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𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐒/𝐎 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐈𝐓

REQUEST Hi hi happy new year!! I love your rowan fic (can't wait for part three) and I was wondering if you could do hc's for Wednesday characters (Wednesday, Enid, Xavier, Rowan, Tyler) seeing their SOs in a suit (preferably a female reader please)? thanks! — anon

AUTHOR'S NOTE: AHHHHH MY FIRST REQUEST!! Hi hi happy new year I love this prompt! I'm getting maaaaaajor Kate Bishop vibes here...this is so exciting. I kind of ended up doing the suit hc + how they would act when taking you to the Rave'N, so I hope you like that bit as well :) Happy new year! I hope you enjoy it!

PAIRING: fem!reader x wednesday characters WARNINGS: two little suggestive comments, but other than that it's just fluff!

✰ 𝐖𝐄𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐒

We all know that Wednesday is not one to show enthusiasm...or any emotions. About anything. Ever.

But when you appear in the doorway in a suit, she almost almost cracks a smile.

She recovers quickly, of course, and gives you a brisk "You look nice."

I'm just going to assume you're wearing a suit to some sort of formal event — maybe even the Rave'N

Regardless of where you're going, Wednesday sticks by your side the entire night, glaring at everyone who looks at you.

Basically she's giving everyone the silent "She's mine."

And if anyone comes up to you to flirt? Oooo boy she is threatening them with everything she has.

And after the potential flirters walk away, terrified, and you give her a surprised look, she just stares back at you like she's done absolutely nothing wrong (which, in her mind, she hasn't.)

"Wednesday, what was that?"

"A reasonable reaction to people hitting on my date. Why do you ask?"

And you can only roll your eyes at her, blushing like mad as you wrap an arm around her. "No reason."

✰ 𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐃 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐑

Now Enid is the exact opposite of Wednesday when it comes to this. When you pop up, girlie squeals.

As in, loud enough to make everyone cringe and cover their ears

Once again, in the opposite fashion of Wednesday, Enid takes every opportunity to show you off to everyone, so much so that you end up a little embarrassed.

"Everyone, look look look! Look at how good Y/n looks!"

"Enid."

"What? Can't I tell everyone how good my girlfriend looks?"

While not socializing, she is dragging you onto the dance floor just so that she can admire you from every angle

And every five minutes she reiterates the sentiment

"Ugh, Y/n, you look so good!"

"I know! You told me five minutes ago! And five minutes before that! And five minutes before that!"

Poor girl is sooooo down bad.

✰ 𝐗𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐏𝐄

I feel like he'd get so thrown off by you in a suit that it'd be easy to mistake it for him not liking it.

Like, he's just so baffled that he can't properly articulate his feelings towards it.

"Y/n...you...um..."

Your heart starts to sink a little, but you cover it up with a small grin.

"That bad, huh?"

Needless to say, that gets his lips moving.

"No!" he shouts, a little too loud. "No, no of course not. You just...you look incredible."

He just genuinely forgets how to get across how drop dead gorgeous he thinks you look

And he feels sooooo much pride when you guys walk in together

He's not going to show you off verbally, but with you on his arm, he's exuding "Yeah, that's right, look at my badass sexy girlfriend."

And towards the end of the dance, you'll ask him if he's ready to go

"Ready to leave?"

"Yeah," he says, then leans in to whisper in your ear, "I really want to see what that suit looks like on the floor."

I think you know what comes after that...

✰ 𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖

Oh my God...this boy forgets how to speak.

The second you appear in the doorway wearing the suit, he's a stuttering mess.

He's gonna need his inhaler if he wants to get a few words out

Once he gathers himself, he'll finally tell you how amazing you look

God he feels so cool arriving at the dance with you on his arm

He's just like me...he thinks women in suits are hot.

Literally cannot take his eyes off of you the entire night

He's not much of a dancer, but if you are, he'll probably suffer for a few minutes or so. Just for you.

Plus, it's just another opportunity for him to look at you up close, which is a total win for him.

Also, he is very touchy just in general, but I imagine especially so at this dance.

When you're off to the sides, he'll keep an arm wrapped around your waist or a hand locked in yours.

If you're sitting, he'll keep a gentle hand on your knee

And when you're dancing? He will be holding your hands, waist, anything.

He just likes the feeling of security and knowing that you're there with him and you're not going anywhere.

He'll probably even pull you out of the dance a little early, just so you guys can get back to his dorm before Xavier gets there

✰ 𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐈𝐍

I may not know much, but I know that this man is going to get you blushing in 0.000275 seconds.

He'll momentarily be awestruck by you, but of course he'll recover pretty quickly from the shock. Then, he'll say something that'll get you all hot and bothered

"If I had known you were going to pull off a suit better than me I would've brought sweatpants."

Idk what it is about that slightly awkward, slight confident vibe he has going on, but it works

He knows how to make a gal smile, that's all I'm saying.

He'll be a proper gentleman the whole night, but he's expertly hiding how freaking good you look in that goddamn suit.

He'll probably even make some kind of "twinsies" joke...because, you know...you're both in a suit. Please laugh he'd be so embarrassed if you didn't.

You guys would be on the dance floor ALL NIGHT

You'd be tearing that shit UP don't lie

And it is so much easier to maneuver in a suit over a dress, so you best believe you guys are doing allllllll the dancey dances

The only reason you stop is when one of you is about to collapse and you need to go slam some punch for stamina.

And at the end of the night, he would pull you close just to tell you once more how absolutely amazing you look, just to see the cute lil blush that follows <3

𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐎 → g. blythe

pairing: gilbert blythe x fem!reader type: fic request: none warnings: mild angst (but mostly fluff)

prompt/trope: "I like you." A mumbles, almost scared to admit. B absently reaches for A's hand on the railing, a smile forming on their lips. "Can we really do this? Nobody must know-" A throws B's hands on their shoulders, pulling them by their waist. "You and I know, and I think that's--that's more than enough, love." (@urfriendlywriter)

summary: when an accidental glance makes y/n's heart race, she's pushed to make a confession to her best friend, gilbert―who, surprisingly, seems open to a confidential agreement. word count: 1845

One glance. That was all it took. Y/n looked up momentarily from her slate, craned her neck ever so slightly to look beside her, and found a pair of hazel eyes already locked on her. In an instant she saw familiar freckles and curly dark hair, and an instant later they were gone. Gilbert's head snapped away the moment Y/n's eyes met his as he struggled desperately to look instantaneously busy in his studies, but Y/n's head stayed up, a crease forming between her brows as she gazed on, trying to work out why exactly Gilbert's eyes had been on her - and, even more, how long?

"Miss Y/l/n!" Mr. Philips snapped from his place at the desk. "Tear your eyes away from Mr. Blythe for once and focus."

A spattering of giggles from the girls and snickers from the boys coursed over the room. The only two who stayed truly silent were Gilbert and Y/n, who kept their eyes fixed intently on their respective slates so as not to draw any more attention to themselves - or to the other. Y/n's cheeks blazed red (as did Gilbert's although she was too afraid to look up and see it).

But it all begged the question, why? Gilbert and Y/n had been close friends from what seemed like the beginning of time. Well, perhaps friends wasn't the best way to describe how they started out. They began as all children do―by bothering each other. He'd pull her hair and she'd chase him around the schoolyard, throwing insults back and forth until they both ran out of breath. It happened so often that, at some point, they almost began to enjoy it. Soon enough they'd find themselves taking the same path to and from school. They'd use that time to bicker as well, not wanting to walk in awkward silence. Then, eventually, their bickering turned to casual conversation, then to enrapturing discussion about anything―reading, school, the goings on of Avonlea.

But they were friends. That was all. So why was Y/n blushing to high heaven over nothing but a momentary glance?

"Miss Y/l/n! Tear your eyes away from Mr. Blythe for once and focus." Y/n replayed the teacher's scolding again and again in her mind as she walked to town hall. Recently she'd been giving her time to help Miss Lind with the annual Christmas play she put on - with Gilbert. The two had long since grown out of participating, so they volunteered to help in other ways. Miss Lind had put Gilbert in charge of the lighting, seeing as he was the only one who could make sense of the queues and contraptions involved in the process. And Gilbert, quipping that he could only truly stand to be around her for hours at a time, elected Y/n to help him.

Until that day, Y/n had looked forward to rehearsal. But now she found her palms beginning to sweat as the town hall neared, despite the snow that was still surrounding her as she walked.

"Y/n!" Miss Lind exclaimed upon the girl's arrival. "Lovely to see you. Gilbert's already in the loft―go on up and see what you can do to help."

Miss Lind knew to phrase her request in such a way because it was common knowledge that Gilbert was the true brains behind the operation, and Y/n was his less knowledgeable but very teachable assistant. Y/n nodded at Miss Lind's request and left her to continue squawking at the young children singing a very off-key rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Y/n climbed the familiar steps to the upper loft at the back end of the auditorium, feeling her heart race as she did so. She tried with all her might to scold it back to a normal rhythm, but it was no use. All the panic just wormed its way into her mind, her thoughts racing at speeds that were surely unnatural.

Gilbert was indeed already at the loft, close by the railing, tinkering with one of the stands as she tried to raise it a few inches. Y/n stepped quietly so as not to make her presence known immediately, hoping for a few extra seconds to plan how to address him (although she had never quite wondered such a thing before), but her heel brushed a paint can by the landing and caused a great scraping noise that in turn made Gilbert whip around in surprise.

Y/n pursed her lips. "Oops." she muttered.

She heard Gilbert laugh. "Could you stop knocking things over for a moment and help me?" he asked. "I can't quite figure out how this is supposed to work."

"Aren't you supposed to be the expert on lighting?" Y/n quipped, walking over and crouching to look at the light stand from below. "No, no you're doing it wrong―there's a fixture inside that needs to be turned, but it's locked. There should be something on here to unlock it..." she spoke, running her hands along the stand until her fingers grazed a notch. She seized it, pressing tightly until the button depressed, and there was a small click. Immediately the stand began to collapse into itself, lowering at a high speed. Gilbert and Y/n both reached out to stop it and found their hands on top of each other. At once the stand stopped its fall and came to halt, leaving both Gilbert and Y/n breathless.

There was a moment of silence as they both blinked at the stand, making sure it wouldn't fall. Then, Gilbert let out a breath, laughing slightly. "Now who's the expert?" he asked quietly.

Y/n smiled breathlessly back at him, now intently aware of Gilbert's hand atop hers. He froze as well, seemingly noticing the same thing. Y/n's breath hitched. In an instant she removed her hand from the stand and moved away to let Gilbert raise the stand himself. Y/n moved to stand by the railing and looked down upon the rehearsal on the stage. She picked at wood chips on the railing nervously, her hands growing cold.

Gilbert watched her for a moment as she did so before turning back away to fiddle with the light stand. Something gnawed at him as he did so, but he focused on the task ahead of him.

Y/n chewed on the inside of her cheek and fiddled with the railing. She couldn't do much about the lighting without Gilbert to instruct her―but she was dead set on not turning around and speaking to him unless absolutely necessary. And, right now, nothing seemed necessary. Not in the slightest.

Finally there was a sigh, and Gilbert moved to stand beside her, placing his own hands on the railing. "What?" he asked lowly.

Y/n didn't meet his eyes, but stared straight ahead of her. "What do you mean?"

"You seem upset." he said gently. "Anything I can do to help?"

Y/n almost laughed at that―Gilbert's not knowing that he was the root cause of all of her worries. "There's nothing you can do, Gilbert. Believe me." she said. "Unless you're up for murdering Mr. Philips?"

"Normally I would say yes, but today I'm feeling like an upstanding citizen. So I guess I'd say...make it look like an accident."

Y/n laughed this time, but a moment later she felt Gilbert take a step closer to her, and her heart beat resumed its incredible pace. She moved away to the other side of the loft almost immediately to try and lower the other stand to meet the other. Gilbert frowned as she moved away.

Y/n lowered the stand with a decisive press, making sure it was level with the one on the other side. Miss Lind was struggling to gather all the actors together on the stage to start from the top of the show, meaning that soon Y/n and Gilbert would be forced into silence as they focused on the show. For Y/n, that couldn't come soon enough.

The show began within the next several minutes, during which Y/n and Gilbert sat in uncomfortable silence as they shuffled around the loft, rearranging things and ensuring everything was in its correct place. Y/n set the light and left it, knowing that she needn't change it for the majority of the show. Gilbert set the other light as well and saw Y/n wander back to the railing, leaning against it and holding onto it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. He frowned.

In a moment, Y/n saw Gilbert lean backward onto the railing beside her out of the corner of her eye and stiffened, gritting her teeth. They stood there for a moment with Gilbert trying to figure out to phrase his approach and Y/n hoping against all hopes that he didn't try to say anything.

But, of course, he did. "I know something is wrong." he whispered.

"Shh," was all Y/n said in response, using the ongoing show in front of them as an excuse to shush him.

Gilbert's frown grew deeper, but he pushed on nonetheless. "Is this about earlier? Because what Mr. Philips said―"

"Shh," she said, more forcefully.

"Y/n." said Gilbert, taking her hand from the railing and holding it in his. Y/n looked down at it, her heart skipping a beat. Gilbert tried to meet her eyes, but she kept them craned down. "Y/n, look at me."

She bit her lip. How could she explain to Gilbert something she didn't fully understand herself?

Slowly, she looked up, worry knitting her brows together.

"Tell me what's wrong." Gilbert pleaded quietly. "Whatever it is, I want to help. I don't like it when...I don't like seeing you upset. So, come on. Talk."

Y/n, overcome with worry, looked away, fixing her eyes on the stage. She had a chance―a chance to do something that had the power to completely upend her and Gilbert's friendship. But she didn't think she could stand regret.

"I like you." Y/n mumbled.

Gilbert absently reached for Y/n's hand on the railing, a smile forming on his lips. Then, in one swift motion, Gilbert moved forward and pressed his lips on hers. Y/n, shocked, nearly jumped out of her skin. But, almost in an instant, she relaxed into his touch, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

But a moment later she pulled away, fear worming its way back into her mind. "Can we really do this? Nobody must know―"

Gilbert interrupted her by throwing his hands on her waist, pulling her in. "You and I know, and I think that's―that's more than enough, love."

Y/n smiled, the fear melting away as she looked at Gilbert.

"Hey!" came the shrill voice of Miss Lind. "That's the light cue! What's going on up there?"

"Nothing!" Gilbert and Y/n yelled in unison, scrambling back to their posts on the loft, hiding their smiles.

Author's Note: AHHHHHH MY FIRST FIC!! I've had this one in my head for a while now, but @urfriendlywriter 's prompts just really nailed it into my head that I needed to write it. I've been binging AWAE as school started and...I gotta say...I'm a sucker for dark hair and dark eyes. And the title, inspired by a Hozier song, just fits the vibe of the show so well I love it. But yeah! Enjoy my first fic and send in any and all requests you got!

<3 Gracie

𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ━ OPEN STARTS ━ JAN 22 ENDS ━ JAN 25

So I woke up this morning to see that I has surpassed 200 followers????? Hello?????? It feels like just yesterday I was jumping up and down and giggling over hitting 100, and now I've doubled that???? This is absolutely insane! Thank you all so much for following, for liking my posts, for reblogging and commenting and making me feel so welcomed and supported on this account. You guys truly do mean the world to me. I once again wanted to do something to express my insurmountable gratitude for you all, so, without further ado, let's get onto the celebration!

HOW TO PLAY: Read the list below and send the emoji corresponding to what you like. I will respond to any and all emoji sent in between now and January 25th, when the celebration ends. If whatever device your using does not have any of the emojis, just use the word. You can send in as many as you'd like, anon or not! Please give me time with these requests as I am still doing schoolwork and musical rehearsals, but I will work on these whenever I can. Thank you all again and enjoy!

🪐 ; planet: send me this emoji + a character on my writing list + any word of your choosing and i'll write you a ficlet using the word as a prompt!

🍓 ; strawberry: send me this emoji + a description of yourself + a fandom/fandoms and i'll tell you what character I think would fall in love with you. Use as little or as much detail and you'd like and I'll make do with what I have ━ but please do keep in mind that I do need at least a little something to get an idea of your vibe first!

🍄 ; mushroom: send me this emoji + a character on my writing list + a line of dialogue and i'll write you a fic using the line of dialogue as a starter!

🪴 ; plant: send me this emoji and I will give you my first impressions of your blog. This may include descriptive words, poems, pictures, and anything else that comes to mind. (Note: Anonymous asks will not be able to get this one as I cannot see your blog, so make sure your user is somewhere for me to get to your blog to give my thoughts!)

🧺 ; picnic basket: send me this emoji + a fandom + a trope and I'll write little drabbles for each of the characters in the fandom using the trope as a prompt!

tag list of blogs + people i adore: @magicchai @nekoannie-chan @moonlitmeeks @kolsmikaelson @timotheechalamats @fxllfaiiry @bunchesofoats @burnyouwithacigarettelighter

Much love my beautiful readers + writers!

AWW THANK YOU SO MUCH! And no worries, I totally understand!

hiiiii hazel!! i absolutely adore your writing and i was wondering if i could get a small blurb for wednesday addams with the dialogue prompts "we make a pretty good team."

thank you so much! have a lovely lovely day <3

heyy honey!! congratulations on 200 <33 and I love love ur idea but I'm currently not taking requests!! maybe in the future I'll definitely write this 🫂 and I think u are one of the most talented writers on here! 💋

Hi so wednesday addams promt 10,40

𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oooooo first prompt exciting exciting!! Thank you so much, hope you enjoy it!

CHARACTER: WEDNESDAY ADDAMS — WEDNESDAY (2022) PROMPT #10: "Hey! Hey, it was just a nightmare. You're okay. I'm right here." PROMPT #40: Going to sleep

PROMPT #10 — FIC WARNINGS — NIGHTMARES, FEELINGS OF FEAR, PASSING MENTION OF MURDER

Wednesday often dreamed about murder, so when you woke up screaming it took her a second to follow.

She shot straight up from her stoic sleeping position (flat on her back, arms crossed over her chest like she'd been laid to rest in a tomb — what a dream), her dark eyes snapping open instantly to see you thrashing around and screaming in terror.

She shot straight up from her stoic sleeping position (flat on her back, arms crossed over her chest like she'd been laid to rest in a tomb — what a dream), her dark eyes snapping open instantly to see you thrashing around and screaming in terror.

"Y/n. Y/n!" she said, trying to wake you up. She swiftly dodged a flying fist that came her way and moved quickly to stop you from hurting yourself admist all the thrashing. Wednesday knew all about nightmares — she'd had the pleasure of having many throughout her lifetime — but something about the terrified look on your face tried to melt its way through her frozen heart.

"Hey!" she said, and you stopped thrashing, your eyes widening when you realized you had woken up. You looked around yourself, eyes scanning the room, the bed, and then finally turning to Wednesday. When you saw her concerned look, the screams melted away and they were replaced by hot tears rolling down your face. And, to your immense surprise, Wednesday wrapped a comforting arm around you to pull you closer. "Hey, it was just a nightmare. You're okay. I'm right here."

For a moment you allowed Wednesday to hold you as the fear faded away. Then, processing, you were so thrown off by her comforting words and tone of voice that you nearly giggled through the tears. "If I didn't know any better, Wednesday, I'd think you were a big softie sometimes."

Wednesday stayed stoic as she brushed a hand through your hair. "Tell anyone about it and I'll become your worst nightmare."

PROMPT #40 — HEADCANON WARNINGS — NONE

Going to bed with Wednesday is a one-of-a-kind experience.

For example, her nightly skin routine consists of merely powdering her face in order to further "emulate the dead."

It's not very often that you can force a sheet mask onto her, but you try your best.

Okay, it only happened once, and it was only after you said that the sheet made her look a little like Jason Voorhees. Then she agreed to keep it on for a few minutes.

Also, Wednesday likes it cold.

Like, morgue freezer cold.

So you always bundle yourself up in blankets and sheets whereas she only needs one to sleep comfortably through the night.

She also likes to keep it pitch dark, so all blinds are drawn tight and all lights are turned off

Now Wednesday likes to sleep on her back with her arms crossed over her chest like she's been... you know, buried.

But if you're the cuddling type, she'll maybe allow you to rest a head on her shoulder. If you're lucky

And if she's in an especially good mood, she'll wrap an arm around you.

All in all, going to sleep with Wednesday is always dark and cold, just how she likes it.

HOUSE OF MIRRORS (PART THREE)

PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE

pairing: rowan laslow x fem!reader warnings: blood, injuries. not gonna lie...this one gets a lil smutty. NO SPOILERS but there is some smutty content in here — THEY'RE ALSO BOTH OVER EIGHTEEN AT THIS POINT (there's nothing too serious or descriptive, but there is some mentions of doing the deed).

summary: with six days to stop the end of the world, rowan and y/n set to work. note: welcome to the longest part yet :) i really hope you guys like this one, it's been KILLING ME to get it done but i'm quite proud of it! I think there's only one more part after this and then that'll be the end, so stay tuned for our penultimate chapter...

Day one.

Rowan and Y/n met in the library that morning. It was cold, and neither of them could have ever predicted the day would come when they would face each other without the intention to kill. Still Y/n kept a knife in her sock and kept him at an arm's distance. Rowan kept his up his sleeve.

"I thought my mother was crazy when she predicted the end of the world." Y/n said as they hunched over a table at the back. "At first, she said it would end in ice. Then, fire. Then, water. She said the visions kept changing. I couldn't believe a word she said - no one could. I didn't show up in the visions until about six months ago. Needless to say, she got to work pretty quick..." she trailed off.

It was when she said things like that that Rowan felt guilt for trying to end her life. He never really cared about the whole 'You never know what someone is going through' crap, but, with her, he understood. If he had known what she had been going through for over a half a year, he would've thought twice before he picked up the knife.

"The only constant in my mother's visions was you. She never said how the world ended, just that you were at the center of it." he replied.

Y/n just laughed. "That's not a lot to go on." she said bitterly. "I would say we need to go to the source, but I'd rather jump off a cliff before making contact with mother dearest. Shadow is enough. And I don't suppose—"

"My mother is dead." Rowan said before she could finish the sentence. "Nothing there to figure out."

Y/n shut her mouth quickly, giving a nod. "Right. I'm sorry."

He just nodded in response and they put their heads back down, beginning to work.

Day two.

Rowan showed up the next morning with the picture. He set it down in front of her before she ever said a word, leading her to look up at him in confusion. "Take up drawing?"

Rowan just stared back at her. "My mother drew this when she was a student at Nevermore." he explained. "This is Joseph Crackstone, the founder of Jericho—" he pointed to a shadowy figure in the picture "—and this—" he pointed to a silhouette of a girl standing across from him, "is you."

She looked at him like he was stupid. "And you show me this now?"

He just rolled his eyes and sat down next to her.

Day three.

Rowan and Y/n met in the library once more, but they were only starting to get somewhere when Y/n paused mid-sentence, going suddenly silent. It took Rowan a second to notice, but when he finally looked up, he saw her frozen, eyes locked on something across the room. He followed her gaze and saw the slightest flicker of a black, shadowy figure darting around the stacks of books. Y/n muttered a curse under her breath and began hurriedly gathering things together. They didn't speak to each other as they did this, but both of them knew well enough what was happening: Shadow was back.

They ran across the courtyard as Y/n insisted upon peeking around each corner before actually turning directions. And Rowan just followed, knowing that she knew how to elude Shadow better than anyone.

As they ran up the staircase, a familiar face came into view — Xavier Thorpe. When he saw the two of them together, Rowan's hand locked in hers, he frowned. Rowan cursed silently.

"Hey guys," he said, stopping a couple stairs above them.

"Hi." Y/n said quickly, trying to make this conversation as short as possible.

He looked between them in confusion, sensing the urgency. "What's going on?"

"We were just heading up to my dorm—" Y/n cut herself off, realizing how that sounded only after she said it. She pursed her lips, trying hard not to cringe at her own words.

"To study." Rowan added quickly. "We're studying for the Botany test."

Again, Xavier looked confused. "That test was last week, Ro."

Y/n subtly elbowed Rowan in the ribs. "He meant math! We have a math test next class that we really need to study for, so if you could just excuse us—"

"What's going on with you two?" Xavier said, stopping Y/n's attempt to push past him. "It's like, every time I see either of you, you're together. Is there something...going on between you guys?"

"No!" Y/n shouted at the same time Rowan shouted "Yes!"

Then, to correct, they shouted again.

"Yes!"

"No!"

They paused, looking at each other with wide eyes. Then, Y/n turned back around, taking a breath. "Yes. Rowan and I are...together. Dating." she said quickly, resisting the urge to vomit.

Xavier was taken aback. He raised his eyebrows as he looked between them, seemingly in disbelief. "Wow," he said finally. "That's, um...great. Congrats?" he said.

Truly, he was just surprised that it ended up being Y/n. She was...well, to put it lightly, scary. Rowan didn't really do scary. (Or, maybe he did.)

"No congratulations necessary." Y/n said quickly, feeling like she was swallowing bile. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to go...study."

She didn't give Xavier time to ask more questions before taking Rowan's hand again and pulling him up the stairs, moving as fast as her legs would take her.

She kept up that pace until they reached her dorm, where Rowan took out his inhaler. She pulled the pendant off from around her neck and placed it in front of the door. "Keep watch." she said.

Alethea's voice appeared in her head: Move quickly. He's coming fast.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Rowan asked as she dragged the huge mirror out of her closet.

He could've heard it wrong, but he could've sworn she let out a breathless laugh. "The one time your chivalry will get you nowhere, Rowan, is when you're dealing with a Shadow."

She surrounded the room with mirrors just as the pendant soared past Rowan's head and landed in her hand. "Come on. Go!" she shouted, pushing him through. She had stepped one foot through when a growl caught her attention. She whipped her head around and there was Shadow, standing at the front of her dorm.

There were very few things that invoked true fear in Y/n. Shadow was one of them. Which is why she shouted the mirror shattering incantation when she was only halfway through the portal.

"Contritus!"

Y/n collapsed on the other side as the mirror shattered, a scream ripping through her throat. For a second, Rowan frowned, breathless. Then he saw what it was she had to scream about.

The bottom half of her right calf was torn and bloodied beyond recognition. Just looking at him made him feel sick — he couldn't imagine how she felt.

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then Y/n took in a huge, sobbing breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Black spots danced across her vision otherwise. The pain was worse than she had ever felt, so much so that she wasn't sure she could put on a brave face. So she stayed there, her face buried in her arm, nose barely scraping the floor, breathing so heavily that it hid the sobs that tried to escape her throat.

Rowan was at her side in an instant, and that just made her feel worse. If there was one lesson her mother taught her, it was that you never let anyone see you in pain. Ever. And she was in the worst pain she had ever been in. A voice in her head cried out for her mother — or, perhaps, another version of her mother. One that would take her in her arms and tell her that the pain was temporary, but respect is nearly impossible to get back.

But instead it was Rowan that reached out to hold her. It was Rowan that she lifted her head for. Rowan that she held onto as she bit back sobs, burying her head in his shoulder to stop herself from screaming.

When the pain had subsided enough that she could talk, she pulled off her blazer and, trying not to look at the bloodied mess her leg had become, tied it around it to staunch the bleeding. "It shattered before my leg went through." she explained. "I'm lucky it's still attached."

Rowan watched her work for a moment in gruesome silence, and then, deciding that he'd prefer not to throw up right then, employed himself by brushing the hair out of her face as she tied the blazer. "Yeah, lucky." he muttered. "Can you stand?"

She blew out a breath. "Let's see."

With immense effort (from both herself and from Rowan), she pushed herself up onto one leg. A shaky smile stretched onto her lips. "Piece of cake." she muttered, and then tried to set her other foot down. The resulting pain was so blinding that she staggered, toppling sideways. Rowan caught her as she swore at the top of her lungs, wishing the whole damn thing had come off rather than this.

"That's a no on walking, then."

"Shut up, Laslow."

Rowan helped her over to her bed, where she gently rested her injured leg atop the sheets. She leaned forward to inspect it. "Definitely hurts the most of all my injuries, but it doesn't look nearly as bad as my worst."

Rowan looked at her, bewildered. "What did the worst look like?" he asked. Then, before she could answer, he put a hand up to stop her. "Wait. I don't want to know. Forget I asked."

Y/n rolled her eyes, muttering something about him being 'no fun,' and then laid down on her bed. "The first thing I learned about my powers is that mirrors are not forgiving. They show you what's truly there — nothing else. And sometimes they do their best to break it. That's why people with vitrikinesis tend to die young. It's a cruel blessing." she said. "It's the same with Seers. Visions are no joke, especially when they show you things you don't want to see." she paused, laughing slightly. "But I don't need to tell you that, do I?"

Rowan only responded by interlacing their fingers. "I always trusted my mother's visions. But right now I'm really hoping she was wrong."

"She wasn't."

"How do you know?"

"I just do, okay?" she snapped. "No use trying to convince yourself otherwise."

Rowan sighed, deciding not to fight her on that. Her head suddenly tilted to the side like she was hearing voices. "Shadow's still there. Little shit." she muttered, looking out the window. "It's dark. Maybe he's decided to have a slumber party."

"You have to get out of here." Rowan said. "You're going to bleed to death before he leaves."

"I'll be fine," she said with a wave of her hand, "I've been through much worse."

That was a lie. She had not been through worse.

"If I'm being honest, that doesn't make me feel any better."

He began to pace, leading Y/n to drop her head in exasperation. "Rowan, calm down."

"Calm down? You're bleeding out!"

"That's debatable."

"We're being hunted by your mother's henchman!"

"Not the first time."

"And we're not even close to figuring out how to stop the apocalypse!"

Y/n paused. "Okay, that I can't argue with."

"Stop it." Rowan said, pointing a finger at her. "Stop being so calm and collected about this."

She cocked her head at him, her face and voice flat and emotionless. "Would you rather I screamed and cried hysterically — would that calm you down? I can't pace because my leg's been shredded, I can't breathe unevenly because it may make me pass out, and I can't move too much or else I might disrupt the wound and bleed out at your feet. My options are very limited, Rowan. So no, I will not stop being calm. I will be very fucking calm. And I suggest you do the same unless you want me to take the last bit of my energy and use it to grab your inhaler and stomp on it with my one good foot."

That got him to shut up. For a moment he just glared at her while she looked back at him, entirely unbothered. Then, she patted a spot on the bed next to her. "Sit."

He thought about complaining, but decided against it. He sat down next to her, leaning back on the headboard. She shifted so that she was looking up at him, a small pout on her face. If he'd been out of his mind, he would've almost thought it was adorable.

Maybe I am out of my mind. Maybe we both are.

"Clock's ticking." she muttered. "My time's half up. Sure you don't want to end the party a little early?"

Rowan looked back at her. She was serious. He brushed a hand through her hair. "Not yet."

She seemed unsatisfied with that answer.

He laid down next to her and she put her head on his chest, letting him wrap an arm around her. Her leg was still pulsating with pain, but she did her best to ignore it, shutting her eyes and hoping sleep took her quickly. And, mercifully, it did. It was only when he was sure that she was sound asleep that Rowan allowed himself to close his eyes and join her.

Shadow would be gone within the hour, but Y/n and Rowan slept soundly where they were, happy to shut out the world for one night.

Day four.

The nurse looked like she'd seen a ghost when she saw Y/n's leg. Her eyes slowly trailed from the bloodied, congealed mess up to Y/n's placid face. "Can you fix it? I'd like to get to the library to study."

She emerged an hour later, limping. Her calf had been wrapped in what looked like several rolls of gauze. She smiled at Rowan when she saw him outside, waiting for her. "I negotiated my way out of going to the hospital."

Rowan just pursed his lips. "That's comforting."

Day five.

Y/n didn't show up to the library that day. He went to her dorm, he went to her classes, but she wasn't there. She had disappeared. This, of course, worried him. He wondered if she had gone ahead and offed herself like she had wanted — but, God, he really hoped she hadn't.

It wasn't until the sky had gone dark and rain started to pour from the heavens that his search came to an end. As he walked along the green, he looked up and saw a silhouette perched on the highest roof of Nevermore, looking up at the sky above them.

If anyone was stupid enough to go up there, it was Y/n.

Without a second to think about what he was doing, he went inside and climbed up the stairs to the roof. He wasn't quite sure what he'd say to her, but it was something along the lines of Get the f-ck down.

The rain was pouring by the time he emerged onto the roof, making every step more and more treacherous. She didn't hear his arrival over the thunder above them and continued to lie on her back, eyes closed, feeling the rain on her face as she let the static in her head continue to buzz.

"Y/n!"

Her eyes opened. Damn him. "What do you want, Rowan?"

"You're going to fall, Y/n. You already hurt yourself once. Get down. " he said, doing his best to keep his voice level.

"Why? If I fell now I'd be doing you a favor. I'd be doing the whole world a favor, actually." she slurred, and Rowan wondered momentarily if she had gotten drunk before she came up there. That just made this situation all the worse. What he wanted to do was go out there and get her — drag her out before she could hurt herself. They still have thirty hours left to figure all of this out, and he'd be damned if he let a second of it go to waste.

"So that's just it, then." he said, forgetting to hide the irritation in his voice. "You're giving up? Playing with your life like it's some kind of game?"

"It's been a game from the beginning, Rowan!" she shouted, still lying stock still on the roof. "From the first moment we met, it's been a game. Kill him, kill her, get the upper hand, get in a punch. And trying to act like you care is just...it's embarrassing, Rowan. For both of us. So do me a favor and drop the act."

That stung. But right now he was focused on getting her off the roof. So he'd swallow his pride, and he'd step further onto the roof, closer to her. "It's not an act." he tried to argue.

"Everyone's acting. No one's okay." she said exaggeratedly. "Everyone acts all the time because no one wants to say what they really mean now."

She wasn't making any sense now, but he continued to take cautious steps towards her.

"We all just dance around what we really want to say, and then one day we all look back and regret it. I just hope I go before I have the time to regret it too much."

There was a pause. Y/n sat up, dangling her legs off the edge of the roof in the pouring rain, and Rowan's heart nearly jumped out of his chest. She seemed to be staring down, thinking intently to herself.

She muttered something to herself. "Better yet..."

She stood so suddenly that Rowan stumbled and nearly fell, icy cold panic rushing in for just the briefest moment. She walked over to him, seemingly without a single care at all if she slipped and fell, and still she managed not to stumble. That confused Rowan more than anything else. Suddenly she was in front of him and he saw that her face was red and tear-stained.

"This isn't a game. And it's not an act." he said quietly. "The sooner you realize that, the sooner we can actually get something done."

He expected her to snap at him then, but instead she just smirked. "I always liked your voice, Rowan." she said. "So much deeper than I expected. So calm and yet so...deadly. I couldn't get it out of my head. You would threaten me and all I'd hear is my name in your voice. You'd tell me you were going to kill me and all I could hear was you whispering in my ear. It drove me insane."

Now he was just confused. She betrayed any sense of sadness or panic with her words, leading him to wonder just how much practice she'd had at hiding what she really felt. She paused again, as if questioning if she should say what she planned to say. Then, she suddenly met his eyes. "If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do?"

She stepped closer to him, and suddenly Rowan had an answer. Before he could say it, her lips were on his and she was backing him to the wall.

His hands tangled in her hair as her tongue brushed his bottom lip, and they stumbled through the door. Without a word, Y/n took his hand and pulled him down the stairs. Neither of them spoke as she dragged him through the halls, finally pulling him into her dorm and shutting the room behind them.

Her question continued to run through Rowan's head as her lips trailed down his jaw to his neck: If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do?

It would be this, he thought. It would be this.

Day six.

Visions of the night before came rushing back — Rowan pulling her in closer, Rowan whispering in her ear, Rowan kissing her neck, Rowan's head between her legs.

They had both sort of fumbled through the whole thing, really. It had been a lot of accidental elbowing and awkward laughter and hasty apologies, but at the end of it all it was Rowan's hand in hers refusing to let go.

She was the first to wake up and spent a few minutes on her side, looking at Rowan's sleeping form. A little voice in her head told her to turn around and run the other way, that this was not the way things were supposed to go. But another, louder voice told her to hold tight to him and not let go — apocalypse be damned.

Okay, maybe I have really lost it now.