#“5 teen boys in a room with a teen girl and dropping the ball so hard on how to proceed”

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All It Takes Is A Bet (Alexia Putellas x Reader)

A fic from me finally! Well a normal fic. Sometimes writing is an escape for me and that last fic was just that. This one is more what I normally write and i have enjoyed writing it. To the person that requested it thank you <3

You weren’t a hugger, but when you did hug someone you knew that you made an impact. You had been told this fact not long into your teen years, a friend of yours had been dumped by a boy and you had given her the only comfort you knew people liked to receive. A hug. Which was a major shock to your friends group at the time because you had not once hugged any of them in the year you’d been friends. The friend that you hugged didn’t let go for a solid 5 minutes and was asked why by the rest of the group. She simply stated that you gave her the best hug she had ever had, even better than her own mothers.

That’s the interaction that started the constant in your life that was people doing whatever possible to receive a hug off you. For the most part you found it funny to see the desperation of some people to get something you didn’t really understand as being that wonderful, but it frustrated you a lot too. There was a reason you didn’t give out hugs unless they were needed, you found them to be vulnerable. And being vulnerable was not something you did in front of people, not unless you loved them.

This fact was highlighted even more when you joined Barcelona woman’s team. The girls there were different to everyone else, they had a constant need to be touching one another in some shape or form. They all respected your space and kept the touching to light brushes or piggy back celebrations only until the day you hugged Alexia for the first time.

It was the dying minutes of a league game, Barca needed to win to stay at the top of the table but your opponents were making it very difficult. You were all getting frustrated but no one more than Alexia. She always had felt that overall responsibility to be the one who changes the game and right now she was struggling to make anything happen, a fact you could see written all over her face every time you caught sight of it.

You were a forward by nature but today you were put in behind Jenni and had a bit more of a playmaker role and that’s just what you did a minute before the final whistle was being blown. You dropped in deeper than you had all game and picked up the ball from Mapi, as you turned you spotted Alexia making a straight run through the middle of the oppositions centre backs so you played a ball over the top which landed pretty much on the woman’s front foot. All Alexia had to do was control it with that first touch and slot it past the on rushing keeper, something she did with ease.

As soon as the ball hit the back of the net she was running at you, you had assisted a few goals for the Spanish superstar already but this one felt different, it felt important. So when she got close to you and jumped you did the unexpected and caught her, squeezing her in a tight hug that she stayed in for as long as was deemed acceptable for the middle of a game. The rest of the girls dog piling on top of you in celebration for not only the goal but the first hug you had given a member of the group.

The win was celebrated all together but that wasn’t the main talk of the dressing room, no the main talk was you hugging someone. Alexia found herself at the forefront of the questioning, most of them along the lines of what she had done for you to get the extra treatment.

You saved your captain from the questioning by telling the girls they could all get one hug on their birthday. This seemed to pull the teams mind away from questioning the hug that happened to who was going to get the next hug off you.

That was the first of many hugs you would go on to share with the woman everyone called their captain, a fact that both annoyed and excited some of your friends on the team. Each and every hug you shared with Alexia in front of them was spoken about and questioned, the teasing going unnoticed by the two of you. You remember after one hug Alexia had told them that your hugs were the best and that’s why she kept going back for more which had ended up with you running away from a mob of women football players all threatening you with a drowning if they didn’t get to know what it was like to hug you.

“Come on y/n, when are you going to admit that you either love La Reina or give us all more than one hug a year on our birthdays?” The tone of Mapi’s voice was both teasing and whiny, giving away the fact that she was very much hating and loving the conversation she had started.

“I will be doing neither of these things. I don’t hug people unless its needed and I don’t do feelings.” You went back to the porridge you had in front of you whilst the other women around the table shared a silent conversation.

“Okay how about this then.” Leila had a smirk on her face so you knew that whatever came next was going to be interesting in some way or another, never the less you nodded for her to continue when you realised she was waiting for the go ahead. “If you can refrain from hugging Alexia for the next week we will believe you don’t have feelings for her and stop asking for hugs from you all the time.” This had you confused, surely this was to easy. It wasn’t like you were actually in love with the woman they were talking about. Were you.

“You have a deal.” In your head this was the easiest win of the week, you don’t do hugs so having to have even less of them can’t be a bad thing.

Your thoughts on the bet changed by the end of the day, after a pretty successful weight session where you felt like everything moved really well, you sat down for lunch. Sitting at a table full of empty seats was your first error. By the time your chicken had cooled down enough for you to take a bite, the rowdy crew had joined your once silent table.

Claudia was whispering to Patri and Mapi before she cleared her throat and directed her eyeline to your figure. “So, we have all been let in on your current bet, well all of us that care.” The woman glanced to the table full of the more mature players on the team, of which the closest to you, Sandra turned round and stuck her tongue out at Claudia in retaliation to the comment. “and we want you to know if you do hug the all mighty caitana of ours, what do we get?”

Your eyebrows rose up at this, you were not sure what they were getting at but you knew this would not end well for you. These woman who you cared a lot for, were all strong headed and would not let you get away with anything.

“I did not make this bet in the first place! I don’t not have to do anything with a loss here, which won’t happen because I don’t do feelings as I said.” The words fell on deaf ears, all the women around you just continued to look at you waiting for a better answer than that. Throwing your hands in the air slightly in a very off character show of silliness you spoke “Fine. If I fail, which I won’t I will add again, you can all get a hug each.”

The girls all shared a look with one another, communicating silently about the offer you have given them and whether they would get any better if they pushed. When Mapi turned to you with the smile you could only describe as mischievous, you knew they were happy with what you had offered.

Once the girls had all nodded and attempted to get you to shake on it, which you would not, they finally left you alone to eat your now cold food in peace. Well as much peace as you could get with the lot of them around you still making jokes and laughing about the silliest of things. Something that although you might complain about to them you would never take for granted, being part of this team and this group was always worth the slight inconvenience.

You were putting your plate away when you caught a glimpse of Alexia, the midfielder gave you a small smile before starting to walk towards you. You had started greeting each other with a small hug recently and that came to mind as she got closer. You could feel the eyes of some of the women on the table you just left on your back, you couldn’t hug all of them more. In a moment of sheer panic you turned on your heal and bolted out of the dining room before she could reach you, there was no way you could lose the bet but you also knew you would not be able to deny the beautiful woman her hug. Oh fuck you were in for a long week.

You made it to the stairs down to the pitch when Pina came running up to you with Patri hot on her heels, “That was real smooth and totally not a giveaway to the fact that you are so loosing this bet.” Before you could tap the back of the young players head, they were off back in the direction of the food hall.

You shook your head and started towards the field muttering under your breath about stupid bets with silly teammates and blue eyes so captivating they made your mind fog.

Alexia noticed a difference in you right away, you were not going near her and when you did you would link your fingers behind your back and avoid as much eye contact as you could. A complete change to the stage you had got to with the Spanish midfielder, and Alexia was pretty sure that the group of women giggling and whispering just over her shoulder had something to do with it. She made a mental note to get some information out of them after she spoke to you.

“Whatever is going on here we are talking about it Wednesday, we have dinner with Alba that you promised her you would be there. And as cute as you are all nervous, I do like seeing your eyes.” This got your attention and your head snapped to meet her face. You sheepishly smiled at her and nodded your agreement of what she had told you. You had promised the younger Putellas sister you would have dinner with them after Alba had hijacked a coffee morning of you and Alexia’s. When Alexia went to reach for your fiddling fingers your eyes widened and you hurried out a goodbye before running for the pitch to start training as a distraction.

You were so unsure about your feelings right now, you were so sure this would be easy but it wasn’t. You had never wanted to feel someone's touch before so desperately but you did now, All you wanted was to pull Alexia into you and not let go. God you were in deep.

The next few days at training were hard, between the constant teasing from the group of that you had now dubbed children and the avoiding as much contact or interactions as you could with Alexia in person, you were exhausted. What you didn’t know was that Alexia had managed to find out exactly why your mood towards her had changed, she had overheard Pina and Patri talking about the distance you had obviously put between you both and they were giggling like school girls about you losing the bet very soon.

She could see the toll it was having on you, the twitch in your fingers when she got close and the slight longing look in your eye when she caught it. Alexia decided it was time to step in and help if she could, she hated seeing you and not hugging you at the very least. She was going to talk to you alone and plan how to get through this, and maybe give you a hug to get you through if you didn’t think it was cheating. She was starting to understand that she felt stronger feelings than she had thought previously for you but she wasn’t going to put that on your plate just yet. It wasn’t the time and she didn’t want to lose what you had started to build. This plan of hers would require getting you alone without anyone knowing though which was not going to be an easy task. The girls were keeping both eyes on you at all times waiting for you to break.

Alexia’s only plan was to see you outside of football, that’s how she found herself outside your apartment door. She was nervous which was odd, she was here to help you out but it felt like more. It felt personal and private to be here alone, especially with how she has been feeling over the last month. Shaking that thought off she knocked softly and stepped back to give you some space when you opened the door.

You pulled the door open with a small confused frown on your face, you were just settling down to watch some old game footage for the evening and you weren’t expecting any visitors. Upon seeing the person behind the knock, your face changed into a small, shy smile and you didn’t even asked why she was there just opened the door wider and stepped to the side to allow her to come in.

Alexia whispered a small thank you as she walked past the doorway but what threw you off guard was the kiss she pressed ever so softly to your cheek as she passed you. It had you frozen with your door wide open and staring straight ahead of you. The sound of Alexia hanging her coat on the rack broke you out of your shock and you closed the door and lead her through to your small kitchen to get her a drink.

After getting two bottles of water from the fridge and handing one to the Spanish beauty, you lead her through to the front room to sit on the sofa. You wouldn’t lie to yourself, the itch to hug her was high. Since you laid eyes on her on the doorway to your apartment all you had wanted to do was hug her, be held by her, hold her. But you couldn’t, not if you wanted to keep to the less hugging you are used to, that you would like to continue just with the exception of her.

“Game footage?” Alexia’s smooth voice broke through the silence and caused you to look at her. Having her in your house was surreal, she looked even more beautiful sat in your environment. Your brain flashed to quiet mornings in, sipping coffee on your sofa with the woman cuddled with you speaking about anything and everything. Shaking your head to rid yourself of those unneeded thoughts, you tried to remember what Alexia had just asked.

“Oh yeah, it’s the final you guys won last year. The Copa de la Reina.” You had asked for the footage to see the style of play in which the women played in major tournament games, something you hadn’t seen yet in person. Jona had been more than happy to send it to you, seemingly excited about your thought process and enthusiasm.

“This was a good game, the girls played so well. We would have scored even more if you were there.” You could feel the flush creeping up your neck without your control. You were never one to take compliments well, you just didn’t know what to do or say when someone gave them to you, so you nodded and ducked your head so that the woman next to you couldn’t see what effect she had on you.

Alexia however could see the redness on your neck and it filled her with warmth and hope, hope that the conversation she is about to initiate with you will go the best way it can. It wasn’t a conversation she was planning on having with you today but she felt like it was the right time, that it was only fair to you that you know what she is feeling.

“You scored enough La Reina.” You had broken out of your shyness and gone down the teasing route. You even sent the woman next to you a small cheeky wink.

This took Alexia by surprise, you laughed at the shocked look on her face which snapped her out of it. Digging her fingers into your sides had you barking out a louder different laugh, the woman with you giggling along before taking mercy on you and stopping the movement of her fingers.

As you took a moment to calm your currently ragged breath, you looked up and noticed the position you and Alexia found yourself in. She had one hand behind your back on the sofa which meant she was leaning slightly over you, her hair falling over her face. A face that was only inches away from yours, a face that was smiling down at you and had a look in her eye you couldn’t quite place. Alexia reached up slightly and swept some of your hair behind your ear before doing the same with her own before she spoke.

“This wasn’t how I planned on telling you this but life sometimes works in weird and wonderful ways. I was going to talk to you about this today anyway but right now all I want to do is kiss you. Please can I kiss you?” Alexia held eye contact with you the whole time she spoke, it was only when she finished that her eyes dipped to your lips. You were at a loss for words no words could explain what you felt right now, but you knew you wanted to kiss her too so you nodded.

Not a second after your head had moved did you feel the soft press of the lips that the women you had been slowly falling for connect with yours. You both took a few minutes of soft sweet kisses to map out each other’s lips, both leaning back in whenever a break in the kiss happened neither wanting it to end. By the time Alexia pulled back, you found yourself laying under the older woman, her hands on either side of your head so you weren’t being crushed. You could feel your cheeks heating up once again when you thought about what you just did and what could come from this so you tugged her closer so you could hide in her neck.

Alexia shifted you both so you were laying sideways and she started running her hands through your hair. You had melted into her, snuggled under her chin and soaking up the calmness of the moment when your brain triggered. Pushing yourself backwards away from her you thumped to the ground, hard. “What are you doing y/n? Did you hurt yourself?” Alexia was leaning off the sofa looking over you. Your eyes were wide as you processed you lost the bet, you would now have to deal with the constant asks for hugs and they would know you liked Alexia. You were freaking out and Alexia could see it.

“Y/n carino?” She called you, she didn’t want to startle you but she needed to get through to you. “Miel?” The pet names were slipping out but she didn’t care she was just trying to get through to you. Deciding that her voice wasn’t going to help she got down and kneeled by you before cupping your face and brushing your cheek with her thumb. She saw the moment you come back to her, your eyes locked and yours welled up. “Hey it’s okay, can you tell me what’s got you upset? I’m sorry if I shocked you. I shouldn’t have forced you into that.”

That fully snapped you out of your current running thoughts, you never wanted her to think she did something wrong here. “No, no. You didn’t force me at all, I promise I wanted that just as much if not more than you did. It was more the cuddling after, I lost the bet.” You saw the relief wash over the brunette beauties face before you saw the smile take over and the laugh that bubbled up and out of her mouth. You were confused about what was funny about that but you weren’t complaining about hearing the woman’s sweet laughter.

Alexia composed herself before she explained, “Lo siento, it’s just that I kiss you and all you think about is losing a bet with the girls. You’re lucky I like you and know you because otherwise my pride would be incredibly hurt. And because I know you I know you are worrying about whatever they said you had to do if you lost the bet, but don’t worry about that because they don’t need to know you lost. You have 3 days left before you win and we both know I want you to win.” You blushed at the wink she sent your way as well as the words she spoke, she wanted you to win so maybe you hadn’t lost just yet.

Alexia held out her hand for you to take, which you did without hesitation, and when you grasped it she pulled you both back up onto the sofa and back into a similar position you were in before. This time your back was pressed into her front and she pressed a kiss to your hairline before pressing play on the footage and spending the evening talking the game through with you.

It was the final day of the bet and you, albeit through cheating, were finding not hugging Alexia easy. Yes that was only because you got to hug her outside of being with the team so not hugging her around them wasn’t really a concern to you anymore. The only problem is that the girls were getting suspicious, the longing looks and slight sadness that was you at the beginning of the week had disappeared and they had all noticed. Alexia pointed it out last night and had warned you that they would come at you today to try and win the bet they so really wanted to win.

The two of you had devised a plan that you were sure would catch the others off guard, not to mention prank them at the same time. Your only issue was you weren’t the best at putting things on like emotions so you just hoped the girls didn’t look too much into your facial expressions.

When you saw Leila backed by Patri and Pina on either side of her heading in your direction at training you almost bolted off the field, but they were there already and you bolting wouldn’t make you look any less suspicious anyway. You tried to look a little annoyed before they even started talking so they would get the hint you’d had enough with all this and you wouldn’t have to do the plan you put into place, but they didn’t and so it was time to put the plan into play.

“You’ve been too happy for a girl that has had no physical displays of affection with their major crush in almost a week. Well until today, you’ve got this miss grumpy pants expression on your face constantly.” You grunted at that, at least your slight annoyance about their presence was working in your favour.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” You decided the vague approach would be the best, you weren’t one for sharing your feelings normally anyway the girls usually had to prise it out of you and that was what they would have to do for this fake information too. But to put it on a bit more you dropped the sides of your mouth a little when you looked off and saw the Spanish beauty you hoped one day soon you would get to call yours. When you both were ready for that.

You saw Leila follow your eyeline and spot who had made your expression change, turning back to you she gave you a confused look before speaking again, “Why haven’t you spoken to her today, you are normally attached at the hip even though we’ve got this bet on. Has something happened?”

Now was your chance, you mustered up all the thoughts of sad kitten and puppies in the hope of bring at least a single tear to your eye. Blinking rapidly you felt a drop on your cheek and the shocked expression of your friends told you it had worked, and worked at the right time too because before they could ask what was happening or why you were sad training was resumed. Step 1 complete.

You avoided any and all interaction that wasn’t football based throughout all the training session and Alexia help her part of the plan by staying as far away from you as she could. You could tell that your plan was working because by the time you got changed and went to the food hall, all the girls who had a bet with you were huddled round a table whispering and glancing over their shoulders.

Step 2 was well into motion. You kept your head down and collected your food taking it to one of the tables as far into the corner as you could and made sure you had your back to the rest of the hall. When you heard the footfalls head your way you made sure to straighten your posture before grunting out a “What do you want?”

“I want you to come and sit with us like normal. I know you won't talk about what is wrong and I get that but don’t ignore us.” Leila had a point and you knew it. No matter the plan you didn’t want to upset your friends so you stood up and followed her knowing that this might mess up the plan.

When Alexia entered the food hall after her captains meeting, she was confused when she didn’t spot you at the table you said you'd be at. When she scanned the room and spotted you at your normal table she was slightly confused that makes the plan trickier. Deciding that this was obviously okay with you as you were there she went ahead with the plan with the slight change of location although she needed a few minutes to think of something to say now.

The original plan had been for you both to whisper random stuff in a heated way to make it look like you were arguing and then you to storm out but now Alexia actually had to think of words to say that weren’t going to hurt you.

You were listening quietly to a conversation Patri was having with Claudia when Alexia made her way over, you had seen her walk in a little while ago and thought maybe she was going to pull out of the prank plans you had because of your change of location but maybe not. When she reached you, you noticed the faraway look in her eye. You thought maybe she was detaching herself from what she was about to say.

“I need you to leave me alone y/n, I asked you yesterday for you to do this but you still tried to come near me at training. I’m your captain not your friend, I don’t want to be your friend.” You knew she didn’t mean it but you couldn’t help the pang of pain you felt from hearing her say this, at least getting up and leaving because you were upset wasn’t hard to fake. Because you didn’t.

“What the hell Ale?” “Jesus what’s wrong with you?” “She's done nothing to you.” Alexia was bombarded with angry teammates but she wanted nothing more than to run after you. She could have swarm she saw a tear leaving your eye as you got up which wasn’t part of the plan.

“She stopped whatever was happening between us, I liked her and she just stopped.” Alexia wanted to teach the girls a lesson still like planned so she said what you asked her to days ago when you made the plan. She looked around the group as their faces fell, each and every one of them at least had the decency to have guilty looks plastered across their faces.

“Oh god what have we done.” Leila was the first to speak and before Alexia could ask her what she meant, even if she already knew, Claudia was spilling the whole bet. Alexia listened to it all before she turned on her heels abruptly. “Idiotas” With that being said she left the hall in search of you.

Alexia found you in your safe spot, the pitch. You were laying in the centre circle staring up at the clouds that had just covered the sun, temporarily giving you a relief from the heat. She made her way over to you and laid next to you before snaking her fingers down your arm and slotting your hands together. She was incredibly relieved when you didn’t pull away, even let a small smile slip out when you squeezed her hand.

“You didn’t mean what you said right?” Your voice was small and insecure she could hear it. Alexia vowed to herself at that moment she would do all she could to make sure you never doubted how she felt for you from that moment on.

“Well maybe slightly…” Alexia was cut off when you attempted to sit up and pull your hand away, something she didn’t let you do. “No wait listen hermosa, I meant that I slightly meant it because I don’t just want to be your friend. I want to be your one, the one you feel safe with, the one that you call on bad days, the one that hopefully one day you come home to. I want you to be my girl.”

You could feel the tears slip down your cheeks as you pulled on the woman's hand to get her closer to you, just where you wanted her. “I was yours the moment you hugged me that first time.”

The smile you shared would be one you would remember for a long time, both of your building feelings shone in your eyes. You tugged a little harder on your joined hands and Alexia fell into you. You didn’t even give her a second to think before you connected your lips to hers. The two of you sat there on the training ground pitch sharing sweet kiss for a few minutes, soaking up the new development in your shared chapter.

When you pulled back to lay back down Alexia followed, she tucked her head into the crook of your neck and made herself comfortable against your side. She was just doing off in the comfort you made her feel when the scream came from the tunnel.

“Your hugging La Reina! We win. Y/n you better get rid of your girl because I want me promised hug.” Leila’s loud mouth really did project in the quiet of the almost empty field.

You bolted upright, grabbed your now girlfriends hand and shared a quick look before saying. “Run.”

[i-need-entertainment]

Haikyuu!! Boys getting accidentally hit ‘where it hurts’ by their kids

Characters: Akaashi, Washio, Konoha, Kita, Suna, Ushijima, Yahaba, Iwaizumi, Futakuchi, Daishou, Numai and Iizuna

Happy Easter if you celebrate it!! I thought a fluffy little hc’s of the Haikyuu!! Boys with their babies would be cute for today so here we are~

Warnings: Uh- just our favorite boys getting hit in the balls, I’m seeking more therapy I laughed way too hard while writing this uHm, mentions of grabbing the crotch cause what else you gonna do??, I do reference the Bad-dad moments and being flashed posts. 

**POST TIMESKIP CAUSE CHILDREN!! YOU AND THE HAIKYUU!! BOYS ARE MARRIED~ ALSO THE NUMBER OF KIDS THEY HAVE CAME FROM THE BAD-DAD MOMENTS!!**

@foodacoochie I thought you might want to see this~

Akaashi Keiji: 

Today was Akaashi’s day off, so naturally he wanted to spend it with his family!

You were all situated in the living room, your youngest who was a little over 1 sitting on your lap, and your oldest, who was about 3 was sitting across from Akaashi.

Akaashi was on his knees, throwing a tennis ball like thing back and forth with your 3 year old son, who was standing.

Everything was going great, just some wholesome family fun.

Until Akaashi said ‘give it all you got!’ his child smiled, wound up, and-

‘OOF-’ you watched as your husband immediately hunched over, falling to his side as his hands flew to his crotch.

Your eyes widened as you tried not to laugh, your son however started giggling when his father groaned, your baby following suit.

“K-keiji? *snicker* are- *ahem* are you okay?” You barely got through the sentence before you started laughing, Akaashi just slowly nodded, eventually returning to his knees.

He was much, much more conscious of his lower region from that point on.

Washio Tatsuki: 

It was Halloween time, and you and Washio had taken your 3 kids to a pumpkin patch!

You guys have 3 kids, the oldest two are 5 (fraternal twins, 1 boy 1 girl), and the youngest is 2.

The farm had made several ‘haunted houses’, one for little kids and one for teens+

Your twins had decided they wanted to go in the haunted house!

Well, your son did. Your daughter was not thrilled.

But! When her daddy offered to hold her hand the whole time, she decided she could brave it out, after all it is Washio we’re talking about.

You stayed by the entrance with your 2 year old, while Washio took the twins inside.

Everything was fine for awhile, your son was very excited, giggling at the jump scares and all in all having a good old time.

Your daughter...not so much. Poor thing was just about shaking, but she wanted to do this!!

They were about 2 scares away from the exit when someone dressed as a werewolf came from no where, your daughter screaming and turning into her father, her elbow at the perfect height to connect with his groin.

Sucking in a quick breath he ever so slightly tightened his hold on his children's hands, walking them through the last few jump scares and out to you.

You immediately grew concerned as the first thing your husband did was take a knee when he got outside, hands coming to grip at his face as he just slowly let out a breath, nodding when you asked if he was okay.

But even after getting elbowed in the balls, he never let go of his daughters hand😤

Konoha Akinori: 

You had just finished drying your son off from his bath when you heard giggling coming from the living room.

You sighed as you saw your husband, relentlessly tickling his oldest daughter, right after you had gotten her all settled down for bed.

Despite the irritation you felt knowing it would take at least 2 more stories for her to be sleepy again, you couldn’t help but smile knowing how much he loved being a dad.

“D-daddy *giggle* st-stop it!! It-it tickles!!!” Your husband smiled, continuing to gently tickle your daughter as she continued to laugh.

“No-can-do missy! Your laugh is just too cute!” 

Your daughter, despite her laughing, started to squirm, small arms pressing down on her fathers forearms, and little legs and feet pressing on his shins and thighs.

Until one particularly ticklish brush of his fingers caused her foot to slip, ending with her heel hitting him right in his crotch.

He shrieked as he let go of his daughter, hands flying down to his groin as he fell on his side, all the while his little girl laughed as she crawled up towards you, who was hunched over ugly laughing/crying as your husband continued to whine.

Kita Shinsuke: 

Today was the first day of your spring cleaning, and your 4 year old daughter insisted on being a big help!

You were working in the living room while Kita and your daughter worked in the kitchen.

Kita was teaching his daughter how to use everything, and helping her when she needed it, she was of course a wonderful listener and was having the time of her life.

They had just finished dusting, and now it was time to do the floors.

You guys had linoleum in the kitchen, so all they had to do was sweep and mop.

Kita got the broom from the storage closet and came back to the kitchen.

He sighed when he realized he had forgotten the mop, setting the broom up against the kitchen counter and telling your daughter he’d be right back.

Now, she may more responsible than most kids her age, but she was still 4. And very curious.

Picking up the broom, she started to play with it, completely oblivious to her father rounding the corner.

Before he could so much as blink his daughter turned, the top of the broom catching him right in the balls as he very narrowly avoided cussing, choosing to grip the counter instead.

Gasping your little girl ran to you, on the verge of tears as she grabbed your hand and started pulling you towards the kitchen.

“Mommy help! I think I killed daddy!”

When you got to the kitchen, you saw Kita, head down on the counter as his hands wrapped around his head, small groans coming from him.

He made sure to be out of his daughter reach when teaching her to sweep.

Suna Rintaro: 

Suna was in the living room, your 2 oldest in there with him as he was ‘rough housing’ and doing stuff dads do with their kids.

You were in the youngest 2′s room, putting them down for a nap.

Suna gently held his daughters legs as she planted her palms on the floor, him lifting her up when she was ready.

That’s right, Suna was teaching them to do handstands.

Giving her a high five he turned to his son, telling him what he needed to do, completely oblivious to his daughters concentrated look.

Keep in mind, Suna was standing, with his knees slightly bent and his hands on his knees.

Your daughter gave herself a firm nod, putting her hands above her head as she dipped down.

You had just finished putting the littlest ones down for their nap when you walked into the living room, watching almost in slow motion as your daughter leaned her upper half down, and watching her her leg came flying straight up.

Straight up in between her father’s legs.

You watched as his eyes widened, the air being knocked right out of him as he practically folded in half, forehead resting on the carpet as your son just looked at him and your daughters hands came up to her mouth.

You were of course dying in the doorway, him shooting you a glare as you gave your poor daughter a hug, her giving her daddy one as soon as he unfurled from the fetal position.

Ushijima Wakatoshi: 

Ushijima had taken his 3 oldest sons to the Schweiden gym.

He was putting in a little extra practice time, but wasn’t going to give up time with his children!

So, he figured it would be good to take them with him, they always loved going with him anyhow.

Right now, he was with your oldest son, Ren.

Your second born was whisked away by Romero and his son to play, and your youngest was whisked away by Hoshiumi and Sokolov.

Ushijima had been teaching his son to spike.

Nothing crazy, the kid is only 5, so they were spiking from the ground.

But there’s still a lot of power that goes into those spikes!!

Ushijima had taken his eyes off of his son for not even a minute, distracted by the giggles he heard from his youngest as he sat on Hoshiumi’s shoulders.

He really should have been paying attention, because right in front of him his son was winding up for a spike.

He didn’t notice until the *SMACK* on the gym floor echoed, the volleyball being shot right into his groin.

He cursed under his breath as he dropped to his knees, hands holding his crotch as Sokolov and Romero cringed, Hoshiumi and Ren laughing at his misfortune.

Yahaba Shigeru: 

Yahaba had taken his 2 sons outside to play with a model airplane they had just finished putting together!

It was one of those thick-foam nice ones, so it was going to fly nicely.

He stood a good 15 feet away from his oldest, his youngest about 15 feet away from him so they formed a triangle, You watching with your phone ready for memories!!

Your oldest, Hayato, waited for the wind to come before thrusting the plane up and into the air, it glided for a good few seconds before doing a loop and coming back to the ground at a sharp angle.

For a foam plane, it moved quite efficiently, and at this speed it was moving quite quickly.

Before anyone could react, the plane had nose dived right into your husband, his face blanching as his hands shot downwards.

You laughed, your sons cringed, and Yahaba just about cried.

“At least the plane’s okay! It would have actually been bad if it broke” Your youngest walked away after picking up the plane, Yahaba looking at him in disbelief. 

“Yeah, well don’t go asking me and your mom for anymore siblings, *cringe* I don’t think that’ll be happening.”

He cringed even more when you revealed you had gotten everything on video~

Iwaizumi Hajime: 

With it being the off-season for volleyball, Iwaizumi was spending more time at home with his family!

But, keeping in good shape was also important, so one of the things he would do is while he worked out in the home gym, your 3 sons would be in there with him.

You guys had a pretty good set up, one of the newer additions being a punching bag and gloves. (any other boxers out there?)

Iwaizumi was working with weights, currently doing bicep curls while his sons wreaked, albeit controlled, havoc.

His oldest had found the gloves, slipping on on his hand as the middlest took the other, the youngest slipping on a mit instead.

Poor man was so focused in his workout, he didn’t even notice his middlest son come waking towards him.

When he did notice, he was too late, his son had already wound up and launched his gloved hand into Iwaizumi’s crotch.

Iwaizumi grunted as he just about dropped the weights, falling onto his hands and knees as he tried to steady his breathing.

All 3 of your children bolted out of the room, the little brats laughing before they ran into you.

You walked in to see Iwaizumi, who was now on one knee, eyes still closed as he seemed to be meditating.

For those who are wondering, “padded boxing gloves” do  n o t h i n g  to subside the pain of being punched😢

Futakuchi Kenji: 

Futakuchi’s parents had been over for dinner one night, his younger sister and her fiancé were there too!

You guys had just had a nice dinner and were now sitting in the living room, bringing up old memories and laughing about things that have happened.

Your oh so loving husband had decided to bring up how you had “flashed” him in high school, you rolling your eyes as you hit his arm with a pillow you threw, him being on the couch and you cuddling with your youngest on the floor.

Now, you guys have 3 little girls. 

Your oldest is 6, middlest 4 and your youngest is about 3.

Your youngest was very much a mommy’s girl, and would actually glare at Futakuchi for no given reason, then turn around and giggle and smile at you. (lol my little sister went through a phase like this when she was, like, 2)

She had been sitting on your lap, so when she saw you ‘in danger’ and it was from ‘the enemy’ aka dad, she stood, chubby little cheeks forming a pout as she marched towards her dad.

With the whole family watching, she pulled her fist back and swung, catching him right in his balls as she scurried off and back into your arms, you not knowing how to respond to the situation and your husband doubled over in pain.

Daishou Suguru: 

You and Daishou had 2 kids, 1 girl (oldest) and 1 boy.

Daishou was a good dad!

He cared for his children, gave them endless amounts of love and affection, and was never late to any event big or small.

But he was still a dad, and dads all have those things that they do.

For him, it was popping out of random places and (lightly) scaring his daughter.

Currently, he was hiding behind the wall right at the top of the stairs, smirking as he knew his daughter was on her way up them.

He got his hands ready, feet in a good position to jump out as he watched her little shadow grow closer and closer to the top.

As soon as she hit the floor of the 2nd level he jumped out.

“BOO!” Screaming she kicked, landing a strong kick right in between Daishou’s legs, causing him to yelp as his hands gripped his crotch, sinking to his knees as his daughter gasped.

She felt bad for a whole of (2) seconds before sighing, hands coming up on her hips as she pouted, “Daddy, that’s what you get for scaring me!!”

Numai Kazuma: 

You guys had 3 sons and 1 girl, your baby girl being the youngest of the 4.

Right now, you guys were in your backyard, having an outdoor day and playing a variety of sports and games.

The game they were currently playing was baseball.

You sat in the shade with your youngest son and baby girl as they played in the sandbox, your oldest two with their dad as he set up the little stand and put the ball on it.

He had put on the catcher’s mit and stood a good 10 feet away from the batting station, his oldest son ready to hit, and his youngest son a safe distance away.

“Alright, come on buddy, you got this!”

Steadying his stance, your son swung with all of his might, the ball going fast and low to the ground, and right towards Numai-

“uGh-” Your hand came up to your mouth when your husband dropped to his knee, hand coming up to wave off his son, forcing out an “I’m okAy-” as he struggled to regain his composure.

For the remainder of the time they played baseball, he kept the mit a little lower than he originally planned.

Iizuna Tsukasa: 

Iizuna had been away for a game for the past 2 weeks, and your 3 year old daughter was very excited to see him again.

His arrival time was in the afternoon, so you were able to bring your daughter with you! Which Iizuna was thrilled about.

Your little girl was practically bouncing with excitement, little pigtails jumping as she looked up to you with a toothy grin.

You gently ran your fingers through her hair, as she clutched onto your leg, both of your eyes searching the gate for your husband.

As soon as you saw him, you crouched down to her ear, “There he is! There’s daddy!” Squealing she ran, and I mean she ran full force towards her father.

Iizuna, seeing his incoming 3 year old barreling towards him, dropping his bag, kneeling down so he could catch her.

Which he did, but he didn’t account for just how much force she had carried, so he didn’t expect the little foot that kicked him right where it hurts.

Careful not to impulsively squeeze the life out of his toddler, he shakily sighed as he gave her a kiss to her head, her nuzzling into his arms.

He may have been in an extreme amount of pain, but nothing was going to stop him from hugging his little girl.

[blackcatclawsout]

Majima x Reader- Bento Box

I also post to AO3 under the same username!

Morning was always her favourite time of the day. Y/N stirred in her shared bed, nestling into the arms that were already wrapped around her. Majima seemed to already be awake; his grip tightened and drew her closer. He peppered her cheeks and forehead in light kisses, giggling at her sleepy groaning. She swatted away his face, chuckling softly.

"No, I have morning breath," she whined, smirking as he drew her near.

They laid in bed motionless, letting dawn's light hit their blanketed bodies. Everything was soft and warm, as the rising sun began to wake greater Tokyo. Y/N could stay like this forever, pressed against his chest, breathing in Majima. He rarely took showers at night, so she always caught a bit of his cologne in their morning cuddles. Stealing glances at her beau, she saw his face, softened as he breathed softly. She admired his thin face and his high cheekbones. Y/N gently reached up, rubbing the backs of her fingers across his motionless face. She cupped his cheek. Majima's eye opened, locking with her. His grey eye was softened in moments like these, pupil lazily dilating as he stared back at her. Catlike blinks between the two of them communicated their mutual appreciation for the silent moment they were currently sharing. Y/N's eyes darted towards his thin-lipped mouth. The hand she rested on his lean chest felt his heart speed up. The anxious pattering edged her to lean in closer. A giddy feeling rose from her stomach, compelling her to shut her eyes in excitement. The harsh melody of the phone cut through their synchronized breathing.

"Son of a..." Majima muttered, immediately turning to his bedside stand. Y/N sat up, calming her still fast-beating heart. "Nishida, d'ya even know what time- No, I haven't since... Fuck. I'll be there in a sec." He sighed, hanging up. Majima sat on the edge of the bed, fingers massaging his temple. His lover crawled to him slowly, resting a hand on his shoulder. Before she could ask, he stood up, turning around to face her. 

"Shit's hit the fan, I gotta go." His hand extended, resting on top of her head. Fingers wandered absent-mindedly through her locks as his eyes flickered over her partly covered figure. His brows were once again furrowed.

"I understand. You better get going." She nodded, smiling up at the older man. His lips parted slightly, almost to say something, but pressed together again. He sauntered to the washroom, closing the door behind him. Y/N glanced at the clock on Majima's side table.

5:56... yikes. No wonder Goro was pissed off. He doesn't usually get up for another half hour. 

She stretched as she got up, wrapping a robe around herself as she left the bedroom. Something Y/N had slowly grown accustomed to in her partnership to Majima was bento boxes. The idea of making someone a packed lunch seemed… childish to her; at least it did at first. She vaguely remembered her mother making her lunch when she was a child, probably because she couldn't be trusted to pack her own. She had learned quickly to become independent, fiercely so, and the thought of relying on someone else to make her lunch seemed strange to her. It wasn't until Goro explained that she caught the appeal.

"When you're a kid, your mom made one of them for you and your dad. It always had great shit in there- homemade and sometimes with cute decorations. Now, she only did this for you an' your ol' man, the two people she shoulda loved most. So when ya girl makes it, it means she loves ya!"  He flashed a cheeky grin as he explained. Y/N just cocked her head.

"You... don't think of your mom when you eat it?" She asked warily, causing him to burst with laughter.

"Hell no, I don't! I just think of my girl, and how lucky I am to have her." he leaned forward, pecking her cheek as he finished. 

Y/N washed the rice absent-mindedly as she thought back to then. A smile graced her lips as she turned the machine on to hum, beginning to make other parts of his lunch. There was a big learning curve at first; the rice balls would always fall apart, or she’d mess up some recipe. Far too often she had left out an element from the lunch box, only to find it waiting on the counter. Despite it all, Majima took a bento each day, calling after he finished to compliment her work. His praise motivated her, even driving her to go to a local bookstore, looking for any sort of help. Slowly, her skills improved. Her routine became more integrated and quicker with each passing day.

After a short while, she looked at her handy work. The layer bento was stuffed full of edamame, onigiri with fish, steamed vegetables, and leftover meat from their dinner before. She felt proud of her handiwork, even if it wasn’t perfect. Y/N glanced at the kitchen clock on the wall. 

It’s been almost 20 minutes... He should be ready soon.

She packed the food up, tucking his chopstick into the small plastic container. After ensuring everything was ready to go, she padded back to the bedroom, looking around for her lover. Muttering leaked out of their washroom, prompting her to follow the growling. 

“Hey, Goro-chan… You’ll need to be heading out soon,” She popped her head into the doorway,  smiling as she saw him already finished. He turned to face her, an exasperated look already carved into his face. 

“Those assholes…” He sighed as he walked towards her, He was dressed in his usual suit jacket and black leather pants. She could still smell the dampness in his hair and his body wash- one of her favourite smells. Y/N gave a soft smile to him. 

They didn’t often talk about his work, they met in spite of it, and he seemed to prefer to keep it that way. When they first met, he was insistent that he was a businessman- he looked the part then too. At the time, his hair was long and neat, his suit always pressed and clean; he had kept himself well-groomed with a clean shaved face, so it wasn’t much of a stretch then. Of course, life got in the way and they fell apart, only connecting years later by chance. The drastic change in his appearance tipped her off that he was into… different work by now. But she respected his privacy. She wasn’t oblivious by any means; Y/N meticulously knew what he did and where he was most days. After a few months of being together, she began receiving text messages from Nishida, informing her on where his boss was, especially during late evenings. They chatted frequently, even going into topics not associated with work. He was her confidant and seemed to share the image of Majima that she had. 

Goro finished with his hair and came to the doorway, kissing her cheek before heading out of the bathroom. He picked up a few things he left out on the bed before also leaving the bedroom. She tidied the washroom, bringing out the damp towel that smelled like him, and tiding the bedspread before also leaving.

“See ya! I’m off!” Majima called from the door. 

“Call you later!” She echoed from the laundry room, “Have a good day!” She waited for the door to click shut before she continued with the laundry. Household chores weren’t her favourite, she didn’t enjoy doing laundry or cooking. But if it was left up to the two of them, both Majima and Y/N would starve and live the remainder of their days on earth as nudists. On her days off, she tried to get everything done quickly, leaving the remainder of the day to read or do whatever else she pleased. Y/N stretched as the washing machine began to purr lightly. She sighed as she looked around for something else to do.

Can’t seem to find anything else… Guess it’s time for breakfast.

Padding to the kitchen, she used the remainder of the food prepared from before to make herself food. She hummed happily as egg sizzled and soup came to a soft boil. The fragrant embrace of food brought her a joy that nothing else in the world could, and she almost hated to admit it. It was half-way through her rendition of some pop song from the radio that she noticed something in the corner of her eye, sitting on the countertop. Turning she noticed it was the bento box she made. Y/N held the container in her hands, turning it over lightly. She felt her brow furrow slightly, thinking of what to do. Should she bring it to him? Glancing at the clock she sighed,

It’s 7:00 am… If I get ready soon I can drop this off and pop around Kamurocho for a bit

It was 10:30-ish when she was dressed and ready to head out. Just because of the occasion, she decided to wear a knee-length black skirt and a simple creme blouse, pairing them with black penny loafers. She admired her reflection in the hallway mirror, her makeup light and perfect for a sunny afternoon out. Y/N made sure to gently tuck in the bento box to the fabric bag she had slung around her shoulder and headed out for the day. 

Navigating the subways always seemed daunting during rush hour, so she grew thankful when she patted down the steps to find the underground mostly empty. It was a short walk through the underground mall to where she needed to go; the large hall filled with all ages shopping for what they needed. Sweet vendors sold their succulent items to the newly freed students, groups of teenage girls fawned over the newest character items displayed, some with their boyfriends. A light smile played over Y/N’s face as she too had been that way when she was younger. She understood the excitement contained within the first week off of school, how it drove young people to be out with their friends. As she left the mall area and came to her line, she noticed a pair of teens waiting. A boy and a girl stood side by side, rather stiffly. She eyed them, noticing the way they both twitched when talking to one another. How cute. She glanced down at her fabric bag.

I wonder what he was like when he was younger…

The train ride was about 20 minutes, dropping her off in the heart of Kamurocho. Despite the bright sun and lack of neon lights, people swarmed the warming streets, chatting and shopping to their heart’s content. The smell of grilled food, cigarettes, and sun-baked concrete filled her senses as Y/N darted through the crowd. Regardless of being the only foreigner for blocks, she was ignored completely by the other’s around her. It sometimes was the only redeeming quality of the busier areas. Endless roads seemed to carry on for miles, the farthest treks waving and fluttering in the edging midday heat. All of Kamurocho seemed to be gearing up for the impending festival season, which always impressed visitors from far and wide. Passing by, attendants called out in hopes of catching a customer, but their calls falling on deaf ears. The Millenium Tower loomed over the crowds in the bright sunlight, casting a sharp shadow; though it was a ways off, it still acted as a centre, or maybe more of a North star. She dawdled towards the quieter part of town where the Majima family office was located. She had vaguely remembered certain landmarks, like the worn down shrine that always seemingly had a fresh bowl of rice, or the old teahouse they had once stopped at. As she drew near the building, a tense feeling probed her stomach, though she had trouble understanding why. It was not like Goro was ever mean or told her not to come, yet she had the feeling like he had lived his life with her around his work, avoiding involving her in any regard. 

Y/N bit her lip anxiously; She would be lying to say she had not considered heading back. Simply calling him to warn him that he might have to eat out for today, or feign ignorance over his forgetfulness this morning. Yet, the prospect of doing anything else plagued her mind with guilt. Glancing at her watch, she decided to head in, despite it being only 11:22, as she’d rather be giving him his lunch early than late. She cautiously walked into the building,  immediately hit with a wall of air conditioning. She shivered in the artificial cool and looked about. The standard lobby was clean but dated and smelled of old carpet. Thinking back, Y/N had never gotten a good look at the inside, the most she saw was whatever she could see through the window the one time she saw Majima exit from here. The lobby only had a hallway attached, seemingly where the elevators and washroom would be. Gloomy plants sat destitute in the corner of the room. As she finished her look-over, her eyes settled on the high desk that rested on the left side of the room. Quietly, she approached.

The man sitting at the desk was middle aged and pudgy. His clothes and hair would have betrayed him for just another typical salary man and not someone who worked with the Yakuza. Several papers were strewn around him as he wrote on the one closest to him. As she stood waiting, she noticed the permanent fowl look on his face. It was decidedly funny when she realized it was the same face one makes at an offensive smell. Holding back a snicker, she spoke up. 

“Um, excuse me…” her voice almost was a whisper. The man whipped his head up, visibly confused. His eyes quickly jumped about her figure as he rose from his seat.

“No english. Out.” He rattled quickly in english, stepping from behind the desk. In her initial shock, he nearly dragged her to the door before she retracted her hand. 

“I’m here for-” She began.

“No english.” The man repeated once again, turning to face her.

“Is Majima Goro here?” She exclaimed loudly. The man froze where he stood, blinking owlishly at her. The air conditioning above them tousled both their hair, the moment silent, still and cold. He cleared his throat before straightening himself.

“Yes, I believe Majima-sama is in his office.” The man responded quietly, looking her over once more. Y/N sighed in relief, relaxing her own posture. 

“Thank you. Can you take me to him?” 

He shook his head softly, walking back to the desk, trailing her along dumbly. At first she thought he was refusing to help her anymore, but as he sat down, he reached for the desk’s phone and irritatedly called a short sequence. He muttered something under his breath before hanging up the phone and returning back to his papers. An awkward pause played as Y/N waited for any further instruction, standing dumbly in front of the pudgy man. Without warning, the elevator creaked opened, allowing two tall lean men to step out. She took that as her cue, and walked towards them. 

Confusion seemed to be the theme of the Majima family office; Both men took a second to look her over before jumping back into action, patting her down rather roughly. While they avoided the obvious areas, they did seem to paw her skirt a little belligerently. She bit her lip to bite back a rude comment, deciding that it wasn’t worth pissing off men who killed people for a living. When one tried to take her bag, she yelped causing them to jump slightly. Her face was hot as she opened the canvas bag herself, showing them the contents After an additional minute of snooping, they led inside the elevator adjacent; The three of them stood compactly to one another. Y/N felt them shift their body weight. The small box had no air conditioning, quickly undoing the chill she felt moments ago. Her heart beat began to pick up again as they climbed slowly to the third floor, seconds stretching to minutes. When they arrived, she was hit once again with the cooled air. 

The hallway was plain and for some reason nerve-wracking. The lack of scenery gave her less to take in as she tried to calm her beating heart. Checking and rechecking her bag, she made sure the food was in there. Her pulse was loud in her ears and her face felt hot. Why out of all the times she had given Majima a bento, this was the time when she was nervous about it? She thought back to their phone conversations after he had finished his lunch- Was he ever lying? What if he just threw it out at work and told her a pretty white lie? It was only an odd electricity in the room that made her tear her gaze from the bottom of the bag that she had been staring at.

Looking up, she found her gaze land on Goro Majima’s face, his brows furrowing as he looked over her.

“Y/N, are you alright?” His voice had an edge of concern as he stepped out a little from the doorway. She couldn’t help but find herself gawking- he felt too unreal to answer to. She had heard before that you often have trouble recognizing people when they are removed from the typical scenario you see them in; this seemed to be a prime example to her. Before she could answer, Majima led her into his office, draping his arm over her shoulder as he led her in. As she bustled in, he closed the door quickly behind them. 

Her eyes wandered over his office- It was small and rather boring, only a small katana on the wall suggested that he would actually use this space. It was surprisingly clean, save for a large desk which was scattered in various papers. The filing cabinets and tables were covered in papers as well, though neatly stacked into piles. It never had occurred to her that he would have done any other work besides physical. Her thoughts were stopped as Goro came into her view. His grey eye was dark and his brow creased, which only made him look older. His gloved hands rested on her shoulders, his gaze even with hers. 

“Are you alright, Y/N-chan?” His voice quivered slightly. Her face reddened in response, forcing her to break eye contact.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine..” she replied quietly.

A stale silence hung in the air before Majima straightened himself, hands dropping from her shoulders to hold her hands instead. He held her hands up, gently rubbing the backs of her knuckles.

“You’re not acting like yourself… What’s really happening?” His baritone voice was soft and pleading, making his concern more unbearable. The woman let out a shaky breath and urged herself to look at him. Her tongue felt swollen in her mouth and her throat seemed dryer than moments before. 

“You left your lunch at home, but I… just feel silly.” She managed to mewl meekly. Her eyes stayed trained on him while he processed what she said. His face betrayed his confusion before he cocked his head.

“My… lunch?” He repeated. She sighed heavily.

“I came into the kitchen and it was still on the counter, and I didn’t want you to be hungry or to have to go out and stop what you were doing to go buy lunch-” She began only to be cut off by his howling laughter. He held his stomach and keeled over, gasping for air while he cackled brightly. Now she really felt embarrassed.

After giggling to himself for a while longer, he looked up at her, still doubled over and gasping, “You’re too cute.” 

She fumbled with her bag, grabbing the bento and quickly shoving it to him. Even though her gaze was averted from him, she could still sense his smile as he gently took the container from her. He walked to his desk, plopping down in the plush leather chair, setting his feet up on the desk. Y/N drew near as he popped the lid open, surveying the contents.

“Okey-dokey, let’s see what we have... Karaage, edamame- always delicious… Ooh! Even salmon onigiri!” He loudly praised the humble contents of the bento, picking through the contents lightly. His lover settled on the edge of his desk, watching his reactions intently. He ate ravenously, akin to a rabid dog more than an actual person. She was the one to giggled this time, watching his face change with each side dish. 

As he finished, Majima sighed loudly, sinking further into his chair.

“Delicious as always.” 

Y/N cocked her head, “You think so?” He smirked, pulling her forward towards him.I know so.”

[soobiniebaby]

Angels & Devils Part XII : See Them Burn in Fire

Tomorrow x Together Fanfiction

~ p a r t s : main post || prologue || part 1 || part 2 || part 3 || part 4 || part 5 || part 6 || part 7 || part 8 || part 9 || part 10 || part 11 || part 12 || part 13 || part 14 || part 15 || part 16 || part 17 ~ p a i r i n g : love triangle involving choi soobin and choi yeonjun ~ g e n r e : high school au | some social media au | some fluff & angst | childhood friends | love triangle ~ l a n g u a g e : English ~ w a r n i n g : contains swearing, alcohol, kissing (?) and may contain mature themes (angst, etc.) ~ a / n : This will be my first fanfic (go easy on me pls) and i’m just writing this as I go along, so bear with me juseyo The setting (place/country) of the story is up to the reader’s interpretation ~ s u m m a r y : What should she choose? Han Baby: the new girl with a troubled past MO Academy: her new high school Choi Soobin: student council president, member of the Ecosave club, volunteer at the Humane Treatment of Animals, member of the Honor Society, a vocalist in the Jazzed club, the school’s all around golden boy Choi Yeonjun: leader of the Dance club, star of the Jazzed club, the school’s it boy with a bad rep 5 best friends, 1 new girl, 1 childhood friendship, 1 epic love triangle? What will this school year bring?

“Ningning, please help me, I’m freaking out.”

It was currently September 9, Wednesday, her third day of being back at MOA, and she was indeed freaking out.

Her first few days being back at MOA felt like a fever dream wherein she was the main character in some cheesy teen romcom who had somehow gained the affections of the school’s it boy, complete with montages of everyone’s eyes following the 2 of them whenever they walked around campus together and scenes of them spotted around campus holding hands (complete with Taehyun constantly reminding them “Physical contact within campus grounds is prohibited!”), staring at each other like the lovesick teenagers that they were, even pulling their face masks down to steal kisses when no one was looking.

She never realized how big of a reaction their dating news would gain until she actually saw it; the stares, the whispers, even the attention that Yeonjun’s tweet got, which garnered over a thousand likes, which was a bit concerning since Yeonjun’s twitter account was fairly new yet not really surprising considering how popular he was.

She didn’t really mind the stares and whispers. It’s not like she hasn’t been the main topic at school before, but now the attention was for something that she was actually happy about, so in a way it felt nice. What she was freaking out about, however, was Beomgyu’s reply to Yeonjun’s tweet.

It was only when she asked Kai about it did she find out that Yeonjun’s birthday was on the 13th of September, which was only 4  days away, and she had no clue what she would give to him as a gift.

“How do you think I can help?” Kai asks, confused. “I’m just his friend, you’re his girlfriend. You’ve always been great at giving gifts anyway, I’m sure that whatever you get him, he’ll love it.” he says matter-of-factly.

B groans. “You’ve known him for longer than I have! And I don’t know what I can put together on such short notice.” she whines, which was true. The fact that their relationship was new made it even more difficult since she didn’t know a lot about what sort of things Yeonjun really liked yet. “Do you guys have any plans for his birthday?”

Kai nods. “We’re all getting individual gifts, but duh we’re throwing him a kick ass party.” he says. “We always have big parties when someone’s birthday comes up. The best part is, by Saturday night I’ll be medically cleared and ready to get wasted.” he says excitedly.

“I could help you guys with the party, but what gift can I get him? What can you give someone who already has everything?” B wonders out loud. It was no secret that Yeonjun was loaded and could have anything he wanted at the snap of his fingers, which only made it harder for B to come up with a meaningful gift.

“Easy, give him something that only you can give him.” Ryujin pipes up. She walked home with B after school to hang out since the guys were busy with their weekly student council meeting, but the truth was, Kai had pleaded with B to invite Ryujin so he could ask for a little bit of help about how he should ask Yuna out, which was the first thing they talked about when Ryujin arrived. She had given Kai good advice and was looking forward seeing how he’d ask their friend out, though Kai said he would wait for the right time to do it, which made Ryujin roll her eyes at him and call him a chicken, which he accepted.

“Something only I can give him? Like what?” B asks desperately.

Ryujin stands up from her spot on the couch, grabs a ribbon from one of the blue rose bouquets that Yeonjun had given to B and stands over her. “Simple. Here, take this.” she says, handing the ribbon to B, which she takes gingerly.

“Then tie it around yourself.” Ryujin instructs her, which she follows cluelessly.

“Now what?” B asks, the bow tied around her torso.

“Strike a pose and tell him ‘Happy birthday Yeonjun, unwrap me.’” she says, smirking.

“Eugh, please don’t.” Kai says, visibly cringing.

Meanwhile, B was visibly blushing, untying the ribbon and tossing it aside. “I—um, as s—special as that sounds, I, uh, don’t think that’s something I can give just yet.” she says, flustered at what Ryujin was suggesting.

Ryujin laughs. “Don’t worry, I was just kidding. You are too precious, B.” she says, ruffling the top of B’s head. “Don’t ever do that unless you’re 100% ready by the way.”

“Okay, that’s already more than I need to hear.” Kai says, covering his ears with his hands. “Anyway, Baba I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” Kai says, trying to change the topic. “If you want my advice, I suggest you get him something heartfelt, maybe something with special meaning to him.”

B sighs. “I guess. Maybe I’ll ask the other guys for help.” she says, whipping her phone out and creating a new group chat.

Soobin sighs as he drops his phone, leaving it atop the conference table, leaning back in his seat at the head of the table as he watches his 3 present members continue with the meeting.

Surprisingly, being the student council president wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be. His members did their assigned jobs well and took their respective roles seriously, so his job was mostly to oversee things and make final approvals. Taehyun usually led their meetings, and one of Soobin’s main tasks was to make sure that the younger boy could effectively take his place as president once Soobin graduated, which Soobin had no worries about since he saw Taehyun as his right hand man, both in and out of the student council, considering how the younger boy had been especially close to him the past few days.

The past few days haven’t been very easy on Soobin, considering that the girl he found himself falling in love with and the blue haired boy he was best friends with had officially come out as a couple. It was bad enough that he had to see them constantly hold hands and stare at each other with googly eyes whenever they hung out, but news of them dating became one of the hottest topics at school, so even when he wasn’t with them he would still hear the people around him talking about them nonstop. He had no escape.

The only person he could share his true feelings with was Taehyun, his righthand man, who had figured out Soobin’s whole situation and had reached out to him as soon as the news broke out.

Since then, he always felt Taehyun watching him closely, especially when they were all eating lunch at the gazebo or hanging out the Kang’s café after school. For Soobin, it felt nice to know that there was someone by his side who understood what he was going through, so hiding his true feelings didn’t feel as tiring.

Soobin is snapped back into the present as Taehyun says “That concludes this week’s meeting. Next week, we’ll be tackling the annual Fall Ball that will be taking place on October, so you better prepare suggestions for the theme by then.” he says, referring to one of the school’s biggest social events and one of the 3 annual school dances that took place at MOA every year.

As Taehyun puts his things away, the other boys stretch out in their chairs and grab their phones, relieved that the meeting was finally over.

“Hey Tyun, I’ll be stopping by Baby’s place for a little while. My driver’s waiting for me outside, you wanna catch a ride with me?” Yeonjun says suddenly as he stands up, typing away at his phone the whole time.

Taehyun shakes his head even though Yeonjun’s eyes were focused on his phone. “You can go, there are a few additional ideas that I want to run through with our president first so I’ll be staying behind for a bit. Thanks, though.”

Yeonjun looks at him then and nods. “Alright then, see you guys tomorrow.”

The boys greet him goodbye, with Beomgyu going “I’ll walk out with you, my ride’s waiting too.” before the 2 boys disappear out of the room.

Soobin turns to Taehyun, confused. “You have additional ideas you want to run by me? What additional ideas?” he asks.

“Oh, I don’t know, the idea that you want to help the girl you love come up with a birthday gift for her boyfriend, maybe?” Taehyun says pointedly. “You should not be helping B with things like that, given the fact that you’re in love with her.”

“I—no, B is just—” Soobin sputters, caught off guard. “I’m not in love with her!”

“Holy shit! You’re in love with B?” a voice suddenly exclaims, making Taehyun jump in his seat and causing Soobin to yell out in surprise.

“Gyu! What are you doing here?” Soobin asks, shocked to see Beomgyu standing in the doorway. “I—Oh god you scared me! I thought you left with Yeonjun. What—?”

“I left my phone, so I told him to go ahead and I came back here to get it.” Beomgyu explains, and sure enough, the boys catch sight of Beomgyu’s cellphone which he had left on top of the conference table. Taehyun slaps his forehead, frustrated at himself for not noticing it earlier.

“I knew Taehyun said he had extra ideas to talk to you about, but I never could have imagined something like this.” Beomgyu says, his eyes wide. “Is it true? Soobin, are you in love with her?”

“I—no! N—no I’m not, I—I just—” Soobin sputters, his brain malfunctioning as he realizes that his secret was slowly starting to spread.

Taehyun puts a hand on Soobin’s shoulder to calm him down. “Gyu, I don’t know what you heard, but I think Soobin’s going through a lot right now, so it’s best if you pretend that this never happened, alright?” he says.

Beomgyu nods, grabbing his phone from the table before taking a seat beside the 2 boys. “Of course! Just act like I’m not even here. My lips are sealed.” he says, making a zipping motion over his mouth.

“Thanks, Gyu.” Soobin finally manages to say, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. “And to be clear, I am not in love with her. I might have a slight crush on her, but that doesn’t mean anything. She’s my friend, what’s wrong with wanting to help her find a good gift for one of my best friends?”

“Whatever you say.” Taehyun says. “And there’s nothing wrong with it per se, but I don’t think you should put up with their relationship any more than necessary. They are your friends, but I think it would be better if you don’t get involved.” he says, trying to give good advice. “Don’t take it the wrong way, cause it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be supportive of their relationship or anything. I mean, yes you’re their friend, but don’t get yourself involved in anything that has to do with their relationship.”

Soobin nods reluctantly, trying to understand where Taehyun was coming from. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind, thanks Tyun.” he says. “It wouldn’t hurt to help B come up with a gift for Yeonjun though, right?”

Beomgyu nods. “True, that just means you’re a good friend who wants to be there and help a friend out.”

Taehyun sighs. “You’re an idiot, Gyu. And you’re hopeless, Soobin. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

Soobin chuckles. “Don’t worry, Tyun. I don’t see how it can hurt any more than it already does anyway.”

Taehyun shakes his head. “I didn’t know you were such a masochist.”

“I never said I like the pain! I’m just saying, it can’t get any worse than this.” Soobin says defensively.

Oh, how horribly wrong he was.

•°•

The rest of the weekdays flew by quickly enough. Soobin had taken Taehyun’s advice and had been trying his best to avoid being around Yeonjun and B longer than necessary, making sure that he had a clear boundary between being their friend who was happy for them and being their friend who would go out of his way to involve himself in their relationship.

Meanwhile, now that Beomgyu knew about his secret, Soobin could feel an extra pair of eyes practically burning into his skull every time they hung out. Taehyun was an expert at hiding his feelings and understood that Soobin just wanted things to be as normal as possible, but Beomgyu had started to treat him like he was delicate, often giving him pitiful looks and being extra nice to him, which Soobin could only hope wouldn’t come off as suspicious to the rest of the group.

It turns out that the boys didn’t have to put together a party for Yeonjun since his father had organized one on his own, renting out one of the only night clubs in their town for Saturday night, inviting a few people whom he thought would be beneficial for Yeonjun to mingle with and telling Yeonjun that he was free to invite whomever else he wanted to, which was basically the entire high school population of MO Academy.

“Did your dad really rent out a whole club just so he could throw you a business networking event disguised as a birthday party?” Beomgyu comments as he and the 3 boys stood in front of said club, waiting for the last 2 members of their group to arrive.

Yeonjun shrugs. “It’s still a party, just gonna have to deal with a few ‘unwanted’ guests I guess.” he says. “I’m not sure which pretentious rich kids from the business world my dad invited though, so I’ll have to go back and forth between partying with you guys and entertaining whoever snotty douches he’s invited.”

“And we will try to stay as far away from them as possible. I don’t think I can put up with any more pretentious rich kids.” Taehyun says, crossing his arms over his chest. “I think dealing with you guys everyday is about as much as I can handle.”

“We are not pretentious rich kids!” Beomgyu says defensively, but when he sees Taehyun raise a brow, he backs down. “Right, sorry. Anyway, any word on where B and Hyuka are now? Why didn’t you guys go together again?” he asks Taehyun, knowing that he and B usually came together since they lived in the same building.

“She just said that she and Hyuka were dealing with a crisis and would be running a bit late and that I could go ahead, so I did, but I didn’t know that we’d end up waiting for them to arrive before going into the club.” Taehyun explains.

“It’s a Saturday night, they had the whole day to get ready so there’s no reason why they should be running late.” Beomgyu whines.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” Soobin says.

And right on cue, a car stops in front of the club. The boys wait and watch as the car idles for a few moments before the door flies open and Kai steps out, and the boys realize why the pair had been running late.

Even though he was medically cleared and recovered from chicken pox, Kai’s face was sprinkled with distinct spots all over his cheeks, and although they had been meticulously covered up with makeup, the bumps were still very visible.

Just as Soobin was about to comment on how Kai’s face looked like the back of a Hersheys cookies and cream chocolate bar, Kai extends an arm towards the inside of the vehicle, and a delicate hand appears, taking Kai’s hand in hers as the hand’s owner steps out of the car. Soobin could feel the words die in his throat as B comes into view, wrapping her hand around Kai’s arm before Kai closes the car door behind her.

She was breathtaking. Her long dark hair poured over her shoulders in gentle waves, her skin glowing in contrast to her dark hair and her midnight black dress, which hugged her small frame perfectly, the neckline dipping dangerously low and the slit cutting lethally high up her thigh, the dress reaching just a few inches above her knee. She looked especially tantalizing as she finished the look off with a pair of strappy heels and striking red lipstick, making her look like a movie star from the 1900s.

Soobin couldn’t bring himself to look away, even as he saw her look up and smile, giving a small wave towards their group. He couldn’t even smile back, he was so taken by how beautiful she looked, until Beomgyu spoke up, snapping him out of his trance.

“Stop undressing her with your eyes, Choi! She might catch a cold.” Beomgyu remarks teasingly.

Soobin nearly chokes on his own spit, his eyes automatically looking down at the ground feeling ashamed at the thought of someone catching him staring at B, until Yeonjun laughs and Soobin realizes that the comment was meant for Yeonjun all along.

Why did they have to have the same name?

“Sorry, I can’t help that my girlfriend looks insanely gorgeous, especially in that dress.” Yeonjun laughs, keeping his eyes on B the whole time as he wraps an arm around her shoulders and kisses her cheek. “You clean up really nicely, Baby.”

B smiles at him, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “Speak for yourself, birthday boy. You look particularly handsome tonight.” she comments.

“My birthday’s not until tomorrow though, I hope you have your gift ready.” Yeonjun responds.

“Don’t worry, I have the perfect gift for you.” B says, trailing fingers up his chest before gently tapping his nose. “Hope I won’t disappoint.”

“Baby, you alone are more than enough for me.” Yeonjun says, nuzzling his face in her neck, making her giggle.

“Eugh, that’s enough, you guys make me want to vomit. Let’s just go in already.” Kai groans, making the pair laugh.

“It’s my birthday and I’ll ogle my girlfriend if I want to.” Yeonjun laughs. “But you’re right, let’s go.” he says, leading the group forward as they walk up to the front doors of the club, the bouncer greeting them warmly as he recognizes Yeonjun’s face.

“Happy birthday, Sir Choi. Enjoy your evening.” the bouncer says, ticking their names off the guest list before leading them into the club.

•°•

“Truth or dare!” someone suggests. A small circle had gathered around one of the VIP tables, practically the same people as the ones who were playing Truth or Dare at Kai’s birthday party just a few weeks ago.

“But we already played that last time!” another person objects.

“Fine, um, how about Kiss or Tell? Have any of you heard of it before?”

When no one offers any response, Ryujin explains. “One person spins a bottle and when it lands on someone on their turn, they have to either kiss them or tell everyone a secret about that person.”

Everyone in the circle nods, ready to start the game.

“Alright let’s do this! First up, the birthday boy!” Beomgyu says, clapping his hands and reaching over to pass an empty bottle of Tequila to Yeonjun.

Yeonjun smiles as the circle cheers for him and spins the bottle, the cheering getting louder as the bottle stops.

Kai shrieks in horror as the tip of the bottle points to him, and before he can say a word, Yeonjun stands up and quickly plants a kiss on the younger boy’s forehead, the whole circle ringing with laughter.

Kai looks helplessly at Yuna sitting next to him, a bit horrified as he says “I can’t believe Yeonjun stole my first forehead kiss.”

Yuna laughs and simply says “It’s your turn.” before handing him the bottle, which he hesitantly spins.

The whole circle collectively go “Awww” as the bottle stop in front of Yuna.

Kai turns to her and asks “Have you ever had your forehead kissed before?”

“No, well, just by my parents I think.” she says, causing Kai to smile before planting a light kiss on her forehead, which instantly makes her go red.

“There you go, now your forehead’s been blessed!” Kai says teasingly. Feeling flustered, Yuna clears her throat before spinning the bottle and she watches as it lands on Ryujin.

As soon as Yuna opens her mouth to speak, Ryujin grabs her by the shirt and pulls her towards her, Yuna’s mouth smashing against the side of Ryujin’s face.

“I—uh, can she do that?” Yuna sputters. “I was gonna tell a secret but she kissed me! Is that cheating?”

Ryujin shrugs. “It’s kiss or tell, and you kissed, so now it’s my turn.” she says, wiping traces of Luna’s lip gloss off her cheek before spinning the bottle.

All around the circle, people “Ooh” as the bottle stops in front of Taehyun.

“Oh really? Of all the people here, this guy’s probably the only person I don’t know any secrets about! And he’s the last person in the circle, heck in the whole world, that I would ever consider kissing.” Ryujin whines.

“If you had chosen to say something, anything, any outrageously completely made up rumor I would have gladly gone along with it instead of having you kiss me, but that’s no longer an option thanks to your big mouth, so now neither of us has a choice.” Taehyun says dryly.

B laughs at their interaction. It was odd that 2 of her closest friends seemed to hate each other, but it was always entertaining to watch how snarky they could get when put together.

Ryujin gulps, not even bothering to hide how horrified she looked as she reluctantly made her way towards Taehyun. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re right.” she says, Taehyun visibly cringing as Ryujin slowly puts a finger under Taehyun’s chin and lifts it up until his forehead comes in contact with her lips.

The crowd cheers wildly as Ryujin pretends to gag, wiping her mouth as she made her way back to her seat. Meanwhile, Taehyun remained unfazed, mentally putting the whole thing behind him before grabbing the bottle and letting it spin, and he smiles in satisfaction when it lands on Beomgyu.

He rubs his chin with his hand as he contemplates what to say. “Hm, so many secrets, which one should I share about you Gyu?” he wonders, before his eyes light up as a particularly embarrassing memory comes into mind.

Beomgyu looks at Taehyun suspiciously as the boy starts to speak with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Oh, I know! One time, Gyu and I tried out this new Ramen place near the subway, and he—”

Before Taehyun could finish the story, Beomgyu’s eyes widen as he realizes which embarrassing secret his friend was about to reveal. In a state of panic, Beomgyu grabs his friend’s face in both his hands and pulls it towards his, their lips crashing together as people around the circle gasp and squeal in surprise.

Taehyun could feel his eyes, which were wide with surprise, start to close as he absorbs the fact that Beomgyu was kissing him, before Beomgyu pulls away, looking at him confused.

“Tyun, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to plant one on you I—I kinda panicked.” Beomgyu says in a hurry, trying to explain himself.

Taehyun shakes his head, still seemingly unfazed by the whole game. “There’s no need to apologize, Gyu.” he simply says, brushing off the feeling that Beomgyu was staring at him intently and drowning out the catcalls from the circle. “It’s your turn.” he says.

Beomgyu looks at him for a moment longer before he nods, shaking his head before spinning the bottle, watching as it lands on Soobin.

“Oh, Soobinie baby?” Beomgyu says teasingly, smirking when Soobin visibly freezes in place, staring at Beomgyu in horror as he realizes what Beomgyu was implying.

Beomgyu laughs at Soobin’s reaction. “Relax, Binie!” he says, knowing what Soobin was thinking. “I wouldn’t do you dirty like that. Okay, I’m sure some of you here already know this, but our dear President Soobinie…”

Everyone goes quiet, all eyes on Beomgyu as he reveals a secret. “Our dear President Soobinie, whom is known to hate exercising despite being on the basketball team and is notorious for his love for bread and ice cream, is actually very lean and muscular.”

A few girls around the circle sigh as they stare at Soobin with curious eyes, trying to visualize the muscles beneath his jacket, which causes Soobin to blush.

“Gyu, stop it.” he says bashfully. Beomgyu’s confession was true, Soobin really did have a rather fit physique, but the attention he was getting from Beomgyu’s revelation was making him squirm in his seat.

“It’s true! He even has abs!” Beomgyu exclaims, which makes Soobin blush even harder.

Beomgyu laughs, seeing how red his friend had turned. “You’re welcome.” he says, clapping him on the back. “Now it’s your turn.”

Soobin rubs his face in his hands, trying to wipe away the warmth from his cheeks, before grabbing the bottle and letting it spin.

He feels all eyes on him as the bottle stops, pointing at B.

B laughs with ease, unaware of the intense stares that Beomgyu and Taehyun were giving their friend. “Alright, Binnie, let’s get this over with! Kiss or tell?” she says, raising a brow at him.

Soobin found himself stuck. No particular secret about B came to mind, no matter how hard he tried to look back at all their past conversations, and no embarrassing moments had transpired between them either meaning that he had nothing to tell, so he had nothing to share, which meant that he had no choice but to go for the kiss option instead, which he definitely did not think was a good idea. It didn’t help that he could feel Taehyun and Beomgyu’s gazes burning into him either.

He decides to go for the safest option and spits out anything random instead. “I, um, I don’t know if anyone knew this already, but B…really wants a cat.” he finishes lamely.

Everyone stares at him blankly, underwhelmed by what he revealed.

“Well, that is true. I do really want to own a cat as a pet.” B offers, trying to keep the pace of the game going.

“But that’s hardly a secret!” Yuna comments. “Anyone who knows you can tell that you love cats enough to want one anyway.”

“Sorry, I guess I don’t really know any of B’s secrets.” Soobin says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ryujin smirks. “You know what that means, then.” she says.

“What?” Soobin asks stupidly, not really understanding what she was implying.

“It’s Kiss or Tell, and since you have nothing to tell, that means that you have to kiss.” Yeonjun says, retracting his arm from B’s shoulders as he leans forward in his seat.

“Ah, um, I already said something though, so—?” Soobin begins, fumbling with his words, not really sure how to handle the situation.

Yeonjun raises his hands in the air. “Soobin, it’s fine, it’s just a game.” he says, lightly laughing. “Just go with it.” he assures.

Soobin nods, taking a deep breath before he stands up and makes his way over to B, being very mindful about the fact that her boyfriend was sitting right next to her.

B laughs upon seeing how nervous Soobin looked. “Soobin, what’s up with you?” she laughs. “Don’t be nervous! Here.” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear as she turns her face to the side, offering him her cheek. “Just a quick peck, don’t worry, it will be over before you know it.” she says teasingly.

Soobin laughs along. “Right. I’m sorry about this by the way.” he says, before leaning down and letting his lips brush softly against her cheek. He stands straight up as he says “There! Done!” before walking back to his seat with his head hanging down to hide his burning red cheeks, Taehyun clapping him on the back as he sits back down.

“And now it’s my turn.” B says, holding her breath as the bottle slows down and letting out a cheerful whoop as she sees who it finally stops on.

“Ha! Ningning, you are so done!” she squeals, laughing maniacally as she rubs her hands together deviously. “Oh my god, I have so many secrets, so much good shit about you, where do I even start?”

Kai jumps up then, catching everyone by surprise as he grabs B’s head and tries to get her lips to touch his face, and she tries her best to keep her lips tight together.

“Don’t you dare say a damn thing Han Baby!” he says desperately, making her laugh.

“Get away from me, ew, what are you doing!” she squeals, trying to shove him away. “Stop trying to make me kiss you! I have so much to tell!”

The sudden spectacle makes everyone in the circle burst out laughing, except Yuna, who was notably staring at the 2 best friends.

Unaware of Yuna’s unease, Kai continues pulling B’s head towards his face, before her lips accidentally make contact with his ear, and he finally lets go, pumping his fists in the air. “Ha! Now you can’t tell them anything!” he says triumphantly before making his way back to his seat and casually wrapping an arm around Yuna’s shoulders.

“Alright, I think that’s where the game ends for tonight!” Yuna exclaims, brushing off Kai’s arm around her shoulders as she stands up. “Now come on, let’s dance!” she says, grabbing Ryujin by the arm and pulling her away.

Everyone in the circle cheers, standing up and rushing to the dance floor.

“What do you say, birthday boy? Wanna dance?” B asks Yeonjun as the circle starts to clear out and go their separate ways.

“There’s actually a few people I have to say hi to, people from the business side of life.” Yeonjun says, checking his phone. “They’re mostly just people I’m obligated to socialize with, like the kids of some of our company’s business partners and stuff. You wanna come with me to meet them? I can introduce you.” he offers.

B thought about it for a moment, though she already knew that she didn’t feel like meeting a bunch of boring business kids and listen to them talk about business that she knew nothing about. Before she could respond, Ryujin swoops in and grabs her arm.

“Sir Choi Yeonjun, if you’re not going to get this hot piece of ass on the dance floor, then let me do the honor.” she says before dragging B to the dance floor.

“I’ll see you later then!” Yeonjun shouts after them, he sees B shrug and nod at him, offering him a smile before Ryujin grabs her and starts dancing around her.

Yeonjun shakes his head with a fond smile on his face, watching his beautiful girlfriend enjoy herself on the dance floor before sighing as he stands up, preparing to turn on his ‘Choi Yeonjun, future CEO of YJ Choi Corporation’ before wandering into the crowd.

•°•

Yeonjun put on a pleased smile as he greeted another batch of party guests that his father had invited. This time it was famously wealthy Kim brothers, Kim Seokjin, Kim Namjoon and Kim Taehyung, notorious for having not only good looks but killer personalities and unmatched talent as well. The Kim brothers came from a long family line of musicians and record producers, and Yeonjun had to admit that they were 3 of the select few people that he genuinely considered as his friends in the business side of his life.

As the 3 boys greeted him and started up small talk that made him genuinely laugh for the first time since he left his friends to start mingling with his father’s choice of party guests, a new batch of people walked into the club which Yeonjun knew he had to welcome. He excused himself from the 2 brothers and made his way towards the newcomers.

This time, he put on his deal-closing smile as he spots the familiar face of Kim Jisoo, successor to the famous Kim Jonghyun, the owner of the biggest Technology Firm in the country. As he approaches Kim Jisoo, he slips back into Choi Yeonjun, future CEO of YJ Choi Corporation, flashing her a charming smile and shaking her hand as he greets her.

“Choi Yeonjun. Happy birthday, dear! It’s always so lovely to see you.” Jisoo says, softly touching his arm as he does so.

“Thank you, Jisoo. The pleasure is all mine, because as always, you look stunning.” he says dashingly. Kim Jisoo was one of the richest eligible bachelorettes in the country, so his father had specifically asked that he maintain in her good graces.

“Hush now, you look quite handsome yourself.” she says, ever so elegantly. “Oh, pardon me, I’ve almost forgotten to introduce you to my companions! I’ve invited a few friends here with me, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, not at all.” Yeonjun says politely, she could have invited her entire posse for all he cared. He hadn’t even noticed that she wasn’t alone until she stepped aside to reveal the 3 girls whom she had brought along.

“These are my best friends.” Jisoo says, pulling the 3 girls forward. He eyes the girls one by one, plastering on his best polite smile, but he feels his breath catch in his throat as his eyes land on the 3rd girl. “Yeonjun, darling, I’d like you to meet Jennie, Lisa, and—”

“Rose.” He says, the name barely escaping from his lips. Suddenly he didn’t know which Choi Yeonjun he had to present himself as. Standing there in front of her after so long, he didn’t feel like Choi Yeonjun the future CEO of YJ Choi Corporation or Choi Yeonjun the one and only MO Academy It Boy. He felt like the Choi Yeonjun he was 2 years ago, helpless and tongue tied in her presence.

“Yeonjun.” she says, smiling at him then. And there was something about her smile and how her smiling at him made him feel the same way as he did 2 years ago, as if nothing had changed. Before he even knew it, he felt his own smile appear on his face.

“Oh dear, are you 2 acquainted with each other? I had no clue!” Jisoo giggles, looking back and forth between them with curious eyes.

“Well, I didn’t know that it was Yeonjun’s birthday we were attending.” Rose says, her eyes still on him. “He and I go way back.”

“That sounds intriguing.” Jennie comments, and Yeonjun snaps out of it, realizing that he was being rude.

“Sorry, hi, I’m Yeonjun. Nice to meet you.” he says, his charming smile back on as he shakes hands with Jennie. Jennie smiles back at him politely before he moves to shake Lisa’s hand, which she gladly reciprocates.

As he stretches a hand out to Rose for her to shake, she instead shakes her head and holds her arms out to him. He debates whether or not to accept her invitation since it would feel strange to hug his ex again after 2 years, but since Jisoo was there and he didn’t want to seem rude, he decided to allow Rose to hug him.

Hugging her felt nostalgic, and once again he felt as if he had been brought back in time, her rose scented perfume consuming his thoughts and flooding his mind with memories he thought he’d already forgotten. He decides to step back at that moment, not wanting his subconscious to take him back any further.

“Now that that’s settled, why don’t you join us for a few drinks?” Jisoo pipes up again, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “And Yeonjun darling, I’d love it if you filled me in on your history with my dear friend Rose here.”

Once again, as Choi Yeonjun the future CEO of YJ Choi Corporation, he felt powerless against Kim Jisoo, successor to the famous Kim Jonghyun, and he feels his jaw start to hurt from smiling as he says “I would gladly join you, Jisoo. It would be my pleasure.”

Jisoo squeals and claps her hands with glee as she hooks her arms through Jennie and Lisa, leaving him and Rose to follow.

Yeonjun looks at Rose once again, her long fiery red hair styled in a braid and her slender figure wrapped in a sequined mini dress, as if she hadn’t changed at all over the years.

She smiles at him, looking at him like she always used to. “Come on, we better catch up before we lose sight of them.” she says, referring to her friends.

Yeonjun nods, the strange wave of nostalgia hitting him like a truck, blurring his grasp on the present. “Let’s go.” he says, as she puts a hand on his arm and he lets a hand rest on the small of her back to guide her through the crowd.

Unbeknownst to him, there was a pair of eyes who saw the whole exchange.

Han Baby, who was standing by the bar watching Yeonjun make his way through the room as Ryujin poured shots, suddenly felt a stabbing pain in her chest as she recognized the girl with the fiery red hair and the way Yeonjun had looked at her.

“Alright, here’s one for me and one for you, you better drink up you little shi—B? What’s wrong?” Ryujin says, as she drops the shots on the counter and notices her friend’s sudden dazed state. Ryujin follows B’s gaze and sees Yeonjun with Rose as well.

“Ah shit. Hey B, why don’t we—” she starts to say, but before she knows it, B squeezes her eyes shut and takes off running, bolting so fast that Ryujin barely had time to see which way she went.

“Well fuck.” Ryujin whispers to herself, downing the shots on her own before squeezing her way through the crowd to search for her friend.

•°•

Soobin’s night was not going very well.

After his nerves almost ate him alive during their game of Kiss or Tell, he had been trying his best to distract himself by getting drunk to shake them off, along with his feelings for B.

So what if he had kissed her cheek? It was barely even a kiss, it was just his lips lightly brushing against her skin, so light that he could barely even feel it, and holy shit did his lips really touch her skin?

The whole night, he had been trying his best to avoid both Yeonjun and B, which had been easy enough since he knew Yeonjun had to attend to his father’s chosen attendees and he knew that B would be kept preoccupied by Ryujin. But after having one too many drinks, he found himself in need of some quiet time to stop his head from spinning.

He sees a small closet door near the back of the club and decides to go for it, knowing that at best, it would only have a few cleaning supplies, maybe a mop and broom or 2 inside.

But as he opens the door, he’s surprised not only to see that the closet was much bigger than he thought it would be, but also to see a small figure hunched over on the floor.

“B? Is that you?” Soobin says, squinting his eyes so he could see better. The figure was sitting on the floor with their knees hugged to their chest and their face buried in their arms so he wasn’t sure, but as she looks up, her tear-filled eyes meeting his, he knew without a shadow of doubt that it was her.

“Who is it? Are you Soobin?” she slurs.

“Yes, it’s me, Soobin. B, are you crying? What’s wrong?” he asks, suddenly alarmed. What was she doing hiding in the closet of a nightclub on her the night of her boyfriend’s birthday party, crying her eyes out?

“No, it’s nothing. Soobin, I just want to be alone right now. Can you just forget you ever saw me, Soobin? Please?” she barely manages to say, her words blending together.

Soobin found himself frozen in place, his hand squeezing the doorknob as he contemplates what his next move should be.

Taehyun’s words rang through his head.

“Don’t get involved. Yes, you’re their friend, but don’t get yourself involved in anything that has to do with their relationship.”

But as Soobin looked at B, crouching on the cold floor, her arms wrapped around her legs, her chin resting on her knees, her mascara running down her cheeks, her tear-filled eyes looking at him with heavy sadness, he couldn’t help himself.

Seeing her like that, he couldn’t bear to leave her. He told himself it was just because she was his friend and she needed a friend right at the moment, but he knew he was only fooling himself. He took a deep breath before letting go of the doorknob and carefully making his way to her.

He crouches down on the floor next to her, being mindful to keep enough space between them. The first thing he does is take off his black denim jacket and draping it over her knees, aware that she was wearing a rather short dress and wanting to make sure that she wouldn’t feel violated by him. Next, he asks her “What happened?”

She looks at him then, and his heart aches for her. She looked so lost, as if her mind couldn’t process whatever thoughts she was having. “Yeonjun’s ex girlfriend is here.”

Soobin’s face automatically turns into one of disgust. “Rose?” Everyone hated Rose. “Why is she here? Are you sure?”

B nods, looking like a lost child. “I saw her walk in with some girls earlier, probably some of those business people Yeonjun mentioned. I knew it was her cause I stalked her on Twitter so I know what she looks like. Of course she looks like a fucking model, with her long fiery red hair and her long figure.” she says bitterly, her words slurring slightly. Soobin had a feeling that if she weren’t this drunk, she probably would never say any of this out loud. “See here, I even took screenshots.” she says, pulling out her phone and fumbling with it for a bit before shoving it in Soobin’s face.

Soobin was aware of how Rose looked, having been there back when Yeonjun was still dating her, and he was just as unimpressed now as he was back then. “Oh god, who even invited her? And for the record, she does not look like a model, she looks like a witch.” Soobin says sourly, which causes B to snort.

“Oh, just admit that she’s gorgeous, Binnie. I know she is.” she slurs. “Anyway, I was at the bar with Ryujin when she walked in and then I saw the moment Yeonjun saw her, and oh god the look on his face.” she says, her face contorting, clearly showing her disdain. “He came up to her and greeted her, he hugged her, he smiled at her and started talking to her as if she were special or something.”

“Yeonjun did all that? B, that sounds ridiculous.” Soobin says, trying to ease her worries.

“Are you saying I’m crazy?” B almost shrieks, staring at him as if he were crazy. Whoops, wrong move.

“No, it’s just that I know Yeonjun and I know what he was like when things ended with Rose. He was a huge mess, and I just don’t think he’d be dumb enough to treat her like a friend or to even acknowledge her existence after everything that happened.” Soobin says.

B lets out a wail. “But I’m not crazy, Binnie! I saw it with my own 2 eyes, and Ryujin saw it too, and she tried to distract me but it was too late. At that moment my brain couldn’t process what my eyes were seeing and I just sort of ran away to get some clarity.”

“That’s why you’re hiding here? For some clarity?”

B nods, but then her eyes swell up with tears again. “Yes but I still don’t really understand it. The more I think about it, the more it hurts. I don’t know what to do, Binnie. I just wanted to get away.” she says, moving closer and leaning her head on his shoulder.

Soobin takes a breath, well aware of how close she was and the weight of her against his body and how her usual Lavender scent was just drowned out by the stench of alcohol. He didn’t know how just how drunk she was, but Soobin never thought B could be so vulnerably jealous and insecure. He gingerly raises a hand and holds hers, gently running circles on her skin with his thumb as he thinks over his next words very carefully. “Okay, so what if Rose is here? So what if Yeonjun smiled at her or hugged her or whatever else you saw? None of that stuff matters because B, he has you.”

B laughs bitterly. “He has me? What does that matter?”

“It matters because you are one of the best people to exist in this world at this very moment and he knows that. It matters because you are one of the kindest, smartest, cutest, silliest, and most beautiful people I know. It matters because you are special, and he is so damn lucky that he gets to call you his. It matters because a girl like you is impossible to find, and he would be a complete idiot if he let something as insignificant as his cheater of an ex fuck it up.”

It’s quiet for a moment, the only audible sound coming from B as she tries to stop her tears from falling and slow down her breathing. Until she very quietly, almost inaudibly says “Maybe it should’ve been you, Soobin.”

The thumb tracing circles on her hand freezes and he feels his heart stop beating as her words wash over him. “What did you say?”

“Maybe it should’ve been you.” she sighs. “I’ve been told on more than one occasion that you and I would make a great pair so maybe they were right. Look, you’ve even given me your jacket just now even though I still have one of your hoodies from when we were in your room at Kai’s party! I mean it’s not like I had an option cause you never liked me anyway and Yeonjun did, but maybe if you did, maybe I would’ve chosen you just like everyone said I should’ve or would’ve. Or could’ve? I don’t know.” she slurs, her words heavily blending together yet her message was very clear.

When Soobin remains frozen and silent, B laughs out loud, a few hiccups escaping her as her crying subsides. “Oh god I’m sorry, I’m just so drunk please don’t listen to me. You should go back out there and have fun, don’t waste your time on me. I’m pretty sure I won’t remember this in the morning anyway. And don’t worry, I’ll give you back your hoodie.” she rambles, her words slurring together. And he knew she was right. She was so drunk, he didn’t think he’d ever see her like the wasted mess that she was now.

Soobin looks at her sadly, his heart aching. He couldn’t leave her alone, but he knew that if he stayed with her any longer, especially since she was drunk and spewing out candid thoughts like that, he’d only end up hurting himself. He pulls out his phone and sends a few quick texts before leaning his head back against the wall, waiting.

“You know you always have a choice, right?” Soobin says. “And for the record, it’s not like I never liked you.”

B looks up at him, confused. “What?”

“It’s not like I never liked you, because I did.” Soobin says, praying with all his might that she wouldn’t remember a word of their conversation when she woke up the next morning. “And I still do.”

Before B gets the chance to react, the door flies open, and Taehyun walks in along with Beomgyu, both of them had a slight crazed look in their eyes as if they had run a marathon.

“B! Dear sweet darling, are you okay?” Beomgyu says dramatically as he sweeps into the room and drops himself on the floor in front of her, pulling her into his arms.

“I saw Yeonjun with Rose!” she wails before the tears start to fall from her eyes once again, she crumbles in Beomgyu’s arms, her drunk mind still unable to properly process anything.

“Shhh, there there, you poor miserable thing. It’s alright.” Beomgyu coos, rubbing a hand soothingly along her back. Behind her back, he violently mouths to Soobin and Taehyun “Rose?! What the fuck?!”

Soobin stands and approaches Taehyun, who was standing by the door observing the scene in front of him.

“Thanks for coming, Tyun.” Soobin says. “I can’t–I don’t think I can trust myself around her, not while she’s like this. It’s just–“ he says, struggling with his words as his conversation with B replays in his mind “It hurts too much, I can’t be here for her but I can’t just leave her alone, so thank you.”

Taehyun shakes his head at the older boy. “No problem, Soobin. I told you I’m always here if you need me.” he says, clapping him on the back. “How bad is it?”

“She’s really drunk and she was crying and all upset cause she saw Rose and Yeonjun together.” Soobin explains.

Taehyun nods. “That’s understandable, Rose is a hideous wench just the thought of seeing her makes me want to vomit, much more the thought of her and Yeonjun together. I’m assuming she came with some of Yeonjun’s business friends.” he says. “Anything else?”

“Well…I sort of told her that I like her.” Soobin whispers so that Beomgyu and B wouldn’t hear.

Taehyun’s eyes widen as he hits Soobin’s arm. “What! Soobin! Why would you do that?”

“She was drunk and upset and rambling and saying things and I’m also pretty intoxicated too so it sort of just came out!” Soobin groans. “She’s pretty wasted though so I don’t think she’ll remember anything.”

“You better pray to science and faith that she doesn’t.” Taehyun warns him. “Tell me everything later on, okay? Just go and leave her to us, you look like you could use another drink.”

Soobin nods. “Thanks, Tyun. Fill me in too, how has your night been?” he asks politely.

Taehyun smiles. “I kissed my crush, and my crush kissed me back.”

Soobin’s eyes widen and his mouth drops open in shock. Before he can say anything else, Taehyun laughs and pushes him out of the room before slamming the door in his face.

•°•

Soobin’s night was starting to turn hazy as he kept his alcohol ingestion going, and the more he stumbled through the place the longer the night seemed to drag on.

After his quiet yet disastrous moment with B, he immediately rushed to the bar and started downing shots with a few seniors from their class. Once he felt the alcohol back in his system, he spent some time on the dance floor joining the throng of random sweaty bodies jumping and grinding and bumping against his. At one point, a wasted girl he recognized from his science class pulled him aside and attempted to lock their lips together, which he managed to politely refuse and escape from.

After stumbling his way through the place, he had finally caught sight of a familiar face. Once he spotted the back of Yeonjun’s familiar head of blue hair, he started to make his way towards him, until he saw the head of long fiery red hair that Yeonjun currently had as company.

He stopped in his place, observing his friend as Yeonjun continued to converse with his ex. Soobin could see that they were standing right in front of each other and that they occasionally leaned in close, but he deduced that it was probably just because the music was so loud.

He watches as Rose laughs at something Yeonjun says, laying a hand on his shoulder as she tilts her head back before she leans into him and says something back, which causes Yeonjun’s shoulders to shake with laughter as well.

He watches as Rose pulls him to the dance floor, with Yeonjun initially refusing and trying to keep his feet planted on the floor until the girl pouts at him and manages to pull him along with her, into the middle of the crowd, as they start to jump and shake their bodies along to the beat.

He watches as Rose whips her long red hair over her shoulder as she starts wiggling her body around the blue haired boy, her hands on his shoulders, almost around his neck, as she pulls their bodies flush together and she starts dancing against him.

He watches as she traps Yeonjun’s face in her hands and pulls down until their lips meet, and Soobin’s breath catches in his throat as she does so.

He watches as Yeonjun breaks away and all but shoves her aside, while she looks at him innocently and shrugs. He watches as she attempts to pull him close again, only for Yeonjun to grab her hands and push them away. He watches as Yeonjun finally turns around, their eyes meeting, and he watches Yeonjun freeze as he realizes that Soobin was watching him the whole time.

•°•  

Author’s note:

Did someone say... drama? Here’s a lengthy and drama-packed chapter to make up for a delay in the update! I just moved into a new apartment and I’ve been busy with packing and unloading all my stuff so I’m sorry for the delay :c Thank you for all your kind words and your reactions, they really mean so much to me! Let me know what you think!

[laadychat]

PM pt. 5

<previous> <next>

"So I told Alya I was going away for the weekend and she thought it was weird you were, too."

Nino casually mentioned as he laid across Marinette's chaise and flipped through a fashion magazine. It was the day of their trip and all that was left was for Kim to bring their ride.

At that, the bluenette groaned. "Please tell me you didn't tell her it was a family trip."

Pausing mid-flip, Nino glanced at her with wide eyes. "Uh, I'm assuming you did too?"

"Nino..." Signing, Marinette straightened up from her spot on her chair and waved her hand. "There's nothing else we can do now. Let's just hope Kim said something else."

"In my defense, it was the first time she asked where I was going!" He rolled his eyes and went back to the booklet in his hands. "Apparently bike shorts are a huge thing now. And snake prints."

"I would pay good money to see you in bike shorts and a snake printed shirt." Marinette snorted before pointing to the door leading to her balcony. "Mind unlocking that? Adrien is suppose to drop by in a few."

"How much you wanna bet that he'll be chased by a mob today? Have you seen the photos of him?" Not a second after Nino unlocked the door was it yanked open. Tumbled in Adrien, already trying to stuff cheese in Plagg's mouth.

"Why do people still love that prefume ad? It was months ago!" He grumbled, before sprawling out on Marinette's bed.

The bluenette chuckled before returning her attention back to the sewing machine. "So I'm assuming you didn't actually see the new Agreste magazine that came out this morning?"

The blonde boy blinked before sitting up. "You mean... the photoshoot I did last week..."

It was Nino this time who snorted before throwing the said magazine at his friend. "And I must say, hotshot," he shot him a wink. "you're looking mighty fine."

Plagg snickered, making his way towards Marinette and landed beside her hand. "They told him to try and do 'smoldering'." He then flew away, landing on a little space Marinette created for him and Tikki. The latter simply smiled before drifting off to sleep once again.

At that, Adrien let out a long whine, burying himself under the pigtailed girl's blanket. "I don't want to see that cursed thing. Can we please forget this and move on? New day, new book."

Nino picked up the magazine and flipped through it until he found the page he was looking for. "A, listen to this. 'Paris' sunshine boy turned to a Paris' heartthrob prince.'" He stiffled a laugh, reading through a few more quotes. "What do you say, Prince Adrien?"

Peeking out from his safe haven, Adrien narrowed his eyes. Getting up, he started to climb down the bed stairs. "Can I see that, Nino?"

The said teen simply shook his head and backed away. "This is too good to give up, Adrien. I haven't even saved this on my background yet!"

"I just want to see how the photos turned out, homie. Just," he lunged at Nino, missing him by mere centimeters. "Let me see the magazine!"

Marinette watched the scene unfold in front of her and shook her head. Ever since the reveal, things were definitely a bit weird between all of them. Adrien spent any time he could over at the Dupain-Cheng bakery and now that Nino and Kim knew about his superhero identities, the four of them were almost always glued at the hip. If anything, it made her happy to know her partner had people he could fully trust.

(Alya definitely knew something was up but nonetheless, was happy to see Marinette getting along with Adrien well. It just irked her just how well they were getting along.)

Nino, again, happened to be more of the odd ball. He wasn't really part of the whole royal gig and nor was he a full-time miraculous wielder. He stumbled upon both stories accidentally but so far had proved he could be trusted. So, of course he was in the loop of anything that was done.

A crash was heard and suddenly Marinette was brought back to what was going on in front of her. Adrien had managed to tackle Nino to the ground but looking around her room, there was definitely more than a few casualties. Jumping up, she quickly strode towards them a forcibly separated them by grabbing Adrien and pulling him away. "Okay, play time is over boys. I want this room spotless before my parents have a heart attack."

Both boys stared at each other, one grinning and the other scowling. And when it looked like they were going to tackle each other again, Marinette cleared her throat.

Once she was sure they wouldn't attack each other again, she flopped down on her chaise. They had only thirty minute left until Kim was to show up and escort her. And if there was one thing about Kim she knows he doesn't mess around with is their transportation between the countries. He would be very upset if they were running even a few minutes late.

"So, I'm doing patrol all alone, m'lady?"

The blonde boy sat on the floor next to the chaise, his chin on the hand he laid next to her.

She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair. "Sorry, kitty. Text me if there's an akuma attack and I'll use the horse miraculous to transport back, okay?"

He nodded but Marinette knew him well enough he wasn't exactly happy with this idea. And she hated it too- it never felt right to leave her partner so vulnerable. But as long as she's able to utilize that miraculous, all should be fine, right?

And within a few minutes and a transformation, Marinette and Nino were once again left alone.

And like usual, Nino was the first to break the silence. "Marinette, I'm telling you, he's totally into you."

Shoulders slumped, the pigtailed girl sighed. "Do you honestly believe so?"

"Dude, I knew he was into you before I found out y'all were our saviors. He's definitely into you."

"Not now, Nino. One thing a time, yeah?" She muttered as she made her way to the door. "Let's go before Kim drags our asses out."

Nino wasn't entirely happy with the change of topic but it was clear Marinette was stressed out over it so he dropped it. "You know, I've seen how he plans these trips and it's insane. Everything has to completely precise or he gets so pissed."

"Understandable, his family has to make sure we reach our destination safely. I just wish he would step back a bit sometimes."

"Alright, your highness." a voice called out once they've reached the livingroom and by the laughter heard in the voice, it immediately lowered her nervousness. "All aboard the Mayani express."

@heldtogetherbysafetypins  @jeminiikrystal  @jayverca  @luciferge @edeniz001 @actual-disaster-human @alwaysinstoryland

[fandomfanfics12]

For Blue, Blue Skies-Part 2

Title: For Blue, Blue Skies Pairings: Steve x tony Part: 2/5 Warnings: swearing, bullying, abuse (physical and verbal), blood, angst, fluff. Summary: Steve was sure he’d aced his latest test in his forensics class but as it turns out, Professor Fury failed almost everyone. In order to get extra credit Steve and his friends join a program that Fury called The Avengers to deal with a bullying problem at the nearby high school. Hidden behind the glitz and glamour of his father’s money, most people can’t see that Tony Stark’s life is a nightmare. All Tony wants is to get out of this hellish school as quickly as possible and get as far away from his abusive father as soon as possible. A/N: This is based off of a nonnie’s request, hope you enjoy.

Part 1

Tony took note of all of the college kids over the next couple of days, it seemed like they were everywhere. Most kids glared at him though, the rumours grew worse with each passing day. Tony continued to sleep at the park, not daring come home. He wondered what would happen if he went home, how bad the beating would be. But he couldn’t wear these clothes anymore. He didn’t want the other students to know he was homeless, to figure out that he couldn’t go home. They’d just hang that over his head, he’d never live it down. So he stood on his driveway, staring up at the big house and heart racing in his chest. The principal had just told him to wait outside of the school counsellor’s office. After explaining the situation he had just been sent to the library, promising they’d deal with the situation.

By lunch the whole school was talking about it, whispering about him and glaring as he walked passed. Tony didn’t want it to get to him, didn’t want it to sting as much as it did, but he struggled to understand why everyone hated him. Genuinely, what had he done wrong? had he been born wrong or something? Even the college kid had hated him upon first meeting. They all did, always. He wished his mom was still alive, apart from the obvious of wanting your mother to be alive, Tony wanted her to answer the questions he had. He wanted to know if things would get easier, if he’d figure out his shit and that he’d find his people. That someone would one day love him, accept him.

“Just gotta rip it off like a band aid and go in. he’s probably not even home.” Tony said aloud, hoping that it would be more convincing. But the lights were on inside and his heart was racing. Maybe Howard wouldn’t notice, maybe he wouldn’t care. Tony took a deep breath and moved forward, nerves rattling through his bones with each and every step closer to that wretched house. He shoved his key into the lock and turned it with ease, then the door was opening and he was crossing the threshold. He held his breath, waited for a reaction or a response-there wasn’t one. He shut the door behind him, stashed the key in his pocket and hesitated before moving any further. Was he making a mistake?

“Anthony?” and there was Howard’s voice. It wasn’t too late, he could turn around and dash out the door before any real consequences could happen. He could easily leave, vanish like he’d never been there at all. But then Howard was in the hallway, his eyes scrutinising over every detail and Tony was frozen, his feet practically glued to the floor. The breath rushed out of him, leaving him in nothing but suffocating panic. This was a mistake. He realised but he couldn’t run, Howard wouldn’t let him run.

“Sir?” his voice trembled and he hated himself for it. he didn’t want Howard to know how scared he was.

“Why don’t we start with where the fuck you’ve been lately?” Howard cocked his head, every muscle tense and poised, a serpent ready to strike at a moments notice.

“I was sleeping at a friend’s house, sir.” Tony said and Howard rose a brow.

“And who was this friend you were supposedly staying with?” Tony’s brain panicked, he didn’t have friends and Howard knew that. With a shuddering breath, Tony spat out the first name that came to his mind.

“Bruce Banner sir.” The name surprised him as much as it did Howard, but it was out in the world now and Tony couldn’t take it back.

“Why don’t you invite Mr Banner over for dinner, I’m sure it’s the least we could do since you stayed with him.” Howard said and Tony’s hands began to trembled. He was screwed, he should run, he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Anything to get out of what would inevitably come next.

“He’s busy, maybe some other time sir.” Tony said and Howard took a step closer.

“So there won’t be any company tonight then?” a cruel wicked smile was creeping onto Howard’s face, distorting features into something vile. Tony gulped and nodded, his stomach knotting and twisting and churning. The hallway was dim, impeccably clean and spectacularly decorated. But Howard didn’t care, his arm lashed out and his hand wrapped around the back of Tony’s neck, forcing him down.

“then you’re coming with me boy.”

-

Steve flopped down onto the old shitty couch, the springs digging into his ribs and groaned.

“Go take a shower, you stink.” Nat threw a pillow and it bounced off the back of Steve’s head, but Steve wasn’t sure he could move. Bucky really kicked his ass in the gym this afternoon and Steve was debating just dying on the couch.

“Is he being a baby?” Bucky asked and in response Steve gave him the finger. Bucky’s sweet laughter filled the room and Natasha’s joined it.

“This avengers program is way harder than I thought it would be.” Natasha admitted once the laughter had died off.

“I got stuck with an actual bully, and this kid is awful.” Bucky said and Steve slowly say up.

“My kid’s good, I think he’s being bullied by your kid.” Steve admitted and Bucky nodded.

“Is it true you had to escort someone to the office today?” Nat asked and Steve nodded, thinking once again about the handsome yet troubled teen who was taking on more than he should be.

“Tony Stark, exploded at a girl who suggested that he’d killed his mom.” Steve murmured and Nat actually looked taken aback. It was very rare to catch her offguard.

“That’s hectic.” Steve nodded.

“Isn’t that the kid who broke Justin’s nose?” Bucky asked and Steve nodded his head once more.

“There’s a lot of anger there, but from what I can tell he’s just another snobby rich kid.” The other two shared a look and then shrugged. Steve chose to ignore it.

“Maybe this Tony kid is at the core of all the bullying in the school, maybe if we sought him out-“ Steve shook his head, cutting off Bucky’s words.

“He’s just arrogant, acts like he’s got it worse than he does.”

“Maybe it is worse than it seems.” Nat said and Steve shook his head.

“Nope, he’s just another arrogant rich kid in another arrogant rich school. Those kids wouldn’t know what its like to work a day in their whole damn life.” At that, Bucky and Nat nodded.

“true.” The three of them looked around at their crappy and worn down apartment, they had to work their asses off to make sure that they could live there and pay for school, but it was worth it. the hours were hard and shitty and long, but it was worth it. This small space that could give Steve privacy and freedom was worth it, he’d never give this up.

“I’m going to take a shower, you two start dinner?” Steve asked as he slowly rose from the couch, every muscle protested against the movement.

“Sure.” Bucky said and Steve nodded, exiting the small room.

-

The hours dragged by, filled with nothing but Tony’s piercing screams. But in their overly large house, no one heard him. Tony lay on the bathroom floor, the door locked and Howard’s fists pounding on the other side.

“Open the fucking door!” he roared, Tony was just curled up in a ball, sobbing and wishing for silence. Wishing he could be anywhere in the world other than where he was.

“It’ll be alright, he’ll leave soon.” Tony’s voice sounded so broken as he made an attempt to soothe himself.

“Open this door right now or so help me God!” Howard roared and Tony’s body flinched, a sob being ripped out of him from the movement.

-

Steve was sitting in the library, trying and failing to do his forensics homework. He dropped his head down onto the desk and took a deep breath. He could feel a headache coming on and the eeriness of the library was not helping.

“What’s wrong?” Bruce asked and Steve looked up, Bruce’s chin was propped up on his palm and he stared at Steve like he was a problem he could solve.

“homework. Are you sure you don’t want to talk to Justin?” Steve asked and Bruce nodded.

“No need to get closer to him than necessary. Plus, Justin’s vendetta isn’t against me anymore.” They looked across the library to where a scrawny lanky Tony Stark sat, head on his arms and Justin’s voice taunting him.

“Where the hell is Bucky?” Steve wondered and looked around. Then Bucky sat emerged from the shelves, sitting down next to Justin and looking pretty pissed off. When Steve turned back Bruce was looking over his homework.

“It’s actually not as hard as you think.” Bruce said after several long and silent moments passed between them.

“Really? Because it seems pretty hard to me.” Steve grumbled and Bruce nodded, then pulled out a pencil and began to scribble all over Steve’s homework.

“Hey!” Steve hissed but it didn’t deter Bruce. When he handed back the sheet of paper, Steve checked and found that Bruce had gone through and solved each and every question perfectly.

“I can tutor you after school sometime, explain?” if it had come from anyone other than Bruce, Steve would have thought that they were mocking him. But Bruce was sincere and just wanted to help, and Steve needed the help. He needed to pass this class.

“Alright, would you be able to help out a couple of buddies of mine too?” Bruce nodded, smiling softly.

“Yeah, we can do like a big study session. What about after school?” Steve nodded his head, smiling.

“Yeah, that works.” Bruce nodded and returned back to his own work.

-

Tony was just trying to get through the hour without screaming. But Justin Hammer was making it pretty damn difficult. The college kid that was supposed to babysit kept needing breaks because Justin was so insufferable. But finally, at long last, Justin fell silent. Tony lifted his head and recognised Steve, standing next to him.

“what’s up?” the other college kid asked and Steve smiled hesitantly.

“Any plans you had later are cancelled, we’ve got a study group.” Steve said and the other kid nodded.

“okay Stevie.” He turned back to Justin who had a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his lips.

“Are you like gay or something?” Justin sounded smug, Tony was just stunned.

“Why are you such an asshole?” Tony asked and the attention slid to him then. Maybe his better judgement vanished when he was in a pain-soaked haze.

“Oh so you’re talking now? I thought you were taking a vow of silence?” justin asked and Tony rolled his eyes, this was the last thing he needed today. Steve gave Tony the once over before nodding to his friend and leaving them alone. Tony put his head back down on the desk and the college guy began to lecture Justin, Tony just did his best to drown them out. Eventually the bell rang, signalling the end of the hour and the start of lunch. Kids were practically running out of the library, Tony wasn’t sure that he was ready to move just yet. Justin and his babysitter practically teleported they moved out of there so quickly and soon enough the library was practically empty. Tony let his eyes flutter shut, body sagging and then there was a tap on his shoulder. excruciating agony rolled through Tony’s body and he had to bite down on his fist to stop himself from screaming. Once the pain passed he slowly sat up and turned, Bruce stood before him.

“Bruce?” he rose a brow and noted that Steve was there too, hanging back and out of earshot, but still watching should Tony explode.

“Your dad called my parents last night.” Tony squeezed his eyes shut. shit.

“And what did he have to say?” Tony was trying to come up with a plan. Maybe he’d just be better off running. Getting the hell out of new York and disappearing forever. He could change his name, he was smart enough to figure out how to survive, he’d never have to see Howard ever again.

“Apparently you told him that you’d been staying with my family for a couple nights?” Tony opened his eyes and saw concern on Bruce’s face. How the fuck would he explain this?

“sorry Bruce, just needed a cover story.” Tony said and Bruce narrowed his eyes.

“then where were you?” why did Bruce even care? No one cared about Tony, the world had made that pretty fucking clear to him.

“it doesn’t matter where I was, what did your parents say?” if they covered for him, then he was fine. If not he’d have to skip town, it was the only option left for him.

“They told him that they had no idea as to who you were. They called you out on your lie.” Of course they had. If there was a god out there, Tony knew that it would be laughing at him.

“Well, thanks for the heads up.” Tony grumbled and began to rise but Bruce blocked him.

“are you okay?” he asked and Tony met his eyes.

“Why?”

“You just don’t look right, like you’re ill.” Tony shrugged, he needed to eat or he was pretty sure he’d pass out soon. Getting through the day had been hard enough already.

“So what if I am? Why would you care?” Bruce looked irritated and Steve looked just about ready to step in.

“What are you doing after school?” Was Bruce asking if Tony wanted to hang out?

“Nothing. Why?” his heart pounded in his chest and Bruce smiled nervously, returning to the timid kid that Tony knew.

“I’m sort of doing this study group and I figured you’d maybe like to come along? It’d only be a couple hours but-“

“I’m in.” Tony said before Bruce could finish. Bruce’s brows shot up in surprise and he nodded, stepping back and out of Tony’s way.

“Okay great, it’s at that new shwarma place?” Tony nodded his head, he’d walked passed the place a couple times when looking for a suitable park to sleep in.

“Okay, I’ll meet you there.” Tony was aware that Bruce could just be setting him up for a prank, but if it kept him out of the house, out of Howard’s way, he��d do just about anything.

[emanoelribeirooficial]

Fanfiction - The Loud House's Sonic the Hedgehog: The Fastest Thing Alive

[A panorama of Great Lakes City appears, and shows Sonic running away from a hovercraft with advanced technology that is trying to hit him with a laser beam. The chase is stopped]

Sonic: [narrating] So, I know what you're thinking. "Why is that incredibly handsome hedgehog being chased by a madman with a mustache who is destroying an entire city just to catch me?"

[The chase continues]

Sonic: [narrating] Well, to be honest, it feels like I've been running my whole life. And I will not lie, I only ran away several time in my life. Do not believe me? So let's go back a little bit in time, to 5 years ago.

[The story goes back five years ago. An island in the middle of the ocean appears. A young Sonic travels across the island]

Sonic: [narrating] This is Christmas Island, the island where I'm from. It had everything: sandy beaches, cascading waterfalls, public access to loop-the-loops! It was an ideal place to live, except for one person.

[Eggman appears]

Eggman: Hello Sonic, how is your miserable life?

Sonic: [narrating] This is Doctor Eggman, he is the madman with a mustache who I mentioned earlier. He wants to steal my powers to take over the world. But I won't, because I'm too quick for him to catch me.

Sonic: Well, until you show up.

Eggman: Guess what, today is when I catch you, hedgehog.

Sonic: You think, Egg Head.

Eggman: If that's how you think... ROBOTS, ATTACK!

[Eggman's army robots attack Sonic, but the hedgehog destroys them]

Sonic: There's no use using your robots, Egghead. You'll never catch me.

Eggman: If I can't capture you, I will destroy you!

[Christmas Island starts to explode, Eggman runs away]

Sonic: That's not good! I have to get out of here, and fast!

[Sonic picks up a bag full of rings. He uses a ring to open a portal, leaves Christmas Island and stops in a forest of oak trees]

Sonic: No.

[Sonic sees through the portal, Christmas Island sinking into the ocean. Then the portal closes. Five years have passed, Two boys appear talking in a park]

Lincoln: Clyde, have you read the new Ace Savvy comic? It's amazing!!!!

Clyde: Of course Lincoln. I especially loved the ending, where Ace Savvy and his faithful sidekick One-Eyed Jack fight the trash monster, and it looks like it will be continued.

Lincoln: [looks at the watch on his wrist] Look at the time! I have to go home! See you tomorrow, buddy!

[Lincoln leaves]

Clyde: See you tomorrow, Lincoln!

[Clyde leaves too. A turtle crosses the street and is almost hit by a car, but Sonic saves it]

Sonic: Whoa, buddy. You almost got yourself killed out there. What are you, some kind of adrenaline junkie? Must be rough, being slow all the time... Tell you what, today is your lucky day.

[Sonic starts running with the turtle in his hand, with Don't Stop Me Now from Queen playing in the background]

Sonic: Woohoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Have you ever felt so alive?! [lifts the turtle in his left hand] This is great, you're doing amazing!

[The turtle falls from Sonic's hand]

Sonic: Oh, jeez!

[He quickly runs back, grabs it and continues his run]

Sonic: Good recovery. Whoo-Hoo!!!

[Sonic leaves the turtle in the forest]

Sonic: This is going to be our little secret, Okay? [whispers] You didn't see me, I was never here.

[Sonic runs to his cave, and starts to play inside it]

Sonic: [narrating] So, did you think you were struggling to survive? Well, your mistake. I am living my life quite happily!

[Sonic reads several comic books...]

Sonic: [narrating] I have a library,

[... runs into a washing machine...]

Sonic: [narrating] A home gym,

[... and plays with nunchucks]

Sonic: Whoa!

Sonic: [narrating] and a state-of-the-art security system!

[Sonic plays ping pong with himself]

Sonic: [narrating] I even have a ping pong table!

[Sonic drops the bag of rings]

Sonic: Oh no.

[Sonic gathers the rings that have fallen to the ground]

Sonic: [narrating] And if something goes wrong, I use my rings to go somewhere else. But I won't need to use them, this is Royal Woods, the best place to live on the entire planet.

[Sonic runs from the forest to Royal Woods]

Sonic: [narrating] I am their favorite creature, even if they don't know about me. My favorite person is Lincoln Loud. We have several things in common, for example, we are pre-teens, we like comics and video games, and sports. Despite his strange white hair and, sometimes, his selfishness, he is a good person.

[Lincoln arrives at the Loud house]

Lincoln: DAD! MOM! I GOT HOME!!!

[Lincoln's sisters go down the stairs]

Lincoln's sisters: LINCOLN!!!

Sonic: [narrating] He has a large family, and how big that family is, he has TEN sisters! They are: Lori, the older sister; Leni, a little confused; Luna, the guitarist; Luan, the family comedian; Lynn, the sportswoman; Lucy, the goth; Lisa, the scientist; the twins Lola and Lana; and the youngest Lily. Their parents are Lynn Loud Sr. and Rita Loud.

Lori: How was the comic convention?

Lana: Did you get an autograph from Bill Buck?

Lynn: How many comics did you buy?

Lincoln: Okay, no more questions. Now I'm going to take a shower.

[Lincoln starts up the stairs]

Lori: Hey, Ronnie Anne called and said she was going to come here tomorrow.

Lincoln: Okay.

[In Lincoln's bedroom, Sonic spies Lincoln talking to Ronnie Anne on the laptop, through the bedroom window]

Sonic: [narrating] He's a friend of Ronnie Anne Santiago, the toughest girl he's ever met. These two are in love with each other, even if their families don't know it. And there's no point in them denying it, because I know the truth.

Lincoln: How's it going in Great Lakes City?

Ronnie Anne: [via laptop] Okay here, there were some confusions, but they have already been resolved.

[Lincoln chuckles]

Ronnie Anne: [via laptop] Lori warned me that I'm going to visit you tomorrow, right? Why am I going to beat you on "Dance Battle".

Lincoln: Are you sure? Let's see who's the best!

Ronnie Anne: [via laptop] That's right. Smell you later, lame-o.

[Ronnie Anne ends the video call. At another point in the previous day, Lincoln and Clyde watch a ghost hunter program]

Sonic: [narrating] Lincoln's best friend is Clyde McBride. They do a variety of things together, such as playing video games, reading comics and watching ghost hunters programs.

[In a cafeteria, Crazy Carl shows a drawing of the "Sanic" meme to a police officer, Lincoln and Lynn Sr.]

Sonic: [narrating] There is one person in town who's actually onto me. He calls me the "Blue Devil".

Crazy Carl: I almost caught him last night.

[At last night, Sonic makes pranks with Crazy Carl in his traps]

Sonic: [narrating] Say hello to Crazy Carl.

Crazy Carl: [trapped in one of your traps] I know you're out there, and I know you're real!

Sonic: [screams from within the forest] NO, I'M NOT!!!!

[Back at the Loud house, now at night, the whole Loud family is gathered in the living room watching a movie on TV, while Sonic watches hidden behind the door of Lynn Sr. and Rita's bedroom]

Sonic: [narrating] The movie night is my favorite, but as the TV is from coast to window, I sneak into the house through the window of Mr. and Mrs. Loud's room, and watch the movies through the door.

[Sonic plays a psychologist at a dentist's office]

Sonic: [as a psychologist] Don't you think your prolonged isolation is driving you a little crazy? [as a patient] Crazy? Of course not, Doctor! You understood all wrong! [as a psychologist] Despite all that you call friends, deep down, [starts to feel sad] you still feel alone?

[Back at the Loud house, Sonic leaves, saddened]

Sonic: [as a patient] That's I'm afraid to be alone, forever.

[Next day, in the morning, at the Loud house, the doorbell rings]

Lincoln: Who is it?

Ronnie Anne: [outside the house] It's me, lame-o.

[Lincoln opens the door and Ronnie Anne enters the house. Lynn runs out of the house]

Lynn: LEAVE THE FRONT, I'M LATE FOR AN IMPORTANT GAME!!!!!

[Lincoln and Ronnie Anne look scared Lynn leaving]

Lincoln: Let's Play?

Ronnie Anne: Let's go.

[Lincoln closes the door to the house. The same morning, at the Royal Woods Football Field, the soccer game between the Royal Woods Middle School and Tomball High School. Sonic sees the game hidden in the trees]

Sonic: Wow, is Lynn's team playing?

[Sonic goes under the stands and sees the game, which Royal Woods Middle School apparently won. Mid afternoon, the game is over and Sonic goes to the center of the pitch, sees the soccer equipment and starts playing football with himself]

Sonic: [as a announcer and as a player] And the Sonic team needs another victory to win the championship. But they did not have the Sonic team, which wants to end their game unbeaten record. And the game begins, Sonic gives possession of the ball to Sonic, but Sonic catches the ball and runs towards the goal. Sonic gives Sonic a cart and passes the ball to Sonic who dribbles one, two, three, FOUR PLAYERS, now it's just him and the goalkeeper, he'll kick, kick, and it's GGOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLL!!!!!!!!! SONIC TEAM WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!! [only as a player] WHOO-HOO!!! WE WIN, WE WIN!!!!! YOU COME, FANS????!!!!

[Sonic returns to reality and sees the field empty]

Sonic: [saddened] I really am alone… [crying] All alone... Forever.

[Sonic runs across the field several times, and then emits an electromagnetic pulse that turns off all the energy in Royal Woods and nearby cities. At the Loud house, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne continue to play "Dance Battle". Then, the energy runs out]

Lincoln: What happened?

Ronnie Anne: I think there was a power outage.

[The energy comes back]

Ronnie Anne: See, it was just a power outage.

Lincoln: How strange, it is usually the people who cause this.

[Lynn comes home]

Lynn: Guys, did you see the blackout that happened?

[Back to the Royal Woods Football Field]

Sonic: [scared] Let's pretend that this electromagnetic pulse did not exist and that everything was back to normal, right?

[Sonic runs back into the forest. Meanwhile in the Death Egg, the computer signals the electromagnetic pulse]

Eggman: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DAMN COMPUTER THAT KEEP ON BEEPING????!!!! [looks at the computer] It can't be, I haven't seen an electromagnetic pulse like that for 5 years! I wonder if he... Orbot! Cubot! send the drones to scan the Royal Woods area, and prepare a laboratory truck for me to use!!! [whispers to himself] If he is alive, I will dissect him piece by piece, and then use his power to take over the world.

[Minutes later, in Sonic's cave...]

Sonic: [talk to himself] I need to get out of here, and fast. I let you see what I take... The rings, the beanbag, the nunchucks, the radio, my comics... Wait a minute, Sonic, don't be worried. It looks like a lot of robots will go after you.

[Eggman's drones appear and scan the cave]

Sonic: Dang it! Me and my big mouth. [whispers to himself] You know what, I'll just take the rings, but where am I going to hide? [had an idea] I know where.

[Sonic arrives in the garage at the Loud house. Meanwhile, at home, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne continue to play]

Lincoln: What was that noise?

Ronnie Anne: It looks like it came from the garage.

Lincoln: I'll go and see.

Ronnie Anne: I'd better go with you, the way you get scared.

[Back to the garage]

Sonic: [talk to himself] Okay Sonic, just choose where you want to go, it could be Paris, Seul, even Tokyo! But I don't want to leave here. [picks up a ring and prepares to use it] Here we go.

[Lincoln and Ronnie Anne appears]

Lincoln: Stopped! Whoever it is!

Ronnie Anne: We have a baseball bat and a super powerful ball launcher!

[The two look at Sonic]

Sonic: Uh... Meow?

[The three scream in fright. Lori appears]

Lori: Ronnie Anne, your mother called saying that it is time to go back to Great Lakes City. [She sees the three in the garage]

Lori: WHAT THE...?!

[Lori throws the baseball bat that Ronnie Anne was holding onto Sonic's head]

Sonic: OUCH! [dizzy] Great... Lakes?

[Sonic drop the ring and a portal to Great Lakes City opens. Sonic falls to the ground unconscious and drops the bag of rings inside the portal, on top of a skyscraper. The portal closes]

Lori: Literally... What just happened here?

[Sometime later, Sonic wakes up tied to a chair and with the whole Loud family looking at him]

Sonic: What happened? And why am I tied? OUCH! And why is there a dog biting my leg?!

[Rita removes the dog from Sonic's leg]

Lincoln: Do you speak?

Sonic: Of course, Lincoln.

Lincoln: You know my name? How?

Sonic: A- I know the name of everyone in the town, B- I kind of watched you for five years.

The Loud Family: FIVE YEARS????!!!!

Lynn Sr.: So Crazy Carl was right all the time! The "Blue Devil" really exists!

Sonic: Now they can call him Carl "Eagle-Eyed Eyes". Now, can you let me go?

[Luna unties the rope]

Sonic: Thanks.

Lisa: What animal are you?

Sonic: I am a hedgehog, I thought you knew that.

Lana: Can I touch your fur? [get a Sonic quill]

Sonic: HEY!!

Lynn: Do you like boxing?

[She punches Sonic in the belly]

Sonic: OUCH!

[He falls, but then gets up]

Lynn: Yeah! I won by knockout.

Luna: What is your favourite song?

Lucy: What kind of poem do you want me to read at your funeral?

Sonic: What?

Leni: I loved your shoes!

Lola: [about the shoes] Very tacky.

Luan: Why did the hedgehog cross the street?

[The questions increase, and Sonic begins to lose his temper]

Lincoln: Calm down with the questions, girls. He's already going crazy.

Sonic: [sigh] Thanks, Lincoln.

[Sonic realizes that he lost his rings]

Sonic: Oh no, I lost my rings!

Ronnie Anne: Rings?

[A black truck appears in front of the house]

Rita: Why a truck is in front of the house?

[Sonic goes to the window to see the truck. Eggman gets out of the truck. Sonic, startled, quickly closes the curtains]

Sonic: Oh no! Not him again!

Ronnie Anne: What happened, uh... what's your name?

Sonic: My name is Sonic. It's Eggman, and I have to hide.

Lincoln: For what reason?

Sonic: He's the reason I'm hiding in Royal Woods.

[The doorbell rings]

Eggman: [outside the house] Is this the Loud's residence?

Lincoln: [whispers] Go to the attic and stay hidden there until he leaves. Okay?

Sonic: [whispers] Okay.

[Sonic runs into the attic. Children go to their rooms. Lynn Sr. opens the door]

Eggman: Hi Mr. Loud, I'm Dr. Ivo Robotnik, and I came to investigate your home.

Lynn Sr.: Why are you seeing only my house? And why did you just come here today?

Eggman: Why your home is a special case. [enters the house] I believe that you are HOSTING the cause of the blackout.

Lynn Sr.: Hosting who? We don't even know what happened!

[Meanwhile in the attic, one of Eggman's drones scans the area. Ball-shaped, Sonic is hiding]

Sonic: [whispers to himself] Okay, I'm a ball. Just a normal ball. I'm blending in like a ball. Shh, stop talking. No, you stop talking. Be quiet, Sonic. You be quiet, Sonic!

[Another drone arrives and scans the area]

Sonic: Don't freak out, don't freak out, don't freak out, don't freak out, don't freak out, don't freak out…

[The scanners for the two drones are about to scan Sonic]

Sonic: I'M FREAKING OUT!!!

[Sonic rolls out of the attic and falls down on the second floor hallway]

Eggman: What was this?

Lynn Sr.: It must be the children playing, no big deal.

Eggman: Okay, there's nothing to see here.

[He pushes Lynn Sr. up the stairs and sees the children playing while Sonic is hiding in Lincoln's room]

Eggman: Here's the thing, I'm never wrong.

Lynn Sr.: Everyone has a first time.

[Eggman looks at Lana...]

Eggman: Hey little girl, what's this thing with you?

[... and picks up Sonic's quill that was with her]

Lana: HEY! That's mine!

Eggman: HA! Look at that. I was right. Note the lack of surprise.

[He calls for a drone, which aims various weapons against the Louds]

Eggman: You have FIVE seconds to tell where the hedgehog is! Five…

Luna: What hedgehog, dude?

Eggman: Four…

Leni: Are you sure it's not a blue toothpick?

Eggman: Three…

Lincoln: We don't know about any hedgehog, you can check the whole house!

Eggman: I know he's here because I'm holding the evidence. TWO!!!...

[Sonic leaves Lincoln's room]

Sonic: WAIT! It doesn't hurt them.

Eggman: [surprised] How can you be ali…

[Lynn Sr. knocks out Eggman]

Lynn Sr.: Lori, take Ronnie Anne back to Great Lakes City! The rest comes with me.

[All the Louds leave the house, Lori and Ronnie Anne go to the van and the others go to Lisa's bomb shelter. Back on the second floor of the house, Eggman regains consciousness and gets up]

Sonic: Hey Egg Head, look here!

[Eggman's drone launches several missiles at Sonic, who escapes through Lincoln's room window, which then explodes. Lincoln sees his room explode]

Lincoln: MY ROOM!!!

[He goes back to see his room destroyed. Eggman's drone goes flying and aims the guns at Lincoln. Sonic realizes what's going on]

Sonic: Lincoln!!!

[Sonic picks up Lincoln and they both get in the van]

Lori: What are you doing here?

Sonic: TURN ON THE CAR!!!!!

[Lori starts the van and they leave for the highway. Eggman leaves the house and sees the van leaving]

Eggman: Don't worry Sonic, [looks at Sonic's quill] because your days are numbered. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[On the highway...]

Lincoln: Now... explain to me why you hid in Royal Woods all this time.

Sonic: It all happened 5 years ago ... I lived on an island where there was everything, even loopings! after a battle with Eggman, he blew up the entire island, which sank in the middle of the ocean. I thought I was a forest and I used a ring to come here, and I didn't even know that Royal Woods existed.

Ronnie Anne: Now, about the rings.

Sonic: Rings are mystical objects that allow people to teleport anywhere in the world. And taking advantage of you going to Great Lakes City, I will go with you.

Lori: What do you mean you literally go with us to Great Lakes?

Sonic: Why the rings fell on a skyscraper in the city.

Lori: Oh, that's a fair point.

Ronnie Anne: I know a skyscraper there. When we get there, I'll take you there.

Sonic: Thank you for helping me, [saddened] you could be the best friends a hedgehog could have.

[Everyone is moved by Sonic's speech. Shortly thereafter, Eggman activates the truck]

Eggman: Hmm... Eeny, meeny, miny... MAYHEM!

[Eggman chooses a tank to chase the van. Back to the van...]

Lincoln: You mean you spied on everyone in the Royal Woods for 5 years?

Sonic: To be honest, not all. I am fast and I can stay in several places, but not in all at the same time. I see something in one place, but I miss what is happening on the other side of the town.

Ronnie Anne: So you don't know what happened at Jean Juan's French Mex?

Sonic: No, what happened there?

Lincoln/Ronnie Anne: [both sweating and embarrassed] NOTHING!

[Sonic looks at them suspiciously]

Sonic: Why are you embarrassed? I just asked what happened at... I think I know what happened.. You kissed in the middle of the restaurant and in front of everyone who was there, right?

Lincoln/Ronnie Anne: [both sweating and embarrassed] How is it?

Sonic: There is no use denying it, that was the topic of the moment for a whole week! And thanks to you, I remembered that. Tell me how it went, go!

[A harpoon hits the van]

Lori: What the...?

[Everyone looks at the tank]

Eggman: [inside the truck] POW!!!!

Sonic: Go, tell me how was that kiss!

Lincoln: Have you noticed the harpoon trapped in the van?

[The tank pulls the harpoon and the van close to it]

Lori: Everyone holds on to something!!

Sonic/Lincoln/Ronnie Anne: Why?

[Lori accelerates the van, Sonic is thrown out of the vehicle, turns a ball and destroys the tank. Lori brakes the van and turns back]

Lincoln: Sonic??!!

Ronnie Anne: Sonic!!

[Meanwhile, Sonic keeps spinning and stops being a ball]

Sonic: [gets up] Uh... I think I had an extra life.

[Sonic realizes that he destroyed the tank and heads towards the wreckage]

Sonic: Oh yeah, baby! Sonic, one! [doing the floss] Big tank, zero! I'm sorry, did we get that on camera?!

Lincoln: How are you not dead?

Sonic: [dancing] I have no idea! Do you see me dancing?!

Lincoln: Yes, I saw you dance…

Sonic: [looks at the tank] HA!! Is that all you got?

Eggman: [inside the truck] No, but thank you for asking.

[Eggman activates another robot. Sonic returns to the van. The van starts to move. A mini-truck comes out of the tank]

Sonic: Did that tank have a baby?

[The mini-truck begins to chase the van and launch discs with small electromagnetic pulses, Lori diverts the van from all discs]

Sonic: Dang it, here we go again.

[Sonic goes to the broken van window]

Lori: Where are you going?

Sonic: Just drive there, let me take care of the rest.

[Sonic jumps out of the van and slides through the disks, grabs one and jumps into the mini-truck]

Sonic: Hey, everyone! Welcome back to my livestream! Today, we're destroying robots! Step one…

[Sonic uses the disc to burn the mini-truck's circuits and returns to the van. Then the mini-truck overturns and explodes]

Sonic: We did it!

[A one-wheeled robot only gets out of the mini-truck]

Sonic: Ah, come on.

Lincoln: Okay, now it's our turn.

[Lincoln throws several things from the van on the robot, and damage it]

Ronnie Anne: Lori, slow down!!

[The van slows down and Ronnie Anne wrecks the robot with a car wreck]

Eggman: [inside the truck] OHHHH! GIVE ME A BIG FAT BREAK!!!

Sonic: Whoo-Hoo! Next stop, Great Lakes City!!

[At night, the four arrive at Casagrande Apartment, in Great Lakes City. Bobby and his mother, Maria, wait outside the building]

Lori: [get out of the van] Boo-Boo Bear!!

Bobby: Babe!!

[The two embrace. Ronnie Anne gets out of the van]

Ronnie Anne: MOM!!!

Maria: ¡Mija! Are you okay?

Ronnie Anne: I'm okay, mom.

[Lincoln and Sonic get out of the van carefully. Sonic sees thrilled Ronnie Anne and Maria hugging]

Lincoln: What's up Sonic?

Sonic: It's just... I've never had a family, I've been lonely since I was born. [saddened] And to see a mother hugging her daughter…

Lincoln: Oh…

[Bobby sees the van partially destroyed]

Bobby: What happened to your father's van?

Lori: Well... It's just that some mad scientist tried to kill us because he's after him.

[She introduces Sonic to Bobby and Maria]

Sonic: Uh... Hello?

Bobby: [surprised] He's a talking hedgehog!

Sonic: Because only he knows I'm a hedgehog?

Maria: It's late. Why don't we go in the house?

Everyone: Okay!

[Everyone enters the building, goes up the stairs and goes into the living room]

Maria: MAMA!! RONNIE ANNE HAS ARRIVED, AND WE HAVE VISITORS!!!

Rosa: [inside the kitchen] And who are they?

Maria: Lincoln, Lori and a friend of theirs.

[Rosa came out of the kitchen]

Rosa: And who would this new friend of theirs be?

[Rosa looks scared at Sonic and drops some dishes. Sonic, with his speed, picks up the dishes before they break on the floor]

Sonic: Wow, you almost had a loss with these dishes.

[Rosa still scared, keeps looking at Sonic]

Sonic: So... how many rooms are still available?

Rosa: Uh... three. Why do you want to know?

Maria: They're running away from a mad scientist who wants to capture this hedgehog.

Sonic: Can we hide here? It's just for one day.

Ronnie Anne: Please, Abuela.

[Rosa think about it for a second]

Rosa: Alright, you can stay here.

Lincoln: Yeah!

[Everyone except Sonic goes to their rooms. Moments later, on the roof of the building, Sonic looks at the stars]

Sonic: [thinking] Should I go somewhere else, I don't want to be alone again, but I don't want to leave my friends in danger. In fact, they are not even my friends, they are just helping me to escape. [eats a Chili dog] But I care about them! I think getting out of their lives is the best thing I can do.

[At that very moment, in the truck, Eggman puts on some headphones, goes through the playlists and chooses the song Where Evil Grows, by Poppy Family. The music starts to play. Eggman spins in his chair, clearly enjoying himself. At the workplace, a mechanical claw holds the quill. The doctor grabs it, pushes a few buttons on a nearby computer to prepare a feeding tube, before taking a pair of connecting cables and connecting them to the blue thing. Failure in the lab. The doctor returns to the board, holding a lighter and looks for the fuses. He opens a metal box on the wall with the circuit breakers labeled "Self-Destruction", "Badniks" and "Evil Lab". He reactivates the lights, closes the lighter and starts the song again… to dance while the quill is placed on the tube by the mechanical arm. Eggman then moves all-in, activating a holographic display of a snowy hill behind him, and he pretends to ski it. Then, the image changes to a hologram of a T-Rex, which "chases" the doctor. He pretends to run, before throwing the headphones on. He turns and lowers his head, looks like the dinosaur has bitten. The lights start to flash and the dance continues. turns around again and raises his arms. In the next letter, it swings back and forth. Some beeps are heard. Eggman run to the force tube, where the "Power Analysis: Unlimited" and "Sonic Found" warnings are displayed above it]

Eggman: So you're already in Great Lakes City, Sonic? Live your last moments of freedom. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!! ORBOT!!! READY THE EGGMOBILE!!! With this kind of power, my machines can finally reach their full potential…

[Casagrande Apartment, 7:00 A.M. All the Casagrandes are in the living room having breakfast. Lori appears]

Lori: Good morning guys!

The Casagrandes: Good morning, Lori??!! LORI!!!

Carlota: What are you doing here?

Lori: Lincoln and I, along with Ronnie Anne, were on the run from a mad scientist who tried to kill us and capture Sonic.

Frida: I understand. But who is Sonic?

Lori: It is a talking blue hedgehog that literally runs at supersonic speeds.

Carlos: A talking blue hedgehog that runs at supersonic speeds? THIS IS A GREAT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY!! Where is he?

Rosa: Carlos, don't even think about studying about that erizo, especially now that he's being chased.

Bobby: Yes. But stopping to think now, where is he?

Maria: Exactly. And where are Ronnie Anne and Lincoln too?

[At that same time, in the center of Great Lakes City; Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, and Sonic, disguised with a cowboy hat and the shirt that Bobby wore when he worked at Gus' Games and Grub walk towards the skyscraper]

Sonic: Are you sure Bobby won't be annoyed that I wear his shirt?

Ronnie Anne: Of course, he doesn't even work at Gus' Games and Grub anymore.

Sonic: Ok then.

[Halfway through, they buy three ice creams]

Sonic: Now that there is no one behind us at the moment, you could tell me how that kiss happened.

[Lincoln and Ronnie Anne are embarrassed]

Ronnie Anne: [embarrassed] Why do you want to know how it happened if you know we kissed?

Sonic: I wasn't there at the restaurant, so I didn't see anything.

Lincoln: All right, I'll tell you how it happened.

[A flashback about the "Save the Date" episode begins]

Lincoln: It all started the day before at school. Some boys kept making fun of our friendship, saying we were dating. I always want to insult her, saying she was rude and gross and totally annoying, and I even said that I would rather lick the bathroom floor than kiss her.

[The flashback is interrupted]

Sonic: That's rude, Lincoln. Keep talking.

[The flashback continues]

Lincoln: Then she told Bobby everything, who broke up with Lori. And in order for the two of them to get back together, Lori and I would have to go on a double date with them so Bobby could see me being nice to her.

Sonic: And... What happened?

[The flashback is interrupted]

Ronnie Anne: The boys who intubated him went to the restaurant.

[The flashback continues]

Lincoln: They started mocking us again and I insulted her unintentionally again. So I decided to apologize to her in front of everyone who was at the restaurant. But instead of saying…

[The flashback is interrupted]

Sonic: You kissed her in front of everyone!!

[The flashback continues]

Lincoln: Exactly!!

[The flashback ends]

Sonic: Wow! I wish I could have seen that!

Ronnie Anne: You should have seen what happened at school the next day.

Sonic: I should have seen what?

Lincoln: She slapped me in the face.

Sonic: Wow! Is it all just because of a kiss?

Lincoln: Yes and no.

Ronnie Anne: The boys upset him again, and for them to stop, I slapped Lincoln in the face. And then the boys thought we'd broken up, and they stopped disturbing him.

Sonic: And so, the "Date Saga" ends. Wait, why didn't you guys really date to make fun of them?

Lincoln: [embarrassed] Well, it's just that we, being a couple…

Ronnie Anne: [embarrassed] Me and Lincoln dating? Well, I'm not sure it…

Sonic: Shh... I understand. Maintaining a relationship is difficult, but starting one is even more difficult, as there will always be someone jealous to make fun of you.

[Lincoln and Ronnie Anne did not understand what Sonic said]

Ronnie Anne: It's okay.

Lincoln: Now, talk a little about yourself.

Sonic: I already talked about me, in the van.

Lincoln: Oh, that's right.

Ronnie Anne: So, talk about your powers.

Sonic: My powers? I was born with them, and even today I can't control them. When I get too emotional, I create a so-called electromagnetic pulse that can cause a blackout in a giant area.

Lincoln: So it was you who caused that blackout, was it?

Sonic: Yeah.

Lincoln: But why?

Sonic: I was hidden for 5 years, without anyone knowing about my existence. I was sad and very lonely, and to unload that sadness, I started running in circles on the Football Field. I ran so much that I released that electromagnetic pulse.

Lincoln: It must be boring to be alone, with no one to talk to, play a game…

Sonic: Yeah, it's really boring.

[The three of them arrive at the skyscraper]

Ronnie Anne: Yeah... we're here.

[Sonic, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne go to the top floor of the skyscraper, totally crowded]

Sonic: [saddened] So... I think it's goodbye.

Lincoln: You don't want to leave, am I right?

Sonic: Yeah. But I need to leave, not only for my life, but also for yours. Only then will you be free from Eggman.

Lincoln: It's okay, Sonic. No matter where you go, your friends will always be [points to Sonic's heart] here.

Sonic: Want to say that you... you two... are going to be my friends?

Ronnie Anne: Uh... yeah.

Lincoln: We will be the best friends you never had, even if you have to go.

Sonic: Woah! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

[The three embrace. Then, one of Eggman's drones appears, prepares its weapons...]

Ronnie Anne: Watch out!

[... and launches a missile at the skyscraper's window. Everyone who was on the scene, except Sonic, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, run away]

Sonic: What is going on?

[Sonic takes off his disguise. Several drones surround the building. A highly technological hovercraft appears and opens the cockpit, q revealing that it’s Eggman, now in red overalls]

Eggman: Hello Sonic, how long ago.

Sonic: Eggman? How is it…

Eggman: I found you? Well, let's say you left something behind.

[Eggman samples Sonic's quill that he picked up at the Loud house]

Ronnie Anne: Lincoln, isn't that…

Lincoln: The quill that was with Lana?

Eggman: The time for talking is over! It's time to push buttons.

Sonic: Your technology may have improved over time, Dr. Eggman. But let's face it, you'll never catch me.

Eggman: Confidence! A fool's substitute for intelligence.

[Eggman activates the drone's weapons]

Sonic: That's not good.

Lincoln: Uhh, Sonic? I know you've got the super speed, and everything, but Ronnie and I?

Sonic: Totally defenseless? Probably gonna get blown up?

Ronnie Anne: Pretty much, yeah.

Sonic: Don't worry. I know exactly what to do. [whispers to Lincoln] When you get to Royal Woods, let your sister know, okay?

Lincoln: What?

[Sonic throws Lincoln and Ronnie Anne off the skyscraper. Eggman looks down at them in surprise, then sits back]

Eggman: [surprised] I was not expecting that... But I was expecting not to expect something, so it doesn't count.

[All of the drones open fire at Sonic, but they slow down and stop, just as they're about to hit the hedgehog. Still in slow motion, Ronnie Anne and Lincoln falling and Eggman reaches out to press the red button]

Sonic: Look at this! I took nine million steps today.

[Sonic waves some of the rockets out of the way, grabs two of them and drums down the bullets flying towards him. As Sonic dismantles the drones, Eggman's finger inches closer and closer to the button. When he presses it, the Eggmobile is charged up and flies straight upwards. Just as Sonic pushes two of the drones around so that they will fire at each other...]

Sonic: [doing finger gun gestures] Pew! Pew, pew, pew! Pew, pew, pew, pew…

[... the machine flies back down and pulls out a laser. Sonic's eyes widen in horror as it is fired. He tries to get out of the way, but the beam blasts him out of his bullet time. Sonic, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne are in free fall. Sonic picks up a ring and teleports Lincoln and Ronnie Anne to Royal Woods. In Royal Woods, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne fall into a pool near the Loud house. They emerge from the pool]

Lincoln: Let's go! We need to call Lori and let the others know.

Ronnie Anne: Okay.

[The two leave the pool. In Great Lakes City...]

Sonic: Whoa, whoa, whoa!

[... Sonic skids, falls down a tree and lands on the sidewalk. The broken drones and rubble fall down around him. Then, the Eggmobile appears]

Eggman: Sonic, can I give you one genius piece of advice? Don't run. It'll only hurt more if you do. And it's bad for your joints, they've proved it.

Sonic: All right, Eggman. You wanna get fast? Let's get fast!

[Sonic starts running]

Eggman: The hard way, it is.

[Eggman begins to chase Sonic. The chase scene begins. The Eggmobile charges after the target. Running through the streets of Great Lakes City, Eggman fires his laser constantly, but they miss due to Sonic's agility. The chase is stopped]

Sonic: [narrating] So, here we are again. We've been through so much together! Now you understand why there's a psychotic robot doctor chasing a superSonic blue hedgehog! Wanna know how it ends? Yeah, me too!

[The chase continues. Sonic and Eggman saw it on a corner]

Eggman: That was an illegal left by the way!

Sonic: This is impossible! [picks up a ring] No one has ever reached me before.

[In Paris, a mother and daughter are looking at a mime, because of course they do. The child seems particularly uninterested, until the mime makes a circle with his arms, revealing the ring portal Sonic just made]

Sonic: Coming through!

[The hedgehog speeds through the ring, passing the three occupants. The mime ducks]

Mime: "Sacré bleu!"

[Eggman follows afterwards]

Eggman: "Excusez-moi, monsieur!"

[Another portal opens on the Great Wall of China. Both Sonic and Eggman fly through it]

Sonic: Here we go. Road opening up!

[The Eggmobile swirls around, but Eggman is still able to keep up, even though the blue hedgehog jumps around and runs along the walls of the passage. Sonic quickly throws out a third ring, leading them to Egypt]

Sonic: I can't lose him.

[Eggman shoots a sphinx and tries to hit Sonic. The hedgehog skids in the sand and has an idea]

Sonic: If you don't beat him, blind him.

[He swirls around the plain of sand, circling Eggman's machine. A sandstorm flies up, blinding Eggman...]

Eggman: I lost... the visual contact!

[... but then he sees Sonic, running up the edge of the Giza Pyramid]

Eggman: You're not allowed up there! That's one of the Seven Wonders!

[He speeds out of the tornado. Just as Sonic throws out another ring, Eggman activates his laser again, blowing Sonic through the portal. In Royal Woods, where it has become night and in front of the Loud house, the other end opens and Sonic falls through it, landing on the asphalt, ruffled and defeated. His ring pouch slides along the road, out of the hedgehog's reach. From inside the Loud house, Ronnie Anne sees the ring through the window]

Ronnie Anne: Sonic?

[She and the rest of the Loud family leave the house towards the sidewalk and see Sonic lying on the street]

Luna: What happened?

Lynn: Is everything okay with him?

Lucy: Did he die?

Lily: Wonic?

Lincoln: [thinking] What happened to him?

[Lincoln looks down, sees the bag of rings and picks it up. The Eggmobile slowly exits the portal]

Eggman: MUHAHA!! You're an astonishing little creature! It'll be fun to take you back to the lab for a litany of invasive exploratory procedures. Any last words?

Sonic: N-no. [passes out]

Ronnie Anne: But we have.

Lincoln: Leave him alone, Eggman.

Eggman: WHOHOHOOO!! A pre-teen couple protecting a hedgehog? This is so cute. I hate cute things.

Sonic: W-what are you two doing?

[Sonic passes out again]

Eggman: Tell me, how are you two going to stop me?

Lincoln: It will not be alone.

[Royal Woods citizens begin to appear. Lori and Bobby arrives in a Casagrande Market's van]

Bobby: What's going on here?

Lori: It's him!

[The two get out of the van and see Eggman being surrounded by the citizens]

Lynn Sr.: You want to catch the Hedgehog, you're going to have to go through me.

Rita: And me.

Clyde: And me.

Albert: And me.

Mrs. Johnson: And me.

Scoots: And me, moustache.

Lori: And me.

Bobby: And me.

Officer Schoffner: [points a gun at Eggman] And me.

Crazy Carl: [raises a chainsaw] It messed with the Blue Devil, it messed with Royal Woods!

Lincoln: [whispers to Ronnie Anne] Come with me, I have a plan.

[The two go inside the Loud house]

Eggman: [chuckles] YOUR FOOLS!! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME??!!

[Lincoln and Ronnie Anne go through the portal and jump on the Eggmobile, without Eggman noticing]

Eggman: I will take the power of this hedgehog and conquer the world, even if I kill you all!!

Lincoln: Hi!

Eggman: WHAT THE...?!

Ronnie Anne: "¡Sorpresa!"

[She punches Eggman in the face]

Eggman: You two…

[With two mechanical arms of the Eggmobile, Eggman grabs them by the neck]

Eggman: You really were meant for each other. So much so that they're going to die together now.

Lincoln: You wouldn't have the courage to kill us.

Eggman: Are you doubting me?

[The mechanical arms tighten the necks of Lincoln and Ronnie Anne a little more]

Ronnie Anne: Y-you should learn to shut up.

Lincoln: I know.

Lynn Sr.: ROBOTNIK, Let go of my son!!

Bobby: And my sister too!!

Eggman: [chuckles] How can you stop me? You only have one gun and one chainsaw! They'll get what they deserve for disrupting my plans, and the only one who can stop me is passed out!! Where was I? Oh, yes, I was choking you both. [to Lincoln and Ronnie Anne] Any last words?

Lincoln: L-Let her go.

Eggman/Ronnie Anne: What?

Lincoln: I just want to save Sonic.

Eggman: Sonic's fate already sealed, I want to know why I should spare her life.

Lincoln: The idea of jumping on the Eggmobile was all mine, she only accompanied me because I called her. I deserve to die, not her.

Ronnie Anne: Why are you doing this Lincoln?

Eggman: Really Lincoln, why are you doing this for her? Say Lincoln.

[Lincoln looks seriously at Eggman]

Eggman: SAY!

[Lincoln still looks seriously at Eggman]

Eggman: Wants to know? There's no need to say, I think I know what it is.

Lincoln: And what is it then?

Eggman: Love.

Ronnie Anne: [surprised] What? Lincoln Loud has secretly fallen in love with me? Well, we already kissed once. But what you said. Now you've gone crazy... [to Lincoln] Isn't that right, Lincoln?

[Lincoln still looks seriously at Eggman]

Eggman: He will not say because he is afraid of not being reciprocated. Even though you two are best friends, Lincoln feels that you are his soulmate, as you both have several things in common, in addition to both having a very good and long-standing friendship. [to Lincoln] Isn't that right, Lincoln Loud?

[Lincoln stops looking seriously at Eggman and lowers his head with his eyes closed]

Lincoln: [sigh] Just please... let her go.

Eggman: [whispers to Lincoln] Because of you... she's going to die too.

[Mechanical arms tighten around Lincoln and Ronnie Anne's necks again]

Bobby: Officer Schoffner, can't you just shoot him in the head?

Officer Schoffner: I can't, I can end up hitting the kids.

Bobby: Dang it. [to Sonic, still passed out] Sonic! You need to wake up now!

Lynn Sr.: [to Sonic] They need your help!

Rita: [to Sonic] Especially now!

Lincoln: [short of breath] H-help, Sonic!

Ronnie Anne: [short of breath] S-Sonic, wake up!

[Sonic wakes and gets up]

Sonic: Let... them... go, Eggman.

Eggman: Why? You don't even have the strength to stand.

[Sonic begins to have lightnings through the body]

Sonic: Let... them... go... NOW!!!!

[The lightnings around Sonic increase. Eggman loose Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, and holds the mechanical arms. Eggman is surprised by the power of Sonic]

Lincoln: He's all yours. [whispers to Ronnie Anne] Come on.

[They get out of the way]

Officer Schoffner: Everyone, get back!

[All of Royal Woods' residents step away, safely out of Eggman's line of fire]

Sonic: I think you have something that belongs to me.

[The hedgehog makes a fist, lightning flies from the Eggmobile to Sonic's fist. Eggman struggles a bit, until the glass around the quill inside the machine breaks, disabling it]

Sonic: This is my power. And I'm not using it to run away anymore. I'm using it to protect... my... friends!

[Several rockets appear along the rims of the ship and laser pointers crawl over the asphalt, towards their target. Sonic gets down on his hands and knees, both of them are ready]

Eggman: You're mine, Hedgehog!

Sonic: You'll never catch me!

[After a moment, the doctor makes his move. The rockets fly away to Sonic, who evades them and launches himself against the Eggmobile. He reaches the accompanying wall, bounces of it and attacks again. He goes on and on, ricocheting around the ship in a haze of blue. Eventually, he slides back to his starting position. The Eggmobile is severly damaged]

Eggmobile Computer: System error! System error! System error!

Eggman: Now you've done it!

Sonic: Guess what, Eggman?! I'm not leaving Royal Woods, you are! [to Lincoln] Lincoln?

[Lincoln takes a ring and creates a new portal. Both Sonic and Eggman speed towards each other. Sonic, in his ball form, hurls himself against the nose of the ship, completely wrecking it. The impulse causes the doctor and his device to fly through the ring, to the Death Egg. Eggman screams as the portal closes. Sonic's powers gradually dim down and the lightning disappears. The crowd cheers. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne run back to their friend]

Lincoln: Yeah, you did it.

Sonic: No. WE did it.

[Sonic and Lincoln greet each other with a High Five]

Lincoln: I think these belong to you.

[Lincoln returns the bag of rings to Sonic]

Sonic: Thank you very much.

Lincoln: And don't throw people off the top of a skyscraper.

Sonic: You know I can't promise that.

Lincoln: You did well, hedgehog.

Sonic: Thanks, "Ultra Instinct".

[Everyone starts laughing]

Sonic: I think someone wants to talk to you.

[The two look at Ronnie Anne]

Sonic: [whispers to Lincoln] Good luck.

[He goes to the Loud family]

Lincoln: [whispers to Sonic] Wait... Sonic.

Ronnie Anne: Hey.

Lincoln: [a little clumsy] So... What do you want to talk about?

Ronnie Anne: It's about that moment on the Eggmobile.

Lincoln: Oh..

Ronnie Anne: Were you going to die for me?

[Lincoln starts to feel embarrassed]

Lincoln: [embarrassed] Well…

Lynn: [by far] Kiss her, you coward!!

Sonic: [by far] I'm waaaaaaaaaaaitiiiiiiiiiing!!

Lincoln: [embarrassed] Shut up!!

Ronnie Anne: [chuckles] I guess I was wrong, you're not as scared as I thought.

Lincoln: [embarrassed] Uh... Thanks.

Ronnie Anne: And one more thing. Was what Dr. Eggman said true? You love Me?

Lincoln: [embarrassed] A-as well? As a f-friend or…

Ronnie Anne: Or…

Lincoln: [embarrassed] Or... as a girlfr…

[Ronnie Anne interrupts Lincoln by putting her finger in his mouth...]

Ronnie Anne: [repeating what Dr. Eggman said] Wants to know? There's no need to say, I think I know what it is.

[... pulls Lincoln by the shirt to her and kisses him on the lips]

Lincoln's sisters: Aww…

Sonic: Yeah... It makes up for what I missed at the restaurant that day.

[Bobby receives a message on his cell phone. It is his mother, Maria, warning that he and Ronnie Anne should return to Great Lakes City]

Bobby: I have to go, Babe. [kisses Lori on the cheek] I'll call you later.

[Bobby walks over to the Casagrande market van]

Lori: Goodbye, Boo-Boo Bear.

[Bobby gets into the van and starts honking]

Bobby: [inside the van] Ronnie Anne, let's go!!

Ronnie Anne: I'm going! [to Lincoln] Someday we'll finish that game, okay?

Lincoln: [embarrassed] O-okay.

[Ronnie Anne walks towards the van...]

Ronnie Anne: Smell you later... Lame-o.

[... and gets into the van]

Lincoln: Goodbye... Ronnie Anne.

[The Casagrande Market's van leaves. Sonic goes to Lincoln]

Sonic: So, what has happened now?

Lincoln: I don't know, it looks like she's changed, she hates being kissed in public.

Sonic: But it was she who kissed you.

Lincoln: Exactly! That was very strange.

Sonic: Yeah, very strange. When's wedding day, Lincoln?

Lincoln: [visibly blushing and a little irritated] Ha-ha, very funny.

Sonic: 🎵"Ronnie and Lincoln sitting in a tree…"🎵 [giggles] 🎵"K-I-S-S-I-N-G."🎵 [giggles]

Lincoln: [visibly blushing and a little irritated] Wow, how much maturity.

Sonic: But seriously, when will the two start dating?

Lincoln: [visibly blushing and a little irritated] Won't you stop?

Sonic: Okay, okay. [chuckles] I stopped now.

Lynn Sr.: [by far] WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VAN??!!

Sonic: Who's going to tell him partly that Eggman detonated the van?

[The two begin to laugh]

Sonic: [narrating] From that moment on, my life had changed for the better.

[One week later. Sonic runs through Royal Woods and greets the citizens]

Sonic: Hi, Officer Schoffner!

Officer Schoffner: Hi Sonic! Slow down, or you'll get a traffic ticket!

Sonic: Okay!

[Sonic sees Clyde walking down the sidewalk]

Sonic: Hi, One-Eyed Jack!

Clyde: Hi, Blue Blur!

Sonic: [narrating] I could finally stop hiding, because everyone knew about me, and accepted the idea of ​​a superSonic blue hedgehog who talks about living among them.

[Sonic arrives at the Loud house, and sees Luna and Sam playing guitar in the garage]

Sonic: Hi, Luna. Hi, Sam. Cool jams.

Sam: Thank you Sonic. We were actually making a song for you.

Sonic: Wow! I thank you for making a song for me.

Luna: The name of the song will be "The Fastest Thing Alive".

Sam: Yeah, and the refrain is like this, listen.

[The two begin to play their instruments]

Sam: ♫ "Sonic, He can really move;" ♫

Luna: ♫ "Sonic, He's got an attitude;" ♫

Luna/Sam: ♫ "Sonic…" ♫

Luna: ♫ "He's the fastest thing alive..." ♫

Sam: ♫ "He's the fastest thing alive..." ♫

Sonic: ♫ "He's the fastest thing alive!" ♫

Luna/Sam: Yeah!!!

Luna: Rock n Roll, guys!

Sonic: The lyrics are amazing, girls! When they finish let me know so I can see the two sing.

Luna: Okay, dude.

[Sonic enters the house and goes to Lynn, who has a stopwatch timer]

Sonic: Hey Lynn, how long has it been?

Lynn: According to the timer, you ran through the entire town in 25 seconds.

Sonic: WOO-HOO!!! [doing the floss] World record!

[Lincoln, on the second floor of the house, sees Sonic and runs to the attic door]

Lincoln: [whispers] Is ready?

Lisa: [whispers] Affirmative, Male Sibling.

Lincoln: [whispers] Okay, I'm going to bring him.

[Lisa closes the attic door]

Lynn: Can you be the fastest swimmer in the world?

Sonic: No, I hate swim.

[Lincoln goes down the stairs]

Sonic: Hi Linc.

Lincoln: Hi Sonic! What are you doing here?

Sonic: I came to see how long I run for the entire Royal Woods.

Lincoln: Cool. Come on, we have a surprise for you.

Sonic: Wait, how do WE?

Lincoln: The whole family has created a surprise that you will enjoy.

Sonic: Uh... Okay!

[The two go up the stairs]

Sonic: So, where's the surprise?

Lincoln: In the attic.

Sonic: Let's go!

[The two enter the attic]

The Loud Family: SURPRISE!!!!

Sonic: Oh, my…

[Sonic sees in the attic all his things from his cave]

Sonic: Are you kidding me? I can't believe it... How did you... It's... It's all here... Look at this! Are you kidding? And the beanbag?! No way! Oh-ho-ho! How did you even get this... And you got it all the way over... Oh!

[Sonic runs happily through the attic]

Sonic: [happy] I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it!

Lincoln: Well, welcome home.

Sonic: Thank you... so much.

[Lynn and Luna enter the attic]

Lynn: Did we miss something?

[Everyone starts laughing, then the outside of the Loud house appears]

Sonic: [narrating] I'm Sonic, a little blue hedgehog with extraordinary super speed powers, who is chased by a crazy mustached scientist, and has several friends who live in a small town in the northeast United States! And you may be asking yourself, "Has this hedgehog's life improved?" I reply to you, "I'm living the best life a hedgehog can have! I wanted friends and fate gave me a family! And there's nothing that can ruin my new life."

[Meanwhile in the Death Egg...]

Orbot: Uh... Boss, Are you fine?

Eggman: If I'm fine? If I'm fine?! [angry] I almost lost my entire fleet of state-of-the-art robots trying to catch a hedgehog, and you ask if I'm fine?!! I WANT TO SEE YOU ASK IF I AM FINE WHEN I DISASSEMBLY YOU WHOLE, YOUR PRINTABLE OLD CAN!!!

Orbot: [scared] O-okay, boss.

[Orbot leaves]

Eggman: You may have beaten me now Sonic, but don't forget that your archenemy is Doctor Eggman. So get ready, because soon, your powers will be mine and I will take over the world!!!

[The outside of the Death Egg appears]

Eggman: MUAHAHAHAHA!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

THE END

[yamithediaperdork]

Sitters 4 hire (Yu-gi-oh)

The sun was just setting in domino city and Yugi Muto, King of games, was all along at the turtle game shop. His grandfather had gone off on a senior's cruise since the shop had come into some money as of later (being the official shop of the king of games DID have it's PR perks) And Joey and Tristen had gone camping for the week. They had of coursed offered to let Yugi come along but since the last time he'd gone with them he'd been chased by a bear, sprayed by a skunk and had gotten a rash on his butt from squatting among poison ivy, he turned them down. Mai was working on the cruise, and Duke was taking advantage of the fact Tristen was out of town to try and woe Serenity. even Anzu was MIA in a way, she had a big competition coming up and was putting in extra hours at the studio and the gym to make sure she was at her best. Now Yugi while disappointed not to have any of his friends to hang out with during the day (since it was summer break) He was maybe slightly OK with them not being around as he'd been making use of a certain service in town. It wasn't the kinda of service that some of the more lewd type might of made use of though. Frankly, if any of his friends ever found out what he was doing the little king of games would die of embarrassment. For it was a babysitting service that he'd been making use of, after working out a deal with the nice ladies who ran it. Because Yugi Muto, the king of games, was a diaper wearing little.

Hina was a 25 year old black haired bombshell, and she was the one who ran the service (Sitters 4 hire) and had met with Yugi when he'd first tried to set up a semi deal during spring break. He'd been adorable with how blushy he got and the stammer that started up, but she'd had to go though everything he was expecting, and of course to make sure he knew there would be no naughtiness so to speak. They had met at the headquarters for sitter's inc, a surprisingly boom business that employed 48 sitters currently. the way the service worked was that they could train you or you could come in and just take a test to prove you could handle the job, then you were free to freelance though most jobs in the city now came though them, and they would select the babysitter who best suited what the parents wanted for a job. She and Yugi had been in her office, giving the poor guy some privacy though lord knows he wasn't the first little guy who had asked for this sorta thing. "So, If I understand you right.. you wish to be treated like a toddler, but one who still needs his big bulky diapers and prefers baby bottles over sippy cups. correct?" She asked. "I..uh..Yes." Yugi said, squirming big time. "and any attempts at potty training?" She asked, typing away n her computer. "N-No." "and will you just be going tinkle, or boom boom as well?" She asked, smirking as Yugi blushed big time and looked like he wanted to curl up in a ball. "I..Using my diaper for everything." Yugi finally managed to say. "Alright. and you understand that this is NOT a sexual service, so any sort of hanky panky you might expect, not happening, though if you wish to er.. you know..yourself.. we ask you wait till our sitter leaves." "U-Understood!" Yugi squeaked out. "alrighty then Little Yugi. I think we can give you all the TLC you need. one last thing though, do you prefer a Male sitter or a female one? and of course. you can count on us to keep it under wraps the bigggg tough King of games is just a widdle guy." Hina giggled and winked at Yugi. "G-Girls only please."

And with that Yugi was a client, though getting the freedom to use the service had proven trickier then he thought. Gramps would sleep though almost anything but it was more Joey's annoying habit of showing up unannounced. add in Anzu having called once while he was using it and feeling reallly weird talking to his sorta maybe kinda girlfriend while he was in the middle of a diaper change and well.. He'd only made use of the service three times and outside of distractions like Joey and Anzu, or gramps snoring, he'd been in love with it. Dialing the special services number he'd been given Yugi shifted from foot to foot, looking at his stash of little guy supplies he had out on his bed. it was a male voice who answered, and Yugi almost hung up the phone right then and there, But he had gone SO long being a stupid big boy that he swallowed the urge. "Sitters 4 hire, special service line, how may I help you?" Came the amused voice over the line. "I..Uh..See.." Yugi squeaked. "Take your time little guy." "T-This is Uh.. Account number 45 I.. I um.. have a pre-paid account and er-" Yugi said, closing his eyes. god, this was ALWAYS the hardest part! "Oh Little Yugi~ I see. Is our widdle guy in need of a babysitter again?" if Yugi had been blushing bad before, hearing his name used took it to the next level. "Y-Yes please." "Alrighty little guy. do you wanna set a bed time or leave it up for the babysitter?" Yugi looked at the clock, it was just just going on 7:30 pm. "H-How soon can you er..have a sitter..over here?" Yugi asked. "Hmm..Oh! I have some one right in your area at the moment, and she's cleared for working with cuties like you. I can have her there in 5-10 minutes tops." "T-Then um.,. a 9 pm sharp bed time please and thank you." Yugi said. "Of course little guy. I should warn you though, our girl I'm sending over can be somewhat strict, so a certain little guy better have his huggies on." Teased the operator. "I..I will." "Good boy~ Have fun little guy, and thank you for using Sitters 4 hire."

Rebecca Hawkins had just finished putting a cute little 23 year old sissy baby down to ed for the night, and was in the parking lot of the apartment building the Lil sissy lived in when she got a text from work. Of course she didn't actually need the money she was making doing this job, but well, she enjoyed the power rush she got since she was a strictly special services only sitter. Add into it that as a rule of thumb most of the teen and adult babies she looked after tended to be wayyy more well behaved then actual babies and toddlers and she was in heaven. She had been planning on calling it a day, and honestly could of turned down the job, but once she saw the address her interest peaked. 'No way..my darling Yugi is a..' She thought and a BIG grin filled her face. If she was being honest, the young genius had mostly gotten into the doming little babies scene after meeting Yugi..there was just something about the little guy that screamed 'DIAPER ME!' and now, she knew why. She accepted the job and got the info folder, sent to her, which confirmed it WAS Yugi and he was just a big toddler, and she felt herself almost melting as she gushed over how cute and awesome this was gonna be.

Yugi had been a good boy like he was told to be and was now was dressed in one of his dark magician diapers, which was bulky enough to give the boy a waddle to his step.he hadn't just left it at that though, and as such was in a pair of purple socks that had the dark magician girl on the sides, doing her trademark pose. Moving up from there He was sporting a purple (if you couldn't tell it was the little guys favorite color) diaper shirt, with the diaper itself peeking out around the leg holes. and of course the shirt had a picture of the little guys most favorite monster, The dark magician on it. He'd been setting up a little area in the living room for him and his sitter to play, a nice soft baby blanket on the floor and some plushie and rattles. and of course he had a couple of bottle of milk chilling in the fridge (he wasn't that fond of juice when toddler mode, go figure) and jumped a little when the doorbell rang. Waddling his way over to the door he took a deep breath and opened it, then turned crimson as Rebecca was standing there smirking. "R-R-Re-" He stammered, trying desperately to think of a excuse, never once connecting the slight possibly that THIS was his sitter. "Hiii little guy. Somebody was a good widdle boy and got dressed for me I see~" She said, winking and giving him a head pat. Yugi just stood there, jaw dropping as she strolled past him into the room.

Rebecca was chuckling to herself, the look on Yugi's face really had been just too cute. She took in his set up and nodded in approval before turning to look at him, he was STILL by the door, and seemed frozen. "Little Yugi, unless you want the whole block to see you in all your big baby glory, you might wanna shut the door." She teased. Yugi yelped and nodded, slamming the door fast and waddled over to her. "Now I know this might be a little be weird for you, since we know each other and all, but I promise that I won't tell anyone about what a widdle diaper boy you are~"  Rebecca promised, and then gave Yugi's bum a few pats. the effect was instant and adorable, as the little guy spread his legs and she almost swore his eyes glazed over. "now then, since we have a little while before somebody needs to go night night, does widdle Yugi wanna play with his toys and watch some cartoons?" She asked. Yugi dumbly nodded his head and waddled over to the blanket, plopping down and picking up a stuffie of the dark magician and cuddling it to his chest. '..He's really pushing the no pictures rule.' She thought with a sweat drop, then moved over to the couch to turn on the TV for the little guy.

After the intonation humiliation worn off, Yugi had to admit it was kinda fun having someone who knew him so well babysitting him. She knew to put it on little dueler's for him, and even sat down on the blanket with him after a bit, playing as the Dark magician girl and acting out the plot, with them fighting a Summoned skull who just really needed hugs. He got so into it he actually forgot he was wearing his diapies till she paused the game to stick a finger in the leg band of his onesie and diaper. "oh wow! still dry! is this a new record for you?" She asked and winked. Yugi blushed bad at that, but also nodded his head, though he could feel a bit of a need building up. only problem was it was a backdoor need so to speak and he wasn't sure he wanted to do THAT in front of her. "well, it's almost time for beddy byes, I think I'll feed you a nice big ba-ba first though so you can make a bigggg wet diapie for auntie Rebecca to change before she leaves." She giggled. "T-There's ba-ba's ready in the fridge auntie." Yugi said, and squirmed like crazy as she got up and kissed his forehead. "Good boy!"

Rebecca wasn't stupid, and had noticed Yugi squirming as well as heard the tummy gurgles. Maybe he thought he was being all sly and she could see why he might be embarrassed to make presents for her, but as a responsible baby sitter she couldn't let her charge hold it in and get a owie tummy, or worse, unleash it after she had left. Truthfully changing dirty diapers wasn't one of the highlights of her job, and normally with her usual client list she could get away with leaving them smelly. It again helped most of them where naughty little guys who wanted a lot of teasing and shaming. But with Yugi, he was clearly just a big baby, and she willing to put in some free overtime if that's what it took. Selecting a bottle of milk from the fridge, she popped it in the microwave to warm it up, then turned to watch Yugi who was on his knees now. he had the DM stuffie launching wooden building block at a stuffie of the blue eyes even as he was squirming and wiggling about, clearly a toddler who had to go potty. 'I wonder if he's gonna fess up?' She thought, though as the microwave beeped a loud poot escaped Yugi's bottom. getting the ba-ba out and teasing it on her wrist, she wasn't surprised to see Yugi hiding his face in his stuffie as she came back over. "heh, relax Yugi. everyone farts." She said and got on the couch, then patted her lap. "I..uh..I..Otay." Yugi squeaked and crawled over, getting set in her lap and closing his eyes as she guided the nipple of the ba-ba into his mouth. "Drink up so you can grow up to be big and strong~" She coo'ed.

Yugi's tummy was churning big time and he knew any second now he was going to lose the battle and fudge his huggies. it wasn't even a question of making it to the potty anymore, he doubted he'd be able to move much without losing the battle. his only goal at THIS point was to hold it in till the session ended and Rebecca left, not knowing that she had already planned to stay and see it though. the warm milk tasted so good though, and was having it's normal effect of making him super sleepy. It was while all sleepy that he decided letting out a bit of pressure couldn't hurt and went to let out a small fart or two. Rebecca had already said everyone farts right? the small small turned into one big one, with three others following and Yugi's eyes flew open as he realized he'd released the flood gates so to speak. a super gross sounding fart, though muffled by the padding and outfit and Rebecca's poor lap, filled the room and then it was game over. the back of the diaper filled up rapidly as his tiny bladder soaked the front and Yugi was a dark crimson as he looked up at Rebecca who just wrinkled her nose a little, ut smiled and kept the bottle in place. "whew, Smells like somebody really wanted to make a super big present for me!" Yugi, mouth filled with a rubber nipple and diaper full of waste, did a bare nod.

One thing Rebecca hadn't counted on when trying to get Yugi to go uh-oh, was just how TOXIC the little guy was going to be. he was by far the biggest stinker and she made a mental note to hook him up with some pills to cut down on the smell. Still the little guy was clearly mortified he'd lost control, which was funny since he'd likely of been delighted to make presents. her lap was slightly burning from the heat and force of which Yugi had unleashed his uh-oh, and the smell again, was burning her nose. Still, she let him finish his ba-ba before standing him up and smirked as his diaper drooped big time. "oh my, when was the last time widdle Yugi had a poopie?" She asked, and patted his mush tush and cupped the butt. "A-Ah! I..I uh..Fhree day ago." Yugi lisped. "well I think somebody needs a auntie to come by and help keep him regular, don't you?" "I..uh..I dis dun have 'nuff on me's account ta-" Yugi started to say and Rebecca smirked. "Don't worry, I'll work off the clock. though I'll have to keep my freebies to a minimum so we don't get in trouble." he said and winked. She tugged the diaper boy towards his room, gushing at how he had to cowboy walk and spotted his changing pad, with wipes and everything ready to go. "After auntie gets you in a clean diapie, it's bed time little man. I hope you had fun." She said, and guiding him over, kissed his cheek before gently setting him down on the mat. "I..I did. Fank's auntie Rebecca." Yugi coo'ed and popped his paci in his mouth. "You're VERY welcome Yugi." She coo'ed back and then started to open the diaper. 'Maybe I'll get lucky and it won't be so.. bad.. Oh god!' Tears filled the blond's eyes, not out of sadness or fear, but just the smell was making her eyes water. Yeah, Having Yugi as her new little guy was going to be fun and all, but Rebecca was totally gonna have to have him go more often to avoid the nightmare before her. Still it would be a labor of love, and she couldn't see ANZU being willing to do this. 'heh, all that time trying to show her up, and all I needed to do was wipe his butt.' Rebecca thought, though she wondered if maybe the boys fumes were making her lightheaded. Yugi for his part drifted off to sleep 30 or 40 seconds after she started, which didn't make the change any easier. "Kiddo..your lucky your cute." She muttered under her breath. with Yugi changed and redressed, she tucked him into his bed, which had a toddler rail and gave him one last kiss goodnight, before taking off.

The end

[staticscreenwriting]

All you have to be is here - Part 8

Synopsis: Billy has fucked up and has to do 60 days of community service at a home for troubled kids and youth. Working with the kids there makes him learn a lot about himself. Also there’s a girl there his age who has a phenomenal smile and who is way too nice to him.

I guess I should mention there’s a lot of angst in this. Talk of substance abuse later on, physical abuse, emotional abuse. All that kind of gnarly real life stuff. It deals with kids and teens struggling with a a shitty family life so be aware of that.

Part 8 of ?

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6 // Part 7

Please help a girl out by reblogging. Thank you ♥

Attention ! If you wanna be tagged pls send me a message or an ask it’s easier and faster for me than going through the tags of each part every time. Thank you :)

[additional note: I am German. Sometimes I get the tense wrong or make mistakes. I am useless when it comes to punctuation. Go easy on me, please.]

I never really ever felt so adored before Never really ever felt this type of vulnerable Don’t have to hide, don’t have to fear All you have to be is here Never really ever felt so adored before And I said I wanna feel like this forever Even if forever’s just for now We’re on fire, let us burn As the outside world, it turns We are here and alive In our corner of time Forevermore

Mötley Crüe is playing from the headphones connected to his walkman as Billy takes a few hops the stretches his arms in preparation.

The air is sizzling with excitement and anxiety. An all consuming scent of rubber and sweat and deodorant washes through the halls and the cluster of boys get ready to face off against another team.

Billy has been allowed back on the team after a short suspension. It’s not that the coach has such a soft heart or that he feels in any way sorry for Billy. Really if this was any other situation, Billy is sure he wouldn’t be allowed back on. Thing is, Billy is their best player and everyone’s well aware of that. 

Neil always says things are only worth something if you’re the best at them. Anything else doesn’t matter. Billy vividly remembers one time in 3rd grade when he won second place in a track and field competition. It was just for run really but the 3 best runners got a little trophy. Billy was so proud of himself. So full of confidence and joy to take home this small little plastic trophy. Neil scoffed at him, threw it right in the trash. Second places don’t mean shit, Billy.

Work harder, Billy.

Stop disappointing me, Billy.

He shakes his head trying to rid himself of the memories. Repressed childhood trauma is not something his mind should be lingering on right now. He needs to get his fucking head in the game.

The boys all huddle together in the center of the room as Coach Bell enters, clapping his hands together to get their attention. Billy takes his headphones off and stores the walkman in his locker. 

His eyes sweep around the room, wandering from one teammate to the next. He should be feeling some kind of connection to these boys, they’re his team. His mates. Though this isn’t a coming of age movie is it ? This is real life and sometimes in real life you have to face the facts that you don’t give a shit about your teammates and that high school basketball isn’t the epic bonding experience the movies like to make people believe it is.

He lets his eyes wander towards Coach Bell, a tall burly man with a receding hairline always hidden beneath a baseball cap and a bushy mustache. He loves to portrait the fatherly mentor type. The down-with-the-kids, BBQ-on-a-sunday kinda guy. What he really is though, is an asshole who likes to project his own teenage dreams and failures onto the team.

It doesn’t matter though, not to Billy. Bell was a good coach and Billy was a good player and that’s all that matters. 

The next 10 minutes consist of encouraging words and awkward group huddles and some kind of stupid chant to get them all hyped up for the game. Billy can slowly feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins. This is his game, everyone else is just playing along.

The crowd is bustling with excitement as the team enters the court. They’re all clad in greens and oranges, faces painted, waving tiny flags and holding up signs. It places a smirk on Billy’s lips. To have people cheer for him, it feels euphoric. 

His eyes scan the people, and although he knows he’s not gonna find the face he’s looking for, his heart still holds onto that teeny tiny spark of hope that one day he might. He’s mentioned the game a few times during dinner, has purposely left a flyer on the kitchen table and one pinned to the fridge.

Neil isn’t there though. He never is. He probably never will be. This isn’t worth his time, Billy isn’t worth his time. Basketball just ain’t no Baseball. 

Billy has to bite his lip, trying to keep himself from getting riled up over something he can’t change. This really is no place to get lost in his anger towards Neil.

As he takes another sweep across the crowd his eyes land on a pair of familiar ones and his heart takes a leap in his chest. Suddenly all the resentment that has been cursing through him just second before, is gone and replaced by unfiltered pride and confidence.

She’s giving him one of her radiant smiles, one that just demands for you to smile back. So he does. (Y/N) points down at her shirt and only then does Billy notice she’s wearing his team colors. A team that’s technically the rival of her own school team.

He likes knowing where her loyalty lies.

The timer on the board is counting down mercilessly as the tigers get the ball, moving towards the goal. 

Matt Carraway has the ball, passes it to Tim Johnson who passes it to this new guy named Chris but he’s not gonna make this shot, everyone can see that much. 

Billy’s free and Billy is the best player and when he meets Chris’ eyes, a silent understanding is reached. Chris passes the ball. It feels heavy in Billy’s hands, whatever moves he makes next determines if they win or lose this game.

All eyes are on him now, he is awfully aware of that. The weight of this game rests on his shoulders as the clock is counting down. 

He pushes himself off of the shiny gym floor, trying to channel all his anger and frustration into this jump, this throw. His mind flickers back towards something Dr. K has said, something that they have told the kids at the center. “ Take the bad and make something good out of it “.

Take the rage and channel it into energy. Score these fucking points.

The ball leaves his hands and he knows it in. There’s no doubt in his mind when the crowd goes silent, so silent you can hear a needle drop, that just a second later they will be cheering, they will be jumping off their seat and clapping up a storm and it will be for him. 

The ball falls through the basket and hits the floor just as the buzzer sounds and just like Billy’s predicted, the crowd goes wild. 

A certain sense of disbelieve mixes with his pride, this is just fucking high school basketball. But then again, it gives him a feeling of pride, of doing something right. Even if it’s not baseball. Fuck you, Neil.

Billy is vaguely aware of his teammates clapping his back and pulling him into euphoria fueled halfway hugs. Though his eyes firmly search for one person and one person only. When he finds her, he raises his arms above his head and lets out a cheer himself. Who cares if his dad is here, as long as she’s sitting on the bleachers in his team colors, smiling that smile that makes him weak in the knees.

It’s then, when their eyes connect and the world around him seems to melt into the background, that a pair of arms wrap around his neck and a pair of lips collide with his. It’s not the lips he wants to kiss though. These lips don’t taste like cherry coke and too much sugar. 

Billy pushes the girl away and she looks at him with confusion written all over her face. She’s one of the cheerleaders. A petite girl with gorgeous ginger curls and big brown eyes. Billy before (Y/N) would’ve loved this. Winning the game and getting smooches from a beautiful girl. 

Lately that’s not what he wants though, he doesn’t want to kiss other girls, just (Y/N). exclusively (Y/N).

“ What ? Billy did I do — “ the girl questions but Billy isn’t listening. It’s like her voice vanishes in the euphoria of the crowd, creating a chaotic melody.

What she has to say, doesn’t matter. What does matter, Billy thinks as his eyes wander back over towards the bleachers, is that (Y/N) knows the truth. Thought where just a moment ago a pair of eyes looked back at him, now there’s only a a deserted space and a knot growing in Billy’s stomach, hoping that he hasn’t just had a first class seat to ruining his — relationship ?! 

He wants to follow her, see where she’S gone and try to fix what has just been cracked by a kiss he never asked for. A kiss he never wanted. The gym is stuffed with people though, a cluster of humans he’s unable to maneuver his way through. With every second he gets more and more upset more and more frustrated. This isn’t how he wants today to end. With a sad girl and a broken heart. 

There’s eyes following his every move, admiring him. He is well aware of the attention resting on him right there and any other day he would relish in it. Not tonight though. All he wants right now is a shower and to get the fuck out of here to explain the situation to his — his girl.

A loud chatter still sounds from the inside of the gym and Billy pushes through the side entrance of the school and steps outside into the chilly nightair, hair damp from the shower. 

His hands desperately fumble around his gym bag, looking for the pack of cigarettes he’s sure he’s thrown in there sometime before the game. Though he stops when a voice speaks out to him.

“ Good game, pretty boy. “ 

She looks like an angel in the moonlight, he thinks. Ethereal. The jacket she’s wearing, the denim one, is tightly wrapped around her frame, shielding her from the cold winds of a fast approaching fall. 

That denim jacket — it’s his. One he purposely left at her place one he discovered she liked wearing it. Her place, where his toothbrush now rests in a little cup by the sink and where there’s a drawer specifically for his clothes. Her place that feels so much like a home.

“ You’re here “ he chokes out, the words feeling bitter on his lips. Of course she’s here. (Y/N) doesn’t run from problems. Doesn’t just leave when things go south. 

He feels kind of ashamed he even thought she would just leave. Not her. Never her.

“ Of course I’m here. “ 

“ (Y/N) I — “ he says, ready to grovel, to beg and plead and explain, though he doesn’t the chance. (Y/N) shakes her head and softly cuts him of by placing a loving kiss on his lips.

“ I know. I saw you push her off. I just — “ he sighs and combs a hand through her hair “ I was so angry at this girl kissing my boyfriend I just had to leave otherwise I probably would’Ve punched her and I — I really didn’t wanna do that. It’s more than enough having one fighter in this duo “ she laughs then kisses him again.

No matter how casually she slips it in, Billy notices the term boyfriend being used. He wants to ask her if she truly means it, if she’s sure that’s what she really wants. He wants to remind her than he’s been with quite a lot of girls but that he’s hardly ever been a boyfriend. Not since 6th grade and back then it was all just a childish fantasy. He wants to tell her all that, but he doesn’t. It would only complicate things right now. This is neither the time nor place to have long serious talks about their relationship and what they mean to each other. 

And maybe he wants to be a little selfish too. Enjoy the fact that she trust him even when things don’t seem to go in his favor. That she wants to be with him. That she likes him enough to call him her boyfriend. Maybe just for tonight he’ll decide to believe her words. That you don’t have to earn love, don’t have to be deserving off it. Maybe for tonight he’ll just let her love him and love her in return. No questions asked.

“ Really ? Aw man I would’ve loved to see that. I bet you have a mean right hook. That just put some real sexy images in my head “ he jokes then buries his head in the crook of her neck placing hot kisses on her skin.

“ Billy ? “ another voice calls out to him, pulling him out of his euphoric bliss. 

When he looks up, Billy is faced with yet another redhead, only this one is quite a bit smaller and way more familiar. She’s flanked by another girl who’s stuffing her face with nacho chips and looking at him and (Y/N) with curious eyes.

“ Max ? “ 

“ I just wanted to congratulate you. That was — a really good game. “ 

“ Thanks “ he says but notices her eyes keep flickering towards (Y/N).

“ Uh — this is (Y/N) “ he says, motioning towards her.

“ Oh that’s (Y/N) “. 

He hates the teasing edge in her voice and for a moment he thoroughly regrets every telling her about his girl. Though he must admit, Max had been nothing but sweet about it. Helpful and honestly interested. She genuinely cared about his date. Had been nothing but kind when Billy did nothing to deserve her kindness. 

“ (Y/N) this is Max — my sister. “ 

It’s the first time he’s ever called her this without ulterior motives, without it leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. This is his sister whether he likes it or not. Maybe it’s time to start seeing the good and ignoring the bad because none of the bad is Max’s fault in the end. 

(Y/N) shakes hands with Max, asks her a few questions, gets friendly with the two girls. Maybe this is what his future could be like, Billy thinks, a beautiful girlfriend and a sister that’s a pain in the ass but who’s also fiercely loyal and protective over her family.

Maybe this is the family he needs. Fuck Neil. Fuck mom. 

This is all he needs.

“ That sounds awesome but I think Billy wants to go party with the team. Right, Billy ? “ (Y/N) asks, shaking Billy from his daydream.

“ Huh ? “ 

“ I said I think you wanna go party with the team tonight ? Celebrate your win. “ 

Honestly, Billy didn’t give a shit about the team. Hawkins parties were usually boring as fuck and especially those thrown by Tim Johnson. Usually he went anyway, because as bad as the parties were, they were loud and he could pretty much always count on some girl being there that would at least blow him. Booze and loud music and a warm body always managed to take his mind off of the shitty situation at home. Could numb his breaking heart for a few hours.

He has a new way of coping now. One that looks at him with gorgeous eyes full of love. One that cooks him breakfast even though she’s horrible at it and gives him space in her closet. Hawkins can keep it’s parties if only he can keep his girl.

“ Nah, not really feeling it. “ 

“ Really ? Huh. What do you wanna do instead ? “

Have sex with you for the entire night in various ways on various surfaces. He thinks. But there’s two middle schoolers present and though he can be quite crude this is crossing the line, even for him.

“ I don’t know. What do you wanna do ? “ 

“ Well … “ she says, a small smirk pulling the corner of her lips upwards as her eyes move towards the two girls. 

Oh no. What has he gotten himself into.

Hundreds of sparkling lights are illuminating the fairgrounds in vibrant hues of red and greens and blue. There’s music and laughter coming from every direction and the smell of cotton candy and candied apples carries heavy through the air.

Billy used to love going to the fair. Whenever things at home were particularly bad, mom used to take him to one of the many boardwalks along the west coast to go on rides and eat their body weight in candy. 

Sometimes they would drive for hours just to check out one they hadn’t been to before. They’d ride the ferris wheel and win little trinkets at the game booths and challenge each other on the bumper cars. Billy remembers begging his mom for just one more ride on the merry-go-round, just one more. 

She always let him go at least 3 more. 

And they’d laugh and cheer and eat so much cotton candy they’d almost throw up. 

But he was happy then. So so happy. And mom was smiling. Even though, thinking back now, Billy wonders if her heart was breaking even then. If maybe she was just good at hiding it. But she was smiling and she never did that at home.

Those are some of his happiest memories and walking onto the Hawkins fairgrounds makes them all come crashing down on him like rain in a thunderstorm.

Max and El quickly disperse to somewhere else and (Y/N) grabs onto Billy’s hand shyly almost timidly. As if she’s not sure whether or not this is okay.

It is okay though. It’s more than okay and he wants her to know so he pull her closer, throws an arm across her shoulder and kisses her softly on the head.

“ Where to first ? “ 

“ Hmm … “ she wonders “...how about the merry-go-round ? “ 

Glancing down into her eyes, Billy can’t help but admire the way the lights reflect in them, like tiny multicolored stars, like fireflies dancing on a resting river. His heart does the weird flatter things again. It’s strange and unfamiliar but he’s growing to like it. He’s getting used to the fact that someone can make him feel an emotion other than fear and anger. 

He loves this girl and the girl loves him back.

“ Merry-go-round it is “ he agrees and quickly drops a kiss on her lips. He decides then, that her lips are his favorite taste.

“ Which one do you want ? “ Billy asks (Y/N) who’s tucked into his side as they approach one of the game booths. He’s purposely steered them towards the basketball game. Firstly because he’s already won a game today and secondly because he knows the ways in which this game is manipulated which in return mean he knows how to outsmart those and win after all.

(Y/N) eyes wander along the wall filled with stuffed toys one looking cheaper and uglier than the next. There’s a pink plush bunny about the size of a small dog. It has black buttons for eyes and a loopy smile stitched onto it. (Y/N) points it out to him and says “that one. He’s looks so cheap and so sad. I gotta give him a loving home. “ 

And it’s ironic really, how his girl has a heart so big she chooses the ugliest and most sad looking plushy just because she feels bad for it and thinks it deserves a loving home. 

“ Alright babe. I’ll get you that bunny, you just watch” 

Billy pays the clerk and gets handed 3 basketballs as (Y/N) jumps up on the little ledge and watches him with childlike wonder. He throws her a wink, moves the ball from one hand to the other and back, trying to get a feel for it. He knows this ball is way overinflated and probably has a hard time fitting through the hoops as it is. Not to mention the hoop is most definitely oval shaped. 

The only way to win this is a high shot straight into the hoop, if it bounces off the board it’s game over. 

Billy takes a deep breath, lines his shot, exhales and — makes it, earning him a kiss on the cheek from (Y/N) and applause from the people nearby.

“ You’re doing good, baby “ (Y/N) cheers and for a moment he feels like he’s back at the Santa Monica pier with his mom, who said those exact words when he first attempted the hoop game.

He only made the first throw but it didn’t matter, his mom was proud anyway and he got a little heart shaped keychain as a consolation prize. He gave it to mom and she had it on her key ever since. Billy wonders if she still has it. If she looks at it sometimes and thinks about him.

Shaking those thought off, he lines another shot. Makes another shot.

2 out of 3.

Another kiss and another cheer.

One last time he lines up a shot and gets it in, making the crowd cheer and earns him a bunch of kisses all over his face. 

A disgruntled looking clerk hands him the bunny and Billy hands it to (Y/N) as they walk away from the booth. This feels good, this feels like the movies always tell you it’s supposed to feel. Being young and being in love. 

She’s smiling, Billy is fairly sure she hasn’t stopped smiling all night. Her lips taste like cotton candy and funnel cake and with the air growing colder she cuddles closer to his side. 

He wants to stay in this moment forever. Content. Happy. Free. 

“ Hey, “ he says and nudges her a little before nodding towards the ferris wheel “ you wanna go up ? “ 

(Y/N) bites her lip in consideration, he can tell she’s unsure about it.

“ What ? Are you afraid of heights, baby ? “ 

“ Nooo “ 

It’s an obvious lie. He thinks it’s adorable.

“ Come on, babe. You can hold onto me real tight and I won’t even slip the guy a fiver to make us stop at the top so we can makeout. “ 

She takes another deep breath, looking up at the ferris wheel. Billy can almost see the gears turning in his head. 

“ You know, “ (Y/N) starts and cuddles further into his side “ I’ve been taking quite a few risks when it comes to you and so far I don’t regret a single one. Let’s do this. “ 

It makes his heart soar. To know that she doesn’t regret being with him. She’d have all the reason to. Everyone seems to regret him after a while. He hope she never does.

“ But promise to hold me though. “ 

“ Always, babe. Real fucking tight. “ 

Hawkins looks different from up above. Quieter. Peaceful. Almost — beautiful.

Maybe it’s the magic of this evening or the perpetual enchantment (Y/N) brings to his life but this is the first moment since he’s moved here, that Billy feels completely content. 100% at peace.

“ This is terrifying. Tell me something to keep my mind off of things “ (Y/N) mumbles and hides her face against his arm.

“ What do you want me to tell you ? “ 

“ I don’t know, let’s play 20 questions. “ 

“ What are we ? Teenagers ? “ 

“ Yeah, Billy. We literally are. “ 

It’s then, that Billy realises how far removed he feels from people his age. Tragedy and sadness and fear make you grow up faster and the make you grow bitter and despite being the center of attention, Billy never felt like he belonged when going to parties. He always felt like watching the world around him move and dance and be teenagers while he was playing his part and then went home to where misery lived and anger and pain.

This feels different. 

This feels like he’s finally living his life. Finally he gets a few moments where he can be 18 and silly and goofy and fun. With his girl in his arms.

“ Okay, I go first. If you could see any band live, who would it be ? “

“ Easy, Queen. No doubt about it. “ 

Billy shrugs “ okay answer. “ 

(Y/N) scoffs “ Okay. You don’t know what you’re talking about. They’re the best. Anyway, my turn. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you want to be ? “ 

His mind immediately wanders towards California, the beaches and the sun and the feeling of home. Thought there’s a shift in his emotions lately. Home feels closer now. Feels like it’s bound to her not to California, not to a place.

“ Right here with you “.

That earns him another kiss on the cheek. 

“ What’s your favorite thing about me ? And you can’t say my dick because that’s fucking vulgar and there’s families around “ Billy jokes, successfully getting a laugh from her.

“ I wasn’t gonna say that. “ 

“ What, is it not good ? “ 

“ It’s great just — It’s not my favorite thing, goofy. My favorite thing about you is your smile. And I know this sounds cheesy as hell but you have a great smile. It’s phenomenal. So radiant. I love your smile. “ 

I love you, he wants to say but can’t bring himself to.

“ Have you ever been in love ? “ (Y/N) asks.

Billy thinks back to California and a time when he thought he knew what love was. There was this girl, her name was Grace and she was gorgeous. She knew how to surf and how to throw back 4 tequila shots and still looks good doing it. She was funny and charming and she kept Billy on her toes. But she also didn’t get him. She got upset when he was late for dates and she didn’t show any interest in Max. She laughed at him that one time he mentioned he was able to play the piano.

She was never his girlfriend and now Billy thinks that’s a good thing because he was never in love after all. 

“ Before now ? No. “ 

“ What about now ? “ 

Billy gently cups her face and nuzzles his nose against her. Their lips are so close he can feel her skin against his, her breath mingling with his.

“ I’m in love with you, (Y/N) (Y/L/N). Think you should know that “.

Kissing on top of a ferris wheel feels different. Maybe it’s the stars shining above or the ocean of colorful lights sparkling below but something is different.

Or maybe it’s the fact that for the first time in his life Billy’s told a girl that he loves her and she says it back.

“ I am 100% sure I’m in love with you, pretty boy. “ 

Whatever it is, it feels magical.

The gravel crunches underneath their boots as (Y/N) and Billy make their way towards her car, the bunny is tucked under her arm and he hand is holding onto Billy’s as he’s chewing away on the candied apple she so desperately wanted and then had been unable to finish.

“ Hey, pretty boy ? Thank you for tonight. I got to feel like a real teenager for the first time in a long time. I got to see my boyfriend win a basketball game, get jealous over a stupid cheerleader kissing him, spend time at a fair. It just — it was wonderful. Thank you. “ 

He doesn’t answer, doesn’t know how to. So he pulls her closer and kisses her head and he hopes she knows that he feels the same.

There’s a big crowd of men in their path, yelling and howling and scuffling around and it makes (Y/N) terribly uneasy. 

“ Think we should take another way around them ? “ 

“ That’s the only way to get to your car, babe. Don’t worry I bet it’s just some stupid high school kids. Maybe some drunk truckers.  It’ll be fine. “ 

But things aren’t fine, are they. There’s a sinking feeling in Billy’s gut. Like something is about to happen and destroy the magic of tonight.

They get halfway past the group as their huddle opens and one of the men falls against one of the booths right in from of Billy and (Y/N), as the crowd roars up in a sickening chant of mock and laughter before they wander off.

The man’s face is severely damaged. There’s a cut above his eye, his nose is swollen and there’s blood coming from his mouth. They really did a number on him.

Billy is about to walk on as (Y/N) pulls him back, rooted firmly in place. 

“ Babe, whu— “ 

“ Billy, “ (Y/N) chokes out, voice timid and scared “ that’s my dad. “ 

@babygal-babygal / @anxiousamandapanda / @imjusthereforsupernatural / @chhhcherybomb / @tomarisela / @noodlenerd101 / @xxcxrolinexx / @bippity-boppity-boopa / @mcrmarvelloki / @silver-winter-wolf / @thecrowclubsmanager / @theroyalbrownbarbie / @salemlysi / @sarai-ibn-la-ahad / @asheseiler / @stra-vage / @ssstutteringbbbill / @biliyonce / @addictofsupernatural / @angelophany / @charmed-asylum 

[annoyinglyjovialbird]

Voltron: Next Generation

Unexpected Mission: I

Word Count: 2691

“And here we have the training deck,” Shiro said, leading several school ambassadors around the Garrison. After becoming a glorified headmaster, Shiro worked hard to keep up appearances.

“Colonel Shirogane?” a small woman with a too pointy nose and too high heels said with a nasal voice. 

“Yes?” 

“Why are there so many students gathered around?” The woman was looking, or rather glaring at, a herd of students in matching orange cadet uniforms pressing their faces into the glass above the training floor. Shiro stepped towards a monitor attached to a wall, showing the training schedule. The name beside the 9:30 slot brought a smile to his face. That’s why she said she couldn’t do it, Shiro thought to himself. 

“Would you like to stay and watch? The next cadet is one of our best. A jack of all trades.” Shiro gestured to the window, seeing the glances the ambassadors were giving each other, who collectively decided, even Mrs. Pinched Nose, to watch the training unfold. A door at the far end swished open, a teenage girl emerging from it. She wore a pair of black training boots, black pants, and a purple t-shirt. White tape was wrapped around her tanned knuckles, all the way up to her forearms. Her long black hair was held back by two braids, a small one holding back her baby hairs, the other kept her waist-long hair at bay and out of the way. In her right boot, the hilt of a blade could be seen, although Shiro doubted she’d use it. The girl looked up, at last, hearing the screams and cheers from her peers through the supposedly soundproof glass. All around the training deck, she looked, until her light brown eyes met Shiro’s, where he sent a nod in her direction. She nodded in reply, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. 

“Training level 3!” She yelled in a clear, deep voice. More cheers came from the cadets as the silver robot was dropped onto the training platform. 

“Training level 3 commencing in 3, 2, 1.” A monotone disembodied voice said. The countdown spaced to give the training robot time to charge up. When its eyes glowed blue, it took off for the girl, who dashed to her right. Driving momentum, she kicked the poor robot in the face, pushing it back only a few feet but didn’t topple it. The girl landed in a crouch, glaring daggers at the bot. The robot came for her, arms out ready to catch her when she ran under the robot’s legs, then kicked the bot’s back. Her braid slapped her in the face in her quick turn, but she didn’t mind, flicking it back over her shoulder. 

All she had to do was take off the robot’s head, which was attached by a large magnet. It would be fine. The strength of the magnet depended entirely on what level was chosen. A level three strength would make the head weigh the same as a bowling ball.

It should be simple. 

However, as she went to get the toppled bot’s head, the speakers suddenly sounded with “Training level 5 commencing in 3, 2, 1!”. To the girl’s horror, the robot pushed her off, made a backflip to stand on its own two feet, and came after her. Level 5 was meant for a duo, one to distract and one to retrieve. No one had ever done it solo. At least, not without damaging the bot first.

Guess I’m gonna have to apologize to Matt, she thought as she reached for the blade in her boot. The bot picked up on this, its blue glow turning red and charging for her. A dash for her left, while the bot went right, gave her enough of a window to throw her dagger into a weak spot in the bot’s armor. The blade sunk into the poor bot’s circuit-made heart. Its glow changed from red to blue  to black as it fell to its metal knees, then completely splay out on the training deck. Cheers and screams bounced off the windows, with fists banging on them from the cadets. 

“Training level 3 completed by Kovalia Shirogane.” The voice announced, revealing her name to the crowd. Looking up to the window where Shiro once stood, her mood fell when she couldn’t spot his crop of white hair in the crowd of adults. 

“Training level 5 completed by Kovalia Shirogane.” Somehow, the voices grew louder, the ‘Kova’ chants getting louder with every time they called her name. Average training sessions last anywhere from fifteen minutes to half-hours. Kova did both levels in under ten, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t tired. 

Over the cheers and screams, over the stunned applause of the district ambassadors, the intercom clicked. 

“Kova and Caleb, report to the Colonel’s office. Again, Kova and Caleb Shirogane, report to the Colonel’s office. Thank you.” She walked over to the doors she came from, going straight to the elevator to the colonel’s office. 

The Garrison hadn’t changed much from Shiro’s tenure. The same orange, black, and white striped walls, junior and senior cadets in orange coats were either roaming the hallways or sitting bored in classrooms doing bookwork, and the gray-coated officers were congratulating her. Pressing the up arrow, she waited, receiving more compliments. The elevator doors opened up, a boy about as old as Kova with floppy brown hair and brown eyes looked up from his phone. They said nothing to each other until the doors closed. Kova pressed the second-floor button, underneath the third-floor button that was already lit.

“What’d you do, kill the bot?” Caleb laughed, tucking his phone into a pants pocket. He also wore black training pants and boots, an unbuttoned orange coat over a gray t-shirt. Buttoning up his coat, he noticed Kova’s agitated face. “You didn’t, right?” Kova pulled her braid over her shoulder instead, taking the rubber band off and unbraiding the long strands. When the hair was finally free, she pulled it up into a ponytail, wrapping the hair tie around her thick hair. She kept the little braid. 

“It’s just a quick talk with Matt, then we’ll go see Dad. ‘Kay?” Caleb rolled his eyes and nodded when the elevator doors opened again. Both kids stepped out, heading for a door at the end of the hall. The door was labeled ‘Tech Room’, and with a touch of a button, opened to the teens. The tech room was two floors tall, with a metal and concrete staircase leading down to the floor. 

“Matt?” Kova called, barely walking over the threshold when a rotten smell hit her nostrils. “Oh, gross.” She muttered. “Matthew Holt!” 

Crashes could be heard at the other end. “H-Hey! Kova, Caleb!” Matt’s light brown hair appeared from a pile of nuts and bolts and who knows what else. He had a clothespin over his nose, wearing a white and orange coat. “What’s up?”

“What died?” Caleb asked, getting a punch to the arm by Kova in response.

“That is a good question. Dad and I haven’t found it yet, but we’ll get it.” 

“It smells like death. How are you okay working here?” While Caleb and Matt were talking about the death smell, Kova looked around the glowing tubes and pressure chambers that supplied the...well, Kova wasn’t quite sure. It could’ve been anything. Inside one of the pressure chambers, there was a furry thing that was so over-inflated, it could’ve been a balloon. It wasn’t a balloon and the colors of the creature’s fur were enough for concern. 

“I, uh, found the source of the smell!” Kova shouted as she ran through the tech room again, grabbing Caleb’s hand, and running back up the stairs. “Sorry about your robot, bye!” The door closed behind them, and Kova breathed in deep gulps of air that wasn’t skunk-related. 

“What was it?” Caleb asked, making Kova gag one more time.

“A dead skunk in a pressure chamber.” Caleb gagged too, pointing to a gray phone attached to the wall. Another deep breath later, Kova picked up the phone, giving a short message to the woman who answered. They didn’t argue or ask credentials. She put the phone back into the receiver, picking it up again and dialing the number written in the small box labeled ‘In Case of Emergency’. 

A gruff voice picked up the other end, and Kova only told them to bring the hazmat suits. Caleb and Kova returned to the elevator, pressing the three again. The hall split into three separate halls, the teens choosing to walk straight forward. They came before another door that, with the swipe of their keycards, let them into the office. Behind a dark mahogany desk, Shiro reclined in his chair, his husband Curtis sitting on the desk when the teens came in. 

“Hey Dad.” Caleb said to Shiro.

“Hey Pops.” Kova said to Curtis. 

“I heard you murdered a bot at Level 5,” Curtis said, an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. “Another malfunction helping you make Garrison history?”

“Another malfunction, a skunk in a pressure chamber, and a hurt sense of pride. What else is new?” Caleb muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. Kova rolled her eyes at her brother and Pops, then meeting her Dad’s brown eyes.

“Sorry for flaking on the tour.” 

“You didn’t miss much, and anyways, I think they were more impressed with you to mind.” Curtis got off the desk, resting a hand on the top of Shiro’s chair. 

“Two of the schools actually stayed and are arguing in there.” Shiro pointed a robotic finger to a set of closed doors, where shouts could be heard. 

“But I think they can wait,” Curtis said, placing a screen on Shiro’s desk. The holoscreen came to life, at first just a mess of random rectangles and a bright red dot, then becoming floor plans for the Garrison, but the red dot was flashing in a non-existent part of the facility. Underneath the facility. 

“We figured out the source of the malfunctions, originating in an abandoned subfloor of the building. What it is, though, we don’t know. That’s what you’ll need to figure out.” Curtis said, zooming in to emphasize the depth of the source. Shiro stood from his chair, towering over the teens.

“Going on a mission is your last requirement before the ceremony next quarter.” Shiro stood, meeting his kids’ eyes. Caleb was determined, but Kova was thinking. 

“What about Allie? Her requirement is to go on a simulated mission. As in, not real?” Kova pointed out, making Curtis think. 

“Wait, who’s Allie? What happened to Jazz?” Caleb asked.

“Didn’t I tell you? She moved into the city.” 

“She moved?” Caleb had a huge crush on Jazz, Kova’s communications expert. 

“To be honest, it would’ve never worked out. She could speak five languages, and you can barely handle the one.” Kova crossed her arms, watching as her brother’s dreams became crushed. 

“We take a few liberties with simulated.” Curtis interrupted. “Simulated can either mean dropping you off in the middle of the desert and say we dropped you off on a desert planet.”

“I volunteer as tribute,” Caleb replied, clutching his coat over his heart.

“Or it can mean never leaving Garrison grounds, which would apply here. As long as there is a faculty member there to control and monitor the situation.” 

“Which is why I’ll go down with you.” Shiro sat down again, the chair releasing a huge release of air. Kova and Caleb looked at each other, talking with each other without saying an actual word. 

“Dad,” Caleb started.

“Are you sure?” Kova finished. The teens knew about their dad and his history. 

I mean, getting kidnapped by the Galra, reemerging a year later, being taken away in a huge blue lion, spending years fighting the Galra leader Zarkon with a legendary defender, dying and having your conscience transferred into the black lion, then having it transferred back into a robotic clone of yourself only to return to pilot and captain a warship against Zarkon’s crazy wife and brainwashed Alteans before finally getting peace for the whole galaxy and

‘retiring’ can’t be good for your mental state.

“The basement can only be accessed with my key, as long as your teams are ready to go.” The teens decided to leave it at that, saying “Yes, sir” before retreating to their room. 

Normally, the Garrison would forbid co-ed rooms but made an exception for the teens. Oh, sure, at home, they couldn’t stand each other, but at the Garrison, they were never apart. They were a solid team, matched in strength and skill. They held each other up, reminding each other to humble themselves. And anyway, they were siblings, albeit not biologically. They had each other’s backs. 

Their dorm wasn’t special, or grand, or even separated rooms. Their dorm was the same as everyone else’s in the Garrison, and they liked it. Kova sat on her solitaire bed, to the left of the door. Caleb’s side of the room had a desk bunk, but it felt like he spent more time in the chair than his bed. Three neat brown packages tied with colorful ribbons sat on the nightstand they both shared. Kova put a green and white arm piece on her forearm, opening up a little screen and crossing her legs on the bed.

“Can you hand me the pliers?” Caleb complied, leaning back in the chair. Kova’s project had been taxing, both to do and to watch. At last, though, the screen stopped flashing red into its original Altean blue. “I did it!” Kova raised the pliers in a fist above her head, and Caleb sat up in his comfy chair.

“How did you manage to do it?” He asked, watching Kova’s fist fall on the comforter. 

“She added a lot of changes to the gear, and only she knew the password to override it.” Kova’s eyebrows pinched together, a leg uncurling itself and dangling over the side of the bed. 

“Is someone jealous?” a voice asked from the doorway.

“I managed to get rid of it, didn’t I?” Kova raised her head to look at the cadet who was standing in the doorway to their dorm.

“Guess what finally came in.” Cake said in a sing-song voice. Cake Garrett was half-human (Samoan, if anyone is wondering) and half-Balmeran. His real name is Issako, but after an accident at one of his dad’s restaurants, the nickname stuck. In his hands, he held a perfectly folded suit in a wooden box covered with a pane of glass. 

“Are you serious?” Kova jumped off the bed in excitement. “What happened?”

“Mom said something about Dad wanting me to have it. Talia’s doing good, by the way.” Cake gave the box to Kova. Cake took more after his father than his mother with dark skin and hair. Little Balmeran horns were growing from his scalp, and little knobs on his shoulders were pressing through the fabric of his cadet uniform. He’d recently cut his bangs, showing off his yellow sclera and dark irises. He was like a giant teddy bear with a knack for mechanics, which is why he was Kova’s engineer. 

“Glad she’s doing great,” Kova said earnestly. She barely remembered Cake’s older sister, but did remember she was a sweet girl. “Thanks so much for this, Cake.”

“It was no problem.” He turned away from the door, ready to return to his dorm down the hall. 

“Oh, by the way, Cake,” Kova called out, turning Cake around. “Have everyone meet in the commons in a Varga.”

“Oh, that’s, um,” Kova had been using Galran and Altean when speaking to her team to get them used to other species using them. “An hour?” Kova nodded her head, and Cake pumped his fist. “Right away, Cap.” Cake ran away, closing the door behind him before Kova could pick up the closest object and throwing it at him. It was a pillow, which bounced harmlessly on the door. The teens looked up at each other and smiled.

[recklessrex]

216 - Macavity & Chaos Twins

First of all trigger warning: violence, abuse, injury, blood, child abuse

This story involves descriptions and discussions of violence. I wouldn't call it super graphic, but it's enough for me to caution those with triggers. Blood and injuries are mentioned, but not in detail. An adult causes mild physical injury to a minor. If any of these things are potential triggers for you, you may want to skip this one.

Sorry it's quite a bit longer than I'd intended. I'd put it under a cut but I'm stuck using mobile and it won't let me. Just rapid scroll if you'd like to skip.

---

Okay so if you're still reading

This takes place some years before the current timeline, when Mungo and Teazer are in their early to mid teens. Bomba is in her early 20s, Demeter hasn't met her or Macavity yet (which is why she doesn't appear in this story), and my OC, Sullivan, has known him for about 5 or so years.

(Note: "mot" = "adult or teenage woman" A word I first saw in a fantasy novel, I use it where many other Cats writers might use the word "queen." Just a personal preference of mine. I find it less awkward, plus I think it's neat that it's "tom" backwards)

Beware: Long Fic

---

“You know how you can smack something to get it to work? I wish I can do that to people.”

Macavity eyed the two kits chattering away before him as he lounged in his favorite chair. He wasn't sure what to make of them, or their little presentation. He was torn between annoyance and amusement.

They were certainly bold, he had to give them that. They couldn't have been more than 15 or so, the girl perhaps even a bit younger. Two nameless, no-account brats with, as far as Mac could tell, no existing connection to his gang whatsoever.

Yet here they were, stood fearlessly in the middle of his lounge, explaining to the most feared gang leader in the Junkyard how they wanted in on a heist they had no business even knowing about. Mac was sorely tempted to be impressed just by the sheer figurative balls of these two, but he'd wait and see how this went.

At Mac's side, seated on the ottoman that went with his chair, his chief "henchrat," Sullivan, grimaced under his elaborate Rat-mask. Sully had little patience for these young intruders or their antics. He just wanted the little punks gone, so they could get back to business. But Mac had so far said nothing, and so Sullivan would say nothing. As long as Mac wanted to hear them out, they could speak. But they'd better hurry it up…

Several other Cats in the gang, mostly in Rat-masks like Sullivan's, were scattered around the room, some seated around a table covered in maps and other papers, others stood against the walls or lounging in other pieces of furniture strewn about the room. Some listened to the intruders' speech with mild interest, some glared, others quietly mocked or rolled their eyes at the duo, or muttered to each other. All kept an eye on Macavity, and on Sullivan. If their boss and their captain were fine with these two idiots trespassing on their turf for now, then the rest of the gang was fine with it too. But the moment either on them gave the signal, the little brats would be outta there, and probably more than a little worse for the wear.

A large Rat-masked Cat called "Hoover" leaned his back against the door with his arms crossed. He glowered menacingly at the talkative teens' backs. He wasn't sure how they got in, but if the nosy punks tried to escape while the boss still wanted them here, they weren't getting out through Hoover.

A Cat that was not in a Rat-mask leaned against the back of Mac's chair on the opposite side of Sullivan, occasionally reaching down to stroke the fur of his head, chest, or shoulders. She was the newest mot in the gang, a tall curvy young bombshell with the boldest, most beautiful red fur Mac had ever seen. Her name was Bombalurina, but Sullivan called her "Bombalicious." Mac called her what most people called her: "Bomba."

Bomba wasn't sure where she'd seen the girl of the pair before, but she was quite certain she had. She watched the girl with keen interest, but tried to keep her expression something close to boredom. She didn't want to arouse anyone's suspicions til she was sure what she was dealing with.

Normally only "the rats" and a few other people relevant to a particular job were allowed in the lounge while plans were going on, but Mac… sort of knew Bomba… sort of. He remembered her from when they were kits, though they never interacted much since he was 8 years older than her, but she used to play with his kit brother sometimes. Even though his brother had been a couple years younger than her, she still let him hang out with her and her friends, and Mac had once caught her scolding some girls more her age for picking on the younger boy.

Mac remembered Bomba's kindness to his baby brother, and found himself trusting her, despite the insistence from at least one of the other mots and a few of the rats that she must be a spy. As far as he knew, Bomba had not been living with the Jellicles for at least a couple years now. He wondered if she even remembered him from her youth.

When she'd first arrived, he'd asked Sullivan what he thought. His short, stout friend had shrugged and said he'd keep an eye on her, but that she didn't come across to him as having an agenda. Mac trusted Sully's opinion.

"And that's why we like to respectfully ask you to include our services in your upcoming endeavors," concluded the boy, using words Mac would never have guess were in his vocabulary. He hadn't seemed like the brightest bulb. Neither of them had, but the boy especially gave off major airhead vibes. Macavity raised an eyebrow, maybe there was more to them then he'd realized.

Then again, maybe the dumb kit had just memorized the line.

"And what exactly do I get out of this?" he drawled in his deep, silky, menacing voice.

"Uhhh…" said the boy, looking worried for the first time, though Mac wasn't sure if it was because of the question or just Mac's tone.

"You've told me why you want in, but why should I want you in?" Mac elaborated. He was starting to lose his patience. Surely some advantage to the gang had been part of their plan? Surely they hadn't taken such a huge risk by invading his heist meeting just to tell him why they feel they have a right to take part? Surely they didn't think he gave a shit about where some no-account kitten gang had drawn their turf line against other no-account kitten gangs? Surely they weren't that stupid?

"Right," started the boy, "well you see, uh…"

"You see," the girl took over, indicating herself and her companion with a couple jerks of her thumb, "we're a notorious couple of cats!" The boy, recovered from his brief bout of nerves, nodded sagely.

"Yeah, that's right!" he piped proudly. "Notorious!"

Mac raised an eyebrow and looked down at Sully. His loyal friend looked up at him. Mac couldn't really see Sully's eyebrows through the mask, but he knew Sully was as amused as he was. Or, well, maybe "amused" wasn't the right word…

"You, uh.." Sully said to the pair, fighting back a dry chuckle that wanted to rise from the back of his throat, "you do know what 'notorious' means, right?"

"Uhhh…" the teens chorused, looking at each other.

"Well known," explained Sullivan, not waiting for them to come up with an answer. "Famous. Renowned in dis-reputation."

"Oh yea we know that," claimed the boy, nodding.

"Yeah!" echoed the girl.

"Really?" asked Sullivan flatly, crossing his arms over his husky chest.

"Oh yeah! Sure we do!" exclaimed the girl.

"Pfft of course," said the boy, posing arrogantly.

"Pfft," echoed the girl, making a show of rolling her eyes.

"Then why have I never heard of you?" Mac asked slowly, dropping an extra degree of ice and menace into the words. He liked watching them squirm. At his side, Sullivan smirked.

"Well uh.." stammered the boy, "erm…"

"Ahh well, uh, you see, uh…" tried the girl.

Macavity grinned wickedly, allowing the expression to serve as an implied threat. The pair squirmed more. The boy gaped, wide-eyed, at the crime boss. He tried to speak, but couldn't make a sound. He looked rather entertainingly like a fish, repeatedly opening his mouth to start speaking and then closing it again. The girl, meanwhile, blinked, shook her head, and cleared her throat.

"Ahem, well, I suppose we aren't notorious enough to reach the ears of such an illustrious Cat as yourself," she said, trying some flattery, "but we're a damn good team."

The boy snapped out of his fish-trance to nod proudly and seriously.

"We can do all manner of things for ya!" he announced.

"Like what?" Mac asked. He was getting bored.

"Like everything!" the boy boasted.

"We're the sneakiest sneak thieves," the girl elaborated.

"And burglars!" added the boy, who obviously couldn't be prouder of this fact.

"And acrobats!" the girl practically sang. She did a cartwheel as demonstration. Mac wasn't sure how she thought cartwheels would be of service to him, but at least he was slightly less bored.

"And Teazer 'ere can pick a lock like nobody's business!" The boy jerked a thumb at his companion.

"And Mungo can creep quieter than a Mouse!" added the girl, who was apparently called Teazer. "And so can I o' course, Mungo's just even quieter."

Bomba's ears had perked up at the name Teazer. Hadn't she known someone named Teazer as a kit? She was more sure than ever that she knew this rambunctious girl, but she couldn't place where…

"And we're tougher than we look," continued the boy, apparently called Mungo.

"Yeah, especially together," Teazer agreed, puffing herself up to try and look intimidating. It wasn't very effective. "Nobody crosses us."

"Yeah nobody," echoed Mungo. They seemed to echo each other a lot.

When they were finished, Macavity sat silent, regarding them. Sullivan watched his boss and waited. The gang watched Macavity, and Sullivan, and waited.

Bomba watched the duo as they resisted the urge to start squirming again under the silence. She vaguely remembered a much younger kit in her tribe, at least 6 or 7 years younger, that was called "Teazer." But that kit had been a boy. It must have been a different Teazer. She remembered it had been short for something…

Finally, after a full minute of silence, Macavity spoke.

"I have many other Cat's that can do all of these things." he said slowly. "What makes you special?"

"Can any of em do it all at once?" Teazer retorted immediately. Mungo looked worried though, glancing around the room at all the masked criminals that were surrounding him as though seeing them for the first time.

"Probably," answered Mac. It was a lie, but he suspected the kits were exaggerating too, and besides, he wanted to see how they reacted. "What else ya got?"

The girl hesitated, but didn't squirm. Her eyes darted to her sides, and Mac knew she was resisting the urge to glance nervously around the room like her friend. The boy pulled his attention away from the sneering, glaring thugs and addressed Macavity again.

"Look you need us," he said plainly.

"Yes, so you say," Mac drawled, "but why?"

No answer. The kits exchanged glances.

"You've yet to explain this to me." Mac layed the ice on thick, but the kits didn't squirm.

"Well?" demanded Sullivan. "You heard him! Either come up with a decent answer, or get lost! Quit wasting our time!"

"We can go anywhere," Teazer said suddenly, her voice calm and confident. The boy nodded quietly at her side. "We can get into anywhere," she went on, "and I do mean anywhere."

"Don't matter where," Mungo continued, his voice as calm and serious as his friend's. "Don't matter the security. If we want in, we find a way in. No one and nothin' can stop us."

They were both suddenly in serious business mode. No squirming, no nerves, no arrogant posturing, no showing off or silly antics, just two very serious kits, staring him dead in the eye, perfectly calm. Macavity suspected this was more than a boast, and it would make them quite valuable if it were true. But he was no fool. He would make them prove it.

"And you expect me to believe that?" he drawled.

"We got in 'ere, didn't we?" Teazer said, still calmly, but with a touch of teenage attitude, staring at him sassily as if challenging him to argue. Mungo raised an eyebrow and smirked, but said nothing. Neither of them broke eye contact.

Sullivan looked up at Mac. He waited. The gang waited. Bomba waited. The kits waited. Seconds ticked by. Sullivan, and only Sullivan, saw the smirk fighting to take form on his friend's face.

Finally Macavity, the most feared gang leader in the Junkyard, chuckled a low chuckle that rose into full hearty laughter. Sullivan joined him, chuckling his own nasally chuckle, then wheezing in laughter. They were finished before the rest of the gang were recovered enough from the shock and surprise to join in. Most of them didn't get the joke anyway, didn't understand what was so amusing about these punks to their fearsome boss and his fearless second-in-command.

"You're in," Macavity told the kits, who had started to squirm slightly again when he'd started laughing. He couldn't fault them that, he had a very intimidating laugh, even when it was genuine.

Now they grinned wide, and launched into speeches of gratitude, promising he wouldn't regret it and so on and so forth. The much of rest of the gang murmured to each other, unsure of how they felt about this new addition, except Hoover, who stood silently by the door, and Bomba, who was still contemplating where she'd seen this kit before, and of course Sullivan, who wrinkled his nose at the talkative little brats but said nothing, waiting for his boss.

Mac said no more, but waved a signal to Sullivan. No one else looking would have known what the signal meant, but he knew it was his cue to take back control of the room.

"Shut up!" said Sully, standing up and stepping forward. Everyone shut up. Mac's chief henchrat may have been the shortest guy in the room, but his bulk, his mask, and his crisp, commanding voice made up for what his height lacked in intimidation. He pointed a clawed finger at the two grinning kits.

"You're in, but you ain't big fish yet. You're at the bottom of the tank, eating algae off the dirt and gravel. That's your place. Don't forget it." He paused for a second to let that sink in. They nodded their understanding.

"Now sit down and shut up!" Sullivan finished, "You've wasted enough of our time."

"Do we get a cool mask like yours?" one of them asked as Sullivan returned to his seat.

"No! Sit down!" he shouted, gesturing angrily at them with one meaty arm. Mac chuckled at his irritated friend and rested a hand on his shoulder.

Still grinning, the kits tried to find seats on the nearby sofa but found it was suddenly full, the thugs that were seated in it stretching out and spreading their legs until there was no room. Looking around they saw similar things happening around the room. Single, unoccupied chairs were now taken up by people that had previously been standing. Only Hoover remained standing, still guarding the door. The runts were no skin off his nose. As long as they stayed out of his way.

Undaunted by the lack of seats, the duo found a spot close to the table where they would be unlikely to be stepped on and obediently sat down on the floor. They smiled up at Sullivan, who nodded his approval. At least they could follow instruction.

Meanwhile Bomba was too distracted trying to remember where she knew Teazer from to sit down at first, though she did plant her rear on the arm of the Mac's chair when he gave her thigh an encouraging tug. The brat couldn't be the little boy named Teazer from her old tribe, unless… nah she would have needed surgery, and she looked way too young for that. How would she even afford it? No it couldn't be. Bomba gave up, crossed her legs, and leaned against Mac, wrapping her arms around his maned head and running a hand along his collar bones.

The gang didn't settle so easily. A few of the higher players tried to stay focused on their planning, but the majority the gang (minus the somber Hoover, the now contented Bomba, and the annoyed but faithful Sullivan) gradually broke back into murmurs amongst each other. They apparently had already forgotten their captain's anger, or had mistaken it as being for the new brats only. The brats in question, meanwhile, weren't paying attention at all, not that there was much to pay attention to with the state the room was in. They were playing some kind of game where they pretended to slap each other's hands, but didn't make any noise.

Sully itched to get them all back on track, but, as always, he stoically waited for Mac. Sometimes his boss liked letting a room run out of control. He found it entertaining, in certain mood. But a glance up at his old friend told him he was not amused. Even sat in the loving arms of the hottest mot in the gang, he had clearly fallen into a considerably bad mood. Ignoring Bomba completely, he glowered darkly at his very, very distracted gang. But still he said nothing, made no signal.

Sully hesitated, then laid a comforting hand on his friend's knee. Mac looked down at him, his face unreadable, then looked back out at the room again. Sully followed his gaze, keeping his hand on his knee. He waited.

Finally Mac sighed. He lifted arm to rest his elbow on the arm of the chair not occupied by Bomba's very fine rear end, and let his head rest against his fist. His glower softened.

“You know how you can smack something to get it to work?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"I wish I could do that with people.”

When Sully didn't reply, Mac looked down to see his loyal masked confidant staring up at him. Half his expression was obscured by the Rat-mask, but Mac could see the straight, seemingly unamused line his mouth was making, as well as the tiny almost undetectable little twitch in one corner of his mouth.

"What?" he asked, fighting a smirk of his own.

"Boss," Sullivan said flatly.

"What?"

"Boss."

"What?!" Mac couldn't hold this in much longer.

"You do that all the time!"

Mac threw back his head and howled with laughter, and Sullivan doubled over laughing as well. Neither quite knew what it was about this they found funny, but they couldn't help it. They laughed together, Sully wheezing and snickering alongside Mac's deep rolling chuckle. The rest of the gang fell silent, then some of them nervously tried to chuckle along to a joke they didn't understand.

"Shut up!" Mac roared and jumped to his feet, nearly knocking poor Bomba off the arm of the chair. Sullivan swallowed his laughter, put on his best stony face, and stood just behind Mac at his right side. His place.

Everyone stared at Mac, who glared and showed his teeth, a growl rumbling deep in his throat. His hackles were raised, making his red mane stand up like a fiery halo around his head. Suddenly he swung his right arm out in a wide arc, over an unflinching Sullivan's head, to strike the face of an unmasked Cat at the table with the back off his hand. The Cat, a safecracker they were outsourcing for this gig, tumbled backwards off the bench. Bomba, new enough to be shocked and surprised at this outburst, got up from the chair and quickly put it between her and Macavity.

The furious ginger tom then charged to the other side of the table, where the masked Cats that sat there and nearby shrank away, putting their hands up defensively and shaking their heads to ask for mercy. Finding their body language suitably submissive, Mac turned away from the table to take in the rest of the room. Near his feet were the new brats, staring at the floor and trying to make themselves as small as possible. They had shifted a bit away from the table, and the boy, Mungo, had placed himself between Teazer and Macavity. He briefly glanced up at Macavity, then snapped his eyes back to the floor.

On the sofa across the room two masked thugs looked at each other, then back at Macavity with frowns and narrowed eyes.

That would not do.

Macavity snarled and swiftly crossed the room to the sofa, giving Mungo a sharp kick in the stomach along the way. He took his claws out and swatted one thug across the mouth, where his mask didn't protect him, and with the claws of his other hand, slashed the other thug from shoulder to sternum. Both cried out. Mac let out a bellowing growl to silence them. The thugs cowered, whimpering and holding their wounds. A third thug seated on the sofa turned his head away and lowered his gaze to the floor. Suitably submissive.

At the door, Hoover was watching this unfold, seemingly unbothered, staring unblinkingly from beneath his mask. Macavity turned and spotted him, and in three steps he was upon him. He grabbed the much larger tom by the side of the neck, using just enough claw make it smart, and dragged his head down level with his own, snarling and baring his clenched teeth.

"Sssitt" ordered Macavity in a low, soft voice that promised pain it if not heeded.

Hoover obediently lowered to the floor. Sitting crosslegged with his back against the door, he broke eye contact by turning his head slightly and staring at his boss's left knee. Suitably submissive. Macavity let Hoover go.

Sullivan had watched it all impassively, but when Mac had gone after Hoover, who was never a problem, he had shifted slightly on his feet, fighting his discomfort.

It's good for show, he told himself. Biggest tom in the room. Reinforces his dominance with the whole gang. He knows Hoover would submit easily. The others don't necessarily know that. It's good for show.

He allowed himself a tiny sigh of relief when his boss had let the big tom go. If Mac had held on to him for much longer he would have had to try to gently remind him to chill the fuck out, without undermining his authority.

Unfortunately, Macavity had turned around in time, and was familiar enough with his chief henchrat's body language, to see his reaction. He growled and glowered and bared his teeth. Sully didn't flinch, but sent a pleading message with his eyes.

Easy, boss. It's enough. Please calm down.

Only Mac was looking at Sully. Only Mac saw the troubled, almost sad look in his eyes. Neither of them were telepaths, and so Mac couldn't know exactly what Sully was trying to tell him, but he knew that look. It was the look Sully always wore when Mac's temper flared hotter than was safe for either of them. It was a look that Mac associated with a calm, comforting voice.

"It's okay," his friend would tell him, "it's alright. Take it easy, you're alright."

Though Sully was silent now, Mac could hear those soft, soothing words in the back of his mind when he looked in his friend's eyes.

It was a look Mac associated with the gentle weight of an understanding hand on his shoulder, or his arm, or his knee. It was a look that made him feel strange, unfamiliar, but not unpleasant things. It was a look that awakened a protective instinct in him, though he was only mildly aware that it was himself he was protecting his best friend from.

It was a look that calmed Macavity's heart.

It was not a look of fear, nor was it truly one of submission.

But it was suitably submissive. For his purposes. He told himself that as his glower softened, his lips curled back down to cover his teeth, and his bristling mane smoothed back into it's normal wild shaggy state.

In truth it wasn't submissive at all. Macavity had been soothed. With one gentle look, the most feared gang leader in the Junkyard had been subdued.

The whole exchange, from growling at Sully to silent plea to dampening fury, had taken no more than five seconds. No one else in the gang had noticed. They were too busy not making eye contact. Mungo was doubled over on the floor, holding his stomach and trying not to make noise, while Teazer knelt beside him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders protectively, her head layed against his back. Only Sullivan was looking at Mac, and no one was looking at Sullivan.

Except Bomba. She was watching anxiously from behind Mac's chair. She had seen her new lover lock eyes with the obnoxious little fatass that was in charge of the rat squad. Had seen his rage melt away like nothing. Now she looked from Sullivan to Macavity and back again, trying to make sense of what she'd just witnessed.

Macavity sneered his annoyance at her, but did not bare his teeth. She offered him a small nervous smile, just trying to stay on his good side. He did not return it. His temper was under control, but his mood had not improved. He stalked silently back to his chair, giving Sullivan the tiniest of nods on his way. Sullivan knew his cue.

"Alright listen up!" shouted the rat captain, looking around the room at the nervous eyes that looked up at him. "No more chit-chat! No more bullshit! Let's get back to business!"

Sullivan didn't look at Macavity as he passed him, and Macavity didn't look at him either. He silently glided by and flopped hard into his chair. Bomba, to her credit, didn't flinch or back away at his approach, but she didn't come around to sit on the arm again. Nor did he encourage her to. Instead, she leaned one arm against the back of the chair with as much an air of nonchalance as she could muster.

A minute ago, literally one minute, he would have been annoyed and probably offended at her behavior, but in this moment he admired and respected her for it. Macavity's thoughts tended to run like that, all over the place. Increasingly so, these days.

Despite Sullivan's firm orders, it was only when the boss was seated again that the room cautiously started reorganizing itself. The safecracker was helped to his feet by a masked Cat, and returned to his place on the bench. Teazer quietly helped Mungo sit up and the two sat in silence as other Cats nearby returned to the table and started ruffling through papers. Hoover, already where he was supposed to be, didn't move.

"You two," Sullivan pointed a claw at the two bleeding thugs on the sofa, "get yourselves cleaned up, you're bleeding all over the upholstery!"

They didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled from the sofa and made for the door, finding it blocked by Hoover.

"Let 'em out." ordered Sullivan.

Hoover stood, opened the door, and slammed it closed again after they had exited, nearly catching one of them by the tail. Then he crossed his arms and leaned against the door once more. Macavity glared a warning from his chair, and Hoover silently slid his back down the door until he was again seated crosslegged on the floor.

"Everyone else, get focused!" Sullivan continued. "And stay focused! No more games! We have work to do!"

Sullivan looked around the room, and, satisfied they all would behave themselves for now, returned to his own seat at his boss's side. From his chair, Mac quietly and gently reached out to stroke the short, sweaty, taupe-grey fur on the back of Sully's neck with his fingers. Sully's shoulders relaxed. He leaned into the touch.

"There's other ways to get shit to work you know," he muttered softly. Mac took his hand away. Sully looked up at him.

"And smacking it might not do anything but break it."

Mac said nothing. His attention seemed to be on the Cats at the table, who were discussing a blueprint. Sully sighed and patted Mac's arm, which was now resting on the arm of the chair.

"But you do you, boss..."

"Hnm," grunted Mac.

"… just…"

Mac's head didn't move, but his eyes flicked down to regard his loyal companion, his expression blank, silently granting him permission to say whatever he was hesitating to say.

It's okay, Mac tried to tell him with his eyes, I won't get mad.

But still Sully hesitated, finally he sighed again and said "We can talk about this later."

Sully had wanted to tell his boss that he thought he should reign it back a bit, for his own good as well as the good of the gang. But this wasn't the time or the place. Anything that could be taken as arguing with him, including questioning his methods, should be done in private. Undermining him in front of everyone, right after they had just gotten the room under control again, was a very bad idea. He didn't know how Mac would respond to it, but more importantly, he did know how the gang would take it, and Sully reckoned it wouldn't go well in the long run. Just not a good idea.

So he waved it off until later, when they could talk in private. He patted Mac's wrist again, letting his hand rest there a moment before taking it away, and turned his attention back to the discussion over the blueprint.

Bomba, the only Cat within earshot of their conversation, watched the two is them with interest. She had no idea what to make of these two, or their strange relationship.

Well, she thought, at least the tall one's hot.

From the door, Hoover had seen the quick gentle touches between the boss and the captain. He paid it no mind. He knew the two were close, that it wasn't like that, and that it wouldn't matter even if it was. He also knew better than to assume a little bit of sentiment (or even intimacy) made either of them weaker somehow.

And it wasn't any of his business anyway.

On the floor near the table, Mungo and Teazer tried to focus on the discussion, but it was difficult seeing how they couldn't really see the papers being discussed. Not to mention Mungo's very sore abdomen, and the fact that they suddenly had a lot to think about. They each wondered to themselves, had they gotten in over their heads?

Sullivan listened to gang discuss routes and patrols, the safecracker piping with helpful information such as how much time he'd need and so on. Tension had crept back up into Sully's back and shoulders. He didn't like jobs like this. He didn't like outsourcing. He didn't like new faces. And he especially didn't like when his boss was in a mood. He knew (or rather he hoped) Mac would never hurt him, not even in a mood like this. But it wasn't all about his own personal safety. He just didn't like his friend's dark moods. Not one bit.

Brooding, frowning, jaw clenched, sweating under his stupid mask, and trying his hardest to stay focused (set a good example, dammit, he thought to himself) Sullivan leaned against Mac's chair. He felt Mac's fingers lightly stroke the back of his neck yet again. They lingered there, just for a moment, just enough to relieve some of his tension, then returned to the arm of the chair.

Sully shifted so that his elbow brushed his friend's leg, letting it rest there a moment, as a return gesture of affection. Then both returned their attention to the business at hand, both in an ever-so-slightly better mood.

[amieyhko]

Escapril 2019

escaprilday 2019 // 1: a fresh start

two Costco bags full of

umma-certified clean clothes,

“unpacking cannot begin with wet clothes”

Taipei humidity is unkind.

coins clink,

white noise revs

drowning out the drizzle

as heart somersaults

to the rhythm of the cycles:

what — tum — am I — ble

doing — tumble — here?

the darks tumble its final spin

as the lights

click —

into a stop.

a whiff into a warm towel

warns me the comforts of home,

promising

of munchies, blankies, and speedy wifi

of cushy floor space where crafting

and writing past midnight can be done in secret

but —

fold — maybe — toss — I changed —

yellow blouse — or gave up too easily —

fold — or could it be —

toss — I’m listening to all the wrong voices? —

red turtleneck — no — flick —

wait, this is so soft now, I guess the washing machine in that guest house in Seoul was indeed really terrible —

fold — yes, this is how it should feel on my skin —

toss – my heart knows, though —

fuzzy sock — maybe home is where I need to be right now —

into basket — there’s nothing wrong with —

grab — starting over again.

escaprilday 2019 // 2: april showers

you said all memorable moments

include an unexpected deluge

I nod and laugh

as the metro ac pierces through

my drenched jacket

I shiver as I feel my clammy socks

cling onto my not-rainproof Docs

("they're not?" you ask in shock)

ears ringing still

from speakers booming

throat scratchy from scream-singing

at the top of our lungs.

still, you smile, shiver, and say,

with half-dazed eyes,

all good memories

end in rain.

escaprilday 2019 // 3: incorporate music

“Hope I’m not tired of rebuilding”

at this in-between

this time of heating up lukewarm lattes

and microwaving soggy french fries,

a surrendering of old and new

kindles a familiar tune:

“not what’s easy, what do you want?”

at this in-between,

the seconds between a squat and a jump

or the hours during an endless free fall,

a whisper sings an awakening:

“even a phoenix dies”

so at this in-between

muster up the strength to

inhale blue

and exhale gold.

escaprilday 2019 // 4: anxiety

lacuna

¡amiga!” he chimes like clockwork

with a sonrisa that has probably charmed plenty of hearts.

my fist bumps his and I walk toward the dark halls

where they tilt their heads forward and say

“안녕하세요” they grin,

some fake, others genuine,

mostly muscle memory.

“哈咯“ she greets as I turn the corner—

a sound of familiarity.

the velcros on my lips finally relax

till we part ways to our stations

“how are you?” their words flow dry

they probably don’t want to find out

my tongue lands on one syllable:

“good”.

escapril 2019 // 5: back to nature

I’ve a secret spot for seeing stars in Taipei City.

after a day downtown,

blasting my headphones at damaging decibels,

fixing makeup with samples at drugstores,

and chasing after buses,

I skip down the announced “platform two for Taipei Zoo”

and gaze down at the light show stage named Zhongxiao Fuxing.

as the red greens, a rush of headlights streams at me—my eyes

lose focus, my heart

leaps back into my chest just as

the home-bound metro approaches.

//

I’ll always remember the yard at Tiszavasvári

where we lay to see a starry night drawn by the Creator

after a day of listening to screaming children,

braiding their hairs,

and chasing after the impossible ones,

we stood in awe, jaws dropped, then soon learned

our necks weren’t strong enough

so we lay down, evening breeze

accompanied by the crickets sang a lullaby—

my eyes played a senseless game

of connect-the-dots, my heart skipped several beats

as I let go of the memories of beds and blankets.

escapril 2019 // 6: nostalgia

missing you is easy.

remembering you creeps

up in little mundanities

like a cup of fruit tea

a bottle of Clorox

or an inappropriately loud laughter--

to my consolation, yours is unmatchable.

although,

the sound of your laughter rings

quieter

till I can whisper:

escapril 2019 // 7: start with a time of day

3 a.m.

why wait

for dawn when

we can set yesterday

up

in flames

over this river?

escapril 2019 // 8: love poem

I cannot recall the exact words uttered

but something in my heart fluttered:

our eyes met for a millisecond

we cracked, till our breaths weakened.

our words, lost in the waves

transformed into safes

I open in my heart of hearts

to feel at home within the laughs of your loves.

escapril 2019 // 9: focus on the color

chorok hadn't found its form in

korean of old. fields of

grass and evergreens,

little plates of herbal banchan,

lush of summers,

and squirming caterpillars

all existed as paran-- that same

color ascribed to vast oceans,

and sunny skies

then one lively spring, chorok

creeped its way into our tongues,

demanding to be seen on

street signs,

the mountain tops, and

cross walk lights

though some still speak "the light

turned paran",

and the incorrigible children's tune

singing of spring

blossoming into paran,

chorok sprouts an entrance

undeniable to out naked eyes.

escapril 2019 // 10: femininity

the bus,

back slides down on the uncomfortable bus seat,

fingers stroke through my freshly buzzed head,

while many eyes fixate above my eyes,

asking:

"is she a boy or a girl?"

"is she a lesbian?"

"what happened to her… hair?"

eyes read their faces,

mouth struts a big yawn with no reflex system telling me to conceal it.

imagination floats to a stadium,

feet stands on the podium,

voice declares:

I'm still so-very-much a lady--

just not fair like Audrey,

nor dainty like a stereotype,

or as brave as Joan,

and definitely not as attractive than most

but maybe more like

the ones writing history

now.

escapril 2019 // 11: not from your perspective

most of the time I sit beside the maroon sofa

where you watch tv and transform into a potato

I wait and wait for that sweet moment

you grab my handle

travel me to a flat desk

wind me up with thread

hook me up to a pedal

switch my light on

smooth out a piece of fabric

pinned up in zig zag

then

zoom, crackle, buzz,

your hands sync to my rhythm

you pray I don’t jam

or break your thread

then you announce with pride

“et voila!”

escapril 2019 // 12: spring cleaning

it takes two countries

few cities

thirteen houses

fifteen boxes

thirty trash bags

and an infinite repetition of

"do we need this?"

for a soul to grasp the spider web line

between a desire and a necessity.

then a decade teaches the

same soul

sometimes,

spectrums soften

escapril 2019 // 13: celestial bodies

if only

seeing you was as easy as

some nightly glow at your half

reflecting off

a big blazing ball of light on my half

escapril 2019 // 14: make it rhyme

a sonnet-full of embellishments, fake

notions of how lovely you are like some

weather in summer or spring, homemade cake

that tastes like cheap flour and rotten eggs, numb

from clichés, the love songs that never shut

up, posed photos of arms around my waist,

a let-me-take-that gentleness, so what

are you doing? leaving sour aftetaste

in our hearts. no, this sonnet is not for

us. we don’t need guidelines to fall in love,

nor the recipes known to prevent war

(it cannot be all fair in war and love),

so stop. steep in this silence as your hand

finds mine in this complicated quicksand.

escapril 2019 // 15: describe a smell

a dash of prickliness:

prickly, like appa’s beard attacking my forehead as he plants a kiss.

then an overwhelming sense of saltiness:

salty, like that time I accidentally used the spoon side of the seasoning bottle

or tasting my own sweat or tears.

something rotting at slow decay.

fruit flies feast.

my nose shoots me back to

halmoni yelling something in dialect, umma replying.

I stand in the middle of the market square, I’m ten.

they promised me jjajangmyeon,

my nostrils can hold out just a minute more.

escapril 2019 // 16: any dreams?

five—

I was to be a Pokemon trainer by day

and Sailor Moon by night

but adults hung my creativity dry

seven—

a singer-songwriter

but music chose me not

ten—

fashion designer,

draw designs, sew coutures, walk the runway myself

but whispers yelled discouragements

fifteen—

couldn’t care: I was a realistic teen

now—

I tip-toe about my heart

trying my best not to pick on scabs,

unable to answer any questions

albeit an I-don’t-know

has never sounded more

comforting and clear.

hear the wounds heal

to the beat of the unicorn hooves.

escapril 2019 // 17: body as friend or foe

I was born in Guatemala,

but my father’s from Georgia

he’s a musician, he produces

K-pop albums and we travel the world

searching for the next big deal,

my mother paints apples, she’s from Zimbabwe

she also writes Chinese poems.

It’s all true—

my body deceives every bit of reality within me.

escapril 2019 // 18: a happy place

hear nose tickle

with the sound of lavender feathers

fluttering by

eyes will open up to inhale

the golden hours spent

under Your glorious dance

escapril 2019 // 19: without your name, who are you?

if an utterance of a name

can form a heart,

her name has been called by many

if each spoken word forms

a vibration into what we are,

she's a someone

whispered into a myriad of paradoxes:

she's an asteroid, crashing fast,

uncontrollable, unexpected.

she's a cup of tea, calm,

idle, ready for nothing.

escapril 2019 // 20: a liminal space

this amorphous ground feels comfortable,

excuses acceptable:

the excruciating humidity,

drowsy rain, busy friends,

false pride, miscalculating time.

they say:

Prufrock measures his life in coffee spoons,

but Zeno says nothing ever reaches its destinations.

the Knight holds his tongue

yet his heart flutters a violent beat.

I’m just another contra, letting my feet skip away

as each step echoes heart beating somewhere

back.

escapril 2019 // 21: it’s the end of the world

no zombie apocalypse,

the sun still functions,

stars are still, hearts

unbroken, no one

escaping to Mars,

no fatal goodbyes.

one silent pink noise

a purple glow,

“welcome back home”

it said.

escapril 2019 // 22: nourishment

last month, I met a little

potted plant.

I took it back to my little

suffocating room

and named it little

foggy star.

I loved it little

by little

I gave it little

droplets of water,

spoke little

words of compliment,

took it to my little

window sill

the sun peeped through

a little.

it grew a little,

I did too.

escapril 2019 // 23: when the party’s over

recollect spilled laughters —

this, for unworthy jokes,

that, for suave comments,

maybe one for someone dreamy —

bottle them up,

keep them fresh

for the next sea of

stragglers,

mutual someone,

you-look-quite-nice,

wow-so-interesting.

escapril 2019 // 24: liar, liar

how to be a compulsive liar

one: disregard empathy, embrace despondency, think selfish,

my life doesn’t have to tell truth tales, no one needs to know.

two: rehearse recollections, think practicality, use names they’d never check,

let myself believe in each detail, each sight, smell the scenario

three: speak the perfectly fabricated phrases into existence,

no need to bat an eye, stutter a detail, overthink a loophole.

for example: “yeah, the party was fun. we walked around the park afterwards.

who? oh no, he wasn’t there. he had an important family dinner.”

four: remember the lie, inform reliable partners in crime if necessary,

never bring it back, stick to your guns.

promise yourself: they can’t hurt, they’ll never know.

remember: truths hurt, they’re inconvenient, it’s none of their business.

dig: until your shovel breaks.

drown out: every kindness the world has to offer.

die: in the said dug hole, climb out just to

repeat: until trust is a pair of cracked glasses, refuse to see a redemption until

die again: learn that these walls must go —

invite: the uncomfortableness that is vulnerability

repeat: until system reboots.

escapril 2019 // 25: pick an animal

my giraffe friend

shades me when the sun’s high

and warms me when the wind’s rough,

meeting her eyes pains me with

an aching neck,

she will always stand tall in a room,

there’s no shelf too high for me,

when she’s close by.

escapril 2019 // 26: girlhood, boyhood, childhood

when I was older, I had a pair of

very pink sneakers

they'd glitter in the sun,

glamoured in gemstones for dignity

velcros loud enough to turn heads

when it was time to take them off

I glanced over my neighbors' shelves:

ugly. blue. brown. ugly. mine trampled over all.

then my eyes stood silent

as I zone in

on her pair of Gundam sneakers

secretly jealous, mostly confused,

extremely frustrated of rule-breaking

girls, defying pink, watching animation

for boys only

now, I wear boring black or white shoes

so do most humans with feet.

escapril 2019 // 27: the state of it all

“you're it!”

a harmless push from their arms

my chest thrusts back

limbs under a spell

all bones removed

“catch me if you can”

why don't you save me

'cause you can?

escapril 2019 // 28: reflection

memories retraces a blur

crooked smile

red dye fading

cigarette between your fingers

standing mostly on your right leg--

you let out a puff as i tell you “i’m imaginary.”

you say you couldn't have

so i tease you more with a kiss

“that wasn't real

that was you imagining it all

new school

a manic pixie

the loneliness got to your brains

that's all”

you flick away the cigarette

eyes reflecting my face

you kiss me back and say

“please don't do this to my brain

you're real

far too real for me i'm not smart like that”

i snicker

the buzzing bus terminal is real

you and i are real

but i'm not

you're no more

escapril 2019 // 29: may flowers

she died a few days ago—

flew off the rooftop

fallen against teeming

reborn lives

the most beautiful of flowers

only last a day or two

you said we are beautiful

because we’re ephemeral

but what happens when

fleeting moments like

a crash kilometers away

pain for someone I never knew?

escapril 2019 // 30: catharsis

yesterday, I cleaned out my room

bugs infested each and every corner

I tried to catch them but they

hid away between the nooks and crannies

whispering schemes to each other

learning the dustiest corners I’ve ignored

waiting for a perfect time to kill

so I dusted out the corners

rearranged the furnitures

repainted the scratches

thinking cover-ups should make anew

yesterday, I cleaned out my room

praying for the bug spray to kill,

I felt seventeen, rearranging photographs,

filling up a space with desired personalities,

she would have been proud

there’s nothing I’d tell her, but to say

yesterday, I cleaned my room, for another hundredth time

they say an odyssey is a cycle

ending with a catharsis

where you come clean

but yesterday, I cleaned my room

again

[livinasimminlife]

Dear David...

If you’ve kept up with The Krazy Crazy Life of Kassiopeia Fullbright, you’ll know about the appearance of the Bayless family from Twinbrook. If not, then, ***minor spoiler alert!***

Davis Lamar is related to them... a.k.a. David Bayless. Arc 34, Remembering, briefly features the Bayless family. I decided to share some stills from my gameplay for fun. 

Avery Bayless (14)  is rather angry that the soda machine ate her simoleons. She really hoped for a refreshing drink after school.

Dear David, I really hate this blasted machine! I wish you were here to reach up with your long arms and grab the cola. 

Frustrated, Avery gives up and comes home to play ball with her brother, Taye on their Bayuck swamp farm.

The days and nights kinda blend together, but every night, Taye and I play ball. It’s kinda nice. I know he wouldn’t admit it but he’s grown to be handsome while you’ve been gone... er... except for those ears! 

Taye Bayless (17) tosses a baseball with his sister, Avery near the swamp. He’s taking a break from studying for exams, and he adores his kid sister. 

At least I can wear my hair long to cover mine. The girls at school still make fun of me. I don’t know if I can ever show my face again there after falling flat on my pimply nose while trying to get that blasted cola!

Avery and Taye play ball in the yard near the water tower that provides fresh water for the Bayless family. Also Avery’s sporting her rainboots since the ground can be quite mushy in the swamps. Avery shares a special relationship with Taye as they both love the outdoors and are active. 

But here on the farm, I can just be goofy self and laugh and play in the yard. No one’s gonna see me with all this swamp grass ‘round. Don’t feel like you gotta write back. It’s just stupid stuff here, really. Don’t even know howta end so bye, I guess. ~ Aves

Skye Bayless (16) plays the bass much like their older half-brother, Davis. They also have a flamboyant style. In game, when Skye aged up from toddler to child, they had a feminine hairstyle, and when they aged up to teen, Skye was actually wearing a dress. I decided Skye is gender fluid as the game encouraged me, preferring they/their as pronouns. Look at the pure joy on their face! 

Evening hangs in sultry skies; the heat of sweetgrass swaying in the sweaty breeze. The scent of sun-soaked tea tickles my nose and tempts me away from practice. I ponder little and then I play the love song only Bayucks know and beat my foot upon the porch wood. I strum the notes you taught me b’fore and think of the soft twangs on a sweltering night that barely scratch the sky for which I’m named.

Skye shares a room with their older brother, Taye. Taye is a studious kid and is looking forward to university and getting out of the backwater swamp. Here he practicing writing his speech. 

How do I start? I miss you sounds trite. I love you sounds stupid. But I do, mmkay? Uni apps are due soon and M’as breathi’n down’em my neck, but ya know...what she dont’ realize is I really wanna go and be out there in the world. And somehow I know its tough for ya’s now, but you make it seem okay... that the world aint so scary if you can face everythin’g that’s you have and still come out okay. So hang on... oh and um... when you get home... I still need help with apos’trophes. - Love, Taye (and yeah, Im cool with mushyness but dont’cha tell Ma). 

Little River (5) Bayless is sad. She misses her big brother very much. She also lost her doll somewhere and fears the dog took off and buried it somewhere in the swamp. 

Dear David, I miss you. I love you. My dolly is gone. I think the dog took it. I think the dog put it in the yard in the ground. I wish you was here. We could dig it up to...to...too...(it’s a big word - Chase helped me). together. ~ River 

Shepherd Skeet Bayless may live in the Bayuck swamp, but he’s far from backward. True, he prefers the simple life, but he takes pride in his swamp farming skills. Here he tends to the sweetgrass his family has grown for generations and practices his sermons. After all, plants are very good listeners.

 Son, I miss you. We can’t wait for you to be home. I think it would be good to spend time in the garden together. Plants have a healing nature to them. After all, the Good Lord gave us a garden to tend to give us purpose and a place. Enclosed are my notes from my latest sermon, some psalms, and a few of your favorite hymns. I’ve taken to preaching to the plants. I know it’s dumb, probably, but they listen. I hope you’ll listen and know that you just get well and get home soon, okay? 

At twilight, Chase Bayless (19), all grown up, and capturing the land she calls home on the canvas. It’s a cooler evening than most, the mists of the swamp rising up to provide some low haze. She’s home on break from uni, an Education major, and she took up painting to unwind.

Dear David, I don’t want you to worry about me. Shark Racket broke my heart all those years ago and I know how angry you were. But today he brought me a cake. He dropped it off on the porch and ran away like a sissy, but I saw him through the curtains. I think he heard about your situation somehow. Townsfolk talk. The parishoners whisper among themselves on Sundays and I don’t like it. But you don’t need to worry about it. I’ll bop any of ‘em on the nose if they speak badly about you. 

Ma Bayless... Gwayne, that is, has enchantress abilities. She hoped at least one of her children would inherit her supernatural genes, but alas! No matter how many kids she popped out, not one of them is “special.” She takes out her frustrations by crafting potions (legal and illegal) in the attic of the Bayless Manor. 

Ma’am’s spendin’ most nights in the attic. I don’t think she’d admit it, but she feels guilty. She’s working on the perfect stress potion. She says it’s for her, but I don’t think so. I hear her mumblin’ to herself, hissing at herself, and she says your name a lot and that she’s uh... failed you. Don’t tell her I said that. She’d probably wring my neck like a spring chicken. 

Avery, like her siblings, Davis and Skye, loves music. It brings a smile to her face every time she can tickle the ivories in the evenings. What southern home is complete without a family music room? 

The armless statue of the goddess Veni offends Pa Bayless, but Chase brought the beauty back from her studies abroad in Sim Union. After three days of arguing, Gwayne finally convinced her husband to keep the peace and allow the lady to be on display. 

Did I tell you I got to study abroad? You aren’t the only Bayless to travel now, big brother. I betcha can see my smile. I can still try and one up you, ya know? I spent some time in Championne, in the City of Lights. Oh it was beautiful! I wish you could’ve seen all the art and culture and that you could taste the scones. I’ll make you some when you return.You still like blueberries, right?

I’ve enclosed some of my silly scribblings from the trip. I hope you don’t mind. Tonight I’m painting on the porch. I can hear Skye and Avery both play different songs, and yet somehow they blend so beautifully. I think you’ve inspired them. 

When she isn’t enchanting, Gwayne likes to feel the earth between her fingers. After all, an enchantress has a special relationship with nature. It’s the only time she can be “free” and doesn’t feel the pressures of motherhood and her business management career. 

And Ma’am too. You know she loves you in her own way. She spends more time in the garden now than she ever did, in the section we used to call yours. She’s trying to cut back on her hours at city hall. I think she misses you. But yeah, don’t tell her I said it. This is our secret. 

Taye gets in a late night workout in a dark corner of the attic. He really wants to grow out of the “skinny boy” stereotype. Alas! I don’t think he’ll grow into those ears! 

Taye’s upstairs now fighting on the weight machine like you always did. He’s determined not to be so scrawny anymore. 

In the backyard, River plays pirate in the treehouse. Land Ho! 

And River... I caught her in the treehouse you built with her and Pa tonight. She sleeps out there most nights, playing pirate into the wee morning hours. She says she’s lookin’ out for you over the Gulf. You’ve got a guardian angel you know that? Well, I should sleep. I’ve got an online class in the morning and I need my beauty rest. I hope you’re hanging in there. Hurry home. ~ Yours, Chase 

Hope you enjoyed! 

(The arc itself is NSFW, but if you want to read the chapters featuring the Bayless family directly/indirectly, you can read Unyielding and Unexpected.) 

[itsbuckysworld]

HELLO SPRING DAY 9

Pairing: Bucky x reader basically. Category: College-ish!AU Warnings: SO FLUFFY! Word Count: 1.6K Guest Appearance: Steve, mentions of Sam, a lot of made up names.

Summary: Bucky will never forget his first kiss and his first crush. Specially not now.

Day 9: First Kiss/ Last Kiss , for my Spring Short Story Writing Event

His hands are sweaty, he’s ran them over his jeans what feels over a hundred times by now. He’d told Steve time and time again that they should have stayed home playing Doom, he even promised he’d tell Steve how he always beat him at Mario if they had just stayed home, being the nerds they were, but no. Steve was too excited to have been invited to Stephanie Johnson’s party and he refused to believe it was because Steve had definitely grown taller and leaner over the summer, lost the braces too, and now every girl seemed to have a slight crush on him. It was like he was the new kid all over again.

Stephanie’s house was nice, and way too big for such a crowd. Plus they weren’t even supposed to be there. Everything felt like out of those movies his older sister watched. Steve had abandoned him some time ago, when Lillian Clark had pulled on his hand to go to the back where the 8th grade basketball team was, and Bucky found himself copying a decorative plant.

It’s not like Bucky didn’t like parties, what he didn’t like were the crowds of people he didn’t know and had no idea how to even begin to talk to. There was a reason he was considered a nerd, and so far he liked that. Again his palms felt sweaty. Him being a nerd didn’t exempt him from having crushes and wanting this: maybe a semblance of popularity and a good social life. But his awkward stance, lack of involvement in athletics and chubbier cheeks didn’t exactly make a good combination for ‘king of the prom’. He was okay with that, he had his own interests and talents and skills that didn’t make him shine like a supernova in the hallways of school, but maybe some other places.

His hands were sweaty because he’d been beckoned over to a game of 7 minutes in heaven mixed with spin the bottle, and the whole scenario played like slow motion in his eyes, him taking the tentative steps to join the circle sat on the living room floor, almost directly in front of Y/N Y/L/N, better known as the girl of his 12 year old dreams and fantasies.

Rounds came and went, most of the girls exploding in giggles when Aaron Carter and Leonard McGuire got paired to go in the closet together, but Bucky wasn’t paying much attention, all his little boy eyes could focus on was Y/N. Her plaid skirt and cute half up-do, a hint of glitter on her cheeks, laugh bright like the sun. He wiped his palms on his jeans one last time before reaching out and spinning the bottle when his turn came around. He didn’t know what to wish for; for the bottle to land on Y/N or someone else so he’d be spared the embarrassment of having to talk to her or worse: her being his first kiss? She’d probably had tons of kisses by now, and he’d be so inexperienced in comparison!

Whatever, he didn’t get enough time to even decide what to wish for, when the bottle came to a stop right in front of her. Giggles, ooh’s and aah’s erupted, along with surely come sour comment about Y/N having to go to the closet with a nerd, but all Bucky saw was the pep in her walk as she got up and extended her hand for him to take as he got up and followed her to the closet.

He turned the light on, hearing the laughter on the other side that indicated people were right outside, keeping the door closed until the 7 minute mark, no more, no less.

He stuttered, where to even begin? Did he have anything in common with her? Maybe telling her he sat right behind her in both Chemistry and Math would sound too creppy, right? So he did the most rational thing: outstretched his hand for her to shake and introduce himself. “Hi. I-I’m Bucky” her giggle was out of this world cute, and her hand really soft in his. “I know. I’m Y/N” of course she knew. Y/N was nice, nicer than anyone he’d ever met in school – well Steve was nice too, but that was different. Y/N was nice and pretty and smelled good and always gave him a soft smile on her way to her seat in Chemistry and Math –

The silence ate up around 2 minutes of their time in the closet. Two minutes Bucky spent silently stressing over how red his cheeks must be and how he’s so far only introduced himself unnecessarily and complimented her outfit. Her skirt swished along with her as she took in her surroundings, clearly not wanting to continue this awkward encounter, he thought.

And then the silence was broken. By her. With a shocking question “A-are you... Do you want to kiss me?” all Bucky could do was nod stupidly, because of course words would betray him now. He wanted to kiss her, really really badly. Her smile was tender and sweet as she leaned in a little, closing her eyes and softly puckering her lips, awaiting for him to meet her in the middle.

It took him a total of 5 seconds to tell himself it was now or never, and then his blue eyes were closed and he pressed his lips to her incredibly supple ones, the array of butterflies that ate him whole, something he could never explain.

The peck lasted about 10 seconds, and separating from her was so nerve wracking, he doesn’t know how he didn’t begin shaking like an earthquake right then. “I’m sorry” he felt compelled to say “I’ve… I’ve never… Uh” Why was he outing himself like this? Setting himself up for mockery and embarrassment? “Me too” she said with a blush to her cheeks he knows he will never forget, as well as the shock of the revelation. He was her first kiss too? No way, he quickly decides she’s just trying to be nice. Right?

She’s his first and second and third and fourth kiss, if you’re counting, as they had 3 minutes left that were spent kissing every way two naive 12 year olds knew how to. Sweet, short pecks, with varying head angles and varying lengths, and a riskier one with mouths half open, initiated by her because she’d seen her older brother kiss his girlfriend like that once.

By the time the door was opened they were just standing there, mute and blushy, and the swarm of giggling teen girls took Y/N away from him like a lightning bolt, Bucky knew that the events of that night would be in his memories forever and ever. His crush on her only growing from that moment on.

・‥…━━━━━━━ o ━━━━━━━…‥・

He’s snapped back from the shock-induced flashback when a body bumps into his in the middle of the frat house kitchen he was currently standing in. His mouth, that had dropped open in surprise at what his eyes were seeing, clamped back shut, the drink in his hand almost slipping and clattering to the floor.

My god, it was Y/N Y/L/N in the flesh. 

Still fucking gorgeous, maybe even more so – impossible! Fucking impossible, yet so possible because it was right there in front of him – His biggest crush, his first kiss, the girl he pined after for years and years and years, even when she had moved towns and obviously switched schools in 8th grade, Bucky had promised himself that he would never love anyone like that – and proceeded to get himself his first girlfriend mid freshman year of high school despite still slightly crushing on the distant memory of Y/N. Steve always joked Y/N could have been his first girlfriend if he’d only had the balls to do something about it, to which Bucky agreed when it was too late –

“Bucky?” she said when she spotted him. “Bucky Barnes?” “Oh, god” He said, both faces splitting into laughter as her arms swung around his shoulders, enveloping him in a hug he returned, swaying back and forth with her. “Y/N it’s been… wow” “So long! You go to MIT too?” “Yeah, you go here!?” “I do! Art and design, sophomore year” she points to herself with the same red cup that is holding her drink. “Civil Engineering major, sophomore year!” each sentence brought in more and more shock. She was there all along? And he’d never seen her? Until a random party at Sam’s – Steve’s new addition to the gang which had always consisted of just him and Bucky – frat house? “What? Oh my god! It’s so nice to see you! You look great” And he did. Joining football and gaining some social skills did that to you. Also growing somewhat of a beard and keeping his hair just the right length. The truth was Bucky didn’t have trouble with girls anymore. “You too!” and god did she look amazing. The skirt, plaid like back then and almost out of his deepest dreams, with stockings and boots and a crop top, could she be anymore the girl of his dreams? “Steve is here too?” She looks around, probably remembering that the two are a package deal ever since diapers. “He’s… around, lost him long ago” he chuckles and some girl tugs at her arm from behind. She sends her away with a promise that ‘i’m going i’m going! Chill’ and turns back to him, giving him all her attention in the middle of the loud and crowded kitchen, making his heartbeat race. “Hey, tell him I said hi, and, here” she’s fishing the pocket of her skirt for her phone which prompts him to do the same. Oh god he’s going to have Y/N Y/L/N’s phone number? 12 year old him is  s h a k i n g. “We have to meet and catch up” “Definitely” after contacts are exchanged, she’s pressing a loud kiss to his cheek as a goodbye and disappearing into the party, leaving him stunned into place, a goofy smile slowly growing on his face

God damn, it’s been 7 years and he’s right back to square one, back to being a twelve year old nerd, at a party, with sweaty palms at the thought that he’s definitely crushing on her once again, if he ever even stopped. 

・‥…━━━━━━━ o ━━━━━━━…‥・

feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged!! 

how cute is this reencounter?!?!?!? Also, let me know if you want to know her POV of this whole thing because I was thinking that’d be a nice little take for me to write, to see how much seeing Bucky Barnes again affects her.  Hint: a lot, she wasn’t lying, he was her first kiss too. 

[wroughtbetwixtfanfic]

A Memory Of The Smell of Smoke, Ch 1.

Fandom: The Society.

Summary: Everyone liked to pretend that Campbell had been born bad. That their fear and hatred were logical, rational, justified, because Campbell was a monster incapable of making the choice between good and evil. Because he couldn't feel the way they did. Well, fuck that. He was gonna prove them wrong. At least, that had been the plan.

Rating: Mature.

Tags: Canon Divergence, Pre-Canon, Emotional Baggage, Mental Health Issues, Child Abuse, Substance Abuse, Animal Death, Complicated Relationships, Pre-Slash, Denial of Feelings, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Implied Rape, Campbell has mild ASPD and is self aware enough to try and be better, the non-con is NOT Campbell, didn't add an official warning because it is the aftermath only, yes it is the party becca mentioned and there will be a warning in the notes of that chapter, Campbell/Harry, Campbell/Elle.

Word Count: 3121(chapter 1/5).

AO3 || CH 2 || CH 3 || CH 4 || CH 5

Disclaimer: This is part of the first book of a series, A Gamble At Terrible Odds.

Knowing what I know of personality disorders and my own personal experiences, this is an attempt to write a canon divergent storyline for Campbell, using a slightly more realistic take on conduct disorder and ASPD instead of slapping on Hollywood "psychopath" stereotypes. While young people with conduct disorder can be violent and abusive, the diagnosis does exist on a spectrum, and neither ASPD nor "psychopathy" should be diagnosed before the age of 18; this is one thing that rubbed me the wrong way on The Society. I wanted an antagonist who's threat lay in the fact that they are calculating, ambitious, and ruthless-- not just "crazy". Hopefully I can succeed in presenting a more understandable and slightly less sensationalized vision of how-and-why he behaves. Please note that I have no intention of making him a violent abuser, not in an attempt to "woobie" him, but to bring his character more in line with my experiences of how an emotionally neglected child/teen with moderately reduced empathy would behave, provided they were actively attempting to help themselves.

Tl;dr I just wanted to make Campbell less needlessly shitty, because it makes me feel better as a person, and because I wanted one (1) antagonist who isn't just an evil, horrible abuser with a scary mental illness.

Thank you for reading, and leaving kudos/comments/likes. <3

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Campbell could barely remember life before Sam. The few memories he had were just bits and pieces, and nothing worth remembering. His parents leaving him with his Aunt Amanda, Uncle Jim, and cousin Cassandra while they went on a business trip or to some fancy vacation. Being scolded for crying too loud in the grocery store. In the kitchen of their big fancy house, reaching for his mother to pick him up, and standing there alone as she walked away. Later, sweetie. Some other time, dear. Mommy's busy, Campbell. It was always the same thing, and it only got worse when his mother got pregnant again.

Your mother's tired, his father would say. She needs to rest. Not that his father ever made time, either. He was important, and often harassing some poor fuck in the community with Uncle Rogers. Campbell didn't know what to do, so he would cry and scream until finally one of them would pay enough attention to yell back. Sometimes they would grab his wrist and drag him to his room for time out. He just always was too much for them, too stressful for them, too demanding, too clingy, too emotional. A bitter irony, he thought when he was older and looking back, remembering what it was like to feel that deeply. He'd been robbed of that, before he'd even known how to vocalize it. When Sam was born, they gave him to Campbell to hold. Campbell looked down at his baby brother. He was so small. So fragile. Don't you love him, his parents asked. Campbell didn't reply, and his parents laughed it off and teased him for being jealous. He didn't know what that word meant, not at the time. All he knew was that he was standing at the edge of his family, watching something he wasn't allowed to be a part of, even if he didn't understand why. He did discover that if he held Sam close, if he was gentle with Sam and kissed his forehead and smiled at him, their parents would smile, too. Their parents would coo and hold Campbell, too. They would sing to them both, read to them both. At first, he thought maybe he could do it. Even if he didn't feel as warm towards Sam in the way his cousin Cassandra seemed to feel towards her little sister, Allie, Campbell liked Sam alright. Campbell knew he could be a good boy, a good brother, and his parents would love him. For the first two years of Sam's life, things did seem like they were improving. Sam gurgled at him and followed him everywhere, and babies were kinda gross but Campbell accepted that. At least he felt like maybe he had a friend. It didn't matter that Sam spent more time with their parents than him, and that their parents looked at Sam in a way they never looked at Campbell. Campbell still felt less alone. ... At first. But then one night, when Sam was three and Campbell was five, their parents shook Campbell awake in the middle of the night. He tried to ask what was happening, but his parents just shouted at him to stop asking questions. There were sirens outside. Campbell saw their mother rush by his bedroom, with Sam in her arms. He looked strange. Limp. Campbell tried to follow, but their father grabbed his arm and yanked him a different direction. Their Uncle Jim was there, and he loaded Campbell into his car and drove him to their home. Cassandra was awake when they arrived. She took Campbell's hand and led him to the room she shared with her sister. At least there, it was quiet. They sat together on Cassandra's bed, silent and staring off into space. He didn't know when he fell asleep, but when he woke up, it was light outside and Cassandra was holding him in her arms. "What's goin' on?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Where's Sammy?" "It's bad," she said, in that matter-of-fact voice of hers. "Sam is in the hospital." Campbell wiggled out of her embrace and padded out to the kitchen, where Aunt Amanda and Uncle Jim stood, faces pale. "What happened?" he demanded, frowning when the adults shared a look. "What happened to Sammy?" "Sweetie," Aunt Amanda said as she clutched her coffee mug, "try to go back to bed. We don't--" "Tell me!" He was yelling, and he knew that good boys didn't yell at adults, but he didn't care. Without Sam, there was nothing and there would never be anything again; he needed Sam, more than he needed anyone. "Tell me what's goin' on!" Uncle Jim came over and crouched down in front of him. "Sam got sick, and fell asleep. The doctors are trying to wake him up and make him feel better. That's all we know right now, Campbell." Asleep. Campbell remembered that Cassandra had a hamster once, and it died. It went to sleep and never woke up again. "What if Sammy doesn't wake up?" Aunt Amanda started crying. Uncle Jim said nothing. Campbell went back to Cassandra, who was watching him with wide blue eyes. Allie woke up not long after, and they all ate pancakes in bed. At least, the girls did. Campbell gave his bacon to Cassandra and picked at his pancakes until they were cold. Allie played ball with them out in the yard; Campbell kicked it back to her a few times, but he was too busy thinking about his brother. Would he be okay? Would he come home? What made him sick? Kids didn't just die, did they? "I thought only old people died," Campbell said to Cassandra later, when Allie was getting a bath. "Sammy's too little." Cassandra was coloring in a book. She didn't look up, but she shrugged. "Kids die all the time. In war and from cancer and stuff." "How do you know?" "My parents watch the news." Campbell sucked on his lips. Jealousy. He knew that word, now, and knew it's ugly pulse. The only time he ever watched the television was when a movie or Sesame Street was put on for Sam. And he didn't even know what that word meant, cancer, but he wasn't going to ask. He didn't want to know. If he knew what it was, it made it real. That night, his father came to the house and picked Campbell up, taking him back to their own house to get some clothes. "You need to stay with your auntie and uncle for a while," his father said while snatched random things and jamming them into a backpack. "Just for a few days. Understand?" "When is Sammy coming home?" "Don't ask questions. Go get your toothbrush." Campbell slumped and wandered off to get his stuff from the bathroom. The ride back was silent. He brought his backpack in and dropped it next to Cassandra's bed; he noticed his father talking to Uncle Jim and Aunt Amanda in the study, and he slinked closer to listen. He couldn't hear much, but it was about Sam. "Meningitis. They don't know if he'll..." But then his father noticed him at the door. He walked over and shut it, just like that. Campbell felt something hot and painful stir in his chest, and without thinking, he kicked the door as hard as he could. It stayed shut. Campbell stormed back to the bedroom. His father left without saying goodbye, and that night, Campbell burrowed against Cassandra's shoulder as he cried. He didn't want to cry. He wanted to hit things, and break things, and make people hurt. He didn't understand it, but it was something he knew how to do. Sam woke up a few days later, and their parents brought him home after a week and a half in the hospital. Campbell stayed away a bit longer to give them time to take care of Sam; something had gone wrong in the hospital, but no one said what. Campbell barely ate. He didn't speak. Not to anyone besides Cassandra, anyways. She was the one who told him the news first, after she'd listened in on her parents talking. "They said Sam can't hear anymore," Cassandra whispered. "Not at all." Campbell didn't believe her, not until he finally was allowed back home and saw it for himself. Sam was crying, and wouldn't stop crying. When Campbell tried to see him, to talk to him, their parents shooed him out of the room. The days dragged on with no improvement. Take out containers piled up around the kitchen, and Campbell spent most of his time in his room. He'd try to read, or do puzzles, or kick a ball around the house. Alone. Always alone. Sometimes, he didn't see Sam for days. Even when he did, it was through the doorway of Sam's room, and Sam would just be laying in bed or screaming. Something inside Campbell snapped. Campbell remembered in vivid detail the day it happened. The day he changed. It was two weeks after Sam had come home. It had been over a month since Sam had first gotten sick. Every day had been worse than the last, with their mother sleeping at weird hours and their father growling at him at every little thing. He knew, in the way that five year olds knew, that his parents had to take care of Sam. But what about him? What about story time, or singing, or watching silly movies together? Things had just started feeling normal, and now it was all gone again. He was alone again. If Sam never got better, what would that even mean? He didn't know, and no one would explain. Campbell stood alone in the dining room, surrounded by clutter and white, dirty foam boxes that were starting to smell. That hot feeling was back, burning his chest, and Campbell had to let it out. He picked up one of the foam boxes and threw it. He threw another, and another, but it wasn't enough. That's when he picked up his toy ball, and hurled it into the living room. There was a loud crash, and his parents came running out. His mother said something, but Campbell didn't know what, because his father was already yelling at him. "What did you do that for?" his father shouted. "Your mother was trying to sleep. Don't you know how hard she has to work around here?" Campbell said nothing. "Answer me!" Silence. "Fine. Apologize to your mother and go to your room." Campbell opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He wasn't sorry. He didn't feel bad. He didn't feel anything. He went to his room without a word, and he stayed there until he was called. And that was what life became, most days. Wake up, get dressed, wait to be called for breakfast, return to his room, stare at his plate at lunch and eat almost nothing, return to his room, pick at dinner, bathe and brush his teeth, and go to bed. Rinse and repeat. Some days he would go to see Cassandra, but they just sat on the swingset and stared out at the woods, without speaking. Nothing mattered anymore. What was there to talk about? When his parents caught him playing with matches, they hid them. When they caught him cutting holes in his clothes and in his bedding, they hid those, too. Forks and knives were moved to higher shelves when Campbell took to stabbing himself in the hand with them, just to see if it still hurt. It did, but he didn't cry. It just didn't matter. No one did anything, not even Aunt Amanda and Uncle Jim, not even when he yanked the heads off Allie's dolls and pushed Cassandra off a swing. Cassandra didn't cry. She just got up and kicked him in the shin, and that was the last time Campbell ever pushed her. Hurt someone, and they hurt you back. Except, sometimes they didn't. Sometimes they'd let you. Once he turned six and entered kindergarten, he learned that when he got into a fight with another kid over a toy. Campbell punched the other kid in the face, and for a tiny moment, he felt happy. He felt excited. He wanted to feel that again, and so he picked fights with more kids over the span of a few days, until parents began to complain and teachers spoke to his mother and father after school. "If you keep fighting," Cassandra said when she came over to play, "they'll send you away to a special school." Campbell frowned. "You're lying." "Am not. I heard my mom say to your mom." After that, Campbell stopped fighting with the other kids. He stuck to himself, watching them while he played alone. He learned more about them that way-- their names, their likes, their dislikes. He learned what made them laugh and what made them cry. Sometimes at home, he would copy the way their faces looked when they were happy or sad. Campbell was bored. He felt itchy, like he wanted to move and keep moving but couldn't. He missed that feeling of excitement. But at least he wasn't being sent away, and the more he practiced being like the other kids, the less his parents yelled at him. It was good enough. A year passed. Sam was tutored at home, and Campbell learned from the tutor how to talk to Sam using sign language. It took about a year to be able to really have a conversation with his little brother; he didn't put as much effort into it as he knew he should have, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Sam was only four years old. Anything he really needed to say, he said to their parents. Sometimes he would ask Campbell to play, but Campbell was six years old and struggling to fit in with other first graders. He came home exhausted and frustrated, and would usually end up snapping at Sam. It wasn't a surprise when Sam began to distance himself. And it only got worse. Campbell was angry all the time and couldn't make it stop. Any time the teacher tried to make him do oral reports or work in groups with classmates, he would break down. He didn't know what was going on, and his parents simply brushed it off as him being difficult. Teachers looked the other way. Classmates began to whisper about him when they thought he couldn't hear. Campbell managed to keep himself from lashing out at Sam, but walls, plates, and other inanimate objects began to suffer worse than ever. "Why won't they listen?" Campbell asked Cassandra one day. "They never listen to me. They just spend all their time worrying about Sam." Cassandra shrugged. "Sometimes you have to make them listen." He didn't know how. He threatened to run away, to hurt himself. Nothing. Sam had become one of them-- only approaching him when their parents wanted to order Campbell to come to dinner or brush his teeth or do his chores. There was only one place in the world where Campbell felt like he could just be himself-- when he was with Cassandra, though their visits had grown fewer and farther in between as Campbell spiraled. Soon, her parents stopped letting him visit altogether. That loss of support was the finale straw. Campbell went into the living room weeks after his final visit with Cassandra. His parents had gotten Sam a bird for his birthday; they always gave Sam everything he wanted. Everything. Sam was the only one who mattered to them. Campbell stared at the little green and yellow thing, shrieking and flapping in its cage; he'd finally thought of a way to make his parents listen to him. He opened the window, then reached into the cage and grabbed the bird. Campbell threw the bird out the open window, and headed back up to his bedroom. It was about an hour before anyone noticed. He could hear Sam screaming, and their parents were at his bedroom door in minutes. "What did you do with Oliver?" his father boomed. "Do you have him?" Campbell barely blinked. "I don't have him." "Where did you put him?" "Outside." His mother stared at Campbell like he had two heads. "Why would you do that? What is wrong with you?" Those words hung in the air, and Campbell didn't know what to say. He just gazed back at her and shrugged, silent. They hauled him downstairs and shoved him out the door, demanding he take them to where he put Oliver. Campbell obeyed, hesitating when he didn't see Oliver anywhere. How far could a pet bird go? His father started yelling, like always. They kept pushing him to look harder, to tell the truth, to take them to the bird, but he couldn't. The bird wasn't where he'd left it. He was grounded, indefinitely. Sam wouldn't look at him. A few days later, their mother came inside with a shoebox, her face grim. They sat Campbell down, and showed him what was inside. Campbell stared at the dead bird, bile rising in the back of his throat. "Did you do this?" his mother asked. "No! I swear, I only let him outside." "Tell us the truth." "I am!" His parents exchanged a look. They didn't believe him. Campbell could tell. They left the room, and he could hear Sam wailing a few moments after. Campbell sat at the table, looking down at his hands as his thoughts raced. He hadn't meant this. He'd just wanted to upset Sam a little, get their parents to react. He just wanted them to talk to him, to take him to talk to someone. He wanted to feel like he mattered. Now, he just felt... empty. Lost. Sam came in. His eyes were red and swollen. He was still crying, and he was signing something at Campbell. Why. Over and over and over, just... why. Campbell didn't know how to answer. He'd never bothered to learn how to say things like because I'm angry, because mom and dad love you more, because I need help, because there's something wrong with me. So he just did what he did before, and said nothing. That was the first time Sam looked at him with hatred. Campbell stood and brushed past Sam, heading back to his room. Something twisted in his stomach, but he didn't know what. He couldn't tell, and he didn't want to. Like cancer, if it was named, it would be real. He didn't want any of it to be real.

He just wanted to fade away.