to let her drape herself all over you like that."

Confusion clouded Adrien's face. "What? No, it's Chloe. She's fine."

"Bro, you can set boundaries for your friends! They're the dudes that're supposed to be the most chill with that!" Nino didn't mean to push but he knew how Adrien was about his friendships. "I know you're not the best when it comes to personal space-"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"-but, like, you should really start getting with the groove."

Adrien didn't like the worried frown Nino gave him and hurried to reassure his best friend. "Seriously bro, I'm fine! It's fine." He gave Nino a bright smile as proof.

Nino didn't look convinced. "You'd tell me if it wasn't. Right?"

"Of course, dude! You're my best friend." Stifling a twinge of superhero related guilt with practiced ease, Adrien held his fist up.

The concern in Nino's eyes faded a little. "Okay, bro." Holding up his own fist, Nino returned the gesture. "Just... Remember that if you feel someone's being uncool you can just leave or something, yeah?"

"Promise," Adrien replied with a smile.

"I mean it, man." This time Nino returned a small smile despite himself. His voice losing its gravitas. "Anyone gives you rancid vibes just get the hell away from them."

Truthfully, Adrien hadn't remembered. Oh, he didn't forget. But it stayed in the back of his mind. Untouched despite the many times people he knew gave him 'rancid vibes'. Never once did Nino's words resurface...

Until the Guardian drove him away.

----------

Adrien didn't want to be in class today.

Even if it was Mme. Bustier's birthday. He didn't feel like smiling so Nino wouldn't ask him if he was okay. Like he did every day.

And Adrien lied because... He didn't know why he kept lying to Nino. There was no point anymore, was there? No point in keeping everything bottled up. In holding back tears so his friends wouldn't ask questions he couldn't answer. Shouldn't answer.

His hand was shaking.

I shouldn't think like that. Adrien subtly grabbed his uncooperative limb, holding it still. Trying to shake his brain loose from its spiral. It was a special day. He shouldn't ruin it by-

"-Chloe Bourgeois!"

Adrien bolted upright in his seat. The sound of Marinette's anger shocking him back to the present. What- Chloe did what? But just as soon as Adrien's brain caught up Mme. Bustier and Marinette were out of the classroom.

Everyone was glaring at Chloe. She was ignoring them in that far too deliberate way she had. With her head to the side and her chin up, Chloe was the spitting image of, I don't care what you think. An almost perfectly crafted lie.

Then their akumatized teacher showed up and it was chaos.

Adrenaline surged through Adrien, keeping him grounded as he ran with his classmates. Despite his obtrusive thoughts.

Of course, Zombizou was after Chloe! Why wouldn't she be!? Grabbing a discarded mop when his surviving friends barricaded themselves in the locker room, Adrien turned and-

There she was. Shoulders set in determination, face serious, bluebell eyes red around the edges. Ladybug's mere presence was enough to calm everyone.

Adrien's grip on his makeshift weapon tightened, knuckles white. He turned away from her and took a breath. Trying to keep his turmoil off his face.

You should be helping her, said an admonishing, guilty voice.

She didn't want my help, an angry, bitter voice replied.

"Ladybug vouched for you."

Adrien wondered if that was true.

They were on the school's roof now. Adrien didn't remember how they got up there. Apparently the kissing zombies were becoming an epidemic. And Zombizou was still very focused on a particular individual.

"Chloe! Ha, always Chloe!" Alix advanced on her angrily. Backing the taller girl up to the roof's edge, with kissing zombies below. "You only think about yourself!"

"I don't know why we don't just give them what they want!" Alya added.

"Yeah! Good idea!" Nino backed her up.

... I should say something here, right? Adrien knew he should defend Chloe. Or at least try to de-escalate the argument. Because, by God, did Adrien know Chloe wasn't going to do it.

"Is it my fault that I'm better than all of you?"

Adrien should say something. But Ladybug beat him to it. In two short sentences she quelled his classmates righteous anger. She was right, of course. Chloe didn't deserve to get hit. And she was the perfect bait.

Ladybug's always right...

Thankfully, the zombies' attempts to climb after them kept Adrien focused on protecting those around him. Instead of wallowing in self-pity. Using the mop he still had, Adrien shoved the zombies back while the rest of his classmates went down Ladybug's yo-yo zipline.

But more kept coming.

"C'mon, Agreste!" Kim yelled, giving Chloe a push down their escape line.

Adrien ran and the zombies swarmed.

"Look out!" Max stretched out his arms and used his body as a shield, distracting the zombies.

"Max!"

Strong arms lifted Adrien up and put him on the zipline. Placing his mop handle so he could grab it and not the razor sharp wire. Kim sent Adrien off just as he was swarmed.

... No one had ever sacrificed themselves for Adrien before. He didn't like it.

Rose slipped from the roof of the bus and cried out as a zombie grabbed her leg. Ladybug quickly retracting her yo-yo and saving her.

He saw the look on Ladybug's face. Gazing out at all of the infected people that surrounded them. Adrien could feel the weight on her shoulders through that gaze. The weight of a city. Ladybug felt responsible for every citizen of Paris. They were counting on her. She let out a low growl of determination and went into the bus.

Inside, Ladybug stared at the driver's seat for a moment. "Anyone know how to drive?"

And when no one else spoke up Adrien replied. "I... can." It was the first words he'd spoken to her since...

"But we are a team aren't we? I'm tired of all these secrets."

"O-Oh! Thank you, Adrien."

Adrien didn't think he deserved any thanks but he nodded and got them on their jarring, halting way. Heading for the Eiffel Tower.

Ladybug's proximity was distracting. Not in the usual way, where he couldn't take his eyes off her and his heart sped up excitedly. His heart was speeding but it wasn't from excitement and his jaw hurt from how hard he was clenching it.

Adrien felt... like when Ladybug didn't come to his surprise. Or when Chloe got the entire school punished for something she did. He wasn't sure how those two things were related but the feeling now was much the same. Only worse.

Focus, a familiar voice said. They're counting on you.

So, Adrien shoved his feelings down to where they usually went in public.

Then someone screamed.

Ladybug kept Alix, Juleka and Rose from kissing anyone else while Adrien sped towards the Eiffel Tower. Coming to a fast stop in its shadow. Grabbing Chloe's wrist in one hand and his mop in the other, Adrien bolted for the elevators. Alya and Nino on their tail. Barricading the doors just as Ladybug made it inside.

But they didn't count on zombies in the elevator.

"Alya!" Nino rushed forward to restrain the infected people, pulling them off his girlfriend.

"...There's nothing we can do for her," Adrien found himself saying. "C'mon!"

"He's right," Alya sat up to look a kneeling Ladybug in the eye. There was nothing but trust in her gaze, a gentle smile on her lips. "Just go and save us all."

Without taking her eyes off Alya, Ladybug slowly walked into the elevator. "Nino?"

Tipping his cap, Nino smiled as the doors closed with him still outside.

"Nino!" Ladybug threw herself at the doors as they started their ascent. Her fist struck the glass in frustration.

"...You'll fix it all in the end anyway," Adrien said. He meant it to be reassuring. It came out accusatory.

She doesn't need me.

Shut up!

"Only the best remain." Chloe felt the need to comment.

She doesn't need Chat Noir.

Not if he's wallowing in self-pity, she doesn't!

A growl left Ladybug's lips. "He's your best friend." Her eyes were on him as she ignored Chloe.

She didn't need you then and she doesn't need you now!

... It doesn't matter.

"You'll fix it," he repeated. Staring her in the eye.

And for some unfathomable reason, Ladybug seemed to accept that.

They arrived at the top... only to be surrounded by zombies.

"Ladybug!" Adrien cried out as he shoved Chloe toward her.

The swarm made to chase after them. So, ignoring the kisses already dotting his skin, Adrien used his body and the mop handle he still carried like a barrier. Stretching out his arms the way Max had.

There were so many of them. Pushing him. Grabbing him. Kissing him. Adrien spread his feet and pushed against the floor as leverage.

"Adrien!"

Looking up he felt Ladybug's palm on his cheek. Despite himself he found it comforting... Her eyes were so afraid. "Go!" he pleaded.

"No!"

"You're the only one who can fix this for us. No arguing now!"

So she didn't.

He watched her hurry away as foreign hands grabbed at his body. Cotton was a poor substitute for the protection of his magical, impervious suit. Strangers' lips slathered the skin on his arms, his neck, his face. The last thing Adrien felt was his flesh crawling in disgust as his strength gave out...

---------

Ladybugs swirled around Adrien as the far too familiar sensation of his free will coming back washed over him.

Just in time to see how close Chloe's lips were to his own. Adrien jerked his head back. Chloe followed his movement. NO! His hands shoved her away before he knew he was doing it.

Adrien stared at her on the ground. The alien sensation of unwanted lips on his skin ghosted over his flesh. Without a word Chloe picked herself up and dusted herself off. Adrien turned on his heel and strode away from her.

Ladybug was also staring. At Mme. Bustier coming out of the akumatization. She held her fist at eye level, a melancholy expression on her face. "B- Bien joue," she whispered.

Eyes stinging suddenly, Adrien looked away. Shutting them tight.

"Ladybug? What on Earth-" Mme. Bustier let out a gasp. "The akuma overtook me. Oh, no! I let my negative emotions get the upper hand. How terrible! I'm terrible..."

A jolt went through Adrien at her words.

The teacher's distress apparently pulled Ladybug back from her own distant sorrow. Shoving away things she couldn't do anything about Ladybug focused on what she could do. "...That's not true. It wasn't your fault. Papillon is the one to blame."

It's not the same, he told himself.

Isn't it?

"But I hurt a lot of people."

"No," Chloe's voice rang out. "I did." All three stared at her in surprise. "I forgot your birthday, once again." She didn't sound like herself. "And when I saw everyone prepare a gift for you, I totally lost it." She sounded... remorseful. "Because I too would've liked to offer you something." Sincere. "I'm sorry, Mme. Bustier."

Snakes slid themselves into knots in Adrien's stomach. He could remember the last time Chloe had apologized for anything. They were eleven.

"Thank you, Chloe. Those words are the best possible gift you could ever give me." And Mme. Bustier wrapped her in a hug.

Chloe's eyes found Adrien's and he felt... unpleasant things.

"Um, I should be going!" For some reason Ladybug was addressing Adrien specifically.

"Right... Thank you."

"No problem." Ladybug smiled despite the strain around her reddened eyes. She waited a moment, expectant. But when nothing was forthcoming she swung away. An odd mixture of relief and guilt on her face.

Adrien didn't speak to Chloe as they took the elevator down. He didn't speak to her as Mme. Bustier, still shaken from her ordeal, went home. Didn't speak to her as the Gorilla pulled up and she got in without asking. It wasn't until they were on their way to Le Grande Paris and the privacy screen was rolled up that Adrien spoke.

"...I don't want you kissing me." He didn't look at her.

"What? Adrikins what're you-"

"I don't like it." His tongue felt heavy and there was a tightness in his chest. "I don't like that nickname."

"...You never complained about it before." Chloe didn't say it dismissively, like she would for anyone else. Because Adrien wasn't anyone else.

Adrien did look at her then. "It was fine when we were kids and then, when we got older, I told myself it didn't bother me. But it does." He felt queasy. Adrien wished he had Chat Noir. Chat Noir never had this much trouble expressing himself.

"Well... okay then." Chloe threw her ponytail behind her. "Just Adrien, then."

And Adrien was so relieved when a knot untangled itself in his stomach that he almost let it slide. Almost. "I don't want you trying to kiss me."

"I'm just greeting you." There was no inflection in her words, like she expected what was coming. "Everyone does it."

"Don't. Lie. To me." And it's the first sign Adrien gave of the anger behind his words. Superseding even the guilt in his gut. Not breaking eye contact no matter how much he wanted to.

Chloe broke it first, looking down. "Maybe... when I realized that you were the only boy I could stand I... Started thinking of you as mine. You were my friend!" Her eyes flicked to Adrien and away again. "And I, maybe, thought I was the only girl who was good enough for you."

"That's not your decision," Adrien snapped. The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them. And he didn't really want to stop them.

"Well, someone had to make a decision!"

Adrien's eyes burned into her.

Chloe winced. Even her infamous tactlessness had its limits. "Adrien..."

He turned away from her.

"What do you want me to say!" Her voice rose. "That I was selfish!? That I wanted you all to myself!? That I was a terrible friend!?"

"No," Adrien replied evenly, still looking away. "I don't want you to say that."

Chloe took a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry... Adrien."

Oh. The sharp spike in Adrien's chest grew smaller. He looked at her. There were actual tears, tiny ones, in the corners of her eyes.

Before he could say anything the car stopped. And Chloe was out the door.

---------

Adrien stared at nothing. Arms wrapped around his knees on the bed. Allowing the tears that had built up all day to fall.

He didn't want to think about Chloe. Didn't want to go over every time she'd lean in and he'd lean away. Hated the way his skin burned at the memory of unwanted contact. Like it was still touching him.

Wrestling himself away from that train of thought only brought up Ladybug. Adrien didn't want to think about her either. Thinking about Ladybug made the writhing in his stomach worse.

Ladybug was as amazing as always. He could see her setting whatever she felt aside for the sake of the mission. Serious and focused like a great hero should be. No wonder the Guardian likes her more than me.

If he still had Plagg then Chat Noir could've helped instead of running around with a mop of all things! Could've actually been useful.

Chat Noir didn't stop you from being useless before.

A bark of laughter escaped Adrien's lips.

Not one person. Not one person mentioned Chat Noir's absence.

They kinda had more important things to worry about, the rational part of his brain pointed out.

Howling laughter came out of him, shaking his frame. I know. And the knowledge only made him feel worse. Friends, people he saw every day, had their minds taken from them. And here he was, what, whining about not being appreciated?

Fresh tears streamed down Adrien's face as he covered his mouth. Laughter turning into wailing sobs. What is wrong with me!?

Smothering the sound of his sobs with his pillow, Adrien screamed himself hoarse. Fingers futilely clawing at the fabric. Realizing, in between breaths, that he cried out for Plagg most of all. Heat built rapidly in his face as his chest constricted. Adrien let himself mourn Plagg's absence all over again. Everything was too hot, too much. He didn't remember how many times he'd cried over the sarcastic, arrogant little jerk but it didn't feel like enough.

Eventually, the raging storm in Adrien calmed. At least for now. He wiped at the dry tear stains, swallowing thickly. Taking slow, deliberate breaths. Blinking his reddened eyes, Adrien's sight landed on Plagg's mini-fridge.

A painful twinge pulled at his heart but Adrien was far too drained for it to last more than a moment. He stared at it. Having avoided touching the only piece of Plagg that still resided in his room.

Standing on shaky legs, he made his way over to Plagg's things. Kneeling, Adrien opened it, seeing nothing but Camembert. His nose too stuffy from crying for its intense odor to have any effect.

Adrien smiled even as his eyes watered. Closing Plagg's fridge he called for a cart to take the Camembert away. Without Plagg he really didn't need so much cheese.

It was time to let go. Even if it took him years. Adrien had experience with letting people go, after all.

#float like a butterfly #adrien agreste #adrien angst #ml angst #zombizou #chloé bourgeois #adrien and chloe #nino lahiffe #adrien and nino #ladybug #ml au #canon divergent au #canon divergence #ml fanfiction #ml fanfic #ml fic #ao3 fic #ao3 fanfic

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eugenesmorphine · 4 years

Text

Oh Captain, My Captain // Ronald Speirs Imagine

AN: I love the thought of Speirs being sweet to is significant other. I know it might not seem too realistic. But I can totally seeing Speirs being that way.

@alienoresimagines

I watched in horror as I watched Ronald Sprint across Foy. What the hell was he doing?! If Dike wasn’t being such a bitch and actually led this company and wouldn’t be so scared we wouldn't be stuck in this mess! Now Ronald was sprinting across Foy to link up with I company. Running straight through German infantry and artillery. They didn't shoot at him at first. Probably because they couldn't believe what the Lieutenant was actually doing. I clutched my rifle tightly, pressing myself against the wall of a half destroyed building. I looked to the side, peering over the corner, nearly getting my face blown in by a sniper in a building across from me. I felt a warm feeling on my cheek, along with the feeling of a thick liquid running down my cheek. Great, the bullet sliced my face, like this day could get worse. Many casualties caused by our shitty officer in charge Dike, now my boyfriend is putting his god damn life on the line just for a shot of Adrenaline! You gotta be kidding me!

I quickly shot at the sniper a few times, hoping one of the shots would hit. But, to no avail, no bullets hit. I sighed heavily and now I was getting mad. This mission in Foy was turning into a giant cluster fuck, and now with Dike acting like this, my friends were either dying, or close to it. And now the love of my life was risking his life, I was not having it. I looked across to behind a short wall. And there he still was. Dike sitting there, like a little baby, tail between his legs as everything was unfolding around him. I shook my head and just carried on with my duties. I needed to keep advancing and killing as many Krauts needed. I clutched my rifle, ready to run to the next set of cover.

I took a deep breath, swallowing hard. I stood up and began sprinting. I had to make it to a building about a hundred feet diagonal from me. From there it will be easier to advance and it’ll give me and the rest of Easy Company the upper hand after Ronald got I Company. The difficult part was sprinting a hundred feet under heavy enemy fire and artillery blasts unharmed and or alive. Though, in the moment, the only focus was getting the mission done. No matter what. So when I began running full speed across Foy, I wasn’t too worried about the fire of the German Infantryman that I was receiving. That was until I felt a sharp pain rock through my shoulder. Once again, followed with the feeling of warm blood soaking the fabric of my blouse. Just great. Absolutely wonderful.

“God damn it!” I cursed, stumbling slightly. I glanced at my shoulder quickly while continuously running. It looked like it went straight through. But who the hell knows what that little piece of metal hit on the way. I winced, now running with my rifle in one hand. God it hurt. But, mission comes first. I noticed that I was close to the advancement point. I pressed my lips together and with a lot of pain, I grabbed my weapon with both hands and felt the adrenaline course through my veins. I ran faster than I ever had in that moment. I dove behind a small piece of cover, my shoulder now throbbing with pain. As one of the higher ranks, a Gunnery Sergeant to be exact, I was supposed to go and advance first. And what good does it do if I was wounded?

I held that position for a while, shooting down a few Germans. Shooting with a hole in my shoulder was harder than I thought. And definitely more painful. Though, soon enough, my Ronald ran back from linking with I and H Company successfully. And it was decently smooth sailing from there. I mean, sort of. Shifty shot down the sniper, basically saving Lipton’s ass. Soon enough, we killed enough German’s and advanced enough that the last of the Krauts surrendered. Thank god. We had already been running low on supplies, and men. And after this horror show, I wonder how bad it was now.

I used my gun to help support myself as I stood up. Pain shot through my shoulder, causing me to wince. Though, my mind immediately traveled to something, more like someone else. I watched from afar as the cowardly Lieutenant Dike stood up from his cover. He had not moved an inch from when the battle had started. I watched as he stared at the numerous dead bodies, mentally counting the casualties. I angrily pressed my lips together, if cartoons were real, I would have steam shooting out of my ears. Ignoring my pain in my shoulder, and a strange pain in my ankle which I had probably sprained, I marched my way angrily to Dike. Rage filled my eyes, my friends tried to keep me back but in no way, shape, or form was I going to stop. This cowardly and shameful excuse of a man has caused too many problems and at this point, screw rank. My men are being killed. I walked straight up to him and pushed him hard in the chest.

“How many deaths?” I yelled. I got closer into his face. He looked at me in shock. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words left his mouth. He just looked everywhere but me. “How many casualties Lieutenant?! Since you’re counting already!” I yelled once more. I shoved him in his chest again. Now a small crowd gathering. I could see officers approaching, but this is war, who even cares anymore? “Watch it Gunny. Don’t you even forget rank!” he replied, his voice sounded weak. I chuckled in sarcasm. “Rank? You are trying to pull rank to hide the shitty job you have done? To ignore the deaths you have caused?! I have lost my closest friends due to your lack of leadership! Go ahead write me up for insubordination! See if I care!” I screamed angrily, I took my helmet off angrily. I turned to finish my rant towards the Lieutenant. Though, seeing his face of sorrow, anger, and some traces of tears in his eyes, I just huffed angrily and ran a hand through my hair. I turned and just stormed off, cursing to myself.

I sat on a rock, pondering to myself. Why was I here? I could be on base somewhere, making plans to attack, safe and sound away from here. Why was I out risking my lives for people that were mostly ungrateful? I sighed heavily, placing my helmet down beside my feet. Maybe I shouldn’t have yelled at Dike like that. Hell, he is just as scared as everyone else. Just less good at hiding it I guess. I rested my elbows on my knees. How did the world end up getting so messed up?

My thoughts were interrupted from the crunching of snow underneath a set of boots. I looked in the direction of which the sound was coming from. My eyes met with the eyes of a familiar captain. My lover Ronald Speirs. He seemed untouched, except for a little more dirt on him. Which was nothing facing toward the fact that he ran straight through enemy lines, then ran back. He was seemingly untouched.

“Ronald!” I gasped, standing up, once again ignoring the pain in my shoulder. I ran to him, grasping at his arms, checking his body for any injuries. I looked up at him, a small smile on his face. Then I remembered how much he scared me when he ran through ENEMY LINES the RAN BACK! My face went hard and I hit his chest, not too hard, but hard enough to prove my point. “Do you understand how stupid that way Ronald?! You could’ve died and those Krauts would’ve stripped you dry! What would I do without you?! Huh?!” I was on fire with hopping in everyone’s shit today. I watched as he let out a dry chuckle. Was he thinking I was joking right now?

“Sweets I had to, what else were we to do?” he asked, his voice trying to be soothing. I just huffed. He wasn’t understanding how much I was to lose if he got killed. I felt the burning sensation of tears filling in my eyes. It was all getting too much. I looked back up at him. I gulped. “Please Ronald, don’t do something like that again. I don’t know what I would do without you, especially in this war,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. His expression changed almost immediately from joking and hard to a softer and worried look. Something very few or special people, like myself, has seen from Captain Ronald Speirs. He didn’t say anything right away, but instead, he dropped his weapon and wrapped his arms tightly around my torso. Lifting me up slightly as he leaned his head in the crook of my neck. He usually wasn’t like this, unless we were definitely alone, but he must’ve felt somewhat bad. He then pulled away, confusing me more. Before he cupped my face and kissed me hard but gently at the same time. I wrapped my arms around his neck, cherishing the moment.

“I promise I want to do something like that, no way in hell Gunny,” he said, pulling away and giving me a small smile. He grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze, sitting down on a log. I sat next to him. “That’s good Captain,” I chuckled. I smiled. He looked at me, “You really showed Dike didn’t you?” he asked, chuckling softly. I shook my head, scoffing. “Yeah I guess I did. I kind of feel bad, but what can I do now?” I shrugged looking at him. He chuckled at my words. Sometimes the strong minded and seemingly cold captain forgets that I am just as tough as he is. I’m just selective with it. I rolled my eyes at his actions.

He looked at me, scoffing jokingly. “Oh don’t start Y/N, you know you love me,” he said, pulling out a pack of smokes, handing me one. He knows me so well. I gladly took it, placing it between my lips. I took out my lighter, lighting his cigarette and then lit mine. I took a puff and blew the smoke out. A small smile spreading across my lips. I looked at my boots, and with that I responded to my lover’s words with:

“That I do Captain. That I do

#band of brothers #band of brothers imagine #ronald speirs imagine #ronald speirs #easy company #imagine #bob imagine #the pacific imagine #the pacific #hbo #hbo war #hbo series

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wincore · 5 years

Text

wayv + sci-fi!au

a/n: i dont have a lot of time but i do have a lot of ideas so here’s my attempt at a bullet scenario!! i also wanted to write sci-fi aus which are not post apocalyptic so here’s my best and i know these are all like really far fetched and maybe a little cliched but it was fun writing them!!

doctor!kun

a doctor for mutants!!

so kind and steady, he pretty much won you over the first time you met

when you find yourself crying by the side of the street after being kicked out of your apartment

you did not expect a man with kind eyes and sweet smile to show up and offer you water and some tissues

especially an attractive man with an angelic voice

even the unblemished white of his jacket adds to the whole angelic look

you’re so out of it after the whirlwind of events that the slightest of kindness makes you even more emotional

you start bawling your eyes out when he offers to listen

and you actually want to tell him everything

how you just naturally attract trouble, especially with your strange powers

how you’re not trained enough to control them and you’re just sort of clumsy

how you really hate yourself for being born this way

but you can’t - you know he’d freak out, and you’d lose the last shred of kindness left for you

the serious look in the man’s face takes you by surprise

‘you’re...you’re a mutant, are you not?’

your eyes widen as you feel alert

he’s not part of the government, is he? he’s not trying to take you those horrible labs, is he? - oh god

you sit frozen in shock and no idea what to do

‘don’t worry!!’ he reassures you when he notices your obvious discomfort

‘i won’t harm you! here, i’ll stay five feet away if that makes you feel better’

he gets up and moves away, putting his arms up to emphasize he means no harm

you shy away from him but he stands still in his place

‘please don’t be afraid. i’m just like you.’

you raise an eyebrow at that and when he signals you to come forward, you do, albeit reluctantly and cautious

he takes your arm, careful enough to be gentle and presses his palm against the burn mark you got last week

you hiss at the contact and he mumbles a sorry before letting his palm rest for a few moments

when he removes it, your burn marks are completely erased like they were never there

you stare at him agape and he breaks into a wide smile

‘i’m kun. and i was wondering if you’d join our school for mutants.’

‘i’m sorry, what?’

‘it’s to train people like us for the world. how to survive and pass off as a normal human being’

kun seems serious about this, and you can’t help but feel a certain feeling of trust towards him - he’s like you, after all

well, not as messy as you are, though

which is why you agree, and find yourself in front of a large yet old brick building - it’s so large, you’re sure it could house over hundreds of people!

there’s a giant courtyard behind the first entrance, and the housing lies on the other side

the top floors of the housing building, lined with bay windows, catches your attention with how comfortable they look, how inviting

and the numerous people of all ages - children, teenagers, adults - present in the courtyard doing their own thing livens up the atmosphere of the entire place

you feel yourself smiling as kun gives you a tour around the place

unfortunately, you don’t listen to any instruction he tells you

when you look at kun, the stern expression he gives you makes you freeze

‘you didn’t listen, did you?’ he frowns

‘i...uh...ho-how would you know?’

‘i’ve seen enough kids on their first day’ he loosens up and gives you a smile

‘wait how old are you?’ you ask, puzzled ’don’t tell me you’re like 50′

‘do i look 50 to you?’

you laugh at his expression, all sour, and despite you barely learning anything about the place, you’re hopeful again

the next few weeks are the difficult part

you have different trainers for controlling each aspect of your abilities - defense, cover-up, intensity control

very occasionally, kun takes your defense classes and boy is he good at martial arts

the entire point of the defense classes is to defend yourself without getting your opponent hurt

you kinda suck at it but you have never seen anyone move so easy to find but so difficult to get a hold of, almost as if he’s untouchable

you wonder if you’ll ever be able to do that

there’s lessons on how to behave too - the ones you hate most

but those are probably the ones you need the most, you think disdainfully

the worst part, however, is that you don’t get to see kun very often

he’s always busy tending to the kids and other patients (particularly, these two kids called yangyang and chenle) or taking classes for other students in his free time

and while you have your own schedule, you really wanted to spend more time with kun

shhhhh no you totally don’t have a crush what

surprisingly, kun barely ever uses his abilities - just for really young kids to amaze them or if it’s a serious injury

he’s gone through med school, and you’re sure he possesses superhuman memory too with the way he has every part of the human body memorized

he’s really kinda cool to you - the way he works systematically and thoughtfully

the night your sleeplessness is at its worst, you walk hesitantly towards kun’s office, hoping he could give you some mild sleeping pills

and maybe get to talk with him with that excuse

but instead, you eavesdrop on something you’re not supposed to

‘the government?’ kun asks the figure in black, sitting opposite him in his room

‘yes. they’re saying they know our location. but they want us to peacefully surrender ourselves.’

‘they’ll never find this place. sicheng’s invisibility barriers are the strongest ever known. plus, you’re good at masking. you know that.’

‘yes, but aren’t you worried? they’re not usually this bold.’

‘taeyong. you know this is the safest place we have. if we were to have been breached, we already would have.’

the figure called taeyong relaxes into the chair and there’s a quiet pause

‘yeah, you’re right. there’ll always be threats. i just got worked up.’

there’s silence for a while and you hold your breath for fear of being caught

kun has his eyes focused on taeyong

and you think he’s about to say something when his eyes suddenly move to your form behind the door

you freeze, a shiver running down your spine at the strong gaze you’re met with before scrambling away

you sneak into a narrow space between two walls, suddenly afraid that you’ve done something you shouldn’t have

you try keeping a watch on the corridor, looking out for any shadow or figure

you don’t wanna be caught eavesdropping by kun - he’s pretty strict about keeping meetings confidential

and when you’re sure enough time has passed, you peek your head out to find an empty corridor

you sigh in relief and push yourself out of the narrow cramped space to take a deep breath

‘you know, you should really focus on the sounds you make if you’re going to sneak around.’

you jump at kun’s voice and take a step back on reflex only for your back to hit the wall

‘i’m- i’m really sorry i- i didn’t mean to- i’m sorry’

kun doesn’t say anything, only draws closer till you wish you could fall through the wall for some space between the two of you

judging from the deep frown, you’d say you’re in for quite some scolding

but all you get is a long silence

instead, he presses his hand gently against your cheek

‘how’d you get that cut?’ he asks, looking concerned

you never noticed but now that he mentioned it, you feel a low burning on your cheek

you rack your brain to find an answer to when you could possibly get a gash like that

but instead of waiting, kun just draws his thumb along it

and the burning falls numb

you look at him, confused

you thought he disliked using his powers

‘why did you- why did you do that? you could have just sent me to the infirmary. a band-aid would have been fine.’

‘that’s okay. it’s fixed either way.’

‘i thought you didn’t like using your gifts.’

‘it does take up the better part of my energy, yes, but i’m off to bed now anyway.’

kun takes a step back and you finally detach yourself from the wall

‘kun?’

you call when he’s about to turn away

‘hm?’

kun looks at you with the same warmth he had when he brought you here

‘thanks. i’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.’

he laughs, his brow up in a confused twist

‘i just want to keep you safe.’

kun presses a light kiss to your forehead, so soft you almost don’t feel it

‘good night’ he says and walks away

leaving you blushing deep red in a lonely corridor

gamer!ten

when you find your ex-boyfriend at the city aquarium, you feel the urge to crawl into some hole and wither away

you just wanted a day to relax and have fun, but it looks like fate doesn’t want you to

your ex hasn’t noticed you and you quickly hide behind one of the corners to avoid confrontation

you sigh when he leaves in another direction, and turn around to get back on your little tour

your heart almost leaps out of your chest when you find a puffer fish staring right back at you

you’re so sure there wasn’t any exhibit behind you - it was just a wall, wasn’t it?

when you look around and back at the glass enclosure, there’s suddenly a tiger shark there instead of a round little pufferfish

you’re honestly starting to freak out

you slowly back away from the shark staring at you, but when you bump into someone, you let out a scream

‘JEEZ you’re so loud!’

your eyes meet another’s and they stare at you with a calculating sort of expression

‘i uh hi...uh...sorry......about that’ you stutter

he stares at you blankly

‘oh,,,uh, it’s okay’

there’s an awkward silence before he opens his mouth again

‘wait a minute you’re real aren’t you?’

you knit your brows together

‘i’m sorry?”

he cocks his head to the side and the expression on his face changes into a mortified one before he looks back to you

‘okay don’t freak out’

and of course you turn around to see what he saw

and it’s a fucking blue whale in a tank that’s probably not meant to hold a blue whale

your eyes follow the slow cracking on the glass, every new vein kicking a bout of fear in you

but the guy beside you wastes no time in grabbing your hand and bolting before it all comes crashing down

at least one of you knows what’s going on

you’ve barely reached the exit, when water rushes in from behind and the grip on your wrist tightens

‘this is gonna be messy’ he warns with a grimace

and you’re hit with a giant wave of water

great you’re gonna drown in an aquarium full of weird sea creatures who may or may not try to eat you

and the blue turns to black but you don’t feel the grip on your arm loosen, safely anchoring you

you wake up in an empty convenience store when bright daylight streams in through the windows

‘where the hell and fuck am i’

‘oh my god you’re awake i didn’t know if you could respawn i thought you died FOR REAL-’

‘what’

you see the guy from the aquarium, dark hair all mussed and wet, sitting with a towel around his neck and he passes one to you, which you take reluctantly

‘you really don’t know?’ he asks

you glare at him as you stand up and walk closer to him

do you look like you’re joking?

‘okay okay. you’re in a video game. i have no idea how you got in though. last time i checked glitches aren’t sentient.’

huh okay

at least it explains the shape-shifting fish and why an entire aquarium came crashing down on its own

you try to not think about the obvious madness of everything so far

‘i’m ten, by the way. and you’re welcome.’

‘for what?’

‘for saving your life?’ he answers with an incredulous face

you’re both quiet for a while before he sits down in front of you, still drying his hair

‘did you really not suspect a thing till now?’ he asks

‘i mean,,,,uh,,,,,when i saw my ex something had to be wrong’

he snickers as he adjusts something on his watch

you look at him expectantly

‘so are you going to explain why i’m here or why my ex is here or why everything feels so real’

‘oh right. have you ever seen those drones around your neighborhood?’

‘the round black ones?’

‘yeah! those are our scanning drones. we wanted the game to be as realistic as possible!’

‘so you spy on people?’

‘no’

it takes ten a full fifteen minutes to explain that this is just one of the new releases from his company and he’s a beta tester (or avid gamer, if you may) looking around for glitches in the background to report them before missions and enemies and other details can be added

you might live in one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world

and you know times are changing from phone screens and ar/vr headsets but

never in your life would you have thought virtual reality could get so real that you confuse it with actual reality

‘what are you doing?’ you ask as you eye ten tap away on his watch

‘reporting that glitchy fish’

‘glitchy fish’ you repeat

that’s one way to put it

when he’s done he looks up and stares at you for a while till it gets on your nerves

‘what?’

‘i still don’t know if you’re a glitch or a player, darling’ he says with a hard stare

you gulp

he’s not going to leave you behind, is he?

‘you have any idea where your real body could be right now? maybe we could disconnect you from the server’

you shrug. you don’t remember starting or even purchasing this game

‘the game’s not even released to the public though, i have no idea how you’d get the game.’

you sigh. this isn’t getting anywhere

suddenly ten seems to realize something as he stands up straight

‘maybe your save files got deleted! that’s why you have no memory.’

you nod along without fully understanding

an explanation’s better than none

‘and? what do i have to do to get out of this game?’

ten scratches the back of his head sheepishly

‘haven’t figured that part out yet’

you sigh into your hands

‘we’re not giving up yet don’t be so sad’

you look back up to be greeted with a thousand watt smile

‘i, personally, think that sentient glitches are kinda cool’

‘i’m not a glitch!’ you protest

you can’t be. you just don’t know how you got into the game that’s all

‘well then let’s get going!’ he says as he pulls you up

you stumble behind him trying to steady yourself with his walking pace as you both exit the store

‘where are we going?’ you ask

‘you have a place to live, don’t you?’

‘but it’s,,,,,a simulation’

‘so are we now let’s get going, glitch’

‘i’m not a glitch, dickwad’

ten hesitates for a moment before nudging you to lead the way

‘we can try jogging your memory tomorrow’ he shrugs

‘if it doesn’t work, i’ll go back and try searching for your save files’

and you trust him on that

virtual sunsets can’t be so pretty, you think as you walk towards your apartment, your only hope lying with a stranger

maybe this video game isn’t so bad

secret agent!winwin

uhh more like intergalactic secret agent

as someone from earth, you’re not happy with how things are going

illegal activities have grown in numbers, with crime rate off the charts

and the worst yet, the government is desperately trying to hide that everything is going wrong

so of course they want to send agents on covert operations to solve some of the problems

and man, being one of earth’s best secret agents is a pain in the ass

because you get sent to bring down an illegal kaiju fighting ring all on your own

if those monsters are let loose, you can’t even begin to comprehend the damage

you have no idea how they even made those - and they even established a command link with them!

it’s like mankind is itching to drive themselves extinct

as for your plan

getting in is easy for you with your disguise as a spectator

you’re gonna thank the face sculptors you borrowed from the labs, but the rest was all you

in all honesty, the plan you made is easy

sneak into the team chambers, make sure the kaiju are put to sleep, and destroy the command links

and then of course, you make sure the ring is irreparably destroyed

should be easy enough - you have all your limbs and vital organs, what else can you need?

turns out having a few more eyes or blades on your spine or being as big as a skyscraper would also be cool

the near death experience you have in the spectator area makes you wonder why people come here at all

the creatures aren’t fully limited to the ring - sometimes their deadly sharp tails shoot into the watching bay

perhaps someone forgot to give you the memo

but you regain your composure as you sneak out while the crowd goes wild with their eyes glued to the monsters

seriously, how could anyone enjoy monsters tearing each other apart?

when you’re in a team personal room, you take down the players easy enough

but you hesitate when you look at the giant creature in the glass container

it sleeps so peacefully, even if its programmed to be controlled, to kill

just plug the poison in and they’ll die just as peacefully, you remind yourself

you get a horrible feeling in your gut though

all these years you’ve managed to keep your missions almost casualty proof

and the first murder you’ll be doing is of innocent creatures tainted by mankind to kill

but of course, you think again, they’re a threat to other life if freed

you’re about to plug the driver in, when an arm snakes around your waist and twists you to the ground

you groan in pain but retaliate with a kick nonetheless

the figure dodges it by a hair’s width and tries wrapping a hand around your neck

the fight continues and you’ve never felt so drained in your life - this guy really knows hand to hand combat huh,,

you’ve never sparred with someone who moves so fluid, almost feline in how his footsteps never make a sound

you can never predict his next move

it’s difficult to fight him so you settle for restricting his movement as much as possible

you have him pinned for a while, as you demand an answer of him

while most of his face is covered, his eyes are not and you’d find them pretty if they weren’t from a person so dangerous

in all your years of training, you’ve never encountered an enemy this skilled

‘who sent you?’

he doesn’t answer, and an almost satisfied look passes across his features

in a flash, your positions are reversed and he cuffs your wrists with magnetic locks

you groan

this is not how you’re going out

you watch him as he sticks three patches on the container and it makes you wonder

they can’t be,,,,teleportation patches,,,can they

you thought they were just rumors

‘what are you doing?’ you ask, desperate to enough to distract him in any way

he raises an eyebrow and walks slowly towards you with a hard glare

‘putting things back in their place’

‘okay,,, and how’d you sneak in?’

you admit you’re a little curious - he doesn’t look like he’s been using face sculptors or presence erasers

he looks like he got in way easier than you did

‘you’re only the best on earth’ he says with a scoff

‘you know me?’

‘i know everyone who works for earth’s government. your firewalls are primitive’

you crinkle your nose at how casual he looks saying something so condescending

‘do you mind explaining what you’re gonna do with them?’

‘i told you. i’m putting things back in their place.’

‘what you’re gonna put them back in a test tube?’

he stops to look at you for a moment

‘you really don’t know?‘

you shake your head

why does he look at you with so much disdain?

‘a race of thieves pretending they’re pioneers,,,huh‘

‘now you’re just being mean :(’

you’re starting to form an idea of who he is, and it isn’t any less interesting than who he might be

‘how do you think you humans started breeding them?’

‘so you’re telling me,,,they were stolen?’

‘yes, and now they’ve been genetically modified to only fight. it’s sad’

‘sorry to break it to you buddy but human beings kinda suck’

he tilts his head

perhaps that was not the response he expected from your arrogant little race

he continues walking around the glass, analyzing the creature

‘they’re from a less developed planet under our protection. they’re going to die out if we don’t restore the natural order‘

you sit still, curious about the whole situation unfurling

he looks at you one last time, eyes unreadable again

‘i hope you stay out of my way. i’ll take care of the creatures‘

‘let me help you‘

‘i’m sorry?‘

he has an eyebrow raised in disbelief

‘i’ll help you. you wanna get them home, right? i want to help‘

it is a better way to get rid of them - that way you won’t be committing mindless murder

‘well, i need to get them to the labs first to rewire their bio codes, and then get them home‘

‘so you’ll let me help‘

‘i’m not used to,,,a partner‘

‘you wouldn’t tell me all of that unless you wanted me to help‘

you see a ghost of a smile across his features even if his lower face is masked

‘you’re going to wear a freezer bracelet in case you try something funny‘

you groan

‘we literally want the same thing - a little trust would be nice‘

‘you talk like a rookie too much to be a good agent‘

he walks up to you and removes the magnetic cuffs only to put the freezer bracelet on you

you massage your wrists and shoot him a glare

if you’re offering to help him, he could at least be a little nicer

in the next second, he pulls down his mask and extends a hand towards you

you’re almost a little starstruck by his face, honestly

his expression is strictly business when he speaks, a little uncaring even

but there’s a hint of a smile in his voice

‘i think it’d be a win-win situation for us to work together and get all these kaiju home’

time traveller!lucas

you go to the old park early in the morning not because you’re fond of waking up at ungodly hours

but there’s something about the silence of dawn that really helps you focus on your work

of course you do skip some days, it’s normal

but you like to be at the top, ahead of your own anxieties

on the fated day you don’t skip

you certainly weren’t expecting to find a boy hanging upside from a tree branch right in front of your face

a lot of people don’t know about this place - only old couples and little children and dogs owners come visit

definitely not college kids

and it’s even emptier at this hour

the boy is startled by your presence, which isn’t good for him

because he ends up on the ground in a crumpled mess clutching his arm

the weirdest part is you recognize him from your classes, nanoscience maybe?

you’re sure he’s one of the more popular kids,,,,wong yukhei, is it?

you’ve seen him laugh with a giant group of friends in the hallway before

‘oww,,,,’

that snaps you out of your thoughts and you quickly kneel down beside him

‘are you okay?? did you hurt your arm?? do you need help??’

‘i’ll be fine!!!’ he squeaks when he sees you so close to him and shoots up

but something else catches his attention as he mutters an ‘oh boy’

and takes off in another direction

you look behind you but find nothing and scratch your head trying to figure out what’s up

what a weird boy

and you’re about to take your regular spot on the bench with your laptop

when the boy sudden materializes beside you again nearly giving you a heart attack

‘you’ve gotta come with me’

and suddenly you’re pulled by the arm into a strange darkness

like you’ve fallen into a lake of the murkiest waters, everything there and not there at the same time

but it lasts only a few seconds

and when you’re able to see again, you’re not in a park

in fact you’re not in any place familiar

and there’s a horse cart coming right at you

you’re about to scream when you’re pulled to the side into an alley, almost tripping over the cobblestones

and you fall back into that murky water

light shines back again when you’re suddenly in a sort of desert

‘is that a fucking dinosaur?’

instead of an answer, you get arms wrapping around you and you’re back into murky waters

you take a breath of life in a dimly lit place

but it’s a different sort of darkness - more like someone turned the lights off instead of something that pulls you in

‘what the fuc-’

‘i’m sorry! i really am! but the situation is,,,,,,really bad’

you glare at him and a sliver of satisfaction crosses you when you see him stumble back at your gaze

‘i’m yukhei hi,,,,,,,and i’m also in your nanoscience class’

‘you know me?’

you don’t see his ears turn red in the dim light as he nudges you forward into a more lit area

‘we’re in 3145’

‘what? where’s that?’

‘no- that’s the year’

‘WHAT?!’

yukhei winces at the rise in your voice as you look at him for answers

in all honesty, he looks like a guilty puppy trying to avoid its owner

‘i’m so sorry i had to pull you into this!! but i didn’t have a choice, okay? the agents were after me, and they saw you too! and there was no way letting you be was okay-’

‘yukhei’

‘yes?’

‘tell me about the agents part’

‘oh right i’m supposed to deliver some information to the president of earth in 3145 but the old earth colonies sent them to get it from me’

‘.....okay’

he grins sheepishly

‘don’t worry, okay?’ he says, eyes round and words firm

‘i just have to get this to the president and report the agents - and it’s finished!’

yukhei walks off in another direction and you follow nimbly behind him

the first sight that comes into view is the giant glass window on your left

there’s no wall - only a view of the city

and you swear you’ve never seen anything grander

it’s night but the lights are so bright it might as well be day at certain parts

there’s no being afraid of the dark here - humanity seems to have built empires to keep out their fears

drawn to the view, you walk closer to the glass and peer down

‘i can’t see the ground!’ you exclaim

yukhei turns around to look at you for a few seconds confused before coming to stand by your side

‘yeah! we’re like on of the tallest buildings ever built in human history! and this isn’t even the top floor’

your jaw drops as you look around at the rings you assume are roads with the vehicles moving on them

they have a sort of grace as they glide by at an incredible speed

there are rings after every few storeys and the bright lights nearly blind you when you try to look directly at them

the buildings themselves are of varying shapes, but they’re mostly black with lined windows emitting differently colored lights

you can see a tower in the distance, stretching out into skies you’ve never seen before, lights sorting out the texture of the clouds

you never thought nighttime could be so wonderfully lit

you turn your head to find yukhei grinning at you

‘i was totally dazed too the first time’

you find yourself smiling as yukhei points out certain things in the distance he finds cool

he’s so enthusiastic about all the places you feel yourself drawing closer, curious with certain questions

‘yukhei’ you ask suddenly ‘where are you from?’

‘the same as you! i was born in 1999, and i’m a university student- i mean, you know that,,,,,,,because we share a class together,,,’

he looks outside the glass

‘i don’t know why i took up this,,,,,,,,,,time traveling messenger job,,,,,honestly,,,,,,but it’s more fun when i’m not alone’

his shoulders sag but he straightens in a moment, like he refuses to be discouraged

‘anyway i gotta do this quick i’ll be back’

and you watch him run towards the end of the long corridor after shooting you a grin

the hallway is tremendously large and he disappears into the dark soon despite the bright lights from the windows

now that you think about it, it’s quite difficult to make out the ceiling - the corridors seem to be made for giants

you look back out the glass, wonder filling your senses again

you hope yukhei succeeds in his task quickly

would he ever mind giving you a tour of this place?

or just walk around with you here

it’s like every video game illustrator’s dream come true, this place

but yukhei comes back distressed after only a few minutes

‘i need a plan b’

turns out he forgot about the dinner party tonight - and there’s hundreds of thousands of guests beyond that door at the end of the corridor

there is no way to meet the president without greeting a horde of people

‘yukhei no’

‘i promise i’ll pay you back! anything you want!’

‘i am not sneaking into the president’s chamber while you distract the guests’

but you sigh and give in when you’re met with puppy eyes and pouty lips

where the hell did he learn that?

‘okay my face should be enough to distract people but just in case’

you roll your eyes as yukhei procures a black coat with gold embroidery and changes into dress shoes

he tries to comb aside his bangs as best as he can with his fingers but the strands make their way onto his face anyway

he then taps a button on his watch and his hoodie and jeans change into a dress shirt and formal pants in a blink

‘okay can’t believe that came in handy’ yukhei whistles at his garments

you, on the other hand, aren’t as calm

the president? of the entire earth? in the year 3145?

you can’t even dream up something this wild

and as yukhei drags you towards the door while you’re chewing on your nails

you pray nothing goes wrong in this plan

as you hide behind a large silver chair, you’re amazed at how good yukhei actually is at distracting

you can’t decipher the garbled nonsense that’s coming out of his mouth - you think it must be a different language, an alien language maybe or a new earth language

the guests look at him enamored and gleeful and with laughter

and you think he must have that effect on everyone he meets

well he certainly is charming, although in a weird way

with one last look at him and the crowd around, you sneak from table to table

till you reach the door at the corner

you wouldn’t even have noticed it with the way it’s so well hidden - only at a certain angle can you make out the outline of the door, which is oddly circular

who knows maybe circles are back in fashion in the 32nd century

you push the door at one side

and walk right into the presidential chamber

honestly, you expected a lock at least

it’s not as intimidating as you thought it’d be - in fact it looks like a normal office

well except for the techy stuff you can’t quite figure out

the lighting is soft blue and the mild smell of fresh flowers wafts through

it’s almost like a normal present day office

just keep it on the desk and go back just like yukhei said

you do just that and go back to the entrance

except the door is locked on the other side

you tug at it - it’s supposed to be rotating door, sort of like a spinning coin

but it’s wedged on tight

you slide onto the floor and hug your knees as you weigh the situation

what happens when the president finds you in her chamber? or worse, her security personnel

the president is a just but kind lady, yukhei had said to reassure you

but will you be prosecuted for trespassing? do laws even apply to you when you’re not from this era?

you swear you’ll have a mental breakdown right there

when yukhei walks in with trouble written all over his face

‘okay so,,,,another change of plan?’

there’s loud knocking at the door as yukhei scrambles around to seal it

‘okay the guards figured out i’m not the prince from some planet and we can’t go out now’

the terror on your face is obvious

‘well? what do we do?’

‘....wait for the president? she knows i’m supposed to be here’

you sigh into your hands

this is taking far too long and in a place far too closed for your liking

you find yourself having difficulty breathing

but when yukhei notices, he starts talking to you in halting words and laughter - his stories of where and when he’s been and all the dumb situations he got himself into

and even though the lilt in his voice gets loud

it helps you calm down

and you end up resting against his shoulder

you don’t know how you fell asleep but yukhei shakes you awake by the shoulder

‘the president’s here!’ he notifies

and you immediately jump up to stand straight

and when yukhei relates the events to the president in fumbling words,

you notice how dignified she is, especially with the stark contrast against yukhei’s awkward form in front of her

you almost giggle as he flusters over incorrect word usage

and your bumpy journey is over as soon as yukhei passes a small device to the president

‘good work’ she says with a smile and you’re escorted to a new room in a flurry

‘a gift’ one of the guards hands yukhei a small device

‘oh man! the latest one? this looks so cool!’

the bright smile on his face radiates excitement

your heart freezes when yukhei walks over to you, his smile still stretched across his face

‘let’s go home’ he says

you take his hand and smile back

and the murky waters aren’t as suffocating this time

you’re by the park bench again like you haven’t been gone for a few hours

there’s an awkward air between you and yukhei as you try to part with a goodbye

and you’re about to sit alone on your bench again

when yukhei turns around to jog back beside you

‘hey,,,,uh,,, do you wanna hang out in 3145? i know some really good cafes and gaming joints,,,’

you break into a livened up smile

‘i’d love to’

therapist!xiaojun

but like,,,,a therapist for cyborgs,,,,

he mainly works with newly made cyborgs and helps them get used to their new body parts in one way or another

you’re actually one of the first long term patients he gets

and you’re,,,,well,,,,a special case

on one hand, you’re technically still human

but your brain has been replaced with processors to help your body function

the only patients he’s ever helped are ones with more outer cyber body parts like arms and legs and eyes

they think the same way, and it’s just adjusting to related physical activities that they need help for

he’s a little scared to admit that he might not know what to do, how to distract you from associated difficulties, how to help you completely adjust

but he’s going to give you his best shot anyway

all you know is that a car accident left you with irreparable brain damage

and this was the only way to save you

you know who you are because that information has been fed to you

you know who you are but you just don’t think the same

in a way, you’ve gone back to thinking like a child because of the reset

learning things little by little

but it wasn’t good enough for you to get back to where you were

it’s like you understood things but stopped feeling them

a sort of hollow shell for a computerized mind

and of course, you were having trouble getting used to processing things at an abnormal speed

the amount of information in your environment sometimes gave you a nasty headache

so your family had to call in a specialized therapist

xiaojun is kind when he first meets you

he’s a little awkward in movement but he still smiles at you

and he’s genuine in the way he speaks

even you can tell him apart with your limited intuition

but you don’t talk to him - can’t talk to him even then

maybe you’re still afraid (with whatever remnants of fear left with you)

that the more you adjust to this, the more robotic you’ll feel

so the first three sessions you keep your mouth shut

but xiaojun doesn’t get exasperated with you, or groan or click his tongue

the simplicity of the room saves you a headache - the reality simulator of the room probably adjusts to the patient’s comfort

but honestly you wish you got one to get out of there

xiaojun is still kind, you think

he smiles when he asks you if you want to hear a song

you nod - whatever harm could a song do?

maybe it’s how he helps the other patients distract themselves from their sudden changes

and so he brings the guitar from the corner of the room

and plays you a song

it’s a sweet song at that, about gardenias and love

you want to hear it again, but you don’t want to speak

what if the voice that comes out is not your own?

so you settle for smiling at him and quietly appreciating the soft strumming of guitar

and at the end you thank him and leave

but on the fourth day, when he asks you a question you answer it

‘what’s your favorite fairy tale?’

‘it’s peter pan’ you answer without thinking

it wasn’t your favorite before the accident, but you’ve come to love it now

reading it over and over again, you’re sure the words are saved perfectly in your memory

especially when you have a computer for a brain

what would it be like to become a lost boy?

run away to a place where you felt freedom?

it’s one of the nicer thoughts you have, really

and to your surprise

you find yourself talking to him easily and freely

maybe it’s his warmth, maybe it’s how he smiles

maybe you just like being in his presence

even if he’s just a therapist for people who aren’t quite human anymore

and you feel happy

you didn’t think your new brain would give you the chance to feel that

in fact, you’re feeling things so much that you start to dread the end of the therapy sessions

you tell xiaojun what you feel after a lot of internal debating

‘í’m not stupid i just can’t think the same way anymore’

xiaojun looks up at you

‘i know that. that’s why you’re here‘

‘no, you don’t get it - i used to be someone who worked a lot, right? but i don’t wanna do that anymore! i want to be more free, and you know, do less’

xiaojun has his full focus on you like every day

but something feels different

‘that’s perfect then. you’ve identified your problem,,,and well, there’s nothing wrong if you want to sit back and rest‘

‘but- but my family needs me to work!’

‘you know they don’t. you’re being unreasonably harsh on yourself‘

‘because i’m not the same anymore!‘

xiaojun leans forward at the rise in your voice

‘everyone who walks in here have changed in some way or another. everyone who hasn’t come in here are also the same. people change. that’s what they do, right?‘

you stay quiet for a few moments and see a flicker of worry across xiaojun’s face

‘but i’m not a person anymore, right?’

he frowns

‘well you think and you feel. i think that’s enough to feel like a person’

‘i’m afraid i’ll stop feeling with this- this robot brain i have‘

xiaojun smiles again

‘but you’ve been feeling the past few weeks? and you’re feeling afraid now?’

you nod

‘then you’ve already proved your brain lets you feel’

he’s right, of course, you try to reason with yourself

‘but what if i just stop feeling again?’

‘then you’ll start feeling again too’

you start to think again

you’re still feeling now

fear is still the primitive feeling in your headspace

and maybe that’s what’s holding the humanity in you

you sigh and sit back

‘maybe if you try to let go of fear, you’ll have space for other feelings too’ xiaojun says with a smile ‘but that’s advice for everyone’

he checks the time on his watch and breathes out, signalling the session is over

but before you can leave, he comes and sits beside you

‘i know i’m your therapist, but can i speak to you as a friend for a moment?’

you’re a little taken aback but nod a yes nevertheless

‘when i was a kid, i had an accident too‘

you’re curious at the sudden words

‘and i had to get parts of my brain replaced‘

you look at him as he plays with his fingers

‘i decided to help people in an unbiased way, get them back on their feet‘

‘i didn’t feel for a very long time honestly. in fact, not until i met you. i felt understood after so long - and i wanted to thank you for it‘

‘since the sessions are ending, i just wanted you to know’

you feel a little embarrassed when xiaojun rubs his neck and awkwardly smiles at you

‘so if we’re friends, does that mean i can talk with you anytime?’ you ask with a shy smile

xiaojun smiles, warmth ever present

‘anytime‘

android!hendery

the moment the delivery bot dumps a fully functional android at your place, you know something’s wrong

‘i haven’t ordered this...gosh, i don’t even have the money!’

‘don’t worry. it’s already paid for.’

you knit your eyebrows together as you scan your finger over the delivery bot’s tablet and look at the giant box now in your living room

you walk around it, scrutinizing it when a note catches your eye

thought you might be bored of living alone, so here’s a cutie - xoxo, 10

what the fuck

ten really has nothing better to do huh

you immediately call him and his holographic image shows up on your living room in that damn posh suit

‘ten just what is this?’

‘huh?’

the look of feigned ignorance on his face pisses you off even more as you adjust your camera to focus on the box

‘that!’

‘oh it’s an android!! the latest from our labs’

‘and why is it here?’

‘it’s an early birthday present, darling’

you groan as a smirk makes its way onto his face

‘i mean he might be having the feature too but i’d have sent a sex droid if that’s wh-’

‘ten i will personally march into your office and slaughter you with every weapon possible if you continue talking’

he laughs at your repulsed expression for a good few seconds before standing up straight to face you

‘who’s gonna run the company if i die? besides, i personally helped with instructing for this one. i’m sure you’ll like him’

you sit on your couch and sigh

you definitely won’t if ten designed it

your best friend might be the ceo of a leading tech company but he’s still so annoyingly childish

‘well activate him! actually wait you know what i’ll do it myself cause you’re a prick’

‘ten no-’

there’s a sudden whir from the giant box sounding dreadfully like the booting up of a system and you stand up alarmed

‘oh wow it’s darker than i thought it would be oh boy.....and way more bubble wrap’

you freeze at the unknown voice

‘have fun, darling!’ ten says and disconnects after blowing a kiss at you

you groan and hesitantly make your way to the box which is surprisingly stagnant considering there’s a whole robot inside

your shaking hand presses the unpack button and inside stands a rather confused figure in standard android black, but it’s a hoodie and jeans instead of formal attire

with stretched and destroyed bubble wrap by his feet

but when he steps forward to greet you with a bright ‘hello!’ you swear it’s the prettiest boy you’ve ever seen

you’re at a loss for words for a few seconds

before you remember you really don’t want anyone else running around your place

‘hi uh,,,,’

you read the tag on his hoodie

‘hendery. hi. uh. i don’t know how to say this but,,,,is there any chance you could be returned? like you could be with ten maybe?’

his smile drops to a sad frown

‘you don’t want me?’

‘no. i mean yes! no wait! it’s not like that i just don’t- i don’t know- i’ve never had an android before. yes, that’s it!’

you grimace internally at your own words

he’s just an android - he’s not a real person! why are you getting so nervous?

maybe it’s the look of a kicked puppy that’s all across his face right now

you sigh and decide far too hastily that you’ll keep him for a month

but you’ll talk to ten as soon as possible

‘um,,,,so like,,,,what do you do?’

‘you have to calibrate me with your bio readings!’ he says with a regained smile

‘uh what’

hendery raises an arm out and looks at you expectantly

‘give me your hand. only if you want. since i’m your personal android, i have to do this, you see?’

you look at him quizzically but give him your hand nonetheless

he clasps it with both his hands and goes still for a few seconds

you’re about to freak out when he moves again, the same polite smile on his face

‘my sensors are pretty accurate, but i think a saliva sample would’ve been more helpful for analyzing your dna’

‘i’m sorry? what?’

he presses his index finger against his lips to think (or pretend to think? do androids think like that?)

‘your permission for a kiss will get me the sample?’

you swear the smile on his face turns devilish as he winks

you step back with a glower trying to sputter out a response while he breaks into laughter

did ten include flirting in hendery’s code?

oh you are so going to kill him

‘that was a joke!’

you scramble back to your room with one last glare at hendery when he starts following you

‘did i say something wrong?’ he asks, the innocence on his face surely fake

it’s weird how your days adjust to hendery’s presence in them

he’s helpful, yes, but he’s also programmed with an annoying sense of humor

no, his jokes are not funny, you convince yourself every time you find yourself almost grinning

he’ll do what you ask him to do if you ask nicely

and he’s a little protective perhaps

he never lets you go out without the companion band, which transmits location and biological data to him

it makes you feel safer in your neighborhood if you’re being honest

but of course, all of that is in his code

he could be modeled after ten for all you know with the way he gets on your nerves

but something about him is not like other androids - he’s a companionship android but you’ve never seen one so human

it’s unnerving to think he’s not human

only sometimes is he a little snarky with you

because apparently he’s programmed with common nineteen year old adult behaviors

and all that’s well and good but

the thing with hendery is that

he never

stops

talking

anything and everything - he just shoots off at the mouth

here you were thinking androids were made to be emotionless and fully catered to their user

but it’s his experiences hendery loves to talk about

what he feels when he sees things for the first time

and maybe it’s because you’ve been so used to living alone

that the lively talk gets too much sometimes

‘hendery! just,,,,please stop,,,talking’

you massage your forehead trying to figure out the answers to the latest problems your professor just posted

when you turn to look at him, he’s staring at you with big doe eyes and you’re already starting to feel bad

‘i’m just,,,,not used to another person being here’ you explain

‘oh but i’m not a person!’

you frown at the nonchalant expression on his face

right. he’s right

not a person

but it doesn’t sit well with you as you get up to sit beside hendery

he’s not a person maybe, but he’s treated you nicer than anyone you know

‘i’m sorry. for snapping at you. and not welcoming you here.’

‘that’s okay. i’m an andr-’

‘no, no that’s not reason enough. i know it’s your code and i should thank ten, but thank you for being here with me.’

hendery smiles, and you wonder who put the twinkling lights in his eyes

‘i didn’t think i’d ever be treated as a person’ he says

‘even if i’m intelligent enough to learn and feel’

you smile at him, it’s all you can do to reassure him

‘thank you’ he mumbles as he wraps his arms around you, a warm scent engulfing you

when he pulls away, his bright grin falls to a sudden frown

‘your data said you like warm hugs!! why are you so red and panicked?’ he asks, worried

your heart beats faster at his words and you scowl

gods he’s stupid for the latest AI

he presses all his fingers against your cheeks and furrows his eyebrows

‘your surface temperature isn’t right!’

he presses two fingers against your neck

‘neither is your pulse! i need to do a scan- oh’

his face breaks into a cheeky grin

‘don’t say it’ you glare

‘i wonder why you’re flustered,,,,,hmm’

‘hendery i will ship you back to ten’

he pouts and you throw your head back and laugh

you’ll be keeping hendery around for longer than a month after all

alien!yangyang

when you see the building suddenly collapsing a few blocks ahead of you, you think ‘shit this is it this is how i die fuck fuck fuck-’

you certainly did not expect to wake up in a weird room lit by dim blue lights, or even wake up at all

and the first thing you see is a boy at the corner, hugging his knees and dozing off against the leg of the bunk bed

you sit up on the bed, your head still feeling fuzzy and dangerously close to shutting down altogether

you steady yourself, and try taking in your surroundings

the walls are probably white, but they appear blue under the lights - in fact pretty much everything in the room is white that way

however, one of the walls seems to be a giant mirror, and you stare back at a very dazed version of you

even your clothes are white, you look unhealthily pale, a little skinnier and your hair is a mess

‘how long have i been here?’ you think

you absentmindedly get off the bed to walk towards the mirror, and that wakes up the boy with a start

he looks surprised for a moment to see you there, but it quickly turns into excitement as he rushes towards you

you register light brown hair and warm eyes, and a giant smile

but barely because your brain is still mush

‘omg are you real wait a minute are you really human??’

you’re suddenly bombarded with a lot of questions your weakened state can’t answer

and you find yourself getting a headache, to which he appears really confused

‘if i had my watch right now, i’d know what’s wrong with you ://’

‘i,,,,ow,,,,my head hurts,,,,,,stop talking’

‘oh,,,,’

you gaze incredulously at the boy - has he never heard of a headache before?

‘aren’t headaches eradicated yet on earth?’

he looks so genuinely curious that the mystery of everything around you just worsens your headache

you just continue staring with a ‘huh??’

he suddenly looks startled before looking back at you

‘i’m so sorry for my manners!! my name is yangyang. what’s yours?’

you look blank trying to register his words but manage to respond with your name

‘you don’t look too good,,,,,’

you almost snap with a ‘yeah no shit genius’ when the giant mirrors part and two people walk in wearing thick black suits and a black helmet

you can’t see their faces and they carry a weird looking item that remotely resembles a gun

but the moment the doors open, your headache suddenly resides and you take in a large gulp of air

‘step forward’ one the guards demand, pointing the gun-like device towards you

you jump up in panic, and take a step forward when yangyang grabs your arm

‘they’re not going anywhere till you answer us’ he says, pursing his lips

‘we are not obligated to answer you.’

yangyang frowns but continues nonetheless ‘well,,,,’

he suddenly wraps an arm around your neck and bends it at an uncomfortable angle while pinning your struggling arms together with his other hand

‘you better take me to the commander of this ship unless you want their neck snapped in half’

the guards take a step towards you but increased pressure on your neck causes them to stop

they hesitate before agreeing and yangyang holds you close to him as you both follow one of the guards while the other stays behind you

you take a few turns like this before yangyang lets go of you subtly and kicks the guard behind in the chest and grabs their gun while they’re still in shock

when the front one turns to react, yangyang shoots without thinking and a beam appears knocking them unconscious

‘this does that?’ yangyang scratches his head before dropping the gun

you stare at him frozen but stumble backwards when he walks towards you

‘where are you going?? i’m not gonna hurt you!’ he defends

‘oh yeah? it didn’t look that way when you were ready to choke me to death!!’

‘that was just to get out! you’re obviously important for them to not have killed you and chucked you in with me’

‘and who are you?’

‘uhhh’

yangyang looks away at the doors sliding open at the other end and a look of panic temporarily crosses his face before he looks back at you with pleading eyes

‘please come with me. we don’t have much time’ he rushes

you look confused and worried at the same time, running over the options you have and their possible outcomes

‘it’s either me or them’ he points towards the guards who have a slightly modified version of the previous guns you saw

and in a split second

you choose yangyang

you don’t remember exactly what happens next - there’s a lot of running involved and the rush of adrenaline, and a lot of dodging deadly laser beams aimed at you

and by the end, you’re sitting in a rather small spacepod with yangyang frantically analyzing the buttons before the pod finally takes off with some clicks and whirs

yangyang sighs in relief when the thing accelerates, almost grinning like an idiot when your surroundings change to a blur

you look at him quizzically and he shrugs - ‘what? i like the speed’

and when it finally slows down, you’re in some remote corner of the universe with a complete stranger, and not sure if you’ll ever get home

‘uh,,,yangyang,,,do you wanna explain everything now?’

yangyang hesitates at first but begins anyway

and you’re dizzy with the sudden influx of all the new information but it also excites you

‘,,,so you’re the prince,,,,,,of a whole planet,,,’ you repeat

yangyang nods, suddenly a little shy

times are hard for your neighboring galaxy, he tells you, after one of the more military advanced planets declared war on the others in an attempt to conquer the entire galaxy

and if they wanted to move onto earth too, it’s major trouble

the ship you both were on was just a spy ship, which means they’re just exploring earth and not setting conquest on it just yet

and you were probably a main test subject

however, he says he has full faith in the alliance between the three ruling planets of his galaxy and hopefully, this war will be the last

yangyang, in the meantime, was supposed to not get kidnapped but,,,,well,,,,,that happened

and now he’s not sure it’s safe to go back to his planet

you stay quiet for a bit before an idea strikes you

‘wanna visit earth?’ you ask

yangyang’s eyes light up as he turns to you

‘really? you’ll show me around?’

‘well, i can’t promise every place,,,but definitely around my city,,,’

and yangyang smiles the brightest of smiles at you, before turning to the controls and punching in earth’s coordinates

you grin back at him, dizzy with a sense of adventure

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lady-charinette · 5 years

Note

idk if you've done this already— and if you're still accepting ideas and such but— Lukanette: wherein Mari goes to one of Luka's gigs and be the supportive wife/gf that she is? also Mari designed the outfit Luka's wearing— and lowkey advertising her works (even if she's known djwjjcjwjdj) sobs in please thanks

Hey anon!! Thank you so much for the cool prompt! I loved it! I hope you'll like this piece, I wrote it late at night and I think there are some mistakes here and there, but I really hope it's okay-ish! Feel free to send more prompts my way! :3

Rocking their World

They were walking through a narrow corridor, the booming of the crowd was so loud it left the floor shaking.

Marinette sensed her husband's mild trepidation, his guitar was a bit too tightly wound around his neck and the constant rolling of his ring on his finger was too fast to be casual.

They were nearing the backstage area, people rushing left and right, lights of all colors flashing even through the blinds hiding the backstage area from the wild crowd.

Marinette smiled, dressed in a shirt representing her husband's band, the words 'wuw you papa' messily scrawled on the entire front of it, partly covering the band logo, but neither parents could care about that.

She grasped Luka's hand and stopped, feeling resistance before Luka finally stopped a step in front of her, turning back to look at her. "What's wrong, Marinette?" Concern twisted his handsome features and Marinette shook her head.

He still thought of others even when he was a mess.

She lovingly adjusted his shirt and jacket, checking the mic on his shirt, running a hand through his already messy hair to calm him.

It helped, if the deep exhale was any indication.

Part of his weight melted against her, Marinette's hands skillfully rubbing the singer's back, voice humming his song, one she thought of years ago on their wedding day, into his ear.

He sagged against her, strong arms coming up to press her tightly against himself, drawing energy from her silent strength. She was so strong, he still sometimes couldn't believe how lucky he managed to be in life.

Marinette kissed his cheek and the couple broke their embrace to stare at each-other. Luka took a deep breath, before he opened his eyes again and nodded.

The shorter woman grinned, hands resting on his chest, over his heart, where the previously wild pace settled into a more calming beat. "You'll be great Luka, just like you always are. You'll see, their attention will be all on you."

A smile stretched his lips and his aqua eyes turned impossibly soft, leaning down to lovingly kiss her forehead. "If I manage to just capture your attention, that's all I need."

A blush rose to her cheeks and the sight of her shyness managed to bring some of his confidence back, if the grin on his face was any indication.

Marinette playfully slapped his arm, slapping her own cheeks to curb the sudden wave of shyness, trying to ignore his laughter.

He was her husband for heaven's sake. She was supposed to be over blushing in front of him.

A gentle hand on the back of her head made her focus on him again, staring into aqua eyes that asked for permission, lips only a hair's breath away.

A smile curved her lips and her hands fisted his shirt, pulling him in close. They shared a long, slow kiss, giving each-other strength and support in actions than words.

When they broke apart, before her stood not the nervous musician but the confident rockstar she knew he was.

"Thank you, Nette." she smiled, raising her hand.

Luka mirrored her smile, raising his own hand enveloping her smaller one with his larger hand, wedding rings clinking together when their pinky fingers met.

It was a promise.

A promise to do his best and give his all.

A promise to cheer him on and support him all the way until the end.

Just like they did now, just like they always have.

They could hear the crowd's cheers dying down slowly as another announcement was made for the arrival of the next musician to take the stage and that was Luka's cue to go.

With a fluidity that spoke of years of trust, Marinette and Luka broke apart and walked in different directions, Luka to the stage, Marinette to the crowd.

It was showtime.

The crowd's defening roars increased when Luka's name fell from the announcer's lips, who quickly rushed off stage to escape from the loud screams and to give Luka the spotlight.

Tonight would be his solo performance in a while without his band, he just hoped he wouldn't mess up.

No, he wouldn't mess it up.

Not with Marinette's encouraging words still ringing in his ears and the warmth still blooming brightly in his heart.

He would do this.

He spoke into the microphone and he was surprised to hear his own voice with how loud the audience was. "Hey everyone, thanks for coming to my solo gig tonight. I hope you'll like this single, it's a new song I've been working on after the birth of my kids! Rock on!" he stepped back for a moment, the loud roars and cheers and screams even louder than before, bordering on eardrum breaking proportions.

Luka chuckled when he saw the banners and cloths held up high over people's heads.

'WE LOVE U MAN!'

'LUKA COUFFAINE 4 THE WIN!'

'I'M STILL SINGLE!'

'WE LOVE UR SONGS!!'

'CALL ME XXXX'

'VIPERION IS HOT! HOT! HOT!'

'YOUR KIDS AND WIFE ARE SO CUTE BRO!'

A particularly big one caught his eye and he had to back away from the mic to laugh.

In the middle right, a bit closer to the stage, there was a semi-large group of people wearing the familiar white unicorn masks he remembered Kitty Section wearing when they debuted.

And everyone was there too.

His sister, Rose, Mylene, her boyfriend Ivan, Alya and Nino, Adrien, Kagami, Alix, Kim, Max and of course the most important person, holding the biggest banner someone her size possibly could, with strength gained from years of being a hero.

His wife.

His gaze softened when he managed to catch her eyes and she stretched her arms as far as they could, waving the banner in the air.

That one was his favorite.

'ROCK THEIR WORLD, DEAR!'

Decorated with hearts, her signature flower design and his old Kitty Section mask drawn in the corner.

Luka grinned, taking out his favorite all time guitar pick, which never failed to bring him luck.

He had it custom made.

A picture of his wife and kids on the front, with his sister and mom on the back.

With a final breath, he strummed the pick across the strings of his guitar and the crowd boomed.

A little while later...

Luka Couffaine signed autographs with a smile, meeting each fan's eyes and making silly faces on photographs to make them memorable.

It was his third favorite thing after performing on stage to do.

His most favorite thing was currently running straight at him.

Marinette dived into his already waiting arms, body vibrating with energy, as if his song was still coursing through her veins.

She had a big grin on her face and her eyes shone like stars and Luka found himself falling for his wife all over again.

Their friends in the back were trying to fight their way passed the fans, the Gorilla and Fang, whom Jagged often allowed to accompany Adrien's bodyguard because they made a surprisingly good duo.

Luka still didn't understand how the odd friendship came to be, but it was always entertaining seeing the previously wild crowd of fans parting like the sea when a large hulking man and a equally sizable crocodile marched their way through them.

And then, the fans rounded on them, camera flashes and eager faces in their view.

"OMG! It's Marinette Couffaine-Cheng!!! LUKA IS WEARING HER DESIGN!" one fan screamed, obviously a fan of his wife too, if the red earrings on her ears and a shirt with her signature flower design was any clue.

Marinette laughed, smiling and also signing autographs, fans shouting praises.

Luka kept to the background but remained visible enough for his wife's handy work to be seen.

Everything down to his socks was designed by his wife. A black leather jacket with her pink and white flower design on the breast pocket with a green snake, too similar to Sass to be a coincidence, curling around the sleeves of the jacket. Underneath the jacket was a white shirt with the band's faces drawn in simple but artistic art lines, a nod to his old Jagged Stone shirt he used to wear in his youth.

On the front was the biggest head, his own, accentuated with blue lines, followed on either side by his sister's in purple, Rose's in pink, Ivan's in red, Adrien's in yellow and Alix's in green.

His pants were dark blue denims, ripped at the knees how he liked it, decorated with small subtle music notes here and there, not too many to be tacky, but enough to catch attention, in colors of white and light blue. Simple black boots covered his feet.

His hair, dyed teal blue near the ends, the root with his natural black and the very beginning tips which remained untouched by blue were covered by red instead, completed the look.

Red like a certain heroine's suit.

He smirked proudly at the rightful attention his wife gained, more and more of his fans immediately catering to Marinette, who accepted praise and compliments with a beaming smile and blushing cheeks. He was fully convinced most if not all of his fans were already his wife's, he was also convinced they loved her more than they did him and that was fine by him.

He loved her more than he could ever bring to love himself too.

He caught her flashing her wedding ring a few times in response to male fans with phone numbers plastered to their banners and Luka had to chuckle at that.

He was there to lead her back to their friends waiting patiently in the lounge of the hotel, after having signed some of their own autographs with their fans having accompanied Luka's gig tonight.

He was there when they finally hit the soft, inviting mattress of the hotel bed, chuckling like teenagers when they called their kids, babysat by Nathaniel and Marc, cheering at their parents for their father's performance and scolding them for staying up so late.

Marc had blushed to the roots of his hair for the scolding, with Luka trying to reassure him they weren't scolding him and Nathaniel shaking his head helplessly.

They knew how rowdy their kids could be, despite them being generally well-behaved and sweethearts. They'd inherited both of their parent's more wild streaks; Marinette's impulsiveness and Luka's rebelliousness.

With blown kisses and soft whispers of good night, with plentiful 'thank you's to Nathaniel and Marc for watching over them, they ended the video chat with their kids and set the phone aside.

With the much welcomed silence filling the room, Luka hissed when he rolled onto his back, stretching himself after the strain of the long night.

Marinette scooted closer and rested a hand on her husband's chest, the couple sighing deeply at the other's closeness.

She drew soothing circles on his naked skin, humming a soft tune.

No, not a soft tune, his tune.

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her, gathering her close and kissing his wife's head. "You were amazing Marinette."

She glanced up at him with an amused smile. "Me? You were the one with the hour long gig remember?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I meant before it all started. I was nervous and you calmed me down before I made a fool of myself." He pressed another kiss to the top of her head. "You're always there for me and I can't thank you enough with words."

His wife giggled, raising herself up and kissing his nose before pecking his lips sweetly. "There are many other ways you can thank me other than with words."

Luka smiled and chuckled when his wife kissed him again and he felt like the world was right.

#fanfic #lukanette #luka couffaine #marinette dupaincheng #ml #ml ask #miraculous ladybug #ml fic #ml fanfic #lukanette fic #married!lukanette #ask #anon #anonymous #i hope its okay!#requests open!

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therainroguefanfiction · 4 years

Text

🔥 ℝise Ⱥbove I̾t ◈ Chapter 034 [Jen versus Iida]

📑 Table of Contents | ◂Backward

Word Count: 2,040

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

〈“Take the hurt and the pain, I don’t need it! I wanna live, I wanna be the change. We can all be kings and queens, if we can just learn to believe.” Thousand Foot Krutch, “Fly on the Wall”〉

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

I made my way back to the seating area for my class, settling down behind Fumi. The match had already begun and Ochaco was going on the offensive first.

“Wow, look at her go! That’s a good start and all she has to do is touch him one time!” Zuku spoke up, his eyes shining with excitement.

“But it won’t be easy. You know Bakugo’s not gonna let her get too close to him.” Iida added.

“Which is why he won’t dodge. He’ll focus his energy on counter-attacking!”

She got in close to him and with a sweep of his hand, Bakugo launched an explosion at her. All of us were on the edge of our seats.

“Woah! She flew her jacket over as a decoy, what incredibly quick thinking!”

Ochaco appeared behind him, reaching her hand out but he whipped around, sending her flying backward with another explosion.

“Look at that reaction time!” Sero exclaimed.

“Seriously, that dude’s insane…” Sparky commented. “You can’t get the drop on him. And since Uraraka can’t use her quirk unless she touches him, his lightning-fast reflexes put her at a huge disadvantage.”

I wanted to make a smart remark to him but the sudden explosion in Ochaco’s face made me flinch, keeping my eyes on the match. I knew deep down that if he actually held back, it would be an insult to both of them, but still… it’s a painful match to watch. I can’t imagine someone so goddamn pure being on the battlefield, ya know? I kinda wish she didn’t want to be a hero.

Warmth enveloped my hand, breaking me from my thoughts. I hadn’t even realized how hard I was gripping Fumi’s shoulders until his hand rested over mine. I mumbled a quiet apology, loosening my grip but not pulling back.

Ochaco appeared behind him again to the same result as before. Over and over again, she kept getting blasted only to get back up and keep fighting. Why? What the fuck is driving her? Pushing her to give it her all? I just don’t get it, man. It’s obvious to everyone that she’s outmatched, and I hate to think that, but Bakugo is just in another league when it comes to combat. Even so… she keeps getting up. I know she wants to be a pro hero, but she doesn’t have to get her ass kicked by Bakugo to do it!

“Looks like she’s not resting between attacks despite being exploded. Poor girl…” Mic’s voice was low and devoid of his usual enthusiasm. What a fucking buzzkill. And then the audience started to buzz like angry bees.

“Hey, shouldn’t one of the teachers step in?”

“Yeah, this is too rough.”

“This is shameful! Listen, kid!” A man in the audience stood up, raising his voice as he pointed down at Bakugo. “You really want to be a hero? Then stop acting like a bully? If you’re so good, then just send her out of bounds!”

“Who the fuck -” I growled, standing up as my blood started to boil. “- does that dickbag think he is?”

“W-Winchester, calm down!” Sparky cried, swallowing hard.

“Stop toying with her and end this match!”

“Yeah, you heard the guy!”

“The crowd is now booing Bakugo!”

“Winchester!”

I rushed forward, jumping up onto the railing as my skin started to glow red. My narrowed eyes swept over the crowd before landing on the man that started this. “Shut the fuck up, all of you! All of you fuckers came here to watch these fucking kids beat the ever-living shit out of one another and now you want to boo and cry foul?!” My hands shook as small flames licked at my fingertips. “What fucking hypocrites! What right do you have to order that this match be stopped, huh?! Fucking Ochaco is fighting her fucking hardest to win, and so is Katsuki! You’re really going to rob her of her chance because you can’t handle it?! Stop being a pussy or fucking leave!”

“Winchester is now insulting the crowd! To be honest, I kind of agree with what the crowd is sayin – hey, woah! What the crap?!”

“Where is the man who started this uproar? Are you a pro?” Aizawa demanded angrily. “Because if you’re being serious, you can go home and hang up your cape! I’d suggest looking into a new career.”

I snarled at the man, waving my hand like I was shooing away a bug. “You heard ’em! Scurry off with your tail between your legs, you fuckin’ cunt.”

His eyes narrowed at me. “You rude little b -”

“Bakugo’s fierceness is an acknowledgment of his opponent’s strength. He knows she deserves to have made it this far, so he’s making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay and come out on top.”

“I think it’s about time,” Ochaco said, grabbing everyone’s attention as she breathed heavily. “Thank you, Bakugo, for keeping your eyes focused on me!”

“What?”

Wait a minute… my eyes widened as my gaze snapped up. Ochaco, you little fucking minx! I didn’t notice it because I was so worried about her, but now everything makes sense. She kept attacking non-stop to distract Bakugo while she used her quirk to float up the debris he had made with his explosions.

With a cry, she brought her fingertips together. All at once, the debris started to fall from the sky, shooting toward Bakugo like angry missiles.

“A meteor shower!!”

“Now you notice…”

“She had a plan all along!” Zuku jumped up, gripping the railing.

Ochaco rushed at him, using the debris as a distraction. Bakugo held his wrist, the other palm facing toward the sky. He unleashed a powerful, large blast, the force nearly knocking me off the railing as it sent Ochaco flying backward. I huffed, kneeling down to grab the railing between my feet.

“Bakugo banks out a huge demonstration of power! He blasted apart Uraraka’s finishing move and remains untouched!”

No, he ain’t untouched. It’s really fucking subtle, but his hand is shaking. That blast took a lot of out him.

Ochaco shakily climbed to her feet and Bakugo rushed forward to attack, stopping short when she fell over, hitting the ground. Poor girl, she’s completely spent.

“Uraraka is down!!”

“It’s too much…” Iida breathed out.

“Yeah,” Zuku nodded worriedly. “She’s way past her limit.”

Ochaco started to crawl across the ground toward Bakugo, still not wanting to give up. Holy fucking Deadpool in a tutu, I never knew that girl had so much fucking drive within her. Midnight held her hand up to Bakugo and he relaxed his stance as she rested her hand on Ochaco’s back.

“Uraraka is K.O’d. Bakugo advances to the next round.”

“And that’s it for the second round! Ah, I was really pulling for her… Oh yeah, I guess Bakugo is moving on…”

I sweatdropped. Note to self: Kick the cockatiel next time I see him.

“You’re supposed to be unbiased, you know.”

“Let’s try to forget that depressing outcome!”

“Or not.”

“With that, the second round is complete! We’re taking a quick break and then we’re back with more matches!”

I hopped down from the railing and rushed off before anyone could stop me, heading toward the waiting room. Man, that was the most intense match, I hope Ochaco is okay. I bet she’s upset about losing, but she should feel proud. She did really fucking well against Katsuki. I rolled my neck as I stepped into the air-conditioned room. My match against Iida is next. He always annoys the piss of out me, so I surely don’t mind getting the chance to unleash some hell on him.

“Woohoo!! We’re finally about to learn who the winner is in the eleventh match – Kirishima or Tetsutetsu! Whoever prevails in this arm-wrestling match will advance to the third round! Let’s go!!”

I fell into the chair with a sigh, letting my head fall back. All this way and I can still hear that fucker as if he were standing here screaming in my damn ear. That’s one hell of a quirk, bro. I hope Kirishima wins his match. He’s so strong and full of spirit, but he lacks confidence in his abilities. I should really talk to him about that. Maybe I can take a piece of paper and write ‘You are strong, you are awesome, stop doubting yourself’ and smack him in the face with it. Why stop there? I need to do the same for Zuku.

“Kirishima earns his spot in the third round!”

Atta boy, Kirishima.

“Now we’ve got a full roster for the next round of the tournament! Let’s get the party started now, ya dig?!”

That’s my cue, ugh. I left the room, heading down the hallway.

“The first match of round three! He comes from an elite hero family, from the hero course, Tenya Iida! Versus! Her origins are completely unknown, also from the hero course, Jen Winchester!”

I sweatdropped as I stepped out into the sunlight. Elite versus unknown, huh? How fucking annoying. Iida’s eyes narrowed at me from across the arena, his voice low and full of distaste. “I don’t trust you, Winchester. Your attitude leaves much to be desired and you always act as if you know something we don’t, like you’re hiding something.”

I scoffed. “And? As if your holier than thou attitude is any better. Always prancing around like you’re better than everyone else, ordering people around like their beneath you, telling people how they should be acting. I’m gonna be honest, I’m really going to fucking enjoy knocking your ass down a few pegs, elite.”

“START!!”

My body temperature shot up as fire swirled across the ground in front of me. He took off running, his speed enough to dodge the onset of flames. I scowled, my eyes following his movement. There’s no point in trying to chase the fucker around, he’s too damn fast for me to catch. Instead, I’ll create an opening and let him come to me. Just as my flames were dying down behind me, he appeared in the air in front of me.

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

“What incredible height on that jump! He easily cleared the flames surrounding her!”

“Recipro… burst!!” His leg connected with my forehead and I gritted my teeth, feeling my bones cracking from the force. Before I could recover, he landed and jumped again, slamming his leg against my stomach. The force sent me flying across the ring. I coughed loudly, wincing in pain. Fucking hell.

“Look at that speed! Winchester can’t react in time!”

Che. I grunted, slamming my palms against the ground as he rushed forward, but a wall of flames shot up between us, making him stumble backward. I coughed again as I pulled myself up. So he wants to end this quickly, huh? I wonder why that is? Doesn’t matter. If he wants to end is to quickly, who the fuck am I to deny him that?

Limit release!!

My shirt shattered as power rose from within me, rushing through my body.

“Oh no, it looks like Winchester is finally starting to get serious! I hope she doesn’t kill him…”

“She won’t.”

Thanks for believing in me, Dadzawa. I grinned, focusing my attention behind Iida. I appeared behind him just as he tried to jump over the flames again. Using his momentum against him, I slammed my flaming fist against his back, quickly grabbing his wrist before he could go flying. I turned my body once before throwing him toward the arena. His body slammed against the cement, rising up a few inches before falling back down. He grunted in pain, his eyes glassy.

“Learned that move from watching All Might at the USJ,” I grinned.

His teeth clenched and his hand shot up, snatching my wrist to pull me closer. He lifted both legs, slamming his feet against my stomach. The impact lifted me off the ground and knocked the wind from my lungs. Using what little bit of power he had left, he picked me up and tried to carry my body out of bounds, but flames erupted around me and he yelped, dropping me. I rolled, landing on my knees a foot away from him.

“Iida almost got Winchester out of bounds, but she saved herself at the last moment! How will this fight turn out?!”

I tasted metal on my tongue and spat out blood onto the concrete before wiping my hand with the back of my hand. “Is that all you got, prep? Sorry, but I ain’t that easy.”

His eyes narrowed and he made a move like he was going to rush me, but his foot only slip forward a bit, fists clenching at his sides.

“What’s wrong, bud? Run out of gas?” I smirked, holding my flaming hand up. “I hope you’re ready for this because it’s really gonna fucking hurt.” I flipped my hand over and the flames shot down into the cement before shooting up toward the sky. Like a huge wave of flame, it crashed into his body and forced him back out of bounds. My lips twitched up as it pinned him to the wall, the cement cracking behind him.

Midnight rushed up in front of me, giving me a sharp look as she held out her hand. I clicked my tongue and flipped my hand back over, the flames shooting back toward me as they died down until there were nothing but embers against my palm, floating away on the gentle breeze.

“Iida is out of bounds! Winchester advances to the next round!”

“Shooting into our hearts like a wave of fire, Winchester wins the first match of round three and advances to the semi-finals!!”

I stuffed my uninjured arm into my pocket and stepped down the stairs toward the hallway. As soon as the darkness surrounded me, I released my form, my shirt returning to me as pain started to overwhelm the adrenaline. I groaned. My arm fucking hurts. My stomach fucking hurts. I’m tired. I’m hungry. This is fucking torture.

Fucking bastard, I shouldn’t have held back. I admit, I underestimated him…

I released a breath as I turned the corner, grunting when I nearly ran into someone. I tried to walk around the kid, but he held his arms out, a haughty expression on his face. “What’s this? Is someone from 1-A actually injured? I thought all of you were too strong to be hurt and yet all of you keep getting injured. How shameful!”

I deadpanned. “Bro, I ain’t in the mood for your inferiority complex. Move the fuck out of my way before I shove a chimichanga up your ass.”

A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek and he swallowed hard, but that infuriating smirk didn’t falter. “That’s not a very heroic thing to say, is it! Looks like 1-A is training villains, not heroes. You, Bakugo and Todoroki aren’t fit to be heroes. Did you see how Bakugo treated that poor girl? And Todoroki went way too far against the tape boy. And there’s you. How shameful for you all!”

My eyes narrowed and I straightened my back. I’ve got a few inches on this brat, good. “You should really learn to keep your fuckin’ mouth shut, kid.”

He hummed, his smirk growing. “Everyone says class A is better simply because you all faced off against real villains, but we all know that your class did nothing in the attack! You only survived because of the teachers! Everyone saw how easily Shiozaki beat that electric freak! Such a loser, don’t you agree? And that poor gravity girl, who let her in the hero course? She’s not fit to be a -”

My fist slammed against his face. I felt the crunch and heard the crack before he cried out, falling to the ground and cradling his nose. I kneeled down beside him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt to bring his face closer to mine. “Now you listen here, you little fuck. I don’t know what your fucking problem is with my class and I honestly have no fucks to give you, but you better get this straight right now – Katsuki may be a total pain in the ass with the temperament of a deranged chihuahua, but he’s going to make a damn good hero one day! And yeah, Sparky can be a total dunce most of the time, but he’s still a better person than you could ever hope to be. Todoroki is a total edgelord with major daddy issues, but he’s fucking working on it, and he’ll be a damn good hero, too! Every single fucker in class 1-A – minus Mineta – is amazing in their own way and every one of them will be an amazing hero!”

I took a breath, clenching my fist tighter. “Yeah, they all have their issues and I’m convinced they are certifiably insane, but at least they don’t go around putting people down! At least they fucking try and don’t give up! Maybe if you fucking stopped belittling those better than you and actually focused on yourself, you can become half as good as those fucking brats are. Finally, don’t you ever put Ochaco’s name in your filthy ass mouth. You got a goddamn problem with class A? Then you got a fucking problem with me, kid, and I’m a fucking woman – I hold grudges for fucking decades!”

His eyes were wide and full of fear, blood leaking through his fingers.

“Holy crap…”

My eyes shot up and I cursed. Standing at the end of the hall was Sparky, Sero, Ryuu, Kendo, all looking at me with wide eyes. “Fuck my life…”

Kendo cleared her throat as she approached, taking the boy by the back of his collar. “I told you to stop messing with class A, Monoma, didn’t I? Now, look at what happened. Are you alright?”

Monoma stood up on his own, his voice nasally. “Ahahaha! I’m perfectly fine! As expected from a student of class 1-A, that punch was weak!”

Ryuu sweatdropped. “That bleeding nose of yours says something different…”

He simply humphed and walked away with Kendo following behind. Ryuu bit his lip, glancing at me. He looked like he wanted to say something but I refused to meet his eyes and he sighed, following after his classmates.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

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skullinacowboyhat · 4 years

Text

*posts this then yeets back into the void*

Anyways here is the mini-fic(?) that I wrote about Leiko and Nuri the other day. I haven’t checked it for typos...or good grammar so prepare yourself for cringe.

Warning: mentions of self-harm, description of consequent injuries.

______________

She didn’t know what she was going to ask him. The Council wanted intel, wanted to know why he had come to Tython and turned himself in. Nuri doubted that he would tell them outright though. She would need to ‘befriend’ him, understand how he thinks. And though sitting in the cell and talking to him sounded like a nightmare, it was the only way to get through to him.

She glanced over at Master Shan, her brown robes swishing gently around her feet as the two of them walked down the hallway. Master Shan was calm; Nuri needed that right now. She latched onto the feeling, letting it wind and coil around her like a blanket.

By the time they made it to the cell, her heartbeat had slowed and her nod was confident as she signaled for the guard to open the door. It slid open with a hiss.

The cell was dark and square, with the Jedi symbol painted on the far wall. There was a washing basin, a tray of uneaten food and two cots in either corner. The man was sitting on the right one. His face was covered by his hands. He wasn’t acknowledging that she was there. Or maybe he didn’t realise. The sedative the Council had given him may not have worn off quite yet.

With a nod to Master Shan, Nuri entered the cell, the lights flickering on softly as she stepped inside. She curled her fingers up into a fist to keep them from shaking. She quietly sat down on the cot opposite the man’s; in the corner of her eye, she could see Master Shan standing in the entry-way, hands clasped together.

With the lights on, Nuri could see the man better. Dark curling tattoos covered his red lekku and on his fore-arms, she could see the ridges native to a Sith Pureblood. He was wearing a loose off-white shirt and pants, his feet uncovered.

Nuri sat silently, watching him. He didn’t make any movement beyond the steady up-and-down of his chest and shoulders as he breathed. With hesitation, Nuri stretched out through the Force, unlocking that little part of her connection that could read people’s emotions. And feel them, if she chose to.

He felt...empty. Like a husk. It wasn’t like when Nuri tried to read fresh corpses though; he was still alive. But his emotions seemed to have been erased or cut off.

After a long minute, she finally said, “Do you remember me?”

There was silence for a few minutes, then the man’s head shifted in his hands and Nuri could see his eyes peeping through. They were a piercing yellow, with red flecks, and surprisingly, a bit of blue near the center. There were deep shadows around his eyes, like he hadn’t slept for a while.

Nuri tried her best not to gasp as his eyes locked with hers. They looked like an animal’s.

“I remember you,” came the deep rumble from his chest. His accent was thick from living in the Empire all of his life.

Still, she could feel no emotion from him.

A question filled her mind, and before she knew it, she was signaling to Master Shan to close the door. It shut and she looked back at the man. His eyes had not moved from her.

Nuri straightened, tilting her head and staring back at the man as if in challenge.

“When we fought, were you under the Emperor’s control?”

Confusion. That’s the first thing she senses. Then understanding...and guilt.

“No,” he said, his hands not moving from his face. “I chose to fight you.”

Nuri grimaced; she didn’t know what she was hoping for. That he would say yes? What would that have meant? But she wasn’t about to deny that during the fight, she had felt guilt from him, the same guilt she feels now.

“But it was also my choice to spare you.”

Nuri looked at the man with slight surprise, as she felt a deep concern emanating from him. It was the strongest emotion she’d felt from him so far.

She stood up and made towards the door.

“I will be back tomorrow.” She inclined her head to the untouched tray on the floor. “Eat your food.”

_________________________________________________________________

She came back the next day as promised, and was strangely pleased to see that he had eaten his food. When she came in, he was still in the same pose, hands over his face, shoulders hunched over.

She sat down again and signaled to the guard to shut the door. Master Shan wasn’t with her this time; she was at a Council meeting. Nuri was not sure if she wanted Master Shan to hear this anyway, her questions so far had only been personal, and nothing to do with the intel the Council wanted.

This time, the man spoke up first.

“How long have I been here?”

It didn’t hurt to tell him. “Two months.”

The man inhaled sharply. Nuri could sense his emotions, rich and raw. She just couldn’t place them.

“Why are you here?” he asked, his eyes peeping out from between his fingers.

Nuri studied him, eyes narrowing slightly. “Why are you here?”

His hands covered his eyes again. “Because I’m a monster.”

Guilt. That was what he was feeling. It was thick and heavy and threatening to pour over the emotional shields Nuri had put up so carefully.

“Why-” Her voice cracked. “Why are you a monster?”

The man was silent. Nuri waited a minute, then two, then three, then ten. Nothing.

She stood up, grabbing the tray on the way.

“I’ll be back tomorrow. Is there anything in particular you’d like for dinner?”

Silence. Alright then.

Nuri left the room.

_________________________________________________________________

The woman kept on visiting, each day. Sometimes she would talk to him, other times she would sit in silence, her legs crossed beneath her, and watch him.

Leiko didn’t mind it; her visiting helped him discern each day from another. The sedative the Jedi had given him had faded long ago, but he still found it hard to focus. Her visits grounded him.

She hadn’t asked him about any Imperial intel, but he knew it was coming. He answered her questions when he could, or when he knew what the answer was.

Leiko hadn’t shown her his face yet, though. For some strange reason, that seemed too exposed. No doubt she remembered it from their fight, but...he felt different now.

The woman looked different as well. The thin black strands that had decorated her montrals were gone now. She never brought her lightsaber into his cell, but he could see where it was supposed to go on her belt.

Two weeks into their meetings, Leiko was sitting on his cot, his hands still over his face. She was sitting across from him, meditating.

“Are we safe here?” he said.

Her eyes opened, the lilac blindingly colorful in the dark room.

“What do you mean?”

“Are we safe here?” he said again.

“Is that what you want, to be safe?”

He shook his head, his fingers digging into his cheeks. “I have always been safe. I want others to be safe from me and the-”

He cut off, shrinking against his cot.

“Safe from the Emperor?”

He nodded.

The woman watched him. “We are safe here. And you aren’t going to hurt anyone.”

She pushed herself off the cot, and as usual, grabbed his tray.

“Is there anything in particular you’d like for dinner?”

She asked that question every visit and he had never answered. He was silent as she left the room.

__________________________________________________________________

A month had passed and the Council was getting impatient. The truth was, Nuri didn’t want to ask him any intel. He was a husk, barely saying two words every visit. She worried that if she asked him too many questions, he would snap and show why he was the Wrath, or worse, his mind would shatter and gathering intel would grow irrelevant.

The guard didn’t even glance over at her as she opened and closed the cell door. The man was still curled up with his hands over his face. She remembered what he looked like, but the memory of him standing over her with his lightsaber in hand had merged slightly with the image of him in the corner of the cell.

She sat down in her usual spot and watched him. He had a new bandage on his hand.

“Where did you get your injury?”

“I slammed my fist into the wall.”

Nuri tensed. The Council would have known about this, and if he was a threat, they wouldn’t have sent her in here. That thought calmed her down slightly.

“Why?”

He was quiet.

All rational thought evaporated from Nuri’s mind as she stood and walked over to him, crouching down so she was at eye level. She held out a hand.

“Can I see?”

His eyes widened slightly, then slowly, he removed his hand from his face and placed it on hers. She avoided looking at him for a moment, instead focusing on the injury on his hand. Dried blood covered his knuckles and scars peeked out from underneath the bandages. He must have slammed his hand into the wall multiple times before the guard came in and stopped him.

“Why did you do it?” Before she could stop herself, she locked eyes with him.

His face was almost exactly as she remembered. Strong jaw, high cheekbones, a wide nose. The yellow had seeped from his eyes, but she could still see red in there. He was watching her carefully, with a wariness in his eyes, like she was about to attack him, which was incredibly ironic considering his job title.

“I…” he hesitated, glancing between her and his hand. Nuri sensed shame and she understood.

She let his hand go, but surprisingly, it didn’t cover his face again.

“I understand, it’s okay. You wanted control.”

He shook his head. “No, I wanted to make myself pay.”

Nuri’s heart sunk and for the first time, she felt compassion for him. He hadn’t told her yet why he considered himself a monster, but she had a suspicion. Even though the Emperor had controlled him, he most likely still had the memories and had some semblance of control during his time as the Wrath.

She stood up and picked up his tray. “Thank you for telling me.”

She was half-way to the door when he spoke up. “What is your name?”

In a split second, her mind ran through the consequences and potential fallout of telling him her name. There weren’t many, and that was why she said: “My name is Nuri. What is yours?”

Though she had read his file, there had been no mention of his name. The Emperor’s Wrath was too wrapped up in mystery.

The man’s other hand fell from his face and he looked at her, jaw set. “Leiko.” Little flower.

Nuri tried not to dwell on that too much and opened the door instead.

“Is there anything in particular you’d like for dinner?”

He’d never answered that before, so she was surprised when he finally did.

“Gi dumplings.”

A little smile played at Nuri’s lips. “Alright then.”

________________________________________________________________

Nuri was called away on a mission the next day and didn’t return to Tython for another week. When she came back, she was given an update on Leiko. Another Jedi had come in to speak with him, but he hadn’t said anything. When she looked at the footage, his face was covered with his hands again.

On her way to his cell, she went by the Temple kitchen and grabbed a plate of dumplings. She handed one to the guard, who grinned and popped one into her mouth. Then with a hiss, the door opened and Nuri stepped inside.

Upon noticing her entry, Leiko’s hands fell away from his face and he watched silently as she sat down, the plate on her lap. His eyes flicked over to her shoulder and she felt a jolt of concern run through him.

“You’re hurt.”

She glanced down at the bandages wrapped around her shoulder and bicep. “It’s just a scratch.” She lifted up the plate. “Dumpling?”

Leiko stared at her with surprise, and a tiny bit of amusement. Then he leaned forward and grabbed a dumpling. They ate in silence, then Nuri set the empty plate next to the tray.

“The Jedi put a strange herb in the dumplings,” Leiko said, “I can’t place it.”

“Rium herbs. Master Jok-Li grows them in the garden and they only grow in the summer. The gi dumplings in the winter can’t touch these ones.” She went quiet, realising how casually she had spoken to him. Leiko was looking at her with a little smile at the corner of his mouth. It was a nice expression on him.

Nuri cleared her throat and brushed the crumbs off her hands. Leiko looked disappointed that she’d stopped talking.

“When are going to ask me?”

Nuri looked up. “Ask you what?”

“What I know, about the Empire and the Emperor.”

Nuri winced, surprised to find herself hurt. “What...what do you mean?”

She stretched out through the Force. He was sad, and resigned.

Leiko sighed. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To learn what I know?” He leaned forward. “So when are you going to ask me?”

Nuri searched his eyes, looking for a threat, but there was nothing. He was genuinely hurt.

She stood up and made for the door. Nuri spent a few minutes to talk to the guard, then she went back inside the cell.

“Let’s go for a walk.”

________________________________________________________________

Leiko hadn’t been outside for months and he almost cried as he stepped out of the cell block and into the wide hallways. It was midday on Tython and the sun was streaming in through the windows. The thin paper walls did little to hide the silhouettes of plants and guards standing outside.

Nuri was walking beside him; her montrals barely reached his jaw. He didn’t like how her hand kept on shifting towards the spot where her lightsaber usually was.

She glanced up at him, her lilac eyes growing soft as she noticed his expression. “I’m sorry you haven’t been out since now.”

Leiko was still wondering when she was going to answer his question, but he didn’t want to darken the atmosphere.

“I understand why.”

I’m dangerous.

Nuri didn’t seem threatened though, except for her twitching hand.

They rounded a corner, and Leiko gasped.

They were in an interior garden, with plants covering every square inch and fountains...everywhere. The sound was beautiful and gentle and if the hallway hadn’t already made Leiko want to cry, this definitely did.

He stepped forward, ignoring how the guards tensed as he moved towards one of the fountains. He hesitated, then looked down at his reflection. He had dark shadows around his eyes, which were blood red and blue. His cheeks looked hollow.

Nuri came up behind him and looked down at her own reflection. She looked far more serene than he did.

Leiko heard something, a little chirp and he felt something land on him. He started and spun around. Nuri’s hand grabbed his shoulder.

“It’s alright. Look.”

Leiko looked at his other shoulder, where a little bird was perched, peering up at him with dark eyes. He gently lifted his hand and offered it to the bird. It hopped on and before he knew it, Leiko was smiling. He didn’t fail to notice how Nuri’s hand was still on his shoulder.

After a moment, the bird flew away and Nuri’s hand dropped from his shoulder.

“In answer to your question…”

Leiko turned to face Nuri.

“I’m not going to,” she said, taking in a deep breath.

“What?”

“I’m not going to ask you.”

That put a spanner in Leiko’s mind. He stared down at her, brows pressed close together.

“What do you mean you’re not going to ask me?”

“Yes, Leiko,” that was the first time she’d used his name, “I was sent by the Council to get intel from you. But you aren’t going to reveal anything because I asked, I think you’re going to tell us if you think it’s the right thing to do.”

Leiko stilled and was quiet as they continued through the garden.

__________________________________________________________________

The Council was not happy with Nuri’s choice. She had known that she wasn’t their only pathway to gaining any intel from Leiko, but she was surprised when they sent in two new questioners the following week.

She tried talking to Master Shan and she understood, but the Council didn’t see yet what Nuri had seen. Leiko’s smile when he had seen the bird, the tears that had flooded his eyes when they had walked into the garden. Maybe she was being naive, but no evil had such strong emotions as that.

At least the Council allowed she and Leiko to go on walks still. Now that any pretence had gone away, they found themselves talking about other things. Leiko asked more about the herbs growing in Master Jok-Li’s garden and Nuri told him about the Flesh Raiders and the glimmering lake to the south. She found herself in his cell quite often, sometimes bringing him dumplings, other times talking to him about anything on her mind to let loose some steam. He always listened and the shadows fell away from his eyes. The red disappeared as well. His eyes were blue as Tython’s sky now.

One day they were drinking tea in the garden, when Nuri spoke up about something that had been on her mind for a while.

“Leiko, why do you think you’re a monster?”

Leiko froze. “Because I am.”

“Well, you don’t look like one. Especially with that tea stain on your shirt.”

Leiko looked down at his shirt in surprise and let out a chuckle. His face fell after a moment and he shrunk a bit in his chair, suddenly looking very ashamed.

“I’m a monster, because I’ve killed people, Nuri.”

“Were you under the Emperor’s control?”

“Yes, but-”

“Then it’s not your fault.”

“Yes, but I wanted to, and I liked it,” Leiko swallowed and Nuri felt the guilt seeping from him again, “And I remember every single one of them. I’ve killed countless innocents.” His voice fell to a shamed whisper. “I tried to kill you.”

Nuri shivered. “Yes, you did. But like you said on that first day in the cell, you also chose to spare me.” She set her tea cup down. “I think you’re a good man, Leiko. But you’ve been twisted and tormented into the monster that you think you are.”

Leiko just stared at her, his eyes going misty.

“Do you believe me?”

“No,” Leiko gasped, “But I want to.”

___________________________________________________________________

Two months passed. Leiko didn’t reveal any new intel, but for some reason, the Council allowed him to walk around the grounds, with a heavily armed entourage of course. His favourite spot to go was to the training grounds. He would watch the Jedi fight and train. Sometimes Nuri would fight. She’d grown in her skill since their battle.

She was fast and agile, moving through the air like she was made of it. She almost never lost a fight. One day, Leiko was sitting on the grass, watching her, when she came running up to him, sweat beading down her brow.

“Wanna duel?”

Leiko glanced up at the guards, they looked tense.

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I’m dangerous.

Nuri gave a look to the guards and with a sigh, they backed off. She offered him her hand.

“We’ll be using training sabers, and if anything happens, I will take you down and so will the guards.”

Leiko grimaced. “If you could.”

Nuri just grinned. “See? That’s fighting talk. Now we have to duel.”

Finally, Leiko relented and let her guide him over to the training mat and hand him a training saber. He hadn’t touched a weapon in months and he felt muscle memory kick in as he gripped the worn leather hilt.

He didn’t like how he immediately fell into an offensive stance. He didn’t like this, he was dangerous, he knew that, he was putting everything at risk.

He felt a hand on his and looked down at Nuri. In her eyes, he could see that she could tell what was running through his brain, but instead she just gripped the other end of his training saber.

“You’ve got your stance all wrong.” She gently pressed his feet back. “You have to even out your legs and move your arm down, like this.” She guided his hand further down and back to his chest. “If you have your saber so outstretched, you leave yourself open to attacks.”

Instead of dueling, Leiko let Nuri show him a few defensive stances and moves. After an hour, the guards led him back to his cell, but not before Leiko picked a few flowers and secretly wrapped them around the hilt of Nuri’s training saber.

#i'm probs gonna end up deleting this one Gosh I forgot how embarrassing posting #your writing is ':)#otp: the little flower and the light #skullie's writing #oc: nuri #oc: leiko #long post

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just--another--daydreamer · 5 years

Text

Admiration

Thor x male reader

Fandom: Thor (movies) Genre: Fluff Requested (by @wsvie-13 ): Hello!!! I really adore your writing and I saw that your requests were open 💖 if it’s no trouble, could you please do a male reader insert with Thor where the reader works as a programmer and hacker for Tony Stark and helps out at the Avengers compound sometimes. So like MR is just this huuuuge fan of Thor’s and just completely freaks out when he sees him for the first time- oof please and thank you 💛💖 Warning: Anxiety, Awkwardness Words: 1.4k Author's Note: I’ve got the feeling that this is really weird

Requests are closed!

You can find a link to my Masterlist in my bio

The only reason you had gotten that job as a hacker at the Avengers headquarters was, that you had hacked yourself into Tony Stark’s computer and put your name onto the list with potential candidates for the job. Just a day later, some men in suits and sunglasses knocked on your door and you thought it was the FBI trying to arrest you, but instead they told you, that they worked for Tony Stark, and that the genius had been so impressed with what you did, that you got the job.

Three years of being employee of the year later, you still walked to the Avengers compound with a huge smile on your face. Work was fun, you had befriended Tony Stark, there was always something new to happen, but the best thing was working for the Avengers from time to time. You weren’t really an agent for SHIELD, but because SHIELD didn’t have any good programmers and hackers around, you stepped in sometimes.

Sitting on your chair in a safe house, opening doors from your desk to help the Avengers through a building occupied by the enemy and downloading secret files from miles away made you feel important and needed. You knew, that for this job, the Avengers had to trust you, and you trusted them to save your ass when you needed them to.

The only Avenger you had never met before was the god of thunder, Thor. It was sad, because he had been your favourite Avenger ever since you found out that the god was actually real and out there.

Seeing footage of him fighting battles, smiling his bright smile at the camera and literally anything else about him caused you to start crushing on him hard. He was perfect boyfriend material. But he was so untouchable. While you brought pizza to your workplace, Thor grabbed his hammer and killed some alien-zombies. While you fell asleep after watching Netflix for too long, Thor travelled from planet to planet in mere seconds.

It was frustrating, but you tried to treat Thor like any other of your celebrity crushes: It’ll go away.

But it didn’t.

So when Tony came into your office one morning, saying, “Thor will be visiting from Asgard tomorrow” to you, you couldn’t be happier.

You couldn’t wait to come to work the next day.

Taking the train home, you couldn’t help smiling at every single stranger. You couldn’t help being extra friendly to the owner of the small coffee shop where you always got a hot drink on your way home. But most importantly you couldn’t help thinking about Thor the whole time.

You made up about a million scenarios about how your meeting could go. Did Thor really look that handsome in real life? Probably. Would he talk to you? Probably not, though. And that was what made you a little sad. You would be so close to a literal god (who was also the person you had had a crush on for the longest time), but he wouldn’t even notice you. Tony would never introduce you to Thor saying, “he has been employee of the year every year since he has started working here”, and Thor would never get onto one knee, proposing to you right there and then. No wonder you were single when that was your number one fantasy.

Anxiety chased you through the rest of the day, making you a little numb with racing thoughts about the god of thunder and not being able to meet him, even when he was so near.

Coming to work the next day wasn’t too fun either. You fell into your chair and started your computer, dark circles under your eyes from drowning your feelings for the most handsome Avenger in ice cream and Netflix.

Your computer started and you were greeted by the default desktop every employee in the tower had. You opened your emails and started working.

Concentrating on what you had to do was hard. Your thoughts kept going back to Thor’s visit, so you forced yourself to concentrate.

By the time your break had started, you had only finished a forth of what you were supposed to do that day. Walking down the hallway that led to the huge cafeteria, you closed your eyes, telling yourself you had to focus as soon as you got back to work. Too fixated on clearing your mind, you didn’t look where you were going, and accidentally bumped into someone, but before you could fall back and to the ground (because damn, that person was as strong and tall as a wall), two large hands grabbed your shoulders to keep you on your feet.

Slowly looking up at the person, you first noticed the neat button-up shirt covering the man’s upper body and couldn’t help but stare at that one button that looked like it was having trouble to keep the shirt closed over the incredibly broad chest.

“I- I am so sorry,” you managed to say while your eyes trailed over the man’s arms and up to his face. It took you a few seconds to recognize the person in front of you, probably because he wasn’t dressed in his usual attire. Gulping, you took a few steps back as you stared at him in awe.

“You should look where you are going, we don’t want that you actually fall the next time.” You were sure that you were staring at him weirdly, but the man didn’t seem to mind – he probably got stares like that the whole time.

“Thor?” You choked out, suddenly losing the ability to speak. “Yes.” His lips curled into a smile as he looked you up and down.

“Holy shit.” You shook your head. “It’s an honour to meet you. I’m a big fan, really admire you.” You tried something like bowing in front of him, but the awkward look on Thor’s face made you stop.

“I’m a big fan,” you said instead. “I can tell.” He smiled brightly. His eyes wandered to your nametag. “Y/N,” he muttered to himself, before looking at you again. “Tony wanted to introduce us to each other.” He shrugged and chuckled. “But I guess you were too fast at meeting me.”

You looked at the god with big eyes. “He wanted to introduce us?” “Yeah. He said that you are an important part of the team.”

Your thoughts started racing again. Not because of anxiety, but because Thor was standing in front of you. And he knew you. Because Tony had told him about you. That was officially the best day of your life.

“Wow,” you laughed.

“Where were you heading? I’m not good with the directions in the tower,” Thor changed the subject quickly.

“I was about to get some food,” you retorted.

“What about we go get food and talk a bit over lunch?” It took you a moment to process what Thor just said, and you were at loss of words again, so you simply nodded. Thor gave you his biggest smile that let his eyes shine so brightly your heart melted. He started walking into what he suspected to be the right direction and you followed him.

After you got your food, you sat down with Thor on the other side of the table. A few agents and people from different parts of the tower stared at you, but you did your best at ignoring them.

“If I understood Tony right, you work with computers. He mentioned that you are one of his best,” Thor said casually, but you felt heat rising to your cheeks.

“Yeah.” You scratched the back of your head as you looked down at your meal. “I’m pretty good.” That earned you a grin from Thor.

“It’s a shame that we’ve never gotten to work with each other yet.” You only choked on your food and nodded frantically. “I’d love to see your workplace later,” Thor continued, ignoring your coughing. “Maybe you can teach me about some stuff, like emails, so I can send you those when I’m back in Asgard.” You struggled for air and when you could finally breath again, you smiled. “Yeah, I can totally do that.” “Or you could teach me how to use a cell phone, so we can talk some time,” he suggested and winked at you, almost sending you back to coughing with his flirtatiousness. “Of course, Thor.” That satisfied the god. “You know what I noticed?” You questioned. “I think that the admiration is mutual.”

Tag lists (open):

General tag list: @idjitsam

General male reader tag list: @spnfanboy777 @skidaddle-skid @lemoncholychronicles @hxmmebot @mcuvenom @rxvenclxw-hunter @gracereplies-notinuse @maximum-fander @pilgrim-to-rome @panicatthewhoz @steelescliff @inhumanshadows

#thor x reader #thor x male reader #thor x male!reader #thor x m!reader #chris hemsworth x reader #chris hemsworth x male reader #thor #chris hemsworth #x reader #x male reader #x male!reader #x m!reader #thor odinson #avengers #imagine #fluff #endgame #marvel #mcu

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imagine-loki · 5 years

Text

Wedded Bliss

TITLE: Wedded Bliss CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 43 AUTHOR: MaliceManaged ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Odin determined to find Loki a wife in a misguided, though somewhat well-intentioned attempt to ‘mellow him’. … RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS: Finally figured out how to fix a bit here that was bugging me. Now if only that focus would extend to editing the next chapter…

_______________________

There was a rather noticeable tension between Steve and Natasha when they returned from their SHIELD mission, but it seemed to evaporate the moment they were told about the attempt on Edith’s life. Natasha immediately began interrogating Loki, at least until Edith cut in to ask about whatever had her and Steve at odds. Steve seemed reluctant to talk about it, but Natasha explained it as a disagreement about compartmentalisation of orders, something that earned her a glare from the Captain.

“This isn’t about the orders; I need to know I can count on you.”

“You’re a big boy, Steve; you can handle yourself just fine. If you’d needed me, I would’ve been there, but you didn’t.”

Steve went to respond, but Edith stood between them. “Guys; come on. How about we don’t fight, yeah? I think we have enough to worry about.”

“Yeah, like who’s taking shots at you,” Natasha redirected.

“You’re all making it a bigger deal than it is, but sure! If that’s what it takes.”

“‘A bigger deal’, Edie?” Clint said incredulously, “The guy used a bullet strong enough to actually hurt Loki, who’s practically bulletproof in case you’ve forgotten; if he hadn’t been there, you’d be dead.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t a serious attempt, but seriously, guys, it’s not the first time someone tries to have me killed! Maybe chill a little.”

“Oh, I’ll chill, alright; just as soon as I stick whoever gave the order full of arrows.”

“Assuming you get to them first,” Loki said half under his breath, trying very hard to keep the shred of calm he’d managed to attain since the attack and the subsequent argument with Edith. He turned to address Steve and Natasha, “Might your mission shed any light on SHIELD’s problem?”

“Not sure yet,” Natasha replied, “Fury will need to look over the intel I got.”

“Which he’ll then share with us, because he’s generous like that,” Tony said sarcastically.

“I’m sure you’d have no problem finding a way to get it.”

“It’s the principle of the thing.”

“So, what do we do now?” Edith asked before they could get off target again.

“I’ll go follow up on the investigation of the shooter,” Natasha replied, beginning to move towards the elevator.

“You just got back!” Edith called after her, causing her to stop and turn back to her with a raised eyebrow as if to ask ‘your point?’, “Clint can do that; he’s occasionally a SHIELD agent, too.”

“Hey, come on,” Clint complained as the others chuckled. “Like I’m not busting my ass on the other side of the planet half the time,” he grumbled partly to himself as he walked towards the elevator, “Edie’s right, though; I’ll go bother whoever’s in charge of the investigation, you… do whatever it is you do post-mission.”

“It’s called a shower, Clint; you might have heard of it,” Natasha replied as the elevator opened and he got in.

“Yeah, that’s the thing with the soap, right?” he said as the doors closed.

Edith turned back to Tony. “Have you and Steve made any progress on your end?”

“Annoyingly little,” Tony replied with a frown, “Whoever’s behind this is smart, and adapting to what I’ve thrown at them so far. I’ll get ’em, though; they are not smarter than me.”

“I love how sure you are about that,” Edith couldn’t help but tease, earning a mock glare.

“We’ll keep digging,” Steve said. “I don’t suppose there’s any point asking you to stay in the tower for a couple days?” That earned him a real glare and he raised his hands in surrender. “Just making sure.”

“Uh-huh, sure you were,” Edith retorted, crossing her arms at her chest, “Guys, I appreciate the concern, but I am every bit the fighter you are; stop trying to treat me like a kid just because someone shot at me for the – oh, I don’t know – thousandth time?”

“It’s one thing for you to be shot at in the middle of a fight, quite another for someone to specifically target you for assassination,” Natasha countered, raising a finger to forestall Edith’s argument, “It’s not the first time that happens, but it’s the first they almost succeeded; can you really blame us?”

Edith frowned then let out a deep sigh. “No. No, I can’t.” She pointed a finger in their direction, eyeing Loki for a second longer than the rest of them, “But you are not keeping me in a bubble.”

“Of course not,” Steve agreed easily, “Knowing you, you’d find a way to blow your way out.”

****

Edith made her way through her vocal exercises as she stared at the lit candle before her, the familiar rising and falling notes and the swaying of the flame carrying away all conscious thought, which was her aim. Now that she was alone, events began to catch up with her, and she’d be lying to say none of it bothered her. She was used to being in danger – on the field, not returning from a shopping trip/date. It had been quite some time since threats to her came from anything other than her being an Avenger; she had forgotten how unsettling it was. Part of her was annoyed at how it still affected her at all and how absurdly grateful she was that Loki had been there; she was hardly a child anymore, and the mere thought of coming to rely on her boyfriend for safety chaffed, particularly with how he’d reacted to the situation.

She hadn’t yet talked to him, not sure she could without ending up yelling, but his actions had hurt. She understood where he was coming from, of course she did; that didn’t change the fact that he hadn’t trusted her to back him up. He claimed to see her as a capable fighter, and yet he had completely side-lined her without a thought. That was not the action of someone who respected her and her abilities. As much as she loved him, she couldn’t just stand back and let him treat her as though she were a porcelain doll. She didn’t think her sanity, or their relationship, could take that.

As the thoughts began to creep back, she transitioned from her warm up into an improvised rendition of Meyerbeer’s ‘Ombre légère qui suis mes pas’, forcing her mind to clear again but for the words needed. It was perhaps, she considered, not the most practical of ways to deal with things, but she wasn’t about to stop. She could consider her coping mechanisms and looming mortality later.

A knock on her door interrupted the beginnings of another song, and she blew out the candle and called for Steve to enter, turning towards the door almost warily, causing him to laugh softly. “Relax, Edie; I’m not here to lecture you or anything.” He walked over to her and set down a few pages he’d pulled out of his sketchbook on the corner of the desk. “Just came to drop these off.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied, taking up the pages and looking at the pictures drawn on them. It was their unspoken agreement; Steve didn’t complain (much) about Edith’s penchant for buying him art supplies with her own money as long as she didn’t go overboard (again), and in return she said nothing when he used them to draw things for her to colour in.

“At the risk of pissing you off,” he began, earning a sidelong glance, “We don’t worry because we don’t think you can handle yourself. Of course we know you can, especially Nat and me, we trained you. But we agreed to let you become an Avenger, we agreed to let you go out there with us; you can argue all you want, but ultimately every single one of us feels that you’re our responsibility. And I know that annoys you, believe me I do, but we don’t exactly do it on purpose. It kinda just,” he shrugged a bit helplessly, “Happens.”

Edith rolled her eyes. “God, you’re all such moms.” He laughed. “I guess I can understand that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t complain about it. Especially since that’s apparently all I can do.”

“Yeah, that’s a good point,” he conceded with a nod. He thought about it for a moment before asking, “Everything okay with you and Loki? You seemed a bit… off.”

“No, everything is not okay, but we haven’t talked about it yet, so.”

“Fair enough.”

****

Alexander Pierce fought the urge to roll his eyes as he took his seat; the man across from him was almost fidgeting in nervousness, and if he didn’t need him, he’d be tempted to shoot him just to get him to be still. “So, your shooter failed. I warned you it wouldn’t be that easy.”

“He was a sniper; he wasn’t supposed to be noticed before the first shot!” the man defended, “That… thing. That alien complicated things.”

“Yeah, they seem to do that.”

“What about Virginia Potts? Why not target her instead? Stark genuinely cares about her, by all accounts.”

Pierce scoffed. “He cares about her, sure, but this is Tony Stark we’re talking about; killing her would mostly just piss him off. But sweet little Edith? She’s his goddaughter, his responsibility, and he takes that very seriously. Her death will break him.”

“Why not just kill him? If he’s such a problem?”

“Kill Iron Man?” Pierce replied with a raised eyebrow, “If you can manage that; I’ll buy you a drink myself. There’s a lot of people who want him dead, but until our project is up and running, he’s untouchable. Miss Matthews, however, is stubborn and reckless; ergo, she’s a… slightly easier target. And once she’s gone? Well, maybe – just maybe – he gives us fewer problems.”

“That still leaves the matter of how to take her out. With that partner of hers, we’d never get close.”

“He is proving to be a nuisance. After today, I doubt he’ll leave her side very long. Might be time to up our game to match.”

“You mean…?” Pierce nodded. “But isn’t that a risk? It’s not just the alien; the rest of them will be more alert.”

“But they won’t be with her all the time…”

#Loki #Lover #Angst #God of Mischief #Others #Submitted fic #submission #wedded bliss #chapter 43 #malicemanaged

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seekswrath · 5 years

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Dimileth drabble for day 3 of Dimileth week 2019. Past / Future. Also located on my AO3 account. HERE. @dimilethweek

He still didn’t quite know how to fit in and mingle with everyone. Dimitri may had apologized a few months back but he still felt disconnected with things. Like he had said, it was like patching a wound with a newer material. Never the same but still trying to fix some of the damage that had been done. Being around Felix’s company didn’t help matters either but since even before their academy days, Felix was, how to put it lightly, Felix. Dimitri had learned a long time ago that Felix never changing and keep his own ideals was somewhat a steady thing in Dimitri’s life. A small smile he kept as Dimitri mused over other constant and almost unchanging things in his life.

His thoughts immediately thought of his professor. Even after all of the small amount of years he had known the somewhat tiny stature woman, her own views didn’t change that much either. However, he still loved it when she smiled or joked with him. Those changes, albeit small, he liked best of all. There was times where he would only give out secrets to only her and her only. At first he really didn’t know why but Dimitri felt comfortable enough or maybe because he became attached to Byleth. Whatever the case was, he felt a strong connection to the person he had briefly met before entering the academy.

An ally, a friend, a confident, he had even told her about the situation with his sister, Edelgard. Byleth was the only real one he could trust and to somewhat forget his quest for revenge. Others had helped or hindered him at some point but the only one to truly care was Byleth. At the time, he was still gripped by cynical thoughts, he still is but at that time, it was far much worse. But the looks of pure worry etched on her face had made him angry, at the time. He quickly realized that she was concerned and a little guilty of being asleep for five years and not being able to help him during those times. As he kept wondering on how it might had been if she was able to be there for him, while he was at his lowest. he spotted something in the distance.

A small figure stooped over the last grave stone in the familiar cemetery area in the monastery, untouched by war. The scene was quite ironic since Dimitri was the one to stare at rubble and all sorts of things in the ruined place. The iconic coat that his professor would always wear, with the sleeves drooping over her shoulders and back, told him it was indeed Byleth. ‘Was her stature always that tiny and closer to the ground?’ He amused. Back in the academy, he was one of the tallest in the academy roster, only to be outclassed in height by a few others such as Dedue, Sylvain, and Raphael. Still, Dimitri didn’t quite notice about Byleth being smaller than most of the people she taught five years ago. He was always caught staring right into her, at the time he thought they were merely unemotional pieces of reflecting glass, eyes.

Still Dimitri was quite surprised that Byleth was here instead of the council room or the dining hall. As those were the places she had most frequented during the war months. Not counting the times where she has purposely had been almost out of his vision when visiting the cathedral during her first time back in the monastery, those Dimitri would had liked to forget. He was ashamed on how much nasty he had acted at the time to everyone but mostly to Byleth. But that was mostly in the past, he was here now, trying to be a better person, a man that would follow his heart and not the voices of the dead that had been screaming at him in his head since he was thirteen years old.

Realizing he had been staring quite a long time at the back of Byleth’s head, Dimitri had thought to go back the way he had came and leave the woman in peace. Surely, she was taking a personal time to visit her father’s grave. Well, actually both of her parents where buried there but he had never payed too much attention to that fact until recently. Putting flowers on every single one like he had been doing made Dimitri take more than a good few looks at the letters on the grave sites. Though, like his own birth mother, Byleth’s was also unnamed, forgotten by time. He had hoped that someday she would talk about her family with him, confide in something really personal. Heh, a fool’s wish. There was no way that was going to ever happen. As Dimitri was about to take his leave, a small snap of his foot hitting a tree branch had made Byleth turn around suddenly. Being spotted so easily, Dimitri wanted to run away so badly because he was looking like a caught animal caught in a hunting trap.

Stuttering in embarrassment, he tried to reason on why he was here. “Professor, uh, it’s a good day for horseback riding, is it not? I should get going and I apologize if I was bothering your alone time....”. ‘Smooth Dimitri, smooth’. However before he could truly bolt out of here, Byleth kept coming closer and closer to stand right directly in front of him, her head tilting slightly, showing that she was a little curious on his real reason on being here at this hour.

“It’s true that I was alone but I was just admiring the flowers that a certain someone had put here recently”. She had said with a small knowing smile, like she had already known who had put those on the graves. Blinking owlishly, Dimitri hadn’t expect that type of answer. But Byleth wasn’t one for traditional thinking, like she was outside of boxes instead of in the lines. He had to chuckle after he realized this.

“Ah, I see. Well, whoever this person is, I’m sure that they are just grateful for those who are buried here”. Dimiti had quietly, hoping that she wouldn’t quite hear him. Unlucky or maybe lucky for him, she had heard everything. In fact, she had taken another step closer to him. Please, not so close! I don’t think my heart can take you staring at me so!!’.

“How so?” Byleth asks curiously, wanting Dimitri to elaborate on what he meant by that. Why the special interest in one of the graves located here more than the others? It didn’t make too much sense since the blonde didn’t seem to have asked questions about her family in the past. ‘I wonder what has changed? Maybe he’s trying to open up more? I know the feeling since I’ve never had to deal with emotions before coming to the academy five years ago’. Byleth waited patiently for any type of answer.

“If not for them, I’d never would had come this far. In truth, if it wasn’t for them, I’d would had never met you. Got to experience your smile, your emotions, your guidance, being there for me when I was at my worst. A person who I could trust my life on”. Only until there was a long list of things that Dimitri had loved about Byleth did he realize that he had said too much and wanted to crawl into a hole. “I apologize if I was being too forward. Forget I said any of this”. Shame that he couldn’t control his feelings were gnawing at him today more than ever. Why did he even open up his mouth? Gods!!

The look on Byleth’s face was one with sadness and anger. She even shooked when she spoke her lines. “I may had let that slide in the past when you said you wished for us to be together forever in the goddess tower but not today. Or tomorrow, or in the future. Promise me you’ll never joke again about this, not when I care so much about you Dimitri”. Her hands had balled into fists, clearly upset about his remark about forgetting his confession.

Clearly, this shocked him the most. Not one time during the reunion had she gotten so upset at him. Never yelled or tried to cause a scene even though there was time where she should had done something about his rude and crude behavior. So now to get upset over something like this meant that she actually..had cared? This made no sense unless...No. Dimitri almost choked out the words.

“You feel the same way?” A pause of disbelieve and then continuing after some small silence of them just staring at each other. “Since when?” Dimitri asks, a little confused on when Byleth would had developed feelings for him.

“A little bit by bit, I suppose. Not right away of course. I was more focus on doing the job that my father said that I had to do. Frankly, I didn’t really want to become a teacher or attach myself to this place....at first. I suppose it was after my father had died that I truly saw you in a different light. That person wasn’t trapped in a vengeful cycle. Not at all. I saw through that metaphorical mask you always put up and saw the person who you truly were. They may had called you weakhearted and foolish, and they still probably will, even if you win this war. But I love all the sides of you, Dimitri. The good and the bad”. Byleth proceeded to take hold of one of Dimitri’s hands in her own small ones. “Promise me that once this war is over, you will be with me forever, just like in the past in the goddess tower”.

“That’s one promise I tend to keep, my beloved”. Byleth smiled warmly at him when he had declared this and Dimitri did the same. At that same time, a voice in the wind spoke almost silently, giving the couple a blessing on their shared feelings.

‘I always loved it when she smiled’.

#dimileth for ts;;#dimileth: tw #dimileth week 2019 #dimileth

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stevie-steven-stevington · 5 years

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Febuwhump Day 3: Taken

Fandom: MCU Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark Relationships: Peter Parker/Ned Leeds Rating: T Warnings: school shooting, hostage situation Words 2.8k

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loosely interpreting the prompt because...i can lmao. i’m probably gonna hate the ending tomorrow but it’s like 11:00 and i wanna sleep folks

“If Tony Stark’s little intern hands himself over to us, everyone else can leave untouched. Our business is with Peter Benjamin Parker, and only Peter Benjamin Parker.”

The man says his full name both times, like there’s a deeper meaning to it, like he’s saying, I know who you are. I know everything about you.

Peter doesn’t know if that’s true (is he here for Spider-Man or just for the kid who’s connected to Tony Stark?), but the words settle low in his chest and make it hard to breathe all the same. Whatever this is about, there’s only one way this can go down, and that’s with Peter doing as told.

He has to.

He’s Spider-Man. And Spider-Man protects the little guy, puts everyone else above himself. Spider-Man makes any and all sacrifices necessary to keep other people out of danger.

If that means walking himself right into a room of bad guys, likely with guns, as Peter Parker - scrawny, geeky, vulnerable Peter Parker - then so be it.

He flips the top on his watch and presses the button on the inside, holds until the blinking light appears to tell him that his panic button has worked.

Then, almost in a trance, Peter stands. He hears voices around him, kids hissing his name or frantically asking what the hell is happening or just swearing up and down. The words don’t really register in his head, and Peter doesn’t bother trying to focus his hearing because, well. He has better things to worry about, after all.

His feet move automatically. A step away from the wall he’d been sitting against, a step toward the door, a step toward his own potential demise. A step toward Midtown High’s potential salvation.

He gets halfway through the room before a hand encircles his wrist. He doesn’t turn. Knows exactly who is holding him back, but can’t turn to look at him because he can’t afford any cracks in his resolve.

“Peter,” Ned says, and his tone is sharp. Imploring. Desperate. His grip is tight on Peter’s arm, fingers pressing firm against his pulse point, right where his webshooters would be if he were in any way prepared for this.

(Code Red. This is not a drill - the school is now on lockdown. Repeat: Code Red. Engage lockdown protocol.

Webshooters in his gym bag. Gym bag in his locker. Wrists glaringly bare.) “Peter, please. Please think this through, Peter, you can’t just -” “I have to,” Peter says softly. The words, which come out much steadier than anticipated, are for Ned and no one else. “Ned, you know I have to.”

Someone murmurs under their breath, “Oh my fucking God.” Ned visibly flinches.

(A part of Peter wishes the lockdown had happened, say, an hour earlier, when he and Ned were in separate classes. It would’ve been so much easier to leave if his best friend wasn’t there to beg him to stay. But another part is more than grateful that Ned is here now. That if this goes south, at least he’ll have gotten to say goodbye to one of the people he loves.)

He can hear the unshed tears in Ned’s voice as he chokes out, “I know. God, I - I k-know, but - Peter -”

The awful hitch in his breath when Ned says his name forces him to turn. To face the boy he loves more than any other and say to his face, instead of the air, that this is just the way his life works. That this is the way his life will always work, and Ned might as well get used to it because maybe then it’ll hurt less.

If you’re always scared, you eventually stop noticing.

Right?

Peter steps into Ned’s space, close enough to still be heard if he whispered, and moves his hand to clutch Ned’s. “I’ll come back. I will, okay, you know I will. I’ll come back, Ned, I promise.”

The look on his best friend’s face says, How the hell could you know? When he opens his mouth, what comes out is, “Peter Parker, I swear to God, if you die out there, I will fucking kill you.” A surprised laugh tumbles out of Peter. “I know. I’ll be back, Ned, don’t worry about me.” “I always worry about you, Peter.”

Peter squeezes his hand, unsure if he’s trying to comfort Ned or himself. The whole room is silent around them, even the teacher who hasn’t once tried to make him stay (it’s a substitute, Peter almost feels sorry for him), and Peter feels like he and Ned are in their own world, their own little bubble of safety. He has to go.

“I have to go, Ned,” Peter whispers. “I’m sorry, okay? I love you.”

Three words, so many layers.

You’re my best friend, I love you.

You’re my best friend, I’m in love with you.

Somehow, both versions sound the same.

“I - I love you too, Peter.”

Letting go of Ned’s hand is one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do. Peter scans the room, takes in all the small, terrified faces of kids he barely even knows, and then he says, “I need a couple of you to help me move the desk from in front of the door,” because even in a crisis, secret identities have to be kept secret.

The chairs stacked on top of the desk are lifted, the desk is slid back across the room. Peter looks back at Ned once more, tries his damndest to ignore the tears sliding down Ned’s cheeks, and tells him, “Text Mr. Stark. He should be on his way already, just - explain what’s going on. I’ll be fine, alright?” A shaky nod.

Peter turns one last time.

All he can think as his hand touches the doorknob is, I should’ve kissed him. This could be my last chance. I should’ve kissed him.

(Theoretically, these guys don’t want to kill him. Theoretically, they’re just using him to get to Tony Stark. Theoretically, he’ll come out of this at least relatively unscathed.)

(Or maybe they’re here to kill Spider-Man, and he’s heading right to his own death.)

(But no, they said Tony Stark’s intern. Not Spider-Man.)

(Still.)

I should kiss him before I go, he thinks.

And then a hand on his wrist yanks him back around again and Ned is kissing him.

For a split second, Peter automatically stiffens, but then he melts. One hand comes up to cup Ned’s cheek and the other to clutch at Ned’s shirt sleeve, fingers twisting into the fabric like it’s a lifeline.

This isn’t exactly how he’d hoped their first kiss would go. And yet, the press of Ned’s lips, which taste of salt and peanut butter and everything Peter loves, against his is the best thing he’s felt in his life.

Peter thinks he might be okay if this is the last thing he ever feels.

All too soon, Ned pulls away. He says, “I’ll see you soon, Peter,” and the words sound much sweeter than they should.

The panic alert comes in at 2:26 PM, while Tony is in a board meeting.

The first text comes in at 2:32 PM, while Tony is flying toward Midtown High as fast as his suit will let him.

[Ted Leeds, 2:32 PM] theres bad guys at school

[Ted Leeds, 2:32 PM] they took peter. said theyd leave everyone else alone if he went to them

[Ted Leeds, 2:33 PM] they called him your intern and didnt say anything about spiderman so im pretty sure its about you not him

[Ted Leeds, 2:33 PM] they should be in the principals office and he doesnt have his suit or his webshooters hurry please

Tony tells F.R.I.D.A.Y. to text Peter’s friend back (I’m five minutes out, kid, don’t worry) and then snaps at her to go fucking faster, goddammit.

Of fucking course Peter would get taken hostage. Of fucking course if would be about him and not Peter. Spider-Man.

It’s typical, really. That someone he cares about is in danger because of him. After all, the people around tend to get hurt, one way or another.

He’d hoped Peter would be left out of it. The kid has enough problems of his own, what with being not only a superhero but also just a damn teenager, and he doesn’t need Tony Stark’s high school intern as another target on his head.

And yet, that’s what he got.

And now he could be…

No.

“FRI, pull up Peter’s vitals,” Tony says breathlessly, chest clenching in nervous anticipation.

Peter’s vitals pop up on the suit’s interface without a word from F.R.I.D.A.Y.. Tony’s hands shake as he gives it a quick once-over and finds that…

The kid’s fine.

His heart rate is elevated, but overall he’s fine. Afraid, but not panicking. Just goes to show how damn strong he is. Especially seeing as Tony is almost 100% sure that his heart rate is higher than Peter’s right now.

Glancing at the other side of his interface tells him that yes, his heart rate is 10 BPMs higher than Peter’s. Damn.

Tony touches down outside of Midtown High, in the midst of a shit-ton of police and frantic parents, and every set of eyes lands on him.

He ignores it all. Lets his mask retract and turns to the nearest officer.

“I don’t give a shit what the lockdown protocol is,” he says, before anyone else can even speak. Even with his pounding heart and shaking fingers, he musters up every ounce of fuck you, I’m Tony Stark that he possibly can and stares down the officer in front of him. “I don’t care what speech you’re giving all the parents, I don’t give a flying fuck what you’re supposed to tell me. This isn’t a normal school shooting - the fact that I just said normal school shooting is a whole other story. This is targeted. My - my kid is in there, he’s the one these fuckers took hostage, and I’m going to go find him.”

And with that, the mask comes back down and he marches into the school with more determination than he’s ever felt for anything else.

(As he goes, he swears he hears May Parker shout, seemingly through tears, “Find our kid, Tony! You’d better find our damn kid!”

He’ll be damned if he lets May Parker down.)

The tracker leads him through three different hallways, past countless classroom doors behind which he’s sure there’s countless petrified teenagers.

God, teenagers.

He tries so fucking hard, but no matter what he does he always seems to be putting people in harm’s way. Directly or indirectly.

But that doesn’t matter right now. It can’t matter right now.

Nothing matters but Peter.

Peter.

And there he is, in the principal’s office just like Ned said he’d be. Tony hears the kid before he sees him - he can’t make out exactly what’s being said, but he’d bet his whole damn company that it’s some sort of witty joke.

Jesus Christ, kid. Is it really witty if it gets you killed?

The nanotech on his feet retracts to quiet his steps. He moves to stand next to the door, peering through the little square glass window to find his kid.

Peter sits, legs criss-cross underneath him, with zip ties around his wrists and a gun against the side of his head.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

The man holding the gun isn’t even looking at Peter (or at the window, thank God). That, plus the zip ties, proves without a doubt that these guys don’t even know who they’re holding hostage. Peter’s fingers tap against his knee, almost compulsively, but other than that, there’s no visible indication of fear. Not in his eyes, not in his expression, not in his posture. That’s okay. Tony’s scared enough for the both of them.

What’s the best way to play this?

If the gun against Peter’s head wasn’t involved, he’d just bust down the door and go in shooting. But as is, if he does that, there’s a possibility that he’ll take down the one with the gun before he can shoot, but there’s a likelier possibility that, either by this guy or by another one that Tony can’t see, Peter will get shot.

Not an option. Peter getting shot in the head on the floor of his high school principal’s office is definitely not an option.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., scan the room,” Tony whispers. “Check how many heat signatures there are.” A beat, then, “Four, Boss.”

He swears under his breath. That’s Peter and three criminals who, for all he knows, took Peter solely because they knew he’d call for Tony and their only goal is to get them together so they can shoot both of them.

Tony, of course, has a bulletproof suit on.

Peter, on the other hand, despite all the other DNA enhancements, is very much not bulletproof.

He is, however, looking at Tony.

Their eyes lock through the window, and Peter’s face visibly brightens, the corners of his mouth quirking up and the lines in his forehead smoothing out. The fear may not have shown, but the relief does. Along with the blind faith that Peter always seems to have in him.

No matter how much Tony doubts himself, Peter always trusts him.

It’s ridiculous, because Tony has done nothing to earn such unwavering trust. But he’s glad for it, now, because he needs Peter to be as confident in his odds for survival as possible.

The kid mouths something. Tony furrows his brow at him, makes a vague gesture through the window that he hopes says, Repeat.

Peter complies. Tony still doesn’t catch it.

Within seconds, Peter has reevaluated (his kid’s a genius, he’ll tell anyone who’ll listen). He glances down at his hands, then up at Tony, then down again, pointedly.

T-H-R-E-E, he taps out on his knee. Morse Code. A fucking genius.

Tony nods even though he already knows. Peter keeps tapping and the men holding him hostage keep ignoring him.

A-L-L H-A-V-E G-U-N-S.

Figures.

R-E-A-D-Y W-H-E-N Y-O-U A-R-E.

You always are, kid, Tony thinks. Then he holds up three fingers in front of the window.

Counts down: Three, two, one.

Peter swings his hands up, smacking the gun out of his captor’s hands just as Tony kicks down the door and aims a repulsor blast at the first bad guy he sees (low energy, because as homicidal as he feels, he’s not trying to murder a man in front of his kid). Tony doesn’t see Peter take down his guy, too busy aiming a punch at the last criminal’s head, but he hears a body hit the floor and grins.

If this were Rhodey, he’d be saying, Too easy. You’d think these guys would try a little harder.

But it’s not. It’s Peter.

As soon as he’s certain that all the bad guys are unconscious, Tony steps out of the armor and pulls Peter into the tightest hug he thinks he’s ever had.

The kid fits into his arms like he was meant to be there. “Thanks for coming, Mr. Stark.”

“Of course. I’ll always come when you call, kid.”

Tony feels Peter’s smile against his collarbone and never wants to feel anything else.

He walks Peter out of the school with an arm around his shoulders once everyone else has been safely evacuated.

The moment they step outside, there’s yelling. He feels Peter wince at his side and squeezes Peter’s shoulder as if to say, it’s okay, I’m right here.

May is the first one to reach them. Peter pulls away from Tony, gently, and lets his aunt fret over him until she’s satisfied that he’s unharmed, then throw her arms around him and hold him as close as she possibly can.

She catches Tony’s eye over Peter’s shoulder and mouths, “Thank you.”

Tony nods, smiles. Feels a level of solidarity with May that he never really thought they’d reach.

Neither of the Parkers break the hug until someone shouts Peter’s name and Peter’s head shoots up. Tony scans the crowd, already knowing exactly who he’s looking for, and then watches as Peter runs to his best friend and practically vaults into his arms.

Ned catches him with ease (Peter’s so fucking light, it’s a goddamn wonder), smile bright and eyes wet.

When they kiss, standing in the middle of the Midtown lot in front of the whole school, Tony shoots a look at May, who just shrugs.

“I saw that one coming,” she says. Moves to join Tony, fingers of her right hand slipping between Tony’s left.

Tony snorts. “Me too. I think they’re the only ones who didn’t.”

May gives a watery laugh and leans her head against Tony’s shoulder. They watch, together, as MJ joins Peter and Ned, hugging them both tight and yet still calling them losers in the same second.

They watch their kid rejoice with his friends, happy about nothing other than just being alive, and it feels like Tony’s come home.

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jo-the-schmo · 6 years

Text

It Smells Like Rain. Part 1

A/N: This is the first fic I’ve written for MCU, so honestly a lot of stuff is gonna be weird. I kinda mixed universes and make mentions to things that have happened because those movies are too good to not? I promised my friend @aurasphereriolu2 I would write this so I hope you enjoy this Thor x gender neutral reader.

Warnings: Swearing, puns, not much else honestly?

Word count: 6,855

Your nose instinctively scrunched up when you stepped out of the sleek, nondescript, black car that took you into the city. The driver stepped out as well, along with your new sorta boss, Nick Fury. “It smells disgusting here.” You almost felt like gagging, the swirling scent of smog screamed into your nostrils. Nick let out a chuckle that didn’t really suit his character. “You’ll get used to it.” He motioned for you to follow him and the driver into the Avengers tower. You adjusted the band on your fingerless gloves as you all made it past security and into a reflective elevator. You decided to break the silence, “So, got any tips for a newbie?” You said with a hint of sarcasm. But Fury seemed to actually ponder that question. “If you don’t break anything and are okay with dark humor, you’re in with Tony. Just be nice to both of our local spiders and neither should have a problem with you. Don’t be an asshole to Cap. Keep it calm with Bruce and Barnes. And just exist around Thor, then you should be fine.” “Wow, last one sure sounded easy.” You snorted. “He is.” The elevator dinged, sliding open its doors to reveal a spacious room. Extremely modern, stylish, and only semi professional. You were surprised the room was empty, that’s a rare sight for a place that’s supposed to be extra protective. “Alright kids, you know I called a meeting, get your asses in gear.” Fury’s voice shifted to being almost as dramatic as his jacket. Seriously, that thing cannot be too practical. It sure looks cool though...I kinda want one. It only takes a few moments for the room to fill with people. The first of which being the famous Spider-Man. “Sorry! I had to find my mask!” He lets out a charismatic laugh. Why do I feel the strange urge to protect him with my life? Next is the Captain himself, with a sweet grin and some semblance of facial hair going on. “Hello! I’d like to welcome you to the Av-“ he’s soon cut off by another man, Tony Stark. “That would be my line, Colonel Purple Mountains Majesty.” He takes a bite of a...peach? Is that just a straight up peach? “Don’t steal my thunder.” “And you shouldn’t steal mine!” A booming voice echos from down the hall as a tall, blond man comes behind Tony and puts a strong arm around him. You recognize him as Thor. He’s bigger? In person? Weird. “Can we stop doing this cheesy lead up as a way to cleverly introduce ourselves? You all are giving me a migraine.” Black Widow says with disdain as she strolls in through a different hallway, reading something on a hologram tablet. “I’ll second that.” Bruce Banner mumbles as he adjusts his glasses. Has he...slept? Recently? He looks like he’s dying a little bit. Bruce looks around. “Where are the others at?” “Probably getting into trouble.” Thor sighs with a smile on his face. You cannot read what emotion he’s feeling. “Hopefully the good doctor isn’t.” Tony rolled his eyes. “Alright, enough of family sitcom intro sequence, I don’t care where the hell the others are because they aren’t my responsibility. We have important matters to discuss.” Fury gesture a hand towards you, as if he were presenting you. “I’d like for you all to welcome our newest agent. On normal circumstances, you all would’ve met her already. But unfortunately, those aren’t our circumstances. This is Agent L/N. They’re here to help deal with our recent conundrum...” Fury trails off. “Oh! You mean Metalhead?” Spider-Man suggests. “That is...not the name we were going with but yes, Metalhead.” You can’t see the facial expressions on whoever is wearing that mask but you can feel him smirking. Tony walks over to you in confident but effortless stride. Everything about him seemed very natural and blasé. You were surprised by the fact that apparently he enjoyed Metallica, at least that’s what his shirt suggested. “So what’s your deal? I need to come up with a clever nickname.” And apparently he’s extremely self aware. He extended his hand to you. “Got a name?” “Y/N.” You shook his hand with a firm grip before Fury answered his earlier questions. “Agent L/N is going to aiding you in your pursuit against ‘Metalhead’. I picked them specifically for the job because- well, maybe I should let them show you.” After hearing multiple people agree, you were ushered over to the center of the room with everyone surrounding you in a circle. You took the glove off your dominant hand and let in a deep breath. At least the air in here is a little cleaner... You looked around the room for a good place. Thor took especial interest in what you were doing. Finally you found something that wouldn’t break. You spotted a bonsai tree by the large window and gently showed your hand in its direction. The veins in your arm began to glow and in an instant, the bonsai began to grow rapidly. Spider-Man latched onto the wall near the elevator as he gasped in surprise. You took slow steps toward the shaping tree. A branch lowered itself down to you and allowed you to step onto the trunk. It didn’t buckle under your weight because of your infused power. You waved your hand and the tree extended, moving you back to the center of the circle. Everyone was thoroughly surprised by the realization. “You’re a mutant?” Widow asked. Banner seemed confused. “Wait, why a mutant? Aren’t they kinda a different department or something?” He asked, eyes squinted. “Well I’m not a teenager anymore, and let’s just say that the whole setting doesn’t fit me anymore.” You could tell everyone wanted you to elaborate but instead you hopped off the bonsai and waved it away. The tree twisted and shrank back down to its original size, looking completely untouched. “Looks like we got a second green thumb around here.” Tony pointed out. “I hate that.” Cap said with a grimace. “Get them accustomed to the area and I’ll check back in tomorrow so we can go over plans. Tony, play nice, we need them for this.” With that, Fury left with the elevator. “I’d offer to show you around but Bucky asked to train with me after the meeting. Call me Steve, by the way.” I’m gonna call him Rogers. You thought as he quickly left the room.

“Same here, the big guy and I have some-“ Tony pauses. “Spidey, cover your ears.” You raise an eyebrow when you actually see Spider-Man cover the sides of his head with his hands. “Some science shit to work on.” He signals for the ear covering to stop.

“You don’t have to do that y’know? Swearing isn’t a big deal.”

“The fact that you call it swearing means I’m right in my decisions.” Tony pays Bruce’s shoulder and the both of them turn around and open the door to an all glass lab.

“It was nice to meet you, Y/N! I have to go work on my suit for a bit, but I’ll be back later to pick your brain!” And with that, he bounced out of the room. He sure is enthusiastic. You turned your attention to the blonde woman in the outfit that matched her personality.

“I just don’t wanna do it. Big, dumb, blonde idiot, you blabber to her for a bit.” She barely looked up from the screen. Thor let out a hearty laugh.

“Don’t mind her, you get used to her.”

“She’s charming.” Though I suppose I’d be in the same mood if this was my everyday. Thor gave you his hand. You slid your glove back on before shaking his hand. His grip was surprisingly gentle for someone so...that.

“My name is Thor Odinson. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Likewise.” You took a deep breath through the nose and suddenly were caught off guard. What’s that...smell? “Rain?” You pondered out loud. Your hand fell back to your side as Thor clapped both his together with a bright smile on his face.

“Ah, you smell that? You must have a good nose, I never hear people comment on that.” He seemed almost excited that someone caught on. “I’m the god of thunder, the scent comes with the deal.” You fell silent for a moment.

“Oh, I’m gonna have to be around you A LOT!” You allowed yourself a sigh of relief. “Do you know how bad the city smells? I hate it! I’m gonna need to set up a greenhouse here or something.”

“Well I can provide the rain if you have an open roof.” Thor spike with delight

“Think Stark will be okay with this?”

“I’d wager so, he’s usually fine with most of our antics.”

“Well I need one anyway, can’t really sleep in a stuffy room with chemicals spilling around me.”

“Let me show you around, it’ll give you an excuse to figure out where your choice of stay will be.” You followed him around for a majority of the day, incidentally learning a lot about him with every floor.

“You seemed the least surprised about my whole, plant thing. Guess it’s not too weird in comparison to being a god.”

“That, and someone in my realm has that exact skill set. Asgard is quite the place.”

“Why is there a hole in the wall there?”

“That would be my brother, Loki. He had a bit of a rat incident, got stuck in the wall.”

“Wow…”

“Yeah, that’s my brother for ya.”

You were able to understand a general layout of the building and knew where your room was supposed to be. But you refused. You didn’t have much sent with you so managed to convince Thor to grab a few bags while you got all your potted plants and made your way to the only space that connected with the outside other than the ground itself. You were fully aware that this area was meant for the helipad but you didn’t care. Thor seemed rather confused, examining you as you flitted about the open, outdoor space.

“You...plan to sleep outside?”

“Fury obviously didn’t get the memo…”

“What memo?”

“I can’t exactly stay inside for too long.” You had him put all the stuff down so he could focus on what you were saying, since he was obviously still perplexed. You ungloved your hand once more to demonstrate. You usually tried to let nature take its course with your plants but for the sake of explanation, made an exception to your rule. With the opposite hand, you carefully extracted a piece of a succulent you were trying to propagate.

“My body is heavily in tuned with the natural world.” You paused and made sure he watched as you placed the small shred of green onto your naked palm. In an instant, the succulent began to grow, and it wasn’t long before it came to its full size. It took 2 seconds. “So much so that I can bring life to something that has long since past. But that comes with a few setbacks on my end.”

“What do you mean?”

“My body itself acts more similar to a plant than a flesh person. I need to be outside a surprising amount. I actually did sleep in the court yard back at Xavier’s. And if I’m being completely honest, my presence out here might help clean the air a bit.” Thor nodded along, he didn’t seem confused anymore, he actually looked quite pleased with what he learned.

“Well, that certainly is a wonderous ability to-“ his hand reaches for your own, the one that held the succulent. You panicked and dropped it to the ground, pulling your hand back just in time to escape Thor’s touch. You hastily put the glove back on as his own hand reeled back in surprise. “I apologize, I certainly did not mean to-“

“No, no! You’re fine, you are all good! Just...just don’t touch my bare hands. My fingers are okay but not my palms or the backs of my hands. Just a safety precaution.”

“Do you mind me asking why exactly?” His words were soft and curious.

“Well, my power generates from certain points on my body. My palms and the soles of my feet. I can pull the power to my fingers and stuff like that, but there’s no guarantee that bare contact won’t just turn whatever I touch into something more...organic? It isn’t intentional, it just happens and I never know when it’s coming so I always cover my palms.”

“That seems rather stressful…”

“Pfft, mine’s a summer breeze compared to some other mutants. As long I’m not stupid and you’re not stupid, it should be okay. Which neither of us are, nor anyone in this building from what I’d guess.” You laughed at your own statement. After all, some of the world’s greatest geniuses are here. But Thor seemed rather surprised by your statement. He quickly shook it off and his usual smile was brought to his face.

“Well, let’s go bother Stark in his lab, you do need somewhere to sleep!”

…

Your stay with the Avengers has been interesting to say the least. In the time you’ve been there, only 3 days, you have seen 5 windows shatter, a coffee machine literally implode, and have gotten stuck to the wall because Clint (who had just come back after some time off) decided to scare poor Spidey while you got caught in the crossfire of his reaction. There were plenty of good things to come of it though.

You did in fact get your greenhouse, that night actually. You didn’t expect Thor to be so persuasive, but you suppose it’s not too outlandish to see that. Spider-Boy (name pending) also kept to his word. He did find you the next day and ‘picked your brain’ for a bit. He was a nice kid, a smart one too. He never ran out of questions to ask you, but was always very polite about it.

Today, you were in your greenhouse. It wasn’t, gigantic or anything. Not nearly as grandiose as your one back at Xavier. You were glad they kept their word when you requested someone still take care of it. But you were just happy that you had something to work with. You took off your gloves and slid them into your back pocket. With a wave of your hand, two tree limbs exuded from your arms and pushed open the folding roof, careful to not break the glass. This by far was your favorite feature. The glass panes were good enough to allow proper sunlight but something about letting the sun into the small structure whenever you wanted was very nice.

As you got yourself busy, you became lost in thought. You were supposed to come here to help solve the ‘Metalhead’ problem but it hasn’t been talked about since your first day. Furthermore, he’s been keeping a low profile ever since you arrived, it was making you a bit anxious. You wondered what he could be planning. I should talk to Tony and Rogers about it when I get the chance.

“You’re up early!” You heard the voice of the young Spidey as he perched himself on the edge of the greenhouse.

“Early Bird gets the worm, yeah?”

“Oh, worm?” You facepalm. He laughs at your reaction.

“Are you ready to get to work?” For the past 2 days, Spidey has been dropping by to help you with your plants. Apparently he can’t take care of a regular plant to save his life.

“You bet!” He hopped down and put a pair of gloves on over his already covered hands, which never stopped being funny to you. You tried to change up which bed he took care of so that he would learn different things. Today you instructed him on how to care for the few small trees you had inside. One being a peach tree (under Stark’s request). Man likes his peaches, I guess.

The two of you were oddly silent when you worked. This was unusual for him at least because he always had a question to ask. Can you sleep inside? Yes. Why don’t you? Well, my body gets a lot of its energy from being outside in general. Are you telling me you go through photosynthesis? Sort of, the sun does play a part in it but being outside in general keeps me working. Winter is a bit of a struggle but I make it work. Do you need to eat? Yes, I do. Most of my energy comes from being outside but I am still a person. He’d ask a lot about your powers but also about your favorite movies and shows. He was happy to hear that you plan on sticking around in the city to help with air quality. How much clean air do you generate? Hmmm, last time I checked it was about the same amount as 10,000 trees. That’s a lot of damage! Yeah, it is. How exactly does that work? Well, trees can absorb harmful gases and pollutants in the air and filter clean air back out. My skin does the same thing. You almost didn’t notice him finally start talking while you pondered.

“Why do you do this?”

“Hm?” The question was vague but genuine.

“Why do you take care of plants by hand when you can summon them whenever you want?” That was a question nobody had really asked you before. It took you a second to find the right response.

“Well… Where’s the fun in that?” You paused what you were doing and turned to look at him. “There’s no satisfaction in just making something happen. You have to work for it, understand it, create it. My powers are in tuned with nature but I am not nearly as wondrous as the natural world. I just…” You turned back to the amazon lilies.

“Just what?” He asked shyly. You looked at him but continued to plant the lilies.

“You’re a smart boy, Spidey. Why is a smart guy like you asking so many questions?” This is what was really getting to you. Even with his mask on he looked nervous.

“So many of the Avengers are fantastical in some way.”

“Are you telling me you aren’t special right now? Because if you are, I swear, I WILL turn you into a willow tree!”

“I’m sorry! I guess it just...kinda gets to me sometimes? Please don’t turn me into any sort of non sentient organism.”

“Alright...but this is your only warning boy, I’m watching you! You better like yourself or I’ll get upset and you won’t like me when I’m upset!” Spidey made a pfffffffffft noise and laughed.

“You can’t just steal Bruce’s thing!”

“Shhhhhh, don’t tell me what I can and can’t do.” You smiled. He’s a good kid, he shouldn’t feel let down. You made a note to talk to Tony and Rogers about this too. Something made a frantic beeping noise.

“Oh! Sorry! My Aunt is calling. Think we can continue this later?”

“Sure thing, kiddo.” And with your go ahead, he did a sweet flip out of the greenhouse. Can he just not use doors? The curse of being Spider-Boy… you heard a knock on the glass door adjacent from you. In the doorway was the other reason the past few days had been so pleasant. “Visiting my cabin in the woods so soon, Goldie Locks? Figured you’d at least wait till noon.”

“I could say the same for you.” Thor grinned. Thor was...an interesting guy. You weren’t expecting the guy you saw on TV all the time to be quite like this. He was big, loud, and a bit on the dramatic side. But he was also the most gentle person you had ever met. At least around you he was. His voice was always more soothing when it was just the two of you. But this time he sounded a bit more concerned. “I heard what you said to the spider boy.” I knew that name couldn’t be original!

“How much?”

“All that I needed to hear.” He came closer to you, leaning his hip against the desk that converted into your bed. “Why were you up so early?” Nothing seems to get past him. He’s very intuitive.

“I’m...anxious? That’s probably what it is. Sleeping has been a bit of an issue.”

“Why so anxious? Anyway I can help?”

“You’re too sweet.” You sighed and thought for a moment. “I feel like I’m not getting anything done. This is my third day here and the whole reason I’m here hasn’t been brought up once. I feel like I’m just sitting around.” You turned around, resting yourself partially of the edge of the wooden flower bed support, staring down at your hands. You were so lost and thought that you didn’t catch what was happening until the last second. Thor was standing in front of you. Your hands shot back and hit the board, gripping into the clean wood, while he leaned in close.

“Need to stretch your legs for a bit?” The smirk on his face made you blush but also slant your eyes.

“Can you be more specific? Context would be important here.” You gave a forced chuckle.

“Training! I’ve been dying to see you in action and I think I could convince some of the others to come along!” He’s so pretty when he’s enthusiastic.

“I guess? I mean, I’ve got nothing else to do!” Your lips tightened into a thin smile. He pulled himself away and clapped his hands together.

“Excellent! I shall inform the others, see how many participants I can gather. Will I meet you back here?”

“I suppose so…” And with that, Thor left with a little more bounce in his step. You let out a heavy breath and managed to unferel your hands from the planks of wood. You hesitated, but knew you had to see. 2 patches of moss in the shape of flustered hands. “Damnit…”

About 30 minutes pass by the time Thor meets back up with you. He changed from his casual clothes into his battle attire which you had never seen in person. You weren’t entirely sure why your anxiety had gotten worse. This was supposed to be at least a little fun. It was supposed to NOT make you anxious. Maybe I just need to wait till we get there.

“You ready to go?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be!” You literally followed that up with saying ‘ha’ three times. “Who’s coming along?”

“Barnes, the boy, one of Stark’s suits, and I believe Banner is coming as well!” He sure is excited. “Can you fly?”

“What?” You heard a light thud, and suddenly another voice had entered the conversation.

“Mr.Barnes and Mr.Bucky are taking one of the aircrafts. Are you going with them? Because Thor will be hopping around and I’ll be swinging.”

“Yes, what he said.” Thor chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

“Hm, I think I’ll make it just fine if you guys lead the way.” Thor could read the mischievous glint in your eyes. You closed the door of the greenhouse behind you and walked over to the edge of building. You took off your gloves again and attached them to one of your belt loops.

“What are you doing?” They both asked in unison, which was kinda weird.

“You’ll see.” You sang. You shot Thor a wink before you leaned forward and let your body free fall. You heard Spidey exclaim ‘oh shit!’ as you fell. This was one of the benefits that your powers gave you. You smiled as the air built around you. You watched in bullet time as ivy began to coat the ground and up the wall of the Avengers tower. And then the falling stopped. You were completely relaxed as you hung motionless in the air. That is, until you felt something whiz past you and land on the sidewalk about 10 feet below you. Worried eyes looked up at you.

“Are you al-“ he stopped as he noticed what was going on. A cottonwood tree had grown on the side of the structure. The roots sprawled, none going through the building. You hang from an ivy vine that coiled around your left ankle and up your leg, the other one bent as if you were trying to hug your knee. Spidey landed on the trunk above you, clearly stunned.

“How do you stay upside down so long? My head is already starting to hurt.”

“That was so cool!” He exclaimed.

“Thanks kid, you need to teach me how to swing around without the blood rush.” You looked back down at Thor. “You alright down there big guy?”

“Yes, you just gave me a bit of scare.” He brushed off the worry and continued. “At least I have an idea of what to expect during training.” You heard the click of camera and phones going off, people around you were taking pictures. You waved politely for them.

“Lead the way, boys. I’m ready to go!” More vines crawled over the trunk and managed to pull you up, but instead of Boston Ivies, these were littered in yellow flowers. “Black-Eyed Susan’s? Huh, that’s a good one.”

“I could just carry you. Don’t want to waste any energy for training.” Thor suggested.

“Ha! That’s just what you want, buddy. Spidey, lead the way!”

“You got it!” Without skipping a beat, he began to swing away. You took a running start down the winding branches of the tree before they began to carry you. Then you ran again. Your body and powers already sensing your next move, a white willow shot out of the ground. The tall, branching trunk wrapped around a lamp post in multiple directions and caught around your leg, keeping you still for a second. You felt the white and gold specs of energy blow past you, like leaves and petals do in anime and cartoons for some reason that no one talks about. The cottonwood tree and boston ivy on the tower was gone.

“That’s certainly impressive.”

“Just wait until we get to our destination, tall, blonde, and handsome.” You took the opportunity of Thor’s shock and got the fuck out of there. It only took less than an hour to get to an open field where Spidey was waiting since you were essentially running from your consequences.

“Took you two long enough!” The boy said just as you jumped down with Thor following close behind.

“You always need to properly stretch before you do anything physically exerting.” It wasn’t long before you heard a helicopter coming by in the distance. You decided to take a look at your surroundings while it landed. Guess I should’ve figured they all don’t train inside...that wouldn’t really make much sense with their skill sets.

“Sorry we’re late, had to pick up some equipment.” Bruce explained as he came closer to your small group with Bucky in tow.

“Equipment? What do you need equipment for? We’re training.” Thor questioned.

“You all are training, not me. I’m here out of curiosity.”

“He wants to see what they can do.” Bucky pointed at you.

“Exactly. I’ll be over here…” he pointed to the side and began to walk in the direction. But before he made it to his destination, be pulled out something that looked like a beeper, pressed it, and threw it behind him. Thor smirked and said-

“In 3...2...1…” And there it is, pieces of one of Stark’s suits flew in, building itself over where the beeper landed.

“That’s super neat!”

“Eh, that’s an older model that remade for training. Not nearly as cool as his normal suits.” Spidey punctuated.

“Well, let��s not waste anymore of Banner’s time. He’s just as curious as the rest of us.” He smiled at you before raising his voice to everyone else. “Spread out! It’s time to get to work.” Everyone nodded but you had another trick up your sleeve.

“Good luck, boys. I’ll be keeping a BUCKeye on you!” You clapped your hands and pushed them into making circles reverse of each other. The grass on the ground grasped at your feet. Dandelions crawled up your form. Then, you were nowhere to be seen. Because you were literally underground. Last time I used that was to get out of a reeeeaaaaalllly awkward conversation. Quick moves!

You never know where your powers will take you, they do their own thing sometimes. You shot out of the ground and onto your feet, surprisingly not dirty. Nice job roots, you’re getting better at that. The first thing you noticed was a pond. Cool beans! It’s like a little park here! Why the hell is their a pond in the training grounds? Ooooo! Creeping Jenny! A sneaky gal!

“Don’t let your guard down, bud!” You heard Bucky charge at your from behind, a wall of roses sprawled an inch from your back.

“The only things down are my serotonin levels, Buck!” Making a sharp turn, you lunged and dragged your hand across the spotty ground, making a semi circle around where Bucky had to slow down. Even though he tried to jump out of the way with those good, good reflexes, you anticipated him. Three roots pulled him back into a sort of hug with their buckeye tree. One caught him on his waist, his still people hand, and his left leg. “Get it? It’s a both a pun on your name and the one I made earlier.”

“You’re a clever little shit.”

“Yeah I am, you can easily break that so I’m gonna bounce and have you catch up with me in a sec but I just got one more question.” He looked confused. “Who the fuck names their kid after the most irrelevant president?” And with that, you straight bounced out of their. Meaning a shit load of bamboo shoots punctured through the ground and shot you in the air. Your curled yourself into a ball while zooming through the air and felt something soft and fuzzy wrap around you. You felt yourself land but it didn’t hurt. You relaxed your muscles and realized you were covered in Lamb’s Ear and under you was a round patch of Irish Moss. So soft! You gave them both a little squeeze before getting up and going into a sprint. You heard a familiar ‘woosh’ noise and quickly phased into a nearby tree. Red and Blue were heading your way, and fast. Better think faster! You were pushed back through the air, your back bending and until your feet hit the surface of a another tree across from the original one. The motion caused the white glimmers of energy that you focused on to form into a cluster of bengal clockvine. Of course, Spidey would be able to sense this coming, so your only option was to overwhelm him with numbers. The entirety of the 2 trees you moved between and the space in between were saturated by a mass of thin green vines, leaves, and purple trumpet shaped flowers.

“NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO N-“ he was almost able to avoid them, which was extremely impressive. His foot got caught on the top, making him trip in the air, and slam back onto the opposite side of the wall. You climbed around and jumped onto a branch a few feet away that gave you a good look at your handy work. The boy was literally upside down.

“Oh look, a spider in my web! You doing okay there? I almost didn’t catch you, kiddo!”

“Yep! I’m fine, nothing wrong here!” He groaned.

“Where’s the suit at, kid?”

“I’ll never tell! No snitches in MY Avengers!”

“Good looking out. Barnes is probably on his way, tell him I said sorry about the puns when you get out!” The branch bent and lowered you to the ground, you ran as you waved bye to the kid.

Alright...now if I was a suit worth more than my life, where would I be? You saw dark clouds rolling in at a strangely quick pace. Probably trying to fight a literal god to prove a point, yeah that sounds about right. Grand entrance time!

You slowed down to halt and scooped up a handful of dirt, squeezing it against your bare palm. You felt the ground shake under your boots, cracks pooled through the dry soil. Your hand felt the prickle of dull needles as your eyes saw the world spin. With loud, gnarly cracks, you stood near the top of a Sugar Pine, you estimated roughly about 200 feet tall. You could’ve made it taller, or manifested a different species of tree entirely. But you didn’t want to waste all your energy on being showy. Only waste SOME of your energy of being showy! Good plan.

You stayed still as the roots...uproot. It was less like the pine was walking and more like it was slithering. The roots acted like snakes, but the snakes were carrying a 2 liter container of water...or something similar to that. For most people, they’d be freaking the hell out, but you were accustomed to this. In fact, you barely held on, there wasn’t a point in being nervous about this. Is it weird that I’m less bothered by this than being really close to a one-eyed god? Eh, probably not, right? You felt the air chill around you and shivered, but it wasn’t unpleasant. The feeling of soft electricity hit you first, then the voices faded in.

“Come on, Stark! You can be faster than that, even if that’s just an empty shell!”

“Hey! My suits are not empty, I’ve got AI in there! You better watch yourself, pretty boy!”

“Aw, that’s sweet, you think I’m pretty?” Thor taunted.

“Am I interrupting something? Should I come back later?” You shouted. 4 explosives locked on and fired toward you. “Whoops!” You dropped down and let a lower branch catch you, the top part of the pine was blown off and on fire. These were just the baby bullets. He was going easy on you. “Well damn, if you’ve already got the wine out, I might as well stay for a glass!”

“Dumb one-liners are my thing, Justin Timberlake.” This will truly be a battle of puns.

“Sorry to steal your game, rich boy.” The branch flung you up into the air. The suit aimed its palm at you, radiating with energy. And just before it was able to lock on to you, gravity was getting ready to pull you back down. You had essentially done a flip in the air and were nearly hovering over the Iron Man suit. Human eyes meeting robotic ones. You let the dirt in your hand go. The granules slipped from your fingers and trickled over the suit.

In that moment, you realize some things. First, Tony was controlling the suit, not letting one of his AI’s handle it as he earlier suggested. Next, there were at least a few gaps in THIS suit, not totally airtight. Finally, that pun he made was really good and you’re gonna have to think for a little bit to find a comeback. The suit reacted to what you did.

“Did you just throw dirt at my suit? You’re cleaning this!” You landed on a Lawson cypress that was only about 150 feet tall. Damn, am I getting tired already?

“Oh that shit’s never coming out.” You called with a smirk on your face. It was faint but you could see some green peeking out around where the joints in the suit would be. It’s arm twitched.

“What the hell did you do?” Tony’s voice was starting to sound crackly.

“Just a little gardening!” You sang. “Sheet moss is really good for covering almost any material, and is super soft too!” The suit started to convulse. “Sorry for hacking into your system with literal dirt. Imagine if that were someone’s intestines, gross right?” The lights went out and it began to fall. You whistled as it went. You looked back at Thor who was gripping Stormbreaker. “Think he’s gonna make me pay for that?”

“Doubtfully. Stark is a complicated man but he’s not heartless.”

“Good, didn’t think he would be. So...wanna do a quick round? You barely got to match with the suit before I spoiled your fun.” You moved your hand softly, making the branch you stood on raise and move closer to Thor until you were only a foot apart.

“I don’t want to fight you, even in training.”

“Why not? Is it because I’m a gentle little flower?” You teased. That’s what most people thought of you but you didn’t blame them. Your powers were more defensive than offensive.

“Quite the opposite, actually. You scare me a bit. I know when to pick and choose my battles.” He snickered. “I’d rather fight someone who can beat me in strength than someone who can outsmart me. Though, either impressive.”

“I mean, yeah, you ARE a god with superior strength and intelligence...isn’t that you thing?”

“Ah, you flatter me.”

“I THINK YOU MEAN FLATTEN!” You hardly had time to register the voice of Spidey before the cypress beneath you started to bend into a cocoon around your body. You couldn’t move but felt yourself get hit and thrown back.

You weren’t sure how long you were in the air for but you sure felt the landing. Your body rattled against the wooden shell, feeling dizzy and your head aching from what might have been a mild concussion. The cypress faded into specs of light absorbed into the air. Your muscles strained as you attempted to sit back up, but what you saw horrified you.

“What the hell…” Chrome blinded you with the mid afternoon sun, making the site serene in a grotesque manner. You weren’t sure how much of the crime lay before you but that didn’t manner. Coated in a metallic sheen were at least a dozen of what looked like Green Ashes and two stationary, humanoid figures.

Mouths were open in a silent scream, arms outstretched. Their metallurgic layer almost looking ghostly. You sat motionless for a few moments and drank in the scene. Adrenaline boiling. Then you came to your senses.

“Fix it! I can fix it! Fix it…” You tried your hardest to break through your fears and generate all the power you had left in your system. Push it back, I just need to push the particles back and do it fast enough for them to not react. Simple stuff! You slammed your hands into the cold earth and imagined your energy flowing back into it. It would be like a defibrillator shock on a dead corpse. Your body felt lighter and more weak, something was definitely happening.

But you saw nothing. Your tried again, and again, more energy, more violently, until your hands shank into the ground just to TRY and make something happen. The metal was spreading, it was still a few feet away from you. It was slow if anything else. You felt no life in this area, despite all the blades of grass and trees in front of you. Everything coated was dead, or so close that it almost didn’t matter. Your head ached and begged for you to stop. But you had to do something.

“Y/N? Where are you? Are you hurt?” An accented voice called out, but you didn’t have the strength to answer. Trap it, I can trap this patch until we find a way to contain it and reverse it. Grass scraped under a quiet but firm step. “Do you need medical-“ but he was cut short by what he saw.

With trembling hands, your nails scratched into the soil, your body screamed in pain. You had never exerted this much energy before, you never needed to.

“Just trap it, hold it, trap it, hold it, make it stop.” A few dozen stalks of white bark stained with grey patches erupted around the patch of land, shifting all the natural trees back. Yellow leaves sprouted quickly and dotted the sky from what you could see. They were unnaturally close together and made somewhat of a dome shape but that’s exactly what you needed. Something dense that would save time. A strong hand gripped your shoulder.

“Can you hear me? I’ve been calling out to you-“

“Pando, the trembling giant. They share a root system so I’ll be able to have it circulate a little longer than it’s supposed to. I can’t push it back.” You had panic in your heart but a numbness in your brain. The voice was quieter than before but it didn’t sound intentional.

“We need to get back to the others-“ your mind cut something out. “Just hold on, I can-“ your eyes shut, you something support your back and behind your knees. “We’ll find him.”

#marvel fic #thor x reader #thor odinson #mcu fanfiction

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