charlion-em

[charlion-em]

!

Shipping this whole terrible blog to my main @charlion. Any new fics or new chapters will just be posted there moving forward.

I really don't write enough to warrant a separate blog, and it's really just a pia to have so many side blogs.

[charlion-em]

Closing Time

Words: 4324 Chapters:1/1

Relationship: Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku

Additional Tags: Past Relationships Mentioned, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Drinking, Fluff and Angst, Making Out

Summary: Bakugou hits a low point in his life and finds a new outlook.

Notes: This wasn't supposed to be this long, then Midoriya showed up with a plot. Originally, this was just me projecting onto Bakugou because I'm dreading the 3-0

Bakugou tipped the last sip of whiskey past his lips, relishing the smooth flavor as it slid over his tongue. He immediately motioned to the bartender for another without looking up from the bar. He wasn’t left waiting long, another glass slid into his view only a moment later. It was why he liked this place; sure, the lights were dim, almost hazy, and he couldn’t be sure how *clean the bathrooms were- but he was here to drink, nothing else.

The other patrons kept to themselves, a few were at the other side of the bar, others in the booths along the wall. Like him, they were there to drink away their sorrows, not socialize. If anyone recognized him, they kept it to themselves. But, it wasn’t like he was in the top ten anymore, would anyone still recognize him out of his costume? What a short ride that had been, at the top ten, and he had cursed the attention and loss of privacy which came from being a top ranked hero.

If only he’d  known it would be short lived. Then, maybe, he wouldn’t have complained so much.

He turned the highball glass in his hand, watching the whiskey as rose to slide against the sides then settle back into a uniform volume. It would be so much simpler if he could do that too, rise up, then settle back without difficulty, easily sliding back into normalcy. Because, that’s what this was, right? His normal was this. The brief sprint to the top was the outlier, the shake up.

It shouldn’t be this difficult to slip back into is normal, right? The whiskey in the glass was still, unmoving until he brought the glass to his lips. That was him, right? He couldn’t change his normal without outside forces.

And his own outside force was quite content not being in his life. At least, not in the capacity he wanted.

He needed to be more like the whiskey, still and calm in the container that was his life. It was where he would always end up.

Someone sat at the bar stool next to him, pulling him away from this thoughts. He continued to stare at his drink, watching carefully for what the newcomer would do. There were plenty of other seats, all further away from him.

People at this bar kept to themselves. They didn’t try to make small talk, or press about your reason for drinking. There was one rare exception, which Bakugou had witnessed but never been part of.

“I’m not interested,” He said without turning to see who was next to him. They could have been a drop-dead-gorgeous model for all he cared, he wasn’t interested in a hook up.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, but the other person didn’t say anything.

When the person still didn’t leave, he growled, “Fuck off.” His mood was slipping further, just like his dreams. This was the part of drinking he hated- besides the interruptions. That time between being sober and drunk, when he couldn’t filter his thoughts and was brutally honest with himself. It didn’t matter, dreams were for children. Of course, he would fail at a dream he’d had since being a child. He’d never once stopped to assess it, determine if it were possible, think of a new dream. Well, he had somewhat done that last part, winding Kirishima into his life plan years back.

That, like everything else he wanted, fell from his fingers.

What business did he have trying to be the number one hero, now? He wasn’t even in the top ten. Or top thirty. Pathetic. Younger, more ‘personable’, heroes were already passing him in the rankings, had been for a while. And here he was, drinking whiskey alone at a bar to celebrate turning 30. It always seemed like a far off day, like it would never happen- or rather, when it did, he would have his life where he wanted it.

Instead, he was alone. In *nearly every sense. Which, was exactly what he wanted right now, “I said: FUCK OFF.”

The person next to him sighed. “You’re something else, you know that?”

[Keep Reading on AO3]

[charlion-em]

I've been there, it's super frustrating! It's just another Tumblr glitch, and unfortunately I never found a solid work around. Sometimes It was only when the post had the ao3 link too, if I removed the link it showed up fine in the tags- add it bag and, BAM, gone again. (It hit me during a ship-week once, all but the last two days showed, had to message the page mods so they could at least reblog it there. Ugh.)

The only thing that sorta worked once was removing all the tags, saving the post, then adding the tags back.

Hopefully it's a short lived glitch for you :(

Hey, sorry I kept spamming my damn chapter update… Tumblr is being stupid now and won’t show my Ao3 link updates in the tags anymore? I have no clue why. I tested it like 3 different times. Anyways, I do have a Ko-fi if anyone wants to donate if you like my writing. Feel free to dm me? Idk. I’m just kinda pissed right now. I try to keep this blog super lowkey and drama free in terms of my feelings with regards to stuff not related to my art or writing, but this was maddening. I get exposure as a writer by being able to post my work in the tags with a direct link. So, I’m super peeved. 

[charlion-em]

[start at chapter 1]

Shouto would later try to recall the events of the evening which lead to his current predicament. And, at that later time, he would fail to remember more than a blur before this moment, small snippets of events which culminated into a night Shouto would never be able to forget.

The rough fabric of Izuku’s couch scratched against the back of his neck and one of its many lumps pressed against his left thigh. Overall, Izuku’s apartment was similar to his own, though it did look more lived in. And he had a television, something Shouto hadn’t had the urge to purchase- yet. And a bedroom that was separate from the living room. But otherwise, from what Shouto could see, it was similar. Izuku even had the poster from the cover of All Might issue #27 on his wall, and while Shouto had yet to actually put his on display, it put him at ease knowing Izuku wasn't so completely different from him.

To his right, Momo was focused on the t.v, fully invested in the movie Ochako had raved about earlier that day. He couldn’t remember the name of it, and wasn’t even sure what happened past the first quarter of the movie.

Instead, all of Shouto’s focus was on Izuku and the weight of his head on his shoulder.

Izuku’s hair was as soft as it looked. It pooled against Shouto’s neck and brushed along his scar when the oscillating fan blew their way, each wisp sending a tingle up his spine. Shouto would never begrudge him falling asleep, he’d had classes that morning then worked at the coffee shop until nearly close. Despite Izuku’s initial protests of being too tired to hang out, he had given in to Ochako’s pleading, inviting them to his place to watch the movie.

Even Shouto was feeling the day creep up on him, and wasn’t eager to return to the shop tomorrow with only a few hours of sleep. But, Momo’s visit was short, so he’d readily agreed to anything she wanted to do. Which, he told himself, is why he wasn’t disturbing Izuku- it would only ruin the movie for the girls, causing noise at what was a pivotal scene of the movie, if the music was anything to go by. Instead, he tried to refocus on the images on the screen, willing his heart to stop pounding in his chest every time Izuku’s soft hair brushed his cheek.

Momo’s suggestion from the first day of her visit echoed softly,  “What about Ochako's friend, Deku?”

Shouto was unable to stop himself from answering the memory, why not?

His throat constricted, suddenly dry and painful as he tried to force himself to swallow. Next to him, Izuku continued to breath softly against his sleeve, oblivious to his panic. Why not? There were several reasons- number one being Izuku's ex girlfriend sitting on the other side of the couch. And a giant number 2- Shouto wasn't interested in dating now. He didn't have the time, or the money, and he wasn't sure he could go through the inevitable breakup again.

The glow from the tv illuminated Izuku's cheeks, splashing colors across the smooth skin. His freckles stood out even more, it would have been so easy to trace a pattern, connect those small dots with his finger and feel that soft skin against his finger tip.

“Aww, did Deku fall asleep?” Ochako stretched, her arm brushing against Momo’s back. Credits rolled up the tv, signaling the end of the movie and the evening.

continue reading on ao3

[charlion-em]

Just gotta edit a bit, but it's almost done 👍

[charlion-em]

Stupid bkdk drabble (358 words) based on a conversation from this evening

Kaminari read the text out loud to everyone gathered at the bar. “Tomorrow is moving day, remember to be on time,” he began.

“No shit.” Bakugou kicked at Kaminari’s chair. “Like I’d be late to our new headquarters.” It was a point of pride, to be moving their hero agency to an actual, structurally sound, office building right in the center of downtown. If someone had told them all back in school they would team up together, Bakugou would have been the first to throw a punch. But, this had all been his idea.

“Don’t yell at me, I’m just reading.”

“Keep reading, Kaminari,” Kirishima urged.

“Yea,” Uraraka said, head on the counter. “I don’t want to pull out my phone- I really need a nap.”

“Go home, Uraraka,” Kaminari said before he continued to read Iida’s text. “We want to be as incognito as possible until everything is transferred. Wear comfortable non-costume attire, including comfortable shoes. Dress respectfully and comfortably, jeans, shorts, and yoga pants are acceptable.”

Midoriya perked up from where he was half-listening while picking at his meal. His eyes zeroed in on Bakugou, eyes nearly going cross as he stared at the back of his boyfriend’s head. The rest of Iida’s text could wait until later.

Kirishima barked out a laugh, “I dare you to text him back you’re wearing yoga pants.”

“Wha- you do it! That was clearly meant for Uraraka and Ashido!”

Izuku tapped Bakugo’s shoulder, turning to full nudging when he didn’t get a response.

“Fine, I’ll text him back that Bakugou said he’s wearing-”

“I’m doing no such thing.”

“But-”

“I would look ridiculous.” He brushed off Midoriya's prodding hand.

“Your legs would be so manly, your rear-”

“Enough.”

“I’m sure the store on the corner is still open, let's go!”

“Enough,” This time Bakugou punched the counter.

“Kacchan, your legs wooooould look amazing.”

Bakugou snorted. “Izuku, don’t be- don’t look at me like that, I’m not wearing them, or even joking about it.”

Midoriya hopped down from his seat, hand tugging Bakugou’s shoulder using 5%. “Come on.”

“Wha- Izuku, where are we-?”

Uraraka waved from the counter, “I think you’re about to go buy yoga pants. Have fun.”

[charlion-em]

The next chapter of 'Shouto's Flowers' is almost done. Sorry for the delay, it's been a tricky chapter to write. Things are taking a huge leap forward, but at the same time not going anywhere, and it's been tough getting the balance right. I've scraped more than I've kept hhaha.

[charlion-em]

Summary:

Shouto fell hard for Izuku the first time they met, but, to his eternal disappointment, Izuku had a boyfriend. Now, a year later, Izuku is single and Shouto would do anything to date him. Well, almost anything.

Words:4457

Relationship: Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto

Additional Tags: side uraka/Iida Past Bakugou, Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku - Freeform, Side Bakugo/Kirishima, improper use of water guns in the past ,fake/pretend relationship with a twist, Alternate Universe, my normal amount of fluff and angst, some discord chats between characters

Excerpt: “So,” Momo shoved his shoulder as soon as they were alone. “Are you going to tell him, or continue being creepy?”

He could feel his face heat up, knew it was probably turning a shade of red to rival half of his hair. Telling Izuku had never seemed like a possibility, and he'd spent the entire year he'd known Izuku trying to push down his affection for the other man. Until three months ago, Izuku was in a relationship, had been happy- had looked at that blonde asshole like he was the center of the universe.

Their breakup had been messy. Shouto was short on details, which was probably for the best, but he knew Izuku had taken it hard, so hard that even Ochako had a hard time getting him to leave his apartment.

“I don't know.”

“You don't know?” Momo cocked her head. “You obviously still like him. Even Ochako has noticed. How Izuku hasn't figured it out yet is beyond me, but he's going to eventually.”

Shouto sighed. “He isn't over Bakugou. I can't just… make a love confession when I know he's still in love with someone else.”

“You're impossible.” She rubbed at her temples. “If you were paying attention, instead of making goo-goo eyes at Izuku, you'd know Katsuki is seeing someone else.”

[charlion-em]

Tagged by @ironwingedhawk

The rules are as follows: Go to page 7 of your wip, go to the 7th line, share 7 lines, and tag 7 more writer-bloggers to continue the challenge

(I don’t have any fanfiction wips at 7 pages, so here’s a random middle excerpt from a 1st draft. Fuck the rules, I added an extra bit)

/on mobile, please forgive shit formatting

The door slid open to reveal Shiro, hair askew and face strained. His eyes immediately darted to the tablet in Keith’s hand, his shoulders tensing as he slowly dragged them back to meet Keith’s gaze.

“Shiro,” Keith slowly raised the tablet towards him. “I didn't…”

Shiro’s gaze dropped to the floor as he took the offered tablet. “Thank you.”

They stood in an uneasy silence in the doorway, Keith with questions on his mind while knowing Shiro wouldn’t answer them if he asked. Instead, he nodded and said, “So, I’ll see you at training in the morning.”

“I- yeah.” Shiro continued to linger, holding the tablet loosely at his side. “How much did you…”

Keith felt himself begin to bristle at the implied accusation, “Nothing. It took like three lines to figure out what it was.”

If you read this you’re officially tagged :P

[charlion-em]

request: artemis x zatanna (young justice) dialogues: "I wish we could stay like this forever" + "I'm going to keep you safe" thank you!

“I wish we could stay like this forever.” Artemis smiled up at the angel above her. The hard ground beneath her pressed into her sore muscles, but she ignored it, focusing instead on the soft face inches from her own. Here, in the woods, surrounded by trees and soft birdsong, it was too easy to forget the rest of the world.

Warm, moist, lips grazed her own, “I’m going to keep you safe.”  

“Zatanna…”

“Shh,” Zatanna nuzzled her nose.

The snap of a twig to their right put them on alert and Zatanna quietly reached for the gun sitting in the dry leaves next to her. She glanced at her ammo, finding she only had two shots left. Artemis’s gun sat just out of reach a few feet away where she’d dropped it after twisting her ankle on a root.

Her ears followed the approaching enemy, relying on their prone position to hide them until he was in range for a surprise attack. Under her, Artemis continued to smile and blew her a kiss that held promises for after they got out of these woods.

The enemy was close now, their approach hidden by the tree a few feet from their position. A flash of orange emerged and Zatanna leveled the gun, holding her breath as she waited for the perfect shot. She would only have two chances before needing to dive for Artemis’s gun.

One shot was all she needed. She smirked as the target was hit directly in the chest, a bright yellow smear marking his paintball gear.

“Ha!” Zatanna jumped up, taking pride in the shocked look on Roy’s face. She offered Artemis a hand up, pulling her flush to her side. “Hey, mind helping us back? Arte hurt her ankle.”

“Babe, I’m fine.” She took a step and winced, “Maybe I could lean on you?”

“Always. Now, let’s go rub our win into their faces.”

Thank you for reading! I really should write a full snaibsel fic… 

[charlion-em]

I started writing an angst version of this but then this fluffy idea hit me, but I’ll post the angsty one later :)

Just under 1k words, could have gone much longer haha. Had to pull back a lot to keep it drabble length.

“Did you hit your head?” Wally winked then shot finger guns at his reflection, “Because your halo is a little crooked tonight.” His face faltered, “No. That sounded better in my head.”

Wally took a deep breath then plastered a sly smile on his face as he leaned in towards the mirror. “You must be a ship, you’ve always been on my radar.” He squared his shoulders, trying again, “Are you an alien ‘cause you have just abducted my heart.”

A groan came from behind him, causing him to jump. He hadn’t heard his door open. Wally snapped around to find Dick hanging from the vent over his door with a sour look. “Dude, you’re so lame.”

Wally turned to hide the blush spreading over his face, “ Why are you breaking into my dorm room at 10pm on a Saturday? Who’s lame?”

Dick landed silently on the floor beside his bed, his blue eyes as unreadable as when he wore his mask. “You told me you were too busy studying to hang out tonight- I thought I would come help, but I guess a new girl caught your eye.”

“Er… something like that. I have been studying,” he pointed to the books on his bed.

“She’ll never agree to go out with you if you use those lame lines.” Dick picked up a book and leafed through it, “Try just being yourself.”

“Being myself doesn’t get me noticed.” Wally sighed, “It doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Sure it does,” Dick said. “Try it.”

“I have.” Wally sighed. “And he,” Wally clarified, “doesn’t get it.”

Dick turned and helped himself to Wally’s bean bag chair.  “Then be upfront.”

“Now you’re just being unreasonable.” He plucked the textbook from Dick’s hands, “I don’t need help studying, Dick. Unless you want to finish writing a paper for me.”

“Now, who’s being unreasonable.” He crossed his arms behind his head and stretched back. As his eyes scanned the room he spotted Wally’s essay draft hanging off the bed and snatched it. “So, who’s caught your eye?”

“Come on,” Wally kicked the bean bag, “I’ll order us a pizza and we can watch a movie or something.”

“See, that’s the Wally West that will charm someone into his arms.” Dick settled his attention to reading Wally’s paper.

“Riiight. Because it’s worked so well for me. My hints just get ignored.”

Dick snorted. “Just cheese and onions for me. You need to be direct, but not with lame pick up lines.”

“Oh, yeah Mr. Suave? Just how long have you been single for?”

“Try this: ‘Hey, wanna grab a pizza and watch a romantic movie? I’ve liked you for a long time, I just don’t know how to tell you… so, let me show you.”

Wally knelt next to Dick, “I’ve liked you for a long time, I just don’t know how to tell you… so, let me show you.”

“See, easy. Just practice being upfront and you’ll have a date in no time.”

Despite himself, Wally grinned. “What if I’m upfront and he still doesn’t get it?”

Dick shrugged, paying more attention to marking Wally’s paper with a red pen. “Then show? I don’t know, dude. Just don’t use lame pick up lines.”

“I like them, there’s no missing the intent,” Wally pouted. He left Dick to hunt for the menu for the local pizza place. “Here,” he tossed it next to Dick. “They don’t have a website, mind calling it in?”

“Yea, in a minute.” Dick was intently writing something on Wally’s essay. “I guess that means you want me to pay.”

“Hey.” Wally knelt down next to the bean bag chair staring intently at Dick. “Do you have a sunburn?” He paused, watching as Dick furrowed his brows and looked over to him. “Or are you always this hot?”

Dick groaned. “That’s terrible.”

“You’re so beautiful that you made me forget my pickup line.” Wally leaned closer, wiggling his eyebrows despite the knot in his stomach.

Dick rolled his eyes again. “Worse. Dude.” He set the paper and pen aside and rolled in the chair to face Wally with a serious, blank, expression. “Just ask him out.”

“Okay, two things. One: Yes, I’m broke so you can buy us pizza.” He leaned closer, dropping his voice lower, “And two: will you go out with me?”

Dick blinked as he unpacked what Wally said. “Yea, say that.”

“That,” Wally grinned. “Seriously though, I’ve liked you as more than a friend for a long time. I’ve had to stop myself from kissing you a bunch of times, and if you don’t tell me ‘no’ I’m going to kiss you right now.”

“Wally?” Dick stared at him.

“That’s not a 'no’,” Wally slowly leaned closer to Dick, eyeing his lips. He stopped, hovering for a long, heartbreaking moment, before pulling back without a reaction from Dick. “Sorry,” He swallowed the rejection, scrambling for something to lighten the mood.

“I didn’t say 'no’.” Dick inched himself closer, licking his dry lips. “Are you going to kiss me or chicken out?”

Wally crashed their lips together, nearly falling onto the bean bag chair. The kiss was over quickly, leaving them breathing each other’s air as they both processed this change in their relationship.

“I know you’re many things, Wally. I didn’t expect one of them to be a bad kisser.” Dick grinned, “I think I need more data.”

“I - you - grrr.” Wally leaned in again.

Thank you for reading!

[charlion-em]

Heh. "Drabble"

This is going to end up at 3k probably...

[charlion-em]

Heh, so one 'drabble' got a bit out of hand. I'm going to finish this draft of it then write some *actual* drabbles before I edit that one.

I'm loving these prompts 😄 I'm super excited to write these

[charlion-em]

My writing time got eaten today. A friend needs a ride to work on short notice. I should be back to writing these drabbles (and the one that probably will be longer) on Thursday :) hoping for a weekend post or three 😊

[charlion-em]

@ilovelocust requested Sheith, “It doesn’t hate you, that’s just how it says hello.“

Thank you for the prompt! This is more silly than anything.

(mobile formatting for now, I apologize) ~ 500 words

“It doesn’t hate you, that’s just how it says hello,” Keith said, his whole demeanor serious as he stared into Shiro’s eyes.

Despite Keith’s assurances, Shiro took offense to the creature’s behavior, regardless of the intent behind it. “Okay, Keith,” he sighed. “First, lets not call it and ‘it’- does it have a name? And second, why do you have ‘it’ to begin with?”

Ignored, for the moment, was the small creature on the couch between them. It’s green, bird-like head tilted as it continued to stare at Shiro with large, unblinking, purple eyes. The rest of its body resembled more of a snake than anything, the skin scaly and bright.

Before Keith responded, the creature again opened its beak and without a sound of warning, spit a dark, putrid, excreatrion at Shiro. This time, he expected the attack and blocked it with his bare forearm before it landed on his face.

Keith pulled the small creature into his lap. “It’s- she? He?- I’m not sure. This isn’t permanent! I’m watching it for Coran while he’s meeting with the Oiite delegation. Said it was a 'Box’zar..tro’? It didn’t do this to me though, but Coran said it might and it means it likes you.”

“Well, it clearly hates me.” Shiro blanched as the smell became overpowering. “We’ve talked about this Keith. Decisions like this need to be discussed first; if we’re going to live together we can’t just bring home surprises.”

Keith ducked his head, “I know.” Without looking back at Shiro, he coaxed the Box’zartro into the cage on their coffee table. “I’m still getting used to this…”

“Me too.” Shiro leaned over to kiss his cheek. “I’m going to shower and hopefully remove this stench. Just… don’t bring home any more alien pets while I’m gone?”

“Or,” Keith grinned, “I can join you.”

Three days later, Coran returned to retrieve his creature while Shiro was doing solo training. After the second attempt to introduce it to Shiro produced the same results, Keith left it in the cage for the remainder of its stay.

“It may be a little upset about staying in the cage, sorry about that. It just didn’t like Shiro…”

Coran bent over to peer in at his pet, wiggling one finger through the bars to pet it. “Oh, what did my wee Boxie do? Didn’t bite, I hope.”

“Just spit at him.” Keith’s nostrils involuntary flared at the memory of the smell.

Coran righted himself slowly with a huge grin spreading across his face. “Oh! I told you, lad. That means the Box’zartro likes you!” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“But it- Oh.” Keith blinked. “Like as in…”

“I know it smells horrid, but the smell is how their species marks their preferred mate.”

Keith bit his lip, “So I was right when I told Shiro it didn’t hate him.”

“Indeed,” Coran said with a sparkle in his eye. He gathered up the cage and supplies, “have fun informing Shiro!”

Oh, he definitely would.

Thank you for reading!

[charlion-em]

I have one written! But I'm going to head to bed- if I edit/post when I'm this sleepy it will be bad times 😩

I love you all 😍

[charlion-em]

If you’re looking for prompts, how about some matching soul marks corance 👀

I need to write more Corance :P 

Rating: EveryoneWords: ~900  

“Thank you for bringing me here.” The words were nearly breathless as they passed his lips. It was the first thing said in over ten minutes, cutting into the silence and breaking the spell between them. Lance gazed out at the yellow waters of planet Yrajer, watching the soft sway of the lake. The water stretched beyond the horizon, glimmering in the setting sun as it set in haze of purple and blue.

“These waters always put me at ease when my mind was troubled.” Coran discreetly glanced at Lance, catching his uncertainty before it was covered again with false smiles.

Lance turned to him with a large grin, “Well, I’m fine- but I can see how it could help when troubled.”

Coran nodded and turned his attention back to the waters. The temperature dropped drastically with the last rays of the sun, punctuated by a sharp breeze off the water. His hand twitched, wanting to reach for the warmth of Lance’s hand. He refrained, as he did any other time the urge struck him.

“We should get back, before the others eat all of our supper.” Coran turned his back to the water and waited for Lance to do the same. When it became apparent Lance wasn’t going to follow, Coran frowned. “Everything alright?”

Lance blinked down at the rocks along the shore then back out to the waters. “Allura was saying the water shows you your true love?”

“In a way. When you submerge your hand in the water, a symbol of sorts appears. I think it has something to do with the algae growing here- they also give it that soft yellow glow.”

The bushes behind the rustled, “Yo ~ dinner is ready.” Matt grinned as he and Hunk emerged.

“Hey, wait up!” Katie followed behind. They joined Lance and Coran on the beach, staring out to the waters.

Lance shrugged, “Yea, I could eat.”

Matt pointed to the water, “I wonder if what Allura said is true. If it shows you your soulmate.”

“You’re such a dweeb.” Katie rolled her eyes at her brother. “She also said people would lose themselves, consumed by finding their matches.”

She knelt at the water’s edge and dipped her hand below the water. When she pulled it out a series of glowing yellow dots adorned her skin. “Neat.”

“Great, now she’s going to be studying it all night- holed up in her lab and ignoring everyone. And I made dessert!”

“Help me research.” Katie splashed water onto Hunk’s hand, while Matt voluntarily soaked his hand.

Coran watched in amusement as they studied their different markings. He glanced to Lance, who was looking at the waters like they held the long lost answer to a riddle.

“No matches,” Katie said. Her lips twitched. “It’s probably all random organically, I doubt it has anything to do with our hands themselves.”

Hunk groaned, “Can we go back yet? It’s getting cold.”

Matt agreed. “And maybe Allura will come down later- what if we’re a match?”

“We’ll be up shortly,” Coran assured them, but they seemed to have forgotten they were there.

Lance knelt to the water, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Are you curious too?”

Lance frowned at the water. “Did you ever…?”

“Mm, yes. Once, a long time ago- it was a pretty pattern too. Never found a match, but didn’t expect to either.” He smiled down at Lance, “Are you going to see what symbol you get?”

Lance made no move to do so. “What if I don’t have a mark?”

“That would be a first.” He knelt next to Lance. “Are you worried there is no one out there for you?”

Lance blinked rapidly and Coran caught the faint glimmer of the tears he held back. Coran studied him for a moment, appreciating the way the moonlight illuminated his skin and how his eyes reflected the yellow glow of the water.

“You don’t need a silly mark on your hand to tell you who to love. You’ll find love, Lance.”

“You never did.”

Coran swallowed. “I never looked too hard. But I did find someone.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know…”

“Well, I never had the chance to tell him. War and all…” Coran bit the ends of his mustache as Lance looked up, meeting his eyes. “But, I’m here if you’d have me.”

Lance inhaled sharply. “You- like me too?”

Coran’s heart leapt when Lance said ‘too’. He reach out to run a thumb along Lance’s jawline. “I’ve grown to like you very much.”

Lance leaned into the touch then looked down at the water. He uncrossed his arms, “So, just for fun before we go back?”

He dipped his hand into the cold yellow water, then slowly pulled it out. As Lance studied the back of his hand, Coran dipped his hand as well. He brought his hand up as Lance turned his, showing the elegant line swirling over his knuckles.

Coran gasp, swallowing hard. The pattern was familiar, and sure enough, when he placed his hand between them, they matched perfectly. Lance surged forward, embracing Coran with such force they nearly tumbled into the water.

“I take back what I said.” Coran placed a gentle kiss to Lance’s knuckles as they stood from the rocky beach. “The universe thinks we belong together.”