#“yep one pull up here nothing suspicious your honor”

[thislittlebagofdreams]

currently thinking abt how weird P.E. class must have been for Mark after he got his powers. like dude must have spent the entire time carefully regulating his strength/speed. just like, "yeah imma go for a 6:30 mile, that seems okay, right? oops, too fast, gotta slow down. how do I make it look like I'm red-faced/breathing hard?"

but the pull-up contests tho--

Mark would 1000% just one-up anyone who's mean to any of his friends. Like he'd start out just doing a modest five or however many to get himself a bare-minimum A. but if someone (Todd, probably) starts bragging abt his own pull-up abilities to Amber or flexing on William, Mark would def get back up just to do one more pull-up than however many that dude did. bc no-one disrespects his friends and gets away with it

[butwhyduh]

Night Swim

Garth of Shayeris/Tempest x batsis!reader

Summary: pinning over him. I know like 7 people will read it but he’s too cute. Canon has no home here and timelines don’t matter.

Warning: dash of innuendos.

The apprentice of a justice league member that went on his own. That could describe almost all of your brothers but it also described the beautiful man standing before you. That currently didn’t even notice you were staring at him puppy dog eyed.

“So, are you ever going to do anything about it or just stare at him until he jumps back in the sea again,” Kori said beside you. You jumped and gave her a look. “Noise cancelling glass. He can’t hear us and no one is looking over here,” she reassured you.

“That obvious,” you asked turning to face her. She nodded with a little smile. Of course she thought it was cute. She had told Dick the first time she knew she was attracted to him. That’s how she was raised. No fear of rejection or shame in sexual attraction. You were raised by batman and had a healthy dose of both.

“There’s not like it would do any good. He’s never given me a second thought and I don’t even think he likes surface walkers anyways,” you deflected. She snorted.

“He dated Donna.”

“That shouldn’t count. She’s Themyscirian. They’re like perfect,” you rolled your eyes.

“I don’t know. I find Dick very appealing and he is human. Is his powers what attracts you to him?” She asked leaning on a desk. Her long curly red hair flowed over her shoulder in a way that only Kori could.

“No, of course not. I mean, they’re cool for sure. But it’s.. he’s nice and honorable and funny,” you said and she grinned almost proudly.

“And you can be nice and honorable and funny without any meta powers. Don’t put yourself down. And if you need help..” she started.

“No no no. No wing woman,” you said quickly.

“What do you need a wing woman for?” Dick asked behind you. Your eyes widened before you turned around.

“Nothing. Just some guy from college. That I don’t like,” you said in possibly the worst lie of your life. Dick narrowed his eyes at you.

“I can tell you’re lying but if I don’t know the truth, I can’t lie to Bruce about what you’re doing so don’t tell me,” Dick said. Wally, Donna, and Garth walked in the room.

“Wait, did I hear that Nightwing’s little sister is seeing someone? Is he ready to die,” Wally laughed clapping Dick on the shoulder.

“I’m not having this conversation,” you squeaked out before squeezing between the heroes, feeling yourself far too close to Garth for just a moment. Thank goodness M’gann wasn’t there to read your thoughts or feelings. Kori stayed mum on the subject and concentrated on the mission that Dick was prepping the team for.

You didn’t go on missions now. An injury that put an end to that. You just couldn’t maintain the level a vigilante needed. Sometimes you’d help with the computers but mainly you worked at Wayne Enterprise with Tim. You were just visiting on this trip and wasn’t involved in the mission.

“Wish us luck,” Kori said giving you a hug. You couldn’t help but watch Garth in his new blue suit that fit perfectly as the rest of the team walked by.

“Woah,” you said barely above silent but Kori hugging you caught it all and giggled quietly. You flushed and tried to stutter out some excuse.

“He is very handsome. Wish him luck,” she whispered in your ear. You made a little noise to disagree and she simply grinned at you while walking away.

“What was that,” Dick asked, suspicious.

“Nothing, just a joke. Good luck. Be safe,” you said to him and Dick didn’t argue but definitely didn’t believe you before joining his team.

As they left, your mind wandered to the first time you met Garth. It was a mission in a warehouse fire that had homeless people camping out on the second story. You walked carefully to the back office through dense fog with flames threatening any moment to see if there was anyone in there. The fire was getting really close and it was kinda dicey. But it was your first job away from Gotham and you were 14 and you felt the need to prove yourself.

You entered the room bent low with smoke overhead. You saw something move in the back of the room and you made your way towards it. But just as you crossed to the back half of the room, part of the ceiling collapsed, trapping you in the room and knocking you to the floor. You jumped back against the wall. There wasn’t a window and the movement? A toy.

You shrank against the wall and pushed your panic button. The fire was hot and you cursed wearing shorts. “Shit,” you breathed as it started moving closer. The air was starting to get thick. The flames jumped and you pressed against the wall with your eyes covered, expecting flames to hit you.

But instead you felt cool wet air and you opened your eyes to see water surrounding you. It appeared to float in air and you reached a hand out to touch it, confused. As soon as you felt the tips of your fingers dampened, the water crashed to the floor causing you to jump.

In there place was a teenage boy only a few years older than you, grinning. You stared at him in silence. He had just saved your life.

“Did you- how did you-“ you stuttered and his smile grew even wider.

“Aqualad, at your service. You wanna leave before it crashes on us?” He said and you took a step to wince in pain. Oh yeah, when you jumped you twisted your ankle. Your plan, like all the other bats, was to suck it up and hobble out. But Garth had other plans and he quickly scooped you up bridal style as soon as he noticed you couldn’t walk.

“Just hold on. I’ll carry you,” he said walked down the charred stairs carefully. You couldn’t take your eyes off his handsome face the whole time. Your heart pounded and your lack of experience with dating or liking anyone had you completely dumbfounded. “You can let go,” he said with a little smile.

You were out of the warehouse clinging to him past the time necessary and quickly moved away from him, feeling your skin flush. Dick gave you a look over before give Garth with a look you couldn’t recognize.

——————————————

“She’s catatonic, Bro.”

“Feed her something.”

“Wally, food isn’t always the answer,” Dick said giving your shoulder a shake. You jumped and knocked over a glass of water.

“Sorry!” You yelped reaching over to grab a towel.

“I’ve got it,” Garth said and with a flick of his wrist the water started to pour in the sink rather than off the counter. As you watched the water jumped before flowing down the drain. You laughed a little and looked up to see Garth grinning at you. Dick stared suspiciously at you both before being pulled somewhere by another Titan.

“So was the mission okay?” You asked, not knowing what to say. Your crush was more ‘stare across the room’ rather than do anything about it.

“It went well,” he answered grabbing a water bottle and chugging it. You tried not to stare.

“Cool suit,” you said and immediately felt stupid. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Thanks,” he said without adding anything else, leaving an awkward air to hang.

“Damn, you might be from the sea but are soo dry, Garth,” Roy said clapping him on the back on his way to his room. Garth looked at you confused.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve been land side. Is being dry an insult now?” He asked.

“I mean, kinda. It just means boring,” you answered with a shrug. “You know Roy.”

“But you are dry. I mean, you live on land. Not that you’re boring,” he said with an awkward laugh. You smiled back at him before taking a sip of your drink nervously. “Does that mean you want to be wet?”

You coughed as you choked on the liquid. He tapped you on the back. “You okay?” He asked concerned. Donna walked by with a raised eyebrow but said nothing.

“I’m fine. No, that’s not how that works. It’s just we aren’t really dry. We’re like 80 percent water. Dry means like sand or something. Too dry,” you said and he nodded humoring you.

“It seems pretty dry here,” he said playfully.

“I can knock over more glasses. Get this place all wet again,” you quipped.

“Tempting. Or you can go swimming with me,” he answered back.

“Haha or I could- what? It’s nighttime,” you answered. “And doesn’t that do something to the currents or something?”

He gave you a dry look. “The currents come in at night? Yep. You’d be the safest person in the water swimming with me. I could navigate night swimming as a squirt. Come with?” Garth asked.

“I-“ you stared before mumbling.

“You what? I didn’t hear the last part,” he said.

“I... can’t swim,” you said and he stared at you and you felt like sliding under the counter and through the floor. Then Garth’s lips curled into a smile and he laughed a little. You looked down awkwardly.

“Oh you’re serious?”

“Yeah...”

“I’m sorry. I forget that swimming is learned skill here. I apologize,” he started.

“It’s okay. Really,” you insisted.

“Come with me. We’ll stay shallow,” he offered. You looked at him before nodding.

“This is a bad idea but let’s go,” you said pulling him along. Garth laughed as you pulled him out the back door towards the beach. “I forgot a bathing suit,” you admitted.

“I guess you could go insi-“ he trailed off as you pulled your shirt off and shorts to swim in your underwear and bra. He quickly looked away as you ran in the water to your waist.

“Coming in? Can’t believe I have to ask, merman” you said and he pulled off his shirt to quickly join you. You splashed him with water which quickly turned into a splashing war.

“Okay, you win!” You yelped as he bombarded you with water. He splashed you one last time and you turned away. Garth grabbed you by the waist as a wave splashed over you. You simply watched each other for a moment. You noticed your feet didn’t touch the ground anymore. You clung to him.

“I can’t touch,” you said a little panicky. He held on to you.

“Don’t worry. I’m right here. I won’t let you drown. It’s my job, remember?” Garth smiled. “Look around. Look at the moon.”

You looked up to see the luminous globe hanging above the sea. It lit a silvery path through the water, highlighting waves crashing. The beach seemed far away. The only sounds were the sea and a few night birds as well as Garth’s breath from being so close. You looked back at him and almost froze. He was gorgeous. The water truly was his element. His dark hair curled in the water and the moon glow highlighted his nose and collarbones. His purple eyes looked almost black in the darkness but the way he looked at you said a ton.

He looked down at your lips and you couldn’t help but lick them, tasting salt water. Garth bent a little and you turned your head up to touch lips softly. His arms wrapped closer around you as you kissed. Garth easily kept you above the water. Your brain was broken. You were kissing Garth, who you’ve had a crush on for a long time.

Suddenly water splashed over your head as a wave crashed on you both. You leaned away with a cough as water invaded your mouth and nose. Your eyes stung and watered a little.

“Sorry, I forgot to pay attention,” Garth admitted sheepishly.

“It’s okay,” you said with only a little cough. “Can we?”

“Get you on land? Yeah. You’re getting cold anyways,” Garth said before swimming towards the shore. It wasn’t a rough choppy swim the way people did. He seemed to simply glide through the water gracefully. So beautifully. Which was broken when he fell over on the beach.

“You’re the most graceful swimmer and trip on your feet when you hit ground,” you said with a laugh as you attempted to help him up. He was far too heavy to lift but appreciated the effort.

“Atlantean,” he shrugged. “Don’t make fun of me too much. You can’t even swim.”

“Yeah? You wanna take a dip in Gotham Harbor?” You asked and he laughed.

“Absolutely not. I don’t want to get some unknown cancer from whatever pollution they have. Or whatever rouge is living there,” he added.

“That’s why I can’t swim,” you answered. It really was cool in the wind and you quickly pulled on your clothing.

“But doesn’t batman have like multiple pools?”

“Yeah but I never used them. I was 15 when he took me in. Too old to learn,” you shrugged.

“You’re never to old to learn to swim. It’s important for safety,” Garth said. “Especially here,” he motioned at the beach.

“Especially if I keep kissing Tempest in the water?” You quipped.

“That’s just a bonus,” he said pulling you close by the hips. You grinned up at him and wrapped your arms around his shoulders.

And a spotlight shined glaringly at you both. You covered your eyes and looked away.

“Come inside,” boomed the voice of your brother. “Now.”

And that’s how you got a 20 minute lectures on the danger of night swimming and risk of hypothermia and Garth got the shovel talk. But despite the fact that Dick was really angry, you didn’t regret a thing and went to bed with wet hair and smile on your face.

[five-rivers]

Long Night in the Valley Chapter 13

The car didn’t seem more crowded, but it was. Spinner had the dubious honor and privilege of being in one of Mr. Compress’s marbles, along with the doctor. Midoriya Inko sat in his recently vacated seat.

She was, without a single doubt, the most dangerous person in the vehicle. Mostly because she was completely insane. She had spent the first few minutes of driving detailing how she could blow up the car with her quirk and making sure that they knew she’d do it if she thought she had to.

What would make her think she ‘had to’ was a mystery Tomura didn’t particularly want solved.

He could totally see what Sensei saw in her, and he didn’t like it. He wished he could go back to ignorance. This questline was insane. The whole game was going to wind up broken. Had he killed an essential NPC at some point?

Eyeballs were small objects. So were most organs.

Midoriya Inko was someone Tomura could respect.

Would Midoriya Izuku be like this, if Tomura had an actual conversation with him? Their conversation at the mall hadn’t exactly been… normal. Tomura could admit he’d been using his intimidation skill to move the conversation along. Of course, Midoriya had struck him as a two-dimensional All Might fanboy at that point. Limited dialogue options. Killed in the next encounter. A hidden miniboss, yes, but just a miniboss. Not terribly important to the main campaign. Forgotten by disc two.

Clearly, he’d been wrong.

Which he shouldn’t have had mixed feelings about, but definitely did.

“Dear,” said Midoriya Inko, making everyone in the car stiffen, “do you have eczema?”

“The what?” asked Tomura, his tone too subdued to be considered snapping, because he wasn’t about to snap at someone who had convincingly demonstrated her ability to crush his organs against the inside of his abdominal cavity.

“Oh!” said Toga. “I know this one, Mom! It’s a skin condition.”

Tomura pulled his hand away from where it had been scratching at his neck. “I don’t have a skin condition. It just itches sometimes.”

Midoriya Inko nodded. “Yes, that sounds like eczema, I—” She stopped, blinking. “Did you just call me ‘Mom?’”

“Yeah, is that okay? Izu-kun and I are dating, after all!”

“No, she isn’t!” shouted Twice, the car swerving a little. “She is not! Only in her dreams!”

“Ah,” said Midoriya Inko. “I see. Well, I don’t mind you calling me that, but I think you really need to ask Izuku before you say that you’re dating. Make sure you’re on the same page, dear.”

Toga pouted.

“Now, where was I? Eczema. Izuku used to have eczema, but he grew out of it, mostly. I still carry some cream with me. Do you want some?”

Would refusing be dangerous?

Was the cream secretly poison?

Was this a complex scheme to get under his skin?

“Oh, Izuku mutters like that, too,” said Midoriya Inko, happily. “You remind me quite a bit of when he was going through his antisocial phase, actually. It would be funny if it turned out that you were related, wouldn’t it? Quite a coincidence, hm? One I’ll have to talk to my husband about.” The last sentence was as hard as diamonds and as poisonous as cyanide.

Tomura once again decided that he regretted everything.

.

“This is terrible,” whispered Tsuyu for the fifth or sixth time.

“Tres mal,” agreed Aoyama.

“Is it bad that I can completely believe All Might wrote this?” asked Satou.

“Why would it be bad?” asked Shouji.

“Because it’s so… bad.”

“And yet,” said Yaoyorozu, “oddly compelling.”

“Why does he use so much English?” grumbled Mineta.

“What a mad banquet of darkness,” said Fumikage, who was, nevertheless, also reading the fanfic on his phone.

“But, like, it makes it pretty obvious that All Might thinks the world of Midoriya,” said Kaminari. “Do you think he knew that other people could read this?”

“I mean,” said Jiro. “He had to, right? It wasn’t like he was born in the nineteen hundreds.”

“I don’t know, sometimes you’ve got to wonder. Like… sometimes it’s as if he was grown in a lab to be the perfect hero, you know?”

“Kaminari, stop trying to be Todoroki, please,” said Fumikage. “You do not need to dip yourself into the darkness.”

“I’m just saying,” said Kaminari. “And it isn’t as if we don’t know that there are a bunch of mad scientist types that would do just that, plus the Hero Commission is psychotic—”

“That’s unkind to psychotic people,” said Fumikage, glowering. “You know, most psychotic people never hurt anyone. The incidence of villainy among people who experience psychosis isn’t significantly higher than among the general population.”

“Sorry, man, just a figure of speech.”

The bus slowly came to a stop outside UA’s gates.

“My switch isn’t working,” said Green Light as he repeatedly pressed a button on his dash. “I guess they’re still on lockdown. We’ll have to wait for Nezu to come let us in.”

“Still?” asked Midnight. “Midoriya isn’t even in the city anymore, as far as we know.”

“Not that he was ever a threat to the school,” mumbled Present Mic, his quirk making him loud enough to be heard regardless.

Fumikage, having finished the fanfic some time ago, looked out the window and spotted two people in suits loitering near the gate. “Yamada-sensei, Kayama-sensei, who are those people?”

Everyone rushed over to Fumikage’s side of the bus to look out the window, rocking the vehicle.

“Ohh,” said Present Mic. “Yeah. That makes sense. Those guys are with the commission. Yep. Good ol’ Nezu, keeping them out.”

“Wait,” said Jiro, “does this mean we’re stuck out here, too?”

“No, no,” said Present Mic. “He’ll have to let us in… But then they’ll come in, too.”

“Midoriya’s room,” said Fumikage. “They’ll want to search it.”

“Can we do something?” asked Kouda, timidly.

“Should we do anything?” asked Tsuyu, bluntly. “We don’t want to incriminate Midoriya even more by making it look like he’s hiding things.”

Fumikage turned to Kaminari. “Anything new from Principal Nezu?”

“Why are you looking at me?”

“You’re the one he emailed last time.”

“Hey, Fumikage,” said Jiro, “do you think you can fly over the wall? Maybe you can get a head start on… well, whatever, I guess.”

“I don’t think we should do anything suspicious while they’re watching,” reiterated Tsuyu.

“Yeah, plus we really revamped campus security. And this is Nezu we’re talking about.”

“The Rat God,” someone whispered, reverently.

(Was that Shouji?)

“Exactly, exactly,” said Present Mic. “So, everyone, just, please, calm down. Just sit back down, and we’ll ride the bus to the dorms. Like normal.”

“Yamada-sensei, nothing about this is normal,” said Tsuyu, flatly.

“Well,” said Present Mic, “yeaaaah, okay, you got me there, listeners.”

“Nezu’s coming up,” said Green Light. “Aw, he has Eri with him. They’re so short together.”

“Green Light,” crackled the radio in Nezu’s voice. “Did you forget that I have cameras and microphones installed on all our buses?”

“That’s how he knew I was the one putting together the compilation!” said Kaminari.

Fumikage peered out the window and furtively opened it, so they could hear what was going on. Eri was definitely there. She was also sporting the deepest, most dismal, aura of darkness Fumikage had ever laid eyes on. Luckily, it seemed to be aimed at the commission lackeys in the form of a smile and dead, dead eyes.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen!” said Nezu, cheerily. “I apologize for the long wait! As Lunch Rush indubitably told you, we had a small emergency.”

“We’ve been out here for hours. What kind of emergency could have kept you for hours under these circumstances?”

Eri’s smile grew both broader and deader. “Me,” she said. “I’m the emergenny.”

“Emergency,” corrected Nezu, gently.

“Emergency,” repeated Eri.

“I’m sorry?” said the shorter of the two investigators.

“I’m the emergency. I hada—” she paused, and her face pinched slightly in concentration. “I had an emergency, because, because, you’re being mean to Deku.”

“We—”

“You’re mean,” insisted Eri. “You’re bad guys. Deku is the good guy, because he saved me. Only bad guys are mean to good guys.”

“Excuse me, is this Chisaki Eri?”

Eri hissed.

“Perhaps I could ask you to refrain from using that family name. We’ve been trying to get past what her form did to her, you understand. Teach her morality.”

“I’ll bite you,” said Eri, malevolently.

“Self-defense, as well,” continued Nezu. “It’s very important for children to be able to feel safe and confident in themselves, don’t you think? And the recent news dealt a serious blow to that. You understand, then why I felt that it was more important to take care of my ward and other students than to greet you here. Especially given that you wished to interview Eri-chan as well.”

“I’ll bite you,” repeated Eri. “A lot.”

“We’ll… need a look at Midoriya’s room, first.”

“Way to go, Eri,” whispered Shinsou.

“Very well! You’ll have to come around to the front office to fill out some paperwork. We’ll need a physical copy of your badges, as well as a copy of your warrant, for our records…”

The gate opened, distracting Fumikage from whatever else Nezu had said. Green Light quickly drove through, making straight to the dorms. Fumikage snapped the window shut.

“So, uh,” said Kaminari. “What’re we going to do about Midoriya’s All Might shrine of a room?”

“Should we even do anything?” asked Jiro. “If stuff is disturbed, that’s going to be suspicious. I don’t want to get him into more trouble.”

“It’s a teenage boy’s bedroom,” said Mineta. “The stuff in there is already disturbed.”

“Mineta, I don’t know how to tell you this,” said Kaminari, “but your experiences are not universal.”

“None of you are disturbing Midoriya’s room at all,” said Midnight, standing. “You didn’t forget that we were here, did you? If you say yes, we’ll have to take some time to work on your situational awareness~”

.

Nemuri hadn’t quite known what to expect from the words ‘All Might shrine.’ In her experiences, the word ‘shrine’ could, especially when applied to a person’s hobby or area of interest, could cover a vast array of displays of varying intensity.

But Midoriya really went Plus Ultra on everything, didn’t he?

“Okay, kiddos,” said Midnight, “what would you say was the most incriminating thing in this room?”

She and Present Mic were the only ones actually in the room, but the students were gathered right outside the door.

“Notebooks.”

Midnight nodded. They’d get those first, then search for other places Midoriya may have put evidence of less-than-entirely-morally-upright behavior. Not that Midnight really expected to find any.

“Where does he keep them?” she asked.

“He has a shelf above his desk he usually keeps them on, kero.”

Midnight looked at the shelf above Midoriya’s desk.

It looked back at her.

This was because it was a void. As in, void of any notebooks. An abyss of sorts. Empty.

There were no notebooks in evidence.

“This will be a problem.”

.

“G-Gigantomachia?” asked Izuku, turning up the sweetness in his tone despite his nerves. And pain. Yep, there was a whole lot of pain, everywhere. Now that he was no longer actively running for his life, it felt like he’d pulled every muscle in his body.

“Yes, Little Lord?” asked Gigantomachia, happily.

He was like a giant dog. Izuku almost felt bad tricking him like this, but he reminded himself that Gigantomachia was a giant, evil dog. So.

“Will you do something for me?”

“Of course, Little Lord!”

“Well,” said Izuku, “you remember how I said that Shigaraki Tomura and I don’t get along?”

“Yes, Little Lord! My memory is very good!”

Izuku blinked. “Is that a—” He cut himself off with a shake of his head. Not the time. “Well, I think that it might be a good idea if, ah, we established that he can’t attack me anymore.”

Gigantomachia stood up, shaking the earth and almost sending Izuku tumbling down. “HE ATTACKED YOU?”

Maybe this would be easier than he thought. “Yeah. A couple times. I’m okay, though!” He waved his hands. “I just think that it might be a good idea if we established a, uh, a pecking order. Sort of.”

“I’M GOING TO PECK HIM TO DEATH.”

“Please do not actually kill him.”

“I’M GOING TO PECK HIM MOSTLY TO DEATH.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Izuku.

“I’LL SHOW HIM YOU’RE IN CHARGE. YOU’RE MUCH BETTER THAN HE IS. MUCH MORE LIKE LORD.”

Wow. That was… certainly a statement. That Izuku was going to try his best to forget forever.

“Right. So. If you see him, do that,” said Izuku, nodding.

“OF COURSE, LITTLE LORD.”

“And, this is just a reminder, but don’t go into towns.”

“I WILL REMEMBER!”

“Great,” said Izuku. “I’m going to go back in and, uh…” He couldn’t say ‘plot my escape with Toshinori.’ “Rest,” he settled on.

“Oh!” Gigantomachia crouched down, his voice suddenly whisper-soft. Assuming rocks could be described as whispering. “Sleep well, Little Lord!”

“Thanks,” said Izuku, beating a hasty retreat.

.

“Stop the car!”

“But you said-!”

“Just stop the car, Twice.”

There was a not-at-all hidden ‘or else’ in those words. Twice, once again, stopped the car.

“Oh, my,” said Midoriya Inko, leaning forward. “That man up there looks remarkably like the sitter Hisashi hired for Izuku.”

“Oh, god,” said Tomura, dragging his hands down the sides of his face in lieu of looking out the window. “We aren’t prepared for this level.”

Midoriya Inko suddenly disappeared. Tomura made a noise in the back of his throat that wasn’t at all a scream.

Mr. Compress raised his hands defensively. “I thought it best to marble her while she was distracted. We wouldn’t want her to get injured in ”

“Wow! Way to go, Mr. Compress!” said Toga, giving the other villain a hug. “Good thinking!”

“Yeah!” agreed Twice. “Now she can’t hurt us—But she sure can when you let her out!”

“Which is why I propose we bring her to Giran at the first feasible opportunity. Between him and the doctor, I’m sure they can make arrangements for her that we need not be involved in. And I will make sure we are all far, far away when I let her out.”

There was a series of sighs of relief.

“Good idea,” croaked Tomura. “But what are we going to do about—” He swore vehemently. “He’s seen us, he’s seen us we’ve got aggro! Reverse!”

.

“Is that Vlad-sensei’s car?”

“Unfortunately,” said Toshinori, “I think it is. Oh, dear, the man’s one to hold a grudge. I think I’ll have a new nemesis by the end of this.”

.

Today had been a very annoying day in general for Vlad King, but for some reason, his sense of annoyance suddenly doubled. This made his hands clench and thereby tear the piece of paper he was holding.

Scratch that. His sense of annoyance had tripled.

“Yagi,” he muttered, “I am going to sue you so much.”

“What was that?” asked Hound Dog, looking away from the video feed displaying Eri-chan scarring Hero Commission agents for life in her undeniably cute way.

“Nothing,” muttered Vlad.

.

All for One paused in his assault of the vault door. He couldn’t help but feel like someone somewhere had said something unusually aggravating.

Ah, well. He had other things to worry about.

.

“Ah,” said Toshinori as one of Gigantomachia’s fists tore off the bumper of the rapidly reversing car. “Hm,” he continued as Shigaraki climbed out on the hood, grinning. “I think we should go, now.”

Izuku nodded. They could only hope to get far away enough away for Gigantomachia to be unable to hunt them down.

If they ran into any other problems…

.

Dabi paused as he heard quite a lot of noise from up ahead and rolled his eyes, ignoring how the movement pulled at his staples. The idiots had already started fighting Gigantomachia. Well. He didn’t want any part of that.

He changed directions. Hanging out in the woods it was, then.

Eh. It was good for him. Fresh (cold) air. Sunshine (sort of). Readily available reminders of why he hated his father.

Nature was great. If only he could burn it all down without blowing cover.

.

“Oh, no,” said a hapless technician.

“What?” asked the commission supervisor who’d brough the sample to the lab. “What is it? Is he related to the Scourge of Kamino?”

“Well,” squeaked the woman, her mousy ears twitching. “Yes. But I ran him through a few other databases as well, and…” she trailed off. “Well… The number of cross references in the hero database is staggering, but, of course, if he’s related to them, and to the other, well…”

The commission supervisor grabbed the edge of her monitor and twisted it around to face him. She watched the blood drain from his face and refrained from calling him out on his rudeness.

“Why,” he asked, “didn’t they run the Scourge of Kamino’s DNA through these databases?”

“I guess they didn’t think it was necessary?”

“Excuse me,” he said, “I have to make a few calls.”

.

“You want us to attack the League of Villains now?” asked Hawks, frowning. “You’ve had me following them around for weeks, and you want us to go in now, with next to no preparation? We don’t even know if the rest of the League is with Dabi.”

What had they found out from Midoriya’s blood sample? Had it turned out the way Dabi had expected.

Was Midoriya Izuku the son of All for One?

“Alright, alright,” he said in response to his handler. He sighed deeply, leaning back to better look at the sky. “But even I’m going to need a couple hours to get everything together and start coordinating with other heroes. I’m—Sir, I really don’t think I’m going to be able to take them all on just with myself and my sidekicks. Midoriya probably isn’t with them to begin with—I’m not questioning you, sir. I just don’t understand our objective in attacking them now. Why are we rushing? It seems counterpro—Yes, sir.” The line beeped loudly as it disconnected.

Well. All this had been a monumental waste of time.

It also boded ill for Midoriya. It sounded as if he’d become an even greater target than before, and considering that the commission had been labeling him a villain even before testing his DNA… Something bigger than being related to All for One must have come out. Something that had scared the commission. Something they would scrap their stealth- and intelligence-based plan for dealing with the League for. Something they wanted gone. Locked away with Midoriya.

Hawks couldn’t imagine what that could be. Maybe he was related to All Might? Or Endeavor? All Might wouldn’t be bad, he was never publicly in a relationship, but then he’d always been private about his personal life. But Endeavor… that’d be a scandal and a half.

But, if either of those were the case, why were they so sure he’d be with the League of Villains? It didn’t make sense. Unless… Unless Midoriya wasn’t the only one related to All for One.

At least they weren’t asking him to kill the kid. The mission was capture.

Which meant that Hawks had to come up with some way of letting an injured and probably exhausted teenager and a severely disabled old man escape without looking like he was letting them escape. Or looking like an incompetent idiot. Again. Because he wasn’t about to bring Midoriya in under circumstances this shady. Maybe before, when he thought it was just trumped-up kidnapping charges, but with this uncertainty…

Commission lackey or not, Hawks was still a hero. Sometimes that meant he put aside personal feelings for the good of society, and sometimes it meant that he ignored orders so a minor wouldn’t be indefinitely imprisoned at a commission black site.

Fun times.

He sighed and gathered in his feathers, angling down into a dive. Time to get to work.

.

Ochako kept seeing things out of the corners of her eye. Shadow in the shape of people, in the shape of children. Stains on the walls.

The hallways were scrupulously clean. Spotless. Empty. Brightly lit.

Todoroki had mentioned smelling smoke a few times and had started gagging for no reason once or twice. Iida kept twitching as if he had heard something. Aizawa appeared unaffected, but Ochako could see the way he gripped his capture weapon and the rigidness of his spine.

Izuku looked resigned.

“Did they really—” started Iida.

“Yes,” said Izuku. “Almost certainly.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Todoroki.

“You’re only getting fragments of Three’s memories, since she’s suppressing this,” said Izuku. “But…” He twitched, slightly. “It’s going to get worse the farther we go. The places she was in…” His voice was soft, sing-song, not quite entirely there.

“Izuku?”

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I’m focusing on something else outside.”

“Please tell me you aren’t fighting pro heroes again,” said Aizawa.

“No, I’m escaping from the League of Villains right now.”

“How?”

“Mm. Great question. I’ll tell you how it goes later, if it works.”

“That’s not what I—”

An ear-splitting, bone-chilling scream filled the air, making everyone flinch and clench. Something crackled overhead.

“Incident response team to hallway C. Code Blue.”

More screaming. This time, Ochako had a better idea of where it was coming from, and it seemed like everyone else, did, too.

They ran past classrooms that were alternately empty and full of shadow people, past soulless dormitory rooms stuffed with bunk beds, past cells and rooms Ochako didn’t even want to think about.

A pair of dark-skinned girls stood in the hallway, one holding a bloody hand to her throat, the other baring her teeth. The lights flickered. Dimmed.

The girls were gone by the time the lights came back on.

The hallway they were in was full of operating theaters, complete with lights over the door. Ochako felt sick.

But she was used to dealing with nausea. She took a deep breath and swallowed.

“What now?” she asked. The quaver in her voice was barely audible.

“Now…” Aizawa turned slowly in place. “We’re trying to find where they met Ryuji.”

“Two,” said Izuku, nodding.

“So, the most likely place for that…” He trailed off. “The most likely place for that is in the… residential areas.” He sounded disgusted with himself for referring to a prison with such bland terms.

“We passed something like that,” said Todoroki, quietly.

“Right,” said Aizawa. “Let’s go.”

.

The way back was much more… crowded. The memories were more tangible. Ochako quickly taught herself not to look in any of the rooms. Not that it helped much with what they saw in the halls themselves.

Izuku’s distraction only grew worse as they went further. He kept trying to follow, or sometimes fight, the memory ghosts.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Focusing on something else.”

“Just don’t die on us, problem child.”

“We’re doing okay,” said Izuku.

This was, of course, when the facility’s alarm went off.

“Intruder alert. Intruder alert. Intruder alert.”

.

Izuku couldn’t hear the sound of the fight between the League and Machia anymore. This meant that either the fighting had stopped, or they had moved out of earshot.

Despite the League having a car (Vlad-sensei’s car) Izuku doubted that the fight had gotten all that far away.

Next to him, Toshinori winced. Izuku looked at him with concern, but Toshinori waved it off.

Izuku took a shaky breath.

They just had to keep going.

.

Twice had, perhaps predictably, backed the car up into a ditch, where, despite the amount of pressure he put on the accelerator, it stayed. Stuck. Perhaps forever.

All members of the League of Villains that were not crazy enough to crawl onto the outside of a moving car to fight a homicidal giant climbed out. All members, meaning a single member. A single member, ironically, being Twice.

At least he hadn’t been going very fast when he ran into the ditch.

“Everyone okay? –Of course, they’re not! You were in a car crash, idiots!”

“Come help us fight!” ordered Shigaraki. “We were in the middle of something, you know, stupid level boss! Keep having to save scum I hate you aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Well, that wasn’t a good sign.

“Where’s Himiko?” he shouted.

“Over here, silly!” said the second Shigaraki, because, yeah. Twice had forgotten he hadn’t duplicated Shigaraki.

Man, he was dumb sometimes. It was great he had friends to help him with that!

He dove into the fight which, ever so slightly, ever so slowly, began to move away from the car.

.

Izuku’s head throbbed sharply, and he stumbled, Toshinori just managing to catch him before he faceplanted. Four and the other past users hissed at him from the back of his mind.

Someone’s coming. Hide.

They were in no condition for another fight.

Toshinori nodded sharply, and pulled Izuku aside, into some bushes. Izuku tried to breathe quietly but was painfully aware that both he and Toshinori were out of breath and raspy. Ragged. They’d been aiming for speed, not stealth, counting on the sounds of combat to cover them.

But if someone was out here—

Izuku smelled smoke. A branch snapped. He held his breath, despite the way his lungs longed for more oxygen. Had Dabi been in the car? Izuku hadn’t seen him. He hadn’t seen any blue fire. It wasn’t like Dabi to hold back.

A pair of black booted feet came into view.

“Well, well, what do we have here?”

.

They found Two standing in a hallway, surrounded by the bodies of soldiers. A small horde of shadow children clung to his legs.

When he laid eyes on Izuku, he sighed.

“Does the world ever give you a break?” he asked.

“Not that I’ve noticed,” said Izuku.

[afandommultiverse]

One Night Lifetimes - Langris Vaude

word count - 4k

request - patpatlangit

warnings - Lime, no actual smut even though it says lemon juice, I'm sorry I got really tired and ended up making this 4k words and didn't have the brainpower or creativity to write smut, demand of abortion 

a/n - of course enjoy, and let me know about any spelling errors please! Again sorry there no team smut❤️

~~~

“Hey, Y/n, you’re glowing a bit, you okay?” Looking up from your food you stared at Vanessa questioningly. Her sudden odd question caught the attention of some of the others eating at the table. 

“Oh yeah! Did you do some new kind of body wash, Y/n? You’re shiny!” Asta exclaimed, stuffing his face as he looked at me for an answer, as did everyone else. 

“No… I haven’t changed anything in my schedule- or any of my products.” The only thing different from my life is… I couldn’t be? He wouldn’t be stupid enough… Everyone else continued to talk and speculate before someone finally asked the Captain for his opinion. 

“What do you think, Cap’n?” Yami eyed you up and down, his expression unreadable as he looked at you over his newspaper. Before going back to reading he folded to the next page saying;

“I know a thing or two about glowing women… I’ll call a good mage of mine to come to check you out.” 

***

“Any change in foods?” 

“Uhm, no not really.” 

“And you said you haven’t changed any bathing products?” 

“Yep.”

“No schedule changes?” 

“No.” 

“Well, then I’ll run a quick spell over ya’ and we should know what's wrong with you in a jiffy, Dearie.” The old woman smiled warmly, easing your anxious nerves and buzzing fingers, which played together tirelessly in your lap. The doctor's grimoire opened and the relief of her mana washed through your body, cleansing every cell leaving you with refreshed, rested bones and muscles overworked or exerted from missions with every touch, even the slight nausea you had earlier disappeared. 

“When was the last time you had your monthly cycle, Dearie?” You look at the woman, confused but almost knowing what she was already going to say. Again that nausea was back, along with a new lump in your throat that burned and tightened the muscles around it, pulling painfully on the tear ducts of your eyes. 

“Two- Two months.” Your voice was shaky, wavering weakly in reply. 

“Oh, Dearie,” Reading your face she didn’t know what to say. All she did was hug you and rub your back consolingly as you sat frozen, still breathing and heart. 

Time seemed to blur by after that when you came back to the hideout in your room, Yami and the mage talking outside, they’re murmurs coming through the wooden door taunted your ears. A few moments of silence passed before the door opened to show Yami. He came in as neutral as ever, lighting a cigarette and coming to sit beside you on the bed, which creaked loudly under his weight. 

“Here, Gladys gave me these to give to you.” He handed you a glass bottle of small capsules. You looked at the bottle and read the label ‘Prenatal Supplements,’ yet another sign that what was happening is real. 

“Are you going to keep it?” Yami asked, looking at the wall while blowing out a puff of smoke. 

“I don’t know.” 

“Are you going to tell him?” You snorted weakly. 

“I think that's the only thing I’m sure about at this point.” You fell to the side and laid your head on his shoulder, holding back every tear that had been building up behind your eyes since you got the news. 

“So am I gonna tell Finral he’s going to be an uncle or do you want the honors?” You turned to look up at him, head-snapping so fast you thought you broke it. 

“You knew?” Yami turned to look at you, a grin pulling at his lips, teeth gripping his cigarette in place. 

“Who do you think brought you back that night?” 

***

“Captain Langris? A visitor is here to see you.” Langris frowned, he wasn’t expecting anyone today, he was supposed to be working on mission assignments and specifically freed up the day due to his lag in work as of late, a certain woman clouding his thoughts. 

“Come in.” He wasn’t prepared for who came through the threshold of his office door. In you walked, legs striding with a confidence you didn’t feel at all, but you could have fooled him, with your head held high you met him head-on at his desk. 

“What can I do for you, Y/n?” His chin came to rest on his pen that he held in front of him with his two hands, watching you with sharp, intrigued eyes, anyone else might have thought he was bored, but he was beyond curious of where this would go. 

“I-” The words were stuck in your throat, a huge knot holding up the words from passing your lips. 

“What is it?” He didn't mean to come off so rude but it was out of instinct, he wasn’t a patient man. 

“W-Well.” Once again the words balled up in your throat, restricting your breathing as your eyes began to water, built-up anxiety and nerves ripping away at your nerves as you began to shake. 

“Well? Get on with it-”

“I'M PREGNANT!” The scream seemed to clear your throat, but the shaking continued, as did the tears burning your eyes, blurring the reaction of Langris, but you didn’t need to see it. 

“Get rid of it.” you blinked, breakdown halted for but a second, a second of clarity where you saw him, terrified and desperate, another blink, calm- angry eyes. You took a step back, disgusted, almost betrayed. You didn’t know what to expect when coming here, but it wasn’t this.

“Y/n wait-” He could see the disgust in your somber eyes, the regret for even coming here. He should've known, his mouth speaking before he even really thought about it, a mistake solely on his part. 

“No, I-I’m sorry to bother you but I need to go.” 

“Y/n no-!” You were just out of reach, just falling from his hand, his stumble almost made him run into the door which you slammed closed on your way out, by the time he opened it, you were already gone. 

“Fuck…” 

***

Three Years Later 

“Thank you for coming in on such short notice.” Langris was quiet and hushed as spoke to Finral, essentially unnerving him. 

“Langris? Are you okay?” Finral almost offered to get him a glass of water but held back in fear of insulting his younger brother, even after their bettered relationship, Finral still felt there were some lines he still didn’t get to cross.

“Fine, I’m fine. I’ve asked for you because I have a proposition.” 

“A proposition?” Finral watched as Langris pulled out a long piece of paper from his desk, the edges sharp and lined with gold. As Langris laid the paper down slid it toward his older brother, Finral in return, brushing it closer, reading the words written with wide eyes. 

“I-Is this some sort of joke?!” Finral shoved the paper away, glaring at his brother, not finding one of his usual pranks so funny. After everything he’d done, what right does he have to ask this of him- to ask this of you!

“Finral-”

“No! Do you have any idea what you said did to her? I’ve seen your lows, Langris, but I didn’t think you would go this far. I thought you had made it clear you didn’t want anything to do with-”

“It was a mistake! Those words were flying out of my mouth before I even had a chance to even think of what I was saying. I know that doesn’t make it any better, but it’s the truth. Y/n doesn’t deserve that, she doesn’t even deserve me, she should have nothing but the best but… well- goddamnit I love her and I’m going to try my damn well hardest to fix what I did!” Finral couldn’t believe it, the tears filling his younger brother's eyes only fueling the shock rippling throughout his senses, freezing him. Langris loved you? Langris didn’t love anyone. 

“How do I know you're not lying, that you’re not just trying to get close to her and Lefric only to kidnap him and sell him huh?” Finral eyes his brother, suspicion ripping at his thoughts, training each opinion and speculation. 

“Lefric? Is that his name?” The smile on Langris’ face was almost unnatural, something Finral hadn’t seen in so long, a genuine smile. 

“Y-Yes.” Langris hummed, leaning back and seeming to drift away in his thoughts, probably his little paradise where he was with you and Lefric, a part of the family you had created, but the sadness clouded his eyes once again, reminded by the reality of which you hate him, and your son, his son, didn’t even know he existed.

“I don’t plan to sell my son, and I don’t plan on deceiving Y/n either, I just want another chance.” Finral sat back and looked at his brother for a long time, and several emotions ran through his eyes and face, sometimes his eyes contradicting the face he was making, and then he was completely unreadable. It was the first time Langris wanted to hear Finral speak. 

“Okay, I’ll bring her- BUT if you so much as making a suspicious glance at her OR Lefric, we are outta there!” Langris almost could hold his joy in, feeling like jumping around and throwing his hands in the air, instead he settled on a face-splitting smile that frightened his older brother. 

“Perfect! Shall we get you ready for your wedding?” 

“MY WHAT?!” 

***

Sitting in the white chair your blood boiled, simmering under your skin and scorching your veins. What was Finral thinking bringing you here, bringing Lefric here! You had the mind to struggle him in your seat right now if the music hadn’t started playing and everyone stood. Lefric hung off my you as you both turned to watch the bride walk down the aisle. 

Finesse looks gorgeous, draped in a white fabric dripping from her figure in exact seams and hems. Her veil was decorative, lace flowers growing across, she looked like a goddess. Walking toward the steps of her future matrimony, gorgeous lilies in hand, you couldn't help but think if this deity knew about her future husband's bastard child. Everyone sat back down and the priest began, looking over at Finral, you realized why he might have brought you, clutching at his slacks, he couldn’t even look up at the ceremony, eyes burning into his legs. You only slid Lefric onto one hip and grabbed Finral’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly. You were happy to feel a small squeeze back. 

The ceremony blurred as Lefric began moving, playing with your dress and hair, you couldn’t help but play with him too, making sure you were still quiet, but your playtime was halted when a sentence from the priest caught your ear. 

“Is there anyone who objects to this?” The priest turned to the crowd looking for objectors, surprise pulling at his old face when someone did. 

“I do.” The priest pulled back, babbling nothings before spitting out, “I beg your pardon?!”

“I object. I don’t love her and I don’t want this marriage.” Some people in the crowd gasped, some even laughed, others watched on in astound, frozen in their seats. You looked away from the others, catching the sad face of Finesse at the altar, as sad as she was though, the breath of relief was obvious. 

“I wouldn’t want to put Finesse through that.” Confusion wiped at her eyes, some even dotting my face with furrowed brows. Langris turned to look at me, looking as though relieved and elated. His gaze went sideways finding Finral and nodding. The brothers wordlessly switched places, much to your annoyance as you whispered questions to Finral as he walked away. Panic and anxiety bubbled up and your hold on Lefric tightened a little watching as Langris walked closer, his final steps the only thing you heard over the blood rushing your ears. 

“Y/n.” His voice was but a whisper, hesitant and tentative much like a shy child, which coming from Langris, was the least of what you expected. His eyes dropped from you and fell on your son, eyes suddenly ten times brighter. He looked as though he was going to pick Lefric up from me, but he stopped, his arms frozen awkwardly, before stiffly smoothing down his suit. His hand came down to grab my free one before turning back to the priest and saying, 

“You may continue.” The priest looked off to the parents of Langris and Finral, met with angry scowls but nodding heads, so he continued. 

Sitting beside you, he paid you no mind, never once letting go of your hand either. You thought of pulling it away, even moving your wrist a little to pull it away but you stopped. Why you don’t know, maybe it was because his hand was so warm, a warmth you’d been needing for a while. 

“And do you Finral Roulacase take Finesse to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold till death do you part?”  

“I do.” 

“And do you Finesse Calmreich, take Finral to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold till death do you part?”  

“I do!” 

“I may now pronounce you as husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride!” 

***

The reception was loud and joyful food and drinks passed around nobles and spectators mingling together, each going up and their own time to congratulate the married couple. When it came to be your turn, Langris followed you up, practically as attached to your hip as Lefric. 

“Y/n I know I’m horrible but-” 

“Congratulations Finral, I’m glad everything could work out. You two deserve each other.” You watched as Finesse smiled and squeezed at Finral’s hand. Finral smiled as he looked down at the hand clasping his, still not believing that this was truly happening. 

“Thank you, Y/n.” You nodded. 

“Of course.”  you set down your wedding gift to give to them on the table before handing over a second present. 

“So since someone has some explaining to do and you're busy, you get to watch Lefric while Langris does explain this all to me. Sound good? Good?” The end was a bit snippy, but you're already peeved off self sort-of had a right. Langris followed without command and followed you into the first empty room you could find, a simple guest room. You sat on the bed and sighed, staring up at Langis with squinted eyes, skeptical of his motives. 

“You may begin.” 

“I made a deal with Finral that if he brought you to the wedding, he would be marrying Finesse instead of me.” Never one to beat around the bush, Langris answered you with a bored tone, staring at you like he had done nothing wrong like he’d done nothing at all. 

“And what in the hell were you thinking when you did that?” You were pissed, fuse lit and burning down fast, you were ready to explode. 

“I was thinking that I love you and I want to be a family, I want to be a father to Lefric.” It was like a bucket of water had been dropped on you, efficiently washing out the burning fuse. Langris dropped to his knees and looked up at you. 

“Please, give me a chance Y/n. You wouldn’t believe how sorry I am, honest. I didn’t mean to say what I did back then, and I'm so glad you didn’t listen to my foolish ass. Please, Y/n I don’t think I can watch him grow up from the sidelines.” 

“You’ve done well so far,” you muttered, turning away from his pleading eyes which seemed to burn through you , pulling at the heart-strings you had thought you cut off. He looked away with a small sad smile, shaking his head. 

“No, I haven’t. I was there when you had your seventh-month scare, even arranging a better doctor for you. I was there when you were recovering in the hospital after giving birth. I managed to catch glimpses of him at his first birthday party but that was a bit difficult, that boy Asta moves around too much for his good. It was his second birthday, I couldn’t make it, I was sent on an assignment near the kingdom's border, and god- I was so pissed. I don’t think I’d ever seen my men so scared of me.” He stopped coming forward to drop down in front of you. Langris Vaude, on his knees, looking up at you like you were the empress which ruled his life.

“I knew that I couldn’t do it anymore, I couldn’t watch him from the sidelines, I wanted to see him and me… I wanted to see you.” He finished shakily, eyes dropping to the thighs he leveled with, he was sincere, honest, there was nothing much he missed more than you, even if it was only one night, no woman has ever compared to you. Looking up at you now, sharp eyes glaring at him while slowly softening as he pleaded, Langris had never felt more at home then underneath you. He was so close, closer than he’d been in four years, he didn’t even feel his arm moving from his side moving to lay on your thigh, falling in slightly. Langris knew he had you when he spotted the shiver in your back run down your thighs closing them around the fingers that slipped to touch the soft skin of your inner thighs. 

“Langris,” Your voice was stern but it wavered, frailty curving around your words as they fell from lips. “I don’t… I can’t just accept you into my life this is gonna take a lot of time. You hurt me Langris, scared me.” Your head pulled at his own, curling it up in your CV hands. 

“But I can meet you halfway, as long as you promise to do the same.” Langris felt his breath stop, looking up at you he felt like crying, he felt like screaming in joy but he settled on smiling up at you, tears welling in his eyes slowly, making his eyes shine in the lowly lit room. 

“Thank you,” He whispered, “thank you, thank you, thank you.” 

***

Six Months Later

Langris met halfway, if not more which swept you off your feet more than anything, the second Langris met Lefric he had been nothing less than a loving father, spending time with him as much as he could and even taking him out, of course only with you or Finral’s presence. If Lefric became upset, Langris was there to ask him what’s wrong and comfort him before a cry even left his lips. Family dinner became a thing every Wednesday, usually held at the Black Bulls hideout but the times where you ate with Golden Dawn commanders sometimes evening the Captain coming to join, those nights were filled with just as rich food and laughter. 

Then there were the dates, the nights Finral and Finesse took care of Lefric and left you and Langris to go out and eat, filled with flirty gestures and hearty chuckles. As much as he cared for Lefric, Langris equally cared for you, checking on you when you seemed stressed, coming to see you after coming back from a mission, even occasionally going shopping with you for small things or groceries because he wanted to be near you. With Langris as Vice-Captain and you being a guild member yourself, it was hard and there were some disagreements, old Langris even coming out a few times but he never failed to apologize, and neither did you if you were wrong, you both couldn’t afford to be petty, if he- if you both wanted this work, then you had to think about Lefric as well.

Six months doesn’t feel like much, but as you break down every moment, every decision, every soft minute, each building juncture in your budding relationship, you wouldn’t give it up for anything. To you, Langris had long proven himself and you were tired of waiting for the right time to thank him and forgive him. 

“Are you ready?” You snapped out of the recollection of events, met with the questioning eyes of a certain Vice Captain, holding his hand out for you, ready to take you home after a refined night out at some highly rated nobility restaurant. The food had been great and the wine was sweet, heavy on your tongue and you never found your mouth closed, conversation buzzing the entire night, carrying with the wind that softly blew around you both. You had come as the sun was setting, dining and watching the sunset but as the dinner went on the sun long faded and the dark sky filled your desert with stars and a chill that ran up and down your spine, dressed a little too thin. 

“Hmm? Oh yeah, sorry.” You move to get up, pushing your chair back in before taking Langris’ hand letting him lead you out, opening every door for you and letting you through first making you feel like royalty. He walked toward a carriage waiting for you both but you waved off the driver and pulled Langris back. 

“Walk with me.” He looked stunned, almost pulling back from you before catching up, walking beside you and still looking questioning. Walking for minutes on end, Langris didn’t know where you were going, but he didn’t mind, he would follow you anywhere. It was when you shivered lightly while the harsh wind blew between you, shaking the trees around you, making the leaves swish a blow in an airy sound, did Langris speak. 

“Maybe we should head back soon, it’s getting pretty cold.” He didn’t ask but he didn't pull you away either instead continuing to follow as you pulled him to a little inn. You walked in and straight to the desk lady asking for one room, pulling out your own money before Langris could think of reaching for his, he was annoyed with that and rolled his eyes averting himself from you for a bit before walking with you again when you handed the key. 

“What about Lefric?” 

“He’s with Finral and Finesse tonight.” 

“Yeah, but Finral’s is an idi- ahem! Finral is... Finral.” He settled, taking the key from your hands gently and pulling up next to your room, unlocking the door and letting you in. 

“Finral is very much capable of taking care of Lefric and if not he has Finesse! They’ll be fine, they always are, and if they aren’t, they know just how to get a hold of us.” You spoke, slipping off your thin coat and beginning to drop useless jewelry onto the side table. You stopped for a second turning to find Langris in the door staring at the room, analyzing every inch meticulously. “What?” 

“What are we doing here?” He looked back over to you, suddenly you noticed the way he gripped the key, his eyes falling down your figure while you took your time to answer. Slowly you walked from the bedside table and sat on the bed taking off your heels promptly, and sitting back in the bed looking at Langris with just as much yearning as he did you. 

“I think I’ve left you waiting long enough,” You unclipped your dress from your back and shrugged it down, bunching it at your hips halting as you looked back up at him. Watching his face fall, eyes widen and devouring every inch of naked skin they could scour, falling on your bare breast with a shuddering breath. “don’t you think?” 

The door was slammed shut, you almost feared he broke the door frame almost waiting for the door to just swing back open but it held. Langris was on you in a second and suddenly you found yourself on your back, hands pulling your dress down your legs hastily. He pulled back taking a shuddering breath as he looked at you, watching you slide your legs open waiting for him to do something, anything. Becoming a little bashful with his long stare, your legs began to droop, almost falling closed but he caught them. 

“Don’t cover yourself, Honey, it’s been so long.” His voice ending in a high whine as he slipped onto the bed, arms wrapping under your legs to set them on his lithe shoulders. Langris turned to look back up at me finding my eyes. 

“Can I touch you?” you didn’t hesitate. 

“Please!” and neither did he.

[tanyawritesstories]

Indecent Distraction | Commander Cody x Reader

A Cody piece all about riling up the stoic Creamsicle and teasing him till he breaks. 😉 Enjoy! @kote-ko for your consideration.

Word count: 2,943

Warnings: NSFW, smut, teasing, oral (m & f receiving, overstimulation, spanking, unprotected sex, Cody is a satisfying dom

•••

You had lost track of how long you'd been sitting in this restaurant. Just waiting for him to show up. It was unlike Cody to be late and he almost never forgot anything. You held out hope and waited longer. Something had probably come up and he hadn't any time to tell you that he would miss dinner. It had been two whole hours and you'd downed three glasses of wine in that time, currently working on your fourth.

A waitressing droid stopped by your table again. "I think you might've been stood up, honey," It hummed. "Probably," you sighed, "Oh well. Can I get my food to go plus an extra order of the same thing." The droid delivered your food to you in boxes and you chugged the rest of your wine before paying and getting a speeder back to your apartment.

You got home and set about reheating the food. While that was going, you walked to the office. Yep, sure enough, there he was. Your boyfriend was sitting at your desk in only his blacks, on your computer, he also had two datapads out with reports and military nonsense on their screens. He was clearly deep in his work, so much so that he didn't even notice you walk in.

“Really?” He looked up long enough to take in your appearance and then went back to his work. “What is it?” He asked, not looking up. “I waited for you at the restaurant for two and a half hours!” You complained. Cody looked at you, regret and sorrow written all over his face. “Oh cyare, I’m so sorry. I got overloaded with work at the last minute and was going to comm you and tell you I couldn’t make it but I got caught up and forgot.” You raised an eyebrow at him, you hoped you looked pissed off because you were. Cody went back to his work which made you even more annoyed. “That’s all you have to say?” You jabbed. “You look nice,” he said, still not looking up.

You threw your hands up and let them fall at your sides. “Whatever, I brought dinner home, I’ll bring it to you.” He said nothing in response and you rolled your eyes as you walked to the bedroom. You changed into a comfy tank top and shorts and went to get the food. You made sure it was hot and added everything you knew he liked onto a plate and took a glass of wine with you.

Sure you were annoyed that he forgot about your date, but he was your boyfriend and you loved him. He was also a very high ranking soldier in the galaxy's best army, he had a lot of people counting on him and that meant he was always busy. You understood, you knew the risk when you two had agreed to be together. You just wished he would take a short break every now and then.

“I brought you dinner, love.” You set the plate and glass down on his desk, picking up one of the datapads and putting the plate in its place. “Thank you, cyar’ika,” Cody stopped his work to kiss you on the cheek before diving right back into the computer. You sighed and leaned on the edge of the desk, swiping through the reports and details on the datapad you had snatched. “(Y/n), what are you doing?” You ignored his question for a moment. “Would you mind if I smashed this?”

Cody’s eyes went wide and the expression on his face was a mixture of shock and horror. You giggled, “I’m joking, eat your food.” You crossed the room and slumped into one of the chairs, still messing with the datapad. You could see your boyfriend glaring at you through the transparent screen. You lowered the device and met his glare with a lighthearted smile.

“You had better not mess up anything on there, for your sake and mine,” he said. “Just eat your food and then I’ll give it back,” you laughed. Perhaps it was a little mean but it got Cody to stop his work and finally eat.

“Thank you again, (Y/n). It was delicious.” You got up from your chair and walked to the other side of the desk, datapad in hand. Cody held out a hand, “May I have that back now?” You held the device against your stomach shielding it from him. “(Y/n), you promised you’d give it back,” He was trying to persuade you and you weren’t going to be mean. “Don’t make me take it from you the hard way,” a suggestive smirk forming on his lips.

“I wish you would,” you admitted, handing him the piece of technology, “We haven’t been together in months.” You walked over to stand behind him in the swivel chair he was sitting in. “We don’t have time for that right now,” he said, scrolling through a datapad and clicking away at the computer.

You sighed. You put your hands on his shoulders and began to massage them. “But I’m sexually frustrated,” you whined. “I know, as am I, but duty comes first,” Cody added. “Can’t you just take a little break, baby?” You ran your hands down his chest, feeling his muscles under his shirt. Cody caught your wandering hands before they reached their destination, “Maybe later, when I’m done with this.” You held back the groan of frustration and retracted your hands. You did your best not to stomp out of the room as you went to go eat dinner by yourself.

You checked up on Cody 30 minutes later, he was still hard at work. You had removed your shorts and bra and was now wearing only a thong and a mostly see through tank top. You hoped to the maker it would get his attention, you wanted him so badly. He had been gone for two months, only sending you short messages and notes whenever he found the time. Two whole months withholding your desires and how the object of your dirty dreams was sitting across the room, oblivious.

You walked in and set about dusting the shelves and cleaning the viewports. You hadn’t cleaned them in forever and this was the perfect excuse. As you dusted off one of the bookshelves you felt Cody’s eyes running up and down your body, settling on your ass which was on full display for him. You made sure to dust the bottom shelves, bending over when you knew he was looking. It was his turn to say: “Really?”

You looked over your shoulder at him, “What, I’m just cleaning.” He gave you a suspicious look. “This room hasn’t been done in forever, I don’t have the motivation to do much of anything while you’re gone.” You heard him huff in disbelief, or annoyance, you couldn’t really tell. “And you had to come in here dressed like that to clean, hmm?” You moved to one of the viewports, wiping it down with a cloth. “It’s not my fault I have nothing else to do.”

When you were done cleaning you put your supplies away and returned to the office, deciding to do some reading. You grabbed a book and sat down in a comfy lounge chair. You would read a few paragraphs and then look up at Cody, then go back to your book. He had apparently not noticed that you came in again. You were determined to get him to take a break from his work, or fuck you, either one would be nice. You set the book in your lap and whisked off your tank top, leaving your breasts exposed to the warm air. You balled up the tank top and threw it at Cody, picking your book back up and looking innocent and normal as ever. The shirt had landed directly on top of the datapad Cody was looking at. He sighed and looked up at you.

"(Y/n)?”

You lowered the book, bringing your body into his view. “Yes, dear?” You looked innocent and kept a straight face. You saw the seriousness in his expression fall as he took in your topless form. It only lasted a few seconds and he was back to Commander mode. He held up the shirt for you to see, “Care to explain what you’re getting at?” You shrugged, “I’m allowed to walk around topless in my own apartment,” you said, “Just ignore me, go back to your work.” He glared at you as you continued reading. He knew what game you were playing and if you continued he didn’t think he could hold back for much longer.

You finished the chapter of your book and gently closed it. You had been keeping an eye on your Commander, hence why it took you half an hour to read one chapter. He was doing surprisingly well staying focused on his work, only glancing at you from time to time. You slowly and quietly got up to put your book away. You slid it back into its place on the shelf, on the wall in front of the desk. You looked at Cody, balls deep in his work instead of you.

You got an idea and quietly dropped to your hands and knees in front of the desk. You crawled to sit underneath it, right in front of your boyfriend’s parted legs. Damn his blacks for getting in the way! Luckily, they were stretchy and easy to remove. You didn’t want him to catch you. You quickly slipped off your thong and set it next to you, careful not to hit your head. You got on your knees and in one swift movement shoved your hand into his blacks and brought his cock out, he was semi hard and warm in your hand. You felt his body jolt and tense up and you brought your mouth to his base and licked. Cody rolled the chair away from the desk just enough so he could see you. Your mouth was torn away from him but your hand stayed on his cock.

“Now what do you think you’re doing?” He wasn’t angry but was definitely pissed. “If you’re not willing to give me anything can I at least have this while you work,” You snapped, moving the hand that was on his dick to get your point across. Cody bit his lip and sighed, “Fine, but be subtle and don’t distract me too much.”

He graciously pulled his blacks down to his knees to allow you better access. “Thank you, dear,” You chirped. Cody rolled the chair back under the desk and you got to work. Stroking him until he was fully hard. You would honor his request for now, it would go out the window soon. You kissed from the base up to his tip and circled it with your tongue, planting a kiss at the very end.

“What did I say about being subtle!” He growled from above you. “Sorry,” you replied.

You put your mouth around him completely and bobbed your head on his length, going slow and doing nothing extreme. You licked his slit for a second and tasted the salty precum that was seeping from him. You engulfed him again and pumped what you couldn’t fit in your mouth. You wanted to make sure he didn’t expect anything more from you before you took action. You could hear his breathing speeding up. You took him to the back of your throat for a second and made sure to coat his cock in as much saliva as you could. You were ready. You pumped him a few more times before taking his cock into your throat, shoving yourself down so your nose touched his abdomen. You heard him moan above you, he made such a pretty sound.

Cody had had it with you, now you were going to pay for distracting him. He slammed his fist on the desk and rolled the chair away, you moved with him and was able to keep his tip in your mouth. You looked up and made eye contact with him. He looked mad, real mad. The sight of you naked on your knees with his cock in your mouth looking up at him with innocent eyes just deepened his lust.

“Alright, that’s it. Get up,” He growled. You let him slip out of your mouth and scrambled to your feet. Cody stood up, grabbed your arm, spun you around, and bent you over the desk. He pressed himself into your back and you could feel his hard length against your thigh.

"You just had to distract me, didn't you?" Cody growled in your ear, shivers going down your back. "I told you to wait till I was finished with my work, and I was almost done," Cody spanked your ass and you whimpered, the sting only adding to your arousal. "You couldn't have waited 15 minutes could you?" Another spank. "No, you had to vie for my attention while I was busy," he spanked you again. "You've been naughty, (Y/n). And you know what happens to naughty girls don't you?" You nodded. "Say it," he snarled. "Naughty girls get punished," you answered, "Cody, please touch me, please!"

"It's Commander to you, sweetheart. Hold onto the desk and don't move," he ordered. "Yes, Commander," you breathed.

Cody got off of you and pulled off the top of his blacks before kneeling behind you, he spread your legs and attached his mouth to your pussy. You moaned out and tried not to move as Cody licked over your hole. He prodded your entrance with his tongue before changing and sliding it over your clit. You held onto the desk for dear life. His tongue felt like paradise as it massaged your folds, so warm and wet. You squeaked when he sucked on your clit and you couldn't help but grind your hips on his face. Cody immediately removed his mouth and spanked you hard.

"I said no moving!" You whined out a sorry and Cody went back to work. His tongue pushed into you and he wiggled it around to taste every delicious inch he could find. He added his fingers into the mix, finding your clit and rubbing circles on it. You were in bliss, the sensations he was causing going through your entire body. "Oh, Commander, I'm getting close," you voiced. Cody hummed against you at hearing his rank fall from your lips. He could feel the precum seeping out and running down his dick. He switched his mouth and his fingers, plunging two of them into you up to his knuckles. You squealed, "I'm going to cum, Commander. Can I cum, please?"

"Cum for me, darling," he ordered, at the same time attaching his mouth to your clit and sucking hard. Your mouth opened in a silent scream and you grabbed the desk so hard your knuckles turned white. Pure ecstasy flooded your whole being.

Cody licked up your juices and got to his feet, he needed you, badly. He was so pent up he knew he wouldn’t last long. He pumped himself a few times, coating his cock in your juices from his fingers. He lined himself up and thrusted all the way inside you. "Cody!" You yelled, "I'm, I'm sensitive still.."

"That's the point," he grunted, "Kriff, you feel so good, so nice and tight."

He picked up his pace right away, not giving you any time to recover from your orgasm. Your cunt was aching from overstimulation but the pain was quickly turned into pleasure. You lifted yourself onto your elbows and began to move back against him. Your moans were loud and frequent as Cody pounded into you, his hands on your hips keeping you still. Your moans were music to his ears and encouraged him to hold off his orgasm that was rapidly approaching. He groaned from behind you and laid himself over your back, your sweaty bodies sticking together. He put one hand on the desk and with the other reached around and fondled your breast. Your mind felt hazy and the only thing you could focus on was the pleasure at your core and his mouth that had started sucking and biting on your neck.

"I'm gonna cum soon," Cody groaned. He hammered into you as fast as he could, your hips repeatedly banging into the edge of the desk. You would undoubtedly have bruises there later. The knot in your stomach was getting ready to snap and you could tell Cody was seconds away. He hit that spot inside you at just the right angle and you were gone, shouting his name as you came undone around him. You clamped down on him and Cody thrust into you as far as he could go, moaning loud and releasing his cum all over the walls of your slick heat. You collapsed on top of the desk and Cody on top of you, panting trying to regain your breath.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Absolutely not, that was amazing,” you turned your head and kissed him on the cheek. “We should get cleaned up.” Cody cleaned you up as well as himself and put his blacks back on while you put on some comfy sleep clothes. “I suppose you should finish your work now,” you suggested. “There’s not that much left, I can do it in the morning,” Cody enveloped you in a hug, “Right now I want to relax and watch a holovid with you.” You squealed in excitement and beamed up at your boyfriend.

[theodore-themilkman]

Doctor Sexy In The House

In which your brothers find out you don't just play nurse after their hunting trips. 

Ships: None.

Reader Age: 21 

Reader Gender: Female

Extra Info: You're a Winchester

WARNINGS: angst 

-Road So Far-

I think I first realised I wanted to be a doctor when I was 7. My dad and my big brother, Dean, had just returned from a hunt (Sammy had stayed with me) and they were pretty banged up.

I remember my father calling me over and telling me that he needed me to stitch him up on his back. Like any 7 year old I didn't know how to do that, he showed me how as he stitched up the werewolf scratches in Dean's arms as any father would.

I remember after he'd finished up Dean he'd handed me the needle and told me that he knew I could do it. Minutes later he'd snatched the thing from my hand and called me useless when I'd poked him but that didn't discourage me.

I practiced on the only doll I had. I would cut her up and sew her back together again until I could do it with my eyes closed.

I moved on from stitches and learnt how to identify and treat broken bones, then I learnt how to remove bullets and glass shards from the body without harming the patient from the inside, then I found out how to deliver a baby (while under the pressure of a vengeful spirit trying to murder myself and the woman - I give myself extra points for that one). It continued over the years to the point that I was at college level doctoring by age 14.

Dad and my brothers didn't know. They didn't know that I had graduated high school at age 15 (I assume they thought I'd dropped out). They didn't know that I was completing online courses on the laptop I'd been given for research. They didn't know that when I went on a solo hunt I was actually finishing my practical exams at a nearby university. They didn't know because I didn't tell them.

I thought of telling Sam when he left for Stanford but since he hadn't even considered online schooling I'd assumed that he wouldn't appreciate it so I kept my mouth shut. I got my degree two months after he left. I was 18.

I stayed with Dean and Dad, I was their nurse of some sorts after hunts. They knew I was good at playing doctor, they didn't know that I was actually a doctor.

When Dad went missing 2 years later Dean and Dean and I went to fetch Sam I considered it again. Telling them. But something stopped me and I kept it to myself until one hunt a year or so after we had gotten Sam.

-Line Break-

"Y/N you coming with us to see the doc or...?"

I stared at Dean for moment, contemplating whether or not I actually wanted to be apart of this hunt. "Yep," I finally decided and followed them to the Impala.

I said nothing as we drove, only listening as the boys talked. I wasn't very close to my brothers, I felt as if I couldn't connect with them. With my choosing stay at the motel over hunting with them most of the time, it wasn't all too surprising. So I didn't let it get to me and tried to get along with them as much as I could.

As we stopped in front of the university Sam looked to me. "You got your badge?" It was my first hunt in a while and I wasn't surprised that he was checking up on me before we went in.

I nodded, pulling out the fake doctoring badge I had been given to prove it and placed it back into my pocket.

"Good, now remember I'll do the talking and you and Dean just say something when absolutely necessary," Sam reminded me. Usually it was Dean that would take charge like this but this was smart stuff and obviously Sam was the smart one so he had to take the lead. I would've rolled my eyes if I wasn't afraid of exposing myself to them.

We entered the building and were stopped by one of the doctors - a real one, not a phony like us. "Can I help you?"

Sam flashed the woman a smile, the charming innocent one that he used on cases when he wanted to look less suspicious. "Yeah, I'm Dr Urie. With me are my colleagues Dr Joseph and Dr Way. We were sent to check out the Pierce Murders."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Can I see your badges please?"

Sam's smile didn't waver. "Of course."

He handed her his fake badge, Dean and I following his lead. She looked at the three badges individually, her eyes shining with more and more belief until she came to mine. Her head snapped up and she looked at me with wide eyes. "Dr Winchester? As in Dr Y/N Winchester, the youngest doctor in our country."

I blinked then glanced to the badge in her hand. It was my actual badge. Of all the mistakes-

"Yeah, that's me," I told her, ignoring my internal freak out and my brothers' burning gazes.

"It's truly an honor," she murmured in admiration. "You guys said you were here for the Pierce Murders?" We nodded. "Okay, I can take you right now although Dr Winchester -"

I nodded that she continue. "If it isn't too much trouble could you take a look at a few of our live patients upstairs." I grinned, still ignoring my brothers and nodded.

-Line Break-

As the three of us returned to the car it was silent but I knew that wouldn't last long. And as we got into the car I was proven correct when Dean started demanding answers.

"What the hell was that?"

I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth. It looks like it was time to come clean. "I uh I'm a qualified doctor. Have been for a few years now. I graduated medical school and everything."

My brothers stared at me with wild eyes. "When did you do that?" Dean demanded.

"Well I got my medical license when I was 18," I answered tentatively.

It was Sam that spoke this time. "How the fuck did you do that? You didn't even finish high school."

My gaze hardened, and I no longer felt nervous. I was more pissed than anything. "I did a actually, when I was 15. It was a lovely ceremony, I was valedictorian oh and the only person whose family didn't show up."

Dean looked like he was feeling guilty for a moment then his jaw clenched. "You didn't tell us."

"I did actually, multiple times," I shot back.

"Dad, I've got to be at the school tomorrow night. It's graduation, you're coming, right?" I asked tentatively.

My father barely spared me a glance, instead focusing on the TV. "Yeah, yeah."

I glanced to my brothers, Sam was immersed in a book and Dean was watching the TV as well. "You're all coming?" I continued to question hopefully.

"Sure," Dean said distractedly. "Yep," Sam chimed up as if he was only agreeing because everyone else was.

I frowned at their tones but walked to bed nonetheless.

-

"Just reminding you of my graduation tonight," I said eating a spoon full of sludge that was supposedly cereal.

The boys grunted in return.

-

"Don't forget my graduation," I told Dean as he stopped the car in front of the school.

His eyes followed a pretty blonde that walked by. "Uh huh."

-

Graduation, tonight.

I sucked on my lower lip as I stared at the text I had sent on the family group. No one replied.

-

"Come on pick up," I said into the phone.

"It's Sam, leave a message."

"Uh hey Sammy, I've tried calling both Dad and Dean they didn't pick up either. Just wondering where you guys are, I'm going on in ten minutes and I haven't seen you."

-

I walked into the motel, my cheeks were stained with tears stains. I held a box with my awards in my arms.

As I looked around I noticed that my father and the boys were all fast asleep on their beds. I glanced to the fridge where I had left a sticky note. Graduation tonight, don't forget :)

My lower lip trembled and I stormed to the fridge then ripped the note off.

I stared at my brothers as I finished recounting the events, they stared at me mouth agape.

"That's not true," Dean finally said.

Fed up I reached over Sam to the glove compartment and grabbed the box with the phones. I rummaged around for a moment then pulled out my old phone.

I turned it on and went onto the old family group chat. I scrolled through the messages until I found the one I was looking for. I shoved it into Sam's hand. He stared at words displayed on the device.

"And," I reached between the seat that I had claimed as my own all those years ago and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. I shoved that into Sam's hands as well.

The car was silent.

"How'd you complete the classes? I don't remember you running off to college," Dean finally broke the silence. 

I glanced to Sam then swallowed. "Online classes and sneaking off for practicals."

Sam's lips parted and suddenly he looked really guilty. "I didn't even think -" 

"It's fine, you wanted a normal life and online schooling wouldn't have given you that freedom," I cut him off. 

It was silent again. 

"So you've been some big hotshot doctor this entire time and instead of finding some apple pie life, you stayed with us and used your medical degree or whatever to patch us up?" Dean asked as if were the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. 

I shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Why?" Sam asked this time.

"You guys are family, you don't turn your back on family."

Dean smiled at me softly and Sam looked ready to attack me in a moose attack hug. "Spoken like a true Winchester," Dean told me.

-Cue End Music-

[longitudinalwaveme]

Smoke and Mirrors

Dramatis Personae

Wally West, the energetic, enthusiastic, and confident third Flash

Iris Allen, the wife of Barry Allen and a daredevil reporter

Mirror Master, alias Sam Scudder, a talented inventor and the de facto second-in-command of the Rogues

The Top, alias Roscoe Dillon, an arrogant elitist who is suffering from a mysterious disease

Weather Wizard, alias Mark Mardon, a rather dimwitted thief with an obscenely powerful weapon, the weather wand

The Trickster, alias James Jesse, a charming con man with no fashion sense

Script

Act I

(Enter Wally West and Iris Allen, who has just arrived to the Flash Airport of Central City)

Wally: Hi, Aunt Iris! How have you been? It’s so nice to have you back!

Iris: Hi, Wally. It’s good to be back. How’s your Uncle Barry been?

Wally: He’s been great. Really slow since he lost his super speed, of course, but otherwise, he’s fine. He even took down the Trickster all by himself!

Iris: I heard. It made a great story. (Pause) How have he and Bart been doing since I went on my trip?

Wally: Bart’s still really impulsive, and he scared Uncle Barry half to death when he ran to New York City and watched an off-off-Broadway show without telling anyone, but overall he’s been doing great. Uncle Barry enrolled him in sixth grade and he’s become friends with this girl named Carol and this boy named Preston, and he’s finally kind of adjusting to life outside the speed force. He’s still not crazy about Irey and Jai, though-he thinks they’re annoying tagalongs. Oh, and he discovered anchovy pizza for the first time, and, for some reason, he loves it! He’s eaten 45 slices in the past two days, and Uncle Barry says that he thinks he’ll single-handedly keep the neighborhood pizza place in business. (Pause) How was your trip?

Iris: I loved it! There’s nothing quite like the thrill of investigating the government of Kandaq.

Wally: But isn’t Kandaq led by Black Adam?

Iris: Yes. That’s why it was so much fun to investigate what he’s been up to! Before I did some snooping around, no one knew what he was doing because everyone was too scared to check, so I was able to write the biggest exposé of my career and take down a supervillain at the same time. It was awesome! I even got to interview Captain Marvel after he rescued me from Black Adam.

Wally: No wonder you won a Pulitzer. (Pause) So, besides risking your life, did you do anything else in Kandaq? I’ve heard it has delicious food.

Iris: (Laughs) Of course you would focus on the food.

Wally: Well, is it as good as Dick told me?

Iris: Actually, yes. The spices in particular are delicious-and unique to the country, too!

Wally: I’ll be right back. (Wally exits, then rapidly re-enters) That was delicious!

Iris: That’s my Wally. (Pause) And to finish answering your question, besides eating and investigating, I did a lot of sightseeing and even more souvenir-buying.

Wally: Sounds fun!

Iris: It was. (Pause) And in speaking of souvenirs….. (Pulls t-shirt out of bag) This is for you.

Wally: (takes shirt, reads) “I stood in the presence of the all-powerful Black Adam and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.” (Laughs) Thanks, Aunt Iris! I love it!

Iris: I thought you might. I also got a doll of Isis for Irey, a book on Kandaq’s history for Jai, a longer book on the same subject for your Uncle Barry, a necklace for Linda, a fan for Joan, a scrapbook for Jay, and Captain Marvel’s signature and promise to visit our house for Bart.

Wally: Sweet! (Pause) Do you have all your bags?

Iris: Yes, I do.

Wally: Then let’s get you home! (Pause, then in “official” voice) The West Delivery Service will get you there in three seconds, or your money back!

Iris: (Laughs) Definitely my Wally.

(Both Exit)

Act II

(Top is onstage, sitting at table and talking on the phone)

Top: (on the phone) Greetings, my darling. How are you? (Pause) Excellent. I’m glad to hear it. How fares the mission? (Pause) What sort of complications? You know as well as I do that I haven’t much time. If you do not find a cure soon, my powers will quite literally be the death of me. We do not have time for failure! (Pause) I’m sorry, honeybunch. I did not mean to snap at you. I am simply anxious. Even I cannot come out on top in a battle with the grave. (Pause) Of course I trust you, sweetums. Remember though, my darling, if my calculations are correct, I only have a month left. We must get the cure! (Pause) Well that, at least, is good news. If Allen likes you, it will not be long before he is willing to trust you enough to help you find the cure. (Pause) I love you, dearest. Farewell. (Puts phone away and puts on earmuffs) And now to enjoy my meal in peace.

(Enter Trickster, Mirror Master, and Weather Wizard)

Weather Wizard: So, how’d you guys find me?

Trickster: It’s simple, Wiz! We followed the reports of snowstorms in July.

Mirror Master: You aren’t exactly subtle, Mardon.

Weather Wizard: Fair enough. I guess being able to control the weather doesn’t leave much room for subtlety. (Pause) So, what do you two want?

Mirror Master: Your help. If there’s anyone who can keep the Flash away from our heists, it’s you. You’re more powerful than all of us-even me.

Weather Wizard: I know.

Trickster: And you’re modest, too.

Weather Wizard: Hey, if you could control the weather with a flick of the wrist, you’d be a little arrogant, too.

Trickster: Fair enough. (Pause) Say, last I heard, your wand was busted. How’d you get it working again?

Weather Wizard: (Defensively) None of your business. I just did, okay?

Trickster: (Suspiciously) Oh, really? Then let me see the wand.

Weather Wizard: No! You can’t touch it!

Trickster: Why not?

Weather Wizard: Because it’s mine, and you aren’t gonna touch it!

Trickster: (Grabs wand) Too late! I already have it!

Weather Wizard: Give it back! (Tries to grab wand, but fails and falls on his face)

Trickster: All right, Mr. Weather Wand. Make it rain! Bippity boppity boo! (Waves wand, nothing happens) That’s funny. I thought you said you fixed the wand, Wiz.

Weather Wizard: (Gets to his feet and grabs the wand back) Okay, so I exaggerated about being able to fix it. I’ve used the weather wand long enough that I was able to do a patch job and get it to make some snow, but it’s pretty much useless for any other form of weather. I can’t even make it whip up a decent blizzard!

Mirror Master: All you can make is snow? (Trickster notices the Top)

Weather Wizard: (Weakly) Yeah.

Mirror Master: Well, that’s just great. Here I was thinking that we had tornadoes, lighting, and hail on our side, and all we have is a glorified snow machine! (Pause) And when were you planning on mentioning the fact that you can’t make anything but snow, anyway? When the Flash showed up to take us to jail?

Weather Wizard: Well, to be honest, I hadn’t really thought out that far. I was trying to save face, not come up with a battle plan.

Mirror Master: (Despondently) There goes my Ferrari.

Trickster: Don’t give up on the Ferrari just yet, Sam! I have a way to salvage our heist!

Mirror Master: James, I already told you. I am not going to use a “whoopie cushion of doom” to stop the Flash. Unlike you, I have some dignity.

Trickster: First, the Whoopie Cushion of Doom is high comedy, and you should be honored that I offered to let you use it. Second, that’s not it.

Mirror Master: Then what is it?

Trickster: It’s the Top! He’s sitting right over there! (Points to Top)

Mirror Master: (Surprised) So he is.

Weather Wizard: What’s he doing here? I thought he and Golden Glider were in Hawaii on the fifth anniversary of their first date or something.

Mirror Master: Who knows with those two. Maybe they came home early.

Trickster: Came home early ? They never went ! They’ve been in Central City this whole time!

Weather Wizard: They have? But then why did they tell everyone that they were on vacation?

Mirror Master: Probably so they could spend time together without Captain Cold breathing down their necks. Given how overprotective he is, if I was dating Lisa, I would probably pretend to be out of the city, too. It’s hard to have romantic moments when you know that her big brother’s watching and will maim you if you look at her funny.

Trickster: Nah, that’s not it. If Roscoe was afraid of Captain Cold, he wouldn’t challenge his authority all the time. I think they’re planning something, something they want to keep secret from the rest of us, and I want to find out what it is. (Taps Top on shoulder) Hiya, Top!

Top: (Takes off earmuffs; Aside) Why me? (To Trickster) What do you want?

Trickster: Well, Mirror Master wants a Ferrari, and I want some excitement, so we need your help to rob the jewelry store on Fifth and Main.

Top: I am afraid that you will be disappointed. I am quite busy, and am being pressed to the top of my bent. I have no time for frivolities, Giovanni.

Weather Wizard: Giovanni? Who’s Giovanni?

Trickster: Me.

Mirror Master: You gave the Top an alias when he asked for your real name?

Trickster: (“Offended”) No! I’d never do anything like that! (Pause) I didn’t give him an alias when he asked for my real name. I gave you two an alias!

Weather Wizard: Your real name’s Giovanni?  

Trickster: Yep! Giovanni Giuseppi. My family is Italian.

Mirror Master: Then why do you always go by James Jesse?

Trickster: Because Jesse was our family’s stage name from the circus. Since we used an alias in our performances, I got used to being called James, so I eventually decided to just start using it as my regular name. Besides, it’s easier to say than Giovanni Giuseppi.

Mirror Master: Well, whoever you are, clearly, your plan failed. Dillon doesn’t want to get involved in our plan, and so it��ll be a bust.

Trickster: (Aside) Oh, ye of little faith. (To Mirror Master) I’ll be able to get him to come around. Trust me.

Mirror Master: Forgive me if I’m less than convinced. (Trickster walks over to Top)

Trickster: (To Top) What if I told you that there would be something in it for you?

Top: I would still refuse. As I already told you, I am quite preoccupied. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going home.

Trickster: (Stopping Top) Top, old buddy, just hear me out. If you don’t like it, I promise you can leave, but you’ve gotta at least learn what it is.

Top: We are not “old buddies”, but, since you seem determined to annoy me until I listen to what you have to say, I suppose I will give in to the inevitable and allow you to speak. But be quick about it. I am giving you five minutes- tops .

Trickster: You know what? Never mind. It was silly of me to think you would be motivated by something as small as an engagement ring. (Moves out of Top’s way; To Mirror Master and Weather Wizard) Come on, guys, let’s go. I’m sure I’ll be able to come up with something else.

Top: What was that about an engagement ring?

Trickster: Oh, you wouldn’t be interested in it, I’m sure.

Top: You are mistaken. Do tell me what you think I will get out of this heist.

Trickster: Are you sure? If you really are busy, I don’t want to bother you.

Top: No, no. I am fine. Please, tell me what you mean.

Trickster: Well, if you insist…..A few months ago, Lisa told me that she saw the perfect engagement ring at the jewelry store that we’re planning to rob, and that she would be thrilled if you proposed to her with it. But like I said, if you don’t want to help us….

Top: (Quickly) If it will please Lisa, I would very much like to help ensure that you come out on top .

Trickster: Great! Glad to have you aboard, pal!

Mirror Master: (Draws Trickster aside) How could you have talked to Glider “a few months ago”? You spent the last six months on a cross-country swindling trip and didn’t get back until three weeks ago!

Trickster: (Aside to Mirror Master) That’s right…..but he doesn’t know that.

Mirror Master: (Aside to Trickster) Clever.

Trickster: (Aside to Mirror Master) I know, right?  (Aloud) So, what’s the plan?

Act III

(Enter Wally and Iris)

Wally: Is there anything else you need me to do, Aunt Iris?

Iris: Wally, you’ve already gotten me home from the airport, unpacked all my bags, put everything away, pulled everything out when you put everything away wrong, put everything away in the right places, delivered my letter to your Grandpa Ira in Florida, fixed my car, and repainted the garage. You’ve done enough.

Wally: Aww, it was nothing, Aunt Iris.

Iris: It wasn’t nothing. That was a lot of work, and I really appreciate it. (Pause) By the way, you haven’t eaten much since you brought me home. You should probably get some food.

Wally: Good idea, Aunt Iris! (Wally exits, then quickly re-enters) I love Japanese food!

Iris: Did you really run all the way to Japan just to get food? Wally: Why not? I can get there and back in three seconds!

Iris: (laughs) Oh, Wally. You’ve gotta stop doing that before it rubs off on Bart.

Wally: I think it might be too late for that. He’s already running to New York City to watch off-off-Broadway, after all.

Iris: I know, but now that Barry doesn’t have his super speed, we need to dissuade him from doing that again. We can’t be calling you all the time because we can’t bring him back when he disappears to another continent. Without at least one parent with super speed, he needs to stay close to home so that we can help him if he gets into trouble.

Wally: I don’t mind bringing him home.

Iris: Yes, but I’m pretty sure your boss will mind if you have to keep leaving work to bring Bart home from Namibia or Laos or Bithynia.

Wally: But he knows I’m the Flash! I have to leave work all the time!

Iris: True, but there’s a difference between leaving work to stop crime or save people and leaving work to track down your cousin who went on a joyride.

Wally: Yeah, you probably have a point there.

Iris: As soon as he and Barry get home from their trip to the park, I’ll have Barry sit him down and have a little chat with him about running off to other states or foreign countries-assuming that he can focus long enough to get the message, that is.

Wally: Hey, do you mind if I stick around until they get back? I wanted to talk to Uncle Barry about the Rogues’ latest escape from jail.

Iris: Of course you can stay here! (Pause) And why didn’t you tell me that the Rogues escaped? That always makes for a good news story!

Wally: I don’t really know a lot about how it happened yet, so I guess it just slipped my mind.

Iris: In that case, I’ll have to do some investigating to find out how….after Barry, Bart, and I have our little chat, of course.

Wally: Have I ever told you that you’re awesome, Aunt Iris?

Iris: Not lately.

Wally: Well, you’re awesome. (Phone rings) Sorry! I have to get that! (Pulls out phone) Hello? (Pause) Oh, hi, Mrs. Rowen. Why are you calling? (Pause) Suspension? Why? They’re only kindergartners! (Pause) They did what? (Pause) Well, yes, I’m sure that the school having all its windows broken by dual sonic booms would be problematic, but they don’t know how to control their speed. I know they didn’t do it maliciously. (Pause) $600,000? Wow….That is a lot of money. I’m really sorry. I didn’t even know they were moving at supersonic speeds yet. Did anyone get hurt? (Pause) Two teachers are going to need stitches? Oh, no. I’m really sorry. I’m really, really, really sorry. (Pause) Yes, of course I’ll come meet with you. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I’ll be right there. Bye. (Puts phone away) Looks like I won’t be able to talk to Uncle Barry. My kids shattered all the windows at the elementary school when they accidentally created a sonic boom, and now I have to meet with their principal. I swear, parenting super-powered children is a million times harder than fighting supervillains. At least with supervillains, I don’t have to pay for the damages that they cause. I’ve gotta run. Bye!

(Exit Wally)

Iris: It’s at times like these that I’m glad Bart stayed in the Speed Force until he was old enough to know how to control his speed. (Pause) In speaking of Bart, there he and his dad are now. Hopefully, Bart will cooperate with the limits he sets on his travel, because if not, I’m not sure that Barry and I will be able to enforce them. Even Wally wasn’t as impulsive as Bart is.

Act IV (Enter Top, Trickster, Mirror Master, and Weather Wizard. Trickster is wielding a fearsome rubber chicken and a kazoo)

Mirror Master: Did everyone make it through the Mirror Realm all right?

Top: I feel more than a little nauseous, but otherwise, I am fine, since we managed to arrive at our intended destination.

Mirror Master: What are you implying?

Top: Nothing. It is simply that I would feel far more comfortable if I knew that the realm through which we traveled so shortly ago was controlled by a man who had at least completed his secondary education and who hailed from somewhere other than the part of town colloquially known as “Skid Row”. In all candor, your credentials do not inspire confidence.

Mirror Master: Hey, I might not have your fancy education, but I’m just as smart as you. How else do you think I discovered an entire alternate dimension?

Top: My supposition would be that the goddess Fortuna smiled upon an unworthy candidate with the freakish caprice for which she is known.

Mirror Master: Are you saying I just got lucky?

Top: Indeed.

Mirror Master: You’ve got some nerve, Dillon! I worked for years to learn how the Mirror Realm worked! Just because I’m from Skid Row doesn’t mean I’m stupid!

Top: My experience, and the experiences of my father, would suggest otherwise.

Trickster: Girls, girls, girls . You’re both pretty. Now, let’s start the heist already! I already deactivated the alarms, but they’ll come back on eventually. And besides, I’m bored!

Weather Wizard: Trickster’s right. I already created enough snow to slow down the cops, but that won’t hold them forever, and it won’t hold our friend in the red pajamas at all. We need to hurry.

Mirror Master: Well, if the Top is ready, so am I.

Top: I was not the one delaying us, but I am quite prepared to proceed in our enterprise. (To Trickster, as Weather Wizard and Mirror Master start grabbing jewelry) Where is the engagement ring that my beloved desires?

Trickster: (Looks around at the various rings) Let’s see…..I know it’s around here somewhere ….. (Finds a particularly ostentatious ring and points at it) Oh! There it is!

Top: Are you certain that that is what she desires? It seems a bit gaudy for her tastes.

Trickster: Of course I’m sure! (Aside) And I’m not lying. I’m sure she’ll hate it, and I’m sure that learning that he got outsmarted by a circus brat will take Mr.Phony British Accent down a few pegs. He’s smart, but he’s not nearly as smart as he thinks he is.

Top: You have my gratitude, Giovanni. (Takes ring) Is there nothing that you are inclined to take?

Trickster: Not really. I’m here to put on a show, not to take money. (Pulls out bottle of paint) Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to replace the bathroom sinks’ water with paint.

(Exit Trickster; Top analyzes jewelry and slowly begins to select the sophisticated jewelry)

Mirror Master: (To Weather Wizard) I know I said that I was getting a Ferrari, but I’ve been thinking it over, and I think I might get a Lamborghini instead. What do you think?

Weather Wizard: Which one’s faster?

Mirror Master: I’m not sure. Except for a three-day period where I was in possession of W. W. Wiggins’s stolen Ferrari, I’ve never actually owned a car.

Weather Wizard: (Surprised) You’ve never owned a car? How’s that possible? Before I became the Weather Wizard, I was the world’s biggest loser, and even I had a car. I mean, granted, I crashed it into a tree, but I had one!

Mirror Master: (Defensive) I grew up in the inner city. Have you seen the traffic in the interior of Central City? It’s a nightmare! There’s a reason everyone takes the subway to work. The traffic gets so jammed that cars are basically useless.

Weather Wizard: But you still live in the inner city. If there’s no use for one, why do you want it so bad?

Mirror Master: (Angrily) Because I’m tired of being poor! I’ve spent my entire life either in jail or in tiny two-room apartments on Baker Street, and I’m sick of it! I’m sick of always being behind on rent, I’m sick of wearing other people’s cast-offs, and I’m SICK of Roscoe implying that I’m stupid! I want a car because it would be a sign that I finally have enough money to get off of Skid Row! People would have to give me some respect then!  

Weather Wizard: If it makes you feel any better, without the weather wand, nobody gives me any respect, either. The only reason that I’m here right now is to earn back the reputation I lost when it broke. I don’t really need the money.

Mirror Master: You don’t?

Weather Wizard: Nah. I won a $20,000 poker game a few weeks ago.

Mirror Master: But you’re terrible at poker!

Weather Wizard: (Shrugs) I was playing against an 18-year-old who had just inherited his daddy’s company and had never played a game in his life.

Mirror Master: And Dillon says I’M the one who gets lucky!

Weather Wizard: Don’t take it personally, Sam. He’s a jerk to everyone-except Lisa, that is.

Mirror Master: What does she see in him, anyway?

Weather Wizard: That, my friend, is one of the great mysteries of life. He’s not even that attractive!

Top: (Comes over) It is not so mysterious as that. Unlike the rest of you ruffians, I am a man of birth, breeding, and education. Our relationship is a great boon for her social status, especially given the “trailer trash” from whence she comes-to use a colloquialism, of course-and I am certainly better company than any of you could hope to provide. Her selection of me as a paramor proves that she, alone among you “Rogues”, has taste.

Mirror Master: (Sarcastically) Yeah, you’re a real prince, Dillon.

(Alarm goes off)

Weather Wizard: Oh, no! The alarm! We must’ve lost track of time, and now the Flash is gonna show up and make me a laughingstock all over again!

(Enter Trickster)

Trickster: Where’s the Flash? He should be here by now!

Mirror Master: Who cares? Let’s get outta here!

Trickster: Wait! I want to fight the Flash! It’s no fun if I don’t get to fight the Flash!

Mirror Master: Trickster, we got what we came for! Now let’s go!

(All exit quickly, Mirror Master dragging a flailing Trickster)

Act V

(Mirror Master, Weather Wizard, Top, and Trickster are onstage, sitting. Trickster is pouting)

Weather Wizard: We...we actually did it?

Top: Obviously. We are here and not in jail, are we not?

Weather Wizard: I know that, I just can’t believe that we actually did it! We never get away with heists this big!

Mirror Master: You’re right, Mardon. It’s been over four years since we had a heist that the Flash didn’t stop….and we got away with it!

Weather Wizard: So, what do we do now?

Mirror Master: I….I don’t know. It’s been years since we got away with anything, so I haven’t had a plan beyond “get away” in years.

Weather Wizard: I guess you can buy your car now.

Mirror Master: Yeah. I guess so. (Sighs) It’s so weird that we’re not in jail right now.

Weather Wizard: Tell me about it. I haven’t had a run of luck this good in ages!

Top: It is not so peculiar as you are treating it. After all, I accompanied you on this heist, something I have not often done. It is not, therefore, terribly surprising that you were successful-I enabled you to come out on top .

Mirror Master: Dillon, do the world a favor and shut up. I’m not in the mood for your attitude.

Weather Wizard: (To Trickster) Hey, James, why are you so upset? We just got away with a million dollars! You should be on cloud nine!

Trickster: I’m upset because the Flash didn’t show up! He’s what makes crime exciting! Since he wasn’t there and we did it at night, I didn’t have an audience, and it wasn’t any fun! Besides, escaping changes up the game. How are we supposed to start the game over if we don’t get captured and have to escape again?

Weather Wizard: Now that you mention it, I did feel like our heist was lacking in that rush. It’s hard to feel excited when there’s no danger that you might be stopped.

Mirror Master: Yeah. It’s not enjoyable to beat him when he doesn’t even show up. (Pause) But hey, at least we’re rich now, right?

Weather Wizard: (Without confidence) Right. And I’m sure we’ll be able to come up with something to do. It’ll be great!

Trickster: (Petulantly) No, it won’t. The game’s been ruined!

Mirror Master: How has it been ruined? You don’t need the Flash to trick people.

Trickster: No, I don’t, but it’s not the same. I came back to Central City to play the game, and now the game has been ruined because the Flashes won’t play!

Weather Wizard: (Too cheerfully) Hey, why don’t we go get some ice cream? That’ll make us all feel better.

Mirror Master: Sure, why not?

Trickster: I guess so. But only if I can get gummy bears and rainbow sprinkles.

Top: I will pass on that offer. I have fulfilled my part of the agreement and must get back to work.

Weather Wizard: Okay. More for us, I guess.

Mirror Master: (Mutters) Good riddance.

Trickster: I had better get two dips, too.

(Exit Trickster, Mirror Master, and Weather Wizard)

Top: Ahh. Peace and quiet at last. (Pulls out cell phone) Hello, Lisa, darling. This is Roscoe. How fares the mission? (Pause) Allen is willing to help you get the cure? Good. Good. Very good. You, my sweet, are a veritable Sarah Siddons. (Pause) Oh, my apologies. I thought that was common knowledge. Sarah Siddons was a famous Shakespearean actress who was renowned for her life-like portrayal of Lady Macbeth in the 19th century, and you are quite as talented an actress. (Pause) Oh! I almost forgot. I have pleasant news as well, honeybunch. I appropriated the engagement ring that you so desired! (Pause) Wait, you never picked out a ring for that purpose? My profuse apologies, sweetums. It seems that I was misinformed. (Pause) Don’t worry, my dearest darling. The pain has been quite manageable, and given what you have just told me, I have no fear for my life. (Pause) Thank you, darling. Your snuggle-bunny loves you, too. Good-bye. (Puts phone away) TRICK-STER!

(Scene change. Enter Wally, in jewelry store)

Wally: Aw, come on! I’m getting sued by the school district AND I let the Rogues get away? Man, this just isn’t my day! (Pause) Oh, well. If there’s one thing that Uncle Barry’s taught me, it’s that a true hero never gives up. I’m sure to find them eventually-especially since they aren’t exactly subtle. (Pause) And if there’s one good thing about all this, it’s that things can’t possibly get worse! I’ll go get a quick snack, and then I’ll find Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry so that we can take down those Rogues- in a Flash!

[verai-marcel]

Life Level Up (RDR2 Fanfic, Arthur x F!Reader, Neighbor AU, Part 1 of 3, 18+)

Part 9 of Neighborly Affection. Read the other parts in the #neighbor au tag.

Summary: Your birthday is coming up, but with you and Arthur getting accustomed to living with each other and working out all your quirks and differences, you hadn’t really thought about it. But Arthur has given it a lot of thought.

Author’s Notes: This is it folks, this is the last part of Neighbor AU. I’ll be writing this in three parts, as a mirror of the first part: High Honor, Low Honor, and an epilogue that works for both.

Tags: finale, realistic relationship things, smut, slight breeding kink, rough sex, speedbumping, dirty talk, feels, HEA

AO3 Link is here, angel.

Word Count: 3201

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

Chapter 1: High Honor

The past three months went by like a blur since you moved in with him, and at this point, you feel like you’ve been with him forever. The ease of switching from living alone to living with Arthur (and sometimes Isaac) had been smooth because the two of you had your big financial talk before you had agreed to move in with him. With both of you depositing an equal amount into a shared account from which you paid all your bills, food, rent, and an emergency fund, the rest of your money was yours to do with as you pleased. Things were going well. 

It helped that although the fire between you two still was burning, it had calmed into a cozy heat. The first week the two of you had the place to yourselves, you were sore as hell and tired everyday. 

But afterwards, the two of you would share more cuddles, more time just being with each other as opposed to fucking like rabbits. After a long day, Arthur loved to welcome you home with a nice meal and a hug. At night, he'd hold you in his arms and massage your scalp, or he would rub your back. You would do the same for him, of course, loving the feel of his muscles under your hands, his soft moans as you worked a knot in his shoulder blades. 

And so time passed. Without realizing it, your birthday was a week away. 

It had been a crazy year. A year of being with Arthur. Two years since you had met him. What would your life have been like if you hadn't said yes to him? What if you hadn't taken that chance? 

Still yearning, alone in your small studio apartment, that's for sure. 

Feeling grateful for this turn of events, you finished your last IT ticket and shut down your laptop. Leaving the bedroom, you blinked to see Arthur on his phone, intently reading something. He had I even looked up when you opened the door. 

"Arthur?" 

He suddenly looked up and saw you. "Oh, uh, you done fer the day, angel?" 

"Yeah. You alright?" 

Arthur's eyes flicked away for a moment before looking back at you. "Yep, just fine." He got up and walked towards you, slipping his phone into his pocket before pulling you into a big hug. "What do you want for dinner?" 

You eyed him suspiciously. "You sure you're alright?" 

He smiled, his eyes clear as a cloudless summer sky. “Yup, never better.”

***

You would eventually look back on that moment and realize that was when the gears started turning in Arthur’s head. But at the time, you just brushed it off as him having a moment of reflection and just carried on.

It was Friday and you were wrapping up your work for the day. Your birthday was tomorrow and Arthur hadn’t said anything other than asking you to keep your day open, which immediately clued you in on some kind of secret plan. You were going to groom yourself tonight so you could be ready for tomorrow, whatever his plan might be.

As you exited the bedroom, you smelled delicious food and walked over to the kitchen. You saw Arthur putting the last touches on two plates of grilled chicken and roasted root veggies, the scent of rosemary and thyme making your mouth water.

“Perfect timin’, angel,” he said as he turned around and saw you. “C’mon, let’s eat.”

You happily sat down and let him serve you, chowing down with abandon as the two of you shared your days with each other. He had a busy day at the mechanic shop as three people had rolled up right at the end of the day, leaving their cars overnight for the other team to work on tomorrow. But he stayed over an extra hour to take notes and write all the reports to make sure they knew what to look for.

“You work so hard, Arthur,” you said between bites of delicious chicken. “I really admire that about you.”

He bashfully looked down at his plate and pushed his potatoes around with his fork. “Ain’t nothin’, just tryin’ to do my best.”

You reached out and touched his arm, squeezing it gently. “Seriously, that’s one of the things that really drew me to you. Give yourself some more credit.”

Finally looking up at you, he gave you a wry grin before he continued to eat, asking you about your day. By the time you finished regaling him with a tale of a user who wrote every password down on a piece of paper and had lost said paper, expecting you to know all the passwords because you were ‘the computer person’, you both had finished your food and were washing plates.

“So… what are we doing tomorrow?”

Arthur turned to you and smiled. “Oh, just thought I’d take you out to dinner tomorrow night. For your big day.”

You grinned. You knew he had something planned. “Where are we going?”

“That, my darlin’, is a secret.”

“Aww, come on Arthur!”

“Nope, you hafta wait until tomorrow night.”

You glared at him, but his mysterious smile stayed on his face, undeterred by your stare.

***

The next day couldn’t go by fast enough. Arthur had to work an extra morning shift at the mechanic’s, so you cleaned the apartment, and you may have surreptitiously looked around his desk for any clue of where the two of you were going. You didn’t dig in too deep; after all, you respected his privacy. Besides, you knew hacking into his computer would be pointless, since he barely used the thing. His plans were probably handwritten somewhere, or all up in his head.

You didn’t find anything, no receipts, no print outs, nothing. You sighed after you finished cleaning and plopped down on the sofa in the living room to play video games until Arthur came back from work.

***

When he called saying to eat without him, but eat light, you were a little annoyed. He said he’d come back and hang out with you, that he would try to not let work talk him into staying longer.

Of course he’d stay longer. You knew this going into the relationship. But on your birthday, the fact that he couldn’t come back on time hurt just a little bit. You fixed yourself a salad and continued gaming until about 3PM, when you heard the door open and close. You kept your attention on the game, trying to not let yourself get more annoyed; you logically knew it wasn’t his fault. Emotionally though, you felt a little bit abandoned.

“Sorry I’m late, darlin’.”

You huffed. “It’s fine.”

Arthur toed his boots off and looked at you. “You mad?”

You sighed. “No, I’m not mad. Just… a little disappointed, I guess.”

He came over and sat next to you. You still hadn’t looked at him.

Arthur reached out and gently began to rub your shoulders. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be,” you replied immediately. “I’m just being selfish. It’s fine. I’ll get over it.”

You heard him sigh. Hitting pause on your game, you finally turned to him. Seeing him look at you with such remorse made you feel worse.

“Arthur. It’s fine.”

“You keep sayin’ that…”

“Because it is!” you snapped.

Arthur blinked at your outburst, then he held his hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright. Just… let me know if anything changes.”

You sighed, upset with yourself. “I will.” You turned back to your game. “So where are we going tonight?”

“You still want to go?”

You thought about it for a few moments. “Yeah, I do. I’m just feeling immature. Like I know you have work and stuff. I just wanted you back home sooner.”

Arthur suddenly wrapped his arms around you in a big hug. “Oh, angel,” he murmured into your ear as he held you. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

You melted into his arms. Such an earnest man. Turning your head, you kissed him. “I love you.”

“Love you too, darlin’.”

***

Arthur drove you out towards the beach, and when you saw the restaurant you were heading towards, you gawked at him.

“You… you didn’t.”

“I did.”

“You got a reservation?”

“Ayup.”

You said nothing more as Arthur parked his truck, got out, and came around to the other side to help you out like a gentleman. You would normally scoff at such treatment, but he had asked you to wear something a little fancy, so you had on heels and a cocktail dress, which weren’t the easiest things to move around in.

Arthur looked delicious in his navy blue blazer, black polo, blue jeans, and boots. It was hard not to drag him back into the bedroom after seeing him in that outfit, but you knew you had to be patient; after all, there was always tonight.

Holding onto his arm, you let him escort you into the fancy Lakehouse Restaurant.

***

Dinner was wonderful; the foodie in you would always remember how scrumptious everything was, how beautiful all the dishes were, and you lamented how you would probably not go there again for a very long time. Arthur wouldn’t let you see the bill, which was probably for the best, since you would probably have a heart attack.

The drive home was relaxed, the negativity of earlier in the afternoon having faded away now that you had some distance from it all. Arthur was always good about letting you process your emotions, giving you time to recover. You would always be grateful for Arthur being patient with you.

His hand was on your knee, his thumb drawing circles on your skin the entire drive home. By the time you got back, you were craving his touch on all of you.

As the two of you entered your apartment, you kicked off your heels and turned to kiss him. He was surprised at first, given that he had barely gotten his boots off, but soon his hands were on your ass, lifting you up. Immediately you wrapped your legs around his waist as he carried you to the bedroom. Setting you down on the edge of the bed, Arthur suddenly let go of you and stepped back.

Looking up at him, seeing his eyes turn very serious, your heart stuttered. “Arthur?”

He got down on one knee.

“Ar-Arthur?” you said again, your voice high pitched and breathy.

He said your name, your full name, and you knew what was happening. Your eyes began to water and he looked blurry, so you blinked quickly. You wanted to see this moment clearly, burn this into your memory.

“I’ve messed up a lot in the past. I’ll probably mess up even more in the future. But even so, I would be honored if you’d be by my side through it all, just as I’ll be by yours.”

Arthur reached into a pocket inside his blazer and pulled out a small, black velvet box, and opened it, presenting you with a beautiful silver ring with a dark blue gemstone.

Your vision blurred again.

“You don’t have to answer me now. This ring is my gift to you, whether or not you’ll have me.”

You tried to speak, and choked on your words. He knew you always wanted time to think. He had waited to propose until you were safely at home, away from public eyes, because he didn’t want the pressure to force an answer out of you. He understood you more than anyone ever had before.

“Yes,” you finally said. “I never want to be with anyone else.”

You felt Arthur take your hand and slip the ring onto your finger, felt his stubble cheek brush against yours as he kissed away your tears. “My sweet angel,” he murmured. “What did I do to deserve you.”

You giggled as you reached down and brushed his inner thigh. “You make me feel good.”

He grinned. “That I can do, birthday girl.” Reaching around you, he slowly pulled down the zipper of your dress, unwrapping you like a present as he kissed your exposed skin. Each kiss lingered as if he was savoring each moment of contact, his warm breath making you shiver with desire. Sliding your bra off, he stared at your bare chest with a lustful look, taking your breasts in both his hands and squeezing, teasing your nipples with his fingers and thumbs, drawing out your soft moans.

“Lay back, angel,” he directed quietly. You did as he said, laying back and lifting your hips so he could slide off your dress. With just your sky blue colored panties and bra, you looked at him with a smile. He smiled back, bent down to kiss your inner thighs as he worked his way towards your center before moving the fabric aside, dipping his tongue inside of you.

“Ahhh!” you gasped when his lips made contact with your sensitive bud, your heart rate rocketing when he sucked on it. It was too much and you nearly kicked him, your body writhing madly under his touch. A strong hand gripped your ankle before you could move any further, and he trapped your other leg under his arm as he continued to pleasure you with his talented mouth.

“Keep moanin’ darlin’,” he said before he delved back between your legs. He drove you to the brink, over and over again, before easing off, kissing you everywhere else for a little bit as you caught your breath, pushing your hips towards him, begging with every fiber of your being for completion.

“Please baby,” you begged, “please make me come.”

“So sweet of you to ask,” he said teasingly before letting go of your ankle to slip his finger inside of you. He stood up and bent over you, his eyes capturing yours with his intent stare as he pushed a second, then a third finger inside of you, all the while thumbing your core until your fingers dug into his shoulders and your hips jolted upwards.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck!” you cried out, your body not ready for the intense climax rushing through you, as if it was coming from both Arthur’s fingers and his gaze. You were trapped by his beautiful eyes, his lips curved in the sexiest, most confident grin you’d ever seen on him as he watched you fall apart from his touch.

“That’s it darlin’, you look so beautiful when you come,” he said in a low voice, filled with love.

When his fingers finally left your body, you felt like you were floating on a cloud, pleasantly buzzed, your muscles relaxed.

Then he took off his jacket.

Your eyes zeroed in on him as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, taking off his clothes, knowing how hungrily you watched him. His hands purposely slowed as he undid his fly, dropping his pants and his boxers, letting you see all of him. Your mouth watered at his hard, thick cock as he took it in his hand and stroked himself lightly.

“Hungry, sweetheart?”

You nodded as you got onto your hands and knees and took him into your mouth. The salty taste of him hit your tongue, eliciting a soft moan of enjoyment from you. Licking him like a popsicle, you reached around him with one arm, grabbing his ass and pushing him towards you.

“Whoa there, darlin’. Careful,” he chuckled as he dug his hands into your hair. He let you dictate the pace, letting his head fall back as he made wordless sounds of satisfaction.

“Gettin’ close,” he said as he stepped away from you, slapping your ass playfully. “Git on the bed, lemme make love to ya.” 

Rolling onto your back, you spread your legs for him, crooking your finger in a ‘come hither’ motion. He smiled and grabbed your legs, settling your ankles on his shoulders before he pressed his cock against your slit.

“Love you,” he said before suddenly thrusting into you, filling you so full that you cried out. 

“Yes, yes!”

Towering above you as he rocked his hips, he looked at you like you were his whole world. "Darlin', you feel so good," he said, his voice low and raspy as he thrust his cock in and out of you, faster and faster. 

Then he suddenly leaned down and pulled you into his arms, folding you in half, and stood back up, still inside of you. With his hands gripping your ass solidly, he pumped you up and down, using you like his fuck toy. 

Your head rolled back and your heart raced at the show of his immense strength. There was no way he would drop you; he held you as if you weighed as little as a feather. 

As your eyes met, he grinned. "I think you should get to ride for a bit," he joked as he sat down. Laying onto his back, he let you maneuver yourself more comfortably. Once you were in position, he gripped your hips. "C'mon cowgirl," he murmured. 

You lifted up, smirked, then slowly lowered yourself onto his cock, teasing him by circling your hips, earning you a snarl. 

"You goin' to tease me like that? After all I done fer ya?" 

You laughed and let yourself drop onto him. Placing your hands onto his strong chest, you started to ride him hard, rubbing yourself frantically, chasing that sweet high. Watching Arthur's eyes flutter shut and his head roll back as he thrust upwards into your tight heat was a sight you wanted to remember forever. His body was covered with a light sheen of sweat and his muscles flexed as he reached for you, pulling you into his arms and taking control. His hips pistoned relentlessly, and all you could do was hold on as the tide of pleasure came rolling in. 

Your climax took you hard, making you shake and shiver in his arms. Your mind blanked as you stared into his beautiful eyes, words spilling from you in your delirious haze. 

"Arthur, please, fill me up! Breed me," you moaned.

"Oh, fuck, darlin'," he gasped as he came, your words pushing him over the edge. His fingers gripped your hips hard enough to bruise as he lost himself inside of you. Rolling you over, he pounded into you a few more times, crushing your body into the mattress, desperate to get as deep inside of you as he could. 

He stayed that way on top of you, catching his breath. You wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tight. 

“I love you,” he murmured as he slipped out of you. Rolling to his side, he held you close, running his fingers up and down your back. 

“I love you too, Arthur.”

He kissed you gently, full of love and devotion. Taking your hand, he held it up between your faces so he could admire the ring on your finger. He kissed the back of your hand before holding it to his heart.

“I’ll do my best to make you the happiest wife in the world.”

You believed he could do it too, because he always made you happy.

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

Part 2 here.

[spcncershybrid]

Surprise You’re Older- Spencer Reid Imagine

GIF IS NOT MINE 

SPENCER REID X READER

BAU TEAM X READER (obvi platonic unless you want to date the whole BAU team,, I don’t judge.)

(Summary: Its your birthday! The BAU teams throws a surprise party for you, a well deserving FBI agent who puts the bad guys away!)

(A/N: So um This is in honor of today being my birthday so like I wanted to write a birthday imagine!!🥳🥺 it’s still a reader insert fic because i said so. Also this was originally supposed to go up on my birthday (aug 4th)but I didn’t finish:(()

I wake up staring at my off white ceiling smiling softly. 52 weeks, 365 days have accumulated to this one day. My birthday! I hear my phone ding and turn over seeing the message.

‘We have a case babe. -Spencer, my phone broke.’

No ‘happy birthday y/n!’ I never expect it but usually Penelope messages me first excitedly. Come to think of it no one sent anything.

I sadly stand up slowly and groggily walk to my closet and bathroom slowly getting ready for the day. I step out and eye my clock. Shit I’m late. I run downstairs and jog to my car quickly getting in and drive off to work. I walk into the bullpen hastily setting my things down and jog to the debriefing room as we get started on the case. “Sorry Im late, I hate Virginia.” I say laughing as I took my seat. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again Y/L/N.” Hotch says sternly. “Yes sir.” I nod towards him as I look at my case file. “We my ballistic buddies are headed to New York!” Penelope says. “Wait Pen there’s no pictures?” I ask looking at the file confused. “No it is all written work. The crime scene people sadly couldn’t get photos.” She says. I nod slowly. “I’ll give you guys a moment to read it.” She says sitting down in one of the chairs. Yikes a couple killed while celebrating a birthday. No identification either. “So these victims weren’t ID’s so why are they calling us in?” I ask as I read along the lines. “They believe it can escalate to serial. We will go to see if we can give them a good answer.” Hotch says standing. “Wheels up in 10.” He says walking out of the room. Everyone slowly follows behind leaving Spencer and I. “I didn’t get my daily kiss big guy.” I say nudging him with my elbow. “Sorry.” He says kissing my forehead. “So what are you doing later?” I ask him. “Nothing special I might just relax and read.” He says packing his stuff away. Did he really forget? That’s like majorly impossible. “Really? You don’t have anything planned.” I say hinting towards the idea of today being my birthday. “Why would I? There’s nothing special about today. Speaking of today see you on the jet.” He says closing his bag and walks out of the room. “He really forgot.” I whisper to myself sadly as I pack my things. I head to my desk and grab my go bag.

I step onto the jet and head towards my usual seat. “Garcia will be joining us for today.” Hotch says as he sits in his usual spot. “Hey you okay?” Emily whispers as she sits next to me. “Yeah Em. Let’s Just say I’m having a rough day.” I say staring out the window. She gets up and sits next to JJ. Thanks Emily. For a bunch of profilers they suck at seeing others issues. “When we land Reid and JJ, you guys can head to the M.E.” Hotch say gesturing to them. “Morgan, you and Y/L/N can head to the crime scene. The rest of us can head to the station and set up.” Hotch finishes as he reads his case file.We land in New York safely. Morgan and I head to one of the parked vans and head to the crime scene. “Why is it empty? Derek are you sure we’re in the right place? There should be tape surrounding here.” I say pointing out the obvious flaws in this crime scene area. “Yep this is where Hotch and the NYPD said to go.” He says placing his hand on his head. “Wait Y/L/N, what is that?” He asks pointing to something. I slowly walk over to it. A letter? “It’s a letter Morgan. Should I pick it up or is that obstruction of evidence?” I ask as I eye the paper. “Pick it up.” He says walking over to me. I pick up the paper and examine it. “Red Lobster?” I questioningly say as I read the paper. “That’s a food place. Why would we need to go there?” Derek asks confused. “Not sure but let’s go I guess.” I say heading towards the van.

We drive speed over to the nearest Red Lobster and head inside. Derek and I pull out our credentials and show it to one of the workers. “Hi we are investigating a case and a something was laid out informing us to go here. Has there been anything suspicious that has been brought here?” I ask a tall brunette girl. “Yes here.” She says handing me another letter. “Derek if stuff was this simple we’ll be out of jobs.” I say as he leads me outside. “Do you understand this unsubs M.O? I’m so confused.” I sigh asking Derek as I hand him the second note. “We should head to the station and see what they have so far, Reid and them are probably way ahead.” He says as he drives off. I nod in agreement and stare out the window. This is one hell of a birthday so far. Catching an unsub who leaves notes and no case pictures.

__________________

“Morgan are you sure we’re headed the right way?” I ask turning towards him. “Positive but this GPS isn’t working well with me.” He says gripping the steering wheel. I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I fish it out and answer. “Hello?” I ask. “Hey it’s me.” The familiar voice of my boyfriend echos through the phone. “We’re having zero luck Spence it would be a damn miracle if this case gets solved.” I sighed sadly. “We’re slowly figuring it out over here. Are you and Morgan near?” He asks. “I think Spence. I honestly have no clue cause I’ve seen the same diner about five times.” I say aiming my sentence towards Derek. “How about you drive?” Derek says pointing towards the wheel. “Just make it safely.” Spencer says laughing softly. “I will Morgan drives like a grandpa.” I say laughing as I hung up the phone. “Okay youngster how about you drive next time.” Derek says laughing. “You got jokes geezer.” I say smiling widely as I turn towards him. Our laugh fest is cut off by Dereks phone ringing. “Yep Hotch.” He says answering the phone. “Okay we‘ll be right there.” He says nodding to no one in particular. Hotch says something inaudible and Derek hangs up the phone. “Where are we off too?” I ask confused. “The station. The address JJ gave me before was wrong. But before we go there we have to stop at another place.” He says driving quicker. “Wake me up when we’re there.” I ask leaning into my seat. “Of course.” Derek says as he turns the corner.

__________________

I feel myself being slightly shaken awake. “We’re here.” I hear Derek say as I open my eyes. I look out the window taking in my surroundings. “Derek this isn’t a station, it's a house.” I say looking at the house in front of me. “I know hard heads get up.” Derek says opening my side door. “Close your eyes.” He says as I step out. “If your going to murder me Morgan just know I’m a respected FBI agent.” I say laughing as I shut my eyes. He scoffs in response and grabs my arm guiding me to what I think hope is the house. I hear a door unlock and a soft tug on my arm. I hear a light flicker on. “Surprise!” I hear a chorus of voices yell towards me. I open my eyes quickly seeing my team standing with party hats and party poppers. I smile widely as I look around at them. “Happy birthday baby.” Spencer says smiling as he walks up to me wrapping his arms around me. The group takes turns giving me a hug and slowly disperses. “Oh my the cake! Where’s the cake!” Penelope exclaims running into the room. “Oh crap we forgot the cake.” JJ says placing her hand over her mouth in shock. I laugh softly. “It’s fine guys!” I say happily looking at them and their disappointed faces. “Fine but there are definitely presents!” Penelope says pointing towards me as she backs into the kitchen. They all huddled together on the couch, me in the middle, and slowly handed me gifts.

__________________

“Woah Rossi this is sick!” I say smiling as I open his gift. “The kid was telling me about how you wanted to start cooking. What better way to set you up than to not only combine the BAU’s two greatest things, my books and my face.” Rossi says smiling as the team softly groans. “This is from Jack and I combined.” Hotch says handing me a box. I rip the wrapping paper off revealing a framed picture and drawing. “This is supposed to be Spencer, you, and Jack. It was that time you guys babysat him. The drawing is a Jack original piece.” Hotch says smiling. “Hotch I love it. Tell Jack I said thank you.” I say smiling. “Me next!” Penelope says excitedly springing from the couch, handing me a bag. “Worlds baddest BAU babe?” I question as I read the shirt Penelope got me. “I ordered something different but it’s arriving late. Expect a huge box.” She says apologetically. “Pen if it’s bigger than my front door I will hit you with it.” I say laughing as I remembered last years gift of a giant framed painting she got me. “Then I should probably cancel it.” She says sheepishly. “My turn~” JJ says in a sing-song type voice. “This is an exclusive piece made from the bare hands of my family and the jewelry store.” JJ says handing me a bag. I quirk my eyebrow at her words smiling softly. I pull out the contents revealing a drawn painting signed by Henry and Michael, and a small bracelet. “JJ this is beautiful.” I gasp taking out the bracelet. “You seemed sad when your other one broke on the field so Will and I made a trip.” She says smiling at me. I look at her thankfully appreciating the bracelet. “Time to upstage you all.” Derek says clapping his hands together. “That’s never good.” Rossi says under his breath. “I got you and pretty boy over there a joint thing.” He says standing up smiling over to Spencer. I look over to Spencer confused as he blushes profusely. “I got you two a special Derek Morgan exclusive trip to one of my friends resort places.” Derek says spinning around. “Holy crap Morgan seriously.” I say glancing towards Spencer who has his head in his hands, still blushing. “Don’t worry it isn’t the place where Elle got arrested.” He says pointing to us, raising his eyebrow. “Okay okay my turn.” Emily says softly pushing Derek into the couch as she hands me a box with holes. I open the box cautiously smiling wide as a small black kitten peeks its head out. “I saw your face when you took care of Sergio and I know how hard it was for you two to part. So I present to you Sergio 2.0.” Emily says laughing at my shocked expression. I gush at the kitten as it meows at me.

__________________

I smile widely at the kitten's cuteness for a moment. “Okay my turn before the kitten steals you away.” Spencer says standing up. The team gets up from the couch and exits the room. “I kind of wanted to do this on the resort trip but now seems worth it.” Spencer says digging into his pocket pulling out a velvet box. “This isn’t a marriage proposal but it’s something similar. It’s a promise ring, I want to make you the promise that one day when the timing is right I will replace it with an engagement ring properly.” He says getting on one knee opening the box. “Spence, it's beautiful.” I gasp as he stands from the floor. “I promise to you Spencer Reid that one day with different rings we would be saying our vows in the same positions.” I say smiling as he slides the ring on my finger. “Wait, this looks familiar.” I say examining the ring. “You left your computer tabs open so I took a shot in the dark sorry.Spencer says shyly, scratching his head. I smile at him softly and hug his waist. “I love you.” I say into his shirt. “I love you too ever since our conversation about Alice in Wonderland.” He says kissing the top of my head. “That was so long ago!” I exclaimed, laughing as I slapped his arm softly. He smiles at me widely. The team enters back into the room taking a seat at different spots in the living room. “Wait, the whole case was fake right there isn’t a psycho in New York?” I say standing up from the couch abruptly. “I hope not we’re supposed to be celebrating a birthday.” Rossi says taking a sip of wine. Suddenly Hotch’s phone rings and he exits the room. “If it’s a case I so hate the BAU right now.” Emily says sighing. “Nope it was a surprise pizza.” Hotch says reentering the room. “Yay!” Penelope says standing up grabbing a slice. Hotch laughs at Penelope and hands out slices. “Did you know-“ Spencer starts but I cut him off with a kiss. “Not now.” I say smiling against his lips. The team laughs and we all spend the night eating and drinking the celebration away.

[anomander-dragnipurake]

Possessed Part 2 Chapter Six: King Boo’s Turn

In town, King Boo’s ‘stuff that he needed to take care of’ turned out to unsurprisingly be buying more of his fancy suits. He was into looking stylish so as long as he was stuck in a meatsuit he was going to dress as such. He even considered getting a fancy dress as a change of pace but chose not to because he hoped not to be stuck like this for much longer.

Luigi would be lying if he said King Boo didn’t have good taste. He would’ve chosen different colours personally but the white and purple matched well with the white hair and purple eyes that came with King Boo’s possession of his body. Now that he was more used to that appearance, he’d almost be willing to say that it wouldn’t have a bad look at all if he’d chosen it for himself, not that he probably ever would’ve especially for an everyday look.

‘So you admit it? I’m cooler than you in every way?’ King Boo said with a smirk as they looked at themselves in the dressing room mirror.

I guess. It wasn’t really hard to be cooler than Luigi, he’d always been pretty lame. In large part because being cool had never mattered to him. It still didn’t so honestly, King Boo’s taunt wasn’t that hurtful, especially after all the various other ways he’d hurt Luigi.

King Boo frowned as he turned away to leave. ‘Whatever, then.’ He didn’t really care all that much anyway.

 -

The sun was starting to set as they came about to the rear of Peach’s Castle. King Boo had gone rather far out of his way to sneak around behind it after the taxi had dropped them off near it. Now he frowned at the rear wall, cutting off the back garden from the rest of the land. Not being able to phase through things never ceased to be annoying.

Instead, after adjusting his shopping bags on his shoulder, he pulled on his magic and levitated them. It wasn’t the first time he’d done this but Luigi still hated it, flying was not something he’d ever wished to be able to do. But in honor of their agreement, he refrained from directing an actual complaint towards King Boo as he lifted them up and over the wall. By some miracle, he even had the courtesy to lower them gently to the ground once on the other side instead of letting Luigi’s body drop and probably sprain or break something as he’d done every other time he’d levitated them any significant height in the past.

Thanks to the wall surrounding it, the courtyard garden area was already shrouded in darkness. With the gentle sound of the fountain in the middle it was still a pleasant place though. Or at least it was until a boo came shooting out of the nearby bushes.

Even expecting it due to King Boo having thought about meeting with boos at the castle multiple times since his turn had begun, it still surprised Luigi. King Boo didn’t let him flinch though, honestly at this point, the fact that he would’ve was just shameful. … Luigi was inclined to agree for once, he couldn’t help it though.

“Boss!” the boo said as he to a halt in front of King Boo and Luigi. “You’re here!”

“Yep.” King Boo smiled at him, one of those genuine smiles that still creeped Luigi out far more than the evil ones ever did. ‘I like my boos, why is that so weird?’

Because you’re you! Luigi never would’ve thought someone so vile and hateful could care for anyone other than himself. He never would’ve believed it to be the case if he didn’t feel it for himself. After the initial jump scare, he even wasn’t nearly as frightened by the boo as he should be because of how King Boo felt about him.

Other than an internal scoff, King Boo didn’t bother with a reply, turning his attention back onto the boo, patiently waiting to be addressed in front of him. “Gather the rest of the castle boos out here, I’d like to talk to all of you.”

“On it!” the boo said before rushing off again.

‘The rest of the castle boos’?  Did that mean that there were boos that hung out around the castle all the time? That… couldn’t be right, could it? There was nothing for them here; Luigi had worked with E. Gadd long enough to know ghosts and boos didn’t like places full of life which Peach’s castle definitely was. So why would they be here? And… how long had they been here?

‘A while.’ King Boo was particularly proud of the castle boos, they dealt with being near the living and refrained from making mischief enough that they were never found out. ‘And you’re not going to tell anyone about them.’ He’d rather not out their existence to Luigi at all but he needed to tell his boos what was up with the current situation in case things went bad. These were the closest boos and one of them could be sent as a messenger back to the mansion and from there soon all his followers would know of his predicament. As their king, it would affect them if his soul were to be merged with Luigi’s and thus they had a right to know which overrode Luigi’s need not to know of the castle boos. ‘My agreement to play nice ends if you even try to hint at their existence, got it?’

I won’t tell. Luigi promised because King Boo wasn’t making an empty threat. They clearly weren’t causing trouble anyway so it was probably fine to let them be for now.

The boo returned a few minutes later with four more. They settled in a half circle around King Boo and Luigi.

King Boo took a deep breath and put his hands behind his back before addressing them in a formal tone. “As you may have heard by now, I’m currently stuck in this meatsuit. The reason for that is: my soul is in the process of merging with his. Meaning if it can’t be fixed, we’ll essentially become a single being instead of two. I’m working on getting it fixed though so it should be fine but in case it’s not, you guys need to know. When this meeting is done, one of you will head back to the mansion to inform everyone, just in case. Now, report to me about the goings on around the castle, it’s been a while.”

The five boos exchanged nervous looks before seemingly accepting that it would indeed be fine as the one on the far left started speaking. He spoke of rumors he’d overheard and events he’d witnessed. When he was done speaking the boo next him started without prompt, sharing similar things. It wasn’t until the third boo was reporting that Luigi finally pieced together that they were spies.

Honestly it made perfect sense. They could become invisible and phase through walls and objects, making it easy for them to stay undetected while being able to see and hear everything that went on in any given room.

A shiver ran down Luigi’s metaphorical spine as the full scope of that realization sunk in. Whenever he’d gone to the castle, typically with Mario but sometimes by himself too, he could’ve been being watched by boos the entire time and probably was while never suspecting a thing. Heck, anytime he’d been anywhere that didn’t have ghost detecting equipment available – which was the vast majority of places – there could’ve been boos around watching his every move even in his own house.

‘Yep,’ King Boo said with a chuckle, quickly pulling his attention off his boo to reply. ‘There were two in your house up until you got Polterpup, he made it much harder of them to spy on you effectively.’

Welp, that was awful. Polterpup was without a doubt the bestest boy though. Luigi would’ve preferred to have gone his whole life without ever learning that there were boos who’d been assigned to spy on him. Assuming he got out of this mess, he was going to be paranoid about this for forever. He’d have to take Polterpup with him everywhere to ensure that there were no boos or ghost in the area … As far as King Boo was concerned, that was awesome.

Fuck you too! That only made King Boo laugh though before he pushed Luigi’s thoughts aside to go back to paying full attention to his boos. … Despite how weird and creepy it was, his love for them might’ve made Luigi hate him a little less if it wasn’t for the whole possession thing and the things it had led to.

During the final boo’s report on the rumors going around the castle that involved Bowser, the backdoor leading into the castle opened. All five boos went silent instantly as they turned to look. It was… Peach.

She froze halfway through closing the door behind her. Her eyes locked onto King Boo and Luigi, seemingly looking straight through the boos between them. It was like she didn’t even see them. … Of course she didn’t, they were invisible, Luigi could only see them because his soul was tied to King Boo’s. … That actually made sense; that’s how Polterpup always knew when there were boos and other ghosts around, he could see them even when they didn’t want to be seen.

“Uh… hey Peach,” Luigi said with a forced awkward smile that didn’t match the confident but relaxed pose King Boo held his body in. “What are you uh… doing out here so late?” He struggled not to look at the boos as they moved off to side.

At his voice, Peach jerked back into motion. After closing the door, she strode closer until she stood right in front of him. “Luigi?” She squinted at him suspiciously, crossing her arms.

“Yep, it’s me and…” King Boo naturally stepped with barely even a pause, “me too.”

The look on her face made it clear she knew what was up. “Give him back this instant or else.”

“Or else what? You’ll hit me, go ahead.” King Boo grinned as he spread out his arms and hands, opening himself up to a slap or a punch.

Peach almost looked like she was tempted to but thankfully didn’t. “Well… give him back anyway. It’s been far too long, you’ve had you fun, now let him go. That has to be what you came here for anyway, right?”

“That’s uh… not quite why we’re here,” Luigi said as he put his hands back into his pockets and looked down at the ground between his shoes to keep from glancing at the boos still silently watching. He’d didn’t want to give them away by accident when King Boo’s agreement to get along was at stake.

King Boo immediately looked back up. “For what it’s worth, I would love to ‘give him back’ as you put it. But I fucking can’t. I’m stuck in here and our souls merging, it’s awful.”

The anger on her face softened, shifting a little to confusion. “You’re… you’re just making excuses, right? You can’t actually be stuck.”

“No, he’s uh… very much stuck,” Luigi said. “E. Gadd’s trying to fix it though.” Key word being ‘trying’ because it wasn’t guaranteed.

“Well we have to tell Mario then; he’s been worried sick about…”

“He already knows,” King Boo interrupted.

“Really huh? It seems he forgot to call and tell me.” Peach frowned, looking none too pleased about having been left out of the loop. Which was a fair point, Luigi hadn’t even considered telling her until just now. “Though, I suppose it’s probably because he’s got a lot on his mind. Whatever, I’ll talk to him about it later. For now, you said your… souls are merging? What does that mean?”

Annoyed with her presence and not wanting to explain it again, King Boo left it up to Luigi this time. “Well uh… it means our souls are… becoming one soul so we’ll be not separate people anymore but like combined one or something.” It was still such an odd concept to think about. What would that be like? They’d basically be a whole new person, right? With how much their personalities and feelings about things were opposites what kind of person would they end up being? “It’s uh… really scary.”

Peach grimaced for a second, biting her lip a little before putting a smile. “That sounds terrible but you said E. Gadd’s working on so it should be fine. You’ll be free of King Boo in no time, I’m sure of it.”

King Boo frowned at her, curling his lip up in disgust. “You’re like that too, huh?”

“Like what?”

“All… mushy and gross, trying to comfort Luigi. Mario does it all the time, it’s annoying. It doesn’t even work all that well so just stop already.”

Peached gasped as if deeply offended. She glared daggers at King Boo, taking a deep breath before responding. “Fuck you too King Boo, I’ll comfort Luigi if I want to.”

Wait? Did she just swear or had Luigi misheard her? He’d never heard her swear before. To be fair, King Boo deserved it but… still, what the heck?

“Now Luigi, sweetie,” Peach continued in a sweeter tone, “E. Gadd is going to get rid of that big bad meanie King Boo and then everything’s going to fine again. I’ll even bake you a cake to celebrate it, whatever kind you want. You’ll just have to hold on until then. You’re strong and brave so I know you can.” She was clearly laying it on a bit strong to annoy King Boo but honestly that made it better.

“Thanks,” Luigi said. Before he could try to say more or before Peach could respond, King Boo made a loud gagging noise to fully emphasize his disgust. This was supposed to be his time to spend doing whatever he wanted to do, not more ‘comfort pathetic scared Luigi’ time.

“Don’t listen to him Luigi, he’s…” Peach began before King Boo cut her off.

“We’re leaving, goodbye.” He snapped around to stride back closer to the wall.

“You most certainly are not,” Peach said as he activated his magic to levitate them again. “Get back here this instant.”

“Uh… I’ll be fine,” Luigi said because he didn’t want her chasing after them. “Call Mario, he’ll explain stuff.” And that was all he had time for before King Boo was lowering them onto the other side of the wall, faster than was necessary, making Luigi a tad queasy, but thankfully not a full drop.

Having been able to just phase through the wall, the boos were already waiting for them. King Boo landed in their midst.

“You,” he said pointing to the smallest one, “You’re the fastest, so you’re delivering the message to the mansion. The rest of you, I got until about sunrise before I have to leave, let’s make the most of it.”

The appointed messenger left without a word, zooming presumably in the direction of King Boo mansion. The other four fell in ‘step’ with King Boo as he strode away from the castle walls into the small forest behind it.

Not long ago, Luigi would’ve been worried they were going to cause trouble. But now, even when King Boo wasn’t actively thinking about it, he was at least partially aware of his intentions and they weren’t nefarious for once. He was going to play chess with them, using the chess set he’d brought at the mall alongside the clothes earlier. It wasn’t a game Luigi liked but it was far better than the other ways King Boo could’ve chosen to spend his turn so he’d take what he could get.

[mlovesstories]

You Know What You’re Doing Part 12 (Final)

Warnings: break-ins, obsessions with Hollywood stars, cussing

Word Count: 2100

AN- Last part, hope you like it! 

@spnbingo square- none 

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“Come on! You promised!” YN dragged her foster dad through the house to the backyard.

“Okay, okay!” She tossed Jensen a baseball mitt.

“Ready?” She grinned.

“Please don’t kill me. I know you have a strong arm,” he winced.

“Ugh. Fine then.” YN threw it to him with little speed. 

“I can handle more than that, you weirdo!  Okay, give me what you got. Let me back up.”

Once he was settled into his place, she threw it as hard as she could. He jumped out of the way.

“YN! You are SO grounded!” He jokingly stood back up.

“Sorry!” She laughed.

“Don’t do that. Ever again. I’ll die of a heart attack or a freaking head injury!”

They played toss for a while before Jensen saying his arm was tired.

“Lame. Such an old man,” YN giggled.

“Whatever, small fry,” Jensen picked her up and carried her over his shoulder into the house.

“Ah!” She screamed with laughter. When he put her down on the couch, he landed on the cushion next to her.

“That was fun. Thanks, kid.”

“Too bad you’re too old to keep going!” YN rolled over, gasping for air through her laughter.

“Hey!” Jensen grabbed the TV remote and a basketball game showed on the screen.

“Who’s playing?”

“Dallas and San Antonio.” Jensen looked at her to see if she had any interest.

“Sweet. Can we watch it?”

“Until the munchkins wake up from their nap, sure.”  

YN felt so much better about her relationship with Jensen as he left for Vancouver. Danneel even noticed a difference.

“I know you miss hiatus, but school is about to start, and you’ll be busy,” she smiled at her foster daughter.

“Yeah. Yay for school tomorrow…” YN sighed.

“You’ll be okay, YN. You can do it,” Danneel encouraged.

————

“Hey, YN,” a boy walked up to her while on their ten minute break between classes on the first day of school.

“Umm, hi.” She looked him up and down. “Who are you?”

“Ryan. So you are an Ackles, huh?”

“No…” She started backing away from him with a skeptical raised brow. “I need to go to the restroom, excuse me.” YN turned on her heel and sprinted to the closest restroom.

YN text to Danneel:

This guy is creeping me out. He was asking how I was an Ackles. Whatever that means. It was weird!

Danneel:

Maybe he is just trying to be a friend. Now get off your phone and go learn!

YN:

Fineeeee

———-

“Hey, Ackles!” Ryan flagged YN down in her fourth period class.

“Umm. Hi, Ryan.”

“We have a few seconds before class. So what is it like being an Ackles? I mean, your family is famous.”

“Ryan-“ she tried to interrupt him.

“Your mom is hot! And your dad is so cool-“

“Sit down, everyone!” The teacher shushed the class.

————

YN practically ran to Danneel’s car.

“Get me out of here.” YN opened the car door quickly and climbed inside next to Danneel.

“What, why?”

YN saw Ryan trying to flag her down.

“NOW!”

“Okay, okay,” Danneel pulled out of the parking lot.

On the ride home, YN explained how Ryan kept bothering her.

“He kept saying I was an Ackles, and you were hot, and-“ she took a breath. “It made me feel weird.”

“Okay, okay. Just relax. I’m sorry you felt threatened though. That must’ve been scary.”

“Yeah!” YN sighed. “Can we just go home now?”

“Yep,” Danneel ribbed her foster daughter’s arm soothingly.

———

The next day, Ryan chased after YN in the hallway.

“YN Ackles!”

She turned around.

“I AM NOT an Ackles! My name is YN LN. Stop calling me that, please,” she took a breath.

I want to be but I’m not….

“Sweetie-“ he reached to touch her face.

“Get your grimy hands off me now, or I swear you’ll be on the floor in two seconds.”

“Aww, come on,” Ryan tried to caress her cheek. She blocked his arm and spun him around so that his wrist was touching the small of his back. YN kicked the back of his right knee to make him land in a kneeling position. “Ah!”

“Stay. Away. From. Me.” She let him go, and he fell forward. Everyone in the hallway looked at him, but they kept moving.

————

“Did the school call you?” YN entered the car after the last bell rang.

“No,” Danneel answered suspiciously. “Why?”

“Ryan tried to touch me, so I put him to the ground.”

“What?! Why would he do that? I’m going to talk to the princi-“

“No. I took care of it. I don’t think he’ll be bothering me anymore.”  

“Okay. I’m very proud of you, sweetheart. Good job standing up for yourself,” Danneel smiled.

————-

“Go to bed, please,” Danneel walked into the living room at 12 midnight.

“I have to finish this extra credit that’s due on Thursday.”

“It’s Monday. You have time. Come on.” Danneel bookmarked YN’s place on her assignment and shut the book.

“Okay- AH!” She screamed. YN noticed a light scanning the room and a figure in the tree outside. He knocked on the window.

“Get in the kitchen. Now!” Danneel screamed.

“Hi, Danneel! I love you!” The person screamed through the wall.

YN called 911 from behind the living room wall. Danneel met YN in the kitchen soon after.

Before they knew it, the screaming from the front window stopped.

“Ryan?” YN and Danneel stepped outside and saw the boy being taken to a police car. “What the hell?”

“Hi, Danneel! You’re amazing, and I love you!” Ryan yelled over his shoulder as YN and her foster mom watched in shock.

“He was trying to get close to you. I’m so sorry I didn’t realize it!” YN shrieked and ran back through the house entrance.

Danneel chased after her.

“You didn’t know, baby!” She caught the girl’s arm and spun her around. Danneel pulled YN into a hug as the teen gasped for air with tears streaming down her face. “It’s okay,” the mom said soothingly. They were interrupted by Danneel’s phone ringing. She saw Jensen’s silly expression displayed on the screen. YN’s eyes went wide. “Don’t worry about that. Just breathe.” Danneel presses the red button to ignore the FaceTime phone call.

“I-I didn’t know,” YN hiccupped.

“Not your fault,” Danneel rubbed her back.

The phone went silent, but YN’s phone started ringing. Jensen’s face showed on the screen.

“Yes, Jensen?” YN wiped tears from her face.

“Diaz said there was a call to our house?”

“Who?” YN sucked in a breath.

“He’s a cop friend of ours,” Danneel answered.

“He said there was a disturb- why are you crying?”

YN started shaking. Danneel took the phone from her, and she explained what Ryan had done.

“I’m coming home,” Jensen commanded authoritatively. Danneel saw YN shake her head ‘no’.

“Stop, Jensen. We are fine. The kid is gone. We have to talk to the cops now. We’ll call you later.”

Jensen opened his mouth to disagree, but his wife hung up.

After talking to police, Danneel and YN found out that Ryan had an obsession with the Ackles Family. Danneel was his Hollywood crush, and he had no shortage of pictures of her on his phone. Once the investigative team left, both girls cuddled on the couch.

“I’m sorry,” YN whispered during a TV commercial break.

“Stop. If you say you’re sorry again, I’m going to make you watch one of Jensen’s golf tournament recordings.”

“No!” YN gasped but laughed. “Promise,” she grinned.

The ladies eventually passed out on the couch from their long evening. All of a sudden, the front door opened and slammed shut. Danneel and YN were startled awake. YN screamed on instinct. A phone conversation was heard, and the unknown person turned the corner into the living room. Danneel lied across YN in a protective measure.

“Jensen?”

“Hi,”’he smiled.

“Are you shitting me right now? After the night we’ve been through you couldn’t have called or texted me to tell me you were coming home?” Danneel clutched her chest in relief. She sat up from her position on top of YN and saw the girl she fly crying. “Asshole. You did that,” Danneel pointed to YN’s red eyes.

“I’m sorry, ladies,” he whispered as he hung up. Jensen turned on another light so that he could see them better.

“Jensen. Kitchen. Now.” Danneel stood, but YN latched onto her arm.

“No!” The girl screamed. “Don’t leave.”

Danneel crashed back into the couch next to YN.

“I’m going to put my stuff upstairs, be right back.” Jensen scampered up the steps. When he came back down, YN was rubbing her eyes. “I didn’t mean to scare you, pretty girl. You’ve had quite the evening, haven’t you?” YN nodded. “Are you okay?”  The teen reaches her arms up to him from the couch. Noting her nonverbal communication, he pulled her into his chest. YN nodded into his plaid shirt. “Come here,” Jensen guided her back to the couch. He sat down and positioned YN into his side. The dad kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry that kid scared you. You couldn’t have known though. He won’t be bothering you anymore.”

————

3 Years Later

YN’s 18th Birthday

“Jensen! Dee!” YN scrambled through the backdoor with a smile on her face after her friend dropped her off from school on a Friday.

“What?” Jensen ran into the kitchen with an alarmed look on his face. The teen ran into his arms. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Look!” She put a paper in front of his face.

“My daughter is on the Honor Roll at Johnson High School,” he read on a bumper sticker.

“The bumper sticker part is stupid, but I’m on the honor roll!” YN beamed with pride.

“Oh my- YN! That’s amazing!” Jensen engulfed her into a hug. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,” he whispered into her hair. Kissing the top of her head, he let go.

When Danneel entered, Jensen proudly told his wife about YN’s accomplishments.

“Wow! YN! You’re fantastic!” Danneel hugged the girl tightly.

“Thank you,” she responded in a whispered tone.

“Let’s celebrate tonight,” Danneel smiled. “Why don’t we go get some cake from The Cake Factory after dinner?”

“Could we?” YN grew excited.

“I don’t know why not.” Jensen grinned.

———

“James! I’m on the honor roll!” YN shrieked into the phone after her celebratory dessert outing.

“What?” He reacted. “I’m impressed and so proud. But I’m not surprised. Good for you, boo!”

“Thanks! I’ve never really cared, but I do this time,” she said, perplexed.

“You’re doing so good.“ The conversation was cut off by a knock at the door. YN hid in the kitchen. Still dealing with Ryan’s episode so many years later, she gave a scared reaction as Jensen walked toward the front of the house to open the door. “YN?” James asked. “You there?”

“Hi, Sarah,” Jensen said from the living room.

“James, I gotta go.” YN hung up quickly. She walked to meet Jensen in the living room. “Hey, Sarah!” The now-adult hugged her caseworker.

“Can we sit?” Sarah asked.

“Sure, come in,” Jensen guided the females into the front room. “What’s up?”

YN and Sarah grinned to each other.

“Is Danneel here? I would like her to be in attendance for this,” the caseworker asked. She winked at YN.

“I saw that, what’s going on?” Danneel entered. Jensen narrowed his eyes at YN. She wrung her hands in nervousness.

“Well. Now that I’m eighteen, I am officially out of the system. You promised me that I can stay as long as I want to.” YN took a breath.

“Yeah…” Jensen asked, confused.

“Thanks.”

“Why is Sarah here? We told you that months ago. This isn’t news,” Danneel put a hand on her hip.

“I was wondering… since I can stay, and you are paying for college, and all the stuff you would do for JJ, Zep, or Arrow-“ YN started shaking.

“What is it, sweetie? You’re scaring me.” Jensen took her hands in his.

“Since you treat me like your own, could I be an Ackles?”

“What? You are.” Danneel reacted, perplexed.

“No, like, have your last name,” she weakly smiled.

“You want to have our last name?” Jensen tilted his head.

“That’s why Sarah is here. I already started the paperwork. She has the documents you would have to sign if you want me to be an Ackles.”

“You ARE ours,” Jensen looked from YN to Danneel. His wife had tears in her eyes.

In unison, the Ackles’ responded.

“Yes.”

“See, Sarah, I knew what I was doing,” YN beamed at the caseworker.

“Yes, you did,” Jensen smirked.

————

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[roxannarambles]

This is me playing around again with ideas, after I saw a fanfic with a premise I liked and wanted to toy with the idea myself. (Premise: Little My rifles through Snufkin’s tent and finds sappy poetry about Moomin)

just a doodly drabble!

"Hey! Hey, Moomin! Hello up there!"

"Hello there, Little My!"

About two thirds up a birch tree, Moomin twisted around and waved down below. Little My hopped up and down impatiently.

"Come down here, I got somethin' to tell you!"

"Oh, okay. Why don't you come up here though? It's a nice view!"

"No, you come down here! And hurry up, you're gonna wanna hear this!"

Moomin grumbled-- he'd only just climbed up--but he relented and started climbing back down the tree again. It took a minute or two, during which Little My looked like she was going to pop from waiting. As he neared the bottom branches, she started shouting at him anyway.

"Wow Moomin you're slow, next time I might not even wait! What I'm about to tell you's a big secret, okay? Boy, you're lucky I decided to share! This is really special, I found it out just now!"

Moomin's eyes grew wide and he stopped climbing, paused on the last branch.

"Well what is it? What did you find out?"

Little My's smile we delighted and almost devious as she reported,

"It's about Snufkin!"

Moomin's eyes grew even bigger.

"Wh-what? A secret about Snufkin? What are you talking about?"

Little My rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm, how much should I tell you, though?"

Moomin felt himself tensing up, his grip tightening on the birch branch. Was this going to be something bad? He glowered down at her.

"Come on, Little My, don't tease me, tell me what's going on!"

Little My just laughed.

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Moomin. This is really fun for me. Anyway, Snufkin writes poetry about you and hides it in his tent."

"He-- WHAT?!" Moomin slipped off-balance, spinning his arms, and briefly scrambled to catch the branch again. He failed and went crashing down to the ground, crunching into a bush.

"Aren't you a graceful one?"

"What do you mean, Little My?! Snufkin-- he-- he doesn't even write poetry! At least not that I know of."

"Well that's cos it's secret, duh!"

Moomin struggled to unstuck his fur from the pricklies in the bush.

"And how exactly do you know this?"

Little My smirked.

"Because I snuck into his tent and found it, obviously."

"Oh."

Moomin thought for a moment. He wasn't sure whether to believe her or not. Little My had told him a lot of fibs, but she had also told him a lot of things that had ended up being true.

"And were they really about me?"

"Yep! You want to know what it said?"

Moomin shook his head.

"If he really is writing poems and they really are secret, that means he wants them to stay secret. I'll just go ask him about it. He can tell me if he wants to."

"Sheesh, you're way too considerate a friend, Moomin."

Moomin quirked a brow.

"I'm not really sure if I believe you, so it's partly because of that, to be honest."

"Suit yourself. Just be sure to ask him about it!"

"I'm going to right now," Moomin answered, already on his way down the path.

"Oh, can I come? I want to see his reaction!"

"I'd think you'd better not, Little My. He might not tell me if you're there."

Little My scowled.

"Uggh, that's true. Well, tell me about it later then!"

Moomin hadn't heard her, though-- he had run off as fast as his feet would carry him.

-----

Moomin finally found him perched on a fence in the field to the north, next to the path they usually took for the Lonely Mountains. Overjoyed, he bounded over to him, shouting.

"Snufkin! Oh, Snufkin, there you are!"

As he reached the fence, his friend dropped a fond look down upon him.

"Hi, Moomin."

Then he returned to playing his harmonica.

"Hi. Um, I had something I wanted to ask you."

Moomin rubbed the back of his head and hesitated a moment, but Snufkin simply carried on playing. So he just blurted it out.

"Little My told me you've been writing poetry."

Snufkin's music halted abruptly, ending on a few loud, soured notes. His expression didn't change, but he sat very, very still. After a few silent moments, he replied steadily,

"Did she now?"

Moomin looked away, suddenly feeling very nervous under Snufkin's undivided attention.

"Ummm, yes."

Moomin grabbed his own tail and fiddled with the tip of it, willing himself to spit the rest out.

"And I was wondering if . . . maybe . . . that is, if it's all right with you . . . well, you could read some of it sometime to me? I'm sure it's very good and I'd just love to hear it, Snufkin, and it sure would be a treat, I haven't heard any poetry in a while you know, and I had no idea that you wrote any."

After his babbling, he glanced back up. It was hard to tell what Snufkin was thinking. Of course, that was true almost any day.

"Well, I don't know, Moomin. I wouldn't exactly call it poetry. More like silly scribblings. I'm afraid you'd be pretty disappointed."

Moomin perked up, grabbing onto the fence and bouncing.

"Oh, but I'm sure it's wonderful, Snufkin! I really would love to hear it."

Snufkin smiled mildly at him,

"Why don't you ask Moominpapa to read you some poetry? I'm sure it would be much more fun to hear from a real writer. I bet he's created some wonderful epics. He could probably use the encouragement, too."

Moomin sunk down a little, sagging in disappointment.

"O-oh. Well. Yes . . . I could ask him. I might do that. But I really would like to hear what you wrote, Snufkin."

Snufkin chuckled.

"I don't need to bother you with anything so dull as that. I promise, it's nothing special."

Moomin frowned. It was the answer he expected, but it still was unhappy to hear. Why was Snufkin like this? He never seemed to understand-- to understand just how . . . wonderful he was.

"It would be special, though," Moomin muttered stubbornly,

"Just because it came from you."

Snufkin stared at him for a little while, before a smile lit upon his features and seemed to warm his entire face, his auburn eyes glowing softly.

"Thank you, Moomin. I'll make you a deal. If I ever write anything I think is worth reading out loud, I'll be sure to let you know first. All right?"

Moomin's eyes grew wide.

"Really? Do you promise? That's wonderful! Oh, I can't wait!"

Snufkin chuckled again,

"Just realize that day might take quite a while to come. Excuse me a moment, my friend, I have to check on something."

-----

Little My yelped as the world went spinning, a strong grip seizing her by the back of her shirt and yanking her skyward. She kicked and swung her fists about.

"Let go! Let go, I'll fight you!"

"All right, Little My. Where'd you put it?"

Little My crossed her arms as Snufkin brought her up to his eye level, glaring at her.

"Oh, it's you. What's up, Snufkin? You look worried about something."

"Where'd you put it?" he repeated, his voice sounding almost dangerously calm.

"Where'd I put what? I have no idea what you're talking about," Little My answered, grinning openly at him.

He sighed.

"So it's blackmail then, is it? What is it that you want? Gold coins? An exquisite banquet held in your honor?"

"Wow. That poem's really worth a lot to you, isn't it?"

Snufkin narrowed his eyes at her.

"Only because I know you'll make a great big fuss over nothing."

She laughed.

"Nothing?"

"Yes."

Her grin became even smarmier. She clasped her hands together and wore a sappy expression, gushing dramatically:

"Even now I feel his presence,

Soft and pure as the first day of snow,

Winter's gentle caress upon the landscape,

Whisp'ring secrets only lovers know--"

Snufkin whapped a hand over her mouth before she could say anything more.

"Cut that out," he hissed, looking ten different kinds of horrified. Little My squirmed and bit at his hand, so he dropped her unceremoniously to the ground.

"Nothing, huh?" she repeated from the ground, smirking up at him.

"Little My . . . please."

"Oh, relax," she groused, getting up and dusting her clothes off.

"I don't want to blackmail you for money or nothing. There's only one thing I want."

He crossed his arms.

"And what's that?"

She pointed at him.

"If I give the poem back you've gotta read it to Moomin."

He frowned.

"Don't be ridiculous. You can't be serious."

"I'm very serious!"

He stared. Little My stared back, unflinching. After a number of moments, Snufkin seemed to realize she really was serious. He balked at her.

"I can't do that!"

"Hmmph. Would you rather I read it to him instead?"

Snufkin seemed to pale-- he almost looked sick.

"Little My . . . you wouldn't . . . oh, who am I kidding, of course you would."

He scrubbed his face with his hands a moment in exasperation before looking back up at her.

"Give me a little time, all right? It isn't finished, you know. I still need to write the end and do some editing."

Little My eyed him suspiciously.

"Some editing? You're not going to go and change the whole thing, are you? I'm not letting you get out of things that easily."

"No, nothing like that. Minor changes. I give my word."

"Hmmm. I guess that's all right . . ."

He gazed at her sternly.

"You'll give it back, then?"

Little My hesitated, but eventually came around.

". . . fine. But I'm warnin' you, no funny business-- I've got my eye on you."

She pulled something crumpled from her pocket and waved it in front of Snufkin's face. He snatched it from her, saying incredulously,

"You had it with you this entire time?!"

Little My grinned,

"Of course, I'm no dummy!"

Snufkin turned to leave, apparently more then finished with the conversation.

"Hey! I'm looking forward to your performance!" she called after his retreating form.

----

"Mooooomin! HEY, MOOMIN!"

Little My heaved an enormous sigh.

"Oh, for Pete's sake! Where's he gone off to now?"

She sat down on the foot of Moomin's bed, bouncing up and down.

"Moomin! Moomin, hurry up! Hm?"

Little My's bouncing had disturbed Moomin's pillows, and she noticed something sticking out from underneath one of them. Crawling over, she grabbed at it. They were sheets of paper.

"What's this?"

The paper was scrawled with ink in very sloppy handwriting.

Spring

He's the springtime

I close my eyes and I wait through those long, cold nights,

Waiting,

Until that first day when I can hear his song again.

Floating to my ears,

That beautiful sound, better than a million birds

I jump up and run out then,

And I throw my arms around him, and it feels like hugging spring

Wrapped up tight in soft flowers and warm sun

Butterflies dancing in my tummy.

He laughs and I want to listen to it forever,

Snufkin, oh Snufkin,

please come back soon,

bring the spring with you,

and thaw my heart,

"Oh my GOSH it just goes on and ON," Little My complained, flipping through the sheets of ink-blotched paper.

"Bla bla bla . . . it's practically a novel here! Sheesh, Moomin's writing this junk too? These guys are ridiculous."

"H-hey! Little My, what are you doing?!"

"Hm?"

Moomin rushed from the doorway into his room and grabbed the sheets of paper from her, his face red.

"Give me those, that's, those are private! Don't you know not to go snooping through people's personal stuff like that?"

Little My rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please. What're you afraid I'll find out? Everyone already knows how crazy you are about Snufkin--"

"I'm not crazy!" Moomin huffed, opening a desk drawer and stowing the sheets away inside it.

"Uh-huh. Y'know it's kind of sad, really, you two writing about each other and you won't even talk about it."

Moomin made a disgruntled sound.

"Little My, I very much doubt Snufkin's poetry has anything to do with me at all. He probably writes about all the adventures he has when he's exploring south, he's seen an awful lot of stuff, after all."

Little My stared at him a moment.

". . . just wait, Moomin."

Moomin twitched an ear.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that. Just wait. You'll see soon. Hey! I have an idea!"

She sprang up to her feet.

"Why doncha go read some of that stuff to Snufkin? Maybe it'll encourage him to share his own poetry!"

Moomin's eyes widened and he gasped.

"Oh, NO. No, no, no! Absolutely not!"

"Aw, why not?"

----

[soundofseventeen]

Tangled (Vernon Chwe)

Hello! We are now half way through!! Next week I may be spotty with posting because I got scheduled to work a lot.... so I will do my best but I can’t make any promises I’ll be updating on time so I apologize now. Enjoy! (also Haley, I’m sorry I had to)

Master List

*Fairy Tale*

“Come on, tell me how this is a bad idea.” Vernon said, pleading with Seungkwan. Seungkwan just sighed, looking at his friend. 

“Listen, you try to steal this crown every year. You have never been successful. Why do you keep doing this to yourself?” He asked, Vernon sighing. 

“Because if I steal this, I won’t ever have to steal anything ever again. I’ll be set for life!” He grinned, Seungkwan rubbing his head. 

“But you will get caught.” Seungkwan offered, looking him in the eye. “Again. This isn’t Soonyoung’s kingdom, they have a lot more security since their princess was stolen.” 

“Last year I was foolish. This year, I will be more prepared.” 

“Why won’t you just let me help you? I have the money to-”

“Seungkwan, I don’t take charity.” Vernon said, suddenly very serious. 

“Of course not.” Seungkwan smirked. “You just take everything else.” 

“What can I say? I prefer to be a self-made man.” He leaned back, looking at his friend. 

“Why don’t you ask that friend of yours to help. What was his name? Dino?” Seungkwan offered, trying to think of how to get his friend out of this, or at least in less trouble. 

“Oh he wouldn’t go for it. He believes in stealing for the poor, not for personal gain.” He sighed, looking out the window. “It’s the one area we disagree on.” 

“I really wish you wouldn’t attempt this again.” Seungkwan sighed, causing Vernon to lean forward. 

“Seungkwan, you trust me, right?” Seungkwan looked into his eyes, eventually nodding. 

“Somehow, yes. I do.”

“Then I need you to trust me now. This year, I will be successful. I know it in my heart.” 

“Fine.” Seungkwan stood up, looking at the clock. “Hopefully I don’t have to bail you out this time. That kingdom is starting to get suspicious of me. Now if you excuse me, I have to go meet my future bride.” 

“Good luck.” Vernon laughed, getting up to leave with Seungkwan. The two got to the end of the hall, about to part ways. 

“Oh, one more thing.” Seungkwan said, Vernon looking at him. “From now on, please don’t tell me about your plans of thievery. It’s much easier to believe your innocence if I don’t know all the plans.” 

Vernon grinned, turning and walking down the hall. 

*Today*

“I know I don’t have much experience and I don’t have… Well, any references, but I swear I’m a hard worker and you will not regret hiring me.” Vernon said, for what he felt was the millionth time. 

He left another place, after another interview that ended terribly. He couldn’t figure out why he could never land a job. He always tried so hard, going over his resume and looking professional. He always felt that he was charming, polite, a perfect candidate in interviews. But every single one ended the same. 

With a polite smile, and a ‘we’ll let you know if something becomes available’. 

Which it never does. 

He kicked the dirt, waiting for Seungkwan to come out of his father’s office. He ran over the interview in his head, trying to figure out where it went wrong this time. 

He could never figure out what was so wrong about him. 

“Ouch, no good?” Vernon jumped as Seungkwan stood next to him, startled by his sudden appearance. 

“What do you think?” Vernon said, rolling his eyes. 

“You’re going to get a job soon.” He put a hand on Vernon’s shoulder, squeezing a little bit. “It’s really not a big deal-”

“For you.” Vernon looked at him. “I’m sick of mooching off of you. It’s not fair that you can always pay for everything and I just tag along. I wanna make my own way, and I need to get a job to do that.” 

“I get that it bothers you, but as long as it takes, it doesn’t bother me.” 

“Why is this so hard…” Vernon muttered, looking down the street. 

“Come on, let’s go get something to eat. A full stomach will cheer you up.” Vernon just shook his head, pushing himself away from the building. 

“No thanks.” He said, sighing. “I think I’m just going to take a walk. Clear my head a bit. I have another interview this afternoon, so I should go try to prepare for that.” 

“Are you sure?” Seungkwan asked, Vernon giving a small smile. 

“Yep. I’ll talk to you later.” He walked away before Seungkwan could say anymore, ready to just be by himself for a bit.

He walked through a neighborhood, mind running like wild, and yet not at all. It was a weird mental state he was usually in when he didn’t get a job. As he walked, he pulled out a sun necklace, twisting it in his hands a bit. He didn’t remember where he got this, or when he even got it. He thought about getting rid of it a million times, but then every time he got close, something would tell him to keep it. Just a little bit longer. 

He suddenly stopped walking, feeling like someone was watching him. He looked around, not seeing anyone around him. He was completely alone in the neighborhood. As he looked around, he saw a face in one of the windows. As soon as he looked, the face disappeared, causing him to let out a chuckle. 

It was probably just some curious kid. He put the necklace back in his pocket, walking until he came across some bar he’d never seen before. 

*Fairy Tale*

“Did you just hit me with a frying pan?!” Vernon yelled, holding his head. 

“You broke into my tower!” You yelled back, still holding the frying pan above your head. 

“Forgive me, I didn’t think that this deep in the woods, some crazy girl would be living in a tower! With a frying pan! I thought it was abandoned!” He stood up, jumping back a little bit as he did. 

“You’re lying! You’re here to kidnap me! Or to use my hair!” You said, holding the frying pan in front of you like a sword. He put both his hands in the air, looking at you, slightly scared. 

“Your hair? Why the hell would I want to use your hair? It’s hair!” He defended, hoping he could get away from you. 

“Wait… You… You don’t want my hair?” You asked, furrowing your eyebrows. He waved his hands, eyebrows rising. 

“Why would I? I just wanted a place to hide!” 

“Hide from what?” 

“...Nothing. Look, I’m sorry, I’ll get out of your… hair.” He said, suddenly noticing the abnormal length of it. He had to admit, your hair was an extraordinary length. You must have never cut it in your life. 

“Wait.” You said, stopping him. “That crest on your bag, what’s it from? I’ve never seen it before…” 

“It’s from a neighboring kingdom. It’s the one I belong to…” He said, worried. 

“So… You’re from another kingdom?” You asked, Vernon slowly nodding. “Do you know about the lights?” 

“The lights?” 

“Yes.” 

“...That’s all the explanation I get. The lights.” He flatly said, causing you to sigh. 

“Well, I don’t know! I’ve only seen them from here! They float through the sky, lighting everything up and making it magical. It only happens once a year though, and it happens on my birthday. So, it must be kind of important if they do it every year on the same day!.” Vernon looked at you like you were crazy a bit longer, suddenly having a realization. 

“Oh, you mean the lanterns?” 

“Lanterns?” 

“Yeah, this kingdom lights lanterns and releases them every year in honor of the lost princess.” 

“The lost princess?” You looked at him, and he nodded his head. 

“How out of touch are you? You live in this kingdom and you don’t even know about the lost princess?” When you continued to look at him confused, he let out a sigh. “Okay, well when the king and queen had a child, she was kidnapped very shortly after she was born. No one has been able to find her or knows who the kidnapper is. Since the kingdom has the tradition of lighting lanterns, which I assume you know nothing about, they’ve released lanterns every year on the kids birthday to hope she finds her way back.” 

“Interesting…” You said, following his every word. “So, technically, in a way, you could take me to see them?” He raised an eyebrow. 

“I… Guess?” 

“Perfect! Let’s go!” You said, letting the pan down and walking to the window. Vernon stood frozen. 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“The lanterns. You’re going to take me. Let’s go.” You said, waving him over. 

“And why exactly would I do that?” 

“Because guards are obviously looking for you, I assume for whatever is currently in that bag of yours. If you don’t, I will find guards and tell them exactly where you are, and you’ll probably spend forever in prison. If you take me, I won’t say a word. We’ll part ways like the strangers we were.” He looked at you for a second, eventually sighing. 

“Fine.” He said, following you to the window. You let out a little squeal, causing him to look slightly amused. Worried, but amused.

“So, what’s your name, anyway?” You asked, preparing to climb down the tower for the first time. 

“Vernon.” He said, looking down, getting ready to climb himself. “Yours?” 

“Y/N.” 

*Today*

“Why the long face?” The bartender asked, standing in front of Vernon. 

“No reason.” He mumbled, playing with his napkin. 

“If that were true, you’d be happier.” She said, placing a water in front of him. “Come on, it’s my job to listen to people. What’s wrong?” 

Before he knew what was happening, Vernon had completely unloaded on the poor bartender. Everything from the losing his parents at a young age to living as an orphan to living with his friend who had more money than he could ever imagine to not being able to find a job as hard as he looked. He talked for what felt like forever, finally reaching the end of his speech. He took a deep drink of water, throat feeling dry. 

“Wow.” She said, looking at him. “You’re right, that’s definitely no reason to be upset. You should just keep pretending everything’s fine.” 

“I’m sorry, that was… a lot.” He sighed, pulling out the necklace. For some reason, he felt comfort when he held it. 

“You know…” She said, looking around the bar. “I could use a hand around here during the day. Cleaning, serving, socializing with customers. It doesn’t always pay well, but some of the customers tip pretty well, so it’s not bad.” Vernon looked up at her. 

“What… What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, if you really want a job, you could work here.” She shrugged. 

“...Are you serious?” She nodded her head, a grin growing on Vernon’s face. “Oh my god. I could hug you!”

“Please don’t.” 

“I won’t, but… Thank you. I swear, I will work so hard for you! You will not regret this!”

“Okay, calm down dude. When can you start?” 

“I can start today if you’ll let me!” She laughed, waving him to come behind the counter. 

“Come on back, I can start to show you the ropes.” 

“Can I just make a phone call quick?” She nodded, Vernon exiting the bar to call Seungkwan. “Oh, you forgot your…” She said, picking up the necklace off the counter. A minute later, Vernon came back in, ready to work. “Where did you get this?” 

“Oh, shoot.” He said, taking the necklace hanging from her hand. “Uh… I don’t really remember. I’ve had it forever.” 

“A girl I knew had one just like it.” She said, Vernon looking up. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, her name is Y/N. Do you know her?” Vernon thought for a second, shaking his head. “Huh. You two might get along. I haven’t seen her in god knows how long though. Anyway, come on back and I’ll show you the basics.” 

*Fairy Tale*

“So… When you said I might be after your hair, you were serious…” Vernon said, looking at his newly healed arm. Some guards almost got you, but with the help of some other thieves and their quick skills, you managed to get away. One of the guards managed to get an arrow into Vernon’s arm, which you had just healed with your magical hair. It was the least you could do. 

“Yeah…” You said shyly, not used to showing your hair to anyone besides your mother. Actually, you weren’t used to seeing anyone besides your mother. 

“Uhm… How… How did… When did… I have questions.” He said, looking at you. You let out a laugh, poking the campfire with a stick. You’d never seen a fire this big before, and it almost distracted you. 

“My whole life? My mother told me that when I was young, people tried to abuse its power. She was worried for my safety, so she took me away to protect me.” You sighed. “It’s… It’s why I haven’t left the tower before. Because if I did, people would try to take advantage of this gift.” 

“But, if it can help people, wouldn’t you want it to?” He asked, looking at you. You never thought a thief could be… compassionate. 

“It could, but… There’s too much risk.” 

“Why don’t you at least cut it? That has to be heavy for you…” He looked at all the hair around him. 

“Because when you cut it, it loses its power. It just becomes regular hair.” You said, stroking some of the hair. 

“Are you going to return the tower then? After this lantern thing?” 

“No… Well, yes… Maybe?” You looked at him, confusion filling you. “I mean, there’s a whole world out there, but if my mother kept me there, she obviously had a reason and is doing what’s best for me… I don’t know.” You sighed, looking around the woods. “How do you know we’re safe here?” 

“It’s my friend’s camp. The only people who use it are his group, and they aren’t working right now, so we should be safe here for the night.” He said, getting up to put more wood on the fire. 

“How do you know about it then?” 

“I used to be a part of his group. Back in my early thieving days.” He said, tossing a log onto the fire. 

“Why’d you leave?” You asked, surprised he’s answering questions about himself. 

“You could say we have… a different view of how to do things.” He grinned, sitting back down next to you. “Besides, I work better alone. Not much of a team player.” He shrugged, looking into the fire. 

“Interesting.” You said, turning yourself to watch the fire. You both sat in silence for a bit, watching the fire crackle. 

“Can I tell you something?” He said suddenly, causing you to look at him. You nodded your head, and he took a deep breath. “Okay, only one other person knows this. So you have to swear to never breathe a word of this, to anyone.”

“Okay, I promise.” He turned back to the fire, exhaling. 

“I wasn’t always a thief. I used to have a family, and a future. But when I was younger, my parents got really sick. They both passed away within weeks of each other, leaving me to be an orphan. I struggled a lot, trying to find work. But no one wanted some orphan kid to be responsible for. That’s when I met Dino, who had his own crew of thieves. He took me in, and once I was there, I was able to recreate myself. A new past, a new life… A new name.” 

“...Name?” You looked at him, seeing a small smile on his face. 

“My name is Hansol.” He looked over at you. “Only my best friend still refers to me by that name, only when he’s worried or upset with me though.” He chuckled, turning back to the fire. 

“Why are you telling me this?” You quietly asked, turning back to the fire yourself. 

“I don’t know. You seem like a good person to tell.” He replied, both of you a little grateful you weren’t looking at each other’s faces. 

*Today*

“Alright, you’re all set to go then. I’ll see you tomorrow morning!” The bartender said, smiling at Vernon as he took off the apron and put his jacket back on. 

“Excellent. Thank you again for this.” He smiled, finally happy to be completing a day of work. 

“I think you’ll be a good fit here.” She waved, gesturing for him to leave. “Now go rest up. Tomorrow we start learning how to balance glasses.” She joked, Vernon leaving the bar. Once outside, he smiled to himself. 

Things were looking up. 

Sure, it wasn’t the most glamorous job, but it would give him a paycheck, and he could finally start paying his own way. He was about to text Seungkwan that he was done, but then stopped himself. He had a plan. He thought that Seungkwan and the bartender would be a cute match, so he wants the two of them to be alone for a bit. Maybe some sparks will fly. 

He began his walk home, sticking his hand in his pocket to get the necklace. But no matter how much his hand dug, he couldn’t find it. Starting to panic, he searched everywhere he could, but he couldn’t find it. 

“No… No, no, no, no!” He said, immediately turning around and running back to the bar. He ran into the bar, startling the bartender, who gave him a confused look. 

“You okay? What happened?” She asked, looking concerned at him. 

“The… Necklace… Is it… Here…” He breathed, he probably shouldn’t have run like that, but he did. 

“Oh, yeah.” She said, going to the register. “I found it shortly after you left, and I figured it was important so I put it in here.” She opened it up, handing Vernon the necklace. He looked it over, seeing that it was still in one piece, letting out a sigh in relief. 

“Thank you.” He said, putting it back in his pocket. 

“Why is that so important to you?” 

“I… I honestly don’t know. I just… I can’t lose it. I feel like if I lose it, I’m forgetting something.” 

“What are you forgetting?” 

“I don’t know. But there’s something. It’s connected to something though. Every time I think about getting rid of it, I can’t do it. I just… I know if I get rid of it, I’ll regret it.” He sighed, the bartender nodding her head. 

“You know, that’s not the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.” She said, causing Vernon to sigh. “Go home. Get some rest.” He nodded, leaving the bar again. 

*Fairy Tale*

“How did you know he was here?” Seungkwan asked, walking quickly down the hall with Chan, heading to the dungeons of the foreign kingdom. 

“Because I was looking for another way to find your princess and I saw him getting arrested. Something about the crown, but he was found too obviously, and kept shouting about someone named Y/N. It was very not Vernon. Something’s wrong.” 

“Right, well. Thank you for calling me, I’ll talk to the head gua … Woah, woah.” He stopped, looking at Chan. “Why were you looking for my princess?” He asked, Chan sighing. 

“Because Vernon asked me to. Let’s go, we don’t have much time.” The glass shattered in Seungkwan’s head, putting the pieces together. 

“You’re Dino??” 

“Oh for the love of god, we have like, 15 minutes before something really bad and irreversible happens to Vernon. Do you really want me to get into that now?”

“Fair point.” Seungkwan said, causing Chan to roll his eyes. 

“Let’s go!” He said, pulling Seungkwan with him. They ran down to the guards station, Seungkwan going in to talk to the guard, Chan running down to find the cell with Vernon. He was down on the end, sitting on the bench with his head in his hands. 

“Vernon!” Chan hissed, causing his head to pick up. 

“Chan!” He got up, running to the gate. “What are you doing here?” 

“I brought Seungkwan. I saw you getting arrested, and figured it could be trouble.” 

“There is trouble. Chan, we have to get to her.” Chan furrowed his eyebrows. 

“Get to who?” 

“Y/N! She’s in trouble!” 

“Who… What trouble? What’s going on?” 

“She’s the lost princess! Her mother- No, the kidnapper, has her locked away in a tower! We have to go save her before something terrible happens!” Vernon said, still panicking. 

“Okay, calm down!” 

“We have to go! She could get hurt! We have to save her!” 

“Listen, Seungkwan is trying to get you free now. Then we’ll go find this girl.” 

“Chan, what if something bad happens…” 

“Okay, he’s free!” Seungkwan came running down the hall, a guard following him. “You owe me, big.” 

“Seungkwan, thank you!” Vernon said, pleading with the guard to unlock the gate faster. As soon as the door opened, he took off. Chan quickly followed, Seungkwan following confused. 

*Today*

Vernon walked through the neighborhood, suddenly drained from the day. He pulled the necklace out of his pocket, stopping and staring at it. Why did he have such an attachment to this? It was just a necklace. He had no memory of getting it or why it mattered. He should be able to just get rid of it. 

So why couldn’t he? 

He sighed, about to put it in his pocket, then he stopped. He took a deep breath, then let the necklace go. He heard it clank on the concrete, and then continued to walk. It was time to let this go. 

He turned around as a warm breeze blew past, confusing him. As he looked around, he suddenly felt dizzy, quickly blacking out on someone’s lawn. 

You opened your eyes, hand quickly going to your head. It pounded so much, but you couldn’t fully remember why. You tried to think about what you last remembered… You remember getting back to the tower… You remember your mother being upset about you leaving… You remember crying in your room, holding the sun necklace you had gotten from the village… You remembered the thief… 

You quickly sat up, remembering one more thing. 

You were the lost princess. 

You would have panicked more about that, but you didn’t recognize anything in this room. Nothing was familiar. Where were you? What had happened? You slowly got up, listening throughout the house. You couldn’t hear anything else, but that didn’t mean you were alone. You tiptoed down the stairs, into a hallway. You still couldn’t find anyone, hand going to your head to rub it. Then you noticed something else. 

Your hair was short. 

What had happened? 

As you passed a window, you saw someone laying outside. On instinct, you quietly ran to the front of the house, opening it up. As you got on the front lawn, your heart stopped as you realized who it was. 

“Hansol!” You called, running over to him. You crouched next to him, shaking his shoulders a little bit. You saw something shining a couple feet away, reaching over to pick it up. It was the sun necklace, similar to the one around your neck. You sighed over it, feeling tears in your eyes. 

“Y/N…” You looked over, Hansol having turned his head to you, awake. 

“Hansol!” You cried, falling forward to hug him. He let out a laugh, hugging you back. 

“You’re okay.” He breathed, causing you to lean back, pulling him up with you. 

“What happened?” You asked, confused. “Why don’t I remember what happened after I got back to my tower?”

“I almost got there too late. My friend’s came with me, but when we got there you were unconscious and your kidnapper was getting ready to move you. We wouldn’t have been able to handle them, but then I had a thought…” He moved a hand to brush some hair behind your ear. “Sorry about the hair…” He said, you sighing. 

“Well, that explains that.” You said, relaxing a bit. “How did we get here?” You asked, looking around the neat neighborhood. Hansol looked around too, confusion on his face. 

“That... I don’t really know.” He looked to you, a smirk on his face. “You up to find out?” You looked up for a second, exhaling. 

“Can we just sit for a minute? I feel like 90% of the time I’ve spent with you has been chaos…” You leaned on his shoulder, closing you eyes. “I just... I just want to sit.”

“Sure.” He took your hand in his, looking around and letting out a breath. “We can do that.”

[rambling-at-midnight]

Pick Your Battles: Part 4/5

Pairing: Five x Reader

“You can make this nice and easy,” the man with the gun had said, but he obviously hadn’t wanted to make it easy. He’d chosen the hard option and not left the diner when Five had given him the option to. Now Five’s going to have to get his hands dirty, and he hasn’t even been back to the future a day. The Commission never sleeps, apparently.

One second Five is snapping the neck of the man that had been trying to run away, and the next a cold barrel is pressed against his head steadily. The adrenaline that had been coursing through his veins goes cold, all action halted immediately. Even he’s not fast enough to jump if this person pulls the trigger. Not if the barrel’s against his head, not if he can’t see the person’s face to gauge when they’re going to pull it.

“Hands up,” the voice of a female child orders Five, and in shock he puts his hands up. He’s not going to hurt a child, even though he may look like one.

“Do you know what’s going on here?” he asks slowly, not daring to move an inch. “Is the Commission really recruiting children now? That’s low.” He can make out the person’s shadow on the ground, but the flickering lights make it hard for him to make out any details about them.

“I’m not a child,” the person says bitterly, “and neither are you. Now, are you going to comply or not?”

Something about the person’s voice makes Five feel like he knows them. It carries a weird accent not native to where Five lives. He can’t place it, though; who would he know that’s a child? All his siblings are adults now. The only other people he really knows are Y/N and the Handler.

Wait. Y/N. She’d been going to get a new body. And this person has an accent.

Pretty convenient Five’s back in his child body too.

“Y/N?” he asks, hesitant. The gun on his head doesn’t waver.

“Long time no see,” you reply.

Five relaxes, his hands going down, and he turns around. It’s definitely you; there’s that brand on your collarbone you’d said was the symbol of your patron goddess. “Y/N! What are you talking about, it’s only been—” He halts when you load the chamber of the gun, face stone-cold. You’ll shoot. What? “It’s only been a day!”

“It’s been three years,” you snap, “since you left me on that mission to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. Nice to know we’re a team, jackass. What did I do for you to rescind the invitation?”

No doubt it would have been a cutting insult had your voice not broken a tiny bit. Five opens his mouth—it’s been a day; he really was planning on finding you—but you cut him off.

“I’m not even interested in your half-assed excuse. Just come with me.”

Of course the Commission would send Five’s former partner, the one person that would catch him off guard and the only possible person that could kill him. You know all his tricks, and you have far more tricks from your years at the Commission than Five can count. Even if he jumps now, the tracker in his arm will tell them where he is. He jumps and you’ll even be waiting for him wherever he jumps to.

The perks of your enemies being time travelers, Five thinks bitterly. “Okay.”

“Don’t try anything,” you warn. You always could read him. He never could read you.

“I’m not going to,” Five lies.

“You’re lying.”

Five insists, “I’m not! Y/N, you’re my oldest friend—what do you think I’m going to do, kill you?”

“I’d kill you,” you say quietly. “Don’t say for a second you wouldn’t hesitate to kill a friend that was threatening you.”

“Never one for sentiment, were you?”

“I killed my own mother,” you snap. “Who are you to me?”

Five flinches at that, a little bit. Maybe you really didn’t return any of his feelings. He doesn’t want to hurt you, though. He says softly, “Y/N, what’s the Commission done to you?”

“Nothing,” you snap. “You left. You promised that we could stop the apocalypse together and then you left.”

“Y/N, you’ve gotta understand,” Five says desperately, “It’s been a day! I honestly was going to find you!”

“Bull,” you snort. “You haven’t thought about me since you got back. You’re too obsessed with the apocalypse.”

“Just take me back,” Five sighs. He knows you’re suspicious; you possess a talent for spotting liars that would lead him to believe you’re one of the 43 children and that’s your power if you hadn’t been born in Sparta thousands of year before he was.

Like the choreographed fights you two had performed for years while working together, you both lunge at the same time. At the end of the day, Five has superpowers and no matter how skilled you are, you’ll never be able to jump through space and time without a briefcase.

You fire your gun and it grazes Five. He won’t be so lucky next time you shoot and he knows it, so he jumps behind you—you’re already spinning around; you’d seen the way his eyes flickered and you’d seen where he was jumping, but he connects your turning jaw with a heavy dinner plate.

The hit catches you off guard and you take a step back to keep yourself from falling (it’s the first time Five’s managed to throw you off-balance) and fire off another shot just before Five hits you again. If he hadn’t managed to jump just in time, he would have been killed instantly.

Yes, you’re good. But you don’t have superpowers.

Five kneels by your crumpled unconscious form to check if you’re still breathing. You’d taken it easy on him. You’d hesitated. It’s almost as if you’d wanted to be taken captive.

He dismisses that thought. You were willing to help him before. He just needs to explain to you without a gun pointed at his face.

You wake up when people start to argue, but you don’t let anyone know. Experimentally, you tense up and try to move infinitesimally, but your hands are tied behind your back and one of your ankles is tied to something else. You’ve got a sore jaw and a roaring headache. From the feel of things, you’re in a bed. Pain radiates up your right arm from your forearm, right where your Commission tracker is. Probably was, now. It’s wrapped up tightly in some sort of bandage. Yep, definitely was.

Five is good. He really is.

Well, you’ve gotten out of stickier situations. You’re not really sure if you want to get out of this one, though; you’re quickly growing sick of the Commission. The future Five had proposed to you—living out the rest of your lives together, probably sniping at each other, in a world that is decidedly still turning—sounded so good, and you’d gotten your hopes up.

Then he abandons you during one of his missions, and you spend the next three years wondering if he was just waiting until he was left alone to run away. You’d thought you were the one thing keeping him at the Commission, and you were, but not in the way you’d hoped.

Hope. The thing with feathers, or so says Emily Dickinson, and it’s poisoned you. Spartans don’t hope. They go out and get the thing they were hoping for.

“Five, we can excuse a lot of things, but we can’t excuse you kidnapping a child!” a man with a deep voice says, sounding scandalized. You can capitalize on his sympathy for you, you know.

“Y/N’s a child about as much as I’m a child,” Five replies. “She was my partner when I was working at the Commission. She’s going to help us stop the apocalypse.”

“I’m sorry, didn’t you say she was sent to kill you?” another man says. “That doesn’t seem like she cares much about you or the apocalypse.”

“She was willing to help me yesterday,” Five replies. “Or three years ago.”

“What?”

“It was yesterday for me, but, well, for Y/N it’s been about three years since I left. The Commission never sleeps, after all, not even if your partner goes missing.”

A distinctly feminine voice speaks up. “Was it really necessary to knock her out and tie her up? And what’s wrong with her arm?”

“I had to cut her tracker out,” Five replies, to general uproar.

“You can’t cut unconscious people, Five!”

“What tracker?”

“Is that why you’re bleeding too?”

Five yells over the noise, “Shut up!” When everyone quiets, he says slowly, “The Commission puts trackers in every one of its agents ‘if they go missing’.” You can picture him doing the air quotes. “That’s part of the reason, but the real reason is if they run away. Agents do that a lot, actually. And I don’t need them breathing down our necks while we plan how to stop the apocalypse. Y/N, any ideas?”

“Untie me and I’ll share them with you,” you reply in a bored tone, sitting up and opening your eyes. You should have known he’d never believe you’d stay sleeping through all that shouting. You hope nothing on your face gives away how much it hurts to talk around what must be at least a terribly bruised jaw.

An odd assortment of people greet you. You can assume who they are from Five’s stories.

You meet Five’s eyes unflinchingly. Chameleon be damned. Sympathy be damned. You’ll be just as nasty to these people as you want. Five’s likely warned them all about you anyway.

It’s what a Spartan would do. Spartans don’t pretend to be weak.

“How’s your head?” the girl wearing fashionable clothes asks, reaching out for you. You know who she is. You’ve seen part of one of her movies when you had to sneak into a movie theatre to kill a woman with smallpox that threatened to infect young Barack Obama pre-presidency.

“Touch me and I’ll kill you,” you say without looking at her. She recoils instantly. The largest man in the room scowls and opens his mouth to say something, but you keep talking, transferring your gaze to the only other woman in the room. “Ah, and you must be Vanya, correct? I remember Five was always… scribbling in your book. Isn’t it funny when the wolf doesn’t even know it’s a wolf?”

Five’s eyes widen. “She does it? You’ve seen it happen?”

“The White Violin,” you say, dipping your head at Vanya, “it’s an honor to make your acquaintance. Maybe this time around you won’t destroy the world? And will someone untie me?”

It takes a long time for the family to reach the agreement that they would untie you. Between your threats about castrating anyone that touched you without your permission and the bombshell you’d dropped on everyone that’d knocked even Five off his feet, nobody was feeling very huggy towards you.

Except Vanya. Well, she wasn’t feeling huggy, but she completely ignored your threats and asked you what you were talking about.

You’re not dumb enough to threaten the person powerful enough to destroy the world because of a temper tantrum, so you explain to her in clipped sentences and everyone else just listens in.

Only Five hears the strain in your voice, the way you slur your English despite your accent. Nobody else sees the awkward way you hold yourself and your arm. You may be younger now, but he still knows you. It was necessary, he tells himself. The Commission would have found us immediately.

Nearly breaking your jaw wasn’t, but you had been trying to kill him. So maybe it was.

You still know him. He’s been avoiding your accusing gaze since you said that Vanya causes the apocalypse.

The necessity of his actions doesn’t change the guilt that makes his stomach feel upset when he thinks about how the first time you see him in three years he knocks you out, cuts out your tracker, and kidnaps you. Then again, you’ve never been under any delusions that Five would act any other way.

“Look in the journal underneath Leonard’s bed,” you say carelessly. “His real name is Harold Jenkins and he’s just manipulating you until you kill your siblings, by the way. Your father knew about your powers and wrote about it in his journal.”

You get them to untie you through sheer willpower and manipulation alone, and it’s nice to see that you haven’t changed at all. Five’s almost proud of you. It might have only been a day, but god he’d missed you.

You immediately sock Five in the jaw. The Handler wasn’t kidding when she said ‘denser muscles’; he feels like Luther had just hit him.

“Nice to see you haven’t changed at all,” Five mutters and spits a mouthful of blood on the ground.

Umbrella Academy Taglist:

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[midnightprelude]

Fictober: Party Games

Prompt number: 15, that’s what I’m talking about

Fandom: Dragon Age

Rating: Mature

Warnings/Tags: Yep, that’ll be fluff again. And food fights

Pairings: Dorian/Anders, my lovely mage bois

This whole thing is the sole responsibility of @johaeryslavellan and @thesaltyhealer. Thank you, you beautiful people. <3

“Must I come with you, love? I love dressing up as much as the next man, but… to a child’s birthday party? It seems rather strange. And if we’re together…” Anders shook his head. “I would really rather prefer to stay home, drink some wine, run a bath, eat some grapes…”

Dorian shrugged. “If my attendance is required, then so is yours, by my own decree. Besides, you’d be better than me at this anyway. You’re excellent with children.”

Anders arched a brow at that comment. “What exactly are you saying about me…?”

He laughed. “You’re a child.” He put his hands up in surrender at Anders’s playful glare. “At heart, at heart. Not in truth.”

“You’re the irritating one, don’t you know?” Anders rolled his eyes. “Not me. I’m nothing but perfectly pleasant.” He huffed. “A child… really?”

“It’s that youthful look of wonder and boyish grin.” Dorian pulled him close, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Take it as a compliment! You’ll have strapping young people complimenting you on your appearance until well into your seventies, I’m convinced.”

Anders sighed, kissing Dorian on the nose. “You should be glad I like you, or I’d set those fancy robes of yours ablaze.”

Dorian looked at him in mock horror. “You would never! These are handwoven Antivan silk. I had to pay Josephine a fortune to get them!”

Fire erupted from Anders’s palm and the man winked. “Don’t try my patience, Magister.”

The audacity!

Anders only ever called him that when he was in trouble or when he wanted to sleep with him. Dorian couldn’t tell which was the case in this instance. He decided it was probably the former.

“Fine, I’m sorry. But please come with me. I’m sure we can find a way to make it fun.”

Anders grinned. “See, you just needed to ask nicely and I would have said yes!”

Dorian looked at him suspiciously. “I did ask nicely the first time and you rejected me.”

“Well, if you’ll recall, I was merely questioning whether I needed to go. You’ve made it clear that I do, to keep you out of trouble at the very least. I never said I wouldn’t go. I just said there were better things for me to do here, in your lovely manse.”

Dorian kissed him again, lips full of mischief. “I can think of some better things to do, amatus. We need not start getting ready for another hour or so...”

Anders seemed convinced, his lips opening slightly against Dorian’s. He wrapped his arms around Dorian’s shoulders, one hand behind his head, running his fingers lazily through his close-cropped hair.

“Fine,” Anders said. “You got me. An hour though… That’s plenty of time.”

Dorian raised his eyebrows, knowing the answer before he asked the question. “For what, amatus?”

“To find ourselves well and truly debauched.”

The words sent a wave of heat through his body, from his lips to his toes.

Anders may look like he’s a Chantry choirboy, but he’s got the most creative amorous repertoire of anyone I’ve ever met.

It was turning into quite a strange day.

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

Anders’s reaction to the party was predictable; he always made the same face when discovering a new aristocratic normalcy. The “party” if it could be called that, was at another magister’s palace, held in a sprawling labyrinth of gardens. There was a small lake towards the center and several miniature boats had been enchanted to allow the children to race them across the waters. He counted at least seven different exotic animals being led around the square, and a flock of peacocks was squawking at passers-by and trying to steal pieces of cake.

Anders would always get a dazed look about him, like he had stumbled into some sort of mystical land that he couldn’t quite comprehend and definitely didn’t trust as real. His eyes would go as wide as saucers and he would get an even more ridiculous than usual grin plastered across his face. All of his usual nervous energy would be drained for a few heartbeats before turning into a jittering excitement. It was infectious. There was a reason Dorian wanted him along.

“You didn’t say…” Anders was still in shock. “This is a child’s birthday? When I was a child, I was lucky to get another helping of bread. And after Kinloch… I forgot the day altogether.”

Dorian wrapped an arm around him from the side, drawing Anders close and kissing his head, gently. He almost felt bad bringing him to things like this; if Anders didn’t seem to clearly love them he would have stopped long ago. The gulf between their upbringings were so wide--Dorian had had similar parties every year.

The thing about a party for a magister’s children though, was that it was never about the child. The parents didn’t care a fig about the child’s preferences. More than once, Dorian had requested that all he wanted for his birthday was a quiet afternoon and his father to pick up a few restricted books from the Senatorial library. His requests were, of course, ignored. His parents threw a ridiculous celebration like the one they currently attended, with people Dorian didn’t like, with activities Dorian didn’t prefer, and with food Dorian thought tasted oversweet and cloying.

He took Anders’s hand. “Come on, let’s try and find the guest of honor and pay our respects.”

Anders laughed. “Pay our respects? You make it sound like a funeral! This is a carnival.”

“Most likely not.” He sighed. “Let’s go then.”

Weaving through the crowds, they eventually found the high table. A sullen looking pre-teen boy sat there, a fork slowly picking at a pile of cake. Dorian had met the young man before; he was turning twelve or thirteen, probably not wanting to be around all of these people. He could relate.

He sidled across to him, Anders in tow. “Hello there.”

The boy could hardly suppress a groan.

Dorian raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a wry smile. “Dreadful affair, isn’t it? All these people cooing over you like this? What’s your name? Mine’s Dorian. And this beautiful fool here is Anders.”

The kid looked at him suspiciously. “What are you playing at? Did my mother send you to see if I’m having a good time?” He waved a finger in the air. “Oh, look at me, what a wonderful way to spend a day: out in the sun and surrounded by idiots. You can report back to her that everything is positively immaculate and I’m having the time of my life.” His voice dripped with sarcasm only possible by teenagers.

Dorian grinned fully this time, turning to Anders, “You know what, I rather like this little ass. He sees the truth of things.”

He turned to the kid conspiratorially. “If you give me your name, we can play a game. It’ll be much more fun than anything these poor sods will have cooked up for your entertainment. What do you say?”

The boy eyed him behind his black fringe. “Vero… I don’t trust you, but anything is more interesting than sitting up here alone like a prized goose.”

“Well then, Vero. I have a proposition. We play a little game and the winner gets this bottle of Rowan’s Rose I intended to give you as a gift.” He reached into his robes and produced a bottle of wine.

The boy grabbed for it, but Dorian was too quick. “Now, now then. That’s not very sporting. We have a game. We play for our alcohol, like men. And you don’t tell your parents. Understood?” Dorian’s look was deathly serious.

The boy nodded, extending his hand. “On my honor. What are the terms?”

Dorian laughed. “Simple. We pelt these other fools with food.”

The boy looked confused.

“There’s  point system, you see. Hit a servant, you lose five points. They don’t deserve that treatment. Hit an Altus, that’s five. A Magister, that’s the usual five plus an extra ten. I don’t count, of course. Hit the Archon… That’s one hundred. If your target manages to eat the food out of the air, you earn two hundred and fifty.” He held up a finger, silencing the boy. “But, if they discover their assailant, then you lose one hundred points.”

Anders blanched. “No, you can’t encourage him to…” He paused, his eyes getting a faraway look. “Actually, Justice quite approves of this idea. He’s not usually one for frivolities, but he’ll make an exception this once.”

Anders picked up a bunch of grapes, separating them from their vine one by one. “You’re ridiculous, you know.”

Dorian laughed. “I know.” He pulled Anders close and whispered in his ear. “But if this isn’t the best birthday that kid ever has, I’ll eat my own robe.”

Anders grinned. “I thought you said it was fine Antivan silk?”

“I’ll make an exception to make a point.”

Anders picked up a bit of forgotten cake from Vero’s plate, eyed it, and then smashed it into Dorian’s face. “Is that fifteen for me, then?” he said playfully.

Dorian rolled his eyes, licking the frosting off his cheeks as best he could. “I said I didn’t count!” He felt an apple hitting him from behind and turned to see Vero looking like he had just won their contest. “That hurt. You both lose one hundred points.”

Anders pulled him close, running his finger through the frosting still coating Dorian’s face. “It was worth it, just for this, love.” Anders proceeded to kiss him on his cheek, using his tongue to remove the residual cake from Dorian’s face.

While he was distracted, Dorian grabbed a pie tin from the table and upended it on Anders’s head. “Looks like we’re all even now. I lose one hundred as well.”

Cherries were running down his cheeks, bits of crust stuck against his scalp. His hair was stained red from the juice. His robes were utterly ruined.

Anders just laughed.

[fantasyandromancelover]

The Tale of Tales Chapter 2

The next morning Lucy began her job as a sullery maid. Her aunt had decided to have her work for a noble family who's master had two daughters Sorano and Yukino. The sisters were extremely spoiled and the oldest Sorano was especially bratty and mean to poor Lucy.

"Where have you been?" She asked haughtingly when Lucy arrived her room carrying firewood. "I have been chill for half an hour. Hurry up and light a fire and don't touch anything with those dirty hands of yours!"

"Yes Miss."

Little Lucy spent many days working as hard as she could receiving no help or kindness from anyone. She wore only rags and slept by the fireplace in the kitchen which resulted in her face always being covered in ash and cinder. Sorano would always taunt her by calling her name's like cinder wench or dirty maid. Her only friends were the mice who would sometimes sneak into the kitchen for table scraps.

One day when the castle was having a ball she found herself sitting at the entrance of the ballroom, hiding in the shadows just to hear the music playing and to smell the delicious food on display. They did feed her but it was never enough and she was always so very hungry. Taking a peak inside she saw a man whom she recognized as King Hector dancing with a little girl around her age. It reminded her of when she used to dance with her father and it brought tears to her eyes.

"Hello."

Lucy was snapped out of her sad thoughts by the sound of a little girl's voice. She saw that looking at her was the little girl she had seen dancing with the king.

"Oh forgive me Miss I was just resting for a moment." Lucy said.

"That's okay. You look tired and hungry. Do you want something to eat? Stay here I'll be right back."

And she was off before Lucy could stop her. She then came back with a little plate of bread and cake.

"Here you go."

"Miss I couldn't."

"Why not? You look like you're starving to death."

"But I'm a servant."

"Servants have to eat to you know."

Lucy was expecting this girl's act of kindness to be some sort of cruel joke. Like that time Sorano had offered her a small cube of sugar only to snatch it away when Lucy reached for it. Giving into her growling belly she slowly reached over to grab a small roll off the plate. She hesitated before taking a bite still not sure if the girl's kindness was sincere. She soon realized that it was and began to help herself to the bread and cake.

"Don't they feed you?" The girl asked.

"Yes but only breadcrust and chicken bones."

"That's awful. My father would never allow such a thing. He's the king you know."

"Your father is the king? Then you must be the princess."

"Yep."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because isn't that what princesses are supposed to do?"

"Lucy!" Screeched the angry voice of Minerva as she charged over to where the two girls were seated. "What do you think you're doing up here?! You're supposed to be in the kitchen! Do you think I want my geusts to see a dirty serving wench up here?!"

She looked down at the plate of bread and cake Lucy was eating from.

"You little thief! How dare you steal from the table!" She sized Lucy by her arm and prepared to strike her only to be stopped by the other girl grabbing on to Minerva's dress.

"She didn't steal them Stepmother I gave them to her!" The girl objected.

"Why on earth would you do a stupid thing like that?!"

"She looked so hungry I thought maybe she needed something to eat. Oh please don't hurt her Stepmother. If you must punish someone punish me!"

For a moment it looked like Minerva was going to strike the girl but she stopped.

"Come Juvia your father is waiting for us."

She grabbed the girl called Juvia roughly by the arm and pulled her along as she walked back to the ball.

That was the first time Lucy had received any kindness since her parents died and that gave her hope that not all people were cruel and that if she honored her mother's dying words then she would indeed find happiness.

Ten years passed and even though Lucy continued to spend her days as a scullery maid, working in ash and soot while wearing only rags she grew up to be a lovely woman with hair as golden as the sun and eyes that seemed to resemble stardust. Her aunt continued to work her hard and abuse her but it did nothing to tarnish Lucy's sweet disposition or her determined spirit. No matter how hard she tried Minerva just couldn't destroy Lucy's smile.

"Lucy! Where are you?! Yukino and I want our breakfast now!" Sorano screeched for one morning.

"Coming!" Lucy called as she added the finishing touches on their morning meal.

"I specifically said that I wanted four minute eggs! Not four one minute! And where in God's name is our bread?!"

"Sorano please there's no need to yell." Yukino said.

Lucy walked into the dinning room carrying a tray of eggs, bread, and fruit with a teapot and cups. She sat the tray on the table and began to pour the tea.

"What kept you?" Sorano asked.

"Sorry Miss. You said that you wanted duck eggs for breakfast and they're so much harder to find than chicken eggs."

"That's no excuse and look at you, covered in ash and soot. I swear Lucy sometimes I think that you're no different from a pig. After all you're ugly like them, you're dirty like them, and you smell like them."

"I think that was a bit too harsh Sorano." Yukino said. "After all Lucy does sleep by the castle fire place instead of sleeping in a warm bedroom like the rest of us. You know Lucy we do have an extra bedroom that no one uses so perhaps-"

"Be quiet Yukino! She's a servant not a guest! Don't treat her like one! Now Lucy leave and get started on your usual chores."

"Yes Miss."

As usual Lucy worked her fingers to the bone. Cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner, sweeping and scrubbing the floors, waxing the tables, polishing the silver, and washing and mending the clothes. She did each of her chores without complaint and still found ways to be hopeful and happy. Once she finished her chores she returned to the castle but not before visiting the graves of her beloved parents. Some time ago Lucy had found a hazel twig and planted it on her parent's graves. Over the years she had watered it with her many, many tears resulting in a hazel tree growing on their graves. Lucy treasured that tree because she felt that it symbolized the notion that somehow her parents were still with her. After visiting their graves and tending to the tree, Lucy retried to her place in the kitchen where she found her friends the mice waiting for her.

"Hello my little friends. Are you hungry?" She began to feed bits of her bread crust to the hungry mice. Though she knew the mice could not speak she knew that they understood her whenever she talked to them and sometimes all a person needs is someone to listen to them.

Suddenly she heard the sound of glass breaking. She quickly stood up, grabbed a broom that was by the fireplace, and slowly without making a sound walked toward the direction of where the noise had come from. The source of it was a man in a cloak who appeared to be stealing some of the bread.

"Thief! Get out!" She swung her broom and hit the man, knocking him to the kitchen floor and began to hit him repeatedly with it. "How dare you break into the kitchen and steal!"

"I'm sorry! I was only going to take one loaf!" He said.

"Yeah well guess who will face the queen's wrath tomorrow morning when she finds out a thief robbed her? It certainly won't be you I'm sure!"

"Stop that! Ow! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! But I haven't eaten in days and- I'll pay you for it!" He threw a pouch at her feet. She picked it up, looking inside she saw that there were gold coins inside. "There? Satisfied?"

The young man stood up and removed the hood of his cloak showing her his face. He was a very good looking man with a certain charm to him but Lucy was much too angry with at the moment to notice.

"Sir if you can afford to buy bread why did you not buy it from the bakery?" She asked suspiciously.

"Because I'm trying to run away and I don't want anyone to recognize me."

"Are you a criminal?"

"No. I just...Look that gold is enough to pay for the bread and anything else you might need so can we please keep this encounter hush-hush?"

"Fine."

"Thank you. I bid you good night dear lady."

He then ran off out the back door of the kitchen leaving Lucy to wonder who on earth that man was.